Posts

Showing posts from August, 2015

Found

Image
While looking for a small ball of the chartreuse yarn I just knew I had, found two more pair of socks underway and put aside for who knows why. So once I finished the blue Monsters got going on what I started calling the 5x7's. Finished them while watching football yesterday, then got the next pair out and got down past the heel also last night. And just as soon as it gets a little more done on it will put it aside and start on socks for JR on Vanc Island, two pair ongoing I can handle, will work a little on each until I am happy with progress. Rain on Friday nowhere near enuff but every little bit helps, then Saturday morning new snow on my mountains, not much but definitely whiter up there than it was. I think the snow up on Niut is the smallest amount since I have lived in Tatlako, the mountains usually are snow capped all summer but not this year. But then was the hottest July & August since records have been kept. This morning felt like soup weather is going to be ha

Mostly sock stuff

Image
Finally finished the wool-silk mix that I've been working on what seems forever. The famous third go round seems to finally get it right. First sock that I did way back when is being frogged and will be re knit by Christine into something else. I'm really glad to see the end of it. I've just washed them in Eucalan and now on blockers to dry. Have been emailing the gal getting the next two pair of socks (back to using finer commercial yarn, thankfully), got out the colours or close to what she wants and emailed two pix to her this morning. Likely will find something else once I start knitting that will work into a pattern or two. The current socks, almost 30 rows down the foot on sock #2, really fraternal. Have tried not to do same patterns in this pair, so far so good. New follower a couple of days ago, welcome.

It's been awhile

Image
Need to keep better track of my blog, hadn't realized its been over a week since I posted anything, will try to do better. The 3rd go round of current socks is finally going well, within 15 rows of the start of the toe decreases, then will wash and dry on blockers before mailing them away. Next up finished spinning the second bobbin of the brown horribilius, pulled so much kemp and wiry guard hairs out that I was towards the end wondering if it was worth all the trouble. Whatever of that batch of fiber is left will be finding a new home. Have a single bobbin of a wool-silk mix already done in a color that is not my norm to spin PINK, so decided this morning to go ahead and find something that would go with it. A vintage BFL from WoolGatherings, prolly bought at Black Sheep Gathering a few years ago, $15.60 for 8 oz will give you some idea on how old it is. Going to add all the pix at the end of this mess. The weaver friend is coming today to pick up the rest of the handspun

Stuff

Image
Finished the second bobbin of the wool-silk mix, really glad to see the end of it, was as fly away fiber as I have ever spun, was finding it everywhere. Then got out some well aged stash, a brown of some unremembered breed but so full of kemp like white stuff as I have ever seen, for each piece I spin I first pre draft so the white stuff shows up then pulling it out, then once I start spinning find even more to discard. Had thought to do a couple of full bobbins of this but don't think I'll be able to stand that much. I bought it at conf several years ago when there were vendors upstairs, sure wish I had checked same before buying. Live and learn. But I do need the brown color for some upcoming patterns on my list of handspun socks. Have some merino-silk 50-50 to spin next just 125 grams each of two different colors. Will be some different from what I am now spinning, not sure what it will be except for yarn for awhile, will let it gracefully age until it talk

Town

Image
Had to go into town on Friday for prescription refills (can only get 3 months at a time), makes for several unwanted trips a year. But not this time as it just happened that Friday is William's Lakes Farmers Market day, headed there first thing and only had eyes for tomatoes, bought 20 lbs, vendor apologized at how expensive they were, after I had handed her the money told her that I would have bought them at twice the price. Have had a tomato with every meal since getting home 5 ish on Friday, breakfast, lunch and supper. Also bought 3 cartons cottage cheese, tomato and cc is one of my favorite meals. Finished the first bobbin of Ecru wool-silk mix (really nice stuff) and have first few oz on second bobbin of same stuff. Currently knitting socks using the light gray w-s mix from same vendor (Island Farms), wish everyone could feel how nice it is. This is the 3rd go round for the socks, and am keeping the whole lot separate and just for these socks, no chance of mixing the fib

3rd time's the charm

Image
Made the first gray w/ natural colors sock some time ago, kept notes (useless). Second sock well down the foot (30 plus rows) when I measured it against the 1st sock, at least 1.5 inches bigger at the instep and foot, well figured out that instead of grabbing another ball of the wool & silk mix I had knit with a perfect match color wise wool & mohair (it was late and I was to tired to be knitting). So frogged the mess all the way back to the start of the heel, then knowing fer sure I had the wool-silk mix started from the heel, only thing was that it was a different batch and slightly heavier weight yarn, so again when I measured just past instep was again way to big (down from 1.5 inches to just 1 inch), so last night was singing the SSSSS song ripped it out again, this time the whole thing..... This morning am plying two bobbins of the wool-silk mix, once its done will have 1 more try at a pair that are the same size, will make sure that the newly plied yarn is dedicated to

The 1st two bobbins from TdF

Image
The first two bobbins of CMF's merino is finally plied and into skeins. Ended up with just over 900 yards of two ply fingering weight, altho once merino is washed it always poofs up. Seemed to take forever to get it plied (not my favorite part of the job). Klaus from CMF's called it sock hop yarn, but I'm not so sure that straight merino is the best choice for socks. Next I'll be plying the wool-silk mixes from Rain City. Back to hot weather for the next couple of days before we are supposed to be getting some rain towards the middle of next week, I'll believe it when I see it. Nothing else new and excitingly different in my world.