nuttinbutknittin - ok, Sofee and BG too!

How does the saying go.....

2012-01-05T22:07:00.000-06:00

Never judge a book by it's cover?

Unless, of course there is a cute dog on the cover! Fun reads. I wish the there was a little more about the dog in the story line, but the cast of characters were quirky enough and held my interest....with a few chuckles along the way.

It was 60 degrees here today. BG and I ate lunch outside and then had a "bike" (AKA - big wheel) ride half way around the block. I'm sure that is a January first for this region!! It's great fun to enjoy the warm weather, but we really NEED winter. I want all the bugs to get killed off, and we need moisture. They are starting to talk about how stressed the trees and such will be if this continues. I've always been a fan of four distinct seasons. I promise....I'll not complain if we get real winter soon. PROMISE!

Officially, the first project of the new year.....

2011-12-28T20:11:00.000-06:00

Wish me luck! I'll probably need it. All handspuns. I think it's going to be either really neat, or total Clown Barf. Time will tell.......

Merry Christmas to all....

2011-12-25T18:56:00.000-06:00

Hope you all enjoyed a bit of Christmas magic!

Another FO!

2011-12-05T15:29:00.001-06:00

Finally, I finished this pair of gloves for my mom! I made her a slouchy hat out of the same Berroco Vintage yarn a month or so ago. My intention was to complete these gloves quickly, but.....things didn't work out that way. These are not a Christmas gift, just a "because" gift. Mom's deserve those too!

The pattern is Classy Cabled Gloves by FantasyFlyte Designs. A pay pattern from Ravelry. It's always so hard for me to pick up a project that I have set aside for some time. Where was I? What was I doing? What did I perhaps do different from the pattern's instructions? I always wonder how those of you with multiple projects manage to pick things up in midstream and complete them. I would just struggle too much, I am sure.

Anyway, they are finished now, and hopefully she will enjoy them. She is really "into" hats right now, and matching gloves are always a good thing. I hope to make another hat and gloves set - this time in a green Cascade 220 superwash wool for her for Christmas. Since the Advent Calender is finished (Yipeeeee!!!) there should be sufficient time. That being my last Christmas project, I am looking forward to some quality spinning time. It's been awhile......

Color me happy!

2011-12-03T13:13:00.001-06:00

I am so happy that these little mittens came out so cute!

They scream old fashioned winter time fun to me! They are my second attempt at knitting a pair that would fit BG this year. The pattern is felted kid-mitts by TECHKnitter. Rav link. The orange ones were knit according to the pattern, size M. The greenish ones are size S, with the elimination of the rolled cuff. Yarn was cascade superwash for the cuff and cascade 220 for the mitt.

The orange ones were my first attmept, and I purposfully made them bigger rather than smaller. There's always next year. I also experimented with the felting process, as I am not that experienced. I managed to get some of those "permanent" creases that they talk about in the orange pair. I avoided the final spin cycle with the green pair, eliminating those creases. I am just sure the orange ones will fit - eventually, so not to worry.

He picked out the yarn color for the green pair, and I think he will be just delighted with them! I bought him a new winter coat that arrived yesterday. It's charcoal grey so these should look very nice. It's the cutest down jacket ever! Tons of pockets, and even little "snow cuffs" that are kind of like attached fingerless gloves that keep the snow out. He Loves pockets and seems totally infatuated with the new coat. He loves to show off new things at his preschool. He's a hoot!

Speaking of showing off new things.....
I forgot to share these new project bags with you. I found them in a little shop in the "Old Town" section of Albequeque.

Each was only $10, and I just love them. They are perfect size, have a nice little pocket (deep) inside, and I love the pattern and colors. And, the memories they bring back of our trip is just an added bonus!

Perfect......

2011-11-28T13:37:00.001-06:00

Well, forget that "perfect" comment in the previous post regarding the oven mitt. When compared to the red mitt (the 2nd of the pair) it became apparent that it was far from perfect. So....I knit another blue one without the multiple errors in the original, and now, this pair makes me happy!

I knit the blue one on a road trip to New Mexico. We went to Albuquerque to visit our son and his fiance (the recipient of the oven mitts). We had a wonderful trip, visit, touristy activities, and Thanksgiving dinner! I guess it was just about "Perfect", only as always, it was too short of a visit. We don't get to see the "kids" that often. They are both rock climbers, and the rugged SW terrain fits their adventurous souls quite nicely. They seem very happy and content in their surroundings......a newly purchased and remodeled home. It was a real treat for me to see their home, and where he works, etc.... It brings a real sense of calm knowing that your child (all grown up as he is) is in a good place in his life. Nice!.... but, I digress.....

Sofee went with us, and tried her climbing skills. (She chose to be carried during most of the hiking that we did). She also tried out SW cuisine as she tore into a Green Chili Subway sandwich during a rest stop. Bad Doggie!!!! Luckily she did not have a tummy problem. Guess genetically she can handle it. ;)

We were gifted with a hot air balloon ride! While I have experienced a few helicopter rides in the past (and have NOT enjoyed them) the hot air balloon was a great deal of fun! For about an hour and a half, we floated above the Rio Grand River. This photo shows our balloon in the final stages of the inflation process, and from the basket looking up!

And the views:

As I said, it was a great trip. It was a long trip, 2 days each way, but well worth it. It helps that the Hubbs and I enjoy road trips. But...getting home is always nice too. Now that the unpacking is complete, and the laundry is caught up, I now realize that December 1st is two days away!!!!! YIKES.....back to that Advent Calender!

Sniff....Sniff.... I miss him already!

Success!!!!

2011-11-15T11:47:00.001-06:00

It turned out just PERFECT! Well, except that I forgot to put an I-cord loop on it for hanging.

It is SUPER thick - right where it needs to be. And it shrank down to the perfect size. It's 5" across - just perfect, and the length is great too. I'm quite happy with it. I am grateful for a warm sunny day. Even at that, I think it will take a good long while to dry.

I ran it thru the washing cycle twice. Both on Hot/Cold - with normal detergent and two large bath towels. I have a front loader. I put it in a lingerie bag, but there was really no shedding or fiber or mess at all!!! Needless to say, I have started the mate. I may keep this one for myself and make two others as the gift.....with hanging loops. I have plenty of yarn in my stash......

Thanks to everyone who sent their good felting fibes my way! It worked!

"It's a mitten for a GIANT!"

2011-11-14T16:55:00.001-06:00

Yes, that's what BG said as I spread this giant mitten out for the photo.

He was quite excited at the prospect of a giant, actually....and didn't really understand the concept of felting at all. Course, perhaps my explanation was lacking, as I am not at all experienced. I stressed the "HOPE" it will be the right size and not so giant when it's all said and done. We'll see.

The design is ingenious, as it's knit so that there are multiple layers of wool across the palm of the mitten and the thumb side. So that area should be extra thick and extra safe for using as an oven mitt.

The back is only one thickness. Ingenious! I searched in Ravelry for felted oven mitt patterns, and this pattern is the best I could come up with. I so hope they felt up to a proper size. We'll see.

As you will recall, I have been working away on the Advent Calender, with few breaks.

Sorry for the bad photo, but you can get the idea....I am almost finished! I actually have 18 of the ornaments completed now. So I allowed myself a bit of knitting. I am going to try to get two Oven mitts done as a kind of Thanksgiving gift. We'll see. I'm covered on the Advent Calender till December 19th, if push comes to shove!

Oh - and several people asked for photos of the "Christmas" cactus in full bloom. It's getting close....

My daughter noticed the other day that the label on the pot calls it a "Holiday Cactus"....so perhaps this particular one is a Thanksgiving cactus??? Certainly will not be in bloom at Christmas time, but I'm not complaining. I'm thrilled with it!

We managed a little road trip last weekend. We went to Wisconsin. Checked out the Duluth Trading company store, and discovered a few other treasures along the way. Argyle Fiber Mill was a lot of fun. I brought home some nice Alpaca/Islandic blend yarns. Kristi, the owner had attended college in Iowa, and treated us like old lost buddies. She was great! The ShoeBox was indeed the largest shoe store I have ever seen. What's more, it provided my husband (who wears a EEEE shoe) a wide (pun intended) variety of shoes from which to choose - all that FIT him! Totally unheard of!!!

So, guess I'll go try to felt this giant mitten.... I'll either make another one tomorrow, or get back to the Advent calender...... hoping for felting success.

Send Help!!!

2011-10-30T10:05:00.000-05:00

I've fallen into a pit.....

I have not knit a stitch since Wednesday of last week. Oh.....I am so missing it, but I HAVE to get this done! With so much more left to do:

My own fault, procrastination never pays! BG's enthusiasm helps during the week, but his willingness to "help" does not!

I knew I was in bad shape when my husband mentioned the possibility of a 2 day road trip, and my first thought was "Great!!! I can knit!". (This is NOT a project for the road). So....hope that trip happens, and soon!. Also, I was watching a video podcast this morning (while working on the advent calender) and the gal showed a knitted baby bid, out of cotton. I thought "WOW....I want to knit that!". Yes...I am convinced that I am in knitting withdrawal, and in need of immediate help!

But, while knitting and spinning are nonexisitant right now, stash enhancement remains. If you will remember, I am on a red yarn kick, and these three braids will add wonderment to my collection.

These are colorways "Covered Wagon", "Farmer Phil" and "Ranchero" all on VBFL fiber. "Ranchero is a 6oz braid, the other two are 4oz each. These are from FatCatKnits, probably my favorite dyer. I like that most of her colorways are repeatable, and all are available on all of her fiber bases. She has both 4oz and 6oz braids available. Oh - and also, on her website, the different colors are shown on the different bases, which is very helpful as different fibers take colors differently. Anyway, no....no connection to Ginny in any way, just a very happy and satisfied ~~addict~~ customer. :)

This one is the Fall 2011 Club selection. I am actually not a member, but occasionally she has extra skeins that eventually make it into her shop. This is on BFL. Lovely stuff, and will probably become colorwork "something" eventually. 5oz total.

While I obviously am a procrastinator at times, happily it is not my normal nature. Christmas gift buying is well unnderway at my house. BG and I made a trip to TOYSRUS the other day.....(Santa needed some help, and BG was happy to accomodate.) I know he always loves books, and Caillou is his favorite TV show (here at my house anyway. He watches it daily while I fix his lunch).

Yesterday, I stumbled across the Caillou books at B&N, each selling for $3.99, which is a bargain for a nice little book these days. Then the clerk mentioned this box of the same books - for ......see that price! Yep, a little less than $11, for 6 books! Santa smiled all the way home!

Our kitchen will be measured for the new flooring tomorrow. I still have not made final decisions, but we wanted to lock in a sale price, so the paper work has begun. I think perhaps a deadline will help me decide! I even have to decide on grout color!

And.....

2011-10-25T09:50:00.000-05:00

A couple of things I forgot to mention.....

A pretty cute book. I'm enjoying this immensely. I fell for the cover dog. Who could resist?

Also, I should have linked the glove pattern that I am using. It's Classy Cabled Gloves, a pay pattern on Ravelry. The hat I made for mom was the Brambles Beret, a freebie on Rav. I added another pattern repeat for a slouchy outcome per the suggestion of the designer. She stressed that it was a good idea, especially with an Acrylic blend yarn, which is what Berroco Vintage is. The cables do not match between the two, but I don't think mom will care.

Thanks to those of you who have left flower tips and suggestions. Also comments on the flooring dilemma are appreciated. Mike, (the flooring store manager) and I are getting to be close friends. lol

Blink....and 2 weeks fly!

2011-10-24T10:46:00.000-05:00

Times flies....seems the older I get the faster it travels. Hmmm- perhaps not a good situation! So, to get you caught up on what's been going on......

First off, the Hubbs had his shoulder surgery, and everything is going according to the plan. Rehab will start soon, I am sure. He has a road yet to travel, but hopefully he'll not encounter too many bumps along the way.

Fall has finally come to stay here in Iowa. It's fresh and crisp and lovely! My favorite time of the year. It comes, of course, with it's special chores.....not the least of which is late fall garden work.

This year we had an extra good helper! Digging up those potatoes is a childhood memory of mine. I helped my dad when I was about his age. I still get a little burst of excitement when the shovel of dirt is overturned and you see....just how many 'taters are hiding under the surface! And of course, makes for good eating. BG likes baked potatoes. And, "Grammy" (as I am now called) appreciates a quick last minute (microwave) food that he will usually eat.....as he gets pickier and pickier about what he eats. Sigh....we knew it wouldn't last.

I brought in my Christmas Cactus after the first light frost. It's loaded with small buds, and I am sooooo hoping that they will mature and make lovely blooms. Several years ago, I discovered that if I left the plant out in the yard till right after the first light frost, it would set on buds and be gorgeous in a few weeks. Prior to that discovery, my plants rarely bloomed. Those smarter that me will probably know the reason why this works.....I'm just happy to have accidently discovered it! The blossoms are usually long gone my Christmas, but early is better than no blooms at all.

And, while most of my outdoor plants are gone now, this begonia has decided to show one last burst of beauty! It's actually prettier now than it was this summer. It has survived a couple of light frosts - and just keeps on showing off.

You can see in the background, this pretty tree. Of course, under all those gorgeous red branches are piles of equally pretty leaves waiting to be raked!

I have been spinning up a storm the last couple of weeks. I discovered that I had quite a nice collection of reds and browns in the fiber stash. So, I have been spinning them up into worsted weight yarns. No real plan at this point, just spinning for the sheer pleasure of it. Three of these have been in my stash for over a year (or two?). I say no more.....

And on the knitting front.... I knit a hat for my mom out of a skein of left over Berroco Vintage in dark heather brown. I failed to photograph it, however, so my apologies. She liked it and I offered to knit her a pair of matching gloves.

Here is the first glove, finished except I left yarns hanging on the fingertips so that if I need to adjust the length, I can. I really like the pattern, and plan to make several as gifts for the Holidays. These mom will receive as soon as they are done, but she just might be receiving a dark green set for Christmas.

So, I leave you with my latest dilemma. The new kitchen appliances are in, the new countertops are in, the new windows are in, the new window coverings are up, and now.....the kitchen flooring is the next decision I must make. The Hubbs is pretty much "whatever you want". Hmmm...if only I knew.

The process was started this weekend. Again - new options and new materials available that I knew nothing about! Six samples came home with us. I think each of these have been on the "that's the one" list.....till the next one took it's place. Oh dear! I am so glad we are not building a new house from scratch again. I'm sure we'd never live long enough to see it to completion. Each decision is taking such a long time. On the good side though - we are overwhelmingly pleased with each of the decisions we have made, so, perhaps it pays to take your time....and time....and lots of time!

Fall.....

2011-10-09T21:52:00.002-05:00

While the warm temperatures of summer seem to be hanging around longer than normal, some things do indicate that fall is here.....

One good little doggie got a new sweater.....(and models it quite nicely, I might add).

And.......

Well, you get the idea.....

There and back again....

2011-10-04T14:49:00.000-05:00

Since last I posted, we have been:

Here and back again. "Here" is a cabin at Blue Bell Lodge in South Dakota - smack dab in the middle of Custer State Park. Yep, that's where you could find us this same week last year too. Good things deserve to be repeated sometimes. All the "good" photos are in the hubb's camera, so I'll get more posted soon. Just thought I'd let you know why I've been MIA for the last couple of weeks.

We are home now, and back to real life. I managed to get lots of knitting done while riding in the car, and setting on that front porch up there. Ahhh...... total relaxation. Some of these projects may have been viewed on Ravelry, so sorry for the redundancy if that is the case.

Fist up is the pair of mittens inspired by the photo I took of Bergen, Norway. When I saw the pattern, it reminded me so of the photo I had taken from our room balcony.....I knew I would eventually knit a pair for myself.

This will be the back or public side of the mittens. I really like this building design!

I chose to make this the palm side of the mittens.

The pattern was basically just a chart, so I chose to do a hem bottom with the braid detail. I really like that touch on the bottom of mittens.

Next up is a simple shawl - great car knitting on large needles.

This is the pattern "Faraway, so Close". The yarn is handspun, 2 4oz braids spun into a 2-ply worsted weight yarn. It was really fun and quick. I made the larger size, and I really like how it comes way down on my arms. I may well make another of these. Perhaps for my mom.

Next is a pair of plain jane socks knit out of Knitpicks Stroll Tonal in the "Parchement" colorway. They were originally going to be for me, but they may be gifted at Christmas. I think they came out very nice, and the intended recipient is very much into similar colors as I like. I think they will be well received. Yikes.....there's that "C" word again!!

Lastly, and currently, I am working on a new sweater for one little doggie!

She was not thrilled with her fitting session, as I had to wake her from a deep sleep. But she went back to snoozing immediately, so worry not! She wore the makeshift long sleeved sweater (from the previous post) while we were on vacation.......she deserves a nice new pretty one - in colors more complimentary to her coloring. This will be long sleeved and long bodied.

So - that's got things caught back up. BG's preschool class is walking to the local fire station this Friday. It's a couple of blocks, and crossing a busy street, so guess who's going along as a volunteer??? LOL - yep, you betcha! They asked for enough adults to go so that they had one adult for every 2 preschoolers - one on each hand. I'm for that system! Call me overprotective.......

More on the vacation later. It was kind of a strange blend of bliss and adrenaline runs. We had phantom idiot lights going off on our dash, a flat tire, and then there was a little "run in" with a big buck deer. Sigh..... but all's well that ends well, and it did.

DH has surgery scheduled for next week. Shoulder surgery. He received his cardiac clearance, so I guess it's a "go". We expect things to go well.

Keep on aknittin...... later - k

All new things.....

2011-09-17T15:10:00.001-05:00

Eventually get old. As in.....everything in a house built in the '70's. My father was a general contractor, and when it came time for the hubbs and I to purchase a home, he offered to help us build one. So....off to purchase land, and plan away. Hubbs hit as many nails as did my dad, and when it was all said and done, we had a very well built, if modest, home....for a fraction of the cost. But, it is aging. So a few years back, we put on a new roof, and then there was the AC/Furnace, and recently some kitchen upgrades, and this week....

Windows have changed drastically in the 30+ years.....these are triple pane, very energy efficient. Replacing wood windows - oak trimmed inside. They will take some getting used too. The deafening ability is amazing. While I don't mind the lack of traffic noise, I do kind of miss the sounds of the birds. Guess it's a give and take type of thing.....

Old, also, is Sofee's one and only long sleeved sweater.

She really needs the benefit of long sleeves, and over the hip coverage to deter licking/chewing in this allergy season. This one is getting stretched out to the place where she can finagle out of it pretty easily.....thus the harness keeping it on. So, in desperation, I am going to take one of her old short sleeved sweaters and modify it. Add on longer legs, and lengthen it. I promised her she would not have to go out in public, as it will surely be an embarrassment.

My next project is a nice, new, sweater for her.....but in the meantime this quick (and ugly) solution will have to do. I promised her - no photos necessary.

And now for some pretty "new" items. Some actually not so new, but I have not been very good about photographing my new fiber before I stash it away. So....I raided the stash bins and got caught up. New pretties.....

This is Polwarth by Sqoosh. Apparently there is not a colorway name. I just see "1073" on the label. Not sure what it will be yet, but she was having a very good sale - and I just could not resist the beautiful reds and oranges.

These three small braids are each 2oz. They are BFL fiber, by FatCatKnits. These will eventually be spun into fingering weight yarns for colorwork. Love these little braids to play with.

This is "Esther" on VBFL. Ginny of FatCatKnits has a colorway of the month (voted on by her rav group members - great fun!) and she offers a discount on that particular colorway. This must have been the one for July. Deep purples. I wish I had ordered more, as I like it way more than I thought I would. sigh....

This is Spinach Souffle, the colorway for August (I think at least). Lovely deep greens. Again on VBFL.

As for my knitting, I am nearing completion on a project somewhat inspired by this photo:

This was taken in Bergen, Norway. We traveled there several years ago, and this was the view from our balcony. Sigh..... of course my project is nothing close in beauty, but it does bring back memories of this scene. I'll post photos when it's finished.

Besides that promised sweater for Sofee, my mom is wanting some hats for this winter. She has never been much of a hat enthusiast, but with age comes thinning hair, so our priorities change a bit. I made her a Beret de printemps last year which she really liked. This year, I think I will knit a Brambles Beret. She likes them kind of slouchy - doesn't want crushed hair. Anyway, should be a quick project.

Sorry - this is a long rambling post! BG is doing a sleep over tonight. The movie Lion King - at the theater - is on the schedule for tomorrow. Should be fun! It's available in 3-D, but just not sure how he'd tolerate those glasses, so we will probably opt for 2-D. Popcorn will still taste great!

OH! I almost forgot..... It's turned colder here, and the other morning, BG came to my house with (commercial) socks on. Shortly after his mom left, he started pulling them off, and when I asked him why, he said "I want the comfy socks you made for me, Granma!". Ahhhhh...... what more can I say! :)

It's gettng to feel alot like......

2011-09-12T08:00:00.028-05:00

Well, ok, perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration.....but it will be here sooner that we realize. I need to make this last advent calendar. This one stays at my house. BG will love it, so I know when it's all done, it will be well worth it. Just that "all done" thing.....that's the tricky part. I promised myself I would not let this go till the last minute, so it's actually getting started this evening, (or perhaps tomorrow evening.) :)

Just thought I would share a new hair product that I just discovered.

In last month's issue of Goodhousekeeping magazine, there was a review on "anti-aging" hair products. (Who knew????) Anyway, this one was touted as being a real winner, with a great price tag. ($10). It was available locally (Sally Beauty Supply) so last Thursday, on my way to TNKG I picked some up. Love it! This link should give you the write up about it on their website.

And last, I'd like to share my latest spinning efforts:

Two small skeins of fingering weight yarn, destined to be colorwork. Ginny of FatCatKnits occasionally has 2oz braids for sale. That is just the right amount of fiber for me to spin for small colorwork projects. This colorway is "Buster", on VBFL.

I really love all the different colors that show up close. Ginny does amazing things with dyes!

Well, off to my "Mrs. Grandma" duties. Should be fun.......

Excitement...

2011-09-09T19:29:00.000-05:00

BG saw this spider web sparkling in the early morning sun yesterday - all the way from the back door - about 30 feet away. We just had to snap a photo.

Everyone should have the chance to experience the world thru the eyes of a three year old. There's excitement around every corner - trust me!

The current WIP's are dwindling, with only one pair of plain jane socks on the needles currently. So...I just finished a spin for a new shawl.

This fiber (two 4oz of variegated bfl, Wizard Island colorway)

Became this on the niddy noddy:

And this in the skein: approx 600 yards of a dk weight yarn.

I plan to knit a "Faraway, so Close" shawl in a KAL with the FatCatknits group on Ravelry. I think I like the yarn - I think. Not sure what I expected, but...., well, we'll see how it knits up.

BG loves preschool, btw. My first day as a volunteer teacher will be Monday. I'm looking forward to it. He plans to call me "Mrs. Grandma". Works for me! :)

New mittens

2011-09-04T14:10:00.002-05:00

Yes, another pair of colorwork mittens. My fascination continues.....

My apologies to those that may have seen these on Ravelry. It's a free pattern (thru September) on Ravelry called Marley's Garden. They are knit with hanspun, the colored yarn being spun from this fiber:

The background is an undyed Varigated BFL fiber - strands of darker and lighter fiber mixed into the roving. I think it gives the finished item an old, antique look about it.

I knit these with the same background yarns, but I don't think I've ever posted a photo here. These were knit during my blogging hiatus. Sorry - forgot the stats: This pattern was taken from The Mitten Book, the "Pole Pattern" is the name of the pattern. I did modify it for my gauge.

Anyway - perhaps that will be the last of the mittens for awhile..... we'll see....

I am baking our first "winter" squash today. Hopefully it's ready to be picked. The vines have died back, but if I remember right, my dad always said to wait till right before the first frost. We'll see. I think I will experiment with fresh tomato soup later in the week. It's going to be cool this week, and perhaps a fresh garden soup will be just the ticket! Ahh.....fall is indeed on the way.

As summer is winding down....

2011-09-02T20:00:00.000-05:00

I had not thought of posting a photo from the garden, but when I went out to pick a jalapeno pepper to add to the cornbread this afternoon, I spied this tomato plant, and just had to take a photo....

Not all of them can be seen from any one direction, but there was a total of 15 ripe tomatoes on this one vine. The plant itself is past it's prime, but oh.....those tomatoes certainly are tasty! It's been a very good year for the garden. Last year, with so much early rain, it was very poor indeed. I don't think my husband has ever had such a sorry garden as the one last year. So....we are overly appreciative of a good season this year.

Each year, I set out houseplants that are on their way out - giving them one last chance at a happy life. Two of them have indeed had a happy summer, and hopefully will continue to thrive when I move them inside come fall.

This Hoya plant, I purchased at a greenhouse, but soon came to realize that I had also paid for spider mites. YIKES! I fought them, but the plant never flourished. It was sad and unhappy. But, look at it now.

I am so pleased! I hope it will bloom eventually. I have another Hoya, which is very happy and thrives in it's window setting, but rarely (as in once) has it ever bloomed. Hopefully this one will bloom and they can start competing with one another....... we'll be talking about that anyway!

And this Rosary Vine - well, I dropped the pot, and it all broke off from the ball of dirt. Literally - ball of dirt, strands of plant - held in separate hands. I was so sad. So - I planted all of the little bulbs that I could find, and tried to salvage as much as I could, but it wasn't looking good. But.....look at it now!

Such a happy plant!!!! Again - I am thrilled! I also stuck a couple orchids out, but sadly it was not a wise decision. Not looking good for the orchid......:(

And now a question that perhaps someone can help answer. We have a Red Oak tree that is probably about 25 yrs old in our far back yard.

Notice the clusters of dead leaves? Some Internet research suggests that it is Cicadia damage. Oak Wilt does not have those symptoms. We do have lots of Cicadia around. Luckily, we also have lots of Cicadia Killers too. I used to dislike the Cicadia Killers, as they are pretty ominous looking, but guess I should welcome them to our yard! We are hoping that the tree will be ok.

No knitting or spinning content in this post. Soon - in a couple of days I should have some mittens to share with you.

Hope everyone has a nice (and safe) Holiday weekend. BG starts his preschool next week. Guess Labor Day marks the (unofficial) end of summer. Seems the seasons roll by so quickly anymore........

Yep - sneaking around the corner......

2011-08-26T13:19:00.001-05:00

Fall MUST be on the way. It seems two things always happen at my house when fall is upon us.

The first one, not so pleasant - Sofee slips into the throes of allergy woe. She's there. I gave in and gave her some of her prednisone yesterday. She's miserable, and I am too. I worry so what the medications may be doing "to" her rather than "for" her. Luckily I can usually keep the edge off, which is the goal, with as few as 8 or so pills the entire season. Course, even that is 8 more than I'd like to give her. I also hate to watch her suffer though. It's no fun either way.....

The other is my annual "use up the scraps on kid's mitten" urge. This year I wanted to use up some hand-spun scraps. I could make a hundred mittens, as many bits and bobs of yarn that I have, but I fear my attention span is too short. For now, 4 pair are enough.

As always, they are strange looking, and I ponder the wisdom of donating them to charity. Are the kids THAT desperate? Then I remind myself that they are warm - densely knit out of double strands of wool. So, they will probably find a mitten tree to adorn this Holiday season - and hopefully a snowman tummy to pat eventually.

Speaking of handspun yarns..... I just prepped my next fiber project. I think I will start spinning for another pair of colorwork mittens.

This is another FatCatsKnits fiber. I have 2 onces of her colorway "Nerds" on a verigated bfl base. I drafted out the first ounce, and will start spinning it this afternoon, while BG naps. I plan a fingering weight when completed. I'll spin them both seperately so I have two small skeins of identical yarns with the color floating from green to the peachy/orange. I ran across a new color stranded mitten pattern yesterday and had an "ah-huh" moment.

Oh, and the colorblock shawl from the previous post - it's toast. Sorry Stephen.....the love was just not there. I have seen some lovely renditions, so it's not the pattern's fault - just my color selection was not the best. Anyway - be thee gone! (Life is too short!).

Thanks to all of you who have actually been reading this blog and leaving such kind comments. :) I do soooo appreciate it!

Wooo Hooo - two posts in the same week! I do believe I am on a roll.......

"Favorite" Socks......

2011-08-22T10:05:00.000-05:00

They were a big hit this morning!

I think they may be a tad big, but I have not washed and dried them yet, so hopefully those toes will snug up a bit. But....I know he's growing like a little weed, so probably I have nothing to worry about!

I ended up with a stitch count of 48 on 2.5mm dpns. It's a knitpicks stroll yarn, so washable, even though it will probably pill like mad. That seems to be my experience with their stroll sock yarns. I have several other 5 grm skeins of sock yarn in appropriate colors. So, he may get some more socks for school.

As for right now, he's quite pleased! As am I!

After I posted last time, I realized I never posted a photo of my completed Mystery Shawl by Wendy Johnson. It was a fun knit, and one I would recommend. It was knit out of Lisa Souza "Sock it" yarn, which also made for an enjoyable knit.

I admit that I am a "Glee" fan. Totally....since episode 1! This weekend, I saw the movie "Glee - the concert". I would recommend it - to Glee fans. I went solo, as I didn't want to subject the hubbs. He has never watched a single episode. Anyway, a nice escape for me, complete with sinful popcorn. It was a good thing! :)

She's alive!!!

2011-08-17T14:39:00.001-05:00

Yes....I'm still alive. I took a little blogging break. I didn't intend to, just the days flew by. Guess I just lost my blogging mojo, as they say. It's been so long, I had to actually look up my password to even log onto this blog. (Hmmm....is that indicative of the 3 month lapse in posting, or more my ever increasing age???)

A few folks have written me, expressing concern, so I have chatted with a few of you. Thanks so much....you know who you are. Friends that I have met thru blogging is why I just really can't give it up. With fall should come more free time.......

Anyway - Let's see....

Since we last visited, BG has turned 3 years old. He is also totally potty trained! YAY!!!! He'll be going to preschool 3 mornings per week beginning Sept 7th. I will be a volunteer teacher two mornings per month. I am pretty excited about that - I think it will be great fun to share this experience with him!!! He is very excited about starting school, and talks about it all the time. We both can hardly wait!

Not so excited was he about his first trip to the dentist's office. There wasn't much dental work being done....not even a look/see! Nope - Nada! And she's such a nice dentist! Everyone had a good laugh over this photo though. Her assistant snapped it - I presume for his patient record. Since then he visited chair-side while his mom had her annual exam. He thought that was quite entertaining..... Hopefully next visit will be a little more worthwhile!

My hubbs has an injured shoulder. An MRI produced a laundry list of problems - 4 of which can be (hopefully) surgically repaired. Now, just talking him into it..... A similar injury/repair on the other shoulder was not all that successful, so he's just a little gun shy about this entire process. Eventually.....

Summer is almost over. The Iowa State Fair is in full swing, which is great fun. The downside of that is it always co-incides with Sofee's allergies flaring up. I think it is Ragweed. Anyway, so it has begun.......

She's sleeping off her antihistamine, and refused to participate in this photo-shoot. Sorry.

I bought myself a new toy. It was necessary, as my previous computer, while much loved, was old and just not cutting it anymore. I felt like the lady in the TV commercial, where they have to set up a computer store in her living room to show her all the new available technology.

I decided that I did not want a lap-top. But didn't even know there was such a thing as an "All In One". No tower. What you see is what you get. Love it! I'm still getting used to all the new bells and whistles (touch screen for one), and also the latest version of Adobe Photoshop Element is making my head spin, but dealing....

With my apologies for those of you who may have already seen these next few items on Ravelry,

Here are my latest mittens. I used two different colorways of FatCatKnits fiber to spin these yarns. I was quite dubious at first, and nearly frogged them, but I am happy with them upon completion.

I think I like the palm side better than the public side, to tell the truth.

Also, I recently knit "Rock Island" by Jared Flood in a purple colorway and the "Japanese Garden Shawl" by Wendy Johnson. These will go to my (future) daughter in law for donation to an Alzheimer's charity auction - purple being the official color.

Rock Island was a challenge for me. Perhaps because I held two strands of very thin lace weight together to knit it. For whatever reason, I was very glad when it was completed!

The Japanese Garden Shawl is probably my all time favortie shawl pattern. Knit out of fingering weight yarn, it was a very fun project. Again - my apologies to folks have already seen these projects.

This, however, I know no one has seen...... It's the current Stephen West KAL. And, does it scream 70's??? I had a color block shift dress (for those of you old enough to remember.) that had buttons up the side and on the shoulder. Oh...those were the days! LOL!

This grandma must be a slow learner. A little someone asked for another knitted garment. Yes, I am such a sucker! At least it's not an intarsia sweater this time! After reading a book about a "favorite" pair of socks, he asked me to knit him a pair of socks. I should have gotten that "favorite" part in writing! So far, he does seem delighted to try them on....

Course, this is my second attempt. I knit an entire sock, only to discover that his foot has grown more than I realized. So, I started over. (Even though he protested, and said it fit just fine!) LOL. He picked out the yarn, so perhaps that is part of the appeal. Kind of screams Halloween to me, but that's ok.....it's coming quickly.

And, while the computer may be the latest bit of new technology in my house, this library book is not. But, it works for me.

I think sticking with old fashioned books - yes the bulky, heavy kind - may be my own silent protest to the changing world! (I remember my grandma refusing to use her garbage disposal!) Everyone has their last straw.......vbg. It's a good book....I'm just hoping for a happy ending.

Nice talking to you all. (Assuming I still have a few readers???) Sorry it's such a long rattle. It will be shorter (and sooner) next time.

Take care, and thanks for stopping by!

Happenings.....

2011-05-26T14:25:00.000-05:00

Wow - seems like the days fly by anymore. Today was BG's last day of pre-preschool. Where have the weeks gone since he started back in September?? Next year, he will be an official 3-yr old, in an official 3-yr old preschool class. I think my daughter has chosen to send him to a school closer to my home, so transportation will be more convenient for me. He is already talking about going to a new school and making new friends next year. Such exciting times!

Getting back to where the days go...I have been busy. Last weekend, our local knitting guild offered classes with Janet Szabo. I have admired her work for years, and was thrilled when I heard of this opportunity. I signed up for all four classes, the first two on Saturday were on cables, infinite cables and cable colorization.

By afternoon, I was really struggling with brain freeze. Not sure why, but hopefully it was all the antihistamines I have been on lately. I'd rather think that than just my age showing. Guess it could be either. Anyway, it was a really great experience.

On Sunday, the morning class was on Brioche stitch which I enjoyed more than I had ever guessed that I would. The possibilities are endless, and soft cushy items are bouncing around in my brain!

The afternoon class was a workshop on her Aran Christmas sock, "Holly Berry". I have continued to work on it this week, and hope to finish it soon.

I will probably use it as a gift bag for Christmas items sent off to my son and future DIL (yes, they are officially engaged....or have I already told you that?) next Christmas. It's a very nice pattern, and I am enjoying it quite a bit.

And, along with knitting, I have been spinning.....spindle spinning actually! Great fun, although not as fast as wheel spinning, it is nice to be able to pick it up for 5 or 10 minutes here and there.

This is the 2nd color that I have spun of the rainbow bag of fiber.

The first was the darker color, and the next will be a more vibrant blue.

I am simply spinning them as they were in the bag, and when finished I will arrange the colors as I like. I hope to make a pair of Fiddlehead mittens with these yarns.

I also received the Jenkins Turkish Spindle that I had on order. The singles form a little double ended ball of yarn around the arms as you spin, in such a manner that when you finish, you pull out the shaft, pull out the arms of the spindle, and you have a nice little wound-up ball of yarn. I have only spun a very small sample piece of fiber.....but it was extremely easy to spin, and I know I will enjoy working with it.

It is just a beautiful piece of artwork! I love that the artist labeled, dated, and signed each one. It's just beautifully made!

And, like so many other knitters, I am working on Wendy Johnson's Summer Mystery Shawlette. Anxiously awaiting the release of the next clue.......

It really is a fun little project, out of stash yarn - Lisa Souza Sock!

The fact that I am using my new Signature circular needles may be why I am enjoying the project oh so much! I splurged and treated myself to several pairs of these beauties! LOVE them! Ahhhhhh......

So - that catches things up, on the needlework front anyway. The garden is in, and looking pretty good so far. We have had tons of rain, but luckily have been spared the destructive winds and storms that other parts of the US are experiencing. BG and I are looking forward to a summer sans preschool - which will allow more trips to the park, the zoo, the swimming pool, and just general summer fun!

We made a trip to the local K-mart yesterday. He picked out the most obnoxious fire engine.....complete with blaring super-hero music and a multitude of flashing lights and screeching sirens. He was totally thrilled! And so am I. He's only little once, and those days are flying by........

Since last time.....

2011-05-09T13:57:00.000-05:00

Gee...it's been awhile....sorry. Well, I attended YarnOver in Minneapolis, which was great fun. My highlight of my weekend was a class with Jared Flood on Shetland color work. I was very "good" with my spending, doing very little stash enhancement, although the vendor's mall was quite tempting. We did a little shop hopping, and I did bring home a few goodies.

This fiber was described as a rainbow in a bag. Pretty fitting, I thought.

I also bought this little pair of scissors.

I just thought they were cute, and at only 2.5 inches in length, they fit nicely in my knitting tool kit. While not expensive, they are stainless steel, very sharp and appear to be well made. I must admit that I have a "thing" for needlework scissors. I also bought a Sue the Ewe pattern. After reading it, I'm not sure I'm up to the challenge - but hopefully someday - someday when I grow up.

Mother's Day weekend coincided with the annual Tulip Time festival in Pella, an Iowa community rich in Dutch heritage. BG and his parents invited us to go with them, and it was a fun time. We had beautiful weather, and the tulips were at their prime.

BG answered the challenge of finding something a bit more exciting than tulip watching ......

I think we are finally into spring,. I just finished planting all of my annuals this morning, this being the latest date that I have ever done so. It's just been such a strange spring so far.

DH is heavy into gardeining right now, and I baked my first rhubarb crisp yesterday. Which reminds me, I baked it in my new oven! We are in the process of a little kitchen redo. New countertops, range/oven, and sink are finished....step one complete. Next is flooring. I need to do some research, as we are not sure what we want. It took forever deciding on countertops..... the search for the perfect flooring material is not something that I look forward to! I am happy with our countertop choice though, so I think sometimes it pays to take your time with such decisions.

On the knitting front, I just completed 2 pairs of mittens for Chris, of IntoTheWhirled fame.

This project became a little more lengthy as I actually lost one mitten while at YarnOver. It was completed except for the thumb. Darn! Guess I'll keep my "important knitting" at home from now on. I am currently waiting on new materials from her, but my next project will be "hush-hush". So, while I'll be knitting away...I just will not be able to chat about it for awhile.

On the spinning front, the new toy that I teased you about not too long ago:

A Trindle, with Fossil Stone balls. I have another set of arms/balls that are lighter weight, but not sure what the stones are. Trindleman ran a sale recently, giving a free 2nd set of arms/balls with any order. Great deal! You can change the weight of the spindle by changing out the arms/balls, allowing for a broader range of spinning results. Cool! And, Sofee ordered a Jenkins Turkish Delight Spindle as a mother's day gift for me! Such a thoughtful ~~husband~~ pup! I think I am going to spin that rainbow fiber up on spindles rather than my wheel. That project should keep me busy for awhile. lol

And, saving the best for last........ Big news! Our son proposed to his beloved Ellen, so they are now officially engaged! We are thrilled! She is a very nice girl, and the two of them seem very happy and good for one another. No date for the wedding yet.....but they are enjoying being engaged. Life is good! :)

Do YOU have.....

2011-04-20T08:31:00.002-05:00

BG loves to look out the patio door at the birds while eating his breakfast. Today, he was excited to see two big Blue Jays in our little redbud tree. But, he wanted to know where the "Woodknockers" were that he had seen yesterday! So, the question...do YOU have woodknockers in your neighborhood?

LOL.....he so often makes me laugh! It brought to mind Art Linkletter's "Kid's say the Darndest Things". Now THAT dates me!!! Have a good day, everyone....and hope you share a giggle with someone that you love.

And the results are.....

2011-04-19T14:09:00.000-05:00

I plied my way through "Dancing With The Stars" last night. For some reason, I am just not feeling the love this season. I really could care less...... But I do feel some happiness when I look at this skein of yarn:

Which was spun from this braid:

IntoTheWhirled, sw BFL, "Mandarin" colorway. A club fiber - inspired by a photo of a very colorful Mandarin duck. It is fun to see what a braid will spin into - I have such a hard time envisioning it. I may knit some striped socks, or perhaps use this in a colorwork project. We'll see.

Mother Nature is playing nasty again. It's cold and rainy here, but other parts of Iowa have gotten hail and snow today. The eagles were covered with snow early this morning, and when last I checked, the camera was completely buried in snow!! I'm sure they will be ok, but mama didn't look too happy early this morning.

I heard on the radio that in 1977 there was one eagle's nest in Iowa. This year there are over 300! And one of those is famous!

Much Better!

2011-04-17T09:34:00.000-05:00

This is the Japanese Garden Shawl, by Wendy Johnson. The pattern is being sold as a fund-raiser, proceeds going to the Red Cross for Japanese earthquake/tsunami relief. I should check again, but if memory serves me correctly - she had raised over $4,000 when last I checked. I think the effort lasts through the end of the month. So....if you are so inclined, you know what to do......

It was a quick and enjoyable project. Yarn is Cascade Heritage sock yarn on size 5 needle. I used less than one full skein. That's usually the way when I have more than one skein available. lol.

My postman brought only disappointment yesterday, so I started a spinning project. Speaking or which .....I have a spinning goodie coming in the mail soon. Nope, not more fiber this time! It comes courtesy of the hubbs - he's so supportive of all my "habits"!

A keen observation.....

2011-04-16T13:55:00.000-05:00

I finished this shawl early this morning:

Unblocked shawls are such a sorry sight! Anyway, it's now blocking.....project done.....nothing on my needles. Should I start a pair of socks? - No. Should I start a spin? - No. I'm waiting for yarn to be delivered - hopefully with today's postal delivery. It's a commissioned project - and I want to start on it immediately, (And I'm a one at a time kinda gal, if you will remember).

So....I've made a discovery. If I didn't knit or spin, I would have a much cleaner house! I don't have to worry about that in this lifetime - but now I know what a person does if they are the type with really no hobby. Even with the diversion of the eagles, and a good book.....I am still going a little batty today and I have actually been cleaning house!!!! Yikes! But ....what do I hear.......it's the postman! YAY! By - gotta run!

I was right....

2011-04-11T14:49:00.002-05:00

I ran out of yarn! With 2 rows (and the cast off) left to complete.

Not sure that you can see, (some of what you see there is shadow) but the very bottom edging is out of a dark charcoal. I didn't like any of the near color choices, so went with the dark neutral. Perhaps you can see it better in this photo:

Seems I am always throwing items on the neighbor's fence for photos. He's never asked, but I bet he wonders about my sanity. I was spinning out on my patio the other day, and my other next door neighbor finally came over and asked what I was doing. I had to laugh, as her nearly grown sons had been spending a great deal of time in their backyard, but gazing over into mine. They finally sent mom over to find out what was going on.

Catchn up

2011-04-10T11:51:00.003-05:00

Wow - it's been awhile. Where do the days - weeks go? So, this will be a catch-up post.

First off, I think we are pretty much over the nasty bug that we all shared. Hubby was last to get it, but seemed to have a fairly short-lived version, when compared to what both me and my mom endured. During the first few days of my illness, I managed to break an older dental crown. Due to coughing, I chose to wait out a couple of weeks before getting dental work started. YIKES - it's been years since I have had a crown put on, and now I remember how much I hate the process. I really like my dentist, but just hate being captive and out of control. I always have those "I want to swallow NOW!!" moments. And - thanks goodness we have good dental insurance. I was blown away by the cost!!

DH has started planting garden (peas, onions, lettuce, radishes,) and probably more are in the ground. Due to horrible rains last year, our garden was pretty much a waste. We are hoping for a better crop this year. It's a lot of work, for no gain......kind of a downer last year.

And on the knitting scene, I've been busy. A pair of plain jane socks were recently completed. I really enjoyed knitting these with my new 2.25mm Signature DPNS. I am a total fan!

A couple of the gals in my knitting group just purchased the new Signature circulars, and I am anxious to hear how they like them.

I completed the Flamboyan shawl by Stephen West. It's knit out the 2 colors of my handspun, shown in the previous post. I really like it, now that it's finished. It looks really nice draped over one shoulder with the ties handing down either side on the other side. Sorry - no personal modeling shot. If you could see my hair you would knot why! LOL The fence is much better looking than am I! ;) It's very soft and drapey fabric, so anyway, color me happy with this one!

And currently, I am nearing the edge of a shawl/shawlette knit out of this handspun:

BG was helping me "thwack" it during the finished process and declared it to be rainbow yarn, so I just had to take a rainbow photo......

I am enjoying knitting with it. I'm making a Traveling Woman shawlette, starting with the green and ending the bottom edge with the dark wine color. I would bet my last dollar that I am going to run out of yarn though. My yarn meter malfunctioned, so I didn't know what yardage I had. I added quite a few pattern repeats, as I wanted to use the entire skein of yarn, so.....I'm afraid I misjudged. Oh well - I will manage to use every yard of this yarn, which was my desire. I think I will finish the very edge with a bit of Knitpicks Pallette. I have all those little color samples, if you will remember, so picking out the exact color will be easy. I think there are a couple of good matches, so I'll be placing a small knitpicks order soon. Hopefully it won't be too noticeable.

And some stash enhancement....

8oz of IntoTheWhirled Polwarth fiber. Quercus is the colorway name. Nice! My comfort colors.

And for some rainy day, when a little color is needed:

Again, IntoTheWhirled fiber. This time SW BFL, in "Mandarin" colorway. This colorway was inspired by a photo of a beautiful Mandarin duck.

So, Happy Spinning, Knitting, Crocheting, Quilting, Sewing, Baking, Gardening, Reading or whatever makes your heart sing.....talk to you later! (In the reading category, I've recently discovered the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. Fun escapism!!)
k

Brown....

2011-03-26T11:19:00.000-05:00

About as basic brown as you can get:

Knitpicks Stroll in the colorway Kindling. My basic plain jane sock recipe. These were the first socks that I knit with my new Signature dpns. Love them - socks and needles. 66st - 2.25mm - 5/1 rib.

And "Brown"

was the answer BG gave to Grandpa when asked what kind of leaf this was. Pretty appropriate answer, I think! Each day, BG seems to find his "Very Favorite" leaf in the walk from the car up to the back door, and has to bring it in and save it to give to Grandpa. While Grandpa was going to share tree identification skills with BG, BG was quite happy to share his 2-yr old perspective with his grandpa. We all had a giggle, and "Brown" it is!

Brown, with a tinge of blue

is how this lovely brown elixir has been making me feel of late. I drink my coffee black, with the exception of that first cup of the day - that one is doctored up.... I love my coffee! It's what motivates me to jump from my bed each morning - just the thought of that first cup of joe. But I have been battling a bad cold for the past week or so, and nothing tastes good - nothing - including that first cup of coffee! So, sad...:( I do think I am on the downhill slope though. I'm feeling a bit better today.

I have two things on needles right now, and sticking with the brown thing.....

These yarns are being knit into Flamboyan (Rav link) by Steven West. I'm on the outer ribbed border, and I think I'll really like the finished shawl/scarf. As always, I love knitting wth handspun.

And for just a splash of color!

Socks in the colorway "Viola"! Yarn is by IntoTheWhirled - her Saginaw sock line. Merino - luscious!

And an update: The "kids" made it home safely from Hawaii. They will be returning in a few weeks though, for another visit! Each bought the other a trip to Hawaii as a surprise gift to celebrate their 1yr anniversary of being a couple. The funny thing is both employers knew what was going on, as each had gotten the time off arranged for the other in secret. Bet there were a few chuckles exchanged behind closed doors! Ahhhhh - young love!

As the world shakes.....

2011-03-11T17:27:00.001-06:00

Sometimes half way around the world is really pretty darn close to home! As is the case when your son is in (potential) harm's way of tsunami waters! Amazing what your body does when you get shocking, fearful news. I was working out at Curves at 5:30 this morning, when I overheard a discussion of "Earthquake, Tsunami, Hawaii"....all in the same sentence. Body shock sets in - as I knew my son and his beloved landed in Hawaii yesterday. Fast forward about 30 minutes when I was talking to him, (love cell phone technology) and learned that their hotel was about a block from the water's edge, and his room was on the "safe" 5th floor. Safe, that is unless the building collapses. Roads were closed down, and they were not being evacuated. Again - he was "safe", but I could discern that note of worry in even his (usual) carefree voice. Hmmmm..... But, as I read on an internet news site a little bit ago - Hawaii lucked out this time! Whew..... Grateful...yep, that is totally what I am. I do feel so bad for those with loved ones in Japan, not to mention the residents of Japan. My heart truly goes out to everyone affected.

It seems Sweden is pretty close to Iowa these days, also. I placed an order on Etsy for some stitch markers. They were mailed on Monday of this week (at a cost of only $3.00!!).

Rose-Marie (aka BeGins) said they could reach me in as little as 3 days. Sure - I reminded her where I lived in relationship to where she lived. LOL - Live and Learn! They came today! I think mail between here and New Mexico takes longer than that - seriously!!

Aren't they cute! All sizes of rainbow markers. Special order - which she completed with lightening speed!

So, at the end of this day, I will be just a little more grateful than normal. Hug your honey(s) - and keep them all close to your heart. Take care - k

P. S. Nemo update - of sorts....

2011-03-10T14:24:00.000-06:00

Just to let you know.....when BG woke from his nap yesterday, he went to the patio door and looked out at "Frosty" and was VERY upset that the Nemo mittens were out there! (Althought it was his idea when we built Frosty). He wanted me to get them immediately! So, as any good Grandma would do.....I ran outside and fetched them - with an element of delight, I must admit, sure that this proved that he did indeed LOVE his Nemo mittens after all!!! I gave them to him, at which point, he put them on the kitchen table, and had nothing more to do with them. Didn't want to take them home - didn't want anything to do with them, but he just did NOT waht them to be outside. Frosty received a pair of last year's mittens as a trade. They can put a man on the moon, but still.....does anyone understand the thoughts of a 2-yr old???

Speaking of mittens:

I finished the Cardinal mittens last evening. These are from the book "Colorwork Creations" by Susan Anderson-Freed. As I may have mentioned in a previous post, construction is all top down. I must admit that I was not too enthused about this, but it's an ok way of knitting mittens. It was nice not to have to add the thumb in at the end - you connect it via a 3-needle bind off, as it's been knit first - and set aside till needed. The book is configured a bit odd - you find yourself bouncing back and forth, between several sections of the book in order to get all of the instructions for a certain project - somewhat disconcerting. But hang in there - the finished project is worth the effort - and the 2nd mitten was lots easier than the first. I expect that the next time I use the book, it will be much easier, as I will understand the process better. I really like the designs, so I know there will be a "next time".

I can't decide if I like the Cardinal motif or the patterned palm design better. It's a toss-up I guess. The coloration in the photo is a little darker than it should be. What they say about photographing reds seems to be true - at least today it is.

I guess I lied about not spinning during the week. I was driven to get the rest of this fiber spun up, so this week I put to good use the early morning time that I have prior to BG's arrival. And, he still takes an afternoon nap, so I spun then too. So.....

I now have two skeins all finished. It totals 550 yards of fingering weight. BFL is probably my favorite fiber, being easy to spin, soft, yet more durable than some. It would be good for socks, actually. I had thought I would use some of it for colorwork mittens, but I certainly don't need that much yardage, so not sure I want to break into it for mittens. I may have to think about it for awhile. The fiber is a variegated BFL, so it had streaks of dark running throughout the fiber prior to being dyed. I think it gives another dimension to the color - not only in this colorway, but several that I have purchased lately.

Next week is Spring Break, no preschool for BG. I'm hoping for nice warm weather, so we can do a day at the zoo - or a picnic in the park - or even a long walk. Spring is in the air, and we need fresh air!!! Frosty, you're on your own......

Enjoy.....

2011-03-09T10:51:00.000-06:00

The last few days of Winter!!! (And if you get a chance to rid yourself of Nemo mittens - go for it!) :)

Weekend whirl.......

2011-03-06T15:59:00.000-06:00

My spinning is primarily accomplished on the weekends, when BG is not around. He remains quite fascinated with the spinning wheel, and I just don't want it out and tempting him. By the time he goes home, I'm usually too worn out to spin - with any deal of success anyway. So, it's kind of a weekend treat for me.

Ginny of FatCatKnits fame, has a new thing going....a colorway of the month SAL of sorts. The color for March is "SweetTortie". I had purchased a braid of it in January, and really didn't give the name much thought. Little did I know, but the color of tortoiseshell cats was the inspiration for this particular colorway. Many folks posted photos of their Tortie cats....gorgeous creatures! Then it was pointed out to me that Sofee has the same colors in her coat, so......

Not to be outdone by a bunch of felines, always up for a photo-opp.......

This weekend I spun up the first half of the braid - 2oz produced 306 yards of a light wt fingering weight yarn.

Spinning has given me an entirely new appreciation of yarn - the colors - the structure - the movement of the individual fibers themselves.

Plus it's just so darn much fun to do!!!

WOW!

2011-03-05T15:59:00.000-06:00

That's it....WOW!

Can you imagine how much work this would be....especially when you consider the fact that I am only 1 outof at least 40 who participated in the Pallete yarn sample round-4! I accidentally ran across the opportunity to sign up to receive a small (5 yards I believe) amount of each of the 100 different colors of Knitpick's Pallete yarn. (On the Ravelry KnitPicks forum) For a very VERY nominal charge, I would receive a bag full of samples - so very handy in planning colorwork knitting. WOW.....that's all that I can say! That and I hope the woman who did these had help - lots of help!

Speaking of colorwork, my latest mittens are coming along nicely.

The first mitten is done, and I actually am not sure which side I like the best. Course, it doesn't help that one of the gals at TNKG saw a chicken instead of a cardinal when she looked at the mitten!! LOL....you can probably guess what I see now...... It was totally innocent on her part - and quite hilarious actually!

All the stats will be listed when I have a completed pair to share. Soon, I hope. Is there such a thing as SMS?

I am totally in love with my new Signature needles! I am working on a pair of socks with the 2.25mm size. I had hoped to knit the cardinal/chicken mittens with the 2.5mm set, but the gauge was off. So, I am using my 2.75mm Knitpicks Harmony DPNs.....and trying to resist ordering the 2.75mm Signatures. Oh - must be strong!!!!

Ahhhh........ one (or two) of life's little luxuries.

2011-02-28T17:31:00.000-06:00

I splurged! Probably many of you have these needles, but, if you will remember - I'm the gal that knit many, Many, MANY pairs of socks with Pony Pearls.....about the least expensive dpn on the market. And - loved every stitch. So this is a long jump for me......

I've been thinking about getting these for quite some time, but just could not justify the cost. Not sure why I finally ordered them, but now that I have.....I'm pretty excited to give them a try!

First project, I believe, will be a pair of colorwork mittens using this handspun. It's a fingering weight Polwarth fiber, dyed by FatCatKnits. It has been in my stash since last spring, a club offering, and finally was spun into yarn this past weekend. Polwarth is a total joy to spin. It's nearly as soft as Merino, but more durable, less pilly. I love these bright colors! I had a little over 2oz of fiber, and wound up with 250 yards.

Or, perhaps I will knit another pair of plain jane socks such as these:

These have been my mindless, preschool waiting in the car, knitting project for the last couple of weeks. They are knit out of Regia yarn.. A Kafe Fasset line - canyon the colorway name. The colors are a little more subdued in person. Probably not my normal colors, but I do like them. They will be worn and machine washed and dried many many times, I am sure. Regia rivals Opal for durability - both total work horses.

I finished a very soft and snuggable cowl this morning too. It's actually still damp, as I snapped this photo.

The pattern is Ivy Vines by Anne Hanson. I knit it out of a very decedent yarn - Cascade "Epiphany", which is 60% Alpaca, 20% Cashmere, and 20% Silk. I weighed the remaining yarn and the cowl, and I actually have enough yarn to knit another one!

But - that will have to wait. I need to try out those new needles! I ordered 2.25mm and 2.5mm sizes. My favorite go-to sizes of dpns for fingering weight projects. I should have some fun.

Oh - and the final update on BG and the Nemo mittens. At my encouragement, he wore them to preschool to show one of his teachers, Miss K, as she is a knitter. He ran in with hands extended and much enthusiasm as he announced that grandma had knit him Nemo mittens. Then promptly took them off, threw them on the floor, and has touched them not since then. So...... spring will soon be here. We'll revisit warm woolies next year - he'll be three then. Hmmmmm.... we'll see.

Update.....

2011-02-22T06:42:00.000-06:00

When BG woke from his nap, he seemed to love his Nemo mittens (along with his "Hungry Caterpillar" that we bought yesterday at Kohl's).

But - when daddy came to get him --- only the caterpillar made the journey home with him. He left the mittens on my kitchen table. Sigh.....
I'll try again when we go to preschool this morning. That boy!!!!!!

Time will tell.....

2011-02-21T16:46:00.000-06:00

but I am Hoping that BG will like and actually wear these mittens.

All winter, he has torn his mittens off as quickly as I could put them on. The only time he sat patiently with mittens on, was once when I went to pick him up from preschool.....and the mittens were NOT his!!! Little stink!

This is a free pattern from Ravelry. I used KnitPicks Swish DK, and 3mm dpns. I think they will fit him. I saw Elaine's (Feb 3rd post) set that she made for her grandson, and I was totally in love with them. BG is a big Nemo fan, so.....well, I'll let you know!

The GREEN post.

2011-02-20T09:50:00.000-06:00

I have a friend who likes the color green. This is the fiber that I asked Ginny of FatCats to dye, especially for her
.

I spun it up into this yarn. It's a 2-ply worsted weight merino, 218 yards.

Here is the project bag that I made for her:

I have perfected a few things about these bags, and am very happy with this finished one. My biggest struggle remains getting the correct type of interfacing. Sometimes it's not my fault, but the availability of what I can find in the store. For this bag, both layers of fabric (outside and lining) are interfaced. Options were very limited in the store - and I decided to buy the less stiff version rather than risk the too stiff - lumpy bumpy result on the first bag that I made. Not very economical, but I am happy with the outcome, and that's what is most important.
.

I especially like the lining in this one,

and the little bauble (Its a tiny pink bird ) hanging off the zipper pull. I am now adding tabs at the zipper ends, which is a very practical addition. I am using the original proto-type as my own project bag. I really need to make myself a new and improved one. Eventually.

I wish I could say that these bags were fun to make. They might be if I didn't still struggle with the construction.... I need to write out more detailed instructions - that would help, I'm sure. It's just been so many years since I have sewn anything. Guess it's not like riding a bike.....

I had to chuckle.....I have a good stock of threads, etc, from the "old days". The price on this spool of thread is proof of what I speak!

Needless to say, I suffer from sticker shock each time I enter a fabric store. Also, having to take a number and wait upwards to an hour at the cutting table is something unheard of in the "old days". LOL....times, they do change.....

New Record! Two posts in one day!

2011-02-19T11:31:00.000-06:00

When I said I'd be back soon, I really didn't mean THIS soon, but I just listed these on my Raverly page, so guess I am on a roll.

They are the Chrysanthemum pattern out of the latest Knitty issue. They are knit out of FatCat polwarth, a colorway offered in her club last summer. The background is Cascade Heritage sock yarn. It's one of my favorites for colorwork.

I think my favorite thing about these mittens is the picot edge and the flowers on the thumbs. Such a cute touch!

My original inclination was to use off-white as the background color. But I changed my mind after a discussion that took place last Saturday during my knit group. Camel or Black/Navy got the most votes, and my off-white was decided to be too stark of a paring. Upon completion, I thought perhaps black would have been much better - but now that I look at the photos, I realize there is quite a bit of dark coloration that would have been lost in a black background. Sigh - I guess nothing is perfect. I'll be happy with these I guess.

The pattern was well written, and fun to knit. I always enjoy changes in colors - keeps you mesmerized and constantly in that "just one more row" mode. Not a bad state of mind for a knitter.......

Squatter's rights

2011-02-19T08:42:00.000-06:00

Sofee has officially claimed BG's small chair as her own property. He has pretty well abandoned it, in lieu of a larger wooden rocking chair (originally his mom's/uncle's - neither of which ever used it). This little red chair is still in the craft/toy room, and Sofee hangs out in there a great deal. Of course, when BG is actually here, she is usually out of sight. There is no love fest between the two..... she's read the book on Chi's and kids (or perhaps she wrote the book - at the very least she was interviewed!) ;)

I'll be back soon with some finished projects. And also...soon (I hope) with some lovelies that I ordered yesterday. I finally fell over the ledge - totally splurged on myself. The anticipation is over-riding the guilt right now though, so it's all good.....

Catching you up....

2011-02-09T14:50:00.000-06:00

Thought I'd share some recent finished projects with you......
First a couple knit from handspun yarns:

A pair of Mitered Mittens, ala...Elizabeth Zimmerman style. The original "recipe" is from her "Knitter's Almanac" book. I lengthened the cuff, and modified the thumb with a gusset. I have knit these before, and I truly believe it's one of the most entertaining projects that I have ever knit. Such practical, functional knitting, and great for handpsuns, as it shows off stripes in a very nice manner.

This cowl is also knit with handspun. The pattern is "Spiral Cowl", a freebie from Ravelry. The button is not sewn on yet, as I'm not sure it is the button I will decide upon.

Continuing with the cowl theme..... this one is another free pattern from Ravelry. "Willow Cowl". I knit this from a skein of stash yarn - Lisa Souza's Sock! yarn in the "Mars Quake" colorway. Her yarns have always been some of my favorites, and again it proves to hold true.

These will go to my mom for Valentine's day:

They were knit from a stash skein of "Socks that Rock" yarn. The construction is a little different, a fun knit!

The decreases are on the bottom of the heel. Who would have thought!

Shirley suggested the heart motif would make these socks a nice Valentine's gift. Guess I"ll run with that idea.

There are more details on my Ravelry project page on all of these items, if anyone wants pattern links, etc.

We are having a cold-spell, but certainly not complaining about our winter this year. We have had only 3 sizable (aka - need to shovel) snowfalls. Compared to last year, this year has been a piece of cake! Spring is sounding good though. BG and I were discussing picnics, wading pools, and the zoo this morning. Soon little man....soon!

Heart Healthy SuperBowl snack.....

2011-02-07T07:01:00.000-06:00

I am always on the look-out for healthy munchies, and this is a winner. You take the small corn tortillas, cut them in quarters and lay single thickness on a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Lightly spray the chips with Pam. Then sprinkle with salt substitute, cayenne pepper, garlic powder....whatever pleases you. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. They will curl up, puff up and brown a little bit. Serve hot with your favorite healthy salsa. Yummm!!! and no worries or guilt attached!

Success!

2011-01-22T20:51:00.000-06:00

2nd attempt - much better! Thanks to those of you that gave suggestions, or sent a little bit of support my way. Always nice to hear from you.

This one pleases me. I have a recipient in mind, so hope it pleases her too.

Things I did different from the first:
I pre-washed my fabrics. I bought different interfacing - not as heavy. I was initially going to adhere it to the lining fabric only, but I did not feel that it was stiff enough. So, I put it on both pieces of cotton. The stiffness is just perfect, without any creases or bubbling of the fabric. I also put pull tabs at each end of the zipper. And, I made sure the handle was at the top of the bag - top being at the zipper pull.

So - I am happy now. It's a good thing. :)

Are there any sewing experts out there.......????

2011-01-19T11:49:00.001-06:00

Hope you can help me. What have I done wrong?

My ~~cheap~~ thrifty side recently kicked in, and instead of purchasing any of these little box bags off of Etsy, I decided that I could surely sew some on my own. So.... off to JoAnne's fabric store I went. WOW - culture shock. It's probably been 20 years since I have sewn anything more than a hem or stray button. Enough said - it was an eye-opening experience!

I had found an online tutorial for the little boxes, and I had some fabric stashed away, so all I needed was interfacing and appropriate zippers. I was unsure as to the proper interfacing, and the blank stare that I received from the JoAnne's employee when I asked questions....obviously I was speaking a foreign language. (Amazing!) A helpful customer came to my rescue, and tried to help me find an appropriate product amongst all those bolts. This is the best we could come up with.

But....there seems to be some puckering, wrinkly action going on. It is adhered well to the cotton fabric, so I am wondering.....did I buy the wrong stuff? My other thought is that I should perhaps attach the stiffener to the lining of the bag, not the outer fabric. (Although I did it as the tutorial instructed, so I imagine that is not actually the problem.) Any thoughts? Suggestions?

I have several more bags planned (not sure why??) and would like to cure the puckering problem before I try another one. I think I will enlarge it just a bit too, and I definitely want to put little tabs at each end of the zipper for ease of actually zipping the zipper. Duh! Wish I'd thought of that early on. The lack of those is more irritating than the puckering.

If anyone is still reading this..... I can also share some knitted FO's. I think these are all posted on Ravelry though, so perhaps it is redundant of me to do so.

Oh, but before the knitting, let me share some spinning. I haven't spun anything for quite sometime, so it was with great delight that I spun this skein of FatCats Variegated BFL fiber, colorway "Shadowed Glenn". (Approx 250 yards of probably sport weight.) She may make it a stock colorway - I'm hoping. This is such a pretty yarn, I think. It's not very well spun, as I was somewhat out of practice, but I don't think it will take me long to get back into the grove of things.

Now, back to the knitting..... first off, the mittens that I knit from the Knitpicks Winter Woodland mitten kit

I was a little unhappy with the dark color of the Palette yarn, but Knitpick's customer service came to the rescue again. They sent me 4 new skeins that really do look much better in quality. I think there was just some inferior yarn in my kit. I hope to start the next pair of the mittens soon. The kit has the patterns and sufficient yarn to make 6 pairs total. Don't ask - I have no idea why I would want 6 pairs of similar mittens. Filler for the charity box, probably.

I also made my DH 2 new hats that match the cowl in the previous post. He loves them!

Jared Floods "Turn a Square" free hat pattern in Malabrigo. He wears them all the time - inside and outside the house. I certainly cannot complain that he is not wearing them. LOL. Each winter is harder for him to handle - the cold is really getting to him these days. Apparently his heart meds are to blame.

Speaking of Jared Flood. I hope to take a class with him this spring. He is one of the many fantastic instructors that will be teaching at YarnOver put on by the Minnesota knitter's guild. His class is one of my first choices....and I am hoping to hear there is place reserved for me. I think we will hear our class assignments at the end of the month.

And, another hat.

This photo, you won't see on Ravelry. :) I should have held the camera just a little bit higher. I don't wear hats, but this one....just might be the exception. I also knit one for my mom (but failed to get a photo before I gave it to her). She asked for a hat, which surprised me - she too being the non-hat wearing type. I've worn this one a couple of times and really like it. So warm!

I just finished another cowl yesterday, but not blocked yet. I'll share photos soon.

And everyone needs a giggle. Background - BG is moving from his crib into his "Big boy bed" at home. He's doing much better now, but there were a few tumultuous nights when the transition began. This is a photo my daughter sent to me....... She found him like this - and still asleep!

Finally.....

2010-12-30T16:07:00.000-06:00

Some knitting to share!

First off, a cowl that I made for DH. He tried one of mine when he was out snowblowing, and declared his desire for his own. So, after searching for Malabrigo Worsted in an acceptable colorway, I managed to knock this out in a couple of days.

I have modified the original pattern quite a bit, making the back more shallow, and the front a little better coverage. Detailed mods are on my Ravelry project page, if anyone is interested. DH has worn it (inside and out) nearly nonstop since I finished it. Actually, it has NOT been blocked yet - and probably won't be till it needs washed. At least I know he likes it! Not all bad.

And the other finished project is the Advent Scarf.

Totally in love with this! It was such a fun way to countdown till Christmas. I kept on schedule, starting on December 1st and finishing up on the 24th. I hope a similar KAL is offered next year. Sign me up!

Finished size is 11 inches by exactly 7 feet. It's perfect for how I like to wear scarfs. It's soft and drape-able too. Each pattern was fun, and over way before you had a chance of getting bored. I really looked forward to each days pattern piece. Great fun!

On the last day of Christmas......

2010-12-28T10:53:00.000-06:00

Yes, for us, this is it. We are having our official Christmas dinner today. Schedules being what they are - waiting till the dust settles sometimes is best. New Years is an official day to stay home, safe and sound for DH and I, so once today is over, our Holiday celebrations are pretty much finished. We had a nice time though. The few handknits that I gifted were well received. That's always nice! But....

BG was sick. Not feeling terribly bad, but just not his perky, mischievous self. He had Roseola, rash and all. Christmas photos were pretty subdued. While he enjoyed his new toys, well, he wasn't as animated as he usually is. His momma tells me he is back to normal now, so he should really enjoy things when he comes over this afternoon for dinner. I managed to get his train table re-configured, holding his new Thomas Train

pieces, so hopefully we'll see some excitement when he sees it!

I managed to finish my Advent Scarf on schedule, but it is not blocked yet. Photos will be coming soon. I am still working on my mom's scrap shawl. She likes it, and it should be done soon. Those long rows of garter stitch are growing as we speak! I also am working on a cowl for DH. I gave him one of mine to wear when he was outside working a couple of weeks ago, and he was sold. So....off to find a"manly" shade of Malabrigo. I'm using a pattern that I had highly modified to make my own, and of course my notes are inadequate several years later, so I have had to frog back and do parts over several times, but hopefully it will get finished soon too. So - photos coming.

And, Sofee has FINALLY discovered a benefit of having BG around so much......

I hope you all had a great Christmas, and only the best

to each of you in the New Year!

And for a change of pace......

2010-12-05T11:25:00.001-06:00

Wow - no post since the 24th of November. Well, I've been a tad busy. BG was here with Grandpa and I 24/7 while mom and dad were in Hawaii. We had a good time, but now I know the true meaning of "bone tired"! I spent all day yesterday knitting, relaxing and enjoying (?? - not sure about that one) the silence of our now empty home. He'll be back bright and early on Tuesday morning, and this grandma will be ready!!! And then some.....

So, where was I, oh yes.... I couldn't talk my mom into a Terra shawl. Instead she wants one made out of scrap sock yarn. She has requested a garter stitch triangular shawl knit out of odds and ends of sock yarn, with a picot bind off. I have one that she likes, (but I fail to find a photo right now). Anyway - I held a lace yarn along with the sock yarn, which I had to order. Actually, I don't think I have an adequate amount of sock yarn scraps to make it either.....but I'll get it accomplished. If that's what she wants. I doubt that it will be completed in time for Christmas, but I'll do my best.

Untill I get the supplies for mom's shawl, this is keeping me busy:

It's an Advent Scarf. (just added link - sorry) Each day starting on December first, the designer has posted a section of the pattern. I think it's probably some sadistic madness from which I suffer, but I am somewhat addicted to it right now. The designer actually posts the clues late in the evening of the day before, due to time differences, so I get a head start on the next days assignment. Evening is when I do most of my knitting, so so far, I have been able to keep up. I wanted a more substantial rather than lacy scarf, so this is knit out of fingering weight (Cascade Heritage Sock yarn) on size 2.75 mm needles. The width will be generous enough to fold over and make a nice warm neck wrap, and hopefully the length will be ok too. I can always repeat a couple of the segments if I need to add length. It was designed for either lace or fingering weight, but on a larger needle, so it should be more open and airy (and larger, I presume). Time will tell.....if I can keep up the pace that is.

Off to ready my son's Christmas box. I need to get it in the mail before the rush is on. And house decorations will come out today. BG will have some new excitement when next he comes thru the back door. We visited Santa last week, and while shy at first, eventually thought he was an ok kinda guy. He's learning "jingle bells" at preschool, and lots of other secret stuff is going on there. Parent's gifts I presume. Life thru the eyes of a two year old must be so curious at times!

Tis the season.....

2010-11-24T13:30:00.000-06:00

I knit up this cute little package decoration this morning. Left over sock yarn - Heritage in dark green and dark red. I'm happy with it. I am going to tuck the hanging cord under the leaves when I put it on the package, but thought perhaps it would be nice to have a hanger attached. I went searching for a pattern, and found a nice freebie on Ravelry. Where else?? Much less expensive than similar Hallmark offerings, and I hope recipients will "feel the love" attached.

I am also happy with my finished and blocked Terra shawl. I would love to gift it to my mom, but she once said she'd wear a shawl if she was a "little old lady". Hmmmm..... well, we won't go there. :) Anyway, I have decided that they really are nice to throw over your shoulders while knitting, reading, or watching tv in the evening. I don't know that I would ever wear a delicate, lacy, light weight shawl (although they are gorgeous!), but these heavier, "worker" shawls...... Well, like I say, I would love to gift it to my mom, but.....

The unblocked size was 26" x 56". After blocking, it was 36" by 72" wide. Just a perfect size - for me anyway.

I have not finished the Monster sweater yet - haven't even touched it, truth be known. But - I am making another fun project, secretly, as a gift for someone who reads this blog, so..... shhhhhh - I can't tell. I have also been working on mittens, much to BG's delight! He declares "Snowman" and runs around the house with mittens on! I made a bright blue pair just his size, and he gladly wore those on errands this morning. Warm wiggly fingers - it's a good thing!

And in the meantime.....

2010-11-19T14:12:00.000-06:00

While I have been waiting for BG to decide he would indeed try on his Monster Sweater.....I have been knitting other items.

It's charity mitten time of year. I think if I had to knit one item for the rest of my life, it would be kid's mittens. Not sure why, perhaps the idea that some day they will keep wiggly, giggly fingers warm and playful. Hmmmm...perhaps.

And, last Saturday, I bought sufficient yarn at my LYS for a new shawl pattern. One of the TNKG ladies had started "Terra" by Jared Flood, and for some reason, it really grabbed my attention. I also wanted an opportunity to try out Berroco's "Vintage" yarn. It's a machine washable, wool/acrylic/nylon blend. Normally I admit to being an acrylic snob, but this has a wonderful feel to it, and comes in some beautiful, heather colorways. So - the shawl is finished, but as you can see, as of yet unblocked. Not sure if I will keep it, or gift it. Going to try to block it this weekend, and will take a better photo when it's all blocked and looking proper. I think it's going to be nice and big - a good snuggle up under type of shawl. LOVE the pattern! I plan to knit another in a nice natural wool yarn. Would love to try his new "Shelter" yarn, but may be a little too pricey for me - we'll see. This one I wanted to be machine washable - just in case it went to a new home.

But the REAL excitement that I want to pass along -- having just happened this morning..... (Drum roll, please!)

For some reason, he is totally entertained by trying on ill-fitting, mismatched mittens. While he had a pair(??) of those on this morning, and I was lamenting to his mom about his poor abandoned sweater, she suggested that he try the sweater on WITH mittens. It worked! (although the mittens were shed in the process). Go figure - the mind of a 2 yr old (and a very independent one to boot!). So, hasty measurements and a quick camera click produced a fuzzy photo and a plan to shorten sleeves by 2 inches. Ahhhhhh.....grandma is happy again - life is good!

Enjoy your weekend everyone. I'll be knitting sleeves! :)

And the lesson for today is.....

2010-11-13T16:44:00.000-06:00

When life gives you Lemons....well, make a vest!

Hopefully that will be the answer! A couple of days ago, BG tried the front/back on of his sweater. Big smile...lots of enthusiasm, Grandma is wonderful (and happy!). Yesterday, I had basted a sleeve on, and needed to have him try it on for a sizing. He pitched a fit! Wanted no part of the sweater - AT ALL! "No Grandma! No Grandma!" is all he would say. Not happy boy (nor grandma!). So....I'll give it another try next week, but as one gal suggested in my knitting group this morning, perhaps I ruined it by adding sleeves. So...I'll keep you posted. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I knew it was a risk.....oh well - I am normally a process knitter anyway. And, there's always room in the charity box for another toddler sweater. Sigh.....

My mindless, knitting while waiting in the car, etc, project is done.

Ohhhh....that's a horrible photo! Sorry...not sure what happened there. Anyway - nothing too exciting. Standard guy's vanilla sock. Used a skein of Opal from my stash. They will be gifted come Christmas time. Last of my "must do" gifts.

Soooo..... I am in need of a new knitting project. Only bad part of being a one at a time kinda gal is when the one is stalled.

It rained all day yesterday. Luckily, it was warm enough that we had only rain. They say that it would have been a 14" snowfall had temps been lower. I'm ready for cooler weather, but not sure I want 14" of snow just yet -- thanks anyway!

An update on the eye: Some days are better than others. Today is not so good. :( Apparently it can take a long time (months and months) to get better, or as good as it's going to get anyway. So...I'm just trying to be patient and grateful that it is not worse than it is. So far the left eye remains ok. I am being told it will be better - eventually.

Off to start a new project. Also started some spinning last night, so my world continues to rotate, even if a little lop-sided at times! Take care.

Can't get much better than this:

2010-11-08T12:18:00.001-06:00

In the fun department, I am certainly having it! First off, these make me smile....immensely!

Another set of markers handmade by WeeOnes. Again, she honored a special request. Her normal "Fancy Goldfish" markers consist of 4 fish - these minus the one with the black markings. For some reason(?) I wanted one with some black on it. So....she graciously accomodated. I just marvel at the detail. Total whimsy - and they entertain me to no end!

Last week, as I was browsing patterns on Ravely, I ran across the "Monster" (ravelry link) sweater. BG saw it on my computer screen, and was quite interested. In fact "Granma make monster" were his exact words. NEED HE SAY MORE? .... I think not! That very day I purchased the pattern and ordered the yarn from knitpicks.

When the box arrived, you would have thought it was Christmas. He was totally enthused. Of course, the real question is will he actually wear it? LOL - time will tell, but I don't really care. We are enjoying the process.

I have the back completed, and I'm teaching myself Intarsia on the fly. Really, isn't that difficult, but I readily admit the chart is an easy one. Such a cute pattern, and a total joy to knit. The color changes are just mesmerizing. To keep the weaving in of ends to a minimal pain, I am weaving them in as I go. I'll be back soon with finished photos, and Hopefully....ON the body of a 2yr old. LOL... but he's pretty opinionated, so we can only hope!

Finished!

2010-10-28T15:50:00.000-05:00

And I quite enjoyed the process too!

Again - the pattern is "Paraphernalia", a freebie on Ravelry. Strange name, I think, for such a nice sock pattern. Wonder how she chose that name? They are knit out of Cascade Heritage sock yarn, in a deep charcoal color. The photo is a little light - in order to show the stitch pattern a bit better. I used Harmony DPN's, size 2.25 for toes and heels, and 2.5mm for the rest of the sock. I did leave one pattern repeat out of the leg, fearing it would be too long if I didn't. I'm happy with the results.

These are one of my first Christmas gifts. I'm knitting very few this year. Just didn't want the pressure, plus I'm not sure how many people want the gifts. (vbg). I do want to knit up some kid's mittens for some charity mitten trees.

We have had VERY cold, gusty, windy weather the last few days. Most all of the trees are bare now, plus all of those lovely(?) Halloween decorations have paid a toll. There is an inflated "Big Cat" a few houses up the street....it's taller than the house! Due to the wind, the owner has deflated it, and it's current stat is a lump of black vinyl laying in the yard. BG declares that it is "night-night" every time he sees it. Guess "sleeping" thru the stormy weather is better than blowing away!

We should get our first official "hard freeze" tonight. Sofee and I are both ecstatic about that! "Hard Freeze" less than 30 degrees for more than 3 hours duration. Yup - that should get that nasty ole ragweed!!!! Yipee!

Now...do I make another Advent Calender or not.....??? Hmmmm...... I've given myself till Monday to decide.

Moral of the story.....

2010-10-26T15:44:00.000-05:00

Always have a back-up plan.....or be able to come up with a genius idea at the drop of a hat!

Remember the plan: BG was going to be a monkey for his preschool Halloween party. Well, that was NOT going to happen! Had we forgotten to ask his opinion? Anyway....after the Monkey was a no go.....I remembered that he had received this FireChief play outfit as a birthday gift. Whew.....grandma passed the test this time! He was thrilled with this idea! (And so was grandma!)

With a little practice, he declared "I'm here to save the day!" as he marched into his class room! Guess the Monkey suit was just not macho enough for this little man. LOL. So...no Monkey photos for you guys, but he's a respectable fireman, don't you think?

Drum roll please.....Yay!!!! I'm done!

Or am I???

I'm at least going to wait a few days before I start it....or before I decide not to. I so want to finish my Paraphernalia socks.

One for the troops......

2010-10-25T09:47:00.000-05:00

Well, six, actually!

One of the gals from my TNKG, her husband has been recently deployed, and her office is gathering goodies for a care package for him. They are trying to get 50 helmet liners gathered. Specifics were given, as to size, yarn content and color. Hopefully these will all pass inspection.

While I am getting close to completion of the Advent Calender (I have only 3 more ornaments to make!!), I took a break yesterday and spun. Spun with wild abandon!

I had a sampler bag of colored fiber that I got with my wheel. There are actually 2 more colors waiting to be spun. I wanted lots of texture in the yarn, so I tried for lumpy, bumpy, slubby yarn. I think I like the results. Not sure, but I think I will knit up colorful little mittens. These skeins have not been set yet. It was so much fun getting back to my wheel. It had been much too long!!

I'll catch up with you again later. Nothing much new..... the eye is about the same. Trying to be grateful that it's not worse. Hope all your little goblins have a fun and safe Halloween. BG will be going to preschool as a monkey tomorrow. Actually - he's pretty much a monkey every day!! :)

Did you hear that HUGE noise??.......

2010-10-19T15:15:00.001-05:00

It was the sound of the big rock....being pushed away from the front of the cave. Yes, I'm coming out of my cave....finally!

As I write this, I realize it's been almost a month since my last post. A new record I think. Well, some things have been happening..... Lets see. We had a visit from our son and we met Ellen, the love of his life! (Nothing makes a mom happier than seeing her kids happy and content. He seems very much so.....much to my delight!) We took a nice long, relaxing road trip, and then I had a little "event" with my eye. I only write about it now, as had I written sooner, it would have been an invitation to the Pity Party.

So...lets start with the vacation:

We took a somewhat meandering trip through South Dakota, hitting all the normal tourist stops. Mt. Rushmore, of course was on the list, looking much the same as last time we visited, although the visitor's center was much different.

It allowed me to play with my new camera's zoom setting. These two photos taken from the same spot.

The Badlands were just as awesome as ever!

The wildlife was abundant.....MUCH to my husband's delight!

We eventually made our way to Custer State Park, where we had a cabin reserved for us at Blue Belle Lodge.

Sofee got to go with us, and after a few days, her allergies were much improved. She is back on meds now, but managed to get some relief while we were in S. Dakota. Her eyes are still much better. Hopefully Iowa will get a hard freeze soon!

We had stayed at Blue Belle Lodge when our kids were very small, and the cabins were not nearly as nice as this! We had a peaceful, relaxing time. Hope to return some day.....sooner rather than later, actually.

And of course, the Buffalo.....amazing! That is one thing that my kids still remember - the buffalo outside of our cabin, all those many years ago. oh - and jumping on the bed too.

We had never seen Devil's Tower, and it was quite impressive.

See those climbers! Nuts! Actually, one of the gals in my TNKG climbed it this spring. They actually had to come down in the dark, as they lost daylight. I can't even imagine!

Coming home through Minnesota, we accidentally ran into a huge Rendezvous... quite fun!

Anyway...I think you'll get the idea. We had a nice little get-away. We love road trips on the fall, and needless to say, Sofee LOVES going with us.

I did a tad bit of shopping,

picking up these "Castle Fibers" batts. I have never spun from batts, and looking forward to giving these a try.

I also picked up the three 50grms skeins of sock yarn (on the right) for BG socks. They came from a very nice shop called "Athena Fibers", but I'm not sure of the town. (Souix Falls, thanks Robin) The one on the left came from Knitpicks, of course, and the OnLine came from my LYS, Charity's. I've been on the hunt for 50gr balls of yarn, as his socks take such small amount of yardage.

So, that brings us up to date on the travels and the shopping. Now the eye. On Saturday, the 9th, early in the morning, I saw bright flashes of light out of the corner of my right eye. The strangest thing ever! It was dark, and actually I thought someone was taking flash photography for a minute. Totally scared me, as I was home alone at the time. Shortly thereafter, my vision in my right eye diminished considerably. A trip to the Urgent Care, where the totally stumped physician consulted with an ophthalmologist who agreed to see me on Monday. So, I went home with some "things to look out for", and little else.

Monday came, and DH took me to the Opthalmologist. He was happy to tell me that I did not have a detached retina, or not even a torn retina. Apparently, the eye consists of a gel like substance (Vitreous fluid) that is enclosed in a kind of sack. My sack had torn loose from the back of my eye and the entire thing was shifting forward. The vitrious fluid was now more condensed, and "angry", and was causing me to see dark blurry shadows that were constantly moving within my eye. I could focus occasionally, but for the most part I have been seeing "murky muck" out of my right eye for the past 10 days. This doctor was so happy that I had nothing that needed surgery, but when I expressed concern about my compromised vision, he said eventually gravity "should" take care of it, and everything "should" settle down, and then murmered something about "getting used to it". While I also did not relish the idea of any type of eye surgery, I have been very concerned, as I have seen no improvement in my vision.....until this morning!!!! So, I am shouting from the rooftops!!! I think it's getting better! While the problem is still very much present, I have had a few moments today where my vision seemed normal, as long as I didn't blink or move my eye at all. That is a MAJOR improvement. So....the Pity Party has been canceled. I'm grateful that it's not any worse, and that we were home when it happened. Oh.....he also said the same thing is happening to my left eye - but apparently it's a slower process with that one. So, things are looking better.......

And what you really need to work on, when you have only one good eye is this:

I started hearing the Chrismtmas march while we were on vacation and decided that I needed to get on this as soon as I got home! Little did I know it would be such a difficult project.

Not to mention the detail! I am trying to get this advent calendar done in October. This one will go home with BG. I have another one I want to make to have at my house for him. Hopefully I can get that one done during the month of November. (Hopefully!)

And while I have not touched my spinning wheel in weeks, I am working on a pair of socks. They will be a Christmas gift. The pattern is a freebie from Ravelry, "Paraphernalia" is the name. Cascade Heritage in a charcoal grey is the yarn. I have the 2nd sock mid-leg, so it's coming along ok.

So, I'm glad to be out of the cave. Hopefully in another week or so, my eye will be back to normal. At least things are looking up as of this morning!

BG is doing fine with his preschool. He is becoming quite the chatter box, putting quite a few words together into sentences these days. It's amazing how quickly all that happens, once the door opens! He's so much fun. We will have him 24/7 for a week or so in November, as his parents are going to Hawaii for a little R&R. I'm looking forward to it, although I'll be sooooooooo exhausted by the time they get home! Sometimes being a grandma is a lot of work, but oh so much fun!

Take care all - nice to chat with you. Sorry it's so long.

As promised:

2010-09-18T16:14:00.001-05:00

My Etsy delivery came today! Sofee stitch markers!

Aren't they just the cutest ever! Jillian of "WeeOnes" made them for me. I saw some buff colored Chi markers in her shop, and I asked if she could make ones marked more like Sofee. She asked for more photos of her - from the back, etc, and was most accommodating. I can't imagine being that talented!!!! I think they are just adorable! Each one has her in a different pose. So cute! I am just delighted with them.

BG had his first two days of school last week - well 2 hours really. He was so excited about his new back pack. (Talk about early education - it had to be packed with extra "pull-ups" a clothes change, and his "lovey") Here he is all ready to go! Grandma's taxi service seemed to be quite acceptable, and I didn't hear any complaints about it not being a yellow school bus. Whew.....

Day one went very well, even though I was a little nervous because there was one little boy wailing uncontrollably when we arrived. BG seemed unfazed, although that was what he talked about most when I picked him up. His day recaps are mostly in one words - that I have to somewhat piece together. At barely 2 yrears of age, sentences are just beginning to form.

Day two was a little more challenging for him, however. When I picked him up, he had his Eyeore in a strangle hold, and had big tears in his eyes. He declared himself as "sad" when I asked him what was going on. According to the teacher, he wanted to go to the "big gym" and play with the ball at a time when it was not allowed. So.....he started yelling for "Grrrraaaaannnnnndddddmmmmmaaaaa" real loud, and got a little disgruntled with the whole situation. (Yes - he makes about 14 syllables out of that word!!) Anyway - I guess he thought I'd come to his rescue and let him do what he wanted. Hmmmm.....wonder where he got that idea???? I probably need to re-evaluate my grand-parenting skills...... (I'll let ya know how that goes.....)

And Three weeks later......

2010-09-12T11:03:00.000-05:00

Sorry....MIA. Several folks have written expressing concern that I have not been posting. Nope - nothing wrong. Just life getting in the way I guess. Sorry - I'll do better, I promise!

While I personally am fine, Sofee, well you know her allergies! She is in the middle of the worst of it. Poor little girl. Her eyes are really bothering her this year. We have a new ointment, but basically she needs to stop rubbing them. We are balancing drugs and barrier clothing items with full-attention/lap time. We'll get through this again...... I'm just hoping for early (and frequent) frosts!

She could be a poster child.....poor little girl!

On the knitting front, finished are the "Deep in the Woods" mittens. They've been on my Ravelry page for a couple of weeks, so sorry if this is redundant for many of you. I made a few changes, which can be found on my Ravelry page. Basically they are knit as pattern is written. I really like them!

I started a plain vanilla sock. Opal yarns can hardly make "vanilla" socks! Pretty wild! This colorway is one from the rain forest collection of a couple of years ago. Stash yarn. It's a project that I can take and run with. Mindless knitting - hmmmm - that seems to be what I need these days.

I am nearing completion on another pair of "Knotty" gloves. These are out of a skein of Cherry Tree Hill - stash yarn that is several years old. Love them. They fit a bit tighter than the reddish pair I recently completed. Same needle size and stitch count, just a slightly different yarn weight.

The post-lady has been VERY nice to me this past week or so.

This Schauht Lazy Kate came to me on Friday of this week. My WooleeWinder bobbins are just a smidge longer than the stock Lendrum bobbins, and would bind up on the Lendrum Kate. I decided that I would prefer a horizontal kate, and decided to go with this model. I have yet to use it, but hopefully I will like it immensely!

I decided it was about time that I figure out what I should be doing, so DH actually, purchased these DVD's for me. I am a "spin by the seat of your pants" type of gal. I do what feels right.....and for the most part I have been pretty happy with the outcome. But the recent sale on these DVD's - well, I decided that perhaps it was time to see how things are "supposed" to be done. LOL..... (Lots of Luck) with that! I'll be trying to break bad habits from now on......

And speaking of: This fiber was especially dyed for me by JulieSpins. I wanted to spin some light to dark transitional yarn. Love this fiber. She named the colorway "Teddy Bear", which is a perfect name!

With a little bit of manipulation, it has been spun into a nice hank of yarn. It's not been sett yet, so not really ready for it's debut shot. Also, only half has been spun at this point. I need to find the perfect pattern.

And, a new sock book: I pre-ordered this one. I have knit many of Stephanie's designs and find them both beautiful and challenging. Little dpns have been dancing in my brain since this beauty arrived!

I am actually waiting for an Etsy delivery that I will be sure to share with you all. Nope - not fiber! Something really cute....and I am so anxious to receive! Be sure to check back to see......... :)

That's about all I guess. BG will start his little "pre" pre-school this week. Only 1 hour each day (Tues/Thurs) a gradual adjustment. We have been talking about school and reading books about going to school for the last several weeks. He keeps zeroing in on the "school bus" aspect of school. Sadly, I am his school bus. Hope he's not too disappointed with that. I'm very excited for him.....I think he's going to love it! I'll keep you posted.

What is it with handcoverings?????

2010-08-20T22:23:00.000-05:00

All I can think of is that I must secretly be worried about cold fingers come this winter. For some reason I keep knitting mittens/gloves. Plus tons of designs are dancing around in my head. Sheeessshhh!!

Besides knitting for Sofee this week, I also managed to knit these gloves.

The pattern is called Knotty, a freebie on Ravelry. I have been admiring it for a couple of years. The yarn, a lightweight Socks That Rock, stashed from my club membership several years ago was always one that I really liked. So...it was a good match! I would really recommend this pattern. It is very well written, and the gloves themselves are very nice fitting, and very wearable. While they are technically knit from fingering weight yarn, the STR is a little heavier than some - resulting in what I think will be a nice warm glove.

Julia Mueller has many glove patterns available for purchase. Most have complex cable action going on. She is kind of the Cookie A designer of gloves. This very pleasant experience may have given me the confidence I need to try some of her more complicated patterns.

My postal carrier rang my front door bell today with a package:

My very first "JulieSpins" fiber! She has a unique way of running her "clubs". She calls it the "Un-club". She takes orders of who wants what, giving the participants some upfront options. This time, she posted the fiber choices (Rambouillet or Merino/silk blend) and asked us each for guidance as to what colors we wanted. I asked for the Rambouillet fiber in "Autumnal and woodsy" colors. She calls this "Soft Oak Leaves". Each time I look at it, I see additional colors. I think it is just lovely! Warm and rich - totally within my comfort zone. I've ordered from Julie before, but only for the purchase of gifts. This will not be my last purchase - for me!

And tomorrow, I may just hear that doorbell ring again! Could happen......

Tis the season......

2010-08-18T11:11:00.003-05:00

Yep....Allergy season! I had hoped that all the rainy weather would make for an easier allergy season for poor little Sofee. That may be true.....but it's starting in, and this year, along with the (best to be avoided) meds and eye-washes, I am prepared!

In years past, in order to deter licking and chewing of her front legs, I have made her wear her long-sleeved sweaters. She hated that - and who could blame her!!! But I had to do something. Last year I decided that I really should knit her a "shrug". So.....I got busy yesterday.

I knit it out of Cascade Fixation yarn, so it's cotton and stretchy. The best I could come up with. The design ties across her back, with one little support band across her chest. Best I could come up with. Hmmmm....I never thought to search in Ravelry. You never know....... there seems to be everything else in Ravelry.

She doesn't seem to hate it too much, (course she was getting treats during this photo shoot), and who knows -- she just may set a new trend in doggie fashion!

Edited: I just checked Ravelry, and yes, there are doggie shrugs, plus leg warmers. The shrugs give too much coverage though, and the leg warmers - well there's nothing to keep them from being removed. Sooo..... I am happy with my design. It does the job, with minimal coverage, so she can stay cool. BUT - leave it to Ravelry! LOL

Glug, glug, gurgle, gurgle.......

2010-08-13T14:45:00.001-05:00

Yep, there's flooding in the Midwest! We are really having a rough time of it this year. I'm almost afraid to wish for Fall, and Winter.....what will that be like?? YIKES!

Personally, we/mine are doing fine. A little damp around the edges, and my mom had a close call (as in a 2am evacuation call from the police) at her retirement home, but after closer investigation, it was discovered to be an automated call, as she was in the area of immediate concern. So far, she remains dry.

So....besides watching rain fall, and water levels rise, what have I been doing......

I finished these just this morning. It's a free pattern from Ravelry, "Hippa Mittens" by Taija Elo. I struggled with these. Perhaps it was just me, but I failed to understand the leaning stitch pattern. I also had to make some modifications before I liked the way they fit. It was all just my personal preference though.....I don't want to discourage anyone from trying the pattern. The yarn is handspun Merino, from FatCats Fiber. It was fiber gifted from my son last Christmas.

I guess I must be on a mitten craze. These are knit from a pattern available on the latest Knitty. Again, handspun. FatCat knits club selection from last winter. It's been in waiting till I found the perfect project. I had my doubts while I was knitting these, but again.....now that they are complete, I do like them.

I have also been knitting various mittens and hats for a charity drive through CIC. I've been using up bits and pieces of my handspun. I'll take a group shot and post it when I am done with them all. I have till the 1st of October to work on them, so I may make a few more. I think I have 4 sets of mittens and 3 hats.

Latest roving to be delivered is this lovely 75% BFL, 25% Silk from AllSpunUp. It's her "Miss Crabtree". These indie dyers really have a following with their fibers. It can get pretty cut-throat on shop update days. Most take pre-orders. Amazing!!! I just noticed that KnitPicks is starting to sell spinning fiber now. I think spinning is just going to get more and more popular!

Well, I better hush for now. Hope everyone manages to survive the rest of their summer....seems like so many places are having severe weather right now. I think I'll go knit and think calm thoughts for the rest of the day. Or, well.....until BG wakes up from his nap anyway!!! We got rained out at the water park today, so only a few extra rides on the "round n round" (Merry go round) would put a smile back on his face. And....that's what it's all about....keeping that smile!

Favorite things....

2010-08-04T18:18:00.001-05:00

Currently, this is one of my very favorite knitted projects.....

It's another "22.5 degree scarf" by Martina Behm. It's the second one I have knit, and while both were fun projects, I much prefer this one. I just love the rich browns! I changed this one a little by adding some random eyelet work, and some other textured stitches....just whenever the mood hit me. I also did a picot bind off instead of the scallops on the original pattern. Both are lovely finishing touches though - I'm not sure which I prefer actually.

This is knit out of a handspun shetland roving from Crown Mountain Fibers. I was shocked by the softness of the yarn. I always thought shetland was supposed to be course and scratchy. Anyway - I'm sure you get the Idea.....I like this scarf. I'll wear it tucked into the neck of a coat this winter. A cross between a traditional scarf and a cowl....kind of anyway.

And BG's favorite thing:

Trying to keep cool on yet another hot, humid, summer day!!

The beat goes on..........

2010-08-01T14:01:00.000-05:00

My "Spinner for Hire" career has come to a close! Back into retirement I go. It was fun, and I certainly hope my "customer" (lol - what a hoot!) is pleased. She already has the first 4 skeins, and seemed very pleased, so I expect these last 12 skeins to be equally well received. They are very thin/thick, lumpy/bumpy - but it is as she requested. It does give the yarn character......

I also have my Norweigan Rose socks finished. I really like them. The fit is very nice! They are keepers....

And this morning I was up at 3:30. Partly due to a very dedicated husband (working 12 hours on a Sunday!) and due to Sofee, who thought it was time to get up. So....I started this mitten:

It's a pattern from the newest Knitty. It would have been better had the colors been reversed, but I had more of the blue and being safe, I decided it should be the main color.

I may like the palm side better actually. Probably not my favorite style of mitten (I much prefer a long cuff, a gusseted thumb, and non pointy shape) but I had a small skein of each color, (handspun) and was itching to knit it into something. This was my 3:30am project of choice! Hmmm....perhaps there is a lesson to be learned there.

Whats been brewing......

2010-07-25T15:17:00.000-05:00

While trying to stay cool, and dry (which is pretty hard to do!!) summer days have been slipping by..... I can't believe it's been over a week since my last post.

I have my mom's socks done. If you will remember, these were a pair of rare toe-ups. Not my normal style of socks, but it was fun for a change. They reminded me of how much I like Lisa Souza's sock yarns! I have quite a big stash......perhaps I should dive into it more often.

This is the plain sock with gusset construction from Wendy Johnson's first toe-up book. I like the gusset construction quite a bit.

I think I will be knitting socks using this technique again. The "Norwegian Rose" socks are nearing completion. I'll post those in a few days....hopefully.

I have been busy spinning up some roving.....a BIG bag of roving. The recipient of this yarn picked up the first 4 skeins a week or so ago, and really seemed pleased with it. So....I was suppose to spin up the rest. I have 7 skeins finished so far (well, I need to set the twist of 5 of them). I need to ply 2 more skeins this afternoon (singles on the bobbins) and then will spin up 3 more skeins, and then will be finished! It's been a fun project, but I must admit that I am ready for a little color...... Yes, I really said that! ME....wanting color! LOL.

Speaking of color, a couple of new rovings arrived this past week or so.

This is Crown Mountain Fiber's SW Merino in the Bacchus colorway. Gorgeous! I really like this, and hope I like the finished yarn half as much!

And this is a mixed BFL (meaning light/dark mixed natural colored wool) dyed by AllSpunUp. This also makes my heart sing! Lovely dark, rich colors. Screams winter socks to me! I can hardly wait to start spinning on this.....

But probably the most exciting thing that has been going on is this purchase:

BG loves trains, especially Thomas. This grandma couldn't afford the real Thomas set up, so I bought a generic, and will eventually populate it with "real" Thomas train pieces. One little 2-yr old is just totally pleased with that plan!

So, I guess that's what I've been up to. I must admit, I am looking forward to Fall. It's always been my favorite time of year, but this year it may be even sweeter than normal. Hopefully our Fall weather will be better than the Monsoon season we have had of late. Also, our son will be coming "home" for a visit! And....there will probably be a little vacation trip for DH and I. BG will be starting a little "Pre" pre-school twice a week - which will be very exciting!. So, hope all of you are surviving in your own crazy world we all call home...... Talk to you later!

New Tricks for an Old Dog

2010-07-16T06:54:00.000-05:00

And, I'm not talking about Sofee here!

I recently discovered the "Norwegian Rose Sock" pattern by Wendy D. Johnson. It's a pattern in her newest book, "Toe-Up Socks for Every Body". I loved the pattern, but not a fan of toe-ups, so I tried to get it out of my mind. No Could Do!!!! (Yes, I know I could have easily knit it as a cuff-down, but somehow I always feel obligated to knit a pattern as intended, for the most part. At least the first time I knit it.)

So...I bought the book, revisited her first book, "Socks from the Toe Up" which I have had since April of 2009, and have barely looked at it until now.

I knit several pairs of Toe-ups years and years ago......when it was a new concept, and the patterns were not nearly as refined and perfected as they obviously are these days. These were sheer pleasure! (Not to say that I will become a toe-up convert, but I will no longer shun a pattern due to this construction.)

I cast on a pair of plain vanilla socks (with gusset heel construction) to test the toe-up waters. Hmmmm - pretty smooth sailing, so I took the plunge with the Norwegian Rose pattern.

The peachy ones will be gifted to my mom, as she really liked the color, and how they fit her.

The Norwegian Rose (background is dark green, not black as it appears in the photo) will be mine....ALL MINE! I love them!

That's not to say that I won't knit another pair of Norwegian Rose socks - for mom if she so desires. She is my biggest sock fan (by far!).

The Peachy ones are knit out of a Lisa Souza "Sock!" yarn that I had balled and waiting in my stash. Ball band is gone, so not sure of the color. It so reminds me of Dreamsicles. 72 stitches, totally knit on size 2.00 mm (US 0) needles.

The NR are knit out of Cascade Heritage. I really like it for color work. I know how it will handle, it's superwash, so can be gifted with abandon, and the line of colors is growing. Oh, and it's also available at my LYS, which is another plus! These have 74 stitches, knit on 2.25mm needles - except the toes, heel and ribbing cuff which were all knit on 2.00 mm.

I really like both of these, so knitting sock #2's will be no problem.....No worries about fit, etc, so knitting bliss.

A big day....

2010-07-12T04:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday SofeeSu!

You're 5 years old today!!!

The other grandkid......

2010-07-05T12:29:00.001-05:00

If you will remember, before BG, there was Herky! (Sofee's half brother - from her mom's first litter, with a different father). He is totally mellow and just the best dog ever! He's twice the size of Herky, yet she totally rules.... She is a bit of a diva at best! LOL

After having perfected 4th of July Parade Etiquette, and Proper Treat Begging Techniques....

BG decided to have his parents take him in search of Zebra. The Des Moines zoo has had Zebra in past years, but for some reason they are not there this year. So, they are on a hunt for Zebra - destination the Omaha Zoo.

We are officially dog sitting. This visit, I think Herky will just enjoy the rest and relaxation that our house (sans BG) will provide for him. I won't have BG back until Thursday, and while I must admit a few days of freedom will be nice, I am surprised at how much I already miss him!

While I'm not participating in the "Tour de Fleece", I have been spinning.

I believe this Woolee Winder bobbin will hold an entire 4oz of fiber!! (Have I mentioned I love my Woolee Winder??) I plan on an N-ply fingering weight - with not an inch of waste! It's shetland, my first experience with Shetland fiber. It's just wonderful to spin! Begs to be thin.....Love it - totally. I'm a little nervous to even put it into words, as I usually don't spin for a specific project, but IF it turns out as I hope.....it will eventually become a pair of gloves. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

These socks were completed a day or so ago. It's the Red Herring pattern by Cook A - From Knitty a couple of years ago. Handspun Finn and Merino yarns. They will make great boot socks for this winter. The leg, due to the stranding, will be extra warm. The toes and heels are very dense - knit on smaller needles for durability. I will never know why it's so fulfilling to knit with handspun - but it certainly is!

Hope everyone had/has a nice 4th Holiday. It's pretty quiet at our house. DH is home - which is good, as he's been putting in way too many hours at work lately. Our rainy weather continues - to the point of most firework display's cancellation. Sigh..... But we personally are not in jeopardy of flooding - and for that I am grateful! Soggy fiber would not be a good thing - not at all!

Getting back to normal.....

2010-06-30T14:47:00.000-05:00

The birthday celebrations are winding down, as is the sugar high.....(thankfully so). Naps are once again manageable and on schedule. But we DID have fun on Monday.....

I finished this sock this morning:

It is an older pattern from Knitty, "Red Herring" by Cookie A. The main color is a Finn that was spun several months ago, waiting in my stash for the right project. The contrasting color is my latest spin, shown on the bobbins in the previous post.

It spun up into this nice 3-ply fingering wt yarn. This was the first fine yarn that I spun with the assistance of the Woolee Winder. I think I will be able to spin thin yarns with no problems. That is one of the things that people sometimes say - that it is not easily done with the WW. I am convinced we will be life-long buddies and partners in this spinning adventure......

This was the original roving. It was just over 3oz. My yardage was 252 yards, which was a little disappointing, but I purposefully put a great deal of twist into the singles and plying, as I knew it would eventually become socks. It made for nice color accent, although the difference was not great in certain areas. I like the subtle color changes. These socks have the afterthought Turkish heel. I had not knit one of those in many years, but enjoyed the process and I am happy with the outcome.

Now - off to cast on the 2nd sock!

Gushing.....

2010-06-27T10:00:00.002-05:00

Gushing....yes, I'm afraid this may be a "grandma gushes" post. You see, yesterday was a big day for our family, with tomorrow being even bigger! Someone is turning Two tomorrow! He'll be opening presents here later today, and tomorrow we plan on making/decorating birthday cupcakes together, but......

his official party was yesterday. It was a nice time for all, even though Mother Nature was not very cooperative. We have had nothing but rain for the last several weeks, and DD got an early morning phone call with the news that the originally reserved park venue was flooded. So, even a last minute scurry to notify all guests of a location change, blazing hot temperatures and strong wind gusts didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the celebration.

Good eats were had by everyone!

He soon remembered how to open gifts.

Some were to dream about,

And some were of sheer wonder (he loves anything with wheels....).

But when it was all said and done....he's just all ready to start a busy year as a two year old!

Hope this Grandma can keep up!!! LOL!

And now the fibering gushing:

Is this not a hoot! Through a friend (or two, actually) at TNKG, I came into contact with a lady who had been gifted a huge bag of processed wool. Apparently her neighbor has sheep and presented her a bag full of fluffiness. She had no idea what to do with it.....so she went in search of a spinner.

I can hardly call myself that, but I thought, sure, I'd give it a try. She liked the sample skein I spun, and well....as they say, "the rest is history". She wanted bulky weight, lumpy bumpy yarn. I think she plans on dyeing it. She is a very artsey gal, and I'm sure she will turn this plain natural yarn into a beautiful creation! She is currently on vacation, so I am anxiously awaiting her return so I can get this first 450 yards to her. (The remains enough unspun fiber for another 12 skeins....if she so desires). I am hoping that she is happy with it. I really do think she will love it!

I totally enjoyed spinning it - with lumpy bumpy abandon! It was my first project using my Woolee Winder. Also the first time I spun from roving rather than combed top. (For the non-spinners out there, roving is more jumbled fibers, where in top the fibers are all aligned with one another). In the process of experimentation, I learned how to do a "long draw" which is great for this fiber - creating a softer, fluffier woolen spun yarn! Doing long draw is just so much fun.......makes me dizzy just thinking about it!

I really can't gush enough about the Woolee Winder! I just love it. I started on a 3-ply SW Merino last night. Just an experimentation with the WW - but I think it will be a very nice 3-ply fingering when I am done. I am SOOOOOO happy that I took my husband's offer of a Woolee Winder gift!!! Love it!

So, since this is a positive post, I won't mention that I knit an entire sock, totally finished, ends woven in and everything just to frog it all! It was a Cookie A pattern knit out of my handspun sock yarn. Just wasn't loving it! The yarn deserved to be knit into a sock that I would love and wear. That may be a plain vanilla, we'll see.

And, I am currently working on some little cotton washcloths. I recently joined our local knitting guild. They are supporting a fund raising project. They are collecting washcloths to be sold with 100% of the proceeds going to the gulf oil cleanup effort. I'm not enjoying knitting them in worsted weight, which is what they requested, so not sure how many I will manage to make, but I'll do my best. It is nice to use some of the stashed ww cottons.

Happy knitting, spinning, or whatever makes you happy! Take care....

Things......

2010-06-20T11:53:00.000-05:00

It's a beautiful thing:

(Well, an expensive thing too, but I'm trying to forget about that.) My WooLee Winder arrived Thursday of last week - quicker than I had even hoped! I haven't had a great deal of time to devote to it, but if first impressions prove to be correct, it will be a Love-fest! I did a fast plying of all my little bits and pieces of left-over singles. It was wonderfully quick and fun. I expected a break-in period (for me mostly) but the feel and handling seem very intuitive to me. I'm hoping to spend some quality one on one time later today. I have my first (and probably last, as I'm really not in the market) commissioned spinning project slated to begin later today.

It's a simple thing:

The simple cotton wash cloth. I guess they are called "spa" cloths these days. The off-white one was a kit that I received at the YarnOver event. It was a more expensive cotton, the name of which escapes me at the moment. The brown one is knit out of Knitpicks DK Cotlin- Cashew colorway. The green one that I am currently working on is Knitpicks Simply Cotton Sport in the Tea green colorway. And the natural colored skein in waiting is Knitpicks Simpley Cotton sport - malted milk. It's an organic cotton - and no dyes. It seems I so oftentimes find myself without a simple project on which to work during my TNKG. That's how I started with these washcloths, and there is something addictive in making them. I have used the same pattern for all of them. I much prefer the finer gauge of a DK or Sport weight to the heavier worsted weight cottons.

It's a WILD thing:

LOL - but I love it! I wanted to knit a shawlette type of scarf, but wanted one that I could wear more like a cowl than a shawl. The 22.5 degree pattern fit the bill perfectly. It's more long and narrow than most. I really like the scalloped edge that is knit (not crocheted) on.

The designer has a link to a tutorial video explaining how it's done. I plan on making more of these!

And it's a totally Amazing thing:

How quickly this little guy is growing up. I spent way too much time yesterday in Toys R Us and The Learning Post tying to decide upon birthday gifts. The big day is next weekend! I truly am amazed.......

As I said.....

2010-06-14T15:18:00.001-05:00

I saved the best for last!

At least I think so. I am a total sucker for browns.

214 yards of squishy worsted weight. This is another FatCatKnits SuperWash Merino, colorway Petey Pete - from my son. Last Christmas braid. Now - to decide what to knit up with these lovelies.... Not sure which part is more enjoyable - spinning or knitting with handspun. I suppose it depends on the day.

I have our first green bean harvest cooking on the stove today. DH tells me his tomato plants are sitting in water....part of the garden is swamp land. We've had 7 inches of rain in the last 5 days. More is predicted for tomorrow. So far our basement is dry. We have lived here since 1977, and only once did we have wet basement problems. That was in 2008. I don't ever want to deal with that again!

Robin asked about the cowl pattern. As soon as I am at liberty, I will share information. I think it will eventually be available on ravelry - but it may be a bit of a wait.

Thanks to all who left opinions regarding the Woolee Winder. It should be en route to my house by Wednesday!!! YAY!!!!! I can hardly wait to play with my new toy! DH is sooooo good to me! :)

Opps - I forgot....this is the original fiber, in case you want the before/after comparison.

Cool things....

2010-06-13T14:18:00.000-05:00

It doesn't take much to make me happy. Guess that's a good thing. This guy came home with me yesterday from the Iowa Sheep and Wool festival. I think he's pretty cool!

Now I know these little tape measures from Lantern Moon have been around for quite some time. The white ones are cute, the somewhat elusive black ones are adorable, but this little brown guy was totally irresistible!! (The camera picked up a few rouge fibers on his face - that have since been removed. He's now perfectly beautiful). He came home with me, in lieu of a fleece to spin. Perhaps next year - but I'm just not ready for that yet - not sure I'll ever be. .

The wool festival was fun, although I'm sure small compared to many found around the country. We had torential rains just moments prior to leaving home, but the rain gods were good to us the rest of the day. Melissa went with me, and she brought home a sizable bag of goodies. I was primarily good - trying to keep in mind my current stock of unspun fiber.

Speaking of which, this 4 oz SW Merino braid (another Christmas fiber from my son) was spun last night,

and plied this morning into this super soft, cushy, worsted weight yarn.

206 yards. Yummy! It's another FatCatKnits creation. And the colorway name is "Cool Madras". Love it!

And late last week, the postlady brought this to my door.

It's a Polwarth fiber from AllSpunUp. The mystery colorway of the current SAL. There is a fish theme going on, and this one is called "A Somewhat Seuss-ish Trout:.....the inside and the out!" Some people are so darn creative!! It amazes me. I may ply this with an Oatmeal BFL - to sort of bring it down into my color range a bit. Not sure..... but perhaps.

While I ponder on that though, I still have one more braid of my Christmas fiber. (Talk about Christmas in July, urrrr - June I guess!). And I saved the best for last.......

Stashes are of value.....

2010-06-09T18:44:00.001-05:00

From my Fiber stash: This SW Merino Braid from FatCatKnits, colorway "Tapestry", one that my son gave me as a Christmas gift,

became this yarn over the weekend. It's a 2-ply worsted weight, 280 yards out of a generous 4oz braid. I had decided some time ago, that I did not like spinning SuperWash fibers. Hmmmm - I totally enjoyed this spinning effort, and I nearly forgot how soft and squishy Merino is. I think I am a fickle spinner - my favorite fiber is usually the one I am currently working on! Guess that's nice though, when you think about it.

And in turn, this yarn became this cowl:

It's a pattern that I was asked to test-knit for a friend, so not sure I can divulge much information about it. Sorry the photo is so lousy. I just don't know how to do the mirror thing with any success at all.

And, may I ask you fellow spinners out there --- Opinion time again. My DH (Dear, DEAR, DH) is wanting to purchase a Woolee Winder for me. It's no small chunk of change (considering the extra bobbins I would want and all). So....those that have them, are they totally worth every penny? Any downside, complaints, or dissatisfaction? Customer service issues/concerns? I'm so straddle the fence on this one..... I would love to have one (I think) but seems sooooo expensive!

And another kind of Stash.....

They are multiplying! We're up to 5 now!!!

Reality check.....

2010-06-04T06:08:00.000-05:00

This morning, I read that Ringo Starr is 70 yrs old. I came across that bit of information while reading my AARP magazine. Hmmmm...... (Think I'll spend the day in bed - under the covers!!!)

Mission Accomplished!

2010-06-02T07:17:00.002-05:00

Remember this fiber:

When I decided to spin it up, my goal was yardage - lots of it. I wanted a thin fingering weight yarn, something similar to Heritage Cascade, which I would consider thinnish. Well, I succeeded!

I got 542 yards! And while this color is pretty wild (by my standards)

I must admit I love it!

Not sure what it will grow up to be....

But right now I'm just happy playing with it, oh, and yes, taking photos. (Sorry so many). For those of you that are interested, it's an N-ply. I wanted to keep the colors separated. For non-spinners, that is a way of creating a 3-ply yarn out of one single strand, so the colors aren't as mixed up. Some folks say it's not as sturdy as a regular 3-ply, but it does have it's place. The fiber was a somewhat recent club selection of the Into The Whirled group. "Just Figs" is the colorway. We were asked to post photos for color inspiration and then we voted. The winner became Chris's colorway inspiration. She could actually make a color-lover out of me if this keeps up!

And the verdict is:

2010-05-28T19:09:00.001-05:00

It's been fun watching the votes tally. Thanks so much for all that took the time to play along. It pretty much has been 50/50 all along. Just now, as I logged on to my blog to post this photo, I find the largest spread. 16 votes for matching and 20 votes for reversal. So....majority rules. (Pure luck that it worked out that way!).

No BG today. I enjoyed a late wake up/work out, lunch with a friend, a calm visit with my mom and her new cat ...just a day of "me" time, but I missed him. Tomorrow my daughter and I are having a girls' day out - Pedicures and Sex in the City 2 movie. Should be a great day! Hope you all have a nice Holiday weekend - however you chose to spend it.

Thanks for stopping by - k

And now the question is:

2010-05-26T13:40:00.000-05:00

Should sock #2 match or be reversed in color placement? Care to vote? You will find a poll over on the sidebar. I may not base my final decision on the results, but I am curious as to what others might think.

This is the handspun shown in the previous post, coupled with some natural "oatmeal" BFL handspun. I am really enjoying this pattern - sort of like potato chips.....hard to knit just one pair! I've always liked stripes!

This morning BG and I visited the "pre"-preschool he will attend in the fall. He'll be two this summer. WOW - so hard for me to believe. Also hard for me to believe he'll be going off with back-pack in tow in just a few short months. At this age, socialization is the greatest benefit. He will attend 2 mornings each week. I'm sure he will have a terrific time. We frequent libraries and take in their story hours on a regular basis. He'll do just fine! Me - well, I'm sure I'll be ok too.... (sniff sniff).

Anyway, he took quite nicely to looking around the classroom, and was exceptionally impressed by the toddler sized and appropriately mounnted sink! The potty - well not so much, but that SINK! with RUNNING WATER! Well within EASY REACH!! We were there about 30-45 minutes. I'm sure he washed his hands at least a dozen times! We'll probably have to pay a surcharge for extra soap/paper towel usage! LOL.... could be worse....clean hands are a "good thing".

Thanks for stopping by. Don't forget to vote. (Perhaps I've been watching too much Dancing With The Stars).

You could call it poor planning.....

2010-05-22T17:09:00.000-05:00

but I choose to call it a pair of "salt and pepper" socks. Actually I should have taken into consideration the length of color repeats that "Zauberball" had. But....as you can see, I just knit these up as the yarn came off the ball. Both colorways are transitioning....sort of busy and crazy. But - for some strange reason I really like them!

The pattern is "Burning Stripes" by Susan Luni, purchased on Ravelry. It is a very well written, multi sized pattern, complete with many photos and kind of a "hold your hand" approach to the short row heel. She calls it a boomerang heel actually. Anyway - I would highly recommend the pattern!

The yarns I chose are Zauberball and Lang Jawoll Magic. Both of which have lovely long color transitions, but they are both singles and somewhat fuzzy. I don't think they will wear well at all. But hopefully I'll prove myself wrong. Here is their formal shot.

Oh...and a really cute detail is the seam stitches that run all the way up the foot and up the back of the sock.

I like how they fit, I like the heel treatment, and it was just a fun project. So....I'm sure there will be more burning salt and peppers in my future.

And, I have been spinning of course. The latest:

This 4 oz Falkland fiber from "FatCat" in the colorway "Stanley" spun up into these 2 skeins:

Each is just short of 200 yards. A nice fingering weight yarn. They transition from blue to brown, but not a perfect match. Not sure what they will become. Time will tell.

Falkland is one of my favorite fibers. It's soft and squishy - always blooms a great deal. So fun...may be mittens. Hmmmm..... will have to give it some thought.

Hope all are having a good weekend. Summer has come to Iowa today. It is at least windy, which helps with the temperature and humidity. Tomorrow may be close to 90. The AC will probably get a test run if that actually happens.

Two down, and hmmmmm well, a few more to go......

2010-05-19T17:19:00.000-05:00

I've been spinning like a mad woman, along with working on a pair of socks.... but more about those socks later.

One skein of my new handspun I love, one I hope to love eventually. Hmmmm....can you guess which one is which? I LOVE the fact that both of these are over 400 yards - traditional 3-ply. That was my goal. The pink one barely made it, coming in at 401 yards, but the other one is 439 yards. They are both a nice sock weight fingering. The fiber is Finn, which may not be good for socks, so, we'll see. But at least I accomplished my goal.

Here are their prospective unspun fibers. No surprises here.

I am hoping to have the pink/blue one overdyed, in an attempt to calm it down a little. Just "not me" I'm afraid. One of the risks a person takes with these fiber clubs and mystery colorways.

BG and I went to the Zoo today. We had a wonderful time, complete with wonderful weather. He fell asleep on the way home - totally exhausted. He was such a good little guy - and totally enjoyed himself. Well, there was that brief moment of panic when he realized he was actually ON the train!! Eventually the choke hold he had on me subsided, and he enjoyed the trip around the zoo. In fact when we had to get off, he wanted "more". If only all the worries of the world were so short lived..... I'm not sure, but I think some of the enthusiasm he displayed for the animals was totally for my benefit. I'm sure I made a fool out of myself encouraging his "Ohhhhhs and Ahhhhhs"! Of course, the gift shop is stocked with one less giraffe this evening and the chipmunks in the picnic area will sleep with full little tummies tonight - full of string cheese!

Ahhhhh ..... Life's soooo good! :)

Well worth the price of admission

2010-05-15T09:45:00.001-05:00

Since my fiber stash is getting a little hmmmm... "out of control" shall we say, I decided to document it all in Ravelry. I have "most" of it in there.....at least most of the pretty stuff. My theory is that it will help me remember what I have....and what I need to spin up prior to buying more. Hmmmm.... I'll let you know how that works for me. :)

It also gives me an opportunity to try out some of the things I learned in my recent photography class. I do believe it was money well spent - that class that is. Well, the fiber is well worth the money also.

I hope I remember my camera settings, so I can take nice photos of the new braids that should come in today's mail. LOL..... yep. I'll let you know how this new plan works out!

Per Judy's request: my Ravelry name is "KathyInIowa"....no, I've never been known for my originality!

Birds are finished.

2010-05-13T20:54:00.001-05:00

The Birds in Hand mittens are complete. They are so dense, and it's been so damp and humid here the last few days.....I didn't think they would EVER dry! But they did - and I really like them!

And here is the back side:

I was busy chatting away, and forgot the little flower on the first mitten. I decided to leave it with the small flower on only one mitten, and I kind of like it.

The cuff treatment is my favorite part of the pattern, I do believe.
And the "bird".....

It's on the tip of each thumb, and uses some embroidery (along with a little imagination) to come to life. I may not bother - it's awfully "fiddly".

Quick - a speedy catch up

2010-05-10T14:10:00.000-05:00

Shhhhhh..... if I type fast, perhaps I have time to update this blog. Notice, he has FOUR Eyeores in there! Eyeore is his "lovey" of choice, but there are only supposed to be two at my house. I think they are migrating. He was quite surprised, not to mention delighted when he realized he had FOUR to cuddle with today!

So... here's a quick update:

My handspun sweater is finished (except for closures, which are yet to be determined) and patiently waiting a wash/blocking. May be awhile, but photos will be posted upon completion. I now look forward to knitting up some of the left-over yarn.

I gave in today, and purchased a new plastic bin, dedicated to handspun stash development.

Clear sides will help keep it on the top of my mind - and will remind me to knit it up. Hmmm.... I'll let you know how that works out.

The latest finished socks, another RedBird pair - Faux is Fair again. These are knit from a skein of Cascade Heritage off white, and a multi Regia yarn. Oh, and the blue/white ones of the same design were gifted to my mom over the weekend. She really liked them! I was very happy, and a bit surprised. They were not her main Mother's day gift, but a little extra, as I didn't know how they would be received. Just goes to show - you never can tell!

I really like this pattern - it's fun and makes a very nice looking sock, at least I think so.

On Saturday at my LYS, on a whim, I grabbed this book:

Most are a little on the wild side, but there are quite a few patterns that I really like. I remember when they published a similar book, probably 20 years or so ago. I need to find that one and compare what was hot in the sock world then, compared to the knitting styles now. I don't believe I ever knit any from the previous book. Hmmmm - we'll see about this one.

Most current spinning:

It's a Mixed Blessing Club selection, from Jan/Feb I believe. Obviously I am a bit late for the party..... And, I failed to get a photo before spinning. Sorry - I'll try to do better in the future. Anyway, it's 2 skeins of 3-ply fingering weight. Not sure what they will become....but for now they are just snuggling each other as I ponder their fate.

And my current knitting project is:

From my handspun, "Bird in the Hand" mittens, pattern by Kate Gilbert. Would love to say it's a fun project, but if I were to tell the truth, I'd have to say it's a pain - literally! My wrist is hurting. It's a worsted weight yarn, knit with size US1 needles. The pattern calls for WW, and this handspun is right on. The final mitten is dense, and will be extremely warm. So....it's all worth it in the end.

So - that's about it. And.....I hear a little guy stirring. He keeps saying "Eyeore!" over and over again. LOL! He's in heaven! Anyway, this Grandma better get busy again!

Ture Colors.....

2010-04-30T14:50:00.000-05:00

BG and I went shopping today - for light box components. While he was napping - I went to work. Then I cracked open my class notes, my camera manual, and with great trepidation.....experimented. WOW! It works! I need more practice, but so far, so good......

This is my latest yarn, (Rosequartz colorway of Ashland Bay Merino) which I took to TNKG for "show n tell" last night. It's a heather, and we were looking at the little specks of green and orange..... and one of the gals said she wished she could see what the unspun fiber looked like. Well, here it is:

The colors are pretty much right on.

Here are my three latest spinning efforts - even the red came out right on! I guess setting that "Custom White Balance" thingy is the secret! This could become quite fun.......

Some pretties.....

2010-04-24T19:17:00.000-05:00

I love Redbud trees. I think they look mystical and "other-worldly". After a couple of failed attempts, I now have a fine specimen of my own - right in my own back yard. But what I saw today nearly took my breath away!.

Red Haw State Park is covered in Redbuds! DH and I took a road trip to Southern Iowa today. The park is located near the town of Chariton. Timing could not have been more perfect.

There is a nice lake, the banks of which were just covered with them!

They also lined the roadways.

Right around this bend, we could see the water again, and were thrilled to see a group of Pelicans.

DH liked the trees, but I think a group of Pelicans.....well, it made his day. Up until then, we had seen only a few Canadian Geese and a few ducks - one of which was a wood duck. I quickly grabbed the camera, but these guys didn't stick around for many poses.

Then on to Pella. Pella is a Dutch community, with an annual "Tulip Time" fesitval every May. This year, I'm afraid the tulips may be past their prime. They were the most beautiful I have ever seen them - today - which is two weeks before their festival. The whole town is covered with gorgeous beds of tulips.

This has to be my favorite color of all! Followed closely by

these gorgeous yellow ones.

I really don't know much about tulips, but there were some very unusual varieties!

So, this year we missed the street dancers in their wooden shoes, and the street washing that they do. We weren't tempted by all the junk food vendors either. We experienced absolutely gorgeous tulips and no crowds! Not a bad way to end a spring road trip.

"Yeah, easy for you to say. I had to have a bath when we got home....something about washing off allergens. Up until then I was having a good day too! - oh well, at least that little boy didn't get to go!!"

Sock Specs

2010-04-22T13:37:00.000-05:00

As promised, finished sock photos. Not the best - I'm trying to control my frustration. For some reason the photos look great on my computer, but by the time they are uploaded onto blogger, the sharpness is gone?? Not sure if I am doing something wrong, or if it's the world in which I live?? Anyway.....

Here is a side view. The central back panel is different. I really like socks designed that way.

This project reminded me how much I enjoy doing colorwork. I carry a color in each hand, and my left hand has no tension in it, so my left hand stitches are always much looser. Once they are washed, all the yarns sigh - relax - and smooth out quite nicely.

This is a RedBird pattern. RedBird patterns can be purchased from Patternfish. This particular one is called "Faux is Fair". The yarn is Cascade Heritage - off white and a variegated blue. I used DPNS size 2.5mm. My original plan was to gift them to my mom, but once they were finished I realized that would never do. The leg is longer that she likes. She always says she prefers my "plain janes" anyway - these could hardly pass as that!

Just checking in.....

2010-04-21T14:07:00.002-05:00

Let's see..... YarnOver 2010 was terrific! I hope to go again. My photography class was very enlightening. I learned a great deal, and took pages of notes. I now need to practice.....and then practice more. I also need to put together a light box. Neither of those two things have been accomplished yet. So, my photos will show no marked improvement yet, but hopefully....eventually.... Those mysterious terms such as ISO, Aperture, White Balance, Macro are all a little more meaningful to me now. Luckily I think I accidentally purchased a terrific camera. Like I said....now I need to practice!

The Two-Ended knitting class was also very interesting. Her version was Swedish in origin. She warned that due to the twisting motion used during the technique, many of us would have hand/wrist pain. She was right! So...it may not be a technique that I do a great deal of, but I always enjoy learning new "old" knitting traditions.

As for what's been happening in the spinning/knitting front, I have spun this fiber: (hey! not a half bad photo - that one! Playing with the ISO setting actually works!)

into this yarn. (Ashland Bay Colonial fiber in "Sandlewood" colorway)

Not sure but eventually may be colorwork mittens. We'll see.....

Speaking of colorwork, I have finished a pair of socks but they are not yet blocked, so photos will be coming soon. Just a tease for now:

And, I started yet another pair, in more "my" colors....soft and muted. I like!

And speaking of liking -- This bucket of 14 vehicles was a great hit with BG. There was a really terrific toy store right across the street from the motel in which we stayed during YarnOver. I think I spent more money there than I did at the vendor mall. ( That's a grandma for you....) Anyway, he has played nonstop with these since he came on Monday morning. They even make him think twice before wanting to go outside to play. Miracle toys!!!

Each vehicle is 4" long....just the right size for a little guy's grip. A fascination with cars, trucks, planes and trains is just within the DNA of little boys, I do believe!

My handspun sweater is patiently awaiting some undivided attention. I need to finalize sleeve length and do a few finishing touches. So....soon. I have the band finished. It's just too big of a project to travel well, so it's been neglected of late.

This (not so great) and that (lots of potential). ....

2010-04-11T09:10:00.000-05:00

While I was spinning those fun, colorful scrappies, I took a break from my knitting of Kerrara. Back on track this past week, I was on target for a finished sweater by this weekend. That was BEFORE my cable came apart on Thursday night, causing a little knitting nightmare!

I have heard horror stories about Knitpicks cables coming apart, but I can now join that club of sufferers! The old adage...."You get what you pay for". I will say no more! Anyway - it happened during TNKG, and while I worked on it for several hours, and again on Friday....there remained one place that I could not correct an error in the pattern. So.....I had to totally rip off the band and start again. This is a Double Garter Stitch band, and with the double wrapped stitches and the unfamiliarity of the stitch itself, well, it won - I lost. The most unfortunate thing is that I was on the 6th of 7 rows. And....this particular stitch is causing havoc with my wrists. So, completion of the sweater is a little postponed. I have been sprinkling a good dose of spinning into my free time these last few days. Good for the soul!

Today I have some promises to keep, both to myself and others. First, I HAVE to get some things organized for next weekend's "2010 YarnOver", being held in Minneapolis. This is where I will be attending a "Photographing Your Fiber" class, with Franklin Habit. My second class will be "Tips and Tricks with Two-End Knitting" with Carol Rhoades. The classes being offered, with the fantastic instructors - it made my head spin! I chose classes in which I would be learning new techniques - rather than for the famous instructor. I think with these classes I have the best of both worlds. REALLY looking forward to it, but I MUST get things organized.....TODAY! I even have homework that needs to be done! YIKES!!!

And, I promised the most important men in my life (DH and BG) that I would bake a treat today. It's a rite of passage into spring/summer.....rhubarb!

The first cutting of the season. Aren't the colors pretty! BG has watched the plants grow every time we have trotted out to the back yard (and there have been MANY trips!) He feigns excitement each trip.....he aims to please his "Ganma"! He is nothing if not a good eater - loves pumpkin and zucchini breads. I am sure whatever I concoct with this tender fresh rhubarb will be to his liking. And if not....all the more for "Ganpa".

Scrappies

2010-04-02T18:34:00.000-05:00

Shortly after I submitted my last post, I realized I had not explained what "scrappies" were. Sorry..... Those of you on Ravelry may already know and have seen these photos. (You may be excused). But please stop back soon.

When I first started looking at fiber from independent dyers, I was intrigued with their "scrap" pile of fiber - odds and ends that were occasionally available for sale. It took me several attempts, but eventually I was able to purchase two 4oz bags of these little lovelies. They are random fiber content - some blends also - and many various colors. These were purchased from IntoTheWhirled, one of my favorite vendors.

These are two of the four bobbin-fulls of singles that I spun. When I started out, I was going to do a Chain-ply.....which would have kept the colors more separate. It would have been a 3-ply yarn, and close to worsted weight. But, I decided that I wanted the colors to blend a little more, yet I thought a traditional 3-ply might "muddy" them up too much. So, I decided to do a simple 2-ply.

Plied, on the bobbin, and.....

The finished skein. (One of two actually, but I didn't get photos of skein #2.) This skein is 650yds of 2-ply fingering weight. The 2nd skein is smaller, coming in at 374yds, for a total of 1024yds. Lots to play with, but at this writing, I still have no definite plans as to what this will become.

Other than a new background screen on my computer that is.....I really love close-ups!

Now...back to my sweater knitting. I am working on the sleeves. So far the fit seems to be just perfect, and I think it will be a keeper.....

"Ta Dah!!!!!"

2010-04-01T08:11:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my helper this morning, the "Scrappies" yarn is complete! I could not be happier - it's just gorgeous! It took me many months of vendor stalking before I was able to find Scrappies. I may return to the hunt.

I'll be back soon with more photos. I just HAD to share these. Hmmm....I think he's going to have some strange "grandma memories" someday! He loves to help me roll the yarn in the towels and squeeze the water out. And "thwacking" is a real fun time! Ahhhhh..... I truly savor every moment with this little guy!