Tussah silk spinning for a laceweight shawl

This is what I'm currently spinning. At least, one of my current spinning projects.

I have been working on this for several years on and off. I am spinning light laceweight natural colored tussah silk, in hopes to use it to knit a shawl. It is likely less expensive for me to spin my own silk laceweight that is fine enough for gossamer shetland, estonian and orenburg lace shawls.

The only silk gossamer weight I can find that is weaving cones, and it's often to heavy and very expensive. Maybe I'll buy it one day.

Here's my current spin! 

I'm using both a top whorl spindle and a supported spindle to try and get as thin as I can. It helps to make the project portable.

On the cardboard bobbin, you can see mulberry silk. I'm doing the same thing with it. I just need to respin it to make it thinner. I like working with the tussah silk more. It seems to be less slippery and has more 'tooth' to it.

The supported spindle is a dpn with a bead I bought. The top whorl spindle is a dowel with a hook and some polymer clay. I had fun making them and they spin very fast, but you have to practice a lot to make a good, fast, and balanced spindle.

One day I do plan to see how actual Victorian silk spindles work. They're like a bicone at the top,  and taper down. They are essentially top whorl spindles.

Anyway, I have more craft stuff to show, including tatting! Take care for now,

-JT

Crochet Terms: US to UK translation

Knitting terms seem standardized in the west from place to place, and country to country. Some stitches like moss stitch do mean different things in different countries.

However, crochet terms are a bit more difficult. Crochet is more of a recent craft, as it is generally 200 years old.

Crochet has different terminologies based on who created the pattern. UK, Europe and places exposed to crochet from these regions will have one, and the US and countries exposed to US terminology will have another. Here is a basic translation list between the two crochet terminologies.

US--------------------------------------UK

Chain (ch)                                      Chain (ch)

Slip stitch (sl st)                             Single crochet (sc)

Single crochet (sc)                         Double crochet (dc)

Half double crochet (hdc)              Half treble crochet (htc or htr)

Double crochet (dc)                       Treble crochet (Tc or trc)

Treble crochet (Tc or trc)               Double Treble crochet (dtr or dtc)

Double treble crochet (dtr or dtc)  Triple treble crochet (ttc)

etc.

And the list proceeds in a similar fashion with longer stitches. These are the basic stitches, hopefully this list helps.

Ways to tell if a pattern is using UK terms:

Mercifully, many pattern creators have this above mentioned key on their patterns. Some don't, and oftentimes, antique patterns don't have equivalent stitches listed.

This is one way that I'm able to tell if a pattern uses UK or US terms. First, look at the picture. Does it look like it has US single crochet? Does it look like it has slip stitches?

A pattern often starts with a chain X amount of stitches. After that, it will often say sc or dc. Do the first stitches in the picture look like sc or dc? If they look like sc but the pattern says dc, its a UK pattern. If the stitches look like sc and the patterns says sc, its a US pattern.

Another way to tell involves using old booklets. Old booklets from the Antique Pattern Library, Archive.org, and other sources often tell where the booklet was manufactured. It may say London, or Bristol (UK cities), or some similar place. If so, its safe to assume that UK terminology will be used.

If it says Chicago Ill, Boston MA, Florence MA, (US cities) or the like, its safe to assume that US terminology will be used.

If its a Canadian publication, (cities like Halifax, Toronto, etc), it seems to be a tossup on what terminology is used. Modern patterns will more likely have US style terminology, and antique patterns will more likely have UK style terminology.

Non-english language terminology can be translated from antique patterns as well, such as French. The translation will say something like 'single stitch', or 'double stitch'. In that case, it is harder, but again, look at the picture for clues.

In future, I'm hoping to have these stitch equivalents in other languages as well. God luck!

-jtp

Donating supplies to Charity pt1

I'm having an executive disfunction day, along with some stomach pain. Its adding to my confusion on how I should continue my room organization plans and donation of excess items.

I've decided to work on something small. I have more than enough knitting needles and crochet hooks (thanks to thrift stores and online/in store sales.)

(a pink plastic box full of various metal knitting needles and some crochet hooks.)

I've had it in my mind to donate my excess supplies for a while to charity programs. I think knitting needles and crochet hooks are too precious to end up in regular thrift stores. They can give young people, elderly, or other adults the chance to learn a lifelong skill that can give them peace.

(purple yarn I've begun winding on a spare wooden panel because I cant find my niddy noddy right now.)

So, I've started winding up yarn I wont use in preparation to donate it with some needles. I plan to label them as best I can for those people with wool allergies.

I'm 99% sure these are going to Pine Ridge Reservation, and perhaps neighboring native reservations. In the ravelry group, they mentioned craft supplies are things that would be welcome.

I am voluntarily downsizing my needle stash as I find needles that I like using. I have learned what types of needles I use for what types of projects: lace, cables, textured stitches, sweaters, shawls, Tunisian crochet, socks and more.

I think these would be great for beginners.

I just have to find the right address on the ravelry forums. There are so many addresses to send things to. I also have to make a note of what I am donating. I like staying organized.

Sometimes a set of needles or a yarn really wasnt made for you. I've learned that over time.

Have you been doing any de-stashing later?

Ttyl,

-JT

Rainbow Socks with Recycled Cuffs

My recycled and rainbow yarn socks!

These socks are knit on US 1 (2.25mm) and US 1 (2.5mm) needles. I prefer knitting my socks on double pointed needles. I've tried the single circular method, and I've tried the double circular method. I dont like these methods for knitting socks, I dont know why. I keep coming back to double pointed needles for all my small circumference projects, and lately, some of my large circumference projects! (Shetland knitting belts anyone? I'll show you in an upcoming post.)

I almost exclusively use metal DPNs. I can no longer stand wood or bamboo, but as you can see from the photos, I am making due by mixing in my wood and bamboo needles.

64 stitches, my standard sock stitch number.

I picked up this yarn for either $2.50 or $5 at Webs yarn store years ago and it's been in my stash for a few years. I loved the rainbow colors. This was before I fully embraced my LGBTQ+ status and wanted as many rainbow colored accessories as I could get.

This yarn is a Regia yarn, in the 'Clown' colorway as far as I know. Regia discontinues and makes new yarn lines so fast, its dizzying and easy to get lost!

The cream colored yarn is from a sock that was ripped apart by bugs. I patched it SO much that I gave up. The holes were appearing faster than I could patch them!

I've decided to salvage the usable yarn, and hold it together with aunt lydias crochet cotton.

(Sock Durability Tip!)

Interestingly enough, the parts of the sock that had the crochet cotton didnt get holes! I noticed this, and began holding some of my sock yarns together with crochet cotton! The ones that I have done this with, whether its commercial yarn or handspun yarn, haven't gotten holes in them! I have sensitive feet too, and they feel comfortable! (I knit stockinette soles to my socks.)

The Rainbow Salvaged socks are almost done, as I have less than a yard left of the rainbow yarn. It's time to switch back to the cream yarn.

As you can see from this sock, I have quite a bunch left to use and unravel. This is the sock that I havent unraveled! 

This is a pic of several of my sad attempts to save the sock. Woven darning with a reinforced edge.

Anyway, I'm measuring the rainbow socks carefully so that I use up all the rainbow yarn evenly. I have tested the cream yarn and am holding it with crochet cotton for durability.

Wish me luck!

-JT

Tiina Lilleaed Shawl, my struggles

I think this is as far as I will get with this yarn and needle combination. 

A piece of lace hasn't been this frustrating for me since I tried making some Herbert Niebling antique doilies. You know, the super complex ones on tiny needles with tiny thread and very precise, long charts? 

But this pattern isnt that. This is... a simple lace chart. It's a beautiful lace chart. A lovely shawl outcome, with lots of stockinette 'rest rows'.

But I struggled every step of the way.

I've been working on this since the end of October, on and off. 

Here's the pattern on ravelry: 

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tiina-lilleaed

Here's the designer's blog: http://pitsilisedjutud.blogspot.fi/2015/07/tiina-lilleaed-ehk-koiges-on-suudi.html

this is one of the few times I've had to use lifelines in a lace pattern since I started knitting lace seriously 3 years ago. 

I think my struggle with this pattern comes from several things:

Sleep deprivation due to my work and this time of year

Slippery, knotting rayon yarn

Generic, sticky metal needles.

Im using a cone of 6/18 rayon yarn I got on sale from Webs yarn store. It's very drapey and silky in hand. I think it was meant for weaving. It's not as silky knit up though. 

The yarn refused to slide along the needles. Stitches would pop off the needles. I kept dropping stitches when either tinking or doing the lace stitches. I kept counting incorrectly, even though I counted every time and double checked each row.

I think this yarn, needle and pattern combo arent meant for eachother. I'm also too tired to work super complex (relatively) lace patterns. I've cut the yarn off and I'm starting a different pattern, a simpler one: the Ashton Shawlette. Same needle size, US size 3. Same yarn. I'm already making good progress in it.

I think i need just... a wool yarn for this pattern. I'm too frustrated with it right now but I hope to try it again in the future. I'm leaving the lifelines in and not unraveling it for now.

So long, 

Tiina Lilleaed. Hopefully we'll meet again in the future under better circumstances. 

Jtp/mnr

Crochet Ball Holder, Plate 7 (Crochet Reticule)

 I sometimes start so many projects at once, I can't help it.

I'm making another little 'bag', what Victorians and Edwardians called a thread ball holder. You usually make two sides, and put the ball of thread in there, and then pull the thread tail through the hole. You wear the bag over your wrist while crocheting. It is part of my 'reticule' series. I like making small bags (reticules) that could have been used in the 1800s and early 1900s.

I mostly don't use the hole. I may cover it in needle lace, I don't know!

Anyway, here is the entire pattern. You are not mistaken. There are no pages missing. This is the entirety of the pattern, and the crocheter is meant to derive the pattern from the old, black and white, tiny picture. 😆

This is fairly common for some antique pattern books. They give you the initial instructions and then say 'follow the picture'.

I used a US size 7 hook and size 10 crochet thread.

What I did: I have a 1 inch ring I used. I indeed used the picture as a guide to make up the bag. 

I made 65 sc over the ring, making sure it was divisible by 5. 

I did a row of double crochet around the ring.

All of the chains are chain 5, sc in the next chain. Where the rectangular blocks are, those are 4 dc. The chain supporting the block is 4 ch instead of 5.

After the square block motif is made, it looks like one more plain row is done, and then an increase row is done, and then a plain chain row.

You make the second half just like the first, or find a way to fill in spot where the ring would be. You join with more ch 5 sc stitches.

You then work back and forth in rows using chain 5 to make the strap.

You make 5 or 6 sc around the openings where the strap is.

I can write more detailed instructions later, perhaps. I will definitely update when I have more pictures of my own to share.

-jtp

New Project, 3 cornered Bag (reticule)

Hello again all! I'm starting yet another reticule bag project.

A reticule is basically a small purse women 8n the 1700s, 1800s and early 1900s used to carry small accessories like cosmetics, handkerchiefs, calling cards, and more.

Many of these bags are called 'opera bags' on websites, and this is not incorrect. Many handmade bags like these were used to go to the opera and other evening events, as well as day events.

I like making mine because they are pretty, they're good for holding yarn and projects, and they can hold a cellphone, a card, some cash, and, albeit a small project. Depends on the size!

This new bag is called (on this website) 'A three cornered bag'.

I'm making it with a 1.3mm us size 10 hook and size 20 dmc cebelia cotton. I almost want to make it with size 30 cotton, as the original pattern calls for but I am unsure if it will be too small. I have been making a lot of irish crochet motifs lately so I am well used to the thread size.

Will update with pictures of my work on this reticule!

-jtp