Almost too successful

Today's FW Fiber Arts Club was packed with twenty-five attendees. The program was "gathering dye materials for natural dyeing", which may have been part of the draw, but many present were from the local embroidery guild. Everyone listened to what the speakers had to say and asked questions, then afterwards chatted up a storm amongst themselves. On their way out, several thanked me for organizing the group. If the meetings get any larger, we may need to find an alternative place to meet.

Two books I think my library needs:
This past week my SO and I attended an artist talk at a local gallery. The speaker is a member of the weaving guild, but her fiber career has taken off and we rarely see her anymore. One of her areas of expertise is ice dyeing fabric and yarn. (Now I find myself wondering if there is a way to marry ice dyeing and natural dyeing. Something to meditate on.)

Knitting: Turned the heels on the latest anklets.
Sewing: The practice bag is finished.
Spinning: In the homestretch spinning the Polish merino.
Weaving: Tension problems mount on the houndstooth towels, which may become one towel and a placemat.

Something new for you weavers: a tutorial on how to do Italian hemstitch. I haven't tried this yet, but it is on my fiber bucket list.

This past week I met with the doctor who is going to perform cataract surgery on my tired old eyes later this month. It's not critical, but it would be nice to knit black or navy yarn without wearing a headlamp.

Inspiration from guild meetings and books

The past two weaving guild meetings have been about new-to-me methods of weaving: twining and circular weaving. Sometimes when I am thinking I am not much of a weaver, I see a new technique and think, Maybe this is my path forward. I haven't tried twining yet, but at the circular weaving meeting we each received a cardboard loom (already warped) that we could practice on.


At an informal spin/knit-in/gab-fest, someone mentioned a book called The Joy of Yarn: Your Stash Solution for Curating, Organizing, and Using Your Yarn, by Marie Greene. One of her organizing methods is to group yarns by color. I once visited a yarn shop that did just that, and I found it to be a rather ridiculous but beautiful way to organize yarn. The author's other method is my method - by yarn weight. After all, how often does one mix yarn weights in a project?

I found the following charts from the book to be very useful, though.

I am really disliking the Cascade Yarns Heritage Sock yarn - it is very soft and feels like it won't hold up well for socks. However, if I double it, I think it would make a nice next-to-the-skin garment like a hat, scarf, or cowl.

Knitting: I have turned the heels on the non-matching socks. One of the basketweave socks is ready for a heel turn, the other close.
Spinning: I finished spinning the Tasman comeback singles. I also plied the latest merino/silk blend that I spun at spin-ins; I'm not very happy with it, would not enter it in the county fair, but I'm sure it will knit up into something nice.

Speaking of spin-ins, yesterday I planned to attend one. I packed up the wheel and some fiber, then decided maybe I would just knit. But after backing the car out of the garage, I realized just how tired I was. So back into the house I went, where I spent most of the day on the couch, reading (and crying through) The Women, by Kristin Hannah. If you lived through the Vietnam era, this is a must read.

Call of the wild

I have been yardening every darn day this past week, so not much fibering going on. If it would just rain more, I might get something done that didn't involve plants or dirt or mowing. Maybe this week?

Another time suck was the program I organized for the local spinning guild. That happened Tuesday. We had five stations: inkle weaving, rigid heddle weaving, harness weaving, pin weaving, and tapestry weaving. (I led the latter.) The members were divided into five groups and they rotated through the stations, spending about 15 minutes at each one. I wish I could have listened in on the other presenters, but I was busy, of course. All in all, I think it went well. Maybe some of the spinning guild members will also become weaving guild members.

Knitting: I tried knitting i-cord handles for one of the felted bags, but it didn't go well. Now I am leaning toward weaving inkle bands instead, and ordered some Omega Sinfonia yarn, a couple of spools from the Woolery, a couple from Annie's Craft Store. (Neither had all the colors I wanted in stock.)
Spinning: I finished the second bobbin of the Three Moons fiber - ready to ply.

I've been itching to knit a sweater, but I don't know which one other than I want a cardigan. So I check books out of the local library, looking for the defninitive pattern. This book is intriguing on several levels:

Besides the color work pullovers, there was a pattern for this cardigan. I have SO MUCH natural dyed yarn I could use this way.

Some of the patterns included instructions on how to dye the yarn. This one uses madder for the shades of orange, with some yarn dyed in the first and second exhaust baths. Very clever.

And that is about all that happened this week. My brother is coming to visit for a couple of days, but after that, my calender looks (relatively) clear. Projects await!

I can't keep up

There are so many things I want to do that I sometimes think it would be helpful if we had another lockdown. Then I could just stay home and do fiber.

So I haven't finished, let alone installed, the Freedom Roller I mentioned last time. I haven't installed the double-heddle kit, let alone warped the rigid heddle with two heddles yet. I haven't finished the socks, primarily because I hate purling. I haven't blogged about the scarf. Where does the time go?

Knitting: I have about 10 rounds to go on the socks before binding off. The L-Bag is on its third (out of 13) colors.
Spinning: I finished spinning the Polish merino - and bought some more of the roving. I plied the silk/merino/tencel blend singles because I was out of bobbins; I liked the singles better (which I neglected to photograph), so I plan to chain ply the second braid (which I started spinning).

Despite the (slightly) warmer temperatures, I have this urge to knit a sweater. I checked these two books out of our local library, to see if any of the patterns called my name. Several are intrigueing, but. I barely wore any of my sweaters last winter, so maybe I should hit pause on this idea. For now.


One thing I did accomplish is have my SO help me sort through some of the natural dyed skeins I have, combining some for future projects. Each skein is about 25g, so three should make a cowl or hat; the 6-skein group should be enough for a scarf. I don't have any patterns picked out yet.

I just finished a book called Unraveling, by Peggy Orenstein. The author found herself just short of age 60, facing an empty nest and a father with dementia, during the pandemic, and, oh, by the way, the part of California she lives in is burning. A lifelong knitter, she decides to do the sheep-to-sweater thing, to maintain her sanity. So she learns to shear a sheep, scour the fleece, spin the wool into yarn, dye the yarn with natural dyes, and finally knits a sweater that is too bulky and warm for northern California. Along the way, she explores topics like fast fashion and aging and such. This is not a how-to book, but it is an eye-opener. And entertaining to read.

Spin-in inspiration

Yesterday some fiber friends and I attended the monthly spin-in at Little Shop of Spinning. Last month, I purchased some fiber, which I started spinning yesterday. I think it will become cowls as it is so-o-o soft. And pretty.

The yarn is in shades of gray, not blue

Last month I saw some Polish merino I wanted to purchase, but decided to wait, and if the fiber was still there the next time I visited the shop, I would purchase some. Well, it was still there, so I bought an ounce of each of four colors that look like they will go together well.

Names are, from upper left and clockwise, warm beige, pumpkin spice, bronze, and coral

A handknit hat at the shop drew much admiration from us, so Phia dug out the pattern. It's from a book called Hip Knit Hats, by Cathy Carron, and there happened to be a copy at my local library branch, so I picked it up on the way home.

I don't usually read pattern books, but these patterns were so unique, I had to see what the author had to say. I'm glad I did because I ran across this unofficial chart of how to combine yarns to make other sizes of yarn:

This chart will be useful when putting together yarns for anything, but especially for the patterns in this book. The two I like the best are:


Since my usual fiber project recipients have said, No more dishcloths or blankets!, they may have the opportunity to pick out some hats in the future.

Knitting: I"m practicing project monogamy and sticking with the socks as I march up the leg, although I have a list of what to knit next.
Spinning: The mystery fiber is off the wheel; I just need to label it and decide what it will become. As noted above, I have started spinning the silk/merino blend with tencel.
Weaving: I have been trying to knit together the two panels of the random blanket, but I keep screwing up. Third (or fourth) time is the charm, though, right?

One of my fiber friends mentioned Modern Daily Knitting. Only today did I realize she meant what was previously known as Mason Dixon Knitting. I used to follow them and may have to start again. So many patterns, so little time!

Just let it go

I posted about hoping to get all my looms warped before my shoulder surgery, but that ain't gonna happen. So then I thought maybe I could at least empty some looms and finish some weaving and knitting, but after today, I realize even that may not happen. What gets done gets done. Just let it go.

Knitting: Still working on the white 'Graham' slouchy hat. I started the crown today, but dropped some stitches while switching from circular needles to DPNs. I hope to get that back on track and finished by Tuesday night.
Spinning: The first ounce of the mystery fiber spun up really nicely, the second one not so much. I stopped after about a quarter of the way through, flummoxed over what the problem might be. Then I realized I may have been working with the roving backwards. Wool has scales, so sometimes it matters which end of the rope one starts with. I may get this spinning done, plied, and off the bobbin by Tuesday night.
Weaving: Following some instructions for a pieced poncho in Weave, Knit, Wear (by Judith Shangold), I started knitting together two pieces of woven fabric, to make a lap robe. But the number of stitches I picked up from one half does not match the number from the other. This project is not going to be finished before surgery. I also worked on one selvage of the soumak weaving, also not going to be finished by my self-imposed deadline.

I'm not big on social media (and just deleted my Twit account), but I started following @gardenercook on Instagram. I struggle with color, and her daily exercise of using watercolor to match the colors she finds in nature has me intrigued. I've been wanting to do something similar, but didn't know how to get started. It turns out she wrote a how-to book, which I ordered through ThriftBooks.

Next Tuesday's Handweavers Guild of America Textiles and Tea features Sheila Hicks. (Squee!!!) If you can't watch at 4pm EST, you can watch a recording of the interview online, either through HGA or FB.

The velcro straight jacket

I knew I would have to wear an immobilizing brace post-surgery, but was not prepared for all the velcro. There is an armband around my upper arm to keep me from moving my shoulder, a cuff around my wrist, and an over-the-shoulder strap, all of which is attached to a wide band around my chest. All of these pieces are covered with a LOT of Velcro so they stick together. Last summer, I planned to finish a poncho I had been knitting, but didn't. Just as well, as today is the first day cool enough to wear such a thing, plus wool clings to velcro like a burr on a dog. Interestingly, I've discovered that superwash wool is relatively easy to peel off of the velcro.

The staples were removed this past week, and I asked if I could knit again. Sadly, the answer was NO because apparently I also had a bicep tenotomy during the surgery. Two more weeks of the brace, then two weeks after that I start physical therapy. Hopefully, somewhere along that timeline, someone will say it is okay to knit.

Another book I recently purchased is Annie MacHale's Three-Color Pickup for Inkle Weavers. This is advanced inkle weaving at its most challenging. One needs to be relative proficient at Baltic pickup before tackling this, so I requested a book from the library that should help with that.

Before my surgery, I was feeling a bit bored with fiber: I was tired of spinning the red Tunis and frustrated with the inkle weaving and not able to do much else. Now I am getting antsy to get back at it, have lots of projects planned. Hopefully it won't be too long. Meanwhile, there are jigsaw puzzles to tackle.

(One piece is missing. I purchased this puzzle used from the community center, so don't know if the piece was already missing or if I lost it.)

Idling

I'm still recovering from the surgery, and will be for a while. My energy level is low; not sleeping well is not helping, either. I've been using a "lift chair" - a motorized recliner - as my primary residence, although sometimes I shift to the couch. Lying in an actual bed is not yet comfortable.

While twiddling my fiber thumbs, I ordered a book I mentioned before, Tommye Scanlin's Tapestry Design Basics and Beyond, purchased from the Woolery. (I'm a bit anti-Amazon right now). I also purchased the latest Little Looms magazine. One can dream, can't one?

It's surprising all the things one can do with one hand, frustrating about all the things one can't. I did try to knit a bit on the Habitation throw since I am knitting continental, but after a couple of rows, gave up. Knitting activates micro movements in the shoulders, plus all the velcro on the immobilizer grabs at the wool. I've talked to enough people who have had shoulder surgery who regretted not giving themselves time to heal properly. I understand the urge to forge ahead, but don't want to make things worse instead of better.

Bad news week

I won't go into all the details, but my SO now has Covid, despite being fully vaxxed and masking. The weak link in that scenario was babysitting his 3-year-old granddaughters. Apparently, they were the vectors. He's doing okay, no fever or overwhelming fatigue or lung issues, but it will be a while before we can see each other again.

Knitting: The knitted swatch went through the regular laundry and didn't felt or shrink, just got really fuzzy. So now I know not to use that yarn for another L-Bag. The Habitation throw continues to grow.
Spinning: Red tunis, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Weaving: Still working through letters on the inkle loom. 'Z' nearly did me in; I'm going to skip it for now.

At the weavers guild meeting this past week (which I Zoomed), we were asked to bring our favorite weaving book. My favorite is usually the last one I bought, which in this case is Rebecca Mezoff's The Art of Tapestry Weaving. As you may recall, I took an online class from her, which was very helpful. However, trying to find a particular demonstration on the videos or a specific explanation in the printed material was pretty hopeless. This book fills that gap nicely. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in tapestry weaving.

If you are looking for a book about design, you can't go wrong with Tommye Scanlin's Tapestry Design Basics and Beyond. The exercises in this book are for more than just tapestry. I checked it out from the local library, will order a copy as soon as I get a round tuit.

I've been feeling the urge to dye again. And to weave something besides inkle bands. So far, surgery is still on schedule. I'm anxious to get that over with.

Almost famous

As I am undergoing physical therapy for my right wrist and both shoulders, I decided to lighten up on the knitting a bit. But that doesn't mean I can't read about knitting. My SO picked up a new Rachael Herron at the library for me, not knowing I "know" her.

Initially, I just leafed through A Life in Stitches, but the chapter on love blankets caught my eye. In this chapter, Rachael describes the love blanket she received, and the one she conjured up for Zoom, a Canadian blogger who was having a rough year. I didn't participate in the former but I did the latter. So, while not mentioned by name (or by pseudonym), I still feel like I am part of Rachael's story. And it's a good book, too, very readable and entertaining. While there is a lot of knitting and knitting metaphors, this is really about Rachael and her life so far.

Meanwhile, I redyed the not-dyed-very-good yarn, then started on the Prairie Blanket.

The redyed yarn looks more saturated, so I plan to alternated skeins, to spread the color out. So far, I am liking the results.

(A while back I added a widget for Amazon Contextual Product Ads on the right sidebar. The resulting ads are odd, to say the least, and sometimes a little hysterical. Money Ball? Seriously? How did they come up with that, from a knitting blog?)