Body is done up to the underarms. Attempting to knock out at least one sleeve tonight!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
No Time to Blog
Too busy knitting!
Body is done up to the underarms. Attempting to knock out at least one sleeve tonight!
Body is done up to the underarms. Attempting to knock out at least one sleeve tonight!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
I May Be Crazy
Why, you ask? Because apparently I decided that I could knit another baby sweater by the end of the month for the Mad May knitalong. I picked up more tosh dk at my LYS over the weekend and cast on for another Gramps Cardigan last night. This is for a gift for my best friend, who is expecting her first in September. Her sisters are throwing her a baby shower in early June, and as it looks unlikely that I'll be able to attend (it's out of town and not close enough to do a day trip), I'll need to get her gift mailed off even early than that.
I cast on last night and got a few rows into the cable pattern on the body before I realized that I'd neglected to switch over to larger needles after the ribbing and had to rib back. Tonight I'll be able to rectify that error and get moving on the body. I'm making the smallest size, and considering that I finished Rainbow's version in 14 days, I think I can knit a baby size in 10 -- there is a long weekend coming up, after all.
I cast on last night and got a few rows into the cable pattern on the body before I realized that I'd neglected to switch over to larger needles after the ribbing and had to rib back. Tonight I'll be able to rectify that error and get moving on the body. I'm making the smallest size, and considering that I finished Rainbow's version in 14 days, I think I can knit a baby size in 10 -- there is a long weekend coming up, after all.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Loose Ends
I used a fair amount of time this week to finish up some spinning projects. First was a small amount of fiber that one of several samples Steven gave me before he left town. This particular bit of fiber was guessed to be bison; there was only 16 grams of it, so not enough to really use for a project, but it seemed perfect for this month's challenge in the Ravelry Spindlers group -- the theme was "my precious." I pulled out my Jenkins Turkish (sadly unused for nearly a year), spun up the two cops you saw here last week, and on Monday night I plied. Here's what I got:
It's every bit as soft as it looks. I ended up with approximately 34 yards. No idea what I'll use this for; for now, I'm quite enjoying petting the skein.
Most of my spinning time this past week was devoted to finishing up a rather large project. I had used a little bit of some Paradise Fibers colonial wool top when I did my corespun yarn about a month ago, and as long as I'd already dug out the fiber from deep in the stash, I figured I should probably just spin the rest of it up. I did one bobbin of singles and then chain plied; I weighed the bobbin afterward and discovered I had a little more than 7 ounces worth of fiber on that bobbin, so it's no wonder it took as long as it did! The finished yarn is heavy fingering to sport weight and about 497 yards.
The resulting yarn, being a blend of different types of wool, is not especially soft, but I do like the great mix of colors in it.
Only part of the bag would actually fit in the shot -- it's a lot of fiber! I'm spinning this pretty quickly into a two-ply DK to worsted, most likely.
Then there's a big bag full of scoured merino to comb:
More fleece was washed last night, and there's more waiting for me!
It's every bit as soft as it looks. I ended up with approximately 34 yards. No idea what I'll use this for; for now, I'm quite enjoying petting the skein.
Most of my spinning time this past week was devoted to finishing up a rather large project. I had used a little bit of some Paradise Fibers colonial wool top when I did my corespun yarn about a month ago, and as long as I'd already dug out the fiber from deep in the stash, I figured I should probably just spin the rest of it up. I did one bobbin of singles and then chain plied; I weighed the bobbin afterward and discovered I had a little more than 7 ounces worth of fiber on that bobbin, so it's no wonder it took as long as it did! The finished yarn is heavy fingering to sport weight and about 497 yards.
The resulting yarn, being a blend of different types of wool, is not especially soft, but I do like the great mix of colors in it.
There are several spinning projects now in progress. First is a favor for a friend -- I'm spinning up 16 oz. of mystery wool roving.
Then there's a big bag full of scoured merino to comb:
More fleece was washed last night, and there's more waiting for me!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Mad for May
It seems that all it takes for me to finish a sweater in two weeks is a knitalong!
Pattern: Gramps Cardigan by Kate Oates, size 4
Yarn: Madelinetosh tosh dk (100% superwash merino) in Robin's Egg, two skeins plus ~5 yards or less of a third skein
Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) and US 6 (4.0 mm) Addi Turbo circs
Started/Completed: May 1/May 14
Mods: quite a few (see below)
I knit this as part of the Mad May knitalong in the Madelinetosh Lovers group on Ravelry. I didn't want to aim too high and try to knit myself a sweater, but I figured this would be a good challenge because of all the cables. It made for some good car and hotel knitting on the trip to Maryland Sheep and Wool.
While I'm very pleased with how the sweater turned out, I did have some issues with the pattern along the way. I'll be the first to admit that I did not swatch. I had used the same yarn and needle size for my Effortless Cardigan, so I knew I'd be pretty darn close on stitch gauge. I also chose to knit a size up from Rainbow's current size (intending this to fit this fall and winter), and I was counting on the fact that the yarn is superwash to allow it stretch out a bit in blocking.
The main difficulty was with the sleeve. I cast on for the first sleeve in the car on the way back home from MDSW, and the two friends in the car with me both agreed that it looked impossibly tiny. So I ripped that attempt out and cast on again using the number for the next size up (four stitches more, so almost an inch larger). That cuff seemed to be a better size, but I ripped it again when I started the cable and realized that it did not grow out of the ribbing the same way the cables on the body had. On my third attempt, the cuff was the right size and the cable split a column of two knit stitches so that it was symmetrical. However, this time around, I forgot that I was knitting in the round and was omitting every other line of the chart (I was used to knitting flat, knitting the stitches as they appeared rather than consulting the chart), meaning my cable was coming out half the height it should have been. The fourth attempt was finally successful in all aspects.
Nearly all of my mods were on the sleeves. I increased to the number specified in the pattern for the size I was making, but I added an additional 2 inches of length (I know Rainbow is tall, but I don't think she has gorilla arms!). I also changed the way the cable crossed on the second sleeve so that, when the sleeves were connected to the body, the cables would cross toward each other. Finally, as the raglan decreases in the yoke were eating into the cable area, I made the cables narrower at the top of the shoulder so that they would stay intact. The only non-sleeve modification I made was to do a smaller buttonhole (a k2tog, yo buttonhole rather than a three-stitch one-row buttonhole). I wasn't planning on using huge buttons on this sweater, so I didn't think a larger buttonhole was necessary.
In spite of all these changes and challenges, I really did enjoy knitting this sweater. It was really a fast knit once I got used to the cables and could know intuitively what to do next. I will probably knit this again as a baby gift, but there are several things I will do differently next time. For one thing, I might use a heavier yarn (and perhaps go up a needle size) in addition to working a size up. A number of projects on Ravelry indicate that the pattern does run a little small; Rainbow's fits okay now, but if she continues to grow the way she has been lately, it may be a bit snug this fall and winter. I would also switch the direction of the raglan decreases, as I don't really care for how they look as written.
The most important factor of all in determining whether or not this was a successful knit, of course, is Rainbow's response. She is thrilled with it, and it's always a joy to knit for someone who appreciates the knitting.
Pattern: Gramps Cardigan by Kate Oates, size 4
Yarn: Madelinetosh tosh dk (100% superwash merino) in Robin's Egg, two skeins plus ~5 yards or less of a third skein
Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) and US 6 (4.0 mm) Addi Turbo circs
Started/Completed: May 1/May 14
Mods: quite a few (see below)
I knit this as part of the Mad May knitalong in the Madelinetosh Lovers group on Ravelry. I didn't want to aim too high and try to knit myself a sweater, but I figured this would be a good challenge because of all the cables. It made for some good car and hotel knitting on the trip to Maryland Sheep and Wool.
While I'm very pleased with how the sweater turned out, I did have some issues with the pattern along the way. I'll be the first to admit that I did not swatch. I had used the same yarn and needle size for my Effortless Cardigan, so I knew I'd be pretty darn close on stitch gauge. I also chose to knit a size up from Rainbow's current size (intending this to fit this fall and winter), and I was counting on the fact that the yarn is superwash to allow it stretch out a bit in blocking.
The main difficulty was with the sleeve. I cast on for the first sleeve in the car on the way back home from MDSW, and the two friends in the car with me both agreed that it looked impossibly tiny. So I ripped that attempt out and cast on again using the number for the next size up (four stitches more, so almost an inch larger). That cuff seemed to be a better size, but I ripped it again when I started the cable and realized that it did not grow out of the ribbing the same way the cables on the body had. On my third attempt, the cuff was the right size and the cable split a column of two knit stitches so that it was symmetrical. However, this time around, I forgot that I was knitting in the round and was omitting every other line of the chart (I was used to knitting flat, knitting the stitches as they appeared rather than consulting the chart), meaning my cable was coming out half the height it should have been. The fourth attempt was finally successful in all aspects.
Nearly all of my mods were on the sleeves. I increased to the number specified in the pattern for the size I was making, but I added an additional 2 inches of length (I know Rainbow is tall, but I don't think she has gorilla arms!). I also changed the way the cable crossed on the second sleeve so that, when the sleeves were connected to the body, the cables would cross toward each other. Finally, as the raglan decreases in the yoke were eating into the cable area, I made the cables narrower at the top of the shoulder so that they would stay intact. The only non-sleeve modification I made was to do a smaller buttonhole (a k2tog, yo buttonhole rather than a three-stitch one-row buttonhole). I wasn't planning on using huge buttons on this sweater, so I didn't think a larger buttonhole was necessary.
In spite of all these changes and challenges, I really did enjoy knitting this sweater. It was really a fast knit once I got used to the cables and could know intuitively what to do next. I will probably knit this again as a baby gift, but there are several things I will do differently next time. For one thing, I might use a heavier yarn (and perhaps go up a needle size) in addition to working a size up. A number of projects on Ravelry indicate that the pattern does run a little small; Rainbow's fits okay now, but if she continues to grow the way she has been lately, it may be a bit snug this fall and winter. I would also switch the direction of the raglan decreases, as I don't really care for how they look as written.
The most important factor of all in determining whether or not this was a successful knit, of course, is Rainbow's response. She is thrilled with it, and it's always a joy to knit for someone who appreciates the knitting.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Fun with Fluff
After hosting the grandparents for brunch this morning, the Mister and Rainbow let me have the afternoon off to have fun with fiber-y stuff. In between rewashing batches of fleece from Monday (I probably had too much in the bags the first time, because there was still a fair amount of lanolin in most of the fiber after it was dry), I worked on finishing up Rainbow's Gramps sweater and finishing the rest of the bison fiber I started spinning on my Turkish spindle last weekend. I now have two pretty cops of fluffy singles:
I had a whopping total of 16 g of fiber to start with and split it roughly in half. It was an interesting experience spinning this because I could not use my typical spinning style, nor could I produce my usual smooth, even singles. The staple length was pretty short, so the prep was suited to woolen spinning. As a result, the singles are fluffy and thicker in certain spots, but I actually kind of like it. The plied yarn should be very airy, soft, and warm. Considering how quickly I was able to spin the singles, I'm assuming I can ply this up in one evening later this week (I'm letting the singles rest for a day or so first).
On the agenda next: finish spinning up the colonial top that's been on my miniSpinner for weeks. I have about a yard's length of top left and a new disk of Lark Rise to Candleford to watch, so I will be milking Mother's Day for all it's worth to get maximum spinning time in tonight.
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| Burt and Ernie for scale |
On the agenda next: finish spinning up the colonial top that's been on my miniSpinner for weeks. I have about a yard's length of top left and a new disk of Lark Rise to Candleford to watch, so I will be milking Mother's Day for all it's worth to get maximum spinning time in tonight.
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Back to the Grind
I am still recovering somewhat from the trip to Maryland Sheep and Wool. I'm very glad I had the foresight to take Monday off from work as well this year, because there was a lot I needed to get done (and frankly I don't blame the Mister for not getting it done -- a toddler can be a handful!). Once I had done a load of laundry, restocked the fridge, and cleaned all three bathrooms, I finally had some time to have some fun with my purchases.
The first order of business was washing some fleece. I decided to start in on the Merino X first because it definitely seemed like the greasier of the two. I managed to get two batches (two lingerie bags' worth) washed up over the course of several hours -- each had two 20-minute scouring soaks and two 20-minute rinses -- and left them on a mesh drying rack in the basement to dry. As soon as they are dry, I'll pull out my combs and see what I can do with the fiber. This is my first time washing fleece, so we'll see if I did an okay job with it, but the rinse water was running clear at the end, so I know I at least got the dirt out.
While waiting for my kitchen timer to go off to alert me that it was time to switch out the water, I did a bit of spinning on my Jenkins Turkish. I'd taken it, along with a small amount of what may or may not be bison fiber, along with me this past weekend and had spun a small amount. I managed to finish the first half of the fiber and start in on the second in really not much time at all, so if I can squeeze in another hour or two of spinning this week, I could ply this up this weekend.
Most of my crafty time since getting back, however, has been spent working on Rainbow's Gramps Cardigan, which seems to be moving along at a rapid pace. I finished the body up to the underarms on Saturday and started (and ripped and restarted) the first sleeve in the car on the way home on Sunday. Right now, I am about two rows away from finishing the second sleeve and joining the three pieces together.
I'm making the size 4, figuring that it will have a little bit of room so it will still fit come fall, but I had to modify the sleeves quite a bit. I ended up casting of the number of stitches for the next size up; I finished the cuff following the pattern, and it was positively tiny! I think this is probably because my gauge was a little off (I was a bad knitter and didn't swatch because I knew roughly what my gauge was with these needles and this yarn) but also because Rainbow is tall! I also had to add about 2 inches in additional length to get the arms to be long enough to reach to her wrists. I'm counting on the sweater growing a bit when I wash it, too (it is superwash, after all), so that it will be just a little more roomy.
Think she likes the sleeves?
The first order of business was washing some fleece. I decided to start in on the Merino X first because it definitely seemed like the greasier of the two. I managed to get two batches (two lingerie bags' worth) washed up over the course of several hours -- each had two 20-minute scouring soaks and two 20-minute rinses -- and left them on a mesh drying rack in the basement to dry. As soon as they are dry, I'll pull out my combs and see what I can do with the fiber. This is my first time washing fleece, so we'll see if I did an okay job with it, but the rinse water was running clear at the end, so I know I at least got the dirt out.
While waiting for my kitchen timer to go off to alert me that it was time to switch out the water, I did a bit of spinning on my Jenkins Turkish. I'd taken it, along with a small amount of what may or may not be bison fiber, along with me this past weekend and had spun a small amount. I managed to finish the first half of the fiber and start in on the second in really not much time at all, so if I can squeeze in another hour or two of spinning this week, I could ply this up this weekend.
Most of my crafty time since getting back, however, has been spent working on Rainbow's Gramps Cardigan, which seems to be moving along at a rapid pace. I finished the body up to the underarms on Saturday and started (and ripped and restarted) the first sleeve in the car on the way home on Sunday. Right now, I am about two rows away from finishing the second sleeve and joining the three pieces together.
I'm making the size 4, figuring that it will have a little bit of room so it will still fit come fall, but I had to modify the sleeves quite a bit. I ended up casting of the number of stitches for the next size up; I finished the cuff following the pattern, and it was positively tiny! I think this is probably because my gauge was a little off (I was a bad knitter and didn't swatch because I knew roughly what my gauge was with these needles and this yarn) but also because Rainbow is tall! I also had to add about 2 inches in additional length to get the arms to be long enough to reach to her wrists. I'm counting on the sweater growing a bit when I wash it, too (it is superwash, after all), so that it will be just a little more roomy.
Think she likes the sleeves?
Monday, May 07, 2012
MDSW: The Haul
We got to the fairgrounds just before 8 on Saturday morning, though technically the festival didn't open until 9. This gave me plenty of time to get my bearings and get in line for the fleece sale, which was the first thing on my list. I had made plans to meet up with a friend from Ravelry to pick out fleeces together (I wasn't completely confident that I could pick a good one, so she offered to help). We were in the first five or so people to get in, so we had our pick of fleeces and were very happy with what we found. I will get to that later.
After a fleece, the next highest priority on my list was to find a pair of wool combs. I had decided that I would wash and process this year's fleece myself; I was very happy with my experience last year sending my fleece to a mill, but what I got back was roving when I find I really prefer to spin from top. I had researched the vendors carrying the combs I wanted and ended up at Carolina Homespun, the same vendor that sold me my Lendrum four years ago, where I bought these:
These are Valkyrie double pitch extra fine mini combs (and a pad to hold one while in use). I'd done a lot of reading in the Fiber Prep Ravelry group, and these had gotten good reviews, so I'm very excited about them.
There were two fiber vendors whose booths I wanted to visit -- Loop, whose "bullseye bumps" I'd looked at last year and regretted not purchasing, and Into the Whirled, a new vendor this year. Both booths were conveniently located in the main building (where I already was to make the first two purchases of the day), so I stopped by and picked up the following beauties:
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| Wisteria bullseye bump -- 4.6 oz. blend of merino, bamboo, tussah silk, and angelina |
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| Nebula drum carded batt -- 4-4.5 oz. blend of 85% Polwarth/15% silk |
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| Gale's Art Blueface Swirl, 4 oz., colorway Velvet Elvis |
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| Verdant Gryphon Eidos, 4 oz./420 yds., colorway Hathor |
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| Miss Babs Color Affection kit -- Yummy Sock in Peony, Impatiens, and Lilacs (4 oz./400 yds. each) |
I bought a little more than I was planning, but I'm really happy with all my purchases, especially the ones I spent several hours playing with today:
I wanted to buy one fleece, but I ended up coming home with two half fleeces -- a Rambouillet on the left and a gorgeous deep chocolate brown Merino X on the right. My fleece shopping friend and I each found a good one, so we decided to split them both. Each was about 8 pounds, I think, so I have an awful lot of fiber to wash and process. I started in on the merino today. It's quite sticky -- lots of lanolin! -- but I think you can see why I picked it when I show you this detail shot:
Isn't that crimp spectacular? We saw the sheep from the farm this fleece came from when we were touring the sheep barns on Sunday morning and found that the sheep were coated -- which explains why this fleece was so clean. The Rambo is pretty spectacular, too:
I'm really interested to see how this will wash up, as the locks seem to be multicolored, but I can't tell if some of that might be dirt. My plan is to try to wash a batch up every evening, if I can, and maybe a couple over the weekend. I know it will take me a while to actually comb or card it all, but I want the fiber to be clean at least.
All in all, it was a great, if expensive, weekend. I'm going to have lots of fun with the stuff that came home with me, and I'm fairly certain my wallet is glad that this won't happen again for another year!
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