My Very First Three-Ply!

I am so excited to show you my first three ply!  I've been spinning for over a year and last week I spun up my first three ply!  What took me so long?!  I only had three bobbins, and I'm so dense that I didn't think to wind the yarn from one of the bobbins onto a toilet paper roll! The fiber sat in my stash for an entire year before I spun it!  I just knew it wanted to be a three-ply, and it was worth the wait.

The fiber is a Spunky Eclectic BFL triple play batt in Woodland.  I spun about 90 yards out of the three oz batt.  The yardage isn't great, but I'm working on it.  It was a fast, fun spin- but it made me realize that I really like the look and feel of worsted spun combed top.  I've loved the look of it ever since I started knitting.  I would lust over the yarns spun by Hello Yarn, which are a great example of my spinning goals.

Thanks so much for all of your comments on my fair isle mitten!  I'm having so much fun listening to movies and knitting right now!  My mojo is BACK with a vengeance!!  I'm just bursting with knitting and spinning ideas!  For me, this is the best time of year to create things and really develop what it is that I want to spend my time on.  Now, I'm going to cue up a movie, cozy up in my favorite knitting chair, and concentrate on making sure my Misters hands are warm all winter!

Sundays are for Knitting

There is something that I love about lazy, rainy Sundays.  Lounging about in my pjs, drinking (too much) coffee, knitting and watching old episodes of Frontline(I'm a dork) on Netflix.  I love feeling like I'm doing nothing, while working on a knitting project.  It makes me feel like less of a sloth. ;)
My mister has a birthday soon, so he's picked out a pattern, the yarn, and now I get to work it up.  Lucky for me, the project he choose is interesting and fun!  I worked the cuff last night, only to realize that the row gauge was way off, way too big- and I had to rip and start again.  I've spent the morning reknitting the cuff, and now I'm quite happy with the tension and gauge.
I've been blogging for about a month now, and I'm starting to feel really comfortable!  Thanks to everyone for the comments- they mean a lot and I think have a lot to do with my recent inspiration!  I definitly have my mojo back!!!  I'm wonder what you all think I should do about replying to comments.  I try to comment in return as soon as I can to each individual blogger, but I was thinking about if a question is asked on my blog.  Should I reply on the blog- or email a response?  I appreciate everyones input and would like this to be as interactive as possible!  I'm new at blogging and I'm not sure about the standard procedure.  I'm really enjoying the whole blog community!

Squoosh-tastic furnace fingers (redux)

...I seem to have posted a heading without a body last night... Sorry about that!  Apparently the Typepad app for iphone is full of suck.  Or it was me.  I prefer to blame the app...
I cast on for these mittens last night, and couldn't sleep until they were finished.  I wasn't sure if I had enough yarn for the pair so I just Knit!Knit!Knit! really fast.  Everyone knows that the faster you knit, the less yarn you use!  I had a couple of yards left over- thank goodness!  I fell in love the more I knit, and as I cast on the second mitten I prayed that I had enough.  I knew that these mittens were going to be beautiful!

The yarn is my own handspun, which I was proud of when it was yarn.  But now I am thrilled!  Yarn info can be found here.  I'm not usually a fan of orange or purple, but these mittens tickle me in ways that mittens just shouldn't tickle!  I love the short cuff, the sore thumb and the round top- all things that I think make a mitten great.  The yarn is so thick and the mitten is so dense that these babies are hot!  I definitely wont have cold fingers this winter!

Autumn

I know that autumn is here when I take our handknit socks out of the storage bin for woolens, give them a good wash in the sink, and hang them out to dry.  It's a ritual that I have come to love.  In the middle of August I have fantasies about preparing my woolens  for cooler weather that is sure to come.  I just love  wearing sweaters and mittens and wool socks.

My Mister really appreciates the socks I knit for him.  I think he got just as excited as I was when the socks came out of their summer hiding place.  He takes care of them, would never think of machine washing them, he admires his feet in them when he thinks I'm not looking.  I think he understands just how much love goes into knitting a pair of socks.  Especially considering that he likes tall socks and  ribbing all.the.way.down.the.leg.  Considering how I feel about knitting ribbing, those socks must be love.  

Favorite.Spin.Ever.

I am so happy with this yarn!  It's the most consistent yarn that I have spun, and I really think it has to do with focusing on technique, and following through with an idea.  I decided that the fiber wanted to be bulky, and spun spun spun with bulky in mind until it was all gone!

 It took me about an hour and a half to spin, and a half hour to ply.  So quick!  The yarn is really squooshy and bulky stuff.  There's about 100 yards there, any ideas?  What should I make?  I'm thinking a really fun hat or a pair of super warm fingerless mitts.  Anything else come to mind?

The fiber is Sour Grapes by Spunky Eclectic.  It's BFL and a joy to work with!  I split the fiber in half lengthwise and the lengthwise again, trying to get stripes of some kind.  We'll see if that works out, huh?!  I'm starting to really like spinning.  It was such a challenge for me at first!  I wasn't expecting it to be as hard as it was.  I didn't drop spindle before I bought my wheel, so I think I took me a little longer to get all of my limbs coordinated!  I'm a bit awkward in the body anyway....

FO: Handspun Shawlette

Finally- a FO!  I'm really excited to show you all this.  It's been a long time in the making, and every time I look at it on the blocking board I feel so proud!

It was bright out there!

You might remember this post where I showed you my finished handspun yarn that took me Forever to spin up.  Well, a week later I've knit, blocked and photographed the project.  I so impressed with myself- usually a project will sit in a basket waiting to be woven in and blocked.  I think this blog is really good for me!

I didn't follow a pattern, although I did use Ysolda Teagues rate of increases used in the Ishbel Shawl.  I wanted the project to highlight the yarn, so I kept it really plain.   The combed top was from Spunky Eclectic in the Hiden colorway.  I used a size 8 needle, and it took about ten days of very, very casual knitting to finish it.

I was worried that I didn't have enough yarn for the finished product I had in mind, but it worked out perfectly.  I wanted to be able to wear this like a cowgirl, point in the front, long ends tucked around and under, and that's just what I got!

Friday Favorites

I'm going to start posting about all of the great things that I love, that I think everyone else should love as much as I do, on Fridays.  I'm sure some weeks will be more elaborate than others, but what the hell!
The Office had it's series premier last night.  We actually don't have cable, because if we did I would watch it All. The. Time.  So tonight My Man and I will cuddle up together and watch it online.  Oh, the wonders of the interweb.
These cookies are quite good.  I'd reccomend only making a half batch, since the batter does get wet quickly.
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain is a totally decent book.  It's pretty entertaining, a quick read, but not challenging at all.  I'm having fun with it, but when it's over I won't be sad.  I plan on reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls next.  Has anyone read it?  Let me know what you think!
This pasta is amazing.  I followed the recipe pretty closely, and when I sat down I was so proud that I made something so pretty.  Super easy to make- and even easier to eat.  If you like sundried tomatoes, you really should make this- you wont be disappointed.

I've been bad.

I've been really, really bad.  I've spent a lot of money, and I don't feel guilty about it in the least.  I finally, after a year of lusting, after a year of dreading financial commitment, have taken the plunge.  I bought the Addi Click set.  I am in love.  I feel fucking great!

Two and a half years ago I bought the KnitPicks Options set.  The tips were very, very sharp- which I love.  I used them for everything- straight knitting, circular, I even used two of them to knit on things like mittens.  But they have always come unscrewed while knitting.  Always.  The little tightening key never worked for me.  So for two and a half years I have been knitting with a faulty needle set.  As I knit I am constantly checking the needles connection to the cord, to make sure that I wont drop stitches.  When I changed my projects over to the click needles and started knitting I realized that I had picked up a very bad habit.  Every few stitches I stop and twist the needle onto the cord- a flick of my wrist, every few stitches.  THIS HAS BECOME PART OF THE WAY I KNIT.  Talk about inefficient, right?

Notice the blank spaces in the needle holder?  I have transfered all of my WIPs to the clicks needles.  Stay tuned for a FO- I'm a knitting fiend right now!  I am so excited and I have absolutely no buyers remorse.  I called all of my local yarn stores, but noone had them in stock.  I found  addineedleshop.com, and within two days of placing my order they were in my hands.
I think I've addressed the RSS issues... Let me know if everything is working now, ok?  This is a link to my feedburner address.  I hope that helps!

WIP: Busty McGee Edition.

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Finally a WIP picture!  I had to get below the underarms, and then past the bust, to give a better idea of how this sweater will fit.  I stopped the raglan increases two repeats before I was supposed to- and knit an extra 5 rows of plain stockinette to get past the bust.    I've come to the point where I can listen to my own judgement, see my own measurements, and use the patterns as a guideline, not mandate.  I've had too many sweaters that are just a little too loose- not catastrophes, but not works of perfection either.

Think I should cast off right now?

I'm going to start the waist shaping right now, and that will put me in the perfect position for the increases- according to gauge.  I love love love how the shoulders fit, the neckline fits, the bust!  FITS!  I'm very very happy so far, and if everything goes according to plan (let's hope) I'll have this finished and blocked by next week.
The yarn is Lornas Laces Shepherd Worsted, and I absolutely love it!  It's so soft and squooshy and yummy!  I bought this yarn after an especially hard day.  I actually went to the LYS with the idea of *retail therapy* and it worked when I found this yarn.  Lovely, lovely stuff.  I'm not actually a huge fan of variegated yarns for sweaters, but I think the texture of the neck takes your eye away from the mottled look of the yarn.

Time Suck: Complete.

So, I'm going to be a big girl and admit what has been dominating my life, outside of work, for the last two months.  It started innocently enough.  I was waiting for someone to get ready to go out, and needed something to occupy me attention for a couple of minutes.  I looked at a shelf of books, took the first Harry Potter book off the shelf, and within 10 minutes, I knew I had to read the entire series.  I distinctly remember thinking "Oh, shit.  This is not what I wanted to read this summer."
Since then, I have been trying to read the series constantly.  Tome at hand all the time, I would try to sneak a page in here and there.  I would get annoyed at dinner engagements, grocery shopping, even work- because it got in the way of my reading time.
I have had the same spinning project since I started the books, and now, as the books have come to a close, this yarn is spun, plied, soaked and now drying.
This is Spunky Eclectic BFL top, in the Hidden colorway.  I had 4oz, split the fiber to maintain blocks of color, and spun a gradation from green to brown.  I chain plied the fiber to maintain color sequence.  This was my most thought out spinning project to date- usually I just wing it and hope for the best.


I plan on making a little shawlette or neckerchief, depending on how much yarn I end up having.   I've been planning a pattern out for this fiber, so we'll see how it goes.  I can always rip-rip-rip if I have to!

I really am cultured- but...

I came across my 365 Yarn Harlot calendar today, and saw an entry that really rang true to me.
    "I would be willing to place a cash bet that most knitters watch fewer foreigh films than the rest of the population.  It's not that we are less interested-- it's the subtitles.  It's very hard to read subtitles and charts at the same time.  Knitters prefer dramas.  More listening, less looking."
-Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

I've felt guilty lately about my choice in film.  I used to watch challenging, foreign films.  Now I just kind of listen.  I've started a new project, one that requires less looking and more mindless pleasure knitting.  I'll have a wip picture tomorrow, with better light.  I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Kawaii!

Yesterday, my hunny and I took a trip to one of my favorite stores ever.  It a little stationary/Japanese import store, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that I would love to take everything home with me.  There are little trinkets and beautiful tablets of paper, photo albums and the sweetest planners you could think of.
When I was a kid I had the same passion for paper products that I have now.  The only trouble is that I would never write on a single sheet of the paper, because it would then be tarnished and the newness would wear off.  I wanted to keep the paper clean and pristine. Forever ;)

I picked up a few large sheets of paper that I'm  just crazy about.  I'm planning on mounting the paper on pieces of foamcore board, and then adhering hooks onto the foamcore.  This is a great way for me to "use" the paper, without "messing it up".  It's a pretty inexpensive way to decorate the walls, and right now inexpensive is what we need.  I didn't come up with this idea myself, I found a blog post here at Bluebirdbaby.  I have to give credit where credit is due!


I also picked up a tiny pad of paper and two pens by one of my favorite zakka designers, Shinzi Katoh.  Please check out his work if you are unfamiliar with it.  His work really inspires me to make my space more beautiful and comfortable.  I have always been enamoured with Japanese design, starting when I was a little girl.  I was in love with Hello Kitty, but had very few pieces.  The thing that I especially love about Shinzi Katoh is that his work always has poorly translated english, which just tickles me.   Does anybody else have a favorite designer they want to share?  I'd love to hear all about what inspires you!