A Spinning Wheel

Lately, I've been working on socks.  The same pattern, but different yarns.  As I venture deeper into the realms of textiles, knitting and spinning, I discover nuances I never knew existed.  The green pair of socks are knit up from the wool that I dyed in the green koolaid.  They came out beautifully and I love the softness of this pair. The blue pair I knit up next.  This wool was spun and dyed by a friend of mine and it was done "in the grease" which means the wool was picked clean, but spun with the lanolin still in the wool, and not washed out.  There was a bit of a stickiness to it, which I compensated for by keeping talcolm powder close by and each time my hands became sticky, I put a small amount of the powder in my hand and rubbed it in to my hands to absorb the surplus and knit more freely.

From this project I learned that you have to keep track of every stitch and take your time when you knit socks up.  I also perfected my kitchener stitch, and as you can see the toes have a lovely professional look about them.  It was worth the extra effort to really take my time and learn it well.  For all the previous mistakes I've made making socks, I have to say I've learnt so much.  As well noting down every single row and what it was, keeps you on track and I even develloped my own code so I would know each step that was coming up, how far along I was and that just kept things easy and fun.  Instead of sitting down and trying to get the project all done at once, I divide it up into jobs.  The cuff, the leg, the heel flap, turning the heel, the foot, and the toe, each become a seperate section and after completion of each section I take a break.  I go slowly and don't think about what I've already done and how much more I have to go, and what comes next.  It just takes away from the enjoyment of it and tends to create mistakes.  I just focus on the section I'm working on and it all works well.  I ended up unraveling my lovely lavender socks and have already started making a new pair out of them with the correct tension, (Hint: keep things tight) and the correct size.  I'm almost finished the first one and already it looks so much better.

I had some excitement yesterday, when a dear friend came over with some goodies for me.  A few rubber stamps to make cards with, some spool knitters, a little vintage fabric some other things, including nom-noms, but most importantly and happily a spinning wheel.  It's tiny, which suits this place perfectly This is the side of it, so you can't see the wheel, but you can see the arm that goes up and down turning the wheel, and you can see the bobbin and flywheel on the spinner.  As you can tell it has a triangular shape to it and is very compact.

Here you can see the wheel and the treadle, which you pump up and down to make the wheel go round and round, twisting up the fiber and drawing in the yarn and winding it on the bobbin.  It's pretty amazing the way it works.

It took me a while to get how it all worked.  My foot did not quite grasp how to get the wheel to go in the right direction at first.  As well the early tension was difficult and all over the place. Thick and thin, and it looked unwieldy.  I also suffer from performance anxiety, which manifests itself whenever I'm watched doing something, no matter how well I know someone, I just don't perform well.  Oddly enough as soon as my teacher and dear friend left, I decided to give it one more try instead of waiting until today to play with it, and low and behold it came to me, easily.  In fact, in no time I was spinning away and loving every second of it.  It's so peaceful and mesmerizing when you can just get into sitting at the wheel and working on creating pretty little bobbins full of fiber. :D

So yesterday was the best day I've had in a long time.  While my friend was here, we went for a walk in the park and had a yummy meal together, we talked and laughed, we spent time spinning... ok ok I was learning ... but we did get to spin together, which is something we both had wanted to do for a long time... Next time I think we're taking the wheels to the park... I should mention, I have the same wheel as my friend and they are sisters, much like my kick spindle has a sister.  I feel blessed to have such good friends and the opportunity to spend time with them.

The Busy Bee

Over the last few days, I have been working on creating more wool for me to create items from.  I've done some dyeing, which I outlined in my last blog, and then I did some spinning on my kick spindle and have designed and completed a pair of summery fingerless mitts.

As you can see, I've spun up 3 balls of wool the pale lavender, which I created by diluting the Grape Koolaid.  The ball on the mitts, still needs to be plyed, but it is the palest of the lot, and will create some beautiful plyed yarn, once I get to that.  I spun the blue wool and it came out quite lovely with a lot of variance in the colors.  I have a lovely selection of colors to choose from and now just have to figure out what to make.  I have to also figure out the weight of the wool, whether it`s worsted, Aran, fingerling and so on, and for that I use a little guide I make out of a card and notching out a one inch space. I don`t know if there is a name for this kind of measure, so I`ll just resort to my favorite word and call it a doohickey for today.  

The writing on the left hand side has the wraps per inch and what it stands for.  To make the doohickey, I just used a recipe card and cut a 3 inch rectangle off it.  Then to make it a little more sturdy I fold it in half.  I mark out an inch in the center and using a pair of scissors cut about 1/4 of an inch down, and fold the ends over.  This I do on the cut end, I now have a 1 inch notch with which to wrap my wool.  To make things quick and easy I always put down the table that converts the W-raps P-er I-nch or WPI to the wool weights we know so well like worsted or Aran.  

Now for the table of weights:

Wool Weight Name                            Wraps Per Inch

Lace *************************18

Fingerling-----------------------------16

Sport*************************14

Double Knit---------------------------13

Worsted***********************12

Aran----------------------------------11

Bulky*************************10

When using the doohickey, you have to push the wool up together on the inch end and make sure there are no spaces.  In the picture it's wrapped loosely to show how it works, however, carefully moving the wool over takes this to 12 WPI, meaning it's a worsted weight, a standard and popular weight.  

I also designed a pair of finger-less mitts, they are quite lovely and summery in a fingerling weight yarn in green.  I had a lot of fun making them and they go part way up the arm,  perfect for those nights when a gets a wee bit chilly and all you have on is a t-shirt.  Their lacy pattern also makes a lovely fashion statement. 

I'm including a close up of the pattern.  I found it difficult to take a picture with one hand so it's a little blurry. This closeup should help.  It's called a fan pattern and it's really lovely on.  It stretches nicely and they are airy, so they don't get to warm when you wear them, yet they do provide a little warmth should it get cool.

Now after all I've been working on, I need to tidy up.  Although productive, it's been a messy few days and it's time for me to get some things ready.  Packages to wrap up, wool to label and put away for another day, A few things to price and perhaps if I can get things done quickly enough I can even have some time to make another pair of tiny little Mary-Janes.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

So  I hit a couple of snags yesterday when I was working on my project.  I'm all out of black thread, but I used a dark charcoal until that was all gone too.  I  know I had a big spool of black thread, but it has vanished.  As well all my fancy buttons have disappeared and I just have the pearly ones.  I know they'll turn up again... Just seems weird that they suddenly aren't here.  There are days I swear I"m plagued by gremlins.  As well, my sewing machine was acting up and I just start using it and the presser foot comes off and does not want to go on, It took me hours to figure out someone had taken off a piece and put it back on incorrectly.  I start to sew again and my tension is all a mess.  I need to get in there and clean it... I suspect it's sat too long and needs a tune up.  I can be patient.  Instead of getting all frustrated, I have put the machine aside until I am ready to clean her up and see about a tune up.  I did however hand sew the bag, the one below.  It's hard to see, but I did some applique on there and stuffed it with a little batting and sewed it down in strategic places so it has a 3D affect, and the applique looks like a medallion.  I should be picking up some thread in the next couple of days and then I"ll get the bags complete.  This is just the first one, and where I am so far.

I added some embellishments to the hat I dyed up the other day.  I was going for a whimsical look, like bubbles floating across the hat, reminiscent perhaps of champagne.  I'm considering taking them off and putting more of a pattern on it.  I'm still unsure, I just k  now that it's not quite what I wanted, yet.

So, I'm considering what I can work on that will keep me busy and help add to my stock until I can get those pouches finished.  I did want to make a pair of Mary-Jane slippers again, and perhaps another pair of the finger-less mitts.  I get asked about those the most. I could work on my sewing machine too, but I'm still too frustrated even though I should be realizing it's just a life lesson, already learned and it's the tail end of the lesson and I'm discovering just how deep it went and how right my decisions have been since learning it. :D  Now i'ts just learning to take that deep breath, so that rather than moving on from the old, I'm moving forward towards the new without regrets.

UPDATE:
I don't know how, I don't know why, but I looked around one last time for a few things and low and behold, my spool of thread appeared, as well as my special buttons, and some items I thought I had left behind and would never see again.  I'm jumping for joy.  In all honesty, these items could not have reappeared at a better time.  I was just about to go and get my wool and put my fabric away for the next few days, when I decided to look in my sewers box one more time.  There they were, I had checked an hour previously and they weren't there.  Gotta love the Universe, I put it out there and then they show up.  That is awesome so without further adieu, I bring you a photo of my latest item... A lovely little bag, filled with hope and good intentions.

I Dyed and Went to Heaven!

I finally did it, I dyed something, albeit small and fairly easy I was looking for a certain look.  I have always loved the color ecru and find it hard to find when I"m ready to work with it.  I had heard that by dying with tea you could create that colour.  As you see it's a soft pinkish brown, that is so warm and natural, and it's not white.

So I had just knitted up this hat, real quick, a basic really, just a roll brim beanie, and I was not sure what I was going to do with it. As you can see it's creamy white with nothing really much to say, fine as it is, but I wanted something more.

It needs something more I thought, so I decided to give it a tea bath and try out that whole Ecru thing, after all what's the worst that could happen.  So I started to get prepared.  I wanted to avoid that mottled look that can happen if you just plunk it wet into the tea water, so first things first.  I soaked the hat in cold water for half an hour to get it nice and saturated.

The next step was to make a double on the tea.  I boiled 2 cups of water and poured them over 2 teabags in a large enamel pot.

The enamel pot is dark blue in there so it looks a little murky, but it's all good.  I then pulled the hat out of the water, gently squeezed out the excess and then plunked it into what looks like murky depths.  But see, not so murky, in fact it's a lovely color, all orangy brown.  Every little while I gave it a stir, over the next couple of hours.  I was patient and kept checking for color.

Once it was done, I squeezed out all the tea and then I rinsed it until the water ran clear.  Then gently squeezed out the water again.  So far this is what I have:

I know it still looks creamy, but the lighting was not that great, however, the color is pretty, very faded browny pink.  Besides it's still wet in that picture.  At this point I'm waiting for the hat to dry to see the true color, and then it's getting some further embellishment.  Once it's done I'll post.

I had a great time doing this little project.  I love the way the hat looks so far, and can't wait for it to be done.

Hooray, a Craft Show

So here it is in all it's glory, the CHLY Spring Fling, my first venture into the local Fairs.  I've been invovled in a few in Vancouver and on the Queen Charlotte Islands, but this one I'm really prepared for.  I'm all excited and have already emailed my inquiry to the program director.  I've been busy working on business cards, price tags, little items and more.  I can't wait!

Keeping a Few Things Handy

When it comes to knitting, I like to keep a few things close at hand.  One is a pencil or pen, another is a small notebook.   I also keep scraps of wool in bright colors, several of them, a couple of crochet hooks, and  some scissors.  I put all of these things into a bag large enough to hold the knitting needles I'm working with, the wool, all of it, as well as the aforementioned items.

I get ready before I knit, even if it's just a simple project.  Firstly, I simplify the instructions into how I understand things work and write them all down in the notebook, leaving spaces for me to make tally marks for each row I do.  What this does is re-familiarizes myself with my project and I have an easier time of it if it's something I've done before.  I can then refer to any quick pattern anomalies I might encounter, because I've taken notes on any issues that crop up, so I know how to handle them if they come up again.  I also keep a copy of the full pattern, just in case I need to double check something.  Those bits of colored yarn come in handy not only as markers, but can double as stitch holders.  The crochet hooks are great, you know when you drop stitches... You can easily pick them up and crochet them back in.  It just simplifies the process.  I tend to keep my bag small and purselike, but holding only my crafting tools, and I can easily scoop them up and take them with me wherever I go.  I can shut things down at the drop of a hat, and pick it  up later, whenever I want.

The great thing about knitting is how  portable it is.  You can take it anywhere and work on it.  One piece of advice, watch out for people who like to pick up your work and take a good look at it.  It's the easiest way to drop stitches.  People mean well, they just want to see what you're doing and how it works.  I keep track of stitches and rows in my notebook.  I always know where I am.  That way, if something unforeseen happens...(eep the cat), I can quickly sort out the problem without  too much unraveling.

Unraveling is a vital part of  making a garment.  Sometimes tensions loosen or tighten and you are just not pleased with how things are going.  Don't be afraid to unravel.  You can pick up the stitches easily enough and work them back to where you were.  Look at it like a lesson, or practice, be forgiving and kind to yourself.  They are only stitches and there's plenty more where they come from.

Above all , have fun with it, as you progress, things become easier and soon you are designing things in your head and looking at patterns and going yep... I see how that works.

The new Hood

So here I am in my new Hood.  She's a beaut, and she worked up quickly.  I used a double strand of wool, one dark green, one royal blue, so it was then like an chunky weight.  I had to unravel a bit when it came to taking off the ends, and fudge some things, but the back looks good now.  I made it as kind of a pixie hat, and it does have that air about it, but check it out.

I got my son to try on the hat, and He looks good in it as well.  I was thinking it was a more girly hat, but no... It looks good on both genders.  I had a lot of fun with this and will be making another shortly... I'm thinking maybe pink and orange.. or maybe just one color... I'm going to go through my balls of wool and see what I have that would look good.  Not so sure I want to do another two tone, just because I want to see it all in one color... Hrmmm maybe a natural...

As for how I feel, I'm getting better.  I might give the kick spindle a go tonight if I'm not knitting, but I'm thinking it's time for round two of the hat and to write down the pattern... :D

Take a break when you're Sick

So, I've been ill, so sick I couldn't do a thing. I did try to knit... no dice, and spinning was not working either.  I tried reading and everything was gobbledy gook, TV was just plain nonsense, and all I wanted to do was sleep.  In fact, my body would not allow me up.  So I've had some sleep, I've had toast and soup and pasta for meals.  I've realized that most of the last week is a complete blur and I'm still too sick to care, but not so sick that I finally can't pick up a simple knitting project.  Not quite up to the kick spindle yet, but when I am, I'm going to be trying a fingerling weight for socks.  I figure I need to get it nice and fine and then ply it together.  Ahh but that is too much for my head to dwell on right now.

I have always believed that you put what you are feeling into your work.  So I try to be happy or just plain clear my mind and get into the zen of the art.  Not always so easy, but I work on it.  I often get invited to knitting gabfests, and I usually bring something that never gets worked on.  I don't want gossip and snide comments and hatefulness in the creations.  It's not fair to put that kind of negativity into the items, considering they are to be worn.  I usually watch something gentle on TV or put on something instrumental and positive or happy, or just basic simple music when I'm working and I also try to have alone time with the textiles.  However I found something interesting and I'm thinking I might weave some mythology into my work.  I have discovered this show called Once Upon A Time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhvwthzmd_I  I love this show and hopefully can find a copy of the pilot that can be played in Canada.  I have only found episodes 15 and 16 on CTV available in Canada and all that does is pique my interest.  I'm thinking watching mythological works will definitely be interesting while I"m spinning and knitting.

It will still be a few more days until I'm fully up and about, but at least I'm at the point where I can knit a little and look for ideas... Once I'm better enough I'm going to be doing some dyeing of my fleece and yarn.  That should be fun. :D

The mind boggle, I mean the Kitchener Stitch

Okay, so I'm working on socks, and everything goes well until I get to the end.  It's grafted together with the Kitchener stitch and as luck would have it every time I get ready to do it, someone logs on with something they need to talk to me about.  Every time it's been stressful and it occurs as soon as I've put on the video to watch and go along with, which in my opinion is to fast to watch and learn, but hey I really know it's me and I'm having troubles with it and I'm not the only one.  It's mind boggling at best and with everyone else tossing crap my way it's never going to be learned without interruptions.  I get them here at the house to.  My well meaning son offers to make lunch.    It's not fair to him... It's not his fault.  My neighbor needs a hand getting to the store.  My other neighbour is having a big fight with her bf and things are being chucked out the window. then there is the clatter of feet and pots, pans cutlery exacerbating me. I'm already frustrated and every noise distracts me because I'm trying to teach these 50 year old hands new tricks, and they are saying mind boggle.... mind boggle... I just want to scream and toss my knitting... Always a good sign, because it means I'm close to an epiphany, that the way to do it is almost clear that once I release the fog of frustration I will see clearly how it works together.  However I'm not there yet.  Using the video is useless, it's like a magnet so I found this http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer04/FEATtheresasum04.html and all I can say is I love you Theresa.  Today I will finish an ugly toe on this sock.  it'sok... I'm good with that... Once it's done I"m going to do a little quicky knitting and knit up something with only a few stitches a handful  on each needle... That's only 5 and I will practice the stitch... then I"ll unravel and start again.  I will learn it slowly and not be afraid that I'm ruining a sock... No I'm learning a trick that will help me loads.  My frustration level is very high at the moment and if I weren't so mad about the interruptions, I would be in tears at my failure, so maybe mad is a good thing... tears often lead to headaches for me.  I'm thinking something fun to watch might help change my mood... Ah yes and the tension in my shoulders yes.. not a good thing for a knitter... I'm going to hunt down my A535, quit my whining and get back on the horse/ewe LOL And with that my sense of humor is starting to return.  At this point my son has heard language from me that he rather would not have and has ducked into his room.  I don't like making him feel uncomfortable... Perhaps I should make lunch today and then work on the sock.  :D  I won't feel entirely better til this stitch has been mastered.  I do know I don't  have to understand how it works.  I just have to let my fingers learn to make it work. :D

Learning Curve

So above is the first pair of socks I knitted.  Not perfect, but not bad, just basic little socks.  They fit well and I used an alright yarn I guess.  It's a mystery yarn, not sure of the weight, but it worked fine.  They seem to lack some shape, but I did want something simple for my first time, and that's exactly what I got.

After making my socks, I decided to make a pair for my grown son.  I used the same pattern, same math and got that monstrosity of a sock.  It is too lose at the top, fits all right at the foot, but it's so misshapen.  I was disappointed and frustrated the whole time I was knitting it.  I could see it was not doing what it should even though the bag of wool said that this was sport weight... yeah right, it was not sock weight, more worsted and it looks terrible.  I also used the wrong needles.  With the socks for me I guess I lucked out.  For both socks I used DPNs 3.5mm my favorites for knitting up a hat on the fly.  Yeah socks are not a knit on the fly type thing.  

  Now I'm working on a sock with a pattern, Skyp socks to be exact.  I have some very lightweight fluffy wool in a color I like.  I also have some DPNs 2mm this time around.  So far this looks much more like a sock and I'm feeling better about the thickness.  I'm going to find some grey or another dark colour (anything but black) so I can make my son some socks, and I'll see from there.  

Things I've learned:  *make sure you have the correct yarn and gauge

                               *make sure you have the correct needles to get the gauge correct.

                               *with socks size matters, triple check the gauge.

                               *when starting with socks, math is for mathematicians, use a pattern.

I'll be posting when the socks are done.

Finally completed the sock.

It has taken me a bit to grasp the making of this sock.  I suspect part of it is that I'm not up to par, everything is kinda achy and I'm feverish. However, a little flu will not get this knitter down.  I'm going to make it's match a little later, but it's good to see that math was true to the pattern.  What is interesting about this sock, is it was made without a real pattern, just an idea of what a sock is, with math for stitches to make it fit, and information on knitting the heel, the gusset, and the toe.  After that it's all easy. :D

The sock is a good fit, no tightness, but perfectly snug.  Also, the garment breathes well, and my foot is warm, but not overheating.  Who could ask for more.  I'm going to be working on some more different patterns as time goes on, but for now, I'll just settle on creating the mate over the next couple of days.

Arabian Knit Dreams

I have been working on these mitts, and a hat to match the last few days.  I sometimes get interrupted while I'm in the zone and I loose my concentration, there is a knock on the door, or someone wants something.  I depart my world of knitting and give a hand, I come back to my work and start up again, but I'm not yet in the zone and I find it hard to get back there.  Luckily I don't get so deep in that  getting back to where my head space at is a problem, but when it does occur, I unravel and start again, that is what happened with these.  I was counting cable stitches and just well my counter was adjusted, it was just one of those things, but I could really see the cable was off.  I tried to just go back a little, but no, the unfinished glove was telling me to unravel all and start from the beginning.  It was worth it... These knit up quickly after that and I am learning to say, I'll be with you when I'm done.  I'm working on a hat to match, when that's done I'll post.  this pair of fingerless mitts was fun to make and they are nice and warm.... I love the color; I call it Arabian Knight Blue, it reminds me of the deeply star speckled starlit skies in all those movies about the Arabian knights.

Following your Bliss

I love to be creative and was looking forward to taking pictures of all of my creations and posting them today.  However, the Universe, in all it's infinite wisdom decided I needed a break, and sent a dark storm our way.  The winds have howled, some snow has fallen and there has been rain falling cold and heavy.  I did brave the elements, but only to clear my head and get some much needed garden supplies.  That worked and I was able to see things more clearly and feel refreshed.

Our apartment is rather dank when the sun is not out, and taking the pictures I wanted to take was an absolute impossibility, so instead I worked on designs for a simple business card.  I settled on my  name, the name of my blog and my phone number.  If I can, I want to add an insignia or logo, I was thinking of a ball of wool with some knitting needles.

In all honesty, I have wanted a break for some time and not seen a way to take it.  Slowly I've been removing myself from things that don't work for me.  I have been working on having a good support network and finding my zen.  When I'm spinning and knitting, I find that sweet spot and never want to leave.

In the beginning:

In the beginning, man, or should I say woman, was wandering around gathering things, one was the fleece of some of the animals the hunters brought back, and the women noticed that when twisted together these pieces of fiber of fleece clung together, and you could wrap those long strings around a stick... That's it in a nutshell.  Fiber's are twisted into long strands, which can be used to tie things together, weave into fabric, knit, crochet, weave, and even mat with needles or water into felt.  From here, we can create so many things. Clothing, blankets, shelters, shoes, art and so much more.

It is my hope to take this simple little craft and discover what can truly be created if you really really want it.  When I lived in my mother's home, the sewing machine was pulled out and she would make lovely dresses for my sister and I to wear, as well she knit us sweaters, and I still can hear the plink plink of the needles as they crossed.  She did not always work on things and I do recall a loom with lots of string and some long  pieces of thick doweling that she would swear at in German as she tried to untangle the inevitable mess of strings that were hanging from the main dowel.  My sister and I were not allowed to touch her things... but I wanted to learn to knit.  The answer was no... However, my father saw me and grabbed me and he showed me to knit very simply and from there I learned to knit, and knit well.  I watched my mother and my little German Aunts that came to visit and exciting things would happen, in glorious natural colors made from mustard and onion skins and other strange exotic things.  These ventures into dying, I suspect ended in disaster, because one day it was all abandoned, to be worked on later (which came to never).

Life goes on and I would knit and sew from time to time and was always comfortable around textiles, loving the artsy feel of it all.  I had wanted to spin and knew no one who spin, there was no YouTube, so no kind of tutorial or lessons.  For, as luck would have it, spinning fell out of vogue and items for spinning were impossible to find.  Then one day I met someone in a group that was not even remotely involved in my desire to explore textile arts.  She brought me wool, and looms, and we continued to talk and built up a friendship.  I began to pour over YouTube and discovered ideas on how to make my own little drop spindle.  It was created from a pencil, I put in a little teacup hook into the eraser end.  I then sandwiched an old CD between two square pieces of cardboard with a hole in the center and two rubber bands... those are to set the place for the spooly end.  I just put the rubber band near the end by the eraser, and wrapped it around tight, then it's a piece of the cardboard, the CD and the last piece of cardboard, hold tightly in place and put the last rubber band around the pencil and inch everything up tightly together, now you have a drop spindle to spin with. 

This is a picture of my spindle, the fleece I used and the ball of wool I created.  That was my first ever attempt and it actually knit up quite well into these:

These mitts are finger-less and are actually quite warm.  I've made a pair of these in heather for myself, and these are more of a masculine style, which I call Bad-Ass Biker Mitts. :D