Happy blogiversary to me!

It’s been one year! Thanks for coming along for the ride!

To the side, you see the Robonaut pillow I made for my husband. He works on Robonaut. I knit this as a surprise while he was out of town one weekend. I used the Boba Fett chart and modified it to fit my needs. It’s one of my favorite projects.

Thank you, Vogue Knitting!

I signed onto Ravelry today and had a message from Carol congratulating me on my mention in the Winter 2008/09 Vogue Knitting. Ever elegant, I choked on my tea and started shouting at my computer monitor. “WHAT?!?!” I resisted the urge to ask her if she was sure it was me, because, obviously she thought it was me. Nonetheless, I tried to keep my excitement down, positive there was some mistake.

I rushed to one chain bookstore; no copies. I ran across the street to the other chain bookstore, and there it was! On page 18, there is a VERY brief mention of the fact I keep a blog for a newspaper!

Sooo, if you’ve found this humble blog through VK, welcome! Regular knitting content shall resume as soon as I come down from cloud nine after my brief brush with design perfection. And FYI, it is a beauty of an issue. I was already planning on buying it after seeing the preview. I really like the Michael Kors dress, just not in yellow. Yellow is one of my few “definitely not” colors because of my skin tones.

Not much knitting lately

So I haven’t picked up my sticks much lately, but I got a book in the mail that I want to review: “Natural Dyeing” by Jackie Crook. I haven’t tested any of her recipes yet, but I’m blown away by the detailed photos. With each formula for dye she offers, she shows how the different mordants affect the final color. The swatches she shows are beautiful and helpful. My one issue with the book is the lack of a resource listing. I really don’t know where I’m supposed to find chrome and iron mordants. I think the local spinning shop may have some, but I haven’t looked yet.

I’m a little overwhelmed by the chapter on safety. I know I have the preconceived notion that “natural” means “safe,” but I guess arsenic is natural and it’s poisonous. The masks, gloves, “dust-proof aprons,” etc. have tamped down my excitement about trying to dye for real. It may just be Kool-Aid for me for awhile still, but just having this beautiful and detailed how-to manual makes me a little happier.

 I may go low-tech and just dump some wool in boiled blueberries to see what happens at some point. 😉

Happy Inauguration Day!

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Originally uploaded by knitandwit

My business hours don’t necessarily coincide with this restaurant’s, but I loved their sign.

Knitting meme

Stolen from TwistedTexan:

 Mark with bold the things you have knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.

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Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn – eh, maybe
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hats: Top-down
Hats: Cuff-up
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting – only by accident
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting – I’m not sure what this is
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing – Warhammer figurines need sweaters, too!
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own hand-spun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting
Continental knitting
Combination knitting
Designing knitted garments – if I could, I would
Cable stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book – in my dreams!
Participate in an exchange
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting – I’ve done two-colored stranding, but the pattern wasn’t technically fair isle
Norwegian knitting
Dyeing with plant colors – My copy of “Natural Dyeing” is on its way!
Dyeing spinning fiber
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
Knitting with someone else’s hand-spun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Tassels
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitch
Knitted flowers
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
Stuffed toys
Knitting with cashmere – oooooh!
Darning – my own makeshift way
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Free-form knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/arm-warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an on-line knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair – though I keep saying I want to shave my fluffy cat and spin his fur
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

One small skein for man, one hobby that's taken hold for a lifetime

I finished my first skein of handspun yarn! I bought this merino (no tag on it, but I think it’s Cassis) over the holiday and started spinning it almost immediately. I even spun a little bit in the car on the drive home from Georgia. I finished the single and then wound it into a ball and double plied it by respinning the two ends from the ball together in the opposite direction of the singles. My yarn ended up very well balanced (not kinky) and I think it’s beautiful! I soaked it in hot water with a little Eucalan, then hung it to dry over the weekend. I just felt that it was finally dry, so I wrapped it into a skein to keep the twist. I’m so happy! It’s 3.2 ounces, but I’m not sure what the yardage is. I’m off to research one-skein projects I can make!

Here are some more photos of the progress:

Cotton Candy

The kind person who gave me this fiber dyed it with one of my favorite shades of pink. As I spin this yarn, I can’t help but think of cotton candy. The light, fluffy, sugary treat a good metaphor for how I feel about spinning. It requires little real thought to get quick enjoyment, but if you don’t pay attention, you can end up with a mess. Thankfully, spinning doesn’t lead to tooth decay or diabetes … as far as I know. It does make my bum shoulder hurt sometimes, though. All the more reason why I need a spinning wheel!

ETA: The fiber is blue-faced Leicester, and I think it’s Jacquard dyed.

Happy New Year!

I finished my Sunrise Circle Jacket on Dec. 29, just in time to wear it to Zoo Atlanta the next day. It’s really a great knit since the Noro Kureyon is nice and warm, but the knitted fabric breathes. I think I’m going to lightly felt it and add some snaps to keep it closed. Several people have advised against the pattern’s toggle buttons just because with my Noro stripes it may take away from the look. Any other opinions on buttons/no buttons/other closure options?

Just moments after this picture was taken, a woman sidled up next to me in front of the elephant enclosure. “Where did you get your jacket?” she asked. “I made it,” I replied. She lit up and said that she suspected so and wanted to know the pattern name. She complimented me and showed off her baby daughter’s handknit sweater. It was fun being “caught in the wild” at the zoo! Nothing makes you glow about a finished project more than an unexpected compliment!

Like many in my knitting group, I’ve also been bitten with the spinning bug. I had bought some fiber and a drop spindle at Twisted Yarns many months back, and it went poorly. I found directions online plus an intimidating video of a pro at work. It didn’t go very well for me, and I got frustrated. A very nice person gave me a gift of a nicer, heavier drop spindle and some beautiful hand-dyed fiber. She also gave me some extremely helpful pointers. Sadly, I left the box o’fiber and spindles behind, so while away for the holidays, I had to stop by a yarn shop and pick up more supplies. I taught my mother-in-law how to drop spindle, too. I purchased enough fiber to keep me busy for the entire year, I think! Among the fiber is some beautiful purple merino/tussah silk that I can’t wait to start on!

Knitting-wise, I cast on for the Auburn Camp Shirt. Yeah, I’m crazy enough to knit a shirt out of lace-weight yarn. But since it’s short-sleeved, I’m starting now! No telling how long this will take!

What about y’all? Any ambitious plans for the new year?