Swatching can be reassuring

Last week I decided to start another L-Bag, this time using the sport-ish weight Kauni yarn I purchased at the estate sale. I wasn't sure what needles to use, and had started a swatch that was not knitting up very well. Fortunately for me, one of my spin-in groups includes the author of this pattern. I mentioned my dilemma to Lorinda, and she reminded me that the pattern included instructions for knitting it with sport weight yarn. Duh!

So I jumped right in and started knitting the bag with US10 needles, but I still wasn't very happy with how things were going. So I knit up a new swatch. Initially, I put it in a small lingerie bag and threw it in with my regular wash, but that did not do the job. I finished the felting by hand and am quite pleased with the results.

Still, I restarted the bag because, after using a knitted cast on, I had neglected to knit through the back on the first row and the top was rather floppy. Now I am on my way.

Knitting: Started an L-Bag - see aboe. The heels are turned on the basketweave socks, but now I am bogged down on them. Progress is being made on the non-matching socks, as they have been my traveling project.

I have not been spinning much lately. When I spin at spin-ins, I tend to go too fast and the yarn gets kinky (can't talk and spin at the same time), so I've been knitting instead.

In the better-late-than-never department, a quilt top that I hand-pieced over 45 years ago finally got quilted. One of my fiber friends has a free-arm sewing machine, and she uses it to generate a bit of extra cash by quilting for others. I was ecstatic with the results (and the price - a pittance compared to what others charge - it pays to have fiber friends).

For some reason, I made the quilt top too long. So I asked Beth to cut off two rows of blocks and make them into a wall hanging, for over the bed. Now I need to find a rod to hang it from, one that won't kill me if it falls off the wall.

Another Lozenge Cowl

In an attempt to use up the rest of the yarn from the Wabash Woollen Works natural dye workshop, I knit another Lozenge Cowl. Mission almost accomplished. All that remains is some madder.

Pattern: Lozenge Cowl (free Ravelry download), by Raging Wool
Yarn: merino sport weight (about 100g), MC = hollyhock, walnut, eucalyptus, marigold, onion skin, madder, CC = sumac, Queen Anne's lace, madder (acid modifier)
Needle: US5
Modifications: Used Old Norwegian cast on and suspended bind off

A black and white version of the above photo reveals that the contrast in values between the onion skin dyed yarn and the acid modified madder is not as deep as I would have liked, but not too bad.

The main color is knit in garter stitch. If I had paid attention, I would have avoided this bit where the change in colors is not very smooth. (Is there a name for this knitting result?)

The back is not as tidy as the previous Lozenge Cowl. I have a tendency to knit stranded colorwork too tightly, but I overcompensated too much in this version. I would not enter this project in the county fair.

I showed this to my spinning peeps, and they declared it good. Their opinion is all that matters, right?

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.

A trick with colors

I've been looking at the yarn that remains from the natural dyeing workshop at Wabash Woollen Works, contemplating what to make with it. From weighing the Lozenge Cowl that I made from it, I decided there was enough for another cowl. But I wasn't sure about the colors. So I did a little trick: took a photo of the remaining balls, then converted the pic to black and white.

This allows me to see the differences in value between the colors. I want enough contrast between the colors in the cowl to accent the lozenges. And so far, it is working out just fine. (There was enough of a dark green to cast on with.)

Knitting: Besides working on the Lozenge cowl, I am making headway on both pairs of socks. I'm ready to turn the heels on the non-matching pair.
Spinning: Still working on the Tasman comeback.

I'm reading a book called Get the Picture, by Bianca Bosker. The author is exploring the New York art world in an attempt to develop an "eye" for art. One artist she talks with has several paintings going on at the same time and describes her feelings toward them as "relationships". Some of them are in "time out" and face the wall. I'm beginning to think of my weaving as being in "time out" while I figure out how to move forward with it. I've made several attempts, but so far, nothing clicks. Maybe I'm not a weaver?

Spindle cuteness

As I mentioned before, I sat next to a new weaving guild member who was spinning silk on a supported spindle. Hers was very pretty, purchased on Etsy. So I went there and ended up with this one.

I know next to nothing about supported spindling, but this baby feels very balanced. The online pix gave me the impression a bowl came with it, but what I thought was a bowl was just a prop. So now I need a bowl, which I can make from clay or I can make do with a small dish I have already made. I also need some online videos for learning how to get started. I think I'll start with some yak fiber I came across in my stash recently.

Knitting: Still working on both pairs of socks. The nonmatching ones are nearing the heel.
Spinning: Still working on the beige Tasman Comeback.

Yesterday Blogger was misbehaving and I wasn't sure I would be able to post ever again. Today it seems fine. If I ever just drop off the face of blogdom, know that it is probably from technical difficulties. Technology is great, until it isn't.

More purchases

I didn't go overboard at the (final) showing of the remaining fiber goodies from the estate sale. Focusing on sock yarn, I purchased a couple of skeins and their accompanying patterns (although I doubt I will use the patterns), plus a lonely single skein. Having taken a break from knitting socks, I am now back on board and have plenty of yarn now.

Superwash BFL & nylon

Then there was a kit of yarn that last time I picked up, then put down. I picked it up again, along with its pattern. This isn't enough for the sweater or hat (maybe those projects were finished?), so I think this batch was intended for the muff. I'm not a muff person, but I can probably convert the muff pattern to a cowl.

THEN this past weekend, my SO and I attended the West Michigan Potters Guild's show in Grand Rapids, MI, where the Woodland Weavers and Spinners Guild shared the space. Most of their products were finished projects - rugs, blankets, runners, placemats, towels, silk scarves, etc. which I was not interested in. The hand-dyed roving was another matter.

Rambouillet

Falkland

Merino

I would feel worse about breaking my self-imposed promise to not buy any fiber this year, but I have fiber friends who are older than me who *really* loaded up from the estate sale, including some tools and equipment they absolutely do NOT need. But as we all know, there is a big difference between need and want.

Knitting: Cruising along on the two pairs of socks. I took the brainless ones with me on our trip, but did no knitting.
Spinning: Still working on the tan roving. While hanging up the braid I purchased last weekend, I realized I have *another* whole braid of the tan. Gah!

I had a great chat with one of the workers at the fiber sale. I recently came up with the idea of tee-shirts to help raise the profiles of our local guilds. Now I have even more ideas of things we could do along those lines. We shall see if I can sell those ideas to the guild memberships.

Supported spindling

This past week we had a new member join us for weaving guild (and besides becoming a member, she also volunteered to help with our social media!) She sat next to me and spun silk on a pretty supported spindle. Before I got a wheel, I tried spinning with a spindle, but it was just too slow for me then. Now, when I may want to spin up a few yards of something for a tapestry, a spindle sounds like the perfect tool. Alas, I gave away all my spindles, so now I am shopping for replacements.

Knitting: The basket weave socks are coming along slowly - I'm not very adept at purling on double pointed needles. The mindless socks are underway, perfect for knitting during commercials and at meetings. Needless to say, they do not match.

Spinning: Still working on the beige singles and the merino/silk blend singles.

Yesterday was the first Saturday spin-in at the Little Shop of Spinning. A subgroup of us meet up for lunch ahead of time, which extends our chat session. Our discussions are not limited to fiber, sometimes we really get going about subjects like joint replacements, but the talk is always lively. I eyed the spindles in the shop, but I think the style I want is called tahkli. Since I didn't buy a spindle, I bought a(nother) hand-dyed braid.

Spinning guild is this Tuesday, and the estate sale goodies are supposed to be there. It was a bit overwhelming the first time I saw all that fiberlicious goodness, but now I have a clearer idea of what I am interested in. We'll see how out-of-control I get.

Spinning spin-in

I had such a good time at yesterday's Fifth Saturday Spin-in at Teasel Hill. There weren't too many of us there, but we talked, mostly about fiber and fiber fests and projects. One idea I picked up was to knit an adult-sized Baby Surprise Jacket with the yarn I acid dyed a while ago. Every time I look at that yarn, I want to make something with it, and now I know what.

Knitting: The sock-knitting dilemma has worked itself out. It seems none of the contrasting yarn I purchased for toes, heels, and cuffs goes with the yarns from the estate sales. So I decided to knit a solid-colored pair of socks. That quickly became boring, so I added a basketweave pattern to keep it interesting.

Spinning: I started spinning a braid of Tasman Comeback that is a solid beige. Not very exciting, but I plan to combine the result with some dark brown. That seemed too dull to take to the spin-in, so once there I started on a braid of merino/silk blend.

I'm really happy with some of the yarn I have spun lately, so happy I don't want to make anything with it yet. Hopefully, the perfect project will come along.

I quit

My involvement in the plant-based diet classes is coming to a premature end. It's just too extreme for me. I felt better for a while - more energetic - but then started to feel worse. I am also skeptical of any diet that requires supplements - I'd rather eat my minerals and vitamins. And while I understand the point in reporting one's food intake and exercise for the sake of accountability, it felt somewhat infantilizing. I learned some things, tried some new foods and recipes, have a freezer full of plant-based soups, but feel like I can continue on my own without being quite so extreme.

Knitting: I haven't been able to bring myself to work on the socks nor the hat, which means I am dissatisfied with both. I think I'll start over with the socks, maybe abandon the hat for now.
Spinning: All the bobbins that contained singles are now plied. There are still a couple with already-plied yarn that need to be emptied.

BFL and SeaCell, chain-plied

When I first learned to spin, I had a difficult time with plying. Instead of going ahead and struggling with it, I kept filling up bobbins with singles, then bought more bobbins to fill up with singles. Taking classes at Ply Away helped me over that hump, so now I have WAY more bobbins that one spinner needs.

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.

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.

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!

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.