FO: Aidez

Hello!  I haven't had a lot of free time or reliable network lately, as I am still in a hotel waiting to move in to a more permanent home.  It's been...less than ideal.  This might be a personal record as far as living out of suitcase goes for me...two months now.  

 

Did you know this was created by the Ministry of Information to get people through the Blitz?  It makes every other use of it seem trivial.  

I'm liking my new adopted home, but I think I'll just like it more when I feel more settled in these next few coming weeks.  I think I miss cooking the most- not having a fridge, a coffee maker or even a hotplate means I'm getting awfully sick of ready-made sandwiches and salads.  

I made a sweater!  I started it while I was still in Paris and just finished it up and blocked it.  It's a welcome addition to my very limited wardrobe.  A nice little mid-winter pick me up for when I'm sick of the same five things that I have, along with the panicky few pairs of clean undies I have.  Launderettes are few and far between here, as it is pretty standard to have a washer drier crammed in the kitchen.  I guess the good thing about having to make the schlep is I did get some knitting done, and a nice older Italian woman commented, "Oh!  A jumper!"  Sweaters are jumpers here.  Pants are underware.  It's a flat, not an apartment.  The flat has a lift, not an elevator.  

It's the Aidez sweater, which is somewhat ironically the French word for "Help".  "Aidez-moi, si vous plait!" is quite the useful phrase when in France.

The yarn is a souvenir from my trip up to Maine last summer- it's Quince & Co Osprey.  A lovely cushy Aran-weight wool yarn that is really quite fun to knit and the 3-ply structure really made the cables pop.  The color is "split pea", which is kind of an atypical color choice for me as I usually go for greens that are darker- more hunters and forests and olive greens.  It's a fresh, bright color. In wintertime, this makes me insanely giddy.  

The pattern is straightforward- I finished the sleeves in a matter of days, then the back in a few more.  I hit some hiccups as I ended up knitting two left fronts (distracted and drinking when I read those instructions, I was) and had to rip one back, but then that progressed quite nicely once I saw the err in my ways.  

I blocked this piece by piece in the hotel room sink and on the bath mat, and seemed it up using hair pins to keep the pieces in place.  Now that I think of it...it's kind of a miracle that this worked out at all.  

I love it so.  It's very warm, and cozy.  I am thinking about discreetly adding some hook-and-eye closures to the inside once I have my sewing kit.  I think it would be more wearable if it fastens in the front somehow, but I like how clean it looks without a button band or buttons to distract.  The sleeves are very fitted, which I don't mind, but if you like some ease to your sleeves, you might want to go up a size.  

I made the Medium size (40") and used 1020 yards of yarn, which was six entire skeins.  I still have one skein left that I have to deal with, which will be a hat or a cowl eventually.  

I've been taking lots of walks with my camera, especially on the odd sunny days.  I'm having fun exploring and browsing all the shops and food markets and trying to hustle and get things done before the dreaded tube strike this week.  

Souvenirs

I am not a collecter of tchokies. When I travel, I generally always end up coming home with exactly what I left home with, except for a couple memory cards for my camera laden with images or something really unique and beautiful that I will treasure forever. Moving around a bit and not knowing where you might call home next are big players in this habit, and I also have no love for the act of dusting in which tchokies on the shelf love to attract.

Alas, I have a downfall: the odd skeins of local yarns that would be impossible to find anywhere else.

While France and most of Europe is filled with yarn of the mill-spun and commercial variety (functional but boring), every now and then I end up someplace that has something special. True, none of the yarns I picked up in Denmark were remarkably soft, but they have a lovely rustic appeal that I love. The brown skein of yarn is spun from sheep in Greenland. I didn't even know there were sheep in Greenland, but whatever they are, they make Icelandic Lopi seem soft as cashmere in comparison. The dark gray is probably Gotland, the grey a blend of local breeds from the Falklands. Wintery yarns made so that both man and beast are at ease surviving in a harsh climate.

I've been knitting quite a bit lately as being on the road a lot means I have plenty of time to stitch away. My goal for the summer months is to knock out a couple lace shawls and at least 3 sweaters, and perhaps a few gifts as well. I have also decided that I can't leave France with more yarn than I brought here, so I'll be whittling this down from the rubbermaid shipping container I brought from New York that I can barely notice a dent in so far.

Soldes!

Twice a year, in July and January, Paris because more of a zoo than usual. It's time for Soldes! The twice-annual state regulated clearance sales create a shopping frenzy. Even my American ex-pat friends, with the dollar weak to the Euro, take advantage and splurge.

Department stores have bouncers and roped off lines as people go in for discount Dior and Chanel. Shoe departments look like someone might lose an eye. Fitting rooms are a tangle of bodies and silk and linen as everyone jostles for that perfect, and cheaper than usual, designer piece.

Every store window announces it, and sometimes leaves the manequins naked just to prove a point.

Places like Hermes become madhouses, with limits on how many scarves you can buy and showing up to the sale with something already from Hermes being worn. There's a whole new set of tourist in town, specifically here for the designer sales.

I took advantage to pick up some more kitchen items that I was lacking- a whisk and spoons and a cheese grater. I know, boring, right? But I also found a really cute silk dress for an astounding 10 euro that I'll be showing off soon enough. Aside from that, my taste run a little too rich, even with the soldes. A silk scarf at 40% off was still 700 Euro, a cashmere and merino blanket for 900, cushy oversized bath towels that cost 150 Euro a piece, shoes discounted at 70% would still reign as the most expensive shoes I've every worn. The department stores here are a bit much for me to handle. I'm keen on staying away.

I found it was also a good time to pick up a few necessities, like sunscreen and lotions. It's kind of like the city is having a rummage sale. If you go early in the day, the crowds aren't all that bad either.

As the month grinds on, the discounts get bigger, but the stock noticeably sadder. The enviable fall collections start becoming more of the focus.

All the major department stores and even some of the bigger grocery stores have gorgeous yarn departments and notions. The summer yarns are all way discounted as well. I couldn't resist picking up some cherry-red Rowan Calmer (discontinued! The horror of it all!) for just a few Euros a skein.

FO: Ripley Hat

I made this quite a while ago, while I was still in New York. I wanted to get rid of a few single skeins of yarn I had, as it seemed wasteful to pack them away in storage and bring them with me, as it wouldn't take very long to turn them into a real garment.

This was a skein of long-discontinued, super luxurious Gaia Worsted from the Sanguine Gryphon. The color was "Dew on the Dragonfly". It's 55% silk, 45% cashmere and it just melts in your hands, and it's a precious little 150 yards in a skein. I needed a special something I could whip up quick that would show off the lovely color, and take advantage of how soft and lovely the yarn was.

A quick search around and I remembered a pattern I had been wanting to do for a bit: the Ripley Hat by Ysolda. It had a couple variations you could do, and some optional folds to make the hat slouchier. A perfect way to use up limited yardage.

The pattern was straight forward and a quick knit- even with all the extra folds it took me just a couple days. I opted for the slouchy version with a lacy brim. I packed it in my suitcase and it really came in handy in Iceland. Maybe not the most rugged piece to wear there, but it actually wasn't too cold so it suit my purpose just fine.

Added bonus being that the silk is water replant enough to keep my ears dry in heavy mist/light drizzle.

Handspun Alpaca

Last summer, I stopped by Winter's Gone Farm in Wiscasset, Maine. Being on a motorcycle laden with camping equipment, I couldn't really bring too much home with me.



(like a live animal)

I was able to squeeze in a 4 oz bump of super soft fawn-colored roving on board.



I spun this up recently and loved every minute of it. I tend to not get a lot of spinning done in oppressive heat, but there was a break and we got some cool rainy weather last week. I pulled the wheel out and also chipped away at a warm woolie handspun sweater. The sweater still has a bit to go before it gets sent to the Glamor Shots studio, but I finished the yarn:







I ended up with more than 400 yards of laceweight 2-ply. It came out surprisingly heathery, which I love. It's very soft and once I gave it a bath and a thwack to set the twist, it bloomed up nicely.

This is destined to be a small lace shawl. I'm trying to force myself to spin specifically for projects as I tend to just mindlessly spin and create yarn and let it sit in a bin once I'm done with it.

DC

I was in DC over the weekend. It was hot and humid and perfect for museum hopping and catching up with friends.







Disapproving man DISAPPROVES.




By the way, the National Gallery had a Hieronymus Bosch painting called "Death and the Miser".



Very few of his paintings are outside of Europe. It's always a thrill to see one up close.






These Mules were taking a break from towing a flat-bottom boat down the C&O canal.



The new breakfast of champions:



Sloe Gin fizzes and homemade donuts and whipped cream. What a wonderful way to start the day.

I got to see some of my knitwear recipients, although it was waaay to warm for any of that nonsense.





I did get quite a bit of knitting done on the 4 hour train ride each way. More exciting than that, I went to the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market on Sunday morning and stumbled upon this:



Solitude Farm had a booth there. They specialize in breed-specific yarn from locally raised sheep...Clun Forest, Shropshire, Tunis, Suffolk, Dorset, Karkul, Romney, Border Leicesters and Leicester Longwool yarn. I'm a sucker for breed-specific yarn and I love the fact that they are utilizing rare sheep breeds. Plus, the women who were running the booth were super sweet and knowledgeable about their product and willing to chat and share their enthusiasm. Super score...if you are in DC on a weekend, I would highly recommend checking them out.

Naturally, I couldn't resist taking home a souvenir from my trip:



It's 120 yards of DK weight yarn that's a blend of Clun Forest and Alpaca. Cluns are a hardy,medium-sized sheep from northern England. They are a down breed, meaning they have short, dense, elastic fleece.

I didn't get home until the wee hours of Monday morning, but the sleep deprivation was totally worth it.

FO- Owls

I love owls. There is something so mysterious about a bird that can hide itself so well in plain sight and move with such stealth. Their forward-facing eyes make them eerily human looking.



While owls are solitary creatures, they gathered pretty cutely on my sweater. A rare gathering of owls is known as a parliament. I'm pretty sure George Clinton is somehow involved with this.



I will now drunkenly stagger around and threaten to show everyone my hooters.



The specs:

The Owls pattern is by Kate Davies. The sweater is simple in design and it works up fast...something you could finish in under a week if you put your mind to it. I made long sleeves but it would look cute as a short sleeve top as well.

I used up all 6 skeins of Rowan British Sheep Breeds Blue Face Leicester- about 720 yards- for a size 4 (38"). This is the yarn that I dyed using Brazilwood chips a couple of month ago. It's a worsted-spun round 3-ply chunky-weight yarn with excellent stitch definition- perfect for cables. Of all the yarns in the British Breeds collection (this is a lovely idea as I love breed-specific yarns, especially those that promote rare breeds) the Blue Face is by far the softest- I can wear this next to my skin with absolutely no discomfort. If I were to use a different sheep breed in the line, I would go up a size so I could easily put a layer on underneath and have less skin contact with the fabric. The BFL makes a silky, drapey fabric with gorgeous sheen. I also loved the fact that this yarn was lightly processed- it smells vaguely sheepy, which means I could sit there and huff it in public for hours with no regard to what others might think.

Is it wrong of me to want a few more crisp, cool days so I can wear this before it gets put away for the summer?

Natural Dyeing with Brazilwood: Dyeing Kills Me

Did I mention that natural dyeing is a two-day process? I don't do it too often because I rarely can find two days to devote to this. I'm afraid that I'll start a dye pot and then have life get in the way...days later, I will return to a stinky moldy dye pot. Bleh. It's nice to be snowed in sometimes.

If your natural dyestuff comes from bark or roots, you're going to want to let it steep overnight to get the most bang for your buck. I filled my dyepot halfway with water and added 8oz of sawdust. My yarn came to 7oz total weight, and for Brazilwood you want to have pretty close to 1:1 ratio. I would rather not have 1oz bag of woodchips lying around, so I just threw the whole thing in. Ahhh, the exact science of natural dyes.



I wear a mask while adding the shavings. You get a lot of dust coming up before the wood gets soaked, and it's not really all that good to breath that in. Natural dyes usually have mysterious warning labels of not being FDA approved- do not breath, ingest or touch. Or what will happen? I'm kind of curious to find out, but I tend to take these warnings seriously.

Bring the dyepot to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Let it simmer for at least an hour. Cut the heat and let the dye steep overnight.

The next day, you have to get all those woodchips out. I used a mesh strainer. I make a mess.



You can save the chips, let them dry out and re-use them if you would like. You won't get as strong of a color out of them, but they will give you more.

Throw the strained dyestock back into the pot. Add your mordanted yarn. Add water to cover. Once again, you want to gently bring this to a simmer while occasionally rotating the yarn to promote even color uptake. Heat will set the dye, so you want to simmer this for at least an hour. Once that it is done, cut the heat. Throw the lid on. You can take the yarn out in a couple hours when it is cool enough to handle and rinse, or you can leave the yarn in the dye overnight if you want a darker shade. I took the overnight route with this batch.



The next day, I then fill the bathtub with warm water and soap. I carefully rinse the yarn to get as much excess dye as possible. Some dyes will leech more than others and you might have to repeat the process. This bled hardly at all. However, I did find that the strainer did not get all the wood chips out and they ended up in the yarn. No worries, as soon as it is dry it can be shook out.

I give the yarn a final rinse in a little vinegar and then hang to dry. Voila!

I've been dealing with crap lighting and stormy skyes all week, so no FO picture yet. I'll keep you in suspense for a bit.

The Week in Knitting

Very little spinning has been done lately, but circumstances have been perfect for getting some knitting done. I generally have to be home to spin, and there has been a lack of being home since I've been home.

Anyway, here is what is on the needles:

The Snapdragon Tam by Ysolda. I've never made a tam before and I feel brave branching out from my usual beanie and cloche comfort zone.



I'm using a discontinued Rowan Yarn- Yorkshire tweed. It's a DK weight 100% wool yarn. I actually bought the yarn to do this pattern:



I'm really glad I knew to walk away from that after just a few intarsia rows. The fact that there would be over 1000 ends to weave in was a good sign that I should stop. Did I mention that I also tried to knit this in the round?



The cable pattern on the Snapdragon is a bit complex and requires some brain power, but it's fairly simple in design and easy to memorize.

Also on the needles this week is the Avast. After letting the cabled band sit for ages, I picked up stitches along side it and started a fairly endless field of stockinette stitch.



Since I can knit this with my eyes closed, I was able to finish the body up to the pits plus one sleeve in this past week...and I've only got another inch to go on sleeve #2. Then it's joining everything together for the yoke. Maybe I can get the knitting done on this by the weekend.

It's a men's large (44 inches). I'm using my standard go-to worsted weight yarn, Valley Yarns Northhampton. This stuff is great for everyday projects. It's fairly soft, it looks great after wear and it's inexpensive.





I'm trying to make time for a big Etsy shop upload today- lots of handpainted roving this time around. I've had this stuff dyed up for a month now and just haven't been home during daylight to photograph it until yesterday.

12 Sweaters. 12 Months. Or Not.

I hate setting goals for myself, especially when it comes to something that I do for fun in my spare time. I'm terrible at finding something realistic and yet challenging, so I tend to just ignore my fibery failings and shortcomings.

Even more than personal goals, I hate January 1-centric goals. Everyone always vows to do something life changing and fabulous to change what they hate about themselves. Everyone is an optimist on January 1st. This is all good, but the gym is usually empty by the third week into the year.

So here it is, the first day of the last month of the year. I am my usual scroogey self. I am going to take this opportunity to make the rather bold statement that I am ready to knit down my stash to scraps this coming year. I realize this could be a lost cause by the third week of January, but I am in love with the idea of having less yarn and more clothes. As much as I love knitting socks, they can take me as long as a sweater. Plus, sock yarn doesn't take up that much space. You would never even know I had a sock yarn stash if you came over.

So here is my tentative list, which I'm sure I'll be making modifications to as I go. I'm halfway ashamed that I share my living space with this much yarn, but for some odd reason the guilt does not apply to a gluttonous amount of knitwear.

1. Valley Yarns Northampton- 8 skeins. I'm using this for the Avast cardigan, which I started on the cable band last May but didn't pick it back up until now-ish.
2. 9 skeins of my Madder-dyed Alpaca. February Lady.
3. 12 skeins of Noro Silk Garden. Westland Sweater.
4. 2 giant skeins of my eucalyptus-dyed silk/merino/alpaca blend. Opulent Raglan.
5. 5 skeins Rowan soft chunky. Belle Cardigan maybe. I'm kind of at at a loss when it comes to yarn this chunky.
6. 5 skeins Rowan soft tweed that I overdyed in Alkanet. Yarn-Over Steek Vest. (what, a vest doesn't count?)
7. 7 skeins of wild apple hill farm Shetland yarn. I have no idea yet- it is needing a dye job. Then I'll decide.
8. 14 skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Cashmere. It's only 612 yards- they are tiny skeins. Originally, I had a Norah Gaughn top picked out, but it would be more practical to do that one in a cottonish yarn. I was thinking a Hey Teach, but I'm open to suggestions.
9. 8oz Handspun merino. Thought I was making sock yarn. My sample lied. It's worsted.

10, 11, 12....I'm all out of sweater-stash yarn. I guess I'm going to have to start spinning up those fleeces that live under my bed.

______

New Spinning Fibers Posted!

I posted some spinning fibers on my Etsy store over the weekend.

A couple of weeks ago, I dyed a few pounds of Tussah silk:



Silk takes dyes wonderfully, and granted that you don't expose it to high heat, the silk has a beautiful sheen. I especially love tussah- it has a light gold color that gives the overdye colors depth that you don't get with white silk.

Somewhat shockingly, the silk looks like this when it is dried:


but a little bit of fluffing and drafting turns it once again into pure dreamy awesomeness.







I also dyed up some faux cashmere. This is really soft and should spin up lofty. It's easier to spin than real cashmere since it has a longer staple. It's also much, much cheaper. This comes from some sort of elusive nylon goat apparently.



It takes dye beautifully. Above is a 2 oz braid in "Persimmon". Below is "Flamingo in the Mud", which should spin up lovely and muted.



I also listed some kettle dyed sock yarn in "Bitter Sweet Biddy":


Really subtle variegation of pinks and reds with purple tones. This is my Silk/Merino sock yarn blend and it will make a very pretty pair of socks.

Depending on my schedule this week, I am going to try and get some more dyeing in. I have some silk caps soaking and a mountain of merino and romney ready to go.