Central Park Hoodie Progress

As promised, here is my progress on the Central Park Hoodie!

The yarn is incredibly yummy (what's not to love about suri alpaca and merino?) but the cables are still not all that visible. In person, you can see more of them, but then again, I'm biased and believe that I'm seeing them. Maybe they are not even really there!!!
I'm at 9", so just another 5" before the armholes and my goal for the Sunday knit group. I'm such a sucker for driving myself to self-imposed goals!!!

Progress is Good!

Tonight I was able to add another 20 or so rows to my Central Park Hoodie and the cables are really beginning to show up. The yarn is so variegated, that I'm beginning to question if they are really showing up or if I'm just adjusting my vision to be able to see them more. In any case, I'm so loving this pattern. It's all that it's been billed to offer... simple, stylish, easy to follow charts. I'll post a progress photo tomorrow, I promise!

Meanwhile, I wanted to introduce you to my two best critics, Coco and Chanel, our shop bunnies. They are English Angoras that are full of personality and bragging rights, because they are not only our mascots, but working bunnies. I spin up their wool and have been known to make luscious, fluffy, luxurious things from it.

You might want to let them know what you think of them and their little attitudes!

Chanel says, "Hello?? you keep saying how lovely your projects are... have you looked at me, me, me, lately???" Ok, Chanel, we know you are the queenie (and not at all full of yourself!).

Coco says, "ok, I'm so over her!! and you all! I am so over seeing her knit and spun up in that little mobius scarf! What about me?? Am I chopped liver or what?""

Another Diversion - the (Marvelous) Central Park Hoodie!

Yes, I could not stick to my plan to complete something before starting yet another project. But I have a good reason! A week or so ago, someone mentioned how much she wanted a KAL, and I couldn't help but think about my long-time desire to have a Central Park Hoodie.

I had wanted one before the shop ever opened, and even came very close to having one as a shop model, but a sad finishing mishap morphed a beautiful malabrigo hoodie to a felted mass of fiber that will one day become a handbag... a very lovely one, but still not a hoodie.

As with all things that are meant to be, no sooner had this gal mentioned KAL, and I mentioned Central Park Hoodie, we had 6 or so people who also wanted to make one. What could I do, but start yet another project??

I decided to make it out of a suri alpaca/merino blend that I had hand dyed, in a colorway I call "chocolate blueberries". It's kettle dyed, so there are variations between skeins. This means I'm alternating skeins, and the dyeing is more prominent than the lovely cables, at least for now.

Here's my progress.

You can barely see the cables with this yarn, but that's ok by me. It might not be for everyone, though. We'll see how it shapes up, huh?

Starter or Finisher?

I've been struggling a bit this week because I've been mentally bogged down with unfinished projects. See, I agonize over having loose ends. Now these projects are all things I would like done, just not by me. I started each with the enthusiasm with which I begin every new project, but each of these began to bore me, at some point, and then were set aside for the next new shiny idea or project.

Has this happened to you?

Most times, when I realize that I have gotten to this state of inertia, I can look back and see lots of signs of what got me there. And each time, I vow that this will not happen to me again. This time, I even went so far as to decide I would frog all of the unfinished projects just to clean the slate. That was merely a mental exercise, as I just couldn't do that when it came down to it... why? because I really Like the projects, just had become bored with the final bit required to get them to their end state.

So, thinking about all of this today and thinking about my next project I'm excited about (the Central Park Hoodie KAL we are starting at the shop), I had this flash of insight/rememberance from my prior life as a corp exec. I tend not to think about that life much these days. But a smile came to my face when I remembered a workshop I participated in some years ago in the workplace. The question we needed to answer was if we were a starter or a finisher. In other words, if we could spend our days doing all the things we love most, would we be idea machines, trying out new ideas, starting projects to test them out, get the thrill from learning the next new thing, or do we most enjoy taking what others have created and making it our own, following their lead, but perhaps personalizing it and getting satisfaction and pleasure in the process of doing, learning from beginning to end, and enjoying the finishing.

I'm definitely a starter... I've abandoned at least as many projects in my lifetime as I've finished. The cool thing, though, about knowing which type you are I learned, is that you can push through to the other side :). So, in my case, I've decided to actually finish all these projects and get them off my plate rather than frog them, and free up my mental space to work on new things.

Here's one of those I hope to finish in the next couple of days:

This is the Weekender Jacket I started in January of 2009. The sleeves and fronts are done (and have been since last March), and so I started on the back tonight. I know I'm going to really like this when it's finished... as much because it will be FINISHED as the fact that I pushed through my boredom and disinterest to get it done! Meanwhile, I'm ho-humming rows... and imagining having a team member to turn over the project, at this point to finish it out. Ah, those days are gone, and that is a good thing!

Drumroll, please, I present to you the Aestlight Shawl!

She's blocked (I used the steam iron) and at a final size of 54" x 22", just the perfect wrap size. Isn't she lovely? I am just going to have to do another one of these.

Aeslight Knitting is Done!

I couldn't wait to present this to you all as I'm so loving how it came out. If this doesn't make you want to spin your own yarn, I can't imagine what will (especially after you feel it)! You just can't buy commercial yarn like this.

The pattern really lends itself to handspun made from handpainted top because of the construction and way it shows off the color variations in different ways in each section. I eliminated one repeat of the lace because I was worried I would not have enough yarn. I had 532 yds of 3ply fingering/light sports weight and have probably 20+ yds left. I'm glad I didn't do the number of repeats in the pattern because the shawl is about 44" across already without blocking, and the pattern says that final size is 45" wide after blocking.

It will be interesting to see how this blocks. More on that once I find a spot to block her that will not be a magnet for the cats. As you can see, Fischer is just waiting for his moment to lead the charge.

Make Sure You Read the Pattern!

I never cease to surprise myself with the things I need to learn. Today it's all about assumptions.

If you've been following, you know that I have the Aestlight in progress, and then began the Ishmel last week after spinning up some lovely merino singles that just couldn't sit still. I usually do a really good job of alternating my projects so I'm never working on 2 at the same time that require following detailed charting. So all was good on these two as I had set aside the Aestlight to work on the Ishmel lace border. Until this evening...

To be honest, I had been eyeing the Aestlight while working on Ishmel and suddenly had this wild hare that I could get the border all done tonight so that I could take it to knit group tomorrow in a near-finished state. It's only a 12-stitch border, for god's sakes. I failed to let it register that it's 16 rows of the pattern that repeats a bazillion times. But what the hey!

I started back on the Aestlight border and wizzed through a few rows, with every other row having an extra stitch. I frogged and restarted... then another 3 or 4 times...by now, John had started staring at my work, saying, "Wow, that must be REALLY complicated!" and then took off to bed as he wanted to avoid any throwing of vocabulary or knitting objects.

Finally I realized that I was not even reading the pattern, just assuming... which pattern was this again?? so k in the back of the stitch became knit in front and back.

When things don't work out, Susan, READ the Pattern!!

Once I got that worked out, progress was pretty fast and I got one whole side completed. Tomorrow, I hope to complete it the final side of border! Will post pictures then.

Ishbel Has Captivated Me

Work continues on my Ishbel out of the merino handspun singles I finished during the Saturday spin-in. It's a really easy pattern, so it's going pretty quickly. I finished the center garter stitch section and did one repeat of Vine section A. I have 40 rows left before the edging if I do the large size. I think I have enough yarn, but probably just barely... we'll see.

Progress, slow but sure

Progress continues on my Aestlight shawl, slowly, more slowly than I'd like but some of my project time has been taken up lately with other domestic activities due to our record-setting cold temps and annoying little things like pipes freezing, cats who are stir crazy and an endless pile of year-end paperwork. Still, the end is in sight! and I'm lovin how the colors show up in the edging and how this yarn feels. I can't wait to have it all finished and blocked!

Lucky for me, I got in a solid couple of hours spinning yesterday, as a result of the Yarnorama spin-in. I was able to fill up a bobbin of singles from some of the merino top I had hand dyed at SOAR in what seemed like no time. The top was perfectly prepared and easy to spin into a fingering/light sportsweight singles.
The 3oz I had of it resulted in 648 yds of loveliness. I set the twist with my steam iron and wound into a ball. 

It wasn't long before I was itching to start a project with it. I'd steal a glance at it every so often as I knit Aestlight and imagine what I'd make. Then I remembered that the Ishbel shawl has been on my project 'to do' list. This yarn and pattern seemed the perfect pairing. So here she is! I think I'm really going to enjoy this pattern and hope I have enough to make the larger size.

Wensleydale Singles Ain't Gonna Lie Flat

Someone asked me recently why I had said that the wensleydale singles were round, round, round and would not really show stitch definition in lace patterns well. I, rather assuredly, said that they would do what they wanted to do and would return to their desired state even with blocking. Well, I had some experience with similar fibers, but it was cool that she questioned me, because I realized that I had been making some assumptions... I had my woven scarf on which I based my comments, but hadn't sampled it with knitting... Her sample, she said, blocked out perfectly and didn't have any issues with the sample not showing stitch definition in her desired pattern or wanting to round out. So why was I saying what I was saying? That led me to re-question why... why, indeed?

I decided to do an experiment... 2 samples of a simple lace pattern, both with the same size yarn, needle size and pattern, one the wenleydale singles and one a recently spun merino 2-ply. Both yarns have had their twist set and are balanced in the hank.

Here are the results.
Can you see how the wensley- dale singles (at right) don't lie flat and are 3 dimensional, while the merino just sits down flat, 2 dimensionally, and shows off the lace? In the wensleydale, where's the lace pattern? These are not blocked yet, but I would betcha lots that it will not make much difference.
Here's a closer look at both:

This exercise confirmed that the wendledale singles retain their own form, not 'molding' to the lace pattern. They create their own unique look that is very attractive on it's own. Simple patterns, like garter stitch, really show off the beauty of the yarn without fighting it's desire to form pronounced loops. At least this is the case for my fingering to sports weight singles. Perhaps with finer, lace weight singles, this will not be so pronounced. That is an experiment for another time!

Working Down the WIP List

I've had my hands/head/feet...whatever the phrase is, to the grindstone the last few days. I hope it's not my head, as there would be nothing left. That's because I've been working on year-end paperwork to the point that I end each day with a brain freeze nearly incapable of creative anything. So I decided to work on my 2009 WIP/UFO list. Here's one of my WIP's that I've been working on and need to finish so I can start something else:

This is my Akapana Scarf, a shop model I've been working on from the yarn by the same name, a sinfully luxurious baby llama, merino yarn in a super easy seed stitch. I love this yarn because it looks like handspun, in addition to feeling like something you want to wrap up in and never take off. I've just been working on it in 'free' moments here and there, which is why it is taking me so long to finish. That's why I just decided to bite the bullet and focus on finishing it. And then there is the very self-serving reason... it's still quite chilly out and how I'd love to have an excuse to wear it!  Maybe it will be done tomorrow... we'll see.

On hold for a couple days is my Aestlight Shawl. I made some progress, as you can see:
It's coming along nicely, but I do need to have a clear mind when working on it so I don't screw up the lace. I'm really thrilled about the feel of this one and how my handspun worked up. I don't think I'll get back to this one until Friday though because of all the other things on my plate.

I lament never having enough time for my projects and ideas, but then it occurred to me that I will never have enough time because I'm a mad woman who dreams of more things to do than I can ever achieve.
Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?
—Robert Browning
Or a woman's!

Aestlight Continues

I finished spinning the rest of Walk on the Wild Tide for my Aestlight Shawl today. All navaho (chain) plied and ready to go. This gave me another 214 yds. I was expecting more because I thought I had divided the fiber up evenly, but apparently not. Or maybe I'll be surprised to find that the grist is not the same. As it stands now, the yarn looks the same as the original one, so I'm going to assume I just took an extra stipped ball in the spinning of the first bobbin's full. I hope I have enough to finish this!

One of the highlights of my spinning today was that John, upon seeing me plying with a smile on my face, as is often the case when I'm spinning, said, "I Love it when you spin! It makes you soooo happy!". I hadn't realized I was smiling, but yes, it does make me incredibly happy.  Why is that??

I'm so pleased with this yarn and shawl, and can't wait to get more done on it (maybe tomorrow?? as my reward for completing year-end inventory control!).

Cold Front Fever

Every time I finish a weaving project, I'm in love! The whole process is magical for me, from the planning, to the warping, the weaving, and the finishing. In the end, I've created a beautiful textile that no one else has, I've learned more about fibers, weaving, techniques and I get to experience the wondrous transformation that occurs between the time the fabric comes off the loom and it's final finished state. Then there are times when I'm just over the top excited. The Cold Front Scarf is one of those projects!

I finished the weaving of it today on the little Cricket. Weaving was straightforward and easy, without a single broken thread, though I did have a couple that fuzzed up along the way that I had to tame. The 8-dent reed was just right. Not much abrasion on the threads and it produced a very balanced fabric. On the loom, it was 8-3/4" wide and there was virtually no takeup along the way. The wensleydale singles needed help staying in place because it was as though they just wanted to spring into some form of their own. I worried about the selvedges because the yarn hugged them, but never really laid flat. So I did more than my regular amount of fussing to make sure they were as nice as possible. It was clear that the handspun irregularities were going to have an effect on straight edges, and I decided that would be just fine with me.

When I took the scarf off the loom, I was surprised to find that the width was 8-5/8" and that I had only about 2" of loom waste, not including my fringe. The edges had rather round loops that hugged the edge thread. The yarn was just super round... I mean really, really round!

I tried twisted fringe, but decided that it took away from the scarf, as the handspun looked really nice on it's own. So I knotted the fringe, thinking I would just trim off the frayed edges once I had wet finished it.  Then, into the warm, soapy water it went. I rubbed the scarf a bit because I wanted the nap to come up and then I did it!! I was so wanting to see this beauty finished, I popped it in the dryer for a few minutes.

When I took it out of the dryer, it was still slightly damp, still 8+" wide, but it had even rounder edges that look like I have badly woven edges. The selvedge warp thread is there, hugging it tight, but the weft are just big loopyloos. I decided to love them.

The next thing I noticed was that the nap was wonderful... fluffy and soft like those luxurious mohair throws you find at designer showrooms. And then I saw that tracking had occurred! Now this is my very favorite plain weave occurrence that happens sometimes. It makes the fabric look so much more complicated and beautiful.

Finally, this most amazing thing happened with the fringe. It reverted, through the wet finishing and the dryer, into the form of the wensleydale locks. They actually look just like locks. So I decided not to trim the ends, but leave all the soft curls hanging loose.

How cool is this? Fun and funky, the colors are great, I love the stripes that happened as a result of stiping the top and the feel is oh so much softer than the singles were. So, yes, this can now be worn against the neck. 

I so much love this one!

Cloan me please!!

My Aestlight shawl is coming along nicely...

and I nearly ran out of yarn so back to the wheel to spin more. That will probably take me a couple days or so as my attention has shifted a bit to yet another project.



Recognize this yarn? It's my Cold Front wensleydale singles from the Spunky club. I was dying to see this made up so decided to leave the shawl for today and test my spinning skills by warping the Cricket. I figured that loom would be the gentlest on this yarn, and with its 8-dent heddle, I had the best shot of getting the scarf off the loom with a minimal amount of yarn breakage or fraying. So far, so good! I find it so interesting the way the yarn lined up in stripes. Guess all that top stripping really worked.

Another Monday Shot to Heck...

Every week, I look forward to Monday. Not that I don't love everyone, but it is my one and only day 'off' during the week. I dream of having that day to play in the garden, knit or spin or weave and give my mind a reprieve from small business ownership. Instead, I end up packing it with all my errands, dr's appts, paperwork.

Today was no different, except that I planned to spend my day doing year-end accounting and coming home so relieved and happy to have it all done and ready for the new year. I was confident when I set out this morning because I had all the docts printed, organized and ready for me. What was I thinking??

One accounting snaffo when I checked a box in POS that I shouldn't have, and I'm still tracking down the transaction trail hours later. I think I've figured it out, but now I'm off my timetable until I get with my accountant. Without that resolved, I couldn't go further. Sheesh!

I came home and decided what the hey... let's knit! so I continued working on my Aestlight shawl, to the point that I need to get busy and spin more yarn for it. This is such a fun knit and I'm loving the yarn. More on that tomorrow! I never did spin, as my spinning chair was occupied all evening with Fischer, who was not willing to budge one bit as he was studying the spinning wheel and fiber rather intently. He really likes the colors and I think he was trying to figure out how to do some spinning for himself... I just didn't have the heart to interrupt his intense focus.

He's such a sweetheart and sometimes too smart for his own good!

Isn't he adorable?

Spin Happy!

I'll bring up SOAR again... I became a fan of Spunky Eclectic's (Amy King) hand dyed roving after spending 3 days in her workshop there. It was quite the education! I decided it might be fun to join her fiber club for awhile to see what all the excitement is about for the clubs. It didn't take long for me to find out...

First, it's the anticipation of knowing I was going to get 4oz of mystery wool/fiber in a surprise colorway that was only available to the club members. Members spend lots of time anticipating it, trying to guess based on the month's theme and sharing in the fun.

I got my package on Friday morning and here's what was inside -

This is 4oz of handpainted Wensleydale top called Cold Front. Rich, deep blues, a touch of green and occasional white areas should produce a lovely yarn with sheen and the characteristic halo of the wensleydale.

I've been itching to spin it ever since. So this afternoon, during knit group, I sat and spun it up as a light worsted singles. I chose not to ply because I wanted to keep the colors clear and just to play with spinning a thicker singles than I normally spin. It was a great way to spend time with friends and have something wonderful to show for it!

Here is the resulting yarn:

I prepared the roving by dividing into 2 pieces, one of which had much more deep blue than the other. I then divided each piece into 6 strips and spun this using a worsted method and a long drafting zone on my Julia with the largest whorl. It was an easy, quick spin.

I set the twist with the steam iron and it relaxed nicely. It's 296 yds at 1200 ypp. I suspect this will develop quite a halo once it is made up.

Now to find a project... suggestions?

When the Knitting Muse will not Shut UP!

I had found a lovely shawl pattern, Aestlight, that I decided was just perfect for my Walk on the Wild Tide handspun... well, I didn't find the pattern, it rather found me when I viewed the beauty of a shawl a gal in Australia had made using it with her handspun. So, after finishing the plying of a lovely skein, I proceeded to spin the second half of the top onto a new bobbin.

And then it started... the knitting muse began her murmurings, and I began my own rationalizations about how I would only take a few minutes out to test the gauge, read through the pattern.

Witness here the results of my digressions. I've knit about 10 inches or so with this simply lucsious yarn. I can't stop... I was up until 1am last night because I just couldn't let her go, and I raced home this evening to do some more.

What is it about the combination of gorgeously fine yarn and a lovely pattern that makes us lose all notion of doing what we are supposed to with free abandon? I may lose all sense of responsibility for a few days more until this is finished!

Wonderful Way to Spend a Day

We awoke, rather lazily, this morning to messages from friends/customers so excited about the gifts from the shop that Santa had brought them... spinning wheels, looms, swifts, gift certificates... it put smiles on our faces, truly, to be Santa's helpers!

It's rare when John and I have a day to just do whatever we please, and today, Christmas Day, we gave that to each other as our gifts. So, while he read and cooked and enjoyed the cats, I spun more of my Walk on the Wild Side roving (see yesterday's post). I finished filling one bobbin with thin singles, about 2oz worth, and then navaho-plied. Here are the results...

I'm loving it! 318 yds, so about 3800 ypp for the singles. I was waffling as to whether to do a navaho ply or a 2-ply, but I knew I just had to make Aestlight after I had seen the version below.

One more bobbin's full to spin up and I should have enough. I may just have to start knitting this before I finish the spinning... breaking my own rules about finishing all the yarn for a project before I start it, but what the hey... rules are meant to be broken, right?, and this yarn IS Walk on the Wild... 
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/franee/aestlight-shawl

Hope you all are having a glorious, happy holiday!

Dream Spinning and How I Got My Groove Back

Attending SOAR was a great way to get reimmersed in fibers and spinning. Without family (as much as I love them dearly), phone, business and other interruptions, I got to play with different fibers and techniques for nearly a week. I've been jazzed to the point that I have been spinning every day ever since, even if only for a few minutes at a time.

I brought home lots of braids of handpainted tops and roving, some I had dyed myself and some I purchased from other vendors. My personal new favorite spinning fiber has become BFL... it's easy to spin, the preps have been nearly perfection and it takes dyes brilliantly. The resulting yarn is soft, lustrous and a bit of fuzziness, making it a nice choice for those for whom mohair is too scratchy.

That was, until this past week, when I started spinning this amazing pile of dreamy goodness...

This is Walk on the Wild Tide by Blue Moon Fibers and is described as 15 micron Merino. Best as I can tell, that's Optim, the mechanically stretched merino that makes it incredibly fine and without much crimp. This is a fiber prep that's new to me, and it will definitely be on my list of things to do more with and to bring into the shop. I could spin this into a fine singles in my sleep, my definite 'in the groove' spinning!

I have to say that this is the stretchiest merino I've ever spun, unbelievably soft and the drafting is smooth and effortless. Colors are different... on the wild side!, so I can't wait to see how it works up. Here are my singles on the bobbin -

I haven't decided yet if this will be a 2-ply or a navaho-plied yarn. I think I will use it to knit a shawl. I haven't used by handspun to make a knitted shawl in quite some time, so this will be fun. Now to decide on the pattern... oh, maybe I should wait to know how much yarn I am going to have, huh?

How to Cook an Egg!

I know... this doesn't sound like a fiber obsession, and it's not. But believe me, I do get hungry during the day at the shop and sometimes have to forage with cold cereal or other similar treats. So today was one where I had a really fun, cooking learning that I just had to share.

I had some fresh eggs in the fridge left over from when John (DH) made hard boiled eggs for our party and had some cheese slices that I sometimes enjoy with crackers. And suddenly it occurred to me that I could try having a hot/warm breakfast for a change.

I look around and find my holiday coffee mug, break 2 eggs into it that I lightly beat with my trusty plastic fork, 2 slices of cheese slices broken into pieces and there it goes into the microwave on the baked potato cycle. Phone rang... on my return, 2-3 minutes later, I had a souffle... I mean, REALLY, puffed eggs with cheese coming up to the top of the mug.

Out it came, light and delicious! Who knew?? This could be the start of something wonderful for breakfast on a regular basis.