sweetgeorgia

Moving forward on all fronts

I am inching towards completion of many, many things. Yes, indeed, that is five pairs of socks at my desk. Not including the two pairs that are currently in my knitting bag. I don’t think this is the ideal situation, but things are the way they are. I knit two rows on one then two rows on another… two rows is about all my attention span can handle right now. Having finished a little February baby sweater for a friend (she’s due anytime now!), I’m satisfied with just working on simple stockinette socks… that have been in my in-progress bin for the past five years.

There is this handwoven scarf on the loom that is distracting me… the kettle-dyed colours of Malabrigo plus the texture and groundedness of the tsumugi silk weft and making me very happy. I have maybe 10 or 12 inches more to weave and then it will be cut off and washed. It seems silly that after all the expense and space of getting a 44″ wide 8-shaft loom, I end up weaving 9″-wide scarves in plain weave. Nothing makes me happier. Maybe one day, I’ll become one of those pattern-structure weaver types and lust after some computer-driven crazy shaft loom… but not likely.

Actually for three days in March, I’ll be attending Jane Stafford’s weaving workshop, “Pushing the Boundaries of Plain Weave”. It’s hosted by the Greater Vancouver Weavers & Spinners Guild and about 14 or 15 students will be doing a round-robin style workshop where we’ll all weave on each other’s looms and take home a complete set of samples. I’m really looking forward to experimenting freely with my very beloved plain weave.

Yet another plain weave scarf from both handspun warp and weft. It’s hand dyed blue face leicester handspun in the warp, 2-ply and about DK weight, plus very fine merino laceweight weft (the same yarn I used to knit the Lotus Blossom Shawl ages ago). Seeing as how there is about 10 cm of snow in tomorrow’s forecast, this brand new scarf might just come in handy.

Our weaving studio classes just started last Wednesday and we’re getting the first sampler warps on the looms. Plain and simple Quebecoise wool in bright, happy colours. I’m excited to see these samples start to take shape for the students.

This past month, I’ve found myself at the studio nearly full-time. And even though we don’t open the studio to the public on all days, I’m here bright and early every day… winding bobbins, skeining yarn, receiving orders of natural dyes from Earthues, dyeing yarn, weaving, spinning, knitting, doing my accounting and designing. Hours and hours are spent updating the website and entering inventory. Daily, I get calls to advertise in this medium or that. But even though I am constantly, productively doing things, I still feel like completion is always so far away. Bobbins are full and need to be plied. Those few inches could be woven off. That other loom needs to be warped. And I’ve got this pattern here that I need to finish writing out…

Using your handspun

Sometimes when I’ve spent a zillion hours dyeing the fibre, spinning fine singles yarn, then plying the yarn (ending up with half or even a third of the original yardage) and then soaking and setting the yarn… I feel done. All I want to do is just want to rest and stare at the lovely yarn I’ve spun. My eyes travel along each strand of the yarn, inspecting the twist, the consistency (if any!), and the oh so subtle shift in hue. It’s literally mesmerizing. And then the handspun yarn that I’ve lifted to “too precious” heights ends up sitting there on the shelf for ages, admired and loved from afar. It’s too bad, because handspun yarn calls out to be used.

When you made the yarn, didn’t you have things in mind for it? Didn’t you design it as a 3-ply instead of 2-ply because it would be stronger? Incorporate nylon binder for added durability? Did you strip the handpainted roving lengthwise or crosswise to select for colours? Of course. When you spun the yarn, you designed it for a purpose that was already in your mind. Sure, sometimes it’s relaxing to spin mindless bits of gobbledygook, but most of the time, I have reasons for all the teeny tiny decisions I made during the handspinning process.

Lately, I’ve been going through my handspun yarn stash determined that no yarn is too precious to use. And so some of the very first Navajo-plied handspun yarn that was originally destined for socks is now being knit into Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Baby Surprise Jacket. Actually, my thinking was that this lovely yarn was too nice to be pushed into boots and worn underfoot. Now, I do think that I’ve muffed the instructions for the jacket though… forgetting where I left the instruction book for a few days and trying to figure it out on my own… never a good idea. I see that they have these BSJ “Row Keeper” notes on Ravelry… seems like a good idea. I’ll have to go back and start counting.

Handspun yarns in weaving… I think I had always heard not to put handspun yarn in the warp, but really, it’s about making decisions while spinning that will make your handspun suitable for weaving. Warp yarn needs to be strong (handspun or not, cashmere yarn in the warp REALLY blows), so that it can withstand high tension and abrasion by the reed and heddles. So make your joins in the handspun yarn nice and strong. Plying your yarn adds strength too, although Paula Simmons swears by singles yarn (says she’s never plied in her life). And if you really want to put slubby singles on your loom as warp, maybe try to find heddles that will stretch or bend to accommodate the yarn (like texsolv…).

Yesterday, I received a shipment of the new Schacht Cricket Looms and managed to quickly warp one up with my handspun merino and silk yarn. I know some weavers will turn up their noses at rigid heddle looms, especially one that is tiny and only 10″ wide, but rigid heddle weaving is seriously one of the quickest ways for people to see how weaving works. I was able to build the loom, warp it, and start weaving on it within an hour. It’s a good, inexpensive way to dip your toe in the water and see if the weaving bug bites. For me, it offers nearly instant gratification to see my handspun in woven fabric.

Handspun yarn is beautiful. It’s full of life and precious… but nothing is too precious to use and enjoy.

Shiny + New

So many people had such a rough 2008, I’m happy to see that 2009 is finally here. It’s with great excitement that I start this year and start in a direction that I have long wished and waited for. For years now, I have been asked to teach dye classes and such, and for years now, I have wanted to be able to offer lessons, classes, workshops, and dye days. So, now with the new studio in place I am offering classes this spring. I’ll be teaching a series of essential dye classes for dyeing protein fibres, cellulose fibres, and also using natural dyes. Take a single one or take them all. They are a pre-requisite for signing up for open studio time or for the future advanced dye classes that I will be offering.

Also on the schedule are classes in drop spindling and wheel spinning! A few years ago, I realized that the commercial yarns I fell in love with were too expensive for me to buy and so I learned to dye and spin my own yarns to my own preferences and specifications. Learn to make your own handspun and you’ll be able to create exactly what you want, starting with the materials and colours you love. Ultimately, you free your creativity. I have included Louet Octo Drop Spindles in the drop spindle class, but you can always upgrade to a Schacht Hi-Lo Spindle if you prefer. And in the wheel spinning class, you are welcome to bring your own wheel or use one of our wheels — a Schacht Ladybug, Louet Victoria, or Louet Julia.

We’re also running three special spinning classes in spinning for sock yarn, spinning luxurious and exotic fibres, and also colour for spinners. Colour for Spinners is something I’ve always wanted to run… a full day of playing with the drum carder, combs, blending solids to get marls, and stripping handpainted rovings for self-striping yarns!

• » See the complete schedule of classes on our Google Calendar
• » Register for classes online here

Also new this season is our SweetGeorgia Fibre Club! We are currently taking a limited number of club members for this February to April offering of unique hand-dyed fiber. Each month, an exclusive colourway will be delivered to your doorstep for your handspinning (or felting) joy. I’ll be setting up a little blog, Ravelry and Flickr groups for this, so keep a look out for it.

Being snowed in by crazy (CRAZY) Vancouver weather over the past few weeks has actually allowed me time to work on my own projects. I’m actually slowly back to knitting and I started this tiny little February Baby Sweater over the holidays. It’s knit in two strands of SweetGeorgia Superfudge yarn, a light fingering weight yarn, that has been kettle dyed in lac. Similar to another natural bug dye, cochineal, lac is a small scale insect that can be found on Ficus trees. It gives a more muted colour than cochineal and results in a beautiful rose or burgundy colour. The EZ pattern is (pithy and) dead easy which also helps.

Finally, thank you to everyone who responded to my last post on gratitude. I am very pleased to announce that Sulicat, self-proclaimed fibre enthusiast and creative dork, was our randomly selected winner for the bloggy, yarny prize.

Following Elizabeth Zimmerman’s short letters and instructions, I was delighted to read her closing words… “Keep knitting and stay calm.” With all that is shiny and new this year, there is also excitement and nervousness… I am anticipating good things… and will keep knitting and stay calm.

Three more rows to go.

I am mere stitches away from finishing the Central Park Hoodie.

So close to being done.

Michelle reminded me that I should show the finished product already… but it’s not yet done.

All the seams are done and I’ve tried it on… I love it already. I’m terrible at finishing projects since I kind of rush through the seaming process. It all ends up a bit messy, but this time I took my time, pin-basted the pieces together and seamed with a strong backstitch or fake grafting. Now I just have to finish picking up the front bands and making buttonholes. Then, I’ll have a thick wool cabled hoodie ready to wear, just in time for the hottest days of July.