Hello everyone!

I'm about to start working a hat pattern that I got on Ravelry (the pattern is Le Dane by Particules Particules).  I looked over the pattern before I started, and I'm a bit confused by the decrease portion of the hat.  Here is the pattern as written:

(working 96 sts in the round on circular needles)
Decrease:
Round 1: *k2tog, k8* repeat until 4 sts remain; k1.
Round 2-4: K around.
Round 5: *k2tog, k7* repeat until 3 sts remain; k1.
Round 6 (and all even rounds): k around.
Round 7: *k2tog, k6* repeat until 2 sts remain; k1.
Round 9: *k2tog, k5* repeat until 1 st remains; k1.
Round 11: *k2tog, k4* repeat until 2 sts remain; k1.
Round 13: *k2tog, k3* repeat until 3 sts remain; k1.
Round 15: *k2tog, k2* repeat until 2 sts remain; k1.
Round 17: k2tog around.


The part I am having difficulty with is what to do with the (1, 2, 3, 4) stitches that remain.  I can't just ignore them until the end, as I'm working in the round.  do I slip them and not knit them?  Do I knit them?  They have to go somewhere and I can't figure out where.  I cast on and tried working the decrease but it isn't making sense to me.

Thanks in advance!  Much appreciated

Hi guys,

It's been a while for me!  I've gotten caught up in school and a few other non-fibery things

There is a lady who is interested in having me pick and card her alpaca fleece for her.  How much would you charge if it were you, and would you do it per hour or per ounce?

If it helps, I will be using hand cards since I *still* haven't acquired a drum carder, so I am leaning towards charging by the ounce in this case. 

Here's my clapotis.  I knit it with fingering weight handspun on size 7 circulars.  It doesn't crunch up like the pattern shows, which I think is due to both the large gauge and the fact that I blocked it flat but I actually like it better this way.

Symphony, approx. 21" X 62" :

Well, looks like I get to start us out this week!  I don't have any new yarns, but I DO have new fiber!  So, here we are:


Dyed up for the following bags.


Dyed up for the following bags.


Also dyed for the following bags.


Dyed for the following bags, too.



Okay, this is the first of 5 colorways.  I got a bunch of fun goodies together and I mixed them all up and put them in a bag and I call them my "Fiber Porn Grab-and-Spin [FPGS] Bags."  They're a lot like batts in that there are lots of fun things and texture mixed together, but they allow for more control over which pieces go where.  I spun this yarn from an experimental grab bag I made last fall:



So.  A couple more of the colorways:






Hooray!  Can't wait to see what you've all got in store!



EDIT: Oh, I almost forgot!  I also carded up some superwash/nylon blends with socks in mind.

I'm new over here in the quilting side of Craftster So, hello everyone!

This is probably the first real quilt project I've taken on.  I decided to go simple for the first one.  Long story short, I started this quilt ages (think 5+ years) ago, and I finally bought my own machine and finished putting this together this evening.  It's about a meter square, and I'd like a quilt that's about 7 feet by 5 feet when I'm done.  So, I need to add a couple of rounds, and I can't decide what blocks to use.  

Here are a couple of pictures of the center:






I was thinking of adding a 1-2" border around the whole center in either solid black or something gold-ish (definitely leaning towards black).  I also was considering blocks with a solid or small-print background and a eighth note shape stitched on top.  I also have been thinking of pinwheel blocks such as this one: http://quiltstosell.com/pinwheel_block_0.jpg with red as the large triangle, black on the inner small ones and beige on the outer small ones.  

Any other ideas??  Thanks in advance


EDIT: My mom liked the visual of the center placed vertically, so here it is, if it helps.

Hello everyone!  I will be investing in a drum carder in the near future (think: next few months).  I've been looking around, and I haven't decided on one yet. 

I am looking for a drum carder that will be able to make textured batts as well as card massive amounts [more massive than hand cards / hand combs, at least!] of fiber at once (wool, alpaca, llama, mostly).  I know that might be a tall order, since it will be hard to find middle ground with the tpi on the cloth.


I've looked at a bunch of different models, and here's what I'm trying to decide between:

*The Ashford 2-speed (6:1/4:1) with 72 tpi.  I can't tell if this is adjustable or not?  I don't really want one with multiple speeds, but I can't seem to find a regular one on the internet anymore.  I'm sure I could contact a dealer or something...

*Fancy Kitty 72/90 tpi (I can't find one with less tpi than that!  The 90 is on the main drum).  This one is definitely adjustable, and I'd heard that those wear out faster.  Does anyone know if this is true or false?  I'd like to go with a Fancy Kitty, because of the pricetag and the fact that they're made here in the US, but the adjustable thing is kinda killing it for me.  My carder is going to get heavy use. 

*Louet.  They offer a lot of different styles!  I ruled out the Elite due to the adjustable-ness, and also its pricetag.  I'd be comfortable with the Junior (only 4" wide but twice as deep) except on their site they say on one page that the Junior has 46 tpi and on the other that it has 72 tpi.  So, the standard and the classic are left, and the major difference is the tpi.  Classic has 46 and standard has 72.  I know I'd get a lot more texture with 46, but if I'm looking for a smooth batt, will I have to card it multiple times to get it that way with a lower number of tpi?  I'd rather just card my textured batt once on 72 tpi I think (but I've never used one with 46 tpi; only 72). 

I ruled out Strauch because their least expensive one has 128 tpi (!!) and that's just too many.  It's super tempting, especially since it comes with 1 1/2 lbs of FREE fiber, but my batts would be just tooooo smooth.  Price is a major consideration in my purchase, although I will shell out the extra money for one that will perform and last (ehm, don't think too dirty on that last comment). 

Okay, thoughts?   Thanks in advance 

Hooray, I'm starting this week!  It's not quite Friday where I am, but it IS on the East Coast of the US!

I only have two this week (but that's better than zero!)

First: Clowns in the Underground, tencel, 2 oz, 102 yards, 20 wpi





Spun from:

(dyeing by NaturalObsessions, who was recently the featured artist on Artfire)



Next, qiviut laceweight, wpi approx 25:





For making this (very unblocked!) scarf:



Also new with me:

*New camera abilities with my SO's camera phone (much much much better than the digital camera I was using, somehow..)!  e.g.:

(I have never before gotten accurately colored pictures of this skein!)


*I tentatively opened an Artfire account.  I think I like it better than Etsy :O Does anyone else have dual accounts and a preference?


*My family is up and I was going to do some food dyeing with them.  If it does work out, I'll definitely be posting pictures.


*Also, we built a skeinwinder that attaches to my Kiwi (something Ashford doesn't make >:[ )!  I have pictures, but none uploaded at this point.

I'm excited to see everyone else's yarns!

I just spent a fantastic three days in a Celia Quinn workshop.  I don't know how many of you have heard of her, but she is fantastic.  She lives in Homer, Alaska, so she didn't have to come too far to teach us, but she does classes all around the world.  She's been spinning since 1975 I think, and so she's seen a ton.  She has all sorts of samples and techniques  and advice.  It was very wonderful. 

There were a few important things I learned in this class:
1. How to spin long draw. 
2. Long draw should always be used with short fibers, as worsted-style spinning makes it next to impossible.
3. Worsted spinning has greater sheen/luster, while long draw spinning is fluffier and lighter, usually with some sort of halo.
4. Cotton is not the enemy!
5. Short-staple fibers should be spun thinly (i.e. spin cotton in the thickness of a paper clip wire or thinner)

I'll take pictures of my first cotton yarn (which I spun worsted, the only way I was familiar with) and the cotton samples I spun (which were my second cottons).  There's a huge difference in them.

Including a few practice fibers, we spun 97 different samples of fibers.  We spun wools, mohairs, llama, alpaca, yak, cashmere, silks (both silk tops and right from the cocoon [with a pupa still inside!!]), cottons, downs, guard hairs, qiviut, horse hair [something I've wanted to do for a LOOONG time], flax, ramie, ingeo, rayon, polyester, and many many many more.

Celia offers several classes, including a dyeing workshop.  If you get the chance to take one of her classes, DO IT.  I had a fantastic time, and I learned a ton.

I was complaining about wanting a raw fleece at my LYS, when the owner pulled out a fleece she'd had sitting around for years.  She gave it to me with the condition that I bring part of it back to her after I dyed it. All these are dyed with Wilton's.  So, here's what's done so far (I still have about 8 oz left to dye ):


Skirting the fleece


Nice clean wool!


Pretty crimp


Dye batch #2, after setting with heat


Yellow with green bits


Green with purple parts


Copper with green bits


Blue with green bits


Green with blue bits


Green with yellow bits


Pink with blue parts


Blue with green and purple bits


This I dyed with black!  Working in acidic conditions is such fun


Red with blue bits


Blue that split


Purple


Two blues, one which split (but the pink part is hidden).


Yellow with a bit of copper in it


Green with black (which produced pink spots)

I will dye half of the remaining wool with copper, 1/4 with pink, and 1/4 with black.

I wasn't done in time for last Friday, but I'm finally done now!  Here's a super fun yarn:

The Princess and the Parrot, 169 yards, corespun merino, superwash merino, and corriedale, plied with cotton thread, sequins, and feathers