(no subject)

[oneroom]

Does anybody out there quilt? I'm not making a quilt, per se, but I am sewing some plaid flannel onto the back of a lightweight wool to make a blanket. I thought I might do some "quilting" on it - that is, sew designs through the whole thing to help it stick to itself. I don't know if this is clever or a terrible, terrible idea. I also don't know how to choose or make a design.

Edited: Simple embroidery. That's the solution. I'm doing swirls.

Comments

[nunofthat.livejournal.com]

Last week here at the farm we had a four day fiber instructional workshop, and one of the tracks was sock knitting (there was also weaving, spinning, or felting). I would stop in every day and see the participants' progress, and it was so fun. I am not there yet, and am quite content to let other people do the sock knitting, but it's fun to watch it all come together.

I hear tell that somewhere out there there's an old sock-knitting machine. I love this. If I had a herd of alpacas or sheep, I would totally get one of these, because I love warm, cozy socks for wintertime, but don't actually want to knit them myself. And it's more fun than sending it to the fiber mill. :)

[oneroom.livejournal.com]

Do you think I should start using a drop spindle? Or can I leave that to others, since I already have enough to do? It's just that every time I go to the yarn shop, the drop spindles are so pretty....

Dude. I will knit you socks. Sock knitting machines are like bread machines - just for weenies. :)

[nunofthat.livejournal.com]

I'd liken it more to my Kitchen Aid mixer, but that's just b/c I am uppity. ;)

Seriously. I sometimes get so wrapped up in my ridiculous DIY lifestyle, where instead of just buying a damned sweater I do things like shearing, skirting, picking, carding, spinning and knitting it. All by hand. And usually it makes me so happy to do it, and gives me such energy I cannot even tell you. But then I have days like today where I really wanted a bowl of creamy carrot-potato-dill soup and a nice hunk of zucchini bread, but after a long day of physical labor in the sun in the upper 90s w/ near 100% humidity, instead of going out to pick my onions and carrots and dill, and shredding zucchini and mixing up the bread, I came home and showered and, in spite of my gnawing hunger, passed out for like 5 hours. So I figure, I can get a sock knitting machine and not feel bad about it, especially if I bred the animal and fed and pooper-scooped etc etc for its entire life and sheared it myself, and ain't nobody from Seattle gonna call me a weenie for it. ;)

[oneroom.livejournal.com]

Omigod, do you have a Kitchenaid mixer? That is the one reason I would ever get married - just to get the Kitchenaid mixer.

Do you know about those vacuum packed soups? They aren't very good, but they aren't very bad, and if you add some fresh herbs, they pass for decent quick dinner. You should grab some for evenings after days of 90 degree farm work. For serious.

And lordy I would never call you a weenie. I am from the land of the lotus eaters and you pick up poop in an average day. The day I actually get off the couch on a ninety degree day to go care for a farm animal is the day I get to call you a weenie. Even if you do end up getting a sock machine. :)

[nunofthat.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the help. Usually, though, instead of buying lots of packaged stuff, I try to cook from scratch in quantity, and then refrigerate and freeze portions for later meals. So I can pull out and defrost a slice of meatloaf from the freezer, and warm up some carrot soup, and slice a cucumber, and voila, lunch. But sometimes that fridge is bare bare bare and I wish I had anything, even a vacuum packed soup.

To the grocery I go.

P.S. I bought the Kitchenaid for myself. Fuck some men.

[oneroom.livejournal.com]

I am all about the homemade and in the freezer dinners - I'm just saying I also like the back up of the store bought, every once in awhile. The other night I was so tired-and-hungry I ate a can of tuna fish. Plain. I forced myself to actually put it in a can and add salt and pepper, just to make it a little less pathetic.

PS - Re: the Kitchenaid, you're my hero.

Spindle --

[nunofthat.livejournal.com]

I'd say bypass the drop spindle and go straight for a spinning wheel. Ashfod wheels are nice -- they seem to be a good mix of quality and economy. Go for the double treadle. Report back. :)

Re: Spindle --

[nunofthat.livejournal.com]

That would be "Ashford."

Does your yarn shop have spinning classes? Wheels you can try out in the store?

Lots of people find spinning a meditative practice, in addition to being materially useful. People like Gandhi.

Re: Spindle --

[oneroom.livejournal.com]

They do have spinning classes, and spinning wheels. I always figured I needed to knit a sweater before I could take a spinning class. Spinning is for the serious fiber lover, not for a dilletante like myself.

But you woo me by mentioning Gandhi....

Re: Spindle --

[nunofthat.livejournal.com]

Do they have an open knitting/spinning/whatever night? That might be fun, just for the community.

But definitely, take the class. What's there to be intimidated by? All the spinning wheel does is aid you in the process of twisting fibers. That's what yarn is -- a hunk of twisted up hair. Be not afraid. And be not self-deprecating!

Gandhi loves you.

Re: Spindle --

[oneroom.livejournal.com]

I dunno if they have an open night - they probably do. I should find out, and also find out if it's child-friendly.

Gandhi's dead, but he does infect me with his earnestness. ;)

[nunofthat.livejournal.com]

Trade ya jam for socks?

[oneroom.livejournal.com]

Um, YES. Any time. What color?

[nunofthat.livejournal.com]

I love variegation, and I'm mostly into deep earthy tones -- greens, browns, etc. Lately my thing is shades of gray. Like the sweater I want to make next!

I wear a women's size 9.

Thank you!

I'll set aside some jars of jam, freshly made. Peach and blackberry and...

[oneroom.livejournal.com]

I found some yarn for your socks this weekend - it is not shades of grey, but I think you may like it anyway. :) I will knit fast so I can get some of that jam!

Is your heel (the back of your foot from where ever you think your heel starts, down to the floor) tall or short? Is your foot wide or narrow? And if you want a more perfect fit and are feeling energetic, you can measure the length of your foot from the back of the heel to the tip of your toes and tell me the measurement(s) for one or both feet, and I can knit to order. I'm knitting top down, too - want an anklet or a mid-calfer?

[nunofthat.livejournal.com]

I can't wait!

This is so exciting!

Mid-calf, please.
My foot is narrower in the ankle but wide everywhere else.
I will have someone help me with all the measurements and get back to you on the rest ASAP.

Also, I just learned about the magic loop today. This is your technique, right? It's awesome and waaaay intimidating to me, but I can see why others adore it. :)

[oneroom.livejournal.com]

Magic loop is soooooooo easy, once you've got it. It's kind of like cheating. Seriously. The only thing I've had to be careful about is when I readjust the needles - when I've knit a side and go to the other side, I've not infrequently pulled the wrong side and ended up dropping my stitches. Annoying! Now I know to be extra careful.

I've got to (finally and really) finish B's second sock before I can start yours, but maybe I'll finish B's tonight. :)