Since we (Wendy, Luann, and I) had filled the car on the way to the retreat with our contributions to the Stash Lounge, any non-knitter would assume that space would not be an issue on the way back. This assumption is unfortunately flawed: yarn, like gas, fills all the space available to it.
We visited the Stash Lounge and shopped at the marketplace. We brought back yarn and fiber donated by Martha to raise money for KR (little plug here: please go to the KR forums and see if anything strikes your fancy). As Luann said, I definitely tried to break several laws of physics to make my acquisitions fit in my luggage. Among them were:
- from the goodie bag: a skein of Sundara worsted merino in "crushed cherries" destined to become either a Koolhaas hat or Thanksgiving Day Mitts
- from the Stash Lounge: a trio of Shibui yarns in "wasabi" left by Clara that I hope to use in a textured shawl, as I did a couple of years ago with various Mountain Colors yarns
- from my Winter share and the marketplace: Foxfire Fiber cormo alpaca lace in two different colors for an Ishbel and a Swallowtail shawl
- enough String Theory caper sock in "viola" to make a sweater or a vest
- Spirit Trail's new yarn "Sunna" for a pair of socks and some "Frija" for a pair of Hedgerow mitts for myself
I set aside my new goodies as I am working on a Christmas present. When my in-laws were visiting us this fall, I lent my mother-in-law a pair of socks I had knitted out of STR lightweight. She liked them so much that I offered to knit her a pair of socks for Christmas. She wanted a soft variegated green so I found a skein of fingering weight yarn from Tanis Fiber Arts in "spearmint" in my stash.
The pattern is "Right Twist Cable Rib socks" by Ann Budd. When trying to lure non-knitters to the dark side of handknitted socks, I think it's better to start with a simple non-lacy pattern. This gets them hooked on the warmth and softness. After that, you can sell them on the color-coordinating possibilities and the coolness of the designs. If all fails, I can always buy the pin that Kathleen was wearing at the retreat "yes, I know that I can buy socks for $2 at Walmart".
Once I am done with these socks and the Fiddlehead mittens, I would like a matching Tanis kit for the Dipped Infinity Scarf by Laura Chau. I also want to tackle La Droguerie's latest hit, le Carre Magique Dentelle (in purple, of course!).
November 29, 2009
November 27, 2009
KR retreat - part 3
During Sunday breakfast, I tried to take pictures of all the tables (wedding style) so that I would be better at remembering names and faces. I wish we could mouse over the pictures to see the name of the knitter and the pattern/yarn used in the garment he/she is wearing... Next time perhaps!
That morning I was lucky enough to win an antique darning egg as a door prize (it is rather heavy so I'll have to figure out how to use it without damaging it nor the sock). And I got the courage to ask Ann Budd to sign my copy of "Getting Started Knitting Socks". She's such a fun down-to-earth person! I hope that she will join the retreat again next year, perhaps as a teacher.
(I tried to explain to Boy how much Ann has contributed to the knitting community with her books and while working for Interweave. I said "imagine the KR retreat is like a violin master class with Gil Shaham and Anne-Sophie Mutter. Having Ann Budd there is like Itzhak Perlman coming at the last minute". I think he got the picture.)
I chose the Fiddlehead mittens by Adrian Bazilia (kit by Tanis Fiber Arts) as my New Beginnings project. We all cast on (OK, maybe not everyone since some people were "protesting" and some people had already cast on) while Clara presided over a very special wedding ceremony between us and our projects. Let's see how that relationship blossoms over the upcoming year!
The Spirit Trail tailgate sale morphed this year into a full-fledged marketplace as we were able to buy from the vendors who had not yet packed up (is there anything as heartbreaking as the thought of the yarn you let go?). I hugged everyone one last time and promised Mary and Louise that I would do the dance of the seven veils next year (if sufficiently liquored up and in exchange for a bird house).
I remember how (unnecessarily) scared and shy I was at my first retreat. As each year passes by, I become more outgoing and get to learn more from the knitters around me. This is the weekend where I fill up with the good vibes from my knitting friends and they keep me knitting throughout the year!
That morning I was lucky enough to win an antique darning egg as a door prize (it is rather heavy so I'll have to figure out how to use it without damaging it nor the sock). And I got the courage to ask Ann Budd to sign my copy of "Getting Started Knitting Socks". She's such a fun down-to-earth person! I hope that she will join the retreat again next year, perhaps as a teacher.
(I tried to explain to Boy how much Ann has contributed to the knitting community with her books and while working for Interweave. I said "imagine the KR retreat is like a violin master class with Gil Shaham and Anne-Sophie Mutter. Having Ann Budd there is like Itzhak Perlman coming at the last minute". I think he got the picture.)
I chose the Fiddlehead mittens by Adrian Bazilia (kit by Tanis Fiber Arts) as my New Beginnings project. We all cast on (OK, maybe not everyone since some people were "protesting" and some people had already cast on) while Clara presided over a very special wedding ceremony between us and our projects. Let's see how that relationship blossoms over the upcoming year!
The Spirit Trail tailgate sale morphed this year into a full-fledged marketplace as we were able to buy from the vendors who had not yet packed up (is there anything as heartbreaking as the thought of the yarn you let go?). I hugged everyone one last time and promised Mary and Louise that I would do the dance of the seven veils next year (if sufficiently liquored up and in exchange for a bird house).
I remember how (unnecessarily) scared and shy I was at my first retreat. As each year passes by, I become more outgoing and get to learn more from the knitters around me. This is the weekend where I fill up with the good vibes from my knitting friends and they keep me knitting throughout the year!
KR retreat - part 2
Almost all the retreat participants had arrived by Friday dinner and we had our usual "Show and tell" after dinner. Clara asked us to describe our philosophy of knitting and where we were at with our knitting. We heard the themes of knitting for community, having too many projects at once, wishing we had more time to knit,... all of which I can sympathize with!
On Saturday morning, we gathered outside to take our group picture and an additional special picture for Fran. We then proceeded to our classes, mine was Melissa Morgan-Oakes' class on finishing techniques. I really liked her sock class last year and since I have issues with finishing (let us not speak of the sweater that only needs to be seamed and has been languishing in a basket for the last year), this was the right choice! Our homework had us knitting nine swatches in various stitch patterns and we worked through the different seaming possibilities during the class (horizontal stockinette, vertical stockinette, ribbing, seed stitch). I just have a few more seams and I'll have a snazzy pillow cover!
I was (of course) first in line for the afternoon marketplace: don't let my small stature fool you, I can be pretty feisty if you come between me and the yarn I love! (I will post about my loot in another post). One of the highlights of the marketplace was Clara signing copies of "The Knitter's Book of Wool" (while we petted the sample garments from the book). I was a little star-struck when asking Melanie Falick (former IK editor, author and designer extraordinaire, the force behing STC craft books) to sign my copy of "Weekend Knitting". Melanie also had the swatches from Lynne Barr's new book, "Reversible Knitting", for us to look at (the techniques in "Knitting new scarves" had already bowled me over, wait til you read her new book).
Storey Publishing was kind enough to open its doors to us for a few hours so I was able to buy various knitting ("101 Designer one-skein wonders") and sewing ("101 One Yard wonders") books at wholesale price. I also bought a birding book for Boy so that he wouldn't feel left out.
After our traditional Thanksgiving dinner, we reconvened for Melanie's presentation. I dutifully took notes as she explained how she got into knitting, her path from writer to editor, and how the books at STC Craft come to life. We even had a preview of the 2010 books (seen here - I am looking forward to Veronik Avery's "Knitting 24/7").
After the presentation, Luann happened to be at the right time at the right place (aka in front of the locked Stash Lounge as Karen of String Theory was dropping off her destash). Somehow Sara, Vicki, Luann, and I found ourselves huddled in the dark corridor using Luann's little flashlight to identify the various balls of yarn ("is this Rowan Felted tweed?" "No, I think it's Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool." "This is so soft, it has to be Malabrigo lace!"). Vicki even took what I thought were "blackmail" pictures, which would make a lot of sense had she not been guilty of taking some of Karen's yarn like the rest of us!
For next year I propose a "Yarn Off" (TM): 10 unlabelled balls of yarn which need to be identified.
On Saturday morning, we gathered outside to take our group picture and an additional special picture for Fran. We then proceeded to our classes, mine was Melissa Morgan-Oakes' class on finishing techniques. I really liked her sock class last year and since I have issues with finishing (let us not speak of the sweater that only needs to be seamed and has been languishing in a basket for the last year), this was the right choice! Our homework had us knitting nine swatches in various stitch patterns and we worked through the different seaming possibilities during the class (horizontal stockinette, vertical stockinette, ribbing, seed stitch). I just have a few more seams and I'll have a snazzy pillow cover!
I was (of course) first in line for the afternoon marketplace: don't let my small stature fool you, I can be pretty feisty if you come between me and the yarn I love! (I will post about my loot in another post). One of the highlights of the marketplace was Clara signing copies of "The Knitter's Book of Wool" (while we petted the sample garments from the book). I was a little star-struck when asking Melanie Falick (former IK editor, author and designer extraordinaire, the force behing STC craft books) to sign my copy of "Weekend Knitting". Melanie also had the swatches from Lynne Barr's new book, "Reversible Knitting", for us to look at (the techniques in "Knitting new scarves" had already bowled me over, wait til you read her new book).
Storey Publishing was kind enough to open its doors to us for a few hours so I was able to buy various knitting ("101 Designer one-skein wonders") and sewing ("101 One Yard wonders") books at wholesale price. I also bought a birding book for Boy so that he wouldn't feel left out.
After our traditional Thanksgiving dinner, we reconvened for Melanie's presentation. I dutifully took notes as she explained how she got into knitting, her path from writer to editor, and how the books at STC Craft come to life. We even had a preview of the 2010 books (seen here - I am looking forward to Veronik Avery's "Knitting 24/7").
After the presentation, Luann happened to be at the right time at the right place (aka in front of the locked Stash Lounge as Karen of String Theory was dropping off her destash). Somehow Sara, Vicki, Luann, and I found ourselves huddled in the dark corridor using Luann's little flashlight to identify the various balls of yarn ("is this Rowan Felted tweed?" "No, I think it's Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool." "This is so soft, it has to be Malabrigo lace!"). Vicki even took what I thought were "blackmail" pictures, which would make a lot of sense had she not been guilty of taking some of Karen's yarn like the rest of us!
For next year I propose a "Yarn Off" (TM): 10 unlabelled balls of yarn which need to be identified.
KR retreat - part 1
A week has passed since we left Williamstown but I'm still high from the wonderful (extended) weekend I spent in the company of my fellow knitters.
The excitement about the retreat started long before Thursday afternoon, as Wendy, Luann, and I were emailing back and forth about our carpool. Luann had warned us that her destash would be of gigantic proportions and indeed, I think it was probably only second to Rosi's destash. In any case, we were able to make everything fit in Wendy's Camry though we could have spared ourselves some of the trouble (at the end of the weekend, we realized that the three of us just took from each other's destash in a very nice cyclic permutation).
Being part of the Thursday extension not only allows you to take one extra class but also to relax and fully enjoy the atmosphere. There's nothing quite like arriving at the retreat, being welcomed by Martha and Kendra with our generous goodie bags (more on that later), and being hugged by fellow knitters whether you have met them in previous years or only online. You let go of anything that your mind is preoccupied with (work, family,...) and just happily chat and knit away. You giggle as you go one more time to the stash lounge ("I'm walking there purely to get some exercise"), pet other people's garments and ask them what yarn and pattern they used.
On Friday morning, I took Shelia's beginning/intermediate spinning class. It was a lot of fun to see people have a "aha moment" when doing park and draft with their spindles. Shelia lent us square spindles from Spindlewood Co. (which I had never tried before, they're beautiful and perfectly balanced) and gave us different fibers to use including roving from her own Shetland/Gotland sheep Ingamar (who now has many fans -- let's hope it won't go to his head). I reacquainted myself with my wheel and Shelia showed me how to spin long-draw. I hope to practice often enough that I'll be able to spin both short forward draw and long-draw.
On Friday afternoon, Eva and I were lucky enough to help Jen of Spirit Trail set up her booth for Saturday's marketplace (what passes as an act of altruism is really a self-serving way to fondle the yarns and "pre-shop"). Chris (Roosien, not to be confused with "the other Kris") and Anne Hanson of Knitspot made a homey Briar Rose corner by the fireplace, Kathryn Alexander showcased her colorful bundles of yarn, her books, and her sock pattern in "The Joy of Sox", Jane was setting up the book signing tables for Clara and Melanie Falick while Barb and Holly took care of the Foxfire booth (including the luscious new Cormo Alpaca that was part of my Winter Sheep Share).
The excitement about the retreat started long before Thursday afternoon, as Wendy, Luann, and I were emailing back and forth about our carpool. Luann had warned us that her destash would be of gigantic proportions and indeed, I think it was probably only second to Rosi's destash. In any case, we were able to make everything fit in Wendy's Camry though we could have spared ourselves some of the trouble (at the end of the weekend, we realized that the three of us just took from each other's destash in a very nice cyclic permutation).
Being part of the Thursday extension not only allows you to take one extra class but also to relax and fully enjoy the atmosphere. There's nothing quite like arriving at the retreat, being welcomed by Martha and Kendra with our generous goodie bags (more on that later), and being hugged by fellow knitters whether you have met them in previous years or only online. You let go of anything that your mind is preoccupied with (work, family,...) and just happily chat and knit away. You giggle as you go one more time to the stash lounge ("I'm walking there purely to get some exercise"), pet other people's garments and ask them what yarn and pattern they used.
On Friday morning, I took Shelia's beginning/intermediate spinning class. It was a lot of fun to see people have a "aha moment" when doing park and draft with their spindles. Shelia lent us square spindles from Spindlewood Co. (which I had never tried before, they're beautiful and perfectly balanced) and gave us different fibers to use including roving from her own Shetland/Gotland sheep Ingamar (who now has many fans -- let's hope it won't go to his head). I reacquainted myself with my wheel and Shelia showed me how to spin long-draw. I hope to practice often enough that I'll be able to spin both short forward draw and long-draw.
On Friday afternoon, Eva and I were lucky enough to help Jen of Spirit Trail set up her booth for Saturday's marketplace (what passes as an act of altruism is really a self-serving way to fondle the yarns and "pre-shop"). Chris (Roosien, not to be confused with "the other Kris") and Anne Hanson of Knitspot made a homey Briar Rose corner by the fireplace, Kathryn Alexander showcased her colorful bundles of yarn, her books, and her sock pattern in "The Joy of Sox", Jane was setting up the book signing tables for Clara and Melanie Falick while Barb and Holly took care of the Foxfire booth (including the luscious new Cormo Alpaca that was part of my Winter Sheep Share).
November 15, 2009
Lost in translation
Back in February, I heard Jenny and Nicole's podcast on Japanese knitting patterns and was quite intrigued. Clara has reviewed Japanese stitch dictionaries in Interweave Knits. Knitters post on KR about beautiful lace patterns or aran sweaters they have seen in Japanese books. Several of the French blogs I read regularly use Japanese sewing patterns. Judy Sumner mentions in her book, Knitted Socks East and West, some never-seen before stitches. Here was this wealth of resources that I had not yet looked into, I had to remedy to it! So I'm signed up for a class entitled "Explore Japanese Knitting from Charts" with Donna Druchunas next May, during our Alaska cruise.
But before then, there are plenty of things for me to explore. Because Japanese patterns only give one size, the easiest thing is to start with accessories: there's just one size and gauge doesn't matter as much as for sweaters. So I am building a library!
While visiting String Theory this summer, I picked up a copy of Aran Knit. As I was already ordering yarn from Julija's shop, I had to order this book of socks. De Afstap in Amsterdam had a copy of the very handy Clear and Simple knitting symbols.
But before then, there are plenty of things for me to explore. Because Japanese patterns only give one size, the easiest thing is to start with accessories: there's just one size and gauge doesn't matter as much as for sweaters. So I am building a library!
While visiting String Theory this summer, I picked up a copy of Aran Knit. As I was already ordering yarn from Julija's shop, I had to order this book of socks. De Afstap in Amsterdam had a copy of the very handy Clear and Simple knitting symbols.
On the fence
While in Europe, I knitted nine swatches (my homework for the KR retreat) and finished a pair of socks, the Fence row socks. The pattern is by Lisa Lloyd and the yarn is Fox Sox from Foxfire Fiber designs in "Willow".
The 4 round repeat is easy to remember and I am looking forward to knitting more patterns from Lisa Lloyd, especially the ones from "A Fine Fleece". Unfortunately, I haven't seen her patterns in Wildfibers magazine lately but I hope she will be back with more patterns.
I believe that Barb Parry is no longer dyeing the Fox Sox yarn, as she is focusing on her Farm Yarn collection from her own flock. The textured stitch of the socks showcases the yarn color beautifully as the little purl bumps reflect the subtle color changes. Taking a dyeing class with Barb is on my wishlist for 2010!
I had plenty of Fox Sox yarn leftover so I was able to knit a charity hat to bring to the retreat. That's four hats so far so I'm hoping to knit a few more between now and the end of the retreat.
The 4 round repeat is easy to remember and I am looking forward to knitting more patterns from Lisa Lloyd, especially the ones from "A Fine Fleece". Unfortunately, I haven't seen her patterns in Wildfibers magazine lately but I hope she will be back with more patterns.
I believe that Barb Parry is no longer dyeing the Fox Sox yarn, as she is focusing on her Farm Yarn collection from her own flock. The textured stitch of the socks showcases the yarn color beautifully as the little purl bumps reflect the subtle color changes. Taking a dyeing class with Barb is on my wishlist for 2010!
I had plenty of Fox Sox yarn leftover so I was able to knit a charity hat to bring to the retreat. That's four hats so far so I'm hoping to knit a few more between now and the end of the retreat.
November 13, 2009
"Purple is a fruit" (Homer Simpson)
I was going to post about this project earlier this week but my laptop screen unexpectedly died after six years of faithful service. Also forgive the horrible indoor picture -- I will try to take a better picture of the shawl outside this weekend (it gets dark around 5pm in Boston so no sunlight when I get back from work),
I started this shawl almost two years ago as my New Beginnings project at the KR retreat. It was the lack of portability, not the pattern, that made this such a long process: I needed to see the chart, the rows were very long, and silk lace is slippery. I credit Fran and her "ten minute rule" for helping me see this project to completion.
The pattern is "Waves in the square" by Sivia Harding. Like the Diamond Fantasy shawl, it is very clear and easy to follow with both charted and written directions. The construction is quite clever: this is not your regular triangular shawl but a trapezoid with two adjacent triangles (but knitted in one piece). The triangles allow you to tie the shawl in the front and the trapezoid corresponds to your back (the straight edge doesn't empasize one's behind, as a triangular shawl of this size would).
The yarn is Sundara silk lace in "black over violet" which first intimidated me because of its fineness and slipperriness. But I got used to it and switched from the Addi lace needles to the regular Addi turbos to knit faster. Sundara did a fantastic dye job (as usual), there was no excess dye when I was knitting. When I blocked the shawl however, a large amount of excess dye came out. Following Sundara's recommendations, I left the shawl soak in very hot water for at least an hour and rinsed it afterwards. The water was still colored after a dozen of rinses but I had no dye on my blocking board.
I am quite happy with the finished project and will proudly wear it with my new purple coat to the KR retreat next week!
Next post: a pair of finished socks and my foray into japanese knitting books.
I started this shawl almost two years ago as my New Beginnings project at the KR retreat. It was the lack of portability, not the pattern, that made this such a long process: I needed to see the chart, the rows were very long, and silk lace is slippery. I credit Fran and her "ten minute rule" for helping me see this project to completion.
The pattern is "Waves in the square" by Sivia Harding. Like the Diamond Fantasy shawl, it is very clear and easy to follow with both charted and written directions. The construction is quite clever: this is not your regular triangular shawl but a trapezoid with two adjacent triangles (but knitted in one piece). The triangles allow you to tie the shawl in the front and the trapezoid corresponds to your back (the straight edge doesn't empasize one's behind, as a triangular shawl of this size would).
The yarn is Sundara silk lace in "black over violet" which first intimidated me because of its fineness and slipperriness. But I got used to it and switched from the Addi lace needles to the regular Addi turbos to knit faster. Sundara did a fantastic dye job (as usual), there was no excess dye when I was knitting. When I blocked the shawl however, a large amount of excess dye came out. Following Sundara's recommendations, I left the shawl soak in very hot water for at least an hour and rinsed it afterwards. The water was still colored after a dozen of rinses but I had no dye on my blocking board.
I am quite happy with the finished project and will proudly wear it with my new purple coat to the KR retreat next week!
Next post: a pair of finished socks and my foray into japanese knitting books.
October 20, 2009
Bling bling
I finished my GRR (the famous Gilet a Rangs Raccourcis) months ago but I only made the fastening brooch yesterday so at last, here's the finished set!
I haven't dabbled much in wire/jewelry/beads things except for making stitch markers. The brooch only took me a couple of hours so I'm hoping to make the matching necklace before the end of the year.
The gilet is knitted with La Droguerie's "alpaga" and "plumette" yarns. "Alpaga" is of course 100% alpaca, it is very close to Drops Alpaca and available in many colors (the heathered ones are especially stunning). "Plumette" is a kid mohair/polyamid blend whose colors often match the alpaga. The alpaga/plumette mix was soft but my fingers tell me that if I'm going to knit with a mohair blend, then I might as well knit with Kidsilk Haze so I will probably knit La Droguerie's patterns with an alpaga/KSH mix from now on.
I'm heading to Paris and Amsterdam in two weeks. It just so happens that:
- La Droguerie is releasing a new book at the end of the month (you can see a preview as an Advent calendar here)
- Amsterdam's main yarn store is the Rowan distributor for the Netherlands. Perhaps Kim Hargreaves' new book, Winter Blooms, will be out by then?
I haven't dabbled much in wire/jewelry/beads things except for making stitch markers. The brooch only took me a couple of hours so I'm hoping to make the matching necklace before the end of the year.
The gilet is knitted with La Droguerie's "alpaga" and "plumette" yarns. "Alpaga" is of course 100% alpaca, it is very close to Drops Alpaca and available in many colors (the heathered ones are especially stunning). "Plumette" is a kid mohair/polyamid blend whose colors often match the alpaga. The alpaga/plumette mix was soft but my fingers tell me that if I'm going to knit with a mohair blend, then I might as well knit with Kidsilk Haze so I will probably knit La Droguerie's patterns with an alpaga/KSH mix from now on.
I'm heading to Paris and Amsterdam in two weeks. It just so happens that:
- La Droguerie is releasing a new book at the end of the month (you can see a preview as an Advent calendar here)
- Amsterdam's main yarn store is the Rowan distributor for the Netherlands. Perhaps Kim Hargreaves' new book, Winter Blooms, will be out by then?
October 18, 2009
Stepping Stones scarf
Someone I know is taking a two year sabbatical so I wanted to give her something to wish her good luck. She's always commented on my knitting -- I even knitted her a pair of Mac and Me yoga socks a few years ago. I wanted a scarf that would be soft like a big hug, something that she could wear indoors as well as outdoors. The answer was a Stepping Stones scarf.
I finished it way ahead of the deadline: it only took me two weeks. The pattern (by Jane) was easy to memorize and the yarn (Ixchel by Spirit Trail) produced a nice and colorful "meandering". I hope the recipient likes it!
Notice the nifty blocking contraption? I was getting tired of using the guest bed and wet towels every time something required blocking so when I saw the Knitter's Block at a LYS, I splurged.
My next blocking adventure: the shawl that was two years in the making...
I finished it way ahead of the deadline: it only took me two weeks. The pattern (by Jane) was easy to memorize and the yarn (Ixchel by Spirit Trail) produced a nice and colorful "meandering". I hope the recipient likes it!
Notice the nifty blocking contraption? I was getting tired of using the guest bed and wet towels every time something required blocking so when I saw the Knitter's Block at a LYS, I splurged.
My next blocking adventure: the shawl that was two years in the making...
October 12, 2009
October 04, 2009
Mmmm... Fall
It's fall foliage time in New England - though I am sad that the summer was so short, I love fall as it means perfect knitting weather, new yarns in the shops, and the KR retreat (among other things).
In between day trips to admire the leaves and studying, I've been able to stop at the Green Mountain Spinnery (their new book, 99 Yarns and Counting, is out and I highly recommend it) and attend the autumn open house organized by Barbara Parry for the Sheep Shares members.
Unfortunately, I came a little late so between that and the rain, I did not get to see the sheep but I caught a glimpse of Caitlyn (I think), one of the two llamas. It was great to hear Barb talk about the year and the exciting plans she has lined up for next year. She had many treats for us, both of the sugary kind and fibery kind (I won two skeins of Cormo Silk Alpaca in variegated purple/brown)! I touched some of Teaberry's winning fleece... I might have to add a fiber share in 2010 :)
Project-wise, I'm knitting on a deadline! The goal is to have a finished Stepping Stones scarf by the end of October. The pattern is by Jane Cochran and I'm using Spirit Trail "Ixchel" in a beautiful blue/purple. I'm about halfway done so let's see if I make it on time!
In between day trips to admire the leaves and studying, I've been able to stop at the Green Mountain Spinnery (their new book, 99 Yarns and Counting, is out and I highly recommend it) and attend the autumn open house organized by Barbara Parry for the Sheep Shares members.
Unfortunately, I came a little late so between that and the rain, I did not get to see the sheep but I caught a glimpse of Caitlyn (I think), one of the two llamas. It was great to hear Barb talk about the year and the exciting plans she has lined up for next year. She had many treats for us, both of the sugary kind and fibery kind (I won two skeins of Cormo Silk Alpaca in variegated purple/brown)! I touched some of Teaberry's winning fleece... I might have to add a fiber share in 2010 :)
Project-wise, I'm knitting on a deadline! The goal is to have a finished Stepping Stones scarf by the end of October. The pattern is by Jane Cochran and I'm using Spirit Trail "Ixchel" in a beautiful blue/purple. I'm about halfway done so let's see if I make it on time!
September 07, 2009
The virtues of stashing
The latest finished object chez Minky is the Tulip cardigan by Dream in Color, made famous by the Yarn Harlot. I purchased the kit at Purl Diva a few weeks ago. Since it was the 6-9 months size, I was wondering if I could knit it in time for baby Madison's arrival. Ellen said that I could knit it in a weekend and indeed, it took me just over a weekend!
I didn't use an i-cord edging but instead picked up the neck stitches and knitted a few rows in moss stitch. Notice anything weird about the sleeves? No, they're not symmetric! I ran out of yarn for the second sleeve but thanks to my humongous stash, I was able to find pretty good color matches in String Theory superwash merino DK (Boy says he can't tell the difference).
Currently on the needles:
- Waves in the square shawl: only 20 rows to go (each row is now about 550 stitches long)
- a pair of socks in Foxfire Fiber's Fox Sox
I didn't use an i-cord edging but instead picked up the neck stitches and knitted a few rows in moss stitch. Notice anything weird about the sleeves? No, they're not symmetric! I ran out of yarn for the second sleeve but thanks to my humongous stash, I was able to find pretty good color matches in String Theory superwash merino DK (Boy says he can't tell the difference).
Currently on the needles:
- Waves in the square shawl: only 20 rows to go (each row is now about 550 stitches long)
- a pair of socks in Foxfire Fiber's Fox Sox
August 23, 2009
Adventure in fair isle
In an attempt to prevent my stash from growing too fast, I have been knitting furiously. I may have purchased a few things at Purl Soho, Knitty City, String Theory, and Purl Diva but let's think of those as "souvenirs" rather than "yarn purchases", shall we?
Projects finished during July and August 2009:
- the Gilet a Rangs Raccourcis from La Droguerie. I actually bought enough supplies at La Droguerie to make a necklace/brooch set to wear with the GRR (it closes with a brooch) so I'll post pictures once I get started on the matching jewelry.
- the Blue Fish from Blue Sky Alpacas for baby Madison (expected arrival date: October 29). How wonderful to have jury duty and get uninterrupted knitting time!
- an easy baby hat from the leftover Blue Sky Alpacas Cotton
- the Sugar Plum Cardi from Sublime also for baby Madison. Note to self: do not knit baby sweaters that need to be seamed. The seaming will take as long as the knitting.
- the Fair Annika's hat from String Theory.
This is my first "real" fair isle project and I'm rather pleased with the results. It is a present for my great-aunt but I really enjoyed this project so I will definitely knit another hat for myself but in different colorways. Some ideas for next time:
- I was not consistent with the way I held the background and contrast yarns, I should remedy that next time.
- I should reread the IK article on jogless stripes.
- I can't count to 120 apparently so I must use stitch markers for the picot edge
Next in line: Sivia Harding's Waves in the Square shawl. I can't believe I started this in November 2007. Only 50 rows to go!
Projects finished during July and August 2009:
- the Gilet a Rangs Raccourcis from La Droguerie. I actually bought enough supplies at La Droguerie to make a necklace/brooch set to wear with the GRR (it closes with a brooch) so I'll post pictures once I get started on the matching jewelry.
- the Blue Fish from Blue Sky Alpacas for baby Madison (expected arrival date: October 29). How wonderful to have jury duty and get uninterrupted knitting time!
- an easy baby hat from the leftover Blue Sky Alpacas Cotton
- the Sugar Plum Cardi from Sublime also for baby Madison. Note to self: do not knit baby sweaters that need to be seamed. The seaming will take as long as the knitting.
- the Fair Annika's hat from String Theory.
This is my first "real" fair isle project and I'm rather pleased with the results. It is a present for my great-aunt but I really enjoyed this project so I will definitely knit another hat for myself but in different colorways. Some ideas for next time:
- I was not consistent with the way I held the background and contrast yarns, I should remedy that next time.
- I should reread the IK article on jogless stripes.
- I can't count to 120 apparently so I must use stitch markers for the picot edge
Next in line: Sivia Harding's Waves in the Square shawl. I can't believe I started this in November 2007. Only 50 rows to go!
July 16, 2009
I won, I won!
There are days when you don't want to get out of bed and there are days when you are very happy you did get out of bed! I entered the contest on Amy O'Neill Houck's blog to win a Spud and Chloe kit for her Aztec scarf pattern. Lo and behold, I won! Many thanks to Amy and the people at Blue Sky Alpacas! I hope my burgeoning crochet skills will do justice to the beautiful pattern and yummy yarn.
The same week, I read Clara's review of Spud and Chloe and ordered some Fine and Sweater yarn from kpixie. I knitted a pair of toddler pants in two evenings and fell in love with Sweater. I'm not a big fan of cotton but this is different. It's cotton and merino. It's squishy. It comes in awesome colors. It's machine washable. It's my new best friend for handknitted baby items.
(Edited to add: the pants are a loose adaptation of Alison's baby bell bottoms. The cherries bag, purchased from the KR boutique, will hopefully be full of baby knits for a friend who's expecting a little girl in October.)
I was in California earlier this week and was able to stop by the Purlsoho.com warehouse. Even though it was a warehouse, the fabrics and yarns everywhere made the whole place magical. I have never seen so many colors of Koigu KPPM (I don't think there are as many colors in the Purl location in New York) so I picked up a couple of Koigu skeins and... two more skeins of Spud and Chloe Sweater. This might become as addictive as sock yarn.
The same week, I read Clara's review of Spud and Chloe and ordered some Fine and Sweater yarn from kpixie. I knitted a pair of toddler pants in two evenings and fell in love with Sweater. I'm not a big fan of cotton but this is different. It's cotton and merino. It's squishy. It comes in awesome colors. It's machine washable. It's my new best friend for handknitted baby items.
(Edited to add: the pants are a loose adaptation of Alison's baby bell bottoms. The cherries bag, purchased from the KR boutique, will hopefully be full of baby knits for a friend who's expecting a little girl in October.)
I was in California earlier this week and was able to stop by the Purlsoho.com warehouse. Even though it was a warehouse, the fabrics and yarns everywhere made the whole place magical. I have never seen so many colors of Koigu KPPM (I don't think there are as many colors in the Purl location in New York) so I picked up a couple of Koigu skeins and... two more skeins of Spud and Chloe Sweater. This might become as addictive as sock yarn.
June 29, 2009
Il y a un début à tout
Since I started knitting "seriously" a few years ago, I have never knitted anything for Boy. It's not that he's not supportive of my hobby (some might say "obsession") but I couldn't find anything that
(1) I would like to knit (because black dress socks don't sound exciting to me)
(2) he would like to wear more than once
until Amy's Hedgerow mitts.
Boy will be glad to wear these when looking at birds with his binoculars or taking pictures. I was happy to knit the mitts especially because I had one skein of the yarn that they called for, Frija from Spirit Trail (this skein was acquired via Jen's yarn club). Boy and I agreed that the color was manly enough for him, but the subtle variegation and the cashmere content kept me happy while knitting.
Notes to self for future pairs of Hedgerow mitts:
- make sure that the decreases and increases occur between the 2 purl stitches so that they blend with the rest of the pattern
- when picking up stitches after the thumb gusset, knit them through the back loop to prevent holes
(1) I would like to knit (because black dress socks don't sound exciting to me)
(2) he would like to wear more than once
until Amy's Hedgerow mitts.
Boy will be glad to wear these when looking at birds with his binoculars or taking pictures. I was happy to knit the mitts especially because I had one skein of the yarn that they called for, Frija from Spirit Trail (this skein was acquired via Jen's yarn club). Boy and I agreed that the color was manly enough for him, but the subtle variegation and the cashmere content kept me happy while knitting.
Notes to self for future pairs of Hedgerow mitts:
- make sure that the decreases and increases occur between the 2 purl stitches so that they blend with the rest of the pattern
- when picking up stitches after the thumb gusset, knit them through the back loop to prevent holes
June 21, 2009
Two FOs before I forget
I've been reminded that I forgot to post pictures of some recent finished objects.
Project #1: Morning Surf Scarf by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer (free pattern here) using Funky Carolina's handdyed and handspun merino.
This was a very quick and easy knit and will make a nice spring/summer scarf to showcase the handdyed and handspun yarn.
Project #2: Elfine Socks by Anna Bell (free pattern here) using Sundara sock yarn in sea green over willow.
These are knitted toe-up with a wrapped short-row heel. I didn't realize how stretchy the pattern was so they are a little too big for me. I'm not 100% satisfied with how the short-row heel came out so I'll have to work on that in my future sock projects.
The Maine fiber frolic was great: glorious weather, nice vendors, and not too many people -- I even got to see a sock knitting machine in action. I made my planned stops at Spunky Eclectic (if you're a spinner, have you ordered Amy's book yet?) and String Theory (Karen just started a blog). I discovered a new hand-dyer, Dye Dreams, who was selling Blue Faced Leicester sock yarn. I've never knitted with BFL before (though I've spun with it already) so this will be a new experience.
Project #1: Morning Surf Scarf by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer (free pattern here) using Funky Carolina's handdyed and handspun merino.
This was a very quick and easy knit and will make a nice spring/summer scarf to showcase the handdyed and handspun yarn.
Project #2: Elfine Socks by Anna Bell (free pattern here) using Sundara sock yarn in sea green over willow.
These are knitted toe-up with a wrapped short-row heel. I didn't realize how stretchy the pattern was so they are a little too big for me. I'm not 100% satisfied with how the short-row heel came out so I'll have to work on that in my future sock projects.
The Maine fiber frolic was great: glorious weather, nice vendors, and not too many people -- I even got to see a sock knitting machine in action. I made my planned stops at Spunky Eclectic (if you're a spinner, have you ordered Amy's book yet?) and String Theory (Karen just started a blog). I discovered a new hand-dyer, Dye Dreams, who was selling Blue Faced Leicester sock yarn. I've never knitted with BFL before (though I've spun with it already) so this will be a new experience.
June 02, 2009
May in a snap -- part 2
The vacation in Italy was great despite the lack of knitting focus (unlike our vacation to New Zealand). But knitting is everywhere around us so when I saw this building near the Roman Forum, my first reaction was Koolhaas Hat!
While travelling by train between Rome and Florence and taking the plane, I started a pair of Anna Bell's Elfine socks with Sundara sock yarn in "sea green over willow". The first sock is almost done, I'm hoping to finish the pair by the end of this weekend after going to the Maine Fiber Frolic.
I'm also halfway done with La Droguerie's gilet a rangs raccourcis (i.e. short row cardigan). Not the most thrilling knitting project since it's all garter stitch but it is the perfect project for knitting in the dark because you only need to count stitches from the edge once in a while (which you can do in the dark by touch). The alpaga/plumette mix is highly squeezable too!
While travelling by train between Rome and Florence and taking the plane, I started a pair of Anna Bell's Elfine socks with Sundara sock yarn in "sea green over willow". The first sock is almost done, I'm hoping to finish the pair by the end of this weekend after going to the Maine Fiber Frolic.
I'm also halfway done with La Droguerie's gilet a rangs raccourcis (i.e. short row cardigan). Not the most thrilling knitting project since it's all garter stitch but it is the perfect project for knitting in the dark because you only need to count stitches from the edge once in a while (which you can do in the dark by touch). The alpaga/plumette mix is highly squeezable too!
May in a snap -- part 1
May went by quickly between the New Hampshire sheep and wool festival, an exam, a visit from my parents, and a trip to Italy.
The NH sheep and wool was a lot of fun. This time, I got to see the most experienced dogs during the sheep dog trials and they were very impressive. Almost perfect scores and plenty of time to spare. Of course, I didn't come home empty-handed thanks to stops at the Foxfire fiber, Grafton Fibers, and Ball and Skein booths.
It was nice to see Barb Parry again and have my copy of her book autographed. I discovered her yarn at the NH S&W two years ago and am always looking to get my hands on more of her yarn and fiber at the Maine Fiber Frolic, Massachusetts Sheep and Wool, Knitter's Review Retreat, and now her Sheep Shares Club. Can you tell I'm hooked?
Despite the flurry of activity, I finished my Diagonal Lace socks and am pretty happy with the fit.
The NH sheep and wool was a lot of fun. This time, I got to see the most experienced dogs during the sheep dog trials and they were very impressive. Almost perfect scores and plenty of time to spare. Of course, I didn't come home empty-handed thanks to stops at the Foxfire fiber, Grafton Fibers, and Ball and Skein booths.
It was nice to see Barb Parry again and have my copy of her book autographed. I discovered her yarn at the NH S&W two years ago and am always looking to get my hands on more of her yarn and fiber at the Maine Fiber Frolic, Massachusetts Sheep and Wool, Knitter's Review Retreat, and now her Sheep Shares Club. Can you tell I'm hooked?
Despite the flurry of activity, I finished my Diagonal Lace socks and am pretty happy with the fit.
April 30, 2009
One sock in April, one sock in May
My pair of socks for April/May is from Wendy Johnson's "Socks from the toe up": it's the Diagonal lace socks which I'm knitting out of Sundara sock yarn in "Denim over Prussian" acquired ages ago.
I'm knitting with 50 stitches rather than the recommended 66 stitches so there are fewer pattern repeats around the foot and I also had to fiddle with the stitch count for the gusset heel. It's my first gusset heel and I can't help looking at it thinking "a gusset heel for a toe-up sock is like a heel turn for a cuff-down sock". Put that together with "an afterthough heel is like a toe" and then you start thinking that foot anatomy is very strange indeed.
I accomplished one of my KR retreat goals: knitting with handspun yarn (no, it wasn't spun by me but by the lovely Carrie at Funky Carolina). After trying several patterns, I decided on the Morning Surf Scarf that I had seen in the Summer 2008 Spin-Off. I'll post a picture once it's blocked.
I'm knitting with 50 stitches rather than the recommended 66 stitches so there are fewer pattern repeats around the foot and I also had to fiddle with the stitch count for the gusset heel. It's my first gusset heel and I can't help looking at it thinking "a gusset heel for a toe-up sock is like a heel turn for a cuff-down sock". Put that together with "an afterthough heel is like a toe" and then you start thinking that foot anatomy is very strange indeed.
I accomplished one of my KR retreat goals: knitting with handspun yarn (no, it wasn't spun by me but by the lovely Carrie at Funky Carolina). After trying several patterns, I decided on the Morning Surf Scarf that I had seen in the Summer 2008 Spin-Off. I'll post a picture once it's blocked.
April 13, 2009
Mademoiselle Dentelle
I finished this lace scarf a while ago but only got around to blocking it this weekend. It uses La Droguerie's Alpaga in "erables" (maple) which is fortuitous since the recipient is Canadian. The pattern is really just one row to memorize so it was the perfect knitting project to carry around.
Now it's time to choose a new sock project! I'll be poring over Cookie A's Sock innovation and Wendy Johnson's Socks from the toe up...
Now it's time to choose a new sock project! I'll be poring over Cookie A's Sock innovation and Wendy Johnson's Socks from the toe up...
March 31, 2009
Trying something new...
Crochet. Who would have thought??
I'm learning the basic stitches so that I will be able to seam and finish my knitted projects painlessly in the future. This Rowan book is great for beginners like me.
Am I the only one who thinks that crochet is harder than knitting? I have to look up the description of every stitch as I tend to confuse them in my head. That, and I also can't remember if I should count the turning chain stitches or not on a given row. But as for knitting, I'm sure that I'll eventually get it :)
I'm learning the basic stitches so that I will be able to seam and finish my knitted projects painlessly in the future. This Rowan book is great for beginners like me.
Am I the only one who thinks that crochet is harder than knitting? I have to look up the description of every stitch as I tend to confuse them in my head. That, and I also can't remember if I should count the turning chain stitches or not on a given row. But as for knitting, I'm sure that I'll eventually get it :)
March 19, 2009
March Phat Fiber box
What's better than getting yarn or fiber from an indie producer? Getting yarn or fiber from 20!
I was lucky enough to get a Phat Fiber Sampler for March after reading the review on Knitty. Plenty of fiber to spin (probably on one of my spindles rather than the wheel in order to get a better feel for each fiber), handspun or hand-dyed yarns to swatch with (maybe the cute crochet pattern that was in my box), a stitch marker, a yarny bookmark, a pretty notecard, and many coupons.
I was lucky enough to get a Phat Fiber Sampler for March after reading the review on Knitty. Plenty of fiber to spin (probably on one of my spindles rather than the wheel in order to get a better feel for each fiber), handspun or hand-dyed yarns to swatch with (maybe the cute crochet pattern that was in my box), a stitch marker, a yarny bookmark, a pretty notecard, and many coupons.
March 16, 2009
More knitting presents!
I just rotated to a new department but it was with a heavy heart that I left my coworkers of 15 months who are now my friends. They know about my yarn addiction and my knitting obsession (the KR calendar on my desk might have been a tip off) through my frequent mentions of knitting blogs, knitting podcasts, and knitting retreats. One of them, the only woman, is a knitter but the guys don't get it so I was really surprised when they gave me some wonderful goodbye gifts: "The Opinionated Knitter" by EZ, a skein of Jade Sapphire Cashmere (who doesn't love cashmere?!), and a matching pattern (Dragon Scale scarf by Bad Cat Designs). So now I have to plan some knitting gifts for them, though one of them already received the Koolhaas hat I was knitting during the last KR retreat.
Square 2 of the Barn Raising Quilt is finished: 2 down, only 40 to go! I'm hoping that the Rowan's Crochet Workshop will teach me some good crochet finishing skills so that putting the squares together won't be painful.
I'm almost done with a lace scarf from La Droguerie and will post a picture when it's done and blocked.
Square 2 of the Barn Raising Quilt is finished: 2 down, only 40 to go! I'm hoping that the Rowan's Crochet Workshop will teach me some good crochet finishing skills so that putting the squares together won't be painful.
I'm almost done with a lace scarf from La Droguerie and will post a picture when it's done and blocked.
February 18, 2009
February 16, 2009
True blue
My February socks are a pair of stockinette toe-up socks with an afterthought heel in Duet sock yarn. This yarn is DK weight so it knits up quickly and will keep me warm and toasty this winter.
I'm planning on keeping my leftover sock yarn to make a Barn Raising Quilt. This first square is knitted out of Sundara sock yarn in "Denim over Prussian". Wouldn't a quilt made entirely out of Sundara yarn be awesome?!
I'm planning on keeping my leftover sock yarn to make a Barn Raising Quilt. This first square is knitted out of Sundara sock yarn in "Denim over Prussian". Wouldn't a quilt made entirely out of Sundara yarn be awesome?!
January 18, 2009
First FO of the year
I'm on the right track to keeping my knitting resolution of knitting 6 pairs of socks this year -- I present to you a pair of Hedgerow socks, designed by the lovely Jane, in the yarn it actually called for (Sundara sock yarn in "green over apricot").
I knit these two at a time on one circular needle following Melissa's book (and her class at the KR retreat). If you're going to do the same, just pay attention to the distribution of stitches for the heel flap before you start knitting. Since Jane cleverly makes the stitch pattern continue onto the heel, you might want to have the corresponding number of stitches on each side of the cord so that you don't need to move stitches around when you get to the heel flap.
Our trip to London and Paris was very nice. It was hard to come back to work and I still haven't full readjusted. I bought many cute buttons while travelling and purchased enough yarn for the two coveted sweaters at La Droguerie. The gilet a rangs raccourcis is fastened with a brooch so I bought all the pearls/buttons/wire needed to make a brooch and a matching necklace at Le Bon Marche (La Droguerie stand).
I have many pictures of London but their public transport campaign was so cute that I thought I'd share a couple of pictures with you. Just click here!
I knit these two at a time on one circular needle following Melissa's book (and her class at the KR retreat). If you're going to do the same, just pay attention to the distribution of stitches for the heel flap before you start knitting. Since Jane cleverly makes the stitch pattern continue onto the heel, you might want to have the corresponding number of stitches on each side of the cord so that you don't need to move stitches around when you get to the heel flap.
Our trip to London and Paris was very nice. It was hard to come back to work and I still haven't full readjusted. I bought many cute buttons while travelling and purchased enough yarn for the two coveted sweaters at La Droguerie. The gilet a rangs raccourcis is fastened with a brooch so I bought all the pearls/buttons/wire needed to make a brooch and a matching necklace at Le Bon Marche (La Droguerie stand).
I have many pictures of London but their public transport campaign was so cute that I thought I'd share a couple of pictures with you. Just click here!
December 14, 2008
Putting your money where your yarn is
If you haven't listened to David Reidy's essay on how to spend your knitting money in these troubled times, do so now!
I'm not as eloquent as David but I have been thinking on how to be a responsible knitter during this recession.
- give money to charities like Heifer
- knit for charity and give extra yarn to charities
- knit from the stash as much as possible
- buy yarn only if it's special or one-of-a-kind
- buy from small indie producers and if possible, sign up for a monthly club (the regular payment is good for everybody!)
- ask for gift certificates to the LYS from lovely relatives (I got a gift card from my in-laws to spend at Knit a round!)
These rainbow mitts were a quick knit. I bought them last year as a kit from La Droguerie (the brown background is bamboo and the color stripes are alpaca). I would definitely put yarns from La Droguerie in the "special/one-of-a-kind" category since they're hard to get by for me. I'll be in Paris over the holidays so I have been thinking a lot about what I should stock up on there. I've been eyeing these two projects:
-Veste trapeze en alpaga et bambou
-Gilet a rangs raccourcis en alpaga et plumette
I give thanks to the KR retreat!
The weekend before Thanksgiving was spent in Williamstown at the Knitter's Review retreat. Though it was my third retreat, I still have doubts when I go spend a weekend with strangers. But here's the thing, these people are not strangers! They're friends that I've met online or in real life (at sheep and wool festivals or prior retreats) or soon-to-be friends. Instead of an imaginary husband, I was accompanied by an imaginary roommate as Rho unfortunately broke her arm a few weeks before the retreat :(
I was lucky to get in the Thursday extension and this made a big difference for me. More time to relax, more time to get to know people, 2 classes instead of one, and the opportunity to see the "behind-the-scenes" (Jen from Spirit Trail and Barb from Foxfire fiber are probably tired of it, but I thought it was great to pack/unpack the booths for the marketplace!).
My list of knitting resolutions is more realistic this year so I'm determined to make it work!
- knit at least one charity item per month
- knit 6 pairs of socks
- finish one lace item (my New Beginnings project from last year!)
- finish one color item (this year's New Beginnings project: Kate Gilbert's Bird in Hand mittens)
- finish one sweater (the Kim Hargreaves top that just needs to be seamed...)
- knit one item from handspun yarn (not necessarily handspun by me)
- have a stash that I feel comfortable with
I was lucky to get in the Thursday extension and this made a big difference for me. More time to relax, more time to get to know people, 2 classes instead of one, and the opportunity to see the "behind-the-scenes" (Jen from Spirit Trail and Barb from Foxfire fiber are probably tired of it, but I thought it was great to pack/unpack the booths for the marketplace!).
My list of knitting resolutions is more realistic this year so I'm determined to make it work!
- knit at least one charity item per month
- knit 6 pairs of socks
- finish one lace item (my New Beginnings project from last year!)
- finish one color item (this year's New Beginnings project: Kate Gilbert's Bird in Hand mittens)
- finish one sweater (the Kim Hargreaves top that just needs to be seamed...)
- knit one item from handspun yarn (not necessarily handspun by me)
- have a stash that I feel comfortable with
November 09, 2008
Finding the right sock
For the past two months, I've been exclusively knitting small projects for charity:
- hats and squares for the 7 Long Project from Stash and Burn. I even won a prize in their drawing, woohoo!
- hats for the KR retreat charity
- washcloths for Friday Night Supper (I am putting together some toiletry packages with soap, shampoo, toothpaste/toothbrush,... and a handknitted washcloth!)
These projects make me feel very productive but it's about time that I go back to my favorite stand-by: knitting socks! So I am now on the hunt for the pattern to get back on track.
- hats and squares for the 7 Long Project from Stash and Burn. I even won a prize in their drawing, woohoo!
- hats for the KR retreat charity
- washcloths for Friday Night Supper (I am putting together some toiletry packages with soap, shampoo, toothpaste/toothbrush,... and a handknitted washcloth!)
These projects make me feel very productive but it's about time that I go back to my favorite stand-by: knitting socks! So I am now on the hunt for the pattern to get back on track.
September 30, 2008
On a hat roll
Yesterday, I sent 4 basic hats and 3 squares for the 7 Long Project. Jenny and Nicole said that it would be an ongoing project so I plan on sending more hats throughout the year, but using varied patterns and always superwash yarn.
I also have hat #2 on the needles for the KR retreat. These hats don't need to be machine washable so I've been using baby alpaca, silk/wool, and cashmere. Hmmm, cashmere...
Boy and I are going to San Diego next weekend so I'm looking forward to stopping by an In-n-Out burger and escaping the rainy weather on the East Coast. I'll have a copy of the new Stephanie Pearl McPhee book to keep me company on the plane as well as my knitting, of course.
I also have hat #2 on the needles for the KR retreat. These hats don't need to be machine washable so I've been using baby alpaca, silk/wool, and cashmere. Hmmm, cashmere...
Boy and I are going to San Diego next weekend so I'm looking forward to stopping by an In-n-Out burger and escaping the rainy weather on the East Coast. I'll have a copy of the new Stephanie Pearl McPhee book to keep me company on the plane as well as my knitting, of course.
September 12, 2008
Back from the land of chocolate
The trip to Switzerland was a blast: crystal-clear lakes, glaciers at 4,000m of altitude and awesome food. This picture of the Matterhorn was taken from our hotel balcony in Zermatt.
I was even able to do some yarn shopping! Some highlights were
- HandArt located in the lovely neighborhood of Niederdorf in Zurich
- Vilfil (also in Zurich) which was overwhelming by the sheer quantity of yarn available
- the crafts market in Luzern where I was able to purchase some handspun yarn (the fleece came from the local milk sheep).
I am currently knitting hats for the 7 Long project organized by Jenny and Nicole from Stash and Burn and for the KR retreat. Let's see how many hats I can knit by the end of November...
I was even able to do some yarn shopping! Some highlights were
- HandArt located in the lovely neighborhood of Niederdorf in Zurich
- Vilfil (also in Zurich) which was overwhelming by the sheer quantity of yarn available
- the crafts market in Luzern where I was able to purchase some handspun yarn (the fleece came from the local milk sheep).
I am currently knitting hats for the 7 Long project organized by Jenny and Nicole from Stash and Burn and for the KR retreat. Let's see how many hats I can knit by the end of November...
August 18, 2008
Yarn stores I mail-ordered from
For completeness, here's the list of yarn stores I've ordered from over the phone or over the web.
Brick-and-mortar stores
The Fold, Marengo IL
Jimmy Beans Wool, Reno NV
Knit-Purl, Portland OR
Lettuce Knit, Toronto ON
Loop, Philadelphia PA
Modern Yarn, Montclair NJ
Purl, Tustin CA
String Theory, Blue Hill ME
Three Bags Full, Vancouver BC
Webs, Northampton MA
The Yarn and Fiber Company, Derry NH
Julija's shop, Antwerp Belgium
Online yarn stores
Angelika's Yarn store
Knitty-Noddy
kpixie
Little Knits
Loopy Ewe
One Planet Yarn and Fiber
Pick up sticks
simplysockyarn
Sonny and Shear
The Sweet Sheep
Two Swans Yarns
Woolgirl
Yarnissima
Yarn4socks
Yarnzilla
Indie dyers
Blue Moon Fiber Arts
Briar Rose Fibers
Funky Carolina
Hello Yarn
Knitterly things
Solitude
Spirit Trail
Spunky Eclectic
Sundara
Sunshine yarns
Sweet Georgia
Tanis Fiber Arts
Tausendschon
Yarntini
Wollmeise
Wool Candy
Brick-and-mortar stores
The Fold, Marengo IL
Jimmy Beans Wool, Reno NV
Knit-Purl, Portland OR
Lettuce Knit, Toronto ON
Loop, Philadelphia PA
Modern Yarn, Montclair NJ
Purl, Tustin CA
String Theory, Blue Hill ME
Three Bags Full, Vancouver BC
Webs, Northampton MA
The Yarn and Fiber Company, Derry NH
Julija's shop, Antwerp Belgium
Online yarn stores
Angelika's Yarn store
Knitty-Noddy
kpixie
Little Knits
Loopy Ewe
One Planet Yarn and Fiber
Pick up sticks
simplysockyarn
Sonny and Shear
The Sweet Sheep
Two Swans Yarns
Woolgirl
Yarnissima
Yarn4socks
Yarnzilla
Indie dyers
Blue Moon Fiber Arts
Briar Rose Fibers
Funky Carolina
Hello Yarn
Knitterly things
Solitude
Spirit Trail
Spunky Eclectic
Sundara
Sunshine yarns
Sweet Georgia
Tanis Fiber Arts
Tausendschon
Yarntini
Wollmeise
Wool Candy
August 17, 2008
Yarn stores I have been to
182 brick-and-mortar stores and counting... as of 4/15/2013
Alaska
Far North Yarn Co., Anchorage
The Tangled Skein, Eagle River
Skeins, Juneau
Mission Street Arts & Fibers, Ketchikan
The Point, Ketchikan
A Flying Skein, Seward
Arizona
Jessica Knits, Scottsdale
Tempe Yarn and Fiber, Tempe
Alaska
Far North Yarn Co., Anchorage
The Tangled Skein, Eagle River
Skeins, Juneau
Mission Street Arts & Fibers, Ketchikan
The Point, Ketchikan
A Flying Skein, Seward
Arizona
Jessica Knits, Scottsdale
Tempe Yarn and Fiber, Tempe
California
Knit Schtick, Costa Mesa
The Sheared Sheep, Costa Mesa
Purlsoho.com warehouse, Tustin
Knit Schtick, Costa Mesa
The Sheared Sheep, Costa Mesa
Purlsoho.com warehouse, Tustin
Colorado
Fancy Tiger Crafts, Denver
The Stichin' Den, Estes Park
Connecticut
Knit New Haven, New Haven
Hawaii
Hanalei Music Strings and Things, Hanalei (Kauai)
Yarn Basket, Hilo (Big Island)
Tink and Ink, Kailua-Kona (Big Island)
The Needlework Shop, Lahaina (Maui)
Illinois
Loopy yarns, Chicago
We'll keep you in stitches, Chicago
Maine
Bee's Inc, Bar Harbor
Halcyon Yarn, Bath
Heavenly Socks Yarns, Belfast
Philbrook Fibers, Bethel
String Theory, Blue Hill
Purl Diva, Brunswick
The Knitting Experience, Brunswick
Unique One, Camden
Shirley's Yarns, Ellsworth
Pins and Needles, Farmington
Grace Robinson & Company, Freeport
Mainely Alpaca, Kingfield
Fiberphilia, Orono
KnitWit, Portland
Portland Fiber Gallery, Portland
Massachusetts
The Creative Needle, Amherst
The Knitting Room, Arlington
Michigan
Busy Hands, Ann Arbor
Flying Sheep Yarns, Ann Arbor
Knit a Round, Ann Arbor
Hampton Mills, Birmingham
The Knitting Room, Birmingham
Right Off The Sheep, Birmingham
Center Street Knits, Northville
Washington
Apple Yarns, Bellingham
Seattle Yarn, Seattle
Tricoter, Seattle
So Much Yarn, Seattle
Hilltop Yarns East, Seattle
Acorn Street Shop, Seattle
Weaving Works, Seattle
Fiber Gallery, Seattle
Churchmouse yarns & teas, Bainbridge Island
Argentina
Milana
Australia
Wool Shop Direct, Melbourne
Canada
Urban Yarns (Point Grey), Vancouver BC
Three Bags Full, Vancouver BC
London Wul Farm, Lakeburn NB
Baadeck Yarns, Baddeck NS
LK Yarns, Halifax NS
The Loop, Halifax NS
Gaspereau Valley Fibres, Wolfville NS
GNK Marketplace, Charlottetown PEI
Ireland
This is Knit, Dublin
DC
Stitch DC (Capitol Hill)
Looped Yarn Works (Dupont Circle)
Hawaii
Hanalei Music Strings and Things, Hanalei (Kauai)
Yarn Basket, Hilo (Big Island)
Tink and Ink, Kailua-Kona (Big Island)
The Needlework Shop, Lahaina (Maui)
Illinois
Loopy yarns, Chicago
We'll keep you in stitches, Chicago
Maine
Bee's Inc, Bar Harbor
Halcyon Yarn, Bath
Heavenly Socks Yarns, Belfast
Philbrook Fibers, Bethel
String Theory, Blue Hill
Purl Diva, Brunswick
The Knitting Experience, Brunswick
Unique One, Camden
Shirley's Yarns, Ellsworth
Pins and Needles, Farmington
Grace Robinson & Company, Freeport
Mainely Alpaca, Kingfield
Fiberphilia, Orono
KnitWit, Portland
Portland Fiber Gallery, Portland
Maryland
Knit and Stitch, Bethesda
Knit and Stitch, Bethesda
Massachusetts
The Creative Needle, Amherst
The Knitting Room, Arlington
Abbott Yarn Shoppe, Beverly
Creative Yarns, Beverly
Yarns in the Farms, Beverly Farms
Windsor Button, Boston
Newbury Yarns, Boston
Yarns in the Farms, Beverly Farms
Windsor Button, Boston
Newbury Yarns, Boston
Stitch Boutique, Boston
A Good Yarn, Brookline
A Good Yarn, Brookline
Gather Here, Cambridge
Mind's Eye Yarns, Cambridge
Woolcott and company, Cambridge
Sparks Craft, Cambridge
Stitch House, Dorchester
Coveted Yarn, Gloucester
The Fiber Loft, Harvard
The Creative Stitch, Hingham
The Sheep Shack, Holden
Mind's Eye Yarns, Cambridge
Woolcott and company, Cambridge
Sparks Craft, Cambridge
Stitch House, Dorchester
Coveted Yarn, Gloucester
The Fiber Loft, Harvard
The Creative Stitch, Hingham
The Sheep Shack, Holden
JP Knit & Stitch, Jamaica Plain
Colorful Stitches, Lenox
Wild and Woolly, Lexington
The Woolpack, Littleton
A Yarn Over Marblehead, Marblehead
Colorful Stitches, Lenox
Wild and Woolly, Lexington
The Woolpack, Littleton
A Yarn Over Marblehead, Marblehead
Island Alpaca Company, Martha's Vineyard
Knitworks, Martha's Vineyard
Black Sheep Knitting Company, Needham
Three Bags Full, Newburyport
A Loom with a View, Newburyport
Three Bags Full, Newburyport
A Loom with a View, Newburyport
In The Loop, Norfolk
Webs, Northampton
Seed Stitch, Salem
Metaphor Yarns, Shelburne
Cranberry Fiber Arts, South Hamilton
Mt Laurel Yarn Boutique, Sturbridge
Knit Purl, Sudbury
Butterfly Yarns, Wakefield
Webs, Northampton
Seed Stitch, Salem
Metaphor Yarns, Shelburne
Cranberry Fiber Arts, South Hamilton
Mt Laurel Yarn Boutique, Sturbridge
Knit Purl, Sudbury
Butterfly Yarns, Wakefield
The Island Yarn Company, Waltham
In Stitches, Weston
In Stitches, Weston
Another Yarn, Winchester
Michigan
Busy Hands, Ann Arbor
Flying Sheep Yarns, Ann Arbor
Knit a Round, Ann Arbor
Hampton Mills, Birmingham
The Knitting Room, Birmingham
Right Off The Sheep, Birmingham
Center Street Knits, Northville
Old Village Yarn Shop, Plymouth
Skeins on Main, Rochester
Montana
Camas Creek Yarn, Kalispell
New Hamsphire
Elegant Ewe, Concord
The Yarn and Fiber Company, Derry
Knit Pickings, Plaistow
The Yarn Basket, Portsmouth
New Jersey
Knitting to Go, Princeton
Pins and Needles, Princeton
New York
Trumpet Hill, Albany
Stitch Therapy, Brooklyn
Purl, NYC
Knitty City, NYC
The Point, NYC
Habu Textiles, NYC
Lion Brand Yarn Studio, NYC
Yarn Company, NYC [old and new stores]
School Products, NYC
Homespun, Ithaca
Knitting Etc, Ithaca
Oregon
Twisted, Portland
Knit-Purl, Portland
Rhode Island
Great Purls, Providence
A Stitch Above, Providence
Knit One Purl Too, Wakefield
A Perfectly Twisted Yarn, Tiverton
Montana
Camas Creek Yarn, Kalispell
New Hamsphire
Elegant Ewe, Concord
The Yarn and Fiber Company, Derry
Knit Pickings, Plaistow
The Yarn Basket, Portsmouth
New Jersey
Knitting to Go, Princeton
Pins and Needles, Princeton
New York
Trumpet Hill, Albany
Stitch Therapy, Brooklyn
Purl, NYC
Knitty City, NYC
The Point, NYC
Habu Textiles, NYC
Lion Brand Yarn Studio, NYC
Yarn Company, NYC [old and new stores]
School Products, NYC
Homespun, Ithaca
Knitting Etc, Ithaca
Oregon
Twisted, Portland
Knit-Purl, Portland
Rhode Island
Great Purls, Providence
A Stitch Above, Providence
Knit One Purl Too, Wakefield
A Perfectly Twisted Yarn, Tiverton
Utah
Desert Thread, Moab
Blazing Needles, Salt Lake City
Unraveled Sheep, Sandy
Three Wishes Fiber Arts, West Jordan
Vermont
Knit or Dye, Brattleboro
Kaleidoscope Yarns, Essex Junction
Green Mountain Spinnery, Putney
White River Yarns, White River Junction
Knit or Dye, Brattleboro
Kaleidoscope Yarns, Essex Junction
Green Mountain Spinnery, Putney
White River Yarns, White River Junction
Virginia
Fibre space, Alexandria
The Needle Lady, Charlottesville
Washington
Apple Yarns, Bellingham
Seattle Yarn, Seattle
Tricoter, Seattle
So Much Yarn, Seattle
Hilltop Yarns East, Seattle
Acorn Street Shop, Seattle
Weaving Works, Seattle
Fiber Gallery, Seattle
Churchmouse yarns & teas, Bainbridge Island
Wyoming
Knit on Pearl, Jackson Hole
Argentina
Milana
Australia
Wool Shop Direct, Melbourne
Bermuda
Stitches Etc, St George's
Canada
Urban Yarns (Point Grey), Vancouver BC
Three Bags Full, Vancouver BC
London Wul Farm, Lakeburn NB
Baadeck Yarns, Baddeck NS
LK Yarns, Halifax NS
The Loop, Halifax NS
Gaspereau Valley Fibres, Wolfville NS
GNK Marketplace, Charlottetown PEI
Biscotte et cie, St Bruno QC
Mouline Yarns, Montreal QC
Ariadne Knits, Montreal QC
Effiloche, Montreal QC
Fil et Fibre, Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures QC
La Dauphine, Quebec QC
Moulin a Laine, Ulverton QC
Romni Wools, ON
Lettuce Knit, ON
Americo, ON
Knit Cafe, ON
France
Phildar, Paris and other cities
La Droguerie, Paris
Bon Marche (mercerie), Paris
Le Comptoir, Paris
Mouline Yarns, Montreal QC
Ariadne Knits, Montreal QC
Effiloche, Montreal QC
Fil et Fibre, Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures QC
La Dauphine, Quebec QC
Moulin a Laine, Ulverton QC
Romni Wools, ON
Lettuce Knit, ON
Americo, ON
Knit Cafe, ON
France
Phildar, Paris and other cities
La Droguerie, Paris
Bon Marche (mercerie), Paris
Le Comptoir, Paris
Entree des fournisseurs, Paris
Lil Weasel, Paris
Lil Weasel, Paris
Iceland
Handknitting association of Iceland, Reykjavik
Handknitting association of Iceland, Reykjavik
Isfold, Reykjavik
Vik Wool, Vik
Ireland
This is Knit, Dublin
Italy
Lana della Vecchia, Rome
Japan
Avril, Kyoto
La Droguerie, Tokyo (Shibuya and Ikebukuro)
Namura Tailors, Kyoto
Masuhisa, Nara
The Netherlands
De Afstap, Amsterdam
New Zealand
Touch Yarns, Alexandra
Ashford art and craft center, Ashburton
Artisan Fibres, Christchurch
Wool Yarn and Fibres, Christchurch
Wild and Woolly yarns, Devonport
Kiwi Gift Shop, Queenstown
Agrodome, Rotorua
Shearing Shed, Waitomo
Knit World, Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch
Switzerland
Boutique Naturel, Luzern
Vilfil, Zurich
HandArt, Zurich
Lana della Vecchia, Rome
Japan
Avril, Kyoto
La Droguerie, Tokyo (Shibuya and Ikebukuro)
Namura Tailors, Kyoto
Masuhisa, Nara
The Netherlands
De Afstap, Amsterdam
New Zealand
Touch Yarns, Alexandra
Ashford art and craft center, Ashburton
Artisan Fibres, Christchurch
Wool Yarn and Fibres, Christchurch
Wild and Woolly yarns, Devonport
Kiwi Gift Shop, Queenstown
Agrodome, Rotorua
Shearing Shed, Waitomo
Knit World, Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch
Switzerland
Boutique Naturel, Luzern
Vilfil, Zurich
HandArt, Zurich
United Kingdom
Loop, London
I Knit, London
I Knit, London
Late to the party - my BSJs
You know how some people tell you about how great Battlestar Galactica/raw vegan food/(fill in with anything with a cult-like following) is and then it seems too much to you so you don't even want to watch/eat/hear it? That's the way I feel about Elizabeth Zimmerman, so I never read any of her books or watched any of her videos.
But I was interested in her Baby Surprise Jacket because it seemed like a great project to use small quantities of handspun yarn -- so I present to you two BSJs knitted in commercial yarn (very logical, right?). The top one used up two skeins of Manos silk blend, the bottom one (for a coworker whose wife is expecting a son) used up one skein of Sheep Shop 3. If I ever knit a third one, it will be with my handspun yarn :)
The Sheep Shop 3 was part of my loot when visiting Purl in Soho. My birthday gift certificate also brought 2 skeins of Farmhouse yarns Bonnie's Bamboo, 2 skeins of Fibre Company Canopy, and a project bag from Blue Sky Alpacas. If you're ever in NYC, you should visit Purl -- it's one of my favorite yarn stores. I thought it would be fun to keep a list of all the yarn stores I've visited so I'll start the list soon and keep it linked on the right-side bar. I'm pretty sure I've been to more than 50 yarn stores, I wonder how long it would take me to get to 100...
In two weeks, Boy and I will be on vacation in Switzerland. We will be travelling between cities by train so I should get plenty of knitting time. My travel project is a knitted gift for Jane so it's a secret, except for one big hint: it uses yarn from one of her favorite hand-dyers...
But I was interested in her Baby Surprise Jacket because it seemed like a great project to use small quantities of handspun yarn -- so I present to you two BSJs knitted in commercial yarn (very logical, right?). The top one used up two skeins of Manos silk blend, the bottom one (for a coworker whose wife is expecting a son) used up one skein of Sheep Shop 3. If I ever knit a third one, it will be with my handspun yarn :)
The Sheep Shop 3 was part of my loot when visiting Purl in Soho. My birthday gift certificate also brought 2 skeins of Farmhouse yarns Bonnie's Bamboo, 2 skeins of Fibre Company Canopy, and a project bag from Blue Sky Alpacas. If you're ever in NYC, you should visit Purl -- it's one of my favorite yarn stores. I thought it would be fun to keep a list of all the yarn stores I've visited so I'll start the list soon and keep it linked on the right-side bar. I'm pretty sure I've been to more than 50 yarn stores, I wonder how long it would take me to get to 100...
In two weeks, Boy and I will be on vacation in Switzerland. We will be travelling between cities by train so I should get plenty of knitting time. My travel project is a knitted gift for Jane so it's a secret, except for one big hint: it uses yarn from one of her favorite hand-dyers...
July 12, 2008
Catch 29
Here's a quick recap of the last few months:
- I knitted Patricia's shawl (a design by Lisa Lloyd) in Foxfire Cormo silk. It was going to be a present but I love squeezing it so much that I might keep it for myself.
- I knitted a Baby Surprize Jacket using Manos silk blend. I bought coordinating buttons -- as soon as they're sewn on, I'll post a picture.
- I'm done with the back of Jasmine, from Kim Hargreaves' Nectar collection. This top should be done by the end of July which gives me one month to wear it before the weather changes again.
- Boy and I went to Montreal so I *had* to stop at Ariadne Knits and Effiloche. Such lovely yarn stores... I wish they were local! (the food in Montreal wouldn't hurt either, it really reminded me of home, aka France)
- This is the last year that I'll be in my twenties (sniff). The pain of getting older was lessened by a lovely gift certificate to Purl from Boy. A trip to NYC is planned for later this month so I will definitely use it then.
- I knitted Patricia's shawl (a design by Lisa Lloyd) in Foxfire Cormo silk. It was going to be a present but I love squeezing it so much that I might keep it for myself.
- I knitted a Baby Surprize Jacket using Manos silk blend. I bought coordinating buttons -- as soon as they're sewn on, I'll post a picture.
- I'm done with the back of Jasmine, from Kim Hargreaves' Nectar collection. This top should be done by the end of July which gives me one month to wear it before the weather changes again.
- Boy and I went to Montreal so I *had* to stop at Ariadne Knits and Effiloche. Such lovely yarn stores... I wish they were local! (the food in Montreal wouldn't hurt either, it really reminded me of home, aka France)
- This is the last year that I'll be in my twenties (sniff). The pain of getting older was lessened by a lovely gift certificate to Purl from Boy. A trip to NYC is planned for later this month so I will definitely use it then.
April 27, 2008
Pas grand chose
Because of my impending exam, I've lost some of my knitting drive. But the new book by Kim Hargreaves "Nectar" is sure to change that. I ordered the book along with the kit for "Glisten" -- a nice summer vest should give me enough motivation to start and finish it before the end of the summer.
I've re-organized my patterns, updated my stash spreadsheet, made a list of my UFO's (5), and sent some yarn away to good homes.
By the way, if you know of an organization that needs yarn or a knitter who needs some fibery love, please let me know by email/PM through Knitter's Review. I'd be happy to share my humongous stash with people.
I've re-organized my patterns, updated my stash spreadsheet, made a list of my UFO's (5), and sent some yarn away to good homes.
By the way, if you know of an organization that needs yarn or a knitter who needs some fibery love, please let me know by email/PM through Knitter's Review. I'd be happy to share my humongous stash with people.
April 13, 2008
At last, a finished object!
The baby blanket for my coworker used up 17 skeins of sock yarn. Woohoo! The gender is unknown so I had to find colors that worked for both genders. This was a good stashbusting and mindless knitting experience. For once, I remembered to take a picture before giving it away (see Arleta?!). I just need to weave the ends in and wash it.
This gave me some motivation to knit myself a lap blanket so I placed an order with Briar Rose Fibers for some yarn. And I took part in this weekend's Woolgirl sale. And I signed up for all four seasons of Sundara's seasons club (talk about gluttony!). My stash-busting has therefore been totally negated by my yarn shopping :)
I am obsessed with these Ivy socks by Shibui knits. The kicker? I have the exact required yarn in my stash...
This gave me some motivation to knit myself a lap blanket so I placed an order with Briar Rose Fibers for some yarn. And I took part in this weekend's Woolgirl sale. And I signed up for all four seasons of Sundara's seasons club (talk about gluttony!). My stash-busting has therefore been totally negated by my yarn shopping :)
I am obsessed with these Ivy socks by Shibui knits. The kicker? I have the exact required yarn in my stash...
April 03, 2008
Waiting for Godot
Sorry I haven't posted pictures from New Zealand yet... I still have to go through them, resize/rotate them, and add captions. Unfortunately, I have to work on something until early May so in the meantime, here's a picture of Milford Sound. "Milford Sound" was erroneously named, because it's really a fjord. To give you an idea of scale, you can see two boats on the water -- those are really big boats that take tourists on cruises but they look tiny, don't they?
March 06, 2008
Kia Ora!
Click on the picture for a look at the large size and what do you see?
Sheep. Seals. Birds. The sea. All in the same spot!!
Boy and I are back from a trip to New Zealand where we visited a dozen yarn shops, went to the Ashford craft shop and museum (the birthplace of Jane's and Rho's spinning wheels!), and attended a sheep show at the Agrodome in Rotorua. I bought more yarn than I expected, including the sinfully soft Merino/Possum yarn from Touch yarns.
I'll try to post pictures on Flickr this weekend but in case you were wondering, the goal of the trip was not stash enhancement... We saw geysers, toothed whales, yellow-eyed penguins, bottle-nosed dolphins, glaciers, fjords as well as sheepies, sheepies, sheepies and more sheepies :)
Sheep. Seals. Birds. The sea. All in the same spot!!
Boy and I are back from a trip to New Zealand where we visited a dozen yarn shops, went to the Ashford craft shop and museum (the birthplace of Jane's and Rho's spinning wheels!), and attended a sheep show at the Agrodome in Rotorua. I bought more yarn than I expected, including the sinfully soft Merino/Possum yarn from Touch yarns.
I'll try to post pictures on Flickr this weekend but in case you were wondering, the goal of the trip was not stash enhancement... We saw geysers, toothed whales, yellow-eyed penguins, bottle-nosed dolphins, glaciers, fjords as well as sheepies, sheepies, sheepies and more sheepies :)
February 04, 2008
Already February?!
I played with my spinning wheel during December and most of January until my left foot met the corner of some hardwood stairs as well as a Bosu ball... but it's all fixed now so I can return to spinning.
I was tired of using my arms to make skeins of yarns so I bought a niddy noddy at Mind's eye yarns in Porter Square. The single ply you see is some South African fine also purchased at Mind's eye yarns. My singles look mostly okay now but I am still working on the plying part. I know, "practice, practice, practice"!
In an effort to destash, I have started knitting a blanket for one of my co-workers who is due in May. The blanket will be made up of 9 squares, each of them 12" by 12" in a different color. I'm using my humongous stash of sock yarn for this and so far, I've used up 5 skeins of yarn for three squares (purple, red, and yellow). Not bad, right?
And before I forget, here's my new love: Manos silk blend. 70% merino, 30% silk, Manos colors, 150 yards, and retailed at $11.50 for solid colors/$12.50 for variegated colors. Don't say I didn't warn you!!
I was tired of using my arms to make skeins of yarns so I bought a niddy noddy at Mind's eye yarns in Porter Square. The single ply you see is some South African fine also purchased at Mind's eye yarns. My singles look mostly okay now but I am still working on the plying part. I know, "practice, practice, practice"!
In an effort to destash, I have started knitting a blanket for one of my co-workers who is due in May. The blanket will be made up of 9 squares, each of them 12" by 12" in a different color. I'm using my humongous stash of sock yarn for this and so far, I've used up 5 skeins of yarn for three squares (purple, red, and yellow). Not bad, right?
And before I forget, here's my new love: Manos silk blend. 70% merino, 30% silk, Manos colors, 150 yards, and retailed at $11.50 for solid colors/$12.50 for variegated colors. Don't say I didn't warn you!!
December 08, 2007
Meet Victoria...
my first spinning wheel. I say "first" because even though I have no intention of buying another one, I've heard that spinning wheels are a slippery slope, just like yarn stash and spindles ;)
I ordered this Louet Victoria S96 in Oak from Spunky Eclectic. It comes with 3 bobbins, a lazy kate, and a bag. Amy sent some free goodies (some brown wool blend and pink Blue Faced Leicester) -- you can see a close-up of the BFL spun up in my Flickr set.
I am still using the lowest ratio on the wheel but I'm planning on using the other ratios and trying my hand at plying before the end of the year. Talking about resolutions, here are some of the resolutions I wrote down at the KR retreat:
- knit 12 pairs of socks for myself
- try colorwork
- knit one sweater for myself
- knit one charity item per month
- have one handspun and handknitted item
- organize my knitting room
Let's see how I fare in the coming months!
I ordered this Louet Victoria S96 in Oak from Spunky Eclectic. It comes with 3 bobbins, a lazy kate, and a bag. Amy sent some free goodies (some brown wool blend and pink Blue Faced Leicester) -- you can see a close-up of the BFL spun up in my Flickr set.
I am still using the lowest ratio on the wheel but I'm planning on using the other ratios and trying my hand at plying before the end of the year. Talking about resolutions, here are some of the resolutions I wrote down at the KR retreat:
- knit 12 pairs of socks for myself
- try colorwork
- knit one sweater for myself
- knit one charity item per month
- have one handspun and handknitted item
- organize my knitting room
Let's see how I fare in the coming months!
The best gifts...
are from your knitting friends! Shaili (aka Mangokiwi) knitted a pair of awesome socks. They're made out of Cherry Tree Hill in this pale orange/purple mix, and the pattern is "Waving Lace" from IK Favorite Socks. This was perfect timing as snow came to Boston this week so warm handknitted socks are a must :)
Thanks Shaili!
Thanks Shaili!
November 27, 2007
En coup de vent
Just a quick note to say that I'll post about the Knitter's Review Retreat (lots of fun, a now-visible husband and big stash enhancement) and my trip to Paris (small stash enhancement) later this week.
Breaking news (you read it here first!) I ordered a spinning wheel and it should arrive by next week. Yipee!!
Breaking news (you read it here first!) I ordered a spinning wheel and it should arrive by next week. Yipee!!
October 11, 2007
Pretty german yarns and other things
The yarn used in the picture is Sheepaints Bamboolaine in "Tulip". These are simple stockinette socks... but are they? no, they're not socks yet, right now they're tubes because there's no heel! I didn't know that the yarn would stripe so evenly but once I started the foot, it looked so good that I didn't want to perturb the stripes. So some surgery will occur and afterthought heels will magically appear over the weekend.
Sheepaints is one of the three German indie dyers that I stocked up on during the summer. You can buy directly from her (she also has laceweight and seacell yarn) or through Woolgirl and Sweet Sheep.
Tausendschon is the second dyer. Click on Sockenwolle > Handgefarbtes for the hand-dyed sock yarn. Four skeins including shipping from Germany only cost $60. It's a really good price, especially with the low low low US dollar.
Last, but not least, the blogosphere's famous Wollmeise. I got my yarn from the Loopy Ewe but starting this month, Claudia has her own online shop too if you're interested.
I've been knitting a lot of one-skein projects, for swatching/destashing purposes and to donate to charity organizations at the KR retreat.
- washcloths in Manos Cotton Stria. Whoa, this cotton is so soft that I take back everything I said about cotton hurting my hands. It's like knitting with little pieces of cloud!
- hats and baby socks (from Cat Bordhi's new book) in Filatura di Crosa Zarina. This yarn reminds me of Rowan 4 ply soft, but even softer. Unfortunately, it's handwash only so a little too high maintenance for my taste.
- scarf and hats in Sheep 3 Yarn. Silk and wool in beautiful colors...
I started a vest for my dad as a holiday present, it has cables and I'm knitting it with Rowan Cashsoft 4 ply. So I had to learn to cable without a cable needle. Grumperina's tutorial is perfect for that. I'll post pictures of the vest once the back is done.
Sheepaints is one of the three German indie dyers that I stocked up on during the summer. You can buy directly from her (she also has laceweight and seacell yarn) or through Woolgirl and Sweet Sheep.
Tausendschon is the second dyer. Click on Sockenwolle > Handgefarbtes for the hand-dyed sock yarn. Four skeins including shipping from Germany only cost $60. It's a really good price, especially with the low low low US dollar.
Last, but not least, the blogosphere's famous Wollmeise. I got my yarn from the Loopy Ewe but starting this month, Claudia has her own online shop too if you're interested.
I've been knitting a lot of one-skein projects, for swatching/destashing purposes and to donate to charity organizations at the KR retreat.
- washcloths in Manos Cotton Stria. Whoa, this cotton is so soft that I take back everything I said about cotton hurting my hands. It's like knitting with little pieces of cloud!
- hats and baby socks (from Cat Bordhi's new book) in Filatura di Crosa Zarina. This yarn reminds me of Rowan 4 ply soft, but even softer. Unfortunately, it's handwash only so a little too high maintenance for my taste.
- scarf and hats in Sheep 3 Yarn. Silk and wool in beautiful colors...
I started a vest for my dad as a holiday present, it has cables and I'm knitting it with Rowan Cashsoft 4 ply. So I had to learn to cable without a cable needle. Grumperina's tutorial is perfect for that. I'll post pictures of the vest once the back is done.
September 10, 2007
Reveal time
Mangokiwi got her socks so now I can spill the beans. By the way her picture is a million times better than this one, and she is modelling the socks so go there and look!
The yarn is Sundara sock yarn in "red red over tomato". Beautiful subtle variegation and just enough twist in the yarn to have the cables and stitches well-defined... one can't have enough of this yarn -- or at least, that's what I tell Boy.
The pattern is Nicole's 9 to 5 socks. I like the heel a lot: the cable continues on the sides of the heel and the half linen stitch is much nicer than the regular slip 1, knit 1. I might have misunderstood the instructions on how to show the selvedge stitches on the outside so I'll have to look at this again at a later time. This is a great pattern if you're knitting for someone else because the socks stretch a lot so you don't need to be paranoid about the size.
I'm always happy to knit for another knitter because he/she knows how much time and effort goes into the project :)
The yarn is Sundara sock yarn in "red red over tomato". Beautiful subtle variegation and just enough twist in the yarn to have the cables and stitches well-defined... one can't have enough of this yarn -- or at least, that's what I tell Boy.
The pattern is Nicole's 9 to 5 socks. I like the heel a lot: the cable continues on the sides of the heel and the half linen stitch is much nicer than the regular slip 1, knit 1. I might have misunderstood the instructions on how to show the selvedge stitches on the outside so I'll have to look at this again at a later time. This is a great pattern if you're knitting for someone else because the socks stretch a lot so you don't need to be paranoid about the size.
I'm always happy to knit for another knitter because he/she knows how much time and effort goes into the project :)
September 05, 2007
Still spinning...
I practiced with soysilk this weekend. That stuff is very slippery so I spun from the fold. The samples are from the same roving, I just split them by color so that there would be a gradient of color.
August 27, 2007
All done!
All the knitting yarn, books, and magazines are organized -- I'll take pictures later this week. It is wonderful to have everything in one place, though the experience was sobering in terms of stash enhancement (I have close to 200 skeins).
The socks for Mangokiwi are done. As soon as she gets them, I'll show you what pattern and yarn were used ;)
I'm following the advice on the KR forums and trying to spin a little every day. Today's handspun sample is silk from Funky Carolina (it's the top right roving on the picture taken a few weeks ago).
The socks for Mangokiwi are done. As soon as she gets them, I'll show you what pattern and yarn were used ;)
I'm following the advice on the KR forums and trying to spin a little every day. Today's handspun sample is silk from Funky Carolina (it's the top right roving on the picture taken a few weeks ago).
August 18, 2007
Closet in progress
Our new house has a little cedar-lined closet that I was planning on using for yarn and fiber. How do you keep the yarn/fiber in view while protecting it from moths? Well, until IKEA produces tightly-sealed glass bookcases, I'll be using transparent plastic boxes.
This is my fiber stash and spindles (two Bosworths, one Schacht, one Golding). For now everything is organized with a little card in each box.
Next step: organize (i.e. try to contain) the yarn stash and knitting library.
This is my fiber stash and spindles (two Bosworths, one Schacht, one Golding). For now everything is organized with a little card in each box.
Next step: organize (i.e. try to contain) the yarn stash and knitting library.
August 14, 2007
Sshh, I'm undercover...
The Tuscany Shawl from A. Singer's "No Sheep for you" is done and ready to fly to its new owner. This would be a good pattern for a lace beginner, the only modification I made was to have increases on the right-side rows rather than the wrong-side rows. The yarn is Yarn Botanika's merino/tencel in "mangoes and raspberries". It's silky, but not slippery to knit with. In other words, it's yummy!
My August socks are for Mangokiwi. She knows that but to keep a surprise element, I won't say which pattern I'm using nor the color of the socks. OK, just one hint: I'm using Sundara sock yarn.
If you're a sock knitter, read Clara's review, and get your copy of Cat Bordhi's new book.
If you're a lace knitter, get your copy of Evelyn Clark's "Knitting Lace Triangles"
If you like knitting podcasts, listen to Stash and Burn, my favorite knitting podcast. My workday wouldn't be the same without Jenny and Nicole, This American Life and Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!.
My August socks are for Mangokiwi. She knows that but to keep a surprise element, I won't say which pattern I'm using nor the color of the socks. OK, just one hint: I'm using Sundara sock yarn.
If you're a sock knitter, read Clara's review, and get your copy of Cat Bordhi's new book.
If you're a lace knitter, get your copy of Evelyn Clark's "Knitting Lace Triangles"
If you like knitting podcasts, listen to Stash and Burn, my favorite knitting podcast. My workday wouldn't be the same without Jenny and Nicole, This American Life and Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!.
July 30, 2007
More little friends!!
My 26 new friends arrived by mail today, in a 8 oz scrap bag from Funky Carolina . Carrie was really nice and made a scrap bag of roving for me so that I can sample different fibers and colorways before committing to a larger spinning project.
I also received Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd. This would be a great gift for a beginning sock knitter and the section on the sock anatomy is especially well written. I would recommend this over Sensational Knitted Socks. The only caveat is that she does not cover toe-up socks but it's full of great tips, it will take me a while to try them all!
Sorry Arleta, I don't have a picture of the Seasilk shawl... I blocked it the day before giving it to my coworker and totally forgot to take a picture. I'm thinking of making a pair of pyjamas out of seasilk, it's so soft and luxurious. I have another skein of Seasilk and will probably knit a shawl for myself later on.
The Ribbons Baby Blanket and Tuscany shawl are both done, ends are woven in so as soon as they're washed and blocked, I'll post pictures.
I'm off to watch Season 3 of Miss Marple on PBS. Bye!
I also received Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd. This would be a great gift for a beginning sock knitter and the section on the sock anatomy is especially well written. I would recommend this over Sensational Knitted Socks. The only caveat is that she does not cover toe-up socks but it's full of great tips, it will take me a while to try them all!
Sorry Arleta, I don't have a picture of the Seasilk shawl... I blocked it the day before giving it to my coworker and totally forgot to take a picture. I'm thinking of making a pair of pyjamas out of seasilk, it's so soft and luxurious. I have another skein of Seasilk and will probably knit a shawl for myself later on.
The Ribbons Baby Blanket and Tuscany shawl are both done, ends are woven in so as soon as they're washed and blocked, I'll post pictures.
I'm off to watch Season 3 of Miss Marple on PBS. Bye!
July 08, 2007
Knitting Canadian
The Tangled up in Blue socks knitted with Blue Moon Sock candy ("Banded agate" colorway) are finished, courtesy of sitting in the back of a car for many hours on the way to Canada. I followed the pattern except that I continued the K2P2 rib on the heel flap instead of slipping stitches and I did not use the drop stitch pattern on the leg (it didn't look good with this colorway). I will probably give away this pair of socks because they're too big. It was a good learning experience though - it was my first time knitting cotton socks and my first toe-up heel-flap sock.
Even while on family vacation (aka 3 non-knitters and me) in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick I was able to stop at three yarn stores. In order to support the Canadian economy, here's what I brought back with me:
- Lucy Neatby's DVDs on sock knitting and two skeins of Celestial Merino
- patterns by Ilga Leja and Sivia Harding
- one skein each of Seawool, Woolie silk, and Cashlana all in the same "Lupin" colorway. I've wanted to sample these yarns by Fleece Artist/Handmaiden so I'll knit a shawl with all three yarns. If I can find a lupin lace pattern in Barbara Walker's treasuries, I might even design my own shawl.
- some spinning fiber (Polworth, Kid Mohair and South African fine top) from London Wul.
Did you know that effective April 1, 2007, non-residents of Canada will not be reimbursed for the HST they paid during their visit? This is a bummer considering the Canadian and American dollars are almost at par so getting the HST back was one of the incentives for shopping there.... OK, who am I kidding?! I'll buy yarn regardless!
I just learnt that one of my co-workers is moving to another department within our company in two weeks. She is really sweet and I noticed that she likes wearing scarves at work so I'm fiercely knitting a Knitted Wings Seasilk shawl for her.
Even while on family vacation (aka 3 non-knitters and me) in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick I was able to stop at three yarn stores. In order to support the Canadian economy, here's what I brought back with me:
- Lucy Neatby's DVDs on sock knitting and two skeins of Celestial Merino
- patterns by Ilga Leja and Sivia Harding
- one skein each of Seawool, Woolie silk, and Cashlana all in the same "Lupin" colorway. I've wanted to sample these yarns by Fleece Artist/Handmaiden so I'll knit a shawl with all three yarns. If I can find a lupin lace pattern in Barbara Walker's treasuries, I might even design my own shawl.
- some spinning fiber (Polworth, Kid Mohair and South African fine top) from London Wul.
Did you know that effective April 1, 2007, non-residents of Canada will not be reimbursed for the HST they paid during their visit? This is a bummer considering the Canadian and American dollars are almost at par so getting the HST back was one of the incentives for shopping there.... OK, who am I kidding?! I'll buy yarn regardless!
I just learnt that one of my co-workers is moving to another department within our company in two weeks. She is really sweet and I noticed that she likes wearing scarves at work so I'm fiercely knitting a Knitted Wings Seasilk shawl for her.
June 24, 2007
I ain't dead yet!
Because of our move, I haven't had much time to knit and blog. We have some relatives visiting but after that, I will post some pictures of my WIPs:
- a baby blanket for a co-worker: it's the Ribbons Baby Blanket by Evelyn Clark, I'm making it out of three colors of Lorna's Laces shepherd sock and it's almost done.
- the Tuscany shawl from "No Sheep for You" in Yarn Botanika merino/tencel: 8 repeats down, 3 to go.
- my June socks are Tangled up in Blue made out of BMFA Sock candy.
Boy and I went to the Maine Fiber Frolic earlier this month. According to my symptoms, the spinning bug is alive and well. Consider my purchases:
- a Golding spindle
- some triple play BFL batt in "Nova Scotia" from Spunky Eclectic
- some cashmere/silk and camel/silk from Foxfire fiber
Ok, I also got some sock yarn but everyone knows that sock yarn doesn't count as stash ;)
Enjoy the warm weather!
- a baby blanket for a co-worker: it's the Ribbons Baby Blanket by Evelyn Clark, I'm making it out of three colors of Lorna's Laces shepherd sock and it's almost done.
- the Tuscany shawl from "No Sheep for You" in Yarn Botanika merino/tencel: 8 repeats down, 3 to go.
- my June socks are Tangled up in Blue made out of BMFA Sock candy.
Boy and I went to the Maine Fiber Frolic earlier this month. According to my symptoms, the spinning bug is alive and well. Consider my purchases:
- a Golding spindle
- some triple play BFL batt in "Nova Scotia" from Spunky Eclectic
- some cashmere/silk and camel/silk from Foxfire fiber
Ok, I also got some sock yarn but everyone knows that sock yarn doesn't count as stash ;)
Enjoy the warm weather!
June 02, 2007
What a day I had!
but before I tell you about yesterday, here's a picture of my finished May socks, the Quill lace socks in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock (mint stripe colorway). The lace pattern is easy to remember and I liked the eye of partridge heel flap, it looks more interesting than a slip stich heel flap.
Yesterday was a big day for me.
- Yesterday was my birthday (not one with super duper properties like a prime number but still....). Thanks Celia for the birthday wishes and same to you! (of course that's because we share a birthday)
- I got a house for my birthday. Seriously! Boy and I signed the papers for our new house (the one with the little yarn closet) yesterday and we will be moving in a couple of weeks.
Some knitting-related birthday presents:
- a knitting project pouch is coming my way, courtesy of Boy. The gals at Piddleloop are very nice and talented. I already have two of their project bags but they had one bag that matched my Honeycake needle case. It was also their last one in that fabric so that was clearly a sign.
- some Sundara yarn has been ordered, courtesy of Boy's parents.
In other news I have been bitten by the spindle bug. I will not confirm nor deny that a Maxi Bosworth spindle came back from the New Hampshire sheep and wool festival with me. Rumors that I have ordered rovings from the Woolen Rabbit are uncomfirmed at this time. I do not recall looking online about some Foxfire fiber cashmere and silk roving. That's to the best of my recollection considering I am one year older...
Yesterday was a big day for me.
- Yesterday was my birthday (not one with super duper properties like a prime number but still....). Thanks Celia for the birthday wishes and same to you! (of course that's because we share a birthday)
- I got a house for my birthday. Seriously! Boy and I signed the papers for our new house (the one with the little yarn closet) yesterday and we will be moving in a couple of weeks.
Some knitting-related birthday presents:
- a knitting project pouch is coming my way, courtesy of Boy. The gals at Piddleloop are very nice and talented. I already have two of their project bags but they had one bag that matched my Honeycake needle case. It was also their last one in that fabric so that was clearly a sign.
- some Sundara yarn has been ordered, courtesy of Boy's parents.
In other news I have been bitten by the spindle bug. I will not confirm nor deny that a Maxi Bosworth spindle came back from the New Hampshire sheep and wool festival with me. Rumors that I have ordered rovings from the Woolen Rabbit are uncomfirmed at this time. I do not recall looking online about some Foxfire fiber cashmere and silk roving. That's to the best of my recollection considering I am one year older...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)