progress

fiberlove always languishes in the summer, and this one was no different. but now it's cold again, and the needles are back out. what i've worked on lately:

--hat for a trade on swap-bot.com, which is on its way to finland
--two hats for woolarina
--a bunch of new woolarina yarns, most of which were already sold at crafty bastards, but there are nice brown and multi-wine sock skeins left, plus some rovings.
--spun 200ish yards of superwash that i dyed, which is slowly becoming wrist warmers.

i'm also starting to conceptualize xmas gifts. i'm coveting Michelle's Japanese Vines and will probably work up a bunch of handspun hats for the family.

in the rest of my life, the main themes are continued competitive scrabble (i'm the highest rated female in MA right now), much enjoyment of the vegetable season and the meat csa, and the end of the boy's dissertation in sight.

that's what i got. time for some baseball.

Dashing

0307-dashing1
Originally uploaded by kismet09.

I feel like I've been posting yarny things, but I guess it's all been messing around at ravelry.com, and not here. I have been knitting, dyeing, and spinning a bit -- not as much as usual, but this wrister is one thing I have to show for it. The yarn is handspun. It's one of the few yarns I've dyed and spun where I wish I had some kind of template to go back to, because I'd love to make more. It's about a dk weight, which made it perfect for the knitty Spring07 Dashing pattern. This was a fun, easy knit, and the thumb opening is pretty unique and useful -- I might have to steal it for future projects.

internal stash enhancement

My yarn diet is going well - I've only purchased yarn once, and it was for a chemo cap/birthday gift for my grandmother, so I think it's allowed. This is not to say that I'm not finding alternative ways to continue to acquire yarn, though. Most recently, I'm participating in a Magic Yarn Ball Swap (so fun! want to do it again!) and also decided that it's about time to repurpose my first-ever sweater, which I have worn all of once. Since I'm not brave enough to wear it in its current state (as pictured here), and it's probably illegal, somehow, to wear a deconstructed sweater in public, I think it'll become a bulky cardigan of some kind.

Finished Fake Isle!

 

Yesterday, this hat was a pile of roving, and today, it's a hat! I started around 10am yesterday, and finished it around 9pm (with breaks for food and Scrabble, while also watching about a dozen episodes of How I Met Your Mother on DVD). I came across the pattern at Spunky Eclectic, while stalking the owner of said site, who is a yarn swap pal for an upcoming project. The fiber is the same stuff that Manos uses to make their yarn, which I ordered forever ago, and which just arrived recently. I don't think I'll work with the fiber again -- soft though it may be, it was felted to the point that even pre-drafting was only moderately helpful, and I had to fight with it a lot as I spun, which made a mess of my consistency.

In any case, the roving is variegated, but I pulled out a bunch of the darkest parts (since I had to predraft the heck out of it anyway) and used the dark as a contrasting color, and the lighter hues as my main color. I swatched (for a change), settled on size 6s, and then worked the hat up from there.

I was surprised how addictive the fair isle was. It's a simple repeat, simple enough that I could memorize it as I went around, and stranded knitting in the round with two colors came pretty easily to me, since I can vaguely knit continental (since I can't purl, the in-the-roundedness of the hat was key). Going from circular to dpn was challenging, as my floats got a little wacky, but I think it'll work out. I love the fair isle band that goes across the middle, because my knitting does pull in a little in the fair isle sections, and that actually makes the hat fit more snugly on my big old head.

I'm addicted. I think I might jump into anemoi mittens next!

Grenada Knitting

I'm leaving for Grenada on Sunday, for work, and I'm at a loss for what to bring, knitting-wise. It's going to be warm, so I want something light and/or small, but I don't have anything on needles right now that fits that description. Similarly, I don't know what book to bring for vacation reading. In both cases, I should start things so that I know whether I'm going to like them, because if I don't, they're all I'll have with me. With books, at least I could buy something else once I got there. With knitting, I have to commit to a single project. If only I could justify one more Clapotis, which is my favorite travel knitting, but since I've already made four...

I'm considering the rabbit-proof fence scarf or the foulard, both from Morehouse Merino. I have so much lightweight yarn right now that both have good potential. I just worry that the patterns will be too mindless. I could start new socks, but I have bad luck getting excited about socks. Something fair isle seems too complicated. Hmm.

jaywalkers!

I like socks the same way that I like exercise - the reward once done is so worthwhile, but the effort to get moving is more than I can usually muster. Thus, these socks have been on needles since June, the first one mostly done since July, and only today are they (mostly) finished (with a couple of ends to weave in, and a hole to close up). Thanks again to Karen for the dye swap o rama yarn!

In terms of stats... it's knitpicks' color-your-own, which comes in 440 yd skeins. Because my feet are of ridiculous proportions, this means that a pair of socks knit to four inches above my ankle bone used up all of the yarn, plus some leftover other yarn to finish up the toes. Gauge was 7.5 sts/inch on the stockinette sections, on size 2 needles. So yeah. Having big feet = always running out of sock yarn, even when I get it in large amounts. On the bright side, though, they fit me, which is more than I can say for most women's socks out there, which I stretch to get over my feet, and whose toes thus wear out much more quickly than I'd like.

dk superwash added

One new category, six new yarns -- check out the DK superwash yarns at woolarina.com!

New Year, New Store!

I've been waiting until I had some of my new yarns up to announce the roll out of the new and improved woolarina.com storefront! Hopefully, the program that runs behind this one will make it easier for us to bring you great yarns without technical difficulties.

I've loaded in some of the sock yarns that I dyed recently, and hope to add a bunch more in the near future. And, to celebrate the new store, and maybe convince some of you to try it out and help us work out any bugs, you will get 10% of any purchases from now until Friday, February 2 if you sign in and make an order, using the coupon code WOOLARINA at checkout.

Of the new yarns, Auckland is my favorite:



...all purples and greens in subtle colors. Yum.

Even if you don't want to buy anything, though, if you just want to poke around and let us know how the site's looking, please do! We welcome all feedback!

January 07 colorways

January 07 colorways
Originally uploaded by kismet09.

The bad news is, I fell down a flight of stairs, and my left thigh took most of the damage, so sitting down is not the most comfortable position right now.

The good news is, since I can't sit much, standing over my dye pots was an attractive activity, and I've finally returned to dyeing, just in time for the upcoming launch of a new woolarina.com storefront (which should be coming in the next few days).

I couldn't resist giving a peek at the new yarns, 'cause I love 'em. Only the valentine colored one has been reskeined so far - the rest I hope to do today or tomorrow, as soon as they're dry enough to play with. I also did a bunch of roving, and have returned to spinning, after a brief hiatus.

Winter has definitely reawakened the fibergeek in me. Now if only my bruise would heal...

mindless = happiness

I've known for awhile that I'm happiest with instant gratification projects, and/or mindless knits. I love the thought of colorwork and lace and other fanciness, but it may require more brainpower than I'm willing to give to knitting -- I'd rather spend it on Scrabble.

So, I've gotten a lot finished since xmas, but most of it has been mindless:
--reversible cable scarf for my mom
--prayer shawl for grandma
--gloves, two hats for me
--birthday present for Tim (tomorrow's the day! maybe pics after)

I've also started a bias knit scarf, to be donated to the red scarf project. I had to rip it out three times because I kept accidentally doing the increase/decrease on the wrong side, which makes it warp in interesting, but not useful ways. Now that I'm in the established pattern, I'm pretty good at remembering what's going on, but it took awhile...

Next up will be Broad Street Mittens, a pair of wrist warmers for me, maybe a cowl, and Eunny's Endpaper Mitts, if I get really motivated (although what I really crave is the Anemoi Mitts). Lots of happy small stuff.

Also? Almost (finally) done with Jaywalkers, and man, knitting on 2 size1 circs makes my fingers ache. Is it that I'm using 12" circs and don't have enough wiggle room? Am I knitting tightly? Are my hands just too big and awkward to knit with toothpicks? Not sure, but am still trying to get em done.

resolved

I have a million tupperwares of yarn. I've gotten better about not buying single skeins, but at the same time, I've gotten into the habit of spinning skeins that I can't part with. Also, there are numerous Large Things that I'd like to save money toward (e.g., flat screen TV, new computer, retirement). Thus, I am joining Wendy's Knit from Your Stash 2007, with my own set of slightly modified rules. Guidelines:

1. The Knit-From-Your-Stash-a-Thon will start January 1, 2007 and run through September 12, 2007 -- a period of almost nine months, ending on my birthday.

2. I will not buy any yarn during that period, with the following exceptions:

2a. If someone asks for a specific knitted gift that I really and truly do not have the yarn for, I may buy yarn to knit that gift.

2b. If I am knitting something and run out of yarn, I may purchase enough to complete the project.

2c. I get one "Get Out of Jail Free" card -- I am allowed to fall off the wagon one time. This must involve a real, live store, and not an internet purchase in times of weakness.

3. I am allowed to receive gifts of yarn.

4. Trading stash is allowed/encouraged.

5. Spinning fiber of any sort is exempt.

6. Yarn bought for sole purpose of selling via woolarina is allowed. Falling in love with said yarn and keeping for myself may be inevitable from time to time.

What's in a name?

I got crazy tonight and named all of my yarns at woolarina. I've learned that I'm not that good at it. I'm a tournament Scrabble player, I'm a writer, I know a lot of words, so why aren't names easier to come up with? I'm going to start using arcane stuff that I learn in my Scrabble study, like EARSTONE and GODETIA.

cash cable

This is one of my many holiday knitting projects, and I've just finished the first ball of yarn, so I thought I'd show it off. It's the reversible cable pattern from Scarf Style, which I'm knitting in debbie bliss cashmerino aran on size 9 needles. It's a wonderfully soft yarn to work with, and the colors is good and neutral (it's more khaki than the greenish that this picture captured), which its recipient should appreciate. One 90m (98 yd) ball of yarn resulted in about 16" of scarf, about 4.5" wide.

Just say baa...

MADRID, Spain - Farmers led a flock of hundreds of bleating sheep through downtown Madrid on Sunday in an pungent protest urging the protection of ancient grazing routes threatened by urban sprawl...Smiling crowds lined Sunday's route past McDonald's, Starbucks and august buildings like the Bank of Spain. Small children squealed with delight as they petted the thick, matted wool of the marchers, a sea of white with the odd black sheep mixed in.

My favorite thing is that the article was written by Daniel Woolls. Perfect.

Read the full article on yahoo news here.

prayer shawl

My grandmother has been sick for awhile, and has thus been on my mind a lot recently. That has finally inspired me to use some of the Schaefer yarn that I've been hoarding for a long time now. While I'm not at all religious, my grandmother is, and will hopefully appreciate the thought behind a prayer shawl:

The yarn is Miss Priss, and the colorway is Eleanor Roosevelt. I love most of it, but the light blue pops a little too much. I might overdye it once I'm done, or I might just try to get used to it. The yarn is incredible to work with. Soooo soft, with a nice loftiness for a two ply yarn. The k3 p3 pattern is also really comfortable to knit.

(oh, I also switched to blogger's new beta layout thingie. I have no real idea what it means).

Studio Envy

I dyed the last of my merino roving this weekend. I haven't spun in weeks, and I was itching to do so. I thought I was dyeing things in colors that made vague sense together, but as it turns out, since I did the painting of the roving in my basement with not enough light, they weren't quite what I expected. Luckily with roving, everything tends to spin into a yarn that makes sense, color-wise, since all of my dyes are fairly similar in terms of saturation, tones, etc. I toured some local studios this weekend and coveted their high-ceilinged, naturally lit, beautiful space.

So, since Saturday, I've spun up 140 yards of a magenta/purpley batt that Paula bought me at the last Sheep & Wool, and 90 yards of a three-ply merino that I dyed Sunday, which is, unsurprisingly, purple.

I also learned the my new cat, Harriet Scampi, is enamored of watching the plies fly by as I make yarn. Watching the dog watch the cat watch the yarn is good entertainment.

giant balls!

1010-freepeople
Originally uploaded by kismet09.

There's a store in the Prudential Mall that uses these balls as a display item. Some of them were a good foot and a half across. I covet them.

Mistake Rib Goodness

I forgot to put this up before! This is that scarf I was working on in NYC. Doubled Noro Silk Garden, alternating every two rows with some handspun that I navajo-plyed, thus allowing the colors to stay together. The bright green isn't as bright as it looks in this picture -- I just took it and it's getting dark, and I had to play with the exposure a bit to make it look even vaguely true-to-life. You also get a nice shot of my purple door, which we painted this summer.

Yarn found

My knitting life revolves around hats and wrist warmers, in prep for a fair in Pittsburgh. I'm not making the fastest progress, but I'm getting there. I finally corralled my yarn into bins so I could take a real stock in what I have. These are the three most recently finished (or mostly finished):

	left to right: hand-dyed BFL; Plymouth Encore (I swear it isn't that big in real life); hand-dyed merino, kid sized
	left to right: superchunky hand-dyed merino; a woolarina handpaints worsted; some Classic Elite Wings that I dyed (mmm alpaca blend - this is a great use for it); Brooks Farm, for me!

That last pair on the right is the first pair I've actually made with plans to keep them for myself, and I've probably done at least a dozen other pairs before these, given as gifts or sold at fairs. I thought I had run out of yarn about 5 rows shy of having a matching set, but thankfully managed to dig up a small ball at the very bottom of the last bin that I rummaged through frantically today. Phew. So, this pair will be for me to wear with my brownish side of my wardrobe, and I'm sure I'll have a purplish pair soon enough. But maybe not before the next fair.

yay! new camera! and new spinning!

I haven't really learned to use it well yet, but I just bought a new camera so that I could load more pics to woolarina.com, and my old camera was taking three pictures before draining the battery. Just so you know that I haven't been slacking, here's stuff I've spun in the last month or so:



I've taken to dyeing four ounces at a time (a good amount to wrap in plastic wrap and steam on the stovetop) and then spinning it. Four ounces gives me enough yarn to do something with it, but not so much that I get bored with the colors. Now I just have to decide which ones to keep as yarn, and which ones become hats and other things.