The Important Things

The Important Things

Packing for a trip can be a challenge. There are so many things to take into consideration – weather, activities, etc. However, if you are a knitter then you have an added layer of things to think about.

Knitting projects.

For me, this is perhaps the most crucial item to take (outside of my Bialetti because good coffee is crucial!!)

Enter Woolelujah!

Fill this sucker and I should not want for things to knit right? Trust me – I (over)filled it!

Hope your weekend was grand, mine sure was!

Hullo, Friday!

Hullo, Friday!

It has been a full week here in my house – although, my list still has a couple of things still lingering on it, but I will not be overly stressed if I do not get them all done.

I did indeed get the second Triticum front completed, I hope to cast on the first sleeve sometime this weekend. Seems like the perfect thing to do while watching the Michigan Game!

Plus, there were a few moments spent spinning this week. I am working on getting my Shetland from the Sheepspot Fiber Club finished. I was unsure of what I would do with this, but Ysolda provided a fantastic idea and gave me a problem at the same time! What did I have that would go well with this purple yarn?? I did some stash diving and found some “sport weight options” – imagine that! At first I thought that this Top of the Lamb might work. It looks nice in color but, as you can see in the black and white image, there is not enough difference in the hues of the two colors. Therefore, not a good choice. But, luckily I also have some Rauma Strikke-garn that works well as far as color theory goes. I will know for sure when I swatch and see how they play together.

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Next week will be another full week, but I am going to spend some time today making some lists for our upcoming vacation. It is much easier to pack from a list; don’t you agree? If not, I tend to forget lots of things!

The Friday Links today have lots of good things, and not all of them are fiber related:

Today is “Read an eBook Day” – I mean, is anything even remotely more important than that?? (Psst, there is a contest involved too with a great prize…)

Finally, this is totally off track, however Steve is sending me Links of Torture – Pumpkin comes to Williams Sonoma – yeah, I reallllly want, but do I need… that is the question!!

That is all I have today – have a fantastic weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!!

Save

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Spinning and Listening

Spinning and Listening

It’s Wednesday and that means it is Ginny’s Yarn Along today!

I am completely immersed in Tour de Fleece this year and enjoying it far more than I have in previous years. This year I am not keyed into logging miles of frenzied spinning, rather I am more focused on fiber and creating a yarn to highlight that. I finished spinning up the vintage batts from Deep, Deep Stash. My goal was a lofty, tweedy yarn and I think I achieved that! There is some sheen from the silk in the batts and the bits of silk noil have created the loveliest tweedy effect. The yarn is as squishy as the batts were and I wish you could feel it!

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I have started in on the Montadale, which I am spinning for socks, so this will become a 3-ply fingering weight yarn. Slow going, but enjoyable none the less!

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I am looking ahead to determine what to spin to finish the tour out – I will have this done this week and I only have the Coopworth remaining from my original selections.

I have 2 gradient bumps from Amy at Spunky Eclectic that I think I will finish out with. I am not sure I will get them both finished, but I will certainly try. My goal will be to spin this in a lace weight 2-ply.

I am almost finished listening to The Summer Before the War, which I am enjoying tremendously! Once I am done with this, I have Doc queued up, thanks Carole for that suggestion. I finished reading A Man Called Ove. What can I say about this book, if you have not read it – do so right now! Ove wormed his way into my heart and by the end of the book, I found myself longing to live next door to him. I did not want the book to end, despite the tears that would not stop through the last chapters. Fantastic writing! The reading this summer has been absolutely spectacular. I am still working through Big Magic, though it is losing that rosy glow it had when I started. It will be some work to finish it, but I will try. I should get a good bit of reading done again this week as Steve will be away for work from Thursday through Sunday.

I am knitting a row or two at night on the Mystery Shawl. I am almost done with the set up rows for the final clue – so the end is in sight! My goal remains, finish this by month end!

I would especially like to thank Kate Larson for the shout out today on the Spinning Daily Blog. It is truly an honor and deeply appreciated!

How is your summer reading and knitting (or crafting) going?

Fiber Friday

Fiber Friday

In a week that just FLEW by, we find ourselves at the start of the weekend.

This week there was lots of spinning! Some spindle spinning.

And lots of wheel spinning.

And, this really was just a couple of evenings worth of spinning. I had forgotten how quickly spinning can go if you just sit down and do it! Haha!

I am happy to report that I am 1/3 of the way to spinning for my sweater. I hope to have the spinning completed next week. This is a doable goal as we have a weekend of much colder temps and, yes, more rain, so outdoor work will be curtailed.

I have been reading some really good posts on Rachel’s blog and if you want to learn more about fiber, she shares some great information! Plus, Fiber Friday is such a great thing!

Now for some rabbit hole links for your knitting (and spinning) edification:

I don’t know about you, but Roland makes the top of my list this week. For more than one reason…

Melanie Berg brings is Mirkfallon, which would be so lovely in such a wide range of yarns! This one is my favorite…

There was a flurry of new patterns released by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas, and I love this one especially! And there was even a linen skirt that is really so cute!

Lovely Lois Swales was back with Scottish spinning and plying!

Volume 10 of Wool People, especially this and this!

Beata has a fun scarfy thing with her fun sock yarn!

Åsa Tricosa and Wollmeise are the perfect pair!

Laura Aylor does color blocking so well!

I love when a designer gets gauge with semi-aggressive blocking!

Dust Devils that you can wear!

On the Brioche Knitting Bandwagon? This is just gorgeous!

Perhaps the best pattern notes I have ever read! Thanks Kym!

Finally, Arne & Carlos share some art journal magic! (The vintage Singer Sewing Machine is beautiful!)

That’s all I have for today! See you back here on Monday and have a FANTASTIC weekend!

Fiber Friday, Linked Edition

Fiber Friday, Linked Edition

One thing to take into account when trying to match a commercial yarn is the density of the yarn. I think that the Briar Rose yarn may be a worsted preparation. In fact I am certain it is. So, my Shetland in a woolen preparation is a much lighter, fluffier thing!

Before finishing the yarn

Before finishing the yarn

And, while I have matched the diameter, the twist angle, and the WPI of the Briar Rose yarn. My yarn feels much different. Some of you even noted the difference from earlier this week! As I was swatching – the yarn seemed much too light – and it almost seemed like I had more stitches because there were these ripples in the white fabric that really concerned me. I really did not want to spin this Shetland in a worsted preparation and I was brainstorming in my head about a fix, and my first thought was to go down a needle size. Size 3 needles were found and I kept swatching until I had a good bit more of the fabric.

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After finishing the yarn

Before soaking and laying it out to dry, I thought the smaller needle would be the answer, but after giving the swatch a nice bath and letting it dry overnight – I think the fabric on the same needle will be just perfect.

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The washed swatch

The Rolag Production Train is again underway, I hope to have them done shortly (Monday at the absolute latest!) and then spinning can begin.

In case you are not a spinner, but you are Jonesing for a new project, Ravelry has had a plethora of new patterns that are really making me itch to cast on one or ten:

Carol Sunday might have the perfect accompaniment for a Dress #2

The perfect sweatshirt sweater with lovely details – thank you Ysolda

The TTL Friday Fix has been just excellent this month, with things to fill a gift basket and more things to come before the month is over!

If socks are your fancy, these are so cute!

And, I have been spending lots of time thinking about Spice Market, Torquata, and Miss Babs.

And the details on this little sweater really shine!

And, some great thoughts on wool can be found at Rachel of Wool n’ Spinning, after all today is Fiber Friday!

There you go, Gentle Readers, have a great day and an even better weekend. See you back here on Monday!!

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