yarn – Page 11 – Elliebelly Knit & Dye Works

What to Knit?

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Joyce Makes Art

I've fallen. Fallen hard.

It hasn't happened for a very long time.

But this yarn. This.

Irresistible in every colorway I've seen it dyed in.

It's Malabrigo's Rasta. And did I tell you I fell hard?

Laguna Negra.

Oxido.

And Zarzamora.

And more Piedras, the colorway that started it all with the scarf up at the top.

Joining, already in my stash, Arco de Iris and Indecita. Yes, fallen hard.

If I can convince myself to move beyond just petting it — lovely, soft, Merino — this is the start of my holiday knitting. I have plans for a couple of hats, a shawl or two in a large chunky lace, and perhaps another scarf. The colors are so pretty, with each skein its own unique mixture of the colors and shades used for its colorway. There is a certain element of indefinable and unpredictable difference that makes what would already be an exceptional yarn a mystical experience to knit with.

You can't overestimate the the qualities of a really fine yarn. Love. Yes, it's definitely love.

Virtual Yardsale – Updated 2/11

Posted on June 11, 2010 by Joyce Makes Art

Welcome to My Virtual Yard Sale. I’m spring cleaning, so I’m looking for good homes for art supplies, children’s clothing, and other household items. It makes me sad to see things going unused on the shelves.

Kiln for Precious Metal Clay and other PMC Items — contact me at joyce at elliebelly dot com if you are interested in any of these items. I would prefer to sell it all together

Lot of Boys 4T/5T clothing for $20 plus shipping

size 4 navy blue “place” long khaki style pants
5 gap kids khaki shorts with great pockets
4/5 red bravaa soccer shorts
4/5 grey crew cuts cotton jersey shorts – only work twice
100 hanna anderson blue jersey shorts
unknown brand green plaid shorts
4 gymboree plaid shorts
4 polo jeans company tee in nice worn in boy shape
4-5 crew cuts navy tee
5 T circo yellow/gray striped tee
4/5 crewcuts lobster tee — very very cute
5T cherokee white/argyle vest-cute for easter with 1 very small minor stain at the neckline that should come out but you have to look pretty hard to see it. Including light blue shorts that look cute with them but do have a nickel sized stain 4″ down from the waist — again i think this will come out

Dyeing Alpaca Roving

Posted on June 5, 2010 by Joyce Makes Art

I saw this gorgeous handspun yarn on sale today. It wasn't really enough for any of the projects I have in mind, but it looked like it was so beautifully spun that I was unable to resist an offering for a "your fiber, my spinning wheel" slot. Although this appears to be a brand new spinner, or at least new to offering her yarn for sale, it was too beautiful to resist.

So, I'm spending some time tonight with this.

This is some Baby Alpaca roving that I've been saving for an extra special use. I've got about 13 ounces of it, and decided to dye it in the old Elliebelly Melted Crayon colorway, so I could have some special yarn to use for Miss Ellie's fall sweater. I can't wait to see the results!

A New Favorite Yarn

Posted on May 16, 2010 by Joyce Makes Art

I have a new favorite yarn — Malabrigo's Rasta. It's extra bulky, single plied (or unplied, depending on your point of view), and extraordinarily soft.

Knit up in the Mirror, Mirror Reversible scarf pattern.

I liked both the pattern, a simple, wide cable, and the yarn so much that I'm contemplating a Meathead Hat from it, and perhaps a sweater for Ollie to wear this fall. This is definitely knitting nirvana.

More Squares

Posted on May 15, 2010 by Joyce Makes Art

I'm eternally optimistic.

I'm pretty sure that given my current rate of progress, I am fully capable of having the Barn Raising Quilt I'm knitting for Miss Princess completed by the time she leaves for college in, oh, about, six years. Such confidence. But then again, was it really me that thought knitting a blanket on size 2 needles was a good idea?

Nonetheless, I adore this pattern and enjoy knitting the little squares, although I'm far too ADD to stick to just one square at a time. I like to keep them in different stages of development.

This square in KPPM is turning out to be a favorite. I'm trying to insure a good mix of light and dark squares and different colors without being too intentional about it, so I'm randomly pulling yarn out of my stash of sock leftovers but trying to insure that if it's blue one square I'm on to green the next time.

This is some Elliebelly yarn, leftover from one of my favorite pairs of socks. And then I moved on to more KPPM, but in a much lighter value of colors.

This one is so new it's hard to see, but I think it's going to be a favorite. In fact, I'm thinking more of this yarn may be needed to knit a sweater for a friend's new baby that is on the way.

There is definitely something very pleasurable about knitting these wee squares that are simple enough to knit over coffee while talking with friends but have just enough going on to keep boredom from setting in.

And, while looking ahead to finishing it some day, I discovered a picture of my friend Susan's absolutely stunning finished quilt. Isn't she amazing? She used a crocheted edging on each square to create the outline.

Emmaline — Finished

Posted on April 28, 2010 by Joyce Makes Art

Early this morning, in a strikingly bad example of IPhone photography, your intrepid blogger announced that she had finished Emmaline. (Actually, Emma was finished on Saturday, ends woven in Sunday, but this has been the first opportunity to photo and perhaps I should have waited for a better one, give the outcome of the picture)

The photo displays neither the best nor the worst features of the finished garment to advantage. The worst was likely the size choice. I knit a size medium, but probably should have done a small. The armholes, and possibly the neckline as well, will require a bit of crochet device for a good fit. On the plus side, the yarn is cotton, and the pattern calls for a machine wash and partial dry in lieu of blocking. I am hopeful this process will result in a more desirable fit.

The best feature of this sweater is undoubtedly the simple, but very elegant, yarn over patterning along the yoke. Although the yarn is bulky, the sweater itself is soft and comfortable and perfect for summer. I could see reaching for this to go out to dinner after work, to wear to the farmers market, and on and on. I would, and am actually thinking about, knitting it again. The soft sea foam green cotton yarn that I'm using for the lace baby blanket I'm in the middle of would be perfect.

Sunday Randomness

Posted on April 25, 2010 by Joyce Makes Art

A little bit of random for a Sunday…..

Having spent the morning pulling out the scraggly remains of our 12 year old rosemary border, which runs along our driveway, and then replanting it with incredibly small, new plants, I stopped to enjoy the roses, which are in full bloom.

I'm getting ready to knit my wonderful friend Carina's Faraway-So-Close shawl pattern in yarn hand dyed by Morwenna of Mosaic Moon. I feel so lucky to have four skeins of this sought after yarn, and am hopeful I have enough to knit a hat to wear as well.

The reason I'm eyeing a new project is that Emmaline is close to being done. Fourteen more rows to be exact. I'm a little bit nervous about how the neck rolls at the top — I see one other Raveler who had to do a fix with a line of crochet around the edge, so I'm contemplating that I may have that same issue.