Hernia is bad for spinning

After 4 months, I am finally spinning again, jipieh!
I suffered from a ruptured disk in mid December, and unfortunately sitting was and still is more painful than any other position. I was able to knit lying on the couch, and I did spin on my spindle walking around the house, but my beautiful Rose sat neglected in a corner of the living room.
But finally, the pain is bearable and being able to spin again makes up for it.

This is what I produced over the past 2 weeks:

Spun from a Merino/silk batt handcarded by All the Pretty Fibers.

 Spun from a Merino batt handcarded by Lady's Turn.

 Spun from a Shetland/Silk batt handcarded by Enchanted Knoll Farm

Spun from a Merino/Tencel/Silk batt handcarded by Enchanted Knoll Farm

Proudest knitting mom ever

My 2 and a half year old's first knitting project:

He prefers size 6 mm needles and cotton yarn :-)



On my needles

Recently I purchased B. Walker's book Mosaic Knitting. I love the idea of creating two-color designs without stranding the yarn. Mosaic knitting patterns are accomplished by slipping stitches which appear in the color of the row below. I started a shawl with a diamond pattern. Here it is before blocking:

I am quite excited to see what blocking will do!

Soon on my wheel
My sister bought these lovely batts from Needlework's Pleasure. She wants me to spin this into fingering weight yarn for a shawl. I am excited to get my current project spun up, so that I can get started on this!

Pebbles

I am so happy I finshed a few items recently. Because I keep wanting to start new projects...

Pebbles
Yes, after many variations the name is Pebbles now... And finally, here is a picture of the completed sweater I knit for my son. I am still not done writing up the pattern but promised myself I will do this now since I want to knit him another one using the same construction style. I love the hems and the longer back side covers his behind nicely. If you remember it's an almost seamless construction with the upper sleeves knit with the body, not Raglan shaping but the shape of set-in sleeves.

Dewdrops
Dewdrops is a lovely design by Bex Hopkins. I used a beautiful handpainted yarn from Needlework's Pleasure in the colorway Fresh Mint.

Rosebud
And I have finally finished knitting Rosebud by Tonia Barry with some lovely handspun Alpaca, also by Needlework's Pleasure. 

Shaun
Isn't he the cutest? From a pattern by Patons. It was a quick gift for my boy. Unfortunately now he wants me to knit him Timmy, too....

My first Cookie A's...
I gave in and knit a pair of socks from Sock Innovation by Cookie A. Not that I didn't like her socks before, there was just too much hype, and I prefer toe-up. But like so many others I got hooked. This pattern is Wanida. One thing I did changed is that I let the pattern end in a point  just above the toes rather than having a blunt stop.

Spinning

I have been spinning as well recently, just not much on my wheel. Somehow I currently prefer the spindle. Here I spun a batt from StormopZolder, very vibrant colors in Merino/Silk.

And finally - I have finished a new shawl design that is currently being test knit, jippieh! More about that later.

Too many WiP?

As if I didn't have enough unfinished items in my knitting basket I started designing and knitting a cardigan for myself. There are several things I want to incorprate, some because I want the design to look a certain way, others because I want to try new things:

• top down
• set-in sleeves knit simultaneously with the body (no raglan)
• slightly sloped back neck opening
• easy closure
• comfy but slightly fitted

Raglan is not for me. It's a great construction method for some, but after several very unsatisfying attemps I concluded that it just doesn't fit my body. The part above the bust always looks award, stretches in places it shouldn't and bulges in others. So no more raglan for me. Therefore I am knitting this with set-in sleeves. However since I am not found of picking up stitches I am knitting them at the same time as the body (the shoulder part, of course, not the entire sleeve). I have read parts of Knitting from the Top by Barbara Walker and used information from this book. I must admit that I didn't read it thoroughly but I didn't see any shaping for the back neck opening which I find very important. So I added that to my design.
I like easy closures but my belly prevents me from using the one-button-at the-top type closure popular at the moment. So I am knitting two strips of fabric right onto the front halves that can be tied together just under the bust. They are double knit so they don't roll up. From hereon down the carding flares ever so slightly to give it a nice drape without being truly A-line shaped.

Still thinking about the collar and front hem... I will see when I get there. But so far I am very pleased. Unfortunately its'a grey and dreary day today so the picture is very blurry. I hope to post better ones soon.


 The toddler sweater was almost done, but I had to redo the shoulders. They turned out too pointy and I am reknitting to give them better shape. Since I am taking my little boy on a trip in little over a week it needs to get done!

 I also started a cardigan that I am knitting for someone else, the yarn is handspun Alpaca by coolwoolgirl - oh so beautiful!

You should check out her handspun and/or handpainted yarns and fibers. One of the beautiful batts I purchased from her earlier is this:

  And as a follow up on my spindle listing in a previous post, here is one of my Golding Ring spindles:

It spins like a dream!

Check out Ballee's blog - also here in Rotterdam, she creates beautiful handmade items and patterns!

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