Either I have spring fever or my brain has just recently turned to mush (I suspect the latter). For some time now I’ve been making rookie mistakes in my knitting, losing count, mis-counting, dropping stitches, and failing to read patterns accurately. This is to say, I’ve spent more time un-knitting than knitting. What a drag!
Of course, some of it has to do with the realization that if the chipmunks are back, spring is actually already here (even if it doesn’t look like it). Of course this gives the cats a change in their daily trip to the zoo (the window onto our deck). They are quite sure that they will be able to catch them even though that window is in the way.
I have made (some) progress on the Gansey. The patterning starts 10″ from the cast on edge, and I’m currently at 9 and a bit. A couple of concentrated hours and I’ll be ready to start paying more attention (hopefully that means not dropping stitches).
I have simplified the pattern to (hopefully) make the sequence easier to memorize and (hopefully) reduce the number of mistakes.
The mosaic stitch shawl has made it to row 21 of the first repeat of color work 3 times before I’ve discovered a mistake I can’t seem to fix. Again, not paying close enough attention. It seems that I’ve been missing increases (or maybe decreases) somewhere, and even with counting stitches, I can’t figure out where the mis-step is. It could be that there is more than one. So here I go again. I will be spending some “quality time” with this during the weekend. [Note: mistake found and fixed, so on to the second repeat of 5 of the colorwork part].
I know that much of the distraction has to do with upheaval in the house of the decorating type. I have hated our couch for the past 10 years, and finally decided it had to go. I ordered a new one, we packed up the old one and took it to a niece who really wanted it, sat around in dining room chairs for two weeks, and then the new one came. It was a complete disaster. It fit in the space, the upholstery was nice, but there way no way to sit on it unless you wanted to lounge with your feet up. If I sat back against the pillows, I felt like the old comedy character Edith Ann. So, we have ordered a different couch and the “new-bad-couch” will be picked up on Monday for return. And, we’ll be back to dining room chairs until the end of May. Sigh.
We also ditched our terribly sun-faded rug, and the new one works really well. It’s quite dramatic.
That’s the “new-bad-couch” as well. The good news is that its replacement has upholstery fabric that is basically the same, but a slightly browner shade. I also came up with two fabric remnants to cover our throw pillows that will really work well with the rug and the “new-good–I hope–couch.”
My other distraction is getting ready for the next 2 jaunts to Scotland. I have a short one at the end of the month to Perth for the Scottish Wool Producers Showcase. It’s a small show, but has been the best place for me to make contacts for the shepherds and shepherdesses who raise interesting breeds. There will be a new one who raises Castlemilk Morrit, the primitive rare breed that was specially developed in the early 20th century on the Castlemilk estate in Dumfriesshire in Scotland for “estate management.”
Depending on the account you read, the sheep were a cross of Manx Loaghtan, Soay, Shetland, and Wiltshire Horn, or Manx, Shetland and wild Mouflon. It is a very dense fleece and makes a sturdy yarn on its own, but is really heavy knit into a garment. Mixed with other fleece, however, it produces a lovely, lofty yarn that can be used either in its natural colors or dyed. ChocFlock is the name of the vendor, so I’ll let you know what I find.
Last weekend was Farm Fiber Day, held at Russell’s Garden Center in Wayland, MA, not far from here. It was jammed with vendors, some of which you see above. There were quite a few to get excited about, but these were some of my favorites. As a site of retail therapy, it was unparalleled in the amount and variety of fiber and fiber-related opportunities.
I saw Lakisher’s yarn at a distance, then made a beeline right to it. The colors in this photo don’t do it justice. It literally popped off the table with its vibrant, and yes, sassy, colors. If I was only allowed one word to describe Sassy Black Yarns, it would be JOY. I do often get pretty emotional about yarn, but Lakisher’s yarn had me wanting to sing and dance. There is just something about it that does more than just bring a smile to your face. It fills you up. I refrained from purchasing in part because I wanted a whole bucket, but also because the market wasn’t a very good place to talk to vendors at length, and Lakisher is someone I want to know more about. Her website mentions that she is up for collaborating with designers, and she has given me an inspiration based on that incredible turquoise you see near the bottom of the front basket. I can assure you this won’t be my last mention of Sassy Black Yarns.
Lisa Dachinger of Hilltop Farm in Lanesborough, MA no longer raises sheep, but now concentrates on growing the plants and flowers she uses for natural dyeing. She sells the yarn, as well as the plant materials for you do do your own, and even the plants themselves to grow your own dye garden. Better still, she offers spinning and gardening classes in addition to natural dyeing. The one that caught my eye is what she calls “Botanical Eco-printing,” using foraged materials to design a unique, speckled yarn.
I’ve made arrangements to visit Lisa during the summer when the plants are in bloom, and there is more dyeing activity at the farm….so we haven’t heard the last of this either.
Jim and Amy Grant of Good Karma Yarn & Soap are two more farmers who have stopped raising animals to spend more time focused on their spinning mill and a new retail space in Brigton, ME. When I stopped by, Jim was showing me how he inserts a short-row heel into a sock on a knitting machine. I asked about the yarn he uses, and it is indeed what his mill spins. He told me he has no idea about the gauge of his yarn….he calls it “my gauge,” referring to the fact that it’s what he arrived at that seems to work best on his machines. While Amy is in charge of dyeing, soap-making (and bee keeping), Jim runs the spinning mill. While he will tell you he consumes all of the wool, they do sell quite a bit of it as well, and in interesting and vibrant colors.
The couple offers classes in machine sock knitting and weaving, and Jim can hook you up with your very own sock knitting machine (he acts as a representative of Erlbacher sock knitting machines). He’s also a machine whisperer, so just might be able to repair or rebuild that antique model sitting unused in your closet.
I shall endeavor to post more regularly now that I’ve finished my taxes and reorganized my WIP pile. For most of February I was gansey obsessed, and that means there hasn’t been much to show or talk about. It’s good to get out of the house now and again! So until the next time, stay calm and craft on.
I really do love reading your posts …. And I am really looking forward to your new book!
I am inspired by your gansey discussion … I hope it is a whole chapter ! Knitting one for my husband has been on my projects to do list … and has just gone up a few notches.
Good luck with that second sofa !
Hi Heather, yes, there will be an entire chapter on ganseys! I have come to say that a Gansey isn’t a project — it’s a commitment. There is much to learn about and say about them, so I’ve gotten a little obsessed. I have Gordon Reid, the gansey master from Wick, Scotland, to thank for that. There are great tutorials on his site that help in the design process. There is no easy way to make a pattern that you can publish in a magazine. Each one is made to measure, and there’s no way around it. I’m hoping to provide some templates to make it reasonable to reproduce the project.
That sounds fabulous!! Thank you for sharing your expertise !
Always an enjoyable read!
Love the new couch fabric….and yes spring is coming!