Saturday, March 16, 2024

Chained

I was saved from purchasing more fiber at the spinning guild meeting because the woman managing the estate sale was a no-show. Just as well. It's not like I don't have enough fiber or it can't be purchased elsewhere.

The program for the meeting was chain-plying. Several of us volunteered to demonstrate, but apparently no one wanted to actually teach. It would have been nice to have a handout of some sort. Oh, well. I went with the hopes of emptying all my almost empty bobbins, but plying takes longer than one thinks. I did clear one that night and another one today.

In case I haven't posted it before, here is a link to my favorite chain-plying video, from Classy Squid Fiber Co.

Knitting: The socks are not inspiring me except as an experiment. After knitting the toe on one, I decided to do the second sock top-down. I don't think it will make a big difference - both starts are fiddly - but the toes will look different. I also started a hat, but I'm not having much luck with the instructions.
Spinning: Chain-plying my little heart out.



I'm trying a new way of (doctor-supervised) eating. Somehow my name came up as a candidate for an 8-session workshop in plant-based eating. The group meets every other week to learn something new, and during the in-between weeks, we get a phone call from the exercise guy. The main goal is to manage diabetes better, perhaps even reverse it. My borderline diabetes is under control; in fact, the supervising doctor (not my GP) told me I could discontinue the metformin. It's my cholesterol that needs some help, since I don't tolerate the medications. Other pluses are weight loss and more energy, neither of which I have seen much of yet, but then I just noticed today on one of the handouts that for weight loss one must limit grains to two servings a day. Some days I want to quit the program, other days I'm enthusiastic about it. We'll see how it goes.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Oops - I did it again

I'm wondering what exactly is the impetus that drives me to make more fiber and fiber-related purchases. Perhaps because my doctor told me that the likelihood of my having a stroke or heart attack was remote? As if I don't already have a lifetime of fiber.

At least not all my purchases at the Jay County Fiber Fest were fiber; some were ceramic. One thing I was looking for was silk thread, but one vender suggested I try a specialty quilting shop for that. I'm always on the lookout for unusual tools, but did not find any this time.

I'm discovering that one cannot have enough yarn bowls, especially if one has more than one project in progress and/or one knits at different locations in the house. I have one by my TV chair, and now I have one for the coffee table in the livingroom. This one was made by one of my fiber/ceramic friends.


Another ceramic friend, Elizabeth Wamsley, made this sweater-like cup. I've been considering making something similar, so it is good to have a model for inspiration.


I started a narrow tapestry to record things that occur during the year, but I don't have a lot of the colors I want to use. These small cakes of pencil roving should help there.



Another fiber friend who hosts our Fifth Saturday Spin-ins had a basket of these pastel samples. I think they will help with the above mentioned tapestry as well.


I can't resist red, so I grabbed up some silk sari yarn. The price seemed a bit high to me, but the vendor dyes the skeins herself, plus the ones I picked had more yardage than some of the others.



I certainly do NOT need any more sock yarn, but this brightly colored skein sparkles. There were more colorways calling to me, but I resisted.


The estate sale fiber and equipment will again be available at the next spinning guild meeting. If the package I picked up and put back last time is still there, it just might follow me home.

Friday, March 08, 2024

Bryana Bibbs exhibition

We made it to the Bryana Bibbs exhibition at the Chesterton Art Center before it ended. I wish we could have attended the artist's lecture earlier in the month, but it was not meant to be. From viewing these pieces, I assumed they were made on a frame loom of some type, but actually she weaves on a floor loom. Lots of ideas here.


Her use of different materials intrigued me. Above, she included unspun roving. The following two incorporate sisal.



Most of the yarn is handspun. This piece includes pills or nupps.


There is some nylon netting like one would find in a scrubby in this piece.



Yarn isn't the only material used. Here she is using cloth such as one would use in a rag rug.



And tightly plied coils add a bit of playfulness.


I tend to be a "rule follower" and stick to more traditional weaving for the most part. But I would like to break away from that mindset. This exhibition was quite inspiring!

Wednesday, March 06, 2024

Mistake rib cowl in Lorna Laces handspun

Once upon a time, my online fiber friend QuteCowgirl sent me a box of fiber. Included in the package was some Lorna Lace's Shepherd Wool, which I fractal prepped and spun. The yarn was lovely, and just the ticket for this mistake rib cowl.


Pattern: Mistake rib cowl from Purl Soho
Yarn: Fractal prepped and handspun Lorna's Laces Shepherd Wool Top superwash merino in 'Devon' (118g)
Needles: US8 (cast on and bound off using US9)
Modifications: Cast on using alternating long-tail method and bound off in pattern


This pattern is perfect for mindless knitting and needs only 100g of worsted or aran weight yarn. My handspun was a bit thick and thin and a little bulky, but still fine.

Saturday, March 02, 2024

Somebody, stop me!

There was a spin-in at the Little Shop of Spinning today. I was in a quandry about what to spin next, so I grabbed a braid of Tasman comeback and a ball of Wensleydale. The Tasman is plain tan, so I could not help but buy some dark brown merino comeback to go with it.


In preparation for the Jay County Fiber Fest next weekend, Phia had some new fibers in. This braid of merino/silk blend followed me home. I think the colorway is called 'Storm'.


It seems once I fell off the wagon, I just keep accumulating fiber. We'll see how well my will power holds up at the fiber fest. Gulp!

Knitting: I started a pair of socks... sort of. The center-pull ball vomited a mess of yarn that I could not untangle, even after TWO HOURS of messing with it. This pair of self-striping socks will not match. I also started another mistake rib cowl, but I'm not sure I will continue with it, as the yarn is not very soft.
Spinning: I chain-plied the SeaCell yarn - it turned out really nice! No pix yet. I started spinning the Wensleydale.

One of the other spinners at the spin-in had an e-spinner. I already have two wheels, do not need another one, but if I were to downsize to an apartment, the e-spinner could definitely be a replacement for my current Ashfords. We'll see what the future holds. For right now, I'm staying put.

Sunday, February 25, 2024

It gets worse

I visited Simply Socks Yarn Company yesterday, in search of contrasting yarn for the sock yarn I purchased at the estate sale. Hoping to find ONE color that would work with all the sock yarn, I came home with THREE skeins, plus some Cascade 220 Superwash in black. *sigh* It never ends.

Cascade Yarns Heritage, from top to bottom, colorways 5683, 5660, 5755

Knitting: I finished the mistake rib cowl; separate post to follow.

It was a rough week, as one of my dogs passed away, from cancer. It was rather sudden, so the shock hasn't worn off yet. I feel sorry for Clio, as I adopted her as a companion for Watson and now he is absent. I've been taking her on longer walks, showing her extra attention, plan to find her a doggy daycare so she has other mutts to play with. We're both still very sad, though.


Goodbye, good dog.

Saturday, February 17, 2024

That didn't last long

A new guild member (at least, I *think* she actually joined one of my guilds) is handling the estate of a fiber person who has gone to the yarn bowl in the sky, leaving behind a LOT of fiber and equipment and tools. It was easy to pass up the wheels, etc., but the yarn was something else. I did put back some of what I had picked out, but this is what came home with me, thereby breaking my "no new fiber" resolution.

My SO needs some new socks, so I can justify purchasing sock yarn. The problem with sock yarn (and it's only *my* problem) is that I knit larger than "normal" socks, so to keep from running out of yarn, I knit the toes, heels, and cuffs in contrasting colors. That means a trip to Simply Socks to buy even *more* yarn. Gah.

Less Traveled Yarn, 'Picnic Plaid'

Opal Elemente 1079 (left) and unknown (center), Harry Potter Sock Collection 2352 (right)

I wove a shawl with some Kauni many moons ago. It's rather rough, but I like the colorways. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with these, though.

Kauni EQ - unnamed colorways

Knitting: My consolation over buying yarn is to work somewhat religiously on the current cowl. I sewed the deer antler buttons onto the Lempi sweater - and hated how they look. I found an alternative at Joann.


Spinning: I finished spinning the SeaCell roving - time to ply.

The spinning guild did not meet last month because of inclement weather, so this month's meeting was basically meet-the-new-officers and show-and-tell. I took the Lozenge cowl and the Lempi sweater (buttonless). Both were a hit.