Mr. GreenJeans Still on the needles

Yes, Mr. GreenJeans is still on my needles. I've been dedicated to him, but I've been having a fit of Spring cleaning. Anyway, I've only got 1 sleeve left to do and it is complete.

I really like top down sweaters!! Having the chance to try it on is so nice for getting the right fit. I've been thinking about doing the Kearsarge in a single spun brown yarn. But I was going to convert it to a top down. I think i could get a better fit if I did it that way. I'm not 100% convinced though. I think the yarn would work well for that pattern because it's a little unbalanced because it is spun fairly tight. It looks really good swatched in moss stitch. So I am trying to find a pattern with lots of texture. But I don't know if I like how the Kearsage fits (in most of the pictures I've seen of it knit up, anyway). Waffling is what I do best!!

As you may or may not notice, I'm trying to have my next sweater project ready to go so I don't have sweater completion remorse when Mr. GreenJeans is finished.

Knit away

A Slight distraction

As I mentioned, I went to a quilt and fabric show last Saturday. I did not buy any fabric. My stash runneth over, as is. I did go for some sewing inspiration. And I did find some!!!! I love woolfelt, and all the neat ideas that are generated with wool. I was inspired to create a penny rug. One of my own design. I love the simple rustic feel of these type placemats and rugs. This is a small version: about 18" by 12".





I also decided to venture into the area of stenciling fabric. I've been infatuated with pears and leaf designs. So I spend Sunday playing around with simple stenciled fabric. I think I will frame these 2 pieces after I quilts them.



As for Sweater Knitting......
I've completed about 1/2 the body of Mr. GreenJeans. The lighting isn't great for taking pictures, but I wanted to at least have proof that I'm actually making progress. I've tried it on, and I really like it so far. The raglan shaping seems to suit my shape. At least so far as the top of the sweater.

The Next Sweater

While I was so excited to finally finish the inishmore, I spent the rest of the day wondering around trying to figure out what to do with myself. I actually missed having a project that I just could pick up and go. For me, that this is nice part about monogamous knitting, but it is also the downfall. I did have a sock I started ( for travel knitting) but I wanted to keep up the sweater knitting.

I spent Sunday evening picking out my next project. I've never done a top down sweater, and I've had the pattern for Mr Greenjeans in my queue for awhile. The yarn is another cone yarn I've had for many years. It is a bit of a mystery. It is a cabled tubular yarn with variegated mat sections and shiny sections (not metallic, but rayon like). I made a hat with it, and I thought it would be a nice sweater for fall days. It's in a dark green (slightly blue undertones) and the shiny parts are a silvery sage-like green. It has a nice drape, so we'll see. If it comes out ugly, Oh well.

As for the knitting, I'm liking it alot!!! I've already worked past the arm separations. yea!! The top is only in stockinette so I really flew on that. Everything feels faster after the labor of the Inishmore!!

I promise to put up pictures soon, I did have some problems with loading my camera software back on my computer, but it is all ready to go now. I just need to set it all up and take the pictures.

Today, I am going to the Lebanon Quilt and Fabric show. I've been itching to sew again. And I am hoping I can get some inspiration there. I've got tons of quilts from BK (before knitting). When quilting was my obsession. So I'm trying to think of some other items that I could work on.

The Inishmore is DONE!!!!

All I have to say is DONE. Ravelry page

Ends woven in, washed, blocked and dried!!

Almost Almost Done...........

I am so close. I spent about 4 hours meticulously seaming all the pieces together. i cannot believe it took that long to seam. My back was killing me!

Now I am working on the collar. (Since Wednesday.) I have to say I figured that the collar would be a 1-nighter, but that just has not been the case.

Night 1: Pick up the stitches around the neck. Then proceed to screwed up the first 6 row repeat of Chart A - I could not believe it. i had to rip out all but the first pick up row. Gave up - went to bed.
Night 2: Got through the first set of 6 rows without another mistake....that I noticed.
Night 3: Finish the second repeat of 6 rows. Feeling pretty confident.
Morning 4: Found dropped stitch. Almost made it's way back to the pick up row!!! (WHEW) major disaster avoided. On top of that the dropped stitch was not apart of any cable crossing!!! How was I that lucky??? I have now picked up the stitch and I am ready to proceed with my 3rd repeat of the Chart A.

I will finish this sweater!!!!!!
I will finish this sweater!!!!!
I will finish this sweater!!!!!
TODAY!!!

Pictures will follow. I am still re-loading all my software onto my computer. It had a little "crash" last week and I needed to reload the whole system. UGH!

Inishmore: Just keeps on coming

Well, I've been really making progress on the Inishmore. I have been so so dedicated. I have had temptations, but when I start knitting on it again....It makes me happy to see the progress. I only have 1 sleeve to go!!!!! I've thought about pushing myself to finish it by the end of the Olympics (sort of my Rav-Olympic challenge). But, I don't need to do that. Whether I finish it by March 1st or March 14, it will still be a great piece I can be proud of.

This is all 3 pieces I've finished so far:

Sweater Chronicles 2010

Inishmore:
The Inishmore is really chugging along. I've almost completed both the back and front!! It has taken about 1 month of dedicated knitting to this project.

(this is a bad picture, but it shows the progress)

I have found there to be definite advantage to dedicated knitting that I think folks who jump around to various projects miss out on. When I knit on a complicated project, after about 1 week, I get into a groove. My brain may not memorize the pattern, but it gets a good feel for it. So, following the Inishmore pattern, while its very involved, I can, with just a glance at the chart, do the repeat pattern This speeds up my knitting tremendously.

When I started this sweater, I figured I'd be finishing it some time next September, but I can really foresee that I will have this done in March!!

More Detailed view of the Back



Distractions
I have had a few distractions, but not knitting distraction: I ordered some superwash merino roving for spinning, as I am almost out of fiber to spin. (only thing left in the stash is some natural brown BFL (2-3 oz) and 3 oz of Merino/Alpaca). So I wanted to think about playing with some colors spinning, designing up my own color repeat with some teals & greens.


I could not resist, I got 1 pound total of Teals, Greens, Grey, and True Black (4 oz each) from Dyeingforcolour (etsy) for a very reasonable price. This will keep me spinning on my spindle for quite some time.

2010: The Year of the Sweater

It's almost the end of January, but It has taken me this long to figure out what i want this year to be about for me. I've listened to all the podcasts talking about their knitting resolutions (and other craft related resolutions for that matter). There recommendations have been plentiful. but:

I cannot say that I want to do the 10 in 10 group (10 shawls in 2010). I like shawls - I mean look at my Ravelry Favorites, but I've never been one to make something, just to make it. I like to make things I want to use or wear. I don't need 10 more shawls. Maybe 1 or 2.

I'm not up for the commitment of the Rav-Olympics. That is all that can be said about that!!

So what is it you say??? I'm making 2010 the year of the Sweater. I've had many sweaters planned out now for almost 2 years. So my plan is to finish at least 3 sweaters this year. Maybe not the crazy sweater a month challenge from last year. But I want to make sweaters i will actually wear. So My plan is.... which could change depending on how the wind blows next month.....
1.) Inishmore (Alice Staremore). I've moved along on it fairly well. I've now finished the back and started the front. Even if my Rav page is not up to date. I've been planning this sweater for about 1 year. I've read it is a labor of love. It is true. Pretty much, every stitch is different, but I'm in a groove now. I've gotten the pattern, sort of, memorized and I can work through it fairly quickly. That being said, I still expect that, even if I am monogamous to this sweater, it will take me through March to complete all the knitting.

2.) Mr Greenjeans: I've had a lovely cone yarn in an olivey/hunter green with some mint green sheen-bits variegated throughout. Sounds weird, but I think it will make a great Mr. Greenjeans sweater.

3.) Modell 27 - Verena Knitting Winter 2010. I've finally found a sweater that I can use that 4 skeins of Cascade EcoWool that I overdyed with the Navy Blue. I think this will work out perfectly for those.

4.) Owls (This is not a definite yet.) I have 2 skeins of natural Cascade Ecowool and some barber-poled brown and natural that I thought the owls sweater would look nice in. But I'm not 100% sold that this wool will work for that sweater. I may check out Jackie's (Kipping it Real Podcast) about her Owls sweater that she did in worsted weight.

So far that is what I hope to accomplish. Of course there will be other small projects interspersed. But for me, 3-4 sweaters a year is Damn Amazing!

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.

Knit-vs Crochet. Knit Designers Have it Easy!!

I don't like the fighting between Crocheters and Knitters. Like one is inferior to the other. And why isn't weaving in this fight....

I like both Knitting and Crochet. But I've come to believe that those who are primarily crocheters, are hurting the craft by trying to do the "look at me too" soap boxing. I understand the soapboxing. When everything in an industry is serving only 1 side of that industry, knitters not crocheters in this case, then crocheters need to ask for what they want from suppliers....repeatedly!! And we must purchase those things that we ask for - Vote with your Dollars.

Are Crocheters insecure about their craft? I don't think so. So what's the problem? Is it that Crochet designers find that they make less money than Knit designers. Well, maybe this is the nature of the knit designers. As I look at crochet patterns I see alot of "me too" products. That is, Crochet designs that try to look like knit designs. And generally speaking, They look inferior to me. But why?

Let's think about this...we have been taught through years of conditioning, that knit and woven fabric is what is used to make clothing. This is because industry can do this on machines and crank out bolts and bolts of it. We like what we are used to seeing/wearing, etc....I get that. So, when a crochet designer makes a sweater from a single crochet stitch, it looks "odd" to me. It doesn't mesh. I don't want to wear it.

For me there are 2 factors that make this worse.
1.) Crochet fabric, no matter what stitch is used, appears to look like upholstery fabric. The idea of wearing a garment from upholstery fabric, Okay, yuck.
2.) Most designers use worsted weight yarn for their designs. In my opinion, this is why the design fails again. In industrial produced garments, worsted weight and bulky yarns are not common place. Combining this with the fact that crochet looks like upholstery fabric, now it's actually as thick as upholstery fabric, makes it something no one wants to wear.

I believe that crocheters would spend just as much money on their craft as anyone else, if they were given products and designs that were something they wanted. I don't think they want a crocheted version of a knit sweater. I know I don't. I want something that is uniquely suited for the crochet fabric.

As I see it, Knit designers have it easy. The industrial revolution taught consumers to like knit fabric for garments. So all they have to do is design garments. Crochet designers have to be even more imaginative than knit designers. But the sky is the limit!!

EcoWool Dyeing

The Eco Wool that was once bright yellow is now a lovely shade of Blue Green. Now I have to decide what Sweater I want it to be......

Some Dye-ing Adventures

So what does a single girl do on a Friday night....Why, dye yarn she has been hoarding in her stash for years!!!
I've had this light blue yarn, I bought on Ebay, years ago. It is a brand called Tuna. It is not a super soft yarn, but it would make a great felted bag. The original color was a very pale blue. I decided to over-dye it in a dark blue. The most common color in my wardrobe.

So I went at it with some RIT dye (as I cannot wait to order proper acid dyes), some old pans I got at a garage sale, and my basement sink. I've experimented with dyeing a little, so I know the general procedure. I have to say the color came out exactly as I wanted.



Pay no attention to the junk on the shelves. Wow, I need to clean those shelves off!


It was a bit of a struggle to dye the 5 skeins. Hats off to the Indy dyers who do large lots of 1 color!! You are my heroes!!!

NEXT....
There was so much color left in the sink water.. I thought, what the heck, I have 4 skeins of a bright yellow Cascade EcoWool (another rash bidding effort on Ebay). Let's dye that too.

Do you know how heavy and bulky 4 skeins of EcoWool is????......when it's wet! Well, Ii do, now. I think it went about 15 pounds. I had to carry the wool downstairs dripping wet (because brianiac here, couldn't soak it downstairs as I had a sink full of blue dye from Dye Job No. 1). But as you can see it's in the sink.

I put the bags on top of it to be sure it was all submerged into the dye solution.


This is the experiment yarn I threw into the dye when I was doing the Tuna yarn. I'm hopeful the yarn is going to come a out this dark shade of Olive Green with some blue and yellow undertones.

This is much better than the Screaming Yellow the yarn was originally. The yellow was not a bad color...just nothing I would ever wear, and I have more than 1600 yards of this stuff...It's crying out to be a sweater from A Fine Fleece or an Alice Starmore gansey.

Happy Fall To All

Thanks to everyone who contacted me about my last blog post. Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated.

Things have been very busy in my household. My son started his Freshman year at University of Charleston (WV). There was so much to get done to get him ready. But he is doing great there so far.

I've also changed responsibilities at work. I've been in the same group for about 12 years now. I work for a very very large consumer goods company, and I am a perfumer. I'm staying in perfume, but I am changing assignments. I'm now working in air fresheners, candles, and all those types of products. I'm excited. It's a very fun area to work in. I was working in Beauty products (shampoo, antiperspirants, creams, etc) for about 15 years. I think the change will be good. It's just alot of work now.

I've been a very scattered in my project work. Usually, I am very monogamous to my projects. But lately, I am staring all kinds of projects and not just knitting. I found a book called 200 Braids to Twist Knot Loop and Weave. I think it is so cool. I want to try all these braids and twists. And I have no clue what I would use them for right now.
I'm thinking about crochet projects and I just started the Long Cabled Vest in Lion Alpaca Yarn. I've already got the fronts done and I am 1/2 up the back. But I am itching to start 2 other knitting project, This drops design and this Caron pattern.

Also, I'm itching to spin more. And use some of my Handspun on some hats and cowls

See, I all over the map these days. I find that when I am like this, it is best to start every project that stricks my fancy. Naturally, I will stop working on the projects that I really am not interested in, and put more time into the ones I find most fulfilling. You know, some projects are just more interesting in your head. It goes back to the saying: "Do what you love" But sometimes you have to try a bunch of things to figure out exactly what you love doing, right?

Go Home and Hug Your Kids

Today, my son went to the Funeral of a high school friend. The boys had grown apart through high school. They went different paths, but my son always said, Will was doing okay, when I asked if he ever saw him.

I remember a young boy about 12 or 13, happy, full of life. Two months ago today, I watch him walk across a stage and accept his diplomas. These young adults I watched going through this right of passage we call Graduation......they all have so much ahead of them. Good times with their friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, wives, husbands, children. I saw them happy.

I do not understand what happened. How could a boy with his whole life ahead, with so many people that cared about him...his mother, step father, sister, friends, see only darkness, see only loneliness. To see such despair that he feels there is no other thing to do but lift a gun to his mouth and pull the trigger.
I am praying for you, Will.

Go home and hug your kids and tell them that you love them no matter what.

Spinning is over - for just a bit

Well, The Tour de Fleece is over. I really am proud of how much i did spin. By no means a huge yardage as I was working on a spindle but I did spin everyday for at least 1 hour.....Well, except for Sunday. I decided I wanted to knit instead.

I spun:
3 oz of lace weighed 2 ply superwash merino/alpaca (~200-300 yards)
2 oz of fingering 2 ply colonial wool (Corriedale top) in blues/greens/browns (~180yds)
DK -light worsted 2 ply blend. I ply is brown Shetland and 1 ply is wine corriedale. I called it Black Forest Cake. ( about 200 yds)

All in all I spun on my spindles a total of 1360 yards of singles. I feel pretty good about that!!! But best of all....I did not buy any fiber during the tour. I spun all of my stash except 4 oz of BFL, 3 oz of Merino/alpaca and 2 oz of the blues and greens corriedale. I want to finish these before September because, that is the Youngs Dairy Fiber Festival where I buy alot of my fiber. I can, guilt-free, buy anything I want there if I've spun up all the fiber I purchased last year. This is my overall spinning goal for this summer!!!!

As for knitting during the tour. I started and finished my summer socks by Cookie A AND I started Undulating Rib Sock and finished the second sock last night!!


I completed them in Paton stretch sock yarn in plum. Just looking at the yarn I wasn't too impressed, but I really love how it knits and the socks it made!!! I like it much better than Cascade Fixation. Fixation is just too thick for me.

I've also cast on the Town & Country scarf from Knit Picks Elizabeth I pattern. It is a Christmas gift for a friend. I am doing it in Caron Spa because I made her a scarf in Classic Elite Miracle. It was the softest yummiest scarf. But of course, this yarn irritated her skin (she does have weird skin problems). So, I promised I would make her another scarf in a yarn that would not irritate her around the neck. I figure that Bamboo and Acrylic should be safe!!

Tour de Fleece Update and Sock Knitting

Tour de Fleece - Day 14
I've stalled a little, but I will say I am on goal. I guess I was just overachieving the first 10 days. Since the rest day, I have spun every day for 1-2 hours. I'm working through my stash fairly well. So I will say this week has been a success, even though I have nothing to post on the Daily Ravelry thread.

Cookie A Summer Socks


I have finished my Cookie A Summer Socks in the Serenity Yarn (by Premier Deborah Norville line). They came out very nice. I almost got 1 pair of these socks from 1 ball(230 yds). I think if you cut down the number of repeats, 1 ball would work. I may remake them in a anklet-style sock for my daughter. I will definitely have enough left over yarn for that project

Tour de Fleece Day 9 - Man, I need a Rest

Well this weekend of spinning has kicked my butt. I have definitely worked hard and did more than I ever thought I could!!. I started working on the Black Forest Cake yarn on Day 6. I pushed my self to get all the singles spun so I could ply it this weekend. I thought the plying would be fairly easy, but it took forever. I think all in all I stood and plyed for about 4 hours straight. And I got it all plyed onto 1 spindle.



Abby Franquemont posted how you can really cram up your spindles if you need to. Well I can verify that. This is 9 inched long. and about 10 inches around!



Once I skeined it out I figured about 200 yards of sport weight (10 WPI). I read of a technique where you run the singles over an hook on your ceiling and then down to your spindle. This helps to tension the singles.
Here I am showing you how I put my spindles into a shoe box with holes on each end so that the spindles can unwind the yarn.


Note here I am playing the singles together. See how the yarn goes from the spindles in the box to the ceiling hook and then down to the spindle.


This makes it amazingly easy to keep the singles from twisting on themselves and getting tangled!!!

Day 6 Keeping it up

DAY 6: Wow I have really been dedicated to this spinning thing. I've been completely inspired to work on color combos. Hummmmmm....what might be next:

I think Black Forest Torte:


The Dark Brown (almost black) is shetland and the raspberry color is colonial wool. I think these 2 colors could ply up very pretty together. I'll keep you all posted!!

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.