Intrepid Fiber Wizard

From the depths of the closet

The month of October is whirring by. And the rainy season has begun for us.

Whenever this hard rain begins, I get the urge to reorganize my closets.. funny how it happens now and not in the spring.. but it's true.

Last week, it was my yarn and fiber closet that got the "purge". and Here is what I found buried within its depths:

Lions and Tigers and UFO's - oh my!!

there are:

4 pairs of socks

1 fair isle headband class project

3 lace shawls

1 scarf

1 pair failed leg warmers

1 failed cotton sleeveless pullover

 

and this doesn't even COUNT  the in progress items that I thought was all I had going (1 sweater, 1 shawl, 1 scarf and 2 pairs of socks)

Clearly an intervention was needed.

And so I had my own little frog party (the cats were not invited)

All that is remaining is to the left of center (the needles are the great divide)... It's down to 1 pair of socks (since these are 75% completed) and one shawl (since it is half finished).. And the rest - well, the yarn stands ready for its new creation. And the failed leg warmers? (they were the size that three people could put their leg into one and use it for gunny sack races) - those have been donated to charity.

Have you dared to look at what is lurking in your yarn closet recently?

A Day with the Peeps

It's been a couple of those  kind of weeks..... you know what I mean?

Between work at both jobs (lots and lots of hours), weekly chorus rehearsals & many practice hours, spending a bit of time with my daughter, spending a day with some of my fav local peeps, and my super secret stealth project for my Mom, the days flew by.
Phew.
and that's the truth.

I pretty much feel like I fell into a hole (a knitting hole) - in a good way. It was total immersion - and the particular project I selected took all of my free hours. I enjoyed this knit so very much. I can't wait to show you.. (YES, I finished it tonight!!!). yet you will just have to wait until it finishes blocking, and Mom has it in her hands (grins).

if you absolutely can't wait, you can catch a sneak preview on my ravelry page of it blocking..
For now, I can tell you some other things that I've been up to.

Last Tuesday I drove up to Bellevue, got spoiled rotten by my sweet daughter Erin, had my hair done, then met up with some other pals ( M & J : hello dear ones!) and had an amazing mexcian dinner at Chevy's in Tacoma, then drove back to Seattle (yes, ahem... I did a bit of substantial driving that day, yet it was worth it) to join Erin and many of her friends to sing karaoke.
It was my very first karaoke experience. It was full of laughter and joy and there may have even been several 'mack 'n jack' beers tipped. To say that I have become a fan of this hilarious form of entertainment is an understatement. I can't wait to go back again!

then it was work-work for a bunch of days... up until yesterday, when I drove to Seattle, took the ferry to Bainbridge Island and Mary, Barbie Judy and I all hung out for the day.
  Lunch at Cafe Nola was awesome (crab eggs benedict..divine) then we meandered over to Churchmouse Yarns Shop.
sigh.

I was so tempted by their many displays of sweaters, shawls, hats and scarves. It was difficult to narrow my options for the next project. 

I bought the book Handknit Holidays and some skeins of Malabrigo.  My next project is in the dream-state, but I'll have something to chat about soon.
I'm waiting for the yarn to arrive, and it's a rather large project from the book I bought. It doesn't use the malabrigo, but yet another fairly common yarn.. any guesses?

Mary and Barbie are two of my fav peeps that also attend Madrona Fiber Arts (have you seen that the class schedule is up?!! woo hoo) and Judy  (Mary's Mom) is a recent transplant from Annapolis - welcome Judy. She's a knitter as well, and fit right in with our goofiness.

There was posing for the camera, a bit of kinnearing  as Mary shot photos of Barbie's newest FO, and lots of shopping. As Mary shot these photos, a small crowd gathered in curiosity - I suspect that Barbie might now be a little bit more famous on this island where she lives (heh heh)

I might have even found a smashing pair of shoes (hah!)

Life should be returning to the normal dull roar now that super secret stealth project is compelted - thanks for understanding my radio silence.

I get by with a little help from my friends..

I have found that my friends are some of the most important ingredients in my life - and so when one of them sends up the knitters SOS, I respond (soft smile)
My friend Lisa, owns Dicentra Designs. I have been honored to know her for the past four years or so - and she is an awesome fiber artist, designer and hand dyer. I recall the first time that I met her - it was at a local spinners conference...... I spied, across the hall, one of the most gorgeous sweaters that I had ever seen, and I stood, walked purposefully across the hall and asked her to model it for me (remember Lisa??) The end result, (after I ooohhed and aaaahed) was that we became friends.
Lisa has an eye for color. Lisa is a "rule breaker" (which will forever endear her to my heart). Lisa is a consistent friend who has a marvelous sense of humor, loves her animals, and knows me quite well actually (despite living a few hours away)
So when Lisa mentioned in passing to me that she needed some new samples for her booth at fiber fairs, I was instantaneous in my response... of course I'd help :-) In fact, I'd be honored. The opportunity to play with some of her fabulous colorways was too good to pass by... (lucky me!)

A couple days ago, I let her know that my schedule had freed up enough to knit a bit for her - and she promptly packed me a goodie box! (again, lucky me) She sent a couple skeins, in two colorways, of her alpaca-merino blend sport weight yarn............... let's all do the collective aaaaaahhhhh.. It is truly divine.

While many have knit socks from this yarn (yes, Anne designed a fabulous pattern with this yarn) I thought to myself..... hmmmmmm I wonder if I should think a little outside the box here?
I have been working on a stole (Morning Glories - also designed by my friend Anne)  with this same yarn - and will complete it someday..

but in the meantime, I decided : cute, fast, accessible, wearable.... BABY SWEATER !
and I cast on this morning.
Like a woman possessed, I have been knitting (it is difficult to put down yarn as soft as this)
and I have almost finished the back - in the few hours I had to myself today)
behold:
Aran Ruffles from Minnow Knits
size 6 months
knit on size 4 & 5 needles

Dicentra Designs hand dyed Alpaca Merino Yarn

go ahead - click on her site.. better yet, email her and buy some. You know you want to. (huge grin and enormous laughter)

Lisa has sent me a couple of colors in this line - and I have not yet figured out what I will do with color number two.. any ideas?

The last goodies in my box from her was a skein of Lace weight Alpaca............ colorway denim............ be still my heart.............. I am thinking that I will make her one of Anne's patterns called "Gust".

Now won't that be lovely?

I ain't nothin' but a sock hound...

Truly. I am a total sock nut (giggles). I confess to having the small, yet quirky habit of finding my next sock to knit before I cast off the final stitches on the previous sock. It's not really a superstition so much, but rather a necessity. (hah!)
Leaving the house without a sock-in-progress in your knitting bag is rather like leaving without your slip. No one else will probably ever notice, but you'll feel a bit un-prepared for sudden gusts of wind and bright sunlight profiling you. (giggles some more)
silly me.. 
here's my next sock.
Yay. no naked knitting bags for me !

Pattern Waving Lace Socks by Evelyn Clark  from the Book Favorite Socks.

Yarn my own hand dyed Panda Wool.

Right before I injured my hand last August, I had begun playing with a new line of sock yarn colors. I named this new line  "Flavors" -  and the color above is called "Cinnamon Toast" It was to be hand dyed from panda wool (which is a blend of  superwash merino 60%, bamboo 30% and nylon 10%). I love this yarn. It is exquistely soft - and will be amazingly durable (due to the bamboo). What I am interested in knowing more about is whether the socks become too stretchy over time due to the bamboo - I'll keep you posted (grin) In the meantime here's my eye candy.

Although I am still not able to dye yarn or fiber, I wanted to show you what I was going to do (and might still do - someday so the name of this line and colors is copyrighted) 
the colors from left to right are:
* Cherry Coke
* Raspberry Lemonade
* PBJ on white
* Blueberry Slurpy

I'm sorry that I do not have these for sale for you  (yet) - perhaps I will be able to do hand dyeing again someday in the not too distant future.... but until then,  I can give you a couple of hints of places to find some of this wonderful Panda Wool... Check out:
Kim  - Woolen Rabbit
Jessie - A Piece of Vermont
Allison - Simply Socks Yarn Co.
or goggle Panda Wool on Etsy, and you'll find some there as well.

Jessie (Piece of Vermont) and I were having a discussion about dye and blops of color that we didn't put there (yes - it happens  -  tee hee) If you scroll back up to the "cinnamon toast sock" in progress, you'll see a few big splotches of blue/black amidst the soft brown. I cannot for the life of me imagine where they came from (they were not on the other skeins in the dye batch - and the dye pot was thoroughly clean prior to dyeing).. So in this case, since these are just for me,  I am pretending that it is places my 'toast' got a tad bit overcooked.  hah.  I'll bet you didn't know how easily I'm amused, did you...(another bout of laughter)

Wip's: stealth, socks and a scarf

Anne initiated a very cool thing called WIP Wednesday - due to a plea from our buddy Kim that folks were hardly showing any WIP's any more..... and I'd like to play.. my schedule is very odd this week - so I am presenting Wednesday on sunday... (bear with me  - grin)

and so, here we are with WIP's:

Here's some of my works-in-progress.(we're not showing the older ones that are in time out - ahem).....
two "stealth" projects... (they are itsy bitsy and that is the only hint you get).. shown here in black and white, since the color would totally give it away for the recipient - ...hmmm, I wonder if that is an obscure hint by lack of color... ah well..  Since she sometimes reads my blog, I will continue to be obtuse.
I am loving these little things. fast- fun- adorable.

I am using Debbie Bliss Rialto (which is a superwash merino) and I am really enjoying it. I think I shall have to find something to make for myself with this wonderful yarn. super soft - great stitch definition. I am thinking it would make a great hat  ...

Back to School Vest in progress:
This is an older handspun of mine - which I am thoroughly enjoying. It is the most vivid blue - with hints of deep green and lighter blue every once in awhile.

I am about 1/2 of the way through this great pattern (still holding fingers crossed that it fits!) Right now it looks like a lumpy blue blob............ I have just begun to dart shaping at the bust line.

I began a scarf; yet it is currently sending up a knitter's version of an SOS...... (see the flag like state of this knit?)

it is screaming out loud... stop.. teyani.. don't keep knitting... your efforts are futile... I'm not working in this pattern.... sigh... finally I heard it shouting at me, and paid attention.(it will be frogged in another day or two) This project has come to a screeching halt while I re-assess. I saw this pattern over on Jane's blog a year or so ago , and loved it.............. and I thought that this marvelous Brooks Farms hand dyed would be amazing with it.. but alas, I'm not feeling the love. I wonder if it just needs to be doubled in width..?? what think ye? It sits in time out awaiting further contemplation, or perhaps a whole new pattern - but frogging will definitely occur.

 

Socks....
yes, they continue - slow but steady.... I finished one of my ebony and ivory hand dyed, handspun yarn. size 1 needles. pattern from More sensational knitted socks
Milanese Lace.

and I love it. cast on for the second sock - I can't wait to have these finished so I can wear them :-)

and ALSO cast on for a new sock in a yarn that I dyed last July (pre-injury) It is a superwash, bamboo, nylon blend.....
More on that hand dyed yarn in another post.

So here is a funny after thought to this post... see those little black ears peeking up from the back of the photo? Well, that kitty (yes, the infamous Lady Di, leaped up, snagged the sock and ran - immediately after I took this photo.... stitches were lost off 1/3 of the sock... most likely it'll be frogged and begun again - silly kitty... (silly Mom for using the top of their scratching post for photo ops!!) Note - no cats nor wild animals were harmed in this photo shoot  (grin)

Have a joyous New Year!

Holiday cheer

   Merry Christmas from fiberwizard-land :-)

Every day has brought wonderful cards and notes from all of you - thank you so much! And yesterday's mail brought the fabulous snowflake necklace I am wearing today from Leslie Wind - (go ahead, hop over to her website - she'll make you one too!) She told me that it was an ornament - ahem.. yeah - for me! Thanks Leslie - I really love it.

(And for curious minds, yes, the sweater is one of my handknits - actually, the very first sweater I ever made - back in 2001)

The cold / flu / bronchitis are on the run away from this place (hurray and thank goodness for antibiotics!)
Christmas carols are playing all the time.
Cookie dough has been mixed up.
Presents wrapped and under the tree... speaking of which:

The kitties might well be getting coal in their stockings this year.... as they have been busy while I have been at work. Here's the tree, standing ready for Christmas - and no... I truly am NOT that bad at decorating it... (notice the obvious lack of ornaments on the bottom two feet, and clumps of them together up higher?) Well, it seems that my cats have found a great new play thing - christmas balls. They have begun a daily game with me, of pulling all the ornaments off the bottom two feet of the tree - and making nice little piles of them around the house. so silly! (and no, Lady Di lies there looking all innocent under the tree... I'm not fooled for a minute! - grin)
(this photo is not truly blurry - I was trying to mess with it a bit in Adobe Elements)
Their next fabulous feat was to strip all packages of tags and bows - (it seems that they may have been reading over my shoulder about their distant relatives - Chaos and Mayhem)
Tags are securely restored to their proper places, and ornaments are now out of reach (at least for now) - we shall see what fun and games I come home to after work tonight ;-)

I have had a tiny bit of time to finish up my lace plying.

This is my first sincere attempt at spinning lace - and although it took awhile, it was well worth it. I ended up with 1883 yards from a pound of my old corriedale colorway "Grape Jelly". It is a two ply and comes out to 18wpi. I have been eyeing this shawl - and hope that I can begin it in the new year.

Joyous holidays to all - May the year ahead be one to celebrate!

It isn't easy bein' green

I had a few spaces open in my work day last Thursday, and so I took advantage of it, and knit - always fun. I overdid things a little bit, and will now take it easy for this next week or so...... but it's just so hard to stop!

I won some yarn on a blog contest last spring - I won't link to her here, since she has nothing to do with my opinion of this yarn.....................
like the title says, it isn't easy bein' green. (doing my best 'Kermit the frog' voice here) sigh. Green is one of those colors that is either purrfect, or it isn't.
this one isn't me.

I liked the bright green and the deep gray/green and then the transition to the deep hot magenta. What I didn't care for was the mustard yellow or the salmon or the gray....

This was to be a "Mavis" by Noro.
I have ten balls of this wonderful Kureyon yarn in this colorway.

Mavis was a fun sweater to begin - I say 'was' since it is no more... yes, in keeping with the kermit the frog theme of this post - I frogged it. Here she was in all her glory:

No way would I wear this sweater.

I asked my artist daughter if she thought there was anyway to save it - the answer was an unequivocal "no".  I asked.. "would some black help?" - she answered, "well, black helps everything"... but then again, how much do I want to make it right? not much.

Even my cat, Lady Di,  was suspicious of this colorway.

And so I pose it to my dear readers............ do you love it? do you want it? wanna trade for something else that you have? wanna buy it? I plan on posting it on Ravelry's sale pages unless someone here would like it.
There is enough for a small-medium woman's sweater. Kureyon is great fun - and even my artist daughter said "I have to admire the color changes- they're gorgeous" (just not for me)
Give me a shout if you're interested, otherwise, it's going, going.... gone.

edited to note that this yarn is now sold :-)

My hand continues to heal pretty well, despite my knitting too long last week. I sometimes have feeling in my first two fingers, and am now getting about 6 hours sleep at a time every night (this is huge progress). Thanks for all the sweet comments and inquiries about it. We'll move along now.

Hope you all are enjoying the fall weather as much as I am.

A Girl can dream, can't she?

During my forced hiatus from knitting, I have taken to accumulating (grin) - what's a girl to do? ;-]

Recently, I was gifted with a lovely day with Lorette (the Knitting Doctor) -

Yes, she really is an MD, she really is a knitter, and yes, she really is wonderful. She lives about 30 minutes from my home in Olympia. How fortunate I am to have found a knitting pal so close! We had a sweet afternoon together, browsing yarn shops and noshing on fabulous food at Over the Moon Cafe.
There was a bit of stash enhancement that took place as well................... naturally. We visited three different yarn shops that afternoon, none of whom I'd ever been to before. It was delightful.

I have not been doing any knitting at all, but rather enjoying vicariously everyone else's projects. Soon my hand will heal, soon my pretties - then look out - I'll be unstoppable!

What did I buy?

a lace weight merino which I think is destined to be a Wing of the Moth shawl. Am I the last one to knit this shawl???

this yarn is actually more of a steel blue color than it looks in the photo. Truly, it is divine, and a bargain at $16 for 1300 yards. whoa! that is 2500 yards you see here (I wanted to be sure I had plenty - grin)

a 70/30 wool soy silk blend from Rowen called Tapestry - don't they look a tad bit like mushrooms in this photo?

I suspect that this will be a scarf someday. soft.soft.soft.

and a new to me sock yarn - in lovely shades of moss green and taupe. I'll try just about any sock yarn at least once - and I'll let you know how this one is.

oh, and I was able to snag some sock yarn from Jessie - sigh............... I just love her colors.

if you haven't yet visited her on line shop Piece of Vermont - hop on over right now. her colors are limited edition fabulous.

I sigh every time she posts new colors. they are amazing. Jessie is the queen of subtle color changes.

So for now, that's my hobby, browsing and buying.  (my yarn/fiber closet is beginning to look  a tad bit stuffed!)  Perhaps one day soon I'll be able to get back to knitting.
It's nice to have a new friend so close by. thanks Lorette.

Almost Sock Hop Yarn

It has been a grand adventure to create the hand spun Sock Hop Yarn.  Over the past 5 months we have been working to add more spinners - and have been successful with quite a few (yay!) Five new spinners have joined our team, and our feet and fingers are racing along to create yarn for you. Each pound of yarn takes the average handspinner (me) about 14 hours to spin the singles - and then another few hours to ply it/wash it/ and dry it. Every pound has about 1300 yards total. It's alot of mileage that is running through our wheels. :-)

While in process, some  yarn has been handspun that doesn't quite fit the specifications for our Sock Hop Yarn...... and thus I present to you at a reduced price of $13/skein....
Almost Sock Hop Yarn

Here are some  photos of what is for sale -  We won't be selling this through our website, since it is non-repeatable -  and so I offer it here.  Please email me at the address you'll find at the bottom of this post. When it's gone, it's gone. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do...Beautiful hand dyed, hand spun yarn.
Each skein is approximately 200 yards - and they are  $13 / skein + shipping

Number One: a lovely reddish brown yarn. It is perfectly spun - but was washed in hot water, and thus the colors bled into something that isn't quite the usual colorway.  Total of 5 skeins available.
5 skeins sold
SOLD OUT

Number two: a version of Pink Cadillac. It is plyed a bit looser than we'd normally  hope for.  There are a total of six skeins for sale.
6 Sold

Sold Out

Number three: a version of Say a Little Prayer - again this is a very soft ply - and a tad bit thicker than normal for sock yarn. It would make a fabulous shawl. please note that some of the skeins have a knot in them where the yarn was joined. Seven skeins available
7 sold
SOLD OUT

Number four: a version of Wild Thing - this also is a softer yarn, plyed loosely and a bit thicker than sock yarn. Like the yarn above, some skeins have a knot in them. Six skeins available

6 sold
SOLD OUT

Number five: A version of Twist and Shout. This yarn is a bit too thick - it knits up on a size 2 needle (instead of our normal size 1) . We have three skeins available - a pair of knee socks anyone?
All sold out

So there you have it - Please email me at : teyani AT crownmountainfarms DOT com and I will let you know how to purchase these. (The softer yarns are very suitable for a shawl perhaps?) I'm delighted to be able to offer this sweet handspun to you at a discount. As we continue to have 'spinners-in-training', we might be able to offer more yarn like this in the future - but for now this is the full "stash".

When in doubt...

....show us your newest stash!

This is what I accumulated while at Stitches West this year. I have not yet knit with any of it, but there are a few projects dancing around in my head.

The brown series might be a long jacket, and the red series will most likely be a dramatic shawl.
I sure had some fun shopping - (and had to sit on my suitcase to get it zipped closed.)