Red Striped Socks & Mohair Shawl

 Latest socks. A wool/nylon mix completed with Russian knitting technique. Russian bind off is K2tog, place new stitch on left needle,  K2tog. Continue until they are all bound off.
The stripes match on the feet & part way up the legs. Good enough on the colour match.

 This is a shawl in process using a warp I spun from a beautiful mohair/wool blend. The weft is a purchased 70% mohair & unfortunately 30% pac. It was too late when I realized that Pac is an acrylic. The shawl is finished & has been fulled. It is now drying and will then be lightly brushed.

Here is the content. But...the price was right.

A close up of the weave. 8 EPI & 7 PPI.
Shawl is 23" wide & 80" long plus a twisted fringe.

The next post will feature the finished shawl.

Spring 2012

I suppose I must admit that spring is actually here!!
The weather has been absolutely outstanding. Now I'm wondering what will summer 2012 be like?

Things that have been happening:
My new wheel is done. Photo to appear soon.
Spring shearing of sheep & goats at a nearby friend's farm. New baby goats. Photo to appear soon.

Spun on my new wheel. Wool is Falkland 56's, 2 ply.

The wheel is a 25" diameter & spins really nice. I have to get to know it better. This is to be my main wheel.

Newest book I can't wait to start.

 My knitting style is changing. This will be the second time I will be relearning my knitting style. I went from holding my wool supply in my right hand to the Continental style where the it's held in the left hand & very short quick movements few years ago.
Now I move onto a 'combined style as suggested in 'Knitting in the Old Way'.
I'm still practicing with swatches before I start a sweater design & start a sweater hopefully with my own handspun.

Mystery yarn.

 I found a piece of brown woolly fluff in my garden where I must have poured a dye pot out. It looked interesting so I shook it off & spun it up. It's hard to see in the photo, but the colour is a bronze brown with a greenish tinge too. At the same time it has a coppery tinge. Very interesting. I wouldn't be able to duplicate this one. It's a product of the winter elements & was found with marigold flowers in it.

Tree down in our yard.

 This old, very large, but dead tree was the victim of one of our windstorms just before spring arrived.

Shetland fleece drying.

The fleece from 'Hans" (I think it was) followed me home after shearing last week. Here it dries in the sun & wind. I wonder what it will be?

Dye garden spring 2012

Spring time look at part of the dye garden. That might be the coreopsis that's all green.

Lace scarf. Woad. Handspun 2 ply.

Woad overdyed with leftover marigold from last year.

The lace scarf was a pleasure to knit. A simple two line pattern. Easy peasy! Soft & yummy!













It's a light yellowy green. Interesting, but would I do it again? No.

Birkeland Bros. Wool

These are links to stories on an old family wool business (Birkeland Wool) in Vancouver, B.C. that is in the process of changing hands. One family owner letting it go & another business taking it over in a new location.
The store website to watch: Birkeland Bros. Wool, Vancouver

1. Latest - it's a radio interview.

Birkeland CBC Radio One from Cara Birkeland on Vimeo.



2. TV interview about the closing.

End of an era on Main Street  --  GlobalTV News from Cara Birkeland on Vimeo.


3. TV interview from 2010.

Birkeland Bros Wool -- CBC Television Feature from Cara Birkeland on Vimeo.