Atla Knits

2006-09-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

A lot of crafting has been getting done around here lately. Well, not much has actually been finished, but I have a lot of active WIPs. I have 3 knit WIPs, and 2.5 crochet WIPs. Yes, you heard that right.. crochet. I taught myself to crochet about 2 and a half years ago, and while I enjoyed it, I always liked the look of knitted garments better. So after finishing Jaden's blanket last summer, I put down my hook and taught myself to knit. This involved a lot of cursing. And other than to pick up dropped stitches once in awhile, I haven't picked up that hook since. I started out knitting a horribly, ugly, garter stitch scarf that I hated every second of and frogged. I then moved on to a watermelon colored shortrow scarf that I overdyed and eventually frogged. I liked it, but I screwed up a row, and tinking back shortrows wasn't my strong point on my second project. Then I made a horrible drop stitch scarf out of some ugly ribbon yarn, immediately hid it, and decided "That's it. No more scarves." And even in that bad scarf period, crochet never (re)appealed to me. A couple of weeks ago, however, I picked up a hook randomly and made a granny square. I hated granny squares when I actively crocheted, cause I sucked at them. But this granny square made me happy. So happy that I decided to make another, and another, and another. I think I made 9 6-inch granny squares that day. And I realized that I was ready to embrace crochet again, but only granny squares I told myself. They were meditative, and quick.. instant satisfaction. So, I took some leftover handspun in complimentary colors, and made a square for the craftster blanket.

Then I grabbed some acrylic and started a huge granny square afghan.

And as if that wasn't enough, I grabbed all my handspun scraps and started another ongoing square.

I hadn't broken the "only granny squares" rule, and I was still focused on my knitting. I had finished one trekking xxl sock, and am doing the gusset decreases on the second. Those handspun scraps in that last square? Those came from this handspun log cabin blanket.

Oh, and I'm tackling another sweater. A wool/acrylic blend top down raglan:

I knit a sock for my DS Lite with Sugar N Cream cotton.

Oh, and here's the felted clutch from One Skein I promised a pic of. I really thought it would get a lot of use when I firt finished it, but honestly, I've only used it once. I'll probably reclaim my dangling stitch markers.

But then, I was trying to decide what to do with some special yarn. See, a couple weeks ago, just a few days before Jaden left to go back to his mom's, I started dying some roving.. the first time I'd done that when he's been here. Of course, as a four year old, he wanted to help. So I got out another strip and let him pick colors, helped him mix them, let him put the dye on the roving, then let him watch as I wrapped it, steamed it, and rinsed it. He was delighted during the whole process, continually referring to the wool happily as "my colors." So a few days after he left, I decided to spin it. I wish I had taken a picture of the roving before spinning, as the spinning process really muted the colors. Lately I've been spinning relatively even, light worsted weight, 2-ply yarn. But this, I decided, I would spin as a bulky thick and thin single. So I spun it, and was a bit disappointed when it wasn't bulky enough, and I only had 40 yards. I had been hoping to make a beanie. And so I thought about my options. I didn't want to dye another batch, as I wanted all the colors in this yarn to be Jaden's. I could ply it, but I didn't have any yarn "special" enough to ply it with. But then, when I decided to go ahead and wind it into a ball, I saw it. A center pull ball of my first, undyed, handspun yarn. Jaden's first dyed wool, and my first handspun, plyed together. It was perfect. This, unfortunately, dulled the colors even more and only yielded 35 yards, but I still loved the yarn. What on earth was I going to make with 35 yards? Certainly not the beanie I had envisioned. But I wanted something that I would get a lot of use out of, but wouldn't be harsh on the yarn. I also didn't want to use a pattern, because I wanted it to be mine and Jaden's creation only. Then I remembered a neckwarmer that an etsy buddy had crocheted out of some of my handspun that had turned out beautifully. I'd have just enough yarn, and it would be simple enough to wing it without a pattern. And so, this special neckwarmer was born:

And the "only granny squares" rule was broken. And once it's broken, there's no turning back. I started this scarf last night with some leftover Merino Frappe. Quick, simple, and lusciously soft.

I've rediscovered crochet, as a fun, relaxing craft, and my new rule is that it has to stay that way. No crocheting from a pattern. I don't want to learn new stitches, or become a great crocheter. I can crochet simple, beautiful things using only single-crochet and double-crochet and be entirely happy doing it. I've also felt that way about knitting a bit lately. I don't want a pattern, or complicated stitches.. just stockinette in the round with a few increases or decreases thrown in occasionally (or garter as seen in my log cabin blanket.) One thing I've noticed is that when I get even a bit frustrated with my knitting, my face gets flushed and I'm suddenly uncomfortably hot. And I don't like it. I just want to sit there, relax, and not have to think about what I'm doing. I want to let my thoughts wander, and put my hands on cruise control. And that's what I've been doing for the past month, and I'm much happier with my crafts, and I've been devoting a lot more time to them since. Every one of my projects in relaxation knitting. My socks, blankets, sweater. And I'm loving every one of them. Maybe, in the future, I'll want to challenge myself more, but for now, I'm just sticking with the things I know, the things my hands know. I'll let the yarn and simple stitches create the beauty.

2006-07-20T22:59:00.000-07:00

Woooh! I see what people mean when they say felting is addictive. I just finished the felted cluth from One Skein. I was all set to kick the washer out of frustration from trying to felt for 2 hours with no success, after reading a few posts on craftster and the livejournal knitting community, but tihs bag felted fully in about 15 minutes. Then I had to decide how to embellish it. I didn't want buttons, cause the only ones I have are blue (which is the color of the bag, so won't show up) and hot pink (no). I suck at embroidery. So I took a couple of "fancy" dangly stitch markers that I received in a swap and er, sewed them on. So it has.. bling, or something. Yeah. It actually makes so sense, but it's knitting themed.. or something, yeah.

Anyway, I'll post pics tomorrow when it's all dry, and there's some sunlight out :)

2006-07-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

I'm baaaaack. Mwuahaha.

I think I've mentioned this before, but every 5 monthsish, there's one month where I knit less, read less, etc, etc, and am consumed by World of Warcraft. So between that, Jaden, and online classes.. I've not been doing much knitting. And when I'm not knitting much, I can't really blog about it on a knitting blog. But, inevitably, it got boring once again. I waited two weeks before announcing my return to make sure that World of Warcraft had officially released it's grip on me. I haven't logged in once since then. Yep, it's true.

I have, however, gotten some knitting done! Saturday, hubby and I went to my LYS. I picked up Nancy Bush's Knitting on The Road, and since they were having a buy 1, get 1 free sale on books, I took the opportunity to get One Skein, by Leigh Radford. I bought some Crystal Palace Iceland Wool for the asymmetrical cable hat, and knit it up immediately.

It went very quickly, and the pattern was very easy and intuitive. However, I had less than a yard left of yarn when I finished, and I knit the women's size. Had I knit the men's size, I would have been unable to finish. The men's size does fit my hubby however, so if anyone decides to knit this for a man, I think it'd be very safe to just knit the women's size.

I've also finished one trekking sock, which I won't have a photo of until I have a finished pair. And I've knit a couple of charity hats, which I won't have a photo of until I get ready to send a box off. I also purchased some Lamb's Pride Bulky for the felted clutch in One Skein and cast on for that last night.

In the next entry, I'll tell you about my new project, but I want to sort a couple of things out first, and keep this entry from being too rambly.

Short Post

2006-05-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

coral
Originally uploaded by atla.

Short post, but I just wanted to show off some recent dyeing/spinning fun. I like it :)

2006-05-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

Shh.. quiet down. Can you hear that? Listen closely..

That's the sound of my socks soaring off the needles!

Pattern: Dublin Bay Socks (pdf)
Yarn: 2 skeins Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Hawaii, but overdyed

In the year that I've been knitting, this is probably the project that I'm happiest with. I enjoyed the pattern, the colors suit me, and they feel wonderful on my feet. These socks will definitely get the love and wear they deserve.

When I just just past the gusset decreases on sock number 2, I switched to my 2 Addi Turbo circs. The gauge changed just a wee bit, throwing the patterning off, but the sock seems to fit the same. Once I figured out how to keep the yarn from tangling with the circular needles, this method did actually seem much quicker and less fiddly than DPNs, so I think I'll stick with it in the future. The funny part is that I didn't even use the Cat Bordhi book that I purchased to learn the technique. I watched the video on knittinghelp.com on a whim last night, and switched immediately. I had no trouble picking up the technique. Very easy.

Anyhow, I'm off to work, wearing my gorgeous, comfy handknit socks! Hooray!

2006-05-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

We're back! A really long drive. I kept sane with sock-knitting and podcasts.

The most important thing we brought back is this!

It's a pure joy to have him with us.

While we were there, I found the opportunity to stop at Butler's Country Knit Shop. There was really tons of yarn. I have never seen so much yarn in one place. Photos can be found here. Everything was 10% off retail price. All yarns that is. Not a special sale.. not mill ends, or lone skeins from sold out colorways. Current, plentiful, beautiful yarns. Always 10% off. The owners were amazingly nice, and it was just a great experience. I'm looking forward to going back next year. Anyway, here's what I snagged:

Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi and two sets of size 1 addi turbo 24" circs. My first Addi Turbos.

And of course some sock yarn to play with. Trekking XXL, colorways 100 and 101.

I finished the leg and heel flap of Dublin Bay sock number 2 during the trip, so I'll finish that soon and post photos. Then I think I'll start on a pair of socks for Jaden. He's got such little feet that it'll be a really quick knit. Hooray!

2006-05-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

I finished sock #1 last night, and cast on for the second. I worked on it for quite a while yesterday, as I wanted to finish it before tomorrow morning. We're leaving for Pennsylvania (to pick up Jaden!) first thing tomorrow, and a 24 total hours of driving (/riding) deserves a fresh sock, no? That and lots of Brenda Dayne, Irie, Pixie Purls, and Guido on my iPod should suffice to amuse me.

I also found my damned AWOL bamboo sock needle. I was apparently using it as a bookmark in Nancy Bush's Folk Socks.

Tonight will be spent kid-proofing the house. Knitting needles, blocking pins, chemicals, aspirin.. all will be put out of reach. Tomorrow and Saturday, hours and hours of driving. Sunday, if all goes well, we should be here and resting.. and chasing a 3.5 year-old around.

See you guys next week!

2006-05-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

I went to Hobby Lobby after work last night and picked up some DPNs for the sock. Not sure how I'm digging the metal after working with bamboo, but we'll see once I get used to it. I also picked up some sugar 'n cream cotton to make Mason-Dixon dishcloths. The colors I chose remind me of my sock now that I thin about it. I think I've fallen in love with my sock. That's natural, right?

Obligatory progress photos:

2006-05-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

Sock needle #5 is AWOL. I've looked everywhere for the darn thing. I only used four needles yesterday, because I'm knitting the heel flap, but sometime today I will need that extra needle.

Options:

1. Knit with four DPNs instead. I don't wanna. 4 dpns is all triangle-y, and ladder-y, and tight. No thanks.

2. Elizabeth Zimmerman said that it's possible to use 4 DPNs of 1 size, and another DPN of one size up or down, and it won't really make a difference in gauge. I don't have size 0 DPNs, and my size 2 are really short and really blunt.

3. Pause the sock until I can buy more DPNs. I may actually end up doing this, but there are complications here as well. Firstly, I'm knitting the stinkin' heel flap. Turning the heel and picking up the stitches is so fun, I don't wanna pause. Secondly, there are no stores anywhere in this town that sell DPNs. The nearest yarn shop is 45 minutes away, and I'd have to wait until Monday evening to go there. But if I go to a yarn shop on Monday evening, there is a very good chance that I will immerge with yarn, and I will not live to tell you hubby's reaction. I may just order needles online, and knit on the blanket until then. Don't know.

Enough of the mourning. One week from today, hubby and I will be driving to Pennsylvania to get Jaden. I can't express how excited we are about this, how excited we are every year.

2006-05-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

I don't usually do this, but since books are my original passion, eh.. why not. I didn't get tagged; I took it. And I'm not tagging anyone. If you want to do it, take it. Oh, and I didn't necessarily add "recent reads" to the list.. they'd all be knitting books. I added some favorites instead.

Book Meme!
1. Copy & paste.
2. Bold the ones you've read.
3. Add four recent reads to the end.
4. Tag!

The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams
The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter 6) - J.K. Rowling
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Animal Farm: A Fairy Story - George Orwell
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
1984 - George Orwell
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) - J.K. Rowling
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (I read most of this one)
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) - J.K. Rowling
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter 5) - J.K. Rowling
Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut
Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Book 1) - J.K. Rowling
Neuromancer - William Gibson
Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson
The Secret History - Donna Tartt
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) - J.K. Rowling
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
American Gods - Neil Gaiman (Hubby read this one aloud to me, and I fell asleep in various places throughout)
Ender's Game (The Ender Saga) - Orson Scott Card
Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson
A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Good Omens - Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman
Atonement - Ian McEwan
The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
Dune - Frank Herbert
The Importance of Being Earnest - Oscar Wilde
Holy Fools - Joanne Harris
The Browning Version - Terence Rattigan
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
Desperation - Stephen King
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse - Louise Erdrich
Delta of Venus - Anais Nin
Geek Love - Katherine Dunn
The Master and Margarita - Mikhail Bulgakov
The Hawklike Monster - Richard Brautigan

2006-05-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

Today's post is about changes. How one little detail can greatly affect an outcome.

Remember this?

It was becoming this:

I got to the heel, and decided that I didn't like it. It wasn't fun at all. Okay, so I've only done one cuff down sock, but every part of it was fun. I liked doing the heel flap, picking up the stitches, grafting the toe. I wanted to try toe-up to see what all the fuss is about. The best part of that sock was the endless stockinette, which usually I don't enjoy. The toe and the heel was a pain in my arse. So I decided I would rip it out, reskein and wash the yarn, and start over, cuff down.

I reskeined the yarn, I immerged it in water.. and.. whaddoya know, the water is blue. Personally, I think that if I can dye wool and the dye not run when I wash it, Lorna's Laces should be able to do the same thing. Anyhow, I decided to throw it in a near-boiling pan of vinegar and water. Except, when I did that, I wondered.. what would it look like if I.. threw in some more dye? Maybe some red, and some brown, and some burgundy, and even some vert green? It looks like this:

Dublin Bay Socks (pdf). The gauge is right, the colors much more "me", and the lace insert is simple enough that it can be my on-the-go project, but it still requires enough attention that it keeps the sock from feeling like endless stockinette. There are bits of the original color where I tied the skein up with cotton when dyeing, giving it an almost built-in tweed effect. In short, I really like where this is going.

Now, remember this yarn?

That was a random bulky, peachy single. Last week sometime I started spinning a yarn for a multi-directional scarf for charity, with lengths of yellow, red, and orange to give it a self-striping effect. I got bored with the yarn fairly soon, because the colors aren't really my style, and eventually the project didn't seem like such a great idea. Last night, around midnight, I was unable to sleep, and just briefly wondered what the two yarns would look like plyed together. I've never plyed before, except Andean plying which is quite different, and at midnight I didn't really feel like pulling out the books or researching it online, so I just grabbed the yarns and did whatever felt right. The result isn't perfect, but it's bouncy and bulky and fun.

I'll probably start a garter stitch scarf for my "on the computer desk" project for the same charity organization.

Now the non-knitting changes:

For awhile, I've been an assistant manager at a videogame store. I don't generally like the store. I love all three of the CSRs, but I generally dislike the customers, and I'm not overly fond of the manager. I've been going crazy trying to figure out how I can get out of there, still pay my bills, and move a bit forward. One night in the past couple of weeks, I went out shopping with my husband, a guy friend who works with me, and hubby's sister. The guy friend hates the job and the manager as well, so it was generally a big bitch-fest. And I was PMSing. Not pretty. So, when we get back, friend and hubby's sister leaves, and hubby and I have a long talk about what I should do. I knew the local community college didn't really offer any degrees I was interested in (the medical field is not my thing), but I glanced at the website once more just in case. And then I started wondering "What are those RODP classes I keep seeing on the website?" Reagents Online Degree Program. Basically, I can take classes online or at the college, and can earn an Associates of Applied Science in Professional Studies with a Concentration in Informational Technology. A long way to say that I can learn programming and such. I already have some of the basic classes, as I was exempt from a few due to my ACT score, and have taken a few during one of my "I have no idea why I'm taking classes, but dangit, I'm takin' em anyway" phases. Yes, it's just an associates degree. No, it's not the key to big money. I don't need big money. I need to get away from retail. Period. I don't know where it will lead, but I told my boss on Friday to demote me to CSR, cause I was working on getting the fuck outta there.

2006-04-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

I've deleted a post. Some of you caught it.. some of you didn't. It was a post describing my experience at a particular yarn shop. I'm glad the owner of the yarn shop got to read it. I told her what I thought; she responded likewise. That's as far as it goes. I dislike drama in all aspects of my life, and there is no need for it here. So, yarn shop owner, if you're reading this, thanks for responding. I'm glad the feeling is mutual. We both know that, and we can drop it now.

Back to your regularly scheduled knitting talk:

Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee, in one of her books, has assured me that it's okay to knit a sock that might not fit. It will fit someone. I'm reading all of her books at once, in little bits and pieces, so please don't ask which one, though I think it is Knitting Rules. So I worked on that a bit yesterday. Most of my time was spent starting a blanket for Jaden, who will be here in 21 days! It's just a basic basketweave blanket, and will take approximately forever to knit. That's okay. I like him to see me working on it. Last year, I hadn't learned to knit yet. I crocheted. I crocheted him a blanket, which was actually just lots of squares (not granny squares, mind you) put together. He saw me making squares day after day. He saw me sewing them together (I guess you could call it sewing.. it was more like pretending to know what I was doing.) When it was finished, I presented it to him, and even though it was his, and he slept with it, he always called it "Steppie's blue blankie." Aww.

2006-04-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

Great, just great.

I made a gauge swatch before I started. Granted, it wasn't a large gauge swatch, but it was a gauge swatch, and it was in the round. 8 st/inch. Perfect.

Oh, the sock. I'm talking about the sock.

Being the obsessive-compulsive, slightly-perfectionist, worrisome wench that I am.. I checked my gauge again.. about 5 inches into the sock. 10 st/inch. Um.

So now, I stare at my sock. Glare at my sock, even. All those nice, neat little stitches.. and it does this to me. Will it be too small? It's toe-up.. I tried it on. It feels nice. Comfortable. A little too comfortable. Eerily comfortable. (Well, other than the needles biting into my foot.) Will I have the courage to finish it, even with the gauge being off.. taking my chances on a too-tight sock? Not sure. Will I frog it and start over? Definitely not. Will I just abandon the sock, punishing it to forever be a work in progress? Possibly. If that happens, will I give up on socks forever, and admit loudly to the world that I LOVE MAKING HATS, not socks.. not stinkin' socks.. not god awful socks? Perhaps.

That said, I think this evening will be devoted to Branching Out.. (branching out away from socks.. grr.)

2006-04-19T05:59:00.000-07:00

Apparently, this getting out of the house thing is dangerous, as one outing apparently leads to another. On Thursday, April 27th, if all goes well, I will be heading to Brentwood, TN to the Yarn Harlot's book signing. Woohoo.

Oh, and why has no one warned me that Mother's Day is quickly approaching? I have four mothers!! Four! Mom, step-mom, mother-in-law, step-mother-in-law. And will they all get something? Yes, they will get cards at least. Mom will get taken out to dinner, and I'm knitting up a nice (?) pair of slippers for her. The rest of them.. I guess it depends on how fast I knit, huh?

/cry

2006-04-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Beverley, you should definitely try toe-up socks. I like that it gives you something interesting to work on immediately (the short-row toes) rather than having to knit inches and inches for the leg, before anything cool happens. I think the general consensus in the sock-knitting community is that Wendy's Generic Toe-up Sock Pattern is the pattern to start with. I tried starting using a book, Simple Socks: Plain and Fancy, but turned to Wendy's pattern when I was having a little bit of difficulty, and have found Wendy's pattern to be much more helpful. There is an article in the newest knitty that has pictures to go along with her cast on method, I believe. Don't quote me on that.

Thanks everyone for your input on the scarf. I'll keep working on it. Also, Lufah, thanks so much for dropping by and commenting :)

Today's knitting time was devoted to this:

This is a kid's size beanie, the first of many hats that I will be making for Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The yarn is Manos del Uruguay, which is a real pleasure to knit with. The color surprised me, as it looks a lot better knitted up than in the ball. I never saw it in skein form, as I got it as a swap at the knit_swap livejournal community, and it was already balled up. I'm working on busting my stash, because I have so many oddballs, and I'm trying to make room for new yarns, so that I can buy large enough quantities for an actual project. I think these hats will definitely help with that.

2006-04-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

Proof! Proof, that I mustered up the courage to leave my house, drive 2 hours, and meet lots of other knitters! Look!

I met Ann and Kay! I met Ann and Kay! They were adorable. Their knits were gorgeous and soft and so drapey. They were awesome speakers, and just generally very nice ladies.

I decided to go to the signing at the bookshop rather than the yarn shop, and I picked up some other loot as well. Spin-Off magazine, since I'm never able to find it around here. And finally, the Yarn Harlot's second book. I've read the first couple of stories, and it's hilarious.

Since I had the camera out, I decided I might as well take a couple of progress shots.

This is the toe-up sock I've been working on. I can start the heel in about 2 and a half inches. Hooray!

This is the meager progress I've made on the Branching Out scarf with my handspun terracotta yarn. Please ignore that I'm stretching it a bit with a speaker and a candle, so that you can see the lace pattern well without having to block it. I'm really not sure if I like how the yarn colors are working with the pattern. I've considered frogging it and doing a feather and fan stitch instead, or even using this yarn for a monkey. What do you think?

Sock Toe

2006-04-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

Sock Toe
Originally uploaded by atla.

Last night I decided I wanted to learn how to do toe up socks, using Wendy's short row techniques. I thought I'd just glance at the pattern, get a general idea, so that I'd know what I was getting into when I decided to actually make a pair. Then I wanted to actually -see- how it worked, so I cast on. So it appears that I'm making a pair of socks! Hooray. This is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Hawaii.

2006-04-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

When this:

meets this:

they become this:

(closeup of the stitches and colors)

And the leftovers become an iPod nano cozy:

I didn't actually have a lot of the first yarn, so the rug isn't as large as the photos make it look. But since the garter stitch is so cushy, it feels great under my feet in the morning! (in front of the bathroom sink). I should probably also block it :P

Speaking of an iPod, I just acquired that one yesterday. So of course, getting to the leftover yarn to make the iPod cozy was the motivation for finishing that rug. I've been listening to It's a Purl, Man podcast, and I've always listened to Knitcast. Any other favorites I should check out?

2006-04-11T06:03:00.000-07:00

I got my BFL in yesterday, so last night was a dyeing frenzy. I must have dyed 2 lbs of fiber. I dyed larger amounts this time, because I'm tired of this "92 yards" crap. I only ended up with one color that I absolutely MUST keep for myself, and another that I may or may not.. depending on how it spins up. Then I've got the blue/purple that I've done too many times and I will definitelly sell. It appears as though all the blues, purples, and the black of Wilton's make a blue/purple combo. Not my thing. I used Copper last night, which turned out orange. Lemon yellow which was actually lemon yellow. The one that I must keep for myself, though, was the result of a few different colors. It started with red, until I realized I was just going to get a melon color again. So I added burgundy to try and darken it up.. possibly make it a scarlet or eve n a wine color. That made dark melon.. so I threw in a bit of brown. The result is a red with bits of pale, pale pink and just hints of the brown tone. Doesn't sound too delicious, but it's gorgeous. It looks like a dusty rose. I dyed some more with the color that made Thinmints.. except used more dye this time, so it doesn't have as much white.

Y'know, even the colors that I don't really like, I end up getting fond of when they're all spun up and sitting here in skeins waiting on someone to buy them. I glance over occasionally and look at the colors and the texture.. and imagine all the things it could be. Occasionally, I give in and delete it from the etsy shop and cast on with it. Terracotta, for example, was in my etsy shop for awhile. Now it's becoming branching out. April Rain and Astonomy are now working together to create what will most likely be a small rug (it's very soft.. even if it is small, I want to put my feet on it). I don't seem to get as attached to them when they're in balls. It's just the skeins I want to knit up or stash away. Weird.

2006-04-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

Guess what guess what guess what!

Y'know that book I was talking about? Mason-Dixon Knitting. I'm going to get to meet the authors of it! *crosses fingers* They're doing a book tour right now, and will be at my not-so-local LYS (2 hours away) on March 18th!! Whoohoo! Needless to say, I'm excited. Omg. It just occurred to me. This is going to be a signing for a knitting book.. at a yarn store.. with other knitters. There will possibly be knitting there. I've never actually met another knitter. Like, ever. I must be knitting something scrumptious.. something delightful.. possibly something out of handspun yarn! OMG! Even more so.. this MIGHT be an opportunity to lead some buyers to my etsy shop. *breaks out the business cards* Actually, that might be kinda tacky at a yarn shop. Perhaps I should go to the one in Nashville at the bookstore instead. Either way, I've gotta get spinning.. and knitting. And freaking out.

Unfortunately, I'm out of roving. Have been for a week. I THINK my shipment will arrive tomorrow. I'm starting to wither away.

2006-04-01T08:28:00.000-08:00

All of my online time has been devoted to this lately.

Here's the latest spinning I've gotten done:

I've also decided that dyeing merino is a huge pain in the arse. With BFL, I don't even need a presoak.. just toss it into the dyepot when it's hot enough.

With merino, not only do I need a presoak, it has to be an attentive presoak. I have to hold the fiber under the water.. pull the fiber apart at places to let the water in.. basically, tend to it for half an hour before dyeing. Otherwise the dye just slides right off. Crazy merino.

I finally found the macro setting on my darn camera! See how much clearer my yarn photos are now? I'm a dolt.

In less than two months, we're heading to PA to pick up my stepson for the summer. My stepson is awesome. He'll be 4 in July, and he's smart and adorable and I love him to death. Last year when he was here, I crocheted him a blanket. He watched me work on it day after day, and then I finally asked him if he wanted it, and he nodded enthusiastically. He always called it "Steppie's blue blankie." *melts* So this year, I've already cast on for a small blanket for him. Once again, inspired by Mason-Dixon Knitting.. it's simple.. lots of garter stitch, but the way it's put together will make it look great.. hopefully. Hubby picked the colors. Navy blue, black, and grey. I'm thinking I might return some of the yarn and make it navy blue, forest green, and tan. The blue/black don't contrast each other enough for my liking. Either way, it's the perfect tv knitting.. just like tubey. And I'm still working on Branching Out for when I need to spice up my knitting.

Oh! Hey.. I didn't show you guys.

This was made by another etsy member with my bleeding yarn.

And this was made by yet another etsy member, with the darker yellow stripes being my Kindergarten Sunshine yarn.

Cool, huh?

2006-03-29T06:04:00.000-08:00

I actually have two knitting projects on the needles right now.. small ones, but still. I mentioned that I started Branching Out in my terracotta yarn, and that's going well. I also cast on for a baby bib in Bernat Cottontots. Why? Not sure, really. No kids are coming.. no friends have young babies.

It's this damn book I bought: Mason -Dixon Knitting: The Curious Knitters' Guide: Stories, Patterns, Advice, Opinions, Questions, Answers, Jokes, and Pictures. Wow, that's a mouthful. This book is.. different from my normal knitting books, to say the least. It's like having two grandmas talk to me about knitting, which I never had. The patterns aren't that awesome.. they really like garter stitch.. but it's somewhat inspiring. They give you a basic idea, and then give you free reign to do whatever you want with it. They concentrate on the fun aspects of knitting.. the adventure of knitting even.. rather than the technical aspects. And it seems to be contagious.. because know I really, really want to knit.. even if it is just a garter stitch baby bib.

Beverly asked:
"Lovely yarn, what is this one going to be or are you going to sell it?"

I've actually already traded it off on etsy for this. Hey, I got wet when I do the dishes. This'll help.

Ragnar said:
"So what is the secret to spinning bulky slubby yarn. I know it's the typical spinner thing to say buy I can't do it anymore! Sometimes I want to spin something that isn't approximately the same gauge as sewing thread."

I feel rather presumptious trying to tell "the secret" to spinning bulky slubby yarn, especially since I'd love nothing more than to be spinning sock-weight, and I can't seem to get down past light worsted or DK weight. But, I use larger strips of roving.. I slow down and force myself to draft more, and as for the slubs.. I draft a long piece, put some twist in it so it doesn't pull apart later, and then make the yarn pretty thin just after that, so most (but not all!) the twist goes to that part.

2006-03-26T06:56:00.000-08:00

So what have I done this weekend?

I played a little World of Warcraft, but I don't think that interests anyone here but me, so I won't expand on that.

I didn't spin much, about half a bobbin last night. I did sell some yarn over on etsy... the thinmints yarn. Hooray! The last stuff I've spun was bright yellow. I had realized that after making Terracotta, the worsted weight one, I was having trouble making a bulky yarn, so I decided to make a bulky, slubby, thick & thin yarn just for the hell of it, so I did.

Ragnar mentioned possibly doing her first lace. Well, I've been doing just that.. sort of. Once, a few months ago, I made a lace panel bag with bulky Manos del Uruguay, but it never got finished because the strap was a pain in my arse, and I don't like sewing linings into bags. A couple of days ago, I cast on for Branching Out using my Terracotta yarn. I've gotten four repeats so far, with no problems. *knocks on wood* Yarn Pirate, if she's reading this, may remember months ago when I attempted this scarf and had even purchased a pattern for a much more complicated lace scarf. I couldn't get one friggin' repeat, and I threw in the towel, and sent her my copy of that purchased pattern. Luckily, it seems to be going much better this time. We'll see.

Seaspray

2006-03-21T10:53:00.000-08:00

Seaspray
Originally uploaded by atla.

So I know this hasn't really been a knitting blog lately, but more of an "adventures in spinning" blog. That's okay, right? :P I'm getting the knitting itch, though, so soon you'll hear something about it. It doesn't help that I don't have a printer, so all the online patterns I want to knit, I either have to do it in front of the pc, or go to the local college or my mum's house & print. I've got hubby printing off 3 patterns for me at the college right now, though, and I'll get a printer soon. I guess I could just be like dear ol' Ragnar and not use patterns. I'll just be happy that I can make a hat without a pattern, and leave the rest to the talented designers.

Anyhow, without further ado, I present Seaspray. 111 yards of worsted weight BFL. Mostly a solid viridian greeen color, but with gradual variations of shade. Dyed with Wilton's um.. what color was that.. *thinks* Willow Green! I dyed lots of new roving yesterday, 2 nearly solids, one.. interesting, and one rustic. You'll see them spun up soon, I imagine. Also, I'm using flickr now, and I posted this entry via "Blog this!" after I uploaded the photo. Is this okay, or should I log into blogger and manually insert the photos and whatnot?

2006-03-17T05:59:00.000-08:00

The best yarn I have spun thus far:

189 yards of worsted weight.. that's right, kids, worsted weight. Not bulky. Not superbulky. Worsted. A gorgeous natural color that I'm in love with. I went into the yarn with 3 things in mind: 1) thinner; 2) no slubs; 3) smooth fiber joins.

I achieved all 3. It's delightful. I want to make out with this yarn.

Oh, and there was a new knitcast recently for anyone who cares. I was starting to get worried she'd quit making them.

I got my soaps in the mail from this nice lady who lives in Tennessee as well. The package smelled good before I even opened it. It's incredible.. the scents are so clear and unquestionable. I presented hubby with the spearmint scented loofah soap, and asked him what it smelled like. "Gum!" he answered happily. And the loofah soap is friggin' huge. I don't know if I want to try every soapmaker on etsy now or just stick with her. This seller, who I've traded with, has great Honey Oatmeal soap. And this chick has some stuff that really looks fabulous. And there's one more seller that I can't think of right now that I've been drooling over forever. Bring on the soap!

2006-03-15T09:32:00.000-08:00

I tried Navajo plying for the first time last night. Well, for the first time with -real- yarn. There was an episode where I practiced with Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool. I plyed a just finished single of pinks and plums. It was already a pretty thick single, so this stuff is crazy bulky. 11 stitches over 4 inches on US size 11 needles, to be exact. I fell in love with the yarn immediately after plying it. Yarn that I wasn't too crazy about before. It was bouncy, and full of life. So I said "screw setting the twist" and made a gauge swatch that I ripped out before casting on for a hat. I knew fully well that I would never wear a bright pink hat. I thought I could give it to my cousin. Or just.. sit it around and admire it. No such luck. I thought 45 yards would be enough with it being this thick. No. I ran out of yarn right when it was time to start the decreases. I frowned at it a while, hoping it would grow, then sighed, frogged it, and reskeined it. And now that it's reskeined I can stop loving it long enough to take a photo of it.

It's really very pink, hmm? But it's plyed and bouncy and beautiful. It's the cheerleader of handspun. Okay, now I'm starting to hate it. I better stop with the cheerleader nonsense.

Anyway, I suppose I shall have to find a young girl who has a smaller head than mine and needs a hat. Or just leave it sitting around in the skein and love it. Or find something else to do with 45 yards of super-bulky yarn? Anyone?

2006-03-14T06:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, to answer your questions:

Yes, Wilton's Cake Dye is essentially food coloring.. except gels instead of thin liquids so it doesn't take a lot of dye. I wash my wools once and rinse them twice after dyeing, then wash once and rinse twice after spinning. No fading or bleeding. The idea was recommended to me by a spinner on etsy, and I found a little more information before I bought them. Specifically this blog. Even more specifically, her January 1006 archives. She's moved on to acid dyes now, but her January archives are filled with posts about dyeing with Wilton's. Even more specifically, here is the tutorial she wrote. I like using the dyes, because like I said, it's very easy and it's full of surprises. It usually makes a nice handpainted look without the hassle of handpainting. Unfortunately, there are times when I want more specific colors, so I will be buying more "professional" dyes in the future.

2006-03-13T15:13:00.000-08:00

So I've been playing with my Wilton's Cake Dyes over the weekend. It's a lot less of a "pull my hair out" / "dye the kitchen" situation than with Kool-Aid. Basically, I throw some water, vinegar, and dye into a pot then lower the temperature and stick some wool in there when it hits boiling, wash, rinse, and see what color came out. It's crazy that one color of dye produces multicolor wool.

This is Juniper green.. a heaping 1/8th of a teaspoon of dye. I call it Thinmints. I'm trying to get over the fact that I wanted a foresty, natural green and I ended up with girlscout cookies.

This is Creamy Peach.. a heaping 1/8th of a teaspoon. Hubby and friend says it looks peach. I think it's orange. Whatever.

This is Cornflower Blue.. about 1/16th of a teaspoon. Just in time for spring.

I've got 3 more lengths of wool that have been dyed, and more left to dye.. so lots of spinning ahead.

And, Ragnar, since you mentioned it, I'll unveil it. My etsy shop. I've sold a couple of yarns, and traded some for soap. Huzzah! It's mostly a way to let myself experiment with colors and not getting stuck with yarn I don't like. I've got 22 colors of the Wilton's, and I know I won't like all of it. Somehow I ended up with 3 friggin' shades of yellow. And I'm looking for the perfect color for Clapotis.

2006-03-10T20:34:00.000-08:00

I'm lost.

All my bookmarks have been erased.

My knitting patterns.. my blogs.. my yarn/fiber suppliers.. once arranged into neat little folders.. now gone.

/cry

2006-03-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

This was going to be a longer post, but blogger was stupid when I first tried to log in, and I have to go to work soon. I've been bad.. more online shopping. But little things this time.

One bar of this "Indonesian Dark Patchouli Shea Butter and Silk Soap" from MoonGardenCreations at etsy for a friend who is a patchouli fanatic.

One bar of this "Spearmint Loofah Scrub Soap" from the same seller.. for myself.

And two sheets of this paper from Niko, the youngest etsy craftsperson (age 6).. for inspiration. His enthusiasm in contagious. He's sold nearly everything he's listed.

How I justify shopping online so much:

The closest spinning supply store is 6 hours away. 'Nuff said. The closest yarn store is 45 minutes away, and the closest one that I actually want to shop at is 1.5 hours away.. and when I go there I spend 6 hours there.. literally. The closest craft store (for dye or whatnot) is 45 minutes away. My computer eats up less gas money, and lots less time. I don't buy anything in town other than food and toiletries (and not even soap now.) So the money I spend online is all the "leisure" money I spend. Not that I have to justify myself.. just my mom was griping at me about this yesterday. Bleh.

We know about Ragnar's antisocial tendencies. Wanna hear mine? I hide from people. People I like, people I don't like, people I know, strangers. If I think I might have to talk to them (unless it's a customer at work.. grumble), I hide from them. Today, I knew the Terminex man was coming for his monthly spraying. I saw his truck. I started to get up to go lock myself in the bedroom and pretend I wasn't home when he knocked on the door. Realizing that he could probably see in the window, I opened it. It wasn't that bad.. stupid small talk. He asked about my spinning wheel. He was here a grand total of 30 seconds. Okay, he's gone. I'm okay. 30 minutes later. There's a knock on the door. My first instinct is to go lock myself in my bedroom and pretend I'm not home. But they're at the door. I'm not crazy. I can handle people. I'll answer it. Open the door. YIPPEE!!! It's the mailman! I like him! He has my 2 lbs of BFL, and a package with my Vonage hook-up stuff. He leaves. That was okay. Sometimes, when I hear someone coming up the steps (I live in an apartment building, this happens a lot..) I go to the other side of the room so they can't see me through the window just in case they are going to knock on my door. If I see someone I know in Wal-Mart, and they haven't seen me, I bolt the other way. Am I crazy? I don't think so. I just don't like direct interaction with people. I can fake it pretty well. I work retail. It grinds on my nerves every second. Yet, I can generally pull off a smile and pretend that I am enjoying my nerve-wracking time with each and every customer. Recently though, my boss has made hints that I'm "often in a bad mood." This guy has worked there for 2 weeks. I thought he was confusing having the flu with being in a bad mood. But, thinking about it, I hate my job. I hate selling useless crap to (mostly) stupid, rude people day after day. I hate the products for the most part. I don't like the company. I don't like the customers. I like some of the coworkers. I don't get to work with them that often. Plus, I'm bitter because I'm usually in the middle of something really exciting when I have to leave for work. Like today, my dye is here.. my fiber is here.. my swift is here. My wheel is calling my name. And I have to go to work. My home life is great. Knitting, spinning, world of warcrafting, being with my great husband, my 3.5 bookcases, my apartment that is small enough to be cleaned in 10 minutes, but large enough that it isn't cramped. And then I have to.. leave my apartment. And it sucks.

Bleh, gotta go to work now.

2006-03-09T14:07:00.000-08:00

Look at my new baby!

She is posing with some of my first handspun BFL. Hooray! I no longer need hubby to wind the ball winder slowwwly while I hold the skeins and try to get them untangled. I no longer need to hang the skeins from my neck, unwinding them slowly and carefully, and turning the handle on the ballwinder slowly and carefully when hubby isn't home and I'm too impatient to wait. Hooray!

2006-03-08T05:47:00.000-08:00

Thanks for your motivational comments, Ragnar. I knew I could count on you ;)

So I feel better, for the most part. The only problem I have left is these stupid persistent coughing fits which occasionally lead to vomiting. No big deal, right? I had a nice steak dinner last night to celebrate being able to taste again. It came back up. Yeah, fun stuff.

So, I've not gotten any spinning done, and the only knitting I've gotten done is a swatch from yarn that I spun from that colorful roving that I posted a photo of a few entries ago. Now, replace the word 'colorful' with the word 'hideous.' I'm sure all of you know that merino is harder to spin than Blue Face Leicester, and you were wondering when I'd figure that out. Well, I figured it out. Short staple length and all that. Yeah, so I've got this uneven, slubby, overtwisty yarn.. in absolutely horrid colors. Makes for a pretty ugly swatch.

So this:

is now this:

Yeah. I'm waiting patiently for my BFL to arrive.

2006-03-06T09:59:00.000-08:00

This is for you, Ragnar. I figure since I've been off work the past.. 2.. no.. 3 days, I have no excuse.. other than the flu of course, but I can't just lay on the couch all day, can I?

See? Too loose. The neckline went stupid. And it's fuzzy.. and itchy. It makes me look larger than I am, and makes my chest look funny. Or it could be that I'm in denial. I don't know. Either way, I should have made a medium. Damnit.

Now, show me your skull shrug.

I ordered things. 2 lbs of white-ish Blue Face Leicester roving from Copper Moose, $30 worth of Wilton's Cake Dye from here for dyeing that roving, and a yarn swift from Yarn-Store.com. I'm bad, and yet it feels so good.

2006-03-05T19:01:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I'm quiet. I'm deathly ill. I have the flu. I'm convinced Ragnar gave it to me.. through blogger. Yeah.

2006-03-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

Bleh.. I'm in a kind of knitting slump. There are so many things I want to knit, but nothing I want to seam. Perhaps Tubey was a bad idea for a first sweater. No seaming. None. Nada. I'm spoiled. I don't want to seam. I don't want to sew sleaves on. I want to knit and knit and knit forever and come out with a lovely garment.. preferably one that isn't friggin' itchy this time. I want to knit something large. Not a scarf or a hat or socks. A sweater or a vest or something. Yeah. But without seaming. And yet not as mindless as tubey. In the round. With pretty yarn.

I've been giving myself a headache day after day searching for the perfect pattern. It doesn't exist. Blech.

2006-02-28T06:32:00.000-08:00

Hey look! I reproduced it! I once dyed a yarn that perfectly matched the color of blood.. it looked like someone had bled on the yarn. Unfortunately, it smelled bad due to the um.. Victoria's Secret conditioner I had used on it, and it got tangled, and it was bad scratchy wool anyhow, so I tossed it. But I loved the color, so I reproduced it with 115 yds handspun merino. Look :)

2006-02-28T06:01:00.000-08:00

One would think that if, on a normal day, you use 1/3 cup of ground coffee and fill the pot up to the line that says 5 for a perfect cup of coffee, you could theoretically double that on a shitty day and use 2/3 cup of ground coffee and fill the pot up to the line that says 10 to come away with perfect coffee in a larger quantity. Right? Not so much.

Anyhoo, have you guys seen this. It's really pretty. Someone else make it so I can see how it fits and decide if I want to make it, k? :D

I play World of Warcraft. Have I mentioned that? I play on a lovely roleplaying server on which no one roleplays. I have a level 42 gnomish mage and a level 29 dwarven hunter, and these characters are co-guildmaster of a guild that I created, named Paradigm of Virtue, which now has about 70 members. I haven't really played in a long time. Since before I started Tubey, I suppose. I have at least logged on every few days to make sure everything in the guild was okay. So a couple of days ago when I logged on, the officers that I've appointed pretty much asked me to step down as guildmaster since I never play. I suppose that's a perfectly reasonable request, since well, I don't play. But I love the game, I love the guild, and I love my characters. They just can't seem to understand that I love yarn more. Yarn is my first love.. my true love.. right alongside my husband and step-son.

If you're curious as to what happened, I blew up at one officer.. he blew up at me. He left the guild. I promoted two others to officer. We made up. Officer who left re-joined the guild. I promoted him. We now have 5 officers, so I appointed one of them second in command, and one of them treasurer, which pretty much covers all of my duties. Told them if they need me to ask my hubby to find the girl on the couch under all the yarn, and I would be there after just one more row.

2006-02-25T20:29:00.000-08:00

I got 4 ounces of this great roving in the mail today:

I'm just debating on how exactly I want to spin it. I've played with it a bit, and seem to have two options that I like.. make a tweedy, plied looking yarn.. or make a yarn with big blocks of color, instead of rapid color changes like I did with the pinkish roving I dyed.

Annnnd I got a lb of white merino in as well, so fun dyeing times are ahead! I think I like Blue Face Leicester wool better, though.

Ohoh! And I downloaded The Oregon Trail game.. yeah, and I beat it. So booyah. mwuahaha.

2006-02-22T19:22:00.000-08:00

Arg, I hope I get wool in tomorrow. *dies a little inside* On the bright side, I just traded some 150 yards of handspun for some handmade soap over at Etsy.

Hey Ragnar.. look at this. I think of you every time I see it. I thought about buying it for ya, but I worried that if I did and I sent you an e-mail asking for your address, you'd get all loco on me and think I'm a psycho-stalker crazy lady with pointy sticks.

2006-02-21T21:30:00.000-08:00

Ha! I had enough yarn for the hat that reminds me of a sno-cone. I had a whole yard left over.

As modeled by my ball-winder:

Blurrier, but shows true colors:

2006-02-21T17:17:00.000-08:00

Someone tell me that I am not allowed to cast on another pair of socks until I finish the tweed ones. Not even in the pretty Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Hawaii, or the pretty knitpicks sock yarn.

Arg, I'm out of fiber again. The fiber I showed a photo of was spun up just a couple of hours after that post. It's currently being knit into a hat that may or may be finished, depending on whether I run out of yarn. Grr.

Fluff of the day:

You are pink aluminum.
Retro, straightforward and fun, you love classic

things. If they're 99 cents at Goodwill all

the better! You are moved by striking colors

and tasty morsels, and you like a

stitch-n-bitch session in the sun. Just

remember, while you're being kitschy cool,

don't get too cold. Ice cubes are best kept

in your cocktails, baby!

What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

2006-02-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

Just when I was starting to panic because I ran out of roving, I got my Pay It Forward roving from Etsy. Look! It's pretty! This was hand-dyed by Tala.

And now that it's arrived, I can say: Look what I've won!

A nice blogger, Laura at Affiknitty, was holding a contest to get folks to delurk. To enter to win fabulous yarn, you just had to leave a comment on that entry. She had quite a few prizes, and I won the best.. this beautiful Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in colorway Hawaii. Thanks so much, Laura!

Updates on Tubey: It's finished and dry, and I have very mixed feelings towards it. On one hand, It looks gorgeous laying flat. It actually fits better than I thought, but I still wish I had gone with the medium and just knit the length of the back for the large. But had I just gone with the medium, I wouldn't have known to do that and so it still wouldn't fit perfectly. And better a tad too large than too tight in the shoulders, eh? However, the main problem with it is the Andean Silk that I used. This stuff feels wonderful in the ball, each individual strand feels luscious running through my fingers, but it is very itchy when actually wearing it in a full garment, and I'm not usually that sensitive to wool. And it's very fuzzy. My swatch wasn't fuzzy :( It isn't fuzzy as in.. pilling. It just has a lot of individual fibers that stick out and make you look like a sheep. Baa. But I will try to get a photo of it soon. I'm actually contemplating making another in a different yarn, perhaps that Wool of the Andes that I got in, but I'm all Tubeyed out right now. And I think I might want to make this first. Or this. Or this. And eventually I want to make this (PDF!). And Rogue. Yeah, I've got a full line up. Not to mention a lot of socks (jaywalkers!) and hats. Yeah.

And hey, I've got a really stupid question. I've been trying to avoid asking it, figuring I would figure it out on my own. Um. *blush* So.. how do you.. er.. adjust the ratio on a Babe wheel? Anyone? *runs away*

2006-02-16T20:38:00.000-08:00

Here it is! Sugar Plum Fairy! (Go on.. laugh.. I don't mind :D )

2006-02-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, two bits of interesting news.

First, I was spinning tonight.. actually, it was when I got done, I was winding the yarn from my bobbin and it was so even it scared me. Did I mention I really like manos? Oh yeah, and I'm not having my overtwisting problems anymore. Cheers!

Secondly, I hand dyed my first roving today. I thought I had totally screwed it up, but it may have been a happy accident cause it's pretty-full, and the small bit that I've spun looks excellent on my bobbin. Hooray! (Although I also hand-dyed my kitchen floor, table, and my hands! Woot!) Expect photos of finished yarn by the end of the weekend.

2006-02-15T05:56:00.000-08:00

So when I'm not knitting, spinning, reading blogs watching Sex & the City, drinking coffee, or being with my hubby, I browse etsy. There's really some amazing stuff there. So, in homage to all the talented crafters, here are my favorite etsyians:

This candlemaker is absolutely amazing. She makes fake food candles and tarts, and this stuff looks friggin' delicious.

I fell in love with kateblack for one reason. This pendant. Spike is beautiful. And if you snatch it up I will eat your brains.

This lady (?) has made the most amazing "piggy bank" I've ever seen. Behold.

And then there's chetanddot who've made the cutest little pink teddy ever.

And even though I'm not usually into these things, I fell in love with this pop-art inspired pug magnet from tvtrayart.

MoonGardenCreations has the most soothing-looking soap ever. Like this Oat & Honey Scrub Bar:

Photoglassworks is a popular seller. She has some of the most beautiful pendants, and I'm not usually a jewelry person.

Natty has the cutest dolls ever. Look! A zombie girl!

2006-02-14T20:21:00.000-08:00

Oh holy wow, I found it. No, you don't understand. I found it.

You remember my post about finding the perfect roving? And I posted a link to this yarn..

Yeah, well, apparently when she says hand-dyed, she doesn't mean hand-dyed by herself. .. unless she took heavy inspiration from this:

..and even used the same kind of fiber. Either way, this is the perfect roving. Okay, so it exceeds my price expectations, being $34/lb. But I'll have to make do. Can't wait till I get paid. *drool*

2006-02-14T20:06:00.000-08:00

Ohoh! That last post made me realize something. One reason I've been hesitant to order from Blue Goose is that their photos are really small so I can't see the colors very well. They're thumbnails. You can't enlarge them on their site, but if you save them to your PC, they're huge! So the sage doesn't look all that bad from them.

2006-02-14T20:01:00.000-08:00

Is it just me, or are all the big fiber suppliers getting their roving from the same place? And if this is so, how can it look so beautiful in one photo, and yet so icky in the next. Example. Dyed merino top photos from 3 sources.

Sage, from Copper Moose. It looks pretty bleh. Middle price.

Sage, from Blue Goose Glen Fibers. Lowest price. Again, doesn't look too great.

Sage, from Pacific Wool & Fiber. Highest price, but this looks absolutely gorgeous.

So, do photography and price go hand in hand?

2006-02-14T09:32:00.000-08:00

It's somewhat quiet in Blogland. I wonder if it's the Knitting Olympics. Yeah, I haven't cast on. No, I probably won't. How can I commit yourself to that much knitting after just getting a spinning wheel? I'm sorry, but I'm not craft-monogamous. That's just the way it's got to be. It's not you, knitting, it's me. Don't look at me like that. I'm sorry, but I can't be tied down right now. I've got a whole world to experience. I don't want to feel guilty about that.

Okay, way too much Sex & the City. Seriously, though, I've been spinning like a madwoman. It's still thick & thin, but that's okay, because I got interested in spinning because I can't afford as much Manos as I would like. But I've gotten it thinner in general. I fit 84 yds on my last bobbin instead of 53. Woot.

2006-02-12T18:02:00.000-08:00

Is it normal that my bobbin only holds about 52 yds of thick/thin yarn?

Plus, how do you make your ends stay twisty?

2006-02-12T14:13:00.000-08:00

I have lots of stash yarn up for trade here. Lots of sock yarn and others!

2006-02-12T13:13:00.000-08:00

I don't think Tubey will ever finish drying. On the upside, I now have pics of my first mini-skeins of yarn. They're a little bland, because they're undyed, but oh well.

On my spindle:

And on my Babe:

2006-02-12T08:08:00.000-08:00

I've woven in the ends on Tubey, and it is drying as I type. Expect a photo soon!

2006-02-11T17:52:00.000-08:00

I am on the hunt for the perfect roving. The qualifications it must meet:

-Under $30/lb. (Okay, I might stretch it to $32 if it's absolutely perfect.)
-Soft wool

Not that hard. Lots of roving fits that description. However it must be dyed satisfactorily. Dyeing isn't my strong point, and I'm not in the mood to mess up fiber. I like rich colors, whether earth tones or otherwise. Too much pastel makes me feel ill. I want a multicolor roving, 3+ colors, or 2 if the colors have a lot of different shades. As an example, here is the perfect wool, presumable made from the perfect roving, even though I think she dyed it herself. That's the catch, I want pretty colors without DIYing it.

Experts, help me.

2006-02-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

Holy wowzers. I just spun some yarn on my spindle that wasn't too terribly overspun, and I didn't have to manually spin the spindle every time.. like, my spindle spun.. on its own.. and it was okay.

Woot.

2006-02-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

Kris asked: "How do you like the Babe? The price is right, but I would be worried that it would be as solid as a traditional wooden wheel?"

Well, I don't really feel that I'm qualified to say. I, unfortunately, haven't been able to work with a traditional wooden wheel. At this point, however, I haven't found anything about the Babe that I specifically dislike. It holds up better than I thought it might, so I'm pleased.

Beverly said: "Now in a few months you will be trying to reproduce the "novelty" yarn you first spun and you won't be able to!!"

Lol. One can only dream.

Well, it's getting better all the time. I did a little "spinning" (not sure if you can quite call it that yet) between coffee and work this morning, and everything went much smoother. My problem with overtwisting is decreasing, though I still have some bad spots. But I'm having fun :)

In other news, Tubey is done except for weaving in the gazillion ends and blocking. I've started on weaving in the ends. I hope it fits a bit better after blocking. It's kind of.. strange.

2006-02-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

I think I get this drafting thing now. I reread the Babe's "how to spin" manual, and one sentence struck a chord, and after that it's been much better. It said: "Note: if you allow the twist past your pinch into the draft zone, it will bind the fiber and make it impossible to draft out and continue."

So, yes, my problem was what the nice commenter Bev said.

Plus I've started loosening up on the fiber a bit, so my hand isn't hurting so badly. So yay, my second pile of cruddy yarn looks better than my first pile of cruddy yarn. I will now proceed to try and drop the ratio.

Thanks, Bev!

2006-02-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

Well, it's here. The thing I've been alluding to and haven't mentioned. My Babe Production Double Treadle wheel.

And I'm frustrated. I've been attempting to use it, but failing miserably. I still can't draft.. I don't understand why. The best thing I've discovered I can do is pull the roving into the size strips I think I'll need to twist together to make the size yarn I want, and then just let it twist. I don't want to have to do that, however.

Secondly, I'm getting waaaaaay too much twist. I guess it's because my hands are going so slow because I'm pathetically trying to draft. Photo evidence:

So, I live about two hours south of Nashville, Tennessee. Who wants to come over and give me spinning lessons? :P

2006-02-09T15:20:00.000-08:00

Lesson of the day: No matter how good Victoria's Secret Love Spell scented condition smells on your hair, do not condition wool with it. The lovely scent transforms into something horrid and no matter how much you wash the wool, no matter how much kool-aid you dye it with, it will not go away. It follows you around and haunts you, and you know that you can never knit with it. That is the Victoria's secret. She is human friendly only.

The mailman was nice today. He brought my ball-winder, which I didn't bother to photo, but it did help me wind this pretty Knitpicks Wool of the Andes that I also got today.

And he brought this amazing book.

And he finally brought my spindle, which is really small, and weighs just under one ounce. It's mad at me for making it pose upside down.

And in one really looong everlasting hour, I get to go pick up the bestest thing ever from UPS, which I'll show you later.

2006-02-09T06:23:00.000-08:00

This is me being jealous. Yarn Harlot is packing for the Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat. I glanced at the classes offered briefly, and the first thing that caught my eye was the spinning classes. But those were to be expected, so I wasn't writhing with jealousy at this point. Then I saw it. It. A class called Knitting Vintage Socks. Taught by none other than the oh-so-delightfully-wonderful-and-talented Nancy Bush. She is teaching two other classes as well. If Stephanie had any room left in her suitcase after packing all that yarn, I think I'd try and hide in her luggage.

P.S. Ragnar, I love you. Your "lecture" made things make a lot of sense. That extra twist in the leader was killing me, but letting the twist go into my roving makes it sound so much easier to work with. Thanks so much for typing that out.

2006-02-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, now that I'm past my initial cursing, lets discuss the problem.

I think, perhaps, that I've possibly figured out drafting. After that edit of the last post (the last line was the edit), everything went much smoother. However I can only spin by drafting/pinching with one hand and manually spinning the spindle with the other. I cannot for the life of me get the spindle to spin the correct way by itself.

Soon, there will be an obligatory first horrible couple of yards. Woohoo.

Edit: Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. The cd spindle thing didn't work out cause our Radioshack is goin' out of business and didn't have the rubber thingies I need. So I used the "make your own spindle" directions from joyofhandspinning.com which worked much better. See:

2006-02-08T16:31:00.000-08:00

Consider this the cursing that I promised.. because I can't friggin' draft. I can't draft. wtf. Grr.

Oh, and then blogger mocks me because when I go to hit "publish post" I notice the button that says "save as draft." haha. funny blogger. ha.

Edit: Wait a sec.. hey, those strips of roving that I got in? Am I supposed to pull smaller strips off of them or just um, do that as I draft? *confused*

2006-02-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

Stupid mailman brought me a pound of roving. Beautiful, soft, prettiful roving. He brought me some lamb's pride worsted from a swap, and a book: Simple Socks: Plain and Fancy. He did not bring me a spindle. Grr. So I have resorted to making a cd spindle. I have the dowel, the cup hook, the poly tubing, the cds, and hubby is currently on his way to radioshack to locate a rubber gasket. If he does not find one, or if for some reason it doesn't make everything fit properly, cursing will ensue. If he finds one, and everything fits properly, I will be trying to spin.. and sucking I'm sure. Cursing will ensue.

2006-02-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

So. The postman was not nice today. He brought me absolutely nothing. On top of that, on the way to check my mail (I get packages sent to my mum's since my apartment mailbox is too small and my neighbors might like yarn stuffs too..).. anyhow, on the way to check the mail, I saw frozen goldfish. My mum's goldfish pond is frozen, complete with goldfish. I was disturbed, but she laughed at me and told me they would.. thaw. Hoping for an early spring!

So. If the postman is not nice tomorrow, he's had it. I know his cell phone number; I will track him down and demand that he hand over the packages that I'm sure are in town.. I bet he's playing with my spindle as I type! Tomorrow might be a crazy day for packages, depending on who shipped what when.. spindle should be coming in tomorrow at the latest, my pound of wool roving from Copper Moose should be in tomorrow as well, yarn and a book from a swap (knitswap lj community) should be tomorrow, and my knitpicks order (ball winder!) has a pretty good chance of arriving tomorrow. There are two other packages, but I belive they'll be in around the end of this week or the beginning of next. So I will be awaiting the postman at noon, complete with a beatstick.

I demand yarn!

2006-02-07T06:02:00.000-08:00

So what is on the menu today? Well, first coffee. Then work. But if the postman is feeling nice today, he will perhaps bring my spindle while I am at work, and so I imagine you will hear me cursing because I have no idea how to use the stinkin' thing. But I am very excited, nonetheless. He might also bring my ball-winder from knitpicks, which I will use to *gasp* wind my yarn into balls.. particularly some that I dyed with kool-aid recently, so I will then get to show it off. I hope I can get the color right in the photo.

Yesterday was.. an adventure of a sorts, and I will tell you about it sometime next week when it is more relevant.

Ragnar:
Saturday night and Sunday was supposed to be a movie/tubey marathon. Unfortunately for tubey, I picked that time to get absolute obsessed with spinning. I joined in a new ball of yarn about an inch ago, and by my calculations Tubey will be done when this 96 yd ball of yarn is gone. Not that it's my last yarn.. I have 4 more, but I shortened the sleeves. I think it's going to be too big. I think I should have made a size medium. Bleh.

2006-02-05T09:21:00.000-08:00

I want a spinning wheel. I want one, I want one, I want one.

I got the Cascade 220 in for hubby's ravenclaw scarf. I think I've mentioned before that I'm completely insane, and that I should do something else. Something more challenging. Sure, knitting an 8 foot stockinette scarf in the round in 16 days might be a challenge, speed wise. But it's also the same darn thing I've been doing for the past couple of weeks with Tubey, except without the added interest of a purl every 4 stitchs. I'm going to lose my mind. I already feel the pressure, as I have to get Tubey done in time. I really should just find a nice pattern for some lace socks and do that instead.

Did I mention I ordered a spindle? So, not only am I going to be doing endless stockinette February 10th-26th, I'm also going to have to resist playing with pretty fiber.

I'm really thinking about throwing in the proverbial towel, and joining Enjoy the Process instead. Knitting is supposed to be fun, not filled with pressure. So, suck it up, do lace socks, or enjoy the process? I have no friggin' idea.

2006-02-03T05:59:00.000-08:00

Hey look. It's the preview for the Spring 2006 issue of Interweave Knits.

This prairie tunic is gorgeous.

This looks nice as well.

And this seems really simple, but it looks like it might be worth glancing at.

I'm about 7 inches of the body away from finishing Tubey. I've tried it on a couple of times, and I'm nervous that the back is going to hang too low once I get the front the right length, but I guess we'll see. If it turns out too long in the back, I think I'll be devastated. Hours and hours have gone into Tubey, and I'm not one to hesitate when it comes to frogging usually, but this is also the first I've given so much time to a project. What will I do if I have to frog it? Will I try, try again? I think I'll be slightly bitter towards it then. Use the yarn for something else? I don't know. Let's just hope it's a decision I'm not faced with.

I've been wanting to try out Knitpicks Wool of the Andes, so I ordered enough to make Magknits Nothin' but a Tee. It was only around $12 USD, and that's with an extra ball just in case. So if it works up nicely and isn't too scratchy, maybe I'll have a cheap alternative.

2006-02-02T15:33:00.000-08:00

In case I didn't properly scare anyone off with the last photo of hubby, I present this.

.

Fine. A serious photo. You want a serious photo? Can you handle a serious photo?

Purty.

2006-02-02T14:51:00.000-08:00

I finished the first tweed sock today. My first sock.. ever. Granted, it is DK weight yarn, but I didn't follow a pattern. I just used techniques learned from Nancy Bush's Folk Socks. So, one down, one to go.

And, online yarn shop reviews, Part 1.

I'm picky about online yarn stores. Really picky. It has to have a decent layout, non-cruddy colors, a good search or browse feature, and most importantly of course, decent yarn. So today, while I should have been working, I instead got out my latest issue of Interweave Knits, and made a long list of online yarn shops to check out. Now that I've gone to all of them, here's the scoop.

~~http://www.lambspun.com~~ - Not really an online yarn store. Just tells about their physical shop. Nothing of interest, unless you happen to live in Colorado. I don't.

~~http://www.mountaincolors.com~~ - Nooo!! The colors!! Bad layout, hurts my eyes, and I didn't even see a place to order the yarn. Preserve your eyesight and don't visit this one.

http://www.colorful-stitches.com - The ad was the first thing that caught my eye.. the first ad that wasn't hideous, actually. The website colors are tasteful. After you find the yarn, there isn't really a way to browse specific categories other than weight (and for some reason they don't have worsted), but the search feature works fine, and the yarn is.. cheaper. Seriously. All of it. Manos del Uruguay is $9.34 USD instead of the usual $13.25. Painter's Palette Premium Merino.. $8.66 USD instead of $11.55. They don't have a huge selection. No Lorna's Laces. They carry most Debbie Bliss & Rowan, though. When buying yarn online, it's definitely worth checking here first to see if they have it.. because it'll be cheaper. They got da hook up.

http://www.loopyarn.com/ - Wow. Beautiful website, beautiful yarns. They specialize in carrying hand-painted yarns.. Lorna's Laces, Artyarns, Mal Abrigo, and more. Anyone who has fallen in love with these, will immediately love this shop. Browse by manufacturer, a simple yet effective search feature, and absolutely friggin' gorgeous yarn. Bookmark this one now.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the reviews.

2006-02-01T09:33:00.000-08:00

So I mentioned that I'll be doing hubby's Harry Potter scarf for the Olympics.. right after I finish Tubey. I'm starting to question my sanity. Hours spent in front of the tv with 3x1 rib. Then, upon finishing, I pick up hours in front of the tv of stockinette in the round. On the upside, I've watched some really great movies recently. Super Troopers and The 40 Year Old Virgin were both hilarious. Half Light made me cry in the first 10 minutes, and yet scared me later. In Her Shoes was much better than I thought, also succeeding in making me cry twice. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a pleasant surprise. Benny & Joon, an older movie that I've finally gotten around to watching, has become an all-time favorite. Seeing Other People, on the other hand, was bleh to me and infuriating to my hubby. I won't quote him here. Today will be Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, then whatever catches my eye when I go to return the two I have out. Thank corporate America for my Blockbuster movie pass.

That said, I've actually really enjoyed working on Tubey. If I do another one, I think I'll change the neckline up a bit (even though I do love the square neckline), and do something to make the sleeves smaller. Most likely just cast-on less stitches, but make it just as long across the back, then make the body longer to make up for the smaller width of the back. It depends on how this one fits when it's all done.

I really am loving my Denise Interchangeables, by the way. The tips are so smooth and light, plus I only had one circular needle before I bought them. Definitely a good investment. The ball winder that hubby will be buying me for Valentine's Day (I hope) will be most welcome as well.

You know, when I first started knitting, stockinette stitch was absolutely out of the question for long periods of time. Garter stitch even moreso. I wanted to do cables, and a lace-paneled purse, and short rows. I'm thankful for that, because I didn't get stuck in the garter-stitch scarf phase. So I can do all that.. somewhat. Lace still makes me nervous if it's actually laceweight yarn instead of the bulky manos the purse was made from, but I appreciate the simple patterns that are innovative because of the way these basic stitches are put together. Also, when I first started, I smirked at shrugs.. now I find myself itching to make one in an older issue of IK. Things like Clapotis were laughable.. and now I spend five hours straight looking for the perfect yarn for Clapotis (which I've found but is completely unavailable right now.) Tweed was for old men, but now my tweed socks are coming along beautifully. I couldn't for the life of me find a knit sweater that I would wear.. now I've got so many I want to knit that I don't know which to do first. Basically, I look at this stuff differently now. But that's extending into the rest of my life, because I look at something initially in disdain, and then think about how different it looks when you're actually doing it.. how beautiful it can be. And I've mellowed out.. become tolerant. I'm a happier person, and easier to get along with.. as long as you don't disturb me while I'm watching Johnny Depp and doing 3x1 rib.

2006-01-31T19:19:00.000-08:00

So I'm jealous. Everyone on knitting blogs has cute cat photos. I'm not exactly a cat person, and no doggies for me in my apartment. Therefore, I will decorate my blog with a cute hubby photo. Really.

2006-01-31T18:20:00.000-08:00

From 2006-01-31 08:26:00

Yes, like thousands of other knitters, I want to participate in the Knitting Olympics. I haven't mentioned this, but I have a general rule against WIP photos now. Seriously, half the fun of knitting is taking lovely photos of it and posting it on a blog. So... if I do that halfway through the darn process, then I want to start something else to blog about. So, general rule: No WIP photos. No sock photos until both socks are complete. It's a good motivator. However, the knitting olympics might be an exception.. cause I'll still have that deadline to keep me going. Yep, yep.

Now the problem is.. what shall I knit? I have yarn for my jaywalker socks, and yarn for hubby's ravenclaw scaf is on the way. I need to get hubby's ravenclaw scarf done, as it is intended to be a Vday gift, though he won't mind if it's late. But not too late, y'know.. I at least need to be working on it by Vday. There's no way I'm going to get it done before the Olympics, because Tubey is occupying my time right now. And I can't exactly knit jaywalker socks during the olympics if I'm trying to do hubby's scarf on the side. Pattern-wise, I think Jaywalkers will be more of a challenge. However, that damn scarf is knit in the round, so it is double the normal scarf width, and really long. Patience-wise, HP scarf is more of a challenge. But it's also the perfect movie knitting, which means that I won't be sweating like all my fellow Olympic Knitters.. I'll be watching Sex and the City or something.

Ooh! I know! I can learn the jogless join for the scarf.. which is something I'm kind of nervous about! There.. it tries my patience and my nerves! Officially a challenge! Woot, stay tuned. Hopefully FO pic of Tubey to come before too long.

2006-01-31T18:19:00.000-08:00

From: 2006-01-30 16:37:00

So I've decided that I read Eunny's blog a little too much. How have I reached this conclusion, you ask? Upon glancing briefly at Grumperina's Jaywalker Gallery, I immediately noticed a tiny thumbnail photo of a pair that must be Eunny's.. even though I'd never seen her finished photo. I think I recognized her floor, her stellar skills, her photography style, and maybe even her feet. I clicked on the link.. they were hers. I'm frightened.

2006-01-31T18:18:00.000-08:00

From 2006-01-25 16:26:00

So I was at my not-so LYS today and overheard a conversation between two ladies regarding the pros and cons of a cotton handknit skirt vs a 100% wool handknit skirt. The owner was vouching for cotton, saying that it'd be easier to wash. "You would have to hand-wash a wool skirt." Then a 3rd lady who was obviously listening as well chimed in "Or just drop it off at the dry-cleaners." Um. No..? You can't dry clean 100% wool, right? Right?

Today's Haul:

The item that I actually went to the yarn store for: my new shiny denise needles! Also in this photo you can see some crystal palace size 1 bamboo DPNs I picked up.

And now everything else I snatched up and quickly ran off with before hubby realized how much it was going to be and made me put it back..

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Camouflage.

Regia superwash self-striping sock yarn in color 5440 And Trekking XXL superwash sock yarn in color 71.

And yes, these photos have made me realize I really need to clean my desk.