Tessellation Nation - Progress on Bottom Left Corner

So I did a little redesign on my Tessellation Nation last week and maxed out the Medallion and Mandala flowers.  That did require me to rip out about a half dozen pentagons, but I’ve made good progress since the change.

The colors are not strictly correct - more of a suggestion, and I’m thinking of swapping the light and dark purple, but we will see what happens as I go.

Pattern:  Tessellation Nation by Sue Maton

Yarn:  Scheepjies Terrazo

Hook:  3.75 mm (F) and 3.5 mm (E)

Seahorse - Finished!

I really didn’t have all that much left to do, just the frilly bits, but it took me over a year to finally do it.  When I left off working on it I had completed the body and one of the side fins.  A couple of weeks ago I dug it out and did the little frilly bits by the eyes.  I didn’t bother blocking those before I sewed them on because I liked the look of them a little curly. I did the side fins and blocked them, and then finally did the dorsal fin.  That took me two tries to get it the right length.  I used the Long Dorsal Fin Style 1, level 1 and level 2 (the small and medium spikes), working a single small spike at the beginning and end, and working the medium spikes the rest of the way.  I did a slight modification to the pattern by skipping the slip stitch into the top of the tallest stitch in the spike - I didn’t like the look and it was a bit of a pain to work.  When I sewed the side fins on I did sew up the sides a bit so they weren’t so floppy.  I did not block the dorsal fin before I attached it.

Pattern:  Seahorse by Megan Lapp

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Luster Worsted

Hook:  4.0 mm (G)

Spinning Report - Skeins 10-13

I have been spinning regularly, every day, when possible.  I typically spin in the mornings, and usually for 30 minutes to an hour.  I find it very meditative, and it sets my brain (and mood) up nicely for the rest of the day.  Since my last spinning post on March 7, I have spun and plied over 800 grams of yarn.  All of these yarns were spun on my Kromski at a 12:1 ratio and plied on my Kiwi at a 9.5:1 ratio.

This is my 10th skein.  I went back to the Heinz 57, which I use as a sort of palette cleanser, and a way to reset myself after spinning a new base.  This skein came in at 135 yards and 86.4 g, or 1.56 yd/g and about 10 wraps per inch, so something between a worsted and a DK.  I dyed the skein with Plum from Wool Tincture Dyes.  I still have some variation in the dye take up, mostly where the ties are, even though I do try to tie loosely and I swish the fiber around in my dye jar.  I’m not overly concerned, as I’m not going for total uniformity.  Here is a picture of the skein untwisted.

Overall I am happy with both the singles consistency - there is not as much variation as I’ve had in the past, and the plying consistency.  I do like the set up I have with spinning on the Kromski and plying on the Kiwi.  I’m not sure what I will make with this yarn, but have been thinking about some fingerless mitts.

A little while ago I did an impulse buy of some of Rosie’s Multicolor Merino Tops from The Woolery, so I tackled them next and focused on my singles, trying to be consistent.  For each of the tops I used the same process:  I took the 250 g top out of the bag and shook it out, and then divided it into three equal sections length-wise.  Two of the sections I wrapped up in to a nest and set aside, then I took one section and divided it in half length-wise again, so that I had two pieces of top that were about the same length.  I then stripped the top in half, and then in half again, so I was working with about one quarter of the top at a time to keep the colors from blending too much.  All were spun using short forward draw and scotch tension.  I spun two bobbins from each of the three original sections of top, I wound the bobbins off the wheel and onto another bobbin and let them sit overnight (at a minimum) before plying.  I did not spin up all of the fiber and then mix the bobbins, which I know is recommended to minimize variations in the plied yarn by compensating for variations in the singles, but I wanted to see my inconsistency, not mask it.  I spun a section, and plied it, and then spun the next section and plied it, until I had spun and plied all three sections.

The first top that I grabbed was the Cornucopia colorway.

From left to right these are skeins 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d.  As I settled in to spinning this top my singles settled in to a slightly thicker diameter.  When I was plying the first two bobbins I had a break, which I didn’t fix, so I ended up with two smaller skeins.

Skein 11a came in at 49 yards and 26.5 g, or 1.84 yd/g

Skein 11b came in at 76 yards and 44.5 g, or 1.69 yd/g

Skein 11c came in at 145 yards and 89.7 g or 1.62 yd/g

Skein 11d came in at 130 yards and 89.8 g or 1.44 yd/g

Next I grabbed the Valentine colorway.

From left to right these are skeins 12a, 12b, and 12c.  The singles on these three skeins are far more consistent.

Skein 12a came in at 115 yards and 79 g, or 1.46 yd/g

Skein 12b came in at 111 yards and 79.6 g, or 1.4 yd/g

Skein 12c came in at 121 yards and 84.3 g, or 1.44 yd/g

The last top is the Purple Haze colorway.

From left to right these are skeins 13a, 13b, and 13c, and on these skeins I went back to a thinner single, even thinner than what I had achieved on the first colorway.  I wanted to see how thin I could comfortably and consistently spin on the 12:1 ratio whorl.

Skein 13a came in at 154 yards and 78.1 g, or 1.97 yd/g

Skein 13b came in at 176 yards and 82.5 g, or 2.13 yd/g

Skein 13c came in at 161 yards and 83.6 g, or 1.93 yd/g

Overall, I am very happy with my spinning and plying on all of these skeins, and with the greater consistency I am achieving.  Although I have no idea what I want to make out of these three sets.

After finishing up these three tops I decided to go down a whorl size, so I set up with my 16:1 whorl and started spinning some more Heinz 57 top.  I haven’t finished my first bobbin yet, but I do have two ply-back samples:

After looking at the first ply-back sample (top) I decided I needed a bit more twist in my singles, which you can see in the bottom ply-back sample.  I’m pretty chuffed with the fineness I am achieving.  These are still short forward draw, although I did do a few inches of long draw just to see how it felt and looked - and it felt and looked pretty good.  Once I have spun short forward draw on all of my Kromski whorls (after the 16:1, I will do the 20:1), I will go back to the biggest whorl and practice long draw on all of them.

Tessellation Nation - Bottom Left Corner Started!

Last Tuesday I finally started working on this project in earnest.  I have a design, with basic (frame) colors picked.

And I have bought a pallet of yarn in colors that I like that more or less corresponds to the colors in my design.

So last Tuesday morning I pulled out skeins and started arranging them into colorways and came up with the color scheme for the lower left corner.

I’m not sure if the first two pentagon circles that I made will make it into the blanket now, but that is okay.  So far I’ve only been working the Pentagon 1 pattern, which has double crochets for round two.  There is also a Pentagon 2 pattern that has puffs for round two and the pattern recommends that you try to use them in roughly equal proportions.  But when I made a Pentagon 2 and started to join it to one of my Pentagon 1 circles I just didn’t like it.  I’ve been putting off working the Pentagon 2 pattern because I’m just not a big fan of puffs.  I’m thinking about just not doing any of the Pentagon 2 pattern, and leaving all of the texture for the flowers.  Now that I’ve worked all the pentagons in the bottom left corner I’ve started working my way to the right, where I need to transition to the purple frame color.  So I’ve pulled out my purples and added them to my color lineup.  I’m going to keep the interior colors the same, I think, and just change the frame color.  We’ll see how it works out.  There is a lot of “figure it out as you go” with this blanket, which means that I’m taking things slow and letting ideas marinate and inspiration come as it will.

Pattern:  Tessellation Nation by Sue Maton

Yarn:  Scheepjies Terrazzo

Hook:  3.75 mm (F)

Lightning Thief - Third Chart - One Repeat Done!

Last night I finished up the first repeat of the third chart.  My yarn usage looks to be on target for the large size.  So far it has been pretty easy knitting, and the yarn is certainly a dream to work with.  I haven’t been working as much on this project because I’ve been working on my Tessellation Nation.

Pattern:  Lightning Thief by Lily Go

Yarn:  Araucania Yarns Huasco Multy Botany Lace

Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Lightning Thief - Second Chart Done!

I’ve been working on this project because I can read when I’m working the wrong side rows.  It is also pretty good television knitting.  So, I have finished the second chart and am on to the third, which I will repeat at least once.  I’ll check my yarn usage after the second repeat and see if I have enough to work a third.

On another topic, my cat, Jezebel, slept most of the night on my chest, and in the early hours of the morning moved to the foot of the bed to sleep by my lower leg.  Fortunately I do not move much when I sleep, and often sleep on my back.  It was quite nice to have a purr monster sleeping on my chest.

Pattern:  Lightning Thief by Lily Go

Yarn:  Araucania Yarns Huasco Multy Botany Lace

Needle:  US 5 (3.7 5 mm)

Lightning Thief - First Chart Done!

I have finished the first chart - rows 1-28.  Lots of beads, which makes for slow knitting.  I am adding the beads before knitting the stitch instead of after knitting the stitch, as called for by the pattern because I prefer doing it that way.  On row 15, where the pattern has you place a bead after working a knit two together (k2tog), I placed the bead on the second stitch, so that when I worked the k2tog the bead is on top of the decrease.  I’ll continue to do that for the next chart, which has beads on both k2tog stitches and slip, slip, knit (ssk) stitches.  For the ssks I’ll place the bead on the first stitch before I worked the decrease, so it will end up on top of the decrease.

Pattern:  Lightning Thief by Lily Go

Yarn:  Araucania Yarns Huasco Multy Botany Lace

Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Ibbi Socks - Finished!

And they are done.  I finished them up last night.  A pretty easy knit, and they worked up quickly, when I focused on them.  And they fit perfectly.  There are three other accessory patterns in the 2024 Advent - a cowl, a hat (both brioche), and mittens.  I have all the pattern pulled into knitCompanion, but haven’t set up the projects yet.  I’m not sure which one I want to do next.  I did grab one of the bags and pull out the yarn, and I’m pretty sure it is for the Cowl, so that will probably be the next one that I cast on.  Sometimes letting random chance decide is the best way to go.  Why waste energy on decisions that don’t really matter?

Pattern:  Ibbi Socks by Inge-Lis Holst & Katrine Hannibal

Yarn:  Onling No. 18

Needle:  US 1 (2.25 mm)
 

Ibbi Socks - Sock Two - Heel Turned!

While waiting for more colors for my Tessellation Nation I’ve been working on my socks, and have turned the heel on my right sock, and then some.  I also looked at the patterns for the other two accessories, and fished out the yarn for one of them.

On a totally unrelated note, my cat Jezebel slept in bed with me for about four hours this morning, for the very first time.  She came to me not quite three years ago as an adult, four year old, kittie, rescued from a neighbor who really couldn’t give her the home she needed.  She is a very sensitive cat, she hates loud noises, people wearing shoes, kids, strangers, and being picked up and held.  But she is also a very loving cat, and really wants attention from us, but on her terms, like laying on my chest in bed for pets, but not staying more than ten or fifteen minutes.  But this morning, around 12:30, she came and laid on my chest for about 15 minutes, even relaxing and dozing a little, and then she got up and instead of leaving, she lay down between my legs, and she stayed there until a little after five in the morning, when she got up to go pee.  It is quite a breakthrough for her.

Pattern:  Ibbi Socks by Inge-Lis Holst & Katrine Hannibal

Yarn:  Onling No. 18

Needle:  US 1 (2.25 mm)

Ibbi Socks - Sock Two - Cast On!

Having finished sock one, I cast on sock two yesterday afternoon.  I find that casting on the second sock right away (the same day, anyway) helps prevent second sock syndrome.  I have tried the two at a time magic loop, and didn’t like it, well, it was mostly the magic loop I didn’t like.  I prefer the two circular needles for my socks.  I have worked two socks at a time on two sets of circular needles, but am not crazy about that method either.

These socks are from the 2024 Onling Advent set.

Pattern:  Ibbi Socks by Inge-Lis Holst & Katrine Hannibal

Yarn:  Onling No. 18 in Color Rosa

Needles:  US 1 (2.25 mm)

Ibbi Socks - One Sock Done!

This is my “I don’t feel like working on any other projects but still want some fiber in my hands” project, so it isn’t getting worked on super consistently.  I tend to work on it in spurts - work the cuff, turn the heel and work the gusset, then work the foot.  Once I started working the foot I wanted to get it done so I focused a bit more on it and this morning I finished up the first sock.   I don’t do the standard toe shaping anymore if I can help it, instead I shape the toe to fit my foot.  Yes, that does mean that I have a left and a right sock, and I’m good with that.  It also means that I have socks that fit my toes very well.  I mean seriously, is anyone’s toes shaped the way most sock patterns shape their toes?  Custom shaping them is easy, it just requires a lot of trying the sock on between rounds to make sure that the decreases are working out properly.  Obviously most of the decreases happen on the very sloped part of the toes, and I work them every other row.

Pattern:  Ibbi Socks by Inge-Lis Holst & Katrine Hannibal
Yarn:  Onling No. 18 in Color Rosa

Needle:  US 1 (2.25 mm)

Tessellation Nation - And so it begins…

I have finally started working on Tessellation Nation.  Most of the motifs have been released, which will give my a lot of freedom in my assembly, although she does have a recommended order of construction, and I will follow it, to a certain extent.  I know that lots of folks are varying the colors in their pentagons, because the frame color is really the important one, but I like things a bit more orderly, so have not been varying mine.  I do have a layout and a general color scheme, but there are still a lot of things that I am sorting out as I go, so I am going slow, and letting the design and color decisions come naturally.  I have lots of other crafting projects that I can work on while my subconscious mind ponders the next step.  I am using the recommended yarn - Scheepjes Terrazzo.  I had ordered some colors to get me started, so that is what I’m working with for now, and ordered some more last week to help fill out my pallet.

I do think that this is going to be a grand adventure, and I’m going to savor the journey.

Pattern:  Tessellation Nation by Sue Maton of The Mercerie

Yarn:  Scheepjes Terrazzo 

Hook:  3.75 mm (F)

Lightning Thief - Cast On!

I have lots of yarn in my stash, and lots of yarn that was bought as a project, and I thought it was about time that I started knitting them up.  Being the methodical sort, and not wanting to make decisions, I simply grabbed my first box of fingering (I have a lot of fingering weight yarn in my stash), and pulled this project yarn out.  When I was stashing my yarn on Ravelry I identified the pattern if the yarn was bought for a specific project, so it was easy to do.

I bought this yarn from Earth Faire back in 2015, for the pattern Lightning Thief  by Lily Go.  The yarn is not the original called for in the pattern, or any of the yarns listed on the pattern page.  It is Araucania Yarns Huasco Multy Botany Lace and is categorized as light fingering.  The color is Teal and I have two skeins, so I’m making the large size of the shawl.  Having finished my Wallflowers and started my Tessellation Nation, I felt I had enough mental attention to add another knitting project to my current WIPs (now at 11, down from two dozen).  Yes, I know I could have continued finishing up WIPs, but sometimes you just want to start something new.

Pattern:  Lightning Thief by Lily Go

Yarn:  Araucania Yarns Huasco Multy Botany Lace

Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)