With a cat butt in my face!
Bruce says that he finds it endlessly amusing that I talk to the kittens like they could actually understand what I’m saying (don’t tell me they can’t…I see that look on their faces!). The truth of the matter is that since mid-December when these two hellions came into our lives, knitting and spinning have really taken a back seat to the construction of mazes, box condominiums, and other cat toys to amuse the toddlers, who never are as innocent looking as here. They both want to be in the middle of whatever we’re doing (especially Lyla on the right), and that includes sitting on my chest or shoulder when I’m trying to spin, usually blocking my view.
I have continued (very intermittently) to work on the 12 days of…..seasonal spinning packages from Inglenook Fibers (having progressed only to day 4), and decided to stop fussing with Capstone sweater #2. Once I tuck in a few ends it will be ready to wear, and since my all-time favorite cardigan is really getting ragged, I think I’ll actually start wearing a new one for a change.
I wanted to show you the progress on day 4, and also point out my new spinning aid, the Spinners De’Lite from Dan Tracy Designs. Spinning in my lap with a support spindle has sometimes been a challenge because I often wear skirts or dresses. With pants, it’s easy to use one of the supports that you can slide between your knees, but it’s a little more complicated with a dress. This turns out to be a lifesaver for me, as well as a clever tool that really speeds up my fiber handling (since I don’t have to readjust the support every minute or two).
Back to the “favorite sweater.” It is a design by Amy Herzog from about 2012 called New Towne that I knit from Jamieson’s DK, a yarn that is rustic, but exceedingly tough and resilient. I’ve worn the heck out of this sweater, and while it’s a little stretched out here and there, it’s still a workhorse and I love it.
I wanted to mention Amy not only because she is an exceptional knitter, designer and lovely human, but because her work to design patterns that flatter females of all shapes and sizes has been a really important contribution to the knitting community.
I had several opportunities to hear Amy speak, and her passion for developing designs that flatter everyone was truly inspiring and motivating. Learning to adjust my knitting for my long arms, broad shoulders, and less than perfect shape, has been a miracle. That is why it is with profound sadness that I’m reporting Amy’s decision to close down her virtual software design application CustomFit. I do most of my sweater design by hand, working out all of the measurements, gauge, etc., but occasionally if I’m not sure I’ve gotten it right, I run it through the CustomFit program for confirmation. Having that has given me such unbelievable confidence in developing my own sweaters, and I’m going to really miss having that tool available.
MEANWHILE…..
Yes, the book is finally out and in the hands of some of the people who got in on the preorder opportunity. This is actually pretty amusing, since I haven’t seen it yet myself (I pulled the photo from a post by my friend Theresa Felder from California who was the first to post it’s arrival on Facebook).
Thank you to everyone who has contacted me with congratulations and to everyone who made this possible. It has been an incredible journey.
Right now I’m in negotiations for its translation into Swedish as well as preparation for another printing (updated to correct the typos, etc., that we just keep finding). I’m also thinking about what comes next (more on that another day). In addition, I’m working on a presentation for the sheep festival in Kil, Sweden (first weekend of March). It will be virtual, so I’ll post info on how to tune in once I know the details. I’ll be talking about the book, and also about my work with museum collections and how I adapted them for modern knitting patterns.
This week Bruce and I picked up the Romney wool I had washed and carded by a nearby mill in Connecticut (A Twist of Fate). It is a small operation, and therefore able to really customize their services for small lots like mine. I now have approximately 14.5 pounds of lovely fleece to spin (in addition to the pounds already stashed around the house). This is telling me it wants to be fisherman-style sweaters for Bruce and me (and possibly all of my other family members including the cats!). The challenge, of course, will be getting a sufficiently regular yarn out of my often very irregular spinning!
Bruce measuring the wheel (with help from Lyla) to make a shield to protect curious paws from getting caught in the very mesmerizing moving parts of my wheel. The bag of roving is one of 9.
On the needles
I’m working on a pattern for a child’s sweater using the motif I found on a sock fragment in the collection of the Gotland Museum. One of the interesting things about adapting motifs and designs from antique fragments is that it can be very difficult to match the scale with contemporary yarns. The sweater is being knit in sock-weight yarn, and even with that relative fineness, the motif is much larger on the sweater than on the sock fragment. I am also about to cast on for a sweater designed by Åsa Söderman (who goes by the knitting moniker Åsa Tricosa). It is an interesting top-down, no seam style she calls “ziggurat.” My bff Suzanne gave me her book for Christmas, and it’s very, very intriguing. Because of its complex architecture, I’m starting with a small version to understand the construction.
There is a possibility of snow this weekend…a good excuse to stay inside, bake bread, and spin Romney wool.
Of course your little ones understand every word you say, and they obviously want to help with whatever you do. (I know mine does). They are beautiful. Love the book. I really enjoyed exploring the history in the opening chapters.
I am savoring every chapter. I came to your mention of my friend The Bishop (Richard Rutt) and started down memory lane. We had become pen pals through the UK Knitting, Spinning & Weaving Guild magazine. I bought his book in London when it was first published, with the original brown cover. He invited me to coffee when I was visiting my family in Falmouth, and I came away with the gift of a treasured booklet by Heinz Kiewe. Another year I went to his talk to the Cornwall Chapter of the Guild. We kept in touch until his death.