Still alive

Who it was March since my last post.  Whoops, time did fly this summer.

I finished the Honeybee Stole - designed by Anne Hanson

This was a great knit, and it did fly along when I was actually knitting it - it got put aside for other projects quite often.  The yarn has a story behind it which starts with my first (and only) foray into natural dyeing, followed by overdyeing with green acid dye.  I loved the affect that the gold undertones had on the resulting yarn.  As the yarn was mordanted with copper, the feel of the yarn is not as soft as when I first purchased it.  However, I think I will use this stole this coming fall and winter.

  This stole has lace patterning on both sides, which did slow me done some until I got the hang of it.  - Pointy needles are needed.

Damson

I know the Olympics were on a month ago and that is when everyone was talking about the Ravelympics, well I have been busy and I haven't been posting much. ( That is my story and I am sticking with it.)  One of my ravelympics project was the Damson shawl.

(Seen here checking out our Olympic inukshuk)

This is from Ysolda Tegue's Whimisical Little Knits 2 book that I discussed back in January - (you know 3 blog posts ago).  It was a relatively fast knit - except for the fact that I didn't check gauge and ran out of yarn and knit the second half twice.  I ended up switching needles and making the scallops slightly smaller.

The yarn I dyed myself and had a quite a bit of fun doing so.  I have had so much fun in fact that I have decided to sell my yarns on Etsy.  This is part of what has been keeping me busy.  I am still playing with colourways and dyeing technique and looking for good source of base yarn.  However the Keeper's Dyepots store is up and running. 

Weaving - A scarf

I last left this blog with a mention (okay maybe it was a post) on how I was taking a weaving class.  Well that class ended a month ago, so maybe it is time I showed you some pics.

We had warped the loom with enough yarn for samples and a 60" scarf.  The first classes were trying different samples and techniques and the last 3 classes (which I missed one) was to weave the scarf.

After doing trying several different patterns I decided on weaving a mix twill (done in orange on the left).  I liked how it showed texture in two colours.  We were given the option of changing some of our warp threads, and I decided to change 6 threads along the one side.  I wanted to change it to the wool (Cascade 220)  that I was using but the instructor said since the rest of the warp was in acrylic I should change it to acrylic as well.  I wasn't keen on this but took some mulitcoloured yarn and made the switch.

To tie in those six threads I did a couple of pattern repeats on each end in the multicoloured.  The variagated in the warp is lost, but it was a learning experience.

The scarf is in need of a good blocking, and is ready to wear.  If you want a rectangle for a scarf, weaving is the way to go.  I am thinking of getting a rigid heddle loom which would be good for scarves and table runners but not for wide things like blankets.  We will have to see what the year brings me.

A new hobby

As some of you may know I have started taking a weaving class at the KW Weavers and Spinners Guild.  I have wanted to learn to weave for awhile now, and I finally took this opportunity to take the class - Weaving 1.
We are weaving on Leclerc table top looms - well that should be will be weaving.  Last nights class brought us to having threaded the warp.

We will be doing some samples of different twill patterns and then be weaving a scarf with our choice of patterns.  There is some beautiful work being done in the guild.

Whimsical Little Knits

For Christmas I received signed copies of Whimsical Little Knits and WLK Two. My sister went to Scotland and a knit and chat, solely to get me a great Christmas present.  What, .. that was not her only reason?  Please let me live in my land of denial.
Ysolda Teague self published these books and they are of high quality. The lay out is superb.  The index has thumbnails of the projects. Charts are of high quality and when necessary have additional information in other colours that does not make the cluttered or confusing but helpful.   If you prefer to have digital copies - to help blow up or resize images, you have the option on purchasing of receiving pdf's of the files as well as the book. 

The Scroll Lace Scarf had recently been added to my Ravelry queue, and I had suitable yarn.  So there was only one thing to do in the New Year.
Cast on and complete the scarf

 

Some modeled shots

This was a fast and enjoyable knit.  It will be coming to guild with me tonight (the model will stay at home and go to bed).

Christmas 2

I went to the Woodstock Fleece Festival back in October, and I got a beautiful Hand Maiden sock kit.  The vendors, Grand River Yarns, had demo knit up into a couple of scarves.  I loved it, and decided to get a kit to the do the same.

The kit consisted of Merino 2/6 sock (325m 115g) and Angel Hair (70%Kid Mohair 30% nylon, 400m / 50g) dyed together. 
One of those scarves is another Christmas gift.
Pattern: Variation on Feather and Fan
Row 1: Knit
Row 2&4: Knit 3, P to last 3 stitches, Knit 3
Row 3: Knit 3, *YO, K, YO, K, SKP, Center Double Decrease, K2Tog, K, YO, K, YO,K,* K2
I did 3 repeats across so 41 sts

Knit rows 1-4 with yarn A, then knit rows 1-4 with yarn B. 

Center Double Decrease: Slip two stiches together as if to knit, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over

Christmas knitting

Before all the Christmas knitting gets given away, and I forget all those little details, I really should write some blog posts.
First up - a pair of socks
I don't think I would use this yarn Louet Gems sport again for socks although it is beautiful, and the colours are rich.  I just think it it as tad to heavy for normal socks.
That being said let me present to you the Whitby Socks

Yarn: Louet Gems Sport - 100 g
Needles:2.25mm
Pattern: Whitby Socks - Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush
Changes: I added 4 more stitches - a purl on each side of the cable - as it was too narrow before

This was an enjoyable pattern, the knit/purl diamond between the two cables makes it so no counting is needed for the cable.  The pattern is difficult to  photograph though.