Swatchless

Meet little Laila, daughter of friends of mine.  At 2.5 weeks old she’s sporting her very own pair of Olympic Mittens, and the matching ensemble I knit over the last few weeks.  She’s such a cute girl, making all sorts of faces and noises as she gets used to the big bright world.

I hope everyone in Ontario has a Happy Family Day weekend!!  I know I’ll enjoy an extra day to relax, and catch up on my sleep (and knitting).

My wheel is fixed–thanks to my dad, some long thin pieces of rubber, and locktite adhesive.  This afternoon I carded and spun up two bobbins full, and navajo plied them.

I chose to make the yarn 3 ply since my fleece isn’t so uniform.  There are lots of short fibers, and it’s still a bit greasy (not soiled though).  Even though I carded it twice, and removed many small pieces, it still is riddled with “fluffy bits” when I spin it.  Luckily when it is 3 ply, the fluffy pieces blend together with the thin bits to make a “rustic” yarn that seems to be worsted or aran weight.

This wasn’t really my plan, but that’s what the fiber does.  These socks will be very thick, good for wearing in rainboots I think.  Maybe thick socks will be finished quickly.  If there is time, perhaps I’ll make mittens too.

dying yarn with food colouring and vinegar in the microwave

To add some interest, I dyed one bobbin full of yarn a nice shade of green.  I needed to use a lot of food colouring, and then I added green kool-aid, and some orange too, to dull the intensity a bit.

hanging up to dry

The colour in that picture is not very accurate.  When it is dry, and in natural light, it will look better.

Now I’m off to bed to dream up a pattern!

It’s amazing what a few emails can do.  I’m so impressed at the speed of response to my drive band issues!

image source:rose-kim.com

Quick Spinning Wheel Lesson:  The pedal is pushed with the right foot which causes the large wheel to turn in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction.  The drive band is the connection between the spinning of the large wheel and the spinning of the flyer (around the bobbin).  The speed of the flyer can be adjusted by putting the drive band over the larger, middle, or lower setting on the flyer (see right side of bottom photo).  The flyer apparatus can be raised or lowered to take up the slack in the drive band which will stretch over time.

image source: lotsofyarn's flickr photos

The drive band is flexible rubber that needs to fit in the grooves on the wheel and flyer.  It needs to be strong under tension, and have enough grip to stick to the big wheel, and to the flyer.

The fiber enters the orifice (far right of the above photo) and comes out through the hole in the metal piece (easily visible above), goes under the metal hoop, and through the sliding loop on the arm of the flyer (top of above photo).  The bobbin (middle of the photo) has the fiber attached to it, and it is kept relatively stationary while the flyer spins around it, laying down spun fiber with each pass.

My possible solutions:

I have located a local spinning supplier who has Ashford drive bands, which may work.  These are over 6 feet long, and need to be cut and melted to fit together.

Also the local weavers and spinners guild have replied saying that there’s also an option of using similar tubing from a hardware store and heating up the ends to fasten it together.  It looks like I may get to use a blow-torch this weekend!

I measured my broken band, and it appears that I need 5′ 6″ of tubing.

Hopefully I’ll be back in spinning action by nightfall.

I got home tonight in time to see the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, and start my carding and spinning for my knitting olympic project–handspun, hand-dyed, handknit socks.

I carded wool while watching the First Nations people dancing, and spun wool while the fiddlers did their thing.  I had almost one full bobbin of singles spun up!

Then my spinning wheel’s drive band snapped.

No drive band=no spinning wheel action

My options are:

1. give up (not really an option, what would the Olympics be without a bit of a challenge)
2. change events (it’s a bit late for that though, the games have already begun!)
3. find a new drive band (I’ve emailed the local weavers and spinners, and a local spinning supplier, let’s hope they come through)
4. find an alternative for a drive band….any ideas?
5. get out my drop spindle–so TEDIOUS, but maybe it is the best option I have.
6. card lots of wool now, and dye it and figure the rest of my plan out tomorrow.

Gonna go with option 6 for now…followed soon after by a good night’s sleep.

How are your Olympic projects starting out?

I’d like to thank all the fantastic, generous knitters out there who have purchased the pattern for 2010 mittens.

As of today, $800 has been raised for the Penguins Can Fly Swim Team at my local YMCA.  It is a swim team for disabled youth, and their siblings that encourages active participation, hard work, and personal growth.

There’s still time to cast on and knit yourself a pair during the Olympics!

100% of the purchase price ($5.00 CAD) is donated to the Penguins

As for my own Olympic knitting projects, this is the before picture…..

A bag of washed fleece (from Serbian sheep of unknown breed), and my trusted spinning wheel.

Statement of Goals

At 7:00PM on Feb.12th I will begin to card this fleece while watching the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics!

I’ll experiment with microwave kool-aid and food colouring as dyes on the weekend, and start spinning when the fleece is dry.

My goal is to knit a pair of socks from my handspun before the torch is extinguished.

I’m competing in several categories for the Ravelympics (team Canada of course), and also in the Knitting Olympics  hosted by our very famous Canadian Knitter, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee the Yarn Harlot.

I know that a pair of socks is not a “Epic” project, but because I’m starting from scratch, and that I am working full time and volunteering so much (helping kids build robots), I think it will be a challenge to complete this project in the 17 days allowed.

This whole process is bringing back memories of  the 2008 summer ravelympics when I started from fleece, and made a hat and mittens.  Back then I wasn’t working though, so I was fully devoted to my event.

You can bet that I’ll be blogging my progress this time round so check back frequently for updates!

What Knitting Olympic event are you participating in?  I’m eager to follow your blogs, leave info in the comments.

Here’s the list of events from ravelry

No….I didn’t get death socks in the mail (thank goodness!)

Good Luck to the Mighty Flying Penguins!

Today I was thrilled to receive an envelope from the USA, with a cash donation for the Penguins Can Fly Swim Team.  Thanks to Raveller Oonagh who contacted me earlier this month with the following message:

“I found the money in a pair of pants at the Salvation Army where I work. So, it is only fair that I put the money to good use and send it back to the Mother Land ”

Thanks so much!!  This brings the red mitten cash total to…. $635

I also received confirmation today that the red mittens arrival in Kandahar!  I’m sure they will be waving with the rest of us over here during the Olympics.

The “Small Fox Socks” have also made their way to Ossama in Jordan, thanks in part to Jane.  Ossama let me know that he is wearing them in his hiking boots as he shows tourists all the beautiful sights in Jordan.

Whats on my needles now?  Here’s a hint…..

What do you think it is???

These hands are the hands that taught me how to make mittens over 20 years ago.  Things have now come full circle, as I help my grandmother figure out my red mitten knitting pattern.  It was touch and go for a while….but she persevered!

At 94, she’s tackling chart reading, colourwork and new terminology (SSK vs. S1 K1 PSSO).  She finished a pair of adult mittens to mail to a friend in B.C. and has already cast on for a pair of children’s mitts with the left over wool.

May we all be so willing to try new things at age 94!!

I was wondering what I should do with the extra large pair of red mittens I made this fall…I certainly don’t have hands large enough to wear them.  I want them to go to someone who will appreciate them as a gift, as mittens, and as a show of patriotism and unity as a country.

Last week I got an idea….don’t you love it when inspiration hits suddenly, and you just know what to do…

care package

I’m in the middle of preparing a care package for a friend who is serving as a military chaplain in Kandahar.  Along with letters and snacks and silly toys and trinkets, I’ll include this pair of large red mittens.  I bet they don’t sell red mitts in Afghanistan!  My friend will be dressed in style to cheer for the Olympics.

Who are you knitting red mittens for?

Did you buy your red mitten pattern yet?  This is where the $5 pattern cost is going….to support the Penguins Can Fly swim team.

I had the pleasure today of going to the YMCA to watch the Penguins Can Fly swim team in action, and boy….do they swim fast!   When they are all swimming in the water, it is impossible to distinguish which swimmers are disabled, and which are not.  The wonderful thing about this swim team is that they celebrate the ABILITY of each and every swimmer.  “They are kids, being kids, having fun and working hard” said Vicki Keith, their coach and mentor.

YMCA Penguins and coaches

Photo Credit: Hippo

Lap after lap they swam while I chatted with Vicki. She told me about the team, and how some of the swimmers are preparing for the Ontario Parasport Games which will take place in Kingston on Jan 22nd – 24th.  The swimming events will be at RMC on the 23rd.  If you are in the area, stop by, cheer for the Penguins at the pool, and catch a game of wheel chair basketball or wheel chair rugby in the gym.  Vicki said that wheel chair rugby is something that everyone should see once in their lives!  I’m planning on going.  I’ll be the one knitting in the crowd.

Here's B. a penguin, and excellent mitten model

The Penguins were pleased to hear about the money being raised for their program.  So far 84 mitten patterns have been sold, earning them $420!  Thanks to you generous knitters, more YMCA Penguins will be learning to fly here in Kingston.