Reading with a side of knitting

Reading with a side of knitting

Wednesday, how I love you! You usher in the downhill ride to Friday while giving me a nice pause to review my week and refocus my priorities. And, you are also all about reading and knitting! Just ask Ginny!

I started this book yesterday and I am hoping to get some uninterrupted reading time today.

And these socks. I am enamored. The yarn is lovely, thank you Yvonne for the stellar recommendation.

How is your week progressing?

Monday, Monday…

Monday, Monday…

The weekend went far too quickly as it zoomed by at practically warp speed! (Beam me back to Friday, Scotty!! That Manhattan was so tasty as were the Friday eats!)

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It was a weekend with lots of some…

Some unknitting and some knitting – I had to unknit a few rows of my Pincha, I think I missed a wrap, which created a troublesome hole. No worries though, the unknitting of short rows is not overwhelming. I am back on track now and again breezing along.

Some spinning – I managed to spin quite a bit on my little drop spindle, it helped that the weather was nice for outdoor spinning!

Some gardening – After cleaning up the vegetable beds, I worked some compost in to the soil. I also got my potatoes started in the pots! And, the seeds I started last week are all sprouting.

And… some disappointment – Perhaps that has something to do with eagerly (anxiously even) awaiting the beginning of the farmer’s market only to be overwhelmed with sticker shock… serious sticker shock! And, thinking how ironic that everyone is charging exactly the same amount for things. Hello, I am not paying $5.00 a dozen for eggs!

We were not disappointed in our trip to Janoski’s though. Welcome back, Asparagus! You have been seriously missed!

Outside of that, it is a nose to the grindstone kind of Monday. I have a long list today and some extra caffeine to help me stay focused!

Tell me, how are you staying on track today?

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!!

More reading, less knitting, some spinning

More reading, less knitting, some spinning

It’s Wednesday and that means Ginny is rounding up the knitters and the readers for her Yarn Along. I am about half way through Raven Black and I really want to get it finished today. I am not totally loving this book, but I have started it and I want to finish it. And, if you are looking for some titles to round out your reading list, yesterday’s 10 on Tuesday hosted by CaroleKnits was all about 10 books that make you D.E.A.R. and the participants all had fantastic book lists – if you are looking for a book to read, head on over there and you will be sure to find a more than a few good reads!

On the knitting front – I seem to have stalled on knitting projects recently. I still have socks in the works, but I have been kind of aimlessly casting on, knitting a few rows, and ripping out. Swatching that is not working – pattern and yarn are not loving each other.

However, this swatching is working out beautifully. My sample is knitting up nicely. I should have this done and washed today. I won’t know that my yarn will match and work completely until I have washed it. Once I am certain that my handspun will work, I will be back carding the Shetland to get ready to spin. This week is supposed to be lovely here and yesterday afternoon saw the completion of the Pergola – and we both lived to tell about it!! I will have pictures later this week, but it will make the perfect place to card that Shetland!

I have been putting the waste wool from the carding process out for the birds, because they don’t think it is waste at all! In fact, they are gleefully snatching it up to line their nests! I know this because of the war we are having with Mr. Robin (who every year wants to build his nest around the light on our porch) thus far, we are winning, but the collection of nesting materials that the wind is blowing all over includes bits of papers from the neighborhood, sticks, grasses, and my wool waste! I would love to let him stay, but the first year he abandoned the nest due to our activity – this is the only door out to our back yard, which we use multiple times a day. I am hoping that our spending more time outdoors will move his efforts to a more suitable place.

And, speaking of Shetland/UK – Ann and Kay are in search of the Knitter’s Holy Grail – Kay is knitting a Kaffe Fassett design and Ann has cast on a Jade Starmore sweater. A knitter’s battle for the ages and a rabbit hole for this knitter to avoid! However, it will be fun to see these projects progress. Kay wants to wear hers to Rhinebeck! What say you Ann? Will you wear yours too? While I might have pulled out my Alice Starmore book, I am in no means jumping on this bandwagon. I have other sweater dreams dancing in my head!

Anyways, enough rambling for today – I have a book to read! Tell me – what knitting successes are you having?!

A Well Earned Day of Knitting and Reading

A Well Earned Day of Knitting and Reading

How ironic that yesterday’s post about things to calm me down would be needed the same day in full force!

Full. Freaking. Force.

The day did not start well, and I could feel the stress rising even after completing my morning meditation.

Does it seem to you that stress produces stress? My answer is a rousing YES!

And, to cap it off, after having recently frogged a good many WIP’s and having all this “wound yarn” lying around – I cast on Song of the Sea. How difficult can a cowl be, I ask you. Well, for me, apparently very. Yes, even after telling myself that casting on over 200 stitches to join in the round is the recipe for a Moebius – I made a Moebius…

A Moebius I that I, sadly, did not discover until I had completely knit the first pattern repeat.

Yeah. Color me a knitting genius!

Good thing my handspun is sturdy because it was frogged yet again.

Stress produces stress – I should have taken a page from Carole and done a bit of house cleaning instead.

Okay, maybe not! LOL

And today, I am feeling that stress trying to creep in around the edges and I am not going to give in to it! I am going to stay calm and carry on!

My solution for a bit of Calming Respite?

I am joining Ginny in her Yarn Along and making today all about knitting and reading.

Over the weekend I finished reading The Marco Effect – I thought it was a great read. Now, I am currently reading Raven Black by Ann Cleeves and so far, so good!

On my needles, I am still plugging away on this sock and doing some very belated birthday knitting (damned small needles and dark yarn!!) and last night I pulled out another OLD WIP (do you get bonus points for yarn maturation while knitting an object??), found were I was on the chart and knit a couple of rows before bed last night.

If anything is a confidence booster – it is picking up and ages old project and finding in a few minutes where you are on a chart. YES!! Moebius joins be damned!

Hopefully today’s knitting and reading kicks stress right out the door and perhaps helps me finish a project sans mistakes!

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