PetuniaLu

Here are the sweet little socks that I am in the middle of. I think they are going to be so nice!

The pattern is a twisty stitch (yo k3tog yo) on every fourth row. They’re the Coquette pattern from the 2-at-a-Time Socks book by Melissa Morgan-Oaks. The yarn is Knit Pick’s Palette in Clematis Heather. I bought 6 different colors of the Palette because I wanted it for another project, but couldn’t decide on the color… I am glad I bought it! It is a kind of a rough, earthy feeling yarn and it makes me feel happy. I love the little flecks of pink and green in this particular one- I am not sure if you can see them, but one day I am going to spin yarn that is lovely and heather!

Like I have mentioned before, I have plenty of wips, but here is what I have a picture of!

I dyed these at my friend Beth’s house on Sunday. They turned out very bright and completely unique. I am thrilled with them!

Tomorrow, pictures of my cute little socks! I have to focus on real life today, but I am trying to be more consistent and mindful here in this space. Hope you like the tasty fiber treat!

So, I know I’ve been a very very bad blogger lately. Erratic posts, projects that drag on for ever and ever- who wants to read that? I suppose no one. I blame my lack of focus on Ravelry, really! I mean, wow! I get on there, and am lost for hours. I have found so many things I want to make. And then when I am not searching, I am adding projects and taking pictures and editing pictures (because I am not a great photographer!)… eeek!

I have actually been very busy in my blogosphere absence- I am working on a second pair of socks, and I’ve started a lace-work shawl, both from the yarn that I posted about in my last post (from knitpicks). The socks are the coquette pattern in the 2-at-a-time socks book from Melissa Morgan-Oaks. I really love that book- I know it is kind of straight forward methodology that can be applied to any pattern, but I like the feeling that she is holding my hand through the first couple of pairs. New, insecure sock knitter/perfectionist extraordinaire here! It’s funny that I would be so insecure about a simple thing like socks, but hey! I will get the hang of it and then be just as independent as ever. I find that I have a really hard time following most ever pattern that I find- even the easy ones- because I want to second guess everything and I start trying to do it by memory and forget steps. NOT GOOD! This has been a problem with the lace-work shawl. I am doing  the Kiri Shawl from All Tangled Up. I like the pattern, and on the whole, when I got over the whole trying to jump ahead of myself, it was very methodical and peaceful! I am not terribly far into it though, and I think I might frog it and try it on some larger needles- I am using 3.5mm addi turbo lace circulars, and I think I need them to be larger to really get the lace effect. Right now the pattern is just WAY to dense!

I started and frogged another harvey kimono- I realized I wouldn’t have enough yarn for the project! Sad day!

Yesterday, I went and had some play time at Beth’s! A group of us gathered in her kitchen to dye fiber with food safe dyes- mostly food coloring- and had  a whole lot of fun! I’ve really been enjoying my drop spindle (thank you, Beth!) and am patiently awaiting the day when I have my very own wheel. I have been researching them. So many choices! I wish I could go somewhere and try them all out- then I could make a more informed decision about them. But I think what will end up happening is I will find a used one in my price range, and that will be that. One day I can choose the wheel of wheels, but for now I will be so thrilled when I bring home my own. Oh little wheel! I am waiting for you! And I have a spot in the house all picked out for you! We are going to be great friends indeed!

Beyond all of these things, I have just been spending a whole lot of time in my garden. My dad came down over the weekend and helped me build a raised bed for veggies. As this is an entirely different subject, I will let you read about it as you like on my other blog

I am empty handed at the moment regarding pictures. What a shame!!! I have taken a few shots of my dyed fiber, and will have them to show soon. I just feel like I am behind in everything that I am doing, so let me catch up. The silence is once again broken here at PetuniaLu, and hopefully I can gain some momentum for blogging as I organize my projects and focus!

I had a busy busy weekend! For quite some time now, I have been interested in the dying and spinning process of fiber arts, and over the past week I have spent some time with some folks from the local fiber guild. I have not had such a satisfying weekend in quite some time! I was joking with one of the ladies that I am serious danger of fiber addiction, and I think I may have reached the point of no return.

We had beautiful weather for our dying project over the weekend. We spent Saturday and Sunday experimenting with plant-based dyes. This was some of our yield for our Indigo lot. We dyed everything from raw silk and wool to spun wool and even some long swaths of silk fabric and hand made paper. The Indigo was our biggest experimental dye because the dye was so long lasting. I think we used it for probably at least 7 total baths. The end baths were very light, of course, but we had so much fun with it.

We also used Madder, Osage Orange, Logwood, and Cochineal, and it was fascinating to see how the dyes affected the different fibers. I didn’t get as many pictures on day two, which is the day we spent using these dyes- I as too busy bouncing back and forth from dye pot to dye pot and rinsing fiber.

Today has been productive as well;-) I finished my socks a few minutes ago- they have been sitting all weekend without toe decreases! I am a bit frustrated at the toe grafting method that was in the pattern, but my next pair of socks will be different. I am having trouble uploading to flickr at the moment, but I will add the socks picture as soon as I resolve the problem.

While I was finishing my socks, look what came!

This will be a beautiful shawl one day. I am thrilled with it- it will be my first lace project!

I suppose that is all that I have report right now, except that I have recently bought a drop spindle from my new spinning friend, WhorlingTides, and am practicing my drafting and spinning, so that I will be ready to learn on a wheel soon! I am really excited about this, too!

I am taking a short break from my jacket. I am still enjoying it, but I have unfortunately lost my place and have to find it again. I may need to start the front over again, which isn’t that big a deal except it is just that much (a few hours) set back, and I am a bit sad. At least it isn’t a really giant setback!

In my short break, I am making my first pair of socks! Take a look!

I have wanted to make socks for quite a while, but I was afraid that I would fall down the sock hole and never come out again! You know- you fall in love with a type of project so much that you can’t face anything else and you become completely obsessed? Well, I do love the socks. I don’t think I am unrecoverable. I predict that I will always have a pair of socks going, but I still have interest in many other things. Whew! That was scary!

Last night, I went to Barnes and Noble, where my friend Heidi was meeting some of her spinning buddies. What a thrill! Spinning! I am going to learn. They are having a dying party this weekend, and I am taking some white Tahki cotton, some beautiful worsted weight Heidi original Alpaca, and some fabric. This is why socks are not taking over my life! I am so in love with fiber. Last night I held some unspun bamboo in my hand, and I was in love. Instantly in love. I want to hold more…