Good-bye 2013 and Hello 2014

Previously I blogged about my failings at keeping to my knitting plans so today I will blog about what I managed to accomplish in 2013. By the close of the year I was able to finish 13 projects.The damage was:

• 3 Pairs of Socks
• 6 Hats
• 1 Cowl
• 1 Scarf
• 1 Cardigan
• 1 Top

Seems that I was really into hats in 2013, though I must say that 2 of the 6 hats were Christmas presents, Socks came in second with 3 pairs completed.

Knitting aside, as I mentioned in my last post, I finally put my Spinning Wheel together:

I did not get much spinning accomplished in 2013 but I do plan on changing that this year.

Another thing that I got into was dyeing my own yarn. Unfortunately I did not document my yarn dyeing adventures as well as I should (another thing I need to work more on, documentation). But here are two out of the half dozen or so that I dyed this year:

For 2014 I will not make a project plan as I did before. My goal is to work on other techniques that I generally try to keep away from. Such as:

1. Fair Isle
2. Intarsia
3. Bottom up Projects ( i.e: Sweaters, toe up socks)
4. Entralac
5. Steeking

Aside from working on new techniques, I have to work on a sweater for Mr. P and complete two projects that I have had on the needles for a while.

Over all, I guess I did not do so bad. I just need to be focused and be more organized.

What are your goals for 2014? How did you do in 2013?

Until next time, Happy Knitting!

~Knitting Chica

  

2013 Project Plans - Part Three: Spinning

I am now the proud owner of an Ashford Kiwi 2. No more drop spindle for me! Well, I will still use my drop Spindles but I think I will be using them a lot less.

 I still have to finish it and put it together, but since I have to do the finishing outside and leave it outside to dry that is a project that needs to wait till we get better weather. In the meantime I have some books that I am going to read while I wait for better weather.

The first book which I already own and have read before but plan to read again is "Start Spinning". This book was very helpful when I was learning how to spin and I think reading it again will give me a good refresher for when I start spinning. If you are interested in me giving a separate review on this book on "Book Thursday" let me know in the comments and I will queue it up.

Next book I do not own but plan on buying in the very near future is "The Intentional Spinner". I have heard good things about this book and would love to read it. If I have time over the weekend I will stop by the Library to check it out before I purchase it.

The last book on my to read list is "Spinning Wool: Beyond the Basics", I also do not own this book but will see if my Library has it and decide from there if I should get it. I am trying to stop my compulsive book shopping so I want to start borrowing the books from the Library and depending how useful/informative they are I may or may not buy the book.

My goal for this year is to spin enough yarn to at least make a hat. I have yet to spin enough yarn to make a large project.

So this concludes my goals for 2013. Hopefully by the end of this year I would have completed all my goals.

Until next time, Happy Knitting!

~Knitting Chica

Spinning Adventures Part 2

I have completed my spinning classes and I am ready to now learn how to use a Spinning Wheel. But that will have to wait for another time, since I want to master the drop spindle.

Enough chit chat, let me show you what I have been up to:



More spinning! Getting better, right?

 

Plyed, fingering weight yarn.



Plyed, washed and now hanging up to dry.

 Now all I have to do is wait till it the yarn is dry so that I can dye it, wind it, and then knit it up.

Until next time, Happy Knitting!

~Knitting Chica



More Yarn....

Yesterday I went to the Homespun Yarn Party at Savage Mill in Maryland. I had way too much fun. I learned about new to me Yarn companies and I met lots of new Knitter's, which believe it or not are bigger Knitter Addicts than me! I tried not to shop much but with all the vendors and all the pretty yarn, I just could not help myself!

Here is the damage:

All my pretties!

I have big plans for all this yarn and roving! Oh and can you see the super cute spindle? It spins like a dream and that is coming from a spinning noob. I will talk more about the yarn that I purchased on an individual basis as I think of what patterns I will be making them out of.


Until next time, Happy Knitting!!

~Knitting Chica

Spinning Adventure Part 1

I am sorry for the delay but time just flies by when you are having fun. Over the next few days I will catch you guys up with everything that is going on in my Fiber world. I will start you off with my Spinning class that started last Wednesday.

Here are the tools:

If you follow me on Google+, you have already seen this photo


The class was a lot of fun, it was also nerve wrecking, easy, hard and did I say fun? You might be wondering how something can be easy and hard at the same time? Well, let me explain. The whole spinning concept is easy. Your main tools are a Drop Spindle and Fiber. You then take some of your Fiber and with the hook of the Spindle pick up a little piece and start spinning it. There are a couple more steps but for the most part that is it.

Now on to the hard part. While the concept is easy, your fingers are not used to it so you have to get your fingers used to it. From drafting enough Fiber to feed it through to get the right amount of yarn thickness and try to keep some sort of consistency. To getting tired because you are not used to holding your arms up for so long.

The nerve wrecking part. You will drop your spindle A LOT, you will break your yarn, and you will start over a few times. Once you get over those three things, the nerve wrecking part will go away.

As for the fun part? You get to make your own yarn!! The satisfaction of spinning your own yarn is what is so fun and great about this. I cannot wait till I am done with spinning my ball of yarn so that I can dye it!

Now enough chatting, here are some photos:

My first spun yarn.

I am spinning!

The many failed attempts.

Since my second class Wednesday consisted of just more spinning, I will skip that update and just update you guys next week after my final class.

Until next time, Happy Knitting!!
~Knitting Chica



Happy Friday! It is Road trip time!

I am going on a road trip today to visit family and friends. I am still awaiting for my yarn order from WEBS to come in so that I can start my Kate Spades inspired sweater. In the mean time, I have decided to cast on the 198 yards of Heaven Pattern that you can download for free on Ravelry. It is a small enough project that will keep me entertained while I sit in the back of a car for 4 hours.

Not my picture... It is a picture from the project page on Ravelry

I have not forgotten to give a follow-up on my Spinning class from Wednesday. I will have a post up when I return. I still have to download the picture's of the yarn that I managed to make. I will just say that they class was a lot of fun and I cannot wait to get better at Spinning.

Hope you all have a great weekend! Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Until next time, Happy Knitting!

~Knitting Chica