Knitting and All The Rest

Fleecey 4th!

2011-07-05T17:21:00.003-04:00

DH & I ventured out to the "wilds"of West Virginia and spent the 4th of July at his brother's river "cabin", although I think we're now calling it a "lodge".

Yep, it was pretty lazy out on the river.

But not inside, as Merry and I began the process of spinning up my newly carded Jacob batts. After two afternoons of spinning, I ended up with two pretty evenly weighted bobbins of singles.

Then my dear m-i-l presented me with a little bag of black fluff, the sheddings of her little dog, Buddy.

Since I was already in spinning mode, I spun him up, too. Look! He's almost blue!

Prior to our long weekend away, two new additions were added to my spindle addiction, I mean collection.

They are Bosworth Minis in 1. Cedar, and 2. Purpleheart/Tulipwood. Love-love-love those minis!

This week there will be more spinning, more knitting, and some time visiting with dear friends. Goodness, but I love summer break!

Summer Break: Week 2 - Fleecey Progress

2011-06-26T18:16:00.005-04:00

So....this week I made a little progress with the Jacob fleece. Dear Friend Janice loaned me her drum carder, and I began the process of turning the locks of washed fleece into fluffy batts. Here are a few photos:
First, I spread apart the lock onto flat surface of the carder. Then, being very careful to keep hands, fingers, & kittens clear,

I cranked the handle and watched as the locks were straightened and combed onto the drum barrel of the carder.

When I was done, I used a brush to smooth out the batt. Once removed this is what it looked like.

Then I gently divided the batt into fourths and put it through again. I currently have a pile that looks like this:

I'z excited!
The stuff I'm carding now is really short - second cuts I guess. Looking ahead, this is going to be hard to spin. I already know that I'm going to spin this on my wheel.

Problem is - I haven't spun on my wheel in a bit (been a little preoccupied with spindle prettiness!) so this week, I'll spend some time getting reacquainted with Merry. That way we'll both be ready when it's time to start spinning!

Pottery update: At last Monday's class, I learned how to trim the pots I'd made in previous classes and practice sessions. Trimming involves placing the "leather hard" pot upside down on a wheel and using a tool to trim away the excess clay. If you have a bowl, you can carve a base, or foot into the bottom to give it a more finished look. Even though I have not yet actually made bowls, some of my "cylinders" had a more bowl-like appearance, therefore, I learned to carve feet! By Thursday's practice session, I finally got a little height on my cylinders, and a more evenly distributed bottom.

Thursday-

Other fun happenings last week, Week 2 of Summer Break:

Got to have dinner w/ J & K not once, but TWICE! Lucky me!
I got a new toe ring....lol.
On Saturday, I attended the wedding of a wonderful school friend/colleague and got to spend the afternoon with some of my very favorite people-the folks I teach with! Love them so much!
This Regal Moth chose to wait out a rain shower under our ferns. Lucky me again! Gorgeous!!!

What's on tap for Week 3? Stay tuned to find out!

First Fleece

2011-06-19T19:42:00.003-04:00

DS#3 texted me on Friday night. He was visiting our neighbors who own a petting farm. His text said, "Barb wants to know if you want a fleece." Me: "What kind?" Him: "Jacob." Me: "YEEEESSS PLEEAASE!" So Saturday morning I went by and met Barb and she gave me a recently cut fleece.

After consulting the process as found in "Start Spinning", I decided that I should proceed.

Step 1 - Dumping the fleece out of the bag and skirting.

The parts of the fleece were a little jumbled, making the skirting process a little more difficult.

Right or wrong, I went through the fleece in sections, taking away the dirty lumps, and leaving the soft, cleaner stuff in a separate pile.

Step 2: Washing the darned stuff.

There were two hot water & detergent washes, followed by a hot water and white vinegar rinse, followed by a plain old hot water rinse. I was nervous, afraid that the fleece might felt.....that would've been very sad. :(

Step 3: Putting it out to dry.

After the final rinse, I tipped the clothes basket up on its end to drain our as much water as possible.

I found some old towels, and rolled the fleece up inside, gently pressing the excess water out. There was not a lot left.

Next, I spread it out on our screened porch table and turned on the ceiling fan.

Maybe it will be dry by Tuesday. Janice has reminded me that she has a drum carder, so I'll beg to borrow it, and after a quick tutorial, will begin the process of turning the fleece into roving, all ready to be spun up! Excitement! Kind of! ;)

Summer So Far

2011-06-18T06:49:00.002-04:00

We're one week into summer vacation and I'm having fun so far. That's no surprise, I know! Here's how I've been keeping myself occupied:

catching up on reading for pleasure via my ColorNook. I've read The Help, The Personal History of Rachel Dupree, Home to Holly Springs, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society so far. I am currently giving Smila's Sense of Snow a try.
I started a pottery class with Nan Rothwell, a friend and very talented local potter.

I've made seven cylinder-like object so far. (mine are the fat ones on the right)

It feels both weird and good to be learning how to use my hands in a new way. After playing the piano since age 9, and knitting and spinning all these years, shouldn't my hands just automatically do what I want them to do? Ummm no, they should not and DO NOT!

Cindy La. & I were invited to lunch with Cynthia H. in the southern parts of our fair county.

We toured her Dad's art studio and enjoyed the river views. Nice!

The first week of vacation was blessedly cool. There was a good deal of porch sitting going on here. Thanks to our MiFi, I could take my Ravelry friends out on the porch too.

I also worked on spinning up the Coopworth I bought at MDSW - only 6 more ounces to go!

This process was slowed because Miss Priss, Bella, wanted to "help"
.

At night, I've been working on my Moonfleet shawl.

It involves lots of beads, so is not very portable, :( , but it's still pretty and a fairly easy knit. It's been zzzz-ing for exactly one year. Bad Cindy.

DH & I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary at a Washington Nationals' baseball game. Our DS#1 and his lovely gf, along with many of DH's siblings were there, too. Nice night!

Time for week 2 to begin - I already know there will be more pottery practice. And early morning walking. And dinner with friends, and a wedding. Goodness, but I LOVE SUMMER VACATION!

Newly Finished Shawlette

2011-05-30T10:50:00.002-04:00

I just finished knitting the Clover Bud Shawlette found in the book Sock Yarn One Skein Wonders. I like the pattern because I could easily keep my place and there wasn't too much garter stitch.

The pattern called for 5 repeats of the lace pattern, but I did 6 because I still had a lot of yarn after I finished 5. I used Sanguine Gryphon Skinny Bugga - love that stuff! The colorway is Stitticus Jumping Spider.

I love how the color moves from dark red, to purple/pink, to almost tan/browny bits. I added triangular glass beads on the bind- off edge. This pattern would be a great quick knit for gift-giving!

Knitting/Spinning and All the Rest

2011-05-14T09:08:00.006-04:00

Sooooo - this is my new knitting project -

- the kid/silk mohair was purchased at MDSW & actually started there. It will make a nice light-weight scarf when the weather turns chilly again.

There's also a stealth gift project in the works. I'm thinking of using this:

and making a quick shawlette pattern for end-of-school gift giving.

I've been spinning more than knitting. This Coopsworth and Bossie were both purchased at MDSW. I love the subtle coloring in the roving, and also in the Bossie Mini - Dogwood with a Bloodwood shaft. Minis are my faves!

Today, despite the rain, DS#2 & I finished a garden project. About 5-6 years ago DS#1 helped me install a small pond. Over the years, it brought us lots of enjoyment, but in recent years, especially as the boys have grown older, it's become a pain to care for. About two months ago, I asked DS#2 to remove the pond liner. (if you are local, and are interested in a 65 gallon pond, please call me!) Today, in the drizzle and then thunder, we replaced it with a fountain. This took lots of attempts at leveling and even getting DH involved - but at last - success...

-just as the harder rain started and the thunder was echoing off the hills.

It's not quite finished. I have to move around some more rocks, re-mulch, and replant my Creeping Jenny and a few hostas, but I really like it so far!

Now on to the stealth decisions!

Cat Units & Stash Enhancement

2011-04-16T08:18:00.005-04:00

Bella LeCat has been part of our family since March 16.

She was itty-bitty when she came home, so has been living in the "nursery', (master bathroom) and only coming out for supervised visits/playtime with big brother Gunston.

I think they can be together full-time now, don't you? Gunston has also taken to cleaning her ears and other routine grooming. I'm glad they're getting along so well! Whew!

In yarny news, here are a few recent stash enhancements:
3 skeins of Sanguine Gryphon Bugga! in the much sought after Dragonfly Tattoo (thanks to TLE email notices, I looked right away for once!)

Wollmeise Twin grab bag - looking like a green Versuch.(does it have a name now?) and Lavendel to me.

Now back to rainy day activities of closet organizing, spinning, & knitting - and hoping the rain will bring more pretty springy flowers and less pollen - a least for a little while!

Jenkins Jay/Lark Love

2011-04-14T18:53:00.004-04:00

Last week I posted that I had adopted three Jenkins' Turkish spindles: a Kuchulu, a Jay/Lark, and a Standard. After recovering from my crazy weekend, I've had a chance to watch Wanda Jenkins' YouTube video and have been pretty successful at getting started on the Lark.

Please keep in mind that I am not an expert spinner. When spinning with my top whorl spindles, even the turbo Bosworth Moosie and Minis, I still mostly park and draft. I have been able to move past that, however, with the Jenkins' spindles. The Jay/Lark spins like crazy, plus the Lilac wood grain is very pleasing to behold. Win-win, I am totally sold on Turkish spindles!

Gunston says, "So am I, Mom!"

Mailbox Marvels!

2011-04-10T11:51:00.004-04:00

This has been a crazy weekend! It started on Saturday morning with a 5k race at our elementary school, followed by a 12:30 - 3:30 rehearsal in C'ville, followed by a 6:30 concert call in Staunton. Today, Sunday, is equally busy: Holy Cross this morning; 12:30 concert call in C'ville, followed by a 3:30 concert and then a farewell reception for our director. :(

This weekend craziness has left little time for playing with the goodies from Saturday's mail delivery.

I'm jumping on the Turkish spindle bandwagon, having ordered three from Jenkin's Woodworking. They are so lovely - I can hardly wait to give them all a spin!

1. Kuchulu in Mora/Ebony

2. Lark/Jay option in Lilac

3. Standard in Canarywood

Size comparison

I'm looking forward to Spring Break and lot of spinning time!

Changes, Bad and Good

2011-03-20T14:29:00.003-04:00

Since my last post, our family had to say good-bye to our precious Halloween. Halloween would have been 17 in April, and spent many happy years providing head-bonks and cuddles to our family. When Nick was little, Halloween would follow John back to help tuck Nick in for the night. He'd leap up onto the dresser, then up onto the top bunk, bonk Nick's head, purr loudly, then head back down the hall. He was a lover. He was my "baby". We'll miss him very much. Rest In Peace, dear friend.

Halloween's passing left Gunston, now 1, bored and a little moody. After a couple of weeks, our family began the search for a new family member. We found her Augusta Regional SPCA. She's about 10 weeks old now and her name is Bella Tricks LeCat, called Bella or Monkey when she's being naughty, which is quite often. She's a small, we've set up a nursery of sorts in our bathroom. Gunston comes in to visit and get use to her under supervision. She's a feisty little thing! Here are some photos of their interaction. There's only one good photo of Bella, as she will not sit still long enough to get one!

Gunnie in Bella's pink kitty condo - very silly.

SIP & WIP Weekend

2011-02-12T14:50:00.005-05:00

Since finishing my First FO of the year in January, I have not finished knitting another single thing. Maybe that's because I'm working on too many things at once. Incompleteness aside, I sort of like working on different projects. The yarns/fibers are all so pretty! Here's what going on....and on....and on......

SIPs

On an IST English Bog Oak on English Elm spindle, we have Fiber Optics Merino/Tencel in Stormy Monday Blues. I've only ever spun merino/tencel on my wheel. I thought I'd give it a try on the IST. The IST is interesting in that it's made from ancient reclaimed oak found in East Anglia fens....about 5,000 years old according to the website. Very cool, indeed. ( and I've actually been to East Anglia to boot!)

SIP#2 is superwash merino on a Spindlewood spindle....started this one just to try out the spindle.

SIP#3 is some type of fiber by A Verb for Keeping Warm - I'm thinking BFL. I'm trying to fill up the second Bosworth mini to ply with the first full one.

On to the WIPs.

I started this glove oh so long ago and finally picked it up again. It's become my church knitting project which was really interesting when I was knitting the middle finger - LOL. The pattern is Bobbie and the yarn is Wollmeise 100%.

I'm decreasing on the Argante shawl now - YIPPEE! I'm using a Crazy Zauberball. It's my weeknight TV knitting project.

And the cute cat mittens. I finally cast on for mitten #2. They're being knitted in Skinny Bugga. I'll knit on it a little each night too. Stranded stuff goes pretty fast, I find.

Gotta keep knitting & spinning because I am determined to finish something before February totally disappears! Now back to it!

DS#1 Surprise

2011-02-05T12:09:00.005-05:00

I have a January birthday which I tend to celebrate from Christmas until the last possible second of January 31. The older I get, the more I like celebrating my birthday. DH doesn't really "buy" into this idea, no pun intended, but my DSx3 do. Thank Goodness! This year DS#1 asked me what I'd like for my birthday. I sent him a bunch of Etsy links for his consideration. This is what arrived on my doorstep earlier this week.

Didn't he do a great job? It's made by Burnt Mill Potters. He said his sweet GF helped a little, but still...I love it! Thank you Nick!

In knitting news, I've finished one mitten, minus the thumb. Yay!

Another spindle was also added to my collection. It really chases away the winter blues, don't you think? This one is called Celadon Pivott and is made by Tilt-a-whorl.

Now I'm putting the b'day celebrations on hold until next year!

Another Non-Snow

2011-01-27T07:46:00.004-05:00

It's been another "non-snow event" for us here on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge. (insert whines here....grrrrr.) (edited to say that Janice, living 4 miles north of here DID get measurable snow! jealous!)

Rain, then sleet fell and was accompanied by a brief round of thunder and lightning, then just enough snow to whiten the pasture.

Dropping temps made it freeze up all hard and crunchy so there's no school today which has provided a chance to play with spindles (in between bouts of knitting).

I'll be spinning and knitting up a storm all day. Maybe I can help Mother Nature and spin up a snow storm of the measurable kind!

Darn It!

2011-01-22T16:45:00.005-05:00

I need to learn how to darn. Two of my hand knit socks have, after years of steady service, developed holes. One might not be repairable, but I'm fairly certain the other is. After watching several darning technique YouTube videos, I think this is something I can at least try. But wait - I would need a darning egg or some sort. I've seen older ones at a local antique shop. I've heard reports that wooden eggs can be purchased at craft stores. I, however, was enticed by the beautiful wooden eggs turned by Phil Powell and for sale in his Etsy shop, Custom Wood Designs. This one is Osage Orange. Now upon closer inspection, I can see a crack in the dome of the egg. I've contacted the shop to see what's up with that... ;(

There's also been a small addition to my spindle family. This lovely little Golding Le Fleur in purpleheart was adopted from a Ravelry destash. It's a lovely little flower, don't you think? It's nesting atop Fiber Optics 50/50 SW merino/tencel in the Stormy Monday Blues #21 colorway.

Now I'm off to flip a coin to help me decide what to do first: 1. be responsible and take care of some paperwork 2. play with the newest family members 3. knit on my mittens

Maybe it will have to be best two out of three!

Room Reclaimed

2011-01-15T13:28:00.004-05:00

Over Christmas, my knitting room is usually turned into Gift Central. The gifts wait there until it's time to be wrapped. Wrapping paper, bags, and boxes also collect there, as well as all of the scissors and tape in the house. Today, I decided it was time to reclaim my room. I also moved the big green chair back into the room, as my spinning chair was not very comfortable for knitting.

Now I'm working on storage/display for my spindles. I'm planning to hang a long shelf and put cup hooks underneath. I think these will look really nice hanging there.

In knitting news, I finished my first project of the year. It's a Flapotis made from Muensch Touch Me. I still have to wash it.

My second project of the year is on the needles: these cats mittens in Skinny Bugga! Gosh, I love that stuff more every time I knit with it. I can't decide whether to make both of the mittens the same, or to do the second one in opposite colors. What do you think? They'll be eye-catching no matter what!

Time to get back to my cozy little room - happy January knitting to you!

Farewell 2010

2010-12-31T06:41:00.003-05:00

There it goes.....time.....speeding by. Did you see it? Did you notice 2010 evaporating at light speed? I did not. Suddenly, it's New Year's Eve again. As 2011 creeps closer, I find that I'm a little disappointed in my 2010 accomplishments. The old Knit-o-meter looks a little low on yardage. There are several long-term WIPs that are still residing in the ZZZZZ category over on Ravelry.

-for example!

My yarn room is absolutely obese, bulging at every seam. While this is not a real crisis, there is a little guilt involved in not knitting down my stash ...or at least visiting it a little more often. ;)
I'll not make New Year's resolutions, but I will make a list of 'hopes':
In 2011 , I hope to:

have more quality time with family/friends
laugh more
knit more
spin more
keep running

...and I hope your 2011 is filled with the same....except that running part, unless you really want to!
Happy New Year!

Plurk Swap FO & Trades

2010-11-26T16:23:00.003-05:00

Well, after months of nonproductive knitting, I finally finished something - a shawl for the Plurk Small Shawl Swap. This pattern is called Hamamelise and I knitted it in Skinny Bugga!, Orange Assassin Bug. I loved the pattern, and also the yarn. I hope my swap partner will love it, too.

In other knitting news, I managed to hit a Wollmeise update about three weeks ago and also managed to get not 1, not 2, but 3 skeins of the same lace. I knew I had 2 in my cart, but wasn't willing to sacrifice both by trying to delete & refresh. Ultimately, I ended up with 3 gorgeous skeins of My Old Blue Jeans. Fortunately, I managed to trade two of them. Here's one trade - Lace-Garn in Aquarius....it has some really beautiful color shifts.

The other trades, Frosch & Fruhling in 100%, are still in transit.

Now that I've been knitting again, my wrist cyst is acting up. I've put my brace back on for awhile. Sure do hope it's a temporary hurt because there's so much pretty yarn to knit!

Kid Hollow Farm Visit 2010

2010-11-06T22:17:00.004-04:00

Today was a perfect fall day - see?

Several Plurk friends had gathered at Graves Mountain Lodge for their annual knitting weekend. Catspaw & I joined them on an excursion to Kid Hollow Farm for afternoon yarn fondling.

Here's Otto - guardian of the goats.....or mohair on the hoof.

Mohair before -

Mohair after -

- and here's a little knitting pr*on.....two gorgeous Shetland Pi shawls, as designed by WendyKnits.

...and one of them is the original! Love it!

Wish you were here!

Like Autumn Leaves....

2010-10-16T18:36:00.007-04:00

....the brilliant colors of yarn warms my heart. I don't need to knit with it, or even have plans to knit with it-just looking at the brilliant colors makes me all happy inside. Take these for example-(well, not really.....you most certainly MAY NOT take them!). Don't these colors remind you of crisp autumn nights, fires in the fire place, and apple cider?

1. Wollmeise 100% in Thriller
2. Wollmeise Bob WD in 80/20

Aaaaaahhhh. Perfect for this time of year!

I also appreciate other beauty found in nature....in wood for example. I think it's amazing when craftspeople can take a piece of wood and turn it into something that's not only beautiful, but also functional. Here's an example from a Ravelry destash.

Bossie Bigleaf Maple Midi w/Cochin Rosewood shaft - .96 oz.

Now, please excuse me while I go put on a sweatshirt, grab a blanket, and play with these beauties for awhile!

MIA Knitter

2010-10-09T20:51:00.003-04:00

....so not only has my inner blogger been missing, my inner knitter has gone AWOL, too. While I have several wonderful projects OTNs, I have just not been moved or motivated to knit. Maybe it's partly concern that the kitten will get into my projects, or that it was too hot for sooooo long, or that I've started running a little three days a week....or maybe I just need a little break. Although I'm not producing any knitted results, I am still collecting yarn. Here's the evidence, from top to bottom:

WM Silberdistel 100%
WM Salamander WD 80/20
Wellenstittichengefelder 100%

Here's one of the aforementioned projects. It's Wendy's Shetland Pi in Mitternacht WM Lace Garn. I'm almost finished with Clue 3. I love the pattern because it's easy to remember and I haven't lost my place.....yet....

I've also been thinking about spinning and managed to find this beautiful Spanish Peacock Chechen Rose/Ebony spindle in a Ravelry destash. Lovely......

So, I have beautiful tools and gorgeous yarn. Now all I need to do is knit and spin....need to find that creative mojo - I know it's around here somewhere!

M.I.A. Blogger

2010-10-05T21:53:00.003-04:00

...yep, that's me. I haven't blogged since the summer - and haven't been very productive in the knitting department either, so there are no FOs to post. Nonetheless, I thought I'd post a little something to get back in the blogosphere.

The kitten photo, as many of you Ravelers/Plurkers already know, is Gunston Diego, who came to live with us in July. His arrival was very timely, as our "First Cat" White Socks passed suddenly two weeks after Gunnie's arrival. We really miss White Socks and are really glad that Gunston is here. He's been quite a good distraction!

Now for a little yarnie news- here are a few of my latest stashquisition.

I really must start knitting down my stash - honestly, I think it's reproducing! (as long as it's making good yarn, I really don't care!)

Hatteras 2010 & Knitting Addiction

2010-06-19T08:39:00.003-04:00

A friend and I just returned from a quick trip down to Hatteras. We were celebrating the end of the school year and the high school graduations of our respective sons.

A change of pace was what we needed -

-and being away from the demands of being a mommy was very refreshing!

There was time to ponder the big questions in life -

....like, Why won't my hydrangeas bloom like these? LOL - that was a constant question during the trip!

Of course, both of us travelers took along our current knitting projects, and also found time to stop at an LYS on the way home.

Knitting Addiction is located in Kill Devil Hills, NC and is just what a yarn shop should be. It's open and airy with a comfy sitting area, excellent natural light, and beautiful displays.

The folks at Knitting Addiction were helpful, but not overly interactive. :(

While there, I purchased a little Blue Sky Alpaca Cotton for a quick baby project and it's knitting up very nicely....love that stuff - it's soooooo soft!

Knitting Addiction also has an online shop. Check it out at the link & enjoy your summer knitting!

Color Options & Play-off Style

2010-05-30T20:31:00.005-04:00

Once school is out and after I'm caught up on all my other WIPs, I want to make Anna Dalvi's StarLight double-knitted shawl. I've been playing around with my color options and would like opinions please. I'm leaning toward one of the below, but would like your input on the combinations posted. Which do you think?

WD Die Auster & Fuschia

Zenzi & WD Petersilie

WD Birkenrinde (a little piggy) & Fuschia

WD Birkenrinde & Petit Poison #5

hmmmm......maybe I should make four of those shawls!

On the family-front, it's soccer play-off season again, so DS#3 came home today looking like this:

What can I say? It's a team tradition....grrrr....although the timing is really bad b/c graduation is less than a week away! I hope his graduation cap covers it up!

Spindle Spun

2010-05-29T00:10:00.003-04:00

Little Skein of merino tencel/lycell
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

...and plied. Gaaaa - that was scary, but it turned out alright despite the occasional tangles and spindle snags. This is about 60 yards of merino/tencel lycell given to me by DS#1 for my big 5-0 b'day back in January. I was spinning it for the May Challenge over on the Spindler's Group on Ravelry. The challenge was to choose a piece of artwork and co-ordinate a little hand spun to go with it. My art was Georgia O'Keefe's Early Spring Moonrise, 1930. Even though my skein is little, I like it a lot! It's SHINY!

No Knitting Mojo

2010-05-15T23:02:00.004-04:00

Have you ever been in a knitting funk? Well, I'm there right now. I have three shawls ONT and am at sticky spots in all of them. To make matters worse, I really want to cast on for the Moonfleet shawl because my yarn is sooooo pretty

and the Spoiler photos of Clue 1 posted on Ravelry are really tempting.

To distract myself, I've been playing around with a new drop spindle, purchased at Maryland Sheep and Wool. It's a Bosworth Mini in Marblewood. The roving is merino/tencel dyed by cloudlover over on Etsy. DS#1 purchased it for my b'day in January. I'm spinning this for the Spindler's group May challenge - paintings and roving. Here's my roving

and here's the painting:
Georgia O'Keefe Lake George, Early Moonrise Spring, 1930

There's only a little more left to spin and I'll have to figure out how to ply it on a spindle.....never done that before! Maybe that will shock me out of my knitting funk and get me back to my sticks and string!

Maryland Sheep and Wool-2010

2010-05-08T11:10:00.003-04:00

was -

hot
more crowded than last year
more fun than last year
and offered even more enticing merchandise! (please see below)

The above includes -

8 ounces of Persimmon Tree roving (multi-color)
4 ounces of Icelandic roving (natural)
Spanish Peacock Snowflake spindle in Holly/Bloodwood
Bosworth Mini in Marblewood/Cochin Rosewood
Brooks Farm Acero-2 skeins
Miss Babs Bamboo Baby in Plum
2 pairs of Signature Needles - 3 & 5

In addition to the booty, 5 members of the Cindy Knitters group met up. There were actually 7 of us there, but we didn't know it until after we all got home. Next year we'll be more organized about getting the word out.

Heading off now to play with stuff!

Goaty-goats

2010-04-11T08:23:00.004-04:00

Several of us CVGs (Central Virginia Girls)on Ravelry, drove out to beautiful Palmyra on Saturday. The weather was perfect-sunny, cloudless, and not too hot/cold....perfect weather for visiting Juniper Moon Farm and meeting their flock of sheep and angora goats. Juniper Moon is home of the "LambCam". Go to their website and check it out!

We had to feed them, of course...

..and meet Ernie, the Hunk of Cotswold.

Then we went over and sat down with the flock while they grazed. Aren't the kids adorable?

Judy managed to get one settled onto her lap. He stayed there for such a long time, we forgot he was there! I think Judy would have liked to slip him into her bag and bring him home!

The joy of the day was compounded upon arriving home and checking the mailbox. My Moonfleet KAL yarn arrived from The Unique Sheep. It's their Eos yarn in Seashell Gradiance.

What's the perfect ending for a perfect day? I didn't have to cook dinner! Here's hoping for many more of the same!

Easter Basket Surprises

2010-04-03T19:28:00.003-04:00

Spring....flowers...warm weather....breezes blowing....remembering loved ones and Easter traditions...

DH's 1950's vintage basket-still in use by DS#2(soon to be 18)

My 1960's vintage basket-still in use by DS#3 (also soon to be 18)

...and a new basket - a gift from dear Janice, my friend and knitting guru.

...wait a minute...there's more than chocolate in this basket...that's not green Easter grass peeking through...

...Great Jumping Jelly Beans.....lookie what Easter Bunny Janice hid inside that sweet little basket!

...I was totally surprised and am 100% blessed to have such a wonderful friend.Thank you dear Janice...and a Blessed Easter season to all.

I Have....

2010-03-27T13:00:00.005-04:00

....a yard again! Yippee! This morning DH, DSs#2 & #3 and I raked all of the leaves in the backyard and my flower beds. Thank goodness - I can see green on the ground again. It was getting a little depressing looking at all those brown leaves.

There's no knitting news to report other than I've been in a little slump recently. I'm off-pace for the 10 shawls in 2010. I think Ravelympics did me in. To help me recover and perhaps inspire me again, there have been a couple of yarn-related purchases and trades, just as a form of therapy, mind you!

This is a Wollmeise 100% Kunderbundt "Therapy Bag" containing the "We're Different" colors of Petersilie(parsley), Merlot, Birkenrinde (birch tree), Versuchskaninchen blue (Agatha maybe?), and Baba Jaga, (deep reds, black and fuschia)....feeling a little better, thanks...wouldn't you?

This is Dream in Color "Starry" from a TLE update. I want to make WendyKnit's Miss Woodhouse shawl with it.

Surely these will get me a-knitting again....and soon, I hope!

March Came In....

2010-03-13T07:41:00.011-05:00

.....and I did not....and I'd been so good about posting each week, too! But we've been having fun around here, so all is good! Here's a little recap.

I finished three items for the Ravelympics, but TWO of them were froggings. The other was a simple big needle shawl, which did not qualify for the 10 Shawls in 2010 because I read yards and saw meters.....stupid Customary units.

It's pretty & warm & a little glitzy though, so that's ok. I almost finished the Circular Vest. It's being bound off now, but I'll probably have to go back and add a few more rounds. Who can ever really tell with cotton? I really hope I still like it when I'm done.....please....let me like it!

New yarn pr*n:

The vertical yarn is Sanguine Gryphon Skinny Bugga! and Bugga! All of the horizontal yarn is all WD Wollmeise. It's all very pretty, but lately I've come to realize that I may never be able to purchase a "first run" skein of Wollmeise again. Getting up at 3:00 a.m. doesn't work very well when you have to stay alert all day teaching 9-10 y.os and for the life of me, I can't hit TLE WM updates. No 3:00 a.m. updates also means there's no chance to buy lace weight. Are there no WDs in lace weight? Certainly there must be a few somewhere.....why not make WD lace weight bags too? Just a thought....(fyi - I just learned that there were Lace Bags in today's update! Who knew?!?)

And finally - family stuff. As I write this, I am trying to upload two videos to Flickr, both of my boys in their high school's production of Peter Pan (dress rehearsal video-please excuse the boinginess of the first one!). DS#2 plays Mr. Darling. His video is posted first. DS#3 plays Captain Hook. His will be posted second. They are our babies-our twins - and both seniors. As we waited to go into the auditorium last night, I have to admit that my heart was very full....full of happiness for them, love and pride for their accomplishments, and a little twinge of whatever it is you feel at transition points like this. **sigh** I hope you'll enjoy the excerpts - we certainly do!

DS#2 - Mr.Darling

DS#3 - Captain Hook

February Finishers

2010-02-20T09:34:00.004-05:00

The Ravelympics are at a halfway point and I've managed to complete three of my four entries. Of course, TWO of them were frogging projects, but they do count as FOs. This morning, I casted off the Opening Ceremonies shawlette. It's having a bath right now & will be blocked momentarily.

The big finisher of the week was not a Ravelympics project. On Tuesday, Day 13 of 13 total snow days, I completed and blocked the Enchanted Wood KAL shawl. None of the photos of the finished shawl do justice to the beautiful colors in the yarn, so to remind you of what a great job dyer Kelly did, I'm re-posting photos of the yarn skeins, the inspiration, and the best of FO photos I have. I was a little worried about pooling the brown section, but now I love every inch of its almost 60 inch wingspan. I've signed up for another Unique Sheep KAL, Moonfleet, and think you should, too!
Unique Sheep Luxe yarn in custom dyed Winter Sunset

Inspiration photo

Finished Enchanted Woods shawl

Day 12

2010-02-16T08:04:00.005-05:00

.....that is, this is the 12th consecutive day we've been out of school due to snow and icy roads. The month of February has yet to see students in our school. I'm still parked at the bottom of our driveway and the poor Explorer has been getting triple use, as three drivers share it to safely get up and down our road.

Yep, there's been no school, but there has been knitting. Lots and lots of knitting. Today, most likely my last day at home this week, I'll finish Clue 5 of The Enchanted Wood KAL shawl.

Last night, I finished Clue 1 of the Evenstar KAL -

and also knitted a little on my Opening Ceremonies Shawlette, a Ravelympics project.

I've enjoyed these snowy days, but now I know it's time for reality to rear its ugly head....time to get back to work and back to school. :( It's back to knitting at night for me!

Snowed In - #3

2010-02-07T08:11:00.002-05:00

We've had more snow...this time from Friday until about mid-day yesterday, Saturday. There was less accumulation this time, only 9-10 inches, but it was a very heavy and wet snow and coated every little branch and twig. Some branches got too heavy - like this one across our driveway.

I took advantage of being confined to the house, and finally finished Clue 2 of The Enchanted Woods Shawl KAL. This was only accomplished with the help of my Knitting Guru, Janice, who read her pattern to me over the phone while I compared it with my written instructions and my stitches. After we discovered the error - did I have the wrong copy of the pattern...don't think so....it was easy-peasy to finish.

The rest of the day was spent with friends who came to visit....from here:

Thank goodness for Knitting Gurus and Ravelry - with them around, a knitter will never be stuck or lonely!

Another Snowy Day....

2010-01-30T15:25:00.004-05:00

......hooray!

That means lots of couch time watching movies, staying warm in front of the fireplace, and knitting on this:

In this photo, I'm a little upset with the project, so it's on time out in the basket. It's The Enchanted Woods KAL shawl beginning at Clue 2. I have been fighting with it for a week now, but thanks to the magic of several dozen stitch markers, things seem to be going a little better. I'll not give up just yet.

In other knitting news, I've been gathering yarn for other 10 Shawls in 2010 projects.
This is Tosh Lace in Iris. It's for the Evenstar KAL that's coming up in February.

This is No Two Snowflakes merino, silk, & cashmere in Spicy Foods. It will be for a Citron shawl and will be my project for the opening ceremonies of the Raveylmpics/Winter Olympics in 13 more days.

There's a little more yarn pron to share. I kept reading about these Zauberballs and just had to see what all the fuss was about.

Oh - so that's what all the fuss is about! Lovely, aren't they? I can't wait to pair them with a project.
My break from knitting is over. It's time to head back to the warm of my knitting - and hopefully even more progress!

Half a Century

2010-01-25T08:02:00.003-05:00

....yep - that's me. I've crawled, walked, sung, played, performed, shucked, jived, taught, knitted, spun, and loved my way through 50 years of life. Here's hoping for many more years of fun....however, I hope we can delete the 'crawling' from the list!

Many friends helped me mark the B-I-G day:

last week, Janice & Ken cooked a wonderful dinner for me and another January b'day friend, Larry.
all of my 4th graders made me cards.

Janice & Kim took me to lunch....(there was an ant in my soup - lol).

I enjoyed reading 40+ Facebook greetings :) - thank you all!

DH & I enjoyed a nice lunch together.

...and today, we have a day off from school due to heavy rains and flooding. :)

There were nice gifts, too and I'm only posingt the fiber-related photos. Last year's vacuum cleaner was an exception...lol.

Here's a yummy thing - a Ken Ledbetter spindle. It's made of purple heart wood and lacewood and has an inlay of some sort of crushed stone and a metallic wafer or disc. It's very lovely and spins well, too - so it's functional art and a gift from DH.

There was one frustration on my big b'day. It involved and still involves this.

This is the beginning of Clue 2 of The Enchanted Wood KAL. I'm now starting row 9 - after knitting-tinking-knitting-tinking-knitting-tinking all day yesterday....and it's not even a hard pattern! After getting off to a rocky start due to errors with the charted pattern, I started following both the corrected chart AND written clues -double checking my numbers with every little section - carefully marking through each section I knitted...and I've still ended up with a shortage or overage of 1-2 stitches on each row...gaaaa.....it's making me crazy! I will NOT frog....no trips to the pond b/c it's too cold for a swim! It's just going to be what it will be. When I post the final blocked shawl photo, please don't look too closely!

2010 Thus Far

2010-01-18T09:14:00.005-05:00

For one reason or another (travel, sports, laziness, etc...) I have not yet blogged this year. Time to get to it because there's a lot of exciting knitting news going on.

First of all, I joined a Ravelry group called 10 Shawls in 2010. I figured it would be a good way to knit down my yarn stash a little and learn a lot more about lace knitting. I have completed one shawl thus far - so I'm on track! I used Wollmeise WD 80/20 in Der Letze Versuch to make the Traveling Woman shawlette. Here are the results:

The colors in the yarn are amazing - all different shades of purple. Here's a closer look.

Traveling Woman is a really easy lace pattern. It was very predictable and I enjoyed knitting it very much!

In other Ravelry-related news, I'm also knitting in The Unique Sheep's Enchanted Wood shawl KAL. I just finished the first clue this morning. Here it is in their Luxe yarn, custom-dyed for me by Kelly. The color is called Winter Sunset.

This yarn came in a set of six skeins in a gradient colorway which The Unique Sheep ladies call Gradience. My next skein will be mostly apricot with a little brown and lavender. Lovely!

...and because life isn't exciting enough, I'm also getting ready for the Ravelympics' events with Team Cindy....see?

I'm planning to work on finishing some WIPs - one in particular which I will not mention because I've mentioned it enough before.....really....enough said.

(many of the above hyperlinks access Ravelry pages. If you are not a Ravelry member will you not be able to see them....sorry. :( )

As you can see, 18 days into 2010, there's been lots of knitting going on. Here's hoping that holds true for the rest of the year!

The Day After Christmas

2009-12-26T08:44:00.003-05:00

We did it! We survived last week's BIG snow and had a wonderful Christmas, despite the last minute rush to get gifts and the horrible roads in C'ville. Because I was basically snowed in last weekend, I managed to finish this.

The pattern is called Victorine and it's designed by Cindy Guggemos. You can find it HERE on Ravelry. This one is for a co-worker. I have plans to knit another one for me as part of the 10 Shawls in 2010 group, also on Ravelry.

This is the first non-snowy Saturday we've had in three weeks. A little later, I'm going to brave the shopping centers in W'boro for size-related gift exchanges - but for right now I'm content to work on this..

...the oldest WIP in the history of the world....I've blogged about this one at least twice before, so I'm a little embarrassed to even mention it...so I'll stop now. :)

Not everyone needs to go out to have fun. The cats have plenty to do. This has been their second favorite past time this past week - the first being napping, of course!

I think I'll add napping to my list for later on today - hope you can, too!

Snowed In!

2009-12-19T07:48:00.004-05:00

It seems that we're a bit snowed in here at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's been snowing HARD since about 3:30 yesterday and the forecast calls for continued heavy snow throughout today.

Snowbound! Yippee! Since I can't finish Christmas shopping and our party for this evening had to canceled, I think I'll turn my attention to other finishing and preparatory details.

First, we'll finish de-cluttering the dining room and kitchen. Then I'll put on a big pot of beef stew to simmer all day. After that I'm planning to indulge in fiber related activities like winding these for the 10 Shawls in 2010 and The Enchanted Woods KAL.

Maybe I'll finish this today - fingers crossed - so I can get back to my Bobbie gloves and Circular Vest.

I'm not going to panic about not having our Christmas shopping complete. It will take care of itself once we can get out again and into town. I hope you will enjoy a safe, warm, and wonderfully fibery day - even if you're not snowed in!

Oh Wollmeise Tree!

2009-12-14T11:30:00.002-05:00

We're caught up in the pre-Christmas vortex here. Between the boys' activities, my school activities, and concerts there's been no time to even decorate our tree. Today I thought, why not decorate it with some of my favorite yarn? So while waiting for the shop update, I stuck a few colorful skeins of Wollmeise on it! Doesn't it look happy and bright? Who needs tinsel and ornaments when there's a box of Wollmeise around? Here's wishing you and yours a joyful Christmas season.

Marvelous Mail Monday

2009-12-07T18:40:00.002-05:00

I don't usually post during the week, but apparently today was Marvelous Mail Monday. This deserves a post. What a surprise to have recent trades and purchases all converge in my mailbox at the same time. Somehow our mail carrier managed to fit all of this into our smallish box.

First up -Corgi Hill Farm roving in merino, bamboo, and Firestar....and it's named after oneo f my favorite drinks - Gin and Tonic.

Next, a Wollmeise trade. This is Turkis and Skarabus in100%-

And last, the beautiful custom-dyed yarn from Kelly at The Unique Sheep for the Enchanted Woods KAL, beginning January 10th.

Kelly based the colorway on this photo-

Didn't she do a great job of capturing the colors? Excuse me while I go play with it and wait for January to roll around :)

Cozy Saturday

2009-12-05T20:15:00.005-05:00

It was suppose to snow today. Actually, it did snow - all around us....up the road.....down the road.....to our east, west, north, and south.....just not here. You may insert imaginary images of snowy lanes and forest paths here. It was very disappointing, but it was still a cozy day for knitting. After the food bank reports were all done, I settled in to knit a bit and play with other fibery items. To brighten the day, I made a bouquet - a spindle bouquet!

I hope it brightens your day too! ....and here's hoping for more productive snow events in the near future!

Thankfully Drama-less Thanksgiving!

2009-11-27T19:28:00.005-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your T'day was as pleasant as ours. We spent our day in Great Falls with a lot of DH's family. Mom and Dad were there and it looks like they enjoyed their day, too!

This was the most drama we experienced during Thanksgiving. DS#2 won the honor of wearing the Turkey Hat this year! Somehow, this seems very appropriate! :)

Today, on Black Friday, I ventured into Old Town Alexandria to check out Fiber Space, a new-ish yarn shop that WendyKnits blogged about last week. Here's their cool bag, which means I must have reached a certain $$ threshold in purchases! (the Swan spindle & roving are mine, but I'm not saying what else might be the bag.....shhhhh!)

Fiber Space is a great little shop stocked with some good reliable yarns like Cascade and Berrocco, and also some hand-dyed goodies like Neighborhood Fiber Company and Miss Babs and they have lots of Malabrigo...and it's very close to my s-i-l's house. This gives me another very good reason to go visit my s-i-l a little more often!

Mom's Birthday Ishbel

2009-11-22T07:05:00.002-05:00

Ever since my m-i-l saw me knitting the Imbloc shawl two years ago, she's been "jokingly" asking when she might expect a shawl of her own. I decided that 2009 was to be the year! I finished this project about a month ago, but have been waiting to blog about it until after the gifting portion was completed. Here's my Ishbel from start to Mom - knitted in Wollmeise Pffefferminz Prinz.

Ta-da! She loves it and I loved making it for her and giving it to her! Happy Birthday Mom (and dad too!)!

Birthday Candles x2.....Make That 1

2009-11-21T22:59:00.004-05:00

A Gathering of Knitters

2009-11-08T12:56:00.003-05:00

On Saturday, Janice & I headed out of our mountains and a little north of here to Graves Mountain Lodge to meet up with some plurk/Ravelry/ Facebook knitting friends from other parts of Virginia and North Carolina. Here's what we saw as soon as we got out of the car.

We met up with knitting friends, Lara, Summer, and Julie- even though we didn't know them, we recognized them by their hand-knits! We knitted for a bit, then were found by Frances and L-B, and then by Wendy, Aimee, and Dani. There was a little more knitting and then lunch-where even more knitters showed up!

Right after lunch, we hit the road for a trip out to Kid Hollow Farm -

where Pat and Steve graciously opened their studio doors so we could fondle a little yarn

and more yarn

and more yarn

and more yarn....who's that?

-and then they introduced us to their herd, a.k.a. "yarn on the hoof". :)

It was good day and good to put names to faces and get to know folks a little better, but our knitting time together was all too short...here's hoping for another chance for more gatherings of knitters in the near future!

Finally Fall!

2009-10-24T11:30:00.005-04:00

Well finally! This is more like it! Here are the fall colors that make our neck of the woods so lovely this time of year.

Looking at that photo, it's easy to see where the inspiration for this stash additive came from-

That's Zen String Loopy Legends in Debbie's Autumn Joy and it makes me say....mine-mine-mine! It's so lovely!

As is clear from the above photo, it's a bit cloudy & rainy here today, however it's warm and there's a nice breeze, so Ishbel is finally blocking on the screened porch. She must be ready for birthday giving and it's coming up fast! It's knitted from Wollmeise 100% in Pfefferminz Prinz. There will be additional photos when the sun decides to shine.

- must now rush back to the much cherished Saturday knit time. I hope you have a little time, too!

Central Virginia Girls' Excursion

2009-10-17T17:34:00.003-04:00

Even after several cool rainy nights, we're still waiting on the full crash of fall colors here in the Blue Ridge.

Today was still cool & a little cloudy - a perfect knitting day. Several Central Virginia Girls met up near Lovingston to visit Marilyn's house and see her knitting shop. It was very nice to meet her!

Afterwards, we gathered at Rapzunel's to enjoy some coffee, cookies, and well - knitting!

Here's Judy's blanket square:

...and Cynthia's potholder-

...and Janice's scarf -

...and my sock - which is too big, so I have to fiddle with it or RIPPIT.....grrr.

The only thing that might have made the day more enjoyable would have been the pleasure of your company with us! Hope you can join us next time!

Knitting Forecast - Cloudy with a 30% chance of knitting

2009-10-10T08:39:00.004-04:00

Today's weather forecast - cloudy & windy with s-l-o-w-l-y changing leaves.

Today's knitting forecast: scary because with just ten (10) more rows to go on Ishbel

I have only this much yarn left....eek! Please cross your eyes, fingers, toes, and legs - and hope that I make it through the bind-off!

There's only about a 20% chance of any further progress on my Lacy Rib sock-

because DS#1 is coming home for the weekend (a surprise!) and we have NO FOOD IN THE HOUSE!

Cleaning, shopping, & hugging first - there'll be time for knitting a little later!

FFF 2009

2009-10-03T20:35:00.004-04:00

Over heard on Friday at school: "I'm not going to FFF this year...nope....I have too much yarn and I haven't knitted down last year's purchases.....need to go on a yarn diet.....so I'm staying home."

So, what happened? I ended up driving over to the FFF today - alone.....just for a teensy little bit. I did it in the service of a friend as Janice is up in Massachusetts with her mom. Someone needed to go get her a little lace yarn and I felt it should be me!

I think I accomplished a lot in the two hours I was there. In addition to getting Janice's yarn, I ran into friends Gren & Jeri. Jeri was watching a spinner Navajo ply and then got to give it a try. I tried it too & hope I can remember how to do it on my own wheel.

I saw these lovely creations - Trindles - drop spindles with a very nontraditional top whorl. One of them might have followed me home. (link to etsy shop)

...and of course, the dog trials were amazing!

Hey, doggie! No gripping, OK?

Maybe by next year, I'll have developed the will-power to stay away, but that wouldn't be as much fun, would it?

Ciruclar Progress

2009-09-26T11:00:00.005-04:00

It's a gloriously cool Saturday here in Central Virgina - overcast and rainy, but still gloriously cool! In fact, the season's first marching band competition this evening will probably tend more toward cold and will provide a great excuse to break out a sweater!

Speaking of sweaters...and wool....and knitting....here's an update on my Circular Vest progress. I'm ready to place stitch markers for the sleeves - then it's more circular knitting for me. I like the weight of the Noro Chirimen. It's mostly cotton and blended with a little wool and silk.

Ishbel is also going well. I only have three more lace patterns until I finish. There wasn't much knitting time this week as I had to be out of the house on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, AND Thursday evenings. Unfortunately, most of today will be spent getting caught up on excess paperwork.

I'm also resisting casting on for Girasole. I bought the yarn a while back after seeing Janice's beautiful completed shawl. (link is to Ravelry-you must be a member to see it) I'll be knitting mine in Dream in Color Baby's November Muse with hexagonal beads. They're very sparkly!

I also was sucked into - I mean lovingly convinced- to join The Enchanted Woods Lace Shawl KAL sponsored by the lovely ladies over at The Unique Sheep. The KAL doesn't start until January which is, I think, I the perfect time to have a nice warm shawl on your lap! Do you think you might have some time to knit along with us in January? Check out the KAL at the Unique Sheep linkie on the sidebar!

Yay for Saturday!

2009-09-19T07:49:00.002-04:00

Here's why.....it's a beautiful, cool morning here in the foothills of the Blue Ridge - I can feel a hint of fall in the air.....oh yes, and rag weed too....lol..

There's plenty of coffee -

...and a little time to make more progress on the Circle Vest

before switching to Ishbel, and then to odious cleaning and reading for class. You see - on Saturdays, I always eat my dessert first! Excuse me while I get back to my pie.... :)

Wollmeise clapotis in Vincent :)

2009-09-12T11:59:00.001-04:00

Wollmeise clapotis in Vincent :)
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

Finally - la clapotis is blocking. I love the results, but can't say that I think it was a "fun" knit.....it was easy.......it was mindless, at times.......it felt endless........there - that's pretty accurate! That said, I'll probably knit another one someday especially because it shows off Wollmeise colors so well - a fact that will give me an excuse to acquire additional skeins of that particular lovely, but somewhat elusive yarn. What's your favorite Wollmeise pattern? .......or do you prefer ogling it & fondling it to actually knitting it? :)

Three Things on Friday

2009-09-11T20:10:00.004-04:00

Hooray - it's time for three things on Friday. Why? - because today is Friday and I just happen to have three knitting/spinning things to report - that's why!

1. I've have feenished ze clapotis - et voila! Tomorrow is for blocking. I'll use my new blocking wires and mats from KnitPicks. More pics will certainly follow.

2. Before school this morning I started the Circle Vest in Noro Chirimen. It's a wool/cotton/silk blend. I'm hoping it will be a three season piece. There's a whole lot of ribbing in this one!

3. This arrived today in mail......thanks again, Bev, for the Plurk post about the Labor Day code! This is from Andrea at NaturalObsessions. The silvery lavender roving is 100% Lyocell. I couldn't resist its shininess. Andrea included a pretty blue sample of Milk.....it's oh-so-soft and a little sample of Soak.

...and now back to my regularly scheduled Friday night knitting! Enjoy your weekend!

Top Whorl in Porcelain

2009-09-01T22:27:00.003-04:00

Porcelain top whorl drop spindle
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

This little piece of lovely is a drop spindle with the palest-green-ever porcelain whorl. I found it over on Etsy in Dyann Myers' shop. She has a couple others and many beautiful porcelain mugs, bowls, and platters. Go on over and check her out!

In knitting news, Ishbel is ready to get all lacey, but I haven't had time to sit and knit on her.

I'm hoping to get back to it this weekend while we're up at Shrine Mont. I'm looking forward to doing nothing but sitting and knitting! Doesn't that sound perfect?

Mini-mal Swapping

2009-08-28T20:06:00.001-04:00

Mini hat, mini spindle, stitch markers & mini mints
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

The Central Virginia Girls groups over on Ravelry had a little swap going on during July & August.....well, a mini swap really. We needed to make our swap partner a mini knitted item, find a mini food item, and include one other mini-type something. On Thursday afternoon I met my partner, Lara, over at the Lovingston Cafe. We enjoyed some good conversation, trading our items, and a little DELICIOUS pie & cheese cake. Pictured above is what Lara included in my package: a mini knitted hat, a mini drop spindle, some stitch markers, and Altoids-the small version. This was a great no-pressure type swap. It didn't require a lot of knitting time, at least on my part - yet it did require that you be thoughtful in your planning. Lara certainly hit the mark with hers! I'd recommend a mini-swap to everyone!

Pffefferminz Ishbel

2009-08-27T06:30:00.001-04:00

Pffefferminz Ishbel
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

I woke up this morning and realized that last night, while in a fit a creative frenzy, I began another WIP. It was actually pretty calculated, as this is to be a birthday present for someone I know who loves green and blue. So, thanks to a mid-evening cup of coffee, I was winding the skein at 11:00 p.m. and still knitting the first seven rows at midnight. Then I made myself go to bed. Thankfully, this morning I still love it - both yarn (Wollmeise Pffefferminz Prinz) and pattern (Ishbel) - and I really wish I could stay home today and knit-knit-knit! Thank goodness Saturday is just two days away!

Gifted M-I-L

2009-08-06T06:54:00.001-04:00

P8010174_edited
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

My m-i-l is amazing.....she has an adventurous creative spirit. I recently sent her some hand made stitch markers from several Etsy shops. She loved them, but was also intrigued be the possibility of making stitch markers of her own. Bip-boom-bang.....a month later, here they are! The beaded markers on the right are some of her first creations. According to the little bag, they are "made with love from Scamp's Bead Shop". Did I mention that she's now 82? Yep - she amazes me alright!

Confession: a year ago DS#3 asked me to knit him a hat. We sat at the computer and chose a pattern from Ravelry, then went to Ben Franklin and chose the yarn. A year later, I finally got around to knitting it for him. Here is the Ribbed Beanie designed by Wooly Wormhead - aka the Guilt Hat. DS & I are both very pleased with the outcome & think it was worth the wait!

Knitted of Love

2009-07-26T15:40:00.005-04:00

Many of you know that P & A & I just got back from a mission trip with the Appalachian Service Project down in Lee County, Virginia. Our week was full of hard work, laughter, and learning to trust and have faith....putting our faith forward was the theme down at ASP this summer. It's a good lesson to remember.

Of course I packed some knitting projects for the week - three to be exact. All of them were my WIPs for the WIP Knit-Down. On Saturday evening, I packed them all into a hard case and included them with the luggage we packed into the car on Saturday evening. Sunday morning as we were leaving the house, I realized that I didn't have anything handy to knit during the 6 hour drive down - so I quickly reached into my cotton drawer and grabbed the two nearest skeins, threw them in a bag and ran out the door. I volunteered to drive, so didn't get any knitting time and kind of forgot about the cotton for a couple of days.

Day #1 & 2 at our family's home involved painting and texturizing the ceiling. On day #3, we were ready to paint their walls. The kitchen was painted a pale yellow. Also, our family had been given counter tops that were a cheerful lavender color...it was when I saw the counters that I remembered the two skeins of cotton in my bag.

Turns out that I had grabbed the perfect colors for our family's new kitchen. These are the exact colors I would have chosen if I had KNOWN their kitchen was to have yellow walls with lavender counters. Kim, Sara, Kathleen, & I took turns knitting a dish cloth for Katie, the lady of the house. It was a cloth knitted of love for their house built of love. Coincidence? Maybe......but then again, maybe not.

Want to know more about the Appalachian Service Project? Click here!

Exponential WIP

2009-07-16T06:33:00.006-04:00

See this WIP? It's the De Colores jacket by Ginger Luters from the Fall 2002 issue of Knitting Magazine and the Module Magic book. But don't worry - I didn't start this project in 2002 - I started it in 2006 - well OK, maybe 2005.....but never mind that! It's been my focus in WIP Mania during the past two weeks.

Every time I think I'm getting closer to the end, I remember that after I finish all of the sections (7 more to go for the sleeves) then I have to finish sewing in the ends......then I have to seam the sections......then I have to crochet edging all around the edges......THEN and only THEN will this WIP finally be finished. Yes, I've made progress, but goodness, I hope I still like it when it's finally done!

WIP Mania - two down for the count

2009-07-10T08:31:00.002-04:00

Beth's Turkish pattern mittens are finally finished! I love the colors & how they feel on my hands - I hope she'll like them, too. These were intended as a Christmas gift for last Christmas & I actually finished one during our break, but then got busy with school & grad school again....and then - well it got HOT & I didn't want to knit mittens. This WIP almost won because three days ago I realized I had knitted another RIGHT mitten...grrrrrr.....but fortunately, I didn't take long to redo! Now on to a really stinky WIP - the infamous six year sweater......double grrrr and fingers crossed!

WIP Mania - one down for the count

2009-07-06T07:53:00.007-04:00

Aaaaahhhh - long weekends! They are especially good when we spend them here, at b-i-l's river "cabin".

B-i-l recently moved house - literally - moving his retreat from the flood plain to just 14 inches over the 500 year flood zone up the hill. It's a much safer location and the house had a few upgrades in the process. It's very civilized for the wilds of West Virginia!

My m-i-l brought me a little present. I really like the photographs in this stitch dictionary. They are very clear.

We enjoyed a beautiful and cool 4th of July weekend. (#1 son & gf on the river)

...and I finished these: Slave to the Socks (the holes are part of the pattern, really!)

One WIP Mania project down & three to go! I think I might need another weekend get-away to help me knock out a few more!

July WIP Mania - Slave to the Plurk

2009-07-01T11:39:00.003-04:00

Slave to the Plurk sock #1
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

I joined WIP Mania of Ravelry in hopes of knitting down some of my 'works in progress' for you non-knitters. These lovely socks, designed by Terry Ross for her plurk friends, have been languishing for a bit b/c I messed up the heel and needed to tink and reknit....not a very exciting prospect - BUT yesterday and this morning, it was accomplished. I even added beads to the cuffs! Now it's onward to sock #2 - I'm just on the toe. I hope I can finish it in a more timely manner than sock #1!

Cuff view:

"New" Knitting Territory

2009-06-30T07:59:00.003-04:00

It's done. My knitting room has been repainted, re-tabled, and newly shelved. Yarnies are all sorted and stashed by weight in drawer bins. DPNs are all sorted & banded by size. There's a new bright cotton rug on the floor and a nice bright lamp in the corner. It's a very nice place to sit & knit/spin. I like it....and it's mine-all-mine (except for the kitties' litter box tucked in the corner- crap....literally!)

The first knitting project I completed in my new room were these:

They are WendyKnit's "Dead Simple Lace" in Lorna's Laces Wendy's Sunrise from TLE. I learned a lot about short rows with these socks. I have grown as a knitter! Thank you Wendy!

I'll leave you with this thought -

Aahhhh - Bermuda.....beautiful! Happy knitting!

Stash Room Re-do

2009-06-11T06:01:00.003-04:00

I've made a mess! Everything has been moved out of my knitting room and into the dining room. The knitting room received a coat of tinted primer yesterday and today, once Lifeguard Boy wakes up, will get the final coat of paint.

All of those papers in the foreground are remnants of three years of grad school....classes...projects...research.....all of it will go to live in a BIG box in the basement - then I'll organize my yarn stash and move everything back into my beautiful "new" room. Geesh - that's kind of scary - let's think about something nice:

.......ah......a bag 0'Wollmeise.......inhale deeply.......all will be well!

Stash Additives & a Plan!

2009-05-23T10:37:00.002-04:00

Mid-May yarn
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

Hello, my name is ckknitter and my stash room will hold no more. There are exactly six and 1/2 days left in my school year. The very first thing I plan to do when school is out is reorganize my knitting/spinning room.
Step #1: Move everything out & paint the room a soothing, calm green.
Step#2: Insert modified table- I have a beautiful square old table (refinished by moi) in there now. It has beautifully turned legs, but the top is not in the best condition...and it's, well, square - so it takes up a good portion of one corner. My plan is to take it apart and put each half against a wall thus making a long counter. This is will give me a little more room.
Step #3: Stash storage - I'll get some rolling plastic drawer bins to go underneath. That's where my stash will live. I'll need help hanging the bookshelves (the knitting/spinning books are as plentiful as the yarn/fiber).
Step #4: Knit the summer away using only what's in the above stash or next summer , I'll be knocking out WALLS to add more storage!

Keep your fingers crossed for a quick & easy fix-up!

Color Intensity & the Noro Wisp

2009-05-16T10:49:00.004-04:00

Mid May morning
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

It's really beautiful here this morning. The rains have turned the grass, tree leaves, and other foliage various shades of achingly edgy, bright shades of green. Whenever the sun decides to peek out from behind the clouds, it's almost too intense to look at....aahhhh - lovely spring colors!

The spring flowers are fading, but still offer glimpses of colorful beauty. Even faded, who can resist the combination of green and purplish-pink?

That's how I feel about one of my current knitting projects. It's Wisp scarf/shawl from Knitty.com (free pattern!).

The simple lace pattern shows off the colors of the Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn perfectly. I'm having a hard time putting it down - which is a good thing, because I'll be giving it as a gift soon. Hopefully, unlike the spring flowers, these colors won't fade away!

Maryland Sheep and Wool - the afterglow!

2009-05-12T15:58:00.004-04:00

Janice, Stacey, & I were fortunate to be able to attend the Maryland Sheep and Festival just outside of Columbia, Maryland last weekend. We had lots of fun, but were exhausted at the end of our day of seeing and feeling and smelling all the yarn. Unfortunately, it was a bit rainy - so my camera didn't come out of its pouch too often. I hope I'll have a chance to take more photos next time.

#1. On the way in, I literally ran into Cindy R. We're in the Cindy Knitter's group together on Ravelry, were swap partners & had exchanged phone numbers in hopes of meeting in person. As I was walking in, I looked to my right, and walking right next to me was a person with a very familiar haircut (memorized from stalking photos). It was Cindy R! I was so surprised, I accidentally set my camera on video - which explains what is posted below:

Embarrassing - but it was very nice to meet her in person!

#2. I saw this person, but did not meet him or Jess or Heather or any of the others...too many other Ravellers in the way - but I got a MSW 2009 button, featuring Bob!

#3. Then I saw this person - it's JUDY!

She was stalking these cute little things with her camera-

Those are the only on-site photos I took b/c of the rain., but here's the yarn parade with linkies. If you ever have a chance to go to Maryland Sheep and Wool, you really should!

Autumn House Farm - Finnean's Rainbow

Misty Mountain Farm

Curious Creek Merino/Silk

Tess Designer Yarns

Bossie spindle-Sumac w/walnut shaft

The Story of the Traveling Stitch Markers

2009-04-20T14:53:00.001-04:00

Stitch markers - knitting sisters
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

These stitch markers are from the Ravelry group, The Story of the Traveling Stitch Markers. The group was begun and the pretty markers made by Heather. She has sent out markers to every state in the U.S., plus some to Canada. The idea is similar to the Flat Stanley story - they travel around with you and then you write an entry about some adventure they shared while in your care. So here's mine.....not very exciting, but still here it is none-the-less!

The markers attended two church services with me - one on Good Friday and the second on Easter Sunday. Then we went off to Williamsburg and Busch Gardens where the markers hung out with me at an LYS called The Knitting Sisters. We had a great time visiting with the local knitters - they even invited me to have lunch with them!

The next day, the markers traveled to Virginia Beach where I forgot to take a photo of them on the beach - too bad for me!

I'm not going to be able to finish my clapotis project with them, so I'm ready to send them on to another part of the state - so be on the look out! You might be NEXT!

Stormy Waters

2009-04-19T23:15:00.001-04:00

storm water scarf hand maiden silk2
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

One of my most recent projects is the Storm Water Scarf done in Sea Silk. in pumpkin. The pattern is fairly simple lace. I'm hoping to finish by next Sunday so I can wear it at my concert. While we were on vacation I bought beads to attach to the end points - once it's blocked! Maybe I actually like this one!

Spinning Pretty

2009-03-26T12:25:00.001-04:00

Zebisis spindle
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

Hello - my name is Cindy and I have been obsessed with all things fiber-related for several years. I can't seem to get this addiction under control. Tell me about Sneak Ups....I'm there.....Show me a pretty spindle....I'm on a waiting list.....Hint about grey screens.....I'll stalk it.....Whisper about lovely batts......I'm ready to wallow in them! I'm now thinking of ways to rearrange/reorganize my knitting room because-GUESS WHAT? It's kind of crowed in there!

This lovely double whorl spindle is made of turquoise and amazonite and is from Zebisisdesigns on etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5977063§ion_id=5560028 - She sent along a lovely blended bit of fiber that is as beautiful as it is buttery.

I'm thinking fiber addition is a good thing!

Random Acts of Fiberness

2009-03-21T17:22:00.007-04:00

There's been little time for blogging - the school year and my class schedule are both in a death spiral and our lives have been wacky busy as usual. Our busy-ness, however, has not prevented some cool fiberlicious things from squeezing their way into the chaos. First, there was Kat's Random Wednesday package that randomly arrived containing a lovely bit of fluff. You can read about Random Wednesday at her blog. Kat's etsy shop is paper and yarn - she's a generous crafter & wonderful plurk-friend!

Next to not so randomly arrive was a SWAP package from my Cindy Knitters group on Ravelry. CynthiaW from British Columbia certainly knows how to spoil folks! Doesn't all this look wonderful?

Those yarns are Mission Falls (2 skeins of md. blue), Perl Grey (multi-colored), and Berroco Cotton Twist (the exquisite teal). She also included chocolates, post-its, chap stick, hand lotion, stitch markers, a little dinner bell (ala Canada), and these warm and comfy clogs-

- hand made by CynthiaW.
Janice, Stacey, and I are planning to attend the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in May. I'm saving my dollars for some special purchases, but there was a recent Loopy Ewe sneak-up where I fell down....just a little. Several days later, these arrived at my house:
Fleece Artist Nyoni Special in Bronze
(to be uploaded as soon as DSL stops being wonky)

Sheep Paints in Frozen River

That same day, moosie arrived...major squeee! Moosie is a spindle made from shed moose antlers. I signed up to be part of a "herd" last year and was thrilled when I got Sheila's email saying it was time to choose. The Bosworths also make lovely wooden spindles - and they're going to be vendors at MSW.

....and awhile back, Janice got lucky while stalking the lovely, but elusive Wollmeise. Here's my portion of the booty, Johannisbeer und Brennessel, minus the Hertzblut which was traded for Wilder Mohn.

...and lastly, the Mystic Rose KAL began on Friday. I have the first clue printed and my yarn (Wollmeise Lace Garn in Dornroschen) ready to roll. Here's the swatch - this was knitted on US 5s, but I'll do the shawl on US 4s for a tighter stockinette fabric.
(TBP later)

Yep, I'm read to roll - as soon as I finish this last BIG paper. Pausing for a blog update was a nice distraction. Now it's time to put the fibery goodness aside and finish the task at hand. When I'm done, there will lots of fiberiness to occupy my mind!

Moosie has landed!

2009-03-19T20:44:00.001-04:00

1st moosie #2
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

Here's Moosie - fresh from the Bosworth's at Journey Wheel. She's cream colored with little flecks of green, nibbles, some stabilized crackles and in addition to being a work of art, she spins LIKE ALL GET OUT! Can you see why I lurves it so?

Saturday Spinning at Denise Needles HQ

2009-03-01T15:30:00.004-05:00

So it's March and I'm still doing this a lot:

and this too - spoiled creature!

However yesterday, Saturday -the very last day of Febraury - I found a little time to do this:

Several of the Central Virginia Girls' group from Ravelry, plus Judy's friend Michelle from New York, gathered at the Denise Needles HQ for an afternoon of tea, cookies, chatting, and spinning. Here are some of the highlights -
This is the HQ for Denise Interchangeable Needles and a lovely room for spinning!

Let's all check in, shall we?

Emily - our lovely and gracious hostess!

Judy - (first steeked vest and bobbin!)...huh...did you want me to crop this photo? Oops!

Michelle - spinning & February Lady sweater

Spinning demo-

Stacey -finally breaks out of the house and enjoys an afternoon of spinning fun!

Cindy (duh....that's me!)

I didn't take note of what everyone was spinning, so if you want to know more, post here and I'll find out and get back to you.

We surely had lots of fun, but missed Janice who had to go to a rehearsal instead of having fun with us. We missed her so much, we decided to meet at her house next time - lol! See what happens when you're not around? Do you think we should tell her or just show up one afternoon?

Keep knitting.....and spinning!

Yummy Batt

2009-02-12T06:26:00.002-05:00

sugarbees studio yum
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

When FlawfulFibers' Julie plurked that she was drooling over batts, I knew I was in trouble.....more "One Night Stand" batts from Sugarbees Studios. This one is named Liam. I gave Janice one of these for Christmas, but secretly wanted to keep it - now I've added this beauty to my fiber stash. I'm gonna stop now......seriously....I mean it....really......

Crap-ton of Fuzziness

2009-01-29T19:36:00.003-05:00

....crap-ton, as in boatload or any other synonym you'd like to insert there - I'm big into synonyms! Anyway, today I went out to Stony Mountain Fiber to get a birthday present for one of my students - the one with the alpacas. You see, last week I let her play around with a spindle at school and she seemed to take to it AND she has a birthday coming up, so a trip to Stony Mountain was necessary to find just the right gift. Here it is:

That's an Ashford spindle, lavender & black bits of Cormo, and Lee Raven's "Spin It" book. I hope she'll like it!

....and because Stony Mountain is not exactly close, and you can never tell when there might be a fiber shortage, I got a little for me, too:

That's also cormo, except in eggplant and tan, with a little firestar thrown in for good measure. I'm really excited about what this could turn into....yums! The white roving is from Stony Mountain Fiber's own sheep, mixed with some bamboo - sure to spin up soft & buttery!

I arrived home to find a BIG package shoved into my mailbox. The package was BIG because it contained a $50.00 gift certificate's worth of yummy fuzziness from Julie at Flawful Fibers and Yarns. Here's what I found when I opened it up:

Starting at the top and moving clockwise we have: 80/20 Merino-Silk in Velvet-n-Roses; Superwash BFL in Ignited; 60/40 Merino-Bamboo in Feline(aka Tabby); and some extra bit of Superwash BFL & a lovely skein of boucle' Romney/Perendale called Insomnia. Major SQUEEEEEEE day! I think I now have enough fiber in my stash to outlast the recession. Must stop lurking/lusting/longing at/over/for all the lucious fuzzy fiber I find...and find the time needed to spin it into yummy yarn! Now that's something to look forward to!

No Birthday Knitting/Spinning for Me

2009-01-24T15:44:00.007-05:00

Why you ask? See that book? It's rather hefty in size and about ten times its weight in content....American School Law....it's full of the entire history of America's Pubic Schools and answers many questions of why we do things the way we do them - it's the LAW, that's why. Anyway, that particular book is forcing me to make hard choices. Do I finish knitting Beth's mitten?

...or do I keep practicing my spinning, so I don't lose my groove? (not that it's a very established groove, but I have made a little progress!) So far, spinning is winning simply because I don't have to really think about anything while I spin. Knitting requires that I recall my place in the pattern and then, concentrate on what I'm doing. I'm afraid poor Beth's hands will have to be cold for a little longer!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the aforementioned book has become my constant companion. There have however been a few knitting related SQUEEEEE moments, so here they are:

New knitting TOTE...literally....our school secretary got a bag like this for Christmas and when I saw it, I screamed, "KNITTING BAG!" When we went to see my in-law's after Christmas, we visited the Totes Outlet - and score! I can also use it for my laptop if it ever needs a fancy ride.

I somehow managed to be chosen in a WendyKnits random drawing. I got to select one of her patterns as a prize and chose the Asparagus Cable socks. It arrived with this beautiful Neighborhood Fiber Company yarn. These might be for the multi-tasking boy picture below....talking on the phone while texting his gf....oh please - oh well .

Here's a little new fuzziness from TLE - aided by a $25.00 gift certificate. This is 'TealWe Meet' merino/soysilk by Tempted....love the colors!

See this cat?

He's provided yet another distraction from knitting/spinning. Apparently something had his head in its mouth because poor Halloween kitty has an abcess on his neck AND on the top of his head. Thankfully, he's on the mend, but hates the twice daily moist, hot towel therapy. In addition, he's become a house cat. He's too creaky to run fast enough to escape sneaking animals and his arthritis prevents him from leaping or climbing trees very effectively - so inside he is.

Oh yeah - I almost forgot - it's my birthday. Here's my present:

What can I say? We sort of needed a vacuum cleaner....sort of....hope I don't hurt myself because it looks kind of scary, don't you think? omg. :~/

Where's my margarita?

..

The Awaiting Fiber-Feast.....Yum

2009-01-09T22:48:00.006-05:00

FORTUNATELY - It's a new year and I have big plans for lots of spinning time for Merry and me.

UNFORTUNATELY - my chosen profession requires and demands that I do lots of work at home each night

FORTUNATELY - I got to spin quite a bit over Christmas break!

UNFORTUNATELY - I have not touched my wheel since right after Christmas. I also have not knitted one stitch in a week. ACK.

FORTUNATELY - Whenever I get my head above water, I have lots of Christmas present fiber ready and waiting. Here's a sample of the feast.

All of these are Christmas presents from Catspaw(lace), my good buddy and spinning mentor, who said she wanted me to experience a variety of fibers. What a sweetie!

Tussah Silk Top -Stony Mountain Fibers - (how in the world does one spin this stuff?)

Gorgeous Hand-Painted Goldie Locks Mohair - Stone Mountain Farm in Carlisle, PA. Apparently there's no website cuz I can't find it!

Spinderella's Creations Thrums - yummy mixture of wool, nylon, and angelina

Catspaw really knows how to take care of me!

Right after Christmas, I took a short cruise....on Etsy.... and this is what I found:

Green and Gold all whipped up - This is from Fiber Monster and it's very, very soft!

And this - this is called "Sleigh Ride". I bought it because it's beautiful and because I want it to snow- dang it! This is from Wooly Treasures

As soon as my "time-famine" ends, there's a big "fiber-feast" awaiting me. I can hardly wait to dig in !

New Year's Knitting

2009-01-02T08:47:00.003-05:00

I'm still making Christmas presents... and will be for just a little while. This is because I did not start my Christmas knitting until Thanksgiving - my fault, I know. Originally, I had decided NOT to knit anything for Christmas, but then I saw some yarn...and a pattern book...and decided that a some mittens might be a quick project - and they were - quick for me, that is. I am happy to report that ONE pair of mittens was finished before Christmas Day.

Now I'm finishing mittens for George's wife, Beth. As I knitted yesterday, I found that I could not put the first one down. It was like the colors and charts were addicting -"just one more round....just one more round...." and pushing me to finish.
Front side

Palm side

I'll cast-on the second mitten today and try to finish before school and life smack me in the face on Monday. ACK. Life surely does get in the way of doing what I really enjoy.

Oh - and I also finished these:

-mitts for Caroline - but guess what? They were not photographed either! I'll get them before she goes back to college, I guess! What a lousy photojournalist I am!

I've also been spinning a bit. Here are the results of my first, second, and third attempts at spinning/plying.

1. Outlandish purple/pink merino #1 from Stoney Mountain Fibers

2. Cotswold from Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton

3. Merino/bamboo from Julie at Flawful Fibers

I am currently trying to spin some BFL. Merry is being a little finicky though - must be the cold weather - or the silly bow!

Next on my knitting list:

a Calorimetry for Alex's GF
a pair of mitts for Lisa
a pair of mittens for Kim
and my eternal WIPs.

If only I could knit at school all day! Hmmmmm....it's January - maybe the snow gods will smile on us and I can get a little extra knitting time...."red sunrise in the morning, sailors take warning..."

Holiday Hustle

2008-12-31T16:12:00.004-05:00

Well - it's happened again! I haven't posted for over a month. I guess I got caught up in the death spiral of school/holidays/and just life in general.

Our family enjoyed a nice Christmas together and we also enjoyed our Annual Hors d'ouevre dinner - the 7th one! Here's this year's spread:

Mmmmmm.....everything was delicious!

- and just for fun - here's me posing in the beautiful mohair roving Janice gave me:

When I think back on Christmas 2008, what I'll remember most is all the cooking I did. We had ham and turkey. I did two loads of dishes every day! I love having all the boys home, including John, but they can really eat & make a mess! I even made six (6) fresh apple cakes - my mom's recipe which she borrowed from Mrs. Virginia Pugh's entry in the Rodes Family Night Favorites cookbook. I've plurked about the cakes several times, so as a New Year's present, I'm going to share the recipe.

Fresh Apple Cake
First, peel & chop about three cups of apples - I use Granny Smith's and find that two apples usually do the trick

In a large & deep mixing bowl combine & mix well:
1 & 1/2 cups of oil
2 cups of sugar

add 3 eggs and mix well-
then add 3 cups of flour - mix well
then...
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp. vanilla
a dash of cinnamon

Finally:
add 3 cups of chopped apples - mix well
a cup of coconut
a cup of nuts (I use walnuts)
a cup of raisins - but I use a cup of chocolate chips instead-because I am not fond of baked raisins!

Bake in a mold, (bundt, etc...) at 350 degrees for 1 & 1/2 hours or until done.

Icing:
1 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk
1 stick of butter
Combine in saucepan. Stir until everything has melted. Boil gently for 1 & 1/2 minutes. Ice cake while still warm, slowly, so mixture will run into cake.

You can even make cupcakes!

I never made this cake until after my mom died. I remember her saying that it wasn't hard to make & it isn't. I hope you and your family will enjoy it as much as we do!

Best wishes for a happy, prosperous, & peaceful 2009.
God bless!

Thanksgiving Knit/Spin Recap

2008-11-29T09:18:00.015-05:00

It's been a busy and yet relaxing week - is that even possible? I enjoyed a two day school week and luxuriated in spending Wednesday morning spinning up the rest of the Cotswold, purchased at the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton.

Merry enjoyed it too, as she got to show off a little new jewelry - just in preparation for the Holidays, mind you! This was made by Jennifer at Felux Fiber Crafts. Merry lurves it!

The boys & I (DH was already there for work) left for Northern Virginia on Wednesday afternoon after an oil change and unanticipated brake job for my car - but now the brakes work and that's important when you live in the mountains! While waiting for the car, we heard the terrible news from Mumbai - not knowing at the time that a group from our county was there on a spiritual retreat - including my workout friend Lisa. Sadly, two members of their group were some of the first killed in the siege.

We spent Thanksgiving Day at DH's brother's house in Great Falls. This has become a tradition of sorts. You see, they have a really big living room which doubles as a dining room for family gatherings. Here's my mom-in-law, Scamp on Ravelry. Friend her - but be warned - she'll ask you to knit dog sweaters for the Heritage Humane Society! Doesn't she looked so pretty in those colors?

We also got to see nieces and nephews who flew/trained in from all over: two from San Francisco, one from Portland, and this one from New York. Here are DH & New York niece- two smarties- discussing the election - they are cut from the same cloth, those two!

Yep-smart, pretty - and oh yeah, funny, too!

On Friday, m-i-l, s-i-l, and I went to a nearby yarn shop, Alyin's Woolgatherer, where I scored this:

...which is turning into a pair of mitts - to be followed by matching socks.

This is Knit One Crochet Too Ty-Dy Socks. I'm doubling it for the mitts.

I knitted all the way home & arrived to find this:

SQUEEEEE! You know how I LOVE packages! The top two are Christmas pressies, so they will remain anonymous, but here is the content of the big one on the bottom-

Dream in Color Starry in Flamingo Pie and Ruby Red.....wait - do those colors look familiar? I seem to be on an apricot/magenta kick. AND WAIT! The Ruby Red might be a present too....oh poop...but aren't they beautiful?
AND WAIT! - there was more from TLE....apparently, I'm a Loopy Groupie! WOOT!

I wasn't keeping track of my orders, so this was a nice surprise! Sheri certainly does know how to make her customers feel special!

Then it was time for Lights Out....really...

...a Holiday brew from our local Blue Mountain Brewery.....and with that - the Holiday season is off and running! How will I ever catch it?

The Almighty WIP

2008-11-22T14:19:00.006-05:00

Every now & then, when I pause to think about what's impending, due, or overdue in my life, my WIPs will rear their beautiful little heads and I end up with a case of knitting guilt. You see, I have several WIPs that have been WIPs for y-e-a-r-s....some of them could be Kindergartners...at least none are approaching my grade level yet-5th grade- where I teach 9 & 10 year olds. My problem in finishing my WIPs isn't that I dislike the pattern or have grown tired of the yarn. Oh NO! Not at all - like this one for example:

This is the De Colores Jacket by Ginger Luters and it's almost old enough to be in Kindergarten. With this WIP, it seems that I'm going to have to modify the back by leaving out one panel - made the wrong size. I don't think that's going to problem, but it will mean that I have to pay attention. I've actually finished all the body panels and have started the sleeve panels- only eight to go! What I've learned by knitting this WIP is that I don't like finishing very much. I'm pretty sure I'll never make another modular sweater...if i ever actually make one!

Then there are younger WIPs like the Shawl with Cables

...nothing wrong here...but oh look! It's another modular project that I'm not in any hurry to finish.

And my Plurk Socks ....

I messed up the heel on these and had to frog back a ways. I keep putting off turning the heel because, again, I'll have to pay attention and that seems to be hard to do these days.

It seems my knitting mojo has been on the fritz or vacation or down with the flu...or something. Today for example, I started some Handsome Mittens by Cheryl Niamath from this quarter's Interweave Knits. It's not a hard pattern - just reverse stockinette....so what did I do? I just knitted right through the increases and found myself wondering why they were so skinny...so RIPPIT-RIPPIT-RIPPIT they went- all the way back to the cuff...sigh .... I hope my whole "knitatude" improves soon - or my "Almighty WIPs" might have to become "Eternal WIPs"!

A Perfect Day

2008-11-15T19:55:00.002-05:00

Today, despite the pouring rain, I bundled up a fully loaded Merry in a blanket and a trash bag, along with various fibers, a knitting project, spinning books, and my camera, and headed over for an afternoon of spinning at Janice's house.

I even brought lunch...mmmmm!

Then it was time to spin! We started by looking at my first attempt at plying - done with the first and second roving I'd spun on Merry. I needed to reply it, so Janice showed me how. Here it is just before we washed it:

One of my student raises alpacas and had given my this little treasure to play around with -

I managed to turn it into this -

Meanwhile, Janice was spinning up her BFL.....isn't it beautiful?

While we were busy spinning, one of Janice's kitties got into my knitting bag and made off with a hand wound ball of practice merino - pesky little creature!

It ought to have looked more like this!

Janice knitted on her sock project and I spun a little Cotswold from the Frontier Culture Museum and then knitted a little on my Eternal sweater. By then the rain had stopped and the day had turned as beautiful on the outside as on the inside!

It was a perfectly beautiful ending to a perfect day - don't you think?

Addition to Family

2008-11-08T14:26:00.002-05:00

OMG - my life has been so whacked, I haven't posted for over a month! Have I subconsciously been waiting for a momentous occasion - like today - in order to have something half-way interesting to blog about? Who knows...? In any case, today was truly momentous because I witnessed the birth of my spinning wheel, an Ashford Traveler. Here's a photo diary of the day's events. I'll add a little commentary, too!

After the great eBay defective wheel debacle/disappointment earlier in this week, I decided to go to a nearby fiber shop, Stony Mountain Fibers, and purchase a wheel from shop owner Barb Gentry. Barb has a great little shop with a wide variety of spinning wheels to choose from and one particular wheel kept popping into my head after the Majacraft ordeal - an Ashford Traveler. Stacey & I made a quick shop visit on Friday afternoon, but didn't have enough time to play & purchase, so decided to make to 45 minute trip again this morning - 11-8-08.

When we arrived, Barb had begun putting together my wheel.

Meanwhile, around the shop, Stacey was busy trying out wheels of her own. She settled on a Kromski Sonata, only in the lighter wood. Here she is playing around with its cousin!

Finally - the wheel was ready! Isn't she beautiful?

Here we are - all loaded up & ready for the trip home. I made Stacey promise to drive v-e-r-y carefully!

Now it's time to think of a name for her.....and practice, practice, practice!

Daily Dose of Fiber .....Times 10!

2008-10-04T20:08:00.005-04:00

Today Janice & I went to the Montpelier Fiber Festival. It was a glorious day - starting off crisp & chilly, and heating up nicely by mid-day....just warm even to force us fiber-freaks to start shedding our woolies - a sad fact, but kind of funny in a way. We are in Virginia after all, and the sun is still pretty intense at 38 degrees north in October!

We started our day by walking around and just looking at everything...yes just looking!

- oh...and we did a little touching, too!

and even some smelling, especially when we were near the food tents! Mmmmmmm - we had lamb sausages & fries for lunch. My fries were sweet potatoes.....double mmmmmm!

Then we doubled back to revisit our top picks. Here's one of mine - Diane a.k.a Creative of Creatively Dyed, both on Ravelry and on plurk. She gave me a Ravelry name button and sold me some very beautiful hand-dyed yarn. I'm thinking this will be a BSJ for someone.

I also tried out a couple of wheels. First I took a spin on an Ashford Traveller - I really like the looks of this wheel and it felt ok. Next I sat at a Schacht Ladybug for a second test spin. This wheel feels oh-so-right, but I just don't know if I'd like enjoy looking at it everyday...gosh, I hope I can decide soon!

Many thanks to the nice folks from The Drafting Zone in Bowie, Maryland for their patience in letting me try their wheels! (They don't have a website!)

....and what's a fiber festival without a few critters? Here's a few from today's menagerie:

and finally...fresh back from herding sheep -

All in all, it was a superb day -I think the only thing that would have made it better would have been meeting more Ravelry and plurk friends...maybe that will happen the next time!

DRT & All The Rest...

2008-09-26T17:43:00.005-04:00

In the beginning, there was dial-up - and people were happy and made internet social connections and visited many websites...and e-mailed all their friends...and it was good. Then there was DSL and the promise of Broadband for faster internet connections - and people bought iPods to download music and cameras upload photos using these faster connections and workplaces went to high-speed, thus spoiling the people....and it was oh so good, especially at work! Then the people decided that DSL could be a work-related deduction for a spouse....and the spouse was happy....and the offspring were happy...and the mommy was happy - except when the wind blew...or it got too hot...or it rained.... then DSL didn't (and doesn't) work - especially if the people lived in the middle of the woods....and the people were sad because they had to blog-post with no photos...and had to use only words to describe the amazing photo-finish of the Dish Rag Tag race...because it's raining and I'm using dial-up and can't upload photos and that REALLY STINKS!

.....picking up THE BOX

.....my goodies from Kathy in MA

Anyway, here's my part in the second place finish for the Rag Taggers in Dish Rag Tag - sans photos. You see - I was last. The last knitter to knit out a dish rag in under two hours....to stuff it in a box along with lots of goodies, wrap the box in tape and stickers and drive it to the post office - sending it off to Emily-the Dish Rag Tag Mom- hoping that we might still be able to win! Well, we didn't - we came in second. The box seemed to fall into a void after I mailed it - there were no shipping updates between when I dropped it off here in Virginia and just before it was delivered to Emily in Alabama. For all our team knew, the box was in a ditch somewhere in South Carolina. I was SO relieved when Emily posted on our team's forum that she had received the box! Whew. Being last was a nerve-wracking experience. It was fun, but I'm not sure I'll do it again...once school starts, my time is no longer flexible!

....here's the box on its way to Emily and a second place finish!

Other updates - I love spindle spinning, but have not fallen in love with spinning on a wheel. Friend Catspaw (plurk) Catspawlace (ravelry) let me borrow her wheel while she was away. Maybe I'll feel differently after lessons - right now, I'm relying on what I remember from what Janice told me before she left for her visit.

Other plurk related news: I mailed my package to my plurk exchange partner and she has not picked it up from the post office. The notice says that they will return it if they can't deliver it. I hope she gets it soon...otherwise a couple of things might get a little too soft! Hmmmmm?!?

Will put up photos as soon as it stops raining :~}

P.S: Please click my dragon eggs

Sneak Up?

2008-09-15T20:41:00.004-04:00

I like my blog. I enjoy re-reading my posts - it reminds me of how I felt at that particular moment - enjoying a scenic view

or creating something special from yummy yarn. When I re-read this post, I'm sure I'll remember how busy it's been around here since school began. Not a lot of time for knitting - just a little time for spindle spinning

- a little time for grading papers

- a little time for plurking

- and a little time for thinking about my friends. I'm really lucky to have good friends, both real and virtual. My real-life friends are true Godsends. I get all out of sorts when I can't spend enough time with them. They help keep me sane when things are tough and help me celebrate when things are really good! My plurky virtual friends are quite diverse, but we are bonded by our love of all-things- fiber. The virtuals also help me celebrate and help keep me sane. Plurkville is a nice little community and I'm glad to be a part of it.

Now I'm feeling sneaky. You see, on plurk you catch little snippets of each others' lives. You learn who's not feeling well, who's having difficulty with kids, whose partner is deployed, who's just spun up or dyed up yummies, and what everyone is having for dinner. You learn who lost a pet, whose mom calls too much, and who's out of toilet paper. Sometimes it's TMI, but most of the time it's just loads of fun.....and sometimes it gives you ideas......

Hmmmmmm........ I'm feeling sneaky.....just sayin'.

Dyeing...or trying!

2008-08-26T19:29:00.004-04:00

Once upon a time, many years ago, a new-ish knitter was visiting a yarn shop in her capital city and found this:

In a rather patriotic moment she bought not two, but FOUR skeins of the yarn...two were given as a gift and two were added to her STASH!

Years and years passed and the new-ish knitter became a more experienced knitter - far from an expert mind you - but experienced enough to get by. She hoped and hoped that one day the right pattern would appear before her eyes and begged to be knitted in the red, white, and blue yarn...but it did not happen.

Then one day, Ravelry appeared in the new-ish-now-more-expereinced-knitter's life. The knitter discovered that she could sell or trade her yarn there. She posted the red, white, and blue yarn, in hopes of giving someone else some joy. A couple of people responded, but before the knitter could make a deal, a kool-aid dyer suggest that the yarn be over-dyed. So - the knitter went online for instructions and asked for advice from her plurk-buds and this was the result!

Choosing the Kool-aid (I chose to use Black Cherry)

*First I soaked the yarn-

ugh - as you can see, I did not polish the fixtures before taking the photo!

While the yarn soaked, I chose my Kool-aid and assembled all the "parts" -

-including six packs of Black Cherry Kool-aid.

Then I mixed the packs with some very hot water from the tea kettle and poked it around a little with a spatula to cover all the yarn with water. Next, I put the bowl in the microwave for 6-7 minutes...maybe a little too long, judging from all the Kool-aid spatters inside the oven!

Afterwards, I rinsed the yarn in hot water until the water was totally clear and cooling and gradually switched to cooler water so I could handle the yarn more easily. I hung it up to dry-

...and dyed the other skein - repeat from *.

...and here are the results - TA DA!

I'm very pleased! What do you think? I think they all lived happily ever after!

WIP Dissatisfaction ....the Uglies

2008-08-17T06:00:00.004-04:00

Between going back to school for teacher work week and getting ready for my overnight trip up to Winchester, I somehow missed posting a mid-week blog update - not that there's much to post.

Actually, I have a little good news and a little bad news: the good news is that I've managed to finish two of my three WIP Wrestling projects! The bad news is that one of them is butt-ugly! I hate it...and as soon as WIP Wrestling is over, I'm gonna rip out the sleeves and try something else. Here - you be the judge...

Or on second thought, don't be the judge...It's not the yarn...or the color....it's the sleeves. Ick-Ack-Yep - I'm ripping those suckers right out.

The doggie sweater is finished also. Here's a photo of Mr. First Cat, White Socks, being embarrassed as he models it:

Now I'm battling the De Colores jacket. I have to TINK a few rows that I messed up after dinner the other night....not sayin' why...

On my way back from Winchester, I stopped at the Augusta County SPCA and happened upon this:

Sure would like to bring her home. She's part Siamese: blue eyes, ear coloring - but has a tabby cat stripy tail & legs... I haven't heard her voice yet...I wonder if she has that Siamese-like yowl?
DH will not be thrilled about this addition to out family and I'm not sure White Socks and Halloween will be either - but I'm tired of being the only girl here and I want a little back-up...at least that's my story....and I'm sticking to it!

The WIPs are Winning

2008-08-09T20:42:00.003-04:00

This morning I woke up pretty early for a Saturday. You see, I love being awake in my house and knowing that all my boys, dh included, are sleeping peacefully around me. This morning was especially nice, because during the night cool air moved in, so when I woke up, I turned off the A.C. and opened the windows to enjoy the fresh air. While the coffee was brewing, I tip-toed through the house, collected one of my WIP projects, and headed into my knitting room. I could hear all the early morning sounds through the open window -aaaaah - heavenly! I put my WIP Wrestling project on the floor and reached up to turn on the light while turning to flop down in my green knitting chair.

But wait, did something just move below me? Fortunately, I stopped in mid-sit 'cause look who was sitting in my chair:

So after some major kitty cuddling and a cup of coffee, I started sewing in the sleeve of the Tahki cotton sweater and did it -exactly wrong. Poop.....and poop again.

Then these woke up....here's Very Tall Boy (being him is a full time job)

...and here's Lifeguard Boy (he's a morning person, can't you tell?)

...and then I had to leave to do errands in medium size town.....school supplies, new AC adapter for the very old laptop, and new school clothes for me!

Then I had to eat lunch, and try on some shoes....and buy new undergarments....and have a little ice cream...and play with kitties at the S.P.C.A.....and finally - head home.

So - POOP - the WIPs are still winning. I'm heading in right now to rip out the stupid sleeve and try again, paying closer attention this time....oh, and I'll definitely look before I sit!

Thus Begins Another School Year

2008-08-07T10:10:00.006-04:00

This year marks my tenth year as a teacher. My career tracks looks like this: 3/4 of a year as a part-time 1st grade reading & math teacher (which did not count toward my official "years of service"); six years as a fifth grade teacher-mostly of Language Arts and Social Studies; and three years as an Elementary General Music teacher. Now as I begin my tenth year, I'm moving out of the music class and back down the hall to fifth grade. While I loved teaching music and sharing that particular joy with my students, I felt very isolated from my colleagues and from knowing any group of students really well. The impression that most general education teachers have of specialists is that they have easy jobs. What I've learned in switching from general education to a specialist role is that you don't really know what someone's job is until you have to do it. As I finish my Masters and move toward educational administration, I hope I can remember what I've learned from being in both roles....of course, I don't really know what's it like to be an administrator and won't know until I'm in that role.

(here's a new plant for my room)
So- I've been plurk-whining a lot in recent weeks about not wanting to go back to school. For those of you who know me only in print, I want to explain just a bit. First of all - I love my school and my community. I actually had a hand in the campaign to build the school, so I have a huge emotional investment in it and in its success. Secondly, I have very high standards for myself and my students and their all-round success. Moving back to fifth grade is kind of like going home for me, except home has changed a little. Some of the neighbors are a little crankier than they need to be, some of my furnishings have have been pillaged, and some of my materials do not exist yet. Therefore, I'm naturally a little apprehensive about the beginning of the year - not really dreading it as my plurk-whines suggest. And the final curve ball - I'm starting the year with a substitute instead of my teaching partner. Teaching Partner just had a brain tumor removed and at the very best, will be out until mid-September....leading to further apprehension for him and our teaching team! Experience tells me, however, that once the students get there, I'll be fine - doing what I love to do - getting to know my students and helping them to learn & grow!

(here are some of the old plants waiting for a ride back)
In the mean time, I'll work on some of my Ravalympics projects. Here's a sleeve of a sweater that's been zzz for years. This won't take long to finish. I'm pretty excited about getting some of my old, lingering projects done! Here's hoping that every little thing goes well!

Test drives and socks

2008-08-05T05:34:00.003-04:00

Stacey & I went on a field trip recently to test drive spinning wheels. We visited Stony Mountain Fibers just outside of Charlottesville. The owner, Barb Gentry, has a wonderful shop full of fiber, yarn, looms, and spinning wheels right next to her barn and pen full of sheep!

Barb invited us in and started pulling out wheels, left and right! She got us two seats, told us to take our shoes off, and start treadling. It was amazing how quickly we formed opinions about the different wheels. While we were there we oohed and ahhed over and play with these: A Majacraft Susie Pro, a Schacht Ladybug, an Ashford Joy, a Kromski Sonata, a Louet, and one more...can't remember because I did not bond with it. Here's Stacey testing one amidst all the yarny goodness.

We ended up liking we the same wheels, in the same order:

Kromski Sonata
Schacht Ladybug
Ashford Joy

Stony Mountain also sells yarns, and rovings, and dyes, and all kinds of yummy things.

Before leaving we each bought a spindle and a pigtail. (My spindle is the Kundert zigzag one right in the middle )
Tomorrow we're going over to Janice's to test her Ashford and the other one-can't remember what it is. Thanks to our outings, I'm feeling a little more knowledgeable about what I want in a wheel.
I've also been knitting a little. The Slave to the Plurk socks are underway. I changed yarns, though. Originally I was going to knit them in JoJoland Melody, but thought it felt too soft - if that's possible - so I'm saving the JoJo for a scarf and have switched to some yummy Cherry Tree Hill I scored from TLE.

Once I get to the calf, I'll add beads.....oh - and I signed up for Dish Rag Tag. Sound like fun? Hit the link & sign up! (Once you've linked, you have to scroll down the page a bit to read the description)
This is my last "free" week before having to officially go back to school and I'm determined to have as much fun as possible - I wonder how much of it will be fiber-related?

I Was Tagged

2008-08-01T05:25:00.005-04:00

...tagged by Judy, aka TorchSinger on plurk. Being tagged was good because it helped me go out & read some blogs, although I usually read them right away when people post their updates on plurk. Anyway, here I go with my tag list:

The Rules: Rules are posted at the beginning. At the end of the post, the player tags 5 people and posts their names. Then the player goes to each of the “named” people’s blogs and leaves a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. If you’ve been tagged, you do the same, letting the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer. They, in turn, answer the following questions. Here we go!

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
Ten years ago I had just started teaching, both of my parents were in major health decline, I played golf and weighed about 20 lbs. less!

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today? (Well, I have more than five, but I’ll stop there.)

go to the reading workshop
finish the section of my paper that didn't get finished last night
fold clothes
verify patron incomes before the Food Bank distribution tomorrow
find the rest of the yarn for one of my WIP Wrestling projects

3. Snacks I enjoy:
chips of any kind w/ fresh salsa, carrots w/peanut butter & honey, hummus & pita

4. Places I’ve lived:
Virginia: Afton, Alexandria, Harrisonburg (don't ask), & Winchester (undergrad)

5. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Billionaire? with a B? Well....there would be an endowment for youth ministry/outreach at our church; a bigger/better facility built for Food Bank distribution; a literacy outreach foundation of some type - leaning toward parental involvement with literacy/language development; landscaper & interior designer to FIX my house; housekeeper of some type - maybe 2x per week; and a home somewhere in England

So there you have it. Now I’m tagging Stacey, Judy, Cristina, Daniele, & Mo. Tag - you guys are it! Have fun!

A Kool way to Dye - I think

2008-07-30T21:50:00.001-04:00

IMG_1108_edited
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

So, I have this yarn and have had it for years. I listed it on Ravelry for trade/sale and actually had a few inquiries, but before I could act on them, I got a p.m. from JeaninMaine who suggested that I overdye it using kool-aid. After looking at some stashed overdyed yarn on Ravelry and getting some encouragement from my plurk-buds, I've decided to give it a try! I'm thinking something purple or peachy, but will check out the kool-aid supply at the grocery store and see what they have. I think this will be fun! Be sure to check back to see how it turns out :~)

Ladder Shawl

2008-07-28T06:13:00.003-04:00

P7270001_edited
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

I finished the Ladder Shawl on Sunday afternoon. It was an easy knit -just 5x5 ribbing and then dropping stitches. Dropping stitches with novelty yarn is not much fun, as the section using the eyelash yarn got a bit tangled, but everything came out well in the end! ...and the needles were big #11...I'm more of a #2-#5 girl myself...but big needles are OK every now & then.

About those Ravelympics....I'm withdrawing the Slave to the Plurk socks from the competition and focusing on the two 85% complete projects and the one 50% complete project. I think I can...I think I can...I think I can...I think.

WIP Wrestling

2008-07-27T06:46:00.003-04:00

Hey! I only have three more rows to go before I finish the twisty ribbon thingie! That 's not really what it' s called, only what I chose to call it early one morning while fighting with a section of ribbon yarn. I really think this will turn into a gift. Even though I love the yumminess of the Noro colors, I can't imagine myself wearing it. Maybe I'll feel differently after the stitches are dropped. Here it is -3 rows from completion-

I signed up for the Ravelympics last night. I'll be doing WIP Wrestling and trying to finish a couple of almost complete projects: a dog sweater for my m-i-l's charity knitting group and a Tahki cotton sweater from way back; and the Slave to the Plurk socks I just started and the BIG ONE - the De Colores jacket. It's going to require a little fudging, ...er...um... modification which is why it's been resting in a box for awhile. Whew - I'm already tired just thinking about it - sure do hope I can keep up!

I've also been doing a little spinning - if you can call it that. Yesterday morning I played with the little merino/bamboo sample I got with my Flawful Fibers order. It wanted to be tiny and fortunately, that was the weight I wanted to practice spinning - I love how it shines!

In other yarn related news, friend Janice loan me her umbrella swift and ball winder to use while she's relaxin' by the lake. At last count, I have 10 new skeins of yarn of wind into balls.....and I think there's more in the closet (of course there is!) - so I have lots to keep me busy for the next few days...months...maybe a years! When do you think I'll be finished? No matter how long it takes, I'm really looking forward to playing with all of my new yarny goodness - that will be my vacation!

Nanner complete, but not yet ripe!

2008-07-20T07:59:00.001-04:00

P7190010_edited
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

Yesterday I finished my Nanner socks! Yippee! I still love the green colorway - the variegations are very subtle and I think it shows Wendy's pattern well. I have decided to knock out a few of my WIPs before starting something new - I'll have to really resist temptation, what with all of my new yarny goodness calling to me from all over the house!

Here's what White Socks thinks of the whole thing - ho hum...just don't wake me up.....OK?

What a hunk of a kitty!

July Yarn Haul continues

2008-07-18T07:35:00.007-04:00

It seems that my summer vacation budget has been spent on yarn, at least so far! I've visited four different yarn shops - shops that I would not ordinarily visit because they area not in my usual prowling area. In early July, Cindy L & I visited Orchardside in Raphine; last week Janice & I visited The Yarn Lounge and The Knitting Basket in Richmond; and this week, while the boys were riding rollercoasters at Busch Gardens, I returned to The Knitting Sisters in Williamsburg. My purchases at Knitting Sisters were mostly gifts, but I did manage to acquire a new Lantern Moon basket for me!

I've also added a substantial amount of internet purchased yarn-
My first Loopy Ewe purchases - Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn - yummy!

My first Lime & Violet purchase - Just Ripe Nanners Boob Edition

C*EYE*BER Fiber Yarn for the Cause (Obama cause) - Fired Up & Yes We Can..(although it took a month to get the yarn)

...and the BIG score - 4 skeins of Wollmeise

Have you noticed that all of my new yarn is sock yarn? This is mostly due to the fact that sock yarn is affordable...and times 4 yarn shops, it's what I could get the most of! So Wendy.... looks like I'll be knittin' lots of socks! I've already chosen patterns for most of my new stuff, so stay tuned to see what I start cranking out, although some of the patterns are difficult and I'm already the slowest knitter on the face of the Earth! I'll eventually git 'er done I hope!

Noro & Ladder Shawl

2008-07-16T05:24:00.001-04:00

Ladder Shawl1
Originally uploaded by ckknitter

Last Sunday evening I had the need to handle yummy yarn, so I decided to start the Ladder Shawl using Noro Silk Garden and Cash Iroha. Friend Janice and I have spent lots of time discussing the amount of vegetation living in Noro, but I think I can overlook that because the colors are so glorious! Knitting with this yarn makes me feel good. I love how the colors change - it's almost hypnotic.
I'm also using a little Moda Dea Spellbound, which is a ribbon yarn with a little bit of sparkly in it. When I'm binding off, I'll drop every fifth stitch to create the ladders. I think this one is going to be good!

Yarn Haul - again!

2008-07-10T14:15:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, friend Janice & I took a trip to Richmond. We were inspired by our plurk-buddy LBinVA who, several weeks ago, posted lovely photos of Maymont Park - so Janice & I decided to combine a trip to see the Japanese Gardens in person and also, visit a couple of LYS's! Here's our trip in photos and words.

The first stop was a shop called The Yarn Lounge which was recommended to us by plurky LB. We were hoping to perhaps meet LB and treat her to lunch, but it's kind of weird meeting online people in person AND many people think LB is imaginary anyway, so we didn't hold out much hope for that to happen. (I did Rava-mail my cell # to LB's imaginary Ravelry page, just in case she felt like meeting some sister plurkers in the flesh.) SO - The Yarn Lounge is located in the Carytown section of Richmond. It's a very hip little shop with yummy yarns and very nice people. Here's what I scored while there:

It's Fleece Artist sock yarn. I was drawn to the vibrant colors, partly because it was a somewhat dreary day. I'm thinking these will be Jaywalker socks or maybe Monkey socks. I'll look at the pattern when I finish my Nanners!
I was also tempted into purchasing this yummy Sea Silk:

This came with a scarf pattern....can't wait to get it on needles! While we were paying for our goodies, my cellphone rang. The caller identified herself as an "imaginary person" so, we're thinking it was LB...or someone who pretends to be LB. In an case, it was very nice to talk to a plurky ravelous friend!

We had lunch at a nearby Thai Diner II and then made our way over to Maymont Park where we enjoyed the beauty of the Japanese gardens -

We thought about starting out for home right after our garden tour, but decided we had enough energy left for one more yarn adventure, so we headed over to The Knitting Basket on Grove Avenue for some more yarn fondling fun! Here's my score from that location:

The black is On Your Toes sock yarn and the hand dyed blue is by Pagewood Farm....yummmmmy! This will be used for faux fair isle socks one day...no time soon, unfortunately!

We ended our day at the Starbucks on Grove Avenue - I needed a nonfat latte to help me drive home. We had so much fun, we're thinking of doing another road trip next week - maybe to Williamsburg to visit The Knitting Sisters! I think this has somehow become the Summer of Yarn for me! With any luck, there'll be more on the way!

Yarn Haul

2008-07-04T09:32:00.002-04:00

Yesterday my friend Cindy (yes, another Cindy) & I went to Raphine to visit Orchardside Yarn Shop. It's located next to an historic old mill...very pastoral setting - see?

Since the second skein of Regia Bamboo for Pam's Clapotis scarf has disappeared from the face of the Earth, I decided I'd better start a back-up project, so I bought this to make a Ladder Shawl - it's a big needle & drop stitch project, so it shouldn't take very long. I sure do hope I find the other skein of Regia, because I LOVE the colors in the Noro I bought. Sure would like to keep it for ME!

After I got home, I decided to plurk for awhile & a plurker, I think catmum, posted that the Wollmeise site was being updated. I've never had Wollmeise, but I love the colors and have been lurking about on Ravelry to see if anyone might have some to sell to a Wollmeise virgin such as me. Well, I scored on the site! Even though I was 1. on dial-up (stinkin' DSL) and 2. not registered on the site, I was able to get 4 lovely skeins! I messed up though - in my hurry to get some, I did not read that I only need one skein for a pair of socks, so I'm going to end up with 2 Rosenrot

and 2 Versuchskaninchen.

Maybe I can post them for trade on Ravelry or maybe I'll give them someone as a gift...or maybe I'll just keep them until I need them - apparently I'm feeling a bit selfish about all the new yarn I have! Imagine that! I'll think I'll sit and knit awhile and contemplate the goodness of yarn-sharing - it won't hurt to think about it!