Big wheels have been turning and Tina my spinning wheel has been busy, and I have finally spun my last braid of Pixel Atlantis fibre. This braid was a 100% BFL squishy loveliness in the Hummingbird colourway. I absolutely love the green colour it has come out with and it will hopefully be going with the other braid of Pixel Atlantis fibre I have already spun to make something exciting.
I decided to create this yarn in the simple way that I had created the previous braid, so that there was a more likely chance of them being mostly the same. So the braid was weighed, split in half and two singles spun.
The singles were then plied together in a simple two ply, I did have a little bit left over on one bobbin afterwards, which was a little sad, but I wound that off onto a bog roll tube and am saving it with another few from previous and hopefully when I have enough of them they will be plied up into something amazing - but more on that another time.
When I took this plied yarn off the bobbin I was pretty pleased with how balanced it was, and indeed there were a couple of people who were spammed on snapchat with it! But unfortunately I didn't save the photos.
The final yarn was about 16 WPI, so coming to a lighter sport weight (which is what the other braid is - winning!) and about 180 m. It is now all skeined up and with it's friend waiting for their new adventures.
My spinning wheel was one of the most precious things that I moved when I moved house, it came in the car with me and was one of the first things to be moved into the house even before my furniture came the day after. But I haven't done a huge amount of spinning since, horrendous I know! As part of my Virtual Knit Night we did a secret santa swap, and my lovely secret santa partner gave me a wonderful purple, navy and black braid of fibre. Half I spun like I would normally into a traditional two ply, my go to. But the second half I wanted to try something new.
I had heard other people talk about traditional 3-ply when they were spinning and I felt like I wanted to give this a go, and I decided to do it without any kind of research and it would be an experiment just to play around and see what happened. I found it so nice to do, and I might even consider doing it again!
So I weighed out and split the braid into three equal parts and spun the singles. These I made a special effort to keep as thin as possible. It was the first time that I actually spun with an outcome in mind. I wanted the final yarn to be as thin as I could make it, as I knew that having three plys would make it naturally thicker. It went relatively smoothly, we only had one or two snapped threads, and there wasn't too much swearing! ;)
Then came the plying. I kept it really simple with the traditional method, the only problem to overcome was the lazy kate. My tip top super duper snazzy lazy kate... It's a shoe box with knitting needles pushed through the sides to hold the bobbins. Until now it has only had two needles, as I haven't plied anything more then that. Fortunately there was enough space to poke through another knitting needle (as I really am not short of those) and we were all set up and ready to go.
The plying went super smoothly and was even a little more pain free then my normal 2-plying methods, so I was pretty happy. The final yarn had a little bit of a twist to it when it came off the bobbin, but not as much as some of my chain plied yarn. I was really quite pleased, and hopefully it will be quite a strong yarn. I do need to find something to do with it though!
The final measurements of the mini were:
For 24g, 17 WPI (light sport weight), with a yardage of 84.9m.
All in all I'm pretty pleased with it, its soft, squishy and the colours are pretty too. I was also quite pleased that I managed to get a sport weight out of a three ply, as my normal two ply efforts are a sport weight too, which does lead me to believe that the thinner singles really did work their magic. Now to work through the other delightful braids that I got for christmas too!
I feel that calling this a spinning apron makes me seem like a saxon maid who is sat outside her mud hut watching the chickens and spinning away. That may be completely historically inaccurate, and I apologise, but calling this anything other than a spinning apron would just be lying.
For some time now I have had a small amount of fabric sat in a box waiting to be sewn into this apron. I didn't know what sort of apron or what style of apron it was going to be. I just knew I wanted something to keep the fibre from sticking to my jeans when I was spinning.
In the past few weeks I've been missing my sewing, and it was only when I finally bought myself an iron that I felt able to get back to it. I find an iron so so helpful it was a little odd to even try anything without it. While scrolling through youtube videos, I found one of Juliet Uzor's videos on how to make a circle skirt apron and I thought that would do. I'm not sure how I feel about it at the moment, I'm not really one for skirts, never been able to feel comfortable in them, but if I didn't get this sewn I don't think it would have got made at all. So I went for it.
Juliet has a free pattern for the apron on her website Sew So Natural, you can gain access to her resource library if you sign up to her newsletter. The library gives a printable PDF pattern. My only problem was that I don't have a printer, and I wanted to make the pattern there and then. So I got my maths head on. I know that I wanted half of a circle skirt, which as the name suggests is just a circle. Good old Pi came out to play. Let me run you through a quick drafting method for making your own.
First of all you want to take the measurement of your waist, or where ever the waistband of the skirt is going to sit, that could be around your hips if you want to. This measurement will become the circumference of inner circle on your pattern.
We now need to find the diameter of that circle, we will call the diameter "a" (as on the diagram). To find "a" we use the equation: diameter = circumference ÷ Pi. If my waist measurement was 74cm then I would calculate: 74 ÷ 𝝿 = 23.55 (Nerd alert, I do everything to two decimal places/three significant figures, you don't have to, round up to the nearest whole number to make it easy!) I used a scientific calculator because I have one, but if you don't then you can use the approximate figure of 3.14, you don't have to be super accurate.
So brilliant, we have measurement "a" now measurement "b" will be the length of the apron. This one is down to personal preference, I held a tape measure at the point I wanted the apron to sit and then measured down the length I wanted it to be. You will want to consider the amount of fabric you have and how the pattern will fit on to that fabric too. I decided that my length was going to be 45cm, which was really as long as I could possibly get out of the fabric and don't forget to add a little bit for hemming at the top and bottom.
The piece of fabric you will cut will be half of the circle. Just like the top part of the circle above the green line on the diagram. I got out the fabric and folded it in half to trace out the measurements for the pattern. Starting at the corner on the fold, I measured down the radius of inner circle along the edge with the fold. The radius being half of value "a" that we worked out earlier, then on the other side coming from that same corner I marked out the radius again. Then from that corner I marked the same distance out in an arc around that corner. This then marks the inner circle on the fabric.
From that first arc you can then measure down the length you want the apron to be including seam allowances for the top and bottom hems. Mark out this distance at regular intervals along this arc to make another much bigger arc further down your fabric, and you'll see the general shape of the apron start to take place.
Now I didn't really have enough fabric for this project, and I am actually making it out of an old blind that I found in a charity shop. So I decided to do a little bit of historical piecing and cut another couple of small pieces to stitch onto the sides to make the full skirt, else it would either been very short, or a really odd shape. I think it worked well overall though, and it being only something to keep the fibre off my legs while spinning, it really did not have to be the most perfect thing. I'm loving all of its imperfections and perfect functionality.
The waist ties that keep the apron on are the next thing to tackle. I'm pretty sure I bodged these and I'm not entirely sure how to explain how I did them, but I'll give it a go. The most easy thing to do here is to just hem all the edges of the apron and sew some ribbons to the edges next to the waist line and go from there. (I'll definitely do that next time) But I tried to make some ties with the fabric I had leftover from making the skirt.
I used as much length as I could, which wasn't quite long enough, and cut them into about 4" wide strips. I turned the strips right sides together and sewed along one of the short sides. The other short side I placed right sides together over the waist of the apron, with the short side lined up with the edge of the apron. Each side of the strip was either side of the apron fabric. I then sewed along that short edge attaching the strap to the apron. That was the most complicated bit, and there probably is a much better way of doing it that maybe one day I'll discover. So after all that strap wrestling, I pulled the strap right side out and gave it a press, turning under the bottom raw edge and going along it with a bit of top stitching to hold it all inside. Then simply repeat with the other side... :P
Next time I really am just going to use twill tape or something similar as the straps, as these were so much effort and to be perfectly honest are not really that great. The apron has been put to good use though and I am happy that I've finally got around to making it. More spinning and less cleaning of my clothes from now on! ;)
Extended Shownotes you will find on the Blog or in the Ravelry Group.
Finished Objects:
Pop Socks: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/pop-socks
- A vanilla sock knit with 2.5mm DPNs and 64 stitches. Made out of Austermann Step yarn in the Nordcap (046) ? Colourway I think. These were knit for a gift, so will be put away ready for Christmas!
Triangle Knit Shawl: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/knit-triangle-shawl
- An asymmetrical shawl made from Bernat Pop! yarn cakes, in the radical botanical colour way. This isn't the chunky bernat pop, but is incredibly snuggly.
Spinning: Green Merino Silk Braid
- A merino silk braid that I got from the Wool on the Exe shop, which was a joy to spin and I have another skein which I have spun, so we will see what that grows up to be!
WIPs:
Socks: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/b-socks
- Another pair of gift socks -I know organised and everything! These are again knit on 2.5mm DPNs and with 64 stitches, and is just a basic vanilla sock with a german short row heel. The yarn is Opal, but I'm really not sure what colourway it is at all (sorry! :s)
Bronwyn Shawl: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/bronwyn-shawl
- Oh I needed another crochet project! This one was perfect, the shawl is by Toni Lipsey and is a lovely asymmetrical triangle shawl. The yarns are:
Green - Countess Ablaze, Grande Merino, Footloose
Light blue - Malabrigo, Arroyo, Cian
Yellow - Babbles Yarns, Delicious DK, Solid Gold
Dark blue - Fyberspates, Vivacious DK, Deep Aqua
F1 Socks: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/f1-socks
These I am soooo enjoying, maybe a little too much. The yarns used are:
Grey - West Yorkshire Spinners, Bo Peep - Tin Can
Ferrari - CoopKnits, Socks Yeah! - Carnelian
Red Bull - CoopKnits, Socks Yeah! - Benitolite
Mercedes - CoopKnits, Socks Yeah! - Chryso
Torro Rosso - CoopKnits, Socks Yeah! - Larimar
Colin's Triceratops: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/triceratops-head---taxidermy-dinosaur
- This deightful dinosaur was a request that I was happy to fulfill. The yarn was Cygnet Seriously Chunky in the Fawn colourway and the Meadow Green colourway.
Margot the 2nd - Tilly and the Buttons pattern
In The Shed:
Sadly nothing...
Real Talk:
These are some links to the people leading the conversations around racism and inclusion in the
knitting community, take a look at their stories and discover some new people - please respect
their spaces:
@su.krita - https://www.instagram.com/su.krita/?hl=en
@thecolormustard - https://www.instagram.com/thecolormustard/?hl=en
@ocean_bythesea - https://www.instagram.com/ocean_bythesea/?hl=en
@booksandcables - https://www.instagram.com/booksandcables/?hl=en
@ggmadeit - https://www.instagram.com/ggmadeit/?hl=en
Music:
"Inspired" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Extended Shownotes you will find on the Blog or in the Ravelry Group.
Finished Objects:
Galewood Gauntlets:https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/galewood
- Made from John Arbon Devonia 4-ply in the bleeding heart colourway, using the pattern by Honor Adams. I definitely enjoyed these more after I had blocked them, very much fell back in love with them.
Fraternal Socks: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/lottie-socks
- A pair of socks knitted for myself on a 2mm needle using Bergere de France Goomy 50 - Imprim Jaun, and West Yorkshire Spinners Bo Peep 4-ply in the teddy bear colour way. A fun pair of fraternal socks just to give it a go.
Lyne Socks: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/lyne-socks
-The pattern is by Dawn Henderson and is a beautifully thought through shorty sock, I've made it with Gamercrafting Yak sock in the lagoon mist colourway, which an incredibly beautiful purple and soooo soft.
Trophy Ram's Head:https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/faux-ram-trophy-head
- From a kit bought from Sincerely Louise, which was incredibly fun. Going to be entered into the Village flower and produce show, so we will see what we win!
Mum H socks: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/mum-h-socks
- I pair of socks knitted for my best friends mum for her birthday on Schachenmayr Catania cotton yarn, they are now being posted off the their new home, and I really hope they fit their new owner!
Stevie Top: https://shop.tillyandthebuttons.com/products/stevie
- A Lovely pattern by Tilly and the Buttons, it is now a favourite and I do like the style of the top. This top I have made from some cotton fabric found in my local fabric shop. It is so me and I made it for my birthday top, something that I feel might become a tradition in the future!
Baby Quilt: Fat Quarters for the front pieces from various fabric shops, backing fabric
from Hobbycraft.
- A quilt that I decided to make whilst looking through the scrap bin in a fabric shop near my best friends house, they had some seriously cute things and I was sold! I picked up a couple more little pieces at one of my local fabric shops and got started.
Spinning: John Arbon Corriedale
- A lovely bag of undyed corriedale for me to try came along with my John Arbon Mill membership, which I really enjoyed spinning and looking forward to spinning the rest!
WIPs:
Pop Socks: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/pop-socks
- A pair of vanilla socks made in Austermann Step yarn. This was a yarn that I bought with the intention of making a gift pair of socks, we will see where they end up!
Triangle Knit Shawl: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/knit-triangle-shawl
- An imaginatively named shawl from a Bernat Pop! ball band. I loved the colours of the yarn and bought it with the idea that maybe I should try and knit more shawls and I could start with this one on the ball band.
In The Shed:
Noste Pinne - Made from windfall wood and utilising my whittling skills, which haven't really been used for a while, and I kinda miss it.
Letter Opener - I would say the words above again, but I don't need to, look up! ;)
Real Talk:
These are some links to the people leading the conversations around racism and inclusion in the
knitting community, take a look at their stories and discover some new people:
@su.krita - https://www.instagram.com/su.krita/?hl=en
@thecolormustard - https://www.instagram.com/thecolormustard/?hl=en
@ocean_bythesea - https://www.instagram.com/ocean_bythesea/?hl=en
@booksandcables - https://www.instagram.com/booksandcables/?hl=en
@ggmadeit - https://www.instagram.com/ggmadeit/?hl=en
Music:
"Inspired" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Extended Shownotes you will find on the Blog or in the Ravelry Group.
Real Talk:
These are some links to the people leading the conversations around racism and inclusion in the
knitting community, take a look at their stories and discover some new people:
@su.krita - https://www.instagram.com/su.krita/?hl=en
@thecolormustard - https://www.instagram.com/thecolormustard/?hl=en
@ocean_bythesea - https://www.instagram.com/ocean_bythesea/?hl=en
@booksandcables - https://www.instagram.com/booksandcables/?hl=en
@ggmadeit - https://www.instagram.com/ggmadeit/?hl=en
Finished Objects:
Hermione's Everyday Socks: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/hermiones-everyday-socks - Knitted on 2mm DPNs and in Malibrigo Sock yarn in the Ivy colourway. I love these socks and will now become Lottie's everyday socks! ;)
Baby Barley: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/barley-2 This is knit in Gamer Crafting 100% Merino DK in the Kind colourway. I definitely did make my new nephew a matching hat with myself... Who wouldn't.
Baby Flax: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/flax This is another baby knit for my new nephew. This is done in King Cole Riot DK, in two colours, caribbean and neon, to create an awesome rainbow stripe thing going on!
Margot Pyjamas Tilly and the Buttons: https://shop.tillyandthebuttons.com/products/love-at-first-stitch - These pyjamas are comfy but bodged, I'll recommend measuring yourself properly before cutting into your precious fabric! The pattern is included in the book Love at First Stitch, after a quick search I'm not sure if you can get it separately, but the book is well worth it! I thought I new a little bit about sewing, but this book has taught me so much.
WIPs:
Cancun Boxy Erin Kate Archer: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/cancun-boxy-lace-top - yes it is STILL a WIP, but we are getting there. And yes I haven't done anything on it since you last saw it... But I am still enjoying it, I'll knit a little on it today!
Socks for Mam: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/mams-afterthought-socks - I am making another pair of socks for my mother, this time out of West Yorkshire Spinners signature 4 ply in the Kingfisher colourway, on 2.5mm DPNs. These will have contrast heels and toes and an afterthought heel. The first time I've done either.
In The Shed:
Heddle: Trying to make a heddle for my loom.
Music:
"Inspired" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Extended Shownotes you will find on the Blog or in the Ravelry Group.
Real Talk:
These are some links to the people leading the conversations around racism and inclusion in the
knitting community, take a look at their stories and discover some new people:
@su.krita - https://www.instagram.com/su.krita/?hl=en
@thecolormustard - https://www.instagram.com/thecolormustard/?hl=en
@ocean_bythesea - https://www.instagram.com/ocean_bythesea/?hl=en
@booksandcables - https://www.instagram.com/booksandcables/?hl=en
@ggmadeit - https://www.instagram.com/ggmadeit/?hl=en
Finished Objects:
Barley Hat - Tin Can Knits: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/barley - this one is knit out of Gamer Crafting DK Merino in the Kind colourway, it is hufflepuff inspired and I love it! This hat was knit first in a size that was way too big for me, for some reason I thought that the small would be too small, even though I know I have a tiny head! Anyway, third time was definitely lucky and I am very pleased with the outcome.
Mam's Fern & Feather: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/fern--feather-2 - Made out of Malibrigo Rios in the Cian colourway, this fern and feather has been on the needles since before christmas and was a present for my Mam. It is finally finished, she loves it and it is being worn as we speak!
Baby/Toddler Socks: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/baby-socks - A little pair of socks for my nephew who is on the way! These are knit out of Regia Arne and Carlos Design Line in the Nome colourway. This is the same yarn that I knit my sister-in-law a pair of socks out of, I thought it would be cute for them to have mother and baby matchy socks! (I would have done the same for my brother if I had any leftovers from his socks!)
WIPs:
Cancun Boxy Erin Kate Archer: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/cancun-boxy-lace-top - Made out of Sirdar Seafarer, a navy coloured crinkly yarn. I am now more then halfway through the top now, and I am really looking forward to when I can wear it. Definitely loving my yarn choice and slightly larger needle size, as it gives a rather lacy look.
Hermione's Everyday Socks: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/hermiones-everyday-socks - A little sock project for myself, these are made out of Malabrigo Sock in the Ivy colourway. They are knitting up fast and lovely and I am looking forward to having a lovely pair for myself.
Granny Stripe Blanket: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/Sockbug97/granny-stripes - And old faithful. This has been going for years and I added a little more to it to show you. It is getting sizable and is made from all my leftover DK scarps.
In The Shed:
Yarn Swift: Don't watch this if you are a joiner/carpenter - you might cry... Anyway. I'm trying my best to make a yarn swift, its not looking good.
Music:
"Inspired" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Big wheels have been turning and Tina my spinning wheel has been busy, and I have finally spun my last braid of Pixel Atlantis fibre. This braid was a 100% BFL squishy loveliness in the Hummingbird colourway. I absolutely love the green colour it has come out with and it will hopefully be going with the other braid of Pixel Atlantis fibre I have already spun to make something exciting.
