2008 ISF Update

Well, I’ve been yammering on and on about entering this project and that in the State Fair over the last, what, three months?  I really do start planning for each fair about a year before everything is due, it just so happens that I can’t seem to finish most of my projects until June or July.  I think part of the problem is that I give away so many of my handknits.  Then I think, “Well crap! There goes that piece of knitting.  I can’t take that to State Fair now.”  Or sometimes I think “Shit!!!! I screwed these two stitches up forty rows down in this lace shawl.  (grumble grumble) Now I can’t take this to State Fair.  I have to make something else.”  Because really, I’m not going to fix two stitches forty rows down in a shawl and I’m not ripping it.  I can deal with the mistake.  However, it then results in making about four different shawls before I’m finally happy with one and it can go to State Fair.  Oh, and also, if I wouldn’t make mistakes that get lost in the fabric until I see them when I block an item, that would help too. 

Right now I’m struggling with a little felted cow, but that is a post for tomorrow.  Today I’m posting pictures of all of the projects that I’m taking.  You’ve seen them all before (at least I think you have), so I’m not going to write much in the way of a description.  Click the link for each project to go to my post about each item.

1) First off: the Felted “Other” category

Filled by my felted barnyard. This may or may not be the cow that goes.

These seven are definitely going.

2) Adult Sweater: my Liesl

3) Adult Sleeveless Shell or Vest: my Marissa

4) Child’s Sweater 1-Color: my Lakeshore Sweater

5) Child’s Accessory: my Swedish Block Mittens

6) Infant’s Afghan: my Argosy

7) Infant’s Sweater: my Sheep Yoke Baby Cardigan

8 ) Shawl or Scarf: my Black Honeybee Stole

9) Accessory: my Clessidra Knee Highs (oooo, sexy!)

10)Lace Knitting: my Alpine Lace Scarf/Stole thingy

11) Spinning- Single “Ply”: the Border Leicester that really should have been washed again before I spun it

12) Spinning- Plied: the three-ply Corriedale that turned out “heathered” in appearance.  It’s smooshy.  I love smooshy.

13) Spinning- Novelty: Romney, Alpaca, and Monhair tweedy type two ply (Pssst, so apparently I never blogged about this except for a tiny little reference on the three-ply post.  I will try to put up a picture of the finished yarn tonight.)

 

14) Spinning- Handspun Handknit: my Sunflower Shawl

15) Non-Professional Weaving (Basketry): my Market Basket!!

Lakeshore Child’s Sweater

I snuck this one in on you. It’s knit with Valley Yarns Superwash in Apple Green. It took me right at 4 balls to make this on a US 9 needle. This is a raglan sweater knit from the bottom up using Ann Budd’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns. I also used the Seaweed pattern from the second Barbara Walker Treasury around the bottom for some visual interest. It reminds me of the shores of several of the lakes near me. They always had some aquatic plants near the shore line.  It was a really fast knit, but I should have picked a larger size because I have two balls leftover.  I guess I could knit a matching hat or scarf, but I don’t know if that will happen.

This cute little sweater is destined for State Fair where it will likely be buried in the class, but I don’t care because after it makes it’s debut it is headed to a friend’s little boy.  It will take him a year or so to grow into it, but at least it has a purpose now. 

I Think I’ll Call You Marissa

This is a really difficult shell to photograph. Neither picture reflects the true color of this shell. The texture is subtle, but stands out much more in person than is shown in my pictures. I used a US 9 circular needle and knit it in the round until the arm holes.

The yarn is Malabrigo Worsted in Cuarzo which is a beautiful variegated purple. The pattern is part Barbara Walker stitch pattern, part Ann Budd’s Handy Book of Patterns, and part slapdash from my brain.

This is yet another State Fair project. I have one week left until my entries are due and three projects that I signed up for that I haven’t completed yet. I think I can finish one more before the deadline.

WIP Wednesday: Where I Manage to Post Again

Having finished all of the WIPs from last Wendesday, I have but one WIP to show you today. This is a shell that I’m designing, another State Fair project, in Malabrigo Worsted colorway Cuarzo. It’s soft and lovely and I like how my motifs are coming.

I chose the Inverness Diamond pattern for the front of my shell and the Sheep Fold twisted stitch pattern for the side. I can’t wait to try it on and check out my patterns on a person.

The color is fairly true although, in my opinion, it is more pearly and more to the pinky-purple end of the spectrum than what shows in the pictures. I’m thinking a seed stitch edging for the other edges and a nice v-neck. I do love v-necks.

But Now There’s an Argosy

Baby blanket, that is. Just over 8 skeins of Valley Yarns Springfield (or I suppose you could say under nine), a cotton nylon blend yarn with nice definition and a bit over 100 yards per skein. I used the free Argosy Baby Blanket pattern and US size 6 bamboo interchangeable needles.

This is a lovely pattern, but that cotton gets pretty heavy after a while. By the time I added the fourth and fifth skeins I was having to take a break after two or three rows and knit wool instead. I was really glad to finally cast off and block this thing. It’s still blocking as I write, so you’re getting a slightly gray colored pre-blocked photo. The photo with the best color was my work-in-progress photo from a few days ago.

On to the next project. Hint: it’s knit with Malabrigo, mmmm, Ma-la-bri-go.

And We Have a Liesl

These are self-timer shots and they aren’t great because I don’t have the sweater on just right and I’m not posed just right and the sweater was still a little damp from blocking but I wasn’t sure how long I would have sunlight, so you get what you get. And to appease those few of you who heckle me about not wearing my knits in my pictures and never posting a picture of myself **cough**Cynthia**cough** please note that I did indeed include a head shot. It’s even a crappy head shot where I am squinty eyed and only sort of smiling and with a shadow that looks like a second chin, but I am going to leave it on the blog and not complain about it too much more.

Particulars:

Yarn: Cestari 2-Ply 100% American Merino minimally processed in Coxcomb, approx. 3 skeins, but I only used about 2.75 skeins

Needles: US 10 1/2 Valley Yarns Interchangeable Bamboo Circulars and US 10 1/2 Clover Bamboo DPNS

Pattern: Liesl by Ysolda Teague, the only modification that I made was to make it much longer in the body and sleeves; I love where it hits on my hip and hand, it’s exactly what I wanted

It’s also a State Fair entry and I know that it won’t place, but the fair was great motivation to get it done. I have a new sweater!!

Finished Sheep Yoke Baby Cardi

I found buttons. They aren’t terribly attractive buttons but they did fit certain guidelines: be 3/4 inch, be machine washable, be somewhat round, and match the cardigan enough that I like it but provide a bit of contrast. Now, the buttons that I really wanted to use were the Incomparable Sheep Buttons from One Planet Yarn and Fiber, but they were ceramic, oval, and too short one way.

Still, even with the irritating search for buttons, I do like how this came out. If I make this again, and I do plan to, I’m going to be more careful with the checkerboard pattern. My tension was a teeny bit too tight and it throws off the line from the shoulder to the sleeve.

In other news, I’m making progress on Liesl and have the body finished. However, late last night as I was finishing the body and contemplating the sleeves I realized that I have no US 10 1/2 DPNs. I was shocked. I thought that I had a set for sure, but I only have DPNs to size 10. So, I’m off to the LYS today to buy the needles I need. lol I was just there Tues. to buy the yarn for it. Does anyone else find this ironic?

Summer is . . .

My helpers. Beau and Stash hanging out on the deck and getting under my feet. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Baby bunnies. Especially baby bunnies in the grass. Especially baby Dutch bunnies in the grass and in my shirt pocket and on my couch and hopping around their little cage. I love me some baby bunnies.

Herbs. Which I try to grow instead of weeds, but I usually fail. By this time, nearly every year, my herbs are dead. Not so this year. Whoo hoo!

Weeds. Which sadly I have an abundance of, especially near the barn. In this case, it’s thistles. Big honking thistles. It does smell decidedly flowery near the barn though. Do thistles have a scent? Even if they don’t, the bugs certainly love them. Well, they are sort of pretty.

That’s what summer means to me. Quiet, peacefulness, hanging out with the animals, enjoying the sun and the plant life.

What does summer mean to you?

P. S. If you answer and follow Karen’s rules, you can enter her contest.

WIP Wendnesday (For Once I Remember to Post)

Let’s start with the Sheep Yoke Baby Cardigan. It lacks a button band. Why does it lack a button band? Because I can’t find 3/4″ buttons that I like. I really want to finish this, but I can’t because I don’t have the buttons. I am on a serious button hunt, because this is so close to finished I can taste it.

It’s knit in Di’Ve Zenith from Webs on a size 5 needle. The pattern is free (Rav link), which rocks, and it’s cute.

I’m about halfway through the Argosy Baby Blanket (Rav link and another freebie!) in a lovely cotton nylon blend (Valley Yarns Springfield). It’s just a little bit nubbly which I like, but I can’t knit on this exclusively because it’s become too heavy. So I had to cast on something else, since, you know, I can’t finish the Sheep Cardigan. Buttons. Grrr.

The last item on the needles that I’m actively working on is (Ahem. Notice, only the active ones.) Liesl by Ysolda Teague (Rav link again). I loved Cassie(Too Much Wool)’s version with the longer sleeves and body so I’m making a similar one for myself. I’m knitting it in Cestari 2-ply Merino Wool in the Coxcomb colorway. It is a very interesting knit for me since I don’t usually knit with needles bigger than a 9 (this is on 10 1/2’s). Plus, I’ve never knit feather and fan. Can you believe it? I have never knit a Clapotis, Monkey socks, or Pomatomas either. Wait, did I spell that right? Oh well.

I haven’t made much progress yet because I just started it last night, but I do like it so far.

Oh, and I took a photo of my “helpers” doing their thing so that you can understand the difficulty I have in taking well balanced pictures. lol

Another State Fair Project Done

Whoo Hoo! I have ten done and seven to go. I may not get them all done, but I’m certainly going to try. lol

This was my last spinning project for this fair, the single ply skein. I’m sorry the picture is so blurry but I was having trouble with the focus on my camera. This skein is 1 3/8 oz. natural gray Border Leicester and about 400 yards of fine fine singles. I bought the original locks from the Spinning Loft in Michigan.

When I spun them, I spun partially in the grease because I let them sit too long after the initial wash. It took three baths to get the rest of the lanolin out and I lost about 1/8 oz. to the wash water. It was an interesting study though to see how much would wash out.

Anyway, I’m very pleased with the final result. The singles have a slight halo and softened up considerably. I have several more ounces of this Border Leicester and I’m planning a lovely light lace shawl with the singles. Maybe next year’s handspun handknit?