Aran sweaters and yarn

 

We were on a tour so we went to lots of souvenier shops and just about all of  them were selling Aran sweaters many were machine knit I don't know if the machines in the top two pictures are knitting machines or what but what caught my eye was all the colors of yarn. Years ago Aran sweaters were either the natural cream or brown or dark gray now they area available in all colors.  I wish I had taken a picture of the many colored sweaters.  The kids sweaters were so much fun but all too small for my little granddaughters and I want the fun of knitting for them.  The sweater on the stand was hand knit as were all the sweaters behind the shoulder in that picture.  The shop at Blarney sold packages of yarn and I'm so glad I bought a package there because all the other shops sold odd balls and skeins, all of it Aran weight and seldom enough of one color to knit a sweater.  I will have 3 or 4 extra skeins. This is the same yarn that I knit last (click) winter but with a different label they even had the exact same color.  A pullover or a cardigan??  --Ann--

Sweet treats

 Sweet treats no calories, my dearest friend found some fabrics and yarn when she was on her trip. I think the fabrics will find their way into the eye spy quilts I have been working on for little granddaughters. And the yarn sigh…….socks, mittens, scarves, stocking caps so many ideas.  She even found the backing for the quilt I’m helping her make but that is for another post. Thank you dear friend.  Ann

New Yarn, New Year, New Project

New yarn, new year, new project, old pattern, tried and true, maybe I will knit it right the first time.     New blade in the rotary cutter, old stash, new ideas, maybe some old ideas but new ambition. New mess on the table. Creativity is not a neat process.

New challenge: sketch something everyday, just one five minute sketch.  I didn’t say it was going to be a good sketch but I would like sketching everyday to become a habit and maybe they will improve. No major life altering resolutions for me. Happy New Year  Ann

Off the needles

I only worked on this cowl with my afternoon coffee just a couple rows a day. It only took all summer and fall to complete but then I’m easily distracted,  when knitting in circles I can stop anywhere I don’t have to knit to the end of the row.  I pulled off 4 repeats of the color pattern and marked with a slip knit for the bind off, I had 18 inches of yarn to spare. I love it when I use all the yarn. Staying warm —Ann—

The yarn is Dream in Color from Smooshy and the pattern is Geode by Jane Vanselous. Very clear instructions to make the colors pool and spiral. You need a hand dyed hank with definite divisions in color. Click to see what the yarn looked like in the hank, golly I started this the end of basketball season in March and I finished as the seasons opens again.
 

A little stash enhancement

 

Once upon a time my yarn stash like my quilt fabric stash all fit in one box,  seperate of course fabric in one box yarn another and then it grew a life of its own. Being a person who likes to be somewhat organized I seperated my yarn into more boxes, one for felting, another for sock yarn, worsted and bulky together  since I don't have much bulky and the leftovers are in another basket. Sock yarn bits in yet another box and also a small basket of just green yarns for knitting more Christmas trees. Balls and skeins for sweaters are each in seperate bags in the boxes so I can find exactly how much I have for a particular sweater because you can't always find the same color or dye lot if you run short.

Some birthday treats for me the last couple weeks.  I heard the yarn at the ag museum calling to me.  They have locally grown and spun alpaca yarn (the long brown skeins on top) and yarn from a company in Nebraska (4 balls to right of alpaca) very nice yarns and so fun to pet the yarn before purchasing. It was 20% off who can pass on a sale!?!  The other yarn I ordered some was discounted and if you order enough they give you a discount what a deal! Yarn for a cotton sweater and more sock yarn.

Knitters and quilters are such tactile people we buy it because we like the way it feels in our hands.  That makes the process of creating so much more enjoyable.  Be a fiber snob.  --Ann--

Wool gathering

I took a week off from blogging for no particular reason other than maybe it was cool enough to sit outside so I did and maybe I was wool gathering.   I always associated that phrase “wool gathering “ with daydreaming but when I see the wool caught in the trees it makes sense.

The mountain goats shed their coats by rubbing under trees, it would have taken a long walk to find enough wool for socks.   Send the small children out with a bag and collect the wool from shrubs, trees and fences, a good time to daydream.  My wool gathering is adding to the stash.

Local hand dyed yarn from a shop in Kalispell

  

We visited Whitefish again to see the Conrad Mansion (that post tomorrow) and found the Polka Dot Sheep Yarn shop.  The owner dyes the yarn and it was beautiful so difficult to choose.  Yarn for a sweater for me and a stocking cap and mittens for daughter.  I bought so much yarn I got a free mug.  We flatlanders were exhausted after 2 days of hiking so needed a day of art shops, museums, mansions and yarn shops and a sit down meal.  --Ann--

It was just a whisper

It was just a whisper at first, from the day it came in the mail, "knit me."  I can't start it until............ decorations are hung, presents are wrapped, cookies are baked, etc. etc. It called to me every time I went down stairs, "wind me, knit me."  I would pet it then walk away to finish some other task. Then it called a little louder so I wound it into balls.  Soon, very soon I would start knitting.  The anticipation.... I felt like a little kid waiting for Christmas.  Over the weekend the calling got louder, I could hear it hollering from downstairs  so I knit the swatch.  It kept prodding me to cast on and enchanted my needles...... The pattern is Fall River by Jennifer Wood.
--Ann--

a little shopping

 Wherever I go I'm always on the look out for fabric and yarn shops.  This one had both!  Fortunately I took a picture of their poster so I could show it to someone and they could direct me to the shop.  They had Bernina sewing machines in Switzerland and well they should since they are made in Switzerland.  They also had yarn in the same shop and yarn doesn't weigh a lot it can also be put in a zipper bag and sat on to squish all the air out so it doesn't take up much space in the suitcase.

Purchase from this store and another  and some double point needles too.

 Our tour guide pointed out a store that was handmade items.  It turned out to be a shop that sold fabric and made traditional Bavarian costumes to get all decked out like the von Trapp Family Singers.  Beautiful fabrics and workmanship, but I didn't order a custom fit Dirndl.

And a window display showing how they made chocolates.

sweater finish

I just love this sweater pattern Fine Sand on Ravelry. It knits fast because it is just knit rows or purl rows on size 4 needles I went up 2 needle sizes for the sleeves because I knit tighter in the round than knitting flat. And this is all the yarn that I have left.  I used all the leftovers click and a full ball of the natural icelandic lace yarn. I held two strand together, a strand of the lace yarn ( 2 balls in the center and the red) and a strand of the sock yarn.  I didn't need three extra balls of sock yarn but I blended some of each in for unity in the fabric and I didn't worry about running out before I got to the end. I could knit socks to match!  There will be some cool days when I can wear my new sweater before I treat all my woolens to a spa day.  Loving these warmer days.  --Ann--

A sweater and socks

I finished my sweater before Christmas and again love the way the pattern fits third time is still the charm and will probably make the pattern again someday in another color. And then guess what I did? started more socks!  I've knit with this spool yarn before only it was on an actual cardboard spool with sides. The first time I bought this type of yarn the lady in the store suggested separating the two strands by winding it into separate balls.  That sounded messy with the yarn twisting and then winding one ball then winding the second.  The yarn was on a spool so stick a knitting needle through the cardboard or in this case insert a cardboard spool and then a stick and let it unwind by rolling.  No tangled mess.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  We sure did and everyone has gone home.   Lots of food laughter and love.  --Ann--

Santa finish

Another Santa to add to the collection.  I would work on him a little bit at a time until my fingers would get sore from pulling the needle through the holes, the size of the needle eye and thread makes a difference in how easily it pulls through. I forget those little details when a project is 4 years in the making.  I was also having trouble finding a spot to sit with lots of light, I even moved a lamp closer to my chair and put in a working 3 way bulb.  But the real solution to being able to see the little holes was buying a pair of 3.0 reading glasses!  What a difference those made!!!  The fur trim is turkey work and after it is trimmed it feels almost like velvet.  I did a long and short stitch with an angora yarn in the beard.  Then I took him to my sewing room to turn and stuff.  This was first time I have had movers remorse because I threw away all the bags of batting scraps, you know the little 1 or 2 inch strips from trimming a quilt that everyone else throws in the trash as they trim the quilt.  I threw all those away.  What do I stuff him with short of cutting up quiltable pieces of batting?  Aha!! old yarn! I had yarn from a couple decades ago back when I made a cross stitch Christmas tree skirt on burlap.  Wadded up yarn is perfect for stuffing and no calories.  One skein of white was exactly the right color for the cording in combination with a fuzzy novelty thread.  Thinking about painting another Santa.........maybe next year.  --Ann--

On the Needles

Just a couple little projects on the needles other than the super secret projects.  Another Baa-ble stocking cap (scroll down to an earlier OTN for the link to the pattern) and a pair of Lovikka mittens that I'm knitting with Lopi yarn from Iceland.  I think Lovikka mittens is a bit of a misnomer because Lovikka is a brand name for a bulky Swedish yarn typically used for knitting mittens.  The Icelandic yarn I have is too thin so I am using a double strand of yarn to bulk up the mittens. One done, I'll knit the thumbs when the second mitten is done.
This morning was dough day.  I mixed up 8 different kinds of dough in one mess then I will bake them at my leisure.  Hope you are staying warm the woolies feel so good.  --Ann-- Linking to Judy's OTN

off the needles someone else's

There were sheep everywhere along the highway.  Some were even inside the fence.  There were sheep as black as coal, grey sheep, brown sheep in several shades,  lots of white sheep and some were two toned in black and white or brown and white.

 This is the sweater I bought in Iceland.  The yarns are all the natural colors of the sheep. It is so cozy warm and lightweight.  Icelandic sheep are special, the under wool is soft and warm and the outer fleece fibers are strong and water repellant and have a little sheen to them. The yoke is the same in the front as the back so you are supposed to alternate wearing it so the elbows wear evenly.

I bought some yarn for mittens and don't really have a plan for the einband, its lace yarn, the tag was on the sweater and I hope it is the name of the woman who knit my sweater.  I love it! The lady in the shop told me there were 6 or 8 women who knit the sweaters for the shop, she was one of them and two other knitters were also in the shop when I was.  I bought buttons for a sweater for hubby, he likes the reindeer antler buttons best. I also bought buttons made from rams horns and a couple little sheep for my miniature shelf or to mix in with the Christmas creche. 

 And I always look for a Santa.

These were the bags from the locally hand made shops.  Newspaper.......the one with the chickens is a sheet of paper folded and machine sewn then holes were punched for yarn ties.  The other is folded and glued just like a brown paper lunch bag with yarn handles.  What a great way to recycle! 

 These wooden figures were in the hotel, they made me smile.

This yarn waterfall was at the airport in Keflavik.   Maybe next week I'll have some knitting to show.  --Ann-- Linking to Judy's OTN