Episode 13: Commitments

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Unboxing – 02:45

This unboxing is for the June 2021 Knitcrate monthly subscription box. The theme is Mirage. Knitcrate is not a sponsor of this show, but if they are interested, I certainly won’t turn them down. Knitcrate can be found here. This unboxing features Vidalana Oaisis in the colorway Morocco.

Pigments of Inspiration: Drugs, Brain Injury or Excitement – does the why matter? – 10:26

Open Throttle – 10:52

This episode’s Open Throttle kicks off with the ‘Chandelure‘ (ravelry link) socks and talking about Operation Sock Drawer (what! what!). This is the pattern “Stained Glass“(ravelry link) by Fiona Munro. I am using Patons Kroy sock yarn in the Flax colorway for the background and the Fiesta Jacquard colorway for the fun stripes.

The pokémon lore behind Chandelure was double checked. It is supposed to haunt old houses and lure people to their deaths. Not a friendly ghost this one.

Swatching and cast-on has been completed for the vintage sweater. The pattern is “Neat and Feminine” (ravelry link) and was originally published in 1942 in Women’s Weekly. I am using the hand spun yarn from the Clun Forest fleece. In a previous episode, I described the pattern as a cabled sweater. During the swatching process, I discovered that the cables are actually mock-cables, and I get into the difference between those. The needles for this project are size 4.5 mm interchangeable needles from Denise.

Spinning on the Rambouillet/Coopworth fleece purchased at the 2019 MDSW has started. I am trying for more loft in the singles for this yarn, and no, I have not yet decided on a ply method, if any for this project. When the yarn tells me what it wants to be, ya’ll will be the first to know.

Fiber Fuckery: You Decide. – 28:39

Stalled – 28:58

The Chandelure socks needed a little bit of extra attention when I discovered that the diamond pattern had somehow gotten mixed up, and one sock needed to be frogged back ten and a half rows.

I don’t think I’ve been washing my fleeces correctly. The resource that I found with detailed instructions can be found here. This article is by Deborah Robson and was found through The Livestock Concervancy. Evidentaly, the biggest mistake I’ve been making is allowing the water to cool down. I will do some more experimentation with the professionally milled fleeces as well as some of my own experiments for washing the fleeces myself.

Sunshine: Making yarn gremlins of all of us. – 35:07

Gear Check – 35: 52

Denise interchangeable knitting needles came to be from my late great aunt. They are unique in that the cables lock into the needles. All parts of the set are made of plastic resin and a flexible plastic tube. The cables are thicker than my other interchangeable sets, and they certainly feel more durable.