By Tanya

Mom's Lady Sweater

2009-04-20T18:30:00.002-03:00

We celebrated Mom's birthday on Easter weekend and her sweater was all ready for her to open.

It fit perfect. Picture is hard to see because of the dark color, but it really did fit perfect and she loved it.

Project: February Lady Sweater
Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers
Needles: 4.5mm 47" Addi naturals
Started Feb 15, finished Mar 16, 2009 (3rd sweater of the year, I'm on a roll)

Hughie's smiling! For those that know him it's odd to catch that on camera as he's a very stoic Scottish bloke.

March Spin Along

2009-03-23T19:34:00.002-03:00

I joined CJKopec's Put your own Twist on it spin along for March. You get to choose from 2 colorways that are only offered to the spin along participants. You can find out more info in CJ's group on Ravelry. Sign ups for April are still open.

The colorway I chose was Montana Moon. I spun it right off of the batt without any preparation or planning whatsoever. It paid off though, here are the results.

I've already signed up for April's spin a long too. I'm such a sucker for group stuff.

Speaking of group's, I'm finished my Mom's February Lady Sweater that I was knitting with the London-Wul gang. It's blocked but still needs buttons. Her bday is not until April 14 so I have plenty of time.

I've moved onto a vest for someone that I can't mention. The back is probably coming off the needles tonight, but on Thursday I'm flying out to NJ to visit some friends and I'm not taking it with me.

Travel projects include toe up socks, new boot socks and a Lace Ribbon Scarf out of Somoko from Fleece Artist. I purchased this back in the summer of 2007 on a trip to Halifax. I love the colors, almost too much, so it has taken me a long time to use it.

On the needles

2009-03-12T19:33:00.003-03:00

Too much knitting going on!

First is Mom's February Lady Sweater:

It's coming along very well. Only one sleeve remaining. The color in the photo is way off. It's actually a very dark purple, almost black, color.

Next is a pair of toe up socks:

These are kind of stalled.
There's another pair of 2 at a time socks on the needles but no pics right now.

Next is a Carlsbad Hat:

And just started is a Double Identity vest for someone that reads my blog sometimes so I can't say any more:

Top Down Sweaters

2009-03-01T20:57:00.003-04:00

Looks like 2009 is going to be the year of the top down sweater for me.

First was CJ's sweater finished at the end of January. It's a February Lady Sweater knit with Aslan Trends Artesanal which is an Alpaca/Cotton blend. It was one of the fastest sweaters I've ever made!

Next I jumped right into a cardigan for me out of the handspun I was spinning. I chose the Garter Yoke Cardigan from Knit.1 I added some accent ribbing at the waist and skipped any real shaping. I still need to buy buttons but I've been wearing it with just a shawl pin in the mean time. I just love it and could wear it every day!

I enjoyed the February Lady Sweater so much, and top down construction in general, that I decided to make one for my Mom for her birthday (Cindy, don't tell mom LOL). I mentioned this to the gals at London-Wul and without twisting any arms whatsoever there were about 8 others who have joined me in a KAL! I told them they wouldn't regret making this sweater :) Most are still swatching so there is still lots of time to join in the fun! We meet there on Sunday afternoons.

At this rate I will have a third sweater completed before the end of March. That will have me averaging 1 sweater per month. Hmm, perhaps a 12 sweater goal for the year is warranted. Maybe only if making one with handspun can count as 2 :)

Charger is MIA

2009-02-21T16:38:00.002-04:00

My camera charger has been missing for over 2 weeks now and I'm going crazy without it!

There is so much to share and I have no photos. I've been waiting to post until I had some photos but it's been so long I thought I'd post an update of what's going on.

I've finished a February Lady Sweater for my friend CJ. There are photos of her on my camera but I can't access them now. It fit her perfect and she seemed to love it! It was the funnest sweater I ever knit and the fastest. So I'm knitting another one!

I've been working away at knitting and spinning for the Garter Yoke Cardigan. It is pretty close to be finished. I only have 1 sleeve to go!

I've started 2 pairs of socks both 2 at a time on magic loop. I started them because I wanted socks for myself and I wanted some live samples to show during sock classes in February. Tomorrow is the last in the sock class series for the month. One pair is top down with Trekking in a plain vanilla sock pattern. The other is toe up in a slipped rib pattern I made up for the toe up sock class last year. It is with a handpainted yarn. Pictures to come (I hope).

The last fun thing is that CJ and I booked a trip to Newark, NJ! We are flying there for a girls weekend away and will be visiting our friends Alana and Adam. It's not until the end of March but I'm already getting excited.

This is a boring black and white post so I'll sign off. Keep your fingers crossed I find my charger soon.

Socks for me!

2009-02-03T19:23:00.002-04:00

Finally I have completed a pair of socks for me!

After all the Christmas sock knitting I forgot how nice it is to cast off a pair of socks and put them on and proudly wear them.

Pattern: Welsh Traveling Socks by Sheri Franz from Shear Spirit
Yarn: Knit Picks Imagination
Ravelry Link: Welsh Traveling Socks

This sock yarn is awesome! It's a blend of merino, alpaca and nylon. I'm anxious to see how it washes up though. I highly recommend this pattern because it is interesting to knit but easy too. Fun and knits up fast too.

To be or what to be?

2009-01-24T20:01:00.004-04:00

That is the question... what should this yarn be?

It is to be a sweater but has had quite a history thus far and is still not even completed yarn. Truly it is still in it's infancy stage but has a story to tell.

First, this fleece was to be a learning project. I bought Shetland lamb fleece as one of my first spinning projects to see what it was like to spin such a very short staple length. I hated it, and then carded it with a little bit of silk to help compensate for the short staple and spun it into a single. I also decided I do not like spinning such a short staple (~1"). That was last year (Fall 2007).

Then this year (Summer 2008), I decided I've spun too much yarn that just gives me enough for small projects like scarfs, hats and socks. I decided if I found another fleece that could match this I could ply it with the shetland and have double the yardage and make a sweater for Troy. Since Troy's last sweater was way too small (and he's a pretty small guy).

I mentioned that I was on the look out for a dark brown or black fleece to Heidi. Very shortly after that she provided me with Blossom's fleece from the spring shearing of 08. It was perfect! It was dark grey (almost black) with white guard hairs as Blossom is a Lincoln/Romney/Shetland cross (I think). And ironically she is best balls with Tizzie who was the first sheep's fleece I spun from Heidi (for Troy's too small sweater).

I have been spinning the Blossom fleece and plying it with the Shetland lamb and it is turning out to be a terrific wool. Very springy, interesting and durable.

Next thing you know Troy starts getting honest about his 'sensitivity' to wool. He is VERY fussy about what gets put next to his skin to the extreme that an alpaca scarf I knit him is 'ichy' according to him. It must be the guard hairs left in the alpaca cause it so super soft (and expensive!). Just recently I finished a cashmere/alpaca/wool scarf for him and that is soft enough for his 'delicate' skin.

SO... now that I know how he reacts to anything but cashmere, I've decided this yarn will not be for a sweater for Troy. He will not appreciate it's texture, durability and pure woolness.

That is actually great news cause I am going to use it for a sweater for me! Now, which sweater...

Here are some choices I'm musing over:

- February Lady Sweater
- Garter Yoke Cardigan (Knit.1 Winter 2008)
- Go Retro (Knitter's Winter 2008)
- Garter Stitch Collard Jacket (Eco Wool)
- or a made up pattern?

Of course the yarn does not fit any of the above exactly. It seems to be a heavy worsted and I'm currently knitting a swatch with 5.5 mm needles.

Any suggestions?

Upgraded to Fiber Studio

2009-01-13T19:40:00.002-04:00

I have upgraded my spinning room to my Fiber Studio!

With the addition of the weaving loom it is no longer simply a spinning area, but is used for weaving, fiber preparation, spinning and knitting.

That's a lot to do in this small oasis!

Shawl work in progress:

Two boxes of hand flicked Romney ready to be spun:

Spinning project underway:

This is shetland lamb that was carded with tussah silk and spun into singles last year (brown on the right). Now I've carded some of Blossom's (one of Heidi's flock) fleece (Lincoln, Shetland cross) and am pulling it into roving through a diz before I spin it and ply it with the brown shetland. It's making a chunky natural looking wool I hope to knit into a jacket/cardigan for me this winter.

Mom's Black Vest... Shhh....

2009-01-08T19:31:00.002-04:00

This is my Mom in her new black vest.

Please don't tell her I posted this... she'll kill me cause her hair's messy LOL

She modeled it so well I just had to share. Not to mention this project was 15 months in the making! Should have only taken probably 2 months, but I must say that working with black sock weight yarn in a house plagued with white dog hair is not my favorite thing to knit.

But it's done! And it was in time to be a Christmas present too!

New stuff

2009-01-04T18:27:00.002-04:00

I got 2 terrific new books: "Knitting Never Felt Better" and "Shear Spirit". The felting book is awesome because it has MANY swatches of before and after they have been felted. It's great to use as a reference to see how a pattern will turn out (roughly) if you felt it before you actually do.

And I've already started this great sock pattern Welsh Traveling Socks out of Shear Spirit. This book is a must have if you love country side farming stories, amazing photography of the cutest animals and terrific patterns too!

Yarn: Knit Picks Imagination

And look what Santa gave me...

A loom stand!!

Now I must go and warp the loom :)

It's a New Year!

2009-01-01T17:30:00.002-04:00

Welcome to 2009! I hope everyone had a wonderful December and Holiday season. I have been very busy producing fiberlicious stuff, unfortunately not blogging about any of it.

Here is a quick preview of our holiday season:

First was Christmas in Campbellton (where my husband's mom lives)

Next we came home for a second Christmas with my parents.

It was fondue night and Trent, Troy's brother, got right into the cooking.

And Mom finally received her much anticipated black vest.

Next I finished some spinning while Troy went back to work for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (sucker LOL)

Blended Polworth and Soy silk purchased at London-Wul

Then it was New Year's Eve and we headed to Laurie and Ryan's New Year's Eve wedding.

It was so beautiful and a terrific night filled with live jazz and dancing.

Now on New Year's day we are hiding from the cold blizzard outside and I'm keeping warm with a beautiful Odessa hat that my friend Kim made me for Christmas and my new Cashmere/Merino/Silk handspun scarf/wrap.

Happy New Year everyone! And here's to blogging more often in 2009!

Spinning and Weaving

2008-11-16T09:17:00.005-04:00

It's been very busy around here with not much time to blog. Now that I have a few minutes there is so much to share I don't know where to start.

For all projects check out my Ravelry account because I've just updated it (finally).

I'll start by showing off some fun spinning I've done lately.

Here is the BFL I spun at the retreat which has been navajo plied. I mistakenly referred to it as Polworth in my previous post because I forgot that it was Blue Faced Leicester that Heidi just started carrying in the shop.

When I got home from the retreat I immediately started spinning the Wensleydale that CJ bought me and then used a technique I learned at the retreat to add in tuffs of mohair locks. It didn't turn out perfect but it's definitely a fun yarn.

And here is some some merino fibre that I purchased from All Spun Up on Etsy spun into a 2 ply chunk/bulky yarn. It is very smooshy.

I made this Bounce hat but I'm not happy with it so I'm frogging it and making a scarf with the yarn. The hat ribbing is just not tight enough and doesn't fit well. I had intended this yarn for a scarf for Troy any way so it's only the yarn gods reminding me of that.

Last weekend I finally warped the loom again. It had been too long. I had some cotton and baby yarn that had been given to me (a garbage bag full) so I warped for a baby blanket. I used the entire width of the loom, 32", and warped it about 50" long with the cotton. It was just Bernat 1lb ball of cotton Handicraft. Then I used the fancier yarn for the warp. They matched very well but in hindsight I should have put in a contrast color for some pazazz once in a while. It's very pastel which I guess is good for a sleeping baby.

I still need to finish tying the ends and then wash it to set the yarns better. It turned out a lot shorter than I planned but that is due to me warping it backwards and then having to switch everything. I lost some of the warp when I did this. I have now marked my loom so I do not make that mistake again! I also realized while doing this project that I really need a loom stand. It is a bit tiresome and ackward to manipulate this size loom on the table and my lap. It is not impossible but just not as comfortable as I would like. If I had a stand I'd probably weave much more often as I'd have the loom warped all the time. As it is now I warp it only when I feel I can finish the project in a day or two so that the loom is not on my dining room table for too long. Maybe Santa reads my blog :)

8th Annual Maritime Spinner's Retreat

2008-11-04T18:57:00.006-04:00

October was full of excitement and the highlight was the 8th Annual Maritime Spinner's Retreat that was held in Cape Breton this year.

Line, CJ and I headed down the highway to Cape Breton on Friday, Oct 24.
It was a gorgeous fall day, perfect for driving.

The first stop in Cape Breton was the Candy Shop. It is in Port Hawksbury and is a must stop destination if you go to Cape Breton. The chocolate bar serves an amazing blend of hot chocolate and coffee that is the best you will ever taste.

We stopped next in Beddeck at the infamous Baadeck Yarns. They had an awesome selection of yarns and hand knitted items. It is worth the trip just to stop at this shop. We made some purchases and were on our way to the Gaelic College where the retreat was to be held.
We arrived there just at sunset and the place was beautiful!

We found our room, which was located in MacKenzie Hall.

Unpacked and headed to the Hall of the Clans for some socializing and spinning. CJ has some great pictures of the festivities that night which included a harp player, a fire place and a wine and cheese. We were in heaven!

Later that evening we retired to our room in which we had created our own pantry including 'fridge' and all. It was PJ and show and tell time!

We stayed up until the early morning hours chatting, laughing, knitting and sipping wine.

The next day was jammed full of fun and activities. Started with breakfast in the cafeteria, followed by some spinning in the Great Hall.

I gave a drop spinning demo/workshop and thanks to Manon here is a picture.

Later the vendors opened as well as the weaving studio.

CJ bought me this for my birthday Wensleydale and I had bought the mohair locks that matched perfectly:
I've already spun this up using a novelty yarn plying technique demonstrated at the retreat. Pictures to come later.

During the day retreat participants were asked to vote on their favorite hand spun skein of yarn and their favorite knit from hand spun item for an award to be given in honor of Audrey Stanley.
Skein table:
My skein is the red one in the shadows.

Knitted table:
My knitted item is the light green shawl on the left.

After dinner the awards were given out from the tally of the votes and my skein WON!

As you can tell from the picture I was very happy! There were some beautiful skeins there and it was a real honor to be voted as the favorite.

Here's a close up with the piece of Stanley pottery I won (along with $50 that got spent before I even came home):

A ceildh (pronounced Cailie which I learned on the weekend) was held that night and we later went off to a common room and held a spinning, knitting, PJ and eating party of our own until the wee hours of the morning again. No pictures available as it was top secret (and we don't want to admit it was us making all that noise).

It was a fabulous weekend and I can't wait until next year! I'll leave you with a picture of the Polworth I spun during the retreat.

If you'd like to see the full set of pictures they can be found here.

Also CJ has a great post of pictures and details on her blog.

Fall Excitement

2008-09-27T10:03:00.004-03:00

It's been way to long since I blogged and what has been preventing me from blogging has been a very busy day job running into my nights and weekends. Not a good thing.

There has been some excitement around here in the last week or so. We bought a new car! Look closely at this picture and you can see Clancy looking out the window.

We received it last Friday night and I just love it!

It's a 2008 Kia Rondo in volcanic red.

Lots of room for our two dogs and lots of room for all our camping stuff, if we feel like camping. And my spinning wheel can sit upright in any area of the car with all that head room.

Another exciting thing was receiving my final secret pal package in the mail! My pal was just amazing (I still don't know who she was, no reveal yet).

There is some awesome sock yarn that I'm dying to cast on. I love the colors. Then there is a cute little wooden cat, wooden bowl and chop sticks too. An adorable hand made paper book, and chocolate. Lots of little goodies!

On the knitting front, I've been knitting and felting bags for the London-Wul shop and getting ready for upcoming knitting classes. See the schedule on the side bar. Tomorrow is the toe-up sock class. I also finished my handspun shawl but I don't have any after blocking pictures yet. It turned out really beautiful but a bit smaller than I would have liked.

Off to get some coffee and enjoy my first Saturday off in 3 weeks!

Fall and Winter Knitting Classes

2008-09-04T20:24:00.003-03:00

I'm really excited about the upcoming classes I'll be teaching at London-Wul. Here is a preview of each one. For more information or to register for the class call the great gals at London-Wul.

Learn to Knit Dishcloth - Sept 6
Perfect project for first time knitters. Learn some of the basics and create a functional dishcloth at the same time. Perfect for gifts or a treat for yourself.

Lounge Sock - Sept 21
Soft and cozy socks for you knit by you! Terrific beginner sock knit with chunky yarn. A great class to learn how to knit in the round using double pointed needles or to try out 1 circular needle (Magic Loop Method) for socks, your choice. You will also learn increases and decreases as well as grafting. Only skill required is the knit stitch.

Toe Up Sock - Sept 28
Are you tired of having too much sock yarn left over? Have you been looking for a new way to knit socks? If so, this class is for you. We will be learning how to construct a sock from the toeup. During this class you will work on a baby sock to allow us to tackle each section but you will go away with the know how to make your favorite cuff down sock patterns from the toe up.

Cabled Hat - Oct 5
Ready to branch out from scarves and rectangles? If yes, this project is perfect for you. This chunky cabled hat is a fast knit and can be done with or without the cables. You will learn to knit on circular and double pointed needles as well as learn a basic cable and increases. All you need to know is how to knit and purl comfortably in ribbing.

Extreme Mitten - Oct 19
These mittens work up in no time with this chunky colorful wool. You will learn all of the techniques needed to follow a conventional mitten pattern. A great class to learn how to knit in the round using double pointed needles, increases and decreases. All you need to know is how to knit.

Felted Bag (it's the bag in the last post), Nov 2 & Nov 16 (2 parts)
Learn how to felt this fabulous firey bag just in time for Christmas. You will learn two great felting techniques, fulling and needle felting, and will be able to make your own individual creations using these. Must have basic knitting skills such as casting on and knitting

Cables in the Bag, Nov 23
Learn how to follow a chart to make various cables that turn into a wonderful bag.Must have basic knitting skills such as casting on, knitting and purling.

Ribbin Lace Cowl, Dec 7
Fun way to start off learning to knit lace is with this soft and cozy lace cowl! These make excellent Christmas gifts for friends or family. Must know basic knitting techniques such as casting on, knitting and purling.

Ta Da!

2008-08-30T19:38:00.002-03:00

Introducing the bag with no name:

I knit this up and felted it while on vacation. Today I completed it with the needle felted design. It's going to be a November class project at London-Wul Farm.
Any ideas for names for this bag would be much appreciated :)

And I've cast on my hand dyed, hand spun merino/sea cell yarn. I've made up the pattern based on the Tuscany shawl but replacing a different lace repeat. So far so good.

The Cabin

2008-08-15T08:39:00.002-03:00

I've been on vacation this past week and it has been awesome. The weather wasn't the best but the location and company were fabulous!

CJ and I rented a cabin in Nova Scotia on a lake. It was perfect! We brought the dogs, Clancy, Ollie and Emilie and they had a blast playing in the water and with each other. We also celebrated CJ's birthday with a New England clam bake, a bottle of bubbly and a delicious fancy layer cake. We swam, knit, watched lots of Sex in the City episodes and ate really well. Can't wait until next time!

It's too difficult to pick which pictures to show so here is a link to all of them: CJ & Tan's Cabin Adventure.

I want to share two new online knitting magazines as well. The first is Twist Collective which is published by Kate Gilbert. It has loads of patterns and articles in it and has a very different feel than most online magazines I've seen. For one thing, the patterns are not free, they must be purchased. This way you only buy what you like and the designer gets paid for how well their pattern sells. I think this is a great idea because it is a lot of work for them to design and perfect the patterns and they desire the $6 or $7 per pattern for their artistry and hard work.

The second is Knit Notions. It contains free patterns, articles, reviews and technique information. The layout is great and even includes info on how many Ravelry projects have been made with the pattern.

I'm now off to enjoy the last day of my vacation.

Thanks Secret Pal

2008-08-04T21:45:00.003-03:00

I received another parcel from my Secret Pal last week! She sent me 6 100g balls of a cotton/alpaca blended yarn. It rocks and is the nicest tweedy color.

In the package as well was a nice apple candle, dark chocolate M&M's (I didn't even know those existed), and needle point covers.

I think the yarn may be good for this cardigan Mr Greenjeans or Tweedy Vest

Mannstock 08

2008-08-04T21:36:00.002-03:00

Last week was the 17th annual Mannstock party! For those who do not know the history of the infamous Mannstock I'll give a brief description.

Held on an island in the Restigouche River near Mann's Mountain, NB, Canada. Beautiful scenery, huge bonfires and lots of beer. This year we were also blessed by sun and heat as well. It was a bomby 28 celcius all day Saturday.

Here's Clancy guarding the home front. He was absolutely exhausted by Sunday!

And the big bonfire...

Can't wait until next year!

SP Weekly Question Catchup

2008-07-23T20:37:00.003-03:00

I'm very behind so here's a quick post for the Secret Pal readers with the answers to the last few week's questions.

QotW #5:

1) Where is your favorite place to go for vacation/holiday?

I don't go on many vacations or holidays but I did go to Florida this past March to visit my father and step mother. That was a wonderful trip/vacation. This summer I'm going to a very private and piece cottage/cabin. Even though it's just local, the water and tranquility are very alluring. Just to get out of the fast pace of life is a wonderful holiday.

2) Where is one place you’d like to go?

I would love to go to Italy, Spain and Greece ... someday maybe :)

QotW #6:
What is your favorite type of project to take along on holiday/vacation?

Socks, of course! I usually like to take a scarf as well. Something that I know I won't finish so there is no chance of running out of knitting. There never is though cause I always bring way more projects than I could ever hope to complete.

QotW #7:
What is(are) your favorite place(s) to knit? and

There are so many places that I love to knit so it's hard to pick. Around the house I enjoy curling up in the big leather chair or lounging in the backyard in the sunshine. I also love knitting at a coffee shop with my ipod and a nice latte, yummm! I also like knitting at my LYS London-Wul with the other knitters, spinners and friends.

What supplies (besides yarn & needles) make the setting perfect for knitting?

For some reason having a cup of tea or coffee makes it feel more peaceful. Must be that if you have that cup than it means you are there at least until the cup has emptied and that makes it more peaceful. I love having a good movie to watch or a few podcasts to listen to while knitting.

Another item I'd like to share with you is a website called Plurk. Plurk is used for micro blogging and I highly recommend to check it out. If you do look me up. My username is byTanya of course. There are tons of knitters on there and it's highly addictive, but very fun :)

Lotus Blossom has bloomed

2008-07-20T17:45:00.002-03:00

I have finished my summer project and it's still summer!

Here are some pictures of my completed Lotus Blossom Tank top from Interweave Summer 2006.

I like it quite a bit but the arm holes are a little strange in the way they fit. After a few wears I may add sleeve caps because I think those may work better. The cast off edge is a little tight and rolls in. Other than that I just love my new top!

Adjustments that I made were to knit the stocking stitch section for 7.5" before the arm holes. Also, I used 100% cotton instead of bamboo. I made the top with about 4-5" of negative ease at it is quite stretch and I wanted it to be fitted.

Now on to fall projects....

Road trip

2008-07-15T19:39:00.002-03:00

Two weekends ago (I know, not exactly breaking news) Clancy and took a road trip to CJ, Ollie and Emily's new house in Eastern Passage, NS.

Clancy was a big help as you can see here he is overseeing us unpack boxes while keeping a watchful eye on the neighbors and their dogs.

This was tiring work so he had to rest on his cousin Emily's bed.

Since he was such a great boy all weekend, I took him to the beach a block away from CJ's for a swim. I would love to live this close to the ocean. The breeze is so amazing, but I hear the fog can be a bit spooky at times, right CJ?!

On our way home Clancy was zonked but didn't want to completely lay down in the back as he feared he may miss something exciting, like a squirrel running across the highway.

In knitting news, I've finished one sock for my mom.

These are a toe up version of the Roza's socks from Interweave Spring 2007, but since my mom's name is Rhoda, this toe up version of mine is called Rhoda's socks. They are being knit with the remainder of the Tofutsie yarn I made her last pair with. Since she likes them so short I'm getting two pairs out of this one ball.
There should be news about my Lotus Blossom tank I'm knitting soon. The finish line is now in sight. Next in line that I'm planning for is this amazing V Neck project.

First BSJ

2008-07-10T18:30:00.003-03:00

For those who don't know, BSJ stands for Baby Surprise Jacket (ravelry) and it's a classic pattern from Elizabeth Zimmerman. It is in the books Opinionated Knitter and Knitting Workshop as well.

This is my first of probably many BSJs cause I loved knitting it. I used some various odds and ends of sock yarn that I had thrown in Heidi's dye pot during the Highland games a few weeks back, along with a little bit of green fleece artist merino left over sock yarn.

Hard to believe that this:

Turns into this:

Still needs sewing (very minimal along the shoulder and arm) and buttons.

My pal Rocks!

2008-07-08T19:01:00.002-03:00

My secret pal sent me a package and a card!

This is my first Sandra magazine and it is awesome! Terrific lace summery patterns. Tons that I'd love to make.

Thanks SP!

What else did I do on Canada Weekend?

2008-07-04T19:46:00.003-03:00

I wove!

... and enjoyed some wine and podcasts!

Sunday was supposed to be moving day for a friend of ours but that was postponed due to UHaul stupidity. So not being one to waste a free afternoon, I set to warping my loom.

I've had some hand dyed mohair that I bought in PEI at the market early last summer (or maybe the summer before) and ladder yarn that matched it perfectly. They have been set aside for some time now to become something together. I decided to weave something with them but wanted a good sturdy yarn to be the warp yarn. Since I had this afternoon and couldn't run out to the store I went to the stash. I picked out some Paton's merino that was left over from a felted purse and some hand spun soy silk/wool blend to add to it.

Off I went without planning at all if I had enough yarn, and guess what, I didn't!
I wanted to make a lap blanket or baby blanket so I started at the edge of my 32" loom with the green Paton's merino and placed a mohair and the purple soy silk/wool in once in a while to contrast the green. I was planning on continuing this way for the entire warp but quickly realized that I was running out of the green and I had only gone a quarter of the warp. So this is why you are supposed to plan weaving projects before you begin warping!

I started adding more purple and less green until the green was gone and it had completely transitioned to the purple. In the end it looks pretty great, almost like I planned it that way!