More Spinning

Went to Deep Color (Fiber/spinning shop in Kensington) and bought some merino in 4 colors to try and make a 4 ply yarn :) Some BFL in a heathery brown. And some fiber that makes noro like self striping yarn (in back of photo) also picked up a much better spinning book then the Ashford Book I had. Teach Yourself Visually: Handspinning. Great big help!


Here is the self striping yarn I spun up:

Jebus! more socks I just HAVE to make

Spindle Socks

Bayerische Socks

BFF Socks

there are just sooooooooooo many socks out there.

And I picked up a copy of Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush and there are a ton of cool socks in there too. Perhaps I need to stop looking for patterns (or reading peoples blogs... that is where the 3 socks above came from).

Spinning up a storm

This is the first yarn I made (it's super thick thin but still totally usable... I'll figure out something to make out of it:


Here's the fiber I "tried to spin" while getting a grip on the bobbin and whorl tensions:


And here's just some of my spinning.... I've been just a touch obsessed:


handpainted yarn .com merino roving in "buterflies"


spunky eclectic superwash merino in "sour grapes" (bad color on the photo)



Corriedale Wool from an etsy seller who is no longer selling.


Same Corriedale wool as above but spun thinner to use for 2 ply yarn.


and that's my first successfull 2 ply (no photos of the bad merino 2 ply I made the day before... it's just ugly)

new appreciation for sock photos

yeah taking photos of your own feet is kinda tough... once I finish the second sock (I just finished turning the heel) I think I'll have my husband help with the photos.

here's the first one (minus the kirchnered toe... still not positive I have enough yarn to finish the secone one).



I'm using Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Martha's Vineyard that I bought about 3 years ago :)

another scarf finished

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Angora
Color: Misty Blue on ends and Driftwood in middle
Pattern: not quite straight scarf
Needles: Lantern Moon straights #9
Yarn Quantity: 3.5 balls (325 yards)

Finished Endpaper Mits

I made 2 pair and will certainly make more later. This is a great pattern and a nice easy way to play with fair isle. The first pair I knit pretty much exactly as the pattern is written:



Yarn: baby cashmere from elann (the lighter blue) and some hand dyed Superfine Superwash Sport Merino from Lisa Souza
Color: denim & blue visage
Pattern: Endpaper Mitts by Eunny
Needles: Addi Turbo #1 for ribbing and #2 for main
Yarn Quantity: less than 100 yards of lighter color and probably 150-200 yards of the darker blue

For the second pair I didn't do the seam stitch as a purl. I just did a knit stitch (my seam is kinda sloppy looking on the first pair, but much cleaner on this pair). I also cut out 2 of the three repeats on the arm to make these much shorter on the arm.









Yarn: debbie bliss baby cashmerino for light pink & claudia handpaints fingering weight for the darker color
Color:
Pattern: Endpaper Mitts by Eunny
Needles: Addi Turbo #1 for ribbing and #2 for main
Yarn Quantity: less than 100 yards of darker color and probably 150-200 yards of the light pink

IK posts

I've been browsing some of my past issues and realize I need to keep better track of the patterns I really liked.... so I'm puting them here. Many more to come!

IK 2003 Winter

Project Details here.

IK 2003 Fall

Project Details here.

more interesting sock patterns

http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring07/PATTclessidra.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/PATTdiamante.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall05/PATTfallingleaves.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/PATThedera.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/PATTkew.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTmanresa.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTmonkey.html
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTpomatomus.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring07/PATTquilllace.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/PATTredherring.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTrpm.html
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/PATTstraightlaced.html
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTthuja.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTtwinkletoes.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTuniversalsock.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTwiddershins.html


I posted some of these before.... but I'm going to remove that post.

it's like getting all new knitty's for me. When these first came out I hardly looked at the socks because I didn't plan to make them.

well I took photos

just didn't get them uploaded before I went to work today :)

So in exciting news for me... my spinning wheel finally came (I knew it was back ordered). It took some practice and frustration but I'm making yarn. It's quite different then spinning on a drop spindle. You really have to get the different tension knobs set right. But I really like it! I spent quite a bit of time playing with it over the long weekend. Hopefully I'll get my photos uploaded tonight. My yarn is a bit more lumpy then the stuff I spun on the drop spindle.

I also finished up one jaywalker sock. It's so comfy. I think I'm going to like wearing handmade socks. I'm just a little concerned that I won't have enough yarn to finish the second sock (I have big feet and the remaining yarn ball doesn't look that big).... we'll see I suppose. I can always order some more... the toe may have to be a different dye lot.

I also picked up my swallowtail shawl and got a few rows done. Those purl 5 togethers are really a pain. This project has languished... but I do plan to finish it.

really really will have photos soon :)

joined the sock knitting club

I love socks. I've always loved buying fun socks. But I've been knitting for almost 5 years and have never knit socks. I've even bought sock yarns.... just didn't get around to knitting them. But after knitting 2 pairs of endpaper mits (I'll get photos posted this weekend) I discovered that I love knitting small projects on tiny needles. So I cast on for Grumperina's Jaywalker socks a couple days ago. I'm to the heel flap on the first sock. LOVING it! This is a pretty easy pattern so far. 2 row repeat that goes pretty quickly. We'll see how I do with turning the heel and doing the instep stuff. But I think if I just follow the directions I should be ok. But I do see how the sock knitting could be addictive.... if I didn't have yarn for so many other projects I might have been in trouble :) And I'm using some Cherry Tree Hill Supersock yarn I bought about 3 years ago for this pair. I don't have the yarn label in front of me but the color is like a tropical oil puddle. Charcoal, dark brown, bright blue, teal, and mossy green.

oops bought some yarn

but it's not just any old yarn. It's Sundara Yarn. I resisted the Little Knits Noro sale (it was close... I filled a shopping cart and then closed the window).

I bought 1 ball of :

Curry over Breeze sport merino
Sweet Brier Rose sock
Sangria over Garnet sock

But other than those 3 balls of yarn I've been really good since stitches in February. I've even been diving deep into the stash for projects. Yarn that I bought quite awhile ago is finally getting used. It feels good to finally get to some of the older yarn in my stash. I have a bunch of great yarns... just wish there were more time for knitting.

Interweave Summer 07

to make in the future:

boatneck bluebell - fitted knits

I'm trying so hard to not abandon another mostly finished sweater :) Just need to finish off the sleeves. Knitting from the top down is awesome. I tried on the sweater and it fits so well! My problem is that it got so hot here in the last week that I just can't knit this sweater (big pile of wool in my lap). Hopefully it'll cool off for a week or so... then I can finish the sleeves.

I'm using Elann Uros Aran (wool/llama blend).
color : palm for most and peridot for some detail at the horizontal rib.

here are the more accurate color swatches from elann:
palm peridot

and a detail shot:


I'm going to knit so many patterns from Fitted Knits. So well written and flattering :)

scarves in progress

not quite straight scarf
I'm using Elsebeth lavold Angora (soft blue on the ends and creamy beige in the middle) I love this yarn:


Also working on the Simple Cabled Scarf from Cables Untangled. I'm using Elann 100% alpaca. It's working out really nice.

endpaper revisited

I finished the first mitt and am further along on the second one than the photo reflects. I really have loved this pattern. The size 1 needles are really nice to work with. I've yet to knit socks... perhaps I'll have to try some.

finished a couple scarves

farrow rib scarf in handpaintedyarn.com bulky merino (LOVE this yarn):


and a "my so called scarf" in worsted merino from these guys:


The first scarf I knit up in a couple weeks between working on other projects. The second one has been on the needles for I think about 2 years... not sure why exactly.

more hats!

handpainted yarn.com handspun bulky and colinette one-zero. It's the hat pattern in Last Minute Knitted Gifts just like the post a couple down :)