tools of the trade

One of the purchases that I made at Sheep and Wool that I hadn't pictured yet:



The contraption on the right is my fantastic ball winder, which I prefer to call my yarncake maker, since it makes pretty little cakes of yarn, fresh off the wheel. They fit much more happily on my scale as cakes than they do as skeins! This one is handspun from awhile ago. I took some roving and just dribbled dyes all over it in no discernible pattern. I may have used a few more colors in a few more intensities than could have produced a really pretty yarn, but boy, is this one colorful. I'm actually knitting these days, for a change (I've been so spin/dye focused recently), and this cake will finish off a second kiddie hat, and hopefully get me through a third, before it runs out.

more spinny

I spent most of the weekend playing Scrabble, but I did manage to get some spinning in today:





I plied some wool that I dyed with the black merino from Sheep and Wool. The colors include red, orange, green and purple, and they stand out nicely against the black. The beginning of the colored wool had gotten a little felted in the dyeing process, so I had to coax it into drafting and spinning. I imagined a stubborn, technicolor sheep as I spun it.

Also finished up some merino dyed awhile back:




Each skein is about 120 yards, and will self stripe from blue/purple to greens and back to blue/purple. Both should go up in the store some time, and we'll also be doing more dyeing next weekend, so there should be more sock yarns and others soon as well!

MDS&W, Part II

Returning early this morning rather than staying later to brave the crowds yesterday was a good choice. I'm possibly getting over whatever illness I had, but I'm coughy, and after walking around the Fest with the boy from 8:50-10:40, was more than ready to go.

It was much, much calmer this morning than yesterday morning. The Koigu booth was closed (rumor has it they sold out yesterday), so the only ridiculously long line was for Galway. I walked right by -- I didn't even want to know what was in there, because today was about taking my time and just wandering, rather than kamikaze shopping.

We started the visit with a trip to the sheep cheese people, just like yesterday. Got some farmer cheese that I actually like, which is surprising -- I'm not a goat cheese person at all, and usually not fond of sheep milk, either, but this stuff is light and smooth. I took more time in the Main barn today, stopping by to chat briefly with Jen at her very cool booth. Made it all the way to the ends of the barn, feeling lots of roving as I walked around, and showing things off to Tim that I'd seen on Saturday. I ran into a wool booth that I'd completely missed, and bought some black roving with silk noils:



It should spin up into a neat, textured yarn. I may even ply it with some of the pure black merino that I also picked up today. I've been wanting to experiment with plying thicker singles of my variegateds with thinner singles of black, so that will be the next thing to go on the wheel, after my current batch of fluff is spun.

I sat at a Lendrum castle wheel to test out the Woollee Winder. Yep. Still want one. Also want a Lendrum castle wheel. Someday, perhaps.

Also spent more time watching the Sheep to Shawl competition, and petting the non-sheep livestock -- alpacas, llamas and bunnies, like this guy:


...and puzzled over the booth that included commercially-produced yarns like Noro, plied with other yarns:


I don't really understand... if you want to knit something with Noro and mohair, can't you just hold the two together and knit? Do you need them to be plied for you? I guess it lets the sellers show off what they think are cool color combos, but still, just seemed kinda odd.

Anyway, more pics in the slide show, and a couple more of the stuff that came home with me:

MDS&W, Part I

So, in three hours of Sheep and Wool, I managed to overspend my budget (but not by as much as I easily could have), and exhaust myself enough that I took a two hour nap this afternoon. I've been feeling under the weather all week, so I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised, but there was also the combination of not being able to sleep until the alarm (too excited!), tree orgies, not enough caffeine (I refuse to wait in the bathroom lines and squander that fibertime -- even at 9:30, it was getting long). If it wasn't for the adrenaline, I think I would've climbed into one of the sheep pens and snuggled up against a nice, fluffy Ovis aries.

My friend Nadine and I arrived around 9:15. The line was already queueing to get down SR-144, but still, the parking was reasonably close, and the traffic wasn't so bad. The weather was perfect -- my Clapotis and a t-shirt was just the right amount of layering. Nadine had never been to S&W (this is only my second year), so it was fun to see her surprise at the immensity of it.

Of course, I missed much of that initial wonder, as I made a beeline to Koigu, to try to score some for Anne and me before it got too daunting. I probably spent my first 45 minutes standing in that line, but at least I had company -- Michelle was also there, and during the time she stood in line, she went from yarn for one pair of socks to at least two, and maybe more, since I was a few people in front of her. I scored enough purples to make just about any shawl or scarf I want, when added to the Koigu I have left over from my Charlotte.

From there, I wandered the barn a bit, and picked up a new spindle for my sister, a hand-turned threader for my spinning wheel made of purple heart wood (it pulls the leader out through the wheel orifice, so that I can attach fluff and have it feed on to the bobbin -- my current contraption is a piece of coat hanger on a thread, so this is much prettier), and some beautiful Corriedale roving from Carolina Homespun. Since Nadine had wandered through the main hall for the better part of an hour, we left, picked up some kettle corn (at $1.50, possibly the best deal of the day), and proceeded through the vendor and sheep barns.

I think this guy was my favorite, 'cause his apparel reminded me of Tim's fancy running gear:


This one was also cool -- pre-variegated fleece for spinning!


I picked up my ball winder and a simple spindle to replace the one that I gave to a new spinner, tried to say hello to Dalis at Dancing Leaf's booth, but it was too packed, ran into Sarah (I think it was Sarah! and I don't even know if she has a blog to link to...), drank water (to lighten my bag as much as to stay hydrated), and grabbed some BFL roving at Firesong. So pretty.

By noon, I was feeling a little delirious. We had been through all of the barns and buildings, and were doing the outdoor vendors. Had to stop by Cormo, at Sarah's recommendation, and picked up a lovely 8 oz. of white Cormo/Alpaca blend. I can't wait to start spinning it. I will reserve all spinning, though, until Paula returns, in case she wants to split/score any of it. I think one of my favorite parts of the day was shopping for other people! Too bad 'yarn personal shopper' isn't a real job. I bet there are some celebrities out there who would pay for such services...

So, the inventory in all -- 8 oz Cormo/Alpaca, 8 oz. Firesong BFL, 8 oz. Corriedale, 37 ounces of Koigu (17 of which is for Anne), threader, two spindles, ball winder. Oh, and some smoked sheepie cheese for the boy. Pictures of the loot soon!

The Game Plan

Friday: finish either Clapotis II (with scrap yarn, 'cause I ran out with 10 or so rows to go. Boo), or tank top. Pack bag (water bottle, sunglasses, wallet, wish list with yardages, Harlot book, directions, cell phone, cookies). And, Linda Eder concert!

Saturday: leave home at 8:30ish, arrive 9:15ish (gates open at 9). Head to Koigu first, stand in line if it seems reasonable, grab enough goodness for a decently sized project (maybe a multi-directional scarf) if it's not ridiculous. Wander through the barns with Nadine. Try to convince her to stay til lunch with various people, including Christina and Libby. Get book signed by Yarn Harlot, get inspired by award winning stuff in the Bingo Hall. Find spindles, unfinished niddy noddy from the same place as last year, and I have to figure out where that was...

Sunday: early again, with boy in tow, because he loves me that much and I have no other ride. Try to see if I can find Lolly, watch sheepdogs at 11. Hit barns I missed the first day, and backtrack to stuff that I coveted on Saturday to decide if I really want it.

Curious what you might find at Sheep and Wool? check out my photo album from last year.

The Wish List

Spindles: one 1.5ish ounces, top whorl with grooves for Kim, one basic to replace the one that I gave away, maybe an extra for teaching people
Roving: merino, white, 21ish micron count; corriedale, bfl...
Yarn: enough for a summery tank (Ballet Neck tank = 750 yds 18sts/4" on 7s; Soleil = 700 yds 22 sts/4" on 6s; Cleo = 700 yds 16 st/4" on 9s); Koigu depending on how slammed the booth is; something dyeable, or that can be made into a good xmas gift shawl for my grandma
SpinGear: Ashford drive band, maybe a jumbo flyer, or other fancy attachment (like a WooLee Winder, or some new bobbins...
Paula and Woolarina: Louet S10 DT winder; larger niddy noddy; dye; undyed yarns; ball winder!
What NOT to Buy: Yarn without projects, shirts, Angora bunnies

reinspired

The craft fair was a success, thanks in part to Lolly, who stopped by to say hello and pick up some yarn. It really makes a difference when people we know come by (even if we don't know them in real life!) -- breaks up the day a little, and gives us another fiber-holic to bond with. One of the women working at another craft table also works at Woolwinders, so we got to chat with her a bit about yarn, and she grabbed a skein of our fiery worsted wool yarn, kinda like this one. We glanced over at her table a little later and saw her winding it up, while a friend dutifully sat with the skein draped across her arms.

After both of the craft fairs that I've done, I've been inspired to knit and spin. Last night at Barnes & Noble, I picked up a copy of Stephanie's book, which I look forward to reading for the next little bit, and getting signed at Sheep and Wool. This morning, I worked up a bobbin of rainbowy roving. I'm also hoping to cast on a wine tote later today. Time to restock them for the booth! We'll see what my hands think of Lamb's Pride during the summer.. maybe I'll try em out with Cascade instead this time.

craft fair prep

Last night, I skipped out on the opera (Julius Caesar -- I'm a little sad to miss it, but I'm going to La Boheme tonight, so I will get my fill). I spent a good hour banding yarns and sticking labels to them so that our yarns would be all ready for the Visions in Feminism craft fair:



I like the look of them - not too cluttered (I have a habit of cluttering up any space that I have, both in my closets and in my design concepts for things), pertinent information, descriptions of yarns that aren't too cheesy.

I also made up a little sign to tell potential customers how much yarn they may need for different projects:

How much yarn does it take to make…

A kid’s hat? Sport weight: 160 yards/Worsted weight: 120 yards
An adult’s hat? Sport weight: 220 yards/Worsted weight: 180 yards
Kid mittens? Sport weight: 95 yards/Worsted weight: 75 yards
Adult mittens? Sport weight: 220 yards/Worsted weight: 160 yards
Kid socks? Fingering weight: 200 yards/Sport weight: 150 yards
Adult socks? Fingering weight: 400 yards/Sport weight: 250 yards
A baby sweater? Sport weight: 500 yards/Worsted weight: 450 yards
A kid sweater? Sport weight: 900 yards/Worsted weight: 800 yards
A 6” x 40” scarf? Worsted weight: 150 yards/Bulky weight: 100 yards

I mostly used the Ann Budd yarn guide card thingie, and rounded the numbers a bit. I guess I could double check through some patterns to be sure that these seem accurate.

I'm getting excited for the prospect of craft fairs. I like the prep, I like setting up the booth, I like talking to people about knitting. Selling things would be nice, at least enough to cover booth fees, but mostly, I just like it for the atmosphere, and to justify my new yarn dyeing habit.

nifty knitting math factoid

So I just learned, although it isn't confirmed by anything, the following: "if you take the gauge of one strand of yarn and double it, then divide by three, that would give you the gauge if you doubled it. So for example - if you're working with Plymouth Encore at a gauge of 4.5 sts per inch, and decide to double it, the resulting gauge would be 3 sts per inch or (4.5 X 2)/3."

I will have to test that formula! It'd definitely be a good rule of thumb to know.

balls!

Lots. Of. Roving.



It's going to take the better part of the year to get through all of this. Part of me just likes to look at it, and would rather decorate with it than spin it...

As it gets spun, there's a good chance you'll find it for sale at woolarina.com with its friends.

I think I may have to get myself some actual spinning lessons some time, so I can learn more about what I can make my wheel do, and not just what it does right now.

bright and early

The problem with getting up for work at 6 or 6:30 is that it's hard to sleep in past 7 or 7:30 on the weekends. Hence, I've been up for an hour. I've even been productive -- some strange cleaning bug has hit me, and I'm in the process of washing the dog pillows. This required pulling all the stuffing out of one of them, so that I could wash the case. Jasper isn't too pleased about it.


And, for your viewing pleasure, the beginning of Clapotis II -- I'm much farther along, but this picture shows off the color better than more recent incarnations:

a weekend away

I left last Friday for Chicago, returned at midnight or so on Tuesday, and am still in catch-up mode. I can only imagine the aftermath of Daylight Savings Time. I suppose I'd rather have the daylight, though - my biorhythms will catch themselves up.

Clapotis-the-first was bestowed upon my mother as a birthday present. Clapotis-the-second, which I will most likely keep for myself, has just entered the decrease rows. Not much else is getting done right now, because of the above-mentioned trip, but much is going on in my head, re: a small business of my own.

I grew up in small business land. My grandparents opened a jewelry store 50+ years ago and still work there, at 80 and 87! My mom also works there, and I help out when I'm home over breaks, although I'm not of that much use. As a baby, they set me up in a display case under the fluorescent lights to keep me warm as I napped. As a toddler, I hung out under the desks with a German Shepard who served as a watchdog. I've always tried to support small businesses (although I admit that I indulge in the Ikea and amazon.com on a regular basis). Now that I'm loving the dyeing and spinning (and knitting and...), and I'm possibly going to be moving to an area that doesn't have many yarn stores, I can't help but throw the idea around in my head.

In an ideal world, I will be moving late this year. I would work for the year or so after that at 20-30 hours per week, while also getting a business plan together, and continuing to do craft fairs, online sales (side note: new yarns are for sale at woolarina.com), and general research on fiber. I'd find the perfect, downtown location, not too far from the local campuses, and open my cafe/fiber store, which would also feature other random trinkets that I like... two floors, upstairs sitting room cafe, downstairs shop and coffeebar, airy, spacious... mmm.

In the mean time, craft fair season here approacheth. Yarns to be dyed this weekend, maybe, and inventory to get sorted. We'll be at the Visions in Feminism Craft Fair/Punk Rock Flea Market at the Nyumburu Cultural Center, University of Maryland College Park, Saturday April 23, 1-6pm. There's a $2 entry fee. Should be fun.

to dye for, part 3

mmm.. dye party... 3 more pounds of yarn and a couple of pounds of roving, all prettied up and drying in my bathroom and on the porch. I think we may have accidentally dyed the porch a few different colors today.

Things we learned:

• Steam Dyeing is a very good way to dye roving. Less mess, less unintended felting, better color bands.


• When steam dyeing, lots of dye will sneak out of the packets and into the pot, so don't use your pasta pot thinking the dye is contained and you'll still be able to use the pot for cooking.


• Colonial Blue from Prochem doesn't take very well.


• Mohair blends eat up color beautifully.


• Fingernails also absorb color well, even when wearing gloves.


• Superwash sock yarn doesn't eat up color unless you force feed it.


• After 5 hours or so of dyeing, your back will hurt.


• Putting dyes in plastic squeeze bottles saves a lot of grief.


• Keeping the squeeze bottles in a Grooming Box makes them easier to carry back down to the basement.


• You can never have too many layers of newspaper protecting the counter.

nearing completion, yet no pictures...

My camera has run off to Michigan with the boy. Have no fear - both are scheduled to return. Until then, alas, no new pictures.

It's too bad, too, because after being stuck in traffic for an hour longer than usual on my morning commute, Clapotis is almost done. I think I'm down to 9 stitch repeats. Campus is a ghost town, so I think I'll sit outside and knit for awhile this afternoon in the springiness. The few days as winter is ending when you can really tell that spring is likely going to stay are some of my favorites, so I should savor them while I can.

More dyeing is likely this weekend. The creamy colored wool in my living room is taunting me, and I think I'll start work on another Clapotis on the plane to Chicago, where I will visit my family next weekend. Maybe greens with a bit of yellow and blue, if I can get the blue dye to take for a change. This time, I'm going to dye the wool with shorter "stripes" so that it looks more mottled than patterened, I think. We'll see if the dyes agree to that plan. It's always an adventure.

spinday

I am wary of talking about my job in a public forum, but, thanks to the flexibility of working in academia, I think I can at least mention it without getting myself fired. I work at a college near Baltimore, Maryland. Specifically, I advise students, helping them choose classes, figuring out how soon they can graduate, working with them through medical school applications -- good stuff like that. Right now, we're in a lull period on campus. It's a week and a day before Spring Break, students are studying for midterms, and there isn't much going on in my office. So, on Thursday afternoon, I pack up some work that I can do in the comfort of my pajamas, and put in my 8 hours or so over the course of the weekend, which lasts from Friday through Sunday. It's a good deal, to only go in 4 days a week. Additionally, I'm currently working 8-6 M, 8-5 W and 8-3 TR, which also makes two of my days feel blissfully short.

So, today, I will drink some coffee, spin, do some work, knit, watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD, and maybe work a bit more. And hopefully go for a bike ride. My spinning is all rovings that Paula and I dyed last weekend, and most of it is springy, to get me in the mood for the new season, if winter ever finally lets go:

Clapping Along

My Clapotis begins:



I dyed some Henry's Attic Kona Superwash Merino, which makes my Clapotis of a lighter, thinner yarn variety, and I'm knitting it on 7s instead of 8s, at 4.5 stitches per inch, which is almost the gauge that the pattern calls for.

It's a fun project, but I like all of the beginnings of bias-knit projects, because they go so darn fast. I now have sixty-something stitches on the needles, and can see the rows setting themselves up to be dropped, and the rows are taking considerably longer. Even so, definitely a worthwhile project.

yarn chosen

I have enough yarn to make a skinnier, airier version of Clapotis. My yarn is a sock-weight 2-ply merino superwash, all prettily dyed up yesterday:



The picture makes it look like there's a lot more red than there is -- just the pieces of the yarn that got highlighted, I guess. The actual colors are maroon, reddish-purple, bluish green, green, and blueish purple. As soon as it dries, I will swatch and knit. I will also have to figure out which yarns were dyed in which dye baths, so that I can switch back and forth between them and make everything nice and blendy.

Highlights from the February DyeFest can now be purchased at woolarina.com, and the new ones will go up after jetsetting Paula returns from her whirlwind European tour.

I have almost finished the lengthwise scarf as well, just in time to wear it with a springy light purple cashmere sweater that my mother sent for valentine's day (my family is notoriously a couple of weeks behind on care packages, but I'm not complaining, 'cause any care package is welcome at any time).

And now, it's time for bed!

clapotis color conundrum

So I've purchased some Kona Superwash Merino, undyed, from which to craft a Clapotis. I can achieve most colors with my dye collection, so now I just have to decide what color to Clapotis with. I already have a Charlotte in purples, so I guess I should stray from my usual base color, or at least mix it up quite a bit with some other shades and hues. I'll likely wear it with either black or earthy tones. I'm considering something in browns and greens, but I'm not sure that I trust my ability to mix brown dye... Suggestions? Links to your favorite variegated yarns?

mds&w-along, of sorts

Mia is putting together a list of blog-type people going to Maryland Sheep and Wool on its very own blog. There is talk of meeting, and of tote bags. Granted, I only know of Mia through Lauren, who I've never even met, but it'd be nice to put some faces to names! And bags! Whee!

in case you were curious

I've knitted this as a bias-knit, as an alternating 2 rows of each yarn garter stitch on big and not-big needles, and holding the two together. I think I've settled on 4 rows of the solid stuff, alternated with a row of drop stitch with the fancy yarn, like this:



Speaking in pattern, that means:

R1-4: K across
R5: k1, yo across
R6: K across, dropping purl stitches

I also think it's going to look better lengthwise, which means ripping out one more time.