Handknit For Hollywood

It's Monday morning - already, again.  I have knitting progress and so much more to share, but there was not one spare moment this weekend to take any pictures.  That's the way it goes sometimes.  I'm immersed in a behind-the-scenes website update.  What started out as a small project has suddenly taken on a life of its own.  I promise a full report with pictures in my next post.


Today I leave you with a story of handknit socks that were destined for fame in Hollywood.  These socks were commissioned for the movie True Grit.  While I find these quirky, authentic details interesting, now I wonder what yarn they used and if the socks have heel flaps or short rows.  

All Piled Up

I have a new project underway.  The yarn was with me on a recent shoveling expedition.

Yarn in the wild.


My reward for shoveling was some knitting time.  With very little time invested I had this much to show for my efforts.

This is a scarf.  I'll give more details in another post.  Let me just tell you that I'm in love with this yarn and am already plotting another project with it.


The snow continues to pile up around here, and several roofs have collapsed under all the weight.  As I shoveled yesterday I thought of the snow as a metaphor for my dyeing work.  Several things have come together in the last couple of days, and I suddenly find myself buried. It's all very good and exciting, but I need to dig myself out.

The pile at the end of the driveway is now taller than I am.  I'm on the short side so that probably isn't saying much, but this pile is well over five feet tall.


Then I found this pile.

A massive mountain of snow.  It gives me hope that I can dig out from under all my work.


It's the dead of winter.  I embrace the gray days that signal an approaching storm, but I also appreciate the clear sky that comes after the storm. My color inspiration for the week comes from the latter.

Glistening, icy, snow encrusted branches against a clear blue sky.

Pete's Greens

I've been following a story and watching a groundswell of community support, generosity and activism.  Earlier this month the barn on a Vermont farm burned to the ground.  The farm, Pete's Greens, is an organic farm that offers a CSA (community supported agriculture). Given my involvement with food co-ops and CSAs that alone was enough for me to take note of the situation in Vermont.  The farm was underinsured and lost equipment, crops and a tractor trailer freezer full of meat.  You can read more about the fire here.


Enter Susan and Juniper Moon Farm.  In an effort to spread the word Susan wrote a blog post about Pete's Greens and the fire.  But that wasn't all.  Susan also set up a fund to accept donations to help rebuild the barn.  And she didn't stop there.  She is also holding a giveaway for people who make donations or who spread the word about the fundraiser.  Scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to see the list of prizes.  It's pretty impressive.  I've seen the knitting community do this before, and I'm sure I'll see it happen again. Knitters can be counted on to unite, rise to the occasion, reach out and help someone in need.  It is truly inspiring.  Go over to Susan's blog and read about the fire, the fundraiser and the giveaway.  Spread the word. Make a donation if you can.  


Now I'm off to tend the dye pots.  I'm trying to squeeze the most out of each and every minute of each and every day.  There's nothing like preparation for an event to make me use my time efficiently.

New yarn coming soon.

Planning And Production

This past weekend was devoted to planning and production.  Planning included finalizing the last of the new booth samples, finishing paperwork for upcoming events and working on a website update. Production involved dyeing - new yarn line, new colors. 


With dyeing comes twisting.

These skeins and many more were twisted in preparation for photos and labels.


All this planning and production didn't leave much time for knitting.  In the little bit of time I had I finished this hat.

The pattern is Marram Hat, the yarn is two unidentified balls from stash.  This photo doesn't do it justice - be sure to click on the link. This quick, fun design uses two colors and slipped stitches to create a textured spiral fabric.  The only modification I made was to knit a deeper brim.  Warm and cozy.


Today I leave you with a couple of shots taken during a walk along the Charles River.

Winter white.


And one of my favorite sculptures dusted with snow.

Arthur Fiedler.  You can read about this work of art here.

Finished By Friday

I had a goal to share my latest finished object with you this week.  I finished this mitt a few days ago and finally took some photos.

This is another booth sample.  


The pattern is Diamondback Mitts by Stephen West.

The design is on both sides of the mitt and is created using slipped stitches and cables.  It's a great project for someone who wants practice with these techniques.


I was delighted with the thumb.

The cabled stitches form a perfect thumb gusset.


The pattern is written for two color stripes.  I think it would also look nice in one color, so I may knit a solid sample also.

I really enjoyed working with this worsted weight yarn.  For now I am only dyeing it in a variety of colors for this pattern, but I may add it to inventory down the road.


This bowl of goodies caught my eye recently.  The earthy tones of tan to brown to dark brown are so warm and inviting.  They are my color inspiration for the week.

Chocolate almond goodness.

For Your Spare Time

I planned to have knitting pictures to share with you today but ran into some lighting issues.  I'll try to pull those together for later in the week. Never fear.  I do have several fun tidbits to share with you in another installment of . . 


THIS AND THAT


~ If you need to create a color knitting chart, check out the chart maker at Tricksy Knitter.  Once you start playing around with it, you'll come up with all sorts of ideas.  A very handy tool.


~ Yarn Monster is a yarn winder with character.  This extraordinary winder even comes with a remote control.  Be sure to read the story of how Yarn Monster came to be.


~ Take Knitting Daily with you when you're out and about using a new app for iPhone and iPod touch.  This could come in handy when you have a knitting emergency on the road.  And it's free.


~ Finally, click on over to the Silk website for fun with movement and color.  Follow the instructions and give it a whirl.


And now I'm off to do another round of planning - more dyeing, more booth samples.

Testing, Testing

This past weekend was filled with a variety of activities.  Friday night found me at the Common Cod Fiber Guild meeting.  The program for the evening was Ignite Craft: Boston.

The format was based on this Ignite model.  Using slides the presenters were given five minutes to talk about their passions.  There was no starting over, no time for questions and answers.  Once a presenter started, he/she had to keep going.  We heard presentations about everything from a modern letterpress studio to how to drink a craft beer to locks and how they work.  And there were presentations about fiber crafts - how a knitting charity was started, self publishing a knitting book, marketing for crafters and social media.  The presenters were clever, witty, informative and entertaining.  It was a fun evening.


The result of my weekend knitting was more negative progress than forward progress.  Negative progress - the hat I thought I had completed one night had to be ripped out the following morning. I probably could have lived with it, but I had envisioned a hat that came down over my ears. This one didn't.  I'm proud of myself for coming to this conclusion before I had closed off the top.  I ripped it back to the brim and will knit it all over again.  I'm consoling myself with the notion that it will knit up quicker the second time around.


Forward progress - I'm testing an idea for the booth, testing new colors and new yarn.

I started this - a new fingerless mitt.  I think it's a keeper but will decide for sure once it's finished.  The nice thing about this mitt is it's so small it almost qualifies as a gauge swatch. 


And there was time for fun in the snow.

A walk along the Charles River.

We don't often see such a clear, cloudless, blue sky.


More sledding . . .

. . . and snowshoeing.


I wonder if these were ever found.

Lost and in a tree.