Kitten Mittons

  Is your cat making too much noise all the time? Then you need kitten mittons! Or rather, kid mittens. And yes, the typo is there for a reason if any of you have ever seen It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. And yes, kiddos do make lots of noise. I doubt mittens will fix that problem, but they sure are cute. And easy peasy.

Nate’s mitten’s

Major Score!

Last weekend I went to an estate sale and found an antique White sewing machine. Complete with sewing desk, all the original attachments and tools, even the original instruction manual. And it works! It is from around the 1940′s and is in pristine condition.

The left photo is the desk closed with the sewing machine folded down into the desk. On the right, it’s open.

I love it. It currently is living in Tiffany’s garage.

Now, if I only knew how to sew…

Moving on

I finished up two projects this week. Yes, you read that right. Two. All done, all blocked.

The first were John’s socks. I made these for a man who comes into my work 2 times a day, 7 days a week. He is from Paisley in Scotland and remembers when all of his socks were handmade. Therefore, I made him a pair. Finished just in time for the cold weather to hit.

I gave them to him on Tuesday. He was wearing them yesterday and I have to say, I was a little proud.

I just finished this cowl this morning. It is the Spiral Cowl pattern on Ravelry. It was super easy. I had it done in about 2 days of knitting time. However, I used some of my hand spun yarn that I specifically spun for this pattern. It was a beautiful merino roving in this awesome purple color. I got it from the Yarn Barn in Lawrence, KS about a year ago.

I took this picture this morning in full sun. It does not do the color of the yarn justice.

I took this picture a few days ago and even though it is not finished, you can see what a pretty color it is.

Even in this picture it looks more blue than purple.

Doesn’t matter. I can’t wait for it to get cold enough to wear it. I think it will clash excellently with my red hair.

Babies get fat really fast..

So, I brought the baby sweater to work to see how it was shaping up size wise. I did pick the 4-6 month size, right? I gently work the sweater over baby Charlotte’s head, and viola! It will decidely choke her to death. I mean, she is barely 4 months old! The sweater looks big. I had a baby. I’m supposed know how this thing works. Or, at least, I thought I did. Babies grow. And get fat. And they do this on a quite regular basis. (Like once a week. I swear they gain an inch in all directions.) This is nothing new. I just wish they gave the rest of us time to catch up. Or knit faster. Anyway, this sweater, it’s not just small, it will actually strangle her. And I somehow don’t think I will be allowed to keep my job after that. What to do? Hmmm..

Frog it? No too much put into it already.

Quit and add it to the pile of other discarded projects? Maybe.

Keep going and see if I can find a baby it will fit? Nah.

Keep knitting and make it large enough to fit and then try to turn it into a v neck with some fancy steeking action? Sounds waaay too complicated. I think this is the route I must take. Just because I can.

Besides, who doesn’t want to take a pair of scissors and cut up their hard earned knitting?

What’s with all the rhetorical questions?

Don’t answer that.

Fleece on hold..

I have been overwhelmed with fleece. It is everywhere. In the bathtub, on the porch, in the closet, 4lbs of it is still in my car, on the roof, and there is even some on my bed right now. I had no idea what 17lbs of fleece would entail.

Well, it seemed like a good idea…

Famous last words.

One of my roommates asked me yesterday, “How much freaking wool do you have to wash?”

Me, “A lot.”

So, in order to deal with this overblown fiasco, I cast on for a baby sweater to take my mind off all of the wool. Logical. Perfectly logical. Don’t look at me like that. Just because this is a blog, don’t think I can’t see you judging me.

My boss and his wife a have beautiful baby girl named Charlotte. She is about 4 months old and I feel in desperate need of a sweet little hand knitted sweater. I found this pattern on ravelry: sweet baby sweater. I modified a bit but it is straight forward and easy to knit. You can check out my version.

Here is a pic of what the collar looks like:

Im using a self patterning sock yarn called Austermann Step. It is pretty soft and I think it will be even softer after I wash it. I am going to use a cream color for the body.

All I can say about the wool?

Well, at least the house is well insulated..

The Great Fleece Adventure: Part 2

I washed two more of the fleeces yesterday. It took me all day. I’ve learned a few things. Organize the locks 1st. This will save you hours in the long run. And I do mean hours. I have also realized that combing the locks with a simple comb will take me the better part of my life to get through all 17lbs of fleece. I need to invest in some heavy duty wool combs. The ones I want are from woolcombs. They are beautiful. Apparently they are highly recommended by Judith MacKenzie, fiber extraordinaire. I want combs because I like to spin worsted. I have yet figured out carders. The wool combs are not in my budget right now so, I will be combing very slowly. If anyone wants to help, let me know. I’ll ply you with wine and food… maybe a knitted pair of socks out of said wool?

On to the fiber: Part 2

Today’s feature:  A beautiful creamy white Romeldale/Romney hybrid.

Shorn 4/11

Very clean and well skirted

2.75#

The fleece is from Janet Frazier www.wooloasis.etsy.com

The fleece before I washed it:

After washing:

I pulled out some locks and aligned them. They were soft and fluffy. A beautiful cream color. I combed them out and they were a dream! So much easier to comb than the dark romney fleece from part 1. They were like butter. I want more! I feel like a crack addict.

Aligned locks

Combed locks

They are like little clouds of fluffy soft amazingness. I can’t wait to spin this. I need combs!!

Coming soon: Part 3

The Great Fleece Adventure: Part 1

So…

Yesterday I drove 3 hours to Bethel, MO to the World Sheep and Fiber Festival . It was a little insane but I had a great time. There was sheep herding, sheep shearing, and best of all, WOOL!! I went a little nuts at the silent auction. I ended up with 17lbs of raw fleece. Yes, you heard right. The 3 hour drive home smelled somewhat like a barnyard. However, I feel like I hit the jackpot. It will probably take me till the next festival to sort all of this out.

Part 1

Romney Fleece

Shorn 4/11

3.5#

Here is the fleece before I washed it.

It has such beautiful colors and it was well skirted. Very little debris.

Now after I washed it:

It is really fluffy and soft. Nice sheen.

I set it out in the sun today and it dried in a few hours. I spent the next few hours aligning the locks and doing some combing.

Here’s what I got:

Aligned locks

Combed locks

I can’t wait to see what it spins up like. Without dye, I think it will be a heathery brown.

There is still a lot of work left till it is ready to spin. But I am half way there.

Two of the other fleeces are washed. They need to be dried. Then only two more to go.

All the fleeces came from Janet Frazier. She does an amazing job. The fleeces are very clean, very well skirted. Worth every penny.

Next: Part 2…

Knitting and html

So, I have been trying to teach myself html code. I want to run a website and I would like to be able to edit and make changes to the templates. First and foremost, I have discovered that I am kinda a slow typer. I use the wrong fingers for the wrong keys.  Oops. Then reading code is like, well, trying to read a knitting pattern the first time when you are a new knitter. It just doesn’t make sense. It is all letters and symbols. Sound familiar?  But then you start to see the patterns. You start to learn that the symbols actually mean something. Just like in knitting patterns.

Lesson 1: <h1>This is a heading</h1>

I’ve got a long way to go…

2011

I spent a lot of time with my ideas, but I never see those ideas come to fruition. Why? Lack of motivation? Determination? A new year, but I refuse to make any resolutions because they never hold. I have had a lot of upheavals in my life the last year. 2010 started out great but ended with heartache, among other things. 2011 started out with me losing my phone and breaking my driver’s side car door handle within 30 minutes after midnight. But other than that, so far the year has been a little better.

On the knitting end…

I reread the past posts. Not many I know, but I have changed so much as a knitter since these were written. I have improved. A lot. I bought a spinning wheel which I love.  A kromski fantasia. It’s beautiful. Pics someday soon. I enrolled in the Master Knitter Program. It, however, is on hold until I get moved (again) and settled.  And I feel like blogging without a camera is like writing without a pen. But said camera is nowhere to be found at the moment.

Soon…

Famous last words.

It’s been a long while…

I have finally decided to post again.  I just got way too busy this last year with school.  Most of everything in my life took a back seat.  Even knitting.  I made it through the last semester though.  3.93 gpa.  Not too shabby.  I started reading the Outlander series and that wiped out a nice chuck of my time.  Is it normal to read so much of something that you start having weird dreams that you are in 18th century Scotland being chased by English Dragoons?  I can’t even lift a claymore, let alone wield one.  Ahh, dreams…

I ordered the knitpicks wooden circulars last week and have been practically  sitting on my mailbox waiting for them.  The midwest ice storm held up the shipping.  Global Warming, huh?  My mailman hates me.  I think I might be vying for the number one position.  It is between my and my neighbor’s daschund.

I’m still on this sock thing.

So, yesterday I finally threw in the towel and decided to get some help with the socks.  I walked over to Misknits and asked Amber for help.  She is awesome!  She really knows her stuff and is patient and helpful.  I have gone to the Studio for help before, but Amber is way better and friendlier.  It is awesome that I have a LYS right across the street from my house.  If you haven’t been in there, go.  It is worth it.  She has great yarn, but the help she is willing to give is so great.  I think she has an UFO night on Wednesdays.  Her website is www.misknits.com.  She won’t be at WWKIP day but she is having a huge sale that day.  I plan on going after the park.  Anyway, back to the socks.  I thought the pattern I am using was a little weird.  It was written out funny.  I have been using the toe up sock pattern from knitty.  Amber finally helped me get the short row thing figured out.  Thank you!  I think I am on the right track now.  I hope I have paid my dues to the knitting goddesses of fate.  Now on to the lace pattern part of the sock…