Classes and Events for August 2013!

2 big events have happened.  I went to Stitches Midwest and I went on vacation.

Stitches has not disappointed me.  A couple of my classes there, a little, but this year I took no classes but went to all the evening events.  I was very happy and excited.

I worked in the Zen Yarn Garden Booth, my LYS Fuzzy Wuzzy Yarns will start carrying their yarns this fall and we hosted their yarn at Stitches.  I spent Thursday's market preview learning about their yarns and talking up their cashmere blends.  It was so pretty, I came home with some (not these ... they were already gone)

I came after work on Friday, but missed the podcaster meet-up due to yoga.  I did meet up with some folks from the Fox Valley area in WI, HI!  It was good to see my Yarn School Buddy Ann.  I got my books signed by Antje Gillingham and Melissa Leapman.  Both were very nice but honestly Antje changed my knitting life.  The 2 at a time on 2 circulars method made socks more achievable and more likely to be the same size!  I couldn't thank her enough, she might have gotten teary.  I know I did :)

The fashion show put on by the yarn sponsors and vendors was that night.  I got to sit with Jen Lucas of Sock Yarn Shawls & Knitting Like Crazy, Laura (who won the student banquet editor's choice), Christine and Pam that I all know through my time at Fuzzy Wuzzy.  The Fashion Show was very cool, lots of great things going on, Lion Brand's LB collection has some real nice stuff in it!  I was really impressed with Laura Bryant's Artful Color, Mindful Knits collection from the book.  I wish I had more time to check out those garments.

Then the PJ party.  I packed up my sidekick spinning wheel and had it in the car for the PJ party.  I knew that after work, shopping the market and the fashion show, I would be fried.  I took it as an opportunity to spin.  I was the only spinner, but I did get to teach a little about the wheel and what I was doing.  It was a lovely night.

On Saturday I was back in the afternoon after mowing the lawn, house work and some laundry.  I came in around 1, dropped off some noms for the ladies working the Zen Yarn Gardens Booth, because I knew they wouldn't stop to eat.  Then did a little walking the market place and shopping and then did a 2 hr volunteering at Halos of Hope.  Man I love Pam, Alex and that whole organization.  They do a lot to make sure people fighting for their lives have some comfort and love around their heads.  Do check out the drawing for a FREE RIDE to your next stitches event for a $5 donation!

In the evening on Saturday I finished the day with the Student Banquet and Fashion show.  I just love that event.  The peak at what the industry is presenting is great, but seeing what the others at the show are doing is the best!  Fantastic work and great workmanship.  Oh, I loved it.  So proud of the other stitchers there!

I came home with a few goodies from the dinner and then came home to pack for a week of vacation in MI!  There was very little fiber fun on the road.  I knit a lot of my Camp Loopy Project, some socks, and taught my friend to spin!

She should be very proud!  And she is so enthusiastic that when she got back to California, she signed up for a drop spindle class.  Woo hoo!

I saw cool things and ate lots of great food.  Ann Arbor MI is a wonderful town, even for a Buckeye.

I wish I had had the time to take a class at Stitches, but I pooled my money into SOAR.  And it's good I did, because it's the last one :-(  I am thrilled to be going and to sleep in my own bed while attending.

On the teaching front I have several classes that are new to me.  Design Your Own Christmas Stocking.  Like this one I made for my sig other.  

I am teaching Christmas Ornaments too - Balls Up! is our pattern and it's going to be great!

Check out the store website for details. 

It's August - Let's Talk about Spinning and Books

This month's Spinning and Books are linked.  

I was gifted 8 ounces of Gale's Art Corridale wool in a Randome Colorway.  Of course there is no before picture.  Sorry.  It was a bunch of Purples, some red, a navy, aquas and a blue.  They were 2 bumps of four ounces each, likely dyed at the same time.  I didn't care for the red, however the purples and blues were very nice.  I decided to break this up, pulling the colors into different piles.  I then weighed each pile to see how I could divide these colors up while still being able to pair the red with a color that would ply into something good.  The red is so tonally different than most of the other colors but I wanted a 2 ply.  I figured out a color progression that would pair the red with the navy which should give an effect of a purple from a distance.  

My sidekick bobbins hold about 4 ounces so my intent was to spin 2 bobbins FULL and ply them together making a 2 ply that would be a lovely purple yarn to gift over the holidays to a new knitter.  I have never spun Corridale before, it wanted to be spun pretty fine, finer than I usually spin.  So, I needed to come up with a different option and I turned to The Spinners Book of Yarn Designs.  I had flipped through the book in an early post, but I hadn't READ the whole thing.  I did, and I loved it.  I went browsing and learning through the book looking for a multiply that would work with my Z spun singles that are divided into 2.  I had already spun one bobbin full :-/ 

I found the Hawser Plying, I think I was familiar with Hawser Rope.  It's a 4 ply that is a double 2 ply taking your z spun singles and making a z spun 2 ply yarn, then taking the 2 ply yarn and making an S spun 4 ply!  Ah!  And when I was flipping through the book I found a secret pouch on the back that had cheat sheet cards!  So handy to remind me what I was doing.

So far I have spun my Z spun 2 plies.  I should start S plying tonight.  BUT I SAMPLED:  Look how nice that is :)

Bonus Recipe You Need To Try: 

Filipino Chicken Adobo.  So easy, so yummy, in love.  Make with rice, eat with gusto.

A Late July Wrap Up - Projects!

I've been readying for a vacation and Stitches Midwest and the Chicago-land Yarn Crawl.  All the while I let the end of month wrap up fly by!

I have been knitting swiftly and getting a lot of projects done.  I still have a few projects in need of buttons.  Including my Bittersweet vines set.

I worked the smaller size out of Plymouth Mushishi.  Love the silk noils, don't they just crave your attention?  I don't know if I like the color gradation, but with 5 buttons in place I will be putting this set in the gift pile.

I also need 2 cute buttons for Ava's sweater.  It's a Helena from Knitty.com.

I made the largest size and made a couple modifications.  Those were removing the picot edging on the bottom and sleeve to match the garter edging on the button band/collar.  I also did all garter and reverse stockinette in a contrast color.  A forced modification due to a lack of purple yarn was to add a couple stripes near the edging on the sleeves.

Her 3rd birthday is at the end of the month, and she picked out the purple, Flashdance in MadTosh DK.  I picked out the pink to go with it.  The combo reminds me of Dora the Explorer, a big hit at her house.  This soon to be 3 year old said it was pretty and you can't ask for a better endorsement!

I have been obsessed with the Knitty.com pattern Sallah Cowl by Bristol Ivy.  All my 100% wool sock yarn WANTS to be one.  Including some Insanity Sock from Knitting Like Crazy (currently not dying up more) in a Packer color!

It's drying on the rack right now.  I love the simplicity of the pattern.  With a set of interchangables, I put on one size 5 tip and one size 10 tip and off I go.  The cowl is so squashy and the pattern creates a lot of pockets for air to act as insulation.  I am completely fascinated with the squash-factor and color pooling.

I have yet to pick a new yarn to become a Sallah, but I'm eyeing some Zen Yarn Gardens Serenity Silk at Stitches Midwest for one!

On my needles right now are a million things.  I found a blanket in Lion Brand Homespun that was 1/4 done in my closet.  I moved it from the old house and shoved it in the closet?  *sigh*

So I dug it out and quickly doubled the length in cool afternoon a couple weekends ago.  I do like it and it's on US 11 needles, so it's about 2 rows per inch.  BAM!  Blanket!

For those counting that's 4 blankets on the needles, none remotely close to being done!  I'm 1/2 way through the GIANT needles blanket too.  That one is heavy and warm.  8 strands of worsted acrylic on size 50's.  I did about 8 more rows on it but have gotten to a point where I need to be joining new yarn.  Things get tangled and I get frustrated.  Every row helps though!

I haven't done any work on the Building Blocks or Beekeeper's Quilt.  They are lonely and neglected.

Other projects I'm working on are a hat for Halos of Hope.  Simple Tam pattern for that in a beige.  Kind of boring... a KAL with the Mean Girls Yarn Club that I have made a million (about 35) tiny granny squares for.  So cute.  I can't wait to work with them, but I have to weave in ends.  YUCK!  But I'm going to attach them and combined withe some garter stitch rows of white... maybe I'll have a new pattern!

Have you seen Sharknado?  I have been bitten and I am making Sharknado Socks!  Look for an afterthought garter stitch heel.  Oh they are sweet.

Lastly I've started challenge 3 for Camp Loopy.  800+ yards in ONE project.  I'm doing the Audrey Cardigan in 100% Wool Lace from Prism.  I have lace tension issues and have snapped the yarn once.  (I'm a hulk)  I do nothing but re-think my choices when knitting this; it's not a good sign.  The color is a boring brown, which I know I would wear all the time but don't like looking at right now.

I know that I have had to make a couple adjustments to the pattern for my hips and arms.  It all makes me a little nervous.  Dear God I hope this works out.

Hope everyone's knitting is going well!  See you after Stitches!

July Wrap Up - Tour de Fleece and other things

My July was mostly filled with Tour de Fleece and all the focus went there.

I bought a couple books, and I'll talk about that next month, if I open them.

So with that Let's talk Tour and FO's and WIPs.

Tour de Fleece is an event that takes place along side the Tour de France bicycle race.  All meeting at the starting line at Ravelry.com we set our personal goals and support each other with each leg of the race.  I can't tell you why I haven't done the Tour in previous years, but this was my Rookie Year on the Tour.

I had goals, oh yes, the Tour is about personal goals and mine were lofty.  I wanted to finish the long term projects on my bobbins and spindles.  I had 8 ounces of Mixed BFL from Blue Moon Fiber Arts that I got at The Fold when they were at the Sewing Show in March of 2012.  I had 2.7 ounces spun on my spindles.

I decided to spin 4 on the wheel and 4 on the spindle.  I finished up my 1.3 ounces on the spindles and completed the 4 ounces on the Sidekick.  I worked a 2 ply on the Sidekick and got a delicate fingering weight.  It's so pretty - in reds, pinks, and greens.

So soft and lofty.  When washed it blossomed!  Oh, I love it.  Aprox 690 yards.  :)

I also have some BFL from Miss Babs I got from her website and from Loopy Yarn in the Loop.  Some in the color Dew and some in the color Envy Me.  They were both BRIGHT GREEN, I love that color.  I spun about half of it up on the Vespera espinner and I was a little green myself when I spun it.

I finished the singles on the Sidekick and plyed on the Vespera.

I worked a 3 ply and it is puffy and glorious.

I then tackled the last long term project.  I have about 5 lbs of llama to spin up.  I'm really struggling with it.  I don't think it's well prepared.  The spinning guild helped me find the problems with it and what to look for next time.  It's full of veg matter, and there are second cuts.  It makes it hard to draft properly without stopping regularly to clean and pick.

So to combat this disheartening task, I SWEAR I will do 3 bobbins of llama between other projects.  I did my 3 bobbins and like it.

The last thing I did was start a new project!  Yay!  It is Corridale from Gale's Art in a Random Colorway - it's blues and purples with a pop of red.  The red is slightly out of place, but I will spin it up and gift it at Christmas.  Here's some pictures:

Love it! I will post on Friday about my WIP's and FO's.  Are you excited?  

July Spinning and Classes

I have finished a couple classes on Craftsy while finishing my Stoker Pullover.  I think I finished them both ... hmmm.

I finished the Fit to Flatter class with Amy Herzog.  A nice follow up to that class would be something on Arm-hole math.  I would love that.  Seriously.  I need that.  Well, her class is pretty great.  The only improvement I could see is that in the beginning we look at pictures and analyzing shape.  We are given the tip - contrasting outfit for your background.  What does she do?  Models in black against a dark wooden background.  Behind Amy?  A pale blue wall.  *shakes head*  There is a lot of tips on math, and some practice.  It was really helpful.  And then - you really only have to do this kind of math once, then you will know what to do for EVERY SWEATER you will make for yourself again.  Assuming you don't change too much.

Well worth it.

I also signed up for the free class - Know your Wool.  And it helped me get my sheepy fix after not seeing any at the Midwest Folk and Fiber.  :)

With the sheep - it's Tour de Fleece!  And Bright Green BFL from Miss Babs is almost complete.  I will wash and set right after posting this!

Pictures:

June's Projects in various states of complete

I've been working fast and furious on my projects.  A lot of KAL's - per usual.  I like to do Camp Loopy with the Loopy Ewe in CO.  I knit swiftly and the 1 project in a month is not too difficult for me.  I like the crazy challenges.

So:

I finished some projects I love.

I have a new pair of socks that have a TARDIS theme!  I worked on them while THE BLACKHAWKS were WINNING!

They are in my Garter Chevron pattern - available BOGO Free right now - use coupon code: FUZZYSOCK2013 use it wisely.

I finished a sweater that I will love in the cold windy winters of Chicago-land.  The Stoker Pullover from the Fit to Flatter book.  I already want to make another in say ... a wool.  The alpaca chainette construction of the Flicker Yarn is going to be so warm.  Oh but the modifications to fit ... Wide hips, as written above the waist, wider arms, and some armscye math.  Cowl neck as written.  :)

A co-worker that I convinced to start going to yoga classes with me has a birthday coming up.  I made her a yoga mat bag that will coordinate with the color of her mat.  It's an aqua color - this is the Om Yoga Mat Bag from the Stitch n Bitch Nation book.  It's probably one of my first knitting books.  My friend Fluffy had it when visiting me back in 2006, and it really inspired me to try new things.  This book and her influence pushed me over the edge.  I made this pattern back then for my yoga mats, I made it bigger for myself and ran out of yarn.  Mine looks crazy, Ning's looks a lot better.

In progress I have a ton.  Always. I cluster knit.

Still in progress are the hexapuffs - I got sick on Monday and made a couple YELLOW ones.  Yellow is making me happy right now.  I'm still working on the Bittersweet Vines set from Anne Hanson.  That project takes brains, and those projects take me a little longer because I have no time for that right now.

I started a blanket for Project Linus 8 strands of yarn given to me from a friend who lost her grandmother.  It's plain acrylic and it's working up nicely.  (size 50's from Bagsmith)  I was on FaceTime with a friend who called her hubby over to watch me work on them.  (Go Team Squishy)

I started another Sallah Cowl.  I love that pattern, it's a free Knitty.com pattern.  Bristol Ivy did a wonderful job, well written.  The only thing missing on Knitty is the schematic, but I think it is on her blog.  I'm working in Packer Themed yarn - Go Pack!

I've also joined a KAL for my old yarn club - The Mean Girls Yarn Club.  Yarns were themed around a villainess of the month.  My year (year 2) was centered around the movies.  I have worked up one - it was hard to find a pattern to work with that yarn.  It looked horrible worked up, but lovely in the skein.  I am still not happy with it, but too stubborn to rip it out.  This yarn - a 2 ply superwash fingering weight screams SPRING with an olive green meeting purple and coral.  I did not want it to blend - I wanted pooling.  I viewed the Run Amok projects on Ravelry, and found when the colors blended it looked brown from a distance.  No - I wanted SPRING.  I went crochet.  I'm doing tiny granny squares that I will couple with a white boarder.  We'll see how this goes :)

Lastly it's time for Camp Loopy project 2 - I'm doing the Helena for a lovely almost 3 YO.  She picked the color - a Flash Dance Purple in Madelinetosh DK.  Here's the progress shot.

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 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...

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!