Knitted diary

I'm familiar with tapestry diaries/journals, but this is the first I have seen of a knitted diary. There is no pattern to speak of, just some delightful photos. The designs are up to the knitter. Check it out: Honsestrik Pants.

Knitting: The heels are turned on the quirky socks. I wove in ends and blocked the stranded headbands.

Spinning: Started 2-plying the murky yarn; the yellow is dominating more than I expected.

I am not going to be president of the spinning guild in 2027, but I'm trying to leave things in a tidy state. Toward that end, I've been recruiting officers and committee heads for the next president. People don't like to volunteer, but if asked, will usually say yes. So right now, I have almost all positions filled. Whoo-hoo!

Socks, socks, and more socks

I'm enamored with the designs put out by Laine Publishing. This week I picked up a couple of their books from the local library, volumes 1 and 2 of 52 Weeks of Socks. (Not sure if they think most folk can knit a pair of socks a week or if it was just a handy way to promote two groups of 52 patterns.)


Both books are full of gorgeous, intricate sock patterns... that leave me feeling a bit tired. Socks are my portable project, so something too complicated is not welcome. Also, I wonder how well these designs would hold up. However, there are some helpful concepts for mixing things up a bit with sock knitting without messing things up too much: colorwork, from a little to a lot.

'Cindy's Choice' from Vol 1

'Nyrkys' from Vol 2

'Anni' from Vol 2

'Pinwheel' from Vol 2

Knitting: In tune with the theme of this post, I've been knitting on the quirky socks. I decided the handspun I've been playing with for a bulky sweater is more like rope than yarn, so it is probably going to become a basket.

Whenever I see a reference to "tablescaping" I have to laugh. My current tablescapes:

Not exactly House and Garden, but it works for me.

Your guild wants YOU!

It's that time of the year when we start eliciting volunteers to lead the spinning guild for the following year. It's like pulling teeth. I've already decided that I am NOT going to be president in 2027, but I'm willing to fill another role. A few people have spoken up, but we need more. Always more.

If YOU belong to a guild, please, please volunteer, to keep the guild alive and well.

The rigid heddle weaving study group is going well. There were five of us at the last meeting, and each of us worked on something different, all projects that are stretching our skills. Goal achieved.

Knitting: I swatched some super-bulky handspun to see if it is close to gauge for a super-bulky scrappy sweater - spot on! I also swatched a combo yarn - two strands held together - and again achieved something close to gauge. So I knit up a bit of the sweater, starting with the cuff... and decided the two colors of the combo yarn should be lightly plied together.

Weaving: My back is killing me from repeated attempts to start something (anything!) in doubleweave (a.k.a. double-width weave). Still not there. Too many opportunities to mess up.

As most fiber enthusiasts, I have a LOT of yarn. Most of my handspun is not in quantities that is useful for anything larger than a scarf, a hat, mittens, a cowl, etc. And then there are all those leftovers from knitting socks. What to do?

This book has many projects for all those bits and bobs. I checked it out of the local library, but I plan to purchase my own copy. Just the sock patterns make it worthwhile for me.

Big fail

I have been on a bit of a decluttering spree lately. It occurred to me that maybe I could reduce my stash of handspun by selling it at an upcoming harvest festival. I selected about a dozen samples, plus a few handwoven items, labeled and priced them... and sold nary a one. The harvest festival was really geared for children, not fiber enthusiasts.

Demonstrating at the harvest festival all day Saturday wore me out, so I considered not attending the fiber arts club meeting on Sunday. But I did, and I'm glad I did. Besides finding a new home for a bunch of acrylic yarn and some silk dyes (the club has a "swap table" but most of it is freebies), I was inspired by one member's "scrappy" sweater - a bulky knit sweater made from multiple bits and bobs of leftover yarn. I even have some patterns for super bulky projects, including a cardigan, I purchased from Modern Daily Knitting several years ago. (Sometimes it pays to *not* declutter.)

Knitting: I am almost finished with the first mitten from the handpainted yarn - only the thumb remains. The quirky socks are coming along.
Spinning: I finished spinning the pretty turquoise roving at the festival.
Weaving: The panels for the buffalo plaid blanket are all sewn together; now the edging, the fringe twisting, the weaving in of ends, etc.

Despite the decluttering spree, a yarn bowl followed me home from the festival. Now I have six. I plan to crochet more baskets like this one, and having multiple bowls helps with the yarn wrangling. (That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.)

Last week's weaving guild meeting was about spinning for weaving. I had heard the presenter's spiel before, but this time I picked up that two-ply is best for weaving. I have been making a lot of three-ply. So now I will have to rethink my strategy and plan ahead.

It didn't follow me home

There is an art festival this weekend, which my SO and I attended last night. It's on Broadway, part of the so-called "art district". One store we stopped in is called Delaney's and offers up oh-so-much in the way of antiques - three stories of estate sales, it looks like. There was a spinning wheel that looks like it has all the parts (although some of them are underneath in a box), but I did NOT bring it home. I already have an unassembled loom in the garage - I don't need yet another stray fiber tool. I did post it on FB, though, so maybe someone will give it a good home.

Knitting: Started a pair of Arched Gusset mittens with one of the painted yarns from the dyeing workshop. Despite cataract surgery, I'm having a hard time seeing this dark yarn.

Spinning: Last month I purchased some turquoise roving at the monthly spin-in, so I started spinning that at today's spin-in. I have a plan for using it with the murky handspun.

Weaving: I decided against continuing double-width weaving with string heddles - that's just madness. Instead, I purchased a second 10-dent heddle. I think I can just cut off what I have woven so far and re-heddle the existing warp, just for demo purposes. And while it does not feel like weaving, I am still stitching together the panels of a blanket I wove on the SampleIt.

Lately, I have had the urge to knit a sweater but haven't found the "right" pattern yet. I checked this book out of the local library, to see if anything grabbed my attention.

Nothing appealed to me, plus I was put off that almost every pattern was designated as being for the "experienced knitter," even the baby blanket. I'll keep looking.

Tunisian crochet practice

When I think about attending a fiber festival and look at the classes offered, I just get tired. I don't need to buy anything fiber-related, and I just don't feel like learning something new.

And yet, here I am, doing something new. I've mentioned Tunisian crochet before, and for some reason decided now is the time to give it a go. Initially, I tried to make a narrow sample on a regular crochet hook, but that did not work out very well.

The longer ones work better, but for a large project, hooks with cables are recommended.

Curling is an issue, obviously. I'm using Redheart acrylic yarn here, which I'm sure does not help. I do love the resulting fabric, though. So textured! And Tunisian crochet is easy peasy.

Speaking of acrylic, I purchased a LOT of it when my granddaughter expressed an interest in crochet. She has since lost interest, so I've been using it to practice colorwork. Now I'm done with that (for now) and decided the acrylic is going to be offered up at the fiber arts club meeting, for free. If no, or not enough, takers, it will go to Goodwill. Life is too short to work with yarn one does not like.

Crochet: See above.
Dyeing: Not actually dyeing, but dealing with dyed yarn from the recent workshop; I niddy-noddy'd each skein, then wound them into cakes, each one being about 130 yards and 50 grams, so DK weight.
Knitting: The third headband is finished - well, almost - all three bands need to have ends woven in and blocking - and I'm finished with this exercise as well.
Spinning: A spin-in at a friend's house resulted in my finishing the murky roving I have been working on for what seems like forever; time to ply!

Our new LYS, Bad Cat Knit Goods, is experiencing a lot of early success. It seems the local fiber community has been hungry for just such a venue. May the success continue!

Dyeing with goldenrod

My stationary bicycle sits next to the shelves that hold most of my natural dye samples. Sometimes I'll pick up some of them to see what they are; my technique and range of colors has definitely improved over time. In fact, I've developed a fairly steady routine for natural dyeing.

• Day 1: Create the dye bath and mordant the yarn.
• While the dye bath is heating up, I soak the yarn in plain water. When the dye bath is done "cooking", I transfer the yarn to a cool alum mordant bath. Both the dye bath and mordant bath sit overnight.
• Day 2: After rinsing the yarn, it goes into the (strained) dye bath, which is then heated; the temperature is held for about an hour. The yarn sits in the dye bath overnight.
• Day 3: The dye bath is heated with the yarn still in it, to a low temperature. Then the dye bath is divided and modifiers are added. The warm yarn is added to each modified dye bath (keeping one out as unmodified). For the most part, the yarn does not need to spend much time in its modified dye bath. Then everything is rinsed and hung to dry.
• Day x: After the yarn has dried, it is washed with fiber wash, then hung to dry again.

And that is it.

For golden rod, I used 625g plant tops in 3 gallons of water and heated the bath to 160-ish for an hour. Since the dye material was mostly blossoms as opposed to whole plants, I kept it on the low side. Meanwhile, 265g of Cascade 220 (6 100-yard skeins) were soaked in plain water. The dye bath steeped overnight while the yarn soaked in a 10% WOF cool alum bath.

The dye bath looked surprisingly sudsy the next day (is this normal?)

I "cooked" the rinsed yarn in the dye bath for an hour at 170-180 degrees. To keep the temperature under surveillance, I use a ChefAlarm. I can set a high and a low temperature, plus the time on it. Simplifies the need for babysitting a dye vat.

The yarn sat in the dye bath overnight, then the next day I applied the modifiers, using about 1/2 t for each of the iron, copper, and chrome baths, but I think the amount can be reduced to 1/4 t next time. These chemicals are dangerous, so I wear a mask while handling them and add them each to a cup of boiling water - out in the garage, not in the kitchen!

After a rinse, voila!

Here they are in their dry and labeled glory.

No modifier

Vinegar modifier

Ammonia modifier

Iron modifier

Copper modifier

Chrome modifier

I simply *love* the range of colors the modifiers provide. And they all go well together.

Now... what shall I make with this yarn?