Shades of Red

The Fishermen's Wool from Einstein's Coat went from this:

To this:

10 and 20 drops red

And this:

30 drops red

And this:

40 drops red

I don't have a really big pot for dyeing yarn, so had to make do with a good sized baking dish in small batches. I kept adding more food coloring with each batch, until the last one that came close to the intensity that I was looking for. The rest came out more pinkish than red, so I might try to dye them again to for deeper colors.

Next project, June's Favorite Cardigan, which I started on June 1st.

This young man graduated from middle school. He is officially taller than his mom, and knows a lot of stuff his parents didn't know when they were his age.

Happy Friday! Join the party on Andrea's blog, and leave me a comment!

Tilly 娣丽; Coat No More

New Project:

Project:  Tilly 娣丽
Pattern:  Tilly from A Fine Fleece by Lisa Lloyd
Yarn:  Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool 
Yardage:  2 skeins, 384 yards in stash
Needles: Size 6
Cast on: May 26, 2013
Notes: A Fine Fleece is one of my favorite knitting/fiber books, and every fiber lover should own it. The write up about various fibers was informative, and the patterns are beautiful. Lots of cables! Tilly is going to be my transition project until the next big project starts. After knitting lace for the last few projects, my hands are very happy to work on cables again.

A few months ago I showed you this Einstein Coat when I got it back from my mom. I originally knitted it for my mom, she outgrew it and gave it back to me when she moved in December. It didn't fit me, what am I supposed to do? Rip it of course, so I can use the delicious Fishermen's Wool again.

So it went from this:

To this:

Next thing is to wash the yarn, and dye it with food coloring. 

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Liesl Finale, AGAIN!

the new front

much roomier sleeves

back still very pretty!

edging details

The first time Liesl was very pretty but uncomfortable to wear. Now she's still pretty, and without the stupid mistake (that I'm not going to talk about), she's very much a wearable garment. I'm very happy with the result. If you want to do a before and after, just click on the link and toggle between the screens.

Happy Friday! Join the party on Andrea's blog, Tami's blog, and leave me a comment!

Liesl Redux

Redux

Was

Remember I wasn't complete happy with how Liesl turned out, with the tight shoulders and sleeves and all. I thought about how to fix the sleeves, so I ripped them out. Then I ripped out the body up to the end of the yoke increase, re-did the armholes, re-knitted the body on larger needles, now re-knitting the sleeves. You can't tell from the picture that well, but the armhole area is much more roomy now. I made a major mistake the first time around, so bad that I would not admit it. We agree to let it go.

Happy Friday! Join the party on Andrea's blog, and leave me a comment!

Ginkgo Crescent Finale 银杏月亮

Project:  Ginkgo Crescent 银杏月亮
Pattern:  Ginkgo Crescent by Jade Keaney
Yarn:  Knitpicks Color Your Own, hand dyed by my friend Jocelyn 
Yardage:  about 350 yards
Needles: Size 7
Cast on: April 17, 2013
Cast off: May 2, 2013

Cost: None! 

Previous entry: here

Notes: In the designer's notes she mentioned there "may" be a bump in the center of the neck where you cast on and start the decrease, but a good blocking would stretch it out. When I finished knitting, there was a significant bump, make that some major mis-shapen going on in the center. It took A LOT of pulling and tugging and stretching to smooth it enough so the shawl looks crescent shaped. I'm so glad the yarn is strong enough to endure this. If I knit this again I would definitely recalculate the increase so there is no "bump".

Happy Friday! Join the party on Andrea's blog, Tami's blog, and leave me a comment!

Playing with Ellen's Yarns

Nightsongs (Gail) got a nice soak the other day, and I pinned it to a yoga mat to block, since I can't find the foam blockers except for used kiddie mats (who knows what's been on them!). The stitches really opened up after blocking. Isn't it gorgeous? And if you still can't find the error, I think I'm getting away with it! This is one of my happiest projects from Ellen's Half Pint Yarns.

Next, turning knitting back into yarn. From this:

To this:

To this:

The sweater was ripped, yarn skeined and washed. I have:
- 9.75oz, 792.2 yards variegated Ellen's Half Pint Falkland merino
- 6oz, 487.5 yards lavender Ellen's Half Pint Falkland merino, custom dyed
- 50g, 146 yards Misti Alpaca Sport

We are having the first heat wave of the season. It's been in the 90s this week, the shawl and yarn both dried super fast. This picture was sunset on the lake I walk to regularly, looks like the sun was ready to explode behind the hills.

Happy Friday! Join the party on Andrea's blog, and leave me a comment!

Ginkgo Crescent 银杏月亮

My cute puggy stitch marker

Project:  Ginkgo Crescent 银杏月亮
Pattern:  Ginkgo Crescent by Jade Keaney
Yarn:  Knitpicks Color Your Own, hand dyed by my friend Jocelyn 
Yardage:  440 yards
Needles: Size 7
Cast on: April 17, 2013
Notes: There is a story about the yarn. It went something like this: there were a few skeins of pink cashmere/merino yarn on sale at Newton's Yarn Country at Stitches West. I cannot pass up sale yarn, especially when it's nice cashmere/merino. The yarn became Muir, and because it's pink, it found its way to Jocelyn, who loves everything pink. Jocelyn liked the shawl and said "you can have whatever yarn you want from my stash." You'd know the significance of that statement only if you know the size of her stash, which, let's just say, a few times bigger than mine. This hand dyed yarn is one of the skeins came home with me from my visit.

Happy Friday! Join the party on Andrea's blog, and leave me a comment!

Nightsongs Finale

Project:  Nightsongs
Pattern:  Nightsongs by MaweLucky/Jane Araujo, Ravelry free download
Yarn:  Ellen's Half Pint Farm 100% Merino Sock 
Yardage:  560 yards
Needles: Size 7
Cast on: June 20, 2012
Cast off: April 14, 2013
Cost: $20 for the original skein, Ellen didn't charge me for the second skein (about 100 yards) that she dyed for me this year.
Previous entries: last year, revival 
Notes: The shawl is finished in good time. It wasn't hard to figure out where I left off, but now that I see the result, I know there is a major error in the edging. It still needs a good wet blocking to open up all the lace, but I'm in a big hurry to show you the pictures and get this post out, so here you go, a pretty shawl in all her glories, errors and wrinkles and all :-)

Happy Friday! Join the party on Andrea's blog, Tami's blog, and leave me a comment!

FO: Liesl 欧风

Project:  Lisle 欧风
Pattern:  Lisle by Ysolda Teague
Yarn:  Gella Yarns Inco Eco (worsted weight cotton) 
Yardage:  5 skeins, 700 yards, used about 650 yards
Needles: Size 8
Cast on: March 9, 2013
Cast off: April 9, 2013
Cost: None, shop sample for Green Planet Yarn
Previous entry: here
Notes: This is my first Ysolda design. It's a simple top down feather and fan cardigan, and Beth (owner of Green Planet Yarn) wants to feature the Eco cotton yarn. The shoulders came out quite narrow, as you see on Daniella the mannequin, it gives her quite a backward shrug (wish I can do that). Since no one will actually need to wear it, and over time the cotton will grow a little more every each way, hopefully the sweater will adjust itself to fit a wider set of shoulders.

Happy Friday! Join the party on Andrea's blog, Tami's blog, and leave me a comment!

Lisle, More New Yarn

Isn't she pretty?

Project:  Lisle 欧风
Pattern:  Lisle by Ysolda Teague
Yarn:  Gella Yarns Inco Eco (worsted weight cotton) 
Yardage:  5 skeins, 700 yards
Needles: Size 8
Cast on: March 9, 2013
Notes: One more sample for Green Planet Yarn. It's my first Ysolda Teague pattern, the feather and fan is so easy and pretty, and the top down design is going to make finishing super simple. The thick and thin 100% organic eco-friendly cotton yarn is lovely to work with, but it certainly reminds me why I usually prefer working with animal fibers.

A few weeks ago Katy who blogs at Knits in Class asked for help to name her new merino and bamboo yarn.  The picture of undyed yarn reminded me of rice noodles, so I suggested Mifun, which means rice noodles (shhh you Chinese people can see I made a typo.). Katy picked my suggestion for her yarn, and send me a skein dyed in Lagoon colorway. The yarn indeed is soft and drapy, will be loads of fun to work with.

To continue the yarn recycling theme from last week, here is some new to me Ella Rae Lace Merino yarn. Prior to Green Planet Yarn's recent move to a new location, the staffers got to divvy up some old shop samples. I took home this wavy scarf from a yarn company. I wasn't too crazy about the scarf, but I wanted the yarn. It's taken me a few weeks to rip it, skein the yarn, wash it, and now it's ready to join my stash. It will probably become another scarf or shawl, but it will be MY scarf!

Happy Friday! Join the party on Andrea's blog, and leave me a comment!