PSA…

Do NOT let yourself get dehydrated or you’ll be reaping the aftereffects nearly two weeks later!

I’m a huge mass of infection right now. There will be much resting in my future to prepare for a marathon drive to IA and back (in four days total - 1 day out, 2 days there, 1 day back home) for which we leave before dawn next Thursday.

So, I’ll leave you with a few links of possible interest to see what I’ve been up to…

+ The Bat Mitzvah Book Commission, all completed.
+ The washed, blocked and dried skein of the merino/tussah top.
+ The washed, blocked and dried skein of the cotswold bat.

I had wanted to go to Textiles A Mano today to drop off a few things for an exchange to benefit a local charity program here, but I’m exhausted. I still have to wrestle up something for lunch (perhaps I’ll just have a Luna bar) and go pick up my prescriptions.

No promises on posting frequency this week, but hopefully I’ll be back to normal next week.

The Days Are a Spinning!

This weekend was a BIG weekend in the world of spinning for me. Firstly, I finally got over my fear of spinning in front of DH (I haven’t touched my wheel on the weekends or evenings since DH’s not so kind comments when I first got my wheel)! I spun up a sample of merino/tussah roving (I suspect it is Ashland Bay, but I’m not positive) early Saturday afternoon while DH sat NEXT to me and watched every move I made. I was focusing on working on my worsted draw and I think I have it down. It still is a bit of a fight for me to keep the twist from entering the space between my hands, but I keep it out longer and when it does creep in I’m able to deal with it better than before. This worsted spun is on the Magpie niddy noddy in the front and is roughly 32 yds. At first I was trying to figure out what in the heck I’d do with 32 yds. I love it and an idea has popped into my head that I think 32 yds will enough for. So, stay tuned this week to see what that idea is!

Then, later Saturday afternoon was a bit of a “card party.” A three of us spinners from SnB got together and carded some fleece on a drum carder. Boy, was that a learning experience. The biggest lesson? Don’t buy dyed, unprepared wool from Ebay when it is really cheap. Chances are the person selling it to you had no clue about spinning and just thought they’d cash in. Two of the three fleeces we worked with on Saturday were disgustingly dirty and full of second cuts! The one fleece that we carded completely ended up at only about 1/2 of it’s original weight in bats. However, now I’ll be a more educated consumer when it comes to looking at fleeces and such at the wool market next year (and perhaps SOAR in November).

So, on the PVC niddy noddy is one bat of Cotswold that I spun and plied on yesterday. This was the very first bat that we put through the carder so it is not very even and had a fair bit of noils in it. But, it was fun to spin, even if it isn’t terribly even. It comes out at roughly 42 yds.

Both are now washed and blocking with a fan on them to help the process along a bit. If I’m lucky they will be dry enough for me to bring along to SnB this evening. Though I have to leave early for a chiropractic appointment (nearly next door to Catalyst) at 4:20. So, we’ll have to see. Well, back to the kitchen and cleaning for me…

I’ve won…

the battle with worsted draw! More details and pics on Monday! Wooohooooooooo!

Spinning Class Redux…

Yesterday I showed off my center pull ball of the plied yarn. Here you can see that I used about 1/2 of that ball and knit my swatch. It’s 30 sts on US 2.5 Bryspun DPNs knit in the round. I had a tough time deciding on a pattern, as the yarn is still pretty rustic (though I’ll likely want to re-swatch when I really sit down to spin all the yarn for the socks as this skein contained all my experiements of different drafting techniques and fighting with the plying as well). So, I chose a simple embellished rib. I then wash and blocked the swatch too. There really wasn’t much difference at all. The one end is small in circumference because I didn’t pay attention to BO loosely - oops! If I had paid attention it could possibly be worn as a cuff. Oh, and if you click on the picture it’ll give you a larger image of just the swatch that will give you a bit better feel for the depth of color in this yarn.

So, last night was sort of a free form class. Once we all finished disucssing our project plans we got to just try different fibers. From left to right we have bombyx silk spun from a cap or bell (similar to a hankie), bleached tussah roving, linen roving (these weren’t full length fibers and weren’t spun from a distaff or wet as you would need to do with full length flax fibers), lastly is a combination mini-skein of combed cotton (the brown) and cotton spun direct from the seed pods.

My favorite to spin last night would have to be the bombyx silk cap and then the cotton from the pods. But I had very little fight with any of them. I did have some trouble doing a worsted draw on the tussah roving, but I got it down towards the end - mostly when Maggie started talking about the linen process so I got caught up in listening to her and just got into the rhythm. I’ll want to be trying that again here very soon to try get that engrained in my head. But I was having difficulty pinching my forward hand hard enough to keep the twist out from between the hands. It seems I tend naturally towards the long draw so I had a good time with the cotton. The first little bit of the combed cotton resulted in some really large slubs, but I thinned it out quite well and then had a blast with the seed pods. I was amazed at the length of yarn you would get from one seed pod!

I need to give props to my peep, Amanda for letting me tag along these past four weeks. It was so much more pleasureable to make the trip and take the class with a friend! Of course being able to take my pain meds was a great plus as well.

And, because I know I’ll have an e-mail or comment waiting for me if I don’t post this…

The very beginnings of Fiber Trends’ Leaf Lace Shawl in copper Zephyr (wool/silk lace weight). I’m afraid I haven’t made any progress on it today, but there should be at least some quality time with it this weekend.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Running & Can’t Catch up!

I have a bunch to say about the final Spinning II class, but alas I ended up at water aerobics for two classes today because it was the end of the session and we played volleyball with the class after us. So, I’m behind. I still haven’t done anything about lunch (and it’s 1:30pm and as I don’t eat breakfast, I just gulp down a glass of cramberry juice before class, well you get the idea…)!

So, I’m going to take care of lunch and then I have some prep stuff that needs doing before I can make this post that is bursting in my head. So, expect a spinning-centric (which perhaps a small touch of lace to keep Snow happy) post late this afternoon…

Wash, Rinse, Block, Repeat

So the assignment for the final class of Spinning II tonight was to plan a project. Now, I plan projects all the time. I just haven’t planned how I wanted the yarn to be. Perhaps that’s because I’m not quite up to spinning for spec??

There are definitely areas in the ball that were what I was shooting for. However, I suck at spinning combed tops. I can’t do a worsted draw to save my life, especially with commercially combed top. I can’t keep the twist out of the drafting triangle and on the rare occassion I’m able to do that, I tend to break it. So, this ball is not the most consistent of yarn because I was goofing around with what ratio I needed to have the wheel on and what drafting method was going to work best for me. What ended up working well for me was long draw. However, I must be doing something wrong with that as whenever I do that for more then 30 minutes my left hand cramps up. I find it odd as before this class I was mostly doing long draw and had no troubles and also had a more consistent yarn then. I’m more than slightly frustrated :-/

Even the areas that look like I want don’t feel as I would like. There is very little elasticity to it. I’m not sure if that is due to the 30% ecopolyester fiber or my method of drafting or what. That said, I balled it up this morning and knit up my swatch for a pair of socks. I started on US 1 needles and that was just a little too dense. I like my socks in a tight gauge so they last, but I think a pair of socks knit on 1s with this yarn would be able to get up and dance on their own, LOL! I settled upon US 2.5s. I used about half of the 25 yards and washed the swatch even (though I don’t think there was a noticeable change). It is now hanging from a fan in hopes that it will dry by the time I need to leave for class.

In equally frustrating news the cast-on for Fibertrend’s Leaf Lace shawl (it’s the same as for FBS too) has me stymied. And, I have even consulted what appears to be the only pictoral tutorial of the method on the web. However, I’m not finding it helpful. I think my biggest problem is that those pictures are of yarn on it’s normal sized needle, where as I’m using Zephyr on US 5 needles so it looks sooo different I still can’t tell where I’m supposed to pick up those three stitches. But it doesn’t help that the pictures are generlly quite blurry too.

The directions say to cast on 2 with the provisional cast-on and then knit 6 rows. Check! That’s the easy part. Then the next bit says to “k2, rotate work and knit up 1 st in each of the 3 garter ridges along the side edge.” Firstly, if you knit 2 sts and then turn the work, how can you pick up and knit without getting some wierd string across your work. If you knit 2 stitches and then turn the work, how are the stitches on the right hand needle so that you can pick up and knit those stitches (assuming I knew where to pick up and knit those stitches). Then, assuming I had that figured out how do you pick up garter ridges along the side edge? Garter ridges run perpendicular to the side edge! And, there are two sides, which side am I pick up this garter ridges??? Grrrr!

I suppose it will all come down to my overthinking this, but I’ve tried numerous times and it just hasn’t worked. Anyone know of books that describe this method and what is it called? Does it have a name I can search on? Anyone have any helpful tips?

I’m really in need of some success today and I suspect it isn’t going to happen in spinning class tonight…

A Celebratory Contest…

It has been a year since I broke out on my own and began teaching my online art and creativity classes through my own web site. To celebrate, I’m offering up to $30 off the 315th order placed (I’m currently just shy of 300 orders) through my shopping cart system! This includes my on-line classes as well as my original artwork, photographic prints and knitting patterns (gift certificates excluded)!

The next term of classes begins October 5th and will wrap up around the beginning of the busy holiday season. This will be the last term of classes until February 2006! Any classes that do not have enrollments by September 7th with be cancelled. So, if there is a class you’ve been especially looking forward to I suggest enrolling as soon as possible!

You can choose from 6 of my 8 classes - Printmaking for the Home Studio, Bodacious Backgrounds, Techniques in Altered Books, Intro to Collage Design, Creative Color, and Intermediate Bookbinding. If you haven’t taken any of my classes before I recommend checking out the FAQ at http://www.designedlykristi.com/classes/faq.html

For your chance at being the 315th order, head to http://www.designedlykristi.com/shoppingcart and place your order for classes, art, photos or knitting patterns now!

I’ll return to the regularly scheduled knitting and spinning topics tomorrow, but I’m too busy celebrating today

One More Classy Closure…

I finally finished the attachment of the closure for the Not-so-Squatty Sister Sidekick yesterday and got it photographed this morning.

You can see the purse as a whole in the left side bar again. But, I once again used a gemstone donut. This one is a touch bluer than the purse, but I was assured by the gals in my spinning class that it looked nice even though it didn’t match and wasn’t hugely contrasting either.

I did a four strand round braid with left over Manos and then tied a decorative knot in it to hold the gemstone. Then I needle felted the braid so I could clip it to length and then stitched it to the body of the purse with the yarn and again did some needle felting to secure it well and to obscure the stitching.

I sure hope my sister likes this purse!

Buttons & Cheese!

If you take a look over at the left side you’l see I’ve finally added my Sophie Bag and my Scrappy Squatty Sidekick to the picture roll over there. That is because they both have their proper closures in place now

I love Sophie, but I didn’t like how it splayed open when I wore it over my shoulder with my things in it. Not that Ft. Collins has a huge problem with pick pockets, but I wasn’t comfortable with it wide open to anyone passing by. So, while on the hunt for the perfect closure fot he Not-so-Squatty Sister Sidekick I wound two gemstone donuts that looked super nice with Sophie so I picked them up. I took some of the remaining yarn and did a 9-strand flat braid and used that to attach the donuts to one side of the purse. The weight of the gemstone donuts is just enough to keep the bag nicely closed so the purse retains the majority of it’s ease to put things in and take things out of it, but it also hangs nicely closed. The photo looks like the bag is a bit lopsided, though it isn’t - it’s just that my “things” are lopsided which are in it. I stitched the braid with the same yarn and then took out some frustrations with a felting needle for a nice seamless look.

I also found a good button for my larger, Scrappy Squatty after spinning class on Thursday at Shuttles, Spindles, and Skeins in Boulder. It’s a hammered bronze button and it brings out the metallic novelty that I carried along for much of the purse. I think it finishes off the purse quite nicely.

I’m still working on the attachment for the Sister Squatty and the embellishment design for Lucy, but they are both coming along. I got felting needles and some roving for Lucy on Thursday as well.

I tried to go get the two Fibertrend shawl patterns I was interested in on Friday, but Lambspun had almost nothing when it came to shawl patterns. Their lace stuff was mostly scarves. I guess it makes sense since they sell basically no lace weight except mohair. They do carry Fibertrends patterns. Then, Woolen Treasures is closed today so I *still* can’t satisfy my *need* for a lace shawl project. I’ll probably go down tomorrow and have lunch with DH. Though I’m tiring of the dining choices there. . .

Tonight is SnB! Though I know two people who definitely will not be making it tonight One of whom I haven’t seen since BEFORE my trip to MN! I’ve gone through withdrawl. I have *no* idea what I’m going to work on. I suppose I’ll dust off the second Flatiron sock so I can get that added to the sidebar soon too. Or maybe I’ll cast on for the sport weight Lucy that I’m thinking of also giving my sister so that there is some surprise element to her birthday gift…

I mentioned cheese in my title because this weekend DH cut into his first wheel of homemade cheese. See, each Monday we get 2 gallons of milk delivered from a local dairy and he makes cheese while I’m at SnB. We cut into one wheel of his first batch of Gouda. It was quite nice. Speaking of cheese making, I suppose I should get on the task of sweeping up as much stray dog hair as I can so that I can perhaps be a little rested before SnB this time…

Of Lace and Binding

Ooo, that sounds kind of kinky doesn’t it?? LOL!

I’m kind of up to my eyeballs in binding (books that is, remember my mention of a commission, well it needs to be in the mail early next week) at the moment so don’t have a lot of time (hence no pictures, sorry). But, I got my needle felting needles and some additional roving and some button options worked out so the sidekicks should be officially complete and added to the sidebar soon. Then two skeins of Nature Spun Sport in Roasted Coffee and 3 oz of Zephyr in Copper also made it into my purchases.

I think I need to do a different lace pattern than the Shaped Triangle and then return to the Shaped Triangle at a later date. I love Sivia Harding’s Fantasy Diamond Scarf/Shawl but suspect it isn’t really a beginning lace project. And I’m guessing the same holds true for the Weeping Willow Shawl that I had mentioned to Snow on Monday night. Then Amanda just finished Fibertrend’s Leaf Lace Shawl in Zephyr Steel and it is great (I love the bead detailing on the edge) and she said it was quite simple. But, I also really like the Flower Basket Shawl and I know many people have done that as their first shawl project. I also really like the Highland Trangle Shawl from Folk Shawls, but that requires more yardage than I have and is a heavier weight yarn. Decisions, decisions!

So, if anyone cares to weigh in on this topic, please, please, please do so as I’m itching to get going on a shawl project but am aprehensive given the Shaped Triangle debaucle…