Yarny Chatterings

I am still so jazzed after yesterday! A spinning wheel. Oh my! The whole experience of being in the yarn shop –not just the barn yesterday—but the visit before yesterday—it made a very big impression on me.
I had already been kicking the idea around, as you know, of not just getting rid of more of the clothing/etc in my house (and R’s house too at this point) –but also of cutting down on when and WHY I buy, and how much I buy, clothing-wise.
As I walked through that yarn shop, inhaling that radiant smell, touching the most delicious fibers, stroking and enjoying, and being blown away by some of the textures—flax and softened hemp—silk—llama—angora—so many wools—entirely too many combinations of yarns…my poor little knitter’s heart rat-a-tatting a million miles per second…that desire to be a part of that existence again touching the edges of my heart, flooding into my brain, suffocating my will to finish other things first….
The spinning wheel and spindle demonstration simply pushed me over that remaining precipice and I dove in head first.
After that initial journey into the Weaving Department’s yarn shop, I made a decision to not buy anything else, clothing-wise, except essentials and what not—as I planned, right then and there, to knit up whatever I might want or need.
So long have I been a firm believer in why should I buy yarn, knit, and fight my way through a sweater, any sweater (for myself), when a thrift stores sells these beautiful sweaters for $1 or so in the most exquisite fibers that I probably would not be able to afford anyway…and as I stood staring at a cotton/llama/wool blend yarn the other day, it all became much too clear to me. All the other little pieces that have been falling upon me, struggling to connect to other pieces that float around in my brain…one more inhale in that store and I had too many pieces tumble together and finally make sense to and for me.
It’s not about QUANTITY. It’s about creating something you love, making it w love, and wearing it with pride. Even after it pills up after years of use and loving wear.
I have been thinking I need more shells and tank-top-esque tops for this coming season…and they should not be horrible to knit, since I am planning to use at least a US7 to knit them, rather than the US4 or 5 I normally see some of these patterns requiring. I’m sorry—I may not need instant gratification, but spending months knitting one garment won’t do. Especially given all the shawls I have currently upon my plate.
The Avenue Q shawl is not even halfway done, but it is all stockinette stitch, so it’s not a hardship to knit it or anything.

The planned wedding shawl has gone from Faroese style—to long rectangle. Not too wide, but wide, and probably longer than most would think it should be. Normal shawl length is what? Roughly the length of the arms? Which for me would put it at about six feet. I would prefer something more in line with 8 to 9 feet long, so that there is plenty of draping. I also want an alpaca/silk blend yarn, roughly DK or sport weight, something in that range. Something w a little bit of fluff, but something that definitely shows off stitch definition, because this will be more of a lace piece than a substance piece.

The dove grey dress shawl, which I guess I shall have to begin to call the Symphony shawl now, is also going to be a rectangle. But more on the thin side, rather than the wide side. I am thinking more soft and fuzzy, much fuzzier than the wedding shawl…not quite angora, but not the brushed mohair of the Avenue Q shawl either. And while the wedding shawl shifts from soft blues , since the dress is ice blue, to warm creams—sometimes I even think, maybe, a white…but probably not…I can’t really see white for a wedding. ‘Traditional’ for one person does not mean traditional for me—white is the color of death—and I am not wearing that to my wedding…I am not even sorry there. While the wedding shawl color shifts—the symphony shawl does not—I want a nice pale pale soft grey color for that.

Yes, for these shawls, I will be designing the patterns myself. Or more to the point, I will be test knitting the patterns I wrote out in what 2007? 2008? That have been sitting here waiting for me to get around to me.

That brings me to my other…goal…project. That knitting book. I wrote an entire knitting book, mostly of shawls and smaller square type projects (no hats, no socks, yada yada)—I based the premise of the book on something I am not real keen on any more…I have a great deal more knowledge, and not just of knitting either, at my disposal. I have evolved. I have turned things around. I have moved and have moved on. All the essays, though still pertinent to other people, are no longer pertinent to me. I need to find another outlet for those essays, and then re-write and re-structure that book. I was actually thinking of breaking things down in such a way that rather than have this entire book…I sell it out, pattern by pattern, as I test knit and perfect the patterns. Plus, now that I have more knitting and more crocheting under my belt, I have a much better understanding of how to get my point across to other people…rather than my normal ramblely digressions…

So—there is my current fiber update.
Of course, if there is anyone locally who can give me information on buying wool fiber/roving locally from the actual producer (as in, can I go to the farm and pet the sheep please? ) oh please let me know…not that I am against buying my fiber from the weaving dept…but field trips to farms…we’re back in Heaven again here….lol

Enjoy!

Tuesday Update

Today was not a complete loss.

I decided today I am tired of watching scary Halloween-y type movies for little kids--I watch to see some real horror movies--only to figure out that I should not be watching horror movies alone at night here...so I watched the Love Guru instead...ahhh...so much to say there...and yet...I think I'll leave it to another time.

So--not a wasted day today...My kitchen was clean for a few minutes.  Then I made soup in the crock pot -- didn't want to make pie out of the blue hubbard squash.  I wanted soup.  I improvised...I had forgotten how enticing the smell of browning onions and apples could be...that's all I will say for now...

I sewed together the one faery doll that's been lying around here waiting for me to get around to her...She's a bit lopsided and off-kilter, but that doesn't take away from her beauty.  I discovered it is easier to seam this doll without turning her inside out--adn the seams look so much better this way too.  Imagine that.  I improvised on the dress completely.  My hands did not really want to cooperate w knitting--so I crocheted the dress--which made me remember why I don't normally crochet w caron simply soft--it splits very easily...but I did it and I am proud of the way everything turned out.  Right down to the scarlet panties the doll wears!

I also finished the much anticipated fried egg ear muffs--which is now technically the fried eggs head warmer.  It turned out so nicely that E has requested one as well.  At least I did learn...if I am going to make fried eggs, I need to work the white in worsted weight yarn if I want them to turn out the same size, or even anything remotely close to the same size.  I improvised the headband part as well.

I started a birthday doll--it's late--I know--but that won't make it any less loved.  It's the red heart baby cloud yarn--which is a snot to knit w --and thank goodness I am not crocheting w it or I'd go mad-- but I decided to knit a doll w this yarn--the doll will last longer than the blanket--and the doll won't unravel...I am currently debating on whether to put eyes on the thing--since i have safety eyes--or if I want to leave it completely faceless...I kinda like that option myself....we'll have to see.

I am now officially ticked and needing to make socks.  :-)  My favorite pair of wool/cashmere socks that I bought ever so long ago are now officially worn at the heels ... they may be store bought socks--but they have everything a knitter could ask for--and ever since the first time I have washed them, they have fit my feet perfectly...I mourn my socks--and yet I revel in the fact that I can indeed knit more.  :-)

Pictures are indeed forth-coming.  Only half the issues w the pc have been fixed...apparently I have to find a few more install disks to make it happy--or jsut buy a completely new system...which sounds good to me--since I can reformat this machine, turn it into a linux machine and actually play til my heart is content w a great many things...weird, I know--but appealing to me in a vast number of ways....

More later...

Current Projects In The Works

First of all, I am nearly done with the fried egg ear muffs.  I cannot for the life of me get the second egg to be even close to the same size as the first.  I am using the same pattern, same yarn, same hook.  I even tried a bigger hook and it turned out way too small...I don't know what the heck I did there.

Last time I made fried eggs, I made four, from this same pattern, and they all turned out about the same size and dimensions.  Go figure.

So, when R, N and I went to hobby lobby (before we picked E up from her cousins' house), along with the chibi needles, I picked up worsted weight yarn, instead of the fingering weight yarn the pattern called for--we'll see if that changes anything...I will make the whites up tomorrow.  The yolks are still fine.

I am nearly done with the first of several dolls I am making.  The body is all done.  I am working on the arms before I stuff and sew the doll.  Then I will have to come up w something for clothing...which should be interesting.  I should have worked on the doll today, but we took the kids out and had a lot of fun.

No.  I did not yet cast on that first pair of socks.  I was trying too hard with the magic loop method and two socks at once.  I -- fubar-ed everything.  So, I am going to take it slow, one step at a time, and try one sock at a time, until I actually get the hang of things.  Then I can do the two socks at a time stuff.  I still plan to use the magic loop method.  I still plan to work from the toe up.  And I do plan on getting this done in the coming week.

We are heading to WV this weekend.  To pick up my dad's bike.  It's going to be R's motorcycle, until he buys himself another.  He just sold his old one.  He needs a newer one.  Dad's old bike will be my bike, after I get my bike license.  R has already started talking about a sidecar for the small people to ride along in.
I am actually pretty excited about this.  Getting my license, learning to ride a bike, finally.  I have loved motorcycles all my life.  I've dated guys just because they have a bike--I have looked down on guys who think a vespa counts as a motorcycle on the coolness scale....

I am thinking that on the trip I will be knitting quite a bit--although R has sworn he is making me drive, one way or another.  This is when I will get some real sock workout time in...hopefully....not to mention, sock yarn is small, compact, and won't take up a lot of room.
We're taking a truck, like a pick-up, not a rental/moving truck, up there, so it will be us three in the front seat.  My normal routine of keeping R awake during long trips will not be applicable on this trip.  So, I have to find something else to keep my hands occupied while driving...although I am going to need to take the essence shawl too--because I can work on that one in the dark...hmmm..challenges and ideas...challenges and ideas.

I am looking forward to taking to R to ikea to look at furniture for our new house.  Both of us want better furniture.  Moving gives us both the excuse to toss a lot of stuff out.  E wants to go to the Thirteen Moons to introduce R to the guy who turned a soap bubble into a solid bubble for her (magic trick...pretty neat one too).  Near ikea is my favourite half-price book store -- although R may kill me for more books--but I have a list in my head of the topics I am after and that store always has such cool stuff....books are the main reason I can't just move into his house--nowhere to put them....in my defense...both my kids are just as bad as I am in the books department... and at least R reads--after the past guys in my life...a man who can actually read a book ... it's a very important thing to me...

anyway...

there's my update....

I have chapter one of WTBTN (writingthebreakthroughnovel yahoo group)  to work on tomorrow.
Among other things...

good night...

Other December Fiber Projects

A heavily modified version of a simple tea cozy by Ari Whitlow--I have a very large tea pot.



This is my second attempt at this hat--the first having been not long after I started knitting --when gauge was a real issue w me--needless to say the 1st attempt fit not even Big Foot. This one I am very happy with and I wear it frequently. I double stranded two red heart super savers--one was maroon, the other a variegated brown.




The orange pumpkin was made in November, per request. The white one was requested in November--but wasn't made until December. Don't ask me why it took so long. Pattern called Pumpkin by June Gilbank.


Here the Red Baron Flies Again (knitlist pattern by Denise Levs) with modifications per request by E



The hat is a modification from Suss Cousins book 'Hollywood Knits', and I made it, what, 2 years ago? N still loves that thing--he picked out the yarn himself. Instead of knitting it flat, I knit it in the round. I need to make some more of them too.
The scarf, I made myself. Three yarns and a big hook--I made 3 different scarves like this and apparently I thought I took a picture of all three of them--and didn't. I'll probably never see this one again--and N will probably not wear it again because T won't put it on him. Things I knit for the boy instantly vanish once they get to T's house--it's very disconcerting. I won't stop making him stuff though. :-)

Back-Tracking

Pattern
'Little Mermaid Pattern' by Amigurumi Paradise
http://amigurumiparadise.etsy.com


made the pattern myself
may have to dig for details




These are the only things I really made for the December holidays.

E Made It

We're not really certain exactly what it is. All she does is chain stitch. She says it's a hat for a barbie doll or something like that.