Yep, it was the ball winder all right

Well, partly. Really it was my inability to keep from wanting to play with other yarns. Although, I have learned that the big ball winder really doesn't seem to work too well with smaller amounts of yarn. Or else I'm doing something wrong. So I ordered myself a new ball regular plastic Royal ball-winder. It's not here yet or I'd have even more new things on the needles.

I did manage to finish yet another long term project though. I managed to finish my French Market Bag in the week before Thanksgiving. I had to run it through my mum's washer 4 times before it got even close to felted enough though. Next time I'm trying a laundromat machine.

pre-felting it fills the seat of my chair

post-felting it is only about half the width of the chair

It stands up fairly well on its own but it could probably benefit from still more felting to make it stiff enough to stand up better. I still like it as it is for carrying small knitting projects so I may leave it this way. If I make another I will probably adjust how I do the bottom and try to felt it more to make it stiffer.

Since the arrival of the big ball winder I have wound up 7 new skeins of yarn (not counting the Cluaranach I mentioned last time) and knitted a bit on a bunch of things. I've started the planning and knitting for some Holiday gifts so may not blog them until after the holidays. Just in case someone is reading who would then not be surprised.

I hope everyone reading who celebrates it had a lovely Thanksgiving. We had a nice meal and are having a lazy long weekend. Kinda.

I like this Finished Object thingy - how do I keep that up?

Well, my mum talked to my auntie today and she got the shawl (whew! I don't trust the Post Office) and better yet, apparently she really liked the shawl. I tell you, there's nothing like giving a hand-knit to someone who knits. They really know how to make you want to immediately knit them something else. Only if I knit something else for Auntie (I was thinking a pair of sport weight socks for wearing about the house?) next I'm pretty sure I'll get into trouble. Because now my mum has joined the chorus of "when are you knitting me a pair of socks?" Which cracks me up because less than a month ago she still couldn't figure out why you'd knit socks when you could buy them. Only Hubby wants his and DD wants hers and... So I need to figure out my next sock project soon. And also how to keep up with the finishing of stalled projects.

I figured out two more contributing factors to the finishitis I have been enjoying recently. One was that I was upgrading my computer's OS so of course I had to back everything up first. And then do the upgrade. So no way to get online and lots of time sitting around waiting which equaled lots of time sitting around knitting. No wonder you programmers get a lot done while you wait for compiles and so on.

And then too, the dog broke my ball winder. So I couldn't "just swatch this yarn to see". Since I couldn't wind it into a ball/cake. I realized my leaving the ball winder and swift up all the time contributed to the overflow of projects on the needles at one time. I think I need to cut that number down a bit. I'm thinking this means that I can't leave the ball winder set up. Both to keep the dog from killing it again and because it might make it just enough harder to wiffle waffle about what I want to do that I won't end up with 80 bazillion wips.

I still have 5 on the needles (not just swatches, actual WIPS/UFOs) not counting Cluaranach which will undoubtedly get started tomorrow if not today. Plus another 5 that I have yarn and pattern ready to start any moment (again, not counting Cluaranach) and another 3 or 4 that I have queued up mentally but in a more general sense. IE "Socks for DH" not "Socks in this yarn and this pattern for DH". I gotta figure out how to get more knitting time while still managing to keep up with what other folks are blogging and you know, general life stuff like work and feeding the family and personal hygiene and whatnot.

I do have another FO for today's post though. The issues of lack of ball winders and computer upgrades meaning no time online continued long enough for that.

Probably the last FO for a while: The Fetching mitts from Knitty. Started last winter (January, or maybe December) they got stalled when it warmed up and I didn't need them anymore.
Now that it's cooler again I decided to finish them up too. I have a terrible problem that way. I can't even buy ready to wear when they want you to. So I doubt I'll ever manage to knit myself a winter sweater to wear the same winter for example. It'll be started in November and if I'm lucky finished before the following November. But never started in August and finished two months later so I can wear it that year. Well, maybe I can change.

In the meantime, back to the FO. I had a lot of trouble getting a good picture of the mitts. This one shows the pattern best out of the modeled shots:

except the actual color is darker

But this one (taken by an obliging DH) proves I have two:

and shows the color better

Pattern: Fetching from Knitty Summer 2006
Yarn: Elann Peruvian Pure Alpaca in color 795 (Juniper iirc). I was able to get the pair of mitts out of one skein (just barely).
Mods: Knitting the first mitt I goofed and only did 4 rows of ribbing between the two cables. I thought about ripping back but decided that I liked it like that and that I would actually want a longer cuff since I tend to find sleeves run a bit short on me. So I repeated the 4 rib rows plus a cable row one more time and called it an on purpose modification. Then when I had cast off the first one and put it on I discovered the mitt didn't reach to my fingers so I did an additional 4 rib rows and a second cable row at the finger end as well.

This will likely be the last FO for a while because I have almost completed the upgrade path for my laptop's OS (still need to update a printer driver apparently) and so am online again. And then too, I got my brand new ball winder yesterday in the mail. And today I wound up the first skein of yarn for my Cluaranach Wrap which I'm probably going to cave in to the siren call of and cast on for tonight.

My new Strauch Jumbo ballwinder seems to work fine for normal amounts of yarn.

Oh, and I got the brown romney off the wheel so that tomorrow I could start spinning up the white romney.

Brown romney hand spun 2-ply 150 yards. Skeined and ready to wash.

Here a FO, There a FO...

...but, unfortunately, not "Everywhere a FO FO".

While I've been conspicuously not blogging every day during NaBloPoMo (I haven't been writing every day of NaNoWriMo either but I am doing it and plan/hope/pray to hit at least the 50,000 word goal before the end of the month), I have since last time actually knit rather a lot. For me anyway. Thanks mostly to interminable chauffeuring mum about and then waiting for her. This post will be photo heavy (as almost always - unless I'm trying to hide a mess - click to make bigger) because no way am I not braggin' on the knitting since it took so long to get to the finished object stage. All these finished within the last three days. I need to plan better.

First I finished the Forest Canopy Shawl for my Auntie. It is on its way there as I type.

Pattern: Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl by Susan Pierce Lawrence
Yarn: Handmaiden 2-ply Cashmere in Marine, bought from The Loopy Ewe
Mods: Since the yarn was thinner but the cashmere makes it quite warm even when lacy. I used a size 6 needle and did more body repeats to get the shawl long enough. I did 14 repeats of the body pattern chart before doing the edging. I think one or two more body repeats might be better for a taller person but my Auntie is on the shorter side. And that would have meant both breaking into a second skein and also, taking even longer to finish. And while I wouldn't begrudge Auntie a second skein, I think I was running out of time.

Here it is in the indoor arty photo:

And outdoors - where the canine model wouldn't cooperate so I fired her and hired the neighbor's shrub since it was poking through the fence anyway:

Blocking photos:


The leftovers from the single skein:
Is that cutting it close or what?

I'm pleased with the end result and have already sent it off across the pond. I wouldn't use this yarn again for this pattern I think, since it is kind of thin, as the blocking photos show. But it is still warm. Cashmere's good that way. But I think I'd like to make another in the fingering weight called for some day.

But first I have to finish up some more UFOs and start my Cluaranach wrap. That one is gonna be mine. Mine, all mine! Muahahhah. Think I can finish it in a month if I start soon? It'd be cool to have something I'd made to wear to hubby's office holiday party.

Speaking of "Mine, all Mine!" I received in the mail yesterday the prize I was so incredibly lucky to win from Norma's Red Scarf Fund contest. Carrie very generously donated a custom made sock and gadgets bag set. She made me the most beautiful bag set. See:
My daughter admired it and said she was envious and my first reaction was "Mine!" I'm such an evil mother.

I also did a little spinning recently. Well, actually, plying. I decided I really wanted a two ply instead of a three ply out of my brown romney that I spun two bobbins of ages ago.

The fact that that meant I didn't need to order another bobbin for my wheel was completely irrelevant. No, really. Ok, it might have had a tiny effect on my decision making progress in that the laziness sent me off to look up what I thought I remembered. I think the yarn turned out ok for the use which is a small tapestry project. Now I just have to spin up the white to go with the brown. And figure out how to warp the tapestry loom.

This next photo shows the mostly ok-ness of the plying (and probably spinning) but also much better represents the color. I gotta learn how to make my photos match reality better.
I do need to work on my spinning and my plying more though. I'd like to do a better job. Plus I have all that fiber all over the place that needs to get spun up.

I also, thanks to all the trips all over town, managed to finish a pair of socks. An easy pair but still. It's handknit socks! Again for me. Hmmm, now I'm starting to worry that I am too selfish or something.

Pattern: Wendy's Toe Up Gusset Heel Sportweight Socks (direct link to PDF)
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in Icehouse, also bought from The Loopy Ewe
Mods: I added a few purl stitches to contour the sock a bit but actually I think plain stockinette might work better. Next pair I'll try that. I also found them to be a perfect fit for my clogs but a little bit loose in my tennies. So I think I'll also try another pattern, or even my own, using some additional stitches and doing a ribbed foot and leg for a pair to wear with tennies. In the fullness of time of course. I've still got two other sock patterns on the needles and three sock kits from the Rockin' Sock Club that I still haven't started.

I have also managed to resurrect a UFO and have finished one of the pair of Fetching mitts from Knitty. I had set them aside last spring when it got too warm to need them. But now it's cooling off around here so I got them back out and started working. But I won't blog it properly until they are both done because so far I think maybe the one I did finish is too short so I'm going to try adding a cable and ribbing section before the bind off of the second one and see which I like better.

My Dog Ate My Homework

Well actually, she broke my ball winder. Frankly I'd have rather she ate my homework. She cracked the handle right off. As it broke right at its base and it's a stressed spot I don't think repairing it is an option. Hubby doesn't either and he's always right when he says unfixable. So, does anyone have any advice to offer on whether or not I can just get one of the big ball ball winders? I've been thinking about getting one for a while now for larger yardages but I don't know whether they work for say a single sock's worth of yarn (for those companies that are still doing 50gr skeins for example) or if they end up making balls/cakes that collapse too soon.

I was thinking either the Royal jumbo or the Strauch or maybe even this fancy one from Nancy's KnitKnacks which does seem that it will - eventually at least - address the smaller core option, but which is considerably more expensive. Any advice? The one that got broken was the basic blue and white plastic Royal ball winder, do I need to replace it in addition to the larger ball winder or can I just use a larger ball winder all the time?

Thanks for any advice.

The Forest Canopy Shawl continues to grow but I am not sure it will be able to grow fast enough. My Auntie got bad news about the success of her latest treatment so I am now definitely racing against a depressing clock. I'm halfway through the 7th repeat of the body pattern. I have no idea how close to done that makes me. No picture because Blogger hates me. I've been trying to upload the photos for this entry for almost 24 hours. It let me put in the one below just now but not the one for the shawl. Sigh.

So picture it bigger in your mind's eye and help me ponder. I think since I'm using thinner yarn I'll have to do more repeats of the body pattern than the 10 called for with fingering yarn. But I am not too sure how many. Anybody used a heavy-ish laceweight for this shawl and have a suggestion for how many more?

The chair has progressed more as well but it doesn't really look much different. See:
No really, that's more. Those top corners were flapping loose in the last post. Plus now there's webbing and burlap on the outside back and sides. That you have to trust me on though. Because, Blogger hates me.

Status Report

I was gonna call this post Progress Report but then I realized there really isn't that much progress to report. So we'll settle for status.

I know, I'll show you the chair. You haven't seen the chair in a while. It does show progress since last time you saw it. Some of it even occurred this month.

If I'm lucky, in another month, I might have a chair I can sit in.

Then there's the simple socks. They are still only a sock and a third.

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport using Wendy's Toe up Sportweight sock pattern.

Then there's the August RSC socks which have one cuff finished and wet blocked. But that might be where they were last time for all I can remember.

August RSC first sock cuff. I'm doomed. They're mailing another kit soon.

And finally there's the Forest Canopy Shawl for my "Auntie". It ought to be at least a full set of repeats further along but I keep losing track of where I am (because I will insist on trying to watch tv at the same time) and having to tink back.

Forest Canopy Shawl being knit in Handmaiden 2-ply Cashmere in Marine.

It may not be very far along but at least it looks pretty, even after being knit twice.

Time flies

First of all, thank you, everyone, for your concern about my Mum. It's very sweet of you to worry. She's fine. She always was fine. She's been a bit more time consuming lately is all. She has some toe issues that meant she had to have a procedure done before she can get the toe problem fixed. And that necessitated multiple trips to multiple doctors and a couple of days in the hospital. She wasn't really in any danger or even really all that uncomfortable at any time.
But she's not very good at being a patient patient, so in addition to all the ferrying about to doctors and hospitals, she also had to be entertained out of being certain she was going to die due to the hospital staff or someone making a mistake and so on. Mum can be, um, something sometimes. Anyway, she was able to come home yesterday afternoon and doesn't need much attention today so I can finally get this blog post up I hope. But soon she'll get to have the toes fixed and then I'll have to do more Mum care afterward so I'll probably disappear again for a couple of weeks soon. I really am trying to do better about regular blogging though. And of course getting in more knitting to accomodate that.

Confession time: I'm basically a lazy person in some areas. Pretty much all of my relaxation time errs on the lazy side as far as actually making an effort goes. But I'm also dreadfully curious. I love to learn things. So things I can learn incidentally I'll learn and then do. But if I actually have to hunt much for the info - I often won't do it until I need to.

Having been shamed by Sheepish Annie into actually looking poking one of the buttons on the post window (now that's lazy isn't it), I can now insert booming announcer voice here Control Time Itself! So from now on the post dates should reflect reality, not my laziness.

Since the last post with actual knitting content, I have learned again that "Never mock the Knitting Goddess" is a maxim to follow. Friday the 21st, just after I announced that Saturday the 22nd was still summer, I logged off the computer and began my second sock's toe. And to the immediate, sudden, accompaniment of thunder and raindrops I proceeded to knit, tink, knit, tink, knit, rip, give up. And Saturday morning? Rain. Not a lot, but enough to announce quite loudly that Fall was here already.

I know when I'm licked so other than getting that darned sock toe on the needles properly and a bit of the foot started so I could take it for a simple project on Mum ferrying errands during the week, I did not bother with trying to finish the socks before Autumn officially began. Less than a week later, of course, as happens every year around here, after a few days of Fall, Summer came back. And the sock is now 2/3 of the way through the foot section thanks to all those hour waits for doctor visits. No photo. It looks exactly like the other one so far.

I've also finished up the baby hat from DD's hand-dyed. It is a hat for a girl so the yarn being girly is fine and I went with a fairly girly look to the hat too. I was making the pattern up as I went along so it took forever to do. It's a top down hat with only two ends to weave in and no extra holes (only the ones I did as YO increases to echo the lacesque edging) with an unvented edging of my own.

Baby hat, pattern by me, yarn by DD, modeled by "Fluffy".

I am still inordinately proud of myself for figuring out how to pull all that off. I followed some advice from Ruth and did the edging so that it striped opposite the hat itself. So it is a knit on edging rather than a ruffle continued off the ribbing which was my first thought. If it's not obvious that is a flower on the top. I think the yarn looks great. I'm very impressed with how my DD's dyeing came out.

The hat held up by its stuffing of yarn cakes shows the dyeing off a bit better I think. I'm so proud of my little girl.

The room aide has already been given the hat (and says she likes it) even though she is supposedly six weeks away. If that's right, she's gonna be having a big baby if you ask me. But maybe it's just that she's a lovely thin thing normally. Unlike, say, me before I got preggers. My daughter is now working on some baby booties with the remains of the hat yarn. If there really is another 6 weeks and I nag a lot to remind her to work on them she might actually get those done in time too.

But the big thing (and I mean really big thing) that has delayed me from the more regular blogging I had intended to do is that I have been going through my stash. My immense stash. My "much bigger than I thought because the yardage summation cell on the spreadsheet was only summing about a third of my entered yarn" stash. And the entered yarn still isn't all of my yarn unfortunately. So I have been culling. And culling. And culling. But it's hard because I've never bought stuff I don't like. And apparently I like a lot of stuff. I'm trying to be good though since I have a good cause for the yarns I am giving away. I currently have 5 bags ready to go be donated to teachers looking for supplies to start knitting clubs in their schools.

And yet there is still more to go through. Plus I'm a little worried I might have more hiding in other places. I just know it's going to be horribly embarrassing to actually list it all on Ravelry. I think I might have more yarn than some small yarn shops. I'm hoping that I'm just over-reacting though. But this sort of image makes me a bit nervous...

"It turned inside out, then it EXPLODED?!?!?!?!?!"

Good thing I have help right?

The copper matches me best, let's keep that one.

Prizes!

My apologies for taking so long to post the winner for my little contest. I've been having to spend a bit more time lately taking care of my Mum so didn't manage to organize myself properly. Since I took so long and I only had three entries I decided to award a couple of additional prizes. I used a random number generator (a dice if you're curious) to distribute the prizes.

AlisonH has won the initial prize of the copy of Victorian Lace Today with the skein of Handmaiden SeaSilk in Nova Scotia to make something from the book with:

Elizabeth (who didn't give me a blog link) has won a 400 yard skein of Jade Sapphire 100% Chinese Cashmere in color 01 (mainly purples and greens) which should make a nice shawlette:

BJ has won a 500 yard skein of fingering weight Ruby Sapphire yarn which also should make a nice shawlette (or a pair of socks if you're a sock knitter, BJ):

I'll be e-mailing for snail mail addresses shortly. BJ, if you're reading this, blogger didn't give me your e-mail address so you need to e-mail me at raspberry "you know the drill" gmail etc.