Off The Needles

Stephanie wrote:

Finished projects of all shapes and sizes give such a feeling of accomplishment.  It's so easy and exciting to start new projects. Some of us start them with reckless abandon, without regard for the practical consideration of actual knitting time.  We delude ourselves into casting on for one more project.  After all, the 2 sweaters, 3 hats, 4 scarves and 2 pair of socks are "almost done".  A finished object is cause for celebration.  

This sweater was "almost done" in time for our trip to Connecticut - all except for a few ends.  It did make the trip with us, but the day was warm and I didn't take it out of the truck.

This is Twist & Shout from Knitty.  It's knit up in Dye Dreams Celestial, color Peacock.  You'll have to view that colorway in Luster Sox as we don't have the Celestial one on the website yet.

This was a fun pattern to knit.  It required some mental concentration, but it didn't give me a headache or make me cross-eyed. The pattern has bracelet length sleeves.  I lengthened the sleeves and now they are a bit too long.  I thought I had the measurements worked out, but I probably should have left them at the specified length.  What was I thinking?  I know my arms are on the short side.

This pattern calls for reinforcing the neckline with a crochet chain.  There are good instructions for this technique here so I won't bother to repeat the process.  Let me just say this is a very handy technique to have up your sleeve so pull out your crochet hook and give it a try.

I love working with this yarn - so soft and cozy.  The color variation moves nicely throughout the sweater.  And this pattern is an easy fit so I'm sure it will get lots of wear.

This sweater is still in need of a button, and I may have one that will work.  Last fall at Stitches East I bought a button from Bonnie Maresh.  Alas, I can't seem to find a website for her.  Keep your eyes open for her work at various shops and events - she has some fun buttons.  At Stitches East she was donating part of her proceeds to ovarian cancer research, a cause near and dear to my heart.

News from the shop . . . our spring sock club installment is shipping as we speak.  It's not too late to order.  We have a beautiful pattern designed by Sivia Harding.  Delicious yarn in an enchanting colorway and more.  Don't miss out.

Spring in Connecticut

Stephanie wrote:

Last weekend Mona and I were at Connecticut Sheep, Wool and Fiber Festival.  This one day event is less than a 2 hour drive for us, so it makes for an easy outing.  Well, no event is truly easy.  We had one long, exhausting day, and I think it took both of us the better part of last week to recover.

The weather was dry and clear - a bit on the warm side but there was a nice breeze.  My picture taking was sporadic, i.e. I didn't get any shots of our booth.  

It was a good day to be an outside vendor.  

This event has grown in size - more and more vendors every year.  In fact this year there was a waiting list for vendors.

And it wouldn't be a sheep and wool festival without animals.  

These alpacas were so cute - they got lots of attention.

The day was full of many fun activities - sheep dog trial, sheep shearing, ox cart ride.  Plenty to see and do.

The best part of these events is the people who visit our booth.  Last year at Connecticut we met the women from Serenity Scarves (ravelry link), and it was nice to see them again.  As always we met many new people - people with fun, creative ideas and energy.

Daffodils on the lawn - a definite sign of spring.  Time to prepare for our next event, Maine Fiber Frolic.

Shifting Seasons

Stephanie wrote:

The transition from winter to spring is not an easy one for me.  While I thoroughly enjoy the  fall - winter slice of the season pie, I could do with just a sliver of the spring - summer portion. 

As spring approaches I hold out for one more snowfall, linger over last laps on the ice skating rink, savor being wrapped in wool against the final blast of cold from the north.

I am slowly making a mental shift to accommodate the new season.  We have had many damp, soggy, gray days - weather that makes it a challenge to dry newly dyed yarn.  One day this past week the weather was warm and dry. Perfect timing to help out with a backlog of wet wool.

I put the rack outside, and the yarn was dry in no time.  Shown here is Twinkle Toes in a variety of colors.

The dye pots have been going nonstop to keep up with orders and to prepare for Connecticut Sheep, Wool and Fiber Festival. Our first festival of the season - another sign that spring is really here.  

And this time of year does bring out some very cute things in the candy aisle. 

Baby Baa shown on a bed of Luster Sox Pine.  Almost too cute to eat.

So I pack away the coats, boots, winter woolens and prepare to enjoy what this slice of the pie has to offer.

A Whale of a Time

Stephanie wrote:

A few days ago the kids and I took a trip to the New Bedford Whaling Museum.  The museum is filled with information and artifacts from the days when New Bedford was a port for whaling boats. 

We learned that most whaling expeditions lasted 3 - 4 years.  We learned that whales are enormous and that a baby blue whale gains 200 pounds per day.  Right whales are the rarest of the whales with approximately 300 left in the Atlantic.  And did you know they used to make margarine with whale oil?

Baleen comes from a whale's jaw - it's used like a comb to filter the food.  After a whale was killed and processed, the baleen was used for all kinds of scrimshaw - elaborate, decorative carving and handiwork that the sailors did to while away the long hours at sea.

The museum is filled with many examples of scrimshaw - some plain and simple, others detailed and elaborate. The kids wandered ahead (I linger over museum displays) but soon raced back to get me. There was something I just had to see, something yarn related.

A beautiful swift.

Notice the pedestal and the little drawers.  

And there was another.

This one used yarn for demonstration purposes.  I imagine most museum visitors don't have the slightest idea what a swift is.

Right next to the swifts was this ornate sewing box - a work of art.

Note the spool holders on top.  And more little drawers - I love little drawers.  Pardon the reflection - all of these items are behind glass.

And last but not least, a work basket. 

The details on the needles - simple and elegant.

We had a great outing.  So much information, so much history, a way of life that's come and gone.  I'm sure we'll go back for another visit.

Longing for Lace

Stephanie wrote:

I've had the urge to work on a lace project - a nice, substantial shawl.  My eyes wander to various lace patterns online and in magazines. I scan my queue of projects looking for lace patterns I know I have saved for "someday".  Which pattern?  What yarn?

Until I decide I have this tidy little neck warmer to satisfy my hunger for lace.  This is Hoarfrost by Anne Hanson.

This has been a fast moving project.  Well, fast when I don't get distracted by a couple of other projects I have in the works.

This is shown in Twinkle Toes Chile Pepper.  I've been struggling with color and lighting so the color on the website is more accurate.  This pattern has wonderful texture and highlights the color variations of this yarn.  

Yes, this is destined to be a booth sample, but I'm going to start one for myself as soon as this one is off the needles.  And neck warmer projects make great go anywhere knitting.  They are a close second to socks when it comes to a knitting project that travels well.

Tubular Cast On in the Round for Socks

Mona Wrote:

I enjoy acquiring new skills and have tried many different cast on techniques in my quest to find one I love for socks. I think I may have found it. Check out the edge on this sock. Isn't it beautiful?

Best of all, it's super elastic. It's a two-row tubular cast on done in the round for a 1x1 rib. Here's the basic steps:

1. Cast on half the required number of stitches using waste yarn. The needle(s) used should be the same as those you plan to use for your sock cuff and the waste yarn should be the same weight as your sock yarn. In the sample pictured here, the sock required 72 stitches so I cast on 36 stitches onto my circular needle (I'm a magic loop sock knitter) using the backward loop cast on method.

2. Knit a few rounds using the waste yarn. In the sample pictured here, I knit one row straight, redistributed the stitches for knitting in the round and then knit several rounds with waste yarn. You don't need to knit as many rounds as I did -- only two are needed; I knit more rounds to create an easier-to-photograph sample. After completing 2+ rounds of knitting with the waste yarn, cut the yarn leaving a six inch tail.

3. Purl two rounds using your sock yarn. After completing the two rounds, look at your knitting. Notice that between each pair of purl stitches on your needles, you have a bump created with the sock yarn in the first purl row. You will also notice a bump between the last stitch on a needle and the first stitch on the next needle.

4. Create cuff edge. Purl the first stitch on your needle. Bring the working yarn to the back of your work. With your left hand needle, pick up the first sock yarn purl bump and knit it without twisting the stitch. If your needle tip picks up the purl bump in a top-down motion, you will knit into the back of the stitch; if your needle tip picks up the purl bump in a bottom-up motion, you will knit into the front of the stitch. Continue across all stitches, alternating between purling a stitch from the needle and knitting a purl bump. You have now doubled the number of stitches on your needles and established a 1x1 rib. If desired, you can shift your work one stitch to start each needle with a knit stitch.

5. Remove waste yarn. After completing several rows of 1x1 rib, you can remove the waste yarn. Using a spare needle and starting with the last stitch knit with waste yarn, pick out each waste yarn stitch around the cuff. In the sample pictured here, I knit several rows of twisted rib (k1tbl, p1) before picking out the last waste yarn row.

Enjoy!

SPA Recap

Stephanie wrote:

We had a wonderful time at SPA.  The weekend was a lot of work, but we did manage to squeeze in time for knitting and relaxing.  Neither of us planned to bring our wheels, and it's a good thing - the van was packed.

We spent Friday afternoon setting up our booth for the opening of the market that evening. Over the course of a year our booth has undergone many changes.  Currently it looks like this.

Being on the end the Luster Sox got plenty of petting.

SPA was the debut for our Build a Kit station.  Choose the mitt or neck warmer pattern of your choice, select the yarn from one of the baskets (various colors and fibers available) and you're good to go.  All of the available patterns require less than a full skein of yarn.  We package the yarn accordingly and pass the savings on to the customer.

Judging by the success of Build a Kit, I'm sure we'll offer it at our upcoming events.

Before we knew it the weekend was over, and we were packing up to head home.  We arrived just as a Nor'easter was getting ready to hit the area.

This past week found us diving back into the dye pots, cooking up more fun and color.