Crafting on - dress, socks, and control

 I am working on two projects related to this card. The first is I want to improve the consistency of my spinning for the purposes of earning my COE, and I want to keep a record of my spinning. I read that other spinners keep track by using cards or tags and keep small samples of their yarns both as singles and after the ply. If you can think of anything else I could add let me know. The second project here is a joint effort sweater for my children's godfather. I will do the spinning and another friend will be knitting him a cabled sweater. We got to talking about spinning and knitting and what kind of yarn is best for Aran style sweaters and now I a spinning samples. Then she will knit samples and we will decide which to work with. The samples will be:
2-ply, oiled, spun z plyed s
3-ply, oiled, spun z plyed s
2-ply, oiled, spun s plyed z
3-ply, oiled, spun s plyed z
and her favorite of above un-oiled.   I am researching old methods of spinning, hence the oiled wool, I have spun the first sample and am undecided about my opinion of the oiling of the fleece before carding.

This photo is a twofer as well, in the foreground is my knitting - socks as a Christmas present. The pattern is Grand Central for the NY collection by the Knitting Expat. I hate the colorway and am thinking of overdyeing it, however, someone said she liked it. So there is that.

The fabric is for the dress I am making for my interpretation work down at Garfield Farm Museum. I am hoping to get it done by May 21st, but am toying with the idea of hand stitching it, mostly. I have it cut and basted, which I did by machine. I think I will try to hand stitch it but do the gathers by machine.

This is the pattern packet front.


Joining in with the Crafting On today, I am looking forward to seeing what everyone is working on.

Spin the Bin Challenge

I used to talk about wool and spinning on Wednesday so this is perfect for today. I found out about the spin the bin challenge and am participating! The challenge is on the Completely Twisted and Arbitrary Spinning group on Ravelry. Basically you are supposed to comb through your fiber stash and select a bin full of fiber to spin within the year. The rules state each entry - you need 12 - must be at minimum 2 oz and you can split a larger amount across multiple entries. You have to post a picture of your bin with all the fiber present to enter and you can't take anything out of the bin once you start (ie change your mind) without replacing it with two entries. Your pictures have to be clear enough so they can tell you spun the yarn from the fiber, so most everyone posted a bin shot and then the fiber all spreaded out so you could see it easily and you also have to list what the fiber is, who dyed it, and the quantity. Then you add pictures of the finished yarn.

Here are my bin fibers:

The top row:
1-2) Camel & Wool blend. I bought in 2016 from a guild member’s stash, no idea how long she owned it.8.6oz.
3) Southdown. I bought as a whole raw fleece in 2015. 9oz.
The middle row:
4-5) Royal blue dyed by me, Lincoln Longwool. I bought in 2010. 8.20oz.
6) Cotton. I bought in 2015 from a guild member’s stash in a grab bag, no idea how long she owned it. 3.75oz.
7) Teal blueish dyed by me, Lincoln Longwool. I bought in 2010. 5.55oz.
The bottom row:
8-9) Afghan hound, given to me by dog’s owner in 2012. 11.1oz.
10) Brown sheep wool, dyed by me in 2014. Blending with a bombyx silk and merino blend I bought in 2016 from a guild member’s stash, no idea how long she owned it. 2.7 oz of the first & 2.8oz of the latter for 5.5oz total.
11) Yak! bought in 2015, 2oz.
12) Cotswold, given to me as a raw fleece in 2013. 5.7oz.

I am not looking forward to the cotton - it is terrible cotton, but I figured this was the only way I was likely to spin it - it came in a grab bag and luckily the rest of the fiber was a nice alpaca. I am also not looking forward to the Afghan hound, as it is very smelly, if anyone has a suggestion on cleaning tips I would greatly appreciate it. I am excited about the yak and the Lincolns.
The brown sheep blending with merino/bombyx silk is to be the ply strand to more of the brown sheep that I have waiting and will be where I start. I originally had 8oz of green roving that I split into thirds (horizontally) then I spun the first two halves on separate bobbins and this spin will hopefully make two bobbins to ply against them.

I should probably get to work! 

Monday Musings - April the third

Now...
 I have been sick for all of March. Many different sicknesses, which thankfully hit me much harder than my family. I am finding that getting back to normal is very slow going, I am struggling against napping and not eating much before I am full to the point of feeling ill. I had lots of plans on what I was going to get done today. I have wasted the day, I fell asleep taking a bath. No worries it is a small tub, but now I am stiff and got nothing done.

Weekend...
The girls had a sleepover birthday party on Saturday. Beaver has joined the La Crosse team and had another game this Saturday. It was their fifth game this week and their first lost in nine. I felt bad that they lost the first game I managed to attend. He really loves this game. His girlfriend was there wearing his jersey. She is very sweet. Mouse took advantage of the siblings being gone to play some long board games with Jim (Agricola & Caverna.) Jim and I cuddled and talked all Saturday night, it was a nice date night.

Plans...
I need to warp my loom and weave some charity scarves for my weaving guild. The yarn is donated to the group - they give lessons for seniors and they have all this yarn the students can use, but most prefer to bring in their own, so the cupboards where quite full and they are expecting another donation. So we picked some yarn out and are making 4-5 scarves each that will be given to an organization that helps the homeless. It lets all of us help out and lets those of us would are less experienced weavers get in more practice. I have chosen two shades of hunter green and a brown.

I need to finish a video I have been working on and make another. I have neglected my business and household equally. In working on the next video, I have fiber prep and spinning to do.

If I get some time for myself...
I will work on my socks and sweater.

I am grateful for...
Cuddles, giant piles of stuffed animals covering me when I woke up from a nap, my girls getting to be older in that they can be sent to clean up their room and do it without too much fussing, and Yorkshire puddings.

Prayerful intentions...
This week I am praying for health and healing in the lives of several babies and young children, and in thanksgiving for a friend's pregnancy.


Join me in musing by linking your post in the comments.

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.

Some highlights

 Many - though not enough - days at the beach with friends. Including seeing Giraffe (dear friend's daughter, here nicknamed as they are her favorite toys) experience the surf - dislike - and the sand  - loved it. Mouse built her a little pool to splash in and then we spent a long time building retaining walls and moving water. Even though this is Lake Michigan, the waves where very strong that day.

 Lots of fiber-y fun, this is a camel and sheep's wool blend.

 Homemade tasty treats, my granola shown here.

 Dehydrating food for our backpacking trip. I loved the trip and am attempting to lose some weight and get in better shape to hike more.

 Hiking trip breakfasts, my granola plus dehydrated banana chips, pineapple, blueberries, and cranberries. mostly it took me hours to finish eating a bag. Very tasty but a bit crumbly/messy.

 Gear and packing required a lot of thought I used everything I brought at least once, but in a fit of trying to lighten the pack the night before I left some things behind - long sleeve shirt, pj pants, drawing pad and pencil, flashlight (this was accidental,) hand sanitizer, and honey sticks - that I really could have used. A learning experience and due to friends not a horrific to endure one.

 Tiny little dishcloth I made to bring on the trip the day before!

First day back to school. A new schedule since Mouse is in middle school and has to be there by 7:12, the girls and I get to their school now well before supervision begins, so we play on the playground or in the van depending on the weather. Beaver has a new schedule for his last year in high school and doesn't have to be in until 9. Which makes morning bathroom fights all but disappear. I really think this new schedule is a boon to our family.

~ Julia

Monday musings, restart

A while back, okay years ago, Nadja at Patch o' Dirt farms started Monday morning musings. It was a great way to focus your week and helped me to settle on plans and intentions in my work. She does appear to be posting now but I want to bring this back. Feel free to join me.

Right Now... I am sitting in my kitchen, cup of coffee at hand. The house is quiet as the kids are at school and my husband is on a business trip. He'll be back on Friday, Butterfly started crying she was missing him within about an hour of his leaving this morning. I wanted to join her in tears, but that would not do. With him working from home most of the time and me taking care of the kids and house and my business we are together - in the same space at least - most of the time. I like it and am spoiled. At the same time him being gone has allowed me to open the house up to the lovely weather and turn off all -nearly- the lights in the house. I can hear the birds and the wind. I think a wood pecker has moved into the neighborhood. As long as he stays out of my fruit trees he is welcome!

This Weekend... We mostly hung out with Jim knowing he was leaving. I had Spinning Guild on Friday and Mom is a member so I went down and got her, we had a nice day together at the meeting then did a bit of shopping and picked up dinner. I took her home and we ate takeaway Vietnamese and watched a movie with Dad. Beaver worked both days, he has a job at the local grocery store and just got his first promotion from bagger to clerk. He is doing well. We played board games, played outside, and cuddled. A little laundry got folded and put away. Dishes were done, meals were made. I got the hand-wash laundry out of the way and finally finished working on the spinning I was doing. I have decided to make the yarn into a hat to sell rather than sell the yarn. I really don't like anything other than the color. It will make a good waterproof cap but when selling yarn mostly everyone wants soft and nothing will make this soft. Mouse helped me mulch in the flower bed by the house door, boy did I not buy enough! I want to mulch all the beds near the house and thought it would go further. It looks nice though.

Some plans for the week... Buy more mulch. Plant the gladiolus bulbs in the under the window bed. Get the garden ready for planting - I feel like I am late but it only stopped snowing last week. Organize and post the stuff I have ready to sell at market this season - I'll be at the Harbor Market and the Westosha Market in Kenosha, WI. Skirt and wash as much wool as I can. Finish quilt for Cousin. Finish shower present for Ginny. Return books to the library, find at least one new author. Spend Tuesday with friend and her daughter.

If I find sometime for myself, I would like to... Start knitting rainbow grey yarn into tote bag to felt.

I am grateful for... My husband, and his work allowing him to be home with us most of the time. My kids who know mornings are not my favorite time and got up early without complaints and gave me extra cuddles.

Some prayerful intentions this week... Hold Seal in my heart, he is doing great but we just got to see his x-rays. Doctor is very pleased but given the size of his fracture he won't be out of the woods for six months.
Hold My sister in my heart she has a job interview this week and is waiting to hear on a earlier interview. Both jobs would be closer to us! Back in the Midwest is the goal - I can't help wanting the closer one, it would put them about two hours away - though whichever job will be better for her family in the long run is what I want for her.

One of the ladies at the guild meeting asked us all to make baby shroud wraps. Her friend is a Chaplin at the state's children's hospital and she needs these tiny little knitted wraps for preemie babies to be buried in. She says she gets lots of hats and quilts but never has enough people willing to make these shrouds. I have agreed to make up a few. Mom lost my elder sister and several babies between me and my sister, so I will hold the mommas and daddys who don't want to receive this knitting in my heart, hoping they get dust rather than use, but if they must be used maybe the hand-knit holding their baby will help them.

Some things that make me smile... My girls hauling fallen branches to a corner of the yard to make a fort. Despite having two house structures they never much use. Mouse thinking cuddling me would get him out of his chores. Open windows and made beds - I should go make my bed.

~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 - 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

A new technique

Picture batt from California trip with Beaver, Navajo plyed!

 My guild had a program on Navajo plying. I was really interested in learning the technique but my back has been hurting like crazy, so I couldn't haul my wheel along with me to the meeting - heck I had a hard time picking up my purse when it spilled on the floor - I almost decided not to go. I am glad I went.

Basically this is a method of taking a single strand of yarn and plying it into a three ply - stronger and more round for knitting. It also allows you to play with the changes in a colorway while plying to either keep them together or to blend them in the ply.

I have practiced on two skeins now. I really like it and go way to fast. My grandma nearly despaired of ever teaching me to so because I have a lead foot, apparently it is two lead feet Grams!

Sheep - BFL

Bluefaced Leicester affectionately known as BFL.

BFL is originally from Northumberland and was primarily raised for meat. However, its fluffy wool is a hand-spinning favorite. Fleeces average between 2.2 –and 6.6 pounds. Rams weight between 200 and 250 pounds with Ewes weight between 150-175 pounds. BFL is often used to add hardiness to other sheep breeds.

This is a long-wool breed with a staple length between 3-6 inches and a micron count of 24-28. It is semi-lustrous and quality fleece will have no kemp or hair fibers.

The sheep is said to have deep blue skin with white wool. I am unsure if this means blue in the same way a Russian Blue cat is actually a grey cat, or if they are really blue, but I plan on checking at sheep and wool, live and in person. I am hoping for blue, blue! The breed does carry a recessive gene for dark wool and can present with soft spotted tones or fully darker wool. It should not ever have clearly defined spots.

This breed has no wool on its head, belly, genitals, and utters. It is considered to be an athletic breed with a bold carriage and Roman nose.

hi world it's me Julia

I took a bit of a break from blogging. At least from actually sitting down and writing out a post, I written hundreds in my head. What the quiet has taught me is I take more pictures and had something to look back at a remember exactly what I was thinking at the moment rather than what I think I was feeling from the point of view of where I am at now. So I will be fitting in more time to record my thoughts.

Finally finished the hairpin lace throw I made for my Grandpa from yarn I inherited from my Grandmother's Stash. He loves it and has shown it off to all the ladies at the senior center. They are impressed with me and with my Grandma for teaching me.

I washed a lot of wool.

Did a lot of craft fairs selling my work and my Dad's these are his work - bowls, pens, crochet hooks, wine stoppers... He is amazing.

Canned a bunch of stuff - only balanced like that for the photo, I am not completely crazy - these are tomato sauce and grape jelly.

We bought property to vacation on, Grow with and eventually move too. It is on a river flowage. I love the idea of my kids running all over this land, finding nature's hidden joys and secret places. Just being in the woods, calms and brings out the kid in my husband. It has been worth the budgeting and the frustration of the search just to see the stress and care fall from his shoulders as we explored the woods. Even if I didn't love it in it's own right - which I do - I would love it for that alone.

I took up weaving and gave some of the family handwoven placemats for Christmas. I really enjoy doing this.

I started writing a novel. I hide in a local coffee shop read while I eat their yummy breakfasts and write for a while. I have about 70 pages, hand written, so I have only just begun, but it is a bit like a date with myself as I intended to be in high school.

Lots of baking, brewing - beer, wine, and cider, I tried making sausage and cheese and plan to explore that a bit more. I've also worked more on the garden this year. We'll see, I like gardening but more in the planning and harvesting and processes aspects that in the tending it aspect.

Wool on a wednesday...

Yes I know it is Thursday, but this is what I did yesterday.  Mom and I wanted to go up to Spry Whimsy, mostly to see Peter and Ingrid, but also to get some wool and see Peter's latest creations.  He is an amazing felting artist, She is a spinner and being with them is calming and inspiring and energizing all at once. Ingrid was not in the shop yesterday but it was nice to see Peter. Mom and I had been talking about going for awhile, Dad who is still recovering from surgery was not really listening to us.  He arrived at my house thinking we were spending the day planning for our businesses and the kids 4H projects and maybe running to the Woodcraft store. He did think it was a little weird I want them here at 8! Spry Whimsy is a bit more than an hour away and I had to be back in time to pick kids up from school. Boy was Daddy surprised!

 I bought this wool (above two photos) to be plied against the the skein below.  Once I got it home I am not so sure, but it sure is lovely. Merino and silk blend. I am going to spin it up really fine and them make a decision.

 I want to play with the color wheel so I got these, that is three ounces of each.

More color play but this time a continuous blending experiment like in the current issue of Spin Off magazine.

We have a lovely day and Dad even got to go to Woodcraft but after we got the kids. They were given popcorn and sat quietly and quite contently munching while we shopped.  Mom helped my make dinner and Daddy took a nap in my chair with granddaughters giving him pillows and blankets and stuffies to cuddle. Then they made off with his hat and coat and played pretend to be Grandpa.

Hope you are having a wool... wonderful... week!~ Julia

Ancient treadmill found

 This is the great wheel Dad restored for Garfield Farm Museum. (my photos might be odd for a while as the white balance on my camera is misbehaving - I even got out the manual!)   I demonstrated spinning on it this Sunday at their Harvest Days event.  Don't let the chair fool you there is a reason they call these walking wheels.  I had a lovely drive down - about 2 hours - and got there with plenty of time to set up and chat before getting into costume.  I also spun some more on it as I had only worked on it for about an hour after Dad finished it.

 This is the view from my perspective, across the lane from me was a woman discussing tanning and Joseph (on staff at the Museum) demonstrating blacksmithing. He is working on a chain link fence to use in future demonstrations. I was using some East Friesan wool that I processed myself and dyed with staghorn sumac - which smells lovely during the dye making process - and I ended up with 3 skeins of yarn. The yarn is varied lace to fingerling weight and I am very happy with it.

 I got Joseph to take my picture. That is the Tavern Museum behind me. The bag by the chair was given to me by a friend and fellow volunteer, it contains afghan hound fur she collect from her dogs.  I also had drop spindles to demonstrate on and have people try to spin.  It was a very pleasant day!

 My breakfast table Monday morning. The yarn is wound on the bobbins there, winding was the only time a sat on Sunday's Demo, a Great wheel is all about walking aback and forth and one guest described it as the treadmill of the 1840's.  Mouse is eating breakfast in the background and we have star anise & cinnamon apple butter and apple jelly in the jars.

My knitting.  I am learning to knit from a chart and doing lace patterns.  So I thought the great wheel yarn would be perfect. I am loving the knitting. This will be a lace neck shawl thing from Jane Austin Knits summer 2012 edition.

I hope your projects are bringing you joy!~ Julia

Adventures with wool

 This is the current project, teal-y green blended gently with a very small amount of Easter egg dyed green/blue/yellow mohair.

 This is the yarn I made from Easter egg dyed yarn overdyed on natural white and brown wool. It took 2nd place for bulky two ply (it is maybe worseted weight but there was only fine or bulky) the at the Spin In.  I entered 5 skeins, one first place, 3 seconds, and a third. I was very, very happy.

 This wool is sumac dyed with and iron after-bath, I thought I had gotten it clean ---- NO. I spun it with a small amount of undyed wool (for some texture.) There was too much lanolin left in the wool, too much sumac and iron too.  I was filthy after spinning.

 I ended up re-washing the yarn before plying and was delighted by the color change. I am now planning on rewashing all the yarn I have dyed. I do plan on plying this yet. The color is more right in the lower photo.