Yellowbird Yarn Room

Thoughts on the Drop

The drop of the spindle, that is.

A couple weeks ago I attempted to spin a bit of fluff for the first time.  I'd watched this video that made it look so easy...

Well, it wasn't too bad, but it was significantly trickier than anticipated.

I've never been the most coordinated of souls, and using a drop spindle does require that the right hand know what the left hand is doing (not too mention the legs!).  Then there's knowing how thick the fiber needs to be before drafting, then how much you can draft without the fiber pulling apart, then getting the spindle to spin well and the twist to work it's way up properly and how to stop the spindle from spinning and when to stop and wind the new yarn around the shaft...

phew.

I like to think of my finished product as a thick-and-thin (though mostly thick) art yarn. 

I definitely intend to try again at some point (there is far too much lovely fluff out there to play with!).  I can't say that I personally felt the same passionate obsession that I felt when I first learned to form a stitch, but it is certainly a challenge that I cannot ignore. 

After all, those lovely and stormy-looking Dyeabolical braids do taunt me so very much every time I go into River City.

The thing is, I started with the drop spindle because...well...it's a vastly more economical way of testing my spinning skills than the wheel and I'm really quite glad I did.  I do see the potential.  But I also see the potential for a spinning wheel to be much easier to use.

Some day.

In the meantime, I will do the drop again.  Occassionally.  It's a nice change of pace.

(The results of my first spinning efforts may be seen as knit into the Yarn Tasting.  I used about a third to a half of the fiber that comes in the basic drop spindle kit from Spinner's Choice.) 

On the Yarn Tasting

It's been a while since I mentioned the Yarn Tasting.  Do you know about this?

In my booth at River City I have an ongoing Yarn Tasting in a bowl, and there is a notebook on the table right next to it.  The current "flavor" of yarn is all set up on the needles, just waiting for you to come along and see how it knits up.  You can knit and purl to your little heart's content, increasing or decreasing as you see fit, even working a pattern if you like. 

All I ask is that you write your name in the notebook, along with how much and what you did.  It's a sort of physical guest book that grows longer all the time.

And you know what?  I am really excited about the current flavor because it is not just about the yarn...it's about the needles, too!

Now, the yarn itself is a treasure.  I had been looking for a linen to carry for two years when I saw Blue Ridge Yarns' Luxury Linen so, of course, when I saw it...I had to have it!!!  The weight and drape of linen, combined with the liquid loveliness of handpainted yarn... 

Oh, happy day! 

The joyous rarity of the yarn, then, called for an equally rare needle, and what needle could fill the bill better than a handmade set of square needles by Joan? 

If you've been curious at all about how it would feel to knit with square needles, now's the time to come in and try it for yourself because I won't keep them on the tasting for long.  Each set of needles by Joan is one-of-a-kind because she makes them from repurposed wood, going with her instinct to make the size that seems right at the time. 

That makes each set available on a first-come-first-served basis, so I'll make sure and post on Facebook when she brings more in.  Make sure to "Like" my page for the most updated information!   

What makes you happy?

Me?  I have two great things that go great together to make me happy:  Tahki's Granite yarn (any color) and Laurel Hill tools (any kind).

Oh, I could sit here all day, expounding the virtues of each of these items (as I'm quite sure I have done many times in the past), but then I wouldn't have time to actually use them!  And it is a cold, wet, dreary day here in NE Ohio.  And I do have my hot chocolate mint tea.  And I actually have nowhere to be all afternoon and no clue who got eliminated on Dancing With the Stars this week.

So, um, you may be wondering why I brought it up.  Why am I sitting in this uncomfortable chair in front of the computer when I could be on the couch finishing up my improv mitts as promised?  Well, there's more than one answer to that...

New colors came in!

New crochet love for me!

New projects for November!

And a new Tasting to appreciate it all!

Come crocheters, one and all, it's your turn to play now that I have set up the Tasting with Granite in Garnet and a size M hook in Ebony.  Granite knits up beautifully, and felts beautifully.  These things I know.  But how does it behave with a hook?  This I was anxious to find out.

Now, I am no crochet expert but I have been practicing and improving my skills with hooks I acquired over the years and collected in my bag.  I decided that, now that I had some idea of what I was doing, it was time for me to try out Laurel Hill's hooks of which I had heard so much.  After all, their knitting needles are my absolute favorites!

After two rows on the tasting I have just one thing to say...I want to do more!!!  That hook actually felt so natural in my hand I was amazed!  I really never thought I would be that comfortable with crochet, that it would always elude me.  But the more I work at it, the more ways I find to make it work for me and I look forward to seeing what I can do with it in the future. 

Speaking of the future, the new colors of yarn fit perfectly into my plan for the Christmas ornaments I will work on over the next couple of weeks.  But I had planned to knit and felt them.  Now I might have to see what happens when you crochet and felt!  Oh, decisions...decisions...

Guess I'll think on it a while and finish my mitts.  Now, where did that remote go...   

And the winner is...

Yep, you guessed it:  fingerless mitts!  And I really am very excited about this knit-along.  I've been planning for a while now to stock the shop with a handful (pun intended) or so of various styles of handwarmers and now I have my inspiration!

SO...from now until the end of October I am going to see how many pairs of mitts I can knit and I invite you all to join in the fun!  This knit-along will be a bit more lax in the rules in that I am not going to give you an exact pattern to follow in order to participate, but I will keep you posted on which pattern I am working on at the time and would like very much to see what you're working on, too!

I plan to mix it up and will try not to do the same pattern twice.  I'm really hoping to get a pair done each week, what do you think?  I think I'm up to the challenge!  That just means I have to set aside my granny square scarf for a while.  The one I started last week when I knew the mitts would win hands down.

Ah-ha ha ha.

And to start things off I will be following the suggestion of Facebook Fan Dianna who reminded me of the sweet little Victorian-style gauntlets known as Mrs. Beeton.  They are from the Winter '05 issue of Knitty and I just loved clicking through page after page of projects (there are 33 pages of projects at this time but I only made it through 10 so far!) and getting ideas for what I wanted my Mrs. Beetons to become.

I'm still having a bit of trouble deciding on that point.  So many ideas!  I can say that there will probably not be beads involved, and that the outside ruffle will be the same color as the body of the gauntlets with the inside ruffle an accent color.  That's all I know.  I think.

But I guess I will have to decide by Open Knit tomorrow so I can get going on my Mitt Fest!

If you would like to join me at River City to knit up your own fingerless mitts, here's what I can offer you:

• a fun and cozy atmosphere
• good people
• a healthy dose of laughter
• and 30% off any supplies you may find the need to purchase expressly for the use of completing your fingerless mitts!

You are, of course, still welcome to join us and knit something else.  Something not-mitt related.  The discount, however, only applies to knit-along related supplies and cannot be used in conjunction with any other sales, discounts, or coupons that may or may not possibly appear in any newspapers. 

Not that I'm sayin' there will be coupons.  I'm just sayin'.  You know.  If there are. 

Special thanks...

...to all who came out to River City for the Fall Festival, it was a very nice time!

Friday was a bit gray and windy, but I have to admit that I liked it that way!  I was able to wear a sweater I knit myself, drink my hot tea (which my hand knit cozy kept nice and warm for a long time!), and knit to my heart's content.  And the bees were minimal!  They did come out with the sun on Saturday but, really, they never stayed for long.  They just wanted to say "hi", too.  And smell the bread.

If you're a Facebook fan, perhaps you saw the absolutely adorable breads my friend brought Saturday morning...cutest breads I've ever seen!  There were honey wheat teddy bears and cats, and sourdough rye turtles.  They were just wonderful!  I did have to buy some myself, I just couldn't resist as I sat there smelling them and admiring their little eyes and bows and belly buttons...

And I wish I had thought to take a picture of the sweet lady who sat and knit about 6 rows on the Yarn Tasting, just for fun!  I do love the Yarn Tasting and the way it's progressing - it's quirky and strange and delightfully unique.  One of my favorite things about coming into the shop is the occasional surprise of finding someone had knit a row or two (hi, Diane!).  I do apologize for not keeping the "Flavor" updated, but I will change the yarn this week and I promise to tell you what I changed to on the Yarn Tasting page.

We got a nice little boost in our blanket raffle sales, too, so thanks again to everyone who has helped support the cause by buying tickets.  Just as a reminder, the blanket will remain on display and tickets will remain available until early December, but now's as good a time as any to come get yours if you haven't done so already!

So, all in all, it was a very nice couple of days and I'm grateful to all who helped make it that way.  I spoke to both old friends and new, about both knitting and crochet, and that is always time well spent.       

Yellowbird is re-nesting!

When is a Room not a room?  Why, when it becomes a wall, of course!

Starting next Monday (the 21st), this Yellowbird will be re-nesting.  I'll be taking a few days to get everything out of my little room, revamp those rough display boxes, and settle into my new home across the parking lot.  By the following weekend you'll be able to find me in the room right next to Judy's Ice Cream, along the shared wall.

You see, Judy's Consignmet has been doing so well that she's already run out of space!  She's decided to move it to the building where I have been so that she can give customers some room to move around the racks.  This is a wonderful plan for her, but it does give people less reason to come see me.  So, she offered me this new spot and I.  Am.  Thrilled!

Yellowbird will be much easier to find, especially for those who have trouble climbing stairs.  Not to mention the fact that when I am there for Open Knit, I won't have far to go when I want to show someone an item I carry or to get them one of my cards.  So convenient!

But, alas, I hate to move.  All the trips up and down those stairs!

So, I was thinking.....how would you like to make this move a bit easier on me?  I will be showing up to WWKIP Day this Saturday with a stack of 20% off coupons, ready to hand them out.  All you have to do to get one is come say "hi"!  These coupons will only be good for Saturday, and I will have a limited supply, so come early to increase your chances of getting one!  They will be good for your entire purchase of anything in Yellowbird, with the exception of the IK mags (which are already marked down) and the aforementioned Tunisian Crochet deal.

Whether you're in the mood to shop or not, I do hope you'll come join us on Saturday for WWKIP Day.  I will stay as long as I can, and as long as I have company!  Bring along your latest project, and if you have a bit of that yarn to spare I would LOVE it if you added a row or two of it into the yarn tasting project...just to prove you were there!

How cool would that be?  To come back to Yellowbird, time and time again, and say "Hey!  That's my two rows from that beret I was working on during WWKIP Day 2010!"

Yep.   Very cool.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Tasting the blues again

I'm not doing it on purpose, I promise!  I mean, sure, I get in color ruts all the time...though, normally I lean toward the greens and browns.  But something has had me deep in the blues when I've picked out yarns for the tasting. 

Maybe because it's been spring in Ohio.  If I can't have blue in my sky, maybe I can make up for it with yarn!

I'll have to do something about that.  Shake things up a bit.  I did get in a bag of Cestari cotton blend sock yarn in natural.  Hmm.  When is the last time I played with Rit dye?  Grade school?

I'll have to do something about that. 

Start learning Tunisian!

Just in time for Memorial Day...let's get ready for the Fourth of July!

I have been wanting to improve my crochet skills for quite some time now.  It just doesn't come as easy to me as knitting, and I suppose that's why I never found it nearly as fun.  But I do believe I have found the perfect segue in Tunisian Crochet!

I find this method of crochet very intriguing.  Basicly, you work your way across the rows, starting your crochet stitches without completing them.  You end up with the stitches all lined up on the hook knitting-style.  Then, you work your way back by completing the stitches.  The resulting fabric looks almost woven and reminds me of those classic rag placemats.

Hmmm...placemats...

I have that Sedona that looks like denim...would look pretty cool...maybe a couple of embroidered fireworks in the corner...some fringe on the side...

YAY, CRAFT-ALONG!

You don't have to make placemats, though.  I do realize that the yarn I intend to use is not exactly spill-friendly at 90% wool and 10% silk.  Can you say hand wash?  But you could make a really cute pillow.  Or a clutch.  Or a coffee cozy.  I can see maybe a dishcloth out of the cotton blend sock yarn doubled up.  The possibilities are endless!

All you have to do is come to at least one Open Knit (and, yes, WWKIP Day counts) with the intent to try to make something using Tunisian Crochet and I will give you 30% off your supplies!

I have some absolutely lovely hooks on the way from one of my most favorite companies, Laurel Hill.  A shipment from them never disappoints, and I cannot wait to get one of their Tunisian Hooks in my hands!  As soon as they come in, I will set one up in the Yarn Tasting so you can try it out before your buy it. 

And just for giggles, here is a fantastic newsreel from 1934 that some wonderful Raveler pointed out a while back.  I'm sorry to say that I do not have extendable hooks like that!

As always with my craft-alongs, there is no registration or fee required.  It does help me to have enough of the right size hook in stock, though, so if you know you'll need one just say the word!

File under "For Future Reference"

Oh, you shoulda been there.  You shoulda seen it!

My mother sat in a chair in Judy's Ice Cream with one end of the plastic bag chain tied to the arm (of the chair, obviously, not of my mom).  I walked out through the gift shop with the other end attatched to the drill bit.  Then, on went the drill!  

It was so fun watching it spin!  It came out pretty cool, though not quite the way I had thought it would.  Maybe if I had made wider stips.  I cut them 1/2 inch wide, but I'd like to see what happens when you cut them a full inch or more.  I think it might stretch a bit less and make for a better, tighter twist. 

And just in case anyone's interested, I did play with it a bit on the Tasting just to see how it behaved on the needles.  (Check out the "Yarn Tasting" page for the latest changes there!) 

It makes a fairly thin and stretchy string of bold, vibrant color.  Would surely be great for a market bag.  But I really like the colors of the fused bags so much better for the Pool Bag.  They look so beachy and sandy and like frothy, foamy waves.  And it's not quite as stretchy, so I feel like it could stand up better to the abuse of being packed full with wet towels and toys all summer long. 

So, this Wednesday I will be there with my fused "plibbon", ready to start whipping up this thing!  I'm liking the look of the garter stitch - it seems to add to the wave-like beachy look.  Think I'll just knit the base to the size I want, pick up the stitches for the body, and see how things go from there!   

Shhhh...don't tell the kids!

Ask them what their mom thinks about cheating, and their eyes will roll as they drone "I'd rather you fail than cheat".  I tell them that learning is a process, and that it is through our mistakes that we learn. 

Such is the point of a knit- or craft-along, right?  To work through a pattern or craft together, finding creative solutions to any problems that may arise.

When I wanted to try needle felting, I waited.  I had bought the needle and the pad and I had my wool ready and waiting for weeks.  It was torture, but I did not even open the packages until the day that I said I would, the day of my Grand Opening.

Then I wanted to knit socks.  I had never really been interested in knitting socks before, but my curiosity began to get the better of me last fall.  It took a few months to work that one out, but I finally did it!  And the one sock I have (almost) done turned out better thanks to the input of my knit-alongs friends.  It was a joint effort, and the accomplishment is sweeter because of it.

But the Pool Bag is different.  It's an experiment.  Uncharted territory.  No set pattern, no written directions to follow, so much potential for problems!  And what if it didn't work?  It's only a four week craft-along, what if there were too many problems to solve in that short amount of time?

So I cheated.

Last weekend, I broke out my iron and ironing board, my parchment paper, and my stash of plastic bags.  I sat down and watched a video on fusing plastic bags together to make fabric and got to work.

The result of my labor (as seen in the YB Pictures album) is now in the shop, ready for you to taste test yourself!  I have already tried it on size 10 needles, but that didn't work out so well.  The "plarn" (plastic + yarn) kept breaking on me.  Switching to size 11 seems to have solved that problem, though, so that is the size in the shop.  If you are considering doing this craft-along with me in May but you're leary of knitting with a strip of fused plastic ribbon, come on in and try out a row or two.  Take it for a spin, see how it feels!

Now, a word about the tasting...

Ever since I moved into River City Gift Shoppe, I have had this idea to keep a sample yarn on the table at all times.  The Plarn became the perfect motivation for me to finally get this ongoing Yarn Tasting up and running!

Every week or two I will be changing the yarn available for tasting, and I will keep you updated on the current "flavor" with the convenient little page link up there on the right.  You can come on in, knit however much you like, in the style of your choice, making it wider or thinner or lacy or solid stockinette.  Knock yourself out!  Just remember to write down at least your first name and the number of rows you finished in the book on the table.

I like to think of this as an open art project.  A physical documentation of the happenings at Yellowbird.  Something we can look back on and say "Oh, yes!  I remember that yarn!  That was from the _______ knit-along!  Ahhh, good times..."  And anyone who can knit can come on in and be a part of it. 

To kick the whole thing off with a homemade recycled bag yarn created for an experimental knit-along just seems fitting, don't you think?

So there you have it.  I confess.  I cheated.  And you know what?  I'm glad I did.