I think URK! could round up how I feel about these needles. I've just cast on a baby matinee coat for a very good friend of my DH who has had a little girl, but then found out that of all the nice circular/interchangable/wooden needles I own, the pattern requires the one size I don't have. This will be remedied in short order but until then I am stuck using my revolting metal straights! I'd forgotten how much straight needles get in the way, how you have to keep the ends from waggling around, and how damn slippery metal is. Can you tell that I'm not enjoying this?
Monday, 31 October 2011
Friday, 28 October 2011
Drat... and other words for when you run out of yarn
So I knew my first attempt at spinning enough yarn for my gloves was likely to be out by a bit. The initial 70g or 141m was enough for a glove and two thirds, with the first glove weighing 40g give or take a gram. So you would think that spinning an extra 12g should have given me more than enough to finish... no, sadly not. Irritatingly I've had to spin a finger's worth to finish them off! Agh didn't even come close.
On the flip side, the thought of spinning three sets of singles, then winding a plying ball etc was not one I wanted to contemplate for such a short amount of yarn, so I finally figured out how to n-ply on a turkish spindle. Now I'm not sure I'd recommend testing such bright ideas on a tiny turkish but somehow I managed it, and the resulting mini-skein matches the rest of the true 3ply more than well enough for a finger's worth of knitting.
On the flip side, the thought of spinning three sets of singles, then winding a plying ball etc was not one I wanted to contemplate for such a short amount of yarn, so I finally figured out how to n-ply on a turkish spindle. Now I'm not sure I'd recommend testing such bright ideas on a tiny turkish but somehow I managed it, and the resulting mini-skein matches the rest of the true 3ply more than well enough for a finger's worth of knitting.
Monday, 24 October 2011
Autumn's Gift to Autumn's Gloves
While I was updating Ravelry with my progress I thought I'd add a few photos here too. From these braids:
To a spindle full of singles:
Annoyingly I forgot to photograph the plying stage but did get one of the skein produced:
And the gloves in progress:
To a spindle full of singles:
Annoyingly I forgot to photograph the plying stage but did get one of the skein produced:
And the gloves in progress:
Sunday, 23 October 2011
Apologies for the hiatus
Sorry for the lack of posts over the last month. Whilst I had anticipated most of the challenges two weeks in deepest darkest Scotland, followed by a week in deepest darkest Devon would present, almost a month without usable internet access wasn't one of them. The wifi I had been expecting at both turned out to be woefully slow in the case of the former, and utterly absent in the case of the latter. That said, the spinning and knitting has been continuing apace!
I finished up the Feet of Beans socks, now named my Tigger Socks by my DH on the basis of how bouncy they are, and have been wearing them as often as I can get them washed. It has been a while since it has a) been cold enough to warrant thickish wool socks and b) since I've had a set of hand knitted ones I wanted to wear, but these are fabulous even if I do say so myself. I had forgotten the very simple joy of socks you've knitted yourself out of a yarn you love. I'm not sure if it is the fit (perfect), the warmth (hot when it's cold and cool when it's warm) or the general smile factor of non-black socks but these have had me smiling for days :)
On the spinning front I've gradually been working my way through the Midnight's Socks yarn, with about half of the singles spun. Although the yarn is nice it isn't inspiring me as much as I'd thought it might, although that may also be the slightly daunting thought of my first patterned sock project.
On a more positive front, I've spun up the first batch of Autumn's Gift, a brown corriedale dyed by Patricia of Yummy Yarns. This was the first time I've tried to maintain the colour design of the original fibre which has been an interesting exercise in itself. With patches of each colour, in no particular order, running in sequence along the fibre rather than in stripes lengthwise I decided to split 70g of the first braid lengthwise into 3 for a 3ply yarn. As I'd decided I wanted a pair of gloves from this first batch I thought a 3ply would give me the rounder, warmth trapping whilst hard wearing, type of yarn that would be most suitable. The aim was to spin the singles relatively lightly, with the plying being done much harder to give a sproingy yarn. It has to be said that I failed utterly at the latter, producing a relatively balanced yarn instead, but have been very happy with how the colour transitions have worked out. Each single is slightly different meaning some areas are relatively solid in colour, whilst others are beautifully heathered. Oddly, under electric light the yarn and now glove look almost uniformly brown, whilst in natural daylight the colours glow. Very odd and actually quite pleasing. I've opted for a personalised version of the Broad Street Mittens from Knitty as I get very cold hands at the slightest hint of winter. If I'm honest I've followed the concept rather than the pattern as it was never going to fit, and have opted for a short rowed top to the mitten section to make it lay flat, but the concept is there. Given the long colour runs in the yarn I was a little worried about the idea of knitting the mitten cap as an add-on as it would be very obvious that it had been knitted second. As such I knitted that first, placing the palm half of the stitches on a holder etc, then picked up the stitches for the finger section afterwards from the inside of the glove. A little bit of an odd technique but it seems to have worked well. When the mitten top is pulled over the only tell-tale is a row of ever so slightly tighter stitches whilst the colours run through beautifully. That tighter row also has the advantage of creating a natural fold when the mitten top is folded back. Hopefully I'll get some photos up once I've finished the second glove showing both the design and Patricia's stunning dye work.
I finished up the Feet of Beans socks, now named my Tigger Socks by my DH on the basis of how bouncy they are, and have been wearing them as often as I can get them washed. It has been a while since it has a) been cold enough to warrant thickish wool socks and b) since I've had a set of hand knitted ones I wanted to wear, but these are fabulous even if I do say so myself. I had forgotten the very simple joy of socks you've knitted yourself out of a yarn you love. I'm not sure if it is the fit (perfect), the warmth (hot when it's cold and cool when it's warm) or the general smile factor of non-black socks but these have had me smiling for days :)
On the spinning front I've gradually been working my way through the Midnight's Socks yarn, with about half of the singles spun. Although the yarn is nice it isn't inspiring me as much as I'd thought it might, although that may also be the slightly daunting thought of my first patterned sock project.
On a more positive front, I've spun up the first batch of Autumn's Gift, a brown corriedale dyed by Patricia of Yummy Yarns. This was the first time I've tried to maintain the colour design of the original fibre which has been an interesting exercise in itself. With patches of each colour, in no particular order, running in sequence along the fibre rather than in stripes lengthwise I decided to split 70g of the first braid lengthwise into 3 for a 3ply yarn. As I'd decided I wanted a pair of gloves from this first batch I thought a 3ply would give me the rounder, warmth trapping whilst hard wearing, type of yarn that would be most suitable. The aim was to spin the singles relatively lightly, with the plying being done much harder to give a sproingy yarn. It has to be said that I failed utterly at the latter, producing a relatively balanced yarn instead, but have been very happy with how the colour transitions have worked out. Each single is slightly different meaning some areas are relatively solid in colour, whilst others are beautifully heathered. Oddly, under electric light the yarn and now glove look almost uniformly brown, whilst in natural daylight the colours glow. Very odd and actually quite pleasing. I've opted for a personalised version of the Broad Street Mittens from Knitty as I get very cold hands at the slightest hint of winter. If I'm honest I've followed the concept rather than the pattern as it was never going to fit, and have opted for a short rowed top to the mitten section to make it lay flat, but the concept is there. Given the long colour runs in the yarn I was a little worried about the idea of knitting the mitten cap as an add-on as it would be very obvious that it had been knitted second. As such I knitted that first, placing the palm half of the stitches on a holder etc, then picked up the stitches for the finger section afterwards from the inside of the glove. A little bit of an odd technique but it seems to have worked well. When the mitten top is pulled over the only tell-tale is a row of ever so slightly tighter stitches whilst the colours run through beautifully. That tighter row also has the advantage of creating a natural fold when the mitten top is folded back. Hopefully I'll get some photos up once I've finished the second glove showing both the design and Patricia's stunning dye work.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
A beautiful way to spend a sunny afternoon
It isn't very often that life forces you to have a pleasent time out, but yesterday for me it did. I'd needed to drop my other half's car off about 40 miles away so he'd have it and house keys when he gets back (I'll then be away with work). The slight problem was how to get back from somewhere with little to no public transport running anywhere near it. My cunning solution was to drive down with my bike in the boot of the car, ride the 12 miles to the nearest railway station, and get the train for the remainder. Given the amazing weather we're having this week I couldn't see a downside to this. Now like all good knitters I'm rarely far away from my needles, so in with the usual purse, mobile, iPod, puncture repair kit etc I threw in the socks I'm currently working on... and thank goodness that I did. Turns out that the train home only runs every 2hrs or so! And I got there 30 mins after one left. With views like this though in the late afternoon sun I'm not sure I can complain:
And what did I fill those 90 mins with... some sock knitting of course :)
And what did I fill those 90 mins with... some sock knitting of course :)
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Presenting the MindfulKnits Lace Stitch Markers...
They've been a little while in production but finally I have the first batch of stitch markers ready for sale. They fit up to 6mm/10US needles, are made from split rings (just in case you accidental knit a marker in) but have the join covered by a bead to prevent snagging if you're using something like Kidsilk Haze. The bead isn't glued so if you do need to take them off, just slide it to one side and bend the split ring open. Et voila, knitting saved and stitch marker reparable.
The first couple of sets are single colour, but I am making up mixed batches as we speak for those who like using a different colour to mark different sections. Hopefully I've covered the main problems with using stitch makers in lace, but if you have any suggestions please do drop me a line and I'll see what I can incorporate into the next batch.
I've not yet got the Etsy shop sorted but if you are interested they are £2.50 a set plus P&P. Just drop me an email saying which colour you would like and where you are in the world and I'll send you a Paypal invoice.
The first couple of sets are single colour, but I am making up mixed batches as we speak for those who like using a different colour to mark different sections. Hopefully I've covered the main problems with using stitch makers in lace, but if you have any suggestions please do drop me a line and I'll see what I can incorporate into the next batch.
I've not yet got the Etsy shop sorted but if you are interested they are £2.50 a set plus P&P. Just drop me an email saying which colour you would like and where you are in the world and I'll send you a Paypal invoice.
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Just in time for autumn
I was going to say I've just managed to finish my first handspun project just in time for autumn... but September apparently planning on going out on a warm note. The evenings are definitely getting cooler though so my hard work hasn't gone to waste:
It is the first time that I've done a semi-circular shawl and I must admit it wasn't love at first wear. It is noticeably shorter in the "wings" than my triangular Laminaria, despite being almost as long in the back. That said, I'm not sure if is the shape or the use of merino rather than silk, but it sits much better, and holds a shawl pin much better than the Laminaria. All in all a very wearable day-to-day shawl that I suspect will get a lot of use. Did I mention how warm it is too?
On a completely unrelated note, I'm hoping in the next couple of days to have prototypes of the MindfulKnits lace stitch markers finished. Well less the stitch markers (they're already made) and more the packaging. I'm hoping that a local yarn shop will stock them, but if not they should be on Etsy in the near future.
It is the first time that I've done a semi-circular shawl and I must admit it wasn't love at first wear. It is noticeably shorter in the "wings" than my triangular Laminaria, despite being almost as long in the back. That said, I'm not sure if is the shape or the use of merino rather than silk, but it sits much better, and holds a shawl pin much better than the Laminaria. All in all a very wearable day-to-day shawl that I suspect will get a lot of use. Did I mention how warm it is too?
On a completely unrelated note, I'm hoping in the next couple of days to have prototypes of the MindfulKnits lace stitch markers finished. Well less the stitch markers (they're already made) and more the packaging. I'm hoping that a local yarn shop will stock them, but if not they should be on Etsy in the near future.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
In this moment I am grateful for... (2)
My parents always being there for me
My husband coming home soon
Two amazing work opportunities
The chance to study with Lama Zangmo
For the lessons already taught and learnt
For the lessons still to come
For all those who challenge me and make me grow as a person
For all those who help me
For all those who throw a spanner in the works
Without them life would be far less interesting :-)
Monday, 19 September 2011
Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra and mindful speech
Sorry I've not blogged in a couple of days, life had somewhat overtaken me, both in terms of what I've been cramming in and pure unadulterated emotional upheaval... more on the latter later.
What I really wanted to share though was a beautiful teaching I attended last Thursday at the Kagyu Samye Dzong Buddhist Center in Bermondsey, London. Lama Zangmo has just started a 15 week programme on the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra, often known as A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life. It has been a long time, both since I have had the opportunity to attend a teaching, or since I've had the chance to spend time in one of the Samye Ling affiliated centers, and Thursday didn't disappoint at all. Whilst I probably won't manage to get to the whole course (work dragging me about the UK et al.) I do hope to attend a large proportion.
So what was so good? I've not heard Lama teach before and was struck by her very friendly, approachable style. This wasn't a lecture, it was an invitation to join in with a learning process. She spent the majority of the lesson describing the background to the text, how it came to be, who it was that wrote it, and how it has been taught and debated since. All of that set the scene for the lesson next week. Although this week there were no questions, time has already been worked into the schedule for later weeks, before finishing each session with 20-30 mins of meditation.
What did I learn though? Well I'm not as bad at meditating as I though I was! My leg did do its usual trick of falling asleep, but only just before Lama rang the bell to signal the end anyway. Finding that inner calm is still not the struggle I once found it, despite not having spent much time on the cushion recently. Most of all though, I remembered how much I enjoy both learning and the meditation after.
It is easy though I think to keep a practice on the cushion (assuming that is you make it to said cushion in the first place :) ). For me, the hard work starts when I get up. As Lama explained, the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra describes training in each of the six perfections (generosity, right conduct, patience, diligence, meditation and wisdom) in order to obtain enlightenment. What really struck a cord with me was her description of how you practice all of them within one meditation session... no matter how badly you thought it went! By dedicating the merit etc you practice generosity, in attempting to set the correct posture - right conduct, in not getting up after five minutes - patience, by actually committing to the practice - diligence, by meditating... erm meditation, and in those fleeting moments of lucid clarity, wisdom. Rather inspiring I thought.
For me though it is in my daily conduct that I "train" the hardest, especially in "right conduct". Learning how to find the moment before I react to something though is one area in which I'm actually starting to see an improvement. I would love to say that when someone hurts me, impugns my character or generally acts in a way I find upsetting, that I treat it with perfect equanimity... but I don't. In acknowledging that though there is a power. I know that if something cuts deep I'm likely to react, and that knowledge allows me not to. I know that I need to think before I speak, else regret it later, and knowing that means I pause. I've stopped rushing (quite so) headlong into the argument. I've learnt to see the hook, acknowledge that I want to react negatively, and step away. Similarly I now know how bad I am at stewing on an event, of planning and scheming my revenge, and of how bad that makes me feel inside. When you start to look at it, it is insane! Someone else hurts me so I stew and seeth and plot, running over and over and over what hurt me the first time, each time feeling it anew... and for what? The person who said it doesn't know that, they've walked away. The only person hurting is me. And if I should choose to act on those plots and schemes? Ok I get a momentary satisfaction at "getting my own back" or in other words making that person feel as bad as I did... meaning I almost always feel awful later. So they say one thing, and I torture myself twice over... how about I try not to do that any more!
That is not to say I always succeed. Events over the weekend have had me seething to a quite scary degree. What for me has been a success though was in not reacting at the time. I didn't escalate it and three days later I feel good about myself. I didn't lash out with hurtful words (though it was very tempting). I stopped and thought. Even my plots and plans hatched in the dark drive home seem childishly pathetic. Being aware of them, acknowledging their existence without judging them good or bad, just seeing them for what they are is oddly liberating. I'm still not sure how to deal with the situation that must arise shortly, but I am sure that a breath, a moment, a second of calm is all I will need to avoid a total fiasco.... wish me luck!
What I really wanted to share though was a beautiful teaching I attended last Thursday at the Kagyu Samye Dzong Buddhist Center in Bermondsey, London. Lama Zangmo has just started a 15 week programme on the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra, often known as A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life. It has been a long time, both since I have had the opportunity to attend a teaching, or since I've had the chance to spend time in one of the Samye Ling affiliated centers, and Thursday didn't disappoint at all. Whilst I probably won't manage to get to the whole course (work dragging me about the UK et al.) I do hope to attend a large proportion.
So what was so good? I've not heard Lama teach before and was struck by her very friendly, approachable style. This wasn't a lecture, it was an invitation to join in with a learning process. She spent the majority of the lesson describing the background to the text, how it came to be, who it was that wrote it, and how it has been taught and debated since. All of that set the scene for the lesson next week. Although this week there were no questions, time has already been worked into the schedule for later weeks, before finishing each session with 20-30 mins of meditation.
What did I learn though? Well I'm not as bad at meditating as I though I was! My leg did do its usual trick of falling asleep, but only just before Lama rang the bell to signal the end anyway. Finding that inner calm is still not the struggle I once found it, despite not having spent much time on the cushion recently. Most of all though, I remembered how much I enjoy both learning and the meditation after.
It is easy though I think to keep a practice on the cushion (assuming that is you make it to said cushion in the first place :) ). For me, the hard work starts when I get up. As Lama explained, the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra describes training in each of the six perfections (generosity, right conduct, patience, diligence, meditation and wisdom) in order to obtain enlightenment. What really struck a cord with me was her description of how you practice all of them within one meditation session... no matter how badly you thought it went! By dedicating the merit etc you practice generosity, in attempting to set the correct posture - right conduct, in not getting up after five minutes - patience, by actually committing to the practice - diligence, by meditating... erm meditation, and in those fleeting moments of lucid clarity, wisdom. Rather inspiring I thought.
For me though it is in my daily conduct that I "train" the hardest, especially in "right conduct". Learning how to find the moment before I react to something though is one area in which I'm actually starting to see an improvement. I would love to say that when someone hurts me, impugns my character or generally acts in a way I find upsetting, that I treat it with perfect equanimity... but I don't. In acknowledging that though there is a power. I know that if something cuts deep I'm likely to react, and that knowledge allows me not to. I know that I need to think before I speak, else regret it later, and knowing that means I pause. I've stopped rushing (quite so) headlong into the argument. I've learnt to see the hook, acknowledge that I want to react negatively, and step away. Similarly I now know how bad I am at stewing on an event, of planning and scheming my revenge, and of how bad that makes me feel inside. When you start to look at it, it is insane! Someone else hurts me so I stew and seeth and plot, running over and over and over what hurt me the first time, each time feeling it anew... and for what? The person who said it doesn't know that, they've walked away. The only person hurting is me. And if I should choose to act on those plots and schemes? Ok I get a momentary satisfaction at "getting my own back" or in other words making that person feel as bad as I did... meaning I almost always feel awful later. So they say one thing, and I torture myself twice over... how about I try not to do that any more!
That is not to say I always succeed. Events over the weekend have had me seething to a quite scary degree. What for me has been a success though was in not reacting at the time. I didn't escalate it and three days later I feel good about myself. I didn't lash out with hurtful words (though it was very tempting). I stopped and thought. Even my plots and plans hatched in the dark drive home seem childishly pathetic. Being aware of them, acknowledging their existence without judging them good or bad, just seeing them for what they are is oddly liberating. I'm still not sure how to deal with the situation that must arise shortly, but I am sure that a breath, a moment, a second of calm is all I will need to avoid a total fiasco.... wish me luck!
Friday, 16 September 2011
Socks - First Pair finished
Hurrah! The bamboo socks are finished, cast on for the next pair! Actually hold your horses on that second point. I'm hopefully teaching a sock knitting class this weekend or next so might hold off on the second set to have something to demonstrate with. Speaking of sock yarn though, have a look at this:
Ok so the yellow is a bit mad looking but overall its not too bad. What would you be thinking though if you got part way through, with no prior notice and found this pink though!
I've got to admit I've not used Noro before and from what I've seen up to now I'm not a fan. Mad colour changes like this, balls of the same colourway that you'd never guess were supposed to be the same, and if I'm honest, I just don't like the yarn that much either. Ho hum lets see what it knits like.
On an utterly unrelated note I've frogged the Debbie Bliss Luxury Donegal Tweed coat I knitted last winter! I've worn it once, feel like a huge lump when it's on, hate the way it stretches under its own weight (the fault of the stitch not the yarn I hasten to add) and hated more than anything how much it cost to knit for it to sit there unloved. It has been a long year coming but I finally took it to pieces... and oddly feel far better for it. Now I just need to get a copy for the pattern I should have done the first time!
All washed, now I just need to rewind it into balls ready to knit.
Ok so the yellow is a bit mad looking but overall its not too bad. What would you be thinking though if you got part way through, with no prior notice and found this pink though!
I've got to admit I've not used Noro before and from what I've seen up to now I'm not a fan. Mad colour changes like this, balls of the same colourway that you'd never guess were supposed to be the same, and if I'm honest, I just don't like the yarn that much either. Ho hum lets see what it knits like.
On an utterly unrelated note I've frogged the Debbie Bliss Luxury Donegal Tweed coat I knitted last winter! I've worn it once, feel like a huge lump when it's on, hate the way it stretches under its own weight (the fault of the stitch not the yarn I hasten to add) and hated more than anything how much it cost to knit for it to sit there unloved. It has been a long year coming but I finally took it to pieces... and oddly feel far better for it. Now I just need to get a copy for the pattern I should have done the first time!
All washed, now I just need to rewind it into balls ready to knit.
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