Knitting Machines: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The Knitting Machine...Part 1

I love my knitting machine, I hate my knitting machine, I realize this every time I go to use it.

The Good:  I can knit a pair of mitts in less than 2 hours, a shawl in about the same amount of time and use beautiful lace stitches.

The Bad:  When getting into rhythm half a dozen stitches fall off and you create a loop at both ends.

The Ugly:  Creating a garment too big or too small or trying to ensure that the scarf made with Alpaca and/or Mohair doesn’t have totally curled edges.

There are three kinds of machines:   1. Fine or Standard has needles 4.5mm apart  2. Mid- Gauge has 6.5mm needles 3. Chunky or Bulky has 9mm needles.  These names refer to the weight of yarn that you can knit with them.

Double Bed Singer Bulky

Single Bed Brother Bulky

There are single bed machines which knit flat pieces and double bed machines also called main bed and ribber which will knit tubular pieces.  There are also manual, punch card and electronic machines. You can get Intarsia carriages for some models and Lace carriages for some.

The most common names under which knitting machines are sold are Passap (no longer in business), Singer, Brother (the easiest to get parts for) Bond, SilverReed (still producing a limited number of models)

People seem to think if you use a knitting machine it’s not as personal as hand knitting.  Knitting with a machine does not mean you are only moving a carriage across a bed over and over again without any thought.  One of the main reasons people stopped using the knitting machine is due to the precision required to actually produce a garment.  There is much hands on work required besides moving the carriage, you must cast on your stitches, track your rows, decrease or increase stitches by hand.  Then there is the planning of the piece, making a swatch, choosing a pattern, the yarn and then working to produce a good looking, well finished piece that fits the recipient. This is just as much of a personal journey as any hand knitting piece I have made.

Machine knitting has a place in the fibre spectrum and I seem to surprise myself with its endless possibilities every time I sit down to use one (I have 4) of my machines!

Group Farm Tour Available

Over the past months I have shown you a number of our animals, fibre processes and our product.  I hope you have enjoyed the pictures.....but have you ever thought about getting a group together and meeting the animals and seeing how the process is done first hand?

Store 2014

We can accommodates a fair size group ..you can participate too if you like,  doing things such as carting fibre.  Remember it is a farm, the animals are not pets per say...HOWEVER.. there are some animals here, sheep, goats. alpacas, llamas and even chickens...who would just love to say HI!  And if you have a camera.....some....Lucy, Patrick...are camera hogs!

Goats

We would provide you with a range of beverages, water, tea, coffee, and a scenic spot for you to eat any lunch or snacks you have brought.  The cost is $ 20.00 per person.

Chickens

After you have toured the farm, met the animals and seen how yarn is made you can check out the store and see if anything strikes your fancy.....and you could even buy a dozen farm fresh eggs!  And YES they do taste better!

Alpaca

Any questions just give us a call at 705-778-2070.  The store is open to the public Thursday thru Sunday 10 am - 5 pm, or by appointment.

Have a great week and now...for me it's haying time!

Olde English Babydoll Southdown

ANTIQUE SKEIN(Wool) WINDERS for SALE

June is finally here!  We have had lovely weather and things are proceeding nicely at Elmlea Farm.  Gardens in, animals sheared....babies growing and of course the store is filled with yarns, batts, rovings and more!

Today I am featuring 2 Antique Wool Winders for sale.  You use this item as it suggests to wind wool into a skein!  AS you will see from the pictures they are antiques.  I am asking $ 80.00 a piece.

 

In other news I have two male goats for sale, bucklings, Jake born in March out of Jill a Nigerian Dwarf and Omar an Angora.  Jake is a very shiny, very black boy who is quite funny, He loves to jump and play and generally just have a great time.  He is $ 150.00  

Jake

Jake a Nigora Bucklings

The other buckling is Jerry.  Jerry's mother is Lucy a Pygora cross and his father was Jack a Nigerian Dwarf, like Jill.  Jerry's fibre has a lovely crimp to it and he also appears to be taking after the pygmy side and staying smaller.  You can see his size from the picture of him standing on our Olde English Babydoll Southdown, Liz.  Poor Liz not only her own baby Mick is on her but a goat too!  Jerry has a sweet nature and would be a easier keeper.  He is very use to being handled and would make a great companion, breeding, weeding and or fibre goat!  He is truly multi-functional!  He is 
$ 300.00.  

Jerry on Liz our poor Sheep

Handsome Jerry

Jerry's Fibre

If you are interested in any of the above please give me a call at 705-778-2070.

Drop by the store Thursday thru Sunday...10 am to 5 pm.  Or you can call me to set up an appointment.

a bit of variety from the first batch!

Happy Friday Everyone, it's a busy one here at the farm!  Seems like there is always something that needs doing.  Cleaning fence line, mending fences, tending to new babies.....speaking of new babies...the latest babes are chicks!  The house is full of "peeps"!

The next thing I wanted to mention is Celebrate Havelock!  This annual event is taking place on May 10, 2014, Saturday from 9 am-4 pm at the Arena on 39 George Street East.   Elmlea Farm will be there....so because of that the store per say is not open Saturday, but it is "open" at the arena.
Please drop by and see us!

And finally....in keeping with our fibre learning and discussions, I have a blending board for sale, $ 120.00.  What is a blending board?  I have attached a generic picture...to show those of you who don't know.

Blending Board

A blending board is used to create a rolag of fibre, which is generally then used to spin yarn.  Rolag is a Scottish Gaelic word meaning small roll.  What you do, is you take roving and you lay it on the board, you can mix colours and different fibres together by layering to create your own special yarn.  You then "comb" the roving to blend the fibres together. Once done you roll(roll and stretch)the fibre off onto small dowels.  Now of course that is a simplified description but it is pretty much it.  You just need to be careful in your "combing" and consistent is your rolling.  The yarns you create are limited only by your imagination!  We have a great selection of fibre to choose from to make your own rolags!

Enjoy your weekend!  See you in Havelock on Saturday!!!

Spring Yarns, and Rovings and Batts Oh My!

Another lovely day!  The animals are out and about playing in the sun.  Only 3 more goats to shear, then on to sheep and finally Alpacas and Llamas!

Hand Painted Yarn

Today's sun makes a person wish for flowers!  Still no flowers but I do have beautiful colours in yarn!  I will have yarns, roving and batts with me in Maynooth tomorrow for those of you who want to create your own! And for those of you who are looking to purchase something already made I will have hand crafted hats,shawls, scarves both knit and silk and of course I will have socks and insoles.  Any of these items would be a nice Easter gift, especially with some of the colours!

Mohair blended yarn

Alpaca Yarn

Hand dyed Yarn

I will be in Maynooth tomorrow, Saturday April 12, 2014 at the Community Center from 10-4. I do not have debit at this time but remember I take Visa and Mastercard which makes things so much easier! 

Also the store will reopen on May 1, 2014!  That is exciting news!  So it will be back to Thursday thru Sunday 10-5!  Really looking forward to that!

Shearing at the Farm

April 1, 2014....FINALLY April.....but not too much has changed weather wise...although there is some thawing!  So what's happening on the farm?

Well, with the "warmer" weather sheering has begun!  First on the list are the goats....next sheep followed by the Alpacas.  It really is quite the process, first we sheer the animal, evaluate the fibre and from there the washing and picking begins.  In fact Omar's fibre is washed now!  You may remember Omar, the handsome black Angora ram.  

Currently we have 4 babies, the older bucklings born Dec 31, 2013, Mick, born in March, the black babydoll, who is for sale and our newest Macy, a white angora, just born last week.  Up next is Jill and possibly Meg.  For those wondering about the Alpacas...they should have their babies in the summer, July/August.  Remember we have Alpacas for sale too, you can call our check them out either on our website www.elmleafarm.com or through AlpacaSeller.ca.

This past week I took a break from hand knitting and created a new sweater on the knitting machine, it is so fast!  For those of you who have ever though about buying a knitting machine...do it!  It is such a time saver. While I enjoy hand knitting, every now and then a machine is great for the instant gratification!  I will show you the finished product next week, just being washed now.

I am looking forward to reopening the store and having visitors!  Until then, the store is open by appointment.  Just call 705-778-7020.

Merry Christmas

Hello Everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year!
I would like to first thank everyone for their support over 2013 and we look forward to growing in 2014!

The store hours for now will be by appointment or by chance, Thursday thru Sunday.  You can call the farm at
705-778-2070.

We still have fibre products, ranging from hats, to scarves, socks and insoles as well as yarns, wool and Alpaca and other blends.  I am finding people really appreciate the time and effort put into hand spun yarn and I will continue to create more!  Because the hand crafted stock in the store is hand made, it is always changing!  You can also visit us on the Esty Store under Elmlea Farm

We of course continue to have farm fresh eggs and there is assorted sausages as well as different types of burger ranging from beef to lamb to goat.

I will be in Maynooth on February 15, 2014 at the library and the time will be 10-4 pm. 

We are keeping a close watch on our girls...Alpacas, Goats and Sheep to see who might be pregnant. 

That's it for now! 

Continue to be safe over the holidays!  And Enjoy!