Show and Tell

The hat is knitted from hand spun Cooperworth ( the fiber is wonderful to spin) from Sandi at Wintechog Hill Farm. The green/blue/yellow yarn I hand dyed at Barbara Parry's dye workshop ( a very worthwhile workshop) at Web's and handspun by me. I'm knitting a hat from the top down with it presently.

I overdyed some merino and tencel that came out a lovely red/purple using koolaid dye.The last project is the Swiss Cheese Scarf I knitted out of merino/ tencel I spun years ago......part of my 10 year old Rhinebeck stash.

Men's Fashion Intersects Knit Designs

Here's men's fashion with a knit sense....................Thom Browne's Menswear collection for Fall 2009....Be sure to check out the sideshow.

Opinions.............................

Tip of the Tam Pattern is Complete !

Finally after much delay on my part, I've completed the tip of the tam pattern. Many thanks to Ball and Skein for her yarn and BySarah for her test knitting.

I'm also working on a hand spun hand knitted hat for charity which I've enjoyed making throughout the process. I began with 3 0z of lovely Coopworth from Wintechog Hill Farm in CT. that Sandi provided to our guild. The locks barely needed a flick and they were open and ready for a quick spin. What a joy to spin. Next the knitting process fostered my delight. Spinning from the lock from butt to tip produced a wonderful worsted yarn with striations of natural color in the yarn.........grays and browns.I'll post some pics of the finished hat soon.

Are you a process oriented spinner or knitter?

Nature aims to please....................

My orchid readies to bloom.......................
So does my fiber................................

Wuthering Heights

If you haven't seen PBS's Wuthering Heights ,view it online until Sunday, February 1, 2009. The online viewing is of good quality with a large viewing window. I read WH when a teen;this televised version doesn't disappoint unless you'd rather cling to the written word and not spoil your imagination.

I'll understand...................

On another Masterpiece Theater note .......Tess of the D'Urbervilles aired on PBS before WH. I fell in love with Tess's shawl.You know I had to find a pattern for this shawl. This shawl looks a lot like it.

In case you haven't heard there's a discussion on Ravelry about Tess's shawl .

More Knitting and Spinning.....................

I've been wanting to post more of my knitting and spinning projects..............the skein is mohair and merino: spun and plyed on a Ledbetter spindle. The cowl is knitted with hand spun- hand dyed merino.The hat will soon be felted.

Yes! Pete Seeger Has Arrived!

Inauguration 2009: Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen
Originally uploaded by USA TODAY

Pete Seeger is wearing a Solmate Socks hat while singing with Bruce Springsteen at the 2009 Inaugural Concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC yesterday.

There's a web site to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Ravelry is abuzz discussing what the concert means to our nation as well as how to knit this hat.

Field of Dreams

If you build it they will come........................truer words were never spoken! Last night I had the distinct pleasure of being in the company of many like minded fiber enthusiasts at Slater Mill in Pawtucket, RI.

Slater Mill is the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution; it seems fitting that those of us who cherish the handmade as well as the machine made can now gather in its halls to share our craft and expand our knowledge. The directors of the mill have welcomed guilds and individuals from the northeast to join their community guild studios. They also plan to create a pan guild with the hope of co mingling the members of distinct guilds to inspire joint projects. Add to this their willingness to sponsor workshops in any fiber related topic, and we've got the care and feeding of the imagination.This excites me to no end.


Join the conversation at Ravelry........................

Vests are just the right type of knitting.........

Yes.............knitting a vest has a lot going for it. Less sewing,no sleeves, less yarn. As you know I've made a vest out of my handspun that I posted last entry. Now I want to make another. I've got a few ideas, but nothing's for sure yet.

Here are some of the choices: All are free except the Chinese Vest. It's a tough decision. Which do you like? Perhaps there's a vest you can suggest.

Tamaqua Vest
Chinese Red Vest (Ravelry)
Boogie Vest
Vine Lace Vest

How I Spent My Christmas Vacation......

Watching DH and DD checking on the horses...............
Seeing Gwen enjoy her daily hay.......................
Feeling glad M likes her felted slippers even though I forgot J's slippers Christmas morning........
Snapping pics of Puddy....................

Smiling at Marvin ( M and J's new rescue cat) loving nap time in an abandoned box.............
Photographing my new vest made with some handspun mohair and merino.......................

Happy New Year to all!

Make sure to buy the new Piecework Magazine.

Introducing Tip of the Tam

The holidays nothwithstanding I have managed to get my act together and post some pictures of a finished piece. "Tip of the Tam" is a quick knit made with less than one skein of Ball and Skein's, Kashmir, a lovely blend of 80 % merino and 20% Mongolian cashmere and iridescent beads. It can also be knitted in Ball and Skein's Serena, Weatherfield and Arbori.The pattern will soon be available.

It's Dizzy Time

I wanted to post something for the last week and a half. Time is flying by and still I haven't finished all the have to's.

I've been up to much as of late with work and knitting and spinning. One of these days I will take pics of some of my fiber work and show you that I have something to show for my absence from the blogosphere.

I've got a couple of neck wear items I've been working on in the pattern design area. Naturally, holiday gifts are being knitted, and I'm sworn to secrecy about those. After the holiday celebration I can post about those. I've also begun a new vest in some of my handspun yarn about which I'm really happy.

Tonight I'm headed off to a holiday get together with some of my high school buds. We got together last October to celebrate our 40th high school reunion and thought we would get together more often to celebrate. What a great idea!!! None of us has to prepare for the get together since we are meeting at a local restaurant to celebrate the holiday season. My kind of "do."

It Never Fails to Please

I always enjoy The Gathering workshops and fiber enthusiasts that congregate once every two years in New England. It was fun to catch up with bloggers from the area as well.

The first workshop I attended was a full day session with Myrna Stahman. It was very worthwhile to learn about Faroese Shawl knitting. Myrna takes the time to make her participants understand the basics of lace knitting. She also takes the time to explain the difference between " lace knitting" and" knitted lace."

Lace knitting provides the knitter with the much loved " rest row" while knitted lace affords the knitter no rest from chart reading. I was able to start my Faroese shawl in a DK weight blue yarn. Ever since my return from The Gathering I find myself picking up the started shawl and knitting more rows.

On Sunday I had the pleasure of taking a workshop on spindle spinning with Abby Franquemont. It is also worth your time and travel to learn about production spindle spinning from Abby. Abby's childhood experiences in Peru as a child were illuminating and instructive. Add to this Abby's wit and you have a wonderful Sunday morning with a new low whorl spindle.



In the project department I have many tales to tell. I have started a scarf with my spindlespun Hale Bop. I continue to spindle spin some merino/mohair. I'm on sock number two in an easy 3x1 rib. On the wheel I need to continue spinning Rebel, Rebel.........a luscious batt from CopperPot Woolies. Some merino/ silk I bought from RI Handspun is calling me................

The Gathering

Every two years I look forward to going to The Gathering which is sponsored by the Northeast Hanspinners Association of which I am a member. I very much look forward to a day long lace workshop with Myrna Stahman.Here is one of her free patterns in memory of Matthew Shepard.

The next day I'll be participating in a workshop with Abby Franquemont. My greatest joy is seeing other fiber enthusiasts and their work.

Back to packing..............................

TADA!!!!

I think this is a record. I knit this sweater in about a month maybe even less. I'm loving its warmth on these chilly mornings. Pity I never made it to Rhinebeck to wear it there!
I was very happy to make this sweater out of stash yarn from Green Mountain Spinnery as well as stash buttons I bought from Spa a couple of years ago. I LOVE these dragonfly buttons!
The pictures are pretty lousy when it comes to seeing the true color, but the button shot is passable.

Not Much I like Here

Knitting on Top of the World

The Russian Sage and Sweater Progress

You know that eventually we have to weed and trim the garden. We can wait until next spring or we can do the work in the fall. Today I spent some time weeding and trimming plants in my driveway garden that gave me so much joy last spring....the Siberian Iris, the Mountain Mint, the False Indigo,the many lovely lilies and more. But I could not trim the Russian Sage...call me sentimental...I could not rob some bees of the chance to still feast on its lovely purple flowers. I'm so happy I took the time to work on the garden and spend some time enjoying this beautiful day.

On the knitting front I've been happily working on my Rhinebeck sweater....you know from the book A Fine Fleece which I very much love. I'm using some Green Mountain Spinnery worsted wool which appears to be a singles. I'm finished with the patterned part of the back and fronts which are knit together on a circular needle. I also have been spinning some merino and mohair on my KL spindle.




Last weekend I did some spinning at the Hearthside.

Linen Stitch and Hydrangeas

I'm in the finishing mood lately. I rounded up a pullover called Jolie by Jamieson in Annabel Fox bulky yarn I had begun several years ago and finished the second sleeve. The fact that this sweater was done in linen stitch with some sleeve and design element increases are my excuses for not finishing the dang sweater.....yeah, yeah, yeah....you know that excuse by heart.

I am very pleased with the outcome especially after I blocked the sweater after a Eucalan bath. I must admit you need to think about whether or not to use Eucalan with some sweaters. There are times when I'm making a sweater when I'd like to avoid making the fabric softer.....consider a sweater/jacket made with Bartlett, Candide or Green Mountain Spinnery yarn. I find that I'd like the stiffness of this yarn and its resulting fabric so much in a design that a bath in another wool wash is best for my purposes.
Click on the picture below to see the lovely flecks in the linen stitch pattern. I love this yarn.
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting DD and SIL's newly adopted cat, Lizzie. She is delightful and resembles my own Ruth.................


I also enjoyed her wonderful hydrangeas...................they are so special when they are blooming and approaching the end of their season.

It's My 5th Blogiversary!!!

You know I've never mentioned my blogiversary. This was due to the fact that I couldn't quite remember the exact date, but after a bit if searching I discovered that the earliest entry I have is August 27th 2003. It's not recorded in my Blogger archives because I was blogging using a website uploaded to my ISP. So..........I've picked this date to celebrate the event.

What a wonderful journey it has been. Thanks to Mr. Etherknitter I have learned how to save my blog. Thanks to the knit/spin blogger community I have been able to share and learn about knitting and spinning. This blog has provided me with an audience that loves fiber as I do. We all need an audience for our work to have meaning.

One thing I would love to know is who my audience is? I've looked at bloglines and know who some of you are , but I'm curious to know who else is out there. I'm sure readers visit and don't have time to leave a comment. If you've got a moment leave a comment, I'd love to know who my nameless readers are.

The hat that wanted to be a purse........

All who know me know my love for all things Jacob. I even managed to get some wonderful handspun Jacob in a fiber giveaway. I thought about what I wanted to make with it, and I started to make a beret. It told me it wanted to be a drawstring purse.

Here you see my favorite bday present from DD and DSIL............Eeva Haavisto's mitten book!!! Yes..........it was reprinted and is sold at Nordic Fiber Arts!!My DD wasn't sure she bought me the right book since it is written in Finnish. It contains charts for a hundred mittens.
Yesterday DD and I had our summer bday celebration. She made me a lovely arrangement of lovely hrdrangeas and zinnias from her garden. I also received some funds to buy some other spinning delights!!!

Before, During and After

The fiber is called Hale Bop after the comet that streaked across the sky in 1997.

Today is a glorious day!What could be better that blue skies, sunshine, comfortable temperatures and spinning!! I know a visit for our bday celebrations from DD and DSIL................

Walk with me Wednesday Bday Fun

Today DH and I celebrated my bday with a trip to the shore...Point Judith that is. We took off after the morning traffic and visited the celebrated lighthouse built in 1888. After knitting a few rows and spinning on my spindle, we took a long walk to get in our dose of exercise. Next we had the best clamcakes, chowder and doughboys at Iggy's!

Breaking the Silence

It's been a busy time with workshops and other work related musts. But I'm back. I'm having fun with Wordle. Take a look at my wordle.

EssentiallyI took my last blog post and created a word cloud with it in Wordle. Go and play. It simple fun to see what art your language can produce.

Yawn..................I'm tired....think I'll try to knit and or spin before I fall asleep.