Dyet Yarns: reuse, recycle, reinvent!

I’ve been experimenting with different types of fiber, different preparations, and using worsted and woolen spinning techniques. One great way I’ve found to try out these many different fiber options is to play with combining samples or to swap things I have plenty of (hand-dyed yarn) for things I don’t (batts!). Of course, there is [...]

Tags: batts, fiber, lessons, merino, phatfiber, roving, spinning, top, yarn

Yesterday was a very slow day at work, so I got quite a bit of knitting done between that and waiting for my MMA class to begin. In fact, I stayed up late turning the heel on my second sock because I wanted to get through to the straight part of the leg. Naturally, I [...]

Tags: cotton, dyeing, frog, handmade, heel, injury, lessons, mistakes, recycle, silk, socks, stash, thrift, UFO, wool, yarn

One sock down, one to go. I made significant modifications to the pattern, considering the gauge difference between yarn and pattern and the way my foot is shaped. I have pretty small feet, but my ankle and heel are fairly large. I took notes on the pattern changes, so I guess we’ll see if I [...]

Tags: angora, cashmere, Etsy, lace, lessons, pattern, rare yarn, recycle, socks, wool

This weekend, Wendy D. Johnson came to Charlotte and taught an awesome workshop on toe and heel techniques at one of the local yarn shops, Charlotte Yarn. I learned how to do the two things I have been really wanting to figure out; Judy’s Magic Cast On and a slip-stitch heel for toe-up socks. I [...]

Tags: celebrity, dyeing, heel, lessons, mystery, new knitters, pattern, socks, wool, yarn

I have two things to report on before I go off on a wild convention run this weekend. The first is that I successfully dyed four (FOUR!) batches of recycled yarn that I think will work great for socks. I used two different kinds of base yarns (two sweaters). The first is the one I [...]

Tags: angora, dyeing, FO, handmade, lessons, new, recycle, selfish, socks, wool, yarn

It’s fairly rare to discover a sweater that has the correct (in my opinion) fiber content and weight for sock yarn. Up until now, I have been of the opinion that sock yarn is the only yarn I am likely to buy new rather than recycle. I have been debating offering new skeins of hand-dyed [...]

Tags: angora, dyeing, Etsy, labels, lessons, mystery, recycle, socks, sweater, thrift, wool, yarn

…people know he’s not afraid of anything. I’m on the second sock! I finished turning the heel Sunday night, and now it’s smooth sailing (except for when I forget to do the cables). I’m using the first sock as a pattern since I didn’t take notes. Yeah yeah, I know. Yes, these are knee-high socks [...]

Tags: DPNs, Firefly, Jayne, lessons, needles, new knitters, socks, wool

So, I’m doing the thing that everyone says you shouldn’t do. I’m making a sweater out of Alpaca. See the thing is that I love soft, bulky yarn. Alpaca is wonderfully soft. Not terribly elastic, so not great for a sweater with elaborate designs, but this one is plain stockinette with stripes. Of course that [...]

Tags: alpaca, clapotis, diet, geek, lessons, needles, new knitters, Organization, pattern, selfish, stash, sweater, yarn