June 28, 2013

June Books and Events

On the Book front I put down my non-fiction book about the escape from Alcatraz - I didn't like the over-all structure of the book.  I found it hard to figure out who all the players were...  Anyway...

I picked up Yarn: Remembering The Way Home by Kyoko Mori.  I'm about 2 chapters in and she's so compelling.  I hope she lands on her feet, especially since she's a knitter :)

I have been to the Midwest Folk and Fiber.  It is a 3 day Fiber festival and folk art thing.  They had a small display of work, quilting and weaving and things.  There was a market floor with about 2 dozen venders and some outdoor vendors selling foods.  There were bunnies on the market floor.  Sweet angora rabbits some sheered, others a-fluff.  I took no pictures.  It was not really worth the $10 entry fee.  Although I didn't take any, the classes were pretty good with great teachers.

I did take home a small grocery bag full of fiber.  One project for spinning and one for knitting.  I picked up some Gradients in Merino Silk from Fiber Optics in the Fire in the Sky colorway.  I also got some great turquoise yarn from Lost City Knits in the DK base.


On Saturday we start Tour De Fleece.  I am going to try to finish some of the long term projects on my bobbins and spindles.  :)  It includes the Blue Moon Fiber Arts mystery fiber in Briar Rose that I've been drop spindling for about a year and change.  I picked that up at the Sewing Show in Schaumburg in March 2012.  It's a nice prep and the colors are reds and greens.  I am going to have to sample to see what I can do when plying this up.  I worry about the muddying of colors.  I have 5 pounds of llama from Christimas 2011, I talked about that fiber in last post.  I also have green BFL from Miss Babs, in Envy Me and Dew, about 24 ounces of it total.

Now I've been putting off seaming a sweater long enough, I can't wait to show you my WIPS and FO's.  I do hope that the sweater makes it to the FO pile!

June 6, 2013

June Classes and Spinning.

A few things are going on while I twirl fluff to yarn.  And they are all very old things.  Currently working on some spindle spinning.  BMFA fiber in base unknown in a color called Briar rose.  Very pretty, about 1/2 way done with the singles.

I started working on the llama fiber from my aunt again.  I was not impressed with the prep on the fiber I was working, second cuts and lots of vegetable matter.  However, about 3/4 through what I was working on my lap, I got to some well prepped fiber.  It was drafting, very little matter, like the first stuff I tested.  Oh my.  I think there's just a bit of 'bad' stuff in the bag.  My attitude has improved.

The first sample ounce I got turned out like this.  So pretty.
I am also working some BFL from Miss Babs in Envy Me and another green colorway that I will be mixing up.  I've been switching between the colors whenever the fiber "breaks."  So bright and electric!

I have finished the Two if By Hand Polworth.  I made a gradient yarn, it moves from gold to purple and back to gold.  About 190 yards of a fingering weight.
Here is my finished work.

I signed up for SOAR this week.  It's in my backyard - St Charles IL, and I might not get to go again.  It's exciting to take a class from another member of my guild, and learn about the mechanics of my wheel.

Oh, I put my Ashford Traveler wheel in the back seat of RachelCables' car last weekend, I hope she's having fun with it.  I know that when I was starting on the wheel I feel pretty self conscious when the owners were watching.  So I hope the alone time helps her and she gets some pretty stuff to come out of it.  

On the classes front:

I'm teaching a navigating ravelry class and a two at a time on two circulars Sock class.  I love both of those classes.  They are both fast paced and fill the time completely.  I really like those kinds of classes.  You can find my classes at Fuzzy Wuzzy in Arlington Heights.

I recently took the Anne Hanson Class on Bittersweet Vines.  She did a great job working through any elements that you might have problems with and walked us over why different executions of the yarn-over might look bigger or smaller depending on the stitches surrounding it.  Very helpful, but I still am at a loss about what to do with that...

Here's some hexapuffs drying...



June 5, 2013

May FO's and WIP's

So, some knit alongs started this month and deadlines are approaching and rather that post, I knit.

So here's what I've been working on and finishing.

First I've been slogging along on a bee keeper's quilt and have made some great puffs.  Here's a couple in the Rick Goes to Crazy Town color from Knit and Fiber Creation's Walking Dead club.

I finished mom's fun-fur scarf.  She loves it.  And that's what matters, not my pride or my achey hands...
I finished 2 pairs of socks - one in more Walking Dead Yarn - this one in Lori's Ghost and it's very pretty, in a pattern I made up myself.  A cabled slip stitch pattern.
And the other a pair called All Dressed Socks in a color from Unwind Yarn Company, Feriade Valencia, and they are amazingly bright!
Then I went cowl crazy!  I made a cowl in 4 days.  Size 10 needles helps though. ... The Sallah Cowl from knitty.com  And it's amazing.  I may have blocked it a little aggressively, but I thought it was choking me... 
The doubling of the loop means I get a mustache!  Great fun.

I have started the Bittersweet Vines Cowl and Mitts set by Anne Hanson, who came to visit the Windy City Knitting Guild last weekend.  I chose Plymoth Mushishi to knit it out of.  It's a one ply aran weight, wool and silk blend.  And here's my cowl in progress with Anne.  She is so sweet.
I didn't go alone - with DizzieLizzie and RachelCables we worked our cowls.  I love Rachel's - look at that green!

Also on the needles - no photo  - is the Stoker Sweater from Amy Herzog.  I finally did the math and read the 3 sleeve articles from knitty.com to figure my fat-arm-skinny-sleeve problem out.  Conclusions being 1. Lose some weight so I don't have this problem and 2. knitting is all math.  

Conclusions looking at the above pictures, everyone's getting cowls for Christmas!