A Very Bright Baby Blankie!

It’s a pattern from Wooly Thouhts, available on Ravelry. Best of all, it’s based on math and really easy to improvise as you go, once you get the hang of it 🙂

I used some of the shetland lamb, dyed it in a multitude of colours. I use the Dharma Trading Co. acid dyes and they are excellent! I blended the dyed locks on hand cards and added a pinch of targhee cross to each rolag – each rolag was split in half so when spun, the plies pretty much lined up and created the blending of one colour to another. In total, 1060 metres of handspun two ply went into this blanket.

Our New Shihtzu Puppy!

Good morning!  I have the CUTEST little guy to introduce today – his name is Charlie and he is a nine week old shih tzu puppy.

He’s from a local family and is so well adjusted and has settled in with barely a squeak.  Yes – he squeaks instead of making more likely ‘dog’ noises at this point.  I’m sure he’s going to have lots to say once his voice comes in!

For a little bit of perspective on his size…

His toys are mostly cat, lol – a small beanie stuffed with catnip, a few of those balls with the bells inside and a bunny rattle which the bunny never liked but Charlie thinks is awesome lol.

He even managed the steps up to the deck.  Next?  Learning how to go down stairs….

Have an excellent day 🙂

What’s New? Spring Cleaning….Fleece!

Good morning!

It’s been so long….

Spring is here and I’ve been busy 🙂 Seems spring always makes one want to DO more – and some of us have a different take on spring cleaning! I’ve had several fleeces sitting for a while — some since last summer! I don’t know if I posted about it last fall but I have some absolutely beautiful long staple alpaca…dusty dusty stuff with some burr issues as well. It’s got a staple of about 8 inches as it was a long time between shearings and it is SUPER soft – lovely lovely lovely. Irreplaceable really. Fortunately, lol, I started out with about 14 pounds and there is no end in sight yet.

Unwashed…

Combed out for debris, but not yet washed…

Final product – rovings are clean and pulled from my combs…

There is also the ‘meat’ sheep wool which I was given last year – in black and white – waiting to get a good soak and a wash. The wool comes out nice but the dirt is incredible – sometimes free looks like an excellent price. There is a large bin full of that waiting for me on the porch.

Oh yes, and a basset hound too…

My baby grandson has had his first birthday – still the cutest baby in the world with the BEST smile 🙂

His other grandma has sheep and lambs and has very generously given me three bags of wool (I jokingly asked for ‘three bags full’ lol) – the first is lamb (three fleeces I think), the second is yearling (two to three fleeces) and the third bag is adult (haven’t counted them but I believe it holds two fleeces).

The lamb, unwashed…

The yearling, unwashed (or possibly the adult)…MUCH dirtier than the lamb. I plan to soak this in a cold soak for a few days before washing it…

These fleeces MUST be a mixed breed but are sooooo soft I’m pleasantly surprised! I’ve washed some of the lamb, so far, and it’s coming out lovely. Very short fibers but lovely AND it helped motivate me to learn how to spin short fibers. Happy to say that after two days of utter failure…. I CAN DO IT! 🙂

The lamb…clean…

Here’s some blended short fibers that I’ve successfully spun…YAY!…it’s camel, yak, silk and lambswool blended on carders and then spun for a two ply thick and thin yarn….(it truly is soft as butter)

I’ve sold one of my spinning wheels – the Bordua that I bought last fall – to a really nice Ravelry member who will truly appreciate her. I’ve also begun selling some handspun wool yarn and some spinning fiber (the above mentioned alpaca) through my local kijiji. I definitely spin more than I knit and the wool is piling up!

Some recently spun yarns…

(Left to right…lambswool, spun from the lock very finely for a four ply fingering weight yarn; alpaca, spun from combed fiber, two ply; grammalamb spun two ply; the soft as butter blended camel 2ply; a skein of laceweight, handdyed silk two ply approx 800 metres.)

Oh – Almost forgot! There IS news on the knitting front….

I’ve spun 900 metres of silk/lambswool/alpaca (in approximate thirds, blended on carders and then spun fine for a three ply lace weight) to make a really beautiful pair of lace knitted stockings. So pretty, so impractical. Of course I had to have them 🙂 I’ve only just begun the knitting but it’s coming along well…

As if that isn’t enough, I’ve also been working on some orifice hooks…

I am also working on the spinning wheel at the beginning of this post – she needed a few things and a bit of a facelift. I should have pictures to share very soon 🙂 I believe she is a german parlor wheel but who knows for sure…

And just because…I’ve decided it’s time to make a quilt. A really special quilt I’ve had a picture for for ages…known to me and those that know me as “THE ONE”. It begins something like this….

Yes, I Have Been Slacking

I haven’t blogged in SOME TIME….wow, too long, really.

My beautiful daughter had her beautiful baby!! He’s the most beautiful boy in the world…of course, I am a little bit biased…just a little 🙂 She says I must ‘blog’ him, so here is a picture of cuteness itself….

So, perfect, right? I’m one proud grandma, though that’s something to get used to — I’m so NOT used to being a grandma!

Certainly the excitement of new babies explains my blogging-slacking behaviour, doesn’t it?

I’ve done some spinning, some knitting and some beautiful fleece purchasing – all since I’ve been on the blog last and some of which I’d like to share here since I’m really thrilled with some of the results 🙂 I’ve been on a bit of a yarn/fleece diet this year, and trying to use up the fleeces and fibre I already have rather than buying more. IF you could see the yarn closet you’d definitely agree that the diet is necessary. It’s that or we have to expand the yarn closet, lol, or trade it perhaps with the children – their room would really make a good storage! 😉

I spun some navy and royal blue superwash merino fibre which I had bought last year at the Black Lamb (www.theblacklamb.ca), from Laurie, who is wonderful. I plied it (two plies – I’m a lazy spinner with two bobbins) and knit it up into the Gooseberry Cardigan pattern. I’m more than happy with this sweater – it’s comfy, it’s soft, it’s quite possibly my new favorite all time sweater!

Not the best picture and I can’t believe it BUT, it seems I forgot (?) to take pictures of the spun wool or the spinning itself. I must be losing my grandmother mind!

Bonus! Found a picture of the spun yarn…

I made a little crocheted top – the Avalon Top by Doris Chan. Love how it turned out too….

I also made a little pair of socks, from my handspun superwash merino sock yarn…three ply this time….

I prefer ankle socks so when I made up this design, they seemed the way to go!

Seems like forever and like I’ve got too much to say for one day. Instead of jumbling it all together we’ll have to finish this up tomorrow – when I’ll show the new alpaca fleeces I just washed and the beautiful shetlands I’m processing!!!

Have a great day! 🙂

Update Time!

I finished the handspun sweater I’ve been working on…

It’s the 97-18 Tailored Cardigan by Drops Design – a free pattern which I modified only slightly in my version. I worked without seams and used a three needle bind off for the shoulders. Also, I used small size but medium length throughout. I think in the body I could have gone a little longer still.

I ended up with a little more yarn than I needed, even!

The grandbaby isn’t here yet but should be here any day now. I’m so excited! I’ve made a little blanket – probably the last in the ‘baby collection’ for now.

It uses the ‘curve of pursuit’ idea though not the pattern (since I don’t have it). I like it very much….

I am now working in spinning some beautiful GREENS – again, superwash merino from The Black Lamb in Port Hope.

I was mixing up the colours in a certain-yet-random-way and NOW I’ve run out of some of them. So, I’m working on making a coordinating yarn to go with the 770 metres, or so, of the first yarn. There is a tunic I want to crochet. Badly.

We’ll have to see how it goes….

Back To My Spinning Wheel…

I’m hoping to spin enough 2 ply yarn for a light weight sweater 🙂 It feels good to be working with fibre and using my wheel again, after so many months of focusing on other things!

Since finances SUCK this year for us, I’m using mostly stash yarns and fibre in all my projects. I am out of sweater-lots of wool so if I want to knit anything bigger than socks I will have to spin first!

I have lots of bits of superwash merino in different colours and am going to combine them to spin up some yarn for knitting. It means combining colours and is a surprise every time. I made this a couple days ago – it’s a mixture of three or four blue shades, 2 ply, approximately 260 metres. I’m thinking socks for the baby boy, or a little sweater, perhaps 🙂

Another project I’m working my way through is combing through the leftovers from last years fleeces. I have about a pillowcase full of jacob wool and another partial case full of rambouillet. Some of it is ‘second combings’ since I HATE throwing out anything and there is a lot of saveable wool left over from combing in the first place.

Happy Spinning!

Bringing Baby Home

Good morning 🙂

I’ve finished my latest crochet portrait…created from a photograph from 20 years ago, of me holding my eldest daughter on the day we came home from the hospital…

The original photo…

A bit closer up….

Perspective makes a huge difference with these fibre creations! Up close, they look so much like nothing but when you step back a few feet, the picture is so clear.

I’ve also finished the first pair of crocheted and felted baby boots. It’s a pattern of my own which I’m working on, off and on, here and there. They are fastened with velcro at the sides/backs of the booties.

I attached the velcro with the same wool (fishermens), sewn on by hand. The velcro is sewn along the back of the ankle section and the edges of the front flaps. I’m unsure, at this point, if I chose correctly when I put the ‘hook’ section on the fronts and the other section on the back.

These have been given to my husband’s friend for his new baby boy. He’s going to be my first test wearer 🙂 On a side note, his little daughter has a pair of my felted slippers (the pattern I made late last year and am still working on) and she LOVES them…they are the only slippers she’s ever worn!! 🙂 She calls them her ‘ballerina shoes’ and was QUITE impressed with them! I single stranded my ladies medium size and felted them down for her little feet.

I also made the grandchild to be a couple things…

Some braided balls to play with;

I found the pattern, free on ravelry. It’s called the gevlochten bal.

And, a little improvised sweater, in sock yarn, on 3.25 mm needles;

I have a few ends to weave in and some blocking to do before it’s completely finished.

A Change Of Pace!

I needed a change of pace – was going CRAZY with the repetition of the portraits (though I DO love them) and needed a nice continuous project to clear my head and let the creativity flow a little.

My grandbaby is due in a short while – only 2 months to go now!! I went looking at all the felted baby booties/slippers that there are on ravelry and I really like the sort that look like little boots. I noticed one pair had a genius idea of making the ‘tongue’ (which tucks inside) be at the back, from the heel up with the front sections tying in the back, around that ‘tongue’ type piece. Genius! And also a pattern I don’t have.

So – being me – I wondered why I cant make them up in crochet?! (I’m a little caught up with the crochet hooks at the moment)

Here is my first attempt – I looked at the shape, noted some foot sizes from a good baby size chart, calculated how much bigger they should be to felt down to a newborn size and then WENT FOR IT.

Here is my first attempt;

Obviously pre-felting 🙂 I made the pattern to be constructed as one piece with NO sewing up whatsoever. I think in the end I will use velcro as fasteners though – instead of any sort of tie.

Post felting;

Pretty cute, huh?

I’m trying a second pair with a slightly smaller hook and no other changes except using doubled fingering weight wools instead of fishermans wool (as I used in the first pair)

I’m starting a baby pullover/sweater as well. I wanted something for a tiny new baby and there isn’t a lot out there, free pattern wise. I ended up using the Cirrus pattern from petit purls but I’m modifying it somewhat.

So far;

I’m letting the colour do the ‘design’ work and skipping the textured pattern though it does look great in the pattern. Also switched to sock weight yarn and smaller needles for a smaller sweater. I think 18 to 20″ should be more than wide enough.

Off with me – ’tis my daughter’s birthday and I have a cake to bake!

Another Monday…

And time to start blogging again!

I’ve been preoccupied with life — you know how that goes — cleaning, cooking, children, pets… I had this crazy notion that if I did everything REALLY WELL that it would make a difference around here. In ways it has, in others, not so much.

This is my ‘Kaleidoscope‘ (pattern by Lisa Donald) and it really turned out beautiful. I am making it for the ‘Elf Collection’, for this Christmas. That’s all I can say publicly, LOL. You never know when the children are going to read the blog!

This is my Drops b13-18 done in phentex 2 ply fingering weight. I couldn’t help but think ‘here we go again’ – I tried so many times to knit little things like this when my children were born (18 and 20 years ago) and always ended up frogging them in frustration. I didn’t have the skills yet, nor the patience required! It’s a little lace ‘jacket’ and there are matching accesories if I make it that far.

I’ve got more wips than ever before (and possibly ever again). A couple things for the baby-to-be – socks and a sweater half done, a sweater for me, a double knit baby blanket, another afghan for the ‘Elf Collection’, a baby toy and a bathmat. Oh, yes, and a shipwreck shawl…

Ok. A little scattered. I have one more thing, finished, to show…

It’s the “Baby Cabled Baby Slouch” pattern by Stacy Mar, done in Mary Maxim ‘Parisienne’ sport/dk acrylic yarn.

I really must show you the double knit blanket, so far…

This is my ‘Beauty of a blanket’ or the “Reversible Celtic Patterns Baby Blanket” by Kathleen Sperling. A really lovely free pattern which is going to take a LOT of work but which will be well worth the effort. It’s my hope to have this ready for the baby shower so I’m aiming for March. I’m using Phentex sport in caribbean blue and a very light blue marl. I absolutely know that acrylic isn’t ideal for baby things but I’m not financially able to do this blanket in anything else. Fortunately, it will wear very well and last a long time 🙂

Ok, off to knit, and cut the grass (I’m the excited owner of a new lawn mower – it’s actually alarming how excited one can get about appliances and equipment after a certain number of years being married!) and maybe even clean the house, assuming anyone will notice…

Have a great day!

A Hat Fit For A Princess

I’ve finished the hat to match my ‘Snowflake Princess’ sweater coat!  I have also written out the PATTERN in case anyone else is interested in making it.

Here it is…

So cute 🙂 It’s about 7″ tall and 17″ unstretched, around.

I’m going to make mittens next!

The Prettiest Princess Coat EVER!

• Or at least I think so 🙂

It’s my ‘Snowflake Princess’, a modified version of the Snowflake Queen Pattern by Alison Stewart-Guinee. I used the free pattern excerpt available online

I modified it in several ways…

-used a smaller needle (4 mm)
-decreased to 97 sts (24,49(back),24)
-modified the cuff by working it in the contrast ‘carmen’ yarn as;
row 1 and 2 – knit
following 8 rows – k1,p1 ribbing
cast off firmly in knit

-my version of the button bands and collar, knitted in one piece using short rows (the collar and button band were omitted from the free pattern excerpt);

• With right side facing and same yarn as used for coat, pick up 36 sts along (right) skirt, 24 sts along bodice, 11 sts front neckline, 19 held sts from back of neck (this takes into account my extra decreases, which may or may not be the amount you have), and, corresponding 11, 24, 36 on the left side.   I would place markers each side of the (19) back neck sts, to make the short rows easier to keep track of.  (161 sts)
• purl one row

Begin short rows;

• purl 98 (or 8 sts past second marker) w&t (wrap and turn)
• knit 35 (or 8 sts past second marker) w&t
• purl 36 w&t
• knit 37 w&t
• purl 38 w&t
• knit 39 w&t
• purl 40 w&t
• knit 41 w&t
• purl to end of row
• knit one row
• (buttonhole row) purl 108 sts, [(yo, p2tog, p3) 7x], p21.
• knit one row, twisting yo’s as you knit them to prevent too large button holes
• purl 98  w&t (wrap and turn)
• knit 35  w&t
• purl 36  w&t
• knit 37 w&t
• purl 38 w&t
• knit 39 w&t
• purl 41 w&t
• knit 43 w&t
• purl 45  w&t
• knit 47 w&t
• purl 49 w&t
• knit 51 w&t
• purl to end of row 

Join accent yarn (patons ‘carmen’ is what I used)

(worked in garter stitch – knit all rows)

• knit one row
• knit 108 w&t
• knit 55 w&t
• knit 57 w&t
• knit 59 w&t
• knit 61 w&t
• knit 63 w&t
• knit to end of row
• cast off in knit

I crocheted the edging around the bottom in single crochet with a 4 mm hook.

I think this is one of my favorite projects ever!  Right now I’m working on a matching hat and mittens…

The BIG News!

Yay and wow and happy dances!!

I’m going to be a grandma!

I was shocked too 🙂

My daughter is expecting in April and we’re all very happy for her. Best of all, she is very happy too. I’m going nuts picking out good adorable baby patterns – and there are lots out there!

So far…

The ‘Ribbed Baby Jacket’ by Debbie Bliss, in Shire Silk from my stash;

And…

‘One Strand Booties’ by Carole Barenys in some Kroy Sock;

Meanwhile…

I was working on some other knitting, before the BIG news arrived. I had almost finished a cardigan for myself, using some Bouquet Vogue acrylic yarn. Its the ‘Rib and Cable Cardigan’ by Irina Poludnenko (available in the Vogue Knitting, Fall 2009 magazine). Another great knit from the stash! This yarn was given to me a while ago and is, I believe, discontinued.

It is, so far, unfinished….needing seaming and the button bands knitted on. I hope to finish this soon and wear it this fall 🙂

I also started some Christmas knitting (remember, I knew nothing of the BIG news!)

Kaleidoscope by Lisa Donald, using scraps of acrylics from the stash with a few balls of a tencel/acrylic blend. The tencel seems to really soften it up.

A really easy and fun crochet pattern – I highly recommend it!

Ok – off with me…I have a million tiny socks to knit!