tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86241772011-09-26T17:58:15.413-05:00For all things to do with fiber! Spinning, weaving, knitting, tatting, crochet, quilting - any or all - although you'll find most of the current focus on spinning and knitting. Browse and comment and ask questions; everyone is welcome!PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.comBlogger961100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-52780566523322137102011-03-30T06:01:00.000-05:002011-03-30T06:01:25.537-05:00

Generally speaking, folks don’t associate spinners, weavers and knitters with any technology more sophisticated than a small calculator – and indeed, you can easily practice these crafts with merely a piece of paper and a pencil as long as you possess arithmetic proficiency on a par with that of a third-grader. Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division will get you through. But the

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-44169703306912635102011-02-22T07:23:00.000-05:002011-02-22T07:23:26.821-05:00

Rather depressing title, this one – although modifying the way we do things does indeed come at some point in our lives. My modification stage has hit a bit early, based on a combination of heredity and environmental factors, and I’ve been receiving quite a few questions lately about how I’m managing to continue doing the things I do. So I’ve decided to document it here, in hopes my experiences

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-80454782793646283252010-12-03T06:35:00.000-05:002010-12-03T06:35:22.919-05:00

Does anyone else have a set of stock answers to the perennial questions asked of a knitter and spinner working in public? I was sitting in a waiting room yesterday for several hours while my husband was having some minor surgery. As usual, I passed the hours working on a couple of projects, trading out as the whim struck or as my hands began to ache a bit. I was working on the second foot of

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-45896657085873507372010-11-30T09:51:00.000-05:002010-11-30T09:51:03.026-05:00

Rant warning I’m officially fed up. Fed up enough to swear off any yarn that’s dyed by anyone else! Which is bad news for my LYS and several on-line vendors. But (did I mention?) I’ve had it!!! What has aroused my ire to such an extent? Yarns that bleed, and bleed, and bleed, and bleed – until the lovely colors for which you purchased them are pale. You buy a skein (or 10) of a beautiful,

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-16865865210682899052010-11-18T12:27:00.000-05:002010-11-18T12:27:00.441-05:00

Most of you are aware that 2010’s knitting plans were hijacked when first my daughter-in-law and then my daughter announced their pregnancies. Suddenly my self-appointed task of designing, spinning for and knitting a Shetland-type shawl for each grandchild became the total focus for ALL of my fiber time. However, I am happy to announce that both shawls are now finished! Michael’s shawl was

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-39849962495597110282010-08-25T06:24:00.003-05:002010-08-25T06:32:49.168-05:00

I have completed one of the grandchild shawls – one photo is above, others are at my Flickr account. You may recall that I blogged about this earlier this year on Shetland Shawls and Me. As you can see, I changed the edging from the original plan – I simply decided that Feather and Fan would suit the design better. Completed on August 22; blocked August 23 with the help of my local yarn shop’s

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-54901887339069086762010-07-23T05:38:00.001-05:002010-07-23T05:40:06.730-05:00

I’m teaching another sweater design course – a summer version of the same Knitting to Fit course that I taught in the winter. It’s so much fun to see intermediate knitters ‘get it’ and take off into designing their own sweaters that incorporate exactly the details they want and fit them exactly!One of the comments I make in the class materials is what I’d like to talk about. I take an entire

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-42404981881563991762010-06-25T13:37:00.002-05:002010-06-25T13:41:59.949-05:00

We have many tools in our boxes as knitters and spinners – some even duplicate each other! Let’s take a look at some of those tools, and talk about the possibilities of adding to our toolboxes.As spinners, we have many tools. Fiber itself is our weightiest (pun intended) tool, of course. Most spinners collect fibers like any other collector – gleefully and with some measure of abandon –

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-66598068725758096152010-05-24T13:26:00.000-05:002010-05-24T13:28:27.666-05:00

Gauge, with or without the word swatch attached, is one of ‘those’ terms. I’ve heard knitters say the words as though they were spelled with four letters, and seen them written as ‘g*&#e’ or ‘s@#$%h’ more times than one. Every single knitter has an opinion about swatching, and they’ll defend those opinions with the same fervor they bring to the questions of needle material or continental vs.

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-55387083647476981982010-05-13T05:21:00.010-05:002010-11-19T14:20:44.611-05:00

My knitting plans for this year were fairly simple. Make a summer sweater or two, socks for the winter, a sweater vest for my DH, and spin for a shawl for myself. Life, as it so frequently does, had other ideas. Occasionally, like most knitters, I get ambitious. Six years ago when we were expecting our first grandchild, I wanted something quite special to welcome that new life into the family

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-85894893565273442462010-04-20T10:19:00.000-05:002010-04-20T10:21:11.918-05:00

It’s funny how our fiber journeys wind around and around. I started, 40-plus years ago, as a seamstress, quilter and crocheter. Give or take a couple of years, I added other types of sewing and pattern-making in my 20’s; tatting and four-harness weaving and needle lace in my 30’s; spinning, knitting, and multiple-harness weaving in my 40’s. Now I’m in my 50’s and teaching almost all of these

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-56702859613699610212010-02-23T09:48:00.003-05:002010-02-23T10:50:33.670-05:00

I’m finishing a sweater class right now at my LYS. I sweated over the class instructions for literally months, re-writing, editing, changing and re-writing yet again. Mostly because this class isn’t supposed to teach students how to make a single sweater pattern. No, this one is titled “Knitting to Fit” and is designed to show knitters how to modify a design or design a well-fitting sweater

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-72401124067407069712010-01-20T10:00:00.001-05:002010-01-20T10:04:24.766-05:00

I’d like to start by saying that I know I’m not any smarter than my grandmother. Or you. My skill set is different from hers due to the time and place I live; I have no need to kill, pluck and cut apart a chicken to fix for dinner, for example, just as my grandmother had no need to learn to operate a computer. Nonetheless, Grandma and I have some things in common. She was a gutsy lady who

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-71810136622063824572009-11-23T10:48:00.001-05:002009-11-23T10:49:40.170-05:00

The spindling class ended Saturday at lunchtime. I'm quite pleased - out of six students, I had three total fiberholic spinners! The remaining three students learned what they wanted from the class - a lot more about how yarns are formed and how to choose them for their projects. So I can call this one a success, I think.New spinners are full of enthusiasm! They find everything about spinning

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-90666225130435730262009-11-13T11:19:00.002-05:002009-11-13T11:31:14.692-05:00

All of you are well aware that I'm a total fiber junkie who explores odd nooks and crannies that might hold yarn and fiber wherever I happen to be. Most of you know that I teach various fiber-related classes. Some of you also know that I design knitting, weaving, tatting and crochet patterns, although I keep that fairly quiet. I prefer to help others design rather than have people making my

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-78708224034506993532009-11-10T09:50:00.001-05:002009-11-10T09:51:58.072-05:00

My spinning class on Saturday got off to a great start! Of course there were the usual beginning bobbles and fluffs, but by the end of the class everyone was making yarn! I'm so proud of these ladies - they're truly wonderful and such good sports!My ramblings last week appear to have borne something or other. I did indeed break down the spindling process to minimal bits, starting with fondling

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-67065393002259391422009-11-05T09:26:00.002-05:002009-11-05T09:46:47.114-05:00

A note to any of my students who read this prior to the class: you WILL succeed in learning to spindle - as long as you're willing to give yourself time to learn. Muscle memory isn't built in a single two-hour class, or even in three. It's built with patient practice, a little bit every day. It's akin to learning to play a musical instrument; in order to become proficient you must not only study

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-46321170879606147042009-08-19T05:38:00.003-05:002009-08-19T05:47:24.955-05:00

Those were truly a fun project - and one from which I learned a lot (again) about spinning for a specific purpose! But let's start at the beginning of the story. Picture me climbing into the passenger seat of a very high full-size van en route to do something undefined at that strange place where I earn the money I put into necessities like fiber and yarn. My partner in staving off tedium

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-23243627580396852562009-08-10T09:25:00.001-05:002009-08-10T09:27:30.251-05:00

I'm having such fun right now! A new LYS has opened up right down the road from my home, and I'm happily teaching my first knitting class in almost a year. Socks are fun to teach, fun to learn, and such a wonderful summer project! I have five wonderful students, all at different stages of their knitting life, and they're providing both a challenge and a camaraderie that I've been missing

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-51945062524816308852009-07-01T11:09:00.003-05:002009-07-01T11:13:59.204-05:00

Many thanks to everyone who has continued to visit this blog, and leave me lovely comments about what they've learned or enjoyed. What have I been up to, and why has it been so long since my last post? Well, things change during our lives, and sometimes they change in most unexpected ways. As you can see from the photo above, I've done a little travelling this last year. Italy was

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-66589716286170865852008-03-03T14:14:00.003-05:002008-03-03T14:16:17.008-05:00

About three years ago we went through one of those periods at work where it seemed that everyone was having a baby. You know what that’s like – you get one person making an announcement and next thing you know there are five, and you’re seriously debating the merits of bottled water as an alternative work-time liquid!Since three of the people bursting at the seams were friends of mine, I started

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-61426566372700230762008-01-14T12:13:00.000-05:002008-01-14T12:29:57.091-05:00

I’ve been busily knitting since the holidays – mostly several versions of Knitty’s Ice Queen in Kid Silk haze of blue and bright pink, followed by the wimple below in a pattern of my own devising. “How can you possibly make up your own patterns?” is something I hear all the time from both knitters and non-knitters. So I thought I’d detail the process that led to this leaf-lace wimple, and share

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-69399377547512825882007-11-02T10:08:00.000-05:002007-11-02T10:12:57.265-05:00

Dribs and DrabsWork is interfering with my fiber life to an incredible degree right now, and I don’t like it! However, work is necessary to pay the everyday bills as well as underwrite the fiber things, so I can’t complain too much.I have made two interesting fiber-related trips in recent months. First, there was The Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia-Silverdale Washington area over Memorial Day week. The

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-79292280048490511442007-04-25T14:29:00.000-05:002007-04-25T14:32:41.625-05:00

I received an email the other day from a local knitting group asking me to talk to a group of knitters about spinning. They didn't really want a spinning demonstration (it couldn't be that easy!), but rather a discussion of what knitters need to know about fibers to help them make more successful projects. So I started looking at what I call “Fibers 101,” a course that I’ve added to this blog in

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-62071487778365504802007-04-18T11:58:00.000-05:002007-04-18T11:59:10.619-05:00

“Some days you get the bear, some days the bear gets you…” is one of my husband’s favorite remarks. Lately it’s been apt for me, particularly since I feel that the bear has been winning most of the time!I’m oh-so-slowly spinning up 5 ounces of merino-clun forest rainbow space-dyed roving from a dye-in last fall. Progress is being measured in yards, rather than my usual multiple ounces. I’m

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-50188685939208411812007-01-29T07:23:00.000-05:002007-01-29T13:00:46.238-05:00

Winter Knitting – Gansey Workshop!My winter (post-Christmas) knitting has been perhaps a bit unusual for me. Socks, socks and more socks, along with a sweater or two! It's been COLD in East Tennessee much of the last month - I mean the kind of cold that takes me back 40 years to my childhood.On the bright side, this should kill off some of the beasties and might mean that you can actually stand

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1163611116206370872006-11-15T12:02:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:18:09.661-05:00

In Praise of the Humble SockWhat article of clothing is arguably most humble? The “lowest” of all - the sock. Eaten by dryers, mate-less cast aside, maligned by hurried owners,Living in the rear of drawers and atop “to discard” piles,Socks survive.Stuffed into shoes, boots, and sandals,Scuffed shoeless over floors, driveways, sidewalks and yards,Tucked into gift boxes as a last-minute

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1162579501765669232006-11-03T13:42:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:18:09.496-05:00

We aficionados of the information superhighway tend to look online first for information. And we frequently find it – along with a bewildering array of misinformation! So where does the average spinner and knitter look for advice on that beautiful cashmere or qiviut or superfine merino fiber or yarn? How do you learn how to do a gauge swatch, and what information you should get from it, and

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1159915369676902592006-10-03T17:40:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:06.103-05:00

I’ve been playing with a fairly new obsession recently, and my blogging has suffered as a result. I got an Ipod! A 60-gig video Ipod! Now, if you know what’s coming, you can just cruise on away – you won’t hurt my feelings a bit! There will be some fibery content below – but mostly just unbridled enthusiasm for a very old idea (everything old is new again…and if you’re old enough to remember

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1155939133187632322006-08-18T16:39:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:06.003-05:00

And now for the promised second installment. Thank you all for your kind words - you're generally a much more appreciative audience than my family or the engineers and physicists for whom I work!We covered protein fibers last time - basically anything that originated with an animal or insect. I'll talk about cellulose next, and give some very basic information on the man-made fibers. These

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1155389509979982682006-08-12T08:04:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:05.886-05:00

This is something of a new adventure for me. I’ve been teaching fiber-arts for quite a while now, and rather than have my ramblings pieced out all over the blog, I’ve decided to post some of my more formal class materials here, in sections.I was talking to my son earlier this week. We’d been on a dorm-furnishing shopping spree, and run into some folks in the store who were doing the same thing.

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1151610348082857902006-06-29T14:44:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:05.764-05:00

I’m presently teaching a local spinning class. It’s been going on for a while now, and the students are past the beginner’s usual over- and under-spun bobbles. They’re at the point where they’re comfortable with the process of making yarn. Each of them has his or her ‘default style’ of yarn, I’ve noticed. Some have spun fairly even, fairly fine yarns almost from the beginning, others spent

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1150890217962709002006-06-21T06:41:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:04.968-05:00

Things are hopping at work and at home these days, so the blog has rather fallen by the wayside. Life has a way of interfering from time to time, I’ve noticed. I always make time for some sort of fiber project, though.I’ve been spinning for and knitting lots of socks lately. It’s my usual summer project, for a variety of reasons, and rather comforting to spin for something so familiar after

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1147948716133696732006-05-18T05:23:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:04.860-05:00

I love silk, and once in a while I just have to play! The above was the result of a weekend experiment. I dyed, spun and knitted a silk bell or cap into the cell phone cozy shown. It's the perfect size for carrying my cell around the office building where I work, and has enough extra room to tuck latte money inside as well!Silk is the undisputed queen of fibers. No other fiber has the texture,

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1145281631866017172006-04-17T08:37:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:04.737-05:00

I’ve been quiet lately – working on a sweater which I’ve now finally finished and a photo of which is below – and thinking about some things which have been passing through on the lists. This is the time of year when my creative flow usually takes a hike to make room for the yard and garden and spring cleaning. DH is taking care of the yard, and the housework took second place to some dyeing this

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1143043049739534132006-03-22T10:46:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:04.625-05:00

I’ve talked before about “historical knitting” – now let’s shift the focus a bit to “historical spinning,” or some of the ways spinning has changed in Appalachia in the last 100 years. My grandmother, shortly before her death, saw some of my earliest alpaca/silk blend handspun. She was astonished at the softness, shine and clarity of color. One of the comments she made was “I wish Mother could

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1140644668010148602006-02-22T16:39:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:04.509-05:00

This is another EZ Baby Surprise Jacket, done in Kansas City Chiefs colors for the new baby of a fan. I actually work with both parents - Mom and Dad! Aren’t the colors pretty?Yarn was KnitPicks Merino Style, needles size 3 bamboo circulars, gauge 5 stitches per inch. The buttons are cute - little balloons! The cener one is actually red, although it doesn't show up too much in the photo.I did

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1139951472247419592006-02-14T16:06:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:04.397-05:00

I’ve been working on a baby outfit or two recently. The first shower was last week, and I can now ‘publish’ my work for it without spoiling the surprise. The second installment will come later this month. The picture of the finished cap, socks and sweater is below:The fiber was Finn top, combed from a fleece purchased I don’t remember when from I don’t remember who. I spun a fingering-weight

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1139345720700527552006-02-07T15:54:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:04.288-05:00

I love to spin, and prefer to spin fine. Show me or allow me to purchase a very fine Shetland, Merino, or merino cross fleece and my mind happily explores the possibilities while my fingers are busily at work seeing just how fine I can spin this particular fleece. I bought my current spinning wheels based largely on their ability to spin very fine yarns in a wide variety of fibers. I’ve even

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1138798549564423712006-02-01T07:20:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:04.177-05:00

My husband sometimes asks why I read so many different lists every day – several spinning, one tatting, several knitting and a couple of weaving lists deliver digests to me daily. I’ve tried to explain that I find the camaraderie at least as important as the information shared. Although he’s better than the average Joe at understanding how fiber artists and women network and support one another

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1138112380079468282006-01-24T09:10:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:04.082-05:00

I cast on Sunday morning (January 22) while waiting for the coffee to finish brewing, and the powers that be cooperated beautifully all day! I'm now on the 5th row of the 288-stitch section and on 30+ inch rosewood cable needles. A picture of progress to date is below:Details: I finally decided to just do the Pi, incorporating patterns from Sharon's book Heirloom Knitting (http://

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1138111776714559982006-01-24T09:00:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:03.972-05:00

I’ve been playing with Mobius scarves recently. I’ve made 3 so far, gave 2 away before getting pictures, but held onto the latest and best-suited to my wardrobe. A picture is below:It’s quite short, being a scant 188 stitches at a gauge of 5 stitches per inch. But I wanted something to hug my neck nicely under my coat, or top a mock-turtleneck knit top, and it fits perfectly for that. So what’s

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1137084974408177582006-01-12T11:24:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:03.870-05:00

“I’m not a fancy spinner, but I only use two whorls – slow and fast!”The discussion was about the range of ratios a new spinner might want to use on a wheel. I had given a thoughtfully-reasoned response regarding possible uses for the ratios of the wheel she was considering, along with a recommendation that she might want to look at wheels that offered more alternatives. This comment felt like a

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1135700759486463712005-12-27T10:45:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:03.739-05:00

The packages have been opened, the ooohs! and aaahs! are over, and now I can talk about the projects I completed! I didn’t post ahead of time because my children, parents and other recipients check out my blog more frequently than I realized until this Thanksgiving! So rather than spoil their Christmas, I just kept quiet. But now I can show everyone what I did this fall!I did lots of gloves this

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1133470657852293302005-12-01T15:56:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:03.626-05:00

It’s the time of year when many of us have either started or completed several handmade items as gifts. I’ve been following several discussions on the Knitter’s Review forum (http://www.knittersreview.com/forum/) with interest and, in some cases, horror. Here’s my own two-cents’ worth on the subject.Your handmade gifts are wonderful expressions of caring – you’ve thought about what fiber, yarn,

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1132763953526020972005-11-23T11:24:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:03.503-05:00

What makes a spinner? Is it the best wheel, the best fiber, the most skeins sitting in baskets, the most classes taken, or what? How about the best spinners? What lets them effortlessly produce miles of beautiful yarn, either perfectly even or beautifully textured?Do you think obsessing about the details of spinning is silly, and just want to sit down and spin yard after yard of singles as

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1131547622284592572005-11-09T09:34:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:03.407-05:00

These socks were made on a whim. I ran across the yarn and fell in love with the colorway (I have a weakness for purple). So I stretched the budget to accommodate the purchase during September.Then the weather began to turn cold. Suddenly I didn’t have nearly enough warm socks. Wear and a general lack of knitting time have brought my own personal sock collection down to an unacceptable 3 pairs. I

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1130262673885466062005-10-25T12:50:00.000-05:002006-11-16T13:10:03.279-05:00

The pictures of the cashmere gloves are above. These were made from 2 balls of Richesse et Soie in the lovely, soft gray they call Fog. Since my winter coats are a black leather, a pink microfiber with gray lining, or a red wool, they’ll go with all of them. I made them just a bit large, knowing that they will shrink with wear and washing. Gauge on these is 10 stitches per inch, and I made

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1129664929554459652005-10-18T14:33:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:30.709-05:00

I’ve talked about this before, but every so often the questions come up again on one or another spinning list. So one more time, let’s talk about spinning for socks. Remember, you’ll go through similar steps when spinning for any specific project! But that's another day's posting.Your mother probably told you that everybody is different, and she was right. Every sheep is different, too. While

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1129046436538263152005-10-11T10:57:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:30.613-05:00

Here are photos of the 2 beginner patterns I’m using for my class. The garter-stitch dishcloth is such an easy way to practice basics, and if done in cotton can be frogged as often as necessary. As for the stockings, I did fraternal ones (who says socks have to match?!), and will probably use the remainder of the yarn to make at least one more pair of short socks while teaching the course. Or

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1128514060087301292005-10-05T07:05:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:30.490-05:00

I’ve been working madly this last couple of weeks, both at work and on another project. I work in a rather large building (well, large for East Tennessee – about 800 people work here). There are a few women, although we’re in a definite minority. After talking to several, I got permission to hold knitting and crochet classes after hours during the winter in a large, windowed conference room.

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1126367594809334062005-09-10T10:41:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:30.407-05:00

Several months back I read a comment on a knitting list to the effect that knitting backward is only used by “regular” knitters for edgings. I jotted the comment down in my calendar, but neglected to add any information regarding who made the original comment and on what list. What can I say – life is sometimes a bit hectic!I backtrack through my calendar fairly often, since it’s my diary for

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1125345096051165602005-08-29T14:41:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:30.296-05:00

My DH is a large man. He’s big-boned and broad-shouldered – nice to snuggle up to on a cold winter’s night. But knitting for him sometimes makes me feel as though I’d started on an endless project – it takes so MANY knit stitches to fit him! So I tend to do small things for him – mittens, hats, scarves and such. Lately he’s been hinting for a pair of gloves. I found some lovely KnitPicks

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1124896315886743232005-08-24T09:54:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:30.205-05:00

We went to Chicago to see my son’s Pass in Review (graduation from Navy recruit training, for the non-Navy folks out there). We had a great time! We left Tennessee on Wednesday evening, drove up to between Louisville and Indianapolis, and then on Thursday drove on to Chicago. The Great Lakes Naval Training Facility is to the north of Chicago, in North Chicago. Lovely country, with

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1123689947114607042005-08-10T10:56:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:30.092-05:00

Yes, a question has set me off again! But in a different vein from my usual rant. There has been quite a bit written about knitting and spinning and crochet and various repetitive stress disorders, and I don’t want to revisit that topic. But very little has been written about basic tool safety. Perhaps we just don’t think of our fiber tools as dangerous objects. The facts, however, say

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1121109551351171022005-07-11T13:59:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:29.972-05:00

Or better yet, what parts of your past have impacted your knitting? I’ve been answering some questions from several sources lately about what impact various things have had on my fiber life. It’s a topic that invariably involves a visit to my past selves. In order to clarify my own mind, let’s take a quick trip back in time.I grew up in what socialists call a turbulent time. I was born in

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1120160710324972062005-06-30T14:45:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:29.850-05:00

Each skill you learn has corollaries that you may or may not choose to explore. I don’t like the look of needle tatting, so despite being an advanced shuttle tatter I’m barely competent at it. Ditto most of the specifically woolen crochet techniques. I concentrated on shuttle tatting and thread crochet because those were what I liked best – I’m a lace addict, remember? In the same way,

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1120154790689873882005-06-30T13:00:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:29.712-05:00

I belong to several lace-knitting and spinning lists. I also belong to tatting, weaving and crochet lists, which I currently read only sporadically. Like the rest of us, I spend most of my time on the things that interest me most, and right now that’s lace knitting and spinning. I’ve noticed a common thread among newcomers to all needlework disciplines (more about that word choice later). They

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1119465908406753292005-06-22T13:42:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:29.589-05:00

So far so good! I have about 10-12 inches of the center done and have just transferred over to a circular needle. The Waterman small leaf pattern is working quite well, and I’ve figured out that I can increase one repeat every 6th row nicely. Forming the increases by substituting a k 2 tog for the sl 1, k2, psso in the first and last repeat of each section is also working quite nicely, and

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1119015748622323382005-06-17T08:42:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:29.463-05:00

Sample veil center Here is a sample of the Waterman pattern, with the changes I talked about yesterday. It looks better in person, and I'll try to get a better picture when I locate my camera again - my youngest son cleaned house for me yesterday, and while it looks great, everything has been tidied into the wrong places! And I wasn't going on a camera hunt at 6:00 am - I needed to get to work.I

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1118952989268592092005-06-16T15:12:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:29.337-05:00

Blushes!Many thanks to everyone who gave me such enthusiastic comments on the Buegler Feather and Fan Shawl (pictured below). I’ve blushed steadily for over a week now! I have been asked for some additional details on the yarn; I didn’t spin the alpaca for this one. I was in more of a knitting mood than a spinning mood, and I was already spinning for a couple of other projects (like the wedding

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1118085461781037452005-06-06T14:06:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:29.229-05:00

I’ll state upfront that I did purchase the Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook. I read it, enjoyed it, learned a bit about dyeing from it, and it now resides in my bookcase. But as a spinning and knitting veteran of uncounted pairs of socks, I thought then and think now that making socks from singles is just plain silly!What prompted this rant? A posting on the handspun sockknitters list digest today.

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1117990542869535332005-06-05T11:55:00.001-05:002006-11-16T12:56:29.105-05:00

My baby alpaca feather and fan shawl, view 3 

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1117990527160654502005-06-05T11:55:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:28.994-05:00

My baby alpaca feather and fan shawl, view 2 

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1117989087447352612005-06-05T11:31:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:28.509-05:00

My baby alpaca feather and fan shawl, view 1 The promised pictures of the Buegler design from "A Gathering of Lace". I took it off the blocking wires just a few minutes ago. Those of you who look closely may notice that I skipped a repeat or two in a couple of spots - I'm so short that the pattern as written would drag the ground in any reasonable wearing position! The color is actually a black

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1117738571335220122005-06-02T13:52:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:28.391-05:00

My darling daughter made an announcement over the holiday weekend. She will be getting married around this time next year, although a definite date hasn’t yet been set. After the usual congratulations and best wishes and cautions, we talked about the shawl she had requested me to spin and knit for her (“no deadline, Mom – I won’t be getting married for a few years, at least”) a few months ago.I

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1116372298302332002005-05-17T18:24:00.002-05:002006-11-16T12:56:28.280-05:00

Hem Lace Detail 

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1116372281131593472005-05-17T18:24:00.001-05:002006-11-16T12:56:28.145-05:00

Cotton Sweater I’ve finished up a cotton sweater from a lovely pinky-lilac colored cotton. This is basic Tahki-Stacy Charles Cotton Classic color 3938, worsted weight knitted up at 5 stitches per inch on size 6 needles. My rationale for doing a sweater when I really needed to work on my alpaca shawl was basically as follows: I really needed a cool summer sweater for work. And I have that

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1116372256832615492005-05-17T18:24:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:28.040-05:00

Sleeve Detail 

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1115129264052338442005-05-03T09:07:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:27.939-05:00

My New Toy! I have a new toy (pictured above)! Administrative Professionals Day was last Wednesday. I don’t make a big deal about it, because I think I need to do a great job every day. And I work with engineers and physicists who do nice things for me at other times during the year – Christmas and birthdays and such. But this year my three group leaders (immediate supervisors) and some others

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1114705490631190022005-04-28T10:53:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:27.826-05:00

It's been awhile since my last post; what can I say, life interferes from time to time! I've been working on a 'pick-up' project of some short socks for my youngest to wear while rowing. I chose to use that Suffolk I had dyed and spun awhile back, and knitted them toe-up on size 1 needles at a gauge of 7 stitches per inch. He wore them to a regatta this past weekend, on a cold, wet day that was

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1113845090480316452005-04-18T12:20:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:27.715-05:00

Recent questions on a lace-knitting list have included queries about old knitting patterns – how to read them, and how to knit them. I’ve been thinking about that, and actually did reply to the original question. But I’d like to take time to expand on my list answer.The original questions were from a knitter attempting to create original pieces from patterns dating from the 1850’s and 1860’s. She

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1112039511039116542005-03-28T14:51:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:27.520-05:00

Alpaca shawl progress I’ve been plugging away at my shawl, and not working on much else. It’s coming along, though, as you can see.Shetland Lace samples Oh, I DID get some wonderful Shetland fleece samples from Cyndee Wolfe (wolfe.258@osu.edu), in Ohio and spent a pleasant couple of evenings playing with them. She has wonderful fleeces. I bought some rovings from her last year in white, brown

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1111431372815850602005-03-21T13:56:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:27.433-05:00

Guilds and Groups There are lots of opinions about fiber guilds and groups, ranging from ‘can’t live without them’ to ‘can’t see any earthly reason for them’. Where do I fall on that scale? Let’s take a look at the evidence.I started my weaving with no guidance other than Mary Black’s New Key to Weaving and tenacity. I don’t recommend this as an approach, since I spent a great deal of time

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1111004566036604662005-03-16T15:19:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:27.253-05:00

I've got a new toy, and it's sidetracked me from fiber pursuits for a day or two. I am the proud (and bewildered) owner of a new iPAQ rx3700 pocket pc. It has so many gizmos that I may never straighten them all out. But on the up side, it also has a camera included, so I have no excuse for not having pictures of my finished projects - or the ones in progress, for that matter! I just have to

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1110831105668458982005-03-14T15:06:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:27.173-05:00

So much going on right now! It’s hard to find time to catch up the blog right now – work is going through a crazy spell and cutting into my fiber time!I have managed a little time on fun stuff, though not nearly as much as I’d like. That Suffolk I dyed a few weeks back has slowly become sport-weight two-ply. I now have a rainbow of balls waiting to be turned into a Fair Isle project of some

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1110224958515567022005-03-07T14:49:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:26.988-05:00

Grandchildren's socks! 

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1110225007217786462005-03-07T14:45:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:27.090-05:00

The socks for the grandchildren are completed! Dad is a major University of Tennessee fan, so the orange was an absolute. The rest of it was up to me, though, and I couldn’t resist the Regia yarn. Dad may root for the Vols, but Grandma is a Lady Vols fan!The good thing is that the yarn I was waiting for is here! I've already begun the circular Feather and Fan shawl from A Gathering of Lace

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1109699620743738212005-03-01T12:45:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:26.898-05:00

It really is! I've placed several orders lately, and now have to work on other stuff while I wait for them to arrive!Exciting stuff is on the way, though. I ordered Sweater Wizard after having a terrible time designing sweaters for myself on the needles. I look best in fitted styles, as I have an hourglass figure - the hourglass is just rather generously endowed! Trying to make all the

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1109101080052550112005-02-22T14:33:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:26.794-05:00

I got up Sunday feeling like playing around in some wool, so I pulled out a Suffolk fleece I bought a year or two back (lovely fiber, fine and springy). I went through, pulled a pound-plus of the prime wool, and washed it - beautiful bright white. So I got out the Wilton cake dyes and vinegar and started microwave dyeing it in primary colors - about 3 ounces each of red-red, bright blue, kelly

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1108918891073792362005-02-20T11:43:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:26.693-05:00

The flu is seriously not fun! I'm behind on my blog simply because I've been so sick - and still I'm not feeling well. Oh, well, this is about knitting and spinning - mostly! - so here goes.I got the Roseleaves tunic finished, and the picture is below. (I added this later - on March 18, in fact!) Modeling for photos, or taking them, isn't high on my agenda right now. I did wear the tunic to

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1107781933225826992005-02-07T08:12:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:26.610-05:00

Mother's Christmas 2004 Shawl I finally got the pictures from the holidays edited, and thought I'd post my mother's Shetland-paterned, Orenburg-worked rectangular shawl. I talked about this a bit earlier, but a more detailed explanation - well...I bought a pound of Shetland sliver at SAFF 2001 thinking I'd make myself a Shetland shawl. It was a logical choice - I love to spin very fine, and I

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1107624517014097802005-02-05T13:28:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:26.522-05:00

The Sari Silk Sweater  The promised picture of me in the sweater - it's really pretty, but the growth factor makes it difficult to wear. Oh, well, I'm trying to decide on my next project now. It will be more successful. And, if I do decide I absolutely hate this, I can always rip it out and re-use the yarn in something else!

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1107366034090326032005-02-02T13:38:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:26.340-05:00

Okay, this is a rant – fair warning has been given. Every once in a while something pushes my buttons, and this has accomplished that with a vengeance. You don’t have to agree with me, but at least listen to me! How can anyone possibly look at any article on archeology, paleontology, geology, or physics and deny evolution? A New York Times article of February 1, 2005, offers the following

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1107274873824220682005-02-01T11:14:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:26.230-05:00

I finished up the silk sweater on Saturday. Washed, blocked, and wore it on Sunday. I have a picture, and will post it later. I wasn’t happy with it on wearing; it 'grew' too much. I figured a little distance might help; maybe I was being too picky. After all, silk does tend to stretch, and I knew that when I planned the project. So I washed the sweater and put it away for awhile, to give

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1106857282028082522005-01-27T15:19:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:26.130-05:00

And I really am on the home stretch! I got the sleeves attached and started working up to the neckline last weekend. I’d be finished by now, but I goofed and had to frog back sixteen rows. Since I was afraid to just lay it on a table, remove the needles, and start ripping, I “tinked” back the entire sixteen rows one stitch at a time! I know, I know! And if the yarn had been wool, I wouldn’

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1106143471376019682005-01-19T08:56:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:26.043-05:00

"What's some of the things you guys have knit during the last year?" The question was asked on a list I enjoy. It stuck in my mind, and I finally realized why. Making a list of accomplishments is a positive reinforcement - something various therapists recommend as an antidote to depression! It is January, and I have been feeling blue - it's cold, and cloudy, and my bones are aching. So

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1106074918610897252005-01-18T13:53:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:25.953-05:00

It's actually looking like a sweater - albeit in pieces! I bound off the underarm stitches yesterday, and started the first sleeve on double-points. Now I need to get that sleeve onto a circular needle and finished up. Then it's on to the second sleeve and the upper part of the body. This has been such entertaining knitting! The continual color changes keep me knitting along just to see what

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1105971257159749522005-01-17T09:11:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:25.852-05:00

My sweater is coming right along - if I didn't really need to meet some friends for lunch and do some shopping, I'd probably get one sleeve done today! I finished up the body (to the underarms) last night. Now to do just a bit of refiguring to modify the originally-planned short sleeves to 3/4 length, and I can cast on and knit.

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1105645564683022682005-01-13T14:46:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:25.749-05:00

Fabric from "Sari Silk" fiber 

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1105644234578436572005-01-13T13:45:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:25.638-05:00

The Christmas gifts are all completed and given to their recipients. Everything that needed adjustment or finishing up is done. Now I'm free to play with something just for me! I've been spinning for a summer sweater off and on since last summer. A fellow spinner and HGA rep, Teresa Simmons, posted that she had obtained some "sari silk" and offered a special price. As a weaver myself, I'd always

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1104332683533766352004-12-29T09:46:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:25.535-05:00

Well, the holiday has come and gone - and I'm now "fixing" the gifts that didn't fit quite right, or didn't quite get finished. Two of the gifts were perfect - the shawl for my mother was beautiful, and she absolutely loved it. And the sweater for my grandson fit perfectly, and was a hit with everyone. But the sweater for my granddaughter needs to be lengthened, and the last two fingers of

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1102448408849125032004-12-07T14:34:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:25.431-05:00

Let's see...I've finished up several things since my last post, and started others. The scarf from the handspun Finn in the cellular lace pattern is finished off with a crocheted scalloped edge. The ear-warmer for a jogging friend is also finished, and the Shetland-style rectangular shawl for my mother is nearly done. Except I've decided to make it just a bit longer, so I'm spinning a little

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1098209875459539012004-10-19T13:11:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:25.337-05:00

I had some Finn that I had spun sport-weight a few weeks back; being me, I'd spun waaay too much for the project! I was thinking about what to do with the left-overs, which led to what I still need to do for Christmas gifts. I have a gift exchange each year with a group that loves handmade gifts. So I decided to make a scarf for that exchange, using the Finn. This fiber is a beautiful shiny

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1097159171839545622004-10-07T12:25:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:24.360-05:00

Welcome to FiberLife! I'm a fiberholic. There, I've admitted it. If it's hair or fur sheared from an animal or plant fuzz of any type, I'm interested. I'll spin the fluff, knit, weave, tat or crochet the resulting yarn into a fabric, and have a great deal of fun in the process. My Christmas gifts for family and friends are always hand-made, not homemade. My socks are hand-knit, my sweaters

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624177.post-1097164369840538102004-10-07T10:23:00.000-05:002006-11-16T12:56:25.215-05:00

Current projects include a pair of lace socks. I bought some 54's superwash from Little Barn just before last fall's "natural dye-in" for a local guild. There was a pot with cochineal and a touch of Queen Anne's lace - an absolutely fantastic scarlet! I dyed about 6 ounces, with no real plan for using it at that time. Then I put major holes into my socks with the steel-toed shoes I must

PJ Kitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835001952770913494noreply@blogger.com0