finished scarf

Three years ago, I knit my mother a shawlette for her birthday. I made it from Rowan Summer Tweed and while I was knitting it, I noticed it had an odd smell. Silk sometimes does. I figured that it would go away when I washed and blocked it. It never really did. Mom liked the color and the shawlette but finally admitted that it was hard to wear because the smell was unpleasant.

Last week, I decided to replace that shawl with one knit from some silk yarn that my friend Kate was destashing that I took. I’m not sure what the yarn is but it’s a fairly heavy (aran to bulky) loosely plied silk…with no smell! I chose the scroll lace scarf pattern from Ysolda Teague’s Whimsical Little Knits 2. I didn’t think I’d have it done in a week but, with a little help from the hair dryer, it was washed and blocked this morning and ready for her birthday!

She said she loved it and sent me a modeled shot.

It’s pretty warm, considering how small it is. I hope it keeps her shoulders warm when she needs just that.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Advertisement

conic knit along

In spite of this being a sheep-free knitting blog, I can be a bit of a sheep. Three of the six people at knitting last night were making Conic, so I’m joining Cookie’s knit along. I’m going to try to make it with some Henry’s Attic soie naturelle that I dyed with oxblood Procion dyes several years ago. Here’s a terrible picture I took when it was drying.

I’m going to try to get a better picture when I wind it up but I have a feeling that it is one of those colors that is really hard to photograph well. I am not sure if the yarn will work for the project or not. The weight required (light fingering) is one where the acceptable non-wool substitutions that I’ve found have been prohibitively expensive. For example, Neighborhood Fiber Co has a light fingering silk that looks gorgeous but would cost me more than $120 for the amount needed. Oops. I might try a single skein of that yarn another time for something smaller. It’s so pretty!

Enough of the yarn lusting. I’m going to go wind up the yarn that I dyed all by myself! I’m sure it will be lovely. Right? (Say right.)

quietly knitting away

I have been quiet for the past two months, haven’t I? I have been knitting (and crocheting) away, though. First I made a crocheted basket for my mom for her birthday.

It matches the washcloth/hand towel that I made for her for Christmas. I still haven’t given it to her, though! I need to rectify that.

Next up, a silvery scarf for I am not sure who. For the fun of knitting it, perhaps.

In the same theme, I made an orange Lintilla scarf, unsure if I would actually want to wear it. I didn’t.

I liked knitting it, and I liked the way it turned out but the orange didn’t work on me. Luckily, it worked on Kristi.

Sorry for the blurry faced picture. We were inside, at Stitches West! Speaking of Stitches, I bought some lovely blue Lisa Souza silk at Stitches.

I think it will become a cowl. But first, I am knitting a sweater from Norah Gaughan Vol. 10 called Etesian. I tried on the sample at the WEBS booth at Stitches and fell in love with it. They are now knitting up their garments in size 14 and size 4 so I was able to try on the larger one. I am pleased with this trend and emailed them to tell them so! I’m knitting mine in ArtFibers Chutney, a matte silk yarn. My swatches turned out nicely and I have high hopes for it! I didn’t take a photo of them, so you’ll have to take my word for it.

One last finished object: A binary cable hat.

I knit one of these for Cookie and on the way to Yosemite last week, I decided that I wanted one too. My plan was to knit it in the car and wear it there. Well… I didn’t start it until we got back but I have finished it and wore it this morning for school drop off. (That is when the picture was taken.)

Whew. I guess I have been busy! No time to type more, though, my new sweater project is calling.

in which I am impulsive and maybe a little nuts

Everyone else (it seems) was buying the kit for Laura Chau’s dipped infinity scarf from Sunshine Yarns. I really want to make that but the kit is, of course, all wool yarns. 120 yards each of seven colors of fingering weight yarn plus 50 yards of an eighth color. I really want to make it too so it was my goal today to find non-wool yarn that would work. Part of my search lead me to RedFish Dyeworks I go into their booth every year and drool over their yarns. It’s all so gorgeous. The 100% silk only comes in laceweight and finer. Finer than laceweight. Cobweb. Nearly invisible weight. Gorgeous but not something I can manage in my life.

While I was in their booth this year I picked up a sock knit with the 20/2 (laceweight) silk. I asked what size needles to use and the woman in the booth told me, “triple 0s” and I just laughed, I couldn’t help myself. Triple 0s are 1.5mm needles. TINY. She also had sock samples with the yarn held doubled knit on 1s or 0s but then I would have needed a second skein of yarn. Somehow, between the need for a second skein of yarn and Lisa saying, “I’ll do it if you do it!” I convinced myself that this was a good plan.

seductive silk

Seriously, the sock they had knit up felt SO good. I couldn’t help it. Ten stitches to the inch, though! My will is weak.

I am still determined to find the perfect yarn for that scarf but first I have to knit some socks.

tooting my own (and kristi’s) horn

I am now a published designer! The summer '08 Knitty has Eloping the handspun garter that Kristi spun and I designed (with her consultation) and knit. Here are some more pictures that I've been sitting on since last May!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

spinning silk

1/6/07

I went to Mary's house today for a "spin-in" hosted by Mary and Kristi Cookie, Janice, Margit, Jeni and Grace (who probably has a blog, but I don't know what it is) were also there. I spun some of my silk hankie today, following the Knitty instructions. Kristi also let me try to spin some of the corn fiber I bought on her wheel. That was actually not fun. I assumed that once I sat down at the wheel, I would want one. I was wrong. Of course, I don't think it had much to do with the wheel and probably more to do with the corn fiber. That corn fiber might have to wait a while to be spun. The silk hankie is going fairly well and I have a feeling the soy silk that I have will also be easier than the corn.

Mary asked what I am going to make with it. I told her that it is what I am making: yarn!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend