Stuff for the kids

It has been a loooonnnngggg time since I have posted. It isn't that I haven't been knitting... I have been knitting quite a lot, actually. The problem is what I have been knitting has sort of prevented me from posting. You see, we are waiting for two little children to join our family, and so I have been preoccupied with knitting stuff for them. However, I haven't wanted to post any of the stuff on here in case everything doesn't work out. I guess that I just don't want to jinx anything... you know? Anyway, I am being brave here and will post what I have been working on for the past month or so.

First, the hats!


Here is a beautiful princess anne elise inspired hat that I knit from my own handspun roving that I got from the arts at eagle's find's etsy store. I love the way it turned out, and I hope my new little girl toddler will love it too! :)


Also, I have to show off one of the singles that went into this 2 ply since I am pretty happy with how it looks. I feel like I am sort of getting the hang of this spinning thing.


Ok, now here is the second hat which I also made from my own handspun (from my 2nd try ever at the spinning wheel). This one is for my baby boy. I think that it is wonderful, and hopefully he will too! :) I tried numerous different patterns with this wool, and in the end just made up my own. It is just a basic rectangle sewn up the side with some tassles on the top so that he can have danglies just like his big sister.

Now, the sweaters!

The first one is still in the working stage. It is Angela Hahn's Sherwood, available at knitty. This is a gorgeous pattern! Although it looks complicated, it is very well written and easy to follow when you take a deep breath. I am making it out of a very soft acryllic. I don't care... I liked the colour and it is nice to work with.


The girl's sweater is a sweater-dress, from the pattern "Patrice" in Berroco's free pattern section. It is so cute, and knit up super fast on 4.5mm needles. I still have to make the i-cord for around the waist.

Finally, the blankies!
These little blankets are made out of unknown content (read: acryllic, most certainly) tactile yarns. They are so cozy and cuddly. The green one will be for my son and the multicoloured one for my daughter. They are crocheted with big needles to make them fly into existance at nearly the speed of light.



Now, all I need is the kids home with me...

3 Ply

Ok, my plan had been to make a thick yarn, not quite as thick as my second yarn attempt. But apparently beginner spinners do not get to choose what they spin... The Spinning Wheel decides what they get to spin.

So, I ended up with really thin yarn. I thought at first, oh, this is cool, I can spin thin yarn. And I kept on that way for awhile. Until I realized, I don't want thin yarn, I want a big chunky hat. So, I pulled the thin stuff that I made off the wheel and decided that I would make it into three ply yarn. (Keep in mind, I only have 1 bobbin, so here I am winding it into 3 separate tiny balls... if someone has a better idea, please help me out!). It worked out ok for a first try. It is sort of even, and kind of chunky.
But it wasn't the look that I was going for. So, I sat back down at the wheel to spin some thick yarn, and awhile later I realized that I was making thin yarn again.

So, I guess will have a little less chunky of a hat...

Yay Roving!!!

I got a wonderful package this morning! 28 oz of roving!!! Yay! Guess I know what I will be doing today.

I also went and bought a bunch of wool yesterday, so I think that I am fibered out for awhile. I have ten thousand works in progress and a huge stash. I have to believe myself when I say that I have enough on the go for awhile. So, off to knitting, and spinning, and crocheting I go.

Cold and crisp

Perfect weather for acknowledging some active WIPs.

In exciting news, I cast on for the second Mad Colour Weave sock yesterday. I think that is a good sign. I really really love this yarn, and when I started playing with it again yesterday I believed for a moment that I could finish this second sock.

Second project is a Christmas scarf for dad, made out of Briggs Little Heritage wool. The varigation does nothing for the pretty cool pattern "Pythagor" by S.M.Kahn. But it was the wool that I had on hand, and I needed a project for it, so this is what it became.





Next project is a crocheted toddler blanket out of some super tactile yarn. I have no idea what kind of yarn it is, but it sure is soft and will make a great warm cover.






Ok, my legwarmers from last post have remained stunted. It must be because they have camoflaged themselves in my 70s style velour thrift store chair.


Finally, I koolaid dyed some of my new sock yarn! It was really fun and turned out well, I think. I told myself that I could only look at it: sitting prettily on my desk, but could not play with it until I was done with at least one of the other socks I have on the go.


Then, oops, today I accidentally cast on for some Jaywalkers.
It happens.

One finished (baby) sweater

I have a finished item, which is of some surprize since I seem to have many items that I start, but not so many that I finish. This is a little baby sweater that I actually started months ago, and then hesitated to finish once I reached the button hole bands. I thought that I didn't have enough yarn to finish, so I tried numerous contrasting yarns until yesterday when I said to myself, maybe I should just see if I have enough of the original yarn. Well, low and belold, I had just enough, with a couple of inches to spare! So, now I just have to find little buttons. And a baby to give it to.



I also started a new project yesterday (surprize). My first attempt at fair isle. So far so good. I am making these cool leg warmers from Melanie Falick's "Handknit Holidays" (cause I am sure that my wardrobe despirately needs a pair!!!).

Well Well Well...

After a long (although not very difficult) day, I came home to find a wonderful new Etsy purchase waiting for me, this time from Stick Chick Designs. Of course, knitting and spinning isn't enough... now I need to learn to DYE!
So, first some gorgeous laceweight Tussah silk. This is way more gorgeous in real life than I was expecting. I don't know why... I should have known that laceweight silk would be wonderfully wonderful. But anyway, my conclusion with this beautiful stuff is that I better not ruin it with dye. I think that I will make a version of the Luna Moth Shawl from Elann with it.
My second purchase is sock yarn, and lots of it! This merino wool will definately be dyed by me. Some of it with natural dyes (socks for my mom, she likes more muted colours). Others with maybe some koolaid dye, for some bright colours. Also maybe some real fabric dyes... we'll see! Oh the possibilities.

In other news, here is how spinning down my huge pile of buffalo wool is going. I am starting to think that this may not have been the most economical thing to do with this stuff. But I am having fun spinning, and am learning how to spin better. Which is great because I just went and bought a whole bunch more fleece :).

So many projects, so little time

First things first, my 100% silk scarf is done, blocked, and ready to wear. The pattern is Isobel from Cider Moon. This lovely yarn was from the Sanguine Gryphon's etsy shop. It was so nice to work with. And it just feels luxurious to be knitting away on silk. (PS, I also made the dress, years ago, and never wear it because I don't go anywhere where I could wear a little dress. Same reason that I most likely won't wear this scarf. But it was still great to knit it!)



My next lacey project will also be from Gryphon yarn. Remember the laceweight that I bought in the spring. Well, it is now rolled up and ready to be made into this!



Next, I finished one of the mad colour weave socks. As much as I love this yarn and pattern so much, I still have trouble finishing things, so I am taking things slow and trying to not stress myself into never finishing the project at all. The way I figure it, if I just knit away on whatever I feel like at any given moment, eventually most of the projects will get done, right? (maybe)


Finally, in exciting news, I went out and bought a ball winder! I know, I know, first the silk, then the ball winder... I am becoming a spoiled knitter! But what I told myself was that it doesn't look like yarn is going to disappear from my life, so I may accessorize. No more old toilet paper rolls for me! :)

From This...

Well, now that I am a spin-lover, and have no fiber to spin, I am looking around for anything that I can practice with. So, without any ado, I am turning This:

Into This!

I found quite a bit of buffalo wool at the thrift store a few years ago, and haven't had the inspiration to make anything out of it. My husband really wants a sweater from it, but wasn't totally in love with the way the colours looked together. And so, here is my plan... I will spin all these various colours together to make a more even tone and a somewhat thinner yarn. I think that it will look better, and the yarn will go farther (I think... thats my plan anyway.... maybe I just want to spin :) ).

I also had a bunch of light grey and white stuff like this, which I am spinning into thin little yarns. It will go so much further, and still look really cool.

Mad Colour Weave Socks

Here are the new socks that I started yesterday.


Isn't it a fabulous pattern! It is Knit Tenacity's Mad Color Weave pattern, and I gotta say it is so much fun to knit! The yarn is Tricot Treat's 100% pure merino superwash wool in the WinterWine colourway. I love the way the colours work with this pattern. I think that they are going to be beautiful.



On an unrelated note, check out these hand knit socks that I bought at a local second hand store for 25cents! Yes, 25cents! How unfair is that! I am sure that they have never even been worn. All the work that went into these poor little socks. Well, I will appreciate them.

To Ply or not to Ply

So, yesterday I ended up spinning up all of the rest of the roving I had: 4oz of Primaries Plus from Eagle's Find Etsy store. This time was quite a bit thicker than my first attempt. I spun it into two separate balls and then rewound them onto toilet paper rolls.

Then I just sort of winged it, and busily started plying the two singles together. I had no really idea what I was doing, but the two singles twisted together when I spun them counterclockwise, which I believe is exactly what they were supposed to do! It all went so fast. Suddenly, I was done. And, to my pleasent surprize, they weren't overtwisted this time. Here is me rolling up a skein on my arm.

And voila, the completed skeins. I am super pumped about this! Unfortunately, there is so little yarn there, I'm not really sure what to make with it. Probably a kid's hat or something. Whatever it becomes, it sure will be pretty (in my humble opinion).

What a beautiful single!

Ok, so here is a photo of my sort-of-straighten-out over-twisted single from my very first attempt at spinning. All in all I am pretty happy with it! I love spinning. I am sure that I will eventually figure out some of the kinks (no pun intended).

So, I have started another skein. This one I plan to make into 2 ply. Here is a pic of the first half on the wheel.

Since I only have one bobbin, I figured that I would ply off a centre pull ball. Since I don't have a ball roller, I rolled it onto a toilet paper roll. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

My first yarn

Ok, so, I finished my first bobbin of yarn the same day as I posted last. Did I mention that I taught myself to spin from you tube videos and this wonderful website: http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/. Anyway, the spinning part went well, or so I thought, and then I removed my bobbin from the spinning wheel (still not sure if that is the right way to go about it, but anyway), and wound it around a chair back (no niddy noddy, unfortunately).

Oh, yes, that is a knitting needle through the bobbin to facilitate rolling it onto the chair... - I am an improviser.

Anyway, I took it off the chair back and it totally curled in onto itself! I was totally devastated... I didn't think that the spinning had gone badly, and I had no idea what went wrong. The websites and youtube videos weren't that helpful to me at this point. But anyway, somewhere I read to wet the wool and hang it with a weight suspended from it, so that is where I am now. Hopefully it will straighten out the overtwisting. I will try plying next time and maybe that will help.

New Project! This is totally different (for me)!

Check it out! My wonderful husband bought me a beautiful spinning wheel at an antique fair last weekend. We actually know nothing about spinning wheels, so I don't know if it is a good one or not, but it had obvious been used to spin wool in the past. Anyway, yesterday I sat down to give it a shot, using the Columbia and Dorset roving that I bought from Eagle's Find Etsy shop last summer (back when I had intending to try my hand at drop spinning). Turns out I love spinning! I have been having trouble tearing myself away from the wheel. Here are a couple of photos of my accomplishments thus far.

Surprize, orange and pink yarn!

Matching Scarf

Ok, Today's project (and I guess yesterdays too), is this lovely matching Noro scarf to my Noro hat from the previous post. It is colour 209 of Kureyon, which, in this ball, is primarily pink, although in my hat the colours varied more uniformly. Ahhh, the joy of Noro! :) Stay tuned though, because I see some blue, green, and gold coming soon on the ball.

Looky what I made!

After a couple months long hiatus from blogging, I have now reestablished myself in a town that has highspeed internet, and coincidentally found the immediate urge to create a hat! This is probably not that coincidental, since it is the fall urge which draws us back to towns with schools (and high speed internet) and towards the need to have warm things for winter (at least in Northern Canada this happens). Anyway, this is what has happened for me. I also bought super bulky wool to make my hubby some thick thick winter socks. Ahgh, I can't believe that summer has left me so quickly. Oh well, I guess winter lends itself better to knitting anyway.

So, here is my hat: Noro, of course! Sooooo wonderfully fun to work with. I absolutely love the colours. Can't get enough. Must make matching scarf.

June Socks Done!!!

Here we are almost 1/2 way through July (YES, Half way through July... Where did it go!?), and I am finally finished my June socks! These beautiful Pomatomus socks took a long time to finish, but were they ever worth the work! They are gorgeous. I love the Tricot Treat yarn that I used... the colourway turned out beautifully.

In all Boring-O-Ness

I have to admit that I have no photos for this spread...
I have some totally awesome almost-finished Pomatomus socks done up out of my hand dyed yarn that I just got off esty. But there is no way they will be done for the June Socktopia. Oh well.
I am proud of my monkey that I finished for the Monkey Sock Swap, and I am Oh So Happy about the Monkey package that I received from my secret partner.
But honestly, I haven't been up to all that much other knittish stuff. Well, that's not exactly true, but I am too much on a dial up connection for the summer to keep y'all up to date.
Love you anyways... :)

Monkeys Done and in their New Home

Just wanted to say that I finished the Monkey Socks for the Monkey Sock Swap last week and sent them off to my secret partner in the States, and they arrived this week (Yay Postal Services! That was quick!). The swap was tons of fun and so was knitting these little creatures.



Now I have started my new June socks... photos to come soon....

Well... I am pretty thrilled!

Excitement upon excitement, I found yet another package at my door today! This online buying stuff is really so much fun! Today I received two skeins of sock yarn that I had ordered from Tricot Treat's Etsy Store.

The first is some lovely Merino wool in Spanish Sunset. It is bright and beautiful, and has many more shades in real life than it does in photos. My feet will be soooo happy wearing this!

The second skein is superwash Merino in Winter Wine. I absolutely love the colours. It is delicious to look at and so soft. I bet it will feel wonderful to knit with!