Sunwalker - Finished!

 

I finished my Sunwalker shawl!  This was my project for the first quarter KAL for Eat.Sleep.Knit. The assignment was to knit a Melanie Berg pattern.  I knit it in Malabrigo Mechita in Cereza which is a gorgeous, deep red.  I used almost all of three skeins (1197 yards), and yes, it is a huge, squishy shawl!

Despite the size, it never really got boring.  I enjoyed knitting it and I could see knitting it again at some point in a different color.  I didn't stretch it when I blocked it, just smoothed it out and let it dry.  I also forgot to measure it, but it's pretty big, as you can see how long it is on Fifi!

Tomorrow we should get our Loopy Academy assignments, so I'll be gearing up for those!

Sewing

 

I did some sewing over the weekend - I made another Moss Skirt!  This is a gray twill cotton.  I lined the pockets and made the facings in a blue green batik, just for fun.

Full disclosure, I did something strange in the pocket area and it's not hanging right there.  I'm not 100% sure what went wrong and it's still wearable, but I'd like to know what happened so I can make sure it doesn't happen again.  I've made this pattern before, in a very similar fabric, using the same pattern pieces, so it must have been my own error.  I didn't let Fifi model it because her hips aren't quite big enough to keep it up and I didn't have a pin or a clip with me when I was taking pictures, so I couldn't fix it in the back.  Maybe I should have checked to see how Logan looked in it...

Weaving - Beware the Rabbit Hole

There have been a few questions and comments about weaving so I thought I'd take a day and share some of how I got here.  Just a disclaimer:  I am in no way an expert and this is not an exhaustive list of resources, but this is what has helped me get where I am, so maybe it will help someone else!

First of all, when I finally started weaving, I knew a little bit about it.  My mother started weaving years ago but she uses the big floor looms.  The kind that are the size of an upright piano with different shafts and lots of pedals and strings and things everywhere.  She enjoys them, but personally I find them huge and ugly (this is just my opinion, I'm not judging anyone who likes that kind of loom).  I'm also not interested in the complex, patterned weave structures that these looms were made to do.  Give me plain weave (over, under, over, under) any day of the week and I'm a happy Lemon!  Finally, I had seen warping once, with the warping board, and the ties, and the chaining, and just NO!  I'm someone who isn't really happy working with two skeins of yarn at once.  The idea of several hundred lengths of yarn all at once, trying to keep it organized?  That just gives me the heebie jeebies!

I decided weaving isn't for me and went on my merry way. 

Fast forward a few years and I began noticing projects like this (you'll need to log into Ravelry to see these, sorry) and this wrap and a little weaving seed began growing in my brain.  Around that time, Knitty started its Get Warped series which was all about rigid heddle weaving for knitters.  As it turns out, rigid heddle looms are smaller than the large floor looms that had turned me off of knitting years ago.  Also, they were perfect for plain weave.  Once I learned about direct warping though, that was when the real problems started!  (Go watch that video, seriously!)  All of a sudden the most horrible part of weaving (to my mind) - warping - looked doable.

Soon I found myself lurking on the Rigid Heddle Looms group in Ravelry (they not only have lots of information, but they're a friendly group), comparing the various looms available and pricing them.  I spent several days looking at the Yarnworker site (she's the one who writes the Get Warped series of articles for Knitty, but she has even more at her own site).

Eventually, I decided to take the plunge.  I bought a Kromski Harp Forte 24 inch.  I also picked up Weaving Made Easy and Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom.    Those two books have basically taught me what I know and how to do it.  Just a note - they both include formulas for figuring yarn amounts and warp length but they do it differently.  My brain works better with one, not the other.  Both systems will get you the same answers, they just go about it from opposite directions.  (If you can't understand the first warping formula you read, check out the other one.)  And just in case you're math averse, it's not difficult math and you can use a calculator.  It's not really any harder than figuring out how many skeins to buy to knit a sweater.

I am still learning things, but I'm very happy with my choice to go with the rigid heddle loom.  The size works well for me (I'm 5'8") and it does exactly what I'm interested in.  I can plain weave all sorts of things and weaving the hand dyed yarns that would not knit up nicely is the perfect way to use them!

I hope this answers the questions you guys have.  Just remember, I did warn you about the rabbit hole!

Experimentation

I got a little Zoom Loom to play around with, just because. I've seen some cute projects using one on Pinterest and while I don't have any definite plans for it, I wanted to get a feel for it and figure out what yarns work and what doesn't.  Unless I'm completely missing something I've seen yarn weight recommended anywhere from fingering to worsted and everything in between (although some sources say worsted is too heavy).  Since I wasn't sure what would work and what wouldn't, it was time to play around with leftovers in the stash!

First I tried a true worsted weight yarn.  (I'm pretty sure this is a Fleece Artist yarn but I can't remember what the base is, there is some mohair in it.)  Here it is straight off the loom:

and here it is after washing:

This was not an easy yarn to weave on this loom and I think it's just a little too heavy.  There's no change between the freshly woven square and the washed square because there's just no room for any additional fluffing.

Next I tried a DK weight yarn.  This is Cascade 220 Heathers.  The Heathers in the 220 line knit up at DK weight while the solids are more of a true worsted.  This was easier to weave than the first yarn, but it got more difficult at the end.  Here it is fresh off the loom:

and washed:

The square tightened up a bit as the yarns settled into each other after washing.  The finished square is nicely cohesive without being stiff.

The next yarn was a sport weight - Malabrigo Arroyo.  Sport weight and DK weight are very close size wise, with sport being just a little bit finer.  This was easy to weave and much more pleasant to work with than the first two yarns.  Here it is after weaving:

and after washing:

You can really see how the yarns plumped up and relaxed into the weaving.  This square has really nice drape even though it's pretty solid looking.

Finally, I tried a fingering weight yarn.  I don't remember the exact details of the yarn, but it's a Fleece Artist yarn again.  It was super easy to weave.  Here it is straight off the loom:

and after washing:

This started out very open and pretty much stayed that way.  This reminds me of those beautiful and ethereal art scarves that I love to look at, but I'm pretty sure I would snag it on something in under 10 minutes and kill it. 

After all of this, I can now say that I think worsted weight yarn is too heavy for this loom, and while the fingering weight is beautiful, it's not practical for anything I would use it for.  The sport weight yarn is my favorite, but the DK weight yarn was also nice and could be good for a project where I need a bit more firmness.  Just as a note, the edges on all four squares look looser than the middles - that's where the yarn wraps around the pegs and you use those loops to sew the squares together for your project, so I imagine they tighten up after joining.  Also, I should note that the sport and fingering weight yarns were superwash while the worsted and DK yarns were not.  All of the yarns were wool or wool blends but again, I wasn't 100% consistent.  I didn't follow perfect scientific method, but it told me what I wanted to know!

Walking On

 

I'm in the middle of the lace section of my Sunwalker.  The lace is simple, but it is a bit slower than the double seed stitch was.  Or, it's possible it just feels that way because the rows are so long.  Maybe a combination of the two?  Anyway, I'm still working away on it.  I'm about finished with the second skein of Mechita and looking forward to starting the third.  I'd love to get this finished by the end of the month.

In random, unrelated news, Max likes to watch Craftsy classes.  He doesn't seem to care what the topic is, he just curls up with me and watches them on my iPad.  He honestly pays better attention to the Craftsy lessons than he does cat videos.  He'll sit through a 30 minute lesson and pay attention (purring softly) the whole time.  I have no explanation for this.

Weaving

 

I've gotten farther on my new weaving project.  I've kind of gotten into a rhythm with it and it doesn't feel so awkward working with two stick shuttles at once.  The pattern is clearer too, which is making me feel better about my last minute decision to change my weaving plans and do houndstooth.  It's fun watching all the colors appear in the multi colored Aniversario yarn, but the navy kind of grounds it and keeps it from going all clown barf on me.  Clown barf is never a good idea!

One of the things I like most about the weaving is watching how colors combine and play together.  I also love that weaving is friendly to the crazy beautiful hand painted skeins of yarn that are so much fun to buy.  I learned the hard way as a new knitter that those skeins don't always knit up the way I want them to, so I tend to focus on the more tonal or color washed types of hand dyes for knitting.  Weaving means I can buy those crazy skeins and be happy when I use them!

Row 13

 

I've completed the 13th row of my Meditative Blanket.  There's really not much to say about this project at this point.  In May (or maybe April) it will be two years old.  I've clearly been taking my sweet time with it.  I WILL finish it this year, but in the meantime, I'll keep showing you row by row.  Lucky you!

The Word of the Day is Squishy

 

I've finished the main section of my Sunwalker!  I'm ready to begin the lace section now and then it finishes with the double seed stitch texture again at the end.  I've started the second skein of yarn and I'm probably about a third of the way into it at this point.  It was the perfect project to snuggle up with this weekend in the rainy fog.  The shawl itself is also nice and squishy and soft.  It's going to be huge when it's finished!

Eyre

 

I've been knitting along on the back of Eyre and it's moving along nicely.  I love this yarn (Dream in Color Smooshy With Cashmere) and the way it feels.  The finished sweater will be soft and light.  The stitch pattern has lace things happening on both the right and wrong side rows, but it's intuitive and very easy to read.  Once you get a feel for it, it's simple to figure out if you've made a mistake.  Overall, despite the fact that it's not stockinette or garter stitch, this a relaxing knit and I can actually watch TV while I work on it.  I was not expecting this back section to be TV friendly when I started this sweater, so that was a nice surprise.

I've got to read the directions and start measuring soon because I'm not sure if I'm supposed to work to a certain measurement before or after blocking.  It would probably be a good idea to double check that before I knit it long enough to be a dress.

Have a great weekend!  It looks like it's going to be a messy one for most of the US, but we're just supposed to get a lot of rain here.  Sounds like knitting weather to me!

Danger Is My Middle Name

 

One of my goals for this year is to finish this blanket!  It's currently 24 squares wide by 12 rows high.  My tentative goal is for it to be 36 rows high, but that's also dependent on my yarn amounts.  I think I've got enough to go that big, but I'm too lazy to weigh things with the scale, so I'll just live dangerously.

Each square is about 2-1/4 inches square and you can see the size as it's draped over Fifi.  I do have some yarn set aside for borders, so I can use every inch of yarn in the squares.

2017 will be the year I finish this blanket or die trying!  (Hopefully it won't come to that.)

Sunwalker

 

My Sunwalker shawl is getting bigger!  I've worked more than half the repeats of this stitch pattern before I get to the lace.  Of course, since each repeat adds stitches to the width of the shawl, each repeat is bigger than the last, so I'm in no way halfway to the lace section.  It's a good thing this is a nice, relaxing knit, because I'm not even through my first ball of yarn!  (It's supposed to use three balls of yarn.)  It's going to be a big, cuddly shawl!

A New Weaving Project

 

I warped the loom over the weekend, and this time I'm not weaving a scarf - I'm weaving a wrap!  I'm using Malabrigo Mechita in Aniversario (I showed you some of that last Friday) and Malabrigo Sock in Cote d'Azure.  The original plan was to use the Mal Sock (it's the dark navy blue) for the warp and the Mechita for the weft.  Then I started winding the Mechita on the stick shuttles and realized that the two skeins I had were very different (this is common in Malabrigo).  If I had started weaving with one skein and then switched to the second, the two ends of my wrap would be very different.  I realized that I would need to alternate skeins all the way up the length of the wrap.

Then I decided that if I was going to alternate, I might as well do a houndstooth pattern* and make it more interesting.  The only problem with that is that I would need to use one skein of Mechita in the warp.  Mechita is a singles yarn which is more prone to damage than a plied yarn would be.  The warp takes a lot of abuse over the course of weaving.  I think it will work, but I'm trying to be very gentle and weaving a little slower, paying attention the angle of the heddle when I beat to try to minimize abrasion.  I set the warp up so the Mechita is on the right and the Mal Sock is on the left and I'm carrying the yarns up those sides.  I'm seeing the pattern emerge and while it's subtle, I'm loving the way it's working!  (I did work the first six picks in the navy and then did hem stitch at the edge in the navy. I thought that would give me a nice edge.  I'll repeat it at the opposite end.)

*A simple Houndstooth is worked by warping with two strands of color A, alternated with two strands of color B.  Then it's woven with two picks of color A, followed by two picks of color B.  It's still a plain weave, but the pattern emerges through alternating colors.

It's Time to Weave!

My loom has been empty for a couple of months because I just haven't had time to get it warped.  I've had the next project planned for a while, but I kind of changed my mind about a few things the other day.  So, while I had wound the weft yarn on the stick shuttles for my first plan, when I changed plans, that changed things.  I'll explain things next week, when I actually have some photos to help the explanation make sense, but in the meantime, here's a pile of yarn for your viewing pleasure.  In case you're curious, it's Malabrigo Mechita in Aniversario.

Have a great weekend!  I'll be warping my loom and trying to stay warm!

Another New Project!

 

In addition to the shawl I showed you yesterday, I also cast on for a new fingering weight pullover.  This is the beginning of Eyre, knit in Dream in Color Smooshy With Cashmere in Magic Orchid.  The color is kind of a dark, smoky red violet.  You begin with the back lace section and work your way towards plain stockinette.  This way of working fits me well as I can get the more complex parts finished when the project is new and exciting and I have momentum behind me.  I think that's why I also like top down sweaters more than bottom up.

The lace pattern is worked on both right side and wrong side rows (no resting purl rows), but it's very intuitive and easy to read, so even working on the wrong side isn't difficult.  I really love the design of this pullover with the simple stockinette front and sleeves and the lace back - like a little surprise!  I also think it will look cute with skinny jeans and ballet flats which is what I tend to live in.

New for 2017!

I've started a couple of new projects for the new year!  Last year I participated in the Yarnathon from Eat.Sleep.Knit.  (The Carson Throw was part of that, as well as a bunch of other things I did last year.)  At midnight on New Year's Eve the new Yarnathon began with new teams and new KAL's and a new theme (Candy!)  I'll be competing with the Cocoa Cubs team this year!

The first quarter KAL is Melanie Berg patterns and I not only had ESK yarn in my stash, but I also had one of her patterns picked out to go with some of it.  I had no idea this would be a KAL for 2017, I just lucked out that I didn't cast on for it last year!  I'm doing Sunwalker in Malabrigo Mechita in Cereza (a dark red that reminds me of Madelinetosh's Tart colorway).  It will also be good for some Booster Club Badges!  This project is my new TV knitting because I can knit without paying too much attention to it.  I've knit two Melanie Berg patterns before (Drachenfels and On The Spice Market - both for Loopy Academy) and her patterns are fun but easy and give you very wearable finished objects.

I'm still sorting out this year's Yarnathon and figuring out what I'll do for the various KAL's, but I do know, since I'm a Cocoa Cub, I will be making some bears this year!

Easy Folded Poncho - Ta Da!

 

I finished and blocked my Easy Folded Poncho before 2016 ended!  This is the Easy Folded Poncho (with cowl) from Churchmouse Yarns and Teas.  I bought the kit they sell because I figured that would be easy.  Mine is the charcoal colorway.  It was a super easy knit, and if you take a look at the projects in Ravelry, someone figured out how to make it without any seaming (so it's super fast too)!  It's all stockinette, so it's nice when you need something for your hands to do but not your brain.  I'm also really happy with the way it looks on.

A poncho is essentially a socially acceptable adult security blanket.  This design has a more modern, streamlined shape than the ponchos from the 70's, so while it still keeps you warm and cozy, it doesn't get in your way when you're actually doing things while wearing it.  Unfortunately, it's 70 degrees here today, so I don't actually need to be warm and cozy.  Later this week, it's supposed to get cold again, so hopefully I can actually wear it outside the house!

I haven't decided yet, but I'm super tempted to add a little embroidery along the lower edges in an ivory color.  Still thinking...