Smallholders Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Hello crafters  (Read 7987 times)

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Hello crafters
« on: October 02, 2018, 08:33:02 pm »
I'm just wondering where everyone is.  Maybe you're all making jam, or up to your ears in projects.


I am at last going to have a go at top down knitting for my about-to-start project.  Because I want this jumper to be ready for the cold weather, and for Christmas festivities, I decided to buy the yarn instead of handspinning.  It arrived today and is lovely - I hope I can do it justice as it cost quite a bit, at least compared to handspun.  It's from 'Love Knitting', Berocco, Millefiori Viola, and it has a lovely sheen to it. I feel a bit guilty that it has some synthetic fibres, especially after watching Liz Bonin's programme last night about the terrifying extent of plastic waste build-up all over the world.  Apparently even bits of plastic fibres from washing clothing such as fleeces (not the sheepy kind) end up contaminating the environment - I'll just have to keep my new jumper clean so I don't have to wash it.  Knitting that will keep me well occupied for the next three months, so I doubt I'll get my Finn fleece spun up yet.


So what projects are you all working on, and are you going to get them finished in time?
« Last Edit: October 03, 2018, 12:06:48 am by Fleecewife »
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Hello crafters
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2018, 12:34:22 am »
Knitting-wise, I’ve just finished my first ever Moebius cowl.  As ever, I’ve got a gazillion socks on the go.  And a mitred squares jacket that I haven’t progressed since I got to Trelay! And still bashing away at the Cornish Gansey. I had hoped to have that ready for this winter, but it’s not going to be.

Weaving-wise, I’m still on the second of three tea towels.  Hoping to get back into that come the winter nights. 

Spinning, nothing specific at the mo.  I’ve been spinning John Arbon Devonia on the Timbertops Leicester, making yarn for a warp.  And I have my BritSpin fibre sorted out but not yet given its cold soak, so I better crack on with that!  I’m using fleece from my flock, hand clipped by me this year, and am going to spin off the point.  Minimal washing and minimal prep.  Hopefully the resultant yarn will make a nice cowl or several, or a cowl and a hat and some gloves, not sure how much I’ll get done yet.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Backinwellies

  • Global Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2012
  • Llandeilo Carmarthenshire
    • Nantygroes
    • Facebook
Re: Hello crafters
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2018, 06:00:08 am »
Halfway through a patchwork quilt which should have been finished for son's wedding in Aug .... Now his bride is pregnant so I'd better get knitting too!
Linda

Don't wrestle with pigs, they will love it and you will just get all muddy.

Let go of who you are and become who you are meant to be.

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Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Hello crafters
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2018, 06:41:44 am »
Busy chasing my tail as usual.

No spinning or knitting has happened all summer - I bought an 8 shaft floor loom and then an 8 shaft portable table loom so I've been learning to use those in the little crafting time I've had.
I've made one length of fabric to sew a top "when I've got time", two double width blankets and just finishing the second scarf on one warp on the table loom.

I need to be sorting mohair and sheep fleeces for the guild open day in November which is getting scarily close very quickly and get my etsy shop restocked before the shelves are bare.
By the time I sit down in the evening I'm too tired to concentrate on anything much so picking hay out of kid mohair is about the limit anyway.

Buttermilk

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: Hello crafters
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2018, 08:00:50 am »
Having come back from Yarndale with 1.5kg of fibre from John Arbon I will be starting on that as soon as possible.  I have some zwartbles fleece on my majacraft rose as OH would like a jumper for the colder weather, preferably with a white or cream pattern included as a finishing touch.

Knitting wise I am 6 inches down, on an outside inwards, shetland shawl, using John Arbon merino silk blend.  I think that I have made a mistake with this choice as the varigated nature of the fibre does not sit as well with the lacey pattern of the shawl as a plain fibre would have done.

Weaving wise I am still looking for an 8 shaft table loom, not wanting to pay new price unless I am forced to.  I have a sample on my rigid heddle loom and a messy band on my inkle loom as I try to learn pick up weaving.

My stash has increased tremendously and I am flick combing some masham before I drum card it and have it await its time for spinning.  There is also some washed teeswater to prepare, ditto gotland, lincoln longwool and manx loughtan.  There is prepared and ready to spin kerry hill, alpaca, merino (commercially prepared) and boxes of bought in silks, fancy stuff such as seacell, milk, soya - you name it and I will have a bit of it somewhere and sparkles with angelina, tri lobal nylon ect.

Writing it down makes me think that I should not have gone to Yarndale!

I too am preparing for Britspin.

Louise Gaunt

  • Joined May 2011
Re: Hello crafters
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2018, 08:25:57 am »
I am in the middle of knitting for my daughters wedding - she has severe hay fever so is having knitted flowers and decorations, plus she has asked me to knit her a veil! I am not spinning the yarn but using Jamiesons Shetland lace yarn. The plan is to knit a round veil with a sideways lace border, that can come off to allow the addition of extra rows to make it large enough to be a shawl for any additions to the family. Fortunately she doesn't want a veil with a train! I am still at the thinking stage with the veil but will need to get on soon as the wedding is next April. And I will need to add to my woven stock ahead of our Weaving group's Christmas events.

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: Hello crafters
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2018, 12:38:24 pm »
Since my hip replacement in July I have been spinning, the process also aids the DVTprecaustions as it mean she pumping the feet up and down so that's a bonus.


I haven't been able to carry on with the weaving I started months ago because I found that bending forward across the loom was likely to break my 90degree restrictions but those restrictions end this Friday so might be able to give it a go soon.


I have about a dozen of my own fleece in the stable and have just spoken to a mill about preparing them ready for spinning so will see how that goes.


Being fairly immobile for a while I have been knitting a jumper and doing some cross stitch. It's so e years since I did cross stitch but am really enjoying it again.


Lastly I am thinking about our groups Christmas challenge, make something from fibre that makes you think of Christmas. I had decided to do a felted picture of a reindeer but it doesn't seem to be getting very far.
If anyone has a better idea please let me know.
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

Buttermilk

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: Hello crafters
« Reply #7 on: October 04, 2018, 08:02:03 am »
Bionic thanks I had forgotton my groups Christmas challenge, A Quirky item from home spun, woven or dyed.  If it makes the judge smile so much the better.

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Hello crafters
« Reply #8 on: October 04, 2018, 03:33:52 pm »
I'm exhausted just reading this  :eyelashes:

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Hello crafters
« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2018, 04:49:47 pm »
I'm exhausted just reading this  :eyelashes:


I know, aren't they a busy lot!!


I didn't dare to mention all my partially completed projects, so it's great that lots of us have things in progress.  I'm sinking under the weight of all mine  :spin: :knit: :spin: :knit: :spin: :knit:
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Hello crafters
« Reply #10 on: October 04, 2018, 10:48:11 pm »
I have been crocheting cardigans for my new grandchildren born on 1st August and we are going to France to meet them tomorrow.  :excited: :excited:  I've finished one and nearly finished the second and want to do hats to match while we are out their. I'm annoyed with myself because we went to our local shopping centre this afternoon to get our euros and I completely forgot to go in the craft shop opposite to buy the buttons. I've also got one for their big brother who was 3 on Sunday on the go. Both spinning wheels have wool on them, one is wool I carded and the other is tops that I just used because it was my group day and my Sonata needed a minor repair. I just had to grab the nearest thing and take my Minstrel. Still got my jumper that I'm making myself from a fleece from Backinwellies. And I'm combing a fleece that came from one of Dogwalker's angoras but I can only do that in short bursts as the fibres tend to float around and I inhale them if I'm not careful.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Hello crafters
« Reply #11 on: October 05, 2018, 12:37:50 am »
I have been crocheting cardigans for my new grandchildren born on 1st August and we are going to France to meet them tomorrow.  :excited: :excited:  I've finished one and nearly finished the second and want to do hats to match while we are out their. I'm annoyed with myself because we went to our local shopping centre this afternoon to get our euros and I completely forgot to go in the craft shop opposite to buy the buttons. I've also got one for their big brother who was 3 on Sunday on the go. Both spinning wheels have wool on them, one is wool I carded and the other is tops that I just used because it was my group day and my Sonata needed a minor repair. I just had to grab the nearest thing and take my Minstrel. Still got my jumper that I'm making myself from a fleece from Backinwellies. And I'm combing a fleece that came from one of Dogwalker's angoras but I can only do that in short bursts as the fibres tend to float around and I inhale them if I'm not careful.


Have a brilliant visit to France and meeting the new grandchildren.  I hope they all love their new cardies
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Hello crafters
« Reply #12 on: October 07, 2018, 07:58:41 pm »
Thanks, FW. I am so annoyed because I completely forgot to go in the yarn shop and buy buttons for the two cardigans. I finished the one for Raphael but still have a bit to do for Freya. I found out where I could get buttons today so will hopefully get some before the end of the week. They won't be wearing them for a few more weeks as they are in the south of France so I made 6 - 12 months size.


I have another cardigan for my next project. This is for Manu the twins big brother. Then my plan is to make a Sophie's Universe blanket for a house warming for our son and family when they move into the home they have been renovating for the last couple of years. More like gutting and rebuilding. they hope to be in by the end of May although they'll still have some work to do. For anyone who doesn't know what a Sophie's Universe it, here is a link. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sophies-universe-growing-up

newtoitall

  • Joined Jun 2013
  • Herefordshire
Re: Hello crafters
« Reply #13 on: October 09, 2018, 10:31:11 am »
As a fairly new spinner and weaver (just on a rigid heddle loom)and someone who started knitting a few years ago I don't know if I am reassured that everyone seems to have lots of things on the go at once or worried that it means I always will have lots of projects buzzing round in my brain. At the moment I am trying to finish a knitted aran throw and the edging for two woven cushions for a craft fair at the end of the month. I have some alpaca from a friend waiting to be plyed on the spinning wheel and at a workshop in the village I started a machine applique cushion for my future daughter-in-law's Christmas present. Machine applique really is not in my comfort zone but I've started it so I'd better finish it. Trouble is the preserving season still seems to be going on.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Hello crafters
« Reply #14 on: October 09, 2018, 10:41:58 am »

I too am preparing for Britspin.

I’m sure I must have been told who you are on Ravelry but I can’t recall.  Which team are you in?
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

 

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