Fingerless Mitts

Here they are!! Finished fingerless mitts!! They are a touch big but will be very warm due to all the stranding. The pattern I used is called "Ravens in the Snow". It can be found on Ravelry. It was a fun knit. I did make a couple of changes. Instead of finishing the mitt top and thumb with a garter stitch border (per pattern) I opted to finish both with a k2,p2 ribbing instead. I then bound off in pattern with the contrasting color. When I was picking up stitches for the thumb I picked up 4 extra stitches instead of the 2 the pattern called for. This closed up the gusset gap very nicely. These extra stitches were decreased out a row later. I had messed up the colorwork pattern on the cuff of one mitt but was able to fix my mistake with duplicate stitch. I finished both mitts by blocking with steam.

Ravens in the Snow

Thought I would share the progress I'm making on my fingerless mitts. Only five more rows to go before I get to put stitches on a holder for the thumb.

The first photo is of the mitt front.....the second of the thumb gusset (isn't it pretty!)......the last one of the mitt back.

I have learned so much with this project. I have learned how to do a lifted increase using two different colors. I have learned how to do a two color long-tail cast on. Most important of all, I think, is that I learned how to read a chart for stranded colorwork that includes a thumb gusset. The book "Charts Made Simple" was a huge help. It explained all the empty squares on either side of the gusset near the bottom. If the stitches were actually charted then they would look distorted, something that really made sense once I got into the actual knitting of the gusset itself. That's when I could see the relation of everything and the chart really made sense.

Something Shiny

Not really but it has the same way of distracting you. That one pattern that no matter how hard you try you keep thinking of it.......dreaming of it.......seeing it everywhere. The only way to get any piece is to cave and cast on. Oh the exquisite joy of casting on and knitting those first few rows. It's so incredibly satisfying you start to wonder why you bother to have chocolate stashed all over the house. It's so hypnotic that you find yourself knitting the night away......even though you were utterly exhausted only hours earlier. That is this pattern....something shiny. :)

The pattern Is "Ravens in the Snow". The yarn being used is handspun. The cream colored (natural color) is a shetland/alpaca blend. The blue is a hand-dyed shetland. The knitting is fun. Just challenging enough to hold my attention but not so challenging that it has the ability to become frustrating. I've learned so much.

Suri, suri, and more suri

 .....with a bit of shetland thrown in.  Thought I would share photos of  my latest spin/knit projects. The first couple of photos are of Olivia. Olivia is knit from suri alpaca yarn. Her nose is needle-felted using suri alpaca and she is stuffed with alpaca fiber (huacaya). Olivia has button joints (except for her head) and is a whopping 4" tall sitting.

Her little sweater was knit using a few different sample skeins of hand-dyed shetland wool. The sweater has a crocheted trim on it and closes with a small heart shaped button. Her bow was also knit from hand-dyed shetland.

While Olivia is not perfect, she was a really fun knit. She now resides in a small square display case.

The next photos are of the Raha scarf I knit for a friend. It is a piece of Estonian lace. Suri alpaca hand-spun yarn in natural colors was used for it. I chose to make the ends assymetrical to "match" the assymetrical coloring of the scarf itself. It blocked beautifully. Has lovely drape. And my friend absolutely adores it. Especially since the fiber is from some of her beautiful suri alpacas.

The last two photos are of a small neck scarf that I made for a friend. This one was a learning experience for me. I learned that while 100% suri handspun yarn is a dream to work with, it has no give. None whatsoever. Which meant the finished neck scarf didn't block out like I was hoping it
would. The points got lost. Even though I wasn't real pleased with the way the neck scarf turned out, the recipient of it absolutely loved it.....and that's the important thing. :)

 

So busy!!!!

I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted (June!!). Things have been so busy around here. Seems like summer has gone by in a blink of the eye. Hay has been brought in (and is slowly being put up in the barn). Wood has been delivered (and still needs to be split and stacked in the woodshed). My new Suri boys were brough home yesterday (already posted about that) and are settling in nicely. I've become an aspiring spindle maker. Not only can my spindles be found in my etsy shop, but they can also be found at a local shop (COLCA Fashions) that sells very beautiful alpaca clothing, accessories, fiber, and yarn. Added bonus of visiting the shop....you can also visit with a few of the hundred Suri Alpacas that live there. The new cria are super cute, too.  :)             

Currently I made 3 types of spindles....akha spindles, navajo spindles, and Svan spindles. The akha and Svan spindles can be found in my etsy shop and the local shop. The navajo spindles are only available locally. Didn't want to have to deal with shipping them due to their size.

  How did I get started in spindle making? Well, there were a few reasons. One was the lack of options for some of the spindles.....like the navajo. And then when I did find a navajo spindle I liked, it arrived with the shaft broken in several different places. Although the maker did send another one (which arrived with a slightly warped shaft), there was no way I was going to go through the expense and hassle of trying to obtain a second one (which I really wanted). So I blew off the dust on my navajo weaving book (which gave very brief instructions on how to make a navajo spindle) and proceeded to make my own.....of which I'm really happy with. I was able to find a local source that carries a wonderful selection of wood and discovered that I really enjoyed making them.

 

The other reason (and the biggest) for my venturing into spindle making....I got tired of being told "no custom orders". Or of having to wait weeks on end for a spindle only to find out that what is being shipped isn't what you had ordered. The biggest culprit......having to deal with spindle makers who will only put up a couple of spindles for sale and then enjoy watching as potential buyers fight over them. I have even come across particular spindle makers who not only encourage this type of behavior, but think it's very amusing. Then there are those spindle makers who decide that they are so good that they can choose who they want to sell to. And I mustn't forget those spindle makers who feel they are so superior that they won't bother responding to an inquiry. You would think that spindle makers would want to make their product as accessible and affordable as possible.  I mean, really, to sell a drop spindle with a very pronounced wobble for $150......what are they thinking????? And what was the person who purchased it thinking??  "I got a ------- spindle!!" Really?? Is owning a spindle due to the name really worth paying that much for an inferior spindle?? And that is why I decided to try my hand at making spindles...support spindles anyway.

 

The akha spindles came around because the only maker I found was in Canada. So I did some research, studied all the photos and videos I could find.......and my version of the akha was born. I like having a point on one end so I can use it supported instead of suspended like it is traditionally used. It's a very fun spindle to use and made spinning cotton a dream!

 

The Svan spindle was a custom request from a spinner in Ireland. She had recently visited Georgia (the country not the state) and fell in love with the supported spindles they were using. She sent me a photo and the Svan was born. I have to admit, that even though this is a rather large spindle (14" long), I really love using it. It's a dream to spin on and can easily hold 2 ounces of fiber. It's  amazing how often I reach for mine....and mine is the proto-type!! The Svans I make now have a slenderer tip for flicking and seem to spin forever. While mine does seem like it wants to spin forever, the flicking tip isn't as slender. I've been toying with the idea of going back and re-working that.

 

Since I have started my adventures in spindle making, I have acquired a scroll saw (which I love using) and a mini-lathe. I'm currently in the process of setting up a small wood working area in the barn so I can start learning how to use my mini lathe. I can't wait to start turning my own spindles! I have also dabbled with hand carving and am in the process of finishing up my first hand carved phang. I can say for sure that I won't be offering up any hand carved spindles for sale. It's just way too labor (and time) intensive. I just had the very strong desire to make a phang spindle by hand. I chose to carve mine out of hemlock because it is a fairly soft wood and easy to work with (relatively speaking).

 

Aramus and Porthos.......

.....are my new Suri alpaca boys. They were brought home yesterday afternoon. After the initial "meet and greet" with the rest of the group, they spent the rest of the afternoon chasing kittens in the barnyard. They are very curious about everything!! They will spend the next week in the barnyard getting to know their new home....and me!

 

In Full Bloom (photo intense)

 It's been super rainy around here with cooler temperatures....and the gardens have been loving it. Things are in full bloom around here. It's so pretty to look at.

This climbing rose started out as two teacup rose bushes. Unfortunately they didn't make it through one hard winter, but the root stock did. Which ended up being climbers. My hubby put two slightly curved iron trellises in this year to help tame the roses. They wanted to "reach out and touch you" every time you walked by. The two trellises together measure about 6' high and 4' wide.....and are nearly covered. The rose bushes have just taken off and are now filled with small red roses. Really pretty!! Surprisingly the columbine that has decided to make its home at the base of the rose bushes is thriving as well.

Wish I could say that things are all peaches and cream in my garden, but they are not. A pesky pocket gopher has decided to move in. So far he has eaten my larkspur plant (only left two small leaves and a few buds), and the complete root system off of two hollyhock plants. I have replaced the lost plants and so far they have been left alone. Looks like he has now taken up residence in the irises. So far all the plants are intact. Hopefully we can get rid of him before he does any more damage.

The hummingbirds have been absolutely loving the garden. All their favorite flowers are now in full bloom. It's amazing to watch them go from flower to flower. Some afternoon I will spend some time outside with my camera and see if I can't get some nice photos of the hummingbirds while they are feeding. The past week it's been too wet and too overcast to really be spending any time outside.