It's kind of neat, like painting with fiber. I think I'll try felting soap next.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Needle Felting
I got my needle felting kit I won off Ebay yesterday and tonight practiced my hand at a simple sampler mat.
It's kind of neat, like painting with fiber. I think I'll try felting soap next.
It's kind of neat, like painting with fiber. I think I'll try felting soap next.
I think I have a problem
I'm going to post a whole slew of FO backup at the end of this post, but first a little story to demonstrate the insanity that can envelop the mind of a knit-happy dimwit such as myself.
Last week I was over at my friend Kathleen's place as we were up to our weekly get-drunk-and-eat-bad-food shenanigans. This week we decided to just stay in at her place with a couple bottles of wine, some pizza, and a rented movie.
Prior to starting the movie (but halfway through the wine and one very bad episode of "Rockstar") I spied out of the corner of my eye a ball of Bernat Handicraft yarn. Now it wasn't just sitting out in the open, it was actually tucked into a basket (somehow I have x-ray vision when it comes to seeking out craft supplies).
I immediately rummaged through the basket (hey, we're all friends here) to seek out the treasure, then it dawned on me....what the heck is Kathleen doing with yarn? She is not the crafty type. She cannot sew a button on a shirt, I don't even think she owns a sewing kit. Anyway, she entered the room to see me guiltily holding this ball of yarn with her basket of posessions on my lap. I immediately demanded "What is this? Well I know what this is, but what are YOU doing with it?" She claimed that her mom and aunt had bought her knitting "stuff" so she could learn the ancient craft, it went into the basket, and she never thought about it again. Well! Knitting "stuff"? This must mean she had needles somewhere!
Sure enough, further rooting through the basket proved fruitful, as a pair of very short straight needles appeared at the bottom. Well now, I can't very well leave this ball of yarn unknitted, no matter how drunk I am. And, Kathleen could really use a new knitted dishcloth.
So I cast on, and happily started knitting in between sips of wine, bites of pizza, and jeers at the TV. I'm sure Kath thinks I'm insane. What kind of person knits while they hang out at their friends place. I'm sure you CV people that have wandered over to my blog can relate to a similar insanity when you have to use your buddies computer to check the forums while getting ready to go to the bar or something.
Anyway, the morals of the story are:
1) I am not normal,
2) If I am at your house and you have yarn, I will find it and I will knit,
3) My friends are very understanding people, who are often rewarded with knitted goodies.
Okay, on to the goods. My glorious new camera is enabling me to show off my FO's like never before.
Here we have my first pair of socks, made about 2 months ago. Once you try on a pair of handknit socks you will NEVER want to wear store bought again. God, these are heaven. AND because they're knit out of superwash wool they are machine wash/dryable. Now before you have a heart attack at the intricate pattern, I should say that this is a self patterning yarn and there is no way I would do fair isle socks like this ( I guess I shouldn't say there's NO way, but I wasn't up to the challenge with my first pair) This yarn is great, you just cast on and knit away and the pattern appears before your eyes. Anyway, less talk more socks:
This next one isn't a FO yet, it's still on the needles. It's a scribble lace scarf out of some Mohair and some slub yarn ($2 at Daiso).
Here's a wacky green furry scarf I bought as a kit that was on sale. Of course it was on sale, I can't resist a sale. Anyway, it was knit up in about two hours and I have no idea what to do with it.
Last week I was over at my friend Kathleen's place as we were up to our weekly get-drunk-and-eat-bad-food shenanigans. This week we decided to just stay in at her place with a couple bottles of wine, some pizza, and a rented movie.
Prior to starting the movie (but halfway through the wine and one very bad episode of "Rockstar") I spied out of the corner of my eye a ball of Bernat Handicraft yarn. Now it wasn't just sitting out in the open, it was actually tucked into a basket (somehow I have x-ray vision when it comes to seeking out craft supplies).
I immediately rummaged through the basket (hey, we're all friends here) to seek out the treasure, then it dawned on me....what the heck is Kathleen doing with yarn? She is not the crafty type. She cannot sew a button on a shirt, I don't even think she owns a sewing kit. Anyway, she entered the room to see me guiltily holding this ball of yarn with her basket of posessions on my lap. I immediately demanded "What is this? Well I know what this is, but what are YOU doing with it?" She claimed that her mom and aunt had bought her knitting "stuff" so she could learn the ancient craft, it went into the basket, and she never thought about it again. Well! Knitting "stuff"? This must mean she had needles somewhere!
Sure enough, further rooting through the basket proved fruitful, as a pair of very short straight needles appeared at the bottom. Well now, I can't very well leave this ball of yarn unknitted, no matter how drunk I am. And, Kathleen could really use a new knitted dishcloth.
So I cast on, and happily started knitting in between sips of wine, bites of pizza, and jeers at the TV. I'm sure Kath thinks I'm insane. What kind of person knits while they hang out at their friends place. I'm sure you CV people that have wandered over to my blog can relate to a similar insanity when you have to use your buddies computer to check the forums while getting ready to go to the bar or something.
Anyway, the morals of the story are:
1) I am not normal,
2) If I am at your house and you have yarn, I will find it and I will knit,
3) My friends are very understanding people, who are often rewarded with knitted goodies.
Okay, on to the goods. My glorious new camera is enabling me to show off my FO's like never before.
Here we have my first pair of socks, made about 2 months ago. Once you try on a pair of handknit socks you will NEVER want to wear store bought again. God, these are heaven. AND because they're knit out of superwash wool they are machine wash/dryable. Now before you have a heart attack at the intricate pattern, I should say that this is a self patterning yarn and there is no way I would do fair isle socks like this ( I guess I shouldn't say there's NO way, but I wasn't up to the challenge with my first pair) This yarn is great, you just cast on and knit away and the pattern appears before your eyes. Anyway, less talk more socks:
Next up we have a knitted cotton bikini top. This looks much better when it's actually modelled, but I'm not posting my rack for the inter-world. Not today. I managed to snatch up this sage-green yarn at the Lewiscraft close out sale, alas there was not enough yarn for the matching bottoms so I had to settle with crocheting on a blue trim that will match my blue bikini bottoms. Yes, I know, I'm quite resourceful.
This next one isn't a FO yet, it's still on the needles. It's a scribble lace scarf out of some Mohair and some slub yarn ($2 at Daiso).
Here's a wacky green furry scarf I bought as a kit that was on sale. Of course it was on sale, I can't resist a sale. Anyway, it was knit up in about two hours and I have no idea what to do with it.
A cabled newsboy cap out of the last of my HUGE skein of surprisingly soft acrylic. This one ball of yarn made me two pairs of armwarmers, a kittyville hat, and this hat. For $3. Insane.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
I FINALLY DID IT!
This comment applies to:
1) Finally leaping into the 21st century and buying a digital camera
2) Learning to spin yarn on a drop spindle.
Behold!
Yes I know it's not much to look at, and it's even less to hold...but I'm proud of it (and I can easily see this becoming an addiction). I purchased a learn to spin kit off ebay (another first, ebaying) which has 2 spindles, 10 different kinds of fiber (.5 oz each), some hand lotion (which I discovered is very much needed when spinning) and some extras that my seller graciously included. Well it was waiting for me when I got home last night and this is what I managed to produce in an hour or so.
Corridale down, alpaca, llama, merino, bamboo, cotton, etc etc etc to go!
1) Finally leaping into the 21st century and buying a digital camera
2) Learning to spin yarn on a drop spindle.
Behold!
Yes I know it's not much to look at, and it's even less to hold...but I'm proud of it (and I can easily see this becoming an addiction). I purchased a learn to spin kit off ebay (another first, ebaying) which has 2 spindles, 10 different kinds of fiber (.5 oz each), some hand lotion (which I discovered is very much needed when spinning) and some extras that my seller graciously included. Well it was waiting for me when I got home last night and this is what I managed to produce in an hour or so.
Corridale down, alpaca, llama, merino, bamboo, cotton, etc etc etc to go!
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