more photos available, email marcjoseph@marcjoseph.com

www.marcjoseph.com

Here is Henry with his aviator hat and boots.  He is a 4 3/4" panda (6 1/2" with his hat and boots on).  He is made of German mohair, a short beige mohair for his head and body and a bluish grey slightly longer mohair for his arms, legs, and ears.  I hand-dyed and distressed him for a well-loved look.  His hat and boots are 100% wool felt.  His hat has wool yarn trim and cotton floss tassels.  His boots have a vintage glass bead embellishment.  I especially loved doing the distressing and detailing, and designing and making the accessories.

• Pattern: Gelato Bag (Fiber Trends AC-76 by Bev Galeskas)
• Yarn: Cascade 220 (wool), colorway 2401 Burgundy, 1 skein (only a couple yards leftover) + Bollicine Etoile (mohair/acrylic), colorway 111, just a little more than one ball (only used 6 grams of the second ball)
• Needles: Size US 11 Clover 16" Circular (also Boye US 10.5 aluminum straights to hold stitches for 3-needle bind-off on handles... I later found my size US 11 aluminum straights in a UFO to be frogged)
• Started: 7/6/08
• Finished Knitting: 7/13/08
• Felted: 7/30/08
• All Finished: 8/2/08 (added clasp)
• Clasp: Clover magnetic closure and copper-colored dragonfly button, bought at Yarns R Us, Hamburg PA
• For those on Ravelry, project page is here

This was a really fast knit -- even though it was a whole week from cast-on to bind-off, I didn't work on it every day. In fact, I think there were at least 4 days or so where I didn't touch it at all, and there were some days where I only did a couple of rows. The bulk of the knitting was done on the first and last days. It's also an extremely easy project to make!

The photo on the right shows the bag before felting. The photo below shows the bag after felting, while it was drying. (Click on the photos to see a larger version.) It shrank a little more in height than width. After felting, the purse measured about 12" across (when flattened), and about 9" from the center bottom to the opening on top. So, it ended up roughly 75% of its pre-felted size.

I probably could have felted it a little more, but any smaller and it wouldn't really work for Mom. As it is, I don't think it will be a daily-use purse for her, since she tends to have a heavy purse full of all kinds of stuff. But I think she'll still appreciate it and use it at least occasionally.

Now that I have indeed learned to read, and realized that those commas were in the pattern for a reason, I'm hoping to whip out the sleeves tonight and get this baby blocking!  I have a fancy new blocking board to try out as well. 

The Brudha hat is once again a beautiful purple ball.  Perhaps this weekend I will try Plan D.  I would like to shout out to my cats Jack and Piper for helping me make this beautiful round ball, I could not have done it without you.  No seriously, your help is always indispensable!

When I need a simple project to bring out or take to SNB the pink Hazy Pazy scarf has been fitting the bill, and it continues to grow, 34" to date.

That means it is long enough to fit around my neck once.  I'm thinking once that ball is done, it may be plenty long.  We will have to see.  I'm working on a good idea for a matching hat.  These ideas of mine don't usually work out, but we'll see.  This one could be different!

1) Anais: I'm up to the front neck shaping, and it should go lickety split from here on out.  I think I'll get to the cool lace inserts this weekend!  Now I just have to figure out what I have to wear it over, or if I need to acquire a new top that is more appropriate. 

2) Pink Scarf:  I need to get cracking on this with the cool mornings we've been having.  Its going to be perfect to wear with my nylon trench coat as I run to catch the bus.  Scratch that, as I leisurely make my way to the bus stop with plenty of time to spare!  Its going to get undivided attention after Anais is finished up.

3) The Brudha hat is coming along again, and will be my travel project for a little while.  I'm just finishing off the ribbed cuff, so I don't know yet whether Plan B will be successful, or Plan C, or a Plan D needs to be formulated.  Again, this is going to be great on those fall mornings coming up.  Can I wear a purple hat and pink scarf?  Fashion Police?  Sigh, they don't teach engineers fashion, just lotsa math!

I was putting her up for adoption on TIB when it suddenly hit me that I do not have a Mohair Blythe. I stopped typing. I do like STA. I think she's a very classy, elegant chick, albeit the original Mumsy hair that she came with and my failed attempt at giving her luscious locks. What if, just what if... I give her another new look. She could be my first mohair baby. 

My search for mohair started. The Bountiful Baby site scared the shit out of me and I had to get out  of that site as soon as I can without buying anything. I did not want wefted mohair from Coolcat, besides the hair looks like a mess and the colors looked unimaginative. I spent the last two hours researching on Mohair and found that 1) bad news is that there are not many sites that sells nice dyed mohair that ships overseas and 2) good news is that shearing months are in August (yipee!) which means there will be lots of mohair to go about soon.

I have emailed 2 sellers who looked like they might be willing to dye the hair for you at reasonable prices. Now I am just playing the waiting game. I will come back with more information on this site once I have found my source. 

Wish me good luck!

 I began my Clapotis last spring.  It was a fun and fast knit.  I was looking for something to use my left over mohair/silk yarn for.  It is a 70% mohair/30% silk blend. 

Because of the yarn it did take some time to unravel those stiches in the end.  It was well worth the effort though, and I think I put that yarn to good use. 

  When I found this pattern on Ravelry I didn't know how popular it was.  It wasn't until I was done knitting up mine that I saw it on project lists all over Ravelry.  I can see why it is so popular, it's a simple and fun pattern, it knits up quick as well.  And, it looks great!

I am pretty sure I will make another one of these one day.  I would love to try it in other fibers, make it chunky and juicy.  How about a big blanket?  I could see that, something to wrap around myself, and who ever happens to be next to me while watching tv......mmmmdddaaaaa

It feels so soft and comfortable wrapped around you.  My daughter asked if she could keep this one!  I DON'T think so!!!!!!......well, maybe she can borrow it every now and then........but just maybe......

Kolla in dessa stickningsguiderna från Hemmets journal och Garnstudio om du vill ha hjälp. Eller ring mormor!

Garnet är billigt garn från Rusta, typ 90 % mohair uppblandat med ull och en gnutta akryl. Det är mycket skönare än ett dyrt jag köpte på någon mässa till en likadan sjal för ett tag sen. Och det är ju bra när man ska ha den runt halsen, vem gillar sticksigt liksom?

It's nice, jees? Nytt projekt påbörjat. Tänkte cykla och köpa garn till ett brett pannband, det blir ju lite kyligt på NZ i vinter (nästa sommar) säger dom. Men det pallade jag inte så nu broderar jag på en tisha. Hoppas det inte går år helvete.

Jag tror iof att tråden inte kommer räcka så det går ju inte som en dans, så att säga. Frågan är nu, ta upp och börja om? Fortsätta och hoppas på det bästa? Kanske finns det garn i samma färg? Eller använda två färger. Jag har inte bestämt mig än.

Tailoring in Chiang Mai,Fashion King

Review

"Fashion King" stocks a large selection of high quality cashmere, gabardine, wool, mohair, linen, cotton and silk fabrics. Check out our beautiful leather jackets.Just leave enough room in your luggage for items you intend you buy when you pack to come here to Chiang Mai. And since it is clothing and included in your luggage there will likely be no taxes, or duty to declare.

A fine selection of materials to select from including the best silk and fabric for your suits and dresses. We all know that when you "look your best", you "feel your best". Here is your chance to pick up some top quality clothing "Made to Measure" at a fraction of the prices you paid back home.

Recommend

Authentic Craftsmanship in Personalised Fine Tailoring

Contact

Telephone: 053-820342-3
Fax: *
Hot line: 081-9284575

Address

89/2 (G113, 114) Kalare Food & Shopping Centre, Chang Klan Rd., Chiangmai 50100 Thailand

Special Promotion

9 Good reasons why you should shop and appreciate Frank and Vanita at Fashion King

1. Knowledgeable : Frank can answer every question regarding textile.
2. Skilled : Finest fit with well experienced creative designers.
3. Value : Budget affordable, competitive rates with no compromise on quality.
4. Service : Individual attention in a comfortable atmosphere to ensure your satisfaction.
5. Convenience : Easily accessible located next to SCB (Siam Com. Bank) main entrance of Galae Food & Shopping Centre
6. Principle : Quality Customer’s satisfactions and value for money.
7. Products : Anything in textile if there is a name we have it. We stand by our products, it’s value & it’s quality
8. Speciality :  100% Egyptian Cotton, 100% Thai Silk, Blended wool, 100% Cashmere.
9. Satisfaction : Guaranteed No obligation Free Delivery + Transportation

What has brought me back to the blog? Well, I have something to share. I want to talk about this place, Belfast Mini-Mills, in Belfast, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Behind this humble entrance is a treasure trove.

I should explain that this is not just a store. This is a mill. They process exotic fibers from around the world, such as yak, camel, alpaca, llama, cashmere, bison, musk-ox and mohair...oh, and sheep wool. I know this is true because I saw it!! Despite the fact that we arrived only an hour before closing, we were given a tour of the mill. I saw bags and bags of cashmere (pictured below)!

I also saw bags of qiviut! I'm not kidding!!

The owners invented the "cottage industry" machinery they use. This enables them to process fiber in smaller batches than larger commercial mills. Larger commercial mills will combine fleece. So, you might get your own fiber back, but in combination with others. However, when you send your fleece to the Belfast Mini Mill, you can be sure that you get your own processed fiber back. In fact, Belfast Mini Mills has developed 27 other mini mills world-wide!

The mill process begins with cleaning, carding, and drafting the fibers. As it goes through the machinery, the wool is collected in another small room. They have spinning equipment, which was fascinating. They also produce wool felt, and make up needle felting kits.

Then, there were the animals.

As we were given a tour of the mill, my daughter was given a tour of the farm. She was ecstatic! She was responsible for carefully collecting nine eggs, from the nests in the hen house. Apparently there were tiny baby chicks that were white in colour. My daughter fell in love with a very cute, *free*, bunny. We did not come home with it, fortunately. The bunnies really were cute though, and run freely around the barnyard.

Then there was the store.

They had all kinds of exotic yarns. The cashmere almost seemed ordinary!! Those are alpaca/nylon socks in the upper left hand corner. They also had superwash wool socks, and I came home with a pair for my husband. I forgot to take a picture of the wall o' socks.

They also sell needle felting kits, as I mentioned, mittens, gorgeous woven hand towels (pictured), which I almost bought, soaps, wool dyes, books, dyed roving, blankets... This is a woven, merino wool blanket that my mother bought:

They had qiviut socks, if you want to really splurge! So, so, soft...

Too pricey? Here are musk-ox leather pouches containing qiviut samples.

Would you like to see what I bought?

I got two skeins of 100% camel down. It is so soft, I had to take it home. It was $20/skein. I also got this:

That's two skeins of chunky merino wool, $8/skein. I also got a wool dyeing starter kit for $20. I can't wait to give it a try.

I decided to include prices I paid, because I don't think they have that kind of information on their website. I have no affiliation to this place whatsoever; however, I had great fun there, and I thought that others might be interested in hearing about it. It's worth a visit, or a phone call. I have linked to their website, but I also have their business card. Comment here, if you would like me to forward their phone number or email address. Gotta love PEI!

]]> http://alternativecothing.wordpress.com/?p=11 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:56:35 +0000 maliceclothing http://alternativecothing.wordpress.com/?p=11 There are two items of apparel which I thank god for every day.

 The first is the corset.  Oh, wonder of wonders - never since has there been a more glorious invention in all the land!  Beautiful to look at, (almost) always flattering and absolute punishment to wear.  What more could one ask for?

 But even more intriguing than the garments themselves are the girls who fill them.

 Corsetgirls.

 You'll see them gliding around the dance floors of your local gothic hangout, ethereal and silent.  And almost always pissed off. Sipping on cheap box wine and looking eternally displeased with the general state of the universe. Disappearing for ages, only to reappear looking flushed and full of malice. There's just something so... fascinating about them.

 A friend of mine (a confirmed corsetgirl herself) explained the mysterious lure as such:

• A) When wearing a corset, it is very difficult to breathe, making conversation not only difficult, but potentially life threatening. Silent glaring is always best. When in doubt, glare silently.
• B) When wearing a corset, one can only bend at the waist, making slow ethereal gliding the only practical method of locomotion.
• C) When wearing a corset, one spends one's entire night in a state of deep discomfort (only achieved, she explained, if one is ‘wearing it right').
• D) When wearing a corset correctly, one may indeed be in danger of slipping a disc or at the very least compressing the T11 or T12 vertebrae. Any sudden grabbing of the tiny tempered waist (commonly experienced at the hands of drunken gothic men) could lead to spinal injury. It is therefore prudent to emanate a clear message of "Fuck off and Die" with one's general demeanor, to avoid such dangerous incidents.
• E) When a corset wearing individual disappears temporarily, it's probably time for them to breathe oxygen for a bit. Never fear, they'll be back stronger than ever in a few minutes. Whatever you do, do NOT follow them.

 Now, this is all very well.  But woe betides the poor sorry sod that actually falls for the Corsetgirl's lure.  This is where my second item of apparel which I thank god for every day comes in.

 It is my pair of mohair socks.

 These must be worn when one is moping at home in front of the television, eating ice cream and crying softly after Corsetgirl has broken one's spirit.  They are very comforting in such situations, I've found.  They are thick and woolly, and good for mopping up the blood of a broken soul (if we were to be terribly emo about it).

 Malice Clothing does not yet make corsets, but I've heard they're making the most amazing killer military boots ever. Boots for kicking ass.  Or kicking corset girls.  Mohair socks sold separately.

It's everywhere. And it's just about more hair than I can handle right now. I'm washing the fleeces from January's shearing- because the shearer will be here in less than 2 weeks- and I need to empty all the laundry baskets that I keep the fleeces in so I can fill them again. (yes, I have 13 laundry baskets- one w/ each goat's name. Oh wait- I don't- this will be Babies Griffin and Jewel's first shearing. Gotta go get a few new baskets...) Since I'll be on vacation next week, I really do need to get it done this week. Also, I spoke to the farm where I get my border leicester fleeces from, and once I get home I'll be able to pick up a few. So I won't be sending great gobs off to the mill for this fall, but then once she shears her lambs in Sept. or Oct., I'll get more. Here's the exciting thing- I will be getting a couple pounds of (ok, sit down) bluefaced leicester lambswool. So there will be a major fleece dye-fest coming up in a few weeks.

Now, with vacation coming up, I'm starting to think of vacation knitting. It gets a whole laundry basket devoted to it. (yes, I love laundry baskets- they're great for organizing fleeces, packing, then keeping the kids' stuff organized in the hotel, hauling towels to the beach, etc) I always take way more knitting than I can possibly do- but wouldn't it be just awful if I ran out??? So anyway, I think I'll have to start making lists tomorrow.

I finished the first skein from that beautiful Black Bunny Fibers fiber club roving. (by the way, she has spots open in her new sock yarn club and yarn club- I highly recommend you try one). Here it is...

353 yds. Almost 4 oz. Very happy. Here it is w/ the rest of the roving.

The yarn is a 2-ply, and the colors were plied into each other, so it lost some of the vividness of the roving. I'm going to Navajo ply the remaining, which will keep the individual colors plied onto themselves, and that should preserve the vividness. So I'll hang on to the first skein, and we'll look at them together when I'm done. Joe posted a picture of his beautiful roving from the fiber club shipment here- and I'd be extremely envious, if I didn't love mine so much. Actually, I am envious, and I want them both.

We discovered tonight that goats love watermelon. The kids were eating theirs outside, and luckily, the goats prefer the rind to the inside- worked out well for everyone.

Lastly, here are Baby Jewel and her mom Genevieve. When it gets hot, the goats hide under the deck- it's shady and the ground is cool. I just loved the way Jewel was resting her chin on her mom, and poor Genevieve looks like she's thinking its just too hot... 

I am slowly adding more fibers to my Speckled Ram Etsy shop. The colours are more muted and well suited for Fall. By the by, I am really quite smitten with the lovely Mohair top. I plan to spend some time playing with some myself. Please keep checking in...

Cafe Press goods for sale are still in the works. I will keep you posted. It all time more time than I seem to have on hand.

In light, Pepper

Materiales:

- 200 gr lana hebra fina con pelo color tiza ( 2 madejas)

- 80 gr lana cashmilon fino color lila

- 60 gr lana cashmilon bebe rosa pálido

- 60 gr lana cashmilon bebe rosa fuerte

- Agujas num 7

Se teje con dos hebras, usando la de color tiza como base y alternando las rosas y lila.

Espalda: Montar 40 p con lanas tiza y lila, tejer punto elástico simple 4 cm y pasar a pto jersey. A los 10 cm aprox cambiar la lana lila por una rosa y seguir alternando para hacer las franjas. A los 45 cm del comienzo disminuir 2 ptos de cada lado para la siza y tejer 18 cms más. Cerrar.

Delantera: Se teje igual que la espalda, pero 5 cms antes de terminar cerrar 6 ptos centrales para el escote ,cerrar en las vueltas siguientes de cada lado 3 pts, 2 pts y 2 pts y continuar hasta completar el largo total.

Mangas: montar 22 ptos, tejer 4 cms punto elástico simple , seguir con jersey y luego aumentar 1 punto de cada cada 10 vueltas , 8 veces y continuar hasta un largo total de 43 cms.

Coser un hombro y tomar los puntos del escote para tejer el cuello, 4 cms de elástico simple.

Terminación: Coser el otro hombro, mangas y costados.

Greetings all. I have more items to post to my Speckled Ram Etsy shop over next couple of days. The hand dyed Mohair top is truly lovely. I just cannot say enough about it. I drool when I think of it spun into a more fine rather than thickish yarn. 

Also, I have some dyed Leicester locks already posted. There will be more colourways added soon. Just waiting for them to dry off a bit. They're just lovely locks.

I've been working behind the scenes on my Cafe Press designs. If you like the sheep graphic I designed for my logo, it will be available on mugs and other items as time permits.  I'll send a shout out when I launch my Cafe Press store.

Cheers for now, Pepper

Grandmother's Stole is now being made out of Plymouth Royal Bamboo as a result. And the offending yarn balls are being relocated to a good home. (Apparently the SO's mom has no issue with mohair, and she said she'd be happy to take it off my hands. :)

This works well for me because I ended up Stash diving to find something else to work with, so I am happy, and she is happy. This is a good thing.

I decided to use the Stripe with Twisted Bars pattern from the Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara G. Walker as my design for the stole. I like the way it looked in the mohair, so hopefully it will turn out just as pretty in the thicker bamboo.