Ocean Blue

It's been back to spinning.  I've got a couple of projects on the spindles (more about that another day) and one on the Minstrel. 

This is some Louet Northern Lights wool in the colorway, "Ocean Waves."

I got this when I was in Lansing, MI, a while back and I've been dying to get to it.  The wool's not too soft but I love the way this is prepared.  Having the smaller roving makes it so easy to draft. 

Here's what I just took off the wheel:

It's merino spun to 3-ply lace-fingering weight.  I got this several years ago from Outback Fibers.  They have sample packs of merino featuring different colorways, which is a great way to try out the fiber.  As you can see, the colors are great.  The original plan was to spin it as finely as I was able, then ply it with a singles of black but I got impatient and bored! I can be fickle that way, sadly.  Imagine my surprise when I got it plied and it came out like this!  It's Navajo plied ("z" singles/"s" ply).

Selbu Mitts

When I was in Michigan a few weeks ago, I came across a wonderful book called Selbuvotter, Biography of a Knitting Tradition by Terri Shea.  One of the things I like most about the book is that, in addition to amazing patterns from authentic Selbu mittens and in addition to notes on construction, etc., there is a great overview of the history of Selbu knitting and the knitters who originated it and popularized and spread it.

I decided I wanted to spin some yarn to make one of the patterns to really get into the feel of it.  The yarn was 2-ply, more or less fingering weight or a little less and "rustic."  I'll leave it at that!

So, here is the first mitten done:

Traditionally it would have been knit with black and white but I had blue so mine are knit in blue and white.  So there! 

Size Matters

I've just had an experience I'd never dreamed would happen.

I knit a doily on size 000000 needles (yes, that's six 0s) using size 100 cotton.  Looks like any other doily, no?  Well, it's not.  Click on the picture to see the stitches up close.  Still not convinced?  Try this one:

As you can see, that's a penny in the middle.  Need more?

It's a little hard to see the white on white but if you click it, you'll see the little guy is the same pattern as the middle of the big guy.  Big guy was done using regular bedspread weight crochet cotton, the stuff you see in all the stores.

I have to be honest and admit that I picked the absolute worst pattern to go micro with.  Here it is:

Cast on.

Knit 2 rounds plain.

Knit 1, make 3 stitches in the next stitch.

Are you blinking kidding me?!?!?!?!

Yeah, make 3 stitches in 1.  Repeats through the whole pattern.  I had trouble doing that with the larger thread and larger needles.  Ooops, forgot about that.  Plus it's not lacy so you know I've got to try it at least once more with a lacier pattern. 

Oddly enough the cast on wasn't the hardest part (I leave you to guess the hardest part).  The needles are so small and so light, they just don't fall through the stitches like the larger needles can.

So I guess the adventure is really just starting!

Heritage Knitting Retreat

I meant to be posting a bit more about our upcoming Heritage Knitting Retreat coming up June 18-20 but haven't done much yet.

For those who don't know, my friend, Jane, and I discovered quite by accident that we're both besotted with antique patterns and knitting.  We happened to show up at Knitorious is St Louis where Deborah was doing a program on Civil War-era purses and got started talking.  As things fell into place, Jane had the idea to do a Heritage Knitting Retreat and asked me if I would like to work with her on it.  Of course I did and here we are.  We've got a lovely place in hand for it where the owners are into Civil War re-enactment and are excited to have us and we've got lots and lots of plans.  There will be a ton of resources the participants will go home with to carry on the journey after the event, too. 

Have a look and maybe you, too, will come join us in beautiful Petersburg.  Oh, and we're listed in the events section of the new PieceWork magazine, too.

Scared silly

Before I start, let me just answer a question from Tricia about the Vintage Rocks Baby sweater and the sizing.  I'm not that good at baby sizing but I would say the pattern as written is probably 6-9 months.  But the nice thing about the way it's worked is that it's really easy to adapt.  The top part is worked from sleeve to sleeve so you can just make it longer, if needed, and the 'skirt' part can be knit longer or fuller by completing more pattern repeats.

Now to the purpose of this post.

I got my 000000 and 00000 double point needles in the mail yesterday.  When I opened the package, I realized just how glib I've been, talking about knitting a project with size 100 crochet cotton and US size 000000 needles.  Good googly moogly, these suckers are tiny. 

How about this:

Even seeing them in context like this makes it hard to communicate.  You've really got to hold them in your hand to get the full effect.  I've included the yarns, too, just as an added bonus.  I had no idea what I was getting into.  All I know is that I'll have to have a quiet period with no pressure to do anything else before I start the new pattern.  More about that later...

I did finish a skein of the spindle-spun natural color so I could start my Norwegian mittens.  It came out a lighter weight than the blue but when I washed it (it was just a quick wash) it bloomed quite a lot.  I'm thinking it will fill out a bit more once it's worked up and given a proper wash.  Nevertheless, it's still going to be a lighter weight.  The mittens I'm doing (more about that later, too) are knit on size 0 needles so I've got them started and I'll see how I like it.  I've got more of the blue and the natural so I can always spin another skein if I feel like that will work better.

Exceeds expectations

You may need to click on the picture to enlarge it so you can see the  motif but I'm pleased beyond all measure.  That center diamond just looked naked without this little bit in the middle.

My original idea was to knit this medallion in which I could have done had I had the patience to find the pattern and if I had been a little more confident of how this center diamond would work up.  But having it done and attached afterwards gives it a nice textural feel, I think.  The downside is that you have to sew it on.  Actually, I have to sew it on and that bothers me more than you having to sew it on, sad to say.

And next?  This little tea cozy:

Big, big news

I have big news.  Perhaps even big, big news.  The Amish Center Diamond Afghan is finished!  Well, finished for all intents and purposes.  The afghan part is finished and the center diamond motif is finished and blocking but it still needs to be sewn on to be final finished.  I'm counting it.

This is a motif from the Elsebeth Lavold book one - The Viking Knits Collection and it was the perfect size for what I wanted and it worked up quickly.  I'll get a good photo of the whole thing later once this is dry and attached.  I've been using the afghan on my bed the last few days and, boy, is it warm and light.  Who'd've known?

And I got highjacked with my latest newest project.  I was straightening up my books the other night which, of course, led to looking at some old Spin Off magazines.  I don't know if this happens to you but I can read some of these articles but if I don't have any context for what they're talking about, I don't really take much of it in.  So, since I'm starting to learn more about spinning, I like to have a look back from time to time.

So there I was quietly thumbing through the magazine, sipping a cup of tea (because I am a tea drinker) when I got hit with this:

Have you ever seen anything quite so cute?

This is from the Fall 2006 issue.  Carol spun this yarn out of silk and cotton.  I didn't want to spin something new to make it but I just happened to have some silk that I'd spun up and had no idea what I would do with it.  Ha!  And it was just the right weight.  I'd love to have a real t-shirt made out of this.  Wish you could touch it and feel how gorgeous spun silk is.  This silk roving (which I'd had for donkey's years) was spun on my Kromski Minstrel using the 12:1 ratio in a 2-ply.  I didn't check the wraps per inch but the pattern called for 17 wpi and this is knitting up to the gauge so I'm guessing it's about that.  I started it last night and just have the last part of the back, the sleeves, the pocket and the neckband to go.  I'll be sure to get a photo once I've finished.  I've got a white teapot that will go great with this!