Uber Productive

I have finished an insane amount of stuff in the past month. The biggest thing from start to finish is the Revontuli shawl I did out of Kauni. The yarn was pretty interesting. I was expecting not to like it because there are so many complaints about it being scratchy. I did re-skein the ball and wash it several times before use, which seemed to make a pretty big difference. I think there is some kind of spinning oil or sizing on the yarn from the factory, since the first two washes were pretty grimy. I tossed it into a vinegar rinse afterwards and it came out much nicer. Its not merino soft by any stretch but its actually quite nice for a Shetland yarn.

And damn but you can't beat those colors.


I also finally finished the dead-mitts. They've really been done for about three months now, which makes me feel a little (a lot) like a slug. All that I did to complete them was finally get around to sewing in all the ends. They are extremely badass even if to date no one has gotten the reference, and shame - SHAME on my fellow knitters for not being sufficiently geeky. Also shame on everyone else in the wide universe that has seen me wearing these and hasn't been sufficiently geeky. And also shame on Disney. You touch my mouthy merc I will so gouge that mouse's eyes out with crochet hooks.

Seriously.

Just try me.

My second pair of hand spun socks from the red/orange/fuschia yarn I spun up early this year are finished. Yes, with contrasting heel/toes on the second pair 6oz ended up being enough for two pairs of socks. In hindsight it was enough for the first pair to have been knee-highs or if I'd made them shorter (they're quite tall anyway) for both pairs to be completely of handspun.

I do rather like the contrast of the black though. It makes me want to dye up something similar and do some kind of witchy stripe thing.

In less successful, but still finished knitting I finally completed the red sweater I started earlier this year. While I feel sort of accomplished over the finishing it part I have to say....

Its pretty wretched.

Its too big. The yarn is too heavy. The shoulders sag, and even if they didn't there are too many ragalan increases and the arm holes are too large. The sleeves are enormous, the yellow yarn is not remotely the same weight as the red and it shows.

Also its really really hot. Sweaty, WhyDidIPutThisOnILiveInTexas?, hot.

I haven't decided yet what to do with it. I think... either frog it and weave a throw blanket or weave in the ends and give it to charity... Or maybe stuff it in the back of the closet and pretend it doesn't exist.

Something like that.

On a more positive sweater note, I've since cast on for a Tempest out of Wollmeise. Its lightweight and soft and pretty. It will be awesome.

Or I will swear off sweater knitting for another three years... one of the two.

We had the yarn crawl a few weeks back and it was quite fun. I was pretty restrained with my stash acquisition but I did come back with some more sea silk in a charcoal silver and some other small goodies (lace & sock yarn... because what I really need in my stash is more lace & sock yarn). My favorite new shop we stopped at was the Tinsmith's Wife in Comfort. The people there were great and the yarn selection was very impressive (its where the sea silk came from). They do have shop cats, which is kind of a pet peeve of mine, but they were at least very sweet clean cats.

We had lunch down the road from the shop at a cafe called High's (which was very nifty, they had quite good food and we sat outside at tables with plush blankets to wrap up in and watched the rain) and then went on to get lost in the hill country for about an hour when one of the main roads was closed.

The only shop on the crawl I don't really need to go back to was Ewe and Eye, which felt less like a yarn shop to me and more like this toy store my grandmother took me to once as a child where the owner yelled at me for touching one of the toys.

I think my favorite giveaways were from Hill Country Weavers (a hank of Happy Feet), Yarnivore (a knitting tool & a Yarn Calc booklet) and Old Oaks Ranch (a ball of Sugar Rush) and most of the goodies were nice and reflected the shop that gave them away in some way.

Coming up next month I'm hoping to check out the Fiber Festival out in Bourne (Kid & Ewe). Perhaps I will even manage to wear my Tempest there...

Yaaaaarrrrrrrnnnn

I totally missed out on talk like a pirate day. Again.

*sigh*

Instead I finally pulled the slightly more than 3 oz of organic cotton off the CPW. This is what that much handspun cotton looks like:

I assure you that however impressed you might be, its not enough. That is a crazy amount of cotton. Seriously. Do you know how long that much cotton takes to spin?

Anyway, I wound it off onto one of these nifty weaver's spools that I got so I can a) get stuff off the single bobbin antique and b) actually be able to find an empty bobbin for the sonata once and awhile. They were quite handy, very cheap and they hold a lot of yarn singles. Also they fit a cheapo ashford lazy kate.

I am still experimenting with the best way to wind them. I rigged up a makeshift quill thing attached the sonata flyer to get the cotton off but I suspect this is not a real good idea long term. I did locate my mini-dremel, which would be a pretty good solution, but the battery charger is MIA. I distantly remember going "Oh hey! I've been looking for this for three years!" back when I was packing in Kentucky, and then immediately stuffing it into a random box of crap so...

Yeah, its possible at this point I just need to get another dremel.


I also finished my experimental merino this weekend. I was trying to work on spinning thicker singles, which I think I was moderately successful at, but by the end of it there was all this really pretty yarn and I just knew plying was going to ruin all the colors.

So I dawdled for awhile and angst for awhile more and then someone at a knit group pointed out that the colors were kind of mardi gras and I should do something with gold beads.

Yes, well.

After three hours of cussing at seed beads that idea was scrapped, but I did ply with a gold thread.

I rather like it.

Weight varies between a light fingering to a dk and its quite light and soft and lofty. 320 yds to the larger skein, 230 to the smaller. A little over four & a half ounces total. The roving was from allspunup on etsy and I want more. No idea what it will become yet, but the nice thing about making yarn is that sometimes the yarn can just be the end project and sit around looking pretty and impressive until you come up with a pattern for it.

Less sucessful this week was dyeing.

When I first dyed this it was a sunny yellow. It was a quite pretty color actually, very bright and vibrant. And not at all the warm ambery yellow-gold I was going for. So I, in my infinite wisdom, thought I'd just pop it back in the pot, add some reddish browns and a bit of selective green. Tone it down, warm it up, mellow it out...

And I'm not sure I like it.

Actually I'm not sure I hate it.

Its muddy. The colors bleed everywhere instead of staying in the nice distinct areas I put them. The greens just give a greyish tinge to the roving, and the browns split a bit and there's more orange and less gold than I wanted.

Its wet still, and so I'm reserving final judgement for daylight and dry wool... but its not looking good. I suppose worst case this becomes sampling fiber and I get another batch for the finished yarn... but I'm bummed out.

Maybe I should have just been happy with my sunny yellow.

Also, my orange dye stock has taken on a disturbingly gelatinous texture. Its freaking me out a bit.

Also, also. I got my Kauni today. But it deserves its own post so I'll save it for later.

Gotta hit em all!

I have my map all laid out here:


View 2009 Yarn Crawl in a larger map

It is still a work in progress but you are very impressed, no?

Game plan as of today (subject to change, overtime and the chaos that runs my life):

I am factoring about an hour time spent at each shop, with an attempt at a half hour of buffer where possible to account for traffic and getting lost.

Friday - get off work at 3. Get to Bluebonnet and Gauge before they close (both at 6pm). Make it to HCW if there is time, but don't strain it (also to close at 6pm).

Saturday - hit a line of stuff towards San Antonio. The Yarn Barn Opens first on Saturday so get there before ten (this means leaving North Austin by about 8am). Work back to Yarnivore (11:30). Stop somewhere interesting in San Antinio for lunch(12:30-1:30). Drive back out to Old Oaks Ranch in Wimberly (3:30). Final Stop of the day is the Knitting Nest (5:30) &/or HCW if I didn't get to them Friday. HCW might be a smarter choice since the Knitting Nest will be open Monday until 9pm. Have a celebratory dinner somewhere in Central Austin and gloat proudly over all the yarn I didn't mean to buy.

Sunday - hit the way out there shops. Start at Stonehill in Fredricksburg (10am - once again this is an 8am leave time morning). Loop back to the Tinsmith's Wife in Comfort (11:30). Stop for lunch somewhere in Comfort or Boerne(12:15-1:15). Hit Rosewood Yarns (1:30) and Ewe & Eye (2:30). Go home and take a nap. Or alternately hit the Knitting Nest or HCW if they are still missing from the passport and then go take a nap. Wonder over dinner why I thought this was such a good idea. Snuggle up with pretty yarn and try to get some sleep before the weekend is over.

Monday - get out of work by 4. Get out to Yarnorama. Since I work out in Taylor even if I have to stay late this should be achievable and, unless I'm still missing the Knitting Nest, my last shop. Go home and stare at the new stash. Resolve not to buy any more yarn for at least three months (well... resolve for six and then fail to last more than 2).

Spend the following week in a state of yarn shock, eating out because there was no time to go grocery shopping or do the dishes over the weekend and sniffing clothes because usually laundry is a weekend task as well. Pass in and outer of hyperactive yarn crazy and fits of frantic startitis.

Indeed. It shall be a great thing.

I should know better

Rather than hunt down some Kauni I, in my infinite wisdom, decided to dye up some KP sock blanks for a Revontuli shawl. This is for my Grandmother for Christmas and she wanted a rainbow of colors. So I painted on the colors and ran it through the dye pot (twice because I wanted to make sure the color took all the way through) and... its crap.

Okay, its not crap exactly. Its more or less rainbow colored, but despite my best efforts white spots remain and so my reds knit up splotchy pink and the Kelly Green, which incidently was the ONLY color to dye all the way through, came out pretty well neon due to what I'm guessing is some yellow splitting (at least... its never dyed up quite this neon green for me before).

Also, I seem to have forgotten that I hate KP essential. HATE. Somewhat unsurprisingly the yarn was not improved any by being pre-knit into a sheet. It still makes my teeth hurt to knit with it.

So.

Dyed yarn is getting tossed (or RAKd or something... there are people in the universe that would probably like this yarn... if I didn't hate the base so much I think the end result would make some pretty badass knee-high socks) and I've found a couple of skeins of Kauni in the EQ colorway on a ravelry destash.

Odds are good I won't like working with the Kauni either, but at least the colors will be good and it won't make that awful squeaky noise when I knit.

Knitter's Log 09.05-08

Yarn Date: 09.08.09

Encountered dangerously powerful yarn fumes in Paige. Crew eventually escaped but not without casualties.

Damage Report includes: 1 laceweight cardigan pattern with yarn

Estimated time to recovery: determination pending science team reports

Incoming fiber is already integrating into the system, long term affects of the species are not yet determined.

Issues with engineering resulted in two failed cast ons. Further study uncovered lack of processing power at fault. Am assured that new mathematical models will correct the problem.

Shipment of incoming fiber is predicted for this week. Containment procedures are in place and I am cautiosly optimistic to begin processing gift knits.

Total Hours logged this period:
Knit: 14.5
Spin: 2.5
Dye: 3

My newest love

I've been keeping one eye open the past month or so for a big saxony.

I've known I wanted one, but I live in reality (sometimes) and reality says I'm not buying the Jenson out at Yarnorama not matter how lovely it is. Still, I want a big saxony and I figured I was willing to do some rehab if one came up.

So when a lady out in Georgetown posted a Borduas - style CPW on craigslist for a steal I saw the posting the same day and called to ask to come check it out. I was trying really hard not to hold my breath on this one, because honestly wheels this age aren't always spinable anymore. But I asked around for what to look for and figured if it seemed at all repairable then it was worth a shot. When I went to have a look I knew this was a find... the wheel's in very good repair and in spinning condition straight after a good cleaning and oiling.

I managed to get the drive band sorted (for today its cotton rug warp - I'd very much like to spin a hemp band for it soon) and put her through her paces. She's a very solid wheel.

There's a small wobble to the drive wheel, though not enough to affect the spinning any, and she needs a real footman (I'm using a nylon cord at the moment). There is also a crack in the flyer that will need to be dealt with eventually. Someone patched it with wire but I'm not sure I trust that long term.

She has two ratios and my math puts them at about 18.5 to 1 and 20 to 1. I'm going off how Alden Amos says to calculate that, but I'm not 100% sure I follow it. Regardless she is at least as fast as my Sonata's top speed, and I'd say a bit faster. The feel of the double drive draw in is going to take some getting used to, but it liked the ounce or two of corriedale I spun up to test it and seemed to accommodate my longdraw pretty darn well.

She has no maker's marks that I can find and a sketchy history so its hard to tell much about her beyond the obvious. Whatever her past I'm happy to give her a good home and get her back to spinning.

Less dramatic in this weeks spinning is the BFL/Silk/Seacell blend that I plyed over the weekend. I tried something new with this - winding off the bobbin onto two TP rolls and then plying from those.

It took me a bit to find a good way to get the yarn wound back off the balls, but it eventually occured to me that I have a paper towel holder that would work. Its a handy magnetic thing that it turns out clamps just great to the underside of my desk and holds the rolls sufficiently level.

Its a good makeshift system though I think before I do it again I'd prefer to see if I can find some cardboard weaver's spools and a winder for them instead. Using the ball winder worked OK, but the feed off the balls just wasn't what it could be.

Still, the finished yarn is lovely:


It came out to be about 400yds to 2 oz. Not sure yet what to do with it, but its soft and squishy to pet in the mean time.

Good Day

Went to the Yarn Swap down at Central Market this afternoon.

My haul:

I am particularly excited to score the Lonco multi, though I haven't the foggiest what I'll do with it yet. The teal lace is awesome as well - 1400yds that needs to be something big & fancy. The bamboo in the back is not really my color, but I've been wanting to try dyeing the stuff and this seemed like a good opportunity.

After the swap I wandered down to Hill Country Weavers (I know - I KNOW! BUT I WAS GOOD!) mostly for inspiration and they had in some of the sock size KnitPro bags again.

I have had one of these for about nine or ten months and it is practically a permanent growth on my person. They're great bags - made of ripstop nylon so they're both waterproof and weigh virtually nothing, they can hold a pair of socks, or a scarf, or the first half of a lightweight sweater, or a lace shawl or a 4-oz braid of roving and a small drop spindle (If you drop spindle you need one of these - they make great fiber pouches and I prefer them to wrist distaffs). They have a little loop that you can snap around a bag strap, a belt loop, your wrist, the steering wheel of your car (possibly an unwise one if you're driving... but I have done it... hooked it on the wheel i mean, while the car was parked... not knit while driving - Don't Knit and Drive people, its not safe... Always bring a designated driver along to steer the car when you want to knit while in motion). In short - They're awesome.

I have wanted... nay! NEEDED a second one for some time. It just drives me nuts to always be tossing projects in and out of the one I have. These bags however are perpetually out of stock.

Sure... knitpicks carries them. But they only have three colors and I don't want one in Hot Pink or Lime Green or Turquoise. So I was really excited to see them back in stock at HCW. I got a bright (Scoobie) blue one and its just as awesome as its sibling.

If you're in the area and want one I'd get out there quick since they seem to go fast. They are a little pricey - about 20$, but they're also pretty well indestructible. Theoretically you could make one of these for around 5 bucks, but like I comiserated with the shop lady... who ever gets around to it?

Also I just want it on record. I did actually leave HCW without yarn.

So there.

I make a point of stopping in at the big Half Price on north Lamar whenever I'm in the area and so on the way back home I popped in and found a whole shelf of vintage Vogue Knits. I picked up one for fun. Just so we all appreciate our patterns, back in the day a 12 was a 32 bust and 36 is the top written size on any of these patterns (It probably didn't help that in 57 they were still apparently wearing the pointy-boob corsets everywhere). There are no charts. The patterns are written in long congested run on sentences.

Shawl collars seemed to be in back then, and there's actually some pretty nice shapes in there... some v-neck pull overs and lace cardigans. Lots of finer yarns and simpler cuts.

Its interesting how much of this would be in fashion again today.

The only downside to my day is that my washing machine is not here. It was supposed to be here, but someone didn't show up for work and they rescheduled it for tomorrow. Which means I'm still stuck doing laundry Sunday afternoon, but at least I have new yarn and stuff to play with.