Sirdal Update

Don't you just hate when you put a WIP down and then you get involved with other projects and realize weeks, months, even years pass by? I was zipping along on Sirdal as part of the Dale's Of Nor(th America) KAL and knit to the armholes before I put it aside. Decided the sweater looked a little big. No, scratch that. It is huge! Of course I noticed the rice stitch section looked rather big before I got to the armholes but was in knitter's denial. I swatched! Scouts honor but I should have swatched the rice pattern too because that's where the problem is. So I put the sweater down and gave it a timeout.Now that I have gotten over the shock I have 2 choices, a.) Frog, of course or b.) another possibility. Since the sweater is knit as a tube why can't I make the steek stitches occupy more stitches. That would shift the placement of the sleeves. Since I am at the armhole I can make sure the motif is centered properly on the back. Did that make sense?

I suppose I have option c.) Start the Dale of Norway fox sweater :)

Is It Spring Yet?

Oh look! I have a little visitor this morning. Isn't he cute?Hmmm, I should have guessed he was only interested in my birdfeeder. I'm back from my class at The Mannings. It was fabulous!

I MUST get back to knitting. Look for a knitting update soon.

I love going out to my barn/workshop on snowy days. It is so cool to work out there and watch the snow fall. I really didn't think we would get snow today.

The Mannings

Tomorrow I leave for Pennsylvania to attend a color and weave workshop at The Mannings. The special workshop was put together for the Blue Ridge Spinners and Weavers Guild. It should be fun.

I'm a convert! After taking Kati Reeder Meeks workshop I went home and built a trapeze and immediately created a 9.5 yard tartan warp using Jagger Spun 2/18 100% Superfine Merino 386 ends at 30 epi. I created a similar warp back in September with the help of my DH and it was painful. All the fine threads kept sticking together and little fur balls would build up and the threads would get stuck in the heddles or reed and break.

With the help of the trapeze I was able to dress the loom back-to-front without any assistant and was able to do it quickly.

Winding the warp.The trapeze is attached to the loom, the rattle is in place and the warp is attached to the rod.

The warp goes up and over the PVC pipe.

The weights are attached to the other end. Once the warp is cranked on the trapeze is removed and the heddles are threaded.Sleying the reed using an auto-denter.
Time to weave. This tartan is called Sutherland District scarf half sett.If you ever have a chance to take a workshop with Kati, DO IT, you won't be sorry.