Pattern: Doublish by Alexandra Tinsley

Yarn: Noro Taiyo Sock

Needles: US 4 (3.5 mm) circulars

Dates: April 4 - 24, 2012

@Ravelry

Wandering around my LYS back in September, this yarn was the only thing that caught my eye. I imagined it as a cute little shawl that would match most of my shirts and and upgrade my usual minimalist style. This idea lingered through Holiday Knitting 2011 and through a prolonged bit of finish-itis. Several projects fewer on the needles, I cast on for this shawl. After I got through the first few rows, I was a woman obsessed. The colors were gorgeous and the pattern was easy enough to knit around town; however, the more rows I knit, the more I knew this shawl wasn’t for me. It was for my Mom. I think I knit a little bit faster after that because my Mom is awesome and totally knit worthy.

I also made one other thing for her and it stole the show. I’m going to have a hard time topping this one.

These are the Willamette Socks by Sara Morris. I’ve only been carrying them around in my purse since December 2011. Do not take the months I’ve been working on these socks as an indication of ill will. I love the pattern and the book, Shibui Socks, it came in. I fell in love with the patterns when I first saw them online and literally pounced on this book when I saw it at my LYS. The the photos are inspiring and the patterns are beatiful. Alameda and Ankeny are swiftly moving to the top of my sock knitting queue. 

Shibui Socks isn’t just a pretty book. The socks range from simple to complex and are a mix of toe-up and cuff down. The photos are large, clear, and show off the important details. The patterns have a nice layout and are easy to read. The charts are large and in charge. For the Willamette Socks, the charts take up an entire page. Full page charts make me so happy.

Okay, I’m done gushing. Back to my socks.

I am so close to binding off. A few more inches between the pair and I will be finished. Can’t wait. Even though it will be a few months before I can wear them.

Before you click over to something, here’s my knitting tip for the day: When you want to be absolutely sure that you’re knitting the same amount of ribbing on each sock, mark the first row with a locking stitch marker and keep knitting. Count the rows when you’ve reached your limit and repeat on the second sock. 

| - | - | - | - |

I have finally finished plying all three singles for my little experiment making a 3-ply yarn. The first single flew off my spindle. The second single ate all my mojo. The third single brought back my mojo with some to spare. I used a smaller spindle that weighs just over an ounce and is just the right size to slide the cop - the mass of single or plied yarn wrapped around the shaft - off to a straw.

It’s really funny how quickly a new tool can change a process. My first favorite spindle weighs 2.2 oz and has a shaft too large to slide a straw over. Every time I finished a single, I’d let it rest overnight and then wind the single onto a small dowel (a ball would work too). It’s more time consuming but worth the effort to get an empty spindle.

Trying to ply three separate singles from three separate straws is just a recipe for disaster but all three plies on a single ball is much more manageable. This method also works well with two singles but I’d hesitate to wrap more than four since it would be harder to keep all the strands evenly tensioned. Also, just wrapping a single around a ball would be a nice way to store it for later since the ball is an easy and tangle free way to start wrapping. 

I’m using a styrofoam ball since I have them on hand but tennis balls and felted beads work too.

Gather up all your ends and start wrapping. A pail or box will keep the singles from running off to the four corners of the world. 

Keep wrapping until you come to the end of a single and cut the rest to match. If you have extra like I do, you can wind them onto another ball to make a cute little mini skein. 

Next up, plying!

I’ve given up on the idea of visiting Reader everyday and knocking the unread count down to 0. With the current count at 909 items that is never going to happen short of just marking all as read. Instead, I’ve been just been reading and taking the time to enjoy good posts and good photos without worrying about the X number of blogs to read today. It freed up my mind to be inspired by and act on the things I saw instead of just filing ideas away for later. 

I read this post by the Yarn Harlot where she writes about tearing roving apart between color repeats to make self striping yarn. It totally blew my mind because I had never thought about using roving that way. So, I had to try it out. Photos will be forthcoming. 

On a new to me blog, Weekend Knitter, I read a post about the author knitting with some of her hand spun 3-ply. She described the yarn as plump and full. I’ve spun a lot of 2-ply but no 3-ply yarn and I wanted to try it out. Does 3-ply knit up differently than a 2-ply? How would processing the roving be different than for a 2-ply? How much longer would it take to spin a 3-ply?

So, I took the plunge. 3.5 oz of combed top was separated into 3 equal parts and those 3 parts were divided lengthwise 4 more times. Then a bit of pre-drafting was in order for a thinner single. The only thing that changed in the processing was how I split the roving and a greater amount of pre-drafting (aiming for a worsted or heavy worsted weight yarn). 

I’ve just finished spinning the second single and it’s taken a bit longer than spinning for a 2-ply. Is it because I’m spinning finer singles on a lighter spindle? Maybe. Probably. Only more experimentation will tell.  

There are days when spinning comes easy. I can pick up the spindle and find my rhythm immediately. Yarn just seems to spring from my fingers and all I have to do is wind it on the spindle before things touch the ground. The only time I have to make a join is when I need more fiber. I’m in the zone. 

Then are days where the spindle drops every 30 seconds and I’ve got a pile of loose, under spun fiber that couldn’t hold a paperclip off the ground. Bah. Once I get so frustrated that I want to jumble up everything into a giant felted ball, I put the spindle down and walk away. Better to calmly fix something the next day than rip it to shreds in frustration. Thankfully, fixing breaks isn’t a difficult, drawn out process.

| - | - | - | - |

When it’s time for more fiber, fan out the end of the fiber coming off the spindle and the end of the new fiber.

Overlap the two ends by about 3” and start drafting and adding twist. If you just add twist without drafting the join will be lumpy and bulkier than the surrounding single.

Keep spinning and keep joining and, soon enough, you’ll have a full spindle. 

| - | - | - | - |

Joining new fiber and fixing a broken single on a spindle are, essentially, the same process. Usually, a single breaks because there isn’t enough twist to hold it together. The ends won’t immediately untwist and become a frazzled mess but they won’t always salvageable. Sometimes, you just have to pull out the weak parts and get back to business. When joining two ends of single back together, just overlap the ends by about 6 to 12” and add more twist. Wind the join onto the spindle and keep going. That’s all there is to it.

If you have a broken single and need to join it a bit of un-spun fiber, draft out the fiber and overlap the two pieces by 12”. Wind yarn off the spindle to work with if need be. “Park and Draft” is your best friend here since it lets you slowly add twist and test the join to see if it holds. Plus, it might be more difficult to draft if the single was tightly spun. 

Good luck and don’t be afraid of a little practice.

Despite what all those posts about spinning might have told you, I do still knit. Some of is secret, some of it for commission, and some of it I just haven’t gotten around to photographing yet. These two little Saplings fall into the commission pile. Now that they’re finished and delivered I can show these off. 

I used my favorite yarn for baby hats, Elsebeth Lavold Cool Wool, which is a soft worsted weight wool cotton blend and great for spring time southern weather. It has wonderful stitch definition, holds it’s shape, and is machine washable. It does have a smaller gauge than recommended in the pattern though so I had to work the larger size to get a nicely sized and stretchy hat.

Since the hats were going to be a gift, a little tag with fiber content and care instructions was in order. Anything worth doing, is worth doing well. So, I wanted the tag to match the hat and share a theme. A cute little bow made from the same yarn as the hat fit the bill wonderfully.   

      Materials

• 2x4” piece of card stock (I used kraft paper)
• 4-6” length of leftover yarn used to make the gift
• Tapestry needle
• 1/8” hole punch
• Pen

1. Using the hole punch, make 2 holes in the card stock a half inch apart and a half inch from the top.
2. Under the holes, write the recipient’s name (I left this part blank), the fiber content, and care instructions underneath. 
3. Thread the yarn though the needle and push it through the holes so that both ends are hanging on the same side as the writing.
4. Tie a bow. Done!

The first post in this series was all about how to prepare fiber (combed top in this case) for spinning. In this post I’m getting down to business of spinning, well, starting to spin yarn without a leader. I’ve used a leader in the past but there is something magical about making yarn out of thin air. Just add a bit of twist to some fiber and BAM! Yarn. Plus, drafting and spinning this short section of fiber helps me understand the characteristics of an individual batch of fiber which helps me spin better yarn.

| - | - | - | - |

The great thing about about starting without a leader, a length of already spun yarn that helps put twist in fiber at the beginning of the spinning process, is that you don’t need any extra material to pull it off. Also, if you’re a beginner and can get started without the leader, you’ll already have the basics of spinning under your belt.

To start, you’ll need a drop spindle - high or low whorl - with a hook and a bit of fiber. 

Pick an end and slowly pull the fibers straight out bit by bit using both hands. One hand pulls and the other holds the top. The top between your hands should get thinner and longer. This is drafting.  You can draft out just a few inches now and start spinning, drafting as you go, or draft large sections now to make it easier to handle.

Once at least 6” have been drafted, it’s time to put the fiber on the spindle. Place the drafted fiber through the hook and fold back the first 2-3” to form a loop. Pinch the two ends together. When you pick the spindle up by the fiber, it should hang without falling.

Time for twist! Singles, un-plied yarn, are traditionally spun in a clockwise direction and plied together counter-clockwise. So, give your spindle a clockwise spin - rotating to the left - with your fingers. There should be so much twist that the fiber kinks up on itself. To keep the spindle from spinning back and removing all the twist, catch it in your hand and hold it between your thighs. 

Loosen your grip and slowly pull back the hand pinching the fiber to let the twist move into more and more of the drafted fiber. If the newly spun single starts to give out, give the spindle a few more turns to add more twist.

Once there’s 1 to 2’ of single on the spindle, wrap it around your pinching hand until you get back to the hook. Keeping your fingers pinched and the everything tight, carefully take the single off the hook.

Wrap the single around the shaft close to the whorl. A few wraps should keep everything in place. 

If spinning on a low whorl spindle, wrap the single around the shaft and tie it off with a half hitch or pass through a hook. For a high whorl spindle, just pull it up over the whorl so that it comes up behind and then through the hook.

All there is to do now to keep spinning, is repeat the process with both hands this time. Pinch. Twist. Draft. Pinch. Twist. Draft.

This video by Abby Franquemont and this one from TheArtofMegan.com really helped me get handle on the process. Of course, there’s no substitute for actual practice.

| - | - | - | - |

Up next in the Process Series, is joining fiber and fixing breaks.

This past weekend was the latest meeting for my favorite fiber guild. Once again, the meeting was worth getting up for at 8:15 on a Saturday morning. That’s one of the highest honors I can give. The topic this month was how to spin yarn on a drop spindle and I was so excited about it last month that I started early. So, I packed my spindle, some wool, and my finished yarn and headed over to the meeting.

The teacher had brought a few spindles from her collection and encouraged everyone to try them out.  I tried a few high whorl spindles and a few bottom whorls. I tried out light spindles and heavy spindles.    Part of the reason I went was try out different varieties of spindles and see if I actually liked what I liked. The verdict, low whorl spindles were and still are the way to go for me. I still like what I liked before so I came home with a few more. 

The one exception to the low whorl love is this wonderful high whorl that I couldn’t resist taking home with me. It’s the first high whorl spindle that I’ve actually liked. Plus, I can remove the whorl to pack it down for traveling. If only I could remember who made it. 

The second reason I went was to refine my technique a bit. Every single I’ve spun so far has been has been consistently worsted with a mix of really thin and really thick bits thrown in for good measure. When plied, the resulting yarn is bulky and wonderful but I want some variety. I don’t knit much with bulky yarn after all. The secret to thin singles and lighter yarn: a lighter spindle and a lot more prep work than I’ve been doing. My latest attempt is consistently thin and I might come up with a sport to worsted weight yarn this time. Let the plying begin!

What are your favorite ways to spin? Top whorl or bottom or wheel? Bulky yarn or fingering?    

This is Shadow, the resident cat here at Chez Strategos. He is a complete the task master and fancies himself quite the creative director. He’s talkative, friendly, and quite fluffy. One could even say that he’s quite a handsome cat. Never mind the extra fluff on his head. If he looks a bit freaked, that’s because...

...when I went out to feed him this morning, he was on the roof!

This is a cat that generally comes when called and meows at your feet when he arrives. He meowed when I called his name alright. I didn’t find him though until I looked up and behind me. After I got the expletives and required photographs out of the way, it was time to get him down. 

Next to the backdoor, Shadow has a little house of his own with wobbly, uneven legs and a wide flat roof. I climbed on top and could get my hands over the gutter. He wouldn’t come close enough for me to grab him. The next step up was the porch railing. (Note to self: get a step ladder.) Running through my mind at this point was that scene in Dead Like Me where the woman is trying to coax a cat out of a tree with a can of food while standing on a fence post. Spoiler Alert, she slips and she dies. She was also dressed far better than I was in my hoodie, pajama pants and sock monkey slippers. All I could think was:

Oh God, I’m going to fall and die or be horribly injured and they’re going to find me hours from now wearing sock monkey slippers.

Then I climbed up on to the railing. I could actually reach Shadow now and he came over. Happy as he was too see me, he wasn’t particularly pleased when I grabbed him and lifted him over the edge. There was plaintive meowing and mad scrabble to latch his claws onto the gutters. You’d think he didn’t want to get down. After my third attempt to unhook him, I succeeded and stepped back down to the porch. Once Shadow was within a few inches of solid ground, he started purring instead of crying for his life. 

Then we both had breakfast and all was right in our little corner of the world. Still, I can’t help thinking that I could’ve died while wearing sock monkey slippers. Truth be told, I’m still wearing them. They’re comfy, warm, and rather cute. So it wouldn’t have been all bad, you know, except for the dying part. That would suck.

Picking up spinning again was a lot like any other skill I’m trying to learn. First, I find this thing that sounds really cool and I would like to try. Prime examples: knitting, kumihimo, temari, origami, and bookbinding. Second, I hit the internet and research tools, tutorials, and techniques for days, weeks, and even months before I decide to make something a priority. Third, gather supplies. Fourth, actually do something. Anything to just get started. 

If I like that brand new started something, I keep doing it. I figure out how and why it works. I start experimenting. I get comfortable. I develop a process of how to do this awesome something from start to finish. With spinning, the realization that I knew what I was doing and that I had a process hit me all at once. I was absolutely giddy.  

So, I’m sharing my process. I hope that it will help you get started, come up with one of your own or, if you already know how to spin, see your process as something amazing and worth celebrating. 

| - | - | - | - |

Step 1: Stash Diving. Since my first, short-lived attempt at spindle spinning, I’ve been buying fiber. Not much. Just enough to have something to choose from when I came back to the spindle. The stash has served me well in that regard. For this attempt, I picked out 4 oz. of Blue Face Swirl (Naked) from Gale’s Art.

Step 2: Inspection. This batch of fiber was twisted up like a skein of yarn. So, I opened it up just like a skein of yarn. Then I spread everything out and got a sense of the color distribution and how much 4 oz. of fiber actually looks like.

Step 3: Division. I didn’t pick out this fiber with any particular project in mind. I just wanted to try my hand at a 2-ply yarn. So, I split the entire length of combed top down the middle. 

Step 4: Wrangling. There’s a brief pause for a little “eeny, meeny, miny, moe” to decide which half to use first. The “not it” bit is crochet chained to keep it whole and safe until I need it. I take one end, make a loop, and tuck in the tail to make a big circle.

Next, pull a loop through the circle. Pull a new loop loosely through the last loop and continue. Eventually, all the roving is gathered up and easy to handle. At the end, I just pull the roving through the last loop to keep it together. This is the only bit of crochet I know.

That giant circle I made at the beginning? That’s how I know to work from the opposite end since a crochet chain can only be pulled out from the end and not the beginning. Just pull the tail out and and take apart the chain as you need it.

| - | - | - | - |

Next post, I’ll get back to the other half of the fiber and start spinning. 

This bit of purple wool was the first thing I spun when I picked up the spindle again. So many questions were going through my head. How much yardage would I get? Should I ply it and should it be 2-ply or Navajo? I hadn’t the slightest idea what to do which worried me but eventually decided I’d figure it out later. Three weeks have gone by and the decision was no where near as stressful. It’s staying a single. No second thoughts about it.

Finally had a reason to dig out my niddy-noddy. It’s been wrapped in plastic for far too long.

While winding the first skein, I decided my second bit of spinning would get the single treatment too.

They both got their own bath and were set out to dry. A drying rack and cans of assorted coconut products “blocked” the yarn and helped balance the twist. 

I have a question. Does weighting yarn while it dries actually balance twist or just hide it until the yarn is knitted?

Dry! Finally! You have no idea how much I wanted to used a hair dryer to speed up the process. Also, the yarn is no longer doing its best “Z” impression. 

They’ve been a long time coming but these are my first two skeins since I picked up the spindle again. I’ve petted them. I’ve squeezed them. I’ve buried my face in them them and inhaled. That last bit probably made me look a bit crazy but I can’t be the only one that does that. Right? Someone, please tell me you do that too. If not, you should.

What I’m trying to say is that I don’t regret trying my hand at spindling and spending my time learning to spin. I love it. I want to keep doing it. I want to research and experiment and go wild. I want to keep making yarn and, occasionally, wearing it like a mustache. That’s just the kind of lady I am.

Today, I was plying some yarn and documenting the process. I had my ball of singles, a bowl to hold said ball, my spindle, a sheet of foam board, and the camera. Everything is going well. My spindle is filling up with luscious, freshly plied yarn and I was getting photos of the entire process. I took a photo and put down the camera on some freed singles. Then I start plying again. Ever so briefly I wondered what the singles were caught on before I looked down to see them helping the camera over the edge. 

I dropped the spindle to grab the camera.
Saved the camera but bumped into the board. 
The board and everything starts going over the side.
Grabbed the bowl.
Grabbed the board.
Grabbed the camera again. 
Lost the singles over the 10’ side.

Learn from my mistakes people. Wear the blasted camera from a strap around your neck. Also, photograph on the edge only as a last resort. These are your Pro Tips for the day.

Pattern: Howlcat by Alex Tinsley of Dull Roar

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish (Dark Navy) and Knit Picks Stroll (Pumpkin)

Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm)

Dates: February 6 - 20, 2012

@Ravelry

This bit of knitting is for the Bearded One who, when I asked if he wanted a scarf or a cowl, said both.  I fiddled around with designing a cowl pattern to match his favorite hat but no luck. I am having better luck with the scarf though. Anyway, at one fateful knit night, someone reminded me of this pattern and the cowl dilemma was solved. The knitting was simple, good for running about town, and great for when I wanted to knit without thinking. 

It’s been a big hit too. Warm, cosy, and infinitely wearable. The following are Bearded One approved ways to wear the Howlcat.

As a hat with a twist and the bottom layer folded over.

As a cowl with one color folded over scrunched up.

A hungry, hungry stocking cap.

Like a sir.

When he annoys me.

People, I have been spinning. At least 20 minutes everyday since the Monday before last and today is Day 11. I haven’t spun with a project in mind or even a plan but I do have a purpose. 

Practice. Learn. Just make yarn.

I’m not worrying about what to make with it or about the yardage I’m adding to my stash on a daily basis. Seriously, I haven’t even decided if I’m going to ply any of it or keep it as singles. I’m just spinning to spin. Building up a little muscle memory doesn’t hurt either.

Can I just say how powerful it is to do something everyday? It hasn’t even been two weeks and my spinning is more consistent and more comfortable. I can set the spindle turning and start drafting fiber. I don’t have to “park and draft” anymore. It was an amazing moment when that switch flipped over in my brain and it still is. I have more rhythm drafting and I’m not always fighting the twist. Less than two weeks and I’ve leveled up. It’s awesome. Makes me want to throw a daily 20 minutes at a few other things I’ve been meaning to get back to. Sketchbook and kettle bells, I’m looking at you. 

So, pick 20 minutes a day to spin, to draw, to knit, to write, to practice, to meditate, to workout even. Do something you’ve always wanted to try or something you want to get back to. Pretty soon, you’ll level up too and you won’t regret it. 

Pattern: Speedline by Alexandra Tinsley
Yarn: Madelinetosh Vintage: Silver Fox (~2 skeins) and Candlewick (~1 skein) 
Needles: US 6 (4 mm) circulars
Final Size: 66” x 23”
January 2 - 16, 2012
@Ravelry

Testing approved modes of wear include: wrapped up like a cowl under a jacket/hoodie, pulled up over your nose when the wind is biting, and worn like a giant bandana with the tips tucked under. That last one is my personal favorite since it keeps me cosy and shows off my handiwork at the same time.

Cast on 400 stitches using 2 different yarns and you’d want to show off your handiwork too. Plus, it does make a lovely edge detail. My main modification was to just keep knitting in pattern since I had a lot of yarn left when over when it came time to bind off. The widest grey stripe had 18 rows or 9 repeats. My detailed notes on the subject say I had 86 stitches on the last grey row. Then it was just repeating rows 2 and 3 until I had 4 stitches left. Bind off. 4 stitches are a lot more manageable than 400. 

There was other result of the testing which I should feel I should warn you about. People will want it. My very own mother said she would make off with it at her earliest opportunity. Gotta keep my guard up.