As I mentioned in the last post, in October I became obsessed. All summer and throughout the entire Tour de Fleece it felt like I was in crisis mode. Then as Fall descended, I began working on things outstanding. I probably put in a couple of hundred hours at various computers. I needed a break from all of the adulting. In the back of my mind, there were so many craft projects started and unfinished. This is something I don’t often do. I’m largely a serial crafter and often don’t have more than a home project and a travel project on the go at once.
When I started the Tour de Fleece this year – before all the drama started – I had 5 PHDs (Projects Half Done) of which 3 qualified as UFOs. During the tour, I finished 2 of the projects, turned one UFO into 2 PHDs and one abandoned project, and started one new project. Here’s what the “To do list” looked like at the end of the tour: Continue reading October’s Obsession →
Lately I’ve been finding that sock sizing on the CSM is a little variable. When I knit socks for a friend – who has the same size feet as I do – hers are too big by about 3 rows and mine are too short by about 4 rows. At first, I thought it was because I was throwing mine in the washer and hanging to dry and she was hand washing. She’s blocking her socks. I can’t be bothered.
This could definitely be a factor but then she threw me a curve ball: she tossed the last batch in the washer and hung them to dry. Result? No shrinkage. Well. What the heck?
So then I thought Continue reading CSM Sock Yarn Study PT1 →
My overarching goal has always been making useful things useful again. That’s whether I’m fixing sewing machines, doing woodwork/woodturning, refurbishing spinning equipment or creating something in CAD from scratch.
I talked about 3d printers in a previous post and how they’re maybe not what people think they are, yet. That’s not to say they’re not ready to bring new life to things.
Every once in a while when I’m knitting on my antique sock knitting machine, I pull the bum off a cylinder needle. They’re basically latch hooks but with a foot or protrusion that the cams in the machine push up or down. Continue reading Future Starts Slow →
Suddenly around the middle of December this year, I decided I needed to make presents because sometimes I’m a little crazy/stupid.
No, I couldn’t buy them, I had to make them this year. Pens and socks. That’s what I would do. It mattered not that I am a very new CSM sock knitter and I’d never turned a pen. This is what I was going to do. For Christmas. Less than 2 weeks away.
See, the last few years, we haven’t really been in the holiday mood. Last year was particularly tough when we almost lost Bandit to pancreatitis/severe infection/necrotic tissue at the beginning of December. All of my energy last Christmas was dedicated to getting him eating on his own and recover. A large part of this year was getting him back to normal and Grey to recognize him.
Continue reading Brave and Crazy – Socks and Pens →
By far, the biggest thing to happen in August was this Circular Sock Machine. I’d been looking casually for one for a year or so but finally put the word out that I was in the market. The goal being to use up some handspun because I spin much more and faster than I knit or weave.
Within hours, an acquaintance said she had been thinking of selling hers. We talked it over for a couple of weeks while she finished up one more project and then on Aug 13th, we went and picked it up. I’d never laid hands on a CSM in my life but I have used a flatbed knitting machine that I had to refurbish before I used it and already hand knit. I also enjoy a challenge – which most people warned me this would be. Everyone kept saying “there’s a big learning curve!” and there is but it’s no more difficult than learning to service vintage sewing machines. In fact, a lot of the logic process transfers across especially when troubleshooting tension or dropped stitches. Continue reading Older and Better – antique sock machine and revisiting projects →
My thoughts and revelations on the skills of yester-year
