It’s Getting to Be a Habit

 This seems like a very good trend to me.  I have finally finished another project.  Gee, didn’t I mention that yesterday too?   My first completed project of Tour de Fleece this year. Well this was a spinning project.  I spun 8 ounces of 75% BFL and 25% silk dyed by Twisty Desert Dames and sold exclusively at Grandmas Spinning Wheel in Tucson Arizona.  This was plyed with ITO 100% silk in the color Persimmon.  I used one  464 yard cone for the largest skein. I had varying amounts of the ITO silk on other cones and managed to empty 3 more cones.  This is why the 4 skeins are 4 different sizes.  The raw silk also adds a unique texture to the finished yarn that I would not have been able to create with silk or cotton thread.  This is why bespoke yarn is so expensive   

I was originally thinking of knitting fingerless gloves with this yarn.  However, now that the yarn has been hot soaked to set the ply and dried, the yarn is just screaming make me into a shawl.  This is my most expensive spinning project in a very long time, with the cost of supplies coming in at about $100.  So unless someone is willing to fork over $500 for the 4 skeins. I plan to make a bespoke shawl with the yarn.  If you want less expensive yarn, I would suggest going to Grandmas Spinning Wheel in Tucson Arizona or any other Local Yarn store.  

Now for a picture of the yarn.  

No Yarn Chicken for Me

 Tonight I decided that there was not enough remaining cashmere on the skein to knit 2 rows.  Since I don’t like frogging Cashmere I decided to change the yarn at the end of the row. I thought it would give the shawl, a more elegant look.

So it was time to change to the second color, which is 222 g of  hand spun yarn.  The yarn was a spinning challenge to try to make a color way that looked like a Monet‘s paintings. I think I came pretty close. Also the bonus is that one of the shades of the hand spun yarn Has the same red color as a cashmere yarn. 

Since the shawl is going to a charity auction. I will not be taking pictures of it because it is something called a blind auction. I will pack it up in a box with a note inside that they can read after they have won the auction. I like the idea of bidding on a mystery box.  I will be making several boxes for this charity event. Almost all will include something hand knit. 

So I will include a picture Of the Yarn I decided not to play chicken with. I will also say if you ever have a chance to knit with high-quality cashmere yarn go for it. Even if it’s not the whole project, it’s a once in a lifetime experience.

330 Gallons of Yarn

 This stage of my latest yarn de stash is complete.  I know that you have heard this countless times before. It has not been my biggest de stash of yarn. There was still an epic number of gallons of yarn that left my yarn stash over the past few days. So far it is 11 bags with a total of 330 gallons of yarn leaving the house. I also have an empty 32 quart bin going into the garage. 

If you are interested in acquiring any of this yarn please follow The Old Pueblo Knitting Guild to find out when the yarn sale will be.  Be sure to arrive earlier rather than later for the best selection of yarn.  I know people who drive from out of state just to go to this yarn sale.  Go to Old Pueblo Knitting Guild.org.  There you will find information on what we do as a knitting guild. The charities we support. Find out how you can join. You can even make a donation to help cover the cost of some of our charity work.

In this latest donation for the yarn sale, I have included Aspirational Yarn with projects that I wasn’t sure what I was gonna make with the yarn someday. Only that I loved the yarn. I have also included a lot of size 1,2 and 3 weight yarns because I can no longer work with smaller knitting needles.  It absolutely broke my heart to have to remove from my stash, some beautiful yarns, including silks and silk blends. It is the time of my life to become more pragmatic about what I keep and what I get rid of. I hope the Yarn that is leaving the house finds a really good Knitter or Crocheter to make beautiful projects.

With that being said, my knitting and spinning room is more organized. More useful to me because I know where everything is. And I even put together a few projects with some of my hand spun yarn which are destined to go to another funding raising project for another organization. And I know you will believe that I found a few more UFOs. I have also found projects to tink and make something much better or fix major construction problems. 

Now it is time to work on my current knitting project.  

Completed Projects

 These are my completed projects for the week as of yesterday.  The 4 blue skeins of yarn are going to my sister. The 2 small skeins are going into my hand spun yarn stash.  The 4 skeins of pink were responsible to compress some of the air out of the yarn to make it more suitable for weaving.  The green skein of yarn is going into a new pattern design.  The hat is part of my holiday knitting for the kids clothing bank here in Tucson that I am supporting.  That would be 6 more completed projects for the year.   

Now to pit everything away or get it ready for mailing tomorrow.  I hope to have a big stack to bring to the post office.  It’s always good when things leave the house.   

The Next Round of De Stash

 The next round of fiber de stashing has started.  In just two 15 minute sessions I filled 2 kitchen trash bags 1/2 full.  One bag is filled with commercially made yarn. The other bag has smaller skeins on my hand spun yarn.  They will be filled up shortly.  Especially since every where I turn, I seem to be finding more yarn stashed away in the odd corner or nook.

This has come about because I can spin yarn faster than I can knit or weave it into finished objects. I am also slowing down due to my on going health issues.  I also don’t want to be one of those fiber artists who leave a house literally full of yarn and crafting supplies.  

In this way I can control where the yarn and fiber go.  I also want to make sure that a huge bonfire is not set off with my entire stash of yarn once I am gone.  The more yarn I get rid of the lighter I feel.  I know this does not make sense to many people.  Rehousing yarn that I will not be using takes the burden of having to plan projects for the Yarn I don’t want to use. It also makes many people very happy to receive boxes or bags full of free and new to them yarn. Also not using my limited knitting time on Yarn, I don’t want to use anymore. I have been knitting for slightly over 25 years now.  There is only 2 yarns that I still love that I have used since the beginning.  They are Sugar-n-cream and Bernat 100% cotton Crafters yarn.  

I don’t knit or spin with a lot of novelty yarns anymore.  I just don’t find them very interesting or versatile enough for my current needs.  I am more into the texture and tactical feel of the yarn.  How well it drapes. Ease of knitting with the yarn also matters more to me now.  Can I help save a heritage breed of sheep?

So bit by bit I am finding new homes for my de stashed yarn.  I am also making up kits with some of my hand spun yarn to sell at the Christmas in July Event at our next Old pueblo knitting guild meeting on July 17, 2024 at St. Phillips in the Hills Church at 4440 N Campbell Avenue, in the Murphy Hall. We start at 9:30 am promptly.  Besides having Christmas in July we will be having a knit in so you can bring any project you need help with.  You can even just sit and knit with new knitting friends. Please feel free to join us.  The first meeting is free to try out.  

The picture below is before I found 3 more tubs of yarn and more than several bags of hand spun yarn hiding in the knitting room.  The room you are looking at is the sewing / guest room.  

More weaving

 The second color stripe was finished tonight.  The play on textures and colors are just fascinating to me.  As you can see from the picture the next shuttle is loaded and ready to go.  This will be one of the bigger stripes.

 I am really having fun with this one.  I just love how the yarn is creating optical illusions on its own.  It is very visible in the green section. 

Weaving Thread

 Just for the heck of it, I spun some linen thread. On an uninformed whim I decided to weave it into the one of a kind scarf that I am weaving for myself.  It has taken over a week to weave that little portion at my current energy and Sjogren’s flare up level. What was I thinking?

Well I started weaving the linen thread before the flare up started.  Also it looks very nice. It is the portion between the blue and burnt orange.  Yes, the very colorful section. However, you have to look at the sock yarn that is woven in on both sides. The sock yarn looks huge by comparison.  Yes the sock yarn looks really big.

Did I mention that when weaving with thread that I had to be very careful. That there were a lot of short rows too. That meant that the up and down heddle frequently changed sides and that is really fun to keep track of  too.

The good news is that I can see the end of the warp.  I also swear that the next scarf will be woven on a 5 dent heddle. I really need a weaving project that will not take a few months for a scarf. Did I mention that it will use up some hand spun yarn too? This scarf does not have a lot of hand spun yarn. I am really looking forward to taking this off the loom.

Making Progress

 Today I finished plying 3 mini skeins of hand spun yarn.  I used the drop spindle instead of the spinning wheel because it gives me a better yarn. By this I mean a more balanced twist.  It is so much easier to control the twist.  

I also made a concerted effort to catch up on my back log of making dog pillows.  I made 6 cases. I stuffed 5 and pinned them.  I left 1 by my squirrel cage for all the little bits and pieces I get when caking yarn.  I also cut the fabric for 2 more pillows.  

After all that hand work my hands were just too tired to knit tonight.  Sometimes I feel like a beginner in knitting were projects took months instead of days.  I have about 2 more ounces to knit.  I hope to be finished by Mother’s Day.  I am really ready for my hands to be better.  

Done with Coasters for 2022

 I wove the last coaster for the year.  So after dinner I cleaned off my work table.  Packaged all the random yarn into bags by color. Then reorganized the weaving cart.  I have 1 3/4 trays filled with bags of yarn.  One loom and all the smaller weaving tools on 1/4 of the second tray. The top tray had the larger small loom and the warp.  I was told if I put everything thing away in an organized fashion, I would be more productive in the long run   

You might remember that before I started this small weaving binge for the mudd rugs aka coasters I had all 3 trays overflowing with small skeins of hand spun yarn.  This is a good thing.  Coasters are leaving the house as gifts. Well almost all of the coasters.  I did fall in love with 2 that I will be keeping.  

I also tinked a summer top that I had started.  With the rate I was knitting compared to how fast the inches and weight are leaving.  It would have been too large to wear before I even finished the back.  So after tinking the sweater, I cleaned out the bag.  I replaced the yarn with a skein of yarn to make a shawl.  I choose a pattern that will look good no mater how much weight I lose.  Even losing a few more sizes it will still look good.  

So this is how I left my small weaving cart. The small carrier bag is for yarn scraps that will go into future dog pillows.  No I have not organized the entire room yet.  I project at a time.  

More Coasters

 I am making progress on my coaster weaving.  I went stash diving for more cotton rug warp. I found 5 rolls, it does not come in skeins. I have the yarn down to 2 shelves instead of 3.  The top is now reserved for the warp, small bits and weaving supplies. I will have room to put the small looms there too.  

All the yarn that I am currently weaving was all spun on drop spindles.  They were mostly small samples to try before you buy. 

I also have a rhythm down and can weave about two a day. Using up stash for useful things is relaxing and fun. Not sure what I’m going to do with them when I’m finished but I’m thinking gifting.

 

Today’s Playtime

 I have a really good use for my hand spun yarn that is not up to my knitting standards for yarn.  For some reason it looks great in a weaving projects.  I have been bingeing on coasters. Pulling out bits and pieces for an abstract weaving.  I have been having a great time playing.  This is a bit of todays play time.  

A Side Effect of Looking for Craft Supplies

 I found another UFO today. This one was a coaster project. One of the two coasters was halfway done. I finished the one that was halfway done and started the second coaster aka mud rug. I am using hand spun yarn made on one of my drop spindles. Finding the UFO was unintentional, what I was really looking for was a Navajo weaving needle that was between eight and 10 inches long. Obviously I did not find the weaving needle. I don’t think I have one.

Since I will not be going to any more yarn festivals this year I hope to source one or 2 Navajo weaving needles on line. Wish me luck.  If you know a source, please let me know  

I have found that weaving during the day makes knitting easier at night. Did you know that weaving uses more yarn than knitting. To my family that must be a plus. Another plus is that if you would like a unique one of a kind gift for the holidays I will be selling the pair as I have all the coasters I need in the house. They are made from wool which will help absorb moisture. The pair will sell for $25.00 which includes postage in the United States. After I finish weaving the second one, I will wash them in hot soapy water to set the weaving. Then they will be trimmed. And ready to go. Email me if you would like them.  Then I will mark them pending until payment is received. 

A Life of itOwn

 The weaving project is starting to take on a life of its own.  The yarn is saying what it wants to be. This is always a good thing. Yesterday I warped the loom and put in the header. That alone took 2 hours. 

Today I started on the design. This skein of very over plyed art yarn just popped up in my search through the spindle spun yarn and art yarn basket.  The basket is about the size of a large laundry basket.  I made a lot of little skeins. The section of orange yarn wanted to be twisted, turned and wrapped around individual threads of the progress was very slow. The small section of orange and the few green leafs took 2 hours of work.  Although I do love the very dramatic effect it has on the project so far.  The up side is that I am so in love with it so far. The art work and the loom. The down side, sorry that there is none.  I am having so much fun.  Tomorrow I might add a river bank and stream  I have the yarn picked out   

I did not sketch out the design ahead of time.  I want this to be a very organic piece.  I want a piece that brings me joy to create. Joy to look at. And joy for other people.  I also did not want this to be a flat tapestry, lots of people do those.  I also know that the weaving and spinning purest are going to hate it. That’s fine with me. This is my art on my terms. 

Flagstaff Wool and Fiber Festival

 I packed up the last bag of hand spun yarn, even some of my art yarn today. It is heading to the Flagstaff Wool and Fiber Festival, which is the first weekend in June. Merino y Vino will have it in her booth. This is a rare opportunity to get some of my hand spun yarn. Most are one of a kind. Combined with Merino y Vino’s yarn you can knit, spin, crochet or weave a one of a kind creation.  

There are going to be a lot of classes and demonstrations.  A lot of local crafts people and fiber artist. For more information go to the website for Flagstaff Wool and Fiber Festival.  This will have something for everyone. 

Of course if you can’t wait Merino y Vino has a shop on Etsy where you can find her small batch dyed yarn. She can work with you on special orders and customize yarn. Merino y Vino is the dyer of my Square Dance scarf pattern on Raverly. If there are no kits in the shop she can make one for you in the color of your choice, please allow extra time for dyeing the special order yarn. 

Thank you for supporting local hand made items. 

This Much Left

 There is an old adage in knitting circles.  When a project looks almost finished. When someone asks how much more knitting do you have to go? The response is always holding up the last of the yarn and saying this much.  Well tonight is my this much moment on Grandmas Summer Shawl in my own hand spun yarn.  Ooo’s and awe’s welcome.  Tomorrow morning I will finish it and block it.  

Finally a Use For Some Hand Spun Yarn

 Sometimes it takes a very long while to decide what to do with my hand spun yarn.  Take this yarn below as an example.  I spun it on my first Jonathan Bosworth spindle gifted to me by Pat Woods.  On the very first braid of roving I bought from Cloudlover Fibers.  

Through the many years it was destined to be a hat.  I could never find the right pattern.  I was also not good enough to design a hat of my own back then.  Then it was gloves, but the yarn just did not feel like gloves to me.  Then it sat without a pattern for years.  Then I was going to weave it, but thought better of it  

Then in my lastest de stash effort I came across a lonely hand spun yarn.  Then I knew.  It had to be a shawl. Not just any shawl, but one of my own designs.  I choose Grandma’s Summer Shawl.  It is available on both Raverly and Love Crafts dot com, or your local yarn store.  If you do happen to purchase the pattern I split the sale price with the seller.  

I have to say being about 40 rows in I know that I made the right choice.  I am using US size 9 knitting needles. I will change to longer knitting needles tomorrow.   It is tight enough to hold the hand spun yarn in place. Also it is loose enough to show some great definition in the hand spun yarn.  It highlights the thick and thin of the yarn.  It will also be soft next to my skin.  The night time lighting does not do the colors Justice.  Or it could just be my screen.  My iPad is really old for tech. Over 10 years old.  

An Empty Nest

 The best part about being an empty nester is that I can hang freshly spun yarn in the kids bathroom for as long as I want.  I get to look at the new skeins and decide what they should be. Even think about if I should stash dive for similar color ways to spin more for a bigger project. With absolutely no one saying that they need the shower, you have to move your yarn.

Why Knitter are Great Friends

Today was spent with a lot of my knitting buddies.  We cried together. I got a lot of healing hugs. We laughed together. We remembered Eric together. We even knit together, although truth be told I personally did not get a lot of knitting done. I was given yarn to help in the healing process.   I mostly tried to be in the moment and take in all the healing energy that surrounded me. Yes, I was very distracted.  I did finish knitting a shawlette that still needs to be blocked.

I also managed to get 2 loads of laundry finished. Read a huge stack of condolence cards. I also need to write thank you notes.  I have started the next bag for Goodwill. When it is full I plan to store it in the van to get it out of the house. Also I will not have to take out a lot of full bags later.   There is so much to do that it seems a bit overwhelming.  I just have to remember that I don’t need to do 3 or 4 things at once now. I just need to do one thing at a time and stay in the moment.

Below is a picture of the shawlette before blocking.  Yes, it was knit with my own hand spun yarn.

Projects 150 to 165

Including 1 scarf  for sale, 2 skeins of yarn for weaving. 3 hats for charity. Lastly 10 bibs for charity.

Weaving

I have started a new weaving project on my small loom.  This is so I have a portable project to take with me.   I am letting my elbow rest so that my knitting elbow will heal faster. I am using left over Anne yarn from a yet to be published pattern for the warp.  I am using a single spun during last years Tour de Fleece for the weft.  Even though the weft is lace weight yarn I do believe that this will weave up fast.

Since it will be over 105f all weekend we will be keeping Eric home.  He gets to supervise all my projects this weekend. This weekend I will have John cut some warping sticks down to size for my larger loom and warp the shawl for my sister in law.  It will be a purple shawl with as many purples as I can add.  The bonus to the higher temperatures is that everything will dry fast.  

Here is the start of the scarf.