January 03, 2008
Here's to a New Year!
The boys made a wonderful snowman! Yes they're back. It's the first time I've ever seen a real snowman being constructed close up. I thought all those Calvin & Hobbes comics with Calvin rolling great balls of snow were metaphorical. It turns out that is exactly how you make a snowman taller than yourself.
A few days later the snowman took a bow, a humongous bow. Actually it looks like he's looking at his weenie. If we weren't on a busy road I'd add another carrot just to drive Jim crazy. Yes, he's back too.
Let's just say he's bowing to 2007. Here's to finishing grad school and renewing my marriage. For the first time in my life I have a job I love AND I'm done with school. No more degrees and no more have to gets, just life. I've been celebrating ever since by knitting, spinning, sewing, and organizing my knitting, spinning and sewing. All I want to do is stay home. I've been cooking and backing, I even made bread!
Cheers everyone!
September 02, 2007
Joachim's Apron
My latest finished project and it's not knitting! A while ago I made my brother Hector an apron. I had to twist his arm to make him something. He always claims he does not WANT or NEED anything so my gifting options are limited. This time I pushed hard and in the end he gave in and requested an apron. That he uses everyday! And it gets better. His wee son Joachim was so fascinated by the apron that my sister-in-law Sarah asked if I could make a mini version just for him.
What is it now, a year later. No matter, finally said apron is done and and will be shipped off tomorrow. I used the same fabric plus a Lady Bug accent which I hope will reignite Joachim's Lady Bug craze.
I think it's cruel to deny your crafty sibling the opportunity to shower you with handmade lovelies. Unless of course he thinks my handmade lovelies are crummy....
Nah! He would have told me by now.
Posted by Jacqueline at 06:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)July 15, 2007
The better part of two days...
I spent the better part of two days on the following sock (just one). It's not so much a design as it is a variation on Cat Bordhi's simple sock pattern. I replaced the usual ribbing with feather and fan because I love the waves of color when coupled with self patterning sock yarn.
When I was halfway past the heel the colors started to look familiar. I remembered a photo I took at the conservatory in Golden Gate park a couple of weeks ago.
I would never have put those colors together and yet there they are, out in the world. Eons before self patterning sock yarns I'm sure.
While I was working out the feather and fan variation in my head I finished another pair plus a baby hat.
Again self patterning sock yarn. It makes beautiful baby hats. Now I need to write, and post, the patterns for the variation and for what to do with leftover sock yarn. And there's always leftover sock yarn. I think I might try a purse with a clasp.
My latest finished project is my favorite. I'm particularly proud of this one. I spun the yarn myself. The solid color came from a merino, mohair blend from Tall Grass Farm dyed with Gaywools. The variegated is some beautiful roving from Toni's.
It was one of those stop and go projects. I'm not a cable girl and there was a bit of piecing to do. I'd like to rewrite it in the round. I have two aprons to make before I can send it off. And the Epic? I'm on Pattern 13 of 92. I just got enough yarn to finish the project.
Summer is turning out to be as magical as I thought it would. Of course I've only shared recent successes. There's a bit of unintentionally felted lace I should share. Later. Definitely later.
Posted by Jacqueline at 07:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)June 08, 2007
Epic Projects
I have a fatal attraction to epic projects. When I saw the 15 foot, 19th century, knitted lace sampler in Knitting Lace by Susanna E. Lewis, I was doomed. DOOMED!
Unlike the Dear Jane quilt and the Civil War Diary quilt, patterns and fabric bought and untouched, I’ve worked on the knitted sampler everyday since I opened the book. While the project is still young, I’m on Pattern 6 of 91, I find myself reaching for it all the time.
Partly because I want to teach lace again, this time with my own patterns and my own instructions. Partly because I'm learning so much. This project is perfect because I can try out a variety of patterns, gauge their difficulty and applicability, and make adjustments as I go. I just can’t do that from a picture. I need to knit the pattern before I can design with it. It's a trait that used to drive my bosses crazy when I developed software. I always had to develop a piece before I could plan the whole.
I’m not the least bit interested in changing! It wasn’t until I started knitting seriously that I began to finish things. Not just knitted things, but work things and home things and school things. I don’t know if it’s
1) the portability
2) the acceptance that projects need a break from you as much as you need a break from them
3) the stockpiling of projects
4) the balance between easy and difficult, short and long, classic and new fangled
but when I approach life like I knit, I get loads of stuff done.
This project scores two out of three on the frugality scale. I borrowed the book from the library, used KnitPicks yarn from my stash BUT I just had to try the new addi Turbo Lace needles. Toni just go them in. The points are great The cable is so fantastic you forget it's there. They're very lightweight. The only thing is a slight ringing in my ears when I use them. ???
Posted by Jacqueline at 02:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)June 03, 2007
Catching Up!
I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted, especially since the “garden” looks worse now than it did when I cleaned it in March. Oh well, that’s what summers are for. Grad school is over, I survived my first middle school field trip and there are only two more school days left. Near the top of my to do list is a massive purge, stock and store of all things fiber and fabric related. I expect to have a huge list of things for sale. Since I’ve never sold anything on eBay before, I need to add this to my list of things to learn.
Compared to other stashes I’ve heard and read about, I never thought I had much of a problem. However, the recent combination of the blues, a non existent budget, and the persistent notion that I can save money by making everything I need has turned a few fiber/fabric related excursions into piles, piles, piles of interesting projects; so many piles in fact that I have officially exceeded the capacity of my sewing room. The priciest ones are of course my well intentioned attempts at frugality.
Frugal Attempt #1 - How about purchasing raw fiber and processing it myself? What a great idea! First purchase 3 ½ pounds of raw Shetland fiber at the bargain price of $5 a pound. Then a carder, used, because hand carding is too hard on my hands. And an electronic scale, 20% off at Bed & Beyond, to measure, and later dye, TAH DAH 8 1/8 ounces of clean smelling wool, still sprinkled with vegetable matter.
Lessons Learned – Raw fiber is gross. It smells and requires many baths. The smell is so off putting that I was perhaps too vigorous in my cleansing efforts. After drying, I ended up with wads, yes wads and wads of wool that was sometimes soft and easy to comb, most times rough and full of non woolly bits. I had to comb it first with Claire’s wire dog brush before I could feed it into the carder. I must admit the combing was strangely soothing. I suspect that the fleece needed serious skirting first. And more determination on my part, hence the measly 14% return on raw weight. I refuse to calculate the price per ounce, it’s too embarrassing. Suffice to say that I need to process about a dozen shetlands before I can call the frugal aspect of the project a success.
Posted by Jacqueline at 05:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)March 28, 2007
Square Foot
I'm on Spring Break. If this is what summers off are going to be like I am going to be the most creative productive knitter, spinner, all around everything person on the planet. Besides catching up with school work (mmmh, not as much progress), I'm getting the garden ready. I totally let it go last summer. It's a square foot, raised bed garden. This is it before cleanup:
This is it after cleanup:
Only nine boxes more to go. I'm trying to do at least two a day. I let it go so badly last year I have to weed heavily. Imagine digging up a partially felted Aran out of the soil. Normally I don't have to weed at all but like I said, I let it go last year. Once I'm done I'll have room for 169 plants.
Claire helped. She helped alot. So much in fact she required two baths in as many days. In addition to the vegetable garden, I plan on starting a herb garden, a dye garden and a sunflower forest.
I know, a bit amibtious. But it's amazing what a little fresh air and sunshine will do.
Posted by Jacqueline at 06:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)February 19, 2007
Finished Objects
The vest, she is done. The best part? It fits like it was made for me. I just need to make one adjustment. The upper collar was centered and it really should be shifted just a tad so that the first button isn't out of alignment. This is due to the fact that the pattern called for a button loop instead of a button hole. I also crocheted the buttons on because I was too lazy to find the navy blue felt I usually use to back knitted fabric when I sew buttons on.
I was also frugal! Well, controlled. I got the buttons at JoAnn for $7.72 instead of the $45 hand fired lovelies I've been coveting.
I also finished the Cobblestone quilt. I totally winged this one. I'm pretty good at that, especially when the fabrics call to me. The colors look surprisingly good on the dining room table. I'll be paying A Pieceful Gathering a visit really soon to get this baby machine quilted. And I decided to teach quilting again. I feel like I'm coming back to life. I'm finishing unfinished things and ideas for new projects are piling up.
