Dust to Dust ... er... Mud to Mud?

On Monday we did the last Adopt-a-School program: Mali Mud Cloth. Judy, who just returned from Africa, was an excellent presenter, telling the kids about the geography of Africa, the chemistry of dye and mordants, and the symbolism of the African art. She even let Barbara and me do our own Mali mud cloths!

Judy suggested to the students that they use symbols from their own lives -- so I made mine symbolic of my fiber hobbies. Of course, there is the central sheep (with an odd hump back -- it must be sickly) and rabbit. I would have drawn an alpaca, but I didn't think I could get it right. The corners are decorated with (crude) knitting needles and balls of yarn. The left and right sides show a spinning wheel flanked by two partially full bobbins. Above the sheep are four drop spindles and at the very top is the symbol for infinity to indicate the longevity of these crafts. The black dye is potting soil and the red is Georgia clay. It was an interesting craft and the kids seemed to enjoy painting with mud.

For the past two weeks I have been doing my penance to the knitting gods. Lo, they were very angry and smote me mightily for picking up a crochet hook. It took me ages and the patience of Job to pull out all that mohair crochet work -- but at last the gods are appeased and the evil crochet is no more. The mohair is happy. It apparently had no intention of becoming a shawl. It has gone into a plastic bag to think about it's waywardness and may one day emerge as a felted hat.

Old man winter blows

Here's a taste of the weather we've had around here for the past couple of weeks. Ice coated all the trees and bushes, in a lovely but deadly layer. When the sun finally came out, it was a fairyland. Each tiny branch was coated in silver.

The Curse of the Crochet Hook

O.K. I know when I'm licked. I've finally thrown in the crochet hook on the York mohair shawl. As you may remember, I ran out of blue mohair from York and had to buy some varigated coordinating mohair at my LYS. It actually looked pretty good, although it was a slightly finer yarn.

I finished one end of the shawl with the new yarn and started adding to the other end, when I realized that the second end was MUCH broader than the first end. When I counted the little squares, I found that one end was about 1/3 larger than the other. Somehow I had added crochet links as I went so that the whole thing spreads out like a funnel. It's not really triangular, just misshapen.

This, along with the fact that somewhere along the line a huge hole developed inexplicably, has led me to the conclusion that this project was not meant to be.

The knitting gods are jealous gods and they have cursed my crocheting efforts. In an effort to placate them, I'm now engaged in unraveling yards and yards of mohair. Mea culpa. Mea culpa.

Oh great knitting gods, please let this worthy mohair of distant origin find happiness in a felted hat or bag.

On a happier note, I'm pleased with the fingerless gloves I'm making out of my handspun merino/silk blend. I adapted the pattern from a free online pattern. My yarn was finer than the yarn in the pattern, so I had to cast on 56 instead of 48 stitches, so then I changed the cable to a 12-stitch right hand cable. I also did a 4 inch K2P2 rib at the cuff so it could be doubled over for extra warmth. So, I took the bare bones of the online pattern and changed everything. It's turning out nicely though.

I'm also pleased that I have nearly an entire bobbin full of angora singles. Andy is shedding like there's no tomorrow -- he looks really scruffy, partly bald and partly fluffy with long strings of clumped hair hanging off of him. I've been combing and plucking him and, after carding the fur on my drum carder, I filled a small cardboard box with it. I've been happily spinning away at it for a couple of weeks at odd moments.

A lady on one of my spinning lists was talking about plying angora singles with wool singles and inspired me to try that out. I've got some beautiful dark grey merino/silk blend roving that would look good plyed with Andy's fur. I've also got the blue merino/silk blend and some other nice rovings in my stash to try. Once I get the rest of this angora spun up, it's going to be a plying party!

Why use foresight when you can kick yourself with hindsight?

The crocheted beaded shawl saga continues. Maybe it's the whole concept of crochet that's unlucky. When Lynne saw that I was using a crochet hook she said I'd turned to the dark side -- maybe the Crochet Gods are trying to tell me something.

Anyway, I've run out of mohair and the "shawl" is only about four feet long. I guess I'll have to use something else to make it a wearable length. I simply REFUSE to frog it again.

One idea I had was to join the two ends and make it a straight-jacket, er, wrap. Then I could put the beaded fringe all along the bottom instead of at the ends of the shawl.

Any ideas?

Once more with feeling

Remember the beautiful mohair shawl that looked like a starlit sky? Well, I've spent the last two days frogging it. You don't know what patience is until you've frogged 22 rows of mohair!

When I wound the mohair on my ball winder, it made two huge balls and I figured it was easily enough for a shawl. I followed the directions in Lily Chin's book and used the crochet hook she prescribed. After I had crocheted about a foot of material, I could see that I was running out of yarn for the first ball. Moreover, the mohair seemed too dense and didn't feel very soft. Unless I wanted to make a glitzy and fairly rigid shawl for a five year old, something had to be done. So I did it ... I ripped it out and started over.

This time I'm using a huge crochet hook and the fabric has a better hand. I still may not have quite enough for the shawl, but I can add something else on the ends as long as the fabric is draping properly. Onward and upward.

A New Start

I finally decided on a project for the beautiful mohair yarn that Lynne brought me from York, England. I'm going to do another beaded shawl but this time going in a totally different color direction. The wool is swirling shades of navy, purple, and blue-grey -- so I ordered #6 glass seed beads from Fire Mountain in what they called a "Peacock" color. The beads came in last week and I started on the shawl last night. I'm really liking it so far. It reminds me of a night sky. Mentally, I've invested it with the name "Dark Star of York," but that sounds a little pretensious for a simple crocheted shawl. Unlike the lilac shawl with white beads, the peacock beads glitter darkly and wink with unexpected color as the fabric moves. More as the project progresses ...

My ipod and I are totally connected at the hip. In fact, I need to get some softer ear buds because my ears are sore. I've discovered that the professors for several colleges podcast their lectures. Amazing! I've been listening to Astromony 161 from O.S.U. professor Richard Pogge. Apparently, he started podcasting so that students could catch up on lectures they missed or review them before tests. However, lots of other people are listening in too. Did I mention how much I love the Internet!!!?

P.S. DISASTER! The Orkin man came by today for his routine spraying and when he came near my desk he knocked over my huge jade plant and spilled ALL THE SEED BEADS. What a MESS! Dirt and leaves from the plant and tiny, tiny beads all over the floor ... At least he helped to pick them up and I refrained from using any colorful language. Argh!

First FO of 2007

I just finished the socks I started for my Dad before Christmas. They're sort of boring man socks, navy blue, but he wouldn't wear them if they were wild looking. The beauty of these socks is in the feel -- they're made out of Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino and they feel heavenly.

Recapping the year

Now that we're well into January, I thought I'd take a look back at the year 2006 -- from a knitting perspective. Strangely, I could only list about four finished items when I thought back. Looking at my blog archives, though, I came up with a total of 10.

Now, that's nothing for Wendy Johnson or Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, but, for me, ten finished items is an accomplishment. So, here they are:

Number 1. The Dachshund Lovers Sweater. This is the sweater I knitted for my Mom's birthday in honor of her little dachshund, Heidi. I've never actually seen her wear it, but at least she knows I love her.

Number 2. Felted Mittens (Red and Green). I count these as one because I did them at the same time. They were really fun and quick to knit and I love the magic of felting. I ran slightly short of yarn for the ribbed cuffs inside the felted mitten body and I was a little annoyed at Knitpicks for that. But they still turned out O.K. I thought they might be good Christmas presents when I made them, but having to substitute some white yarn in the cuffs made me too self-conscious about them to consider them gift material.

Number 3. Felted clogs. This is the Fibertrends pattern for felted clogs. People either love it or hate it. I love it, but it can be a little tricky. These are definite gift material and I hope the recipient -- who has not yet received them -- likes them.

Number 4. Green Knitpicks Self-Patterning Socks. I love these socks. They're comfortable and washable and they match a sweater I like to wear. The only problem with them is, again, there was slightly less yarn in the Knitpicks skein than I expected and I had to finish out the toe on the second pair with another sock yarn.

Number 5. Illusion Scarf "Seeing Red." This is the scarf that I made for the Guild's "Black, White and Red All Over" competition last summer. It's knit in black and white KnitPicks wool and has the word "red" worked into it several times in illusion knitting. This was a really cool and fun project and the Guild awarded me first prize for it. I was so proud!

Number 6. Socks That Rock Socks. These are lovely socks but I think the gauge knits up a little larger than I'm used to and they turned out sort of big. Sloppy me, I didn't swatch it. Still, they're quite wearable and very soft and squishy. Next time I buy expensive sock yarn like Socks That Rock, I'll have to be more careful. Another thing about these socks -- one is paler than the other. As is common with hand dyed yarns, one of the skeins was significantly lighter than the other and it really shows up in the socks.

Number 7. The Shrek II Pillow. I got the idea for this pillow when I ordered some raw Shrek II wool from Elizabeth Ashford. Shrek was part of a group of merino sheep that were lost for about six years in the wilds of New Zealand. When the group was located by helicopter and rounded up, they were sporting six years of unshorn fleece. I ordered a little of the fleece, washed it, combed it, spun it and knitted into this pillow. The Shrek wool is the white. Then I sent a picture of it to Elizabeth Ashford to enter in a competition for making something out of the Shrek II wool. I WON! It was so cool. My pillow is featured in "The Wheel" magazine along with some of my comments about making the pillow. Elizabeth also sent me a pound of her new alpaca blend wool top.

Number 8. White School Socks. I made these for Kate in response to her request for some school socks. I had a really hard time finding any solid bright white sock yarn, either wool or cotton. Finally, I ended up with some KnitPicks sport weight white yarn, knitted them up and she took them with her on her school trip to Washington, D.C. For a long time we thought she only returned with one sock, but the second one finally turned up. Unfortunately, just wearing the socks apparently felted them pretty thoroughly. They look sort of strange now and Kate has never worn them again. When I went by the LYS today, I found two balls of bright white Cascade Fixation and I think I may try again in cotton.

Number 9. KnitPicks Fair Isle Socks. These socks were so fun to knit! They look incredibly difficult but actually you only use two yarns, one solid and one varigated. My sister, Kathryn, made the same socks out of black and jewel tones. Since I usually wear brown shoes, I altered the wool to brown and natural tones. I was afraid as I was knitting them that they wouldn't fit: the fair isle doesn't make a very stretchy sock. However, I was pleasantly surprised and I can wear them.

Number 10. Lily Chin's Beaded Shawl. I made this shawl for the Friendship Spinner's Christmas exchange at the Shakertown Retreat. It's made of lilac Suri Dream yarn, which is Suri alpaca spun around a core of nylon to make a yarn that looks like mohair, but is much softer. The shawl is crocheted and it has over a thousand #6 seed beads worked into it. It was really pretty easy to make, but a little tedious to work all the beads into it. Nancy Reid received the shawl and she really seemed to like it.

So, that's my year in knitting.

Right now my UFOs are:

a. Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino socks for my Dad

b. My Qiviut moebius lace scarf

c. My red oak leaf lace alpaca scarf (which has been languishing for years ....)

d. The second sock out of the handspun wool won in the Shrek competition

e. My "winging it" rare wools handspun vest needs a back.

And today I bought yarn for two more pairs of socks ....

Roc, paper, scissors?

We had a very happy Roc day at the Guild house last Saturday. Traditionally, Roc day or St. Distaff's Day is the day after Epiphany and we celebrate it by having a get together on the Saturday nearest to Epiphany with mini-classes and lunch.

I took two great classes. In the morning I learned a little about kumihimo braiding. The picture doesn't show it very well, but we learned how to make a very complex round braid perfect for purse handles and other things where an I-cord might be used.

Then, in the afternoon, I made needle felted flowers. These can be used for all kinds of embellishments. The first thing that springs to mind, though, is a flower on a felted hat.

In addition to trying out my new crafts, I've been playing with my new Christmas toy. My DH got me an ipod and, although I'm still not a pro at using it, I'm quickly becoming addicted. I've learned how many knitting and spinning podcasts there are and I'm downloading them and listening a LOT. I'm trying to find out which ones I really like and which ones I can pass over. So far, I've found at least three or four that I really want to stay current on. It's sort of like keeping up with the Yarn Harlot. People usually do a podcast once a week or so. Anyway, I've got a new best friend -- my little ipod.

I've been up to my elbows in clay for the past two days trying to help my friend Siena put together a class project for Ally's class at school. It's going to be very interesting and artistic -- at least I hope it will. We're making clay tiles for each of the 58 students in the sophomore class and we're going to ask the students to personalize them with paint. After firing them in the kiln, we're going to hang them on an iron trellis with copper wire and beads. It should be a beautiful (and unique) piece of art when we're done. We've got our fingers crossed anyway that it will sell at the school auction in February.

Greetings from sunny Florida

See, I have a traveling sock just like Stephanie. Actually, it was supposed to be a Christmas present and now it's become a June birthday present. Yes, I'm that slow ...

I'm still working intermittently on the moebius scarf. It sits in the bottom of my knitting bag and occassionally gives me dirty looks.

It's beautiful here in Vero Beach. It's sunny and warm and lovely. All of us are actively engaged in doing nothing at all.

Tonight, in accordance with our tradition, we will walk on the beach at midnight and greet the new year. Happy New Year Everyone!

One more picture, just to make Kate mad. We spent a day at Disney World and Kate had to make the ultimate Disney fashion statement.

Underwater Christmas Tree Decorating

No fiber today. I just wanted to report on the fun thing the girls and I did yesterday.

Our local dive shop holds an annual Underwater Christmas Tree Decorating Contest. They sink a couple of Christmas trees in their pool and you scuba down and decorate them with plastic ornaments and tinsel. All the fees for the event go to Breast Cancer Research, so everyone benefits. Last year the girls and I were featured on the local news in full scuba gear decorating our tree!

This year there were no film crews, but we had a great time. An underwater photographer takes a picture of each decorated tree and the pictures are sent out to neutral parties for judging. We don't know who won yet, but it doesn't really matter.



Everyone has to bring their own unbreakable treetopper. Here is ours.

That glow up north? It's Canadian pride.

This post is for Celine, who just caught on to using her wheel rather than a drop spindle.

This is a picture of my first bobbin of yarn ... a lumpy bumpy mess. It's overspun in some places and underspun in others.

Your first bobbin is, by comparison, a masterpiece. Congratulations. I think you and your wheel are beginning a beautiful friendship.

Friendship Spinners Christmas Retreat

Last weekend Friendship Spinners met for our annual Christmas retreat at Shakertown. It was lovely, as usual, getting together with about forty of the nicest people I've ever met. The creativity and kindness are not to be equaled anywhere.

Naturally, we brought our wheels and we spun ... and we talked ... and we laughed and we asked each other fiber questions. And, of course, we ate. I brought a couple dozen of these springerle cookies imprinted with my spinner cookie mold. They were pretty good.

The highlight of Friday night was the Annual Parade of the Crones, a very touching (and silly) ceremony. We all aspire to be crones someday. [if you don't know, don't ask]

At last, I can share pictures of the shawl I've been working on for the shawl exchange. It's lavender suri alpaca wool spun up to resemble mohair (but much softer). I used Lily Chin's pattern for a beaded crochet shawl and worked several thousand white glass beads into the pattern and as a looped beaded fringe around the ends. Thank goodness, Nancy Reed, who received it, was pleased with it.

There was a slight mix-up with the shawl exchange, but where there's a will there's a way, especially when kind people are involved. I received a beautiful handwoven shawl that was made during a sheep to shawl event. The warp is made of Lincoln cross wool and the weft is Shetland. I LOVE it. It's especially nice because it wasn't just made by one person, it was a group effort.

A lovely time was had by all. I just wish I could spend more time with them.

The prodigal camera returneth!

LOOK! I'm visual again!
Kill the fatted calf, my camera turned up in one of the side pockets of my computer bag. I was so glad to see it!

I still can't show you a picture of the shawl I'm working on because it's a secret, but I COULD take a picture of it if I wanted to.

The kids were great in the Spinning and Dying class today -- and that's saying a LOT for middle school kids. They enjoyed petting Andy (although he didn't share their enthusiasm) and listened attentively to the history of spinning and passed around all my fiber samples. Later, one of my helpers said she was impressed with my lecture and how I held their attention. That's the kind of positive feedback I could use every day!

Ally finds out tomorrow whether she got one of the big parts in the high school production of South Pacific. Keep your fingers crossed for her. She's only a sophomore and it's unlikely that she'll get a big part, but she'd really like to play "Bloody Mary," the native trading woman who has a comic role but really good songs. Ally's been singing "Bali Hai" around the house ever since she learned that this year's play is "South Pacific." I hope she's not crushed if she doesn't get the part. I'm nervous for her.

DH gets home tonight! Hurray!

Canon may be getting some more of my business...

Look, ma, no pictures. This is not because I don't want to show pictures, but rather because I am unable to show pictures. My camera has been AWOL since the Morehead trip. I've searched the car and all my bags with a fine toothed comb and still it hasn't turned up. I loved that little thing. I'm still hoping it will show up somewhere unexpected.

So, we will struggle on without visual aids. Actually, I don't have much to show at the moment anyway. I'm making a shawl for the Friendship Spinners gift exchange and I don't want to show it just in case one of the group stumbles across my blog.

I'm looking forward to the retreat at Shakertown in a couple of weeks. In addition to a fiber-related gift exchange, they also have a more structured exchange. Last year, it was hats. I made a felted hat (my specialty) and received a lovely toque-type hat made of alpaca with the words "Friendship Spinners" worked into it. The weavers in the group exchanged woven bath towels -- but, not being a weaver, I didn't participate in that one. This year, the structured exchange is shawls, so both knitters and weavers can participate in one exchange.

My DH is still on the road. He's been in St. Louis since Thursday and should be back very late Monday night. It seems like we've been all girls here for a long time.

Tomorrow I go to R.A. Jones Middle School for the Art Links Adopt-a-School program. I'm showing the kids spinning and then we're kool-aid dying some yarn. In December, another member of the Weaver's Guild will come with her loom and show them how to weave their yarn into a colorful rug for their classrooms.

Ally is making some medieval food for extra credit in her history class. She found a recipe online for what was called a cherry tart. It uses cherries, ricotta cheese, some spices and chopped up "ROSE PETALS." It was a great excuse to buy some roses at the grocery. I can't imagine that the rose petals are going to add much taste, but the recipe specifically called for them and we added them. It smells good anyway and it's about to come out of the oven.

That's all for now. Happy Thanksgiving if I don't post before then.
(picture snagged from the Internet)