WIP Wipeout 2016

Okay, it's time to clear the needles, use up the yarn stash,  and spin down the fiber stash.  I have been downsizing and that includes not just the stuff in drawers/closets/basement/garage, but also the art/fiber art materials.  This year is the year of whipping the personal WIPs (works in progress) and UFOs (unfinished objects) done.  It is easy to let those projects go because I do sample knitting for the shop and occasional sample knitting for Blue Sky Alpacas and test knitting. 

For the shop I have the Celtic Rowan Pillow on the needles.  It is the first time I have turned corners while cabling using short rows.  Once the knitting progresses it becomes easy to keep the momentum going.  Pictured is the border that will go around the central motif.  Thankfully the back of the pillow is plain!  The yarn is Aztec by James C. Brett, a good choice for this project in an acrylic/alpaca blend that is machine washable (no dryer, though!) and the stitch definition is pretty good.  Also on the needles is an Arne and Carlos doll for which I have no photos.  It is a fun, fiddly project to knit and the clothes are really cute.  She will be finished soon.  The next project is for a cardigan with new yarn from Rowan, Softyak DK.  It is so new that it is not on Ravelry as of this post.  That project has to be ready for yarn tasting in March.

Tori, of Torirot's Stitches needed test knitters for her English version of  Pysje mæ alt and I did not hesitate to take the opportunity to knit a pair using Ella Rae Sport from my stash--the first stash down project of the new year.  Her patterns are very well written and easy to follow.  I like the options for the bands between the stranded sections and mixing up the colors for a mismatched pair is a fun touch.  I will miss  o{]:-(  this yarn from my stash because it  is wonderfully woolly, light and lofty and is perfect for stranded color work.  The colors are heathery and coordinate nicely together.  When the yarn was clearanced at the shop I bought enough to make the Angry Sheep cardigan.  

I will be posting my progression through wipeout projects here and on Revelry throughout the year...there I said it...now I have to hold myself to it!

2015 to 2016

The new year begins the same way 2015 began with the Commitment Day 5K through Lifetime Fitness.  I am not quite back to my usual level of physical activity, but I am doing much better after the severe back spasms took me down on December first.  

Test knitting a lovely mitten for Tori

A weaving project is in the works...more to come.

Wednesday's projects done and undone

Between all the summer activities there have been plenty of projects to start and to finish.

Cruiser Mittens worked in one of Rowan's new yarns, Hemp Tweed.  I love this yarn!
It has nice drape , color and texture.  

The Mitten Advent Calendar continues.  I will have to be sure to take a photo of 1-9  when I go  to the shop later today.  

The Celtic Rowan Pillow is on the needles--lots of twists and turns with bobbles here and there.  This is the edging.  It was my first time short-rowing a corner with cabling.  This one is worked in James Brett Aztec, a blend of acrylic and alpaca.

The latest pattern from Sally Melville is the Universal Vest, my project is called the Univest.  I love that it is worked in garter stitch and has elements like the Einstein Coat from her book, The Knit Stitch.  the yarn is Rowan Pure Wool Worsted in Hawthorn, a dark blue-green heather with turquoise and red visible in the yarn.  

 The second of the Christmas presents from Jim was a rafting trip on the Kettle River, located in east central Minnesota.  The water was down a bit, so we were in two-person inflatable kayaks.  It was so much fun.  Jim only went in the drink once.  I was extra careful because of my eye, so I managed to stay glued into the kayak.  The scenery was beautiful with interesting rock formations all along the route.  The rapids on the river are rated from II-IV.  We did them all!  It was helpful to have the guides in front and behind the groups to point out the best route through the rapids.  Paddle, paddle, paddle!

Taking a break.

A large perfect hole in the rock with a view.

At this moment...

I have been finishing up lots of projects.  This week I completed two samples for the shop, a hat and a mitten.  The Baa-ble Hat is a delightful design by Donna Smith for Shetland Wool Week 2015.  Using Rowan Pure Wool Worsted made this project quick to knit compared to my fingering weight yarn projects of late.  Angel chose Rowan Pure Wool Worsted in Ivory, Umber, Gold and Lt. Grey Heather as the colors for the hat.  The design began as a Christmas ornament.  It is fun to look at all the projects on Ravelry of this hat.  I immediately thought of my handspun stash and will do a bit of stash diving today to see how much I can find for another hat.  The Nordic Mittens are a traditional star design by Beth Brown-Reinsel and were featured in Interweave Knits Winter 2004 issue (the pattern is now available as a single pattern, also.)  Knit with fingering weight yarns in solid and variegated, there are few ends to weave in when finished.  I would love to knit a pair in two solids to really show off the charted work.  These will be a perfect future class project.

The Baa-ble Hat and the sweet little sheep from Jennifer.

The Top This Hats are quick projects to make and Bobbi can't keep them in the shop!  Monkey enjoyed modeling.

Speaking of sheep--it has been that kind of week.  I met Jennifer for coffee and she had a gift for me, an adorable sheep she designed for Target and that happens to match another sheep I have on the little cupboard.  I am thinking that it might be appropriate to do a mini yarn bomb on it.  On Saturday the gals at Anoka Fiber Works had a class on how to choose a fleece for spinning.  It was interesting, informative and just in time for Shepherd's Harvest, which is coming up soon.  I will be sure to use my new knowledge when I check out the fiber for sale during the festival even though I am not in the market for a fleece.

Which bag of fleece would you choose and why?

Did you choose the light or the dark?

Learning about skirting the fleece--what to keep and what to take off.

Sheep's wool

Checking the crimp and the strength.

Alpaca

Warm woolies

It's sweater weather.  I am working on three sweaters.  One sample cardigan for the shop, my custom fit cardigan, and  my trapeze pullover.  I think about why I love knitting these sweaters, the patterns are well-written and the shapes are simple and classic.  The yarns for the projects are so beautiful.

In the Pink is a bit longer than the photo shows.  Working to 26.25" in length while increasing takes some time.

I call the trapeze pullover In the Pink because of the color #1029 Hebes.  HiKoo Kenzie is one of my favorite yarns.  It is a blend of 50% New Zealand merino wool, 25% nylon, 10% alpaca, 10% angora, and 5% silk noils.  The knitted fabric has a nice halo and becomes even softer after washing.

Before washing--Yeti mittens

After washing

Nice warm mittens.

A nice surprise was the Plymouth Homestead yarn for a commissioned pair of felted mittens.  It is always funny to see the size of the mittens before felting.  The process took one 16-minute high agitation/high spin cycle on the warm wash/warm rinse cycle and then another 10-minutes on the same cycle setting.  I do not close the lid so the water does not drain and the spin cycle will not engage.  I can check the project during the felting process.  The spin cycle can cause folds in the fabric that are difficult if not downright impossible to remove.  There is a short article about felting and fulling in a 2007 article by Maddy Cranley.  It is a good explanation of fulling, felting, and boiled wool.

Winter is here

Winter is beginning to settle in even though it arrived a little earlier than expected.  We have a blanket of snow on the ground and the temperatures are well below normal.  It surprises me that normal is in the 40s.  I agree that snow can be a pain to drive in, although my car has all wheel drive, which has proven to be a big help. The slop brought in from outside makes the foyer difficult to clean (I brought in the large "slop rug" from the garage.)  Snow boots are lined up and ready to pull on and the baskets of hats, scarves, mittens, and gloves are in a convenient spot in the foyer.  I look at this time of the year as sweater weather.  It is comforting to bundle up in beautiful sweaters, and wooly accessories.

Just in time for the first snow Jim's new bicycle.  He was very proud of the tracks he left in the snow.

Projects on the needles are the continuing Kaffe Fassett KAL squares, Custom Fit Acorn Trail, Top-Down Trapeze Pullover, two shop samples, and a pair of men's felted mittens, a commission from Jim's work colleague.  Yesterday I picked up some cotton yarn to make some small projects for children's gifts.  Needless to say the needles are clicking away.    Tomorrow the Gansey Headband class will wrap up.  On the loom (now named Jemima) is a scarf.  Warped with leftover Malabrigo Finito from the Snow Ghost hat and Berroco yarn from a hat, Fane, I am weaving with a lovely slate blue/gray sock weight yarn I received from Margie.  When I take a break from knitting I can get a few inches done on the scarf.

On the needles--Gansey Legwarmers

Knitting commission--felted mittens

In the Pink

I am using some fingering weight yarns to create a scarf.

The ongoing Kaffe Fassett KAL squares.

Yes, life is good!

Leather closure from JUL designs.

Resin shawl pin from JUL designs.  It looks good with most of my scarves.

An ongoing project is to clean out the old stuff and organize.  Goodwill is reaping the benefits, as is Half Price Books.  As I look around my office/workroom it appears chaotic, but is in fact organized.  It is time to do some paper shredding!

While surfing on Ravelry an ad popped up from JUL designs.  As always, I am on the lookout for unusual and wonderful notions.  I was drawn to the closures made of leather, so I purchased one to see if I would like it.  Yes, I liked it!  There are various styles of closures and even leather buttons with the same metal studs that can be removed for washing.  Also featured on the site were shawl pins in wood and some in resin (there are resin buttons, too).  On the website click on Attach for the closures--buckles, conventional buttons, pedestal buttons, sew-on closures, and screw-on closures.

Who's who?

The Give a Hoot mittens I started for Kathy are finally finished!  We had coffee on Friday.  It was good to see her and catch up.  She gave me some hand warmers that are so darned cute!  It is still a bit cold, so I will zap them in the microwave and take a walk.  Speaking of mittens, I liked the pattern and mittens so much I made a pair for myself.  Using the needles according to the pattern, they are a perfect fit.  I sized down for Kathy's--she has very tiny hands.  Now to change the owl to a bear...I think this would be a nice cable to use in a Wood Badge project...hum...wheels are turning...

Who two--my mittens.

Who one--Kathy's mittens.

Ben spent the past two weeks in Texas and is now has his commission.  The patrol got top honors--go Super Scout!  He remembered quite a lot about Texas and it is hard to believe we left over 13 years ago!

Yesterday we had a delicious Indian meal prepared by the family of Jim's colleague.  The appetizer, Pani Puri, set the stage.  Wonderful flavors and spices.  We had rice, flat bread, and then three dishes to try.  The cold yogurt soup counter balanced the spices of the main dishes.  The dessert was rice pudding and Gulab Jamun.  Our hosts are such a nice young family; I enjoyed picking out a gift for their little boy.  He was excited to have company and seeing him brought back memories of Ben at age three.  They were our guests at Thanksgiving and little one enjoyed Ben's trains.  He wanted to be sure the Thomas tunnel set we brought would stay with him!

Spinning around

I was making a yummy sound while showing off my roving at Shepherd's Choice

This was a great week for me...I had a drop-spindle class on Tuesday and then my first wheel-spinning class on Sunday.  It was a nice break from knitting and it is always exciting to teach others a new skill.  I finished spinning the yellow and brown roving and it's plied and ready to block.  I do not know what it will grow up to be, but the yardage will have a lot to do with the decision.

I finished one of the mittens.  I liked the French knots and daisy stitches on the originals in the book, but I wear my mittens pretty hard, so I opted for Swiss darning and straight stitches for embellishment.  I also picked up three stitches rather than just one for the thumb and it fits much better.  The mittens fit me perfectly.  I started the decreases for the top of the hand right after I finished the chart.  They would have been too long otherwise.  On to the next project--Kathy wanted something out of  Country Classic Yarn for Sox, and I chose a warm cocoa color.  I'm surprised this is considered sock yarn.  Naturally, I had something else in mind and perused the patterns.  I came across a pattern I had in my collection and it would only take three hanks.  At $8.25 a hank that is a good deal!

We are enjoying the last of the unusually warm temperature and by week's end a mix of snow and rain are expected.  I'll have to bring in some wood so I can be ready for a cozy fire this weekend.  I have a good supply of Digestive biscuits thanks to Jim, and it may be time to check the pantry for cocoa.  

The squirrels are scrambling to hide acorns.  They had a bumper crop this year.  When we would pull into the driveway it sounded like bubble wrap popping.  

Today I'm meeting some friends for knitting and I am excited.  We had a good time last month.  I have time today to work on that last Wood Badge ticket--I'm very motivated to finish by year's end.

Colorific

I have to say I've had a very colorful fall thus far.  All the projects of late have been with the same oddments of yarn.  I'm thinking it's time for some cables.  I was at the shop yesterday and a yarn rep was there.  She's very nice and it was fun to see her wares and samples.  After I stayed longer than I'd intended (no surprise there) I drove up to Elk River to pick up flint and steel for Jim.  Track of the Wolf wasn't open on time, so I went into town and stopped at Diamond City Breads for some goodies.  I had to get a loaf of Rhubarb Fritter Bread and some rustic Olive Bread--and then I saw the oatmeal cookies.  Since I had a cup of coffee, I thought it would be something tasty--it was!  Of course, the oatmeal is very healthy, the chocolate chips provide energy, and the pecans have "good" fat.  Yup, that's how I see it.  On the way home I stopped to get the ingredients for Hudson Bay Bread.  Tonight is Round Table and Jim's doing a presentation on high adventure for Scouts.  The bread is like an energy bar and very high in calories.  The recipe comes from the Northern Tier.

Today it's really chilly, windy, and the clouds look pretty against the bright blue sky.  I went to yoga class this morning, and now I have to take Eevee for walkies.  The cold air and wind put a spring in her step.

My Mmmittens are coming along despite my inattention to stitch count and a dropped stitch.  Good thing it's a small project and easy to frog and re-knit.  I know they will be lovely, warm mittens when they are finished.  The stranding makes a thicker fabric.  I'm keeping the floats fairly small so my fingers don't get caught.  I'll have to  take a photo before I have to frog back to the dropped stitch...

5.11.10  November is whizzing by!  I have to check Louie out to make sure he's ready for class on Sunday.  
The Hudson Bay Bread was a big hit last night.  It's really good, but it's high in calories--I had to use some restraint not to eat more.  
I'm back on track with the mittens.  I didn't like the green against the natural, so I switched to gray for the background of the hand.  I like it better.  I slip the mitten on now and then to check the size.  Fair Isle knitting can be tricky when it comes to gauge.  You have to knit at just the right tension so the floats aren't too tight or too loose.  So far, so good.  

7.11.10  I just now took some photos to post.  Another frog of the mitten :(--I'm catching the floats every other stitch.  I don't want my fingers to get caught on the inside.  The tension is better, too.  Today is my first wheel spinning class.  I read through my book last night and marked some pages.  I have to copy handouts for the students before I go.  Louie is ready to show his stuff and I think I am ready to teach.  I did a one-on-one with Kathy and she was a quick study.  I've never had this many at one time.  It will be a fun-filled session! 
Yesterday was Sharefest at church.  We made over $10,000 yesterday!  The funds made at the bazaar go to help fight world hunger.  I love the International Table and bought some pewter ornaments from Germany.  One has a pin and the ornaments can be changed out.  I think the Nutcracker will be a good one to wear during the holidays!

Road trip and knitting

We had a whirlwind weekend with Ben.  The men and women won their swim meet against Hope College.  As always, it's fun to watch the competition.  We had time to go to the outlet mall and I got a new rain jacket for camping, and we stocked up on some Ghiradelli chocolate squares and bars.  Early Sunday morning, we picked up Ben and went into town to have breakfast at Frank's Diner.  What a fun place, and the food was great.  The staff was dressed for Halloween, which added to the atmosphere.  I got quite a bit of knitting done during the six-hour drive and the waiting between events.  The little slippers were quick to knit and not nearly as fiddly as I imagined.  After I finished the sampler scarf and then the slippers, I started a pair of the mittens.  I'll use gray for the hand to play against the bright colors.  The projects have proved to be excellent examples of stash-busting projects.  I can't believe how little yarn they take!  November is going to be a busy month for me.  My classes shift into gear and I'm excited to be teaching more classes.  Finishing the samples from Kristin Nicholas' new book will help promote classes for after the first of the year.  (Oh my, Christmas is just around the corner!)

Sunrise--Lake Michigan

Staff at Frank's--Dolly Parton, Ninja, and Prisoner

Breakfast--note the sundae (lower right) one of the staff was having for breakfast!

Frank's Diner

Eevee was very happy to be home again.  She looks so pretty (she had a bath) and I'd trimmed her legs and feet before I dropped her off.  She's glued to her bed right now.  She also enjoyed seeing the Trick-or-Treaters last night.  We had mostly really little ones.  So cute!  Lots of Buzz Lightyear made an appearance, Snow Whites, princesses, animals, and Ninjas.  It's always fun.  We have some candy left--I always make sure to get candy I like.