Category: Craft

Sock progress

On By CarynIn Craft

I cast on a new pair of socks the day after I finished the previous pair (that took me 13 months to knit). This time, though, I’m using self striping yarn, and an after thought heel to minimize fuss. I knit the toes individually with a solid color yarn, then I set them up on two circular needles and joined in the self striping yarn. Now all I have to do is knit, well, and some purls since I want some ribbing on the arch and top. When I get to the heel, I’ll knit in a piece of scrap yarn, then finish the sock. The heels will be last and knit individually.

Photo description: two striped purple socks partially knitted on two circular needles

I’m already making better progress, and I avoid the project less (although I’m not completely all in, I do have a few other projects in process.)

Finishing Jacob’s wool

On By CarynIn Craft

I transferred all my three-ply hand spun Jacob’s sheep yarn to my PVC niddy noddy.

Photo description: four shades of three-ply yarn on a very full PVC niddy noddy

I like the PVC niddy noddy because I can rinse the hanks while still on the niddy noddy. I usually let them dry there too, but I put too much yarn on and the noddy niddy came apart when I twisted it to dry, so I had to hang the hanks instead.

Photo description: large hank of hand spun yarn hanging on a circular drying rack

I am pleased that the yarn is well balanced. There are no kinks or twists, it is all laying nice and straight.

Photo description: closeup of hanks of all four shades after drying

Plying Jacob’s wool

On By CarynIn Craft

All the singles I spun with my Jacob’s wool from Sweetgrass farms had sat on their bobbins for a few days, so it was time to ply! I put a makeshift brake on the bobbins on their stands on the wheel. I used a cotton string and applied enough tension so that the bobbins will turn, but not spin freely. This saves me from future tangles.

Photo description: three bobbins full of spun singles on an Ashford Traveller spinning wheel
Photo description: jumbo Ashford bobbin full of three-ply Jacob’s wool yarn
Photo description: left over dark and silver marled yarn with the middle bobbin empty
Photo description: three-ply yarn made with two dark singles and one silver single
Photo description: left over yarn from round two of plying
Photo description: four bobbins of three-plied Jacob’s wool yarn in four colors

I used the silver single spun with the remaining two bobbins of dark colored singles, then when the dark ran out, chain plied the silver. I ended up with two jumbo bobbins full of three-ply yarn, and two regular bobbins half-full of yarn.

I need my bobbins free, so this yarn doesn’t get to let time set the twist. Next up is the niddy noddy.

Throwback Thursday: first ghost

On By CarynIn Craft

In October 2014 I made my first poultry wire ghost.

Photo description: shape of a young girl in a pioneer style dress shape with bonnet sculpted from poultry wire and standing in grass in a backyard

I had seen photos of wire ghosts and loved how the mesh looked etherial, especially at first glance in the dark.

Photo description: same wire sculpture installed in a front flower bed

One ghost led to two, as I wanted to make one larger.

Photo description: woman shaped sculpture made from poultry wire with the hands over her face

The idea to put the ghost’s hands over her face came from watching Dr Who and the weeping angels. It also solved the awkwardness of sculpting hands.

Photo description: weeping woman ghost in the front garden bed with a crown of leaves.

I had many requests for these ghosts, so I wrote instructions with tips and tricks, which has become my best selling item on Etsy.