Sunday, November 30, 2014

Spinning WIP


Here is my current spinning project.  It's JulieSpins Targhee in the colorway Cinderella.  It's 5.9 oz and its very soft and spongy.  I can't wait to see how it will n-ply (Navajo or chain ply).  I tend to run out of yarn when I split the yarn and try to 2 or 3 ply it.  You can find JulieSpins yarn and fiber here:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/JulieSpins  She has a contest
Purchase any yarn or spinning fiber from the JulieSpins shop between now (10/17/14) and December 1 and complete a project with it, post a picture of the FO by December 24th, and you could win a custom-dyed skein or braid of the same yarn or fiber.
 http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/juliespins/3048848/1-25#20




Friday, November 28, 2014

Knitting Process


I have a tendency to use a lot of index cards.  Lost of times there is no need to print out a pattern.  If its short I can just write it out on an index card which goes right into the project bag.  Here is one.  I write the needle size so I can remember where to return it.  Some are so well used that the needles doesn't have the size on it any more.  I also write down how many rows and any changes so I can note it down on my Ravelry project page.  I helps me if I do the same pattern and a few people have found it helpful seeing my notes.  This pattern didn't tell me how many decrease rows so I wrote it down.  I also noted the hours so I can figure out my rate to price my handknits.  Here is the finally project.


Here is my project page:  http://www.ravelry.com/projects/AtPlayWithFiber/blank-canvas
Here is the pattern:  http://emmasanimalcreations.weebly.com/1/post/2014/05/free-pattern-blank-canvas.html

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Squirrel!! By That I Mean Distractions


"Squirrel!" gets yelled out at our house.  It refers to Dug the dog in the movie "Up".  He's a dog and squirrels distract him.  I'm very much like Dug when it comes to crafting (or my husband would say "life in general").  I should be focusing on finishing Christmas gifts as I have probably said in the last few posts.  I also spend too much time on Ravelry.  Anyway, one of my favorite publishers Cooperative Press is doing a KAL (knit-a-long).  http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/cooperative-press/3078452/1-25#19

She has a free pattern up and the deal is that its basically a pattern for a scarf.  Free pattern here:   http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/icehouse

Now she would like people to knit it up but you can knit it up as a cowl, hat, double knit or any way you like.  A shawl came to my mind and below is my idea and a page of the pattern (its like 3 or 4 pages long!).

Monday, November 24, 2014

Finished GAL Objects

When I should be finishing Christmas knitting, I joined the GAL (gift-a-long).  It's basically a knit-a-long that is done with patterns by designers that gave a 25% discount on their patterns.  They have been giving away patterns with trivia questions, picking people who post on Ravelry and asking people to reply to posts.  I won one of the random pick and answered the trivia question right!

I do plan to give some of the items I've knitted as Christmas stocking gifts.  Here are some of my finished objects.



Saturday, November 22, 2014

Work In Progress (WIP)

 


To say I have a "few" WIP is an understatement.  I have over 20.  Now some are going to be WIP for a while.  I have 2 leftover blankets.  One for me and the other for my youngest.  They are made out of the really nice yarn that I have leftover.  I started some cardigans and then had to rip them out since I've lost almost 40 pounds since I started them.  Me and cardigans don't get a long.  I had finished one last year and just got to weaving in the ends and putting buttons on it.  It's pictured below.



Socks take me a good 1.5 months when I'm focused and a year when I'm not.  I tend to get distracted by test knits and my other crafts.  I tend to get bored too if its a bunch of just stockinette so I usually have a bunch of WIP.  Sometimes the pattern is complicated so I can only do a bit of it at a time.  I tend to keep my knitting bags and needles busy.


Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Finished Object

 

I managed to finish this test knit shawl.  I haven't been able to do much because I managed to get a lung infection.  It's making me very tired so hence nothing to really post on the business front.  I really like how this shawl turned out.  I ended up using 4 different yarns.  It was suppose to be a 2 color shawl.  It's got bits of sparkle too that you can't see in the picture.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Indie Gift-A-Long

Prepping for the holidays as only fiber folks can, with special deals from tons of indie designers!

What is Gift-A-Long? It’s a multi-designer promotion to help you kick your holiday gift-making into high gear!

The Indie Design Gift-A-Long is a 2 month long KAL/CAL of holiday gifts made from patterns designed by a rather extensive list of independent designers. From Thursday, November 13th at 8:00 pm US EST - Friday, November 21, 2014 at 11:59 pm US EST tons of indie designers will be discounting between 4 - 20 of their patterns 25% for this event. Use coupon code: giftalong2014. You can read all about the details in this post: click here.

Once you’ve got your Gift-A-Long patterns, we encourage you to join a relevant KAL/CAL! (For instance, if it is a cowl, please join the cowl KAL/CAL.) To join, simply write a post in the KAL/CAL thread you want to join, including the pattern name you will be knitting and a link to your project page. KAL/CAL participants are eligible for lots of lovely prizes but you gotta post to win!

KAL/CALs will run from Thursday, November 13 at 8pm (US-EST) through our New Years Eve party, Wednesday, December 31 at midnight (US-EST), plenty of time to knock out all your holiday knitting and crocheting. We have games, tons of prizes, great conversation, and a lot of fun, so pull up a chair and join us!

On your mark…get set…. GIFT!!

Despite the fact that I have a test shawl that needs to be done by the end of the month, lots of Christmas knitting and a hat to knit in exchange for a banner, I've casted on 2 projects for this Gift-A-Long.  Both of them are for me!


This is my shawl entry.  It's http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/curvaceous done in my own handspun from JulieSpins Roving: 50% Alpaca, 30% Merino, 20% Silk in December Dusk and Ice Eye.  I've really fallen in love with knit with my own handspun.  I keep wanting to see the color change.  It's going from light to dark.


This is my second entry http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spiced-cocoa in Cephalopod Yarns Traveller (Teffen).  I'm still very sad that Cephalopod Yarns closed this year.  I've learned a new way to do a cable stitch with this pattern.

I hope you will join me in the Indie Gift-A-Long.  I might have also bought some patterns with the discount too. :)

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Knitting, Weaving, Spinning, Desiging...Oh My!



First of all, this arrived in the mail yesterday.  I look forward to getting a closer look.  It's got some great general ideas for patterns.  Like what size to knit for a man's hat.




This is on my loom right now and I'm sad to say I haven't weaved any more since this picture was taken.  I need to finish it up.




I'm happy to say that I finally finished this cowl which was 11 inches of the same 4 line pattern.  I get bored easily so I tend to have a lot of WIP (works in progress) so I can switch it up.




I just finished spinning this yarn.  Now I need to n-ply (Navajo ply or chain ply) it.  I tend to run out of yarn if I 2 or 3 ply it.  I tried to ply it from a cake but it kept getting tangled up.

I should be working on my business plan and getting stock ready for the Etsy site.  I have lots of rolags but need to weave some scarves and knit up some baby items for the shop.


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Designing!


I've actually used 2 of my design books!  The top one is ideas & sketches.  The bottom one is info on a project I've started to knit.  It reminds me to put in info about needle size and gauge information.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Winnings!


My check for Arizona State Fair!  The way it works at State level is that I had to pay $1 per entry to enter the State Fair.  First prize is $5 and I got 3 of them.  Not bad but the ribbon is better.  Now the pressure is on to repeat my first place next year.

Cochise County Fair doesn't require entry fees.  The first place winners get $4 each.  So my total winnings for both fairs was $27.  Again I need to repeat my placement for next year.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Books for Design Ideas


I have dreams of designing knit wear.  I got this knitting journal from one of the knitting ladies yesterday.  We meet up usually every Saturday.  I don't have a need for a knitting journal since I pretty much keep all my knitting stuff up on Ravelry and my knitting blog.  I thought it perfect to organize my thoughts and keep swatches for knit designs.  The purple one is just a blank journal which I've started to jot down some ideas.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Finally Got My Entries Back!

I entered 2 yarns, a pair of socks and a shawl for the Cochise County Fair and Arizona State Fair.  They have this wonderful Outreach program so they went from the County to the State.  My friend Charla picked them up and delivered them back to me so even more awesomeness!!  I finally got them back.  I won first place for everything except for the shawl.  It only got Honorable Mention at State.


Here they are with all the Arizona State ribbons.


Here is them with County and State ribbons.

 
 Here is my Rainbow Shawl.  The yarn is spun from Woolgathering 50% merino/50% silk.

 
 Here are my Gypsy socks.  The yarn is Rainy Days & Wooly Dogs Laudanum - Gothsock in Gypsy.  The pattern is  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wendyknits-sunrise-socks


This is my handspun from 15.5 Micron Ultrafine Merino Combed Top - Persian Violet, 4.5 oz


This is my handspun Self Striping Spontaneous Spinning Roving BULLSEYE Bump 5.5oz merino, bamboo, tussah silk