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.
Category: fiber love
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!
I Gotz Yarn
Look at this beautiful Tunis yarn I got from Tarheelbilly Farm. It’s from the sheep Hollis. I think I might dye it. I have 1000 yards. What shall I make? It is a Shave’Em to Save’Em yarn! If you are participating, get it while it lasts!
Here’s my turmeric dyed Cotswold. I fixed the color with vinegar and relanolized the yarn. Much better. The color no longer comes off on my hands and it’s softer. What shall I make?
All in for Shetland
When I was at my LYS a week or two ago I lunged at this yarn in colorway mossbank. I bought 10 hanks. At first I thought I might make yet another sweater but now I think I might knit up a throw blanket. This is the first yarn I’ve purchased in a long time without a pattern in mind. I was thinking maybe a gansey patterned throw but this yarn is so pretty I might stick with something simple. Maybe this Hip to be Square blanket?
I am feeling a little better but I tire easily.
Who wants to go on a knitters trip to Shetland?
2020 might be ambitious, but maybe 2021?
It is…
A tapestry loom! I learned a lot, and I think I might be able to use this in my fiber art. Not sure how yet.
This is basically me experimenting, and I’ve decided it’s going to be a bookmark.
While I have you, enjoy the blooming of my Christmas Cactus!
Solid Gold Sunday
Yesterday I got really excited about dyeing my Cotswold with turmeric, and I did it. I followed these instructions. It was simple and I love the color. It is still a little damp. I made a mistake by dyeing it at first while still twisted in a loose hank, so I untwisted and dyed it again, resulting in the beautiful gradient. So be like me and make a mistake and love the outcome. I don’t think I would like it as well if it were all the same color.
The dyeing process blew out the lanolin so I ordered some and I’m going to give it another rinse with lanolin. I had someone tell me recently that you don’t want lanolin left in your wool. Well, maybe they don’t. But I sure do. Especially in the Cotswold which got toothier after dyeing. The lanolin makes it softer and also moisture repellent. Why wouldn’t I want that?
With only 10 minutes to spare and my hands still yellow and smelling of turmeric, I rushed to the COWFG meeting. I got lost and was 15 minutes late, but still enjoyed most of the presentation by the owners of Oak Knoll Farm.
I knit on my Weekender and listened to wonderful stories about a sheep named Charlotte who goes into a trance when she gets sheared, and another one who wags its tail and follows you around like a puppy. Yes, I now want a hobby sheep farm when I retire. I want protective dogs and sweet Shetlands.
I purchased some of their fiber. You know they love their sheep when they include their photos on the product.
I also purchased this.
Do you know what this is? I’ll bet HighlandHeffalump does. I am going to take a class today and then I will share with you all about the mystery of this beautiful tool.
Random Thankfulness: Today I am thankful for our immigrant and refugee communities who bring their amazing food to our area, like baby bananas.
