My (almost) finished Minstrel

I haven’t posted in a very long time b/c life is too crazy for me to keep up on all this, but I had a couple of pics to share with my friends in the Kromski Spinning Wheel Owners group on Ravelry. I bought an unfinished Kromski Minstrel and planned to stain it cherry with some stenciled staining on the treadles and wheel in dark walnut gel stain, finished off with a rub-on polyeurethane. However, Carol (Doowicky) informed me of a wonderful product, Briwax, which is a blend of beeswax, carnauba wax, and toluene that is available in tinted varieties. Using Briwax, the finishing of my Minstrel went from an at least week long project to one labor-intensive day project. 

A little explanation of the stenciled staining:  I wanted to represent both of my grandmothers with the stained treadles. I knew from the start that I wanted a peony on one treadle to represent my father’s mother. My mother’s mother was a harder nut to crack. I finally came up with perfection. When my grandmother had passed away, she left me one of her Doulton Ladies, Southern Belle. I was looking at the figurine the other night and decided to copy the shoe for the other treadle. My grandmother had written some of her remembrances down for us to have after she passed away. She told a story of me as a baby being discovered playing with a mess in my diaper. At this point in her story, she addressed me saying, “Don’t feel bad about this; when I was a little girl, I pooped in my dad’s shoe.” I think its kind of funny that that was the last thing that my grandma ever said to me, so it had to be a shoe.

I planned to stencil these images in walnut, but was concerned that the stain would bleed underneath the stencil, so instead I drew the images on the wood and used Elmer’s glue to protect the wood that was not to receive walnut stain. The next day, using a damp rag, I cleaned off the glue. It worked fairly well, except you can see some staining from the glue around the shoe. 

Using Briwax in Dark Brown, I applied the wax using 0000 steel wool to all raw wood and polished it off with t-shirt material. I used a toothbrush to get into the crevices. Before I learned of Briwax, I had stained the whorls, bobbins, and orifice hook in cherry, so I applied the Briwax to these items using t-shirt material and did the same for the treadles. I had used a pre-stain wood conditioner on the treadles before the stenciled staining and that seems to have made the Briwax go on slightly unevenly there, but I am still happy with the results. I have not applied the Briwax to the walnut stained teardrops on the spokes of the wheel yet b/c I want the stain to set in the wood first, but it helps to show the effects of the Dark Brown Briwax pretty well by comparison. I also have included a photo of the flyer and bobbin b/c the bobbin was stained with cherry and finished with the Briwax, but the flyer was only coated with Briwax. You notice a bit of variation between the two, but its not overwhelming.

These pictures on my monitor look a little bit reddish, but there is really no red in the Briwax finish (the pieces with cherrry stain do have a slight reddish tinge). Other than that, I think that the finish was adequately captured in these pictures. That said, it is prettier in person. I hope you like it and that you may consider using Briwax if you have a wheel that needs finishing; it really was a pleasure to work with. 

PS:  That overly twisted yarn on the bobbin, some of that was my doing, but my husband couldn’t resist trying his hand too, so the REALLY twisted bits are his.

finished treadles

 

glue shoe

 

glue peony

wheel with some unfinished wood

wood variation

cherry stained bobbin, unstained flyer

more wood variation, love this bit

I’ve mentioned before some of the ways that my family is trying to live greener. Over at orchidknits.blogspot.com, there is a contest for the most unique use of reusable dishcloths. Act fast because the contest ends tomorrow. Its always great when I try to think of ways to use less and do my part.

I have found some wonderful crafts, but I haven’t the time to make them. You might notice that I barely have time to update my blog. I think its been about a month! In my imaginings, I knit some wonderful things, beautiful sweaters for all my friends and family, dresses and hats for my girl, sweaters and socks for me . . . but then there are the non-knitted items that I would love to make, but I can’t find the time, handmade soap (I have made some lovely soaps in the past), wonderful sewed bags to carry my knitting, a pillowcase dress, and cute, new fitted diapers for my girl. Maybe you could be inspired to make some of these items and I could live vicariously through your craft. Here are some of the beauties:

Wonderful Soap recipes Unfortunately, I had a great source for soap-making materials, but I just found out that the owner is closing up shop. I was always thrilled with her service and quick delivery. It makes me wonder, if “A Garden Eastward” can’t make it, how do some of these other companies stay in business? Sorry, I’ve gone off on a tangent.

Sock knitting Bag This looks so adorable and practical.

Bagsket knitting Bag This could very well be the most beautiful knitting bag I’ve ever seen. I think that if I had one, my couch would no longer be covered with my knitting projects.

Pillowcase Dress My girl is gorgeous (I know, I’m a little biased), but she would be even more beautiful in a dress like that. So pretty!

Fitted Diapers With my very active little girl, its hard enough to just get a diaper on her, much less be able to make a new diaper for her. I am in awe of WAHM’s who can do it.

Well, I hope this piqued your interest in one of these crafts . . . please don’t let me dream in vain. On another subject, I have completed the pattern for the Alyson tank/dress. I have been waiting for my husband to help me correct an error on the lace pattern. I’ll get on his back about it.

Needle: US size 6/4mm
Yarn: Peaches & Creme (Shrimp, Peacock, Teal, celery, etc.)

First of all, we have lots of wood and pergo floors in our new house. Secondly, I, like many people these days, am trying to cut down on the amount of garbage I add to the environment. These situations led me to discover this pattern. I approached it with a little apprehension. The swiffer covers that I buy in the store are “elecrostatically charged,” so I envisioned just pushing the dirt around while using my handknit swiffer covers. Nope; these things are great. I am so happy with them. The dirt and cat fur stick to the cover as well as it would stick to the electrostatically charged disposable covers. Yay!!

As an added bonus, one has to be careful when cleaning wood floors not to get them overly wet. I wet one of my knitted covers and squeeze it out well. Voila, it is the perfect dampness to clean a wood floor. Love, love love.

The world looks very different through my eyes as a parent than it did when I didn’t have another little life to care for. I was walking around our back yard last week and and was struck by fear at the sight of little mushrooms everywhere. My girl loves putting everything in her mouth at this point of her life. I thought about trying to protect her from the danger of what is in all likelihood many dangerous objects in our yard. I did some research and found that it is virtually impossible to remove the fungi and that I just have to follow my girl even more closely when she is outdoors. I also learned that some mushrooms that are considered safe for me could be poisonous to young children. Hmm, never realized that.

Just the other day, we were visiting my in-laws and enjoying some cherries off the tree. My 4 year old nephew was being scolded to stay away from the little berry bush and its unsafe fruit. One of the other little boys spouting his knowledge of the subject to my brother-in-law, “The birds can eat the berries and they are fine . . .” This reminded me of my childhood:  I was outside of our church and my mom was inside. We had raspberry bushes at my house, so when I saw a tree with little red berries, I decided to have a few. I was sick to my stomach for the rest of the day. And I think that I was old enough that I should have known better.

I guess that inside of the house is the only safe place . . . not quite. My husband had guests over the other day. They all removed their shoes before entering, yet I found 2 tiny shards of glass on the rug in the family room and one in the kitchen. It is nerve-wracking. I sometimes feel like a crazy mom, trying to protect my baby from all the dangers of the world, but I guess that to some degree being a mom requires a little bit of craziness.

This little sun hat was designed for my best friend’s new baby girl. While this hat is not pink, it is very girly with lace and floral ribbon. The eyelets on the crown add a bit more femininity, but also help to keep baby’s head cooler. The hat has only been knit in the smallest and the 6-12 month sizes, so if you make a different size, please let me know your thoughts. Thanks. This is my first pattern. I hope that you like it.

Size

0-3 months (3-6 months, 6-12 months, 12-24 months)

Finished measurements

Head circumference: 15 (16.25, 17.5, 18.75) inches

Materials

Lily Sugar’n Cream Confectionary Colors (100% cotton; 710 yds per 400g skein). color: Pistachio. 1 skein for all sizes with tons left over. Note: This yarn shrinks after a trip through the dryer. The pattern is designed a bit long to allow for machine drying.

Rose Garland Ribbon 16 (17, 18.5, 19.5 ) inches. (My ribbon was found at Michael’s, but you can also find it here)

1 16 inch US 6/4mm circular needle

1 set US 6/4mm double pointed needles

6 stitch markers

tapestry needle

Guage:

20 sts/22 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch.

Stitch definition:

SK2togPSSO: Slip the next st on the needle purlwise. Knit 2 sts together. Pass the slipped stitch over.

Error: In row 5 of the chart, after the first YO, K2tog (not K1 as indicated on the chart). I will update the chart when I get a chance.

Brim: CO 108 (120, 126, 135). Place marker. Join work and Row 1: K around. Row 2: P around. Rows 3 & 4: K around. Begin working the chart. *Work odd rows of the chart, K 1 (1, 3, 4) repeat from * around. Even rows of chart: K all sts. After completing one repeat of the chart, K around until work measures 2.5 (2.5, 2.75, 3) inches.

Hat body: K one round dec evenly by 0 (3, 0, 0) sts. Next round, *K3tog, YO, K3tog, YO, K3tog repeat from *. 60 (65, 70, 75) sts remain. K evenly for 1.0 (1.0, 1.25, 1.25) inches.

Crown: K 9 (10, 11, 12) SK2togPSSO, YO Place marker 5 times.

Row A: K all sts

Row B: *K to 3 sts before the marker. SK2togPSSO, YO. Repeat from * around.

Repeat Rows A & B until 3 sts remain between st markers. Next row, K all. The next row, SK2togPSSO around. 5 sts remain. Cut the yarn and thread it through the remaining sts. Pull the yarn tight and make a small knot.

Finishing

Weave in all ends. Lace the Rose Garland ribbon through the eyelets at the base of the hat body making sure that the ribbon is very slightly loose. Cut the ribbon to the correct length and tie the ends together on the underside of the hat. Alternatively, machine sew the ribbon ends onto the inside of the hat, with the ends of the ribbon separated by about 0.75 inches. Block the hat to size.

The patterns for the shorts and tank top will follow shortly.

In case you’ve missed me, sorry I haven’t updated in a while. Like I said before, we moved into our house. Its still a disaster, but its slowly coming together. There was also some wonderful news: my best friend had a baby girl and her arrival inspired some of my best knitting design. I’ll be sharing that with you in a short while. We also experienced a loss in my family. Finally, I must still plan my sister Lauri’s bridal shower, so life is a little hectic, but I’ll try to be better about updating here. I hope to share those knitting patterns soon. Until then, I work, plan, knit, do math, and must cook dinner for my family.

Pattern: Hedera

Needle: US 1/2.25 mm

Size: Small enough to fit my feet

Modifications: 10 repeats of the lace on the leg. 13 repeats on the heel flap.

Well, it is much more satisfying to knit these socks when I can actually wear the finished product. I love them. I will also always know that they are the socks that I was wearing the day that I became a homeowner. Don’t they look nice on the pretty wood floor of the kitchen?

All right, enough about my gorgeous socks . . . on to the gorgeous house. The basics: it is brick, built in the late 1800’s, 3 bedrooms, walk-in closet in master br, 2 baths with basin sinks, a sun porch,  wood-burning stove, deck with fountain and jacuzzi, and a finished attic. There is also beautiful carved wood and decorative doorknobs.

We’ve already experienced some of the negatives of home ownership. The previous owner kinked the gas line to the dryer when she was moving, so my husband spent most of today installing a new gas line. The sink and toilet in the downstairs bathroom have to be tightened in the near future, but there are positives too. I had been talking to my husband about plants. I wanted to plant irises, a lilac bush, and peonies. Yesterday, as we walked around the house, I saw those beautiful pink balls, the buds which burst into peonies. I squealed with delight. I also noticed irises in the front of the house. That only leaves the lilac bush, but I can survive without it for a little while. This year’s blooming season is over anyhow.

This will be really short because I’m a procrastinator. We are moving, closing on a house next Friday. I have to pack. No doubt about it. No more knitting socks for the moment (which by the way is a success. Hedera, the sequel is in production and half done). Must pack many boxes. Gotta go home and do it NOW!

Pattern: Miss Dashwood

Needle: US 5/3.75 mm

Yarn: Marr Haven Wool Yarn (worsted)–Lilac heather

Size: 1-2 years

Modifications: Due to some guage issues, I decreased the hat after the bobble edge. I brought it down from 93 sts to 85 sts. Therefore my version of the hat has a wider brim than originally written in the pattern.

All right, I love this yarn. I knit an Aran sweater for my husband with it and this hat. It feels so nice in my hands and makes beautiful, full fabric. It receives my highest endorsement.

About knitting this hat . . . I don’t know what is going on, but I have been having major guage discrepancies lately. Fortunately, Miss Dashwood still looks adorable, but that could be a result of being on such a cute model. The hat is a little too big right now, but my girl is only 8 months old. I’m thrilled that it will fit her for a long time. Right now its so big that she looks like Dark Helmet from the back.

The only problem, she’s not in love with the hat. She likes to rip hats off from her head, so earlier today she was crawling around with her face completely covered for a little while before she got the hat off. Little goofball!

In other knitting news (or rather “unknitting news,” I have frogged one of my too large Hedera socks. There is something strangely satisfying about pulling yarn with reckless abandon. I hope to have Hedera reknit in a wearable size later this month. Crossing my fingers.