Happy Thanksgiving!

The cooking has been completed, the meal consumed, half of the dishes washed, it is 4:30ish in the afternoon and the sun has set.  Wow!  Another successful Thanksgiving day.  I personally have so much to be thankful for- my loving family, supportive friends, great neighbors and terrific co-workers.  I feel blessed by God and give him thanks for everything.

This week, Tuck, our 9 year old poodle had surgery to remove his bladder stones.  He has done quite well, post operatively.  We are trying to keep him from licking his wounds and he is doing a pretty good job, for a dog.  Occasionally, he forgets and we have to remind him to stop.  It is better than having him wear his "Victrola" style cone shaped collar. With that on, he loses his peripheral vision and runs into things, which he finds upsetting.  On Tuesday, he kept running into my spinning wheel, while I was finishing up my yarn.  I ended up picking him up and holding him- not an easy thing to do!

So, I finally did finish spinning my Polwarth from Cloudlover in the Haunted Vinyard Colorway.  This is for the Knit Girllls SAL/KAL.  I ended up with 350 yards of 3-ply yarn from my 4 ounces of fiber.  I have another 4 ounces that I have not yet spun.  This will be my "safety net," in case I need more.  Otherwise, I will use it in another project, for another time.  Here is my finished yarn:  It has been spun, soaked and is ready to be balled up and cast on-

The official cast on date is December 1st.  I have that long to fantasize about which project to make.  Those calling for chunky yarns are out- this is more of a fingering weight yarn that I have spun.  I could go for the sock patterns- there is plenty of yarn here for that.  There are 2 sock options:  Toe Up Socks with Gusset by Wendy Johnson or Slant by Hunter Hammersen.  I can see this yarn knit into a pair of socks.  I can also see them knit into Susie's Reading Mitts by Janelle Masters.  The Polwarth is soft enough to put it next to your skin.  The other options are scarves/shawls.  I made the Multnomah by Kate Elsa this summer, for my good friend Nancy's birthday.  In order to make this I will have to spin more yarn.  This is a possibility; however, with all of the other knitting and spinning projects I have in mind, not likely......And so that also knocks out the Favorite Scarf Ever pattern by Lisa Bruce, too, as it calls for 400-450 yards.  I have enough to knit the Yvaine shawl by Liz Abinante; however, when I think of the size of the Multnomah, it won't be very large.  I prefer larger shawls.......

Speaking of shawls, I did finish my Citron by Hilary Callis Smith for the Dramatic Knits KAL.  This was knit from Desert Vista Dye works mono-gradient lace weight yarn in the Cornflower colorway.  I increased this by 2 additional sections.  Then, when I got to the ruffled edge, I extended that to 14 rows in order to get a couple of rows of the lightest color on the edge.  I have yet to block this shawl and here is why- with the tools I currently own, I am at a loss as to how to block this curved edge:

But alas, I believe I may have found a solution!  Ultrafine blocking wires from Inspinity on Etsy.  I just ordered a set.  They are supposed to bend for blocking this sort of project.  I am about to find out!

My current project list includes the Starflower Socks by Jeannie Cartmel.  This is for the Raverly Sock Knitters Anonymous group's November KAL.  I am using Knit Pick's Stroll sock yarn in the Rouge colorway.  The good news is that I have through the end of December to complete this project.....

My other current project is the Ruffle Sleeve Pullover by Jil Eaton.  I won this pattern and the yarn, Manos del Uruguay cotton Stria in 2 shades of pink, in a drawing by Lisa Beamer of the 90% Knitting podcast.  Incidentally, she did this drawing as a thankfulness for all of the blessings in her life!  I am knitting this for one of my coworkers- she has a toddler who is just the right size for this pattern.  Besides, she is the person I drew for our Secret Santa at work- perfect!

Upcoming projects include a hat for my daughter.  She has requested a hat of her own color block design.  I plan to use the Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran in black, gray and red, as instructed.  I have ordered 2 of the colors from my LYS, Iris Fine Yarns in Appleton.   After looking at her pattern, I am thinking of using Heather Kinne's Lined Beanie.  My daughter walks home from school and we live in Wisconsin- need I say more?

That's about all I have for this Thanksgiving edition of Knitting Fantasy.  Take care until next time!

A Good Finish

Every project has a finish.  When you have guests over for dinner, at the end of the evening, you finish by saying, "Good night."  Movies finish with credits to those who participated in the project.  A good day of hard work finishes with a peaceful night of restful sleep (or at least that is always my hope!).  Knitting projects finish with a bind off.  I would say blocking, but not all projects are blocked.

So this brings me to my current dilemma.  What is the best bind off to use for my Citron Shawl by Hillary Smith Callis?  I am knitting this in the cornflower gradient colorway of lace weight yarn from Desert Vista Dyeworks, for the Dramatic Knits KAL for November.  Just one more row until I have to come up with a solution:

For anyone who is familiar with this pattern, I have added 2 sections to the original pattern.  I did this in order to get more of the gradient colors into the shawl.  It looks as though I will miss the last color, which is the lightest.  I do not mind this so much, though, because, I had an unfortunate incident with a blueberry Izzie Pop that spewed in the front seat of my car.  Enough said on that topic!

I am looking for a stretchy type bind off.  This is something I have not always had good success with (as evidenced by the single sock knit of some beautiful self-striping Opal yarn, somewhere in the bottom of my closet....waiting for me to cut off, yes, I said cut off, my failed attempt at some kind of a sewn bind off.....which explains the reason that sock continues to sit in the bottom of my closet for over a year, now.....). 

You would think that a person who loves toe up socks would have mastered several different styles of binding off.  Well, now I must confess, the real reason I love toe up construction is that it eliminates the need for the Kitchner stitch.  I learned to compensate for the bind off by knitting my last row with a needle that it 2 sizes larger than the one I used to knit the sock.  It sometimes gives a "loopy" appearance to that last row, but, I can get those socks on and off my feet and up my calf.

I am just really concerned about using that method on this shawl.  So, if anyone has a suggestion (particularly if there is a You-tube demo to be found that goes with that suggestion), I would be most grateful to learn of it!

When spinning yarn, there comes a time to finish as well.  I did complete the spinning of 4 ounces of my Polwarth in the Haunted Vinyard colorway from Cloudlover, for the Knit Girllls SAL/KAL.

My plan is to navajo ply this single into a 3 ply yarn, thereby retaining the integrity of the individual colors in the yarn. 

But before I do any of this, I need to make a run to Target.  I am thinking a nice Apple-Caramel Latte for a breakfast on the run (in decaf and low-fat, no sugar- where's the fun in all of that?) will be a nice way to start this overcast, fall day.  I can dream of apple orchards, picking apples (on a sunny day, of course), dipping them in warm, gooey caramel, yummmmmmm.......  If we cannot have sun every day, we have to find a way to keep the fantasy alive!

Could I be a sockaholic?

I have to ask this question because there seems to be some evidence that I could have a problem:
1) I have just discovered a new source for sock yarn- and yes, I made a purchase!  It is called The Knitter's Brewing Company.
2) Since September first, I have cast on 4 pairs of socks and have completed 3.  I am talking pairs- as in 6 completed individual socks.  Oh yeah, and 1 pair of slippers, which are socks without legs.
3)  I special ordered sock yarn so that I can continue my journey through the Wendy Johnson experience in her book Socks from the Toe Up.  That wasn't so bad in and of itself.  It is what I did when I went to my LYS, Iris Fine Yarns to pick my Mountain Colors Crazy Foot sock yarn in the Northwind colorway. 

I must confess that I could not be satisfied with this beautiful yarn......I bought an additional skein of sock yarn.  This one is the Jitterbug in the Banwy 137 colorway.

 4) Although I currently have the Citron shawl by Hilary Smith Callis on the needles, I have the big Knit Girllls SAL/KAL project going and I am not sure when I will finish either, I just could not resist casting on yet another pair of socks, this evening!  This time I have chosen the Starflower Sock pattern by Jeannie Cartmel.  I am doing this in the Knit Picks Stroll in the Rouge colorway.

 5) I am a member of the Ravlery group Sock Knitter's Anonymous.  Somehow, I feel that my participation in the activities in this group is adding to my addiction. 

I can  at least take heart in the fact that I have knit a pair of socks for each of my children.  Their toes will be toasty whenever the snow finally falls here in North Eastern Wisconsin!

Now, a bit more on the SAL/KAL for the Knit Girllls.  We are spinning the 100% Polwarth in the Haunted Vineyard from Cloudlover.  There has been a problem and shipment of fiber and yarn has been delayed.  Because of this, Laura, aka LaLa has graciously said that the deadline will be postponed.  What sweetheart she and Leslie, aka udon'tcallmeles are!  I really feel bad for Cloudlover!  She is an awesome indie dyer and she expressed her frustration and sorrow over this situation.  In the end, this will all work out well for everyone, I have no doubt.

So as I spin the gorgeous Polwarth fiber, I have discovered several things about it.  It is soft, like I cannot tell you!  It does not itch and will be great next to the skin.  The fiber, itself, spins thin, strong and beautiful.  My original plan was to fractal ply this- you split the fiber so that when you do the double ply, you have less chance of long areas of the same color touching.  This gives a nice barber pole/candy cane effect to the finished yarn.  As I spin this yarn and see the depth of colors coming out, it is screaming to be navajo plyed.  This makes a 3 ply yarn where the colors only touch the same colors and there is no barber poling/candy cane effect.  I consulted with my dh, Jim and he agrees with me.  I wonder what any one else thinks about this?  If you care to comment, I would be interested in anyone's opinion.

It is late.  The time changes in the wee hours of the morning; however, it is still late even with that in consideration.  Until next time- Keep the fantasy alive!

Milwaukee was great!

This past weekend we went to Milwaukee.  Our lovely daughter, Nancy, was able to take some time off on Friday to "hang out" with us, her parents.  She brought me a lovely orchid, which I am hoping will

last as well as my philodendron- the only plant I have not killed!

On Friday night, she had us meet up with her boyfriend, Neil Subel, and his parents, Greg and Gina.  We went to the Packing House, south of the Milwaukee airport for a wonderful fish fry!  Those had to be some of the tastiest potato pancakes ever!  We then went to Greg and Gina's cozy home in Muskego.  They have a fantastic bar set up and I felt very comfortable there.  On Saturday, we experienced the Elegant Farmer.  The "pie in a bag" there is soooo good, as are the apple cider doughnuts, across the street.  After that, it was on to the Harley Davidson Museum.  That was a great place!  Here you see my husband, living out his fantasy!

It was a great trip and it was so good to see our daughter, Nancy, too.  I am just glad to be back home and to get back into the "swing" of things, though.

And so, what is swinging around here?  Well, I managed to finish spinning and navajo plying the last 8 ounces of my Crown Mountain 100% Corriedale in the As Above So Below colorway.  I got 525 yards out of it.  I think I only had 423 of my previous 8 ounces......next time, I will have to watch my gauge better, as I spin.  This is something that my spinning buddy, Ann Kreig taught me- check your guage by using a weight on a length of spun yarn to see what the 2 ply will look like.  Remove a small sample to keep with you as you go and check it each session for comparison.  Thank you Ann!

Now that I have finished that project, on to the Knit Girllls SAL/KAL.  I  have my Cloudlover fiber ready to spin, next.

As for knitting, my current project is still the citron shawl for the Dramatic Knits KAL in the Desert Vista Dyeworks Cornflower gradient.

This has gone from the deepest color to the next, but they are so close, it is hard to see.  Since the fiber above arrived, I have not done much knitting- I am spinning like a mad woman to get that going.  Soon, I will find more time for knitting.  I still have not decided which pattern to knit for the Knit Girllls KAL- I am going to have to decide soon, as I will need to know how to spin the yarn for the project. 

I would like to thank anyone who is reading this blog for taking the time.  Have a great day!

Yarn Swift and Ball Winder

There are some tools that a knitter must have and there are other tools which are optional.  Personally,  I could not knit without my knitting needles.  They don't have to be circular or double point, they just have to be the size I need to get the correct gauge and have a pointy enough end to pick up the stitches.  I feel that my crochet hook is a necessity for me.  Many people can get away without one- they are the people who do not drop stitches that fall several rows down, like I do.  Many people have found they can knit cables without the use of a cable needle. 

So where do the yarn swift and ball winder fall in all of this?  Well, they are not necessary.  I have used family members, chairs and banisters as swifts.  The chairs and banisters are not preferred, but, at least they don't complain about the task.  Enough said.

Just today, as I was winding my gorgeous lace weight yarn from Desert Vista Dyeworks, in the Cornflower mono gradient colorway, I thought about how useful my swift and ball winder have become.  In a way, my ownership of these 2 tools makes me FEEL more like a real knitter than a crafter who knits.  Maybe this is because it takes me less time to wind the yarn and gives me more of that precious commodity to spend knitting!

Here is my new yarn, wound this morning, for my Citron KAL, which I am doing with Dramatic Knits podcast:

Progress is being made on my current project- Sunrise Socks by Wendy Johnson in the Fibernymph Dye Works Popeye's Revenge colorway of the Squoosh base yarn.  I finished the first sock last night, as I watched the Cardinals win the 3rd game of the world series.  I just could not go to bed without starting the second.....:

For Spinning, I am still working on the Crown Mountain Fibers As Above So Below 100% Corriedale.  Here is my progress on that:

I am still waiting on my Cloud Lover fiber for Knit Girllls SAL/KAL to come.  That will be in the Haunted Vineyard colorway......looks gorgeous in the pics.


Ok, so let's see how far along I make it before I crash and burn in the time management department!  Because I am starting the Citron a few days late, that will be the first item that I put aside.  In the meantime, I look forward to getting it started because that yarn is so pretty and I have been dreaming of knitting that shawl for quite some time, now.......

Until next time:  Have fun!

Welcome to your knitting fantasy!

We all have fantasies in our lives.  Some of these become goals.  Eventually, a few may even show up in the realities of our lives!  I find this same pattern in my knitting.  I cruise through the pattern search on Ravelry or watch my favorite podcasters talk about their current projects and fantasize about the gorgeous possibilities. Occasionally, I stop and put a few of these in my wait list.  Fewer still make it into my queue.  Every once in while, I find myself knitting one of these patterns, at which time it becomes a reality in my life. 

 My current fantasy has suddenly sprung into the reality of my life- blogging!  Now, my goal is to see if I can keep this up on a regular basis.  I do pretty well with my knitting and spinning- which I plan to use as the central theme of this blog. 

So, here we go!
Spinning:  Currently on my wheel I have the Crown Mountain 100% Corriedale in the As Above So Below colorway.  This combination of different shades of blues and greens resembles a deep water color.  I am spinning on my Louet S10 DT.  I have already completed 8 ounces, which was navajo-plied.  I am currently working on the next 8 ounces.  It is coming out in a fingering weight.  I am dreaming of a warm shawl pattern.

Coming up spinning:  As a member of The Knit Girllls group on Ravelry, I plan to participate in the upcoming SAL/KAL.  I have pre-ordered my roving from Cloud Lover.  I am still dreaming about the pattern choices and have not made up my mind which to knit.  More to come on that....

Knitting:  On my needles I have 2 projects- the Wananananana Bat Shawl! by Emilee Mooney.  This pattern is knitting nicely in the Malibrigo Sock Yarn in Rayon Vert.  I will not finish this by Halloween and that is ok.  It will hibernate nicely until I can spend more time with it (or until I join another stash down that allows me to finish projects....).  I anticipate a completion date prior to 10/31/12.

My second project is a pair of socks for my son.  He is getting the Sunrise Socks by Wendy Johnson knit out of Fibernymph Dye Works Squoosh in the Popeye's Revenge Colorway.  He came by today and approved the project! 

Coming up in Knitting:  As soon as my Cornflower Mono Gradient yarn from Desert Vista Yarns arrives, I will casting on the Citron as part of the Dramatic Knits KAL.  This is a shawl I have admired for a looooong time.  This will be fun to try an new indie dyer, at the same time.

Once my Roving from Cloud Lover is spun, I will be ready to cast on for the Knit Girllls' KAL.  We get a choice of patterns.  I have narrowed the field to the Thorpe hat, Susie's Reading Mitts, Favorite Scarf Ever, or Sugared Violets Shawl.  If anyone reads this blog and cares to share an opinion on this, I would greatly appreciate your input!  The yardage should not be a problem as I did pre-order 2 braids of roving.

Fall is a very busy time of year in our house!  As the days shorten and the dark hours lengthen, so will the time I spend knitting.  Please join me again for more dreams, plans and realizations in our knitting journey!