Durham Knits

February is for Finishing

2012-02-29T13:24:00.004-08:00

In Bubbo's Pants on Ravelry (a group of awesome women and a couple of men who are truly excellent to each other), February is for finishing projects. I'm proud to say that I finally finished my large sized Clara Shawl.

Right at the end, with half a ball of Knit Picks Shimmer in Eucalyptus left, I decided to snag the edging from Annis and stuck it on Clara. It fits perfectly.

I also spun up some Three Waters Farm BFL in Sarah's Imperative. I'm so very much in love with BFL, and the depth of color on this fiber is just incredible. Yummy!

Excuse the mess

2012-02-01T07:17:00.000-08:00

Hi, blog.

Two kids are busymaking. I promise I will get back to you soon.

In the meantime, I've been completely obsessed with knitting mini-sized Annis Shawls.

There will be pictures someday. Right now, DKJr wants down, and TinyDK is still on my lap. Must run. And run, and run, and run...

The Reason for the Season

2011-12-24T05:01:00.001-08:00

Being this enormously pregnant at this time of year has led me to think quite a lot about the reason for the season. Such a trite, overused phrase it is – ‘reason for the season’ – bandied about by almost every church message board in the days leading up to Christmas, yet it’s a reminder that all the pressure to shop, shop, shop and spend, spend, spend is just a cultural holiday. There’s more to this particular day than just that, and we should take pause to remember it.

I was pregnant with my first son during the Christmas season, too, but only about six months in. Large enough for knowing smiles in the grocery store, but not nearly huge enough for overly-kindly Southern women to pull me aside and express what a miracle a Christmas baby would be.

At this point, I don’t care if he’s a Christmas baby, you see. I just want him out. I’m enormously uncomfortable, the Gestational Diabetes is a pain in the rear end during the carb laden Christmas season, and I just want to get on with the joy of being a mother instead of lugging my not-so-aerodynamic belly up and down the stairs while being unable to keep up with my toddler. I feel like I am so, so done with this, and the little guy is taking his time making his appearance.

Two thousand years ago, a heavily pregnant woman was also making preparations. Not for the Christmas season. It didn’t exist, yet. She was preparing for a journey to a different town to do her civic duty at the side of her husband, the man who loved her so much that he stayed with her even when told her child wasn’t his. An angel messenger is a pretty good pregnancy test, one that comes with an accurate due date, unlike what women at the time must’ve normally done to calculate when a child might arrive. Still, she probably had no idea when setting off on her trip that her child would be born outside of her home, in her husband’s hometown, not hers.

As the tradition goes, Mary and Joseph made their way from the Galilee to Bethlehem with Mary riding on a donkey. Nine months pregnant and riding about 100 miles, 158 kilometers, on the back of a donkey. I’m so huge that I can barely sit up straight in my car. And add to that the problem of lodging – a whole city filled to the brim for the census, leaving hugely pregnant Mary forced to sleep on a bed of hay, no matter how uncomfortable it must’ve left her.

And so that night of all nights, a new baby was born. A hundred miles from home, she labored without her friends or midwife, with only her new husband to hold her hand and guide the baby into the world. Women did, and still do, die in labor, especially in those conditions. She must’ve been so scared that night, giving birth on a pile of hay surrounded by animals instead of her loved ones. There’s more than one miracle to celebrate on Christmas morning: Jesus was born, yes. But his mother made it through, too, despite all the terrible conditions and hardships she had to face. Alone in a stable in an unfamiliar city, a baby was born, and a family gained a member, regardless of who that baby would become.

Tonight, I’ll no doubt sit in church and get all sorts of knowing smiles and parades of people asking when I’m due. It’s uncomfortable to me, being the center of that attention when all I really want is to be at home with my feet up and tea in my hands to keep the constant late-pregnancy swelling down. But tonight, I need to keep in mind what another woman went through long before me.

Will it be a pain for my son to share his birthday with a season so full of hype? Will he complain about joint birthday-Christmas presents, and a birthday party overshadowed by Santa? Yes. But he’ll also share his birthday season with the Son of God. That’s pretty special. It’s my job to help him understand that.

Spinning: Black Hills Gold

2011-12-12T13:50:00.000-08:00

Something scrumptious off of my wheel. 4oz. of merino/bamboo/silk, dyed by Miss Babs.

260 yards in worsted weight.

Gestational Diabetes

2011-11-19T22:18:00.000-08:00

I haven't used this forum to talk much about my current pregnancy for various reasons, but I wanted to take a moment to jot down some notes about my experiences with gestational diabetes. I wish I'd found a post on a blog somewhere when I was first diagnosed as it scared the crap out of me and I didn't know where to start.

I didn't have GD with my first term pregnancy. My GD has nothing to do with weight -- I actually weighed less at the start of this pregnancy than I did at the start of Jr.'s. This particular placenta is producing hormones that make it tough for my body to produce enough insulin to compensate. As a result, my body is going nuts trying to make enough if I eat too many carbs, and poof. Baby is on a constant sugar high if I don't control what I eat.

The good news is, in most cases, diet DOES fix the problem. Granted, I'm very, very borderline for GD. I've had absolutely ZERO problem getting my blood glucose numbers to come back as they should be if I just pay attention to what I'm eating.

This is where I had trouble before taking a class, however. I couldn't find enough info in a form that was helpful to me to make an informed change of diet immediately. So here it is, a list of what I'm allowed to eat (and generally what guidelines most people are given) and a short meal plan for a single day.

Breakfast: 30g-45g of carbs total

I usually have a piece of whole wheat toast with PB on it and a smallish serving of fruit. I've noticed that if I err on the 45g edge of the range, my blood glucose readings are usually on the high end later. This is the only meal that tends to give me this reaction.

Snack 1: 15g carbs

A piece of string cheese and a 100 calorie pack of crackers. I was glad to find that the prepackaged 100 calorie packs often have at or about 15g of carbs in each pack. I hate the extra waste, but it's a very, very easy way to take my snack with me and not be guessing about serving size.

Lunch: 45g carbs

A sandwich and a small piece of fruit. The more protein on the sandwich the better!

Snack 2: 15g carbs

I'm boring, so I eat the same thing as snack 1. Sometimes I'll have a pudding cup instead, but it's not usually substantial enough to keep me from being hungry before dinner.

Dinner: 45g-60g carbs

Salmon (grilled), asparagus, fluffy dinner roll. Or chicken wrap with whole wheat tortilla, salad. I've been able to push the carb limit here and not have adverse reactions, but I know others who have had terrible problems.

Snack 3: 15g-30g carbs

Pudding cup and crackers and cheese. Definitely needs something protein oriented. This snack is super important -- if I don't eat enough carbs here, my morning readings go wonky as my blood glucose crashes in the middle of the night and the pancreas shoots out extra glucose to compensate, which triggers the weird placenta response. I've noticed I can tell if I don't have enough snack at about 2am -- the baby gets a sugar rush from the excess glucose my pancreas decided to make and wakes me up with a dance party.

The hardest part of GD in my experience is making sure I eat enough protein so that I'm still gaining as I should be. My first few weeks after being diagnosed, my weight plateaued and at one point I actually lost weight, not something I'd recommend for a pregnant woman. Couple that with the holidays approaching, and I've been pretty miserable, food-wise.

Only a month or so to go, and he is here, and the GD should simply disappear once the placenta is out. I can't wait to drink orange juice again. Nothing like some wasted delicious carbs.

Hats and Hats Abound

2011-11-17T08:28:00.000-08:00

This Christmas seems to be all about hats, for me. And a few other things I can't share yet, as the recipients might happen upon the pictures, but here are just a couple of the things I've been up to.

Four Minnesota Wild hats, though in various shades of forest green. The top beret is handspun, the earflap hat with the Charlie Brown zigzag is Cascade 220, and the two cabled children's hats are Knit Picks Comfy Worsted (and are some old, old leftovers. Feels nice to be done with the yarn!) These hats will soon be making a trip to the snowy north to live with some dear friends and hockey fans, and I'm hoping to get a picture of them watching a game in the hats!

And then, the little hat I'm most fond of: a gift for Durham Knits, Jr. in Misti Alpaca Worsted.

The pattern is Kate Oates' Plaid Hatter, and I can't wait to make it again in an adult size for me. I LOVE it! The little mittens are leftovers in a basic toddler mitt pattern.

Tis the Season

2011-10-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

... well, maybe it isn't quite yet, but it's been the season for knitting presents for Christmas. As I have an Impending Arrival right around the holidays (and it's entirely possible that Little Brother might make his appearance on December 25 or so), I've been trying to get all of my holiday preparations out of the way as early as possible. Of course, that makes for no pretty pictures for the blog until after gifting.

Instead, here's a cute cat.

Sun Yarn

2011-09-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

After experimenting with dyeing in my crockpot, I decided to try dyeing using Kool Aid in the sun, inspired by a thread in Ravelry's A Kool Way to Dye group.

This is what I came up with:

A couple of my friends asked for me to write out the instructions for this mottled sun yarn, so here it is for future use.

I supersaturated Kool Aid in lemon lime and blue raspberry ice in boiling water, 2 packets of each in separate pots. After it cooled somewhat, I poured it into an ice cube tray and let them freeze into super colored dye cubes overnight.

The next day (forecast to be 100F+, though I've heard it's possible to do this at a much lower temp) I filled a dark casserole dish halfway with clear water and my 4oz. of yarn, just covering the yarn in the pot, then let it sit for an hour in the sun until very warm. I then randomly placed dye ice cubes on the yarn. This created the brightest spots of green and blue. I left the yarn in the sun for the rest of the afternoon to be sure it set.

There were still large amounts of white left after the ice cube treatment, so the next afternoon I mixed another 2 packets of lemon lime and replaced the water in the casserole with the newly mixed Kool Aid solution. I again left the yarn in the dye for the afternoon in the sun.

When I removed and washed the yarn, I was left with this lovely mottled effect. I'd love to try it again with more dye cube colors!

Finished yarn: OBX Sunrise

2011-09-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

This summer has slipped away completely. Where did it go? Most of a month tied to my sister's wedding and a beach vacation will do that, I suppose.

I just realized that I never posted pictures of the completed fiber dye experiment, so here we go:

Dried fiber in braid.

Spun up on bobbins.

And the spun and set yarn!

I ended up with a bulky, squishy yarn that I expect will end up as a hat once I'm done knitting Christmas presents.

6am Wakeup Call

2011-07-11T04:19:00.000-07:00

Or perhaps I should call this post "6am Wakeup Screams."

It's just after 7am, and I've been awake for more than an hour, ever since hearing the dulcet wails of Knits Jr. over the intercom. I try not to complain too much about his sleeping habits, considering he's probably the most laid-back baby ever (well, toddler, technically), but 6am is just too much. Mama needs more sleep than that, especially when Mama is working on a sibling for the little monster.

I had so many plans for today - the pool, shopping for a present for a friend's baby shower. Instead, I'm just waiting for naptime. Ugh.

Dyeing Fiber

2011-07-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I decided to experiment with using McCormick dyes and the crock pot for dying. I soaked my 4oz of Cormo wool for about an hour in the crock pot before beginning.

The three colors I used are Sunset Orange, pure yellow, and Dusky Pink, all drawn from the back of the McCormick box. I poured the dye (3x the icing amount listed on the back mixed with 3/4 cup boiling water and 2 tbsps of lemon juice) over sections of the wool in the pot, which was full of water, then put the crock pot on high. I let the dye soak for two hours on high, and it was completely exhausted.

Here's the fiber washing in the sink post-crockpot:

And drying in the sun on my deck (yes, that baby gate makes a fantastic rack for hanging fiber):

Triangle Restaurant Review: Bread and Kabob's Glorious Return

2011-07-02T14:54:00.000-07:00

I'm a foodie. There, I said it. And the Triangle area of NC is full of fabulous food options, including some restaurants to rival the "big cities" - and I know, as I've eaten my way through Chicago and Washington, DC. There are certainly blogs out there devoted to food in my area (Carpe Durham is my go-to for new restaurants), but every once in a while, there's a restaurant that deserves special attention.

Bread and Kabob, located inside the 1013 bar on Main St in Durham near Duke, is one of those restaurants.

I should start with the full story. Bread and Kabob used to be its own restaurant, in the same location, when my husband was in high school. He's a native of the area, I am not. When we lived in Chicago and DC, we loved to frequent Persian and Afghan restaurants, and almost every single time we tried a new one, he would compare it to Bread and Kabob.

To his great sorrow, Bread and Kabob closed just before we met, and he never got to introduce me to his favorite college meal. The story goes that the owners went back to Afghanistan to start a business. Their children remained in America and opened the 1013 bar in the former location of Bread and Kabob.

Fast forward to Wednesday. Carpe Durham announced that Bread and Kabob was back. We went immediately, dragging along Knits, Jr., and tried their brand new buffet.

For 7 years, I've listened to the other half extoll the virtues of Bread and Kabob. It lives up to the hype. The buffet had a chicken curry, two rice dishes, and three veggies (spinach, potatoes, and green beans), though the selection is subject to change. The curry was top notch, the beef rice dish was something I'd never had before and was amazing, and the potatoes were so good as to call for multiple visits to the buffet. The buffet also had rice pudding - perfect rice pudding, with the rice still identifiable instead of mush, and bits of almond adding crunch here and there. Also brought to the table was a big basket of delicious, fresh bread.

It was so amazing, in fact, that we went back on Thursday. My husband went for the buffet, again. I decided to order chicken kabobs with rice off the menu. Again, perfection. The chicken was juicy and perfectly cooked, the rice generously sprinkled with sumac spice, and two chargrilled tomatoes on the side.

We'll go again, and again, and again. Welcome back, Bread and Kabob.

Triinu in process

2011-06-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

It's going. And going. And going.

Wedding Shawl

2011-06-03T07:33:00.000-07:00

I have a project on a deadline. I'm never, ever good with deadlines, but we'll see how it goes.

I'm knitting Triinu from Knitted Lace of Estonia in the pink yarn I overdyed last year to wear at my sister's wedding on August 13. That's a whole 2.5 months away. I can do it, right?

Sort of Finished?

2011-05-11T05:58:00.001-07:00

After 9 months of knitting, I've finished my Featherweight Cardigan - an entire sweater knit out of laceweight yarn. I'm thrilled. So proud!

But you'll see there are no pictures.

I've finished 9 months of knitting... and I can't talk myself into blocking it. See, in order to block, I need to clean the toys off Knits Jr.'s floor. I need to put up with Knits Jr. screaming like the devil in his crib while I pin the piece out. I haven't been able to get up the nerve to do it.

Left/Right

2011-03-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

Today, I learned how to knit left-handed.

I've been teaching knitting lessons for a few months, now. I've had no fewer than 3 people ask for directions on how to knit left-handed (not holding yarn in left hand, which is knitting continental, but actually knitting from left to right instead of right to left) and now, finally, I've given in and learned to do it myself. I'm sick of being stumped by questions. And though I'm still figuring out a few of the kinks, I did it all by myself.

How will this help beyond helping other people to knit? If I can get proficient at it, I'll be able to replace purling entirely with simply knitting back the other direction. Pretty cool, if I do say so!

Ready, Set, Knit

2011-03-07T07:37:00.001-08:00

It's amazing how children take up every bit of time without leaving a whole lot to say about it. My little boy is almost a year old. In the past weeks, he's learned to stand free of objects, cruises along the couch and chair and tables, will take a step (but only one step) before falling down to his knees. He's a truly amazing little man, and despite all the work involved, it's worth it to be staying home with him.

And I've been knitting, but not as much. Here's what's in the pipeline, though:

Clara is a shawlette worked from the center out, but can easily be sized up for a full shawl. She is named for the daughter I lost in March 2009 at 11 weeks gestation. Grief is a very long and personal process, and the design of this shawl mirrors the path of my recovery: the center is a soothing, repetitive garter stitch - the only thing I could bring myself to knit after losing her - while the border becomes more complex, as my grief changed over time. The shawl is designed in honor of the ladies of Ravelry’s Healing After Pregnancy Loss group: the strongest women I’ve ever met, and whom I have the great honor of calling friends.

Joy

2011-01-12T19:07:00.001-08:00

Today, I picked up my new Ashford Joy spinning wheel. It's a double treadle, portable wheel, and I am in love. She's small, she's quiet, and (perhaps best of all at the moment) she's babyproof, thanks to her traveling case.

Sadly, this means I'll be parting with my dear Kromski Minstrel. I haven't found a buyer, yet, but I'm sure I'll be able to - the Kromski is a wonderful wheel, just not babyproof enough for my home. I'll miss Magda, but I'm thrilled to welcome Joy.

My inaugural spin is an Abby Franquemont batt in Shiraz, a deep purpley burgundy, merino/tencel mix. It's delightful to spin, as any Abby batt always proves to be, and I'm easily managing an even long-draw on Joy's smallest ratio. Joy's a fast one (probably faster than Magda, as I don't have the lace flyer for the Kromski) and is proving to be just what the doctor ordered.

Why so many question marks, eh?

2011-01-11T14:08:00.001-08:00

Dear Person on a forum I read,

Why so many question marks and exclamation points? We understand your point with just one of each. Why end each question with three??? Or even four???? And omg four exclamation points!!!! Adding so many detracts from the points you're attempting to make. I won't even touch on the point of your poor spelling or very odd emoticon faces. What the heck does "=S" mean, anyway? It's not a smiley. It's not a frown. I am befuddled.

Learn how to type.

No love,
A former editor

2010 In Review

2011-01-07T06:49:00.001-08:00

2010 was pretty good to me. A significant improvement over 2009, which can still bite me in the rear.

2010 FAVORITES IN REVIEW:

BOOK: This is going to embarrass me beyond belief, but Abigail Renold's "The Last Man on Earth." It's a Jane Austen sequel. I'm a tad obsessed with them at the moment. I happened to finish the whole book in one day.

PLACE VISITED: Asheville, NC with my hubby and son

MEAL COOKED: It might be silly, but I made one kickass meatloaf this year! I've been trying to improve my cooking. Meatloaf is easy, but GOOD meatloaf can be difficult.

MEAL EATEN: At Bamian in Arlington, VA. Hubby and I used to live there, and went back to our favorite restaurants when we were up for a meeting. I really, really like this restaurant.

MOVIE: Harry Potter 7a.

INFORMATION LEARNED: Babies fart. A LOT.

ITEM BOUGHT: BFL/silk from Maryland Sheep and Wool. OMG soft. I also succeeded in my first spinningwheel laceweight using it.

MOMENT: My son's birth. Yes, it's cheesy. It's still true.

Out of thread

2010-12-20T19:07:00.000-08:00

How does it always seem to happen that I run out of something just as I'm about to finish? Fate, I suppose. This time, it's thread. Plain boring brown thread. I thought my house was stocked to the gills with brown thread. But no. Three seams from finishing my Mother in Law's Christmas gift, the spool ran dry.

And there are no more spools.

Thankfully, I pressed myself to try to finish ahead of time, so I have several days to make a run to pick up some more - but I really wanted to be done tonight! Oh well. Off to video games, instead.

NaNoSpinMo results

2010-12-13T10:04:00.001-08:00

I didn't make my goal. Ended up spinning about 10 oz. of fiber out of the 16 oz I hoped for. I got distracted by getting my patterns up and running, but that's fine with me. I ended up with some gorgeous yarn, and I can't wait to knit with it.

The pink is the Miss Babs, the brown multi is Susan's Spinning Bunny, and the orange is fiber fest fiber which is sadly missing its tag. Overall: success!

Hillsborough Hat and Mitts

2010-12-10T07:19:00.000-08:00

It's been a bit quiet here, but I've been working on something big.

This:

A little hat and mitt set. In Knit Picks Stroll Tonal...

Or in Three Waters Farm Silk Merino fingering.

The patterns are available for sale at Knit Picks or locally at Yarns, Etc.

Finished - finally!

2010-11-14T21:26:00.000-08:00

I finished my first serious lace project this evening.

Just off the needles...

That is to say, the first serious lace project that I cast on, in May of 2009. The poor shawl languished in the WIP pile for months until I finally rescued it earlier this summer. There are dozens of mistakes, but it doesn't matter - it's done. I can't wait to see how it looks all blocked up!

More NaNoSpinMo

2010-11-07T21:01:00.001-08:00

I realized that my last post had the wrong date on it. Hah. I've gotten the mom virus. I can't even tell what day it is!

Anyway, the official count: 6/16 oz. spun, 5 oz. plied. I'll have to take some pretty yarn pics in the morning.

My newest project is some superwash BFL from Susan's Spinning Bunny in colorway "Anshan's Biscotti," which is a lovely combo of browns and a hint of pink. I'm going for a sportweight/DKish 2ply. I'd like to use it for the yoke of a sweater.

After this, it'll be time to challenge myself. A 3ply. I've got some fiber I picked up back at MDSW that I've been meaning to attempt to make sock yarn from.

NaNoSpinMo day 2

2010-11-04T17:32:00.000-07:00

2/16 oz. spun

3 oz. plied

I started the month by finishing up some spinning that had been on my wheel since the end of Tour de Fleece. It's some lovely 75 BFL/ 25 silk in "pumpkin" and I should end up with upwards of 450 yards of 2 ply.

While plying that on the electrowheel (which my darling mini-Durham Knits keeps on shoving off the table, sigh) I've started spinning up some BFL in colorway "Sugar" from Miss Babs. It's dyed a light pink with streaks of dark brown. I'm going for a heavier weight so I can make some fingerless mitts.

NaNoSpinMo

2010-11-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

Instead of NaNoWriMo, since there's not a chance I'll finish anything more than a couple thousand words, I'm going to make this November a spinning month.

I pledge to spin for at least 10 minutes every day. I pledge to spin at LEAST 1 lb of fiber before the end of the month. On travel days, I will use my spindle. I need to make me some yarn, and I'm finding that spinning is the first thing to go with the babe.

SAFF and falling leaves

2010-10-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of going to the Southeastern Animal and Fiber Festival this past weekend in Asheville, NC. I came back with a lovely load of loot, of course, including some fantastic fiber and sock yarn from http://www.missbabs.com/, and we had a great time driving through the falling leaves. I think we hit peak leaf season in the mountains dead on.

Even mini-Knits enjoyed his time, I think. See?

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

2010-10-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. I wrote this last year, but I feel it bears repeating:

October 15 is Mother’s Day. Not the sort of Mother’s Day that one celebrates – October 15 is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, and far too many women across America and Canada will be observing it. It’s likely that you know someone who belongs to this unfortunate sisterhood. Your mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, the woman in the cubicle beside you; somewhere between 15 and 25% of pregnancies end in loss. I will be remembering, too.

Miscarriage and infant loss are difficult to talk about. In past generations, when the loss of young children was much more common, it was not something that people shared. It wasn’t until after I lost my daughter at 11 weeks gestation that people started coming out of the woodwork to share their own stories. My grandmother had more than one miscarriage; an elderly friend lost three children in her life; two of my friends shared their losses.

At some point, you will know someone who loses a baby. DON’T refer to the child as “it.” Call it a baby, regardless of gestational age. A miscarriage is a loss of dreams, along with that baby. DO reach out. Let the parents know that you’re sorry and acknowledge that their child existed, is loved, and will be dearly missed.

On October 15, take a moment to think of those of us who miss those children we never got to hold or see grow up, and remember that they might be closer than you think.

Mommy and Daddy miss you, Clara. 3/22/2009.

Delicata Squash and Apple Soup

2010-10-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
3-4 medium delicata squash
1 cup apple cider
1 cup chicken or veggie broth
1/2 cup Cream Cheese (1/3 fat variety is fine, don't use fat free)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp allspice

Directions:
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds and stringy bits. Roast the squash in the oven at 350F degrees until soft when punctured with a fork, about 45-50 mins. Let squash cool until they can be handled.

Scoop the flesh from the squash and put it into a pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and warm the soup to a simmer - do not let it boil. Blend with an immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth. Serve with toasted bread or croutons. Makes 4 servings.

Booyah pt. 2

2010-09-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

And who just assembled most of an electric spinning wheel? Yep. Me again. BOOYAH!

Home Improvement Wiz

2010-09-25T19:32:00.001-07:00

Guess who just repaired a leaky kitchen faucet with little help?

Oh, that's right, this kid.

The Knitting Slump

2010-09-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, one gets sick of knitting the same pattern multiple times. I've hit my wall. I have GOT to finish knitting this hat so it can become a store sample, but I've already knit it before and it's just lots of stockinette with a bit of seed at the end and I want to knit lace! Now!

Grr.

The Trials of "Reversed" Gender Roles

2010-09-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

I'm a stay at home mom, with a tiny part time job on the side. My husband is the primary breadwinner. I try to keep on top of household chores (though this doesn't always happen with a 6-month-old), he is in charge of paying the bills. I'm crafty, he's techie. I decorate, he keeps his hands off unless I start using too much brown or, heaven forbid, "Carolina Blue."

But when it comes to two very important household things, we come up against the reversal of traditional gender roles. My husband cooks. I am Mrs. Fix-it. It seems like it should work, right? He makes dinner, I fix things that stop working.

What this means in reality... I get tetchy when he tries to help me cook (which generally means he takes over what I'm doing as I don't know how to do it "right"), and he gets frustrated (and I do, too) when I try to teach him how to fix something. I'm not very patient at it.

September

2010-09-18T06:01:00.000-07:00

It's this time of year, when the calendar says September but the oppressive heat says Summer, that I start missing Minnesota. When I moved away, I swore I wouldn't, of course. Who misses endless frigid months of a cold so intense that it makes your lungs sting when you take your first breath outside the front door in the morning? Who misses snow that lingers on and on and ON until the sides of the road are lined with half melted piles of black and brow spotted drifts instead of rolling fields of white? Who misses waiting for the bus, dancing from foot to foot in order to keep feeling beneath two layers of socks and fleece-lined boots?

I'm not that far gone, yet. I don't miss the deep winter, especially the end of it, when it feels like the summer will be swallowed altogether. What I miss, though, is September in Minnesota. I miss crisp, cool mornings. I miss that snap in the air, knowing that even if it gets warm enough to wear shorts in the afternoon, the days of baking in the sun are at an end. I miss dressing for the fair in layers, trying to decide if the morning chill will give way to shorts or only to jeans. I miss the early onset of chill, walking over crispy, frosty grass, wondering when the first hard freeze will show up for the year. And, most of all, I miss searching for a sweatshirt for taking a walk outside instead of searching for a water bottle and tank top.

I don't regret moving to North Carolina, but I think I'll always miss September in Minnesota, while I watch the thermometer hang in the 90s. My body thinks it's Fall, even if my surroundings prove it's still summer. So, I'll admit it. I do miss Minnesota.

Dye Day: The Results Post

2010-09-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

And now for some before and after shots

First up, the lovely laceweight.

Before, slightly 70s harvest gold:

After, rose and gold with some dark rose bits:

And the sock blank....

Before, neon pink and hideous green:

After, blues with notes of teal and pink and purple:

I'm incredibly happy with what came out of the pot!

Dye day and cars

2010-09-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

I had a fantastic time at the dye day. The sock blank went from hideous to gorgeous, and I'm really looking forward to starting on the shawl that is destined to come from the formerly pukey yellow laceweight.

I was going to take some lovely pictures of the dyed and dried yarn today, but something stood in my way... my car wouldn't start. So, in the morning (if I can get it started) I'm off to the garage with the little man. Sitting in a garage waiting room with a 6 month old - can it get any worse?

(The answer is yes. Just let me see what the bill will be...)

Rejection sucks

2010-09-12T17:29:00.001-07:00

No Knitty. Sigh. I thought my socks had a really good chance but ah well. I suppose publishing is fraught with rejections. Not sure I'm really cut out for so much of it, though!

Dyeing to fix some dyes

2010-09-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we're having a big dye day at a friend's house. Hopefully I'll be able to attend, as I've got two skeins that desperately need overdying. I'll do before and after shots!

In other news, the shawl proceeds as planned, when the Durham-Knits, Jr. allows knitting to occur. He started solid foods this week, and we've had plenty of fun playing with apples and pears, and washing them out of his hair.

Milestones

2010-09-03T21:49:00.000-07:00

After surviving my first hurricane (Earl, which swept by the coast of NC and the island on which I'm vacationing), I also survived the first section of the Shawl of Doom. It was nice to get through both of them together. The dreaded shawl gave me something to focus on instead of worrying what a hurricane would be like. Earl turned far from where I am, so the answer was... nothing to worry about.

Next up, section 2 of the shawl, about 60 rows of simple and identical stitches.

Rescue from the WIP bag

2010-09-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

I generally like to limit the number of projects I have going at any one time to one pair of socks, one sweater, one "other" project, and one crochet project. Having such a limit means I've got one guaranteed portable project (the sock), one long term thing to work on (the sweater), some crochet, and one other slot for whatever. I'm more likely to get my projects done (and my needles back) if I feel like I can complete what I've gotten. Sometimes, however, I end up with more projects than I feel I can handle.

This is one of those times.

So while on vacation, I've finally decided to resurrect the First of All shawl from the WIP bag. Winter is coming, and the kind of winters we get in NC call for a light shawl. I'll finish this time. I promise!

Today I... (cont.)

2010-08-26T12:26:00.001-07:00

- Made my charkha work

- Spilled bubbly water all over my Featherweight Cardigan

Today I...

2010-08-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

- Finished building my charkha. Time to see if it works.

- Finished writing up the pattern for mittens to match the Cornwallis hat.

- Went to lunch with Durham Knits Jr.'s great-grandparents.

- Saved my blind and idiotic cat from strangling himself to death on a plastic bag.

(One of these things is not like the others....)

A little hat

2010-08-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this design for a few weeks now, and I'm glad to have my prototype completed. I'm thinking of calling it Cornwallis.

The Dilemma of Pulleys

2010-08-17T19:23:00.001-07:00

I feel like an idiot, walking into hardware store after hardware store and asking for a simple pulley wheel, only to discover the pulleys are a) too small and b) fused so as to make it impossible to remove wheel from casing. I need pulley wheels to build a homemade chakrha - an Indian spinning wheel run by hand and favored by Gandhi. There are various online plans for building such a wheel, and mine come from a 1996 Spin Off magazine article, which is now available for free online.

I'll try to take pictures as I go, to document the progress of my little wheel!

WIP: Handspun Citron

2010-08-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm near to casting off a handspun Citron shawl from the online knitting magazine, Knitty. Citron is one of those viral knits - it seems like everyone is knitting it. At first, I wasn't too fond of the little shawl. It seemed too frilly for me. But then... I made the right yarn.

This.

The African Sunset colorway of Three Waters Farm BFL fiber, purchased from the yarn store where I work. I spun singles to keep the integrity of the colors and boy am I happy I did.

Because that is becoming this:

Yum.

Baby Carrier

2010-07-30T09:10:00.001-07:00

Just a little something I've been sewing on (and a cruddy picture, to boot!)

Yak, day three

2010-07-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

Been spinning up more yak while on vacation. Back now, so I'll move on to my other projects, but I'm gonna keep on working on the yak on the side. It's sooo soft.

Spinning Yak

2010-07-13T12:59:00.001-07:00

Today I started a new project for the Tour de Fleece (even though I haven't quite finished the singles I worked on yesterday). Yak. 100% yak, purchased at MDSW, from Bijou Spun.

Now, I like to try to spin thinly. Sometimes the fiber likes it, sometimes it doesn't. This yak, well... I don't think I've ever managed to spin so finely. I'm glad I decided to do this on the spindle, because spinning yak is harder than I thought! It is SO fine and SO short staple that if I'm not careful, the roving simply slips apart in my hand before I even draft it. I'm sure the humidity here isn't helping, as yak sticks to my hands, but it's been a real treat to try out. I've only got an ounce, so I suppose the fact that it HAS to be laceweight is a boon. I think I'll be plying with some nice silk thread or something.

A peek at the first tiny bit:

Tour de Fleece 2010 - "Rest" day?

2010-07-12T15:16:00.000-07:00

Today is supposed to be a rest day for this year's tour de fleece but, as I'll be away Wednesday, I'm spinning today and resting then.

Today's obsession:

This is 2oz. of "African Sunset" BFL fiber by Three Waters Farm. I've got another 2oz. to spin up, as well. These will remain singles and are likely destined to become a Citron shawl. I'm awfully proud - I spun all 2oz. today, plus put them onto the Niddy Noddy, all while Durham Knits Jr. napped. It may not seem like much of a triumph to many, but it is with a 4 month old.

Tour de Fleece 2010

2010-07-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Whoever thought I would swell with pride when watching a kid grab a rattle? But my son has been working on his hand-eye coordination now, at 4 whole months, and the way his face lights up when he manages to actually touch what he wants is beyond amazing. I love that kid.

In other news, it's Tour de Fleece time again. I've been spinning my butt off, trying new things, like spinning with sparkles.

See?

Off to buy buttons for my new sweater...

Why I Hate Citibank

2010-06-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

I used to have my main bank account with Citibank out of convenience, as well as a credit card. Why? Citibank was the only bank on the edge of the UofC campus, so I could get there easily. When I moved away from the midwest and citibanks were harder to find, I switched most things to another bank. However, I kept a credit card there, which I rarely use, and eventually stashed away as an emergency card.

I have need of the card (though not for an emergency). I went to look for it and can't find it. I'm sure I have a photocopy of it somewhere, but that too has hidden itself.

I called the lost card line. Guess what? You need your credit card number to access any part of that phone line. They routed me to new card services.

New card services gave me a new number. A new number which either tried to route me to the original number... or to new card services.

Next, they gave me a number that sent me to bank acct info. Which didn't help, since it was a credit card.

Finally, I went back to the original lost card line, got routed back to new card services, and was told I could only get help at a local Citibank.

Guess what? There are no Citibanks in Durham.

Dreaming of Purls

2010-06-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

Why is it that I wake up in the middle of the night thinking of knitting? Seriously, when did I turn into someone this obsessed with yarn, to be designing knitwear in my SLEEP?

Sewing Machine Woes

2010-05-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

I almost had a tragedy today. I was sitting on the couch and nursing the little one after a morning of sewing (and finishing a new purse/diaper bag small enough for quick trips out instead of a giant bag, go me) only to smell something. Something terrible. Something that smelled like burning electronics. Something that gave me a waking nightmare of the day my dear Husqvarna started smoking.

I dashed into the dining room/sewing room - there was no smoke, thank the Lord, but the smell was overwhelming. I'd forgotten to unplug the machine for the first time since the fateful capacitor overload... and there was a dog sitting on the pedal.

Yes, my stupid dog was sewing. As there was no fabric to sew, the machine was going at full speed and sewing air. The thread had gotten all tangled around the bobbin and brought the machine to the verge of overheating. I managed to get there in time to save my poor, overworked, antique machine. It still works, it's still fine, and I'm officially done being an idiot. Yay!

Two projects down, 8 to go on my self-imposed yarn diet. 1.8 more oz of fiber left to spin of my angora/merino mix. I can do it.

Life Etc.

2010-05-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how busy life gets with a small child. For example, this is the first day in oh... 10 weeks that I've had the time to make my hair look nice. I hadn't realized how LONG it had gotten until I left it out of a ponytail today.

All the busy time with the baby means less time for the things that make me sane. I've yet to finish a single skein of yarn from the fibers I bought at Maryland Sheep and Wool (though I've gotten halfway finished with one). I've finished small projects, but I haven't finished writing up patterns for things that should have patterns, like the incredibly simple and cute neckwarmer that's just waiting to have a picture taken. No, everything revolves around my baby boy.

That's not a bad thing. It's just a HUGE change. As a consequence, I have oodles of lovely yarn hanging around that hasn't been knit, far more than I normally allow in my stash. As such... an official yarn buying hiatus. Until I finish 8 more projects, no yarn. And until I finish spinning at least 5 hanks of fiber, no more fiber buying. I have plenty on my plate!

MDSW recap

2010-05-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic weekend, despite almost melting from the heat. The 5.5 hour drive up took more than 7 thanks to stopping to nurse every 2 hours and then ending up in festival traffic, but it was all totally worth it. MDSW is a county fairground packed with vendors, exhibits, sheepdog trials, and all sorts of fiber-bearing animals. I drooled over alpaca, convinced myself not to buy an angora rabbit, and shopped like a madwoman. We also went to an afterparty and met a whole slew of knitting podcasters.

I've finally got myself a tensioned lazy kate which really DOES make plying sooo much easier, and I managed to find a copy of Barbara Walker's 2nd treasury of stitch patterns, which I've been trying to track down in person for ages. Plus, I've got fiber. Lots of fiber. I decided to try to find fibers I haven't spun before, and did a fairly good job of it - I have falkland sheep, angora, and cormo to try out. I also got seduced by the softness of alpaca dyed in fall colors (drool) and splurged for 8 whole oz. of shiny, soft, smooth, pumpkin-colored Blue Faced Leicester mixed with silk. I also got YAK. I get to spin YAK! It's so exciting, to me at least.

The little man did an amazing job, although he spent most of the time fussing while in his stroller and wanting to be held. I couldn't keep him in the front carrier for too long thanks to how hot he gets in it, so my arms were killing me.

All in all a very successful trip. Now to spin until my fingers fall off.

Maryland Sheep and Wool

2010-04-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

I get to go to Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival! Woot! Plus I'm taking mini Me. An infant and thousands of fiber fiends, what could be better?

Finish Line

2010-03-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

For the record, the sweater lost. My little one arrived on the 18th. He's perfect. :-)

Racing the Little Man

2010-03-11T14:25:00.000-08:00

So, I've decided to cast on for a new project. It's a light short sleeved sweater made of big yarn on big needles, which I'm intending to use to cover the 8 kajillion nursing tanks I'll spend the sweltering Durham summers in.

I'm going to race the baby. I'm due in two weeks. Which will be done first, baby or sweater?

(Hey, I've got to have SOME way to keep myself from going stark raving mad in the next couple of weeks, right?)

Funny Places to Have a Contraction

2010-03-10T14:25:00.000-08:00

Since these things can go on for weeks before the baby actually arrives, this doesn't mean he'll be here any time soon.

Today, however, I had a quite painful contraction while waiting in line to check out at Target. The clerk was a young man, probably late teens or early 20's. As I paused in the middle of swiping my credit card to hiss and lean on the counter, his eyes got reaaaaally big. He asked if I was ok - oh, I'm fine, just a contraction, no big deal - and suddenly, he could not ring me up fast enough! He even offered to call an ambulance. It was pretty amusing.

Furniture Frustration

2010-03-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

I so didn't mean for this to become a place to complain about baby-related stuff, but since that's what 100% of my life is right now, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised.

The nesting mom in me is furious today. We ordered furniture for the baby back on January 18, and were informed that the dresser would arrive in 4-6 weeks, the glider in a similar amount of time, and the crib would likely not be here until about the baby's due date, which was fine, since we're planning on having him in our room for the first few weeks anyway.

4 weeks have come and gone. So have 6. And I've now been informed that we will not have ANY furniture until after the baby is born.

I'm going into a meltdown panic mode. I'm not sure if we can cancel the order at this point. We could just drive down to IKEA and get some basic stuff tomorrow, if we could do that (which is what hubby wanted in the first place, sigh) but I just don't know what to DO!

Guess it's time to do what always makes it a little better... and call mom.

Nesting

2010-03-03T14:26:00.000-08:00

I always sort of thought that the so-called "nesting urge" that moms-to-be experience was mostly made up by women who were trying to explain away the sudden need to get some stuff done before the baby arrives. I mean, of course people are going to want to get stuff cleaned up so that there's not a ton to do when there's a small squalling person to look after. I'm not the tidiest of people, but I understand and accept that my house will be a nightmare for the first few months of baby living.

The nesting urge, though? So not a crock. Here's what I've done over just the past couple of weeks:

-23 loads of laundry, including every towel I can get my hands on and all of the newborn sized baby outfits
-reorganized my yarn and fiber stash for the 2nd time
-made a bulletin board and mail hanger for organizing all sorts of stuff
-baked and frozen several loaves of bread for thawing in the next month
-started actually cooking. I hate cooking. I love baking, but I hate cooking. All the sudden, I want to make food?
-rearranged the dining room furniture so as to hide the overly large dog crate
-put pictures up on the walls. We lived in this house for 2 years with no artwork. Suddenly, every room needs something on the wall
-barely resisting the urge to sand and repaint the kitchen cabinets. I'd be an idiot to start this now, but I DESPERATELY want to.

All of this is wildly out of my normal routine. I just keep thinking up new projects and have to talk myself out of starting them - after all, I've got 3 more weeks until he's due. I can't possibly finish EVERYTHING by then.

Recent Projects

2010-02-18T14:26:00.000-08:00

Now that the birthday in question is past, I can finally post a picture of the purse I made for my sister!

The outside is machine quilted by yours truly and, though I didn't take a picture of the inside, it's a deep brown fabric with little swirlies on it. The teal outer is topstitched and quilted with brown thread that matches the interior fabric. Best of all, I did it with no pattern! I'm super proud of my first patternless sewing (even if I DID base the basic shape off of a bag I saw at the store).

And then there's something I'm almost as proud of...

My fair isle gloves! The pattern, which can be found on Ravelry, is the Ruba'iyat mitten by Heather Desserud. It's a fabulous Scandanavian-style mitten construction using an Arab-style geometric pattern on the backs. I knit them in possum yarn and they are absolutely the warmest things ever. I'm in love. I think there will be a matching hat.

In other news... t-5 weeks until the little man's due date. Must finish his sweater, and fast.

Things That are Awesome Today

2010-01-24T14:54:00.000-08:00

1: Little durham-knits Jr. rumbling around in my belly.

2: Maternity belt. Oh my goodness, where have you been the past 3 months? My back pain - GONE. It looks ridiculous on but it is WORTH IT.

3: The first Cadbury creme egg of the season. I love ripping the foil off bit by bit because a bit of the creme has leaked out and stuck the wrapping to the chocolate. The extra effort makes that first bite even sweeter.

4: My snuggly dogs. They may bark a ridiculous amount, but they're just trying to keep me safe from that weird looking car across the street.

5: My fair isle mittens. Coming along nicely!

Things I love, yet also Hate

2010-01-21T14:54:00.000-08:00

Things I love, yet also hate

Thing 1: My cat. I have a stupid cat. Not just your average stupid cat. A truly stupid cat who may end up killing himself through his own stupidity. Over the past 12 hours, he has repeatedly chewed through hubby's iPhone cord, incurring the Wrath of Husband, and just now pulled a lamp down off of a table and onto his head. He's just asking for it. Stupid cat.

Thing 2: Indian food. Oh do I love Indian food. I mourn because the inexpensive Indian buffet with the all-you-can-drink masala chai just closed, and I didn't know about it. But I can't eat it anyway, because I'm 8 months pregnant, and it gives me the worst indigestion I've ever had in my life. I miss Indian food. I miss it so, so much. And sometimes I eat it anyway, and deal with the night of anguished Tums consumption just because I can't help myself. Just a little bit longer and you're evicted, baby, do you hear me? Because I wish to eat mounds of Indian food and NOT regret it.

Thing 3: Fair isle mittens. I love the pattern I've picked. (For those on Ravelry, Ruba'iyat Mittens.) I love the yarn, a gorgeous wool, NZ possum, and silk blend, which my mother in law brought me back from their trip there. I finished the first mitten on Tuesday night, and it fits perfectly. And now... now I have another mitten to knit. An identical mitten to knit. And as much as I want to have these perfect, beautiful, softer and warmer than I'd believed mittens on my hands, I also am having trouble making myself start the second mitten.

Thing 4: Designing patterns. I've got two already-tested patterns ready to go up for sale on Ravelry, and I'm having trouble making myself put them up. You see, these are my first paid patterns. I'm terrified that nobody will want to buy them. I spent hours and hours perfecting each of them, and there are some things about each that I still don't adore (even though one of my friends has made 6+ hats from my pattern, so I'm guessing she likes it...) but I'm too blasted nervous and embarrassed to just bite the bullet and figure out the system and upload the patterns. I could have duds. I could have a couple of winners that at least someone will spend a couple of dollars to purchase. Right? And with me out of work and Little Man due to make his appearance very, very soon, a couple of dollars would be very, very nice.

Purse!

2010-01-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

And here it is, the purse. With my much suffering machine in the background.

So Long, 2009

2009-12-31T14:55:00.000-08:00

2009 was both the best and the worst year that I've ever had. I have been pregnant for 9 out of 12 months. My daughter's brief existence was entirely encapsuled in 2009. I miss her terribly. Most of my pregnancy with my son will have been in 2009. I had my lowest lows in the days after losing my first pregnancy, and some of my highest highs as I felt my son kick for the first time, saw his profile on the ultrasound.

This year I was a crafting maniac. I knit two sweaters and half a shawl on top of dozens of smaller projects, I designed my first pattern (three in one year!), I learned fair isle, I participated in Tour de Fleece and spun more yarn in a month than I'd previously spun at all. I upgraded to a fancier spinning wheel. I got my sewing machine repaired and made an entire purse myself, the first project from it that I'm incredibly proud of. I crafted for Christmas and strung my first necklace. I dyed yarn.

This year I was a traveler. I started off the year in San Diego, I visited DC for the inauguration, I visited dear friends in Switzerland. I was back in DC for girl's weekend, I organized a knitting retreat in the mountains of NC, I went to the NC beach and Lake Superior in MN.

So long, 2009. Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. Let 2010 begin a new chapter.

Update on the Machine

2009-12-29T14:56:00.000-08:00

So, the sewing machine guy is fixing it for free! And it'll be done tomorrow!

Apparently, the problem is the capacitor, which has something to do with the motor. (And is apparently NOT a flux capacitator, surprise surprise?) My repair guy said that Husqvarnas of this era tend to have problems with them at some point in their life. When the capacitor goes out, it causes one of two things to happen: the Husqvarna starts smoking while not being used, or the machine starts to sew and won't stop, even when the peddle isn't being pressed. Which sort of sounds funny (runaway sewing machine!) but I'm sure would've made me just as upset as the whole smoke bit.

So, long story short, that purse will still get made. Tomorrow.

So Much for the Sewing Machine

2009-12-28T14:56:00.000-08:00

I was working on a new purse when poof. My sewing machine, a 1972 Viking Husqvarna that I inherited from my grandmother, started smoking. This is the first time I've used it since getting it repaired. To say I'm pissed is an understatement.

Christmas Loot

2009-12-26T14:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas brought me a lot of fabulous knitting and crafting goodies! I'm looking forward to diving into the Knitters Book of Yarn and the Knitters Book of Wool, care of my mother in law, as well as some lovely fiber that she brought me from Australia. I also have a great reason to dig out the sewing machine - hubby got me a book of knitting patterns that use only a yard of fabric each! I went out to the store and picked up a yard of fabric to start on a purse. Now I just have to get hubby to haul the 40 lbs of sewing machine downstairs.

I also need to get some twine. One of my cats chewed through the drive bands on my spinning wheel. Guess I'll be spending time with the sewing machine instead!

I Can't See My Feet!

2009-12-23T14:58:00.000-08:00

Along those lines, I've finally gotten around to starting a sweater for the little man to wear. While I've done a couple of small projects - booties and a couple pairs of socks - it was hard for me to believe that he would actually be joining us any time soon. Each day ahead seemed like ages before his birth. Now, however, I flip through the calendar, and he's almost here! I have so many things I was planning to make for him, and now I really have to hustle to get it all done.

I finally managed to finish up my February Lady Sweater, too. It's in burgundy Malabrigo, and I altered the pattern to add a collar, changed the yoke to seed stitch from garter, and used only a single button rather than the three called for in the pattern. Here's a half-assed picture of me wearing it, at 25 weeks:

I should've worn it with a white shirt to show off just how big my little man is getting!

A Sweater for the Bump

2009-11-30T14:58:00.000-08:00

Wo, hello December. Time's just flying by. It's only 4 months until we meet mini-me! He needs a name. It's continuously surprising to me just how hard it is to find one for him. Apparently my husband and I have absolutely opposite taste in names. Every time one of us comes up with something, the other goes "ugh. No, I can't possibly name my son that."

And isn't that crazy? Getting to say "my son." My son just kicked me. Wild.

As the little peanut gets bigger and less peanut shaped, so my body requires a sweater to keep him warm. I've been plugging away at a February Lady Sweater since I found out I was pregnant. My first attempt at the pattern ended in a tragic two-sizes-too-large surprise in April. For further note: do not use cotton or cotton blends on the FLS. It grows down to one's knees.

This has been a fun exercise in changing the pattern to make it more fun. The yoke of the original is garter stitch. Nope, I'm doing seed stitch! Garter stretches too much! I'm skipping button holes and planning for crocheted loops over some lovely post-consumer material buttons that I scored at JoAnn's. I'm reducing the size of the arms by one pattern repeat so they don't hang down so big and make me look even more giant than the Peanut is causing. And for the yarn... Mmmmmalabrigo. Lovely, soft, squishy wine-colored Malabrigo. I want to sit and pet my skeins instead of knitting.

So I have a sleeve and a half, and a bit more body, to go. And then, with any luck, a sweater that will finally fit me and that I'll want to wear. It will have taken a long time to get there. Now, if I can only ignore the fact that I messed up a repeat halfway through the body, but refuse to go back and fix it...

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

2009-10-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

their child existed, is loved, and will be dearly missed.

On October 15, take a moment to think of families missing children who we never held or watched grow up. We might be closer than you think.

End of Tour de Fleece 2009

2009-07-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

It's over! And I've officially spun more in the past few weeks than I have in the 6 months previous!

And, here's my final total...

Spinning Like the Wind

2009-07-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've been busy as a bee, playing with my BRAND NEW spinning wheel! She's a Kromski Minstrel purchased from the Woolery, and she spins like a dream. Of course, since she's a Polish wheel, she needs a good Polish name.

Magda, in all her (slightly blurry iphone picture) glory:

And now, gratuitous yarn pictures. They are, unfortunately, slightly yellow thanks to the iphone pictures. At some point I'll get a nice place to snap photos of my yarns.

Hoobody fiber, South American Punta colorway, 2 oz., ~66 yards.

Superwash Merino, Ocean colorway, 2.1 oz., 2 skeins of ~180 yards each, plied with pale blue thread.

Alpaca/Merino/Nylon blend, Green Tweed, 2.3 oz, ~180 yards in light fingering/sport weight.

And finally, on my wheel now... England Alpaca from a local source, 50g of it in a laceweight single, to be plied on itself:

Tweedy Teal

2009-06-25T15:02:00.000-07:00

I just love seeing the change from fiber to yarn. Last year, I kettle dyed some white merino/nylon fiber in vibrant emerald and sapphire tones during a dye day at a friend's house. I ended up with this:

It took me a while to get around to spinning it, but when I finally picked it up, I decided I wanted to try something a little bit different. I wanted to spin it up without carding it much to create a tweedy-looking, very squishy yarn. From bag 'o fiber to wheel:

And finally, the finish product, all caked up:

I just love seeing how different it looks!

Gauge is Important

2009-06-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

Everyone has their stories about gauge swatches. This is mine.

(Assume that the Law and Order scene change noise is inserted here.)

I don't swatch for socks anymore. I've knit oodles of socks, and the majority of those socks have been with a fingering weight yarn. I can order yarn and just knit it right up, no issues, and have it fit. I cast on 60 stitches, always, with fingering weight yarns.

I have some lovely Sockina Cotton, which is nice and soft cotton with a little nylon and stretch to it. Ravelry claims it's fingering weight. I cast on 60 stitches. Knit half a dozen rows in ribbing. And proceeded to put two feet into the opening. I should've taken a picture!

I then cast on 54. Knit half a dozen rows. Still too big.

48 ended up being the magic number. There's no way this yarn is "fingering weight"!