Taking Stock

As we near the end of the month of January I have taken stock of...well everything!  Sometimes that is a scary thing to do (grins).  As far as my goal to felt something every day...and I think I must revise my goal.  Out of the first 27 days of the year I have only met my goal 10 times.  This really cannot be considered success no matter how you analyze it.  I have managed to do some type of felting each week.  So I think my new goal should be to felt 2-3 days out of every week and see how I do on meeting that goal.

For my goal to knit some lace project, I selected a simple lace stole.  It has one Estonian lace stitch in the pattern and the author states that if you have never knitted lace, this is a good first project.  I now have some sharp, pointy rosewood circular needles made by Lantern Moon, and modified by my dear husband to my specifications.  I think I may have a selected a yarn that is iffy.  The silk will help the stole keep its shape, but the mohair can make it difficult to take stitches out if a mistake has been made. (Like my first five rows!) However, today I had to take a row out and that mohair worked to my advantage.  It didn't tangle so fiercely this time and I was able to pull the whole thing off the needles without any unraveling.  Then I pulled out an inch or two at a time and the remaining stitches stayed right there waiting for me to put them back on my needle - which I did!  I'm now up to row 4 - for the second time. ;)  Making headway...even if slowly.

As far as business goes...things are moving along at a steady, if minimal, rate.  I have a set of custom pillows to make in the next few weeks.  I still have a couple pair of custom felt earrings to make.  And two people asked me to contact them in January about custom felt drapes...another wants me to call her in May.  I have my stuff in one brick and mortar shop in north Idaho and at our site online.  Unfortunately, I needed to remove my things from the other shop because of some financial issues...don't want to get into that tangle.  And Farmer's Market opens on May 12th and I have new lines of products I want to have ready...which brings me back to the top of this post and my original goal to felt every single day...sure wish I could!

Tomorrow we are off to Sandpoint to refresh our stock at Blue Flag Hand Weaving Studio.

Take care and have a great weekend!
Janet

Kindergarten All Over Again

What fun!  Remember finger painting?  I love tactile projects and today was one in that realm.  My friends and I gathered at a lady's home to learn how to dye and antique lace.  It was so like kindergarten finger painting.  Here are some quick shots of my play time this afternoon.

If you are interested in this type of art check out this site: (Yes, it will bring up lamps for sale.)
http://www.myvictorianelegance.com/
Be sure to click the link to their online store for the dyes.

Have fun painting!
Janet

This Will Take How Long?

...So I tore out all the stitches and started my lace stole over tonight.  There are 504 rows to the entire project.  I figure if I manage one row a day that is reasonable.  Some days I'll be able to knit more and some I won't get in any.  But just supposing I did get one a day...that is 1 year, 4 months and 7 days to complete this!  Yikes!!!  Maybe I should consider upping the ante and go for two a day so that I can finish it in....let's see 8 months and 3 or 4 days...probably 4 since I'll need time to bind off.  Whew!  And I thought some of my felting projects were time consuming.

I really respect lace knitters after just this first couple stabs at it!  And the bit I have read and watched about lace knitting tells me that historically the people did not have patterns like ours to go by.  If they were lucky they had a swatch of a neighbor's work showing the stitches to use.  I think that this is one reason I enjoy my free-form work so much.  I get to just make it all up along the way and there is no wrong way...just my way...no worry over whether or not I have matched to a pattern.  Like I said I really respect and admire those who can do this type of work and do it well.

Well off to bed for tonight...more to come on this project another day...(Mine does NOT look like the picture below, but hopefully some day it will!)
Janet

Dunes and Waves

pattern at http://www.tashaknits.blogspot.com/ or on Ravelry

I love getting packages!  My new needles arrived yesterday - size 4 circular needle by Lantern Moon...made in rosewood.  Yum!  So this morning my sweet hubby took the Dremel to the ends and got them all nice and pointy like I wanted them for my lace project.

...Tonight I made myself a little check list of the steps...yes there is a chart...but I have found that I end up marking that all up to the point of being unreadable in order to keep track of all the repeating patterns...soooo I made up a list of all the repeats with check boxes for me to use to keep the mess off my official chart!  It is snazzy!

...Then I took my chart, needles and yarn and got to work...only I was playing with the dog at the same time...I thought for a minute in row 3 that I was going to have to tear the whole thing out...but in recounting I found that I was still right on track...so onward I went.

Now I bet there are times that you can think of that you have done something that you really knew you shouldn't try, right?  Well I was okay with knitting lace and playing with the dog because he was patient and waited until I got to a check point...so I always kept track of where I was.  However, after he fell asleep my husband wandered in and suggested we watch some more of the history DVDs he had checked out at the library...the Crusades.  I nodded yes and kept on counting and keeping track of my stitches on my snazzy little check list...AND THEN the man lecturing on the Crusades started spouting...you guessed it...numbers!  All kinds of them!!!  By the end of row 5 which you can see in my photos, I have 'lost' three stitches somewhere...I think they got sucked up into the DVD.  Ugh!!!

So tomorrow I start all over...its starting to feel like that saying "no pain, no gain"...

Good Evening,
Janet

The flip side looks like this...

Good Evening,

I have a pictorial update to the fabric I am making for the little jacket...

Crosspatch Creations is made by Joan W. Contraman in Corvallis, Montana.  You can reach her at 406-961-4473 or joan@spinningfiber.net.  To view her products go to http://www.spinningfiber.net/.

Lovely fiber feels great!
Janet