Running away from home to knit :)

There is a place for me to go now too.  Apparently there is an active knitting group for almost every night of the week somewhere near me!

On Sundays the SnB-NH group meets every other Sunday at Border’s Book Store, DWH, Nashua  - the next schedule meeting is this coming Sunday, February 5th from 2pm until 5pm. 

On Mondays there is a group called Eats, Knits, and Leaves that meets once a month on the second Monday, to be exact, at the Toadstool Bookstore in Milford, NH.  Meeting time is from 7pm until 9pm, next scheduled meeting is on February 13th

On Wednesdays, there is a group (SnB-MWN) that meets every Wednesday at the Java Room in Chelmsford, MA beginning at 5:30pm, next meeting scheduled for Feb. 1

The SnB-NH group also meets every other Wednesday at Border’s, DWH, Nashua around 5pm.

On Thursdays, the group Knit Around meets every Thursday at Panera’s, 101A Nashua, NH starting at 5pm.

If you are as totally confused with this schedule as I am the I suggest joining the SnB-NH yahoo group and get the reminders :).

 

 

Spinning

I spent a lot of this weekend spinning.  I still cannot believe how much more there is still left from the 2 lbs. of Cormo I have left.  I really love spinning this. It’s sooooo soft.

On Sunday I took an Intermediate Spinning Workshop at The Fiber Loft in Harvard, MA.  It was nice to meet some of the other NETA people, Eric, Cheryl and Sherrie, who I had met once before at the Afghan party.

Why is it that every teacher thinks they have to undo everything you’ve already been taught… sigh.  But I did learn some really neat ideas for plying.  She taught everyone how to Navajo Ply (ho-hum - did that) but what I didn’t realize that with Navahjo Plying you can retain your color separation in the varigated fleece/yarn.  NICE!

She also showed us this ‘trick’ or ‘treat’ if you will of doing 2 ply and then to ply ‘around’ roving. What a really cool effect.  I can’t wait to try it.

Everyone had brought some pretty colored rovings and there I was with my Finn and Cormos. :)  So after class I had to check out Reva’s stash and then I HAD to buy some of Lorna’s Laces Fiber for my stash.  Colorway Vera I think.  There are 10 oz. so I should be able to get a shawl or scarf out of that- or maybe I’ll get enough fingering weight to do the Shadow knitting jacket.

Decisions, decisions, decisions…..

Team Boston and Knitting Olympics

Don’t you just love it when something takes off?  As everyone in the knitting blog world knows the the reigning Harlot issued a challenge.  And not being the kind of knitter to pass that by, I joined.  Then I came upon THIS!

 

 

 

 

 

So of course I have to join in.  I sure hope I can get a few hats done.

I don’t like Mondays

Especially nasty snowy ones where the weathermen predict 4-6 inches and you end up with 8-10.

Sunday was fun. The SnB-NH group got together at Borders.  I brought my spinning wheel and got quite a bit of cormo spun.  I hope to get another good sized hank out of this - may 600-800 yds would be nice and I could actually make something.

I got one heel done on my socks so I’m in the home stretch there too, I just wish we could have had a snow day, so I could have worked from home knit all day.

Next Sunday I’ve signed myself up for an Intermediate Spinning Workshop - I cannot wait! I really want to get to the point where I can actually think about spinning some laceweight yarn.  I would just love to knit a shawl with handspun yarn.

 

New Plying Head :)

I’ve been spinning up some lovely soft cormo and had about 2 bobbins full so I decided to try my new Lendrum Plying Head.  Initially I has some problems with the brake sticking and it was getting very frustrating, so I put it away and pulled it out again last night.  I rubbed some wax on the brake side of the bobbin and that resolved the sticking. YAY!

I plied off 434 yards, wound it off on the niddlenoddy and set the twist.  It’s now hanging to dry and I think this is the most balanced skein I’ve done todate.  I think I’m going to get about 12 wpi when it finally drys.  I’m so thrilled this is my first actually decent skein that I’ve spun.  Now I just need to figure out what to knit with it.  Suggestions?

 

 

 

 

sorry for the fuzzy photo, but you can see how balanced it looks

Well blow me down!

Last night we had hurricane force winds in the area and it took down one of my 80+ foot pines.  Fortunately the wind was gusting in the right direction so it fell into the woods rather than onto the house.  The tree was only about 25 feet from the house. I wasn’t home but it sure scared the daylights out of Gracie.

My birthday tarot reading

Ok this was one I didn’t expect.  I usually do a reading for myself around my birthday (Jan. 16th).  Ususally it’s the same old, same old, work harder, make more money, worry about family kind of stuff.  But this time it was totally unexpected in the possible outcome/final outcome and related cards. 

I should have brought my book with the entire readind (celtic cross) but this is what I remember off the top of my head.

5th card (possible future) One of Cups - new relationship (down not girlfriends this doesn’t necessarily mean a new male love interest, but then again…)

6th card (10 of wands) - lots of work to make this payoff

10th (final outcome) reverse hermit - someone (guess who) is not going to like this at all and will do everything in *her* power to sabotage this.

9th card (I can’t remember what it was) but I saw it as it being again not worth the effort/conflict, but there was going to be turmoil over this.

 I’ll try to remember to bring in the book and supply the full layout tomorrow, but this was very unexpected.

Very Berry Lace Scarf

 © 2005 Lynne Chantler
Finished scarf measures approximately 11” X 60” after blocking

600 yards hand-painted finger weight silk

Size 6 (4.25mm) needles

 

Cast on 59 stitches.  Knit 3 rows of garter stitch.

 

Pattern:

Knit 1 row slipping first stitch (and slip the first stitch of every pattern row).

 

Row 1: & 3: (WS) s1, p1, k2, * p3, k3; repeat from *, last 4 stitches, k2, p2.

Row 2: s1, p3, * k3, p3; repeat from *, end p1.

Row 4: s1, p1, k2, * yo, sl 1- k2tog, psso, yo, k3; repeat from * to the last 4 stitches and end with k2, p2.

Row 5 & 7 (WS): s1, p3, * k3, p3; repeat from *, end p1.

Row 6: s1, p1, k2, * p3, k3; repeat from *, to the last 4 stitches and end with, k2, p2.

Row 8: s1, p1, k2tog, *yo, k3, yo, sl1 k2tog, psso; repeat from *,  to last 7 stitches and end with; yo, k3, yo, ssk, p2.

 

Repeat rows 1-8 for length of scarf.

 

Finish:

 

Knit 4 rows of garter stitch, and bind off by *k2, slip last knit stitch back on to left hand needle* repeat so the bind of is as stretchy as the cast on row.

Knitting Olympics for the SHIPS Project

 

 

 

Ok so the Harlot has put up the Olympic Challenge.  I’ve been batting around what to do and I think I’ll knit as many hats as I can for the SHIPS project. 

Hey, I’m crazy, I knit, what the heck, I think I’m up for the challenge.

Jeffrey’s Mittens

This was part of my last post on my previous blog.  I wanted to repost it so others could find it.

This is a pattern I designed for knitting both mittens at the same time on two circulars using the Queen Kahuna’s sock method and Aloha Cast-On.  So there is virtually no construction to these mittens, other than tightening the end of the thumb and weaving in the ends.

These are also named after my nephew Jeffrey.  Jeffrey lives in Albuqueque, NM and the last night Grandma visited in the winter she had to put socks on his hands to play outside.  Since she is heading off to visit again at the end of January, I knit Jeffrey a couple of pairs of mittens.

 

 

Here is the pattern for:

 

Jeffrey’s Mittens

© 2006 Lynne Chantler

Materials:

Two 3.75 (US 5) 24″ circular needles

Sport weight yarn, approx 120 yds.

Gauge:  6 sts/in. 8 rows/in.

Size: Childs small (6.5” girth, length from cuff to tip 7.5”)

Pattern:cast on 12 stitches (6 on each needle)using the long tail “Aloha” cast on method from Queen Kahuna leaving an extra long tail.

Round 1 - using the yarn from the tail and from the ball of yarn, (2 strands) knit into each cast-on stitch. You should now have 6 groups of 2 stitches for a total of  12 stitches on each side of the needle.

Note:  Be sure to tug tightly the first stitch of every row, so there are no ladder holes

Round 2 – in the first 2 groups (4 stitches) knit into each stitch, in the next 2 groups knit 2 tog, 2 times, in the last 2 groups (4 stitches) knit into each stitch – repeat on the other side and you should now have a total of 10 stitches on each needle. 

Round 3 (increase rnd): K1 (pull it tight – see note above), place marker, then knit into the knit ‘bump’ below the next stitch on the left hand needle increasing one stitch, knit across to last 2 stitches,. k1, knit into the bump below the stitch you just knit (right hand needle) making one stitch, place marker, k1.

Round 4: KnitRepeat rows 3 and 4 until there are 40 stitches.

Continue to knit around - until mitten measure 4” from top  4.5 inches.

Left thumb

K2,  Using waste yarn knit 7 stitches, slip waste stitches back on to left hand needle then knit the waste yarn, continue to knit to the end.

Right thumb

Knit to the last 9 stitches, knit the next 7 stitches with waste yarn, put the waste yarn stitches back onto the left hand needle and re-knit them, continue to knit remaining stitches on round. .

Continue to knit in the round for 8 more rows.Start the ribbing (K1, P1) repeat,  for 2 1/2 inches, bind off loosely or as follows:

Thumb

Remove waste yarn and pick up the 7 live stitches under the waste yarn with one needle including an extra 1 stitch in the “corner” and pickup the 7 live stitches  above and 1 extra stitch in the opposite corner (16 total stitches)

Knit around until thumb is 2 inches from the end.

Taper tip of thumb:

K2tog around (8 stitches).  Draw yarn through remaining loops and tie off securely.

Weave in all ends.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments please.  It was suggested that to make a snugger, huggier thumb, one should knit them in a ribbed pattern.  I might also suggest trying to do a SL1 every other stitch and every other row for a thicker thumb.