Wool...

I've made a little discovery this weekend.  One I thought I'd never really make.

I love wool.  I didn't think it would fascinate me so much, but I love it.  I recently purchased and read Clara Parkes's "The Knitters Book of Wool" (AKBOW) and decided to knit the patterns in it. Yes, all of them.  Now, I'm only on the first one and may change my mind before I'm done in 10 years, but I really like the experimental process that this will bring to me, I'll learn about wool in a way I've never thought about before, and I'll have some great projects in the end.

First, let me tell you about Parkes's book.  It's very well written, and her love of yarn is evident from the first page.  Her love of WOOL, I should add.  She inspired me to try out a fiber that so far I've kept to only that that feels soft and supple to my hands upon first touch.

My skin is sensitive, I've always told myself.  My husband's skin is very sensitive (I do believe he has a wool allergy as he describes it as "hot" when it touches him).  Because of that, I've never really given wool much thought.  We also live in a warm climate and hardly need hardy coats, sweaters, hats, mittens or gloves.

But, as I've played around with knitting these past couple of years, I've become more and more accepting of wool.  Not just the superwash merino kind, but others as well.  After reading AKBOW, I learned about all the different breeds, and the different qualities of their fleece, and I've become very curious.  I wanted to get to know these different wools, knit with them in projects specifically designed for them, and truly appreciate small batch yarns.

So far, I've started the Hills and Valleys hat and I'm truly enjoying working on it.  I'm using Rowan's Purelife British Sheep Breeds (chunky) yarn.  The yarns are all undyed and showcase the wool of different British Sheep breeds.  It would be tempting to try them all...but I do have to focus my knitting time as, unfortunately, it isn't unlimited.   I chose Suffolk because I liked the soft grey color. I love seeing all the different fibers in this yarn.  There is soft grey, white and black.  I love that it smells sheepy.  I am absolutely amazed at how springy and cushy the finished fabric is.  Elizabeth described it as "probably being very warm" (this despite the fact that she turned her nose up at the "itch" factor).

I'm looking forward to washing this hat and seeing how it blooms.  I love the stitch definition and how it feels on the needles.  I'm fascinated by the structure of the fabric and am looking forward to getting it off of the needles to see how well it fits.  I'm thinking it's going to my hairdresser Ernie...if he approves of slightly itchy wool. :)

Today's picture is of the hat, just started.  It was knitted from the crown down:  always a sketchy start but once a couple of rows in it's fine.

Too tired to knit?

I remember back in grad school in Kentucky talking to one of my professors about my quilting.  I brought her some blocks I was working on for the Civil War block of the month quilt, and she mentioned how it must be so nice to sit and relax and quilt.  I told her it definitely was a relaxing endeavor, but was NOT a sitting endeavor.  There's a lot of standing involved in the piecing of a quilt--at the ironing board, at the cutting table, and somewhere for planning and laying out the fabric.  I remember piecing and being quite sweaty.  She was surprised at this and said that she clearly had no idea about piecing a quilt because in her mind it was a sitting activity.

Now, knitting is a sitting activity.  One of the reasons I wanted to learn so badly is so that I could knit in the car on long drives.  I like knitting in the evenings because I want to wind down and not have to get up and down a lot.  Knitting definitely lets me do that, and it's really nice.

But, last night, I found myself too tired to knit.  As I stated that out loud, I kind of laughed.  I mean, really, physically it isn't much work.  And sometimes mentally it's pretty much just mindless knitting.  But...last night, I was actually too tired to think about mindless knitting. I didn't thing I'd be able to do much other than just sit last night, so that's what I did.  I knew that if I knit, it would be messy and I wouldn't be happy with it...so I abstained.

It was nice to relax, but my hands felt itchy, restless, and like that didn't know what to do with themselves.  It's funny how my hands are so used to moving that being still is uncomfortable--even painful.

I read about yarn instead (Clara Parks' book "The Knitters Book of Wool."), and in doing so realize that I want to make every single pattern in the book.  I want to knit my way through the Knitters Book of Wool, using the yarns recommended in the patterns, so I can try out different kinds of wool, different kinds of techniques, and explore new items to make (like pillows and bags).

I also find it funny that even when I'm too tired to actually knit, and even though I have 10 projects started...that I want to start more, try different things, be creative in so many different ways.

I definitely think I'm crazy!

Today's picture is of me knitting at the quilt bee.  I worked pretty hard on this blanket, especially on Saturday, and made some pretty good progress.  I still love the colors, the pattern, etc.  It's not difficult, but isn't straight knitting either so isn't boring.  I also put it on a bigger circular needle, so now it looks like an even bigger hat...a hat for a giant instead of a blanket for a baby!

Back to Work

It's always a shock coming back to work, even if my vacation was during my normal time off.  During the summers we get Fridays off, work longer days Monday-Thursday, so it's tempting to do the 3-day weekend thing.

The 21st Thornton Thimblers Quilt Bee was amazing as usual.  We had such fun talking, playing games, and quilting.  We went out to eat, planned fancy meals, and just enjoyed each others' company.  Every year that I go I'm amazed that we can have a group of women between the ages of 17-73 and we ALL have fun.  Every single one of us.

And I realize every year how blessed I am to be part of such a wonderful family who can laugh and support each other and enjoy being together.  Truly deeply blessed.

I knitted a good bit on the baby blanket during the bee.  I'll show a picture of that later.  Today, I know, you want to know about the quilt.

It was designed by my Aunt Janice (our Queen Bee) for Emma and Elizabeth, the two youngest quilters in our group.  Janice asked last summer what Elizabeth's favorite things are, colors, things, etc., and from that she designed Elizabeth's side of the quilt to be lady bugs.  Big circles of lady bug fabric along with red and white and black and white polka dotted fabric make up the pattern of that side.  This quilt is special because it's reversible.  The other side, Emma's, is sunflower and royal blue fabric stripes alternating in diagonal stripes.  We quilted from the lady bug side because it had the most design elements, but either side could be considered the "top" and the winner would have the "top" declared as the name of the quilt.

On Saturday night we drew and Emma won.

Here is our group picture.  It's always sad to leave and go home, but we know that next year we'll get together, come up with new games (or repeat the old ones), and again enjoy being together.

Sing along with me!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

I have had the song in my head all morning...lalalalalalalala.......

I was thinking of being really clever and writing new lyrics, but I've been crazy busy all morning with orientation and haven't had time to be clever, BUT I'm singing the song in my head all the while.  I'm a little worried people are going to look at me funny because I'm going to say something and they aren't going to "get it."

But it is.  The most wonderful time of the year!

BECAUSE.....(drum roll, drummer boy named Ted)...

THE 21ST ANNUAL THORNTON THIMBLERS QUILT BEE STARTS TODAY!

And around 3:30 or so I'll be on the road heading that way.  I'm so excited.

Because you know what.  I have a wonderful family that I love being around and enjoy so much spending time with them.  The bee has done so many things for me that I can't help but singing along:

it's the most wonderful time of the year!

Back in 2009 I won this quilt.  I cried when I won it. You can't see it in this picture but my eyes were all red rimmed and teary.  It is a truly special quilt, and me winning it was truly special.  This year Elizabeth might win, or she might not.

If she doesn't, she's dancing in a coconut bra and grass skirt.  And really and truly...I hope she doesn't win it this year because THAT's something I want to see!

Quilt Bee!

It's official...the Quilt Bee starts in one day.  I won't be there for 2 days, but it's official anyway.  We're a small group this year.  There are some illnesses in the family, major anniversaries, and young adults with plans.  But we'll have a fabulous time anyway.

I can never wait for the Quilt Bee.  I have to say that this year it snuck up on me.  What with the tornado, moving twice, a serious case of knitting fever, making serious life-changing decisions with the diet, and all the other general goings on around here, it's suddenly here.  And after last year's performance with all the handwoven and cross stitched items, all of my friends keep asking me "what did you make"?

I didn't make anything this year.  Not one thing.

I bought a few things to knit, but I didn't get to them.  One will take a long time and who knows when it'll be given away at the bee--our 30th?

I do have a game with some gifties...but nothing big.

In a way I almost feel like the bee is surreal this year.  Like I know it's going to happen, but I don't believe it either.  But, I'll get there and it'll be fabulous fun and we'll all have a terrific time and I'll go home on Sunday feeling the joy of being part of such a wonderful family.

There's only one thing that's slightly concerning me...the diet.  I know I can stick to it.  I've done it through vacation,  turmoil, moving and all that.  But, I haven't had to face the temptations of all the yummy and creatively prepared food that will be available this coming weekend.  I'm going to stick to it.  There's too much momentum going and I'm ready to have the weight off and be thin.  But, I do think this will be the most challenging time to date.

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Today's picture is of the other "main" project I have going right now (you'll remember startitis from March?  Well, those are all still on the needles, but not being actively worked on right now).  Anyway, I'm working on a pair of socks out of some Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin' Sock Club yarn.  This colorway came with a gorgeous multi-color (rust, purple and green) that I used to do the colorwork hat (which I had to give away because it was too small for my huge noggin).  I picked out a lovely anklet pattern from Sockupied Fall 2012 and started knitting away.  The lace pattern is lovely, the yarn is gorgeous.  I couldn't see it when it was paired up with the mulicolored yarn, but by itself.  This brown is subtly shaded and just so pretty.

Don't tell anyone, but I'm going to start another pair of socks for the trip.  I need something that all I have to do is "knit"--no pattern just knitting--I've already got the Vesper yarn wound into a hank.  It's a recent acquisition, but I can't remember the name of it right now...it's much more muted in color than the last one I fnished, but it's gorgeous and will be a very nice pair of socks.

Why I love sock yarn

Yesterday I posted about R&R and how I really enjoyed my weekend.  I also made the observation that I've come to the conclusion that sock yarn is my favorite yarn.  I thought I'd expound on that today.

From the moment I started knitting my first pair of socks just a tad over a year ago I've been addicted to making socks.  And as I mentioned when I started knitting that first pair of socks it was really the whole reason I learned to knit.  I speculated in that first foray into hand-knitted socks that I probably wouldn't wear them every day with my regular shoes, but I was oh-so-wrong.  I actually bought new shoes to wear with my hand-knitted socks...and I'm still in the hunt for the perfect pair of sandals or Mary Janes that will show them off and still look decent when wearing them.

I wear my hand-knitted socks all year. Unlike people in the far north, I don't need special, extra-thick socks for winter, so I haven't made any in thicker yarn for myself, though I have made them for other people.  And I think that I will eventually make myself some just to wear around the house when it is very cold...our house gets cold in the winter even though I'm not from the far north.

But, back to the yarn that most socks are made of.  It's called fingering weight.  For socks, it's knitted at a fairly tight gauge of 8-9 stitches per inch.  It's most often superwash merino, which means that it's soft and machine washable (won't felt).  It's very often combined with specialty fibers such as silk, cashmere or tencel.  It will often have nylon blended in for strength.  Some sock yarns will have sparkly fibers blended in as well.

Fingering weight yarn is also great knitted up at looser gauges.  I recently completed a neon hat knitted with size 5 needles and I'm now working on a matching scarf (garter stitch) with the same size needles.  The yarn is super soft and snuggly and wonderful for those projects.  I've made a shawl knitted at an even looser gauge and in lace to create a beautiful drape that is perfect for a summer shoulder wrap, or for cooler weather tied around my neck.

I've seen patterns for fingering weight yarn to make sweaters, blankets (I'm currently working on 2 blankets made in sock yarn), and other items.  I love making up my monsters in the fingering weight yarn in a tight gauge like socks.  They're tiny and cute and fun.

But, fingering weight does not necessarily mean sock yarn...and sock yarn is super special.  A whole market has sprung up in the hand-dyed world.  Sock yarns can be variegated or solid, self-striping or slow color change.  They come in knitted up "flats" that have been hand-painted (I love these).  It's really very fun working with them because you're not always sure what's coming next.  I love all the colors.  It's also easy to buy them.  One 100g hank is enough (more than enough) to make a full pair of socks plus extras for leftover projects.  Or, you could make a shawl or a hat or something else out of one 100g hank.  That's pretty economical considering how many skeins/hanks of yarn it usually takes to make sweaters and other projects.

I could go on and on...but really, I think you get my point.  Sock yarns are special.  They have a particular place in my heart and hands, and I will always be working on a project made from sock yarn.  That I can guarantee you.

Today's picture is of the baby blanket I'm currently knitting as my "main" project.  It's for a co-worker who's having a baby at the end of the summer.  I can hope that I finish it before then.  This is a great example of hand-dyed yarn (Shibui sock).  It's mostly solid, but the color variations are slight and gorgeous.  The colorway is called "sky"...and to me it evokes a sky on a beautiful spring day--wisps of clouds break up the solid of the blue, but the blue is deep and true.

And I know that the picture doesn't look like a blanket, but instead looks like a hat...that's because the project is knit from the center out.  I won't know what it looks like until it's finished.  And that's kind of fun...but tense too because I don't know if I've made it big enough until I take it off of the needles.  This is going to be an exercise in patience, self control, and using up the allotment of yarn!

R & R

Refreshed and Relaxed.  That's how I feel after this weekend.  It wasn't even THAT difficult for me to get up and get to work this morning...something that's quite the feat.  I actually didn't even fuss that much.  That hardly ever happens.

Do you want to know how totally relaxed we were this weekend?  On Saturday we never even unlocked our door!  We just hung out in the house and chilled.

I worked on 2 knitting projects.

1. A new pair of socks (yes, I'm addicted, but that's ok.  I have a VERY large stash of sock yarns that will take me some time to get through...and I honestly doubt I'm going to ever see the bottom of those baskets...yes, the sock yarn stash now occupies two (large) baskets...I'm not embarrassed or ashamed.  Sock yarn is my favorite yarn to work with...there's a blog post in itself in why I love sock yarn).  I did decide that the square a day sock yarn blanket needs to be put on hold so that I can add a few more balls of yarn to the mix.  I've finished up 2 balls and need to replenish before I'm down to just a couple and things aren't as "scrappy" looking as I'd like.
2. The other project that I worked on is a baby blanket.  It's knit from the center out so right now looks like a fairly largish hat.  I don't know how many rows in I am...but I have about 6" from the center. It says to knit until it measures 13" from the center, so I have quite a ways to go and as the rows grow, so do the number of stitches, so the next 6" will take considerably longer than the first 6" did.  I have a couple of months until this baby is due, so I think that if I work on it every day I'll get there.  It'll be going to Texas with me this weekend, so hopefully will see some good progress in the car and at the bee.

I did not: hang pictures, weave, or go to a party on Sunday.  I'd planned to do all of those, but it was so wonderfully relaxing just to hang out that that's what I did.  

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Today's picture is of the luscious pink cabled socks that I finished weekend before last.  I love these socks. The yarn has a slight sheen to it from the bamboo, and they are terrifically soft.  They fit with the perfect snugness that keeps them up and my feet happy all day.  Those, btw, are some happy feet!