ENTANGLED

“Oh what a tangled web we weave…” –Sir Walter Scott

Two sweaters…in time for summer!

June20

Needle blocking and lace scarf gifting aside, the needles have not been quiet these past two months.  I also finished my Ribby Cardi, once an Olympic contender but we failed our qualifying round, took our time recouperating and in the end emerged victorious because I still only took two months to finished this adult sized garment and that is a personal best.

It is finished–not counting the fact that it needs the zipper installed and some grosgrain ribbon facing to tidy up the inside.  Sadly the zippers I ordered did not match at all and, given the hot weather, I’ve just chucked the whole thing into a basket.  I’ll be motivated to do the finishing work as soon as it gets cool.

I also made an Owlet for E.B.  What a wonderfully quick knit and the wool I got for it was more marvelous than I realized at the check out counter: Shepherd’s Wool by Stonehenge Fiber Mill (local for me, to boot!).  It is squishy, non-splitty, has good stitch definition, and feels great in the hand.  One word sums it up: delicious.  At $10 for a 250 yard skein of aran-weight deliciousness–well, I am looking forward to making a sweater for me!

Sadly, E.B.’s Owlet is in time out next to the Ribby Cardi.  I made the 18-24 month size with additional body length of 1 to 1.5 inches because this is normally what would fit my daughter this winter given the size she’s wearing now.  But no.  This pattern either runs small or my gauge is off (or both!) because the pullover fits her perfectly NOW.  Le sigh.  Thus I have not sewn up the underarms or put eyes on owls. We’ll see how it fits in September at which point I can rip and reknit this in a week.  For now, I need some emotional distance from this disappointing result.

The silver lining: the size I did knit, which was at the larger end of the baby sizing, took just over one skein of Shepherd’s Wool - and remember, I added length to the body.  You could totally make a delicious baby sweater for $10, just sayin’.  No acrylic trees will be harmed in the knitting of that sweater, either.

posted under Michigan, Olympics, Sweaters, kids | 2 Comments »

Expo-sing

October28

Jenny, Chloe, and I went to the 4th annual Ann Arbor Fiber Expo this past Sunday.  My first time out there despite it being but a short jaunt to the other side of our fair but wee city.  Past attempts have been foiled by family plans and the like but this year I was all selfishness.

What’s a good fiber festival without running into friends? We had the pleasure of seeing Charlotte (girlfriend, why don’t you have a blog yet?) and her husband.  While we chit-chatted, we were standing right next to the most enormous angora bunny I have ever seen.  Full disclosure: I have not seen a lot of angora bunnies.  But this guy was larger than a Jack Russell terrier!  We all commented on the largeness and how it was probably mostly hair but I am hear to tell you - especially you, Charlotte! - Jenny and I saw the bunny on our way out a few hours later and it had been shaved.  It was still a VERY big bunny.  I think more to the Thanksgiving end of the scale rather than the Sunday family dinner end.  Not that I want to eat rabbit.  Anyway.

I got some things.  More than I planned but by no means a crazy splurge.  As is only right and proper, first was a gift for my husband. All I can tell you, since he does lurk here sometimes, is that it came from an animal and will keep him very warm.  Hopefully that isn’t much of a clue at all since I was at a FIBER festival, shah.

Second was a delightful felted pumpkin from Wooly Pett’s Creations (no website, sorry and my picture is total crap but do you like our scaaaary dinosaur-themed mantel decor?  Guess who though of that).  I could go in for a whole army of these pumpkins, seriously.  Roxanne Pett’s fibery goodies were fantastic and by no means limited to needlefelting.  She is very talented and industrious.  I look forward to seeing Wooly Pett’s Creations again at the Spinner’s Flock Fleece Fair in Chelsea every February and September.  (The magenta price labels were a dead giveaway!)

Moving on, there was some awesome licorice twist yarn - how to describe it?  Handpainted in gently shifting hues of blue and purple (some skeins also had green) but the yarn had a dark wrapping strand so it had an overall light-dark spiral going on.  Why was this suddenly so beautiful to me?  I don’t know.  I don’t generally like the mash of strong contrasts like seen in a marl.  This website has an example of what I am talking about in general although it is not the same vendor.  I missed who that was.  Jenny might now because she did not resist, good patron that she is!

Next piece sans resistance was Studio June Yarn (website coming soon, they say).  Their colors were so saturated and delicious. Jenny and I were both taken with the Bamboo La La yarn and bought some.  I was originally thinking Clapotis for this plummy delight but I have another idea for that pattern thanks to the new Webs catalog.  The Studio June ladies, both mad scientists, were fun to talk to.  They also had Fleece Maiden! I have never seen Fleece Maiden in person, so wow!  I know who I am calling when I am ready for that Fleece Maiden fix.

Finally, my moment of crazy was had over a booth that specialized in punch needle embroidery and rug hooking.  The small pieces (not rugs despite the words on the package) were so completely freakin’ cute, it made my fingers itch to not make one or a dozen!  This booth was near the entrance so I had the entire expo to hem and haw.  Jenny not so gently pushed me over the edge as we were readying to leave.  Now I have a NEW HOBBY.  Bwahahaha!

I have yet to start, though.  Sadness!  If you spend time with children under the age of 5, you have probably had a moment or two of terror that their bodies could come to harm by way of your knitting tools.  Imagine that, plus a pencil-sized punch needle.  Oy.

Also, it might not be fair to my long suffering husband if I start an absorbing new project with his birthday sweater, the Urban Aran Cardigan, finally in the sewing up stage.  Sewing is not my strength or interest but I am by no means incapable.  More on this later.

Nevermind that my holiday-themed punch needle piece will likely not be done for Halloween this year.  Because the boy-child is ill and if it is the flu and just starting today, he might not be well enough for Halloween.  Sob!  Cross your fingers and toes for my little dinosaur.

posted under Fam, Gift knits, Gifts, Michigan, Shopping, Sweaters, kids | 2 Comments »

Yarnivore, local edition

December20

The greening of the yarn industry continues apace.  Spied over at the Knitter’s Review newsletter this week was a piece about Yarn CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture; scroll down to Socially Conscious Stashing).  Clara specifically mentions one such CSA operating in Michigan, Videnovich Farms.  Here’s their Etsy shop with yarn shares for sale - natural and plant-dyed (cosmos), how cool.  While the notion of a yarn CSA is intriguing, like sock clubs I cannot afford it without saving up.  Also, I would prefer to be able buy some samples first.

This is all good reason to attend one’s local fiber festival.  For me, it’s the Michigan Fiber Festival (you must click that link!  There’s a hilarious photo on the main page), about 2 to 2.5 hours away in Allegan, MI at the Allegan County Fairgrounds.  $5 to get in but bring a packed lunch–food offerings were glaringly lean.

Last year, Jenny and I made the trek and with my saved up cash, I eeked out two special purchases.  First was a GIANT hank of gorgeous mohair from Mohair in Motion of White Cloud, MI. Betty, the proprietor, dyes it all herself and she and her husband were helpful, delightful people.  Even more exciting was the alpaca blended sock yarn from Oak Meadow Alpaca Farm (Walkerton, IN) which comes in natural colors - I got a brown and a black, both skeins big enough to each knit a pair of socks.  Nancy, the proprietor, had the fiber milled as an experiment so I hope other people are as excited as I am about this and we will see it again next year.  I haven’t knit up either yet, such is life, but have ideas for both this winter, especially the alpaca.  I will have to take some pictures this weekend so we can all drool in technicolor.

posted under Michigan | 2 Comments »