This month we talk about FINISHING! I'll show you some of my recent finished objects; my favorite bind off; weaving in ends; soaking and blocking your finished items; adding buttons; and what do YOU do with all the finished things?
You can find me on Ravelry and Instagram as denmoma; join the group on Ravelry and Facebook, just search DenKnits; or subscribe to the YouTube channel. My Etsy store is at etsy.com/shop/DenKnits
Welcome (back)! This video begins season 4 of DenKnits and a new format. Videos will be uploaded on a monthly basis and have a focused topic up for discussion.
This month we talk about HANDSPUN! I'll show and discuss all the finished skeins from January along with finished knits out of handspun, other patterns good for handspun, fiber acquisitions, tools and tips!
You can find me on Ravelry and Instagram as denmoma; join the group on Ravelry and Facebook, just search DenKnits; subscribe to this channel or follow along at denknits.blogspot.com
Shawl design out of handspun 3-ply to 2-ply from SpunRightRound
Spinning
It's Tour de Fleece! Somehow related to a bike race that I don't know anything about, I decided to join Team Phoenix Rising 2015 because she created a Facebook group and I like her fibers :-) My goal is to spin all of my two Spin This Box fibers and I started with prepping some of the braids on Friday. I'll mostly wheel spin but since I have some days I won't be able to use my wheel, I will also be using my TurtleMade spindle.
Christmas in July / Birthday Month
Like my Facebook page and / or follow my business Instagram account to see the daily highlights. Patterns that are free will be highlighted as well as paid patterns that will be discounted. I'll also have specials on finished knits for sale for non-knitters and maybe even some handspun or other items knitters would like!
Chevron Cowl out of Desert Vista Dyeworks Worsted It!
Shawl design for Darn Good Yarn with their beaded silk lace weight
Weaving experiment
Works in Progress
Design for Darn Good Yarn with their Velvet Viscose yarn
Designing
I've been busy the past two weeks mostly working on designs, new and old. I had a lace shawl pattern released through Darn Good Yarn that was found to have an error. I talk about the process of reading your knitting and fixing designs.
Giveaway on my Facebook fan page for DenKnits will be running until tomorrow, Monday February 26, sometime in the evening. Become a fan and enter to win! You can get either the finished item or a kit to make the Asymmetricowl. If you don't win but would like to buy either of these, check out my shop on Square Marketplace.
Works in Progress
- Darn Good Yarn designs, recently finished the banana fiber version and a lux fiber version is currently being knit up
- TreLiz poncho design out of her DK weight yarn Tsunami colorway, frogged back to the seed stitch beginning and re-knit with different decreases; pooling is looking different but hopefully the flashes show up again!
- Measure in Love which you can get either through Ravelry or Megan's First Giving page by donating you will receive a coupon code for one hat download; I'm using my handspun batt from Joanna Spring of KnitSpinFarm to make the short cowl version of the pattern
- These are the Breaks is being knit up out of Reynolds Rapture (discontinued) for the KnitALong on Instagram #hooigkal2015 that runs through the end of February; all Oblivious Knits patterns on Ravelry are 50% off (no coupon code needed!) until February 1st
No other WIPs were touched in the past two weeks, nor was the wheel :-(
Needle comparision
- my old interchangable needle set from Clover Takumi
- my new purchase from Amazon ChiaGoo Spin
Ravelry groups/threads
- Podcast Junkies is a group that talks about podcasts, one thread in particular is an interesting read, especially for other podcasters 'What drives you crazy about podcasts'
- I've set up a thread in the DenKnits group'Give me YOUR opinions' for you to tell me how you enjoy the podcast (or what you don't!), but feel free to leave a comment on this blog post or the YouTube video
It's a small world...
Although I don't generally talk about podcasts I watch (that would take forever and a day!) I wanted to tell you about another podcaster because she is local to me, Erin Joy Knits, and as it turns out we had a previous connection!
I have a little bit of spinning I'm working on... Two braids from a Got Fiber? Friday sale on Facebook by Phoenix Fiber Co. spun together using a tip from Debcquilts
GIVEAWAYS!!! It's that time of year for gifts, right? There are three possibilities for you to win!
I don't know if I've ever digressed so much :-D This is a long one guys, but the last video was short, making up for it preemptively!
Finished Objects - I finished a Yoda hat for my cousin's toddler, it's a combination of this earflap hat and this Yoda hat. The fingerless mitts have been received, they're my creation with a touch of a MelTran pattern. I also got the Bender hat in the mail. This was all my design and I hope to write up a pattern because there weren't any knit choices on Ravelry already! The recipient of the Bender hat (who has also gotten other hats from me) happened to be by the Jagger Spun factory for work and thought to stop in and pick up a skein for me! Yay!!!
Works in Progress - The Easy Ripple Afghan is being crocheted for my son's teacher who is expecting a baby boy next month. I'm also still plugging away on my Highland Handmades socks, just my usual vanilla sock. My cousin's toddler is also getting a Mickey Mouse hat, I just need to figure out the ears! I'm also working on a test knit for CoggieTM, KaRi from The High Fiber Diet.
Spinning - Finished the merino from TreLiz, my favorite Greek fiber artist :-) The fiber spun on the wheel turned out deliciously but not the same weight as the spindle spun fiber.
Spinzilla - Go Team HappyFuzzyYarn!!! I finished two 4oz braids on the wheel, one was 242yd (presoak)(968yd submittable) and the other 282yd (presoak)(1128yd submittable). I also spindle spun on the road trip and managed to get through 3oz of another 4oz braid! I was able to 2-ply 178yd (presoak) and had 68yd of singles (presoak) (for a total of 602yds submittable). My total Spinzilla contribution was 2,698yds!!!
Stitches East - There was so much... I don't know what really needs to be notated here! Well, it was amazing to finally meet Darn Good Yarn and just soak it all in. I'm anxiously waiting for Stitches to post Fashion Show pics so we can all get a better look at our item as well as all the other gorgeous knitwear. I saw Wendy from Knit1Heart2, I chatted with A Riot of Color and got a sock blank & a button, I picked up a few minis from White Birch Fiber Arts and some fiber from Highland Handmades along with a button for being a podcast fan!
DGY Designing - A sweater I designed is being released soon from DGY, along with a felt ball CaPOWl (it's a cape/cowl type thing) and I have two items in progress and one more to get started! Expect lots from me through Darn Good Yarn over the next year or so :-)
KALs - RAL finished, Stashless group won, our group winner is...
- May-June is summer tops, any garment you would wear on top in the summer is eligible! Dip everywhere this is a popular KAL now :-). Consider making my Tulip Top and purchase for 1/2 price using the coupon code mentioned.
My Favorte Things - Current listings for buttons/pins and 3mo subscription to Knit Kits, includes pattern, yarn(s), and notion for 'That Sunset was Bananas', 'His and Hers llama hats' and 'Two in one' cowls along with a little surprise!
Welcome to the 10th video and the first of the new year! I decided this milestone was a good opportunity to make some changes... hopefully in a good direction!
One of those changes is... Show notes! But as before, if you have any questions feel free to reach out to me - denmoma on Ravelry or email me.
This weekend was the annual Michigan Fiber Fest which is held at the Allegan County Fairgrounds. It was my second year going, but my first year hardly counted. I had gotten the weekend mixed up and only realized late on Sunday, but decided to drive down and check it out anyway. It was an hour or two before the official closing time so many booths were gone or packing up.
Anyway, this year I really planned it out. We got to see a sheep shearing :
The rest of my adventures at the fest, including acquisitions, as well as other knitting talk can be found on these videos:
