This and That

 To day was all about getting paperwork done and packages out the door.  I packed the boxes and John went to the post office.  I was reminded again to pack the books separately because the postage is less that way. I must say that I took a few minutes to swoon over the Golding Fiber Company Spinning Wheels. The only one in my budget range is a small traveling spinning wheel. Not to say if budget was not a problem there were one or 2 spinning wheels that I might consider. 

Then it was on to the paperwork. I am not surprised that the durable medical equipment company who refused to take my insurance also failed to provide their company tax identification number on the paperwork they sent me for the insurance claim.  I will be going to another more reputable company for the on going supplies.  

I even managed to get some paperwork out for a nonprofit out 2 months early.   I still have 2 on line forms to fill out. I really hope that they are quick forms and the pages are not to long.  

On the fiber front. I unravel 3 rows of Tunisian crochet due to a dropped stitch.  I also worked on the Doodling Shawl for 40 minutes and knit a little over an inch.  

Well it’s time to call it a day.  

Reorganizing Again

 I got a new mushroom shaped ottoman for the knitting room.  It has enough storage space for most of my very small warping yarns.  This in turn gave me room to swap out to shelves that store yarn and projects.  The warping cones went to the small bookshelf and the kits to the more roomy bookshelf.  The advantage to this is that when I want a larger cone of yarn, I will not have a bunch of cones falling on my feet.  I also have a larger area to put kits of yarn. This makes them more visible.  

To tell you the absolute truth is that I am searching my yarn stash for a certain shade of brown and yellow in a luxury fiber like  silk and linen blend or just silk or maybe something more exotic, before I search the bins.  This of course is for my bespoke shawl.  So far I have not found neither.  So the bins it is for some stash diving. 

I also put away a slew of books and started a Bookman’s bag.  All totaled it took all of 30 minutes.  Which was wonderful, because I only had 30 minutes of spoons.  

I also got 6 inches into a broken rib charity scarf from the 3 pound cone of yarn.  This will be scarf number 5, with at least 15 to 20 more to go.  At least when I pair the yarn on the cone with a worsted weight yarn I can use U.S. size 13 knitting needles so it goes extremely fast.  

I am wishing everyone a wonderful week. 

My Doodling Shawl

 Today’s progress was made on another one of my favorite designs.  My Doodling Shawl by Sheri Karobonik , this time using Perth by Queensland Yarn in the color Bay of Fires.  Using US 10.5 circular knitting needles.  The pattern can be found on Ravelry.com under Sheri Karobonik.  The shawl is very easy to knit. It is a perfect beginner pattern or a break from lace knitting.  

No projects got finished today  

The Best Way to Work Down My Yarn Stash

 I am making a good amount of progress in knitting and Tunisian crochet projects today.  Except for weaving in the ends they are basically finished.  So today’s  knitting and crochet count is one of each.  I do wish I had a bigger Soak Wash tub to hold the projects that need seaming or weaving in the ends.  The basket includes one pair of Maxi Fingerless Gloves to seam in the Della Q snap bag and 3 scarfs that need the ends woven in.   Maybe it is a good thing that this is the small wash tub.  I am sure I could get 3 times the amount of projects in the bigger wash tub.  I like to weave in the end in natural light.  I also tend to have more energy earlier in the day.

Currently I am on a finishing binge on the project front.  My body seems to require more rest right now.  So the best thing besides napping that I can do is listen to a book and knit.  Also winter is coming, so I need to knit faster.  I say this tongue in cheek, because today was yet another day over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. There has not been enough rain this summer. So the summer seems longer than normal. A good afternoon rain storm just makes the day more pleasant. Because of the long-term drought in the desert Southwest, we haven’t seen regular afternoon rain showers for a long time.

Projects Half Done

 It was a day for drop spindles and Tunisian Crochet.  I am almost done with the first ply of a lace weight yarn of Striken Lock. I got a four ounce or 100 grams worth to try out. I fell in love with the roving    It has taken almost all my feather weight drop spindles to complete the project.  As soon as I am done with the first ply then it will be time to get the yarn off the spindles to ply.  

I also made progress on two Tunisian Crochet projects. One is a charity scarf that I am completing the edging.  The other is my advent calendar from last year.  I am almost finished with the first of 5 sections.  The next section will be solid white.  Then the next color section, followed by white and the last color section followed by a white boarder.  

If you have not guessed it already, I am working on my Ph.D in knitting and spinning = projects half done. I think the projects half done have won. 

Of course I had a bad body day and spent most of the day resting.  

Today Was All About Knitting

 I am currently designing 2 new knitting patterns.  The good news is that the elements for one pattern have come together. I will begin to type up the relevant information and instructions.  Taking pictures in 100 degrees Fahrenheit is not ideal for this pattern. So I’m going to have to come up with an alternative that’s indoors. 

The Bad news is that the second pattern on the third section will have to be tinked. I can say at this point having two out of three sections done is helpful. However, the last section is the largest section. Tinking will take place soon.   

I have finished the Maxi Fingerless Gloves for my daughter.  All I can say is that The yarn is scrumptious. It is an alpaca, silk blend from the Yarn Dragon in Seattle, Washington. It even came in a worsted weight which was needed for the pattern.  He has a beautiful on line shop. It is a luxurious fiber that I’m sure my daughter will love. And hopefully there won’t be any allergies involved. On gloves looks larger then the other because I just had to try them on. I might have to get a skein of this yarn for a pair of gloves for me. 

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

 While visiting in San Diego last week we had a chance to visit the state historic park called Old Town, San Diego. When going through La Casa de Estudillo, we got to see some very old spinning and fiber preparation tools.  In the main bedroom there was a very small spinning wheel.  In one of the other rooms we spotted a squirrel cage for taking skeins of yarn and wrapping them into balls. There was no adjustments to be made like the Squirrel cage I purchased from Shepard’s Woodworking . Of course all the skeins of yarn would have been made the same size, so there was no need to make it adjustable. What I am really saying is that if you wind large amounts of yarn at home you definitely need a squirrel cage at home.  Some things never change. I have had mine for a few years now and wish that I had gotten it sooner.  The hand carders looked very similar to the hand carders produced today.  The difference was in the handles.  The handles looked like they were carved or whittled by hand. The blacksmith would have added the pins on the carders with each one made by hand. The handles had no grip like the modern ones that I use. 

Of course there were no acid dyes around to dye the yarn. It is my humble opinion that various plants, spices and flowers were used to make the colors.  

Below are a few pictures.  

A Travel Tip

 We took a break from the heat.  We spent 4 days in San Diego.  The weather was nice.  The food was good.  The Doctor Who exhibit at the Comic Con Museum was well worth the time and money.  My favorite picture from the museum was the Tom Baker scarf.  It was awesome in person. I loved the length. 

You always have to be aware of pickpockets.  They are all sizes and all ages.  The one that tried to pick my wallet was in her later years.  When traveling I normally put my wallet under my knitting or Tunisian Crochet project in a medium Della Q snap bag and my medicine in a Stasher bag.  The pickpocket thought that the Della Q snap bag was my wallet. Because of the size of the shawl in progress she could not get it out of my purse.  I was rewarded with a very deliberate body slam. She put a lot of shove in that for someone her age.  I do still have my wallet. Double pointed knitting needles have also been used to foil a pickpocket In the past.  

*I purchased both the Stasher bag and the Della Q Snap Bag. I am a fan of both companies and use there products on a regular basis.  I am not being paid by either company.  I will however earn a commission on  purchase from ads on the website 

Progress Report Advent 2024

 This week I started working again on the Advent Kit that I bought in 2024 from Cornbread and Honey. The good news is that I am working on it again. The bad news is that I probably will not be done by December 2025. I working on this with on this with Tunisian Crochet on a size H, 8 or 5mm, on fingering weight yarn. That being said, I am 4.5 mini skeins in.  The oak pattern that I designed has 6 mini skeins followed by a white section, repeat once and add the last 6 mini skeins.  With a crochet boarder in white.  

I am getting a lot of nice compliments from complete strangers.   That feels really good.  I also did the next 2 Russian joins so I won’t have to weave in any ends. I can also use all the yarn with less waste.  

A Progress Report

 

 Last night I started a new pair of Maxi Fingerless Gloves, by Sheri Karobonik Designs.  Tonight I finished the first glove, Except for seaming.  I have started the second glove and I’m Two rows in.  

As you probably guessed I gave up looking for my lost gloves.  I am trying something different this time.  I am using my Maxi Fingerless Gloves pattern, but am doing stocking stitch in the garter stitch section.  I am really liking how it’s turning out. I’ll have to see what they’re like when they’re seemed up, and I tried them on. Although, as with most patterns, I had a small difference of opinion with a designer on one section and I think I’m going to leave it there just because it’s a cute addition to the design. If I like it, you’ll see a new pattern soon. If you’re adventurous and have the skill set, go ahead and order the maxi fingerless glove pattern off of ravelry. You will find it under Sheri Karobonik designs.

A Busy Time

 We seem to be in a cycle of replacing and repairing things around the house. The latest thing that was about to die was the air conditioning unit. It was 16 years old. So I think we got our moneys worth from the old unit.

We did a lot of research into air conditioning units and installers. We learned some new things along the way, such as when they say an air conditioner is so many tons. What it really means in the original meaning was how many tons of ice would it take to keep a building in England cool for a day in the summer. We also learned that our old air conditioner use the old ser Ratings. The new ser Ratings are much different. We landed up getting a Lennox air conditioning unit from Costco.  It was a mid range unit. Not the best and not the worst unit, but it suited our needs. The new air conditioner is now fully installed and running well.

What we didn’t realize is the day that we picked in advance was going to be the hottest day of the year in Tucson. The outside temperature reached 112 Fahrenheit. The inside of the house got up to 85°, despite pre-cooling the house to try to keep it cooler. I went out after lunch to find some cool places to knit.  

First, I went to Bird House Yarn on 6th Street and Tucson Boulevard. Birdhouse Yarn is under new ownership. The new owner is Sarah and she has done a lovely job with the shop. I even signed up for class next month. Tunisian Crochet in the round. If you haven’t been to Bird House Yarns since the change of ownership, I would highly recommend a visit. There is a lot of dyed in Arizona yarn from independent artists. The store has a nice layout with yarns group by weight.

I then headed over to Grandma’s Spinning Wheel on Tanque Verde. What I did didn’t realize as I had it down sixth Street going east was how much road construction there really was. I would probably avoid sixth Street and fifth Street until the construction is over.  I spent the afternoon knitting and catching up with friends. Around dinner time I went next-door to the pizza place and got a nice sub sandwich for John and I to share. Then I headed home. I took a different route home mileage wise. It was a little longer drive, but time wise It was really shorter. In avoiding Grant Ave, I cut At least10 minutes off my drive time. With less traffic too. 

John also repaired our shower door. Cleaned up a pack rats nest by our back door.  I on the other hand went through 5 drawers, getting rid of clothes that were too big. Yeah me! Filling up 3 bags for Bookman’s. Then repeating the process on Friday.  

I nearly forgot to mention that I started trying to get back in some semblance of A fitness level. In the last 12 days, I have exercised 10. I have not done that since I got sick last March. Hopefully, it will have some positive effect on my life and my body.

Should I Write the Pattern?

 I think about this a lot lately.  It takes so much time and energy to write a new pattern and everything that goes along with it being a one woman show.  The only pattern that I have ever exceeded the cost of the yarn was a washcloth.  The cotton yarn was on sale for $2.50 USD.  The pattern sells for $5.00. I have sold less than a dozen patterns since I listed the Cactus Washcloth on Ravelry.com more than 10 years ago.

I designed it to based on a saguaro cactus in my backyard.  I initially used it to teach a guild class. Then I figured I had put about 60 hours into this washcloth. So why not try to recoup money for some of my time and supplies? The money made off the pattern was less than $60. After supplies they came, my profits were less than $57.00 in “profits” after 10 years. I also made less than $1.00 An hour for all the work. That is my best selling pattern. Most I have not even recouped the cost of the yarn.

I’m thinking about this now, because I’ve designed an easy to make pattern whilst doodling with yarn. The pattern can be used for Yarn tastings, leftover yarn from other projects, or one skin of yarn. Please let me know if you think I should write the pattern. Is it something that you would buy? Is it something that Yarn store Owners would consider selling by making a kit or selling the yarn and pattern together. I know people love free patterns. But the time spent, and the expense, it just does not seem right to be given away my intellectual property like that. I’m not sponsored by any Yarn companies. I pay for all my Yarn. I take all my pictures. I type and edit the patterns. Since I’m running on a lot less spoons I used to, is it really worthwhile? 

Please note that this is a first draft and changes will be made for the final version. I usually just doodle out my first drafts and decide whether it’s worth while to do a second draft. I also edit the patterns like writers do.