Swatchless

Well, ya never know what’s around the corner…I flipped to Ravelry yesterday to find an announcement to a party–a SEARCH PARTY!

The motivation was to have knitters/crocheters classify all the patterns on Ravelry,  and I guess to cull the pages with dead links.  They are getting ready to release a new search tool that will allow us to search based on many different attributes, from construction technique to the texture of the fabric.

Of course, knowing Ravelry, there are great incentives for us to comb through the patterns–a prize draw for some gorgeous prize packages. (photo credits: Ravelry.com)

I spent quite a bit of time online classifying things, I think I got 217 patterns done before they ran out of patterns to sort.

Knitters are truly amazing people–there are no limits to what a group of us can do!

Stop by and classify some patterns if you have a moment.  It’s gonna help keep Ravelry awesome!

What is the most important thing to do when you plan a vacation? Well, after figuring out where to go, who to go with, and where to sleep, my mind started wandering to where I can find good roving and yarn.  (I MAY have a bit of a problem!)

If you are traveling with another knitter or spinner, then you are set!  If you are traveling with non-knitters, you might need to disguise your itinerary a little.  Get your groceries at a farmers market that just so happens to sell wool too.  Go to a farm (that sells fleece and roving) to see the animals sheep and goats.  Find a good restaurant that might be across the street from a yarn store.  All of this takes quite a bit of planning…

Here’s my approach

Step 1:  Check on Ravelry to find local yarn stores near where you are staying.  Search the “people” section for people from the area, and ask them where they get the best quality yarn.

Step 2:  Search for local farms.  I found farmfresh.org to be very helpful.  Search by the product (veggies, honey, roving etc), or search by the town.  Maps and websites and farmers market details are all listed.

Step 3:  Ask on Twitter to see if anyone has recommendations of area farms to visit, markets or sheep and wool festivals to go to, or local yarn stores that are not to be missed.

Step 4:  Put all the locations on a Google map.  It is a great way to keep all the information in one place.  Link to websites, keep track of business hours or market days.  Use streetview where available so you know what the yarn store looks like when you “stumble upon it by chance”.

So far my plans include visiting alpacas on Martha’s Vineyard, pygora goats near Providence Rhode Island, llamas at Journey’s End Ranch in Middleboro MA, and sheep at River Valley Farm in Lennox MA.

If you know of anywhere in the Cape Cod Area that’s worth a visit, let me know.

The training begins tomorrow.  A strict regimen of ankle stretching, and fleece carding every day for the entire week should be ample preparation!

You see, I’ve just signed up for a really big challenge this July.  I just joined the Tour De Fleece, for Team Canada, and as such I vow to spin every day that the Tour De France riders are on their bikes.

That’s from Saturday July 3rd to Sunday July 25th, 2010.  I aim to get part way through this bag….but we’ll see how that goes.  I imagine that a lot of it will end up as sport weight yarn that I can use to make mittens this winter.  I’m thinking that some creative dyeing may be needed, because that’s a LOT of white fleece! 

I know, there’s lots of fun to be had in July….cottages, beach days, camp outs, and many other adventures.  Good thing spindles are portable!

If you are tempted crazy enough to join in, sign up on ravelry, here are some of the guidelines (not RULES):

1. Spin every day the Tour rides, if possible. Saturday July 3rd through Sunday July 25th. Days of rest: Monday July 12th, Wednesday July 21st. (Just like the actual tour)
2. Spin something challenging Thursday July 22nd. (The Tour’s toughest mountain stage from Pau up the legendary Col du Tourmalet)
3. Wear yellow on Sunday July 25th to announce victory. Why not wear yellow on any day you feel particularly successful? (Yellow is the color of the race leader in the Tour – but here we are all ‘race leaders’)

Teams: Join one, or many, or none.

• Rookies (first years)
• Sprinters (fast and/or high mileage like lace)
• Climbers (conquer mountains, big personal challenges)
• Breakaway (Art yarns)
• Peloton (The main group. Everyone is in the peloton at some point)
• Lantern rouge (You will participate as much as possible but you may skip days here and there. Cheerleaders welcome.)
• Wildcards (This is for people who want to form their own team. This includes sponsored teams, like those affiliated with a specific fiber shop or people who live in the same town, etc.)

What are you doing between now and the 30th?  I’m not sure I have time to read the book AND knit these cool socks, but I’m looking forward to a night out to see the movie with some friends.  I’ll check the stash, and see if I have enough to knit up a pair.  It’s June, it’s rainy, my brain is tired, and I’m ready to knit something fairly simple.  Maybe I can get it done in time.

photo souce: Julie P. Miller's Flickr

Check out the pattern here [Ravelry].  It is a free download!

If you are looking for a smaller project to complete between now and the movie opener, check out these ipod/mp3 player socks.  These are also a free [Ravelry] download.

Image source Nancy Fry's Ravelry

For a blast from the past…check out these Twilight Cover Socks/mittens/gauntlets.  They are also a free [Ravelry] download.

Image Source: Chelsea21 (a buddy of mine)

A great stash-buster, and quick project for all your vampire obsessed friends….A coffee sleeve (or wrist band) with “Be Safe” on it.  It is available for free here.  [Ravelry]

Image Source: MyFairKatie's Flickr

Image Source: MyFairKatie's Flickr

I had a very interesting day at Wooly Acres a few years back, when I got to visit the sheep, meet the sheep dogs, and buy a fleece and some roving.  I had a bump of black shetland roving that was calling out to me from my big bin of fiber stash.  It’s hard to find black sheep….did ya know that?

I spun up a bobbin full, then Navajo plied it to form a bulky 3-ply yarn.  I’m looking forward to knitting a hat, but I don’t think there’s enough black to knit an entire hat…..so now I need a contrasting colour.  Maybe I’ll spin up some more shetland–I have a fleece that is a nice tan/golden brown.

I was searching through Ravelry today, and found a really cute hat.  So, now my plan is to make a Botanic hat (pattern by Stephen West).  It is a reversible beanie, which looks awesome either way you wear it.

I’m pretty sure I’ll need to modify things slightly for my bulky spinning, but I now feel inspired!

Download the .pdf for $5.00 CAD

Eilidh (Ay’-lee) is a Gaelic name that means LIGHT.

When my friend told me that she was choosing a Gaelic name for her little girl, I knew I needed to knit her something with lots of cables.

This celtic cabled vest will look charming on any little one, and could even be worn, over tights, as a dress by a very young girl.  Knit almost entirely in the round in double knitting weight yarn, this vest is quick to finish.  The cables are predictable, which is great for beginners, but each row is different enough to keep the expert entertained.

Here's Eilidh, who is just learning how to sit up!

The pattern is explained in row by row instructions, and also in chart form.

Download the .pdf pattern for $5.00 CAD

Thanks to Eilidh and her mom who met me in the park today for the pattern photo shoot, and thanks to Jean for test knitting this pattern and providing excellent feedback.

If you like this pattern, check out my others!

Have you been asked that question before?  I never know how to answer.  The truth is, in my free time, my hands are rarely without knitting, weaving, or spinning.  When asked why I’m NOT knitting, my first instinct is to pull out my knitting project from my bag, or desk drawer, or trunk of my car, and start an intense conversation about the intricacies of turning a heel, or working fairisle colourwork.  Eyes often glaze over pretty quickly.

Tonight, I showed a lot of restraint, and stopped myself before I entered into such an eye-glazing conversation.  I was really excited to share my ideas about my latest project, but I don’t know that people were ready to listen to all the details.  You see, I’m a bit of a geek.  I’m currently knitting a model of DNA[Ravelink], and toying with ideas of how to join the knitted base pairs so that the proper pairs fit together, and that the DNA strands can unzip to show the replication process.  Eyes glazing yet?

photo credit: Kimberly Chapman

Right now there is not much to show for all of my knitting.  I have started one of the twisted tubes, but since I’ve run out of stuffing I’m taking a bit of a time out.  I’m taking a break from knitting, and spending my time catching up on all of the other things that often get put on the back burner.

So….here’s a question for ya….

So, why aren’t you knitting?

Ever since my friend showed me the pattern for a knitted pigeon, I had to make one….

Today was the day that Percy meets Bernice and Bernie.  I’m not sure what they think of each other, but I think my Percy pigeon looks pretty good.

If you want to make your own Percy, here’s the pattern [Ravelink]

Let me introduce you to my newest buddy!

The lego man that I knit earlier this month (Some Assembly Required), is now decked out in WAFFLES and K-Botics gear!  I had such fun making the teensy tiny clothes….that once I made a hat, I couldn’t stop!  The WAFFLES shirt was knit from yellow baby weight yarn (very light fingering yarn) from the top down with raglan sleeve shaping.  The shirt needed a row of ribbing at the bottom to keep it from rolling.  The WAFFLES motif was stitched on later in chain stitch.

I used acrylic yarn (bits and pieces left over from knitting robot hats) to make the purple and blue clothing, but I needed to split the yarn up, and use a single ply, and sock needles (2.0mm DPNs).  The hat was knit from the crown to the brim in stripes incorporating the K-BOTICS and 2809 colourwork section before a row of ribbing and casting off.

The sweater is knit from the collar down, raglan style ending with a row of ribbing.  Sleeve stitches were picked up and knit to the cuff, then I picked up the neck stitches and improvised a hood that would fit over a lego head–significantly different proportions than a human head!  I embroidered K-BOTICS and our logo on the sweater using light blue, to match our team hoodies.

This little guy is looking for a new friend.  I may have to make one or two more when I get a bit of free time!

What should his name be?

This weekend I got a chance to wander around in the woods for a while and look at the flowers and the leaves as they burst forth from their buds.

Red Trillium	lacy maple leaves
White Trillium	birch leaves

It was nice to get a chance to be outside on such a lovely day!  I can feel myself getting inspired by the delicate colours all around me.

In spring knitting…here’s the first of one of the strangest mittens I’ve ever seen.  They are called “pogies” and are for rowers.  There is an opening for the oar to go inside the mitten.  I’m following a pattern, but I’m not sure how well they will fit this particular rower or their oars.  One down, one to go!

I got home to find my pigeons are getting fluffier these days

saturday pigeons

And for those of you who don’t believe that they click at me…. here’s proof!

Now…is that an angry clicking noise?  What do you think?