Posts from the ‘Handspinning’ category

Knitting Update Plus

Thanks so much, everyone, for your patience during the server move. No one even yelled at me, which was so nice! Everything’s working perfectly now and faster, to boot. I’m sure there were plenty of people swearing at me under their breath on Tuesday, but they kept it to themselves, and I’m thankful.

This is the last weekend for Fiber Club renewals. On Monday, I’ll open the club up to everyone.

Onto knitting, which seems to hate me lately. I’ve ripped and re-knit the Fantom Bohus sweater’s yoke twice, the last time due to a big math error (so lame- calculator, Adrian!), but I love it to bits now.


Click for big popup, so you can see it all well.

I had to change the order of the colors around a bit this time, because I changed the pattern to be more subtle and the transitions turned out to be too hard to see in the original order. I’d wanted the colors to go from lightest to darkest down through the yoke, so it looked like it was fading as it went up, but the way it is now is a good compromise. The vertical stripes add so much to the design, I think, so I’m really glad I ripped and re-knit.

I discovered when I tried this on that even though the bright, limey green is the softest yarn in the yoke, it’s really not soft enough to touch my neck. The neck is going to have to be lined. I have a cone of cashmere fingering weight so now the fun of dyeing it to match can be had.

Oh, Tomten, my Tomten.

This sweater really hates me. This is short row shoulder #2, and it’s still a little off. Jared helped me out immensely with this shoulder, and the idea is spot on, but the fit isn’t great on me. I will forge ahead with this. Do not fear. More math will be done. Since I’m using chunky yarn, at least the miles of garter aren’t that much of a chore.

Have you seen Jared’s Tomten? Go look. It’s glorious. This will all still be here when you get back.

In super exciting news, another friend of mine is pregnant. More baby knitting!!

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Spinning Other People’s Fibers

I realized recently that not only did I not have a stash of spinning fibers, but I had absolutely no fibers dyed by other people. What a shame! I’d see fibers, then think “Ah, I can do that, so I shouldn’t spend the money.” Well, sometimes you just need a treat. Amy and I decided to trade subscriptions to each other’s fiber clubs, so that’s one fiber per month added to my stash. My first month receiving fiber from Amy was May and I finally got to spin it the night before last.

Nightshade colorway, Spunky Eclectic Spunky Club offering, May 2007
Coopworth wool
250 yards/ 4 oz.
sport/DK weight
singles yarn

This is a nice, soft single, as balanced as a single can be: not a hint of a twist to the skein when hung. Here’s some great info on spinning low-twist singles if you’re new to that.

Then I saw batts over at Spritely Goods and needed some of those. Can you blame me?

I started on these last night, spinning one batt into singles as is and splitting another into layers, one dark brown and white, the other brown, and then splitting the layers in two for the other single. I’ll spin the second bobbin in 4 big fat stripes and ply it with the first bobbin. Hopefully, this will result in long, subtle stripes in the finished 2-ply. Will report back on that!

I already have enough handspun brown yarn to combine that with the Nightshade to make a sweater. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for a fiber to go with the Spritely Goods batts. Maybe you can help me figure out where I’ll find the time to knit this all up! Maybe I’ll stop cleaning the house to free up some time. :)

Since I never did post a photo of the Hello Yarn Fiber Club June offering, it’s about time.

Thistle
18 Micron Merino wool top
4 oz.

This stuff is crazy soft! I hope everyone likes it. From now on, I’ll keep the dyes I mix up for the club fibers for a month or so, so that you may order more of a colorway if you like. Email to order and include your full name so I know who you are. This is only for club members.

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Vacation OVER

I’m back in one piece, tired, and starving the moment I wake up (damn jet lag)! I took a bunch of photos. Want to see?

I knit like a maniac on the way over, and then knit quite a bit on the beach on Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands, but woe is me, didn’t even pay attention to what I was doing, so at some point after that photo was taken, I cocked things up badly and there’s a lot of ripping for me to do.

Just so’s you know, I was allowed to attempt (I love it) to get needles on the plane coming back, but I didn’t chance it since bags are searched at least twice and no one at the first two stops could tell me if the third would allow the needles through. I don’t think they would have, as they searched through everything like maniacs, even digging into change purses and the like. The EU doesn’t seem to have a written policy on knitting needles like the TSA does (they’re allowed). The little dental floss container cut my yarn nicely, so thanks for that tip!

Back to work!

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