WIPUFOS

Yesterday I tackled the room to see how much spinning fiber is there and to organize yarn not in the cubbyholes...oh, and the WIPs and UFOs.  It took time and I got my 10,000 steps in easily without a walk outside.  While I like the room, it is small and fiber takes up room.  My drawing table faces the window, which is good, and my computer is next to it, but I find the bulky fiber stuff distracting at times.  The art supplies are stored in the closet, organized and out of sight while the fiber-related things are visible and bulky.  Hummm...it's a process and I'm working through the fiber and projects downsizing along the way.

Finishing the almostsixyear project was huge for me.  I started it August 3, 2011 and finished it July 31, 2017.  The yarn is Spud and Chloe Fine, a wool/silk blend with beautiful color and drape.

The photograph below shows the steeks with the red yarn marking exactly where to cut after securing the stitches on either side with machine sewing.  After securing and cutting the steeks, I was picking up the stitches for the band and yarn moved.  That is something one doesn't want to see when cutting the knitting.  Back to the sewing machine I went to re-zigzag and then the vest went in a bag in the corner of the room to be in time out.  I like to think the steeks were healing.  Three years and many projects later, I revisited the vest and finished the band around the fronts and neck and partially hand stitched the facing to the inside.  The only knitting left to do was for the simple armhole bands.  At that point other projects and activities took over, life happened, and just opening the bag and peeking in was enough to make me shudder.

Fast forward to summer 2017.  Determined to finish those pesky projects (the vest included) majorknitter's Ravelry group Finish or Frog It Friday members to finish projects during the month of July.  I managed two sweaters and this vest (just qualifying under the wire).  It was just the motivation that was needed to light a fire under my rear and get those needles busy.

2011

 Ta-da!  It turned out beautiful and I will be happy to wear it on the first day it's cool enough.  I named it Tangled because one of the hanks of yarn was just awful to wind.  It is Kasuri Chanchanko, from Folk Vests by Cheryl Oberle.  Kasuri is the Japanese form of ikat weaving, using resist dyeing before weaving the fabric.  The process gives a softened or blurred effect to the designs on the fabric. This is the fifth vest I made from the book making Folk Vests one of my favorite sources for vest patterns.

I popped a bit of color inside the facing.

The other sweaters I finished are Knitting Pure and Simple V-Neck Neck-Down Cardigan #994 in Debbie Bliss Cotton Denim DK and Tulgey Wood (so named because of the yarn color--Frabjous Fibers March Hare), which is really Acorn Trail minus the cables.  To find just the right buttons for these sweaters, I took a dive into the button stash and organized the buttons in the process.   I don't remember where I purchased the buttons for the blue sweater, but the three for the brown sweater are from Treadle Yard Goods in St. Paul, Minnesota.  

Rather than making buttonholes, I made button loops on the bind-off row.

The perfect cotton cardigan for cool days.  I had Mary snap a photo by my studio space at Anoka Fiber Works.

The wait is on for sweater weather!

WIPs and UFOs

Ahhh, the never ending projects on the needles.  One hat is ready for beads (I waited for a bead hook to arrive), Greta is slow but sure on small needles, and the vest is progressing nicely.  Tangled is so close!  I finally finished weaving the ends in  and Shwook is blocked.

I have made more progress since the photo.  The yarn is really nice.

Shwook is a great slouchy hat and most likely my new favorite hat!

Now that I have a beading hook I can finish the beaded beret.

The front band has the turning ridge so I can add...

...a lovely red for the facing.

Soon we will be headed back to 87714--Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.  I am excited to go on my first "official" trek.  I feel ready for the challenge of hiking at altitude.  My legs can go forever and the challenge is hiking at altitudes from Base Camp 6,696 feet above sea level to 9,003 feet on the Tooth of Time.

Ready to hike again.

The tin ceiling at the St. James Hotel in Cimarron.  Yes, those are bullet holes from the days of the wild west.

The Tooth of Time at Philmont.

UFOs hovering about the house

My hands certainly get a work out.  We are back to painting the Advent banner as of Friday.  It is so close to being finished!  I took some photos.  It is large and we do not have much room to move around.

I finally got through the first couple of rows of the Eala Bhan and now I am working Chart A.  The Nepali Hat had the strangest fit, so I hand-felted it and manipulated the heck out of it before blocking it on my wooden form.  It will have a cloche-like appearance rather than making me look like a conehead and I call it the Kathmandu Cloche.  I have to dig through the project bags to find x_OTangledO_x, aka the Sakori Vest.  I think it has aged enough and it is time to add the edgings.  I know where the XO Vest is, but for some reason it will age a bit longer.  Of course, I received my Kauni solid yarn in the mail this week and now the New Box of Crayons, aka the Paintbox Scarf is calling to me.

We finished the Advent banner this week.  Today (Thursday) after Morning Break, we glued the edges of the canvas down.  This one will be up the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and I cannot wait to see it.  Lynne's design is amazing and it was a joy to work on this piece.

You can see our small work space.  

Speckled eggs in the lower right corner.
The yellow will be touched with gold,
so when the light hits it, it will glow.
The golden thread runs through the painting.

I like this area of the painting.
The drawing is Lynne's design and we
worked from it.

 My Kathmandu Cloche.  

The yarn for New Box of Crayons

Eala Bahn in progress on size TWO needles!