I got my fleece back from the mill. It turned out amazingly gorgeous! I'm really happy with it. I have some roving and some that was just carded out into a cloud for making batts. But you can spin right from the cloud, which is nice.
One of the first things I did was take out a nice big ball of the grey roving and dye it up. I don't have pictures yet, but I dyed it a rich red with black spots. I plan on listing it next week under the colourway name "Ladybug".
The white fleece was pleasantly surprising. I cannot believe how white it got. It's really pretty incredible. The cloud will be heading into the dyebath in the next few days, after which time it will go through the carder to be mixed up with other wools for batts. I think it will mix very nicely with some silk and nylon for sock batts.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
3 down...
I finally sorted through my fleeces in the garage. One of them is thoroughly bad and is worthless for anything but mulch. It's an old suffolk cross that I was given 2 years ago. If you would like mulch for your garden, please let me know. It has lots of sheep manure attached to it.
I had 3 fleeces that were still excellent. One had been sorted last fall, and I took advantage of the GORGEOUS (!!) weather today to sort the other two. I called the mini-mill upon completion and asked when I could make an appointment to bring them over. It's only about 20 minutes away. Well, they suggested I bring them over today, which I did.
I've got about 2 kilos of wool. 1.5Kg is a grey dorset, and the other 1.5 Kg are two different white fleeces. One of the white fleeces is a dorset, the other is unknown. The two white fleeces will be mixed together. I'll get half of each back as a cloud for spinning, the other half will be processed into roving. I am looking forward to seeing the end results. I've seen the work this mill has done and I am generally impressed.
I'm pretty excited!! Can't wait to see the final result.
I had 3 fleeces that were still excellent. One had been sorted last fall, and I took advantage of the GORGEOUS (!!) weather today to sort the other two. I called the mini-mill upon completion and asked when I could make an appointment to bring them over. It's only about 20 minutes away. Well, they suggested I bring them over today, which I did.
I've got about 2 kilos of wool. 1.5Kg is a grey dorset, and the other 1.5 Kg are two different white fleeces. One of the white fleeces is a dorset, the other is unknown. The two white fleeces will be mixed together. I'll get half of each back as a cloud for spinning, the other half will be processed into roving. I am looking forward to seeing the end results. I've seen the work this mill has done and I am generally impressed.
I'm pretty excited!! Can't wait to see the final result.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Blogging while busy
It's pretty sad. I have become the worst sort of absent blogger since becoming pregnant. There are a few reasons for that.
Mostly, my absent blogging has been due to two major factors.
Reason #1: I just haven't been knitting as much lately. The truth is, I haven't been able to sit for the length of time required to knit, so my knitting has suffered rather badly. I've even gone to Sip 'n' Stitch without knitting in my purse! How horrible is that??
Reason #2: I never wanted to be one of those pregnant woman who talks about nothing else except her pregnancy. IRL, it's very sad, but I became exactly that sort of woman. I don't know what it is, but this whole pregnancy tihng seems to be taking up 100% of my time and energy. Growing an entire person in just 9 short months is exhausting. Who knew?!
I've been asked a few times how long I plan on waiting before trying for baby #2. I just want to get through baby #1 first. Maybe in about 5 years when I forget what being pregnant is like, I might repeat the experience.
Honestly, I am blessed. I know I am! I am very excited (if somewhat terrified) at the prospect of becoming a mother. It's incredible to hold a life inside you and feel it move and know that this little life is a part of you. At the same time....owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!
I hit a few incredible milestones over the last few weeks. First, I have started to feel Little One moving around in there. Baby tends to be active mostly in the evening or after I've done too much. It's about 4" long right now, maybe a little more. The movements are just quick fluttery sensations deep inside. They can't be felt from the outside yet.
Other milestone this week was my very first experience with Braxton Hicks contractions. I just loooooove how they are described as "painless". Very funny! It didn't help that I desperately had to use the washroom, which by all accounts can make the B.H. contractions stronger.
People presume that when you are a knitter, your little one will be decked out head to toe in precious handknits. I really want to do that, but my project list is still a bit of a killer. I'm finishing things, though, and not adding new things, so hopefully I'll manage to kick out at least a little take home outfit. Maybe a sleeper and hat or something similarly adorable.
H and I start our prenatal classes tonight. I finished my last purse project, so I've got to start on another fairly big project...the fall Little Seasonals project. Watch out! It's going to be fantastic!
P.S. Stay tuned for the Summer edition of Little Seasonals. Coming soon!!
Mostly, my absent blogging has been due to two major factors.
Reason #1: I just haven't been knitting as much lately. The truth is, I haven't been able to sit for the length of time required to knit, so my knitting has suffered rather badly. I've even gone to Sip 'n' Stitch without knitting in my purse! How horrible is that??
Reason #2: I never wanted to be one of those pregnant woman who talks about nothing else except her pregnancy. IRL, it's very sad, but I became exactly that sort of woman. I don't know what it is, but this whole pregnancy tihng seems to be taking up 100% of my time and energy. Growing an entire person in just 9 short months is exhausting. Who knew?!
I've been asked a few times how long I plan on waiting before trying for baby #2. I just want to get through baby #1 first. Maybe in about 5 years when I forget what being pregnant is like, I might repeat the experience.
Honestly, I am blessed. I know I am! I am very excited (if somewhat terrified) at the prospect of becoming a mother. It's incredible to hold a life inside you and feel it move and know that this little life is a part of you. At the same time....owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!
I hit a few incredible milestones over the last few weeks. First, I have started to feel Little One moving around in there. Baby tends to be active mostly in the evening or after I've done too much. It's about 4" long right now, maybe a little more. The movements are just quick fluttery sensations deep inside. They can't be felt from the outside yet.
Other milestone this week was my very first experience with Braxton Hicks contractions. I just loooooove how they are described as "painless". Very funny! It didn't help that I desperately had to use the washroom, which by all accounts can make the B.H. contractions stronger.
People presume that when you are a knitter, your little one will be decked out head to toe in precious handknits. I really want to do that, but my project list is still a bit of a killer. I'm finishing things, though, and not adding new things, so hopefully I'll manage to kick out at least a little take home outfit. Maybe a sleeper and hat or something similarly adorable.
H and I start our prenatal classes tonight. I finished my last purse project, so I've got to start on another fairly big project...the fall Little Seasonals project. Watch out! It's going to be fantastic!
P.S. Stay tuned for the Summer edition of Little Seasonals. Coming soon!!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Welcome, Spring
Tomorrow is the first day of Spring. It almost feels like it, too. Almost. It felt like it until I left my jacket somewhere and realized it a little too late.
I've been ridiculously scatterbrained recently. I can call it baby brain, but it's probably just busy-brain. I am getting close to the point of doing too much, which I tend to do from time to time. I don't do it on purpose, I just get so caught up in doing stuff that I start to realize I need to finish things as well. So when my friend, Elizabeth, asked if I'd be interested in teaching a finishing course at her new knitting school (and yarn shop), it was kind of hard not to laugh.
Of course, I knew she meant finishing as it relates to projects, such as weaving in ends, blocking, seaming, etc. But the thought of me teaching "finishing" was still momentarily a pretty funny one. Don't get me wrong, I'm good at blocking, weaving ends, seaming, etc. There are tips and tricks that make your project look so much prettier (like blocking all the pieces of your sweater before seaming, and then blocking the seam when you're done to get a much crisper seam). But finishing? I need to do a little more of it myself so it is much less ironic when I teach it.
And that brings me to something completely new. I'm very excited to announce Fireball Knits has opened it's doors as a knitting school (that also sells yarn). I will be listed among other instructors. Mostly, I believe I'll be teaching knitting, spinning (especially drop spindling), and some crochet. And I'll be designing for them. I'm currently working on a special project, which should be ready by the summer.
The whole thing is very exciting. I will try blog more. I may not. Being pregnant is apparently very hard work. Don't get me wrong, I am happy to be pregnant, but growing a person is pretty demanding, so forgive me if I blog a little less.
I've been ridiculously scatterbrained recently. I can call it baby brain, but it's probably just busy-brain. I am getting close to the point of doing too much, which I tend to do from time to time. I don't do it on purpose, I just get so caught up in doing stuff that I start to realize I need to finish things as well. So when my friend, Elizabeth, asked if I'd be interested in teaching a finishing course at her new knitting school (and yarn shop), it was kind of hard not to laugh.
Of course, I knew she meant finishing as it relates to projects, such as weaving in ends, blocking, seaming, etc. But the thought of me teaching "finishing" was still momentarily a pretty funny one. Don't get me wrong, I'm good at blocking, weaving ends, seaming, etc. There are tips and tricks that make your project look so much prettier (like blocking all the pieces of your sweater before seaming, and then blocking the seam when you're done to get a much crisper seam). But finishing? I need to do a little more of it myself so it is much less ironic when I teach it.
And that brings me to something completely new. I'm very excited to announce Fireball Knits has opened it's doors as a knitting school (that also sells yarn). I will be listed among other instructors. Mostly, I believe I'll be teaching knitting, spinning (especially drop spindling), and some crochet. And I'll be designing for them. I'm currently working on a special project, which should be ready by the summer.
The whole thing is very exciting. I will try blog more. I may not. Being pregnant is apparently very hard work. Don't get me wrong, I am happy to be pregnant, but growing a person is pretty demanding, so forgive me if I blog a little less.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
In other news: Sweaters and Lost...Lost sweaters?
I'm back to working on my mother's special sweater. It looks positively lovely! I think, when she gets it, she'll understand why it took me so long and why I couldn't work on it all at once.
I'm rewatching Lost. I never saw the last 2 seasons, so I plan on starting over again and watching it all straight through. While I watch Lost, I will work exclusively on the Mom Sweater.
I thought about publishing a pattern for it when it's done, but I don't think I even want to think about the effort my poor test knitters would have to go through. I'm sure I'd end up having to pay someone to knit this thing. It's mroe complicated than a handknit sweater has any business being! Still...it's lovely! It will be very pretty when it's done.
I'm rewatching Lost. I never saw the last 2 seasons, so I plan on starting over again and watching it all straight through. While I watch Lost, I will work exclusively on the Mom Sweater.
I thought about publishing a pattern for it when it's done, but I don't think I even want to think about the effort my poor test knitters would have to go through. I'm sure I'd end up having to pay someone to knit this thing. It's mroe complicated than a handknit sweater has any business being! Still...it's lovely! It will be very pretty when it's done.
Rules for dealing with a Pregnant Lady
This is not a knitting related post, and I apologize for that. But at a mere (almost) 10 weeks, please indulge me. These really ought to be self-evident, but apparently they are not.
1 - Don't make fun of the pregnant lady, for she is hormonal and you taste good with ketchup. Honestly, I'm really new to this whole pregnancy thing and there's a lot of stuff that I just don't know. So just please be nice and don't make fun of me.
2 - On that note, yes, I am in maternity clothes. My hips sort of widened and went psychotic on me and now even my "fat pants" don't fit me. I'm getting tired of yoga pants and track pants. I'm feeling really crummy about my size right now, so please don't laugh at me when you notice I'm wearing maternity clothes. Besides, I worked hard at getting pregnant. I'm entitled to be comfortable in my own wardrobe.
3 - Seriously, don't make fun of the pregnant lady. Or you'll have a CRYING pregnant lady to deal with, and won't that be a barrel of laughs. Just...be nice!
4 - I've lost weight. Regardless, I still feel kinda fat. Deal with it. This doesn't mean I'm dieting, it just means my baby is eating all my fat stores. When I stop losing weight, I plan to stop weighing myself. My midwife will weigh me monthly, and will not tell me my weight except to make a note if I'm gaining more than what she deems to be a healthy amount. I was pretty sensitive about my size before getting pregnant. I don't plan on contributing to my own self-loathing over my fat.
5 - If you want to touch the belly, just ask. When it's an actual baby belly, I'll let you know. But don't just randomly grope and squeeze me. It gives me license to grope and squeeze back, and you might not like that so much.
6 - Remember, I'm a big old pile of hormones and fun right now. Everything pisses me off and my mood changes at the drop of the hat, so for crying out loud, DON'T MAKE FUN OF THE PREGNANT LADY!!!
1 - Don't make fun of the pregnant lady, for she is hormonal and you taste good with ketchup. Honestly, I'm really new to this whole pregnancy thing and there's a lot of stuff that I just don't know. So just please be nice and don't make fun of me.
2 - On that note, yes, I am in maternity clothes. My hips sort of widened and went psychotic on me and now even my "fat pants" don't fit me. I'm getting tired of yoga pants and track pants. I'm feeling really crummy about my size right now, so please don't laugh at me when you notice I'm wearing maternity clothes. Besides, I worked hard at getting pregnant. I'm entitled to be comfortable in my own wardrobe.
3 - Seriously, don't make fun of the pregnant lady. Or you'll have a CRYING pregnant lady to deal with, and won't that be a barrel of laughs. Just...be nice!
4 - I've lost weight. Regardless, I still feel kinda fat. Deal with it. This doesn't mean I'm dieting, it just means my baby is eating all my fat stores. When I stop losing weight, I plan to stop weighing myself. My midwife will weigh me monthly, and will not tell me my weight except to make a note if I'm gaining more than what she deems to be a healthy amount. I was pretty sensitive about my size before getting pregnant. I don't plan on contributing to my own self-loathing over my fat.
5 - If you want to touch the belly, just ask. When it's an actual baby belly, I'll let you know. But don't just randomly grope and squeeze me. It gives me license to grope and squeeze back, and you might not like that so much.
6 - Remember, I'm a big old pile of hormones and fun right now. Everything pisses me off and my mood changes at the drop of the hat, so for crying out loud, DON'T MAKE FUN OF THE PREGNANT LADY!!!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
On maternity pants, weight gain, and a need for test knitters
First, I started my official Mousewife Knits fan group over on Ravelry. If you're a member, check it out. If you're not a member, but you're a knitter, you should become a member and totally check it out!
Second, I am placing a call for test knitters for two fairly simple patterns. When I say simple, I mean they are really very easy knits. One of them is literally a 2 hour project. It's super cute, too. I'm providing yarn support to one knitter who can help me tech edit. But if I can find a knitter who will tech edit for free (ie, no yarn support), that would be even better. Still, I feel just a tad guilty asking for that, since it's quite a lot of work to tech-edit.
On a completely non-knitting-related note, I let out a deep sigh and eased my way into maternity pants this week. It was so very nice to wear something other than yoga pants. A dear friend of mine gave me a basket full of maternity wear that she was given, which never fit her (she's a LOT smaller than I am). It fit me nicely, so I've taken to wearing it a bit. I felt all awkward and elephant-ish when my little sister started making fun of me for it. :( But my mom reassured me that she was always in maternity clothes early. It's just a factor of my general shape and size. I've got a cute little 9-week bump that kinda just looks like fat, but is kinda firm and not fat.
I would have felt worse, but I've actually lost 5 pounds since getting pregnant. That's most likely due to the food aversions and nausea that have led me to a diet of fruit and veggies for the last few weeks. Still...at this rate, I'll be back down to my pre-wedding weight by the time the baby comes. ;)
No...I won't. I know I'll start gaining eventually. But maybe it won't be very much, and maybe I'll end up slimmer after giving birth. It happens, you know. It's happened to at least one friend. She gave birth and then went down to a lower weight than she was pre-pregnancy.
Second, I am placing a call for test knitters for two fairly simple patterns. When I say simple, I mean they are really very easy knits. One of them is literally a 2 hour project. It's super cute, too. I'm providing yarn support to one knitter who can help me tech edit. But if I can find a knitter who will tech edit for free (ie, no yarn support), that would be even better. Still, I feel just a tad guilty asking for that, since it's quite a lot of work to tech-edit.
On a completely non-knitting-related note, I let out a deep sigh and eased my way into maternity pants this week. It was so very nice to wear something other than yoga pants. A dear friend of mine gave me a basket full of maternity wear that she was given, which never fit her (she's a LOT smaller than I am). It fit me nicely, so I've taken to wearing it a bit. I felt all awkward and elephant-ish when my little sister started making fun of me for it. :( But my mom reassured me that she was always in maternity clothes early. It's just a factor of my general shape and size. I've got a cute little 9-week bump that kinda just looks like fat, but is kinda firm and not fat.
I would have felt worse, but I've actually lost 5 pounds since getting pregnant. That's most likely due to the food aversions and nausea that have led me to a diet of fruit and veggies for the last few weeks. Still...at this rate, I'll be back down to my pre-wedding weight by the time the baby comes. ;)
No...I won't. I know I'll start gaining eventually. But maybe it won't be very much, and maybe I'll end up slimmer after giving birth. It happens, you know. It's happened to at least one friend. She gave birth and then went down to a lower weight than she was pre-pregnancy.
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