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Meet Andsvaar.... he's one strappin' Icelandic breeding ram!! Check out our website below for details on how YOU can have Andsvaar on YOUR farm.

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2/28/2010

Sean's Sweater

Posted by Stone Hill Ranch

Oh for the history of this sweater....... I *absolutely* HAD to finish this sweater that I started a LONG time ago. Too many times I almost frogged it and then I remembered where the fiber came from :-) The black yarn is a blend of my girlfriends Llama and one of our original Icelandic breeding ewes (since deceased). The memories I have of those animals still make me smile :-) The ladder pattern is made of angora----again from one of the Angora rabbits the kids used to play with. It's funny how memories can keep you going!!


I'm not all that happy with the sweater (one of my first). I lost the pattern and had to improvise---and spin more yarn. I really did a POOPY job with construction.... ah well, live and learn. Sean is happy with it tho'!! Now he has an ice skating sweater like the other kids :-) Since it took me so long to finish his sweater, he's first on the list for next years sweaters!!

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2/24/2010

Swatching the Cortina

Posted by Stone Hill Ranch



It's finally swatched!! I went back and forth over what colorway to use.... I'd originally planned to use my Icelandic, then I didn't think the colors looked right, now I'm back to using my handspun yarn :-) It's funny how different a project looks once you swatch the pattern. I hafta say, there's not alot of contrast, but I like it.

I'm using the Dale of Norway Cortina pattern but I'm sure I'll have to make some pretty major adjustments due to the yarn guage difference and my aversion to steeking. I'm not overly worried, re-engineering is my specialty. The variegated green is from some Merino roving I purchased and the brown is Birla (one of my AWESOME Icelandic breeder ewes :-)

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2/22/2010

Fair Isle Mitts & Hoodie

Posted by Stone Hill Ranch


They're done!! I completed my fair isle gauntlet mitts in 4 days flat..... which is a HUGE accomplishment for me haha :-) It was such a simple pattern, I think I'll make some for my 'lil sister. I used the following fibers: Gray mohair, white mohair, French Angora rabbit, black Icelandic ewe. They're WICKED warm and too comfortable. I may shorten up the gauntlet if I make a pair for someone else, but I like the long ribbed gauntlet-----I typically wear a wool sweater outside, so the big mitts really keep my arms/hands warm.



Sean's hoodie is pissing me off again...... it's working its way back to the bottom of my knitting basket. The entire sweater is complete, however, I purchased the wrong zipper for the front so now it's just sitting up in the loft on my sewing machine. We're snowed in right now, so FAT CHANCE of me making it to the store for a new zipper anytime soon...... that's what happens when you take 4 kids to the sewing shop (I couldn't concentrate for ANYTHING). I started this sweater a heckuva long time ago (and have since lost the pattern) so I'm kinda makin' it up as I go. I'm not overly pleased with the ribbing around the hood, but it'll work. The darn thing is curling so bad at the front opening, I'm not sure if the zipper is going to look right..... RIBBIT, RIBBIT.... I hear a frog.

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1/29/2010

Project & Anxiety Update

Posted by Stone Hill Ranch


Welp, mom's head hugger is finished... I sure hope she doesn't have to use it. We bought her a wig just in case the chemo/rad treatments zap her hair. The pattern is *super* simple and you could easily crank one out in a few hours.




My mock 'A&F' sweater is coming along nicely as well. I had to reverse the colors b/c I ran out of Shetland. I'm NOT doing the whole STEEK thing (yes, I'm a pansy-ass). You really must look at the rationale behind my NOT wanting to steek:

1.) THE SHEEP: I've raised these sheep from babies, nursed them back to health in rough times, busted open ice so I could haul water from a nearby stream for them, shepherded them back (a few miles) when they tried to 'head for the hills', spent an INCREDIBLE amount of money maintaining them.

2.) THE WOOL: Hubby then carefully removes the wool---NO 2nd cuts and NO crap attached. Then I sort the wool and spend and INORDINATE amount of money getting it processed.

3.) THE WHEEL: Now I spin the wool on my 'lil Kiwi. Then I ply it, then I soak it, then I dry it, then it's onto the swift and ballwinder.

4.) THE NEEDLES: FINALLY, I get to actually knit with the stuff!! YAY :-D

And now I'm supposed to CUT HOLES IN THE blankety-blank SWEATER??? I'm having an anxiety attack just thinking about it. I can just envision me doing this (sweat on my upper lip..... theme song to JAWS in the background) Ok, breathe deep, get centered..... maybey we'll try it on the next sweater... or the next... or the next.

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1/04/2010

Good Bye 2009

Posted by Stone Hill Ranch

I forgot to post some year end projects I finished within the past couple of weeks. I'm really looking forward to my projects for next year (I'm sure the list will be long).

I had a great time making all 5 facemasks-----the pattern is so easy and a great 'between project' relief. No more frozen tears on the kids' cheeks!! I tried to get a little more fancy with each mask I made :-)
Lyndsay's Fair Isle sweater was, by far, the most challenging project of the year for me. I didn't do steeking and didn't follow the 'Fair Isle' rules, but I still had fun and it turned out ok. I'll definitely do the seed stitching again.

I really don't even want to post the silk roving tube scarf..... it was a boring project and I'm not to crazy about knitting with silk roving/hankies. I should try spinning it on the wheel next time... maybey it won't stick to my hands so much. The tube scarf pattern is one I made up on the fly..... you really don't need a pattern for a tube scarf :-)

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12/09/2009

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Posted by Stone Hill Ranch

Well.... so much for my knitting/spinning projects. The boyz came in from trapping the other morning and had frozen tears stuck on their cheeks. "I'M COLD..... MY FACE IS GOING TO CRACK OFF". Now, you have to understand that the 2 boyz in question are 6 and 8 years old and are *avid* trappers-----out by 6am in the morning, regardless of the weather, to check their traps.

I'd been thinking about facemasks for quite awhile but REALLY wanted to focus my efforts on the 'correct' technique for Fair Isle knitting (yep, steeks and all). To make a long story short, I put all other projects down, and began the facemask scarf project. I'll post the pattern below. Now, you have to understand, I'm not a pattern kinda gal..... I knit to dimension, not to a pattern (which is why fair isle is gonna kill me and I don't do cross stitch). The reason I call it the "Scarf Facemask" is b/c the ribbed portion of the mask is quite long and serves as a scarf.

I knit the first mask without any 'doo-dads' just to get a base pattern. Then I began knitting some fair isle on the masks so I could practice the technique. I've done a few fair isle projects in the past..... but broke all the rules :-) The mask is SO incredibly easy to make, albeit, it looks like that creature off 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' haha.










PATTERN: Scarf Facemask
size - small (21" head)


Size 10 - 6" Circular needles (or size needed for guage)
1 set size 10 double points
Guage: 3.5 stitches per inch
Yarn: Well, I had to chew up some of gramma's acrylic stash (a.k.a. GAS) but my kids avoid acrylic like the plague (not warm enuff), so I used a strand of handspun wool and a strand of acrylic.

Cast on 60 stitches (increase co by 4 stitch increments to get larger sizes). K2 P2 ribbing for about 5 inches (this is the scarf portion of the facemask). K in round for 3 inches. Cast off 18 stitches (for the hole), knit to end. Cast on 18 stitches and rejoin. K in round for 4 inches. Switch to double points when it gets too tight. (K2 together every 4 stitches. K one row) 3 times. (K2 together every 3 stitches. K one row) 3 times. Close top of hat.

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12/04/2009

The Vest (cont.)

Posted by Stone Hill Ranch


ok.... now I'm thinking a cross between the A&F sweater vest and the American Eagle sweater vest (right), only not so long. I like the collar on the AE vest (not so floppy)...... but I absolutely HATE the whole zipper thing. I think it's kool the way the Fitch sweater closes but I'm really not into the leather belt over a bulk weight vest-----can you say 'FAT'? I'm thinking about a closure that looks similar to a small oriental hairpic..... I think I saw one in Filati. At any rate the pick would make use of the knit, but I can already envision losing it.











Remember that nasty Shetland? Welp, it looks awesome, but it lost some of the 'unspun' look when I set the twist. I decided to knit a swatch using one strand of the Shetland and a 2-ply strand of Petey (one of my Angora goats). So...... it'll be a wool/mohair blend vest. The mohair really softened up the Shetland and added quite a bit of shine.


'Petey'

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11/28/2009

Fair Isle update

Posted by Stone Hill Ranch

Well....you should get a load of this wonderful seam.... I'll NOT post a pic! Horrible looking >:( It pays to do a little research b4 you start knitting. Come to find out, Fair Isle is typically knitted in the round with a couple of little tricks for matchup: Jogless Color Knitting. This tip satisfies the 'type A' in me, however, I'M NOT RIPPING DOWN...... I refuse. I'll 'rig' the seam til it satisfies me. In addition, I'm told that Fair Isle is knitted in a tube...... no accomodations for sleeves. You simply CUT (haha) a place for the sleeves and then onward 'ho'. I don't think so---that sounds dangerous. I'll be the more 'progressive' fair isle knitter and leave the scissors in my knitting basket.


I'm avoiding the neckline of this sweater. It scares me. To seed stitch, or not to seed stitch..... that is the question. I truly hate necklines. Necklines are the part of the project that, if done incorrectly, can make the sweater scream 'HOMEMADE by someone that doesn't know what they're doing' (not that I ever know what I'm doing). Case in point: Ryan's sweater, I love the sweater, but the neckline stinks.

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11/20/2009

Lyndsay's Sweater

Posted by Stone Hill Ranch

I bought some beautiful Merino variegated roving from the Blackhawk Spin In this year and decided to use it for Lyndsay's sweater. Yes, I spun another 2-ply bulk yarn. Knitting goes much quicker for me with bulk yarns (too many sweaters to make :-). I used a seed stitch pattern on the bottom and will duplicate that on the sleeves and possibly the neck. The sweater will have drop shoulders.



I used the same reverse fair isle technique but with a snowflake pattern that I copied from one of Lyndsay's old sweaters. The black and white yarn are both natural Icelandic 2-ply bulk weights from my own sheep. I spun each in Lopi. Hopefully I'll finish it soon.... I have to put the fair isle in at night when the kids are sleeping or I'll screw it up royally !!! Once again, I use the black stripe as a divider for the mirror pattern.
I'm using circular needles up to the pattern, at which point I knit/purl. I tried using circulars for the whole sweater (easier) but then I have to hide the match-up. I don't think taking the sweater off the circulars is going to make the pattern much more appealing to the eye (uniform pattern around the bodice) b/c of the seamwork that will need to be done...... we'll see.

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11/10/2009

Particulars on Ryans Sweater.......

Posted by Stone Hill Ranch

Finished Product



Here's a comparison of the fair isle pattern next to the actual.... I modified it a bit to suit the sweater. I used a red line as a 'separator' in order to reverse the pattern colors.




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10/31/2009

Current Attempts :-)

Posted by Stone Hill Ranch


I've been working on this hoodie for quite awhile..... I keep changing my mind about button holes or zippers. The black fiber used is a handspun mix of Black Icelandic Ewe & Sarah's Llama. The ladder pattern is made of my late English Angora Rabbits. The sheep didn't like the bunnies running around in the barn, hence, they've gone to a better place. My son now runs French Angoras..... who WILL stay in their pens !!





My next project is Ryan's new sweater. I decided on a Scandanavian Fair Isle pattern but I'm not to crazy about the arms. I much prefer drop shoulders as the kids wear their sweaters as coats and they need the extra room inside. I used White Icelandic wool for the background and Black Icelandic wool for the pattern. I threw in a little red acrylic from Gramma's stash :-)

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