tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772105564326256752024-03-12T20:34:37.418-05:00Knitting With a "Y": The Accounts of a Male KnitterYarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.comBlogger227125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-64757469633025915082022-09-29T14:01:00.000-05:002022-09-29T14:01:19.082-05:00New Endeavor<p> I can’t imagine anybody is still here, but if I still show up in your reader after all these wars and you’re interested in following my continued journey, head on over to SpringCreekTextiles.com where I have just started blogging again. Thanks!</p>Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-86155253719030907732017-01-24T19:09:00.001-06:002017-01-24T19:09:22.421-06:00Progress, Measured DifferentlyA few weeks ago, at the beginning of 2017, I did what I do at the beginning of every year and I thought you might be interested to hear about my little New Year's ritual. You see, I have... some yarn. I won't say that I have TONS of yarn or that I have TOO MUCH yarn, but I do have a small stash. A sizable collection. Enough that an entire closet is devoted to it - and then some. Now, in many ways I am not a very organized person. I'm the kind of person who will put clean clothes from the dryer into the hamper and then leave them there, wrinkles and all, pulling items out as needed while my dirty clothes meanwhile get piled on the floor (because the hamper is already occupied, you see.) Before I met my husband it was most common for me to wash a dirty bowl only when I no longer had clean ones, and the proper place for something was generally the very place I just happened to set it three months previous. Making the bed is a relatively new development in my life, I'm always running out the door with one shoe on, I often arrive to work with mismatched socks, and all joking aside if you can find my Kindle charger I will pay you $10. I am comfortable with disarray and often things only get lost when I try to tidy and organize.<br />
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Well, yarn is different. I like to know what I have, and I don't necessarily want to have to pull out my entire closet to check in the bottom bin for that last skein of Malabrigo I thought I maybe remembered buying four years ago - chances are I never bought it in the first place! So back in 2013 I decided to become a little more organized with my yarn stash. Yarn has ball bands for a reason, right? It's so we can reference the pertinent information without making guesses as to yardage, thickness, dye lot, etc. So I took all of that information and I plopped it into a handy little spreadsheet for myself.<br />
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I went through my entire stash in this way and input everything I thought was important to keep track of. This way, I can filter my results to only show me worsted weight yarn with a total yardage over 800, or perhaps I only want to see what Brooklyn Tweed yarn I have in my stash. Now that I have my spreadsheet, I can do it all without creating a mess in the closet. I also added a few additional columns, such as the one that says "In Use?" I put little notes in that column - what did I knit with the yarn? Did somebody give it to me? Have I used 3 of the 5 skeins I had? Did I buy it with a project in mind? Notes to jog my memory because you see those two columns on the right - those are my favorite columns. They calculate how much yarn I have used (say, 300 of my 600 yards) and how much is left.<br />
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Every New Year I sit down with my spreadsheet and go through my entire stash, making sure everything is accurate. (Note: Tossing your stash at least once a year is also a great way to reacquaint yourself with any yarn you had forgotten, and also air it out a bit while checking for signs of moths.) Any time I buy new yarn, it goes in the spreadsheet. Any time I finish a project, I mark it down. If I give yarn away, it gets noted. That way, as the year moves through the seasons, my progress gets calculated. I like to see movement in my stash - it makes me feel like I'm actually using it, even if I know that 80% of it is still waiting its turn. But either way, come December 31 I can scroll down to the bottom of my spreadsheet and see my totals.<br />
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You see that on the right? That's the satisfaction I'm looking for. At the end of the year, I get to see the work that I have done that year. This screenshot is from December 2016, which means that over the course of the year, 23,000 yards of yarn passed through my hands. It wasn't all knitted, mind you - some of it was given away, some of it sold, (some thrown out), but it came in and it went out and therefore I noted it on my spreadsheet. Some years are more rewarding than others because I get to see a quantifiable decline in my stash inventory. Other years look a little different. For instance, in 2014 I began the year with 75,000 yards of yarn. Over the course of that year, I knitted (or gave away) 50,000 yards of yarn, yet somehow I still managed to end 2014 with MORE yarn than I started with! 5,000 yards more! I never said this was a stash management project, it is merely about stash organization. I am, however, proud to say that in 2016 I managed to reduce my stash total by a whopping 8,000 yards! (Yes, I realize that means I still purchased 15,000 yards of yarn this year, but still!) If I keep going at this rate, my stash will be completely gone in 11 years!<br />
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I better go shopping.<br />
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<br />Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-20616153745421807762017-01-08T17:34:00.000-06:002017-01-08T19:49:35.799-06:00Past, Present, and FutureIt feels as if blogging were from a completely different lifetime. I have been away from this space for so long, and so much has happened in life since the last time I wrote, it's hard to know where to begin. I suppose I should begin by saying hello - hello to all (any?) of you who may still have my blog in your feed, long forgotten. I'd like to say I'm back, but perhaps only time will tell.<br />
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What I <i>can </i>say is that now, after several years of - what was it, burnout? suffocation? apathy or disinterest? - whatever the case, I feel as though I am finally beginning to be excited about knitting again. It's a bit funny how you can take something you are so passionate about and as soon as you put a price tag on it, as soon as you depend on that passion to pay the bills, it begins to slip through your fingertips. And so that's where I found myself after 2.5 years working full-time at a yarn shop. I talked about knitting nonstop for 8 hours a day - usually on the weekends, too. When I wasn't at work, I was working at home - designing patterns, knitting samples for designers, for yarn companies, for the store... doing finishing work for customers or planning the next class I was going to teach. By the end of the day, when I could find a rare half hour of time for myself, I had no energy left to think about knitting. No passion left to dream about my next project. No time to knit for myself - to knit for fun. No, it was deadlines, only deadlines and after a while, that's all it meant to me.<br />
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Perhaps, then, it comes as no surprise that the time arrived that I had to look for something else to pay the bills. This is, of course, the most simplified version of the story, but it will suffice as an update to bridge the gap between where I was and where I am now so we can then continue to face forward and journey on ahead into the future. It has been four months now since I left the yarn shop and perhaps just in the last few weeks have I felt like I've wanted to actively daydream about knitting, to think about my next project, to talk about knitting again. And thank the stars that I have arrived back here! Because that stash wasn't going to knit itself...<br />
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If you'll indulge me for a bit longer, there is still quite a bit more to update you on as I have been gone for so long! There will be knitting in the post too, have no fear. Since I last posted here, it's as if my entire life has changed. Shall we see how?<br />
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To begin, I started running. My brother, his wife, my sister and I have run half marathons at the Grand Canyon...<br />
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At the Grand Tetons...</div>
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At Yellowstone...</div>
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And a full marathon here in the Twin Cities.</div>
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And see that pup I'm sitting with? His name is Toad, and I adopted him.</div>
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Actually it would be more accurate to say that <i>we </i>adopted him, my husband and I. Because I also met a man, fell in love, and got married! He's a lovely man and I count myself lucky for each and every day I get to spend with him. We met for the first time two years ago when he came into the yarn shop to take a knitting class! If that's not fate, I don't know what is.</div>
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And we also bought a house. But that was before we got married, and before we adopted Toad. Of course, there can't just be one dog for two people, so we also adopted Hank.</div>
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He's quite a bit bigger than Toad.</div>
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But they both make excellent knitting companions.</div>
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And here we are! We made it to the knitting! I'm glossing over most of the items I've knit over the past two years partly because they seem so long ago, mostly because they were samples for designers, and quite frankly because they are in the past and I am looking ahead. What I'm knitting in that picture is a Christmas stocking for my husband. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I wanted to remember this one forever - our first Christmas in our house, with our dogs, and because we got married on Dec. 23, our first Christmas as a married couple.</div>
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Of course, in true knitter fashion, I finished his stocking shortly after Halloween, but didn't quite get mine done in time. Give me another week or two and it will be finished, I'm sure of it.</div>
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Can we talk about the knitting? I used (am using) Rauma Finullgarn and I have to tell you, this is quickly becoming one of my favorite yarns for colorwork. I love how plump the yarn is and I think it can be knitted quite successfully on a number of different needle sizes. Here the majority of the stocking is done on 2.50mm needles, but the toe and heel are done on 2.00mm. The pattern itself comes from one of my current favorite knitting books, Latviesa Cimdi - "Mittens of Latvia". I bought my copy from a store in Latvia whose website I couldn't read before it became available in English, but it is now readily available with an English translation (I can only look at the pretty pictures in my book, but I don't mind. Somehow I find it to feel a bit more authentic that way.) As I am such a sucker for traditional knitting techniques and patterns, it thrills me to no end when I am able to include references to traditional knitting in my own projects. Here we have a mitten pattern from Latvia, two-color braids from Estonia, and a few Norwegian stars on the cuff.</div>
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And because I like details, I couldn't help but add a bit of candy cane striping to line the cuff. If you're going to spend the time designing and knitting a one-of-a-kind item, why not go all the way? I will admit, I'm not happy with that heel. I knitted it and ripped it out twice while cursing myself for designing as I go. I've never knit a stocking before, I didn't even know what the proportions were going to be until it was done, but I'm happy with the finished product overall. Mine will look exactly the same, except I flipped the background and contrast colors in the body patterning. Matching, but different - just like us.</div>
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And there you have it in a nutshell. I've run more miles than I care to think about, I bought a house, started a new career, adopted a few dogs (and continue to foster more!), married the love of my life, and have rediscovered my love of knitting as a hobby, as a connection to the past. And now that we're here in the present, I am so happy to say that I am thrilled to be here! I know now that I will carry my knitting into the future as well - I'll be sure to tell you all about it!</div>
Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-24476269799629101862015-08-12T10:40:00.000-05:002015-08-12T10:40:07.518-05:00InspiredI'm still riding this high from Meg Swansen's Knitting camp last month and I have to say that some of the most exciting, inspiring parts about the weekend other than simply listening to Meg Swansen and Amy Detjen talk were the tables and tables full of sweaters designed and knitted by Elizabeth Zimmermann and Meg Swansen.<br />
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This was just one of three walls lined with their work. I spent quite a bit of time looking at these pieces - studying the shaping, looking at floats, figuring out how they were constructed, checking out the steeks and buttonholes... it was such a treat to be able to not only look at these pieces, but pick them up, unfold them, turn them inside out, really study them to your heart's content. What a pleasure!<br />
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As soon as I got home I immediately began the process of designing my own Meg Swansen-inspired sweater. It is going to be a long journey as there are still perhaps 5 or 6 more swatches I would like to knit, but here are my first two "Swatch Caps."<br />
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I should mention that these are unblocked because if we waited for that to happen then this blog post might never be published. This first cap was knitted to practice the technique of Twined Knitting, where you knit from both ends of the same ball of yarn and alternate them every stitch, always bringing one over the other so that they twist together on the inside of the fabric. I've never done twined knitting before and it was slow going to start, but I LOVE the resulting fabric. Wonderfully dense, with an elasticity that bounces back so quickly you'd think it were made of rubber. This is one of those techniques that I have been meaning to try for years and after camp ended, I just thought "No time like the present!" Traditionally Twined Knitting (or <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tvåändsstickning</span>) is done with Z-plied yarn and both strands held in the right hand, one strand always being brought <i>over </i>the other to complete a stitch. "Z-plied" refers to the direction the yarn was twisted and I can guarantee you that 99.9% of the yarn in your stash is not spun in this direction. If you want the traditional stuff, you can get it <a href="http://www.woolywest.com/Pages-Products/Yarn_Pages/p_y_mora.html">here</a> from Nancy Bush. I have a bunch in my stash. It's beautiful. But I digress... My cap was knitted with a regular S-plied yarn, Rauma Strikkegarn, and I held both strands in my LEFT hand and always carried one strand <i>under </i>the other to twist them. Why? Because that's what felt comfortable. You can see that the technique can give you a very deeply textured knit/purl pattern that I have fallen so in love with.<br />
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Cap two was also knitted with Rauma Strikkegarn (can you guess what yarn I'm going to use to knit my final sweater?) but this time using the more common stranded technique of always carrying one color over the other to prevent them from twisting on the back of the fabric. Both of these caps were meant to check gauge, so I simply chose a stitch pattern I liked and took off. The finished sweater will combine both twined knitting and stranded colorwork, but not with either of the patterns seen above. I still have quite a bit of playing to do, modifying the techniques involved to attempt to match gauge between the two. As it stands, on the same needle size twined knitting is giving me 7sts/inch and stranded colorwork is giving me 6sts/inch. It shouldn't be too hard to find some middle ground.<br />
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I finally allowed myself to sit down and work on a project for myself because I finished a GIANT commission that had been bogging me down for quite a while.<br />
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Let me tell you right now, if anybody else wants an XXL Norwegian sweater, you're going to have to knit it yourself because this one near did me in. But I'm rather proud, because I only cried once while knitting it.<br />
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And it was when I thought I was done knitting. I sewed one shoulder together, was preparing to cut the neck steeks and discovered that they weren't centered. The entire neck hole was in the wrong place. I almost lost it at that point, but thank god I hadn't cut those steeks open yet. I had to rip back 5 hours (because clearly that's how we track our knitting progress on things like this) and do the top of the yoke over again. But now I can do my final happy dance because the sweater is done, blocked, and shipped off to its owner for good.<br />
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Which is excellent because I have a pile of five sweaters here with my name on them all in various stages of finishing and dang it, I will be wearing them this fall! Stay tuned...Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-57566682980782703432015-07-23T23:40:00.000-05:002015-07-23T23:40:07.181-05:00One Year LaterI bet you didn't expect to see me here, did you?<br />
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I've been thinking about bringing this blog back for a while now and I looked today to see when the last time I wrote anything was and wouldn't you know... it was exactly one year ago today. I suppose it's only appropriate, then, to write today with a brief update about everything that has been going on.<br />
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I feel like this has been one loooong year, full of countless days, weeks, months that I found myself saying "I just need to get to the end of this week/month and things will be better." And things haven't been terrible, they have just been busy. And stressful.<br />
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Since I last wrote, I have stopped taking on commission work from designers, which was a hard decision to make, but I was so bogged down with knitting that this winter I had to make a rule for myself: No knitting after 2am or before 6am. I called it my 2/6 Rule and yes, it really was necessary. And yes, it did only guarantee me four hours of sleep a night. And no, I do not function well with only four hours of sleep.<br />
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So I decided that this year, 2015, would be the year that I put myself first and start being a little more selfish both in my knitting and in my everyday life. Well... here we are in July and I still have to break out that 2/6 Rule every once in a while, but I'm working on it, and I think I've made progress in the past couple of weeks.<br />
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Last August I left my job with the Minnesota Orchestra to begin working full time at the yarn shop, where I am now working as the assistant manager. It really is a wonderful gig and I'm enjoying it immensely, but I've also taken on the role of "Chief Finisher" (I made that up.) What happens is that a customer will bring in a project that they want finished - be it blocking, seaming, weaving in ends, sewing on buttons, installing a zipper, or flat out knitting half a garment. And whenever those projects come in, they go home with me to be taken care of. So I replaced knitting for designers with spending my evenings blocking sweater pieces, sewing seams, and attempting to salvage poorly knit sweaters for customers. It really is about as tedious as it sounds and for most of the past 12 months, in conjunction with knitting samples for display at the shop, my personal knitting time has dwindled down to nothing. Well, I am slowly attempting to take my evenings back for my own personal use and I'm hopeful that this time it will stick (with the help of a fellow coworker who so graciously offered to help with the finishing work.)<br />
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About two months ago I moved again. That makes about 10 times in the past 10 years and I will tell you that I am SO crazy sick of packing up my life, living out of boxes, and not being able to settle in anywhere. But this new place feels like home to me, and even though chances are it won't be more than a year or two that I live here, this time I'm settling in. I've unpacked, I've hung art on the walls, I've taken my knitting books out of their boxes that they have been confined to for years. And for me the best part is that I no longer have a roommate. I no longer have a roommate with two cats. Oh dear readers, how wonderful it is to be able to block sweaters on my living room floor instead of under my bed with the door shut. How nice it feels to be able to leave my knitting on the couch when I go to bed. It really is making a world of difference in that I can simply come home and relax however I want, wherever I want, whenever I want. I am definitely taking advantage of having my own place. (And it's the most charming little place you've ever seen. I'll have to show you pictures in a future post.)<br />
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So I think that sums up most of the major life points since last I wrote - I left one job, started another one full time, I moved... So now let's talk a little bit more about knitting.<br />
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Here's the truth: For months now I have been completely burnt out. Cranking out sweater after sweater after sweater, repeatedly explaining the different between worsted and "fingerling" yarn for eight hours a day and then going home to sew sweaters together for people who have never heard of a spit splice, a selvedge stitch, or the importance of gauge. It was driving me absolutely insane. But then, last weekend, I had a breath of fresh air. I got to attend Meg Swansen's Knitting Camp in Wisconsin!<br />
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Ohhhh lord I had no idea how desperately I needed that. And honestly, I was a bit of a grump when I got there, but that quickly changed. To be surrounded by a roomful of other knitters who had not only heard about swatching, but who actually DO swatch. REPEATEDLY. And they <i>block </i>their swatches, and knit with real wool and don't care if they have to wash it by hand or if it's "scratchy" and they understand the importance of a clean ssk decrease line. It was knitting therapy, I'm here to tell you.<br />
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I have been an Elizabeth Zimmermann fan since I first began knitting about eight years ago, having picked up a copy of The Knitting Workshop as one of my first knitting books. I was always so inspired by her work, her designs, her philosophy on knitting and on life, on the way she didn't hold your hand, but gave you the information you needed to go out and explore the world of knitting on your own. Just incredible. And I'm ashamed to say that I had forgotten about all of that. Knitting had become my job, and I had become over the years purely a product knitter. I never stopped to think whether or not I was enjoying it, because who cares? I had a deadline to meet. Customers would ask "what do you like to make?" and I would stop and think, and then skirt around the question by simply saying "well, I make a lot of sweaters." But what do I like to make? What a novel idea.<br />
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This past weekend with Meg Swansen (Elizabeth Zimmermann's daughter) rekindled that spark that I had as a new knitter, staying up until 2am knitting not because I had to, but because I simply couldn't put it down! Knitting a project because I wanted to try out a new technique, a new stitch pattern, a new yarn, or a new construction. Back then it wasn't about the finished result, it was about the process. I had forgotten that knitting, for me, used to be an act of enjoyment, of leisure, of relaxation and not a catalyst for stress, sleep deprivation, and injury. I didn't care whether I was making something fashionable, or popular, or impeccably flawless. I cared that I was making something that I thought was cool, was fun, was interesting, or was functional. Well, Knitting Camp reminded me of all the reasons why knitting is my passion, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend.<br />
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I have already started swatching for some new designs sparked by the creative energy at camp and I am so excited to to be excited about knitting again!<br />
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Maybe I should leave this post at that. I'm excited about knitting again! And as a result, I hope to revive this blog so that I can once again share my excitement with all of you. It'll be a fun ride, I promise. Stay tuned!Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-20007714068342392992014-07-23T10:28:00.001-05:002014-07-23T10:28:35.108-05:00When I'm Not Knitting SweatersI always have so much trouble getting back into blogging when I've taken an accidental break. This post will simply be to play catch up and then hopefully blogging won't seem so daunting. I have quite a backlog of things to share, despite the fact that I have spent the majority of my knitting time these past couple of months knitting samples for designers.<br />
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I moved to a new apartment at the beginning of June and still feel like I haven't fully settled in or unpacked, but I'm growing accustomed to the new place. I now have internet at home (this hasn't happened since 2010) so it will make blogging easier, I hope. For today, though, let's just do a quick update.<br />
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Way back when there was still snow on the ground (which was much more recently than I care to remember) I finished another pair of socks for myself. Please ignore my ghost-white Minnesota-winter legs. This pair is part of my initiative to only wear handknit socks in the winter. I hate making them, but love wearing them. I'm hoping to crank out another few pairs before the cold sets in again. <br />
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Yarn: Malabrigo Sock in Ivy</div>
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Pattern: None, simple 2x1 rib</div>
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Needles: US 0</div>
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One of my best friends is pregnant with her first child, so I wanted to be sure the little guy would be equipped with a nice blanket when he arrived. The due date was this past Sunday, but he still hasn't made an appearance.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAH468656VFBereEfwJZqiu_gwHvRKBK9wLif7aD5yeDEQ-Y527sF_y9lrl95JM7ywQWRYVEQOqO_fSXd-1-coI45lqeZGPl1X5hxrE3WocEatdNRD-RMKIO2OqLGglvQQzZrTpDJDAU/s1600/DSCN4946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAH468656VFBereEfwJZqiu_gwHvRKBK9wLif7aD5yeDEQ-Y527sF_y9lrl95JM7ywQWRYVEQOqO_fSXd-1-coI45lqeZGPl1X5hxrE3WocEatdNRD-RMKIO2OqLGglvQQzZrTpDJDAU/s1600/DSCN4946.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yarn: Frabjous Fibers March Hare (Muchness, Looking Glass, Caterpillar, Dreamworld, and Marmalade)</div>
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Pattern: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/blanket-17">Blanket</a> from Wearwithall</div>
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Needles: US 7</div>
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The colors of the yarn are so vibrant, I'm really happy with how the blanket turned out. I finished it several months ago and it has been on display at the yarn shop ever since, but I took it back yesterday so I could give it a good wash and send it out to my friend in Seattle before too long.</div>
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My friend also sent me a picture of a baby hat and asked if I could make a similar one for their newborn photo shoot. I made three, just in case. They requested sage green and because I'm colorblind, I thought I would give them options. Also, I have no idea how large a baby head is, so I guessed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaOEcTQPcwnfMkbDEdspiCQ_UedNGx_KnBTSS2fF-3FevpXzt-5jRY2_e91k2qPHac3PxtKxv0_QIXTtQl3PGcY6gJNKUN90UaB2GBtKaxxCtGiKcDz-VXf4RFzkGH4JtnWfg5-b9Ha8k/s1600/IMG_2551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaOEcTQPcwnfMkbDEdspiCQ_UedNGx_KnBTSS2fF-3FevpXzt-5jRY2_e91k2qPHac3PxtKxv0_QIXTtQl3PGcY6gJNKUN90UaB2GBtKaxxCtGiKcDz-VXf4RFzkGH4JtnWfg5-b9Ha8k/s1600/IMG_2551.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgHEfXNY8de2YPKl_r0wxDTAQYJK5-RT3re0iR01FO7mk8727-g1rGdvuYVNpY8K31cpV0oNo6-i85dgBU4sr9-KlUdYrk2XgpQt_xzaTE02ZT0KOEq5KMn0prSYBYT-7HAxOvQ3nmZ0/s1600/IMG_2552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgHEfXNY8de2YPKl_r0wxDTAQYJK5-RT3re0iR01FO7mk8727-g1rGdvuYVNpY8K31cpV0oNo6-i85dgBU4sr9-KlUdYrk2XgpQt_xzaTE02ZT0KOEq5KMn0prSYBYT-7HAxOvQ3nmZ0/s1600/IMG_2552.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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Yarn:</div>
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Hat 1, Rowan Lima.</div>
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Hat 2, Fibre Co. Savannah.</div>
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Hat 3, BrooklynTweed Shelter.</div>
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(Clearly I'm not concerned about washability)</div>
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Pattern: None.</div>
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Now, despite all the samples I've been making, I have somehow also found the time to get sucked down the rabbit hole of a few other (somewhat related) crafts. Crochet anyone?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3Jni3gz9XfK_XhzQ3KITcTH4TUfC6XYt1QY7hpa_IQ0OH0N-BwFJWVI0z05AVSLKVUTaoAe6CtLgUjFzUrXR6bq1389ypeK77DE7e5iOkCLOek4cZVNZ2qIoIhH8uFpaZ1D_Fd-4x5s/s1600/DSCN4971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3Jni3gz9XfK_XhzQ3KITcTH4TUfC6XYt1QY7hpa_IQ0OH0N-BwFJWVI0z05AVSLKVUTaoAe6CtLgUjFzUrXR6bq1389ypeK77DE7e5iOkCLOek4cZVNZ2qIoIhH8uFpaZ1D_Fd-4x5s/s1600/DSCN4971.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yes, I am making a giant granny square. This is the first time I've ever really crocheted anything and it's sort of mind-numbing in a good way. I'm using Shetland Spindrift in about 30 different colors and I love the way it's coming out. I've added a few dozen rows since that picture was taken. There are actually about eight of us at the yarn shop making this blanket together as a sort of crochet-along. It's fun to see everyone's progress every week and we've all chosen such different color palettes. Crochet is a great way to play with color because it combines them in a way that knitting doesn't. Planning the color sequence is just as enjoyable as actually crocheting the piece.</div>
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And as if that's not enough to fill my time, I've also become oddly interested in card weaving.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlM_KJsdpsaQoiUXgbEgW7YCyVg6bqtftHtmoQhe-uWKY9wf8I7P32ERFjrRvrhoLq8uttIdn-D-J7iKZzRuaHYY7W3l7QFU0Lunj8YWwfRu1ws7mX94ktCHsZGE1lGYwP7n7cNqsRRQ/s1600/IMG_2516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlM_KJsdpsaQoiUXgbEgW7YCyVg6bqtftHtmoQhe-uWKY9wf8I7P32ERFjrRvrhoLq8uttIdn-D-J7iKZzRuaHYY7W3l7QFU0Lunj8YWwfRu1ws7mX94ktCHsZGE1lGYwP7n7cNqsRRQ/s1600/IMG_2516.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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That's the first band I made. I really just threaded the cards to play around with it and came upon this pattern by accident. You can see in the background a bit of the random patterning I was trying out before I came upon this one. I just realized I don't actually have a picture of the cards that you use to weave with, but the technique itself is used to create narrow, strong bands. For what? Who knows. I don't have a plan, but it's fun to explore the possibilities.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRHIX4z-uUlfrSMVTtsg59OGJnVOZAyJk6yREYKUvLsqNmZyR3VLIbmoVVpyRGuYxEhbxusK6TReYX_GpiUHMkJ2oYcGPsnkItseZ2QSE4zGdPedw5U7xKK_Dm4Zdz16phjgMEx4PeBA/s1600/DSCN4974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRHIX4z-uUlfrSMVTtsg59OGJnVOZAyJk6yREYKUvLsqNmZyR3VLIbmoVVpyRGuYxEhbxusK6TReYX_GpiUHMkJ2oYcGPsnkItseZ2QSE4zGdPedw5U7xKK_Dm4Zdz16phjgMEx4PeBA/s1600/DSCN4974.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KyV3jwMaum8aw2AewDycTUSjLym-UIYIUS3PRWB2AfDhUZvgqCKwD5EJBwDEwXjBVmrcwTTsxvRVshKiGGnTQUqFHZvWrlceox3SHE0Z5WyEmpumF5adm9zmXWqdlZVlRTnpS1rN4W0/s1600/IMG_2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KyV3jwMaum8aw2AewDycTUSjLym-UIYIUS3PRWB2AfDhUZvgqCKwD5EJBwDEwXjBVmrcwTTsxvRVshKiGGnTQUqFHZvWrlceox3SHE0Z5WyEmpumF5adm9zmXWqdlZVlRTnpS1rN4W0/s1600/IMG_2525.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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And it's FAST, too. I'm able to weave several feet in just a few days. It's definitely one of those instant gratification projects.</div>
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And if I really want to relax, I pick up my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/multigrain">Multigrain Scarf</a> from Shibui. They sent me the yarn and pattern as a way to explore the "Shibui Mix" concept - holding multiple yarns together to create different fabrics.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimK4giP75bPwxzDHNa_22zUd1gG9eDEtBL0CWrkbHc7LMgIJYokntSCgqq_l5rBB9LI2L5CBGhrpPh4pZUnkhUWsukcoToj-rYMbY5_R-AZPwB1O7OG1OcnX6t6LRbZJiKM8V46NgMcsc/s1600/DSCN4969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimK4giP75bPwxzDHNa_22zUd1gG9eDEtBL0CWrkbHc7LMgIJYokntSCgqq_l5rBB9LI2L5CBGhrpPh4pZUnkhUWsukcoToj-rYMbY5_R-AZPwB1O7OG1OcnX6t6LRbZJiKM8V46NgMcsc/s1600/DSCN4969.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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This scarf uses Pebble, Silk Cloud, and Cima. In the above picture you can see Pebble held double on the left (cashmere, silk, and wool), then 1 strand of Pebble and 1 of Silk Cloud in the middle, then Silk Cloud held double on the right. (Silk Cloud is similar to Kidsilk Haze, only better in my opinion.) It then progressed to Silk Cloud/Cima, Cima doubled, Cima/Pebble, and then Pebble doubled again.</div>
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Every time I pick up this project, I feel all of my stress melt away. It's an incredibly indulgent project and there is no way I could possibly work with these fibers while remaining tense. It's just impossible.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZW6-RxRtVREsFKnufmUiwqIefvyt7WQhoqdNT9zfN5cz1hAD19Zqv5e-d9oyFhYFZ83WolHkpfp6pfXqCa6C9hV5wrKVx92MuybIbQS1EHkCcf_wh62OJla0nIRCDhVEuUKLceF-ayY/s1600/IMG_2500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZW6-RxRtVREsFKnufmUiwqIefvyt7WQhoqdNT9zfN5cz1hAD19Zqv5e-d9oyFhYFZ83WolHkpfp6pfXqCa6C9hV5wrKVx92MuybIbQS1EHkCcf_wh62OJla0nIRCDhVEuUKLceF-ayY/s1600/IMG_2500.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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I'm using the same color (Mineral) for all of the yarns, but changing the combinations adds an interesting dimension to the texture of the scarf, despite the fact that the gauge remains the same. It's a fun concept to explore and customers at the yarn shop have been falling in love with the different fabrics you can produce.</div>
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So there you have it, that's what I've been up to on top of knitting sweater after sweater after sweater (and working two jobs). There are potentially some very exciting changes coming up in my near future, but more on that later. Take care!</div>
Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-81440120553412907222014-05-20T15:34:00.000-05:002014-05-20T15:34:08.083-05:00Shepherd's HarvestShepherd's Harvest - Minnesota's sheep and wool festival - was this past weekend and I think it's safe to say that I was an active attendee. Last year I felt like I went a little crazy with my purchases, so this year I arrived with a small list of humble purchases I was hoping to make to keep myself reigned in. I had already decided I wasn't going to buy any fleece this year because I still haven't spun what I bought last year and I wasn't interested in buying yarn, so really what I was looking for were small samples of this and that for a class I'm going to be teaching next month all about fiber.<br />
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Needless to say, I was able to find everything on my list. I had methodically worked my way through all of the buildings that morning (Buildings A-D) before meeting up with a friend. I had made my way through buildings A, B, and C before disaster struck. My friend texted me, "Where are you?" "Building D. Save me from myself!!" I had come face to face with this fleece.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDi5A2Pnyp3uv3vIBR0vbK33p-xWpATrSPKGfdl7VtOiJBd3qZiqioIfcy1sBruafSefx-y5XAmGDELtpFK7OQnBc1Sph9Bw5GQDyanEpVuJMqSc79Vz24Xh9jXHGoo2DEmslWyVlWjss/s1600/DSCN4956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDi5A2Pnyp3uv3vIBR0vbK33p-xWpATrSPKGfdl7VtOiJBd3qZiqioIfcy1sBruafSefx-y5XAmGDELtpFK7OQnBc1Sph9Bw5GQDyanEpVuJMqSc79Vz24Xh9jXHGoo2DEmslWyVlWjss/s1600/DSCN4956.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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My friend did not, in fact, save me. Instead, he said something like "you need to buy that." Some help he is. I really am excited about it, though, and hopefully I will actually get around to using it. It's a Corriedale fleece from a young ram and I'm a sucker for those natural colors. Have you ever seen a colored Corriedale like that? I sure haven't. I washed a handful of locks when I got home to play around with and fully intended to wash the whole fleece in one go with the intention of carding it, but when I combed a few locks and spun them up, I swooned. So now I've stored the fleece without washing it and will wash it more carefully to keep the locks intact. Washing the whole fleece at once is just fine for carding because the fibers are going to get jumbled up when you card them anyway, but for combing you want the locks to stay together so you can comb the fibers into a parallel organization.<br />
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And now you're wondering what that other bag on the left side of the picture is, I'm sure. Last year I missed the fleece judging/silent auction, but this year I walked through and looked at all the fleece up for auction and I couldn't resist...<br />
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That would be me with the Grand Champion fleece, which I won because I'm greedy like that.<br />
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But helloooooo, would you have left that there? It's a Romney and this one I will definitely comb because it's a longer-stapled fleece that wouldn't lend itself well to carding. (Generally fibers less than 3 inches are carded and greater than 4 are combed. There's some wiggle room there in the middle and certainly you can try what you like, these are just standards that industrial mills tend to follow.)<br />
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So there, now you know the truth. I have no idea where I'm going to put all of this when I move in two weeks, but I'm sure it'll all work out. I'm eager to get back to my wheel, but sample knitting keeps me busy, busy, busy.<br />
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Oh, and speaking of moving, the most exciting thing about my new apartment is that I'm finally going to have internet at home again! And my front yard will be a park, which will maybe entice me to get out and take FO pictures again. That would be nice, wouldn't it?Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-55152597666911531302014-05-11T01:10:00.000-05:002014-05-11T01:10:19.966-05:00Sweater SurgeryI realize that I have been away from the blog for quite some time. Thank you for all of the messages I have received checking in to make sure that I'm ok and asking for updates. I do intend to keep this blog up and running, but it may be another month or so before I get back into the swing of things.<br />
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Brief update about what's been going on here:<br />
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1. I got a job! Well, two actually. At the beginning of February I was hired by my favorite LYS, <a href="http://www.yarnery.com/">The Yarnery</a>, and I jumped at that opportunity. Any store that acts as a flagship for BrooklynTweed, is the exclusive Twin Cities carrier of Neighborhood Fiber Company and has an intimate relationship with Shibui is where I want to be. In January I had been lamenting to a friend about how difficult it is to find a job in music and she suggested that you just have to think outside the box and try to combine your passions. How does one combine knitting and music? I'm still not sure, but the day after I started working at The Yarnery, I got a call from the temp. agency I was working with and they told me about a job working for the Minnesota Orchestra. As some of you may know, the MO recently overcame a 16 month lockout due to a dispute between the management and the musicians over a proposed salary reduction. It was great news when the orchestra finally reached an agreement, but it also meant that the ticketing and sales department had three weeks to process nearly 2,500 subscription orders before the orchestra began playing again at the end of February. Once that period ended, the orchestra very graciously offered to hire me on as an employee so I could continue working for them. So I'm not sure how to combine both my passions other than to simply get jobs in both fields, but that works for me!<br />
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2. I still knit all day every day. In fact, now I can even knit at work without being reprimanded. At the yarn shop knitting sort of comes with the territory, and at the orchestra I spend all day answering calls on the ticketing line, so between calls if there isn't any other work to be done, I knit a few rows. It comes in especially handy because most of the knitting I do these days is sample knitting for designers. I was watching a video a few weeks ago (<a href="http://www.interweavestore.com/orenburg-knitting-knitting-gossamer-webs-with-galina-khmeleva-download-in-hd">Orenburg Knitting with Galina Khmeleva</a>, I'm a sucker for instructional videos) and she was talking about the women of Orenburg knitting for survival. It's a story we hear quite often about the past. People in Orenburg, Estonia, Shetland, knitting so they can put food on the table and then I realized... that's exactly what I'm doing. It sounds excessive to say that I'm knitting for survival, but when it comes right down to it, I do in one way or another depend on knitting to supplement my income. People at work sometimes say how wonderful it must be to have the free time to get so much knitting done, but I don't consider it "free time." Most days I work back-to-back shifts at the orchestra and then the yarn shop, and then I go home and knit for 4 hours because I have deadlines to meet. I do enjoy it for the most part, but that doesn't mean it's not work. It may not be a scheduled shift in an office, but it's not really a leisure activity either.<br />
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3. I do still knit for fun, too, don't worry. It just has to happen slowly in between projects, like if I send out a sweater and the yarn for the next one hasn't arrived yet (like right now) or if my "for pay" project is too big to take on the go, I may work on a sock at work instead. Like I said, I'm knitting all the time.<br />
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4. My brother got married last weekend and it was a ton of fun, despite the fact that I cried every two minutes. I was one of his groomsmen.<br />
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The reason I'm even bringing this up is because my brother is a dancer and as a surprise for his husband, he choreographed a dance to a Beyonce mashup for the reception and it was amazing and I think you should all watch the video. I'm not actually sure if it's on YouTube, but maybe you can watch it on Facebook by clicking on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202962311993258">this link</a>. Let me know if it works?</div>
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5. There are probably 17 other things I should be telling you, but it's almost 1am and I need to get to bed. Quickly though, the sweater surgery. The other day, my brother who just got married said to me, "Peter, the sweater D (our sister) made for me has a dropped stitch on the cuff and it's unraveling. How do I fix it?" Well, it turns out that it wasn't really just a dropped stitch, but both cuffs were completely falling apart.</div>
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I'm not surprised. My brother doesn't go anywhere without this sweater. I don't know how he can wear it, I have two sweaters in Ultra Alpaca and even in the dead of winter I get heat stroke within minutes of putting them on. But he doesn't seem to have that problem. Anyway, when he showed me the sweater and asked, "How do I fix it?" I told him, "You don't. I do." So I took it home with me. The yarn is now discontinued (Ultra Alpaca Tonal), but I managed to find some for sale online. The sweater was knit flat from the cuff up, so I undid the seam a few inches past the cuff and picked up stitch in the row below (above?) the cuff so I could knit a new one on.</div>
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Then I snipped the cuff a row or two above my needle and unpicked that row of knitting.</div>
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It was quick work to knit new cuffs onto the sweater after that. In total it really only took me about an hour to do and I'm sure he'll be thrilled that he can wear his sweater again without worrying that it will unravel. It sure beats having to knit a whole new sweater. (I bought two skeins of the discontinued yarn just in case I need it again.)</div>
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Speaking of discontinued yarn, I'm looking for an extra skein of Cascade Soft Spun color 2803 (charcoal gray) to finish a sweater I should have finished last July. You don't happen to have any in your stash, do you?</div>
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And with that I'm going to bed. Have a good night, y'all!</div>
Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-62986056243017392622014-01-27T21:27:00.000-06:002014-01-27T21:38:47.619-06:00Revelations<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Thank
you to each and every one of you for your thoughtful comments and
generous words. I appreciate that you all took the time to write
such kind messages and I'm trying to take them all to heart.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Today
I thought I would write about another realization that I've had
recently in regards to my knitting. (The first being that handknit
socks are warm, in part, because they cover my ankles.) A few months
back I was in a knitting slump. Do you ever find yourself in this
situation? I didn't have any projects on the needles that interested
me, the idea of purchasing new yarn – a thought that is usually
accompanied by a rush of adrenaline and a far away look in my eyes –
inspired little more than a shrug, and every pattern I saw had that
boring, “been there done that” look to it. And then I began to
think about my knitting in general. How many things have I made in
the past? How much time have I spent on this craft? How many of
those things that I've made do I actually wear? As an aside, I
should mention two things: a) I was thinking these thoughts while
riding the bus to work at 7am. b) I am not a morning person. No, I
don't think that's the right way to put it. I loathe mornings. I
don't care how much coffee I consume, I find it nearly physically
impossible to smile or have a positive thought in the morning. It's
genetic. Anyone who has had the misfortune of being in a
relationship with me or one of my siblings knows first-hand the
extent of this normal and incredibly rational hatred. In the
mornings, it is probably safest for you to simply pretend we aren't
there. Do not say “good morning.” Do not ask us if we want
coffee. In fact, don't even look at us. Even that would be more
interaction than we care to have in the mornings. (I promise this is
all somewhat relevant.) An ex-boyfriend of mine (a relationship that
was obviously doomed to fail) once asked, before we went to bed, “Can
you at least be happy to see me in the morning?” And I tried.
Despite the sun threatening to blind me and those god awful robins
screaming at a decibel that could shatter glass, I sat up, put on
what I felt was the biggest smile I have EVER attempted and in the
happiest of voices I said, “Good morning! It's nice to see you!”
He only stared back. In fact, he looked pissed. He didn't even
acknowledge how strong I must be to have overcome my internal
struggle against darkness to express a happy sentiment right upon
awakening. Had I done it wrong? Was he trying to get back at me?
Reversing the roles so I know how I appear in the mornings? He was
glaring at me. I took another breath thinking I would try again when
he blinked once in annoyance and said, with anger in his voice, “we
slept in. I missed my train to New York.” I have since gone back
to being single as well as hating mornings. Clearly false optimism
doesn't make anything better and it's too exhausting to keep it up.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And
so there I was on the bus, aiming my morning death-stare out the
window so as not to accidentally lock eyes with another passenger,
and fuming about my knitting. Of all the sweaters that I've knitting
for myself over the years, how many of them do I wear on a regular
basis, I wondered? None. Scarves? Perhaps one or two. Hats? It
turns out I don't wear hats. Nor do I wear cowls. In fact, my
personal tastes don't really gravitate towards man-shawls,
accessories, or bright colors at all. I have been knitting quite
consistently for about seven years now – has all that time, energy,
and money been wasted? “If I don't wear 90% of the crap that I
make, what's the point?” thought my 7am self.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Back
in the fall I was asked to knit a sample sweater to be displayed in
my LYS. The idea was that the sweater be displayed for a few months
and then I get to take it home. I thought about all the sweaters in
the back of my closet that I never wear. This one's too heavy. I
don't like that collar. That one is scratcy. Pullovers make me
overheat. One thing I realized as I was mentally tossing through my
wardrobe was that I hadn't completed a sweater for myself in about 4
years. That's more than half my knitting life. More importantly,
though, was that maybe – just maybe – I've learned a thing or two
about knitting in that intervening time and a thing or two about
myself as well. And so with this store sample I was determined to
create a sweater not that I would want to knit, but one that I would
want to <i>wear</i>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And
that was my revelation. I wasn't relating to my knitting anymore
because my focus had shifted. For years I have chosen patterns
because I thought they looked like fun. They had interesting
stitches, intriguing construction techniques, dapper models. I would
see a pattern and think, “I'd like to knit that” while rarely
giving voice to the second question. The one that was giving me so
much grief on the bus - “Will I actually wear that?” I often
find myself entranced by a pattern, thinking, “If I owned that, I,
too, would be effortlessly trendy. I'd flip my shawl around my neck,
latte in hand and heads would turn to watch my better, more
fashionable self strut down the sidewalk. I'd totally wear that”
paying no heed to the fact that, in truth, my style is a hoodie and
blue jeans, not chinos, styled hair, and a latte. I want my knitting
to have a real, physical presence in my life. I want my hard work to
be put to use, to be functional, to serve a purpose. Knitting, to
me, isn't simply the act of creating fabric or a way to de-stress
before bed. Knitting is a way to provide for myself and connect to
our collective past through the act of making. I want to feel as
though I'm contributing toward keeping this craft, these skills, our
knowledge alive and it's not going to thrive in the back of my
closet. When I started knitting I was all about the process. I
would have a dozen projects on the needles. I didn't give any
consideration to when I would finish anything because finishing
wasn't the point. Knitting was the point. I've known for years now
that my opinions have changed on that matter, but it wasn't until
recently that I realized that finishing, triumphant as it is, holds
little importance unless that item gets used. I took a step in the
right direction with my sample sweater and now that I have it in my
hands, I wear it all the time.</span></span></div>
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<i style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Pattern: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/slade">Slade</a> by Michele Wang from BT Men Yarn: BrooklynTweed Shelter in Truffle Hunt</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
process was simple – row after row of stockinette. A neutral
color. A classic shape. But the end result was just what I had
hoped for. A functional, wearable, fits-with-my-wardrobe sweater
that I <i>use</i>. And you know what? When I wear it, I can almost picture
that latte in my hand. (I would have taken better pictures, but the wind chill was -35 today and I wasn't going to go out there if I didn't have to.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm
hoping my next sweater will be just as successful.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiS2VYKjcXPWkAzsYSNE3MchpdCeBmFQth9EoJtDjNiL7ESFQDPAR7fCqMZmHFsJ0jpNDSPAtIkayQd2YfeqYChygHRab7vSEaMYDgjzzRrfcfSX_Y0mFLJS0em4cAMLS0H80mov23FzA/s1600/DSCN4928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiS2VYKjcXPWkAzsYSNE3MchpdCeBmFQth9EoJtDjNiL7ESFQDPAR7fCqMZmHFsJ0jpNDSPAtIkayQd2YfeqYChygHRab7vSEaMYDgjzzRrfcfSX_Y0mFLJS0em4cAMLS0H80mov23FzA/s1600/DSCN4928.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Back and start of front of Redford by Julie Hoover, BT Men Yarn: BrooklynTweed Loft in Almanac</i></span></div>
Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-33223834357061797932014-01-24T16:05:00.001-06:002014-01-24T16:05:55.421-06:00Guilt-Free
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Last night I wrote a lengthy blog post
about why I have been away for so long. I realized as I was nearing
the third page that what I had intended as a blog post quickly became
a stream of consciousness, getting my thoughts all out of my head and
down on paper. I'm not going to make you read that post, but it did
help me recognize that I miss blogging and have been keeping myself
away from it for unjustified reasons.</div>
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This past month has been a difficult
one for me. My job ended before the holidays and I have spent the
past few weeks trying to find a new one to no avail. My days are
full of uncertainty and the ever-present feelings of worthlessness
and inadequacy. I try to stay positive and optimistic, but there's
always that constant voice in the back of my mind whispering to me
about how I'm a failure, that I'm no good, that I'm not trying hard
enough.</div>
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Through it all, I've been knitting.
I've been knitting every day, and you know what that voice says?
“You're wasting your time.” “You don't deserve to be
knitting.” “Stop being lazy.” It must be my Catholic
upbringing resurfacing. Feeling guilty for trying to relax. But I
do it anyway because I know - and you know - that knitting is so much
more than a way to use up spare time. Knitting has given me
something to hold on to, a way to push that voice away that says I'm
not good at anything. Knitting is the constant in my life that keeps
me grounded when it seems like everything else is up in the air.</div>
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It's for these reasons that I've kept
myself away from the blog. I didn't want any of my negativity to
work its way into my posts and I didn't want others to look at my
posts and think, “that's what you spent your day doing?” That's
just projection – my own voice and feelings of guilt resurfacing.
And the truth is that yes, that's what I spent my day doing. I also
spent my day practicing clarinet for several hours to prepare for
upcoming auditions, doing chores, running errands, networking,
tweaking my resume, etc. But this is a knitting blog, so I'm going
to talk primarily about what I've been knitting and will most likely
leave out the other 22 hours of my day. Knitting is important to me,
especially now, and I want to continue to share that with all of you
because you guys understand. You have my back, and sometimes what
you need is someone to simply say, “it's ok. You'll get through
this. Just keep knitting.”</div>
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And so I will.</div>
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Would you like to see what I've been
working on? For Christmas, instead of buying everyone a gift, everyone in my family pulls a name out of a hat on Thanksgiving. Every year this
process gets a bit more complicated as we add husbands and wives,
girlfriends and boyfriends, and nieces and nephews to the mix. My
youngest sister, tech savvy as she is, came up with the idea for
everyone to upload a wish list onto Google Docs so they can be seen
by everyone else. (I still have trouble with this every year. I
always have to ask my brother to help me figure out how to make it
work.) This year I pulled my sister's name (Sister #4) and just by
luck, one item on her list began “If a knitter pulled my name...”
She requested a charcoal headband with a flower.</div>
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I have to confess - and I can't blame
my colorblindness for this because it's gray – but I don't know
what the color “charcoal” looks like. So I had three options,
three different grays, but in the end I went with Ultra Alpaca.
Apparently my other two choices were too dark to be charcoal.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNepV2cMexmIeR2ckCxCIrtPy61Z9Q_Vp4Rpdfut8hDA0-aG4oVZSfGJwlKYLF0St1z68lKfmCpWkHX2yayy-W2khtyIcD-KAiW4YKZTIgDhqoH2Re_iPVNtpiwPkg19gUd_tOYNpR7BA/s1600/DSCN4906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNepV2cMexmIeR2ckCxCIrtPy61Z9Q_Vp4Rpdfut8hDA0-aG4oVZSfGJwlKYLF0St1z68lKfmCpWkHX2yayy-W2khtyIcD-KAiW4YKZTIgDhqoH2Re_iPVNtpiwPkg19gUd_tOYNpR7BA/s1600/DSCN4906.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I used the pattern <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/knit-earwarmer-with-crochet-flower">Knit Earwarmer with Crochet Flower</a> by Ashlee Prisbrey. It's a free pattern that Sister #5 posted on Sister #4's wish list asking "Something like this?" See how Google Docs can be helpful with things like this?</div>
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It became painfully obvious that I have no idea how to crochet when it was time to make the flower. I tried four times and I assure you that this one is the best of the bunch in the way that it sort of resembles a flower instead of something I pulled from the trash.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjat7cjry6K40BJJLfRobnj7WuSaCG6cRueczxiOFmMcMcteWFVX-jn0lnflZBl8CkvgEBjZZvUvR6CfRmmv_MjDIHE_ThHiX07zm_0kXOmsMq-bt3jdIZyFrREgmhGsh_uzV7ZBkltpNU/s1600/DSCN4908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjat7cjry6K40BJJLfRobnj7WuSaCG6cRueczxiOFmMcMcteWFVX-jn0lnflZBl8CkvgEBjZZvUvR6CfRmmv_MjDIHE_ThHiX07zm_0kXOmsMq-bt3jdIZyFrREgmhGsh_uzV7ZBkltpNU/s1600/DSCN4908.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love this button. I think it's a perfect fit for the project. It did start at the end of the headband, but it turned out to be too large for my sister, so I had to relocate it. It was still too large, though, so after these pictures, I took the button off, ripped out a bunch of the headband (nearly 4") and fixed it up so the button is now back on the end. This is why knitting is superior to store-bought items - it's customizable.</div>
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A friend of mine had also asked if I could make her a headband this winter. They're apparently a hot item to have this season. I used the same pattern, but left out the flower on hers.</div>
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The yarn is Shibui Merino Alpaca in the Cypress colorway.</div>
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Then I made my brother a long overdue scarf. He asked for one last year and I bought the yarn, but unfortunately never got around to making the scarf. Perhaps that's a good thing, because this year he no longer wanted a gray scarf, he wanted a green one. With cables.</div>
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This is one of those projects that once it was finished and dry, I had a very hard time giving it away. I used what I consider to be the ultimate in luxury - <a href="http://zealana.co.nz/luxury-knitting-yarns/performa-rimu/">Zealana Rimu DK</a> in the Kiwicrush colorway. Made with 40% New Zealand Possum, I have never met a yarn that was warmer, softer, or had such an incredible halo as this. (And it has the price tag to match...) For this scarf I used four balls and it ended up being a generous length - perhaps 6 feet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCkw2T6HHM_e7APUJ_Pd5VPKCnJll8-ZM4UDcO6jOolArw7qzC2a_3kMnpjrl6omM-aKhQ5sIz5NqEcV06czmMl5fRj6tiXAjOKFUqcR01mP388gqlTcqfaAW_0PQnHpxKdXM0FhcTiE/s1600/DSCN4918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCkw2T6HHM_e7APUJ_Pd5VPKCnJll8-ZM4UDcO6jOolArw7qzC2a_3kMnpjrl6omM-aKhQ5sIz5NqEcV06czmMl5fRj6tiXAjOKFUqcR01mP388gqlTcqfaAW_0PQnHpxKdXM0FhcTiE/s1600/DSCN4918.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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I love how the halo of the dark possum fiber adds such depth to the cables. The pattern is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/quay-2">Quay</a> by Jared Flood. The cables were a little more involved than I anticipated, but the pattern was intuitive and I had it memorized after the first repeat. I had to bring out the cable needle for this project, though.</div>
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This winter I have been making good use of my handknit socks. I've never been a capital S Sock Knitter, but this winter I have begun to embrace the merits of a nice pair of wool socks. Mostly, and you'll find this absurd I'm sure, I've realized how much warmer my feet are when my ankles are covered. I only buy ankle socks, so imagine my surprise when I put on a pair of wool socks - with legs! - and discovered how wonderful they feel. It's a no brainer, but somehow it never occurred to me.</div>
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So now that I am actually wearing my handknit socks, I don't have enough. I'm working on rectifying that.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-Kr6gXWGYp0EOeShjGoi8ayfZD4WODPI_hEXVlAiZBmwLBQPncFJMz5s4GuTSAL4f3rLzotlLDT0xRJ75FvWvDmERz1wYbf3fwXdTavp9DLKPTQ9miyapfUUiekabnoBH00vkXgipXs/s1600/IMG_2123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-Kr6gXWGYp0EOeShjGoi8ayfZD4WODPI_hEXVlAiZBmwLBQPncFJMz5s4GuTSAL4f3rLzotlLDT0xRJ75FvWvDmERz1wYbf3fwXdTavp9DLKPTQ9miyapfUUiekabnoBH00vkXgipXs/s1600/IMG_2123.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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I took this picture while I was driving my brother back to school in Madison. (Or, rather, he was doing the driving. I was doing the knitting.) These socks are an exact replica of the last pair I made and showed you briefly in <a href="http://knittingwithay.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-new-chapter.html">this post</a>. Malabrigo sock in a simple k2, p1 rib. These new ones are in the Ivy colorway. I have read a number of poor reviews on the durability of this yarn and even mentioned in my other post that I didn't think my socks were going to last very long, but I have worn that pair several dozen times now and they are no worse for wear. They continue to be my favorite, most comfortable pair. The sock above is now done and I'm slowly working on the second one while I practice. That's what I use sock knitting for - practice breaks. Practice for half an hour, knit two rounds on the sock, etc. It's a good incentive for me as it gives me a reason to take necessary breaks and keeps me occupied so I don't wander off or stare at my music stand for five minutes.</div>
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While I'm not working on those socks, I've started another sweater for display in my LYS, <a href="http://www.yarnery.com/">The Yarnery</a>. (That reminds me, I have to show you the other one I made. It's the only handknit sweater I actually wear.)</div>
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Am I lucky or what? Who could resist a beautiful pile of BrooklynTweed Loft in the Almanac colorway - a wonderful, rich blue. It is on its way to becoming <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/redford">Redford</a> from the BT Men collection. The best part is that after it has been displayed for several months, I get to keep the sweater for myself.</div>
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Ok, enough is enough. I actually do have to go practice some more now. It's nice to be back!</div>
Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-77655045384790430122013-12-25T09:00:00.002-06:002013-12-25T09:00:18.239-06:00Merry ChristmasBrittany and I would like you wish you all a Merry Christmas!<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2YUwbKR5Qeh02T7N1R7LaDagkBNfggjmJzJ5fGzPdntC-a38wd346QbKpScc7Gcl7ZFTyCL7bss5ZOpgG4GyImhL2ezI0ncIJLy_aMO6T5wxZIWWorl40j42cEbqdF1QW-UU4jqNUNg/s1600/IMG_2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2YUwbKR5Qeh02T7N1R7LaDagkBNfggjmJzJ5fGzPdntC-a38wd346QbKpScc7Gcl7ZFTyCL7bss5ZOpgG4GyImhL2ezI0ncIJLy_aMO6T5wxZIWWorl40j42cEbqdF1QW-UU4jqNUNg/s400/IMG_2017.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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I finished about 20% of my holiday knitting, which is about what I expected. However, I did make that snazzy hat for Brittany on size 0000 needles. I wonder if that had something to do with it...</div>
Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-17431108104173579962013-12-14T10:48:00.002-06:002013-12-14T10:48:53.879-06:00One A DayI'm not generally one for holiday knitting. It's not that I'm averse to deadline knitting - I have knitting deadlines all year long for samples. I think part of the reason I don't take on holiday knitting is that I have 11 siblings and if you knit for one... I'm sure you can see how that ends.<br />
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It happens this time of year, however, that people begin to drop hints at knitters' doorsteps. "Wow, isn't that cowl great?" "I sure could use a scarf in this weather!" "Do you know where I could get some nice, warm mittens?" And so, although I lacked every conscious intention to knit for the holidays, it seems that this pile of yarn is supposed to somehow become wearable objects in the next ten days.<br />
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I think I can do it if I try. Although knowing me I'll hit Christmas with about 25% of the intended knitting done, and none of it equaling a single completed item. That picture represents nine items. I can do that, right? That's just like... one a day! I intend to finish (and start) two of them today because they're gifts for a friend I'm seeing tomorrow and then tomorrow I plan on starting and finishing two more, which would give me eight days to knit five items and that's still beginning to sound a little crazy, but doable. Right? Right? Oh crap, I just remembered about two more things I forgot to include in that picture...<br />
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I'll keep you updated.Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-70349545740840606862013-11-16T16:44:00.001-06:002013-11-16T16:44:44.126-06:00A New ChapterWell, here I am again in familiar terrain. Absent from the blog far too long, out of practice when it comes to writing, and full of unrelated thoughts, projects, and photos I would like to share. It's hard to know where to begin, but perhaps it will all fall into place when I start to write. (As if that ever happens.)<br />
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Today is my birthday. I don't consider it to be a particularly significant day. Sure, 26 years ago it was significant, but year to year I find it to be less a cause for celebration and more a time for reflection. A time to consider your place - where are you at this moment? What brought you to this place? Where will you go from here? Many people consider the New Year to be a starting point, a time to check in with one's goals, make new resolutions and let go of bad habits. I don't see why a birthday should be any different. After all, I personally measure myself in terms of years not related to a calendar, but my own life. Perhaps this day is significant after all. It's raining outside... (he says as he pauses to look out the window.)<br />
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I spent the morning at my <a href="http://birchbarkbooks.com/">favorite bookstore</a> and purchased a few new additions for my bookshelf. It's always so peaceful to be in that shop. The owner/author Louise Erdrich is a member of the Turtle Mountains Chippewa tribe whose reservation is not far from my cabin in North Dakota. I like to read her books and see in my mind the towns and areas that she references. It's like seeing the same thing with very different eyes. This afternoon I sat at a cafe and wrote some letters to friends and now this evening I think I'll sit inside and knit. All in all I think it's going to be a perfect rainy birthday.<br />
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So that covers today, but what about the past few months? Let's do a quick recap:<br />
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After a few months of unemployment I got a job again, which is contributing factor #1 to the demise of this blog. This is now my view every day.<br />
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Contributing factor #2 is that I was preparing for an audition, which means that when I wasn't staring at those computer screens, I was staring at a music stand... and not much else. I didn't win the audition, but I did travel to Colorado Springs for it.<br />
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Silver linings and all that.<br />
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I honestly haven't been doing a whole lot worth reporting despite my lengthy absence. I did get away from the cities for a brief trip to northern Minnesota - Lutsen, to be precise, for a bluegrass festival. My best friend's husband plays mandolin and she begged me to come along and keep her company with promises of hiking and hot tubs.<br />
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That there is part of the Superior Hiking Trail which, now that I know it exists, I would love to hike sometime. It's 275 miles long. That's a bit of a commitment.<br />
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And that room there is actually where I slept. Not in the tub, but on the floor next to it. We stayed in a condo that we rented for the weekend (Lutsen is essentially a ski resort) and all the other rooms were occupied with other bluegrass players. I didn't know the lake was right there until I woke up in the morning thinking, "What is that incessant noise?" It was waves crashing on the rocks. I have no idea how something so massive managed to stay so well hidden when I arrived.<br />
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As for knitting, I have a small collection of projects that aren't necessarily newly finished, just somewhat neglected. I finished a pair of socks a while ago in Malabrigo Sock and they really might be my favorite pair so far. I can't imagine they'll last for very long, though, the yarn being what it is.<br />
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I also recently used some handspun to knit a hat for my niece/nephew. The intended recipient was rather generalized as it was contingent more on who it would fit than anything else.<br />
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Yes, darling, that's a beautiful belly button. (iPhone photos and moving children. Whatcha gonna do.) I decided the hat fits both of them, so I'm just going to knit a second one and call it a day. (It's actually almost finished.) Oh, and before I forget, the pattern is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/quynn">Quynn</a> by Woolly Wormhead. Adorable.<br />
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And then just today I finally got around to taking photos of a hat I finished, oh... I don't know. Two months ago? That's the first thing I did this morning - enjoyed the silence of the woods by the Mississippi river.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cables--lace-beret">Cables and Lace Beret</a> by Michele Wang in the recommended yarn, Road to China Light.</div>
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Alright guys, I have a book and a warm cup of tea with my name on it, so I'll end here. Take care.</div>
Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-35712458587615364712013-10-29T22:38:00.002-05:002013-10-29T22:38:48.540-05:00Writers On KnittingI realize I've been gone for a while and hopefully soon I'll show you what I've been up to (because it clearly hasn't been blogging), but for today I wanted to bring to your attention a wonderful piece of writing by one of my favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver. In the latest edition of Orion Magazine is a piece by Kingsolver about knitting. I am constantly in awe of her way with words, the way she can so perfectly put into words those feelings and emotions that I thought could only be felt, but never expressed. And here I am again at a loss (I've deleted the rest of this paragraph more than once), unable to describe in words how easily her writing is able to reach into that deepest part of your being and express the truth, pen to paper, of an experience, belief, emotion... that pure <i>humanness </i>that connects us all.<br />
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<a href="http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/7809">Here's a link to her article, I suggest you all read it.</a> She has managed to capture so beautifully what knitting means to us. And not just making hats or sweaters, but spinning, dying, shearing and raising sheep, sitting in a barn... everything.<br />
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And if you look closely at the bottom of the article, it mentions that this piece will be published in a book, <i>Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting.</i> I have to say, if the other contributors to that book are as thought-provoking as Barbara Kingsolver, I'll be first in line when that book is published.<br />
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And just because I can't stop myself now that I'm talking about her writing, if you're dying to read more of her work, may I recommend <i><a href="http://www.kingsolver.com/books/animal-dreams.html">Animal Dreams</a></i>? The characters she creates in that book are so heartbreakingly raw and vulnerable, and <i>relatable</i>, that you can't help but be moved by the story. I made the mistake of reading it in public while traveling and found myself unable to stop crying in the Minneapolis airport, in the Dallas airport, and 20,000 feet above the ground. It was so moving and therapeutic. It was exactly what I needed.Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-73816781548425399472013-09-10T17:42:00.001-05:002013-09-10T17:42:15.179-05:00DeclutteringI have to admit, it felt kind of nice to give myself permission to wrap up projects so that I could move on with less clutter and no more (or rather, fewer) unfinished projects weighing on my conscience.<br />
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I rather quickly plied up the two ounces of fiber that I had spun so I could get a new project on my wheel.<br />
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I think it came out pretty well at around 600 yards to 2oz. Less yardage than I actually expected, but I'm happy with it (and even more happy that it's done.) The fiber was from <a href="http://knitnzu.com/">Knitnzu</a> in a colorway from Spunky Eclectic that she selected just for me.<br />
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Despite it taking forever, the fiber itself was a joy to spin and I do look forward to spinning the other two ounces at some point. The fiber is 80% mixed BFL and 20% silk. Yum.<br />
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I dove into my fiber stash and found a bit of mystery fiber with no label, but I'm assuming it was mixed BFL. There was only one ounce, which was perfect because I wanted instant gratification after that long-term project.<br />
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I had it spun and plied in less than two hours. I wanted to try out chain plying to keep the colors separated and I think it worked out pretty well. 85 yards and no idea what I'm going to do with it, but it served its purpose.<br />
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After I finished that colorful yarn, I spent a bit of time playing around with different fibers just to play. I never created a finished yarn, but simply sampled and tried different things out. Then a few days ago I selected my next bump of fiber to spin up and got started.<br />
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Before I knew it, I had spun up the whole 4oz. in an afternoon. The fiber is Coopworth dyed by Dan at <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/GnomespunYarn">Gnomespun</a>. Coopworth is a cross between Romney and Border Leicester, which gives it a longer fiber length that is relatively coarse. The fiber was prepared as roving and there was no way it was going to spin into a smooth, lustrous single, so I did what I could to emphasize the fuzziness of the yarn. I think the fiber is robust enough to create a fuzzy yarn that will still resist pilling and will wear quite well. This is destined to become a 3-ply yarn.<br />
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And as for my weaving? I simply cut it off the loom and hung it on my wall as is.<br />
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I'm actually quite enamored with the unfinished quality of it. I didn't bother dealing with any loose ends, nor did I do hemstitching or secure those loose warp threads. It won't last forever, but for now I kind of like it.<br />
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<br />Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-75288795346957221922013-09-02T20:24:00.000-05:002013-09-02T20:24:51.882-05:00Testing The LimitsI realized today as I was looking at my spinning wheel and my loom that the projects I am working on had several things in common. The first, which was most obvious to me, is that they are both taking <i>forever </i>to complete. The second, going hand in hand with the first, is that I think I have reached my limit with these projects. And you know, maybe it's apropos that these projects have pushed me to the edge because that's what I intended with these projects. I didn't intend to test myself, but simply to test the limits of my tools.<br />
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With spinning, the project began when I started to wonder just how thin I could spin. I didn't realize when I started spinning these four ounces just how much time is involved when spinning laceweight yarn. I got to the halfway point, 2oz., and despite all of you telling me to forge ahead and finish the second half, last night I accepted the fact that I wasn't going to spin the second 2oz.<br />
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I had spun the first 2oz. all on one bobbin knowing that when I got to the plying stage, I was going to rewind my singles onto several bobbins which I will continually switch in and out to make a 2-ply yarn. By switching them around this way, I think it will create a more consistent yarn. In the process of rewinding my singles, I realized how important this step is because, as it turns out, my idea of "thin" kept getting smaller and smaller as I continued on with this project.<br />
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It's not incredibly drastic, but you can certainly tell that the single on the left of that picture is thinner than the one on the right (they're from the end and beginning of the 2oz. respectively). By rewinding several bobbins, I'm hoping that these inconsistencies will get evened out as much as possible. But I am glad I decided to stop at 2oz. instead of finishing all of the fiber. I will still have hundreds and hundreds of yards to work with.<br />
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I'm excited to see how this plies up and looks after a good wash. The silk in this blend (80% mixed BFL/20% silk) makes the singles very lustrous and I'm curious how the colors combine and knit up. I'll keep you updated.<br />
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As for weaving, I'm starting to think it's no coincidence that I'm also halfway through this project and have suddenly lost interest.<br />
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This project was intended to test the limits of my loom. Typically a rigid-heddle loom is used to weave plain weave (one over, one under), but I've always been interested in more complicated weaves that usually require a 4-shaft floor loom. This particular project was a sample to see if it was possible to weave double weave on a rigid heddle loom. Double weave consists of two separate layers of plain weave (in this case one layer of green and one of blue.) If you're familiar with double-knitting, this is the weaving equivalent. By manipulating the warp threads, you can change which color is on top of the fabric to create patterns that show as their reverse on the other side.<br />
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The problem with this technique on a rigid heddle loom is that it requires quite a bit of manipulation for each pick of the weft (a pick is a single shot of the weft thread, from left to right or right to left). In order to get this kind of weave on my loom, I need to use two rigid heddles and then I have also created two string heddles (which essentially has created a 4-shaft loom, each heddle acting as a separate shaft.) Then in front of my heddles for each pick I use two or three pick up sticks to further manipulate the warp threads. Each color also has its own shuttle.<br />
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Long story short, this process is incredibly slow and now that I've reached the halfway point, I think it's a good place to stop. I've answered my question, which was "Can I do double weave on my rigid heddle loom?"and now it's time to move on to something a little less involved (or perhaps just differently involved. I have ideas for several more weaving projects that are probably just as complicated, only in different ways.)<br />
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With that, I'm giving myself permission to wrap things up and move on to new spinning and weaving projects. I think part of the reason I've been so anxious to finish these projects is that there are so many things I would like to do and I feel a bit restrained or held back by these long-term projects. Now I can finally try something new (again)!Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-17863730412297763572013-08-20T18:19:00.000-05:002013-08-20T18:19:00.112-05:00FO: Ashby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #666666;"><i>Pattern: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ashby">Ashby</a>, by Leila Raabe; BT Fall 2011</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><i>Yarn: Cascade 220, colorway 9548 - Slate Blue; 3.2 skeins</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><i>Needles: US 8 for border, US 7 for body</i></span></div>
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Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-23441194095804689922013-08-19T15:58:00.002-05:002013-08-19T15:58:57.099-05:00At a standstillJudith MacKenzie always says that if you're concerned about time, perhaps working with textiles isn't right for you. I understand this logic and most of the time am willing to accept that it takes time to knit a sweater, or spin a skein of yarn, or wash a fleece, or prepare fiber for spinning. It takes time to weave a cloth - heck, it takes time just to warp a loom! - and it takes time to crochet a shawl or sew a dress. I get that instant gratification does not exist in the textile world and if we want good results, we have to be willing to invest a significant amount of time to our craft. But I'm here to tell you that last night at 10:10pm (I know this because it's when I looked up at my clock in desperation), I thought that thing that people in our world should never think. I thought, "When is this going to be over?!" Now, this isn't the first time that a project has lasted longer than I might wish it to, but with spinning I run into the problem that I can't just start a new project to take the edge off. With knitting, if I'm really not feeling the project I'm working on, I may cast on something quick like a hat or fingerless mitts before returning to the original project. Spinning is different because I only have one wheel and although it's possible to just put on a new bobbin and spin something else for a while, I prefer not to do that because I'm afraid that upon returning to the current project, I wouldn't be able to get the wheel settings just right to continue spinning the same yarn. And it's not just the wheel settings that I'm concerned about, it's my settings as well. A few weeks ago a friend on Ravelry asked me for my opinion on knitting multiple projects at the same time and, to my surprise, I was quite opinionated about the subject. I won't get into that right now (much), but one of my concerns when switching from project to project in knitting is that my tension will change. If I switch from knitting a lace shawl to a worsted-weight sweater to socks, I make tiny changes in the way that I hold and tension my yarn and it works different muscles. If, for example, I knit on a lace shawl for several days and then decide I want to knit a bulky hat, that's going to feel really weird to my hands until I get adjusted. I have several pairs of not-quite-the-same-size mittens to prove this fact. The same goes for spinning. It's not just the wheel that needs to be adjusted when I start a different project. I need to adjust myself as well - how I hold the fiber, how I draft the fiber, how quickly I treadle, etc. Normally I don't feel so strongly about this, but my current spinning project did take a bit of trial and error to figure out exactly what needed to be done (to myself and to the wheel) to produce the yarn that I'm looking for.<br />
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The yarn that I'm looking for is laceweight and I'm here to tell you that it takes forever to spin, or at least that's how it feels. The fiber itself is a treat to work with, but I think I've reached the point with this project at which I need a break. I'm almost halfway done, but it took a long time to get here.<br />
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That little bit in my hand is what's left of the first 2oz. and I predict that it will take at least 6 hours to get that spun up. Maybe I just need to look at my time to production ratio a bit differently. It's easy for me to look from my fiber to the clock and conclude that although I've spun for an hour and a half, no noticeable difference has been made (which is exactly what happened last night). But if I look at the yardage that I spun in that time, it's obvious that something did indeed happen, it's just not as easily measured visually as watching my fiber not change for hours on end. It's not my wheel's fault and it's not my fault and there's not really anything I can do about it. It's simply that spinning laceweight just takes time.<br />
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The resulting 2-ply is actually quite nice. After a wash it's surprisingly springy and because it's an 80/20 BFL/silk blend, it shimmers in the sun. I do really love the yarn and don't hate the process, it's just that I'm anxious to move on to the next spinning project. At this point I keep going back and forth about what do to. I could stop after I finish these 2oz. knowing that I have enough singles spun to produce hundreds and hundreds of yards of lace yarn or I could charge ahead and spin the other two ounces and get enough yarn to knit, well, anything that my heart desires. Stopping now would be somewhat limiting, but it would also mean that I could start something else on my wheel, which is always exciting. What would you do? I suppose I could also set this bobbin aside with some samples to remind myself of exactly what I'm aiming for and hope I can reproduce it. Why is it that the least important decision I could possibly make is the one causing me so much stress?Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-54039724188863773412013-08-14T15:35:00.000-05:002013-08-19T16:02:15.109-05:00Washing Alpaca FleeceLast week I decided that it would be a good idea to try to wash the fleeces sitting in my closet while I still had the benefit of warm summer days, which allowed me to sort my fleeces outside and aided in drying them with the windows open to keep the air circulating. This way if I decide this winter that I would like to do something with one of them, I'll have a nice clean fleece to work with. I thought I'd document here what I did to wash them both as a reference for myself and for anyone else who is interested. This all comes with the disclaimer that I had never washed a fleece before, but did consult a number of references, including a few alpaca farmers and the owner of a fiber mill who specializes in processing alpaca fiber, so rest assured that although this is not the <i>only </i>way to wash an alpaca fleece, it is perfectly acceptable. There are two more things to keep in mind with this process:<br />
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1. This process is similar, though not identical to how one might wash a sheep fleece. Alpacas do not have lanolin and other oils/waxes on their fleece that require scouring with hot water to remove them. When washing an alpaca fleece, the goal is to remove the dirt/dust/sand that they so lovingly roll around in all year. Because of the absence of oils and waxes, you do not need a scouring agent or extremely hot water. Any mild detergent will work, including wool wash, dish soap, or even shampoo. The temperature of the water that I used throughout the process is what I might use to run a bath or take a shower although you could achieve the same results with tepid or lukewarm water as well.</div>
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2. This process does not do a good job of maintaining the lock structure of the fiber. For this fleece I wasn't concerned about this as I will most likely be carding the fiber for spinning. If you want to work with individual locks or plan to comb your fiber, there are other ways to wash the fleece that will give you more control over the locks. If, however, you wish to wash a large quantity of fiber for carding or felting, this process works perfectly well.</div>
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I first spread out my fleece as best I could so that I could sort the fleece into different piles.</div>
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With a sheep fleece this is easier to do because the fibers tend to hold together a little better, but all you want is to be able to see the whole fleece at once. Often when you buy a fleece it will already have been skirted (the coarser leg and belly hairs, felted bits, and really cruddy bits removed), but what you want to do is feel around with your hands for any patches that aren't as soft or seem to have a slightly different texture, patches where the fibers are shorter or longer, and you can also remove any large bits of VM (vegetable matter) and 2nd cuts if there are any (these occur if the shearer goes over the same spot more than once or cuts up into the lock, resulting in really short bits that will cause problems when it's time for carding or spinning.) I got this particular fleece from Teresa at <a href="http://hollyhockalpacas.com/">Hollyhock Farm Alpacas</a> and it was already wonderfully skirted and free of 2nd cuts. I sorted the fleece into three different piles from coarsest to softest (but let's be honest here. This is a baby alpaca fleece and there was no such thing as a "coarse" hair. It's all relative.) If there was a patch that was particularly dirty or muddy, I would have also set that aside for extra cleaning.</div>
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I then proceeded to wash the fleece in four separate batches, the larger pile in the top right (above) split into two batches for washing. Take a lingerie bag and fill it relatively full with fiber. You want to make sure there's room for the water to flow through the fiber, but keep in mind that once the fiber gets wet it will compact a little bit, so you can fit quite a bit in there.</div>
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I used a larger laundry bag and simply tied the top shut. If possible, you want to use a bag that has larger holes like the one above rather than a superfine mesh because it will allow more of the dirt, sand, and VM to wash out during the process.</div>
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Fill your sink/laundry tub/bucket/whatever you're using to wash the fleece with enough water that the fiber can be fully submerged and add your detergent. I filled my sink with 4 or 5 inches of water and used about a tablespoon of detergent.</div>
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Now you can gently, GENTLY, press the fiber into the water. You can let it sink down on its own, but the fiber is so airy that it just floats on top for a while. You want to agitate the fiber as little as possible. Just press down making sure that the water has completely wetted your fiber. Remember, with warm water, soap, and agitation you fiber will begin to felt, so do what you can to minimize how much you agitate the fiber. You can't do anything about the water or soap.</div>
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You'll notice that the water will almost immediately begin to turn brown. Good, it's working.</div>
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Let the fiber sit for 15-20 minutes, then press it down again to get as much dirt out as you can. The water will be gross.</div>
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Remove the lingerie bag and gently, GENTLY, squeeze out any excess water and set the bag aside while you drain the sink and refill it with clean water. Repeat the process a second time, adding detergent (you don't need as much as in the first wash) and again letting the fiber sit for maybe 10-15 minutes. Remove the fiber and refill the sink with clean water again. Keep in mind that you never want to run water directly on to your fiber. This is agitation and will felt your fiber. Always remove your fiber before refilling the sink with water. Got it? You should also do your best to always match the water's temperature from one rinse to the next. Moving fiber from hot water to cold water will shock the fiber and cause felting. It's a great trick if you intend to do it, but it's better to be careful.</div>
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At this point your fiber should be clean and it's time to rinse out the soap and any residual dirt/dust that is still in the fiber. With your sink full of clean, non-soapy water, submerge your fiber again. It's not necessary to soak the fiber, but press it down a few times to make sure the water is running through all the fibers. You might want to gently, GENTLY, lift the lingerie bag out of the water once or twice to make sure the soap and dirt is washing out. At this point, your water will still turn a very light brown. Remove the fiber, drain the sink, refill it with clean water once more, and rinse the fiber a second time. Your water should stay clean.</div>
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So that's two washes and two rinses. If you're washing more than one batch, you don't need to drain the last rinse water. Just add detergent and use it as your first wash for the next batch of fiber. While the new batch of dirty fiber is soaking, you can take your clean fiber (still in the bag) and roll it in a towel and squeeze it or stomp on it to get as much water out as possible. Do not wring it out, just squeeze. Only squeezing. Alternatively, you can place it in your washing machine and spin the water out on the spin cycle, which is what I did. But be sure that your washing machine's spin cycle really only spins and doesn't add rinse water. We don't want water running directly onto our fiber. Agitation and all that.</div>
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When you take your fiber out of the bag, it will stay in a big clump like this:</div>
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It shouldn't be felted together, so gently, GENTLY, pull it apart and lay it out to dry. I MacGyver-ed a drying rack using some plastic netting, clamps, and the bed in my spare bedroom, but you can use a clothes drying rack, a sweater rack, or anything else that allows good air circulation.</div>
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Be sure to place an old sheet under the spot where you're drying your fiber. There will still be bits of VM, sand, and other particles that don't disintegrate and therefore didn't wash out of the fleece and they will fall out as you pull the fiber apart. As my fleece was drying I would also give it a gentle shake/bounce every once in a while to loosen that up.</div>
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In no time you'll have your whole fleece drying while you ponder the infinite ways in which you can use it. Just be sure that the fleece is completely dry before you store it. The last thing we want is a moldy or mildewed fleece.</div>
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The end.</div>
Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-51036361062807862512013-08-07T19:06:00.001-05:002013-08-07T19:06:10.469-05:00Safety NetsI can't imagine it would surprise you if I were to say that a vacation that involves spending a week and a half on a lake with no obligations is relaxing. I think my nephew (2 years old) summed it up nicely as we were packing up when he said, on the verge of tears, "I want to stay at the cabin forever!" Me too, kiddo, me too.<div>
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Despite the fact that I took over 300 pictures while at my cabin, I only took 12 with my camera (the rest were with my phone) and 260 were of either my brother or my dog. In years past I would get up early to watch the sun rise over the lake. I would never set an alarm, but some internal clock would wake me minutes before the sunrise each morning. This year I think I left my internal clock at home. I only got up to watch the sunrise once, and even then I was tired, cranky, and cold and crawled back into bed right before the sun actually rose above the trees. Here's the only photo I took, before deciding to curl back up on the couch.</div>
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Most of the days were quite windy and the lake was always in motion. We only had one or two days of rain and the rest were warm enough for me to lay around in my bathing suit, provided the sun didn't hide behind a cloud. As soon as the sun started to set, however, it was jeans and a sweatshirt for me. Check out this sunset, though.</div>
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You can't make that up.</div>
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As far as knitting is concerned, I didn't do nearly as much as I thought I might, which in all honesty is fine by me. Like I said in my last post, knitting acted more like a safety net than a life preserver, if that makes any sense. I know it's there if I need it, but there's no need to wear it at all times. I knit one sock and did a bit of work on my Ashby, but for the most part, I chose to spend my time laying around in the sun, kayaking, playing card games, swimming, canoeing, drinking coffee, or sitting by the bonfire. (I also went waterskiing once and while I used to do it all the time when I was younger, it has been probably five years since I did it last and boy, is that a workout for your legs! I was embarrassingly sore the next day. I also had a really hilarious wipeout that resulted in the ski smashing against my shin so hard I'm convinced there's a fracture in there somewhere while at the same time nearly tearing my swimsuit off my body. And I don't mean that my suit got pulled down a bit when I fell. I mean that the entire side seam tore open and for the rest of my skiing experience, I tried to pretend that I wasn't skiing with a loincloth rather than a bathing suit. I'm sure the entire lake got quite a show.)</div>
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But I digress, I was talking about my knitting. At the last minute I decided to only bring enough sock yarn for one pair rather than two, and despite the fact that I was a little bit stressed that I was going to run out of knitting the whole time, it turns out I only knit one sock and didn't need enough yarn for four.</div>
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It continues to be near impossible to take a decent sock photo when the sock is on your own foot, but I did my best (and believe me, this one is the best of the lot.) The yarn is Malabrigo Sock in some kind of blue and I opted to go with a basic K2, P1 ribbing with 1x1 twisted rib for the cuff. Super simple and it turns out that's exactly the kind of knitting I wanted. It was so relaxing that I sped past the point where I should have started the gusset increases by two inches and had to rip back, but no harm done.</div>
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I did some work on Ashby as well. I finished the cabled edging and picked up stitches to knit the body of the shawl.</div>
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I'm convinced I could finish that one up with just a few more days of knitting, but (and this is so unlike me), I'm more interested in finishing the second sock first. Since when do I feel compelled to finish the second of anything? I always seem to have that "been there, done that" attitude when it comes to making the second sock, mitten, fingerless glove, whatever. I think the reason I want to finish this pair is because I got my first taste of the cold weather to come while in North Dakota (one night the temps hit 40) and I kept thinking how nice it would be to have a pair of wool socks. And nice it will be, I'm sure of it.</div>
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Are you feeling the change in weather? Have you adjusted what you're knitting accordingly?</div>
Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-63309196250916375572013-07-23T15:54:00.000-05:002013-07-23T15:54:26.257-05:00Making PlansIn a few days I'll be heading up to my family's cabin in North Dakota. I've written about my cabin several times before on the blog (<a href="http://knittingwithay.blogspot.com/2010/08/sunrises-shawls-and-squirrels-and-such.html">here</a>, <a href="http://knittingwithay.blogspot.com/2009/07/cabin-tube.html">here</a>, <a href="http://knittingwithay.blogspot.com/2009/07/cabin-everything-else.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://knittingwithay.blogspot.com/2009/07/cabin-quilts.html">here</a>) and my incredible love for the sunrises and calm of being up there. For the next week and a half I will be blissfully removed from technology - no tv, no computers, no cell phone service, and while I embrace this removal from the outside world, it means I have to be thorough in my plans for what knitting to bring with me. I have to have my patterns picked out and printed, yarn wound, notions collected, and needles ready to go. This trip is unusual in that while I'm there, I don't find knitting to be a necessity. I could (probably) spend the whole week and a half without knitting and be just fine because there's so much more to enjoy while I'm there. To begin with, I could watch the birds all day long. I could spend hours and hours swimming in the lake, laying in the sun, playing cards, doing crossword puzzles, reading a good book, or indulging in a day of general laziness. But there's always a significant chance that there will be several days of thunderstorms that leave me trapped in the small cabin with 12-15 other people and then, THEN knitting is not a question of how to spend my time, but a question of how to save my sanity. So you see, despite the fact that I may not need it, knitting is in no way optional when it comes to packing for this trip. (Not to mention it's a 10-hour drive each way.)<br />
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It's a little embarrassing to admit that I've been thinking about what to bring for a so long. In fact, the other day I texted my sister:<br />
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Me: "I don't know what knitting to bring to the cabin!"<br />
Sister: "On no! how much time do you have to decide?"<br />
Me: "Six days..."<br />
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You see, even a week before the trip I begin to panic that I might not be adequately armed with projects. But now I think I have it narrowed down. A few days ago I started <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ashby">Ashby</a> so that I'd have it in the works for the trip. For a project like this I like to have it at least started so that if there are any troubles with the pattern or yarn, I'll know about it before I'm in the middle of the North Dakota wilderness.<br />
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That's the first half of the border, but I predict that by the time I climb into the car, I'll have the border finished and will have preferably picked up the stitches to begin the body of the shawl. (I'm knitting this shawl in Cascade 220.)</div>
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Then I have a lace shawl prototype in the works and I figured there's no better time to finalize the charts than while sitting outside soaking up the sun and listening to the wind blow through the trees.</div>
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I already know the pattern needs to be tweaked, but that's what prototypes are for, right?<br />
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And although I know that both of these projects will provide more than enough knitting for the trip, I'll also be bringing enough yarn for two pairs of socks as an insurance policy. I don't really knit socks, but I kind of like wearing them and I figured a long car ride or a rainy day at the cabin might force me to make some. Socks will also be much more mindless than designing a lace shawl or knitting cables, so it will be nice to have them around. And before you ask, yes, the yarn for the socks is blue. Yes, both pairs. I know what I like.<br />
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What do you guys bring with you when you're planning for a trip?Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-9728310398563287832013-07-06T11:14:00.002-05:002013-07-06T11:14:46.228-05:00Continuing Right AlongDespite the new yarn arriving for my next sample sweater, I managed to finish the yoke of my Icelandic sweater after all. I swatched for the new sweater and then while I was waiting for those swatches to dry, I quick knit up to the neck of my own sweater.<br />
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It seemed like a pretty reasonable stopping point now that the stranded work is done. What's left now is to knit the neckband, cut the thing open, add a zipper and weave in the ends. In short, the finishing. I also consider this a decent point to stop because I don't yet know what I want to do with the neckline. The directions in the pattern leave something to be desired and I think I'm going to have to play around a bit. Due to the patterning on the yoke, there was no simple way to add short rows in the back to raise the neckline, so I may try to do some of that in the collar. It's still to be determine, so I'll mull that over as I work on this next sample.<br />
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The sample, though I can't show you, is cruising right along. Despite it being for a 44" chest, I'm about 1/3 of the way through. Unemployment does have it's benefits, doesn't it? I've also been zipping through audiobooks like candy and it seems to keep the knitting moving along.<br />
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When I looked out into my backyard this morning, I saw this little guy snoozing on my sidewalk.<br />
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I think the bunnies feel safe in my backyard because it's fenced in and for years nobody has really gone back there other than to mow the lawn. This was my grandfather's house and at 93 with his memory failing, the time came for him to be moved into a nursing home where he'll have people looking after him more closely. Now I'm living in the house as we clean it out and getting it ready for sale. The bunnies have free reign of the backyard, but now that I've fixed up the garden space by the garage (I'm sure it hasn't been used in at least a decade. There was quite a bit of work to get it ready), I've had to make it clear that no bunny is allowed in that space. Apparently now they just sleep next to it. I can't blame them, though, it's quite peaceful back there. (And I have a habit of feeding them lettuce... how's that for mixed signals?)Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-27958375284321117192013-07-03T17:09:00.002-05:002013-07-03T17:09:36.659-05:00Mostly AlpacasI thought you would all enjoy a few more pictures from the alpaca farm. Babies are arriving almost every day and it is a very exciting time at the farm.<br />
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The last time I was down at the farm (on Sunday), there were nine babies and I know that at least one more has arrived since then. Each one really has its own personality!<br />
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That little black one is the smallest of the group, but he's quite a handful. He's like the little dog who isn't aware of his size and challenges every German Shepherd that walks past.<br />
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We call him Oh, Henry! because he is such a handful (his mother is named Skittles and that lineage is all candy bars). That won't be his documented name, however, because his mother had previously been sold and the new owner will have to choose a name for this little guy.<br />
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You can tell these babies have a lot of energy and they are so much fun to watch! They have the same carefree nature as human children and I admit it's very entertaining to watch them stumble around as they get used to running, prancing, and playing.<br />
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That little brown girl is such a beauty and I'm sure she'll be a show girl next year. Just look at how curly her fleece is! And aren't those eyes the most adorable things you've ever seen? And just look at one of the most recent arrivals:</div>
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What a surprise! The other babies are all pretty solidly colored - one white one has beige ears and a brown one has white legs - but none of the others have big splotches like this one! I told the farmer that if he's not suitable for the show ring, I'd be happy to take him off her hands. He comes from one of my favorite families, too - his mother's name is Symphonie. (That family also has Melody, Harmony, Aria, Rhapsody, and probably some that I'm forgetting.) I'm sure I have room in my back yard for him.<br />
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And here's Harvi, the friendliest guard llama you'll ever meet.<br />
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She loves to know what's going on at all times and it seems her favorite thing to do is to interrupt conversations by standing in between the two people talking. All the alpacas know that she can protect them, though, so they have a habit of hiding behind her when they're unsure about anything in the field.<br />
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But like I said, she's just a sweetheart.<br />
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I really could spend all day every day at that farm. I don't think I'll ever grow tired of it!</div>
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Shall we look at some knitting now? I thought you'd like to see what my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mountain-peaks-shawl">Mountain Peaks Shawl</a> looks like now that it's blocked.</div>
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It really blocked nicely and has the perfect combination of drape and springiness.</div>
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And I think using handspun gave it a great amount of character, too. Remind me to knit with my handspun more often! I think I get into the habit of considering a skein of handspun to be finished once it is washed and dried, but I really need to follow through with the next step - knitting!</div>
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I'll have to save this one to give as a gift sometime in the future. I'm sure I can find someone who'll love it.</div>
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And my Icelandic sweater is coming along nicely, too. I was trying to knit it up as quickly as possible because I have some more sample knitting to do, but I didn't quite make it to the finish line. The yarn for the next sample sweater arrived today and I still have much of the yoke to finish, so I'll have to set it aside for a bit, but I'm eager to see the finished product.</div>
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I tried it on today, though, and I really love the way it's fitting so far! This is definitely in the running to become my favorite sweater, but I tend to think that about each new sweater I knit. Only time will tell!</div>
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Happy 4th of July to everyone in the US! Don't do anything stupid with fireworks, mmmkay?</div>
Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-56316324110204037592013-06-25T16:00:00.000-05:002013-06-25T16:00:02.397-05:00Lemonade, Figuratively SpeakingI always find it difficult to begin a blog post these days without apologizing or explaining why I have been away for so long. In truth I don't enjoy being away for so long for a number of reasons. The first is that I feel like I'm abandoning you guys. Today's post is prompted by a simple message I received on Ravelry. To paraphrase, it said "I read your blog", which was enough to make me feel guilty enough to update it.<div>
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The second reason I don't like blogging so infrequently is that I feel like there's no flow between posts. I often knit quickly enough that if too much time lapses between posts, I'll be showing you entirely different projects in each one. Something I personally like about other blogs is seeing the process of how something is created, which can't be achieved here unless I blog more often. Or knit more slowly. And I'd rather not knit more slowly.</div>
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Blogging at the rate that I do also causes me to omit a great deal of information, ideas, and thoughts that I would love to share with you guys. Believe it or not, there's usually something I want to share here on a near daily basis, but by the time I sit down to write a post, I have forgotten half of it, 40% seems obsolete, 5% is so belated that I don't bother sharing it, and the rest I try to cram into a single post, causing it all to be rather truncated and lacking my forgotten (rare) insights and even more rare witty remarks. Case in point? Alpaca shearing. Alpaca shearing at the farm was several weeks ago now and I never told you about it. At the time it was because I was tired after the 16 hours on the farm and I was quite emotionally distraught due to an incident near the end of shearing day and now it seems so long ago that I find myself thinking, "why bother?" So instead, here's a picture of me at the shearing. Imagine an entire post to go along with it, most of which would talk about how much fun I had. We sheared 89 alpacas and 1 llama that day and I got the best job in that I, along with Tamara (next to me in the photo) got to sort the fleece as it came off the animal. This means I got to <strike>roll around in</strike> touch the fleece of almost every single animal on the farm. I missed a few due to the fact that I was forced to eat lunch. It also means I got spit on and peed on all day long, but does it look like I cared? I learned so much that day.</div>
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Since my last post, I've also celebrated the marriage of one of my very best friends (I played the bagpipes at her wedding), quit my job, and moved into a new house. Because I like to lay blame on factors outside of my control, I'm going to say that part of the reason I haven't been blogging is because I, once again, do not have internet access at my new place. Why? Because I'm cheap and can't afford it.</div>
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So there you have it. If you're annoyed by my less-than-frequent blog posts (and I know some of you are as I have seen reviews of my blog expressing such an opinion around the internet), be assured that I am right there with you. As my brother and I say, "you can't do much about lemonade." And no, that phrase doesn't make any more sense to us than it does to you, but I'm using it nonetheless. It started when we were having lunch at a restaurant and there was a mix-up between raspberry lemonade and regular lemonade and blah blah blah Minnesota nice it wasn't worth making a fuss about... essentially it means, to us anyway, something like "it is what it is" or "just go with the flow." (Full disclosure: the proper response to "you can't do much about lemonade" is "that's just what they say.")</div>
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Wow, I got way off track. This is a knitting blog, isn't it? Look here, I finished a shawl.</div>
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It's obviously not blocked yet, but I have a modicum of hope that once it is, it will look somewhat beautiful. I see that I haven't talked about this shawl in two months, so as a refresher, the pattern is the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mountain-peaks-shawl">Mountain Peaks Shawl</a> by Miriam Felton and I'm using some of my handspun superwash BFL, the fiber for which was gifted to me by Anne over at <a href="http://woolywonkafiber.sqsp.com/">Wooly Wonka Fibers</a>. I find this shawl particularly interesting because when indoors, the color (to my eyes) tends to read as some sort of light brown/beige/khaki/I don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to color. Only when the shawl is outside in natural light can you see those different colors, particularly the blue. In fact, I didn't even notice how cool the edging looked until I took it outside to take a picture today. I'm excited to block it now.</div>
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Because I seem to have a knack for tossing projects by the wayside as soon as I reach the finishing stage (and I have a vest, a sweater, this shawl, a pair of mittens, and a pair of fingerless gloves to prove this theory), I have already moved on to my next project. This time it's a thick, warm sweater, because I can think of nothing more appropriate or comfortable to work on in this 90 degree heat than a sweater that will most likely be too warm for 362 days out of the year.</div>
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I have both sleeves finished, which I am considering rather exceptional considering I have only been working on this project for three days (and one of them was wedding day). The pattern is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hlekkur">Hlekkur</a> by Védís Jónsdóttir and is my first venture into Icelandic patterns. I've wanted an Icelandic sweater ever since I saw the first photo in <a href="http://the-panopticon.blogspot.com/2011/10/lopapeysapalooza.html">this post</a> by Franklin Habit (and yes, I did just scroll through the past two years of his blog entries to find it). At one point I was just going to reproduce the one in that picture, but decided on a different pattern instead. (As an aside, if you <i>do </i>want the sweater in that picture, it's not necessary to make up your own pattern for it. It's <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lopi-14-12">right here</a>. Or at least the information about the pattern is. I don't know how you would actually get your hands on it.)</div>
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Back to Hlekkur. I liked the pattern both because of how well the white stood out from the background and because it inspired in me the idea that an Icelandic sweater doesn't need to be a pullover. It can have a zipper if I want it to, and I want it to. The only difference is that when I'm done knitting a pullover, I will cut it open. Super simple. The pattern isn't available on Ravelry, but you can find it over on <a href="http://www.patternfish.com/">Patternfish</a>. (It's free to make an account.) Thanks go to <a href="http://cabezalana.blogspot.com/">Mel</a> for finding a source for this pattern. He also informed me that Hlekkur means "link", as in a part of a chain. This makes sense considering the patterning around the yoke.</div>
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A note about yarn choice:</div>
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I think it's important to understand the qualities of a particular yarn or fiber when choosing the yarn for a project. I am by no means an expert when it comes to Icelandic sweaters, but I do know that they are most often made with Lopi yarn. From my understanding, this is a yarn spun from Icelandic sheep - makes sense. Icelandic sheep have a double coat, meaning that there is a longer, coarser outer layer and a shorter, softer undercoat. Lopi yarn contains both fibers spun together to create a singles yarn. The long, coarse fibers provide strength against abrasion while the shorter fibers provide warmth and a bit of softness. Take this knowledge of the fibers and combine it with the fact that Iceland is cold and the sheep come in a variety of natural colors and it isn't hard to imagine how the first colorwork yoke came into being in Iceland. Colorwork shows off the beautiful array of natural shades and provides an extra layer of warmth against the bitter chills of winter.</div>
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All that being said, I am not using Lopi to knit my sweater. I am using <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/cascade-yarns-soft-spun">Cascade Soft Spun</a>. It is similar to the yarn called for in the pattern in that they are both loosely spun singles and I can get gauge with the Cascade yarn. One big difference is that Peruvian Highland sheep (which provide the wool for the yarn I am using) is not a double-coated breed and therefore my yarn does not have coarse guard hairs that will stand up well to wear and tear. What does this mean? My sweater will not last as long as a traditional Lopapeysa. My sweater will also most likely start pilling the minute I put it on, though a somewhat denser gauge may have the effect of staving this off a bit. My sweater will also be softer, which is the tradeoff. The important thing is that my yarn choice was a conscious, informed decision based on my understanding of the qualities of both the yarn called for in the pattern and the yarn I chose to substitute. By knowing how each yarn behaves, I am able to predict the type of fabric that would result from knitting with them and decide which I prefer. In this case I chose softness over longevity, even if it means my sweater won't be a true Lopapeysa. You can't do much about lemonade.</div>
Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577210556432625675.post-25043834181311264522013-05-27T12:36:00.005-05:002013-05-27T12:36:53.029-05:00Two Distinct BatchesA quick post today to show that I did, in fact, finish plying all of my sweater yarn. In fact, I finished over two weeks ago but just now got around to taking some pictures.<br />
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I'm really happy with this second batch of yarn. I call it my second batch because I spun and plied the first 24oz. almost a year ago and then did the remaining 12oz. this past month. I hadn't really done any spinning in the intervening time, but I did spend some time reading books, scrolling through forums, and watching countless videos and my approach to spinning the final 12oz. was a bit different than the first batch. I did want my new yarn to resemble the first batch as much as possible, but I think my singles were a little thinner (and definitely more even) and I took a more conscientious approach to my plying this time around. I think that's the biggest change I made. With the first 24oz., I put 2oz. of singles on each bobbin and then plied two bobbins together into a 4oz. skein. This time I began the same way - with 2oz. on each of six bobbins - but when I got to plying I made sure to continually switch bobbins throughout each skein to make as even a yarn as possible. All six bobbins of singles contributed to each skein of plied yarn which means that overall, the yarn is much more consistent. I was also more deliberate in the amount of plying twist I was putting in to prevent having some spot overspun and some underspun. All these changes reflect, I think, a more knowledgeable understanding of the qualities of fiber and yarn and how to manipulate these to get exactly the yarn that I want. This is a shift from my previous approach to spinning, which was to essentially throw the fiber at the wheel and hope for the best. I hope to continue spinning with a deliberate and thought out approach that will result not only in a yarn that I like, but in a yarn that I planned for and intentionally produced. A much better approach, I think.<br />
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On the left is a skein from the new batch of yarn. It's not as fuzzy looking, but it does look much more even and consistent, doesn't it? The skein on the right has thick spots and thin spots and spots that don't have enough twist. They're both useable, but now I have to come up with a plan that will allow me to use both yarns throughout a sweater without any jarring discrepancies that would come from changing skeins in the middle of the body. I was thinking I could use the new yarn just for the ribbing on the body and sleeves and then again for the collar, but if I ran out of the first batch in the middle of the yoke or halfway through an arm, I'd be SOL. What if I did set-in sleeves and used the first batch for the body and the second batch for the sleeves? Would that look weird? I don't think alternating skeins would be a good way to go because I would be afraid of having some strange corrugated effect happen. I'll have to think more about this. Any ideas?<br />
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I also have another experiment coming up with this yarn. I took the last of my singles and plied up a small skein of 3-ply yarn and will do some comparative swatching to see which I like better. I figure it's a good thing to know and interestingly enough, the 3-ply isn't any bulkier than the 2-ply. I'll let you know how it goes!<br />
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On an unrelated note, alpaca shearing in five days! I'll be at the big farm (did I mention that I don't just volunteer at the small, 4-alpaca farm? The big one has 77) and am so excited for shearing day! I predict I won't take any pictures, but I'll be sure to tell you guys all about it.Yarndudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05012806302519789566noreply@blogger.com15