Zeneedle...needleart as life

As A Spinner Spins

After we had our spinning class with JMM at Rhinebeck, Terry posted this simple sentence.

"The more spinning workshops I take, the more I don't know about spinning." 

It was so true! It felt so true. The little we thought we knew turned out to be wrong (or so it seemed).  Throughout the weekend we debated and talked about the class, asked questions of friends and received confusing, contradictory and interesting answers (everyone has an opinion, of course).

One of the first things an experienced spinner tells a new spinner is "Knit with your handspun.  You'll learn about the properties of spinning in the process."  On the plane ride home I had a head full of new knowledge and the desire to make the fingers do the job I knew they needed to. (There is always that space of time between "knowing" what you should be able to do and getting your fingers to DO what you know they must.) I couldn't wait to get home and start spinning.  During the trip I had been knitting with my handspun, Oberon, a blend of alpaca, angora and silk.  It was knitting up beautifully and several people had commented on the color.  It was a skein I had spun early on in my spinning experience, a time when I was flying by intuition. 

This yarn is far from "perfect" and it would have flunked out in any judged show.  BUT, it held together, it was soft and the fabric it made was luscious and luxurious.  Who's to say it was "bad"?  I was enjoying every single stitch of the knitting process.  The yarn had a fairly even grist and did I say how soft it was?  The softness was in large part because of the fiber content, but also because I had had tried a semi-woolen technique (didn't know what it was called at the time) and then, wet finishing as I had read about in Spin Off magazine. The yarn was a two-ply, spun to be a fingering weight and the intent was to knit something lacy.  Because it is soft, because it knits nicely, because it is beautiful and has been used for the intended purpose, I'm calling this yarn one big success.

There maybe hundreds of techniques, rules and ways of creating "perfect" yarns. This doesn't mean one shouldn't work towards improving and perfecting spinning expertise. Since the class I have been practicing spinning in general, trying to incorporate the new knowledge and techniques into my daily spinning and learning more as I go. But, what I've spun in the past is as lovely as any future yarn.  I am a spinner. 

Pattern: Lace Ribbon by Véronik Avery
Yarn: My most incredible, fabulous, soft, perfect as it is, and luxurious handspun
Needle: Addi Lace size 6 (4.00mm)
Time to Knit: Longer than it should have, but the bulk of it was knit in a 3 week time period.
The pattern was fun to knit, relaxingly easy and entertaining. 

Let's Talk Socks That Walk First

The Mystery Sock proved to be the perfect way to keep Sock Mojo around.  He stayed the whole month, and is still hanging out, because he had such a nice visit.  Part of the reason he has enjoyed himself  was the interesting pattern Kirsten devised. He was in a state of delight all month!  As if to add icing to the cake, Kim's yarn made the pattern that much more interesting and enticing. 

Knitting with Kim's yarn is like viewing a pointillism painting.  Each stitch looks to be knit with a different color, but when viewed as a whole the colors blend in the eye and create a warm and unique colorway.  Moroccan Spice was the perfect mix of earthy tones and shades, and I must say, Sock Mojo and I were always entertained by it's changes. 

See the heel on the Mystery Sock? It is my first successful Eye of Partridge heel.  It's doubtful anyone has had the trouble I have had in keeping the stitch count right all the way through to the heels end.  I owe credit to Carole who made a very astute observation. She thought the secret might be to do all four pattern rows before you put the sock down for a break. That way one never need wonder what row came next.  I light bulb went off (I can be quite dim at times) and I was able to execute said heel perfectly when the time came!   I am easily entertained and love  little knitting tricks.

The best yarn, the best pattern, the best Mojo made Socktoberfest a blast!

Thank you Lolly, thank you Kirsten and thank you Kim. Hopefully I can keep Sock Mojo around and continue the fun!

I love my SOCKS!

So Much is Happening Here!

I don't even know where to begin!  So much has happened in the last few days. Nothing earth shattering or life changing, but get this...I only have two things on my needles and one doesn't count.  I had to take the needles off the Kusha Kusha Scarf to use for the Cardi Cozy (Rav link) and I don't feel bad about setting it aside for now.  It will have its day some day soon. The handspun scarf  is finished...now blocking and not ready for prime time. It too will have its day.  The photo shoot for the Socktoberfest Mystery sock is coming up soon and more news about the Cardi Cozy, too.

The T-Day Mitts are finished and have already been worn, as the weather took a turn, from warm and blustery to cold and rainy.  Winter like weather has descended and the next few days will be a weather roller coaster ride until it settles in. 

So, let's talk about the mitts first.  I'm crazy about this yarn, Shelridge Soft Touch W4 in the Mulberry color. The yarn is soft, warm and wonderful, one I will use again, and since I have (almost) another skein there will be more mitts and/or cowls out of this yarn.  It took just over one skein to make both the Darkside Cowl and the mitts, but that was because I made the mitts a bit longer to cover my long fingers. And, instead of making a simple buttonhole opening, I picked up stitches and knit around for a few rows to cover the thumb knuckle. 

I'm in a bit of a quandary about what to start next.  The Cardi Cozy isn't a good movable project and nothing has stepped up to fill the void. Plus, I'm playing a waiting game to see how things play out between Sock Mojo and Mitten Mojo. This weekend I took a good look at the Maelstrom socks from the Twist Collective and fell toes over heels for them. Sock Mojo did too!  However, I don't have an appropriate sock yarn (more to come on why) BUT,  I do have a wonderful yarn for the Magic Mirror Mittens that will be in the Winter issue of Knotions. The yarn is a Briar Rose wool/mohair that I bought at Rhinebeck.  The pattern should be published today and that just might send the Sock Mojo on his way.  He doesn't want to be second fiddle. I may also have been bitten by the lace bug, so things are heating up between all the Mojo's.

Several grrlfriends have stepped up to do NaBloPoMo and I am thrilled to join in with such a great crowd of friends.  Some are joining NaKniSweMo, too.  The next month is going to be so much fun (at least for me!). I hope you'll stick around to see how all this unfolds.

To Delude or Not to Delude...That is the Question

Daniel was finished just days before I left town and flew East for Rhinebeck.  There was little time to contemplate, or get started on, the next big knit. I also considered that NaKniSweMo was coming up rather quickly after my return home.  Since my Delusions had caused me to cast on a few more projects than is usual, I decided to spend the rest of October in finishing mode. Easy projects for airplane/airport knitting were a must, too. 

A couple of easy cowls made good airplane/airport knitting while flying East. The midnight flight was a killer and knitting while waiting in airports kept my eyes open. Terry will tell you it took considerable effort for me to make it to 9:00pm that night.  While at Rhinebeck little knitting was accomplished but on the flight home I knit like a fiend on Lace Ribbon.  Five hours stuck in my seat, five long killer hours of obsessive knitting, took the scarf from a mere 8" to over 30".  She is beautiful and I'm enjoying knitting with my own alpaca/angora handspun. However, this project is far from the finish line.

After returning home, I did start a pair of Thanksgiving Day Mitts to match the Darkside Cowl. The Shelridge yarn is so soft and lovely and the mitts are a good project for lunch time knitting.

However, the delusions of desire are eating their way into my brain just as I try to keep focus on finishing. While checking a preview of Knotions November issue, I saw the perfect mittens for my recently acquired Briar Rose yarn.  To make matters worse, while walking around Rhinebeck, I saw a few preview sweaters for the November issue of the Twist Collective. The sweater I fell for, and I fell hard for, is knit in Foxfire Fiber's gorgeously soft and textured Cormo yarn.  Oh my, the desire for that sweater is strong and I can't even show a picture!  To make matters even worse, I'd like that sweater to be my NaKniSweMo project AND my delusions deepens as I consider knitting the yoke of the Bohus Sweater – Gray Mist at the same time!

There is more!! As you know...Kusha Kusha Scarf has been set aside and is waiting for attention and there is the Socktober Mystery sock. My greatest desire is to have this sock finished by October 31st.  It has received the bulk of my knitting time, but because the pattern is complicated, and it missed a full week of knitting time. Finishing by my self imposed deadline is going to take a bit of magic.

 

Big Smiles for Daniel

Symbolically this is set to post at the same time my plane is leaving for Boston via NY (JFK).  I am excited to see so many friends before and during Rhinebeck. Hopfully the butterflies in the tummy won't keep me from sleeping during the flight...I am an adult after all.

Daniel took a little longer than I had intended, due to distractions of the small knit variety, but she was never set aside.  Knitting with the Beaverslide yarn is pure joy.  Beaverslide is a must stash yarn and I will be adding more as soon as the pocketbook allows. It is my number one favorite worsted yarn. 

The gray color of Catbird is a graphite like blue/gray, very versatile and neutral.  The color and style are the perfect foil for any scarf, or piece of jewelry, if one so choose, and it looks particularly wonderful with Ruby's scarf (a gift from Norma). This will be my Saturday ensemble for Rhinebeck and I can't wait to show her off! (All pictures below are clickable.)

The sweaters I love to knit have wonderful design detail, finishing techniques and unique features.  The front panel of Daniel is the main feature, but the sleeve panel is well thought out and executed in an interesting way.  The sleeve begins with the design panel starting in the cuff and moving up the arm and into the saddle. It then morphs right into the neck ribbing.  Kate's finishing techniques, short rows for the front and back shoulders, and the way the saddle brings them together, are ingenious and easily accomplished. The pattern is well written and works up just as you expect...no surprises.

This picture shows the sleeve detail on the cuff.  The front looks good whether open or closed and the snaps are small enough to be nearly invisible.

I love this sweater, love the yarn, loved the knitting experience and love wearing it.  Daniel is a hit with me!!

Daniel by Kate Gilbert for the Twist Collective size 38
Yarn: Beaverslide Worsted   – 5 skeins Catbird
Time to Knit: August 30, 2008 – October 10, 2008
Modifications:  Mirror imaged the front panel to make the jacket open on the feminine side.  No other changes were needed.
Julie or Kate, please save a tape measure for me (preferabley pink)!

Bandit!

I'm leaving on the midnight train flight to Georgia to NY and will hop a flight to Boston from there. Wouldn't you know that I would have a major mouth rash incident over the weekend?  The good of it is I now know the cause. The bad is that quinine...as in the stuff of tonic and vermouth (we didn't know it was the flavoring for vermouth, thus the outbreak) will no longer be on my drink menu. The ugly is...well, my mouth and the pain of burned skin. The doctor confirmed it is only a rash (not something worse) and he prescribed a quick dose of steroids and antihistamines, both seem to be working their magic.  I should look fairly normal come Friday.  (whew!)

The other good thing is I can show off the cowl in fine bandit style.

Here it is preblocked, as I just don't have time to block and reshoot.  I love the pattern and the Araucania Ranco Solid which was perfect for both the cowl and the mitts.

I'm totally in love with cowls, mitts and gloves.  They will be my constant winter companions and I love the possibilities of patterns and yarns. Sadly the Darkside cowl needed to be ripped (within an inch of it's life) as there was an err made before the pattern became solidified in my brain. It is now back on track and working up quickly. Gotta love a worsted weight yarn and a quick moving pattern. The yarn, Shelridge Soft Touch W4 is going to be so soft and wonderful around the neck, too.  Cowls should make good traveling companions (no lost DPN, easy to remember patterns and quick work) and I have another in the works.  This lovely Shibui Merino Worsted, on the right, will be knit into a simple design for Blazing Needles.  The yarn is another squishy worsted that is a perfect deterrent to cold and will be extra soft against the skin. 

I guess you've been waiting long enough for the best FO of all.  Daniel will be in this spot shortly after midnight tonight (which is tomorrow). You'll love her, too!

Winter Weekend

Yesterday, as already reported by Susan and CherylS we woke to measurable snow. Above is the view from our bedroom at around 8:00am. The picture below is what the mountains looked like after the clouds lifted, around 1:00pm.  It was a beautiful day that ended with a touch more snow and it stayed below a record breaking 40 most of the day. The wind made it bitter cold.

What is a more perfect meal for a very cold day than soup?  I found the recipe from a link on Cheryl's blog, and it had also been recommended by Cookie.  The picture was taken right after I put in the mushrooms.  My additions were zucchini, mushrooms, carrots and  a handful of peas at the last minute.  We ate it with Parmesan toast and it was delicious!  This soup was quick to make (easy, too) and we'll enjoy it again throughout the winter.

You may not believe this but all my "goals" were met!  I finished Elysian and Good Luck Cowl (more on it tomrrow).  Yes, Daniel is finished and there is just a bit of the preview in the pictures of Elysian.  I'm saving him so you can oogle us both while I'm flying across country Tuesday night.  Back to Elysian.  The Suri Silk is soft, silky and beautiful, but I found it hard to handle (just a little).  The mitts turned out very nicely, so I'm complaining about nothing, really.  How can you not love a knit that takes about 5 hours total.  Susan's instructions are superb and you'll learn a fabulous new cast on, too!

I am so, so, so behind and must get going. Please bear with me as I pack and get other details under control...I'll be dragging out the FOs over the next few days. 

What's Not to Love?

If fingerless mitts are just a "knitters thing" (although many of you don't think that's true), we're the smart ones (but we already know that, right?).  Mitts maybe something you need to try to see if they're right for you.  I've found them very helpful alone when it's a bit too warm for gloves, under or over gloves for extra warmth, and when it's cold but the fingers have a need to be free.  Last winter they were indispensable and this winter I expect to be wearing them almost constantly.  Do you hands get cold while you're holding a book, typing, knitting, or driving?  Mitts are the answer. 

Kirsten's Genmaicha Mitts are high on my list of favorite mitts. This was such a fun pattern to do. The textured rib on the cuff hugs the wrist and offers pure knitting entertainment and it is long enough to tuck under a sweater or coat sleeve.

This is a well fitting mitt and many of my knitting pals have tried it on to find it comfortable and a "must add" to the queue. (It won't be too long before I knit another pair as I must have a set for myself.) The pattern is a nice combination of beauty, good fit, fun knit and elegant design. The yarn, Araucania Ranco Solid was also very impressive.  Every aspect of the yarn is wonderful from the dye quality to the yarn quality.  The color changes were subtle, gorgeous and rich and the yarn itself was soft, non-splitting, and top quality.

If you haven't yet tried knitting and wearing a pair of mitts, you really need to give them a try.  They are the perfect thing for blustery fall days and the Genmaicha mitts are a cut above. There will be more!

Hat Trick

The Saturday Sky photo foretells what Friday night was like in the land of Zeneedle.  Thunderstorms were in the area but, as usual, lacked much in the way of precipitation.  We enjoyed the accompaniment of thunder while we had cocktails and dinner on the patio.  The before dinner appetizer and after dinner aperitif was the Turn A Square hat.   

While we lallygagged and enjoyed the evening al fresco, I played around with the camera...something I should have done long ago. I also should have read the manual (yes, I know Cara!)...better late than never.  As you can see from the photo on the left, the macro capabilities are now known to me. How cool is that picture of my Goblin Eyes handspun?  Smith, by the way, calls it lovespun...isn't that cute?   

He also loves the TaS hat, and I love it as well, because it was easy and fun to knit.  By the end of the evening the body was finished and first thing Saturday morning I was able to finish the crown decreases.  Cascade, which I have not used in any great quantity, is a great yarn and was the perfect compliment and perfect companion for the handspun. Smith's ears will be nicely dressed and very warm this winter.

Smith and Max enjoyed a quick photo shoot Sunday morning and Max is quite delighted to be a blogstar.  He's our rescue Schnauzer and we've loved having him as a part of our household.  Moxie has decided Max isn't too bad as a buddy and they've had loads of fun together.  While Moxie is a little shyer, he wanted his chance to be a blog star too, so he's in the picture on the right.

Knitting a hat with handspun was so much fun. I think I'll rummage through the stash and find something suitable and make a hat for myself!

Digit Madness

After seeing the Knotty Gloves in last Friday's post, Zarah asked if the fingers were a pain to knit.  While it is a bit fiddly to knit so few stitches (about 17-20) on double points there are only 4 fingers and a thumb needed and, truthfully, 5 little digits really don't take much time to do.

When nearing the tip of each finger, I stick my hand into the glove to check the length and after finishing each little finger I put my hand back into the glove and wiggle the clothed and unclothed digits at my own face, at the dogs and at Smith.  We (ok, maybe the dogs don't care) all get a kick out of it and while in that good humor I go back to knitting the next finger.  It's a kick, and just that little bit of whimsy makes the task enjoyable and fun. 

In no time at all you have a pair glove ready to keep your fingers warm when the weather turns cold.   

Mountain Colors Bearfoot is a great yarn for gloves.  It's soft, thick, warm and the colors blend well without doing anything weird.  Smith thinks the yarn and pattern are great and he has requested a pair. In time, I'll oblige as I have a lovely rusty brown Bearfoot in the stash.

Some knitters have a problem with second glove syndrome just as they do second sock syndrome.  However, in both cases they are called "A PAIR".  A pair of gloves, a pair of socks...as if they were one entity. AND, that's just how I approach them. AS ONE.  As soon as the first part is finished the second piece is begun and knitting continues without break.  They are not very useful if you only knit half a pair. 

The pattern was easy to follow and fun to do.  The long cuff is fabulous and a perfect way to keep the wrists warm under a coat sleeve and the knot pattern makes the fit snug and comfy.  This pattern is a keeper!

Keeping my hands warm this winter just got a little easier.

Psst...today is Kim's birthday.  You know what to do!