A few hiccups

Where to start.... Well, I'm still in the process of working on 'Fluffy' but I have had a few setbacks. My spinning wheel has had several new drive bands of late, and today is working off a temporary one. Also my large bobbin I use for plying onto came apart and would not rotate. I eventually got hubby to repair it for me and ŷarn prep started in earnest again today.

So what have I been doing with my time then? Well, there's lots of knitting, some dyeing and of course the arrival of my new ŷarn bases. They're slowly filtering their way on to my etsy shop.

I've also recently spent my spare time listening to many knitting podcasts. I love The Knitgirrrls, 90% knitting and knitting in Circles. I've been watching these for a while, but I've added a few more recently, including FOanddye, Knicks Knits, Stitched Together and Must Stash Podcast to name but a few.

Here are one of the things I've been inspired to make...

Finished pOdcast hat and kickstarter project news

First of all, the podcast hat is finished....

I'm pleased with the result, especially as I spent many hours at the Harrogate knitting and stitching show today. I'd forgotten how warm it gets in there and I dressed for the outside weather. Still, I got what I went for, extra 2.5mm double pointed needles to replace the ones I keep sitting on and breaking! I also got a pattern for a waistcoat and a cord for my interchangeable needles to hold my daughters wedding shawl. I also saw several vendors I was friendly with from previous shows, so it was nice to catch up.

NEWS - ABOUT - KICKSTARTER

I'm currently applying for kickstarter funding to set up knitting and spinning beginner groups to help those with anxiety and depression. You can find out more about it here:      

 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/5565008/spinning-a-knitting-yarn

It's a very exciting time, and depending on how funding goes, I hope I will have more news soon. Watch this space...

My podcast hat.

Hi there. This week I am on holiday and suffering from a bad back. So what do you do when this coincides? Well, knit of course!

I can't spin much right now, and I'm hoping my back improves soon as I have fluffy to continue with, but I decided to knit up some fibre that I'd spun from Leading Men Fiber Arts (whose podcast I listen to) in the glacial Colourway. I had spun it up in 4 separate colours and then plied them together.

I got 240 metres of Aran weight yarn from this. I have decided to knit a hat by another favourite podcaster of mine, Laura Linneman from the Knitgirllls podcast. As you can see, the colours are all over the place, but...

It does remind me of the colours of the glacier I climbed in 1982, but that's a story for another time.

I'm in the process of having a rethink of my short and medium term plans for Knatters Knits. I've decided to launch my own yarn label for hand painted British wool. This is in its infancy right now, but watch this space. 

Another project is in the planning stages, and I'll announce that fairly soon, but it's an adjunct to the sales, and is very exciting. More on that next time. 

I've also been participating in a knit along for Woolly Wormhead's latest hat knit along. Hopefully I'll be able to show you my finished article in the next week or so. You can find more out about that project at www.http://www.ravelry.com/groups/woolly-wormheads-hats. I chose to use Titus yarn in the beautiful maroon Colourway from baa ram ewe, particularly as it's made in Yorkshire.

Fibre prep is time consuming

Continuing the preparation of the fleece named fluffy is the order of the day. This is my first day off from my paid employment in what seems like ages.

Up until now I've been carding the fleece but the staple is so long that it makes it difficult to card using carders, so I've decided to comb it instead. Combing is great because you get such airy lofty fibre, however it is sooooo labour intensive it's quite a task!

Pictured here is the latest batch in progress. On the left is the washed fleece, and in the blue tray is the combed fibre.... Doesn't it look lovely?

I hope Fluffy's owner likes the fibre, as it's taking so long to comb, but I believe the end product is worth it....

Canadian exchange

Here's the story. I belonged to a Spinners Guild that did a swap with a group of Canadians earlier this year. The idea was that we received a skein of yarn and created something with it and then returned the finished item. My yarn was sent to someone in Canada who did the same thing. This is the story of my yarn exchange journey.

I usually work with DK weight yarns. I also tend to work in colour in a big way, so when I received a very fine oatmeal coloured handspun, I was stumped as to what to do. I started making a scarf. I got part way and decided it didn't suit the yarn so I ripped it out. I then started another, and ripped it out. At this point I fell out of love with the yarn and it went in the sin bin (a basket for all projects I get frustrated with). 

I was reminded recently that the project needs to wing it's way back to Canada. The lady from Fraggletops Studio would be in the UK to collect the projects and exchange the items. So last week I set about trying to design a pattern to show off the yarn. I decided upon a shawl as you can never have enough of them, right? I wanted a pattern that would highlight the variation in colour found in the fleece. I also decided to use a gradient of needle sizes to add a little more interest. I finally finished the shawl yesterday and washed it. It is pictured below, after a little light blocking. It would probably take more blocking, but I need to find my blocking pins to do that, so I might suggest to the recipient that they try that.... What do you think? Should it be blocked more?

Part 2

Today I completed the first skein of Fluffy yarn. It's now washed and hanging to dry in the drying area. I have also started the second skein, which is almost complete. I have been a busy girl because I have started washing the second batch of fibre. It's on the second soaking. It has a fair amount of lanolin in it, so I'm thinking it will need a fair few soaks before it's good to go! 

 

The first full skein of Fluffy Yarn.

The whole process is taking me longer than I hoped as I am working full time for a large retailer as well as running this business. 

The two jobs are so very different and yet utilise a lot of the same skills, from customer service to sales promotion, planning and media work. The difference is that at Knatters Knits I get to make something, to create something from raw materials, to design knitted items and after that, when someone buys them, I get to see the delight and joy on their faces. It's this satisfaction of creating and seeing others enjoy my creations that gives that satisfaction that you can't get with any other job, I take something raw and to some people useless and turn it into yarn, fibre or something to use or wear and that's something really special, satisfying and unique. How many people can say that about their jobs?

Rolags, Rolags, Rolags

The next phase of Fluffy's fleece being made into yarn has begun. After a short interlude when I was in Swindon celebrating my daughters impending marriage, I have now begun operation Fluffy with a vengeance. 

The fleece is now in the process of being carded by hand and made into Rolags. Next comes spinning later this evening. That's the part I love the most. As Fluffy's owner and I have agreed to make the yarn purely fluffy, I am spared the extra blending ... Carding combs the fibre and puts it into alignment and adds air, making the yarn more bouncy and springy. The thought of all that carding makes me wary, but I know it will all be worth it, because you can tell, you can really tell when preparation is good or not. I want this yarn to be the best I have ever made, not because I'm being paid, but because knowing the creature it came from makes it personal in a funny kind of way, more real and important in a way getting fibre pre-prepared from a mill doesn't.