Dog Knits

Tri-colored dog hair is the most interesting to spin; you just never know what you're gonna get :c) I've been fortunate to have found a groomer who saves dog brushings for me so I can play around with various dog breed hair.

Here's an interesting blend... This is my friend Renay, who spends a lot of time at a nearby vet. office. She is very sweet and because her hair isn't uniform in color, it produces a grey yarn which is slightly highlighted with bits of gold and white. Very nice!

William Street Socks - Finished!

Just finished Pam's socks a few days ago. I'm very pleased with the results and will no longer shy away from "toe-up" sock patterns. It was so easy, I now wonder why I took so long to try it out.

I used my sock stretchers to block my work; the cable pattern (which by the way, is a 5/5 cross) draws in quite a bit at the in-step (around the ankle) and I wanted it a little bit looser. The stretchers did a fantastic job.

Christmas is just in a couple of days and there's much to be done - it's madness, I say! I've been spinning more than usual, probably because the sound of my wheel turning relaxes me. Who knows.

Back from Holidays

December has so far been busy busy. I had been so preoccupied with going away down South the first week of December (Mexico holiday) that I forgot how close Christmas was, YIKES! We returned a week later to cold and snow. Talk about reality shock. But whether I'm ready or not, Christmas is still going to come.

Interweaves' issue of Spin-Off will be out on December 27th and I can't wait. Looks like it's gonna be another great issue. Check it out!

Toe Up Socks

If you're a knitter you must receive the "Knitting Daily" newsletter from Interweave Knits. If not, you should... it's a great way to learn new techniques, meet designers, new yarns, new books, etc. Most importantly, you get to preview and download free patterns. It's easy to sign up; go to www.knittingdaily.com. I was recently inspired by one of those free patterns: William Street Socks. My friend Pam loves wool socks and I thought this pattern would be perfect for the Romni I had just spun. Even though I have been knitting for years, this was my very first attempt at knitting socks from the toe up. It was easier that I had thought and no grafting; how cool is that!

Pam came over for a visit the other day and tried it on for size and I must say, it looks great. The cabling at the top of the foot adds thickness and will keep her toes warm (I hope) this winter. I'm sure this pattern would look great on mittens too!

One question remains... now that I knit toe up, does that mean I'm a"bi-sockual" knitter? ;c)

Introducing Louet North America

I am pleased to announce that I now offer Louet products to my customers. Louet offers wonderful products for knitters, spinners and weavers. Here's an excerpt from their website. Check it out!

Extraordinary fibers, fantastic colors, wonderful patterns and a company dedicated to providing you the best possible service. From hand knitting to spinning and weaving, Louet North America is committed to offering outstanding products and services. Being sensitive to environmental issues we focus on using the best of traditional and contemporary techniques, in order to produce the highest quality products we have come to be known for in the past 30 years.

Golden Retriever Mitts

As I am typing this post I can hear the rain, which is now ice, clicking on the windows. Winter is definitely trying to make an appearance. Great time to spin and knit!

Spent Tuesday at my friend Kerry's farm/studio which is located just on the outskirts of Codrington (about 40 mins or so from Baltimore). Kerry is a master spinner, rug hooker, knitter, etc. (it's a long list, she is so talented) extraordinaire. It's hard not to get inspired by her work (see favorite links - Kerry Burke). She was kind enough to help me out with the blending of Golden Retriever hair with some Border Leicester fleece. Christmas is coming (yikes!) and I've been getting requests for dog hair mittens. The Border Leicester blended beautifully with the dog hair. Kerry is presenting on fiber blending at our next guild meeting and I can't wait. I must say, dog hair produces a lot of "fluff" material in the air during processing which can turn knitting into bouts of sneezing fits. Very similar to angora but oh so worth it. I put the foot to the wheel this morning and created these mitts from it.

Displaying Your UFOs

UFOs are commonly known in the knitting world as UnFinished knitted Objects. Nobody's perfect, we all have those little demons hiding in the closet, under our knitting chair or in storage. You all know what I'm talking about. I personally have a HUGE bin I hide downstairs for rainy days which never seem to come. Sometimes we are too quick to jump on another project and we slowly forget what we had been working on in the first place. Solution: hang it!

Has she gone mad, you say? Nope, not yet anyways. A few years ago, I started working on the "Great American Afghan" which was a cumulation of a 5-part series in the Knitter's Magazine which ran over an entire year. It contained 25 various patterns each created by a different designer. Squares varied in difficulty and I highly recommend it to any knitter who needs a challenge or simply wants to improve their skills. I knitted a few squares during the summer months but Fall came along and other projects called to me and it ended up in my UFO bin. About a year ago, while sorting through yarns I came across my little squares. I had forgotten how pretty and unique the designs were. Lightening struck! Why not frame them and display them as they truly are... beautiful! So I visited a local craft shop and got myself a few shadow boxes which I placed prominently just above our bed. Not only pretty, it provides me with daily inspiration. Not a bad idea, n'est-ce pas?

Wellington Fibres

Hooray! Just received a shipment of Mystery Fibres from Wellington Fibres (see my favorite links) and it is absolutely gorgeous. The colors are to dye for :c) It's always rewarding spinning blended rovings. This particular blend is made up of wool, mohair, and alpaca and is a dream to spin.

Cotton Candy

Dyeing fleece is one of my favourite things to do. Although it can be messy at times, the end product makes it worth the while. It's always fun to play with various color combinations and as Forrest Gump would say: "..it's like a box of chocolate - you never know what you gonna get". Which brings me to my latest project dying Border Leceister Fleece using nothing but Koolaid and liquid food dyes.

The liquid food dyes gave me the Blue and Green and Koolaid the Red, Orange, and Purple (Cherry, Orange, and Berries). The colors were too bold for my taste, so I decided to blend them using English Carding Combs and the Cotton Candy Color was born. Amazing, n'est-ce pas?

Border Leicester

I visited a friend from the spinning guild who operates a Border Leicester farm North of Port Hope last weekend. The sheep have recently been sheered which explains the picture :c) Purchased a bag of fleece and I've been busy combing a spinning ever since. It's a lovely fiber to work with - light and soft when combed.

The Border Leicester is described as one of the old British long wool breeds which was imported from England to Canada in the mid-nineteenth century and, with the Oxford, became the dominant breed of the early Canadian Sheep Industry. It is a medium-sized sheep with a thick fleece, proud stature and Roman nose. The fleece quality is long, strong and lustrous. Staple length is 15-20 cm... not baaaaaaad :c)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Halloween is already here the temperature couldn't be better (16C) for gobblers and goblins alike.

I was invited to a retired teacher's luncheon yesterday to display my knits and spins and hopefully inspire others to join the madness. It was a fun event and I even got to do some spinning :c) The roving for this skein was given to me and what a treasure it turned out to be! I called this one my Bumbleberry skein - the colors are simply delightful.

Pipi Longstocking Celtic Braided Socks

I named this pair "Pipi Longstocking Celtic Braided Socks" because the customer who requested these wanted them knee high (16 inches to ankle). I was so pleased with the result that I may just have to knit myself a pair. The color is perfect and compliments any jeans skirt, long or short, as well as jeans. Long socks are high in demand this season and I must say, it's about time we get to show off our knits! I have just ordered some Louet Indigo dye and plan to do a batch of Merino in that color, perhaps next week... so stay tuned. :c)

English Style Combs

Wonderful spinner's guild meeting last night. All about using different types of combs. I borrowed the Guild's English style combs and went to work on some Border Leicester that was given to me at the meeting. :c)

Quick history: English Style Combs were the standard of the combing indutry from the Middle Ages until the late industrial revolution. Combing was the last aspect of wool processing to become mechanized.

Here are some photos of my little experiment. I must say, I was extremely impressed with the rovings produced by the combs. A little time consuming (as opposed to using a drum carder) but well worth it.

Coming out tomorrow is "Son of Stitch and Bitch" by Debbie Stoller. If it's anything like her other books (Stitch and Bitch, Stitch and Bitch Nation and Stitch and Bitch Crochet, as well as her yearly calendar), it may be worth a look! Here's the description, taken from Amazon.ca.

Book Description: Debbie Stoller knows that at least half the projects women knit are intended for the men in their lives. She also knows that knitting for a boyfriend or husband or father is full of pitfalls. The answer Son of Stitch 'N Bitch, the hip, smart knitter's guide to knitting for men.

A "knitting superstar" (San Francisco Chronicle) and author of the New York Times bestselling Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook and other Stitch 'N Bitch books, Debbie Stoller combines fashion savvy with uncommon knitting sense. Here's how to get the right sweater measurement (because size definitely matters)—and why never to bring him along to pick out the yarn. Why "what's your favorite color" is a dangerous question—and how you can't go wrong with luxury yarns for even the most rugged of boyfriends. Best of all, here are 45 edgy, hipster patterns that are guy-vetted and approved, many designed by male master-knitters or women with men as design partners. Here's the Night & Day double-sided Brooklyn Bridge scarf. The Biker Boy sweater with a patch on the shoulder to protect against messenger bag wear and tear. Lucky Socks—think rat pack at the casino. Skull Isle Cap & Mitts. The Ernie sweater. Hangover Helpers—stuffed plush "beermeister" and "whiskey bottle" pillows. The Retropolitan Cardigan, with a geek-chic take on Mr. Rogers. Plus Man Hands (fingerless gloves), a Hackie Sack Hoodie, Pinup Girl Illusion scarf (oh, behave!), and more.

Knits from Fido

Dog hair spinning and knitting is a service I offer. At first, I get the "are you serious" look but when people realize the benefits of knitting with dog hair, they quickly change their minds. What a great way of having a memento from Fido. So, stop your vacuums and start brushing :c) From Great Pyrenees to Beagles, you'll be amazed at what can be done.

Although it's history is sketchy, evidence of dog hair spinning can be found in prehistoric Scandinavia and among many North American Indian tribes such as the Navajos. In fact, dog hair has more luxurious characteristics than wool. It produces a "fuzz" which is similar to properties found in alpaca and even angora.

Harvesting pet hair can easily be achieved with a high end stainless steel comb (rounded tip) or a slicker brush (which has short, angled metal bristles); these work well on all types of coats and won't damage the hair. Hair can simply be stored in a brown paper bag. It's a great way of reducing hair bunnies on floors, furniture and carpets. It can also be turned into a fun project for the kids. How much is enough? Well if you want to have mittens let's say, you may just need a few ounces, much more for a sweater. It all depends on what you're looking for. Just remember more is always better. ;c)

For more information, don't hesitate to contact me at: julie.verge@cogeco.ca

Just finished this little number about a week ago. This sweater (size 2) will be heading to England very shortly just in time for Christmas. Hard to believe the holidays are just about here, yikes! For most knitters, there is never enough time.

Today, I'm getting ready for a presentation I will be giving tonight at our Northumberland Hooks and needles guild meeting, in Port Hope, on Yarn Substitution. It's been a while since I have presented in front of a group so I plan to picture them with nothing but knitting needles hehehe! Just kidding :c) It should be fun; they're an awesome group. Like everything, I find that planning plays an key role in yarn substitution. From who will be wearing the garment to knitting the gauge swatch, the more time you spend on preparation the less headaches you will have down the road. It's like substituting an ingredient in a baking recipe. If you do your homework right, it may work to your advantage. As they say... if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. We spend to much money, time and energy knitting a beautiful garment it's a real shame when you have to give a sweater to someone else just because it fits them. Been there, done that!

Another skein, say it isn't so!

Just finished Diana's order a couple of days ago. She will be creating a beautiful shawl for her mother-in-law. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Charity Knitting

It's always rewarding to knit for a good cause. One of my favorite is ICROSS CANADA. ICROSS CANADA helps the poorest of the poor in Africa and throughout the World.

The project is simple. A knitted comfort doll. It's easy to knit and brings so much hope to children. Most of them having nothing to call their own.

ICROSS CANADA uses these African comfort dolls to keep the medical vials, syringes and breakables safe during the journey from Canada to Kenya. Once the medical supplies are unloaded, the dolls are given to HIV/AIDS orphans and to the families of the poorest of the poor.

What a great way to help those in needs. It's also a great way of lowering left over yarn supplies :c)

Please visit ICROSS Canada's Website at: www.icross.ca. There you will find photos of children and see the smile a simple doll can bring. The doll pattern is posted at this site. Unfortunately the posting isn't quite clear. I have reworked this pattern and if you wish to obtain a copy of it please email me at: julie.verge@cogeco.ca

Interweave knits - Holiday Gifts 2007 is almost here - October 16th is the release date. I'm so excited. I've already previewed the patterns. Lots of great ideas for gifts - especially the ones that will be from me to me :c) Here's the link for those who are interested: http://www.interweaveknits.com/holiday/holidaygifts/. For those who subscribe to the magazine, just keep in mind that this issue will not count as a subscription mailout and therefore has to be purchased separately.

The weather is finally cooling down which means I'll be getting lots of spinning and knitting done. I'm currently working on a pair of Celtic Braided socks with and elastic band at the top. This is a special order for knee high socks that are to stay up and not fall down in a high winter or rubber boot. I found the best way to incorporate the elastic was to weave or wrap it through as I was knitting stockinette stitches. I opted against wrapping on the purls as the elastic would be visible on the "good" side. It gives it a neat appearance (from the inside) - the picture shows the 'wrong' side of the sock. This was achieved with a clear elastic; a darker one could of been used as well. I also plan to reinforce the foot by adding a nylon thread to the yarn (same color as yarn).

Hand Spun Yarns

Here are some of my latest hand spun yarns.

Some Yummy Alpaca which my friend Diana purchased for me on her trip to the East coast. Thanks Diana! Also some mystery fibres from Wellington Fibres.