Granny stripes forever... Seriously.

Hi. How ya doing? I've missed you!

Lately, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about music, about health and wellness, about writing and poetry. And, usually, these thoughts are accompanied by knitting or crochet.

That much pondering requires slow, meditative projects that don't distract my mind from the more important topics at hand. Shawls are great. Hats are wonderful. And then there's my old standby -- a granny stripe blanket/throw I began in 2018. 

Early on, my stash of yarn scraps was plenty to satisfy my craving for color and nostalgia. But as the years wore on, I started accumulating leftovers from a dear friend and her mom. Raiding my stash and (gasp) stealing a few grams from intact skeins. I even purchase a random mini-skein here and there, just because it complements the throw's eccentric color palette.  

Funny thing is, though, that no matter how much time, effort and yarn I throw at it, my granny-stripe blanket hardly seems to grow. It's like knitting sleeves... You keep working and working, thinking, "Maybe 12 more rows/stripes and it'll be big enough." Then you measure the blanket 12 rows/stripes later and it's still far from being done.

Kind of like my blog. I let it languish and assume no one's reading, then I check one day and see people are still reading. It just keeps going, as if it has a life of its own.

Don't get me wrong. I love writing, knitting, crochet, blogging and so on. But I apparently assumed no one was reading and wandered off one day... 

So my question is: Are you still reading knitting/crochet blogs? Would you be interested in a Knit*Six reboot? Because I'm thinking that, if you're willing to drop by and say hello now and then, it might be fun to reconnect and see where it takes us...

Leave me a comment to let me know... And I'd love to hear what kind of content you'd enjoy most!

Granny stripes forever... Seriously.

FO Update: Love Note Sweater

Ah, the ubiquitous Love Note. This ultra-popular sweater pattern from designers Alexa Ludeman and Emily Wessel—the duo of design geniuses behind Tin Can Knits—swept through the knitting community like a fluffy storm when first released in May 2019. Six months (and almost 1500 Ravelry projects) later, it’s still going strong. 

I cast on my version on September 29, and considered it “finished-finished-finished" (to borrow from the “Knitmore Girls”) on October 20.* So, three weeks. It might have been done sooner had I not put it on time-out for five or six days while I stressed out about sleeve and body length. More on that later…

In addition to being fun to make, this sweater liberated some “vintage” yarn from my stash, which feels Oh, so satisfying. The pattern calls for two strands, a fingering-weight wool and a lace-weight mohair/silk blend, which you hold together throughout.  

I used Dream in Color “Baby” (lace/light-fingering weight, 100% superwash Merino, now-discontinued ) in the November Muse colorway, a tonal chocolate brown with navy and burgundy speckles. Holding this together with Rowan Kidsilk Haze in Liqueur yielded a rich, wine color that’s exactly what I wanted. And the fabric is so soft and fuzzy I can hardly stop petting it. 

The fit and style of the finished sweater are terrific, but the jury’s still out on a couple of issues that have nothing at all to do with the perfectly-written pattern and everything to do with my own personal preferences: 

1. Kidsilk Haze sometimes sheds and irritates my nose and eyes. My hope is that holding it together with another yarn will offset that tendency. I’ve worn it a couple of times and it’s been OK, so far. So…fingers crossed.

2. Despite lengthening the body and sleeves by several inches, it still feels a bit short. The sweater is meant to be cropped, but I want a lower hem, and like my wrists to be covered when it's cold out.

Regarding the length: Right off the blocking wires, the fit was perfect, but the fabric seems to be floofing back up again (a technical term). A Google search while I was knitting revealed that superwash wool grows approximately 17 - 20% when washed and worn, though, so I’ll give the yarn a while to relax. I’d really, really, really like to avoid undoing the bind-off (JSSBO) and ribbing to extend the hem, as mohair is a major pain to unravel!

Unblocked

If I could go back and give some advice to Past Me, only change I'd make would be to skip the provisional cast-on in the beginning, use a stretchy CO of some sort, and just start with the neckline ribbing. A few knitters on Ravelry did this, and were happy with the results. 

Or, if I wanted to stick with what the pattern recommends, I'd do the provisional CO the traditional way (holding the live stitches on waste yarn). For this sweater, I worked the cast-on over a circular needle, which is great in theory, but a little tricky when you go back to pick up dual strands of fingering and laceweight mohair/silk. 

The Love Note pattern itself is wonderful—simple, quick to knit, clearly written, and size-inclusive (yay!)—the way Tin Can Knits patterns tend to be. It might be fun to knit one up in a DK-weight yarn. Something with a little alpaca blended in would be cozy, with just enough fuzz to blur the edges, without being super-fluffy. 

Please...just look at the sweater!

I do apologize for the sketchy images. My apartment has a nice view, but it is so dark! Someday soon, before Winter really sets in, I’ll ask a friend to help me get some nicer FO photos in natural light. 

*For the uninitiated, finished-finished-finished means a project is off the needles, blocked, and has all the ends woven in. If buttons or a zipper are involved, those would have to be done, too. In other words, as finished as you can possibly make it. And if you're looking for something to listen to while you knit, the Knitmore Girls' podcast is good fun, and has a backlog of 500+ episodes!

FO Update: Love Note Sweater

Blanket Weather! (Crocheted ripples and granny stripes)

Crocheted Ripple Blanket

The first blanket I ever crocheted took almost two years, off-and-on, to make. I started it when I moved back to Maryland in 2015, and wove in the final ends in 2017. 

Feeling desperate for cheerful colors at the time, I chose a basic ripple pattern and picked up a rainbow’s worth of Baby Bee Sweet Delight, a DK/sport-weight yarn from a big-box store I usually try to avoid. Honestly? The color choices offered in this line were terrific. And, for an acrylic yarn, it was surprisingly nice to work with. 

The fabric is just right for napping under on a summer afternoon, or for layering over other blankets in spring and fall. And it’s so bright and happy looking, it lifts my mood all year long.

Now, sometimes man-made fibers can turn harsh and crispy when laundered, so I chose not to wash or block the finished project right away. After many, many cat-and-dog naps, though, I just couldn't avoid it (nor did I want to). 

Nervously, I ran my blanket through the delicates cycle with a little detergent and a splash of white vinegar. Then I put it in a cool dryer for half an hour, and let it finish drying over a rack. And...the blanket stayed nice and soft! Charley gave it his seal-of-approval, so you know it feels good.

Granny Stripes Blanket

Fast forward to October 2019. Our weather is feeling really autumnal, now, and the leaves are finally starting to turn. This week, it was chilly enough indoors that I pulled out the Granny Stripes Blanket I started last year, and finished a few (long) rows. 

I just love the rhythm of crocheting swathes of colorful woolly stripes, especially since I started using Clover Amour hooks. The grips are comfortable, and the tips catch the yarn perfectly. In fact, I liked them so much that I eventually got rid of almost every non-Amour hook I owned. (I'm not an affiliate...just a fan!)

Granny Stripes patterns are a great way to use up gobs of the fingering/sock-yarn scraps I accumulated over the years, as well as a few gorgeous colors from my lovely friend Denise and her mom. You can find several variations on the theme, but I used Attic 24's for inspiration. 

Admittedly, making a blanket with lightweight yarn is a labor of love. It won't be done anytime soon, but a lot of wonderful memories have been crocheted in, and it's the perfect project to pick up when you want something simple and mindless to keep your hands busy. 

When warm weather rolls around, though, this is one project that definitely goes on hiatus. After all, who wants to climb under a pound of wool and work on a giant afghan in the infamous Mid-Atlantic heat and humidity? 

Blanket Weather! (Crocheted ripples and granny stripes)

Meet Hester: A mini-review of my Schacht Sidekick spinning wheel

Hello! I'm back. I'll spare you the boring apologies and excuses for my long absence. 

Let's just give this another try, shall we? 

I've been knitting and spinning up a storm (instead of blogging, perhaps?), and have lots to talk about. For today, let's chat about the little, second-hand Schacht Sidekick spinning wheel I bought (a few years ago). 

One of the hardest decisions I made while living in Washington State was to sell my beloved Kromski Sonata to help fund my move back to the DC/Maryland area. (The yearly 9-month rainy season made me SAD, and, despite being a native San Franciscan, I never did kick my homesickness for the East Coast.) 

I found a lovely buyer, though, who told me the wheel helped her get through some really tough times, so I like to think it was meant to be. 

Eventually, I returned to Maryland, where one of my first goals was to get a new wheel. A brief search turned up a good deal on a used Schacht Sidekick (via Etsy). I’d been tantalized by Schacht’s Sidekick and Ladybug wheels for a few years, and, despite my love for the Sonata, this seemed like a good time to try something new.

Before I go on, let me say: Schacht wheels are amazing in their quality and engineering. And the Sidekick is super-portable, lightweight, relatively simple to collapse (I seldom do this), and offers a unique style and pop of color that I love. 

Still…I really miss my Sonata. 

One issue I’ve noticed is that the Sidekick is a tiny bit shorter. I’m 5’7” (not supermodel-tall, but not short, either), and find myself slouching a little when I use this wheel. That’s probably 100% mindset, and not something I actually need to do, but I did find the Sonata’s higher orifice more comfortable for my spinning style. 

Also, I kind of miss having the wheel facing me side-on, because it helped me keep track of the direction of twist I’m putting into the fiber. Again, this isn’t a deal breaker, and is probably just a matter of minor brain adjustments. But, if I’m being honest, this is something I feel visually-oriented buyers may want to consider.  

What I love about the Sidekick: 

• The wide treadles, which make it so easy to get comfortable
• The well-planted way she sits, never rocking or shifting, despite her overall small footprint (which makes this a perfect wheel for apartments)
• The whispery-smooth, nearly-silent spinning action (except on the rare occasion when I forget to oil her, when she knocked gently, to nudge me)
• The large amount of yarn I can squeeze onto her standard-size bobbins
• The incredibly responsive settings—a hair’s breadth adjustment makes a major difference in take-up

My wheel’s previous owner, an alpaca breeder, “branded” the treadles with a wood-burner to prevent theft at fiber festivals. When she mentioned it, and from the photos I saw, I didn’t think I’d mind at all. However…I find myself a tiny bit annoyed that whoever did the job was inexperienced, and botched it slightly. 

After closer inspection, I also found a few drips in the stain they applied. But, my perfectionistic tendencies can result in some seriously-toxic stress, and these are very minor (and, ultimately, correctable) cosmetic issues that don’t affect how the wheel works. So, I decided not to say anything, and just get on with my spinning.

Ever the anthropomorphizer, I named my wheel Hester, after the heroine in Nathaniel Hawthorn’s novel, The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne bore the injustice of her “mark of shame” with courage, and, despite the odds, went on to build a life for herself (thus thumbing her nose a bit at the Patrimony). 

After all she went through, I felt this little Sidekick deserved a cool namesake. 

In the end, I really do love spinning on this beautiful, well-designed wheel. And, while I would still love to have a Kromski Sonata, it’s unlikely that I'll ever find it in my heart to sell Hester. 

Instead, maybe someday I’ll find a used Sonata calling my name, and become a two-wheel spinner. Stranger things have happened. 

*Links in this post are provided for information only, and are not affiliate links.

Meet Hester: A mini-review of my Schacht Sidekick spinning wheel

Let's Knit Mitts!

Only a few spaces remain in my Smitten with Mittens workshop at Eleganza Yarns this weekend!

Come join me for some mitten knittin' in Frederick, Md. this Saturday (10/9). We'll spend four delightful hours -- with a break for a quick run to Frederick Coffee Co. down the street.

Participants will...
- Learn how to design great looking and well fitting mittens and fingerless mitts
- Explore measuring tips and techniques for unique design features
- Discover the whys-and-hows of different thumb/gusset constructions
- Try out new stitch patterns, cuff ideas, and embellishments for creative, unique mittens

AND, every student will leave with a customized pattern!

Heart in Hand Fingerless Gloves

What you'll need: 200-250 yards of worsted weight yarn for main color, 75-100 yards of several colors of contrasting worsted weight yarn, tapestry needle, sewing needle, colorful scraps of yarn for embellishment

All this for only $60??? What a deal :)

Call the store or sign up online today, and bring a friend!

Smitten with Mittens Workshop
Instructor: Hannah Six
Date: Saturday, October 9, 2010
Time: 12 Noon to 4 p.m.


PS. A special note from me: Please try to purchase your main-color (and contrasting color, if possible) yarn at Eleganza, and do come early to allow enough time for skeins to be wound into center-pull balls.

Let's Knit Mitts!

Cheery Cherry Tea Cozy (a new pattern & preliminary photos)

Finally! A tea cozy cute enough to display on your tea pot year-round...

Cheery Cherry Tea Cozy, drying after a very light fulling

My favorite kitchen designs come from Scandinavia, which often feature ruby red, snowy white, and robin's egg blue. I also happen to like cherries -- always have.

So when we moved into our cottage with its pale aqua-blue walls, there was only one thing to do: Hunt down yards of retro cherry fabric, a perfect-red throw rug, a bunch of yarn (of course!) and get creative.

The result (well, one of them), you see before you... A lovely tea cozy with a draw-string top, juicy intarsia cherries, and chocolate-brown trim. Makes me hungry just thinking about it!

Another view of Cheery Cherry Tea Cozy, sans tripod

Cheery Cherry comes in two sizes to fit classic tea pots. The sample above was made with Ella Rae Classic Wool in light blue and dark brown, a few yards of red and green from my stash, and US#7/4.5 mm circular needles.

The intarsia pattern is straightforward, and you have the choice of knitting cherries on both sides, or only on the front. You could also work the cherry chart on one side and a stranded or embroidered pattern on the other. The options are limited only by your imagination.

Want some Cheery Cherries of your own? The pattern will be available for purchase and immediate download on Ravelry no later than Wednesday, 2 December.

Just in time for last-minute holiday gift knitting (yes, it's that quick and easy).

Meanwhile, to my US (and expat) readers, and to everyone else who celebrates tomorrow's holiday: I wish you and yours a safe and happy Thanksgiving Day. May it include some quiet time for relaxing with your knitting, crochet, or other artistic endeavor. Enjoy!


(BTW: Sorry for the poor photo quality...I can't find my tripod, and my camera is having issues dealing with reds. I'll post some better photos when the cozy is dry and I can put it on my tea pot.)

Cheery Cherry Tea Cozy (a new pattern & preliminary photos)

Destash: Let the yarn sale begin!

Blue Moon Fiber Arts' Socks That Rock medium weight in Gingerbread Dude

Ever since I began designing, my stash has been feeling neglected. As has my, um, bank account...

A firm believer in palliative care, and after careful consideration, I decided to alleviate further yarn-suffering while funding my ongoing design ideas. How, you may ask, do I plan to do this?

Well...I’m having a stash sale!

You think this is a lot? Well, guess what: It's a two-year-old photo!

Are you on Ravelry? If so, here's a link to my destash page. For the "non-Ravelers" among us, here's a list of yarns and prices:

• Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight in Blarney Stone: $18 SOLD
  
• Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Medium-weight in Gingerbread Dude: $19
  
• Claudia Hand Painted Fingering Weight in Pink Dot: $18 for 2 sks
  
• Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Select in Moody Blues: $19
• Classic Elite Alpaca Sox in color 1856 (pink, green, blue): $18
• Hand Jive Knits Nature’s Palette Fingering Weight in Lupine: $18 for 2 skeins
• Margaret Stove Artisan NZ Merino Lace (blues and greens, like a tropical sea) $15
• ONline Supersocke 100 City Color 80: $10
• Cascade Fixation (light blue): 2 balls (enough for a pair of socks) for $10
• The Wool Peddler Silk Solids and Hand Picked Hues in "Dark" (very soft, in deep burgundy, teal, etc.): 2 skeins for $20
• Debbie Bliss Cathay in pink: 1 skein, $5
• Karabella Yarns Kiko in pink/brown/cream colorway: $6
• Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted (1 in gray, 1 in black): $5 each
• Lorna’s Laces Lion & Lamb in Irving Park: $20 ea OR 4 skeins for $72 (that's enough for a Clapotis!) SOLD

Margaret Stove Artisan NZ Merino Lace

I’m willing to ship to addresses outside the USA (we can work out the postage). And you can pay via PayPal, which is very secure.

Please drop me a line at KnitSix@gmail.com or PM me on Ravelry (I'm KnitSix) if you see something you'd like to have in your own stash. Thank you!

Hannah

Destash: Let the yarn sale begin!

Villette: A lacy new sock pattern for spring (and a great novel, too)!

Permit me to introduce Villette, my latest sock pattern, now available as a Shalimar Yarns exclusive. Created especially for the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, Villette features a ribbed cuff that flows into a gorgeous rippling lace, reminiscent of the flowing lines so popular during the Belle Epoque.

In my opinion, a special sock deserves a special heel. In this case, the lace melts into a delicately braided pattern framed with garter stitch, which mimics the ridges in the leg pattern...
A simple Dutch heel is easy to turn and creates a slim line along the ankle and foot. From there, the knitter returns to the lace pattern--centered along the instep and set off with purl and twisted stitches--down to a traditional wedge toe with two finishing options.

Shamelessly, I must admit that I LOVE this sock! It speaks to me in the language of a bygone era, one which I often wish I could have experienced--as a Vanderbilt or Astor, of course ;-)

The name I borrowed from the title of the lovely, melancholy Charlotte Brontë novel, in which an independent young woman beset by grief and financial woes begins anew in the French town of Villette.

An aside: If you are unfamiliar with Bronte's work (beyond Jane Eyre, of course), please do yourself a favor and pick up Villette. If you love English Lit, you'll may find, as I did, that it's a page-turner. Honestly--it kept me up late at night, wanting to know what would happen next!

The specs

• Height: 9 inches from floor to cuff
• Circumference: Approx. 8.5 – 9.0 inches around foot (lace pattern is quite stretchy) Gauge: 8 sts x 10 rnds = 1” in stockinette stitch
• Needles: US #1 / 2.5 mm 32” circular needles (or DPNs or any other method you prefer)
• Yarn: Shalimar Yarns Zoe Sock (100% Superwash Merino Wool; 100g / 450 yds); one skein in “Passion Fruit”
  

This is a Shalimar Yarns pattern. Which means all you need to do to order it is to contact Kristi (yarn-dyer extraordinaire) at Kristi@EleganzaYarns.com or on Ravelry, where her user name is KnitorDie.

In other news
Another Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival has come and gone. Saturday dawned rainy and gray, but by 11 a.m. or so the skies had cleared. Sunday, on the other hand, was truly dark and wet.

But reports were positive, and a good time was had by all--especially my husband, who ate lamb while I wandered through the barns, finding some great bargains among the smaller yarn dyers (like Shalimar and Three Irish Girls, to name two favorites), fiber farmers, and wool vendors.

Despite the fact that their spinning fiber and yarn is often breathtakingly beautiful, many of these so-called "mom-and-pop businesses" and small start-ups don't have Web presences and don't offer their wares in "real stores." Discovering these treasures are, to me, what this is what fiber festivals are all about.

After all, I can always order Cascade, Blue Moon Fiber Arts, and Interweave Press books online right?


PS. We've been experiencing some problems with our Internet connectivity, so my posts may be a bit sporadic for a few more weeks. Thanks for bearing with me!

Villette: A lacy new sock pattern for spring (and a great novel, too)!

El Bandito

Having a little "photo shoot" with a seven-month-old, overgrown Kitten (with a capital K) in the room can be...um...challenging.

For instance, what do you think I said when this:

Note the head movement...


Turned into this:

El Bandito strikes again!

Well, I don't want to offend anyone, so I'll just let you imagine my "exclamation of surprise."

Don't get me wrong, though. Watching him stalk my knitting and/or yarn, and then snag it and take off running, is kind of funny...The spoiled little brat definitely has a sense of humor!

***

In other news, guess what I saw when I looked out my studio window? You have to look close, down by the soil...


See them? BUDS!!! Little green leaves! Holy crap, I think spring is coming! (If you can't see them, just click on the photo to enlarge it.)

Looking out in the other direction, you can see some daffodils getting ready to bloom near the fence and, next to "Mr. Volvo," a smattering of sunshine-yellow forsythia...Yay!


Spring is the season of inspiration for me. I keep hoping to feel as enthusiastic about fall and winter, but even after 20-something years on the East Coast, I must admit that I dislike them pretty intensely. I'll take the San Francisco-Bay Area's eternal spring/summer over frozen, dark, and damp any day!

***

And, finally, remember the before photo from my yarn reorganization? Well, here's the after photo I promised:


The result of my work: A nice, clean studio, with every piece of knitting well protected against the yarn-napping prowess of El Bandito.

Have a wonderful weekend's worth of knitting, spinning, crocheting, gardening, or whatever you love to do!

El Bandito

Kittens and Yarn: A fuzzy, furry hodge-podge

Who, me?

Dear reader: Today feels like an unstructured day, which means this will very likely be a hodge-podge of a post... Yours truly, K6

I've been working on several designs, during the past month or so, but (sigh) I can't share them yet. Two are for sock clubs, and one (shown above in Adorn Sock, in the Brennan colorway) is forthcoming...more are in the works.

As you can see, I've had a little "help" from Charley, who excels at looking cute, even at his most devilish...

For example, I was taking some photos of this worsted-weight Merino. This one-of-a-kind skein's gorgeous color puts me in mind of the Indian Ocean around the Seychelles...Not that I've been there, but one can dream, right? (sigh, again...).

So I'm getting the yarn and windows arranged for photo taking, when what to my wondering eyes did appear, but -- THIS!

Just lookin'... Honest!

Oh, Charley. (Actually, at the time, I uttered something just a little stronger.)

By the way, do you like that color? What would you make with it?

And, last but not least, here's a design-in-the-works that I can show you.

I've been playing around with a scarf idea, using this fruit-punch colored yarn and some great silver beads. After knitting and ripping a few times, I decided I like the beads best on a braided fringe, rather than knitted into the fabric. What do you think?

While you ponder that, feast your eyes on some fibery eye-candy:

Zoe Sock in "Lychee"

See? I told you today would be a hodge-podge...But it's a hodge-podge featuring yarn and a kitten, which makes it totally acceptable, right?

Happy knitting!

Kittens and Yarn: A fuzzy, furry hodge-podge

Featured Artist: Bonnie Rollin

Bonnie Rollin (aka: Mom) is a sculptor, poet, painter, and musician living in Sacramento, Calif. Obviously, if someone is that talented, the sky's the limit. She's done more than I could ever list, and everything she's done has been fabulous.


For example, I remember living in a town house in San Mateo Co., Calif., when I was in third grade. At that time, it was just mom, my sister, and me...a very unusual situation in the mid-1960s. Mom worked hard to make ends meet, but she also managed to make time to create gorgeous oil paintings.

A handful of fabulous tomatoes.

I can still see them, on the kitchen counter, leaning against the cupboards while they dried. And whenever I hear Moonlight Sonata, I'm transported back to the upstairs bedroom, where my sister and I often fell asleep to the classical lullabies mom played on the grand piano below (she went to Eastman School of Music before moving to the Bay Area).

The artist in her studio.

Over the years, she continued to explore art in its myriad forms. Then, in the late 90s, she began to work with clay, turning out some fantastic pottery before finding her passion in sculpture. Recently, she's been working on masks like the two pictured here. Her glaze-work is fabulous -- photos hardly do it justice.


Bonnie's work has been displayed in some pretty cool places -- like Sacramento's Crocker Art Gallery -- and is coveted by art collectors and others who appreciate her unique perspective. (The mask in the top photo, for example, was purchased by a prominent Calif. politician.)

I'm so proud of my mom and her many, many talents. Did I mention she can draw incredible sketches and that she has a gorgeous singing voice? From an early age, I've always considered myself fortunate to have had "the cool mom" on the block -- beautiful, independent, courageous, funny, and just a bit bohemian. She's a big part of who I am today, and is the my #1 role model for the way I hope to be/live as I grow older.

Betcha she's going to hate this photo I took after we went to a yarn store!

I'll share more photos and stories about her work as I receive them... That's just one reason I love having this blog: Being able to feature artists (like my mom) from time to time, and share some glimpses of their work with fiber artists (yes, that's you!) and others who may find inspiration here.

Enjoy!

PS. If you'd like more information about Bonnie's work, just leave me a comment with your e-mail address and I'll get back to you.

Featured Artist: Bonnie Rollin

Happy Christmas!

I don't have a lot to say today -- except, of course, to wish you a lovely holiday -- so thought I'd show you a few pictures of my studio...

All of my stash, except for a few random skeins, is contained under the table and in the plastic bins above.

Those are my writing books on the shelves behind the spinning wheel -- all my knitting books live on a "real" bookcase in the studio and on a second one in the bedroom.

By the way, what you see above is what you have to do to protect your spinning wheel when you have one of these cute little destroyers-of-all-things-valuable...

Yeah, my hand shook a little. Must get tripod.

He's learning, though. Hardly ever touches the wheel, and even knows to leave my knitting alone. Sure, now and then Charley's simply overcome by the yarn and loses control of his actions. I understand. I feel the same way.

I finished these last night:

They turned out well. I love these gloves. You can turn the cuff down over your fingers to keep them warm, and fold it back when you want them to be truly fingerless. And they're made of Dale's (sadly discontinued) Sisik yarn -- fluffy wool and mohair. Mmmmm. This is the third pair I've made, by request, which is a nice feeling :-)

Tonight we're going to make pasties (pronounced PASS-tees): Cornish meat pies enclosed in pie crust, with potatoes, onions, and butter. Lots of butter... In fact, I'm getting hungry now...

So, I'll sign off by saying: Take a few minutes to do something for YOU today, something you love and that makes you happy. After all, it's Christmas!

Happy Christmas!

Yarns from Stitches East!

As promised: Fun stuff about the yarn I brought home from Stitches East...

COTTAGE CRAFT

Cottage Craft 2-ply Wool in Spruce Green (Aran weight/272 yd skein)

Cottage Craft, purveyors (what a fun word!) of exclusive knitting yarns, handknit wool sweaters, handwoven tweed coats, boasts a rich history. Founded in 1915, the company is located in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, in New Brunswick, Canada.

One of my last stops before leaving Stitches--they were located along the far wall, in a booth lined with a dizzyingly colorful display of utter sheepy bliss. In fact, my excitement about Cottage Craft yarns literally made me forget my oh-so-tired feet!

One note before I continue--especially to those seeking the ultra-buttery-soft experience modern knitters seem to crave: This is WOOL. It has "tooth," and feels scrunchy and real when you squeeze it. I happen to adore that feeling. How it behaves when washed and blocked will be interesting indeed, so I'll be sure to keep you posted as I swatch and play.

Cottage Craft 2-ply Wool in Plum (Aran weight/272 yd skein)

My two skeins of two-ply wool can hardly begin to represent the company's mouth-watering colors. This tempting palette, according to the Cottage Craft Web site:

"...reflect(s) the beauty of the landscapes and seascapes surrounding our seaside town. Many of our shades were created by Miss Grace Helen Mowat, a forward thinking lady who began the business in 1915. Each shade reflects rich heather tones, which blend beautifully."

I chose the two-ply wool (with its generous 272-yard put-up) for swatching, playing, designing, and/or knitting some holiday gifts. But Cottage Craft also offers a single-ply, lighter weight wool. With plenty of energy, the single ply is hardly a "dead," over-blocked yarn. It knits up into pretty lace on larger needles, and would make a warm and comforting wrap for the colder months ahead.

Honestly, if you can't trust Canadians to bring you lovely wool and woollen products, who can you trust? Just joking. But it does get cold there! And this Canadian company specializes in the most texturally tantalizing, fabulously woolly, inspiration-inducing yarns I've encountered in a long time. Please, if you enjoy real wool, do yourself a huge favor and buy some. Actually, it's such a great value and amazing product, go ahead and buy A LOT!

***

MAPLE CREEK FARM

Maple Creek Farm Fine Wool Merino (Worsted weight/200 yd skein)

Discovering Maple Creek Farm yarns was another unexpected treat. The fibers and colorways are dangerously, pocket-emptyingly beautiful. It was hard to leave with only one skein, but the skein I did buy is really lovely.

Spun at a mill in Taos, NM, of fleece from Maple Creek's own sheep, this is a soft, spongy Merino with a delightfully quirky texture. It reminds me of handspun yarn, round and elastic, begging to be knitted or crocheted into something special.

Maple Creek Farm started in 2002, with "yarn from our own Merino sheep, a couple of pots, a few burners and a dream," according to the company's Web site. Now, just six years down the road, Maple Creek boasts 25 hand-dyed yarns, eight of which are also available online: three weights of silk/Merino blend; four sock yarns; and one Merino/Mohair blend.

Clearly, this small company is based on a grand love affair of color, fiber, and texture. I can pretty much guarantee that you won't be disappointed with their products.

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One last note: If you do try yarn from either of these companies, do let me know what you think of them...Comparing yarn experiences is half the fun of knitting--to me, at least.

Yarns from Stitches East!

Yarn Stew

Handspun Leftovers: Yarn Stew, anyone?

For the past few years, I've been collecting random bits and bobs of my handspun yarn, throwing it in a baggie with other leftovers. Recently, I pulled the baggie out and realized my collection of handspun ends makes for a pretty combination. So, I've been thinking: Randomly striped scarf? Fingerless gloves? Hat? What do you think?

Shalimar Yarns' new bulky weight yarn--soft as butter. Mmmmm...

I do want to say "Thank you" to those of you who haven't given up on me over the past few entry-less months! In August and September, a tendonitis-type injury sidelined me. No knitting for two months? Horrors! (Just ask my husband...)

For a fiber-holic like me, not being able to knit is like giving up cigarettes. I couldn't spend time around knitters, in knitting stores, or even on Ravelry--being completely unable to join in was just too painful. So I withdrew for a while.

During the past five weeks or so, however, my shoulder, neck, elbow, and wrist began to feel a better, little by little. At first I could knit for five minutes, then 20 minutes, and finally to an hour or two (max) here and there. Believe me: Taking regular rest breaks and doing a few hand and wrist stretches makes all the difference. If you feel discomfort, pay attention! The alternative is awful.

Gorgeous Zoe Sock from Shalimar Yarns in a gorgeous clover-honey color

Since my injury began improving, I've focused on much more "original knitting" (AKA: designing), and am spending a bit of time (health permitting) writing my patterns down. Soon, I hope, they'll be available via my Etsy store, and maybe someplace else, as well ;-) Stay tuned!

Shalimar Yarns Zoe Sock in a color I think of as "Country Lane."
Warm socks (new pattern) coming soon!

Happy knitting, all! See you soon...promise :-)

Oh, and yeah: GO PHILLIES!!!!!!!

Yarn Stew