Jul 31 2009

RAAWWRRR!!

Category: Knitting — Mistress Rows @ 11:19 am

Oh, sweet, sweet joy! Or as I put it on Facebook: “I did it! RAAAWRRRR!!”

Yes. Mom’s wedding-vow-renewal shawl is done, and awaiting her bath and block. And yeah, about that blocking part? It’s already “person size” and plenty open due to the weight of the beads, so I’m only going to pin out the edging. If it grew even 20% with a full blocking, it would be too much. As pretty as it is unblocked, it’s nothing compared to what it’ll look like with the spiked border teased out.

I know that knitting isn’t “hard”. Lace is just knit, purl, decrease, yarn over. Wash, rinse, repeat. As long as the pattern is well written (as this one mostly was), anyone can do it with practice and patience. Still, I kinda feel like a rock star, to be honest. This project did teach me two new things, knitting with beads (what a beautiful pain in the ass) and nupps. I’m glad Nancy Bush walked me through that one at SOAR, but the instructions included were plenty even if I hadn’t tried them once before. So, yes, even though knitting isn’t “hard”, I still feel like a rock star. I’ve heard it told that this shawl has around 65,000 stitches, and hundreds of beads, individually placed. I’m not sure if it’s that many stitches, or maybe even more, but I think I deserve to feel like a rock star.

Draped 'cross the giant hedge in the dramatic setting sunlight.

Draped 'cross the giant hedge in the dramatic setting sunlight.

I took the shawl to work today to show a couple of work friends, and the one (Claudia), after I put it on her for scale, proceeded to dance around her department like a duchess! I laughed, and couldn’t stop smiling. Claudia isn’t old enough to be my grandmother, she’s about 20 years too young, but if I could choose own, it would be her. Everyone was impressed, they’ve all seen me out at the picnic table working on my breaks and lunch, every single day. Several said they just couldn’t “see” it when it was on the needles, so it was like this beautiful thing just jumped off my needles fully formed, kinda like a butterfly. The photos you see here are unblocked, so keep that in mind.

That's my size 9 slipper for scale. Love the wings!

That's my size 9 slipper for scale. Love the wings!

I just realized that if I didn’t *need* to take it to WOOL (which I really, really do) I could enter it at the Altamont Fair. Still debating the whole entering thing.

Never did a free edge seem so lovely, blocked or not.

Never did a free edge seem so lovely, blocked or not.

I can’t tell you how happy I am, both with how it looks, and to have actually finished something this big – and this important! The actual project post will (hopefully) be up either Monday or Wednesday, before I go to WOOL. Thanks for the support, it certainly helped knowing I had all you guys (online and off) cheering me on.

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Jul 29 2009

Big Things – Little Things

Category: Knitting,Life & Stuff — Mistress Rows @ 12:18 pm

Emotionally I’m dragging a bit these days, mostly with the house-hunting situation. As someone who manages clinical depression through stress management and behavior modification, the house-hunting saga has been particularly challenging. One minute I’m up, the next I’m down. The endless waiting in between, the well meaning encouragement. All of it drains my reserves of calm and good cheer. I save most of my angst for Facebook, where I can vent when I need to and move on. I’m feeling rather raw, and it undermines the work I’ve done to handle difficult situations, past and present. That, in turn, adds to my emotional mood suck. I want my serenity back, but not enough to stop looking for a nice home at a fire sale price. I foresee a contradiction in energies there.

WOOL can’t come soon enough. Please Gods let everyone behave and comport themselves as grownups while we are there, I really need to have some fun. May respect, compassion, and laughter inspire us all. So mote it be.

Small triumphs are the order of the day. I have finished the Row of DOOM on mom’s wedding shawl. This would be the next to last ‘working row’ (as I call front side rows) where you’re placing a goddamned bead every other stitch, 10 beads per motif, all the way across 950 stitches. It took me six hours to work that row. And I found an error as I am working my way down back again, I forgot a bead/3 stitch section. Would you notice it without a keen eye? No. Am I going to rip out 2,000 stitches and hundreds of beads to fix it. Let’s just say I’d rather carve my heart out with a spoon*.

Mighty Row of DOOM.

Mighty Row of DOOM.

You know what? I’m just letting it go, keeping my sanity, and moving onwards. Since I’m now on the last row, the error can’t hurt anything else, it’s just one more purl row and then I bind off. I give myself the grace to move on, knowing that my mother will cherish the shawl regardless, and is in awe that I would put months and dozens of hours of my time to this epic quest… me who is not known for the follow through.

I can’t wait to finish, I’ll be done by the weekend and blocking in time for WOOL. I can’t wait to see what it really looks like, in all its glittering glory. I can’t wait to show mom the finished shawl, only intimated by the bunched up mess on my needles. I dread finding even more mistakes I didn’t catch in its epic bunched-up-ness, but I pray for the grace and acceptance within myself to not let it ruin the shawl for me. I refuse to focus on its flaws, and instead focus on the love that went into it.

My vacation starts Tuesday afternoon. Not counting today, it’s 5 days till I see Amy and get to rest my head on the shoulder of her beautiful awesomeness. I need to get wound up and fantastically all over the place on fire.

* Points to whomever can name the movie this quote comes from. No cheating and googling either.

“…I’ll carve your heart out with a SPOON!”
“Why a spoon, cousin? Why not an axe?”
“Because it’s DULL you twit, it’ll HURT MORE.”

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Jul 27 2009

Had Fun, Tired Now

Category: Friends & Fun,Life & Stuff,events — Mistress Rows @ 2:20 pm

I can’t believe it’s been over a week since I last posted! It’s rare these days that I go more than two or three days between a post. There’s a lot to catch up on, starting with good friends and good times.

Saturday Steve and I made an emergency trip to Albany, me for beads to finish up mom’s wedding shawl, Steve to get a fan for the media PC which was overheating. One of the difficult things about living in a semi-rural part of the state is that you have to travel 45 minutes to get to a major shopping district. I know they’re the devil, but I was thrilled when our town finally got a super Wal-Mart, at least for the basics. Don’t judge me until you’ve had to drive 20 minutes (one way) and pay $1 bridge toll just so you could buy a $1.25 crochet hook or a pair of plus size jeans the next town over. Anyway, mission accomplished and then some, I also came home with a couple of knitting and crochet magazines, and a gift for Amy.

Later that evening we had sushi at Oscars down the street, gourmet ice cream across the street, visited my garden, and waited till dark so we could rearrange our living room to watch Coraline on the ghetto screen. It was a good, but very late, night.

Sunday was my second time demo-ing with Jess at Egremont on Parade, a park festival where we demo spinning with our friends. As with last year, two things were true. We were very popular, and it rained. I had a lot of fun though, I look forward to next year.

We made one pretty table to show what all we get up to.

We made one pretty table to show what all we get up to.

Closeup of our display.

Closeup of our display.

Navajo plying of DOOM. Snappity snap-snap went the single.

Navajo plying of DOOM. Snappity snap-snap went the single.

This year we capped the day with a double birthday party for Jess and Becky. I scored, I’m told, on the gift front – yay! What a day. No more 11 hour days for me please, not before a work day. Me hurt big time.

Mom made the chocolate cheesecake, I "decorated" on the fly.

Mom made the chocolate cheesecake, I "decorated" on the fly.

My view on the way home.

My view on the way home.

I’ll have a proper Tour de Fleece finale post up later this week, but it’ll have to wait. Right now I’m going t must on the fact that WOOL is 9 days off. I’m not sure whether I should pass out or squee. Maybe I could do both… but I’ll have to wait until after I get home from work, cook dinner, and go see two houses for sale. *wilt*

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Jul 19 2009

Watch Me Go

Category: Craftiness,Designing,Friends & Fun,Knitting,Spinning — Mistress Rows @ 7:11 pm

There must have been something in my butter beer. :P

Yes, as you can probably guess we saw Harry Potter & the Half-blood Prince. It was pretty good, in as much as something that makes the title revelation a non-event and features the death of a beloved character can be “good”. I enjoyed the movie, and it was definitely laugh out loud funny at times, so that’s a plus. We saw it after a very good Chinese dinner with friends Jodi and Eric. I wasn’t as blown away with the hand-knits this time around, but I did laugh when Dumbledore came out of the loo with a Brit knit mag and gave his infamous line.

So, back to the butter beer… I don’t know what got into me, but holy smokes have I been productive this weekend! Let’s start with the sewing.

Local folks know that the only local Wal-Mart that still carries fabric and has a “real” craft department is downsizing to be just like all the new stores. Yay. I was able to get some great deals on 50% off fabric though, so at least that was exciting. One of my finds was a milk chocolate duck cloth and a coordinating cream floral. And interfacing. And trim. Oh look, a project!

Sorry, kinda squished there.

Sorry, kinda squished there.

Neat - pleat!

Neat - pleat!

What you see here is a completely organic, self-designed large tote bag that just kind of came together. And I mean that literally. I used no pattern references and didn’t draft a paper pattern for cutting guides. I just kinda… eyeballed it. I figured things out as I sewed, which means that I really had no idea of what it was going to end up looking like in the end, other than the fact that the outside and straps would be brown, the lining would be floral, and that I’d have some sort of border on top of the floral, hopefully with the sage green rope trim I liked so much.

Oh so sloppy stitching. :P

Oh so sloppy stitching. :P

Mission accomplished. The sewing sucks, and no, I’m not being super critical here. Seriously, it’s sloppy, uneven, and pretty much looks like a kid did it. But the design… the aesthetic… I like that very much. The bag was bigger than I though, meaning the top would be too wide, so I added pleats. I think they rather make the bag! Really, the sewing is pretty poor, and I was rushing because I wanted to be done with it. As with so much of what I create though, I like it despite its flaws. This will be come my festival shopping bag, and will be very useful when I’m packing spinning and knitting paraphernalia for travel.

There's a single person blanket in there, along with three knitting projects and STILL room to spare! Spinning wheel for scale.

There's a single person blanket in there, along with three knitting projects and STILL room to spare! Spinning wheel for scale.

Also this weekend I managed to get some more spinning done for the Tour de Fleece, but not much. My knee, it bitches at me quite loudly. I have spun though, and that’s what counts!

Chug chug chugging along.

Chug chug chugging along.

Delicious sherberty goodness. Nom nom nom.

Delicious sherberty goodness. Nom nom nom.

Lastly, I have made quite a bit of progress on my Garden of Allah KAL shawl. I am almost done repeating the B chart for the second time. One more time and then I can move on to set up the border and be done. I will NOT be doing the odd original border, but instead will be doing the knitter-submitted, simpler alternate. Big improvement there. I’m very glad that I decided to sub out with the solid color yarn. While I lose the fun of watching colors pop up, I don’t have to watch colors pop up, if you get my drift. Some things are better left for less busy patterns.

Finally, true to color.

Finally, true to color.

Seriously, the shawl is lovely, but I’m not quite sure the designer got what she was aiming for. I thank her for offering it to us, but would respectfully suggest that this plain version (with alternate edging) blows away the multi version any day. I’ll find something for that pumpkin spice yarn, sooner or later.

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Jul 15 2009

Did I Mention I'll Say Just About Anything?

Category: Knitting,Life & Stuff,Ramblings — Mistress Rows @ 1:34 pm

I’m a pretty “lay it all out there” kinda gal. My blog should probably have a warning that reads something like:

“WARNING: I will probably offend you, and I’m completely comfortable with that fact. Hopefully you are too.”

Or maybe:

“Adjectives that accurately describe Mistress Rows: bawdy, loud, occasionally crass, blunt, thoughtful, irreverent, possibly offensive, well-meaning, part time depressive, and terribly enthusiastic. “

I’m in a really weird mood today. I have a lot to do, and everything needs my attention Right Now. The garden needs to be moved around. Now that all our tomatoes are dead due to early blight, I have extra space. That space can best be used by rescuing my beans and pepper plants from the marauding yellow squash and zucchini plants (one each). Those things need a warning label. I thought by buying only one pot of each plant I’d be ok… yeah… not so much.

Also tonight we are looking at two homes, one about 20 minute from our house out towards my parents, one 15 minute from our house in the complete opposite direction. Since we can’t go see them until Steve gets home, that means we’re not to be at the first one until 6:30. Christ on a cracker. We won’t be home ‘til 9 or so.

We had no internet this morning, so please excuse my lack of reply on the social networking and email fronts.

I really do feel weird. Weird, weird, weird. Maybe I had too much fun last night at knitting? It was a really good night, complete with a discussion about why men feel the need to run around naked at home, and whose husband does or does not sleep nude as well. Most of us are married women, so we had quite the sample group. This was made even funnier due to the fact that most of the husbands were having a LAN party in the same room with us at the coffeehouse. I asked one husband if he was also inclined to this kind of thing and he said I’d have to ask his wife. So I asked her, and she said (completely deadpan) “Of course, he has to be ready to service me at all times”. You should have seen his face, I thought I was going to pee my pants I laughed so hard.

Holy super-saturated, Batman!

Holy super-saturated, Batman!

Also in a positive vein… I recently finished a row on mom’s Aeolian shawl, which meant I could take a reference picture for size. The ball of yarn in the photo is about the size of a lemon.

Each stitch like a single blade of grass in a might and manicured lawn. Or something.

Each stitch like a single blade of grass in a mighty and manicured lawn. Or something.

Sorry for the funky photos, I’m still getting used to my new camera. I love it for most things so far, but apparently it really doesn’t like taking photos of ivory colors on grass. That shawl really isn’t blinding white, it’s a soft, creamy off-white. The camera’s got a bitchin’ macro setting though, I’m very pleased about that.

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Jul 14 2009

Spinning FO: Kryptonite

Category: FO,Spinning — Mistress Rows @ 8:29 am

Fiber: “Kryptonite” 100% Merino top from Into the Whirled
Wheel: Lendrum DT, 8:1 ratio whorl
Weight: 8 ¼ oz, 236g
Yardage: 1,160 yards, 2-ply
Diameter: Sport-ish
Techniques: Fractal stripping, spun worsted

 

My precious.

My precious.

Holy bejeezus, this is some soft, squishy yarn. I’d like to get that out of the way right off the bat. I shall kiss my own arm because I totally did something right when I spun this yarn. It’s tempting to over spin a lace weight single so that it doesn’t drift apart, thinking it’ll come out in the ply. And normally, some extra twist IS important, but it can be easy to put a little too much twist in, with the end yarn losing some of that loft that makes you want to bury your face in it for the next eternity or two. This one came out perfect in that regard.

Two 4oz braids of the most expensive loveliness I've ever laid eyes on.

Two 4oz braids of the most expensive loveliness I've ever laid eyes on.

I bought this top from Cris at Into the Whirled while bouncing around the Clermont Sheep & Wool Show in April. It was her first time vending, not that you’d know it from how nice the booth looked and how luscious the braids of top and coiled batts were. Seriously, it just screamed classy. Cris and her husband were great shopkeeps, and I’m happy to say we hit it off. You can read more about that adventure here.

The first bobbin, long color repeats.

The first bobbin, long color repeats.

Cris christened the previously unnamed top Kryptonite after I remarked that it must have been Kryptonite to get a tightwad like me to spend luxury hand painted prices on two braids. I didn’t even blink when she told me the price (twice so I could make change).

Pre-bath.

Pre-bath.

This was my first experiment with fractal spinning. For those who haven’t heard of it before, it’s where you strip one half of your top in half and fill up your first bobbin. Then you split the remaining half into longer thin strips and spin your second bobbin. When you ply you’ll end up plying long repeats against much shorter repeats, blending the colors in weirdly harmonious ways. Personally, I can’t see much of a difference between other hand painted affairs that I’ve plied together, but maybe it’s something you’d see in the knitting more than in the finished skein. Either way, it’s not like it was any skin off of my nose, so why not give it a try?

No kinks, almost straight while fresh off the bobbin.

No kinks, almost straight while fresh off the bobbin.

This is definitely not my most even spinning, however, it is some of the most balanced fresh off the bobbin. There are seriously thick and thin parts, and my plying kinda sucked too. This is due to two factors, the first being that I struggle more with spinning Merino top than I do with roving that I can spin semi-long draw, and the second being that 8oz is a lot of frickin’ top to spin. I get lazy and bored by the time I get to the second bobbin. I still like it though!

Kinda all over the place.

Kinda all over the place.

One thing that I was blown away by was the yardage. Whoah! I’ve got over 1,100 yards here! Where did all that come from? I didn’t spin it as super fine as some other recent projects (again with the wanting to be done), so it must be due entirely to the fact that I rarely spin 8oz skeins anymore. That has to be it.

Steve says this shot looks like a waterfall in a canyon.

Steve says this shot looks like a waterfall in a canyon.

So, what to make with it when it grows up? I have no clue. It’s too high contrast and busy to be most kinds of lace, and it’s not enough to become a sweater (for me). It’d make a great Baby Surprise Jacket, and there’d be enough left over for accessories too, but I’m not giving a baby handspun Merino, sorry. Maybe a shawl like Revontuli? Something with a little motion to move the color around, but not so complicated as to be obscured by the marled effect. I’m not sure what it’ll be someday in the future, but I know that it’s snuggly, sqooshy, beautiful and all mine. I like that last part a lot. :P

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Jul 13 2009

Tour de Fleece: Day 10

Category: Spinning — Mistress Rows @ 2:36 pm

Over the last year or so I’ve struggled with my left knee. I know why, it has everything to do with not only my weight, but also the fact that I tuck my legs under me when I’m on a non-reclining couch and when I photograph things on the floor. When I do so, my left leg is under my right and that puts a lot of pressure on the joint. I have been making a point to avoid this posture when at all possible. When I’m spinning I compensate for the weak (and often aching by this time) joint by treadling with just my right foot for a while, giving my left a rest.

Unfortunately, the plying setup on my Lendrum is much stiffer than the regular spinning setup and I can’t really get a smooth rhythm spinning this way. Even with a good oiling, it’s heavier and requires more work. Plying on the Lendrum when my knee is in a weak spell REALLY hurts after only a little while. One of the reasons I didn’t finish plying sooner was this fact, and the fact that I’m a nimrod and forget how very long it takes to ply 8oz of lace weight singles. I really had to take it easy this week, but I did ply every day. I don’t normally spin every single day, so that wasn’t helping either.

Still, after alternately resting and then pushing myself much too far, I did manage to finish my mega-skein of Kryptonite on Sunday morning… huzzah! I gave that puppy a soak and let it dry in the sun (gasp! The sun!). I’ll have an FO post tomorrow with the beauty shots.

 

Sun bathing.
Sun bathing.

Tonight I’ll do a few minutes on the (now renamed) Sorbet top I bought from Jessica of Zarzuela’s Fibers and then pack it up for knitting tomorrow night. There’s nothing saying that I can’t also wind off one or two of the orphan bobbins, if I’ve decided they won’t be plied. It looks like the challenge is going well for me so far, despite the knee pain, and I’m very pleased. I would call myself achieved if I empty all the bobbins AND get started on an old bag of roving, whether it’s the grey blue one or something else that catches my eye. As long as it wasn’t bought in 2009, it’s fair game, the older the better.

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Jul 10 2009

No No. 2

Category: Life & Stuff — Mistress Rows @ 6:09 pm
Denied, again.

Denied, again.

The owner backed out of our contract after dicking us around for a two weeks and some really dirty pool on the part of her realtor for “another offer with better prospects and less contingencies”. Good bye $600 in inspection fees… until we find another house we like and get to pay it all over again. I’m holding onto my life raft of rage because it’s either that or give in to despair and depression. I really liked this house.

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Jul 10 2009

Tour de Fleece: Day 7

Category: Craftiness,Spinning — Mistress Rows @ 6:47 am

I’ve been coming along well, save for that fact that I really need to tattoo “it will take almost as long to ply” on my forehead. Because OBVIOUSLY my underdeveloped optimism always takes this opportunity to say “nah… it’ll only take three or four hours”. My optimism gland is sweet, but naieve. This is what I have accomplished to date on the plying:

Love love love. *dreamy sigh*

Love love love. *dreamy sigh*

That would be a bit over half way done. That’s ok though, my goal is to finish stuff, and I have a list that’s there for guidance, not an ultimate measure of success. Have I finished stuff already? Yes. I am the boss of this challenge! Go me. :)

I’m a little delicate today… we’re supposed to find out if the negotations went through on the house and we can apply for the mortgage. Words that don’t involve creative uses of Fornicate Under Command of the King can’t describe what I’ve been feeling like lately. There have been shenanigans, tom-foolery (substitute above acronym and it’s funnier), and all manner of dirty dealings. I’m ready for this to be done.

Tonight I meet up with my mom and we go to WalMart where, in HQ’s infinite wisdom, they are being forced to clearance out all their fabric so the Hudson WalMart craft department can suck as much as my hometown Catskill one does. So, 50% off all fabric means you come home with things like this.

Yes, flying skulls and Winnie the Pooh in the same picture.

Yes, flying skulls and Winnie the Pooh in the same picture.

I’m doing my best to be a good girl and only come home with a yard of this and that, save interfacing. The most I’m likely to sew are bags as gifts or for myself, of which I only need a 1/2 yard per side, or other small projects. Trying to be good.

Tomorrow Harriet and I have a weaving lesson with Pat of Eastside Weavers, and I’ll have a chance to get the items I’m missing (reeds & shuttles) and perhaps a how-to and pattern book or two.

Jul 08 2009

Tour de Fleece: Day Five

Category: Spinning — Mistress Rows @ 11:03 am

So far, so good! There was a good portion of spinning done on Saturday, and by Sunday I’d finished my bobbin of Kryptonite. I did a fair amount of plying between then and Monday, but by Monday night when I sat down to ply I could only do so for half an hour before my knee let me know it had other plans. Those plans included setting up a nagging ache that demanded rest. It bugged me to stop, especially since I was enjoying seeing the yarn come together, but you have to do what’s right for your body or pay the price.

Stormy, and very strong.

Stormy, and very strong.

The white and grey portions of the yarn are making for some very strong barber pole affects. I like it, but it will definitely limit what I can eventually use the yarn for. I’m thinking something garter stitch or plain stockinette. Maybe a wrap? I’ll have 8oz, so it’s enough to make a shawl, but not enough to make a plus size sweater. I could have avoided this by Navajo plying the yarn on itself, but I really wasn’t interested in a yarn that thick, or spinning it even thinner to compensate.

The color came out kinda wonky, but it's close.

The color came out kinda wonky, but it's close.

Since I was benched Monday night, I puttered around pawing through my handspun. After frogging my Garden of Alla Knit Along Shawl, I was convinced that I really didn’t want to be using a yarn that was speckled or excited about itself in any way. There are two skeins of Buckwheat Bridge in my spun stash that fit the bill particularly well. One was a medium sea foam green, the other a rich lavender. Both were roughly DK weight skeins, and therefore perfect. I chose the lavender. I own almost nothing in lavender, including my accumulated stash, so this will really pop against a simple shirt and jeans.

Simple yarn, subtle sheen, MUCH better.

Simple yarn, subtle sheen, MUCH better.

Day four of Tour de Fleece I was able to start working on the partial bobbin I started at SOAR. My knee wasn’t bothering me, which tells me that it’s the extra work and weight of the plying head that’s aggravating my injury, and not just the repetitive motion of spinning in general. Anyway, the bobbin. I forgot how much I LOVE this top. Jessica, ya done good. Oh my lord does it spin easily, even though I find Merino can be hit or miss so often, depending on how it’s prepared. I love the way the colors play off each other, and it’s a color family I don’t often spin or knit from, which is nice.

Like a sunrise, or maybe the first blush of spring.

Like a sunrise, or maybe the first blush of spring.

Tonight I will continue to ply Kryptonite. I’m betting I can get a least half of what I have left off the bobbins. If I really push it (knee depending) I may even get it all done. I’m not holding my breath though. When I do finally finish it that would clear the way for me to either ply some of my full bobbins against themselves, or wind them off. I’m thinking a little bit of both.

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