Not Too Sick to Knit

I have spent the last week in bed with mononucleosis. But, I have not been too sick to knit and have finished two projects! Yeah! The first is the lovely Tangled Yoke Cardigan:

PATTERN: Tangled Yoke Cardigan from Interweave Knits
YARN: Rowan Felted Tweed in Phantom
NEEDLES: Size 5, 4, and 0

This pattern took me a little over a month to complete. I purchased the 10 balls of yarn that the pattern called for, but only used 7. Also, I used size 4 24" circulars and size 0 double points instead of purchasing the 40" circulars that they wanted me to. I did use the size 5 40" circs, though, in order to fit all the stitches on there once you get the sleeves added. The pattern was very simple to follow. I truly love this sweater more than any other I've knitted to date. Particularly because there are no seams anywhere. I hate sewing up seams!

The other project I finished was the Frock Camisole:
PATTERN: Frock Camisole from Interweave Knits
YARN: Royal Llama Silk
NEEDLES: Size 7

This pattern was super easy and only took about a week and a half to knit. The size ended up being perfect. I used all 7 of the balls of yarn I bought, with enough left over to make some wrist warmers. The yarn was great. Really soft and not at all itchy. The color is great also.

A little while ago, I used some left over Blue Sky Alpaca Alpaca Silk to make these Wristlettos that I found in a recent copy of Spin Off Magazine. I really like them and plan to knit a couple more pairs in different colors.
Some other stuff I did, was last week I went to The Dancing Ewe's one year anniversary dinner at The Palace. It was really fun. Several of us brought knitting and I got to hang out with some really great ladies who love to knit. There were door prizes and cake and yummy food, also.

I also got a skein done of the Light My Fire fiber I bought over in Puyallup. The results are awesome and I'm excited to knit with it. I'm going to knit a vest, I think.


Ok. That's all for now. Mary and I were both too ill to go to the Fiber with a Twist Spin-In down in Richland. The first time we've missed it in years! Oh, well. I have enough fiber to spin and yarn to knit and if I'd gone, I'd have only spent money! LOL!

Wooly Birthdays and Stuff

So, I'm sort of back in the land of the living. I've been battling a nasty cold for the past month or so and am finally starting to get some energy back. In between bouts of bed rest, I've done many things. Like design a cute little handbag for a cables class.

YARN: O-WOOL Balance, about a skein and a half
NEEDLES: Size 6 16" circulars and size 6 double points

I also went with Mary T., Janelle, and Cheri to the Shepherd's Extravaganza at the Puyallup Fair. The trip was wonderful, if quick, which was a good thing as Snoqualmie Pass was closed down shortly after we made it back home. It was cold and wet and windy at the fairgrounds and the piroshky place had yet to receive their shipment of salmon and cream cheese goodness, but a good time was still had! I bought a pound and a half of some really beautiful wool from a German dude named Klaus from Yelm. I just liked to listen to him talk because he had such a great accent. LOL! Mary bought a ton of wool also and some Polish pottery that is truly beautiful. Janelle and Cheri also got some great wool. I only ended up taking one picture while I was there, so if you wanna see the fun, you'll have to check out Janelle's blog. You'll find the link over there on the right. Here's some pics of the stuff I bought.

This is some superwash merino. It's called "Light My Fire." :)

This is what it's looking like spun up.
And I got some Corriedale in a color called "The 12th Planet"

Also, I tried to spin some angora top and failed terribly, so I used my handcarders and blended it with some superwash merino I a bought at the Shepherd's Extravaganza last year. The result is beautiful and soft.

Also, I used my new book Intertwined and created my first skein of fabric yarn. I totally love it, but I have no idea yet what I'll do with it. I used a cotton thread for the core and then 1 inch strips for the fabric part. I used some old wool I had laying around for the "glue" and made little bows with some extra strips of fabric.

Also, Mary had her birthday and spin-in this month. It was really fun with lots of beautiful desserts and fun gifts and decorations. Everything was pink and white.

Lori made the cakes, which were amazing. I used my china that's been passed down to me from forever ago and bought all the other decorations.

This is the happy group spinning and knitting away.

And this is some silk that I won from Janelle's blog. It's dyed with cochineal, which are bugs. Lots of bug bodies ground up into a dye. Don't look at me like that! It made a super pretty color and I'm gonna knit my bug body silk skein!

I also went to a concert up at the college. My driver, John, is the lead singer of a band called Mon Marie and they'll be going on national tour this summer. I wish I could have stayed longer, but being still not well, I only hung out for about 5 songs. My pics didn't turn out so great, but here's a few of them.
Lots of fun the last two months! Also, I went intertubing and drove to the Tri-Cities and almost finished knitting a sweater, and many many other things. Maybe I'll post more about that someday, but it's getting late and I'm ready for bed! Night all!

A POST....

Will be coming soon from Mary and Sarah! Stay tuned and Happy Spring!

Intertwined

I was down at The Dancing Ewe and spotted a book called Intertwined from Lexi Boeger, the Pluckyfluff Handspun Revolution. I had seen it briefly on Amazon.com, but was anxious to get my hands on it and so I purchased it and lugged it home. Besides the pictures of these artful yarns being rather mind-blowing, the chapters of designer diaries are fascinating. I was instantly inspired to try my hand at some of the techniques presented, so I pulled out some wool I didn't particularly like (just in case my attempts were a total mess). I tried the Super Coils first and below is my first attempt. I love it! The colors, bland and boring on their own, blended well together and the feel of the squishy coils is glorious. I knit a cute little neck warmer since I only had about 30 yards of yarn by the time I was done.
The cowl is part knitted on size 13s and part crocheted with an N hook. This yarn is a bit difficult to work with because the coils don't want to pull through the loops. I cast on seven stitches and knit garter stitch for four rows. On the fifth row, I knit one, yo twice, knit 2 together until the end, then knit straight across the next two rows. It took every inch of the yarn to make this. It's super warm and cozy. The buttons are just plastic ones I got in a grab bag over the weekend.

The other yarn I tried out was a boucle with little nubby twists and sparkle. The roving I used was merino. I think it's too busy and the mohair takes away from the nubs and sparkle. I think I'll use this for the ends of a scarf and just spin the sparkle and nubs with the rest of the roving for the main body of the scarf.
The other yarn I worked on was some beautiful hand-dyed alpaca I got from Janelle. The colors are subtle and beautiful and I mixed a bit of sparkle in with it to give it a little extra pizazz. The result is a soft luminous yarn that will make a great... something... LOL! I have no plans for this other than to drool over it! I only have about 5 ounces of it, so my idea of a cuddly bed jacket won't work until I knit it with something else.




I've also been out thrift shopping and so I'll leave you with some of my favorite most recent finds, a wire basket with long evening gloves, a pincushion tea cup, an architectural drawing, a pretty tea cup, Laura Ashley curtain, a set of antique plates, a pretty white and blue mini tea pot, and some pretty fabric to recover my cushions for my couch:

Aprons Galore

So, I've hit the apron making insanity phase. I so love making aprons! They're fun, they're fast and you can learn all kinds of new techniques for sewing on something that is small and mostly inexpensive. I use a lot of fabric from Goodwill when I find stuff I like. I just got nearly 10 yards of unbleached muslin for $7.99 at Goodwill. THAT was a good find!

Here's my latest apron. The red is just plain cotton and the polka-dot material is left overs from Christmas projects. The patch is something I added on after I had already finished the apron. I embroidered the birds using four strands of embroidery floss and the tree with only three strands.

I also made one with some fabric from Goodwill. It's also the Mary Jane Butter's IdeaBook apron and I really like this one a lot.

I also made the Frenchy Shoulder Bag from Amy Butler and even used some fabric from her line. The inside lining is civil war rose print, but still matches well enough. The pattern is super easy and only took me an afternoon to cut it all out and an afternoon to sew it all together. I did get a little annoyed when I fell short of the exterior fabric by about 2 inches. I had to get another 1/8 of a yard so I could get the straps made. But otherwise, no complaints! I used the leftover scraps to create a wallet. I even put a zipper into the top flap so I would have a place to put loose change!

I've also done a bit of spinning, though I had to miss the January Spin-In at Ace's house. This is the merino that Janelle dyed for me at Christmas. I'm going to make Elizabeth Zimmerman's Mitered Mittens with it. I'm excited! The colors came out beautifully and the whole 8 oz spun up like butter. Next on my list of spinning is some 100% angora. I've never spun it, but I am going to try!

SHOPS!!!

So I finally found Small Meadow Press again. This site was a delight during my letter writing days and rediscovering it has prompted me to want to start this wonderful past time again. Lesley's creations are beautiful and functional. The Pigeon Holes make you want to get organized and the calling cards make you want to visit people you know won't be home just so you can leave them one. LOL! And when she sends the box with your lovely goodies, it is always wrapped so beautifully that you don't want to open it.

On a local note, The Dancing Ewe has a great web page that lists products and classes and will soon feature a newsletter. I have greatly enjoyed being able to hang out on Thursdays and during lunch hour with the local ladies and talk and knit. The owner, Kathy, has just brought in some great stuff, including a Schacht Ladybug spinning wheel and some sock yarn called Flatfeet, which is knitted on a knitting machine, then dyed, then you buy it still knitted up. You unravel one end and start knitting your socks straight from this. Clever, no?

If money were no issue...

Taking my cue from the lovely lady at Bits and Bobbins Blog, I have decided to post what I might own if money were no issue. I really had a hard time thinking of things since I love to shop at Goodwill and yard sales, so the thought of spending lots of money on something not big (like a car or a house) seems quite weird to me. Anyway, these are the things I decided for.

First thing I thought of was that I would want an Irish Wolfhound. They are such adorable, gentle animals and they are HUGE!!!! I totally adore them with their whiskers and eyebrows and long faces.

I saw this sweater at Victorian Trading Company and fell in love with it. It looks so cozy and comfy and cute! I'm not so keen on the color choice, but I still love it. It's $169. Which is probably what it would cost for the yarn if I knit it myself. Hmmm...Tempting...

This dress is also from Victorian Trading Company. I fell in love with it about two years ago and I still drool every time I see it. The color is rich and the material is divine. Another expensive bit of clothing.

This sofa is from the same place as the sweater and dress. It's so fluffy and I love the miss matched fabrics. It looks like something you'd want to curl up on with a wool blanket and some knitting. :) It's $2995.

This ring is from Tiffany & Co. and is 24k gold with diamonds. I've been eying this thing since I first saw it in 1998. It's $16,000. Yeah. I haven't even bought a car that cost that much! EEK! I can't imagine owning a piece of jewelry that is so extravagant. But it is beautiful. And it reminds me of Lord of the Rings...

And of course last, but not least, I would SO own this spinning wheel, the Habetrot, from Golding Rings Wheels. The price is somewhere around $4,500. But with the beautiful craftsmanship of the wheel, I think it's totally worth it. I would love to just spin on one and see how it worked. If it spins as wonderfully as it looks. I love my Schacht, but it isn't very pretty...

So there's my list of things I might own if money were no issue. I'm sure there are other things, like cashmere yarn, and knitting needles in every size, and a Starbucks gift card that never ran out, but I figured I'd only list these. But since it is unlikely that any of these shall be mine, I am quite content with the beautiful things I find second hand.