December 15, 2013

December Spinning & Classes

So no new classes I'm teaching to announce.  I suspect I might be doing a couple Ravelry workshops soon for my various guilds.

I have been spinning.  And working with my handspun.  At SOAR I picked up the Spin-Along kits and with the two ply I made I worked this cowl.  Doing a garter ridge every time I created a color change.
And from above the colors blend even more.

I really love it.  Merino wool spins up so soft.  I'm still working on the Rockin' Whorl Club's first package, Prism.  I have finished all the singles I think.  I ran out of angelina to blend with the solid.  So I just spun up what I had and will begin plying.  Not sure what I will do.

However, I want to finish the sock singles I have too.  I'm on the second traditionally spun single of the 3 ply.  Last one!
So many spinning projects almost done.  :-D

We are almost to the holidays.  If I don't blog before then, happy Christmas to you.  :-D

December 5, 2013

November WIP's and a sock review

I have finished a new crop of Puffs for the Bee Keeper's Quilt!  I just love these little guys!  I can't make just one, and I spent all of Thanksgiving making them.

I lined them up.  I don't know, it was much more orderly this way, stop judging me.

I can't wait to show you the holiday stuff, but I can't.  That's not fair to those who want to be surprised.

But my swap package made it's way to Japan a couple weeks ago, so here are the cute mittens that made their way across an ocean!

I hope Yuka enjoys them.  They were easier than I would have thought to make.  They are the Corkscrew Mittens by Michelle Hunter.  She offered a class locally that I had the opportunity to take, she's from Columbus OH.  I went to OSU, (Go Buckeyes!) so there's a bond there.

Sock Review:

I've been knitting socks for YEARS.  In 2008 I started making tons of them.  So I thought I would review some of them.  Take new pictures when I could and let you know how the yarn wears and the pattern too.

In the summer of 2008 I made Ziggy, a stranded knit zig zag pattern.  It's toe-up sock with a short row heel worked out of Noro Kuryeon Sock Yarn.  New socks:
I don't have a picture to show you of the sock today because it's gone.  It was one of my favorite pairs but I tossed it.  The sock was knit at a nice tight gauge that wore really well, however, Kuryeon is a one ply with a little thick and thin aspect going on.  That one ply wore nicely when where it was doubled up but in the areas with no colorwork it did not.  My Ziggys wore through on the heel.  It made me sad.  The one ply yarn is an interesting choice for socks, it doesn't have the spring that a good sock yarn has, so the socks were not stretchy and easy to get on.  The pattern was great, and I would make them again.  I would chose a yarn that would wear a little better.

Next time, I will have a pair with an updated pictures :)

December 1, 2013

November Books and Events

The book and Event are are linked!  I can't plan this well, it just happens.

There was great excitement around the LYS water cooler about Ysolda's new collaborative book, The Rhinebeck Sweater.  Oh the preview was so pretty, and the photography well done.  And the sweaters, the sweaters so enticing.

How could I resist, I pre-ordered the book, with some disappointment that it wouldn't be delivered until after Vogue Knitting Live!  I took Ysolda's class on sweaters 'Beyond the Raglan.'

I was flipping through twitter, which I do about once a week.  I'm not a good twitter user, at all.  I don't read hardly anything on it anymore.  But I logged in and flicked through, and the app I use really only shows you the last 12 hrs of posts.  And behold!  Ysolda popped up saying the books came in early, they would ship early if all goes well.  Apparently, they did.  I got mine the Wednesday before VKLive!  It was great.

The book is fun, a cool collection of stories and essays from a variety of authors and designers.  A collection of patterns of different styles from a variety of designers.  Great pictures and tons of information that you need for a great sweater.  I would expect nothing less from Ms. Ysolda, and she signed the book after class.

I am so grateful.  To be honest, I signed up for this class because Vogue sent an email saying there were 1/2 price classes.  I decided I would do a full day of classes for the cost of a 1/2 day class.  I looked to see what was on sale, deciding I would take something from someone who won't be at Stitches.  Ysolda's class was the best deal to me, as she doesn't often teach at the big conventions.  But I saw sweater class and no homework.  IN.

The class was the missing link between the Amy Herzog Knit to Flatter (I am a big fan, do not misunderstand) and a sweater that would fit 100%.  The only thing Amy's "series" does not tackle is arm-hole math.  This is where Ysolda's class comes in.  Beyond the Raglan was the name of the class, I didn't remember much about this class I was supposed to be taking by the time came.  I brought my penguin in a sweater to inspire me.  The first 1/2 of the day we talked about the types of top down seamless sweaters there were, and how to get a real good fit.  Mostly theory and a little sample knitting to keep your hands busy.

At lunch I walked down to a Mediterranean version of Chipotle/Subway, and it was yummy.  Then, since I didn't buy a market pass ($90 for a 1/2 day class and you still need to buy a market pass) I would walk up MI ave to Vosges Haut Chocolate in the Nordstrom building.  It's a good 3 miles of walking.  I should have worn sneakers, but it was still good.

The afternoon was math, all the armhole math I needed to really adjust any sweater to fit my arms properly.  I will be building a spreadsheet I think to work through her notes.  I am ready to work through those notes now, after a month to mull things over.  I can't wait!