What's in the works?
Lots of things going on here. Usual stuff, school, homework, piano, Brownies, kids' choir, grownup choir, karate, work, everything but housework. Why? Craftiness!
FIL sweater progresses apace (color is very washed out in this photo):
The moss stitch ribbing is not as tedious as I thought (good thing since there are miles of it). Did at least an inch at karate last night. I'm trying to stay ahead of it a bit so I don't have a giant panic at the end. Good luck to me! I'm sure I will get majorly distracted eventually and pull a couple of all nighters in December sometime.
I've started swatching the second Twisted Knitters yarn:
This time I'm doing a sock-sized swatch a la the Twisted Sisters book so that if I decide to, I can make it into a sock. I can repeat this yarn quickly if I decide to do another one. This project might end up being socks out of various yarns that I made in these experiments, which would be fine with me! I just have to make two little balls of each yarn instead of one.
The last photo is my favorite.
This is the Spunky Eclectic Fiber Club offering for September and I love it. Some of it is the exact color of Cream of Tomato soup from childhood. I should manage to finish the first two ounces of singles today and ply them together. I will, as usual, save the other two ounces for later. I have this terrible fear of running out of beautiful fiber.
I have been doing dyeing experiments this week that have all been awful. I tried dyeing fleece in a net bag and hardly any of it actually stuck to the wool. I tried kool-aid with the kids on some more fleece and it was just a mess (trash). I need to do one more dye project to get the jinx off so I will probably do something with Halloween colors, orange, purple, black, maybe witch green. Anybody have a good formula for Margaret Hamilton's face color? Too fun unless I screw it up again. Ho hum.
Sorry about the Rhinebeck whine. I SO wish I could go to that or Maryland Sheep and Wool sometime. But I'm never out east at the right time of year. Trek, have fun wheel shopping...you know you're getting one.
Have a great weekend, Rhinebeck or not!
FIL sweater progresses apace (color is very washed out in this photo):
The moss stitch ribbing is not as tedious as I thought (good thing since there are miles of it). Did at least an inch at karate last night. I'm trying to stay ahead of it a bit so I don't have a giant panic at the end. Good luck to me! I'm sure I will get majorly distracted eventually and pull a couple of all nighters in December sometime.
I've started swatching the second Twisted Knitters yarn:
This time I'm doing a sock-sized swatch a la the Twisted Sisters book so that if I decide to, I can make it into a sock. I can repeat this yarn quickly if I decide to do another one. This project might end up being socks out of various yarns that I made in these experiments, which would be fine with me! I just have to make two little balls of each yarn instead of one.
The last photo is my favorite.
This is the Spunky Eclectic Fiber Club offering for September and I love it. Some of it is the exact color of Cream of Tomato soup from childhood. I should manage to finish the first two ounces of singles today and ply them together. I will, as usual, save the other two ounces for later. I have this terrible fear of running out of beautiful fiber.
I have been doing dyeing experiments this week that have all been awful. I tried dyeing fleece in a net bag and hardly any of it actually stuck to the wool. I tried kool-aid with the kids on some more fleece and it was just a mess (trash). I need to do one more dye project to get the jinx off so I will probably do something with Halloween colors, orange, purple, black, maybe witch green. Anybody have a good formula for Margaret Hamilton's face color? Too fun unless I screw it up again. Ho hum.
Sorry about the Rhinebeck whine. I SO wish I could go to that or Maryland Sheep and Wool sometime. But I'm never out east at the right time of year. Trek, have fun wheel shopping...you know you're getting one.
Have a great weekend, Rhinebeck or not!
posted by Wendy Stackhouse at 7:47 AM
11 Comments:
Two things;
a. The FIL sweater looks very nice. The pattern is attractive. Is the color more grey or more blue? It's even attractive in the picture, so it's bound to be nice!
b. Tell me about sock sized swatches? How does that work? How can a flat swatch become a sock? Inquiring minds (that know nothing) want to know.
and
C. (I said two but I thought of another) Who are the twisted sisters and how does one read up on them?
the yarn on the spool is very pretty!
xo,
Joy
Me again... I have more questions: How much wool (the not spinned kind) do you need to make a respectable pile of yarn (ie enough for socks or enough for a project) I notice that it comes in ounces. If you make 2 oz. of it, how much yarn do you get?
next: what kind of wool dyes best? I know you like bluefacedliester.
and... I forget the last one... oh well.
xo,
Joy
a. The yarn for the FIL sweater is actually Olive Green! Can't tell from that photo, though. Have you seen L's hoodie? It's the same color as that (though different yarn).
b. It's not a flat swatch, it's a tube. I think it's too big, however. I cast on 64 stitches on 0's thinking I would get about 8 1/2 but am actually getting about 7 spi. This is why I like toe-up socks! But it could always be a slouchy cuff (or a legwarmer...).
You can knit socks flat and sew them up but WHY???
c. The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook is a great book about dyeing, spinning and knitting socks. You would love it! I can't lend you my copy 'cause I'm in the middle of the knitalong, but they usually have a copy at Barnes & Noble. It's definitely worth owning if you're sock person.
d. It takes at least 4 oz of wool to make a pair of adult socks. You can do stripes if you only have 2 oz of two yarns, but not fair isle, as that takes up to 8 oz (stranding gets you a double layer of yarn). 2 oz of wool is about 56 grams or just over the weight of a normal ball of commercial yarn, so you get about the same yardage as that would be. But then it depends on the thickness. 100 yds worsted, 120 DK, 140 sport, 180-200 fingering.
e. All wool dyes well. BFL is my favorite because it falls in the middle between softness and luster. It's not as soft as Merino, but is more durable. It's not as lustrous as Lincoln, but it is much softer. It's plenty soft for my feet!
I really want to take a trip to the new spinning store in Van Nuys, wanna come along?
Yes. I want to go. I am not a spinner but I find it absolutly fascinating.
Thank you for the info. I have to digest it now.
I am going to look for that book.
xo,
Joy
You just get so much yardage from that club fiber! I'm jealous. I keep thinking about getting a second subcription just so that I can get enough yarn actually make something. Your are my spinning goddess! :)
Well, I haven't actually used any of it yet to make anything. I'm hoarding!!
Finished some Navajo ply that turned out laceweight this morning, but only 174 yards. What in heaven's name can I do with THAT?
HA! 174 yards? I tend to get less than a hundred with all four ounces!
Okay, but you must be getting bulky weight yarn. I always find myself doing sock yarn, unless I purposely try for something else.
Now the Navajo plied yarn I'm posting now turned out WAY thinner than I expected, but still not that much yardage for the weight. Handspun is always denser...
Your spinning looks wonderful!
Bulky? I'm beginning to think I should call my handspun extra super bulky ;)
Weaver, all yarn is good yarn for something! Except my super fugly yarn...but I can always give it away. It's still handspun, right?
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