Perseverance

I'm proud to present the Sea Shell:

I love the way the sleeves came out (finally) and with the seashell button I found to finish off the collar.  Usually I say it's great when something comes out the way you envision it but with this one, I didn't even envision anything.  I started out somewhere and then tried this but didn't like so I tried that and I liked it.  Then I tried this other thing and didn't like it so I took it out and tried another thing, didn't like it, tore it out, tried yet another thing and liked it.  It wasn't so much creativity as perseverance.

If I were to make it again (and, you know, I'm pretty darn sure I will) I have things I would change because I learned something about the construction.  But I don't believe there's anything I would change about this version.  At all.

One of my trial and error efforts came from a technique I found this weekend in a 1933 issue of Needlework Magazine.  I had been thinking about tatting the sleeves so this seemed like it might work.

First you tat the frame.  The pattern is actually for an edging where the motifs are attached for the length of the piece you're edging.

 Then you thread the thread through each of the inside picots of the frame.  You tie down the center by weaving the thread through all the spokes a couple of times.

 Then you start working up each section to create the petals.

How fun is that?!  Isn't that great?

It didn't work as the sleeves (too small) but I think it's super cool so I'm going to make a scarf with the size 8 mercerized cotton I used to make these and then attach these as the scarf ends.  I started experimenting with the little circle of tatting at the top of this photo and I'm now makeing a VanDyke edging the same way (it was the other pattern in the mag).  I'm planning to make 3 tatted triangles (which will be attached) that then have a wide 3-petaled centerpiece in each.  I'm going to frame them because I think that will be a wonderful way to display the work.

One of the other 1933 issues that I found had some cover art that showed this technique used in a cutout of an embroidery piece that I am totally going to do with the knitting as the frame and the needleweaving as the interest piece.

Like a day by the seaside

The little cotton tank that I was working on last week, unfortunately, had to be mostly ripped out.  But it was one of those instances where the pain led to gain.  I hadn't completely thought through the layout (because I was making it up as I went along) and there were some fatal flaws in the plan.  Things like the body would have fit a size 6 sort of person (which I'm not) but the armholes would have come down to the naval.  Not a good look, whoever you are.

But the bit that I did was enough for me to figure out how many repeats I really needed and how to handle the stretchiness of the neckline.  So the demise was not in vain.  And out of it is probably one of my favorite things I've made in a long, long time.

I really need to get a better photo of it as this dress form is now larger than I am and it's at the smallest settings.  But at least you get an idea of the top.  There weren't quite enough repeats for the front but I'd wanted to do a little insert here anyway.  I love the effect.  I don't know if you can see the details but I picked up stitches along the edge and did 7 cables with a little lace pattern between.  The I picked up stitches from the other side and did a 3-needle bind off to give me the finished edge.

I still need to figure out what I'm going to do with the sleeves (I was thinking about doing just a little loosey flap) and then I think I'm going to put big white or shell buttons on the flaps at the front.  I also think I want to crochet finish the bottom part of the armholes just to finish it off.  And then finally I want to make lining for it. 

I just can't tell you how soft and comfortable it is and how pleased I am with it.  I would use a bunch of exclamation points or a smiley face but I've had to use so many at work to keep people from thinking I'm being mean or unfriendly that I've put myself on an exclamation mark/smiley diet.  I'm also on a "like" diet because it's making me crazy to hear every sentence I say or hear others say have the work "like" in it.  They use it in like every sentence.  (But that's beside the point.)

My point is that sometimes inspiration doesn't come all of a sudden.  Sometimes it sneaks up on you and, if you chase it, you can find something that thrills you.

Edited to include this photo:

Enough already

One of the things that happens to me if I'm stressed is I become seriously ADD.  For a knitter, that means a major case of startitus.  If you've never been afflicted, here's what it looks like:

 Two crochet doilies - 1 with thistles and 1 from the Jan 1918 Needlework magazine.  I made this a couple of years ago for someone else but I loved it so much that I always promised myself I'd made one for myself.  I love the construction.  You make all 5 of the outer wheels then join them together and crochet to the middle rose.  My Grannie would have loved this pattern (the magazine is from the month and year of her birth) so I get to think a lot about her while I'm working.  There's also a tatted edging that I started because it's a great take along pattern using only the shuttle.

 I'm almost finished with this piece of bobbin lace insert and I've figured out how I want to use it.  I won't give away anything but it also concerns a skein of handspun buffalo gold and some white merino/silk.

 Bobbin lace edging.  Still working on my yardage piece.  It needs to be 72 inches (2 yards) and is now at 42 inches.  At least that's more than half way, right?

 Sewn hobo bag.  This is a kit I bought a while ago that's been sitting on the shelf.  The instructions were absolutely useless but I love the fabric.  It's supposed to be a reversable bag but, while I like the lining fabric for lining fabric I would never want it on the outside so I haven't worried about the reversable thing.  I really love how it's coming out and I love the handles.

And this is the latest project, started on Saturday.  I've had this idea for a while with no real impetus to start but I'd been looking at a couple of things over the weekend and then was watching a tv show that was the last piece needed. I started with the yoke in a linen/cotton yarn I've had in the stash for about 10 years.  I've done it in garter to give it a pebbly look. The body is a wavy lace pattern in Berroco cotton.  I don't normally like knitting with cotton but I think I'm going to like this.

I know it looks a little funny here because it's on a circular needle but it will be a little tshirt with lacy sleeves (I think).  I'm still working on the final layout but so far so good.

I don't have a picture of the lace shawl I'm making with some handspun I ripped from another project that I decided I didn't like but it's not quite far enough along to look like something so that photo is for another day.

I also have a pair of socks knocking around somewhere and a couple of still sleeve-less sweaters whose day will come but for now, this is keeping me busy.

Not always what they seem

I spent a little time this weekend straightening up (which for me usually entails dragging out box after box and then putting most of them away).  I got a new chairside table with a lamp built in that I really like but it meant moving all the books, bags and projects away from the other table I was using before I could get it in place.

But one thing that didn't change is that I've got strands of yarn laying here and there, left over from projects that then attach to clothing and distribute themselves throughout the residence.  Tonight I went to the grocery store late because there's no one else there and I can take my time without getting run over.  But when I got back, I went through the hall to the bedroom and when I came back out, I noticed a strand on the floor.  It was pretty thick, almost chunky and it didn't look familiar. I started to reach down to pick it up and throw it away but had a little second thought and turned the light on. 

Ya'll.  It was the biggest old worm I ever saw and almost made me jump out of my skin.  Not that I'm afraid of worms but I was expecting yarn.  Wool. (It's usually wool in my house.)  I don't care who you are, a worm is not the same as wool.  It doesn't grow wool, it doesn't wear wool.  It's not wool.  So when you're expecting wool and you get a big fat 8 or 9 inch worm, you're allowed to jump.  You just are.

These photos were taken outside in the dark but you get the idea. Not wool.

Gearing Up

I'm about to have an extremely busy, meeting laden couple of weeks so I decided I needed to gear up.  All I had on the needles that would be workable during a meeting were half a pair of socks, and an easy, peasy scarf.  I knew that wouldn't be enough so I've been casting on madly.

Like this:

 Thistledown doily, crochet

 Tatted edging that uses just the shuttle.  Nice, repetitive, easy pattern.

 Feather and Fan doily, knitted.  Size 20 thread, US size 0 needles.  How fun it that, to play off the classic feather and fan pattern.  This is one of the oldest patterns known to knitters.  Love it.

Priscilla book from 1959 with 2 of the existing projects and about 5 future projects.  This is a jam-packed book.  All for just 29 cents!

I got my Polypay singles plied, 2 for the lace weight and 3 for the heavier singles.  I was really curious how they would look after washing because I'd been sort of experimenting with the fiber prep.  For a true woolen yarn, which this fiber certainly suits being all crimpy and bouncy like it is, would generally call for a carded preparation.  I think I've already explained why I decided to go the combing route but I also used a very light hand on the drafting so I could keep as much of that bounce as possible. 

You can see from this close up (I hope) how much air is in the skein on the left.  That was the 2 ply thinner yarn.  The other skein was spun 3 ply and has a lot more twist in so it's a little harder to see and the skein has much less bounce in it.
The other thing you can see is that the lighter, less tightly twisted yarn is much whiter than the other.  The locks were well washed before spinning but when I washed the skeins, there was a lot of lanolin that came off them.  I'm guessing the difference in color is because the lighter spun skein was able to release the lanolin more readily.  I'm not at all bothered about the other skein because I will be dying it and I don't mind having some lanolin retained in the yarn since it will be used for socks.

Here are my 2 happy little skeins of Polypay.  As a show of how much bounce the lace skein has, the before washing measurement was about 166 yards.  After washing, that measurement is about 130 yards.  All of that was taken up by the re-activated crimp and the yarn has so much bounce, you could bungee jump with it.  No, really.  Want to try?

So now I need to think of something very Kentucky to make with it to make the circle complete!

A Pickle

In between other things, I've been working on spinning the Polypay fleece I got last year in Kentucky.  I thought it would be a nice touch to make a little something from that fleece as I go back this year.

The fleece was pretty dirty so I did a big wash to get the biggest part of it out and now I'm flicking each lock and washing a second time to get it properly cleaned.  Sounds time consuming and it is, sort of, but it's also very soothing work for me.  I've got a goodly bit washed, dried and combed and started spinning.  The reason I combed it, even though this is a pretty crimpy yarn, is that carding it just seemed to be too rough and I ended up with lots of neps.  With the beautifully clean locks, all I have to do is 2 passed through the combs and it's ready to go.

I had in my mind to spin a nice little 3-ply for some socks.  I would spin it and then dye the hank before knitting up a pair of socks.  But evidently there was something up with my memory banks because as I was plying along with a nice little Navajo ply and totally digging the yarn I was getting, fantasizing about how it would poof up once it was washed, I realized the singles had gotten very, very thin.

Evidently at some point in time my plans were clearly different because the singles got extremely thin and (for me) consistent.  It took me a while to realize that it wasn't a fluke and stop spinning.  Obviously some lace fairy came and spun a whole gob of lace weight singles while I wasn't looking.

I now, evidently have about 60 yards of lovely bouncy 3-ply sock yarn and I will have about 150 yards of beautiful bouncy lace weight 2-ply yarn.  I have small feet but 60 yards ain't going to crack it, no matter what level of delusion I go into.  Maybe I do lace tops for my socks and dk for the foot part?  A scarf and booties?  Spin more yarn?  Yeah, let's go with that one.