It is finally fall

I love the return of cooler weather. Now I can wear the sweater I just finished.
Green Apple Bohus sweater with a reduced number of colors. I used KnitPicks Palette, but instead of 5 shades of red/pink used only 3. The hardest parts were the rounds with 3 colors being used. The sleeves and body knit quickly and I didn't get bored.

I also fixed up a brown sweater I knit a while ago, but in a cropped style. I didn't wear it because it was too short, so I snipped off the bottom and added about 3 inches and then grafted it back together.
I also finished spinning my Tour-de-Fleece project:
Night Owl, Merino, Spunky Eclectic club, 803 yds, 4oz.
I then started in on my next project:
This is for my sister. It is a mix of BFL, Mohair and glitz. It looks like a purple haze, but is spinning up to make a bulky 3-ply. There are only 2 oz on that bobbin. I have 12 oz total to spin and will make 2 skeins.

Next up is the current knitting project:
I am making a skirt from Classic Elite Yarns. I love the yarn and I am knitting this to use as a over-up before/after dance class, so I don't need it to be too long or need to worry about where the eyelets land as I will always have tights and a leo on with it.

The next knitting project to start is:
Mittens for me. These should match my new winter coat. The ones wore last winter are a rust color and just don't go with the coat so I went stash diving and found these.

The next wool project is:
I got this at The Wool Gathering today at Young's Dairy near Yellow Springs, OH. It is just under 2 pounds and needs to be washed. It was my only purchase (other than an ice cream cone) and was only $17.

So as we move into fall I will be spinning and knitting to the sounds of a beginning Cello musician. There might be a fight over the chair as he needs to practice and I want to spin, but I guess we will deal with that when it comes.

About to begin the new school year

In family news, school starts next week for Nathaniel and I can't believe how time has flown. This summer was packed with events- trip to Yosmite, cub scout camp, a week at the farm, and a ballet performance. The trip to Yosmite started off a bit bad with an unplanned night of sleep on the Augusta airport floor and only one day in San Fransisco. The weather was wonderful, but caused a few sunburns. We came home with only 1329 photos. We had a week of normal work and then it was scout camp time. Then 2 weeks off and it was time for Nathaniel to spend a week with Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Sydney at the farm in Illinois. He had a blast helping mow the lawn among other things. Now school starts next week and I can't believe we are done with summer.

In dance news, Nathaniel and I danced for a local event. For his first time performing ballet, he did great. He started ballet this spring in March, I think. He danced in both a quartet with another boy and 2 girls (including lifts). They worked really well together and pulled it off with only about 5 hours total of practice. I danced in both a group number (with the tutus pictured in the last post) and performed the Paquita variation #4 (or 5 depending on which numbering system you use). I have never done a solo and this was on pointe as well. I have seen the video and boy do I need to work on some stuff. I have never seen myself dance before and it was scary. It didn't help that the stage was slick. We both performed in the finale which was learned by everyone in about 3 hours. We definitely were not a polished group, but had fun and no one got hurt by the slippery stage. We are also getting ready to help my ballet teacher launch his new studio (this includes a repeat performance of what we did before, hopefully better than before).
Other than ballet I also competed in the Dublin Irish Festival adult dance competition. It was a fun evening. For the first time I was in the over 35 category and therefore dancing against about 18 other people. I got first in Jig and third in Treble Jig. I really messed up the Slip Jig and slightly messed up the Hornpipe, but had fun.

In spinning news, I tried to do the Tour de Fleece this year. I was going to spin the 3 Spunky club fibers I had (April, May and June), but didn't finish. I got the first 2 done quickly and then had other things going on. I did get some drop spindle time in while at scout camp. The scouts and other leaders were interested in the spinning, so hopefully some packs out there might try it. Today was the Mid-Ohio Fiber Festival in Newark, OH. I got there around 9 when they opened and was there for about 1.5 hours. I had a lovely time just looking at the vendors. The Woolery was there and I got some stuff from them:I got a packet of 2oz of silk bells, 3 packets of cocoons, and a 3/4 oz turkish spindle. I got a small packet of silk from a different vendor (can't remember who) and also 2 4oz balls of undyed wool from another vendor (a CVMX and a RomeldaleX).

In knitting news, I finished Darin's sweater, so I got to start my Bohus sweater. We revised the color pattern from the Wild Apple sweater to have fewer colors. I am using KnitPicks Palette and only 9 colors. Some of the color rows had 3 colors used and they took a long time to knit. I am now in the boring plain round and round of knitting using Asphalt Heather. I do like that the sleeves are done before the body and the armpit transition is done with a provisional cast-on, so no seam.

October 31st?

I have done a lot of knitting recently, but can't put all of it on here. The rest is on Ravelry. I have lost some knitting time and gained some knitting time this school year. N has started martial arts so I get to sit and watch class 3 times a week for 45 minutes each time. This has created some forced knitting time. I also started more dance classes, so I have lost time there. I think it is about an even trade. I don't have as much time for big projects, but will get lots of little things done. I started a pair of socks while on the family camping trip and was able to finish them at N's class.
Pattern: Ballet from Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks
Yarn: Regia stretch

I then had to start another pair of socks. I decided doing 2 at a time was too hard to use as travel knitting, so I followed the same book, but I am doing only one at a time. This also allows me to use the dpns instead of magic loop.

I also decided that I was going to get too many socks done. I am not really much of a sock person, so I started a pair of mittens for the mitten tree at the church. I hope to get more than one pair done before Christmas, but that might be a stretch. I have lots of colors of KnitPicks Palette and since the pattern only uses 1 ball of each color, I should get quite a few from my stash.
This pattern is a free one from Spilly Jane Knits. I like the look of her patterns and thought I would try a free one before buying all of the other ones I want. She has some really cool mitten and sock patterns. So far it is well written and easy to follow, but a bit tight on my hand. Good thing I am knitting for someone else. I love color work with the KnitPicks yarns.

Wow it is almost Thanksgiving

Where does time go? I have done quite a bit of knitting recently, but only have these 2 pictures to show. One is the bag in progress and the other is an almost finished photo with the bag blocking on a cardboard form. I still have to make the straps and line it with fabric. I love color knitting with the palette yarn.
Pattern: Sipalu Bag from Knitpicks
Yarns: warm colorway alternate colors
Needle: Knitpicks 2.25mm circular and dpns
Finished size: 9" x 11" x 2"

The other knitting projects have been swatches for a fingerless mitt pattern I am designing for some friends who have a revolutionary war era re-enactment store. I hope to either knit up several pairs for them to sell or at least produce a pattern for them to sell. I have taught both of them to knit and so we might just knit up a bunch. This will only happen if I get a pattern designed that will work easily. I have never designed or written a pattern before, so this is a bit of a challenge.

Stupid Alpaca

Two weeks ago I sat down to start the Andean Chullo Hat kit from KnitPicks. I was going to make it for N, so I called him over and asked him to help pick out the patterns for the different bands. I told him I was going to use the alpaca ear flaps and he said "I don't want stupid alpaca on my hat". So the hat is not his, but Darin and I will wear it instead. It took only about a week for the knitting part. I love how Palette knits up in the color work. I couldn't stop, I had to see how the next section would look. My original kit had the substituted colors (navy for bark, sky for pool ,and turmeric for masala), but I was able to get the original colors before starting. I ended up using all of the colors I had.

I got some pictures of the Sarah cardigan today as well, so here they are.

In spinning news, I finished the socks-that-rock sheep-to-shoe kit I got a few years ago. I ended up with 413 yds in the big skein, 280 yds in the smaller skein and 71 yds of 2 ply in the smallest skein. I hope it knits up as nice as it spun.

I am still here.

Here are some finished projects:
First the ski sweater I promised a photo of.
Now the Crew Crew socksI also finished the Aran Afghan. Actually it is more of a throw being only 3'x5'.Yarn: Lion Brand Fisherman's wool (I can't remember how many skeins
Pattern: based on a pattern from Knitty Gritty, but with other blocks. There are 12 different blocks. The corner blocks are the same (and my favorite one).
Time: Too long, over a year.

I have also done some spinning. A few years ago I got a Sheep-to-Shoe kit from Blue Moon Fiber Arts in the raven color series. I started spinning 2 weekends ago and I have gotten 2/3 done. Last Sunday I spun up 1/3 in about 9 hours. I can't do that much spinning in one day again without taking more breaks. Here is part of the first bobbin worth:


I still haven't photographed my purchases from MS&W2009, but I didn't get much. I got one sweater kit from Shelridge Farms, a sock kit, and 2 bits of wool to spin. I want to start something new, but I have a baby blanket I started that I must finish first.

Almost MS&W 2009

I am headed to MS&W again this year. Before I go I got several items finished.

First, Ski Sweater. No picture yet, it is on the other camera. The sweater is wind-proof and warm.

Second, Lyra:
Pattern: Lyra by Herbert Niebling
Source: Lacis
Yarn: JaggerSpun Zepher silk/wool in Mushroom
Needles: US size 3, KnitPicks
Finished weight: 143 g or 4 7/8 oz
Time: Too long, it sat in time-out for several months.

Third, tofutsies socks:
Pattern: from Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: Tofutsies, about 2/3 of a ball
Size: women's size 10
Time: again, too long.

I started a new pair of socks. These are Nathaniel's Crew crew socks.
We are fans of the Columbus Crew MLS team, so he needed socks to wear to the games.

Next time it will be pictures from the festival and pictures of the finished ski sweater.

Sleeve 3 is finished

I finally finished the other sleeve for my ski sweater now that the weather has decided to be spring. Oh well I can get it all ready for next year. Here it is blocking (soaking it really helped the puckering of the color work). Now to do the sewing up.While I wait for that to dry I am back working on Lyra. It is taking about 45 minutes to knit one round. I am on on round 145 of 180, so the end is in sight.

Yesterday we went on a spring salamander hike at the local park. We did get to see one:
It was fun, but a little chilly. At least it is a sign that spring is indeed here.

Shouldn't I be done yet?

I am almost done knitting the second sleeve of the ski sweater, but I am not almost done. I have to knit sleeve #3. This is because I like my elbows to bend when wearing a sweater. I got the first sleeve done and decided it was too tight and too short, so I ripped what I had on sleeve 2 and started it over again with bigger needles. I also re-wrote where the increases were and increased the length by 1 inch. I have already ripped the "finished" sleeve and washed to yarn to remove the kinks.

I also spent some time spinning. I want to try a cabled yarn. I have 8 oz of a superwash undyed wool that I split into 4 even pieces. I am spinning each as a single, then will ply them. I will to cable, but if it doesn't work, I should have some nice 2 ply.

February blahs

January ended with a snowstorm and closed schools. Don't get me wrong, I love the snow, but I hate having to take a vacation day for closed schools.

I have gotten lots of work done on the ski sweater, but had to take a break. I needed to make some baby booties for a woman at work.Pattern: from 50 Baby Booties to Knit
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto 4-ply (same as the traveling stitch legwarmers)
Needles: Knitpicks 3mm dpns
Time: about 4 hours


Then I went back to working on the Lyra lace. I still am chomping at the bit to start either the chullo hat or the Sipalu bag pattern or one of Knitspot's lace shawls I have everything for.

The big reason for the knitting lull is the wii Fit. I have been trying to spend at least 30 minutes each night doing the yoga, strength and aerobic games. This is part rehabilitation for my ankle, part staying in shape. I am still not fully dancing yet, but it has only been 7 weeks. I can point my bad foot about half as much as the good foot. It will get there, but I am sick of waiting. I just don't want to push it and end up in worse shape than I am now.

It is a new year.

I got to spend 2 weeks on crutches. Fortunately this got me out of doing any driving to and from Illinois, but unfortunately I could do as much helping with the cooking as normal. I have since been walking on my ankle and it is much reduced in size and color, but still bits of purple remain. I did much knitting on Lyra during the Christmas break, but ran out of room on the needles for the stitches. While I waited to place my KnitPicks order with longer needles I worked on the Ski sweater. I have gotten a good groove with that and I am ready for the neck steek.Now to get these done so I can start in on the many other projects I have yarn, needles and pattern for.