Archive for ‘August, 2007’

Another New Project: Cobblestone

Bohus sweater? What Bohus sweater?

I’ve been spinning for a new project. It couldn’t be helped. The moment I saw Jared’s sweater (Fall 2007 Interweave Knits) and dyed the Mollusc Wensleydale, I knew they were a match.

Won’t the garter of the yoke look like wet cobblestones in this handspun yarn?

The facts:
Wensleydale wool from my hand-dyed Mollusc top
worsted weight
two ply
approx. 550 yards/ 11.7 oz.

This is heavy, dense, drapey, shiny stuff.

The yarn I’m using for the body is Classic Elite ’03 Tweed in color # 5975. People, there is acrylic in this yarn. You wouldn’t know it, though. I was going to use the called-for Classic Elite Skye Tweed I have in charcoal, but after reading Aran Knitting, I am OBSESSED with Na Craga and will die if I don’t have a charcoal tweed version for my very own self. And really, the Classic Elite ’03, of the ’03 is to be believed, has been in my stash a good long time!

I’ll woman-ify Cobblestone a wee bit, adding waist shaping and not much else. As for the waist shaping, I could narrow and widen that side garter band so that it looks like an hourglass, or I could do the shaping on either side of the garter band. I think that the latter might be more interesting.

Oh, and that Bohus:

I is *this close* to being finished.


Shop Update:

It’s tomorrow at 2pm EST. There’ll be lots of sock yarns and spinning fibers, and Sarah from Maisy Day Handspun send some big fat cushty skeins of thick and thin Merino and some gorgeous fine and slick two ply mohair.

12 Comments

Wheel for Sale



I’m having to part with a wheel, folks, the Kromski Polonaise. It’s for sale here. I love her, but I’ve found that spinning on the couch allows me to spin comfortably for a massive amount of time, and it works out better if I treadle with both feet.

The wheel is pristine, comes with 4 bobbins, a tensioned lazy kate, and matching stool (the stool has a couple of nicks to the finish). $475 + $6 shipping. I’m only shipping this within the US. If you can pick her up here in Boston, I’ll knock some off the price.

Somebody buy her so I can get a double treadle lazy lady wheel! :)

ETA: Someone’s coming to see her, so I’ve taken down the sale page. If you’d like to be notified if she doesn’t sell, comment and let me know.

15 Comments

Progress Report

Jury duty came in handy for one thing- knitting.

This is another Baby Surprise Jacket (The Opinionated Knitter, Elizabeth Zimmermann) done in Fleece Artist Merino sock yarn in Cornflower (I think). This is my first in fingering weight yarn and it’s going to be teensy tiny new baby size, I think. Super cute. It’s screaming for a matching baby hat, don’t you think? If they’d needed me for a jury, I could have the thing done by now!

The progress on the Fantom Bohus isn’t that exciting, since it’s plain old stockinette, but it sure is pretty.

The sleeve has already had a few inches ripped because the decreases I originally planned were too sharp in practice. You know how sometimes, you knit something and it’s just smooth sailing all the way? Cripes, this sweater is the exact opposite of that. Thank goodness the spinning was a pleasure! I did learn one thing- that if you knit top-down and cast on the underarm stitches for the body, then pick those stitches up and knit them for the sleeve, it’s a pretty nice underarm treatment. No weaving and very tidy. It won’t be as stretchy as a grafted seam, but this isn’t a tight sweater, so all should be well with that.

There is so little knitting to show because I was a busy woman this weekend. On Saturday, Jess, Maya, and I went to the Fiber Revival in Newbury, MA. Much fun was had by all. There was an Alden Amos spinning wheel there I might have coveted to death. Photos were taken (click the one below to go to Flickr for more) and Maryse, who rocks her camera, took a bunch more.

On Sunday, Mr. HelloYarn and I put together the new living room bookshelves, including one for yarn and yarn accessories.

Why does anything to do with Ikea feel like it takes two days out of my life? Oh, right, it’s BECAUSE IT DOES. One day to shop and another day to assemble. They’re done, they’re shiny/pretty, and they’re full of yarn, books, and shelf upon shelf of National Geographic magazines (Those big stripes of yellow are so cheerful!). There’s only one problem- what we took off the old shelves didn’t all fit back on the new ones. Whoops.

The Lazy Red-Liners knitting group is meeting at Dado Tea on Mass. Ave. near Central Sq. tonight. The Bohus and I will be there. Someone’s bringing me a copy of Aran Knitting to borrow, so you might not hear from me for awhile and when you do, all I’ll be able to talk about is cables. :)

27 Comments