What: Lambtown Festival

Where: Dixon May Fairgrounds, Dixon, CA

When: Saturday, October 1, 2022

Who: The Husband, Feebs, and me

Why: To fondle yarn, of course

We showed up to the festival around 11. The Husband and I were both surprised that the PETA protesters were absent this year. We hadn’t been to the festival in 2 years, but the last couple of times that we went, they were standing at the gates with signs. We bought tickets at the window, since I didn’t think to purchase them in advance. It was $10 per adult and free to children under 17. Once we got through the gates, there was the usual information booth in the gazebo. Behind the gazebo was a booth set up with crafting stations for kids. The Husband and Feebs headed toward that booth, and I turned right and headed into an exhibit room.

The first thing that I noticed was that most people weren’t wearing masks. This surprised me since the buildings weren’t that large. The vendor stations were set up nicely. There was a good mix of fiber and yarn, with some metal art and fabric crafts mixed in. I specifically set out to find the Houndstooth Fiber Arts booth, but they weren’t there. Some booths that stood out to me were Sincere Sheep, Invictus Yarn, Sea Change, Royal Bee Yarn Co., and Mendocino Fiber Company. The only person that I recognized was Yellyknits, a person that I follow on Instagram. She creates content about inclusivity in the LGBTQ community.

I circled through the first Exhibit hall, without buying anything. I then crossed over to the other building. I went through that hall relatively quickly. I didn’t spend much time perusing the booths, this year. I think that my want to buy yarn was at a low point. I wanted to go and support all of the makers, but I didn’t have anything in mind to purchase before we got there. I circled through the second building and went back to the first one. I purchased three skeins of fingering weight yarn from the Royal Bee Yarn Co. It is a lovely dark green color. It is non-Superwash and according to the shop owner’s mother, it is hand-dyed to the shop owners specifications. I probably could have gotten away with buying only two skeins, but I bought the third, just in case. I don’t have project in mind, so better safe than sorry. Incidentally, the shop didn’t offer me a bag to put my yarn into, and I didn’t have my normal purse with me. My purse was small and I didn’t have my little bag in a bag with me. So, I literally had to carry around the yarn around with me.

After I made my purchase, I headed out to find my people. I found them at the crafting station. Feebs was hard at work making a sheep magnet. I relieved The Husband, and he went in search of food trucks and beverages (sadly, nothing caught his fancy). Magnet completed, Feebs moved onto the hand felting station. It was a really cute setup, where there were sandwich bags with round pieces of fiber layered in different colors. The instructions were to add some soapy water to the bag and agitate it with your hands or against the table to felt it into different shapes. Once you were done, you rinse the fiber out with clean water, shape it into a flower, and wrap a pipe cleaner around it to make a stem and let it dry to hold the shape. Feebs is very pleased with her felted flower.

Once The Husband came back, I went in search of a bag to hold my yarn. If you know me, you know that I am the bag lady. I love bags, baskets, and any other carrier-type vessel. I knew that I didn’t need a new bag. I was 100% sure of this fact. But, I went in search of one anyway. I was back in the first building and came upon the Mendocino Fiber Company booth. They shared a booth with Ephemera Creations. I noticed a bowl of mini skein sets. They were in such beautiful colors. I am not a collector of mini skeins, because I really never know what to do with them. But these ones caught my eye and I decided that I would buy a set. So I purchased the set and they gave me a bag to carry it in! Talk about being efficient! On a side note, the cheapest project bag that I saw, that would fit my 3 skeins of yarn, was $45 or more. I was able to save about $15 by buying the mini set and getting the free bag. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!

All in all, I enjoyed Lambtown. I did find it surprising that we were only there for about 2 hours. A good portion of that time was Feebs working on her crafts. I didn’t spend much money, which is always a good thing. I was very sad that Houndstooth wasn’t there. I always enjoy supporting them. I really liked talking to the two vendors that I purchased yarn from. I may see if I can find the Mendocino Fiber Company, or Ephemera Creations when we are in Mendocino, next week.

The next fiber festival that is on my radar is Stitches West, and I am NOT missing it next year! Lambtown has definitely whetted my appetite for more festivals. I intend to start looking for fabric festivals too. Perhaps next year, I will take some Lambtown workshops too. We’ll find out next year.

Loves,

M

Handknit socks are some of my very favorite things. They are warm, and comfortable, and durable. Wearing handknit socks makes my cold days bearable. I am not sure how many pairs of socks I have knit in my lifetime. I knit socks throughout the year, for my self. I also knit them for those that are truly knit-worthy, i.e. The Husband, Feebs, The Father, and the Female O. The Mother is excluded because she hates wool. It’s a struggle with that one…

I learned how to knit socks using double pointed needles (dpns). The construction was cuff-down with a heel flap and gusset. The first sock (singular) that I knit was beautifully done. My stitches were even and the sock was nice and dense. The reason for the singularity is that it was the perfect size for an 8 year old, and I was 23. Also the cuff was so tight that there wasn’t a chance that I would get it over my heel. I never bothered making a mate for it. Mind you, I still have that sock. I am still proud of that sock.

Over the years, I have knit socks with patterns, knit socks with various heels, and knit several iterations of vanilla socks. I find that while I enjoy owning pretty patterned socks (I am looking at you, Blueberry Waffles pattern), I don’t tend to reach for them when getting dressed in the morning. I wear socks from October till May, and I am a boot wearer. I need socks with a smooth fabric that will cover my leg all the way up to the boot top. I try not be the Princess and the Pea, but have you ever tried to walk around with a hard knot in the sole of your sock? Or knee high boots worn with socks that only go up to lower shin? While I do love my version of fashion, I love comfort more. So socks with lace don’t work for me, since I wear them for warmth. Socks with beautiful colorwork are nice, but I tend to knit colorwork tight, so calf comfort could be compromised. Socks with any kind of a texture can add friction and also compromise comfort.

Heels have been a journey. As stated, I began with the noble heel flap and gusset. It is so cool to watch that heel come alive. Once you finish a heel flap and gusset, you feel like an honest to goodness Knitter. I have also tried afterthought heels. Afterthought heels are seriously convenient when you just want to keep knitting a tube. I don’t always love the fit of an afterthought heel, though. I also always have holes on each side from where the stitches were picked up. I have also tried a few different short row heels and my favorite is the Fish-Lips-Kiss (FLK) heel. This heel fits my feet well and is very easy to knit. I really like the look of it, and have found that if I add a stitch to each side of the heel, then knit it together on the next row, I don’t end up with a hole on each side.

It took me a long time to figure out my formula for my perfect vanilla sock. I have tried my hardest to find the right formula for every foot that I knit for. Many parents have a wall where they measure their child’s growth, or a picture frame that shows the evolution of the child. I have cardboard cutouts of Feebs’s feet. The first one was when she was about 1 1/2 years old. Every time she has a growth spurt, a new foot is drafted. I have a foot for all of my sock-worthy people. It follows the FLK method of sock measurements, and is invaluable when the person that your are knitting for doesn’t live with you, or even near you.

My perfect vanilla sock is toe-up, FLK heel, with a calf that is increased up to the ribbed cuff. If I am knitting daily wear socks, I always select a 75/ 25 blend yarn (my favorite, to date, is Paton Kroy sock yarn). I like that the little bit of nylon helps the socks maintain shape and allows machine washing. I also think they are more durable. I only use 100% wool, or other fiber types, when knitting house/bed socks. They won’t get as much wear and tear as daily wear socks, so they can be more precious. I use a very stretchy bind off (Jenny’s Incredibly Stretchy Bind-off) so that I can pull them on and off with ease. I knit my socks in stockinette for a smooth and comfortable fabric. I like my socks snug and dense, so I knit a 58 stitch sock on the foot and increase the calf to 64 stitches. I always use 1.25 mm needles, even if I am using a thicker weight yarn. I like the dense fabric that using the smaller needles creates. I tend to cast on the socks using the magic loop, 2 at a time method. I always like to knit pairs of anything at the same time. I do this with sleeves and fronts and backs of sweaters. My theory is that if I am having a rough day or a brain-fart, my pairs will have the same mistake, the same gauge, the same issue on both pieces. Then it is more of a feature and less of a mistake. This has always worked out well for me. I measure the feet to know when to start my heels. Once the foot and the heel are completed, I separate the socks and work the calf, one at a time, using a 9 inch circular needle. Once I am working independently, I no longer measure. On the first sock, I wing it. I have a general idea of when to start increasing and I put them in every inch or so. I knit a 1×1 rib cuff for 10-12 rows, then bind off. On the second sock, I use the first sock as a guide and instead of measuring, I count rows. My knitting stays pretty consistent, so I am able to get away with this. I am also not horribly concerned about my pairs being sisters versus twins. It doesn’t bother me if they don’t match 100%. Once you put them on your feet a lot of the “errors” disappear.

So, my bottom line is that handknit socks are amazing. They are fun to knit, very portable, and fabulous to wear. I have even begun teaching Ms. H how to find her vanilla sock formula and how to knit them. With some minor help, she has knit her first pair. I love fingering weight all the way to bulky weight socks. Daily wear socks, and bed socks. My PSA for the day: Handknit socks- get on that train!

Loves,

M

Hello darling. We made it to July. June was very busy and filled with good things. There was a whole lot of making, or really, finishing last month. I am very proud of my perseverance, and my Ravelry page is getting more and more current.

• Finished Objects

Feebs’s 8th birthday charm, made with a Disney Pandora charm and clear amethyst beads and clasp from stash.

Shik’is Cowl, by Jennifer Berg. I knit this in Berroco Ultra Wool in Cream and Morning Glory and Berroco Lanas in Black. I made this for the gift box, but ended up giving it to the Female O on our camping trip.

Another set of summer pajamas. I used a thrifted fitted crib sheet. I followed the PJ pants/shorts on http://www.lifesewsavory.com and a self drafted top. There is a separate post for this set.

Lawley Skirt, by Elbe Textiles. I sewed this in cotton seersucker from stash. There is a separate post about this skirt.

Jameson sweater, by Thea Coleman. This was knit in Lion Brand LB Collection Merino Yak Alpaca, in Navy. This sweater has a separate post. There were, of course, modifications.

June Charity knitting, my vanilla hat pattern. I used stash leftover yarns and my 80 stitch hat pattern.

• New Cast- ons

Paris Toujours shawl

June 2022 socks for me

• Works in Progress

8 pairs of pajama pants for the three of us

2 pairs of pajama shorts with pockets for me

2470 Women’s Lace Border Tank Top

Knitting my memories blanket

White denim skirt

Bench rehab project

• Goals for next month

Get bench sanded and topper stripped

Sew toile for the Saltwater Slip Dress

Use either the pink gingham or gray linen fabric

A whole lot of making happened in June. In all honesty, a whole lot of making was done in the last two weeks of June. I finished the Lawley skirt and the Jameson sweater, two projects that I wanted to finish for a long time. I finally got my life together and sorted out the cubbies and my fabric stash. I forgot to take a before picture, of course. But I finally got my notions and thread sorted out. I got my patterns sorted and organized. My cubbies are now sewing supplies only, which is what I have been trying to accomplish for a while.

I sorted all of my fabrics and pulled out all of the flannel fabrics that I bought a year or two ago to make family pajama pants. Getting those pulled out made a lot more room for clearing the fabric out of the bottom cubby. I spent a couple of hours getting all of the pajama pants cut out and stacked on the arm chair to work on as I get time. Each set has a matching set for the Husband and Feebs, or me and Feebs. I want to have those done and put away for colder weather.

The month of June was a pretty good one. It started with the news that the Husband passed his dreaded test. The relief of that was so immense, we still haven’t fully adjusted to it. We went on our camping trip that weekend and had a pretty good time. Feebs and her bestie had a great time. We had some hitches, but all in all, it was pretty great. The next weekend was spent with the Ladies. We went over to swim and hang out. It was a lovely afternoon spent with fun people and puppies. That following week was party hell. My coworker and I planned and executed the 40th bash for our office party planner. What do you do when the office party planner has a party? You wing it and do your best. A and I were stressed to the roots of our hair, but the birthday girl seemed to really enjoy herself. The next weekend was my oldest niece’s graduation party. We are so proud of her and had a lovely time celebrating her. Unfortunately, the party was the gift that kept giving. We ended up getting Covid. Well, Feebs got Covid, then she gave it to me, then I gave it to the Husband. This ended up taking us out of circulation for 2 weeks. We are so lucky that our symptoms were relatively mild. The Husband and I both were prescribed the Paxlovid medication to get over it faster. The Father got Covid too, separately. Luckily, he is recovering nicely. Can Covid be gone now? Please? I am really over it. We also had Father’s Day, which was nice. It was pretty low-key and mellow. We have had to postpone it for both of our Father’s due to Covid, so those will be rescheduled soon. Feebs and I made meatloaf cake with pink potato frosting for the Husband. It was so cute, and he really loved it.

So that should sum me up for June. July has some surprises coming. We have a trip planned and the biggest surprise for Feebs. I am crossing my fingers and toes that everything will go smooth and all will be well. I guess I better get my knitting planned for the trip… I hope you are well and staying healthy!

Loves,
M