Where I've been

As usual, I'm not really sure what to say in a blog post.  But I keep getting random people supposedly following my blog (I'm skeptical, and looking at their profiles I don't believe they're real) so thought I'd write something to post.

I haven't posted since last October -  that's no way to run a blog! 

Anyway, in my last post I wrote that I had published a shawl pattern on ravelry.  To date, I've sold 13 patterns - but no one seems to be posting pictures of what they're making or asking questions - so I guess the pattern has been bought and has been stagnating.  I'm really keen to see anyone's finished versions - but I can be patient. 

I also mentioned in my last post that I was planning to try to publish an inset sleeve sweater - I thought I'd managed to grade it and even got it accepted into an online knitting magazine, but then during tech edit we found out that my grading hadn't been completely successful and after a bit of toing and froing it was dropped for the time being.  I'm actually wondering if I'll rewrite it completely as a top down seamless top - but after my grading fail I might pay for someone to grade it for me.

At about the same time as they were trying to figure out my submitted pattern I was admitted to hospital after a tumour was found lurking in my colon.  It's been a pretty efficient, if not exactly pleasant, experience to get rid of it.  Now I am tumour-free but am undergoing chemo and radiotherapy over the next 5-ish months.  I'm finding the highs and lows of chemo pretty tough going, but am trying to make use of the highs to be productive and do some knitting and sewing.

After my op I can't wear jeans (my usual uniform) as I have a temporary stoma and jeans are too constricting around my waist, so I decided to make some high, elasticated waisted trousers.  I've made one pair so far using some dark blue fabric I found in my stash and a pattern that I have also previously made (sounds like a win win to me - lets call them free trousers).  I've ordered some more fabric to make another couple of pairs.

I've also started knitting from my stash - I've started stripes gone crazy by alpha knits.  It's such a fun knit, especially using the long colour changing yarn I bought eons ago in Tallin. 

Last year, after some storms I collected some oak moss lichen.  My plan is to dye it using ammonia - I can't figure out a source of household ammonia here, so I'm going to create a urine vat... the thing that I'm now not sure about is that from what I've read you should avoid urine from people taking medication.  I'm wondering if I'm clear enough of the chemo meds a week after my infusion to start collecting or if I need to find an alternative source?  Any ideas? 

Spinning and dyeing

A little while ago I was gifted a spinning and natural dyeing lesson with a lady called Sian that lives near my in-laws in Spain.  It was a fantastic course but I didn't do much with what I'd been taught because I was concentrating on my City and Guilds and was trying really hard to not get distracted.

The one thing I did do, was to procure two spinning wheels.  They're both Swiss wheels: 

The first I picked up at the brocki for 30chf - I believe it's from the canton of Ticino and is probably 100+ years old. 

I've got it to sort of work - the flyer didn't seem to have an orifice, so I got one drilled and am now trying to figure out a brake as it works by Irish tension.  I've managed to spin a very little, but I need more time playing with it.

The second I got through ebay for not much more but found that when I got it home it didn't have a whorl (it's double drive).  It's a Swiss vertical frame.  One was made for me and a couple of extra bobbins and I've got it to work. 

 So far, I'm not making the most consistent yarn, but I'm sure with more miles under my belt it'll get better.  I've also been spinning a bag of carded lambs wool which I was gifted years ago, and I have no idea of its quality, so that's probably not helping either.

The other part of the course I did with Sian was natural dyeing.  This was also great fun and I've been wanting to have another go at this nearly as much as I've been wanting to get going with spinning.

With her I dyed using coccineal and also yellow and brown onion skins.  Since I've been having a go myself I've tried dyeing with dandelions as there's lots around at the moment.

Here's my show and tell:

From left to right:  Coccineal, brown onion skins mordanted with alum, brown onion skins un-mordanted, yellow onion skins mordanted with alum, undyed, dandelion mordanted with alum.

I'm not entirely sure which types of fleece were used for each, but I know we spun Lojena (a local breed of Spanish sheep), ryeland, merino, some fleece from a neighbour of an unknown breed and some herdwick which I'd brought with me (the dark brown in the undyed skein above).

It's a fascinating process and I'm looking forward to doing some more.  I have planted some woad seeds and have my eye on some elderberry trees to pick some berries from later in the season.

I have to figure out something to knit from my test skeins - I'm thinking probably a cushion cover.