Yarn spa day

This weekend, I did a little spring cleaning (even though it SNOWED on Friday but I digress).
And in the spring cleaning, I looked in my closet and saw two sweaters that I knitted in Jaeger's Chamonix using this pattern that I NEVER WEAR.
That's not a nice way to treat angora and wool (which for some reason Jaeger discontinued.)
So I frogged the sweaters and gave Chamonix a spa day.
I thought I'd show you how to give your yarn a spa day (i.e. block it so it doesn't look like a Raggedy Ann doll's hair). This is the method I use to block my handspun yarn. I realize that there are other methods for straighting out kinked yarn that involve steaming, but this method does the trick and the yarn smells nice afterwards. (Plus the yarn had been sitting in the closet for a while, so it totally needed a wash)

1. Frog the offending finished object. It is preferable to use a skein winder, but if you don't have one, I suggest using your hand and elbow, or place two chairs with their back facing each other.
   
2. Fill a basin of some kind (in this instance, my tub) with hot water and place some soap.
3. When water is still, place yarn in basin. It will float on top of the water if it is made of wool or other animal fiber, because those fibers resist water. (One of the great things that make wool so ideal for fighting the cold wet weather.)
4. Gently press the yarn into the water, being careful not to stir up the water. Felting comes into play with yarn when hot water and soap combine with agitation. You should be fine if you don't disturb the water too much.
5. Let yarn sit until water cools to room temperature. (Because felting can also come when wool comes into contact with a water temperature shock)
6. Pull yarn out of water, squeezing excess water without wringing yarn. (Again, as a measure against felting)
7. Place yarn on a hook or door knob handle and let a towel hang from the skein. This adds weight to the yarn as a blocking measure, and allows helps keep your floor dry.
8. Voila, your yarn is refreshed, glowing and smelling nice. Aren't spa days great!

On a totally different note, I'm excited that it's Opening Day for baseball! So I will be knitting on the eggplant sweater while watching the Mariners!



I know, I messed up the cable, but do you think I should go back and fix it? Part of me wants to, but part of me feels like no one will notice.

Weekend

I felt guilty about not showing a better photo of the wrap cardigan progress, so I took the stitches off my needles and took these shots.

The fabric behind the sweater is what I'm using for the fabric panel for the sweater. I'm not sure who will be the recipient yet, as I have a few friends having babies in the upcoming months, so I wanted it to be gender-neutral.

But this beauty has been spoken for.

This is my second attempt at testing my sewing skills, and I totally ripped off Whispering Pines, but you must agree it's worth stealing.
All in all, not too difficult, except I had a tough time with those ties, and the inside of the outfit looks like hell, but the outfit is so adorable, I'm in the process of sewing another one for A.K.'s new niece! (I guess she's my new niece too, but she's the first grandchild on his side of the family, so I'll let him have the glory.)

Also as another shoutout to A.K., the table that has all my crap on it, is a table we got from Craigslist for FREE! It needed a lot of TLC, which A.K. did! It looks fabulous, despite my crap being all over it.
So to treat ourselves for jobs well done, A.K. and I went snowboarding on Saturday, since it seems like it's our last chance before the season is over.



Because apparently spring is making it's way to Seattle.

The Gators move on, and so do I

But there is a potential bracket buster.

So the Wrapped Baby Cardigan is looking good...



(Sorry that it looks like a knitted blob. I'm too lazy to place the stitches on a holder.)
I'm using Rowan Silk Wool DK in Greenwood, which I bought at Gene Ann's in Barrington, IL when I was visiting the inlaws last year. I used a skein of it to knit a pair of mittens.
I have a friend who is having a baby, so I thought it would make a lovely Wrapped Cardigan. And with that, I took the remaining three skeins and casted on.
The sleeve alone took almost a skein! I was shocked. I unraveled the mittens that I knitted earlier and added it to the sweater (which is why the yarn is curled).

If you read about my orange sweater, you know I have a history of running out of yarn.

But in my defense, it's a sweater for a 12-month-old. Should it really take 5 skeins of yarn?

Well, we'll see, I guess. I have a skein left. I may have to get another skein. I hope it matches the dyelot I have now.

NIT!

It's March Madness and my bracket is already busted!

As a alumna of THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, I always pick Florida to win, and my Gators have done so the past two years. (Which has allowed me to win some fiber money at the expense of my coworkers' gambling habits.)

But, alas, this year, the Gators are a 2 seed in the NIT.

Which is fine with me, since it sounds like KNIT.

So in honor of the NIT, (and the NCAA tournament, which I have UNC winning, as I used to live in the Triangle of North Carolina) I will finish the eggplant sweater and the wrap cardigan by April 3 (which hopefully will be when Florida once again whomps Ohio State)

So Go Gators! Go Heels and let the kNITting begin!

Anyone with me?

On the road

I have a friend who is studying to be an esthetician. I highly recommend having an esthetician as a friend because you get fabulous facials, one of which I received this morning.

(If you don't have one, and you live within the Puget Sound region, might I suggest you have an esthetician-in-training give you a fabulous facial at a very reasonable price here. )

On the way back home, I ran into this.



I know, total bummer. But this is the reason I, and all knitters, lug around a bag stuffed with unfinished projects.

So we can turn off our engines and have 20 minutes to knit.



I got to say, after the facial, and the progress I made on 6.5 stitches baby wrap cardigan, I was glowing!



Also, I was extremely grateful that I wasn't these unfortunate souls.

Am I the only person ...

who thinks "Client No. 9" would make a great band name?


If you were in a band, what would it be called?

Don't worry, next post will be about knitting, promise.

Welcome to my new home!

I hope you like it. Things aren't exactly where I would like them to be right now, but you know what it's like when you just moved in.

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