Copy cat

Last weekend I took my granddaughter on a gem and mineral field trip at a local county park (outside, masks, social distancing). One of the other families were all wearing the same hat that I assumed was hand knit. But then I noticed a tag on one that said "CC". I looked it up online and discovered the CC Beanie. Now I am seeing them everywhere, including in the clothing section of Kroger. There are also copy cat patterns avaible on Ravelry with hundreds made. I will probably make one someday, after I get something else finished first.

Crochet: The body of the lavender baby blanket is complete, but I am a bit flummuxed over the border instructions. I'll figure it out... eventually.
Knitting: The thumb gussets are almost done on the Lithuanian Ribby Knit mittens. Knitting mittens on US1 needles is a bit tedious.

Spinning: No luck finding black dyed superwash merino top. I'm debating on how to move forward: 1) buy undyed superwash merino top and dye it myself, 2) go ahead and use the non-superwash black merino top I already purchased, 3) not include a black ply while also deciding whether to ply the 'Jailhouse Rock' singles into 3a) 2-ply or 3b) 3-ply, etc. I'm open to suggestions.
Weaving: No progress on either the sari yarn runner or the warping of the 8/4 cotton.

Indiana is a Covid hot spot and the county I live in is now "red". My SO and I will enjoy our turkey Manhattans and pumpkin pie while "double bubbling." I'm not much for holidays to begin with, and I'm lucky my kids are close enough I see them with some regularity anyway. As far as I'm concerned, everyday should be one of thanksgiving.

Feels like March

It is wet and wild outside today - rain with high winds - which reminded me of March, until the temperatures started to drop. I am not a fan of wind. It is a good day to stay inside, do laundry, read, knit, crochet, etc.

Crochet: Nineteen inches out of 24 are completed on the lavender baby blanket.
Knitting: The 'Past Peak' mittens are done; details here. I am about halfway through the thumb gussets of the Lithuanian Ribby Knit mittens.
Spinning: I purchased some black merino top from Dharma Trading Company only to realize upon delivery that what I ordered is not superwash. The mistake is entirely mine. I posed a question to my spinning guild about mixing superwash plies with non-superwash plies, but no one had any experience doing that. However, a source (local, no less) was recommended.
Weaving: I sent the sari yarn swatch through the washer and dryer with no mishaps. The cotton warp and weft shrunk a bit, which is what I would expect, to create a denser fabric.

I put on my big girl panties and got halfway through warping the rigid heddle for some cotton towels. I have so much 8/4 and 8/2 carpet warp that I would like to use some of it up.

I read the saddest story in the local paper today, about how some people who are donating to a local charity for xmas want to first know the voting preferences of the adult recipients or don't want to choose a child with an unusual name from the giving tree. I'm astounded and shocked and horrified by these so-called Christians who are being so petty and cruel, especially during the holiday season. I only hope the article spurs others to counteract these mean spirited gestures.

Past Peak mittens

When I purchased the yarn I used for these mittens, I thought the tag read "Past Peach" for the colorway. It was August, peach season, so this sort of made sense to me. More recently, "peach" seemed too long, so I thought maybe it said "Past Pear". That made less sense. With autumn upon us, however, the colorway became obviously "Past Peak" as the green leaves gave way to gold and red and orange, fading to brown. I could not find the designer anywhere online, so I'm guessing she gave up her hand dyed yarn business.

Pattern: Basic Mitten by Ann Budd
Yarn: Vermont Farmhouse Designs worsted in "Past Peak" colorway
Needles: US7
Modifications: Used a ribbed version of a long tail cast on; fiddled with the thumbs to make them less pointy

If I were to knit these again, I would go down a needle size, as the fabric really relaxed after a warm bath (sort of like I do). Apparently, I didn't notice this when swatching, although if I had, I might have adjusted the stitch count up, in which case I would be in the same place.

Zoomless

I intended to attend last week's weavers guild meeting. They have been hybrid meetings: some people show up in person and the rest of us watch from afar. However, the person in charge of the Zoom portion came down with stomach flu (not Covid) and there is no backup. The December meeting would ordinariy be a carry-in (that's Hoosier for potluck), but that ain't happening this year. I'm not sure what they are going to do instead.

Crochet: Twelve inches out of 24 are complete on the main part of the lavender baby blanket.
Knitting: I had to take a break from knitting because my shoulders were protesting. So the thumbs on the 'Past Peak' mittens still have to be fiddled with, but I have completed the cuffs for the Lithuanian mittens.
Spinning: I finished the 'Jailhouse Rocks' merino top. Hopefully, I will be able to find some black merino top for the third ply.

Weaving: No progress on the sari yarn table runner. However, I did work up a quick sample to send throught the laundry, so make sure nothing weird will happen when I wash the runner.

I confess to being relieved that the Biden/Harris ticket came out on top; that particular nightmare is over. What really appalls me, though, were the attempts at voter suppression. That is about as un-American as one can get. I am also disturbed over how divided the nation is. Maybe it is time for the United States to split up?

Two degrees of separation

Remember that game with the premise that everyone enjoys six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon? I know a couple of Hollywood actors, so I probably have that covered, but I've come to think of my nearness to Covid cases in terms of degrees of separation. My granddaughter is quarantined because someone in her class tested positive. I consider that one degree of separation for her, two for me. Needless to say, we did not make it to the gem and mineral meeting this past week, although she remains symptom-free.

Crochet: Work continues on the lavender baby blanket. I've completed about 7 out of 24 inches, then there will be several rounds for the border.
Knitting: I am basically done with the 'Past Peak' mittens except I am not satisfied with the thumbs, so will fiddle with those a bit before I consider this project complete. Meanwhile, I started another pair of mittens, Lithuanian Ribby knit mittens, in gray with some red. 'Past Peak' are worsted weight yarn on US7 needles; Lithuanian Ribby are worsted weight on US1, which is making my hands hurt a bit.

Spinning: Almost halfway through the 'Jailhouse Rock' top. Originally, I wanted to create a two-ply worsted weight yarn, but the merino top would not cooperate. Now I would like it to be three-ply, with one ply in black. The only problem is I can't seem to find any black merino superwash top. I may have to buy white and dye it myself.

My son and his girl friend sent me an Instant Pot for my birthday. I've tried several things in it, but am not sold on its usefulness. For one thing, it does not save on labor - you still have to chop those veggies. Sometimes it doesn't save on cooking time. And the results are not going to taste the same. So far, I like it for hard boiled eggs - so easy to peel, everytime! White rice is just as easy (and tastier) cooked on the stove. Yesterday I tried a pot roast - 1 hour of cooking instead of 4 - but I didn't care for the results. Another angle of IP cooking is it takes some of the enjoyment and sensory pleasure out of cooking. I'll keep trying, though. It might be like shopping at Costco - it takes a while to make it work for you. If anyone has any recipes to recommend, please leave them in the comments.

Stash busting plan

I have a LOT of Cascade 220 Superwash in colors that no one wants to wear anymore. My granddaughter used to love pink, but no more. I knit her a sweater in lavender which she found too hot. Then there are bits and bobs that are left over from other projects. What to do with all that yarn? Why, crochet baby blankets!

Crochet: Started (and started and started once again) a baby blanket that uses a shell stitch.

Knitting: Progress continues on the mittens.

Spinning: Started spinning some Blue Moon Sheep-2-Shoe superwash merino top, in 'Jailhouse Rock' (which I would have named 'Tie-dyed Rainbow'). I'm not making socks with it; I learned the hard way that sock yarn has nylon in it for a reason.

My SO and I have one more pottery class next week; we'll be glazing our pieces. I will probably take my granddaughter to her gem and mineral meeting later that same week, primarily because she earned a badge and I think it will be presented then. The city has okay'd Trick or Treating; I plan to put goodie bags on a table in the driveway for the little goblins. After that, I will curtail my already curtailed activities as Covid cases continue to surge, here and elsewhere. I'm not sure what we'll do about the holidays besides wait and see. Wear a mask, wash your hands, stay home if you can, be safe.

Corriedale Cross

This yarn is from some more of the roving that my fiber blogging friend sent me. The label said "Paradise Fibers Ashland Bay Corriedale Cross". I knew Paradise Fibers is the vendor (and they are still in business), but I thought maybe Ashland Bay was a sheep breed that had been crossed with Corriedale. Not so. Corriedale Cross is a cross between Merino ewes and Leicester or Lincoln rams. Or so the Paradise Fibers website says.

Fiber: Paradise Fibers Ashland Bay Corriedale Cross in ecru
Wheel: Ashford Joy 2
Technique: Nothing special
Spun: worsted, Z-twist at an 8:1 ratio
Plied: 2-ply, S-twist at an 8:1 ratio
WPI: 8-9
Yardage: 304 yards
Weight: 238 grams (8.5 oz)

I started spinning this fiber during a weaving guild zoom meeting and felt a bit flustered. Otherwise, I don't think I would have chosen the ratio I did. The twist is a bit tight, which creates a yarn with high grist. I'm not sure what I'll do with this yarn, but I can almost guarantee that it will get dyed.

Preparing to hibernate

Sometimes I feel bad about how little time I devote to fiber arts these days, but the gorgeous fall weather beckons. There is never a lack of tasks inside or out, but lately I have been out. Soon, though, the garden will be put to bed for the winter. Besides plenty of fiber and potential projects, I have a stack of jigsaw puzzles, a new Instant Pot, and a looming home improvement project to keep me occupied when it turns cold.

Knitting: I am back where I was a week ago, with completed thumb gussets on both mittens.
Spinning: I finished plying the Corriedale cross roving. Separate post to follow.

The spinning guild had another Zoom meeting, with ten in attendance. At the last meeting, I gently campaigned that we meet in-person, but Covid cases in Indiana are surging, so I don't see that happening anytime soon. We are looking for ways to continue in a meaningful way.

Noodles on doorknobs

My granddaughter teased me yesterday about the "noodles" hanging from doorknobs. She was referring to the ecru yarn that I am plying. After steaming the loose skeins to set the twist, I hang them on doorknobs to let them get completely dry before twisting them into a compact skein.

Knitting: Working on fingerless mitts (that may become regular mittens if there is enough yarn). I *was* almost done with the thumb gussets before deciding I was not doing them right (the pattern instructions are a bit vague). So I am back at the beginning of the gussets.
Spinning: About halfway through plying the Corriedale (which I now realize is a Corriedale cross). I was concerned that the twist was too tight, but the result looks balanced.

If memory serves (a BIG if), the yarn I am using for the fingerless mitts was hand dyed using mason jars and a microwave. Being curious, I googled to see how that is done and found a plethora of methods, some using Easter egg dyes, some KoolAid, some acid dyes, etc. There are so many ways to dye yarn, don't let anyone tell you their way the the only way.

My granddaughter is making her Halloween costume - a snowy owl. She is becoming proficient with a glue gun. (Photo courtesy of her mom.)

Don't forget to vote!

Wool hat weather

On today's dog walk, I wore a handknit wool hat for this first time this season. Temps below 40, no wind, perfect for rosy cheeks. I'm looking forward to wearing more wool as fall moves into winter.

Knitting: I picked out some yarn for the fingerless mitts that dates back to the Vermont Yarn Crawl of 2009. It's a bit coarse (Corriedale) and feels like there is still lanolin in it. I knit up a swatch to test gauge.

Spinning: Still working on the Corriedale roving.
Weaving: The sari yarn table runner came off the loom this week. It's quite colorful. I'm still working on finishing the ends (black warp yarn - looks great against the bright colors, but a pain to finish).

This morning I was saddened to read of the passing of Cat Bordhi. She rated an obituary in the NYTimes, which is saying something of the impact she had on the knitting world. I never mastered knitting socks on circular needles, but maybe I should give it another try, in her honor.

Aumtumnal

Sorry for the silence. The passing of RBG left me figuratively curled up in a fetal position. Regarding the rapid naming of her successor, I dissent.

My son and his girl friend came for a visit - a real spirit lifter, as I had not seen them since xmas when she cooked dinner for us as I was still recovering from hip surgery. We masked and social distanced, important since they both work with the public, and visited the mural art downtown for an excursion. Of course, in anticipation of their visit, I did more housecleaning than I usually do, but then we barely spent any time inside, as the weather was gorgeous. More housework means less fiber arts, so not a lot to report.

Knitting: My SO, who has much better color sense than I do, helped me pick out naturally dyed yarn from my collection, to knit a cuff-to-cuff sweater. I have a couple of patterns to guide me, plus some Interweave articles. My primary concern is to limit the vertical stretching.

Spinning: I took my wheel out to the deck for a little spinning al fresco. Still working on the Corriedale roving, almost halfway through the 8 oz. I confess I miss spinning with others, so I hope our next guild meeting is in person.
Weaving: Worked a bit on the sari table runner, but not much.

After spinning on the deck, I tried tinking the perfumey socks I knit for a friend. (She perfumed them, not me.) My plan was to unravel the feet, then make fingerless mitts with them. While struggling with the yarn, which is a bit felted, I decided it would be easier to just knit her some mitts from scratch, using worsted weight yarn instead of fingering. At some point, one has to cut one's losses.

Zooming

My son-in-law built/gave me a cable to connect my laptop to the router and it worked perfectly for this week's Zoom meeting. This one was with the spinning guild. Only a half dozen or so of us showed up - more than last time, I hear - so I encouraged the officers to investigate when we can return to our usual space. I think it would be safe with masks and social distancing, but we also discussed whether we could hold hybrid meetings, in-person AND Zoom. We'll see how that works out.

The weaving guild met this past week as well, in person but in a park pavillion. By the end of the meeting, almost everyone had removed their masks, which I found disappointing. Yes, we were outdoors but groups of people were sitting together at picnic tables. The next meeting is indoors, in a space larger than usual to allow for social distancing. I paid my dues and picked up a program booklet for the year - another disappointment, as there is only one program I am interested in. Maybe this is not the fiber group for me?

Spinning: I spun some Corriedale cross during the Zoom meeting, the first spinning I have done in a while. One of the members talked about a dye project she completed, so now I have the itch to do some dyeing myself.
Weaving: The sari bag project has morphed into a coffee table runner project. I'm not much of a sewist and bags usually need linings. Runners require very little finishing compared to bags. I also started another Agnes Martin inspired piece on the pocket loom.

My eyes look better, almost clear of purple. No weird green or yellow. Once I got the okay from my doctor, I headed back into the yard to move more plants. Today I am resting my weary gardener muscles, though.

You should see the other guy!

No, I didn't get into a bar fight. As I was hustling around the living room, preparing to go to the local farmers market, my feet got tangled up in the dog hammock. I flew into the dining room and bonked my head on the dining room table. My SO came and took me to the ER for a CT scan (all ok), but then the fluids and blood from the goose egg on my forehead migrated to the soft tissue around my (raccoon) eyes. Looks horrible, but no pain. I've been taking it easy since then, until my PCP gives me the okay to resume (ab)normal activities.

Mug shot

Weaving: Although I have been out of commission, before the incident I continued to make progress on the sari yarn bags. Almost done with the first one. I *think* there is enough warp for two. At least, that was my intention.

Thanks for the comments about troubleshooting Zoom. Because I was in the ER literally having my head examined, I did not attend the weaving guild Zoom meeting. My son-in-law thought he had a cable for me, or could make one for me (he's handy that way), but I'm still waiting on it. Maybe I will have it in time for the spinning guild Zoom meeting?

Summertime blues

It happens every August: I am DONE with summer. We had a week of hot, humid weather before it finally broke along with some storms. I hope that is the last of the heat. When the temps cool, I hope I can still fit into my jeans.

Knitting: I've been trying to fix my granddaughter's blanket. She checked out what I have done so far and declared it "too fat" - in other words, the patch is bulky. I have some ideas for reducing the bulk, though.
Weaving: Work continues on the sari yarn bags. In the past, I eschewed using a temple, thinking that it was cheating. However, I am now a convert. It not only helps maintain the width of the fabric, it's a nifty design. Just watch out for the VERY sharp teeth!

The fiber arts guilds I belong to are trying to meet up again. There have been Zoom meetings for the spinning guild; I attended one but kept dropping out. Since the weaving guild wants to try Zoom meetings as well, I'll have to figure out a solution. Perhaps I should use a cable between my laptop and router instead of wifi? If anyone has any experience with Zoom and ideas for solutions for me to try, leave a comment please!

Dog days

Clio is laying in the shade of the arborvitae - she looks dead - while Watson is hunkered down in his favorite spot under some shrubs. I spend a couple of hours on the yard most days, but am feeling a bit discouraged at the slow progress. Eventually, the temps will drop and it will rain. Right?

Crochet: The colors in the hat I was crocheting were pooling so badly, the garment was taking on a camo look. I showed it to my granddaughter - the look on her face confirmed just how hideous the results were. When I tried to coach a comment from her, all I got was "I'm not wearing that!" So I frogged it.
Knitting: A pair of socks I knit for a friend developed a hole. I hoped to be able to mend it, but decided to turn the socks into some fingerless mitts instead. The problem? My friend must wear perfume on her feet. I'm sensative to fragrances and could barely stand to work on these. I even tried washing them, to no avail. Maybe I can work on them outside? When it cools down a bit?
Weaving: YES, I actually sat down at my 24" rigid heddle loom and attempted to continue with the sari yarn bag I had started. This is the project I purchased a temple for, so I tried to get that working. Alas, it revealed that I had lost an entire INCH from the width of the weaving from the get-go. That's what happens when one simply eyeballs dimensions instead of measuring them. So I started the project over AGAIN - probably for the third or fourth time. My self talk is along the lines of "Well, now you know...."

A few days ago, my SO and I planned to visit the Decatur (Indiana) Sculpture Tour, which is outside and goes on all year round, with fresh sculptures installed in the early summer. I even dressed up! But just before we left, I suddenly felt unwell. We ended up on his front porch, chatting away. Just as well, as in today's paper I read about a spike in Covid cases in Decatur. Meanwhile, the work can be viewed online.

Royally blue cowl

After crocheting a swatch to prepare for repairing the Taupe Beast, I looked for a simple crochet project. Unable to find something simple enough, I chose to make a cowl using the same stitch pattern as the Taupe Beast. I actually crocheted this cowl at least twice, as I was struggling with getting the turns at the ends of the rows correct. I also struggled a bit with stitching the ends together, using good ol' mattress stitch.

Pattern: Stitch pattern from "Ivory Elegance" in A Year of Afghans Book 5, a Leisure Arts book.
Yarn: Big Twist (acrylic), in 'Royal Blue'
Hook: USG
Modifications: Cast on 101 stitches, executed only two pattern repeats.

I'm not a fan of acrylic, but it is better than it used to be. And it's machine washable/dryable. However, I no longer use it for baby items, since it melts when exposed to a flame whereas wool, even superwash, is naturally fire resistant.

Clean up

I'm so proud of myself for tackling the studio. Not only can I walk across the room, I was able to vacuum and dust in there. The table still needs to be cleared off, but should I feel the urge, I can spin and weave in there again. And having it mostly in order is generating that urge again.

Crochet: I wanted to crochet a simple project, so started a hat that is single crochet in a spiral. Something, either crochet or gardening or something, messed up my shoulder and upper arm, to the point that for a few days I could not crochet a single stitch without experiencing pain. It's better now, but I am not pleased with this latest sign of aging.
Knitting: A blanket I knit for my granddaughter in 2011 tore a bit near one corner. The online pattern is long gone, but it's a simple feather-and-fan stitch with garter borders, so I am working on a patch.

In pottery class, I actually threw a couple of pieces on the wheel. My ortho surgeon did not think crouching over a pottery wheel would be a good thing for my new hip, but the new instructor dug out a countertop wheel for us to try. Two of my hand built projects are not turning out well, so I'm glad to have something to show for my efforts.

Latest Blogger glitch: I thought some of the labels were missing from my list, but it turns out they are in two groups, one where the labels are capitalized (like for yarn brands), one where they are not. Very odd.

Agnes Martin swatch

Agnes Martin was an abstract artist whose work frequently featured grids. When I view these paintings (in books or online, alas), I can't help but think, I could weave that. I wasn't sure how, so I made a swatch as a practice piece.

There is more than one way to weave a grid in tapestry. The horizontal lines are easy - two passes with one color of the weft - but vertical lines are created by alternating colors with each pass. It is not so much a vertical line as a vertical line of dots. In this grid, the vertical lines are spaced apart, so I carried the line color across the back. Some weavers want the back of their tapestry to be as tidy as the front, but that is impossible using this technique.

Another way to create a vertical line in tapestry is to use a particular soumak stitch, so I may try that next, although I fear that will create vertical slits that I may have to sew up. Ugh. I'll have to meditate on that for a while.

(I pretty much HATE the new Blogger interface, but at least I figured out how to resize the photos so that they fit on my template.)

Focus on finishing

I have a bad habit of starting projects with great enthusiasm, powering through them to a certain point, then abandoning them, often just inches from being complete. Then I feel bad about myself and the state of my house because it is cluttered with these almost finished objects. So this past week, I spent an afternoon actually wrapping up a couple three things.

Crochet: I had to start the cowl over from stitch one because of that row-turning thing I mentioned before - the fabric was growing - but now the cowl is complete, even the mattress stitching. Separate post to follow. I also finished the repairs to the Taupe Beast. They are not pretty but hopefully will hold together at least as long as the rest of the afghan does.

Weaving: I hemmed and steamed the latest pocket weaving; separate post to follow.

There are more repairs/finishes to do, of course, plus other projects at a standstill (for example, those old family letters). At some point, I would like to rescue the fiber studio, because once again, I can barely cross the room. However, the weather continues to be amenable to gardening, so I have been expending a lot of energy on that. Rain is in the forecast, so maybe, just maybe, a few more things will get done around here.

(Blogger has a new interface, one that I have yet to master, especially the sizing of photos. Please bear with me while I adjust.)

Behind the times

My new found interest in crochet led me to Ravelry. OMG! The interface is completely new! I stumbled on some broken links - as a ex-software developer, I know there are always bugs to fix - but I am (sort of) eager to explore and see what else is new. One issue I have is photos - mine are in Flickr but they raised their "professional" rates. I'm not a pro by any means, but it was an easy and (formerly) economical way to store photos online, plus I linked my Ravelry projects to those photos. I'll have to see what the alternatives are now.

I cruised around the crochet patterns for something small and easy to make. That provided a second jolt - there are new (to me) stitches with new acronyms. I decided to make a cowl using the stitch pattern from the Taupe Beast I am repairing, since I already know how to do that. I also checked out The Happy Hooker from the local library's online collection - I always have trouble with turning and starting a new row in the right place. This book has great drawings and helpful hints. (I used to own a copy but it disappeared during a round of decluttering.)

Crochet: Still wrestling with the Taupe Beast repairs, although I think I have a strategy. It won't be pretty but it should work. I'm either a third or a half done with the cowl, depending on how tall I decide to make it.

My interest in pottery is growing in fits and starts. The instructor for the class I am enrolled in is ill (not Covid), and so far the substitute has not been able to make it to class, either. Hopefully, tomorrow. Meanwhile, I purchased some "Mexican pottery clay" (made by AMACO) to play with at home. I'm not sure what it is made of, but it feels very clay-like. Instead of firing pieces, one just lets them air dry, after which they can be painted and decorated or left as is. No kiln needed, nor a wheel as I prefer hand building. I bought a couple of scrapers too, but otherwise am using homemade tools like a fat dowel to roll slabs, a paper clip to cut, etc. I have invested so much money in equipment and tools for fabric arts that I feel like I don't make full use of, I am a little leery of making a similar investment in what may be a passing fancy.