DFW Fiber Fest 2013!

Posted on April 7, 2013 by compositions of wool

Oh my dear, neglected blog. A lengthier apology/explanation is due, but it’ll have to wait for a few more weeks while I wrap up what has been the busiest Spring I’ve ever had in my life. I popped in to talk/show pictures of this year’s DFW Fiber Fest! I can’t believe this is my third year in a row going and as always I splurged my heart out. This time I had more on my list of “to get’s” than just scouting for yarn. I’ve recently taken up spindling (something else I need to post about) and was on the lookout for new spindles and fiber. It was a great day for it.

Fiber from Two if by Hand (large braid) and Lucky Cat Craft (smaller braids), niddy noddy from Kromski…

…and these awesome spindles from Butterfly Girl Designs (far left) and Spinatude (the 2 on the right). Although I prefer turkish spindles, each of these were too pretty/interesting to pass up. I thought it was neat that the smallest on the left is actually heavier than the other 2. I’m still new so I wanted to have some variety around when I eventually do get better.

Yarn shopping wasn’t really on the agenda, but I made it through 5 minutes before I found some that I couldn’t live without and it was downhill from there. How could I pass up these 2 gorgeous skeins from A Thing for String with such names as Swamp Thing and Gentleman’s Club?

Or these 4 from Lost City Knits, Gynx Yarns, Gritty Knits, and Knitting Rose?

I ended up at Alisha Goes Around first and last on my walk through the vendor hall. And since this yarn isn’t found in the yarn stores I frequent in person or online I figured I should nab my favorite colorways lest I regret it.

Overall, I couldn’t be happier with everything I discovered at the fiber fest, it really is a good one to go to. There was so much variety in the yarns I’ve seen, more so than in the past. I hope you have a chance to look at each of the vendors I referred to above, they are all so nice and help make our crafting endeavors so much more fun. :)

FO: Perigee and Renfrew hats!

Posted on January 9, 2013 by compositions of wool

Hello 2013! I know this is over a week late, but sometimes it takes that long to catch up to a new year. Particularly one as busy as this one promises to be! I think it’s gone off to a good start though. I blocked several things over the weekend and am so happy to have these in working order. :)

First up, Renfrew by Jane Richmond –

This hat was one of the easiest and quickest knits I’ve made in a while. This pattern comes from Jane’s book Island (of which I previously reviewed). Raveled here.

The pattern has the knitter knit this inside out from the bottom, meaning most of it’s done in stockinette stitch and flipped inside out to reveal the reverse stockinette stitch as the main side. Pretty clever of Jane and I’m eternally grateful because I do not like purling in the round.

I used the suggested yarn this go around – Madelinetosh Vintage, a 100% superwash merino with 200 yards/skein (the hat takes less than a skein). The color is Flashdance and I was excited to use it since I’ve been hoarding it since last summer. The yarn has wonderful stitch definition and although it relaxed after blocking it still retained its integrity meaning it didn’t stretch ridiculously out of shape or grow to a completely different gauge. This hat is going to a raffle at work so I hope the person who wins it enjoys it as much as I did knitting it.

Next, Perigee hat by Amy Christoffers –

This hat was a revelation. I wouldn’t change anything about it and the suggested yarn (which I actually used!) is exquisite. I firmly believe it was my destiny to make this hat. I guess that puts a lot of pressure on it, but seriously, this is by far the most awesome hat I have ever made for myself. Why? Because I finally found a hat “style” that works for my head type. That may seem like an odd thing to say, but I’m sure everyone has worn hats that aren’t particularly flattering on them or do not fit well. This hat both is flattering (I think) and fits very well. Hooray for a new go-to hat pattern! Raveled here.

The pattern is very well-written and super easy to follow. I made it in about 3 days but could have done it in one if I hadn’t worked on other projects as well. I did the middle size (slouchy) and wouldn’t change a thing. There are instructions in how to make this as a beanie or even more slouchy.

As mentioned above, I had the luck of not only using the suggested yarn (Pigeonroof Studios Cassiopeia DK) but also in the same colorway as the sample knit (Inkpot). This yarn is wonderful, simply put. It has 75% Merino, 15% Cashmere, 10% silk and comes with 260 yarns/skein. I don’t typically knit with luxury-type yarns but this was a real treat. It blocked beautifully, the drape is perfection and there was absolutely no problem with dye runoff (a common fear with dark-colored hand-dyed yarns). All in all, a 10 out of 10 for this one!

I wanted to finish this off by showing how I blocked these hats. It was my first time using the balloon blocking method and was pleasantly surprised in how well it worked.

The balloons weren’t fully inflated. I made them wide enough to hold the hat on while it dried without stretching it completely out. I actually want to make more hats just so I can use this technique again, it was really fun!

2012, it was a very good year…

Posted on December 31, 2012 by compositions of wool

2012 was very good to me. I finished my 2nd master’s degree, moved to a new town, began working on a graduate certificate, and started a new job at a place I completely adore. I also produced and blogged about several finished objects of which I’m fairly proud of: my first complete quilt, an awesome lacey baby cardigan, and a grown-up cardigan for myself. Because I’m also fortunate to work at a place that gives their employees the week between Christmas and New Year’s day off, I’ve been able to finish several items before the start of 2013. Two pairs of mitts, two pairs of socks, a hat (the Perigee hat I wrote of last time is done and waiting to be blocked), a short scarf, and a shawl (also waiting to be blocked!) and yet I still have more UFOs to complete. However, I’m very happy with the progress. :)

I also declared that 2012 would be the year of socks back in February and challenged myself to learn how to make socks. Since then I’ve started 8 and finished 6.5 pairs of socks. Factoring the hectic nature of finishing grad school (and then starting it up again), moving, and starting a new job with less time to knit these past 5 months, I feel that finishing 6.5 pairs is pretty good. My socks using the top-down Hermione’s Everyday Socks pattern is only half complete. Raveled here.

I learned that I much prefer toe-up as the socks fit much better and are quicker to knit up. From what I understand Socks From the Toe Up by Wendy D. Johnson is the go-to book for making toe-up socks. My copy is getting pretty worn but I keep it nearby practically all the time now.

These are three of the pairs I’ve completed using patterns from this book. The fourth pair is still in progress.

I finished the ones in the middle first using the Gusset Heel Basic Socks pattern. I used Knit Picks Stroll in Merlot Heather.

These socks are machine washable and have gotten softer since I’ve made them. I messed up on the gusset of the 2nd sock but these socks are so comfortable I usually reach for these first when I want to wear socks.

I finished the socks on the far left just before the holidays started. These were made using the Slip Stitch Heel basic socks pattern and knit in Gynx Sock yarn in the Piccolo colorway.

I loved working with this yarn and am sad that it has been discontinued. Laura, owner of Gynx Yarns, still has some available in her etsy shop (as of 12/31/12) and I’m hoping to snag a few more before they get completely sold out. Her colorways are gorgeous though and from what I’ve heard her new bases are fantastic as well. I’ll have to grab a few of those as well. :)

Lastly, the socks on the far right were the most recently completed and the most time-consuming. The pattern is actually really easy, they are the Traditional Gansey socks toward the back of the book. I tried to do these socks 2-at-a-time and well, it just went really slowly when working that method. I finally separated them and zoomed through them within a day. Lesson learned.

I used the Madelinetosh Tosh Sock in Olivia I bought the day Madtosh opened. I love gansey patterns and the yarn really helped make the stitches pop. Next year I hope I can knit the rest of the gansey patterns from the book.

All in all, I really enjoyed the sock knitting experience and look forward to making many more socks in the coming years. They are indeed much more fun and comfortable to wear than commercially made socks. As for 2013 goals, that’s still up in the air. Suggestions and recommendations are welcome. :D

Year end stash enhancement!

Posted on December 29, 2012 by compositions of wool

Nothing perks up a knitter’s ears like hearing about a 40% off everything sale at their LYS. Even better is that LYS being Madtosh, my most beloved place in Ft. Worth, Texas, aside from my old apartment. I trekked over there this morning and was happy to see lots in stock still (the sale started yesterday). The sale ends today, though, at 6:30 pm (so if you happen to see this post 12/29/12 and live relatively close to Madtosh, stop reading this and get over there!!). It was a great morning and considering my usual…ahem…habit of buying far too much yarn, I was much more behaved and spent less than $40 (folks, I saved $22 though!). Since I have enough yarn to probably last me the rest of my life I spent my time looking at fabric and felt, and then of course looked at the yarn anyway. Can’t deny my true love, can I? I feel like I made out a like a bandit, though. So many pretties for not much dough. :)

Of course I picked up some more Tosh Merino Light mini-skeins. They were hard to resist, particularly being $1.80 a piece (they usually go for $3.00). I chose these 8 to take home.

I love these little tid-bits of TML, so absolutely useful. Soon I will reveal the shawl where I used several of these in a gradient version of my Technologic pattern. I just need to block it! :D

I also picked up ten sheets of wool felt. These are SO much more wonderful and easy to work with than any acrylic felt you’ll find at the larger craft stores. Clearly I had a certain color spectrum in mind since these colors look very similar to the TML mini-skein colors I chose as well.

A couple of fat quarters and a skein of Tosh Merino in Victorian Gothic round out the rest of the score.

The Tosh Merino will more than likely become these mittens that I hope to make for NaKniMitMo 2013. I think the one skein should work.

I’m so glad I had the opportunity to attend this sale. What a fun way to end the year!

Sometimes it pays to stay up late…

Posted on December 19, 2012 by compositions of wool

The weekend before last I was up until 2am for no reason other than not being sleepy. Usually I lay in bed with my iPad on my chest alternating between looking at Pinterest, Twitter, and Ravelry. That particular night I happened across a very recent tweet from Krista of Pigeonroof Studios saying she was selling a limited amount of grab bags of her yarn in her new online shop. Oh boy, I was all over it! According to the listing the grab bags valued at over $100 but she was selling them for a mere $35 each (not sure why other than because she’s AWESOME)! So yep, totally dropped that $35 in a blink of an eye because I love PRS yarns and I love yarny surprises. The package arrived in the mail Monday and I was overjoyed at each beautiful and squishy skein within.

From top left to bottom right: Siren Two Lace in Dolma, Cassiopeia Singles Fingering weight in Honey, Cassiopeia DK in Tideling and Cassiopeia DK in Inkpot.

I love each of the colors and am so excited to welcome these skeins into the stash. Since each yarn was labeled I was able to start trolling through Ravelry to look for patterns that would work. I came across this awesome hat by the brilliant Amy Christoffers called Perigee Hat.

(photo links directly to the Ravelry pattern page)

Her sample actually uses Cassiopeia DK in Inkpot so I’m taking this as a clear sign to make this hat.

The other three, I’m not sure yet but I’m sure there’s a project out there for them. For now I’ll be happy to occasionally pull them out and admire the gorgeous dye job. As the case with many beautiful yarns, the grab bags sold out quickly. I’m so thankful I was up late for no reason. :)

compositions of wool

Delving into the world of yarn and knitting…

DFW Fiber Fest 2013!

FO: Perigee and Renfrew hats!

2012, it was a very good year…

Year end stash enhancement!

Sometimes it pays to stay up late…

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