Experiments with oils

For the last year or so I have been doing a number of experiments using various oils, mostly on my hair, but also my skin. This journey was initiated by a fortunate accident. I happened to have what I found out was a migraine when one of my sisters was able to observe. I had no idea why I was so sick, just knew that I sometimes got like that, aches in my upper back and neck that moved into a nasty headache. Later light sensitivity and then eventually throwing up. This sister had been diagnosed with migraines some time before and asked if I had. I was completely confused, since that never occurred to me. She said that the progression was pretty classic and gave me some suggestions on how to manage it. What a revelation! It wasn't something that "just happened" sometimes, it was a progression that I could recognize and sometimes manage.

For years I had not worn my long hair up on my head very often for fear that it was a trigger for causing my 'neck aches'. Well, it might affect a migraine, but wouldn't cause it, so I started to research more ways to wear my hair. What fun!

In my search I found the Long Hair Community where I found instructions and links to many ways to wear hair as well as lots of information on having healthier hair. Over the past year and a half or so I have been slowly trying techniques and recipes gleaned from this site. I have been doing this slowly because it can take several weeks to really know the results of a particular experiment. Over time I have stopped using hair products that contain silicone compounds and have instead used various natural oils, either alone or in blends.

Everyone is different, so something that works for one person may or may not work for someone else. The only way to know is to try it and see, and especially to try it over time to see whether the results are consistent. For example, early on I tried a technique called Conditioner Only (CO) washing. This is using conditioners as cleansers as well as conditioner, usually by using 2 different conditioners, a lighter one for cleaning, rinse well, then use another application of the same or other conditioner as usual. When I first tried this I did not get good results. However, months later, after changing to non-silicone products it worked well and is now part of my normal weekly routine.

I have had good luck with coconut oil, Shea butter and others. There are a couple of blends I particularly like that I get on Etsy, Beldaran's Hair Oil and Panacea by Night Blooming. Beldaran's shop is currently not stocked. Night Blooming has several formulations of Panacea as well as Hair Anointing Oil which is also quite nice.

In addition to using oils as leave ins, deep and overnight treatments I have been quietly participating in experimenting with oil shampoos. The huge thread is here. I have not contributed to the thread because it is so big, but the results others were getting intrigued me, so I have been trying formulations of my own.

Along the way I realized that the store bought lotions I was using on my hands and skin kept getting into my hair. I decided that if I put something on my hands it better be something I was willing to have in my hair. So I started to use Shea butter, coconut oil and various other oil blends on my hands and skin. This has worked quite well overall.

My skin, like my hair, tends to be very dry. As is common in winter my hands have gotten extremely dry. Applying oils has only helped to some degree. Using Panacea very carefully has been quite successful, and has the added advantage of smelling lovely.

The same trip that my sister recognized I have migraines we happened to be out shopping and tried a Dead Sea Salt scrub, which has been in the back of my mind since then. Today I finally decided to do some research to learn more about such scrubs. As a result of that research I made a small batch of coconut oil and sugar scrub, since sugar was said to be gentler than salt. I plan to try this when washing my hands for a while to see if this helps make my hands softer and smoother.

Cat Dancer and Bubbles

Hawkeye Cat continues to do very well. He loves one toy in particular, called Cat Dancer. This is a great, simple toy that is fun for him and fun for me.

Hawkeye is an indoors only cat, which is my preference. I've had indoor/outdoor cats, and ended up with fleas in the house. Not fun, and not something I want to deal with again. Hawkeye loves to look out, and always tells me when there is someone out side, especially the outside cats from the barn next door which I feed outside. However, he doesn't have any interest in being outside himself. The experience of being outside alone in the cold for a couple of weeks and nearly starving to death has made him cautious and appreciative of being inside.

Charlie - New Dog

Wednesday, 31 March 2010 we came home with 3 dogs. We left home for our usual evening walk with our to dogs, BJ and Cadee, but came back with a new addition to our pack, Charlie. In the photo BJ is on the left, Charlie in middle and Cadee on the right.

This interesting turn of events I consider one of the ways the Universe provides for us, call it whatever you like. I've been about half thinking about getting another dog at some point. My sweet BJ is starting to get a little older now. He knows so much, and is such an awesome dog. My half-formed thoughts were that he would be able to help teach a new dog the ropes in our household. Cadee can, too, to a degree, but she is pretty submissive and somewhat afraid of other dogs, so is more likely to run away than give a puppy a correction.

In any case, I was walking with my husband, and our 2 dogs. Going past the house of one of our neighbors comes little Bella, a chihuahua, leading her pack of larger dogs. When Bella isn't out their other dogs don't even come out to the road, but she gets very excited and brings the pack out every time she is loose. I'm afraid to go past with her on the road, because I'm afraid she won't go back to her house, but instead will get hit by a car, or get one of the rest of her pack hit. So I always bring her and her pack, along with my dogs, back to their house before continuing on.

There was a new dog with them this time, a tiger striped young dog that I learned was named Charlie. He had been rescued in December when another neighbor brought him thinking it was his home. He had apparently been abused, was very shy and afraid, particularly of men, and the person who had found him couldn't keep him. So my neighbor kept him, hoping to find him a good home.

He offered him to us, because he knows we are dog people and would give him a good home. We decided to take him with us on our walk to see how he did, and to think about it. Our neighbor warned us that he hadn't been on a leash that he knew of. We clipped him up and off we went. He was unsure at first, but with our 2 just moving along happily, he caught on in a minute and did well. We liked him, but didn't want to make any decision until we had a chance to talk to our son who lives at home, since Cadee is his dog, and he takes care of them both much of the time, feeding and taking them out. They both sleep with him, too.

During our chatting and walking, it had gotten dark. We had just asked if we could take him back for our son to meet him and think about it when guess who comes walking up in the dark? Yup, there he was, coming to meet us walking. We all chatted a few minutes, letting Charlie meet our son and vice versa. In the end we decided to give him a try, agreeing that if there was any issue that we would bring him back. We didn't expect any issues, the dogs were getting along fine already.

Charlie is very sweet. Our neighbor estimates he is about 8 months old. He has a band of white around his neck into a white front, 4 white toes/feet, and the rest is brown with black marbling. Black nose and skin on his face making his face dark, with lovely dark eyes. His ears tulip, rather like a whippet. In fact, his body shape has aspects of whippet, also, with slightly arching loins, slender legs and tail. He can trot, if he goes fast enough, but he mostly seems to be pacing, which I don't recall seeing in dogs much before.

He gets along well with our other dogs, and while Hawkeye Cat isn't impressed, he hasn't been all that interested in the cat, either. He does fine with the friendly outside cat I feed, letting the cat rub up against him just fine.

Charlie is going through quite a lot of changes, as I'm sure our household is different from where he was before. Even though we had been told that he was afraid of men, we have seen very little of it. At first meeting he tucked his tail tight around my husband and son, but very quickly relaxed. Meeting another neighbor the day after we got him he tucked for a minute, but relaxed and was enjoying being petted right away. When our other son came home from university he barked at him once then did fine.

He has been learning that he has to walk next to or behind us, and not to go too far away from our side. Since I have been the one inside to do the umbilical cording (keep a leash attached to him inside, to make sure he doesn't get too many chance to do the wrong things), the others have been doing most of the walking. It is important for him to learn that he has to do the same thing with everyone.

We are very glad to have this new member of our Pack!

Art

Last year I spent time on the island of Maui in January with my Mother. Maui is a lovely island, with lots of interesting things to do. A couple times we went into Lahaina and wandered the art galleries and shops. The works of a couple artists really stayed with me, but at the time I was just taking it all in so didn't get the names. This year I have been lucky enough to join Mom again, and this time I'm making sure to get the names of these artists that have struck a chord in my soul.

The one who struck me the most was Leohone Magno. I do not have words to properly describe what her paintings evoke in me, but when I try to describe them to others I cry because they are so beautiful and the images resonate in my soul.

Elderberry Cordial, Mint Cordial and wines

I had a busy weekend, working on several on-going wine and cordial projects. Two wines, a Chardonnay and Viognier, have been racked, and a Shiraz has been fined and is now settling out.

I've been experimenting with mint cordials over the last few years, since we grow cinnamon mint in the garden. I've found that filling the jar as full as possible with mint, then filling the jar as full as possible to eliminate air space helps preserver the light green color. If there is more air in the jar as it steeps, the color becomes much darker.

Since I love elderberries, the elderberry cordial is one of my favorites. Beautiful aroma and color, and the flavor is incredible. This batch will probably need to be racked one more time before I do a final bottling.

More Wrist Warmers

I like my Cabled Wrist Warmers (details on Ravelry.com) so much that I am using some other handspun Merino to make another pair. This project is serving a dual purpose, to make another pair of wrist warmers, and to see how the K1B technique may work with socks. These K1B Wristlets are a simple tube with no shaping or patterning. I'll get an idea how the fabric behaves with the K1B.

I've finished the first one of these, except for weaving in the ends, and started the second. A fast, satisfying and useful project.

I've found using wrist warmers/wristlets to be a great way to keep comfortable on a chilly day, indoors or out. Since these leave the palm of the hand open they work at the computer, too. Styles that cover the palm interfere with using a mouse.

Spinning of Spudnick's fleece is done

I finally finished spinning Spudnick's fleece Sunday. I took 2 days to ply the 3 nearly full bobbins, winding one into a center pull ball and leaving it on the winder so the yarn would 'set' in the ball. I then plied the other 2 bobbins until one ran out of yarn. I did all the spinning, of the entire fleece, on my Mazurka, and all the plying on my double-treadle Lendrum with the plying head.

That was Tuesday evening I started the plying. Wednesday I finished plying the rest of the remaining bobbin with the center pull ball, and when that was gone the other end of the ball, finishing what has been, for me, a very long journey. I skeined, washed it and hung it (unweighted) to dry. It is now wound up and in the box with the rest of the yarn. Next step: get pictures then figure out how I want to do the yoke. Who knows, maybe I'll finally be able to wear a sweater made from this yarn next winter!

After I finish the Spiral Dance Shawl. Back to the border!

K1B Knit One Below, Wristlet

I've been working on several projects lately, mostly Spudnick's fleece and the Pink Spiral Dance Shawl, but this is one that I just restarted as a completely different garment. I had started this on size 3 US needles as a hat, using these small needles to make a more dense fabric for warmth. It made a thin, but pretty tight fabric, but the colors from this yarn spun from Ohio Valley Natural Fibers Merino core roving in black and white, was streaking shades of grey.

When I realized that I had made a mistake a couple rows below, not getting enough increases in, I decided to try something else, using the techniques from the Knitter's articles and what I've learned reading the book 'Knit One Below: One Stitch, Many Fabrics', of which I've posted previously. I decided to start another pair of wrist warmers/wristlets. I really like the way this lofty hand spun is knitting up in K1B fabric. It's very flexible, but feels like it will be thick enough to stop some wind, and yet thin enough to wear well with other clothing.

Finished the Quiviuk Feather and Fan Scarf, Thoughts about Ravelry.com

I finished my travel knitting project yesterday. It is a Seaman's Scarf with a Feather and Fan Pattern that I knit out of Quiviuk, a quiviut yarn. All the gory details are here on Ravelry. I'm finding Ravelry to be quite a good way to keep records about my various knitting projects. It's all in one place, and since I'm online all day while I work, a few minutes now and then give me a knitting 'fix' at times I'm not able to actually knit. I don't tend to do as much with the social networking aspect of Ravelry, mostly just keep track of my library and projects.

While I don't often use it, there is a huge amount of information and access to other knitters with all sorts of skills. It is nice to know it is there should I need it.

Spring Day has us all busy

We have had a busy day today, enjoying the lovely sunny spring weather. It is cool, but the sun is warm and the sky clear. Perfect day to walk the dogs, sit out and crack hickory nuts and do some handspinning.

I've put a new bobbin on the Mazurka wheel as I spin up the final few batts of Spudnick's wool. I've gotten several batts spun up this weekend, as well as making progress on the Pink Spiral Dance Shawl and the Knit One Below Reversible Vest. I even got a little work done on the quiviut scarf when I walked the dogs this afternoon. Now it's time to work on the spinning for a bit before the last of the late afternoon sun goes.

Knitter's Abacus Bracelets and other neat tools

I have on a pretty Knitter's Abacus Bracelet that I'm using as I knit. I have picked up several of these over the past few years, and enjoy wearing and using them. I'm not much good at keeping paper and pencil by my knitting, probably because I usually knit as I'm riding in the car, or walking the dogs down the road, or....

Until I found these little bracelets at my local shop I would just periodically count and put in stitch markers. I still do that, but now I also use these handy abacus to help me keep track of things.

Since I live a fair distance from anything, and nearly an hour from my favorite local shops, I love mail order. 'Deliver to my door'. Fantastic! When I decided I wanted more bracelets in different colors to coordinate either with my project or with my outfit, I started looking online. I found these nice bracelets at Hide and Sheep, along with various stitch markers.

Simple, neat and efficient tools.

Knit One Below - Reversible Vest

The article about the new book "Knit One Below" in the Spring 2009 Knitter's and pattern in the Winter 2008 Knitter's have really been inspiring me. Yesterday my husband reminded me about some of the machine knitting yarns I've got, so as soon as I got home I started through my stash to see what took my fancy. These are all coned yarns, mostly Yarn Country. I found 3 different black yarns that I thought would be fun used together, 100% Tussah Silk, Designer 737 80% wool 20% silk, and CashWool which is 50% cashmere 50% wool. I thought they would be a nice background for some purples. The real interest yarn for the contract color is Violet Night, a variegated rayon chenille in purples, violets and green. With that as a base I added 3 other yarns for my first swatch, Hilcasa, a 20/2 waxed cotton in a dark purple, a Ming Blue 2/17 wool, and Concord Designer 737 WoolRay, a wool/rayon blend.

The vest calls for 14 st and 42 rows for 4 inch/10 cm square. The vest has a 2 stitch garter border and an odd number of stitches so I cast on 21 stitches (14+1 to be odd, +1 stitch per side so the garter stitches didn't distort the gauged, and 2 stitches per side for the garter border). This swatch gave me a chance to learn the pattern, learn how to cross these yarns at the edges to make the edges neat and pretty, and get used to correcting mistake. I recommend a crochet hook for this!

As the article said, this is a quick, fun technique that doesn't take long to master. The fabric is thick, but not stiff. Both sides are pretty, with very different but interesting looks. The first swatch is finished, measured and has been washed. I'll measure again after it's dry.

In the mean time I'm working on a second swatch, with only 2 yarns as the contrast, the Violet Night and Hilcasa. It is only a bit over an inch long, but is a much thinner fabric and drapier. I think I will like this better for my vest, but that remains to be seen after measuring, washing, and remeasuring.

I'm not usually one to do this much swatching, but since I'm not using a regular yarn, but instead just knitting 2 or more yarns together as one, and because I don't want to do all the various math to figure out my own pattern, it's worth it.

More k1b (Knit One Below, not knit through the back loop)

I often do not read my knitting or spinning magazines right when they come in. I've always got a lot going on, and the size isn't easy for me to read much of the time. So I stack them up and when the mood strikes I'll start going through them, usually reading several one after the other over the course of several days. Then it will be months before I read them again.

Well, the new Spring 2009 issue of Knitter's came in, and for some reason I actually opened it and started to browse through, The inside cover had an interesting looking little diagram showing a knitting stitch technique called Knit One Below. There were some really beautiful multi-color sweaters on the same page, and a book cover with a stunning sweater on the facing page. The publishers of Knitter's, XRX, Inc, also published this book, "Knit One Below: One Stitch, Many Fabrics" by Elise Duvekot. It can be found at the Stitches Market and on Amazon.

I haven't yet purchased the book, but probably will very soon.

"Knit One Below" review by Knitters Magazine has caught my attention

I've been enjoying Knitter's Magazine, among others, for many years. I don't often actually read it when it arrives. I quickly flip through to look at the pictures, then put it in my stack to get to when the mood strikes. The Spring 2009 issue arrived the other day, with a good, big review and lots of pictures from a new book called 'Knit One Below: One Stitch, Many Fabrics' by Elise Duvekot. The picture of the front cover of the book, the little graphic showing the k1b (Knit One Below) and my attention was caught.

I'm not usually much of one for multi-color garments other than socks, which I basically wear at home, usually as bedsocks. I don't much like horizontal stripes, and the pictures showing columns of color, many in colors I love, really caught my eye. The description of the fabric and construction techniques are rolling around in my head, and several of the yarns in my stash seem to suddenly be calling my name and saying 'k1b'.

I do love all the unvention/invention that has been happening in the knitting community. I consider myself so lucky to have all these wonderful, inventive people helping all of us be better, happier, knitters.

I've got to get a copy of this book!

Alka Seaman's Scarf

Here is a picture of my latest alpaca scarf. I think the yarn is called Oceans. It is a lovely, soft sport weight yarn It was left over from making an Alka shawl. I had started it a long time ago, and this winter the scarf I've been wearing for many years had the yarn on the selvage break. I know I have about 10 inches of the yarn left over someplace, so the damaged scarf is put away until I figure out where it's filed. In the mean time I needed a new scarf. I found this very lost WIP, untangled the yarn and started knitting again. I'm sure the tangle was why I stopped working on it so long ago. I should have rewound the ball when I finished the shawl, but I didn't and it fell completely apart. Too late smart, as they say!

I was traveling when I was working on this, so I didn't have my book with the pattern in it, so I made up the pointed edges as I went. I've no recollection if the original book pattern had a point or if it was squared off. At some point I will get a real camera out and get better pictures.

Kid Mohar Shawl

I've been slowly getting pictures taken of various things I've made. Here is a Kid Mohair Shawl that I knit a few years ago. This picture doesn't do it justice. It isn't as long as some I've knit, but the length is very convenient, coming to middle of my forearm rather than down to my wrists or farther. The pattern is Anne from Stahman's Shawls and Scarves.

Wrist Warmers

Sunday I finished up the Handspun Mitts I've been working on, and since I was riding in the car with another hour or so in front of me, needles and yarn in my lap, I decided some more comfort was in order. The Mitts were knit in double-knitting, at 4.5 stitches per inch, so I made a rough estimate at 4 1/2 * 6 3/8 and got 29 (28.6875). I wanted ribbing, both for elasticity and for added depth to the fabric, so I decided to cast on 36 stitches and start off in 2x2 ribbing. I wanted cables, so ended up with 7 baby cables and 2 cables crossing over each other every 8 rounds to make a chain, crossing over the purl stitch next to them accordingly.

I finished the first one later in the evening, and started its mate. It's comforting to start and finish projects so fast, and I really need the added warmth sometimes. More details are on Ravelry.

Handspun Mitts

The white mitts are made from my own hand spun yarn, from Targhee wool. The pattern is one I've been working on for a while. I've actually made several pairs of these mitts, but the others I've given away as gifts. I'm still doing some minor tweaking to the pattern, and may have to make another couple of pairs to decide what will make it 'perfect'. My goal with this pattern is for the backs of my hands and wrists to be kept warm while my fingers and the palms of my hands to be open, free to knit or do whatever other activity I may feel like doing. I often walk and knit, and when it's cold out I sure appreciate some additional warmth! Oh, and these are accurate for my historical reenactments, too. Sure hope life eases up soon so I can get to some!

Quiviut Feather and Fan Seaman's Scarf

The brownish thing shown on top of the pink shawl is actually another Seaman's Scarf, this one in Feather and Fan stitch, one of my favorites. The yarn is quiviut (aka Musk Ox down), which is very light but very warm. I like knitting on this kind of scarf, which is knit from both ends of a ball of yarn. When it's close to being finished, I weave in the beginning yarns, then when I'm done knitting it's ready to wear. A nice, neat, way to finish using a ball of yarn completely up.

Pink Spiral Dance Shawl

The pink circle is a cotton shawl I'm knitting for my niece that I'm calling Pink Spiral Dance Shawl. It uses her favorite numbers 8 and 16, and is her favorite color. Someday I'll document the pattern, if I get time. The little bit of yarn you can see at the bottom is the tag end of the 6th ball of the yarn. It is over 32 inches across now. I've 10 balls of this cotton Mandarin Classis yarn.