Baby Z's first knit

 

Baby Z should be arriving in just a few months!  I thought I better get going on one of the million projects I'd like to finish before she gets here.  I started with a simple knitted matching hat and booties.  The booties are from Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook.  They say they are one hour booties and they really are one hour booties.  They are part shoe part sock and will be great in the cold months.  I love how they have a cute crocheted strap over the top with a button on the side:

The hat is a pattern from Fiber Fiend which I found off of Ravelry.  It's rib so even though it should fit her the first winter she's here I might be able to get away with dressing her in it a year later because it stretches quiet a bit.  

I can't seem to remember where I got this yarn although I know it was called something Angel Hair.  It's a super soft mix of wool and synthetic.  It was probably the last yarn that I bought from a big box craft store as I've been trying not to buy or use synthetic since I took my spinning class.  I usually find that synthetic yarns are itchier and coarser then wool, contrary to popular belief,  but this yarn is actually like knitting with cotton candy so I don't mind.  

There will be more projects to come but I'm pleased with her first knitted item, what can say, she's already spoiled!

Introducing Ruby

Let me introduce you to Ruby, my new single treadle single drive Ashford Traveller spinning wheel.  Isn't she a beauty?  She took a detour on her way to our house from New Zealand at some lady's house who didn't want her and sold her on eBay after only 2 hours of use.  Good things come to those that wait.  I've been wanting a spinning wheel since I took spinning lessons last year in New Mexico but have been putting it off because of price and because Ashford doesn't make the Traveller in a single treadle anymore.  I learned on a single treadle and like it the best and love the Traveller because it's small enough to fit in a car and take to spinning groups.  So I waited and last month this wonder popped up on eBay and because I have a great husband who agreed to an early birthday present for me she now sits in our house newly waxed and wonderful.

Remember this?  I've been spinning it on Ruby and  I've already successfully spun a bobbin of it into 2ply yarn that I plan on using to make a shaw:

Is it silly to name your wheel?  Is it silly to take this many pictures of it?  Probably, but she is pretty and so important to me.  It feels so nice to be back to spinning regularly.  I see fields of cotton in my future and maybe a sheep or two with this wheel!

Matching gloves and scarf!

 

I finished my matching scarf and gloves for the hat I knitted earlier this summer.  They are made with the same Peruvian highlands wool that I got from Purl In The Pines.  They are fun colors, almost child like, but will brighten up a gloomy winter day this fall I'm sure.  They are also very comfortable and warm.  I'm excited to be able to wear them for the first time!

Scarf

Directions:

Yarn: Berroco Peruvia Colors

Color: Raku Glaze

Needle: #8 16" Circular

CO 15 stitches.  Garter stitch until you run out of yarn or until desired length.  Cast off.  Weave in tails. 
                            

Mittens

This pattern is part mine part Knitting Pretty.  I did a combination so it work work with my yarn and fit my hand.  For the entire Knitting Pretty pattern click here.  

Directions:

Yarn: Berroco Peruvia Colors

Color: Raku Glaze

Needle: #10 set of five DPN's

CO 36 stitches.  Divide this stitches among 3 needles, 12 on each.  Working in the round, do a 2-2 rib stitch for 13 rows.  For row 14, K2 M1 K3 *M1 K4*.  Repeat * till the end of row 14.  You should have 46 stitches now.  Next, knit rows 15-21.  Then, divide 11 stitches on to three needles and 13 stitches on to a forth needle or a stitch holder.  This will become your thumb, but not until later.  Using just the 33 stitches (11 on 3 needles), knit in the round for 23 more rows.  To start the decrease after knitting 23 rows start by K3 k2og in a round until there are only 10 stitches left.  Cut your yarn leaving a 8 inch tail and weave your tail through your 10 remaining stitches.  Pull tight to close and weave in tail.  

Next, finish the thumb.  This part was taken from Knitting Pretty:

Slip the 13 stitches from the stitch holder onto 2 DPN's.  Place 7 stitches on one side and 6 on the other.  Using a third needle, pick up 3 stitches in the space between the first 2 needles to form a triangle.  Starting on the right side of the third needle, knit a round, leaving an 8 inch tail to weave in later.  Knit 14 more rounds.  Begin decreasing to create the thumb tip.  For 1 round, knit 1 stitch and then K2tog, repeating throughout.  For the final round, K2tog throughout.  Cut an 8 inch tail and use your yarn needle to draw the yarn through the remaning stitches.  Pull it tight, knot to secure and weave in and trim the ends.  Gently tighten the trail at the base of the thumb and weave it in.  

Alpaca Christmas project

I got this lovely alpaca wool from Village Wools in Albuquerque a few months ago for a Christmas present which I am just now starting.  It is Henry's Attic Prime Alpaca from alpaca's raised in Peru at 13,000 - 16,000 feet.  I'm starting to really love alpaca.  It's like knitting with a pillow.  It's super soft.  It's just perfect for what I'm making, which will remain a surprise until Christmas. ;) It was a little pricey but I got 665 yards in one skein.  It is also a nice natural dark black.  This will be the first time I've knitted with fine black yarn which I've heard will be a challenge, but I'm giving myself five months to finish it!  Wish me luck...

Roving

Look what I got!  At my last Vixen group meeting a member, Jenn, gave me this giant ball of wool roving!  It's cleaned, combed and ready for spinning.  It's a rich gray color with hues of black and white here and there.  I think it will make a great cabled scarf or something like this - if only I could knit like that! I can't believe how much there is.  It will last me the next year!   Off to go spin...!

Convergence goodies!

I'm back from Convergence 2010!  I picked up a few things there - see above.  I got these yarns from the Mora Valley Spinning Mill booth from Mora, NM.  They are a non-profit spinning mill that supports small farms and endangered breeds of sheep.  They had really pretty colors and I picked two that I will be using for a Christmas present.  They are 66% Alpaca and 33% Rambouillet.  They are both very soft and I'm so excited to start working with them.  Other then shopping, I got to see a few friends that were up there including my spinning teacher JoAnn, and Lew and I checked out the exhibit hall.  Convergence was mostly geared toward weaving, but I still enjoyed myself there. 

See you at Convergence!

This weekend I'll be at Convergence!  I didn't even know what Convergence was before moving to New Mexico, but this biennial fiber arts conference is being held in Albuquerque this year!  There are classes on weaving, dying, spinning and other fiber arts as well as exhibits, judging and vendors.  I hope to be able to look at some spinning wheels just to see more, possibly buy some roving and just take in the experience.  See you at Convergence!

For more information on Convergence click here.

Spinning school graduate

This week was my last spinning class!  I have officially graduated from spinning school.  As my teacher put it, I am now her textile daughter.  For our last few classes I learned how to ply.  The picture above is my recipe card for the skein pictured.   On the left is what the single looks like (yarn that has been spun but not plied) and the right has my samples of different plying: (from the top) 4-ply cable, 2-ply, Navajo 3-ply, and 4-ply basic.  I ended up making the skein with the Navajo 3-ply and I think it turned out great.  It's really fun to see all of my spinning work start to form itself into skeins of beautiful yarn.  I still have a lot of the green yarn that I've been posting pictures of to ply and I will post pictures as soon as I do it.

I was so grateful of my spinning lessons that I had a whorl made especially for my teacher from 2 Cranes.  It turned out wonderful.  I was able to pick the piece of turquoise I wanted it made from and the piece I picked was from the Kingman Mine in Arizona.  I think JoAnn really liked it.  I'm sad to see my classes end, but excited to start spinning for future knitting projects and learn how to dye with natural dyes from Janet at Lofty's on 60.  More projects to come soon...

Lofty's on 60

Lewie and I went to visit my friend Janet's shop today:  Lofty's on 60.  She has ten angora goats, three of which are this years offspring.  They are darling!  She spins beautiful mohair from her goats and brought some in to show me today that she dyed with peach leaves.  She lets her goats roam the backyard freely and as she puts it, nobody seems to mind because they mow all the neighbors yards for free.  When we went over to visit them the three young ones were in her backyard but her other seven goats were wondering down the road.  After cooing over the babies - they were so shy but so cute! - we decided to walk down a ways to see the other adults.

When we finally found them in the back of our town's video and laundry store we apparently scared them and they went running to the front and starting trotting down US Hwy 60!  It was a funny site to see them all walking down the hwy together with cars passing by.  After a few houses they went back down a side road on their way back to Janet's for dinner. 

Silly goats!  It was quite an adventure.  After my spinning classes are over I plan on having Janet teach me to dye wool and mohair using natural dyes.  She's really good at it and always has such beautiful colors of mohair.  I'm really looking forward to that.  A whole new world to discover.  Maybe if I'm lucky, and she has enough, I'll get to purchase some kid mohair from her to spin too!

Spinning Class #6

Back from another spinning class.  Only two more to go!  I'm working steady on the merino wool that my teacher dyed a lovely greenish blue color.  I'm trying to spin it everyday so that I'll have enough stuff to play with when plying.  Pretty isn't it?

Today I got to play with flax - which is spun into linen.  It's much different then working with wool or cotton.  It's stiffer but has a wonderful luster and is incredibly strong.  I brought some flax home to play with this week - see picture above, it's the white fiber.  I also got to make a few cotton puni's at class and got to bring those home too.  I made them with the natural orange cotton that I just love.  Don't they look like big worms?  I'm really enjoying spinning school and will be sad when it's over, but it's taught me so much new stuff about sheep, raising sheep, growing cotton, fibers in general, spinning, history and being more self sufficient.  Next week starts the two-part ending class about plying.  I'm excited to be able to see what all this fiber I've been spinning will look like as yarn!

Spinning Class #3

Recap of spinning class this week:

I learned all about the Bradford system - the system that classifies each breed of sheep by type of wool.  For example, the softest known wool is merino and it ranks high on the Bradford system.  Courser wools, like rug wools, are lower on the list.  The system is based on how many hanks you can get from 1lb of washed and combed wool.  Theoretically, if you had 1lb of course wool that was in the 40's on the Bradford system then you should be able to get 40 hanks out of it.  One hank is 560 yards or 7 skeins.  It's a little confusing but once you start knowing breeds of sheep and their Bradford system ranking you can begin to figure out how course or fine that sheep's wool will be and how much wool you'll get from a fleece without even seeing it.  Interesting stuff.  I also got to play with cotton at my class.  I've started to really love cotton.  I was able to card some cotton lint today, which is the process of 'brushing' it to blend the fibers so you can spin it.  To take of the cotton lint from the card when you are done you have to use a small dowel and roll it - doing this makes a hollow tube of cotton called a puni.  I really love puni's!  After you have a puni you can start to spin.  You can spin cotton straight from the seed but puni's are really fun to make.  I even made one that was part orange part white which will make a neat looking yarn and it's all natural.  Cotton grows in neat colors - see picture above.   For my homework this week I have to de-seed a bunch of cotton that my teacher plucked from a cotton field.  There are a lot of seeds in cotton!

I also have to get all the vegetal material out of some purple churro wool she gave me.  Hopefully we'll be carding this next week to spin.  I may get to start using a spinning wheel next week too!

Easter Cap

When I was in Albuquerque, NM a few weeks ago and found my pretty in purple wool, I also found this gorgeous organic wool by O-Wool called Balance.  It is 50% Merino wool and 50% cotton.  When I saw it I thought of my mom who loves the color blue.  It's a blueish gray with specks of white and although I didn't know what I wanted to make with it I knew I had to get it.  I ended up going on O-Wool's website for ideas and they had a free pattern for a cute little hat called In-Between Seasons Cap.  I had never done a cable stitch but this was a good time to try.  This pattern also had a few other stitches I had never used before like twR and ssk.  The cable band was somewhat easy but as the hat went on I found it to be somewhat difficult, however the end result was worth any frustration I had.  Mine came out somewhat small like a beanie so if I were to do it again I would make it longer.

In-Between Seasons Cap from O-Wool:

Yarn: 1 skein O-Wool Balance, 130yd/50g 
Color: Lapis
Needles: Circular 16 inch size US 6, 1 cable needle, set of 5 size US 6 dpn's
Gauge: 20 st = 4" over Stst  30 rows = 4" Stst
Size: Woman's M (20" circumference)


Directions can also be found on O-Wool's website along with other great free patterns.

Using either circular or two dpn’s, CO 19st.  Do not join.

Work back and forth as follows:
Row 1 and all WS rows:  p4, k2, p8, k2, p3
Row 2, 4:  k1, twR, p2, k8, p2, twL, k2.
Row 6:  k1, twR, p2, sl 4 st onto spare dpn or cable needle and hold in front, k4, k4 from dpn or cable needle, p2, twL, k2.
Row 8, 10: As Row 2
Repeat Rows 1-10 until piece measures 20” (13x total).
Work Row 1 once more.

Spinning Class #2

I finished my spinning homework!  My pink ball of fluff turned into pretty pink string.  This will be plied with something else toward the end of my spinning classes so I can't wait to see what it will look like with another color.  It wasn't hard to spin it but it took patience at the beginning and now I have come to really enjoy spinning and see it as a relaxing thing to do.  Yesterday was my second spinning class and JoAnn taught me to wash wool! 

Every time I've been in class all I can think about it someday owning our own sheep.  I really find it fascinating and it's leading to more things I'm interested in like sheep shearing school.  Now I know the basic's the spinning, how to wash wool, how to care for wool and yarn, some of the history behind spinning and the correct terminology.  In the next class I will be practicing combing and brushing wool as well as maybe starting on a spinning wheel. 

My homework for this week is to spin some of JoAnn's hand dyed wool that is a lovely lime green bluish color.  This will be much thinner then the pink fluff I spun so it may be more difficult but I will post pictures when I get it done.   

Purl in the Pines

I have a new obsession with checking out any fiber store that I haven't been to when my husband and I are traveling.  This week we were in Flagstaff, AZ and I couldn't resist going to Purl in the Pines.  I believe it is the only fiber store in Flagstaff and it is connected to one of the only quilting stores as well.  They carried a few things I haven't seen before including Berroco Peruvia Colors.  Maybe because the coat I was wearing matched it so well or because it was just so wonderful I ended up leaving with two skeins of it in the Raku Glaze color.  It is big, chunky, single and 100% Peruvian Highland Wool.  I've been busy knitting for other people so perhaps these skeins will become gloves and a hat for my coat?  We'll see!

Sneak Peak

I taught myself how to do a cable stitch today!  It's easier then I thought it was going to be and it looks so nice - see the blue yarn above.  I'm working on two knitting projects now and I'm not going to reveal what they are until they are done, although you might be able to tell.  One project is being made with the yarn I got from Village Wools and I just love it.  The other project I'm working on is with O-Wool and I also love it.  Spring officially started yesterday and I know when it gets warm outside I'll put the knitting aside so I'm trying to get these two projects done within the next month.  Just thought I'd give you a sneak peak!

Spinning 101

Yesterday was my first spinning class.  Since moving to New Mexico I have become very interesting in fibers of all kinds and feel like I'm in the right place to learn more about them.  There are fiber guilds all over the state and many people that have been weaving, spinning and knitting for decades.  I was lucky enough to be introduced to one of these people: JoAnn.  Yesterday was my first spinning class with her.  She has been spinning for over 30 years and holds an intense one-on-one class for those ready to learn to spin.

Spinning school consists of eight, four hour one-on-one sessions.  Yesterday was day one.  She is a wealth of information and has an extensive fiber library.  I was able to see and touch cultivated worm silk, tussan wild worm silk including unprocessed cocoons, alpaca fleece, wool, spun copper, soy silk, flax, mohair and many more neat fibers.  Like my teacher, I find wool the most interesting - there are over 900 breeds of sheep and each breed has different wool as well as each flock in those breeds as well as each sheep in that flock - every fleece is different from another, no two sheep are the same.   What I also find interesting is cotton.  Did you know that cotton comes in over 40 colors naturally including blue?  My husband and I try to be as environmentally friendly as possibly and try to strive for self sustainability so the thought of having our own sheep and goats and growing our own cotton for spinning some day makes me very excited.

This is the basic:  learning to make thread and yarn.  Being able to control the dyes used in our clothing is so important to me.  We have both been reading Living Downstream by Sandra Steingraber and realizing the importance of small things like this.  According to her book, "Elevated cancer rates are also found among painters, welders, asbestos workers, plastics manufactures, dye and fabric makers, firefighters, miners, printers, and radiation workers."  This is another reason why I use organic unbleached cotton in my items for Ash Tree Organics.  The chemicals used to dye clothing these days are carcinogenic.  Raising our own sheep and growing our own cotton is just the next step for us.  It's our way of getting one step closer to being off the map.  Besides wool and mohair,  sheep and goats are good for making milk, soap, and cheese.  It's a long way off, but for now Spinning School is teaching me a whole new world about wool and fibers and I can't wait to start showing you what I make.  My homework assignment is to spin the pink fiber (pictured above) onto my spindle before the next class.  Wish me luck!

Chemo Cowl

A woman in my crafting group (known as The Vixons) is part of our counties fiber guild that knits/crochets scarfs and cowls for the chemo patients at our local hospital.  I asked her if I could make one and started on my first cowl.  A cowl is basically a scarf that is closed.  It’s big enough to slide over your head and rests like a big fancy necklace around your neck over your shoulders.  They are incredible easy to make and fun! 

Directions:

Yarn: Red Heart
Color: 59
Needle: Circular 29 inches Size US 8

  Cast on 70 stitches or desired length
   Join round and knit in round until hat reaches  desired length
  Bind end

That’s it!  Of course this pattern would be really easy to change and I think if I was going to do it again I would have used a more chunky yarn and maybe tried something other then just a knit, but that’s what is so fun about a cowl, they are quick enough to make a second one in no time!  I hope that a chemo patient enjoys the cowl I made and that it keeps them warm and fashionable!

Pretty In Purple

Two weeks ago my husband and I made the big journey up north to Albuquerque.  I was more then excited to see what the city had to offer in terms on yarn and wool.  I stumbled upon a cute little store called, Village Wool.  I was lucky to leave with a few dollars left.  They have such a large selection of wools from around the world I didn’t know what to do.  I ended up leaving with two skeins of the yarn pictured above.  It’s Happy Feet DK in a lovely purple/brown color.  Isn’t it wonderful?  I can’t wait to start on some socks!

Blake's Curled Baby Hat

My mom’s good friend just became a grandmother and I thought I would send her daughter and son-n-law a hand knitted baby hat.  After looking online for a baby size knitted hat I decided to combine two patterns that I found and add my own twist to it. 

Directions:

Yarn: Lion Brand Hometown USA
Color: Washington Denim
Needle: Circular 16 inch Size US 10

• Cast on 34 stitches 
• Join round and knit in round until hat reaches  6-7 inches from beginning, hat will start to curl up - this is okay
• After 6-7 inches of knitting in the round, K2tog one row 
• Knit one row 
• K2tog one row again 
• Knit one row again 
• Thread tail through stitches remaining on needles and pull tight 
• Weave in ends

Hooray!  You now have a cute baby hat!