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It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s

denisemor 2 December 6, 2016

A Pod!

A CatPod, to be more precise.

Boo Kitten seems to be a little suspicious of it right now, but I’m hoping that once she curls herself up in there she will find it comfy and cozy.

I really should have gotten a pre-felting photo of it for before/after effect, but as you can probably guess, it was like a great big crazy floppy thing.

Felting is always kind of a crap shoot when you are using a bunch of different kinds of yarns, but I did a little math and planned the decreases anticipating about 30% lengthwise shrinkage, to bring it back to a roughly spherical shape.

Worked out pretty well I think!

Was kind of hoping that it would be firm enough after felting for the opening to not require reinforcing, but it needed a little help, so I repurposed a 7 inch diameter embroidery hoop to provide structural support.

Voila!

project notes:
size 13 needles
cast on 66 stitches
stitch pattern: knit 1, purl 1 rib (perfect for practicing the Norwegian Purl technique!)
knit about 3 inches in pattern
increase 11 stitches in next round (77 stitches)
knit about 3 inches in pattern
increase 11 stitches in next round (88 stitches)
knit about 3 inches in pattern
increase 11 stitches in next round (99 stitches)
knit 3 inches in pattern
increase 11 stitches in next round (110 stitches)
knit 5 inches in pattern
decrease 11 stitches in next round (99 stitches)
knit 4 rows in pattern
decrease 11 stitches in next round (88 stitches)
knit 4 rows in pattern
decrease 11 stitches in next round (77 stitches)
knit 4 rows in pattern
decrease 11 stitches in next round (66 stitches)
knit 3 rows in pattern
decrease 11 stitches in next round (55 stitches)
knit 3 rows in pattern
decrease 11 stitches in next round (44 stitches)
knit 3 rows in pattern
decrease 11 stitches in next round (33 stitches)
knit 2 rows in pattern
decrease 11 stitches in next round (22 stitches)
knit 2 rows in pattern
decrease 11 stitches in next round (11 stitches)
cast off remaining stitches, secure ends
felt felt felt felt felt!

final dimensions: 7″ diameter opening, 33 inch circumference, 14″ length

Comfort Food

denisemor 2 November 27, 2016

It’s been a while since I posted about Autumn’s End.
It’s still going- and I’m pretty far into the body now

It’s a nice lace pattern, and from time to time I get in a groove with it, but the rows are long, and the yarn is fine. So progress seems very slow.

That photo above is maybe 3 weeks work.
Yeah, I’m not making very good time.

So I was kind of feeling the need for something quick and satisfying. Something like this

Rainy night dinner of oatmeal with cranberries, banana, pecans, milk and brown sugar.

Something soft and warm, hearty and restorative.

Mmmmm. That’s Edgar 2011, Chone 2012, and Felix/Frank 2016.
Singles, chained into an unspun three-ply as I was knitting it.

“Shades of the Flock” chunky cowl. A quick knit on size 13 needles.

Still a little damp from it’s bath, but I might have to take the hairdryer to it so I can enjoy its sweet soft fuzziness without delay.

The wool equivalent of comfort food.

Thank the Sheep

denisemor 2 November 20, 2016

I have an awful lot of things to be thankful for.

But this Thanksgiving, I’m giving thanks for my sheeps.

That might seem silly, but you see, I’ve had a thing for sheep from a long time back.
Long before I learned to knit, or spin.
Before I even really made the connection between wool and sheep.

I think I was about 9 or 10 when it started.
I saw a stuffed sheep toy in a shop window in downtown West Dundee, Illinois.

Beau Peep was the sheep that kicked off the craziness.
And then for a number of years, for every holiday or occasion, I was gifted stuffed sheep of all shapes and sizes.

I no longer have the original “Peep”, but I do retain a few distinctive members of my childhood flock.

It was only once I learned to knit, then spin, and started falling down the wool-lined rabbit hole that it all came together for me.

When I was younger I felt I never had a good answer for the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

But the clues were all there.

So I’m thankful to be able to have my very own sheep friends after all this time.
It feels like it’s where I’m supposed to be.

Wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving!

Taking the Plunge

denisemor 2 November 13, 2016November 15, 2016

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Holiday Market on Saturday. It was a nice day hanging out with other craftspeople and drinking spiced apple cider, even if it was really rainy and nasty outside.

I was able to rehome a few hats, but still have plenty of inventory, and so I’ve finally got my stuff together and listed items for sale on Etsy.

So if you still need a one-of-a-kind, homegrown and handcrafted hat for a gift (or for yourself!) please go take a look. Many thanks to The Man for taking all the photos.

I have earflap and stranded colorwork styles listed so far. Hope/plan to have the remainder listed within a few days.