Scappy

I had so much fun with the scrap hat that I just kept going.

I'm having a little bit of a problem confining myself to pieces of wool that aren't long enough to use for anything else. I keep wanting to grab another color from some of those fuller skeins. It does help that I can combine thinner yarns (which just adds to the color play).

For her Earth Day post, Dale-Harriet quoted a slogan from the days of World War II: "Use It Up, Wear It Out, ,Make It Do, Or Do Without." Seems like a good thought for these times, as well.

And I was also inspired by Laura's "free" skirts - really creative and cute.

I have a feeling this is going to become an ongoing project. I've set aside a scrap bag. Now I need to work on some other things so I will have leftovers to fill it up.

One of those other projects is a pair of mittens: sort of a "first draft" for a pattern.

This is the size small (would probably fit someone in the twelve year old range). I have mostly hidden the cuff of the first one because I didn't get exactly what I wanted on the first try. I could rip it back easily enough, because I knit them from the top down. But I don't think I will, since it's a trial run anyway. The thumb isn't finished on the one with the cuff I like; and I haven't snugged up the top or woven in ends. I will take care of those details, and then I'll cast on for a second pair in a different color combination and a larger size.

Well, I've Had a Very Fun Weekend, Indeed.

Yesterday was "Last Saturday Knitting" and it was one of those times when there were laughs from beginning to end, Money quote: "Somehow our conversations always come round to dog poop." Well, maybe you had to be there.

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Today I got brave and drove up to the Great Midwest Alpaca Show. I say "brave" because getting to the Coliseum involves driving on the Beltline, and my two guiding principals of driving are "avoid left turns" and "stay off the Beltline". But on Sunday morning the traffic is light, and it really wasn't bad at all.

I spent the first 40 minutes or so just wandering around the animal pens.

Definitely cute overload. On the other hand, freshly shorn alpacas look a bit as if they had been drawn by Dr. Seuss.

Then I went upstairs and watched a machine knitting demonstration (I don't think it's for me, but it was interesting), and drum carding and spinning (not for me yet, but I'm not ruling it out).

Next, I headed to the vendor area (my real goal all along). Stopped in to say "hi" to Kristi from the Argyle Fiber Mill, who I actually hadn't seen in a few months, ever though we are practically next door neighbors (well Blanchardville is about 5 miles from Argyle, but around here that's nothing). Dropped in at Sandy's booth (Sandy's Palette). I hadn't seen her since the Jefferson Wool and Fiber festival last summer. Couldn't resist some of her "Merino Sox", and couldn't decide which color, so:

Then I got to talking with a really nice young woman (Shelly?) with some very pretty yarn in her booth, and thinnish rovings that her young daughter was finger knitting into bracelets. These (the rovings, not the bracelets) would make wonderfully warm thrums for mittens. I didn't buy any now because it turns out that her business, Alpacas of Prairie Station, is also practically just up the road in Mineral Point. And they have a Farm Store open two Saturdays a month. Yay! Another field trip in the offing.

Plus, while roaming I bumped into Elizabeth and Jen, and even though I had just seen them yesterday it felt like a treat. Especially since I got to meet Jen's family and Elizabeth's friends from Milwaukee.

By the time I left, I was starving, so on the way home I swung through Verona and stopped at the Sow's Ear, not for yarn, but for quiche and coffee.

An altogether satisfying morning.

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Even the weekend knitting has been purely fun: hats made with bits and pieces of leftover yarns. These are fun because

1) I don't have to take notes. I'm not trying to write a pattern, just use up some yarn in an enjoyable and productive fashion, without having to think about the mechanics too much.

2) I don't have to worry about gauge or fit. I start at the top, increase to a likely looking number of stitches, work even awhile and bind off. These will go to afghans for Afghans or Dulaan, and as long as they are generally child sized they are sure to fit somebody.

3) This is the main thing: I really enjoy improvising (playing) with colors.

Made it in time

Finished the 4th Mission Possible project before the end of April. Yay!






The Ackward Socks are all done. I was a bit dubious when they came off the needles. They were a bit, um, lumpy. But blocking really did work it's magic. (I don't usually block socks at all, but I wanted them to look nice for their picture.)

All in all, if I do these again I'm going to handle to patterning on the gusset and sole differently. But they will be nice and warm next winter, with a sort of homey, folksy feel.

So what's next on the list? Well I do still have one more afghan's worth of Warm Up America blocks.






These have been "out of sight, out of mind" for I'd guess at least a year. All acrylic, mostly rather firmly crocheted, made by volunteers who sent them to the Craft Yarn Council, who sent them to me. High time I got started on putting them together (I did volunteer,after all). I'm not even going to try to get this all done in a month. I'll get started and work diligently, if intermittently (promise to self and the world).

That leaves me needing a "sure to be finished before May is done project". I think I'll improvise a hat. That's always fun.

Earth Day

Honor Thy Mother.

Knitting with Brillo

A little back story here. I wanted to swatch just a bit of the Sandburg scarf in the version with plain ends (no edging), just to have an example. So I went digging around in the bottom of the stash and pulled out this.

It's a cone of Shetland two ply that I bought years and years ago from Webs as part of a mixed lot of mill ends. I noticed that this is a ton of yarn, more than enough, I'm sure, for a full sized square shawl. And I noticed that it's a nice deep charcoal heathery color, with some little flecks of red. Hmmm, possibilities?

I also noticed, as soon as I cast on, that it's a bit ..... stiff. "Well," I thought, "It still has the spinning oils in it. It will probably soften up some with washing. Let's give it a go for the swatch."

Four pattern repeats later, my fingers refused to go any farther. "Rough and scratchy" doesn't begin to describe the sensation. This yarn was clearly intended for weaving rugged tweed jackets, the kind you would wear for a day of shooting out on the moors. I expect it would serve that purpose admirably. But it is not, and never will be, anything you would want to wear next to your skin. Sigh.

It did "soften with washing" to the point of having a somewhat reasonable drape, but it's still itchy, itchy, itchy.

I thought about re-washing it with hair softener in the rinse water. And then thought again, about the words of that great country classic The Gambler: "You have to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em..." It's time to "fold em".

Anyone want some itchy wool?

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P.S to Tracy - Nice to hear from another edging enthusiast. I love them on little girl's dresses, too.

Fog

The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
-Carl Sandburg



The Sandburg Scarf is done.



Just have to do a few finishing touches on the pattern. Edited to add: The pattern's done and available through the sidebar.