Category: FO Page 45 of 48

This handspun painted merino (2 oz, 320 yds, navajo plied, 20wpi) …

Became this (8.5″H x 8.25″W, 60″ I-cord strap) …

Which became this (6.5″H x 6.25″W, 57″ strap) after one run through the washer with some towels …

I’ve had this little project in the back of my mind for several months now — ever since my “geek” bag bit the dust. What’s a geek bag? It was a small little cotton bag I bought while in Mexico years ago. I used this to hold all my little gadgets … the cell phone, the PDA, and the old pager (which I don’t have anymore). This allowed me to carry my gadgets around from meeting to meeting fashionably, instead of having them hanging off of various parts of my body. And it was easy to transfer between my computer bag and my Coach bag when I’m not at work.

Unfortunately, that unlined, loosely woven cotton was no match for all that electronics and ripped.

I wanted to replace it with something a little more sturdy. But I really liked how light and portable it was. I did not want a thick felt. But something a little more delicate.

So 2 weekends ago, I picked out this roving I had sitting around for quite a while (Royal Rhapsody colorway from outbackfibers.com, purchased at Spinster’s Cottage), and spun it up into a lace weight yarn. I navajo plied it because I wanted to retain the colorwork. During the course of the week, I knitted up the bag, and then felted it over the next weekend. A very nice 10 day project (with lots of work in between).

To cast off at the “top” (the flap), I used a 3 stitch I-cord cast-off, with some extra unattached stitches at the center of the flap, to be used as a loop for a button closure. I seamed the sides with 5 stitch I-cord, that transitioned into the strap, and then picked up the edges on the opposite side to finish the seam.

My only problem with this bag is that the strap didn’t felt as much as I wanted. I think I will try to felt it some more in the sink. Also, there were a few “thin” spots where the yarn was a little too fine. However, since it felted nicely around these thin spots, I don’t think it will be a problem. It’s not big enough to put my wallet in, but as long as I have room for a credit card, a few bills, I’m happy.

I might try again, and adjust the pattern slightly.

Oh, I didn’t use all the yarn that I spun up. I still have 0.8 oz remaining, so the bag used just a hair less than 200 yards. I think I will knit one or two small bags, stuff them with some lavender.

Look-ee what I’ve been working on! This was made with some sale yarn that I picked up a the local yarn store last weekend. I decided that it would make a really cute yoke sweater (a la Elizabeth Zimmerman) for one of the grand-nieces, grand-nephew, or niece. Since I don’t have any little ones around, I have no idea whether this actually fits anyone or not, or what size this really is. But doesn’t it look adorable on Sparky?

I didn’t weave in the end at the neck, just in case I need to rip it out and re-knit to fit the head. For some reason, it seams that all the little ones in my immediate vicinity are all head. I make hats on the large size for babies, with the hope that they’ll grow into it. Then I find out that it fits perfectly NOW. Well, what about next week/month?

Project Notes:

• Yarn: Bergere de France, Irland. 50 g/70 m each. 4 balls grey, 1 ball blue, a bit of white.
• Gauge: 9 sts/2″
• Needles: US Size 3 (3.25mm) and US Size 6 (4.00mm)
• Body: 125 sts; knit 12 rows with smaller needle, then switch to larger needle
• Sleeves: 34 sts; same as body; incr every 5th row until 42 sts

I might leave it as a boat neck next time … by skipping the last decrease (just above the white peerie).

Now that the trauma of the tea burn has subsided, I’ve picked up the pi shawl again. But it could just be more procrastination on finishing the LL spiral socks (the mate looks nothing like the first) or the purple raglan that I’ve been working on since last year. I’m working on the sleeves right now. This is different from the EZ pattern in that the sleeves are worked last, while it is attached to the sweater. I’m not enjoying turning the entire sweater over and over in my lap — and getting the body and the yarn all twisted up. Anybody have any tips on dealing with this?

Web Logs

Interesting show on what a web log is and why people keep them on KUOW today.

Why do I keep one? I started this primarily to track my fiber projects and thoughts on future projects. I didn’t create it with the intention of putting it out for the world to see — perhaps a few selected people when I want to show them what I’ve been working on. But, I also thought that by writing about my current projects, it would become another tool to help me finish it. There — my goal is out there for all the world to see — whether anyone looks at it or not, I know it’s out there. And I want to be able to show that I have indeed completed them in some fashion or another.

I had kept a project notebook, when I started to knit socks again in earnest a couple of years ago. But I’ve noticed that I’ve slacked off on that quite a bit — attaching sample yarn, yarn label, gauge, needle size, etc takes work. But I also didn’t have pictures. Taking pictures, printing them out and attaching it to the notebook was just too much. But snap a digital picture, and put it on the web log with the stats, now we are getting somewhere. And, I have the benefit of scribbling some thoughts I have on the fiber as I work through it. Hmm, experimenting with a new heel? How do I like it? It’s all here. Well, that’s my intention anyway.

And Movable Type allows me to search my archives. It’s not quite so easy with my paper notebook.

Yeah, I know, my geeky nature is showing. But that’s why I do this. If someone else gets some benefit from my web log, then that’s a bonus that I didn’t plan for.

Why do I read web logs? For a long time, I only read blogs of friends who I no longer share an area code with — to find out what’s going on in the portion of their lives that they choose to share. I didn’t even know that there was a webring (or two or ten) dedicated to people who enjoy knitting, spinning, and all other types of fiber pursuits.

There are a few people on the fiber/knit rings that simply inspire me. I’ve been a fairly conservative knitter. I knit. I knit boring things and and sometimes boring patterns. Not because I’m not capable of doing more complicated things. But because I’m lazy and sometimes not very motivated to find new things/patterns to try. Reading Wendy’s and Bonne Marie’s blogs inspire me to do more challenging and fun knitting. And I thank them. I read Marilyn because she amuses me. She says stuff that I wish I had thought of. What a mouth on that woman! And I love it!

Ta Da! The silk cap shawl is finished! You can’t tell from this picture, but it’s the color of a field of spring violets. Lovely.

Boy, this stuff is addictive. Let’s just rip up one more cap to knit … uh-oh, can’t stop in the middle of a row … let’s rip up some more silk … before you know it, you’re done. No more silk cap to rip. The completion was just like staring down at the empty Haagen-Dazs pint container. Where did all that ice cream go? I swear I wasn’t going to finish it all in one sitting. (And where to do they get off saying that there are 4 whole servings in one of those little containers? What kind of alien can actually only eat 1/4 of the container in one sitting?)

Any way, yesterday was a beautiful day in the Emerald City. I wanted to sit out on the deck and knit, but do you have any idea what it’s like to control cobwebs in a light breeze? Ix-nay on the knitting.

But inside wasn’t must better because of my little helper. I swear I only turned my back to the silk for about 2 minutes. Last seen, EliSpot was sound asleep across the room.

Don’t worry, Grace, I’ll wash it before I send it down to you.

Anyway, the finished shawl is 44″ wide, 17″ deep. It was made with a single silk cap (approx. 0.5 oz.), knitted on US size 8 needles. It’s a plain garter stitch pattern. Cast on 3 stitches. Knit 1, make 1, knit to end. Turn and repeat. I decided to increase at the beginning of the row, every row, because I knew that I was going to be putting this down often and didn’t want to remember front vs. back side of the work. Nice, mindless knitting. And lots of fun. I highly recommend it. (And all that ripping was completely satisfying since I couldn’t scratch my leg.)

Hmmm, I have a couple of other silk caps that I picked up along the way. Then there are the royal blue silk hankies that we dyed last summer at the guild …