Twisted Stitches

That’s right, not just “the knitting is done” but actual finished projects! Granted, they’re small projects, but they’re done nonetheless. The first was a staghorn cable coffee cup cozy I knit up out of a tiny bit of leftover Bernat yarn from years ago. I actually finished the knitting part a week or two ago, but I only stitched it together and wove in the ends at this week’s knit night. The second is the first of my charity knitting for the year: a basic 2×2 ribbed beanie. I don’t have much heavy yarn (my stash is nearly all lace and sock weight), so I went to one of the local shops and picked up a skein of Bernat Jacquards. I’m not usually a fan of self-patterning yarns, but the colours and price both appealed, so I thought I’d try it. As it turns out, knitting it at a different gauge than it calls for breaks up the patterning just a bit – enough that I quite liked the results, and went out to buy a second ball! I finished knitting this one at knit night too, and also wove in all the ends. Woo! I’m on a roll!

Well, maybe not rock, but… I did start the first of my charity knitting projects for this year: a Just Your Basic Beanie (Ravelry link), and only after finishing another project, so I’m on top of at least a couple of my knitting resolutions! And I’m blogging about it, so there’s a third. Now, if only I could remember to take photos during the day so I had some visual appeal to my posts, I’d be set!

I promise I’ll post with pictures by this weekend… The days tend to get away from me when I’m at the shop.

These quick projects really are getting me motivated to knit more again – exactly what I’ve been needing lately. And tonight was our store knit night, and it’s exciting to see new people picking up new skills, too… I don’t know why, but someone’s enthusiasm over learning a new technique somehow spills over and reminds me of why I love fiber crafts. Our little group, which was often just 3 people last winter, is now often over 10, sometimes more. While it’s not as relaxing as it used to be (since we’re also running the store at the same time), it is so much fun! The enthusiasm I see in this group and in our knitting 101 students has rekindled my love of knitting in the past few weeks, and I couldn’t be happier!

May they rest in peace…

I went to put these on earlier this week, and noticed a problem:

These socks – my very first pair -

now look like this:

I’m kind of sad… I didn’t love the yarn as I knit it, and was only moderately happy with the socks when I completed them. I wore them once, and accidentally through them in the dryer, but then, suddenly, they were amazing. They didn’t shrink or felt, but they came out so soft and supple, it was like it was a completely different yarn. All of a sudden, these “meh” socks became “wow” socks! And with that first heel especially, there’s really no point in darning the holes, since the whole heel is thin and worn and about to go.

RIP old friends… you will be missed…

Time to turn over a new leaf… or an old skein. I don’t normally do the whole “New Year’s resolutions” thing, but this year, I’ve decided to take more time for crafts and blogging. I’ve also decided that I need to tackle some of my oldest UFO’s. To motivate me toward that end, I’m only allowing myself to start a new project once I’ve finished (knitted or ripped out) at least one old one. So… you may begin to see lots more photos and posts about old projects I started years ago. And a few new ones! Or perhaps posts about my forays into teaching knitting and crocheting, or even a few designs that have been stewing in my brain for a while. Mmm… brains! Well, that’s it for now! See ya soon!

Well, I was done my Christmas knitting because I had planned to knit something for the adults in my family, and buy something for the kids. I was skyping with ym niece this week, though, and I got this crazy idea that maybe I could tackle one more project before the holidays. Have you seen the “Hey, Mickey” pattern (Ravelry link here and Knitty link here). It’s adorable to start, but I saw better pictures on Ravelry, and it’s just too cute not to try and have it done before I go home!

So yesterday afternoon, I headed off to B&T to find some worsted weight purple yarn. I did some gauge swatches when I got home, asked my sister for some measurements, and today I’m casting on. I think I’ll do it in 2 colours, since perian had a ball of the same yarn in light grey that she’s willing to let me have, kind soul that she is! So, I’m off! Am I crazy tackling another knit Christmas present at this late date? We’ll see!

Dad’s Toe Armour – now complete!

One down one to go. Well, I actually finished this sock for my dad about a week ago, and started on the second sock a few days ago. Yesterday, I was happily knitting away, finishing the heel, when… horror! I noticed that my 2x1x2x2 rib was actually a 2×2 rib on the instep of the second sock!! Now to decide whether my dad would even notice, or if I want to start over to match the first one. I do like the look of the first… We’ll see…

Faking Sanity now has 100% more yarn! We thought we’d share this yarnie goodness on our craft blog. We have Malabrigo, as well as a small assortment of other sock yarns and a bit of laceweight, too! We’ll have an assortment of cool new needles and accessories in the coming weeks, but we thought we would tempt you with our pretty woollies in the interim!

You know what that means, right? Knitting season is officially here!

We just started our second Knitting 101 class at the shop this past week. I had forgotten how much I enjoy seeing new people get into knitting. It was so much fun. As our friend Anne puts it, we have to “keep spreading the virus”!

The class was an absolute blast. It’s a larger class this time around, so I recruited perian to help, and it was a great success. I can’t wait for Monday to roll around again! I also got to rave about Ravelry as part of the class, which is awesome in all sorts of ways. I think the best part was how enthusiastic everyone was. We provided a 50 gram ball of yarn to start, and one student asked if she knit the whole thing between the first and second class, whether she should tear it all out or if she could get more yarn. Hmm… I sense a challenge! Actually, all the ladies caught on really well, and everyone was laughing all evening, so it was a really fun evening.

Some of our knitterly friends have also been listening to us drop hints about new things happening at the shop. Faking Sanity, which started as hand-dyed yarns and knitting accessories before it was a bookstore/cafe, is returning to its roots. We’re just waiting on our last shipments to arrive, and in the next few weeks, we’ll be rolling out our new yarn and knitting section! We’ll have an assortment of sock and lace weight yarns to start, from pretty but basic Araucania Ranco, to luxurious Malabrigo, to yarns with a more modern twist, such as Tofutsies, or Austermann Step, which is infused with aloe and jojoba. And lots more to come, so stay tuned! We’ll also be carrying an assortment of interchangeable circular needle styles, dpns and crochet hooks. The most exciting addition to the needles for me, though, is the cubic circular needle. I just played with a sample one for a bit last night, and I think I might love it!

We’ll be posting an announcement once we launch this, but wanted to give our loyal readers the opportunity to hear it here first!

In somewhat related news, we’ll be starting a Ravelry group for the shop to discuss all things knitterly, so let us know if you would like an invite to the group once it’s up and running.

I’m trying to make Christmas gifts for everyone on my list this year. We’ll see how that goes, since this is only the first complete one, and I haven’t even figured out what the others will be. There may be books in store for the several of them!

At any rate, my first Christmas gift is done, and I even got the ends woven in, which is a big deal for me. Oh, how I hate finishing! I do love this pattern, though; it’s such a fun knit, and quite quick given the worsted weight yarn, and the fact that I can do the cables without a cable needle for this particular one. I used some handspun I purchased at a Fibrefest a few years ago for this Koolhaas for my dad. I like the result: the lines are much softer than they would otherwise be, but the effect is still pleasing, and my dad will love the colour. And yet, now that I think about it, perhaps this could be for my brother in law, while my dad gets some worsted weight socks? Hmmm….

We try to keep this blog to our crafty sides, rather than cluttering it with our business stuff. However, since Faking Sanity first started as hand-dyed yarns and knitting accessories, we thought this one might fit here as well as on our business blog.

While the Faking Sanity Yarns are taking a back seat right now due to the time it takes to run the Faking Sanity bookstore/cafe, there is still knitting!

We’re currently planning our second Knitting 101 class to take place this fall, we have a weekly Knit Night that is slowly growing, and we’ve even got a few skeins of Faking Sanity yarns. But the big news? The BIG news? You can now get Namaste bags in Dawson Creek! Our first shipment flew out the doors, but we’ve gotten a new shipment this week, and we’ll have more again by the end of the month. Here’s a sneak peek at a few:

So, if you’re in Dawson Creek, why not hop over to our store blog or Facebook page and stay up to date on the new stock as it arrives… or pop in and have a look for yourself.

Oh, and I’ve been knitting too! I’ve started a Koolhaas for my dad. I had forgotten how much I love this pattern. This one will have slightly softer lines due to the use of handspun yarn, but now that I’m starting with row 1 of the pattern (don’t ask!), it’s looking great. I’ll try to have pics for you once I get home from tonight’s knit night.

It’s fall fair season! Our little Faking Sanity knit night group submitted several items to the Dawson fall fair this year. I was sad when we went to look at all the handicrafts that there was so little submitted, though. There were so many categories without a single entry.

Given the categories available, and my limited knitting time these days due to long hours at the shop, all I had to submit was a shawl. I finished knitting this one in February this year.

While the shawl design itself is quite simple, I’m proud of this one because I dyed the yarn as well. In a fair with more competition, it might not have gotten much notice, but it was good enough for a third place ribbon in the “fancy knitted sweater or other clothing” category up here in Dawson.

Because I was so dissapointed at the lack of participation in the handicrafts competitions this year, I’ve promised myself to submit something in at least one more category next year (hopefully more). Now, it’s your turn! I’m challenging the rest of our little group to do the same. Half the fun of the fair was walking through the buildings to see all the exhibits that were there. Let’s make sure we do our part so that these competitions and exhibits continue in the years to come!

Way back in 2007 I started a Dragon Scale Scarf by Bad Cat Designs (ravelry link). I stopped working on it pretty quickly as I was bored with it, but I just picked it up again after 3 years or so in hibernation. As with pretty much any pattern I knit, I made a few modifications… I changed the border from 4 to 6 stitches on either side and 4 to 6 rows on each end and cast on 65 stitches instead of 40 to make it a bit wider. I also changed from a lace weight to some Lorna’s Laces sock weight. See?

The yarn is nice enough to knit with, but the colour isn’t really me. It’s a little less orange than in the first picture, but more so than it appears in the second. Also, the purples and browns appeared pretty subtle in the skein, but show much more once knit up. I’m not sure this colourway is the best fit for this project. My grandma and mom both love oranges and reds, though, so I’m thinking this one will be a gift once it’s complete.

We decided to subtly introduce the city of Dawson Creek to the art of yarn bombing! Have a peek.

These flower boxes outside the store normally have ceramic gnomes and mushrooms. They gained a few knit flowers for the event, as well as a knit mushroom. There was also a giant crocheted snail in the window just behind them (left inside due to the fact that it was on loan from a knit night regular, and that we weren’t sure whether it would start raining during the event).

Inside the store we had several vases of knit flowers, as well as many knit items on display, loaned from our personal project stashes, and those of our regular knit night attendees. Unfortunately, I didn’t get pictures of those onto this computer yet. I could have sworn I had, but I guess I’ll just post those pictures in a new post later. The mushroom and most of the flower vase flowers were done by blog co-author Perian and I, while the flowers and snail in these two pictures were done by our most regular knit night attendee, who had never heard of yarn bombing, but was thoroughly enjoying it!

We also bombed the tree outside the store. Pretty small scale as far as yarn-bombing is concerned, but you should have seen the stares and laughs as people saw it! I think it was a success for this small city! Here’s a wider shot of the whole tree. There’s a crocheted wrap for the tree trunk (in red and black, of course!) and an assortment of leaves, flowers and butterflies. Many of the leaves were green, so not very visible now that the tree actually has leaves. We also did a wrap and butterfly for the lightpost on the corner, but they were taken down before I had a chance to get a picture.

And here’s a close up of some of the flowers and butterflies in the tree. You can also see a leaf  and finger-knitting strand ( knit by our youngest WWKIP attendee – 6 year old Seby) in the background.

A while ago, I thought I’d try spinning. I bought some beautiful bamboo to spin, then I signed up for a class. Then, I bought a spindle, and another. After that, I bought a wheel. Then another wheel. (And a shwack of fiber throughout). Then I packed to move to BC, and started a new business and haven’t spun since. Boo! Hiss!

Tonight, though! Ah! Tonight, I put my wheel back together for the first time in a year, attached a leader and started playing. First I spun some soft, fuzzy brown jabob. Then, I dug out some of my more exotic spinning fibers for show and tell tomorrow at the store, and thought, “Hey, I haven’t tried spinning that corn silk yet” and spun some of that. I don’t know what I’d use the yarn for, but it’s so shiny and pretty, and very easy to draft. Then, I dug out the remainder of the original bag of BFL that Spinknit gave me with the wheel I bought from her, and now, I have the pretty on my bobbin. I love BFL. I love how it drafts, how it looks, how it feels. I love that this blue/pink/purple batch reminds me of my friend whenever I pick it up. I love that I can still spin “with” her, even though she is so far away!

PS: It really was very little spinning of each, as it’s been kind of hectic at the store. Tomorrow is our WWKIP/yarn bombing event, so we’ve been busy crocheting and knitting and decorating the store with all our handknits (which meant weaving in millions of ends and blocking thousands of projects… or so it seemed)! Check it out over at our store blog: Faking-Sanity.net. I promise though there will be a knitting and crochet related post soon, as we got some new stuff done for the store event tomorrow, and I’m slowly making progress on my Phoenix Rising shawl, too.

My 1st Year of Lace shawl is going great. This week, I finished the final repeat of the body chart, and have started the set up for the edging. Know what that means? I’m sitting at about 50% completion – only 40,000 or so stitches to go! Whee!

Now, because I am… me… and there is no known cure, I just spent the past two days looking at knit and crocheted flowers and plants to start a new project. We’re planning a WWKIP event for the store, and were thinking it would be fun to yarn bomb it too, with tons of crocheted “flowers” and “potted plants”. I found a few cute patterns, so I’m setting aside my Phoenix Rising in order to work on those for a week or so. The store will look so awesome! After that, the countdown from 40,000 stitches will resume.

I seem to have knitting ADD lately I’ve started to many new project and haven’t finished one (except socks but they don’t really count). I have now cast on the POLE pattern in my pretty new Tanis green label yarn and so far so good, the pattern has been easier then I thought. Hopefully I will actually finish this one in time to wear it for cool summer evenings.

Well this past weekend we went to Toronto and I decided to go to The Purple Purl to see if they had the yarn I wanted to start making the Pole pattern that I bought a little while back. I wasn’t going to do it but I bought some yummy yarn to use and now have skeins to make into  balls so that I can get started. I might just wait until Rowan is home with me and she can do the winding for me she likes to use the ball winder. no pictures of the yarn but it is purple and I love it. Can’t wait to get started on it.

The shawl on which I was working when my needle broke? The shawl on which I picked up the last life line, from which point I’ve reknit the next 4-5 rows 4-5 times? Yeah. I have the first 4-5 rows of the repeat memorized, so I don’t really look at the pattern chart for those, except for the centre panel. So, after the needle broke, I paintakingly picked up the hundreds of stitches on the lifeline, and started knitting away. When I got to row 5, approaching the centre panel and looking at the chart more closely for the first time, I didn’t have the correct number of stitches. When I looked at the rows beneath it, I realized that was the case since the lifeline, so I took it off the needles and picked up the lifeline again and started over. I’ve been working on the shawl at our store knit night lately, so when I had the same problem at row 5 again, I thought I had gotten too involved in conversation, and tore back to the lifeline once more. I did this one more time, and again had the same problem. It finally dawned on me that I should probably read the pattern for the first row to make sure I had it right. I did, by the way! Do you know what I didn’t have right? The *plain* purl row the life line was through! Somehow I had purled a yarn over and the following stitch together as one without noticing, and obviously that was causing all my problems. Now, I won’t say this is an extremely difficult lace pattern, but it is large and detailed. The fact that I’ve ripped back this repeat 5 times because of a mistake on a plain purl row and not a pattern row is just… mind-blowing. I’m now starting the repeat for a fifth time; the lifeline row error is now fixed though, and I’m confident I’ll make it at least to row 6!