Sunday, January 28, 2018

Yopping Update 31 - Block and Weave


My daytimer has a quote for each week.  This week the quote was :

"Do something every day that you don't want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain." Mark Twain

So I decided to block my three shawls!  I can only show you two of them because the test knit hasn't been released yet.  Be patient, dear reader.




This was my peace shawl that I finished on December 21.




and this is my Dying of the Light that I finished on December 25th.



Then I took my test knit (now blocked) and my scrappy bias shawl to my knit group on Thursday and spent the whole two hours weaving in ends!

I did start a pair of socks for Knitterarium and both toes are done (toe up pattern).

I got quite a bit done on my classic tee:


Such an easy knit - just two pieces - front and back - and then sew together. 

This week I just couldn't put down the scrappy bias shawl.  I have about 160 stitches of the requisite 200 and I am just having much too much fun changing colours. But look - all ends sewn in at this point:


This week I watched a movie on Knowledge network about the Story of the Coast Salish Knitters and then went and got Silvia Olsen's book, Working with Wool, from the library to read more about it.  I knit two sweaters in the Cowichan style in 1978 and I still have them.  I pulled them out of the closet, and decided to mend the ribbing on them that had tattered in a few places.  My husband and I wore them through the 80s and our children wore them in the late 90s and early 2000s. 

dh circa 1978

 moi circa 1978

Mine still fits!  and I have been wearing it again now it is mended.  It will be a perfect camping sweater.    Here I am modelling them both today!


I have so much black and white fleece that I am determined to wash, card, spin and and then knit into another Cowichan-style sweater for myself.  Stay tuned - so far I have spun about 2 ounces but I am not spinning fat singles consistently enough to begin to knit.

Whew - a photo heavy post today - but it is sooooo rainy here lately - perfect for knitting and spinning.

To follow other Yoppers go here.

Happy knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving or whatever you love doing this week!

16 comments:

  1. Geez, you really took that Mark Twain quote to heart! Blocking, ends woven in, darning!! I'm a little ashamed now of how pleased with myself I was just for weaving in four ends on a finished pair of socks.

    Just love the photos of the Cowichan style sweaters - then and now. The sweaters look terrific, and your still looks great on you today!

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    1. I think I hate the thought of blocking but once I get started it is quite easy and I wonder why I put it off for so long!

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  2. those sweaters............they are fantastic. They certainly have held up well.

    The shawls are lovely also. You will get alot of use from them. Am looking forward to seeing the test knit when it is allowed to show.

    You accomplished quite a bit this week. Congratulations on a job well done.

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    1. Thank you - yes they have held up well - us too! lol

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  3. Love those sweaters, they are so gorgeous, and apparently, have become family heirloms.

    I'm so curious about that test knit. The other shawls look so great, especially the peace shawl.

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    1. the test knit is so awesome - I have someone to gift it to this week! But I took lots of pictures to post when the time is right.

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  4. You are so prolific with your knitting. I'm in awe!

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  5. Amazing progress! I feel like a slug next to you! LOL! I adore the scrap shawl as I've said before...what's not to love about all those colors? Your other shawls are also lovely and you did the touch jobs this week! Good for you! I tried to watch the Knowledge Network but it's not for the U.S. I did go to the website for the Coast Salish knitters and will read up at a later date...fascinating! I can't believe what a great knitter you are....those 1978 sweaters are like coats! What beautiful work and designs. Have another good week!

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    1. Yes, they are jacket/sweaters. They repel rain and keep the wind out. Perfect for the west coast, or as I should say, the wet coast.

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  6. What a wonderful post! I'm just going to start at the bottom and work my way up. YOU STILL FIT INTO SWEATERS YOU MADE NEARLY 40 YEARS AGO???? Yes, I am shouting! In amazement, friend. Not only am I amazed the sweaters are around and still fit, but whoa - what beauties they are!

    Sigh

    And your shawls are beauties, too. Good for you for sewing in the ends as you go on your scrappy bias shawl. The Dying of the Light shawl and your Peace Shawl are lovely. I'd say YOU were the good sport standing out in the rain to get those pictures. ;^). Nothing looks easy about that knitted Tee, but I sure do look forward to seeing it finished. The details across the yoke look beautiful. Thank you for sharing so many pictures! It was fun and a delight to the eyes. Have a great week, Mary-Anne!

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    1. ya it was a photo heavy post this week. I was so proud of myself because when I went to look for the 40 year old photos I found them first try - I thank my 30 year old self for organizing the photos and labeling the binders with the years they contained.

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  7. All of your shawls are gorgeous, but those sweaters are amazing. They look brilliant and yet this is their third outing in different decades, I love it. Well done on knitting them so well that they look that good today.

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    1. I was telling my son about fixing up the ribbing on them and he talked about how much he loved wearing them when he was a teenager and how warm and cozy they were.

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  8. Extraordinary FO's here! You sure are whippin' them out.

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