One laceweight sleeve completed for my sweater, one to go. It was a handy project to knit while sailing because the yarn was so light it floated in the breeze and showed the wind direction.
This poor little lighthouse, Cedar Point, in East Hampton, one of the wealthiest communities in the country, lost its tower and doesn’t have the money for repairs. Tsk, tsk.
As the weather turns nicer, I try to move my activities outside. I seem to weave a few rope mats every summer. We need to replace a few rugs at home and I made a frame that lets me weave a Turk’s Head mat. I did one with climbing rope and the other with manila.
Woven rope mats made on a frame 5 nails on top and bottom and 4 on sides
My braided rug is coming along S L O W L Y. I’ve been told it looks better in person than in photos. It’s a good project to work on when sitting and chatting. Mindless handiwork.
![IMG_9575[1]](https://one2travelfar.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_95751.jpg?w=640&h=480)
It’s a nice thick rug and if I ever finish it, will be great in the cabin.
I finally have a project back on the floor loom. A couple of bright, pastel baby blankets. One down, one to go.
![IMG_9573[1]](https://one2travelfar.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_95731.jpg?w=640&h=480)
Notice the lamb’s wool on the bench? I found it at IKEA and it’s making me a happy weaver.
Lastly, I played with some fancy ribbon yarn and made a few necklaces. My darling daughter and I saw these at a craft shop in West Virginia and I was confident I could recreate them. I have a little jeweler’s kit and had fun playing with the wire. There’s a fairly good chance the wearer won’t get stabbed in the neck from the clasp and its attachment.
![IMG_9574[1]](https://one2travelfar.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_95741-e1401803535694.jpg?w=640&h=853)
Of course, knitting is always portable and I plan to bring some on a camping trip we’re taking tomorrow. I’m making a laceweight, cropped mohair cardigan to wear to my dear son’s wedding this fall.
![IMG_9578[1]](https://one2travelfar.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_95781.jpg?w=640&h=480)
That’s a wrap.
Two to go. Boat cushion project almost complete. Lucky for me I am working on the cushions this season because when we uncovered the boat, there was two inches of water over the floor boards from? Snow melt thorough the hatch? Leaky oily cloth tarp? It’s unclear and we thought we did the best cover ever. Goes to show me anyway, less is more. Luckily, I was too busy sewing to get involved in the clean up project and the Captain had to tackle it on his own. Silver lining?
I’m ready to cover anything now. I’ve covered a porch swing cushion, which I previously had pinned together – how tacky. I’m stymied by a boat pillow though because I didn’t plan my cutting well and will have to piece one of the pillows, creating a seam on the face. Probably getting a little compulsive but don’t want to place a fourth order with Sailrite, even though they are my new favorite online site. Amazon watch out!
My 1951 Viking Husqvarna sewing machine has been the perfect machine for the task. With the zig zag feature, I can move the needle to the left or right and don’t even have to change the presser foot to install a zipper. And it’s so cute.
My knitting needles keep me occupied at night. I finished a pair of socks to send to my BFF. As soon as my cushions are done, I want to warp the loom for two baby blankets, since she just became a grandmother too. I know, I had nine months or so to make something but this is how I fly. And I’m a little superstitious about baby gifts.
Last night I finished a pair of gloves for me knit from a blend of merino and mohair I spun a few years ago. They should be warm and strong and perfect for man handling the wood pile.
I serve on a local board and yesterday was our annual retreat. I volunteered to make breakfast for 25. I made donuts, my new favorite treat, cherry, chocolate almond scones, cranberry scones and blueberry muffins. They were a hit. During the meeting, I cast on for a cardigan for a fall wedding. I think I’m their first physician board member who caters and knits!
Last week didn’t exist for me – or I didn’t really exist last week. Imagine, no knitting for a day due to either a virus or parasite that knocked me for a loop and caused me to sleep 18 hours a day for four days. But, I’m back, feeling mended and ready to charge back into the work week.
Better a bug than the coyotes. They howled across the road the other night. This is what they sounded like from our porch.
I managed to get some work done on a few projects. I spun and plied some luscious blue faced Leicester on its own and with some local alpaca. Since Tim lost his f***ing deer hat, Some of this may be used in the replacement.
I was ready to dabble in some pretty fiber colors in preparation for this Fair Isle Vest I want to knit for myself by Eunny Jang. I plan to use the organic merino I spun on my drop spindle on Deal Island and then dyed with all the onion skins we used during our three month stay. I may use some navy and this rose yarn as well.
I’ll be visiting my darling daughter and need some handmade items for her. I’m working on a knit market bag and may need a few for myself. Maybe I’ll actually remember to bring my own bag into the store if I made it myself!
This rug may be finished by next winter but chicken little is running around saying, ” the cabin is falling, the cabin is falling!” I hope not.
In case my coyote sound track doesn’t work above, here’s another way to hear it.
Coyote songs
When I think of a movie or TV show, I often think of its one quotable line, even if it’s wrong. An old time favorite movie is The Red Balloon, which was shown at least each grade while I was in elementary school. The other was Nanook of the North, another classic. Anyway, for years I thought the Red Balloon’s quote was, “It is balloon!”. However, the movie was French and there was no dialogue. I later learned it came from the not so classic TV show, F Troop! Oh well.
Today someone posted a photo from the Honeymooners with Ralph and Norton in chef’s hats. Immediately I thought, “But can it core a apple”? Which brings me to today’s post. I have and will be visiting family and, like Goldie Hawn in Saving Private RyanPrivate Benjamin, “I never go to someone’s house empty handed.” However, when I looked up Saving Private Ryan, the more memorable quote was reportedly, “I did join the Army, but I joined a different Army. I joined the one with the condos and the private rooms.” Ah well, so much for my perspective.
So here’s what I’ve been working on.
Placemats to grace a new home.
Mohair merino ballet slippers from a pattern from Bev Galeska, queen of felted knits. These slippers await felting to shrink to fit one pair of feet in the new home. Felted clogs are still in progress for the second pair of feet. And,
This cute little berry hat to warm the head of a new little one.
While on or off the slopes. I finished my Malabrigo mittens to match my upside down, tumbling block hat.
Tres chic. Very warm and soft. Now I’m thinking of using up all my soft scraps in stranded hats and gloves. Worsted weight knits up so quickly. Only 42 stitches around for the mittens!
The winter weather is finally turning in my favor. By that I mean, we have a decent snow cover and I have a chance to use my season ski pass. I admit it. I’m a princess. I enjoy skiing midweek, early (snowboarders are either still asleep or in school and I won’t fear them scraping behind me at breakneck speed on the hill); when there’s enough snow covering crust or ice so I don’t hear myself scraping down the slope, and when the temperature is at least a balmy twenty degrees. It’s a lot easier keeping warm these days and not because I’ve switched to anything high tech. As a teen, I skied in cotton(!) thermal underwear, probably polyester or cotton socks, leather mittens and often went hatless so my hair could flow in the breeze. May have looked cute, but I froze my tuchas off!
Now I wear wool from head to toe and am warm as a sheep.
On a final note, my stunning red bathing suit was a smashing success. Looked stylish and felt great, while I continue to be the worst, but most improved, swimmer in the pool. And you can bet I am the only one in a homemade bathing suit.
I seem to have a lot more time now that I am no longer running a cat hospice. Sad but true. I wallowed for a day, maybe it was just a cold coming on, then got back to work.
Who wouldn’t be cheered up by three little fair isle hats knit for my friend’s daughters?
I played around with twined braids, stranded colorwork and thoroughly enjoyed the design process. I was surprised to find how well small fair isle motifs work up in worsted weight – and fast too.
Then I decided to finally knit something for me again. It’s a hat made with combination of tumbling blocks stranded and twined knitting made in super soft, smooshy Malabrigo worsted yarn.
The optical illusion didn’t really work though. The shadows seem off, I think I have to swap out my lights and darks. I tried flipping it upside down and they still don’t really look like blocks. But the stranded color work keeps it warm and even pretty on the inside as well.
The yarn was so soft, I had some leftover and I’m tired of my old mittens so I designed a non-delusional mitten to match, with the palm lined in alpaca. Luscious.
Conditions have been good for skiing, skating and playing indoors. I finally tried a no-knead bread recipe. It couldn’t have been easier and made a country style, hard crust bread, sturdy enough for sandwiches. I had to stir it once and fold it once! Hoo boy. I highly recommend it for a day when you are hanging around the house.
My digital VHS movie conversion was a huge success. I laughed, I cried, while watching them all. Plus I found inspiration. Tim’s been looking for comfortable skates, since the ice is so good this year, to no avail. Then I saw a movie with my brother at 4 or 5, at Christmas, wearing an army helmet and strap on skates, skating around the basement. So I looked up strap on skates for adults and they exist! There are two types, shown here. One can be latched onto any hiking boot and the other uses cross country ski bindings. Just like Hans Brinker. He ordered a set of the cross country ski type. I just have to find him an army helmet.
I must be nuts. I am heading into the woods tomorrow with Tim and friends. We ‘re staying at a back country cabin close(r) to a peak they want to climb. The cabin is 3.5 miles in, which shaves 7 miles off the round trip and breaks it up. Sounds like a great plan, right. Well look at this weather report.
High temperature of -2! Low of -23 f!!! We ‘re talking outhouse and haul water from the river. There ‘s purportedly a propane heater but I wonder if it will that keep up with this cold. Time will tell.
I’m prepared. I ‘m bringing hot chocolate and lots of wool; to wear and knit. I ‘m working on several fair isle hats for three young girls. Here ‘s my twisted braid beginning.
I warmed up today by cross country skiing . I saw home from a different perspective.
So warm and cozy looking. Why would I ever leave?
Ring in the New Year
The new year erases the slate of 2013 and we get to begin afresh. What a perfect day to start a few new projects, the first of 2014.
I’m experimenting with wool soakers: garments to wear over cloth diapers since we’re having a green grandson (not a Martian, just environmentally friendly). My first attempt is a felted design. I like this idea because I can ultimately cut the felted material to fit the pattern. I may attach it with snaps or buttons, not sure. My new snap arrived today since I figure I’ll be making bibs and things which need snaps. They better, I have hundreds.
I knit a duck on the back, which looks mildly creepy. We’ll see how it goes once the elastic legs and snaps are added. I’ve even purchased liquid lanolin to treat the fabric to make it water (and who knows what else) proof.
Next up is a rainbow woven blanket. Two actually but I miscalculated and have to pick up more yarn to make a checkerboard pattern. Setting up the loom made me think of all the hope and dreams associated with a new project. With the yarn laid out artfully along the loom, you forget about the possibility of crossed or broken threads, uneven warps or other problems that may sneak up along the way.
We’ve had a bit of snow over the ice and cold, sub-zero weather. Tim wanted to test the cabin’s mettle so we spent the night in it when the thermometer dropped to -8 degrees Fahrenheit. It was a balmy 30 degrees on the main floor but toasty and warm in my sleeping bag in the loft. I hardly stirred while Tim kept the wood stove stoked all night.
My big knitting project came off the needles this morning, an Aran sweater designed by Alice Starmore, Irish Moss. I love it and hope my daughter does too. I missed my self imposed Thanksgiving deadline, but made Christmas with time to spare.
Sewing it together went perfectly. The pieces matched up and my finishing technique has improved over the years. The shadows the cables create are wonderful and now my wrist has a chance to rest from all the twisted purls the pattern used.
Although it went pretty fast, I finished just in the nick of time. I have deferred lots of little projects and some weaving because I was so focused. Now I have created a void that beckons to be filled. Here’s a starter. Pirate hat, redux. The right size this time? Second time’s a charm.
Island and North Country Life 