A Faux Show Throw and More

While watching the Olympics this past week, I decided to start a mindless knitting project for my evening TV viewing. I bought some hanks of recycled sari silk yarn a few years ago. The colors are amazing and rich and bright and I thought long and hard of making something to wear with it. In the end, the only good thing I could think of making with it was a throw for the living room. There's a reason for that.

As gorgeous as the yarn is, it sheds something fierce while knitting with it. And it is spun thin and thick in places. In a lot of places the yarn broke and it was knotted before being tied into a skein. So, being  that unpredictable, I knew a wearable art project was out. I would be forever worried about it becoming unraveled as I wore it.

About 3/4 of the way done with it, I found a spot that was weak and the yarn snapped after I had knit it, causing a huge hole. I couldn't fix it the way it had looked, but I tied it up as best I could. Yesterday, I realized I had knit the last skein of yarn and had enough to bind it off with just a little to spare (in case I get another hole and need to repair it). I applied the fringe I had cut and admired my work (but not too close because I was afraid at this point I would look at it wrong and the yarn would snap).

It measures about 40 inches by 45 inches. I had the boys admire it, too, but wouldn't let them get too close. I was still picking silk fibers off my clothes for about an hour after I finished knitting and tying fringe. We (the biggest little boy and I) decided to put it on the back of the rocking chair that Stewie sleeps on. It really is beautiful. Of course, there is still plenty of time to watch Olympics, so I have to figure out what project to do next. It will probably be the completion of this:

The yarn is Cache', from a discontinued Coats and Clark division. There is a real homespun look to the yarn, which is a combination of mostly wool and a little acrylic with some gold thread thrown in. I bought 10 skeins of it for $1 a skein when Ocean State Job Lot had it and there should be enough to make a hat with a matching scarf in that basket weave pattern.

I finished spinning up the Leicester this past week. There's a little over a pound and a half of it ready to knit with. Check it out! I'm still trying to find the perfect pattern for it.

The baby camel down arrived on Tuesday in anticipation of your arrival in two weeks.  I can only tell you that it is even more soft and downy than I had envisioned. If I had to describe it, I would say it feels like a butter cloud.

 And know what else feels like a cloud of butter? This yak fiber!

Somewhere in the time from my last post to today, I also knit up these baby hats.

I knit them up with leftover Malabrigo. The yarn is just perfect for baby things. My bag is getting bigger for the NICU donation.

And, I also knit this up. I knit up another one and showed a pic of it in a previous posting. This hand dyed yarn came from Chile. This hat is mine! I think I knit it long enough to keep my hair in a pony tail when I wear it.

I just have no idea where my days go any more. I can't believe it is already getting to the end of February. I feel like this year just started. I have plans and ideas to get projects done and am already behind on holiday present work for this coming holiday season! I know, seriously crazy! I need to figure out how to budget my time and get a little more fiber work in the day. :)

See you soon, Baby Sis!

Love,
Your Big Sis in Fiber

An Update from the Big Sis

I have just one thing to say: baby camel down, BAYBEE SIS!!

You don't know this yet, but you're going to fall in love with it when you spin it... The color is the softest brown you have ever seen. I am going to have to leave a bib under your chin because you're going to be drooling so much. I will wipe your little chin every so often because you are going to be glued to the spinning wheel. That's what a big sis I am!

Of course I will help you out of your snarling mess of black alpaca loveliness. I'll get you started on your needles, too. And, I'll be thrilled to show you how much fun it is to use double point needles. You'll get the hang of it. It just takes a little practice, but it is worth it. Wait until you see how cute these socks are I am working on right now. The needles are the thickness of toothpicks and I worry I am going to snap the wood if I look at it wrong. No, just kidding! It's a lot easier than it looks. If I could figure it out, you can definitely do it.

 I'm not posting pictures of my moss stitch socks yet. But, I will share with you something else I have been working on. Remember that gorgeous Border leicester fleece I received as a gift back in December? Well, I finally spun up a second bobbin and then plied it and then pressed repeat. I have a total of 8 hanks done now and have been carding more fleece to spin it  into yarn today.

 Well, what do you think??

I'm still figuring out what I am going to do with it. There's definitely enough for a shawl. I plied it about dk thickness, so think size 4-5 needles. My hands are soft with the remaining lanolin it kept after I washed it up, which is good because they're so dry with the winter heat.

Can't wait to see you... feels like it's been forever!


Love to you,
Your Big Sis 

I would just like to say....

....that using double pointed needles is VERY frustrating. I am trying to knit a a pair of socks -- hey, I'll be happy if I can even do one sock -- and getting started has been quite an ordeal. I can't seem to get to a satisfactory first row. Currently, my would-be sock looks like a three-sided square. :( Will update when I calm down enough to pick it up again.


To add insult to injury, what should have been a simple project -- a cowl -- has also turned into an ordeal. According to S, the black alpaca we spun into a chunky yarn should have been perfect for this project. The problem with circular needles is that you have to make sure you aren't twisting the yarn and thus knitting something that would be impossible to finish or wear. I tried my hardest to keep this in mind but a) the yarn is so chunky it's hard to tell what I'm doing and b) it's black, which makes it even more difficult to see! I spent a long time just getting a row done, only to find out when I reached the end that I was knitting incorrectly and had twisted the whole contraption into a big mess :( Not a successful day in knitting....but then again, it wasn't a successful day for the Colts, either :)