Cottage46 Knitter

I know I don't log into Typepad very often

... but does it have to be different every time?  Grrr... 

Anyway!

I cast on for Irish Moss a couple of days ago.  About a minute after sending off the second of 2 overlapping indexing projects. (Sorry, we've reached the season of the crappy indoor photos.)

There are also the ubiquitous boring, 2x2 rib socks.

I worked on them at knitting group and a couple people asked if I was going to felt them.  No, DH's feet are just that big.  I totally did not even notice that pooling when I was knitting them.

There's been some spinning:

I took a wonderful spinning class at the end of November.  I learned so much!  One of those things being that I really need a drum carder.  We played around with blending fibers and colors.  I found it interesting that no matter what colors I added, it just kept looking purple.  It's a magical drum carder!

And I have most of the pound of Blue-Faced Leister spun up that came with the wheel.  It's undyed although it looks yellow in the picture.  I'm debating about Kool-Aid dying or ordering some actual acid dye.  Would you like to hazard a guess as to the color? 

Soon I will knit with handspun, something I've yet to do.  I know, weird. 

OK, one more wheel... and a dilemma

Eleanor came home on Monday.  She's totally dreamy!

Even Zoey approves and she doesn't like anything new. 

Geraldine is, of course, disappointed, but I've assured her that she will go to a loving home. 

Finally got a model shot taken of the Eyelet Cardigan.  I love this pattern. 

Pattern: Eyelet Cardigan from Chic Knits

Yarn: Tatamy Tweed DK

I added some pink gros grain ribbon along the inside edge to keep it from curling.  Works amazingly well.  It's the perfect sweater for this in-between weather.

Speaking of which, autumn in Indiana has been spectacular.  We've just had a bunch of rain so a lot of leaves have fallen.  DH took this picture at the farm where he hunts.  (No deer in the freezer yet.)

I took this one at the lake tonight while waiting for the dogs to do their business.  Would have been a good night to kayak but somebody wanted to spin instead.  

Finally to my dilemma.  I sewed up the Must Have Deux and knitted the button band/collar.  Somehow on the left side of the v-neck there's a line of knit stitches.  Unfortunately, there is no corresponding line of knit stitches on the right side. 

Although I'd like to think I'm not the type of knitter who would do her neck decreases one stitch in from the edge on one side and on the edge on the other side, I think we all know this isn't true.  This does not feel like something I can live with.  I was about to rip off the button band and pick up stitches differently on that side, but CarrieK suggested that I might be able to use a crochet chain on the other side to make it match.  I think I'll try that over the weekend.  Other than this little anomaly, the sweater turned out pretty well.  The length is perfect which was the problem with the original Must Have.  Feels like progress!

Two things I said I had no interest in...

Spinning and dyeing.

This weekend, I did both.  I dyed roving with KoolAid, spun it, and plied it.  I still can hardly believe it.  As lumpy and bumpy as that is, it's a vast improvement over my first attempt.

Let this be a lesson that podcasts can be dangerous.  I've been listening to the Knitmore Girls and Stitch It, both of which talk a bit about spinning.  (No, no, no!  Cannot spin! Time spent spinning is time spent not knitting.)  But in the end the pull was too powerful and I gave in.

This is Geraldine (after the Vicar of Dibley).  She's my new pal and just the right size for a small house. She was used, but had only had one bobbin of fiber spun on her.

But fear not, knitting has been happening too.  I'm almost done with my Eyelet cardigan.

It's a much darker purple than this picture shows. 

I was planning to participate in the Henry VIII KAL on Ravelry.  I have the yarn wound and everything, but I just can't seem to get going.  I think I may not be in big project mode at the moment.  I think I'll spend the fall clearing some WIPs and knitting some CookieA socks.  And spinning.  I'm hoping to take a class next month.  There's a local teacher who has a full class, but is considering adding a second class. 

We went to a Civil War reenactment yesterday.  It's the first time we've gone to one  They were reenacting the Battle of Corydon, the only Civil War battle in Indiana.

I thought the encampment was more interesting than the battle.

We're heading to a small fiber fest in Michigan next weekend.  (Activity two weekends in a row!)  Pictures next time!