spinning update

About a year and a half ago I was knitting up a Baby Surprise Jacket from some handspun. I ran out of fiber before then end, and even though some more had been handdyed for me I never did pick the jacket up again. I made that little blue sweater from different handspun instead for the intended baby and unraveled the BSJ entirely.

Sometime in mid June though, I picked that handspun up again and decided to whip up a pair of socks. I always swore I’d never make handspun socks, especially since I know now how sad it is to get hole in handknit ones.

These socks, however, are strictly for wearing at home, after a day of being out in the cold. I’m looking forward to wearing them in the darker months.

Speaking of spinning, I decided to bring my spindle along on my first mini-vacation of the year and it was a success. I’m planning on bringing it again when I go away later this month. I’ve even been spindle spinning a bit at home. I thought I’d never get back into it now that I have a wheel, but there’s something quite comforting in spinning up fiber so slowly. I think it might be a lesson in patience.

I’ve been using March’s AVFKW club fiber, Manka’s Thicket.

It’s spinning up into a lovely heathered yarn that I’m hoping to make into a 3-ply, possibly with the wheel. I’ve never done a 3-ply on a spindle before and I’m not so sure how it would work.

I suppose I’ll find out though.

catch up

In the next few weeks I hope to catch up on telling you all about the stuff I’ve been knitting for the past few months. I’ve been bad at taking photos of what I’m working on lately, but I think I rectified that this week.

First up, my finished Icarus.

I finished this shawl back at the beginning of June. Icarus was a super easy knit, since the body of the shawl is just stockinette with some yarn-overs. I’m getting into a huge silk phase and this yarn just made me even hungrier for it. It’s part of Blue Moon’s Raven collection, bought during my trip to Toronto last Easter. The yarn is 100% superfine silk and it feels so nice on my shoulders. It’s going to look nice with a dress too, if I ever wear one again.

I made this shawl because I wanted to have a big, comfy, handknit to bring to classes in the fall. I’m going back to school in September to study Graphic Design and my schedule will be awfully full (classes from 9-5 every day) until December. I figured I should get as many big projects underway as possible this summer, so I can wrap myself in handknits as a consolation for not being able to knit as often as I can now.

back

Tuesday night I got back from a visit to my in-laws. Even though it rained most of the trip I managed to get a fine sunburn during our day at the beach.

I had never been swimming in Lake Huron before, and I must say it was the finest lake beach I had ever been to. Fine lovely sand, warm water, sunbathers everywhere and funnel cakes too!

I even saw a bunch of seagulls steal someone’s hamburger, which was pretty hilarious.

My in-laws had a robin’s nest in their garage with eggs that hatched while we were there.

It was a pretty fun trip. We even got to pick strawberries from a neighbor’s garden.

checking in

There’s been a lack of posting around here due to me doing all kinds of summery things. I just got back from having ice cream (Earl Grey and Lemon) and tonight we’ll have some beer and a balcony dinner which will probably involve tofu.

On Friday morning I’m leaving for a long weekend of lake swimming and family visiting. I’m still deciding what to knit and may even bring my spindle if I can’t come up with anything worthwhile. Catch you on the flipside.

restless

I’ve been attending Montreal’s Fringe Festival since Friday and I’ve seen over 20 shows now. Usually, early on in the Fringe I start to get inspired by all the great sights and sounds and I get a little itchy to make things. This year I held out until today. I’ve skipped all the shows I planned on seeing tonight because it seemed like my head was swimming with ideas and I needed to free them. The problem is, I don’t know where to begin to get started. After seeing Teen Sleuth & the Freed Cyborg Choir I wanted to remake my entire wardrobe. I also want to draw flowers and carve stamps and do about a million other things…

I’m thinking that the only thing that held me together this long were those mittens I was making. The ideas were safely locked in my head as long as I had cables to read off of charts. The mittens are finished, washed and drying. Now what do I do?

Flickr Faves, ninth edition

This time it’s all mittens, socks and diagonal lines with some cables & colorwork thrown in.

I figured out how to link my photos back to Flickr (it’s about time), so clicking the mosaic should take you to more info.

mitten one, take two

I got through most of my first Sweet Druid mitten the other day when the time came to admit that it was too small. I had been trying to deny it for days, but there’s nothing worse than a beautiful mitten in your favorite color that is just too small.

So I started over. At least now I’m much better at reading the symbols on the giant chart.

They don’t look like much now, but when they’re done they’ll be stunning.

mail

I had a pretty sweet mail day last week. I got some concert tickets and three skeins of Sundara, some of which came with these cool Swedish banana stamps.

My favorites are the four food stamps in the corner. I wish the top right one could be breakfast every morning.

But I haven’t even shown you what was inside the Swedish package.

It’s Sundara Fingering Silky Merino in Flaming Flamingoes and Caramel Apple, found for a steal on Ravelry.

I have a ton of unblogged projects that I don’t know when I’ll get around to photographing. The weather may have behaved this weekend for the two bike rides I participated in, but it’s turned now and everything is very grey.

finished

Whew. I got a little obsessed with my Icarus shaw for a while there. I couldn’t even cast anything else on and I skipped yoga class last night just to finish the last few rows. All that’s left now is blocking. Unfortunately I won’t be able to wear it to Beer Fest tonight, but it will just have to have some other illustrious debut. Festival season in Montreal has only just begun.

coffee

After watching last year’s cold-brewed coffee trend regenerate across the internet once again this season, I’ve happily joined in with my own jar. I just wish the weather was a bit warmer.

My favorite part is pouring the milk in and watching it swirl.