01 February 2007

All the Buzz!

Hey have come across some new knitting type things that I think will soon be all the buzz soon.

Ok first is our ever wonderful knitting guru, The Yarnharlot, she went to the Madrona Fiberarts retreat and has a fabulous post on a new technique that she learned there. I WANT TO LEARN THIS BADLY! Piecework's special knitting issue had an article about a turn of the century knitter (Marta Stina) who had a similar technique. The technique that Ms. McPhee learned is called "Mittens of Rovaniemi"....well that is the title of the project, not sure what the technique is called, it is from Finland and I guess it is like doing Fair Isle but with alot more colors and without tangling the bobbins. Why do I want to learn this or other techniques of this type? Well I would like to combine my paintings with knitting. In other words I want to create knitted paintings. Why? beeeeeecaausssssse I want to combine both of my passions. Techniques such as these will allow me to use a variety of colors to creat depth and shading just like in an oil painting as well as texture.

Also, my wonderful knitting pal, Christelle, pointed me to the Knitty site today to a really fun two color hat with a wonderful geometric circle pattern. I want to make it (so does she lol). If you haven't visited Knitty before, it is a free online knitting magazine with patterns, tutorials and interesting knitting articles. Its really wonderful....best of all....its ALL FREE. lol

Lastly, I want to tell you about a wonderful new yarn by those inovative people at SWTC. They have a new sock yarn line called TOFUtsie. The pictures of the colorways do not do them justice online. They have to be seen. My LYS (Deluxe Yarns) just got it in two days ago and it is flying off the shelves. The colors are out of this world, I had the hardest time just choosing one. Each skein is 460 yards...a little more then double what you usually get in a skein of sock yarn, so the price for it is extremely affordable. Also the weight of it is between Lace and usual sock weight (i.e. its a little "heavier" then normal lace weight and a little "lighter" then normal sock weight) which makes it a yarn not only for socks but for a fun funky lace projects. Which is what I want it for, two skeins will give you more then enough for a good size lace project...3 skeins for a large project. This is what is so unique about this yarn (besides the colorways) its 50% wool, the other 50% is made up of cotton, soysilk and Chitin. Chitin is made from shrimp and crab shells! Can you imagine? This is some of the softest feeling yarn I have ever come across.

I am still working on several projects (now add the Tofutsie socks lol)...as well as night before last I made stitch markers (picture coming this weekend) and dyed more yarn last night with Wilton's food coloring (see my post on how I do it). Today before leaving for school I left some Lace Weight dyeing yarn, from Knitpicks, soaking in bowls of Kool-Aide (Knitty has a good how to on this one). Tonight or tomorrow in the a.m. I am going to further play with the Kool-Aide dye yarn because Kool-Aide does not dye intense colors (not to my liking anyway) and I am going to further dye the yarn with Wilton's so that I get a variegate effect. I am doing one in greens, one in reds/oranges/pinks, and one in purples. I was having a hard time finding lace weight in the colors I wanted for specific projects so I am dyeing them myself and figured that it will make the projects are the more special. They will be gifts for the next holiday season...and since they will be lace I am starting early so that I will get them all done...lace takes time or so I am finding out. Anyway, by the end of the weekend I will have 6 newly dyed lace weights and 4 worsted weights (which I did last night, two in Brown Sheeps Lamb's Pride and two in their Nature Spun). Will post pictures of everything this weekend.

Ok friends, have to go study maps for a Poli Sci quiz (blah). Have a really great day all.

3 comments:

RooKnits said...

Hi Victoria,
Thanks for the comment! The entrelac bag was based on the Booga Bag pattern http://www.blacksheepbags.com/booga_bag.html
I made the bottom exactly the same, and picked up the stitches ready to start the sides but instead of making them straight I made them in entrelac. I used a couple of entrelac patterns I found on the internet and also some trial and error (but it seemed to work! Let me know if I can help any more.

MonkeySocks said...

I can't wait to make the hat from Knitty and The Yarn Harlot is my new idol, next to you of course. FYI: all of the yarn you dyed was amazing, but I am so going to steal the green. :-) Hope you are having a fabulous day.

~ Christelle

Victoria said...

You cannot steal the green its going to a project for my sister but if I have some left over (which I think I will) you can have it lol...I haven't posted pictures yet to the other yarn that I dyed and the stitch markers I made...I will soon.