Tiur scarf

My sister was an occasional knitter before she had twins.  Two weeks ago she dropped off two VERY big bags of yarn, some of which was mine to begin with, clearly given to her pre-pregnancy in an effort to destash.  Drat.  However, there is some nice yarn in there including a mound of Tiur, which was not something I had given her.

Now I've noted before how much I like Tiur and how well I think it does in lace, with its mohair content.  Low and behold, as I went through the de-de-stashed stash, I discovered a completed scarf that sister had done, all crumbled up.  Never one to back off from a blocking project, I grabbed my wool wash and blocking wires and got to work.

It's kind of a fan and feather thing with some yarn overs in between. The scarf is from Dalegarn 138 and does with this sweater.

Sorry, it's out of print.

OK, so I am starting a new shawl, photos in the future, and was trying to find some info on triangular shawls in Shetland.  Went to the Shetland Museum website, and located this interesting photo archive at their site, including old photos of spinning, fine lace, hap shawls.  Check it out.  I was at in Shetland two summers ago with Joyce James and made new friends, had a blast in Scotland.  I want to knit like a productive lass.

Hat thing

I am still working on hats for boys who are traveling to coldish places this summer.  Son R picked out the Utopia Cable Hat available here.  Thank you Smariek for a very nice free pattern. We ventured to Michael's.  He assured me that he would be warm enough without real wool, and besides liked the shine of the Red Heart Soft.  He picked two colors, gray and a mossy green.

I completed one in green but it was too short.  So, started again with the gray, and did 2" of ribbing before starting the cable pattern.  Much better.  He likes it!

I plan to pickup stitches on the green one and add ribbing, so he'll have two.

This same talented person baked this for my birthday

And here is a view of the sunset at Port Royal Sound taken from the "north end" of Hilton Head Island last night

Spinning churro

I am not a very good spinner, and am lousy at maintaining my wheel.  When it comes down to it, I often enjoy knitting more with commercial yarns.  Consistent tension and drawing are not my aptitudes.  However, I love the process of holding the fiber and drawing it out. 

I don't often use my drop spindles, but I have a few of them.  I really am fond of my Turkish spindle.  I LOVE that is makes a center pull ball as I wind on.  Mine was crafted by Ed Jenkins.  Beautiful wood and well balanced.

Matching a project to handspun or more precisely spinning enough for a particular project is also not my forte.  I can't see myself ever spinning enough for a sweater.  I'd rather just spin, and then do a top down shawl or somesuch, and hope I have enough for a lace edge.  I got lucky with my spring shawl.

I may have helped to alleviate this challenge with some Navaho churro roving, because I have so much of it.  My friend Cassie and her husband Kurt have a farm called Little Creek Plantation in Brunson SC, and keep  churros.  Son R and I visited a couple of years ago.  Here's a photo in her barn

and here's a photo of Cassie that I love; she's giving some poor sheep a dose of antibiotic

Here is information on churros from Cassie and Kurt's website, and here is some from wikipedia.

About two years ago I bought a whole sheep's worth of fleece, it's lovely creamy yellowy white.  Somewhere I have the name of the ewes whose fleece this is.  I have alot, and I do mean alot of it.  So, if I persist, I should have enough to do something and finish it, including lace edge.  The photo below is one of maybe 5 large balls of roving that I have.

I have spun some on the wheel, but this month I started some using my Turkish spindle. It's not the softest type of fleece, but maybe it's lack of slippery quality makes it a little easier to control.

Here's a little ball on the spindle

And here it is with the spindle taken apart and the ball slipped off.  It's so clever.

Hat Trick

My two sons are headed to various outdoor adventures in the north this summer.  One will be in Alaska, the other Idaho.  I undertook the Classic World War II Watch Cap for one.  Previous musings are here.  It didn't fit the intended son; but fit the other one.

Lion Brand, Vanna's choice. I did a little 1x1 cable in the middle of the 6 stitch panel, for visual interest.

Thanks to a reader who suggested that the iris that I photo'd in the same post is iris virginica, a flag iris.

Vintage Knitting: Grandma Helen's Knitted Scarf

Grandma Helen taught me to knit. She was a good knitter, a functional knitter. We asked for sweaters, ponchos, she delivered.

Helen was good at math, having worked as a bookkeeper, and she had that sense of order and concentration that knitting often requires.

Last night as I was looking through lots of patterns for Rogue, (which I vow to do this year) I found this piece of paper

No idea where Helen got it the pattern, although I have a number of old Bernat books that were hers. Clearly, she hand copied it for me after I said yes, I'd like a copy. I've no recollection of this!

I recall reading an article by Elizabeth Zimmerman long ago.  She recalled a historical point in her life.  Vogue (I think) had sent her a knitting pattern with only directions, no photo.  I think I recall that it was an Aran sweater.  That's what this feels like:  no photo, no clue. 

So tonight I started it.  Looks from a cursory reading like it might  be an ascot sort of scarf.

Using some dk weight 80% baby alpaca and 20% silk that I got in at a shop in Arequipa, Peru last summer.  It's awful soft, what one needs around the neck.

Here's what I've got so far;  more to follow at some point.  Yes, I'll make a PDF available in case you're interested!