the Soxophone Player

Here’s two new colours from the dye pot.

On the left, Chocolate Brown – I’d call it a Dark Chocolate – dyed at full strength.

And on the right, Sky Blue. This batch I dyed at a medium strength.

The yarn is my own 75/25 Wool/Nylon fingering weight.

There’s very little variegation in these two batches, which is more easily attained working in small batches – 6 skeins in a 20 gallon pot.

As a general rule, I find that using a dye at full strength give the best ‘solid’ result. Lowest, pale values, I find more difficult – especially if the total amount of dye is under 1 tsp.

As another general rule, I prefer some degree of variegation in the uni colours – its what often distinguishes them as home dyed. But sometimes I like a change!

I did do something different with these two batches – I used Ammonium Sulphate as my mordant, instead of my usual Citric Acid.  The former is allegedly more suitable for getting a pastel-ish hue. (I can’t tell the difference!)

Here’s a pair of socks:

These are a size Medium, knit with the 54 needle cylinder on the Legare 400. The pattern is one I made up for some Harry Potter socks, just in different colours.

So, we’ve got wool/nylon.

And wool/tencel.

And wool/silk.

And wool/bamboo, and wool/seaweed, and wool/soy…..

But wool/milk?

Since I put the picture of Pooch on my blog I haven’t been able to get Tiki out of my head.

Tiki was a purebred Maltese owned by a friend of mine in the mid  70′s. (The year, not the friend!).

At the time a new ‘health report’ came out that said 95% of people with MS had a small dog when they were young. All of a sudden small dogs were getting tossed out of windows across the land. My friend had two kids and her husband said, “the dog must go”.

I had little faith in the report, so I gave Tiki a home. She was a bit of a prissy dog and was used to refined living. But she adapted ;o) and enjoyed camping trips and parties.

I can never think of Tiki without thinking of the BBQ we had at a party one year, and how she really wanted the bone.

So, we let her have it.

This is the Soxophone Player, aged 7,  and his dog Pooch, taken in the back yard of his boyhood home.

Pooch’s real name on his papers was Patches, but no one ever called him that.

Pooch was a great and faithful companion and was responsible for my life long love of dogs.  He lived to the ripe old age of 17.

Strangely, my Maltese, Tiki (lap dog during city years) lived to 17, and Jesse’s predecessor as farm companion, Riley, also lived to be 17.

I tried another version of socks I’ve been trying to size down beyond small.

On this attempt I am using the same yarn as the earlier version: my own 1 ply 70/30  Wool/Nylon fingering weight, dyed in Reddish Brown. And I am using the 54 needle cylinder and 36 slot ribber dial on the Legare 400.

For this pair I began with a 2 x 1 rib for 25 rows, and then, instead of switching to stockinette went to a 5:1 rib for the leg and top of the foot.

The resulting sock is about 1/4 inch narrower on the leg, and a bit less than that on the foot, as compared to the same yarn/pattern done in stockinette.

I’m not sure if that is ‘enough slimmer’ – will have to have it test driven!

And, since the purpose of the socks if Hiking, I’ll also have to find out if the purl stitches are an irritant.

If I had a 27 slot ribber dial, I would have done a 1:1 topper and 3:1 leg/instep – but I don’t. (Trying to find one.)

And a suggestion from a reader to try using every other slot on the 80 cylinder is worth a try. I don’t have an 80 but I’ve got an 84, so half of that would be 42 stitchs, a good drop down from 54. This would be a reduced size without the purl stitches.

I’m not reinventing the wheel, but I am trying to reinvent a sock size.

I have a friend at the farmer’s market who has, well, elfin, feet. Even my size Small, though correct length wise, is simply baggy on her leg, ankle and foot.

So I’m trying to reinvent a size that will work for the Gingerbread Lady.

For this pair,  I used my own 1 ply woollen spun wool/nylon (comparable to Briggs and Little Tuffy) with the 54 needle cylinder, set at a half turn tighter tension than I would use for size Small. The colour is Prochem’s Reddy Brown.

Other than the change in tension, I used the same number of rows in the leg and foot as a Small, and I did a 2×1 ribbed top.

This is a nice pair of socks, but it is a Size Small, not a size Gingerbread Lady.

I actually tried a second pair at yet another half turn tighter tension, with no change in result. It seems that each yarn has its maximum gauge, and no matter what you do to your tension – you can’t exceed it.

So I’ll have to go back to the drawing board. I can do a mock rib or rib on the leg and top of foot for sure to get the diameter down. I didn’t want to do that because she wants these for hiking boots and – for me – I don’t like a rib on a hiking sock . I wish I had a 48 cylinder!

I’ve made myself some ‘boot socks’ with this 1 ply yarn and I’m really liking them. With only one ply there isn’t a lot of twist, so the yarn is quite lofty (cushiony under foot)  the 30% nylon gives me all the strength I need.  The light weight makes a great summer work sock.

Of course for heavy summer farm work, I still wear my 100% worsted weight wool socks to keep my feet dry all day.

My new (2 me) yarn winder came in the mail today.

I’m pleased!

I already have and use one exactly like this. I got it off eBay from Hong Kong several years ago. It was over US$40. and as much again for shipping. They had a supply of these but there was no discount on multiple shipping so I only got one. With what the Canadian dollar was doing at that time, it ran me around $100.

BUT, I like it WAY MORE than the blue or the red versions of the Royal ball winder.

It will wind a much larger ball – so great for worsted, lopi or whatever you want. I was able to take a 1 kg skein of Koigu and get it down to only two and a bit balls.

And, the gear ration is different – so it winds a lot faster than the Royals. And the material is more like a fibreglass-plastic, or some other such thing- but stronger and won’t-crack plastic.

And lastly, the guts are all exposed, so this baby is easy to maintain/adjust/repair over time.

I haven’t seen these anywhere since I bought the first one, and have been kicking myself for not buying two when I had the chance.

I spend a LOT of time winding yarn, and if my original broke and I had to go back to the Royal I’m sure my time would double.

So I was glad to find this one on eBay, lightly used, and within my home province.

Under $20. for the winder and under $10. for the postage.

I am pleased!

Oh – I don’t know the name of this kind of winder – there is no branding at all on it. This one didn’t come in a box. The first one had a box and instructions, but also no name other than Ball Winder.

There is new tenant in the wool shack:

This is a new (to me) Legare 400. It was professionally restored, and has been visiting a friend’s house for a few years. Alas, it has run away from home and moved in  with me!

It comes with the standard 72 and 54 needle cylinders and a 36 slot ribber – all of which will be spares.

I have a 100 needle cylinder, and an 84 – both new manufacture by Jacquie at NZAK – for my existing Legare 400. But to use either of those cylinders I have to take out the 54 cylinder and, as you know, I use that a LOT .

So rather than shut down my Medium production every time I want to do something fancy with a finer configuration – I decided it was time to molly coddle my laziness and add another knitter.

I haven’t got a clue where I’m going to set this up. The shack as already close to exploding! I’ll have to knit a hole in my stash to create a space…

Here is another new (January2010) colourway from Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock: Pullman.

I ordered this one because I’m always on the lookout for new man-sock colours. I really enjoy working with bright and exciting colours, but quite frankly, there are zillions of them around. The more muted, yet still artistic colourways just aren’t as plentiful.

And even better – a predictable outcome in a handpaint. Bonus!

This pair is size Large, knit with the 72 cylinder on the Verdun 47.

I easily got one sock per 50 g skein. I’m not sure if I would get an XL or not – it would be close. And I think I will see how much yarn it takes to do a dress hose length sock in this colourway – I can just see it as fabulous for wearing with a suit in any shade of grey, charcoal or even black.

Oh, and that reminds me, I read on Lorna’s Laces Blog that they are making the switch from 50 g skeins to 100 g skeins.

I’ll be interested to see how those ‘present’. I’ve always found 50 g skeins/balls a bit of a nuisance, but nothing looks sweeter than a display of Lorna’s or Koigu, or many other hand paints – something more delicate or even exclusive looking.

From a practical standpoint – I wish everything came on kil0-cones!

My province – Ontario – is bringing in a new combined  unpopular tax called the HST, effective July 1st.  GST of 5% and PST of 8% will be rolled into one HST of 13%. Maybe it doesn’t sound much different, but some things – many things – that used to be charged only one of the smaller taxes will now be charged the combined rate.

The result – there’s been a recent buying frenzy of land, cars and other big ticket items, to beat the tax.

KIA has been running an aggressive sales campaign to buy before the HST hits and they will pay the ‘old tax’ that’s still applicable.

So DW traded in her Subaru and grabbed a new Kia.

I guess its really good on gas and the 60/40 fold down rear seats give ample storage.

Mind you, not as ample as this:

Still,  there are advantages to stabling a small efficient car with a gas guzzling pickup.

They can be quite compatible.