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I think most knitters will agree that not every knitting project is fun from start to finish. Sure, some projects are a blast from the cast on to the bind off, but most don't fall into that category. Instead, many projects have a section that you have to slog through - that section of monotonous ribbing or endless garter. The tedious part can be anywhere in the design, but once you get to the other side, the project is miraculously full of life again. You can't imagine how you ever found the project boring, and you zip along to the finish line.
My current project (Brooklet, in case you were wondering) got off to a sluggish start.
All stockinette - over 260 stitches for over 6 inches. There's something to be said for mindless knitting, but when I'm on a deadline I want interesting knitting so I don't dwell on the deadline. Now I'm a fan of gray, but this is my second project in a week with this particular shade (Lillian Pumice). Add to that the weather for the past several days has also been gray. I was craving a bit of color.
And once I got past the stockinette, I was rewarded with some color.
Cheery pink and a lace motif. My spirits are revived. Let the fun begin.
Knitting. Knitting, knitting and more knitting. What little shopping I had to do is checked off my list. There's still plenty of baking and wrapping, but I can enlist help from the troops with those tasks. This is a knitting weekend. I'm curling up on the couch in my office and catching up on podcasts, movies and my audio book.
Since I'm well on my way with this pair of Felted Clogs, I'm thinking ahead to the next project.
This is waiting in the wings - my weekend work.
Over the years I've gradually left more and more of the holiday decorating to others in the family. This year there are plans for making a wreath or two, and some of the materials have been collected. My color inspiration for the week.
Subtle shades of green.
This time of year is full of creativity, ideas and inspiration. Everywhere I look people are making - knitting, sewing, crafting, baking, cooking. I do a fair share of making all year long and add special, traditional items at the holidays. This year I decided to expand my horizons and make at least one new holiday item.
I considered several things and finally settled on this ornament idea from Susan Gibbs. Instead of making my own wooden cutouts, I went to the local craft store.
I came home with wooden stars.
I grabbed some yarn and began wrapping.
This way.
That way.
And that way.
I knotted the two ends together on the back side and attached an ornament hook.
Ready for the tree.
A little light bulb went on. I realized the possibilities and made another trip to the craft store.
A sock - with stripes, of course.
It didn't take long for the kids to join in the fun.
Variations on a theme.
A star within a star.
Before we knew it, we had a pile - more than enough.
Now all we need is a tree to go with the new ornaments.
It's Monday morning, and I'm back at it after a successful birthday weekend for my daughter.
The requested Soft Cables Moebius. When I was wrapping my daughter's gifts, I thought I might have to wrap this one with the needles. Somehow I was able to buy a little time, finish and wrap it without the needles - always a bonus when gifting handknits.
Just this morning I realized that the name of this pattern is slightly misleading. There aren't any cables. Instead the design uses purl 3 together to create a twisted, cabley effect.
While this pattern doesn't have cables, it does have a moebius which is added at the very end. The cowl starts with a provisional cast on. Once it's knit to the desired length, the fabric is twisted and joined with either a 3 needle bind off or grafting. I chose the grafting method.
The yarn is Dirty Water DyeWorks Lillian, colorway Pumice. This yarn has a lot of spring and bounce making for a squishy cowl.
Upon opening this gift my daughter paid me the highest compliment. "Oh, you made it for me. When did you knit this?" It's encouraging to know that I can still pull off stealth knitting, especially this time of year.
This has been one of those weeks. Monday felt like Wednesday. By the time Wednesday rolled around, I was convinced it was Friday. Now that Friday is finally here, I'm terribly confused. Since the knitting elves are nowhere to be found, I've been staying up extra late and getting up extra early. It may be wearing on me just a tad.
The only attention my holiday knitting list has been getting is that I added a couple things to it. I convinced myself this is acceptable because I only added "small" items. Before I can even pick up needles for holiday knitting, I have to finish this.
Birthday knitting. My daughter's birthday is this weekend, and she specifically requested this cowl and this yarn. Soft Cables Moebius in Lillian, colorway Pumice. All mothers make sacrifices for their children. Knitting is one of my sacrifices.
Before we head into the weekend a PSA for NYS Sheep and Wool Festival aka Rhinebeck. Show merchandise at Rhinebeck often sells out. This year the hardworking event planners have reordered and restocked their online shop. Quantities are limited, so don't delay in placing your order.
I never tire of earth tones - so basic and subtle. In the fall I look at dry leaves, and in my head I hear them. My color inspiration for the week.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
I can usually tell what season we're in by the condition of my hands. These days my hands are extremely dry and cracked. It must be winter. With all the dyeing I do my hands are exposed to a lot of water, and water makes a bad situation worse. I know the situation is really bad if I pick up a skein of yarn, and the yarn snags on my cracked fingers.
This fall I decided to conduct a little experiment. When I was out on the fall fiber festival circuit, I picked up a few hand products. There are a lot of interesting hand helpers out there - some more well known than others. Over the last few days I've been sampling them, and I thought I would share my findings.
Let me start with my faithful, tried-and-true remedy for severe cracks. This is a product I've used for many years.
Super Duty Hand Care from Sweet Grass Farm. Super Duty works like a charm, especially on hard-to-heal cracks. It comes in a cake that you rub on your hands like a bar of soap. I usually apply extra to the deeper cracks I get around my fingertips. Super Duty works best if left to soak in and is especially effective if put on before bed. Sweet Grass Farm has expanded their product line from back in the day when I first discovered them. I especially like their soy candles.
In my wanderings this fall I picked up this little tin.
Calming Therapy from Log Cabin Farm Soap. This product comes in cake form. It's not as heavy as Super Duty, so I didn't feel the need to let it soak in. It's available in a variety of scents or unscented. I don't think it's quite up to the challenge of my deep cracks, but it has a nice, overall smooth feel.
Just last month I was delighted to discover Long Island Livestock Co. Actually I had a little help from a friend who pointed me in the right direction.
Shepherdess Salve. This product comes as a thick paste - a good solution for my hard-to-heal cracks. It's so effective that I'm ready to give it a test run on my equally dry and cracked heels. Shepherdess Salve contains lanolin and smells like it. I love the smell of lanolin, but if you have an aversion, this might not be the product for you. They also have a lip balm - Lanolin Lippy. As the name suggests this is also heavy on the lanolin.
Moving on to lotion . . .
Handmaid from Soak. I've been meaning to try this for quite some time and finally snagged a bottle. This lotion rubs right in without feeling greasy. I bought the lacey scent - a light, delicate fragrance. Handmaid is handy if you need a quick something to soften up your hands.
Finally, I have to mention a product I discovered a few years ago.
Soy Ball. Actually they don't make it in a ball any more, but it is available in bar form. This picture was taken when my ball was new. Now it's nothing more than a little bump that fits in my palm. The Soy Ball leaves hands feeling smooth and silky. Again, it's not going to help with stubborn cracks, but it's handy to have and it lasts a long time.
I thoroughly enjoyed this little experiment and will continue to keep my eyes open for other hand care solutions. Now I have a variety of products to use, and I'm ready to do battle with the dry, winter days ahead.
My to-do list for the weekend included updating a few pages on the website - a simple enough task. Somehow I deluded myself into thinking this would be a quick update, and I completely underestimated the amount of time it would take.
In all fairness I did encounter some technical difficulties with my computer. Timing is everything. I knew my computer was on the brink of some issues. I only wish it had waited until after the update to start acting up. I was resourceful and sorted it out, but the bottom line is the update really cut into my weekend knitting time. And this time of year every minute of knitting time counts.
On to the good news. I'm delighted to announce the addition of Clara - a 100% Blue Faced Leicester, worsted weight yarn. This yarn is soft and lustrous with just a hint of a halo.
This base takes dye beautifully and produces rich, deep colorways. Clara is available in large, 250 gram skeins - perfect for bigger projects.
Speaking of larger skeins . . . for the fall shows I offered Edna Extra - the 250 gram version of the popular Edna yarn. It was so well received that I decided to make it available on the website. This DK weight yarn is a blend of Polwarth wool and silk. It's a dream to knit and creates a lovely fabric.
If you want to keep up with the latest news from Dirty Water DyeWorks and get in on occasional specials, sign up for the newsletter. I promise to keep it short and sweet, and I won't flood your inbox.
Finally, just a reminder that Dirty Water DyeWorks offers gift certificates, available in any amount. Whether you're shopping for others or making your own wish list, you can't go wrong with a gift certificate.
And now I'm off to make up for lost knitting time. Wish me luck.
