Today we are 3/4s of the way through YOP year 10! At the end of each quarter I like to take a snapshot of where I am up to on my list, so you will find that at the bottom of this week’s update.

Felting

This weekend I am attending the International Feltmakers Association’s (IFA) AGM and Conference via Zoom! Perhaps more about that next week as I am drafting this post before it starts.

Fleece Prep for Breed Project

This week I turned a pallet into a fleece drying rack and soaked and washed some fleece.

I started with some of the Shetland X fleece and then washed the small batch of Soay wool for my breed project. This is a very strange wool (I forgot to photograph it dry!). After 3 hot washes in soapy water there are still clumps of lanolin but I decided to leave it for now, I’ll see what it’s like when dry.

I also did some test combing of some earlier washed Shetland X to see if I can manage it with just a hackle, it’s not ideal and maybe do need to get some combs as an early Birthday present. I am testing a friend’s pair of combs this week.

Knitting

I haven’t had much knitting time this week. However I did add some rows to my Fine Sand cardigan.

I thought I’d do Portuguese knitting on the purl rows and I was flying through about 10 rows of stocking stitch and then realised the feel of the fabric was different, when I do the purl rows my tension is tighter!

As I am playing yarn chicken on this project I thought I best revert to normal purl method and that definitely slows progress. Luckily because of the fluffiness of the yarn you can’t see the difference in tension.

Sewing

I sewed a couple of missing buttons on a pair of my husband’s trousers. It feels like he asked me a few year’s ago, but I am trying to clear the decks of some longer term jobs.

10 years ago I painted a silk banner and it is still waiting for a hanger, so I will get that done next week and have found some doweling I just need to cut to size and sand the ends and then get sewing.

Spinning

During the afternoon session of the IFA I managed to dig out and do some long draw spinning that has been in hibernation for almost a year I think. No idea if the yarn is going to be the same size as the batches I did last year and the year before! One day it will be a jumper!

Other News

One day I cleaned the greenhouse and so the drying rack and fleeces are drying in there as we have had extremely windy days and I don’t want it blowing away after the hard work of washing it! I have ordered some seed compost that should be delivered this week and I can get planting this year’s veggies. A huge delivery of compost bags arrived but I haven’t managed to fill the new raised borders with them yet.

I have started a new way of eating this week that is working well and I am losing some weight. I listened to both of Dr Michael Mosley’s The Fast Diet and The Fast 800 books and I would say I haven’t eaten so healthily for many years. I’m also continuing to do the daily yoga with Adrienne that I mentioned on a previous post, so I am feeling really good at the moment.

---

This is a Year of Projects post. Officially the Group is in its 10th year, but this is my 3rd year participating. If you would like to find more about the Year of Projects Group on Ravelry.

---

Snapshot at end of 3rd quarter

NB. The first hyperlinks are to the Ravelry pattern or project page, the second hyperlinks are to the relevant blog post for the finished item.

Crochet

• Minion by Tremendu (Reminder to myself – bought direct and not through Ravelry!) ✅ Started week 1, finished week 2
• 🆕 Dog hair gifts (rose, snowman & snowflake) ✅ week 6
• 🆕 Start a Havana Afghan ✅ started testing colours and sections week 6 on a sample Book cover, finished week 7; made a mini version finished week 13; then later added extra length and border
• Have a go at an Octopal (octopus or jellyfish for premature babies) I have offered the suitable yarn in my stash to the Octopals group instead.
• Some Winnie the Pooh character(s)

Dyeing

• Dye commercial sock yarn in:
  • Self Striping ✅ week 15
  • Another go at Christmas ✅ week 15
  • Speckled
  • Colours for Sweet & Tartan socks
• Dye fibres in my ‘to dye’ drawer
• Dye BFL/Tussah Silk yarn for 2nd Quick Sand
• Try natural dyes

Felting

• Needle felted Ylva ✳️ Started YOP9 year
• Needle felted Highland Cow ✳️ Started YOP9 year
• Pictures and products to sell/gift/keep:
  • Lampshades ✅ so many posts with lampshades!
  • Wreaths – Christmas etc. ✅ landscape wreaths week 22
  • 🆕 Fairies ✳️ 17 made in Q1
  • Landscapes e.g. Loch Carron, Ben Wyvis, Glen Affric, Loch Morlich, Rosemarkie
  • Christmas stocking
• 2nd nuno felted garment
• 3rd Hat
• Picture of Ylva
• Plant pot covers
• Finish making lampshades for
  • study
  • large lamp

Knitting

Jumpers/cardigans

• Strathcona Sweater by Tara-Lynn Morrison (yarn Rowan Big Wool) ✅ Week 20
• 🆕 second Turtle Dove in red WYS Re:treat ✅ started week 24 finished week 26
• Fine Sand by Heidi Kirrmaier (yarn BaaRamEwe Dovestone in Goathland) Rowan Alpaca Merino DK) ✳️ started week 35
• Second Quick Sand by Heidi Kirrmaier (home dyed Aran BFL/Silk)
• Inside Story by Heidi Kirrmaier (yarn WYS The Croft New Lanark Aran)

Shawls

• Reyna by Noora Backlund (yarn handspun baby camel and silk) ✅ Started week 1, finished week 5. Detailed post.
• Project with mini skeins from 2019 advent – I chose ADVENTuresome Wrap by Ambah O’Brien ✅ started week 23 and finished week 30 (detailed post).
• Cabriolet brioche scarf by Carolyn Bloom (yarn Cookston Crafts in Crathie (alpaca/merino/nylon) & Emerald (merino/silk/yak)) ✳️ Started week 34 YOP9 year

Socks

• More Hermione’s Everyday Socks (HES) by Erica Lueder ✅ 2nd pair of wood pigeon week 21, ✅ Christmas socks week 24, Thistly Brae socks ✳️ started week 30
• More shortie socks (a hybrid of Rose City Rollers with HES heel) ✅ started 1st pair week 6, finished week 8
• Sweet & Tartan Socks by Tracie Millar
• Pair of socks with homespun yarn

Accessories

• Brick and Mortar Cowl by Kim McFall (homespun) ✅ Started and finished week 13
• 🆕 Herriot hat ✅ Started week 18 and finished week 19.
• 🆕 Litmus cowl by Amy Florence (2020 advent yarn) ✅ Started week 31 finished week 33 (detailed post)
• Easy Mittens with Thrums (yarn tbc)
• Evil genius gloves (yarn Mothy & the Squid)
• Doublejay Gloves by Danielle (yarn some leftovers)
• Snowdrop Lace Hat by Robin Lynn

Other/household

• 🆕 make items for my neighbour’s family with their dog hair I spun ✅ heart in Week 6 (other items were crocheted instead)
• Make a variety of dishcloths and wash cloths ✅ during Q2.
• 🆕 2 x cup cosies ✅ week 31
• Start another Christmas stocking garland with homespun yarns, perhaps mini socks. ✳️ Started Hat Vent 2019 pattern week 8. Mini jumpers ✅ week 23.
• Make some Christmas gifts!!

Sewing

• Sew some face masks ✅ Week 2
• Sew proper hanger to silk banner, I painted this in 2011 and it is still waiting!
• Make a selection of denim items with old jeans
• Make a lining for felted bag
• Make a project bag with internal and external pockets ✳️ made a practice small bag with external pockets week 36
• Start making kitchen items from kitchen pattern pack

Spinning

• Finish spinning baby camel and silk for Reyna (Started YOP9 year ✅ week 1 during TDF
• Spin some purple baby camel and silk ✅ started week 1, finished week 3 during TDF
• Spin Samoyed dog hair ✅ started week 2, finished week 4 during TDF
• Host a Guild Team for Tour de Fleece 2020 ✅
• Host a Guild Team for BritSpin 2020 ✅ team assembled! We came 5th out of 12 teams. Individual results. Team results. (Spun my 1st gradient & single, superfine silk, BFL nylon, Portland and my hand dyed Border Leicester.)
• Spin some sock yarn (BFL & Sea Cell) ✳️ (Started YOP9 year)
• Spin John Arbon Harvest Hues fibre to make a sweater ✳️ (Started YOP9 year)
• Spin some yarn to make Christmas stocking garland.
• 🆕 start breed project (spinning ~25g of lots of breeds to make a project with) ✳️ Started washing fleeces week 39.
• 🆕 spin a fractal ✅ week 19

Technique Learning

• 🆕 Learn Mosaic crochet ✅ week 5
• Learn Mosaic knitting ✅ week 13.
• Learn Double Knitting
• Learn Intarsia Knitting
• Master Fair Isle/Colourwork knitting
• Improve continental knitting ✅ practiced on Litmus Cowl although my tension and speed isn’t as good.
• 🆕 Master long draw spinning
• 🆕 Get confident with supported spindle
• 🆕 Complete Kelly Casanova’s weaving course before subscription ends.
• 🆕 Braided join

Weaving

• 🆕 Wide handtowels ✅ 1st week 4
• 🆕 Gift scarf ✅ week 7 but no image until week 18
• 🆕 Diamond Stripes towels ✅ week 30
• Wide dish towels
• Scarf with homespun yarns
• Set of placements
• Home-dyed yarn in interesting pattern (tbc)
• Gradient patterned scarf/shawl for myself
• Houndstooth scarf or shawl using Wensleydale Longwool
• Borrow a pin loom from Guild to make some squares

 

Note: On 31st July I moved technique learning to its own section.

Key: ✳️ started ✅ finished 🆕 added to list after week 1