How does your garden grow?

I’m so into spinning these days. Here’s what’s been going on…

Black Watch singles - Coopworth/Lincoln Black Watch singles. I’ve now got about 500 yards of 3-ply Black Watch done so I’m ready to wash the 3 skeins I’ve got, thwack them and start knitting. The first 2 skeins were spun on my Louet but the 3rd skein was spun with my Kromski and, do you know, I really like this roving much better on the Louet. There’s no gentleness needed for this roving and I think I’m going to do the rest of it on the Louet. In fact, the Louet has much larger bobbins and can handle a larger yarn like this is when it’s 3-plied. I was able to spin and ply enough for a 172 yard hank of yarn on the Louet but 104 yards of the same maxed out the Kromski. Poor little Louet has been sitting off on its own since the new baby came into the house. Time to show it that it’s still needed. Awwww….

But here’s a new (to the wheel) top that fits our dream that spring may actually come someday. I’m spinning this in celebration of the fact that it was more than 60 degrees today and no rain. It’s called English Garden and is a Blue Faced Leicester top whose label says is a dream to spin and I have to agree. I’m trying to do it with a long draw which, although I’m not very good at it yet, is suited very well to this fiber. It’s very crimpy and springy and I’m going to try to spin finely enough to make a 3 or 4 ply sock yarn. It think it would do very well for socks – pretty long staple yet soft enough. I’ve divided the top into 4 (relatively) even strips and will spin each and then ply back. I may even try doing a cabled ply, something I’ve heard tell of but never experienced for myself. A cabled ply is basically making 2 2-ply yarns and then plying the 2-plies together, if that makes sense. The Yarn Harlot had a whole thing on this a while back – here.

Dainty Star

I’ve never made a doily like this before. It went quickly with just 62 rounds but it is the most ethereal thing. At just 2 grams, it feels almost weightless, almost like it’s not there. To block it, I soaked it in soapy water, rinsed it and then pinned it out. I don’t know if it’s because of how the thread was processed or just its size but blocking it like this made it quite stiff. Not starched, you understand, but it’s certainly holding its shape beautifully. I definitely want to use this again for something larger, now that I have the feel for it.

I watched the most interesting silent movie I’ve ever seen this afternoon. It’s a Helmut Lang movie from 1928 called “Spies.” The acting was really remarkable and the flow of the story engaging and held my attention from start to finish. I won’t go into the whole plot but I would highly recommend it, even if you don’t normally like silent movies.

One of the things that hit me at the beginning was the naturalness of the lead actor. A relaxed, smooth style isn’t often found in movies of this period. The actor looked so much like Ewen McGregor – it really could have been his double (only 80 years ago!). The lead actress was a little more histrionic but she held up her side well for all that. The villain (because there’s always a villain) was very well done, too. All very generic comments but just so much better qualities than you would normally see. But, above all this, was the ability of the director to tell the story. Especially at the beginning there were hardly any dialogue shots, although there is some translation of written items, but there was absolutely no trouble knowing what was going on nor was there a need for them to carry the story forward. I’ve heard critics talk about the rhythm of a movie and here you see it. I was never once tempted to fast forward or switch to something else and I call that a good movie. I’d just finished watching a 2-dvd set on the history of the Nazi movement and how deeply rooted it was in World War I and the way the story unfolded, I had to check the date to see that it predated Hitler’s rise in 1933. There was, for me, a quite strong suggestion of what was to come in Germany in just a few short years.

Retro or Vintage?

So much going on. So much, in fact, that I felt the need to start another project. That’s how it's done, right?

I have been wanting for so long to start another knitted doily and had been trying to figure out what I wanted to start when I came across a knitted doily pattern in a McCall’s Knitting Magazine. It was their 50th anniversary issue, published in Fall 1969. The magazine has some really wonderful patterns from over their 50 years, although quite a few had had the groovy 60’s incorporated! The doily isn’t too large (just 62 rounds) so it seemed like the perfect project.

Quite a few months ago I’d found a spool of Coates and Clark Machine Quilting and Crafts thread – size #50 of Egyptian Cotton – that came in some wonderful natural cotton colors. I thought it might be possible to use to knit a doily. Tatting thread is #70 so it’s even smaller than this.

So, like chocolate and peanut butter, like Cagney and Lacey, I decided to pair this thread with this doily and…..drum roll, please….

a pretty good combination, if I may say so.

I started it before using a US size 1 needle, thinking that would be small enough but the needles were just too heavy for this thread and, after I’d made a fatal error about halfway through my progress, I decided to scrap the 1’s and try it again with US size 00 needles. Worked like a charm. It’s actually been 10 times easier to knit with the smaller, lighter needles and I’m getting pretty close to finishing – I only started it last night so it’s gone very quickly indeed.

I realized last night at Knit Night that I wouldn’t be able to go to the next Guild meeting (which will be at the Chatham Fire House at 2pm on Sunday, April 18th) because next weekend is already the Cotton Spinning class. As I posted a couple of weeks ago, I’ve finally got going pretty well on the tahkli spindle and have been able to spin up some fairly good (for a beginner) thread. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get enough out of this class that I can get enough thread spun to knit or crochet a small doily. I think that would be so fun – to have a knitted or crochet doily out of handspun cotton. Don’t hold your breath but stay tuned!!

I’ve now got almost a pound of the Wisconsin Black Watch fiber spun. It’s going to be about 600 yards, I think, although I’ve lost the yardage tag off of one of the skeins. But it’s certainly enough to think about getting started on the sweater. Now I just need to decide what to do with it. I’m almost leaning towards a cardigan since I only have 1 and it’s cotton and not at all suited for colder weather. I’m still pondering but at least I’ve made progress. I think if I can get the sweater started, that will be enough inspiration to get the rest of it spun. The first ball of the fiber that I spun was really nice with hardly any noils in it. The second ball, however, was really difficult to spin. I’ve got 3 more balls so guess it’ll be a toss up on which way they’ll lean.

Lincoln Presidential Library

I’ve mentioned the research Jane and I did at the Lincoln Presidential Library and finding the pattern for the Spanish Opera Hood. I took the finished hood over to the Library to show the librarians who helped us. While there, they asked if we could bring some items they could put in the display. Here’s what it looks like (click to see a larger image):



They did a little write up about the display:

Jane and I want to do a vintage knitting camp and the research we are doing is to prepare for it. The idea is to have a long weekend of knitting and exploring the knitting in the time of Lincoln, seeing how things were done in the time and learning some of the techniques and patterns of our 19th century counterparts. Jane has a true gift for organizing and we both share a love of vintage knitting - stay tuned for more information.

If you want to try your own Spanish Opera Hood, just click on the link for the pattern.

And just as a bonus (because I like how the photo came out), here’s a shot of the Old State Capital where Lincoln served in the State Legislature. On the opposite side of this square is where Lincoln’s law office was.

By the way...
I would really like to know who hit the button on the time machine. The last thing I knew, it was April (which the last time I checked, belonged to the season Spring) but when I walked out the door this morning, it was to clean snow off my car, wear my wool coat, wool sweater and walk around through arctic winds. I don't remember getting into the Tardis (it's bigger on the inside, you know) and being flung back into December.

Shout out

Just a very quick post for a fairly new Springfield, IL, group that's doing good with their stitching. I learned about it from one of the ladies in the class on Saturday and I would encourage you to check them out. You don't have to live in this area to join in with them, even though they try to meet up as they kick off each new project. I know they would welcome anyone that wants to be a part of the group.

Springfield Stitches for a Cause

Definitely have a look.

A Great Group

I had my "Knitting With Jewelry Wire and Beads" class this morning at Lincoln Land. Eight lovely ladies with plenty of creativity and laughter. As in previous classes, everyone had their own take on colors and combinations and it was great fun to see what came off their needles.

I always try to do something new for each class to make it fresh and this is what I came up with for this class:

It's done with dark blue 26 gauge coated wire and dark blue short bugle beads. Quite fun, I thought.

Even when it's raining

it's springtime in my heart (and in my purse). It's amazing how quickly this pattern has gone. See what you get when you give the yarn its head? Umhummm...

This first picture hasn't the greatest color but it shows the construction of crocheting the 2 halves and connecting them with the green in the middle. That green space will become the bottom of the middle pocket which will be green and will be fairly simple but with a little bit of a lacy border that will stick out just a little bit from between the 2 outer sections. I haven't decided quite how I'm going to do the handles yet, whether they'll be crocheted, knitted or ready-made.

This gives you a little better view of what the final thing will look like. Robert the Bear approves.

Lincoln Land Class
I had good news today (in the midst of a pig of a day at work) that I've got 8 people registered for the Knitting with Jewelry Wire and Beads class at the local community college. I believe I had 7 in the autumn so it seems to be a popular class. I've got a couple of new things to show this group that I've been experimenting with.

I've also got a couple of ideas for classes later this year that I'm very excited about. Stay tuned.

Christmas Stockings
I'm now finished with Santa's face on the 7th of the Christmas stockings, 7th of 7 I might add. Once I get the foot section knitted, all I'll have left is stitching the faces and finishing stuff. I'm surprised to say that I've really quite enjoyed making them but I think I'm full. As I told someone the other day, I think I've done my part! I never got a photo of the first group of 4 but I will make every effort to get photos of these, if only to prove I did it!