Tag Archives: In The Works

In the Works Wed–Wait! What?

Posted on April 26, 2012 by | Comments Off on In the Works Wed–Wait! What?

This is what happens when I try to do a regular, weekly segment here on the blog. I plan and plan (in my head where all the most reliable planning is done dontcha know) about what I want to include in the “In the Works Wednesday” post; what project to talk about and how cool and interesting and squishy they have been.

This morning before work, I was making a to-do list for the open time I had later on in the day. As I write “photograph new yarn for etsy” I think, “I could go ahead and photograph all my projects on the needles, because Wednesday is coming up pretty quick and I have so much free time on Thursdays–Gah! It’s Thursday!” Thursday, you know, the day after Wednesday.

I am not sure how I missed Wednesday, even though I did all of my other normal Wednesday things (except blog!)

Here I am a day late, hoping you enjoy this post just as much as you might have yesterday when the alliteration still made it a cool day to post it. I can’t even think of any cool Thursday alliteration, so before I start feeling down on my brain power, because clearly I haven’t been overwhelmed by rejoining the workforce or anything, let us move on to woolier subjects.


I started knitting Brock’s birthday socks. You will be able to tell I have been running on low bandwidth when you check out the rest of my projects–they haven’t made much progress, but in a week with very little knitting time I have managed to knit most of a large, gentleman’s sock. I excel at stockinette in the round.

The pattern is just a plain top-down sock with a heal flap, pretty much the only sock pattern I ever use because I don’t need a pattern to knit it anymore. (Locals, this is the sock I will teach when I finally get around to scheduling some more knitting classes. Stay tuned.) The yarn is “French Roast” from Swift Fiber Studio in 75/25 BFL/Nylon.

Isn’t it gorgeous?

Next up I have a tangle of a super secret surprise project that may or may not be a pattern in the making that is currently kicking my butt.

Can you tell what it is yet?

The yarn is Pteranodon Worsted in Cretaceous Grape. There is still one skein left in the shop if the color catches your fancy.

Then, I have the lace weight cardigan. And I swear I have been knitting on it. I have actually added two whole inches to the length!

Not that you can really tell.

How are your projects going?

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In The Works Wednesday

Posted on April 18, 2012 by | Comments Off on In The Works Wednesday


On Sunday, I cast on Starling out of oviraptor yarn. I was looking for a project that would stick to my needles. One that would take awhile to finish, be mostly mindless, but still be engaging to work on. Then Cecily Glowik MacDonald posted Starling to her blog last week and I knew what that project would be. I cast on in white for two reason. First, I couldn’t decide what color to use. Second, once I purchased the pattern, I didn’t want to wait the couple of days it takes to dye and dry two skeins of lace weight yarn. I figure, if I don’t like a white cardigan, I can always dye it fire engine red or something later. I am really enjoying knitting with this yarn. It’s making a lovely fabric. I got gauge with my first swatch, which, when washed, bloomed beautifully. I can’t wait to get a little more heft onto this fabric. Of course, after three days of admittedly light knitting, I only have about four inches of fabric.

The knitting has been light because I have been warping and weaving on my second rigid heddle loom project.


I started weaving this last night in class. We’re learning how to use pick up sticks and pattern sticks. My brain is still wrapping around the whys and wherefors, but it’s coming along. I didn’t want to stop when class was over last night, and this is the first thing I will be coming back to when all my work for the day is done, which admittedly might be kind of late…

What are you working on?

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FO: Weaving Color Sampler

Posted on April 14, 2012 by | Comments Off on FO: Weaving Color Sampler

Get a load of my first rigid heddle weaving project!



I am taking the rigid heddle weaving class from the Potwin Fiber Artisans this month. I don’t think I could have taken a better class anywhere. Linda is a wealth of weaving knowledge. While I think most people would consider this a bit ambitious for a first project (four shuttles at once for a few inches!), I can’t tell you how useful it is. I can plan future projects by picking out any square of this sampler. Though I a currently weaving on a borrowed PFA loom, I can tell you when I get my own, the first thing I am going to make is a hounds-tooth scarf.



I am in love with the hounds-tooth.

And I am smitten with my first project. It’s riddled with little mistakes like most first projects, but because Linda set the assignment, I have more direction and confidence in my own weaving. Plus, pretty.



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Farmers Market Booth Preview

Posted on April 13, 2012 by | Comments Off on Farmers Market Booth Preview

My friend Joanie and I have spent a lot of time this week putting together the Farmers Market booth. And I think it looks really great! Here a few photos of what you should be able to look forward to this summer.







The Topeka Farmers Market runs every Saturday from mid-April through mid-November. Tiny Dino Studios merchandise will be available there most every Saturday and online every week day at tiny dino studios etsy shop.

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Mondays Are For Photography

Posted on April 2, 2012 by | Comments Off on Mondays Are For Photography

It has become my Monday morning routine to photograph all the yarns dyed and / or spun in the previous week and post everything to etsy. Every Monday I am astonished at how much work I did over the previous week. Sometimes I forget how much I get done because dyeing and spinning yarn doesn’t really seem like all that much work. I remember all the work on the computer I do (which is a lot) rather than the actually production aspect, so when I pile up the yarn for the photo shoot, I am always satisfied with the stack.


You can’t quite see everything in that photo, but the sock yarn on top is my favorite. I called it dino hide and that as much of the color makes me giggle with joy.

I worry during the week about having enough inventory for the farmers market, but then I look at my apartment overflowing with yarn and fiber, and I get over it. Frankly, I need to get some of this stuff out of here.

Some of the other photos I took this morning:

Handspun local Lincoln yarn


carrot juice sock yarn


ember worsted yarn

And a bonus FO:

Yesterday afternoon I finished Ebbtide. (Raveled here)

This pattern was the most recent Knit-A-Long hosted by the Knit Knit Cafe Podcast. It was actually my first KAL, but was announced right as I was giving in to a shawl-knitting fever. As soon as I saw the pattern, I knew which yarn it had be made out of, and I cast on that same day. The shawl is knit out of my Protoceratops Yarn, which is my absolute favorite. There was just enough yardage to make the larger shawl size (I did bind off one row early.)

I will have Ebbtide on display (not for sale) at my farmers market booth this summer, so if you live in the area, you can stop by and see it in person so that I might enable you further.

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Rolags

Posted on March 30, 2012 by | Comments Off on Rolags

I finally stopped to take some photographs of all the fiber processing I’ve been doing.

Alpaca first, since I’ve been talking about it so long.

This stuff is so fine, it’s difficult to photograph it in focus!

While the alpaca was fun, the Romney has been enlightening. I have never carded a fiber with so long a staple length. The result is HUGE rolags and increased muscle definition in my arms.

I think they’re gorgeous, and I’m saving 2 oz. to spin myself. The rest, however, you can find for sale at the etsy shop if you need to have a bit for yourself as well.

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A Peak

Posted on March 26, 2012 by | Comments Off on A Peak

I have been busy busy busy what with preparations for the farmer’s market and the spate of special orders I have had lately. While I have some fun blog posts brewing, today I thought I would share a bit of what I have been working on.


Some local Lincoln roving drying on the balcony


Some bulky singles hand spun from Falkland wool.


Another skein of hand spun. This thick n think yarn out of Corriedale cross.

What are you up to?

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Happy Leap Day

Posted on February 29, 2012 by | Comments Off on Happy Leap Day

Shawl fever continues around these parts. I spent most of the day yesterday knitting as I puzzled out the next few turns in my novel-in-progress. Instead of knitting on things I am going to sell at the Farmer’s Market or things I am going to sell in the etsy shop, (like the rest of that self-striping sock yarn that still needs to be reskeined….) I cast on another new project. I mean, it’s not a surprise really, I said on Monday I was planning to do so.

Blog, meet Ebbtide.

It’s a charming little pattern that I am knitting out of a cheerful canary yellow. I am justifying knitting this by telling myself it will be a display piece at the farmer’s market. A “Look what my yarn can do!” thing of beauty–and something to wear on days when it is just a bit too chilly.

I am in love with this color. I called it “canary” when I dyed it, but the more I knit with it, the more it reminds me of Big Bird–in a good way. Yesterday was mostly grey and rainy, so the bright pop of yellow on was exactly what I needed to keep my inspired.

I did a tiny bit of work on Snow Drops.

I don’t think I am completely a lace weight convert yet. I am enjoying it but it still feels so dainty. (Perhaps I need smaller fingers?) Then again, sock yarn felt the same way to me the first couple of times I used it, so I imagine by the time I am finished with The Lace Shawl, I will be able to knit with lace yarn in my sleep.

For now though, I am going to plow away on Ebbtide.

Because it is yellow, and it is leap day, and because I am in a yellow, self-indulgent, leap day kind of mood.

If you wish to behold the awesome yellow-ness of Ebbtide in person, it is what I will be bringing with me to the PFF night tonight. Here is your official invitation.

Open Stitch Night
7-9pm
Potwin Presbyterian Church
Topeka, KS
All fibers and crafts welcome.
No business. All fun.
http://potwinfiber.org

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Lace Dreams

Posted on February 27, 2012 by | Comments Off on Lace Dreams

Back in 2009 when I was first learning to knit, part of my self-imposed knitting initiation was to read the entire backlog of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s blog, The Yarn Harlot. It was educational and inspiring as a new knitter to have such an intimate view into the life of a rather more experienced knitter. I realize this is hardly an original sentiment, but one of the things that really got my fantasy going was reading about the birth of the Snowdrop Shawl. I would have dreams about knitting lace like that when I was still struggling with understanding the construction of a hat. I knew the snow drops were completely out of my league, but that didn’t stop the dreams. I dreamed I was knitting it, I dreamed I was wearing it, I dreamed of it elegantly draped over the back of my sofa.

I found a lacy beret that was closer to my level and knit that instead. It seemed to take the edge off.

Then two years and some time passed.

In knitting class the other day, I was helping a student start a shawlette (she was using a gorgeous buttery yellow alpaca yarn) and we were talking about knitting shawls and the lace weight yarn I sell in my shop. I admitted that while I had swatched a bit with the yarn before I started selling it, I had never actually knit with anything in lace weight yarn ever. I actually said these words, “I’d love to knit a nice big lace shawl, but the right one just hasn’t found me yet.”

What a fickle knitter I am! I had completely forgotten about the Snowdrop shawl. It wasn’t until yesterday when I moved a hank of lace weight yarn from the drying rack to the “to-be-photographed pile” that I remembered about that shawl so long ago. Before I knew it, I was winding a ball of lace yarn and the pattern was printed and tempting me to cast on.


I didn’t make too much progress what with attempting to remain a responsible adult and all that rubbish. Though, as I knit each row and understand the movement of the yarn more fully, the more I want to work on it, responsibility be damned.

Of course, I noticed on the ravelry forums today that Knit Knit Cafe Podcast has announced their new knit along, and it’s a shawlette knit out of fingering weight yarn, and I know I have the perfect little yellow skein of sock yarn in the back somewhere. So I might get to work on that as soon as I get the other thing off my spare pare of size 6 needles. It looks like it’s going to be a lacy spring.

In the meantime, my shawl is Raveled here
and knit out of Oviraptor Lace Weight Yarn
on size US 6 needles.

What are your knitting plans for spring?

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Saturday List Making

Posted on February 25, 2012 by | Comments Off on Saturday List Making

1. I have been planning a spring/summer line for the farmer’s market.
2. It involves a lot of little leaf motifs.
3. I have been swatching and knitting like crazy.
4. I find all the leaves very charming.
5. I am about to develop a leafy lacy mitten pattern for spring hand warmers.
6. Some mornings you still just need something on your hands.
7. Like this morning.
8. It’s cold out just yet.
9. I was going to repot my seedlings this morning.
10 But it’s too cold.
11. I think I’ll go knit some leaves instead.
12. And put on a sweater.

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