Process...

From start to finish. Ashland Bay Merino Top in Jade transformed into a pullover vest for the peanut. The vest is called "Neighborly" and was a quick and easy knit.  It's turned out to be a very versatile little garment too.  Perfect for cool days over a t-shirt and leggings.

On spinning a yarn...

While I was in Syracuse with the gathering of creatives that Susan put together, as mentioned in the prior post, I had a chance to see some spinners in action.  I've always been fascinated from a distance with the idea of turning wool into yarn. But I'd been sort of actively resisting investing in a spindle or really any un-spun fiber tools or materials.  On our last day in Syracuse, we sat around in the sunshine outside – a big circle of Adironback chairs full of people making things.

The spinning looked so meditative.  Watching those wheels turn was something akin to watching a fire burn in a fireplace... And the fibers that were being spun were just beautiful.  I must have come home just bubbling over with descriptions of the process.  And the next month on my birthday, my better half surprised me with an Ashford Kiwi.

First attempt

I was equal parts excited and terrified.  Having never even used a drop spindle, I had the feeling that I was diving head first into the deep end.  But it turned out not to terribly difficult to grasp.  With the help of the local yarn shop owner, who also spins and an excellent Craftsy class with spinner Amy King, I was off and running.

Wavy blue thick and thins

First handspun finished object
For my little friend Charlie

My first run through four ounces of Merino was anything but smooth or consistent, but it was fun, and I got a grasp on the process as a whole.  And with each successive attempt, my control is getting better.  I think I'm prone to over spinning in general.  I do love a tightly twisted ply, but even I will admit that some of my output seems to be spun to death.

Take two

So slowly, I'm learning by trial and error. We'll see how things progress and maybe someday if I see another spinner in the flesh who is able to watch what I am actually doing, and I'll learn to improve the process.

Singles

In the meantime, three cheers for new found hobbies and husbands who are patient enough to listen to stories about things that are of interest to only their spouses. You never know when the two might intersect.

Two ply

Happy making.

Where does the time go?

July was my most recent post in this space. I'd like to say that I'm not sure how this absence has happened, but I have some pretty good ideas.

My eldest in her element...

Our girls are growing and the eldest is developing her own small and closely guarded orbit of activities, school and socializing.  Both of our careers are going swimmingly and are keeping pace a frenetic full-time rate.  And when given the chance to "make" or blog in the last six months, I've chosen the former. (I've also developed quite an Instagram habit.  I wish that it hadn't impacted this space, but I believe that it probably has.  Sharing pretty things and progress shots is such instant gratification with that app.  Come and find me there if you like.)

Window screen in Syracuse

I had opportunity to visit Syracuse, NY for the first time in the spring with some of my friends who I found on my first Squam adventure. We attended the Yarn Cupboard Retreat that was hosted by the lovely and kind Susan Miller.  The event was well organized, really affordable and packed with gracious people.  The classes were fantastic and the "faculty" of the retreat was amazing.  My classes were taught by Jill Draper, Cal Patch and Norah Gaughan.  Be still my knitting heart... I could barely get over my triplicate fan-girl reflexes.

Cal helped me navigate crochet and I learned a lot about the options for color work in crochet.  I have not actually crocheted anything since attending, but I'm tempted... and I now own a crochet hook.  And best of all, was the chance to spend a couple hours around the table with the charming Cal Patch.  There is something about her that just exudes kindness and also makes me want to giggle. Weird, I know.

Norah's class was all about deconstructing cables.  She had oodles and oodles of swatches and garments.  And shared so much really interesting information with us on her methods and experiences.  I was a little awestruck by the body of her work, not just how prolific she is, but also how inventive she has been in her design.  I left feeling very inspired.

And then Jill's class.  It was my last class, and was a cowl pattern called Twister, designed to intentionally pool the colors of a skein of her hand-dyed, superwash Hudson.  And I loved it.  The class, the project, getting to hear from Jill.  And I wear the cowl ALL the time (Ravelry details here).  It is double layered and crazy durable and warm.  And Jill shared with us a little about her business and how carefully and intentionally she selects farms, breeds and mills.  All that talk of sheep and sustainability made me want to rush home and reclaim my agrarian roots.  But alas, reality struck as soon as I returned to the other side of the rainbow.

"Embracing the wobble... as Jill says"

Pooling beauty

My finished friend

Any way, it was great.  A perfect getaway with lovely friends, doing things that I love and with people whose creativity and commitment inspire me.

P.S. Susan's registration is open for this year.  Just sayin'

Cable Yoke Cardigan

Sometimes a pattern is so good that you have to knit it twice. This is one of those.  The pattern is "Top down Baby and Children Cable Yoke Jacket by Kyoko Nakayoshi.  And our girls have been getting a lot of wear out of each of them.  

Cardi's and leaves

  

The second and most recent is this red version that was knit last fall out of Quince and Co. Osprey in a color called "Peak's Ferry".  It is a really, really good red.  Not too orange, not too blue.  Just right.  And the small fry loves this cardigan.  Having only two buttons near the yoke keeps her movements from being restricted (we can't have that!) And really who doesn't love a good hood.

Small fry – Fall of 2014

In progress

The first cable yoke cardigan that I made was back in 2010. I knit this in the NICU, when the small fry was so busy learning to breathe and eat and grow, and my anxious self was trying to stay occupied.  This first  has been worn by both girls and is wearing well.  It was knit out of Shibui Merino Worsted in a color way called Pagoda.  

Awaiting buttons

Small Fry – Summer of 2011

The Peanut – Summer of 2014

A Little Late: Stockinette Winter and Spring of 2015

The late winter and early spring of 2015 were really, really hectic.  Our lives include these two darling and busy girls, both of whom really want the attention and help of their parents – us. We also were still settling into our "new" house, undergoing a fairly large remodeling project and working full time. Thankfully the construction is behind us.  But that busy time really impacted what I had the energy to undertake creativity-wise.

Strangely making things for me is somehow therapeutic. So in the midst of this fun and hectic time I'd knit a little here and there. These two projects were ongoing, and straightforward enough to be manageable. I didn't have the mental bandwidth for much detail so it was plain stockinette that appealed. 

Simple socks

The first is a pair of simple toe up socks in a yarn that was gifted to me by my dear friend Jen. Pretty aren't they?  The color reminds me of tarnished brass. I used a provisional cast on and short row toe. And also a short row heel.

New socks, old floor.

My plan was to do toe up and use half of the yarn exactly as to not waste any. As it happened I lost the ball band and didn't weigh the yarn prior so although it was a great plan I didn't follow it. So I have some yarn leftover. (It dawns on me now that I could have weighed the ball and the sock in progress. Duh. I must have been high on drywall dust because that never occurred to me.). Oh well, on to the second stockinette project.

…for miles

While standing in line at the checkout at my local yarn shop I spotted this pretty lace weight yarn. (I liken this purchase to buying the candy bar in the grocery checkout.) The yarn was Berocco Boboli Lace in the Gazebo color way.  I don't generally knit much lace, and I felt that there was enough lovely color variation in the yarn, that a fussy stitch pattern would only fight with the color.  So a stockinette cowl was what I launched off to knit.

The only model on hand who
would stand still 

Simple textures

It was really, really simple. I knit about 12 rows of garter stitch, and then miles and miles of stockinette and then a dozen or so more garter rows until the cast off.

The net result is a really, really simple cowl.  It's fairly lightweight and will likely be a good fall/spring accessory.  And soon, I'll share some of the more interesting stuff that I've been working on since…

Folded and awaiting colder temps

Socks and Eric Carle

Filippa

Filippa

I am a softie for well photographed anything.  Blogs with good photos? I'm in.  Good food photography? I'll try the recipe.  Beautiful hand knit patterns with fetching images? No contest.  This little fair isle dress is one such example.  I bought a children's clothing knitting book two years ago with the intent to try one of the many darling patterns.  And this was the ringer for me… a little fairisle tube dress that would look darling, darling, darling on one of my girls with a long sleeved T-shirt and tights.

Sunlight and stranded knitting

The book was a MillaMia production called "Wonderland".  (You can find it here.) I hadn't seen anything from this Swedish company before, and I've not yet gotten my hands on the yarn (which looks like it comes in a wonderful palette), but I really liked several patterns in this book and thought I could make a few substitutions and try them out.

I purchased a dozen or so colors in Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport weight and starting building a new chart.  I didn't actually change any of the designs, but I did want to try out the colors I had on hand with the pattern as written.  The color palette was quite different, but I think it worked nonetheless. I picked out a few colored pencils that were sort-of-close to the colors of yarn I had on hand and then started swatching.  It took me a few tries to see what colors had the right amount of contrast to be neighbors with others… and then I was off and running.

Charted color scheme

I knit this with US 4 and 5 needles.  And followed the pattern as written for number of stitches and shaping for the 2T size.  I did make a significant change in that I knit this in the round, with a single purl stitch up the left and right sides.  This served as a good marker for me for the beginning of the rounds and pattern check spot.  It also created a pseudo seam up the sides of the garment. I really prefer to do stranded color work in the round; it's so much faster and neater.

At the beginning of both the v-neck and arm holes I cast on 8 stitches for steeking.  I'm a novice steeker  – it still makes me nervous to cut my knitting, but it worked out this time with a little bit of extra effort.  Once the knitting was finished, I crocheted a single chain up both sides of the neck and arm holes to reinforce the steek and then seamed up the shoulder seams.

What happened next was the hiccup. I actually crocheted too close to the cut edge of my steeks and as I was picking up stitches for the arms and neck band some of the steeks started to unravel.  Gulp! I resisted the urge to have a melt down and carefully tightened up the tension of the loose, cut yarn and finished the ribbed hems.  In the time it took me to knit those, I was weighing  my options for "fixing" these unraveling steeks.  I have a serious aversion to putting my knitting anywhere near the sewing machine.  (I have fairly vivid vision of the knitting getting chewed up in the bobbin box.) And I decided that I would pull out my rarely used needle felting kit and see if I couldn't selectively felt those loose bits and save the garment.

Felted steek edges

It's pretty unconventional, in fact I've never heard of anyone needle felting a garment steeks, but I think it worked really, really well.  Because it is also done by hand, I had really good control of where and what was felted.  The yarn responded really well to it, and is more sturdy than before.  And although it is a little bulky… it blocked and dried beautifully. (I actually don't think it is much bulkier than it would have been otherwise.)

Wrong Side View

And at the end of the day, this little dress will hopefully fit the littlest this fall and winter.  I can't wait. Ravelry details here.

Finished

Cricket

Sunshine-y Egg Yolk Yellow

Three years ago I bought a bag of yellow yarn that was the color of egg yolks.  I'm not sure what I was thinking.  I look terrible in yellow.

Little Sweater and my
Childhood Desk

I brought the yarn back out and found a good versatile cardigan pattern for the littlest.  She's too young to notice that most of her wardrobe is handed down, but I still feel maternal guilt about her having fewer original things.  Especially of the hand made variety.  And I decided that this would make a great little summer sweater for her.

Button Band Ribbon - Hidden Prettiness

The pattern is "Cricket".  It is a straightforward top-down raglan cardigan. It was very well written.  I knit the 24 mo size and used the prescribed needle size.  No modifications.  I love the little details on this sweater… the yoke of textured stitches isn't fussy but makes the finished piece look a little special.  And the garter stitch edge of the pockets are really strong.  The yarn I used was Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK.  It feels great.  It grew a little upon blocking and has a nice drape.  I think it might not end up being the sturdiest kiddo sweater I've ever knit, but that's not the end of the world.  The button bands and collar are finished last.  And it has pockets.  Oh, how she loves a pocket.  I haven't ever had so many rocks and twigs and bits of paper in the washing machine.

Pockets!

Since the pattern and color are pretty straightforward I used a little length of special ribbon to line the button band and sewed the buttons on with a bright pink.  I love it.  And she seems to like it too – or maybe she was just thrilled that I was so busy with the camera to stop her from embarking on a flower deconstruction campaign.  You never know.