New tools

In a previous post I commented on how I tend to get the yarn I spin, not the yarn I want. To help alleviate that problem, I purchased a spinning control card from the Woolery. Having never handled a spinning control card in person before, I was not sure what to expect, so I'm also not sure if this is a common design.

It is made from acrylic, which is not pretty like some wooden ones I saw online but completely functional. There are slight grooves for each size; I expected the grooves to be deeper, but again, I don't know if this is common among control cards. The instructions seem to assume one is spinning 3-ply. Do most spinners create 3-ply? I think most of the ones I know stick to 2-ply. I haven't tried out this little tool in real life yet, but will once I am done with the black merino. I'll keep you posted.

Knitting: Still inching along on the Reader's Wrap, literally. My goal is to knit at least an inch each day. I also ordered some sock yarn from a Ravelry member, so I can fix some socks I knit for a friend.
Spinning: About 75% done with spinning the singles from the black merino top.
Weaving: I actually did some weaving on my 24" rigid heddle loom! I am not the towel-weaving type, but I have a lot of 8/4 cotton warp and towels seem like a good way to use it up. I had warped the loom quite some time ago, finally wove a couple of inches of weft the other day.

kay T left an interesting comment last week about experiencing pilling problems with Cascade 220 Superwash. I took a look at items I knit using this yarn and didn't notice any excessive pilling HOWEVER. A sweater I knit with it does pill something awful. I wasn't planning to knit the sweater in superwash, but we were at Webs in Northampton MA (spring 2014) and they were having a sale and this yarn was the only one I could find in the color and weight I wanted.

I saw my hip doctor for a follow-up and all is well with that joint. I come back in five years. Then I saw a shoulder surgeon (they all specialize). After some discussion, the tentative plan is for me to call in July to schedule surgery for the fall; I don't want to miss out on gardening season. Perhaps this impending surgery will compel me to finish a poncho I started long ago, to wear over the sling.

I couldn't resist

More powdery snow fell this week and I could not resist scooting around the backyard on cross country skis despite my hip surgeon nixing that activity. My yard is large but not large enough for it to be much fun for skiing. My hip was okay, but my shoulders did not like it. This week I have my annual follow-up appointment with the hip surgeon and a prelim appointment with a shoulder surgeon.

Knitting: Inching along on the Reader's Wrap. I had been alternating stockinette with reverse stockinette, but decided that might be problematic when I add the patch pockets. I ripped back and am just now almost caught up.
Spinning: I'm almost halfway done with the black merino top. It's not very interesting to spin, but I still try to put in 20 minutes a day.
Weaving: My SO was telling me about how many compliments he has received recently on a log cabin scarf I wove for him. I glanced at it and saw a broken warp. While fixing that, I found a couple of other broken threads, plus I straightened out some snags. Once it gets a restorative bath, he can have it back. In the meantime, he will just have to use his alpaca knit one.

Isolating the broken warp

Ends to weave in

This scarf is woven with Cascade 220 Superwash because a previous scarf that should have been handwashed met its demise after machine washing. The fabric feels a bit flimsy to me. The areas I fixed now have extra threads where I wove in the ends, and they feel more substantial. If I decide to weave another scarf in Cascade 220 Superwash, I may double the warp and/or weft. But first, I should make a test swatch.

Happy Valentine's Day!

My SO and I don't do anything special for Valentine's Day since (for us) everyday is Valentine's Day. We make a point of appreciating each other in real time, like when his car needs a jump or I need to visit the ER. We both have a bit of a problem asking for help - gotta be strong and independent - but it sure is nice to have someone to rely on, for everyday things and not-so-everyday things.

Knitting: Still plugging away on the Reader's Wrap. I also discovered a hole in the Lopi mittens I knit in 2007. A recent issue of Ply Magazine described one way to fix holey socks, which helped me figure out how to fix these mittens: remove the top of the thumb and reknit it. Fortunately, I found some leftover yarn in my stash.

Spinning: I started spinning the black merino top I ordered by mistake. (Idle question: Do you ever return fiber (roving, yarn, etc>) ordered online but not quite what you expected?) I contemplated leaving the yarn in singles, to ply with other colors, but right now I am leaning toward two-plying it and using it as a contrasting color for weaving.

Lately I have been watching Star Trek: Voyager. The most recent episode touched on aspects of Vulcan philosophy that resonate with me, perhaps because they have a lot in common with Stoicism. For example, instead of allowing one's emotions to rule one's mind, strive for the mind to control one's emotions. In these trying times, it is easy to get cranked up emotionally when we need to keep our cool. I am finding this concept to be calming. Live long and prosper!

Lithuanian Ribby Mittens

This pattern is the result of Robin Hansen reverse engineering a pair of mittens found in a museum shop in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Her personal contacts reveal that this is a common style of mitten among Lithuanian knitters. They are knit from worsted weight yarn using size US1 needles to achieve a gauge of 7-9 stitches per inch despite the textured fabric. I found knitting this needle/yarn combination more difficult than I expected; it was hard on my hands and shoulders as well. At least the weather is still wintery here, so I can enjoy wearing them in the snow.

Pattern: Lithuanian Ribby Mittens, from Ultimate Mittens by Robin Hansen
Yarn: Cascade 220, in gray (MC) and red (CC)
Needles: US1
Modifications: see below.

I did not intend to modify the pattern, but I found the instructions difficult to follow and somehow wound up with three extra stitches after the thumb gore. The mitten top and thumb turned out too long and pointy for my taste, so I flattened them by knitting a round of k2tog, a round of k, another round of k2tog, another round of k before pulling the remaining stitches together. I also offset the thumbs enough to create right and left mittens.

They fit perfectly but felt stiff and bulky. After a warm bath, they softened up but also grew a bit, so now feel too large. I wore them to shovel snow and despite the tight stitching, they did not seem to be warmer than other mittens I have knit. Through regular use, they should felt a bit, which will tighten them up.

Graham in Karabella

After knitting three Graham hats in a row, I think I am done with this pattern for a while. It's easy, it's (relatively) quick, it garners compliments, but enough is enough. The pix of all three look alike, but there are subtle differences.

Pattern: Graham, by Jennifer Adams
Yarn: Karabella Yarns Aurora 8, in 'Anthracite' (dark gray)
Needles: US6 and US8
Modifications: Made the hat longer, 8" total

For some reason, hats don't look good on me. Making this one longer helped, though. I meant to weigh it before distribution, but it is still under 100g. The yarn is very soft, but like the Lion Brand Cashmere Blend, it feels like it won't hold up well.

Wool weather

Baby, it's cold outside! Temps in the single digits at night, the teens during the day. Perfect for layering the handknits while staying inside and reading on the couch. I just started Craft: An American History, by Glenn Adamson. It's very readable and very interesting.

Knitting: I finished another 'Graham' hat; post to follow. I think I am done with that pattern for a while. I also finished the Lithuanian mittens; yes, a seperate post to follow. No progress on the Reader's Wrap.

And that is about all I have to report. This past week I had my kitchen cabinets refaced and the vanities in the two baths replaced, which meant emptying cabinets (which went fast) and cleaning, reorganizing, and refilling them (which is taking a LOT longer). I also started another jigsaw puzzle, to help me make it through February. And I am scheduled to get my first Covid vaccination in March. Things are looking up!

Jailhouse Rock

The instructions that came with this Sheep 2 Shoe kit were for making 3-ply sock yarn. I have given up on knitting socks with yarn that lacks nylon, as they wear out too fast. I've also given up on using merino, as it too does not last. (Simply Socks produces a sock yarn made from Corriedale and nylon, and that is now my go-to sock yarn.) Then I agonized over finding some superwash merino in black, to ply with this yarn, but that search was fruitless. So I finally just created a two-ply, which I really, really like.

Fiber: Blue Moon Fiber Arts superwash merino top in 'Jailhouse Rock'
Wheel: Ashford Joy 2
Technique: Nothing special
Spun: worsted, Z-twist at an 11:1 ratio
Plied: 2-ply, S-twist at an 11:1 ratio
WPI: 9
Yardage: 387 yards
Weight: 237g (8.3 oz)

I really wanted this yarn to be DK weight after the fact. In other words, I spun and plied it, and THEN decided it should be DK. Wishful thinking. Still, I crammed it into my wpi counter before admitting that it really is worsted.

Another so-called plan was to knit or weave the yarn with as-yet-to-be-spun black yarn, but I'm thinking it is dark enough just as it is. One skein, the last one, has a lot of joins in it, so I will use it to work up some swatches while I decide what to use this for.

This roving was gifted to me by Qutecowgirl who just released a hat pattern on Ravelry called Pascal. It's free and looks like a fun knit, so check it out!