Not really a KAL but sort of the same. Mission Possible 2008.
12 things I need to finish or use from my stash this year.
1. Celery yarn 2 pounds (handspun)- Sweater
2. Olive yarn 2 pounds (handspun)- Avast?
3. 3 skeins peridot Fleece artist BFL - Clapotis?
4. Afghan with Cascade 220 - blues and blacks - possibly crocheted block pattern
5. Basket weave scarf from trekking hand painted
6. Navy roving -> yarn -> something fuzzy and warm
7. Navy tencel NZ yarn cable sweater - only have half of both sleeves left to go
8. So Soft blue cable sweater - about 50% done
9. Mint green Berger du Nord Charmant - find something to do with this yarn...
10. 4 balls of various colour handspun - perhaps mitts?
11. Cashmere yarn for fairisle sweater - finalize pattern and start!
12. Colinette sweater - just put the nose to the grind stond and work on it.
I'm sure there are a lot more projects I SHOULD work on, but these are the top ones for this year. If I finish those, perhaps I can "think" about acquiring stash, best not think of this now with Madrona coming up in 2 weeks...
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Becoming more capitalist..
I was browsing www.etsy.com and was wondering if the yarn I have been spinning up would be worth anything to sell. Since I'm making way more than I could possibly use myself :) at least in a single lifetime.
Working out the cost analysis seems good, especially since spinning up a single 2 ply skein (plying included) takes under 3 hours. Equipment, time spent, cost of time spent is not considered, just because there is no way I could sell yarn for that much! :)
Raw Materials:
2 pounds of merino wool - on sale - 10 dollars a pound
Finished goods:
9 skeins - 3.5 oz - heavy worsted weight/aran weight wool, 2 ply ~each skein approx 2 hours to spin, 1 hour to ply
or
9 skeins - 3.5 oz - worsted weight, 2 ply ~each skein approx 2.5 hours to spin, 1 hours to ply
From what I can gather, each skein sells on etsy for between 15 to 24 dollars, equivalent materials, equivalent amounts. So from basic math, if I sell 1 skein, I can recoop the cost of my materials.
I'm not really into the 3 ply, though I have done it several times now, perhaps it's a practice thing? I'm not sure yet, I think I will try it a couple more times and see if I like it. 2 ply is much more my thing I think. I may try for DK weight for a pound of fiber next, or maybe light worsted, I think most of the nicer sweater patterns call for that weight. Is a pound of fiber enough for 1 sweater?
Would it be more "saleable" if I had multiple skeins of the same colourways up? Do people by handspun in bulk? Or do they just look for handspun in smaller quantities due to the cost of the handspun?
I should list some of the stuff that I am less likely to use myself. :) Hehe, maybe I can recoop some of what I have spent on this hobby of mine. Then again, the whole packaging it up and shipping it out is annoying, maybe I can outsource it to my Dad. He might get a kick out of it.
Working out the cost analysis seems good, especially since spinning up a single 2 ply skein (plying included) takes under 3 hours. Equipment, time spent, cost of time spent is not considered, just because there is no way I could sell yarn for that much! :)
Raw Materials:
2 pounds of merino wool - on sale - 10 dollars a pound
Finished goods:
9 skeins - 3.5 oz - heavy worsted weight/aran weight wool, 2 ply ~each skein approx 2 hours to spin, 1 hour to ply
or
9 skeins - 3.5 oz - worsted weight, 2 ply ~each skein approx 2.5 hours to spin, 1 hours to ply
From what I can gather, each skein sells on etsy for between 15 to 24 dollars, equivalent materials, equivalent amounts. So from basic math, if I sell 1 skein, I can recoop the cost of my materials.
I'm not really into the 3 ply, though I have done it several times now, perhaps it's a practice thing? I'm not sure yet, I think I will try it a couple more times and see if I like it. 2 ply is much more my thing I think. I may try for DK weight for a pound of fiber next, or maybe light worsted, I think most of the nicer sweater patterns call for that weight. Is a pound of fiber enough for 1 sweater?
Would it be more "saleable" if I had multiple skeins of the same colourways up? Do people by handspun in bulk? Or do they just look for handspun in smaller quantities due to the cost of the handspun?
I should list some of the stuff that I am less likely to use myself. :) Hehe, maybe I can recoop some of what I have spent on this hobby of mine. Then again, the whole packaging it up and shipping it out is annoying, maybe I can outsource it to my Dad. He might get a kick out of it.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Long time no blog...
Such a long time since I felt the need to type away at the world and babble on about fiber, yarn, knitting and the like.
So many new WIP, FO, WIC to consider, not sure where to start.
I'm currently on a spinning/scarf knitting kick with a couple of mitts and hats thrown in for good measure.
FO List: Someday I may get my ass in gear enough to take pictures of these and post, but until then, here is the general listing of what was finished since the last post.
1. Black and Blue skull hat
2. Red and white (now pink) #9 mitts from Sebuvotter
3. 5 different scarves
4. 32 ounces of "celery" roving spun up to aran/bulky weight 2 ply yarn (awaiting the final decision on which sweater to make out of it)
4. 32 ouces of "dark olive" roving spun up to worsted/aran weight 2 ply yarn (awaiting yet another decision)
5. Misc 4 and 8 ounces of yarn spun up to sport (3 ply), worsted (2 ply), sport (2 ply). (Waiting for the inspiration to hit, and some of it is coming in the form of the Elizibeth Zimmerman books I have recently purchased)
6. Sheep to sock Pink Granite Blue Moon Fiber Arts kit - finished the spinning/plying. No idea if I want to do socks out of it, but it looks nice as a 3 ply (navaho style) with long colour repeats.
7. 4 ounces of Pigeon Roof Studio - Vanity Fair colourway - lace weight 3 ply - not sure I like how it turned out. May need to re-ply it as it seems I underplyed it in places.
WIP List: Things I am working on, and working on, and working on...
1. Colinette Jitterbug fairisle sweater - still working on the endless ribbing all 7 inches of it)
2. My so called scarf (2 skiens was just not long enough, working on skien #3 instead of making a matching hat or mitts)
3. Clapotis in Fleece Artist BFL worsted weight (3 Skeins), in serious frogging danger, cause I was "bright" enough to decide I didn't need to put in markers and I would "recognize" when to knit to the back of the stitch and when to do regular knits.
4. Leftover wandering cable socks - using up the second half of my smooshy November Muse sock yarn, almost to the heel turning point. This yarn has AMAZING yardage, and knits up really really fast.
5. 32 ounces of navy/black roving to spin - 5 ounces done worsted to light worsted 2 ply. Itching to finish this.
6. Trekking handpainted - 2 balls navy and cyan - basketweave scarf - 6 inches in, and it's going to be a long time before I finish this one :) It looks gorgeous, just takes so long knitting on such small needles (3mm).
7. All the homework swatches for the 4 Jean Wong - Knitting the Japanese way Courses - I'm taking in Feb. Seems like it's taking forever, even though each swatch doesn't take that long, just sooooo many of them to do. I'm running out of stitch holders, may need to go buy more.
WIC: Things that I would dearly like to start, but know better than to start with so many WIP still going on.
1. Celery sweater - fleece style cardi with zipper :) To cable or not to Cable that is the question.
2. Dark olive sweater - Avast anyone?
3. Manos Silk and Merino olive and olive/garden colours scarf - if I could only settle on a pattern for this yarn, it's truely gorgeous! Started and frogged at least 5 times now.
4. Second attempt at pirate hat - black and white, must remember I knit loose and big. :)
5. Several other hats in various colours and styles - must remember to get everyone's hat sizes and favorite motifs
6. Work on spinning up more of the Pigeon Roof Studios stash, because it's growing way out of control.
I think that's about it, I'm sure I've forgotten stuff, but hey, that's for the next post!
So many new WIP, FO, WIC to consider, not sure where to start.
I'm currently on a spinning/scarf knitting kick with a couple of mitts and hats thrown in for good measure.
FO List: Someday I may get my ass in gear enough to take pictures of these and post, but until then, here is the general listing of what was finished since the last post.
1. Black and Blue skull hat
2. Red and white (now pink) #9 mitts from Sebuvotter
3. 5 different scarves
4. 32 ounces of "celery" roving spun up to aran/bulky weight 2 ply yarn (awaiting the final decision on which sweater to make out of it)
4. 32 ouces of "dark olive" roving spun up to worsted/aran weight 2 ply yarn (awaiting yet another decision)
5. Misc 4 and 8 ounces of yarn spun up to sport (3 ply), worsted (2 ply), sport (2 ply). (Waiting for the inspiration to hit, and some of it is coming in the form of the Elizibeth Zimmerman books I have recently purchased)
6. Sheep to sock Pink Granite Blue Moon Fiber Arts kit - finished the spinning/plying. No idea if I want to do socks out of it, but it looks nice as a 3 ply (navaho style) with long colour repeats.
7. 4 ounces of Pigeon Roof Studio - Vanity Fair colourway - lace weight 3 ply - not sure I like how it turned out. May need to re-ply it as it seems I underplyed it in places.
WIP List: Things I am working on, and working on, and working on...
1. Colinette Jitterbug fairisle sweater - still working on the endless ribbing all 7 inches of it)
2. My so called scarf (2 skiens was just not long enough, working on skien #3 instead of making a matching hat or mitts)
3. Clapotis in Fleece Artist BFL worsted weight (3 Skeins), in serious frogging danger, cause I was "bright" enough to decide I didn't need to put in markers and I would "recognize" when to knit to the back of the stitch and when to do regular knits.
4. Leftover wandering cable socks - using up the second half of my smooshy November Muse sock yarn, almost to the heel turning point. This yarn has AMAZING yardage, and knits up really really fast.
5. 32 ounces of navy/black roving to spin - 5 ounces done worsted to light worsted 2 ply. Itching to finish this.
6. Trekking handpainted - 2 balls navy and cyan - basketweave scarf - 6 inches in, and it's going to be a long time before I finish this one :) It looks gorgeous, just takes so long knitting on such small needles (3mm).
7. All the homework swatches for the 4 Jean Wong - Knitting the Japanese way Courses - I'm taking in Feb. Seems like it's taking forever, even though each swatch doesn't take that long, just sooooo many of them to do. I'm running out of stitch holders, may need to go buy more.
WIC: Things that I would dearly like to start, but know better than to start with so many WIP still going on.
1. Celery sweater - fleece style cardi with zipper :) To cable or not to Cable that is the question.
2. Dark olive sweater - Avast anyone?
3. Manos Silk and Merino olive and olive/garden colours scarf - if I could only settle on a pattern for this yarn, it's truely gorgeous! Started and frogged at least 5 times now.
4. Second attempt at pirate hat - black and white, must remember I knit loose and big. :)
5. Several other hats in various colours and styles - must remember to get everyone's hat sizes and favorite motifs
6. Work on spinning up more of the Pigeon Roof Studios stash, because it's growing way out of control.
I think that's about it, I'm sure I've forgotten stuff, but hey, that's for the next post!
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