Stash Musings

Hello all,

I have a confession to make.

I haven’t even begun my cold sheep period and already I’ve fallen off the wagon. When I say I haven’t begun I mean I still have one more sock fibre club instalment and my Skein custom order to come. This week I treated myself to 2 skeins of the Yarn Yard’s BFL cashmere in fingering weight. It was the colour-way that got me hooked, it’s called leghorn. Yes Sonia, chuckle away, this colour-way is hen egg blue not duck egg blue and the reason I caved is that after seeing it on the internet once I couldn’t stop going back to the website to drool and covet.  This yarn absolutely has to be mine!

This week also saw my stash grow by one Fibre club instalment and one skein of forgotten yarn. Yes, you heard it right! My stash is not so sizeable that I forget what’s in it, so how could I forget a skein of yarn you ask? Well it was in it’s paper bag from the shop and tucked inside a handbag that hasn’t been used for months. The yarn? Oh yes, pardon me, it’s Pear Tree 4ply in yolk. Still on an egg theme but this time it’s yellow, which isn’t a colour I’m normally drawn to but this shade I like. This isn’t the best representation of the colour I’m afraid but it’s the best I could get.

I nostepindled it, because I can! (Yes I know nostepindle isn’t a word but an amalgamation of two words that Ursula, Sharon and I made up one crafternoon, we kind of prefer it). I’ve been Nostepindling a lot lately just for the sheer fun of it.

Today has been a day of fibre prep for my OWLS jumper. I can’t decide whether to flick a bit, spin a bit or flick it all then spin it all, it seems like an insurmountable task and I’m afraid to start in case I stuff it up.

I’ve also been musing about my relationship with my stash a bit. I think, I think of my stash as a woolly to-do list which is why it feels like it’s getting out of hand at times. This is odd seeing as I have a fair sized stash of patterns that don’t have that effect on me. Why is that? Anyway, I’ve come to the conclusion that I should relax and enjoy my mini yarn and fibre shop and stop fretting. This doesn’t mean that I’ve completely relapsed, no. I’m still going cold sheep, no more yarn or fibre this year!

Honest.

 

FO Friday

Yay! I have a FO to flaunt this Friday.

My Tartan socks are finally off the needles, they only took three months to complete, though I have completed a couple of other projects in between times. I’m very happy with them, they’re so snug and they are the kind of socks I imagine would be perfect for long walks in the Scottish countryside. Here they are…

They are my usual David’s toe up sock cookbook and all the details are on my Rav page. I chose to make 2 sets of increases, six increase stitches evenly around at 6 1/2 inches above the heel flap (where my calf becomes wider) and another six at even intervals at 10 inches to allow for my shapely calves. I thought it would be interesting to experiment a bit with calf increases and where to place them. Not sure how I feel yet, I kind of like it but then…

I’m hoping to spend this weekend knitting on the Noro scarf and a bit of crafty shopping, no yarn or fibre though. Maybe start some fibre prep and spinning my Corriedale ready for Owls.

But first, I shall put my feet up with a well earned Hendrick’s gin & tonic with a slice of cucumber.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Cheers

Mx

Nostepindling

You know how I raved about needing a Nostepinne, well I got me one! I bought it from Spun Out, the last one in stock. It’s made from English Cherry and I’m in love, I’ve been winding up balls of yarn just for fun, even though they were already wound up! Huh, crazy I know, but I love it.

I’ve taught myself how to do it the way I teach myself most yarn things these days, by watching You Tube videos, this one in particular I like, mostly for the accent and the enthusiasm.

While I was at it, I bought a couple of spindles that Em was destashing because they were so beautiful and I want a Turkish spindle so badly. I love the cute little ball of singles they make.

To complete my purchase I bought some fluff simply because it’s my favourite colour and I thought it would be fun to spin it on the Turkish.

A Spun Out Buffet Batt, carded and pulled through a diz.

Skein Merino/silk Wasabi

My Skein handspun is all spun up, plied and finished! Yipeee! I can’t tell you how proud I am, it’s so beautiful. If I haven’t said it enough already, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Skein colour ways.

So it’s 300g/773.2 yards of 3ply spun on my Little Gem though I did begin the first singles on a spindle.  On average comes in at 14wpi/fingering weight, which is what I was aiming for. Go the spinners control card! Full disclosure, the last 35 metres were navajo plied from the remaining singles but that’s an improvement also.

Eighteen months ago when I started my spinning course I would never have thought that I’d be able to spin anything like as finely and consistently as this.

Squeeee! The prettiness! I should mention that this yarn has all my favourite colours, It’s like it was especially made for me. As for what it will become…

…well, after it has been petted in the skein for an appropriate length of time I plan to knit a shawl, probably the Botanical Garden shawl by Skein.

The penny finally drops

Be the boss of your own knitting. That’s a phrase Elizabeth Zimmerman used a lot, but today was the first time I actually got it, what the phrase means.

You see, I always felt like I had to apologise for liking vanilla socks instead of complicated looking lace ones. The same with jumpers and cardigans that have miles and miles of stocking stitch, like I should always be proving my knitting abilities by knitting stuff that is complex when actually I enjoy the simple, intuitively constructed garments with simple stitches. I don’t get bored knitting them and wearing them. Nor do I have issue with knitting the same thing twice but somehow I think I’m in danger of being carted off by the knitting police for even thinking of knitting something again.

Well today I just thought to heck with it, it’s my knitting I shall knit what I jolly well like! I’m the boss of my knitting.

To be fair, no one has ever said I couldn’t love stocking stitch and simple projects, it’s all in my mind. I’m the one that’s stopped myself by worrying what other people will think but in actual fact most people wouldn’t even notice, much less care. So once my socks are done I’m casting on for another Idlewood.

There you go! Not only am I knitting the same jumper twice or should I say thrice seeing as I frogged and re-knit the first one but it is a large top down raglan jumper with acres of stocking stitch and it’s going to make me so happy. It will have a very different look and feel to the first which is knit in a very rustic Welsh Black yarn, this one will be knit in Sublime Merino cashmere silk aran. Two more opposite yarns you couldn’t get.

If that wasn’t enough, last week I cast on for a Noro stripy scarf for myself which I’m thoroughly enjoying knitting. The colours, the stripes, the joy! That’s what knittings for. Yay! I get it! Knitting clothes me yes but more to the point it makes me full of happy. I’ve named the scarf Colour me Happy! I think that’s appropriate.

Happy knitting folks!

 

Spinning news

Hello,

I just thought I’d update on the spinning front.

I’m still spinning the Skein Merino/silk and trying to spin it really fine which I struggle with. Or more to the point I struggle to spin fine without overspinning. I’ve been playing slow music when I spin in an attempt to slow my treading down and I think it’s working.

I now have 2 bobbins of 100g and I’m very happy with them.

So I got out the third top and I started unravelling it width-ways, just because. I liked the unravelled top so much I took photos.

I had to lay it out on the floor because it’s so long (260cm) which meant I had to clean the floor first, but the extra mopping was well worth it I think.  I find it remarkable how there is not even a hint of felting or anything especially having dyed fibre myself and knowing how easy it is to felt it. Taking the fibre from the vinegar water bath to the table for dying is I think where I manage to felt it. Perhaps the use of a colander or something would help. I’d love to hear any tips on dyeing fibre without felting it too much if you have any.

My son Elliott was watching the photo shoot and was amazed at the sight of the unravelled tops, he got to pet it too (I made sure his hands were clean first). I like when the boys pet and admire the fibre, it’s important to nurture the wool love in them.

Reluctantly I split the tops lengthways for spinning.

Hopefully I should get the last bobbin spun up and the yarn plied by the end of the month, well that’s the plan…

 

Long weekend

I have a four day weekend to look forward to. Four days of fibre-y fun, hurrah! Actually next weekend is a four day weekend too. Two four day weekends of fibre-y fun! Double hurrah!

Maybe I will finish spinning and plying my skein yarn. Maybe I will finish the second of my tartan socks. One thing’s for sure, there will be knitting and spinning and much inhalation of wool fumes.

Where ever you are I hope you are having a great time too.

M x

What stash is for

Hello all,

Today is a sad post for me.

I’m going cold sheep. Yep, it’s true I have to go on a yarn and fibre diet. I had had high hopes for this year, I was going to buy a drum carder and a hackle set and heaps of fibre and yarn but that has gone by the wayside.

For those that know me IRL I haven’t lost my job or anything bad I just have to tighten my belt for a while, most probably the rest of the year. I keep having to remind myself that 1/4 of the year is gone already and the sheep are still going to be there at the end of it. The sheep are always going to be there making the wool, they are aren’t they?

I still have a couple of parcels to come but after that I will be spinning and knitting from my stash. Luckily I have a lovely stash full of yummy things to knit and spin because lets face it I’ve had a few very indulgent years. I guess this is what stash is for though.

M x

In the nick of time

Yesterday I cast off Ian’s birthday scarf, washed it and laid it out to dry.  Today is his birthday. Phew! All that frantic, knitting like a crazy lady paid off.

I’m happy to report that he is every bit as pleased with it as I am (I confess I found myself coveting it on many occasions whilst knitting it). I also thoroughly enjoyed knitting it which is surprising because I usually find 1×1 rib a bit laborious. I think maybe the stripes and the tweediness did it.

I’m really tempted to cast on for a Noro scarf for myself. I have the yarn in my stash but I shall restrain myself for a little while until I’ve finished my other two current projects.

This morning I finished another WIP. The handspun fingerless mitts. I lovelovelove these. The yarn is utterly delicious and I spun it, all by myself! It’s the 2ply and N-ply Bond yarn from the 3 tops dyed by The Thylacine. Looking back at the post about the finished yarn it appears that I neglected to mention the colour-ways of the three Bond tops so I shall remedy that right away. Two of them were Terra Australis and the third bluer one was Lyrebird. Bond is such a gorgeous fibre I can’t recommend it enough. Knitting from my handspun yarn makes me so happy.

They didn’t photograph as well as the scarf but IRL they are really lovely. I added a few increases and decreases because I didn’t quite get gauge but mostly I followed the pattern. All I need now is some colder weather so I can wear them. The primary skein of Bond is probably going to be a cowl, I think this one.

Currently on the needles are the socks and the belated birthday gift for Fiona. On the wheel is still the second Skein singles, my thumb is all better so I can spin to my hearts content again (apart from the going to work thing to make money to pay the bills and maintain my  love affair with the fibre crafts).

As for the previous post, I agree, a simple cowl is exactly what that yarn needs to be. Thanks Jen and Anna for the advice.

ttfn x

Clueless

I need help.

I’ve been sorting through my stash again and sorting through my queue again. Yes this has become a bit of an obsessive habit, trying to designate yarn to patterns and yes it eats into my knitting and spinning time but it’s all stoking the fires of creativity. Well, that’s how I justify it anyway.

That’s not what I need help with though. Actually I think there may be people out there who would probably disagree, maybe some of them would be knitters.  I would hope that the knitters would be sympathetic though.

No what I need help with is this…

…beautiful isn’t it?

What you see on the tag is all the information I have about it. I’ve had it in my stash for a couple of years now and every now and then I get it out to pet it. Trouble is, I don’t have a clue what to knit it into. All I know is that it’s so incredibly soft it needs to go around my neck. So what would you do with it? Please help.