Yesterday, I decided to dress my 32″ Kromski Harp loom with more remnant yarns for another shawl (or scarf)–this time beech tree fiber blend yarn, merino & cotton blend yarn, and brushed alpaca as the weft yarn. This scarf was a fairly quick weave and I finished it in half a day.
Tag: yarn
Weekend Weaving Projects
I decided to take a break from sweater knitting over the weekend so I could dress my loom again after a couple of weeks hiatus.
I ended up weaving two remnant yarn shawls on my 32″ Kromski Harp loom, one in neutral colors and one in warm colors with a few cool colors thrown in. I used a variety of yarns including Noro (wool, silk, mohair), Indie dyed merino, Lucca Dot Yarn handspun, my own BFL handspun, baby alpaca, and cotton yarns. I used a boucle yarn for the wefts of both shawls (alpaca, silk, linen).
I probably spent a total of 8 hours between both scarves…a reminder as to why I enjoy weaving so much over knitting or crocheting. If only I could make fitted objects on the loom….
Sweater Update: It looks like a sweater now!
I’ve been working on my first (adult) sweater for a week and half now (minus the 3 day break I took to knit my uncle’s beanie) and I’m almost halfway there, I think. Because I’m not used to knitting so much (hours everyday), my right shoulder has been giving me some problems and I’ve taken a day off here and there for fear of doing myself a mischief.
I mentioned in my first post about this sweater that I felt I was using the wrong yarn. I still feel that way, but there’s nothing for it. I’ll just have to finish and learn from my mistakes next time. I’m using Schachenmeyr Merino Extrafine 85…and the twist is so loose that I know this sweater will get snagged easily. Also, while the stitch definition is awesome, that can also be a problem, especially around join areas. Again, live and learn.
Here’s my current progress and I’m hoping to be finished by next week? We’ll see, I guess. If my shoulder gives out on me, it’ll be longer for sure.
“Be Loving” Beanie for my uncle
I took a break for a few days from my sweater knitting to make a beanie for my Uncle Eugene’s 82nd birthday. He is my oldest uncle and sends me a birthday card (most years)…and his birthday falls one day after my own.
This year, I decided that I would knit him a beanie since it has been so cold lately. It’s rare that I knit anything for extended family members, since most of them have no clue the time and energy that goes into handmade objects. But, I felt that my Uncle Eugene would be thrilled to have something I made, so I settled on this easy beanie pattern “Be Loving” by Melissa Simpson (free on Ravelry).
I know it’s super simple, but I didn’t have a lot of time to get it knitted. Otherwise, I would’ve chosen a “fancier” pattern. Sometimes simple is best…and this pattern was super easy to follow and it worked up great with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran Tonals yarn (the same yarn I used in my Pine Lake Shawl by Jaala Spiro).
So, here is the finished beanie modeled by my husband, Brad.
My first (adult) knitted sweater project
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m not the kind of knitter who likes long, drawn out projects, but one of my friends was knitting a sweater recently and I finally broke down and started knitting one myself. I’ve knitted baby sweaters before, but never an adult sweater. I’ve crocheted tops for myself, but never knitted any kind of garment other than scarves, cowls, socks, shawls, etc.
So, that being said, I found a raglan sweater pattern that was labeled “easy” and cast on. I have no idea how long this project will take since I’ve never knitted an adult sweater, but others have said it took them about two weeks or so with this weight of yarn (worsted/aran), so we’ll see how accurate that time line works for me. This is my third day working on it (knitting about 1-3 hours per day), and I’m about halfway finished with the yoke portion of this top-down pattern.
I wish I had chosen a different yarn already, but I’m committed at this point. (Schachenmayr Yarns, Merino Extrafine 85, 100% superwash merino). (This yarn shows every little flaw in my stitch definition and looks like it might snag easily since the strands are so loosely twisted).
My husband bought me a row counter ring (knitter’s Pride) as part of my mystery bag of yarn from Hook A Frog Fiber & Fun (Madison, AL) for our wedding anniversary, so I’m using it while working on this project instead of writing my completed rows down like I usually do. I prefer the ring method since it’s one less thing to keep up with over pen and paper.
Here’s a picture of my progress so far, minus about four rows or so.
Pine Lake Shawl (Jaala Spiro) is finished!
I started the Pine Lake Shawl, a free pattern on Ravelry by Jaala Spiro, last Sunday and finished last night. I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Tonals yarn (aran weight). After washing and blocking it overnight, here is the finished product:
17th Wedding Anniversary and Mystery Yarn
April 1st was my 17th wedding anniversary, so my husband and I hopped in the car and visited all of the outdoor places that were significant to us in the area. Since he proposed to me in the same city as my favorite yarn shop, he bought me another mystery yarn bag that Hook A Frog Fiber & Fun was offering for curbside delivery. I did tell the shop owner that I needed a row counter, so she threw in a row counter ring (Knitter’s Pride), which I absolutely love. I’m excited to start a new project with some of the yarn I’ve gotten from both mystery bags.
Mystery Grab Bag from Hook A Frog (Madison, AL)
Yesterday, I picked up a mystery grab bag from LYS, Hook A Frog Fiber & Fun in Madison, AL. They’re offering these mystery grab bags via curbside pickup or FREE shipping. I told her what I wanted (anything DK weight or heavier, yarn-wise) and she put a bag together for me to pick up.
They’re offering these bags at $50 (You get $75+/retail items) or $100 (You get $150+/retail items). I loved my bag and might go back for another before all this COVID-19 craziness is over.
You can also order regular items and mystery grab bags via her online shop or call in any order and she’ll ship it to you at Hookafrog.net .
Finally Finished! “Straight-Up Cowl”
I started working on the “Straight-Up Cowl” by Jillian Robbins during the Deep South Yarn Hop in early November…on the recommendation of a yarn shop store manager. It took me until yesterday to finish the cowl…not because I’m a slow knitter, but because the pattern about bored me to tears–and all the purl stitches threatened to blow my thumb off.
The shop I got the pattern from didn’t have the recommended yarn by Frabjous Fibers, so I opted for an equivalent weight from Madeline Tosh’s Vintage line. The yarn felt like a sport weight instead of the worsted that it was labeled as, so naturally, it took much longer to finished the 56 row cowl. I should stop here and say that being a weaver (who is used to very fast projects), I rarely knit with anything below a DK weight and 5.0mm+ needle. So, 52 rows of mostly purl stitches with “worsted” (sport weight) yarn is pure torture to me. Because I’m double jointed in my thumbs, purl stitches make my thumbs feel like they’ve been dislocated after a few rows, too…so I guess I’ll be switching to continental style or Portuguese knitting soon. I knit using a modified English-style at present.
So, here it is, the “Straight-Up” Cowl by Jillian Robbins (which I will never knit again).
Art Batt Spinning in 2020
Last fall, the yarn shop I work at hosted a fiber blending workshop with Claire Cabe of Lucca Dot Yarn, who also happens to be a good friend and mentor.
Some of the participants weren’t spinners themselves, so Claire and I spun for those who couldn’t spin for themselves. I thought most of them would want the beautiful art yarn that Claire spins, but several wanted plain, single-ply yarn–so I got to spin those. I’ve spun 5 skeins so far (I got way behind between the Deep South Yarn Hop event and my dad going into the hospital for all of December), and I’ve got several more to go.
I’m usually fast at spinning, but my back has been giving me problems off and on for the last couple of months, so I’m forcing myself to take it slow–even though these skeins are long overdue. Thankfully, the recipients have been (and continue to be) patient with me.
These art batts are blends of merino, bamboo, stellina, firestar, and sheep locks–available from Lucca Dot Yarn.
Diary of a Yarnophile 