tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-209855062024-03-06T23:56:59.608-08:00handspuncentralUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger182125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-22974016981173524222016-09-04T13:05:00.000-07:002016-09-04T13:05:07.546-07:00Yarnitecture
Jillian Moreno has just released a fabulous new book Yarnitecture. It's a spinner's bible, full of techniques and projects, all geared towards spinning the yarn you want for the project you want with a heavy emphasis on color color color. Jillian has an upbeat way of organizing information and describing that which can only be considered tactile, making it fun and easily accessible. The first Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-54051291749322893412014-09-09T12:49:00.002-07:002014-09-09T13:07:45.206-07:00Knit Bobbles Without Turning Your WorkOne of the best tools a knitter can have in her arsenal is the ability to knit back and forth without turning. In otherwords, the ability to knit backwards or left handed. I figured out how to do this a long time ago because I was too impatient to turn for bobbles, short rows and entrelac. Some of my knitter friends also figured out how to knit backwards as well and their methods are different Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-23270783573145225542014-07-19T05:04:00.001-07:002014-07-19T05:04:21.606-07:00Natural Dye WeekendJan Quarles of Daily Fibers and I just got together for a long awaited girl's weekend of natural dyeing. We played with Jan's style of combining eco printing and shibori techniques. She had been stockpiling eucalyptus and rose leaves and I had scored tons of red cabbage leaves from Carlene Mayes the flower lady a the Sewanee Farmers Market. I had also foraged for walnut hulls and red plum leaves Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-89701144502533700872014-05-09T15:54:00.005-07:002014-07-19T04:38:20.410-07:00C.o.L.o.R inspiration
I've been a mad pinner on Pinterest for a while now. Curating is spellbinding, but the finished product, ie. the boards, illuminate my own aesthetic like nothing else I've ever been involved with. I bet this is true for all of you as well. Do you go back and look at what you've pinned? Do your groupings shed life on where and who you are right now? I bet they do.
So now I'm getting Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-14939102946230377592014-03-12T14:53:00.002-07:002014-03-13T06:21:54.067-07:00Dubose 2014: Weekend of Fiber
Dubose will happen again this year! Hoorah! This retreat has taken on a life of its own now and I don't even need to be there for it to be self perpetuating. And that's a good thing, cuz I won't be able to be there this year. But have no fear. The same fun you have come to expect will be there for you anyway, thanks to the dedication of two long time Dubose goers, Jan Quarles and Christina Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-54626699364656995562014-02-26T06:10:00.001-08:002014-02-26T06:11:30.153-08:00EbeeMeet Ebee, our newest member of the family. That's pronounced like "email"...with the accent on the "E". Currently at 17 weeks; our talking scale tells her, "You weight 6 pounds. Have a nice day." One reason I haven't been posting her like crazy is that she is really hard to photograph. Unlike the photogenic Monk, she just catches light funny and ends up looking more like a cartoon character thanUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-34910355841850961072014-01-07T08:36:00.001-08:002014-01-07T08:36:42.345-08:00Magic LoopSo I decided to compare my addi lace and sock rockets points to see if there is a difference and yes, there is. Here they are as proof. The tip of the sock rocket (top, US 2/2.75mm) is a little shorter than the lace (US 2/3.00mm). I held them against my 2.75mm lace points as well...same difference. Shorter point equals duller point...just a fact of life. You can also really see how much bigger Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-17343788428332391462014-01-05T10:48:00.001-08:002014-01-05T10:48:01.914-08:00I Love the Yarn BusYou know how it is. No matter how many needles you have, there is always one you don't have when you really need it. So the fact that I didn't have a 2.75mm 32 inch addi lace circular for a particular magic loop project last Wednesday really didn't come as a great surprise. Getting one in a hurry, though, that can be flummoxing when you live a minimum of 60 miles from a yarn store that stocks Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-47410061532710213842013-11-30T06:00:00.002-08:002013-11-30T06:00:19.149-08:00Studio Tour Dec 7 & 8, 2013This year my studio will be one of the stops on the Cast TACA holiday Studio Tour in Sewanee/Monteagle, TN. Jan Quarles and I will be showing together this year with beautiful textiles.
I'll be showing my OOAK handknits this year. This wrap is handknit in my own original design from my handspun art yarns. I will also have some beautiful naturally dyed yarns for knitters.
Jan will have her Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-28572018805902586492013-11-27T08:45:00.001-08:002013-11-27T08:45:42.724-08:00Black Friday Savings25% off all my patterns on Ravelry and in my Etsy Store this weekend, Nov 28-Dec 2, 2013. No coupon code required. Savings will show up at checkout. Sale includes all my new patterns.
Happy Knitting!
Also, stay tuned for updates to the Cast TACA Studio Tour page. Lots of news to come.
Happy Thanksgiving!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-7993383382201212792013-10-17T11:06:00.001-07:002013-10-17T11:06:49.234-07:00Ooooh That Smell
Can't you smell that smell? You know the one. Vinegar.
I recently purchased a lovely yarn online (won't say which one) and it arrived smelling like a stale bag of vinegar and salt potato chips. The odor was so strong that my husband walked in my studio and asked, "What stinks? Did you spill vinegar in here?"
As a dyer, I am very curious about this. When I dye with acid dyes my yarns never Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-37521662369186074222013-10-03T10:43:00.000-07:002013-10-03T10:43:17.668-07:00Spinning A Color SequenceWith the Sewanee Fall Craft Fair coming up next weekend, I decided to finally write a formal pattern for Kerfuffle: A Simple Fingerless Mitt with a Riotous Little Ruffle. You can purchase the pattern here.
My favorite version of this pattern is one I knit from my handspun. It's classic Lynne Vogel, this one, from a technique I teach in my color classes of predrafting a color sequence to lengthenUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-87414144007504082082013-10-03T06:42:00.000-07:002013-10-03T06:42:48.378-07:00In Honor of a SoulmateMonk aka Rasta Monkeyman of Neely Ranch: April 30, 1999 - August 27, 2013
one picture is worth a thousand words
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-4498605847702963812013-09-17T07:48:00.000-07:002013-09-17T14:19:51.091-07:00So much happeningSo much is happening! It's almost fall (well, it feels like it at least). Knitters and spinners are coming out of the woodworks looking for yarn, fiber, patterns, inspiration. I've added an event calender to the sidebar so you can stay updated on my fall/winter schedule of appearances.
I just released two new knitting patterns. Keats & Shelley Poets' Gloves and Lucia Cottage Garden Wristers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-27628918575038638032013-06-12T14:53:00.003-07:002013-06-12T14:53:58.064-07:00Results
The finished fabric
I am loving the results. I even love the wrinkly squigglies of the unironed fabric. And it's really thrilling to get something besides beige, tan and yellow, which are the predominant local colors at this time of year here in Tennessee. They are beautiful but hard for me to wear and the purples are just better.
I pulled out some other silks that I've Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-33022164362017890302013-06-12T11:09:00.000-07:002013-06-12T11:09:44.197-07:00The Unveiling
the innards sans lettuce
Well, I started thinking about the red lettuce leaves in this bundle. We all know how quickly red lettuce breaks down. It's always the first to go in bagged salad mixes. So I decided to peek and peeking led to untying and untying to unrolling. So sue me, I'm only human.
untied
Actually, I'm really delighted with the results. I am more of an abstract Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-2008568699721864912013-06-11T08:47:00.000-07:002013-06-12T10:44:53.516-07:00Baptism by MandolineSarah, meet India; India, Sarah.
my flavor base
One of my morning rituals is watching Sarah Carey's Everyday Food video that comes via email. I love her fresh, shoot from the hip style of cooking easy elegant meals and it inspires me to cook delicious food even when I've used most of my creative juices elsewhere. Today I started a pot of green lentils and as I peeled my red onion and carrots Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-35364957210158750792013-05-01T13:10:00.002-07:002013-05-01T13:10:13.212-07:00Are You Going to Maryland Sheep and Wool this Weekend?
Are you lucky enough to be going to Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this weekend? If so, you absolutely must check out Three Waters Farm, booth B23 in the Main Exhibition Hall, right where it's been for 10 consecutive years now. Mary Ann has outdone herself this year. Such beautiful rovings and Superfluity Kits...so many amazing new colorways, too many to count. I especially love this one Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-67503147598952049632013-04-11T09:12:00.000-07:002013-04-11T09:12:14.180-07:00Fun!
I haven't posted in so long, so it's only fitting that I return with a shot of color. I've spent a lot of time on Pinterest lately...love love love...and one of my many boards is Carousels and Ferris Wheels. Imagine my delight to find this little carnival setting up in Chattanooga yesterday! I hopped out of the car and snapped away with my phone (my new fave camera...nothing captures images Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-58828680262972678532012-11-21T10:55:00.000-08:002012-11-21T10:55:04.132-08:00Cyber Sale!Happy Thanksgiving! 25% off all patterns this holiday weekend.
On Etsy: Sale starts today!!! Use coupon code BFCMYAY to receive discount on all patterns. Sale runs through Tuesday, November 27, 2012.
On Ravelry: Sale starts tomorrow! No coupon code necessary. 25% discount will show up at checkout.
Have a fantastic holiday!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-40466453305744566332012-11-16T11:59:00.004-08:002012-11-16T11:59:51.457-08:00Every Now and ThenEvery now and then I get homesick for Los Angeles. The nostalgia usually comes unbidden. This morning it came in a wave when I was writing down my thoughts, a daily practice that is my mental version of sweeping the floor. I thought about how my mind felt like a change machine from a city bus, the kind they used to have in the 60s. This took me to youtube looking for footage of the machine Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-22631702768832726642012-09-18T06:00:00.000-07:002012-09-18T06:00:10.207-07:00Lotus Legwarmers
I told you all it was pattern season! Yep, this is number 4 in so many weeks. But this is the last of it for a while. Except for...well...just keep an eye to the soon to be live Knitty Deep Fall 2012. Whew! So here's my adaptation of Heart of the Lotus for the Legs. I call them Lotus Legwarmers (such a stretch). The pattern is written for S, M, L with sizing tips for long, short, and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-46445633727273806292012-09-17T20:33:00.000-07:002012-09-18T10:36:12.563-07:00Straight from the Muse:
Sandy's Original Calertne mitts
Calertne is NEW in Knitty: Deep Fall 2012
We're at it again! Sandy Sitzman and I have shared the creative process since 1989. We have dyed, carded, spun and knit together (our most famous example is in America Knits as the handspun, handdyed version of the Tree of Life Jacket), sometimes in a frenzy of excitement, sometimes at a belly crawl. We’ve Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-46628178370217345172012-09-16T13:59:00.002-07:002012-09-16T14:00:26.299-07:00Flip Side
Another new pattern in two days. Can you believe it? This is Flip Side. These fingerless gloves are totally reversible. Knit it on the dot side (top left, bottom right) and flip to the nubbin side (bottom left). These are quick to knit...or at least I should say that they go fast. And they feel so good on. Of course that could be because I knit them from Madelinetosh Pashmina sportweightUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985506.post-70157110077459393742012-09-15T12:49:00.004-07:002012-09-15T15:57:47.256-07:00Cloudland Socks
I have been a pattern writing fool this season. I started with Cloudland fingerless gloves, and loved them so much I had to knit socks in the same pattern. So here they are, released today. Just like the gloves, the cloud pattern, a nifty lacy faux cable, spirals in opposite directions on each foot. I've written it with an afterthought heel, though it should be called and "afterthefact" heel Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0