Spinning Yourself Silly

Finally interent access!!

2006-08-14T09:09:00.000+09:30

After moving into the middle of nowhere in the middle of Australia internet access has finally reached us. Yes it's a bit like the dark ages but I couldn't afford Sattalite broadband so I had to wait for the cable roll out 1 year later we have while the rest of the world had it about 15 years ago (Sigh). In the mean time Iv'e spun and knit so much that I'll have to post all the photo graphs. I'm also embarking on a project to write for YARN magazine and doing a workshop through Community arts in the local community.

Christmas knits

2005-10-07T16:15:00.000+09:30

Goodness me the chooks have broken into the house (oops left the back door open). I'm trying to sort out what to knit my family and friends for christmas. It was Hubbies birthday yesterday nad he was delighted to get the whole "Queer as Folk" set of CD's and DVD's. I now have a gay dance party in the lounge and car 24-7. i know he loves his gift but it's a little nuts to play them all 24-7 for the next 6 months. Oh well it's better than him not liking them. I can't knit for him as he seems disapointed by knitted items as he sees them as "I couldn't be bothered gifts". I won.
der wh3. he can't realise I take hours in designing the patterns and even more hours to knit them. Oh well, at least my dad appreciates his handmade gifts.

Monkey is extra grumbly today it must be because its raining and he can't play in the garden as it's way too wet and cold (maybe that why the chooks wanted inside). I so wish he would cheer up.

The christmas knit list is a little sketchy as I have to make sure that the gifts are appropriate. Mum never wants anything and I can't seem to figure out what I should do.

Finished Projects

2005-10-07T15:11:00.000+09:30

I finally finished the rainbow jumper, it looks fabulous and I have requests from all the mums in my homebirth group for the pattern. So i'm selling it for $5 as a fundraiser for our groups activities. Monkey loves his new access point to his boobies and delights in removing the buttons and reaching in for a snack. Boys will be boys and their facination with boobies never seems to end.
Finishing a project is very satisfying but suddenly there seems to be nothing to do with ones hands. With in an hour of finishing I was knitting a cotton top for my sissy Granita biscuit as her tropical lifestyle has limited need for a wooly jumper. It the sexy little black top from Sn'B execept its a sassy little baby blue number with her child hood knick name Granita in beads on the belt.

The mail has been incredible exciting over the last week with monkey and I furiously peddling to the post office to pick up parcels and other interesting packages. One came in a blue sack which puzzled me at first. Turned out customs was snooping in my packages for drugs and other contraband. maybe they though Alcada had sent me a parcel with bomb kit. Anyway My lovely knitting books were dumped into a dirty blue sack (much like the one the chook food comes in) and a labled was zip tied to the top with a customs note saying they had opened it and it was all good No drugs or contraband. I dunno how anything from Amazon.com would but customs does tend to thrive on paranoia.

Were moving to a town 5 hours away next week so everything is being packed into a truck so no computer for a week so no blogging. I'll just knit more furiously instead. Gotta finish a beautiful lace shawl for my Bro's fiance as a chrissy present that she can wear for the wedding. Ohh gotts go and fix monkey so beeter stop this banter and kiss his little forehead better.

2005-09-27T10:32:00.000+09:30

Bella Bastina needs a Jumper any suggestions
Posted by Picasa

And Their Off

2005-09-27T10:19:00.000+09:30

Goin to the Gigi's on the weekend with Messy. Here horse "On the Nat" is racing. If you like to have a flutter I recommend you do as the Ginge (as we affectionatly call him) is feeling frisky.

We Have to drive all the way to Jamestown for the Jamestown Cup 3 hours away. So lots of car knitting is to be done. I can start a new project for my hubby as I frogged the last jumper i started for him as he wasn't enthused aout it. I won't knit if he won't wear it.

Posty came no mail. I'm waiting on 4 things in the post 1 spinning, 2 knitting and 1 secret hubby birthday surprise. I'm dying to know when it will arrive. The postman proably thinks I've got the hots for him as I keep mobing him before he even gets to the house. I hear his little scooter and I scoot on out to the road and wait like an excited puppy dog.

Speaking of puppy dogs my hubbies dog Bella needs a juper as she has so little hair and such a sad face. Any recommendations for Bella?

2005-09-27T09:56:00.000+09:30

Rainbow Jumper
Posted by Picasa

Jumper Fatness

2005-09-26T08:01:00.000+09:30

I discovered there's a wrong time to try on a jumper to check that it's fitting nice while your knitting it. I put on my rainbow jumper to check that it was all ok before i knitted the collar. I looked so fat in my jumper I almost cried because I went to so much effort measuring and calulating so it would be a nice fit. I almost frogged it because I felt so horrible in it. I realised later this morning that when I tried it on I was wearing a singlet a shirt and a light jumper. It was too late at night for me to realise that I was wearing 2 jumpers. So leason learned never try on jumper late at night when very tired.

Child Smears Poo

2005-09-20T23:21:00.000+09:30

Yes I've had one of those days. Life with one year old monkey is amusing. I'm so proud as he's finally got the knack of walking and is toddling around at 100km/hr. Yet he still is prone to those strange things small children do. Today we were sitting on the potty when the phone rang so I dashed of to talk to my darling buddy Messy. I returned to find monkey playing with his poo. Well it just turned into a gaggle of giggles after that. It's times like this I have to laugh or I'll cry.

I had a day of car knitting as I accompanied Messy to the farm to draw blood out of some horses for her honours project (she's studying agronomy). I love car knitting as it's uninterrupted (especially by poo smearing monkeys) bliss as you drive along through the country side. In Oz there is a lot of distance between places so plenty of hours of knitting can be had (if you don't get motion sickness)

Messy loved the purple Yarn I spun so I gave it to her as a gift. I recently taught her to knit and she's been using it as a distraction to avoid writing her thesis (which is due in 4 weeks). I must admit I've been knitting to avoid writing the report on Bipolar junction transmitters.

I better go do some work or I'll be asking for another extension and that probably will be asking for blood to pour forth from a stone.

Too much Uni Work

2005-09-19T14:39:00.000+09:30

I have an assignment or 3 to do and I damn well lost the instruction sheet with all the questions. It's a pain as I'd rather be spinning or knitting right now. I finished washing my fleece and dryied it in the sun. I'm rather sad I don't have any earth palette dyes to make it a sort of red or something as it's kind of boring plain. i could dye it latter but I love working with coloured fleece. I'll just keep knitting for now.

2005-09-15T15:54:00.000+09:30

MAKE A NEEDLE ROLL
Posted by Picasa

Make your own Needle Roll

2005-09-15T15:37:00.000+09:30

Gosh I had no idea how much people liked my needle roll. There a cinch to make. I kind of wished that I photographed the process but it isn't hard. You can mahe one out of a single piece of material if you want to keep it simple. You just have to make sure you pick a good thick fabric or use another less fabulous but thicker fabric underneath.

The picture below is the pictures to go with the instructions.
1. Measure your longest set of needles (this helps to make sure ALL your needles will fit. Multiple the length of you longest needle by 2.6 this is how much fabric you will need.
2. Sew a hem on one end of you fabric.
3. Fold the fabric as per the picture with the hemmed end on the inside about a third of the way or less folded in. It will look like a pillow case now.
4. Sew up along the edges DO NOT sew up the end you folded over
5. Turn the fabric inside out
6.The turned over edge should now be on the outside ready for you to sew into little pockets for you needles like the picture.
7. Sew a ribbon or cord to an edge to tie your roll up

TAA DAA enjoy your new needle roll

2005-09-15T15:36:00.000+09:30

Fleece for my next Project. Soaking it overnight in cold water and then putting it thru the spin cycle in a washing machine takes a lot of dirt out which makes spinning much much easier. I do this about 3 or 4 times to get it nice and clean then dry it in the sun on a towel
Posted by Picasa

2005-09-15T15:34:00.000+09:30

Progress on the body of my Rainbow Jumper
Posted by Picasa

2005-09-15T15:33:00.000+09:30

Recently Spun Purple Tops
Posted by Picasa

2005-09-09T14:16:00.001+09:30

Got sick of my needles being in a crapy plastic box so I made this needle roll for all my sticks
Posted by Picasa

2005-09-09T14:16:00.000+09:30

My Needle roll which I love xoxox
Posted by Picasa

2005-09-09T14:15:00.000+09:30

My new Kiwi
Posted by Picasa

Fathers Day

2005-09-09T14:07:00.000+09:30

I spun and knitted the most FAB beanie for my dad for fathers day and I totally forgot to take a photo of it so ill have to take pictures next time I'm over there. He loved as it was going to be perfect for when he goes feral goat shooting in the Flinders.

I also bought a new wheel as a friend told me that due to my goofy left hand spinning I was hurting my back with a right handers wheel. My Chiropractor was most pleased as he was finding that I was putting my back out in an unusal way. I now know how!!

I'm spinning the purple stuff for a lace shawl but I haven't quite worked out the design.

2005-09-09T14:05:00.000+09:30

I walked into the Walking wheel last week and I couldn't believe it for the money they were asking so I bought it and traded my traditional. I was saving up for a traveller or kiwi and now I have one. I love the double tredle action much better and I can spin for longer
Posted by Picasa

Just plain knackered

2005-09-02T12:33:00.000+09:30

I'm so tired Iv'e just spent all yesterday and this moning finishing my electricsal circuits assignment on bi-polar junction transmitters and field effect transmitters. Now I still have a formal report on BJT's due in 2 weeks. I won't be able to knit or spin for ages. Damn study why can't I just knit my assignment it would be so much easier. Oh well if it was easy they would be giving engineering dgrees to everyone. i finished the second sleve on my jumper and I've started the body but I may frog it because i think it would look better in a 2x2 rib.

2005-09-01T22:15:00.000+09:30

Two finished sleeves for my rainbow jumper
Posted by Picasa

The impossible has Happened

2005-08-30T16:48:00.000+09:30

Yes I had a bad day spinning and knitting something I thought wasn't possible. Tuesday's I go to a spinning and knitting group. I usually have a fabulous time but this week members were fighting over decions made about our stall at the local markets. I don't have anything to do with the stall as I barely have enough time to knit for my family and friends. It turned the whole day sour having everyone fight. I stayed right out of it as I really didn't want to take sides. Ohh gotta go my gym buddy is hear and monkey has a bomb in his pants (daddy didn't get him on the potty in time

New Spinning wheel Rocks!!

2005-08-26T03:19:00.000+09:30

I love my new spinning wheel. Iv'e been glued to it since monday. I spent Sunday night fixing it up as it had a little wobble in the crankshaft. Since I am a fully qualified aircraft technician it was a sinch to fix. I turned the crank around and refixed the pin and whola, one wobbless wheel. The last owner didn't fix the pin properly and it wobbled so the more use it got the worse the wobble. ive spun up the 2kg of fleece I got with the wheel. I though I hit the jack pot as it was all carded and washed and there was a kilogram of sliver (white too) so I'm going to dye some more funky rainbow yarn. I can't seem to get photo's posted today which is really disapointing as I wanted to show all th stuff I've been doing. Anyway I have to run it's spinning and weaving at the local guild this arvo and I can't wait to show off my new wheel.

2005-08-22T21:56:00.000+09:30

Monkey and me
Posted by Picasa

New Spinning wheel Yeah!!

2005-08-22T21:08:00.000+09:30

On the weekend we went for a drive and picked a spinning wheel including 2kg of commercially carded fleece. The chair was a bonous. I never knew how comfortable they could be while spinning.

I finished the second sleeve on my jumper and I've started on the body part. I can't wait to wear it. Iv'e designed a little flap in the boob area to make it easier to breast feed monkey without having to get a cold belly and hold layers of jumper out the way.

I really need a ball winder as I have hanks of yarn all over the place waiting to be made into balls. It's difficult knitting with balls as they roll alll over the place I really need center pull balls.

I'm so tired I can't type I'll have to do this later.

2005-08-22T21:03:00.000+09:30

My next spinning and knitting project. I think this jumper is gorgoues. I'd like it in purple though. I just have to spin up the fleece for it.
Posted by Picasa

2005-08-22T21:02:00.000+09:30

My gorgoues new spinning wheel and chair. It's an ashford traditional an oldie but a goodie.
Posted by Picasa

2005-08-22T21:01:00.000+09:30

The junker that's going back to the club. It may look nice but the crank is too short tat it has poor leverage when the spindle gets full. It also weighs a ton.
Posted by Picasa

2005-08-22T20:59:00.000+09:30

Boucle yarn spun recently. It's done by plying with a fine spun 'z' twist with a loosly spun 's' twist. I'm not sure weather to dye it or not yet
Posted by Picasa

Finding My Own Spinning Wheel

2005-08-20T18:53:00.000+09:30

Tomorrow I'm hoping to have a look at a spinning wheel and chair that are being sold as a set. It's more than affordable for my pocket but I have to drive 1 hour out of town. Luckily it's a family spot and my son can have a ride on the horse drawn tram and check out the fairy penguins. Today he had his 1st birthday party and he had such a good time he didn't want to take his nap. I finished the second sleeve on my jumper and I have to sit down and work out the body of it as I tend to write my patterns as I go. Hopefully the spinning wheel is a winner.

3 ply from a Single Strand

2005-08-19T16:46:00.000+09:30

I found this nifty trick in an old spinning book I bought second hand. I love it because i hate wasting Yarn especially when you spend so much time making it. If you ever finger knitted as a child it's exactly the same except that you pull your loops much larger and let them twist. You can't see my guide hand in the photo as it was holding the camera so you still need to use it to control the amount of wist. This technique is also fabulous for spindle spinning as it takes the hassle out of trying to hold the spindle and hold all the plys together.

I even took the trouble of posting all the pictures in reverse order so all you have to do is scroll down as you follow the instructions Happy Spinning!!

2005-08-19T16:45:00.000+09:30

Step 1

Tie a loop in your ply strand

2005-08-19T16:44:00.000+09:30

Step 2

Tie the knotted end (at top of picture)
to your lead in string
Tie

2005-08-19T16:43:00.001+09:30

Step 3

Spread the loop apart with your drafting hand
(apologies as I draft goofy handed)

2005-08-19T16:42:00.001+09:30

Step 5

Pull the strand through the loop

2005-08-19T16:42:00.000+09:30

Step 4

Grab the strand between you fingers

2005-08-19T16:40:00.001+09:30

Step 7

keep going

2005-08-19T16:40:00.000+09:30

Step 6

Let go of the loop but keep hold of the strand

2005-08-19T16:39:00.000+09:30

Step 8

Pull the next loop out nice and big (10cm (4") or so)

2005-08-19T16:27:00.000+09:30

step 9

Now go back to step 3 and keep going

Knitting Treasure

2005-08-19T16:17:00.000+09:30

Iv'e found a few treasure this week with my mum-in-law. She helped me clean out a few boxes and tidy up. She even took me into a dollar shop where I found some alphabet beads perfect for knitting. I only paid $3.50 and they are often sold for 20c each so it's a bargain. I can't wait to incorpoate them into a felted bag or jumper. Ohh the possibilities are endless. Now I'm too excited to think must find my scetch book and draw all these idea's down.

My head is often way to full of knitting and spinning except when I'm studying. Reminds me I have an assignment to do and a maths test next week. It's not to hard just have to do some light revision so I can get a good grade. Maybe it's why I like knitting so much it's very mathmatical and preditable if you know the formula's you can manipulate them to create whatever you want.

2005-08-19T16:16:00.000+09:30

I thought I lost this little french knitting dolly years ago but I found her recently in a box I haven't unpacked for years. While I was in the army I moved so much i ended up getting to the point where I stopped unpacking certain things. It was like finding a little treasure.
Posted by Picasa

2005-08-19T16:15:00.000+09:30

Alpabet beads I found at the local Cheapie Shop. I don't normally go there but I was looking for something else and found these. I recently found out how to knit with beads so I'm going to have great fun with these.
Posted by Picasa

Need New Spinning wheel

2005-08-19T09:10:00.001+09:30

Checked the trading post this morning and found a few promising leads. Hopefully an ashfod traveller I going to check out on monday will be more promising that others I've looked at. This has to be short as Monkey is grumpy and were heading off to play group. Discovered a way of making three ply from a single strand the other night as I hate having shot single plys left over. I take photo's later today to demonstate the technique.

2005-08-19T09:10:00.000+09:30

Moss Stitch hat Modelled by my Hubby. i knocked it up on the weekend to break up the monotany n a drive to his uncles place 3 hours away
Posted by Picasa

To much fleece not enough time

2005-08-18T19:51:00.000+09:30

I haven't had much time to spin this week. My mother-in-law has been visiting so I didn't even getting to my spinning circle on Tuesday. I really missed my day out. It was nice having her here though we had plenty of nights out and time off from parenting. But I didn't have much time to spin as we went out.

I'm trying to find my own spinning wheel at the moment as I'm borrowing a wheel from my spinning circle. It's not very good as it's someone's homemade junker and is very hard to tredle and it's frustraiting trying to spin consistent yarn. I had a look at 2 wheels last week and both were in poor condition. Mostly people who don't spin or took it up fleetingly own them so they are badly looked after. I really can't find a nice wheel. I saw a beautiful Wee peggy the other weekend but had no cash so I really couldn't buy it. I also had my hubby ad mum in law in tow and I don't think they wanted to spend all day looking at spinning wheels. I'll just keep looking for the right wheel.

2005-08-16T15:22:00.000+09:30

This was the first vest i ever knitted. I must have been crazy as I had no patten and a calculator to guide me. I was basically flying by the seat of my pants and kept consulting the "Big book of knitting" on how to knit twited rib and a V-neck. But My brother loves it and it looks like hw wants another for Christmas.
Posted by Picasa

2005-08-16T15:20:00.000+09:30

This is my most recent completed project for My most handsom Hubby. The yarn is part possum fir from NZ (not the protected variety from Australia). The rest is merino part felted to keep the fur from comming our. It's really nice to knit with and is a single strand. And As my hubby can attest incredibly Warm. No more cold ears.
Posted by Picasa

2005-08-16T15:17:00.000+09:30

This is one of my projects completed a few eeks ago. my Son"monkey" as we affectionately call him kept getting cold hands on our walks so I knitted some mittens for him. The were knitted straight rather than in the round as they are so small it was too fiddly. I sewed up the side and used invisible stitch at the ends to make the mittens more comfortable
Posted by Picasa

2005-08-16T14:58:00.000+09:30

Moss stitch makes colour stand out more as it gives texture. Light colours tend to stand forward and dark colours tend to receed into the background
Posted by Picasa

2005-08-16T14:57:00.000+09:30

My pixie hat using blue green red rainbow Yarn This was frogged as I decided i wanted a scarf more.
Posted by Picasa

Somewhere over the Rainbow

2005-08-16T14:45:00.000+09:30

I can never get enough of rainbow yarn. I can never really decide what coulour to use so I end up putting all the colours I feel like at the time into the Pot. I love experimenting sometimes it's disasterous but it's a great way to learn what does and doesn't work. The rainbow was made using blue, fushia and yellow allowing them to blend with a touch of rust at the top to give an orange colour. The hank has a circumfernece of 1.2m and the sleeve is knitted in the round of a circumference of 40cm. This gives you the stipes. Why you may ask. Being a lover of maths I discovered if you have good guage that knitting has a 3:1 ration. that is 30cm of Yarn gives 10cm of knitting along a row. This really important when your dyeing your own as if you don't keep it in mind you can get stripes when you don't want them. I don't really crochet so i can give advice in that area.

2005-08-16T14:44:00.000+09:30

The Jumper sleeve knitted with rainbow Yarn
Posted by Picasa

2005-08-16T14:43:00.001+09:30

Hand Dyed rainbow Yarn
Posted by Picasa

2005-08-16T14:43:00.000+09:30

From left to right are the 1st 2nd and 3rd hanks I ever spun as you can see its really just slub yarn
Posted by Picasa

I'm Spinning Around!!

2005-08-15T22:33:00.000+09:30

Now I've just learnt to spin and it's become an extention of my knitting pattern. My husband a best friend were making jokes baout the fact i was going further down the production line and would probably begin smuggling sheep Alpaca's and goats into the back yard next to feed my habit.

Spinning is wonderful and gives you more scope to knit and weave. I used to find myself pining for rainbow yarn and blends of colours no reputable yarn company would produce. Why is so much yarn so subdued in coulour bring on the fluro I say!!

Just so you don't get discouraged and think I'll never spin beautiful yarnI'll include some photo's of my fist 3 hanks of yarn. They were spun from Rams fleece (it was too cheap to resist) and it stinks to high heavy of a horny Ram. I'm afraid if I knit with it i be chased by dogs or lustful ewes.