So clearly I’m way behind on blogging. This means that I have the freedom to choose among several topics for a while.

But first, the shop. So it was updated, and has been quickly being depleted. I will be updating it again soon. I will be updating again on Monday, assuming we don’t get hit with a snowstorm… Which is a pretty fair assumption since we’re at less than half the usual snow for our area. DC has stolen all our snow, and more since they have wetter air. Going to be really rough on our water table.

Until then, here’s an actual knitting project I did. It’s a hat that I started on the plane down to my New Years Eve get together in the Outer Banks. I didn’t have any pattern or anything, so I cast on from memory, and unfortunately misremembered the size of a head. I thought I was casting on an extra 10 stitches, to account for the cabling, but instead I cast on 10 less than normal. Doh.

My own pattern, and mostly a proof of concept for doing separated cables. It came out very well.

See? I was pretty happy. Unfortunately, those missing ten stitches are a full pattern repeat, and make the hat rather… small for my fat head. Doh! So, I couldn’t wear it. Luckily, I have friends with kids. So, I dyed it. Red!

Here, you can see why I couldn’t wear it myself. Look how it pulls all to heck around the eyes of the cables.

You can also see why people strongly suggest dyeing the yarn, not the finished item. I worked pretty hard (and I’m pretty sure the recipient doesn’t mind) but getting the dye in under the cables is almost impossible. I should, however, have added more salt (to slow dye reaction) which might have helped. But it still came out pretty well, no?

I used about 150 yards or so of some grey Cascade 220 I happened to have lying around.

As I said, it’s a proof of concept hat. I’m working on two patterns based on it. One that’s still fairly conservative and one that’s requiring a rather extensive charting. More updates on those as they progress.

That’s all for now. See you soon!

~The Gnome

Hi guys.

I’m almost done. For realz this time. Just a few signatures left. I was hoping to get one last update to the shop up before xmas, but that is not going to happen. At this rate I’ll be lucky to get everything I have to get done, done in time.

I’ve got boss’ signature on my dissertation and then all the printing and official paperwork left. Then I’m done with that, and all that’s left is getting car insurance and health insurance signed up for/redirected/etc.

In the meantime, here’s a project I finished ages ago, but couldn’t tell you about at the time, and then things got insane.

This was what I did for the Fiber to Scarf Exchange 2009. Basically, you send out fiber, and it goes to someone (you don’t know who until after) and they spin it up and knit (or crochet or weave) a scarf or cowl out of it and send it back. You’ll remember a ways back when I posted the lovely alpaca scarf I got from my fiber.

What I got was some lovely purple/blue corriedale/romney from BlackBunny Fibers. I spun it up on both my ashford and my (at the time) new SR30.

2-ply, spun more-or-less with a point of twist sort-of-short draw.

(Photo by Joe)

I decided to knit without a pattern, because I like torturing myself, or something. Also, I’m really poor at following patterns.

So I designed this pattern, though I’m fairly certain it’s been done before by others. It’s essentially just a 3×3 diagonal rib (not a cabled diagonal like koolhaus or the like). I liked the effect, and think it came out pretty well. It scrunches nicely.

(Photo by Joe)

Here it is on me before I sent it out…

Then I sent it to the awesome QueerJoe (who’s fiber it was, and who took the better photos you’ve seen here)

And he loved it. Thank goodness. I’m always worried when crafting for other people.

Ok, back to forms.

~The Gnome

Lessee… shop updated. One Burning Bright, the April Showers (unless someone emails me for it or something), and the War for the Oaks are getting shipped to the brick and mortar store. Everything else is up.

So, among the many projects which I am a bajillion miles behind on, is a “Fiber to Scarf” trade. I haven’t started, you see. This makes me feel terribly guilty, but well… grad school. I will get it done, it’s just going to run up against the deadline more than I’d like.

However, my trade partner (who was just identified, since it’s a blind trade) has already finished. I sent him some lovely silver suri alpaca, and he sent back this…

EDIT: My trade partner was VTKnitboy, and here’s his Blog

Isn’t it pretty? And it’s SUPER soft. And squishy, with a remarkably good drape for a pure alpaca. Not a big fan of this photo, but hey.

He also kindly sent me back the extra yarn, even though I offered to let him keep it. it’s a lovely fingering/sportweight. I forgot to bring it so I could take a photo though.

That’s all for now, fiber update this weekend.

~The Gnome

FO FO FO!

Scarf, done.
Hat, DONE DONE DONE!

2-ply, 80% Merino / 20% Alpaca. Wheelspun except the stripe, which was spindle spun.

And being modeled by moi

So I can get these in the mail soon!

Should finish the Pink Spinel commissioned yarn tomorrow, since my date looks like it’s not happening. ::shrugs:: Then I can get started on the Sapphires and Emeralds commissioned yarns on Sunday. Woot! Then… assuming nothing else… probably back to finish off the Cernunnos. After that… either Rusalka or Amaterasu… or maybe a “normal” yarn? Who knows, the possibilities are endless… though lab’s also getting stupid hectic again.

Oh, update on testing of large volume dyeing method… it worked. Soon as it’s dry I have 14oz of “Brick” border leicester to photograph. Woot. Also looking at getting the equipment to do it a little easier once I hear back on two other opportunities.

Plan to squeeze in a few more stitch marker sets this weekend too. And hopefully some of a new variety. ::crosses fingers::

Busy Gnome.

~The Gnome

Working on the hat. Currently knitting the stripe now, in my spindle spun yarn. Going well, hope to have it done by this weekend.

Dyed some more blending silk, will post when it’s dry.

Also, I’m in the testing stages for doing larger batches of fiber. The plan is to periodically make sweater quantities of a single fiber, single dyelot available. So, right now I’m in the testing stages to see if it can be done with my equipment, and if not what I’ll need.

Today’s fairy is a little forlorn. You see, he’s a sunflower fairy, and he was all excited because he thought Spring might be coming. See, he even got his seedhead sparkler out! But then it snowed. Now, deep in his little green heart he knew it would, it is March after all, but still, he’s sad.

~The Gnome