Spin Soft

I took a look through the summer issue of Spin Off yesterday, and I was pretty impressed with it!  Two articles stood out - the first was an excellent article about making boucle yarns by Jacey Boggs.  If you're familiar with Jacey Boggs, you might expect felted eyeballs in every yarn she makes.  But all that talent makes gorgeous boucle, too!  Sadly, at my skill level, her yarns are just eye candy. (sorry)

The other, "Light and Smooth Yarns from Worsted Preparations," was a goldmine for me!  Reading that worsted spinning (the inchworm technique, my favorite) is supposed to create dense and heavy yarn has always saddened me.  Isn't there a happy medium where I can get smoothness and durability but keep it light?  This article has the answer and it led to this:

BFL in Petroglyph by Lisa Souza

Well, the difference is mainly in the feel.  You have to trust me on this.

The yarn is for this project, a design-on-the-fly shawl I will eventually finish.  (It helps that I've finished all the spinning for it!)

All the same colorway, honest!  The top section and two balls are merino, the rest is BFL.

And the new skein compared to the others?  Much lighter, with a very pleasant squish.
~~~
I "attended" a webinar on how to build the perfect Yelp business listing.  If you're not familiar with Yelp, it's review site that I use to find new restaurants, stores, doctors, everything.  I actually didn't change anything on our profile, though - what do you think?

Llama Llama Knit on Yelp

We're always striving to improve. :)

Be Sweet yarn has arrived!

There are a lot of reasons to love Be Sweet.  Who wouldn't go for soft yarn in candy colors?

Bambino Taffy

But this "company with a conscience" has been helping people since 2003!  Let's have them explain:

"Be Sweet works with several job creation programs in South Africa by giving artisans the confidence and the means to support themselves and their families in an otherwise economically depressed region. The empowerment groups have grown to include over 200 villagers, mostly female members of the Xhosa tribe, who live in Cape Town, the Eastern Cape region and Johannesburg. Participants are responsible for making mohair, bamboo and organic cotton yarns, accessories and home goods. Many of the women depend on their work for their survival. With the help of experienced program directors, the women are able to work in stable environments where they can earn a fair wage, learn a new skill and enjoy their jobs."

 And I love that the ball band includes a cute pattern:

Sweetie Pie Hat from Be Sweet's site

Here's mine (my photography isn't as good):

Needs some blocking!

We also have a very cool and different yarn called T-shirt.  I love that they tell the story of how T-Shirt is made and by whom:

"Our super cool T-Shirt yarn is made in South Africa, by two gentlemen by the name of Richard and George. Richard is 29 years old and married with two children aged 6 and 8. He and his large family have lived in a handmade bungalow in Capricorn, an informal settlement on the Atlantic ocean side of Cape Town close to the beach for the past 4 years. George is 23 years old, single and has lived with his cousin Richard for 7 months. George spends a great deal of his time at the home affairs office trying to attain permits to continue to stay in South Africa."

Check out the whole story on their blog.

Oh, and they included a pattern for this one, too:

Hexagon Bag - I added the strap.

We look forward to continuing to support Be Sweet's efforts!

**UPDATE**
They've added a free Bambino Taffy pattern to their blog:
http://waggledancing.wordpress.com/2010/07/26/irina-lawrence/
Too cute!

New Book Love!

(photo from STC/Melanie Falick Gallery)

So Knitting 24/7 (gallery link) is my new favorite book:

-30 patterns, all of which look interesting to knit, and most of which I would actually wear

-5 lace scarf/wrap pieces and and 5 sock patterns (you know, the only two things I knit anymore)

-I love the detail on each pattern.  The cover socks, for example, are a nice but not exceptional lace pattern, BUT they also have a garter heel and toe. Sweeeeet.

-These are supposed to be on-the-go patterns, so most, while having the detail I mentioned above, have some degree of simplicity built in.  The lace patterns are short repeats, the fitted garments are one piece types, and the colorwork is only two... colors.  Well.  Some didn't seem to hit the "portable" mark for me, but everyone's different!

-The photos!  Everybody appreciates nice photos in a pattern book, but these seem to be especially stylish (I mean, the knee socks are worn with those trendy gladiator booties) with a hint of vintage (which you know I love.)  Also, there's a touch of reality in the photos that gives me an impression of actual wearability.  The lace stole isn't hanging out somewhere casual; it's dressed up for a night out.  The slippers are worn with cut-offs and the prop is a vacuum.  Because that's how you'd wear them.

In short, I love it.  Come get one.  :)

Recipes from Crockpot Tuesday: Lentil Soup

Those of you who are following my Facebook know that Alec and I have begun using the crockpot every Tuesday so we can have an inexpensive hot meal before Knit Night.  It works beautifully except when I am lost for inspiration, but that's what friends are for!

I bet you've all heard of Yarnagogo Rachael and her fabulous new book (it's waiting on my Kindle for me.  I am a monogamous reader if not a monogamous knitter.)  Some time ago, she posted a recipe on her blog for lentils.  I am a total sucker for lentils - lentil soup in a can, beluga lentil soup with turkey sausage, daal... I love all of it.  I had to make it.  My first attempt was a failure.  I was missing about half the ingredients listed in her recipe, so  I improvised with black beans and onion powder, I think.  I also failed at reading comprehension, adding white rice to the crockpot without realizing that it would probably cook differently in a slow cooker than the brown jasmine rice she used.  Let's just say following the idea of a recipe didn't work out.

A few weeks later, I had picked up some lentils and beets on sale.  Tuesday began with little inspiration, but when I realized that I could substitute the spinach Rachael used with the beet tops, an idea was formed!  At 6:30 PM, Alec called it "best lentil soup ever."  (He likes lentils a lot, too.)

Here's how it goes:

Ingredients:

1 cup lentils  (remember to wash them!)

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 carrot, grated

cumin seeds to taste

6 cups water or stock

1 bunch beet greens, thoroughly washed and chopped into 1-inch strips

1/2 bag frozen corn

All spices to taste, with heavy emphasis on the curry powder:

fresh parsley (not essential, but nutritious and tasty)

curry powder

ginger

cayenne (tsp or less, unless you like it really hot!)

salt

turmeric (pinch)

Sautee onions, garlic, bell pepper and carrot until they begin to sweat.  I like to add a little salt at this time to accelerate the process.  Add cumin seeds and toast until the whole thing smells and looks yummy.  (3 min)

My pictures are all low-light, sorry.

  While that toasts, you can add your lentils, beet greens, corn, and spices to the crockpot.

Add your sauteed veggies and the water or stock to the crockpot, stir well, cover, and cook on low for 4-8 hours.

You can add rice to temper the heat (make it separately is my advice) but it works well without.  Also, this dish should be very nutritious.  That's not something I can say about all the things I cook, believe me.

Beet greens:

good source of Protein, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

Lentils:

good source of Protein, Iron, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Folate and Manganese

Carrots:

good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6 and Manganese.

Up next, chicken pot pie and spinning.  (I told you that not everything I make is healthy!)

Malabrigo from Heaven

Every once in a while (alright maybe more than once in a while) I come across a yarn that so completely entrances me that I must knit something with it. The latest batch of Malabrigo Sock (100% superwash merino) that arrived at Llama Llama Knit this week has done such a thing to me, I must admit, but none more so than Archangel.

Such beauty, such grace! All the luminous dimension of a stained glass window, all the vibrance and texture of a renaisannce gown, and the delicate blending of a watercolor painting all wrapped up in a gorgeous skein of "wow". Can anyone say "love at first sight"? I love jewel tones, and this yarn has them in spades, but there's also a demure understated nature to it, a special "something" that makes this color call me from across a crowded room.

Ahhh, but what to make? I would be simply content to curl my skien up in a glass bowl and place it upon the window sill, or the mantel, or other place of prominence, but this would be much like a beautiful exotic bird in a cage, unable to show its true potential for beauty.

Hunting around on Ravelry was usefull, though this particular colorway seems like a special case, and as of yet I have not found that perfect project worthy of Archangel. It's a lovely weight that seems very versitile, so perhaps a scarf, or similar small item? Not a shawl, which would spread the colorway too far around the piece. A yarn such as this requires something more... concentrated perhaps. The search will go on and I vow I shall not snatch it up until I have 1. Completed one of the 3 project I am already working on and 2. Decided on a pattern to use!

Any bets on how long before I break both my rules? ;)

-Disco C (catch my knitting adventures on my Ravelry page!)

April Socks - and high expectations

You know how it is... you have that one beautiful skein. Mine was lovingly handled by someone I've met in person. It's tightly twisted plies were carefully mordanted, dyed and washed. It even smelled good.

I cast on with it eagerly. The pattern for April confused me. The yarn was there to soothe me with its beauty. I pressed forward with the pattern, though the 90 billion twisted knits hurt my hands. I watched the colors twirl 'round. When the socks were finally completed, I breathed a sigh of relief for my hands. Honestly, I love the look of twisted stitches popping out of a sock pattern, but ouch!

Then, when I put the socks on... well. They slouched. It probably would have worked out if I had done the short row heel in the pattern, but I didn't. The reverse-flap heel I did makes the top of the sock noticeably longer than the bottom, creating a slouch where instep meets leg. And, well, I just can't settle for anything but perfection with this yarn.

You know what I mean. This yarn *deserves* to be a better sock. Which I'll get on whenever I get around to it.


even maeby's sad.

Yarn: Tactile's dreamy Superwash Merino Sock in Dogwood

Pattern: Punctuated Rib from Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn

March Socks

Slipstream Socks (rav) by Marlowe Crawford

Malabrigo Sock in Tiziano

I finished them on time!

sole detail of shaping

The original plan was this:


but when I found the Slipstream pattern at the Verb booth, I couldn't resist. The Malabrigo Sock was a dream, squishy, soft, and stretchy, and the shaping kept my attention through the foot. (I do think I knit the mock cables a little weird, at least until I started on the chart, but I don't mind.)

Pattern substitutions are allowed, as long as I have 12 (or more) pairs of socks at the end of the year!

For April, I have a gorgeous skein of Tactile's Superwash Merino Fingering yarn in Dogwood. It's been absolutley addictive to knit with so far. We have a bunch of colors at LLK, so perhaps I can get two pairs for me from this!

Shipments Galore

Well, we're reaping what we've sown, folks - Llama Llama Knit is awash with boxes and bags and skeins without homes!

We've received Malabrigo Worsted and Sock, Classic Elite's spring yarn lines, Kira K patterns, Pigeonroof roving (!), and new Mama Llama Sock!

I can hardly look around without drooling. I think the overwhelming fact that I have to find a place to put all these things isn't helping. EEEEEK!


Have I mentioned our dog yet? Miss Maeby is the newest llama partner.

Socks 2009

So, this year, I've resolved to make a pair of socks each month. I cannot tell you how exciting that is! (This idea popped up because I heard someone talking about making a personal sock club - right out of your stash!)

I chose 12 patterns, but left the yarn choice to spontaneity.

Here's January:

Merino Lace Socks (Rav link) in Dream in Color Smooshy (Rav link), colorway November Muse

Here's February:

Spot Check Socks (Rav link) in Claudia Fingering Merino (Rav link), colorways Turquoise and Sea Dreams

and today, the UPS tracker says, Malabrigo Sock is supposed to arrive.

Stay tuned!

Conspiracy Theory

Disco C here again with another riveting tale of knitting trials and triumphs. Remember that last post? The one about all that adventuresome learning and excitement of new and challenging goals? F*#@ that post.

Somewhere, in a smoke-filled, dimly-lit conference room, the Lace Czars converge around a slick, rectangular tangle covered with a fantastic lace table-cover. The are examining a pattern, squinting through the smoke and spectacles. "Surely no one will try this pattern without experience." One says, frowning. "No, surely not. No one would dare be so brazen as to attempt an Estonian lace shawl for their first shawl!" Laughter erupts at the very idea. Chortling hur hur hur's fill the room and a stamp comes down upon the pattern: APPROVED FOR CIRCULATION.

Alas, these mysterious shadowy figures had no idea what they were unleashing upon the world or that a simple lace-novice such as myself might innocently stumble upon this pattern and, in my naivete, attempt to posses and conquer it. What no one realized was that this pattern would instead attempt to conquer me. And, in the transition chart, row 9, I had thought it had done just that. But, thanks to the tireless efforts of my compatriot Marie, it would not be that day. Oh, no indeed. Hours of labor later (and with a new lifeline installed) I would go on, I would persevere, I would triumph. The thing about knitting is that you have to accept that there will be mistakes, and even the most seasoned veterans will tell you that it is nearly impossible to complete a project without having to fix at least a couple errors along the way. What separates the truly skilled from the amateurs is not perfect technique or flawless execution, but instead it is the acceptance of making mistakes and the will to overcome them. In many ways being able to fix mistakes is the true mark of an expert, rather than the lack of mistakes in general.

So, while I still strongly advocate knitting from the heart and taking on the world, the moral of my tale and the Quorum of Knitting Czars is to use lifelines whenever you are facing overwhelming odds. They don't call them "lifelines" for nothing.

Until next time, my fellow adventurers!

-Disco C (catch my knitting adventures on my Ravelry page!)

Kiss a llama on the llama?

FOs on parade!

Well... a long blog silence will be filled up with photos! I finished a lot of knitting recently, so I think I'll have to post more than once.



Remember my Veronique cowl? That thing was finished with haste.

Pattern: Veronique Cowl (ravelry link) on Etsy
Needles: 16" Addi Turbos, size 4
Yarn: 2 oz of my handspun, 2-ply merino-tencel from Tactile, light fingering weight

Then there's another handspun project.

Pattern: Butterfly Moebius (rav) from The Knitter's Book of Yarn
Needles: 32" Addi Turbos, size 8
Yarn: 4 oz of my handspun, 2-ply BFL from A Verb for Keeping Warm, about DK weight

Both companies are represented in fiber at LLK!

A bunch of Christmas hats...


And a bunch more to come!

Fearless Knits

Welcome to my friend and guest blogger Cailin!


Knitting, like any craft, takes hard work and perseverance to truly master. I began my exploration of the knitting world last Thanksgiving when I asked my mother to teach me the basics on a lark. Now a little more than one year later I'm taking on Estonian lace for the first time with gleeful enthusiasm. I completely deny all accusations of witchcraft and/or wizardry in achieving this rather modest development and give all the credit to the philosophy of fearlessness.

When applied to my knitting craft, fearlessness is the act of plunging head first into projects of seemingly daunting complexity and difficulty, with tons of new elements to learn such as seam-sewing, cabling, lace, circular knitting and button holes. Each new project is an adventure with new obstacles to overcome, as opposed to exploring the more comfortable regions of garter and stockinette stitch (not that there's anything wrong with that). In each project, there is something to discover and challenge and in that way I've developed a wide range of skills instead of specializing with only a few. Lace items are particularly good for this as they provide a wide variety of challenges and end results so one is unlikely to get bored with it.

Fearless knitting is not without its price, however. My first lace project was about as pleasant as pulling a mule uphill in the mud. I frogged it no less than 8 times. Hours of work ended in bitter frustration and sailor-like vocabulary. I had picked a particularly difficult 16 row lace pattern with different stitches for each row for both the right and wrong sides. For the first few days, this project was a nightmare of frustration. I learned many things though with this first pattern, specifically how lace is supposed to behave and appear during the knitting process and just what yarn overs are. Oh, and of course I also learned the value of life-lines.

Basically, there is a certain excitement in choosing a project that seems intimidating, even impossible at your skill level. Even more appealing still is the sense of accomplishment and triumph in completing something you would not have imagined you could do, and then counting up all the things you learned over the course of the experience. This, my friends, is the true value of fearless knitting. Well that, and being able to show it off of course. So, next time you're thinking of what to knit, try poking around and find something you've never done before, something that uses a different technique, style, material or pattern than you're used to. Something that you'd love to do "if only you knew how". Then dive in, and recruit your local knitting shop or knitter friends to help you along the way, you'll find they're more than likely to be thrilled to help you in your adventure from "if only I knew" to Fearless Knitter Extraordinaire.

-Disco C (catch my knitting adventures on my Ravelry page!)

On the finishing side

I worked out the mitten thing. Ripping back to top of the first mitten and finishing them both with blue made a passable pair.

I ended up with four pairs! (I'm pretty happy about that.) These are going off to Afghanistan today.



Next up for finishing is a lace cowl from my handspun.


This was from this fiber.



It's 50/50 merino and tencel from Tactile, and I have to say that I loved spinning, love knitting with it, and I'm going to love wearing it. (Psst - we'll be carrying this fiber blend soon!)

I met with Maia and Brooke from Tactile last week. Let me tell you, these ladies are awesome. I could explain how they are knowledgeable but make you feel comfortable, or how they have a great sense of humor, but I'm hoping that you'll get to meet them sometime at LLK!

And for another topic change:

We're doing a charity knit- and crochet-a-long! We talked to Homeward Bound of Marin, which helps Marin County folks transition from homelessness to financial independence, and they could use some warm hats and scarves. Adult and children's sizes are needed and unisex items are useful! All items can be dropped off at Llama Llama Knit before December 19th.

To kick it off, we're offering 15% off yarn purchased to make these items! (Stay tuned; there will be more!)

I'll be keeping updates here as well as on Ravelry.

Denial

There is a difference between hope and denial. I went from "hoping" that I'd have enough yarn to finish these child-size mittens to completely denying the fact that I wouldn't. And here I am, with FIVE ROWS LEFT and no more yarn. ARG! I did a crazy thing and decided to rip out the thumb of mitten #1, thinking that I could use a contrast color for the thumb and get away with it, if I could finish the hand in one color. HA!


I even managed to lose one of my double-pointed needles for a while. I suppose the fact that it was IN MY SLEEVE is proof that I've lost my mind.

This is why I make faces like the one in my avatar.

Big Ol' Bobbin-full

I finished spinning and plying my PRS merino/soysilk, and I have to say that love it.

160 yds/116 grams
DK (11 wpi)
chain-plied

Check out the fat bobbin!


I chose to chain ply it, for a couple of reasons.
- Triple ply yarns (and their imitators) have a more satisfying look and squish, in my opinion, than two-ply yarns
- Pigeonroof colorways look amazing when the sequence is preserved, as in chain plying

See my swatches, here?


These are my socks. They're knit with a traditional two-ply.


This is a swatch from the chain plying I did with the singles left on my bobbin. Don't the colors look much less diffused this way? I want to spin up a whole bunch of PRS yarn like this, but I can't lie - I love the way it turns out both ways.

One of these days I may be able to get another 4 oz. of the Harlequin or Marigold or Harvest colorways in BFL or merino before they're all sold out! (arg!)