Category Archive for ‘knitting’ at adam knits!

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Drill Happy 22 Jun 08

It’s been 2 weeks, and the honeymoon period is definitely not over yet. I never knew you could have so much fun with a cordless drill! Just take a look at my latest project. It’s like I have my own little yarn store, right in my office!

Pretty sweet eh? It turns out that the yarn hutch I bought a few months ago was way too big for the new house, so I came up with this alternate yarn storage system. Oh the things you can accomplish with graph paper, a tape measure and some screws.

I also got all the Yarn Nerd boxes unpacked into the Shedquarters, and am almost ready to get the dye pots going. I’m so psyched to have a separate dyeing workspace, especially such a snazzy one. I have lots of work surfaces, plenty of storage, and lights and electricity. There’s no water, but I think a big plastic utility sink and a big drain bucket should suffice. There’s a hose right outside the shed that I can hook up to the sink faucet, and I’ll be in business. Although, first I might inform my neighbors that I’m not running a meth lab, since they might wonder what I’m doing in the shed with gloves and a dust mask. ;)

Now that Yarn Nerd HQ is unpacked, it means that there is only one stronghold of boxes left, in the garage. It may stay that way for a bit though, since I don’t have a pressing need to park inside, especially since I’m riding my bike to work lots. Did I mention that the new house is only 3 miles from work? It takes no time at all to get to the office (about 18 minutes on the bike, versus about 15 to drive and walk in from the parking lot), which I’m really loving. There’s even a small detour through one of the local golf courses. Nothing like the possibility of getting clunked in the head with a line drive to speed up the commute.

Knitting has been a bit slow with all the house chores, but I do have a bit of something to tease you with. I just have to finish the lining thumb on my second mitten, and the Fiddleheads will be complete. These are about the most perfect mittens ever, and I get so many compliments everytime I work on them in public. Adrian really hit it out of the park with this kit, between the amazing pattern and the heavenly yarn.

I’m reluctant to finish the thumb, because then that means I’ll be done, and I’m not sure I want the experience to end just yet. Not to mention that I won’t be able to wear them for many months. Unless I want to be sent to a white padded room for wearing lined mittens in 98 degree heat.

Also, thanks to everyone on your comments about the house tour, I really appreciated all of them! Not to mention all the good paint suggestions (I think I’m going to go with the sage green if you’re curious, but it may be a bit before I actually get around to it).

That’s about all I have, but check back soon to find out what I’ve drilled a hole into next. It’s such an exciting life I lead. ;)

Published

Adam

in biking, colorwork, dyeing, home ownership, knitting and yarn nerd

Sock 911 28 May 08

24 Comments

I think lately I’ve come to the conclusion that the process of buying a house is really just a large obstacle course, designed to weed out all but the most resolute of people. Between house searches, offers, contracts, inspections, repairs, mortgage applications and moving, it really is a tiring process. And just when I thought that the end was near, another obstacle appears.

The mortgage program I applied for is swamped with refinances these days, and as a result, the standard processing time has gone way way up. It took so long, in fact, that I didn’t actually find out about final approval until just a few days ago, almost 6 weeks after my initial application! Suffice to say, that delay wasn’t anticipated, which means that we had to push back the closing to give the bank extra time to actually finish the paperwork.

I’m supposed to find out soon when the new closing date will be, and I’ve been told it won’t be more than a week away. Unfortunately for me, I was expecting to move this weekend, which means my entire house is pretty much packed up. I’m a bit OCD when it comes to organization (ok, a lot.), and let’s just say it’s a stretch for me to have my house in such chaos. So here’s hoping that I can move soon, because I might go postal and attack someone with a moving box if this lasts too long.

In an amusing note, I had a bit of awakening regarding my fiber stash when it came time to pack up the yarn hutch. I’ve always thought I’ve had a very small stash, but I think it might have become a bit bigger than I realized. See those boxes? The small one on the right is the box I thought could house the stash, and the large one on the left is the one that the stash actually fits in. I bet next time I move I’ll need more than one box. Sigh.

Due to packing, I haven’t had much quality time with my needles, but I have managed to finish one Fiddlehead Mitten. I’m pushing to finish the pair before the EARTH round of Project Spectrum is over, but my moving to-do list might dictate otherwise. I don’t think I’ll mind too much though, since the more time I have with this buttery soft alpaca the better.

In the department of having plenty to knit, Dallas decided to ensure that I have no shortage of projects on the needles. In what I’m sure he thought was a considerate gesture, he decided that he would chew out the heel on a handknit sock, so that I could have the joy of fixing it. He’s tried to work his goodwill on many handknit socks before, but I’m always one step ahead of him when it comes to putting them away. He won this time though.

Thankfully, it was only the heel that he was interested in, and since it’s a short row heel, I think I can fix it by knitting a new one and grafting it to the foot. How fortuitous that I got bored with the ribbing and quit before running out of yarn! Anyone have experience with this type of sock surgery?

I just suppose I’ll have to forgive him, because I’m sure he had the best intentions. And how can you stay mad at such a face? I certainly can’t.

I also can’t stay mad at this face for long, even after she brings a dead bird into the living room. (Note that she was not allowed to lick me for quite some time. I might be a pushover, but I do still have common sense.)

Ah, now we come to the part of the post where you realize that I have no new material, and that I’m just baiting you with cute dog pictures. Is it working?

I should mention that the Caterpillar Sock Kits are up, and there’s just a few left. Anne is nearly finished with the pattern, and the yarn is ready to go, so they’ll be shipping out soon. The yarn is a new base, called 950 MHz Merino. It’s a nice heavy fingering weight yarn, with a gauge of 7.25 - 8.5 sts / in on US #1 - #2 needles. The yarn has a nice tight twist and will knit up into a very firm fabric, meaning that your socks will last for quite a while. Each skein is 430 yards too, so you’ll have plenty for a pair of socks.

Hopefully next time I’ll have a new house to show off!

Published

Adam

in dallas, home, knitting, shop, socks and yarn nerd

Equal Opportunity Fiber Lover 03 May 08

20 Comments

Once again it’s time for your sporadically scheduled blog update! Since we’re going on 3 weeks, this update won’t really have very much in the way of excitement. Its true purpose is to halt the incessant “OMG, why haven’t you updated your blog?” e-mails from my family. I suppose they can’t just get enough of my special blend of dry and sardonic humor. However, I’m fairly certain that all my other readers click over in hopes of getting a glimpse at my excruciatingly rugged and chiseled countenance. (Oh, I have to write that one down!)

Good looks aside, this is a knitting/spinning/dyeing blog (gotta love that demographic creep), so I suppose I should show you some of the fibery things I’ve been working on.

Last weekend was my final spinning class, but luckily, I have a wheel for a bit longer. This week I drew the Kromski Minstrel, and I am definitely smitten. It spins like a dream, and I love its old fashioned looks. I’ll sample a few more, but I’m pretty sure this is the wheel I’ll buy eventually.

My drafting skills are steadily improving, and at this point I’m able to spin a single that is fairly consistent. So far I’ve spun BFL, Corriedale, Shetland, Merino and Rambouillet. I haven’t branched out from wooly fiber yet, but I have a lovely bump of Alpaca that I’m anxious to spin up.

Right now I’m working on a 2 ply of white Rambouillet and gray Shetland (shown on the bobbin above), that will be part of a hand-knit project for the new house. Both of the rovings I’m using for this project were grown here in NM, and are minimally processed, meaning the fiber still has a decent amount of lanolin and vegetable matter. It’s really interesting to spin up roving that has been totally processed, and then switch to roving that’s a bit more raw. One thing that was cool about my spinning class was that we learned the basics of skirting and washing a fleece, which means someday I hope to make a sweater from a raw fleece. Talk about the ultimate in make your own clothing!

In addition to the NM rovings I’ve been working on, I spun up a bump of Superwash Merino roving that I dyed a while back, in my Caramel Stout colorway. It’s about 100 yards of worsted weight yarn, which I think will look smashing as a second hand-spun Zeebee to add to my collection. Don’t you just want to reach out and smoosh it?

One accessory that I’ve discovered is essential to spinning is a cozy pair of hand-knit socks. I don’t like treadling with my shoes on, and there’s been a bit of a chill lately, so I’ve been getting good use out of my sock drawer. I finished up this cozy pair just a few weeks ago.

pattern: boyfriend socks (although I refer to them as my “cables and brimstone” socks)
yarn: araucania ranco in brick (75/25 wool/nylon)
needles/gauge: 8 spi on US #1.5 needles
construction: knitted toe up, magic cast on, short row heel, regular bind off

Thanks to everyone for the warm wishes on the house! I’m super excited, and can’t wait to move in. The one thing I could without however, is packing. I’ve been putting it off for as long as possible, but I couldn’t delay any longer today. My closing date is rapidly approaching, and I certainly don’t want to be packing everything at the last minute. I packed up the garage today, no thanks to help from Emma. The minute I mentioned the word “packing”, she high tailed it to her favorite spot on the couch and pretended to sleep. What a diva.

After a hard day of dusty labor (the garage was like dust bunny headquarters), I decided to reward myself with an evening off. There’s nothing better than spending the evening with your Fiddlehead Mittens and a nice glass of beer. I’m just about done with knitting the outer mittens, and after a nice bath, they’ll be ready for their linings. For once it looks like I might actually finish a Project Spectrum knit during the featured months!

Oh, and lest I forget, there is one last thing. To lessen the amount of stuff I have to move, I’m having a 10% off Moving Sale over at Yarn Nerd! The store is stocked with a number of great base yarns (try the 1200 MHz Merino, it’s super nice stuff), and I’m expecting a shipment of 900 MHz Bambylon and 950 MHz Merino (a new sock yarn!) this week. Also, stay tuned for details on a sock kit featuring a special colorway and a new pattern from Anne herself!

Well, look at that. This post actually had some decent content after all. Maybe next time I’ll give you all a peek at my hot new summer buzzcut. Rawr!

Published

Adam

in emma, finished objects, hand spun, home, knitting, project spectrum, shop, socks and yarn nerd

Your Friendly Neighborhood Stalker 13 Apr 08

48 Comments

I’ve been quite the busy boy this last week. Let’s see what I’ve been up to, shall we?

→ I bought a sweet new cabinet.

I scored this hutch on Craigslist, and it’s already been put to good use storing all my knitting accoutrements. I’m also hoping that putting my stash on display in the common area of the house will help curb any future impulse purchases. My stash isn’t the biggest (I’m looking at you Maryse and Adrian!), but it’s certainly big enough to provide months of exciting knitting, and in the interest of fiscal responsibility (more on that in a bit) it’s going to have to be content with itself for a bit.

→ I started Fiddlehead Mitten #1

Then ripped it out about 10 rows in. Since mittens are fairly small, they’re an effective swatch on their own, especially since you can’t really an accurate measurement of the stranded gauge when not in the round. I started with US #5’s, and quickly ascertained that it was going to be too big. So it’s back to the drawing board with #4’s. I don’t mind though, since it gave me something to do while drinking my Saturday morning Americano at my favorite local caffeine spot.

→ I brought home a spinning wheel.

Unfortunately, this one’s just a temporary fix, but it’s already got me wrapped around its flyer. (Ha, that was a spinning pun!) See, a little while ago, I signed up for the beginning spinning class at my local yarn shop, and this week was our first tryst with spinning wheels. Last week was spindle spinning, which I’d already practiced a lot, so I was anxious to try something new this week. The class includes a wheel rental for the next month, and every week we take home a new model to play with. This week I drew the Lendrum out of the hat, and we’re already fast friends.

I’ve already managed to spin my way through 6 oz of Corriedale Wool, and a bump of Yarn Nerd BFL in Denim Blues. I’m pretty sure my shins are going to be sore tomorrow morning. I don’t mind though, since I’m very smitten with the resulting yarns.

The blue one is the Yarn Nerd BFL, which I split in half by weight, and spun into the classic 2-ply. I really love how the semi-solid looks shows up in the yarn, especially with the sheen of the BFL. The white skein is a Corriedale single, spun up from the big bag of wool that they gave us at the start of class. The Lendrum’s bobbins are a bit small, making it hard to fit all the plied BFL on there. To use up the leftover bits, I plied it with some of the Corriedale to create the final mini skein.

I’m definitely going to get a wheel at some point, but that’s also gonna be put on the back burner. Why you ask? Well that brings me to the last thing I’ve been doing this week.

→ Buying a House!

I’m just as surprised as you are by this one, it’s all happened so fast! About 2 weeks ago, I started thinking that maybe it’d be a good time to buy a house. I’ve been renting for the last 2 years, and while I love my current place, I often wish that I was putting my money towards something I actually owned. So being the engineer that I am, I started some spreadsheets and forecasted a ton of scenarios. I was unable to find a decent reason why I shouldn’t buy a house, so I started looking around. I also got approved for a great mortgage, so all things were go.

After seeing 7 houses, I found it. The. perfect. house. It was everything I wanted and more. It was the right size, in my price range, and needed no fixing up. So I made an offer. I was on pins and needles for an entire day, and received a counteroffer from the seller. I accepted that offer, and now a week later I’m a future homeowner!

The house has 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a remodeled kitchen, a huge sunroom, and an awesome backyard. Oh, and it has a big shed in the backyard with lights and electricity. That’s going to be the new Yarn Nerd headquarters. :) Now I just have to contain myself until I move at the end of May! So far I’ve been passing the time by driving by everyday, just like a stalker. I’m so giddy, I just can’t help it!

I think a sweet new house is a fairly good reason to not buy yarn and a spinning wheel for a bit, don’t you? (Oh and the cabinet doesn’t count, since I really bought it for the new house. Wink, wink.)

Published

Adam

in albuquerque, home ownership and knitting

Tiny Stripes = Cute 04 Apr 08

16 Comments

ETA (4/5): I upgraded my blog software and comments quit working! Oops! They’re all fixed now :)

I know some of you might still be waiting with baited breath, and yes, I did receive my mitten kit. It. is. glorious.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to cast on yet. In fact, I haven’t been able to knit very much these past 2 weeks at all. I’ve been a bit busy getting 100+ skeins of yarn dyed up for The Loopy Ewe.

So if you want to get your hands on some 900 MHz Merino, be sure to keep an eye on The Loopy Ewe, for one of Sheri’s infamous sneak ups. I’m also working on a shop update for the Yarn Nerd store, featuring my 3 new base yarns: 1200 MHz Merino (Sport), 1700 MHz Merino (Superwash DK) and 2400 MHz Merino (Worsted). That should be ready within a week or two, and I must warn you, these new bases are heavenly. The 1700 MHz Merino is especially squishy, and is the perfect weight for about any project.

Despite my inability to knit more than 5 rounds on my overdue Project Spectrum Fire socks these past few weeks, I do have a finished object to show off. One that I’m quite proud of.

Isn’t it adorable? I knit it as a gift for Georgia’s brand new addition, sweet little H. I actually bought the yarn when I was in Seattle over the summer, in a yarn shop that Georgia took me to. She didn’t know if it was a boy or girl at that point, so I picked some colors and crossed my fingers. Thankfully, I got lucky!

pattern: wonderful wallaby, by cottage creations
yarn: blue sky alpacas dyed cotton: azul light blue (1 skein) / caribbean (1 skein) / pickle (1 skein)
needles/gauge: US #8 / 4.5 stitches per inch
size: 2 Years
mods: I striped two of the colors (pickle & caribbean), and then used the remaining one for the yoke and hood. I also worked seed stitch for the cuffs, and did a stockinette hood with a garter stitch border.

I really loved the Wallaby pattern, it was so easy to knit, and there’s endless room for customization. Plus, being a small size, it actually knit up in just a few weeks! And at the rate H is growing, he’ll be ready to wear it around in no time, right Georgia? ;)

After all that instant knitting gratification, I feel like tackling some more baby knits. Are there anymore expecting Moms out there? ;)

Published

Adam

in baby, dyeing, finished objects, gifts, knitting, shop, sweaters and yarn nerd