This week I am posting from my house, not from the lake. I went on an epic adventure all over North Eastern Kansas. It was about a five hour trip all said and done, and I made it with my awesome mom. I unfortunately did not take any pictures on my trip, I was having too much fun! I recorded and show EVERYTHING that I got on my epic adventure.
I went to Momo's Knitting Nook, Yarn and More, and The Studio. The shop owners were very nice and friendly and all said and done, I had an epic birthday. I couldn't have asked for more! Here is my haul from all the stores. I got enough from two cowls, four pairs of socks, one bag, and I think part of one blanket, but I'm not sure, and two skeins of yarn from the roving.
Also, my baby cousin J was born the day before my birthday, so that is a pretty awesome birthday present as well. If you remember, I made the Chevron blanket for little J, so it's nice to know that he is now here and can use it!
Thanks for watching, and I'll be back next week, with some FO's and some new adventures!
These past two weeks, because of my job being around kids, I got ill, and have spent most of my time recovering. However, I did manage to finish two projects and get a lot of crafting done. I also got a bit of yarn from my local Hobby Lobby. Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy!
My two finished objects, are my "hippy hippy shawl" which, isn't really a hippy hippy shawl, because it doesn't follow the pattern at all. I did it all in fingering weight yarn with size US 2 needles, and then I did a simple lace border that was different from the old shale border that was on the original pattern. The finished shawl is wider than my wingspan, (which is about five and a half feet), and is about two and a half feet deep. It was worked in Knitpicks Chroma and a mystery acrylic in brown. It was a fun knit, but I think my next shawl is going to be on a little larger needles, to see if it goes faster.
The other finished object is a blanket that I turned into Project Linus, a charity that provides blankets to children that are either sick in the hospital, emergency room, or have experienced trauma. This one I made up the stitch pattern, based on the ball band dishcloth pattern, and then I did a garter border. I worked it on size US 7 needles, and it was worked in Red Heart Super Saver in the Primary colorway, and Red Heart with Love in the Lettuce colorway.
Then onto my works in progress. I started working on my brother's sweater again, after a long hiatus, and was pleased that I still remembered the rhythm of the cables. I worked on it during the knitting group on Saturday, and everyone was commenting on how interesting and intense the cabling was. Once you are knitting it, it is actually pretty intuitive, so I really like that about the pattern. I am working the Hedge Row Fence Pullover by Elinor Brown in Plymouth Encore Tweed Worsted, on size US 7 needles. Hopefully I finish it within the next year. My brother keeps joking that he needs to watch his weight so it will still fit him whenever I am done!
I am also working on three blankets for Project Linus. The first one is a corner-to-corner throw. I think the fourth one that I've made. I'm working it with a size J hook, and holding just random worsted acrylic double, so it is a pretty thick blanket.
The second is a bright orange and black tunisian crochet blanket that I making up the pattern, and just playing with yarn as I go along. It is turning out more Halloween than I would like, I was really going for tiger stripes. I am working it on a double ended size I tunisian crochet hook.
Finally, I am working on a mitered square blanket, using the same pattern as the sock yarn scrap blankets that are all the rage, only using worsted weight acrylic scraps on US Size 10 needles instead. It is going pretty quick, and while I like working up the squares in this size, there is no way that I would enjoy working with little tiny needles and sock yarn to make an entire blanket this way, so I'm glad I did a test knit first, just to see if I would like it.
Another charity knitting project that I worked on a little is my Knit for Kids sweater. I am making it out of Caron One Pound yarn, in a bright red colorway. I finished the first sleeve, and put on the collar, so the only thing left is the second sleeve, and then it will be ready to mail. I am liking how this is coming along, and anticipate making more sweaters, and playing around with color and texture more to keep them interesting.
Finally, my last knitting project in progress is for me. It is a pair of socks that I started out of mystery yarn, that I cannot figure out where I bought it from, but I am really loving how it is knitting up. It is almost denim in texture, and has speckled, but is also distinctly striped. It is the best of three worlds! I made up a knit and purl texture on the top of the foot that I will continue on the leg. They are being worked on US Size 1 needles, two at a time, toe up. They are almost ready for the heels.
I also spun some this week, and am almost through my braid of Malabrigo Nube in the Solis colorway. It is really pretty, and is spinning up really thin. I can't wait to ply it!
Those are all my projects that I have been working on the last two weeks. Hopefully I get some of the blankets done before next Saturday, which is Make-A-Blanket Day, where the entire Kansas City Chapter of Project Linus will get together and work on making blankets. I am really looking forward to seeing everybody again. See you next week!
This week my computer decided that it needed to update, which today was an excellent day to update, but it meant that I was a little pressed for time when I was recording. Because of this I kind of speed through my projects at lightning speed!
While I was waiting for the computer to update I picked some wildflowers from outside, that just popped up by the deck steps. I was amazed at the different shades of colors that they were and how delicate they were, I just thought that I would share.
I talked about my past week, and about my mom's birthday that was this week. I made her this great mixer cover for her kitchen aid mixer. I really loved the chicken print, and it goes really well with her kitchen, which is all chicken themed, so it worked really nicely. After the photo shoot I made sure to put it back in the kitchen so it can keep the mixer cozy.
Next I talked about all my great finished objects that I had this week. I finished G's socks. They are men's size 12 or so, so it was a fair bit of knitting. I made them 88 stitches around on US size 1 needles. I worked them two at a time toe up, magic loop method. I worked them in JaWoll color for the mottled green, and Cascade Sock in green for the toes, heels, and cuffs.
I also finished a pair of socks for myself. I striped two different self-striping colorways from Berroco Sox. One was various shades of green, and the other was red, pink, peuce, green, and blue (which probably doesn't sound very pretty, but it turned out really cute. I worked them 72 stitches around on US size 1's. I worked them one at a time using the magic loop method. Last week I was just above the heel on the second sock, and this week I finished all the leg and cuff. All that is left is for them to have the ends woven in.
Another finished object is not really knitting or crochet or spinning related, but it is still technically fiber. I finished sewing a top for a Project Linus quilt. Project Linus is a charity that donates new, handmade blankets to children that are ill or traumatized. They are handed out at hospitals, and police and firemen can carry them around with them. This one was a kit that was already cut for the most part and step by step directions were included. My mom helped me out quite a bit, she did the second cuts, and helped me press the pieces, and gave me pointers about how best to assemble to quilt. (The middle block is supposed to be sideways, I did it on purpose).
This week I had a few Works In Progress (WIPs). I started and worked a lot on a chevron cowl that will be worked until I run out of yarn, and then kitchener the two ends together. I provisionally cast on 100 stitches and then am working a chevron pattern on the tube. I am using Lang Yarn Mille Colori Socks and Lace yarn and Berroco Comfort sock weight, held together. It is being worked on US size 4 needles, and I think it is turning out pretty nicely.
Confession time, for the past three weeks I have been working on a project and haven't shown you, because... well, I'm not really sure why, maybe I was embarrassed at having so many projects on the needles? At any rate, I'm coming clean. This is going to be a pillow for the Design Challenge Aug/Sep Challenge on Ravelry. It's a group that just runs bi-monthly challenges on their forums. This two month challenge is to make a pillow that uses cables and has texture. I am using short rows to make wedges that will form a circle that will then have a strip around the outside of cables, and the other side will be in a gradient that I dyed around this time last year. Anyways, I'm working it on Jaeger Gabrielle with Mohair held double on US size 9 needles. I am taking good notes, and I plan to work up the pattern, and have a blog post devoted to it, so that if you want you can make your own little cushion. Here's what it looks like so fair.
Also this week I decided I needed a crochet project, since I hadn't crocheted in about two weeks, and I was really itching to get my hands on a hook. So, I decided that I was going to make a "crazy quilt" afghan, so I am letting it grow organically, but still making sure that it is staying rectangular as I work it. That way when I'm done it will be a really unique blanket. I worked the center square, and then I did a couple rows of border around it. Then I did triangles around the center square to set it on it's corner, striping the triangles randomly. Then I added a border with puff stitches to give it texture and interest. I plan on making log cabin stripes on two of the sides, to make it a bit asymmetrical, but still rectangular. I will also be using some other stitches, such as bobbles, V-stitch, and Cross post stitch to give the log cabin stripes some texture. I'm pretty excited about this project, so hopefully it comes out as nicely as it sounds like it will in my head.
Lest you think that I am being neglectful, or that I have Project ADD or something else, I would like to acknowledge that there were three projects that were not featured this week. First was the Hippy-hippy shawl which is by Gabrielle Vezina, which was not seen, because it did not receive any work, mainly because the fingering weight on US size 2 needles is pretty small, and I just didn't make myself sit there and work on it this week. Then there is the Project Linus blanket that I am knitting with the ball band dishcloth pattern. I did work on this, but it felt like there was a lot going on in this podcast, and so that project just didn't make the cut. Finally, my brother's sweater, the Hedge Fence Pullover, by Elinor Brown, was not worked on, mainly because this is the first week in the past two or three where I could sit and knit as long as I wanted without my hands killing me, and I just hadn't sat down and cranked out a whole pattern repeat at any point in the week.
So, anyways, this week I also spun. Both fibers were from vendors at the All-MO Spin In in Chillicothe, MO that I went to this May. The orange and pink skein is wool that I plied with metallic sliver thread, and one spool of brown thread with beads, I got 368 yards, and am planning on making a shawl. It's very airy and was spun from an art batt. The blue and green was sold in a hank of roving, and I wasn't sure about the colors when I bought them, but I really like them now that they are spun up. I like how the different colors play together, and I think it will make a very nice hat. I split the roving into strips lengthwise, about six strips, spun them end to end, and then plied the whole thing back on itself. I am also still working on drop spindling the mohair and wool blend that I got at the MOPaca festival that I went to earlier this year as well. I'm spinning that on a turkish spindle that I got in a swap package last year or so.
This week's stash enhancement included some fiber, two different sweater quantities, and sock yarn, as well as sock yarn to dye. I'm pretty excited about all the possibilities that these new additions bring. The thought of the week this week was about the Bullet Journal idea that I'm trying to see if I can organize my life a bit more. I am making lists of different things that I want to do, and how to do them. I think that it will help me. If you type in "setting up bullet journals" into YouTube there will be a bunch of different tutorials about what a bullet journal is and how to set it up. I think that it seems to be a good idea.
Thanks for watching and reading, and I hope to see you next week!
This week was a bit of a doozy. Not only did I start my first week of school, which went reasonably well, all things considered, but I recorded an ENTIRE episode for the podcast, and then I went to open it up, and the file was corrupted, so I went and did a take two. Last week it was an editing issue, this week it was a corrupt file issue, I wonder what issues will await me next week.
So first off I talked about my grandfather passing, which was my storytime for this week, and then I talked about the past week at school. I also talked about processing my wool, which I got from a friend that raises sheep on her farm, and she had a lot of extra wool. It was a pretty awesome experience, because I actually got it clean, and now it is white and fluffy instead of beige, like it was before. I didn't get a picture of the wool, but I'll try and show a sample of it next week.
Then I talked about my lack of FOs (Finished Objects). I'm almost done with G's socks though, and hopefully I will get those done this week.
I am also a good way through my Stripey Socks, that I am making out of Berocco Sox yarn, with two different colorways, and I am striping the two colorways to make super stripey socks. Both yarns are self-striping themselves. I have turned the heel on the second sock, and just have the leg and cuff to finish.
I am also continuing to work on the Hippy Hippy shawl by Gabrielle Vezina. It's a free Ravelry download. I'm working it with KnitPicks Chroma and a mystery brown acrylic yarn. It's a slow going shawl, since it is fingering weight and I'm working it on Size US 2 needles.
I also continued working on the ballband dishcloth blanket for Project Linus, which is a charity that gives blankets to children that have been through some type of trauma, and are distributed by either hospitals or police and firemen. I think that it will probably be two to three more weeks until it is done, The variegated is Red Heart Super Saver in the Primary colorway and the green is Red Heart with Love in the Lettuce colorway.
Finally, I am making good progress on the sweater that I am making for Knit for Kids, which is a charity that collects sweaters, hats, and blankets for children in impoverished areas. The items are collected in Pennsylvania, and then once they have a pallet worth of items the items are shipped all over the world. I'm using Caron One Pound to make the sweater.
I also spun this week. I finished a skein of alpaca. The colorway is Murphy's Ocean, and there were 4oz. I got 168 yards and I'm going to say that it was between a sport and worsted weight. I plan to use it to make a cowl for someone for Christmas, since it's nice and soft.
I am also spinning some art yarn from an art batt. It too is 4oz. I am getting between a fingering and a lace weight, and I will be plying it with some reflective and metallic decorative thread that I got for another project, but I think that it will be really great with this wool.
And then I have just a bit of stash enhancement because of the great sales that they had at JoAnn's this week. I got a Caron One Pound skein in grey that I am going to use to make a sweater for one of my baby cousins for this Christmas, and then I got two skeins of Patons Kroy in the Meadowstripes colorway. I'm excited about working with this yarn, and I think it will be a blast.
I finished up the podcast by talking about the quilt that my mom made me for my high school graduation, and then my thought of the week was just musing about how great it is to be able to shop your stash and how I feel like it's an important part of the creative process for myself. Thanks for watching and reading, I'll see you next week.
This week the podcast got put up a little late. I had an issue with the editing and the first version was not of the quality that I wanted to publish, so I held off until I had enough time to go back and re-edit everything and make it look nice. I hope you enjoy!
First off I talked about my wandering educational career and how I ended up where I am now, and my experience thus far returning to the brick and mortar school. I talked about some other random adventures this week as well.
Then I talked about my Finished Objects. I had two this week! My vanilla socks out of Plymouth Happy Feet 100 Splash. I also finished Baby B's Blanket out of Plymouth Encore Worsted in lime and navy.
I have two other pairs of socks on the needles. Both are vanilla sock patterns. The green pair are for G, and are getting very close to being done. The striped socks are made even stripey-er by having two self striping yarns stripe every two rows. I really like it, and have one sock completely done and the other one's toe done. The self striping yarn were both Berroco Sox. I'm working both on US Size 1 needles. I'm also working both using the Magic Loop method, which is my favorite method for knitting socks.
I am also working on the Hippy Hippy Shawl by Gabrielle Vezina, a free Ravelry download. I'm working it with a mystery chocolate colored acrylic fingering weight yarn and Knitpicks Chroma fingering weight. I'm working it on US Size 2 needles. I'm going to keep going until I run out of KnitPicks Chroma and then I'm going to switch to the Old Shale (formerly, mistakenly, known as Feather and Fan) stitch pattern with Boboli Lace yarn.
I am also working on my Project Linus blanket that I am knitting using the ballband dishcloth stitch pattern that I just added extra stitch repeats to make it wide enough. I am using Red Heart Super Saver in the Primary colorway as the variegated yarn in the background, and then I'm using Red Heart with Love in the Lettuce colorway for the overlaying rows.
I also started a sweater for Knit for Kids charity, which sends sweaters, hats, and baby blankets to children all throughout the world. I am working a size 4 sweater, but I think my gauge is off because when I measured it had the bust size of a size 6. To fix this I am going to work the length of a size 6 and not worry about the stitch difference, but just keep it in mind for future projects. It is a free pattern from the Knit for Kids website, just a top down raglan pattern, and I have already split for the sleeves. It's coming along pretty fast, and I'm enjoying the process.
I also had some stash enhancement this week. First, from Fabric Recycles, a local craft consignment shop for craft supplies I got some discontinued acrylic in Light Moss for another Knit for Kids sweater, and I also got some Baby Bee in Bare Blue for a striping color in that sweater. I also found a roll of fabric that was printed to look like the knit stitch that I'm going to use to make project bags, one for me and then one or two to put up in the Etsy shop. I also went to Hobby Lobby and got I Love This Yarn in the Peacock and Royal colorways and then I Love This Yarn Overdyed in the Jamie and Caitlyn. I also got a skein of Yarn Bee Lace in the Sun Valley colorway. I plan to use the I Love This Yarn to make more sweaters for Knit for Kids and I'm going to hold the Yarn Bee Lace either double or with a cream to make a cowl and submit it to the Knitworthy Comfort and Joy KAL which is asking everyone to knit something for the Christmas giving season.
My thought of the week was about being grateful and how it's important to take a moment and think about the good things in life, because no matter how hard things get there are still little moments of something to be grateful for everyday. Thanks for joining me and I'll see you next week!
This Sunday I decided to try a traditional three-ply. I got some BFL custom dyed fiber in a Tim Burton swap through Ravelry. Here is a picture of the fiber the day that I got it.
Then I divided it into three even pieces. I don't have a scale, so I just eyeballed it. I forgot to take a picture of it right when I divided it, but I did have my mom snap a picture while I was just starting to spin.
Here are a few of me actually spinning, I was using a modified long draw. I have been basically teaching myself to spin, so that I don't have a specific technique per se.
So then I had a several singles. I had them off the bobbin onto cardboard tubes that I got from my grandmother.
And then once I had them on the bobbins I plied them together, and here's how I held my hand.
And then I had all the singles plied onto my bobbin.
And then I wound it off onto my niddy noddy that I made out of PVC a while ago. I got the instructions off line, but I don't quite remember where, sorry. I know that it's a two yard niddy noddy, which makes it much easier to count yardage.
I had 88 yards when all was said and done, and under the wound skein you can see just a little bit of fluff. This was all that was left after I plied it, so less than two yards left in total. I looked up and down all over Ravelry, (OK, I got on and did an advanced pattern search for hats with less than 150 yards of yarn in an adult size), and found the Vermonter hat. Which I thought was cute, and I downloaded the pattern, it's a free pattern, and I just used it for how many stitches to cast on, and then I modified it, but I think that it still looks basically like the same hat. Next to the hat is the ball of how much yarn was left, which was more than I would have liked.
I really liked how it would turn out, and how the colors mixed together, and how it turned out. I think that I will try to spin thinner in order to get more yardage in a traditional three ply and then have maybe even a worsted weight, instead of the super bulky that I got this time, but I really do like the "look" of this yarn.
Today I finished a scarf that I made with four different balls of Hobby Lobby's I Love This Wool, but before I show you the picture, I am going to describe my method for splitting balls in half without a ball winder, a swift, or a scale.
This is the ball in it's original state. One could just start knitting from the inside or the outside, since it's a center pull ball, which is perfect for my purposes. The first step is to find the inside end and the outside end, holding them together, start winding a ball, just manually.
At the end of all that you will have a single ball held double. Cut the string in half when you get to the very end of the original ball. If you are making two at a time socks you can stop here, and can knit both socks from the same ball, meaning that if you are knitting toe up you will know exactly when to end in order to use up as much of the yarn as possible. I prefer knitting two at a time toe up, on 40" cable needles, size US 1. I think that they go fast. I will describe my vanilla sock recipe in a later post.
Next take both ends of the ball and start winding two separate balls. If the yarn gets twisted, simply untwist it. I never find it to become terribly troublesome.
Continue winding into two separate balls.
Eventually you will end up with two completely separate balls.
Tadaa! A ball split in half with no fancy equipment whatsoever.
After I split the ball in half today I finished crocheting a scarf. I used half of four different balls of Hobby Lobby's I Love This Wool, so I have exactly enough to make an exactly identical scarf, which I think that I will end up doing. I would just like to say that I did not love the I Love This Wool though. I thought it was too splitty, and it kept splitting on me. It did come in a variety of different plies in the Naturals line. I started with a solid brown, then did a section of three plies of brown with one ply cream, then half and half, two plies brown, two plies cream, and finally three plies cream and one ply brown. I think it ended up being a really interesting gradient, and I may have to experiment with making gradients like this using handspun, since I have never really played around with anything more than Navajo plying or two ply, so playing with more plies would be fun. Here is the finished scarf. I used a size US J crochet hook, and used the berry stitch, which is just alternating double crochet and single crochet stitches every other stitch and then double crochet in the single crochet and single crochet in the double crochet in the next row.
I came home this evening and made an especially yummy dinner. I roasted peppers, tomatoes, and chickpeas in the oven, sprinkling them with garlic salt and pepper. I sauteed zucchini, yellow squash, and red onion and minced garlic in a skillet on the stove top, and then I cooked some gluten free spiral pasta. I waited until each component was done then I mixed them all together with olive oil and Parmesan cheese in a plastic container, I ate half and saved the other half for tomorrow. It was really delicious, and I might write out a more specific recipe, but I don't really want this to become a food blog, since I think my crafting is more interesting than my cooking. I'm also not always exact when I cook, so making recipes is not my forte.
