queen ann II

It is the second time I’ve dyed with Queen Ann’s lace, yes? I don’t remember. I filled up my basket, collecting flowers from a field across the street. Good thing I did this a few days ago because they mowed it today! The flowers did sit in the basket and dry out. From what I read, it works better if they are fresh, but I already tried that.

The flowers simmered for a while, the locks soaked in alum for a while. Then they were combined and simmered for a long while. The end result: golden yellow. Different from the first time. But still yellow!

favoritest mitts ever!

Is it just me, or do you fall in love with your projects? I think I’ve brought this up before in regards to yarn. I find that I will knit something and think, “this is the best _____ I’ve ever made!!” And it will be admired for a time before I knit the same thing again and say, “THIS is the best ______ I’ve ever made!”

Well, this time the fill in the blank is mitts. I seem to make a lot of them. Prior to my current favorite, I was mad about these embroidered peach mitts from January. It was very exciting, adding the details and using handspun.

Just this past weekend I finished a pair of fingerless mitts that are my new favorite pair. I knit them using a yarn I spun when I was going crazy for long-draw. The beautiful handdyed wool locks came from Neauveau. It’s Merino, something I generally avoid, but as locks it’s really fun. I love the texture on these and the way the colors made little blocks. Also, they don’t particularly match.

an update after so long

This past week has been a little wonky. Starting on Thursday I’ve been working fulltime, which I don’t think I’ve ever done before (8:30-5:30). I can’t figure out how to get anything done. The post office is closed when I get home, so mailing packages has been difficult. I don’t know how anyone does it. Normal people work real jobs every day. I can’t seem to manage.

I did finally update the Etsy shop today. Those new wool locks were added. Arugula, Firecracker, and Dainty (the last two were shared a few days ago). So, check it out!

we’ll see how that goes…

Where I’m at right now:

1.) This summer I’m planning a wedding and planning for Pennsic.
2.) To save money and clear it out, I’m trying to use up my stash and not buy more fiber.
3.) And, as it has been mentioned before, I’m NOT a great multi-tasker.

What does this mean for you, the reader, friend, and customer? First of all, I’m not sure how often I’ll be updating my blog in the next few months. We’re planning to get hitched in October, so that gives me 4-ish months to make the arrangements, which I think is completely doable. Speaking of, I hadn’t planned on talking about it here, but if you are interested I could drop a few details on occasion.

Second, using up my stash means odds and ends will be for sale including… LOCKS! That’s right. It’s been months since I’ve had any locks available. But I just bought that Tunis/Lincoln/Cotswold fleece and have the whole thing washed (Power Scour rocks!). In fact, I dyed some yesterday:

something finished-finally!

Tuesday night I cut the two woolly seat cushions from the loom! Yesterday I finished tying the fringe and securing the edges, although there are a few loose ends to sew in. I’m glad to have these off my plate, as the loom as been warped and waiting for months. Making Tuesdays weaving night was the best decision ever!

I’m pleased with how they turned out, although the first one isn’t as dense as the second, meaning it might not be as squishy. I can’t say what the wool is that I used because it was unmarked when I bought it. Whatever it is, it doesn’t have a lot of lanolin in it. I thought the locks had been washed because they weren’t greasy, but after I had my hands on them for a few weeks (and gave them a sniff), I think they are actually dirty. Mostly they just seem dusty and stinky, so I’m going to wash both rugs before officially calling this project complete.

This weekend is the first BIG camping event of the summer. AETHELMEARC WAR PRACTICE at Cooper’s Lake, where we go for Pennsic War (hence “war practice”). Some of our household is going out tonight, but I have to work Friday morning, so I’ll be heading out in the afternoon. I’m bummed. I’m very curious about which merchants are going to be there. Will I come home with fiber? Fabric? Nothing? One never knows.

works in progress

Still rolling along on the Frock Camisole. I’ve now incorporated the pink and light green yarns. Technically I could say the stripes were pre-planned. In that I meant to do the bottom in dark green, the middle in pink and the top in light green. But I wanted to connect the top with the bottom, so I placed a green stripe in down there. Also I wasn’t sure if I’d have enough yarn. Actually, I still don’t know. Frankly, the balls of yarn looked better together than the knitted stripes. I’m hoping that the longer I look at it, the more they will meld together. Sometimes colors look weird initially, but over time they settle in.

I’m still taking my Kromski Harp to shire meetings Tuesday nights. I’m probably close to halfway done on the second one. Which means that the first one is complete, since I warped the loom with enough yarn for both. Once this is finished, I’m going to make a bag for the loom. It will help protect it and keep all the little bits where they belong.

tuesdays are for weaving

I bet you thought I’d never get back to my weaving loom ever again, didn’t you? You, me, the folks I was supposed to be weaving for… well, I had a revelation yesterday. Every Tuesday night we have an SCA meeting from 6:30 to 8, so why don’t I take my foldable traveling loom to the meeting and weave? That way I’ll have at least one day a week where I know I will work on this project because otherwise I sit at home knitting or spinning and don’t feel much like weaving.

It seems quite brilliant and obvious.

the same, but not

As you can probably guess, I’m very excited about my newly acquired spinning skills. For so long I was spinning all fibers and all preparations the same way and feeling very poorly about it. Then I met with Cosy and she shared her SOAR knowledge. Wow! I’ve been feverishly spinning worsted yarns like mad and I am loving the results.

I realized I had an excellent example of the differences between spinning techniques and preps. My Columbia fleece from the county fair was returned to me in excellent condition at the beginning of January. I love you Zeilinger’s!

Here are three yarns made from the same fleece. For each one I used a different combination of prep/spinning style. It’s quite interesting to visually see the differences between the yarns based on those two variables. These are in chronological order starting with the oldest. Neat, eh?

“Warm and Savory”. Flicked locks, spun woolen

“Lilac Sprig”. Carded roving, spun woolen

“Raspberry Truffle”. Carded roving, spun worsted

fluffed, flicked & ready to spin

Ever since I did that dark purple skein of yarn, I’ve been itching to try again. Those locks were from the Blue-faced Leicester/Border Leicester cross fleece I bought last May at the Great Lakes Fiber Show. It’s got a beautiful curl, luster, and staple length. Unfortunately I’m constantly battling tiny bits of VM trapped in the middle of the lock.

I really enjoy dyeing locks for spinning because you’re never sure what the finished yarn will look like. You get more texture and variation. Plus you can sort the locks in regards to color, which is what I did for these:

Usually I do not sort my locks, but after reading about it on another blog, I thought I’d try it for once. Also, I didn’t flick the tips, just the cut end. Over time I realized it wasn’t really necessary, plus by not doing that sometimes I get little curly bits in the yarn, though that doesn’t happen often. These locks are still waiting to get on a bobbin. I had a natural brown skein that required my immediate attention.

color blast!

Things have been running a little low in the handdyed top department over at the shop. Before going to the wool festival, I ordered a few pounds of BFL from Hello Yarn and it came before I left! Of course I didn’t have time to get into it, but I did this week.

From the top going left to right, Cherry Chocolate Zest; Driving to Rhinebeck; Red Sky at Night, Sailor’s Delight; South Sea Island Magic; Aquatic Flora; Club House. 4 ounces each.

On the bottom are more BFL/BL locks, 3 ounces each. Broccoli Floret; Thunderhead. I was hoping these wouldn’t become so monochromatic, but alas, they did. They could be blended with another fiber for more variation if that’s what you are interested in.

I spent at least two hours that morning (whichever morning it was) sorting through the locks. When washed, I just tossed them into a bucket and they became all messy and tangled, not to mention they had lots of tiny burrs in them. I pulled them out and separated the locks. Slow going job.