Happy Easter

I hope everyone has a Happy Easter! I’ve been prepping for guests and a cookout this evening. Already have the pie done! Miss Annabelle is dressed for the occasion.

Spent some time at the beginning of the weekend dyeing more yarn. I typically just dye yarn once a month, using the monthly theme of the Kool Way To Dye group on Ravelry. This months theme was Easter Egg colors, as in the kits you buy for Easter Eggs. I dyed my eggs then used the leftover dye for the yarn. I used a kettle dyeing type method. Put the yarn in a pot on low. Added each left over color, one at a time moving the yarn and dye a bit to blend instead of getting vivid color separation. There’s a lot of different colors but the blue and purple were mostly dominant. I’m not complaining though because I love the end result!

New Yarn

I have new yarn, in more ways than one, this week. And all without spending money. It’s the best way, right? I won some yarn! I also dyed some yarn. First….the giveaway!

I entered a giveaway on the Wool & Cotton blog. I found the blog on the Contests & Giveaways thread in The Blog Hub group in Ravelry. I wasn’t really looking around the blog, just entered the giveaway. Now looking back I realize it’s a pretty cool blog that I plan to add to my blog reader. The author Alexandra (Twinkleshine on Ravelry) lives in Thessaloniki, Greece. The yarn I won is from Shades of Light on Etsy. I won a skein of her Paris weight, which is a 100% Merino base heavy fingering weight. I chose the 39d colorway because the mix of colors, and depth of the color is just so vivid. The dyer is also located in Greece and is very talented. She has several different bases in her shop, one of which is Dehli; a 50% wool 50% silk mix. Very nice! Go check out the bog and shop!

The other “new” yarn is really just new looking. I dyed 100 g of white Schoeller & Stahl Socka 2000 yarn. I bought this yarn in Germany for the purposes of dying eventually. I had the urge to dye some yarn this past week and chose this because the dyeing group on Ravelry has themes every month. This month’s theme is dying blends and this blend is 45% cotton, 42% wool, and 13% polymide. And since it was the week of St. Patrick’s Day I dyed half the skein willow green and half kelley green using Wilton’s dye. I love how it turned out, and I want to see if it will make a good Hitchhiker.

Autumn Colors

I have two finished objects to share this week.  It so happens that the weather has completely changed, and it is definitely turning into Autumn outside.  Both my projects seem to fit the color pallet of this season; one of my favorites. So it seems like a very appropriate welcome to the warm coming cozy sweaters, hot apple cider, baked apple bread, holiday season.  My favorite part about the season?  Warm drinks: hot apple cider, chai tea and (once I return to the states) Pumpkin Spice Lattes.  I’ll be looking forward to having one of those from Starbucks, but in the meantime I will just keep knitting things that make the Fall season so welcome.

First one reminds me of the leaves changing colors in Upstate NY, where the colors are much brighter than here. It is baby’s Offset Wrapland and Swirl Hat.  Made with Wollmeise 80/20 in the colorway Bob.  I absolutely adore this set and I think it will be coming with me to the hospital.  The tiny buttons are just perfect and have a little elephant imprinted on them.  I just need to find a tiny needle which I’m sure I have around here somewhere, to sew the buttons on with.

 

Next up is a yarn you’ve seen before.  I hand-dyed it with a burnt orange in mind.  I specifically remember calling the result a warm Pumpkin Spice, but also wasn’t to sure about it.  I even did a poll to see what other people thought and if I should modify it more.  Well I’m sure glad I kept it the way it was, because I adore it.  I bought the Spiced Pumpkin candle yesterday.  I must say it’s a damn close match colorwise. And I actually made the pattern I intended for it, The Gap-tastic Cowl.  I’m very happy with the finished result, and it was such a quick knit!

Head on over to Tami’s Amis and Other Creations to check out more amazing FOs for FO FRIDAY!

Apologies

I feel like utter crap.  That’s my only excuse for not posting.  Going on week 2 of feeling like this.  More explanation when I’m up to it.  Just an FYI so you all know I haven’t disappeared.  And I will leave you with some yarny goodness: my latest dye job.

Opinions Needed!

Remember that pan of yarn I posted yesterday?  The one some people thought was pasta or ground meat?  My husband thought it looked like ground beef.  Anyway, it’s done and dry!  I was going for a burnt orange look, and I guess I got it.  But I’m not quite sure if I like it or not.  I want opinions!!  Here’s what it started out as and what it finished as:

My plans with it are to make the Gap-tastic Cowl since I’ve been trying to work off of my queue.

So the question is……

WIP Again

Most my attention this past week has been applied to my Magic Ball Shawl, but I can’t share a picture today.  Why you might ask? Because it’s done!!  It just needs to be blocked and I’m hoping I will be able to share it for FO Friday! Now that it’s done though I can actually give some attention to other things like my Noro Striped Scarf and Skew Socks!  I have to get back on track with my Skew Socks, which means doing a little bit of ripping back.  I want to take them with me to work on while I’m in Prague this weekend.  Yes of course, I’ll take alot of pictures!  My book for the week is Nicholas Sparks’ Last Song.  It’s one of the many books I picked up for free this past weekend at the High School Garage Sale!

I do have other fiber related WIP though!!!   I’m dyeing some Schachenmayr Nomotta Ecologico (yes it’s German yarn!) in the oven as I write.  I tried dyeing it naturally in the sun to avoid felting (since it’s made to felt) but it’s just not hot enough for that yet.  So oven it is. And so far I think I’ve avoided any felting.  I’ve been on a dyeing craze lately and would like to participate in the monthly DAL for the What A Kool Way to Dye group on Ravelry.  This months theme is “Let’s Get Marly” – overdyeing tweed or marled yarns.  Mine is a marled yarn (which I had to look up, by the way!).  The goal was a rusty orange but it looks a bit more red than I expected.

I also am participating in The Knit Girllls spin-along.  If you don’t know much about The Knit Girllls then check them out!  They are an excellent video podcast that you can either watch on their website or subscribe to in iTunes. And they sure are a hoot! Anyway, Tempted Yarns did a surprise dye job on the roving and everyone had to order from her Etsy shop.  So everyone is spinning the same fiber, which is pretty awesome! I’ve done a bit of pre-drafting on mine and just started spinning yesterday.  There is also a KAL portion to the spin-along (but anyone can join!).  We have a choice of 7 patterns with a variety of weights and yardage.  I think I’m going to make the Albina Armwarmers with mine since I’m afraid I won’t have enough yardage for a shawl.  We’ll see.  I’ll keep you updated on my progress!

To enjoy more posts like this head on over to Tami’s Amis for WIPW and Small Things for Yarn Along!

It’s All In the Spelling

I’ve been dyeing!!  Noo…..not dying but dyeing!  Like dyeing yarn?  I don’t know why but it’s almost like I feel like I’ve caught a bug.  The dyeing bug.  When I think about it, I just want to do it again and again and again!  I didn’t have any yarn though!  So I ordered some gorgeous, all natural lace on ebay for real cheap.  It is 150 grams, and I guess I didn’t realize how much yardage that equals out to. The picture only shows 3 of the 9 (NINE!) skeins. My goal was a gradient, which I kind of achieved after some finagling with the dyes and whatnot.  One skein is just smaller and that’s why it looks more like a variegated color than a gradient.  I have to say I don’t love it quite as much as I would have hoped.  I also didn’t think about what I could make with a lace gradient (and so much of it!).  I’ve been wandering some patterns on Ravelry though and I’m thinking about using it for a Heirloom Diamond Baby Blanket or possibly doubling the yarn for something.  The colors seem baby appropriate, both boys and girls.  Who the recipient will be is what I’m not too sure about, and of course it also depends on when I actually get to knitting it!

The purple/pink yarn cake there is my pride and joy!  It’s the best dye job I’ve done so far, at least I think.  I’m part of the A Kool Way To Dye group on Ravelry and every month they have a them for dyeing.  Going with the St. Patty’s Day theme, they chose Luck of the Draw for March.  This meant we blindly picked 3 colors to dye with. So I decided I would try it on a ball of Regia 4 ply Classic, but I have both Wiltons dye and Koolaid. I wanted to try a cool Koolaid effect someone had wrote about earlier so I figured I would pick one color from the wiltons (in a bag & blind!) then pick 2 of the KAs (also all in a bag). Well first I picked Wilton’s Violet, then time for the KA. I picked three different packets of black cherry!! But the point was 3 colors so I kept trying for a 3rd and got Pink Lemonade. I first wound my yarn up in a very, very loose skein and soaked it with water and vinegar for about 1/2 hour. Then I put it in a pot on the stove just so the water would cover the yarn. Not alot of water at all. In a separate bowl I mixed my violet Wilton’s Icing dye with some water and I spooned it over the yarn in just so I was dyeing lines or parts of it. I turned it over, and did the same thing once the dye was exhausted. Then I used Black Cherry Koolaid and sprinkled it on spots I wanted it. Then I did the same thing with some Pink Lemonade Koolaid. Turned it over and did the same thing.  I love the final result and I will be trying this result again!

This is sock yarn, and I want to make socks with it.  Especially since I’m a big pink lover.  I originally planned to make Cookie A’s Monkey socks with it.  I stated this in the group and got one response saying that they don’t think it would look good.  So I’m leaving it to you, my loyal readers.  What do you think?   Obviously if it doesn’t look good I would just frog and start a new pattern, but I’m very curious what your opinions on this would be.  Thanks!

I Forgot It Was Wednesday

Wednesday Work-In-Progress.  Or should I call it I’m-always-late-because-i’m-way-too-forgetful.  I’m so boring today.  I can’t think of anything really creative to say about my projects.  I don’t have a lot going on right now.  Really just two pairs of socks.  One pair is the never-ending socks for my husband.  I have seriously been working on them since August and keep putting them down.  I guess that should tell me never to knit that pattern again.  It’s not easy enough to do as mindless knitting, but it is just not complex enough to keep me interested either.  That would be the pattern Simple Skyp Socks.  If you get bored easily I don’t suggest it.

In the picture you can see my new Baggu bag in use.  Looking for the post about the giveaway I won the bags in, I’m realizing it took me a LONG TIME to post about it.  But at least I didn’t forget.  I won 3 Baggu zip-up bags and a tote, plus a pair of fingerless gloves (which I have worn so much that they really need washing) from Knit 1 Slip 1.  In fact, I have a funny story about the gloves, which will prove how much I love them.  I was visiting a friend in Weisbaden, and we went on post to the PX there.  I tried on a pair of shoes and took off the gloves to do so.  Well I left the gloves there, needless to say.  As soon as I realized I left them there I called, they look, and no such luck.  They said to call again in case they turned up that night.  My friend and I stopped by again the next day and they had them set aside for me.  I was a happy, happy girl!  Her mom wants me to knit a pair for her now too, since she liked them so much!  Thanks again Knit 1 Slip 1.

Also working on my Copy Cat Socks.  The pattern there is Skew from Knitty which I absolutely adore.  I think it’s easy enough to make as my every-day vanilla sock pattern but they have just enough bit of difference.  Perfect for self-striping yarn.

Also working on my preemie hats of course.  I also plan on casting on for the Button-Up Baby Wrap with some hand-dyed bulky yarn.  Can’t share who I’m knitting it for though-sorry!  I’ve been so excited to use this yarn I dyed but had to special order a size 17 circular needle though.  So patients is a virtue right?  We’ll see, because in linking this I found that the pattern was temporarily taken down for revisions.  Now I can’t cast on today!  Ugh!

Day of FOs

Yesterday was a day of Finished Objects.  Despite some horrible family news, I was able to get some knitting done.  Since I was in such a daze and couldn’t really concentrate or function well, knitting helped.  It was easy, didn’t need any focus and I dare say calmed me.  But that sure doesn’t change the fact that it’s been quite a tough week.  Does anyone else notice that in reality, when it rains, and sure as hell pours?

I finished 4 WIPs yesterday.  Yes, count them.  FOUR.  Two of them are for my dear Sister-in-laws new little preemie.  My SIL was only 26 weeks when she had an emergency C-Section 2 nights ago.  So another surprise I can’t ruin till the presents are received.  I also made my first toy!  Again, a surprise.

Also, quite exciting- I finished my first attempt at 2-at-a-time Toe Up, Magic Loop socks!  Another first- they were made from the sock blank I bought from KnitPicks.  I’m really happy with the way the socks turned out.  They are a bit snug, but that’s all part of the learning process, right?  And nothing a bit a blocking can’t fix.  I really need to remember to take a picture of the whole sock blank, before skeining it.  Here’s the before shot:

And After:

Another finished object?  I finally finished reading The Shop On Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber yesterday.  This is my second time reading the genre I suppose you would call “knitting fiction”.    I really enjoy reading these types of books, and I thought this book was no exception.  The story sure made me think about friendships, and how they can be found in unusual places.  I have several friendship I would have never expected, that grew from a mutual love of knitting.  It’s amazing how this hobby can bring so many people of different ages and personalities together.  As much as I enjoyed this book, I found her writing at times a little too dramatic.  There were times where it was a bit too predictable, and I thought “can we get to the point already”?  But I would suggest it  to others looking for a good knitting read.

Rohrspatz & Wollmeise

I have a yarn enabler.  Her name is Heather (go check out her new blog A Tangled Yarn).  She is really the only one I know here in Germany who also knits and dare I say it is more obsessed than me!  Well, needless to say she found this yarn shop called Rohspatz & Wollmeise about an hour away, and read about their big sale. Since we don’t have very many shops here, and the shops we do have are not really great ones, we decided to check it out.  Before we planned on going, she heard a podcast about Knit Nation and how the Wollmeise stand was almost stampeded when the doors opened!  Then she looked into the yarn more and found out how amazing it is, and how much of a demand this yarn is in!  When an online shop has it they sometimes sell out in a few hours!  That’s how popular this is.

Well, the first time Heather went I had schoolwork to get done and couldn’t go.  She called me from the parking lot to talk up this yarn!  So of course we both went again 2 days later!!!   Let me just say that walking into this place is overwhelming.  You are hit by a brick wall of color, and you don’t know where to look first.  If you aren’t careful, you don’t even know what you buy!  I put so many colors in my bag, that when I reevaluated them, I was like “I don’t really remember picking this up”.  And the more colors you look at the more you like them and the more you want!!!   I swear I could go in there and spend $1000 with no problem at all.

I have some ideas of what I’m going to make with the yarn I picked out.  And some yarn I was just like, I’ll find something to make!  I’m sure I will keep you updated on what I make with the Wollmeise yarn.  I’ve added it to my stash on Ravelry, but the one problem with this sale is that there were no colorways on the yarn.  This is because it was the not-so-perfect sale. So that means the color may not have been perfect, or the weight was a bit off, or there are a few knots in the skein.  But for the price, this yarn sure was a steal, and I hope they do it again next year!!  I will be ready…..  Here’s some of my favorite colorways I bought.

Here’s my current work in progress.  Remember the sock blank I dyed?  Well I started making socks 2-at-a-time.  I’m almost done with the gusset! This is the first time I have ever knit them this way, and not a single sock on DPN’s.  I’m really loving the way it works and hot the colors are turning out.