I had been wanting to try a felted piece for quite a long time, and when I saw this felted braid...I felt a spark.
And an idea started growing for a felted bag made of our new O-Wool Legacy bulky yarn. I had also seen a classic elite pattern that showed a cable bag, though not felted.


http://www.classiceliteyarns.com/WebLetter/20/Issue20.php


So I began casting on, and soon found out just what it feels like to knit with size 15 needles, the largest size in my KA interchangeable set. What a sloppy feel! You could see through the net bag I was making. I started to lose faith that it would ever look nice. This was the type of project I felt a bit embarrassed to take out in public...I did NOT want to hear the interested passerby ask "What are you making?" Actually, after awhile I caught on, and just brought the swatch along to show people. Knitting in public (KIP) really is a conversation starter. I'm sure other people have noticed that fact. Haven't You?



So, then came the moment when I had to drop this piece of knitting into the washing machine. I found this rather difficult to do. It really went hard against all my instincts. I actually had to go psyche myself up to the task by viewing a step by step on the computer, even though I knew the process.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How_to_felt_a_knitted_piece/


After this helpful nudge I managed to drop a pillowcase of my knitting into the machine with a pair of sweatpants. I went through 3 cycles of agitation, checking in after each one, and ended up with a wonderfully soft piece of fulled wool. I really was surprised to feel how soft, and pleasantly dense the wool had become. The organic wool was looking its best...I think even the sheep would be proud!



Next came the sewing, which proceeded pretty quickly. I forced the top of the flaps through the handle slots, and sewed them down onto themselves on the inside. I will definitely also be making lining, after I find the perfect material of course.




Since this is just the first model of the bag, I decided to keep things interesting by making each side a different cable pattern. I was hoping that I would like one alot more than the other, and then choose it for both sides in the future. Actually though, I think I like them both. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, in her Yarn Harlot blog recently mentioned knitters' inability to have a matched set of knit wear.

http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2009_01.html


the child told me that she has noticed something about knitters. She says that she can spot them in a crowd because their hats, mittens and scarves don't match.






















I most definitely fall into that category ....heck I can't even seem to manage two matched sides! It is just too much fun to knit different designs all the time.



Well, I still need to get serious about this project, because the top opening needs some designing work, as does the bottom. I have plans to make another one. Like most everything else in my life, it is after all, still a work in progress.

Happy New Year !

We were fortunate enough to assemble everyone in one room the other day, so I can pass along greetings from our whole O-Wool Family. Names starting in the back ... Caroline and Christina from fabrics, Matt Mole our founder, Ronan our spreadsheet guru, and Ed our CEO. In the front we have the HKY crew (Hand Knitting Yarn), with Marin, Cathy, Wendy and Lynn. We all look forward to helping you with organic wool in 2009!

Packing for a Tradeshow

Here are the hanging banners, or prayers flags, as I have been calling them as I pray that they get finished in time. We have twelve colors of our New Legacy 100% Organic Wool to show. These are made with the DK. The colors are available in a bulky weight as well.





It's quite a big project to pack for a booth a tradeshow. At O-Wool we are in the midst of it! More photos to come...

A moment in Time

We received a most beautiful light snowfall yesterday ..8-10 inches that coated our world, yet could be blown away with a single breath! Everything looked completely different, with large caps of snow on the bird feeder, the branches, the railings, the car. It gave all the familiar things around us new shapes and even an air of mystery.

As I hung the new calendar I noticed the familiar sight of heavily marked days of appointments and schedules replaced by an altogether new sight as well, the mystery and beauty of the empty page. A whole January page of empty squares stared back at me. Days to be orchestrated. Adventures to be had. Yarn to be knit. Meals to be created. Thoughts to be thought. All still suspended unformed.....


Sometimes at the beginning of the new year, out of the usual routine, I experience a moment of timelessness like this that leads to reflection. It seems like an opportunity to draw on a blank page, an empty snow field, an act of creation. But also, the moment asks me to reconsider my driving beliefs, priorities, inspiration. There seems to be the real possibility of making some new choices.
















As I ponder my first knitting project of the year I let the thoughts flow freely about what I am striving for..... to achieve simplicity yet elegance, to promote healthy relationship to the Earth and all her inhabitants, to maintain healthy lifestyle patterns for myself and my work, to be joyful and appreciative of gifts around me, to sow seeds of friendship, teach and learn well, take nothing personally, find humor often and occasionally stare into the vastness of the night stars.

Before I know it however, schedules have begun anew, and time is back to being serious. At O-Wool, here, we are suddenly in a great hurry to prepare for the upcoming National Needlework Association show, TNNA in San Diego. Although I will not be going this time, I feel the excitement! This means booth preparation, paperwork preparation, packing, planning. organizing etc. There is definitely no longer time for quiet reflection.


















I have been employing my trusty Brother Standard Gauge Knitting machine to make some hanging backdrops for the booth these past few days. The Legacy DK knits up very nicely on the #10 Stitch Dial setting, and so I have been enjoying creating some long flowing banners or flags. I'll post some photos tomorrow!

A Wreath to inspire creativity

In the northeast here, we are definitely starting to look forward to Solstice, or more specifically to the time when the days will start getting a little bit longer. Just a few minutes a day at first, but every bit helps. The shadows start to get very long and cold just after school gets out. Luckily the moon and planets are cheering us up with their light. And there is some wonderful homey time to catch up with indoor sewing and knitting projects.



This is also the season for donations and giving. The three of us in the Hand Knitting department at O-Wool have had a lot of fun this week, decorating a wreath that will become part of an auction to raise funds for a local child care center.

Wendy used her standard gauge Brother knitting machine to create these little stocking ornaments out of our new Legacy DK o-wool yarn, in the colors lava, grove and natural.



Lynn knit up this little snowman, who can be used as a tree ornament or a table ornament. He has some beans at the bottom to help him stand up! She used a great little pattern from the winter edition of the Living Crafts Magazine (p 22.), and our DK wools (on #4 needles) in the same holiday colors.




We really wanted to include the Peace dove that was also featured in the same issue of the Living Crafts magazine (p.18). Marin made a wonderful pair of peace doves out of the o-wool melton fabric in natural.

And then perhaps the best idea of all! Marin thought it would be great to include the patterns and all the materials to make the decorations. So we stuffed the little stockings with the o-wool yarn needed, enclosed the patterns in envelopes, and rolled up a bit of the fabric. Voila!





Here it is: our beautiful wreath which includes not only the ready made ornaments, but also the supplies needed to make a set of your own. We stepped back to admire our wreath, and all realized that we would love to bid on it ourselves!

TAKING CARE OF YOUR WOOL,

…While Taking Care of your Earth

Our O~Wool hand knitting yarn has already experienced
an alternative processing path to keep it, the
sheep and the environment healthy. Now that you
have bought this yarn, you too are participating in
this endeavor.
Begin your project by untwisting the hank. When
your hank is an open circle again, you can have a
friend hold it to make a round ball, or you can use
a swift and ball winder. If you use a swift and ball
winder, you can pull from the inside or the outside
of the ball, or both for double strand.
After you have finished knitting your project, continue with a final
soak, the last but very important part of your processing! Remember
that no softening chemicals were added earlier, so this
last step really brings out the loft and softness of the merino wool.
Use your favorite wool wash and let your knitting gently rest in
tepid water for 15-20 minutes. (We recommend Eucalan or Soak.)
Remove from water and roll in a towel to remove excess water.
Let your piece dry horizontally. You will notice how much softer it
has become once it has dried completely. And the wool continues
to soften as you wear it. So go out and change the world in comfort,
warmth and good cheer!



An important part of sustainability is continual caretaking. To take
care of your wool garment remember that this complex, multilayered
fiber is a protein animal product. Contrary to the frequent,
agitated washing that synthetics fibers require; wool responds
best to frequent airing, gentle handling, surface sponging and
rest between wearing. Wool fibers will naturally resist soil, odors
and wrinkles, and return willingly to their original shape. If necessary,
a steam iron (without direct touching) can further encourage
shaping. If you have suffered a direct spot or stain, washing the
area immediately with cold water is a good first response. See the
Kentucky Sheep and Wool Producers Association website for a
complete listing of stain removal suggestions.
At O~Wool, we understand that our farmers, our spinners and
our customers are all part of a new awareness of the impact of
human activity upon the earth and its diverse ecosystems. When
every one of us alter some part of our daily pattern to promote
conscious change we feel the energy and mindset of problem
solving, and we know that everything is possible. We are all part
of a creative global movement.

What is new?

In Vermont this is the season of change, and it sure seems like there is plenty of change in the air! Astronomy is dictating the shortening of days, activating the color change in the tree leaves, and putting on the show of the year in these parts. The harvesting of gardens and apples is in full swing. This is a season of lush abundance and plenty, with a hint of exuberance even in the face of the looming knowledge that times will get cold and difficult in the next few weeks with the approach of winter.

But now is the time to harvest, prepare and share, and at O-Wool, we are in the final stages of preparing a new line of organic wool hand knitting yarn for sale.
This new line of yarn has a wonderful color palette that is both muted and timeless, yet has a depth and complexity that grows as you work with it. The colors take me back in time, to an era of hand tinted photographs, antique lace, strong dusty cowboys and wild distant hues reflecting the natural landscape.



There are a number of avid knitters here, and the knitting, planning, sharing and showing of projects and ideas has reached a new threshold of energy. We have all had a lot of fun exploring the colors and the new weights.

In the new DK line, a skein of yarn gives you 305 yards of wool! The gauge is 22-24 st = 4" on 4-6 needles (US size). In the Bulky line the Gauge is 11-13 sts =4" on 10-11 US needles. Both lines are available in the same 12 colors which are: Gamboge (a yellowish resin from a tree in Indonesia, Lava (red), Russet, Clay, Desert Blush, Olive, Sand, Natural, Sprig (lt green), Grove, Storm and Charcoal.

So now is the time to create something new that echos the old and pulls together those illusionary wrinkles in time. With 100% organic O-wool yarn you can knit up a subtle garment or eclectic accessory and create your own wearable Legacy while keeping the health and well being of the sheep in mind.