spiraling

We've moved!

2008-08-17T17:11:00.001+10:00

A new blog, exciting new plans and lots of fun in store for the future, come and visit us at our new home.

www.spiralingreview.com

See you there!

Project 18: Thermal Gloves for Pants

2008-04-22T14:18:00.002+10:00

I wanted a quick knit present for Pants, so I whipped up these thermal inspired mitts for him to wear under his snowboarding gloves.

He's not all that into them, though, the colour bothering him more than the shininess, so I don't think I'll be making him anything else any time soon.

I like them, though, and I'm going to use the remainder for a pair for myself.

Pattern: Made up, based on how I remembered Thermal, which was incorrect.

Yarn: Noro Aurora, colour 8, about half of two skeins (1 ball)

Needles: 4.5mm circ

Made for: Pants

Ravelry Link

Project 17: Evangelines

2008-04-03T14:45:00.000+11:00

I made these Evangelines as part of Mmmmmalabrigo March over on Ravelry.

The pattern was well written and easy to understand, but I just don't like the cable pattern. Why I couldn't figure that out before I knit them, I have no idea, but I think I'll give them to mumsie instead of keeping them for myself.

I did an extra cable repeat but otherwise knit them as instructed. If I were to do them again, I'd give the thumbs more stitches and change up the cable pattern.

Pattern: Evangeline, from Magknits

Yarn: Mmmmalabrigo Worsted in Sealing Wax, about 1/3 of a skein

Needles: 4.5mm circ

Made for: mother, I think

Ravelry Link

Project 16: Nephling Hat

2008-04-02T17:12:00.002+11:00

This teeny, tiny hat was made in Albury, for the nephling, who has us all completely under his spell.

Pretty simple project, made from my default hat pattern, the Spiraling Hat, to coordinate with the Kipling I made for his baby shower, it made a pretty good (if I do say so myself) Easter gift for a tiny who isn't allowed chocolate.

We're hoping it gets cold enough for him to wear them before they're outgrown. I'll try to get a modeled photo, he's very cute.

Pattern: Spiraling Hat

Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills Aran in Seafoam

Needles: 4.5mm circ

Made for: our nephling

Ravelry Link

Project 15: Chocolate Spiraling Hat

2008-04-01T23:52:00.003+11:00

Life got pretty out of control last month, so I have a rather large backlog of finished projects to get through, starting with this staple, a Spiraling Hat for the gift box.

I made this one in the car on the way to Albury a few weeks ago, where the godfetus was in hospital. She's doing ok at the moment, but it was scary for a while there and she will have to be taken to Melbourne for her birth, but we're taking each day as it comes. She's 24 weeks, so fingers crossed she chooses to stay where she is for a few more months.

Pattern: Spiraling Hat

Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky in Chocolate, 1 skein

Needles: 10mm dpns

Made for: someone, surely

Ravelry Link

Project 14: Patriotic Socks (for [complainy] Pants)

2008-03-14T11:25:00.004+11:00

SWTC's Karaoke, with it's renowned felting properties, is a dodgy choice for a sock yarn.

This is why I was making these footies for myself. I know they'll felt like the dickens, so I'll take care of them and only wear them around the house.

However, as I was knitting along, having just turned the heels, watching My Name is Earl, Pants started kvetching about the two single (sadly, unmatching) socks that I've knit him and bitching about the fact that I'm making these for myself while his giant (size 11!) feet go shiveringly naked.

They were turning out a bit loose for me, so when he grabbed them and forced his feet into them, they fit him, slightly stretched , but for being rather too short.

So I put the knitting away and the next day, on the train, ripped out the painstakingly crafted (ok, not really) heels, added a few inches to the foot length and reheeled them.

The following day, we set off for Newcastle to visit with friends and I finished them, but for the sewn cast-off, on the road. Hence the charmingly art directed (by pants, no less) photograph of an almost completed sock, artfully arranged upon manly foot, delicately nestled against Land Rover steering wheel (taken outside the Newcastle Ent Cent).

We had slept in the back of the truck at the beach the previous night, two fatties spooning on a single blow up mattress, nuzzled between hard steel wheel arches, so we were, shall we say, not in the greatest mood the next morning when we awoke.

I waited until I'd done something stupid (I can't remember what, but it's an unfortunate habit of mine, and one of the differences that keep our relationship strong, to have a logic that is truly my own and not necessarily reflected in the greater world's logic) before I told him to shut up, because I'd been knitting away on a PAIR!!! of socks for him all weekend.

It was a good ploy, and one that I must remember for when he has his cranky pants on in the future. I believe this is sometimes called bribery.

Pattern: toe up, two at once with a reverse heel flap

Yarn: South West Trading Company Karaoke in Gator, 2 skeins

Needles: 3.75mm circ

Made for: Pants

Ravelry Link

Why patriotic? Imagine (as I choose to) that the blue isn't there, which isn't too difficult when they're covered by giant (did I mention size 11!?!) cons, and you've got a green and gold sock that i knit 'Oi' into each ankle of. As in, Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi! Oi! Oi!

Project 13: Tiny socks for Milly

2008-03-13T21:36:00.005+11:00

A quick knitting interlude in the turbulent weeks just past, a pair of tiny socks for a tiny arrival in the family, my cousin's brand new babe.

Very simply constructed, wedge toes, heel flap, stockinette foot, ribbed legs. Nice, brainless knitting.

Pattern: made up

Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills Miami in Miami Red

Needles: 2mm circ

Made for: Milly

Ravelry Link

Bumblebee

2008-03-05T21:22:00.003+11:00

Hand-dyed merino/nylon sock.
Spiraling Bumblebee.

Project 12: Scarfly

2008-02-29T11:15:00.005+11:00

I recently bought a rigid heddle loom. I know, rigid heddle! I got a good deal and I wanted to try it out, so...

I made a little scraf for a small friend.

Today is the last day of Feb, so I thought I'd have a look at my goals for the year and see how I'm going with them.

1 & 2 (off roading and more driving) aren't going so well, I've probably driven less than 5 hours this year, but I'm off to visit my godbaby next weekend (see #3) which means about 12 hours of driving for me.

4, to knit a project from each knitting book I own, is not doing too badly, I've done two, but I've also doubled my library, so I'm calling it a fail.

5, making 52 projects, or 1 each week for the year, well, I'm up to 12, in 8 1/2 weeks and I have another half dozen or more in various stages of completion, so I'm pretty happy with that.

Pattern: none, just a plain weave

Yarn: Louet Gems Sapphire in black, 1/2 skein & Emotive Classic in pink, 1 skein

Needles: rigid heddle loom

Made for: Surprise

Ravelry Link

Project 11: Ralph

2008-02-26T16:37:00.003+11:00

Pants' sister is currently at the hospital, having our nephling cut out of her. As you can imagine, we're all kind of beside ourselves and twitching, waiting for news. Pants and I are going to be a little bit sheepish (no pun intended, but what the heck) if he ends up being a neiceling and we have to return all of the tiny blue things we bought.

I made this little sheepy, Ralph, to give to the tiny upon his entrance (visiting hours start in 1 hour, 50 minutes, so hurry up little one!).

More details and a pattern to download by the weekend.

Pattern: A Tale of Two Sheepies, by Spiraling

Yarn: SWTC Bamboo Feather and Louet Gems Sport weight

Needles: 3.25mm circ

Made for: the nephling!

Ravelry Link

I must go now and resume pacing and glancing at the telephone. Send good thoughts!

GAH!!!

2008-02-25T14:40:00.003+11:00

I've developed a bad habit of pronouncing Edinburgh as though it were spelled phonetically. I'll admit it, it irks my hairy Scot, and that's generally a motivating factor, but yesterday I did it in front of his Glaswegian parents and felt like a tool.

It seems I'm incapable of posting without a photo, so here are some fuzzy feet that have been sitting in my 'to be felted' box for a few weeks. I've a few projects in there, I think I'm scared of ruining them.

Araucania Nature Wool Chunky

2008-02-21T19:07:00.003+11:00

There was recently a yarn freak-out on the Aus Knitters forum of Ravelry over Ranco, the stunning sock yarn from Araucania. I bought four skeins, two of the multi and two of the solids (which are really varigated).

For me, the stand out feature of the yarn is the softness. It's absolutely gorgeous, so I had to try out another from the Araucania stable.

16 skeins of Nature Wool Chunky came home to me, 11 in a gorgeous green to make a faux fair isle (possibly overkill, but I didn't want to run out), four of the dark teal colour and one of the gorgeous aqua in the photo.

Have a good look at the photo, you can see a bigger version here, the first thing you'll notice is the different bands, the forground yarn has the older version.

You might also notice that the aqua is dwarfing the teal. The aqua is 147g, the teal 102g, both advertised as 100g.

I wish now that I'd bought them in a real store, rather than online. You can bet I would have bought every overweight skein.

I'm going to start knitting these this weekend.

Yarn Storage? Sorted.

2008-02-20T09:27:00.000+11:00

I've begun the laborious task of logging and transferring my yarns over from my old workspace into the bunker.

This task is made slightly more bearable by the fact that a. I love counting stuff, putting it into spreadsheets and analysing data, and b. I've found the perfect storage solution for me.

I found these plastic shoe containers at my local $2 store, and picked up 35 of them.

They're particularly good for sock yarns (a good hunk of my 132 skeins can be found in the pile above). One of those boxes has 18 balls of Bendigo Miami in it!

Project 10: Cowgirl Slipper Socks

2008-02-19T08:21:00.003+11:00

This is my box of Noro. It doesn't look like much, but there's probably 15 or so skeins of assorted Noro yarns in there, Kureyon, Kureyon Sock, Cotton Hill, Silver Thaw, Aurora and Silk Mountain.

I'd never tried Noro until I made my Woodland Shawl out of Kureyon Sock, quickly followed by the Maine Morning Mitts out of Kureyon.

Suddenly, I understood what the fuss was about, and why people would pay $20 a skein for wool that's full of knots and twigs. So, I set about building a collection.

Part of this collection included two skeins of Silver Thaw, which is a 10ply Nylon/wool/angora blend, one of which I made into a pair of Ann Budd's Cowgirl Slipper Socks.

This yarn is really, really nice, squishy and fuzzy and a pleasure to knit, however I soon learned that I was slightly allergic to it (hence the thick socks in the photos). I'm not sure what the problem is, considering I wear angora and used to own an angora bunny, I think it may actually be the wool used.

So, knitting something that made my hands swell up and my whole body itchy is kind of a motivator to get things done, you know?

These are for my grandmother for Christmas, so they don't quite fit me.

They were a fairly quick knit, heavy yarn with a short leg, and, allergies not withstanding, an enjoyable one.

As I was knitting, I couldn't figure out what the yarn reminded me of. I knew it was some kind of sweet from my childhood, but that sounds rediculous, so I didn't know what it was. Something about the way the tufts of colour pop out of the yarn.

I didn't figure it out until I was nearly done. CLINKERS!!

They're not *quite* done, the toes are held together with waste yarn because I can not find a single tapestry needle in my house, or in any of the stores at Miranda. It's my own fault, though, because I know exactly where my scissors and measuring tapes are.

Pattern: Cowgirl Slipper Socks, by Ann Budd, from IK Winter 06

Yarn: Noro Silver Thaw

Needles: 4.5mm circ

Made for: mormor

Ravelry Link

Project 9: Foliage

2008-02-17T17:04:00.003+11:00

I haven't mentione it before, because it kind of makes me seem like a spoiled little princess, but my best friend is taking me around the world in September.

We're going to Prague first, then we're separating in Scotland, me to Glasgow for a pants family wedding and her to a friend who lives in Edinburgh, then we're off to Boston, NY, Chicago, Seattle and Vancouver, and wherever else takes our fancy along the way, but she's paying for my flights.

This is completely outrageous and kind of something that it's impossible to adequately say thank you for.

So, I knit her a hat. Yeah, lame. It's sort of for Christmas, but I'll probably give it to her for her Birthday so she can take it away with us. Last time she was in Prague, she got me a green flap hat, so it seemed kind of appropriate.

Anyway, this completely inadequate gift is Foliage from Knitty. Made in some Malabrigo Chunky that I happened to have laying around, this is possibly one of my favourite things ever.

The colour, Lettuce, is just perfect and the pattern is easy without being boring and I finished it in an evening watching dvds on my computer.

It's a pretty big hat, which was a complaint I saw on Ravelry quite a bit, but K has fairly big hair, so I think it will be alright. It came down over my eyebrows, which was a teeny bit annoying, but if I made one for myself (and I probably will), I'd just pull it down further at the back.

Modelled by my adorable mumsie, I'm pretty sure she wants one now!

Pattern: Foliage by Emilee Mooney, from Knitty

Yarn: Malabrigo in Lettuce

Needles: 6.5mm circ

Made for: K

Ravelry Link

Worst. Photo. Ever.

2008-02-16T18:02:00.004+11:00

The quality of this photograph (taken through gladwrap in the car on the way to a recent dinner party) is indicative of the general apathy an malaise that is pervading my entire life at the moment.

Working weekends is killing me, and the sticky 'd' key on my work laptop is making me feel slightly stabby.

Anywho, my sweet friend Zephyrama sent me a bunch of awesome cookbooks before Christmas, among them one celebrating recipes from regional restaurants around Australia.

I made little chocolate, date and almond tortes for a dinner with friends recently, and they turned out really well. We served them with vanilla bean ice cream and they were delicious.

This is also the worst post ever, because I'm not comfortable posting copyrighted recipes online, so I can't even share that.

Project 8: Heart Hat for Mirabel

2008-02-15T19:16:00.003+11:00

And here's a fun hat.

I made this hat for Meet Me at Mikes' (or, as I prefer, Meet Meat, Mikes, as though two sheltered lads named Mike were being introduced to bacon. Mmmm... Bacon.) Hearts for Mirabel appeal.

I sent it earlier in the week by express post, but haven't heard that it was received, so I'll check with the post office on Monday. I never heard anything about the softies I sent last year, but I'm sure they're busy.

It's just one of my Spiraling hats (I'm trying to get the pattern up, hopefully this month!), except that I extended the top into a rather long icord and made a little heart on the end. I REALLY wish I'd written down how I did the heart before I sent it off, but I'll try to figure it out.

The hearts are being sold for $10 each next month, I'll mention it again when it happens.

Pattern: Spiraling Hat by me!

Yarn: Lamb's Pride Bulky in Lotus Pink

Needles: 10mm dpns

Made for: the Mirabel Foundation

Ravelry Link

Hat attack can kiss my arse, too. Project 7.

2008-02-14T11:35:00.004+11:00

So, I just participated in hat attack and found the whole thing... well, crap.

For starters, it's a hat, so more or less everyone in the entire field finished it in an afternoon and sent out, so it was purely up to the discretion of the mail gods.

The pattern, a binary cable hat, where the cables represent the 1s and 0s of binary, was a really great idea, but the execution was a bit meh. The pattern is pretty good, but the directions terrible. I feel like the designer was trying a bit too hard to be geeky.

The complaints have been flying thick and fast, though. First I heard was stickyfingers' rant about lefties being disqualified for crossing cables incorrectly (even though they still crossed behind, and that was all the pattern called for).

Then, a groundswell of complaints on Ravelry about the size of the hats.

Then, this morning, I got a PM from my target, saying that the moderator of the group told her to send back the hat I killed her with because it didn't fit anyone in her family, then I saw that she had already posted in a public forum that my hat was 'so obviously not made to size.'

Well!

I used the correct yarn (lamb's pride worsted) and my gauge was exactly on. I followed the pattern exactly and it fit me, but only came about half way down my ears. Incidentally, I checked her hat's project page on Rav and mine hit me almost exactly where hers his her, which is half-way down her ears. Hmmm...

I don't see how it is in any way my fault that a. the pattern is incorrectly sized and b. my target seems to have a giant noggin.

So, yeah, I found the whole experience to be terrible.

I did however, receive a very nice hat (incidentally, knit to too large a gauge, but I'm not contesting whether it killed me, that wouldn't really be in the spirit of the game now, would it?) from my assassin, cathat.

It's made out of a 50% hemp, 50% wool yarn that looks to be hand painted. It's really beautiful.

Here is a photo of it on my parent's dog, because cathat showed a photo of it on her cute puppers.

Pattern: Binary Cable Hat

Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted in an off-colour (mustard-ish)

Needles: 4.5mm circ (I seem to use this for everything)

Made for: my target, who I won't link to, lest she complain about me again.

Ravelry Link

Red Velvet cuppycakes with mint cream cheese icing

2008-02-13T12:26:00.000+11:00

We made these little cuppycakes to take to the nephling's baby shower.

They're red velvet with mint cream cheese icing. The red velvet recipe I found somewhere on the internet and the icing is just regular cream cheese / butter / icing sugar with mint extract and food colour added.

Pants decorated them and we didn't have my piping bags and things because we made them at his parent's place. Still, I like how they turned out, kind of rustic.

When I lived in Manhattan, we used to order take out from a little cajun place that did the most incredible food. My flatmate LOVED red velvet and always ordered a slice, but I'd never tried it before.

The verdict? Delicious, so moist, but so, so bad for you, with the oil and the buttermilk and eggs, it didn't really have a distinct flavour. Not sure what I was expecting, but it's just a really dense, plain cake. The icing really helped.

We bake a lot, at least a batch of cookies a week for pants' little lunch, pies and cakes to take to dinner parties, etc, so this year, I'm trying to document them a bit better.

Project 6: Nephling

2008-02-12T20:46:00.001+11:00

I pretty much suck. this little jumper was supposed to be finished for Christmas as a gift to Pants' sister and brother-in-law, but meh.

I ended up finishing it about half an hour before the nephling's baby shower the weekend before last. haha. Pants wasn't very happy with me. None the less, it turned out very well, far better than this ill-lit (taken under the pergola in a rain storm) would suggest. I'll try to get a modeled photo once the little monster gets here (13 days!).

I made a few changed, knitting the body in the round to avoid seaming and catching the cast on edge as a hem while I knit. No idea what that's really called, but it made sense (and a nice little hem) at the time. I also decided to rib the wrists, because I really didn't understand the instructions for any of the hems.

This is a really ho-hum knit until you add the funky collar. It was a big hit at the baby shower, with all manner of requests. As an aside, who knew that a baby shower would involve a bunch of breeding women talking about breast pads and playing stupid games? Not me.

Next big baby item will be a cardigan with a collar like this one.

Pattern: Kipling by Kim K. of Yarn Abuse

Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills Aran in Seafoam

Needles: 4.5mm circ

Made for: The nephling

Ravelry Link

Project 5: Woodland Shawl

2008-01-30T21:27:00.001+11:00

woodland detail
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

I'm a bit behind, here, so bear with me.

This past was a long weekend, four-dayer for the 55,000 of us at the Sydney BDO on Friday, and yet knitting activity was minimal.

I spent some of the time moving my workshop into the new workshop (the Bunker) that we've leased. It's kind of an underground concrete shelter room, so not great for photos, but it's rad and I'm filling it up with my lovelies and it's got scooter parking. So...

What knitting I have been doing has been plugging away at massive, massive, endless stocking stitch items that will be fulled. I have a hat and some slips, so far, but damn, it's taking it's sweet time.

I actually finished this project a week or two ago and just haven't had time to post it, so here it is.

Let me just preface this by saying that Nikol Lohr warned me, but I went ahead anyway and this made a VERY skimpy shawl.

Noro sock is 420 metres, so I was hopeful, but I have broad shoulders and this little shawl is just long enough to pin at my chest. If I were to do it again (and I'd definitely want to), I'd use two skeins and make it another repeat or two wider.

I made it originally to take on a bunch of flights later this year, I thought it would be nice to just throw over my shoulders, but I think it's a bit small. Not sure how much use I will get out of it, I may just hang it on the wall or something.

It's a great pattern, though. The embossed leaves stitch is one that I used over the break on my Murray River socks (ok, sock. I'll get to the other one), so it was a painless project for my first lace.

The yarn, Noro Kureyon Sock, is MUCH, MUCH nicer than first touch would have you think. Knitting from the inside of the ball, it was super tangly and pretty annoying, but much softer than knitting from the outside, due to the knitting action untwisting the yarn a little.

There were some bits of VM, but not too much and I LOVED the striping. There are colours in there that I'm not overly fond of, but it just WORKS.

I'm a Noro convert, now, says she as she rests her feet on her box of assorted Noro yarns, waiting, waiting.

The thick and thin parts of the yarn were quite dramatic, but it knit up really nicely into this fabric.

I call it a win.

Pattern: Woodland Shawl, by Nikol Lohr

Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock in 102

Needles: 4.5mm circ

Made for: Me!

Ravelry Link

Project 4: Maine Morning Mitts

2008-01-20T12:25:00.000+11:00

I've a few FOs backed up, so I'm doing them in order.

This is no 4 of the 52 projects I'm attempting to finish this year.

I'm going to start with my issues with this project, because I'm feeling contrary:
1. Noro Kureyon. Love it. LOVE IT. I never understood why everyone raved about Noro, which is a 20$ a ball yarn with twigs in it. Then I made these mitts (my first ever Noro project, it took me almost 7 months of knitting) and I got it. Loves me some Noro now.

However, what I do not like is the non-matchiness of these mitts. I checked out the project page on Ravelry and I knew they would be fraternal and I thought I could handle it, but damn. These are fraternal like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito are fraternal. They don't even look like they're from the same colourway.

So, I've ordered another skein and I will hopefully get two relatively matching pairs out of it.

2. Clara Parkes. Honestly, I kind of love you. I've been reading your IK articles and I've been really impressed, but, seriously, you have Kureyon listed as a singles yarn? Are you insane? Apart from the fact that the ball band has it listed as a 2ply, you can feel it when you're knitting and the plies want to come apart.

Otherwise, it's a great pattern with a great yarn. I don't know that I'll make another pair (after I make the partners for these) but I'm certainly going to experement with gussets in gloves and mitts in the future.

Pattern: Maine Morning Mitts, by Clara Parke

Yarn: Noro Kureyon in 92

Needles: 4.5mm circ

Made for: Me, kind of. I want the green & pink one

Ravelry Link

Project 3: CBG hat

2008-01-15T08:40:00.000+11:00

This is project 3 for the year and I'm ashamed to say that I made it one day two weeks ago and it's taken me this long to post it.

This is a spiraling hat out of my handspun corriedale. See the little yarn tail near my nose? That's exactly how much yarn I had left over.

This is a gift for a friend's Birthday, which will be late by the time it gets overseas. I like it, it has some personal jokes made out of shrinkie dinks spun in, which is fun.

Pattern: Spiraling Hat

Yarn: Spiraling handdyed hanspun, 100% corriedale in cbg

Needles: 10mm dpns, made by pants

Made for: Comic Book Guy

Ravelry Details

Bainbridge Scarf - late posted Christmas effort.

2008-01-09T10:01:00.000+11:00

I made this Bainbridge Scarf for my mums for Christmas, out of a single skein of gorgeous alpaca yarn. She loved it and I'm certain she'll get lots of use out of it, when winter rolls around.

This pattern was the first I found and fell in love with on Ravelry, first in my queue, I was going to use some 8ply hand dyed, but the alpaca is so soft and snuggly and lovely and I know she'll be able to wear the off-white tucked into her khaki work shirts or dressed up with her black wool coat.

Pattern: Bainbridge Scarf, by MintyFresh

Modifications: I only wanted to use one skein (it's discontinued and I'm hoarding the other five! Five more gift Bainbridges!) so I made it a little less deep and made the ties shorter.

Yarn: Plymouth Indiecita Alpaca 4-ply Worsted in Off-White

Needles: 3.75mm (US 5) circ

Made for: mumsie

Ravelry Link

Project 2 - Handspun Mitts

2008-01-07T08:51:00.001+11:00

The thing with knitting with handspun, for me at least, is that you never know if you're going to have enough to finish your project.

I was convinced, making the mind's eye hat, that I would run out and have to use something else for the very top, but miraculously, I managed to eke a pair of fingerless mitts out of the yardage.

Very basic, made-up pattern, 7 rows of ribbing, stockinette to the thumb hole, which is bound off, then re-cast on the next row, then stockinette for a bit, then seven rows of 2x2 ribbing and a sewn cast off. Voila!

I knit these on the 4th, during a road trip to Camden for the opshops, down and out to a place I can't spell near Woollongong to buy a couple of surfboards (more projects - one has a giant crack and one is missing a fin, but I have plans for the missing fin board).

Again, any project I can finish in a day is a winner, as far as I'm concerned.

Here's a closeup of the fabric. This is a very thick and thin singles yarn that I spun very early in my spinning career. It's been sitting in my spinning closet for years and in that time, it's managed to lose it's singles bias. Interesting.

Pattern: Improvised

Yarn: Spiraling handdyed hanspun, 100% merino in Smoothie

Needles: 5mm circ

Made for: The present box

Ravelry Link

Project 1, Book 1 - Mind's Eye Hat

2008-01-06T20:44:00.000+11:00

As part of my resolution to make one project from each of my knitting books, I cast on this simple handspun hat from Spin to Knit by Shannon Okey.

This is the Mind's Eye Hat, with a few minor modifications. I added an inch or so of 2x2 ribbing and continued to decrease into a point rather than drawing the yarn through the stitches at the crown and cinching.

It's a good pattern, I finished it in an afternoon and an evening, which is a requirement in a hat, for me, but I think in the future I'll just stick to my spiraling hat.

Spin to Knit is an interesting book, written by Knitgrrl Shannon Okey. I picked it up in the US early last year and it's taken me until now to read it. It's quite a good resource for utilising handspun, but I'd probably only recommend it to new spinners. It's interesting, but there's nothing new in there.

There aren't many projects from it that I would make, but one day I'll tackle the faux fair isle raglan pullover (ravelry link).

Pattern: Mind's Eye Hat from Spin to Knit

Yarn: Spiraling handdyed hanspun, 100% merino in Smoothie

Needles: 5mm circ

Made for: The present box

Ravelry Link

Singerama - Another Spiraling project

2008-01-05T19:15:00.000+11:00

Edit: I just found out that it was made on June 28, 1941!! That makes it 66 years old and I'd call it's condition immaculate. Interestingly, this was during the war, so I guess that means that they were still producing them on a small scale while they were making munitions for the war effort, presumably to either keep money coming in or to provide people with the means to create uniforms and things for soldiers, perhaps both.

The best thing is that Pants' grandmother was definitely working there then. I like to think that she was a part of the creation of this beautiful machine that's made it's way half way across the world to be owned by her only grandson, living in the dining room of her son. It's serendipitous.

The (admitedly rather boring looking) antique cabinet in my earlier post is actually more exciting than you would think, because this is what's hiding in it's guts.

It's a poor photo, taken in the crowded garage (excuse the XR and the MGB) in fading light, but it's a Singer 201k, thought by many to be the greatest sewing machine made by the Singer corp.

We bought this on our road trip, from the same place as the Bandit (what can I say? We got a good deal). A few days earlier, we saw one at a market in Canberra that was four times the price and the veneer on the top was a mess and it had some serious UV fading.

I wanted it, though. We agreed that we would do some research and have a look at some others before we bought one. We saw a few more (even more expensive ones) in Braidwood on our way to the coast, then found this one on our last day, when I jokingly said to Pants, 'if we buy the pokie machine, we need a treddle sewing machine, too' and the antique store owner unearthed it from the back of the shop.

So, we strapped them both in the back of the land rover and brought them back to Sydney.

We showed Pants' da, because we wanted some advice on how to clean it, and he got really excited and pointed out the Manufactured in GB decal, telling me that that meant it was made in Scotland (because if it was made en Angleterre, it would say so specifically), then went on to tell me that they were made in Glasgow (well, he said 'glasgeh', but I'm pretty sure that's what he meant!) and that his mother used to work in the Singer factory in Clydebank.

She was a supervisor there during the war when they were making ammunition and Pants' da says that she has heaps of rad (ok, he didn't say rad, he probably said something unintelligibly Glaswegian) photos from the time, including one of the ladies on a break, wearing their dungarees and head scarves. I can't wait to check them out when I visit in September (YAY!) for a family wedding, I'll try to scan some, because it sounds totally Rosie the Riveter to me.

Anywho, it's a 201k, originally a treddle machine that's had the treddie disconnected and upgraded (though it still works and we're probably going to disconnect it and use it as a treddlie) with an aftermarket bakelite Singer motor and light, which you can kind of see in the photo below.

It has the paperclips design and I *think* it may be a centenial version from 1950, but I'm awaiting confirmation. It would tickle me if it was made when Pants' grandmother was working there, that would be fantastic.

All in all, it's a gorgeous machine and we're really happy with it. It was a bit less of a project than we thought it would be, considering it was all working (including the lightbulb!) and the cabinet was in great condition. It even has the key to the drawer, the manuals, an advertisment for the motor add-on and a bunch of feet, including a ruffler, a quilting foot, pintuck foot, bias binding foot, rolled hem foot and more.

We couldn't find much information on restoring antique Singer sewing machines, so this is what we did.

First of all, it's important (to us, certainly, and to collectors) that we didn't change anything on the machine, it was really all about cleaning for us.

We used a car wash, duluted in water to clean the actual machine. It's painted metal with gold decals, so take care and make sure to wring out the cloth you're using. We gave it a pretty good scrub, actually, because it had quite a bit of hardened machine oil all over the place.

Ours looked like there had been a protective film or lacquer on the machine that was coming off, but it turns out that it was old oil, so we cleaned and buffed it off.

Once we (and by we, I kind of mostly mean Pants' da) had removed all of the oil, we used a car polish to give the machine an once-over and buffed it up to a high shine. All of the chrome parts were cleaned with a car chrome polish, to remove any rough bits and surface rust.

Do not use car cleaner or polish on any bakelite parts, 60 y/o bakelite is really brittle and should only be dusted with a soft cloth. In this instance, it's also where all of the electrical bits of the motor live and you should certainly take care with a 60 y/o motor and it's wiring.

Then, we moved onto the cabinet. All of the hinges are in great condition and the spring-loaded arm that holds the top open works, too, so we just used a bit of teak oil on the wood, rubbing it in along the grain, leaving it for ten minutes and buffing it off, paying particular attention to the bit on top where the two leaves join.

Hope this helps someone get the most out of their anitque Singer.

Ours looks fantastic and is now (temporarily) residing in Pants' mother's dining room, until we move and steal it back from her.

We call it the bandit (a Spiraling project)

2008-01-03T15:25:00.000+11:00

Jay guessed it, it's a slot machine, or as we call them here, a poker machine (pokie!), but Pants and I call it the Bandit.

It's an Aristocrat machine, we believe from the 60s or 70s (the bottom screen is from the 70s, certainly, but it doesn't match the top screen, which is probably a bit older).

We bought it in a fairly sub-par condition. The lights worked, but that's about it. The arm would pull down a little, but not completely, the coinslot rejected and it's a big huge mass of cogs and whirring things in there.

The good thing is that this is a eary machine, before they were electronic, which means that anything wrong with it is purely mechanical, and purely mechanical is what my baby is good at (he is a real mechanical thinker, I'm really numerically-minded with a high logical problem solving ability, we make a fantastic team).

See the circle hole in the pic above? That's part of the coin mechanism. There are two tubes, one that goes straight to that hole and one that goes off to the side and drops coins into the bank underneath. We've taken off the first tube for this photo, the second is missing, so we'll construct another out of a peice of rectangular aluminium tubing or conduit.

The stickers are lifting, but in decent condition, the coin slot appears to be bent and won't allow coins into it. The keys are lost (thankfully, it's all open), all of the chrome is a mess and all of the grease in the mechanisms is hard and slowing the workings down. It has bits of fluff and coins strewn through it and it needs a good cleaning.

We think it wants to work, though. It just needs some love and encouragement. Pants' da is pretty excited about it, as a project, as are we, and he's already started polishing the chrome, just to see how it will clean up.

Blogger is making my photos look a bit crap. grrr.

New Year Projects

2008-01-03T15:14:00.000+11:00

On new year's eve, Pants and I swung through a little antiques place down the coast and bought our first projects for the year.

First up is the delightful antique cabinet above, which we've actually already finished, and we've just gotten started on the mystery peice below.

It's a massive mess and has the potential to be an enormous headache, but we'll see.

I really enjoy working on projects with Pants.

NORO SOCK!!!

2008-01-02T18:34:00.001+11:00

I'm interrupting scheduled blogging to squee about the HUGE order of Noro Kureyon Sock yarn that was *just* delivered to my house. This is a group order for Aussie Knitters on Rav, but a few of these are for me.

The colour variation in a skein is stunning, here are two balls of colour 95, it's amazing how different it looks from different parts of the skein.

Reports of it's scratchiness are NOT exagerated, it's pretty rough and it has a lot of energy, I really think it will double on itself mercilessly. Oh, well, let the great experement begin!

big truck little tent

2008-01-01T23:52:00.001+11:00

big truck little tent
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

Pants and I returned last night (just in time to unpack and be in bed by 10, then awoken by the fireworks at midnight) from six days and five nights driving around NSW.

We had an absolutely fantastic trip, three nights in the diminutive tent seen above (probably should have slept in the big truck, but whatever) and two nights staying with my godbaby's family. Bliss.

We were going to stay longer but some purchases necessitated an early return and project work. More on that later.

I'm not really one for making resolutions, but if I were to make any this year, I would make these:

spend more time camping with Pants, off road, with dirtbikes whenever possible
drive more, even though that means less knitting time and relinquishing control of the ipod
visit my far away goddaughter and her as yet unborn sibling (the godfetus) at least twice
knit one project from each of my knitting books
make something every week, 52 projects for the year

Bah Humbug

2007-12-19T12:14:00.001+11:00

marley
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

Yesterday, my boss cancelled Christmas.

Ok, maybe that's being a little melodramatic, but he did come in four hours before we were to break up for the year and give us another week of work.

Myself, I'm not too concerned, I was realistically going to have to work 2 or 3 days a week over the break anyway, plus I'm having a month off in September to travel the world buying yarn and fabric, so I can't really complain about the additional income.

The Boss did the manly thing and dumped the work on us before making the announcement that he had called our payroll company to authorise our Christmas bonuses.

My instinct is to dump the bonus into my ING account, because we have goals and because this will tip me into another imaginary savings bracket that I didn't expect to reach before the end of the year, but Pants thinks I should buy myself something nice.

I'm super, super into finance, but my real interest lies in small business and personal finances. I'm in love with compound interest and automated savings and other financial fun, but I just don't know in this instance.

I don't have any formal debt, I owe less than the bonus amount on my credit card and it's all current, I'm not paying any interest. I pay off my cc in full every month and this month won't be any exception, so I guess my options are to spend or save.

I could also put this into a separate account where I've been saving for my trip next year.

Hmmm... this is the accountability blog, so I'll give it some thought for a few days and report back.

Soaps in Socks

2007-12-17T08:16:00.000+11:00

I love these little soaps, they're made of a 100% wool single that is really drifty and felts really nicely. I used Sean Sheep Armytage for these, but it's very much like Brown Sheep Lambs's Pride Worsted in feeling (not in content, though).

I cranked these out on my little vintage toy knitting machine. Pants say that it's vintage because it's more than 30 years old, it's been banging around for ages, it's lost the tensioner and I'm not sure where the book is (hence, not knowing exactly how old it is).

Anyway, a few years ago, I moved and couldn't find the book and it was IMPOSSIBLE to find directions online, so hopefully this will help anyone googling vintage toy circular knitting machine instructions.

So, what follows is my pattern for soaps in socks. I sell these, so please only use this pattern and tutorial for personal use, charity crafting and gifts. It is not for commercial use.

This is my machine, which I believe is from the early 70s (I need to find that book!). To start a tube, all you do is thread a few inches of yarn through the centre of the machine, then, starting with the coloured needle (which is really kind of a hook, but they're called needles) wrap the yarn under the first needle and behind the second, continuing until you're back before the coloured needle.

It's really important that you do this first step loosely, because otherwise, the machine will get stuck and make a terrible grinding noise.

Now, with the yarn threaded under the hook of each needle, crank 20 rounds of the machine. The handle turns more than once for each revolution of the barrel, so count the number of times the coloured needle passes.

Once you have gone around 20 times, stop and cut the yarn tail to about six inches (more or less, depending on your preference and your adeptness with a darning needle).

Thread your darning needle with the yarn tail and use it to catch each loop as it comes off each needle, as you crank slowly around. Once they are all on the darning needle, slip them onto the yarn tail and tighten the loop as far as you can, then secure it. Because these are being felted and will lose some of the stitch definition, I thread the yarn through the knitting and tie a knot, weave the end for an inch or so and then clip.

Place your soap into the soap sock and tighten the beginning tail of the yarn to snug, and secure as for the other end. Lovely Zephyrama suggested that you crochet the yarn end into a chain to make a handle. Nice!

Your soap is now ready to use. Because you've used a feltable wool, the sock will tighten with use and create a nice, scrubby surface.

Enjoy!

It should possibly be noted that there are modern toy knitting machines on the market, I believe there is a Barbie branded one. I haven't used one of these, but my research has indicated that they're pretty crap, the tension is impossible and they break after a few revolutions. I guess they don't make them like they used to.

If you ever see one of these old machines around, pick it up, there are some fun things to be made, from toys to knit suffolk puffs (yoyos) and scarves. I'll try to find the book and scan some photos of the tremendously retro suggestions.

I should probably add, if you don't have a machine, or couldn't be bothered making your own, I'm selling these in various colours for $5 US plus postage ($7AU, inc postage within Aus).

sock

2007-12-16T12:49:00.001+11:00

sock
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

I was breathalised last night.

I'm never pulled over, although I've always wanted to be, because girls on Vespas don't cause much suspicion.

Hairy men in Land Rovers, which is to say, blokes in work trucks, are very frequently targetted and I was riding behind my hairy man in his Land Rover and was pulled in after him.

Long story short, I was too excited about being breathalised and was taken for a drug test, Pants thought I had been waved through and was on my way to his parents house without him and when he got there and I was missing, paniced and went looking for me.

In the meantime, I arrived at his parents slightly concerned that his car wasn't out the front.

The good news is, we found each other in the end and I had no drugs and only a teeny bit of alcohol in my system.

Cops are tops.

popcorn washer pattern

2007-12-14T22:55:00.001+11:00

popcorn washer
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

This is the easiest thing ever to make, and I think it's really effective.

Yarn: Sullivans Cotone or another sport weight cotton or cotton blend, less than 50g.

Needles: 2.5mm

Method: CO 44

Row 1: (WS) *K1, P1, repeat from *
Row 2: *P1, K1, repeat from *
Row 3: repeat row 1
Row 4: repeat row 2

Row 5: K1, P1, K1, P1 *(K1, P1, K1)in next st, P3tog, repeat from* to last 4 st, K1, P1, K1, P1
Row 6: P1, K1, P1, K1, Purl to last 4 st, P1, K1, P1, K1
Row 7: K1, P1, K1, P1, *P3tog, (K1, P1, K1) in next st, repeat from * to last 4 st, K1, P1, K1, P1
Row 8: P1, K1, P1, K1, Purl to last 4 st, P1, K1, P1, K1

Repeat Rows 5 - 8 until piece is almost square, then repeat Rows 1-4.

bind off, enjoy.

There's a great video of popcorn stitch here.

This one is for my grandmother for christmas.

thermal

2007-12-11T13:52:00.001+11:00

thermal
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

Did I tell you I started Thermal?

I'm using a 3-ply I hand-dyed in two shades and a few different values of hot pink.

This is my land rover project that I work on between my Christmas knits (which are sort of coming along nicely), so I expect that this project will be finished around Christmas of 2009.

Oh, well, I'm enjoying it, anyway.

Busy

2007-12-05T22:28:00.001+11:00

Nephling
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

Things have been busy, hectic even, here at Chez Spiral.

I took a promotion earlier in the year and while I love my job and I know I'm working towards a goal and that it really makes me happy and fulfilled, I'm also working around 50 hours a week.

I love my job, I have a lot of responsibility but also a lot of freedom and I can work from home up to four days a week, it's just that I'm feeling the lack of time to work on my own business.

It's really hard to balance the knowledge that we're saving and every extra hour of work gets us closer to where we want to be and the knowledge that I'm letting opportunities to expand our own little crafty empire slip.

We haven't done a market in months, our website is still an dream and we've not dyed anything for sale in weeks, all of which is concerning.

We have always planned that I would stay in my current company for another four years and that Pants would be the one to pick up the extra hours in Spiraling, but his situation isn't too far off mine. Lots of hours, more work than he can handle and a fair amount of guilt for not taking any oportunity we receive.

So on Monday, I took the day off and just pottered around. I got cranking (quite literally) on my Christmas knitting and filled some orders.

Now I'm just trying to figure out how to achieve that balance.

Christmas: 9, Spiraing: 3

2007-11-28T14:59:00.001+11:00

Hatie for netty
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

Another Chiristmas knit completed, a super easy, finished in an evening spiraling hat for a friend in Canada who will be in Whistler over Christmas.

This is the friend who introduced Pants and I (after knowing us individually for 10 or more years, but still...) and we love her to bits.

I've been seeing heaps of similar hats on ravelry with killer embellishments, so I might add something to this one.

Pattern: made up, see this post

Yarn: Lamb's Pride Bulky in RPM Pink

Needles: 10mm DPNs

Made for: Netty!

Ravelry Details

Biome

2007-11-27T23:07:00.000+11:00

I recently discovered Biome, the website of a fantastic eco friendly store in Brisbane, and managed to drop quite a bit of money there today.

I bought a bunch of these ceramic decorations, made by a Brisbane designer, Kylie Johnson of Paper Boat Press.

I bought these gorgeous stars for our mothers, which I think will look fantastic on their gifts:

I bought this Peace on Earth bird (dove?) to tie onto my best friend's present:

And a few of the spotty stars for myself:

While I was there, and to take advantage of their free shipping, I also bought my dad some eco friendly golf tees, derived from biodegradable corn-based polymers, some beautiful looking soaps to give with the knit washers I'm planning on making as spare gifts and some baby things for the nephling.

I'm also planning on buying eco friendly hampers from there as corporate gifts from my day job this year, they have some fantastic options that I'm sure anyone would love to receive. I know I'd be stoked with any one of them, but especially this one.

All photos taken from and property of the Biome website.

think pink

2007-11-26T09:45:00.001+11:00

think pink
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

I managed to do a little spinning last week, after my card-a-palooza.

This one is hand dyed merino, spun on the Roberta and navajo plied.

It's for my partner in the Think Pink swap (ravelry link), and will be sent along with some hand dyed Spiraling Sock, a strawberry freddo, strawberry timtams and whatever else pink I can find.

Christmas: 10, Spiraling: 2

2007-11-24T21:16:00.001+11:00

dinosaur
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

The Christmas knitting is coming along, with the addition of this little dino (Chloesaurus) for my baby cousin, who happens to be a bit of a dinosaur nut.

Super easy, like all Greenhowe patterns, I made this while watching 3rd Rock from the Sun DVDs. Man, I love that show. Top 10.

I really suck at embroidering faces, so I'm calling this my version of a Steiner toy. Stuffed with wool roving.

Pattern: Little Men and Monsters, from Jean Greenhowe's Toy Collection

Yarn: Villawool Speediknit

Needles: 3.25mm

Made For: Chloe

Ravelry Link

Card-a-palooza 07

2007-11-23T11:49:00.000+11:00

Pants and I have some fairly inflexible financial goals at the moment, which have resulted in our jumping at any overtime or extra work we can get.

A consequence of this is that I've been travelling quite a bit and working most weekends and that Pants has also been doing the occasional weekend and a couple week nights a week.

He worked one evening earlier this week, which I designated CARD-A-PALOOOOOZAAAA!!!!, wherein I take a giant basket of fibre, generally consisting of bits I couldn't fit on a bobbin, dye trials, bits I use to exhaust dye pots, samples of fibres and generally anything interesting I find in my studio.

Then, I throw handfuls into my drum carder, roughly card them and see what happens.

I made 19 batts in this bunch, 3 for me, 15 for the store and 1 for my new friend Miss Vicki.

They're so much fun to spin, because you never know how it's going to turn out. No two are the same, but each of the 15 for sale all have at least 10 fibres in common, so they would make a giant, coheisive yarn, if all spun together. This lot all have silk, mohair, merino, angelina, corriedale and a bunch of other things.

I really love making these, it's always a surprise to see how they will come out and I'm really happy with this batch.

Now, to find enough time to list them on etsy and eBay.

Spiraling Hat

2007-11-22T09:34:00.001+11:00

spiraling hat
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

This pattern is an old favourite of mine and this hat is the only one I've kept. These make really great, easy to knit gifts. Seriously, they only take an hour or so to make, no seaming, fantastic.

It's such a basic, easy thing to make. Doubled lamb's pride bulky, knit in the round on 10mm dpns (made by Pants out of dowel), an inch and a half of 2x2 ribbing, two and a half inches of kniting, then even decreases to a point.

Too easy.

Pattern: made up, as above

Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky in Lipstick Red (LOVE this yarn, adore this colour)

Needles: 10mm dpns

Made For: ME!!

Ravelry Details

Jelly Baby for Mirabel

2007-11-21T10:58:00.001+11:00

jelly baby
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

This is my fourth softie for Mirabel, I'm express posting the lot to Mikes today.

I had grand plans of buying some real jelly babies for a photo shoot, so you could see how little this is, but when I got to the store, I remembered that I hate jelly babies and bought boost bars (I like to take them when I fly anywhere, I think it's a Danish thing [also, I pretty much blame everything unexplainable on my heritage]).

When I got home, I felt a bit silly about the boost bars and had to use them in the photo anyway.

I've been stuffing my softies with wool roving and, I have to say, it kicks polyfill.

Pattern: Jelly Baby from Jean Greenhowe's Little Gift Dolls

Yarn: Paton's 5Ply Treasure

Neddles: 2.5mm addi turbo lace circ

Made For: Softies for Mirabel

Amendments: I knit it in the round on a circ, using magic loop and Judy's magic toe cast on, instead of knitting it flat and seaming it. The yarn I used was actually 3 ply (fingering) instead of 8 ply (worsted), so it's pretty teeny.

Ravelry Details

Bunny for Mirabel

2007-11-20T19:17:00.001+11:00

Bunny for Mirabel
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

Pattern: Bunny from Jean Greenhowe's Knitted Animals

Yarn: Villawool Speediknit

Neddles: 3mm aluminium

Made For: Softies for Mirabel

Ravelry Details

Autumnal!

2007-11-19T12:01:00.001+11:00

Autumnal Detail
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

Autumnal is finished, bringing my Christmas gift knitting total to... one.

*cough*

Pattern: Autumnal, designed by me

Yarn: Tactile Fibre Arts sport

Needles: 2.5mm Addi Lace

Made for: Mumsie

Scraping the bottom of the barrel...

2007-11-18T19:26:00.001+11:00

finger
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

William is missing middle finger.

Funneh.

William

2007-11-17T16:48:00.001+11:00

William
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

This little fattie is William, my mate's blue tongue lizard. There's another blue tongue in his menagerie, Tuppance, who Pants saved from a dog this week. He's just there to recouperate, though.

William is awesome. He has no toes on his back foot there, but my photo is pretty crap.

Yeah, I'm scratching for crafty content, I just need a chance to take some photos of projects.

Levi warms up

2007-11-16T19:23:00.001+11:00

levi
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

1.What were you doing at 0800?
I'd been at work for an hour, but was sneakily reading blogs for a break before anyone else came in.

2. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Working, I'll head home soon. Busy day, 12 hours so far.

3. What was the last thing you said out loud?
I love you, to Pants, who is also working, far away

4. How many beverages did you have today?
1 cup of coffee, 1 1/2 beroccas and a few litres of water

5. What was the last thing you paid for?
A train ticket - Summer Hill to Bondi Junction - $3.40

6. Where were you last night?
Terminal 2 of Mascot Domestic Airport

7. Where do you keep your change?
In a St George's cross coin purse

8.What’s the weather like today?
I'm actually not sure, I've been at work for the past 12 and a bit hours. All of my meetings came to me today

9. What’s the best ice-cream flavor?
Choc mint, or possibly cherry

10. Do you want to cut your hair?
I haven't had a professional hair cut in years and I can't say I'll be bothering to any time soon

11. Do you talk a lot?
Yes, it took me to 23 to become comfortable with silence, but I can say a lot of words quite quickly without stopping for breath

12. Do you know anyone named Steven?
I promoted a delightful boy by the name of Steven, a few weeks ago, and he hasn't let me down

13. Do you chew on your straw?
Yes, Pants always knows which drink is mine

14. Where’s the next place you’re going to?
The train station, to go home and work from there for the weekend

15. What are your plans for this weekend?
Working, then playing on the new motorcycle that was delivered this afternoon, then some more working

levi hiding

2007-11-15T08:16:00.001+11:00

levi hiding
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

This is Levi, my mate's long neck turtle.

Not that you'd know it to look at this photo.

He's a bit of a scaredy-cat and takes a while to warm up when you play with him.

I'm travelling again, so there's no actual real content to be had.

Dodgy

2007-11-12T14:51:00.001+11:00

Dodgy
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

One of the good things about the rediculously well-stocked garage Pants maintains is that you can pretty much always dodgy yourself up a darning needle out of a coil of wire shoved on a shelf out the very back.

It's not ideal, I went and bought six real ones today, but it does in a pinch.

Dead Spinning Wheel

2007-11-11T12:55:00.001+11:00

Dead Spinning Wheel
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

For the record, I hate the Ashford Traditional. In fact, I hate everything Ashford makes, I hated the Ashford 'villiage' in Ashburton, NZ, and I hated that all of their salespeople knew nothing about fibre or spinning.

I look at the ashford wheels and wonder why they decided to forget aesthetics and produce wheels with function and no form, especially when their function isn't so hot and their prices don't reflect their ugly.

That said, I've managed to pick up a cheap Traditional somewhere along the way (in Canberra, actually, it came home in the backseat of the land rover) that I pretty much hate.

MItzy is pants' wheel (though I use it overwhelmingly more), the Peggy is mine, but lives in my mother's living room and the Roberta is my workhorse, production wheel.

That said, I'm excited now, because we're modding (or as Pants says, Rodding) the crapford into a super spinner. It involves welding, checkerplate and detatchable parts, which is kind of exciting.

I hope pants finishes up today, or at least next week while I'm in Qld again for three days.

Gorgeous yarn

2007-11-10T11:23:00.001+11:00

tactile
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

This is the yarn I'm using for my autumnal sock and it's GORGEOUS.

Hand dyed using natural dyes (leaves and insects, which is awesome) but the very talented Maia, I won this skein in a competition on her blog.

This is seriously amazing wool, 100% superwash and the colours! My goodness. Plus, you know, I've unravelled the heel three times and it's still in perfect condition.

Maia doen't have anything up on her website, Tactile Fibre Arts, at the moment, but I'm watching like a hawk, because I must have more.

My mum is going to love these socks, she caught a glimpse yesterday afternoon. I hid them quickly, but she looked rather smug.

Superspinner

2007-11-09T17:14:00.001+11:00

Superspinner
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

This weekend, Pants and I are modding our crappy Ashford Traveller into a superspinner.

We pulled it apart last weekend and now he just wants to bash on the keyboard while I type, somewhat like a monkey.

So I'll write more later, when my love has gone away.

Where is my mind?

2007-11-08T22:46:00.001+11:00

Autumnal progress
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

This is the second sock of Autumnal, the first time I attempted the heel.

Yeah, first time, I've just started on the leg after my fourth attempt was finally successful.

I don't know what my problem is. The first attempt ended up really narrow after I somehow managed to get my stitches divided unevenly somewhere in the foot. The second attempt I just wasn't paying attention and I botched it.

The third attempt was at the Tapestry Craft S&B tonight, where I was talking too much and not watching enough and missed a decrease. Moron.

Now, however, it's done, as is one of the 11 pattern repeats, which makes me a very happy girl.

I'm secretly hoping to finish and cast on Pants' mum's socks tomorrow. This time I'm doing both at the same time, which will hopefully be less confusing.

Monkey for Mirabel

2007-11-08T11:35:00.001+11:00

Monkey for Mirabel
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

I'm secretly attempting to finish five softies for mirabel, which is kind of a lofty goal, considering how busy I am and the fact that I'll be travelling for business next week.

Here's softie #1, made from a Sewing Stars pattern book. He's made of cuddly fleece and his arms can tie in the front to hold onto things.

This is a super pattern book and I've made a few of these monkeys before. I really must make some of the other patterns.

Autumnal foot

2007-11-07T11:42:00.001+11:00

Autumnal foot
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

I started designing this sock on October 31.
I call it autumnal, in honour of the gorgeous Tactile Fibre Arts yarn. It's for my mother for Christmas and as soon as I've made it and another pair for Pants' mama for Chirstmas, I'll be publishing the pattern.

Poor old Mitzy

2007-11-05T13:45:00.001+11:00

Mitzi spokes
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

I've been neglecting my beautiful Mitzy terribly.

I'm all about the sock knitting these days, to the detriment of my other crafty persuits.

Tonight, though, I have to get cracking on soft toy Christmas presents and my contribution to Softies for Mirabel.

I'm thinking monkeys.

Firestarters!

2007-10-26T00:08:00.001+10:00

multi blue louet
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

On my flight to Brisbane yesterday (yes, traveling for business again) I cast on a firestarters.

Well, I cast on a toe using Judy's magic toe and then stalled until I could get to my hotel room and find an appropriate toe-up patten.

I'm only on my second repeat (busy up here, too busy) but I messed up the first one.

Oh well, turns out I'm the kind of knitter who lives with her mistakes.

Grasshopper

2007-10-25T00:25:00.001+10:00

Grasshopper
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

This grasshopper rode the train to work on my foot on Monday morning.

He crawled around on there for 30 minutes or so before I moved him onto my book and then onto the floor.

A few years ago, I was riding my motorcycle when a grasshopper crawled up my trouser leg and bit me.

Blog Action Day

2007-10-16T00:59:00.001+10:00

Crimson Rosella
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

I believe that we here at Spiraling are pretty environmentally responsible. Our niddy noddies are made from recycled hardwoods, our sock blockers from reclaimed boards and our fibres sourced locally and often processed from fleece.

I ride a vespa and Pants drives a diesel Land Rover which are both consumption responsible vehicles, although we do have a couple of motorcycles that aren't as friendly as the vespa, but are certainly more friendly than most cars.

We recycle, reduce water usage, avoid fast food and imported goods.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with our collective footprint.

However, I'm about to catch my fifteenth flight for the year.

Fifteen. Four of which have been international.

Outrageous. I travel for business, I'm currently in a motel in Nth Qld, but I also travel a lot for pleasure. Pants and I went to Radelaide to see Hilltop Hoods perform with the ASO earlier this year and to Melbourne for his Birthday.

There are plenty of carbon offset programs, it's easy enough to click that button when you book a flight, but something makes me hesitate.

I want to do something a bit more personal, so Pants and I are going to go to a friend's farm and plant trees. Then I'm going to chase the pregnant alpacas around a field.

This little guy is a crimson rosella I met on a recent weekend at Bendalong. See? Mother Nature doesn't hate me for all the air travel.

Sumo Sock

2007-10-15T23:47:00.001+10:00

Spiraling Sumo Sock Peach Schnapps & Cranberry
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

Hand-dyed Sumo Sock in Peach Schnapps & Cranberry, my drink of choice. Sometimes.

This stuff knits up into socks in no time, but I think I'm going to cast on a bainbridge scarf.

Pants Sock

2007-10-11T19:40:00.001+10:00

Pants Sock
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

Aparently, no one has ever knit anything for Pants, which makes me (and his mum, frankly) terribly remiss.

To whit, I've started a pair of socks. I cast on last weekend around the campfire at Bendalong.

Since this photo was taken yesterday, I've caught two flights, so the heel is done and about an inch of foot.

I'm away on business for four days, so I'll have to stop before I get to the toe so he can try it on.

I'm really happy with the yarn, though, it's Opal Prisma.

Nephling Sock

2007-10-09T17:54:00.001+10:00

nephling sock
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

Teeny, tiny sock, just perfect for my teeny, tiny soon-to-be-nephew.

Now I just have to make the other one...

simple sock

2007-10-08T15:08:00.001+10:00

simple sock
Originally uploaded by wearespiraling

Socks! Oh, how I love socks. They're so quick and mindless, especially a simple cuff-down stocking stitch number like this, with a basic hourglass heel.

This badboy is all mine, made from Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Solids in Hot Pink and Turquoise.

Perfect road trip knitting.