Lisa Kay Knits

SCF and Friends SAL Progress

2012-01-29T15:42:00.000-06:00

I finished spinning the first pound of fiber, the red batch. It is two ply, and I ended up with just short of 1200 yards.

I really enjoyed spinning from the rolags. I haven't done much spinning woolen, before, not even "from the fold," so it has been an interesting project.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Sweater Spin Along

2012-01-21T18:04:00.000-06:00

Southern Cross Fibre's forum group on Ravelry is having an "SCF and Friends" sweater spin along, knit along. While I have a couple of different "sweater lots" of SCF fiber, I decided to mix a set of batts from a group of SCF fiber, inspired by David's Rhinebeck Sweater.

I separated each of the rovings into "single color" piles and drum carded them to mix them evenly. Of the nine bags above, I used all of them 100% except Uluru. In that case (the brown/orange bags second from the left), I separated out the most-orange four ounces and set it aside for some later project. In total, I'm working with two pounds of fiber.

Eight ounces of BFL in the colorway, "Florid."

Eight ounces of BFL in the colorway, "Wave Rock."

Four ounces of BFL in the colorway, "Bushranger."

Four ounces of Falkland in the colorway, "Katoomba."

Four ounces of Falkland in the colorway, "Dirt."

Four ounces of Falkland in the colorway, "Uluru."

And here is a group shot of all the individual colors. The colors along the bottom will go into a red yarn, and the colors along the top will go into a blue yarn.

I split the "red" set of batts into 16 piles of each color, and carded 16 one-ounce mixed-color batts. Then, I rolled the batts into rolags for spinning.

Here is half of the red rolags, one half pound of fiber.

Here is the first four ounces of the red rolags, spun into singles.

Below is a ply-back of the single (on the bottom), with a piece of Rowan Colourspun. The Colourspun is the yarn used in Elina. If I like how my Elina sweater turns out (made in Colourspun, in the recommended colors), I may make another one as my "SCF and Friends" SAL sweater.

Here is the Ravelry link to my SAL project.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

New Moon Socks

2012-01-15T14:13:00.001-06:00

I'm on a kick of handknit socks. My latest pair is using a Merino/Bamboo/Nylon blend (aka "Panda") in the colorway "New Moon" from Becoming Art.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Family Time

2012-01-02T14:52:00.000-06:00

We're enjoying some family time together before heading back to work, tomorrow. I've had two and half weeks off, so I'm really spoiled by leisure, at the moment.

Mitchell started Diagon Alley, this morning.

Note my knitting in the foreground of the Lego-making table. I finally started Elina, from Rowan Nordic Tweed. The stripes are fun, though the yarn management of five balls is a little bit of a hassle...

I like the Rowan Colourspun yarn. It is a fun, fuzzy tweed and wonderfully soft.

Happy New Year,
Lisa Kay

Arc Mittens

2011-12-31T15:27:00.000-06:00

I finished a quick knit over the last couple of days, the Arc Mittens by Peggy O'Grady, from the recently released Interweave Knits Accessories 2011. The name comes from the shaping on the palm, which the designer calls a "lifeline."

The pattern called for Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky yarn. I had been wanting to use a Brown Sheep yarn in the colorway "Strawberry Patch," because I liked the colors in their recent advertisement, the one with the red, pink, and green bulky wrap around a baby. It's been in a lot of magazines, lately; it is on the third page of the "Accessories" issue mentioned above. I confirmed the color with some folks on Ravelry. The yarn in the ad is "Burly Spun," which is super bulky... a recommended gauge of 2.5 stitches per inch. The Arc Mittens call for 4 stitches per inch. I found the same colorway on a different Brown Sheep yarn called "Handpaint Originals," which is a worsted yarn with some mohair. (See the mohair halo in the pictures?) So, I knitted the larger size instructions in the pattern using the smaller yarn. Perfect fit!

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

India Pink Socks

2011-12-29T14:14:00.000-06:00

I made some more simple socks using some commercial yarn this time... one that looks a bit like handspun. This is Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball Stärke 6 in the colorway "India Pink." The colors caught my eye, and like a raccoon with a shiny thing, I grabbed it.

I think that it does a good imitation of handspun hand-painted wool, the way it looks in the knitted socks. So if you're wanting to try some handspun socks, but don't spin, here's something to try.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

P.S. I used David's Toe Up Sock Cookbook again.

Let The Portraits Begin!

2011-12-27T16:48:00.000-06:00

I finally splurged and bought a DSLR camera (Canon EOS Rebel T3i), which I have been longing to do for some time. I played with some of the modes, today, and took some portraits of Mitchell.

...and my favorite...(click on it to see it bigger)

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Hubby Portraits

2011-12-27T16:45:00.000-06:00

I tried out the new camera during some Lego-building, also... and so Chris had his portrait taken, too.

Chris said I could only use this photo above if I included the caption: "This is what seven years of marriage does."

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T14:23:00.001-06:00

Mitchell enjoyed Christmas morning, with many Lego items, several of the Star Wars variety, and a couple Harry Potter items, too.

All the grandparents came for lunch. After lunch, there was Lego assembly... Here is the Republic Frigate under construction.

Mitchell kept taking breaks! Here he is after finishing it...

... and getting out the next kit:

We're in for a lot more Lego building over this week out of school and work:

Merry Christmas,
Lisa Kay

Christmas Socks

2011-12-25T14:19:00.002-06:00

Those socks I was knitting on Christmas Eve are "Achilles Heal" socks from the Winter 2011 Knitty. I used the latest Rockin' Sock Club installment, "Comfort and Joy" in the Socks That Rock Lightweight. Sign ups for 2012 Rockin' Sock Club start on January 4th, here.

Aren't they great Christmas socks?

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Happy Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T23:51:00.000-06:00

My side of the family had a Christmas gathering, today. My brother and his wife brought their two sons, and our folks came over for lunch. I finally met my new nephew, Reese.

Gma held Reese, and Dave helped Dane look over his new CAT.

Mitchell really enjoyed his new Hummer!

I asked Dane for a snuggle while Chris used a knife to take the wrapping off the CAT. Dane kept an eye on him...

Chris and Mitchell showed Dane our United States puzzle. Dane showed that he knows where we live!

The boys enjoyed each other, and the six-year-old did not always have the upper hand over the 2-and-a-half-year-old!

After lunch, we just hung out. Stephanie fed the baby, and you know that I don't sit still for long without knitting in my hands.

Cute little Dane discovered the hearth...

...and that it was great for jumping!

Merry Christmas Eve!
Lisa

P.S. No pictures of Gpa, because he *took* all the pictures!

Autumn Leaf Mitts

2011-12-22T15:53:00.001-06:00

I used up the rest of the Autumn Leaf fiber making Vera Brosgol's Easy Handspun Mitts. I got them done yesterday afternoon and today, facilitated by taking an early holiday break from work. I normally don't get that much knitting done in two weekdays...

The image is a composite, because I took the pictures myself, one at a time. I'm toying with the idea of buying a nicer camera with a remote shutter release, for just such occasions, but I haven't settled on a model.

I have just a small amount of yarn left, perhaps enough for a mini-stocking! Hmmm...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Autumn Leaf Socks

2011-12-21T14:24:00.000-06:00

Southern Cross Fibre's October fiber clubs, both on Polwarth, included a colorway called, "Autumn Leaf." I decided to try to make matching socks, with mixed results, as you'll see.

I broke the fiber into two pieces in the middle of the length, and then I split each long piece into six more-or-less equal weight strips. Here is a picture of three of the strips (1/12 of the 4 oz fiber, each).

Then, I spun each 1/12 of the fiber into a single, as shown here:

I plied three singles together, using three from the same half, lining up the colors as much as possible. Here are the first two pairs of three-ply yarns (half the fiber):

And wound into balls, ready to knit "matching" socks...

So, I started knitting socks, using David's Toe Up Sock Cookbook, and used up the first half of the yarn. I had a couple of setbacks, mainly because the two yarns weren't exactly the same thickness. I got the first sock through the gusset, careful to allow for fit, and then knit the second the same number of rows... but the second yarn was skinnier and the sock ended up too small. I frogged the second sock back to before the gusset and made it longer before re-knitting the gusset. After tweaking the second sock and using up both of the first two skeins of yarn (1/2 the fiber), the socks looked like this:

Then, I had to go back and spin the second half of the fiber. I was having some trouble with breakage and generally driving myself crazy with treadling like mad to make skinny yarn, when I finally followed some advice to use a smaller whorl. After some searching, I found my smaller whorl attached to the back of my wheel, where it has been since the day the Ladybug came home in 2008. Go figure. After switching whorls, I made much faster progress and ended up with two more skeins of yarn which looked remarkably like the first two skeins:

Yes, those really are two different skeins than the first pair!!

So, I joined my second half of yarn and finished my socks.

I was trying really hard to make socks that matched... Well, they're pretty close...

I also have just about enough yarn left to make some mitts. The leftover yarn is shown in this shot:

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

We Took To The Woods Vest

2011-12-11T09:35:00.001-06:00

Perhaps you noticed the hand-knit vest I was wearing at Mitchell's birthday party? Well, I had just finished knitting it using my "We Took To The Woods" handspun. (Previous posts on the yarn here and here.)

I used instructions for a top-down "sleeveless sweater" in Barbara Walker's "Knitting From The Top." The shoulders start with a provisional cast on, followed by short-row shoulder shaping. I like the way the short row shoulders look a little bit like a saddle-shoulder, emphasized by the variegated yarn.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Happy Birthday Mitchell!

2011-12-03T20:19:00.001-06:00

We held Mitchell's sixth birthday last night at The Little Gym. The kids played on the equipment and did some running and jumping. I think everyone may have slept well last night!

Hard to believe the little guy is six. I said to Chris that one third of his childhood was over. Chris just said, "Shut up."

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T15:44:00.001-06:00

We had a good Thanksgiving, yesterday, and we took to the outdoors, today, to enjoy a beautiful day.

In case you're wondering, yes, I made Mitchell's hat. I used Peruvia Quick, leftover from Chris' Devon sweater. I followed the "Brangelina" hat pattern by Crazy Aunt Pearl, available here.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Sable Chatoyant

2011-11-24T14:42:00.001-06:00

I finished a Chatoyant Vest for myself, just like the one in Knit.Wear, only bigger. I used the same kind of yarn, the Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted, in the colorway "Sable."

I thought this might help people picture it in a bigger size. The one in the magazine seems hard to envision on a larger person. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!
Lisa Kay

Simple Joys Sock

2011-11-20T19:33:00.001-06:00

I worked up a simple sock on my last couple of trips, just picking a colorway out of stash, something that made me smile. The colorway is called "Cactus Dawn." It is made by Lime & Violet, a brand which is apparently not available anymore.

I just cast on at the top and worked k2 p2 rib until it looked right. It was 80 rows. Then, I made my first short row heel. After 50 pairs of socks, I thought it was about time... I finished with 65 rows of stockinette and then a simple toe, decreasing every other row until 8 stitches remained.

Simple joys.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Country Roads Spinning

2011-11-14T05:33:00.001-06:00

I got some spinning done in the mornings over the weekend, and I finished up my Country Roads yarn, getting 1961 yards of fingering. I took photos of one of the three skeins (so this isn't all of it).

I have had it in mind to make a Redhook (handspun example on Ravelry), though I am not sure, yet...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Halloween

2011-11-07T04:58:00.000-06:00

Mitchell said all year long that he was going to be Wolverine, since he saw the costume last year when he was picking out his Clone Trooper. He never changed his mind. I thought he might see something else he liked when we went to the store, but he went right for the Wolverine and could not be distracted.

Happy Halloween! (I'd better watch my calendar. Thanksgiving will be on top of me before I know it.)

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Fiber Cupcakes

2011-10-28T21:07:00.000-05:00

I found another new scrumptious fiber vice... cupcakes. The Cupcake Fiber Company preps batts in one-ounce cupcakes, presented in half-dozen bakery boxes.

They come in delicious flavors like Chocolate and Caramel, although I selected a slightly less edible flavor called, "Remembering Spring." Isn't it gorgeous? It is superwash BFL and nylon, for socks.

The six-cupcake sets are perfect for sock spinning, beginning with a single from each cupcake, and then three-plying together, ending up with two 3-ply skeins of the same weight. What a clever idea!

Each individual batt looks good enough to eat... even in green. The shades of blue should make the yarn spin up looking a bit like iridescent beads. :)

Find the Ravelry group here.

Happy Spinning,
Lisa Kay

Monkey Joe's

2011-10-22T10:28:00.000-05:00

Parker invited Mitchell to go to Monkey Joe's after school on Friday, along with Libby and two of her friends, and the five kids had great fun sliding, jumping, and playing air hockey.

Such a great time! Gma and Gpa E dropped by, and Gpa took all the pictures! :)

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Country Roads

2011-10-17T15:51:00.000-05:00

At home this afternoon with "walking pneumonia," I finished up a third bobbin (out of six) of the Fat Cat Knits September Mixed Blessings Fiber Club, "Country Roads."

Above is what the club package looked like when it arrived. It has two separate 5-ounce braids, one mostly blue and one mostly green. I ordered two more packs, for a total of six braids, 30 ounces. It should make a lovely sweater!

I have one more bobbin of blue to spin, then I will make two bobbins mixed of green and blue. I plan to 3-ply one each of green, blue, and mixed.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Herd of Trolls

2011-10-09T15:06:00.000-05:00

I finished my pullover from my handspun Herd of Trolls yarn, using the Neighborly pattern by Jennifer Casa (Ravelry pattern link, JCHandmade blog pattern link for the child's pattern, and Stitches in Play blog pattern link for the adult modification).

I had to increase extra stitches before the arms, I put fewer increases at the waist, and I made the sleeves ten rows longer. Detailed notes and more pictures are included at my Ravelry project page.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Nina and Pinta

2011-10-09T10:27:00.000-05:00

Appropriate to Columbus Day weekend, the Nina and Pinta were docked in Grafton, yesterday, and we went up to see them. We saw the Nina in Alton in 2007, but, this time, there were two.

No fear.

I continue to be amazed that people sailed the Atlantic in these. That's just crazy.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

A Special Treat

2011-10-07T17:20:00.000-05:00

My lovely friend Ellen Lewis sent me a celebration treat for the publishing of the Chatoyant Vest pattern. It is a wonderful yarn bowl, heavy enough to stay put, and curved to let a yarn ball float around, with a slot for the yarn (or a hole, if preferred). Ellen posted about these and the artist on her blog. Thanks, Ellen! What a great celebration!

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Puppy Dog Tails Cardigan and Mitts

2011-10-07T14:41:00.000-05:00

I made a Perpuerium Cardigan for my nephew, expected in about ten days.

I also finished up two pairs of fingerless mitts (aka wrist warmers), and gifted one pair to Stephanie, the baby's momma.

Previous posts on spinning the yarn, here and here.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Potion Socks Done

2011-10-02T15:49:00.001-05:00

I've been concentrating on sweaters and spinning, so my socks have been just a traveling project... but I did finally finish the Potion socks. Previous post on yarn and pattern here.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

"We Took To The Woods"

2011-10-02T15:44:00.000-05:00

I finished the Ennea Collective Spin-Along, and now I just have the Knit-Along portion to do... See previous post for info on the Two If By Hand "We Took To The Woods" fiber and Ennea Collective SAL/KAL.

I separated the fiber into eight pieces each, lengthwise, and spun four bobbins of singles.

I used Navajo-plying to keep the colors as crisp as possible. In these dark, rich colors, I didn't want to blend them too much.

I ended up with about 515 yards at 10 wpi. I should be able to get a vest...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Chatoyant Vest

2011-09-30T16:52:00.000-05:00

I am excited to announce that I have a pattern in a print magazine for the first time, the new Knit.Wear special issue of Interweave Knits. A preview of all the content is available here.

The Knit.Wear special issue is modern and elegant (speaking objectively, of course), and I'm flattered to be among such an amazing company of designers. My contribution is the Chatoyant Vest, made in Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted in the colorway "Wild Violet."

The term "Chatoyant" refers to a stone of "changeable luster" such as Tiger's Eye. The vest design utilizes alternating Seed Stitch and Stockinette Stitch blocks to provide a changeable texture, and the yarn has a slightly heathered appearance, contributing further to the "luster" of the sweater.

The sweater is basically just a rectangle, with slightly canted armholes. Two buttons on the top corner provide a double-breasted closure, with a third flat button to hold the inside flap.

I can't tell you how tickled I am to have a pattern in Interweave Knits! Yea!

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Re-enactment Socks

2011-09-29T20:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, a colleague asked if I could help with some Civil War re-enactment socks, as his were holey in the toes and heels. I looked at his previous pair and tried to find some similar yarn, ending up with Classic Elite Portland Tweed, a rustic-looking wool with some alpaca (and some man-made fiber, too... sshhh). I used David's Toe-Up Sock Cookbook for the pattern, and worked with just the length and circumference measurements, ending up with a reasonable fit.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Mitchell's First Sweater

2011-09-25T15:40:00.000-05:00

Mitchell asked for a sweater, and I finally worked one up for him. I cheated a bit, using the adult Devon sweater at a different gauge. I asked him if he wanted the cables, and he said no, so I just left those out. It is a bit over-sized, and the cuffs rolled back, so I'm hoping he can wear it for a year or so...

The yarn is Dream in Color Classy, in the colorway, "Nightwatch."

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

More Puppy Dog Tails

2011-09-24T07:16:00.000-05:00

I ordered two more bumps of Puppy Dog Tails (first spin post here), so I now have just over 400 yards of this yarn. Woopee!

One of the nice things about the Southern Cross Fibre club is that club members have a chance to order extra quantities of the club fiber. A small number are only up in the shop until sold, but it is usually not quite as hectic as a regular update. By the way, the next "regular" update (available to anybody, not just clubbers) goes live Tuesday, September 27, at 5 pm, St. Louis time (CDT). You have to be online and clicking "reload" at that time in order to have a chance to get any. The preview pictures of the update are already on the site....

Happy Spinning,
Lisa Kay

Spinning for a Herd of Trolls

2011-09-19T05:43:00.000-05:00

I finished up a "combo" spin, yesterday. I used two each of three colorways with orange in common (think Halloween).

1. FatCatKnits - BFL - Out of Bounds (09/2011 Featured Fiber)
2. Frabjous Fibers - BFL - Hespera
3. Spunky Eclectic - Shetland - Selfish (06/2009 Club)

I separated the fiber more or less by color, trying to get some color sets that would work together.

Chris saw the fiber piles and said it looked like I had shorn a herd of trolls. (Well, I think the verb he used was "massacred," rather than "shorn," but I assume I could harvest their hair in a non-blood-letting fashion...)

I have over twice as much orange/red as I have of the other two, so I think I can do something like alternating stripes (orange, blue, orange, green… repeat) and then have orange left over for bands/trim, also.

Orange: 394 yards

Blue: 155 yards

Green: 170 yards

The yarns are Navajo-plied to keep from mixing the colors too much. All the yarns are aran-weight. They should make a cute Halloween sweater!

Happy Knitting!
Lisa Kay

Out and About

2011-09-17T18:48:00.000-05:00

We visited my folks, today, meeting them at the park. It was a chance for Mitchell (and Chris) to run around, and Gma got some air, too. Gpa took photos. Thanks, Dad!

This cool contraption was not in the park when I was growing up...

This one was, though. It seems a little worse for the wear.

Maybe that's because people over 10 aren't supposed to get on it... but they do.

I always imagined this apparatus looked like a space ship.

We used to hang out in this thing and talk about all sorts of important matters.

Is this a caterpillar?

Mitchell was making friends with everybody.

The climbing wall was a hit.

The rope jungle gym was a little flippy-floppy, making it a bit strange to climb.

I think Chris likes the park as much as Mitchell.

And the girls mainly watched!

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Ennea Collective

2011-09-13T04:54:00.000-05:00

Two If By Hand is the featured fiber this month in the Ennea Collective Spin-Along/Knit-Along. The colorway is "We Took To The Woods," on superwash BFL or mixed BFL. I've ordered four braids of the mixed BFL, and they are lovely!

The Ennea Collective site has articles on different ways they have spun this fiber (two-ply and three-ply) and will have patterns available soon for KALs. With four braids, I am thinking a vest... We shall see!

Ravelry Ennea Collective Group
Ravelry Two If By Hand Group

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Sunday Outing

2011-09-11T15:28:00.000-05:00

We took Mitchell to the park after lunch for a bit of running about.

He's starting to like the swings, especially if someone pushes.

I can really see how much bigger he is getting.

It was tough to keep Mitchell from charging into the water.

There seemed to be something tasty in there.

With evidence like this, it is hard to continue to deny being tired.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Devon

2011-09-10T09:46:00.000-05:00

I posted about Norah Gaughan's Devon back in August. I ordered the Peruvia Quick yarn in the exact colorway ("Dragon") from the pattern and made it for Chris for our anniversary. I got it done last weekend (two weeks early) and convinced him to model it this morning. It is a really thick sweater, and I think Chris will enjoy it in the winter.

I made it exactly over the pattern to the neck, then picked up eight fewer stitches for the collar than directed. This was advised in projects on Ravelry, and I'm glad I did that, because the neck is plenty big. I also bound off on the same size needles instead of going up two sizes for the bindoff as I normally do. I'm pleased with the results.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Driving Buddies

2011-09-05T18:55:00.000-05:00

Mitchell has made fast friends with our neighbor, Parker, who is in his kindergarten class, and his sister, Libby. Parker and Mitchell have been planning playdates and generally cavorting. It is fun to watch.

Parker and Libby have an electric jeep. It only takes two at once, so they all took turns. It was nice of them to share with Mitchell.

I'm really glad they are friends. I wonder if they wonder why they never really noticed each other before...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Pink Polwarth

2011-09-05T18:44:00.000-05:00

I spun two each of two Woolgatherings colors (pink/orange/yellow and red/orange/yellow) along with one Blue Moon Fiber Arts "Happy Go Lucky," all on Polwarth. I got about 995 yards of 3-ply (dk, I think, but I haven't measured wpi, yet...).

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Puppy Dog Tails

2011-08-28T20:00:00.000-05:00

My club fiber from Southern Cross Fibre arrived on Saturday. This month is two superwash merino colorways in a "little girls and boys" theme... "Puppy Dog Tails" and "Sugar and Spice." I spun "Puppy Dog Tails" right away. It is about 125 yards of worsted.

This is my first full project using Navajo plying. I've tried it with leftovers from other spinning, but never done a full batch. I used N-plying because there was a lot of white in the roving, and I didn't want to muddy the colors by mixing them together. I like how it turned out. Because of the superwash merino, which is very soft and also (sort of) washable, it would be perfect for a baby item...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Sweater Finishing

2011-08-21T17:21:00.000-05:00

I finished both sweaters that were in the home stretch. First, I completed the collar and bands on my Homespun Undercurrent. Because I was having trouble with running out of yarn, and I already had to make extra to finish the bands, I made a collar instead of the hood.The sweater weighs over 2.5 pounds! I used eleven 4-ounce packages of wool, with about 2/3 of a 4-ounce-package-worth of yarn left over, or about 80 yards. That might be enough for a small monster...I made the collar by working 19 rows after rejoining the back and fronts, with two pairs of increases in the center back over the 20 rows. Then, I increased six on the next WS all-purl row (without changing needles) and worked 14 rows in k2/p2 rib.Previous posts on original yarn, additional yarn, body construction, sleeves, and pattern. While I was waiting for the 8 oz of fiber I had to order to make more yarn for the Handspun Undercurrent, I also got the Draped Cardigan pretty close to finishing, and I just had the drape (ruffle) left to do, this morning.So, I actually finished two sweaters this weekend! I also cast on this one.Happy Knitting,Lisa KayMy dad took all these photos. Aren't they great? Thanks, Dad!

First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-17T15:20:00.001-05:00

Mitchell and Chris and I went to the first day of Kindergarten, today. The parents were invited to the "orientation session." The teacher gave a an overview for the parents, going over procedures, and then read a story to the kids, "The Kissing Hand," about a baby racoon's separation anxiety before his first day of school. Then, the kids did a small project, drawing a picture of someone they love, and tracing a picture of their hands and putting on a heart sticker.

Star Wars Clone Trooper Shoes, Superman T-Shirt, and Batman Backpack. We must be ready for the first day of school.

The kids sculpted play dough and colored while the parents got their orientation session.

Mitchell cut out a heart shape and brought it to me.

The parents helped with the project after the story.

All done, Mitchell wanted to do "recess," but we said he would have to wait until tomorrow.
Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Buccaneer and Altitude

2011-08-16T17:49:00.000-05:00

I spun and plied another 4 oz. bump of Buccaneer with one bump of Altitude, both Southern Cross Fibre. This should be enough to get through the collar band and front bands of my Handspun Undercurrent.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Mitchell Knits

2011-08-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

About a week and a half ago, Gma E and Mitchell spent the day with me (before I went back to work from my medical leave), and I taught Gma and Mitchell to knit. Mitchell got a row cast on and one row knitted the first day and has done very well, though now he only wants to knit a couple of stitches at a time. I've been encouraging him to do at least those couple of stitches every day, so that he won't forget what he learned. Last night, I talked him into finishing a row, and he now has the cast on plus two knit rows done in a wide scarf.

Note the Lego Anakin Skywalker that he has for moral support...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Potion

2011-08-14T07:47:00.000-05:00

Both of the sweaters I've got in progress are to the point of seaming-collars-finishing, which means they are a bit too cumbersome for a carry-along project. As we were about to start our Saturday swim-lessons-and-shopping outing, I realized I didn't have a small project to take with me, and I dove into my sock yarn stash and grabbed something and wound it up in a hurry. I ended up with Hedgehog Fibres sock club yarn in the colorway "Potion." Without much time to consider patterns, I decided to just do another BFF. I liked that one, and I still have the photocopy with notes in my sock knitting bag.

I am really impressed with Beata's colors. There are so many colors (copper, bronze, purple, rose, teal...), and the transitions are beautiful.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Last Friday Before School

2011-08-12T15:51:00.000-05:00

Most Fridays since 2001, I've left work at 10 a.m. to have lunch with my mom and Mary Ann, or sometimes just my mom. Since December 2005, Mitchell has been with us. Starting next week, Mitchell will be in school all day, five days a week, so we'll be on our own for lunch and shopping, again.

As we left the house, Mitchell grabbed Molly the Turtle and two monsters, Iris and Delilah.

One of Mitchell's favorite parts of Friday is getting a toy. Lately, it has been either Lego or Playmobile. Here he is pointing to the fact that it is a "new" Lego item.

Mitchell is getting pretty good with the Legos. He can follow the pictorial instructions without much help, now.

We'll still have summers and some holidays, so it isn't the very last Friday with Mitchell, but it will certainly be a change! We'll miss Mitchell...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

A Men's Sweater?

2011-08-11T05:19:00.000-05:00

I came across a pattern booklet during the yarn crawl-- Norah Gaughan's "Men" collection. (It's a collection of sweaters, not a collection of men. Sorry!) The cover picture is so gorgeous, I couldn't resist. The design is called Devon. Here's the cover shot (Berroco photo):

After I showed the booklet to Chris, he seemed moderately interested... The yarn is Peruvia Quick, which is a bulky yarn that will work up fairly quickly, so this may be a good trial run! I ordered the yarn color in the cover photo... I didn't want to risk ending up with something different than expected! I got the yarn, yesterday, so I will have to put this near the front of my queue.

Interestingly, Mitchell is asking for a sweater, now. I have some leftover blue worsted from the Wrixlan Jacket which should be more than enough, and that project should be refreshingly quick, in a boy's small/medium.

Now, I am working on another Norah Gaughan sweater which has been set aside during the summer. I posted about it last winter when it was in Vogue Knitting. I finished the back and sleeves several months ago, and I have just gotten one-and-a-half fronts done this week, so I'm getting close! My Handspun Undercurrent is set aside until some more fiber comes to make some more yarn for the front bands. It is coming from Australia, so it may be a few more days...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Browsing Rowan Patterns

2011-08-09T06:05:00.000-05:00

I enjoy looking at Rowan pattern books. One problem is that Ravelry doesn't have a lot of the pattern pictures loaded. I was looking for some of them, in particular, after reading Ellen's post about Rowan 50, but most of them were not in the database (or at least not yet). I did some web searching and came up with a page that has many pattern pictures loaded for the various Rowan books. You can search Rowan books, click on a book, and then many of them have a place to "click for more images." Consider for example, Rowan Nordic Tweed.

I particularly like this pattern.

So much to do...I'd better get to work...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Handspun Undercurrent - Body Blocked

2011-08-07T06:25:00.000-05:00

I finished the body on my Handspun Undercurrent. It is ready to join the shoulders and work a collar. There is not going to be enough yarn for a hood.

The yarn ball shown is all I have left. I am going to have to spin some more to get enough yarn for the front bands. Another ball of "Buccaneer" has been found and is on its way... That is particularly lucky to find, since it was a limited "club" colorway, so I had to find someone that had it. (Ravelry is a good thing.)

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Interview

2011-08-05T07:54:00.000-05:00

I've been interviewed! Wow!

Robin Hunter of Robin Hunter Designs keeps a blog called, "How to become a Professional Knitter." She posts interviews with knitters and yarn shop owners once a week. She has interviewed designers such as Nicky Epstein, Sally Melville, Shirley Paden and Teva Durham. Cool!

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Those are Some Cool Shoes, Honey!

2011-08-03T07:55:00.000-05:00

It was time for Mitchell to get some new shoes, especially with school about to start (Kindergarten two weeks from today), and we went to our standard Stride Rite store. We like their stuff. It wears well and is comfortable and supportive.

Mitchell immediately noticed that they had quite a display of Star Wars shoes. They have many different colors which represent the different characters, and the shoes have the character's names. His first choice, Boba Fett, was out of stock in his size (which was OK with me, because I didn't care for the maroon and grey), and we ended up with Captain Rex.

Man! Even the box is cool!

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

It's a Purple Day

2011-08-02T16:09:00.001-05:00

I have gotten a few new things in the mail...

Here is my Tour de Fleece prize (random draw from entries on a certain day), from Wharfedale Woolworks, 100g of Corriedale in the colorway, "Ultra Violet."

Kirsty also added in 20g of mohair locks in a similar color. I'm not sure exactly what I'll do with it, but I'm sure it will be fun.

I also received my quarterly Quasi Club order from Zen Yarn Garden, in the colorway "Frosted Lilac." This time, I ordered four skeins of Serenity Worsted, which should be enough to make a Leaflet in my size.

I also ordered a skein of Serenity 20, fingering, in the "Frosted Lilac," for a matching pair of socks, of course...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Handspun Sweater

2011-08-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

I started a sweater with some of my Tour de Fleece handspun...

I used the extra brown I had for ribbing. If I'm short of yarn, I'll have to use a collar instead of a hood... It is supposed to be an Undercurrent, but I'm not sure there's enough yarn for it to make it all the way to a hoodie... We shall see.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Sock Clubs

2011-08-01T09:54:00.000-05:00

July was a "Rockin' Sock Club" month (once a quarter), and so I received the new installment...

The color is called "Schwarzwald." I don't know what that means, of course. I like both of the patterns, and the colorway is a great brown/green combo that seems consistent with some of my recent spinning. I think this is my favorite RSK kit so far... Yea!

I also received the Hedgehog Fibres sock club, Phoenix (left) and Ondine (right). As always, Beata came up with some impressive handpaints. She's amazing.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Jungle Sailing

2011-07-31T16:35:00.000-05:00

Remember the lovely Southern Cross Fibre that came the first day of the St. Louis Yarn Crawl? Well, I spun up two separate colors of singles, "Spinnaker" (top) and "Into the Jungle" (bottom), both Corriedale.

Then, I plied it together. It is just over 500 yards of dk-to-worsted. (12-14 wpi). It may be enough for a vest if I do the bands in a contrasting yarn.

I had to look up, "Spinnaker." I thought it had something to do with ships, but I thought it was nav thing. I was going to call the colorway, "Jungle Navigation." Since a spinnaker turns out to be a sail, I changed the name to "Jungle Sailing."

Happy Spinning.
Lisa Kay

Grass Chia Thing

2011-07-31T16:21:00.000-05:00

I'm not even really sure what you call this creature. It isn't a "Chia" pet, which is what we had when I was a kid. Mitchell and Chris started it last week, and I didn't see the packaging. It seems to have grass growing in it. Mitchell gave it a first "mowing" with his little safety scissors, yesterday. Here it is, pre-haircut.

Mitchell squirts it with water every day and seems to enjoy that he is growing something. :)

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

BFF Socks Done

2011-07-31T16:17:00.000-05:00

I finished my second BFF sock while we were out-and-about today, going to swimming lessons, getting lunch, and the normal errands.

Previous posts with more pictures and yarn/pattern info are here and here.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Done Crawling

2011-07-29T13:59:00.000-05:00

We made it to our last Yarn Crawl stop, The Bead Place. Our friend, Mary Ann, was with us, as often is the case on Fridays, as well as Mitchell, who is out of frame, tugging on the door, impatient to poke around in the beads. He's been here, before...

The Bead Place 5200 North Illinois, Suite102, Fairview Heights, IL 62208 (618) 222-0772
I picked up two more books. I know, I should have no such need of books, but I just soak them up.

I am really thinking and thinking about how to use my recently completed skeins of handspun... and the ones in my near future...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

SCF Spinnaker

2011-07-29T05:21:00.000-05:00

Remember those Southern Cross Fibre club colors in my previous post? Well, Spinnaker jumped onto my wheel before I went to bed... I just had to try it. Here's a sample.

Happy Spinning,
Lisa Kay

Crawling

2011-07-28T20:43:00.002-05:00

Mom and Dad (aka Gma and Gpa E) went with me for the St. Louis Yarn Crawl, which goes today through Sunday. Dad was the driver-photographer. Thanks, Dad! This allowed me to just ride, knit, and relax between shopping stops.

We made it to 11 of the 12 shops. We just have one of the most local (Illinois) shop left to do, tomorrow.

9:10 a.m. at breakfast, Rothschild's Family Restaurant, Washington, MO. (Great biscuits!!!)

Just before 10 a.m. crawl start time, BAH! Yarns 805 Franklin Ave, Washington, MO 63090 (636) 390-2400

10:49 a.m. Wool Gatherings 510 N. West Ave., Eureka, MO 63025 (636) 221-2826

11:41 a.m. The Heavenly Ewe 1716 Old Missouri State Rd., Arnold, MO 63010 (636) 287 1231

12:06 p.m. HearthStone Knits 11429 Concord Village Ave., St. Louis, MO 63123 (314) 849-9276

12:44 p.m. Snack Break at Ted Drewe's

1:07 p.m. Knitorious 3268 Watson Rd, St. Louis, MO 63139 (314) 646-8276

1:51 p.m. Ewe Knit Yarns 7967 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, MO 63119 (314) 961-6933

2:20 p.m. Kirkwood Knittery 10724 Manchester Rd., Kirkwood, MO 63122 (314) 822-7222

3:03 p.m. The Loopy Ewe 2705 Dougherty Ferry Rd. Ste. 107, St. Louis, MO 63122 (314) 835-9944

3:51 p.m. Knit and Caboodle 330 S. Main St., Saint Charles, MO 63301 (636) 916-0060

4:28 p.m. Weaving Dept. at Myers House 180 W. Dunn Rd., Florissant, MO 63031 (314) 921-7800

5:22 p.m. Knit One, Weave Too 303 North Main Street, Edwardsville Il 62025 (618) 692-6950

The one we have left for tomorrow... The Bead Place 5200 North Illinois, Suite102, Fairview Heights, IL 62208 (618) 222-0772

With all of that yarn shop shopping, here is my haul...

8 oz of Frabjous Fibers BFL Top in "Hespera" and 12 oz of Dragonfly Fibers Merino/Silk 65/35 in "Texas Bluebonnet"

It was mainly a book day. I did score one skein of yarn, Dream in Color, Everlasting Sock, in "Amethyst." I obviously love Berroco books... and got some others, too!

I have to go easy on the yarn. I already have so much that I think it is starting to breed.

On top of that, I came home to find my order (shop update and monthly clubs) from Southern Cross Fibre had arrived. Oh, my! I just got into the monthly "club" for SCF this month (after a year+ waiting list), and also ended up reading the Ravelry SCF group and noticing that an update was going up at a certain time (which always sells out in a few minutes). The owner, David, has many great spinning tips on his blog, a clever toe-up sock pattern for any gauge (especially useful for handspun, with several examples like this one), and wonderful handspun sweater pictures.

On the left are the two colors for the monthly club, Tapenade (top) and Spinnaker (bottom), and then the update colors, Uluru, Night in the Forest, Wave Rock, and Into the Jungle
Much spinning and knitting loveliness in my future...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Gabby the Garden Monster

2011-07-26T18:39:00.000-05:00

After making Iris III last week, I received much pressuring from Mitchell in a renewed bid for Gabby. He had picked Gabby out of The Big Book of Monsters when I bought the book a while back, and I hadn't made her, yet. He didn't forget...

One of the fun things about Rebecca Danger's monsters is that they each have a backstory. Here's what the book says about Gabby:

Gabby currently resides in a lovely vegetable garden. She's a socially awkward monster and feels most comfortable talking to fruits and vegetables. In particular she likes tomatoes (I think she sees some family resemblance there, but she denies it every time I ask), but she's more than happy to talk to lettuce, zucchini, broccoli, snap peas, and even carrots. She enjoys cracking jokes with the veggies. Her favorite joke, the one that keeps her rolling on the ground with laughter for hours? "What did the garden vegetables say? Lettuce, turnip, and pea!"

Talking to the Baby Cucumbers

Flirting with the Blackberry Vines

Basking with the Roses

Cabbage Jacuzzi

Coaxing the Tomatoes

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

TdF Final Day

2011-07-24T15:34:00.000-05:00

I finished plying "Homeward," "Buccaneer" and "Integument," for a total of 982 yards. I had quite a bit of Buccaneer left over, for 92 yards of 3-ply with just Buccaneer.

It isn't quite as much yardage as I was hoping for... I may have to use the Buccaneer yardage for cuffs/trim...

Happy Spinning,
Lisa Kay

Iris III

2011-07-23T19:19:00.001-05:00

Today was my nephew's 2nd birthday party. I wasn't able to attend, given my recovery from surgery (I didn't even go to lunch with Chris and Mitchell when they went out), but I did send a gift. Last week, I made Dane an Iris.

She is made of Dream in Color, Classy, in the color "Bermuda Teal."

You may recall Iris and Iris II, which I made for Mitchell. I've also made Daphne and Delilah by Rebecca Danger. Rebecca recently published a book, "The Big Book of Knitted Monsters," which expands the monster family beyond the individual patterns available at her Danger Crafts shop.

Mitchell still takes his first Iris with him a good part of the time. I hope Dane enjoys his Iris, as well.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 22: Home Stretch

2011-07-23T18:56:00.000-05:00

Next to the last day...

I finished the last two bobbins of Southern Cross Fibre, "Homeward," the one in the middle. So I have two skeins of 3-ply left in order to finish with this yarn. I may be able to do it by tomorrow, which is the last TdF day.

In the shot above, the first 3-ply skein is on the upper left, done yesterday. The individual colors, as a reminder, left to right (bobbins on top, rovings on bottom):
Two Sisters Stringworks, “Integument”
Southern Cross Fibre “Homeward”
Southern Cross Fibre “Buccaneer”

And the shot below is everything I've spun during TdF.

Hedgehog Fibres, Unnamed, 8 oz, 400 yds. (2/3 of singles done before TdF)
Spunky Eclectic “Twilight,” and Funky Carolina, “Some Simple Song,” 16 oz, 725 yds.
Second skein of item 2.
All Spun Up, Nov/Dec 2009 Spin Along Fiber, 8 oz, 330 yds.
Art Club Cuckoobatts, “Meadow,” “Purple Queen,” and “April Showers,” 9 oz, 280 yds.
Pigeonroof Studios Luminosity Club (Red), 8 oz, 415 yds.
Pigeonroof Studios Luminosity Club (Green), 8 oz, 600 yds.
SCF “Homeward” and “Buccaneer” with TSS “Integument”, 12oz, 310 yds (plus another 24 oz of singles ready to ply).

Happy Spinning,
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 21: Challenge Day

2011-07-22T16:24:00.002-05:00

Well, I have spun quite a bit over the last 24 hours, which was my particular challenge due to the surgery I had, yesterday. (Prescription painkillers have helped! Hah!)

I finished my first bobbin of SCF Homeward the I started yesterday morning, and then plied it with the SCF Buccaneer and Two Sisters Stringworks Integument. I also spun two more bobbins of Integument, so I only have 2 out of 9 bobbins of singles still to do. I went ahead and plied the one skein of 3-ply because I only have six bobbins.

The first 3-ply skein is about 310 yards of aran.

Happy Spinning!
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 20: Homeward

2011-07-21T06:10:00.001-05:00

Wow, not intentional, but "Homeward" is what I am, today. I'm having my gall bladder out this morning, and so I am about to spend a few days at home. Hopefully, I will feel well enough to spin in short order. Since tomorrow is the "Challenge Day," it may be my challenge to just do some spinning. We'll see. To cheer me up and motivate me, I won a Day 19 prize in the Ravelry daily drawing. There were 498 posts on yesterday's entries, and two numbers were randomly pulled, so this is a fairly lucky thing. I picked, from the prize list, 100g of fiber from Wharfedale Woolworks.

Last night and this morning, I finished the first bobbin of "Integument" (seen in yesterday's post and to the right, above... the green one), and I started Southern Cross Fibre's "Homeward" on Falkland. I only got about a third of the first bump spun. I laid the "Buccaneer" and "Integument" bobbins alongside it on the wheel to see how it would look (shown above). I'm not sure the green goes as well with the blue/purple as I had in mind, but we shall see...

Happy Spinning,
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 19: Integument

2011-07-20T05:56:00.000-05:00

I started spinning my Two Sisters Stringworks corriedale fiber, colorway Integument. I've never spun corriedale before, and I love it. I had the feeling that I had broken through some barrier in my spinning, but I think it was the wool. It is wonderful!

Happy Spinning!
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 18: More Buccaneer

2011-07-19T05:58:00.000-05:00

Between late Sunday (after my day 16 post), Monday (which was a TdF day of rest), and this morning, I finished my second and third bobbin of the Southern Cross Fibre "Buccaneer."

I'm planning to ply it with Southern Cross Fibre "Homeward" (blue/white/brown)...

...and Two Sisters Stringworks Integument (green/brown), three each, for a generous sweater quantity.

So, my next step is to get spinning a couple colors of singles...

Happy Spinning!
Lisa Kay

BFF Progress - One Sock

2011-07-17T13:49:00.000-05:00

I finished the first BFF sock in Gradiance. I like the Tinsel Toes yarn. It has a nice shine.

Happy Knitting!
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 16: Buccaneer

2011-07-17T13:44:00.001-05:00

I received my first Southern Cross Fibre this week, purchased as "destash" on Ravelry... I have three of these. The first bobbin is done. I dropped it on the front porch going out of the house and cracked the bobbin. I'll have to find the wood glue...

Happy Spinning,
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 15: Green Luminosity Plied

2011-07-16T15:04:00.001-05:00

About dk weight...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 14: Green Bobbins Done

2011-07-15T18:52:00.000-05:00

I finished the second bobbin of Green Luminosity this afternoon. I'll probably ply it early tomorrow.

The lower picture shows the first bobbin on the right.

Happy Spinning!
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 12: More Green Luminosity

2011-07-13T05:27:00.000-05:00

I started the second bobbin of the green Luminosity, and I'm happy with the brighter color. The first bobbin of olive will tone it down. I'm posting early in the day because I'm traveling this afternoon and won't get to spin any more today. I'm also going to miss tomorrow (Day 13) for the same trip, getting back around bedtime tomorrow. I'm not really superstitious, but I suppose that if I'm going to have to miss a day, then Day 13 may as well be the one!

Happy Spinning!
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 11: Green Luminosity

2011-07-12T17:53:00.001-05:00

Day 10 was a rest day. :)

I spun the first half of my green Pigeonroof Studios Luminosity Club yarn. The second bump is brighter and should highlight it nicely. I think the green yarn will look nice with the red in a vest or something striped.

Happy Spinning,
Lisa Kay

Mingus Socks Done

2011-07-10T15:44:00.003-05:00

The June/July KAL socks are done. (Previous posts here and here.) I've been a little distracted, spinning... in case you didn't notice! :)

The July/August sock pattern is BFF, a simple cable design. I've started it using The Unique Sheep's Tinsel Toes yarn in a Gradiance colorway called "Cheer." The Gradiance colors are sets of four colors that are alternated to make the sock change color from one tip to the other.

There are sock instructions for using the yarns on The Unique Sheep site, here. It occurs to me that a person could use four custom-mixed handspun colors following the same basic instructions. Hmmm...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 9: Red Lumiosity Done

2011-07-10T15:33:00.000-05:00

I spun the second four-ounce single bobbin (lower right) and plied the two bobbins together (lower left) this morning. I'm ready for the "day of rest" tomorrow!

Happy Spinning,
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 8: Cuckoobatts Plied and Luminosity Started

2011-07-09T16:25:00.001-05:00

I'm really happy with the way the Cuckoobatt plying turned out, all the purples at one end, a bit of green and purple transition, and then green. Yea!

I also started on eight ounces of Pigeonroof Studios Luminosity club, the reds... BFL and silk. One bobbin is done. Bobbin two tonight and/or tomorrow...

Happy Spinning,
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 7: More Cuckoobatts

2011-07-08T20:35:00.000-05:00

I finished the second and last bobbin of Cuckoobatts. I'll ply the two in the morning.

There is less purple on the second bobbin, so the colors will blend. I'm curious to see how it will turn out...

Happy Spinning,
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 6: Art Club Cuckoobatts

2011-07-07T20:04:00.001-05:00

I started the last fibers in my "goal" pile, today… so I may get quite a bit more done by the 24th than I expected! The fiber is Art Club Cuckoobatts, April Showers (3.5 oz), Meadow (2.25 oz) and Purple Queen (2.25 oz). I split each color in two piles and spun the first half (some of each color) into a single, to ply with the other half, later. Colors were spun in sequence, greens first, going for one long color gradient in the yarn.

Happy Spinning,
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 5: All Spun Up, Plying Finished

2011-07-06T19:55:00.000-05:00

I finished plying the All Spun Up Falkland. It is about 325 yards of 10 wpi (heavy worsted / bulky). I really like the way the lime green and gold pop out on the dark background.

It's on to batts, next...

Happy Spinning,
Lisa Kay

Swimming

2011-07-06T04:44:00.000-05:00

Swimming plans were rained out twice over the weekend, and we rushed to the pool after work on Tuesday to get in a belated swim. Mitchell is getting very comfortable in the water, and he's starting to just plunk under the surface and go for it!

Happy Knitting!
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 4: All Spun Up Singles Finished, Plying Started

2011-07-06T04:36:00.000-05:00

I made good progress on the All Spun Up fiber, and I should be able to finish plying, today.

Clockwise from the lower right:
- All Spun Up fiber (8 oz of Falkland)
- Second bobbin of singles
- Plying begun (should finish easily, today)
- Side view of single and plying bobbin
- Larger wheel shot... Note the bulky flier and bobbin. I've had it on/off the wheel three times in four days! My folks got me the bulky flier for Christmas a while back. Very handy! I can ply 8 oz of fiber onto one bobbin with room left over! I'm planning a 3-ply, 12 oz yarn... I wonder if I'll be able to get that onto one bulky bobbin?

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 3: Spunky Eclectic and Funky Carolina-- Plied, and All Spun Up Singles-- Started

2011-07-04T19:37:00.000-05:00

I spun the last four ounces of Spunky Eclectic, Twilight, and then plied the eight ounces of Twilight singles with eight ounces of Some Simple Song. Notice how one of the skeins has a lot more green (in the Twilight). The same skein also had more brown in the Some Simple Song, so the overall color looks quite a bit different.

I also spun the first four ounces of All Spun Up singles. I like the way the color is mainly dark, with hints of gold and green. I have decided to just ply this with itself, not another colorway. It won't be enough for a garment, but perhaps I can stripe it with another yarn for a vest.

I made a lot more progress this weekend than I really expected to make. I won't go as fast during work days...

Happy Spinning,
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 2: Some Simple Song and Twilight

2011-07-04T03:11:00.001-05:00

Clockwise from lower right:

1. Funky Carolina, Some Simple Song, 8 oz
2. Spunky Eclectic, Twilight, 8 oz
3. FC, strips, ready to spin
4. SE, 4 oz spun
5. FC, 8 oz spun
6. All three bobbins (4oz each) on the wheel/lazy kate)

The SE Twilight was surprising, given the roving picture... About half this first 4oz is green. The roving picture shown is only one of the two 4oz packages, and the other package had a lot more green. The green pieces were first, so it is covered on the bobbin. It will be interesting, in the final yarn...

For day 3, I have to do the last 4 oz of Twilight, and ply!

Happy Spinning!
Lisa Kay

TdF Day 1: Hedgehog

2011-07-02T16:10:00.001-05:00

Clockwise from bottom left:

1. Hedgehog fiber, 8 oz (Picture taken many moons ago.)

2. Singles on the Ladybug. Bottom two were before TdF. Top bobbin was today.

3. Top bobbin, close up

4. WPI of 3-ply is 10 (Heavy worsted)

5. Niddy Noddy is 66” (5.5’) per wrap. 217 wraps here, for about 397 yds.

6. Skeined, not washed, yet

7. 3-ply on the bulky Ladybug bobbin. (All 397 yards on one bobbin.)

8. Leftover after 3-plying, made into an N-ply, for approximately 21 yds.

Happy Spinning!
Lisa Kay

Stash for Tour de Fleece

2011-07-01T17:53:00.001-05:00

I gathered some stash with the Tour de Fleece in mind. It is more than I can reasonably accomplish, but it is a thought process...

Clockwise from upper left:

Spunky Eclectic, Twilight, 8 oz
All Spun Up, Unnamed, Nov/Dec 09 spin along fiber, 8 oz
Funky Carolina, Some Simple Song, 8 oz
Hedgehog Fibers, Unnamed, 8 oz (2/3 is spun prior to TdF… need to finish singles and ply…)
Art Club Cuckoobatts, Meadow, 4 oz
Art Club Cuckoobatts, Purple Queen, 4 oz

I think that the SE and FC can be plied together, and the ASU and batts can be plied together, for two 1 lb yarns.

Happy Spinning!
Lisa Kay

Le Tour de Fleece

2011-06-30T19:50:00.001-05:00

I believe I am about to be "whorled" into le Tour de Fleece. The group of spinners runs a spin-along of sorts in concert with the bicycle race, Tour de France. It starts Saturday! From July 2 though July 24, the group spins every day except Monday the 11th and Monday 18th, when the cyclists rest. There is a special challenge day on the 22nd, when the cyclists have their hilliest ride. There is a Ravelry group for le Tour de Fleece. There are different groups associated with cyclist groups (like The Peloton) or different fiber dyers or wheel makers. I joined Schacht (since I spin on a Ladybug). Participants are encouraged to post progress pictures daily... Hmmm... I'm not sure I need another project, you know? Still, it seems so cool! (I'm such a joiner.)

Happy Spinning,

Lisa Kay

Summer's Last Blast Yarn Crawl

2011-06-28T05:42:00.002-05:00

St. Louis area knit shops are doing another yarn crawl this year, the last weekend in July. I am not sure how much I'll be able to participate, as I am having a surgery one week before this, but I hope to be able to go to at least a few shops. There are twice as many stops this year as last year!!!

BAH! Yarns 805 Franklin Ave, Washington, MO 63090 (636) 390-2400

The Bead Place 5200 North Illinois, Suite102, Fairview Heights, IL 62208 (618) 222-0772

Ewe Knit Yarns 7967 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, MO 63119 (314) 961-6933

HearthStone Knits 11429 Concord Village Ave., St. Louis, MO 63123 (314) 849-9276

The Heavenly Ewe 1716 Old Missouri State Rd., Arnold, MO 63010 (636) 287 1231

Kirkwood Knittery 10724 Manchester Rd., Kirkwood, MO 63122 (314) 822-7222

Knit and Caboodle 330 S. Main St., Saint Charles, MO 63301 (636) 916-0060

Knit One, Weave Too 303 North Main Street, Edwardsville Il 62025 (618) 692-6950

Knitorious 3268 Watson Rd, St. Louis, MO 63139 (314) 646-8276

The Loopy Ewe 2705 Dougherty Ferry Rd. Ste. 107, St. Louis, MO 63122 (314) 835-9944

Weaving Dept. at Myers House 180 W. Dunn Rd., Florissant, MO 63031 (314) 921-7800

Wool Gatherings 510 N. West Ave., Eureka, MO 63025 (636) 221-2826

The dates and times:
Thursday, July 28th - 10 am to 8 pm
Friday, July 29th - 10 am to 8 pm
Saturday, July 30th - 10 am to 5 pm
Sunday, July 31st - 12 pm to 5 pm

Passports for the crawl will be available online before the crawl or during the crawl at any of the participating shops. There is an event page on Ravelry at the Kirkwood Knittey group. They are providing prize drawing entry for anyone visiting half the shops, and grand prizes drawing from folks visiting all the shops. Get ready to crawl!

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

ETA: Map to all stores.
ETA: I recommend printing your "passport" ahead of time, in case the first store you visit is hectic. I found a copy to print on the calendar page of Knit One Weave Too.

Mingus, One Down

2011-06-26T09:09:00.000-05:00

I finished my first Mingus sock for the June/July Knit Sock Love KAL (Ravelry Forum Link). The group is actually doing Stricken for June/July, but I substituted this time.

The Mingus pattern is downloadable from the pattern link, above. Striken and the other official KAL patterns are all out of the "Knit. Sock. Love." book by Cookie A. Knit Picks is having a 40% off book sale until August 15, so you can pick it up at a bargain. You can join the KAL in any month, with prizes from the sponsors every month.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Undercurrent

2011-06-23T18:23:00.000-05:00

I am thrilled to report I have a sweater pattern in the "First Fall 2011" issue of Knitty. It is called Undercurrent. :)

Link to the Ravelry Undercurrent pattern page
Link to the Knitty Undercurrent pattern page

Happy Knitting!
Lisa Kay

June Quasi Club

2011-06-23T05:37:00.001-05:00

The offering of the June Quasi Club from Zen Yarn Garden has been announced. It is a lovely cool option, after the warm red of the Japanese Red Maple...

It is called Frosted Lilac, and it is available at the Zen Yarn Garden Club page until July 17, in Serenity worsted, fingering, and lace. I haven't quite decided what I want to make, yet. Perhaps something from BabyCocktails, again... I like the Gibson shell, though it calls for dk weight. Or perhaps a little sweater in fingering? I have been looking at the Vitamin D design by Heide Kirrmaier... Decisions, decisions!

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Rhombus Pair Done

2011-06-19T19:35:00.000-05:00

I finished the May/June sock, Rhombus, on Saturday.

I started the June/July sock. I'm substituting a pattern, Mingus, in this case... (You can do that four times during the book KAL, for any other Cookie A sock pattern.) I'm knitting with a sponsor yarn, again, in this case, Claudia Hand Painted Yarns in the colorway, "Yo! Sailor Boy!"

I really like this pattern. The twisted stitches are fun (without being nearly as much trouble as Rhombus).

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Pandamania

2011-06-18T16:34:00.000-05:00

Last week was the annual vacation bible school at Gpa and Gma W's church. They help with the VBS and Mitchell attends. Pandamania was the theme. It bears a striking similarity to a movie we recently saw... no names needed, I imagine.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Daddy's Boy

2011-06-12T15:43:00.000-05:00

It is always amazing to see the love between these two.

We are very blessed!

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Cassis Done

2011-06-12T15:03:00.000-05:00

I finished the Cassis sweater... Pattern by Thea Colman of BabyCocktails... Yarn by Zen Yarn Garden (Serenity Worsted in the Quasi Club colorway, "Japanese Red Maple.")

Notes and mods on the Ravelry project page.

I used down to the last "less than a row" bits of the 8 skeins I purchased. I still have one skein of matching Serenity 20 sock yarn, so, clearly, matching socks are required...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Spring Gardening

2011-06-06T18:33:00.000-05:00

Chris has been diligently planting vegetables...

My goodness, he's been busy. I'm sure I'll be able to tease him with a recurring line in Avatar: The Last Airbender... "My cabbages!"

Meanwhile, I have done little or no gardening this spring, but I've been enjoying the faithful return of my perennials!

Yellow: Hollyhocks; purple: Clematis.

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Rhombus - One Done

2011-06-04T15:46:00.000-05:00

I finished my first Rhombus...

Happy Knitting,
Lisa Kay

Cassis Started

2011-05-22T10:16:00.002-05:00

I received my Zen Yarn Garden club yarn, the Japanese Red Maple, last week. Here are two of the eight skeins of Serenity Worsted:

And the one skein of Serenity 20 fingering weight, for matching socks:

I started Cassis on my birthday eve. I'm six rows past the end of the collar, just starting the shoulder shaping and the front lace panels. Here's the inside of the collar (which will show):

... and the outside of the collar (which will be hidden):

Happy Knitting!
Lisa Kay

It's Rough Out There

2011-05-19T04:46:00.000-05:00

Zachary regularly runs the ball to the goal. There seems to be a reason...

After all, soccer is a contact sport!

I'll stick to my knitting.
Lisa Kay