Common Ground

I apologize for the lack of posting, my internet has been sporadic the past few days. Thank you for the complements on the Minimalist Cardigan, I really do love it, particularly in the Beaverslide yarn. This past weekend, the girls and I drove out to Unity, Maine to attend the Common Ground Fair. It was a blast; much larger than I'd expected, we could have spend two full days there. There were loads of animals to peer at and pet, fantastic food, live music, and local crafts. I had hopes of finding some fiber, and I was not disappointed. From left to right, 4 ounces of wool-angora batts, 10 ounces of carded roving from Purple Fleece, and finally 6 ounces of wool-alpaca-silk batts from Enchanted Knoll... which means that I got to meet Farm-Witch herself! It was my first taste of meeting a fellow knit-blogger who I have corresponded with; though we both came away apologizing for babbling and awkwardness, it was so much fun to meet in person, wonderful to put a face to the name and to meet her family! I do believe we'll be seeing each other again :) The girls were magnificently patient with their fiber-obsessed mother, especially when I found myself in the fleece tent, absolutely overwhelmed by the lanolin fumes and the hundreds of pounds of beautiful wool... I didn't purchase one this time, but I got a good idea of what I will be looking for in the future. I also got to watch the infamous Wednesday Spinners, along with plenty of other spinners working at their booths. I was very happy to get visual confirmation that, although self-taught, I spin pretty much like everyone else. *Whew!* The favorite part of the day for the kiddos? The Hay Jump in the Children's Section.

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I got some spinning done during my blog-silence. This is the August offering from Hello Yarn's fiber club, a beautifully hand-dyed Wensleydale roving. Wensleydale, as I found, is very long stapled wool, and spins differently from the merinos I'm most used to, needing less twist and longer drafting. Quite pleasant once I got the hang of it; I ended up with 180 yards of two-ply DK weight. Here is the progress on the Leftovers Chevron Scarf. The contrast yarn has shifted to some scraps of the red Koigu I used for the Gone Fishing socks, and it works very differently with the Rare Gems than the G-Rocks did, a cooler color palette. I've finally found the "right" pattern for the Wooly Wonka Superwash BFL sock yarn I had in my stash. It's beautifully dyed, but there is a near-striping pattern that interfered with the first couple patterns I tried. When in doubt, knit Monkeys! All for now.

Drum roll, please

It's time for the reveal of my new favorite sweater...

"Minimalist Cardigan" by Ruthie Nussbaum Pattern in IK Fall 2007 5 skeins Beaverslide worsted (90% merino, 10% mohair) Color: "Lichen Frost" 3.75 mm (US5) Addi Turbo needles Knit using instructions for the smallest size, though gauge difference yielded a 37" sweater.

I finished sewing up the seams night before last (that was a much more pleasant experience than I'd anticipated; the last time I sewed sweater seams was two years ago, and it was horrid. I suppose I've learned a bit since then) and am very pleased with the finished product. There is some definite curling at the front edges, but I think I can live with it. If not, I may try an i-cord border, a la Elizabeth Zimmermann. As it stands, the sweater wears like a tailored shrug. I love how the Beaverslide worked up into this pattern, it's got a touch of rustic elegance with the thicker yarn. The fabric has less drape to it, and it's not as soft as the original yarn would be, but I'm happy wearing it over a sleeveless shirt. (I'm not too sensitive to the itchies of mohair and wool.) All in all, I've extremely happy with this sweater - it's so satisfying to make a quality garment in fibers that you love! I look forward to wearing it many times in the coming years. My other big news is that my friend Marian is going to be coming to visit me from Alaska, and she'll be here just in time to go to Rhinebeck with me!!!! Squeeeeeeee!!!!! (We'll be the ones looking like deer-in-headlights... never been to a big fiber festival before.) Still working out the details, but it is looking like a plan!

Briefly

I finished my Koigu socks, and have decided that I like the PGR short-row heel. I dug into the stash to start another project: You know all those bits of sock yarn left at the end of pairs? I can't throw them out, but it's hard to find a use for such small amounts of yarn; I gathered together several ounces of "leftover" mini yarn balls. Paired with some Socks That Rock lightweight yarn ("Rare Gem") that was having some pooling issues during its brief incarnation as a sock, I think they will make a very pretty and unusual scarf! (colors above are "Rare Gem," which will be the "base" color, alternated every two rows with "G-Rocks" STR. More colors to follow, hoping that the "Rare Gem" will anchor and tie it all together.) I'm using a variation of the chevron scarf pattern from Domesticat, though really it's just a stitch pattern turned into an overgrown swatch. Oh, and before I forget, Roseann asked about the snowflake spindle: it weighs in at 39 grams, or 1.4 ounces, which seems to be a nice weight for light-worsted to sock-weight yarns. All for today!

Socks and sweaters and dogs, oh my!

I have FINALLY finished the "Somewhat Conwy" socks that I started last May. I'm so happy to have these done, I can hardly stand it. I mostly followed the pattern for "Conwy" from Nancy Bush's Travelling Socks book (sorry, I'm feeling too lazy to link to the pattern today. This is my third time using it, so I didn't really need the book anyway...) I used Crystal Palace's "Panda Cotton," which is a very nice yarn made up of cotton, bamboo, and some elastic - but I didn't like it with this pattern at all. It splits rather easily, and I needed to use 2.0 mm needles (US 0) so the twisted stitches were painful to excecute. This yarn has only 170 yards per ball, so with two balls I had just enough to make a pair of socks sized 8 to 8.5 (women's.) They shall be gifted to someone. I'm just glad they're done so I can start a new pair of socks! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * I soaked and blocked the torso parts of the Minimalist Cardigan, which softened and fluffed the yarn and seemed to help with the rolling issue. Actually, it looked entirely solved lying docile on the floor, but I had to test it on Zoe (my stand-in). After hanging on her overnight, some of the rolling was brought back by gravity, but I think I can stand it. Now I just have to finish the sleeves and sew 'er up! The Gone Fishing socks are nearly done, I did the heel last night and worked on the foot this morning. Not for too long though, I had to play with my new favorite toy. It's a snowflake spindle from The Merlin Tree (acquired through Amy, she's such an enabler.) It spins like a dream, the best spindle I've tried so far. I'm enjoying the mobility of spindles, now that spinning quantity and speed aren't my only goals. Here's a picture of the my favorite four-legger, just for the sake of it. Is it just me, or do those eyes melt your heart too? All for now, enjoy your weekend!

Joy!

That's what pure joy looks like, in any language. Can you blame them? (Sorry, Denmark...) (Photo taken from ESPN's Soccernet website; it goes with the article I linked to - that's about all the credit I can give, hope it's okay.) I was spindling some of the "Chasing Rainbows" roving I got in the mail yesterday, and caught one! Had to share, it made such a cool photo. I was standing in just the right spot to catch the light from the prism hanging in the window. The lovely and talented Peggy flattered me by nominating me for this: How cool! Thanks so much, Peggy! In return I have to nominate someone, and it's very hard to pick; I would give the award to nearly every blog I read, but there is one blog in particular I have come back to time and time again for nearly two years. It's loaded with inspiration, fantastic knitting and spinning, breath-taking photos, and good reading, not to mention a Finnish-teaching dog! I have to nominate Lene of Dances With Wool. Hers is one of the first blogs I started reading, and I do love it so. (Go on, check it out!) Thank you for the input on the rolling issue. The jury is out until tomorrow at least, at which time I may start experimenting with some of the ideas you gave (NOT frogging though, I don't have the heart) but so far it seems that the lady is relaxing substantially after a long soak in the bath. She's laid out now drying, and we'll see what gravity has to say about the now-not-quite-so-rolled fronts tomorrow... I'm pretty happy about that. My other news will only be strikingly evident to those who know me in person, but yes, I got a new 'do .

Whee!

All for now.

Out of the black hole

My experience the past few day has led me to the conclusion that if you ignore your knitting to spin, then come back to it and pay no attention to the knitting you're doing while watching Women's World Cup games (not nearly enough publicity for it, but man, there are some sweet matches going on!) you can knit your way out of the black hole that was previously obscuring your progress. Here is my Minimalist Cardigan, fronts and backs completed, collar successfully knit onto the finished pieces and grafted. The first sleeve is at about 4 inches. The only problem is... ... it's rolling. Rolling badly, not attractively. Rolling so it would look like I hung an unbaked baguette around my neck. Rolling so much that I can no longer delude myself into the belief that a little blocking will solve everything. Ripping is not an option, I'm just not that hardcore. I'm thinking that perhaps a sewn-in lining will do the trick after the whole thing is finished. Any other ideas? Anyone? I can comfort myself with my socks, which are coming along nicely, and with the fiber that arrived in the mail today (Don't look at me like that. And, no, I'm not going to blame the fish this time. It was all Aija's fault, and her crazy "Etsy Friday" posts.) Lucky for me, the postal service delivers rain or shine, and now that I'm in Maine I only had to wait one day for some of Josette's loveliness to reach my greedy little paws.

2 oz. silk roving, "Sea Nymphs"

4 oz. silk/merino, "Wood Elves" - this stuff practically glows!

3.6 oz. batts (from her own sheep!) dyed "Chasing Rainbows" (by the way, if this is what having a drum carder does for you, I need one.)

Also included were these sweet little stitch markers, and a little ball of Cotswold roving (which is white, so the photograph was unimpressive, but it's sooo soft...)

Yes, I feel much better now. Thanks for complements on my spinning - the fiber is some South African wool that I dyed before we left Alaska, and it's going into the "someday shop" pile (which is growing slowly - it's kind of like picking berries: one for the bucket, one for me; one for the bucket, two for me...) That's all I've got today. Let me know if anyone has any ideas for a rolling sweater!

Autumn is on its way!

Well, we're finally getting a break in the heat around here - unfortuanately, that means a break in the sunshine as well, but it's still pretty. Do you see that orange glow? I think fall is coming! The Random Number Generator (since my own personal Random Contest Choosing systems are back at elementary school) chose Karen (who is from Michigan, if my Ravelry search was correct - did you know you can look up people by their email addresses? Cool beans, that.) as the winner for the Alterknits book. Congrats, Karen, and thank you to all who entered. Three people took me up on the Pay It Forward exchange - my Sockapalooza Pal "Sparkles," Meg, (who also owns Yarn Expressions,) and Rosina of Noteworthy Knits. So if you're feeling up to the challenge and want to play, go stalk their blogs to join in :) Me, I'm spending the gray-day with a bucket full of color... ... turning it into a few bobbins of this: It would seem I have been knitting into a black hole - there is little visible progress, so I'll spare you the photos of that. But there may be some more FO's soon... Hope you're enjoying your Monday!

Sharing

There are a couple things that have caught my eye this week, and I thought I'd share. These sweaters. If they look vaguely familiar, they're made by a company that designed some of the knitwear for the Matrix movies. I love the simple but unusual shapes, the carefully deconstructed look, and the asymmetrical closures. They even have knit patterns available for a few of the designs (The prices are a bit inhibitive. Not that that's stopped me from drooling.) and they are sold online at three shops so far. There's even a knit-along for them! Personally, I think a self-designed sweater inspired by the Skif line may be more in my budget, perhaps knit in some yarn spun from some of Spinderella's thrums... Along the same lines, a shop called Homefrocks that sells sewn clothing (along with some of the Skif sweaters - that's how I ran across them) that I find rather intriguing. Again, there's not way on earth I could buy the clothes, but they get my gears turning in a designing sort of way. If you haven't seen the new Knitpicks multicolored wood needles yet, you need to go look. Super snazzy, no? I'll let you know what I think of them as soon as my set arrives... Did you notice the 2 - 3.25 mm dpns come in sets of 6, in case of a disaster (or in my case, misplacement.) Good idea! Also, I'm in love with the dipped leaf jewelry from Walk On the Moon. It's amazing stuff, and she has a destash site too, where you can get beads and such. Lovely.

Please play "Pay it Forward" with me...

I saw this cool exchange over on Peggy's blog, (who got it from Sonya, who picked it up from Prairie, who's paying forward from Nichole's post, who read it on Chan's blog, and I'm not sure where it was before that, but you can see how this thing is going...) I'm inviting you to play along with me. Here are the guidelines: "It’s the Pay It Forward Exchange, based on the concept of the movie “Pay it Forward” where acts or deeds of kindness are done without expecting something in return... just passing it on, with hope that the recipients of the acts of kindness continue to pass it along as well. Here’s how it works: I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I do not know what that gift will be yet, and it won’t be sent this month, probably not next month, but it will be sent (within 6 months) and that’s a promise! What YOU have to do in return, then, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog." What a great idea! Sending random joy in the mail! I can imagine it ballooning so everyone gets PIF gifts sometime in the future. So leave me some comments, and be sure to say that you want to participate AND that you intend to play fair and pay it forward from your blog as well. Then send me an email (bonjourlori AT gmail DOT com) with your information and a link to your blog, if you have one, so I can do my super-sleuth work about you :) Just because I seem to be into the animal photos this week, here is the sight that greeted me in the Wool Room a couple mornings ago. (Silly cat. There has to be a good Cheezburger caption for that one.) All for now.

New yarn, knitties, and another book giveaway...

It's funny what is "normal" in my world now. It doesn't seem at all unusual to get up, get the girls to school, come home to grab my coffee and head upstairs to... play on my spinning wheel for a few hours? I wonder how many people dropping off their kids this morning were thinking about handspun alpaca fiber awaiting their return. Probably not too many. This is indeed some handspun alpaca yarn, which started life as a roving dyed by Spunky Eclectic. Amy called the color "Mahogany," but the the fiber lightened considerably as it became yarn, so I call it "Beachcomber." It reminds me of the colors inside a seashell, cream and tan and purple. It's 230 yards of fingering weight or so - I also call it "Soon to Become My Next Glove Knitting." This next is some pink merino I half-felted awhile back and have been fighting with working on for some time. I finally finished it (thank goodness!) Little Squirrel J is still in her PINK! phase, so it will likely become some kidlet winter-wear. In a moment of inspiration, I plied together two ends that were left on the bobbins from other projects. It made a cute little mini-skein (about 60 yards) that will be a nice accent somewhere. The "Gone Fishing Sock" in its current state: The yarn everyone commented on is the leftover Shelridge Farms Soft Touch Heather (in "Loganberry;" I got mine from Simply Socks Yarn Co.) that I used for my Sockapalooza Loksins. There was hardly any left, but it's a close match, weight-wise, to the Koigu I wanted to use for the rest of the sock. I thought the yardage on the Koigu could run short on my size-10 feet, so I played it safe with contrasting cuffs and heels (there's not enough of the Loganberry to do the toes.) But wait! What is that??!?! That heel!

I finally got the hang of a short-row heel, and I actually like the way this one fits. Hooray! (and apologies to any sock pals who may have struggled to accommodate my flap-heel-only preference...) I tried Priscilla Gibson-Roberts' short-row heel method (that link is to the Dream Socks PDF) (I should add that I found Alison's tutorial to be quite helpful.) and found it to be a bit tricksy, but alright once I got the hang of it. Not that I'll abandon my heel-flaps entirely, but a girl likes to have options.

Speaking of short rows, I found a pattern to help me with some stash busting.

I received two balls of Patons Soy Wool Stripes (Natural Navy) from a swap pal, and finally found the perfect pattern., the Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf. It's an easy knit, but fairly genius in it's shaping. I think EZ would have liked it.

Lastly, but certainly not least, my progress on the Minimalist Cardigan is slow but steady. I'm finished with the right-front, working on the left.

I am going to sew the shoulder seams front-to-back, and then knit the neckband, k2tog-ing to attach it to the back-neck the grafting the center, rather than sewing the whole thing on later (much like the shoulders in Zimmermann's Seamless Saddle Shoulder pattern.) I don't hate sewing my knitting together, but I like the occasional simplification here and there. I'll let you know how it goes (cross your needles for me...)

Finally, the part you all scrolled down for (*heehee!*): This week I'm giving away my copy of AlterKNITS.

This is a great book, really well photographed, with projects ranging from garments to jewelry to home decor. Why am I giving it away? I've owned it for nearly two years and not knit anything from it. This book needs a new home!

Send an email to blogcontest AT hotmail DOT com, with "Alterknits" in the subject, by midnight EST Sunday, Sept. 8, and I'll pick a winner Monday morning.

Come on, enter the contest...

... Suckerfish says so! (See? Who can resist a suave talking fish?)

Just more sticks and string...

Thank you for all the complements on the shelves! I hope to spend many a happy hour in my new room. We had a mini-adventure, of the best type, today. As the kiddos were in school all day, our 2-man canoe finally got a chance to take two adults out. We drove to a little spot Andy had found this summer, put the canoe in the water, and paddled around a bit. You just don't see many photos that look more "Maine" than that, do you? We stopped to do some fishing, since that's what Andy does. Between the two of us, there is a staggering amount of sticks and string in the house. The fish were biting today, fast enough that I didn't get photos of most of them. Andy caught a bunch of smallmouth bass (threw them all back) and this little guy as well, which he called a suckerfish. Of course, I couldn't let him have all the action... I am a fisher-woman in training. I only caught one, and there was another that got away ("And it was this big!!!) but I am finally getting the hang of casting. Of course, I brought some other string to amuse myself with. There's a new sock on the needles (no, I haven't finished the other pair yet; the suckerfish made me to do it.)

Nope, you can't have him...

(...though I suppose if you'd like some shelving built, and you're willing to pay very well, I could be convinced to loan him out. Briefly.) I must be doing something right to deserve such a great room. Really, I'm not trying to make anyone jealous; I'm quite in awe of it myself. For the first time in my life, I have more storage than things-to-store. It's strangely... tidy?

I'd better design some patterns, sell some yarn, or do something similarly impressive. Then there is this. I have this little beauty on loan (long term loan?) from my mother-in-law, and I must say I haven't the slightest idea where to start. Warping is a mystery of the utmost level to me. I'm very willing to learn though!