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Back on the Road

It has been a very busy week since my last post getting ready for shows and juggling home and family as well. I am vending at festivals for the next three consecutive weekends. I am currently in Champaign, IL on my way to Madison, WI for the annual Madison Knitter’s Guild Knit-In. This is my first time attending the event.

I will arrive in Madison tomorrow afternoon and set up the booth on Friday. Saturday and Sunday are market days. So I have a bit of time on my hands this evening and tomorrow evening but after that probably all work and no play. Smile I am going to try and get in some knitting tonight while I am alone in my hotel probably listening to some music.

I am still working occasionally on my Honey Cowl but my main project at the moment is a new baby sweater I am designing. It is going to have a lace body and a stockinette bodice and sleeves with raglan shaping. I am working it bottom up and working a seed stitch border as I go. I am making this one in Baby Cashmerino that I have had in the stash for quite awhile just waiting for the perfect baby project. The recipient will be a new granddaughter due in early April. My plan is to write up the pattern for sale too. I have only gotten about 6 rows worked so far so it’s not much to look at yet but I took a picture for you anyway.

Sorry for the muddy colors but I took this in my hotel room with very little natural light. It’s actually a lovely muted aqua color. Here’s a better picture of the color I took a few back when I put my stash on Ravelry.

Okay I will close for now. See ya later!

Posted on March 16, 2016 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

What’s Up This Week?

So sorry for the recent neglect of the blog. Last week was a whirlwind of driving, hauling gear, schlepping in and out of hotels and venue, and visiting with lots of knitters. In case you forget what I mean, I was in Pittsburgh for the 12th annual Knit & Crochet Festival.

We were in the new downtown location this year; the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. It is a lovely facility and has much more space. The plans are ongoing for next year’s event with a new date of March 24-26, 2017.

I took a few pictures of the booth but they weren’t too great due to lighting which I poorly planned for. Next year I think I am going to have to get some booth lighting. Anyway here a couple of the better ones.

I arrived home on Monday and got right to work on a dye order for the fiber mill. It was one bump of alpaca to be dyed Tomato Red and twenty-nine skeins of yarn to be hand painted in a color way specified in a small swatch which I was to match.

Here’s the fiber:

And here’s the yarn. I am really happy with how this batch came out. The blue here is actually a turquoise and the colors are all richer and more saturated in person.

While I was in Pittsburgh, Jerry was hard at work here finishing up a batch of new Yarn Boxes in Walnut wood. I just love Walnut! Isn’t it lovely? I should have the finish on them and have them on the website by early next week. Here’s a preview shot I took on Tuesday when I was out working in the dye/finish studio. Smile

Posted on March 10, 2016 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Bocce Shawl Kits

I am busily tying up loose ends on my preparations for the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival so this will be a brief post. I mainly wanted to make an announcement that I have completed putting together the Bocce Shawl Kits.

These will be making their debut at the show but they are also available to order on the website.

This was a very fun project to make. It was simple to do, but the color changes just enough to make it interesting. It is such a wearable shawl too. I have worn it several times as a scarf. I got plenty of compliments on it at the grocery store. Smile

Well, I must get back to work so I will close for now. See you soon!

Posted on February 24, 2016 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Less than 3 weeks? Really?

My Bocce Shawl is finally finished and I just love it! I can’t believe I knit this in less than three weeks! My Ravelry project page reveals that I cast on on January 23 and finished on February 11. Trust me I only get time to knit for an average of an hour a two a day so I can’t explain it. I guess it practically knit itself. Smile

This picture shows how it looked just off the needles. Now I know what you are thinking. It looks fine right? What you may not be able to tell is that there are points on the border and it’s not it’s full size. For that we must block it.

For this design I blocked more aggressively than I normally would to really stretch out the points and set the stitches to rights. This a rather fine gauge yarn knit on size 6 US needles so it needs this to smooth out the fabric nicely.

Now, see! Just look at the difference that made.

Isn’t that better?

I usually wear shawls like a scarf, and this works great with this design. It’s pretty casual looking so it’s perfect for everyday wear. It’s so cheery with it’s colors that it brightens up your winter wardrobe but will wear right into spring and summer too.

It is large enough to wear around your shoulders as a wrap. I had a hard time photographing that by myself though. Smile

I have the yarn all ready to assemble the kits as soon as I get the patterns printed. I soaked the Bare yarn and it is all labeled and ready to go as well. So, the kits should be on the website within the next week. The kits and the sample shawl will be making their debut at the Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival the first weekend of March. More details coming in my next post. See you soon!

Posted on February 19, 2016 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Nearing the Finish Line

We had a smattering of snow again yesterday but thankfully it is only a dusting and roads are still clear. It’s pretty chilly out today so I think I will wait until the afternoon for grocery shopping, which is why I have time to write this post this morning.

What you see here is the results of Friday’s dyeing. About half is a minor restock of my inventory and the rest is for the Bocce Shawl Kit.

This week I got to work on the winding of the mini skeins for the kit. I have one color all done and four more to go. I have the cover sheet for the pattern ready and the only detail to be finalized is how to package the kits.

Most importantly, to me anyway, is that I am sooo close to finishing the knitting of the booth sample Bocce Shawl! I am finished with the color sections and only have the border to knit. That’s only 12 rows and the bind off, so not much at all. I just love how it’s coming out and can’t wait to see it after it’s blocked.

I took this shot of Elijah on Friday when I was out working when he came out to play and observe wearing his big sister’s boots. It was so precious I couldn’t resist a picture. Smile

Well, blocked shawl pictures and more details on the kit will most likely be in the next post. Stay warm, spring is coming soon! Right?

Posted on February 10, 2016 by yarnmama — 3 Comments

Feast or Famine

I have wanted to write a new post so many times in the last week but was too busy in the morning to do it before starting my day and by the end of it, had too little energy to spare. I am now writing to you while my breakfast is cooking, before heading back out for a day at the dye pots once again. In February you waste a sunny pleasant day at your peril when work is to be done outside. We have been fortunate to have most of this week but there is potential nasty winter weather forecast for Monday and Tuesday.

So last week I started getting the dyes mixed for some yarn to restock my inventory for the coming festival season and to dye for the Bocce Shawl kit I told you I am putting together. As soon as I had completed that and the yarn arrived from the mill and I was prepared to get to work dyeing it all up when I received word from the mill I dye for that they had some business for me. Their order took precedence (from my perspective) so I got right on it. I picked it up on Friday and started dyeing up samples on Saturday. Monday was spent mixing stock. Tuesday I mixed the colors. Wednesday and Thursday I dyed up the whole order. On top of that there is always meals to cook, laundry to do, errands to run, school work to oversee, etc..so you can see why my lack of energy at the end of the day for blogging. Oh and I almost forgot that our hot water heater sprang a leak and needed replaced during all this too. It is all I can do to put on the kettle for a cup of Earl Grey and listen to some music to unwind. Smile

So one more day out at the pots today should be all I need to get my yarn done. Possibly pictures will be forth coming.

I have managed to squeeze in a bit of knitting as well on the Bocce Shawl and it is really looking nice if I do say so myself. I love these colors together broken up by the natural color. I have three more colors to go and the border.

Posted on February 5, 2016 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Blizzard Knitting

Nashville got slammed pretty hard on Friday with 9” of snow, which I am fairly certain was not what they were expecting. I had seen the Winter Storm Warnings and we knew something would happen but not THIS much.

This is the largest snowfall we have seen since 1996 I believe. We are in the mid 40’s finally today (Monday) and while there is a lot of melting going on, there is still snow on the ground a few inches deep.

I took all these pictures on Friday while it was still coming down in buckets. It snowed all day and into the evening.

It’s good thing I had finished Elijah’s hat on Thursday because he sure got some use out of it. Smile

I took these pictures the day before the blizzard. He likes it and wears it with no complaints. Smile

So on Thursday I still hadn’t decided what big project to start so I cast on a Honey Cowl to tide me over. While I was knitting on this on Thursday night an idea started formulating in my mind.

I have been thinking of doing kits with my yarn and patterns and Bocce is a perfect one to try this out. I will give you more details on that when I have it all worked out and in the mean time I have started knitting the booth sample. Briefly, I am using my Classic Merino Superwash Sock yarn and it will take one full skein of Bare and five 25g mini skeins in five custom dyed colors.

I cast this on my needles on Saturday morning and have completed the first half of the rows. It goes really fast. Now, the rows are getting longer of course so the second half will be slower but I already have all five colors worked the first time through. You repeat these five colors again and then do a simple edging in the Bare. I am very happy with how it is coming out.

Hope all of you who were also in the path of the storm are getting dug out by now too. Stay warm!

Posted on January 25, 2016 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Culpeper Shawl..What’s Next?

It’s mighty cold in these parts which is why the pictures of Culpeper are not stellar. I got a few quick shots out on the porch and high tailed it back inside. So I beg you to stretch your imagination a bit and imagine it much lovelier than it is here depicted. At some point I may have some better ones but this is it while the mercury is reading in the teens and twenties outside. Smile

I almost forgot that I got a couple shots while it was blocking so I will start with that.

Here’s a close up of the upper patterns and lower patterns, taken for detail but the color is not saturated enough.

There is certainly a big change in how the stitch patterns look compared to it prior to blocking, isn’t there? Here’s a reminder of the difference. Below is the pre-blocking fresh off the needles picture from last week. Huge difference huh?

And here’s the whole thing laid out rather un-artfully I admit, but it’s January. We are lucky the sun was out today. Winking smile

I am ashamed to confess that I have yet to pick my next big project but I did make good on the hat. It is currently in progress and will soon be a finished object. I expect to finish it tonight. More next time on the “next big thing”.

Posted on January 18, 2016January 18, 2016 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Done but Not Quite Finished

I went only two days over three weeks in completing this project, and that is still a record breaker for me. Yay me!

It certainly doesn’t look like much at this stage though does it? But just you wait…the blocking will bring it all out. I can’t say I am relishing the process of that however. A semi-circle doesn’t lend itself very well to blocking wires, at least not the set I have. I only have 30 or 40 T-pins which is plenty for using wires but I can only use those across the top edge. I will have to make a quick run to Joann’s for more T-pins before I can block this. The only thing that is motivating me to do the job is seeing the finished product. It’s kind of like labor isn’t it? The only way to the end is the pain of going through it. Smile

I am at this moment utterly bereft of any knitting. Nothing is on the needles and I haven’t picked a definite next project. I have plenty of ideas mind you, but can’t settle on any of them. Elijah needs a new hat, so that may be a quick interim project while I mull my options. Main contenders are a few more shawls, but I am sort of itching to do a sweater just for me. I haven’t done one in quite awhile and it’s been ages since I made myself something that wasn’t for the booth. Stay tuned for an update on this soon and of course for the amazing transformation of Culpeper Shawl.

Posted on January 14, 2016 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

A Shawl in Three Weeks?

After a long holiday break I have made much progress on the Culpeper Shawl that I started just a few days before Christmas.

I know it’s not a great picture, but it’s kind of cold outside so I took what I could get. At least the sun is out today.

When last I posted I had completed the first three charts and was prepared to do the last increase and the last three charts, which I have done over the holidays and am now doing the border edging which is super easy and fast. I am about 25% done with it in just the few days I have worked on it in the evenings. I can’t believe I am this close to completing a lace shawl that I started only 16 days ago. Unheard of!

Here’s a reminder of where I was before Christmas.

I can’t wait to get this finished and see how it looks blocked out. It really doesn’t look that impressive right now since the lace work is pretty open and will need the stretching to open it up. I think the increase method plays into it as well. It will need a much more aggressive blocking that I usually do to work it’s magic.

When this comes off the needles I will have nothing going. I had better look through my queue and make a decision about what comes next. Can you stand the suspense? Smile

Posted on January 6, 2016 by yarnmama — 3 Comments

Back on the Road

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What’s Up This Week?

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Bocce Shawl Kits

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Less than 3 weeks? Really?

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Nearing the Finish Line

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Feast or Famine

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Blizzard Knitting

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Culpeper Shawl..What’s Next?

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Done but Not Quite Finished

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A Shawl in Three Weeks?

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