Monthly Archives: September 2016

Spinzilla

Posted on September 29, 2016 by knittingthestash

I joined. I didn’t think I would. I am very unsure about what this all means. I do not think I have quite the “prepper” mentality that this undertaking may entail. But I did it. And this leap of faith … Continue reading →

Posted in community, fiber, fiber prep, handspun, need more fiber, spinning, Spinzilla, unexpected | 8 Comments

3-Ply 2-Ways

Posted on September 27, 2016 by knittingthestash

Mr Amazon and I are working on another “Melissa Spins” video for you. This time, the topic is 3-ply. I’ve made a few 3-ply yarns in the last couple of years; mostly from fleece or from lap waste–which meant that … Continue reading →

Posted in acquisitions, color, colorway, experiment, fiber, handspun, roving, spinning | Leave a comment

CU Spinners and Weavers Show n’ Tell

Posted on September 24, 2016 by knittingthestash

My guild is awesome. I’m sure there are other wonderful fiber groups out there–the fiber community has been one of the most excellent and welcoming collectives I have ever experienced. But my guild? The Champaign-Urbana Spinners and Weavers? Yeah. They’re … Continue reading →

Posted in community, fiber, fiber artist, FO, inspiration, spinners and weavers guild, unicorns | 2 Comments

Reader, I Did Not Buy 11 Pounds of Fiber

Posted on September 22, 2016 by knittingthestash

Oh, I thought about it. I dreamed about it (no, really!) Someday, I may still click the buy now button . . . But that 11 lbs of fiber sitting in an online shopping cart somewhere in the interwebs will … Continue reading →

Posted in acquisitions, fiber, lap waste, spinning, unexpected | 5 Comments

Sampling

Posted on September 20, 2016 by knittingthestash

When I first started spinning, I was a bit more adventurous–mostly because I had no idea what I was actually doing! Then, I found my first few braids, purchased some raw fleece, and began to believe that everything should be … Continue reading →

Posted in community, fiber, handspun, homespun, sampling, spinning, testing, unexpected | 2 Comments

Man at Work

Posted on September 15, 2016 by knittingthestash

When he’s not reinventing the knitty naughty, Spencer has been hard at work on the loom. Right now we have it set up for all manner of twill and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying S’s spirit of innovation and experimentation . … Continue reading →

Posted in big projects, inspiraton, loom, Spencer, Uncategorized, weaving | 1 Comment

Video Tutorial: Knitty Naughty

Posted on September 13, 2016 by metaspencer

This is a guest post by Spencer I think I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: knitters and spinners like their gear. They start out with a few sets of knitting needles, and you think to yourself “There … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, video | 5 Comments

Video Tutorial: Adapting a Pattern

Posted on September 10, 2016 by knittingthestash

Hot Pantz Math was so much fun that I asked my better half (and video-maker husband) to whip up a quick instructional video for  posterity. I am proud to present another installment in what he has termed the “Melissa Knits/Melissa … Continue reading →

Posted in gauge, help!, instruction, knitting, knitting math, measuring, pattern, tricks and tips, video | 2 Comments

Hot Pants Math

Posted on September 8, 2016 by knittingthestash

I have done the math! I have fully used both my gauge swatch and a sample pattern to figure out how one constructs a pair of knit pants. And now, all that’s left is to see how they turn out. … Continue reading →

Posted in diagrams, hot-pants, knitting, pants, plans, schematic, unicorns | 1 Comment