Fiber Festival – in person

by T, posted in knitting, Spinning

I went to my first fiber festival, my first in person fiber festival, in at least ten years. It’s been a long, long ten years and so many priorities came before spinning, knitting and my own fun. I used to love the Florida Fiber Ins in Orlando but everything was above my price range and I felt completely out of place when in attendance. That’s pre-pandemic, pre-kids, pre-Masters degree, pre-CPA. . . Last year, in the depths of my grief and anxiety, I went head first back into crafts and stumbled upon virtual fiber festivals. It may have even been about this time, but I’m not sure which ones I attended via Facebook. What I remember is bidding on Dunn Spunn’s fiber batts in a frenzy, not knowing what was going on. What I learned from that experience is that even though these batts are indeed gorgeous, I don’t like spinning from art batts. Sorry!

I got out of the house early on Saturday morning and drove up to the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival in Berryville, VA. I stopped at Sheetz for coffee and a breakfast burrito and it was yummy. I definitely recommend it, especially if you are hungry as it’s pretty big.

First of all, I got there early so I got to walk around listening to the vendor’s talk and without the crowds. There were definitely a good bit of people in attendance later. I went through my first walk through, once again, not really knowing what was going on. That is a common theme in my life. I can find out more through other people’s reactions and conversations than I can research before hand. Through three walk throughs of the grounds and some strong will power on my part, I left with a grey gotland fleece, two bags of wool and hand plucked angora roving, one black cat knits hank of fingering weight sock yarn, some sweater stitch markers with instructions, 3 stickers and a shawl/hair pin that is currently holding up my bun. I desperately wanted a monster coffee mug but couldn’t fork over the $39 even if it was well deserved for the craftsmanship. I watched spinning on my dream wheel – a Monarch from Spinolution and watched weaving handspun on a barn loom. I was looking for a few more fiber processing tools but didn’t find the right one at the right price. Also, there were tons of carded batts and braided carded fiber, but I didn’t see anything really in the way of combed fibers. I like to spin worsted and I wish there were more of those combed braids available. I love the stained glass merino from spotted circus, which I ordered at some virtual fiber festival last year. I just wish I had spun it using chained ply instead of regular plying. I muddied the colors that way.

I cannot wait for my next fiber festival but I’ll have to take some time as it seems everything keeps going up in price. I still love it!

Barn Loom
Sheep Driving
My goodies

Fichu Bleu Shawl from fiber to flair

by T, posted in knitting, Spinning

I’ve been ordering merino top from Paradise Fibers any time it goes on sale and I spun a three ply soft fingering yarn.

Homespun Merino Top

Next I dyed it with Jacquard Acid dye pink combined with brilliant blue.

Jacquard Acid Dye Pink and Brilliant Blue Mixed

It took a week and a day to knit this up slightly smaller than the pattern called for with size five needles instead of the seven the pattern called for. I’m thinking of making another for myself.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fichu-bleu

Plant Lady Sweater

by T, posted in knitting

It’s been a long time since I’ve knit something just for myself, especially something to wear. I’ve had so much Christmas knitting and then finished up my kid’s green raglan’s sweaters last winter. I made yet another blanket and finally it was time to make something just for me. I was blessed that in a round about way, I was gifted Claudia’s Hand painted Fingering Silk 55 which is a mix of merino and silk.

Claudia’s Hand Painted Fingering Silk 55 (now known as Oh Baby Merino Silk https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/claudia-hand-painted-yarns-fingering-silk-55

The last few years have been tough but toughest on my waist line. My pretty knit sweaters and tee shirts no longer fit, and by far! I’m part of a Facebook group that has plus size patterns and sometime in the last year, the Plant Lady Sweater by “Amanita” Agata Mackiewicz pattern was shared. This has sizes XS (S, M1, M2) L, XL, 2XL, 3XL included. It is a bottom down pattern, which is not my favorite and I think I’ve learned a lot about fitting my own dimensions from my own mistakes. I did not follow the pattern exactly and it unfortunately shows!

I made this pattern long. I should have made it longer. I had trouble following the bottom lace pattern (due to children and distractions). It still looks good but I can tell the difference.

As I worked up the pattern, it wound up being huge, so I made some extra decreases and then made extra increases around the bust. Wearing it, I can tell. I shouldn’t have decreased so much and the bust is tight. My sleeves are tight too and I’m considering ripping them and making them both wider and longer.

All in all, I’m pretty happy. I think this is something I’d like to redo or take a top down raglan pattern and add the lace pattern at the bottom.

Catching Up

by T, posted in knitting, Spinning, stitch, Thoughts

It’s happening again. I’m falling into that void where depression meets crafts. Normal people get depression, stay in bed for days with no motivation. Not me. I turn my grief, my anxiety, my huge amount of anger and drive it into a need to create. I have a Facebook feed filled with my creations. The worst part was after Christmas my arm hurt so badly (tennis elbow = knitting elbow?) that I couldn’t knit for about six months. I’d try only to be unable to flex my wrist or twist for days.

What have I been doing since my December knitting madness?


January & February were devoted to skiing. You can’t think while you are skiing. It’s waiting, waiting, waiting, followed by an intense one to five minutes and back up again. I put my audiobook on and let it rip.

May be an image of one or more people, outerwear, people skiing and snow

March was just intense. I received some devastating news. I attempted to backpack my way out of the anger and grief. Then my body said, you haven’t been doing this for a year, WTH! Then I flipped to planning my garden and starting seedlings. I finished my cross stitch cross from last year. I also, painfully, finished my kids green sweaters.

May be an image of nature, sky and tree

April was when I really did a lot of work in the garden, doubling it’s size. Plus we got back into camping and I pulled out the spinning wheel again.

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May and June were gardening, camping, backpacking, vacation and so much more. I started to realize I was overscheduling myself and coming off the worst of the March shock.

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May be an image of one or more people and outdoors
Hallockville Fiber Festival – First in person (for me) event since March 2020
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May be an image of Tracy Jn and sitting

July and August were overscheduled again, but well worth it. The garden was abundant and we have jars of tomato sauce for the winter. I finished my rainbow blanket from knit picks and started a sweater but more importantly, picked up spinning again.

May be an image of indoor
May be an image of tomato and outdoors
May be an image of tomato and indoor
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May be an image of fruit, tomato and indoor
May be an image of indoor

I’ll post about my spinning and dying and sudden returning intense interest in all things fiber in the next post!

Caron Christmas Bow Pillow

by T, posted in knitting

This year, a lot of my Christmas presents are cowls. I have one coworker who is allergic to wool, so I was looking for a quick solution as a gift. QUICK. Well, this wasn’t as quick and easy as I thought it would be. It’s a simple pattern to follow but I just didn’t enjoy making it as much as I thought I might. I used redheart acrylic yarn as well as gold thread held with it for the bow.

Here’s the pattern.

https://www.yarnspirations.com/caron-christmas-bow-pillow/CAK0517-007100M.html

Here’s the result. Well – I tried.

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No photo description available.
Christmas Bow Pillow Knit

Christmas Knitting Bonanza

by T, posted in knitting, Uncategorized

It’s the busiest time of the year as the Christmas knitting and crafting bonanza is in full force. My coworkers – who have no idea I have a blog!!! – are all getting cowls except for the one who is allergic to wool. She’s getting a pillow. I wove towels for another friend since she can quilt anything but I have a new to me 4 shaft Leclerc Meco loom.

Then there is the most difficult and prized gift – a baby dress and matching Santa hat. This is the first dress that I’ve knit without a pattern and if her Momma approves, I’ll be posting a picture later. In the meantime, I made it knit up – starting with bulky white chenille like yarn but switching to knit picks mighty stitch which is only 20% wool. Mom’s don’t have a lot of time to hand wash wool knits. I reviewed a few videos and blogs to do the set in sleeves. Since the baby is in South Florida, I went with short sleeves. The pictures look a little off but hopefully it fits just right.

Weave, Spin, Knit, repeat as needed

by T, posted in Uncategorized

We had a COVID scare at work a little over two weeks ago. One coworker tested positive despite only having a sore throat, and next thing you know two others are being quarantined. Then I caught a cold. I don’t know how but I blame the short people in my house. Many nose swans later, no covid. I did sleep around the clock for two days.

I’ve been hiding in my craft room, thinking more than I should, and cycling through my crafts. I have 1.5 scarves done, a few skeins of yarn spun and three more cowls knit up. Tomorrow we go look at merino fleeces!

Happy Fiber Friday

by T, posted in Uncategorized

Welcome to Fiber Friday! Ok maybe just for me and anyone who is following Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair on Facebook this year. https://saffsite.org/ Check out the Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/MissingSAFF

I discovered this a few days ago and I look forward to visiting in years to come. In the last two weeks, I’ve gone from no new hobbies!!! to extending out my current hobbies through the roof. I picked up my spinning wheel and picked up some gorgeous alpaca roving. I dyed with Jacquard dyes for the first time. It was a learning lesson for sure and the dye the yarn did soak up looked great.

I spun up some white wool years ago. I added this to a bobbin of merino/nylon mix and grey alpaca. I dyed the single white wools separately in Jacquard 608 Pink Acid Dye.

I then hung it for a few days. I plyed the three together rather quickly and wrapped them around the knitty noddy. I washed it gently with warm water and Dawn dish soap. The fun part was thwacking it against the kitchen counter.

Now I’m knitting up a cowl for my coworker. I’m thinking about dyeing over it again more pink but we shall see.

In between all that, I brought my husband and kids to a local farm to purchase my first fleece. Technically it’s not a new hobby but I also ordered a hackle and comb set to be able to prepare said fleece.

Arbormeadow Sheep Farm raises Coopworth Sheep in Steele’s Tavern, Va. It’s a georgous area and we got to walk around and talk to the owners. I purchased a lovely natural fleece and immediately went home to clean it (Dawn plus hot hot water. We ever so gently placed the fleece in said water.) Rinse it (Same thing but no Dawn dish soap) and placed it on an old screen door to dry. It was a lot of work but I had a few helpers.

So that’s where I am. I may be a touch over my head but I love it.

Baby Knitting

by T, posted in Uncategorized

My friend recently had a baby after many, many attempts at IVF. It’s her miracle baby. Unfortunately she didn’t find out the sex until after birth so I’ve had to rush knit. Here are my favorites!

Ten Years

by T, posted in Uncategorized

I’m a little late but it’s been over ten years since I started this. So much has changed but a few things changed.

10 major life changes:

1. Master’s degree & CPA

2. Left Florida moved to Virginia

3. Lost IVF baby

4. Adopted 3 lively children

5. Left government job, started higher ed job, left higher ed job, started higher ed job

6. Sold a house, bought a house, bought a house, sold a house

7. Lost Mom, Lost stepfather (prior to ten years, lost dad)

9. Got spinning wheel (thanks mom), continually restart spinning

10. Picked up cross stitch- mom’s first craft

Another Year, More Hobbies

by T, posted in Uncategorized

I cannot believe it has once again been over a year and a half since my last post. I had knit a whole baby blanket and posted the simple pattern in February of 2019. At that point, I was still home on leave after surgery. I returned to work shortly after and was back in the whorl wind of catching up at work, dealing with the kinds and then before I even knew what hit me, we were moving to Virginia.

Our family of 5 picked up and moved from Southwest Florida to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. It was hard but it is definitely worth it. So we had a medical crisis with our oldest, moved, started a new job, bought a house, started a new school, sold a house, had a wreck via deer, had a violent tragic loss of a family member followed immediately by a global pandemic.

How am I holding on? On a whim, I bought a sewing machine. I picked up quilting. I took a quilting class. I forgot how to quilt. I got chickens. I raised chicks from 1 day old. I started a massive garden. I got camping everything and we started camping. I picked up cross stitch. I made tons of projects. I researched backpacking. I planned a 5 day backpacking trip. I called my husband to pick me up less than 24 hours after starting said trip. I got a camper. I knit three sweaters, a blanket, a baby dress, five pumpkin hats and another blanket. I got a popup camper and redecorated and sewed some covers and decorations. The camper broke and now I’m waiting for our appointment to fix it. I got alpaca and picked up spinning again. I started researching carding wool. I may be unraveling but I certainly have the equipment to spin myself back together.

I ready this article and oh boy- if they thought 2016 was one hell of a year, I wonder what they are thinking right now!

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/why-knitting-is-the-best-form-of-mindful-meditation-240240

I’ve been thinking a lot about this rampant running through hobbies that I have been doing and why it is that I always return to knitting. In the most challenging times of my life, I could be found working on a blanket. I think this is because certain projects are mindless (moss stitch or K5 P5 are my favorite blanket stitches) but meditative. It was my bodies way of calming the mind down. I can’t just sit and meditative because I get antsy and start fidgeting if I don’t full blown get up and walk away. I’m trying to pick up on meditation again and I find it easier if I’m doing something, like taking a walk or knitting. I actually found some youtube knitting meditation videos that are great. I find my daughter does the same thing. She was in the middle of her behavioral therapy online and was twisting the belt of her dress to the point where it was going to rip. I got up, found a few lengths of yarn and tied it to the desk. It did the trick.

I don’t have any magic words except this time is stressful for all of us. I am so grateful to have these crafts and to continue to learn and practice.

Simple Cupcake Baby Blanket

by T, posted in knitting, pattern, Uncategorized

cast on 146

rows1: k1p1

row2: p1k1

repeat rows 1 & 2

Row 10: K1P1K1P1K1 K5, P2K5* repeat til 5 stitches remain K1P1K1P1K1

Row 11: K1P1K1P1K1 P5, K2P2* repeat til 5 stitches remain K1P1K1P1K1

Repeat Rows 10 & 11

Row 16: K1P1K1P1K1 K till five stitches remain, K1P1K1P1K1

Repeat Rows 10-16 for x inches

Repeat rows 1&2 for 10 rows.

Bind Off

 

 

Post Surgery

by T, posted in knitting, personal

5 days post surgery and I thought I’d be knitting a lot more.

1- you can’t knit on fentanyl. Or stay awake for long. You can order from zulily. Unfortunately.

2- you can’t knit well with an IV in you, especially if the tube goes across your body. It seemed cruel. I still tried

3- no matter how therapeutic, it’s hard to focus on knitting a row when they say cancer. And then tell you it’ll be a few weeks before you know what’s next

I have ovarian cancer and the surgeon may have gotten it all but we won’t know for some time. In the meantime I get to sit, unable to work or clean or even drive. I knit a row and think. I think too much to focus on even this sock.

What does cancer mean? It was caught early so I’m not investing in a casket any time soon. It means at worst, chemo. I’d be a horrible chemo patient. At best, a whole lot more filling out of doctors’ forms and not being able to put off said appointments. It means my body doesn’t function correctly, which I’ve known for years. It means I won’t hear- it’s just stress- when I get weird rashes or sharp pains in my stomach. It means everything changes.

And it means I’m knitting these socks for ME!

Mommy Needs A Time Out

by T, posted in knitting, personal

2019 was supposed to be the year of me. After getting my master’s degree, CPA, fostering and adopting three kids, one special needs and two with medical challenges, I was ready to focus on me. I have gained 60 lbs in two years and have had some weird ailments pop up. Hives that don’t sway. Jaw infections. Cold after cold after cold. It turns out I have masses on my ovaries and am going in this week for some major surgery. I’ll be out of work for 3-8 weeks and already stocked up on my stash. I’m thinking a sock yarn blanket!

This sucks.

I hope the doctor is better at sewing than I am!

Knit Socks- a basic pattern/recipe

by T, posted in knitting, pattern

I’m back into knitting socks big time and giving them as presents. I can whip up a pair in a few days (or a trip from Florida to New York.) I don’t make them fancy and I’m back to the point where I don’t need instructions.

A simple pair of toe up socks is more like a recipe than a pattern. It’s easily modified to go bigger, smaller or adjust to yarn weight.

For my latest socks, I’m using sock weight yarn on size two circular needles.

Using magic loop, cast on twenty stitches (10 each needle). Knit first row. Next row knit 1 make 1 knit to last two stitches on first needle make 1 knit 1. Repeat on second needle. So you’ve added four stitches. Knit the next row. Repeat this until you have 22-26 stitches on each needle or 48-52 stitches total. Continue knit to the ankle bone or about 7 inches for a woman’s size 8.5 foot.

Start heel

Slip 1 knit

Slip 1 purl

Continue for half the number of stitches on food. (22-26 rows)

Start short rows

Row1: Knit half the rows stitches (11/13) knit 2 together, k1, turn

Row2: slip one, purl 2, purl 2 together, k1, turn

When you’ve knit all the stitches, pick up the heel rows (slipped stitches) usually 11-13 stitches on each side of the heel.

Ankle:

Row1: knit

Row 2: knit 1, knit 2 together, knit to end of other side of heel, slip 2, knit together, knit rest or row

Repeat these two until you are back to 48-52 stitches (fewer of you have skinny ankles)

From here you can add ribbing, create a short ankle socks or add more design.

I’m trying to write this on my phone, so I’ll update it later.

It’s worked for the last six pairs of socks and I’ve added a different design feature into each, including ribbing and seed stitch.