Knitting@roosterhillfarm.com

Lace Blocking Virgin

mobarger — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:15:21 +0000

I’ve already told you my approach for doing lace. Well I finally finished my first lace piece, and it’s now blocking.

I purchased lace blocking wires from KnitPicks last month, and while simple in concept, I’ve never used anything like them before and I am not sure if I inserted them the best way.

The Kernel scarf has an edging of 3 knit stitches on each side. I used this edge to hold the wires. The scarf is longer than a single wire, so I had to use 2 on each side.

The ends have slight points, but I didn’t take pictures of them. I inserted a pin in each point to pull it down and exaggerate it.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the finished pictures!

Clara Parkes meets Jared Flood

mobarger — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:33:43 +0000

No not really. It’s just her Maine Morning Mitts done a la Jared Flood’s Turn a Square hat. I wanted to knit a manly version of the mitts for a man who likes purple.

I am not exactly sure why I decided I would hold clementines while I took the picture of my hand (which is very difficult by the way). The plants are Selaginella mosses that were on sale at the grocery store last week. I love their lushness.

I used a tubular bind off for the finger area. I like how it turned out.
Yarn: Cascade 220 Purple Heather, unknown Noro silk garden (I did take extra time to ensure the stretches of color stripes matched)
Pattern: Maine Morning Mitts

Size: I cast on 42 stitches instead of 33, made them an inch longer

Mmmmm Chocolate

mobarger — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:36:39 +0000

Yes, it’s another swap, this time the “Autumn Chocolate swap” on Ravelry. But with the time of year and all, it is very easy to sneak some holiday chocolate in there too! I know I did for mine, and my swap partner did for me too!
Included are 2 different kinds of Hershey kisses, and plenty of chocolate from her favorite candy shop in Lansing Michigan. This will keep me in chocolate for a while! And keeping with the chocolate theme, String Theory sock yarn in “Winter Canopy” which is a mix of browns, white and some blue.
Thank you Elizabeth (PhDinHorribleness on Ravelry)! I love your package!

Shy with a side of turkey

mobarger — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:00:50 +0000

You might recall I mentioned in this post that I would have to enlist DH in taking pictures of the Every Way Wrap. The other day was quite sunny and nice and DH was home, so I grabbed him and my wrap and had some pictures done.

I tried to remember all the ways I could arrange the wrap but I really couldn’t recall all of them!

I was quickly surrounded by curious onlookers who cut the shoot short! I’ll have to keep referring back to the IK page to learn all the ways to wear this wrap.

Pattern: Every Way Wrap, Okmin Park, Interweave Knits Fall 2009
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill potluck worsted

P.S. I hate having my picture taken!

Getting Started With Lace

mobarger — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:37:18 +0000

I began a lace project a week or so ago, and it’s my first. It is a simple beaded scarf, Kernel from Knitty, with a 15 row repeat repeated 26 times. Here are some steps I have taken to ensure the lace I knit is the lace that’s writ:

Knit early in the morning, and knit alone. Conversation will keep me from counting. Being tired at the end of day will trip me up.

I think the picture speaks for itself.

The scarf itself is being knit on bamboo straights I bought at Target for $1 some time ago. but in the foreground is a 000 DPN for when I do screw up (about every 4 rows). Very handy.

Also always have on hand a simple project, not only for night time knitting (see my first suggestion) but also to cleanse your brain from all the twisty bits and numbers that a lace pattern requires. I currently have a simple sock and an infinity scarf to fill that task.

Pattern details:
Kernel from Knitty
Yarn: Handmaiden Fine Yarn Mini Maiden “Amethyst”

Kangaroo in my pocket

mobarger — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:54:30 +0000

New England Autumn

Have you discovered Kangaroo Dyer yet?

Sage
I might have. (Although i don’t remember how…)

Painted Desert in Springtime
I just love the muted colors, and the way she chooses them to go together.

Rooster Tails

Don’t you?

Hats on a plate and food in the mail

mobarger — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:01:19 +0000

Like me you might have hundreds of patterns at your disposal. Bought, paid for, and just hanging out in your personal library. But have you checked out Twist Collective? (Pssst, winter issue up now!) They have some nice stuff!

When I saw the Cinquefoil pattern, I was intrigued even though I am not much of a hat person, much less a beret. But seeing the $8 kits on elann.com sealed the deal. Yup, $8 for 3 skeins of cashmere yarn.

Mmmmm cashmere. On a plate. (It’s blocking now, and still damp.)

I also bought some Knitpicks circs to make the hat. These are 16″ sizes 2 and 3, the sizes recommended for the hat. I didn’t think I had a large head, but this hat seems a little small. Good thing I bought more than one kit from elann! (Seriously – $8 for cashmere. Did I mention that?)

In other news, I got a snack in the mail. If you watch their site, they typically have a freebie every month. Not cashmere, but still good!

A Truckload

mobarger — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:52:17 +0000

So did you catch the Patons Classic Wool sale at Michael’s last week? $2.50 for over 200 yards of 100% wool. I might have bought some. I would have bought more if that woman there 5 minutes before me hadn’t filled her own ~~truck~~ basket. And yes, it is in the back of my truck. Not like I bought a truckload of yarn, but I could move my truck to catch good light, and to stay out of the way of the turkeys.

MMMyeah – I was wrong. It took Nell about 2 minutes to hop in and er, “help.” That little stuffed turkey was in the bargain bins. I might have bought them all. I love it, but Nell is not too sure.

I am not sure what she is looking for either. First one way …

Then the next …

Murphy gently pulled at my pant leg the whole time. When I would look down at him he would quickly look away, like here. If he had lips I am sure he would whistle too.

At least I kept one turkey distracted.

Well Christmas is coming and I have plenty of supplies! And if turkeys had thumbs I would have a mighty workforce too!

Swap Karma

mobarger — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:14:40 +0000

Thank you Lauren! You read me like a book! Maybe even two books!

Included in my package were 2 books, even one from my Amazon wishlist. The books are “Meditations from the Mat” and “Herbal Healing for Women.” Also in the package were Tazo Green Tea, Ghiradelli chocolate with peanut butter, some herbally cleaning towels for mats or whatever, a Wah! CD (new to me! yay!), huge jar of strawberry jam from the sender’s favorite local place, and yaarrrn.

Knit Picks Imagination yarn in Seven Dwarves. Let’s go in for a close-up.

Mmm, wool and alpaca. Lovely warm colors. I love it! Thank you blogless Lauren! I love my package and I thank you so much. Please keep me posted on your move and the progress on your new farm! Namaste!

Inspired by Rhubarb

mobarger — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:46:57 +0000

The October Fiber Baristas shipment. This one comes DT Craft & Design from the UK! She sent it along with some candies and a recipe for Rhubarb crumble.

The color is inspired by rhubarb and the included recipe. It’s “Crumble Rumble,” a mix of reds, purples and dark pinks.

It’s amazing how inspiring this poisonous little plant can be! Look at the sampling of pix from Flickr. Many are inspired by its color, taste and texture. The leaves contain oxalates and are poisonous, the stalks not so much. Other plants that we eat that contain varying amounts of oxalates in their leaves are spinach, peas and potatoes.

But it continues to inspire dyers, and apparently me too. Here is Fiesta Boomerang in Rhubarb from my stash.

And Numma Numma ToastyBoo.

And that third one from the left is Rhubarber in Wollmeise.

I find rhubarb inspiring for it means spring and warmth and green growth. And for the next 6 months we will have none of that! Are you inspired by rhubarb?