Knitting, spinning, and canning

Last week was spent working on both the Transverse Scarf (finished one skein) and the Simple Yet Effective Shawl. I also pulled out my Borscht Greenjeans cardigan and added a few rows to it. I had brought it along to Judy's dr. appt that resulted in a three hour wait in the lobby for me. I went through all three of them entertaining myself, besides the people watching. ;-)

I've tried a couple of approaches with a skein of the raw silk that didn't take the dye as well as the other three (I didn't pick out the four, or I wouldn't have taken this particular skein). I wanted to see how obvious the change in skeins is so did a chart repeat and saw this:

Pretty freaking obvious! So I frogged that and pulled out a second skein and have been doing two rows of each and alternating them so that its less "LOOK AT ME!"
You can still see the end of the first skein, but less glaring.

I finished up the Gotland by plying it and finished spinning the Norwegian and also plying it. Wrapping up the Tactile Ancient Breeds Sample Pack. Still love the Finn, the Shetland, Icelandic and Gotland were all itchy for me. The Norwegian was less itchy but felt softer after working with it. Here's the collage of them all:


William went with Luke and his father on the trip to Moscow, ID to deliver Luke to his college apartment. He had a great time and now is contemplating going to Washington State University for his nursing program (Pullman is only six miles from Moscow). We'll see. When he got home Luke's parents brought him home with some vine ripened tomatoes from their garden (ours haven't turned out as well because someone sprayed some lawn fertilizer or something on them and now they're a strange yellow/orange).

Since I had some peppers (jalapeno, banana and chili) just waiting to be used, I opted to make the first batch of salsa for the season. Canning the results so that we can enjoy it longer. I did use smaller jars so that I can share too.



I fell off the no adding to the stash wagon a couple weeks ago in Susan Pandorff's Destash Sale. My thought was that I could use them for Christmas gifts so I was saving money. I got both for less than the price of one. They're the Mountain Colors 4/8's Wool in Mountain Twilight and Sweet Lavendar:


I had thought to do a shawlette with them but I've also found a mobius cowl that would be cool too.

OFFF Vendor Booth organization continues. We're getting all the payments in so that a group payment for the booth can be sent in before the end of the week. Still need to get out into the garage for one of the projects I have in mind. I'll have to see if I can afford an order for some supplies for other projects. We'll see. ;-)

This week's plans involve more knitting on the Transverse Scarf, hopefully finish it too. More work on the Simple Yet Effective Shawl, really would like to finish it also. Put the tabs on Stained Glass Window Quilt so it can be hung. Start spinning either the wensleydale or cream alpaca. I'd like to get some peaches and either marionberries or blackberries for more canning fun. Jams of course. Need to save money too so that I can enter in the Walk for the Cure Knitters for Knockers team - just $25.

Forgot to mention that I tried out Smitten Kitchen's Blueberry Boy Bait Cake from a cup of blueberries picked from my late season bushes. The boys are enjoying it. Next time though I'm splitting the batter between pans. I'm currently constrained from using a 9x13 and so used an 8x8 - took forever to cook! Tempted to try out The Pioneer Woman's Coffee Cake, but don't have any heavy cream on hand and trying to wait for groceries until later in the week. Very tempting!! I might be able to do it if I liquefy the espresso in the frosting.....oh no. There might be another cake before the end of the week.

Works in Progress - of various kinds

I didn't take a picture of the Cormo I spun up. I still need to get it off of the niddy-noddy, then wash/dry it. Something for another day. ;-)

I worked on my second Wisteria Shur'tugal sock this weekend and made progress and frogged and am making progress again. What's up? I had started the sock, gotten the ribbing done and started the first pattern repeat and put the sock down. Picked it back up after a week or so and couldn't get a row to work out for me. Tried going back and just found it easier to frog and start over. Made HUGE amounts of progress after that. I think that was Friday night. Worked on the sock more on Saturday and it wasn't until that night that the problem cropped up again. I had the leg of the sock done, heel flap and turn done. It was the gusset decreases.

It's a 64 stitch sock. The goal is to get back to those 64 stitches while working the gusset. I actually remember getting to the point where I had 16 stitches of the sole on each of the needles and thinking it was time to switch to the smaller needles (working the sock on two circulars) but for some reason another part of my brain said no. It told me that I should have 8 stitches on each needle. So on I went. Then just a little bit further for the foot and then start the toe decreases. Well by this time its bed time so I put it down. That's what saved me. Rather than staying up and finishing the sock I put it down.

Sunday I get up and after plying the cormo pick up the sock to finally finish it all up. I'm looking at this rather skinny foot area and thinking it odd that I should compare it to the other sock but decide to do the decreases anyway. It was looking at the number of stitches that I 'should have' to the number that I 'did have' that stopped me. So instead of having a finished sock on Sunday, I spent the afternoon frogging back to that magical point that I clearly remembered.

I worked on it some more Monday night after work and this is where I am at now. Just about 12 rows before starting the toe work (there's prep before starting the decreases):

While at work on Monday I started the Herringbone Ribbed Sock that's in the Knitted Socks with Handpainted Yarn book. I got it as a free download from Knitting Daily. Mine are Dad's Sockin Herringbone Sox because the yarn is Plymouth's Sockin' Sox. I think they'll make a nice birthday/father's day gift. Just the ribbing started until I can finish up that other sock:

I also worked on a shop project the Bonsai Swing Top from the Mother-Daughter Knits book. The Berroco Bonsai is interesting to work with. It's a bamboo with a nylon wrap. Pointy needles are not something to use with this yarn! The Addi-Turbos are currently working but my hands hurt after a couple of hours so it won't fly off the needles I think. It should be pretty when done:
This is actually a sideways view of the project, it's worked sideways on the skirt of the top with short row shaping. It will be interesting to work the pattern!

I'm still just a few rows away from moving the arms off to holders while the body is worked on the Borscht Greenjeans cardigan for myself. I can't work at it while at work since its not shop yarn (same as the other two projects I'm working on) and really Monday was the only day I've had time for knitting there anyway. It's a nice uncomplicated knit so far I just need to find the time to work on it.


I took advantage of the nice weather today to take photos of other works in progress around our backyard - all the fruits in progress. Two apple trees, two cherry trees, the Asian pear, peach tree, blueberries, strawberries, grapes and tomatoes. There's other veggies started but I didn't photograph them. Here's the collage of them:

Alpaca Yarn, Tips & Tricks and a WIP

I finished up the baby alpaca yarn last week and have it all skeined up. It's here for viewing. I was able to get 379 yards of lace weight yarn. I'm not sure what I'll do with it, but I'll enjoy working with it when I do.



Linda at Guitner Road farm with her Navajo-Churros shared some of Mesa's locks after I mentioned how pretty she looked. Linda did share that if I wanted to get some locally there's a farmer in Newberg. Small world as the farmer is also a neighbor of Shelia's and she had proposed a field trip there to see the Navajo-Churros. So now have two sources of a new fleece, these being heritage sheep and cool to work with. Mesa's washed locks:


This last weekend after the monthly Portland Spinnerati meeting I had lunch with Duffy at Jake's (yummy crab and shrimp melt sandwiches!) and then the Tips & Tricks class at Knit-Purl.

Judy Wilcox was the teacher and the class was intended for advanced beginners. The two other people in the class really were beginners. I learned a few new things though! I learned how to do a purl long tail cast on that will be handy in the future for ribbing. How to do a no-step decrease - commonly found in sweaters and armholes and how to do a garter stitch seam. I have pictures of the last two:



This Saturday I'm going to ride down on MAX with Tiggywinkleknits to TKGA. I am working on my second Shur'tugal sock but didn't think it would be good for the train ride since it kind of takes some concentration to do the pattern. I have wanted to start a sweater for myself and so decided to use that destash yarn I got from Susan and decided to do Mr. Greenjeans.
Doesn't look like much yet, but we'll see after the weekend!