Unspun Icelandic Wool: Can you say "Lets FROG more than we KNIT!"

If you go to this post you can read about this fiber/wool called Unspun Icelandic Wool.  Here you can see the start to this journey of my sweater. I bravely casted-on to start a sleeve and right away I found this unspun wool to be very nice to handle and pretty tough stuff.

The issue is the combo of needle size, pattern, lack of bold contrasting colors, and carrying too many colors in a round.  I would certainly say a personality flaw I have is jumping in with both feet, sinking into the abyss and then figuring how to pull my sorry arse out of the huge hole I dug for myself!  I am actually pretty good at this self rescue as I have been doing this for all of my life . . . the old saying of "live and learn" hmmmm!

My first go was with this pattern which is an older Lopi design.  I find myself drawn to these older classics.  This pattern can be found in Knitting with Icelandic Wool book by:Védís Jónsdóttir.  Which is a great resource for Lopi sweaters.  It is called Str´yta (not sure why the accent will not go over the "y").

Here is the sleeve which had a color issue.  There is white in the center of that pale grey only the grey is too pale and the white is barely noticeable. The next issue is I had to carry 3 colors which in double stranded Icelandic wool means 6 strands of unspun I am trying to carry along--not a pretty sight!

I frogged and picked this pattern from The Best of Lopi.  Another all time favorite of mine and a Lopi classic called Brigitte. The issue with this design was my colorway pick.  Once, I casted on for the sleeve there were more stranded issues, and the gauge was way off . . . back to rethinking this project out AGAIN! 

Here is the next sleeve.  This is when I realized again that I would be carrying to many strands, the colors were not bold enough and the sleeve was going to be too large.

The grey is totally getting washed out.  This is when I stopped to see how many rounds I would be carrying 3 colors which would be 6 strands of unspun and I slammed on the brakes!

Time to drop needle size, knit a swatch in the round, get gauge figured out, order some more yarn and move on to another project as I wait for my yarn to arrive.

My Lopi sweater is on hold until my yarn arrives most likely late this coming week.  I will be at a ski race in White Mountain. I hope to arrive home to some more unspun wool for my Lopi sweater.  Knitting always amazes me as I am able to make endless mistakes in knitting.  Over the years, knitting has really taught me to be patient with the mistakes, to figure them out, mess around a bit to solve the problem and then to "Knit-On" as EZ would say!

I have been frogging a lot and knitting less I would say over the last few weeks.  Just to prove my point:

This is a left hand mitten which was done and needed a partner. This is a pattern from Kate Davies, one of my favorite designers, from her book Buachaille.

Th mitten needed frogging as I was not happy with the fit and gauge.  Once again, I frogged and have now casted-on again.  I also added one more color to just jazz up the mitten.  The color is in the braid and will also be the icord bind off.

Frogging, knitting, frogging, knitting . . . never be afraid to frog and make your knitting the way you really want it to be!  As my dear friend always says: "Knitting is not fine woodworking you can fix it!" So frog away and knit-on!

Knitting: the challenge completed!

As many of you readers know, I have been knitting sweaters for my niece and her three girls.  They are a wonderful group to knit for as they wear all items all the time. They get compliments and share those with me. They score high on the knit-able scale!

Photo from their homeschool/school program.

Alice's sweater the final one.  This is knitted in worsted weight yarn from Schoolhouse Press, the pattern is Riddari.

Damp, wet Olympic peninsula makes for wonderful 100% wool fans! 

Wool making it to the news as well!

All the gals in this household are now covered in wool of some kind. What did I learn from this little challenge . . . I love knitting Lopi Sweaters! The Lopi sweater/design is a fast, fun knit, with endless varieties of color to play with.

UpDate: Winter

I will be honest this has been a rather crappy winter here in Alaska.  We have not had much snow, stormy weather, or anything that is wintery.  We have been skiing on a 1.25K loop 98% of the time.  How the kids manage to think this is fun is beyond me and how I manage to maintain skiing as fun is beyond me as well!  REALLY going around a snow fence since December  and it is now March . . . I give us all a lot of credit!

Back in December I took one of our older skiers an alumni into World Jr. Trials for Biathlon in Anchorage.  This was a big time race for this small time coach but we did have a blast.  Aly did very well and has made huge growth working in a more formal program with skiers her age/level.

I have always considered a ski program successful if once the skiers leave the program that still ski on some level.  I am glad to see several of our skiers still skiing.

Here are some photos from the Trials:

Aly on day one and please note the snow in the background. Anchorage had far less snow than us. 

Day three of racing and we all felt like we were trying to out race the disappearing snow coverage.  Mind you this a mixture natural and man made snow.

A few of my coaching cohorts!  A great group to work with and always helpful!

On the range sighting rifles . . .

UGH! No excuse other than it is ski season once again!

Yikes, sorry, my apologies,  . . .  I will try my best to get a post up on what has been going on as Ski Season seems to take off and ski away with me once again!

Galena Ski Race Feb. 16

Done yahoo 1 of the 4 sweaters I knitted this pass year for my niece and her girls.  Mission accomplished all are done and with their owners.

Work  . . . a break for cookies and tea a must!

Ms. Sadie my 5:30 a.m. work out partner catching some more zzzzz's as I work out!

Tally . . . are we going skiing NOW!

Ski Team in Koyuk early March

My girl . . . Sadie!  She is my constant companion!

More later I will post on skiing, knitting, The Iditarod . . . and life out here on the edge!

Winter

For all of those who stop by for a visit and a read you all know I enjoy winter A LOT!

I love skiing, snow falling down, cold, crisp air, a rich blue sky, the squeak of snow under my feet as I walk to work or run errands . . . and this winter has been an abominable disappointment!  First, it hasn't even really arrived. We have not had weeks of below zero weather, huge drifts of snow or for that matter any real snow.  I think, I can count the amount of real snow falls on one hand.

WIND: Lets talk about wind!  Gosh, we have had bashing noisy endless wind.  We might have a day off from wind and then we are back to endless days of wind.  I know the village we live and work in is supposedly named after the east wind.  There are several naming folklore tales here for Unalakleet. "Where the East Wind Meets the Sea" and a few others all meaning there is a lot of wind here and it blows all the damn time!  However, when you are picking berries in the summer months there is no wind and tons of bugs in your face, ears, and eyes!

Yesterday during ski practice at +34ºF the kids were all way to HOT!  Luckily it hasn't rained yet as that would be the frosting on the wheatless cake for me.  We have a 1.25K loop we use for practice and have been skiing on that basically since Dec.  How does one make a 1.25K loop fun after weeks of skiing it . . . well I am about to run out of ideas!

Cool off time during ski practice at +34ºF!

Really . . . this is January!

Ok so enough belly aching!  Lets leave it to say if you have snow please enjoy it and think of us up here in Alaska with very little snow.  I am grateful that it hasn't rained and we do in fact have some snow to ski one.  I am thrilled we have a lot of skiers. Skiing not only is fun for us but a huge distraction from work.  It gets us out the door almost every day with the dogs and we all enjoy the much needed daily break the outside offers.  If you have snow don't complain, get out and enjoy the good it has to offer us all!

Knitting: Lopi Designs and Unspun Lopi

I just purchased this book from Schoolhouse Press and it is full of Lopi patterns--yes 65 (not all sweaters)!  I have fallen back in love with Lopi sweaters!  

This angle is to show you that the book is THICK and just full of wonderful information and patterns. I am really enjoying the patterns and have several picked out for future projects.

Unspun Icelandic yarn  this yarn is to be added to the 2 colors I have for a Lopi sweater for myself.  I have yet to decided on the pattern I will use, but I have it narrowed down.

From SchoolHouse Press:

"Plötulopi/Unspun Icelandic

Extraordinary long-fibered fleece unique to Icelandic sheep produces the warmest wool we know of. In a single-strand, this unspun wool knit directly from the wheel is wonderful for lace or sweaters. Work with 2-ply for typical Icelandic pullovers, jackets, scarves, hats, and mittens. Or 3- and 4-ply for coats and blankets. Material: 100% Un-Spun Wool Weight: 3 1/2-oz. wheel. Yardage: 300 yds. Approx. Gauge: Single strand: 6 to 7 to 8 sts to 1 inch or  Double strand/2- ply, 3-1/2 to 4 sts to 1 inch."

Here is a review of this yarn and I feel like it is an excellently written piece answering many of my questions.  I am sure if you are interested int his yarn you will find this piece interesting as well.  From A Knitters Review

Another great source on this unspun wool is of course Ravelry 

"This yarn is also sometimes called “unspun Icelandic” and is the yarn sold by Schoolhouse Press.
From Istex: Plötulopi can be worked one, two or more ply at a time, depending on how bulky a yarn you want. Gently wind the required number of strands together into a ball by taking the end from the centre and the end from the outside of the plate, or plates. Plötulopi is very fragile to knit. We recommend the continental knitting technique as it permits control with very loose tension.
Since Plötulopi is an unspun yarn, it is fragile to knit; however, due to the length of its fibres, it knits into a sweater that is both sturdy and soft.
Gauge for 1 ply: 19 sts to 10 cm (4”) over St st using size 4½ mm (old UK 7) (US 7).
Gauge for 2 ply: 14 sts to 10 cm (4”) over St st using size 5½ mm (old UK 5) (US 9).
100% new wool. Unspun yarn, sold by weight as a one-ply, flat round roll, called a "plate".

All I have left to do is to finish knitting up a Lopi sweater for my niece in Rangely yarn which I just love.  I need to pick the Lopi design for my self and cast on!  I will keep you posted as I work with the icelandic unspun wool.

Goals for 2016

I must admit I like goals/challenges!  I don't need huge goals. I enjoy checking things off a list as a sense of completion.  I am the type that likes to accomplish things and move on.  

Last year my big goal was to go wheat free for the year.  I need to improve upon what I set out to do, but overall I will never go back to present day wheat!  Like I have blogged earlier I am not a 100% purest when it comes to all the "No Wheat and No Garin eating."  I try my best but do need to improve upon this endeavor. I can never explain how great you will feel off of wheat and grains it is amazing to feel so healthy and to have such clear mental thinking!

Goals for 2016:

1. Continue with the No Wheat and No Grains eating, try to eliminate corn especially if it is not organic.  Limit Einkorn as a huge treat once in a great while.

2. Learn more about Wheat Free/Grain Free and eating and improving good gut health.

3. Ski, hike, bike, walk, morning workouts---stay as active as possible!

4. Read more new authors.

5. Keep work simple and be efficient and effective in the classroom. 

6.  Remember it is often best to keep one's mouth closed more often than not!

7. KNIT--one can never knit enough! Fair Isle knitting and Lopi knitting are looking like this years focus for myself.  I have declared 2016 the year I knit for ME!  However, I know this will not be the case 100% but I have some projects I need to dive into.

8.  Certainly not least but be positive and spend as much time as I can with my wonderful husband and our two fantastic dogs!

Good Bye 2015 & Hello 2016!

A new year is always a fun place to start with fresh ideas, goals and challenges.  I love a new beginning, a fresh slate, a chance to move on and leave other items/issues behind.

What I am hoping for is a winter full of snow and already this seems to be a struggle--dang!  We have had temps in the mid to high 30s and how can that be even fair when we live in Alaska.

A bit of a 2015 wrap up here and on to 2016!

Knitting:

This year I knitted these 3 lovely gals each a sweater and a hat.  Two of them received Tomtens.  After knitting two of these great designs my EZ, I decided enough and jumped into a Lopi design for grand niece #3 sweater.  I have fallen back in love with Lopi designs once again.  All sweaters were knitted with Rangely Yarn from Schoolhouse Press. This yarn is not a Lopi yarn but worked great in the pattern I choose for this project. 

This pattern is found on Ravelry and is written by: Sarah Dearne the pattern is called Blossi Icelandic lopi sweater/lopapeysa.

Rangeley Yarn From Schoolhouse Press. This yarn is for the adult sweater I am presently knitting.

Winter Solstice Ski:

We have not been able to do our Winter Solstice Ski or Full Moon ski the last few years due to timing or weather.  This year we were able to get a Solstice head lamp ski in complete with fire, hot chocolate and hot cider.  We had a huge turn out and a lot of fun on skis.

 

We say good-bye to the shortest amount of daylight for the year here in Unalakleet, 4 hours and 16 minutes! We welcome back the daylight slowly.  Our days are already increasing to 18 more minutes of daylight.

Skiing!

We are back to full on skiing.  I get in 6 practices a week as long as we can cross the slough to get to the Dragon's Back.

Elementary skiers

Alumni back for some training commuting on their hot wheels!

My coaching partner in crime from Nome and I at the World Jr. Youth/Jr Biathlon Team Trials in Anchorage last week.  Notice their vanishing snow!

Here I am home on the range zeroing rifles!

My skier who I was able to join for this event.  Aly did a fantastic job racing at this level!

Good Bye 2015 & Hello 2016!  

 

One Year Later: Wheat Free

Back on December 21, 2014, I decided after reading the book Wheat Belly that I would go wheat free for 6 mos.  I thought "What the heck, I could give this a try and of course I would have remarkable results like all the people in the book, blog, and facebook."  Off I went, No more wheat!

What have I learned:

1.  After the first 10 days it is easy not to eat wheat.  I really didn't miss it at all.  I did feel some withdrawals: head aches and moodiness---all minor but it was there.

2.  There are a lot of great blogs out there with some fantastic recipes and other peoples hurdles along the way. 

A few of my favorite sites:

https://elanaspantry.com/
http://www.glutenfreecowgirl.com/category/recipes/
https://www.wheatfreemarket.com/

3.  Yes, I have lost about 30 pounds and yes, I have kept the weight off and yes, I need to lose more.  Why I haven't lost more is pretty easy: I eat a bit to high in the carb department and I have not cut out sugar 100%.  I have greatly and I mean greatly reduced sugar.  I don't eat hardly any processed foods.  If it is processed it is organic and not gluten free junk food.

The issue with sugars is the natural sweeteners for the most part, I can not stomach them----basically they all taste gross to me and I hate the after taste.  Stevia is a bit better but I still haven't really figured out how to work with these sweeteners (this shows how low the level of baking I do).  I use organic sugar, honey and I really like maple syrup as a sweetener.  I use far less than a recipe calls for and I am not baking all the time----baked items are a true treat. I figure I can deal with all of this as I still am not eating wheat except for Einkorn more on this.

4. Cooking and baking wheat free is really easy and once you realize it will be different not the same, but good in a new different way you will be very happy about it all.  I love eating foods without a label, eat organic, be healthy and happy it all works far better than anything else I have ever tried.

5.  I live in a very rural place for 10 months of the year.  We have produce flown in weekly and if we can do this anyone can and I AM SERIOUS!  We are  400 air miles from Anchorage---so I mean we buy, pack, ship our food to our home  . . . so yes if you live in a regular place YOU CAN DO THIS!

6.  My husband went wheat free in Aug. I came home and he had a big pile of food from our shelves we called a wheat eating friend to come take it all away.  It is hard to throw out food you paid to have shipped out to you so we gave it away.  He did this as he had stopped eating wheat and had a slice of pizza and could not believe the headache he got.  His science mind kicked in and he said enough!  This certainly makes eating in our house easier.  He does still eat corn, and I try my best to avoid corn.

7. I eat organic popcorn still not all the time once or twice a month max and sometimes not at all.

8. Einkorn:  This is the old original wheat and not modified or anything weird.  In November, we made a pizza with this flour and I ate it!  No side effects other than elevated blood sugar (I assume) but it was a great pizza.  We have used Bob's Red Mill baking flour gluten free----the short of it is we didn't like it at all.  I figure if I am going to eat wheat once in a great while it will be Einkorn only! Am I eating it daily no, weekly no, once in a great while--yes!  We have tried the pasta as well and I am not a huge pasta fan so this is sparingly eaten by me if at all.

I love the wheat free market pizza mix and we use that mostly for our pizza and it is great!  We love a thin crust and it works for us.

9.  Now it has been over a year, am I purist in Wheat Free Living NO!  I am very happy where I am in my eating, life style, and general health. Will I go back to present day modern wheat NO WAY EVER!!!!!!!  I feel so great all the time, I sleep well, my minor arthritis is gone, I have tons of energy and total clarity of mind (this I thought was a ton of bull---believe me the clarity of your mind will blow you away!)

I am so glad I read the books by Dr. William Davis and Dr. David Perlmutter.  I would highly recommend starting with both of these doctors/authors.  I love the audio books as I listen to them when I am working out.  Yes get their cook books, too!

10.  Last but not least: My doctor was very happy to see my drop in cholesterol and weight.  I am thrilled with the health benefits, love that I don't pay $$$ to some group to lose weight, and I am not tracking what I eat. I have taken total control of what I can control in my health! 

Wheat Free you bet! All I can say is give it a try! What do you have to lose a lot and you will gain so much more!

These are about the best photos I can find of my progress.  I spend most of my time outside in a cold place. I am not one for photos of me showing you my fat belly.  I think you can see the weight I dropped even in these photos.

This photo was taken 12/21/14 the 1st day of going Wheat Free.

Photo taken 10/31/15.

 

Five more days & it is Holiday time!

Life keeps rolling along fast this month and all I want to do is say SLOW DOWN! Five days of work this week and then a long Holiday!  Yahooooo!

It is that crazy time of the school year with general business and the Christmas season.  Class art projects, Christmas music, and glitter.  "How many ornaments can be made out of popsicle sticks!?"  Let me tell you a lot!  This years family gift is ornaments all of which are made out of popsicle sticks---so glad a hot glue gun and pinterest have been invented.

*SKIING*SKIING*SKIING*SKIING*SKIING*SKIING*SKIING*SKIING*SKIING*

Early season trail work.  We use this palettes as mini-snowfences to help build drifts to groom so we can ski.  This is the top hill above our picnic area.

Ms. Sadie in full winter ski gear.  This combination of harness, jacket and booties keeps her safe and warm.

Tundra trail work

We have been skiing for some time now and I call it tundra cursing.  It is rough but the tundra is not rocky so the skiing is just fine.  Yesterday we started to get real snow or meaningful snow basically it is staying here and we are getting great coverage.  We have some big old super storm rolling our way on Monday and Tuesday.  We will see what we get out of that warning.

Now it is all about getting close to 70 kids on cross-country ski gear and our ski program up and skiing.  I have gotten gear out to about 30 kids so far and today is the ski crazy masses of grades 1-4. On Monday ski practices start and we will be off and skiing until April!

Sadie and I out on the trail having a tea break. Out of the wind at the picnic spot.

Christian with the girls as we head in from a tundra ski.

Our sun is low in the sky these days and we have about 4 hours and 25 minutes of daylight now.