FO: Shedir

April 26, 2007August 6, 2023 ~ laura ~ 10 Comments

I meant to post about this 3 days ago, but I didn’t get around to snapping some pics until this morning.

Shedir is complete. And I am in love. The pattern is just so well written and clever and not near as hard as I thought it would be. I marveled at Jenna Wilson’s cleverness as I was knitting it, and again when I was done. I admit there were some slow going rows, but once I got the hang of it, things moved along nicely. In fact, I have already cast on for a second Shedir and will be sending this one to my brother since he likes shorter tighter hats and I shortened this one up a bit with him in mind.

As for the yarn, it’s Jaeger Roma, in color 006 (Fern). It’s soft and stretchy and and nice to work with, if a little splitty at times. If I were doing these hats as actual Chemo caps, I would certainly use it again in the future.

I also completed the Pinwheel Baby Blanket, except now it’s a Pinwheel Doggie Blanket. I got tired of doing it and Daisy kept trying to steal it every time I went to knit on it, so I finally gave up and let her have it. She was very pitiful and non-photogenic this morning, but you know how tetchy models can be.

And last week on the non-fibery front, I made a batch of soap. It was a spa bar type, (this means I added a lot of salt it, and it used to be sea salt that I added, but I have found that kosher does better, so it’s just a “spa” type bar now) with Coconut, Babassu, Macadamia Nut, and Castor Oils, and Mango Butter. I scented it with Black Pepper FO, Sweet Orange EO, and then I added Oak Moss as a botanical and ground Luffa for a little scrubbiness. It turned out lovely and smells divine.

And that is about it. As I’ve said, I already have another Shedir on the needles, and I’ve started a doggie sweater for Daisy in the leftover blankie yarn, and am basing it on a dog jacket thing she already has, which really means I am winging it as I go along, so it’s entirely possible it won’t turn out. But hopefully it will.

FO: Clapotis

March 28, 2007August 6, 2023 ~ laura ~ 11 Comments

By now you all know where the pattern comes from, and if not, just google it. This one was done on US6 Addi Naturas with Noro Silk Garden Lite. Doesn’t Goaty look lovely wearing it?

Warning: Banana Silk Hell.

January 31, 2007August 6, 2023 ~ laura ~ 5 Comments

So, after posting Sunday, I decided to go ahead and finish up my scarf. I figured it was just stockinette in the round, I should be able to knock it out quickly and have a fabulous scarf for knitting group on Monday night.

I was so very very wrong.

I finished the scarf, and then went to wash it in the sink. The black banana silk proceeded to produce copious amounts of dye. COPIOUS. AMOUNTS.

This is the 3rd sink full of water.

After 6 sinkfuls, and several stints and just allowing the water to run, I left it overnight to just soak and hope that would loosen the rest of the dye up and then I could go about hanging it up to dry. And then, another sink full of water looked just as ink black as the one above and I said “fuck this” and threw it in the tub. I ran two tub fulls of water. I ran water between those tubs full. All inky black. Finally, I just left it in the tub to work on while I was in the shower. I hate wasting water, but I sure as hell can’t wear the damn scarf if it’s going to pour black all over me when it rains. Two showers later, and it’s still running black. I have given up and put it on top of a load of black T-shirts that need to be washed in hopes that the washer will handle it and all the extra black will help the more faded of the Ts.

What once was a fabulous scarf is now a hated knit item that has not behaved as it should. So basically, don’t buy black banana silk. It’s not pretty. It may seem pretty, and it may feel nice, and you may have neat ideas of simple items done well in it. But don’t give it. It’s lying to you. And just so you aren’t fooled, I dug through the intarwebs and found a picture of the same exact brand I used so you won’t be fooled by it in its natural habitat of the yarn store.

So, yes, I have a finished item, and no, I may never actually get to wear it, much less model it for the blog. Yes, I am unhappy about this, and no, I will never be tempted to buy Banana Silk again.

I can only pass this lesson on to you and hope that you can take this kernel of truth and use it for the good of your stash budget.

Finished: Handspun Mitts.

January 7, 2007August 6, 2023 ~ laura ~ 4 Comments

At this point I have gone on ad nauseam about the source of this yarn, so I’ll just give you the finished item photo, modeled by the lovely Miss Jolene.