Knitting update

We'll start off with my first FO in a while. These are the Vampire Boyfriend Socks from Knitty.com. They were knit with Cascade Heritage sock yarn in color 5656. I enjoyed knitting with this yarn. These went in the mail today to Molly at Celtic Swans in exchange for a set of hand forged bronze DPNs. I can't wait to see what Molly thinks of her socks and to get my new needles!



They look a little big on my feet - that's OK. The recipient has larger feet than I do and these should be just right.

I've been working on a wrap/lap robe using my handspun. I like it so far.

Next up is the yarn I received as a Christmas gift from Nancy. Actually, she gave me a gift certificate to our LYS and this is what I chose. It is a silk/cashmere blend and I plan to knit the Yarn Harlot's Pretty Thing cowl with it.

I might have swatched a little bit last night .... Yes, I know, I have things on the needles that need to be finished. Actually, I want to finish them. I just can't resist new yarn and I have been looking forward to knitting this cowl for a while now. I was helpless to resist.

I've gotten back on track with the knitting of the Four Quarters Pullover. I didn't take a photo because it doesn't look any different yet. I was 10 stitches short of the number I needed for each sleeve. Not sure how that happened, but it's fixed now. I hope that this time I will not be derailed and will be able to finish knitting it this weekend. Then I can hope to sew it together the next week and wear it by February.

I have about 3.5 - 4 inches of a man-sock foot knit to date. ; )) I didn't have it to photograph over the weekend, but I am basically following the Mr. Pitt's socks pattern (sorry, I can't find a link that works) and using this Regia yarn in color # 5476. It is basically a K3, P1 rib and I've reversed the pattern to knit toe up, since I don't know how long I can make the socks.

I still have to pick up stitches for the neck edging of the Slinky Ribs top. Yes, I know, just suck it up and get it done. I've needed simple knitting, lately, though and that just doesn't cut it. Soon ....

I am having a resurgence of the urge to knit lace again. I think the lace cowl will get me back into the swing of things and then I will get after one of the lace shawls I have on the needles Laminaria or A Curved Shawl with Diamond Edging by Jane Sowerby.

I think I'll go do my exercises now and then reward myself with some spinning. Have a good evening and if you are north of us, make sure you have your back brace on when you start to shovel.

Pictures!

Finally!

We'll start with spinning because that's been on my mind so much lately. This dark fiber is 8 oz. of a dark brown Finn from a lamb shearing. I played with it a little bit the other day and it wants to make a fuzzy yarn, so no lace or detailed pattern for this, I think. I still have some experimenting and playing to do, and it might work to make a nice 3 ply for a cabled pattern. We'll see. I'll try to take progress and experimenting photos as I go.









This next fiber is White Welsh fiber. I have not yet read up on this breed, and haven't even pulled any of it out to play with. It has a nice luster and believe it's a long wool, so maybe it will be used for outerwear. Maybe I'll just have fun spinning it and dyeing it, then look at it in my new yarn basket. ;)

Next we have Falkland fiber. Again, I haven't read up on this breed yet, but decided to give it a try.

This is spuerwash BFL in the Neptune colorway from Kelpie fibers. I love the hand, the ease with which it drafts, the colors, everything. I first sampled it as a worsted weight 3 ply and I should probably have stuck with that. Right now I am spinning lace or fingering weight.

While I like it, I wonder what I will make with it. I have a lot of lace weight yarn already. I am considering spinning the rest of it the way I sampled it. I don't think I've used up so much that I can't get useful yardage from it yet. Hmmm .... Maybe I'll see if she has or is willing to dye more.



This is the yarn I made with the singles I spun during the Tour de Fleece. I finally got it all plied, though it hasn't been washed yet. I think it will make a nice hat or pair of gloves for my younger son.

This yarn was finished earlier in the fall, also from singles spun during the TdF. This will go to elder son - he looks great in reds.









I am spindle spinning this silk (gifted to me by Nancy for my BD last year) . I have less than an ounce to go, and really need to ply now to free up my spindles. I hope I like it as much plied as I do as singles.












This the end of the black Wensleydale that I have been spindle spinning since the fall. I have just a little bit more to spin of this almost black fiber. I have another 4 oz of the original colorway to spin and I hope to get that spun up, then knit a shawl with the colored yarn as the main and the black as an edging.

Plied Wensleydale yarn - great sheen to it and much softer than I thought it would be.


This is the original colorway. Most of it is finished but I have to ply. Sigh. I hate to ply.

I hope to post a knitting update tomorrow. We are expecting some snow here tonight, and I was hoping to be snowed in tomorrow. I think not - they have amended the predictions and I think I am doomed to diasppontment. Again. It would have been nice to have a whole day at home to spin - I mean ply.

Have a good day.

Ravens win!!!

The Ravens won their first playoff game! Pittsburgh, here we come!

Photos tomorrow. I have another game to watch. Go Packers!

FO! but no photos yet

The Vampire Boyfriend socks are complete, including ends being woven in. I finished the last end at about 9 PM so no photos. I'll take some before sending them off to Molly, though. The first pair of man socks were promptly cast on. They'll be a simple K3P1 rib because the yarn is one of those patterned faux fair isle yarns that won't tolerate more patterning. That's OK, though because it means a quicker completion.

I spindle spun some Wensleydale again last night to get in my spinning time and just made my 10 minutes minimum. It was late and I was tired. Tonight will be a real challenge to get everything in. I have a study monitor here today and she needs to finish up, so I can't leave until the work is finished. I have at least an hour drive home and will try very hard to fit in my exercises (despite my very sore abs) before dinner. Hopefully the dishes will be quick because it's knitting nite at my LYS and I haven't been in about a month! I am really looking forward to seeing everyone again and catching up after the holiday break. I may bring my spindle to get my spinning time in there or I may use the spinning time to wind down after visiting with everyone. Silk tonight, I think.

I have some fiber in the mail. I have mentioned the Ravelry groups that I belong to before. I haven't been able to participate in a while, what with our trip to VA for fishing, holiday prep and activities as well as Mom's visit. I am set up for the next few months once this fiber arrives, though. The Knitters Book of Wool group is playing with Finn this month and I have fiber coming for that. The Spinners study group is exploring Columbia and Masham, which is a long wool. I have enjoyed the Wensleydale so much, I ordered some Masham. While I was there .... I also ordered some Falkland and some Welsh for future explorations. My fiber stash is approaching the size of my yarn stash, so I will have to spin and knit up quite a bit before I can buy any more. ; )

Have a good day.

No pain, no gain?

Then I must be gaining something. Boy, those crunches hurt last night. But I did them and the other exercises I decided to start with. I'll increase after a week - it's been a long time and I don't want to hurt my very lazy muscles.

Spindle spinning happened last night after my sewing project was completed. The windows for the boat have new "pillowcases" to protect them. I spun Wensleydale on the spindle - it's so nice to spin.

I have about 5 more rounds to knit on the Vampire Boyfriend sock, ends to weave in and off to the post office they will go.

It's been cold here - not in the teens, but 20 something degrees each morning when I go out to my car. I've been wearing mittens, gloves, cowls, whatever it takes to protect myself from the temps and the wind whistling down the streets. It gives me ideas of what to knit with my handspun or other smaller amounts of yarn ....

Speaking of yarn, I won some! It's this lovely yarn in the Grape Jam colorway, won on the Violently Domestic blog, which I have been following for several months now. I can't wait to cast on. I get the pattern, too. (squeals with glee) I think, since this was a prize, that I don't have to finish anything else before I cast on, don't you agree?

There's nothing else new. I think Mom is happy to be home, though she enjoyed being with us for the holiday. I am trying to settle back into work after having so many days off. We'll take down most of the Christmas decorations this weekend, weather permitting, and watch football. Go Ravens!!!!

So far, so good

I spent about 20 lovely minutes spinning on the wheel last night. This superwash BFL is *wonderful* to feel and I love the colors. Total enjoyment. : ))

I did my exercises yesterday (yeah, me) but didn't do as well in the eating healthier department. My meals were better, but the snacks ... There are still a lot of Christmas and New Year goodies around and I hate to waste perfectly good chocolate .....

I have a new project - sewing - that will take up some of my fiber time tonight. We have a boat (as you know well if you've read this blog before) and we have a bimini (canvas roof) and "curtains" (windows made of vinyl). The curtains have to be well cared for in order to avoid scratches (so we can see out of them). They are very expensive to replace. When we take them down, for travel or in the hot summer weather (they block the wind, which is good in colder weather but not so much when it's in the 90s) we wrap each one individually in a sheet or blanket so they don't scratch each other up (they each have zippers that can do a lot of damage). I got the idea last night of stitching up the sheets we use into "pillowcases" for each window. It should be easier to store them and easier to get the windows into each case. So, that's my project for tonight. After exercising and followed by at least 10minutes of spindling. ; )

I've ordered some fiber for the this month for the Ravelry spinners study group. I will be testing Masham. Once I get it and start playing with it, I'll share some of my thoughts, information and, hopefully, pictures. I understand that it's a more coarse fiber, used more for outer garments than against the skin. I am contemplating double layer mittens, with the outer layer being masham, which should hold up well to use and the inner layer being something soft - BFL or alpaca or something like that. I also ordered Falkland and Welsh for future experimentation. I had hoped to find some Columbia (the other fiber for the month) but haven't had much luck yet.

On the knitting front, last night I finished adding the length to the foot of the first Vampire Boyfriend sock and have just started the toe decreases. Soon, Molly. You'll have your socks soon. And DH will soon have a future sock on my needles. ; )

Have a good day.

Happy New Year to all

We had a great visit with Mom and a great Christmas. We drove Mom home (to Long Island, NY) on Tuesday. What you've read about NY not handling snow removal well was true. There were some very dangerous places out there even several days after the snow. Baltimore had a few issues last year, but we had almost twice as much snow. Well, we made it without any real issues, just a couple of scares as the lanes (on the highway) disappeared without warning a few times due to snow not being cleared.

I haven been enjoying lots of time off during the holidays. Most of that was to be with Mom but I also took some time for me (and DH). I really enjoyed my time off.

We drove up to Manhattan on Saturday to see "the tree". It was, as usual, awesome. We did no shopping; we browsed and people watched and saw some sights. The light dispaly that Saks does is amazing. I could have watched for hours if I could have found a place to lie down (my neck hurt looking up after a while) Oh, we had a great burger at Hurley's Irish pub. Yum.

We drove home again that night and had a quiet day at home on Sunday after sleeping in. I plied the last of my singles from my Tour de Fleece efforts (finally) and started spinning some new fiber - superwash BFL in the Neptune colorway from Kelpie Fibers on Etsy. Love, love, love.

I also did some spindle spinning on Saturday and Sunday. Wensleydale on one spindle and silk on the other. Quite a difference between them but both enjoyable to spin.

I have set some "intentions" (rather than resolutions. It may be semantics to you but it keeps me from feeling like a failure if I lapse, so it works for me.) to spin each and every day, for at least 10 minutes. Not only will I be more productive, but I am also a better spinner when I do it more often.

I also "intend" to eat better and get more regular exercise.

I hope to finish up some WIPs soon, though I have *no* hope that I won't add more soon after that. I am just not a monogamous knitter.

I would like to try to document my knitting efforts better, whether on paper or in cyber space (Ravelry or my blog or both).

I've been working on that wrap knitted with my handspun and really enjoying it. I hope to get some photos this week of all of my fibery efforts. It's been a while since I had the camera out.

I am almost finished with the Vampire Boyfriend socks that will go in trade to Molly of Celtic Swan for a set of bronze DPNs. I finished the second sock and ripped back the first one to add more length to the foot. I got nervous when it fit me and she wears a larger shoe size. I should finish that addition in the next week and off they will go.

As soon as those socks come off the needles I will embark upon my year of knitting man socks. The pattern and yarn are chosen and standing by .....

Slinky Ribs is still waiting for me to pick up stitches for the neck edging.

The purple sweater is waiting for me to find my error and correct it. Maybe one evening this week ....

I'll dig for the other UFOs after those listed here are finished. If I don't wait until I've made progress, I'll feel overwhelmed and depressed and cast on another project for certain. : (

We (actually, DH) have almost finished the winterizing of the boat. In another couple of months it will be time to start spring prep! LOL.

Next weekend the holiday decorations will come down, but for now I am enjoying the lights and such.

Both sons are working (always a good thing) and healthy. Younger son in particular seems very happy and that makes me happy.

I'll try to be better about posting and taking pictures.

Have a great start to your new year.