Valentine’s YOP

Knitting

I’ve progressed a few inches on my Arrowhead sleeves. I try to knit four rounds on each sleeve every day, which is a decrease repeat, but missed the last two days. I’m going to try to make it up today.

Freya liked my Lodge sweater so much, she asked me to knit her one with a few modifications. I told her it would have to be her birthday present. She wanted purple yarn, so we picked out this Cascade 220 superwash together in Purple Heather.

Dyeing

I wanted to join in on the Who Ya Gonna Shawl? knitalong, but needed the yarn to come from my stash. I decided on 80’s neon with this skein of black and red variegated, which I overdyed to be solid black, for the contrast.

To exhaust the dye bath, I grabbed a variegated skein from my stash which I’ve never liked. I think the resulting yarn is lovely: a deep charcoal with hints of the blue, yellow, and pink showing through. I see a beanie in my future.

Sewing

I did sew my PJ pants in the floral flannel I shared last time. They came out great. I only had flimsy elastic, but in the spirit of using it up, I serged the elastic directly to the fabric edge to prevent it from rolling. I also sewed this gift bag for Bob’s Valentine’s Day present.

DIY Hair Care

I like natural skin and hair care products, but they are so expensive. I decided to start making my own. Today I made a natural conditioner from avocado and argan oils, emulsifying wax, and water. It seems good, but the real test will be how it performs on my hair tomorrow. I also made some beard oil for my middle child (another March birthday gift) based on his favorite kind, which he says is too expensive. This is a mixture of avocado, jojoba, and argan oils, which was easy. I scented both with bergamot and amyris essential oils. Next up is shampoo with Bob’s homemade castile soap, argan oil, and water. I found this website with some great recipes. Once I get the basics down, I’ll start experimenting with other ingredients, like aloe gel from my aloe vera plants and soapwort from my garden.

Gardening

Gardening is hard work.

We had a couple of nice days this week, so I spent some time in the garden. I made a dent in the weeds and managed to get daikon radish, lettuce, kale, broccolini, and mustard planted under the greenhouse. Today, Bob and I moved the Elderberry bush out of the garden and into the yard. It was getting too big where it was, but not getting enough sun to flower. Hopefully it will do better in the yard. We picked a place where the drainage will keep the ground moist like it likes.

Yesterday, Bob and I had our Valentine’s date. We went to our favorite theater to watch Saturday Morning Cartoons: Cupid Edition. It included old cartoons from our childhood plus old commercials. Some were before our time. Included were Underdog, Pink Panther, Popeye, Schoolhouse Rock, and an oldie from the 1930’s. This one made me cry nostalgia tears. It was fun seeing them on the big screen. Then we went out for Thai food. I just received my gift, which is an Addi Express knitting machine! I’ll play around with it and report back later.

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can read my updated project list at this link. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry.

Boxing Day Round Up

I can now share my other gift make. This is yarn I knit into Rose City Rollers and a shirt we picked up while in Pittsburgh for Nova Scotia Nana who is a Steelers fan. Hi Nana! Yarn is Fibernymph Dyeworks Inversibles in black and gold.

Rather than list all my makes for 2022 — since I shared most of them on my Year of Projects Finale post — I thought instead I would share my totals and favorites.

I knit 15 projects and 8 miles of yarn in 2022. This is down from around 24 projects in previous years. It was a rocky year. My favorites are, below, Ocean Moon Shawl, Pumqueen Cardigan, Ghost Knitter’s Shawl, and Holiday Doodle Cowl.

I completed around 30 sewing projects in 2023, if you count multiples of the same pattern. This number includes project bags and shopping bags made as gifts or for sale in the shop. My favorites are, below, Plaid Flannel Shacket, Clare Coat, Spoopy Project Bag, Zero Waste Gather Dress, and Felix Dress.

I dyed fabric and yarn this year — some naturally, and some with low impact dyes. My favorites are the colorways for Chestnut Hills Farm and Fiber, the black walnut fabric with iron mordant, and the wool and cotton yarn dyed with tansy that is complemented by the Hi Summer colorway. (I’m going to knit a Visser or Halvis out of these, as they look so good together.)

I did manage to improve my spinning this year, and just started with weaving. Not much to show right now, though.

Hand spun local Blue Faced Leicester (BFL)

I will blog about 2023 plans in another post. I miss Year of Projects and am considering rejoining, even though I needed the break. If you are still with me — either on this post or as a subscriber — thanks for reading and sticking with me this year.

We had a lovely low-key Christmas Day with all the kids and Granddog Cannoli. I hope you enjoyed your day!

Wednesday WIPS

Sewing

Bob’s shirt is coming along. Just buttonholes and buttons to do now.

Knitting

I’ve finally cast on the Ghost Knitter’s Shawl from Ambah O’Brien. I’m looking forward to knitting a triangle in yarn that glows under a black light. I’m using one of my Gloomy Erina sparkly coffin progress keepers from the Autumn Yarn Mystery Box.

Natural Dyeing

I hapazome dyed some flowering indigo onto more Virginia cotton canvas. Is this a WIP? I guess so, since I’ll likely sew project bags with it for the shop. Unfortunately, the flowers didn’t stay purple after washing. They are still a lovely apricot color.

Gardening

I stuck some Yukon Gold potato eyes into some dirt, and now I have potato plants! My plan is to winter them indoors as a houseplant and then plant them in a potato bin in spring.

What are you working on this week?

The Result of My Labor (See What I Did There?)

Happy Labor Day!

I’m really jazzed with the results of my black walnut leaf dyeing. This fabric will make some gorgeous autumnal project bags. I enjoyed this process so much, I’m already planning to do it again with black walnut leaves but without iron mordant, and another set with indigo from the garden. That should keep me busy making project bags for the shop.

Hope you’re having a great day! Are you working on something crafty?

Year of Projects Week 6/52: Born to Knit

Then why am I sewing so much? We could blame the weather, but I almost never leave the house.

Sewing

After yesterday’s exercise in frustration, I needed a sewing win. Enter the Tekura Tee. This pattern popped up in my inbox from I Think Sew and I was drawn to its simplicity. I had some Born to Knit fabric left over from a Melba Dress, and decided to sew a “muslin” with it. I didn’t have enough fabric for a seam allowance, but I went with it. It’s a little snug. Adding a seam allowance for the next one should rectify that. I’ve got more knitting tattoo print interlock that will be perfect for this pattern, and maybe I’ll make a navy and white polka dot one as well.

I also finished sewing a shirt for Bob this week!

Dyeing

I dyed some Virginia cotton and wool blend yarn with tansy from my garden using an iron mordant this week. You can read all about it at this link.

Knitting

On the knitting front, I picked up my Hansel Hap for TV knitting. I’m almost ready to start the center square decreases. I also started the colorwork on my 2 Spooky Halloween Hat.

This has been a Year of Projects (YOP) update. You can read my updated list here, and my original list at this link. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry or Backstage Kath’s YOP bloggers list.

Year of Projects Week 5/52 — Tansy Hapazome

Fiber Art / Natural Dyeing

I managed to get out into the garden this morning to weed and noticed it’s time to harvest the tansy! Tansy is one of those dye plants with natural tannins like indigo, so it doesn’t need a mordant. I decided to test a Hapazome print on the edges of my remaining indigo printed Virginia cotton.

I’m pleased with how this came out. Now I need to decide if I want to continue to print on this fabric, or order more. I think I will order more, as I want to experiment with black walnut leaves and iron mordant.

I may also kettle dye some Virginia cotton and wool yarn with tansy this week. Since this blend of fibers doesn’t take readily to acid dyes or fiber reactive dyes for plant fibers, a natural dye pot may be just the thing it needs!

My flax is also ready to harvest. There are a few stalks that are already too far gone with ripe seed heads, but most is still ok. So that’s another fiber art project this week.

Knitting

I’m super close to finishing my Halloween Livie shawl. One more section then bind off!

Sewing

I should finish my Gather dress and Bob’s Marvel shirt this week.

Spinning

Since I came down with Covid, I didn’t spin for the last week of Tour de Fleece. I need to oil my wheel and get back to spinning.

This has been a Year of Projects (YOP) update. You can read my updated list here, and my original list at this link. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry or Backstage Kath’s YOP bloggers list.

Year of Projects: Week 4/52

Knitting

I finished my Pumqueen Cardi this week! I hope to have finished my Halloween Livie shawl by next week.

Dyeing

I spent most of my week dyeing this gorgeous kit for an up and coming knitting pattern designer. We’re both pleased with how it came out. I’m particularly happy with the black. This is nonsuperwash merino and silk fingering weight yarn.

I had a black dye bath to exhaust, so decided to try my hand at dyeing fiber for spinning. This is some merino sliver from my stash. Of course I went for Halloween colors. I’ve dyed wool fiber for felting but not for spinning, so we’ll see how this spins up.

Spinning

I finished spinning and plying this Blue Faced Leicester (BFL) fiber from a local farm, and I love it. I think my spinning is getting more even. I enjoyed working with this fiber so much, I’m going to try dyeing it and then offering it in the shop for spinners.

This has been a Year of Projects (YOP) update. You can read my updated list here, and my original list at this link. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry or Backstage Kath’s YOP bloggers list.

2022-2023 Year of Projects Week 2

Completed Knitting

  1. Pumqueen Cardigan in Cascade BFL
  2. Halloween Livie

Knitting To Do List

  1. Arrowhead Cardigan in Lettlopi
  2. Powdermill
  3. Knitter’s Dude in Comfy for Bob
  4. That Old Christmas Moon Shawl
  5. Auchnaha in Schiehallion in Mooring
  6. Cozy Autumn Socks
  7. Peaceful Lodge Sweater
  8. Taxus Mitts in Tukuwool Fingering
  9. Holiday Doodle Cowl
  10. Christmas Pudding Socks
  11. Willow in Moonstone Arcadia
  12. Super Simple Summer Sweater in Cestari Ash Lawn
  13. Seavaiger
  14. Hansel Hap in Ramsay Farms fawn katmoget Shetland with Jamieson and Smiths for trim colors
  15. Summer Solstice Wrap
  16. Stash Aurealis
  17. Glenan in Tarheelbilly Farm Tunis (I may dye this)
  18. Skipwith in black Rauma Finullgarn
  19. Undulation Shawl in Shilasdair Tansy
  20. Straw Cardigan in Tukuwool DK
  21. ‘Onipa’a Shawl in Mindful Folk yarn
  22. Peerie Flooers. I have the J&S Shetland yarn for the original version of this that you can see in the show Shetland.
  23. Celtic Tree Handwarmers
  24. Long sleeve Treit in Foxglove
  25. Sunset Slouch
  26. Strom Cardigan
  27. Peace Fleece Ronan in Siberian Midnight
  28. Brown Felt Cowgirl Hat
  29. Vintersol in Wing and a Prayer Farm yarn

Completed Sewing

  1. Free Range Slacks in Black Linen
  2. Free Range Slacks in Olive Linen
  3. Clyde Jumpsuit in Indigo Linen
  4. Marvel-ous Shirt for Bob
  5. Zero Waste Gather Dress
  6. Tekura Tees

Sewing To Do List

  1. Mocha Tunic in yellow linen
  2. Florence Top in cream floral linen
  3. Ophelia Overall shorts in red linen
  4. Ottobre blouse in Liberty blue paisley lawn
  5. Lauren Boyfriend Shirt in aqua and apricot linens
  6. Two A-line Tees in batiked cottons
  7. Audrey Pants in black brushed cotton twill and gray cotton twill
  8. Ophelia Overalls in teal corduroy
  9. A Logan Shacket in navy wool flannel
  10. Ottobre Coat in black wool floral embossed coating

Completed Dyeing

  1. I dyed my handspun with some leftover acid dyes.
  2. Gourd Party colorway for the shop
  3. I custom dyed this kit for a knitting pattern designer.

Completed Spinning

  1. Tour de Fleece is going well. I spun and plied this Targhee from Allegheny Fiber Arts. I really enjoyed spinning Targhee. It’s one of my favorite fibers. I still need to set this hank with a good soak.
  2. I spun and plied 4 ounces of farm BFL.

This is my running list for a Year of Projects 2022-2023. You can read my starting list here. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry or Backstage Kath’s YOP bloggers list.

2022-2023 Year of Projects

This is my new list for a Year of Projects 2022-2023. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry or Backstage Kath’s YOP bloggers list. I love being part of this group.

Knitting List

I’d like to get through the first 16 of these projects by July 1 of next year. There are several sweaters and knitalongs on this list, so I’ll try not to add any more of those. This gives me a little room to add a few more spontaneous projects since I normally finish about 20 in a year.

  1. Arrowhead Cardigan in Lettlopi
  2. Pumqueen Cardi in Cascade BFL
  3. Summer Solstice Wrap KAL
  4. Powdermill
  5. Knitter’s Dude in Comfy for Bob
  6. That Old Christmas Moon Shawl
  7. Auchnaha in Schiehallion in Mooring
  8. Halloween Livie
  9. Cozy Autumn Socks
  10. Taxus Mitts in Tukuwool Fingering
  11. Holiday Doodle Cowl
  12. Christmas Pudding Socks
  13. Willow in Moonstone Arcadia
  14. Super Simple Summer Sweater in Cestari Ash Lawn
  15. Seavaiger
  16. Hansel Hap in Ramsay Farms fawn katmoget Shetland with Jamieson and Smiths for trim colors
  17. Stash Aurealis
  18. Glenan in Tarheelbilly Farm Tunis (I may dye this)
  19. Skipwith in black Rauma Finullgarn
  20. Undulation Shawl in Shilasdair Tansy
  21. Straw Cardigan in Tukuwool DK
  22. ‘Onipa’a Shawl in Mindful Folk yarn
  23. Peerie Flooers. I have the J&S Shetland yarn for the original version of this that you can see in the show Shetland.
  24. Celtic Tree Handwarmers
  25. Long sleeve Treit in Foxglove
  26. Sunset Slouch
  27. Strom Cardigan
  28. Peace Fleece Ronan in Siberian Midnight
  29. Brown Felt Cowgirl Hat

Sewing List

I’ve added more tops and bottoms, which was the result of my Me Made May challenge. In addition to this list, I’d like to sew some underwear this year with my knit scraps.

  1. Free Range Slacks in black and olive linens
  2. Mocha Tunic in yellow linen
  3. Florence Top in cream floral linen
  4. Clyde Jumpsuit in indigo linen
  5. Ophelia Overall shorts in red linen
  6. Gather Dress in floral print linen
  7. Ottobre blouse in Liberty blue paisley lawn
  8. Lauren Boyfriend Shirt in aqua and apricot linens
  9. Two A-line Tees in batiked cottons
  10. One Hour Top in navy polka dot knit
  11. Audrey Pants in navy stretch cotton twill and gray cotton twill
  12. Ophelia Overalls in teal corduroy
  13. A Logan Shacket in navy wool flannel
  14. Ottobre Coat in black wool floral embossed coating

Dyeing

My goal for this year is to dye yarn in seasonal colorways for the shop. I also hope to dye with tansy flowers from my garden this year, and experiment with other natural dyes.

Spinning

Participating in Tour de Fleece will be a great start to getting back into spinning again. I will set a goal of spinning my Coopworth fleece this year. I don’t know if that’s realistic or not, but it’s good to have a goal.

Fiber Art

I will try again to harvest and ret the flax this year. If I succeed, I’ll spin and dye it, and weave it into a wall hanging.

Friday FO Giveaway and some WIPs

My Friday FO this week is this beautiful yarn I hand dyed, and this set of stitch markers I made!

To celebrate three successful yarn mystery boxes in the books, I’ve decided to have a giveaway!

“Gourd Party” is my debut fall colorway, hand dyed on natural organic merino yarn here at the studio. You could win 1 skein in fingering or DK weight (your choice) plus this set of three stitch markers / progress keepers. To enter this giveaway, sign up for my email list at this link. That’s it!

Want more chances to win? Share this post or tag a friend on Instagram! That’s three chances to win! Winner announced August 1, 2022.

I will also be adding this colorway to my shop as a dyed to order yarn in a few days.

I won’t be sharing my business posts here on a regular basis, but I know I have readers here who have purchased items from me, and I want to make sure you have a chance to enter this giveaway. If you would like to continue to receive news from Chestnut Hills Farm and Fiber, you can follow the blog here. And, of course, you can sign up for emails!

I didn’t manage a Wednesday WIPs post this week, so here are my knitting progress photos.

I’m nearing the colorwork on the bottom of my Pumqueen Cardigan, before the ribbing!

Not much progress on my Summer Solstice wrap. I enjoy knitting it, but it takes concentration.

Tour de Fleece starts today!