First, a recap of projects finished and ones started:
1 - Frank Stained Glass continues
2 - Finished River's Edge Jacket
3 - Learned how to knit with beads, finished knitting second project; now need to add zippers
4 - Three Heads cabled handspun white sweater back into action
5 - Started red and silver scarf - leftover from Vic's vest
6 - Started spinning Ricci's pound of fiber
7 - Finished spinning the Mystic Topaz superwash into singles; now needs to be plied.
8 - Birdhouses! Bill built a stunning adobe one and I decorated another, that will be an ongoing project
9 - Need to start designing a columbine stained glass panel for Texas
10 - Hand carding - FINALLY hand carded a very luxurious batch of fibers from Estes in 2010: angora, pygora, alpaca, silk, yak. Lots more to card and also the spinning
11 - Made a Navajo spindle that works! Been spinning lots of churro on a shorter navajo spindle for weaving projects scheduled for the future.
12 - Oh yes, one more sweater in the works: Peasy. Supposed to be easy-peasy but now after having lost over 25 lbs I decided to rip the few inches I had done and redo as a medium. On size 5 needles so might take a bit.
#1
Frank stained glass for front door area. Coming along, slowly... pretty big so will either have to be reinforced or maybe a frame could prevent that. There's a chance it could sag due to the heavy weight of the glass and lead. Don't want that to happen.
Here's the finished product of #2
This sweater, over a year in the making, is known as the Casey Anthony Sweater as I was knitting it while watching the trial in 2011. Bought the yarn in 2010; it sat around for a time while I searched for for the perfect project (found it in a 2009 magazine). Had to knit the sleeves twice. Thought I was clever to knit the sleeves in the round so I wouldn't have to seam, but turned out the circumference ended up too small to fit in the armholes. So total do-over. For both. oops. I was knitting those off and on while on road trips so didn't think about measuring as I went along. Took several nights to do all the seaming and knit the cabled bands on the sleeves and bottom. Anyway, all done, it fits and I do love it. whew. |
| Actually fits too! This is 100% wool (cascade) knit on #6 needles (or was it 7?) |
#3 Knitting with beads
Thank you Carole M for showing me the way on this. The worst part is prestringing every bead according to the design you've created on a grid. Mis-count and you're in trouble. It can be fixed, but what a pain. I think usually people use #11 seed beads, but they looked so small I went for #10. Found some in Albuquerque... well, now I find out #10's are hard to find, so I'll probably have to go to a #11. The black, blue and white one is with Hobby Lobby Beads and they seem to be a variety of sizes. Thanks China. Still obsessed with the Pendleton pattern San Miguel: look familiar? Used the same type of design on the locker hooked rug. Using "double-aught" needles -- like, smaller than a size one, with cotton 10/2 thread. Plan is to put two sides together, make a liner, and add a zipper to make a little bag. HA, yeah, that is the plan.
#4 "Three Heads" Cabled Sweater from Handspun
This handspun yarn goes back to 2009, when I first started carding. I bought a huge bag of alpaca at Pagosa Fiber Festival, and carded it with three different "white" wools, not realizing each one is so different -- in color and texture. This is BFL, part others, which means yep, they're different. The front is much softer than the back, but oh well, maybe I'll use the right ones and have the sleeves match each other -- or match the front. I don't care, I'll wear it anyway. Back looks like the front with cables, and I think I'll put them down the sleeves too. Kinda winging this from a pattern in one of my books.
#5 Red and Silver Scarf
no pic yet, not much more than the cast-on done so far. but a lacy pattern called Fawn's Eye. Otherwise known as "Fonzie".
#6 Spinning for fun and profit
Doing this for Ms. R, said it is a 1 lb bag of alpaca, but I'm thinking it's not alpaca. Any my spinning comrades agree -- so not sure what it is, but probably wool, very clean and a very easy spin. Yet it still will take a while to complete a POUND!
#7 Mystic Topaz
Needs to be plied and sold! Went pretty thin on the singles. This will make a nice light lacy project for someone out there.
#8 Birdhouses
A little inspiration to the man and look what he creates! An adobe birdhouse, with real stucco finish coat. Throw in a few Christmas ornaments and it's a living space but not for the birds. Not sure this one will go outside any time soon.
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| This is the house Vic sent to decorate, and I finally gave it an oak bark roof and it's own little birdhouse. More to come when the inspiration does. |
#10 Hand Carded Fuzz
Oh yea, this is going to be soft! Yak, silk, alpaca, bunny angora, pygora locks and maybe some mohair. Ready for me to spin up. one of these days. And much more to card but at least I got a feel for it. Did it on the fine hand cards. And I can't remember how Sarah the Navajo told me to do it so I'm doing it my way, again....oh well, it works.
#12 Peasy Sweater
Trickling along on this, but only because the handspun cable sweater is taking the lead. This is store-bought wool, not the greatest but hoping will come out ok. kinda splitty. Once I get past the fancy lace pattern on the top fronts it's just straight knitting so should go fast, or as fast as can be on #5s. I'll save this one for the trailer trips.
