New Years Knitting & Spinning Resolutions

It takes me some time to think about what I want to focus on in the coming year. And generally I am not a News Years Resolutions kind of person. But I did take some stock in last year, and it made me realize some things I would like to do this year!
In 2011, I knit 6.6 miles of yarn. For me, that is quite an accomplishment. So I decided that I could easily try to knit 7 miles next year. It's a modest goal based on last year, but at least it's more!
My next goal in 2012 is I would like to track the yardage (grams/kilos/pounds/etc) of yarn that I spin. I did alot of spinning in 2011, but I cannot figure out how many yards; Some of it I did not label, some I did not log into ravelry, and some I knit into projects.

As for things I would like to knit this year. Well, with me that kind of goes with the wind. But in 2011, I explored knitting different kinds of projects. I did triangle lace shawls, mittens, colorwork hats, etc. I realized that for the most part, I like knitting sweaters and socks!!

I only knit 2 sweater and 1 vest this whole year. I have to say, I really missed having that "big" project on the needles. So I am trying to plan out a bunch of sweaters for 2012 and try to top my goal 5 sweaters in 2010. Even if I match it, I will be happy, because I will be knitting sweaters all year round.

As the compliment to knitting sweaters, I am planning to work on knitting down my modest stash of commercial spun and handspun sock yarn.

And in NO WAY am I going to go on a YARN DIET. My stash is actually quite slim, as I have been very mindful of purchasing yarn since my 2010 yarn diet. I am only buying stuff I really love and want to knit with and wear.

I think that covers my goals. I'll keep posting my progress. And I keep my projects up to date on Ravelry. Friend me, I'd love that!
Have a great 2012.

Fiber Prep For Woolen Spinning

I've spent the last 3 weeks working on spinning ~ a pound of wool using the long draw method. I found it very satisfying. The roving was prepped from a carded batt so I did not have to do anything special to the fiber to spin it long draw. However, I was listening to the Podcast Just One More Row, and they described a method of fiber prep for long draw that I had never heard of. They called it Fauxlags(Faked Rolags). I used this method with some fiber that needed some prep because it had slightly felted, and I was really struggling to draft it. So the following is a little tutorial on how I made my Fauxlags.

First I pulled apart the roving into little section. I chose to do this by color organizing darker spots and lighter blue sections.


Pulled apart each section separating the fibers until it's fairly thin. The thinner you make this the finer you can spin your single.


Use a dowel or pencil. Place it along the bottom edge of the fibers you just separated.


Roll up the fibers around the pencil/dowel loosely.


Once it's rolled up take out the pencil from the center. Do not compact the roll.


You will spin off the end of the Fauxlag. Start by pre-drafting from one end. I organized my rolls in the order I wanted to spin them. This allow you to get long color repeats.


and this was the single on the bobbin.


This method works great if you want to spin long draw and you have top or if you want to better control your color repeats on a short-color repeat roving.

Hope this is helpful

A New Spinning Toy

I had to Share a photo of my new toy. I got it last Saturday and I just had my first chance to use it last night.


The toy came from Sharon at Loom-N-Essence. I had to wait a while because Will was out of the country, but it was SOOOO worth the wait. It is exactly what I want and it works so well.

The singles are the Labyrinth colorway from Fiber Optics. I am doing a 2 ply (Obviously). My test yarn came out to be 20 WPI.

Finished Project:
My Buttercup got finished this week. I love how it turned out. Details on my Rav Page. The Linen Yarn (Katia lino 100%) is so nice and drappy. I purchased this yarn at a close-out sale last summer at The Courtyard (32 Palmetto Bay Road, #10A Hilton Head Island, SC 29928).

Ah MAN!!!! I missed it!

I just was going through my blogger account reading blogs that I had not kept up on in about 2 months!! I was reading AbbyYarns blog and realilzed I missed STRINGTOPIA!

That really Sucks!! I want to take some spinning classes and some of the best teachers in the country were in my backyard, and I missed it!!!!

Abby, Please have another retreat! From now on I will be stalking your website to see if you repeat this event.

More Pictures to Share

Spinning:
I've completed 4 oz (of the 8 oz) of Frabjous Fibers Merino Top braid( Colorway: Summit 125) I bought at Knit-On. It's 2 ply woolen spun. For about 460 yards. I tried to do a high twist woolen spun to make it more durable in case I decided I wanted to do socks out of it, But I think this is crying to be a shawl or Infinity scarf, It is very soft and squishy!!






KNITTING:
I've completed a Chullo and mittens from Colorwork Creations: I love them both.
Bluebird Chullo:



Mittens:
These are for my Daughter. She picked the colorway so It would not be so Dramatic. But I like the subtle patterning.


For these pattern I used a fingering weight yarn. It was a combination of some Vintage (Patons brands - Nylox and Beehive and York Brands - looks like about 1960-1970's) sock yarn and KnitPicks Essential. I bought the vintage sock yarn off Ebay about 5 years ago from a lady in Canada who inherited it from her grandmother. It's not superwash (I found that out the hard way!!- Felting a pair of socks) But it is very nice to work with.


Fylingdales, In Progress:

This is being worked in Cascade 220 sport in the lightest gray colorway.

Dish Towel
In Queensland Haze Yarn (Corn and Cotton blend. Purchased at Main street Yarns. The pattern is from Mason Dixon Knitting

Picture Show: Knitting and Spinning Galore

I have not taken the time to update my blog because I have been too busy to actually knitting and Spinning. Much has gotten done!!!

SPINNING!!
Ultraviolet from FiberOptics. Traditional 3-ply. 19-20 WPI


Stand By Me Crown Mountain Farms (On the Bobbins)


Traditional 3-ply 15 WPI & Navajo plied 20 WPI with seconds Bobbin waiting to be Navajo Plied.


KNITTING:
Mini Moochie in the Hermione's Everyday Sock Pattern (Free Ravelry Download).


Dead Simple Lace Socks(Toe Up Socks - Wendy Johnson)


Sweaters And Other Sundries
Girl Friday


Flyindales (A Find Fleece-Lisa Lloyd)


Traveling Womans Shawl


Black Clapotis


Nuthatch Chullo (Colorwork Creations)


Hope you enjoyed the Picture Show.

Still Spinning

Fun with Spinning
Just a quick update on my spinning. I went to A Wool Gathering in Yellow Springs, Oh last weekend and came away with a 1-1/2 lbs. of fiber.

8 oz of Crown Mountain Farms - Superwash Merino in the Stand by Me colorway. It's not a typical colorway for me so I'm excited to try it.

All my other purchases where natural colors. I bought the most beautiful taupe/white mixed BFL from The Trading Post. I've already spun up the following:



It's (3 oz) 190 yds of 2 ply Worsted spun (11 WPI). It looks fairly brown in the picture, but it is more gray in real life. Also, it is darker in this photo.
It is so nice. I still have 5 oz to spin. I'm really enjoying it.

I also bought 8 oz each of Dark Brown BFL and white Finn from Circle Hill Farms (Bradford, OH). I've never spun Finn. My plan is to spin up 2 bobbins full (2 oz or maybe 4 oz each) in the woolen fashion. I'm shooting for the 2 ply to be about sport weight or fingering weight. We'll see!!

I'm still smitten with the woolen spinning. It's just like magic the way the fiber drafts out so easily and has this "elasticy" feel to it. I've heard others describe it that way, but now that I've tried it, I completely understand it!

Post 100!!!! Really?? WOW!!!

I cannot believe this is my 100th Post. I'm really glad I decided to record my work this way. It has really helped me to look back and the things I've made...The Good the Bad and the Ugly!!

I Got Skills!!
I'm not sure what it is about fiber crafts but my whole life, I've been able to spend 5 minutes watching someone do them and Presto....I seem to be able to just do them! When I was about 8-9, I watched my grandmother crochet and I just started crocheting. I don't remember if anyone really taught me to knit. I recall that a girlfriend had learned how to knit in home EC and was making a pair of slippers. I told her I wanted to make a pair with her. And I just did. As I recall they were made from Screaming yellow Red Heart Yarn!!
As far as I know I never picked up knitting needles again until I started knitting a pair of Stranded mittens in the round for my daughter about 12 years ago.

This is how my spinning experience has gone a well. About 3 years ago, I purchased a drop spindle (Schacht Hi-Lo Spindle), I watched some folks on YouTube spinning, and I just started doing it. This is my first ball, BFL.


Ever since, I've been able to get a consistent thin thread and really nice yarns (But I have used lighter Drop Spindles to get thinner yarns.)


So Now comes the wheel. I was so intimidated by a wheel. Everyone told me it was easier than a spindle, but I thought....come on!! The spindle you control everything. NO ratios, no brakes, No uptake speeds. Just spin.. Draft....Roll on the yarn.
But I do love spinning, and as most of you know, I plunged into the wheel. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Majacraft Rose. I tried so many wheels -all in 1 day. So I had a fairly good overview of how they all felt. One caveat, I was not able to spin on a Schacht Matchless. Which I have heard is really nice as well. I did spin on a Lady Bug...It was just okay for me.. Nothing spectacular.

The wheel spinning has been so much fun. I started with what was most natural to me. Worsted spinning with top. After 1 month of spinning I was able to make a 3-ply, 20 WPI (lace weight) superwash merino yarn....WTF!! I thought spinning fine yarn was supposed to be hard!!!!!

Last night I decided that I was going to try spinning woollen style. Now, from all the podcasts and experienced spinners I listen to Jasmin, Meghan, Shiloh, etc..... This takes Practice! I expected this to be the most difficult thing I had done in quite some time.
I did my usual. I went to YouTube and watched about 3-4 videos. I learned how to set up my wheel, how to best prep the fiber for easy woollen spinning, whether you have top or carded roving. And then I went at it.
I had some Shetland roving ( Carded) that I thought would work great, but I had pre-drafted some of it, but I decided to just fold over the predrafted stuff and spin fro the fold and it worked GREAT!!!!! Woolen spinning is so FUN! I thought that woolen yarns were always fat and underspun, but I got a nice single, Not too fat and fairly consistent- not too slubby just a little think this as you can see. It looks like the single will be about 15 WPI, And it is feeling squishy on the bobbin so I think it will e squishy one it's plyed.


I've always joked that in my previous life, I must have done all these fiber related things because my hand and body just seem to know what to do to make it all work out.

A quick summer update

I've just cast off my swallowtail shawl. I think it will be very nice once it's blocked.
I have not been working on my Baltic sweater. But now that it is heading into August, I think I will start again. I've gotten the shawl bug out of my system....for now, and I am itching to start another pair of socks.


I am trying to spin a thin, hopefully fingering weight, yarn with my Chloe (Majacraft Rose). I've completed the first 2 plys and the final ply is about 1/3 done. I'm excited to see how thin this yarn will come out. The plys are not perfectly consistent but overall very thin. If it's not fingering weight it should be darn close!

Lots of Pictures- Update

I've been lazy on my picture taking. So I thought I should show what I have been working on. I haven't made much progress on my Baltic. I'm just not in the mood to be knitting on a heavy sweater when it's as hot as it's been.

But I have started....again....the Swallow Tail shawl. I'm on the 5th repeat of the second chart. So far not as many mistakes as the last time I tried. I'm not sure if I elaborated on my last attempt. Suffice it to say, black yarn is hard to knit lace with. Enough said. I am using a discontinued color (Mango) of Knit Picks Gloss Lace (70 merino/30 silk).


Also before I got my wheel, I orders a bunch of dyeing for colour mixed bags of pencil roving (superwash merino). (I just noticed that she has updated her shop and has lots more mixed bags of pencil roving) I love spinning this fiber. I wanted to try to get 3 spindles full of a mix of blues/blacks/silver. then 3 ply it for sock yarn. I only have 2 spindles done so far, but the last will be finished soon. OR hopefully before the end of summer. I may just ply the yarn on the wheel to make that part go quicker.


Finally, I also want to try to make a 3 ply fingering weight on my wheel. So I started to spin up the greens pencil rovings I also purchased from Dyeing for Colour. I put my wheel on the fastest ratio, and I am getting a very fine single. (finishest for me yet!!!)




That has been it. I have been running constantly with my daughter so I have been dragging around the EZ baby blanket in the rayon/linen blend (bright teal). It is all stst so it's completely mindless knitting!! It's really boring too. So I only do it when I am waiting for softball games to start or when they get really really boring.

Finally, A Little Sweater News

I have been a bit distracted by my new toy. But can you blame me? She is so Fine!!! But back to my sweaters. I'm still working on the Baltic sweater from Fishermen's Sweaters. I've made it all the way up to the arm pit (17-1/4 inches from the bottom). This is going to be a nice long sweater. I've started the back and forth knitting portion of the front. It is not exactly fun, because I have the pattern memorized for right-side knitting. So now, I have to really think about whether I am supposed to be knitting or purling the stitch when I am working my way back on the Wrong-side.



So now...About My New Wheel!!
She has been working smooth as silk. She is so lovely. I've decided to name her Chloe. When I spin on her, it sounds like the whirl is whispering Chloe...Chloe....

I've been doing pretty good spinning on her. Those years of Spindle spinning have paid off. My first few skiens are fairly fine. About 12-15 WPI. They are longer wools. I spun them on about a 9:1 ratio. I'm going to try to tackle some superwash merino at a higher ratio. ( Sorry about the poor picture quality)



I've decided to do the Tour de Fleece this year, but I won't be able to start spinning until July 11. I'm going to work on spinning my Superwash merino from Dyeing for Colour (Etsy). I want to try to get to a 3-ply fingering weight for sock. We'll see how that goes.

Since it has been so hot, I am starting to itch to try my hand at lace knitting again. Recall I tore out the Swallow Tail shawl after I dropped a stitch and couldn't figure out how to fix it. I really want a triangle shawl. I have some heavier lace weight from knit picks in a peachy color. I am hoping that knitting in a lighter color will be a little easier.

UGH!! See, more distractions from the sweater knitting. It's so hard to stay monogamous to a wool sweater when it's 93 degrees outside.

Dilemma and Guilt

I have a Guilt ridden dilemma that I need to get off my chest. I am so conflicted!! In the first place, I want very much to buy yarn at my local yarn stores (Knit On in Newport Kentucky & Fiberge in Mongomery, OH). I feel lucky that I have 2 shops that are no more than 15 minutes away, and they carry just about everything I could ever want in terms of yarns and books, etc.

But....And here's where my internal conflict kicks in....I love playing with yarn, not just knitting/crocheting it. I love spinning it, skeining it, balling it up, reskeining if it's been balled too long and on and on. I even love spending hours unknotting yarn that has gone wrong!! Call it OCD, call it whatever you want, but I know there are others out there like me.

I've recently found another way to extend my "playing with yarn" through recycling old sweaters. I knew, deep down, I would love this, but I was trying to resist because .....Insert guilt here.......I was not supporting my local yarn stores if I was not buying yarn from them.

So I'm not sure what to do because I don't get as much enjoyment from yarn I purchase from a yarn store than from yarn I have either made myself from scratch or yarn I recycled from a "Goodwill" sweater. Also, I feel good about the fact that I am recycling the yarn.

So, I will need to wrestle with this guilt for a while. I will continue to think about ways I can support my yarn stores and still play with my yarns.

Tour de Fleece Day 4

I think this is the most spinning I have ever done in one stretch. It is slower with the spindle, but I love the portability. I've been spinning on my back porch and plying there too.



The plying paddle makes spindle plying very easy. The one shown here is from Down in the Country Spinning. I think you could easily make one, but I don't have any wood working skills, so I opted to buy one. I also have the Rakestraw spinner, but I like using the playing paddle with my drop spindle. I really hated Andean plying with the spindle until I got the paddle.



And just for the beauty of the colors:

Prepping for the Challenge

I'm getting my fiber ready for my trip. I'm starting my spinning on the road. But that's okay, I'll just have more time to relax and enjoy the spinning. I've had this colonial top for about 2 years. Very lovely. I bought it when I purchased my first spindle. I worked on the boring cream color that I also purchased then so I wouldn't ruin this pretty stuff. I'm not saving the nice stuff anymore. I'm going to use it. If I mess it up, so what.




So this is the fiber.






I spun a little up to see how the colors were working together. I actually pulled some off the end and blended it a little more. I think it gave it more of a green cast. I prepped the rest of this top by pulling apart length-wise. I want to keep the colors more intact (less blending). We'll see if this makes a difference in the yarn. This yarn sample was Adrian plied on itself. I haven't set the twist, but it is very well balanced. I find that I can really control the balance of the twist when I am plying using the spindle.

Spinning-First Hand Experience is Invaluable

I wanted to post an update of my spinning progress. I have to say the spinning was great. I do enjoy it, but I had a near disaster trying to remove the single from the spindle.
I had a pretty full spindle of the Fern Colored BFL, and so I thought it was time to wind it up into a ball. I was originally thinking I would spin another spindle full and ply the 2 singles together. I do not have a nostepinne but I had seen a Youtube Video on how you can wind a ball straight off the spindle with a ball winder. I had done this with my first attempt, and it went pretty well. The Fern BFL was another story!!!
I started to wind the ball and about 20 yards into it I got the yarn all snagged up. I had a loose end at the bottom of the cop and it had tangled with the yarn attached to the winder. UGH!!!!! I am a very patient person. I thought, I can work this out.... just go slow, and work the tangle out.
Well, after about 15 minutes, it was clear that I was not going to work this snag out. At this point, I had a complete Brain Fart. I thought if I slide the cop off the spindle, I can start winding from inside the ball. In my defense of this completely stupid idea, I was thinking of what I had read in the book "High Whorl", where Priscilla recommended that you could ply directly off a nostepinne (using the yarn from inside the ball and from the outside of the ball). First of all, I found out the Spindle shaft is not a nostepinne and second the you cannot slide the cop off my Spindle.

My attempt to slide my cop off the shaft caused the most God Awful mess of twisted yarn I have ever seen. The outer part of the cop slide off the shaft and the tightly wound center of the cop stayed at the top of the shaft by the whorl. Not to mention that as the yarn slide off, some of it got hooked onto the the groove that my shaft has at the end of the shaft (I have a Schacht Hi low spindle) I was certain that I was going to have to cut this off the spindle and start over. I should have taken a picture, but I was having a nervous break down at the time, and the thought that this will somehow work out just did not enter my brain at that time.

To the rescue: My daughter arrived home from Soccer practice at this time and thankfully jumped in to help me. Having 2 hands to keep the single from plying back on itself as I tried to work out the snarls was incredibly helpful!! It took a while but we were able to save the yarn!! I got it wound onto the ball winder and left it there for about 2 days because, I have to say, I was terrified to move it. Last night I overcame my fear of the ball of Fern Colored BFL single and tried to ply it. Let's just say that went a whole lot better!




Oh, what we learn from first hand experience that just cannot be taught in a book!

I Got a New Toy for my Birthday

I know I haven't been writing much but that is because I got my new drop spindle and fiber (BFL) in the mail early this week. (Yeah Hoo!!!)


I got started with the natural, just in case I was really bad at this. But it turns out, I could draft a fairly consistent yarn. At least better than I though I'd do.



So this is my first ball of handspun. It was really fun and relaxing to make!!!

I started to spin up the Fern color. I bought this color to make myself a hat for this winter. The practice on the natural color has helped to even out my yarn even more. I'm already thinking about how I should ply it.


The other project I've been trying to finish is the vintage gloves
I added a ribbing to the wrist. I like my gloves to be snug around my wrist.
They took almost exactly 1 skein of this wonderful handspun alpaca. I'm not sure what I will do with the other skein. Maybe a matching hat or scarf???


Have a great weekend