Weekend favorites

I always enjoy reading Myrtle's (Truly Myrtle) Share All Things Friday (I think we all do!), because some of the things I love most are things I've discovered from others (like knitting!). I'd like to try to take the weekends here on my blog to do something similar. 

-- I'm starting up an old tradition again, where I go to the local Indie theater to see a film I'm interested in, because I adore film and this has been a fantastic year for it. This weekend I'm going to go see Starred Up, a British film that I keep hearing about from critics. I'm thrilled that it is showing here because this particular theater does not show many international films.

-- I completely missed the boat on Spinzilla, I have just been so wrapped up in work and other things. But I have really enjoyed seeing all the beautiful things that people have been spinning! Especially some of what Alicia (Woolen Diversions) has been working on. I have been spinning a little, but it has actually been for production rather than leisure. I have been learning a lot from the experience!

-- I have tons of finished projects to show you all; however, first I must have a serious blocking and photography session. Does anyone else have a serious backlog of projects like this?

-- Last night I tried A Beautiful Mess' recipe for Honey Roasted Veggies Gnocchi and it turned out to be amazing! I'm definitely going to be making it again when it gets cooler. 

-- Speaking of food, did you know that the idea that MSG (monosodium glutamate) is bad for your health is a myth that scientists have largely debunked? I certainly didn't until I listened to this episode of Science Friday!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and please do share anything interesting you have tried, learned, or heard about!

This Week's Challenges

knit...

Still working away on my Kennedy sweater.  I finished the body quickly because I love the cabled design so much!  Now I'm slogging through the sleeves, knitting them two-at-a-time definitely helps!

spin...

Halfway done with the singles for my Black Jacob 3-ply.  My favorite aspects of this fiber are the smell and the natural color of it.  I think I'll be buying more next time I visit New England!

career...

Thursday I have a graduate school milestone that I have been preparing to face for the last couple of months.  If all goes well and I pass I'll be an official PhD candidate and be able to continue my studies.  I'm nervous and even a little panicky, but stolen moments with fiber and nutritious, homecooked meals prepared by my boyfriend are keeping me sane.

How do you motivate yourself during challenging periods in your life?

Wednesday Works In Progress

knit...
Kennedy... I cast this sweater on because I really wanted to join the Summer Sweater KAL with Very Shannon.  The KAL is going until September, so I think I can pull it off!  The pattern is Kennedy by Anniken Allis and I've just reached the cabling section, I always find that exciting!

Plymouth Yarn Worsted Merino Superwash

spin...
Black Jacob Handspun... I have been dying to start a new spinning project, it has been months since I've spun anything at all!  The only fiber I had available was some leftover black jacob wool that I used to make some handspun socks for my mother a few years ago.  I love working with this fiber, it's always a simple joy.

100% black jacob wool

crochet...
Sock Scrap Blanket... I'm still making excellent progress on the cushion cover.  I'm also learning that learning to join crochet squares is particularly challenging with black, fingering weight yarn.

Araucania Itata Multy

Olive Handspun

Look!  New handspun!  It has been a little while since I have finished a skein that I really feel proud of, but here is a pretty example.

• Spun: June 2013
• Roving: merino/silk blend (Webs)
• Colors: Shiny olive green with specks of red
• Spindle: Schacht 3” Hi-Lo drop spindle (2.2 oz.)
• 3 ply, ~230 yards, ? Ounces, fingering weight

I had some of this fiber left over from my first spin-to-knit project, not enough to do much, but definitely worth spinning.  This is such a nice fiber to spin, it is slick and easy to coax into thin strands.  It is also very soft because of how fine the merino is and the silk content.  

You can also see one of my hairs sticking out in this photo, that frequently happens when I get distracted while spinning.  There is rarely a day when my long hair doesn't get in the way, I dread the inevitable day when one makes it into a lab experiment or a liver organoid starts developing hair follicles.

Blue raspberry BFL

I'm amazed at how quickly I spun this fiber, it was just so soft and comforting to spin.  I bought it last summer while visiting Lisa because I loved the feel of it.

100% Bluefaced Leicester wool

2 ply, ~217 yards, 4.0 oz.

DK weight

Fiber from Wicked Stitch in Wamego, Kansas

I really enjoyed working with this fiber, it was well processed and smooth.  I wasn't really picturing any particular end product for this fiber, I was just enjoying the process.

After I plyed it and admired my handiwork for a little while, I had some fun dyeing it!  The only dyes I have on hand here are egg dyes, so I used four tablets to get a nice bright color.

It did turn out rather bright as you can see.  It definitely reminds me of those blue raspberry dum-dum pops.  I like how it turned out, I don't think I could imagine how it would turn out in the end.

Spinning and new fiber

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A little over a year ago I spun yarn for a warm pair of socks for my mother.  I had some fiber left over that I had sitting in my "someday I'll get to this" craft box.

I needed something to start spinning this week, so I dug out the softest fiber I could find.

I'd say that a merino/tussah silk blend is pretty darn soft.  I'm spinning it as thin as I can with the ultimate plan of making it a lovely 3-ply yarn fit for a cowl.  I'm just in love with this color of green too, it is uncommon.

Speaking of lovely greens, want to see what came to me from Finland yesterday?

This gorgeousness is Polworth from indie dyer Lanitium ex Machina.  When I found this in my mailbox I was surprised to say the least.  First thing I did was text Lisa, my emergency fiber contact, because I had no idea where it came from.  Turns out she was the mystery fiber faerie!  I had a pretty crappy week last week and she went above and beyond to cheer me up.  Thanks again, Lisa!

I hope everyone has a wonderful fiber-filled weekend!

Science, repairs, and spindles

I've been so busy lately that I've fallen behind on many of my hobbies, including blogging.  I'm touched by those of you who were concerned for me, such a wonderful community to be a part of!  I'll be catching up with other bloggers very soon!

I've pretty much finished up spinning and plying this fluffy BFL.  I'm definitely planning on dyeing it and I'm going to have such a hard time deciding what colorway it should be!

I have to warn you iPhone owners that the following image is scary:

Oh no!  It was pretty silly of me, I tripped and it flew out of my pocket.  I looked around and Apple charges $200 for screen repair, not to mention that I have to go phoneless for days, other companies weren't much better.

Then I found resources for doing it yourself, which is much cheaper at ~$20 for the new screen component.  This is a bit of a gamble, because although the phone is pretty simple inside:

...you can still break off your itty bitty signal antenna.  Also, keep in mind that by opening the phone yourself you void all Apple warranty.

I won't lie, this was not the easiest thing I've ever done, and there were times that I was positive I was going to have to buy a new phone.  I ended up stripping the head of a really important screw located right above the motherboard...it wasn't that the repair was difficult, I just wasn't paying enough attention.

I'll leave you with this amazing science video featuring some of my personal heros (Brian Cox's job is to tinker with the large hadron collider!). I'm so fascinated by the world we can't see!


This one is also excellent and it has Carl Sagan (who was so adorable!).

Spindle Love

Thanks to those of you who shared some of your own knitting adventures with me, it was fun to read about, I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who has had some interesting knitting adventures.

I'm not sure if I have ever talked much about the spindles I own.  It might seem strange, but I only own two spindles and I don't think that I need more.  Not only am I an enemy of clutter, but I haven't ever felt the need (desire, maybe) for another.

I currently own two Schacht brand Spindles (the 2.2 oz and the 3.0 oz), and I absolutely love them.  When I took my beginning drop spindle class at Webs, my instructor insisted that all beginners learn on the 3 oz Schacht spindle and I can definitely see her reasoning behind it (by the way, this instructor has a video on how to spin here, she is wonderful). I frequently receive questions from people who are interested in learning to spin, one being which kind of spindle is best to learn with, the larger Schacht is definitely my recommendation.

I absolutely love these spindles for several reasons:
- they are very solid: I cannot even begin to say how many times I've dropped each of them, and they don't even have a mark.
- they are very well balanced and have very simple design (I like simple/functional tools over ornate ones)
- smooth finish so fibers don't snag
- they are two spindles styles in one:

Two common spindle designs are high whorl and low whorl (many people seem to prefer one over the other), the Schacht Hi-Lo's are equipped to be either one.  High whorl is with the whorl (the disk) on top, low whorl is with the whorl on bottom.  I was taught how to spin high whorl and I prefer it.

So, why do I own two spindles for my all spinning needs?

In general, the larger the spindle the higher weight yarn you will spin with it.  So, I use my smaller, lighter spindle the most, and for spinning most singles.  I find it easier to ply with the larger, heavier spindle because it allows me better control over the twist and it has more room for storing the spun yarn.  However, when I was first learning, I found the larger spindle to be easier to work with.

I've started spinning some really lovely, soft BFL right now.  I plan on subjecting it to a dyeing experiment later once it's spun and plied.

I'm always happy to answer spinning questions and love hearing about spinning experiences, so please always feel free to contact me about anything spinning related!

Note: I have not received any compensation or request to review these products, I'm simply giving my own personal opinion on them.

Work-in-progress Wednesday - #16

Whew, first work-in-progress wednesday in a while!  I'm so excited to share some wonderful progress with you this week!

Knitting:
I was able to make a little progress on Winifred during my flight home.  I'm at the slow stockinette stage right now, but I'm finding it oh so soothing to knit.  I simply cannot wait to wear this sweater!

Crochet:
I've been slowly amassing granny squares made out of scrap yarn.  It is so satisfying to watch the bag of leftover yarn dwindle and my pile of colorful squares grow larger!

Spinning:
This fiber I've been spinning has a special story, one that I will share with you sometime in the future.  Obviously I've missed spinning because this project is coming together very quickly.

I hope that you are all having a great Wednesday and I hope that you also join in for WIP Wednesday with Tami's Amis.

Fiber Goals for 2013

Last year I really enjoyed the experience and challenge of working towards specific knitting and spinning goals.  I wasn't able to complete all of the goals on the list for 2012, but it was so enjoyable that I have decided to compose another list for 2013.

Knitting:
- Finish self-designed sweater

- Complete entrelac project

- Knit upcycled yarn

- Improve finishing skills


Spinning:
- Design e-spinner

- Learn to spin with supported spindle

- Learn to chain ply

- Process and spin raw mohair fiber


Planned projects:
- Gnarled Oak Cardigan
- Celestarium
- Arroyo
- Winifred
- Paloma Cap Sleeve Blouse
- Water and Stone
- Entrelac Hat
- Skew
- A Very Braidy Cowl
- Effortless Cardigan
- The Dude

I'm looking forward to this year and all of the yarn it will bring with it!  I wish you luck in your own resolutions and goals!

Reflecting on 2012

Since today is the last day of 2012 (whew, what a year!), I decided to sit down and reflect on my fiber accomplishments for this year.  That is one of my favorite things about writing a blog, it allows me to go back in time in a sense.  I definitely learned a lot of new things and knitted a lot of fun and challenging projects!


Upcycling thrift store sweaters:

- Acrylic/Wool upcycling disaster
- Upcycling cashmere
- Upcycling soft wool


Tutorials:

- Dyeing with tea
- QR code yarn labeling system
- Organizing stash with recycled materials


Knitting without a pattern:

- Textured cowl
- Scrap blanket


New experiences:

- Spin to knit sock
- Steeking
- Granny squares


Dyeing:

- Dyeing for a project
- Dyeing with Wiltons food dyes
- Dyeing with egg dyes


Handspun:

- Lagoon merino
- Brown alpaca
- Lilac
- Silk hankie

- Pretty pink alpaca
- Targhee jewel
- Cotton candy
- Romney

In addition to having over a hundred posts here this year, I have been so incredibly fortunate to meet so many knitters, crocheters, and spinners from all over the world.  You all are so talented and creative, and inspire me every day.

Looking forward to another wonderful year!

 

Romney Handspun

Look everyone!  I finally finished something!

I had no idea that finishing something substantial would make me feel this good.  I have remembered that this is one of the reasons I knit and spin, that rush of satisfaction that I get when I wind that handspin into a (un)tidy skein or weave in that last end on something I simply cannot wait to wear!

Sorry...back to the handspun...

This is handspun from 100% Romney wool, it is 2-ply DK weight and about 220 yards.  It has a rough edge to it, but I felt that it should, it is a rugged sort of fiber.  I love the nice natural color too.

In knitting related news, last weekend I went to a bookstore to look for a specific magazine, predictably I didn't find it, but look what I did find:

Apparently Barnes and Noble carries a large array of knitting magazines!  To many of you this is probably old news, but I had no idea!  I always assumed that they might have Vogue Knitting and Interweave, but not such a wide selection (and some I had never seen before).  

Also, this post is brought to you thanks to iPhoto's Photostream which has allowed me to be even more lazy by automatically downloading the photos on my phone to my home computer right after I take them.  I love technology.

Now, back to the books for me, I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Where do the hours go?

I have to be honest, not a lot of knitting has been happening lately.  Life has just sped up on me suddenly, before I know it the day is over and no time remains for knitting or reading.  I'm not sure why  I thought that graduate school wouldn't be too much different from undergraduate.

The special sweater has been placed in time out, I have been struggling with the shoulder shaping and I just don't have the time or brain power to think about it right now.  But someday this warm little creation of mine will be finished.

It is also very difficult to knit when my kitty decides that a project is just the perfect place for a nap and she is so happy that I don't have the heart to move her.

I have been able to find little bits of time to work on my lastest spinning project.  I love the smell of the wool and watching the fiber wrap around each other, spinning is just so relaxing!

A lot of my time is spent studying or preparing for exams and presentations, being a scientist is hard work!  I am loving it though, especially now since I found out I get to work with data from ENCODE.

For the science nerds out there, learn more about this, it is amazing.  For everyone else, still be excited, this project is going to lead to so many breakthroughs in disease research and personalized medicine.

Lastly, I have waited to have my own kitchen for a very long time, I suffered through college food (which is worse when you are vegetarian) for too long.  Now that I finally have a kitchen, I want to make everything (even if it is a little too difficult).  Last weekend I made a baby dutch pancake (the best!) and somehow it didn't cook right and ended up smoking.  Now I know that my smoke detector is quite sensitive...

I've also been having some health problems (nothing life threatening), so I may not be posting regularly for a while.  But I still enjoy reading and commenting on your posts everyday!

Work-in-progress Wednesday - #15

I have been a very bad crafter, I cannot seem to keep focused on any one project as of late!  This means that nothing is getting done!

I've been working on two sweaters, a scrap pillow, a shawl, some handspun, and a mystery sewing project (still in it's infancy).  That is just too much for one busy graduate student to handle! 

Now I am going to impose absolute project focus until at least one of them is finished.  

First I have a project regular readers will recognize, it is like an old snuggly friend.  My self-designed sweater has the main body and one sleeve complete, the novelty of working with my favorite alpaca/wool blend has certainly not worn off yet.

Next I have my latest spinning project, which is so much fun already!  This summer I went to visit my dear friend Lisa (Wicked Artsy), during the visit we visited a few LYS and I purchased some gorgeous Romney wool.  It is an absolute dream to spin and I have a feeling that I'm going to adore the end product. 

So, those are my two focus projects, now I need a bit of help from each of you...if you find out I have been working on any other projects than those pictured here, heckle me!  It's for my own good!

I hope that you are all having a great Wednesday and I hope that you also join in for WIP Wednesday with Tami's Amis.

Cotton Candy Handspun

You've all had to put up with me moaning about my failed attempt to dye this poorly processed fiber.  But finally I forced myself to sit down and finish spinning this icky fiber.  I'm surprisingly happy with how it turned out, just look at that texture!

I'm really not a fan of pastel colors or of wool that resists spinning up softly, but honestly, it could have been much worse.  Also, according to the Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, Cheviot fiber is "chalky" and doesn't dye very brightly, which is exactly how I would describe my experience.

- Finished: September 2, 2012
- Fiber: 100% Cheviot wool (The Woolery)
- Spindle: Schacht 3" Hi-Lo drop spindle (2.2 oz.)
- Other Information: 1 skein, 1-ply, ~225 yards, 2 oz., fingering weight

The fiber I spun was fairly short staple and very tangled (do I wish I had a comb), which was frustrating.  However, it looks lovely spun into singles, that may have to be what I do with the rest of the fiber I have stashed away. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Monday!  Happy crafting!

What's in my library

I don't buy a whole lot of crafting related books, I usually reference the internet for techniques that I want to learn and I vastly prefer patterns from Ravelry to those in dedicated pattern books.  However, there are a few books that I do own and reference frequently.

Spinning:

Respect the Spindle by Abby Franquemont:  If you are new to spinning or if you are fairly experienced, I would wager that you can learn something new from this book.  The photos are wonderfully descriptive and she perfectly describes (at least for my learning style) a variety of techniques.

The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook by Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius:  If you love fiber, this is such a fun book to just pick up and flip through.  There are so many amazing fiber options out there and this book describes many of them in detail.  I especially love how they provide great photos of the raw fiber, spun fiber, and knitted yarn to give you an idea of the texture.

Dyeing:

Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece by Gail Callahan: Much of what I learned about dyeing is from this book.  It provides detailed instructions on so many different techniques and the chapters are so well written, this woman knows what she is talking about.

Knitting:

The Principles of Knitting by June Hemmons Hiatt: This is a new addition to my knitting library.  This is probably the most comprehensive knitting resource I have ever seen, as soon as I opened this book I wanted to read half of the chapters.  The only problem I have with this book is the lack of photos in sections describing complex techniques.

Socks from the Toe Up by Wendy Johnson: This is the only pattern book that I have ever found where I love every single design in it.  I learned to do toe-up socks two-at-a-time from this book, her instructions made so much sense to me and the photography is gorgeous.

What are some books that you just had to buy or continue to keep coming back to?