tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28507831603796971412024-03-13T12:54:57.862-06:00Spinning JennyJennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.comBlogger254125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-17665769364938103812011-06-21T22:18:00.004-06:002011-06-21T22:34:15.416-06:00Something newI haven't abandoned the blog again, promise. There has sadly been little crafting since last I posted. I did, however, finish a pair of ankle socks today:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowAV7zyJYxPVkeEdhYTKkOZAZrcTQUEjf7oTLaM-Ui7EixA_7V71T4zZI8fAgH4eGBF3ZdofZwrn8dv9h7_vlvUTR4zHbImf3i4A91Mm5yApzm73M0_j4Xdp7fXdnw-5Ri5hsBU86NnA/s1600/black+and+white+short+socks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowAV7zyJYxPVkeEdhYTKkOZAZrcTQUEjf7oTLaM-Ui7EixA_7V71T4zZI8fAgH4eGBF3ZdofZwrn8dv9h7_vlvUTR4zHbImf3i4A91Mm5yApzm73M0_j4Xdp7fXdnw-5Ri5hsBU86NnA/s320/black+and+white+short+socks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620894079058360946" border="0" /></a>I like having ankle socks to wear in sneakers for the summer. I also like them as a way of using up the leftovers of a skein of sock yarn. I have found with some of my other pairs that the cuff does not properly cover the back of my heel. This time I used a few short rows after the ribbing and before the heel. This should make them more comfortable and keep my shoes from rubbing. I will have to remember this modification for future pairs.<br /><br />Speaking of modifications, I made some to my last full sized pair of socks. I've been finding that my hand made socks are wearing out on the bottom of the heel and the top of the toe. The toe holes are easy to sew up and can be largely prevented by making the socks a few rows longer than usual. The bottom of the heels require quite a bit of darning, which is why I have a number of pairs of socks sitting waiting to be repaired.<br /><br />I wanted to do something to make the heels a bit better wearing. For this pair I decided to try using the eye of partridge stitch on the bottom as well as the back of the heel. I don't notice a difference in how they feel but I'm really hoping that there will be a difference in how they wear. I'd rather be knitting than darning.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6CKRtxqSSi-TfilBJl3JiQGt9E0_wxO7_ZIQgTQTM6ohI4PcIahS96wWK6HfvnhD3hX3rb6-pqqf6LKWELOTi3YDJqqv-wAUSKliWNRySR9N96k46o341atAA4CiaKHJNvzLMnFZ128/s1600/reinforced+socks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6CKRtxqSSi-TfilBJl3JiQGt9E0_wxO7_ZIQgTQTM6ohI4PcIahS96wWK6HfvnhD3hX3rb6-pqqf6LKWELOTi3YDJqqv-wAUSKliWNRySR9N96k46o341atAA4CiaKHJNvzLMnFZ128/s320/reinforced+socks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620893968730855506" border="0" /></a>I'm going to try to maintain this sock momentum I seem to have built up. I'll be sure to share when I cast on for my next pair since I also hope to build up some blogging momentum. Until then.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-30898621808817763292011-06-01T11:52:00.003-06:002011-06-01T21:51:17.057-06:00RenewalAfter meaning to get back to the blog for what turns out to be more than a year, here I am finally posting again. I realize that I really do like have the record of my handiwork that this blog provides. I've also recently bought a loom so I have a whole new craft to show off and try to keep track of.<br /><br />I could kick off the second coming of the blog with pictures of my new loom, but instead I thought I'd share a project that I planned to start back when this blog was new and only recently picked up and finished:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtzqD7WMkVDHZ2IKzo8gjKkh4rDyAY97C41Tu9_WnsaRB9tccDbEF6bFIxiGDolSsuXboK6CLrhQ5jSVQH5Tztu54DLf4qpXSoZsRV_4QrpPwjd1sh61qNCGWhpvIB49VxdVweV59Aa8/s1600/d.t.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 290px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtzqD7WMkVDHZ2IKzo8gjKkh4rDyAY97C41Tu9_WnsaRB9tccDbEF6bFIxiGDolSsuXboK6CLrhQ5jSVQH5Tztu54DLf4qpXSoZsRV_4QrpPwjd1sh61qNCGWhpvIB49VxdVweV59Aa8/s320/d.t.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613311180915044930" border="0" /></a>Another Tangled Yoke with much the same modifications that I made on the first one except this time I decided to keep the bobbles. I bought the yarn for this way back with the intention of knitting this sweater. I was still pretty new to knitting so I chose to use the yarn recommended in the pattern. I ordered the Rowan Felted Tweed online in a colour I thought would suit me. Sadly it turned out that Clover was less peach than I thought and didn't suit my complexion as well as I had hoped.<br /><br />So the yarn sat unloved in my stash waiting to be redyed or sold or traded. Meanwhile I found another yarn that was closer to the colour I was looking for so I knit the sweater up from that. Years passed.<br /><br />Finally I decided that I needed a dark coloured sweater and that I'd love another Tangled Yoke. So I took my chances turned the balls of yarn into skeins of yarn and dumped the whole bunch into a big pot on my stove with some black acid dye. I couldn't be happier with the results. I was worried that I'd loose the nice tweedy look of the yarn but it totally survived the dye bath.<br /><br />Once I had yarn in a colour I liked it was only a matter of a couple of weeks before I'd finished knitting myself a new sweater. I love it and am so glad that I was finally brave enough to risk the dye pot.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-64769151141984379262010-04-05T21:45:00.003-06:002010-04-05T22:55:12.890-06:00A new projectThis weekend I lucked into two days off in a row so it was the perfect time to cast on a new project. I tend to find starting a project takes more time than knitting it. First yarn and a pattern need to be found and matched. This can take me months, especially since I tend to want to design my own patterns.<br /><br />After yarn and pattern are chosen needles need to be found in my stash. Then the gauge swatch needs to be knit and measured and washed and measured and sometimes reknit on different needles and measured and washed...<br /><br />The larger the project the more time this seems to take. I can decide on a sock pattern and get it started in about an hour unless I really love the yarn and am waiting for the perfect pair that will be worthy of it. Sweaters take me much longer in part because I am more likely to want to use my own design or because I have trouble finding the perfect yarn for someone else's design that I have fallen in loved with. The delay can be so long that the appropriate season passes me by and the sweater gets set aside until next year. This is why I have sweater quantities of yarn in my stash that should have been sweaters some time ago.<br /><br />This year I am going to challenge myself to knit as many of these up as possible. I'm curious how many sweaters I can knit up in a year if I really put my mind to it. So far this year I have knit one sweater. I need to pick up the pace.<br /><br />To this end I cast on for a Habu sweater that I bought in kit form when it was on sale. The yarn is two strands held together; one is a laceweight stainless steel wrapped in silk and the other is a 'paper' yarn made of linen. Needless to say this sweater will be like nothing else I own. So far I have knit about half of one of the sweater fronts:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkc14GrTlmqe9k_aPx9hw31gZ0fYoAPfwMhDb0gHPTvNrCuUaOoFeH65B5Ky-4jX9kCWZ80RRkm1BOHA9kAk5pNIhATii-ML1LW0twxwgHdMz3NpqwcphwM855AU0z446HINgueyT8LU/s1600/habu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkc14GrTlmqe9k_aPx9hw31gZ0fYoAPfwMhDb0gHPTvNrCuUaOoFeH65B5Ky-4jX9kCWZ80RRkm1BOHA9kAk5pNIhATii-ML1LW0twxwgHdMz3NpqwcphwM855AU0z446HINgueyT8LU/s200/habu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456866022190846434" border="0" /></a>I think this is going to be a very cool sweater. I fear it will be impossible to photograph well, though. The fabric has such an interesting hand and photographs just don't capture it. I'll keep trying so stay tuned.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-67140506181284089772010-04-01T23:24:00.002-06:002010-04-01T23:43:48.096-06:00The first of manySince I have a bit of a blog backlog I thought I'd start with the oldest project and go from there. This project was actually knit early September 2009 but I couldn't share it then because it had to remain secret until the pattern was published. The pattern is appearing in the <a href="http://kalmedia.co.uk/yf23contents">April 2010</a> issue of Yarn forward so I can now share:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuojc3DjgwAXXWKUBUHhfgIa9eBlnsOzBHxxVV2tcRcaeNoiBnZ69AC9uvhAWVNoP1xhZ18gs_3oFsuiaYRm4MZJVKNFdt8mvuyxssTtYy5DkShT_IYsSDJ4U7lC0xu720KcbHGhJdmyM/s1600/entrelac+gloves.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuojc3DjgwAXXWKUBUHhfgIa9eBlnsOzBHxxVV2tcRcaeNoiBnZ69AC9uvhAWVNoP1xhZ18gs_3oFsuiaYRm4MZJVKNFdt8mvuyxssTtYy5DkShT_IYsSDJ4U7lC0xu720KcbHGhJdmyM/s320/entrelac+gloves.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455407036064331138" border="0" /></a>The pattern is Entrelac Gloves designed by <a href="http://parallaxknitting.com/">Sarah Sutherland</a>. They are knit using Noro Silk Garden sock and if you pay attention to the colour repeats it is quite easy to make a matching pair of gloves. I was really pleased with the way these gloves fit and I was sorry to have to hand them over when they were done (the fact that it was a warm September did help).<br /><br />This was actually my first entrelac project. I'll admit to doing some early swatching to make sure that I wasn't getting myself into something I couldn't finish but that was a simple flat piece. The pattern is well constructed and I would recommend it to anyone looking to try entrelac.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-53695090327367807932010-03-31T19:37:00.003-06:002010-03-31T23:22:11.461-06:00Two months later...When last we heard from our intrepid crafter she had just completed a pair of plain socks and was planning to knit a sweater using some yarn she got for Christmas. Since then nearly two months have passed (and let the record show that one of those months was a short month) with nary a peep. But while the blogging went unwritten, knitting and spinning continued apace (though perhaps at a slower pace than desired.)<br /><br />The sweater did get designed and knit, though it was in March rather than in February. There will eventually be a full reveal, but for now this small detail will have to suffice:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BDA0GRRtVRaT9RK2t5oMUCIFy8cdUSZs-MDoyzYX1Adk9iqdAFFWUAcn-M-oSNNk-lXKRzhUdAf5zCQORpuSwvprH8YXtsg7bgaWGcAy1Gc7F9HhWfvxngKu24U-YOiah8D-wKXRgmw/s1600/mysatery+brown.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BDA0GRRtVRaT9RK2t5oMUCIFy8cdUSZs-MDoyzYX1Adk9iqdAFFWUAcn-M-oSNNk-lXKRzhUdAf5zCQORpuSwvprH8YXtsg7bgaWGcAy1Gc7F9HhWfvxngKu24U-YOiah8D-wKXRgmw/s320/mysatery+brown.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455033179037120882" border="0" /></a>There was also most of a sock completed and some spinning on both spindles and wheel. All of the above sadly went unblogged.<br /><br />Here on the eve of a new month blogging will resume. Projects past and present will get their fair airing. First person will supplant third and all will be well. But only after a good night's sleep.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-18558801763769080822010-02-08T22:23:00.002-06:002010-02-08T22:49:08.193-06:00Letting the yarn do the workA couple of weeks ago my fellow Tuesday coffee knitter was working on some plain socks using one of the more complicated self-striping sock yarns. The socks looked great and she was really enjoying seeing what the yarn would throw at her next. I was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">intrigued</span> so on my next trip to the LYS I picked up a ball of Trekking XXL that looked like it would produce interesting stripes.<br /><br />The plan was to knit up a pair of plain socks, but I'll admit that until they were well underway I was still considering something more complicated. Since I intended these socks to be a gift for someone I haven't knit socks for before I was a bit worried about fit. I didn't feel like taking the time to knit a full pair of socks in a ribbing pattern but I was seriously considering knitting yet another pair of Monkey socks. I find that the Monkey socks behave a lot like ribbed socks and make for a more forgiving fit.<br /><br />In the end I managed to convince myself that, since I had bought yarn that had a lot of visual interest on its own, any stitch pattern would be lost and might detract from the yarn itself. I stuck to knitting a plain 64 stitch sock, top down, with gusset heels:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1I8dKPF7LLW6-Wg8UthikYBnv0EatYcU0sSx-EwbyFJ-sco6IvLJgNAKc1m6CUGr4kOpf9rY2i7Qn3SjoAuc2a1vm7en8p-XwXHa8i9cpf8DQPGh1UH_SBH5201NNq7wW-vY2GITouo/s1600-h/bright+socks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1I8dKPF7LLW6-Wg8UthikYBnv0EatYcU0sSx-EwbyFJ-sco6IvLJgNAKc1m6CUGr4kOpf9rY2i7Qn3SjoAuc2a1vm7en8p-XwXHa8i9cpf8DQPGh1UH_SBH5201NNq7wW-vY2GITouo/s320/bright+socks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436095078627157586" border="0" /></a>I really enjoyed sitting back and letting the yarn do its thing. I cast on for these last Tuesday and they were finished Saturday, so they were also a very quick knit. Now I just need to put these somewhere safe until their intended recipient's birthday comes along in early May.<br /><br />Now I just need to find something to work on during tomorrow's coffee and knitting get-together...Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-27293456034841594922010-01-31T23:26:00.003-06:002010-01-31T23:55:31.854-06:00A month in reviewHere we are already at the end of January and since I just finished a knitting project this seems like a really good time to cover what I was up to this month. After all of my Christmas knitting I found myself somewhat unmotivated in the knitting department. I spent much of what would otherwise have been knitting time at the start of the month reading a couple of novels. I also read through a copy of "Respect the Spindle" that I was lucky enough to get for Christmas and a copy of "Reversible Knitting" that I bought with a gift certificate that I also got for Christmas.<br /><br />For Christmas I had also asked for and received a couple of balls of lovely "Shepherd's Own" <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">undyed</span> brown worsted weight wool. I had planned to make a hat and gloves to go with a brown coat that I rarely have the chance to wear. This plan changed when I realized that I could get another 4 balls with a gift certificate I was given. This means that I now have enough yarn to knit myself a sweater and I fully intend to get this sweater knit in the coming month.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvgZvhHW1FuLleyKohkN4o-Tcn2UFTojoxYuq6V2ciMpl2LbHfY6e_zLrwC5zaB1L1V2wzfqzvKgLmvfjE0TczhxW5w1a0ralRVYCkVFHzgdcltBVGca8loGkblpVGcsZOEgu1D6VRcA/s1600-h/shepherd's+own+4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvgZvhHW1FuLleyKohkN4o-Tcn2UFTojoxYuq6V2ciMpl2LbHfY6e_zLrwC5zaB1L1V2wzfqzvKgLmvfjE0TczhxW5w1a0ralRVYCkVFHzgdcltBVGca8loGkblpVGcsZOEgu1D6VRcA/s320/shepherd's+own+4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433142980843759154" border="0" /></a>On top of reading and shopping I did some more spinning from fleece samples handed out at the guild meeting. I also worked on spinning up some merino on my drop spindles. I am currently plying up the results and reminding myself of why I usually opt to do my plying on the wheel (it is a bit slow and mindless).<br /><br />Even though I spent much of my time reading and spinning, I did start a knitting project so that I would have something to work away at during my regular knitting and coffee Tuesday nights. I've had a pair of balls of Trekking <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">xxl</span> yarn floating around in my stash waiting for me to turn them into knee socks. I was originally planning on knitting something quite complicated but then I realized that a plain pair would get more wear and fit better with my current wardrobe. <br />I cast on the second Tuesday of the month and was ready to start the second sock the next week. Sadly the second ball of yarn chose to disappear for a week, which meant that I only got started on the second sock last week. They are done now:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZF2kn5OA67Ra4bHcIhc5Zd37esNt930PMFUxymgApiqAx0f_cvEf8eWgqUkUSXe3IYhm4Vo9RwSYe72tny52qHvpEY_2mEAPvVuo5qqMa72y0iFCPB6xVN7xpSkaZvTCZm3vlr1EqHXM/s1600-h/blue+knee+socks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZF2kn5OA67Ra4bHcIhc5Zd37esNt930PMFUxymgApiqAx0f_cvEf8eWgqUkUSXe3IYhm4Vo9RwSYe72tny52qHvpEY_2mEAPvVuo5qqMa72y0iFCPB6xVN7xpSkaZvTCZm3vlr1EqHXM/s320/blue+knee+socks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433142327655140162" border="0" /></a><br />This was a nice mostly mindless project and my fingers really took to the knitting after their early month break. Despite their size they were a remarkably quick and easy knit. I'm looking forward to wearing them with skirts come spring. I might even wear them with shoes.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-61523400577027156342010-01-07T09:28:00.003-06:002010-01-07T09:35:17.149-06:00St. Distaffs DayJanuary 7th is St Distaff day, a.k.a. the 'Christmas is over now get back to work' day. Most years I only realize this after the fact as I am reading all of the blog posts about spinning . This year mine will be one of those blog posts.<br />Unless I am much mistaken there is a spinning guild meeting tonight, which seems a perfect way to celebrate the day. My spindle is packed and ready to go. The last meeting I went to, back at the beginning of November we were given samples of fleece to spin up. I have completed this task and now have a nice little collection of skeins:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1CiDV9b86v5qnsxXTePEHDEzo-uqR6-DoKufL2iyHXGWDMskOtJu5Sz0FO9TzEzn4CaortnkQY8bnC29rBhOwxqHBRlfhccOuoExfIUXW1PGgoa6otdTGohOAlF1ehxcasxUhCZP5hc/s1600-h/fleecesamples.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1CiDV9b86v5qnsxXTePEHDEzo-uqR6-DoKufL2iyHXGWDMskOtJu5Sz0FO9TzEzn4CaortnkQY8bnC29rBhOwxqHBRlfhccOuoExfIUXW1PGgoa6otdTGohOAlF1ehxcasxUhCZP5hc/s320/fleecesamples.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424020474895751426" border="0" /></a>Well, time is up and I actually have to get to work. Have a nice St Distaff's day everyone.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-24360545585164914542009-12-31T18:55:00.005-06:002009-12-31T19:38:14.759-06:00Christmas hats and a listI've shown off the completed Christmas sweater but not the hats I was making. The first hat is the green fish hat, last seen missing only its eyes. The second hat is an off the cuff smaller version of the fish hat that I knit when I realized that I still had nothing to give my baby nephew, whom I was going to see the next day. The bodies of both fish are made of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">handspun</span> yarn and the mouths, fins and tails are Briggs & Little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Softspun</span>. I couldn't be happier with how these hats turned out:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78H9MUpFnlB16KITbvcPlE6WBJk2ztouYfRSPjcuAfOgUL64NFX-PEuSI3w8GJFalMysCjmkHeonDd8ygl_8MkfarNeOrZ0CsRiHwXz_TnzGr6cDiSjEvyLoIiopRaZk1lFVJkJ2a6ro/s1600-h/Liam+and+bro+in+hats.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78H9MUpFnlB16KITbvcPlE6WBJk2ztouYfRSPjcuAfOgUL64NFX-PEuSI3w8GJFalMysCjmkHeonDd8ygl_8MkfarNeOrZ0CsRiHwXz_TnzGr6cDiSjEvyLoIiopRaZk1lFVJkJ2a6ro/s320/Liam+and+bro+in+hats.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421571388306731106" border="0" /></a><br />Since it is New Year's eve, I had a look at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ravelry</span> to see what projects I finished this year. I'm quite pleased with just how many things I've knit:<br />1 baby blanket<br />1 skirt<br />1 scarf<br />1 shawl<br />1 pair of gloves (still <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">unblogged</span>)<br />1 pair of mitts<br />5 hats (two of which were for a baby)<br />7 sweaters (two of which for babies, and 4 of which were for me)<br />14 pairs of socks (5 of which were ankle socks)<br /><br />Only three of these projects were started before the beginning of the year, the rest were started and completed in 2009. I'm also happy to say that 11 projects used yarn I made.<br /><br />I've very pleased with this tally. With all of the upheaval that occurred this year I can't say that my knitting has really suffered. With tonight's forecast of -33 degree weather, I'm really thankful to be going into the new year with a lot of knitted wool clothes.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-39376251242167763372009-12-27T22:00:00.005-06:002009-12-27T22:42:43.631-06:00The sweater storyChristmas preparations (knitting and other) prevented me from blogging as promised but I've finally found some time so here it goes. The last time I really talked about my Christmas sweater progress I was working on the shoulder area and I had a ball and a half left. It turned out that this was not enough yarn to finish the shoulder area even after I ripped out my gauge swatch and knit it into the sweater.<br /><br />I still had a couple of balls of the brown yarn left so I decided to use some of the orange yarn from the body and make up the length by making the brown stripe wider. To do this I could have ripped all the way back and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">reknit</span> the body with more brown and less orange. I probably had enough time to do this but I would have had to guess just how much yarn to leave for the shoulders and I would have had to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">reknit</span> the whole top <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">intarsia</span> section. Instead I decided to cut the sweater in half.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeOq_1BB66Ni54hVp5Atru8glPz02Pg-QL2orYozSEJCDTYwnzDuUKDOeVQ7B_r9e1O59Z-YLOZg-G6wIbg1hv3e8GC_cwF-xj7mIB0ko77Thyx616Oh4o6OZgvEC3LOA2aM3-w3xXnA/s1600-h/cb+first+cut.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeOq_1BB66Ni54hVp5Atru8glPz02Pg-QL2orYozSEJCDTYwnzDuUKDOeVQ7B_r9e1O59Z-YLOZg-G6wIbg1hv3e8GC_cwF-xj7mIB0ko77Thyx616Oh4o6OZgvEC3LOA2aM3-w3xXnA/s200/cb+first+cut.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420137600400814306" border="0" /></a>I put the bottom section of the sweater on spare needles and I spliced the end of yarn from the bottom of the top section to my working yarn at the shoulders. I then knit the shoulders out of yarn that was unraveling from the middle of the sweater.<br /><br />Once the top of the sweater was completed I put the loose stitches on another needle <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">and</span> then I used <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">kitchener</span> stitch to reattach the top and bottom of the sweater.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5OruPMNPdIEpRULNTc_cw_OgXbppkCWjXGRz_0QfIahOjuGfMZHad_yLhh5X1g5ezBNbgec3YooI36noQ3x0nKuNz7B1VcUNXqyt3O2jviUSt08wrWE3p9TBWO2s39AvGoQjhYgOSjg/s1600-h/cb+orange+finished.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5OruPMNPdIEpRULNTc_cw_OgXbppkCWjXGRz_0QfIahOjuGfMZHad_yLhh5X1g5ezBNbgec3YooI36noQ3x0nKuNz7B1VcUNXqyt3O2jviUSt08wrWE3p9TBWO2s39AvGoQjhYgOSjg/s200/cb+orange+finished.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420137286282142402" border="0" /></a>I'm not sure that it is clear from the picture, but the body was now a good 3 inches shorter than it needed to be. I had planned for this (though I was surprised that it at up quite so much length). My next move was to cut the brown section in half and knit another 3 inches into it. Of course this had to be done once for the front and once for the back because the brown section was knit back and forth to allow for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">intarsia</span>. Having knit the extra 3 inches I once again <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">kitchener</span> stitched the sweater back together.<br /><br />Finally I sewed up my side and underarm seams and tucked in a whole lot of ends. Here is the result modeled by its recipient:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRbRgazn_R26vcjsyR_LtlJmus76ymEGXOlrdA3G3kI4V1CdPqhSXW6Pg2liM4YdVHnQDMyfg7YSs7QQZdW9JxYoz09M9gdDXvFzHLi0aim7wdZvofTk1B6dwTPiDzWHrswDC0KpuLU0/s1600-h/cb+front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRbRgazn_R26vcjsyR_LtlJmus76ymEGXOlrdA3G3kI4V1CdPqhSXW6Pg2liM4YdVHnQDMyfg7YSs7QQZdW9JxYoz09M9gdDXvFzHLi0aim7wdZvofTk1B6dwTPiDzWHrswDC0KpuLU0/s320/cb+front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420135679634983890" border="0" /></a>It fits and he's happy with it. Hurray.<br /><br />I think that this sweater may deserve an award for most seams in a 'seamless' sweater design.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-87402406838870152272009-12-23T22:53:00.001-06:002009-12-23T22:55:19.736-06:00Made itThe sweater is finished. I promise to write about the whole thing tomorrow, with lots of pictures. Now I just need to knit two hats.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-61818439025883492772009-12-18T21:19:00.003-06:002009-12-18T21:42:45.077-06:00Gone fishin'I took a break from sweater shenanigans to knit up another of my Christmas projects. I've had my eye on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Knitty's</span> <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter08/PATTfishy.php">Fish Hat</a> for some time and I have a penchant for knitting novelty hats as Christmas presents. This year I have a nephew type person who likes to fish so I finally had my excuse.<br /><br />I dug up some hand spun that was waiting for the right project, bought some Briggs and Little Soft spun for contrast and now I have this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_IFu8QK1ComAZ2Hx5gR7NlHcqWkraaMDZ5aC4RlkFxoGGd-L9ESNVRf-VswNix43TsnUjZxcPa014OnzZVnksMz_SUub0YAHVUnW8vES7I1HaHrdHW-SPs4wIgz-4Fm8kLtoAn7B1gM/s1600-h/fishy+fish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_IFu8QK1ComAZ2Hx5gR7NlHcqWkraaMDZ5aC4RlkFxoGGd-L9ESNVRf-VswNix43TsnUjZxcPa014OnzZVnksMz_SUub0YAHVUnW8vES7I1HaHrdHW-SPs4wIgz-4Fm8kLtoAn7B1gM/s320/fishy+fish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416786943127621458" border="0" /></a>All it needs is some white felt for eyes and it is done. I'm hoping to find time on Sunday to buy felt and sew eyes and then this guy can be crossed off my list for good.<br /><br />If the recipient doesn't like it, I'd gladly take it back and wear it everywhere. It is just such a cool and weird hat.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-38067200236844282072009-12-14T22:17:00.002-06:002009-12-14T22:34:18.747-06:00IntermissionThe Christmas sweater is progressing well. I ran out of yarn just short of the saddle shoulders, but I've found a solution that should work. I have pictures of this solution in progress and I promise to share soon.<br /><br />First, though, I have to share a secret project from the summer:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEa9_Q2vMUShraxI05LTrr9bPETNnDYWxbfhsS17F49c3qX1_cxGpod1nj9yCxcF-QOzZ1QDRmDZnJKPUZ_t3BUOTU79jgsFNF7G1EpHigYydfhQgKbVy7xWrqRaZOzGrVraO1pg6bDoQ/s1600-h/sample+sweater.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEa9_Q2vMUShraxI05LTrr9bPETNnDYWxbfhsS17F49c3qX1_cxGpod1nj9yCxcF-QOzZ1QDRmDZnJKPUZ_t3BUOTU79jgsFNF7G1EpHigYydfhQgKbVy7xWrqRaZOzGrVraO1pg6bDoQ/s320/sample+sweater.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415312881329146786" border="0" /></a><br />Now that the winter<a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter09/index.php"> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">knitty</span></a> is up, I can share some of my summer <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter09/PATTfourcorners.php">sample knitting</a>. Back in July I answered a call for sample knitters posted by <a href="http://parallaxknitting.com/">Sarah Sutherland</a> on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ravelry</span>. We met and I took the job of knitting the sample of her 'Four Corners in Tokyo' sweater. It was an interesting and fun pattern, and getting paid to knit it was just the icing on the cake. I'm happy I get to add it to my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ravelry</span> projects and write about it, now that it isn't so secret.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-58429100676126434372009-12-09T22:57:00.001-06:002009-12-09T22:59:22.852-06:00Final pushThe sleeves and the body are now one. The next few rows will be really long but the decreases will eventually take care of that. I have about a ball and a half left, so wish me luck.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-54042149899322222242009-12-08T22:28:00.002-06:002009-12-08T22:40:21.852-06:00Plugging alongThe second sleeve is about 4 1/2 inches away from completion. I'm finding the progress slow, but that is because I'm looking forward to knitting the shoulder section and discovering if I'll need more yarn. Tonight I'm thinking I will have just enough to finish but I'll probably change my mind again once I know just how much yarn the rest of this sleeve eats up.<br /><br />We are certainly having a sweater worthy winter in Regina this year. The high today was -28, not counting any windchill there might have been. The low tonight is -35. My car does not have a block heater but so far has been bravely starting. I certainly hope it will start again tomorrow morning. Poor car just got used to winters in southern Ontario and Quebec and now it is back in the prairie deep freeze. I really need to get it a new block heater. Or maybe I should just knit it a sweater...Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-87596784091494983422009-12-07T22:42:00.002-06:002009-12-07T22:45:12.670-06:00Plugging alongI've now finished one sleeve and started on the second. Each sleeve takes slightly more yarn than a ball and a half, which means I will have less than two balls to knit the shoulder section of this sweater. I think this will be enough but I won't know until I've done it.<br /><br />At least the suspense is motivating me to knit quickly.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-90485657018804312592009-12-06T23:06:00.003-06:002009-12-06T23:23:21.631-06:00No problem (?)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzEb639OM43wwnYPgs4NLRAygHhL1UNt_rA5azv0kpcCSDJs1Y8leF4VN9msv-ihUOJO89jG19MAGyu0rpBJeOtntXRBkNVn9Mw2xSbcMOfBNrF_8ooIvnhnfjcidztk6LuGYmDlw8nI/s1600-h/cb+body+and+arm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzEb639OM43wwnYPgs4NLRAygHhL1UNt_rA5azv0kpcCSDJs1Y8leF4VN9msv-ihUOJO89jG19MAGyu0rpBJeOtntXRBkNVn9Mw2xSbcMOfBNrF_8ooIvnhnfjcidztk6LuGYmDlw8nI/s320/cb+body+and+arm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412360533361647202" border="0" /></a><br />The sweater is coming along really well. I have the body within an inch of where I will join the sleeves and I'm about half done the first sleeve. I don't think that finishing in time will be an issue. Now I'm just hoping that I won't run out of yarn.<br /><br />I have 4 full skeins of yarn left. I think the sleeves will take about a ball and a half each, which will eat up 2 of the remaining balls. This should be enough to add a bit to the body and knit the shoulder section. I also have some small balls of the orange yarn thanks to the intarsia section.<br /><br />I based my yarn needs for this sweater on the Swisher sweater I knit last year out of similar yarn. This sweater is longer but knit at a looser gauge. I also didn't use as much of the brown as I guessed I would so I effectively have about 2 balls fewer than I estimated I'd need. I think the looser gauge will save me, but it might be close.<br /><br />Whenever I knit a sweater I'm always sure one minute that I will have tons of yarn leftover and then ten minutes later I'm sure that I will run seriously short. This is just one of the things that makes knitting sweaters interesting.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-66994311925091475582009-12-05T23:45:00.003-06:002009-12-05T23:49:20.994-06:00Round I goTonight I got so caught up in knitting that I almost didn't get around to posting anything. The upside is that the intarsia section is now done and I'm back to working in the round. My guestimating was way off, though, and I didn't use nearly as much of the brown yarn as I planned. This may lead to not having enough orange yarn to finish the rest of the sweater.<br /><br />I don't think that this will happen but I won't really know until my sleeves are knit. I still think the knitting fates are on my side. Fortune favours the foolhardy right?Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-10991622568127268032009-12-04T22:30:00.003-06:002009-12-04T22:38:43.297-06:00A job for tomorrowI am now done the colourwork on one side of the sweater and I'm well underway on the second side. To my great relief the knitting gods seem to have ignored my reckless claims and may allow this sweater to be finished by Christmas. Furthermore it is actually starting to look like I hoped it would.<br /><br />Tomorrow after work I should be able to get all of the intarsia done and then I can return to knitting in the round. Yay. First, though, I might have to do a bit of yarn wrangling:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80lwCMZP6X8BO0W0Y3QIL_ggw3oIElMWkVt-Jb2PmBGlj-bPq0Pdx7vEeLuqivc5vVy_i7tnjGYy7aoVZwpE8SEBvlQV6KaoAzFPlhGSFGglBzp6tCHIFdfqS5pMS7eoZEbE3dOPikkk/s1600-h/cb+tangle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80lwCMZP6X8BO0W0Y3QIL_ggw3oIElMWkVt-Jb2PmBGlj-bPq0Pdx7vEeLuqivc5vVy_i7tnjGYy7aoVZwpE8SEBvlQV6KaoAzFPlhGSFGglBzp6tCHIFdfqS5pMS7eoZEbE3dOPikkk/s200/cb+tangle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411605947715670002" border="0" /></a>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-49949166143821405702009-12-03T22:40:00.001-06:002009-12-03T22:40:45.117-06:00ChoicesTonight it came down to a choice between blogging or drinking beer.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-17636001602517488502009-12-02T22:59:00.002-06:002009-12-02T23:11:00.742-06:00Knitting flat out<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD07_TZ3OpxKjLYe9WD8a39JtOqf2mYM01qC0uIy4L-AirOQXdSB0_xM1Qz1yDgqdz8T8l_OF6eesNPEV6GhnWXAfIwmT7EeUMHrfF2B_pikHnhqGt_Zdr5LzveqP20gZrEsuZmz1EI4w/s1600-h/cb+sweater+progress.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD07_TZ3OpxKjLYe9WD8a39JtOqf2mYM01qC0uIy4L-AirOQXdSB0_xM1Qz1yDgqdz8T8l_OF6eesNPEV6GhnWXAfIwmT7EeUMHrfF2B_pikHnhqGt_Zdr5LzveqP20gZrEsuZmz1EI4w/s320/cb+sweater+progress.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410870380833976578" border="0" /></a><br />I made some decent progress on the Christmas sweater today. I spent my lunch hour winding small balls of yarn since this sweater involves an intarsia section. Tonight I took advantage of my prep work and set about actually knitting part of the intarsia. I have a bunch of ends to tuck in but the knitting was mercifully quick and mindless.<br /><br />Since I wanted to knit this sweater in the round and using stranded knitting instead of intarsia was very impractical, I cast on in the round but am knitting the colour work section flat in two pieces. I will then join back into the round and sew two short sections of seam at the finishing stage. To make this work neatly I increased 4 stitches right before I started to knit flat so that my seamed section wouldn't be narrower than the seamless sections. In theory this should work. In theory.<br /><br />Thankfully my brother will enjoy his Charlie Brown sweater enough to make all of this fiddling worthwhile.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-77966076664331655582009-12-01T22:50:00.002-06:002009-12-01T22:53:43.197-06:002/13Now that the sweater is on the needles it is flying right along. I've knit almost two balls worth which, if I need the 13 balls that I ordered, means I'm about 15% finished. I've had to pause to do some simple charting but I should be back underway tomorrow. It is a nice feeling to be so productive. I may actually have time to do all of my Christmas knitting. Cue the ominous music.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-19317313098333268892009-11-30T22:20:00.002-06:002009-11-30T22:47:59.445-06:00Pretty little skeinsToday was not as fiber centric as yesterday, but I did manage to get some photos of the fiber I plied up yesterday. First, here are three skeins of the fleece I was given by the guild:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYndjRtkpR9ORkJJexVCZz_JXdC_wuDcejHLqy4Aa_L-pTEtJc6Ic318dbs61nAqpizAUz9wYXB4MZejZgrt54cnkWLksR-OTptT86uwVBZEzSYpCxYxDJue5iF_tI0h-0G6tMtC7-3c/s1600/fleece+samples.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYndjRtkpR9ORkJJexVCZz_JXdC_wuDcejHLqy4Aa_L-pTEtJc6Ic318dbs61nAqpizAUz9wYXB4MZejZgrt54cnkWLksR-OTptT86uwVBZEzSYpCxYxDJue5iF_tI0h-0G6tMtC7-3c/s320/fleece+samples.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410118335864699074" border="0" /></a>The skein on top is Targhee spun longdraw from hand carded rolags. Next is Shetland spun worsted draw from hand carded rolags rolled to keep the fibers aligned (if that makes sense). I remembered the prep of this fleece but for some reason thought that it was Romney. Luckily I wrote about it earlier this month so I could go back and learn that it was actually Shetland. The last skein is the Romney prepped and spun woolen.<br /><br />Once all of my samples are spun I'm going to have to knit them up into a scarf or something that can take advantage of all these little skeins. I may knit up a small sample of each just to get an even better sense of the wool characteristics.<br /><br />Speaking of samples here are the small skeins of Romney I made from the top I bought when I bought my new spindle:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZ0It9uusk-mLUglK56XtIpklLtswVLx6r4sMH3Yl5a48yKtP7eCATT0sMnRQ7c2yeWD0kq5MEdpalLyqQWlG8FocoI64g8xaVLR0bz39JoLRObMKTkAQ4crVnJIT5XiDL0YAVhNBTH0/s1600/romney+spindle+and+wheel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZ0It9uusk-mLUglK56XtIpklLtswVLx6r4sMH3Yl5a48yKtP7eCATT0sMnRQ7c2yeWD0kq5MEdpalLyqQWlG8FocoI64g8xaVLR0bz39JoLRObMKTkAQ4crVnJIT5XiDL0YAVhNBTH0/s320/romney+spindle+and+wheel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410118184382485522" border="0" /></a>The one on top is the one I spun up on my spindle and the bottom one is the new one I spun up on my wheel. Part of my reason for buying these bits of Romney was I want to spin and knit myself a grey sweater and I wanted to see if either of these colours would work for me. While I really like both of them I don't think that either is quite the right grey for me. I will keep looking.<br /><br />In the meantime I have finally cast on for the Christmas sweater after getting the needed measurements. The race is on.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-84007229318084465412009-11-29T22:43:00.003-06:002009-11-29T22:55:14.902-06:00No Christmas knitting today<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1xo7sZCXg4EsRbJGtT4DGAlw0khsVPdtG1oE68_z4BiaARWYPuFmuV8lbtlTHvRPS1yNO7WdBLAXmiBo8ru-AcMJ2HlVNa-bRsGLEvqp7r5l0OQCN1bxQkiGDwtGhOHR1CNGLtw6WuU/s1600/finished+mitts.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1xo7sZCXg4EsRbJGtT4DGAlw0khsVPdtG1oE68_z4BiaARWYPuFmuV8lbtlTHvRPS1yNO7WdBLAXmiBo8ru-AcMJ2HlVNa-bRsGLEvqp7r5l0OQCN1bxQkiGDwtGhOHR1CNGLtw6WuU/s320/finished+mitts.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409752967126502210" border="0" /></a>I had a lovely day off today playing with fiber. I did some spinning and a bunch of plying (pictures to follow) on my wheel. Then I took a break and finished up my snap dragon mitts. Finally I did some prep work so that I will have more things to spin next time I sit down at my wheel.<br /><br />I'm very pleased with how the mitts turned out. If I had had any extra yarn I would have made them a few rows longer but they will work just fine as is. I ended up ripping the one mitt back several rows and starting the ribbing sooner, but I was in luck and had slightly more yarn in the second ball, so I did have enough yarn for some ribbing on the thumbs.<br /><br />Tomorrow is another day off for me and I have made plans to get the measurements I need to get the sweater started. Now that the mitts are done there should be no other knitting to interrupt my Christmas knitting. Now if only I can keep myself from spending all of my time spinning...Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850783160379697141.post-60724352908148588132009-11-28T23:16:00.002-06:002009-11-28T23:22:59.979-06:00Almost readyI didn't find much time to knit at work today, but after supper I managed to knit a few rows on my mitt and another gauge swatch for the Christmas sweater. I have now washed my gauge swatches and all that remains is to get the measurements for the sweater. With any luck I will have all of the measurements in the next day or two and I can really get started on this.<br /><br />In the meantime I have my mitts and my spinning to keep me busy.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03665302011992906622noreply@blogger.com1