A Fiber Festival!

This is the Harvest Moon Handspun side of Harvest Moon Handspun/Clay Cat. Sue came all the way from North Carolina to be a vendor and promises to be back for the third annual (which are ending up being every eighteen months). :-)

The Clay Cat side.


Sue Dial runs Harvest Moon Handspun/Clay Cat,

Vickie Park and Parkridge Farms in a new vendor...and a member of our spinning group.

Jan has become a teacher of needle felting. Lucy and Jan are both in our spinning group.

Margaret Vogel is well known in the area for her weaving.

Heather representing The Yarn Patch. Heather's in our spinning group, too.

There were garments to be judged.

The Cumberland Yarn Shop

Temari Balls


Swedish Weaving


There were more pictures but I was getting upload errors. To top it off, I took a picture of everyone BUT our spinning group! There was a crowd in front so I was going to go back and shoot later. Sorry Karen, Cindy, and Belinda.

What rock have I been under?

I was reading the latest issue of Knit Net and found a new advertiser..."Earth Faire". The Bead Stew Bracelet caught my attention...particularly the Moonrise on Neptune. I had to have it and ordered it immediately. I had the kit in my little hands within days and the shipping was very inexpensive. I am a lover of low or free shipping. Everything was included in the kit except the knitting needles (which I had). As soon as it arrived, I ran to Ravelry and submitted my new project. What a surprise to find 106 other people working on the same bracelet! So, yeah, what rock have I been under? These have been out since at least 2005!

When I get something I like, I want to extend the pleasure of working on it. I strung my beads the first night, knit the second, and finished up the third. All together, it was about six hours. The pattern was very easy to understand.

I have been putting beads in my yarn while spinning but haven't really thought about knitting with beads in clothing. Now that I know how to knit jewelry with beads, I'm on fire! My stash of beads will reduce somewhat as I purchase some larger beads to go with the colours I already have. Ha, ha. If you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you. But the kits from Earth Faire are the best...and the price is not much above buying the individual parts, if at all.

I have started this bracelet using beads I already had:
I am allowing myself one kit per month and have already ordered "Moon Flowers". Go to Earth Faire to check it out.

Plans are already made for a black one, brown one, green, turquoise, blue.....

Update: 26 April 2009 - I finished my fourth bracelet with plans for at least four more. These are SO addictive and I have the time down that I can finish one in an evening after the beads are strung!

Update: 9 May

End of Winter

Spring is coming and I can feel the urgency in needing to finish up those winter projects. Surprisingly it only took a few hours...so why did I procrastinate? I need to work on that. I couldn't wait to block it before taking a picture. I love the colours and I love the thick and thin of the yarn. I like how it feels on me. What I don't particularly like is how it "looks" on me but it will be a comfortable 'around the house' sweater. I am learning to be more accepting of my finished projects. There is a place for perfection but everything does not need to be, nor can be, perfect.

And while I was procrastinating, I whipped out this cute vest. I don't know that it looks that good on me, either, but it feels good. I even had the nerve to wear it to my machine knitting meeting. And I think that is where I will spend this week...learning a knitting machine. Ah, the quest for knowledge!

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.

Living Vicariously

We all saw Camp Poose when I was hooking it. It's lovely in the winter, too. The pond is totally frozen so it's hard to believe it goes right up to the tree line. And this is what you do at camp in the winter....ice fish!

What do you get? A nice trout for dinner.

Felted Alpaca Hat

There is something different in the way alpaca felts vs. wool...at least using these worsted weight alpaca yarns. The purl side has a nice bubble, almost boucle` look. I like it!

US 10 - 16" circular needle and/or DPs
3 Balls of Landscapes Alpaca (72 yds each) -or-
2 balls of Classic Alpaca (110 yds each)

With a SINGLE strand of yarn, CO 100 sts -
Join and knit 45 rows.
Turn your work inside out so the purl sts are facing you.
Knit 15 rows.

Next row: *K8, k2tog* repeat around.
Knit 2 rows.

Next row: *K7, k2tog* repeat around.
Knit 2 rows.

Next row: *K6, k2tog* repeat around.
Knit 2 rows.

Continue these three rows (changing to DPs when needed) knitting one less in the decrease sections until 30 sts remain. Knit the next two rows.

Last row: K2tog around. Pull thread through remaining sts and finish off.

Felt to desired size.

If this is your first felting attempt, measure you head and add about 1". That is the size you will look for. Trying on a wet hat is not fun. Throw the hat in a zippered pillow case protector or tie it up in an old pillow case and throw in with the regular wash. Classic Alpaca will usually felt fast...usually one load. The Landscape will generally take about three loads because of the silk...but not all colours felt equally! Check the hat often. Take the hat out and spread flat and measure. This is the outside measurement and will be slightly more than the inside measurement. If I want an inside circumference of 23", I felt until I get a measurement of 12" across the flat hat.

Let’s say you over-felted. Soak in a little hair conditioner and stretch the hat out on a pot or bowl with the circumference you want.

After you get the size you want, shape and dry out of the sun, usually 1-2 days.

Copyright 2003 by Janis Garwood a.k.a. WoolTales. sheepfreak2003 AT yahoo.com All rights reserved.

Happy New Year!

Isn't this photo amazing? It was an e-card sent by my friend, Lucy. She can do anything with a camera and editing! She does restorations, too! There's more of her shots here. I'm a point and shoot girl and the last few sets of family photos really show it. No amount of editing can save them. I think I will ask her to do a photo session when my daughter and honey come down in March. We will be celebrating Bruce's 70th birthday!

And what is on the agenda for the new year? Why, it is trying to get organized...again. After reading today's Knitter's Review, I'm pumped to do another inventory of stash. The fact that I have three new hobbies since the last inventory of '07 only makes it more urgent. I will NOT post a "before" picture until I have a decent "after" picture! I have organized my knitting files on my computer, but what kind of exciting picture does that make? I have decided that if I like a pattern so much I have saved it four or five times (which I have found), then I might want to go ahead a make it...with stash, of course. And not wanting my favorite yarn stores to go out of business, I will occasionally buy yarn for a specific pattern I'm going to make at that time if I don't have the yarn. So I'm not going cold turkey.

This organization is not going to start by itself. I hope everyone has peace and hope in the new year...the two things that should not cost anyone anything.

Cheers!

'Tis The Season

Yes, this is the season for parties with my various groups. Some have opted for no gift exchange, but two groups are wonderful for hand created packages of wonderfulness. Over the weekend I received this wonderful bun warmer. LuAnn gave me the pattern last year but she knows me too well and knew I would never get around to making it...and this with fabulous machine knit dishcloths, and jars of tasty goodness from her garden.

At the spinner's Christmas luncheon I received this wonderful angora which Kim raises herself along with some marvelous hand dyed wool to spin with it.

The sheep shawl I made was well received. Do you think I remembered to take a picture of Karen wearing it? No! Well she said she wouldn't be taking it off, so I'll snap one at the next meeting. :-)

Here it is blocking. It does look better on.

So the holidays are starting out okay. There hasn't been a lot of stress shopping. Perhaps next year everything will be homemade. Wouldn't that be nice...giving the gift of one's time. Meanwhile, the lottery ticket to my husband is the gift of hope!

Tahdah!

I had my doubts a couple of weeks ago, but it's done!



I finished whipping the edge and blocked it yesterday. Now to find the right size pizza box. I feel so competent and in charge. Too bad my house does not reflect that. :-)

Camp Poose

Every year I make one gift that's a major investment of time. This year the "lucky" recipient is Tad, my daughter's SO, soul mate, partner. I'm hooking a chair pad of the family camp. This camp, in the backwoods of Maine, was originally built by his grandfather whose nickname was Poose, hence the camp's name.



This is what I started with. I printed out the picture in thirds and transferred the "essence" to monks cloth.



This much hooking took me a week.



This is the end of week two.

The saga continues.....

Punched Pumpkin Mat

I can't believe I finished something in time for the season. Usually, I would be done at the beginning of the next season and have to wait a year to use it. When deciding to make this particular mat, I discovered the secret of designing and getting the picture on the rug backing material. I know everyone who hooks probably knows this, but this is for the novice...like me, who has so many "duh" moments.

You start out with a pencil, eraser, and paper...preferably printer paper. It's nice and white. Draw the design you want tweaking as you go. That's what the eraser is for. :-) When you are totally satisfied with your picture, trace your pencil lines with a thin magic marker. I have been told the name 'magic marker' went the way of the dinosaur. I actually used a Bic Mark It ultra fine point. Erase any visible pencil marks. You may not see them too clearly now, but trust me, they will show on the computer when you blow it (the picture) up.

Now scan or take a photo of your drawing and get it in the computer. Your rug or mat will probably want to be larger than the actual size of the picture. Rather than spending money at an office supply store having them blow it up, you can do it yourself and it will only cost you a little time and paper.

For the rug above, I simply cropped the picture into thirds saving the original and each third separately. I then printed out each third to full size on the 8.5x11 paper and then folded the edges and lined up the design and taped them together. My original hand drawn picture of 5x9" turned into a rug of 9 x 22". If you wanted a larger rug, you could grid out the picture into 6, 9, 12 sections. OOOOh! I think I'll make a matching floor rug! I digress.

Tape red dot or quilters transfer paper (located in the interfacing section of most fabric stores) on the enlarged picture and go over it with a larger size magic marker. Now your design is ready to be transferred to your backing in the same method.

Nothing is written in stone. Even after your picture is on your backing, you can still tweak. I added the crow at the last minute. The only thing to remember if you are PUNCHING the rug, is that your image will be reversed. I realized that in the beginning and the rug turned out as it should have...only since working from the back all the time, I've come to like the rug better from the back side. Will I ever be satisfied with how a project turns out? Probably not.

p.s. The yarn used for the pumpkins was hand dyed on cream wool using Landscape's "Dingo". Each skein was around 200 yards. The lightest pumpkin used 1/4 teaspoon of dye and I increased the dye in increments of 1/4 teaspoon to get the deeper colours.

The Pocketbook

I promised this pattern and I'm doing it now! Some people might like to get some done before Christmas. So, in all it's glory, is the WoolTales Pocketbook.

WoolTales Felted Pocketbook
With Pocket Options





Winter Pocketbook/Flap




Fall Topless Pocketbook

Topless Bag
Materials: 600 yards of feltable worsted weight wool in a solid colour
140 - 150 yards of variegated feltable worsted weight wool
1 or 2 buttons for pocket flaps

Flap Bag
Materials: 4 skeins Lamb’s Pride worsted (190 yards each) or about 750 yards
2 skeins Noro Kureyon (110 yards each)
1 large button for the top flap
1 small button for pocket flap
You may want to purchase the buttons and then select the yarn to match. I discovered it’s much easier that way.

Needles: US 11 double points and 16" circular
Crochet hook “H - K” Size not particularly important.
3 Markers and 1 End of Row Marker

Gauge: Not important. Finished felted bag is approximately 12-14" wide and 10 - 12" high.

Abbreviations:
BO - bind off
CO - cast on
sts - stitches
SSK - slip two stitches one at a time as if to knit. Place back on left hand needle and knit together through the back loop
dec. - decrease.
K2tog - knit 2 stitches together
YO - wrap yarn over needle

Ribbing: I have used a 2 x 2 ribbing in the pattern. If you prefer a 1 x 1 ribbing, do that. It’s your purse!

Bottom of bag -
With the solid colour and variegated wool, cast on 12 stitches and work garter stitch (knit each row) for 28 ridges. Knit one more row with the circular needle. Place marker. Pick up and knit across side (1 stitch per ridge), place marker, pick up and knit across the cast on edge (1 stitch per stitch), place marker, and back up along the last side, place end of row marker. You should have a rectangle with 12 stitches on each end and 28 stitches on each side. This is Round 1.

Rnd 2: Knit 12, slip marker, knit 2, *make 1, K2 and repeat from * down the first side (41 stitches), slip marker, knit 12, slip marker, knit 2,* make 1, K2 and repeat from * down the second side (41 stitches). (106 sts total.)

Rnds 3 - 6: Knit around

Rnd 7: Cut variegated yarn and join second strand of solid yarn and knit around.

Body of bag -
Rnd 1: Knit

Rnd 2: Knit 12, slip marker, SSK, knit 37 (to the last 2 stitches), K2tog, slip marker, knit 12, slip marker, SSK, knit 37 (to the last 2 stitches), K2tog. (102 sts total.)

Pocket Placement -
Rnd 3: Knit 12 end stitches, on each side: knit 13, purl 13, knit 13. These purl bumps are what we will be picking up and knitting when we put in our pockets.

Rnds 4 - 19: Knit.
If you would like to add a small cell phone pocket on the side, purl the middle 10 of the 12 sts for one or both sides on round 8.

Rnd 20: (for small flap pocket only) - knit 12 end stitches, knit 13, purl 13, knit 13. Work to end of round.

Rnds 21 - 34: Knit around.

Handle holes -
Rnd 35: Knit to 7 sts. before end of row marker. *K2tog, YO, knit 5, slip end of row marker,

Rnd 36: Knit 2, YO, K2 tog, knit 4, K2tog, YO, K2 , slip marker, knit 5, YO, K2tog, K25, K2tog, YO, knit 5, slip marker, Knit 2, YO, K2 tog, knit 4, K2tog, YO, K2 , slip marker, knit 5, YO, K2tog, Knit to end of row.

Rnd 37: Knit

For Ribbed Top:
Rnds 38 - 41: Knit 2, Purl 2 around.
Rnd 42: Bind off in pattern.

For Flap Top:
Rnds 38 - 40: K2, P2 over side sts, K39, slip marker, K1, P2, *K2, P2, repeat from * to end of round.

Rnd 41: K2, P2 over 12 sts, K39, BO remaining sts of row in pattern.

Rnd 42: BO first 12 sts, K remaining 39 sts.

Start of actual flap:
Using 1 strand of black and 1 strand of variegated
Row 1: Slip the first stitch as if to purl and purl to end.
Row 2: Slip 1, SSK, knit to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1.
Repeat rows 1 & 2 twice more.
Row 7: Slip 1, P.
Row 8: Slip 1, K.
Row 9: Slip 1, P.
Row 10: Slip 1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1.

Repeat rows 7 - 10 until 15 sts. Remain.
Next row: Slip 1, P4, BO 5 sts in P, P5.
Next row: Slip 1, K4, CO 5 sts, K5.
Next row: Slip 1, P.
Next row: Slip 1, K.
Next row: Slip 1 P
BO Row: Working a corded bind off, add three sts by placing the right hand needle between the 1st & 2nd sts, K. Place new st back on left needle. Repeat twice. After you have added the sts, *K2, SSK. Slip 3 sts back to the left hand needle and repeat from * until all the sts are BO and there are three sts remaining. Cut yarn and draw through 3 sts.

Short Pocket -
With US 11 double point needle and leaving an 8 - 10" tail of yarn, pick up and knit 13 sts at purl bumps toward the bottom of the bag and holding your purse with the BOTTOM TOWARD YOU. This is row 1. Turn your work and purl back across these stitches. Continue in stockinette stitch until 10 rows have been completed. Bind off in knit on the next row. Pull yarn through last stitch and cut leaving an 8 - 10" tail.

With the tails at the beginning and end of your pocket, sew the respective sides of the pocket to the bag. I used a whip stitch.

Short Pocket Flap -
Using one strand of solid and one strand of variegated wool and holding your purse with the TOP of the bag TOWARD you, pick up and knit 13 sts from the top line of purl stitches. This is row 1.

Row 2: Slip first stitch, purl to end of row.
Row 3: Slip first stitch, SSK, knit to last 3 sts, K2tog, knit 1.
Row 4: Slip 1, purl across

Repeat Rows 3 and 4 until 5 stitches remain.
Next row: Slip 1, slip another, K2tog, pass second slipped stitch over, knit. (3 sts).
Next row: Slip 1, purl across.
Last row: Slip 1, K2tog, pass slipped stitch over. (1 stitch).

With this last stitch, crochet a chain of 9. Fasten off and weave tail to base of chain creating a loop which will fasten around the button of your pocket.

Long Pocket -
With US 11 double point needle and leaving a 10-12" tail of yarn, pick up and knit 13 sts at purl bumps toward the bottom of the bag holding the bag with the BOTTOM TOWARD YOU.

Row 2: Turn your work and purl back across these stitches.
Continue in stockinette stitch until you are approximately 1" from the start of the ribbing at the top of your purse. Knit 2, Purl 2 for three rows. Bind off the next row in pattern leaving a 10-12" tail.

With the tails at the beginning and end of your pocket, sew the respective sides of the pocket to the bag.

Handle -
Using 2 double point needles, one strand variegated and one strand solid wool, cast on 5 stitches. (If you prefer a solid handle, use two strands of your solid yarn.) Work I-cord for seven feet (7') for a shoulder bag handle. If you would like shorter handles, 5-1/2 to 6' should be fine. Remember that these will shrink during the felting process. Cast off leaving a tail. Feed the handle through all the handle holes and sew the ends together. Neatness counts but we don’t need to be compulsive. The felting process will even out slight blemishes in our work and the handle seam can be placed in the small area on the side between the holes.

Side of the purse with handle in place. The ribbing is the top of the cell phone side pocket,

Before you felt:
Do you want any more pockets? Perhaps one or two inside? Simply pick up some purl bumps from the inside and repeat the process for knitting a pocket. You could make a large divided pocket by simply picking up across most of one side, making the pocket and then sewing down the middle. It’s your purse.

Time to felt!
Use your favorite felting method or...place your purse in a pillow case protector or pillow case tied at the end and throw in the washer. Just let it run through the cycles. Two to three complete cycles should do it. Lamb’s Pride felts more quickly than some yarns. Check your progress. Make sure your handle swings freely and doesn’t knot up in the washer or it can not felt properly. Pull it out before the last spin cycle to prevent creases. Let it drip and then press with towels to soak up excess water. Shape and let air dry - two to three days.

You may have to shave your bag after it is dry unless you like the fuzzier look of Lamb’s Pride. The fuzziness sucked up some colour of the variegated in the above. I will try the next bag using Galway.

Sew your buttons where you need them and you are ready to go. Enjoy!!

Copyright 2004 by Janis Garwood a.k.a. WoolTales. Revised 2008.

There was "Timing"...now "Time"....

and questions like, "Where does it go?" It's the end of the month already and what have I accomplished? It doesn't feel like much. I did take a whirlwind week and drove from Tennessee to northern New York. I should say I 'rode', but I got some quality knitting time in. I started FiberTrend's S-2003 The Sheep Shawl



using Web's wool/cashmere blend in a finger weight. I always say I don't like lace and doing an overall lace pattern repeatedly IS pretty boring. Mixing up the patterns and doing one chart after another is pretty exciting like working fair isle in Meg Swansen's Dubbelmossa and I LOVE fair isle. I'm already down to the sheep so let's hope the border doesn't finish me off.



A quick hour where I grew up was enough to visit the lake and pick up some cheese. Ahh, the power of cheese. After seeing Lake Ontario again and remembering how great it was growing up there, I know why my daughter loves Maine so much. It was still two weeks too early for any foliage, but just in time for the salmon fishing!

Timing

I've been re-writing an old pattern up for one of my lists. It's a felted bag. I usually just wing it when I'm tweaking or creating something new. One just needs to remember to write everything down...even the tiny minutia. So I'm done and need a button. Not just any button. This thing has to "pop"! Startle the senses. One of a kind. So the hunt begins through my vast stash of buttons. Buttons can make or break a project. What you have created may be wonderful but if you put on a blah button, what's the point?

My search ended in Knoxville at Loopville. Jinka, the owner, has always been very helpful whenever I've gone there. I've picked up many great buttons there but really didn't think I would find what I needed. It would have to be larger than most buttons, you see. I thought I would end up dragging out the polymer clay and improvising. In one of the four baskets of buttons I looked through, out popped this!


This button is over 2" square and glittery and one of a kind. I must write and find out the creator's name and give her the proper credit she deserves. It certainly made the bag as you can see here. It's hard to tell but the colours match exactly! Once again there is peace in my home.


Update: I just discovered the button artisan....Gail Hughes and you can see a sampling of more of her buttons here.

Gifts In General

It's always difficult to decide what to get as a gift for someone especially when you do not know who will be receiving it. So I give what I would like to receive. Fortunately, this gift was well received because the recipient is as anal as am I, and I mean this in a most loving way!




I needle punched "Grandmother's Garden" by Stone & Thread (Warning: blatant plug.) purchased at Crossstitch-ville and finished the edges as I would a hooked rug...by whip stitching around the edge. I then glued it to the cover of a 6" x 6" photo album using a water based glue. If the album wears out, it can be detached and glued to whatever or framed.

So it's a photo album. What's so anal about that? Inside I placed "Knitting Project" pages where you can enter all the pertinent information. On the opposite side is room for a picture of the finished project. Most people can just remember what they knit. Well, when you get to be my age, you know that just isn't true anymore. I hadn't even hit 40 when I moved and started unpacking items that covered a ten year span in which I was positive I hadn't knit a thing. This is also when my journaling started. Just be glad I am only going to post on new items I'm working and not the past twenty years worth.

Rug Hooking!

What can I say about rug hooking? This is my latest passion and I can't get enough. Years ago I bought a kit with a two minute instruction on how to hook at a festival. This is NOT the way to start. I gave the kit away in disgust. I now know it wasn't me. It was the kit, hook, and instruction. The kit had size 3 cut, a hook that I found hard to use, and two minutes is not enough time for anyone to properly learn.

I later found a DVD on Nantucket Rug Hooking by Judy Taylor. Since I was a knitter and spinner and a stash to rival some yarn shops, this was a match made in heaven. The chair pad at the top is my very first venture into rug hooking. I simply threw a piece of burlap in the chair and drew the outline of the seat. Then I drew the picture. It's good to know the picture you draw isn't necessarily the picture you end up with. Otherwise, I would have ended up with two headed sheep and a house in the middle of the bay.

Since then I have watched Gene Shepherd's tutorial on beginning rug hooking...bought "Woolly Sheep", a #6 cut kit from Joan Moshimer when I was up in Maine last summer (I added an extra cloud)...




and Red Saltbox Americana, a #8 cut kit from Sharon Perry off Ebay this summer. Don't look for a bush in her kit. I added it. I can not leave anything alone!



Life is good and I'm hooked!