Easter spinning

I got some lovely hand dyed Blue Faced Leicester roving from Unwind Yarn and Gems. I think it's the perfect colour for Easter and totally makes me think of spring :)



Happy Easter everyone!

Socks... almost

When I got my first spindle a few months ago, one thought jumped into my head and I had to try it.

I wanted to make a 3-ply sock yarn.

From what I read, you need a number of things to make a good sock yarn. First, thin singles with LOTS of twist.



Some folks say that this is best achieved on top whorl spindle. But I like to do things my own way, so I used my Turkish Delight (the middle size of my three turkish spindles). I made sure to add extra twist.


Next it's good to use a durable fibre. Cashmere, silk, etc will wear out really quickly. I chose Falkland wool, which is a longwool (I think...) and when I felt it, it seemed really sturdy.

Lastly, lots of twist when plying. That's where I'm at now. :) I'm using my "comets" top whorl for that. It spins fast and long and I love plying on it. I think the plied yarn is looking really good and it looks like it's the about sock-yarn weight!!! (somewhere between fingering and sport)



The only thing left after I ply is to knit a pair of socks... I think I even know someone who would thoroughly enjoy a pair of handspun GREEN socks. (The yarn is actually greener than the photo would have you believe.) If only I could remember her shoe size...

OMG I'm such a geek.

So I bought a new bottle of vitamins and there was this big wad of cotton in the bottle.


I normally throw this cotton in the garbage. But then I thought:

Gee I could spin that!

I'm so incredibly pleased with myself.
I think I might need to change my blog to Allison's Knitting and Spinning Addiction. The "spinning" part is getting a little out of hand...

And CANADA takes GOLD!!!!!

Well the olympics are officially over. I feel such as sense of pride. Team Canada really did an amazing job on home turf. 14 Gold medals, 26 overall! I feel so happy to live in this great country :)


Though it doesn't compare to the trials and triumphs of the athletes, I completed my socks tonight while watching the closing ceremonies.


There were a few set backs early in the first week. I had to rip back the snowflake bit on the first sock and re knit it on bigger needles. And today I ripped back and redid the first toe. But I persevered and the really are the perfect Canadian socks :)

It's been a great Olympics, Canada! Good work!

Day 3- Progress report.

I spend yesterday doing two things: knitting my olympic sock and writing my thesis proposal. Much progress on both!


Too bad the US stole Gold from Canada in ladies' free style skiing last night though... :-(

The Knitting Olympics

So before Ravelry had the Ravelympics (rav link), the Yarn Harlot started the Knitting Olympics, which happens every four years at the same time as the Winter Olympics. Basically you start a project during the opening ceremonies, knit for 16 days and (hopefully) finish before the flame goes out. I didn't sign up in 2006, but I'm signing up this year. I love the simplicity of it.

I have to do something to support team Canada for Vancover 2010!!! I'm going to knit these socks, in alpaca yarn from Manitoba. They have a snowflake on them :) Perfect! And it will be a challenge!

I'll try to post some photo updates. :)

Knitting Ecology

The biological definition of ecology is "the relationships and interactions of living organisms with each other and their environment". Ecology is my field of study but I have discovered it is also my philosophy. There are many types of ecology; biological: population, community, landscape, field, behavioural, animal, plant, soil etc. and also anthropological: human ecology and cultural ecology.

I propose a new category: Knitting Ecology.

You see, knitters are connected through time and space, with other knitters, with the animals and plants from which fibres are collected, with people who craft the tools we use to knit and spin. Even the fabric itself is made of interconnected loops of yarn. Knitting, to me, is all about relationships and interconnections.

Knitting brings people together across time because it is such an ancient art form with a long and varied history. It also connects generations: my grandmother, my mother and me, and also to my niece (since I have no children yet). The connections are in the teaching and in the heirlooms and patterns passed down. My grandmother taught me to knit in 2005. My mother, before she passed away, crocheted me afghan. I will knit things for my children, and my nieces and nephews, and teach them to knit.

Knitting also provides a way to connect spiritually. One can take on knitting as a mindful meditative activity, or one can use knitting to comfort and pray for others, like in the knitting of Prayer Shawls. I'm part of a prayer shawl knitting group at my church and I know that the shawls bring great comfort to those who receive them.

Knitting can also cross cultures. A Korean woman from my knitting group was having trouble reading an english lace pattern, so I helped her understand the pattern visually, with no need for language.

Knitting can connect you to the resources you use. I used yarn from handspun yarn from Sheeples for my sweater. I visited alpaca farms and made new friends there. (I've talked a lot about the things I'm knitting for WillowWind.) Through that knitting I feel connected to the natural world and the fibre I'm using because I've met the animals who produce it as well as the people who tend them. I also ordered a spindle from Jenkins Turkish Spindles, which is made from a so-called "weed tree" in their part of the world, the big leaf maple. I felt good about my decision to stay away from the rare exotic woods and use a sustainably harvested wood source instead.


Finally knitting bridges space, both geographical and emotional. I have a friend who lives far away and I wasn't able to visit her when she had her daughter, so I knit her something to stay connected. Recently I found out that my mother-in-law, whom I've never met or spoken to, has been knitting all her life. Knitting provided a way for us to connect.

Knitting can mean so many things to so many people but to me, the connections are what makes the craft truly meaningful.

Happy knitting :)