Warm hands

Two new mittens finally received a well deserved wash and block. Both pairs were finished last year with very special yarns. 

Pattern (free): Lambing Mitts by Veronica Jobe. Link here.
Yarn: Cestari Traditional Collection Sock Weight, a Targhee & Columbia blend, in Natural Light. To my surprise, as I washed them, the water quickly turned light brown. I enjoyed knitting with this yarn and would definitely consider it for a larger project. 

Pattern: Squad Mitts by Ann Weaver included in Mason-Dixon Knitting Field Guide No. 1. Link here.
Yarn: Two ply Merino handspun that I dyed blue at home and Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport in Stone.

Handspun Scarf

Who would have thought I would enjoy knitting a very long scarf so much? Perhaps the success was due to a nice match of yarn and pattern. 

The handspun Alpaca was marinating in my stash until I searched, in Ravelry, for patterns knit in Alpaca and found the beautiful Trellis Scarf + Wrap from Purl Soho. Is there any design from them that you don't want to knit? 


Project details: here.

What a great feeling it is to have this scarf that I love  -- after so much time and effort spinning and plying the singles and finally knitting the yarn. I used almost 500 yards on this project. I cannot wait for winter to wear this over and over.

Twins!

I am the proud mama of twin...socks! They are fraternal. It wasn't planned. Is what happens when one buy too much yarn. But, who am I to judge?

The first pair was knit with Regia 4 ply in color 7200 Moewe.

The yarn for the second pair is Opal. Unfortunately I cannot find the ball band to list the color here :-(

Both pair of socks softened when blocked. They fit wonderfully! I guess one cannot go wrong with either Regia or Opal - both workhorse yarns with fun (similar) colors.

Post vacation

Finished Object

My Turkish spindle provided great entertainment for the long drive to and from Washington DC.

This is a Blue Face Swirl in a Limited Edition colorway by Gale’s Art. I spun two ounces in my Turkish spindle and the remaining two in my Kromski wheel. The final yarn is super spongy. Yardage is to be determined -- skein looks substantial (how about that?).

New to me magazine

I picked up the third issue of the Making Magazine at Fibre Space. This is a gem and I want to make everything in it. I will not pass on next time Madder open up subscriptions.  The magazine is worth every penny, in my opinion!

Vacation highlights

Family time. Priceless. As crazy and imperfect we all are, magic happens when we get together.

Visits to Fibre Space and Looped Yarn Works. No yarn came home. Books, tools, bags and fiber made the cut!

Impromptu escape to the REI Flagship store in DC!

Yummiest empanadas at Panas in Dupont Circle.

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July! Hope that everyone is having a spectacular and safe day.

My husband and I have been working on remodeling our master closet. Lot's of stuff is being donated. The walls are waiting for a fresh coat of paint. The lighting is being upgraded as well as the organization system. All of that translates to hard work, money out of the door and not much knitting or grilling.

I was able to spin a gorgeous Ashland Bay Multi-Colored Merino Top that I bought from The Woolery. Colorway is Rose Quarz.

Two ounces of Fiber, woolen spun, two ply yarn at around fourteen wraps per inch which could pass for sports weight. Yardage still to be determined.

Blues meet handspun

It was all about spinning this past week. My favorite wheel, Julia, is not feeling well. I've changed it's driver band and ball bearings...and still cannot make it spin like in good old days. So while Julia rested I worked with my Kromski wheel on spinning a beautiful Julie Spins' gradient.

I separated the fibre and spun three different two ply yarns: blue, turquoise and both colors blended with some white Merino I had in stash. I am happy with the results and yardage. There should be enough yarn for a very blue shawl.

My Quiet Journey

Anyone out there? It is so nerve wracking to post after a long hiatus.

My unintended break gave me space to accept that I cannot do it all every single day. It gave me stenght to recognize that something gotta give. Knitting, spinning, posting, social media took a back seat as I was too overwhelmed with changes, unrealistic expectations and some failures. Things took a turn when I came back from a short vacation and decided to embark in a healthier eating and exercising journey. Slowly, but steadily, getting back to crafting eased my mind and changed my mood. Body and mind are now in a calmer and happier state.

With that...here is a finished object!

My Quiet Journey is finished. The pattern was a gift from a dear friend, Andi of My Sister's Kniter. I want to knit this again but in Fingering weight.

The shawl used three skeins of O-Wool DK Legacy, base that is apparently discontinued. Luckily, O-Wool still carries Classic Worsted.

Look at that color and stitch definition...can I ask for more?

Project page: here.

Another week, another shawl

This pattern cannot be more simple; endless garter stitches with purl rows here and there. Some might find this very boring. I decided it was a perfect source of relaxation after hectic workdays. Call it garter therapy.

The yarn is the protagonist. Tern is, like other Quince & Co. yarns, a pleasure to knit with. The shawl is light and easy to wear. I think it will transition well into Spring.

I love the wrong side of the shawl...apparently...hmm...see above for details :-)

Pattern: The Big Blue by Meg Gadsbey
Ravelry project page: here

(Public service announcement: dark chocolate is full of antioxidants = good for you, good for me!)

A New Way to Think About Hats

A new way to think about hats: one cannot have too many.

In my opinion, a perfect hat must fit comfortably and be fun to knit. The following met the criteria.

One of those days that I felt like re inventing the wheel, I combined hand-dyed fibers from my stash to create some crazy happy yarn. It was perfect for a Rikke hat.

Hat number two made an appearance on the blog as a WIP in...2015 (shame!). Pattern is L'Arbre by Cirilia Rose.

The Vermonter by Abi Gregorio is the definition for instant gratification. I have some left over yarn for a pom-pom!

Hope that you all enjoy the holidays with our loved ones. Wishing you love, peace and more knitting time in the New Year. 

What's with the purple?

When you are non sock knitter, every completed pair is a victory. I just finished the second Crazy Zauberball sock!!

I was one pair of socks short on the three I planned to knit last year. Rather than being defeated, I opted for extending the time frame of such goals. I am the boss of my knitting :-)

My three pairs of socks are somehow the same colors. Totally unplanned, but amusing.

I also finished spinning, plying and washing the Merino fiber. I got close to 480 yards. I am looking for a good matching color for a shawl. A bright fuchsia might look good.

Hope that you are having fun with your wool. Have a great day!

Spinning Detour

My first try at spinning was with a drop spindle. I quickly moved on to spinning on a wheel. And, I never looked back...until now!

Two spinning wheels and three spindles later, I am logging some (too many) hours on spindle spinning. It doesn't mean that I am an expert but that I no longer have to be in-house to spin!

Some of the first small batch of yarn was put to good use with this Rebecca Danger mini monster. Despite it's small size, it was not fiddly to knit.

Yarn:
Body, eyes and wonky smile: Handspun yarn
Feet: O-Wool Legacy DK

Spindle:
Turtle Made Turkish Spindle

For less than $20 USD you can get a customized spindle. Check out the Etsy store, if any, for the happy colors of the spindles.

Spindles are a great, affordable way to get your feet wet on spinning. They come in all styles and prices. There is plenty of You Tube videos and information on Ravelry to learn from.

Spindrift...a gem!

I now understand all the rave about Helen Stewart's patterns. Spindrift was a joy to knit! The shawl is beautiful. Knitted in Malabrigo Sock provided for a great color and drape.

My mother has requested the same shawl in this gorgeous Lost City yarn. It is the first time that I knit a pattern twice, back to back. That should tell you something!

Hope you are enjoy your current projects. Have a great weekend!

The colorful the better

Knitting with handspun is truly an experience. Stitches are not perfect but unique.

This cowl was inspired by the "Totally biased" pattern. Mine does not have purl rows. Handspun is Mixed Bluefaced Leicester.

(edited to correct my "recipe"; thanks greenmtngirl for the note)

I followed this "recipe" until almost all the yarn was used up:

cast on 40 stitches for handspun sport to aran weight

row 1: k1, k1fb, k to last there stitches, k2tog, k1

row 2: k2, p36, k2

three needle bind off

Cast on. Carry on. Have a great weekend.

There must be instant gratification

My husband chose Malabrigo Rasta in Azul Profundo for a hat. After ten years together, he finally got his first hand knit. I love the hat. He loves the hat. We love each other. Project details: here.

(( Speaking of Malabrigo, their new yarn looks spectacular! Mora is a four ply fingering weight Mulberry Silk. ))

These mittens fall in the quick and mindless bucket. I see more mittens in my future as enabled by this post from Fringe Association.

I will always remember that I bought the skein at a yarn bus. Project details: here.

 Keep your hot chocolate close and your knits closer. Have a great weekend.

She should not know...

This hat is perfect for my five year old daughter. Please don't tell her that was totally unintentional and that she is really getting it because is too small for me.

Dreiecke was designed by Shannon Cook of Very Shannon. I have been following Shannon's blog for a long time. Her transformation from blogger to knitting and sewing designer, author and entrepreneur is admirable.

My modifications:

Read carefully if you want to knit a kids hat. Ignore in any other circumstance. 

• I did not check my gauge 
• I casted on ten more stitches than recommended to compensate knitting with DK instead of worsted weight yarn. The arbitrary number of stitches just seemed right. 

I would love to knit this pattern again. Next time, hopefully, for me.

Working on goals...believe it or not

I want to knit three pairs of socks this year. Progress is slow but steady. Perhaps because I chose a pattern that requires minimum attention for the first pair. Those are easy to mess up if you run your mouth while knitting -- like I do.

"The most exercise you get is running your mouth, jumping to conclusions, and pushing your luck."
                                                                 --author unknown

Let me introduce my "Vanilla Lattes" in reliable Patons Kroy Socks yarn (75% SW wool, %25 nylon). At $2 per skein, on clearance, I can almost ignore how boring the color is. Ravelry project page here.

I know these socks will not qualify me for the world socks championships. But, I am happy with how they look and feel on my feet. I am now looking for the plainest vanilla socks pattern for socks no. two. Can't wait to use my vibrant Lorna's Laces Sheperd Sock Multi in Black Purl.

Time for FOs

March, I have big expectations for you. How about no more winter storms and plenty of knitting time?

I finished my Oaklet shawl just in time to keep me warm during the last weeks of cold weather. This free pattern is not too complicated, yet beautiful. Love it! Details on the project page.

New shiny handspun! I am really pleased with my 464 yards of deliciously spongy BFL. I spun very thin singles and navajo-ply them to end up with fingering weight yarn. Perfect for a shawl or handspun socks.

I am working on a handspun cowl for my daughter! At almost five, she is starting to appreciate wool and handmade items. That's my girl!

Have a great weekend!