Mandy Moore's Blog, page 112
July 5, 2011
Spinning Tuesdays: A Winner and the Tour de Fleece
Our winner of our last fabulous spinner's haul is Heather in Maine. Congratulations, Heather!
Our thanks to Storey Publishing, The Spinning Loft and Interweave for our prizes. Thanks to Deb Robson for writing such an inspirational book!
Are you spinning for the Tour de Fleece?
This year the Tour completely snuck up on me and it's in the midst for the nuttiest time of summer for my family. But I can't let it pass, I love a challenge.
I'm going to spin for Tappen Zee by Amy King. I've been wanting to make it since we published it in Knittyspin.
Tappen Zee from Spring+Summer 2010 Knittyspin
What will I spin it out of? Here's my pound of yumminess:
Merino, BFL and Silk in moody colors
The fiber on the left is Blue Moon Fiber Arts, 75% BFL/75% Tussah, color: Obsidian – a gorgeous gray with biths of blue gray and touches deep red gray.
The fiber on the right is Winterhaven Fiber Farm 80% Merino/ 20% Tussah, color: Mahogany – a deep, rich, brown red.
What are you spinning for the Tour?
July 1, 2011
National Holidays Knitting
July is a month full of National Holidays…
Our Canadian readers celebrate Canada Day July 1st.
Our friends in the US celebrate Independence Day July 4th.
Our friends in France and various French territories around the world mark Bastille Day, and celebrate the Fete de la Federation, July 14th.
Colombia celebrates July 20, Venezuela celebrates July 5th; Liberia and the Maldives will be partying July 26; Belarus July 3rd.
The British Virgin Islands and Burundi share their national holiday with Canada on July 1.
Peru celebrates July 28; Cape Verde, July 5. Bahamian Independence Day is July 10.
Many excuses for parties, fireworks and picnics – and a few good excuses for knitting, too!
Napkin rings for your party….
If your holiday is early in the month...
Striped socks in your flag colors are always a good idea…
Patriotic legs!
If you're hosting a party, consider making yourself an apron in the appropriate colors…
Practical and fun!
Berroco offers a pattern for both an adult and a kid's version of a US flag sweater.
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Salute!
The Purple Purl in Toronto offers the enimently Canadian Moose, Eh? sweater.
Canadian, Eh?
The full list of National Holidays can be found on Wikipedia, and naturally, a gallery of flags so you can check the colors.
June 29, 2011
WWW: Eye candy
Man with chandelier by Christy Stout Chambers and Brian Chambers. Photo: Florent Cros.
A seriously great slideshow and feature about the evolution of yarnbombing from an anonymous quick-hit guerilla activity, to becoming more organized, larger, and more creative public art installations the contributors are happy to have their names attached to.
The article has an excellent interview with artist Arzu Arda Kosar, who was part of a group of fibre artists, knitters and artists who recently came together to "bomb" the 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica, California.
The other change taking place is that yarnbombing is no longer just about knit and crochet; this stunning piece, "Man with Chandelier", incorporates rug-hooking.
Another great slideshow, featuring ten "Astounding Knits" – an excerpt from an upcoming book. They aren't all knitted (crochet alert!), and some of them we've seen before, but it's great to see them collected in one fun slideshow.
Warm and functional!
Speaking of astounding knits, check out this three-person sweater, created especially for the cover art of the new album from New York City band Pearl and the Beard. A video on the creation of the sweater – featuring Jocelyn of the band – can be found here.
Sandra van Zyl, a knitter in Namibia is leading an initiative to make sweaters to donate to HIV-affected babies and orphans around the country. The knitters are using a pattern known as "Mother Teresa's Bara Jersey".
A PDF of the sweater pattern can be found here. Lizzie Ann's Wool Company, a store in Michigan, and Apples of Gold, a Christian organization in Florida, are also collecting the sweaters to send to Africa.
If you're in New South Wales, Australia on August 5th, consider dropping by the Hornsby Library for the annual Hornsby "knit-in" event. Activities will include knitting races and blind knitting competitions, a 'brainteasers for knitting know-alls' competition, and sewing and knitting wraps for charity.
A nice celebration in video and photos of knit night at Unwind, a LYS in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. (Egregious spelling mistake aside!)
Our own Donna Druchunas, of our new Ethnic Knitting Adventures column, has announced two new 'craft cruises', taking place in early 2012. Meet Donna, Beth Brown-Reinsel and some Musk Ox on a fabulous Alaska Glacier cruise.
June 28, 2011
Spinning Tuesdays: Wrapping up 10 Weeks of Breed Spinning
This is my last week of spinning from Deb Robson's Must Spin list. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with such a wide variety of fibers and am glad I jumped out of my BFL spinning box.
If you haven't yet picked up a copy of Deb's book, The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, do it, no spinner who has the tiniest bit of curiosity about the variety of sheep breeds and other spinning fibers should spin without it.
My last spin is Wensleydale, a long curly sheep breed.
Wensleydale, the sheep breed most like my curly hair
My Wensleydale came from The Spinning Loft (brown) and Spirit Trail Fiberworks (white). The brown was unwashed and the white came to me clean. The brown Wensleydale was barely dirty and a quick wash in a little Power Scour left the locks happy and clean.
I combed the locks with a long slow motion. Any flicking of my wrist or trying to comb quickly would have encouraged the locks to fold back on themselves and eventually just pull off of the combs.
I've spun a commercial Wensleydale top and the difference between that and hand prepping is enormous. The commercial top I've spun felt prickly and wiry even before I spun it. This hand prepped Wensleydale is soft and silky. I spun it worsted, it doesn't need much twist and I kept my hands farther apart than I would for my regular spin. The locks barely teased open would spin easily into a super textured art yarn.
I'm thinking about Wensleydale mittens for the winter
The yarn is softer than I thought it would be, with a wonderful weighty hand. I don't think I could wear it on my neck, but I would happily wear mittens, a shawl, or a cardigan knit out of it.
Two fun facts about Wensleydale from The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook:
The Wensleydale breed can be traced to a single sheep.
How long is this longwool? Staple length is 7-12 inches.
My version of popping a bottle of champagne to celebrate my breed spinning with all of you is a final giveaway!
Fabulous fiber book!A copy of Deb Robson's new book, The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, retail $35. Thank you to Storey Publishing for the donation.
38 rare and endangered sheepA copy of Deb Robson's DVD set, Handspinning Rare Wools, retail $34.95. Thank you to Interweave Press for the donation.
Spinning Loft fiber samplerAnd a raw fiber, Fleece and Fiber Soucebook sampler from The Spinning Loft, similar to the one I'm spinning over these 10 weeks. Big thanks to Beth for providing the sampler.
Retail $85
The usual rules apply. Leave a comment before midnight on Friday July 1,2011. A comment will be chosen at random to answer a skill testing question. If he or she answers correctly they will win our prize package.
This summer I'm taking workshops with Jacey Boggs and Deb Menz. I am a lucky and excited spinner. What fun is everyone else getting up to over the summer?
June 22, 2011
WWW: Beautiful baby; challenges!
All together now: awwwwwww.....
A big Mazel Tov to Jess and Casey of Ravelry on the arrival of baby Eloise! Babies are the best reason in the world to knit.
The generous suppliers of the raw material
The geniuses behind Sock Summit, the lovely Steph and Tina, have announced the latest addition to the Sock Summit event list: the Fleece to Foot Challenge.
Two charming sheep, Heel Flap and Gusset, are being brought to the convention center (yes! I know! I can't wait to meet them!), to be sheared onsite by Amy Wolf. Teams of spinners and knitters will compete to be the fastest to complete a pair of socks right off the sheep.
More details and adorable pictures of our two wool providers on Steph's blog, and at the Sock Summit site.
To keep the playing field level, all teams will knit the same pattern, and there's also a contest to design the pattern to be used, too.
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Competitive knitting!
Two friends and keen knitters from Charlotte, North Carolina, have launched Last Knitter Standing, a trivia and knitting skills game. Designed for 2-6 players, knitters spin the spinner and perform the tasks that it lands on. A correct response to a question or successful completion of a challenge means a knitter can knit rows; a incorrect response means the knitter has to rip out rows. The knitter with the most knitted rows at the end of the game is the "Last Knitter Standing."
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Well on their way.
In Lincolnshire in the UK, pupils in a local school are knitting a racetrack to be displayed as part of the Olympic celebrations next year.
And knitters in Saffron Walden, UK, have challenged themselves to knit a maze, as part of a festival to celebrate the famous turf and hedge mazes in the town. One section of the maze is being knit with police "incident" tape.
And not challenging at all, check out the Summer Issue of Petite Purls. This issue features a fabulous collection of patterns for toys and playthings for the little people in your life.
And don't forget, if you're travelling, check out the events listings page on Knitter's Review to help you plan your itinerary…
June 21, 2011
Spinning Tuesdays : Qiviut and Leicester Longwool
I'm back to spinning from Deb Robson's Must Spins. I'm almost done with the list and I'm both ready to be done and a little sad. I've learned so much about different fibers and tried fibers I never would. Mostly I've learned to really look at and think about fibers before I start to spin.
This week's first spin is Qiviut. Yep, this is a sexy as I've heard. So soft it's almost distracting, I'm happy to just pet it. The Qiviut I have was ready to spin. I spun from a cloud, using a supported long draw. I found it a little harder to control than Cashmere, my yarn came out more thick/thin than I was hoping. It may have just been my mood of the day, I spun this with friends and wasn't entirely focused on my hands.
Qiviut, beautiful brown
Even though the yarn wasn't exactly what I wanted, knitting it was bliss. My swatch was soft and light. It would be the ultimate luxury to have a little light cardigan to get through the coldest days of winter.
Warm and cozy
Two fun facts about Qiviut from The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook:
Qiviut can be as fine as 10 microns – oooh soft!
Qiviut has no scales so it will not felt, but will full a little.
Next up is Leicester Longwool.
My sample of Leicester Longwool was more dirty than greasy. A quick wash in Power Scour cleaned it up. I combed my sample and spun worsted right from the comb. Like many longwools my yarn got wirey with just a little extra twist. I focused on moving my hands faster and was rewarded by better results almost immediately.
Leicester Longwool shiny, shiny locks
This is the shiniest fiber that I've spun, from lock to knitted swatch the luster holds. It would be beautiful dyed, the luster would make even a single color seem tonal. The yarn and knitted swatch are wonderfully drapey. While I wouldn't wear this next to my skin, I would love it as a shawl.
Wouldn't this make a great shawl?
Two fun facts about Leicester Longwool from The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook:
Leicester Longwool sheep are critically endangered.
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation was crucial in bringing back Leicester Longwool sheep from near extinction.
That's my spinning for this week. Next week will be the last week spinning with Deb's lists. There might even be another giveaway to celebrate all that I've learned.
June 20, 2011
Knitting Mondays: A Giveaway and What's on Our Needles
Lady B
Coco
Lexie Barnes Lady B bag & Coco circular needle case
by Lexie Barnes
prize value: $240.00
1 person will win this prize pack, in the print of their choice.
The usual rules apply. Leave a comment before midnight on Wednesday June 22, 2011. A comment will be chosen at random to answer a skill testing question. If he or she answers correctly they will our prize package.
So now that it's summer, what are we knitting in Knitty-land?
Kate:
Socks, of course, but because it's summer, they are not all black. Working on a toe-up sock in a lovely color of the Online Butterfly series from a couple of years ago, and a top-down plain black sock in the workhorse Regia.
I'm most excited, however, about the new Noro Hitsuji yarn – it's basically a bulky weight Kureyon, and there are 5 balls on my desk, right beside my computer. I think they want to be a big hooded vest. I'll let you know.
Any guess on Kate's favorite colors?
Jillian:
I have enough of Blue Sky Alpaca worsted cotton in this color:
Thistle, soft purple
I'm trying to decide between two sweaters, wanna help decide?
Either:
Que Sera
Que Sera from last Spring's Knitty
or
Milanese Shower Bolero
The cover sweater from Loop-d-Loop Lace, Milanese Shower Bolero
What looks like a good summer knit?
June 17, 2011
Hot Summer Knitting
It's getting pretty warm in some parts of the world – a much needed summer after a long winter.
When the mercury rises, it's pretty hard to contemplate working on a big wooly project…. and in the Knitty Library, there's lots of cool and summery knitting that will fit nicely into the corner of your beach bag!
There's Jane of the Jungle, the most fabulous bathing suit a baby (and her mama) could wish for…
Stylin'!
… and an option for the grown-ups, too.
You weren't actually planning to go in the water, were you??
Consider a parasol, a very sensible summer accessory…
Ladylike and very sensible.
Perhaps a knitted choker or cuff to liven up your tshirt-centric wardrobe….?
Very cool, in both senses of the word.
Very chic.
Toys are great summer projects, as the pieces are small, providing quick and interesting knitting.
Excellent for playing with, not so good for cakes.
A bird mobile – ready in time to fly south in the fall?
Flying north for the summer...
And a game to play on rainy days at the lake house…
Entertains bored grown-ups and kids, in that order.
And if you are looking for a garment, Knitty also has lots of patterns for excellent tank tops and shells for those warm summer days - see the full collection on the new-format archive page – with pictures!
June 15, 2011
WWW: International Yarnbombing Day Round-up; TTC Knit-along; Barbara Walker interview
A lovely interview with knitting goddess and one of Knitty's heroes, Barbara Walker. The interview appeared in a Columbus, Ohio, newspaper, ahead of Ms. Walker's appearance at last weekend's TNNA needlearts tradeshow. A new DVD featuring some of Ms. Walker's knitting work has just been launched.
Get on the yarn train!
Residents of the Toronto area should mark Saturday, July 9th, on their calendars: it's the annual TTC Knitalong. Torontonians can regularly be found knitting on the buses, streetcars and subways of the TTC (Kate included!), but this day is extra-special. The TTC Knitalong comprises a yarn crawl, a fundraising event, and an awards ceremony and after-party at a local pub …. Details here.
The "Visit Guernsey" tourist information organization, in cooperation with I Knit London, is hosting a competition to win a trip to Guernsey! More info on Facebook.
Some excellent yarnbombing displays were created for International Yarnbombing Day last Saturday…
River Road bookshop in Fair Haven, New Jersey
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A cozy bench for reading.
Eugene, Oregon's Knotty Knitters hit a local pedestrian bridge.
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Excellent use of pompoms!
20 trees in Leith, Scotland, have been wrapped in little wooly jumpers to mark the opening of the 2011 Leith Festival.
The best-dressed trees.
Our own Mandy and her collaborators were caught in the act in Vancouver.
Go Mandy!
An excellent lamp-post in Pioneer Square in Seattle, WA.
I imagine a ladder was required for this one. Photo courtesy Suzanne Tidwell.
Shall We Knit, an LYS in Waterloo, Ontario (and a favorite of several of us at Knitty), got hit while the owner was at TNNA.
Elegant!
Tons more pictures on the Facebook group and the blog.
June 14, 2011
Spinning Tuesdays: A Winner and a Wheel
Our winner of the fabulous spinner's haul is Karen in San Francisco. Congratulations Karen!
Our thanks to Storey Publishing, The Spinning Loft and , Interweave for our prizes.
Forgive me my fellow spinners, I did not spin this week. It was a flurry of traveling and then illness. I will be back at my wheel and finishing up Deb's Must Spins soon.
Yesterday as I sat on the couch waiting for the antibiotics to kick in, my husband brought me this:
A mysterious box with 12 year old for scale
I cracked that sucker open and
There may have been an earsplitting shriek or two – the dog remains under the sofa
My Sidekick! I love that Schacht puts the directions right on top, no digging needed!
Sidekick out of her box, handy 12 year old for scale.
It's Lassie sized! Knee high-ish and cute. My husband couldn't get over the mag wheel, "that's so cool!"
All the stuff
It comes with a carrying strap, an orifice hook and three of the new style plastic bobbins – I wish they came in rainbow colors.
7 year old boy treddling faster than the speed of sound
It took 10 minutes to set up using the directions, and it will take half that time once I have the steps memorized. She spins like a dream and is remarkably stable for a little wheel. I'll do a real review in the Deep Fall issue of Knittyspin after I've been spinning on her for a bit.
Until then, imagine me smiling as big as Henry up there while I spin.
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