Thursday, November 6, 2014

PIF sheeps

We have a Pay it Forward group in Facebook, but for the longest time I was just looking. Partly because I barely had time to breath, I wouldn't dare to take on a task with a deadline, partly because I am a knitter, I think I knit wahtever to myself... How would it look like when someone asks about some handknit I am wearing "did you knit that" (expecting the "of course I did, what do you think? my neighbour? " answer), and I should reply "well.. you know... Not." Butthen I have to face the fact I have my limits. I will never have a Viajante or a Nuvem shawl, unless someone knits me one, and the same goes for teh holey shawl. I love the pattern, I even ordered yarn for it, even started knitting it, only to want to stab myself in the eye after the sixth row of holes. So when Réka offered one I took it so fast sparks were flying around. I still owe a post about that shawl (which I dearly love), all it needs that I have preferable light and a kid, who takes my photographs available at teh same time. Until then, I will show what I offered, and done. Whith a bit of delay though, it is with its new owner now.
Since there was enough handspun yarn offered in the group I decided to offer my other (counting the beaded shawls, my third) specialty, fair isle hats.
From the patterns I listed, the target person choose Kate Davie's Sheep Heid.
Since Jamieson's yarn is not readily available around here, I used a bunch of sock-yarn, of which I do have an ample suply.
Needles : 2 mm for the ribbing, 3 mm for the patterns.
Photoes: Christopherr Laurent Deli

Sunday, November 2, 2014

DROPS Montreal

October passed with an awful lot of work , which is actually great... only I had literally no time to eath or even sleep, much less do any crafts...I would have closed the month with no knitting or spinning if not for the day of wool (of which I still owe a blogpost) and the trainrides to and from Szeged, and the time of my uni lectures (after all this time my teachers are well trained, and doesn't even bat an eye if I take out my knitting :-)
The little knitting time I had was taken up with mandatory and secret projects I can't really show yet,.. so between all that there came a point when my inner knitter said "enough is enough, it is time to knit something just for FUN!"
I had my eye on the DROPS pattern called Montreal for ages, and I thought it would be ideal... it is small, qick and FUN.
I used the Delight color in the original pattern, but I substituted the Fabel with Baby Alpaca Silk, which was on sale.
The pattern is pretty straightforward, the fair isle part is good for the beginners (no really long floats). My only problem is the shape of the hat... If I would knit it again I would probably knit the smaller rib with the bigger pattern... or even would think how to adopt it to a beret shape.
(Needles: Addi Colibri DPN, 2 mm for the ribbing and 3 mm for the pattern).
Photo: Christopher Laurent Deli

Monday, September 29, 2014

World Wide Spin In Public Day!

For years the second weekend of June is the day of teh World Wide Knit In Public day, A couple of years ago, knitting's sister craft, spinning joined teh fun, and spinners organize their own, world wide spin in public day in september. This year we gathered at the Szt István tér, at teh fron of teh Bazilika, and at the Cafe California, and spin to our heart contents.
I think its better if This time I let the pictures speak for themselves, right? 


















Thursday, September 25, 2014

So I will never loose this again

I find this video very important,
Even though I posted it several times on FB, I needed to ask for help finding it again...
I will put it here, so I will never lose it again.


Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Weekly spinning

BFL-as Blue Faced leister
My own dyeing, long color repeat.
Sorry for the dirty looking fingers, that is not dirt, but dye, the result of the nights spent in the kitchen before the festival of folk arts.
Approximately 150 gramms, 1000 meters, 2 ply.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

The Festival of Folk Arts- a soul caressing celebration

I've been trying to write about this for days, but I just could not... I don't really kno why, maybe because I feel, if I write it down it will become finished, gone forever.
If you read my blog you know that the Festival of Folk Arts was always dear to my heart. When two years ago I got invited as a participant it was like a dream vome true, but as much as I loved it and enjoyed it, unfortunately, human jelausy and envy has no limit, and the story did not had a nice ending. So much I swore that I will never ever go as a participant, if at all I only will go as a visitor.It hurt me for long, those who pay closer attention missed my usual annual post about it.
So this yera when a I received an invitation form a dear friend my first reaction was "no". I don't want to loose an other friend, and I don't want to hate this event forever. On the other hand I deeply respect Peter Deak, the leader of the Craft Circle of Szolnok, and he was rather persuasive.
We've met a few years ago, when this serious looking tall, bearded, man with glasses was sitting at a big loom weaving, and my scatterheaded, ADD child climbed in his lap, and they were weaving for hours, and I could not drag the kid away. ever since we exchange letters, or phone calls every few months, meet once or twice a year, still I feel like I've known him for all my life, like he was my teacher or something. Even though he is working with (foster) kids in the city I grew up, but as unbelieveable as it is, we've never really met...
Anyway, in our las phonecall he mentioned that this time he will not the the "kids" only a few grown ups, there would be some space, and a spinning demonstartion would do very well, what do I think... So at the last minute I ordered up someyarn and a bunch of wool, and for a few days the smell of wet sheep, dye and vinegar filled my place.
Since my participation was decided in the last minute I didn't really had time to even think about proper presentation, but the guys solved the problem.
The good thing was that I went with thinking that even if nothing else will happen, but I can spin to all my heart's desire for five days without feeling guilty, I already got a good deal. And of course, there I was, spinning, turning the spindle, and a lot more happened, of which I will not be able, or will not want to write down. All in all, I am grateful for the oppotunity to be there and being part of some really lucky(?) great(?) who know the right word... meetings.
There were a lot of interest... from strangers...
And from friends... Like Adrien, with who we share our love for spinning...
"Auntie" Clara, with who I look forward to meet each year. She spins as well, different way than I do, but we always watch happily how the other is working.
I got some new acquittances, maybe even friends, like Dia, who is happy about her first spindle and wool. (Dia, braces or not, your smile is beautiful!).
Across our space a full barbershop was in operations, and out guys had their face cleaned up :-)
But aside of the barbering there was serious woodworking going on...
And spinning, like a well behaving virus was catching.
So much my host gave it an other try. He do knows how to spin (isn't that awesome??), though do not practice it to often.
So a heartfelt thank you for all who made this few days unforgettable. My "Uncle" Peter with who we could laugh in pouring rain...
Attila, the maker of gorgeous wooden flowers...we redheads should keep friends, don't we? 
Istvan, the solver of every problem...the long haired brigade :-)
And those of whom I didn't manage to catch a picture, Evelyn, Kati, "Zsák" (Bag), Zotya, and the others.
Thank you for letting me being part of your team, for accepting me, and making possible for the celebration be a real one again.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Weekly spinning- Cleanse the palate

Back in an other lifetime, in some restaurants in the US between some certain courses they served lemon or lime icecream, to "cleanse the palate". As I am trying to get back to the groove, I was/am spinning a lot more than I was/am knitting... By the time I finished the red carded batts I knew the next thing I should spin will be red again...
I was also dyeing a lot of red, and mauve-is yarn and wool...However, I wanted to cleanse my palate, and decided before I get back to the reds again, I will tackle this braid of natural colored alpaca top I had for years now.
The silky alpaca lends itself to long draw spinning and that is what I did. With this, it is decidedly more rustic and uneven than my regular short draw, but it is also softer and fluffier... if fluffy is a word that applies to thin yarn, even though this is slightly thicker than my usual.
100 gramms, natural colored.
500 meters, two ply, semi woolen.

Friday, August 15, 2014

Official announcment- The festival of folk arts

A phonecall about something totally different took a sudden turn, and I reorganized my days around our biggest national holiday of August 20th, in which, if you read my blog you know, that the biggest craft fair is held...
Even though two years ago, I wow-ed that I will never ever go otherwise but as a private visitor, the invitation arrived from a person I deeply like, I couldn't say no...So I rushed and ordered some wool, immersed myself, in my dyeing pots...
Beside the spindles I use to teach, Enikő made some really awesome ones.
If you happen to be in Hungary, you might find me in the Újvilág udvar (new world garden).
And Just for fun I will show you the special harstick I used to pin up my hair while dyeing...