Tag Archives: fiber arts

Knit, knit, knit

Posted on April 29, 2011 | 17 Comments

What I’m not posting about today

• I could post about the yarn I spun, from the batts I posted last week — except the yarn is still on the bobbins.
• The project I’ve been spending most of the week on is still not quite ready for its close-up, either.
• I didn’t knit the royal wedding. And I didn’t even wake up early to watch it.
• Yarn School is underway, and I’m kind of sad I’m not there, experiencing it again.
• I’m tentatively gearing up for Project Spectrum, which starts May 1, but I’m not sure how avid I’ll be, considering my other commitments. Still, I bet it’ll be fun to stretch myself and how I look at and think about color; join us?

Word Lily knits

Instead, I guess I’ll share a couple finished knits.

I finished the short socks I talked about a few weeks ago.

Pink handknit socks

Ravelry project page
Not sure who the end user of these will be yet. But, making them set my brain a-whirling! Hopefully this brainstorm won’t fizzle, and I’ll have more to share on the subject.

I also wrapped up the hat I mentioned in that same post.

black hat for Paul

Ravelry project page
Again, just a basic hat (the whole cobbler’s children situation, now somewhat remedied), but I think that’s what he wanted.

I also finished a couple other socks, but no, they’re not a pair!

two socks do not make a pair

Sunrise Socks

sunrise sock

sunrise sock detail

Ravelry project page

This yarn is super squooshy.

I tried several different needle sizes and sock sizes before settling on this combination. These should fit my husband.

Rivercat Socks

Rivercat sock

Rivercat sock detail

Ravelry project page
Rivercat Sock pattern

These socks (I cast on for the second sock last night) are for a much delayed swap with a friend.

They seem super-skinny, but I think that’s mostly because of the ribbed nature of the pattern.

I seem to be falling down a sock-knitting hole this year, after taking 2010 mostly off from that particular obsession. I can’t get enough! :D

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!


Have you crafted a finished object this week? Check out the roundup of other people’s finished objects for the week at Tami’s Amis.

Fiber Arts Friday
Also, see the Fiber Arts Friday roundup at Wisdom Begins in Wonder to see what other people are crafting this week.

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Spinning my wheel

Posted on April 22, 2011 | 21 Comments

Instead of spending a lot of time telling you what I’ve been doing fiber-wise, I’m going to spend that time actually pursuing my fibery pursuits today. :D

drum-carded batts

These batts are both made from the same mix of fiber and color, but one was carded twice and the other was carded once. I plan to make a two-ply yarn.

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Simple knits

Posted on April 8, 2011 | 18 Comments

Word Lily knits

It’s been a week for simple knitting here at the Waystation.

I’m more than half way through a pair of simple short socks, which I cast on for Sunday.

Short sock knitting

Pattern: Super Simple Short Sock by Meghan Holcomb, a pattern I used back in 2009.

Mods: I didn’t like the heel, so I ripped it back — made the flap 2.25″ instead of 2.5″ and worked the heel cup from the Yarn Harlot’s Sock Recipe.

I’m using yarn leftover from an earlier pair of socks. If/when I run out of this yarn, I’ve got a coordinating color ready to go.

And then last night, despite the presence of said sock project, I cast on for a basic hat.

Black hat start

Ah, the joys of photography black. Maybe I should not have even bothered.

My husband (he recently informed me) is without winter head coverage, and this is not acceptable. So even though it’s forecasted to be 84° F tomorrow, I’m working on a hat, in black Lion Wool. So far so good!

Do you ever get the urge for simple knitting?

P.S.: Last week I posted photos of my Springling Shawlette, and several commenters asked me to say something when that pattern became available. Well, Cosy’s Springling Shawl pattern was released this week.

Fiber Arts Friday
See the Fiber Arts Friday roundup at Wisdom Begins in Wonder to see what other people are crafting this week.

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Wraps, plural

Posted on April 1, 2011 | 30 Comments

Word Lily knits

I’m a little sad I didn’t commemorate Knitting and Crochet Week, but oh well. It’s too late now! I do have a couple finished objects to show off today, though.

First up, a baby blanket I knitted, in the log cabin style.
Asymmetrical Log Cabin Baby Blanket
The lines and edges aren’t really wonky, as they may appear. I blame that illusion on the down comforter, upon which I placed the blanket for the photo before mailing it off.

Log Cabin Baby Blanket casual

It’s about 30 inches square, worked entirely using 100% cotton yarn reclaimed from sweaters. I love using the recycled cotton for things like this, because it’s so very soft and it can be thrown in the washer and dryer for easy care.

My Ravelry Project Page

Secondly, a small shawl.
Springling Shawlette

This was a test knit for Cosy, for a soon-to-be-released pattern that will feature her hand-dyed yarn. I used her Snapdragon light fingering for this piece; it was a blast to work with!

The shawlette was quick to work up, but it gobbled an impressive amount of yarn. Measurements post-blocking: 48″ x 19″. I used all but 3 yards of the 700-yard skein. I guess that’s garter stitch for ya!

More details on my Ravelry Project Page.

So, what have you made this week?


Have you crafted a finished object this week? Check out the roundup of other people’s finished objects for the week at Tami’s Amis.
Fiber Arts Friday
Also, see the Fiber Arts Friday roundup at Wisdom Begins in Wonder to see what other people are crafting this week.

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New yarns

Posted on March 25, 2011 | 31 Comments

Word Lily spins

I’ve spun up a couple new yarns recently. (All photos can be viewed larger by clicking on them.)

This
Word Lily Fiber Arts batt

Word Lily Fiber Arts batt, end view
• 60 gram batt, made on my drum carder.
• Composed of domestic wool mill ends, mohair, icicle, silk noil, fake cashmere.

became this.
handspun yarn

handspun yarn
• Spun on my slowest ratio, two-plied at my second-fastest ratio, from a center-pull ball.
• 88 yards, pre-bath

And this

Frabjous Fibers, BFL top, colorway: #123 Patina, 4 ounces
Purchased at Iowa Sheep and Wool, 2010

became this.
Handspun, thick and thin singles, BFL

Handspun, thick and thin singles, BFL
• Thick and thin BFL singles
• Spun on my second-fastest ratio
• 252 yards, pre-bath
Oh, how I love BFL!

I’m already itching to get back to the wheel, but I can’t decide what to spin up next! Happy Friday.


Have you crafted a finished object this week? Check out the roundup of other people’s finished objects for the week at Tami’s Amis.

Fiber Arts Friday
Also, see the Fiber Arts Friday roundup at Wisdom Begins in Wonder to see what other people are crafting this week.

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From the Dyelab: Sneak peek

Posted on March 18, 2011 | 36 Comments

Word Lily spins
[Well, it's about spinning fiber, does that count?]

I’ve been dyeing. I was holding off telling you, waiting to do a big reveal — just the right moment — but I can’t contain it any longer.

Just a bit of the wool I've dyed.

This is so much fun!

What is/are your favorite color(s)?

Fiber Arts Friday

Check out the Fiber Arts Friday roundup at Wisdom Begins in Wonder to see what other people are crafting this week.

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Fibery Friday

Posted on March 4, 2011 | 30 Comments

Word Lily knits

I’m so behind on posting yarny reports that I don’t know where to start.

Let’s see …

.

I knit a pair of socks:

Monkey socks

socks

Monkey socks

Pattern: Cookie A.’s Monkey
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Sockin’ Sox; it was a huge headache, until I settled on this pattern. It was pooling horribly no matter what I did, otherwise.
Ravelry project page

Monkey socks close-up

detail

I was glad for a pattern that combated the pooling, but the pattern got repetitive and boring very quickly. I had to force myself to make the second sock.

Alas, most of my knitting since the Monkey socks must remain secret for awhile. I think I’ll leave it at that for today.

Handknit socks make me happy!

Have you crafted a finished object this week? Check out the roundup of other people’s finished objects for the week at Tami’s Amis.

Fiber Arts Friday

Also, see the Fiber Arts Friday roundup at Wisdom Begins in Wonder to see what other people are crafting this week.

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Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear

Posted on March 1, 2011 | 13 Comments

Word Lily review

Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear, book 4 in the Maisie Dobbs series (Henry Holt, 2006), 336 pages

Summary
In January 1931, journalist (and fellow Girton alum) Georgina Bassington-Hope comes to Maisie because, although the police have ruled her painter twin brother’s death accidental, Georgina doubts that conclusion.

Thoughts
I loved that this installment in the series had Maisie delving into the arts! I enjoyed the introduction of artist-characters, as well as the use of galleries and studios as backdrops.

Like the earlier books in the series — Maisie Dobbs [my review], Birds of a Feather [my review], and Pardonable Lies [my review] — I loved the setting (both in time and in place), and Maisie herself is irresistible.

I love the tension, how Maisie lives and works between worlds.

There were a few typos that should never have made it into print.

I did feel Maisie acted a bit out of character in this installment, but I may be alone in that. I’m eager to see how several ongoing situations resolve.

A couple quotes:

“Now there were even more threads for her to gather up and spin onto bobbins. It was as if she were herself an artisan, standing before a giant loom with her skeins of wool, each one held ready to form part of the finished scene, the picture that would reveal the circumstances of Nick Bassington-Hope’s death. All she had to do was create the warp and then the weft, her shuttle flying in and out, up and down through the threads, laying her hands across the panel, her fingertips testing for tautness and give, the comb pushing the weft down to ensure close weaving without the hint of a space.”

~page 182, Messenger of Truth

“Perhaps it was the freedom to strike out on one’s own path, seeing not a risk in that which was new, only opportunity.”

~page 182, Messenger of Truth

I was prompted to get back to this series by Book Club Girl’s read-along, Mad about Maisie. Here’s the discussion of this title. The discussion of book 5, An Incomplete Revenge, begins March 14.

I was irked by Pardonable Lies, which prompted my extended separation from the series. That irritation has subsided at least somewhat — and recur too badly with Messenger of Truth, so I’m ready for another dose of Maisie.

Back to the art thing for a minute. One of my favorite aspects of this volume is how it presents and interacts with the ethical choices to tell or not tell, to publish or not, how an artist’s work can, potentially infringe on the freedom of his or her family members. Which is something I’ve pondered for quite some time.

Rating: 4 stars

About the author
Jacqueline Winspear (Facebook), originally from England, came to the United States in 1990; she lives in the San Francisco Bay area.

Other reviews
Booking Mama
Book Chick DI
Pages of Julia’s blog
NomadReader
Have you reviewed this book? Leave me a link and I’ll add it here.

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Posted in books, fiction, historical, mystery, review

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