Using up leftovers

This month (September) we experimented with 4ply cable yarns for our online Experimental Spinning session. Four ply cable yarns are basically two singles overplyed together,  twice, then the two resulting overplyed yarns are plyed together in the opposite direction.

A video that was recommended on the day is Wool n' Spinning presents Cabled Yarn by Rachel Smith. Lots of good information and hints.

I decided to use up some leftovers and came up with these yarns.

I was quite happy, so did a bit of a deep dive into my leftovers and came up with these:

And I finished with these yarns:

I made mostly 4ply cable yarns, but I did have a S spun single that I added to the end bits of my plying creating a few 3ply yarns. All sorts of matching yarns. They do need washing as the singles I've used are quite old.

I'm very happy with all of these and they'll end up being used in the mitred square rug that I've been working on. I've stopped that for the moment as I've run out of little bits of handspun yarn and I really should be moving on to other projects. It has been a bit of a distraction, however pleasant, and I should get on with Stuart's jumper and weaving the plastic rugs for my residency in Ivanhoe.

 

Side-tracked by leftover handspun

 I don't really know why, but whilst working on Stuart's jumper, I decided to stop and wait until I can measure it against him. I think it's way too big, but he is big and I might be underestimating his size. It's been awhile since I knit the last jumper.

Anyway, I decided I would do some more stash busting, this time with all those leftover bits of handspun that I can't bear to throw away.

I decided to do mitred squares as they're easy to do, can take small amounts of yarn and look pretty effective. My squares are 20 sts sides (work on 40sts) on 4mm needles and measure 9.5cm square.

There are all sorts of different yarns and even though some are a bit fine and a bit thick, it seems to be working ok.

I did sort them into colours: broadly blue, purple, red, orange, yellow and green. I think if I did it again, I would be much more random. The effect gets better as it gets larger. I'm aiming for a Queen size blanket for the spare bedroom. Just right for our Western Australian guests who feel the cold!

I've still got the green to go, then I've got all the natural coloured yarn and then I'll probably have to wait for more yarn. I'm thinking of edging it in cream with half size mitres.

Not another Mystery KAL!

As I seem to be spending my time today doing anything but important things that do need doing, I might as well add in a blog entry, for good measure.

My wasting time project is the HWSG Mystery Knit A-Long that has been divulged over the last four Treadles newsletters. You can catch up with others that are also participating, at Ravelry on the Guild's Forum.

I'm not usually very good at the KAL's as I either run out of time or enthusiasm, but I've decided to do this one with the dual purpose of supporting this lovely effort and making a blanket for my oldest son.

So far I've completed the first three along with two filler squares. I'm using blue for the pattern squares and brown for the fillers, all from stash. Yet another attempt to stash bust!

So, today I finished the second brown square for last month and have now started this month's square. Called 'Sea of Cables' it gives me a good chance to practice cabling without a cable needle. It is possible. Here's a video to show you how. Isn't it wonderful what you can learn on the net, though I did learn how to the old-fashioned way, in a class. 

Catching a train tomorrow, so more knitting!

Thank heavens for the stash!

As is usual, all ideas and suggestions have been pushed aside, as well meaning and excellent as they were, for something I managed to find in the stash:

My main problem with all the ideas is the beginning, cream, and the end, black and how these would look. This mostly purple, multi-coloured cone has been used to make one of the lovely machine lace shawls, which have easily disappeared off this years stall. Only a small amount is left, though plenty for this purpose.

I like the final result:

Now, I'm off to wash it and start on the knitting. Have a look at knitspingirl's yarn, what is she going to do?

Stash busting

I have been working, despite the lack of blogging. A combination of our wonderful heat wave and computer issues has meant a lack of movement on this front.



I've had a commission for a set of my red cuffs in a much smaller size.



Also, I've been doing some serious stash busting. Spinning 5 or 6 different unwanted commercial yarns together and then knitting on extremely large needles (25mm) is a very quick way of creating a really bulky fabric. If you take more care than I have on the colour combinations, it actually results in quite a good look.


The sad thing, is that even though quite a number of yarns have been removed from the stash, there seems to be no more space in the storage boxes. It's as if all the yarns relaxed and breathed out!