I’m so excited to announce that I’ve finally completed the Lindisfarne Scarf/Shawl. I used the pattern for the poncho but didn’t have enough yarn so pivoted. I still have some left over so I’ll probably make a matching set of fingerless gloves to go with my scarf.
Am I the only person who has to have a travel project? Here I am, with my shawl in progress but the pattern is too intricate to take along. I also have my cross stitch but I’m carrying 32 threads so that’s not great to carry with me. There’s always socks! I started my two at a time toe up socks for my kiddo but I forgot a stitch marker. I used a hair tie to mark the beginning of my round.
I had a goal of finishing my shawl? Scarf? Poncho? By today! I’m on the last panel and then need to knit the ending but that’s not going to happen in the next few hours. Meanwhile I’m working on a cross stitch Pokemon pattern when I’m tired of cabling every other row.
I love this pattern but it’s very involved so I need to take breaks.
I still love the Lindisfarne pattern even if it’s time consuming!
I’ve been working for months now washing, combing, spinning and now knitting the Tunis fleece I bought last September at a Fiber festival. The first huge skein I actually over spun when plying. It didn’t seem like I had enough yarn to knit the Lindisfarne Mantle, which is a poncho. Instead I’m making this into a wide cabled scarf/shawl. I think it’ll be more useful than my jacket over this upcoming winter!
How, how do I know I’m going to be ok? This is how! It’s been over a week since I cast on a particular project. It’s not easy. I’m working on the Lindisfarne Poncho which means cabling repeat pattern blocks and tracking it carefully. I haven’t been able to do an in-depth pattern for ages. I pretend that I did an intricate lace pattern last holiday season but it just looks pretty because of the colors! This THIS is how I know my mind is healing. Look how pretty it is!
What does it mean to put yourself or in my case, knit yourself back together. I’ve said this many times, but this time it’s true. I’ve had to deal with quite a bit the last three plus years and even longer. My family has dealt with loss upon loss, cancer, cross country moves, Covid and even the murder of a loved one right as Covid began in 2020. Knitting or crafting in general is one thing in a sea of things that has carried me through the last few years. Way back in 2020, I grasped on to new hobbies hoping they would save me, one by one. I picked up spinning again, bought a table loom, bought fleeces, bought combs and cards to process those fleeces, and tried, tried, tried. I’d hit a road block, such as being unable to figure out how to comb long curly Coopsworth wool fleece, and give up. Then I’d try again, dyeing said fibers and finally, finally weaving them into a rug using a peg loom. Was it pretty? Not exactly, but I learned!
In 2021 a generous woman who I had sold my mother’s table loom to gave it back – and refused to take money for it. Then I found a Schact Wolf Loom for dirt cheap on Facebook leaving me with one rigid heddle loom, one tapestry loom, two table looms and one floor loom. I purchased a warping board off Facebook marketplace but I never received the screws that went along with it. I went to the hardware store and made do. I couldn’t figure out how to warp it and wasted tons of yarn in the many attempts I made. Two weeks ago, I took a class online and have wound my third warp since then.
I bought a merino fleece and couldn’t figure out how to clean it properly. In 2022, I took not one, but three classes on how to prep a fleece. In 2023, it finally clicked and I’m still working through a Tunis fleece I started processing in March. Wash, comb, spin, ply, repeat.
When I was little, my mother tried to teach me to crochet. I’ve never been the type to learn by listening. I have to figure things out on my own. She got frustrated and gave up, leaving me home with my grandmother for the weekend. When she returned, I had crocheted a set of slippers. Then she really got frustrated!!! I never really learned to crochet properly but I spent a month last year in New York attending the murder trial of my family member. Knitting needles were expressly forbidden and enforced so I learned to crochet again. I made close to fifty sunflowers and even wound up making a stuffed pokemon for each of my kids. Not too bad if I say so myself.
In February, after the second trial ended in conviction, I broke down. I fell apart. I went out on FMLA and couldn’t find the energy to knit, to spin, to think or hardly to breathe. I cared for myself, my kids and my life as best as I could. It was hard and painful. I attended the sentencing and said goodbye to my life back in New York, one final time. Every time I say it’s the last time. I said goodbye to the loved one I never got to bury and to the memories, good and bad. I walked away at the end, driving slowly and stopping frequently, hoping my mind would come back to me.
March and April passed. May and June. July is here and I’m in full craft mode. I’m trying to find the balance again, between family, work and the projects that call to me. I’m knitting a scarf, a pair of socks, spinning and prepping Tunis wool fiber for a potential sweater, and have a warp ready to hit the loom. You can indeed knit yourself together again. I have. I am still.
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.
This week we gave two pairs of socks and had time to work on the blanket in between wrapping presents and packing for our upcoming trip.
The socks were a hit and another pair was requested. I have plenty of driving time to whip them up.
We are approaching the end of the blanket. Finally!!! Thank goodness. I still love the yarn and the feel. I already bought brown yarn for a second blanket.
So with my travel knitting, I decided to make a few people socks as Christmas presents. I’ve finished three pairs of socks in less than two weeks. I knit simple toe up socks with short row heels on two circular needles. I can do anything but two at a time socks. Seriously, that magic loop method has my brain scrambled. I’m looking at Pinterest for new twists on the simple socks.
It’s another week on and I’m on my sixth skein of yarn with the maxi-cosi blanket. I drastically under ordered yarn for this project but luckily Knitpicks is having a sale on Wool of the Andes bulky in this color. I also picked up brown yarn for the next blanket. The blanket is no longer confused for a scarf but I have a long, long way to go.
So, I am a little more than half way through with my blue sky shrug. I really do love this pattern. It is so simple to follow but it is taking more time than I would like to finish it. I thought I had less yarn than I do and I’m already wondering what to do with the leftover homespun. Of course, I’m not as thin as the model below, but I’m looking forward to wearing this. Here in Florida, alpaca is used sparingly. Today is cold and my cats are continually sitting on my work in progress.
This weekend has been especially lazy. I have zero motivation. I’m even having trouble getting enough energy to surf through pinterest. I did manage to finish my chocolate homespun yarn. I bought the batt at the Florida Fiber In back in September but haven’t really had time to sit and spin it until recently. I tried to create a thicker yarn this time and it worked. I used the navajo plying technique to create a three ply and I can’t wait to use it. I’m not sure for what yet, since I don’t have that much.
Finally, I started a bobbin of what will become my cotton candy yarn. I also bought this at the Florida Fiber In back in September. I’m going to pair it with a gorgeous hot pink. I’m thinking socks for this two ply yarn.
What did the recently former vegetarian say when the doctor told her to go on a high protein, low carb diet?
Uh oh.
There are a few things you should know about me. 1- I was a pollo-vegetarian (vegetarian who still eats chicken but no other meat products) for a few years in my early twenties and a true vegetarian for about a year when I was twenty-two. I stopped because I was severely anemic and sickly. Vegetarianism only works when you eat correctly. I pretty much only ate pasta. 2- I was a true vegetarian (no meat but cheese and eggs are okay) for over three years until recently. I’ve been sick, stressed and too broke to do the vegetarian thing right. I’ve never been a big fan of meat, so giving it up has never been really hard for me. I truly believe that we as a culture eat entirely too much processed meat and the animals are not treated properly or even processed properly. Even as I write this, I am rethinking my decision to continue eating animal products.
So how to I go low carb? I am probably the only person on the planet who has never tried or even researched a low carb diet. I love pasta and rice and potatoes but most importantly PASTA! I have been craving sugars constantly lately. I don’t know if it a stress reaction or a health reaction but I feel like I cannot survive without something sweet entering my mouth. I used to be a health freak and in the last year have gained a bunch of weight and has lost all self-control.
I think I can regain self-control soon. Once my classes are over, hopefully I can go back to normal. I have other stressors, many of which have been especially bad in the recent months, but even those have to go back to normal sooner rather than later. I haven’t had time to knit lately and I wonder how much that has to do with not being able to center myself. I finally finished a pair of socks and started a new pair for myself despite all the Christmas knitting that has to get done way too soon.
If anyone has any low carb ideas for a former vegetarian who doesn’t want to eat meat 24/7, please let me know. I need advice!
I remember hearing in a blog about product vs process knitting. There are two types of knitters, those who knit to get something out of it such as a pair of socks or a sweater and those who do it for the love of knitting itself and learning new techniques. How can you tell which type you are? Do you have a million unfinished objects laying around your bedroom? If you do, you are likely a process knitter. Do you get bored easily and move on to the next thing? Process knitter. Do you work as fast as possible on one thing and only feel happy once it is finished? Project knitter. I like small projects like socks and accessories because I love finishing that special something and showing it off. I get frustrated easily though and have given up on a lot of projects lately. Plus, if I have more than one thing on my needles, something gets thrown aside and never pulled out again.
A few weeks ago I cracked the screen on my I-Pod. Thank goodness I had a warranty and was able to get a new (refurbished) one. However, I realized that my cover was not good enough. I had an idea of what I wanted but it was only last week that I was truly able to envision it. This is knit with my own homespun, but it is a sock weight yarn. It is a simple pattern but looks fantastic and knit in wool, will protect your I-pod from minor damage as well as getting wet.
Gauge 7 stitches 8 rows = 1 inch with size five needles or appropriate with gauge. (this is knit in homespun. Do a swatch. My I-pod is 2 ¼ inches by 4 ¼ with the case on it.)
Cast on 30 stitches.
Row 1 : Knit
Row 2: Knit 1 Purl 1
Repeat until it measures 5 inches long.
Do a second rectangle as above.
Cut a piece of cardboard out that is 4 ½ inches by 5 inches. Fold this in half and stick under a book for a few hours so it stays folded.
Using a whip stitch, seem together the two rectangles, with the cardboard in between.
Then fold this over and using the whip stitch again, seem just the top and bottom edges, leaving enough space for the I-pod.
Create a 2 ½ inch 3 stitch I-cord with double-pointed needles. Sew these into the inside of one side of the I-pod cozy. Sew a button onto the front of the cozy and use the I-cord to keep the case closed.
I have been chock full of ideas in this last week. I’ve ignored the housework and have been focusing on fiber related projects. I spun up a skein of white alpaca and yellow wool plied together. This came out perfect and I’m really happy. However, I had some left over potluck wool on one of my spools so I decided to try navajo plying, which is spinning one ply into a three ply by creating loops with one hand and controlling the twist with the other. It took a little bit but I caught on and can’t wait to try it again.
I have some wool/mohair mix that friend gave me and I decided I would try a few new things that I’m looking forward to. It spins up real easily. I started this yesterday and then the hubby and I went to a neighbor’s party. I don’t know if anyone else has this problem, but if I have more than one drink, I can’t sleep! So, I wake up repeatedly this morning and finally around 6 am I give up. With a glass of water and a cup of coffee, I sit in front of the spinning wheel.The rest of the wool/mohair mix spins up quickly and I go to navajo ply it. I try and try and try but I can’t get the flyer to pick it up. The yarn keeps breaking. I was really looking forward to navajo plying and then dyeing it with food coloring. Uh well. I finally give up and pick up my socks that I’m making with my homespun.
SOCKS.
Filled with frustration, I rip out what I’ve already done. I’m using Judy’s magic cast on for toe up socks. I love the book, Socks from the Toe Up. I think toe up socks are easier to do and better for someone like me who tends to drift from the pattern and think, “I know how to do this.” You can try it on as you go along and can fix problems as they come up. The problem I have with the Judy’s Magic Cast-on is that it is easy to create a whole in the toe area if your cast on/knitting is not tight enough. I had tried this twice before and decided to switch to smaller needles. I am a simple sock maker and wanted to try something a little nicer. I try different patterns on the top of the sock and can’t seem to get anything to look right. The yarn is variegated (or closer to muddled) so it should be a simple pattern. I’m now on my fifth attempt trying a seed stitch pattern. Oh, and I don’t like how it looks. Sigh.
Knitwerks 