It's the Little Things

Thank you to everyone for your suggestions of knitting books to add to my library! I'm going to look further at those this weekend and make my choices. I can't wait to get my hands on some new reading material!

I have no new knitting to share with you today, but I do have photos of a couple of new acquisitions that I am rather ridiculously excited about. Little things make me happy!

For quite a while now I've been keeping my eyes open for some type of basket or other container to use to hold my knitting in progress. It's rather embarrassing to admit, but I've had my small projects strewn about on end tables in my living room and - worse yet - the ripple afghan in progress sitting on the floor next to my favorite knitting chair. It's quite an eyesore, with the five skeins in different colors lined up with the knitted piece draped over it and the pattern book sitting somewhere nearby on the floor. It makes it quite difficult to effectively nag my husband about his clutter when I have my own mounting in the area around my chair!

I've seen a few baskets that I liked, but quality baskets can be hideously expensive and I just couldn't bring myself to spend $150 or more just for a container to set my knitting in, and yet the more reasonably priced baskets and such just didn't appeal to me.

And then . . . I stopped in at Michael's craft supply store a few days ago on a whim. I don't know why, but I just decided to pop in when passing by. The baskets there were on sale, but they were all flimsy and cheap and a bit ugly, but then I spotted this nearby:

Oooooh. Perfect! Nothing fancy, but neat and clean and also a good shape to house a project without losing needles and small skeins at the bottom. The price tag was only $25, which made me happy. I thought perhaps I'd get two, but even $50 seems too much to spend on such things. But then, lo and behold, I spotted the sale sign I had missed. 50% off! And so I got two for just $25 total. Boomph!

Here's the second one, posed in front of the first so you can see the size difference.

The larger one will house a large work in progress and the smaller one will house multiple small projects and odds and ends. You can see in the top of the photo below that the five skeins, work in progress and pattern book for the afghan all fit neatly into the container. Oh happy day!

Yes, I know, I am ridiculously excited over this small acquisition.

Before I leave you for today, I want to make a plea to all of you to please send me FF project photos for Monday posting. I have ZERO for posting this Monday, so this could be the first Monday without a customer project photo in many, many months!

Great weekend to all!

One Answer and One Question

I received a comment on my recent post about the lace scarf that I'm working on asking the following: In working the new scarf - what needle size are you using and why?

I'm using a US size 6 needle on this scarf. The "why" is an interesting question. I definitely am not an expert on such things and I'm sure you could certainly find many more authoritative sources on the subject of needle size out there, but I do love to chit chat about such things, so here's my thinking . . .

When choosing a needle size for any knitting, I always begin by thinking about gauge. I start with the needle size recommended in the pattern or a size that feels about right if I'm not using a pattern, and do a gauge swatch and then adjust needle size from there. With items such as a scarf, however, gauge is not so critical and so I tend to think more of what type of look I want to achieve.

The scarf I'm working on now that raised the question is the Feather and Fan scarf from KnitSpot with my FF Laceweight Merino. It's actually grown quite a bit since I took this photo, but I'll save a new photo for the blocking phase, which is just around the corner.



For this scarf, my decision on needle size was based on a combination of gauge considerations and the general look of the finished piece. I prefer my scarves to be fairly narrow. Sometimes, you can achieve the desired size by adjusting the number of stitch pattern repeats across a row, but in the case of this scarf there are only two pattern repeats per row, so I didn't have the wiggle room to increase or decrease the repeats. That meant that I needed to keep the gauge fairly tight to get a narrowish scarf. At the same time, I wanted it to be open enough to have a light, springtime feel. The size 7 just felt about right. (The lace will open up a good bit with blocking.)

In another example, back when I first started this blog I made a scarf using my FF Sportweight Cashmere. For this scarf, I wanted something with some weight and substance, but more of a lightweight feel than a real winter scarf. I wanted something that could be worn in Fall or Winter and that might be worn indoors as well. The pattern is a ribbed lace pattern, which worked nicely to achieve a slightly heavier weight scarf. Since the stitch pattern repeat on this scarf was just a few stitches, I had plenty of room to choose the needle size I preferred and then adjust the width of the scarf by playing with the number of pattern repeats. I used a size 4 needle in this case to keep the ribbing a bit tighter to add more density to the fabric, but with the lace touches giving it a bit of an open and airy feel. I also chose not to block the finished piece. I don't have a photo of the finished scarf, but here's an old shot of the work in progress.



So that's my general thinking on needle size and lace. Not an exact science by any stretch, unless it's a garment where gauge is critical.

So that's my answer. Now on to my question!

It's about time for me to buy a new book or two and I'd like to hear suggestions from anyone. Do you have a favorite, must-have knitting book you can recommend?

I'm open to most anything, but keep in mind that I love, love, love stitch dictionaries. In fact, I could probably use a couple of focused dictionaries, such as one specific to cables or lace. I could also certainly use some more pattern books, but I think perhaps something themed would be best. The chances that I'll like more than one or two patterns in a book that's got a mish-mash of patterns is pretty slim, whereas I might like quite a few patterns in a book of lace patterns or cabled sweater patterns or Fair Isle, etc.

I'm also not too keen on books with lots of history and background. Although all of that is interesting, I tend to read it once and then forget all about it. My library is pretty slim, so I'd rather focus on more practical information right now. Oh, that leads to another thought. My finishing skills are sorely lacking. I keep meaning to pick up a book on finishing techniques, but the few that I've browsed in yarn shops and book stores always seem very rudimentary. I look through them and think that I could find more useful information online. Perhaps someone knows of a really good book for finishing techniques?

Would love to hear your suggestions and recommendations! Thanks all!

The Beloved Clapotis

For today's Monday customer project feature, Angela sent photos of her Clapotis shawl. What is it about that Clapotis pattern that seems to draw everyone in? It is a lovely pattern and every version has its own unique look depending on the yarn, the color selection, and the hand of the knitter. I think perhaps I'm the only one who hasn't knit my own Clapotis yet. Hmmm .... maybe I'll rectify that before too long.

For Angela's version of the Clapotis, she used FF Mohair/Wool DK Yarn in the "In the Pink" colorway.



Here's another photo to give you a better view of the detail.



Didn't Angela do a lovely job? If you'd like to learn more about Angela's knitting endeavors, take a side trip over to her blog.

Keep those project photos coming! Even if you've sent in photos before, I'd love to see more.

Wishing everyone a wonderful start to another week!

Mmmmmmm ... Cashmere

Before I dive into my knitting update for today, I want to share two new cashmere colorways with you. I've been planning for ages to add five or six new colorways on cashmere to my FF line, but I haven't found the time to do that yet and so I've decided to at least move forward with adding the two new ones that are ready to go.

Both of these colorways are listed in my Etsy shop now and are available on both laceweight and sportweight cashmere (laceweight pictured here).

First, my obsession with browns continues with the addition of "Contentment."



And then there's Tranquility, perfect for a light and airy spring/summer knit.



I hope everyone likes these two new additions!

Now, on to knit talk. I first want to answer a couple of questions you asked about the broken rib pattern in the socks I'm working on and posted a few days ago. The rib at the top begins with a regular 3X3 rib, which continues static for the first 15 rows. Then, the broken rib pattern begins. You can, of course, create different effects and angles of spiral with a broken rib depending on how many stitches you stagger by and how many rows you complete before the next "step." I chose to work in increments of three rows, with the rib shifting over by one stitch every three rows.

New on the sticks I have a lace scarf that I just began using the Feather and Fan scarf/stole pattern by the incomparable Anne of KnitSpot. I'm using my FF Laceweight Merino in the Antique Rose colorway. I'm knitting in the scarf size (obviously :), but the pattern also provides instructions for a stole size.



This is a wonderfully simple and straightforward pattern that can be committed to memory in a heartbeat. As you can see from the progress I've made in such a short time, it knits up quickly. This is a lovely pattern choice for someone new to lace knitting or if you're looking for something that doesn't require your undivided attention. Despite the simplicity of the pattern, the finished knitting has the look of something far more complex and intricate. I can imagine that I may choose to knit this again in the future if I find myself with a short timeline and wanting to make a knit a gift for someone worthy of something special.

Here's a close up of the detail, which will be even prettier once I block the finished piece. The color in the photo above is more accurate on my monitor, but this photo with the light coming through from behind allows you to see the pattern better.



That's it for today. I'm looking forward to getting a bit more knitting done tonight during my husband's softball game. I must appear to be a very dedicated and supportive wife to the other players on the team (very few of the wives attend the games), but it's really the quiet knitting time that attracts me most. That'll be our little secret, OK?

We'll Always Have Socks

Although I've been too busy for much knitting time lately, I've still begun to feel the stirrings of knitter's block creeping up on me. It seems that a month ago, I had a laundry list of projects I couldn't wait to begin but now that I'm ready to dive into a new project, nothing in particular is calling out to me.

I really want to use the coral colored Anny Blatt cotton/viscose yarn that I bought some time ago, combined with the handpainted bamboo that I specifically purchased to go with it. But alas, I cannot settle on the right pattern. I found a stitch pattern that I liked with these two yarns, but I couldn't quite settle on a shape or style for the top I had only roughly envisioned. I should just let go of the idea of using these yarns for my next project, since it's only causing me aggravation to think of about it right now. I keep picking up the same yarn and staring at it, hoping it will speak to me.

I also have the itch to knit lace again, but perhaps just a quick scarf rather than another larger project.

Although it's entirely the wrong season for it, I also want to make myself a pair of mittens. I meant to do that this past winter and never got to it, so I'd like to do that at some point this summer.

Yes, I am waffling. Procrastinating. Ruminating. Pondering. Internally debating. Contemplating. Deliberating. Reflecting. Noodling. Mulling. What I am not doing is knitting.

Except, of course, socks. I will always have socks! Simple and satisfying socks, glorious and resplendent within the wasteland of my knitter's block.

I cast on this sock during my husband's first softball game of the season a few days ago:



The yarn is FF Superwash Merino Wool Sock Yarn in the Royalty colorway. Here's the sock stretched out a bit so you can see the simple 3X3 broken rib pattern a little better.



Ah yes. Socks. Comforting and familiar, staving off the madness of knitter's block. Gotta love 'em!

Mixing It Up

For today's Monday project feature, Amber shared these photos of a scarf she made for an International Scarf Exchange.



Amber made this scarf by mixing two different yarns: 2 strands of fyberspates laceweight together with 1 strand of FF Superwash Merino Wool Sock Yarn in the Raspberry colorway, resulting in a lovely mix of colors and added textural interest.



Thank you, Amber, for sharing your photos. I'm sure your Exchange Pal will be thrilled with her knitted treasure!

If you'd like to learn more about Amber and her fiber fun, pop on over to her blog.

Reminder to all: Keep those Fearless Fibers project photos coming! I have one lined up for next Monday, but then I'm all clear and awaiting new photos. Just e-mail your photos to me, along with any info you want to share about the project and a blog link if you have one.

Wishing everyone a happy start to a great week!

Keep On Ripplin'

Before I dive into today's post, I want to thank all of you for your kind words and Get Well wishes after my post yesterday. I am absolutely fine. Still a little weak in the knees, but just about as good as new. No worries.

My little stint of illness did, however, set me back on both dyeing and knitting. I'll be hitting it hard in my dye workshop over the coming days to get back on course, but I may not have much time for knitting. That doesn't mean I have nothing to show you though!

Remember the ripple throw/afghan that I started a few weeks ago? I've made a bit of progress on that, so I can fill this gap in my knitting productivity with an update on that project. Here's the latest:



The stitch pattern definitely makes the fabric appear uneven and bubbly and bumpy, but a nice strong blocking will take care of that. Through the use of my feet for anchors to stretch out the fabric, I attempted to get a photo to give you a better idea of how the stitch pattern will look when all is said and done:



This project will be a slow one, with a few rows knit here and there throughout the course of the spring and summer. It's for my husband, who's been pestering me . . . I mean politely asking me . . . for a small blanket to throw over his knees to keep him warm during his marathon sessions of winter TV watching. I held him at bay as long as I could with radical suggestions such as the idea that perhaps he might not wear shorts in November and thus not require a knee-warming blanket. But alas, I do love the wacky man and so I'm knitting him this throw.

I'll be getting another pair of socks going shortly, but I still haven't settled on what my next real project will be. Socks don't count, as one must almost always have socks going if one wishes to keep one's sanity. (That's far too many "ones" for a sentence!) The blanket doesn't really count either because that's a long-term project. And so, the time is upon me to begin another new project. Ahhh ... the thrill never wanes!

Everyone have a great weekend. Work hard, play hard, knit fearlessly!

I Have Just One Thing To Say . . .

I have just one thing to say today: Food Poisoning Sucks! Not a mind-blowing revelation, I know, but still worth repeating. Food poisoning sucks.

Wait a minute. I guess I have two things to say. It also sucks to be recovering from food poisoning and decide to try to get out of the house to run an errand with Supportive Husband driving, and then - shaky, weak and a bit dizzy from dehydration and such - to proceed while getting into the car to slam your head on the car roof so hard that the sound reverberates a mile away and leaves you dizzy for two days with a big knot on your head. Yes, that sucks too.

Needless to say, it's been a rough week, but I'm almost back to normal now and wanted to take a moment to pop my (throbbing) head in here and let you all know that you haven't been forgotten! I'll be back soon . . . hopefully tomorrow with a real post.

It's That Time Again

I can't believe it's Monday again already. Time certainly has been flying these days. The good news is that Monday means it's time for more customer project photos!

First, I have this lovely shawl by Fatimah in FF Superwash Merino Wool Sock Yarn in Midnight Passion. This is the Seraphim shawl pattern by MimKnits.



Here's a closeup for that must-see detail:



Lovely job, Fatimah! Thank you so much sharing your work! To learn more about Fatimah's knitting and other adventures, visit her blog.

Next up is a pair of socks by Karin knit with FF Classic Merino Wool Sock Yarn in Hush. Karin knit these socks for the Nancy Bush Vintage Sock KAL. They are the "Little Child's Sock" and they are absolutely wonderful! To learn more about Karin and her projects, pop on over to her blog.



And so another week begins. Everyone have a great one!

Crochet Memories

This morning, I awoke with a long-forgotten memory clearly in my mind. I think I must have dreamed about it, although I have no recollection of the dream.

For those of you read my blog regularly, you've probably heard me mention that I don't crochet. It's true. I don't. If you had asked me yesterday I would have told you that I've never crocheted beyond perhaps an occasional single crochet finishing touch on a knitted project. If you ask me today I will tell you that I crocheted once.

When I was around 8 or 9 years old, one of my best friends was an odd little girl named Rosanne. She was extremely intelligent and rather quiet, but also a tad eccentric. She had a habit of intentionally mispronouncing certain words. Although her reasons for doing this were not apparent, it seemed to be a form of derision. For instance, she pronounced "emotional" as "em-toy-nal." She was not an emotional sort and so I always took this as a rather condescending poke at those who were more emotional in nature.

One day, she suggested that I teach her to knit and she would teach me to crochet. The thing was, she didn't say "crochet." She pronounced it "crotch-it." Now, I knew this was another case of Rosanne choosing a pronunciation all her own and I assumed that it also meant that she had some level of disrespect for this activity called "crotch-it-ing."

For some inexplicable reason, I simply did not make the connection between knit and crochet. I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Despite the fact that she was one of my best friends, I was far too proud to tell her that I did not know what "crotch-it-ing" was. Instead I simply agreed to her plan to swap our knowledge. It's a good thing that I had a pure mind at the time or I might have been nervous indeed about just what I was going to learn during this crotch-it lesson!

We planned our little learning lesson for that weekend and I showed up at her house with two pair of knitting needles and a couple of balls of cheap acrylic yarn. I taught her the basics of how to cast on and knit and purl (which was about all I knew how to do). Once she had that down and was ready to settle in to practicing her newly learned skill, it was her turn to teach me to crotch-it.

When she produced two crochet hooks, of course, the light bulb finally went off. Crochet! I was glad I hadn't asked her what on earth she meant by crotch-it-ing, as she would surely have given me a hard time for my stupidity. (Great little friend, huh?)

She taught me a bit, although I can't recall at all what it was. Perhaps the basics of single and double crochet?

After we each practiced a while, it was time to plan our first projects. Rosanne knit herself an absolutely ridiculous and entirely age-inappropriate tube top. I'm sure her mother was thrilled to see her prancing around in that!

I crocheted a hat. The yarn was a dark and bright purple acrylic. The hat itself was a normal ski hat shape at the start, but at the top, rather than finishing up decreasing the size to shape to the head, this hat continued upward in a tube of around 4 or 5 inches in length. With the rather thick, cheap acrylic yarn I used, this tubular embellishment sprouted stiffly straight up in the air. I suppose it's only appropriate that my crotch-it project sported a phallic symbol as an adornment!

To top off this purple monstrosity, I added a lavender pom pom atop the phallic tube. Oh my! What a hat!

This amazing hat was then presented to my mother as a gift. This - I learned several years later - was a mistake.

My mother wore that hat. She wore it often. She wore it with pride. She wore it not only that winter but FOR MANY winters to come. That's right. She wore that hat when I was 10 years old ... 11 years old ... 12 years old. She wore it right up to the point where my sister and I were traumatized. She wore it to the supermarket and to the Post Office. She wore it to drive us to the mall! She picked us up from school wearing the purple-phallic-symbol-pom-pom-crotch-it hat!!!

My sister and I were less than thrilled about this to say the least. Looking back at it, it makes me smile. The thing is, my mother wore that hat not for reasons that most mothers would. She did not wear it because it touched her motherly heart that her daughter had made it as a gift. No. My mother wore that hat because she liked it. She didn't care if people thought she was a nut. She liked it. It made her smile. It was fun. And, yes, her daughter did make it which was a nice little bonus, but it was not the motivation for wearing it.

My mother was already in her early 50's when I made that hat. She was long past the age when she might have cared what other people thought of how she looked (although I'm not at all certain that she ever really cared about such things). Growing up, everyone always said that I was like my father and my sister was like my mother, but when I look at myself as I am today I think I am much more like my mother.

I believe if I had a purple-phallic-symbol-pom-pom-crotch-it hat today, I would very likely wear it.

F.O. + Sale Reminder

Before I dive into pictures of my FO, a quick reminder for everyone: I'm having a sale today and tomorrow in my Fearless Fibers Etsy shop. You'll find the sale items with a listing title that begins with "Sale" and you can also browse the sale items by clicking on the store section labeled "Sale Items."

I listed the sale items earlier this morning and many have already sold, but there are still lots of great items at bargain prices available, so stop on by and have a look!

Now, on to knit talk . . .

Last week, I showed you blocking photos of the Print O' The Waves Shawl by Eunny Jang that I made for my niece to wear to her prom. As promised, I have a couple of photos to show you now of the completed, blocked shawl. Unfortunately, my husband has been working, working, working and so I was left to try to get photos on my own. The result, unfortunately, is less than terrific photos (big understatement - sigh).



Here's my attempt to get a photo with the light coming through, but as I learned, it's not a very good photography technique to hang one's arm off the edge of a balcony and then hold a camera in a shaky position somewhere that seems roughly as though it might capture a glimpse of the draped item.

I used around 2 1/2 skeins of my FF Laceweight Merino in the Hush colorway to complete the shawl.

I shipped the shawl off to my niece and asked my sister to please try to get some good prom night photos that show the shawl. If I ever receive those, I'll be able to show you some better pictures. All in all, I'm really happy with how it turned out. I just hope my niece likes it as much as I do!

Other than the ripple stitch afghan throw that I began a few weeks ago, I now have clear sticks and endless possibilities in front of me! I know I need to get a pair of socks going, since it's been a while since I've worked on socks and my hands are missing the familiar and comforting feel of going round and round on toothpick sticks. But what will my next larger project be? Hmmmmm ... such fun!

Great day to all!

Fab Photos to Start the Week!

I'm starting this week on a fabulous note with two wonderful customer projects to share. First, we have this lovely scarf by Bianca. It's the "Branching Out" pattern from Knitty.



Bianca used FF Mohair/Wool DK Yarn in the In The Pink colorway. The photo above shows off the scarf wonderfully, but the colors look a little off on my monitor. You can see the true colors along with the wonderful stitch detail better in this closeup.



To learn more about Bianca and her knitting endeavors, visit her blog.

Next up, we have this amazing crocheted shawl by Elisa.



Elisa used FF Superwash Merino Wool Sock Yarn in the Venerable colorway. Check out this closeup to really see Elisa's lovely handiwork.



And how about this dramatic angle shot? Apparently, Elisa's artistic skills extend beyond just crochet and into the realm of photography.



Learn more about Elisa and her crochet adventures in her blog.

So how are those for a couple of fabulous projects and great photos to get your week started?

Before I sign off for today, a quick note for those of you who have tried to reach my Etsy shop yesterday. My apologies! Etsy has been down for a major overhaul of their system. The site is back up this morning, but it's moving slowly at the moment. I'm sure they will have it in good working order very soon, but please accept my apologies and be patient in the meantime. I'm still planning my sale for Wednesday and Thursday this week (see post below), but if the site is not up to the task, I will delay it a bit. I don't want all you good folks frustrated while trying to snap up a bargain. Any changes to the sale plans will be posted here.

Thanks again and have a great day!

Mark Your Calendars: Sale Coming!

For two days only, on Wed April 25th and Thursday April 26th, I will be having a sale in my shop on quite a number of my colder weather yarns, including mohair/wool and alpaca/wool blends. The purpose of the sale is to begin to thin out inventory to make room for some new colorways in the Fall.

This will be a great opportunity to stock up at a great price on yarn for scarves, hats, mittens, sweaters, afghans and other colder weather projects. Since this is not an “orphan skein” sale as I've had in the past, you’ll find many items on sale with plenty of stock available for a larger project if that’s what you seek.

I’ll begin putting up the sale listings on Wednesday morning, as soon as I drag myself out of bed and get some coffee in my system (probably around 7 a.m. PST).

Note also that U.S. Postal rates will increase on May 14th and so this will also be an opportunity to get in under the wire before the shipping costs in my shop will need to be amended to reflect the new postage rates.

If you’re on my mailing list, you will also receive an e-mail notice in a couple of days about this sale. If you’re not on my mailing list and want to be included so you don’t miss future news, just send me an e-mail asking to be added to the list. I will NEVER use your e-mail address for any other purpose and will NEVER sell or share the e-mail list with anyone. The e-mail list will only be used in the event that there is hot news related to Fearless Fibers to share. I do not generally use the list to distribute news more than once per month and usually much less frequently. You can be removed from the list at any time by sending me an e-mail request.

That’s all the news for today. I do have the shawl project from my last post completed, but I need to get some photos to show you. I’m really pleased with the final product and will have those photos to share with you soon.

Everyone have a fantastic weekend!

Tick Tock Block Block

The clock is ticking on the date for my niece's high school prom in mid-May and I'm happy to report that the shawl I've been knitting for her is just about ready to go. I got it blocking yesterday and it should be ready very soon. Yippee!

This is Eunny Jang's Print O' The Waves Shawl in my FF Laceweight Merino in the "Hush" colorway. The blocking photos aren't very good, but I'll try to get some decent shots when it's done.

Here's a closeup with the pattern detail:

Now that I've got this project done, I can start to think about what's next. I'm continuing to make slow progress on the ripple afghan/throw and will keep plugging away at that here and there for months I'm sure. The itch to get a pair of socks on the sticks is upon me, so I'll get started on those soon, but I still need to decide on what my next larger project will be. Hmmmm .... I love the planning stage, when everything is open to possibility!

That's all for today. Tune in again for news coming in a few days on an upcoming sale I'm planning. As many of you know, I only have a sale about once every three months so keep your eyes open for the upcoming post!

Check Out My Cool New Sidebar!

Just a quick note in case you're wondering about the slightly new look of my blog. I've added a little mini gallery of items from my shop to the sidebar. Just click on a photo and you'll be taken to the listing in my shop. Ain't that just the coolest?

I hope it works properly for everyone's browser. Looks fine on my end.

More knitting and fiber fun to come later this week . . .

Getta Load of This!

Today's Monday customer project is quite an eyeful of knitting goodness! Check out this amazing German Stocking by Aija.



Aija knit this using the pattern Cookie A Knitwear Designs (definitely worth a look for amazing sock patterns!) and FF Superwash Merino Wool Sock Yarn in the Royalty colorway. Visit Aija's blog for more photos and details about this project and tons of other great knitting and fiber pursuits.

You can also browse Aija's stitch markers in her Etsy shop. There you'll find a fantastic selection of unique stitch markers. These are not the usual delicate beaded markers you see. They have a bold, earthy feel to them, and include materials not often seen in stitch markers such as obsidian stone and fossil agate. Very cool!

A big Thank You to Aija for sharing the photos of her wonderful German Stockings!

Please keep the photos of finished projects with Fearless Fibers Yarn coming. Just send me an e-mail and I'll put them in the queue for posting in a future Monday project feature.

Great day to all!

She Lives!

My apologies for the gap in time since my last post on Monday. I've been busy working while also trying to find time to ready my home for guests this weekend. There's no way to hide the evidence of a thriving yarn venture under my roof, but I feel the need to at least get everything organized and ensure there are at least some surfaces in my home that are not covered by bags of yarn, stacks of labels, or other tell-tale signs of the omnipresence of Fearless Fibers!

Despite scurrying around like a lunatic this week, I have found a bit of time for knitting as well as a couple of new colorways. I've continued working on the edging of the lace shawl for my niece's prom. I thought I'd have that done in a jiffy, but it turns out that 80+ repeats of even a brief 16-row pattern takes time and perseverance. The halfway point is finally behind me, so I'll have it finished before too long.

In the meantime, I took the plunge and began the ripple-stitch throw blanket that I'm planning on slowly knitting on and off throughout the spring and summer. Here are the colors I'm using:



The yarn is my FF Sportweight Superwash Merino dyed in semi-solid shades. I'm knitting on a US #5 needle, which is a bit larger than I usually use with this yarn. I generally recommend a #3 or 4, since a tighter, solid knit is usually better for superwash merino as it has a tendency to stretch over time due to its slippery nature. For a blanket though, a bit of stretching won't hurt and it also won't have quite as much of that stretching tendency in a blanket, where the weight of the fabric won't continually pull the fabric the way it does in a worn garment such as a sweater.

Here's the work in progress.



It doesn't look terribly appealing in the photo, but I think the final product will be very nice indeed. The work in progress isn't particularly attractive because the heavier, springy yarn bunches and puckers with the lace ripple stitch, so it's going to take a serious blocking job to flatten it out. When I pull it and stretch it flat though, it looks as though it's going to look fine in the end.

On the yarn front, I also have two new colorways in my FF Laceweight Merino to show you. The first is called Feeling Blue. It's a straightforward blend of subtly varied blues that will show off lace stitchwork nicely. Although it's a simple colorway, I like it quite well. The blue is soft and springy, yet it has a good deal more oomph than a "baby" shade of pastel blue.



The second new laceweight is a doozy! It's called Notorious and it's a fabulous blend of burnished, reddish browns and bronze.

I can't resist showing you the closeup as well, so you can see the infinitely complex, yet subtle and harmonious variation of tones.

Enough yarn talk for the moment. There are toilets that need to be scrubbed! Everyone have a wonderful weekend!

Every Toe Has a Home

For today's Monday customer project, I have a pair of toe socks made by Kristen to show you. These are made with FF Superwash Merino Wool Sock Yarn in the Kildare colorway.



Kristen designed the pattern for these socks herself, knitting them toe up with a provisional cast-on, with the toes knit the way fingers for a glove would be. She began the toes on different rows to get the right shaping for a better fit. When the toes were done, she picked up the cast on stitches and finished up the socks using the Magic Loop method. Clever girl! Aren't they a hoot?!

Kristen also has her own Etsy shop where she sells the stitch markers she makes. Her shop focuses on small and lightweight markers that can be used for sock knitting and other small-needle projects. They also come in sets of eight markers, which is quite a generous supply at a great price. Check it out!

That's all for today. Another week begins. Everyone enjoy!

Needle Talk

I'm not picky about my needles. I prefer wood, but a simple bamboo of almost any kind will do me just fine. I barely notice the difference in feel from one wooden needle to another and am pretty happy with anything I use. If I experimented with a wider variety of needles, I think I might find myself developing stronger preferences for some, but I really don't need another knitting-related obsession right now. As it is, I feel as though I buy new needles for every project, despite the fact that I have around 9 million in my possession already.

Today, I picked up a new 32-inch circular #5. I'm not entirely certain, but I think this is the size I'll need for the ripple afghan I'm planning on starting soon. The needle I selected is an addi Natura. I have a few of the addi Turbo's but I haven't seen the Natura's before. It's a lightweight bamboo, which is my preference, and it has a very pliable cord which appeals to me. I'm sure it will be fine, but perhaps I'll try to pay more attention to the needle with this project to see if I can pick up on anything noteworthy. I'm amazed at some of the needle reviews I've seen online. Unless a needle falls apart in my hands or splits and snags the yarn, I really don't have much problem with any of them.

I have, however, had a problem with this:



This is a set my husband bought for me a couple of years ago. It was such a thoughtful gift that I will always appreciate purely for just that: the thoughtfulness on my husband's part. The gift itself is a big lemon. The set has 4 circulars of different lengths along with 6 sets of sizes 5 through 10 points to interchange.

Like all interchangeable needle sets, it sounds great, right? The problem with this set, you ask? Well, I'll show you:



This happened with the first circular within days of using it for the first time. I've tried every type of glue imaginable but after any length of time knitting with the needles, the glue unseals and the damn thing comes apart again. Two of the other three circulars have also now come apart in this same way, rendering the set entirely worthless (unless of course you are seeking to use it to torture a knitter, in which case you've got yourself a winner with this set!).

I wish I could warn you about the brand, but I've long since tossed the original box it came in away and it has no labeling on it.

On the topic of needles, I also have this rather bizarre photo to show you:



This is one of my frequently used sets of sock needles. In this case, they're #2's. You'll clearly see in the photo that one of the needles is significantly bent into an arch shape. This is so strange to me. All of my sock needle sets eventually end up looking like this. The bizarre thing is that it is NOT all of the needles in one set. It is always just one. This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. As we all know, the needles are cycled through the sock, each coming into play as a lefthand stitch holding needle, as well as as a righthand live needle. Why would just one of every set bend in this way? Yes, I can see one bending if I'm grasping it too firmly or holding my hand in some odd way, but why only one needle per set? It is one of the great mysteries of life that shall never be answered.

Enough needle banter for today. Time for me to get some knitting done!

Sore Brain Syndrome

I’m one of those people who is always early for any appointment, whether it’s an important meeting, a dental appointment, or a just a casual lunch with a friend. If I’m just on time, I find myself apologizing for being late. My parents were the same way when I was growing up, so I suppose it’s in my genes . . . or in my upbringing at least.

Knitting against a deadline is no different for me. Although I’m in good shape on meeting my deadline to complete the Print O’ The Waves Shawl in time for my niece’s prom in May, I still feel the need to push forward quickly.

Several days ago, I completed the second side of the center motif and then grafted the two sides together. I then firmly resolved to continue to motor forward and pick up and knit the dreaded 640 stitches around the perimeter to begin the inner edging. I really dreaded this task! Picking up stitches in any great quantity is definitely not high on my list of Fun Things To Do on A Friday Night, but the thought of picking up 640 stitches was enough to set my mind to busily concocting excuses. I really should vacuum inside my car first. You know. That sort of thing. But I overcame my own excuses and stuck with the plan and dove right into the dreaded task without allowing days of procrastination to pass, serving only to increase the magnitude of the task in my mind.

It turned out not to be so bad. I picked up the 640 stitches and finished up the four rows of inner edging in short order and set my project aside with the plan of beginning the outer edge border the following evening.

That’s when the trouble began. I think perhaps I was too tired and fuzzy-headed to knit more than simple stockinet that night.

The outer edge is a 17 stitch X 16 row repeat that undulates gently in and out, as many shawl patterns do. I knit the first 8 rows without a hitch, but when I got to the 9th row I had an extra stitch. I backed up, thinking I’d inadvertently added a yarnover or missed a decrease. I knit it again, but still came up with an extra stitch. Back, back, back I go. I re-knit rows 6 through 8 just to be sure I hadn’t made an error further back than just the previous row. Nope. Still an extra stitch.

This is where the sore brain syndrome came into play. Rather than stepping back and looking closely at the pattern, I just knit it again, ripped back, and again and again, four or five times total. Not much of a testament to my brain power!

By this time, I was muttering and grumbling quite a bit. I tore back the 8 rows of the outer edging and decided to try it without joining it to the main body of the work. I thought that perhaps it was the awkwardness of completing the first few rows of edging when the edging that was joined to the main body was so narrow and flimsy compared to the fairly massive overall piece. I cast on 17 stitches and knit away. Nope. One extra stitch.

At that point, I began to get irritated with my husband. How could he just sit there quietly watching television while I was on the verge of tearing my hair out? (I don’t know what I expected him to do. Perhaps he should have quickly learned to read a knitting chart and deciphered the problem for me?)

My brain began to hurt.

I set the knitting aside and decided that I was just too tired to deal with it. When I was feeling fresh and sharp the next day, I finally came to my senses and stopped trying the same thing over and over. (Isn’t that a sign of madness? When you do the same thing over again and again and expect a different result?) In the light of the day, when I looked at the chart, I realized that perhaps it was an error in the pattern and not my faulty brain that was to blame. Unless I’ve completely lost my mind, the chart in the pattern is wrong.

Normally, I would just pop an e-mail over to the address provided at the bottom of the pattern, but I still have this nagging doubt that perhaps it is in fact a problem with me and not the pattern. Perhaps I just have a blindspot about this?

I would greatly appreciate it if someone can verify for me that I’m not missing something. The pattern is a free pattern on Eunny Jang’s site, linked in a PDF document over to the right side. The chart in question is Chart B. If you look at the chart, you’ll see that it increases one stitch every other row for the first half of the chart and it should then decrease one stitch every other row for the second half of the chart. The problem is that the decrease rows on the second part of the chart seem to be missing one decrease. When I look at the number of YO’s versus the number of decreases, I get a balanced number. No net decrease. Am I insane or is this the case?

Please, oh please, some lace-knitting, chart-loving, kind-hearted, too-much-time-your-hands soul out there take a peek for me and let me know if there is, in fact, a problem here! Either way, it’s really not such a big deal, but I would like to know whether I am just a flat-out knitiot. I will, of course, let Eunny know about it if it's an error since I'm sure she would want to correct it, but I really don't want to bother her if I'm just misinterpreting something in my addled brain.

I finally just decided to add an extra K2TOG to each row that should have a net decrease and now I’m moving along swimmingly. But I still would like to know whether I’m reading something wrong. It seems clearly off to me, but at the same time I find it difficult to imagine that nobody has pointed out this error yet. The pattern has a 2005 copyright and there’s even a gallery of photos of shawls folks have knit from the pattern. Did everyone revise Chart B as I have or am I just making some type of rookie error in reading the pattern?

After all this rambling, I wish I could reward you with lots of photos, but at this point, with the outer edge in progress and most of the main body still crowded onto a long circular needle, it’s rather difficult to get a shot that looks like anything more than this:



I can spread it out a bit and focus on one side, so you can see a bit more of how the edging is progressing. It will take some “aggressive” (that’s the word used in the pattern) blocking to transform into its final form but you can get a little of the idea of how the edge will look from this shot.



Overall, despite my sore brain, I’m now progressing well and have little fear remaining about making my deadline of completing this in plenty of time for my niece’s prom. Hallelujah!

Thoroughbred Socks

For today's customer project feature I have this perfect pair of socks by Anne of KnitSpot.

Anne used FF Superwash Merino Wool Sock Yarn in the Thoroughbred colorway, combined with her Sock Pattern to End All Sock Patterns (available through the KnitSpot product catalogue). The pattern is designed to create a custom fit and includes a worksheet for determining size based on the gauge of the yarn you are using. It's also customizable for different stitch patterns for the cuff. How handy is that? For Anne's Thoroughbred socks, she used a simple 3X3 rib and a slip-stitch heel.

A big Thank You to Anne for sharing her photo . . . and my usual Monday morning plea to everyone to keep those photos coming! Just e-mail them to me and I'll give your project its moment in the spotlight.

Watch Out - I'm Going to Gush!

I posted a message in Etsy's forums this morning and afterward thought that it's really something I want to share with all of you most. I'm cutting and pasting it directly here. Watch out though . . . there is uncharacteristic, effusive gushing coming your way!

Here goes:

"Today is my Etsy one-year anniversary! As I sat in front of my computer this morning, sipping my coffee and answering e-mail, I got to thinking about this first year on Etsy and all of a sudden, I had an “I get it!” moment that I thought I’d share with all of you.

I thought I got the idea of Etsy all along. Buy handmade. Quality items, made with care. Unique items you can’t find anywhere else. A sense of community. All that good stuff.

The part that I think I never fully appreciated was the idea of a connection between buyer and seller. I certainly understood this in its most basic form, but it wasn’t until this morning – looking back over the course of the year – that it really hit home.

When I started Fearless Fibers I was torn between selling wholesale to B&M’s and selling directly to the consumer myself. I didn’t want to do both for a variety of reasons I won’t go into here and I finally settled on selling directly to the consumer as the better way for me to go. I thought it would be more satisfying but I had no idea at that time just how satisfying.

How lucky am I to create something that I love and to be able to sell it to those who not only love it also, but with whom I share a common passion in the love of knitting and all things fiber? Every day, I get notes from customers telling me about the things they’ve made with my yarns. They send me pictures of their finished projects. I hear about how much their sister or mother or best friend loves the gift they knit for her. We share an occasional laugh or knitting tip or story. They actually thank me for doing what I do. Imagine that? They thank ME when it is they who deserve my deepest gratitude (which they also have!).

I knew that making a living doing what I love would be satisfying. I also knew it would be much harder work than most people would imagine. But I didn’t expect this added bonus of interacting every day with some of the finest, kindest, overall loveliest people imaginable. It’s added something amazing and unexpected to my life and I am eternally grateful.

After about 15 months in business (one year of that including Etsy as a venue), I have a long list of B&M shops that want to carry my yarns. I can’t imagine that I’ll go down that road any time soon though. I could grow my business exponentially in that direction, but at this point, I would not give up the direct relationship with my customers for anything!

Yes, I think I get it!

Enough gushing from me. Just had to share these thoughts on my big anniversary day :) Back to work now."

THANK YOU ALL!!

Hugs, Deb

Lots of Good Things!

I have quite a number of good things to choose from right now to fill my knitting time. Nothing motivates me so much as having knitting projects calling out me. My knitting time is generally in the evening, after 8 p.m. or so when my husband and I usually settle in for a bit of quiet time in front of the TV. When I know there’s a project awaiting me, I seem to be more focused on getting lots of work done during the day, so I can knit without any nagging feelings of guilt about other things that I should be doing.

Last night, I spent my knit time finishing up the Delicato Mitts by Anne of Knitspot that I started a few weeks back using the glorious handspun yarn (also by Anne). I won this yarn in a KAL contest, but ran a bit short before I finished the mitts. Anne was her usual gracious self and sent me enough yarn to finish up the project.



I just love how these turned out! You can really see the beautiful details of the pattern, yet the handspun yarn gives them a slightly rough-hewn (for want of a better description) look that really brings them to life. They are a bit large on my hands, but they're destined to be a gift for a friend who is not afflicted with stunted-growth-hand-syndrome as I apparently am, so I think they’ll fit her well.

As if it wasn’t enough to receive the additional yarn I needed to finish this project, Anne also sent me a glorious surprise treat in the package.



That’s right! Another handspun gem from Anne. I must have done something grand in a prior life to deserve such riches! Anne’s spinning is just amazing!



This yarn is sitting on my desk right now, so that I can periodically pick it up and give it a squeeze. It springs back from my grasp with an energetic bounce that delights me.

Once I got over my burst of excitement at the unexpected treasure, I suddenly realized that the color looked familiar. I checked in with Anne and found out that indeed this yarn was spun from some superwash merino roving I had sent her some time ago. How cool is that?! I’m inclined to knit one of Anne’s sock patterns with this yarn, as that just seems to be such an appropriate way to create the ultimate joint project. I dyed the roving, Anne spun the yarn, Anne wrote the pattern, and I shall knit it. It almost makes me want to knit the socks and then send one to her and keep one myself. Of course, that makes no sense at all, but you get the idea. For the time being, however, I will just leave this skein perched happily on my desk so I can continue to enjoy it in its current form a while longer.

In the meantime, I’ve continued working on Eunny Jang’s Print ‘O The Waves Stole in my FF Laceweight Merino. I need to move quickly on this to meet the deadline for my niece’s prom in May and am making great progress so far. A few more pattern repeats and I’ll have the second half of the center back completed. Then it will be time to graft the two halves together and then pick up stitches around the perimeter to begin the inner edging. I must admit, this is the one part of the project that I’m not looking forward to. 640 stitches around. EEK! But it must be done. When I get to that point, I’ll post another photo.

Another project that’s ready to start any day now will be a spring sweater. You may recall the Anny Blatt viscose/cotton yarn that I boomphed a bargain on recently?



I noodled a bit on what to do with this yarn and finally came up with a pattern from a Spring 2004 Filati publication that I thought would work nicely. Sweater is probably the wrong word for it. It’s a slightly oversized top that’s knit loosely with openwork. Although in the picture it’s worn alone, I would be more inclined to wear it over a tank top or camisole. The pattern calls for a heavier weight yarn, so I experimented with knitting two strands of this yarn together. The pattern stitch works up nicely this way, as it masks the irregularity of the yarn itself (which is not irregular exactly, but just a bit uneven and textured). Well, it doesn’t exactly mask it really, but it just works. The open stitchwork is not meant to be smooth and perfect the way stockinet or something of that sort would be.

Anyhow, I did a gauge swatch using two strands of the yarn and it worked perfectly, so I set about beginning the project. The top is knit in one piece, from side to side, beginning with the bottom edge of one sleeve. I had just about exactly twice the yardage called for in the pattern, which seemed perfect given that I was knitting with two strands. Alas, it was not to be. What’s with patterns and required yardage? Sometimes the yarn requirements seem so far off that it makes me wonder if the designer just grabbed a number out of the air and plugged it in. Or are they doing it to torture us? Or is it a conspiracy of some sort, and if so, what is the purpose? All of that aside, the point is that it quickly became apparent that I was not going to have anywhere near the amount of yarn I needed.

I solved my yarn shortage dilemma by deciding to use just one strand of the Anny Blatt yarn, but to add another yarn to the mix. For that purpose, I picked up a couple of skeins of this bamboo yarn at my favorite LYS last week.



Now I’m all set to start this project any day now. I’d like to get to the point on my niece’s shawl where I’ve finished picking up those 640 stitches around the edge and then I’ll let myself start this new project. If I begin a new project before reaching that dreaded phase of the shawl, I fear I will never bring myself to do it!

As if this weren’t enough to keep me happily occupied for some time to come, I have another project that’s in the planning phase. My husband has been asking for a small throw blanket/afghan for a couple of years now and I think it’s finally the right time for me to start that. If I begin now, I can work on it slowly throughout the spring and summer, knitting a few rows here and there to keep me from going mad with boredom, and have it finished in time for the fall/winter weather.

I have some sportweight superwash merino that I dyed some time back in colors that should work nicely in my living room. I’ve just been undecided on what type of pattern I want to use. In the back of my mind, I’ve had an itch to do something in a ripple stitch. When I think of ripple stitch afghans, the first thing that springs to my mind are those crocheted afghans everyone’s grandmother or aunt seemed to make in the 60’s and 70’s. You know the ones? Undulating ripples of bright, cool shades of yellow, blue and red? Generally hideous crochet stitches that look nothing like the lovely crochet I see around today. Well, anyhow, that’s definitely not what I have in mind. I’m thinking of a more elegant ripple stitch and the colors I have are warm and lovely shades of varied browns - rich, rusty, golden and mossy.

From time to time, I’ve thought about this project and my ripple stitch options. There are the usual Go To’s such as Fishtail Lace or Feather and Fan, but I really wanted more choices. Then, on an excursion last week to a yarn shop about 45 miles from my house, I found this little gem.



The book has both knit and crochet ripple stitch patterns, so my choices are not quite as vast as the title suggests (unless I suddenly get the urge to learn to crochet), but there’s still plenty to choose from here. I’ll keep you posted on this project-to-come.

That’s all for today. Knit on! (I had the urge to type “Knit On With Your Bad Self” there, but perhaps that’s too geeky even for me. Oh, wait a minute. I guess I did type it, albeit parenthetically. Forgive me.)

Behold the Bountiful Hypoteneuse!

For today's customer project, I have this lovely shawl knit by Lynne. The pattern is Hypoteneuse by KnitSpot. Lynne used my FF Alpaca/Wool DK Yarn in the Bountiful colorway.



Isn't is just smashing?! Wonderful job, Lynne!

Lynne did an extra repeat of the stitch pattern in each row for added width, as well two extra repeats for length, creating a generous size shawl to wrap oneself for warmth. She reports that the pattern was just hard enough to hold her interest while still being straightforward enough to knit with the company of the TV without having to pay constant attention to intricate pattern details. Sounds like a perfect project and Lynne's results certainly are lovely!

Before I sign off for today, two minor bits of business. First of all, my usual reminder (or shall we call it a plea?) to send me your project photos. I'm usually a week or two ahead on photos, but right now, I've got a clear slot for next Monday. It's been many months now with new customer project photos to share every Monday, so please help me to keep the ball rolling by sending me your photos!

The other minor bit of business I want to mention is that some of you may have noticed that the prices on some of my FF yarn crept up a little bit this weekend. This was a necessary adjustment as the prices on many of the base yarns I use have risen over the past few months. The increases on my yarns are not huge (in most cases around 10%), but I did want to mention it here and assure all of you that I remain committed to providing quality yarns priced for value. You won't be seeing any $28 per skein sock yarn in my shop anytime soon!

That's all for today. Tune in later this week for more knitting news and chit chat. Great week to all!