I’m Knitting As Fast As I Can

It’s Friday and I still haven’t found time to cobble together a blog post for this week.  But since 3 other bloggers have essentially done all the work for me, I’ll just piggyback on their posts.

Saturday, Margene, Eliza, Cheryl and I sewed up some adorable project bags.  I stumbled on the pattern several weeks ago and got it into my head that I simply had to make one.  I was able to complete three, notwithstanding the fact that I have: (1) a barely functioning sewing machine and (2) the sewing skills of a toddler.

The task was considerably easier on Saturday since I was able to use Cheryl’s fully functioning sewing machine and Margene’s razor sharp rotary cutter.  Cheryl blogged about our lovely day here.

Sunday was Margene’s 60th birthday.  For several months I’ve been planning, designing, and knitting a secret shawl to celebrate her day.  Back in December, I showed her a shawl prototype I had knit and she loved it.  Trouble was, I had lost both the handwritten charts and my notes.  But after she’d hounded me several times, I decided to recreate the pattern and knit a shawl from it for her birthday.  Kim kindly supplied me with the perfect (and I mean perfect) yarn.

Here’s the result:

I think Margene liked it.  She has some action photos of the shawl on her blog.

The pattern is currently available from Kim as a kit.  I’m  re-re-working it for sock weight yarn and it should be available as a stand-alone pattern in a few weeks.  Should be good for all those lovely skeins of sock yarn that are too precious to use for socks.  At least that’s the plan.

I tend to vascillate between knitting and spinning in cycles.  The cycles may seem random to the casual observer, but I think they’re actually a function of stash accumulation.  When the yarn starts to pile up, I break out the sticks.  When the fiber supply can’t be contained, I head for the wheel(s).

This weekend I spun some superwash top I bought at the Great Basin Fiber Arts Fair many years ago.  Aren’t the colors spectacular:

I Navajo plied the singles and got about 200 yards of a dense, chunky weight yarn.

I’m thinking it would make a good bag, maybe with cables.

Spinning the top gave me some room to store my latest fiber acquisition–some lovely carded thrums I got from Spinderella:

I love spinning Lynn’s fibers. They always make such interesting yarn. And, if they weren’t already reasonably priced, she’s running a Valentine special if you’re a member of her Ravelry group.
Oh, dear, somebody stop me from buying more!

This Thankful Thursday I thought I’d focus on knitting and fiber related things.

3. I’m thankful that Anne taught me how to spin. I’ve moved from a spindle to a wheel but either method gives me the ability to spin one-of-a-kind yarns.

2. I’m thankful the Salt Lake Valley is filled with amazing yarn stores that carry all the yarns I can’t spin.

Blazing Needles
Three Wishes
Wool Cabin
Black Sheep Wool Co.
Unraveled Sheep

1. I’m thankful for all the inspirational knitting books I own. ‘Cause a grrl needs patterns for all that yarn!

Don’t forget to check out Norma’s blog today for all the information on how purchasing my patterns today will benefit the Red Scarf Project.  Basically, all the proceeds from sales of my patterns will be donated to the Red Scarf Fund.  But you must complete the purchase today and you must put “Red Scarf” in the comment section when you complete the transaction.  ETA:  Apparently, there is no PayPal comment box if you purchase patterns through Ravelry.  So, you do NOT have to put “Red Scarf” in the comment section.  All pattern sales from 6:00a.m. today to 6:00 a.m. tomorrow will be donated to the Red Scarf Fund whether there is a comment or not.