"Nuttin but knittin" - that says it all, with an occasional deviation into the real world.

Saturday, February 06, 2010

Since last we chatted.....

Sorry to have been missing in action for so long.  Guess I just sort of lost my blogging mojo.  Several of you have written expressing concern....thanks so much!  Nice to know people actually do read this blog.  Cyber friends are a special breed!

So...where was I.... Oh yes... Since last we chatted.....

Last weekend was the Des Moines Metro Knitter's annual "Knit-In".  Our TNKG is a sub-division of the Metro knitters, (well sort of anyway) - anyone is welcome to come join us!!  The Knit-In commenced on Friday evening, as we all met at a local motel, and ran through noonish on Sunday. A great weekend spent with other fiberly addicted friends!  Already looking forward to next year....  The organizers did a great job.  And, the loot wasn't bad either!!
 On Friday evening, we arrived to find at each table setting, cup/spoon filled with chocolates, (mysteriously absent from photo) a messenger type/knitting bag, (containing, among other things, a lovely skein of  DreamsInFiber sock yarn) and a book.  There was a bit of a shuffle of the books, but the one I ended up with was this glove/mitten book.  Not sure they are all my style :), but there are several cute patterns that I will use. And, who can complain about a gifted book, right?? (Later on Saturday, I won another skein of Erica's yarn, as a door prize winner!)

One of the cutest items included in the bag were these little stitch markers.
Everyone at our table/group received a different color, so we all exchanged.  Should be for some colorful knitting! 

Remember that "Blooming Tea" that I received as a Christmas gift?  Well, I had brought mine to enjoy during the weekend, and right after a mad dash to a LYS on Saturday afternoon, the Teavana store also benefited by a visit from a few of us.  Hmmm....is there a TAL going on, as well as a KAL??
 
Since last we chatted, I am also a year older.  A year older and a year wiser??  How does that saying go?  Not sure it applies in this case, but I was a very happy birthday girl. 
Along with other gifts (not the least of which was a ticket to The Lion King!!) I received these wonderful fibery gifts - from generous friends and my kids!  The more colorful roving is a FatCatKnits project bag(almost 8 oz), of Falkland fiber.  Colorway name is Moose Lake.  How fun is that!  The Brownish braid is a DreamsInFiber Superwash BFL.  The smaller natural braid is a "Falkland Merino" which is probably the softest fiber I have ever felt.  The books are great - tons of nice patterns, and the Sheep book has tons and tons and TONS of detailed information.  I have such supportive people in my life!!  I am sooo blessed.   

This is the pattern that I plan to use for my very first handspun sweater.  It's out of the 99yarns book.  It's simple, relaxed, and for some reason it just seems "right" to me.  I have been spinning up yarn.....trying to decide what fiber I want to use for my first sweater.  I am now waiting for color cards, so hopefully I can order the fiber soon and get started spinning!
  
This is two skeins of Ashland Bay's "Colonial" fiber - in the "Rainforest" colorway.  They say it's a blend of "Corriedale like" fiber.  I think it may be more durable than Merio, and soft enough for me, as I am not super sensitive. It seems to be impossible for me to get the color to show correctly.  It's a deep green/blue.  Pretty, but perhaps a little too blue for me.  I spun the first skein at the Knit-In, and the other skein here at home.  Miraculously, they are very even.  Each skein is 102 grms.  One is 230 yards and the other is 235yards.

My consistancy, or lack thereof, is probably my major concern when it comes to spinning for a large project.  I plan on spinning all the singles and then combining them out of order of being spun.  So, hopefully all will even out in the end.  That's the plan/hope anyway.

Also since we last chatted, Haloscan has went by the wayside.  So, your comments will be back on the blogger default service, for now at least.  And, like many others, I have switched from Bloglines to Google Reader for reading/following blogs.  Bloglines has always been inadequate, in my opinion.....so that's a welcome change.  

I also find myself writing this with a new upgraded Blogger format.  Photos are all over the place.  Hmmmm.... so if this post looks a little wonky, well, hopefully I'll get MY bugs worked out.  I'm sure it's me and not the application. 

I'll be back in a few days with at least one finished (knit) object.  Promise...... 
Oh - almost forgot.  My phone rang last night, and much to my surprise there was a little "Ha!" on the line.  (That's BG'ese for "Hi!")  Immediately following was my daughter's voice saying "Oh My Gosh, he figured out how to dial the phone!".  LOL.... apparently that "redial" button works pretty well on her phone.  Hope he calls back soon...... 

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know you have been having fun lately.(vbg) I love the Rainforest handspun and can't wait to see your sweater. The Knit-In weekend sounds like fun and what nice gifts!

Oh yes, your blog looks great to me. I need to run over and switch to Google Reader also.

Marguerite said...

Your photos look perfectly placed on my 17" laptop with Explorer.

Photos are my biggest concern with the blog layout change I'm going to make any day now.

Everything you've been doing looks great. As a non-spinner I'd love to know how many hours it takes to spin enough yarn for that sweater, but I can't answer when people ask me how long it takes to knit something and I really don't care how long my projects take. So I won't ask you.:-) Just enjoy and keep the pictures coming.

Monika said...

Such a cute phone call! That made me smile.
Sounds you had a great time! And belated Happy Birthday! Great loot you've got there. I have two of your new books. Love the fiber of course.
Happy spinning and knitting!

JakkiMitch said...

What a great haul from the Knit In!! AND from your BD -- Happy Belated BD, by the way.

How Cute -- the phone call you got! First of many to come, I'm sure :-)

Dorothy said...

Glad to see you back in action - you have been busy! The Knit-In sounds oh so lovely. I'm going to a Spin-In in April, but it's right here in town, so I don't have to get a motel. The Knitting Doctor is going to come and stay with me. I notice Pat is also spinning for a sweater - I think you two are just about on the same schedule! I'm encouraged that I am about 6 months behind. My spinning is getting more even, but still lots of progress needed. Gotta watch BG - next thing you know he'll be calling long distance!

Elaine said...

Great to hear from you again Kathy! There must be something going on with blogs lately. I haven't posted in ages either! Sounds like you had a great birthday! I got the 99 yarns book for Christmas and I really like it. Nice basic patterns. If BG has discovered the phone, the computer won't be far behind. When my grandson was 3, he went on the computer and ordered a Thomas the Tank Engine video. Not only that, somehow he managed to have it send overnight! That was the end of "one-click" ordering in that house! ;o)

KnittySue said...

Glad to see you back I was worried. LOVE the yarn colors and a Belated Happy Birthday shout out to you..mine was yesterday so we must have birthdays close to each other.
OMG I can't believe BG hit redial..it's a good thing Grandma was the last one called..LOL
That must have made your day.
And YES the new blogger format is alittle wonky with the pictures..I'm trying it too and I miss the spell check..or I just haven't found it yet.

Pat said...

Well I need to make the google reader switch too - I JUST got bloglines notice of this post (3 days late!)
Hurry up color cards! I can't wait til you start your sweater. (Your spinning is way more consistent than mine!)