New Drum Carder!
September 6, 2008 at 10:20 am | In Musings, wool | Leave a CommentWell I finally dove off the deep end and ordered a drum carder. I’ve been asking a million questions, reading a lot and exploring the options out there. There aren’t a whole lot of affordable options out there.
After being given some overtime pay for a special project I was asked to do, I thought, this is gift money to myself. What did I want to gift myself for my 50th birthday? The drum carder.
Lo and behold, the Howard Brush, David Tri Carder with the fine card is on its way. There wasn’t an extreme amount of difference in the price between the Lindsey and the David and I decided that since Shetland was the least finest of the wool I prepare, and the fine brush can handle it, I would go with the fine.
I was told it was in stock and they would get it out in the mail this week so I’m almost holding my breath until it gets here. I’ve decided to try not to jump up and down with joy when it gets here as not to annoy the DH. I have so much wool just sitting there waiting to be made into batts and yarn. And the nights are getting very cool, so this will be a real pleasure to learn.
Summer in Mid-Michigan
August 26, 2008 at 11:25 pm | In Knitting, Spinning projects, spinning | Leave a CommentTags: Knit socks, spinning
Ah, the warm days and cool nights north of the big cities. It is so relaxing to have the windows open and a cool (sometimes cold) breeze coming on a quiet night. I’ve been getting some knitting and crochet work done this summer.
I finished 2 pair of socks with one skein of Tofootsies. One pair was a traditional leg down and the second pair was toe up. I used an eastern cast on method for the toe up pair and loved the way the toes came out (above). The jury is still out on the “life style” short row heel method and the too tight bind off I got on the leg. I will have to look at different patterns to adjust these. I even used a large crochet hook to bind off with.
Personally, I feel there is more sizing control with the leg down patterns and I really don’t mind Kitchnering the toe. That being said, I still have to admit that I am a beginning knitter and these opinions should be taken not too seriously.
I forgot to get a picture of the slippers I finished for my daughter. She’ll have to take some and send them to me. I also have one and a half mittens knitted hoping to get them finished this week. I used the left over yarn from her slippers. I used the Cascade 220 in a deep purple color and it is such a rich looking yarn and lovely to work with.
I just got the new IK magazine and have sent away for the yarn and needles to make the Far Afield Vest for a Christmas present. Also waiting to start is yarn for booties for some coworkers babies. Twins born last week and one due at the end of September. I found a free pattern for a baby hoodie and haven’t decided whether I want to tackle three of them yet.
I have almost finished the merino blend yarn I have been spinning this summer. It is a reddish coral color. I didn’t like the original dye and so I have been blending white in by combing together before spinning. It has been a slow process, but one I am enjoying the results of. I think I will make a sweater for myself with the results.
The alpaca I bought at the lavender festival is now in the hands of a friend who raises baby doll sheep. She is carding ivory baby doll with the caramel colored alpaca so I can start spinning to make all my boys socks for Christmas.
Q & A
July 18, 2008 at 1:59 pm | In Knitting | Leave a CommentTags: Knitting, Questions, Technique
I finished my first knitted shawl. It is the Traditional Danish Tie Shawl from a published magazine pattern. (I love the magazine, but I don’t advertise for anyone without pay.) I posted it on a Ravelry forum (a free community, so I will advertise) and received a question about the two charts posted for knitting. This was too good of a learning style discussion to keep it locked behind a closed community, so I will share.
The reply from Craftymom2two to my post was: “What is the difference between chart one and two? I do notice that there is a difference in how the stitch is made, but how will that change the look of the shawls?”
The difference was chart one had you knitting into the yarn overs and chart two had you knitting into the back loop of the yarn overs. I used chart 1 and admitted I did not know the answer, but…I would find out!
My expert and patient friends from spinning guild tell me that when you knit the usual way into a yarn over, it makes an open space (a hole). I can attest to that, it is a planned one and looks good, on the lacy side. You may be able to see in my picture below that there are indeed open areas in two parallel lines down the middle which is the yarn over spot. When you yarn over it is basically an upside down backward looped small letter L. When you are knitting the next row the yarn is coming from the back and over the needle so when you insert your working needle in the front, it is going into the L and lays it open.
The second pattern is that you knit through the back loop into the yarn overs and this twists the yarn in the opposite direction and keeps the L closed and prevents the holes. Now that this has been slowly explained to me it makes perfect sense. (thunk self on forehead). So your choices are if you want the open spaces or not.
I have been crocheting for over 40 years and can read a pattern and see it in my mind visually in 3D. For knitting, unfortunately I am so new that I am still at “just follow directions” and then finding out how things turn out. Questions like this one are really good to start visualizing what happens in knitting.
Traditional Danish Tie Shawl
I am posting this on the Hadley Fiber Arts Guild page too since that was where I received the answer.
Works and Wips
July 10, 2008 at 9:35 pm | In Crochet Projects | Leave a CommentTags: Shawl
Although the summer is devoted to working on the house, I simply can’t stop the fiber works.
I finished crocheting my newest shawl…I LOVE SHAWLS!
I had some white yarn left over from an afghan present I had made, so therefore the shawl.
I am also knitting a shawl from a pattern in SpinOff magazine. It’s not finished yet, but it’s close. I will discuss it and post a picture soon.
Craft Club
June 15, 2008 at 9:46 am | In spinning | Leave a CommentTags: others
Just wanted to make this link to my other journal that has pictures of craft club accomplishments.
Dyeing Tragedy
June 14, 2008 at 8:24 am | In spinning | 2 CommentsTags: Dyeing
Alas, I lost a lb of wool. I dyed some of the shetland I had combed with Kool-Aid. I found a big jar of the blue lemonaide on sale for a buck fifty and thought what a great deal.
I dyed the wool, rinsed until no color was washing away, wrung it out, and blotted it with a towel. I laid it in the sink to dry and drain. This was on a very hot, overcast, muggy day. When I checked on it the next day, it had started to get black mold! Yuck!
I thought I had rinsed it well, but I guess I did not. I also have used the lying in the sink to dry and drain before without a problem, but not with the Kool-Aid. Only sunny day dying for me with the Kool-Aid.
Striping the Shetland
April 12, 2008 at 10:09 am | In Spinning projects, spinning | Leave a CommentI have the blue and green Shetland that I combed and dyed. I dyed it first. So as I comb it. I only pull through that combs worth of wool and add that “hank” to the pile.
I have decided to spin using alternating colored hanks for this yarn. I’m getting about 20 yards or so for each color in the singles. I have decided to Navajo ply this in order to keep the striping true.
I think this is going to be a fingering or dk weight yarn…not sure with the Navajo tri-ply yet to figure in yet.
This shetland has very very soft spots and then again, some areas feel a little rougher. I think overall, since I am giving it a tight spin, that it will be overall quite soft for Shetland. I might try socks with this one.
Easter Egg Color Dyes
April 3, 2008 at 5:26 pm | In spinning | Leave a CommentI bought a lot of Easter Egg dyes the week after Easter for a very good price. I’m really having fun with this. I have some overdyed Shetland fleece that came out a pretty blue, some that came out a very green, green. I might process them togeher.
Of the Merino roving I had on hand, the results are as follows:
Summer Clouds – 4 oz. of Merino
Lavender Sunset – 4 oz. Merino
Stormy Seas – about 3 ounces of mystery fiber – possibly an 80% Merino with 20% other mixed in..
I’m waiting for my Maribold skein to dry to post. It’s 4 oz. of Merino spun into fingering weight – around 245 yards.
And last, but not least, the Merino that I thought was going to be slippers, but it asked to be spun very fine.
Dyeing and Spinning
March 28, 2008 at 9:57 pm | In Spinning projects, wool | Leave a CommentHere are 2 of the latest dyeing and spinning projects.
The green is the Shetland that I dyed in 3 colors. I did not like the 3rd color, so just plied the 2 colors together.
The purple is Merino. I had Easter egg dye and decided to experiment with it.
Rings
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Flickr Photos
More Photos
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