Knitting With Granny LJ

Good morning:

Well, winter is squatting over us here on the Oregon Coast and has dumped 2 major storms in the last couple of weeks.  Next weekend, Karen and I are going to be at Crafts on the Coast, the November show. 

But that is not what I wanted to talk about this morning.  I finally got the tam done for my customer. 

The felting was not has hard as I thought it would be, fortunately.  I went to Kristy (she has been a spinner and a knitter and a felter for a number of years and recently opened a shop in Waldport) and got a lesson in felting.  I figured what I did to my husband’s sweater all those years ago did not count.

At any rate, after talking for a while, what we came up with was pretty simple.  She suggested I wash it in the washer in hot water with Woolite, and then dry it over a dinner plate. So I did. 

It took a lot longer to dry than I thought it would and I had to use 2 dinner plates to get the body stretched adequately. 

Yesterday, I met with my customer at Shorebirds and he tried the tam on and pronounced it good.  I exhaled a great sigh of relief.  I also told  him that since I had done his, I thought I would try doing some more tams. He thought that it would be a good idea, if I did not do them in black, because his black tam is part of his signature as a musician.  I assured him that I would only do black tams for him and that I had 5 more skeins of black wool ready for when he wants another one.  We both laughed.  He has been so patient with this project.  I don’t think either one of us thought it would take all these weeks. 

So I am off and ready to do some lady-tams and will begin experimenting after the show next weekend. 

Hope you have a good week.  Happy knitting.  Granny LJ

Good morning.

Those of you who have followed along with these entries will remember about the Aran knit sweater of my husband’s that I accidentally felted.

This morning I have hit another milestone.  This morning I felted for real — I think.  My customer at the outdoor market wanted me to make him a tam.  He is a musician and performs here in Lincoln County at various places.  For reasons that I still wonder about, I said I would. 

The first tam was a terrible hodge-podge, I was embarrassed about it.  And  when he came to pick it up, he asked me about felting it.  As noted above (and below) the only thing I have ever felted was my husband’s unlucky sweater.  I told him I would redo the cap for him and get instructions on felting it from a woman I know here in town.  So he took tam #1 and I went to work on tam #2. 

Well, the knitting for tam #2 went along all right.  I got felting instructions from a lady here in Waldport, who is a dynamite fiber artist.  This morning  I put the tam in the washer with hot water and  Woollite for 5 minutes.  Now it is drying, stretched over a couple of dinner plates. 

So the jury is still out on the felted tam.  I have no clue how long it will take to dry.  Will keep you all posted.

Right now, I want to get a new cap cast on and try my hand at another lace pattern.  Also have to get the the double point needles out and working.  The fall show is less than 2 weeks away. 

Happy knitting,  Granny LJ

Good morning:

Wednesday was my last outdoor market for the year.  In two weeks we change to Saturday and we will be inside the community center.  

I have had a great summer doing the market.  Sales have not been what I had hoped, but  getting out and meeting the people has been exciting.  I have met interesting people, gotten wound up in a special order cap that I am still working on, and laughed and drank some great coffee, and listened to the local musicians donate their time and music to help keep the music program in the schools here in Waldport. 

Doing a show or the market always rather suprises me.  I am talking to people I have never met before and the amount of knitting knowledge I have in my head and  I can  share with those people seems like a great deal, even though I am only making one product. 

On my work table right now is the black tam, which I will be working on today.  There is also a blue beram that is on double points, a Noro rolled brim cap that needs about 2 more inches of body and then will be ready for double point needles.  And finally is the lovely lavender rolled brim cap that is ready for top off. 

Today, all things being equal,  it will be me the needles and a silly movie of some kind or other. 

Looking forward:  October 17 is when we begin the indoor market that will run Saturdays until Christmas.  And, of course, the November show in Yachats.  So the time will be filled.  And I need to get knitting.  Hope you all have a great day.

Happy knittng.  Granyy LJ