I finished my blue beanie from the Onion merino and nettle yarn. One can never have too many plain beanies. One can never knit too many plain beanies. Especially blue ones in scrummy yarn.
Category: fiber love
Quiet Knitting
I’ve been quietly working on Deschain. I’ve finished the front according to the pattern, but I think I’m going to add another pattern repeat. Even with blocking this may be too cropped for me. What do you think?
If I do another pattern repeat, I may have to forego the sleeves, unless I buy more yarn. I think this tee with no sleeves would be fine, though. Or shorter sleeves.
The lace pattern is Shale. It’s a very easy lace pattern that I’m enjoying knitting. Maybe I will make a Shale shawl in the future.
This linen yarn from Quince and Co is a dream. I have enjoyed all their yarns so far. I’m glad I have this to knit because suddenly it’s summer. How did that happen? Cold, cold, cold, cold, WHOMP, hot!
Sock It To Me Monday
I finished my Hermione’s Everyday Socks!
Yay!
Squishy Mail!
With all the things going on in the world, I thought it was a good time to redeem my Fairlight Fibers gift card that Bob got for me for Christmas.
My main goal was to get the J&S yarn for the original Peerie Flooers hat colorway (center). I also splurged on some yak (left), tussah silk, and nettle blends (right) because I was curious. She has some great free patterns on her website too!
But right now I’m stitching on my Shetland Tweed Throw because no thinking is required.
Paris Twilight Tunis Toujours Finished!
I’m very pleased with it. And I did finish it on Twelfth Night! It’s still a little damp, but I couldn’t wait to share it.
I’m Obsessed
A friend shared these videos with me on Facebook. I am casting them to my TV and watching them on repeat.
I have no desire to make something like this myself. But I am enjoying the magic.
Twilight Toujours is slowly getting finished. We are in transition crunch time at work, which is stressful, but it will be so good when it’s done. I may not get out of my PJs this weekend, though.
I found my coat pattern!
(photo credit Grainline Studio)
This is the Yates Coat. It is appropriate for my wool fabric, and it looks like it will be a good choice for my first coat. Not easy, but easy for a coat.
Sarah is making an Oxbow Cardigan this year and wants me to sign on for a Thanksgiving knitalong again. I’m game, even though it’s not on my list (yet)!
I want to make a black cardigan. My wardrobe needs this. I want to choose yarn from an heirloom breed. I found some Black Welsh Mountain yarn and the farm is participating in Shave’Em to Save’Em. I calculated my totals for the Oxbow Cardigan. $450! (insert flabbergasted emoji here)
I know the yarn is worth it, and we need to support our farmers and heirloom breeds. But I simply feel like I cannot afford that. I mean, I’m holding off on buying a new serger and a better sewing machine. That cardigan yarn would be 2/3 of the way to a new machine.
So, I’m going to hold off on any black bulky yarn purchasing for now, but with the full intention of adding Oxbow Cardigan to my list this year.
And maybe if I am very very very good and do not spend any of my crafting allowance on other things and save it up, I could buy the yarn I really want? That’s still a lot of fed mouths. But it could be a sweater that lasts the rest of my life, so maybe a good investment? And I would feel good about the yarn I purchased. I will have a long think on it.
Check out my beautiful son wearing the hat I made him (which makes me happy) but giving me snark.
Gotta go. He is introducing me to 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.
20 in 2020
I hear there’s a “20 in 2020” thing going around. 20 what? I don’t know, but I’ve decided for me, it will be things to make. Here is my list.
Knitting
- Twilight Toujours (95% there!) I am loving how my gradient dyeing turned out and it is exciting whenever I switch to a new cake of yarn. Charis Walker of Tarheelbilly Farm is in the latest issue of Vogue Knitting! Sometimes I want to call this Tunis Toujours. It is so soft! And sometimes I call it Hollis, which is the sheep’s name.
- Celtic Myths (90% there!)
- Shetland Tweed Throw
- Farmhouse Cardigan
- The Oa
- Peerie Flooers
- Arranmore Staghorn
- Midnight Merino Raglan
- Bousta Beanie
- Winter Ferns Hat in Gryffindor colors
- Toe Up Socks (I think I am going to frog it and start over with a more exciting yarn from my stash, especially since I really don’t want to make the same pair of socks twice)
- Jessica Jones Cowl from my Hogsmeade Forbidden Fibers (because it brings out my hair and my eyes!)
Only 4 sweaters! That’s progress!
Sewing
- Billie Jumpsuit (pattern is pieced and cut, fabric is washed)
- Ace (I picked up a remnant for this at Sew to Speak)
- Jill Coat in Black Roses Bonded Knit
- Rachel blouse
- I want to make a tailored coat out of my navy wool flannel, but I haven’t found a pattern yet.
- Something out of this amazing cotton flannel I picked up on sale at Sew to Speak.
I think I would like to make a jacket, but again, I haven’t seen a pattern that is quite right. Since I accidentally automatically got resubscribed to Ottobre, maybe there will be a jacket pattern in one of their magazines I like.
I guess I like jackets as much as I like sweaters!
Fiber Art
I am part of a group show in November, so I will need to figure out my pieces for that. I will probably continue with the wet and needle felted paintings. I do not have a subject yet. Even though I will probably make 2-4 pieces, I will count this as one make.
Weaving
I’m going to weave a couple of placemats out of my turmeric dyed Cotswold. That’s 20!
Merry Knitmas!
I started on my Twilight Toujours. This is my holiday knit.
Bob got me the December 2019 Harry Potter Yarn from Forbidden Fibers. I’m so geeked out! The hank is Hogsmeade and it’s gorgeous.
He also got me a gift certificate for Fairlight Fibers. I’m going to save it for something special.
He also gifted me the Fibershed book, which was something I wanted, and The Book of Gutsy Women, which he picked out for me. ❤️
We’ve had a lovely day. We played games with the boys all morning and now we’re relaxing and watching movies. I hope you’re having a wonderful day with family and fiber arts!
Twilight Toujours Update
Dyeing done. I have to say I really enjoyed the dyeing process and I hope to do more of it! I’m also really pleased with the color.
Paris Toujours will be my Yuletide knit. Will I be done by Twelfth Night? I will try!
Happy Winter Solstice!
Dyed My Own Fade
True to the internet’s word, the red cabbage didn’t do much to my Tunis yarn.
You probably can’t tell, but it has a slight grayish stain.
Since I now wake up at 4:30AM every morning (WHY?!) I decided to overdye the yarn this morning with acid dyes. I mixed black and blue, and left each subsequent skein in the dye bath an additional 5 minutes. They turned out pretty good.
Vinegar bath.
I’m honestly not sure which of the darkest ones is the one which was dyed the longest. These are wet, and I don’t know if the color will lighten or darken as they dry. I do like how the skeins vary in blues and blacks.
I’m going to make Paris Toujours but I’m calling it Twilight Toujours. Clever, non?
This Tunis yarn is SO SOFT. I thought I might need to put a little lanolin back in, but it has really bloomed and fluffed. It will be a super écharpe!
