One Spoiled Lamb



As you can see, Lucky thinks that he is a house pet. The kids think so too. They like to bring him in to feed him, but we are working towards feeding him outside. He sleeps with the sheep outside now too, but is positive that life is not fair.

New Project

Have you tried two-ended knitting? If you haven't, give it a try! It's fun, and the results are pretty cool. I decided that the Autumn yarn was not what I wanted for the Knitty corset. It isn't just that there wasn't enough of it - since I separated the colors there was a big chunk of red/blue which worked into green and finally orange/black. It would have made wide horizontal stripes that would probably not have been exactly even, and I would have needed to use a different yarn for the back. Since the Autumn yarn came off the spinning wheel I was wondering what to make with it. Too thick for socks. Not enough for a sweater. It is really neat yarn but it didn't know what it wanted to be when it grew up. I decided that I didn't actually want the big sections of color to knit up separately, and was wishing that I had spun it more randomly, mixing up the colors. I thought, what if I knit from each end of the skein, alternating rows for finer, more controlled stripes? What about alternating stitches to mix it up? Hey, that sounds like two-ended knitting!!! I have one book that has all the right ideas for things to knit out of handspun yarn that really give the yarn a chance to shine. That book, of course, would be Linda Ligon's Homespun Handknit. So I was looking through the book, and on page 70 there is a pattern for a Two-End Cap and Gauntlet Mittens. Two-end! That rings a bell. What size yarn does it use? 12 wraps/inch. What size needle would I need? Circular 40 cm, size 5 or 6. I was in luck!



I didn't even bother to swatch. I don't worry about swatching for small items (1) because the item is small enough to rip it out and start over if the gauge is way off, (2) because if you make a hat it is going to fit somebody's head, and (3) I'm a member of the full-size sample club anyway (I often just can't be bothered to swatch even though I know I should). The cap just zipped along and was finished in one day. It is just a bit snug on me, but I like my hats that way, so this is my new favorite hat! Don't you just love the way the colors worked up? It's colorful, but I don't think it is overwhelmingly so. The fabric is nice for a hat - thick - it will be warm, as a hat should. But now I have to start on another project.



I found the yarn pictures



That isn't a great picture so click here to see it all skeined up. The first skein is purple silk, then the red one is a silk/merino blend. Next comes the Autumn yarn (I had two skeins of it - the hat took just over one, and there is not quite enough for the mittens, so I still have one to decide what to do with if you have any ideas), then some llama/soysilk, and finally the infamous green bead yarn (which I will probably use for the corset vest, although I think I will still need something else for the back - black would go well).

Conference Weekend Again

Since I finished the hat on Saturday I did some spinning on Sunday. I listen better with my hands busy. Currently on the spinning wheel is a cotton/silk blend that is a bit of a pain because it is so short and keeps breaking, but it will be nice when it is done. I just have so much of it to spin that I get tired of it. The girls brought out their knitting too!



They are making shawls. It is their first major knitting project so I wanted to give them something easy, forgiving, and that would move along quickly. The pattern is just like the popular washcloths except that you keep going instead of decreasing to make a square. When you have a big enough triangle it is time to bind off. Here's the whole pattern: Cast on 3. First and every row: k1, yo, k to end. Bind off when big enough. It just keeps growing until it becomes a shawl. No need to swatch or anything like that either. The trick is to use big yarn and big needles. This is Lion Brand Homespun. Or you can use finer yarn. It will just take longer.

Now, my shawl (which I am modeling in the margin of my 100 things page) is constructed differently, since it is knit from the middle of the long edge going out, increasing in the middle. I will get that posted too - it's also simple, but it's getting late tonight and I really should be going to bed. Someone remind me this week, okay? Jesse are you out there?