yay!! I did it!..

for many knitters, i know this wouldn't seem like something to crow about, but i've had such a hard time wrapping my mind and yarn around the entrelac thing that it seems quite appropriate to me. i even made it harder for myself by trying to get a sample started while i was visiting my son's family where the grandkids keep the noise and activity level at high... making it pretty challenging to concentrate on knitting anything but the most basic knit one row, purl one row thing. but the real break-thru came during my 3 1/2 hour train ride back home, when i put on my headphones, listened to Cowboy Junkies and just look what i did!

dye-along yarns

here's the array of yarns i spun from our dye-along superwash corrie roving. gotta confess i spun more than 6 ounces as i dyed 3 different batches and probably kept more than 2 ounces
of each. anyway, here they are and i absolutely love every bit of 'em! am thinking maybe i'll knit something entrelac and see if i can remember the lessons from Lynne last June at our twisted friends reunion in Alabama. that was fun to do and i ended up with a cute little bag that Lynne bailed me out on at the finish, when i got bogged down and frustrated with just how to finish it! maybe i can remember to take a photo of it and put it up here! what i love about these yarns is that we all 3 started with the same 3 colors, each added a fourth.... and there is such variety! we did, of course, each add our touch in how we combined all these rovings, and separated some sections of color out to get various effects.




these are some of Pam's that i spun and plied by themselves. what is so frustrating to me is that the camera just doesn't show the subtleties of what i am seeing. these are deep and glowing colors with a lot of life in them!!














and these are 3 of Lynne's. top and bottom yarns were spun straight from the roving, and the middle one i separated out some of the colors and spun them by themselves. I love how that bright orange gives such attitude to the skeins.










I wanted some of the yarn to be soft and pastel and be a contrast to the others, and here's what i got from some of my rovings.

life

well, i've got the dyed rovings from Pam and Lynne and spun up a wee bit... but lovely warm and sunny days came around, and i gave in to the pull to be outside. so spent a couple of days having quality time with my clippers and some bushes (pardon the expression) and massive overgrowth in my queendom. and clouds have now returned, so am happy to be inside... however, am trying to banish some of the dirt and dog hair that messes with the innards of dome central! Pam and Larry fly in tomorrow from Malaysia and will stay with us for awhile til they get ready to move on in their adventure. and it's always a good thing to have someone visiting as it does motivate me to do my cinderella chores. i'm getting pretty annoyed with the maid service around here!!... there isn't any!!!

so, will do some spinning tonight and work on getting some photos of yarn from the dye-along posted here and prob. also at http://www.twistedfriends.blogspot.com

yarn from dye along

I spun a sample from each of my 3 batches:

-at the top I spun random lengths from each, then

put in center pull ball and plied from both ends.

-next is from the full strength dye, poured in color bands on the roving, 2 ply

-and the dilute in color bands, 2 ply

-bottom.... dilute random pour,2 ply

and for the next installment, i'll spin up yarns from Pam's and Lynne's dyed roving samples which came in the mail today!! yippeee. can't wait to see what combinations of all the combinations look like!!

dry dyed fiber

dilute color bands


more intense color bands


dilute random pour

Long Distance Dye-Along

Well, Pam already has blogged about her gorgeously dyed superwash corriedale at the Twisted Friends blog www.twistedfriends.blogspot.com, so here's mine! I used the same 3 main colors as Lynne (www.handspuncentral.blogspot.com) and Pam (www.snugsblog.blogspot.com), and for my 4th i chose Lanaset yellow. For both i used cold pour on wet fiber, then steamed it.




(left) i layed the wet fiber out on plastic wrap, poured on bands of colors, some of which i had
mixed together before pouring (the ivy and scarlet to get the aubergine, for instance) The fiber was quite wet, so the dyes ran together more than i would have liked.... but, oh well... Then wrapped and steamed for about 30 t0 40 mins. For pouring on of dye, the fiber was actually layed out straight, but i kind of pulled one end around so i could get it all in the photo.




(right) I pulled the fiber around into an oval and then started ramdomly pouring diluted dyes on it, wrapped and steamed.




all the fiber is on the drying rack now, and maybe will be dry enough to spin by tomorrow.

stay tuned....

Zylie in the snow

They got a lot of snow in Duvall, WA recently, and Kate took a photo or 2 of Zylie posing in the newest sweater i knitted for her. It's a wee bit big for her this year, which means it will be good for at least 1 more year, maybe 2. And the left sleeve is really not longer than the right, tho it looks that way.... i think she's just keeping her hand warm.

And now... here's a Zylie story that really makes me smile. I want to write it down so i won't ever forget it! At the time, she was about 3 and 1/2. Background information: she adores Dora the Explorer and i think she has all the videos of Dora's adventures... and the videos teach kids things, besides entertaining them. So, on one occasion that Kate and the kids were here visiting, we also invited some of the relatives to come over to eat/play/visit, etc. When we told Zylie that "Big Papa" (her great granddad, my father) would be coming over, she got all excited.... and finally she saw him getting out of the car and went running out to meet him, grabbed him by the hand, and beaming up at him started leading him to the house. She looked up and saw her mom standing on the porch. She stopped, turned to him and said proudly: "Big Papa, I want you to meet my new friend... Mommy". So, thanks to Dora, Zylie very often will graciously and politely introduce people to each other... including at times introducing her daddy to her mom when he comes home from work! i suppose it's good practice!

seems i've done a lot of writing the past few days. i blame it on the sinus infection which keeps me from wanting to be any more active than applying fingers to keyboard. after the meds finally took away the headache from hell, i'm just tired and snotty (TMI??)

long distance dye-along

last week as i was out here in my queendom in NW Oregon, my friends Lynne and Pam in TN were in Lynne's studio having a dye day and emailing me about what they were doing. i got all "poor-me-out-here-and-you're-having-all-that-dyeing-fun-together" whiny... and decided we should have a long distance dye-along. Here's what we're going to do: each of us will dye 6 oz of superwash corriedale (because that's what we all have some of and won't have to order it and then wait). We will use stock colors of Lanaset and/or Pro Washfast acid dyes... orange, scarlet and teal, plus each of us will pick our own fourth color to use with the other three. We will use stock colors so that we start on an even playing field, rather than doing our own mixing to get those first 3 colors. We can use any method(s) to apply the dye and "fix" the colors, using any dilution of strength we choose. After the fiber is ready, we'll each send 2 oz to the others, then spin it however we want.... mixing them together, separately, or any combination, and at least knit a swatch... or better yet, socks? mitts? hat? or whatever. And, of course, pictures must be taken of every step along the way and posted to our blogs! So... stay tuned and see how our long distance dye-along works out.

LV Ltd handspun yarns

Today, on her blog, Lynne Vogel is talking about her newly launched line of handspun yarns!! Yay, Lynne!

Also... mentions her newest book The Twisted Sisters Knit Sweaters, A Knit To Fit Workshop which is due out Sept. 1, 2007.

And... also.. later today there will be a free pattern for my multicolor fingerless mitts on her blog.

wow! lots going on there... see it at:

http://handspuncentral.blogspot.com/

merino/bamboo fiber

this is the merino/bamboo top i recently dyed. if you look closely, you'll see the shiny streaky places where the bamboo doesn't take the acid dyes. i think it will look more blended in after it is spun.

the end

I finished the third pair of mitts (except for the dreaded weaving in of the ends!) and now i'm thru doing mitts, i think! they make a nice small take-along project, but are kinda boring. unless maybe i'll do a pair and try out something nifty from my new Barbara Walker book. next on the agenda is a pair of fulled slippers. I haven't been at all drawn to doing any of the knit-it-then-felt-it patterns of any kind, then i saw the Fireside Footies at Pippikneesocks (www.pippikneesocks.com/blog) and printed out the pattern. they are really cute and look warm and toasty. i might even have some wool yarn in the stash that would work!

and while i'm putting in links, check out Lori Lawson's new blog (www.paintspinknit.blogspot.com) the dyeing and knitting that she (and also Lynne) do is truly inspirational.

on the dyeing and spinning in my life... i recently bought a couple of pounds of merino/bamboo fiber to see how i like it. so far, i've spun and then dyed some yarn. haven't knitted it up yet, but it's a very soft and drapey yarn, took the dye and seems washfast with acid dyes. the colors seem to be a bit muted, even using some of the WF turquoise which i love for it's in-your-face color. the dyed top is hanging on the rack drying, and those colors seems a bit muted also. another thing i noticed is that where the bamboo is not well-blended into the merino, it has only a bare hint of color. i think it's like the tencel and rayon, doesn't really take the dye, but when it's well-blended with the wool, adds sheen and doesn't have an undyed appearance. as soon as the top is dry enough (tho i have been known to spin damp fiber when i just can't wait), i'll spin some up and maybe even get around to knitting a swatch and taking some photos.

Son Chris is leaving Sat. for a Microsoft trip to India. i've been trying to think of how i can prepare him for the experience of landing in New Delhi. it's been 8 years since i was there and the memories are still clear of the extreme culture shock of that city and being driven around there!!

more mitts

I finished the second pair, which looks a lot like the pair I gave my dad, and sent them to Lynne. and then discovered in the pile of UFOs one that i'd done, ummmm can't remember how long ago. There's lots of angora in it, and it's really fluffy and sweet. and now the kicker!!.. in my extensive stash, i actually found the main yarn i'd used, plus some that will work well with it. so, this time it paid off to be a packrat. i think i'd kept it because it has lots of angora in it and i don't spin yarn like that very often, making it more of a "treasure". I had used a pattern, but have no idea where it is or where i got it, so am improvising on the second one. it has a thumb in it and i think i can figure it out!! well, it's actually half a thumb and covers the joint at the beginning of the thumb (clear??)


the color in these photos is crappy. the main yarn is soft turquoise/offwhite-ish. maybe in the daylight i can do better. but for now.... here it is.

in Morristown, TN

here's a photo taken of us after the play... from L to R:
Tim (nephew), Amy (niece), my dad, Robin and me

where am i now?

well, last thursday my dad and i flew to Knoxville, TN. my sister, Robin, had a part in To Kill a Mockingbird at a local community theater, and Pop wanted to see her (and my niece's) performance and needed someone to accompany him... so.. here we are! We went to the play Friday and Sat. nights, then rented a car Sunday a.m. and drove to his ole stompin' grounds in NC, around Hickory, Statesville, Rutherford College, visited my (step)mom's gravesite, visited some of her relatives and drove back this afternoon to Knoxville. oh, yeah, we stayed overnight in Hickory! and tomorrow we fly back to Portland. so, Pop got to have his stroll down memory lane, we got to see a play which was very well done and enjoyable, we got to hang out with Robin and her kids, and it's been a nice few days! For anyone who doesn't know, my dad is nearly 91 years old, almost blind from macular degeneration, practically deaf even with hearing aids, is otherwise in pretty good health, but tires easily so need some help in getting around. I'm just happy he still wants to go places and do things, so when he needs a travelling companion I go with him when I can!!

And those fingerless mitts in the last entry? well, Pop's hands were cold when we were on the plane, so i offered to let him wear the mitts... after a while he told me they felt really good... then asked if this had constituted a "formal presentation". And now... my current WIP is a pair of fingerless mitts!! I'm hoping my hands won't be cold enough to use them before next winter!

socks????

well, they started life as socks and morphed into fingerless mitts. having decided to do a ruffled cuff on socks, i cast on 88 stitches, then decreased down to 44 on the first round. after about 3 inches, it was obvious that the cuff was just too loose and floppy for socks, and wouldn't be so bad on a mitt because the cuff could come up over a shirt or sweater sleeve. so, i kept on knitting til it was about 5 inches, then bound off 10 stitches and cast 'em back on in the next round. 'twas a perfect thumb hole... so i kept on knitting for another couple of inches. kept trying it on til it covered my knuckles... and now i have mitts. they feel really warm and comfy and keep my gnarly ole knuckles toasty. the photos aren't the best... it's hard to get one hand/arm far enough away from the camera and still be able to push that button with the other hand. hmmm, guess i could have set the timer...

photos

since i haven't put up photos of the grandkids in a long time... here's a couple of cute ones that Kate took (and i took from her blog)

Zylie is a budding ballerina and loves her dance class:


and Alex knows there's more than one way to enjoy water!


cute, huh? ok... i'm done for now......

newest socks

can't remember if i've ever put pics of my socks on my blog, but for the record, here's the latest pair. they are made from stash yarn, which is quite obvious... including some yarn spun with mohair locks and plyed with a silk single. it makes the cuff soft, warm and cushy. i especially love the way the colors go in the heel flap of the sock on the right.

spring????

can spring be far away?? 2 of my "signs" that spring is on the horizon have shown themselves: the fresh asparagus is less than $2/pound this week, tho price will probably go back up before it really drops... and, Meika the husky has gone into her projectile shedding phase. how can she possibly have that much hair? seems i walk past her and if i'm within 2 feet, her fluff leaves her and attaches to me. and the sun is shining and i'm feeling that pull to go out with a rake and clippers and get involved with the weeds and overgrown bushes... uh, shrubs. and my best news today is that i had my medication induced (nucular* injection) cardiac stress test... and the radiologist said i'm normal, and since it is extremely rare that anyone says i'm normal, i will take this as an exceptional day. so, i'm happy about that, but guess we still need to figure out why my blood pressure has gone off the charts.

*yes, i do know how to spell it and pronounce it!

more about Frank

I totally agree with Charleen's comment about being that fly on the wall when Frank tells the stories to his friends at home about his adventure! what would be especially fun would be seeing him with his *7* children when he gives them the gifts he's brought for them!! the youngest are twins, about 3 years old. Rach took him to shop at Target, and has a lovely photo of him standing in an aisle with other shoppers milling about... and there's Frank grinning. He had Rachael take pics wherever they went... grocery store, walking in the snow, Frank wearing his new sweater that they bought to keep him warm.

had a twisted sister spinning day here today, with about 7 of us. Jane let me borrow her woolie winder for my van Eaton wheel, so i had a good spinnin' time and got lots of yarn spun. sure do love that gizmo and will be very happy when i finally have one of my own (it's been on order for a couple of years... i ordered one before he'd made one for a van Eaton.) it's odd getting used to not having to move yarn to another hook... but i'm willing to make the effort :-]

tho it isn't the result of any kind of new year's resolution, i've been motivated (for some obscure reason) to go thru stash, reorganize ... and lo and behold, i found a top down raglan sweater i started.. um.. maybe 4 years ago and started knitting on it again. damn! i should not have even mentioned it. that seems to be the kiss of doom for my projects... talk about it and something goes wrong with it. this one, however, has all the yarn spun for it and i haven't dipped into it for another project (a miracle in itself), and body of it is done down to about 6 or 7 inches from the bottom. there is hope. also found a pair of almost finished socks and got 'em done and off the needles and almost finished weaving in the hundreds of end. i love to do patterns and use lots of colors... but sure do hate all those ends. of course, i don't remember ever hearing anyone say they love dealing with all those yarn ends!! and got a new pair of socks started for that take-along project, which i should get a lot of knitting done on tuesday. i'm having a cardiac stress test done which takes 4 or 5 hours, most of it just sittin' around and waiting. i think the worst part of the whole thing is having NO caffeine for 24 hours before (includes no chocolate... eeeek) if that's the worst of it, that's ok. but not looking forward to 2 mornings of no coffee.

interesting evening

Tonight Rachael came for dinner and brought Frank, who is the elementary school teacher in the village she was in when in the Peace Corp in Tanzania. He's the only one who spoke english, so was a huge help to her in their village. She arranged for him to come to the US and observe classes in several schools, and is giving him a tour of our little corner of the world. This is the first time he has traveled out of Tanzania, and he is quite wide-eyed with the whole experience. He flew into Seattle, Rach met him there and they took Amtrak to Portland, and they've been shopping at a mall, to Powell's Books, to a grocery store, walking in the snow and all kinds of new adventures for Frank. On Sunday they'll to up the gorge to Goldendale, where Rach and Matt live and he'll spend time in the schools there. I just can't imagine what this whole experience is like for Frank.... he lives in a village where they don't have running water, no stoves in their houses or refrigeration, any travel is on foot or on a run-down bus on dirt roads ... you get the picture.... He was interesting to talk to and was very willing to try the food we served... I had tried to keep it to a pretty simple menu. He didn't quite "get it" why I like pink flamingoes and why the guest bathroom looks like homage to the pink flamingo... and I knew he would'nt understand that i love 'em just because they're so damn tacky!! so i just smiled sweetly and said i think they're pretty! Here's a photo of Frank, Jim and Rachael looking at the world atlas: