Old Forge 2014 Gifted

We can do it!  This is a funny take on Jodie the Riveter, nevertheless it shows that we men can do things as well as women,lol.  Sometimes in the middle of life  gender and crafts cross, back and forth.  This is my second Old Forge by Stephen West.  I ordered the yarn from, Beaverslide Dry Goods again.  It is from Montana and I love it.  One of the things I like about this yarn is the fact that is two ply.  One of the plies is without knots, but the second has some.  It is so fantastic and easy to fuse the yarn and they disappear.  They don't make this heavy duty knots that are impossible to fuse.  I say I will continue buying this yarn in the near future. 

The green that you see is not from them, I actually had to custom dye the yarn for the people I am gifting this blanket.  I was going to anyway, it did not matter which yarn I bought, dyeing was going to be included in the gift, lol.  It goes perfect with their decor.  They were the people that were kind enough to let us house sit while our flat was being remodeled.  I told the lady of the house that I was going to make them this blanket.  She said I did not have to, but I know they will appreciate it.  We took care of their kitty Mona and had a very sane flat remodeling without losing our minds.  This is all for today, but there is more for tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!

 

Picon here I come

 Just in case you are wondering, mister Stephen West has a KAL that promises to bring forth some exciting colorings into your life.  I have the yarn and the needles to go and have some color fun.  Stephen is a very talented man, yes it may be another shawl, but will he challenge you to do something you have never done?  I am all for it.  Thanks for stopping by!

Brickstreet Blocking

This is not the best picture of this afghan, but  I needed to thread the needle with this one.  I had a bit of a deadline.  Since this picture I have adjusted the afghan more as you look at it , you understand where it needs to stretch to.  It became wider than longer, but it does not really something that matters, as it is supposed to be a rectangle. I used some recycled yarn from the hemlock ring I made a while ago.  This brown yarn is Cascade Eco wool and it looks like it is perfect for this kind of border.  I even doubled the strands, it is very nice to the touch.  Hope to have it dry by the evening, it is with a fan on and today is not raining.  Hope to show you a better picture in the next few days.  Thanks for stopping by!

The Akimbo by Westknits

This was an interesting project that I wanted to make for a long time. The Akimbo is an interesting project that will inspired you. I like the way it shapes and my gauge was loose enough that I ended up getting more yarn for the Main Color and blocking was simply steam blocking. In the end I enjoyed Stephen's Design and found it inspiring. I enjoyed taking the pictures a lot. Thanks for stopping by!

Sun Satchel Felted Bag

I like this bag a lot, it is the Sun Satchel by Stephen West. I came out a big bigger than the ontended bag, so I had to adjust some of the bag to make it more to my size. More than size, more friendly to carry things in it. I can tell you that I love the bag. I actually have two buttons so that it can expand a bit if I need to have a bigger bag. I have not added a third button, but it's a tought.
So this bag welcomes you to the Summer of 2012. What I definitely learned is that I will need to go down a needle size if I want  something to be exactly the size Stephen designed it.  I know that my Forge blanket was at least 65 inches without blocking and this bags is the second project that came about.  This bag is about 3 inches wider than it should have been, but I am happy with the end product.

I think Stephen West is such a creative young designer. Meeting him in person, at "A Verb for Keeping Warm" in Oakland, CA, was a wonderful experience that alloweed me to chat with him. I joined his new KAL, which by the way , he was working on while he was there, lol. Thanks for stopping by!

Sun Satchel a Design by Stephen West

I have to say that this was a very interesting knit project to felt.  I was very happy to see that my dye job was perfect no bleeding after it got felted.
There is nothing like Alpaca to make a felted bag, it is very easy to felt and responds well to front loader washers. The Pockets came out nice,  I really like the idea of having felted pockets as well..
Is a little bit big on one side on the joining band, but it will be fine. This is due to a home spun jacob alpaca blend that had too much twist .  I try to take as much twist out of it as possible, and in the end it came out better than expected.   I have a front loader washer and it was perfect for this. I definitely recommend this pattern for people that want to see what felting is like.  Below is the before felting look hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Sun Satchel a WIP

There are men knitters that I find very inspiring for different reasons, Stephen West is very inspiring for pushing the envelopes on shawls and twisted stitches and adding colors that make you say wow.  The pattern you see above is the Sun Satchel.  I am sure that is related to the "Old Forge" in some way.   The pattern is very easy, yet you need to have an idea of how to make felted items.  I want a new bag so this is the right project for me.  The most difficult part of this project is selecting the sequence of colors,  I hope I can finish this project by the weekend.  Thanks for stopping by.

Stephen West "Old Forge"

The Old Forge has been finished. What a great knit. Since I am a loose knitter I should have foreseen the need of an extra skein, but it did not matter much. Once the ends are weaved, you may use an iron to steamed block the blanket.  You hover the iron over the blanket on the wrong side.  It stretched naturally to 6 feet across easily.


The greatness of this blanket is that it is easy to make, even at 600 stitches, lol. I found that I was very entertained.  You definitely should use stitch markers.  The stitch markers were a highly valued tool with this blanket. Whenever I made a mistake I knew I was within a section and I discovered it within the section.  The garter stitch border is ingeniously the perfect way to bind off by knitting the 600 stitches.  I grafted the end with a kitchener stitch and presto. I have to say that this is a fantastic gift idea and at under $150  in materials, not a bad deal. It took me 17 days to knit this guy and if I was going to sell it, is $500 to  $1000 blanket is I ever saw one. It is one of the most fun knits I have done in my life.  Thanks for stopping by!

Good Fortune of Homespun

I am almost finished with the Old Forge. This is one of the most delightful knits I have done in a long time. My gauge have kind of become a little loose. A lesson to learn is to always order more yarn lol. As I was making the garter stitch border I decided to do a mathematical equation to how much yarn I have left and how much yarn I still need to complete the project. I was going to be short, so I had some options. First option was to use the Crimson and the yarn left in alternating sections. There are 600 Stitches, so I had choices. My calculations reported back to me that I would need about 50 grams of yarn finish it. I would order more,but I thought I had some yarn that had the same kind of color, You bet, I have some Alpaca , homespun by me in a Rose Grey colorway and that is exactly the color this other yarn is. It is a heathered grayish brown with a rosy hue. To the left of the orange stitch market  on the garter stitch market is the new yarn, is a bit fuzzy and spun more tight, but practically the same.

Exciting for me, as I wanted to make a blanket with my homespun and this was the perfect yarn to finish this blanket.  I am hoping to be done in the next few days, the only blocking that I will be doing is a slight steam blocking.  There will be pictures soon, thanks for stopping by!

Sunday at Golden Gate Bridge

What a beautiful Sunday it was as we embarked n a journey to the Vulcan Embassy in Sausalito. We actually rented some bikes and did something we have never done on a bicycle. What was that? We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge on Bicycles and were able to return. Michael and I have never done that. Living in the City by the Bay, Sarfleet Headquarters no less, can be lots of fun. Our bikes were 21 speed, and I can say that even though I would not buy the specific bike that I was using, I got to test the bikes on slopes. The video is a bit noisy and shaky, but It is amazing what you can on a bicycle while driving safely and not falling down or hitting anyone!

On the home front and with the yarn I just got and some of my kettle dye yarn. I am making progress on this "Old Forge", a pattern by Stephen West. This is a blanket that it is worth making, lots of knitting, but I believe is going to be beautiful . It is not something for the faint of heart , it is a lot of knitting, but boy is it coming along nice.  I have other projects on the line, working on a Bunny Pattern for a friend, working on My Teddy Pattern with 3 Test Knitters.  The pattern is fun to make, a bit geeky, but you will see soon.Thanks for stopping by!

Satchel WIP

So what can I say I have Stephen West fever.  This is a bag that will be felted, I have to make two of this.  I am trying to use some homespun and create as much as possible a mirror image for the two pieces. I will keep you up to date as I make this beauty come to life.  Thanks for stopping by!

Old Forge in the making

I have wanted to make this blanket, since the first time I saw it on the net. Westknits is a very inspiring guy. I decided to get the dark wool from the same place he got it from. It is a place called Beaverslide Dry Goods and the wool is on the way. I did dye some really deep cherry red wool for the contrasting color. I started doing the Emily Ocker crochet cast on, then on dpns until I got to a point that I decided it was time for two circulars.

The two circulars will make it easier to work . I am going to be making a lot of Westknits projects in the next few weeks, while I am testing some of my patterns ready to publish. This month there is a Teddy Bear Pattern that will make it's debut. in the meantime here we go to a fun blanket. Thanks for stopping by!

Stephen West At AVFKW

Well it almost feels like my birthday, which is almost here. I got to meet Stephen West at A Verb For Keeping Warm in Oakland. We have been Internet connected, but never met in person. Stephen West has been a great contributor of patterns to our MFKR in the past, and I do admire his work and designs. I don't like all of them, but I do like 90% of them, the 10 % is things I just can't see myself wearing. lol. Nevertheless it was fun to talk to him and the other people that were around. I met some new friends like Mark and John.

 

The great Wonder Mike was the one that took my picture with Westknits, and I returned the favor for him. I got Westknits 3 book, which I have been eyeing for some time. I got the opportunity to get his signature, and I am like a 10 year old boy with his new GI Joe. SO I was very excited, lol. Wonder Mike has this ability to always look like he has his hand in the cookie jar, but he is such a delightful guy to talk and hang out with. I like his positivism and his enthusiasm is very contagious. I love this guy, he is such an inspirational and great teacher.



My friend Bill Jones was there as well. I was glad he decided to join me and he is such a pleasant guy to chat about lots of things. I enjoy his company a lot. He is such a good conversationalist and has lots of things to share..





Skacel was Present today with the help of Cirilia and the testing of all kinds of Skacel goodies. All kind of clicks, natural, lace and regular, short and long and even the crochet hook clicks extensions.



These ladies make A Verb For Keeping Warm Store shine. Kristine and Aday are such a versatile and talented couple of artisans. If you want to know about natural dyes and how to make them happen, they are one of the greatest people to learn from, here in San Francisco Bay Area.



So here is my treat for my Birthday, what better than my own personally autographed copy of Westknits Book 3. I can tell you that I felt very special today. Having visited with so many fun people and having them in my circle of friends.



This has made my birthday weekend  AWESOME!  Thanks for stopping by!

Earth And Sky

When I first signed up for this Mystery KAL , I did not know how much fun it was going to be . If  there is another one, which there is going to be, I am definitely joining in.  I was able to do Intarsia and even dare to finish the project in a way that is not really according to the pattern,m yet it is.  This is a medium size shawl and I am very happy with it. The pygora/ BFL blend makes this a very nice choice for this project.  I am a loose knitter and blocking will be accomplished by steaming the piece. This is not a hard project and I was able to complete it in 4 weeks, but I am sure I could have done it in one or two.  The most difficult area of this pattern is the yarn choices. Thanks You Stephen, you really did a good job! Thanks for stopping by!

Intarsia a Journey

Many people don't realize how cold it can be in San Francisco in the summer, but it is cold most of the time.  The shawl is the same as in the last posting , but it has gotten bigger and I decided to go for the medium size.  I am actually working on clue # 3, yep is a mystery shawl by Stephen West aka West Knits.  There is nothing I dislike about this pattern, It is fast and simple and you get your feet wet in Intarsia.  I think this young man is an Artisan with a refreshing bold taken on knitting.   As a man who knits I look for men who design patterns, just because most of them have a different take. I like all the patterns West Knits , some I would not wear at this moment in life, but I would have definitely worn them when I was young. He pushes the envelope and is a breath of fresh air. I am hoping to buy more of his patterns, I have my eye on the vest he designed and the blanket he designed and some other patterns that he is offering.  He is coming out with book #3 , let's see if I decide to buy the whole E-Book.  This is all for today, thanks for stopping by!

Klingon Bird of Prey Decloaking

I am always comparing things from our timeline to the Star Trek timeline.  Believe me I wish I was there in the 24th century dealing with more interesting challenges than as of today. I definitely like triangular shawls like this one because they remind me of my Klingon friends.  I do have Klingon friends! Qaplah! No matter that time travel is not here yet, we have to own the now.   We have today, I will live the day and Own it.  I will have to say that Stephen West is to Shawls as Crafty Andy is to Hats. I salute you my friend you have outdone yourself once more.  Mister West Knits has come up with this Mystery KAL that he calls Earth and Sky , it is on sale for now at $4.00, it will be going up in price at the end of the month.  It gets a clue every Monday, we are on clue #2.  If you want to try some Intarsia, this is the project for you.  It will be better if you belong to Ravelry so that you can join the group discussion and get ideas .  Don't let this get away as he is helping you along and the benefits from the group is fantastic. Thanks for stopping by!

Ionian Nebula Herbivore

The Dradis had a peculiar bleep today, if you did not know any better you would think it was a Cylon Raider, but it is far from that.  I love this pattern , even at times it gets confusing there is no wrong way of making this shawl - kerchief.  I love the color and it is Indigo over dyed malabrigo sock yarn.  I only used 80 grams and let me tell you after blocking the wingspan is pretty big.

Is it a Cylon Raider or is it the Ionian Nebula Herbivore, it is the artifact that came to completion today after all night blocking.  I have to say that I like the Light Brown Hare  material ( i.e. yarn merino/nylon sock yarn) better than this sock yarn, but both of them are fantastic. In all my knitting and crochet I am always praying the same prayer mantra  and it makes my life very fulfilling.

As you can see the wingspan is pretty substantial, yet I am able to  hug my Tauron Neck with Caprican Style. Lt. Triton  never looked so protected around the neck  and the mission has been  accomplished SIR!
 
Yes I was born on Caprica , but my family came from Tauron, I have the traditional Tauron profile with the Caprican style, makes for an interesting life here in Delphi, a suburb of Caprica City. I leave you now, there is more to be done, I have mittens to make with my homespun. May the  Lords of Kobol bless our lives.

Ionian Herbivore in Progress

IonianHerbivore, a photo by Crafty Andy on Flickr.

I have been working on this pattern for some time. I really enjoy this magnificent pattern from Stephen West. I really don't want to finish it, but I am about 14 or so rows from finishing this baby. This was a Malabrigo Sock yarn in hues of yellow and brownish colors and I got to dip it in Indigo at Earthues in Washington State, with my new friend Kathy Hatori I believe is her name. This pattern is very simple, yet you have to pay attention to what you are doing, kind of. I chant as I am knitting and it makes my chanting a bigger pleasure than what it usually is. This is the Ionian Herbivore and it has a very deep meaning for me. I love the twisted stitches and will continue to work on this, I may have this baby finished by weeks end. Thanks for stopping by!