moi – Page 4

Woods Knitting

Published on September 11, 2012August 4, 2023 by Jen5 Comments

I took my knitting outside, one of the sleeves. I walked about, holding it up to the woods, against Madrone trees, against Bays, against the woods, to see if it is indeed a woodsy colorway. I think that it most definitely is! So it is decided, this sweater will be named ‘Woodsy’. The camera’s eye isn’t detecting the third color very well, there are three distinct colors here.

Woodsy on the bench…

Woodsy with Emma…

Woodsy down the road…

Catching up today with things In The Woods. I think I will be doing a knit-and-walk a little later (down that very road). I am thinking it’s highly possible, that if I don’t put my knitting down for any significant time, I could finish the nieces Autumn sweaters easily by the Autumnal Equinox. Easy peasy.

A blurry glimpse of my Emma & me (in the woods)… DSCN7209

Basic Black

Published on July 2, 2012June 13, 2018 by Jen8 Comments

Not but a week ago, I talked about spinning up some raw black alpaca in this post ,

It is destined for Bariloche in Patagonia (the Andes Mountains).

It being a ski hat for my Argentine friend.

Well, here it is…

I really like the rib decreases I improvised, but the yarn is so dark and handspun ‘nubby’, one can barely see …

And meet Bica, the alpaca source from which Ale’s ski hat was made…

( photo courtesy of Brookfarm Alpacas )
* * *

Shipped off to Argentina to be field-tested on the slopes,

and hopefully it will see the snow before it melts.

It will go well with these handspun alpaca gloves which I made for Alejandro last year !

(( hint, this won’t be the last you’ll see of the ski hat, Ale promised a photo ))

Wool for Walking

Published on February 19, 2012September 9, 2024 by Jen5 Comments

The trees are bare, and here in Northern California it is the tail end of winter, with many blustery days and lots of clear blue skies. February on the mountain often sees a blanket of snow, but I’ve known even as late as March to get a light dusting, while the temperatures continue to chill, though in the mountains we don’t get the coldest freezes as in the valley. I love to walk in the cold, and even in the rain, with an umbrella. Rainy season is yet to come around, it’s been a dry winter. But these photos were taken last Autumn when… I began in Wovember (I talk about Wovember in this post ) to take another look at the utilitarian aspect of wool. I began to think of wool as practical and wholesome, taking it beyond a fuzzy arts & crafts medium for playing on the spinning wheel and knitting needles. For me, this means in particular, my obsession of late…wool skirts. I LOVE WOOL SKIRTS ! The dye-saturation which is particular to wool, means that I love concocting a custom dye-bath each time I find a new wool skirt in a thrift shop.

Photo taken starting out for a December walk up the ridge, and I am wearing one of my several wool skirts. Lately my hips have been a bit sore, and stiff constricting jeans just won’t do. Winter weight fabric pants just make me feel so *not* in the mood to go for a walk. So I thought to just be the Old-Fashioned sort, and allow myself the distinguishable difference and somewhat retro-feminist statement of hiking out while wearing a skirt. This one below I over-dyed mossy emerald tones on a light brown fabric, and it is 100 percent worsted wool weave, cut on bias which yields best to movement and makes for *very* comfortable walking. Needless to say, I feel at once back to my old self, here up close with my hill-walking companion Emma . . .