Chronicles of the Lazy Knitter

How I Spent My July 1st

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-08-04T01:55:40Z

Spinning in public for the first time!! Click on the image to read the article!

Not Forgotten... I Hope!

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-07-06T16:55:11Z

July has rolled in with a continued flurry of activity but things have slowed considerably now. I am hoping to be blogging again a little more regularly... oh.... did I say that before? Sorry!
In many ways I have needed this time to get out from under some of the self-imposed pressures and focus on some important things that really needed attention. Have I missed blogging? Absolutely! Have you missed me? That's OK, I don't need an answer. One thing I will say, though, is that during the "silent" time my blog received more spam comments that needed deleting than I received "real" comments in the last 2 years of blogging... more than just a little depressing! But, I guess any attention is better than none at all, eh? No matter, onward and upward!

I am still addicted to indoor auction sales and it has done me a world of good to be away from home for 5 or 6 hours, alone. I have really stretched outside my comfort zone and started knitting while I'm there - ya - in p-u-b-l-i-c! To my amazement, people seem to see it at an invitation to chat, so I've gotten to know a few more people in my local community than I expected! Their comments have been polite, curious, encouraging and often teasing but it has been an amazingly positive experience! Not to mention that I'm on my second pair of socks!
I couldn't resist going all the way, and knitting with my own handspun. This yarn is 70% white Llama (from my own llama) and 30% merino. The fiber was cleaned and blended by Anne at A&B. I knit them double stranded (totals 6-ply) like a worsted weight.

Of course I had to humiliate myself (OK, no one noticed except me) by putting the second heel on upside down! Rip! Rip! Rip! I decided to make a seed stitch patch to go under the ball of the foot to try to improve the wear. When I put on the heel I did it with the patch on the top of the foot instead of the bottom! D'oh! One thing I likely won't do, is turn a heel at an auction. It requires too much concentration and I'd either muff the heel or miss a bunch of stuff I wanted to bid on. Ya, I'm no great shucks at that kind of multi-tasking! LOL! My auction sale junkets are about leisure not work!
I did complete the pair for my DS and he's very pleased! They aren't work socks but he'll use them for winter, like when he goes snowmobiling etc.

The pair I'm working in now is for ME - and there's been a one month break in the auction sales so they're in limbo right now. I'll post more as work progresses! Cheers all!

Hello Again!

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-04-15T01:46:36Z

March is a month I am glad to leave behind! On top of the pressures of work and general family mayhem I had a bit of a health scare that put me in the hospital for a couple days for observation. Add to that a minor knee injury that prevented me from treadling any spinning wheel for nearly 5 weeks and you get the picture of a pretty lion-ish month that never did go out like a lamb! Even the eye doctor got the prescription in my glasses wrong and I'll have to wait until May when he comes back from holidays (must be nice, eh?) to see him again and get them fixed! Beware the ides of March, so it seems!
So what does an avid spinner do to relax when prevented from spinning? Well she knits - and something terribly easy!

My youngest has a rather substantial collection of bears he likes to play Old Bear stories with and he has been pestering me for some time for hats and scarves for them. I drew the line at jumpers though. It's enough fuss making big ones! So I told him maybe I'd sew them some shirts this summer instead (did not go over big *sigh!*). And there are many more bears than just these in the photo but the rest were being employed in their adventures and were not available for the photo! LOL! I'm tired of little hats and scarves now, that's for sure! It would be wonderful to say I've made significant progress on some of my WIP's but it wouldn't be true! All I know is it's nice to be back on a more or less even keel again and seeing light at the end of the tunnel with all the annual paperwork! Although I can't promise I'll post every day, I'll at least be able to get back here more often now! It's nice to know you missed me! Cheers all!

The Difference

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-04-10T00:05:57Z

Found this while cruisin on Facebook - the artist- Greg Dean-is Super nice- AND his daughter is named Harper too! (Thanks for letting me use this, Greg!) Check out his site REAL LIFE COMICS here:

Handspun Yarn Sale!

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-03-16T01:58:27Z

Visit my Etsy Shop GloriaPatre Spin N Knit. All sale prices clearly marked so there's no special coupon code to remember! Everything from Chunky to Fingering Weight to Art Yarn in a rainbow of solids, tonals and tweeds! Shop early for best selection!

Humor for Monday

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-02-27T18:44:07Z

Friday Freebies Totes

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-02-24T23:57:00Z

This sweet version of the Super Summer Backpack from Lion Brand was knit by my sister in a hard-wearing acrylic yarn. I think it would lend itself well to a hemp or linen blend yarn too! It's knit in a very expandable fabric using yarn overs so using an inelastic yarn won't prevent it from expanding as you put things in it. I would avoid feltable yarn though because if it did felt it would become a non-expanding bag and really reduce it's holding capacity.

Also from Lion Brand is this Felted Hold All Tote. I love the look of their sample tote, all smooth and natural yarny white but I can also see this done without the braided cable in your lumpy bumpy handspun in wild mixed colors. I think this could be a really personalized project!

Borrowed From Handmadeology

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-02-23T23:55:56Z

More Playing With Fiber

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-02-22T02:42:00Z

Part of my Christmas present was this pair of art batts. I bought them from a fellow PhatFiber member because they are such a wonderful rich blue and the bits and bobs in it would certainly give the finished yarn lovely textural interest!
Since the wool in these batts was her own home-grown sheeps wool I wasn't expecting Merino-quality softness. Good thing! Turns out is was a pretty good match for the brown mystery wool from my last post! I felt they were a bit pricey for the quality of the wool, now that I had it in hand but I also appreciate that she's trying to make a living (almost half her household income) from her Etsy shop. Still, I think she could have mentioned the lack of softness in her sales listing. I mean sooner or later some customer is going to whine about it and you sellers out there know where that goes....
In spite of that initial disappointment the batts were not too bad to spin. They took quite a bit of tugging to draft and there were lots of lumps and neps. I ended up with two skeins of highly textural yarn which I think will turn into something funky felted, or something really visually compelling as part of a woven hanging.

The first skein came out to approx 100 gm of 2-ply and 112 yds of lumpy bumpy textured fun!

Skein #2 is a slightly larger 113 gms and 142 yds of 2-ply. And finally, I was done with the rough and ready brown mystery wool singles and moving on to more appealing wares! Yay!

Back From The Dead

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-02-20T19:37:00Z

A nasty bout of the flu went through our house. As per usual, it didn't hit everyone at once, just picking off one or two of us at a time. When it finally got around to me I was still on midnight clean-up duty with some of the younger family members so I was good and run-down to welcome it! Exhaustion pushed blogging to the back burner! Things are looking up this week though.... knock on wood!
We have been trying to get better internet through Mi-Fi or the 4G network and I won't regale you with the (astronomical) costs of going over your data-transfer limits.... ugh! Suffice it to say that when we could get a strong signal, the speed was amazing - and when we couldn't - which was most of the time - it was abysmal. So after 2 weeks of hardware wars, malfunctions and repeated trips to the city to return things, adjust contracts etc. etc. we pretty much ended up right back where we started with our painfully slow but available satellite internet. *sigh!* All this and the flu too! Gee, it must be February.....

Of course with all the excitement going on here (ha!) I haven't done much spinning or knitting, however, I decided maybe I'd do what I call a bit of snacking - spinning up small lots of odds and ends from my stash. It's a nice thing to do when you have a short attention span from fatigue. You get the relaxation of spinning without the mental exertion required for spinning larger lots consistently. Through the fall I seem to have accumulated quite a few bits and bobs through purchasing mixed de-stash lots from other spinners. Now not everything is baby-bottom soft commercial Merino so I got to be a bit creative with what I did with them.
This bundle is some sort of wool - I'm guessing Romey because it's crimpy and coarse. It's been mill prepped into a fine pencil roving but because of it's self-clingy crimp I couldn't spin it very fine. In fact no matter how much I hunted through my stash I couldn't find anything with a comparable hand so I did something I've never done before - I plyed it with a yellow commercial 100% Mohair yarn I've had forever that I knew I'd never knit with.

Unlike most of my yarns, this looked pretty funky right off the bobbin! The second skein was less overspun than the first. I readily admit that one of the reasons I chose this fiber to work with is because I knew it was going to take me a bit of experimentation to get to know the different ratio settings of my Rose. I didn't feel confident enough to use my really good fiber. The Rose is such a fast wheel that I find it's easy to over-twist, like without even trying. At least it wasn't so over-spun that it didn't wash out. After soaking the skeins to set the twist I snapped them straight very hard between my hands several times. It really helped even out the twist! I laid them flat to dry as I am really opposed to weighting damp skeins to force them to straighten out. The problem that creates, is that the over-twist will come back, usually in your finished project. Best-case scenario it produces a bias fabric, worst case, it can completely ruin the shape of your item and you can't fix it.

It finished out at a 2-ply, 127 yards total, 115 grams. I don't know if you could really call it a chunky weight it has such a thick halo. I'm hoping maybe somebody will buy it for felted slippers or something. I think it would be pretty long-wearing! Cheers!

National Sweater Day

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-02-09T23:54:50Z

I pilfered the picture but I hope I will be forgiven in the spirit of encouraging everyone to consider turning down the heat for a day and donning their favorite handmade (and hopefully handspun) sweater. I admit I was a bit disappointed that this wasn't being promoted by the "Use Natural Fiber" movement, which is a very commendable "green" thing to encourage. Too bad. Natural fiber deserves more respect since it's environmental footprint can be very small indeed next to it's synthetic/chemical-nightmare produced cousins. Oh well, encouraging everyone to wear sweaters is still a cool thing to do! Cheers all! Stay wooly warm!

Deep Rich Fog

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-02-08T02:02:00Z

There was only one spinning project besides my white Llama blend yarn that I completed with the Lendrum. There was a lovely bundle of grey blended batts that I got in the end-of-run lot from Dyeing For Color. I was especially fond of them, being a big fan of greys and I wanted to make something a bit fun.

You can see in the blend there are several shades of grey, a light blue and a dark grey-almost-black striped in them. Next to the blue and white batts on the far left they really almost look green, but trust me, they're greys! And very smooshy soft to boot!
I spun them thick and thin with lots of slubs because I wanted the striping to stand out and the yarn to have lots of texture. I enjoyed working with the fiber but not the wheel.... but I won't go into that, I think I've said enough about that already! I had some very pale blue fine singles to ply it with to add some stability to the slubs and maximize the yardage of the batts.

It may not look it but this skein is 9.7 ounces! But because it's a chunky weight there's only 315 yards. Superwash wool and a bit of Bamboo silk, it will make a moody accessory, like a scarf or cowl and hat or mitts set for someone who buys it from my Etsy Shop...

Friday Freebies Cardigans

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-02-06T00:30:53Z

A cardigan is a year-round knit, no doubt about it. There's always a time, regardless of the month (unless you live in the Bahamas) when you can use a little cover-up. Here is a pair that are worthy of consideration...

Meet the Sassafras Cardi from Berroco! A beautifully fitted, wonderfully textured knit! You'll want to use a solid or semi-solid 3-ply (or more) for the textured stitches to make them really stand out. Personally I don't care for bracelet length sleeves so I'd make them longer but that's just my bias. I can see this in a pristine natural white for real elegance, maybe a silk blend?

You can't beat this Fitted Jacket from Lion Brand for simplicity and every day comfort! Simple styling and knit-in pockets (which I just LOVE!) make this the kind of sweater you can use every day with everything you wear! I recommend a hearty handspun wool for this cardi! Forget the buttery commercial Merino and use something from your handspun stash that is durable, like Jacob, Finn or Cottswold and enjoy this cardi for years to come!

Drop Spindle Sale for February 30% Off!

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-02-02T21:15:00Z

I love all spinning related things! I love the tools and wheels and spindles. I've really enjoyed making spindles too, however, I've had some sitting around in my Etsy Shop pretty much since shortly after I opened it. I have decided to have a big spindle sale in February and hopefully I'll clear out some of them! I will be using the Etsy On Sale app and discounting them all 30%. That means you don't need a code to get the discount, they will be clearly marked and I can easily fit 4 in a box for the same shipping cost as 2... just sayin'.....

With the sale in mind I got busy with my drum carder making some fiber batts to use as packing material. I hate using plastic bubble wrap for spindles. I find nice springy crimpy wool is great as it molds better and provides better cushioning. It's also a nice bonus for the buyer because it gives them a little something to play with once they open the parcel! I dug out some bright purple Romney wool and blended it with some white Jacob wool into these funky stripey batts. I figured I'd card 1 ounce batts until I ran out. I quit counting at 20 but since there was just under 2lbs of fiber I figure there's about 30 batts. It sure would be nice to have to use them all up and need to make more.... Ha! It's a good thing artists are dreamers too! LOL! Cheers!

PhatFiber Sampler Box February Samples

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-02-01T20:50:00Z

The January sampler box was a big hit and I was pleasantly surprised by a number of sales after the box drop (small orders, but a sale is a sale!), but I think what really inspired buyers in the post-Christmas buying slump is that PhatFiber was giving away a brand new Babe spinning wheel as part of the SuperBox January draw! People who purchase from PhatFiber contributors enter their purchase ID's on the PhatFiber group's monthly give-away thread on Ravelry and they get one entry into the draw for each item they purchase. What a sweet little bonus to give buyers some incentive, eh? I don't know what the big item will be for February but Jessie says that every month this year there will be one big item plus the Superbox (a box with full-size samples and other goodies - I always send a full set of stitch markers for it). If January is any barometer, I think it's a genius idea!

The PhatFiber Box theme for February is Lady's Boudoir. While it may give you images of feather boas and pink-until-your-eyes-hurt I thought of something a touch more universal - the hand mirror. Now I must say that I personally don't have or use one, but I can't think of any proper lady's boudoir without one. I suppose I could have chosen hairbrush charms but I think a hand mirror is so much more elegant, not to mention vain!
I used milli fiori beads with sweet little yellow and white flowers with golden topaz accent beads. I also made these as a box exclusive, that means I didn't make any for my Etsy Shop. Having said that though, I have made a bunch of new stitch markers for the shop, mostly Valentine and flower themed markers.

Work Socks Progress Report

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-01-30T20:10:00Z

I have continued to plug away at my son's work socks. Although he wears the pair of Elizabeth Zimmerman moccasin socks I made him, he still prefers the original toe-up design I usually make. On one hand I'm a little disappointed that after working so much to improve the fit they still weren't quite good enough. The main problem is the seam that runs up the sole. I did a perfect kitchener seam that laid flat (and I'm very proud of that!) but the toe was really too wide since it's round not pointy like his feet and there is always a bit of bunching on each side. In addition, even though the seam was flat he could still feel it under the ball of his foot. Normally this would be a small issue but we're talking about someone who works 12 hour days, mostly on his feet , outdoors. In that situation you notice everything eventually - and not right before quitting time, usually at about 4 in the afternoon when you have another 3 or 4 hours left to go.
At any rate, I had said from the beginning that it was an experiment and since it didn't really foot the bill I got down to business making him his 5 pairs of work socks. They are forest green superwash wool DK weight (3 balls per sock) plus 2 strands of Alpaca/Merino sock yarn in a sandy color (Schaefer Abigail Sock). I find this really adds softness and warmth and it blooms so nicely after the first wash. Since it only takes two half-balls of the Abigail that makes 4 balls of yarn per sock. Yes! They are thick but soft and they really keep his feet warm!

It is with great pleasure I am completing the last pair, now blue superwash because, at 3 balls per sock, I ran out of green. Good thing my stash is bottomless, eh? If you'd like a copy of my Plain Vanilla Work Socks pattern, you can find it on my blog HERE.

Friday Freebies With Flair

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-01-28T20:10:19Z

I felt like posting something a little less run-of-the-mill today. Something that could be bright and colorful. Something to chase away the winter blahs.

Meet the Coretto Cardi from Berroco! I really love this design! The plain color bands are knit with a lovely boucle-style yarn, alternated with beautiful fairisle designs in complimentary colors in a smoother yarn. I think the Berroco yarn is very nice but I can't help but think this would be the perfect project for using up your first few attempts at spinning boucle or textured yarn. After all, it's an outer garment so any unusual lumps, bumps and thin spots can be an artistic part of the overall design and not look like a spinning "oops", even if it was! Something to think about....

I love the strong geometric lines of this Felted Tribal Bag from Lion Brand! If you love spinning natural colored fibers as much as I do, I'm sure you have some beautiful but not-so-soft handspun that would felt beautifully for this tote! That's not to say it wouldn't come up absolutely smashing in brightly colored yarns too! This is the kind of project you can show to beginning spinners and say, "See! There is no such thing as bad yarn or bad fiber - you just have to find the right project for it!"

And speaking of the right project for left over skeins of yarn, how can you not love this Slip Stitch Sampler Afghan from Lion Brand? It's so vibrant and whimsical! If I was to make it I think I would choose one main color that had to be in every section to tie it all together and then go wild with all the others! Can't you just see this made from all your mini-skeins, you know, the ones you make from your odds and ends singles when you're done plying? Ooooh the possibilities! Enjoy!

Green in Winter

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-01-26T17:30:00Z

I really enjoyed working with these lovely green batts! They are also superwash with bamboo silk and angelina. Plus it's a blend of lovely dark greens, not just one color.

There was quite a bit more than this and it made 2 skeins of DK weight 2-ply, one 330 yds approx 5.3 oz, and one 180 yds approx 2.9 oz.

I even had singles left over so I spun up some other light green batts to ply with them.

The third skein also came out a DK weight, 2-ply 260 yds approx 3.8 oz. All are available in my Etsy shop.

Pink Twinkle Handspun

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-01-25T17:00:00Z

Just so you know, I don't have anything off the Majacrafts yet to post! I am working on some things but I'm not up to plying just yet.

This lovely pile of fluff is superwash and bamboo silk, part of the end-of-run bundle I bought this summer from Dyeing for Color. The little bag of pink pencil roving was a lucky match I had in my stash! I spun the batts on the plump side but spun the pencil roving extra fine, then plied them.

I was especially pleased that this made more of a semi-solid pink. It's wonderfully soft and fluffy! 2-ply, Aran weight, 165yds, approx 2.9 oz (83 gms).

A Little Fun For Tuesday

st.josephs@sasktel.net (Gloria Patre) — 2012-01-24T16:59:06Z

I thought I'd share an interesting LINK with you to a story about spinning and weaving - of all things - Spanish Moss! I have read stories about spinning Milkweed fluff and other natural softies but Spanish Moss? That's got to be a fiber right up there with hemp or nettles! Anyways, I hope you enjoy it!

And for the fun, here's a photo of knitter's wine glasses! Personally I'd have stockingette on the bottom! It may be a bit boring to some people but lace knitting definitely needs more than that skimpy amount of vino! LOL! I have to be very relaxed and undistracted for that! And the ripping out? Chuck the wine glass and get a tankard! Cheers all!