Taueret

FO: Umbridge + Etsy madness

I finished knitting the pink raglan top down cardi.  The recipe I used was great and very easy to follow (as long as next time I remember that I need to accommodate the extra raglan increases evenly to accommodate my bust).  Not the pattern's fault.  What I did (basically a vertical bust dart) worked okay, but not great.  I gave the sides a gentle swingy shape by increasing every 5 rows or so, which would have been fine but when I added a ruffly row just before casting off, it's all a bit too Dolores Umbridge for me, really.  Not to worry, I was fearless and everything I did *worked*- just not so much as design elements on my body type ;-).  It's ok.  I will wear it round the house.  What's cool is that I learned a lot from it- oh yes!  I steeked!

The steeking alone was worth the price of admission.  I sewed it on my sewing machine, cut it- tacked the steek back as a facing- and blimey if that wasn't just way too easy.  I am no longer a steek virgin- and more importantly, having done one, I can see how they work, and now armhole steeks don't scare me either.  Yay.  It's kind of sad that it took me til the age of 40 to start really learning how knitting works, but better late than never eh?  So, while this cardi is really a waste of some very nice yarn, it was a learning exprience worth having.

The Etsy experience continues to fascinate me.  The reason I at first wanted to place my weaving an a bricks n mortar shop was that I knew placing it online would drive me crazy.  In a shop, I wouldn't know what anyone said about it- what anyone thought of it, how many people looked at it, liked it, or hated it.  I could hand it to the shop lady and forget about it.  Selling it isn't important, in fact at the price I have chosen I probably won't- but I somehow placing it *was* important. 

Now that it's on Etsy- I am driving myself mad, as I knew I would.  How many views?  How many hearts?  Someone must have featured one scarf in a treasury that made it to the front page, because suddenly the views leaped into the hundreds, and the hearts correspondingly increased (so I don't think it was the 'views' bug striking).  No sale, but validating, in my first week.  But now, I need to walk. away. from. Etsy.  I haven't done any spinning or weaving since choosing to skip down the Etsy path.  I have had one freaky idea which I can't wait to figure out how to execute, but have done nothing else (other than knitting).  I need to get over myself and get back to work.

Just sayin.

FSM now at Remo

This came up a while ago and since I cannot remember who was asking about it- I'll put it here!  I have blogged before about Remo- a really nifty Australian online store (ships to customers all over the world, though).  Their latest Big Thing is the Design-o-Matic, a really sweet web application that allows anyone to design their own T-shirt  You can use a library of outofthebox graphics, and text, or you can upload your own original artwork.  It's really fun, you should check it out.  I was lucky enough to help beta test it, and I already have two tshirts printed this way- and they came out *great*.

Anyway, I have been on at Remo for a long time to add some Flying Spaghetti Monster merch to their catalog.  They haven't though, and so the very first thing I used the D'O'M for was to whip up a FSM t-shrt for myself.  Then, when other customers wanted to have one, I had to do another with original graphics to which I own the rights, that I could legally share.  So, here it is, my FSM design for your wearing pleasure:

   

I also made a WWFSMD T which I figure is a nice shibboleth for all occasions:

So, if by chance you wish to order a T shirt, annoyingly, I can't link directly to them- you need to go to Remo, then search Customer Designs for "FSM".  Then they should come up.  If you follow the link in my blog's sidebar (bottom of the left column) you will get a free T shirt too.  Anyway I hope the people who wantedFSM Tshirts read my blog :-).

I can has Etsy.

I did it- I set up an Etsy shop.  If you read my blog regularly, you have already seen my wares, but if you would like to have a look, please do.  The address is taueret.etsy.com.  I realise that photography is not my strong point- but really I'd rather be weaving :-).

The move to Etsy was my opportunity to shed the "Taueret" thing- who chooses a name that she can't even pronounce?  I do, apparently.  Why Taueret?  Well, when I started my blog a couple of years ago, I was hugely pregnant.  I also never expected anyone would really read it- but  *was* keen to make it more or less anonymous, for reasons that seem kind of naive now.  So, searching for a not-my-own-name name that reflected my mood, I hit on Taueret- apparently an Egyptian goddess of motherhood and fertility.  Hey, I was 7 months pregnant- right now I'd probably choose something utterly different- like Tourette ;-)! 

Never expecting to have to *say* Taueret- I didn't consider the difficulty in spelling and pronouncing it.  As far as I can see it's "Taw-ret", but my friend says "Taurette" which sounds so cute, and my husband says "Tauray" which makes me wonder how many other ways you could say it.  When I met strangers at the Stitches n Craft show, and told them about Ravelry, I grabbed their notebooks an scrawled "Taueret@ravelry" on them, so they could say hi when they got there.  Strangely, no one has!  heh heh.

Anyway, the biggest dilemma of doing the etsy thing was- what to call the shop.  Well, after a couple of days of trying to come up with the cleverest name evar- I gave up.  There are a few people who already know my blog and therefore my weaving.  It seems crazy to make them learn some new identity, because I am fickle.  So... Tauret is the name of my Etsy shop too.  Did you like that story?  Where are you going?  I have many other fascinating anecdotes!

etsy bound

I'm finally forced to face that fact that if I want (an excuse) to keep weaving, I should find a place to put my finished objects.  I've been looking at local retail, and there are factors that just make me really uncomfortable with it- even though in my heart it was my preferred route up 'til a few days ago.  I am a non-business person in ways I can't even reveal without making myself look so dim-witted that you would run, run away and never read my blog again.  Suffice it to say that one friend regularly refers to me as an idiot-savant (!) and another says things like "so is this like when you say something cost you about $5.00 and you meant to say $50?".  If you could be, I would be, I am, allergic to all financial transactions.  Well I'm ok at spending, not so keen on selling.

Anyway, as someone kindly pointed out on the big weaving list @yahoogroups, I have done the "heavy lifting" by getting ready for shop placement.  I can now apply that to getting an Etsy shop up.  Huh.  I am trying to get over myself and get it together.  I will keep you posted.

done with scarves for a while

here are quick snaps of the last two scarves I intend to weave for a while:
ugh, the colours are all wrong.  The loopy selvedges and smooshy handspun make this one like a big fat boa- it's gorgeous and I kind of wish I could keep it.

And this one:

grey longwool carded with cotton, spun with gold iris glitz and plied with a pearly sparkling thread.  Interwoven with ice blue lace weight commercial yarn, unspun silk noil, silver thread, and satin ribbon. 

eek, a steek.

Having a blog is great, I reckon.  It really spurs me on to start things and to finish things.  It's nice to feel like once I complete something, or even *try* something new, that somewhere out there is someone who will read it and think "huh?  who'd knit that?"  or something along those lines.  Sometimes having a blog makes me so self conscious though- there are some interesting threads on Ravelry at the moment about blogging- somehow while I do find it very interesting, it makes me feel like *not* blogging.  One poster said that *any* mention, ever, of a blogger's health meant she would leave that blog and never return!  That strikes me as hysterically funny, for some reason.  I guess she must have a very exclusive blogroll.  Questioned, she said that yes, that meant *any* mention.  Like "had a migraine last week so I didn't go to guild" would strike you out.  Just makes me laugh.  Nevertheless- it also paralyses me.  Does that blogger read my blog?  No, I don't think so (not anymore, anyway!).  But do I now vet every statement for hidden squickyness?  Yes, I do.  If my own health is off limits- what about my family's?  What about the tendonitis in my left hand that is making it impossible for me to grasp my knitting needles?  What about if I sat on a metal dpn and punctured my arse?  Medical, yes.  Funny, yes.  Knitting related?  Sure. 

I don't have any health issue that I want to blog about. I just needed to get that off my chest, is all.

Ok, knitting- I finally admitted that 1) I would never be able to knit Cherie Amour while living la vida toddler. and 2) I do not, and will never look like the designer of said lace pullover- I, instead, would look like a fabulously fancy sack of spuds.  So, I frogged it and cast on for my first top-down raglan.  I decided to go one better and make it a top down raglan cardigan knit in the round (I am still post traumatic from Roam... I really do not want to purl, any time soon)- which means STEEKS.  Well, one steek.  eek.
I was feeling very proud, following the recipe I found here, until I realised about a quarter of the way through the raglan part that at the rate of increase the recipe dictated, I would not reach my actual bust measurement before reaching an adequately long raglan.  I searched around the place and found multiple threads on Ravelry linking to tutorials on bust shaping- which I was too addled to follow, so I added a row of increases on each side of the front, hopefully far enough above my actual boobage that it will both work and look okay.  I was quite proud of myself for catching the error of my assumption- at my actual bust measurement, the raglan would reach approximately to my waist!  I think this will be okay. 
The yarn is the merino chunky from handpaintedyarn.com in the klematis colourway and it is just. gorgeous.  Here's hoping it shapes up into someting I will wear.

FO! EZ jumper and Betty Davenport's new book is ready!

First, the important news:  Betty Linn Davenport's new edition of "Textures and Patterns for the Rigid Heddle Loom" is almost ready and orders are being taken.

"Soon to be released and taking orders now -                                        

Textures and Patterns for the Rigid Heddle Loom by Betty Linn Davenport
74 pages, 6 color pages, beautiful color cover - $29 plus $3.67 shipping                                      

Originally published in 1980, this book has been out of print for 20 years. Now revised the version has all new photos and new material including Double Weave with 2 rigid heddles. Copies of the original book are still available for $15.                                     

To order individual autographed copies paid by check, contact textures@owt.com
To order by credit card and for wholesale, contact Fine Fiber Press www.finefiberpress.com or 1-541-917-3251"

Obviously an essential item!

Now on to *my* less exciting FO.  I finished the EZ pullover tonight.  Just as I was leaving for work, my boss called to say that there was no electricity so everyone was going home and I had the night off!  Woot.  Luckily this was one of my contract positions, not casual so I get paid anyway.  hoo ha.  So, I knitted and knitted and lo, it is finished.  It fits fine (I am not modelling it- but trust me, as much as any thick knit could look ok on me, it does) and it is as warm. as. toast.  I actually quite like it- I know my friend
E. would say it looks "handcrafted" in that snarky way of hers ;-) but whateverrrr- it is my first adult sized jumper completely from handspun.  Oh, and my own batts too.  I still seem to have about half the brown fleece left too... very odd!

I have done a little spinning since we last spoke (including about another 100g to finish the above project!)- I blended up these batts from an assortment of pale pastelly fibre that doesn't really float my boat:

Why would I do that?  Well... I'm trying to screw up the nerve to use some of the fabulous handdyed fibre I have bought in batts, andI wanted to start with one that I didn't LOVE in case I ruined it :-).  Anyway, the resulting yarn is not my utter fave of all time but it's pretty and I will use it!  This is a 2 ply,

I have been spinning a lot of singles lately and felt like a change.  I just would it into a centre pull ball and plied one end against the other.

Finally- I got around to adding the second heddle to my rigid heddle loom.  Following the clear instruction sheet (I have David Xenakis' book and so on but thought I'd be best off to start simple) that Ashford supplies with the kit- I managed to totally balls it up!  Ha!  Remember the World's Greatest Knitter?  Well apparently she has a weaving counterpart.  Sleying the rear heddle was ok, I could follow that.  But the front one?  hahahah.  Reading the "draft" if you can call it that- for a simple PLAIN weave?  Beyond me.  I ended up re-doing it THREE times.  FINALLY the penny dropped- you have three ends in one of the front slots.  If the threads aren't staying pependicular to BOTH reeds, you've cocked up.  CAN SOMEONE PLEASE REMEMBER THAT FOR ME?  anyway.  3 tries later, each taking forever- I managed to weave this:
Pretty polly wolly crappy eh?  Still not right-  I must have doubled up  somewhere.  Not to worry.  Live and learn!  Tomorrow is my kid-free Friday and I have to plan how I am going to use it, so I don't waste a second.

touching base

Public service announcement:  there's a new Weavecast up.  I haven't listened yet but I will take it to work tonight.  Apparently it's all about sewing with your handwoven fabrics.

Haven't much else to say, I have written but not uploaded several posts because after writing them I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to read them!  Had the kind of week that is just humbling.  Striding through life, somewhat confidently?  feeling like a competent adult?  whoops!  bad idea.  Summarised by a tale of two shopping trolleys- went on a road trip with the three kids to visit my dad who is having a rough time ecovering from double knee replacement in a country hopsital. 

Took the littlest kid (20 months) to the supermarket at one point, just to get out of the hote room/hospital.  Trolley contents: 2 barbies, 4 litres of diet coke, some markers, a colouring book, some Cheezels, 3 Lindt chocolate bunnies, a bar of chocolate (15 year old was looking at the mini-bar wistfully when I left- it was way cheaper to do it this way).  Toddler was behaving worse than I think she *ever* has- biting the ears off the bunnies, standing on the milk (I did buy milk!  surely I get some points for that), throwing things out of the trolley (naturally I managed to choose one with no seatbelt so she was standing in the main trolley part).  It was a nightmare, and I know how we looked, the assumptions people would make about a tired, overweight mother of a toddler with nothing but crap in her trolley. 

Couple days later, we're home again.  Toddler and I go shopping.  Trolley has organic meat, organic pasta, blah blah, lots of veggies and fruit etc.  A much more respectable trolley.  I'm thinking that I wish the people in the small town could see me now.  Could I pay for it?  NO.  My *&^*&^* credit card wasn't in my wallet.  I got to hand things back to the checker til it was down to the amount of cash I had in my wallet.

this is the kind of week I have had.

Last week, I put my "nightie" (a disreputable, paint-smeared, stained horrible probably smelly t-shirt that I sleep in) in THE WRONG KID's school bag (the baby likes to take it to preschool and snuggle with it at nap time.  she only goes one day a week and it makes her day nicer.) .  I sent it to school with my 5 year old.  "Mummy, you're so funny, you put your nightie in my bag!".

So last week was kind of humiliating too.   These are just examples- it seems like recently I am having more bad days than good- bad in the sense that I often feel I should be wearing big shoes and a red nose.  Not bad in a serious way.  I do realise that.

I really can laugh at myself.  I do laugh at myself.  I just haven't felt much like blogging is all :-).  But you may as well laugh too.  honk honk.

tired spinner

Friday was a kidless day, and boy did I need it.  Spent the entire school day down in my little workshop space, finishing spinning the red merino/lincoln/soysilk yarn that I think I blogged about a week ago.  I ended up with a gigantic skein, something like 400 yards of the stuff, so I'm glad I like it.  More pics on fickr.  I was going to ply it with something and still might, if I decide to knit with it. 

In other knitting news, I have joined on the arms of the EZ pullover and am working the first set of decreases.  I am going to have to spin a bit more but that's fine, I already have the batts.

I also did some weaving on Friday.  I wanted to make a couple of table runners, and I have a ball of hemp yarn (handspun, but not by me) burning a hole in my pocket.  I could sniff that stuff all day.  And inhale.  Anyway, I used hemp and natural cotton and linen and silk to make these:

I do too knit!

Look!  I do, honestly, knit.  Roam is a blocking and a zipper shy of being a FO:

Thanks goodness.  For someone who hates seed stitch, this one has not really been what I would call fun.

That done, I allowed myself to turn back to the (in this case, misnamed) Hurry-up-last-minute-sweater from EZ'z "Knitter's Almanac"- you know, the wishbone front one?  I started blending, spinning and knitting this one last spring- here it is in its current state (in all stages of being a WIP):

Because this is going to be a THICK, wool and partly alpaca knit, I'm not making it super long, so the body is probably already long enough, one sleeve is done and I am just starting sleeve 2.  This bulky, in-the-round (ie all knit, noooo purrrl) knit is flying by, after the endless horror of Roam's ocean of seed stitch.  I may have to do a bit more spinning for it but that too goes quickly.