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Wool-Working Classes at WSU Expo

denisemor 2 December 8, 2016

Just a note to let y’all know that registration is now open for the WSU Country Living Expo in Stanwood WA Jan 28, 2017!

For more info, please see http://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/countrylivingexpo/

I’ll be teaching the following classes:

Basics of Wool Processing, Part 1 and 2
#151 & #251 ‐ Sessions 1 & 2
Learn how to get that fresh‐off‐the‐sheep fleece into prime spinning or felting shape!
We’ll talk about picking, washing, drying, carding and combing, and spend the second hour getting some hands‐on experience using carders and combs with a variety of wool types.

Yarn From Scratch: Handspinning on a Wheel
#551 & #651 ‐ Sessions 5 & 6
Come spin a yarn! We’ll cover basic principles of spinning, wheel adjustment/setup and drafting techniques, plus winding off and setting the twist. No experience necessary, but please bring a wheel. Wool will be provided for your use. Note: If your wheel requires a little TLC to get spinning smoothly, please consider signing up for the “Spinning Wheel Tune Up” session that will precede this class.

#451 Spinning Wheel Tune Up
Does your spinning wheel need a little TLC? Bring it in and we’ll see if we can get it working smoothly! One hour session will be broken into brief one‐on‐one consultations focusing on troubleshooting/resolving minor mechanical issues. All wheel types welcome.

Its a fun day full of classes, with a trade show, and lunch provided with the cost of registration.

And if you have any questions about the classes listed above, just drop me a line and I can provide you with more info!

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.