Through the Looking Glass

World Wide Knit in Public Day

2010-06-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

We all had a wonderful time at Santa Fe Baking Co., knitting and chatting, and making a spectacle of ourselves.
After racing to the store, Annie and Lil were very proud of themselves because they were able to "share" the Pagewood Farm yarn like the mature adults that they are. It's so good to have fellow knitters who "understand" us!

Royal Fiber Spinnery in Ruidoso

2010-06-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

We are staying at Inn of the Mountain Gods in Ruidoso, and yesterday we were treated to a most entertaining and informative tour of the little mill. I guess that I never really realized that the whole process of turning fiber into yarn is exactly the same whether you do it by hand or use machines to help; silly, I know. I also learned a lot about the politics of alpaca farming in the U.S. Suddenly, things all started to make sense: the disinterest in the selling of alpaca, the exhorbitant prices for the animals all have to do with the fact that most of the farms are tax write-offs and more attention is paid to showing the animals than breeding for the fleece. Apparently, the farms will give away the fiber after shearing if you can catch them before they burn it. Horrifying, no?

I would be idealess without Annie

2009-08-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

The yarn is arriving in the store faster than even I can keep up with.
There is the Bandelier sock (from Fall Interweave Knits)
knitalong proposed by Annie, using Brown Sheep Naturespun.
I had to replace the colors with "my" color palette, of course.

Others are being more compliant and using the suggested
colors. Others are not joining in at all, having issues with
both sock knitting and color work. I think it's going to be
great fun!

I'm just finishing up the sweater from Simple Style
using Punta Merisoft. Another idea I
stole from Annie.
Hers was so beautiful and soft and light, I couldn't resist.

We just got the Peruvia book from Berroco (discovered by Annie, of course)
The cover coat is absolutely phenomenal, but so are a couple of little gems
inside. I felt the immediate need to cast on for "poska", having a debate
with myself about whether to use Peruvia or Lanaloft, and deciding on Lanaloft.
The back is finished, the front about 1/3 done.

2009-08-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

I guess that Selma is the backdrop for the very cute socks, all ready to go to the sock summit. I am the happy owner of
little sock earrings. Only Sheila
(or Selma!) would have the
patience for these.

It has been a long time since a post, of which I have been gently reminded. Sheila has been and returned from the Sock Summit, summer is waning, yarn has been spun and knitted. My spinning wheel family has acquired an adlorable new addition: The Hitchhiker. I have not quite conquered it, but I'm getting there, and I love it.

I have just discovered a new podcast. It's called Electric Sheep; the host has a most beautiful way with words and a gorgeous accent. She is very English (or as she apparently prefers, British) and I could listen forever. She won my heart when she admitted to having spatial issues.
I'm a little more than halfway through the series and recommend it to anyone who enjoys that kind of thing.

2009-05-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

I think everyone had a good time at the ball game on Sunday. Even I got in on the excitement. Right after I sat down to have a nice boring time, I got slammed with a foulwonder if that's how you spell that kind of fowl). I got lots of sympathy, attention from the paramedics, and an arm of many colors. I think I'll skip ball games in the future.

Notice it didn't stop me from knitting!

2009-04-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

Monday was the crochet wire necklace class, and it was great fun! Everybody created a masterpiece, and I am just so upset with myself that I forgot to bring out the camera. I'm now working on my 5th, and still not feeling finished. I loved the ideas that people in the class were coming up with, and keep being amazed that everything you try works. Jana suggested using junk and hardware, Carol's is small and dainty, Willow used beads that I thought wouldn't work but are just spectacular. I'll try to remember to get pictures if I see them pass through again.

2009-04-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

Samantha, Sheila and I had kind of a lonely spinning group on Sunday; it looks like Samantha lost the inspiration temporarily, I left early, but Sheila kept spinning on, determined to finish her yellow carry along................

2009-03-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

I had a great time at the Bead Expo in Santa Fe a couple of weekends ago. The classes were great. I took one on beaded crochet necklaces. It's an easy technique, and really only uses the chain stitch, so no real crochet skill involved. I made the one on the right in class, the copper was my second attempt.

2009-03-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

Sheila's back, and look what she brought. The middle photo is my magnolia tree. This was the year that I was going to beat the freeze and get a picture of the blooms. Foiled again!

Good knitting weather, though. I actually didn't cast on anything yesterday. The AddiExpress came, and I got caught up in playing with it. Pretty fun, and even made a passable hat in record time. It took about 10 minutes to knit a 12" tube, start to finish. It makes me have second thoughts about knitting machines. It may turn out to be another on my list of "never say nevers".

The new Knit Kits finally arrived, and they are really cute. One of those things that you didn't know you needed until you saw it.

2009-03-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

Don't ask; you had to be there.

2009-03-24T19:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was delivery bonanza! We got every color of Poems sock yarn, and it is beautiful--makes me motivated to get a pair of socks off the needles so I can cast some on.
We also got the Knit Kits, bamboo sock yarn, and LOTS of regular Poems.

For those of you who are asking about when we can expect the return of Sheila, my understanding is that she will resume her yarn shop duties on Friday. We just had what I believe was our last knitting group without her; she will hopefully be with us next Tuesday.

Much as all of us have been having a great time running amok, deviating from her assigned fair isle activity, ordering up stuff, planning a special welcome back Saturday, and talking trash about her, it will be good to have her back.

2009-03-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Annie gave a class on Russian knitting. It was absolutely wonderful, getting rave reviews by all who participated. I didn't realize that Annie was such a gifted teacher, but then it only makes sense as she developed her skills as did I, but playing school in the basement.

We got a folder with clear instructions and a wonderful chart pattern, and I was instantly addicted. It was a great excuse to use my cashmere/silk yarn and bone needles. If we can talk her into giving the class again, I heartily recommend it!

2009-03-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

We had some show and tell.

We had Becky come to help celebrate Selma's birthday.

We had an update on Jana's sock knitting.

2009-03-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the dreaded time change, and I must admit that much as I hate it, it's a great relief to not have to wake up the first Monday morning and get out of the house at 5:00. It's bad enough that Sheila is on her way to Egypt, leaving me stranded by myself in the shop. We "celebrated" yesterday with the kickoff of the Portuguese, fair isle knitalong. We did all manage to get cast on, and some of us did a little ribbing. (Me included, though I've since changed my mind and will be tinking the whole thing. I think it's going to be great fun, though, and I welcome the challenge. Maybe next time we will have something to take pictures of.

The casting on fever has been out of control the past few days. My latest is the cover sweater from Knit'n'Style made from the Blue Ridge silk that has been tormenting me since it arrived. I know it's naughty to be knitting so many things at once, but it sure is fun!

2009-03-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

The yarns we just got are keeping me awake at night and agitated all day trying to decide what I should do with them besides fondling. There are: cashmere, cashmere with silk, cashmere with merino, and just plain old Uruguayan merino. What's a girl to do?

2009-03-03T11:53:00.000-08:00

I joined a few swaps on Ravelry. I'm looking forward to it. It's been years since I've participated in swaps, and my past experience was very positive. It forced me to focus and create, it was fun to look forward to getting something fun in the mail, it broadened my mind and horizons by seeing what other people are doing and thinking. In the past, I was doing mixed media, and when I started doing less of that and more knitting, it just kind of fell by the wayside. I guess I really didn't see the potential in fiberarts. Exchanging dishcloths just didn't do it for me, but I found a few that tickled my fancy, and I'm excited about it!

2009-03-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you wake up at 3 am and feel like you're ready for the day? Cast on something new, of course. That's exactly what I did yesterday. I had this Lanaloft handpaint calling to me, started a topdown. I love love love this yarn!

2009-03-01T07:57:00.000-08:00

I finished the short row heel, and I'm not pleased with how it looks, but I do like the fit. I did this one with the unwrapped turns. Next time I'll bite the bullet and see if the wrapping gives a better look.

2009-02-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

I decided I had to try a short row heel, so even though I have other socks on the needles, and I really wanted to do this 2 at a time, I just had to get this started so I could do the heel asap. I'm sure that I could have just done it on some scrap yarn or something else logical, but why do something logical when you can cast on a new project?

2009-02-28T14:20:00.000-08:00

Suzanne brought the pattern for this baby shoe in because she kept getting stuck on the finishing of it. She was to find out that I was not the person to solve the problem, what with my lack of spatial skills and all. In sitting there and getting more and more frustrated, we did have ample opportunity to chat, and while we were talking, she mentioned that she had really enjoyed reading Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides; it focuses on Kit Carson and the 19th century history of New Mexico. I found it on Audible (since I don't read any more as it interferes with my knitting) and started listening to it this morning. It's great! Some things I learned about Navajo sheep herding: The Navajo discovered that the Churro sheep brought by the Spaniards in the 1500's were perfectly adapted to the New Mexico desert; their lifestyle became centered on the sheep. They moved with the flocks according to the seasons, they sang songs to them, the sheep became their most valuable possessions, actually becoming currency. A blanket was worth 10 buffalo robes in trade. The wool was the raw material for their beautiful weaving (tight and coarse with little lanolin so it could be spun woven without washing) . Interesting to me was their philosophy of art: they hated to have anything completed or closed-ended; hence all of the weavings having a small imperfection, allowing the creation to breathe, the "spirit outlet".

Anyway, thanks, Suzanne, for the book recommendation.
And, I did keep working on the shoe until I had figured out how it went (some hours later); see pictured.

2009-02-19T19:03:00.000-08:00

I couldn't wait to get my hands into this yarn, but it was hard to decide what to do with it. This hat from Designer Knits from One Skein seemed just the thing and knit up in a couple of hours.

2009-02-19T18:56:00.001-08:00

2009-02-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

This just arrived, and it is a most unique handspun yarn; the individual spinner's name is included with each skein.

This yarn is handspun by nomads in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.

A portion of the sales is returned to the tribe to help the women who herd and spin.

Each color is unique; no such thing as dyelots here!

Great pictures and info at: http://nomadyarns.com

2009-02-19T18:44:00.000-08:00

Just finished some summer tops. On the left, a Norah Gaughn pattern using Berroco Seduce; it may not be the easiest yarn to work with, but the feel is wonderful. On the right, the Flyaway Home Jacket from Just One More Row. It's made from Ironstone Sky, which the new owners are not going to continue, but we bought up what we could, and it is beautiful.

2009-02-18T09:17:00.000-08:00

Knitting group last night was small enough that I was able to sit and knit the whole evening. What a treat! If the pictures are a bit blurry, it's because I was laughing and of course because Sheila refused to be the photographer.
We enjoyed seeing Sheila's new felted scarf, Selma's number socks and baby blanket, Judith's sweater that matches the one I just finished. I'm not really sure what Kat was working on, but it was small and she probably finished it in one sitting (without a pattern, of course.

Sheila loves her new beaded socks.

Knitting is just the best!

Breaking Through

2009-02-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

I've decided that if Jana can knit socks, I can blog.
In fact, it means that all of us can try that thing we said
we would never do.