Marianne and Colonel Brandon Capelet

I recently married two patterns.

I started off loosely following Sally Meliville's Knit-Round Scarf pattern, and by about three rounds in, I couldn't commit to a plain, crew neck collar on a plain capelet. I suffered with grand finale thoughts throughout the entire progress up to the neck, when it came upon me to Google a pattern for a scalloped edge.

Lovely Ingrid modelling the capelet

Here is my friend Ingrid modelling for me at the Circle of Creative Arts gallery on Queen. It looks so lovely on her, that I struggled with taking it back from her. Alas, I need something for my table at an upcoming sale!

The reserved, quiet body pairs with the complicated, romantic neckline, not unlike the way Marianne and Colonel Brandon pair in Jane Austen's Sense & Sensibility. The style along with the natural taupe 100% virgin wool, lets us reasonably imagine it as something Marianne may have cozied up in while recovering from her illness, when she at last fell in love with the Colonel.

The Gift of a Promise

Like marriage and motherhood, knitting a pair of socks is an enormous commitment. You feel the short-lived satisfaction of completing one perfect sock, followed by the reality of having to start all over again - except in the case of a Christmas stocking.

For Valentines Day I gave my Valentines one sock each and the gift of a promise. A promise of a second sock for Easter.

I used the Briggs & Little Heavy Sock Pattern for Nate's, and the pattern I made up for Angus's was so haphazard that it isn't worth sharing.

Happy Valentines Day!

Observing Lent - Spending time not spending

I don't identify as a Christian, but I do enjoy novel experiments of will power from time-to-time. Lent provides a perfect opportunity for self-sacrifice, with the added bonus of an excuse to eat pancakes on a Tuesday (if one ever needed an excuse to eat pancakes).

I recently watched Mansfield Park, and was affected by the scene where Fanny's mother discovers her surrounded by crumpled up letter drafts and scolds her for wasting the paper. Paper wasn't cheap 200 years ago! It is amazing what we take for granted. I want to take a step away from consumerism, get creative with what I have, make due. I rarely take time to check my spending.

For lent this year, I am giving up spending money, aside from bills and payments. No restaurants,  no coffees out, no mindless shopping. I want to make good use of my new non-spending time. In addition to reflecting on my frivolous spending, I intend to busy myself around the house - playing with Angus, planning the garden, de-cluttering, cooking, processing wool, spinning, knitting, reading, writing, etc...

The caveat is that I have a husband who will not stand to see me suffer, and will be paying for necessary groceries, including my chocolate bars. And admittedly, I may have already cheated. In preparation for the restricted spending, I planned 40 days worth of projects and have made three trips to Michael's for supplies - 11 skeins of yarn, cable stitch holders, double pointed needles, a circular needle, and a multi-needle felting tool. I do not promise to use all the yarn, but I hope to have a few pairs of socks, a sweater for Angus and a cowl to show for it.

Observing Lent

I will track an approximate savings over the month- from skipped lunch dates and things I would have otherwise purchased. I have yet to decide what to do with this data. Likely more yarn and a donation.

Please share your own stories of will power and sacrifice.

Knitting in the Round - Do Not Knit Your Tail

Every time I discover a pattern that requires "knitting in the round", the instruction immediately following "join for working in the round" is without-a-doubt "be careful not to twist your stitches". It must be close to 15 projects that have required me to join for working in the round, and I have never once twisted my stitches. What I have done 100% of the time, and sometimes multiple times per project, is knit my gall-darn tail! Why don't they bombard you with this warning?! It is quite as irksome upon discovery as any other defect - requiring unknitting all of those hard earned stitches. Though, I'm positive it wouldn't make a difference if they did warn you - like when my mom warns us not to get in car accidents. So there you have it - for what it is worth - do not knit your tail. Clearly, I have no words of advice for how one avoids this - just keep your eye on that sneaky scoundrel.

I spun a variegated yarn last week, just to practice my colour blending. I was not trying to be organized or patterned (very unlike me), what fun.

It was just a tiny skien, and I was eager to test it, so I wanted a small project. Why not knit a decorative felted bowl?

Truthfully, I preferred the skien to the bowl. I can appreciate that I made bowl out of yarn that I spun from once-filthy fleece, but anyone who knows me, knows that I am far too gothic for this colourful nonsense. I am happy to get rid of it to the first person expressing interest in the comments. As long as that person isn't secretively thinking it would make a lovely hat (a bowl is but an up-side-down hat after all), but I assure you it would not, and with any luck on behalf of your fashion sense, it will be too small for your head. I couldn't bare the humiliation of having someone scampering about with my bowl on their head, telling anyone who will listen that Ashleigh Sauve made it. Telling people that I had the novel idea to knit a bowl is quite another thing.

Felted Twig Cuff

I needed a break from the seed stitch Wedding Washcloth from Purl Bee that I am knitting for my friend Liza. Knitting washcloths might seem mindless and quick, but make no mistake - these are no ordinary washclothes.

The little "twigs" on the cuff are a result from knitting a full round with both yarns. I figured this out by way of a happy accident. If you want a crisper edge (though not much crisper), drop your first colour when you transition to the second colour.

Materials:

• To felt you require a yarn that is preferably 100% wool, but I believe anything over 70% will felt to some degree. I used Martha Stewart Crafts 100% Merino in bluish gray, and Blue Sky Alpaca's Suri Merino in Snow.
• US Size 10.5 double pointed needles (5)
• Mild soap
• Hot water

Pattern

1. Cast on 28 stitches (small), 32 (medium), 34(large) - These sizes are only approximate - as you are felting, keep checking the size. You can shrink it by felting longer, or stretch it when wet to make it bigger. Once dry, minor size adjustments can be made by re-wetting
2. Divide the stitches evenly over 4 needles.
3. Rounds 1-5: k
4. Round 6: k, continue to carry your first colour while adding the second colour.
5. Rounds 7-11: k with second colour only. 
6. Cast off - use a needle one size larger, or be a bit loose with the cast off so there is a bit of give for fitting your hand through.
7. Because you will be felting it, you don't need to bother with knitting in the ends! 
8. Fill a basin with the hottest water you can handle to touch and add mild soap. 
9. Keeping the band submerged for as much of the time as possible, vigorously rub it against itself. I rub my hands together like I am trying to warm them up. Note the amount of shirking to make sure  you don't felt it down too small. This takes about 5-10 minutes.
10. Squeeze out excess water and reshape.
11. You can cut down on drying time by wrapping it in a towel and stepping on it.

Enjoy as is, or jazz it up with some needle felting!

Felted "Sweat" Band

I don't know if anyone would want to sweat all over this felted "sweat" band made from suri alpaca and merino wool, but they'll look good doing it if they try! 

Materials

• To felt you require a yarn that is preferably 100% wool, but I believe anything over 70% will felt to some degree. I used Martha Stewart Crafts 100% Merino in bluish gray, and Blue Sky Alpaca's Suri Merino in Snow.
• US Size 10.5 double pointed needles (5)
• Mild soap
• Hot water

Pattern

1. Cast on 28 stitches (small), 32 (medium), 34(large) - These sizes are only approximate - as you are felting, keep checking the size. You can shrink it by felting longer, or stretch it when wet to make it bigger. Once dry, minor size adjustments can be made by re-wetting. 
2. Divide the stitches evenly over 4 needles.
3. Rounds 1-3: k
4. Rounds 4-6: k dropping first colour and starting second colour.
5. Rounds 7-9: k dropping second colour and picking up first colour again. 
6. Cast off - use a needle one size larger, or be a bit loose with the cast off so there is a bit of give for fitting your hand through.
7. Because you will be felting it, you don't need to bother with knitting in the ends! 
8. Fill a basin with the hottest water you can handle to touch and add mild soap. 
9. Keeping the band submerged for as much of the time as possible, vigorously rub it against itself. I rub my hands together like I am trying to warm them up. Note the amount of shirking to make sure  you don't felt it down too small. This takes about 5-10 minutes.
10. Squeeze out excess water and reshape.
11. You can cut down on drying time by wrapping it in a towel and stepping on it.

Enjoy as is, or jazz it up with some needle felting!

First Yarn

Today I plied my first spun yarn, with the yarn that Evelyn had left on the extra bobbin that she gave me with the wheel. I like that it is her last yarn, mixed with my first. Her's was consistently very fine, and mine was extremely inconsistently thick, then fine, then thick again. When plied together they created a neat coiled effect. I can't decide what to knit with my very first yarn. It could be worth millions one day when I'm famous. 

First Time Spinner

I bought my first spinning wheel today! If I were a fan of writing in caps lock, I would, just to emphasize how excited I am. Alas, punctuation will have to suffice in conveying my emotions.

I've been trying to find one locally for the better part of a month, to no avail. The ebay wheels all had incredible shipping costs, and I really couldn't risk my whole estate on buying a new one. After exhausting my personal network of those who might know someone who knows someone, I had lost hope. Until last week, when I got an email from my friend Louise. She is a remarkably helpful friend to have, as she often takes on solving small problems in my life, as though they are interesting projects (I'm sorry I still haven't applied for my passport yet). Louise sent me the contact information for Evelyn, a 89 year old woman who gave up spinning years ago in favour of rug hooking. I promptly contacted her. Evelyn is an endearing woman too kind to give me an asking price. She suggested I do my research and find out what used spinning wheels go for these days. This was a challenge - online prices range by hundreds of dollars.

When we arrived to pick it up, Evelyn seemed excited and said she found some things that would make me happy. As we made our way up the stairs of the home Eveyln's husband built, I got to see the gorgeous rug hook projects that Evenly gave up spinning for. When I think rug hook, I picture shag carpet wall hangings of woodland animals or wild horses. Evelyn's looked more like lovely detailed tapestries of rich colour schemes.

She brought me into her craft room. Aside from having the largest flat screen television I had ever seen, it looked exactly like you might imagine an 89 year-old woman's craft room to be. Very tidy with a subtle floral print sofa and more lovely tapestries. But there by the window was my new friend. Gorgeous pale wood finish, looking just as new as Lorna's! Evelyn handed me the original Ashford manual and a hard cover book called "The Craft of Handspinning". Then she handed me a fat manilla envelope full of her handwritten notes from her first spinning class. Each page had little bits of fleece, roving, yarn, or knitting taped to them.

Evelyn's notes from spinning class

Evelyn had prepared a box with carders, extra drive band string, an extra bobbin (still full of yarn from her last spinning), and the treading tool that she emphasised as being extremely useful.

Extremely useful threader.

I offered her $400 for the lot. "Hmmm. No. That is too much. How about $250?" Now that's negotiating! I made it clear that she was undercharging me, but she was just happy to see it go to someone who will use it, and not just "let it sit like an ornament". It was a savings of about $400 from the cheapest one on eBay of the same model.

Evelyn is going to get in touch with me soon, when she "digs out" the drum carder that she would also like to sell me. Her husband built it from drafting plans.

At its new home, awaiting my yarn.

Once home, I sat down and examined the wheel, remembering my lessons from Mereille and Lorna yesterday. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to see anyone start an empty bobbin with the "lead thread", so I relied on this YouTube video. It was as simple as tying a piece of yarn to the spool and starting to peddle, allowing the spinning lead to grab the fibres.

I was acutely aware of the stack of literature that Evelyn had given me, sitting on the chair beside me. I was just too excited to read anything before playing with it. Earlier today I asked a Facebook group of Spinners what their best advice for beginners was. There must have been 50 replies - many of which related to figuring out tension. I had to fiddle with the knobs, not really knowing what kind of effect they had, until I at last got to the point where the yarn was getting wound on the bobbin, but the drive band wasn't falling off - to my understanding, this is a reasonable tension to work with.

I was quite surprised at how easy the basic techniques were once the tension was set. I carefully worked through all of the rolags I have been preparing since I cleaned my first fleece. My technique greatly improved as I went, but I am happy to accept the challenge of life-long-learning that goes along with spinning truly fine, even, yarn.

It's lumpy and likely unstable in places (and charmingly full of twigs), but I have spun yarn for the first time! I've spun white yarn from a brown fleece that was once so filthy that even the cat avoided it.

The Fibre Enthusiast Adventure

Anne and I went on an adventure today. We were invited to "an informal gathering for fibre enthusiasts" at local artist, Mireille Gagnon Moes' studio on St. Joe's Isand.

Serious driving

Several details made it a "real" adventure.

1. Neither Anne nor I had ever met Mireille. 
2. It was out of town (and anything involving a journey is an adventure). 
3. We didn't have an address. 

We were confident that we didn't need one. We knew the road it was on, and assumed if she were a "real" artist she would have an obvious mail box.

I think it is a smiling air plane

I tried my best to protect Anne from the very excited dog in the parking lot, Mandy, though Mireille (in her lovely French accent) kept calling her "ya twit". Anne is not fond of dogs, but the dog was fond of her.

We made our way inside to discover that we were the first to arrive! Mireille greeted us warmly and set about giving us a tour of her studio. There was beautiful wool roving everywhere, and several looms occupied the centre. She showed us a few of her projects. She has made wrapping paper from the back of chip bags fused together by heat. Watercolour paintings over old topographic maps. Pudding stones out of felted wool. Wide braids made of recycled t-shirts. Gorgeous felt pictures. I couldn't name them all - her art was everywhere. She is remarkably creative and talented. I wish I had taken more photos, but check out her Flicker photo stream Fleurdefibre.

The next guest arrived with a spinning wheel in her arms. I had been particularly hoping to talk to a spinner, as I am purchasing my first wheel tomorrow, having never touched one. I though it was a hair-brained-scheme for me to declare myself a spinner under such conditions, but Lorna had a hair-brained-scheme going of her own. She doesn't know how to knit yet! What was she planning to do with all her yarn?! Today she was working on a three-ply yarn from bluefaced leicester roving. She has a pattern for a nice sweater from Spin Off magazine that she would like to complete one day. She has a great attitude - no timeline in place.

Lorna spinning

Lorna and Mereille were excellent teachers. They taught me the difference between roving and rolags, between woolen and worsted, between single treadle and double treadle, between single drive and double drive.  They taught me about drafting and pre-drafting, the importance of  holding "the triangle" of wool during drafting, the proper length of pull, and how to ply the yarn. Yes - today was quite an education in terminology. After watching Lorna spin for at least an hour, I feel so much more prepared to give it a go on my own tomorrow.

More guests had arrived, including Calna, who brought several coats made of recycled sweaters for show-and-tell.

Anne is very excited about this super steam punk, shabby motley, sweater coat designed by an NYC desiger from Amber Studios. 

Here Anne is modelling a Calna original sweater coat - such gorgeous blues! 

There was so much to talk about that I didn't remember to try the spinning wheel, or make the felted soap that Mireille was going to help me with. Time was cut short when the clock struck 3:00pm. Baby Angus was an hour away, about to turn into a pumpkin (or at least start to miss his milk supply).

It was a snowy drive home while we made plans for this year's Jane Austen Tea - another post for another day.

-A

By Way of Introduction

I first created this blog 3 months ago to keep track of projects, good recipes, favourite books, and gardening ideas. Then something happened. I didn't write a single post because I was too busy doing the things I intended to write about!

This Jean-Marc Nattier painting, of  Madame Henriette as Flora (1742) resembles how I imagine I look while I knit.

In the last few weeks, I have started and ripped apart countless projects, and have even completed  a few!

I knit a collar for Angus using the last of an old ball of my grandmother's yarn I remember playing with as a child. 

I knit a B in memory of Baby Blake. 

I knit Christmas presents.

The Log Cabin Washcloth for Anne

3 out 6 Felted Bells for Ange

Angus's Christmas foot. If all goes well, by next Christmas he will have a Christmas Stocking!

I ordered fancy expensive wool online.

I knit my sister a bracelet - now she wants a whole line to sell at her studio.

My husband’s family has farm. One night I began to wonder what the MacLeod’s do with their sheep fleece.  Now my front porch has the clippings of 12 sheep partially blocking my front door, and the inside of my house smells like manure. I have been teaching myself how to process raw wool and have a serious lead on a spinning wheel.

One of 12 very dirty Shetland sheep fleece. There are  12 more at the farm. And 12 more in the  coming in spring.

I joined “The Craft Guild of Sault Ste. Marie” Facebook page and have been personally invited to a party on St. Joes Island for fibre enthusiasts this weekend.

I now host weekly Occasional Knitters Society (OKS) meetings.

I have pulled all-nighters feverishly knitting away (“just one more row!”)

I needed a professional massage to help work out the knots in my neck and shoulders caused by my too-tight stitches (I have since loosened up).

I created a Pinterest account. I repin often.

I started a cork collection.

I am tanning a rabbit hide tomorrow.

I`ll keep you posted!






-A