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Showing posts from 2014

Latest Spinning

I haven't spun since September, when things got really hectic at work. I also haven't posted my latest yarn, finished in September. It is eight ounces of Falkland, Hello Yarn's " Mignardises " colorway. From what I could Google, the word means, "Small sweet tid-bits served at the end of the meal (after dessert), usually with coffee." I ended up with about 700 yards of worsted, spun woolen from fauxlags . Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Copper Topper

As mentioned in the " Chritmas Mitts " post, I made a " Cropped Topper " (original design name) from Vogue Knitting. I used the recommended yarn, as it is what drew me to the vest in the first place. I have a pin holding the lower fronts together for the photos. I may wear it with a scarf pin. The stitches are loose enough, a small button is also an option... Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Chris' Christmas Sweater

I wanted to make Chris another sweater for Christmas. I have only made him one, " Devon ," back in 2011. Chris likes the way that one fits (a bit over-sized), and so I used the same pattern... adjusted for a much smaller gauge and not including the cables. I also made the sleeves a bit shorter, so he wouldn't have to fold them back. I guess he likes it! Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Merry Christmas Scarves

I have all but one of the Christmas scarves done... I am still working on Mitchell's scarf. He asked for a "Lord of the Rings" scarf, without having any idea what he was asking. That one is taking me longer. Maybe I can get it done by the end of the year. Merry Christmas, Lisa Kay

Christmas Mitts

My first two knitted Christmas gifts are gifted. They were mittens for the two teachers in Mitchell's classroom. I used Peggy O'Grady's " Arc Mittens " pattern, again. I really like the pattern as a quick gift. The pattern is in Interweave Knits' "Accessories 2011" issue. The first pair used Trendsetter Yarns Vigna in the colorway "Tiger's Eye," held together with a strand of brown mohair, for fluffiness. (These two yarns were left over from a project I haven't posted, yet... Hint: this vest .). The second one is a handspun, the " Loch Ness " I spun at the end of 2013. I held two strands together, and it still only used just over half the ball, so I suppose I could still make some fingerless mitts with the rest. The Merino/Silk/Angora is super soft and very warm, so it makes mitts that feel wonderful to wear. Mitchell took these gifts to school on Friday, so it is safe to post them, now. :) Happy Knitting, Lis

Wax Museum

Mitchell has been working on a semester project called, "The Wax Museum." They had to pick a historical figure and write a paper... with bibliography using at least three references. (I don't remember doing that until about fifth grade...). They also had an oral presentation where they had to dress as their character and recite their speech whenever anyone pushed the red button. At least they let them use note cards! Mitchell was Abraham Lincoln. Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Halloween Ninja

I'm going to miss Halloween this year, for the first time, due to work travel. Mitchell is pretty laid back about it, but I am awfully disappointed. I got him into his costume, today, to take some pictures, ahead of the event. Trick or treat! Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Waterfall

I finished and blocked a sweater last weekend. It is a bit free-form, just a large box with garter sleeve caps and cowl neck. I used some Corgi Hill Farm " Insomnia " which I finished some time ago, paired with Stricken Smitten hand-dyed Shimmer Glimmer yarn in the colorway "Plumage." I started the bottom in garter, switching to a couple of pattern stitches and stockinette, as mood suited me. I saved a couple of pieces of handspun, in similar colors, to do the arm bands. Otherwise, I used up the handspun and switched to the Plumage. I used two different knitting needles to keep the gauge as consistent as possible with the different yarns and stitch patterns. Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Mitchell Update

Mitchell has gone back to school. He's in the third grade. On the first day of school, he didn't really want his picture taken... ... but Chris did manage to catch a bit of a crooked smile. A couple weeks earlier, we were at my folks' house, and he caught a stink bug in the back yard. And last week, we caught a wooly worm. Last night, then, we finally gave in and let him get a pet. It is a Russian hamster. Her name is pancake, because she was sleeping in a weird, flat position when we first saw her... Critters! Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Spinning: "Village Smithy"

I've been spinning when I'm home... though I've been away a lot, lately. I traveled five of the last six weeks. Still, I plugged away at eight ounces of Hello Yarn's "Village Smithy" on BFL/Silk. It is about 440 yards. I like the way the silk gives it a sheen that works with the brown/silver colors to make it look metallic. Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Tour de Fleece - Finished

It's the last day, and I've just finished five bumps of Hello Yarn, "Mochi" on superwash BFL. It's not as much as I normally do during TdF, but I have been traveling for the last three weeks in a row... so I think it is a pretty good haul! Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Sock #67 and #68

I finished Sock #67, the "Monkey" socks, in Zen Yarn Garden "Pistachio." I also started Sock #68, another pair using the " Burning Stripes " pattern. I copied a pair from Ravelry , striping Drops Delight colorway 11, and Drops Fabel colorway 101. The first sock is top-down, and the second sock is toe-up. Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

TdF Day 8

I've been traveling a lot (twice this week, already), so I'm not keeping up with posting, daily. I'm still spinning every day I'm home, and trying to get some extra time (mainly weekend time) when I can, since it's TdF. I've finished plying the first two yarns, four ounces each of Southern Cross Fibre "Tempest:" ...and "Seraglio:" I have also finished the singles of the lighter half of five bumps of Hello Yarn "Mochi." The darker half of "Mochi" is next (pink and brown). I'll ply the light-with-light and dark-with-dark, to get two different yarns. The general plan is to make something striped with the two yarns. Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Drawing

We had Mitchell out and about this weekend. He likes to draw when we're at a restaurant. Here he is at Llewelyn's . Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

TdF Day 2

Four ounces of Southern Cross Fibre "Tempest" on SW BFL/Silk: Notice the not-so-innocent by-stander in the lower right of the frame. Chris has been bemoaning the voracious bunnies all spring. They just decapitated his last stalk of corn, yesterday. We saw an adult and three of these little guys taking dust baths out here a couple days ago. As Chris said, "We're completely infested." I said, "What's not to love? We have a smorgasbord and a private bath." Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

TdF Day 1

Tour de Fleece kicks off, today. Here are the fibers I prepped over the last couple of days: At the lower left: SCF “Seraglio” fauxlags (one bump). Top: The darker half of five bumps of HY “Mochi” (SW BFL). Bottom center/right: The lighter half of five bumps of HY “Mochi.” Under the “Seraglio” (not visible in picture above), is one bump of “Tempest.” And day one spinning: Seraglio Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

June Spinning

Here's all my spinning in June: Right to left: Four bumps of Two If By Hand “Calavera” on Polwarth Silk Two bumps of Hello Yarn “Ominous Laments” on Corriedale One bump of Southern Cross Fibre “Vista” on SW BFL happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Hela Fnished

Back in April I started the Hela cardigan. I finished it a couple weeks ago and finally got around to taking some pictures. It is a fun sweater, but will have to wait several months for wearing! Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay Ravelry project page

Sock #66 (and #67 Started)

I still carry sock-knitting with me when I travel, most of the time. They're just more portable than sweater-knitting! I finished Sock #66 on my last trip. Sock #66 is another BFF sock (pattern by CookieA, available in her book, "Knit Sock Love,") this time using Hedgehog Fibres' "Lagoon," a sock club color. I also started Sock #67, a Monkey Sock by CookieA. It is available in "Knit Sock Love," as well, but also for free on Knitty.com . Sock #67 uses Zen Yarn Garden's "Pistachio." I've just started the second sock. I'm using a picot edging, not the instructed ribbing. Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Spinning: Weeks 23 and 24

In week 23, I spun "Pink Dagger" on Merino/Cashmere/Nylon, by Two If By Hand . Two bumps made about 450 yards of dk weight. In week 24, I started another Two If By Hand roving, "Calavera" on Polwarth/Silk. I have four bumps, and two of them are spun into singles... two to go! Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Zoo Pass

For the third year in a row, I chaperoned the Spring Field Trip. The second graders go to the zoo. Jack was in my group for the second year in the row... They look like trouble, don't they? Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Golf Lessons

We have been taking golf lessons as a family. We're about four weeks (one lesson per week), and we went onto the course for the first time on Saturday. We just played one hole! We're still trying to hit it straight... The guys look like they know what they're doing... :) Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Spinning: Weeks 18-22

I've been working on 20 ounces of Falkland/Alpaca/Silk from Southern Cross Fibre, in the colorway "Cavern." I've gotten just over 900 yards of worsted. I've already cast on to make a " Garter Yoke Cardigan ." Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Spinning: Week 17

Even though I traveled this week, I still managed to spin one bump. It is Southern Cross Fibre's "Crossroad Blues" on Corriedale. I prepped it with fauxlags and spun it long-draw, for a fluffy two=ply worsted yarn. It is about 200 yards. I prepped fiber for next week, too. It is five bumps of Southern Cross Fibre's "Cavern" on Falkland/Silk/Alpaca, April's club fiber. The blend is already one of my favorites! The colors in "Cavern" are very similar to "Crossroad Blues," which is a club fiber also, from November 2013. Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Spinning: Week 16

I spun my first milk fiber this week, a merino/milk fiber blend from "Bee Mice Elf." The colorway is "Vino for Valentine." It is about 385 yards from 8 ounces of fiber. I also caked my Spelsau fiber and cast on my Hela cardigan. Here are the cakes: Happy Knitting! Lisa Kay

Mitchell Update

Mitchell is getting along fine without his tonsils. He's starting to spike up his hair: Playing with balloons at the family reunion: Winning the pig race at the PTO carnival: Looking at a pottery shard at the science fair: Playing a "red snapper" in the school fish musical: Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Spinning: Week 14

I finished up the brighter colors of my Spelsau gradient, hot pink to light orange. It is about 280 yards. It will be the contrast yoke yarn go with the purples . Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Tonsils

I've been a bit quiet lately... Mitchell had his tonsils out on the 18th. Here he is, right after the surgery. I snapped a shot with my cell. And here are a couple shots of him enjoying the spring weather, today. Back to school, tomorrow! Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Spinning Weeks 11-13

I've been working on my Spelsau, and I have the first eight colors in a purple gradient. Now, I have just some hot pink and oranges left... I have about 900 yards of purples. I'm thinking of making a Héla cardigan, with purple as the main color, the darkest purple at the bottom, and the pinks/oranges as the yoke contrast color. The pattern is available on the Istex site . Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Spinning: Week 10

I prepped Southern Cross Fibre's " Brotherhood " and " Adrenaline Rush " on Spelsau, along with a few bits and bobs of extras that came with my weaving handtowel swap, 24+ ounces, three bumps of each. I finished spinning five bobbins of singles and plied the first two, about 80 yards of aran. The whole set is going to be one big gradient. The darkest purple is on the far right bobbin. The other two bobbins are the next color lighter, and the plied yarn is the third purple in the gradient. The gradient goes all the way through pink and then to an orange color, but the lighter colors are much less in quantity (and contained in the bottom of one of the baskets of fauxlags). Because the bright colors are a small fraction of the fibre, I'm thinking of using those in a fair isle yoke, and the rest of the sweater a "solid" purple gradient, darkest at the bottom. Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Roscalie Underway!

I cast on Roscalie, last week, and I have made it through one repeat of Chart A (about half way to the underarm separation). The charts for the larger sections (the "XOX" parts) actually change after each repeat. They will be similar, with a red-background one first, then a blue-green background one. The three "peerie" patterns (the smaller blue-red-blue strips) are the same between each large section. The edges, including the neck and armholes, are a garter stitch version of the blue peerie pattern. Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Spinning Weeks 8-9

I got in my spinning these last two weeks, though I did travel a bit in Week 8... I plied all the singles I've done since the beginning of the year, about 1000 yards each: It will be for some Fair Isle. I have white, black, and grey left to spin, too. Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Lego Explosion

I thought I'd document some "normalcy" at our house. It looks like a Lego store had some sort of regurgitation... ...and Sponge Bob is on in the background. Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Basketball Hoop

Chris put up a basketball goal just before Christmas, and it has been too cold to really use it. Yesterday, we had a bit of a warm-up, and Mitchell shot a few on the driveway. He seems to have the "celebrating" part down! Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Baltasound - Finished Shots

I'm so pleased with how the Baltasound Cropped Jumper turned out. It certainly is "cropped!" The facing was somewhat fiddly at both the beginning and the end, but the edges really are worth it! The underarm "seam," with the plain green center stitch, turned out really lovely after the blocking. Overall, a great project! Yay! On to Roscalie... Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Spinning: Week 7-- and Other Shetland Shenanigans

I finished up spinning the last of the "Java" on Shetland, three more ounces, for a total of eight. I now have twelve bobbins ready to ply, four each in three colors of Shetland. I also completed the second sleeve, neck, and finishing touches (whipping down the steeks) on the Baltasound Cropped Jumper. The wooly board arrived, and I have the jumper blocking. I would not have made nearly this much progress, but I had a snow day, today, again. Ice, actually. The sleeve join on this jumper is very clever, as I've mentioned... The design flows in two directions, but stays unbroken. So cool! I also received the Rona kit and the book "Shetland Textiles: 800 BC to Present." What a wonderful book! It has excellent photographs of many of the artifacts in the Shetland Museum, as well as photography of the area. Beautiful! Before I dive into Rona, I'll do the Roscalie vest (kit photo in this post ), a bit easier project. I started winding the yarn bal

Spinning: Week 6

I spun about two ounces this week. That puts me in the middle of the third bobbin of "Java." Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Baltasound - Sleeve One Done

I finished the first sleeve last week, and here is a picture, unblocked, of course. I have picked up the second sleeve, and I hope I can finish up the sweater in another week or so. I hope the sleeves block out smoothly. I had to do most of them on four dpns, like I work socks, because my shortest circular is just too long. I had a bit of trouble maintaining tension across the needle changes. Perhaps I should have turned them inside-out, as I've seen advised, especially for working on dpn's, to keep the floats making the longer path around the corners, instead of taking a shortcut. Once I thought of trying that, the sleeve was half done, and I was afraid the difference would be noticeable. As it is, I'll just have to block carefully, perhaps using a crochet hook to tug out any particularly stubborn spots. Hopefully, it won't come to that. I've been thinking of ordering a wooly board. There is a particularly nice one at Camilla Valley Farms , which I've see

Spinning Week 5

I'm not sure where the first month went, but I did meet my "spin at least 15 minutes every day I'm not traveling" commitment. I finished about two more ounces of "Java," making it three (a bobbin and a half) and leaving five ounces of Java to go. Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Baltasound Progress

I mentioned in " Wrapping up 2013 " that I had started a "Baltasound Cropped Jumper." I've only just finished the body and started on the first sleeve. The shoulders were joined with a three-needle bindoff. The picture below shows the shoulders and the small neck steeks. The sleeve steeks are a bit more impressive... The sleeves are picked up right in between the last steek column and the first pattern column. Because the pattern is square, it appears virtually uninterrupted. I'm making pretty good progress. It is getting to be a lap-full! Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Spinning Week 4

I finished the "Amphora," the last two of the eight ounces. I also spun the first ounce of "Java." Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Basketball

We signed Mitchell up for some youth basketball. We had done this once before, but he wasn't quite ready for it. It is going much better this time. He was particularly interested in trying to steal the ball when the other team had it. He looked happy after it all, so I take that as a good sign! Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Spinning Week 3

I finished another 3+ ounces, rounding out six ounces of "Amphora." Two ounces left, and then on to the dark brown, "Java." Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Another tooth

I'm not sure why it is such a milestone, but it still feels like it is... Mitchell lost another tooth. He seems to be growing up awfully fast. Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Spinning Week 2

Even though I spun eight ounces in the first six days of the year, that sort of progress is not going to be normal. In the next six, I only got through about two and a half ounces of the next color, "Amphora," the medium brown of the three "neutral" Shetland colorways. So far, I have kept up with spinning every day that I'm home. (I've woken up in another state two days this year, so far.) Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

White Pepper

My "White Pepper" singles are done, all eight ounces. I wouldn't have finished them, today, except it is a snow day. My office, Chris' office, and Mitchell's school are all closed. The "Amphora" and "Java" fauxlags are ready to spin... Each sheet of tissue separates one ounce of fiber, just so that I can keep track of how much is done, and also to put about the same amount on each bobbin (two ounces each). Happy Knitting, Lisa Kay

Spin 365

I've joined a group planning to spin every day in 2014. ( Ravelry Forum Link ). Each person can set their own goal, but the general idea is to spin at least a bit each day of the year. I'm going to go for 15 minutes a day and see how that works (well, every day that I am home). In the first three days of the year, I spun four ounces of Shetland in the colorway "White Pepper" by Southern Cross Fibre . It was quite a bit more than 15 minutes each day for those three days (as I'm on Christmas break). It took me about two hours per ounce, as it is spun quite thin, about 36-40 wpi in the singles. I'm trying to duplicate the size of the Harrisville Designs Shetland I'm using for the Baltasound Cropped Jumper (two posts back). It is part of a three-color combo pack with "Amphora" and "Java." I have eight ounces of each. I thought I had six ounces of each (three bags), but having unearthed the following picture, I realize I need to go