tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26573772691558460882024-03-13T23:31:42.803-04:00Yarnstruck CathySometimes I knits and thinks, and sometimes I just knits.cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.comBlogger190125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-34148901471420671352011-01-30T22:54:00.000-05:002011-01-30T22:54:13.047-05:00Land of the GiantsPart of me feels I oughtn't to be allowed to wear a new knitted project until it's been blogged. My bubbly-sister-in-law once told me she had a rule that she couldn't use a gift until she'd written the thank-you note. Maybe that's where it comes from.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TUYbrgBZtSI/AAAAAAAABuo/cSjAdEYKAaM/s1600/giant-cowl-1_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TUYbrgBZtSI/AAAAAAAABuo/cSjAdEYKAaM/s1600/giant-cowl-1_1.JPG" /></a>In any case, it's cold weather, and I have a warm cowl I need to tell you about, so I can wear it!<br />
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It all started back in the fall, at the <a href="http://www.shenandoahvalleyfiberfestival.com/">Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival</a>, in Berryville, Virginia, where I was a volunteer helper this year at the fleece sale. We volunteers were there all day to talk about raw fleeces with spinners and interested passers-by and to take payments from anyone who'd found a fleece to his or her liking. Pleasant work, and, best of all, we were welcome to bring our spinning wheels and sit there and spin. <br />
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I had brought along Miss Muffet, my wee little portable Louet Victoria spinning wheel. I'd also brought some natural undyed wool to spin, thinking it would be good for demonstrating to anyone curious about what the natural undyed fleeces would be like to spin once cleaned and processed. Only -- funny thing -- there at the festival, surrounded by all the brightly colored wools and yarns, I began to feel just a bit dour about the good honest plain-colored wool I'd brought.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TUYbmNEwwQI/AAAAAAAABug/xZ1aZ297KIY/s1600/falklands-fiber_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TUYbmNEwwQI/AAAAAAAABug/xZ1aZ297KIY/s1600/falklands-fiber_1.JPG" /></a>I cast my eyes around wildly and scurried across the aisle to the booth where the Barefoot Spinner, from Romney, West Virginia, had hand-dyed spinning fiber laid out. I found some Falklands wool, a breed I had not tried yet, and picked out an 8-ounce ball in soft, light colors, a change from my usual palette. Falklands wool comes from the breed of sheep inhabiting those self-same Falkland Islands that were at issue between Britain and Argentina in the 1980s. Their wool, I later learned, is considered especially "green" because the islands are free of the usual sheep pests and so the sheep are not exposed to pesticides.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TUYboaHlj7I/AAAAAAAABuk/XgLqe9oZxRk/s1600/falklands-handspun_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TUYboaHlj7I/AAAAAAAABuk/XgLqe9oZxRk/s1600/falklands-handspun_1.JPG" /></a></div>With that, I repaired happily back across the aisle to spin the day away. It was lots of fun to spin and chat with people coming by, especially small children who were mesmerized watching the wheel go around and around.<br />
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I spun the wool as softly as I could, trying for a lofty yarn, with moderate success. The colors mixed and become more muted, as they often do, but were still quite pretty. <br />
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When it was all over, I ended up with 8 ounces of soft, bulky 2-ply handspun. Now for something to knit with it. I'd had my eye on a pattern from the Holiday 2009 issue of Vogue Knitting magazine for a while. In that issue, there was a feature with several giant loose cowls that draped around the neck and even the shoulders, by designer Cathy Carron.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TUYbz5X7MMI/AAAAAAAABuw/JMrgRNLfpi8/s1600/giant-cowl-3-1_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TUYbz5X7MMI/AAAAAAAABuw/JMrgRNLfpi8/s1600/giant-cowl-3-1_1.jpg" /></a></div>One in particular, with a pretty cable and leaf texture, appealed to me. (It's called Cabled Cowl #12 in the magazine, and I understand it's since been published in the designer's new book, <i>Cowlgirls</i> as "Candy Wrapper<i>.</i>") And this cowl was big! It was loose and baggy, about a yard around - very different from the modest little neck-warmers I'd seen in past years. It hung around the model's shoulders and looked it might fit Harry Potter's giant friend Hagrid. It was shown in a strong, solid pink, but I thought it might look pretty in the variegated shades of my hand-dyed handspun yarn. I set to work and soon had it done. It was a pleasure to knit in soft, cushy handspun. Although the cowl is really just a giant tube, the cabled pattern was interesting -- varied enough to be fun but intuitive and not particularly difficult. It was fascinating watching the colors shift, and the changes were gradual enough to be compatible with the texture. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TUYbvHB-z-I/AAAAAAAABus/sbYkE1QbD0c/s1600/giant-cowl-2-1_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TUYbvHB-z-I/AAAAAAAABus/sbYkE1QbD0c/s1600/giant-cowl-2-1_1.jpg" /></a></div>But the giant cowl really comes into its own when worn, bunched around the neck and shoulders, colorful and warm. It's a nice memory of the festival and an attractive piece with an offhand style all its own. I'm really pleased with the way it came out. <br />
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And now may I wear it, please? :)cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-82083186038475203682011-01-18T02:15:00.000-05:002011-01-18T02:15:39.375-05:00A Modest OutputI hope everyone had a nice holiday season. I did! In the rush leading up to it, I never know if I'm going to make it, but somehow just enough of everything all comes together just in time. And again this year, though I never seem to come close to matching the impossible dream in my head, I managed to get the tree decorated, cards out, presents bought and wrapped, and even a little Christmas baking done. <br />
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And in the midst of all of this, there was time for just a very modest amount of Christmas knitting. I didn't do a lot, but I did at least make a sweet little scarflet for my tall-elegant-mom, and a hat and neck-warmer set for Yarnstruck-nephew-the-eldest. The first was because I always try to make at least a little something for my mom, and the second by semi-request. (My trim-athletic-dad didn't fare quite as well; his as-yet unknit socks were bestowed on him in pristine form, as a completely untouched ball of yarn. :) <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TTUtHVBgnbI/AAAAAAAABuQ/QtcYXT7u0uM/s1600/cashmere-yarn_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TTUtHVBgnbI/AAAAAAAABuQ/QtcYXT7u0uM/s1600/cashmere-yarn_1.JPG" /></a> Time was rushing onward, and I knew I wanted to knit something for Mom, but I didn't know what. In the past I've made her stoles, scarves, shawls, gloves, hat, a sweater, and socks -- lots of socks -- all of which she makes valiant efforts to wear regularly. This time, I had no plan, but I did have a lovely skein of Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere 6-ply squirreled away, in the Oceana colorway. I'd bought it on a vacation a few years ago in Seattle and never quite come up with the right little project for it.<br />
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I'd always thought these colors would be nice on Mom, but what to make? One skein of worsted weight, however precious, would be of necessity a small project. I hit upon the idea of a little scarflet that could give just a hint of warmth and color at the neck, where cashmere's softness would be most appreciated.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TTUtQIsBDQI/AAAAAAAABuc/Zamgq9fsico/s1600/mom-little-scarfie-2_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TTUtQIsBDQI/AAAAAAAABuc/Zamgq9fsico/s1600/mom-little-scarfie-2_1.JPG" /></a>I ended up choosing a style that's often called a bowknot scarf. It has a built-in loop on each side, cleverly constructed by separating the stitches into two layers and then rejoining, so that either end can be tucked through the other, neatly and securely. There are quite a few patterns along this general model, but the one I used is Marci Richardson's version, from Judith Durant's <i>101 Designer One-Skein Wonders</i> book. Like the others, it's in humble garter stitch (which does make it springy as to length and not prone to rolling), but it also has some nice refinements, like a simple eyelet trim along the edges. <br />
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I made some minor changes to make it suit my mom (I hope) a little better. I lengthened the two ends of the scarf by an inch or two to give it a more substantial look. I narrowed the band around the neck slightly so it won't bunch up or fold over and will be a little better for full-time wear, rather than just for venturing out into the cold. I hope she'll enjoy having a small soft accessory that's easy to wear casually. Cozy, but not so warm you'd hesitate to reach for it unless the wind is really howling.<br />
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As for the requested item, that one tickled me. Once, I made <a href="http://yarnstruck.blogspot.com/2008/01/heaping-helping-of-hats.html">a pile of thick hats</a> in cheery school-spirit colors, and gave them out to the Yarnstruck nephews (among others). Well, what do you know, they wore them, and it seems they quite liked having a warm thick hat to wear on really cold days. Two years later, Yarnstruck-nephew-the-eldest had moved on to college and needed a warm thick hat in a new color scheme. Well, no knitter on earth could resist the call to replace an appreciated piece of hand-knitting with another when the need arises. It was Auntie Yarnstruck to the rescue!<br />
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If the original hat fit Yarnstruck-nephew-the-eldest and he liked it, well, I wasn't going to mess with success. I was going to do my level best to replicate it, materials, fit, styling, and all. Everything would be just the same but the color. I ran right out for the same yarn as last time, Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick, to knit with big US size 11 boat oars. <br />
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The pattern was of my own concoction, but, no problem, I just needed to find the little scrap of paper where I had noted down the details. When I got a little time, I launched a search into the pile of little and bigger scraps and sheets where I've noted down lots of my original patterns but never written them up properly. There sure were a lot of scraps and sheets. This was taking longer to find than I thought. In fact, I couldn't find it. Uh-oh. I knew I'd written down the details on one of these scraps; I actually remembered transcribing them from an even smaller more tattered scrap of paper. But I couldn't find it anywhere. I went through books, notebooks, drawers, and dug down to the deepest darkest bottom of my piles of yarn. I spent a couple of hours turning the place upside down. I couldn't have searched more thoroughly if I'd brought a bloodhound with me. No scrap of paper. Oh, no.<br />
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Now mind you, my little hat pattern wasn't anything to set the world of hat patterns on fire, but I knew it had worked once, and I just wanted to knit it again. I could have picked a pattern from one of the many (really! *many*) knitting books on my shelf, and adapted it for the yarn, and it probably would have been fine. But it wouldn't have been identical to the original one, and identical is what I was going for. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TTUtKcIxDEI/AAAAAAAABuU/uhsi1bpzNc4/s1600/bundled-up-1_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TTUtKcIxDEI/AAAAAAAABuU/uhsi1bpzNc4/s1600/bundled-up-1_1.jpg" /></a>Hard times call for tough measures. At least I had taken a good picture of the original hat, a complete side view, smoothed out flat. I reverse-engineered my own hat design from the photo, stitch by stitch, and used it to knit the new hat.<br />
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There was plenty of yarn left over, so I made a ribbed cowl/neck-warmer to match. I have to admit, this isn't quite how I pictured it being worn. (It actually looked quite nice pushed down around Yarnstruck-nephew-the-eldest's handsome chin. :) But, come to think of it, on a good freezing day, it's probably exactly the right way to wear it. <br />
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This time I wrote the whole thing down carefully. And put it... somewhere. I'm sure it will turn up.<br />
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</a></div>cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-39295355065653806952010-12-09T23:21:00.012-05:002010-12-10T01:47:29.867-05:00Field and Fireside<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TQGsF9zvKNI/AAAAAAAABtk/uv2831iyHLg/s1600/fireside-photo-1-detail2_1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TQGsF9zvKNI/AAAAAAAABtk/uv2831iyHLg/s320/fireside-photo-1-detail2_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548905434388048082" border="0" /></a>When I went tramping through the fields to the fiber festivals this fall, I had a pretty scrumptious new sweater to wear. It's the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fireside-sweater">Fireside sweater</a> pattern by Amber Allison.<br /><br />There's a bit of a story behind this pattern. There was a cute little romantic comedy movie in 2006 called <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457939/">The Holiday</a>. It starred Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslett, as two strangers in the US and UK who, each unhappy and needing a change, swap houses for a brief vacation. The movie was lightweight and pleasant, but a buzz developed about the <a href="http://www.fabsugar.com/I-Want-Wardrobe-Cameron-Diaz-Holiday-88601">wardrobe worn by Cameron Diaz</a>. One sweater in particular, extravagantly cabled and trim, really caught the eye. (It's the fourth one down the page on the preceding link.) Knitters ogled it, sighed over it, and tracked down the impossibly expensive <a href="http://www.tsecashmere.com/">source</a>.<br /><br />Amber Allison did more than sigh. She was so determined to have this sweater that she (dare I say obsessively?) studied pictures from the movie and recreated it as nearly as she could, stitch by stitch. She also, to the gratitude of legions of knitters, wrote out the pattern and adapted it for a range of sizes. It's remarkable, considering she'd never written a pattern before. On the other hand, I've never read a pattern written quite like this, either. There were a few directions like, "I suggest doing it this way, but I'm not going to tell you how to live your life." Quirky.<br /><br />I stumbled across the Fireside sweater through Chesley Flotten's <a href="http://theknittingexperience.com/Blog/inspiration_monday_-_the_fi.html">Knitting Experience Cafe blog</a> (named after her much-loved but now-closed knitting shop in Maine). Chesley, who has an immaculate eye for great sweaters and a welcoming heart, had picked out the Fireside and was preparing to hold a knit-along for her band of loyal knitters. I, despite living in Virginia -- far, far away from Maine -- decided to join in. It was the first time I'd participated in a knit-along, where lots of knitters work on the same pattern at the same time, in a variety of yarns, discuss their progress, and share their results. It was great fun.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TQHFxwF_vZI/AAAAAAAABt0/uHAFInz0fG0/s1600/cables-pop_1.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TQHFxwF_vZI/AAAAAAAABt0/uHAFInz0fG0/s320/cables-pop_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548933674411474322" border="0" /></a>Chesley had scoped out some suitable yarns for the sweater. I ordered some Cascade Eco-Plus wool in the Grape colorway, downloaded the pattern, and got to work. Eco-Plus is a heavy-worsted weight 100% wool yarn and was, I thought, rather lightweight for the gauge of 4 stitches per inch. To get gauge, I ended up with US size 10 1/2 (6.5 mm) needles, and the fabric seemed a little loose. But it worked out well with the heavy cabling. It shows those cables like nobody's business. And the finished sweater feels great.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TQG_rqMpFUI/AAAAAAAABts/RYfjgz_i05w/s1600/fireside-photo-2-detail_1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TQG_rqMpFUI/AAAAAAAABts/RYfjgz_i05w/s320/fireside-photo-2-detail_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548926972679755074" border="0" /></a>I made some significant adjustments to the pattern. I checked out out a number of finished Fireside sweaters. (You can see some good pictures of one finished Fireside on the <a href="http://poshknits.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-holiday-sweater.html">Posh Knits blog, here</a>.) For sizing, I noted a few complaints about tight, skinny sleeves. I chose a fairly snug size but decided to make armholes and sleeves according to the next size up. I also used the length measurements of the next size up. Still, I felt the waist decreases and increases looked like they would be kind of abrupt (this may have been partly due to my row gauge), so I made them longer and more gradual.<br /><br />For construction, I didn't much relish the recommended procedure of knitting the sleeves in the round and then fitting them into the waiting armholes, so I knit them flat and seamed more conventionally. There were also a few rough edges in the details of the pattern, and I changed some small things in the underarms and the back neck shaping to refine it a bit.<br /><br />But the sweater came together well, and all the adjustments and changes worked out fine. And, let me be clear, I LOVE this sweater! It's a beauty. Warm, cozy, and cabled, but sleek. It looks great tramping around in the open with jeans or dressed up in a tailored outfit with serious earrings. I venture to say you might even get away with it, in this jewel-like color, as a funky companion for a big gathered silk sort of skirt, the kind of styling you might see in <a href="http://www.vogueknitting.com/">Vogue Knitting magazine</a>. I love it from the top of its stand-up cabled collar to the tip of its purposely over-long sleeves.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TQHG3jPj_5I/AAAAAAAABuE/Jb6TlPuuoFU/s1600/fireside-photo-5-detail1_1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 224px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TQHG3jPj_5I/AAAAAAAABuE/Jb6TlPuuoFU/s320/fireside-photo-5-detail1_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548934873552781202" border="0" /></a>And did I mention that it's sexy? From the back, without the bulk of the overlapping off-center fronts, you can see the overall shape, almost like a curvy jacket. And the way the cables swoop in and out with the waist and shoulder shaping.<br /><br />It's a really good-looking sweater. When I wear it, I get a ton of compliments, some on the style, and some on the fit. And some, from knitters, impressed with the cabling (which, honestly, is simpler to knit than it looks). You couldn't ask more than that!<br /><br />Oh, and thank you, Chesley. :)cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-10917656547863228982010-11-30T23:22:00.005-05:002010-12-01T23:31:37.797-05:00A Little Thrill<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TPXPZ4dFyII/AAAAAAAABss/3lnug80zAsM/s1600/friend-delight_1.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TPXPZ4dFyII/AAAAAAAABss/3lnug80zAsM/s320/friend-delight_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545566559734712450" border="0" /></a>I've had an unexpected little bit of happiness recently -- seeing my yarn made into someone else's creation!<br /><br />Here's how it happened. When I first got Miss Muffett, my little Louet Victoria spinning wheel (yes, I guess you could say I'm spoiled :), I immediately spun a few little bundles of hand-painted fiber. I didn't have anything definite in mind to do with the yarn. I was just spinning for the pure joy of revving up my new little hot-rod spinning wheel.<br /><br />Of course, that didn't stop me from taking the yarns to show off to my knitting group friends. One friend in particular oohed and sighed over one of the skeins. It's the one in the front in the photo above. I'd spun it from two ounces of combed merino top from <a href="http://fleeceartist.com/">Fleece Artist</a>, in Nova Scotia, bought a couple of years back at the <a href="http://shenandoahvalley.tripod.com/">Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival</a>. It had long color transitions in muted shades of green and lavender, pink and blue-gray, and it really spoke to her.<br /><br />She admired it and gave me fulsome compliments. Just being nice, I thought. But over the months, as the fruits of my spinning wheel came and went, she kept bringing up that one particular skein. "That was so pretty," she would say, "and so soft. I just loved those colors." I began to believe her.<br /><br />In the end, I decided to wrap up that little skein and give it to her as a birthday gift. I was pretty sure she'd appreciate it. :)<br /><br />And she did. When she opened that package, she recognized her favorite skein right away and squealed with happiness. She dashed around some of the neighboring offices to show it to people. Pretty gratifying.<br /><br />But then a couple<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TPcSN7vM_PI/AAAAAAAABs0/Ipz-9FhODlw/s1600/friend-in-scarf_1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 237px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TPcSN7vM_PI/AAAAAAAABs0/Ipz-9FhODlw/s320/friend-in-scarf_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545921496713329906" border="0" /></a> of weeks later, the really exciting thing happened. She showed up at work in a new scarf. I glanced and did a double-take. And a triple-take. And then a full-on stare. It looked very familiar. "Wait, that's my yarn! Eeeee! That's my yarn that's my yarn that's my yarn!" She just beamed.<br /><br />I was so surprised. There were only about 200 yards of a fingering/sport weight yarn, and I hadn't thought she'd be able to do much with it. But she'd searched out a pattern and knitted it up. <br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TPcSN5919XI/AAAAAAAABs8/XwNfUobRI48/s1600/closer-look_1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TPcSN5919XI/AAAAAAAABs8/XwNfUobRI48/s320/closer-look_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545921496237864306" border="0" /></a>And it's so pretty! She chose a pattern that works beautifully with the subtle colors and long transitions. It's the Susan Scarf, a free pattern by the talented <a href="http://knittingkninja.com/">Kristen Hanley Cardozo</a>. And she did a beautiful job knitting it.<br /><br />It was really exciting to see another knitter's vision of what could be made of my pretty yarn. We're both proud of that scarf. (You should see how great it looks when she wears it with her dark green sweater!)<br /><br />It's as if I gave her a little present, and she turned around and gave me one right back. What a nice little thrill.cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-68193619277740871782010-10-08T21:50:00.007-04:002010-10-09T00:22:40.768-04:00Bringing in the Fleece<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TK_NkIZJlFI/AAAAAAAABsE/o4H2E_4l4rs/s1600/svff-fleece-table-1_1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TK_NkIZJlFI/AAAAAAAABsE/o4H2E_4l4rs/s320/svff-fleece-table-1_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525861288418841682" border="0" /></a>This year, I got to see another side of the lovable <a href="http://www.shenandoahvalleyfiberfest.com/">Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival</a>, by helping out as a volunteer on the Fleece Sale.<br /><br />A fleece sale, for those not familiar with the concept, is a chance for handspinners to buy a raw, unprocessed whole fleece, just as it comes from the freshly shorn sheep. Raw fleeces are full of all kinds of stuff: bits of weeds and vegetable matter that has clung to the sheep, fresh moist natural lanolin, pleasant ripe animal smells, and -- most of all -- possibility. <br /><br />The SVFF fleece sale is juried, meaning the fleeces are inspected for quality by an expert judge before being admitted into the sale. It's a big job for the two experts, and so there are opportunities for willing volunteers to help with the physical labor, listen, and learn.<br /><br />The day before the festival begins, the shepherds bring their fleeces to the judges to be evaluated and entered in the sale. Some bring just a couple of fleeces, and others bring half a dozen or more, each a large double-armful in its own plastic bag. <br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TK_Nkobd10I/AAAAAAAABsU/i5CgsrFNew8/s1600/svff-fleece-locks-1_1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 297px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TK_Nkobd10I/AAAAAAAABsU/i5CgsrFNew8/s320/svff-fleece-locks-1_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525861297018492738" border="0" /></a>Now the volunteers swing into action. One writes up tags, noting down the shepherd and the breed or hybrid of the sheep that supplied each fleece, and often the individual sheep's own name. Others empty the fleece from its plastic bag onto a mesh table, loose debris falling through onto the concrete floor. <br /><br />Spreading out a fleece so it can be examined is a careful job. A skilled shearer will have trimmed the fleece off a sheep all in one big piece that hangs together in the shape of the animal itself, a phantom sheepskin rug. It's easy enough to dump the bundled fleece out of its bag, but the mass of wool must then be gently picked open and fully unrolled on the table, without the loosely linked clumps of wool becoming tangled and breaking apart from the delicate whole-body shape. <br /><br />After the fleece is unrolled, the volunteers check it over quickly for any bits and pieces that should come out. The shepherd will already have taken out the mucky parts and poor quality areas around the hindquarters. But still, there are smaller things to be removed, like second cuts (bits of short, unusable wool where the shepherd ran the clippers over an overlapping spot again), or burrs and noticeable bits of hay or weeds. <br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TK_NlcuRvxI/AAAAAAAABsk/T-vnRtKB0kg/s1600/SVFF-fleece-judging-1_1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 239px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TK_NlcuRvxI/AAAAAAAABsk/T-vnRtKB0kg/s320/SVFF-fleece-judging-1_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525861311056035602" border="0" /></a>Then the expert judges are called over. They plunge experienced hands in to feel the fineness of the wool. They check the length of the fibers in the locks of wool. They test small clumps for soundness, both visually and by a good sharp lengthwise tug. They assign the fleece to a category, be it fine, medium, long, or double-coated. Sometimes the category is clear from the sheep's breed, and sometimes the judges rely on their own assessment, particularly for hybrids, which can vary widely from one individual to another. They write notes on the fleece's tag, commenting on such things as the quality of the wool, the color, the length, the cleanness, or appropriate uses, to provide guidance for buyers.<br /><br />When the judges finish with each fleece, the volunteers fold and roll it into a neat ball, stuff it back into its bag, and cart it to its spot on the long table of fleeces for sale.<br /><br />It wasn't glamorous work. The temperature hit 98 degrees that day. Each fleece typically weighed 4-7 pounds. The wool was full of dirt and grease, and our hands shone from the lanolin. We were grubby and hot. But it was fascinating, and I learned a lot. One thing I found interesting is that the judges actually did reject a few fleeces, for instance, if there was a weak spot in the length of the wool resulting from the animal having an episode of poor health as it grew. Truly, only good-quality fleeces were accepted for the sale.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TK_NkJ7iecI/AAAAAAAABsM/Csp0DtJNiV4/s1600/SVFF-fleeces_1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 275px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TK_NkJ7iecI/AAAAAAAABsM/Csp0DtJNiV4/s320/SVFF-fleeces_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525861288831515074" border="0" /></a>And the day was at times poignant. I met shepherds who handed over a number of fleeces with obvious pride, shepherds who hoped their fleeces would sell to bring in some money to keep the flock fed, and one dear lady who shears her sheep with ordinary scissors and great care.<br /><br />To a spinner's eyes, a fleece is just beautiful. Just look at that rich natural color, with the tips of the sheep's coat lightened a little bit by its year in the sun.<br /><br />Lovely as they are, though, I resisted buying one the next day when they went on sale. I've processed one small fleece so far, and it takes some time. The lanolin and dirt have to be washed out in a series of hot baths, the fleece laid out to dry, and the sweet-smelling clumps of clean wool carded or combed, and put away ready for spinning. I'm game to do it again, but not just yet. I've got a lot of work to do first to clear the decks.<br /><br />So it wasn't easy, but I held back from buying both there and the following week at the <a href="http://www.fallfiberfestival.org/">Fall Fiber Festival</a>, where I strolled purely as a shopper. <br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TK_NlEA49AI/AAAAAAAABsc/e-0zlp-TYak/s1600/FFF-fleece-tent_1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TK_NlEA49AI/AAAAAAAABsc/e-0zlp-TYak/s320/FFF-fleece-tent_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525861304423216130" border="0" /></a>I simply gave the fleece sale tent a wide berth and stayed as far away as possible from temptation. :)cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-15635525510732747662010-10-04T22:15:00.006-04:002010-10-04T23:37:22.885-04:00Festival Season<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TKqK9tgQpQI/AAAAAAAABrc/ndqYzw5pTZQ/s1600/colorful-yarn-display_2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 250px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TKqK9tgQpQI/AAAAAAAABrc/ndqYzw5pTZQ/s320/colorful-yarn-display_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524380685714892034" border="0" /></a>The bright crisp days are here, and that can mean only one thing: it's fall, and festival season! OK, only two things, if you want to be picky. :)<br /><br />Yes, in my annual autumn frenzy of festival-going, I've been to two of my favorite festivals in the last two weekends. Of course, they all seem to be my favorites, but then, they're all wonderful in different ways.<br /><br />The first, the <a href="http://www.shenandoahvalleyfiberfest.com/">Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival</a>, in Berryville, Virginia, was moved this year for the first time to late September (to avoid a conflict with the <a href="http://www.saffsite.org/">Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair</a>). And the <a href="http://www.fallfiberfestival.org/">Fall Fiber Festival</a>, on the Montpelier Estate near Orange, Virginia, was held as usual in early October.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TKqK9-FusjI/AAAAAAAABrk/f3s8Y46fbTk/s1600/FFF-tents_1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 206px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TKqK9-FusjI/AAAAAAAABrk/f3s8Y46fbTk/s320/FFF-tents_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524380690167018034" border="0" /></a>Both are quite small, relative to the behemoths that are the <a href="http://www.sheepandwool.com/">Rhinebeck</a>, New York, festival in the fall (or so I hear, never having been) and -- oldest and biggest of them all -- the mighty <a href="http://sheepandwool.org/">Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival</a> in the spring. The tidy small size of the Shenandoah and Montpelier festivals, in fact, is one of their great virtues, as there's room to stroll around and browse without being utterly overwhelmed by crowds and overstimulation. And there's plenty to look at, between the shopping, the fiber-bearing animals on display, and at Montpelier, the sheepdog competitions going on all day nearby.<br /><br />My experience with the Shenandoah festival this time was a bit different from past years, as I got a chance this year to help out in a small way by volunteering! Of course, that meant less time just strolling around shopping and taking pictures. So the visual souvenirs here are from the Montpelier festival. Rest assured, though, there were plenty of treasures at <span style="font-style: italic;">both</span> festivals. <br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TKqK9zW00QI/AAAAAAAABrs/b0EOAXb9J94/s1600/FFF-fairgoers-1_1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 197px; height: 250px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TKqK9zW00QI/AAAAAAAABrs/b0EOAXb9J94/s320/FFF-fairgoers-1_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524380687285932290" border="0" /></a>By the time the Montpelier festival rolled around, the weather had cooled, blessedly, to the point that festival-goers could actually wear some of their hand-crafted productions. I love seeing the knitters showing off their hand-knit sweaters, lace shawls, berets, and just about anything else that can be fashioned out of wool.<br /><br />It was a jolly day entirely. World's-most-patient-husband was a good sport and chauffeured me on the beautiful but long-ish country drive to the festival. I browsed and shopped and wandered and chatted to my heart's content while he napped and read a book he'd brought along. I even parked myself on a picnic bench for a bit to spin some newly bought fiber just for the joy of playing with my new toys.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TKqK-aw3bBI/AAAAAAAABr0/U9VvBxmUN3k/s1600/fiber-buys_1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 206px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TKqK-aw3bBI/AAAAAAAABr0/U9VvBxmUN3k/s320/fiber-buys_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524380697864137746" border="0" /></a>Oh yes, indeed there was some newly bought fiber. Some of it is here, braids of wool to spin in bright citrus colors and dusky subtle colors and whatever else was appealing. Let's see, the one on the left is a merino "pigtail" from <a href="http://www.angelfire.com/va2/fibers/">Stony Mountain Fibers</a> in Virginia. The two in the center are a wool-and-seacell blend from <a href="http://creativelydyed.net/">Creatively Dyed</a> in South Carolina, and the one on the right is blue-face leicester wool from <a href="http://weavingstudio.samsbiz.com/">River's Edge Fiber Arts, </a>here at the festival all the way from Michigan.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TKqK-pt-lpI/AAAAAAAABr8/2AjCWWm3J2k/s1600/fiber-and-spindle_1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 250px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TKqK-pt-lpI/AAAAAAAABr8/2AjCWWm3J2k/s320/fiber-and-spindle_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524380701878556306" border="0" /></a>And then there were heaps of wool-mohair blend roving, which is lots of fun to spin. The orangey-tan roving on the left is wool, kid mohair, and a touch of sparkle, in the Bronze colorway from <a href="http://steamvalleyfiber.com/">Steam Valley Fiber Farm</a> in Pennsylvania. Charmingly, the label they provided tells me exactly which goats and sheep are responsible for the fiber, by name. So, thank you, TinMan, Neptune, and the rest. :)<br /><br />The two pretty rovings on the right, one in rose and the other in a soft coffee color, are from <a href="http://www.kidhollow.com/">Kid Hollow Farm</a> in Virginia, which has provided me with many, many hours of spinning pleasure before. My tall-elegant-mom, my trim-athletic-dad, and I all have accessories or sweaters I've spun and knitted from Kid Hollow fiber. The rose colorway is called Puerto Rico, and the buff is called Chestnut. This time, I think I may spin a strand in each of the two colors and ply them together.<br /><br />And that little twirly thing? Wait, how did that get in there? It's a Tom Dyak drop spindle from <a href="http://www.dyakcraft.com/spindles.htm">DyakCraft</a> (formerly Grafton Fibers). I didn't really need another spindle, but those mischievous River's Edge ladies had it right there, where I couldn't help seeing it, with its cheery bright colors. <br /><br />Really, what could I do? :)cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-4381648735967076502010-09-13T20:00:00.002-04:002010-09-13T20:18:13.659-04:00Hand-Dipped Tappan Zee(Wow, she's really let herself go.) <br />No, I haven't!<br /><br />(She just hasn't been taking care of anything.)<br />Yes, I have.<br /><br />(She probably hasn't been doing any knitting at all.)<br />Have too.<br /><br />(Hasn't.)<br />I can hear you, you know. <br /><br />(___)<br />I have I have I have!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TCwPQBNIW1I/AAAAAAAABrM/ez4Hp8i48ZE/s1600/tappan-zee-detail_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TCwPQBNIW1I/AAAAAAAABrM/ez4Hp8i48ZE/s320/tappan-zee-detail_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488778813733624658" border="0" /></a>In fact there are finished objects strewn all around the place. Here's one now.<br /><br />Amy <a href="http://www.spunkyeclectic.com/shop.php">Spunky Eclectic</a> King had a pattern in the <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss10/index.php">spring issue of Knitty</a> that seemed just about perfect for some spinning fiber I had on hand in a pretty, pretty color. Amy is well known as a wonderful hand-dyer and is also the author of one of my very favorite spinning books, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spin-Control-Techniques-Spinning-Yarns/dp/1596681055/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277954367&sr=1-1">Spin Control</a>.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss10/KSPATTtappanzee.php">Tappan Zee</a> pattern is casual and breezy, designed for handspun yarn, and -- most importantly -- made with only about 6 ounces of fiber, at least given Spunky's expert spinning technique. Allowing for the difference between her results and my, ahem, somewhat less expert spinning, I thought I might just pull it off with the 8 ounces of fiber I had. It's from the very nice and encouraging Kate Bostek of <a href="http://www.roclans.com/">Roclans Farm</a> in Fairfield, PA. The colorway is called Heartfelt (awww...), and it was one of my finds at the 2008 <a href="http://www.shenandoahvalleyfiberfest.com/">Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival</a>.<br /><br />Still a bit nervous about whether I could get enough yardage out of my 8 ounces, I came up with a back-up plan. At the same show, I had bought 4 ounces of another spinning fiber in a similar but slightly darker color, called Raspberry Whip. (I remember getting it home and wondering what on earth I had been thinking!) It was, if memory serves, from a vendor called the Brazen Sheep. I think I was dazed by the fact that it had 10% cashmere in the blend. <br /><br />I decided to blend the two colorways in gradually varying proportions to spin a range of yarns that would shade from light to dark. I measured out by weight how much fiber of each color to spin together for each color gradation. Then I got busy spinning 12 ounces of fiber, aiming for sportweight. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TCwPO8-lumI/AAAAAAAABq0/ZyYUkmJYccc/s1600/graduated-color_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TCwPO8-lumI/AAAAAAAABq0/ZyYUkmJYccc/s320/graduated-color_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488778795419023970" border="0" /></a>Here's how the yarn came out. See how the color changes from the top of the picture to the bottom? That's not an illusion!<br /><br />I adore it. I want to try this trick again.<br /><br />Still and all, I wasn't entirely sure how my idea was going to work out in the actual sweater. It could either look like a really cool custom design, or like I ran out of yarn and had to finish the knitting in a different colorway that didn't quite match.<br /><br />Or like I sat in something. :p<br /><br />But there was only one way to find out. So I got knitting. The yarn was light and springy, a pleasure to knit with, and a relief after all the careful concentration that went into the spinning. And Tappan Zee is a nice pattern to knit, easy and straightforward. It's knit top-down, with enough decoration at the yoke to be fun but not fussy. I changed practically nothing -- a rarity. I only needed to add a couple of extra rows here and there to lengthen the yoke because my gauge was a bit off. <br /><br />Actually, it's a miracle that the gauge was only a little bit off, because this was the first time I really tried to spin a sweater quantity of yarn to a specific weight for a specific pattern. Before, I've just spun whatever yarn the fiber seemed to make, and then found, adapted, or designed a pattern to work with it. For a first time spinning to order, I really didn't do too badly. :)<br /><br />And look how it turned out! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TCwPP_UJZ9I/AAAAAAAABrE/oMI0g1E2z_M/s1600/tappan-zee-4_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TCwPP_UJZ9I/AAAAAAAABrE/oMI0g1E2z_M/s320/tappan-zee-4_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488778813226182610" border="0" /></a>Isn't it pretty? I had a hard time getting a picture that shows the color change. But look at the color striations in the main part of the sweater. That's one of the things I love about handspun. And, if you look closely near the bottom on the right, you can see how the color just blends imperceptibly into the darker shade.<br /><br />Since the colors are so close, it does sort of look like a different dye lot of the same yarn. Or like I sat in something.<br /><br />But I prefer to think it looks like a hand-dipped ice cream cone. So that's what I say it is!<br /><br />Hand-dipped Tappan Zee. Delicious. :)cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-49281661733622839882010-06-07T20:04:00.010-04:002010-06-07T22:06:01.827-04:00Baby Who SweaterOne of the members of my broad-minded knitting group (includes an awful lot of quilters for a knitting group) is hugely pregnant. We only meet once a month and don't get a chance to see much of each other in between, so it took us a while to wake up to this fact. Once we did, though, we were pretty quick on the uptake. Hey, wait a minute, we knit (or quilt or whatever)! We could make her something!<br /><br />To get a little extra time, we delayed our next scheduled meeting by a week on a flimsy but plausible pretext -- hoping she wouldn't surprise us by having an early baby -- and got to work. So, now to pick a project.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TA2WvIM4R4I/AAAAAAAABqE/WG3sGFfhRrA/s1600/palette_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TA2WvIM4R4I/AAAAAAAABqE/WG3sGFfhRrA/s320/palette_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480202057979283330" border="0" /></a>Our mom-to-be is a happy-spirited sock-knitter with a boisterous color sense. The colors in this cocktail napkin are in the ballpark, though there aren't enough of them and the whole effect is a little too quiet. (That should give you an idea!) I knew pale baby pastels were not for her. She and her husband had also chosen to be surprised, so there were no clues as to the pink-ness or blue-ness of the imminent arrival.<br /><br />I wanted to make a little sweater, and after a quick mental inventory, I was certain there was nothing in the house to fit the bill. It needed to be colorful, washable, and worsted weight -- for speed of knitting! And I didn't have time for ordering on-line. I found myself near a new local yarn shop with a few spare minutes and dived in to see what I could find.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TA2bOnCOwFI/AAAAAAAABqM/EjPDjm5iKn8/s1600/mochi-plus_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TA2bOnCOwFI/AAAAAAAABqM/EjPDjm5iKn8/s320/mochi-plus_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480206996878573650" border="0" /></a>After a brief mental dalliance with some wildly colored (but not machine washable) Manos yarn, I came upon a basket of Mochi Plus, from Crystal Palace Yarns. It was a merino-nylon blend. *So* soft, washable, not babyish, and worsted weight. Clearly a winner. Though it wasn't violently bright in color, it had nice long-transition colorways. I picked out three different ones and hoped for the best.<br /><br />Rooting around for worsted-weight baby patterns, I came up with <a href="http://www.jimmybeanswool.com/freeKnittingPatternJimmySweaterSet.asp">Jimmy's Baby Gift Sweater Set</a> from the nice people at <a href="http://www.jimmybeanswool.com/">Jimmy Beans Wool</a>. It's a little top-down raglan that's perfect for multi-colored yarn. And, a great advantage when you're in a rush, no seams to sew! (It couldn't save me from buttons, since I did want to do a cardigan, but you can't have everything.) I needed to make the larger, 1-year-old, size, given the exuberant bloom of our sock-knitting mom-to-be. It was cutting things close, with the 285 yards of yarn I had, but looked like it could be done.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TA2fRLKoNqI/AAAAAAAABqc/lKsKAtudNZY/s1600/baby-sweater-in+sun_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TA2fRLKoNqI/AAAAAAAABqc/lKsKAtudNZY/s320/baby-sweater-in+sun_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480211438983722658" border="0" /></a>I puzzled for a while over how to combine the three colorways and decided to knit wide stripes of each in sequence. Though I wasn't sure how it would look, I needed to get started, and fast. It turns out that knitting a small sweater in a variety of pretty striping yarns is lots of fun and went quickly. And the wide stripe sequence of the three colorways worked beautifully.<br /><br />As with most projects, I made a few adjustments. I replaced the garter-stitch hem and cuffs with ribbed ones, which seemed to live more comfortably within the gradually striping colors. I changed the neckband and button-band to mainly reverse-stockinette welts. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TA2fRdt12bI/AAAAAAAABqk/yQ_LIw0qCBg/s1600/tipped-sleeves_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TA2fRdt12bI/AAAAAAAABqk/yQ_LIw0qCBg/s320/tipped-sleeves_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480211443963255218" border="0" /></a>Knitting the cuffs at first as written, I thought they looked a little small for chubby baby fists. So I redid them adding a few extra stitches to the wrists.<br /><br />I couldn't resist picking out some extra bright sections of yarn and using them for contrast color-tipping on all the cast-off edges. And I found some bright shiny red buttons.<br /><br />I got the little sweater done in the nick of time, sewing on the last of the buttons at midnight the night before our knitting group meeting. It was a rushy evening entirely, what with getting a cake, finding suitable wrapping and card, and finishing a little sweater, but it did all get done. <br /><br />And we did surprise her. I think I even saw some brimming eyes, before she blinked it away. Our little group came through beautifully, with a pile of handmade goods. A wildly colored pompom-adorned knit hat. A crib quilt and quilted diaper bag. A crocheted beanie. Sweet little appliqued t-shirts. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TA2fRwg3sqI/AAAAAAAABqs/FRQRpEFWnrM/s1600/ready-to-launch_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TA2fRwg3sqI/AAAAAAAABqs/FRQRpEFWnrM/s320/ready-to-launch_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480211449009124002" border="0" /></a>And a pretty fine-looking baby sweater. :)cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-83975909928279950982010-06-06T19:58:00.011-04:002010-06-06T21:35:53.519-04:00Heat Exhaustion?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TAw26dAGYjI/AAAAAAAABpM/MzFcJlIwE0w/s1600/panting-sheep_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TAw26dAGYjI/AAAAAAAABpM/MzFcJlIwE0w/s320/panting-sheep_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479815224448410162" border="0" /></a>Hey, I thought they said wool breathes when it's hot! That's what these little guys must have been thinking. Their mouths are hanging open a little, as they try to keep cool in the shade.<br /><br />The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival was a scorcher this year. Each year, I hope for cool weather, so everyone can wear something hand-knit. But, once again, in gentle early May, the festival happened to fall upon a very hot weekend.<br /><br />Late as I am in checking in here after the festival, I'll just blame it on the heat. And, incidentally, I do still make things. There are even some finished objects to show you, but I'll get to that next time.<br /><br />So, casting my mind now back again to early May.... I tried to take a restrained approach to the festival this year, as I really am trying not to continue accumulating supplies faster than I can use them. Beautiful they may be, but logic says to have faith that, when the time finally comes that I truly have space for more, there will still be plenty of beautiful things to find.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TAw7uNzAHiI/AAAAAAAABps/UGKxeKdPk2U/s1600/mdsw-fleece-sale_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TAw7uNzAHiI/AAAAAAAABps/UGKxeKdPk2U/s320/mdsw-fleece-sale_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479820511766650402" border="0" /></a>The fleece sale challenged my fortitude, I have to admit, especially since I'd just taken a class on how to choose a good fleece. I wandered around in there for a while examining fleeces, appreciating their color and crimp, looking at the differences among the breeds of wool. But still I managed to restrain myself.<br /><br />And I consciously managed my MDSW visit a little differently than in years past. I limited my strolling time to a couple of hours, and I focused on some of the events that I normally just go right on past, in my haste to trot from one vendor to the next. Also, as I now have a very portable spinning wheel, I brought it along in hopes of joining the evening Spin-In .<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TAw5qoQedgI/AAAAAAAABpU/LJYVU4bRhco/s1600/kid-hollow-kids_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TAw5qoQedgI/AAAAAAAABpU/LJYVU4bRhco/s320/kid-hollow-kids_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479818251126863362" border="0" /></a>I stopped to watch and enjoy the kids (human) visiting the kids (baby goats from Kid Hollow Farm). <br /><br />Look at those tiny little horns sprouting. and the ringlets of soft baby mohair. They're just adorable, aren't they?<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TAw6qZEYlqI/AAAAAAAABpc/6mPDLHSP5hU/s1600/sheepdog-1_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TAw6qZEYlqI/AAAAAAAABpc/6mPDLHSP5hU/s320/sheepdog-1_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479819346561242786" border="0" /></a>I spent a little time taking in the sheep-herding demonstration, watching the expert dogs and their human handlers, and the obedient sheep, spooked into compliance .<br /><br />I wandered over to see what was going on at the auction. Everything from boxes of magazines to spinning equipment was being disposed of with swift efficiency.<br /><br />Of course I visited the vendors. It just wouldn't make sense to be there for that awe-inspiring assemblage and utterly pass it by. But I kept my acquisitions to quite a modest level. A couple of quarter-pound bags of fiber and some beeswax candles. Just enough to feel I'd partaken of the feast. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TAxF-PV-6_I/AAAAAAAABp8/PL_UXEOLeIk/s1600/mdsw-buys_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/TAxF-PV-6_I/AAAAAAAABp8/PL_UXEOLeIk/s320/mdsw-buys_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479831782175992818" border="0" /></a>The fiber, from Misty Mountain Farm, is awfully pretty, too. In the foreground is Polwarth top, in a colorway called Forest Moss. In the background is super-fine Merino in Raspberry, a color I just seem to keep coming back to.<br /><br />So, I still shopped and bought a little, but I tried not to make it such a central focus of my trip. Heck, if I keep this up, maybe one day I'll make it over to see the sheep-to-shawl competition. I've always meant to, but have been too busy loading up on supplies and inspiration.<br /><br />Once the sun went down and the festival closed for the day, I retrieved Miss Muffet from the car and found my way to the Dining Hall (blessedly air-conditioned) for the evening Spin-In. There were about 65 like-minded souls there, spinning and chatting happily away, with wheels and spindles. There were two wonderful women serving as ringleaders and camp-counselors. They organized door-prize drawings, puzzles, and silly competitions. We had timed spinning races for distance, blindfolded, and with plastic bags on our hands. The latter two were, remarkably, not nearly as hard as one might think. In fact, I turned out to be something of a plastic-bag-hands specialist. That was the competition I came closest to winning. And there was a very entertaining 11-year-old boy challenging everyone to see who could make a spindle spin the longest.<br /><br />It was fun enjoying the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this year in a different way. I might do it again next time.... unless I can use up all the wool and yarn I have around the house by then. :)cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-17126438866447095842010-04-25T22:04:00.008-04:002010-04-25T23:06:37.870-04:00Taking Her Out For A SpinWell, what's a tiny little new spinning wheel for, if not to hop in the car and go for a spin? Miss Muffet and I f<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S9T1uYOwyNI/AAAAAAAABo0/UXLUu2TAz5k/s1600/out-spinning_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S9T1uYOwyNI/AAAAAAAABo0/UXLUu2TAz5k/s320/out-spinning_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464262425034410194" border="0" /></a>ound ourselves a spinning event to go to and that's exactly what we did.<br /><br />When we got there, she settled right in next to a Majacraft Little Gem. It's also a cute little portable wheel, but we all have our own tastes, and Miss Muffet is definitely my favorite flavor. The Little Gem's owner (whose name I'm sorry I can't remember) was also a brand-new weaver, and the scarf she's wearing in the picture was one of her first efforts, woven earlier that same week. It was beautiful and drapey, and I was quite impressed.<br /><br />The event was kind of a small fair, with vendors from the local region lining the walls, selling yarn and roving and fleeces and patterns and accessories and lots of tempting things. It catered for knitters as well as spinners.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S9T12_YGkxI/AAAAAAAABpE/HWU4INlsiiQ/s1600/spinners-circle_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 171px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S9T12_YGkxI/AAAAAAAABpE/HWU4INlsiiQ/s320/spinners-circle_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464262572981523218" border="0" /></a>The spinning circle was set up right in the center, and it was a new sight for many of the knitters wandering by to shop. It felt a bit like being on display at a living history museum. Quite a few people stopped by to watch, talking in hushed tones to each other. With a little encouragement, though, they were happy to chat and ask questions. The woman next to me, with the Little Gem, was quite a promoter for spinning. She enticed several people to sit down and give it a try. I wouldn't be surprised if a new spinner or two was born that day!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S9T1uh0AFFI/AAAAAAAABo8/eSRY1l9fXrA/s1600/rug-braiding_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 216px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S9T1uh0AFFI/AAAAAAAABo8/eSRY1l9fXrA/s320/rug-braiding_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464262427606520914" border="0" /></a>When I got up for breaks, there was also another "exhibit" for me to gaze at and ask questions about. Near the spinners was a group having a rug-braiding class. It looked like fun, too. Though I'm afraid this isn't the clearest photo, you can see how there's a clamp attached to the table, and the rug-maker is braiding together strips of roving in different colors. The rug-making is not a one-day process, though. Students were to take the braids home, felt them, and come back to the part two class, to learn how to sew them together. <br /><br />Meanwhile<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S9T1tSUAVII/AAAAAAAABoc/45clKIeJlG0/s1600/cant-wait_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 195px; height: 260px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S9T1tSUAVII/AAAAAAAABoc/45clKIeJlG0/s320/cant-wait_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464262406265918594" border="0" /></a>, there was lots of shopping going on, too. You don't need a giant festival to have plenty of things to entice a spinner. I think practically everybody went home with a few more things than she brought -- some more than others. And some just couldn't contain themselves. This big newly purchased pile of fiber was trailing directly from its bag onto an enthusiastic spinner's wheel.<br /><br />Of course, I also walked around and window-shopped to see what the vendors had brought. And of course I had to get myself a few goodies. :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S9T1uBX4rlI/AAAAAAAABos/L0p-ZFM3tAk/s1600/goodies-for-me_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S9T1uBX4rlI/AAAAAAAABos/L0p-ZFM3tAk/s320/goodies-for-me_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464262418898660946" border="0" /></a>These are some of them. The two balls of roving are Cormo wool from Wallys and Frank Peltier at <a href="http://users.starpower.net/frank.peltier/farm/">Mt. Airy Farm, in Marshall, Virginia</a>. I just adored the colorway and bought all 14 ounces they brought. It probably won't make a whole sweater, but maybe a vest. I believe I must have been talking to Wallys. She told me that they hadn't dyed the wool in roving form before, only as yarn, because they'd been worried about whether it would felt. But she was pleased with how this had come out. And so am I. :)<br /><br />The braid in the front of the photo is Superwash Bluefaced Leicester from <a href="http://www.spirit-trail.net/">Spirit Trail Fiberworks</a>, Jennifer Heverley. Jennifer -- in addition to finding wool of fascinating rare breeds to offer spinners -- is a master dyer with an absolutely lovely color sense. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S9T1tx1UjQI/AAAAAAAABok/aMUId6QNWOk/s1600/colors-to-love_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S9T1tx1UjQI/AAAAAAAABok/aMUId6QNWOk/s320/colors-to-love_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464262414727154946" border="0" /></a>This braid is a one-off; not one of her regular colorways but just the result of a session playing with the dye-pots. I could just drown in these colors. But there's only 4 ounces of it, so I'll have to think about what I can make from it.<br /><br />All in all, a very fun day. Miss Muffet and I went home tired and happy.cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-37565398634069419262010-04-18T22:55:00.006-04:002010-04-19T00:06:12.051-04:00Meet Miss MuffetI've been beset with a raging case of spring fever. Why? Of course, there's the bright sunlight, and the longer daytime hours, and the balmy breezes. Those do their share in setting off plenty of cases of spring fever, that's for certain. But I'm talking about <span style="font-style: italic;">my </span>spring fever, and that's spring <span style="font-style: italic;">spinning </span>fever. For that, there just might have been one more factor that came into play.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S8vHnpZ0TQI/AAAAAAAABn8/1lKIj1EFV1o/s1600/fever-maker_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 188px; height: 260px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S8vHnpZ0TQI/AAAAAAAABn8/1lKIj1EFV1o/s320/fever-maker_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461678457059822850" border="0" /></a>Look, over there -- what's that twirling daintily in front of my ankles? It isn't Rastro, my trusty and beloved Lendrum spinning wheel. It's something a bit smaller. Positively petite, in fact. Yes, it's an adorable little Louet Victoria, my wonderful Christmas present this year from world's-most-patient-husband. I feel like the most spoiled girl on earth. :)<br /><br />Much as I've always enjoyed spinning on my Rastro, I had started daydreaming about also having a second wheel that would be a little easier to cart around, to take outside, to carry off to spinning events. Maybe even to take on a plane, if my spinning mania ever comes to that. :) <br /><br />I saw the Victoria at a fiber festival back when the model first came out. I was fascinated by how small and light it was. At the same time, it had a decent range of ratios, and the woman showing it off assured me that it spun like a serious wheel, not some little plaything. At the time, I really didn't imagine having a second wheel for myself. But as time wore on, the thought slowly seeped into the back of my mind, eventually taking shape and filling out and becoming a full-fledged wish. Finally I started hinting and hinting to world's-most-patient-husband who -- while he still no doubt thinks it's nuts to have one spinning wheel, let alone two -- loves to do things that make me happy. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S8vHoJFNf8I/AAAAAAAABoM/xIYiphO43UQ/s1600/victoria-bag_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 195px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S8vHoJFNf8I/AAAAAAAABoM/xIYiphO43UQ/s320/victoria-bag_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461678465563328450" border="0" /></a>And when Christmas rolled around, there she was, Rastro's new little sister, Miss Muffet. She came with the greatest little case, too. She folds up and fits in there like a puzzle, and then I can throw the strap over my shoulder, and off I go.<br /><br />Miss Muffet is actually only the second wheel I have ever spun on. I've heard all the good advice, of course, about trying out different wheels before you buy. I'm just not very good at following it. :) Both times, I've made up my mind on the wheel I want without ever having sat down to give it a try. So it's been very interesting for me to note how different Miss Muffet feels to spin on. All the skeins I showed in the March 31 post were spun on Muffet. While Rastro feels solid, comfortable, and smooth, Miss Muffet is a tricksome little thing, with the jittery, jouncy feel of a fast dune buggy. Now that I've got the hang of it, it's great fun. <br /><br />So the spring fever is a little aggravated this year. Rastro sits in the prime spot, right next to my giant supply of spinning fiber, and gets plenty of action. Miss Muffet perches here and there around the house and gets popped in the car for an outing when I come up with any excuse. Rastro does the yeoman's work on big projects, while Miss Muffet spins frivolous little braids of fiber for fun. Did I mention that I must be the most spoiled girl on earth?cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-61986306858668382212010-03-31T21:46:00.011-04:002010-03-31T23:51:43.899-04:00Itsy Bitsy ThingsI<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S7QLbu8L31I/AAAAAAAABmk/NYpQ6PyM09Y/s1600/fleece-artist-braids.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S7QLbu8L31I/AAAAAAAABmk/NYpQ6PyM09Y/s320/fleece-artist-braids.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454997619737354066" border="0" /></a>'ve been in the mood to spin. I didn't have a real project going, but sometimes that urge to spin is well nigh unstoppable.<br /><br />I wanted to spin so much that I began spinning the beautiful little bits of stuff that I'd felt were too nice to use up. Or maybe that I wasn't a good enough spinner for. It didn't matter.<br /><br />I had some braids, from the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival of 2007, of hand-dyed fiber by Fleece Artist, of Nova Scotia. Only 50 grams of each. I think I loved them for their beauty just as they were. Those colors! But their time had come.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S7QNS2_AtyI/AAAAAAAABms/xUr2QqozfNc/s1600/merino-braid_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 210px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S7QNS2_AtyI/AAAAAAAABms/xUr2QqozfNc/s320/merino-braid_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454999666301122338" border="0" /></a>First was the braid in the upper right corner, merino top in soft lavender-grays and greens and pinks. On the bobbin, the colors somehow separated and strengthened.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S7QQN_44TWI/AAAAAAAABm0/mD-Qf4Z3S0U/s1600/subtle-skein_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 210px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S7QQN_44TWI/AAAAAAAABm0/mD-Qf4Z3S0U/s320/subtle-skein_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455002881326861666" border="0" /></a>I spun it just to spin, not worrying at all about the thickness. After plying, it came out somewhere in the range of fingering to sportweight. And the colors fascinated me again as they combined. The finished skein is stronger and greener than I'd expected, but complex and subtle. And the yarn, my first pure merino, is bouncy and lofty. What a pleasure.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S7QQ5BsWmuI/AAAAAAAABm8/lKdRqVlM2bg/s1600/girlie-skein_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 210px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S7QQ5BsWmuI/AAAAAAAABm8/lKdRqVlM2bg/s320/girlie-skein_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455003620545567458" border="0" /></a>That was so much fun, I had to have another. Next, I spun the braid of Bluefaced Leicester wool in the lower right corner, the one in pink and gray-blue and creamy vanilla. I spun it at a fingering-to-sport weight again. I enjoyed watching the colors draw out, emerge, and mix, and liked the result so much that I wondered how I could have waited so long to spin the fiber.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S7QSTrmsZQI/AAAAAAAABnM/DcS-uLqveKk/s1600/sorbet-colors_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 210px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S7QSTrmsZQI/AAAAAAAABnM/DcS-uLqveKk/s320/sorbet-colors_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455005177984345346" border="0" /></a>It seems like it must be tiresome listening to me rhapsodizing fuzzily about one fiber after another. So about the last braid of Bluefaced Leicester, I'll just say that I kept thinking of tangerine and raspberry sorbet as I was spinning it. It made me hungry for dessert. :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S7QSTUfpLuI/AAAAAAAABnE/CA70kzxgT8I/s1600/autumn-skein_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 210px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S7QSTUfpLuI/AAAAAAAABnE/CA70kzxgT8I/s320/autumn-skein_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455005171780759266" border="0" /></a>The plied skein is a little darker and stronger, but still, it surprised me when a friend commented, "that's a good autumn color." Of course, she's partial to the brightest of the bright, so perhaps that had something to do with it!<br /><br />Incidentally, the finished yarn of Bluefaced Leicester wool turned out a little differently from the merino. Still fluffy, it has a bit less bounce and more drape. And both were nice to spin.<br /><br />So I have 50 grams each of yarn in three colorways, and pretty much no idea what I will do with these small quantities. (Although I must say that a friend has been admiring that merino skein so vociferously that I might just decide to make a gift of it to her.) They're not enough even for a scarf. I need some itsy bitsy projects to make with my itsy bitsy skeins. I think the longest one is about 150 yards. Though I'm a bit short on the yardage, there's a pretty cowl in the latest issue of Spin-off magazine made with about two ounces of sport-weight handspun that just might work. Perhaps I'll make a wardrobe of fine-gauge cowls!<br /><br />But the question is, what on earth gave me these wild spinning urges?cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-15319466902782282712010-03-28T17:07:00.005-04:002010-03-28T19:59:13.229-04:00Eloise Gets OutEloise is a charming and inquisitive little girl, in a <a href="http://www.eloisewebsite.com/">beloved series</a> of children's books from the middle of the last century, who lives in the Plaza Hotel in New York.<br /><br />Eloise is also the name of the pattern I've just finished knitting. It's a little cardigan fr<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S6_ctG3Gl0I/AAAAAAAABmE/jVIDbg31aPg/s1600/thick-and-thin_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S6_ctG3Gl0I/AAAAAAAABmE/jVIDbg31aPg/s320/thick-and-thin_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453820341262915394" border="0" /></a>om the book, <a href="http://www.janeellison.co.uk/books/detail.asp?ID=2&catname=Noro">Noro Knits</a>, by Jane Ellison. The sweater is designed for Noro's Blossom yarn, a nubby textured silk blend in a chunky weight. I, however, had a couple of bags of Debbie Bliss Soho yarn and was looking for a suitable sweater to knit. Soho is a thick-and-thin wool singles yarn, multi-colored with short, busy color runs. (It's now discontinued.)<br /><br />I searched for a long time for something to make with this yarn. With so much going on in the yarn itself, it doesn't suit an elaborate design. I swatched some cables and some openwork stitch patterns and, with few exceptions, it swallowed them alive. The Debbie Bliss patterns I found designed specifically for this yarn did include a few simple cables, but, honestly, you can barely even see the cablework. So, clearly, it needed to be something fairly plain. But I didn't want to bore myself silly. <br /><br />I stewed over it, looking at patterns, thinking about designing something, for a long time. Months. At the same time, I'd admired the Eloise sweater regretfully every time I leafed through my Noro patterns looking for something to knit with a Noro yarn that <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span><span style="font-style: italic;">n't</span> chunky weight. It's a simple reverse stockinette cardigan, with a deep bottom ribbing and a knit-in edging. Finally, on the relieved and carefree day after Christmas, I put two and two together -- chunky simple pattern with no yarn? chunky multicolored yarn with no pattern? Why not give it a try? Ready, after weeks of gift-knitting, to start on something for myself, I went right ahead and cast on.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S6_ctV7NfNI/AAAAAAAABmM/pPRizSHSvBY/s1600/eloise-front_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 265px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S6_ctV7NfNI/AAAAAAAABmM/pPRizSHSvBY/s320/eloise-front_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453820345306676434" border="0" /></a>I actually don't know why I liked the Eloise pattern so much. You can't see much of it in the pattern book -- there's only one photo, and it's one of those artfully posed ones that, while stylish, leaves much of the sweater to the imagination. But like it I did. And, lo and behold, I like the finished sweater a lot, too!<br /><br />I knit it on US size 9 (5.5 mm) needles and knit the pattern pretty much as written. I did decide to knit the small size for a snug fit, but using the lengths from the medium size so it wouldn't be too petite. I also added a couple of extra stitches when switching from the ribbing to the stockinette section, but as it turned out, it really didn't need them.<br /><br />One of the things I like is the reverse stockinette surface that mixes and blends the colors in the yarn. I was surprised, though, by how little effect the thick-and-thin texture of the yarn had on the appearance of the stitchwork. You really can only see the variation in thickness in the ribbing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S6_cthnNyVI/AAAAAAAABmU/YjNdAs-i-UE/s1600/eloise-back_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S6_cthnNyVI/AAAAAAAABmU/YjNdAs-i-UE/s320/eloise-back_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453820348444035410" border="0" /></a>There is one thing about the pattern that I would definitely change if I knit it again. It has no back neck shaping at all. Notice how that makes it bunch up in the photo? Maybe you can get away with that in the Blossom yarn, which probably has more drape from the silk and mohair in the blend. But Soho has more body than drape, and so it sits up there instead of hanging. It's not a big deal, and I have yet to block the sweater, which may help smooth it out. But I'd definitely add some shaping if I had it to do all over again.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S6_ct7lZKFI/AAAAAAAABmc/L8sqMjVL5S0/s1600/buttons-buttons_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 250px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S6_ct7lZKFI/AAAAAAAABmc/L8sqMjVL5S0/s320/buttons-buttons_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453820355415713874" border="0" /></a>My choice of buttons also gave me some temporary worries. I went hunting with my swatch and was happy to find buttons in the perfect color. (This was not a foregone conclusion, by the way, for a sweater knit in fuchsia, purple, and rust yarn.) The only hitch was that they did not come in a large enough size. I kept looking at other options, but I had fallen for these buttons and no others would do. As expected, they were too small, and, once on the sweater, wouldn't stay buttoned. But in the end, I was able to tighten the buttonholes up with an overcast stitch around the opening, so all is well.<br /><br />So little Eloise has gotten out of the hotel, perhaps taking a taxi, and gone to Soho, where she has had a little adventure, been looked after fondly by everyone she meets, and then made it safely back home. I only wish she'd managed to use up about five more balls of yarn. (It was sale yarn -- I had a lot. :)cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-71761166658760757562010-02-24T21:12:00.006-05:002010-02-24T23:05:44.479-05:00Knitting on the DarksideNo, I haven't suddenly gone moody on you.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S4XxZW71zCI/AAAAAAAABl8/Ef8uLejJiAA/s1600-h/it-works_2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S4XxZW71zCI/AAAAAAAABl8/Ef8uLejJiAA/s320/it-works_2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442021142702705698" border="0" /></a>It's just that I made a quick project on impulse called the Darkside Cowl, by <a href="http://nibblingalong.typepad.com/">Sarah Fama</a>. It's a simple and straightforward free pattern, available <a href="http://nibblingalong.typepad.com/darkside%20cowl.pdf">here</a>.<br /><br />I had almost a full skein of Malabrigo worsted weight yarn in colors a friend had admired, and I'd been looking for a pattern to make her a little something nice with it. A single skein of yarn didn't give me a lot to work with, but I'd seen lots of nice cowl patterns that don't require a lot of yardage, so that seemed like a good option.<br /><br />The challenge was to find something that would work well with the contrasting multi-colored yarn while not being ho-hum and plain. I've certainly found that to be a tricky balancing act many times when trying to find an interesting stitch pattern for a beautiful skein of sock yarn in a busy colorway. I spotted this cowl looking soft and cushy in a solid color on Beate's <a href="http://www.cloudberryknit.blogspot.com/">Cloudberry Knit</a> blog and tracked it down.<br /><br />The yarn has short color runs of strong greens, purples, magenta, and a more muted plum. (The colorway, which I think is discontinued, is called "239 saphire magenta.") The Darkside Cowl uses a zigzagging rib/welt pattern, identical on both sides. Squinting appraisingly at the stitch pattern, and comparing it with my yarn, I thought it just <span style="font-style: italic;">might </span>work. I was hoping it would highlight the color changes in interesting ways without making a muddled hash of the whole thing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S4XdLKXipbI/AAAAAAAABls/jqullRBGJ2k/s1600-h/darkside-of-malabrigo_2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S4XdLKXipbI/AAAAAAAABls/jqullRBGJ2k/s320/darkside-of-malabrigo_2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441998908578506162" border="0" /></a>I crossed my fingers and cast on. (This complicates the cast-on process unnecessarily, however, and I don't recommend it. :) And wonder of wonders, it worked! The colors mix attractively and weave and dance around each other without tripping over their feet.<br /><br />And, as I've experienced before, Malabrigo is some of the most unbelievably soft yarn to knit with. It's really hard to imagine what kind of secret could make wool feel like this. It's luscious, and combined with the textured stitch pattern, it made a cowl that I just wanted to squeeze like Mr. Whipple with a roll of Charmin'.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S4XdLTEF3II/AAAAAAAABl0/nhwxE-r59F0/s1600-h/darkside-of-cushy_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S4XdLTEF3II/AAAAAAAABl0/nhwxE-r59F0/s320/darkside-of-cushy_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441998910912846978" border="0" /></a>All that fun for only a couple days' work. It almost doesn't seem fair.cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-11505265431795906442010-02-13T13:30:00.007-05:002010-02-13T15:31:09.059-05:00A Snowy Realm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S3bwsfCR5PI/AAAAAAAABlc/646Rt8Qsl7s/s1600-h/electra-blue-relm_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S3bwsfCR5PI/AAAAAAAABlc/646Rt8Qsl7s/s320/electra-blue-relm_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437798247132423410" border="0" /></a>Snow on top of snow. It's been quite a winter. Beautiful to look out upon, though a little challenging to keep cleared.<br /><br />And when you're snowed in, there's lots and lots of time for indoor hobbies like knitting. I took a little blizzard break and knit myself a new handspun hat!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S3bwi2WFTuI/AAAAAAAABks/zz9umnR-tKk/s1600-h/enough-snow_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 193px; height: 250px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S3bwi2WFTuI/AAAAAAAABks/zz9umnR-tKk/s320/enough-snow_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437798081590808290" border="0" /></a>When there's a good deep snow on the ground, it's fun to bundle up in hats and boots and go out stomping around. When the novelty of shoveling wears off, there's plenty of entertainment to be had in watching the plows, taking pictures, or just playing. <br /><br />Somewhere along the way, I noticed that, for an enthusiastic knitter, I have a distinct shortage of hand-knit hats. In fact, only one: a petite little beret with a coordinating ruffled scarf. But everywhere lately, I've been seeing oversized, slouchy berets. And though big hats are sometimes not a good look for me, I thought I might not look so much like a mushroom in one that droops down. I suddenly wanted one.<br /><br />I decided on a heavily cabled slouchy hat that I'd been admiring in the Fall/Winter 2008 issue of <a href="http://www.knit1mag.com/">knit.1 magazine</a>. It's called the Relm tam and was designed by Jared Flood. On top of liking its tweedy good looks , I thought it would make a good handspun project for one of the smaller quantities of spinning fiber I have on hand.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S3bwr2pxxpI/AAAAAAAABlM/TKMmvWh-Cqo/s1600-h/electra-blue-fiber_2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S3bwr2pxxpI/AAAAAAAABlM/TKMmvWh-Cqo/s320/electra-blue-fiber_2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437798236292236946" border="0" /></a>I settled on the fiber from <a href="http://www.puffthemagicrabbit.com/">Puff the Magic Rabbit</a> that I bought last fall at the <a href="http://www.shenandoahvalleyfiberfest.com/">Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival</a>. When I visited Puff's site just now to make sure of the link, I got a surprise. While I thought -- and said in my last post -- that the fiber was her Electra Blue colorway in merino and mohair, from the photos on her site it's pretty unmistakably For Erika, instead. So what I have here is actually natural dark gray Border Leicester with a little silky mohair in pale blue and lavender!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S3bwjIRmtXI/AAAAAAAABk8/Sm5QT2Wfd0s/s1600-h/delicious_2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S3bwjIRmtXI/AAAAAAAABk8/Sm5QT2Wfd0s/s320/delicious_2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437798086403863922" border="0" /></a>It's beautiful stuff, either way. I spun it into a light worsted weight two-ply, trying for a decent amount of twist. It's not quite as twisty as I was aiming for, but I didn't do too badly. This was my first time attempting to spin exactly the yarn I wanted for a particular pattern. Up until now, I had just spun the fiber however it seemed to work best and then figured out what to knit it into.<br /><br />The pattern calls for 100 grams of a yarn that adds up to about 300 yards. I thought I would be safe, since I had more than 150 grams of fiber. Well, I must have spun a much denser yarn than the one called for, because I ended up with only 230 yards of handspun. I crossed my fingers, hoping for the best, and pressed on. It was a big slouchy hat, after all, and if I ran short I could always regroup and make it into a smaller, less slouchy version.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S3cHBI3HZAI/AAAAAAAABlk/QNnTkZvJrIk/s1600-h/drapey_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S3cHBI3HZAI/AAAAAAAABlk/QNnTkZvJrIk/s320/drapey_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437822791213081602" border="0" /></a>The handspun yarn worked well in the pattern. The fiber's color variation gave it a heathery look that suited the cable pattern, and the mohair in the mix gave it some drape. The cable-work doesn't show up very clearly, because of the fuzzy bloom of the yarn, but it looks thick and furrowed and handsome nonetheless.<br /><br />The pattern is elegantly designed, showing the signs of a perfectionist in the careful choice and placement of decreases as the cables narrow into the center. But it is big. As the knitting progressed, I did end up making it smaller. It wasn't for lack of yarn (though I actually do think I would have run out). No, it was because the way it was shaping up, it would have made a really giant hat. Enormous. Beyond slouchy. I think it would have been lounging on my shoulders.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S3bwi3LyDQI/AAAAAAAABk0/Io40lBZs0HY/s1600-h/cafe-ready_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 271px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S3bwi3LyDQI/AAAAAAAABk0/Io40lBZs0HY/s320/cafe-ready_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437798081816038658" border="0" /></a>I ended up leaving out two repeats of the cable pattern to shorten it up considerably. And it's slouchy, warm, and big without being overwhelming. I am all set now to venture back out, find a cafe, and park myself at a table with a book and a steaming double espresso.<br /><br />Snow? What snow?cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-65801448668594043852010-01-31T17:09:00.007-05:002010-01-31T19:31:41.981-05:00More Ketchup, PleaseEr, Catch-up, that is!<br /><br />One of the things I've been meaning to do is show you some of the goodies I got way back at the <a href="http://www.shenandoahvalleyfiberfest.com/">Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival</a> last October.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2YBv2CflTI/AAAAAAAABkM/bjgv5vgDA6o/s1600-h/ice-cream-sundae_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2YBv2CflTI/AAAAAAAABkM/bjgv5vgDA6o/s320/ice-cream-sundae_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433031921940534578" border="0" /></a>First up is this delicious ice-cream sundae. No, wait, that's not it at all, though I think it may be just as delicious.<br /><br />It's actually three of my festival finds. The bowl is a ceramic yarn bowl, by Elisa Dasher of <a href="http://www.elisadasher.com">Honeysuckle Pottery</a> in Keymar, Maryland. I've been curious about these yarn bowls for a while, with the notch to feed the yarn through while the ball rests in the bowl. After trying it out, I can attest the the fact that they do work. The ball of yarn stays clean and in one place, instead of rolling off the couch and all over the floor. And the bowl is a beautiful piece of handmade stoneware, enjoyable in itself. Elisa won't be at the Shenandoah Festival next year, but it appears she's planning to be at the marvelous <a href="http://www.sheepandwool.org/">Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival</a> in the spring.<br /><br />That fluffy confection in the bowl is not ice cream but a one-ounce ball of pygora spinning fiber. It came from one of the farms participating in a Loudoun Valley <a href="http://www.pygoragoats.org/qanda.html">Pygora</a>, it seems, is a type of goat, a pygmy version of the angora goats who give us mohair. I believe it's a fairly rare breed, at least so far. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2YBwU5LP4I/AAAAAAAABkU/iU2UaCEK58o/s1600-h/look-how-soft_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2YBwU5LP4I/AAAAAAAABkU/iU2UaCEK58o/s320/look-how-soft_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433031930222952322" border="0" /></a>My reading tells me that these little guys produce different types of fiber. Depending on the individual, it can be mohair-like, cashmere-like, or a combination of the two. And just look at this stuff! I'm looking forward to spinning a sample to see what it's like.<br /><br />The "spoon" is actually a hand-made miniature nostepinne, carved of mulberry wood, from Terry Selser in DeRidder, Louisiana, via the Lagniappe Fiber booth. It's just a wee little thing for winding small balls of fine yarn. While this isn't a challenge that I've had very often, how could I resist it? The carving at the top kind of reminds me of an old-fashioned clothespin.<br /><br />Also at the Lagniappe Fiber bo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2YBv6wppCI/AAAAAAAABkE/Y89eFMYW4d0/s1600-h/cheviot-wool.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2YBv6wppCI/AAAAAAAABkE/Y89eFMYW4d0/s320/cheviot-wool.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433031923207873570" border="0" /></a>oth, my fiber-sampling curiosity led me to buy some <a href="http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/cheviot/">Cheviot</a> fleece from Nightsong Farms, in Dry Creek, Louisiana. This is a strong, springy type of wool. I'm not sure what I will do with it, other than get acquainted, but it may be a good wool to blend with other types to give them that springy, lofty quality. And I did love these rich colors. The one on the left is natural, and the one on the right is dyed. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2YBvtsR5SI/AAAAAAAABj8/BqSSIk0ioXU/s1600-h/dancing-leaf-roving_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2YBvtsR5SI/AAAAAAAABj8/BqSSIk0ioXU/s320/dancing-leaf-roving_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433031919699879202" border="0" /></a>One thing I <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span> know exactly what to do with is this sweater quantity of roving from the lovely and accommodating Dalis Davidson at <a href="http://www.dancingleaffarm.com/">Dancing Leaf Farm</a> in Barnesville, Maryland. This is the Briar Patch colorway, which I'd been looking for and hoping to find at her booth for the last couple of festival seasons. I'd once seen a sample of it spun up at a shop and loved the colors. I finally got smart and contacted her ahead of time, whereupon she dyed a batch just for me and brought it along to the Shenandoah Festival. <br /><br />An<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2YB_pTaBaI/AAAAAAAABkk/VHZ-rovu3qg/s1600-h/electra-blue_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 270px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2YB_pTaBaI/AAAAAAAABkk/VHZ-rovu3qg/s320/electra-blue_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433032193399719330" border="0" /></a>d last, but not least, while our friend <a href="http://puffthemagicrabbit.com/">Puff the Magic Rabbit</a> was not at Shenandoah, some of her fiber most certainly was. Look at this gorgeous stuff. It's a merino/kid mohair blend called Electra Blue. (I wonder if Electra is one of the goats?) I came home with six ounces. This will have to be spun and knitted into something delicate and beautiful, worthy of such fiber. <br /><br />And people wonder why I love these festivals. :)cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-1367959800887281222010-01-28T15:23:00.007-05:002010-01-28T16:23:11.018-05:00Wait, I Just Blinked... and now it's January, for goodness' sake.<br /><br />I really can't explain how that happened. Perhaps like Snow White I pricked my finger on a spindle and fell into an enchanted sleep. Well, if that's the case, let me show you a few of the things that have been going on all this time in my dreams.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2HzqWqDB5I/AAAAAAAABjU/XDJ6ksXZpJc/s1600-h/dads-sweater_2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 275px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2HzqWqDB5I/AAAAAAAABjU/XDJ6ksXZpJc/s320/dads-sweater_2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431890534547523474" border="0" /></a>We enjoyed Thanksgiving with a crowd at the home of my bubbly-sister-in-law. I was delighted to see my trim-athletic-dad wearing his sweater. He'd only been waiting for cold enough weather. And I'm so happy with how well it fits!<br /><br />As you can see, the poochie knows who the soft touch is. She's rightly judged that any treat my Dad has, she will soon get to share.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2HzqNdUpmI/AAAAAAAABjM/_6P4xlDg0Yk/s1600-h/got-buried-in-snow_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 229px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2HzqNdUpmI/AAAAAAAABjM/_6P4xlDg0Yk/s320/got-buried-in-snow_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431890532078233186" border="0" /></a>Like half the East Coast, we got buried deeply in snow, a week before Christmas.<br /><br />I'm glad to say this is not my car buried in a snowdrift, but this is what it was like. We weren't going anywhere for a few days.<br /><br />That took a real bite out of my Christmas shopping time and I had to run hard from then on to catch up and be ready in time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2HzpyTmy-I/AAAAAAAABjE/7JRHaT-IVF4/s1600-h/had-christmas_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 172px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2HzpyTmy-I/AAAAAAAABjE/7JRHaT-IVF4/s320/had-christmas_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431890524789722082" border="0" /></a>We had a lovely time celebrating the holidays, though. It's always wonderful when the frenzy of preparation is over and we can just relax and enjoy some time together.<br /><br />And, though I didn't have time to go all-out, I did manage to eke out a few knitted presents.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2H3M42HrhI/AAAAAAAABjs/HwJctgZrpN4/s1600-h/IMG_6163_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 172px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2H3M42HrhI/AAAAAAAABjs/HwJctgZrpN4/s320/IMG_6163_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431894426375400978" border="0" /></a>After the Fall Fiber Festival, in Montpelier, I got busy right away on spinning my finds. So as the holidays approached, I had half-pound batches of worsted-to-chunky weight yarn spun from two beautiful colorways of a 50/50 wool-mohair blend from Kid Hollow Farm, in Free Union, Virginia. The dark one is Northern Lights, and the gray-lavender one is called Violet-Turquoise Spot.<br /><br />I<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2H3NO6Y2oI/AAAAAAAABj0/KRJ4nUy1OHI/s1600-h/IMG_6164_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 172px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2H3NO6Y2oI/AAAAAAAABj0/KRJ4nUy1OHI/s320/IMG_6164_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431894432298883714" border="0" /></a> knit each colorway into a scarf, one for my tall-elegant-mom and one for my trim-athletic-dad, using a simple mistake-rib stitch pattern. Those scarves turned out to be nicer than I could even imagine. Before I had six inches done, I was noticing what a beautiful drape the knitted fabric had, thick as it was. The mohair in the blend really gave it a lovely fluid quality.<br /><br />Unfortunately, in my rush to get them done and wrapped, I neglected to take pictures of the finished items. I have high hopes, though, of seeing them in use at some point. If so, I shall immediately pounce with my camera.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2H3My0pw4I/AAAAAAAABjk/Dps_2oec9Po/s1600-h/momsgloves_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 206px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2H3My0pw4I/AAAAAAAABjk/Dps_2oec9Po/s320/momsgloves_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431894424758633346" border="0" /></a>I also knit a hat and gloves for my Mom, in Noro's Cash Island. It's a double-knitting weight yarn of wool with 30% cashmere, strengthened by just a bit of nylon. And of course, it has those amazing color transitions that make Noro yarns fascinating to knit. The hat is a simple beret, which I also forgot to photograph, but I did get a picture of the gloves.<br /><br />That was exciting; it's the first time I've knit a pair of gloves, with all those little fingers. I was relieved that they actually came out the right shape. In fact, I was unsure enough that I wrapped them and put them under the tree without first weaving in the ends. That was just in case, once they were tried on, I needed to ravel the ends of the fingers to adjust the fit!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2H3MRFLUMI/AAAAAAAABjc/MX7eWrTG0Tk/s1600-h/handspun-KoolAid-scarf.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 172px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/S2H3MRFLUMI/AAAAAAAABjc/MX7eWrTG0Tk/s320/handspun-KoolAid-scarf.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431894415701135554" border="0" /></a>And I knitted the wool I dyed with Kool-Aid into a bright, cheerful scarf for my little niecey. This is the first project for which I dyed the locks, hand-carded the wool, spun the yarn, and designed and knit the scarf. And when she wears it, she can point to the stripes and say, "this is Tropical Punch, this is Kickin' Kiwi-Lime, ..."<br /><br />I really had a good time with it. But don't say anything, it will just encourage me. :)cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-91296472843398255012009-11-21T20:46:00.004-05:002009-11-21T21:49:17.277-05:00Almost Opulent<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SwiYite_UEI/AAAAAAAABi0/fJX5P-gu8t8/s1600/opulent-head-on_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SwiYite_UEI/AAAAAAAABi0/fJX5P-gu8t8/s320/opulent-head-on_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406739074750828610" border="0" /></a>Sleeve adjustment completed, I now have a finished sweater to smile over. <br /><br />It's almost but not quite Wendy Bernard's Opulent Raglan, from the Fall 2008 issue of <a href="http://www.knitscene.com/">KnitScene</a>. I made the sweater in Patons Classic worsted-weight wool, in a color called Cognac Heather. I made it in a size with a little negative ease. As usual, I changed a few things. The original sweater is 3/4 sleeved, a longish length, and has a hemmed bottom. It's very attractive, but it isn't quite me. So I shortened it to hip length, added a ribbed edge at the bottom, and made the sleeves full-length. And changed the cuff design. I did very much like the big scrunchy central cable flanked with textured cable twists, so I left that alone. :) <br /><br />I also like the square neckline, though that was the cause of some worrying. In the magazine, the neckline is so deep that it reveals a bit of cleavage. It's an attractive look, but it does limit a sweater's versatility for my daily working life. And for most of the time while the knitting was underway, it looked like it was heading in exactly that direction. I figured I would just have to wear layers under it.<br /><br />This was my first time knitting a sweater from the top down, in the round, so that it could be tried on practically from the beginning. As soon as the neckline and armholes emerged, I was poking my head and arms through them to have a look. I threaded the stitches onto a really long circular needle cable and pulled the sweater on. (I still lost a few stitches off the ends each time and retrieve them, sputtering and grumbling, but that's another story. Eventually I learned that it was worth the bit of extra time to put stoppers on the ends.) The neckline looked voluptuously deep, and I wondered if I might actually have to worry about its falling entirely off the cliff, so to speak. But I did know that adding the ribbing would firm up the edge and would probably close it up a little. If not, well, layering.<br /><br />I tried that sweater on over and over as it progressed. (I found that, for me, the good thing about trying on a top-down raglan in progress is that you can. The bad thing is that you might feel you must. Again and again.) I was especially careful about trying on and measuring to gauge the length for the long sleeves I wanted, since that frontier was untrodden by the pattern instructions. I made them longer, in fact, after a first try. I fussed over the cuffs as well, since the version in the pattern designed to be worn just under the elbow was a more dramatic look than I wanted to see at my wrists. <br /><br />Finally, I had everything just the way I wanted it, and I picked up stitches and knitted on the neckband. And guess what that did? It tightened up the neckline. It tightened it a lot. Suddenly it was quite a ladylike neckline. I'm not sure why it's that much higher than in the pattern photo. It's the same number of stitches, but I must have knit the ribbing significantly tighter than the designer did. But that was fine; it worked in my favor and preserved modesty.<br /><br />I wove in all the ends and tried it on again. Happily declared it done. Admired it in the mirror. Wondered why those shrewdly judged sleeves were an inch too short. Sighed deeply and realized the neckline's connected to the shoulder, the shoulder's connected to the sleeve... and the tightened neck must have hiked the whole thing up. So I unpicked all the carefully buried ends, ripped out those poufy cuffs, and added an inch to both sleeves. It was aggravating, but it's done, anyway.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SwiYi2_oy8I/AAAAAAAABi8/kCrKWSa1kW8/s1600/not-quite-cuffs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 181px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SwiYi2_oy8I/AAAAAAAABi8/kCrKWSa1kW8/s320/not-quite-cuffs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406739077303684034" border="0" /></a>And now I have a finished sweater that I like very much. It dresses up or down. For work, it looks good under a jacket, which frames the cable texture nicely. Those big cuffs peek out of the jacket sleeves and feel just slightly romantic, without drawing too much attention to themselves.<br /><br />My verdict on the top-down, in-the-round construction is mixed. It's interesting to try a sweater on as you go, but, ahem, there could still be one or two little hitches. I've generally had pretty good luck with the fit on traditional pieced-and-sewn sweaters when I measure at the beginning, make a plan, and hope for the best. And I quite like that "ta-da" feeling you get when you seam it up and suddenly, pouf, there's a whole new sweater to try on. One other observation is that the sweater seems to want to twist a little bit. I've had seamless commercial t-shirts that do this, too. I think perhaps if it had the structure of seams, it would stay straighter.<br /><br />So I'm not quite a convert to the method. But I know more than I did before, and it's another technique to use when it makes sense. And I love the sweater. And that can't be bad.cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-26580295851634294472009-11-08T14:44:00.008-05:002009-11-08T17:13:34.283-05:00And Besides...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Svc6SszlD8I/AAAAAAAABh8/b9AbbyruxOI/s1600-h/sheep-not-cows_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 222px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Svc6SszlD8I/AAAAAAAABh8/b9AbbyruxOI/s320/sheep-not-cows_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401850370993754050" border="0" /></a>So what if my knitting has a little setback? It has its ups and downs. It's all part of the bargain.<br /><br />And one of the ups is festival-going. A couple of weekends ago, I got to enjoy the last event of my annual fiber-festival season: the <a href="http://www.shenandoahvalleyfiberfest.com/">Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival</a>. I love this homey little festival. It's been growing each year, but it still has an endearing small-time flavor that makes it special.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Svc9pm4hcjI/AAAAAAAABiM/hyoDxP6Cf7w/s1600-h/curious-sheep_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 250px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Svc9pm4hcjI/AAAAAAAABiM/hyoDxP6Cf7w/s320/curious-sheep_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401854063075750450" border="0" /></a>There are all kinds of fiber-bearing animals -- sheep, llamas, goats, alpacas, and fluffy rabbits -- to visit.<br /><br />This little fellow seemed as curious about me as I was about him. He was probably wondering if I'd brought him any treats.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Svc9p-NCBNI/AAAAAAAABiU/hAzqY8XyUaA/s1600-h/mmm-honey_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Svc9p-NCBNI/AAAAAAAABiU/hAzqY8XyUaA/s320/mmm-honey_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401854069335786706" border="0" /></a>There are yarn shops, and spinning fibers, and knitted items, and felters, and weavers, and guilds, and farm goods like these beeswax candles, and Boy Scout cider.<br /><br /><br /><br />On the d<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Svc9pyKIQGI/AAAAAAAABic/Mwda9kQXNAo/s1600-h/monster-pumpkin_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 250px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Svc9pyKIQGI/AAAAAAAABic/Mwda9kQXNAo/s320/monster-pumpkin_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401854066102386786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Svc7GF0Rz-I/AAAAAAAABiE/gLBLfypsNgw/s1600-h/yarn-display_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 250px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Svc7GF0Rz-I/AAAAAAAABiE/gLBLfypsNgw/s320/yarn-display_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401851253880901602" border="0" /></a>rive to the festival, in late October, there was foliage afire with autumn color, and roadside pumpkins like this monster. 741 pounds, the sign said, and at the stand where I stopped there was a whole row of others like it. There was also barbecue that had been smoking outdoors since 6:00 that morning.<br /><br /><br />Saturday, the day I went, was an intermittently beautiful fall day, between downpours. And who cares about a few puddles? When it was raining, I sheltered in buildings full of vendors of magical fiber goods. (What was the problem again?) This display, for instance, of bright hand-painted boucle yarns from <a href="http://dancingleaffarm.com/">Dancing Leaf Farm</a> couldn't help but dispel any gloom.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Svc9qQ27JDI/AAAAAAAABis/trg49y1m2Fc/s1600-h/trunkful_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Svc9qQ27JDI/AAAAAAAABis/trg49y1m2Fc/s320/trunkful_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401854074343334962" border="0" /></a>I wasn't a bit gloomy. And did I find myself some treats? Oh yes, you bet I did. This is why I've been concentrating on using up some of the yarn I already have stockpiled, so I can enjoy finding myself some new treasures.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Svc9qBLKQ9I/AAAAAAAABik/Up8-9x68gdo/s1600-h/raffle_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 250px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Svc9qBLKQ9I/AAAAAAAABik/Up8-9x68gdo/s320/raffle_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401854070133244882" border="0" /></a>My only regret? I didn't win the spinning wheel or the loom in the raffle. Guess I'll have to try for another year. :)cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-13916082540924838352009-11-08T13:13:00.006-05:002009-11-08T14:14:40.199-05:00On the Bright SideI do this because I love it. I do this because I love it. Just a couple more times, and I'll be convinced.<br /><br />For our recent road trip, I needed some knitting to do. I was in a rush and needed to pick out a project quickly. (After that, I packed clothes. Most essential things first.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SvcPL8kUHyI/AAAAAAAABhk/xLVKdunP9Lw/s1600-h/patons-classic_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SvcPL8kUHyI/AAAAAAAABhk/xLVKdunP9Lw/s320/patons-classic_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401802975965617954" border="0" /></a>I've been trying to use up some of the yarn already sitting around the house, and I had a pile of Patons Classic worsted-weight yarn in a pretty heathery color. I needed a skein of something basic to do homework for a class at Stitches last year, grabbed it from a local big-box store, and found I liked it. Rather than waste what was left over, I bought several skeins more so I could make something out of it. This seemed as good a time as any.<br /><br />After a hurried flip through a couple of books and magazines, I settled on <a href="http://www.knitscene.com/issue/Fall-2008/Opulent-Raglan.asp">Opulent Raglan</a>, from the Fall 2008 issue of <a href="http://www.knitscene.com/">KnitScene</a>. That issue had several beautiful sweaters that are on my want-to-knit list. The particular one I picked is a top-down raglan by <a href="http://knitandtonic.typepad.com/">Wendy Bernard</a>, with a big cable decoration down the front and 3/4 length sleeves with ruffled cuffs. I decided to make it with long sleeves instead.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SvcT7Ou1goI/AAAAAAAABhs/WyfMPRLZNfs/s1600-h/road-knitting_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SvcT7Ou1goI/AAAAAAAABhs/WyfMPRLZNfs/s320/road-knitting_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401808186341950082" border="0" /></a>Things went along smoothly as we drove around western North Carolina. It was pleasant, easy knitting for the car, and I had this much done by the time we got back.<br /><br />I've generally knit sweaters in the typical bottom-up-and-seam style in the past, and it was interesting seeing a whole sweater emerging in my lap as I knit.<br /><br />Since we got back, amongst spinning and sock-knitting and festival-going and a quick overnighter out of town, and Halloween, I've managed to get the rest done.<br /><br />Taking full advantage of the top-down construction's try-on-ability to check the fit, I made some adjustments, and did some re-knitting here and there as needed. This morning, I confidently wove in the last of the ends, feeling very pleased to have it done, tried it on one more time in preparation for getting a good photo, and...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SvcXR7nhJjI/AAAAAAAABh0/XlLokPDx7Rs/s1600-h/not-quite_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SvcXR7nhJjI/AAAAAAAABh0/XlLokPDx7Rs/s320/not-quite_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401811874882856498" border="0" /></a>The sleeves aren't long enough. This isn't a knock on Wendy Bernard's pattern, of course, since I was modifying it for full-length sleeves. It was my own doing. I adjusted the sleeve length carefully as I went. I'm not sure trying it on while in progress worked in my favor. At that point, the neckline was a lot looser and deeper. What I failed to take into account is how much the last step of adding the neckband would tighten up and raise the whole works, sleeves and all.<br /><br />So I'm not done. I have to rip out the belled cuffs, lengthen the sleeves, and re-knit them. On the bright side, the rest of the sweater is very nice. It could be worse. It's just the sleeves, after all.<br /><br />I do this because I love it. I do this because I love it....cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-26234920193174010812009-10-23T23:15:00.015-04:002009-10-24T02:15:27.402-04:00In the Mountains and CloudsWorld's-most-patient-husband and I were in the mood last week for a quick getaway and decided to take a driving vacation. I, though, was a little anxious about losing a week of spinning time. I'd just added all that new spinning fiber to my stocks at the Fall Fiber Festival and there was <a href="http://www.shenandoahvalleyfiberfest.com/">another much-anticipated fiber festival</a> coming up very soon. World's-most-patient-husband, unprompted, bless his heart, said "why don't you bring along the spinning wheel?" I took him up on that one like a shot.<br /><br />So we packed up and drove south through Virginia and right on out the bottom. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SuKEr3Qj3iI/AAAAAAAABgk/IFoZ3VwZcd4/s1600-h/wet-weather_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 195px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SuKEr3Qj3iI/AAAAAAAABgk/IFoZ3VwZcd4/s320/wet-weather_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396021192645926434" border="0" /></a>Then we turned west and headed for the North Carolina mountains. The weather was cold and rainy; often the mountains looked something like this. But that's beautiful too, in its own way, and we were happy to be wandering. We played it by ear, deciding each day where to go the next.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SuKHV3a3eJI/AAAAAAAABg0/JxGa_Lzta3w/s1600-h/fiber-friendly_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 206px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SuKHV3a3eJI/AAAAAAAABg0/JxGa_Lzta3w/s320/fiber-friendly_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396024113266915474" border="0" /></a>We spent one night in Boone, the home of Appalachian State University, which turned out to be full of small, unexpected pleasures. It has antique shops and a crafts gallery and an honest-to-goodness old-time drugstore counter where you can sit and have a meal. It has a shoe store that also serves as a yarn shop, a combination I've certainly never seen before. It has a hundred-year-old general store full of knitted goods and hiking clothes. Having come on the trip well supplied with handknits but without anything for such wet and cold weather, I was grateful to find myself a warm waterproof jacket there.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SuKHV9w-vnI/AAAAAAAABg8/1GGzj16oldE/s1600-h/funky-breakfast_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 229px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SuKHV9w-vnI/AAAAAAAABg8/1GGzj16oldE/s320/funky-breakfast_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396024114970279538" border="0" /></a>It has an excellent cafe for breakfast and lunch called Melanie's, a little funky and full of character, with bright colors and interesting art and fifties dinette tables. Everything, but everything, there is home-made, down to the granola and the yogurt on the fresh fruit cup.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SuKJsVC5MmI/AAAAAAAABhE/Y42HnqYMys0/s1600-h/early-color_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SuKJsVC5MmI/AAAAAAAABhE/Y42HnqYMys0/s320/early-color_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396026698199806562" border="0" /></a>Then it was onward. The foliage was just beginning to change, and the views were occasionally breathtaking. We took a small and very scenic road that wound its way circuitously among the mountains, past Blowing Rock, a beautifully situated town with lots of shops and restaurants.<br /><br />We made our way on to Asheville, a place I've always wanted to visit, but had somehow never made it to before. It turned out to be a bigger city than I pictured, a little bohemian and artsy in personality, and rich, it seems, in brewpubs. We spent an afternoon at <a href="http://www.biltmore.com/">Biltmore</a>, the enormous mansion built by the Vanderbilts at the turn of the century. It is quite something. It's just a bit reminiscent of Versailles (though bigger!) Almost as impressive as the house are the grounds, designed by Olmstead, who is also responsible for New York's Central Park.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SuKNuz2abxI/AAAAAAAABhM/ipxR-r9V2VY/s1600-h/inviting-sight_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 250px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SuKNuz2abxI/AAAAAAAABhM/ipxR-r9V2VY/s320/inviting-sight_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396031138875207442" border="0" /></a>We wandering around afterwards in an area nearby known as Biltmore Village, where all the shops and restaurants are built in a quaint German style -- even the couple of fast-food chain outlets are in character. There we chanced upon this inviting sight: the aptly named <a href="http://www.yarnparadise.com/">Yarn Paradise</a>. And what would a trip be without a little yarn-shop tourism?<br /><br />But, perhaps luckily for me, it was already closed for the day. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SuKQUEQwOBI/AAAAAAAABhU/15oqQV35vfU/s1600-h/peek-inside_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 250px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SuKQUEQwOBI/AAAAAAAABhU/15oqQV35vfU/s320/peek-inside_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396033977959069714" border="0" /></a>After all, I'd packed the essentials with me on the trip: four knitting projects and three batches of spinning fiber. I didn't want to chance running out.<br /><br />The shop did look awfully appealing when I peered in through the leaded panes of the front door, with gorgeous sample projects, beautiful yarn displays, and what looked like a warm, welcoming atmosphere.<br /><br />Back in downtown Asheville, we had a top-notch dinner at a stylish spot called <a href="http://www.posanacafe.com/">Posana</a>. Oddly, it seems to be more of a coffee-shop with light food during the week and only serves dinner on a couple of nights. I get the feeling it may be a brilliant new place just on its way up. In any case, I can't stop thinking about the trout with sun-dried tomatoes and capers I had there, and the walnut cake with orange-and-tea-flavored cream. It was a happy find for us.<br /><br />After a couple of nights, we turned and started working our way back toward home, searching for barbecue along the way. I realize that, ironically, I was <span style="font-style: italic;">leaving </span>Asheville just days before people gathered there for the <a href="http://www.saffsite.org/dnn/Default.aspx">Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair</a>, but sometimes a near miss is what comes of impulse traveling. I will just have to put it on my list for some future visit.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SuKVTyyZOuI/AAAAAAAABhc/dJEEcJIM33c/s1600-h/sit-and-spin_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 250px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/SuKVTyyZOuI/AAAAAAAABhc/dJEEcJIM33c/s320/sit-and-spin_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396039470826470114" border="0" /></a>Oh yes, Rastro the spinning wheel did get a work-out in several hotel rooms. With the wheel, and a duffel bag of accessories, and a giant tote bag of fiber, and a separate large knitting bag, I was quite a cumbersome traveler. But it was a lot of fun to sit and spin here and there along the way.<br /><br />If I'd brought a stool and the weather had been better, I might have set it up who-knows-where. Scenic overlooks off the highway?<br /><br />Maybe next trip. :)cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-33552465134772386152009-10-16T11:40:00.000-04:002009-10-16T11:41:16.173-04:00Oh, NothingOr, just what was that under that new shawl pin?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StE21r0_DhI/AAAAAAAABgM/UC0DPW98kX8/s1600-h/oh-this_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StE21r0_DhI/AAAAAAAABgM/UC0DPW98kX8/s320/oh-this_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391150524865121810" border="0" /></a>Oh, this, you mean? Well, why on earth didn't you say so?<br /><br />Just my new Noro sweater that I've finished and am absolutely thrilled with, that's all. It's knit in Noro Silk Garden (silk, kid mohair, and lamb's wool) in color 221 on US size 9 (5.5mm) needles. It took ten 50-gram skeins -- a bag I'd bought from the <a href="http://www.woolstock.com/">Woolstock</a> booth at the 2008 <a href="http://www.knittinguniverse.com/">Stitches East</a> event in Baltimore, Maryland.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StE3WHAdUZI/AAAAAAAABgU/SJN42HBXKM8/s1600-h/noro-coming_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 224px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StE3WHAdUZI/AAAAAAAABgU/SJN42HBXKM8/s320/noro-coming_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391151081916813714" border="0" /></a>It's a distant cousin of sweater number 1 in the Fall 2009 issue of Vogue Knitting, by Coralie Meslin. I borrowed the neckline and armhole shaping, but made a few changes. Just to the collar, ribbings, surface design, length, and silhouette. Nothing much.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StE3WrjaaTI/AAAAAAAABgc/s95JMYPDqPs/s1600-h/and-going_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 224px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StE3WrjaaTI/AAAAAAAABgc/s95JMYPDqPs/s320/and-going_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391151091727100210" border="0" /></a>Since every sweater needs a name, I'm calling this one Sassafras. I am so happy with this sweater, I can't even tell you. It fits beautifully, and the cut is flattering. I made it slightly a-line in shape so that it would hang instead of clinging. The colors somehow seem to go with every pair of pants in my closet. I love the drama of that big, extravagant collar.<br /><br />When I got it done and sewn together, I knew I liked it, and I thought it looked pretty good. I went ahead and wore it before I had any way to fasten it. But with the overlapping fronts and collar hanging slack, it still wasn't quite what it could be. It needed a beautiful closure to reach its full potential. So I suppose I went to the <a href="http://www.fallfiberfestival.org/">Fall Fiber Festival</a> seeking closure. :)<br /><br />I really wanted to wear this sweater at the fiber festival itself, to wear my handiwork among fellow knitters. And maybe show it off, just a little, I admit. As it happened, the day was just too warm (and beautiful), so it stayed in the car. But the thing is a knitter magnet. I've worn Sassafras several times now, and wherever I go, knitters approach me and ask about it.<br /><br />What more could I ask? A sweater I love to wear and get to talk to other knitters about!cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-46296573645787518352009-10-10T12:19:00.006-04:002009-10-10T14:08:08.450-04:00More to LoveThere were a few more things I haven't mentioned yet that I really enjoyed about last weekend's <a href="http://www.fallfiberfestival.org/">Fall Fiber Festival</a>. One big one was a chance to see a blog friend in person! (Hi, <a href="http://puffthemagicrabbit.wordpress.com/">Puff</a> :) There might have been a couple more, but <a href="http://fortheloveoffiber.typepad.com/">Robin </a>has moved far away, and though <a href="http://likethequeen.blogspot.com/">TheQueen</a> was there, I didn't spot her. Most likely, my eyes were on the fiber.<br /><br />Ah yes, the fiber. This year I barely visited the animal tent, the skein and garment competition or the fleeces. I had eyes only for fiber. I'm trying to be good, really I am. After all, I already have far more yarn and fiber at home than there's any sensible reason for. I've sworn off buying sock yarn until knitting down a bunch of what I already have. In fact, I've mostly sworn off buying finished yarn in general until I knit down the stocks a bit. For now, I'm buying only spinning fiber. And I'm trying to limit even that to less than replacement quantities for what I spin, knit, and use up.<br /><br />I didn't do too badly. I've finished two sweaters lately, so I was able to pick out a few treasures at the festival without guilt. Let me show you what I found!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StC5-KuHFGI/AAAAAAAABfs/HvpKmhm5xOI/s1600-h/plum-blend_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StC5-KuHFGI/AAAAAAAABfs/HvpKmhm5xOI/s320/plum-blend_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391013231643268194" border="0" /></a>First is the deep plum-colored roving (from the last post right after the doughnuts). It's a cloudy day today, so I can't quite capture its true personality, but this is luscious stuff. It's a blend of wool, mohair, and alpaca from Karen at <a href="http://www.avalonspringsfarm.blogspot.com/">Avalon Springs Farm</a>, in Mt. Airy, Maryland. She's a first-time vendor at the festival, and I'm glad I caught her while she still had a nice big bin of this fiber. I bought a sweater's worth. <br /><br />There's a small twist, for me, in that it has just a bit of sparkly Firestar blended in. I have never worked with that, but I could not resist these colors. I'll be interested to see how much the sparkle shows up in the finished yarn, and I'll think carefully about what sort of a sweater it will suit.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StC59XPAJpI/AAAAAAAABfc/ktM-_rcth18/s1600-h/violet-turquoise-fiber_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 247px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StC59XPAJpI/AAAAAAAABfc/ktM-_rcth18/s320/violet-turquoise-fiber_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391013217822582418" border="0" /></a>From Pat and Steve Harder's <a href="http://www.kidhollow.com">Kid Hollow Farm</a> in Free Union, Virginia, the source of last year's fluffy brushed mohair, I bought some wool and mohair roving in two colorways. This one is called Violet Turquoise Spot. It looks quite subtle and grayish, which is lovely in itself. But I think it will darken when spun and show more of its violet and turquoise nature.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StC5-z9NiTI/AAAAAAAABf8/jhAPM9S8weg/s1600-h/bright-and-black_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StC5-z9NiTI/AAAAAAAABf8/jhAPM9S8weg/s320/bright-and-black_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391013242712459570" border="0" /></a>This is the other one, Northern Lights. I seem to be stuck on the violet and turquoise theme, don't I? It also has hints, though, of a strong dark pink that isn't really showing in the picture.<br /><br />I picked these out and bought a half-pound of each with the assistance of the wonderful Puff, who helps out in Pat and Steve's booth. But why only half a pound? Well, as I said, I'm trying very hard to be good. It takes me about one and a half pounds of fiber for a handspun sweater. I figured finishing two sweaters got me roughly three pounds of allowance for buying more fiber. Between the plummy roving and these, I had kept it to two and a half pounds, for extra credit. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StC6dUqSodI/AAAAAAAABgE/XZmmIbf9Yyg/s1600-h/more-shetland_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StC6dUqSodI/AAAAAAAABgE/XZmmIbf9Yyg/s320/more-shetland_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391013766887547346" border="0" /></a>So I went ahead and bought a couple of ounces of this combed Shetland top from The Flock Bransonas, in Staunton, Virginia, in the colorway Aurora. <br /><br />I actually already had some of this. I bought one little ounce a couple of years ago to sample Shetland wool. I spun some of it laceweight on a handspindle and loved it. Last year I bought another ounce. Adding another two ounces gives me about 110g, enough for some sort of a lacey scarf or shawl. <br /><br />Later, out of idle curiosity, I calculated the actual weight of yarn and fiber used in my two recent sweaters. The commercial yarn used up, it turned out, weighed less than my rule-of-thumb quantity, and that last two ounces of Shetland put me over my replacement weight. Oh, well. I blew it, but it's worth it. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StC5936-cZI/AAAAAAAABfk/WKoYhHS5S3U/s1600-h/shawl-pin_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 246px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/StC5936-cZI/AAAAAAAABfk/WKoYhHS5S3U/s320/shawl-pin_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391013226596954514" border="0" /></a>My last find, thankfully not subject to my self-imposed limit, was this shawl pin of wenge wood from <a href="http://knittingnotionsonline.com/">Knitting Notions</a> in Nashville, Tennessee. There were dozens of them, in different domestic and exotic woods, all unique, as handcrafted things are. I loved this one, which reminds me of a chess piece. <br /><br />Oh, what's that it's stuck into, you ask? Just never you mind! (I'll tell you later.)<br /><br />And of course, I bought those delicious apple cider doughnuts and gobbled them on the spot. And that makes more of me to love, too. :)cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-20981207888315109632009-10-07T21:48:00.007-04:002009-10-07T22:41:17.566-04:00On the Meadows of MontpelierSuch delights to be found.<br /><br />Last weekend was the <a href="http://fallfiberfestival.org/">Fall Fiber Festival </a>on the grounds of James Madison's Montpelier mansion, in Orange, Virginia. This festival has become one of my favorites. I'm not very selective, perhaps. All three of the fiber festivals I frequent are my favorite, in one way or another. But it's not a bad state of affairs, to be always enjoying a favorite, every time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1GzJwvSJI/AAAAAAAABeU/dqncZhnQcMs/s1600-h/rolling-hills_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 187px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1GzJwvSJI/AAAAAAAABeU/dqncZhnQcMs/s320/rolling-hills_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390042173639968914" border="0" /></a>I love the drive out through Virginia's rolling countryside. World's-most-patient-husband drove with me this year, making the drive that much more enjoyable.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1GzRg6kgI/AAAAAAAABec/bQIH94ixYZw/s1600-h/into-orange_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 250px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1GzRg6kgI/AAAAAAAABec/bQIH94ixYZw/s320/into-orange_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390042175721083394" border="0" /></a>I love getting into the town of Orange, the excitement building as the destination nears.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1HNHHOxMI/AAAAAAAABfE/MfJtvWwksxo/s1600-h/the-midway_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1HNHHOxMI/AAAAAAAABfE/MfJtvWwksxo/s320/the-midway_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390042619605599426" border="0" /></a>I love how the tents are spread out upon the meadow, making it feel like a country fair.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1G0Bv_D7I/AAAAAAAABes/wHamxkoeKO8/s1600-h/sheep-to-pet_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1G0Bv_D7I/AAAAAAAABes/wHamxkoeKO8/s320/sheep-to-pet_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390042188669194162" border="0" /></a>I love strolling the relaxed, grassy midway, and occasionally coming upon calm, sociable animals wandering through to be admired.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1HM9j3ADI/AAAAAAAABe8/v_nXjq4zh7Q/s1600-h/tents-stuffed-with-goodies_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1HM9j3ADI/AAAAAAAABe8/v_nXjq4zh7Q/s320/tents-stuffed-with-goodies_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390042617041322034" border="0" /></a>I love the tents stuffed with fascinating goods for spinners and knitters and browsers of all stripes, and the many good-natured, hospitable vendors.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1G0m31OdI/AAAAAAAABe0/QBFH9yS-xGs/s1600-h/studying-the-goods_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 216px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1G0m31OdI/AAAAAAAABe0/QBFH9yS-xGs/s320/studying-the-goods_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390042198634215890" border="0" /></a>I love the displays and the sample skeins and the knowledge- able shoppers, judiciously evaluating their selections.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1Gz_s4DXI/AAAAAAAABek/97s4VkRa2g0/s1600-h/sheepdog-trials_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1Gz_s4DXI/AAAAAAAABek/97s4VkRa2g0/s320/sheepdog-trials_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390042188119281010" border="0" /></a>I love the sheepdogs and the shepherds, and their amazing joint skill, and the serious competitive trials unfolding alongside the festival tents throughout the day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1HNbb_hgI/AAAAAAAABfM/bl5xrU5om8c/s1600-h/those-cider-donuts.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1HNbb_hgI/AAAAAAAABfM/bl5xrU5om8c/s320/those-cider-donuts.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390042625061389826" border="0" /></a>I love the famous cider doughnuts that I'd heard of but only found for the first time this year. (Delicious.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1HNyrz61I/AAAAAAAABfU/EcW8urG7h-g/s1600-h/sweater-to-be_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Ss1HNyrz61I/AAAAAAAABfU/EcW8urG7h-g/s320/sweater-to-be_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390042631301753682" border="0" /></a>I love bringing some of it home with me.cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2657377269155846088.post-80382656490492462702009-09-20T23:12:00.004-04:002009-09-21T00:05:15.737-04:00That Elusive Stopping PlaceI'll put the knitting down and take care of a few other things, as soon as I get to a stopping place....<br /><br />First of all, thank you, everyone! for saying such nice things about the Chanel-ish jacket. I'm very happy and very relieved that it turned out so well. And as for a photo with jingly necklaces? Well, even if I piled on all my various necklaces, I'm not sure I could achieve quite the right jingly effect, so that may have to wait a while. :)<br /><br />So what did I do to entertain myself once the jacket was happily finished? I knit. Yes, I pretty much immediately grabbed some yarn and got to work. The knitting urge is strong this time of year. I had a bag of 10 skeins of Noro Silk Garden yarn, of mohair, silk, and lambswool, and I just really wanted to knit it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Srbx_DyL2JI/AAAAAAAABeE/lx8YhgUcq6E/s1600-h/just-getting-started_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Srbx_DyL2JI/AAAAAAAABeE/lx8YhgUcq6E/s320/just-getting-started_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383756470217857170" border="0" /></a>I settled in one morning with a cappucino at Starbucks and stitched away contentedly. To be honest, I wasn't even especially clear on where I was going with it; I just wanted to be going. That's kind of rare for me. <br /><br />I don't think, generally, that I'm what people refer to as a "process knitter" at all. I do enjoy the actual knitting very much, but I don't do it just to enjoy the motion and the beautiful yarn running through my hands. I do it to be able to create pretty things. <br /><br />That's assuming, of course, that all goes well. But after all the hand-wringing and problem-solving are over, I usually do come out the other side with something I can feel good about. The out-and-out failures are, thank goodness, few and far between.<br /><br />This time, I was impatient with mapping things out carefully ahead of time. I had seen a pattern in the current issue of Vogue Knitting that I thought might adapt well to the Noro striping and my 10 skeins of yarn, and I had a loose idea of what I was aiming for. (It's "Long Coat," by Coralie Meslin, pattern number 1 in the Fall 2009 Vogue Knitting, if you happen to have a copy handy.) Of course, the pattern is for a long coat with a fitted waist, and a giant sunburst design in the stitch pattern on one side, none of which I wanted. But I was quite attracted to the neckline, collar, and asymmetrical closure, and I pictured the characteristic Noro striping running along the collar and making a nice diagonal contrast to the body. <br /><br />I plunged in, making decisions as I went. I decided on a cropped, high-hip length. It evolved somehow that it would be an a-line silhouette. I changed the ribbing style and depth. I left out the short-row sunburst. (It's really rather nice, but wouldn't have been the easiest to adapt to the truncated length -- and with the striping yarn, there would already be enough going on.) At least the gauge stayed the same.<br /><br />The last couple of weekends, I had a number of things I really needed to get done, though. House things, and pants-hemming things, and thank-you note things, and what-have-you. I planned to put aside the knitting. After all, I'd just finished a sweater. I did pick it up a couple of times, just to knit a row or two. Or maybe a couple more. Maybe just far enough to see the next color transition. Maybe to the top of the ribbing. Or until it's time to start the armhole shaping. Oh, I'm so close, I might as well finish off the back.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Srbx_dSoDiI/AAAAAAAABeM/GIG9UI9Ra2E/s1600-h/before_i_knew_it_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKIjAOKAtI/Srbx_dSoDiI/AAAAAAAABeM/GIG9UI9Ra2E/s320/before_i_knew_it_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383756477064810018" border="0" /></a>Yes, I'll put it down, just as soon as I get to a stopping place. Really.cathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06952203493993460960noreply@blogger.com1