Life at the Fiber Farm

Good Evening Knitters - Another new sock design hot off the needles.  If you happen to be a regular reader you will remember that I was rambling on about how HPY can make or break a pattern.  This little sock design really makes this colorway - POP!  This colorway is called Macaw.  The yarn I chose for this pattern is called Sheep’s Gift. 

I tried this pattern using a more subtle colorway and the slipped stitches were just lost.  Another example of swatching being a knitter’s best friend.  As soon as I can get this pattern written up, we will be knitting in our Sock of the Month Club.

Sock Pattern is tentatively called Sally Sells Seashells!

Hello Knitters:  It’s another all too regular day in Wisconsin.  The temperatures will top out at about 10 degrees.  Quite a warm up from last week when schools were called off due to the temperature never reaching 0 at all!

This is nice weather for knitting.  See how I try to remain positive.  It takes a great deal of work sometimes.

I have been hard at work getting sock patterns ready for the upcoming months of the Sock Club.  Here’s a sneak peek at my newest sock -

Blush of Lace Socks in Twinkle Toes, colorway Champagne.  

I really like knitting socks.  It’s a great way to try out a new pattern or colorway or both.  Socks are great for handpainted yarn.  The circular knitting tends to keep yarn from pooling.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with pooling.  It’s that dreaded effect that can happen with HPY where a blob of color winds up in the most inappropriate spot, usually right over your left or right breast!!  Yikes!

Take a look at Yarn Girl’s blog for a great example!  I don’t think this dishcloth looks that bad, but picture that swatch of yarn smacked onto your chest!

What to do about yarn pooling?  The advice most often given is to work from 2 skeins of yarn.  This works quite well sometimes.  Another trick is to vary your stitch count by 2 or 3 stitches every couple of rows.  It’s not as difficult as it sounds and it will really break up the color.

Hello Knitters!  I have neglected this little blog dreadfully the last couple of months - But- I have been knitting. 

Here’s a shot of the Waves shawl before blocking - it already looks very pretty, I think.

Waves in the Garden before blocking

This was a lovely shawl to knit.  The pattern was error free! 

I think this shawl will show that lace and handpainted yarn can both shine in a project.  Quite often, I hear from knitters that handpainted yarns will not work with lace.  This is true sometimes, but not all yarns will work with all projects regardless.

Here are a couple of things to think about before starting any project:

Swatch, SWATCH, SWATCH - important for all projects, but especially for handpainted yarns.  Usually I love the way handpainted yarns knit up in small projects, for example, socks.  But too often, I see knitters who will take their favorite HPY(handpainted yarn) and knit an entire project with said yarn.  Sometimes it looks great, but more often, I think it turns out rather frumpy.  Of course, my opinion only.

So what to knit with HPY’s?  I love slip stich patterns.  Often a HPY and a solid will yield stained glass effects.  I will posting pic’s of this in the future.  Hang in there.

Stay tuned for the blocked out picture next week!

Anyway — Saturday night I was getting bored with the Waves in the Garden shawl.  I am on the last 40 rows and it takes quite a while now to make one pass.  I have committed myself to only 2 rows per day at this point, if that gives you an idea of how long it takes me to get across a row. 

In addition, the 3 kittens who have been residing in the house the last couple of months have taken to playing with this yarn.  I have given orders to shoot to kill if any of them rips out this project! (Before of any of you get alarmed - I am the biggest proponent of cat rescue that you will probably ever meet.  I have personally paid for over 45 cats to be neutered in my area.)  Here are a couple of pictures of those too cute kittens. 

Two very naughty kittens - don’t they look guilty?

 

this is the 3rd culprit - resting after the destruction. 

These ‘evil’ little children do have names - they are - beginning on the top left - Patchy the Pirate, Jack Johnson and Frank Junior.  Don’t even ask about the names - the kids name all our animals and they have been very creative!

Here’s the sock knitting I started out writing about - I love to play around with the patterns in Barbara Walker’s Treasuries.  I altered the stitch count and messed with this pattern a bit, but I really like how it plays up the handpainted yarn.  This pattern is going to be called Morse Code, featuring our Sheep’s Gift yarn in the colorway, Black Cherry.

Sorry, that the picture isn’t more clear.  It’s a very rainy dark night here.  I will take another shot tomorrow outside.  I anticipate that we will be knitting this sock in January 09 for the club. 

 

 

 

The weather here in southern Wisconsin has been absolutely perfect - which means I haven’t been doing much knitting. 75 degree days and 50 degree nights makes for one tired Joslyn at the end of the day!

I am on the 2nd pass of section B of the Waves in the Square project. The knitting continues to be quite soothing and rhythmical. Anyone else find patterns without a rhythm to be annoying to knit?
Speaking of soothing and rhythmical - I pulled my spinning wheel out the other day.

I had a request from a couple of local women to teach them to spin. Now, back in my younger years! I used to do a fair bit of production spinning. Long story, we won’t go into right now.
Anyway, I pulled out my wheel from storage - it’s a Schacht double treadle. One of the best presents that my husband ever gave me. Lest you think I am very weird and maybe you will - my favorite gift was a huge wheelbarrow with a pneumatic tire. So handy to have. I will post pictures and for those of you who can’t fathom why a wheelbarrow would be such a great gift — ever try to shovel out 60 rabbit cages and try to dispose of said shoveling without a great big, easy to maneuver wheelbarrow? :)  ‘Nuff said!

I had almost forgot what I loved about spinning.  So very hypnotic and peaceful.  I had a couple of pounds of wool roving that I purchased several years ago.  I love to spin roving, mindless, easy spinning.

I can’t help it.  I know I’m supposed to be kicking up my heels that my kids will soon start school again, but I always get a bit blue.

It’s not like my kids are little anymore - Alex will be a senior in high school and Sam is starting high school as a freshman. 

Anyone else feel the same way?

Not much knitting today.  Alex began practices for the swim team at 8:00 am( she can drive, thank goodness).  Sam began practice for Cross-country at 7:00 am( he can’t drive - RATS!)  I now some of you will say - get both those kids in the same sport.  Tried that, didn’t work! :()

What this means is this - the Joslyn Shuttle Bus Service is operational.  We live 3 miles from town.  I tried to convince the kids that it’s just a short walk, but no luck.  So I drive into town, drop off a child, drive home, grab a cup of coffee, try to work for about 1 hour, then back to town to pick child up and back home once again.

I know this doesn’t sound too bad, but now here’s the kicker - practices are twice a day!  I think some sadistic coach must have dreamed up this scheme.  I work from home and I think this is nuts.  What about a parent working a traditional job?

Here’s my obligatory knitting content -

I have begun dyeing yarn for the December shipment of the Shawl Club.  I have decided on using Angel Hair in the colorway Claret.

We will be knitting the Cherry Country shawl by Susan Pandorf.

Inquiring minds are probably wondering - what about September?  In a couple of weeks, we will begin knitting the Follow the Leader Faroese Shawl by Sivia Harding.

We will be kitting this shawl in various colors of our Shine yarn.

Hi - my design process is a bit scattered.  I like to jump in and see how the pattern will affect the yarn and vice versa.  Well, the Star lace pattern I posted a few days ago did not agree with the Shenanigans yarn.  The pattern required quite a few psso’s and digging into stitches to create stitches.  Not something this little yarn could come to terms with.  So, off to Barbara Walker I turned again.  This time I have a winning pattern.

It’s a little garter stitch lace pattern, only 4 rows and easily memorized.  So, let’s begin again, shall we?

Bird’s Eye Scarf

Items required:

1 4 ounce ball Shenanigans

Needles - Gauge not terribly important - I used a size 8.  Aim for a nice, loose fabric.

CO 48 stitches.

Knit for 7 rows.

Row 1:  (wrong side)  *K2 tog, (yo) twice, k2 tog; rep from *.

Row 2:  *K1, (k1, p1) into 2 yo’s of previous row, k1; rep from *.

Row 3:  K2, * k2tog, (yo) twice, k2tog; rep from * to last 2 sts, end k2.

Row 4:  K2, * k1, (k1, p1) into 2 yo’s of previous row, k1; rep from * to last 2 sts, end k2.

Repeat rows 1-4 for pattern.

The colorway I chose for this little project is called Plumes - a blend of turquoise, blue and purples.  One of my favorite colorways.

Go ahead and give this little pattern a try.  I think it would work equally well in a smooth wool.  Be sure to use a larger needle to open up the lace.

For inquiring minds that are wondering how the shawl is progressing -this is what I have after 86 rows.

Good Morning:  I knit my required 5 rows on Waves in the Square - I am on row 78 now.  Each pass of lace knitting is taking about 8 minutes.  Can you tell I am a time freak!  The pattern is quite hypnotic tho, but not exactly TV viewing knitting, for me at least.

I like to have 2-3 projects going at any time.  Something for the rare occasions when the brain cells are all firing(lace knitting), a color project and a mindless project.

I’ve also decided to post free patterns on this little blog.  Come knit along with me.  Beware - the pace is fast and projects can change quickly.

Here is my latest mindless project -

Star Lace Scarf

Yarn:  1 - 4 ounce hank of Shenanigans.

Needles - I’m using a size 9, gauge isn’t important for this project.  You will want a light, loose fabric that will show off the pattern.  Err on the large side.

Cast on 49 stitches loosely. 

Rows 1-5:  Knit.

Row 6:  Purl.

Row 7:  Knit 1, *yo, slip 2 knitwise, k1, p2sso, yo, k1; rep from *.

Row 8:  Purl.

Row 9:  Ssk, yo, k1, *yo, sl 2 knitwise, k1, p2sso, yo, k1; rep from *, end yo, k2 tog.

Repeat rows 6-9 for pattern.

Pattern is from Barbara Walker’s 1st Treasure of Knitting.  If you don’t have Barbara’s books -  run, don’t walk and get them.  If I was stuck on a desert island with just needles and yarn; I think I could be quite content if I had Barbara’s books with me.  A lifetime of kntting in each volume.

Here’s a quick shot of my humble beginnings - join in.  This is truly mindless knitting.  The pattern is easily memorized and quite soothing to work.

I will confess right now that I love to start projects.  The excitement, the anticipation.  The finishing - ughhh.

Anyway, here is a photo of a couple of balls of Touch of Mohair yarn that I dyed for a customer that didn’t turn out quite right.  The colorway was supposed to be Bird of Paradise but the dyebath ran and I wound up with this.  Not right for the customer, but I love it.  It’s one of the benefits(?) of owning a handpaint yarn business that you get the castoffs!

So what I am going to do with these balls of gorgeous yarn? I actually have 10!(about 1200 yards), so I can knit almost anything.  Too many choices.  I looked through my patterns for last hour or so.  Can’t decide.  Do I want a vest.  I love vests and as I get older - I think they are more attractive than sweaters.  Let’s not go there.

 Lest, some of you think that I have abandoned my lace project.  Here is my progress as of this morning.  I have just completed row 64.

I know it’s not a great shot, but it’s raining here right now and the light isn’t great in the house.

Welcome to our little blog.  Thought some of you might want to see what goes on behind the scenes at the Fiber Farm.

It’s a very sultry day here in Wisconsin.  Temperature is supposed to top out at 90 degrees with almost the same humidity.  Ughhh.

I just finished a simple shawl using one of our new colorways - Lilac Precipitation.

I knit from the Fiber Trends pattern, Edged in Lace.  Of course, I substituted a different lace edging.  Which, of course, I didn’t write down the name of designer.

Anyone recognize it?

 I’m still in a lace mood, so I’m casting on in Angel Hair again.  I did a bit of digging through patterns, gosh knows I have more than a few! and decided to cast on Waves in the Square from Sivia Harding.   As most of you have probably guessed - I’m not such a great lace knitter.  I tend to opt for mindless projects, as I am mindless by the time I can get to my knitting!

I’ve decided to cast on in a new colorway for the Joslyn’s Fiber Farm - Spiced Plum. 

 How many of us wonder how a gorgeous hank of handpainted yarn will look knit up?  I do and I handpaint yarn every day.  Here’s a little tip - look at the hank in ball wound form.  It will give you a much better idea of what that gorgeous skein is going to look like in knitting form.

Here’s an example -

This is the hank of Angel Hair in Spiced Plum that I selected for my shawl in ball wound form.  You can see the color sections are quite short and the color effect is quite subtle.

I think the Waves in the Garden pattern is going to showcase this colorway quite nicely.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Here is the very beginning of the shawl.

 This pattern is extremely well written.  I like to start my lace projects by following the written directions for the first 20 rows or so.  If I haven’t found a mistake by then, odds are that there won’t be any or very few!  After those initial rows, I jump over to the graph and sail along!

I really like how the colorway is making this pattern come alive.  I love handpainted yarns, no surprise there! - but, a knitter must be aware of how the colorway will either enhance or detract from the knitting.  In this case, I think I have a winner.  Both the pattern and the colorway are popping!