Friday, February 27, 2009
Good, Good Blogger (for a change)
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
lost the interesting?
Oh where did you go?
I thought you were back on the weekend.
You played me, and teased me, and led me along,
and what did I find?
that you were still gone!
:(
I even WANT to knit, and I am not making mistakes, I just can't get the interest going! What's with this? There are so many wonderful things on my to knit list that I can't wait to start, oh, and finish the ones already started.
I have however got the spins. I took pics last week of the 'Real Vampires Don't Sparkle' colourway of the hand dyed hand carded batts made at All Strung Out . I have not however uploaded them from my card to my puter. I have finished spinning all 3 batts into yarn. I used a thin singles and a thick/thin singles (that was supposed to be a thick singles, but hey as a still somewhat beginner, I am still winging it aren't I). I went with my knitting buddy to the All Strung Out Sunday afternoon spin in and worked on the plying. I plied the two singles together haphazardly without a care in the world. I wanted it to look the way I wanted it to look and went for it totally and relentlessly ignoring (on purpose) the fact that I was supposed to check for a balanced yarn. Ya man! It looked good, it plied good, and it felt good. Instincts prevailed and when all was said and done, and the yarn was skeined up, THE YARN WAS TOTALLY BALANCED! I am now the owner of 150 m of luscious, soft, cushy, wonderful chunky Vampire Sparkle Yarn. and did I say I totally LOVE the results?
Having finished my Vampire Sparkle Yarn, and planning to spin more of the Blue Fusion to make matching mitts to go with my Moebius (which is now finished and I love) I went over to the fibre shelves of the store and gave in to my cravings for hand dyed silk. So beautiful, so wonderfully soft and silky, 100% hand dyed silk rovings started turning into gorgeous silky singles on my bobbin before long.
Oh and by the way, don't forget to charge me for the silk on my wheel!
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Simply a Rant
Thursday, January 29, 2009
OK! I'm UP!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Non Sockdon Ended
What will I do tomorrow morning when I get up? Finish second sock of the pair that almost are, then cast on a new pair of socks.
I am going to bed now, it's late and I can't fight the urge to stay up and knit any more.
Good Night.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
In Case You Were Wondering,

Anyways. as a thank you treat for being a non complaining stash enhancer on my behalf, yet again, I decided to treat him to go and see the movie he has been wanting to go to. Gran Torino with Clint Eastwool.
Of course as the fates that control the midnight shift would have it, my sleep deprived body was slow in getting ready to go to the show and we were late for the early show!
The theatre was packed and we would have missed half the movie by the time we got our tickets waiting in the long slow moving 80% teenage strewn lineups at the ticket wicket and concession stand. Next show, 9:50 pm! We were at the mall with time (3 flippin' hours of time) to kill so we did what the teens do and hung out. Window shopped the mall 3 times over, tried on a ton of clothes, mostly jeans as Husby and I both need new ones badly, and sat and drank our Tim's (coffee) in front of the skating rink that was sporting kids hockey league games one after the other all evening long.
Yes it was nice. Yes it was a date. And yes it was fun. When it was time, we bought our popcorn and drinks and headed into the theater. Me, having not slept for over 24 hours now, gave Husby strick instructions to, in the case of emergency, wake me up before leaving the theatre after the movie was over. LOL. I didn't fall asleep. I enjoyed the movie. Husby enjoyed the movie. We ate popcorn, drank pop and laughed at all the funny parts. In short the movie was awesome. In my opinion, and that of Husby's a very good movie and highly recommened.
Go See It.
now... I have laundry to do, Husby went to the Toronto Boat Show with our grandon, lovingly nicknamed Bug and I have the day to myself.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Moebius Woebius?
My Knitting Buddy made her way up to Moebius but came back to where we were sitting saying she didn't have the right needle and it's packed. So we sat with Another Knitting Buddy (of the 'don't give her chocolate' fame) and chatted, and knit, and knit, and chatted. At the 20 minute mark, Knitting Buddy and I made our way to Moebius and got in on the second session.
The technique is very cool! I didn't start mine right then because the circular needle I had with me was too short to knit with but I did learned the cast on with it.
When I got home, in my rush to get to work, I took a few minutes to sneak my knitting needle box out of the bedroom without waking my Husby, and grabbed my longest circ, a 120cm long 3.5 mm Addi Lace.
The yarn I decided on is Wellington Fibres Mohair/Wool blend rovings in Blue Fusion colourway (blue/green blend) spun in my attempt to purposely make a chunky singles. Well, now that I have been spinning for a little while, my usual yarn is two plied to a fingering to dk weight yarn and I 'can't' do thick anymore! I had to work hard concentrating on NOT drafting more than just a little, and NOT putting a decent amount of twist into it. I took my time, predrafted to the size of fibre I wanted and put in just enough twist to hold it together. (at least I tried to LOL).
I am very happy with the results even though the finished yarn wasn't quite what I was going for.
I ended up with a dk to worsted weight singles, lightly twisted. IMO it is going to be a very nice Lacy Moebius. I cast on again during my break at work that same night and did my first round. I added a few more rounds last night including my first repeat of the 2 row lace pattern repeat.
I plan to wear it as a cowl not a wrap, and it's not very far yet but here's the pic.
The pattern is White Lacy Shoulder Wrap from A Treasury of Magical Knitting by Cat Bordhi.
So in answer to the question Moebius Woebius? NOT! In fact it's Moebius Glow-bius cause the pattern/yarn combo is just too yummy!
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Obsessed I Am yet again
When I was at Shall We Knit last week I got looking at yarns in the appropriate weight. I think that Cascade Eco Wool will work guagewise. Colour choice of the instore stock is somewhat limited though. The only in stock colour I can choose that will work for me is black. Ok so a textured stitched, somewhat aran style with bobbles, kind of cardigan will not look good in black. It's a waste of time. The beautiful stitch details will be lost in the blackness of it all. Won't it? hmmm... what do you think? (sigh, sigh, sigh) Ok so now I also NEED to HAVE a black cardigan.
(Happy side of the whole thing, more Cascade Eco Wool is coming in soon and I am pretty sure my colour of choice can be ordered if need be) (happy sigh)
P.S. I will placate myself by spending tomorrow knitting all day while I wait for the Mr. Fixit Dude of the washing machine variety to show up with the parts to fix my ailing fairly new Maytag! (Thank Goodness for extended warranties LOL)
P.S.S. I will placate my Blooming Cardigan and Black Cardigan obsessions (somewhat) by casting on the Climbing Vines Pullover (scroll down to find the pic) with the purple Shelridge Farms DK.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
New Year To Try Again
Tons of things have been happening since last I posted. Hopefully over time I can catch at least some of them up. But for now, today's doin's.
I finally made it to All Strung Out. A very nice store with some wonderful yarn and fibre. Ashley, the store owner is very nice and extremely helpful. My score for today, Briggs and Little Tuffy yarn for socks. This is a strong worsted weight wool/nylon combination that is a workhorse of a yarn for socks. My 'I'll never be caught dead in handmade socks' son, asked, of his own free will, shortly before Christmas for handknit work socks. His new job is working on cars and the big bay doors are open most of the time, freezing his feet. I took the trip up to Spinrite in Listowel for Tuffy and got two skeins of the only colours they stock. Light grey and darker grey. Those colours are fine for him but the hour long drive for only two boring colours (imo) will not be something I want to do alot. I was so thrilled to see Tuffy in All Strung out today that I bought a bit of a stash in generic colours for more socks. And best of all, it so close I can go there anytime I want. I feel so blessed. Now I have two wonderful favourite LYS's that I can stash enhance from any time I want. Shall We Knit and All Strung Out.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Spin-spired Again
It was a wonderful day. I worked too much (planned it that way and it was such fun) and therefore missed a lot of the 'good' stuff. But no need to despair, I got a few really yummy things and I am all in all very pleased with the day. Simply put the day was awesome fun for all. I had very little shopping time but since I had nothing on my 'I have to get it' list, that was okay. I went with the attitude that I would listen for what called to me and pick out a few special 'just for me' treats.
I treated myself with:
- An afghan pattern from Sandy's Needle Nook called Hexagon Afghan (Pattern #NN177)
- A cardigan pattern by Ilga Lega called Shorelines
- 100g of chocolate brown Alpaca fibre from Alpaca Acres, it's soft as butter and now half spun up into a lace weight singles I think for a nice light lacy scarf for me
- A litre sized mason jar filled with all sorts of fibre goodness by The Roving Spinners. It contains silk, wool, alpaca, firestar, and mohair for a total of 100g in the colourway Boysenberry which is mostly purples with a bit of grey and pink added in for fun. They call it a Gourmet Carding Recipe but it reminds me of the Surprise bags that I used to get at a birthday party when I was little. All sorts of good stuff stuffed and packed into it. Inside the jar there are all the makings for a luscious batt just not made into a batt. That's where the fun comes in. You can make your own custom 'designer' fibre batt or just spin it up as is. That is what my choice is. That is once it's finished being a gorgeous centerpiece on my coffee table LOL.
The highlight of my day though was trying out a couple wheels at Gemini Fibres. Though it won't happen for quite a while yet, I have already decided that I am ready for my next wheel and that I am outgrowing my first wheel. I love it to bits but it's just not always thinking along the same lines that I am. It seems to like thicker yarns better and I have figured out that it is going to be an awesome plying wheel, when I have another wheel with a little lighter touch and a little more speed to spin the thinner singles I love to spin. I tried out two Kromski wheels and they were both just lovely to work with. I liked the Minstrel a little more than the Sonata though. Even though I haven't touched my wheel in over three months and still consider myself a beginner spinner, just learning a bit more than a year ago, I sat and spun like I had done it every day. I plan at some time in the future to try to get up to Gemini Fibres and try out some of the other wheels. It doesn't hurt to be prepared LOL.
The only slight regrets (which I am not crying over at all cause there is always next year) is that I didn't realize that I was one skein short of the Jitterbug (Colourway 142 Sea Breeze) I was going to use for the Guild Mystery Shawl Kal. Had I known, I could have got some yummy fingering weight just for the shawl.
My other slight regret was that I had that awesome Heere Be Dragons Shawl pattern IN MY HANDS damnitall, and I forgot to go back and buy it!!!
So if I can't locate another skein to match my Jitterbug soon, I have decided to spin something up for the Kal and as for the pattern, there's always next year!
And, oh ya, as usual, pics to follow soon (hopefully)
Friday, January 25, 2008
Now I've Done It
I will post a pic when they are done so therefore another post in a day or two.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
SSS Cast On
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Baby Surprise Sweater and Matching Hat
Monday, January 07, 2008
Swatch number 1
the yarn is Malibrago in colourway Jewel Blue
Swatch number two is blocked and drying. I will get pics up of it (hopefully tomorrow)
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Swatching Blocking
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Nope I didn't do it
I have been swatching for the Spring Shawl Surprise project and I have swatch 1 blocked and drying. Pics to follow even though I made mistakes in it that i didn't fix. I decided that it wasn't that important to start over yet once again because the size of the finished swatch would not be affected by the mistakes in pattern in the one area that I goofed up. The second swatch is on my needles and about 3/4 done. No mistakes in this one... yet... LOL. It's lace pattern on both sides and a bit harder to work. Excellent practice for me though and I decided to switch needles to one smaller size after blocking swatch 1. I am off now to that and not play with uploads of pics. I would like so much to get swatch 2 finished tonight.
BTW, anyone know how to make lace blocking wires? don't think they are in my budget right now, too close to after Christmas to be able to afford them. :(
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Sad but yet so Happy too
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Notta Resolution
Btw, cast on Chevron Lace Socks from Getting started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd in Pigeonroof Studios superwash sock yarn in Cousteau colourway. And since I gotta new camera for Christmas there will be great pics too! ttyl. I promise.
Monday, July 23, 2007
June.....
Mom and I joined a Charlotte's web shawl kal at Knitwerkx that started June 26/07. I am using SRK Super 10 cotton in 5 colours and 3.25mm circ to make a Beach Wrap for me. I am nowup to row 27 at the first colour change. I though the way the pattern is written up is kinda wonky but I got it figured out and am catching on to how they are doing it. I had trouble with the first 20 or so rows doing the set up of the first lace patt and gradual increases. Now, that I have a bit of fabric on the needles, it is starting to make much more sense and I can start to see where I am going with this. Mom was participating in this kal too but has dropped out, feeling she is not ready to tackle this with so many socks on the needles. Multi tasking is not one of her strong suits anymore and the lure of socks is just too strong for her to think shawl. This is the start of my Charlotte's Web Beach Wrap. I am have started the second colour now.
I was feeling the call of the Harris Tweed Gedifra Sportivo and so I took a bit of time and worked a few rows of Serrano (lace cardigan) from Knitty the week of June24/07. Long term for sure but oh how nice it is going to be when done. No pics yet.
I knit more of sock #1 of Sockbug's Lacy Scallops the week of June24/07. I think the 'official' two person kal is mebbe dead? thinking one day it might be revived though so I am not pushing the end of sock one and doing of sock two. No pics of this yet either though I guess I should take some soon. The Koigu I am using is looking very nice imo.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Ok like I needed to start a new project, but I have started a knit along with my Mom two days ago. She's making socks for my nephew, I though for a Christmas pressie but I think Mom probably won't be able to wait to give them to him once they are done. Mom loves help to get the sock started and joined so I cast on the first sock for her Tuesday evening. She is using Gedifra Sportivo using no pattern but what I tell her. A classic man's sock in a 4x2 ribbing letting the colour do the work. She knows the basics for heels, gussets, and toes, even though she so totally second guesses herself into non-confidence land. I cast on 66 sts, on her new 2.25 Hiya Hiya 120cm circ and proceeded to join and do the two first rounds. As I was doing this I expressed my opinion that since this yarn comes in 50g balls that she should do two at the same time! Well, Mom's comment was I already mess one up I don't want to do two! LOL. So we stuck with one sock. I gave her the ready to go newly born sock wannabe and said there you go, already for you to do your thing! Mom's panic was starting to permeate to my side of the table with the what do i do now attitude of a pattern knitter with no pattern. Finally Mom said, I can't do this I don't have a pattern. Confident in her longtime knitting skill, and also knowing that it doesn't matter if she has a pattern or not, and I was confident that she will still mess it up plenty for me to fix, I said to her, 'You don't need a pattern! Continue the rib till you get to the heel. Do the heel flap, you know how, then the gussets, you know that too, then the foot and toe. It's easy. You know how to do it!' Ok well EXCUSE ME! for being wrong. One glitch that I didn't take into account... the fact that we are doing a 6stitch repeat for 11 repeats so that 30 sts are on needle one and 36 sts are on needle 2. Ok this is a problem? not really, but in Mom's eyes it's panic time again. I calmly explain how she is going to move a few sts from one needle to the other come heel time and proceed from there but this concept is just beyond desperate Mom's grasp. My next comments are classic. Ok Mom don't worry about it, it will be fine. We will deal with it when the time comes and it will work ok. The look of panic now changes to that slightly scared unsure look of a dear caught in the headlights. This is how the 4x2 Man's Classic Sock Knit along with Mom started.
I am using my new 2.0 mm Hiya Hiya 120cm circ and Gedifra Sportivo in colourway 5768 and to further add interest I decided to do two socks at the same time. I set mine up with two socks on one needle and liked it. I called Mom to ask her to bring her other ball of yarn with her when she came over the next day. I gave her no choice. Simply said I was casting on sock #2, she was to knit it up to the same length as sock #1 then they would go on the needles together. This is both of our first time at 2 socks at once on one circ. I will keep you posted on how it goes.