I went on a trip to San Diego to see my daughter over Christmas. I was hoping for 70s and sunny weather but instead we got 50s and 60s with rain and wind. It was C-O-L-D because we didn't have all our gear with us and we were outside a lot.
I saw a few old favorites - the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park - and a lot of new things. We went to the USS Midway museum. I teared up during the movie on the Battle of Midway, for which the ship is named. It was amazing to see how it all worked and how the sailors and airmen lived. We also went to a few of the Balboa Park museums, a Christmas Day outdoor organ concert at the Spreckles organ in Balboa Park, the Birch Aquarium, did some hiking and then went to the Cabrillo National Monument and Point Loma lighthouse. The best part was spending time with my daughter.
I took along some knitting and got some done. I am up to the lace border on the Shleeves. i stopped because I didn't have enough yarn in the ball I had with me to finish the border and I'd rather join the yarn in the solid stockinette than in the lace. Silk doesn't wet splice so ends will have to be woven in and I'd rather do it in stockinette. I anticipated this so took along the yarn to make a new pair of wrist brace liners. I wear wrist braces at night for carpal tunnel syndrome. They get sweaty and disgusting pretty quickly and many years ago, when I first started wearing them, I made liners from Cascade Fixation that absorbed the sweat and could be washed regularly. That made a huge difference. I made a second set a number of years ago and those are wearing out. It is time for a new set of three pairs.
I was smart enough to write down the pattern the last time I made them. This was an improvement from the first time when I didn't and had to recreate it. I was so proud of myself that I just took the pattern and started knitting. After I finished the cuff, I looked at it and realized it was rather long. Yup, long. The row gauge on the Fixation and the CoBaSi that I am using now is way different. So I ripped and restarted and it still didn't work out. Finally I took out the worn liner and started to recreate the pattern but with an idea of the difference in the row gauge. It is 4 rows on the Fixation to 3 rows on the CoBaSi. The st gauge is the same.
The CoBaSi is 55% Cotton, 16% Bamboo and 8% Silk with 21% elastic. I need a yarn with elastic so it doesn't keep stretching and stretching and wool is just too hot in the summer. The braces are warm to begin with and I need something that will wick away the sweat and let it evaporate, not hold it like wool does. The yarn feels very nice.
I just finished the first liner. I was so bummed at having to rewrite the pattern that I didn't feel like knitting as much as I should have on the trip. I did that cuff on the flight back where I lost a dpn and the little toddler behind me found it. I had extras as this is a common occurrence. I usually use magic loop on flights but I didn't have a 3.25 mm circular needle long enough for magic loop. It is not a size I use a lot. When I go to buy yarn for the remaining liners, I'll pick up a needle also. The other 2 pairs will be knit on my next trip which is in 2 weeks. We are going to Tanzania for a safari vacation.
On my return, I finished up the shawls. I had completed the weaving on two shawls and realized that I didn't have enough warp for a third one before I left. I think I stretched the yarn too much when I warped the loom and therefore didn't have enough length. Oh well. I made a small rectangle that I used to test out the finishing process. I completed that as soon as we got back and took it off the loom to see if my finishing would felt the yarn. It didn't. In the meantime, as it dried, I cut apart the two shawls and worked on their fringes. Yesterday I wet-finished both shawls and pressed them before laying them flat to dry. Today I trimmed the fringe and they are complete.
And this is the bit that was left over on the warp. It is a rather large coaster or a table scarf.
I've also been spinning and am almost half done with the light gray merino/Rambouillet/sparkle top. It is spinning up as nicely as the dark gray.
The reason I've made so much progress is that I am on vacation. It is amazing how much I can get done when I don't have to go to work!
Today I wound the second skein of silk so I can continue with Shleeves and also wound the yarn for the next weaving project. I may try to warp it before I have to go back to work on Tuesday. I have enough for a scarf I think.
It is also some vintage Lorna's Laces in DK that is no longer made. The yarn was called Swirl. I have some partially used skeins and then the 4 that are still intact. I think I will make a checkerboard design with the solid as thin stripes between the multi-colored one.
Happy New Year to all of you and I hope 2017 is a good year in many ways for all of you.
I saw a few old favorites - the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park - and a lot of new things. We went to the USS Midway museum. I teared up during the movie on the Battle of Midway, for which the ship is named. It was amazing to see how it all worked and how the sailors and airmen lived. We also went to a few of the Balboa Park museums, a Christmas Day outdoor organ concert at the Spreckles organ in Balboa Park, the Birch Aquarium, did some hiking and then went to the Cabrillo National Monument and Point Loma lighthouse. The best part was spending time with my daughter.
I took along some knitting and got some done. I am up to the lace border on the Shleeves. i stopped because I didn't have enough yarn in the ball I had with me to finish the border and I'd rather join the yarn in the solid stockinette than in the lace. Silk doesn't wet splice so ends will have to be woven in and I'd rather do it in stockinette. I anticipated this so took along the yarn to make a new pair of wrist brace liners. I wear wrist braces at night for carpal tunnel syndrome. They get sweaty and disgusting pretty quickly and many years ago, when I first started wearing them, I made liners from Cascade Fixation that absorbed the sweat and could be washed regularly. That made a huge difference. I made a second set a number of years ago and those are wearing out. It is time for a new set of three pairs.
I was smart enough to write down the pattern the last time I made them. This was an improvement from the first time when I didn't and had to recreate it. I was so proud of myself that I just took the pattern and started knitting. After I finished the cuff, I looked at it and realized it was rather long. Yup, long. The row gauge on the Fixation and the CoBaSi that I am using now is way different. So I ripped and restarted and it still didn't work out. Finally I took out the worn liner and started to recreate the pattern but with an idea of the difference in the row gauge. It is 4 rows on the Fixation to 3 rows on the CoBaSi. The st gauge is the same.
I just finished the first liner. I was so bummed at having to rewrite the pattern that I didn't feel like knitting as much as I should have on the trip. I did that cuff on the flight back where I lost a dpn and the little toddler behind me found it. I had extras as this is a common occurrence. I usually use magic loop on flights but I didn't have a 3.25 mm circular needle long enough for magic loop. It is not a size I use a lot. When I go to buy yarn for the remaining liners, I'll pick up a needle also. The other 2 pairs will be knit on my next trip which is in 2 weeks. We are going to Tanzania for a safari vacation.
On my return, I finished up the shawls. I had completed the weaving on two shawls and realized that I didn't have enough warp for a third one before I left. I think I stretched the yarn too much when I warped the loom and therefore didn't have enough length. Oh well. I made a small rectangle that I used to test out the finishing process. I completed that as soon as we got back and took it off the loom to see if my finishing would felt the yarn. It didn't. In the meantime, as it dried, I cut apart the two shawls and worked on their fringes. Yesterday I wet-finished both shawls and pressed them before laying them flat to dry. Today I trimmed the fringe and they are complete.
Today I wound the second skein of silk so I can continue with Shleeves and also wound the yarn for the next weaving project. I may try to warp it before I have to go back to work on Tuesday. I have enough for a scarf I think.
It is also some vintage Lorna's Laces in DK that is no longer made. The yarn was called Swirl. I have some partially used skeins and then the 4 that are still intact. I think I will make a checkerboard design with the solid as thin stripes between the multi-colored one.
Happy New Year to all of you and I hope 2017 is a good year in many ways for all of you.
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