handdyed – Garngalleriet Mikrofarveri

Udgivet i 01/07/2014 af Birthe P — 2 kommentarer

Håndkæmmet / Hand combed

Lækkert, lækkert er det at spinde! Som en blød ulden drøm, en sommersky, en fuglerede af fiber..

Håndkæmmede BFL/polwarth fibre spindes på Aaes-ten / hand combed BFL/polwarth on an Aaes spindle

Jeg overvejer at lancere de håndkæmmede fibre som et luksus-produkt i webshoppen. Det bliver ikke et billigt produkt, for det tager lang tid at kæmme. Men resultatet er så lækkert og delikat, at jeg tror på at de mange spinde-feinsmeckere derude vil kunne li’ det!
Til projektet som ses på disse fotos har jeg valgt to forskellige håndmalede tops: en BFL i røde/orange/pink/mørke farver og en polwarth i temmelig lyse rødlige og grønlige nuancer. De to kæmmer jeg sammen på mine gode gamle enkelt-radede Viking uldkamme:

Efter kæmningen trækkes fibrene af kammen i et langt, tyndt fiberbånd (top) gennem en diz. En diz er en skive med et hul i, simpelthen. Min her er af træ, men man kan også bruge andet, f.eks knapper eller en 1-krone.

Det kæmmede bånd er trukket af kammen gennem en diz / the top is pulled off the comb through a diz

– Og så er fibrene klar til spinding! Jeg vikler dem omkring min arm og så går det derudaf, her på min dejlige håndten fra Aaes, med ægte kamgarnsspinding.
Det går som en leg.

Summary in English:
Hand-combing and blending of fibers and colours, using my good old Viking Wool Combs. The combed preparation is a delight to spin – so soft and lovely. Like spinning a cloud!
For this project I have combed together two different colourways and fibers: BFL in red, pink, dark, purple colours and polwarth wool in much lighter shades of reds and greens. I spin on an Aaes spindle. Such a joy!
Maybe the hand-combed fibres will show up in the webshop soon …

Udgivet i 06/05/2014 af Birthe P — 2 kommentarer

Næsten færdig – Almost done!

Jeg lukkede masker af her til morgen – endelig! Selvom perlegrus er en meget smuk og enkel strikketeknik er den også lidt langsommelig at strikke, og jeg nåede at blive en smule træt af det her til sidst. Men nu er blusen omsider klar til sammensyning, og så skal der kanter på. Hvilken slags har jeg ikke besluttet endnu, men jeg hælder til en enkel hæklet kant rundt i halsen og på ærmerne. Måske også rundt forneden.

Jeg elsker farverne! — Jeg elsker farverne i det håndmalede Opus-garn!

Jeg glæder mig til at flashe blusen til Saltum Uldfestival her i weekenden! 🙂

English summary:
I have just cast off the last stitches of my linen-stitch sweater this morning. Now all that remains is sewing up the seams and making some kind of edge at the neckline and the sleeves.
Looking forward to wear this garment at Saltum Uldfestival this weekend!

Udgivet i 22/02/2014 af Birthe P — Skriv en kommentar

Just Blue – Blot Blåt

I am a relatively new member of the knitting society “Seriøs Strik For Sjov”, which means “Serious Knitting For Fun”. Every year the members are encouraged to knit/crochet/craft something for a travelling exibition. This years theme is “Just Blue”, and that simply means that only blue items are allowed.

The deadline is on March 1st, but I handed in my blue item the other night when we met at Silkeborg Museum, as usual on the third thursday of the month.
Before I let go of my blue thing, I took a few photos. Our chairman Hanne has given permission to publish photos, so here it is:

The top is knitted in two long panels that goes over the shoulders, each one dyed in two blue colors. The idea was to knit with exactly the number of stitches required for the color change to find place in the middle of the panel. It meant that I had to pay great attention to gauge – I litteraly had to count on every row, allowing for some drifting – but not much.
The two panels were joined front and back with mattress stitching, and the sides are mesh panels.

I like how the two panels that make up the front and back are so different. The dark blue/turquoise panel gave name to the top: The color shifting looks kind of like the equalizer-panel on the stereo..

Apart from finishing my Equalizer Top I have been weaving. Soon I will be ready to cut down the two rugs in Swedish Rosepath-pattern. They will be approximately 2 meters (80 inches) long, the first one a little longer than the second. The weaving width is 80 cms (32 inches), but I expect the width to crawl in to about 70 cms.
Here is a look at the pattern of the second rug:

Cutting down will be very exiting! It will happen in a few days.. I’m curious to weigh the rugs to find out the amount of yarn that has gone into them – I have used nothing but stash yarns.
Yes. I have a serious stash..

Udgivet i 05/01/201413/01/2014 af Birthe P — Skriv en kommentar

Sweater love

I knitted this sweater in no time. Even spun the yarn in no time. I just loved the pattern so much, the stitch pattern was easy and fun to knit, and the ever changing colors of the handspun singles just kept med going and going..

The yarns (because there are two yarns) are: Handspun singles, Noro-look-alike-yarn, spun pretty fast from carded wool/silk/alpaca-fibers in colorway “Delight”. The other yarn (the top of the sweater body and sleeves) is BFL-Steps, my handdyed sock yarn. The latter held double.
The pattern I found in Noro Magazine #2. It’s called “Mesh banded pullover”.

I am really happy with this garment. It fits perfectly and is not too hot to wear indoors. Love it!

Udgivet i 03/11/201303/11/2013 af Birthe P — 3 kommentarer

Malabrigo Silky Mittens

After knitting the mittens for my daughter, I decided that I would make a pair for myself, but with a different cable pattern and in a new-to-me yarn. After all, it was October, and the mornings were getting a bit chilly.

Now it’s already November, and I’m sure to keep my hands warm in these cabled mittens:

Cabled mitts in Malabrigo Silky Merino

The pattern is up for sale in my webshop. Danish version only, for the time being.

The yarn is also to be found in my webshop. Malabrigo Silky Merino is a wonderfully soft singles yarn, 51% merino wool and 49% silk. Knits on needles 3,5 to 4 mm. There are 17 beautiful hand painted semisolid color ways to choose from!

I have used the color named “Jupiter” for my mittens, and I used only one skein.

Udgivet i 10/03/201329/06/2013 af Birthe P — Skriv en kommentar

Now finished!

It lives around my neck. Not easy to get it off..

I love how the Brande Shawl turned out! Here’s a look at the whole Shawl:

I have been playing around with some textured yarns lately. Here is a yarn I spun yesterday, out of lovely grey wool locks and a multicolour merino strand that had been sitting around on a drop spindle for a few years.. Old an new meet..

And this one is a coiled yarn. Very fun spin!.. :

Udgivet i 16/10/2012 af Birthe P — Skriv en kommentar

Dyeing yarn.

Mostly I’m dyeing fiber, not yarn. But lately that has changed, mainly because of my dyeing of the wonderful Yorkshire and Buble yarns for BC Garn.

But I have decided to dye some yarns for my own webshop also. Of course noting like the colourways I do for BC Garn, but my own palettes, like this one:

Blue/lavender/golden colourway on BFL-yarn. Sold..

And this one:

garn82blaaturkisgraalig3 — Aquamarine/turquoise/greyish colourway. This lot is also sold..

Today I’m doing a batch of sock yarn in the colourway “Bright Mountain”. It’ll go on the webshop as soon as it’s dry!