Kindred Spirits

I love my spinning group. Everyone is so knowledgeable and we discuss everything...from animal husbandry to husbands; health issues to money issues; law to international affairs. Of course, fiber is what binds us together. It's a day of learning. Sometimes we are re-learning things forgotten. There also must be a correlation between fiber people and what makes a good cook. I don't know a single one that is not competent in the kitchen. Perhaps too good, as my waistline is starting to show.:-)

I always feel recharged and revitalized after a meeting. I can try anything without fear of failing because, after all, failing is still learning, if nothing else, than not to do it that way again.
My, what a great looking group of ladies!

So this is the spinning I am working on now...along with Muggs. What a photo hound!
This is 70% merino/30% seacell (a silk-like fiber made from seaweed). I am spinning this lace weight and will make the Seascape Shawl by Fiber Trends for my daughter. This project is teaching me patience because spinning so fine takes forever.

Do you have 100?

Yards of wool, yarn, string, that is. Then you can knit these in the smaller size. I wrote this pattern ages ago on the way to visit my daughter in Maine...in December. I was knitting a pair of mittens and realized I couldn't finish the second if I closed up the tip to the first. The fingerless mitten was born. I thought I was SO clever. Then I started seeing them everywhere...especially more recently. The very first pair did not look quite so polished as the final version. The fingerless mittens above were done in 2003 using hand spun Spinderella Thrums. http://www.spinderellas.com/thrums.html

Feel free to tweak and add a stitch pattern or cable. Add a kid mohair to the cuff. There is no right or wrong. I'll post a picture of the first pair when I dig them out in the fall. Live in a colder climate? Wear them over your gloves. Then you can make many coordinating pairs. Enjoy!

WoolTales Fingerless Mittens

Materials: size 5 US double points, 110 yards worsted weight wool

Sizes: Medium - women’s, (Large - men’s)

Abbreviations:
K = knit
P = purl
st = stitch
sts = stitches
Rnd = round
CO = cast on
BO = bind off
inc = increase

Cuff: CO 40 (44) sts. Join work and K2, P2 for 3” (20 rounds)
Knit even for three (3) rounds.

Thumb: Rnd 1: K3, place marker, inc 1 in next st, K1, inc 1 in next st, place marker, K to end (5 sts between markers). These are the thumb sts.

Rnd 2: Knit around.

Rnd 3: K3, inc 1 in st. after the marker, K3, inc 1 in st before marker, K to end. (7 sts between markers)

Rnd 4: Knit around

Continue in this manner until there are 15 (17) sts between markers.
Knit 1 round.

Next row: K3(k1, p1 between markers), knit to end. Repeat this row 2 (3) more times.


Thumb Finish: K3, BO sts between markers while working rib pattern, knit to end.

Hand: Next row: K3, CO 3 sts, knit to end.

Knit 2 (3) rounds even.

Work K2, P2 for 10 rounds.

BO working in rib pattern.

Weave in ends.

The best news of all, the mitten will fit either hand...so make another mitten now.


Copyright 2000 - Janis Garwood, WoolTales

It's all about preparation.

Like this? I am preparing to start my daughter's Dale of Norway "Park City" sweater. I have been swatching and testing yarn. Above is what I made in Hauk and which I think I will end up using.

This is easy to do. Simply find a charted pattern of approximately 25 stitches for each side and work it in the round for however long you need. I think this chart work was 27 rows and then I added the stripes. Work the four decrease until it's the size you want for your top opening and voila! This particular chart came from Vogue's Stitchionary 3.

Everyone needs a blog.

This is my first post on my first blog...like I have nothing better to do with my time. Ha!

WoolTales is the name I chose for my business when I was in Virginia ten years ago. I had such grandiose ideas of actually making a living in the fiber world. I suppose some can but they need to be more talented than I AND they need a head for business. I found the pressure of deadlines took the fun and creativity out of it for me.

To add some decent content for the poor soul who stumbles upon this site, I am working the placket bands of a Henley knit in CotLin from Knit Picks. The pattern is Top Down Henley for Women by Knitting Pure and Simple. I don't usually repeat patterns, but I have worked this one four times.

Now to learn to upload pictures.