Yarn along

 Joining Ginny and the Yarn Along today.

I am knitting my Split Back Tank by Allison Griffith. It is coming along, but all this stockenette is a slog. I like the blues colorway and the drape of the fabric and think the white is just heavier enough to make the tank hang really nicely. This is part of the Year of the Garment KAL with Yarngasm.

I am also working on a pair of sock for the box of sox KAL though I doubt I will finish twelve pairs in a year.

I just finished read Yarnitexture by Jillian Moreno and it was awesome. I have lots of ideas and things I want to try now.

I am starting the Handspinning Art & Techniques By Allen Fannin this week. Both are reading towards my Certificate of Excellence in Handspinning.

Happy Knitting! ~Julia

Yarn along 5 - Sweaters are scary

I have been focusing on this sweater and it is really coming along. The title of this post is two-fold, one I have been focusing on this one as the color-work in the other sweater is scary and I don't want to screw it up and rip it out again, and two the armhole row of this sweater was terrifying! It made no sense. I eventually, knit a sample and went for it. It worked but I will think long and hard about knitting from a pattern by this designer again. It works and it is lovely, buut the pattern is confusing and now help ore clarification is available and while looking I found lots of people got stuck exactly where I did. I have four balls left and more to go, so I am hoping the yarn holds out! Until I tried it on I was thinking if necessary I could skip the sleeves but I think it needs them, so fingers crossed. After all the stress of the armhole rows and all the double twisted rib, getting to stockinette for a while is great. Photos by the girls.

I am still reading Aiden Amos' Big Book of Handspinning. I also have broken with not reading fiction and am re-reading the Sign of Seven Trilogy by Nora Roberts.

I finished my second video, this one shows me dyeing, preparing, spinning and ply wool into yarn.

Joining Ginny and the other Creative Ladies of the Yarn Along! ~ Julia

Yarn along 4 - Socks! a bit late.

I am a bit late! I finished my socks! and got through the decrease row on Mouse's sweater, So I will have pictures that are more interesting than endless stockinette in blue next week. I am pausing the book Bloody Old Britain as I have read about two pages since last week. Hoping that leaving it on the nightstand will prompt slow progress but a book about a breakthrough in the way archaeology was conducted through aerial photography should have more photography and less flowery turns of phrase. I am re-reading or perhaps reading as a novel instead of a reference book, Aiden Amos' Handbook Of Handspinning, working towards my COE.

I did this too.  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xscHYIi-5ts&t=8s)


I started a podcast on crafty- fiber-y goodness where I talk about what I am working on and challenge myself to stretch, there will be more working videos & tutorials in the future. 

Joining in on the yarn along a bit late week! ~ Julia

Yarn Along 3 - Heels!

Yes ladies I have turned the heel. German Short Row with a small heel flap. I have one weird stitch on the first on I did the first row, I thought it looked wrong and tried to back up, quickly consulted the pattern video and decided it was alright. Backing up however had screwed it up a bit. I am really excited with how these are turning out and can't wait to cast on the next pair!

I have made progress on Mouse's sweater but four inches of plain stockinette are remarkably uninteresting. I have also made small amounts of progress on my sweater but my focus was on the other two projects.

I also haven't made much progress reading. A few more chapters with the girls in Anne of Green Gables, this is not my copy and the person who - I am sure typed in not the correct word but it works - it was not very careful, the book is bound prettily by there are lots of words missing or changed from my edition. I have also made slow progress in Treasure Island since I am reading it at the gym and with my husband out of town their have been less opportunities to spend time there.

My other book- Bloody Old Britain by Kitty Hauser is kind of dull. I had not heard of the man that it is effectively a biography of, before picking up the book. It seemed like more of a discussion of the history of Aerial Photography in British Archaeology, which it is kind of. She crafts beautiful sentences. However, she is trying to describe pictures and could have used more photographs in this book about photography. It is interesting but not compellingly so, or gripping. She tells the story of the archaeologist/photographer and discusses his work without focusing fully on either. I am not enjoying this book, and it doesn't help that as Jim is off on business again this week I am knitting until very late, then still unable to sleep, picking up this book.

Joining Ginny at Small Things with the Yarn Along today.

Yarn along - socks and sweaters #2

Joining Ginny at Small Things and the other creative ladies in the Yarn Along! I am really looking forward to seeing what is in everyone's work baskets!

 It is knitting before reading here! The Pikachu sweater is coming along. I want another 2-3 inches before I do the decrease and begin the color-work. I am thinking I should have made it a little looser on him and plan to add a few inches around to the girls' sweaters when it is their turns. My husband and daughter designed Bunny's next sweater during dinner the other day. It will feature a large bunny playing a violin (my daughters both play) in the center body of the sweater and have a circle of carrots decorating the yoke. Thankfully, my husband is actually interested in this, so as soon as I decide on yarn and can give him the gauge he is going to design the bunny/violin section's chart. Also this weird thing happened Monday night, I ran out of the ball of yarn I was using on this sweater, no worries I have four more, but they were all down in my studio and I was tired, so I switched to my socks.

 My socks are coming along, I am about where I want the heel to start. So Monday night after I switched to this project I am knitting along and that's it I am out of the yarn. I am knitting up stash yarn and started this with only one ball. I went to Joann's and managed to get a ball of the same yarn but it is a bit brighter on the ball, I knit five more rows and can't really tell. I am doing the heels and toes in a grey.

My husband is away this week for business and I never sleep well when he is gone. Which is why when I ran out of yarn on Monday for both of the above projects I did not go to bed like a sane woman, I pulled out my very sleeping Milk fiber sweater, this is the Gyre pattern and is for me. After awhile I realized two things 1) twisted rib is easier continental 2) I was going to run out of my ball of yarn soon. I have never had that happen where three projects all needed joining on the same day. I took it as a sign and went to bed!

Reading-wise, I have been fitting my reading in around things and not finishing much.

I did finish Libations of the Eighteenth Century last night. I enjoyed it and will likely try some of the brewing and punch recipes, I might try some of the coffee replacement ones while camping. I do wish the author had looked into the herbs he suggested a bit more thoroughly, in other aspects he mentions things used or methods used that are not considered safe practice anymore, he points that  out but give the historic mention for information. I dislike that pennyroyal and comfrey are listed as flavoring for beer and tea without warnings. The first is traditionally used as an abortificant and the second is strongly linked to cancer and not considered same for ingestion anymore.

I am finding Bloody Old Britain to be slow.

I started reading Treasure Island - never have before - as my treadmill book, I read 70 pages the first day but haven't managed the treadmill since!

Bunny and I are re-reading Anne of Green Cables as a bedtime book. We read through to the third book before but didn't finish and Bunny wanted to restart for continuing on.

Yarn along - socks #1

Inspired by listening to podcasts over break I cast on socks on Friday the 30th. Like most of us, I am hoping to use up some stash this year, the yarn for these socks is in keeping with that goal. The downside is that I don't exactly know what the yarn is. I believe it is Paton Kroy. I also think this is a full skein. But I am not sure. If someone recognizes it let me know! These are for me and I know I won't have enough yarn, later today I am going to go find a coordinating yarn. I love socks.

I am hoping to read more than 200 books this year, my Goodreads 2017 challenge is made. I also want to leave my favorite fiction style on the shelves. My husband made a comment about idealized views and I wonder if reading romance novels and books involving other topics but including people who are falling in love is perhaps harmful. I don't believe or want all roses and sunshine, but I know that I am susceptible to desiring what others think I should want in place or in addition to what actually makes me happy. So for awhile at least I will be reading more non-fiction and classic fiction. As to the challenge, I have two done already.

This year I will be reading Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac. I will only read the month's chapter at a time, and am not currently committing to knitting along with her, but I might.

I am also reading Bloody Old Britain - OGS Crawford and the Archaeology of Modern Life by Kitty Hauser. This is slow to get into but I am enjoying the insight it seems to offer on current thought. "What seems to look backwards in time might in fact be attempting to mould the future."(Hauser, 12.)

My sister got me Libations of the Eighteenth Century by David Allen Woolsey, I am not too far in yet but am very excited to read and perhaps try some of these recipes.

In other knitting news I knit in and then ripped out all eight Pikachu faces in my Mouse's Christmas sweater. Six colors is too many for me to work in strands and pulled in too tight, I could no longer get the sweater on him. SAD doesn't cover it. so out came 30 rows. I think I will 1) set them a bit higher in the sweater - not around the shoulders 2) have a few less as that will put them after the decrease 3) set the faces into the body intarisa style but do stranded colorwork within each face to put in the cheeks, eyes, and tongue.

 This should have been sitting inches lower on him. Every row I did he would hug me. Now he is sad and doesn't want to talk about his sweater. I need another day or two away from it before diving back in.

Linking up with Ginny of Small Things for the Yarn Along.

Yarn Along

Well it is a my picture is upside down kind of day.

On the needles: is my Christmas Sweater for Mouse. It is  Elizabeth Zimmerman's percentage system, with one inch 2-2 rib on all the cuffs. On size 4 needles, the Key is 162 stitches and the gauge is 5 stitches to the inch. The yarn is a German company's sport weight, 100%wool, which has been hiding in my stash for years after I picked it up thrifting, I think it was 99 cents a ball. I am sure you will never see it but the yarn is navy but up close there are fibers of gold, purple, and green within that blue. I want to do a colorwork yoke in some geeky pattern but have 8 more inches and two sleeves to figure out what one.

Books:
I have been slowly reading Sir Winston Churchill's The Birth of Britain Volume 0ne. Slowly because while it is interesting and his writing is everything you might guess it would be, I kept it on my nightstand. I am breaking that trend this week and hauling it around. William the Conqueror just died - to let you know where I am. 
The COE Handbook. Which is a awesome and intimidating look into all the work I will have to do to get my Certificate of Excellence in Handspinning.
Spinning for Softness and Speed by Paula Simmons, which is one of four pages of suggested reading for the course and interesting. I plan to work on learning the technique - which in involves only using the palm, ring, and little fingers of one hand to spin and she claims completely eliminates over-spinning and you can do without looking after you learn (hoping that claim holds up.)

Joining along with Ginny and everyone at the Yarn Along.

Yarn Along - flower explosion

Joining in with Ginny and the Yarn Along!

 In preparation for next weeks camping trip I dug out an old project. I plan on working on my milk sweater while camping, but as this is a pattern I need to pay attention to and there is definitely going to be drinking and too much sun. Not a great combo. I wanted a easy evening project for around camp. I started this several years ago, using up my bits and bobs of yarn. I paid little attention to yarn weight figuring I could even it out at assembly. I plan on making 100 flowers then crocheting them together with green yarn to have a flower garden afghan. I have misplaced the pattern! But the internet was good and I found it again - here! I have 58 done so far. When I was working on them before, I did not tuck my tails. I spent a few hours this week and got them taken care of. Behold the yarn shrapnel   

As for reading I am re-reading Up Close and Dangerous by Linda Howard. I really like her characters.

~Julia

Yarn along ish

Joining Ginny and the ladies of the yarn along.

Two yarns I spun. The green is Targhee wool in pickle relish colorway, the other is the first self-striping yarn I have made.

No knitting. I have worked on Seal's prayer shawl, but despite it being easy, progress is show. My thumbs are hurting quite a lot and I am only able to do about three rows at a time (the rows are only 75 stitches). It is not going away, even with a full break so maybe this is the new normal. sigh.

Reading-wise, I stopped into my local library for a bunch of books you lovely ladies recommended and they had none. Not a single book I was looking for. In a few cases they had other titles by the same author, but mostly I struck out. Plenty of other books around but...

They had a table display to theme mysteries. You know the type a shop owner with other things to do happens across a murder and ends up solving it. I decided to grab a few different authors - people I had not before read but whose characters were interested in something I am. I pick a few duds, some I didn't even bother finishing (I used to view that as terrible but I got over it) and some I really enjoyed.

I have read and recommend for a enjoyable read - this is not heavy stuff in any way - Amanda Lee's Embroidery Mysteries (link) and Carol Ann Martin's Weaving Mysteries (link).

Amanda Lee inspired me for my own business. Want to see what I am working on? Check it out at MoonBound ArtisanShip.

~Julia

Yarn along - a prayer

Joining Ginny and the other Ladies at the Yarn Along!

It seems bad things just keep coming. Yesterday, my brother-in-law was carrying Seal (my nickname for my nephew who was born in Oct) over a baby gate in their home. I know how many things I stepped over one. He fell. Seal fell. His skull is fractured, his tiny brain has a bleed. He is in hospital this morning after a night fear. He was transferred to the big hospital about an hour from their home. The neurosurgeon is thinking he will not need surgery.

Last night and today, I am praying. I past updates on to family and friends, I worried, and I prayed. This is the start of a prayer blanket for him.

In other news, my mother will be discharged from hospital today. I spent a good deal of time frogging and refrogging my milk sweater but am moving forward again. As for reading I haven't had much time. I am reading a herbal home remedy book, I can't recommend. Catching up on reading my magazine subscriptions. Spin off and Brew primarily. 

If you are willing, would you say a prayer for my little nephew, sister, and brother-in-law. Thank you, 
Julia

Yarn along - Happy Butterfly!

Joining Ginny and the other Ladies of the Yarn Along!

I finished it!!! The close up shot is the correct one for color - my  kitchen bleaches color out of photos sorry! I am very happy, and so is she how this turned out. Super soft and cozy, against the skin but not tight anywhere. She has agreed that since I finished her sweater and the one for her sister, maybe, just maybe I can work on my sweater for awhile.

Like most crafters I know projects for myself get set aside anytime a deadline or a project for a loved one comes up. Here is my, again, now current project, the milk protein sweater. Ravelry link here.

 I am behind on the weather blanket due to this crazy cold I got at the hospital, every three days it is like getting a whole new cold. Glad we are only visiting via the internet. I am about 17 days behind.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone is working on! ~Julia

Yarn along a little late

Joining in with Ginny and the other ladies of the Yarn along! even though I am late.

I was sick since Friday. I am behind in everything.

 This is Mom's Sweater. She worked on it while waiting to hear about Dad's surgery. (He has a little infection in the knee but the doctor in not worried and he is otherwise doing well) This is Mom's first ever sweater and first ever color work. Her whales are less whale-like than they were supposed to be but she is going to try to fix that with her cross stitching skills after she finishes the sleeves.

 The Sweater for Butterfly may get done today - if I get off the computer - I ran out of the yarn I had made! So I blended some white wool with some chocolate alpaca and spun up more yarn. It is so soft. The other yarn was very soft but this is even more so. She love the row of hearts as she is calling the pink.

 Longer view this time without my toes. The sweater needs my to finish the color work, decrease, do the neck and sew the armpits. Oh and attach the pocket. I am re-reading Face the Fire by Nora Roberts. I love the characters she builds. In this story I particularly like how you work through with them how their actions long ago affected each other and why they made the choices they did. 

 While Mom was working on the sweater, I worked on the weather blanket. I had left it to get behind both because I wanted something to do the day of the surgery that I didn't have to think about so much and because I was working on the sweater for Butterfly. I did not catch up but I did get a lot done. I hope to get all caught up before the weekend is over.

~Julia

Yarn along - it's still Wednesday, right?

Swamped and hurting here - I slipped and fell and everything is hurting. The snow was prettier before I left the house.

Joining with Ginny and the other ladies of the Yarn Along.

 Two books I am reading right now, the novel is a fast read and the guide may end up living in my bag all the time.

 Butterfly's sweater is coming along.The body is done, now on to the sleeves. I am hoping to find a two color fair isle pattern flowers. I am really starting to like the yarn again.

The weather blanket. The safety pin marks the end of January.

Yarn along - a sprinkles the sweater

Joining with Ginny and the Ladies of the Yarn Along today, combining our love of reading and knitting. Check it out and get some creative ideas and book suggestions.

 I started this sweater for Butterfly. This picture is very dull, I am blaming the lack of sunlight. I made the yarn, it is a three ply of hot pink mixed breed wool, teal merino, and chocolate alpaca. It is very soft with a WPI of 10. It is bright and busy. Maybe too busy for me but she loves it. The sweater is based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's percentage system but as I found her sleeve ratios problematic with Badger's sweater I am expecting to have to radically increase the % in the arms. Her key number is 112 and the gauge is 4 stitches to the inch on sevens. My mother in law made the yarn bowl for me.

 My weather blanket continues nicely, do you see that grey stripe, today I have to add another. Grey is 0-4 degrees. I really like the blanket, the weather not so much, but it warmed up enough to snow briefly today. A very lovely, picture book kind of snow.

 The bottom one is a magazine, Where Women Create Business, but it is so sturdy it feels like a book. It is focusing on different women and the businesses they founded. There are some tips and advice but a lot of how they got there, and what their business is about. I am really enjoying it. The other is a Dyeing book, I have only glanced at it so far, but it is very pretty. One of my favorite fiber-y things to do is natural dyeing, and the gathering of the dyestuff, with family.

Inside of the magazine and my nightstand reading. I really like the way she builds her characters, they feel like actual people and she includes lots of local history for whatever area she sets her story in. Dead on the Dance Floor by Heather Graham.

Hope your projects are going well and your book is hard to put down.
~Julia

Yarn along - the weather.

See that white, that white is 5-9 degrees. I haven't spent a lot of time on knitting or crochet this week. I did finish Butterfly's second glove just in time and she no longer needs to wear the brace! I have been working on unfinished projects, my craft business, and finding my studio under the mess of Crazy Christmas Crafting.

Reading The History of English Speaking Peoples by Winston Churchill and Beneath a Blood Red Moon by Heather Graham. I like her work by this one is a bit slow.

Joining Ginny for the Yarn Along.

Yarn along - fingerless magic and the weather

Joining Ginny and the other ladies at the Yarn Along!

 I am doing a Weather blanket this year, so is a friend so we have a little crochet along going on. I am using the high temp for the day so I add yesterday's temp each day. I am assigning my own color choices to each five degree block, Peacock is 25-29 degrees and Violet is 30-34. This picture is not as bright as the yarn is in person.

The week before Christmas I decided to cast on a sweater for Badger. The Monday after I finished it. It is my first Fair Isle. She loves it! It is Elizabeth Zimmerman's Seamless Fair Isle Yoke Sweater.

As I was frantically trying to get that sweater done before Christmas, my Butterfly looked at me and asked for finger-less gloves for Christmas. She was completely serious. I told her I didn't think I would get her sister's sweater done in time. She replied with complete faith, "you can do it, you always make everything." I was nearly in tears at having to dissuade my daughter from her belief that her mom could do anything. She took it completely in stride, but really wants the second glove in time for her doctor's appointment tomorrow when she get her brace off from breaking her arm. I think I can do that!

My parents got this for me for Christmas. The History of the English Speaking Peoples, The Birth of Britain by Winston Churchill, KG. Dad pointed out there are four volumes so he may have a plan... It is a very entertaining read so far. Very British, well written, arrogant, pro-civilization, and a well researched (circa 1930 though the war got in the way of him publishing until the 50's)


looking forward to seeing what is in your workbasket,
~Julia

Yarn along - what I can't show you

Joining Ginny and the ladies of the yarn along...

 

 

I am working on a present or two for a dear friend's first baby, so until next week I can't show the knitting that has taken up most of my time lately, and boy do I want to show it. When I have not been knitting on that I have been crocheting this throw, as a Christmas present. I am looking to clean out my stash and spend as little as I can for presents this year, so this simple but soft blanket will be switching it's pattern soon. I have been doing 5 rows black then 2 rows silver, I am nearly out of black so I am going to do 5 rows silver then a row of black and 5 more rows of silver, then flip the blanket do 5 rows of silver a row of black and 5 more of silver. Hopefully, both colors will hold out and I can get a nice throw out of it. I found a tiny bit more of the black this morning so fingers crossed.

What I can show you...

This is a closeup of the black, I don't really like crocheting with it but the material is soft and warm in the blanket. As for reading I have not gotten much done, I am reading through the Backpacking reference I showed last time, it is very dry but interesting if sometimes way overly detailed. I am sure that the section on boot construction would be great if I were looking to buy boots but as a read through it is deadly dull. Which may explain the sleep I am getting as I only get a few pages done each night before turning off the light. It is good though. I have this knitting book too, which I love, I want to make lots of the things shown but more I want to have the author over for a cup of tea and knit. 

Badger has been working with her daddy on cooking her favorite breakfast food. She made me this waffle all by herself, I was in the kitchen if she needed help but the only things she asked was for me to fill up the smaller bottle with oil - she can't lift the big one - so she could measure that and if I wanted maple syrup or corn syrup. Maple, of course, although I will pour that next time.

looking forward to seeing what everyone is working on,
~Julia

Yarn along - milk sweater and a distraction

Joining Ginny for the Yarn Along.

I spent all day yesterday working on this. This however, is complicated as, which thing do I mean. The knitting of course! I am reading Northern Lights by Nora Roberts, which is paced very slowly for her. I realized about halfway through that I have seen a movie based on the book, the book is better, and luckily, I can't yet remember the ending. The Backpacking book is the latest one I am reading to gear or perhaps gird up to a hiking trip we are taking in August. I really should start walking to prep rather than just reading! I read Becoming Odyssa earlier in the week and it is very good, it is a retelling of one woman's journey both internally and externally while completing the Appalachian Trail.

Looking forward to seeing what you ladies are working on! ~ Julia

Yarn along - size 35's and fuzzy yarn to the rescue

Linking with Ginny at Small Things for the Yarn Along this morning.

What does a scary crafty mommy due when she made two halter topped Easter dresses (Pictures tomorrow at the Stash Bash) for her daughters but the weather is supposed to be 35 and raining? Search her yarn stash! I found this yarn and a similar but pink one in the stash. Grabbed the biggest needles I own, 35s (that 20mm) and set to work I am working 41 stitches across, then I bound off the middle three, I am working the remaining stitches on both sides to match the back, then I will sew the corners together to make a little shrug. A soft fluffy cloud of orange for Badger and pink for Butterfly.

I am also sewing a kilt for Mouse's Easter outfit. Lots of the men in our church are of Scottish decent and wear their kilts for special occasions. Mouse asked if he could have one. So I am hand-stitching like lighting and praying I get it done in time. I am only using flannel as I could not find a proper plaid and it did seem a bit silly to spend that much on something for a boy who is always outgrowing his pants. He asked me if my sewing machine knew how to make anything other than dresses, so I am happy to be making something for him.

As far as reading, I read two of the books I got last week, Creative Spinning - it had some interesting plying and colorway ideas but was not of great use to me - and the fiction book Glory by Heather Graham.  I like her work - most romance, suspense, and ghost stories - because of the research she does about the area she sets her work in and it history, which she often give a summary of at the end. This one was a romance set during the Civil War. I liked her portrayal of families that loved each other deeply but had members on both sides actively working for their cause, and view into those on the southern side who were both pro-cession and anti-slavery. 

Yarn along - sweater and flowers

Joining Ginny at Small Things for the Yarn Along!

 I tired to get it all in one picture! Nope. So the work space in front of me from left(above) to right(below). The current Spinoff magazine! Lots of info on selling your craft work. My garden plans are moving along. The inside of Mouse's sweater, look and armhole. I finished the back panel and and on the last side, that said, I tried it on him and want to add about 1.5 inches, luckily I left the stitches live.

Some more flowers, actually I am up to about 25 of these. I decided to make 91 and the stitch them together, 7rows of 13, for a back of the living room couch blanket. Badger and I went to Half Priced Books today. I got Glory by Heather Graham, Early American Weaving and Dyeing-The Domestic Manufacturer's Assistant and Family Directory in the Arts of Weaving and Dyeing by J. and R. Bronson (first published in 1817, ) Creative Spinning by Alison Daykin and Jane Deane, and Crochet Master Class by Jean Leinhauser and Rita Weiss.  Badger got the Princess' cookbook and a book titled I Love You. I haven't started them yet but they sure look good.

looking forward to seeing what you are all making! ~ Julia