Free spinning demo, knitting and crochet clinic to be given by FiberTherapy.org at the Funky Finds Spring Fling!
Free spinning demo, knitting and crochet clinic to be given by FiberTherapy.org at the Funky Finds Spring Fling!
Ooooo...yes. Do you know how lovely a 2-ply cashmere and silk blend heavy lace-weight yarn feels? Well you should. It's one of the softest yarns I have had the pleasure of pawing.
My first Hand Springs Fingerless Mitts were made from some hand-dyed by Madeline Tosh. When I was told that they would not be carrying that line of hand-dyed yarn, I looked for another indie dyer.
I found Ellie of Crazy4Dyeing on Ravelry. She agreed to buy the yarn from a supplier and hand-dye it in appealing semi-solids.
She even sent a free skein with which to work another pair of mitts and get the gauge for the pattern! I'm so pleased with this yarn. It's the same weight as the Madeline Tosh yarn I had, so I know the results will be fantastic.
Here is the colorway I chose. The color is actually in-between the two photos, but I couldn't get my color tones just right in only one photo. I really need a light tent with an Ott Light to do it justice.
There are issues with copying and pasting from a word processing document to Vox, so I will only be able to provide you with a downloadable PDF of the pattern, located in my sidebar under My Links. One day after the Holidays I'll type up the whole pattern for you here in my post.
The pattern link is now in Ravelry.com and I have been dubbed an official designer. I guess I'd better start coming up with some original designs now!
Many thanks to my proof readers and test knitters, namely Bonnie, Donna, Jen, Katie, Linda, Sara and Susanna. Especially Linda Welch, who kindly gave permission for me to adapt her lace chart from the Spring Forwards socks. Such a gracious lady.
Also, Ellie of Crazy4Dyeing is now my supplier for the heavier laceweight yarn needed for the size 0 needles! Her new line, ElfinLace is a lovely 2-ply cashmere/silk blend in lovely semi-solids.
I finally worked up the gauge swatch for the Elfin Lace yarn...12 sts, 14 rows in stockinette equals 1 inch. I'll add this information to the PDF as soon as possible.
See THIS post.
Enjoy the pattern!
RM
The start of the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing began three hours ago. That's 7:00 a.m., CST. I was supposed to be up and casting onto my knitting needles my second pair of Hand Spring Mitts for my entry in the Ravelympics, which is coinciding with the regular Olympics. It may sound boring for non-fiber people, but I assure you, it is great fun for yarn enthusiasts world-wide. So, I was really excited about waking up, casting on and posting pics on Ravelry.com with my fellow teammates. A little too excited to sleep, evidently. I got about five hours of sleep when I require at least seven or eight! When my husband woke me this morning, I didn't make it to the metaphorical 'starting line' like I thought I would...but instead, slept another twenty minutes and then 'stumbled out of the gate' once I made my coffee.
I hand-dyed some lovely Silky Alpaca Lace yarn yesterday for these mitts. I call it 'Pecan Praline'. I ran out of brown, or it would have been darker.
Now, I won't bore you with constant update photos here on my blog. Maybe one or two more and then a photo finish at the end. Closing Ceremonies in Beijing will also close our Ravelympics. Just seventeen days to finish the new mitts, plus finish my swap with Patchy and complete my mom's second mitt. Oh...and give our daughter a 5th b-day party, and get her all set for her very first day of public school! (Sigh.)
Wish me luck!
RM
]]>I wonder how many independent and stubborn knitters in the world who, like myself, have all but banned the books written by the 'most popular' modern-day Knitting Gurus from their bookshelves because they see it as hopping on a bandwagon, going main-stream or being too trendy for them.
I have to admit...I never had the desire to read any of the Yarn Harlot's stuff before today.
I thought it was cool for her to get to have photos of thousands of people holding her socks, or her holding other's socks in progress on the needles (as is her signature move) while she travels to speaking engagements all across the globe. I guess I felt like she must have enough fans without me becoming one. Does that make any sense? Maybe it was jealousy. Maybe I felt like it should be me.
I don't know...anyway...here's where the Traveling Mercies post title comes in. Today at the library, I came across one of her books called Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off - The Yarn Harlot's Guide to the Land of Knitting. Now, anything having to do with traveling just intrigues me. Well, this was a knitting book with a travel theme! Doubly interesting! When I scanned through the book, I noticed the clever way she compared knitting to traveling. It really got my attention. So, I checked it out.
I came home and started to read it. I was extremely INTO the book, almost instantly. I thought to myself, "Oh no. I'm becoming a Yarn Harlot Fan!" Argh!!!! The thing that I didn't want to do! I didn't want to become some sort of freaky fanatic who drives three hours to get my photo taken holding a Yarn Harlot sock! I didn't want to give up being 'too avant-garde for the Best Seller List Club'.
Then, I saw them...three or four words within the first few chapters. Words that you don't want your young children repeating. As harmless as they are to most people in today's society, the words suck, hell and crap were never allowed in our vocabulary growing up. I don't even use them to this day out of respect for my elders (who probably blurt them out on a regular basis by now)...in fact this post is the first time in 35 years that I have ever spelled them out in that context. It's just the ultra-moral conservative code I have made for myself.
So...NOW I have a reason to retreat, right? NOW I have a reason to put the book down. I mean, I WILL NOT read such things written by someone called a Yarn HARLOT!
Would you believe, two years ago, I would have stopped reading at the first offensive word? In fact, I may not have checked it out at all for the sake of the moniker 'Yarn Harlot' alone. It's true! That's how I lived my life. You couldn't say 'butt' in my presence without me either sneering, scolding or marking you as an uncouth lout for using such a word. "We don't say that word...say 'bottom' or 'rear-end'". Seriously, you know people like that, don't you? Are you such an individual?
Well, I am so proud to say that within the last two years I have certainly mellowed and learned a lot about acceptance, tolerance and love. Can you guess from where I've learned these things? Well, I'll tell you...from a wonderful on-line crafting community. I joined Craftster.org about two years ago and it opened my eyes to different cultures, ways of life and camaraderie that I had never known before. I quickly found that I could either cancel my membership because I saw some posts with words that I didn't like to read and realized that some folks there were of different sexual and religious persuasions than I was, or I could stay in that super-creative atmosphere and learn so much from crafters from all over the world. Obviously, I decided to stick it out and not run away from fear of the unknown. I tell you, I learned a lot more than great crafting techniques there. I seriously learned to connect with and not 'disconnect' from people who did some of the things in the morally grey area that I saw as 'wrong' in the morally black and white world in which I lived.
So, my friends and family...I'm a changed woman. I know some of you who are 'on the straight and narrow' will be just as narrow as I used to be in your thoughts about my revelation, but I really can't help that. You may think, "Well, that's what she gets for consorting with sinners." I know that's what you might be thinking because I had the same thoughts you do about it for the first 30 years of my cognitive-thought life. It's what I was taught. Oh...and if you are offended and think that I could not be referring to YOU, then chill! I must not be talking about you. Hee-hee.
Obviously, not everyone can relate to this way of thinking...but I really used to feel sorry for people like me. I felt as though they had lost 'the righteous way'...and had fallen into a sea of mediocrity. Please, my dear family and long-time church-going friends...may I put your mind at ease? I feel set free! I have had a world of people put before me and I've been asked to love them, genuinely. And only now can I love them, faults and all. So, be encouraged...because that means that I can even love myself now. My imperfect self...and even you, too! :-) Even if you say the word 'butt'! Whoa!
So...back on topic. Today, I've become a Yarn Harlot fan. You may even see a photo some day of me standing next to her with a sock in both of our hands! I can't wait to finish reading this book. It even made me cry two times thus far. Not because it's sad in any way...but I had to shed a few tears for being blessed with the Traveling Mercies that have led me to a greater love of people, art, hobbies, excellent authors, traveling, culture, tolerance and humility.
I am forever your humble creative friend,
RM
]]>Yes, I said that I had been crafting lately. Here's the proof. There are comments on each photo if you click them.
RM
By the way...I wove the background fabric on my loom. I thought it came out well for my first cloth of significant size.
Whew. I got too excited there for a little bit! I received my swap package from Laurraine today and I couldn't have been more impressed with everything! I couldn't wait for my four year old to finish her computer game, so I called her up in Canada to thank her. What a treat it was to speak with her! She is just as delightful as I knew she would be.
So...here's the loot! Woo-hoo!
Click on the images for a larger view.
Some of the yarn is for knitting into dishcloths for her, to be included in my swap package to her, and the rest is for ME! Wee!
The fabric...um, yes. It's only Japanese fabric...from Japan! She picked it up especially for me on her last trip there.
You already saw the teacup pouch (sent with fabulously scented tea bags)...I can assure you, it's even lovelier in person! Then there's the adorable lavender sachets that she makes. Just darling!
So...you can see why I'm emotionally spent right now! Getting such a grand package and talking with her on the phone...it's been a really fun morning!
Thanks Patchy!
RM
]]>Hi everyone!
Bring a NEW crafty friend to Fiber Therapy and get your name AND the guest's name in the pot for a FREE 4 oz. RM Handspun and Custom Dyed skein of Wool Yarn in the weight (thickness) of your choice! Woo-hoo! No limit on entries. Only first-time guests count. Bring as many as you'd like. Don't know anyone in the group? First-time walk-ins will be entered as well!
Drawing will be held on November 28th.
Also, I thought I'd let you know that I will not be in attendance on October 31st, but if you wish to still meet at the Coffee Shop I'm sure they will be glad to have you. (Not sure about the crowd...it may be busier than usual...or perhaps more dull...you never know about Halloween!)
I'll see you tonight!
Later! RM
]]>My friend Amy from www.madelinetosh.com dyes the yarn that goes into these.
She also made me this custom skein of Glazed Ginger Cashmere and Silk yarn.
I love her.
-RM
]]>Texas has a brand new group of Fiber Crafters meeting just on the
southern Tarrant County Line in Burleson, Texas. (Just below Fort Worth
and Arlington)
Surrounding areas are Crowley, Joshua, Keene, Cleburne, Alvarado,
Everman, Arlington, and Fort Worth just to name a few.
We are going to welcome everyone who's into any 'portable' fiber craft,
such as:
Spinning
Weaving
Knitting
Crochet
Embroidery
Cross Stitch
Tatting
Lucet
Knotting
Punch Needle
Needle Felting
Rug Hooking
Inkle Loom
Beading
Etc....
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS 7:00-10:00 p.m.
at Mountain Mudd Espresso Cafe 108 S. Main, Burleson, Tx.
(Schedule and location subject to change as we grow. Check
www.recyclemicol.vox.com for updates.)
Directions:
Take the Renfro Street Exit (on your right) off of I-35 headed
towards Waco (will be two exits past Alsbury Exit)
Turn Right at the light Go straight a few blocks and when you cross
over the Rail Road tracks, you'll see a parking lot with the cool old
buildings of Old Town Burleson on your left.
Turn Left into the parking lot and Mountain Mudd is the third or
fourth building in the strip.
There are a number of good restaurants within a block of the coffee
shop, so come and eat before if you wish. (Babe's Chicken, Bar-B-Q,
Frisco's Mexican Resaurant and an old-timey Malt Shoppe)
That's just on the southern Tarrant County Line. (Just below Fort Worth
and Arlington)
Surrounding areas are Crowley, Joshua, Keene, Cleburne, Alvarado,
Everman, Arlington, and Fort Worth just to name a few.
If you're in the area, come join us!
-RM