Indigo Moon

Phew! I made the deadline for yoga class and the Frolic.  I wanted to have a travel sweater that actually fit this time …and yoga starts tomorrow and I thought it’d be nice to have one for that too.  Spent all day yesterday sexwing in ends and putting the pieces together which was…as usual a bit of a challenge.  Firstly, I was using up smallballs of yarn duh! I won’t do that again for a sweater…way too may ends.  And secondly, I cast on for a sweater one size smaller….of course I didn’t realize it till the first fron panel was almost done so…I ripped back and made the front the back and cast on extra stitches for the front.  Since I had a deadline (and a sprained thumb) I couldn’t just start from scratch. So the seam is not where a normal seam would be but is about 2″ out.  Oh well no one will know but everyone that reads my blog!  Anyway it warm, comfy and great for travel, shopping and yoga ….obviously I don’t dress too stylish …more like Ugly Betty in her early days than Ugly Betty now.  (btw I’m so sad to see that show go!)

Here’s some pics:

Back shown above and front shown below:

…now off for groceries.

Cheers

www.IndigoMoonYarns.com

Violet Mist pictured above.

Wisps of violet and hints of grey in this supersoft merino silk blend.

www.indigomoonyarns.com

..I don’t think there is such a word as photo-ed but anyway you know what I mean

The Ballet Camisole top is finished! 

It ended up a bit large for me since the yarn suggested was a cotton sport wt which would mean there would likely be 15% shrinkage or more….but I wanted to use my sport wt handpainted in the Northern Steppe colourway as it’ll go with so many things.  I really loved working with this yarn and it really took well to all the frogging :-)  I am sorry I’ve had to discontinue the yarn - just not enough people interested - although I have quite a bit left in the natural dyes and handpainted - but the Tonal are all sold out.  Some day I may bring back the sport wt, but that would be determined by you - just how much you and hundreds of other “yous” would like me to dye it up again

And here are some pics of the Victoria Fibrefest..uh actually just my booth as I forgot to take photos until the very end!

The Show was held outdoors at Saxe Point Park in Esquimalt (Victoria) - we had gorgeous weather and the scenery was wonderful.  I didn’t have enough of a zoom so didn’t get a good shot of the water but here’s another of the tent

And this is a photo of a scarf a woman brought in to show me.  It is exquisite!  The pattern shows off the Silverbirch colourway beautifully - I so love it when people show me what they’ve knit up with my yarn!  Thanks so much for sharing! (oops don’t remember your name…sorry :-}  )

 That’s it for now!  Have a great day!

www.IndigoMoonYarns.com

It’s quite amazing….our normally temperate climate is getting a bit more snow as I type, and the snow from Dec 12 is still here….our little island received a dump of 24″ since then,? in the 60 years records here….that is the most snow we’ve ever had - and so early!? So with the cold and snowy weather my dyepots are still cold.? It has, however, ?allowed me to do other things that need?doing…but I’d really like to get some more Bombyx silk dyed in Charcoal - Syvia Harding really loves this colour and is working with it right now, so I was hoping to have it at 3BF before they reopen next week….stil there are many colours to choose from - and they have them all! Knotty in Victoria has some as well, though only a couple skeins of each.
I receive a lot of daily mailings - and would really like to share them with you - so I thought I would post a link each time, or most times, I post.? This weeks link is http://december18th.org/?please visit and sign if you are so inclined.?

Unfortunately there were no sales for Jan 1, 2, 3 etc …so no donations to make to Dhanna Metta Rescue Society…that is really too bad as I was really hoping to send them a check on their 1st year anniversary?- we’ll feature them again one month, and hopefully we’ll have some sales!? And the online prices were amazing since all semi-solids (until Jan 15) are 20% off - what a perfect time to stock up on some kettle-dyed yarn for that sweater or shawl you’ve been wanting to make for yourself.? http://www.indigomoonyarns.com/index.php

I? was happily knitting along at quite a steady rate, and had about 7 more inches knit up on my organic top…..when I realized they wanted SS 7 inches from the start not 7″ from the end of the lace…which is what I thought…..so I had to rip-it back…arrgghh! all those hours of knitting!? but it had to be done, otherwise the top would have been more like a mini dress…and that wasn’t the look I was after!

Next project - the sudoku tapestry - is at a standstill.? Tapestry is extremely slow going, and for the size of the panels I’d like to make, well getting 1/2″ done in 3 hours just isn’t cutting it for me…so back to the drawing board…I’ve got some other plans percolating in my brain…we’ll see what comes out.

And today (as soon as I finish posting) I’ll be working on this shawl.? It’s the fingering wt merino in the?new darkened colourway called….uh…I never named it before?balling it up!? It’s got shades of purple, blue and black in it ….any thoughts?? I’ll just be doing a straight twill as the loom is being held together by tape and I don’t want to get too fancy?in case the lamms and shafts break apart.? Last week?the loom was changed over from a jack set-up to a counterbalance set-up…and now I remember why I changed it to the jack set-up…some?screws are missing, cords?frayed, and hooks broken.? Last year at this time I changed it over, but never got around to ordering new parts…it takes quite a while to get them as the company doesn’t take visa and I have to send a check, after getting the total, clear across the country before they?ship out the pieces…and well with so much of a wait time, I get frustrated and move to something else.? This time the loom is at least taped together for a bit…depending on how?long the?tape lasts!

Here are the shawl pics:

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Now off to weave…have a great weekend and don’t forget to check out the?kettle-dyed merino on sale ?

http://www.indigomoonyarns.com/index.php

Namaste

If you have been following my blog, you probably figured this out even before I did that “Yes, I am one of you!”…I have succumbed to the black hole of knitting and now am forever changed.? This morning I was finishing up sock #2 (yoo hoo!) - just doing stocking stitch and some simple decreases - when I noticed I kept making mistakes…..ok, partly because I started knitting at 5 am, but I had enough green tea in me that I should not have been too groggy…what it was…….was that my mind kept wandering to the next project …and the next…and the next….

Oh, and to make matters worse, now that I know how nice this merino is to work with, my mind is reeling with weaving projects as well!? A few weeks ago I ended my 9 month sabbatical - I didn’t realize the significance of the duraation - but now I get it….9 months…it couldn’t be more perfect!? Nine months ago Gert came down and was packed away under the table and against the wall, and Col was jammed into a corner with all kinds of paraphenalia slung over her - boxes packed around her - she was obviously put away for the duration.? I changed my weaving lists to “no mail” and?immersed myself 100% in my dye work, with the intention of learning to knit by the end of the year…..Well without getting too?detailed (this is a public list you know!) I was working and learning full-time….I couldn’t be more immersed in my work!? Nothing else got done, even my garden suffered from lack of attention (well not total lack, but less than optimal).? It’s taken three weeks to get a functional teatowel warp on the loom…yes 3 weeks (ok I do have to work as well you know!)..for 3 towels.?

So now that I’m weaving again I’m toast!??It seems that my artist’s mind is back full tilt.? And it’s not chaos.? It’s wonderful how everything is coming together…another change with me is that I meditate every morning (well maybe not every morning the odd one gets missed…though I pay for it!)…and I truly believe that the meditation has calmed my mind - and my work has become even quieter and calmer than ever….it’s really wonderful.

Ok that’s enough talking now…I could ramble on and on…here are some project pics.

Here’s sock # 2 done this morning!

It’s not blocked (obviously) but it’s done.

And here’s sock#1, I had to rip-it back since the foot was not long enough (though I did follow instructions!)…of course?I neatly sewed in all the ends before I had to rip-it.

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And yes I know the colour is different….I get the leftovers for socks….you guys get the good stuff! (this is the clearance-priced sport wt)

Here’s a pic of a top I started in the organic merino wool …hmmm nice and soft and cozy.? The pattern is a?free download http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/PATTsoleil.html?. It is designed to wear as a tank but I thought for my first project, since it is winter, I would make it into a top to keep me warm under a sweatshirt or sweater….plus any major mistakes on this, my first lace project, will not be a concern

And here is the yarn in skeins, ready to ball.

This yarn can be found on my site in the undyed natural colour only (for now) at http://www.indigomoonyarns.com/index.php?cPath=29&cart=vb0uj5bvq4m7rsa9htsfdlobf2

I?plan on?doing a Sudoku pattern blanket out of the sport wt merino in the Nature’s Harvest series ?(sorry for the plastic bags but I just numbered and bagged it before I realized I needed photos…I’ll take more pics as the project comes along).? This yarn can be found at http://www.indigomoonyarns.com/index.php?cPath=25? I’m using the sport wt for knitting the blanket, and am thinking about the fingering wt for some weaving …a tapestry (geesh could I do something more time-consuming!!!)

These sport wt yarns are not clearance-priced but if you decide to knit or crochet a blanket, I’ll definitely give you a discount.

Have a happy fibre-filled day!

www.indigomoonyarns.com