Actually, the first one up is a “project just completed.” Last year, at a spinning workshop retreat on Orcas Island with Judith MacKenzie McCuin, we dyed some sock blanks. Judith had sent some of her 2-ply Rambouillet yarn to a mill to be knitted up into tubular yardage, the tubes being about 6″ wide. Each of us got about a 12″ piece, which were dyed in a “painterly” fashion – all were done in the same basic colors, though. Once dried, these are then pulled out (un-knitted) into 2 balls of yarn, one for each sock.
I wanted to get these done for 3 reasons: (1) to actually finish a project I started a year ago, (2) to try out a pattern from Cat Bordhi’s wonderful new sock book, and (3) to show them to Judith next weekend when I see her at the Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat in Tacoma. And, I hope to get a signed copy of Judith’s new spinning book!
So, Simple Coriolis slipper socks:
I have also started a top-down raglan sweater for Rick, using some yarn I spun about 4 years ago. He wanted a basic outdoor sweater to replace an old favorite bought in the Outer Hebrides many years ago. I am using Karen Alfke’s Unpattern for the Top-Down Sweater, a big favorite of mine since it lets you design any size sweater from any weight of yarn, with neckline variations.
The wool is from the very first fleece I ever bought, back in 2004. It was a multicolored Coopworth cross, which I divided into 4 color groups which were then sent out to a mill to be processed into roving for spinning (I also kept the coarser wool, which was all dark brown, separate). I had about equal amounts of the 2 lightest shades and the darkest shade in the finer wool, so the spun singles from those were made into a 3-ply yarn, which is what I am using for the sweater. It is only medium-soft, which will be fine for an outerwear sweater, but boy is it ever “springy”. Lots of elasticity.
Lady's fleece, sorted before making into roving
I am also getting to work on weaving some shawls. These are similar to the ones I made last fall, of which only one remains out on consignment, so it is time to start building up some stock. The warp is a handpainted mohair bouclé from New Zealand, which I get wholesale from Fiber Trends in Wenatchee. I don’t think all the colors are shown there, by the way, but at any rate they are changing dyers so it will all be a little different pretty soon. I am using various colors for the weft, mostly alpaca, which gives the shawls wonderful drape. For the blue-green-black warp shown, I am weaving 2 shawls – the first one has been completed with a black weft, and the current one is using a blue alpaca and a kid mohair/silk yarn held together.
boucle shawl underway on the loom
On the non-fiberarts front, today I designed an ad for Rick to place in the Methow Valley News annual Building Guide, which will be out in March:
The website will be “up” Real Soon Now, at which time it will be announced here on the blog, with a permanent link on the sidebar. That’s been another project underway, for the last month or so!
and Ingrid’s beautiful rep weave table runner and placemats that she just finished as part of a “color challenge” project the guild took on last year:
The next day, I travelled down to Gig Harbor with some knitting friends for an annual tradition called “Soup Bowl Sunday” at our friend Suzanne’s beautiful home. There we knitted, talked, ate and laughed our way throughout a very enjoyable afternoon. I also got a fabulous arm and hand massage that did wonders for the soreness in my left thumb. She said it was a combination of massage and rolfing. Thank you, Carolyn!
Twisp of Fate 