WIP: Adult Surprise Jacket

Here's another project not quite on the needles: an Adult Surprise Jacket.

The fiber is a fiber sampler from The Woolery. I like this sampler because you get 1 to 2 ounces of all different kinds of fibers.

For me, this project is a teaching lesson on spinning all kinds of fibers.

I'll alternate dark and light wools.

On the Needles: Bohus-Inspired Sweater

Here's my current work in progress: A Zimmermann circular yoke sweater using the Bohus-style yoke pattern designed by Meg Swansen.

The yarn is Rowan Kid Classic. I'm knitting on US#7, but I probably could have gone smaller.

FO: Felted Slippers

These socks were a fun exercise in making lemonade. The fiber was not as soft as I'd like and the resultant socks were a bit too big and scratchy. So what's a girl to do? FELT!

These slippers are now one of my favorite finished objects. I have to keep them away from my SIL--she wants them bad.

Pattern: My own basic toe-up sock using a turkish cast on and Widdershins heel

Yarn: Handspun from some mystery fiber in my stash.

FO: Sheep Wrap

Here you see some of my early attempts at spinning and actually doing something with my spinning.

Pattern: Sheep Wrap

Fiber: Glorious Targhee in the colorway "Roses for You" from Susan

I didn't like the neckline of this pattern, so I did a half-double crochet edging.

The wrap is very nice to wear, and the targhee is now a favorite fiber.

FO: Endpaper Mitts

This was a really fun project--my first attempt at double points. Finished in a weekend.

Pattern: Endpaper Mitts

Yarn: Koigu KPM (or some variation)

FO: Morehouse Circular Yoke Sweater

This was a fun and easy knit--took me about a week to do. My inspiration for these colors is a pair of sock I have that I adore.

When Yarn Deli had a sale on Morehouse Merino, I snagged all the colors--and more.

Pattern: Variation on EZ Circular Yoke Sweater

Stranded Patterns--Grabbed from a variety of sources.

Yarn: Morehouse Merino, 3 ply.

FO: Ruffle Scarf

I'm getting behind on my blogging, but I am remembering to take pictures.

This ruffled scarf is probably headed to the frog pond. Gauge issues, I think.

Pattern: Ruffle Scarf from Knitting Pattern a Day Calendar

Yarn: Prism Angora, Color Spice, 2 skeins (90 yards per skein)

The yarn was lovely.

Minor pattern modification. I cast on using a provisional cast on so I didn't have to go back and pick up the cast on edge.

I suspect my gauge was too tight--therefore it didn't ruffle as much as I thought it should.

AlpacaFest

Corgis make wonderful companions. They are smart. They are very devoted. They are equally at home hanging out on the couch or playing a rousing game of fetch.

However, like most herding breeds, one must make sure corgis have a job to do. Because if you don't, they are likely to invent their own job.

Such as organizing a fiber festival, an alpaca fest, if you will....

2007 Fiber-ish Goals

• End the year with only 3 projects in an unfinished state. Those 3 projects must be active projects, i.e. worked on in the last week. No UFOs.
• Always have a small knitting project in my bag--usually simple socks.
• Complete at least 14 pairs of socks.
• Master the art of creating an EZ sweater that fits me well.
• Master creating steeked cardigans that fit me well and I enjoy wearing.
• Evolve the EZ sweater to be a v-necked sweater with the sleeve option that flatters most. (This means making different kinds and figuring out which one works best for me.)
• Master spinning usable and beautiful sock yarn from hand painted rovings.
• Reduce my stash. (This fits well with the other goals since most of my stash includes sock yarns and yarns for sweaters.)
• Actively participate in the Socks that Rock club--make all the sock patterns as written and post the results on their and my blog.
• Actively participate in Amy's fiber club--she sends out lovely fiber once a month. Spin it and make something from it and send pictures to Amy and post them on my blog. (Note how nicely this fits with the goal about sock yarns and hand painted rovings!)
• Make a sweater from primarily handspun yarn.
• Master basic socks and have a pattern written up that you could share for your basic socks.
• Complete TKGA Master Knitter Level 1.
• Submit TKGA Master Knitter Level 2. I don't have to pass it, just submit it.
• Create a photographic archive of all projects completed in 2007. Ideally, photographic before you start, at least once in the middle, and the absolutely the FO.
• Make knitting and spinning more about the social connections and less about the accomplishments. (Hmmm, this kind of contradicts the other goals!)
• Maintain a knitting/spinning/fiber blog with at least 2 posts per week throughout 2007.
• Learn how to use my knitter's loom well enough that I make an attractive and simple scarf.
• Of all the stuff I make, most I can actually wear in this lovely temperate weather.
• Keep spinning--reduce my fiber stash by making yarn, reduce my yarn stash by knitting up what I have and what I spin. This is all about practice, not about perfection.

Blogging Goals

Shoot.

I have so much to learn about blogging.

Lesson 1: Don't write your post in the blogger editor. Stuff happens and complete posts mysteriously disapper.

Lesson 2: Don't wait to post until you have something "important" to say.

Lesson 2a: Take lots of pictures. Don't wait until things are done or everything is perfect. Take the pictures. Now.

Those last two are hard lessons for me.
So...here I go again.

When I read other people's blogs, I like:
* Lots of pictures. Good pictures.
* Information about finished projects with details. And good pictures.
* Links to inspirational stuff: cool patterns, great yarns, good vendors.
* Interesting insights into the person. Honesty, reality.
* Pictures of projects in the works. It is interesting to see how projects progress.
* Technical stuff--knitting and spinning techniques.

So...what am I going to blog about. When I'm sitting here, wondering what to write, I'm going to check back on this list and look for ideas:

* What's on my needles, right now, no matter what the state, good and bad.

* UFO Inventories, or "What I'm NOT knitting"

* What's on my spinning bobbins?

* Reports on classes I take, what I learned, what I don't completely understand.

* What my friend the UPS Man brought today.

* Book reports--grab a book off the shelf and write about the projects I want to do. Or don't want to do. Or discuss why I should get rid of the book!

* What's waiting in the wings to be started.

* Stash inventory--fiber to spin, yarn languishing.

* Dream projects--I have a bunch of study projects I'd like to do. Even if I'm not going to ever do them, it is fun to think about them--and maybe someone else WILL do them.

* Dream vacations. If I could get away for 4 to 7 days of knitting, what would that look like? Where would it be? What would the days include?

* Knitting goals (and regular progress reports--maybe quarterly)

* Spinning goals--and progress reports

* What interesting technical thing have I learned on my current project--even if it isn't rocket science, it may be something new to me.

* Finished projects, of course. Including info on gauge, yarn, pattern, modifications, etc. Source of pattern or notes on my own designs.

* Simplest of all: What knitty or fiberly thing did I do today?

That should keep me out of trouble.

So, to get started, here's some works in progress.

First, Endpaper Mitts. This is my first attempt at using double points. I messed up the cast on by using too large a needle, but I can block that out. Yarn = Koigu KPM (yummmm). The strange dark color splotches are the purl "seam". Much less obvious in person. (By the way, my dog's A-Frame makes a great background!)



Next is a project to be. Madness, pure madness. When I first got my spinning wheel, I ordered a sampler kit from the woolery. All kinds of different fibers, 1 to 2 ounces each. It seemed like a great idea at the time. Now it looks like lots of fiber, but not enough of any one thing to do something with. So I'm doing something. An EZ Adult Surprise Jacket where each row is a different fiber, alternating dark with light. (I'm much further along on this jacket than this picture suggests--but we're not waiting to post pictures!)

The corgis are at my feet. Dancer's about to start complaining. It is past our bed time and they won't go to bed until I do, so that's enough for tonight. Tomorrow I'll post pictures of my second EZ Circular Yoke sweater and a ruffle scarf.

Christmas Crazy

Here's Matilda modelling the results of my Christmas craziness. Mom asked me to cut the top off a sweatshirt and knit a yoke. Yuck. I decided to give an EZ circular yoke sweater a try instead.

Details:

Zimmermann Circular Yoke Sweater from Knitting Around
Noro Cash Iroha Yarn (about 11 skeins of lavendar, 1 skein each of the black, cream and green)
Addis, US 7
Started December 17th, Finished on December 24th.

Includes short rows in the body and at the neck, phoney seams.