Very productive

Have you ever had one of those four day weekends where you felt like you have accomplished a huge pile of stuff? That is how I spent my 4th of July weekend, no barbeques, no parties, just me, my hubby, and hours of time to do what we wanted and needed. The weather was really iffy and the sky looked as if it would just open up at any moment so we caught a movie and decided to stay in the rest of the weekend. I baked a cake for a small work party (I didn’t get a chance to take a photo of it), made some orange sorbet which was out of this world!


This

became this

which then became this


252 yards of a dk/worsted(I haven’t measured the WPI yet) yarn spun from Funky Carolina’s superwash merino in “Sweetness.” Even though it is thick and thin in places I love how this came out. Spinning this was a bit of a challenge for me because every time I sit at the wheel my brain screams Thin! Thin! spinning something a little thicker is much harder for my to do, especially consistently. The fiber was a pleasure to spin, it drafted so nicely and the colors, which I was afraid would become muddied when plied, work together nicely. The resulting yarn is squishy and so incredibly soft that it is destined to be worn close to the body, maybe a cowl.

I also knitted quite a bit on my Apres Surf Hoodie which I think may become my favorite knitted object of all time. I know that I may be getting my hopes up since I’m only on the body of the sweater, but this pattern brilliantly combines some of my favorite things; lace, cashmere blend, and a hoodie. I’m knitting this in the round so that I can finish it faster, I will only have to purl when I split the front and back for the neck, and there will be very little seaming. The yarn is Elann Peruvian Baby Cashmere which is actually more alpaca than cashmere, in rose heather, which is lovely to work.

Plus I get to use some of my cute new stitch markers!

Head over heels

I finally finished spinning up the last of my Pigeon Roof Studios SW Merino in Blossom and felt the urge to knit it up into something beautiful. Since I bought 8oz knee high socks seemed to be the best way to use this pretty roving. Originally I was thinking of plain stockinette knee highs, but then I was browsing through some of my Interweave magazines and found the Spiral Boot Socks and thought that it would be a perfect match.



I used a size 2 needle and decreased when my leg narrowed instead of following the instructions this paired with the fact that my handspun is slightly thicker than the sock yarn called for I was able to get this knee high to fit my shapely calf perfectly. Although as I was wearing this around the apartment (yes only one is done but I didn’t care, I love this more than anyone should love their knitted socks) it started to slouch. When the other is knit, I think I’ll add a cute ribbon to the top to make it stay better.

While I do love this sock so much, almost enough to cast on right away for its mate, the need for wool knee highs isn’t so great in the 90 degree heat. My attention has turned to the Apres Surf Hoodie that I am under the delusion that I can knit quickly, quick enough to beat the chill from the air conditioning at work. More on that the next time, along with my mom’s shawl.

More baby knitting

These past months I have hit a rut with my knitting. I primarily knitted gifts for babies that I felt a little burned out from deadline knitting. In addition to the deadlines the heat has been a bit unbearable for me so the idea of curling up with a pile of wool made me gag. Here are the results from the latest baby shower:


A cousin, although distantly related, is dearer to me than my first cousins, and his wife are expecting their first child, a boy. After just finishing my first Elijah, I thought that he would look so sweet in gray with little blue feet. I came upon this idea while searching Ravelry when I saw that someone else had added color to the feet and ears. I used Caron Simply Soft in Gray and left over Bernat Softee Baby in Pale blue. I didn’t change color until two rows after the purl row so that way there would be a nice clean edge.

I also gave her a mommy and baby bath basket that while beautiful was missing something. In came Grrr:



These were so quick and fun to knit that I finished knitting one on the ride home from Oswego. I used Lily’s Sugar and Cream Solids in Orange, and Ombres and Prints in Yellow-Orange; for the face I used some DMC embroidery floss in a brown shade (I can’t remember the number). Everything was a huge hit at the shower and I received a lovely thank you note saying that they believe that little baby K will surely love snuggling with Elijah.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

HHHH Questionnaire

1. How long have you been spinning? What skill level do you consider yourself?
I’ve been spinning since I bought my first wheel at Rhinebeck this past October.

2. What kinds of yarn do you create (singles/2-ply/3-ply/art yarn)?
I make either 2 ply or 3 ply (Navajo Plied) I cannot stand art yarn because I have no use for it.

3. What do you spin with (spindle/wheel/both)?
I spin on a wheel; I never could quite get the spindle thing down.

4. What are your favorite fibers to spin with? Anything you don't like?
I haven’t been too adventurous yet. I’ve spun Merino, Superwash Merino, Merino/Tencel Blend. I have some BFL and Merino/Tussah but haven’t spun them yet.

5. Who are your favorite crack dealers fiber sources (etsy or otherwise)?
Pigeon Roof Studios, Spunky Eclectic and Funky Carolina are my main places I buy from. I’m still pretty new and haven’t bought too much fiber yet.

6. What kind of fiber do you want to try?
Maybe a merino/bamboo blend, seacell sounds interesting, or a wool/alpaca or exotic fibers like alpaca or cashmere.

7. Is there any techniques you would like to learn?
I’m up for learning anything on a wheel except how to make art yarns.

8. Do you dye fiber? If not, would you like to learn?
I don’t have the room to dye right now, but it would be cool. Maybe some literature about it would be interesting.

9. Do you have fiber prep tools (and like to use them) or would you prefer ready to spin fiber?
Nope, ready to spin is what I’m all about.

10. What do you do with your handspun? What projects have you completed?
I finished a pair of socks from some of my first handspun, and one knee high sock. I’m about to start a shawl for my mom out of my own lace weight.

11. Are you in need of any spinning gadgets (WPI Gauge, threading hook, etc)?
I could use some very fast bobbins for a maple finish Lendrum.

12. What colors "fall into your shopping basket"? Any colors you just can't stand?
I’m really craving greens right now. I always love blues, purples, reds and yellows (maybe not all together) I tend to be drawn to everything but electric colors.

13. What is on your wheel/spindle right now?
Some Funky Caroline superwash.

14. What other crafts/hobbies do you have?
I knit and cross stitch.

15. Other than crafts, what are you passionate about?
Books.

16. Do you have an online wishlist?
Nope.

17. Is there anything that you collect?
Sock yarn and fiber although I don’t have much fiber.

18. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What magazine subscriptions do you have?
The peacock feathers shawl from Fiddlesticks and the Rivendell sock pattern. I don't have any magazine subscriptions.

19. When is your birthday?
Feb 4

20. What book or movie character do you most resemble in personality?
I don’t know.

21. What is the climate like where you live around this time (need to know for careful shipments of anything meltable)?
It is very hot here right now 80s to 90 F.
22. Tell us one weird fact about yourself!

Favorites
favorite painting/picture(link):
Here
and here.

Candy:
Anything cinnamon, especially red hots and sizzling cinnamon jelly bellies.

Food:
Pasta, pound cake and strawberries

Drink:
Black Teas

Movie(s):
Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Wanted, Lilo and Stitch, Romantic Comedies, Action films. I love a little bit of everything.

TV Show(s):
Lost, Monk, Psych, Law and Order CI, Supernatural, That 70s Show, Heroes, Eureka

Book(s):
Wuthering Heights, Lord of the Rings (all of Tolkien’s books, Harry Potter books, Twilight books, 19th Century literature(preferably British Lit), Arthurian Literature.

Guilty Pleasure(s):
Video games.