Maia Spins

Leafy Diamonds

I present to you the latest SIP (sock in progress).  This is the Melody yarn by Jojoland that I got at Full Thread Ahead on the yarn crawl.  I love how the colors transition gradually.  The color changes make this a very fun yarn to knit. 

The sock yarn is a three-ply (lace weight is two ply).  Each ply transitions through several colors and is offset from the other two plies.  The colors they chose to blend together are very interesting too.  Click the pictures to see them bigger.

Melody knits easily.  It is soft and I have not had a problem with splitting stitches.  I did end up knitting it pretty tight (9.5 sts/in on US#0).  The next needle size up was definitely too loose for (my) sock knitting.

My one complaint is minor.  Each skein appears to start in a different spot.  If you need to have your socks matchy-matchy, you may be frustrated by this yarn.  Since the color repeats are very long (I'm not sure I have seen a true repeat yet), it isn't easy to line them up.  I did look for skeins that seemed to be similar.  Luckily, I am happy with fraternal socks.

Oddly, the swatch I worked on the other skein matches this sock pretty well.  I knit it from the outside (that way I can knit the sock and only rip out the swatch if I need too).  What does that mean?  Does the colorway go from A to E and then back to A? 

Overall, I really love this yarn and recommend it without reservation.  I think I need to go back to Full Thread Ahead and see what other gems Hollis has hiding in those cubbies.

The lace pattern is adapted from a pattern in Knitting Stitches by Mary Webb.  I am trying to decide how or if I should add the lace pattern to the back of the leg.

I was lucky and the color changes lined up for a smooth transition (have I used that word enough today?) at the gusset shaping. 

This toe-up gusseted heel is my new favorite method.  I have tried many methods and like kissing frogs, none of them was "the right one".  I ended up creating my own.  I'll post a tutorial for it tomorrow.

Last weekend we took Kay and her boyfriend, Luke, to Marin.   Marin is north of San Francisco at the other end of the Golden Gate bridge.  We went to Muir Beach and Point Reyes.

I think they had a good time.

Roger & Sammie did.  This is early afternoon at Muir Beach before the fog had burned off.  Muir Beach is on the Pacific Ocean and quite foggy.

Sammie really liked the Earthquake Trail in Point Reyes National Seashore Park.

 

Napa and Joy

Last week I mentioned that I had been to a new (to me) yarn store.  I haven't forgotten to post about it; I've been a little under the weather and enjoying our gorgeous spring like weather while it lasts.  At the end of this post there is a sneak peek at a new fabulous yarn, so scroll down if you aren't interested in this LYS review.

It was last Saturday, the weather was rainy and very gray.  I had been in Napa for the spinning group of my guild (I still love saying that!  I am in a fiber guild!).  So why not stop and visit the local yarn store?  Doesn't take much to persuade me.

Yarns On First
I took a long shot so you could see the trees in full bloom.  Click to see pictures larger (as always).  It is a small storefront in the heart of downtown Napa, California.

The store is arranged by color with greens, blues, and purples on the left side and neutrals and reds on the right side.  There are pockets of baby yarns and sock yarns and the novelty yarns tend to be down the center aisle (which I managed to not photograph) and a nice table for sitting and knitting or browsing a book just inside the front door.

I didn't expect to like a store arranged by color.  Surprisingly it is pretty exciting.  Even Cascade 220 looks exciting when it is tucked between other yarns.  It is definitely eye candy.  I was not searching for a particular project, so I may have felt differently if I was trying to find all my options in a particular gauge.

I found Mountain Colors Bearfoot which I had never seen before in person and other lesser known yarns like Chasing Rainbows by Nancy Finn (she has a great color sense and uses high quality yarns).  It is nice to see a few things that are different from the usual yarn store fare (let's be honest, yarn stores can be remarkably similar).

I did get a shot of some stunningly gorgeous handpainted lace weight silk (from Claudia Hand Painted?).  It was very hard to resist (and it may be a losing battle).  It has delicious shawl written all over it.

Often what makes a yarn store for me is the staff.  The owner, Connie, was there alone and, despite being quite busy, she was very friendly and helpful.  Some yarn stores make me feel unwelcome or like they are indifferent to me.  This one is comfortable with a good selection, the combination I look for.  I like this store quite a bit. 

You know I didn't leave there without buying something!  It is next to impossible to go to a yarn store and leave empty handed.   I got a skein of Mountain Colors Bearfoot in the Red Tail Hawk colorway.  It is dark, dark purple and red with touches of brown.  A sport weight sock yarn of 60% superwash wool, 24% mohair, and 15% nylon. Unbelievably soft and beautiful is the best way to describe it.

I also got Folk Socks by Nancy Bush.  I am looking forward to trying some of the traditional construction methods.  And, it hardly seems right to be a serious sock knitter without a Nancy Bush book.

Sol Joy
Is the name of the new sock yarn I am currently knitting.  It is rather unique as it is woolen spun instead of being worsted spun.  Worsted spun yarn (not to be confused with worsted weight yarn) means that all the fibers are parallel  when spun.  The yarn is denser and generally stronger.  Most commercially available yarn is worsted spun. 

Woolen spun yarns are spun from fibers that are not all parallel.  The result is more space for air inside the yarn (greater insulation properties) and a softer feel.  Woolen spun yarn is usually more squishy due to the increased air space; some refer to this as sproing.  Woolen and semi-woolen preparations are more common in hand spinning.  As a spinner, I am very intrigued by this yarn.

I am almost finished with a pair of socks from this skein (color #801, called Meadow).  I will show you just the stockinette side of the first toe and save the sock debut for another time. 

It has been a delight to knit with.  I don't think I had a single split stitch!  The yarn is very soft; it feels like a soft cotton.  As I expected, it compresses well and makes a wonderful thick knit fabric.  It is definitely different from other sock yarns I have used.  The colors are lovely too.  This picture doesn't quite do it justice.  The blue is really more of a teal and all of the colors are a bit more distinct (click the pic for a better view).  The colors in the skein are more accurate.

I understand that it will make its debut at Stitches West at the Adirondack Yarns booth.  If you are going to be at Stitches, check it out.  It deserves a fondle at minimum.  I got mine through Kerry as part of a special yarn preview.

Speaking of Stitches West, if you see me, please say hi.  I'd love to meet you.

Red Scarf commences

I have been searching for just the right lace yarn for a shawl that is perking in my brain.  I need it to be reminiscent  of the sea without being too bright, too blue, or too variegated (I would like a little variegation or tweediness).  I spotted some gorgeous yarn on-line from Alchemy Yarns.  A link to a local retail outlet took me to Studio Knit in Mill Valley, California ("talkin' about Mill Valley, California"). 

Studio Knit is a cute little two-story shop with a very nice selection of yarns.  They carry some stunning and expensive yarns (to be expected in an affluent city like Mill Valley).  They also carry some equally stunning and very affordable yarns.  Each one is tucked into a labeled cubby in beautiful shelving and has a swatch of the yarn for your fondling pleasure.  The upstairs area also features a very comfy sitting area, perfect for Stitchin' N Bitchin'.  Well, maybe not in those words; it is a first class operation with high class clientele.  The service is friendly; I couldn't leave without getting my Alpaca wound into center-pull balls and she was happy to special order a yarn for me (more alpaca, I am sensing a trend).  If you are in the area, this store is well worth a look-see. 

I did not find my shawl yarn, but I did find a few things to jump in my basket.  As a result I have tossed aside all my WIPs and started a new one.  I hate to think what number that brings the current count up to (not including the ones that are so old I have completely forgotten about them).

I have started on my first Red Scarf.  Think conceptually here because it is not red.  I am using Rowan Tapestry in the Rustic colorway.  The yarn is a single ply DK weight, 70% wool and 30% soy protein fibre (soy silk?).  I like the yarn.  The colors are beautiful (soft forest green, dark tan, & pinkish-orangish brown) and the color changes are the perfect length for a scarf.  The only downside is that the ply tends to split; I need to pay a little more attention than a simple pattern should require.  Oh, and the soy makes it a bit slippery on my metal needles.  Speaking of patterns, I will write this one up and post it when I finish the scarf.

I also got a couple of Alpaca yarns to make scarves from.  On the left is 600 yards of superfine Alpaca (dreamy soft, I can't stop touching it) called Peruvian Tweed from Joseph Geller Inc.  On the right are two skeins of Classic Elite Inca Print; also soft and quite pretty.  Observant readers may note that this is actually a red yarn.

I have been reading up on the Red Scarf Project and the more I read, the more I like it.  Check out the Orphan Foundation of America to learn more and see other ways to help.  If you are in the Chicago area, hook up with The Keyboard Biologist for local Red Scarf fun.  She has a great blog.  Her post about this project on September 14th is very moving. 

In Stash Enhancement news, here is the mustard mohair.  It is a delicious color (no pun intended, I don't like the taste of mustard).  It is Kid Mohair Princesse by Laines des Trois Frontieres (my apologies for not getting the accent over the first e in Frontieres).  I have 9 balls, each with 90 meters, so that is about 885 yards.  It will probably knit at 4 sts/in or so.  Sounds like it may become a shawl.  I am open to suggestions.