Knitting with Handspun

Knitting with handspun has always been a challenge for me. I've lamented this fact before. I'm not sure what it is. Either the project isn't worthy, or the intended recipient isn't worthy. Shameful, really. I've got to get over this. I'm starting to really build up a stash of handspun. I love spinning and the 'Tour de Fleece' is coming up. So that means I'll be producing more handspun.

I've trolled around on Ravelry. Other people seem to have no issues with knitting up their handspun. I've come across some really great finished objects there that have inspired me to cast on and knit already.

I've mentioned that I've been bitten by the Stephen West bug. His patterns are totally worthy of using handspun. And I have good friends moving to the Northwest Territories in July who are totally worthy of some handspun.

So, that being said, I knit up this little cowl called Drawbridge. Such a simple pattern. It can also double as a hat in a pinch. The colours of the yarn are nice and masculine. I'm sure my friend will like it.

Daybreak

So, I finished the Daybreak and I absolutely love it. As predicted, I immediately cast on for another Stephen West pattern. This time, I'll be knitting Daybreak - in handspun no less!! I'm super proud of myself for doing that. I've written before about my hesitancy to use handspun. I think I even listed that as a goal for 2011. I'm really trying to see the potential of this beautiful yarn - not to see it as a final project in itself.


Here is the blocked daybreak on my floor. So happy with the yarn and the pattern. I highly recommend both

The daybreak on my back porch.

Here is a photo of some locks from the 'big project'. The rest of the fleece is currently undergoing a 'cold soak' in a large rubbermaid container. I decided to hand wash a few locks just to see how they look. I handcombed the locks, and will likely spin these up to see how they turn out. Pretty aren't they?

The Big Project (Take 2)

Since my original post about the big project, I've done nothing to process the fleece. The lady from whom I purchased the fleece recommended that I keep the fleece in a freezer for a few days, just in case there were bugs and what not hiding in the fiber only to come alive once in my warm home.

Well, this was back in March, in Labrador. Things are still pretty cold at that time in Labrador. So rather than store it in my freezer, I decided to keep in on my back porch for a couple of days.

Bad idea.

Kevin assumed it was garbage. I know!! I can hear the gasps from here. I contacted the seller to see if she had a similar fleece for sale, but sadly she sold the little lamb (a Merino, Corriedale cross named Rosie). She also decided to change her shipping. She no longer ships in black garbage bags owing to Kev's faux pas. She contacted me sometime later to tell me that she just had her flock sheared. While she had sold Rosie, she still had her sister Daisy, and I could buy some of her fleece. I was a happy camper, as was Kev. He finally got out of the dog house.

Here is what it looks like all spread out.

I'm very happy with this fleece. I've already scoured and carded a small amount of it, just to see what it spins up like. I have to spin some existing fiber however, just to get a few free bobbins. I'm very, very happy with the result so far. This is a far superior fleece to the Jacob fleece of two summers ago.

I haven't settled on a big project goal yet. Like a sweater or an afghan. I may just spin single skeins of various weights and colours and just enhance my stash. I'm still debating what to do. I am toying with the idea of an icelandic yoked sweater. I think I will have enough yarn when all is said and done. We shall see. Exciting times.

I'm obsessed

With Stephen West's patterns. Its all I can think about. I cast on for his daybreak shawl a little a while ago. I can think of nothing else. I'm using yarn that I bought while in Montreal. Sweetgeorgia yarns - Cash luxe fine. And oh my god!! Its heavenly.

I've been pondering why some projects that I cast on, I love initially and then it gets kinda ... meh...not so interesting or entertaining anymore. The yarn is splitty, the pattern gets boring... something just doesn't hold my interest.

But not this time. I don't know what it is about this particular combination of yarn and pattern, but I absolutely have no desire, whatsoever to knit on ANYTHING else. I'm a woman obsessed.

I'm guessing that I have about 1/2 the shawl knit. I'm going to try for the largest size depending upon yarn amounts. This yarn is beyond gorgeous. The colour is stunning. The fiber content is so, so soft. The yardage is generous. Their website says it has 375 yards but for some reason, I thought the label said over 400 yards.

Once I finish knitting this, I'm sure I'll cast on for another Stephen West pattern. I'm really thinking Bandwidth. We shall see.

On Hiatus

I hope I've spelled hiatus right. Well, it seems that I'm on a knitting hiatus. I've come down with some sort of inflammation in my elbow. Its what I imagine tennis elbow to feel like - except I don't play tennis. And weirdly, its in my left elbow. I'm thinking its due to knitting, but I'm a little perplexed about the whole deal since I mostly use my right arm when knitting and I sort of just prop my left arm on a cushion or arm of the sofa and use it to more or less balance my knitting.

Kev and I just got back from a 5 day trip to Montreal/Sherbrooke, Quebec. My friend thinks my elbow problem may be due to shopping, as I sometimes grasp things in the crook of my arm when I'm picking things up. Entirely possible. Shopper's elbow. There you go.

So, right now, I'm on my 5th day of self imposed knitting hiatus - just to see if it helps with the pain. So far, not a lot better. I am wearing a brace and rubbing anti inflammatory cream on it. This seems to help some, but as soon as I take the brace off, it (ie pain) comes back.

This hiatus has done wonders for my knitting fantasy life - as I'm prowling Ravelry all the time now. I've bought SO.MANY knitting magazines and two new knitting books. I've also bought a lot of yarn. I believe that I'm somehow trying to 'scratch an itch' or something. I can't get my fiber fix by actually doing, so I've got to get it this way. This is entirely self defeating, of course, since I've already speculated that shopping is making it worse. Oh well, live and learn I guess. No more shopping....wait, I can online shop still. Woo hoo.

On this trip to Montreal I was thrilled to discover a new yarn shop had opened up. Its called Espace Tricot. They have only been open since July and they seem to be doing well. They are trying to stock yarn brands that the other stores in Montreal don't have. I looked them up online before going and I was so happy to see that they carried Koigu!! I bought two skeins. I have no idea what to make with this, but it was just too pretty to resist.

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Here is the rest of my haul from this store. Take notice of the Steven West book Westknits Two! I had been debating buying this book online and downloading a copy, but seeing it in the flesh, just about sent me over the edge. Like I said, my knitting fantasy life has now taken on a life of its own. I swear I want to knit every single pattern in this book. As soon as my arm is better, I'm casting on for all of them...at once. Really, I am.

I also got some Addi Lace needles, that I've been wanting to try, and some Hiya hiya DPNs, a super cute wooden button, some charms and some free Soak samples.

And finally, here is a photo of the reason for our travels. My beautiful daughter. She was performing in a recital. She was amazing. It was the first time hearing her sing classical, and (as her friend Shaun pointed out) it was also the first time I ever heard her sing as a soprano. All throughout school Amy sang alto. When she went to high school she even sang tenor with the boys. When she gets to Bishop's university, her voice coach tells her that she is actually a soprano. Crazy or what? Isn't she stunning??

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Slog Sweater

I cast on for this sweater back in September. Its from the book New England Knits which I really, really like. There are a number of other sweaters in this book that I want to knit, but this one really caught my eye, and I cast on right away.

Well, here I am 6 months later and I'm just now finishing it.

I'm very happy with the finished cardigan. Its very wearable. It fits well, and I like it a lot. Why it took me so long to finish is anyone's guess. I think it was the endless amount of garter stitch. And when I got to the sleeves it was even worse. Garter stitch in the round is not for the faint of heart. It was beyond monotonous. So, I opted to knit them flat. I love knitting flat garter in front of the TV. The down side to knitting flat sleeves is seaming. But it appears I hate seaming less than I hate garter stitch in the round.

I promised myself that I would not cast on for another sweater until I finished this one. I was so happy to finish this sweater that I immediately cast on for Lady of the Lake Cardigan by Fleece Artist. This kit has been in my stash for quite some time - lets hope it doesn't take me as long to finish this sweater. Here is my progress so far

This is magical yarn for sure. I just love the resulting fabric. I'll keep you posted as to how quickly this one knits up.

The Big Project

Megan (of Stitch It podcast fame) has decided to do a 'big project'. She plans on processing a fleece right from the start. Me, in my infinite wisdom, I've decided that this would be a great idea and I'm going to Big Project a long with her. My proof? This box.

In this package there is a well skirted fleece of corriedale/merino/ramboulet cross lamb - 4 pounds of it. I'm not sure if this will be enough to make a whole handspun sweater (since I'm sure there is at least a pound of lanolin in the fleece) But there will be enough to make some serious yarn. I'm thinking this is a better quality fleece than the whole Jacob debacle of 2009. Its a white fleece, so it'll be easier to dye right? And this time, like Megan, I've decided to process smaller batches and spin from the lock this time. Anyways, I'm hopeful. Wish me luck!

In other news I've been doing the freeform crochet a long on Ravelry again. Every March is international crochet month. I love, love, love this game. I don't always love my final item, but I usually learn a few new stitches and make a few friends in the process. Here is what I've got so far.

Interesting, isn't it?