Author: Marie Haigh

I started knitting 15 years ago right around the time of my marriage and the birth of my niece.

A Spindle for me and an AC for us all

Marie Haigh10 Comments

My new spindle arrived on Friday! My knee jerk reaction was to rip the package open and extract my new toy. Yet it was received in such pretty wrapping, I couldn’t resist taking pictures to show you.

Wrapped in Merino roving

Spindle wrapped in Silk roving

Spindle assembled
It’s another Turkish spindle, of course.

The stats:
Purchased from Jenkins Woodworking
Hand crafted by Ed Jenkins
Made from Asian Satinwood
1.2 oz.

Another picture because I think it’s so pretty

The first thing I had to learn was how to accomplish a half-hitch knot. Between Dan’s book on knots (Don’t ask me why he own a book on knots. I really couldn’t explain.) and Spindlicity’s step-by-step instructions, I finally got the knack down. And I was off!

The second thing I learned was that I need more practice spinning. Finally, the last tidbit I learned was that silk was awfully slippery and not something to meddle with while still learning how to make a half-hitch knot.

Still, all these little setbacks and learning experiences did not dissuade me from spinning. The brutal heat did.

Our old air conditioner died at the end of last summer. Since Fall was starting and cool days were upon us, we didn’t bother to replace it.

Saturday, with the heat index over 100 degrees F, we made it a priority. We tore out the old one and installed a new one. When I say ‘we’, I really mean ‘Dan’. Dan did the lion’s share of the work. I merely helped move the old AC, oh, maybe a total of six inches. Truly, I don’t know what he would do without me sometimes.

Our new AC:

Jake after his daily walk on Sunday morning:

He’s no fool.

Baby, It’s Warm Outside

Marie Haigh7 Comments

Though not official until June 20th when the solstice will occur, Summer has started to strut her stuff.

My roses are blooming.

The Fancy version:

The Wild version:

I don’t need my garden to tell me it’s starting to get hot outside though. The sheer fact that I can no longer knit in the front room of my house (living room) without my hands getting sweaty is proof enough. Because all my current knitting projects use wool, I have relocated my knitting materials to the back room, the guest bedroom.

Year-round, it is the coolest room in the house. It is shaded by two trees and the L-shape of the kitchen. In the winter, we avoid the room and even shut it off from the rest of the house. In the summer, when not sitting underneath the air conditioner watching baseball, Jake can find us either in the back room or in the basement.

As you can see from the picture, I have started on the last handspun tie for my Christmas Tree skirt.

Yarn and Fasting

Marie Haigh11 Comments

Do you remember me telling you about the sweater jacket I had knitted, but hated to wear? I frogged it some time ago. This weekend I finally reskeined all the wool.

It took several hours. I had knit the jacket with two strands of yarn held together. So, first I had to separate the two strands and then I had to whirl them up on my umbrella swift. If ever I have been grateful that I purchased the swift so many years ago, my gratitude soared this weekend. If I had been required to wrap the yarn around a chair, I think my arms would have fallen off and my mind would have followed them.

Most of the advice I had read in the past advised me to simply steam the skeins. But, I had 19 skeins. I couldn’t even imagine how long it would take me to steam 19 skeins individually. Needless to say, I didn’t steam them. Rather, I gave them a good soaking and used my washing machine to spin the water out. It worked like a charm. They were hanging in my basement (laundry room) to dry in the course of 20 minutes.

Two days later, they are still drying, but I am in no rush. I still have a Christmas tree skirt to finish knitting before I can starting dreaming of my new sweater jacket. Since I first frogged the original sweater, I have been hunting for a replacement pattern. I found it a week and a half ago: Louhi by Tuulia Salmela (Ravelry link).

As adorable as Jake looks in the picture above, he is causing me grief. Periodically, he decides that rather than eat his Eagle Pack dog food, he would prefer to live off of dog biscuits and peanut butter. Mind you, on a typical day, he might get one small biscuit from the mailman and one large biscuit from me. He receives a kong filled with peanut butter as a bedtime snack. An 80 pound dog cannot live off of 2 dog biscuits and a scoop of peanut butter. It simply isn’t possible. Yet, Jake is a stubborn dog. He waits until he is famished with hunger (approximately 2-3 days of not eating) before he caves and starts eating the oh-so-boring-but-nutritious-and-hearty dog food.

We rescued Jake 2 years ago. He is 5 now. We have done this fasting dance at least 5 times. My will is rock solid for the 1st day. I truly believe that Jake will simply eat at the next meal. After Jake has gone 3 meals without food (breakfast, dinner, and breakfast on the 2nd day), I start to lose my resolve and slowly crumble into a half-crazed (frustrated, bewildered, and worried) woman. Hand feeding doesn’t work. Switching the dog food does work (as I learned the 1st time we went through this), but I prefer to not take that route. Experts say that switching dog food every time a dog decides he no longer wants that particular food will create a picky eater. The goal is to NEVER have to do this fasting dance again.

Now, true, it is summer and Jake doesn’t eat as much food as he does in the winter. Rarely do we do this dance in the winter.

It’s times like these I really wish I could talk to my dog. Although, I imagine the conversation would go something like this:

Jake, you need to eat something.

I don’t want to eat dog food. I want a tasty treat instead.

Jake, you can’t live off of dog treats. It’s not possible.

I don’t care. Treats taste better than dog food.

Well, you have a point there, Jake. Still you need to eat ‘real’ food.

I’m sorry you are upset, but I’m still not eating that.

Yep. Sometimes words aren’t necessary.

A Reward for Getting Back on Schedule

Marie Haigh3 Comments

Last night when I finished the 6th tie in my Christmas tree skirt, I decided that I deserved a reward. I had been knitting diligently on this one project, trying desperately to get back on schedule. At the beginning of this year, I had mapped out a time line. If I knit one tie every month, I could complete the project by August – well in advance of Christmas. Two months ago, I fell off the wagon and didn’t knit any ties. This month, I made up for lost time and knit two ties.

Some people choose to reward themselves with chocolate. I eat chocolate everyday, so one piece isn’t a reward; it’s my daily alottment. Rather, I opted to play in my garden.

After coming home from our daily walk and chat with the neighbors, Jake and I spent the rest of the morning outside in the garden. I staked two tomato plants, laid more mulch, and planted Forget-me-not seeds underneath an Eastern Redbud tree, since the Columbine seeds never took. Jake laid in the shade and watched me work. He only moved if I was no longer in his line of sight.

My garden is growing!

By two in the afternoon, I decided that Jake was wiser than I. I was exhausted and Jake was dancing around me – full of energy. Waving a white flag, I went back inside the house.

I’ll leave you with one more brag picture: my new Mountain Laurel bush. It was purchased from my local gardener and planted this Spring.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Halfway to Christmas and a Tag

Marie Haigh5 Comments

Knitting Dragonflies tagged me almost two months ago with a traditional 7-weird-facts MEME, but I was paralyzed with writer’s block. I couldn’t come up with any odd and semi-interesting facts about myself.

Mr. Puffy tagged me with a MEME last week. His format requires that I answer a survey. I can handle a survey.

Here are the rules for this MEME:

“The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.”

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was attending Christian Brothers University part-time and working at Wright Medical Technology full-time. I had moved to Memphis, TN because my sister was attending CBU. By this time, 10 years ago, she had moved to Texas with her fiance and left me alone. I suffered through one Thanksgiving by myself before I caved and moved back home to Pennsylvania.

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?
(1) Take Jake for our daily walk. (2) Take pictures of my halfway completed Christmas tree skirt. (3) Update the blogs I maintain. (4) Water my garden. (5) Complete a few housekeeping chores: laundry, dress bed, mop kitchen floor, etc.

3) Snacks I enjoy:
In general, I don’t eat snacks. Instead, I have a 2nd breakfast. Breakfast normally consists of fresh baked bread, mostly made by me, but sometimes I cheat and purchase breakfast rolls from our local bakery.

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
I am a firm believer that the more money you have, the more of an obligation you have to do right by your family members and your community. Yet, I don’t know that I would do much differently. We would live in the same house. Perhaps, I would have a larger garden and a larger yarn stash. Dan would retire from his job and we would travel more to visit family. I would give money to my sister with the knowledge that it wouldn’t make her happy, but it might ease her burdens. Then, I would follow the footsteps of my grandparents and set up trust funds for each of our nieces and nephews. Additionally, I would donate more money to our veterans and their families.
It goes without saying that we would be debt-free. Bye, bye mortgage.

5) Places I have lived:
Born in Montgomery, Alabama. Lived there for 6 months.
Moved to Colonial Heights, Virginia
Moved to Buffalo, New York
Moved to Akron, New York
Moved to Erie, Pennsylvania – We lived here for 5 years. It was the longest period I lived anywhere during my childhood.
Moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Moved to Sebastian, Florida
Moved to Horsham, Pennsylvania
Moved to Memphis, Tennessee – college years
Moved to Morrisville, Pennsylvania after becoming engaged to Dan
Moved to Secane, Pennsylvania (our 1st apartment)
Moved to Frazer, Pennsylvania (our last apartment)
Moved to Pottstown, Pennsylvania (our 1st and last home)
I am NEVER moving again.

6) Jobs I have had:
My 1st job was working as a cashier clerk at McDonalds.
Next – QA inspector at Wright Medical Technology.
Then, I moved to Pennsylvania and worked as a receptionist at The Development Center.
Within in a year, I was promoted to Exec Assistant. During the downsizing, I became responsible for the entire HR and Finance departments.
I resigned because the stress was affecting my health (migraines, weight loss, etc)
I took a less stressful job as a Senior Admin Assistant at Elsevier.
I resigned from Elsevier 2.5 years ago to focus on becoming a knitwear designer.

7) Bloggers I am tagging who you will enjoy getting to know better:
A Piper Knits: She knits and she plays the bag pipes – not necessarily at the same time. A pity she doesn’t live next door. Though I imagine she would become weary of me requesting her to play March of Cambreadth over and over again.
Katia: She is a fellow Pennsylvanian. She knits, spins, and gardens. But mostly, I just love to read the funny stories about her two daughters.
Karen: Like me, she designs everything she knits. Recently, she has self-published a bag design for the first time. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of things to come. 
The Long Ladies: This blog is a family affair.  What a talented family they are! They design all of their own sewing patterns from aprons to bags to rugs. It is fun to watch what their creative minds come up with next.
Jane of Glorious Hats: I have been a constant reader of Jane’s blog for over 2 years now. Her hats are works of art. Most recently, she designed a hat for Meri Greenleaf to wear at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire.

Memorial Day 2008

Marie Haigh1 Comment

In memory of my grandfather who fought in WWII, in memory of Dan’s grandfather who fought in the Korean war, and in memory of the millions who fought for the freedom we hold so dear

Happy Memorial Day!

To my readers in the States, I hope you enjoyed the long weekend. I certainly did! I’ll be back tomorrow with knitting news and a tag.

When the Urge Hits You

Marie Haigh9 Comments

I don’t know about you, but my creative urges typically hit me late at night. Living in a small town, most stores close between 5 and 7 pm, except for good, ole Walmart which stays open till midnight. Of course, the nearest LYS is a half hour drive away. So, the chances of me obtaining a 2nd spindle at ten o’clock last night were nil.

My 1st spindle is hard at work spinning the brown roving from Serenity Sheep Woolens into yarn.

Yet, I had to ply my 1st handspun ball of wool together. I had to.

So, I drug out my kitchen scale and attempted to equally divide the ball of yarn. (Note to self: Buy a digital kitchen scale).

Then, holding the (inexact) middle point in my left hand, I drew out an equal length of yarn from my now 2 balls of yarn. The laws of Physics took over. The yarn fell back onto itself, naturally plying together until it was completely balanced. I repeated these steps twice over until I had a length of plyed yarn measuring approximately 3 yards.

Next, I wound up the plyed yarn into a small ball. Retrieving the rubber band from my hair, I wrapped it around the ball.

Again, I drew out an equal length of yarn from each of the two balls. I pinched the yarns together at the point where they met the two balls of single plyed yarn. Then, I stood on chair, holding my hands out in front of me, and let gravity do the rest.

You’ll forgive the lack of process pictures. I didn’t think the blogland needed to see a picture of me in my pajamas with my hair in shambles. A scary sight if ever there was one.

Instead, I will show you a picture of my handspun, two-plyed yarn cake. The yarn is bulky, measuring about 3 wpi (wraps per inch).

If you look closely at the separate length of yarn that was left over once I had plyed the balls together (a reminder that my kitchen scale lacks precision), you’ll notice that the yarn is not tightly plyed.

This is not a mark against my resourceful (a.k.a. cheap) method of plying. Rather it is a mark against the lack of tension I spun into the single plyed yarn.

As Merike Saarniit taught in her Spinning for Knitting class, “If you want it [the yarn] strong and tighter, you’ll need more twist on your singles – NOT more twist in your plying.” I highly recommend her class, assuming they are still offering it. I took Merike’s class at Stitches East in Baltimore, Maryland two years ago.

The only technique she didn’t discuss in her class was pre-drafting. I’ve found that the more you pre-draft the fiber, the easier it is to spin. Plus, it gives you a more consistent yarn. As Windyridge says, “Preparation is key. What you put in – you get out.”

As to what my plans are for this newly plyed wool, I’m not exactly sure. Last night I fell asleep with cabled pillows dancing in my head.

My Prize from Tyger Lily

Marie Haigh2 Comments

Karen of Tyger Lily hosted a Mother’s Day challenge on her blog earlier this month. Readers were to guess what she was going to do with the vintage embroidered handkerchiefs she had rediscovered while getting ready to move. My ambitious plan had her using the handkerchiefs to make a christening gown though all of her children are grown. Yep, I was wrong.

Nobody guessed correctly though, so she just threw our names into a hat and pulled one out. I was the lucky name drawn.

Look what I received.

Isn’t it lovely? It is a book cover using half of a vintage handkerchief coupled with flower fabric. It fits the book I had purchased for one of my close friends like a glove. The book cover is prettier than any wrapping paper I could ever find, so I’m leaving it on there.

Besides such pretty fabric will hoodwink a passerby into thinking that my friend is reading a romance book. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The book is titled A History of Murder by Colin Wilson. She has a passion for criminal psychology.

Thank you, Karen!

My 1st Attempt at Hand Spun Wool

Marie Haigh11 Comments

I finished spinning up the last of my Corriedale roving this morning!

Here is a closer pic of how the spun wool looks.

After taking several deep breaths, I slowly started to pull the spindle apart.

It worked perfectly. The ball didn’t collapse afterward nor did the hook snag any wool when I pulled it through the middle of the ball.

Now, I don’t know what to do with it. I would prefer the finished product to be a two-ply yarn. Plying it will help balance the yarn and lend it a more consistent thickness. I started out spinning with my muscles and nerves tensed and finished very relaxed. If left single ply, the yarn will read like a book.

I had originally intended to ply it with the brown roving I received two days ago. Yet, that would leave me in the same predicament. I would need to search for something to ply the 2nd ball of brown roving with.

I could ply the wool back onto itself, but I’ve never done that with such a large ball. I’ve only tried the method with just a few yards.

Well, that settles it. I need to go buy more roving. Grin.