knit happens

Posted on Posted in designing, lace/shawls, projects, spinning and fiber

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almost there with the big spring woolen wash—it got cold again for a few days, but thankfully i hadn’t washed all of my own sweaters yet (hehe, i know better; i often wear the lighter weight ones into the month of june).

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i’m not going to run on and on about this, but i am SO GLAD i finally made my own wool soap—it is blowing my mind how fresh it smells and how nice it leaves the fabric. i’m serious; i’ve had my favorites, but nothing has ever made my knits this soft and fluffy and glossy looking to boot.

This pea trellis shawl came out so heavenly soft that it feels like cloud matter. i’m not kidding.

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i want to make some for everybody i know—as soon as i find a nicer solvent, which, thanks to the comment from grey dove, i am on it.

(be assured, i will eventually calm down and find something else to be this excited about)

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just two more loads to go and all the samples will be clean. i didn’t count them, but i bet we have a couple hundred items . . .just in BNWs alone. tomorrow we will start retagging the ones that are done to get them ready for our show booth and a special in-store display.

in addition to our booth at the great lakes fiber show next weekend, we will be hosting classes in our shop for our wooster retreat. we still have room for you, should you decide to join us! just email laura (servicesATknitspotDOTcom) if you’d like to come.

so, last time i was here i ran off to meet barb for knit night at the shop and when i arrived, what did she pull out of her bag but another triticum project.

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she’s knitting this one in briar rose sea pearl, a great choice; it’s silky, yet has nice body and wonderful wearability. in fact i have a batch of this exact same colorway—we each bought one at rhineneck in october and i got one for kim3 as well.

barb was so cute with her second triticum project, but i had a surprise for her . . .

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i was starting another one too! i’m knitting one in our stone soup fingering yarn because we are entering a sample in the fashion show at TNNA and i want it to be in a yarn that shops can purchase wholesale from us.

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by the time we left that evening, hers was another half repeat along

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and i had finished the hem ribbing on my left front; i was now ready to work through the body shaping toward the armhole.

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by the time i went to bed, i had worked to the waist and completed all the body decreases. the next day i worked on it a little bit over morning coffee and started the increase pattern that leads to the armhole.

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that night i worked some more and got myself nearly to the armhole; this sweater really goes fast once you get past the hem ribbing (it’s totally worth doing that hem in one diligent sitting so you can get to the fun part).

you can read more about barb’s sweater shenanigans in our triticum knitalong over at ravelry. there are actually TWO triticum KALs—one for bare naked wools too, in case you are knitting with better breakfast fingering or stone soup fingering (or whatever your poison!).

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it’s been so cozy late at night to watch TV with david knitting feverishly next to me on his blanket statement blocks. he has been very dedicated to this project, now that the knitting goes smoothly. at this writing has completed almost half the blocks he needs.

with a special thread in our ravelry clubhouse dedicated to david’s knitting journey, he is taking his obligation to his fans seriously by posting progress, observations, and philosophical musings as frequently as he can manage.

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his yarn and needles are always out and ready to pick up—he never puts them away. david is knitting with all the brown shades of the old breakfast blend DK, a wonderfully round and soft yarn. i really get the feeling that he’s begun to enjoy knitting immensely and look forward to it as a nice ending to each day.

soon he’ll have to pick up a hook as well to do his crochet edges and then sew them up. i am confident he will be fine with the stitching up; david has been sewing since he was a boy.

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my reversible triangle shawl project is quickly moving toward completion; i have moved into the cable and lace hem section and though the rows are getting longer all the time, it feels like things are going much faster.

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i hope to have this project done by monday or sooner; i would like to offer this new pattern at the fiber show next weekend (and of course for everyone online too!).

and once i get this off the needles, i’ll get back to my textured vintage cardigan; i miss it. i also have a couple of secret projects that i’m anxious to start; haven’t had any of those in a while. but with the green club starting in two month’s time, i need to get my samples done.

i’m trying not to think about how i’m ever going to squeeze my gardening in, but somehow it happens every year so i guess i just have to have faith that all will be fine.

i hope you’re having a wonderful weekend; see you soon.

11 thoughts on “knit happens

  1. I love how your various Tritucum’s are looking. I swatched in both sea pearl and BBF and am about to soak and pin them to see what the st counts are. They look very different. I was kind of discouraged about the sea pearl so I’m glad to hear it works out well. I love the shine, but it doesn’t seem are drapey. Love the finished triangular LMTT on Rav! Off to block mine (it’s in BBF flapjack). Also, I am blocking the first of my blanket strips – it’s LONG. I mean I knew that my stitches tend to be tall, but…. gosh! Glad I watched your video first – I sort of scooched to a smaller length by about 6 to 8 inches. It’s one of the looser textural patterns.

  2. What is the story of that lovely salmon-colored sweater you are wearing in the photo, Anne? It’s divine.

  3. I have never done a KAL on Ravelry. I need to change that and join the Triticum group! It is such a beautiful pattern!

  4. So we got our wish when you started producing yarn. Are you getting into the wool wash business as well?

  5. I love the pattern in the piece next to the Triticum in the third picture from the top. What is it? I’m looking forward to your revised soap recipe, too. Thanks!

  6. Dear Anne,
    Thank You so much for your washing up date. Your reports are very interesting! I am so pleased you found my previous comment helpful. I have to confess your experiments are inspiring me. The friend I work with sells the product line that includes the scour they use to clean their goat fleeces. I am not going to play with scour (well not in the foreseeable future anyway) but I think wool wash has just gone on my list of formulating challenges. I’m sorry I avoided it for so long. Thank you for planting the seeds!

    Yours greatfully,
    Grey Dove

  7. I’m also eagerly awaiting Knitspot brand wool wash! It sounds heavenly, Anne.

  8. Barb! What a wonder! You gals sure make sparks fly when you pick up the sticks. I am convinced by the own made soap idea. On my to do list now.
    Thanks!

  9. What is the garment on the right in the suitcase? It appears to be a cowl but that may just be from the way it’s folded. I really like that motif.

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