This is mostly a knitting blog. Sometimes pictures of things I've made, sometimes not. I'm a guy who knits, I usually attend a men's stitch 'n' bitch on Monday nights, and I prefer natural fibres to artificial ones. I have a love-hate relationship with bamboo yarns: I love what they can do and how they look, I hate how they are made. I've been knitting since about 2003, though I really didn't get into it until 2005, while convelescing with a broken leg. I must have discovered something good, 'cause I'm still knitting years later.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

FO Friday!

It's finished object Friday.

OK, so it's Saturday. I didn't have time to write up a post yesterday.

So I finished the scarf that was to be sold. After you break it down, I got about $1.50 per hour for knitting it. Still, it's my first sold object. I'm not so sure I want to sell my stuff. It might take me 40 or 60 hours to knit something, and I don't know who would pay the prices that would support a knitter. Even if one charged minimum wage, a 60 hour knitting job would come to over $450, and I don't know who is going to pay that kind of money for a scarf or sweater, even it is hand knit from fabulous fibres (and don't let's mention that the client will also be buying the yarn, which, depending on the garment, will add considerable expense).

Be that as it may, here is David's scarf. And David, modeling it. Of course, I finished it in the middle of a summer heat wave, so he won't be needing it any time soon.

This is the scarf all finished and looking pretty against my grey comforter.

Here is David, wearing his new scarf, in the summer heat. Well, give it a few months, and he'll be glad to have it!

The scarf is made of Noro Kogarashi, 51% silk, 49% wool. I used a 1x1 rib pattern, to get that stockinette look without the curse of the curl, and used a selvedge edge. It took two skeins to make this scarf.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Spinning Wheel

Last week marked the fifteenth anniversary for Mind's Eye Yarns, one of the local shops I just love. People who made purchases during the sale were entered into a drawing for an Ashford Traditional Spinning Wheel.

I won.

I don't know how to spin.

I don't care.

I'll learn.

I had my first lesson this week.

I totally suck at spinning, but I really liked it. I need to practice, and get another lesson or two (or many more) because it's really cool to see yarn from fluffy stuff.

Here's the wheel. I might name it Lucita (that's in Andalucian, so it's pronounced "Luthita").


Right now it's sitting in my room, just begging me to give it a whirl.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Bad News, Good News

One of my favourite yarn stores, Mind's Eye Yarns, was having its 15th anniversary sale. I dropped in to buy some yarn, because one always needs more yarn. While I was there (here comes the bad news) I learnt that Cascade is going to discontinue their Pastaza yarn. I love Pastaza. It's half wool and half llama. It's warm, the colours are intense, and I really love it. They are discontinuing it, and expanding their Sitka yarn. Sitka is a lovely yarn, all warm and shimmery, but it is half again as much as Pastaza. I am vexed. I have to figure a way to buy all sorts of Pastaza before it disappears for good.

But bad news is tempered with good (here comes the good news). My name was entered into a drawing for an Ashford spinning wheel. I never gave it a second thought, because I never win anything. This afternoon I got a call from Mind's Eye. My name was drawn from the bowl and I am now the proud owner of a spinning wheel. The fact that I don't know how to use a spinning wheel (and can barely use a drop spindle) does not daunt me at all. Here I am, completely undaunted. La, la, la. Undaunted by the spinning wheel.

What the hell am I going to do with a spinning wheel?

Why, learn to spin, of course. Think of all the roving I can buy to add to my yarn collection! 

I'll post pictures when I get to see it. Because, you know, I have no clue what model I'm getting.

Can't wait!