Nuclear Knits: Where knitting is the bomb!

Lori at Oceanwind Knits has done it again. OUCH I'M INSPIRED! I'm tempted to take the purple Anne fiber and just rip it off the bobbin to be able to spin this up. And I question myself; 1) do I spin each color up and then ply it? 2) do I mix them 1/2 and 1/2 3) do I do the blue 1/8 and the red 1/16 and then ply them. THE OPTIONS ARE ENDLESS and I want to spin it up now now now! This is 4 oz of Merino seacell roving. Thanks you for a wonderful surprise today.

One more stocking finished. Now, I just need to do mine. I wonder if I can get it done before the holiday season?? Project Details: This was a kit from Annie's Woolens . I modified it to be able to put all three cat's names on it. Size 10.5 needles. I didn't to the folded top (that one is on Mike's stocking and I wanted something different). I did a standard st. st on the top so that it will roll. I cast-on August 25th and finished today August 30th (5 days although I really worked on it yesterday and today - so really a 2 day project). It says Bend, Methow and Moab around the sock. It has yet to be blocked. That will be tonight! I have found that these look a lot better if they are blocked.

When I'm spinning Bend likes to sit near the leather straps and watch. It is like cat TV for him. Sometimes he gets smacked in the face with the peddles or the leather straps. Doesn't seem to bother him though - he still likes to watch it!

A package showed up today from Yarn and Fiber today. A wonderful pattern book, a bunch of Cascade 220 (for my slipper fest), and some roving (called wine - 8 oz of it). Now to just get my butt in gear and start producing!

I know that I try to be in bed by 9pm. But, when you finish knitting something that needs to be felted and it is 8:30 ... you take the advantage of your forward motion and just get on it. According to all the "reviews" of this pattern once a person starts to wear these clogs they mold to ones feet. I can't wait to see if this is true or not. Project Details: Plymouth Yarn Galway Highland Heather (all gray color). It was $6.50/skein and took a total of 4 skeins to make the slippers. With the speed at which these are made I'm worried I might get into a knitting slipper frenzy! Started August 23rd and finished August 28th (late - but still the 28th when I finished). Size 15 needles were used for the gauge it required. I'm felting to match current slippers that my hubby wears. Felting time in the washing machine was 35 minutes. Pre-Felting Post Felting The slipper that is next to the felted ones in this photo is the size I was trying to match. I believe the...

Well I am actually getting my buns in gear enough to post something on Friday. I'm 1/2 of the way through a 1/3 ball of roving for this. It is very slow going - but I'm happy with the results so far. My goal is to - uhm - really finish up the 1/3 ball that I pulled out by the end of the weekend. Possible? I also just got this book. I had thumbed through a friends and decided I had to have it. Now of course the desire to knit even more socks.

I have finished one slipper for Mike. It looks - well of course - massive. I will wait to finish the second slipper and then felt them together. I'm pretty interested to see how the finished size comes out. Here is what Bend thinks about knitting while he needs loven'.

I've just cast on for the cats holiday stocking. I finished mapping out the placement of their names and am into the first row. In other news I'm well into the felted slippers. The look like - well a knitted blob right now. I'm hoping that it comes together once I get a few more rows into it. Tomorrow I plan to cast on for the new top. Although I found that I am missing all size 6 circular needles. I've ask a buddy to borrow one for a few days (until I can get to a knitting store).

I've picked out my next project and yarn. I did my gauge swatch last night and have it spot on. I'm using something from my stash that was given to me by a friend that went on a trip and thought "she likes yarn". I've probably had it for 10 years and never knit with Patons before. I guess we'll have to see how it goes. This is the Slanting Gretel Tee from the Fall 2009 Interweave.

I've decided to make Mike a pair of felted clog/slippers for Christmas this year. I was really worried about final size so I did a gauge swatch. With the swatch I couldn't tell where the stitches started and ended. A groovy buddy told me to put in stitch markers and then felt it. This worked perfect. I now know exactly what size to make. Thanks knitting buddy! The clog pattern .

Well sock one is done. I still need to figure out the best way to have the tops of socks be stretchy enough (when doing toe up) - so that they aren't tight. This sock I cast off with size 3 needles and it is still a bit on the tight side. The pattern is from Socks From The Toe Up - and the yarn is Lily from Liberty's Yarn.

I finished up the red (blue) scarf for the red scarf project. It has now been washed and dried (oh the fiber feels wonderful now). Norma had suggested washing and drying in the machine (which I normally don't do) - but it really made the scarf less sticky (from the silk I believe) and poof up more. It is wonderfully soft now. I know it looks gray in the photos - but it is really a nice heathered blue color. Pre-Wash Photo Project Details: 7"x70" scarf done in 4x4 K/P[ pattern ]. Took 3 full skeins of Rowan Summer Tweed [354 yards] (cotton silk blend). Thanks for giving me the yarn Avivah. I knit it on size 10 needles. I cast on August 16 and finished August 22 (7 days of knitting). Washed Scarf

I have been working on my Red Scarf Project (in the hopes of finishing it up today or tomorrow). Last night Bend decided that knitting was of no use to him - but he sure does love knitted items. I'm going to have to super wash this scarf when it is finished (I'd hate for some cat allergic person to get it).

All day I was lamenting the fact that I didn't start my post earlier. I just got back from seeing District 9 - not fantastic - but okay ... and I thought I'd give you a spinning Friday report. I know it is the same fiber as before - but it is coming along nicely (other than the fact that there is a ton of it - which makes me feel a bit pressured). My goal is to have 1/3 of the roving spun by Sunday. There are 3 balls of it - and I think that might be doable.

After having a terrible time with that new fiber (and thinking about giving up or taking it off the wheel) - Anne gave me some advice. From her comment: "It's superwash merino top (so it's combed and not carded, which is why it's super slick). Pre-draft it to the size you want and see if that helps for a while until you get used to it." I tried this last night and was very happy with the results. It is so nice to have someone with a body of knowledge to turn to. Thanks Anne. Other WIP - the Red Scarf Project scarf is 1 skein in. I really hope that 3 skeins in enough for a good length!

Here is the promised photo of the beaded tank actually on. It is still sort of hard to see the details - and I'm sure the blue bra wasn't the best choice - but you can see how it fits and hangs.

I picked out and decided on my new fiber for spinning (something I picked up from Anne a while back). I'm not sure what the content is - but my normal spinning techniques just don't work. It over spins this yarn like crazy. I can't draft it fast enough to keep it from kinky up the fiber and it is really really hard to get thin - it wants to be very fat. I have a feeling this is going to take me some time to work out and I probably wont like what I end up with. I guess practice with a tough fiber builds good character though .....

Anne had posted about a project called Red Scarf . Where you knit up a scarf and it goes to an orphan. Turns out it doesn't have to be red - so I'm doing a blue scarf. It has to be a minimum of a certain size and uni-sex. I'm casting on tonight!

Project Details: Started on May 28th (can you believe it took this long). Finished on August 16th (I thought it was taking forever - and now I know it was taking forever). Size 5 circular needles. I knit this in the round (which the pattern didn't really call for). I used 4.5 skeins of Garnstudio DROPS Cotton Viscose (color red - even if you can't tell that form the photo). The pattern is from Black Dog Designs. I still haven't decided if I will put beads on it or not. It fits really well and has a nice empire waist. I'll post photos on later.

You may be at home - wondering - what in the world is this girl working on? No posts in days. Is she spinning, knitting, alive? The answer is slow movement. When projects are going slow I don't like the post the exact same status every day. Seems like a waste of blog space. Currently I have two projects that I'm pushing through - the KAL toe up socks and the red tank top. The red tank is done - blocking - but I need to put straps on it. I didn't want to make the straps until it was blocked so that I could see how long to make them. I have also not thought about beads yet. I'm not sure if I'll put them on yet. I might just wait and see how it wears. The toe up socks are coming slowly. Normally I fly through the first sock and go slow through the second. This sock for some reason doesn't seem to be making progress very fast. I'm currently 3.5" up the leg and hoping to finish this one up this week. I also just picked up this book. It has a ...

I finished this over the weekend. Washed it and am very very happy with it. This is probably my best spun project so far! I did 2 bobbins of singles. I plyed it and washed it up. Turns out to be 300 yards of sport weight yarn. This is from Oceanwinds Knit and I posted her inspiration before (4 oz of merino top superwash). I'm dreaming of a hat or scarf with it! Something fallish. It took me a number of days to spin it up ... but I believe that my extra attention made a much better end product. The colorway is really hard to photograph - but the end products is touchable and lovable! I'm now ready for the next months!!!!

Courtney came down this past weekend to have the oil changed in her car. Thank goodenss for me that this meant she had time to work on un-tangling my spun up yarn. It is now perfect and ready for working with. Turns out it poofed up a lot when I washed it. It is now a DK weight and 201 yards worth of it.

I'm still working on the "On-Hold" toe up sock. I'm now on the leg (which was my goal for the weekend) and cruising around. I don't really feel like making any other goals for this project right now. It seems that I feel too much pressure when I "goal" myself on KAL. Here is the red tank that has also been on the needles for way too long. I have just cast on for the top (this is the finished unblocked bottom). Hopefully I'll have the top done this week.

Today - Saturday - the mailman knocked on the door. And guess what he had in his hot little hands? My prize from the Safari knit along! Here is the box. And the prize! Thanks Wendy.

Anne posted that she would update her blog on Friday's with spinning. I think that is a fantastic goal. I finished spinning up 2 oz of the Oceanwind roving that just showed up. It is hard to make out the colors - but they are a glorious blend of blues, orange, greens and grays. Beautiful! I can't believe how much I still have left to spin. I'm thinking about making it a two ply and maybe a slouchy hat out of it! My goal is to finish spinning up the other 2 oz by the end of the weekend!

Holy shit. I've won something. I entered the Safari knit along (remember those zebra socks) ... and I actually won. I'm bouncing around the room right now. From the Shop Owner : Knitters Brewing Thanks once again to everyone who has participated in this KAL! This was SO much fun - and I love seeing how everyone’s wild animals turn out. No two alike! Thanks so much also to Kelie for her great design! This event is the first time we’ve featured a “guest designer” and due to the great success of this endeavor, we’ll be doing it more often! The winners have been drawn from the field of 24 entrants using the random number generator at Random.org. Here they are… drumroll, please!… Grand Prize (1 awarded): RocketGirl One skein of Knitters Brewing Company Sock-aholic yarn in the winners choice of color, and a Good To Go Knitting Tote Bag! (Retail Value $39.50)

Currently I'm still working on the cotton tank top - which is slow going. It is knit in the round and should be flying - but since I'm not spending a lot of time on it - moving very slowly! These are the on-hold toe up KAL sock. I'm still working on the first sock - but I'm making them larger than my feet (so it is taking a while). My goal is to turn the heel and be on the leg by next week!

I joined a fiber club from Oceanwind Knits . The first package showed up today and I'm impressed. The fiber has a long stable and is very very soft. It flies onto the wheel and feels dreamy in my fingers. I believe she must have given me more than 4oz - because I haven't even finished 1 oz and 1/2 a bobbin is full! Here theme is to focus on art. The blend of colors is wonderful and really represent the art work for this month well!

My goal for the summer was to finish spinning all of the fiber that is currently sleeping in my closet. After the cat attack of the pink yarn I'm just not feeling it. I'm trying to get myself out of the fiber depression - but I worry that anything I spend my time on might be lost to the mighty claw of Bend. Possibly once Courtney's untangles the pink yarn I'll feel better - but until then .........

For those of you that don't know - I love monkeys. I have since I was a little girl. I had a white stuffed monkey called Two. When Two went to the stuffed animal heaven I got Two Two (who died by being pulled apart by my cousin and I). Anyway - back to the story ... a girlfriend showed me a super cool new bag that she got from a buddy. I had to check them out. The construction was amazing and the colors and lining was fantastic. JessaLu's Etsy site has all of her bugs (mine are monkeys playing and monkeys doing yoga) .... but there are more monkeys and other things to be found on her page. I can't say enough about how perfect they are. I'm thinking I might have to buy a few more ....