Socks & More

Hello! Hello! Anybody still out there? Probably not after all these months. Still, I've just finished Dan's socks and wanted to show them off, mistakes and all.

And mistakes there are many, but he's happy with them and I'm happy they're done. The pattern is the "Classy Slip-Up" socks from Betsy Lee McCarthy's Knit Socks! 15 Cool Patterns For Toasty Feet.  I first posted about these socks almost a year ago. One reason they've taken so long, is because I took some time out to knit this for my daughter-in-law...

That's right, I'm going to be a first time grandmother next month! The pattern came on the yarn label, such a cute little hat. I'm not much on pink, but it would seem that every baby girl ought to receive at least one pink thing. :)

I have a few other things to show off as well, though not the work of my own hands. The first, is Rascal's memorial prayer flag, woven by Theresa.

Rascal was a much loved and faithful companion, so this flag is very special to me. Thank you Theresa!

One other thing to show you...

A name drafted scarf, woven for me by Ellen Turpening. The warp was threaded in our Guild name, Western North Carolina Fiber/Handweavers Guild, for our annual retreat last year. She had some warp leftover, and treadled, "Thank you Leigh Tate for being our president." It was given to me at our November 2010 meeting, when I turned the reins over to our incoming president. I can't tell you how surprised and honored I felt. Thank you Ellen!

Three months is a long time in between posts. I'm still on the fringes of my fiber world, so I can't guarantee how much better I'll do in the future. Still, there are seasons in our lives, and this is one love I will always come back to.

Socks & More © 16 March 2011

by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

No-Sew Roman Shade

When it comes to repairing and remodeling our 100-year-old house, the structural stuff pretty much falls to Dan. The interior decorating is more in my domain. In our newly finished kitchen bathroom, I wanted something besides mini-blinds. And definitely something other than this...

My first idea was a louvered shutter, painted white. I fell in love with that idea but quickly discovered how expensive a custom shutter would be. Then we added a small wall cabinet, which would be in the way of opening the shutter to clean or open the window. So that was out.

After scouring the internet and bathroom books for ideas, I finally decided on a Roman shade. At least I can make one of these. I found an excellent how-to website (now gone) called Terrell's Designs, read everything on it, looked at the videos, did all the calculations, and then decided to give this a try. I also decided to buy all the accouterments locally, which proved to be more difficult than I thought. Then I remembered that my sewing machine is on the fritz (bobbin case needs replacing), and so looked for a plan B. Ah, what would we do without those plan Bs.

I found several tutorials on no-sew Roman shades using mini-blinds, but this is the one I used.

Day 753's second try at The Newlywed Diaries

It had good photos, which I find infinitely more helpful than descriptions alone.

Disassembling the mini-blinds

Gluing the strips into place to make the shade's folds.

I used a thermal panel instead of a new piece of fabric. Yardage-wise, I didn't pay any more for it, plus it's already lined, plus it means I'll only have to cut and glue two edges instead of all four. I wanted a thermal shade because the bathroom is both farthest from the wood heater, and has no air vent duct work from the heat pump. We gain a lot of heat in summer through the window, and lose a lot of heat in winter. So, I figured this would help.

I was really pleased with how it turned out.

Shade open.

Shade closed. The picture on the left is a counted cross
stitch of blue irises. It was an inexpensive thrift store find.

This remodel turned out well and I think the Roman shade is the perfect touch! You can see the whole thing (with before and after photos) over at my homestead blog ... Project Complete: Bathroom.

No-Sew Roman Shade © February 2011 

by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Mystery Fiber Revealed

There were a lot of really good guesses to my "guess the mystery fiber" question. Nobody got it, but I have to confess that I wouldn't have either. The source of the fiber is ....

This is Baby, one of my goats. She is a Boer/Nubian cross. Boers are raised as meat goats, while Nubians are dairy. Spinners know that goat fiber comes from angoras, pygoras (angora/pygmy cross), or cashmere goats. But a goat like Baby???

Here's what I discovered about Baby.

Earlier this month she started growing a down coat. Neither of my pure blooded Nubians are growing one, so I'm guessing this is the Boer genes in her. This was the mystery fiber, which I hand plucked, just a little bit because I was so curious about it. She didn't have it when I first got her last May, so I'm guessing she'll shed it sometime in the spring. I will have to try to comb it out then and spin it. I'm very curious about what kind of yarn it will make!

Thanks for guessing!

Mystery Fiber Revealed © 31 October 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Mystery Fiber

Can you identify this mystery fiber?

HINT: It's not from any breed of sheep.

Give up? The answer is here.

Mystery Fiber  © 28 October 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

I've Actually Finished Something

Can you believe it? I've actually finished something. Is anyone going to faint from the shear amazement of it all?

This is a knitted afghan for the Linus Project, a failed stash reduction attempt, but a nice way to keep my finger in the creative pie. I started it last March, set it aside during the hot summer months, and was motivated to get it done before our October Guild meeting. Project Linus is my Guild's community service project, and is dear to the heart of several members.

It is knit in garter stitch, from side to side, changing colors rather randomly. This enabled me to just leave the ends dangling at the ends of the rows, and later come back and use them as part of the fringe.

I later found out that Project Linus really doesn't care for fringe as a finished edge, so I cut the fringes really short, in hopes it would be okay. If I'd had to otherwise finish the edge, it still wouldn't be done!

Hopefully things will settle down around here this winter and I'll have more time for knitting and weaving. Thanks to everyone who visits in spite of my sorry blog content. It's part of what keeps me going.

I've Actually Finished Something photos and text are © 14 October 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal.