Fiber Fool

A couple months ago one of the three yarn shops here in Fort Collins closed its doors. However, another has opened, but in a little bedroom community North of Fort Collins called Wellington. The new shop is Nanytutu’s (I’m guessing the site is still under construction, but the address, phone number and hours are available there) and is housed in an old building on the main street in town that used to serve as a bar and restaurant. Nancy, the proprietor, was filling in another customer on the history of the building while Knitter Sans-a-blog and I were browsing. I believe she said the building was built in 1906. It has a fun ambiance with the stained glass detailing in the windows and the gorgeous bar.

When you first walk into Nanytutu’s you see the bar. However, if you turn to your right, there is a little fiber corner that contains a lot of locally produced fiber. There is tons of gorgeous llama and llama blends from a nearby ranch as well as some beautiful and colorful fiber blends of Alpine Meadows Fibers. There was also a nice selection of the engineered fibers, including natural and carbon bamboo, silk latte (milk), and soy silk. They were all packaged in 1 oz lots which I find wonderful for sampling or if you were going to do a low percentage blend with wool, but if I would decide I wanted to do a project that required more I’d be a bit put off to have to buy them in 1 oz lots - that’s a lot of sandwich baggies and labels that are unnecessary. I hope in the future there are also 4 oz packages available or even the ability to call ahead and order a larger lot would do. I did do some sample buying though which I’ll share with you tomorrow. There were not too many spinning supplies aside from the fiber at this point, but it was a fantastic start for a shop that was less than a week old! There was also a bit of weaving stuff available.

Nancy did a good job in researching what was available in the area and like Woolen Treasures in Loveland did not double up on many yarn lines that are already available. I *love* it when shops are smart like that. It gives me local access to many more yarns that I would likely otherwise purchase on the Internet. There was a fair emphasis on more luxury fibers - lots of alpaca and alpaca blends were there, as well as silk and silk blends. But the basic wool yarn selection was great too, with Cascade and Galway. There is a small room that is marked as baby, but don’t skip it. Much of the yarn in there is soft enough and/or easy care for baby, but it isn’t strictly “baby yarn” in color or fiber composition.

Overall, I was very impressed with the shop. It is quite small and there isn’t too much more room for adding new merchandise, but the products are presented nicely. I am excited to watch this store evolve. There was an awful large selection of singles yarn. I understand, lots of singles yarns are highly attractive due to the clearer color and such you get from not plying, but I don’t care much for knitting with it these days unless I’m going to be felting. But there was a nice sock yarn selection (though only a few color selections from each line), some really nice luxury yarns, and good selection of basic yarns as well.

If you are in the area, it is definitely worth the drive to Wellington to check it out. It will be a great addition to the Northern Colorado yarn crawl.

ETA: Got a note from Nancy and she added this, “Just so you know, we have available larger quantities of the rovings, just haven’t had them out yet. Also, we have Louet, Ashford and Schacht, so can special order what ever.”

It seems I often have bits of sock yarn lying around. Often not quite enough for baby socks, nor did I know a baby until this past week. So, when I first got my Weavette for my birthday I started just weaving squares now and again from the left over sock yarn. The weight seems about right most of the time and it is very interesting to compare how the yarn looks knit versus woven in a single strand. I always leave an extra long tail at the end to allow for seaming.

Now, I started to accumulate quite the collection of squares. So, I asked a friend of ours if she would have any lavender from her garden to spare in exchange for some sachets. She hooked me up with enough to fill probably 30 - 40 sachets. Since the lavender is just going into sachets I didn’t get too picky about stems being in there as they too carry the essential oils that release the lovely scent. So, I took the large paper bag that she gave me the lavender in and stapled it shut then stomped on it a bunch. I pulled out the larger pieces of stem that didn’t break down during the stomping. Then it was time to begin the inner packets to hold the lavender.

The loom I have is 4 inches and the final squares are about 3.5 inches once removed from the loom. So, I took some scrap cutain liner (muslin or other tightly woven scrap fabric will do) and cut it into forty 3.5 inch squares. I then sewed two together with a 1/4 inch seam allowance and left about 1 - 1.5 inches open on one side for turning and filling. I clipped the corners before turning right side out. Then I pressed them.

Filling these are a bit of a challenge. I used a sheet of paper for a funnel and gently shook it and the pillow together until they were comfortably full. I did not want bulging sachets and I wanted to be able to machine stitch them closed. Once filled I sewed over the open end very close to the edge to close. Since they will be covered there is no need to take the added time to hand stitch them closed.

To cover, take two weavette squares and turn one so you have the longer tails at diagonal corners. Then using a tapestry needle just start stitching the two squares together. Because you are using the yarn from making the squares the stitching is nearly invisible. I try to get two sides stitched from one tail, then I open it up slightly and weave the end in and then start stitching the third side with the other long tail. Once the third side is done, tuck in one of the muslin packets and stitch the fourth side shut. When I get to the final corner I like to make a little loop from the tail(s) using a square knot. That way it can be hung from a hanger or nail in a closet or bathroom, or it can be tucked into a drawer.

You could also fill the muslin bags with cedar shavings or a blend of cedar and lavendar to ward off moths. To just add a nice scent to a room you could use any fragrant dried flower or blend of flowers or even whole spices. Try roses, chammomile, orange blossoms, peppermint leaves, eucalyptus, juniper, bay leaves, cloves, all spice, cinnamon, or even tea that is past its drinking prime.

You can use any shape or size of the Weavette or Hazel Rose looms. Just cut your muslin pieces to match the size of the woven pieces once removed from the loom and sew with a 1/4 inch seam allowance and you should have plently of room to give a nice finish to the sachets.

Now, if only I could locate my Weavette book so I could play with some other textural weaving patterns! *sigh*

Just a few things I’ve run across recently in blogland that have piqued my interest etc…

There of course has been a huge surge in using freezer paper for stencils to apply designs on t-shirts, bags, pants, etc. In fact, it has been so big there is a Flickr group dedicated solely to sharing projects that have used freezer paper stencils. There is some really cool stuff in there, but I have to say my favorite is from M&C - a Barrel of Monkey Tee! Yes, I do know this craft diva in real life so you could probably accuse me of being biased, but there is just something about me and my monkies and the whole red and green color combo makes it even better!

Of course, you don’t have to have read this new blog for very long to know that I’m getting in touch with my Scandanavian roots, so when I was greeted this morning with a notice that the 200SOX blog was updated and I came across these gorgeous socks that Helene made I couldn’t help but be in awe (and inspired) and now lusting after the book she spoke of.

Have you seen Theresa and Julie using Weavettes? I love what Theresa did with her square! Don’t know what a Weavette is? Check out their web site! For other sizes and shapes check out Hazel Rose Looms (thank you for the tip Amanda)!

There is also from a while ago the great flip-flop socks that Alison recieved. I think they are adorable. I recall seeing some last year. I really don’t wear flip-flops much but I love those socks. And, thanks to Whip-Up for the link there is a PDF pattern in English available! Plus, it is probably a great way to use of yarn after making shorty socks!
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I just finished reading The Emigrants by Vilhelm Moberg (translated by Gustav Lannestock). I actually read an old hardback library copy I got about a year ago. Along my recent theme of Swedish cooking this is the story of a family’s emigration from Sweden to American in the middle nineteenth century.

I am unsure why, but I was expecting the book to be more about their settling in America. Instead, over half of the book was dedicated to the time leading up to their departure. Ultimately, I think that was done quite well. It gave me a sense of why they made the decision they did and also gave me a better feel for the political situation in Sweden at the time. It also gave me a real sense of what the crossing of the Atlantic was like. There are three more books to this series (which was originally planned as a trilogy) so there is plenty of time to devote to their settling and adjusting to this country.

I did find the names in the book quite interesting as you got to see the evolution of the Swedish and other Scandanavian names which are so prevalent in Minnesota - Nielson, Johnson etc. It was just a nice reminder of the roots of those names.

When I first bought the book I had started to read it and then set it aside. It is not a real page turner, so I suspect I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind to read it last year. It isn’t one I would universally recommend. I suspect one needs an interest in Swedish culture and the emigrant story to enjoy this and the other books in the series.

Now I’m on to Anne of Green Gables. Last year I had thought the summer would be one of revisiting all my children and young adult classic reads - Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables, if time permitted The Secret Garden and A Little Princess, but somehow the summer flew by and I didn’t read any of them. So, I’m going to give at least some of them a try this summer. I might also throw in some newer books aimed towards that age group as well such as the His Dark Materials series. We’ll see how far I get though…

I’m also taking part in a religious text reading group. We’re a group of mixed religious backgrounds and current beliefs and we are starting with the Old Testament, then The Book of Mormon, followed by the New Testament and depending on how much steam we have left after 26 or so weeks we might delve into other religious texts as well (perhaps after a bit of a break). But, I think that heavy reading will be broken up quite nicely with some easy child and young adult reading. Especially since they have set a pace of roughly 100 pages per week.

For those who are wondering, the numbers in the subject are (fiction books read, non-fiction books read, total books read so far this year). I’ve been terribly slow with reading this year, I’m not sure why.

I don’t know how many of you read Lisa’s blog over at Black Sheep, but she posts a new word and definition each week on Wednesdays. I started reading her because she will be attending the Estes Park Wool Market (follow that link and leave a comment if you are going and you haven’t done so yet). This week she chose a word that pops up frequently in the knitblog circle it seems…ennui. At the end of yesterday’s post she posed a question asking what causes ennui for each of us and how do we overcome it?

I’m not positive that my current feelings can quite be described by the dictionary definition of ennui — a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction: boredom. I am dissatisfied and a bit weary, but it isn’t resulting in boredom per se. It is more of a feeling of inaudequacy; an inability to accomplish all that I would like which leads me to not doing much of anything. In this case it isn’t so much not being able to do so because of skill or knowledge, but rather that I have sooo many projects I’d like to undertake that I can’t choose where to start.

I have actually started a new summer sock design that I think is really cute, but it is a bit piddly and some of the techniques it requires can be a bit rough on my hands and with this week being my week of higher proneness for muscle spasms and all around pain it just isn’t really the time to work on it. I really want to give one of the MDK linen hand towels a try (and even have hank of the linen on hand), I’d also like to try my hand at the MDK rag since the standard knit washrag pattern of the family doesn’t stand up to DH’s standards (which I kind of agree with actually). Also, thanks to the kindness of Snow, I have a skein of Red Bird Knits Lace Silk (in the Paris colorway I’m told) and a Diamond Fantasy Shawl pattern sitting on my ottoman taunting me. I’ve loved the Diamond Fantasy Shawl pattern long before I ever started knitting lace. The geometric nature of the design just really appeals to me. But, I also know the new IK should show up in the mailbox anytime now and I have that gorgeous Fino yarn I got for my birthday that is the same brand and same size hank as required for Mim’s gorgeous Icarus shawl so I kind of won’t want to cast on for DFS, yet I’ve nearly pulled out the required needles at least a dozen times yesterday. I also have the nautical baby hat to finish, but for whatever reason it isn’t pulling at me.

The Weavette I also got for my birthday is kind of taunting me as well. Then, my water aerobics instructor has lent me her Inkle loom and I have the proper cotton to go ahead and warp it and start weaving on it. I want to, yet I don’t want to. I’m afraid I’ll be sucked into yet another hobby. Plus, her Inkle loom is a two-sided one so the process of warping it has to be a PITA.

Then there is of course the spinning. I spun half of one of the colorways of BFL I dyed last month. It’s gorgeous and should be a slightly heavy laceweight when plied. I really want to spin the rest of it. I really *should* spin the rest of it. Yet, I haven’t. I’m not quite sure why. Perhaps because I moved the wheel out of position while mom was here so there wouldn’t be any blind woman or big dog incidents with it. But, out of position means it’s two feet to my left agains the wall under the window and the ottoman is right in front of me. We’re not talking that it is shoved away in a closet somewhere. Since I’ve fallen hugely behind on my television shows perhaps I should set up in the basement again. It will be getting too hot sometime semi-soon for me to be comfortable spinning up in the living room…

Last, but not least is the guilt I feel when taking time during the day to knit or spin or weave this week when I should be scrubbing the bathroom and dusting and washing floors. But, it’s been raining which is great as we need the moisture, but it means dirty, muddy puppy paws several times a day. My normal inclination is to let the mud build up by the patio door until the weather dries up and then mop it, but I can’t really do that with K&M arriving tomorrow afternoon sometime.

So, I have a case of something. I’m not sure ennui is quite the right description, perhaps it is better described as overwhelmed by possibilities… Or perhaps just PMS. But, whatever it is, it sucks!

I think today I’ll stick to researching podcasting inbetween bursts of cleaning and baking (banana bread and hopefully chocolate chip cookies as I’ve been craving them terribly lately and we all know what happens when you deny that which you crave…).