Time sure does fly

I have been very negligent when it comes to my little home here at Knitting Chica. I have so many dreams and wishes as to what I want this place to be, to become, but life is funny. It takes you down many twists and curves.

Rest assured that even though this place has been quiet, I have been working on the background. Working on ways to make my dreams a reality. Learning from the Universe and applying them to my life.

I have been so singular in my views on how I want things to be that I have strayed from here. When in fact I should have kept interacting, how else am I supposed to foster the community that I envision if I stay holed up in my little corner not sharing anything?

So here I am today, letting go, and continuing my trip down this road, but this time I am sharing it with all of you.

First up, my last post was about the Rose Garden Shawl, I am said to say that I gave up on the pattern. There are just some projects that are not meant to be. I loved the idea of this project, but my brain did not like it. Such simple stitches, but I think it was the simplicity of the stitches that kept my brain traveling to Never, Never Land whenever I worked on it.

I did pick back up the Leftie Shawl:

I am further along than what is shown in the photo above. The colors are just wonderful and as always MissBabs yarn's are just a dream to work with.

I never shared her on the blog, but I am a mommy to a Ewe who I named Lucy. Since becoming her mommy, she has gone and become a mommy herself.  She had twins, a Ram who I named Bam Bam and a sweet Ewe who I named Pebbles. Lucy is a wonderful mom and the babies are adorable.

Speaking of sheep, I have a collection of soft, wonderful sport weight yarn that I will be dying. I had to put a temporary hold on dying yarn because of our epic move. But now that we are all settled I can begin production. I am in the process of looking for a new farm to source my yarn from. I really would like a place that is local to the MD/DC/VA area.

Finally, here is a project completed with one of my hand dyed yarns. I do not know the name of the project she made, but the yarn is 440 yards of Finger weight Superwash Merino in the colorway "Sun Goddess".  It totally screams summer and beach fun.

There is so much more in the works, a new website, new online shop, new projects and tons of yarn. So hang in there things are about to get a lot more fun around here.

Until next time, Happy Knitting!

~Knitting Chica

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

  

Things I have learned while Dyeing Yarn

I have gotten pretty addicted to this yarn dyeing thing. I do not know yet if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I mean, do I really need one more thing to be obsessed with?

In this very short time of me working with Acid Dyes, I have compiled a list of things I have learned. Some of the things I have learned are common sense things, but we all know that common sense escapes me sometimes, other things are things that are in almost all literature that you find on dyeing yarn, but still failed to follow and some things I never knew and I learned on the job.

Here are the things that I have learned so far in my yarn dyeing adventures:

1. Do not dye yarn in a dark pot. You will not be able to tell when the color has been exhausted.
2. There is a reason why they tell you to make sure you are in a ventilated area when dyeing yarn. Please follow that rule.
3. Write down the color recipe so you can recreate it. Yes I know, this is a "DUH" kind of thing but I just created this very pretty color and I forgot to write it down how much of each color I used to make it.
4. No plastic spoons!
5. Before you start, make sure you have all your tools on hand.
6. Please wear shoes. *ahem*

I am sure this list will grow as I dye more yarn and experiment with different dyeing techniques. I will be sure to document them so you wont have to make the same mistakes as me.

Right now this is what I have brewing in my very dark pot:


See what I mean? Dark pot and Dark Dye do not mix.

I think I will take a trip to the store while the yarn is cooling off to correct some of the wrongs on my list above. In the meantime, why don't you tell me some of the things you have learned while dyeing yarn?

Until next time, Happy Knitting Dyeing!

~Knitting Chica


PS: I have much to blog about, like I have finally finished my spinning wheel and the Blue Peony is almost done and I do have some projects that are completed but just failed to post finished photos. I promise to post all about these things VERY SOON.

Hand Dyed Yarn: Emerald Isle

Meet Emerald Isle, 440 yards of very yummy Worsted weight Superwash Merino Wool. It was a lot of fun dyeing this yarn but man is Emerald a hard color to get. It was worth it, I think it came out beautiful.

What do you think?

Until next time, Happy Knitting!

~Knitting Chica

Work in Progress Wednesday: Nupps are Evil and Why I Fail

I have started and restarted this blog post a few times now. Is not that I do not have anything to say, is just that I am currently in the "negative phase" of all my "work in progress" projects. Which in turn makes this blog post more like a big whine-fest.

The negative phase of a project is when you have reached a point in your project where you are not happy on your progress for one reason or another and have nothing good to say. When I hit that phase in my project I set it aside and start another one. This is usually a very good thing for me, I get in a better mood, finish a project that takes me to my happy place which puts me in knitting nirvana and I can go back an tackle the "other" project. Well, I currently have 3 such projects and none have taken me to my nirvana.

Those projects are the Layered Ruffle Sweater, Pei and Peony Cardigan. Let us take a closer look at my purgatory.

WIP #1: The Layered Ruffle Sweater

I am using Berroco Vintage DK in Red on #5 needles

This pattern is from the "Modern Top-Down Knitting" book I bought a while ago. I plan on knitting this top without the ruffles, shorten it a little, add waist definition and cap sleeves. I started this pattern out easy enough but when you arrive at the shoulder shaping of the pattern she lost me. I was finally able to get together with one of my friends and she broke it down to me in English I can understand. I have been meaning to get back to it, but I have not been able to find the momentum.

WIP #2: Pei

I am making this in my own hand dyed yarn on #5 needles

This pattern is super simple. I was actually having a lot of fun with it that is until I reached the NUPPS. Dear readers, I have gotten away with never making nupps. Every time I have seen them in a pattern I either put a bead where a nupp is supposed to go or not do them at all. With the complaints I have heard from other fellow knitters I had decided I just did not want to endure the evils of nupps. But I decided that I will try them. I have to grow in my craft and that means that I need to try new things. Well........

NUPPS ARE A THING OF THE DEVIL!!

Why did I bother? But as you can see from my picture, I have frogged the darn thing and begun casting on today.

WIP #3: Peony Cardigan

I am using Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock Yarn in Olde Towne East on #4 needles.

I have to say I LOVE, LOVE Cecily Glowik MacDonald patterns and when I saw the Peony Cardigan on Interweave Knits, Spring 2012 magazine I just had to buy it. I fell in love with that cardigan. Though I currently have a love hate affair with Neighborhood Fiber Company Yarns (That story is for another post) I knew that I wanted to make it in the Studio Sock yarn I already had in my stash. But as you can see from the photo I have only gotten the top edging done because I have reached the increase section and I do not understand it. Not even the ladies from my Knit Group could answer my questions. ARGH! I plan to email one of the other people that has completed this pattern on Ravelry or Cecily. It is just frustrating to get stuck like this. I want to wear my Cardigan THIS Fall not NEXT Fall.

The reason as to why I fail

Almost finished!

You see that picture above? All those colors and fluffiness? Those are things that I have finished knitting but have not blocked, there may even be one or two where I have not weaved ends yet. We have spoken of my blocking "problem" in the past on this post. My goal is to have at least half of the growing pile blocked by the end of the weekend. What is the point of knitting if I am not going to use the stuff?

Now that I have gone on and on about my never ending projects, tell me, what are you working on?

Until next time, Happy Knitting!

~Knitting Chica

I have Spun and now I Dye

This weekend I took my completed handspun yarn and dyed it a suer bright red. It is only fitting that my very first handmade yarn be dyed in my favorite color. I found the process to be very easy and surprisingly enough I did not make a mess. I know I have a lot to learn about spinning and dyeing, but for my first attempt at both I think I did a decent job. Let me know what you Think!

54 Yards of Hand Spun Wool

The Dye Bath is Ready!

In it goes!

Look! My spoon matches my yarn!

Yarn is hanging out to dry.

The finished product!

I named the yarn "Cereza", it means Cherry in Spanish.

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