The Golden Snitch!

Would you look at that!



Right here in my own backyard!



It's the Golden Snitch!



Any one up for a game of Quidditch?

Homemade Apple Pie

Recipe in a well loved old cookbook I've had for decades. (Link provided for the picture only. I have no affiliation with this ebay seller.)

Sweet Little Cupcake

She's back. My sweet little granddaughter was away on her very first "vacation". She has posted some cute pictures on her blog.

While she was away she wore one of the little cupcake hats I have made.



Apparently it was a big hit with people waiting in the long ferry lines. Even the little children recognized it as a "cupcake".



.

For Spinners Who Knit

I was passing this information on to a friend who is struggling with using her handspun for a commercial knitting pattern and it occurred to me that it might be of interest to others.

"WPI" is a spinning/weaving term that means "wraps per inch" and is a way of measuring the thickness of yarn. You can wrap the yarn around a ruler or dowel marked in one inch increments, or you can use a WPI tool like this:




Laceweight = 18 or more WPI (Lace gauge varies with the project chosen.)
Fingering weight = 16 WPI and knits at 27 - 32 st per 4".

Sportweight = 14 WPI and knits at 23 - 26 st per 4".

Double Knitting (DK) = 12 WPI and knits at 21 - 24 st per 4".

Worsted = 10 WPI and knits at 16 - 20 st per 4".

Bulky = 8 WPI and knits at 12 - 15 st per 4".

Very Bulky = 6 WPI and knits at 6 - 11 sts per 4".

Clue 4 Complete

I have 60% of the shawl done ---



--- and a quick calculation tells me I have approximately 38.5% of my yarn left.



Normally when I'm afraid I'll run out of yarn I knit quickly and non-stop in hopes that I'll finish the project before I run out of yarn. I know, it makes no sense, but I'm not the only knitter that admits to this. Unfortunately the clues for the Mystery Stole 3 are being doled out piecemeal, one week at a time. I have no choice but to stop and wait for the next set of directions which won't be out until August 3rd.

On a good note, I can probably spin more if I have to. It's from commercially made top from Aurelia and the colourway is still available. On the other hand, I'd rather not as it comes in rather large bags and buying another will double my cost to make this stole.



Monica was admiring my blocking wires earlier, so I thought I'd mention them here. Not wanting to send away for expensive blocking wires I took the advice of a knitter on a Yahoo-groups forum I belonged to and bought myself a handful of 3/16" x 36" tig welding rods. You just need to check the ends and use sandpaper or a grinder to smooth out anything that might snag. Blocking wires work really well for blocking items with straight edges or even for blocking shawls that have pointed edging (in that case you run the wire through each point). It reduces the number of pins you need and makes for perfectly straight lines.

My thoughtful husband made the holder for me out of PVC pipe and threaded end caps. He even painted them for me so that the ugly black lettering is no longer visible.

The other innovation visible here is the "blocking board" made of interlocking foam play mats. I have a case of 4 and would like another set so that I can block my largest shawls, but set up in a straight line these will work fine for blocking the finished stole.

Ravelry

I'm in at Ravelry. Yay!

My user name there, as it is here and elsewhere on the internet, Wovenflame. If you're regular visitor here and a Ravelry user I'd love to add you as a "friend".

Unfortunately I've run into a snag that is making it a lot more work and a little less fun than I had hoped. I've been knitting for about 30 years. I've been blogging about that knitting since June of 2004. All the photos I have added to my blog in the past 3 years have been hosted free by Photobucket. Ravelry only supports Flickr at the moment. *sigh*

What that means is that although I have done a ton of knitting in my lifetime and have documented the last 3 years worth with hundreds of photos on my blog, if I want to show pictures of it on my Ravelry page I have to find the photos in my files,(some of which no longer exist due to computer crashes), or when lucky on disks, and upload them to a new photo host and THEN link to them in Ravelry. Even though they are all sitting there already available online I have to do it all over again. I don't think I will.

I've put a few up, my more recent ones, and I'll try to get any new ones added to Ravelry, but jeez I wish I could just link to them all from my Photobucket account.

Bolero Beginnings

Yesterday, with the Nicole Vest finished and the next clue for the MS3 not yet out, I took the opportunity to start another handspun lace project.



I'm using what remains of the 2ply fingering weight superwash wool I spun up for the Lace Edged Denim Sweater.

All Buttoned Up

It fits!



I added three more buttons than called for in the pattern. No one needs to see my grandmotherly navel.

Nicole Vest (pattern by Bonne Marie Burns for "Chic Knits").

For size 36.5 (with added length) I used almost 4 balls (50g each) of James C. Brett "Kool Kotton", 50% cotton/50% acrylic, machine washable DK.

Knitpicks circular needles in sizes 3.25mm and 3mm.

Modifications: Added one inch to the length.

Changes I would make if I knit this again: I would add the one inch above the row of waist eyelets instead of just above the bottom lace edging. This would make the eyelet row sit more at my waist than slightly above it. I would also add about 1/2 an inch to the shoulder straps so that the underarm was slightly lower.

Perseverance Pays Off

Finally! The Nicole Vest is finished and outa my hair. I had so many problems knitting this one that I'm breathing a sigh of relief that she's done. I had my doubts at times.



Now don't get me wrong, the problems I had were not the fault of the pattern. The pattern wasn't even difficult. It was my own momentary lapses in attention that tripped me up.



There is one small error in the pattern. After transferring the front stitches from the stitch holders to resume knitting (after the back is complete) it says to "purl across row". In reality you need to work across the wrong side row according to patterns as established. No biggie, but just thought I'd mention it.

Now to wait until it's dry, (Shouldn't take long. It's only 9am and already the house is 83 degrees), purchase buttons and get a modelled shot.

Cool!

It's hot out. And in.



I may be confined to my bedroom by the scorching heat, but at least I have one cool room I can retreat to. I am ever so grateful for this new addition. I'll be dragging my favorite chair in there so that I have somewhere to knit and read in comfort.

MS3 Clue 2 Complete

I may have got a late start on the knitalong, but I managed to catch up. Clue 2 is finished and now I have to wait until Friday for the next clue.



I don't normally block shawls while they are still in progress, but with the long wait until the next clue is released I thought I might as well see what I have so far.



This close-up photo shows the rainbow angelina in the handspun a little better than some of the previous ones. The beads are adding their extra sparkle too.

Gorilla Bouncer

Today we bought and installed a Jolly Jumper for our granddaughter Kaylen, (aka "Gorilla").



Turns out that Jolly Jumpers are great entertainment --- for the adults as well as the baby.

Action video HERE.

MS3 Clue One Complete

Clue One of the Mystery Stole Knit-a-Long was released last week, and the second clue was released yesterday, Friday the 7th. I only joined late Thursday night when I started to see pictures of the completed "clue one" around blogland. Yesterday I managed to knit up all of the first "clue", which consisted of the first two charts, a total of 100, ever increasing rows. Curious as to how well my handspun was working with this pattern I did a rudimentary blocking overnight.



I'm pleased with the results. The needle size I have chosen seems appropriate. The resulting lace is neither too dense to drape nor too airy for the design to show.



I'm happy with my bead selection too. I've tried to show a close up of some of the "oil slick" beads and capture a bit of the beautiful rainbow angelina in the spun wool. Both the black yarn and the beads are really hard to capture in a photograph though. In "real life" they show up more. In the sunshine the shawl sparkles breathtakingly!

Me and 6,444 Others

On Yarn Harlot's blog the question was asked, "Signups close Friday at midnight. How are you going to feel when everyone is having fun without you?".

That was it, the one thing that could push me over the edge. The thought that others might be having fun without me! I jumped on the bandwagon (me and 6,444 others --- so far). If you run really fast you might be able to catch it, the knit-a-long is accepting new registrants until midnight. Hurry! I'll put out my hand to give you a boost when I see you scrambling to get on board.

I've a ways to go before I catch up completely myself. There are two charts in "clue 1" and I've got the first of them finished.



But the first week has passed and many are on to "clue #2" now.

I'm knitting mine out of the "Black Rainbow" 2ply laceweight handspun. Remember? The stuff I said I wanted to make a triangular shawl out of?

Another Setback

Well here we go again. It seems some days you just can't get ahead. After that last frogging incident I put the Nicole Vest aside for awhile, but over the last few days I have been working on it again. The road trip to Manning Park and back had me moving ahead by 2 repeats (8 rows per repeat). Today I had added an additional repeat --- and I should have stopped there.



But noooooo, I was enjoying myself and decided to press on. After another 3 rows I was admiring my work, draping it over my foot of all things, seeing how some of the patterns would look as a sock, when out it leaped, another darn error. And wouldn't you know it, it was in the dreaded faggotting again. Aargh. I find faggotting is rather unique in that it is easy as pie to knit, but horrid to try to drop down and ladder back up again. Those interconnecting YOs in the centre are the trouble. They have to fit into the p2tog tbl just so. Any errors are quite glaringly obvious. You know I tried. I really tried. And in the end, just like last time, I ended up having to rip several rows (5 this time around), with the slow and fiddly tinking of the last row.

I don't mind the reknitting --- I DO like knitting after all. It's all the time wasted ripping that I resent.

Day Trip

It's unusual for my husband to get a Friday off so we made the best of it by taking a little day trip up to Manning Park. That's one of the beautiful things about living where we do. Many interesting attractions are just a short hop away.

We hiked as far around the lake as we could. We had to turn back when much of the path was closed because clearing of the Fall and Winter windfallen trees was taking place. We saw a LOT of wildlife during our hike though. Besides the usual variety of birds in the air and on the water, we also saw 6 deer. These three, a mama and her twins, were on the path just ahead of us. They were much closer than shown in the photo. By the time I got my camera turned on and zoomed in, she of course decided she should take the babies farther away.



Now these little marmots were not so easily spooked. I found that if we were all quiet and sneaky like they disappeared down one of their numerous tunnels --- BUT, if you spoke to them in the manner that you would a beloved kitten or puppy, they held still, posed even, for the camera.



Rustle a food wrapper and they came a runnin'.



Drop a few crumbs of granola bar and they practically ambushed your feet.



Think they've met humans before?

Winning Scarf

Last September I knit three scarves out of my own handspun llama laceweight. The first was "Branching Out", done exactly as the pattern was originally written.



The second and third ones I knit using my own modification to the pattern. I then overdyed one with black, which resulted in a rich chocolate brown colour. That one became a Christmas gift for my mother-in-law.



The other I dyed with scarlet and it became a pretty brick red colour. I gave it away last night at a scarf exchange at the year end dinner for the Chilliwack Spinners and Weavers Guild. After the exchange the scarves were put on display and we had a chance to vote for our favorite in two categories: Knit or Crocheted, and Woven. Mine gathered the most votes in the knit or crocheted category and ---



--- I won this pretty begonia!

Alternate Skein Winder

I've joined a 'spin-to-knit-along' for handspun shawls. I posted over there about my trouble with the broken niddy noddy and Tyler suggested using my umbrella swift. At first I resisted the idea thinking how awkward it would be. Then I read somewhere else in the blog-o-sphere (can't remember exactly where) that it works well if the swift is mounted sideways, on the table leg, instead of in its usual position on a table top.



Well, look at that! It does work. I tied a non-stretchy string into a circle of exactly 2 yards and then opened the swift until it fit the string. I then tied a colourful piece of yarn to one section of the swift as a marker. Rotating the swift around and around by hand (easily done by hanging onto one of the 'spokes') I counted each pass the marker string made.



I have at least 760 yards of 22 WPI, 2 ply laceweight in one continuous strand. (The handspun wasn't as tight on the swift as the measuring string was so I figure each 'lap' was slightly more than the 2 yards I counted.) I have a wee bit more that I Andean plyed from what was leftover on one of the bobbins after plying. I'll likely use that bit for my gauge swatch/es.



The beads are leftover from another project. There won't be enough to do the shawl, but they match so well that I'll take them with me when I'm hunting down some more. I think I know where I got them.

Plyed and Busted

I don't think I've ever had one of these large, Majacraft bobbins so full! I plyed and plyed and in the end I got nearly 250g of 2 ply laceweight (22 WPI) on there. I'd love to tell you how many yards that made but ----



--- when I had counted off well over 300 wraps (on a 2 yard niddy noddy) the piece of junk broke under the strain. I knew it was cracked, and I've ordered a new one, but I was hoping the loosely jointed, weak, poorly designed, piece of good for nuthin' kindling would hold together long enough to finish this job. As it was I had to yelp for help before hundreds of yards of handspun became hopelessly tangled.



I quickly finished winding the skein while my husband held it on his outstretched arms. *whew*



It's had it's bath and is hanging (perfectly balanced, *woo hoo*!) to dry. Hopefully I'll be able to borrow a yardage counter to get an accurate length before choosing a shawl design.

Decisions, Decisions!

I've been on the computer all morning searching for just the right shawl pattern. I'm still not sure exactly what I want, but I'm narrowing it down.

I don't want circular or square --- twice the knitting (and yarn!) and the second half doesn't really show --- otherwise I'd do the Tina Shawl.

I don't want rectangular either as I find stoles awkward to wear.

I do like "Birch", but I'd like something with a bit of variety in the stitch patterns --- not one pattern throughout.

I also like the look of an elaborate border.

72" wingspan would be perfect.

I'd like to add beads, although they don't have to be present in the original pattern.

The Mountain Peaks Shawl might work --- or ---

I love the look of the Peacock Feathers Shawl, but I've done it already and I'm not normally one to repeat a pattern. I might just decide to do it again anyway. It's such a beautiful shawl. I've never found one I like as much. It's been two years since the last ---

--- Help me, I'm falling again!

Next Up

Now on the wheel:



This is the beginnings of 250g of "Black Rainbow" a dyed, Halfbred wool blended with 10% rainbow glitter. I bought it from the Aurelia booth at Fibrefest International. I'm spinning it fine, to become a 2ply laceweight.

I hope to use the finished yarn for a beaded, evening type shawl to use in the holiday season. I still haven't picked a pattern though. Any suggestions? I'd like something reasonably complex --- not just one stitch pattern throughout.

Dazzling RED!

Remember this shawl?



It's the Swallowtail Shawl from the Fall 2006 issue of Interweave Knits. I knit it from my own spindle spun BFL yarn. I liked it but it felt "granny-ish" to me. Although I'm a Grandma and quite happy to be one, I wasn't ready to stoop over and walk with a cane --- which is the image it conveyed to me.

Nope. Natural cream colour just wouldn't do. I had to jazz it up a little.



Three packages of Kool-Aid drink mix later (Tropical Punch flavour) and my ho-hum, natural coloured granny-shawl is now a dazzling, scarlet scarf.

Okay, worn like this it is still pretty granny-ish,



--- but I'm thinking maybe I'll wear it like this, with a cowl/scarf effect under my black jacket in the winter. Just the thing to brighten a drizzly and grey winter day.



And here's a little detail shot because lace is just so darn worthy of close-up, detail shots.

From The Trash Bin

I have a big garbage bag full of wool that has been carded on a drum carder. I have no idea who originally owned the sheep and what breed it was. I also don't know who put it through a drum carder without picking out the second cuts and excessive amounts of VM (vegetable matter). I was just asked if I would like to have this big bag of wool, donated anonymously to the guild. I opened the bag and looked inside, and even me, a relatively new spinner, could see that there was trouble.



I took it on the condition that no one would complain if in the end I decided it wasn't worth the effort and threw the whole lot in the garbage. It was obviously not spinnable "as is".

Out came my handy, dandy combs. I discovered that with a lot of time spent combing (just as much as if the wool was uncarded) the VM dropped out quite nicely. The resulting 'nests' spin up into a beautifully soft and springy wool. Of the two samples I tried the thicker one is the nicest.

Fleece Salvage

Shelby, the resident fleece inspector, checks for spots that need more washing. Her report? Loads of VM still present but most of the dirt and all of the yolk and poop are gone. *sigh* (The aromatic poop is her favorite part.)



The comb loaded up with the VM filled wool.



3 to 4 complete passes through the combs and it is looking fairly VM-less.



Dizzing off a roving and picking out any noil that shows up.



The long strip of roving rolled into a nest for later spinning.



It takes me about an hour to do six small nests. Pretty labour intensive, but it saves a fleece that otherwise would have been thrown in the garbage. The resulting roving is soft and springy and should make for nice spinning.



Too bad it takes most of the summer to comb up one fleece! I can only stick with wool combing for about an hour at a time. Even if I somehow found the time to do it twice a day, that's a LOT of wool to get through.