Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Crazy quilting
Here is some of the quilting I have been messing around with. Elizabeth chose all of the fabrics and insisted I make something for her so I made a 'blankie' for her and one for Max. Max's is still sitting in my studio, waiting to go out in the mail...probably tomorrow. These were kind of fun and gave me a chance to experiment with my walking foot before moving on to some serious quilts.
I am officially over socks for the time being. And I'll finally admit that I don't like STR for making socks. It is too harsh, especially the heavy weight. So I have a lovely skein of yarn in purples, supposedly for the Cleopatra pattern, that I will be converting to a scarf or shawl. At this point, I really need to FINISH some of my un-FINISHED projects, but have not had the motivation. I did finish two of my towels, hems and all. Still four more to go...
Its a beautiful Monday, although slightly chilly for June. After work, I will be ferrying E to swimming and then to Karate. I'm still loving Karate and have a ground defense class tonight. On off days, I am picking up some pilates and toning classes at Energy Pilates, and really enjoying it.
I've been working without a purpose these last few weeks. My knitting has not really had a focus and I haven't been able to focus on getting a specific project done. I have done a lot of organizing. I now have a pile of projects that only need minor finishing (such as buttons or a few small seams). I have tried to avoid starting a bunch of projects but did start http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer08/PATTshetlandshorty.html lovely little sweater using some of my Alaska yarn. It is a slow knit because of all of the K2tog but the yarns are gorgeous and I am enjoying it.
The other thing I've been able to knit are squares to make an afghan out of my fingering scrap yarn--mostly leftover from socks. The squares are a la Oliver's blanket from the Mason-Dixon website, and in this green era, it makes me feel virtuous to put all these little scraps of yarn to a good use.
I spent Fiber Friday working on basting the quilt from Last Minute Quilted gifts.
The other thing I've been able to knit are squares to make an afghan out of my fingering scrap yarn--mostly leftover from socks. The squares are a la Oliver's blanket from the Mason-Dixon website, and in this green era, it makes me feel virtuous to put all these little scraps of yarn to a good use.
I spent Fiber Friday working on basting the quilt from Last Minute Quilted gifts.
Next will be the actual quilting, likely to occur during the next Fiber Friday. I also started to pull together some stash yarns and fiber for a throw for our bedroom. I love the warps that Sweet Georgia makes and want to do something similar, completely spontaneous and simple, for this throw. 
Here is some of the fiber I dug out of my stash. Some is Romney, Color Bits from Judith McKenzie McCuin, I got it at SOAR last year. Some is random dyed scraps from Detta's Spindle, they just happe to be the right color. Since I tend to spin with a high twist when I drop-spindle, I am spinning these on a drop spindle. I have one small skein completed, about 30 yards. The weft will be a solid color, perhaps a fine mohair. I will have to play around a little. And I will definitely make a small sample.
More later
Monday, May 12, 2008
Mom's Day
What a way to spend a Mother's Day! You've got to love a place that has a fiber festival every year on Mother's Day weekend! Another reason why I LOVE Minnesota. I tried not to go too crazy with purchases. The biggest extravagence was the final purchase of this fleece I could not resist. 
It is six pounds of the most beautiful Shetland-Border Leicester cross, and it is more black then the picture shows. It is soft and springy and I can't wait to get some of it scoured. Other purchases that I couldn't resist were this ball of beautiful Merino. It is about 14 oz worth. 
Next to the merino are a spindle and inkle loom. As you can see, I was spinning some roving while Elizabeth was watching the sheep shearing. I bought to small bags of Icelandic lamb roving, unbelievably soft! But not as soft as this Angora bunny!
Elizabeth had a great time seeing all of the animals and watching the sheep shearing. She loved seeing the border collies herding the sheep. My last few purchases were yarns. I couldn't resist the Kimmit Croft fiber booth. I have been in love with their Angora/Rambouilet blend ever since I knit my first bohus sweater. The blend is now Angora and Merino but is still delightfully soft. Of course Elizabeth had definite opinions about what yarns I should buy to make something for HER and initially grabbed some baby blue and pink. I managed to 'redirect' her and persuade her that the following colors would make great mittens etc.
Next to the Kimmet yarn is some fingering weight Alpace in four different colors (the black skein on the bottom faded into the background). Believe it or not, this was 'restrained' purchasing. Oh, and I might have agreed to take home some Angora/Merino roving from Kimmet--the salesperson didn't wnt to have to take it home, so she gave me a pound for about $10. What could I say!?!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
New directions
This always happens. Whenever I limit my yarn purchases some other obsession overtakes me and I end up spending money on that instead. This time the obsession started with the innocent purchase of this book
...which then led to the purchase of this...
....and this...
...some of which became this...
As we have been remodelling the lake house, I have been thinking about bedding for the two main bedrooms. The patterns in the book inspired me to look for fabrics to make quilts for both of these rooms. Six hours of sewing later, I have the quilt tops done. I have some fabric cutting to do for the backs and then can proceed with the actual quilting process. I keep telling myself that it is all justified because I am never able to find what I want in the catalogs. If everything comes together, it will be worth it.
This has also led me to explore the idea of coming up with some simple quilt designs and market my skills in the various textile venues (knitting, sewing, weaving) to make textiles for homes. Terri sounded enthusiastic about having some throws, towels etc in her shop. I have a couple of other projects brewing including a throw and a quilt for the Master bedroom in Woodbury. I have to warp my table loom so that I can do some samples for the throw, and I need to go on a quilting store expedition to look for fabrics for the quilt.
Also in my thoughts are some table linens to match our new dining room chair fabric:
So far it has been hard to find fabric so I may switch to thinking about some woven mats etc. I am also working on keeping a design journal as I work through these projects so that I have something to show potential customers in the future. Of course that led to the idea of making a folio for my design tools so I have ordered some fabric for that as well.
Hum, the yarn stash is stable to slightly smaller, but the fabric stash is increasing.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Dear Carmen--You have been in my thoughts a lot lately. I guess it is just that time of year. It's funny, I have whole converstations with you in myhead, but when I sit in front of a keyboard to put them down, I am stymied. I'd love to let you know about all that has happened since you left us but I am afraid that I will start crying here in the middle of Caribou coffee.
Caribou Coffee is kind of where Minnesota starts for me. About a month after we moved here, I sat outside at Caribou. It was October and I was knitting. The sweater I was kntting then is still unfinished--not too surprising as it is a complicated fairisle pattern. I think it was early afternoon and I was waiting for it to be time to pick up E from daycare. It was a beautiful afternoon, but the surprising thing is that, while I was sitting there, a woman approached me and asked to see what I was knitting. She expressed appreciation in a way that demonstrated that she too was a knitter. I knew at that moment that I had found a place that would be accepting of my quirkiness. That was in 2004 when knitting had not achieved it's zenith as THE hobby. Knitting in other places we had lived was still associated with grannies and acrylic yarn. But here in Minnesota young professional women are avid knitters. Knitting in public does not garner odd stares, but questions about what I'm knitting, and whether the onlooker has ever tried a similar project. This was an "ahh" moment for me.
I continue to love Minnesota, although this winter has been somewhat challenging. TOday, the end of April, it is just 33 degrees, with highs projected in the mid-40s. Despite the weather, there is much to love here. There is great diversity here, not only among the people but also in the sporting and cultural offerings. THis is the first place Michael and I have both loved. This is manifest in our purchase of a second home, on a lake up North. Our Breezy Point home is a physical commitment to this area, it says that we will be here for a long time.
I wold normally be at work today but I am recovering from a mild case of pneumonia. The reason I am at Caribou is that I am hiding from the cleaning ladies. I am going to return home soon for a big nap. I have missed some time at work due first to a cold virus but then to superinfection with pneumonia. It is fortunate that I have a doc in the house to quickly diagnose and treat me, otherwise I'd probably still be languishing in bed, trying to decide if I needed to see someone.
During this sick time, I have been able to get bits and pieces of projects done. I finished spinning the Belle fiber into singles and will ply it later this week. The second batch of carded fiber was more difficult to work with then I anticipated. A lot of neps. I hope the final yarn turns out. It is kind of a dirty white, so I will definitely be dying the finished yarn. Probably in multiple colors. I still have to assemble my dye equipment so that I can really begin natural dying. I have lots of yarn accumulated that I want to dye.
I also worked a bit on the merino/tencel top. I still don't know how I will ply it. I have been spinning it in no particular order, so I may Navajo ply it to keep the colors intact. This fiber seems to go on and on. I am getting a little tired of it. Other outstanding spinning projects include the rest of the varigated merino and my alpaca.
I have finished two pairs of socks--the gluttony socks and the leafling socks. These were two of the projects in my "April" basket--a basket of knitting projects to work on in April. I also finished my handspun sweater and am very happy with the outcome. It is an oversized, comfy sweater, just as I had imagined. Other projects in the April basket are the solstice table runner (about 1/2 way done) and the Northern lights shawl (this one is slow-going at over 500 stitches per row and growing). These two items remain in the basket for May, with the addition of the Phoenix socks, and an old bobble sweater (an Annie Zilborg design and kit that I purchased at MD Sheep and Wool, 2004).
I haven't even gotten to my newest passion--designing textiles and accessories for both houses, and hopefully for things to sell in Terri's shop. Right now, I have plans for two quilts (for the two queen beds at the lake) and a throw/afghan for our bedroom here. And lots more plans in my head. TOo bad I actually have to work for a living.
Caribou Coffee is kind of where Minnesota starts for me. About a month after we moved here, I sat outside at Caribou. It was October and I was knitting. The sweater I was kntting then is still unfinished--not too surprising as it is a complicated fairisle pattern. I think it was early afternoon and I was waiting for it to be time to pick up E from daycare. It was a beautiful afternoon, but the surprising thing is that, while I was sitting there, a woman approached me and asked to see what I was knitting. She expressed appreciation in a way that demonstrated that she too was a knitter. I knew at that moment that I had found a place that would be accepting of my quirkiness. That was in 2004 when knitting had not achieved it's zenith as THE hobby. Knitting in other places we had lived was still associated with grannies and acrylic yarn. But here in Minnesota young professional women are avid knitters. Knitting in public does not garner odd stares, but questions about what I'm knitting, and whether the onlooker has ever tried a similar project. This was an "ahh" moment for me.
I continue to love Minnesota, although this winter has been somewhat challenging. TOday, the end of April, it is just 33 degrees, with highs projected in the mid-40s. Despite the weather, there is much to love here. There is great diversity here, not only among the people but also in the sporting and cultural offerings. THis is the first place Michael and I have both loved. This is manifest in our purchase of a second home, on a lake up North. Our Breezy Point home is a physical commitment to this area, it says that we will be here for a long time.
I wold normally be at work today but I am recovering from a mild case of pneumonia. The reason I am at Caribou is that I am hiding from the cleaning ladies. I am going to return home soon for a big nap. I have missed some time at work due first to a cold virus but then to superinfection with pneumonia. It is fortunate that I have a doc in the house to quickly diagnose and treat me, otherwise I'd probably still be languishing in bed, trying to decide if I needed to see someone.
During this sick time, I have been able to get bits and pieces of projects done. I finished spinning the Belle fiber into singles and will ply it later this week. The second batch of carded fiber was more difficult to work with then I anticipated. A lot of neps. I hope the final yarn turns out. It is kind of a dirty white, so I will definitely be dying the finished yarn. Probably in multiple colors. I still have to assemble my dye equipment so that I can really begin natural dying. I have lots of yarn accumulated that I want to dye.
I also worked a bit on the merino/tencel top. I still don't know how I will ply it. I have been spinning it in no particular order, so I may Navajo ply it to keep the colors intact. This fiber seems to go on and on. I am getting a little tired of it. Other outstanding spinning projects include the rest of the varigated merino and my alpaca.
I have finished two pairs of socks--the gluttony socks and the leafling socks. These were two of the projects in my "April" basket--a basket of knitting projects to work on in April. I also finished my handspun sweater and am very happy with the outcome. It is an oversized, comfy sweater, just as I had imagined. Other projects in the April basket are the solstice table runner (about 1/2 way done) and the Northern lights shawl (this one is slow-going at over 500 stitches per row and growing). These two items remain in the basket for May, with the addition of the Phoenix socks, and an old bobble sweater (an Annie Zilborg design and kit that I purchased at MD Sheep and Wool, 2004).
I haven't even gotten to my newest passion--designing textiles and accessories for both houses, and hopefully for things to sell in Terri's shop. Right now, I have plans for two quilts (for the two queen beds at the lake) and a throw/afghan for our bedroom here. And lots more plans in my head. TOo bad I actually have to work for a living.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
So I spent a lot of my knitting time yesterday correcting a mistake in my solstice shawl. I had to pull back two rows--doesn't seem like a big deal, but since each row now contains 500 stitches...this represented quite a bit of knitting. I've been struggling a bit with this pattern, the graphs are incorrect and this threw me until I decided to correct them. In addition, the continual increases mean that I have to do frequent stitch counts--A bit of a chore with this many stitches. Add in constant interruptions from E and M, and there you go.
We are up at the lake this weekend. There are icicles hanging from the roof and about six inches of snow on the deck from our recent snow storm but the temp today is supposed to get up into the 40s. Spring may finally be here!
This has been a long winter and I will be glad to be through it. It has been a tough few months and I am only now realizing how stressful it has all been. I haven't spoken to anyone in my family in months--a real indicator of how stressed I have been. having learned so well to suppress negative feelings, I can't call anyone when I don't have good things to talk about!
Actually, there are good things to talk about. Karate is going well, and I continue to love it. I will probably get my purple belt the first of May and am loving the challenge of learning all of the new techniques. As I progress, it becomes clear how important strength and overall fitness become if you really want to be able to do all of the maneuvers! Trying to incorporate a regular fitness routine into my schedule has been a bit of a challenge but I am becoming more committed to it. It helps that the days are longer and it is light out when I get up before six in the morning!
Wendy continues to deteriorate. Yesterday, E found her trying to put a shirt on as though it were pants. A recent visit to the dentist revealed that she needs reminders about brushing her teeth. Thankfully, I don't need to do it for her. I am having enough trouble with the fact that when I ask her if she has brushed her teeth, she gives me a toothy grin to let me see how she has done. I find this kind of intimacy so abhorrent! THis has been a large source of my stress. I don't know how I will handle it when she really needs help with hygiene issues. It is bad enough that today I will need to supervise her in the shower.
We are up at the lake this weekend. There are icicles hanging from the roof and about six inches of snow on the deck from our recent snow storm but the temp today is supposed to get up into the 40s. Spring may finally be here!
This has been a long winter and I will be glad to be through it. It has been a tough few months and I am only now realizing how stressful it has all been. I haven't spoken to anyone in my family in months--a real indicator of how stressed I have been. having learned so well to suppress negative feelings, I can't call anyone when I don't have good things to talk about!
Actually, there are good things to talk about. Karate is going well, and I continue to love it. I will probably get my purple belt the first of May and am loving the challenge of learning all of the new techniques. As I progress, it becomes clear how important strength and overall fitness become if you really want to be able to do all of the maneuvers! Trying to incorporate a regular fitness routine into my schedule has been a bit of a challenge but I am becoming more committed to it. It helps that the days are longer and it is light out when I get up before six in the morning!
Wendy continues to deteriorate. Yesterday, E found her trying to put a shirt on as though it were pants. A recent visit to the dentist revealed that she needs reminders about brushing her teeth. Thankfully, I don't need to do it for her. I am having enough trouble with the fact that when I ask her if she has brushed her teeth, she gives me a toothy grin to let me see how she has done. I find this kind of intimacy so abhorrent! THis has been a large source of my stress. I don't know how I will handle it when she really needs help with hygiene issues. It is bad enough that today I will need to supervise her in the shower.
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