Good, Bad, Pass, or Fail, the Class is Over Today...

I have several pictures to post, but that will have to wait a day or two. Today, I take the final for the wretched class that has held me hostage this semester.

I am hoping that brain function returns to normal after this, but I fear there may be permanent dain bramage...

Hurrah for One Last Winter Snow!!!

On Friday night, I finished the Butterfly sweater that I have been working on for a few months. This sweater has admittedly taken a while as I have not knit at home too much due to school - BLECK!!! Most of the work has been done on my lunch break at work, or on Wednesday evenings at Knit Night with the fiber gals.


For the past couple of weeks, I have been quietly lamenting the fact that this sweater took me a while to make, and that I was not going to get to wear it until this coming winter. The universe must have seen my plight and sent a cold snap complete with a little bit of sleet and snow this weekend. Normally, I hate winter, and am beating the drum for spring. One last snow generally sends me into a fit of rage that winter dare encroach on spring's time; however, this year I am downright thankful.


The Encore did create a heavy garment, but it was easily comfortable inside as well as outside throughout the day. Greatest of all, it can go in the washer and dryer, and it looks like a much more pricey yarn that it is.


Mike took this picture of my at Crown Center. The lighting is not great, but I didn't care as I got to wear it!! You can see in this picture (as compared with previous shots) that the yarn is not a bright red, but really a deep red.

I enjoyed this pattern so much, that I bought two more Plymouth patterns this weekend. The first is the Cable Cowl Neck Pullover, and it is made with Royal Llama Silk. That yarn is lovely to touch, but it would be $160 for my size, and I will have to think long and hard about that purchase - but maybe...


The second is the Ladies Lace Panel Pullover. This pattern calls for Encore, and I just happen to have some purple Encore that will fit the bill. I think I could wear this little sweater in the spring and fall, and possibly this summer as well if my office has the air conditioning set for pneumonia again...


Now, I am happily off to start the Yuletide Gnome Project!


TTFN.

Fiber Friends

If you are a real knitter, not just someone who flirts with the knitting needles once a year or so, maybe you have been lucky enough to have made some fiber friends.

Fiber friends are different from you usual friends, although they can come from the usual circle of friends. Once you enter the fiber circle, the relationship changes into a different kind of friendship. There is just something very special about a group of friends that you meet with regularly to work on your current knitting (or crochet) project. I am lucky enough to have fiber friends like that, and I look forward to every get together. Today, we went to our first knitting show together and it was a lot of fun to be out with the fiber gals and get to shop together. We are all as different as night and day, live in different parts of town, have completely different careers, have different skill sets and ages, and knit vastly different things from one another - but the knitting unites us as one special group of friends. We share ideas, solve problems, talk about new products/patterns. We don't always agree, but we do always try to encourage each other.

To the knitting girls, thank you all for sharing this afternoon and your Wednesday nights with me. You all will never know how much your friendship means to me, and how lucky I feel to be part of the group.

Such A Deal, But What Is It...

One of my favorite weekend outings is to go to estate sales and garage sales. I don't spend much money for the most part, but I get to see a lot of interesting houses that I would normally not see, and I get to see some interesting things as well. I have conscripted Dear Hubby into my avocation, but he has a few rules if he is going to play along.

Rule #1 - We must go to neighborhoods that are better than ours, and no sales that have primarily clothes or children's items - we need neither.

Rule #2 - Start early and finish by 11 a.m.-ish as everything is generally picked over by then.

Rule #3 - Feed him lunch immediately after the last sale as a reward for driving, carrying, and for the most part paying.

Behold my newest Saturday morning acquisition -



This little darning egg cost me a grand total of $1.25. I found in the kitchen of an estate sale, and when I went to pay the cashier told me that it wasn't a complete set. At first, I though I misheard the gentleman because I knew exactly what I had picked up. I really think he thought it was part of a mortar and pestle set. Because the company running the auction had no idea what this item was, it was marked originally for $3, then to $1.50 when the half-price hour hit, and I got it for the $1.25 price because they would have had to break a $10 to get the extra quarter.

I am guessing it to be at least as old as I am, possibly older, and probably made of a golden pine. Being a gadget person through-and-through, I had to have it. However, I must confess that I am not a fan of the Kitchener stitch; I far prefer the three needle bind-off.

As for the sweater, the sleeves are closing in on the elbows from the cuff edge, and I am knitting both at once as DM suggested, but on two sets of needles as it makes me crazy to do them on the same one.



As you might guess, I would like for this sweater to be finished so that I can move on to my gnome project. I plan to do several, but not consecutively or concurrently. They will be interspersed between other projects. Also, I am the proud owner of the Meet the Snowmes pattern now, and that will be put into the knitting queue as well. You can see a particularly cute Snowme here that someone on Ravelry has posted.

Bad Old Gnome Enabler...

As I may have previously mentioned, I am not enjoying my class this semester. In addition, I am not enjoying the constant grind and endless demands on my free time that this class seems to impose... All this, and someone has put another project into my queue no less.

She knows I have an addictive personality, and that I am easily led. In addition to adding to my obsession list, this has further led to the running amok of my yarn stash. Bad, bad Gnome Enabler. Shame on you. More to the point, shame on me. I need one more thing to do...

Here is the gnome-enabling culprit, no doubt smiling because she likely is working on one of her sinister plots...

The gnome in question is the Yuletide Gnome designed by Alan Dart of the U.K. This pattern is nearly impossible to get as it is out of print. Luckily enough, someone on Ravelry had an extra and agreed to sell it to me. With all the whining, I have forgotten to mention just how cute the gnome actually is... I cannot get the picture to come in well, so go here to see one of the best examples on Ravelry.

The Butterfly pullover is closing in on the finish line.

This is the first garment that I have attempted to do cabling on. It wasn't too bad - behold the success... Also, once again, the sweater is not cherry or bright red, but more of a wine color.

Last week, a friend gave me some fiber, and I have spun it into a single. I may or may not divide and ply it. I think I kind of like it as a single.

TTFN!

D is for Dolores, Dolores for President!!!

This week's letter programming is brought to you by the letter D. D is for Dolores, Dolores for President that is!!! As I am unable to reproduce a picture of Dolores without permission from Franklin, The Panopticon blog writer, so I will have have to let you link to her candidacy announcement on your own. The Panopticon is a hilarious blog, but the author is also a pretty great knitter as well. Her campaign promises include making Elizabeth Zimmerman's birthday a national holiday, fiber-related purchases will become tax deductible, knitting will become a mandatory subject in schools, and government subsidiaries will establish yarn shops in high-need areas. What more could you want??? Finally, a candidate that I can get excited about.



I have officially joined her party, the Fibertarians, and now I proudly display this as my Ravelry icon!

My sweater is coming along very slowly as I have been ill, and also suffering with another kind of sickness - SICK OF SCHOOL!!! I beyond HATE this class, and I would rather watch paint dry, but I am in it now and bound for glory. Also, I refuse to suffer in silence! I also have not had much time for spinning - see the same two previous complaints as they also apply to spinning as well.

As you might have guessed, I am in full Grinch mode, and I pretty much hate everything. If there is something I don't hate it is because one of the following two reasons:

1. I have not thought of it lately, but will probably renew my hate soon...

2. I loathe said object, and have went far beyond simple hate...

Also, all you lurkers out there, I have something for you...

Now shut up and knit!

Who in the World Came up with Corrugated Ribbing???

Week three of the ABC along brings the wretched corrugated ribbing.

I want to know right now who came up with this method of two colored ribbing so I can find them and pull their hair - especially since I have spent the last few hours pulling out my own!

Corrugated ribbing or two colored ribbing is by far one of the most tedious knitting activities known to the world. It is not that it is hard, it is just that pulling all of the stitches to the back side as you knit or purl each stitch is so fiddley and painfully slow.



I have successfully knit intarsia garments, so I thought how tough could corrugated ribbing be? Note to self, any thought that starts with "how tough could this be?" should be filed under the heading of masochism, or possibly sadism if I am trying to convince someone else to do said activity... I have completed about 1.5 inches of ribbing, and need 2 full inches. The yarn is actually a wine-ish red, the brown is a deep chocolate tone, and this is Encore by Plymouth.








As far as the spinning goes, I have graduated myself to colored roving, and here is my first colored single, still on the bobbin - sorry about the blurriness of the photo.



I enjoy spinning, but it will never take the place in my heart of knitting. I actually see spinning as an adjunct to knitting, not a separate activity unto itself.

Another C-word that I have recently enjoyed (get your minds out of the gutter, it is not THE C-word) is a book by Crazy Aunt Purl called Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair. It is about a 30-something woman who was married, now single by her husband's request, and trys to drink her problems away until she finds knitting. As tragic as this all sounds, it is pretty funny. I have read more than half of the book in one day, and it is far more interesting than the class I am taking, but then again watching paint dry is more entesting than the class material so far...

And thus ends this week's rant.

B is for Buffy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer that is!!!

This is week two of the ABC Along 2008. Those of you that know me, already know I am a HUGE Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan!!! One of my e-mail accounts is named "The Buffy watcher" as in I am not simply a Buffy Watcher, I am THE Buffy watcher...

I have several Buffy collectibles, not nearly as many as I feel I need though. Below you see a mug that says "Eat Stake", a pillow with the Buffy logo and many phrases in Buffy-verse, and lastly one of my prize Buffy items - the season five promotional tombstone that was produced as part of a media kit. I got that piece on E-Bay - yea, me!!!

Since school has begun, I feel as if I don't have time to knit or spin, and I am already weary of Legal Aspects of Health Information. I have went back to school to obtain my RHIT - in my case the RH could possibly stand for "really hateful"...

On the knitting front, I am yet to finish the second navy sock, but I am making forward progress every day. I did take time to do a pretty major fix on a friend's afghan. She is a very new knitter, and I took pity on her and took the broken project home to repair. I took out six rows, doesn't sound so bad until you remember it as an AFGHAN!!! All jokes aside, it wasn't too bad. After I ripped back past the error, I re-knit the six rows so she would not feel like she had taken two giant steps backwards. I also rewound her ball of yarn into a neat little yarn cake as Natty got the yarn out of the bag and gave it the old one-two with the bunny kickers. I hope I did not take too much licence with a project that belongs to someone else... The gals/friends I knit with meet on Wednesday night, so I will see if I overstepped my knit-etiquette.

Come On Old Sock!

Even recent projects that are not finished can rapidly become the "old" project when there is something else that you want to work on. I am hoping to have the lion's share of the second sock in the Leaf Lace pattern done by the end of the weekend. I have whined and offered a multitude of excuses why that sock isn't finished including the color is too dark to work on at night, I am too busy, or this is the second pair in a row of the same pattern. The truth is I just want to start my new sweater, I also want to spin, and those two things have led way to the aforementioned excuses. Also, as a last excuse, school starts on Monday...


As far as my spinning goals, I have been forcing myself to spin up the undyed yucko stuff that came with my wheel for practice before I move onto the good stuff, but I am beyond being over that... I have purchased several batts of colored fiber to spin. Starting with the fiber in the upper left corner that looks kind of rainbow-like (Cottage Fiber), then the peach-colored fiber (TerraBella Spun), the the fiber in the lower right (TerraBella Spun), and lastly the fiber in the lower left corner (Cottage Fiber). There is a naughty little enabler who set me on the Etsy path, and now I am hooked. I get kind of a little buzz coming home to a package of something in front of my door that I have ordered from Etsy. Another seller on Etsy that I really like, but have not ordered from yet is
Copperpot Woolies. The next thing you know I will be staying up late to secretly watch recorded episodes of Dr. Who...




This is my "Christmas money from Mom yarn", and it will be my next project as I think I am tired of socks for this minute. However, when I am halfway through the sweater, I will probably be plotting my next pair of socks. This yarn came from Misknits, a "curious little yarn shop" in Kansas City on the Missouri side. Amber, the owner, helped me pick out the colors, and she is just wonderful to work with. She always makes me glad I came into her shop, unlike a few others that shall remain unnamed - at least for now...

In response to FKD's challenge for her readers to participate in in the ABC - Along 2008.

A - A is for afternoon nap (Natty's), which I will not be getting as I am off to work on that "old sock". TTFN and happy knitting/spinning to all!

Too Little Time in the Day...

Leaf Lace Socks by Fiber Trends, Lanett yarn by Sandnesgarn in Navy. This yarn is lovely to knit with, but the color is so dark it is difficult to make much progress without going blind. The red sock blockers really show off just how lacy this pattern actually is.






This is my new orifice hook. Love, love, love it. This tool allows me to draw the roving through the orifice of the spinning wheel without any trouble at all.






This is my first attempt at plying singles. It's not great yet, but I am working very hard at not letting my yarn suck... The ball on the right is what I did in class, and the ball on the left is what I did at home alone.





After much hysteria and a fair amount of screaming, I realized that I NEEDED a tensioned lazy kate. The tensioned kate acts as a second pair of hands for the spinning/plying impaired. I did a little research on the net, and behold my success! You can tell it is nothing fancy, but it has made a world of difference in my plying. The bobbins came with the wheel, the cardboard box is a box that printer paper came in. The only thing I had to buy was size #2 needles that were long enough to go through the box.






I have a pretty wooden niddy noddy from Kromski, but this is my favorite one. I made this from PVC pipe and PVC joints. It cost me less than $10 to make, and it is wonderful to use because it is so small. I extended the length of the arms so I could get more yarn on it.





Here I am with my hair pulled up (more or less) in all my still fluffy glory, trying out my new tensioned kate, and successfully plying. I look a mess, but I wanted to show how easy plying was with the kate. Notice the lack of hysteria??? You can see my wheel in the picture. I still haven't named it yet, but I will. Any suggestions?


I have really gotten into quotes lately, and I will leave you with my new favorite:

"You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you odd." Flannery O'Connor

Jumpin' Jack Flat...

On 12/14/2007, I was driving down the road and a driver in another car alerted me that my front right tire was low. I thanked him, quickly turned around, and went to a Shell station three blocks back the other way.

I get to the Shell station, pull up to the air pump, and realize that I do not know how much air goes in a tire. The obvious answer to me would be "until it's not flat", but realizing this probably wasn't an exact estimate, I called dear hubby and the coversation went like this:

Me: "Hi honey, I have a front right tire that is very low, but I am sitting in a Shell station right by the air machine, how many pounds of air goes into a tire?"

Dear Hubby: "Take your car to the Ford dealership and ask for my service writer, Kevin; he will take care of it."

Me: "I am already here at the gas station, and surely I can put air in the tire. Just tell me how much air because I have several errands, and dealership will take forever just to look at it..."

Dear Hubby: "Do you know how to put air in your tire?"

Me: "I am sure I can figure it out, just tell me how much air..."

The conversation ended with him telling me how much air to put in, and then telling me to have a good day. In my mind, he had signed off on my idea to put the air in, and go about my way. In reality, not so much...

I filled the tire, replaced the cap, and went inside to get a drink and use the restroom. I waited for about ten minutes before leaving and the tire was still round, and appeared to be fine, fine, fine. I figured that was enough time to see if it was going to go flat again. Long story short, I drove downtown to 1919 Wyandotte in Kansas City to order my spinning wheel. After I came out of the fiber shop, full of joy at having just ordered my spinning wheel, I noticed that the wretched tire had gone completely flat. As you might guess, the second conversation with dear hubby was not nearly so cordial as the first, and went something like - "Why didn't you just go to the dealership like I told you to??? There are no service stations of any kind where you are, and now I will have to come and fix it!!!" Unfortunately, I have no clue how to change a tire - yes, I know it is pathetic. Before you all fuss at me too much, I have other skill sets... I can swim, whistle with my fingers, and drive a stick. I am getting AAA Motor Club, or so I am told...

Dear Hubby was there in less than 30 minutes. When the lug nuts (every one of them) seemed to be frozen on the wheel, he had to jump up and down on the jack to break them loose, and all I could think of was the chorus to the song "Jumpin' Jack Flash" or dear hubby's case, "Jumpin' Jack Flat." Luckily he did not see me snap this picture of him...

After the tire was changed, dear hubby asked me "Where are you going now?" My answer was to finish my errands - once again, not so much... I was sent straight away, do not pass go, do not collect $200, and go straight to the dealership without another errand!!! When I arrived at the dealership, I found out that dear hubby had made arrangements for four new tires, and all I had to do was show up.

All that behind me, the spinning wheel has been delivered, and it is a Louet S10 double treadle. The yarn I spun is from the roving that came with the wheel (corriedale silver), and I am hoping to make less ugly yarn in the future.. The brown yarn is what I have tied it with to keep it secure.

This is what I spent my Christmas money on. Thanks, Mom! This is my comfort yarn, Encore. It can be machine washed and dried, and will become the Butterfly sweater from Plymouth Yarn. The wine color will be the majority of the sweater, and the ribbing at the bottom, cuffs, and neck will be with both the wine and the chocolate brown - gotta love that combination, right?

This will be the last post of 2007. I will leave you with my favorite quote, the author is unknown to me, and it will stand as my single New Year's Resolution.

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying 'I will try again tomorrow.'"

Be happy, be well, and Happy New Year to all!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

Debi of FKD has recently posted a list of her favorite things, and kindly charged her readers to post a few of their own favorite things. I absolutely love that idea, and cheerfully challenge anyone who reads this to post their favorite things! Here is a list of things that I really enjoy:

FALL/HALLOWEEN - Fall is hands down my favorite time of the year with the colors, kids going back in school, and the anticipation of the holidays - it's for me! I really enjoy Halloween decorations and spooky things. This includes movies with a nod towards vampires and witches, but not so much with the gore, and the same for books.

CAREN ET CIE HAND TREATMENT - The hand cream in the tube/pump bottle with the blue label is my personal favorite hand cream. The blue scent is baby powder, and it combats the harsh soap at the hospital where I work. It is a little bit pricey, but completely worth it!

LONG AND PRETTY MASCARA - Clinique makes my favorite mascara (Long Pretty Lashes Mascara is the full name). I am not a fan of thick, fat, and clumpy lashes, but rather a long and feathery look. It doesn't flake, and rarely smudges.

SOOKIE STACKHOUSE/SOUTHERN VAMPIRE SERIES - Charlaine Harris writes my favorite series of books, The Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Series. Her characters are so real it makes you feel as if you actually know them.

CASH IN THE ATTIC/BARGAIN HUNT - The BBC America channel has become my new favorite for the shows Cash in the Attic and Bargain Hunt.

OMEGA PAW LITTER BOX - This is a funny thing to be a fave, but anything that makes changing the litter box easy is going to make it onto my list. It uses clumping litter, and all you do is roll it over onto its top (no litter or anything else falls out when you do this), tap the floor, roll it back over to shift the litter back in place. Lastly, pull out the drawer with an easy to use handle and dump the contents into a bag. It is dirt simple, and nothing ever touches your hands. EASY PEASY!!!

Natty has favorites too, and they include hair bands, and anything that can be stolen out of the knitting bag!

Progress and New Yarn are Beautiful Things

Leaf Lace Socks by Fiber Trends, Lanett Yarn in cranberry. In truth, it is a true Christmas red. That works out nicesly as this is a holiday gift for someone that does not read my blog. I have to admit, this pattern came out pretty darned great. I am very pleased to give this pair of socks as a gift, and I will definitely be knitting this pattern again! The Lanett is wonderful yarn to knit with. It is spun a bit looser than other sock yarn, but once on the needles I had no trouble getting eight stitches to the inch. It is soft, has a nice sheen, and is machine washable and dryable - hallelujah!!! As for colorfastness, I have no idea, but I plan to use this yarn again. Also, it was only $6.56 for approximately 215 yards. Also, the Leaf Lace pattern was super simple and really pretty.




Fetching from Knitty.com with a few modifications. I added one extra cable with three extra rows to lengthen the finger edge. Also, I did not like the bind off they recommended as it made it roll and flare. I did the sewn bind off and it really made them fit great! I used the Plymouth Baby Alpaca, and even with the extra rows it only took one hank.




The candy corn-colored washcloths for Secret Spook Gift Exchange - Sugar 'n Cream, mini fern stitch.




The felted oven mitt and hot pad for the Secret Spook Gift Exchange - Brown Sheep.





The socks mentioned in the previous post from top to bottom:


1. Opal Rainforest - Flamingo - top up, 2x2 rib with magic loop.

2. Fortissima Socka - toe up, 2x2 rib with magic loop.

3. Meilenweit Fantasy - cuff down, 2x2 rib.







Lastly, you See Natty is checking in the most yarn recent shipment - the two skeins on the left are Claudia Hand Painted Yarns in the Chocolate colorway and the large skein on the right is from Spritely Goods in the Sage colorway. The photography does not do the Claudia justice. The Chocolate is really beautiful, and I am hoping that the Sage is not a striping yarn, but more of a color pooling yarn.




No matter which of the holidays you observe during this time of year, find some time to celebrate the joy of the season, and save some time for knitting - cheers!


Terri and Natty

Sorry Honey, I am not in the Mood Tonight...

"Sorry honey, I am not in the mood tonight" describes my entire world right now. I am not in the mood for the holidays, for writing blog posts, for holiday get togethers, for decorating for the holidays. Thus, the time since my last post has been considerable.

My mood isn't as dark as it sounds, I am just not up for a lot of hoopla...

I have been knitting up a storm since my last post. At least two pairs of socks (toe up magic loop, thank you very much), one pair of cuff down socks, two pair of Fetching gloves from Knitty.com, many washcloths as Secret Spook Exchange gifts for Halloween, washcloths for hospital gifts, and lastly a felted oven mitt and hot pad for the aforementioned Halloween festivity.

On a brighter note, I have discovered a fairly new, as in less than a year old, knit shop in town. It is quite a bit further away than either of the two yarns shops I often frequent, but the shop owner is so nice that I am pleased to spend my knitting dollars with her when possible, and drive the extra distance. The name of the shop is Misknits, and it is worth a visit if you are anywhere near close enough to visit the Kansas City area.

Amber, the owner of Misknits, recommended a yarn that I have never used before. It is Lanett in the cranberry color. It is really affordable, and according to Amber knits up very nicely into socks. I also got a new, new to me that is, type of knitting needles - Hiya Hiya. I also picked up a Plymouth pattern for worsted Galway, of which I will probably substitute Encore for as its ease in washability has me hooked. However, I am going to have to purchase a second copy of this pattern as it seems to have escaped me after leaving the shop. I have turned the house, car, purse, knitting bag upside looking for that pattern, and finally had to give up and turn the air blue with expletives. Since that hasn't helped either, I just e-mailed the shop and asked if they have another copy available. This is the Butterfly sweater that seems to have flown away...


In the meantime, I am going to use the Lanett to knit the Crock Socks from the Pattern I ordered from Sheri at the Loopy Ewe - another great source as well.

Maybe, next time I shall post some pictures of the aforementioned finished objects, then again, maybe not. I may still be in a puppysnatch...

It's a Pickle I Tell You, Just a Pickle!!!

I thought I was a big enough girl to make my own decisions, and to forget the rules my mother gave me as a child. The rule in particular that I have recently disreguarded is,

"Don't start another project until you finish the one you are working on..."

To be fair, it is not entirely my fault that I am in this mess - but sort of. On 08/26/2007, also known as Black Sunday. I had the first of a series of three classes on magic loop toe up socks with a short row heel. Sounds innocent enough, right? The problem began in that the second of three classes was THREE WEEKS after the first class due to scheduling issues with the LYS. I was given homework and promptly finished that. Hmmm, I then had two and a half weeks and nothing to knit except that 80% finished sweater I was working on before the class, and who wanted to work on that? The answer was certainly not me.

My evil self talked me into starting a second pair of socks, just a little gap filler between the sock class, and now classes pleural as I still do not have the sweater done, my gap filling socks are not done, and of course I just had the second of three classes today. Aarghhhhh!!!

In my youth, I used to be an extremely disorganized person, could never finish anything, and thus the "don't start a new project until you finish the one you are working on" rule came to be. Now, I am in a three project knitting pickle, and nary a one of them are done! The worst part is after the third of three classes, I will just have one of the socks done - NOT BOTH!

To make it worse, I even bought a new sweater pattern today after class. I think the only way to get this unfinished project monkey off my back is to go cold turkey. First, I will do my homework, and that only until it is finished. Then, I will finish the "gap filler" socks. Lastly, I will finish the long neglected sweater.

By all that is holy, I will never get myself in this knitting pickle again!!!

Sit and Spin has Taken on a Whole New Meaning...

Last Sunday afternoon, Christy, one of the girls that I regularly knit with was kind enough to get together with me and show me how to use a drop spindle. For a month or so, I have had an ever-increasing interest in spinning, and this has been since the evening that Christy brought her spinning wheel and drop spindle to our Knit Night. Needless to say, I have been fascinated with the process of spinning ever since.

For years, my only thought about spinning was that it was absolutely none of my business how yarn got from sheep to shop... I was so wrong, and I will admit some people just don't dig the spin, and that's fine too - God knows I am no fan of nupps and fair isle. However, I have now become an amature enthusiast of the art of spinning and those who do it well.

Think back to how difficult that you thought knitting was when you were first learning - now multiply that times ten and that is how tedious learning to spin can be. That being said, this is not to whine about the learning curve, or even all the profanity uttered, but rather to give applause to the spinners who can churn out yard after yard of everything from bulky weight to perfectly plied and spun fingering weight sock yarn.

I have heard discussions that hand spun yarn can be too rustic, not refined, and strange-colored - all of those valid points, and ones I used to make until I saw the absolutely phenomenal things that a spinning wheel can do in the hands of a master. Today, I purchased 400ish yards of some absolutely lovely fingering weight sock yarn that was spun by someone locally, and sold in a local fiber and spinning shop called the Fiber Cottage. My photography does not do the dye work justice. In reality, the color changes are from kind of a subtle silverly lilac into a dusty amethyst that is really just stunning.

Now, from the sublime to the rediculous... This is the silk hanky that was my first attempt. The blue flecks are the yarn that has secured the little skein. There are places where it gets bulky, then thread and skinny, and then back to bulky. I am told my first skeins will be referred to as "novelty yarn" - eck!

The yarn on the spindles are some additional spinning attempts, as well as my humble tools. Also, a few silk hankies and a little bit of undyed roving that I am yet to mangle as well...

Just in case I have not appropriately frightened you with my spinning, one last close up.

Happy knitting to all, and stand up and applaud the spinners who do such incredible work - they deserve it!

What A Good Helper Natty Is...

I have knit a pair of baby sweaters for someone that is near and dear to my heart, but who has asked to remain anonymous at this time.

This is a free pattern from Jimmie Beans Wool, and the panel in the front is removable. There will be four buttons on each side of the panel, but I have not selected the buttons yet. I also have not blocked it as I am unsure if this yarn is blockable. They both were knit with Encore by Plymouth (25% wool, 75% acrylic), and it can be washed and dryed. I thought that was as much of a gift as the sweaters to the proud by shy parents to be.

However, Miss Natty did volunteer to model the sweater for the photo session since we have to keep the recipient a secret for now.

As you can tell, Natty does not mind participating at all, and she loves to play dress up! I had recently taken a picture of her wearing a pair of socks I knit, but the picture would not up load...

Natty thanks you for coming to her most recent fashion show...

Supervisor Turned Supermodel...

In her first modeling debut, Miss Natty takes the stage with a lace shawl knit from the label of Trekking XXL.

As a recap, it is a pattern from IK Spring Issue, and it is the Clementine Shawlette. My blocking is tighter than theirs, and the Trekking is less snuggle-like, but it blocks well, and really shows off the lace pattern.

Here you can see the drape and length of the shawl.

As you can see, the model is very weary of the

photo session, and ready for a well-deserved nap.

She was very patient to let me pose her and try the shawl on her in different ways while I took different pictures.

Although I hate to push my luck, I wonder how she feels about socks???

Tahdahhh!!!! Clementine is off the Needles and in the Bath!

I will keep this short and sweet - the shawl is completely knitted, ends worked in, and Clementine is in the bath. I will block her this evening, and hopefully she can be dry by tomorrow evening so I can take her to Knit Night. DM gave me the idea to fold the shawl in half for a manageable blocking length. The blocked pictures will be next time - wish me luck as this is my first lace blocking attempt!



After the blocking, off to scrub out that sink!!!

Does Time Move This Quickly for Those Who Don't Knit???

My shawl progress is coming along, but not as quickly as I would like though... Don't get too excited, the first half isn't blocked, it is just pinned for the photo. Natty, of course, had to check that I had pinned the piece correctly...

This is a sort of close up of the lace work, but again, the yarn is not this pink. It is much more dusty purple and navy blue, with just a hint of pink here and there.

There are a minimum of two, and possibly three projects impatiently waiting in the wings.

Firstly, I have a friend with a birthday early in August (thankfully she is not a blog reader), and I am knitting her a pair of socks. They will probably be in the Pennlyn pattern from Wildhorse Farm Designs, and knit with Claudia Hand Painted Yarns in the Grape Jelly colorway. My friend is a self-proclaimed "lover of ALL things purple", and this should fit the bill. The photo does not do the yarn justice at all. It appears almost fuschia in the photo, and in real life it is almost a solid grape jelly purple with a hint of lighter purple here and there that is not quite lavender. As this colorway is already screaming hot, I will probably add beads at the cuff to finish the electric look.

Next, I want to knit at least one, and two if possible, Christmas stockings for my two nieces. I am using the Holly pattern from Annie's Woolens. I have knit a ton of socks, but never a Christmas stocking, and I have no idea how long this will take - that is where the concern for knitting one or two before Christmas comes into play. If all else fails, the eldest niece will get hers first, and the youngest the following year.

Initially, I had ordered some Wool of the Andes from Knit Picks for the stockings, but I just couldn't feel the love for that yarn. The colors were off, and it just did not feel like anything that the kiddos would keep and treasure all of their lives, as I hope they will with the new yarn. With that being said, it's not my fault that I had to go out and forage for more yarn yesterday... There might have been one, two, or possibly six (ahem, but who's counting) skeins of sock yarn that followed me home this weekend in addition to the new yarn for the stockings.

The sock yarn is Claudia, and from top to bottom the colors are: John B., Butter Pecan, and Jungle. To the right is the yarn for the stockings that I got this weekend. The hunter's green and ivory are from Galway, and the bottom wound hank is Cascade 220 in The Heathers line. Per the Yarn Shop and More, Galway and Cascade 220 are "the exact same yarn". The Yarn Shop and More even claims that they are made in the same factory. I have never heard this, but there a ton of things that I have not heard...