So I’m very nearly finished with my mom’s birthday shawl, and I’ve completed all my deadline knitting for the store. This has gotten me to thinking about the Sage Cardigan pattern that I bought a few months ago. I’ve been itching to start this sweater, and even have the yarn and swatch all ready to go. I just need to get the needles, and go over the pattern a bit.

As I was going over the pattern, and deciding if I could follow the instructions straight or neede to adjust to my size, I had a few thoughts about the pattern itself. This is a very unique pattern in that it’s about 30 some pages including line by line instructions and charted graphs for each piece. I think (especially for me) this is a bit excessive, but the charts make it really easy to write up simpler instructions. When I’m knitting a simple sweater piece, all I need to know is the stitch pattern I’m following, and when I need to do the decreases and increases. I’ve translated these very thorough instructions into something for me more like this…

Decreases = 15th, 6th 2x, 4th 9x, etc, etc

Since the front and back follow the same decrease and increase pattern, that makes my instructions even more condensed. However, I would have found the charts very handy if I had decided to mesh two different sizes together. My bust and hip measurement fit the large size nearly exactly, but my waist (as is usual) is a bit smaller than the schematics for the large. I could have altered things very visually to decrease down to the medium for the waist and increase back up to the large for my bust. I figured I didn’t mind having 1″ positive ease in the waist, so I’ll be knitting the one size.

There is one thing I will be changing in this pattern, and that is the length. I tend to prefer longer shirts for style reasons and my bust tends to lift the hem of my shirts a bit higher. Since every size has the same length measurement, I figured this choice would fit me better. It helped a lot that the designer put in a fairly detailed measurement schematic for the whole pattern so I could easily figure these measurements out. Also fairly helpful is that she has included instructions for lengthening the body. I did mention this pattern was thorough, right?

Next to the construction methods of the sweater. The body is done in 3 pieces (2 fronts and a back) and seamed up. My general preference with everything is to go seamless as much as possible, and make extensive use of circular needles. However, when looking at the photos of this sweater I think I like the seams. They add a nice line down the sides, probably add some structural integrity, and will make transporting the sweater with me as I work on it much easier. I think I can deal with my dislike of purling for this piece just so I can get it right.

Also, the sleeve and shoulder pieces are attached in a way that I highly approve. I don’t like seaming when it’s not necessary, and I will do something the long way (well, in knitting anyway) if it means getting it just right. This is exactly why I love grafting. I enjoy the process some, but I especially love it because the finished piece looks so wonderful when done. I was very happy to see that the sleeves and shoulder areas involve a lot of (oh so wonderfully seamless) grafting. It just seems silly to me to bind off two pieces only to sew them together when you can take a bit more time and do it right.

I am so excited to start this sweater, and will have to fight with myself to take my time so I do it right from the very first. The yarn is one of my favorites (Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca & Silk), the color is perfectly suiting me (light leafy green), and the sweater just looks lovely. Now I just need to sit on my hands and wait until I can get the right needles for this.

For those of you that knit for gift giving, you know the minor stress of that deadline. I know a lot of gift giving knitters create a list of gifts they want to knit for Christmas, often find they’ve overestimated what they can do, stress close to Christmas, and probably get less done because of that stress. Well, that’s what I do anyways. I find that deadline stress gets me really anxious to do my own knitting instead of the gift knitting. I’ve learned that Christmas knitting must start in July/August in order to maintain my sanity and stock up before winter.

I know that there are others of you who have done real deadline knitting where you are beholden to someone else. You may even receive some sort of compensation, which adds its own sort of stress. Well, for the past month I’ve been doing some of that kind of knitting, and have learned a lot about myself in the process. Real deadline knitting where I have more than just myself to disappoint is a lot easier. I almost treat it like work, and set goals for myself in stages. Although it doesn’t hurt that this has been an easy knit. This weekend my goal is to get the ends woven in so that Monday and Tuesday I can work on the last bit of knitting (which I don’t yet have instructions for).

I’ve even managed to get a little personal knitting in without taking time out of my “work” knitting. I have another personal deadline soon for July 26, and it doesn’t matter that I set the deadline for myself. I have no choice but to finish this birthday gift because last year I forgot Mom’s birthday. Bad idea! This one I can actually show you, and I’m really excited with its progress.

It’s the faroese shawl I’m making for Mom’s birthday. It’s a simple garter stitch shawl with a bit of lace on the edges. I chose a lace pattern from Vol. 1 of the Barbara Walker treasuries and knit it in garter stitch instead of stockinette. It took me a while to find just the right lace for this, but I think this will suit my mom and the shawl perfectly. I really can’t wait to finish this and see it blocked and laid out, which makes it so much easier to get done by the 26th.

This is a very unexciting spinning project in a very unexciting color. However, I’m plodding through fairly well because it’s an easy quick spin. I bought this Romney fiber a few months back to give this new fiber a try, and I have a feeling this isn’t what Romney is generally like. It’s not smooth to spin, but it seems like the roving is just not prepped very well. Things are coming off in clumps sometimes, and it’s not drafting smoothly. I’m willing to give this fiber the benefit of the doubt, but if this is what it’s always like I don’t like it so much.

I’m still practically drowning in merino, which is unfortunate because I’ve learned it’s not the type of yarn I want to have spun. I love spinning merino, but there are only a few uses for it. I’m trying to branch out into other fibers that are useful for other stuff, and this Romney doesn’t have me enthusiastic about the process.

Cashmere, on the other hand, is something I can get excited about. I prefer to avoid this fiber because of how harsh raising the goats is on the land, and it’s just too expensive buuut…I had to try it just this once. I was spinning it more thick on a heavier spindle before I decided to switch to something more suitable (my Bosworth!). This is one single, which will be 2-plied with the other single when I’m done to give me an oh so soft and squooshy yarn. Ohh, what will I make with it?

I’ve been really busy lately, and I’ve learned that my old method of posting just isn’t going to work. Instead of taking photos and posting when I’m completed or sufficiently excited about a new project, I’m going to have to batch process photos on the weekend, and slowly post about each throughout the week.

The main reason I’ve been so busy is that I got a new job that requires me to commute an hour each way every day. I know it sounds crazy, but when you learn where I’m working you might not think me so crazy. About a month ago I got a job at Webs yarn store in customer service! It’s totally bizarre being among fiber lovers like me, and discussions about spinning wheels, knitting projects, weaving with knitting yarn, etc, etc are not uncommon at all. Since I get home at 6pm every night, it’s hard to get the motivation in the little time I have to post. I’ve been opting for a little Battlestar Galactica instead (almost done season 3!).

What does this have to do with “Ply-as-you-go”? It doesn’t, so let’s move on to what I actually wanted to write about today.

I saw a reference to a really cool technique on the Ravelry Spindlers group today. I’d seen it mentioned before, but this time I actually took the time to check it out. Basically, with this technique you spin your yarn then navajo ply the length you’ve spun before winding it onto your spindle. I find it really fun, and it makes plying not nearly so tedious as it normally is for me. I get to do a little drafting in between the plying, which is my favorite part of the spinning.

You may want to read the explanation, and see a video tutorial of it here before reading the rest of this post. It will make a lot more sense, and I don’t think it’s necessary for me to explain it when someone else already has.

I have some green and red merino roving in my stash, and had a fun idea today of spinning some sock yarn out of it. Now I really want to stay away from merino sock yarn, but I think part of the problem is that commercial sock yarn in merino tends to be too softly spun. I’m going to attempt my own 3-ply fine fingering weight high twist sock yarn, and thought this new technique would be perfect for it. It took me some time to feel comfortable with it, and I learned a few things in the process.

1. Practice before you give up. It seems fiddly, and your fingers may feel in the way at first. Give yourself some time to get accustomed to what you’re supposed to be doing, and you’ll have it smooth and efficient in no time.
2. Don’t try to get the loop to be snug on the shaft. At first I was sliding the loop over, then winding the yarn so it was taught against the shaft. It’s much easier to take off and deal with if you just loop it over and leave it loose.
3. Use a spindle with a notch if you can. Since you’ll end up with 3 strands over the whorl at any given time, it just makes things much less fiddly.
4. Don’t let the loop go when it’s off the shaft, because it will twist in the plying direction and weaken the yarn at that spot when you make your next loop. If it does let go and twist, untwist it as much as you can until it’s in its original state.

I don’t have any pictures yet because there’s not enough light, and the yarn I’m spinning is pretty fine. At some point I do want to show the coolness that is a cop full of plied yarn and just spun singles coming off the spindle hook. When I’m done this yarn, all I have to do is wind it off the spindle, soak it, and let it dry. One thing I haven’t figured out is how to splice on new yarn so I don’t end up with a ton of little skeins of spindle spun.

I’ve been meaning to post about this for a while, but what with the new job I have less time in the evenings to take photos. Plus, the light isn’t very good except during the very middle of the day. This is about the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool festival I went to Mother’s Day weekend, and I thought I’d show you some of what I got. My main goal was to focus on spindles, and I think I did a pretty good job meeting that goal…

This first one is actually the last one I picked up before leaving the festival. It’s made by Tom Forrester out of gonicalo alves(?) and wild cherry wood and is as I would expect quite a good spinner. He makes a lot of really cool spindles with some really unique double whorls. This one is fairly simple but I like it.

It’s quite a light spindle at 0.84oz, but that seems to be how I like them nowadays.

The next one is made by Jonathan Bosworth out of tulipwood at .84oz as well. He makes all his spindles in the same whorl style, but uses all kinds of different woods and has a couple of sizes that change the weight of the spindles. They’re all beautiful in their simplicity and the finish adds a nice shine.

I have one very small problem with this spindle, and that’s the shape of the hook. Only the most picky spindler would notice, and with the way this spindle likes to spin it generally wouldn’t be a problem. The hook is shaped in such a way that the part where the yarn leaves the hook is flat, so there isn’t as much guidance for the yarn to stay in line with the shaft. It comes out just slightly crooked which tends to eat up some of the spin. Give it a good thigh spin though, and I generally don’t notice the difference.

The last spindle I got (which was actually the second I bought) has already become one of my favorites. It’s made by the Spindlewood Co. which have some really great looking spindles. I had offhandedly decided some day to try one out at the recommendation of someone in the Ravelry Spindlers group who raved about their square whorl spindle. It seemed like kind of a cool idea, but I picked this one up because as soon as I tried it I knew there was just something about it.

It’s a purpleheart shaft and the whorl base is purpleheart, with yellowheart accents. I have no clue how much it weighs because the tag where I bought it was missing, but it’s fairly light. This thing just spins, and spins, and spins like it was made for it. I love the turned detailing on the bottom of the shaft, and the hook is just per-fect. I’ve got some nice romeldale(?) wool spinning up on it that I think I will eventually 3-ply.

After having finished the scarves for this pattern quite a while ago, I’ve finally formalized the pattern and am ready to post it. I’m really happy with how these came out. They’re really simple garter stitch scarves, but the border adds a little detail that keeps them from being boring. I will definitely be knitting more of these in the future for gifts.

I’m publishing this as a free pattern on the blog. You can download it from the link at the bottom. There is no gauge or yarn requirement, which makes this a very flexible pattern. You can make the scarves as long or as wide as you want, and the instructions are very simple to memorize.

Scarf 1 was knit in Rowan Felted Tweed, and has become my default winter scarf. It’s incredibly warm and comfortable.

Scarf 2 was knit with Elsebeth Lavold’s Silky Wool, and given to my mother in law for her birthday.

You can download the PDF of the pattern from this link. The pattern is copyrighted, but I’ve given permission to print and distribute it, as long as you don’t make any alterations. I hope you like it! It’s a simple idea but I really enjoy the scarves.

I’ve been in a bit of a funk for the past week or so, and I think it’s because I’ve yet to find a new job. A few weeks ago I left my job, and after my last day we went on a long planned vacation to visit my in-laws. I came home a little stressed and worried about finding a job, and unsure about what the heck I was going to do with myself. It turns out when I start feeling depressed my motivation and creativity levels drop significantly. It all turns out well in the end because I’ve got a potential opportunity that I hope works out, because I’m really excited about it. So yesterday all my creative energies come flooding back again…

I don’t remember what state you last saw this project in, but this is my modification of Jairlyn Mason’s Square Cake. I’ve put beads in the knit purl columns every four rows, and put a stockinette ground cabled braid instead of the diamond knit/purl pattern. I just couldn’t stand doing too much knit/purl; it just hurts my hands and I sure loves me some braids. The yarn I’m using is a handspun merino, and I must say I’m really pleased with how it’s knitting up. Can’t wait to finish it and carry it around!

I think it’s about time I finally wrote about these. These are my Tofutsies socks, with a bit of lace at the cuff. Unfortunately the lace clashes with the color, but I was too lazy to rip it out and do something more fitting. These were great to work on while on vacation, and I finished them at my mother in laws a few weeks ago. I still love this yarn!

I started this project about a month ago, and man do I need to stop stalling on it. This is for my Mom’s 50th this year, and it’s a simple faroese shawl. The top part of the picture shows one side with the shoulder shaping, and you can see beneath that the center back panel. This is a slightly improved version of the design I used for my handspun faroese shawl. This one is in garter stitch, the other was in stockinette. It’s knit from the neck outward, and I did a little short-row shaping at the neck band so it would transition smoothly once I started the increases. I’m very pleased so far, and now just need to make the long haul to get it finished by July (6-7 skeins left!).

Keep an eye out for some spinning content in the next week. Saturday I’ll be at the NH Sheep and Wool festival, and I’ll be keeping my eye out for some pretty spindles and new tools.

The first time I ever knit with Southwest Trading Company’s Tofutsies I really fell in love. Since then I’ve worn the socks many times, and they have worn up much better than all the rest of my handknit socks. I’ve come to the conclusion that merino is not for socks despite its prevalence among sock yarns, but Tofutsies sure is.

These socks are very simple with a vine lace pattern and a traditional heel flap. This is my favorite way to knit a sock, and my only regret about this sock is that the stitch pattern doesn’t fit with the yarn. You can’t really see what’s going on there because the colors are too busy. I continued to knit it anyway because I didn’t feel like ripping back, but maybe some day I’ll knit this cuff with a more suited color.

I really can’t wait until both pairs of these socks are finished. If they’re anything like my first pair of Tofutsies socks I will probably end up falling in love with them just as much.

Today I’ve got just a quick post on something that I finished a couple of weeks ago. When I went on my birthday trip to buy fiber with my husband I saw some linen yarn at the store. I’ve been wanting to knit with linen yarn for the longest time, and my local yarn store doesn’t generally have 100% linen. When it came to knitting it, I decided to improvise a hand towel. I’m really happy with the results, despite the fact that it’s just slightly thinner than I’d intended.

Unfortunately in the picture you can’t see the stitch pattern very well, but it’s a simple stockinette/garter basketweave. Basically I knit the front tab at the top, increased a lot over 6 garter stitch rows, started the stitch pattern, decreased a lot over 6 garter stitch rows, and finished with a back tab. Sew together and add buttons and voila! What you can’t see here is that the towel actually folds and goes up the back to create a doubled loop piece. Since it was so thin I just knit until I had only a little yarn left before finishing it to add more fabric.

I’ve got a lot of things to catch up on that I’ve been working on but haven’t yet written about, so I think what I’m going to do is write several posts in the next few days. I finally took the time to take some pictures today while listening to podcasts. I keep using the lack of sun as an excuse, but I’ve just had a hard time getting motivated to blog, so here goes an attempt at revival…

I’ve decided to try doing at least one non-knitting non-spinning craft every Sunday, and without really planning it last Sunday I chose dyeing. I’ve had these two skeins of handspun white merino lace weight yarn for a while that I’ve been meaning to dye. My dyeing methods are very haphazard because I just don’t have the patience or the scale to be meticulous and specific. Basically I fill my dyeing pot with lots of water, pour in some vinegar, mix some dye powder with a little water and pour that in. Then I put my soaked skein into the dye pot and turn up the heat. I do have a digital thermometer whose probe I use only for dyeing to make sure it doesn’t go above 180 degrees, and generally I go for a half hour around 180. This time I really wanted a green yarn so I took a bit of my blue and a bit of my yellow and mixed them together. It’s been a while since I dyed yarn, so my memory of how much dye powder I normally use was a bit vague, and the results of my yarn prove that.

What seemed to happen was that there was so much dye in the pot that it took barely ten minutes for the yarn to soak up the dye and set. I did a thorough rinse of the yarn afterward to ensure it had taken hold, and boy did it. This quick dyeing also gave the yarn a really unique quality that I really like. It looks slightly variegated, but that’s mostly because the dye stuck fast to the very outside of the yarn, and didn’t sink in quite as much towards the core. It gives it a sort of shimmery look that I totally could not have predicted.

There was some extra dye left in the pot, so I stuck a little red in with the tiny bit of green and finally added some color to my sampler of handspun angora (ignore the darker red as those are just the ties of a different yarn).

Then I had a teeny bit of that left, so I put a very small amount of purple in and grabbed some white merino roving I had. I had the merino roving soaking in the bathroom sink, and didn’t have a way to transport it without making a mess on the floor. I stuck a trivet and the dye pot on the bathroom floor for easy transport. As soon as I put it in the dye absorbed into the fiber as much as it could and the water was white. Completely not what I was going for, but in the end I think it will make a nice yarn. I only stuck it back on the stove for another 15 minutes to make sure it set, and my roving only came out a tiny bit matted. Definitely easily fixed by predrafting it before spinning.

And another picture just ’cause it’s purty.