Sam Knits

Yep, Still Knitting...

2008-11-01T08:13:00.000-07:00

Knitting, spinning, dyeing, and beading. My camera has gone on vacation to Never-Never Land. I am hopeful that it will be located after today's round of intense house cleaning. Unless I get sidetracked by these cutesy little crocheted wash cloths I'm making for a baby gift. Quick little projects-YAY!

Fresh Yarn

2008-08-24T05:38:00.000-07:00

444 yards of soft, sparkley alpaca goodness. It took forever to get just this four ounces spun up, but I spun it very thin and navajo plied it. I still ended up with a light sock/fingering weight even with the three plying. I adored spinning this wool-it's glossy and the little bits of sparkle make it interesting. It's not overly sparkley, just enough. Now what am I going to do with it? I have no idea. I'll just admire it for a little while until I think of something.

Done!!

2008-06-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

I finally finished something!

This is my version of the "Old Shale Lace Triangle Shawl" from the Summer '08 issue of Spin Off. The first thing I changed is that I used thicker yarn than called for in the pattern and mine is store-bought sock yarn instead of handspun lace. It is a fairly simple pattern and I plan to spin up enough of my alpaca into a lighter weight and have enough yardage to make another. The pattern is by Evelyn Clark and starts from the top down-a helpful thing if you're using handspun and aren't sure you'll have enough. It has the option to work a plain -jane bind off or a picot edge. And since the pattern is kind of plain, it makes a really good showcase typ shawl for a gorgeous handspun or handpaint-there's not alot of fussiness in the pattern that would take away from the yarn itself.

In non-knitting, I'm THIS CLOSE to talking the Husband into acquiring a milk goat or two. Why should any child growing up in the country be deprived of the experience of raising animals? It could prove to be a bit more work than I am prepared for, but I am doing my homework and he has prior experience with goats so maybe it won't be so bad. You realize of course that the goats are probably just a jumping off point for me to talk him into other small farm animals. There is an underlying motive and I am not about to blow my cover just yet. A hint?

Oh come on. Like he could say no to that? Don't you think it's a good plan?

Too many Projects?

2008-05-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

In an effort to clean out some of the yarny stuff (to make room for more yarny stuff) I have commited to completing a few very old projects.

The sock is not so very old, but the two lace projects are. The pink and green is a shawl in Lorna's Laces 'Knit Happens' colorway and I think I started it last spring. The pattern came with the skein and is very simple and will make a half-circle shaped shawl when finished and blocked. Then there's another lace scarf knit with some of my own hand-dyed that is also a simple pattern and I don't know whay I still haven't finished it. Maybe soon. I aldo have a few spinning projects that really take up alot of my time while I'm at home, since that's not as portable as my knitting.

The green and blue bobbin are going to be plied together and make 2 oz of about a sock weight yarn. The lavender is some that came from North Valley Farm a couple of weeks ago and was so much fun to spin! It makes a real shiney yarn too. I three-plied it Navajo style and I ended up with 150 yards at about 20 wraps per inch for 2 oz of fiber. So that makes it about sock weight or a little lighter. I still have another 5-7 oz of the lavender but I couldn't wait to try the blue with sparkles. It is way more impressive in person. I couldn't get it to look right with or without flash. You can't see the glittery bits.
I am trying to get together a list of sock patterns-mostly toe up that would be ideal if you didn't have just a whole lot of sock yarn. I like working toe up since you can try on along the way and quit when you start to run out instead of guessing how much you'll need to finish and close a toe. Also, I don't like having all those little leftover 'skein-lets' that aren't big enough to make anything else. This one from Wendy Johnson at Wool Festival has some terrific suggestions. There are a number of ways to cast on for toe ups, I used one that was new to me last time and have not been able to repeat it for sock number two. Hopefully, I'll have a few more to post soon. My favorite sock book right now is More Sensational Knitted Socks by Carlene Schurch. It's got tons of variations you can mix and match to yor liking. Lots of beautiful pictures for inspiration too!

Goodies!

2008-05-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

I got my yummy roving from North Valley Farm and it was so worth waiting for.

I couldn't decide which color to get to I got three. The blue with sparkles, rose pink, and lavender. It spins up beautifully! And it easily spins into an almost thread-weight single that I will attempt to navajo-ply when I get a bobbin full. I wish I had a couple more of these level-wind bobbins since I haven't finished spinning up the blue and green that I started a couple of weeks ago. It would be nice to have a few extras.

On the knitting front-um, right. Knitting, that's what I used to do with yarn before I got side tracked by making yarn. I plan on getting back to that soon. Afterall, there is that other gray tweed sock I need to finish (start, rather). And then there's the other sock yarn that I rediscovered while tidying up my yarn storage.

How many potential sock projects does a girl need anyway? Apparently my majic number is thirteen. And one day, I just might get around to making all those socks I have planned....

Not Purple

2008-05-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

But still pretty I think-kind of patriotic huh?

I weighed out two one-ounce bundles and dyed one with strawberry koolaid and the other with berry blue. The color was very intense on the roving and muted considerably after it was spun up. It didn't blend into purple or any shade there of like I thought it might. I still like it though.

Then there's the ready made commercial yarn knitting:

Not that theres been much of that going on-my main weekday knitting time used to be my lunch breaks, but they are getting shorter and shorter. And I can't knit at home and let the unspun roving get jealous...
And speaking of roving, I just got this sample of Alpaca/Romney blend from North Valley Farm. I'll put in a link when time allows. I'm debating over which one should come live with me. I like the blue because it's got an little sparkley stuff in it-not something I wouls normally pick. The grey has some sparkley too. The lilac is nice, and so is the pink. I definitely have to get the stuff I already have sup up so I can get more than one of these. This farm also sells thier processed lambs for meat. I have a few other pictures to post, but not enough time right now. Oh and the Tot has new dresses-sewn by mommy of course! I will post those when I am able to get her to pose properly!

Busy busy, busy

2008-04-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

I've been up to a little spinning. The chunky yarn is easy and pretty quick to spin up and ply 4 ounces. The sock weight is a little more time-consuming. It takes me almost a week just to get each ply individually spun. Granted, my paying job seriously cuts down on my spinning time. And then I have to stop and sleep sometimes too-although I think I could probably spin in my sleep, but then I wouldn't be awake to enjoy it.

My new favorite wool for spinning is definitely the superwash merino I recently got from Amy over at Spunky Eclectic. Check out her shop from the sidebar link. I also tried some Corriedale to practice spinning thin yarns with-I loved it too!

This is the merino after I weight out two 2 ounce bundles and dyed each of them. Once spun up, the white bits that didn't take dye really tone down the brightness and the colors of the individual strands are very pretty. But when you ply them together, it's like magic happens and you make a totaly different color.

Ooh, pretty isn't it? Up next? Red , white, and blue! Actually, I'm hoping once it's spun and plied together, it will tone down like the other batch andd give my kind of a purple. We shall see.

2008-03-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

We've gone from snow day... To a beautiful spring with lots of things blooming...

all in just ONE WEEK!!! Spring in Louisiana-unpredictable at best.

The knitting hasn't stalled, just slowed to a snail's pace. Knitting time has been eaten up by work stuff, family stuff, and my other guilty pleasure-spinning. But I do have a couple of recent FO's

These are the 'Papa socks' that I finished before Christmas as a gift. They turned out quite nicely if I may say. And the recipient loved them (I hope so 'cause I won't be knitting size 12's again anytime soon) They were a perfect fit and it's always gratifying to give somethign they know you put alot of work into and is appreciated. The yarn is a lovely hand-dyed Etsy find. I have to find the tag so I can get more. I have some in brown, but the grey is the only one I've tried. It's best on US0's, so, the brown will languish in the stash for a while before I'm ready to go there again.

These were my Schaeffer Anne socks that I started ages ago, but only just finished last month. I used a pattern from the Vintage Socks book for men's socks, since I seem to knit alot smaller than the pattern writer. They are the softest, most beautifully colored (most impractical) socks I've made for myself. I love them! I think they may not hold up well over time and wearing, but they feel sooo good on my feet! I usually sleep in them, but do wear them out once in a while. I try to be gentle with the wasing too. This yarn doesn't have a whole lot of stretch, and after a day's wear the cuffs keep sliding down and won't stay in place. I don't care, they're pretty enough to forgive that little flaw. I may get some more of this for a hat since I enjoyed knitting with it so much.

There's been a little spinning going on and I shopped around for a new wheel. I have decided against a new one for now and settled on a level-wind flyer kit for my Fricke wheel. For now. I also ordered 2 pounds of wool from my favorite wool pusher, Spunky Eclectic. Now I'm looking forward to a week of stalking the mailman.

2008-02-10T16:49:00.000-08:00

Gaurd animal only in the sense that he is close to the door and if someone were to come in they would have to step over him and risk a fall...He's otherwise been quite a useless pet in the few months that we've had him. Fun to watch, super-affectionate (to the point of being annoying), and cute as a button, but geez, at least keep my yard from looking like an interstate-highway for moles, could ya' little fella? T-fer has decidedly NOT earned his keep. We are keeping him anyway, he's a family member. And nobody gets rid of 'Uncle Bob' or thier wierd cousin what's his name just because he's annoying and eats alot. That being said, when he's not being lazy and looking all cute (or eating) he entertains himself by treating the yarn in ways it wasn't meant to be treated. I never get pictures of that because I'm always rushing to rescue the yarn before irreparable damage occurs. I could excuse behavior like that if he made up for it by keeping the mole situation under control. He could at the very least excercise Big Fat Sam a little more often. But no, abusing the yarn seems to be his only interest aside from the food bowl. It looks like I will have to find an alternative to storing pretty yarns in fancy baskets on the floor, they're just too darn tempting for the little guy.

Not Knitting...

2008-02-08T19:49:00.000-08:00

Crochet! And I forgot that I'm much faster with a crochet hook than I am with knitting needles. So I wonder why I don't play with this more often.

Candi Jensen's 'Hooked On Crochet'. Had it a while. Also had the current project a while. It stalled, probably for some socks or something silly like that. I will finish it this time. Maybe.

2008-02-07T18:54:00.000-08:00

Shiney new printer dock for my shiney new camera. I can't tell if it takes good pictures, yet. My favorite subject never has a bad picture day (even when I sneak up behind her like I did in the above shot) and therefore gives me no basis for comparison. Besides, I think being able to take good pictures is probably more dependent on knowing your equipment and it's settings and how and when to use different options. We shall see-I have alot of reading and experimenting to do. I have been camera shopping off and on for a while. I finally went ahead and got a Kodak Easyshare because it seemd like it's easy enough that I can get The Tot to learn how to use it and then maybe she can teach her daddy. One can only hope.

Since this new toy was purchased AFTER field trip day, I didn't get to take any fun pics of the wee herd visiting the dentist. It was cool! And kudos to any adult who wakes up every morning and willingly takes on 25 preschoolers. Today, fortunately, the parent volunteers were ready for tiny masses and not one single preschooler will have to spend the night at the dentist! Let's hope it goes as smoothly next month when the herd will be escorted to the airport. How many opportunities can you come up with for mischief-making at the airport? And how many MORE do you think creative young minds can team-up and invent? Yeah. I know. I may sit that one out....

New Things

2007-10-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

Once there was a girl. She became a very. very big girl after God put a baby in her tummy. One day it was time for this baby to come out and meet her mom and dad. She did not want to as she had already decided that this was not the day she wished to be born. So time passed, mom and dad and everyone else in the kingdom waited and waited. And waited some more days. And then they waited some more days. And some more. And then after many says of waiting it was decided that maybe baby girl's internal clock was a bit off and perhaps it was time to MAKE her be born. And so that was how it happened and everyone was happy to meet Her Royal Sleepiness and we are all very glad that we did not wait for her to decide that it was time. Especially her mom, who really wasn't all THAT big and who would have thought that there was 10 pounds of girl baby in there?

I, for one, wish that she was just a tad more fussy. She is always sleeping so soundly and I really feel cheated out of some quality rocking time.

In knitting news, there's not much. Still working on those socks for my stepdad. Still thinking that I must be an idiot for starting size 13 sock on size 0 needles. I've got 6 inches on one and 5 1/2 on the other one. There could be a yarn famine in my future. Oh well, at least I can take comfort in the knowledge that I started them toe-up so if a yarn famine become iminent, I can make them into ankle socks or something. I look forward to starting my husband's size 10 socks, which will be a peice of cake after these. I have made a couple of cute scarves with some elcheapo yarn. But they're real cute and a quick bit of gratification too.

Tomorrow is field trip day with the Tot. So much for a 'day off'. There won't be any knitting I think.

Playin' With My Toys

2007-09-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

So what do you do with your brand new handspun? Why you dunk it in the Koolaid flavor of your choice, of course.

Bright sunlight makes the colrs look kind of washed out, but they are much brighter thatn that without being too obnoxious. Lime Koolaid and Berry Blue. You really don't want to get either on your clothes, trust me. The second shot gives you an idea of how chunky the yarn is. I have about 150 yards of it all spun up and dyed and now I don't know what I'm going to do with it! I bought one of those one or two skein pattern books, so maybe I'll pick something from that. Or maybe I'll just put it on Ebay and hope that somebody with more imagination than me can come up with something.

On a totally different 'note':

That's my honey there on the left with the banjo. They had a 'to do' out at the D'Arbonne state park over the weekend. It was a Dutch oven cookoff and there were some demonstrations and lots of food and of course the entertainment. Me and the Tot think Dad's pretty talented, but the rest of group he plays with is too, and take my word for it, you can only listen to a banjo solo for so long before your nerves fray to pieces. But it was a wonderful weekend and we all slept great after being out in the sunshie all day Saturday.

More Yarn?

2007-09-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

"Yes, more yarn." I told my husband. "But you already have yarn. I thought you said you weren't buying anymore for a while." And here is where I had to go into my lesson about the difference between 'wool' and 'yarn' and explain to him that roving for spinning doesn't really count since it's not yarn until I make it yarn. It made perfect sense to me. Until he said "but why do you need to MAKE yarn when you could just buy it already made?" And that's usually the part where I come back with something related to his passion for the outdoors (hunting specifically). Like "why do you want to kill a deer with a bow if it's easier with a gun?" or "why do we need another entire carcass of deer meat in the freezer when the grocery store is so close?" And of course I'm just picking with him, because I understand why you do something the hard way instead of the easy way-the love of it and not much more than that. It's pretty simple. He does what he does the way he does it because he just loves to do it. And so do I.

It's pretty yummy stuff too. Soft and lofty. Not sure if I would know what to knit with it. But I did pick up a couple of new books this past weekend at Booksamillion, so I may have a few ideas. If I decide to keep it for myself, that is. I really do have plenty of yarn already, I don't want to be a hog. (well, I do, but that's not nice.)

And Now....

2007-09-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

Aren't they just the cutest EVER!!! They're from the pattern in Felted Knits by Beverly Galeskas. Made from some of my own hand-dyed (with lime koolaid of course!) They were super easy and fast and I want to make a few dozen more. I don't know that many babies-to-be and there aren't many I would knit for anyway. Not that I don't like to do it, but baby stuff is outgrown SOOOOO fast, and I knit SOOOOO slow! Baby items made by me really get very little use for the amount of time I have to put into it, even the easy stuff. These were for a very special baby-to-be though, so exceptions must be made.....

I also have another 50 yards of two-ply bulky handspun drying. I wish I had maybe one or two extra spindles. But with the three I have I can spin up two spindles full of one-ply and then ply them to the third. I can only get about 50 yards of the bulky onto a spindle before it gets too full and starts turning funny. Oh, I know, 'How terrible!' I could have worse problems, couldn't I?!

Which reminds me...How will I keep my four year old from kissing boys? Hmmm?

Blog Vacation Again?

2007-09-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, but for good reason and with lots of knitting projects in the works. (all my photographic evidence is on my laptop and I'm too lazy to move them at this time) I treated myself to a new book last month for my birthday-Felted knitted something or other-I don't have it right here, but I'll check on that. I made New Niece-in-progress a pair of felted booties in some lime-green that I hand-dyed myself. And I finished them with pink ribbon. I have pictures on my laptop and will post those later. Now that I don't have a good reason for not posting, maybe I can keep better track of my progress on a few things!

The satellite guy came this afternoon and I get to call my dial-up ISP and say 'so long'! All the construction between the city limits and my neighborhood had played hell with the phone lines and service is kind of iffy lately. (electricity can be too, but I don't need to get started on that this late in the evening!) That's part of country life that has to be lived with or dealt with. I finally got tired of not being able to get a dial tone on a regular basis and dealt with it!

Today's knitting activity has been low, but I've got about a hundred yards of handspun two-ply bulky drying in my spare bathroom, and that was all spun since this morning, so I've still been busy. And now, I'm going to go work on the rest of that two pound bag of roving!

Stash Bustin'

2007-07-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

I am making a real effort to clean out the yarn storage and get rid of all the the stuff I am pretty sure I will never, ever use. The only problem with that is I might use it! If I get rid of something now, I might realize a month from now that I really, really needed that after all! So, rather than 'get rid of', I am 'making use of'. Now, please understand that this will be a long-range project and do not expect instant miracles. There's some goode stuff in that back room and some of it begs to be knitted as soon as it's dug out of a pile. Case in point:

I think it's acryllic, maybe. Probably. But it is definitely green. I did it with the knitting loom I found while cleaning out. Start to finish-about 2 hours. Not even a whole ball of bulky wieght yarn. So I haven't got very far down the path to cleaning or organizing the stash, but I have a new baby hat finished. And a little yarn used up. And I re-discovered that set of knitting looms I don't remember buying.

Sucker

2007-07-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

I am. I know I have a soft spot for critters and I don't have a problem with it. I didn't know it's hereditary, but apparently it is. See?

So I gifted the Tot with a stray kitten. It was very enchanting the way her eyes lit up when she said "He's mine forever?" My heart melted and the only hesitation I had was the part where we had to tell Daddy. Hmm. His only misgivings are kitty messes in the house. Other than that, he's kind of a sucker too.
He's a bit fond of the little black fur ball too. He will not admit to anymore than 'fondness', but he is taking our new baby to the vet for me.

And since the Tot was occupied with hew new friend, I got to knit. Still having a good time with the Schafer, but I took a break from little bitty needles to finish up the sleeveless sweater I started right after Christmas. It's from the Vogue Quick Knits book and made with Knit Picks' Vacation in Melon. (it's really orange) That's the yarn my awesome brother-in-law got me for Christmas. It's knitted on US11's or 13's. It went really fast and I should have been done with it ages ago-way before it even got hot enough to be going sleeveless. Should have, would have, could have.............the finishing was horrible though! This is a very splitty yarn and it was held double throughout, so there were like a billion ends to weave in. It's drying on top of the washer now, and it weight about a ton when it was wet. I may put in the sryer for a few minutes to speed up the drying. It's Tactel and Nylon with a little cotton and acryllic, so I don't think a few minutes is going to hurt. Maybe it will even out the stitches a little too. Maybe I can get the husband to take a picture of me wearing it. This pattern had wonderful shaping-which is good since such a thick knit sould look really bulky if it's the wrong shape. It hangs very nicely too and clings a little where it should. Depending on how it comes out of the dryer and whether or not it's dry enough in the morning, I plan on wearing it with either a khaki skirt or black pants tomorrow. I really, really, really hope it'll dry fast!!

Sweet Anne

2007-07-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

I got the Schaefer Anne about a week ago and the first thing I did (after putting it on the ball winder) was head to Hobby Lobby and bought all the size zero needles they had in stock. Straight and circular. Oh come on, they were on sale at half price. What knitter wouldn't have made the same choice if put in my position? Besides, I ended up with only three or four sets of straights and a couple of pairs of circs. In size zero anyway. I also picked up a few US#1 and 2 circs. I might need a couple of extras since I have all this sock yarn that needs to be knitted up. The Anne needed to be knitted right away, emergency-like. You know how it is. This stuff is unbelievably soft, with a little bit of shine to it. Of course I don't do good pictures, so you can't get the full effect of the gorgeous mix of pinks and a little touch of orange, but trust me, it's totally worth $27 a skein! If they don't have any at the KnitHappens online store, call them. Nice people. They pick good yarn. I actually wanted something else when I called, but they didn't have it in stock, so I said, "just pick me something pink for socks". Variegated, solid or hand-paint? I don't care, as long as it's pink. I ended up with color #937. Hey there color 937, I think I love you! I'm using one of the men's patterns from Vintage Socks book-gentlemen's half hose. I think I will love my finished socks too!

Lots or Knitting

2007-06-17T19:27:00.001-07:00

I couldn't be bothered to collect photographic evidence of this alleged knitting, but I swear I have at least half a dozen projects on the needles. I have a couple on crochet hooks too. There's also yarn in the mail (sock yarn of course). Of the current projects, only 4 are socks (that's 4 different pairs, not just 4 single socks). Wait, three pair on the needles and then the sock yarn that hasn't made an appearance yet. Oh, and the other, other pair that I haven't started but went as far as sticking a handful of US0's in the ball. That would be five pair if I was keeping track. And I'm only sort of keeping track because I'm trying to keep up with how many of which size needles I still have available. Then there's the pink and green shawl that's coming along very nicely. More than halfway through that one. I'm not in a huge hurry to finish it because I'm enjoying the knitting so much. I really do like the feel of the Helen's Lace and it's been fun to watch how the colors are going to line up or pool.

Maybe I won't be too lazy to get some pics of the new sock yarn when it arrives. It's Schaeffer and I've never tried any before, but I was told that I would probably want more after I got acquainted with it. Right now, I've got a lapful of fat cat that needs my attention and a piece of crochet of the side that she might let me fool around with.....Sam! Get your big, fluffy, black butt off my white cotton yarn, please ma'am!

AS IF!!!

2007-05-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

This is fun to make, and pretty fast too, but it's not like I'm going to wear a crochet cotton bikini!! #1:The tendency of cotton to 'grow' when wet (not a good quality to have if you are a bikini) #2:It's a bikini. Personally, I think #2 is reason enough all by it's self.

No other really interesting knits yet, just the same old same same same. I have looked at some good books though. More on that when I have a little more time. I'm going back to the bookstore today anyway, so maybe I'll actually bring home one of the ones I've been considering the last couple of times.

Small Projects

2007-05-17T14:36:00.000-07:00

It feels good to finish something-anything-no matter how small. I got a couple of cotton washcloths finished yesterday and today for baby gifts to go with a little handmade goatmilk soap. And there will be a couple more too.

I had planned on knitting alot yesterday at the park where the Tot went with her class on a field trip. Instead of knitting, there were swings and lot of little people who needed to be pushed. Apparently, I'm a good pusher. But I did get some waiting-room knitting done today and got the second washcloth done. Oh, by the way, the Husband had a little minor surgery on Monday and gifted me with all this lovely waiting-room time this week. It almost makes up for the whiney at-home-ineedanothericepack-andsinceyou'reupcanyoubringmeanotherblahblahblahblah-time. Almost.

When I need a break I walk around the yard and ogle my daylillies. I usually do this with a ball of yarn tucked under my arm (sometimes a beer).

It's a shame that I can't remember most of thier names. I think I put little metal stakes under them when planted them, or maybe I meant to and never did, I don't know. There are some of my favorites, and then there's the native daylillies and the little Stellas too and a couple of others. The dark pink ones in the second picture are actually more like purple in the mornings and fade through the day until they're almost pale pink by sunset. They are my most favorite and bloom profusely for a few weeks. They seem to be multiplying pretty good too!

Have Some Pie

2007-05-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

Last week was crazy busy tyring to get ahead a little at work so I could take off this week. Needless to say, there was not a whole lot of knitting. Mommy was not happy about that. But looking ahead to this week, and knowing that there would be some of that good waiting-room knit time in store made it bearable. I've got the first 'pie-wedge' and about half of a second done on the Lorna's Laces Free and Easy Pie Wedge Shawl:

I'm lovin' the pooling. It's random but not too concentrated in any one place. I am fully aware that I will have absolutely nothing to wear it with when I'm done because it looks like a smashed watermelon. I do not care. I will wear it anyway because I adore the colors.

And I wouldn't want to mislead anybody into thinking that I work for a bunch of slave-drivers. I actually think I have some of the coolest employers ever-especially considering I work at a bank. We've been having different themes each week. It's a morale-booster and promotes comraderie with the people you spend most of your waking hours with on a daily basis. (it also promotes a bit of competitiveness, but that's part of the fun) Last week was a 50's theme and we had a Bazooka bubble gum bubble-blowing contest which I did not win:

See? I think you need jaws of steel to chew that stuff. Or maybe I'm just not in tune with my competitive spirit as much as I need to be. I also did not win the hula-hoop contest the week before. But it was fun!

Not Much To Show

2007-05-07T11:18:00.000-07:00

I knitted a whole bunch this weekend. Or I thought I did. I know I made good progress on the Lorna's Laces Pie Wedge shawl (I know this because I counted the rows, not because it actually looks bigger). I did not even take my Trekking sock out of the Current Portable Project Bag. I also didn't pick up one of the other three or so pairs of socks I haven't finished. I did finish this though:

Okay, so I finished it on my lunch break AND it's not really completely finished. It's one of the few baby hats I'd like to get done before the babies have babies. I still have to weave in ends, make the little top-knot loopies, and give it a good washing. Super simple. I should have a whole drawer full of these. US #6 needles, plain stockinette, no decreases 'till the top (and that was K2tog for 3 rows and then gather the last 11 stitches) I mean come on, I should have had this one done a week ago. But it's done now and I can start the next one!

There may also have been a little bovine interaction over the weekend.

BABIES!!!!

(none of these guys are getting hats)

Yarn Fridge?

2007-05-03T03:56:00.000-07:00

I've been un-blogged so long I forgot about all the neat new yarny stuff! This is an old ice box rescued from my grandmother's house. I have always loved it and I always knew that one day I would have a place for it in my own house. Granna used to keep paper plates, napkins, cups, and plastic utensils in it. We knew when she started packing up stuff from in there that we were about to have a good time picnicing at the lake. So now it holds yarn, pattern books, needles, and other good knitty type stuff. It's not big, so it doesn't hold much. It's red, so it doesn't go with anything in the house. It's got a few dings, so it's not perfect. But it's a tiny little piece of my childhood that I can keep in my living room and have as a part of everyday adult life and add good things to it along the way. (and also my husband hates it, so that's just a thorny little bonus to go with the deer head on the wall above it).

Ripped

2007-05-02T10:03:00.000-07:00

It just wasn't working out between me and Helen. So I ripped and cried and put in in the yarn 'fridge. I felt guilty about five minutes later and put the whole thing-yarn, pattern, circs, and stitch marker-in my purse. I called the lovely folks at Lorna's Laces this morning. Really awesome to be able to call somebody and get a bit of verbal instruction or clarification on a pattern. The problem? The pattern was just too simple, so I thought I must be doing it wrong. Turns out, I wasn't. I didn't rip it out for nothing though- I had twisted the bottom row anyway. So I'll be spending my lunch hour with Miss Helen. I think I at least owe her lunch.

Treats For Me!

2007-05-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

I love my UPS man. He brought me this today:One skein of Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace in the Knit Happens colorway from....Knit Happens of course! They've been having a crazy sale over there and have just about sold out of EVERYTHING! I found lots of other stuff I'd like to have but I had to show a little restraint so we could still have groceries later this month. I'm already on row 9 of the pattern that came on the ball band. I may rip it out.

And I haven't been a total slacker with the yard either:
Okay, so they would have bloomed anyway. I did have to pull the weeds out from around them. Amaryllis are so pretty and showy and require next to no attention. Perfect for me.

Still Stuck on Socks

2007-04-29T15:18:00.001-07:00

Trekking yarn, (color? lost the band), pattern-none. I really hope sock number two bares a strong resemblance to number one. I hate it when one feels different. This yarn is a little stiff to knit with, but I hear it softens very nicely after the first wash. I'm putting these on the back-burner for a day or two so I can make progress on a baby hat or two. We're expecting new family members soon. No, no Tot siblings, just cousins. But Tot cousins need thier little heads covered too.

No Knittin' Pictures Yet

2007-04-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

I got the next best thing though....

Egyptian sheep. Not mine. I just like to look. (sigh)

Blogging Again?

2007-04-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

Maybe. And, WOW! Has it been a loooong time! So long I couldn't remember my username (not to mention my password). Heck! I can't even remember where I wrote them down at! I'm working on several projects and have finished quite a few recently too. And of course I don't have pictures, I have to find them, re-learn how to post them, and make myself make the time to sit and do it!

The Tot has been keeping me on my toes (she no longer considers herself a tot, but she's not reading at this level yet, so pthhbbbt!) . Such a busy life she has learning all the new things she'll need to become a complete little person. It's been a very exciting year for me watching her in her school surroundings and we've been so very impressed with the school itself and the teachers and all the other staff that help guide these little people on thier way to becoming who they'll be as adults. It's been almost a whole school year, and all I can say is that it's amazing! Montessori isn't for every child, but mine seems to thrive there. I can't wait 'til next year!

I promise to dig up project pictures by the weekend. I don't promise that I'll get them posted here, but I will make my best effort!

Remember Blogging?

2006-10-02T03:53:00.000-07:00

Vaguely. But I definitely remember knitting and that I really miss it! I have almost finished a pink project for October. And there's still the embroidery: I have another embroidery project that's not quite finished. It should be, but it's not.

Still Here

2006-09-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

And still not knittin' alot. I did finish the felted bag, but I haven't put the pieces together yet. Puttering around with some other unfinshed stuff, but not making progress of any significance. I've been doing more embroidery than anything else lately I think. I've got to get some pictures-if I can find my camera. Most days I don't even feel like turning the computer on after we get home. I mostly sit and watch Little Miss Ball of Energy. I don't remember ever, at any point in my life, having half that much energy.

Bedtime!

What Is It??

2006-09-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

I agree with the Tot. It doesn't look like much......yet!

The i-cord handles are going to take FOREVER! 4 feet of i-cord. I was supposed to have all that and the tabs and the roses done and put together before felting the bag. I should have read ahead in the instructions. Yeah, well, I couldn't wait to see how it felted. I am thrilled with how easy it was! Blocking-not as much, but still, I am looking forward to making some more of these and I hope I have enough hand-dyed in some of my other colors.

Looky, looky!

2006-09-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

I found a project that knits up fast as lightning! It helps that it's done on US10.5's. Also, I'd like to point out that I have never kept any of my hand-dyed for myself. This may not be the case after this project. This is the first time I've knitted anything with my own hand-dyed and I'm really enjoying watching the colors unwind from the ball. This wool will felt really well too, which is what I needed.

This is the Felted Rose Bag from Creative Knitting's January '06 issue. I'm planning (pretty much) on going by the pattern. Except for maybe not putting the little rosettes across the top. Anyway, I haven't read that far ahead in the pattern yet, so we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, right?

There was also a little machine embroidery on the side. (my kntting doesn't mind-it's used to regular intervals of neglect and abandonment)

Crafty Heiffer

2006-08-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

Didn't I tell you they were cute? And how 'bout these:
I think I'm falling in love with my embroidery machine again. Not that I'm abandoning the knitting. But the cool thing about the machine is that I can just kind of sit and monitor it, change the thread colors when it tells me to, and while its doing its magic thing, I can knit! I had the most fun this past weekend doing just that. And my mom cam over Sunday afternoon and I helped her with the bedskirt we're re-working for the Tot's 'big girl' bed. And did I tell you about the 1/4" hemmer? I forgot how much fun that little gadget is! All you have to do is feed the fabric through the presser foot and it neatly curls it under and stitches it down to make a very tidy 1/4 inch seam. I can't believe I forgot about that.

I didn't pick up a starving Tot today after school. But I did get a worn out one. I signed her out at 5:05 and she was asleep by 5:10. Husband thinks this might be a problem. He's crazy. Do not listen to the crazy man. A nap after a long day is every adult's fantasy. The Tot did turn into a bottomless pit as soon as we got home though. I heard a rumor that this type of behavior has been known to last through to the college years. Please tell me it was a rumor. 15 more years of that? Holy cow! And she's so small.

You Are My Sunshine

2006-08-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

Don't get me wrong, I am most grateful for the rain we've been getting the past few days. A little sunshine would be helpful if I'm going to have any pictures to post this week though. I have some machine embroidery to show off. I got me a new pattern disk and I love it! Farm animals, of course. And barns. How quaint, huh? Oh, and did I mention the sheep? And the goat? And the jack-ass? I can see that one coming in handy on some Husband boxers or something.

Anyway, I did some cute little dish towels for a gift basket. I think they look nice.

So today was the Tot's first FULL day of school. I really, really like this school. You know how she napped after the first day? She slept ALL THE WAY HOME today. 45 MINUTES!!! And, she went to bed at 8:00. Woo Hoo! Okay, the sleeping isn't the only thing I like about her school, but it is a huge mark in the positive column. But I am curious, did God pre-program all young children to respond the same way after a few hours away from their parents? "I'm hungry!" Not "I'm so happy to see you!" or "How was your day?". Okay, so sometimes I do get "I'm so happy to see you!" closely followed by "I'm hungry!". But GEEZ!!! You'd think she's starving to death all the time. I can hardly imagine what it will be like when she gets some size to her and can open the fridge by herself. Good grief! She ate half a ham and cheese sandwich when she got in the truck (before the nap) and started eating again as soon as we got in the house. (there was a short break in the eating during bathtime too, but it didn't even last long enough to get her dressed again before she was back at the table) The metabolism of the very young is amazing, isn't it?

How Was It?

2006-08-25T04:15:00.000-07:00

I'd say the first day of school went well. What do you think?

Any day that we get a nap is a very good day.

Picture Perfect Weekend

2006-08-22T03:05:00.000-07:00

A little machine embroidery: I didn't photo the whole thing since it wouldn't have shown up very well. This is a hooded baby towel with the little guy's name on it. These are super-easy to put together and they turn out really cute. (and they don't have to fit, and there's no pesky guage to worry over)

Then there's the yarn that I dyed a week or so ago and just got around to re-skeining: Very Christmas-y. Not my intention. Still, it might make some cute felted mittens, maybe fingerless-glovey things. If I can find a pattern that's easy enough I might try it. Then there's this other yarn that is still in balls:

Felted slippers? I'd prefer to do felted clogs, but I'll have to see what I can find. And if I find a good easy pattern, my new Shrinky Dink stitch markers could come in handy:

I know, I don't get good detail with my camera. The tiny ones on the right will be stitch markers-I ran out of jump rings. And the fishy ones on the left are charms for a bracelet thee Tot picked out for her Gran. And the ones in the middle are little tags for the Tot's school gear. I've got some more with her name on them, but she's been playing with them and they are missing right now. I really like the Peter Rabbit one.

Knitting Vacation

2006-08-21T03:58:00.000-07:00

Not exactly a vacation...more like a forced separation from my knitting. I have completed a few very worthwhile goals last week. We had a workday at the school the Tot will be starting at later this week. That was fun. No, really, it was. And I got to meet some of the other parents, so I feel alot better about her going off into the wild blue un-known now. I don't expect it to be as difficult for her as it is for me.

So now, on to the non-knitting:
Okay, so maybe not. I'm having some trouble loading my pictures. I'll try again tonight.

Anybody else remember 'Shrinky Dinks'?

Not Dead

2006-08-15T02:20:00.000-07:00

But not knitting all that much either. Well, that's not exactly true. I knitted some over the weekend, but I think I need to give my hand a little rest for a day or two. It could be the lace knitting that's making it sore. I hope not since I'm only three inches and not quite a whole pattern repeat into the scarf. It's not a hard pattern, but it does require some attention (and a sticky note to mark which row I'm on doesn't hurt either).

I think I've dyed all the yarn I have available and now I'm considering the roving. I haven't got any pictures of what I dyed last week-I need to re-skein about 7 ounces of it anyway. It was the 'wool blend'. I don't really do any felting- I tried before. But this batch really seemed like it wanted to be felt. I may look online for a good (easy) pattern for some felted slippers or mittens. I was going to put most of my newly dyed yarn on E-bay or Etsy, but I think I'll hold off until I can experiment with the felting again. As if I need more stash yarn. (what I need are some more bins to stash the stash yarn in).

Acryllic?

2006-08-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

Yeah, but you can't really fault the fiber choices of the very young. They don't understand any more than husbands do, so I'm cheatin' on the wool this weekend.

This will be a throw pillow for the Tot's new bed. One day. I also did a little dyeing and even though my pictures didn't turn out great, my yarn did.
This is Superwash merino that I got from Stick Chick's Etsy shop. I'll try to find the link and post it on the sidebar. She's got some really nice stuff. And a pretty good selection of undyed yarn too. She also had some roving, but I'm pretty well stocked up on that for now. I dyed a little of the light worsted I got on Ebay, but this picture most definitely isn't true to color. It's really a pretty combination with the blue-green and purple. I re-skeined it after it dried and I liked the color mix alot better. I also ran it through the yardage meter and I think it's enough for a scarf if I decide to keep it (380 yds). I can't wait to see what it looks like knitted up.

It looks kind of brown and tourquoise here, doesn't it? Hmm, I think I like that color combination too.

"More Wool?"

2006-08-04T04:04:00.000-07:00

Asks the Husband.

Me: "Yes. Just a little."

Husband: "Why do you need more?"

Me: "I just do."

Me again: "Why do you need another deer head on the wall?"

Husband: "Oh, yeah. "

Actually, he's pretty tolerant of the fuzzy stuff in places it doesn't belong. And he certainly understands about having a hobby that you're obsessed with. That doesn't mean I can't still nag him about the banjo thing.

So this is what I got yesterday:
The two smaller lighter colored skeins in front are a very light fingering weight (almost lace weight) superwash merino. Unbelievably soft. Yum. It is already dyed and hanging in the bathroom right now. I don't know if I'll be able to part with it. The other wool is about a pound of non-superwash mystery wool. Not that soft, but it's not too bad either. It does have a strong odor. Even the Tot said so. It will need a little more washing, but I did dye a little last night, and it takes color very well. I don't particularly like the colors I used, but that's my fault, not the yarn's.

And here is some proof that I have knitted a little this week:

That is my heel-less sleeping sock from the 'Vintage Socks' book. Yep, my heel-less sock has a heel. I just couldn't do it. I think tube socks are an insult to the process of hand-knitting a sock. And that is some KnitPicks sock yarn that I'll be using to make a few Christmas socks with.

Melissa mentioned on her blog about the fuzz-factor of some of the dye-your-own yarns from KnitPicks. I noticed that too, even when I've tried to be extra-special careful about the tempurature and agitation. I haven't had that issue with anything that was superwash, so I guess that's the deal there. Still I love just about ALL of the stuff I've ever got from KnitPicks, and now they have some new dye-your-own stuff that I just HAVE to try! (and they've got super-wash now too)

Still Knittin'

2006-07-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

I started out making those 'Heel-less Sleeping Socks' from the Vintage Socks book, but I decided to install a heel anyway. I'm going to attempt to do an after-thought heel. I'll let you know how this turns out. I've also been doing a bit of kool-aid dyeing. I haven't had the chance to knit any of my own hand-dyed stuff yet except for test-swatching. Most of it has sold on E-bay. Maybe I'll be greedy and keep a little for myself next time. I'd love to have a little shawl with the blue and green.

The Tot and I had a grand time at the Watermelon Festival yesterday. I think the parade was much better than last year, or maybe I just enjoyed watching it more because the Tot is big enough to chase after candy with the other children now. We don't have so many arts and crafts anymore though. I remember all the stuff they used to have-woodworkers, candle and soap makers, quilters, and lots more. Now it's mostly junk. But still, there were a few booths with some handcrafts and of course there were plenty of places to get some really yummy-bad-for-your-tummy treats. The Tot had her first funnel cake. And alligator on a stick. And lemonade. Oh, and some candy from the parade loot bag.

Alka-seltzer anyone?

Some More Goodies

2006-07-22T16:57:00.000-07:00

Yummy hand-dyed wool/nylon blend freshly dried ready to hang aroung and wait on me to decide what to do with it:

Not too bad for a lazy weekend. And I started another pair of socks.....

Fibery Fun

2006-07-20T04:12:00.000-07:00

There's not alot going on in the way of knitting this week, but at least I'm getting a little quality time with some yarn. The Tot 'helped' me with a little dyeing the other day, but then after my yarn dried yesterday, the weather got bad and the light wasn't good enough for any pictures. So I wound up a couple more skeins to get ready for dyeing. The Tot has been advised not to help with the skeinwinder. The two wool/nylon blend skeins that are finished are beautiful. I hope I can get good pictures to show them off. It's still just the koolaid dyeing because I haven't got brave enough to try anything else. Also, I think a little more research will be in order before I'm ready to settle on any other type of dyes.

It's coffee time. And Tot waking up time. Fortify me with the coffee first please.

Quickie

2006-07-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

I have to throw a quickie project out there every once in a while so I don't get discouraged. Now the Tot has her own pair of hand knit anklet socks that I think will look neat with Crocs. It's also a good use for my left-over sock yarn.

And how does the Tot like her new socks? Yeah, well. Every body can't be born with good taste in socks. Fortunately, she's young enough to be forced into appreciation.

About Those Needles...

2006-07-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

I don't care for the stretchy circs. But I've only played with them for two days so I can concede that I just may not be used to them yet. I plan to make an effort to get used to them over the weekend. I have two toe-up socks started on DPN's and I got far enough on one of them last night to switch to the circs. So far, it seems a little fussy, but still, I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. I'll wait until I've played with them over the weekend before I pass final judgement.

Wooly Goodness

2006-07-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

I just don't do this stuff justice. It's so soft and squishy and feels so good to spin. Too bad my resulting yarn is crap. It is a little better than some of the other yarn I've done though. Not too badly over-twisted, but not all that evenly spun either. But then, I've only spun about 2 ounces so far, so I still have almost 2 whole pounds left to practice/play with! Yay! I just can't wait 'til my yardage meter arrives so I can play with that too!

Goodies For Me

2006-07-10T19:04:00.000-07:00

I got me some new toys!

I just can't wait to try these. They're stretchy circs from Yarn Cubby, but they only come in a US#2. I did the only reasonable thing I could do in such a situation-I ordered some sock yarn more suitable for #2 needles. I should have that in a day or two. I also have a brand new yarn meter on it's way. That's actually a really early birthday gift from The Husband. While I wait on that, there's this:

MMMM! My spinning wheel has been neglected far too long. I plan to fix that over the next few days. There's a little bit of Navajo Churro wool still on one of my spindles that I need to finish spinning, but as soon as I have that done up, this big pile of fluff is next. I haven't spun in a couple of months, so this should be quite a learning experience for me. Again. I couldn't be more excited!

Yummy Yarn

2006-07-04T14:45:00.000-07:00

And the best part? It's superwash! It's soo much more fun to dye superwash than something fussy that will felt at the drop of a hat. The multi-colored one is already spoken for-my mom 'needed' it. I think I'm going to e-bay the other two, but I might wait until the rest of the stuff I got to dye comes in.

Happy Independence Day! I hope everybody had a great one!

Shhh!

2006-07-03T04:12:00.000-07:00

Mommy's counting, let's haave a little bit of quiet.

No, this isn't a new project. Um, I was just testing some old yarn I cleaned out of the back room. I had to make sure it hadn't gone bad or anything. I just happened to have my Lavish Lace book handy and I thought I'd check to see if this Misti Alpaca Lace would knit up okay if I ever wanted to do something with it. Really.

Besides, what was I supposed to do while the queen was holding court?

The 'sass factor' was off the charts most of the weekend. If you weren't Papa, you were nobody. Sometimes, being nobody is a good thing!

Y'all enjoy your Monday! (especially you slackers that don't have to go in to work today.)

What Have I Done?

2006-06-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure, but I think I will have THREE POUNDS of fresh fibery stuff arriving in the near future. And that doesn't include the three skeins of un-dyed Opal sock yarn that hasn't made it's appearance yet. The Husband is so going to kill me. He said I could have some more wool to spin. I think he forgot how much space one pound occupies. Yup. I got two pounds of roving coming from Boogie Knits. And then there's that pound of already spun un-dyed yarn I just won on E-bay. It's a good thing my spare room flooded last weekend, now it's all cleaned out and waiting for me to fill it up with new stuff!

I gotta go stalk a mail man.

And Then There Was Yarn

2006-06-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

The weekend really started off quite sucky. That Tot got up pretty early Saturday morning, as usual. And with a wet hiney. No big suprise there. The big suprise came when the Husband got up to take care of the wet butt and discovered that we also had a wet spare bedroom. How is it that a 40 gallon water heater decides to let go and you get 50 gallons of water on the floor? At least 50. I like to wake up and have a little coffee and maybe spend some quality time with the yarn while the Tot has breakfast with Dora. I definitely don't like to spend half the day vacuuming water out of the carpet. Oh, and I keep my yarn back there too. And the computer. Yeah, state of emergency in the Tucker household. And we've had terriffic thunderstorms the past two days. As if there wasn't enough water around here! Oaky, so that little 'crisis' has been taken care of and the new water heater installed by my very own husband (I'm so proud! I didn't know he could do that and not get electrocuted.)

So there wasn't much quality time to be spent with the yarn. But I did manage to get in a few stitches.

You can tell where I didn't do enough knit rows in between a couple of the pattern repeats. Like I'm going to rip that back and re-do it. It took too long to get that much done!

There was also progress on the sock. Not so much that you'd notice, but I'm not far from where I'll start the heel flap.

I'm kind of ready to be done with these. Not that I don't like knitting them, and the Lorna's Laces is lovely stuff. I'm just ready to start something else!

Oh, and just so nobody gets the idea that the weekend is all about me and the yarn.

Trust me, the Tot gets plenty of action. Don't mind the cast off life vest. We're actually on a little bank here. In fact, prior to my dad catching the fish and letting her reel it in, she was very content playin' in the wet sand. And so the weekend wasn't all bad now. Was it?

There is a funny smell coming from the spare room that needs to be dealt with though........

Fishin' For Post Material

2006-06-23T04:17:00.000-07:00

Yup. Not enough knitting to talk about. The cute factor is much higher for her anyway.

I'm Not A Knitting Slacker

2006-06-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

I'm a non-picture taking slacker. That's much different.

I promise there was knitting during the past week, just not so much that it was photo-worthy. I made considerable progress on the second Lorna's Laces sock. And not so considerable progress on the merino lace scarf. I really thought two more pattern repeats would be more noticeable. It's not.

On the other hand, you should see what my kid did this past week. No, no pictures of that either, but they did some really cool tie-dyed t-shirts at Bible School. (I'm pretty sure the teachers and older kids did most of that, they seemed too smart to turn a bunch of three-year-olds loose with dye...and the rooms were too clean afterwards.) Maybe I'll have a little pair of hands to help me dye yarn next time! She already has a good time with the ball winder, I just wish her attention span was long enough to get a whole ball finished!

Whoops!

2006-06-11T19:48:00.000-07:00

Some days, my blonde-ness gets the better of me! I guess I thought I listed that yarn for only three days. WRONG!!! My kool-aid dyed grape flavored yarn DID sell! Woo! It will be on it's merry little way to a new home in Pennsylvania first thing tomorrow morning. I feel like such an idiot!

I think I'm going to get some knit-time this week while The Tot has her Vacation Bible School in the evenings. Probably no blogging, but I think if I sit in the back nobody will even notice the yarn. Who cares what the parents are doing anyway? As long as the kids are having a great time (and my tot ALWAYS has a better time than everybody else).

Their Loss

2006-06-09T03:51:00.000-07:00

Since nobody wanted this on Ebay, my next pair of socks: Right. Next two pairs of socks. I'm hunting a pattern now, but I need to finish the other Lorna's Laces sock first. It's looking to be a pretty busy weekend, so I guess I won't make much progress on that for the next couple of days. Oh well.

Mo' Socks

2006-06-06T18:29:00.000-07:00

Can you have too many striped socks? I guess I'm getting there then:

The only thing I don't like is that darn Dutch heel:

It feels funny under my foot. I'll wear them anyway, but I think I'll avoind this heel technique in the future. I started on the second diamond pattern sock yesterday with the Lorna's Laces Flame. I almost forgot about those. At least I followed the pattern straight from the book and didn't change anything, so I don't have to figure out what I did on the first one. I think. I hope.

Ooo, Pretty

2006-06-05T19:51:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Hattiesburg Daylilly Society, for the lovely show.

New Knitter In The Fam!

2006-05-31T03:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I taught my niece to knit. Thank goodness she's smart and a fast study! I'm not a very good teacher. I thought it might keep her occupied on the long flight to Alaska. I've since found out that it's a non-knitting flight. What airline from Hades did they take anyway? Oh well, I'm sure she and her swatch will have a great summer-freaky airline rules excepting.

I have this on ebay. And also
the grape flavored yarn. I hate to see them go, so if they don't that will be okay. I'm just afraid if I keep tham around here, I'll start another pair of socks. (sigh)

Distraction

2006-05-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

Minor distraction. Okay, make that merino distraction:
I really, really, really like this yarn. It's the dye-your-own lace weight from KnitPicks. I dyed it with koolaid. I keep burying my nose in it. Smells fruity.

Oh, and the pattern is from Lavish Lace. It's Crest O' The Wave. It's easy to remember because the pattern row never, ever, ever changes. I know, exciting isn't it?

They don't think so either: Notice how impressed they both are.

New Socks?

2006-05-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

Not yet, but very soon. I'm still okay with the odd striping. It got on my nerves a little on the heels, and I'm sure the toes are going to bug me too, but I still like it. Maybe next time I'll suck it up and rewind the balls to stripe the same way. Maybe.

Now I can start picking the pattern for my next pair. That might be a little premature, huh? But I do already have the yarn. Some of that yummy koolaid-dyed stuff. I also still have that diamond pattern sock that would like a mate. I might consider working on it a little before starting a whole new pair.

Almost A Pair

2006-05-20T16:17:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe not almost, but I've turned the heel on one sock and started the heel flap on the other. For me, that's pretty close to done. There could be enough progerss to warrant pictures tomorrow. For now, back to my socks.

Oh, and since May is almost done too, that means I might be able to order that black sock yarn from Knit Picks sometime next month. I hope.

Put Down That Knitting!

2006-05-16T03:35:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a morning dose of sass from your three-year old. But who would't put down the knitting for this:

And some of these:

And this guy who we didn't visit very long because the Tot said he was sad and missed his family and wanted to go home. I thought he looked sad too:

There was more cool stuff to look at than I had energy for! My little hatchling had a great time too:

Yep. Giant egg. Fun.

We'll definitely be going back soon. There were some exhibits that were being repaired or remodeled and we didn't get to see everything anyway. There was too much!

Irresistible

2006-05-09T04:10:00.000-07:00

I have all these other little things that need a little finshing. Socks that need thier mates. Scarves that need just one more ball of yarn. Plenty to keep me occupied, right? I couldn't help it though. Really. I kept this stuff in the house too long and it got to me.

It may have been the book that talked me into it, but I think it was the yarn. This was the koolaid dyed merino lace-weight. I just HAD to see how it looked knitted up. I haven't knitted lace in a while, so it kind of feels strange, but I like the way it's turning out. So far. Six rows in. Blame it on the wool.

And I wouldn't want my socks to feel neglected.

I decided I kind of like the opposite stripes.

WHAAAAA!

2006-05-05T03:29:00.000-07:00

It's Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival time and I want to go! I will most likely be retired before I ever get to go, so I'll have to be content to whine about it.

I think it's also fund-raising season for many charities.
Claudia's got a cool thing going. My place of employment participates in several. Currently, we're centered on Med Camps of Louisiana, an organization that sponsors summer camps for special needs children. And we're going to be wrapping up our Relay For Life campaign in a couple of weeks. ***WARNING: Shameless promotion follows*** Our last 'big' fund-raiser for the Relay is our garage sale on Saturday. We've had lots of items donated for this (some nice stuff too and I think it'll turn out pretty well even if it rains. If anybody semi-local is interested we're going to be located at Community Trust Bank on Main Street in Farmerville, LA. We'd appreciate it!

Now for the knitty stuff. There ain't much. I did this last week:

That's 880 yards of laceweight merino hand-dyed by me. With koolaid. It's actually not that pale a blue, maybe a little more tourquoise-ish. But very nice I think. And it goes great with my new book. Lavish Lace by Carol Rasmussen and Cheryl Potter. Beautiful. I already practiced on this:

It should make up for the empty, sheep-festival-less place in my summer. (sigh)

Save The Wool!

2006-05-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

I have knitting progress, freshly dyed merino, and a new pattern book. I even have pictures of the knitting. Decent ones with good color and everything. What I haven't had is phone service at my house since Sunday. Mice. If they eat through a phone line, how safe would you reckon the wool is?

Lime-ish

2006-04-26T01:23:00.000-07:00

It is most definitely lime and not the lovely toothpastey shade of mint you see here. I think I 'm going to try for some better pictures and then put this and the purple one on Ebay. I would love to knit me up some lime socks with one of the patterns from Vintage Socks (and I kind of have one picked out), but I don't see me getting around to it any time soon. If I was going to keep one of these, it really should be the purple anyway since I don't have much that would match this green. I guess I could dye something....

And speaking of dyeing, Oakley started out as an indigo plantation (I know, I mentioned it already). I'm really curious about the indigo dyeing process. I've read a little bit about it, but never actually seen it done. There were some 'stray' indigo plants around the plantation grounds, and I was temtpted, but I think I'll settle for a cutting of Mom's. How much does it take to dye about four ounces of yarn anyway?

So I was wondering just what did they spin in Louisiana in the 1800's? It's not as if we have an abundance of sheep running around these parts needing to have thier wool spun so that it can be knitted into warm woolens. (Quick now Jethro, put those mittens on so you don't...drip sweat on my clean floor?) Okay, so maybe they did cotton and flax or something.

It's neat to hear from other knitters in the comments! Especially those rare Louisiana knitters! I've never seen a live one in the wild. I thought they all moved away to where the yarn is anything but acryllic.

Merino

2006-04-25T03:15:00.000-07:00

The other white yarn.

But not for long!

I also did one in lime-green (color choice courtesy of The Tot). I don't need any lime-green socks, but still. It wasn't out of the dye pot until after dark last night, so no pictures yet. Trust me, it's bright. Actually, I haven't decided whether to keep these or e-bay them. I really need to work on finishing some of the stuff I already have started. Like the other pair of socks I started Sunday. I started sock #2 of that pair last night, so maybe I won't have that single-sock issue if I work on them both at the same time.

We did a little home-state touring on Sunday and visited the Oakley Plantation in St Francisville, Louisiana. It was a beautiful day and the weather was perfect. Some of the house sustained water damage from the hurricanes last year which was sad to see. My very favorite room, which was neither water damaged or even in the main house:

Behold! The fiber room! There were (I think) three or four spinning wheels, a couple of skein-winders, a weasel, and a huge loom that took up most of the space in the middle of the room. Oh, and there was yarn. Of course.

Oakley started as an indigo plantation and later abandoned that in favor of cotton. I'm guessing that it was the slaves who would have done the spinning and weaving since at that time those activities were not idle hobbies. I think they do historical demonstrations of spinning here and I'd like to see that. These probably are not old wheels if they are the same used for the demonstrations, but it's still my favorite room. And not that I've ever heard of one until Sunday, but I think my favorite object in the room has got to be the weasel. Doesn't look like much but the concept is kind of neat. It's geared to wind a preset measure of yarn. When it's done, it makes a 'popping' sound. Hence, "Pop Goes The Weasel"! Some of us are more easily entertained than the rest of you. Just leave us be.

There were gardens too. Maybe I'll have time to post some of those pictures in a day or two.

Summer Socks

2006-04-22T14:58:00.000-07:00

Finally! A whole pair! See the strange heel thing with that weird seam detail? It's not so bad. I thought it would make them terribly uncomfortable, but they're not. In fact, the only thing I'd do different it maybe make them a little bit longer before decreasing for the toe, and I might would go up a needle size too. They're snug. The opposite stripey thing I can live with, and I think I'm going to intentionally make the next pair not match up. I have reconciled my dislike of that characteristic just because I still really, really, like everything else about the yarn. Okay, pattern specs-Simple Ribbed Socks from Nancy Bush's Vintage Sock book, the yarn is (whast else?) Knit Picks Simple Stripes (don't ask me which color), and I used the same needle size specified in the pattern-US#1's. I did not swatch, therefore, snug socks. Lesson learned. (not really, I started another pair today and did not swatch for those either. yes, they may not fit. this is a hobby. who cares.)

Since I had so much fun with the dyeing, I ordered some more yarn to dye. And this time, there will be laceweight. Yum! Both of the skeins of sock yarn I did last week and put on Ebay are out of the house, so I get to buy some more. I'm thinking about keeping the laceweight. I don't need it, but........it's pretty and I want it!

De-Stash to Re-Stash

2006-04-17T19:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I decided that I probably wouldn't get around to knitting up any of the sock yarn I dyed. At least not anytime soon. Or, if I did, I wouldn't get any of my other socks finished. So it's been put on e-bay and should be out of here by Wednesday. Which means..............I get to buy more yarn to dye! WOOO HOOO!

Koolaid Anyone?

2006-04-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

Take one sink full of wet wool.

Add you favorite flavor Koolaid and viola! Beautiful, bright colors! I don't really let the Tot drink this stuff, but it sure does make pretty yarn.

This is some merino sock yarn from Knit Picks that I dyed with Koolaid in Lemon-lime, Orange, and Blue Raspberry flavors, and the red one is Black Cherry. I used the directions from the Knit Picks website. I think I'm going to get some more and do some solid green. My solid red actually turned out a little variegated, probably because should have use a bigger pot. But I like it and I think it will make beautiful socks. Makes the yarn smell kind of fruity too. Yum. This is what they look like after getting acquainted with the ball-winder:

Oh, I did say I wouldn't start any new projects until I finished a sock. Well, I finished ONE sock:

And when will I cast on for it's mate? When I get darn good and ready, that's when! I think I'm goin' to finish those backwards stripey things first though. I did call Knit Picks to ask about that little quirk with the yarn winding. It's wound elsewhere before they get it and the only way to really check is to unwind a few feet on each ball and compare them. I think I might put one of the other two on the ball-winder for a little re-winding. The lady I talked to apologized profusely and was very nice, but I assured her that I liked the yarn enough that it wasn't really that big a problem, I'll buy it again anyway. A minor inconvenience, right? (I still say it's a conspiracy against knitters) I do like the randomness of the hand-dyed yarn though, so I might stick with those types more than the so called 'self-striping' ones. (conspiracy)

Conspiracy Against Knitters?

2006-04-14T04:20:00.000-07:00

Or just sock knitters? I'm going to go ahead and finish the orangey-blue-yellow stripies, but it's been bugging me all week. I also wondered if it was just an every now and then kind of occurence with the yarn getting put on the winder from the wrong end and maybe it doesn't happen that often. Well, upon a tip (and a hunch that I might not be meant to knit evenly striped socks) checked my other Knit Picks sock yarn. Guess what? Yep, it's true, yarn manufacturers are out to annoy the crap out of anal-retentive knitters who think that it just shouldn't be so difficult to knit one stinkin' pair of striped socks that actually look like each other.

It's a conspiracy. Against knitters. But just sock knitters. I've gotta go call these people. If the phone's not tapped.....

Stop Right There!

2006-04-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

I should just frog now and start over.

I'm not sure exactly how this happened except that maybe the second ball of yarn was wound opposite from the first one. And I was so careful to cut the blue in the same places on each ball so that my socks would stripe evenly. I don't think this is good knitting mojo. The different stripes I can live with, but I feel sure that there will be some other stumbling block with this pair.

So far, this one is still going well.

The diamond patterning is slowing me down a bit, but it has a nice effect. Besides, I'd be slow anyway. I also like the short-row heel technique on this one alot better than what was used on the striped socks. I'm hoping to finish this by the end of the week, immediately cast on for the mate, and work dilligently on the Second Striped Sock. I was just thinking how the heels don't really feel or fit all that different on these even thought they look nothing alike. I might could substitute short-row heel shaping on some of the other patterns. I just like the look of it better. But I'll save that idea for later since I do not need to start anything else until I finish a few of these. Or at least finish one.

Consequences

2006-04-07T03:42:00.000-07:00

The consequences of procrastination can be heartbreaking. Had I ordered the Black Sock Yarn the day I was given permission to do so, I might have had a chance. As it stands, Knit Picks Essential in black is back ordered until June. If you want to get down to it, I probably should have just sucked it up and cast on for the second one the same day I finished the first. And I might have been able to keep better track of my notes if I hadn't dragged this one single project out for so dang long! Then I would have had two socks just alike and I wouldn't be worried about needing a yarn that will be out of stock for THREE months! (sigh)

At least I got myself a little suprise to play with. First, I will make myself finish a sock. I said one, not a whole pair. A leopard's spots don't change just because he gets wet ya' know.

Stark Raving Mad

2006-04-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,
She had so many sock projects she didn't know what to do.
So she checked into a local assylum so people would leave her alone and she could just knit. Besides, her room at the assylum was much bigger than the shoe.

This one needs a mate:

And this one needs to be started, but I haven't even picked a pattern yet, so no rush I guess. Most likely I'll pick another rib pattern that I don't really care for but use because it makes the yarn look good. Oh the things a knitter will do to keep the yarn happy.

The magic hasn't worn off with this one yet, but it's still the first sock. I don't think it shows up that good, but can you see the subtle diamond pattern? It's not glaringly obvious, that's probably why I like it so much.

And then there's these:

I don't think I need to go into a tirade about Black Socks again. So what if I'm getting my new Black Sock Yarn and this jumps into my shopping cart? Or this? I will try to be careful, but who knows what else might end up in my mailbox if I try to just order plain black yarn.

Two Of A Kind (NOT)

2006-03-29T17:14:00.000-08:00

It's a good thing I'm so taken with my new sock because the Black Socks are a bitter disappointment. They most definitely are not a matched pair. The Husband, who is usually silent on all matters wooly, made a suggestion. "Why don't you just knit two more like the ones you already made?" I carefully explained that knitting two more socks will involve another yarn puchase. Said yarn purchase has been pre-approved, so when I figure out what I've done so horribly wrong to Second Black Sock I will take care of that business. I also need to carefully re-examine First Black Sock since my notes are gone. This could get ugly. I refuse to knit more than two pairs of these. If both New Black Socks turn out as crappy as the first 'pair', I might have to frog them all. I shudder at the thought.

Hoorah For Saturdays!

2006-03-25T16:12:00.000-08:00

A little:

So you're not:

And you'll get to:

And maybe:

And that means mommy can:

I Have A Problem

2006-03-23T03:45:00.000-08:00

When non-knitters take notice of your inability to finish something, it's not a good thing. You would think that most people wouldn't notice that you have worked on THREE different socks in the past week. None of which are finished. Not a complete pair anyway. I thought that yarn was just yarn to most non-knitters. Who let them in on the secret?

Alright, I'm over it. So what if a girl wants to entertain three different sock yarns at one time. As long as none of them feel left out everything will be fine. One of my stripey socks is done, but the Lorna's Laces came in before I could get the other one cast on, so those are on hold....indefinitely. The one is a very nice fit though. Who'd have thought with that seam in the middle of the heel they/it would be so comfy? Black Socks are still vying for my attention, but they are in the home stretch and may get finished this month. But I do have to consider Lorna. I wouldn't have minded a very plain, somewhat boring pattern with that yarn. But I let Sister pick out one for me and I love it! I had considered it before but I thought it might be kind of difficult, so I left it alone. I'm only on the cuff part, so we'll see how much I still love it when I get to the patterning.

Spring Is Here!!

2006-03-15T19:06:00.000-08:00

And my yarn is not. Yet. That's just as well since I haven't knitted on the other two socks much the past couple of days. I could have last night, but I didn't. I also didn't totally waste my non-knitting time. I picked out two potential sock patterns for Lorna. I also got some more sock needles. Three sets. (or four, who keeps up with that kind of petty information anyway?) And I might have bought a little bit of yarn too. But only a little.

Well, if I was planning to sit on the front steps and wait on the mail, at least I would have something to look at.

Lovely Lorna

2006-03-13T17:52:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to be able to stand it. This calls for an unscheduled emergency needle purchasing expedition. I'd still like to have some bamboo sock needles (I'm sure this yarn deserves it) but I already know what I can get around here, and the Susan Bates #1's and 2's haven't disappointed me yet. Good old reliable Hobby Lobby. I'm not knocking the HobLob, but as far as really good quality knitting supplies, it just doesn't cut it. Okay, so they do have Clover Bamboo needles, but only in a few sizes and NO double points. I definitely see a yarn-hunting trip to Jackson or Dallas in the near future. I can get some good stuff online, but sometimes, you just need to feel it for yourself, you know. Wool is wool, except that it's really not unless you're into that sort of thing, and if you're not, then I guess it is just wool.

Hobby Lobby it is then. I'm so glad I got that part of my week decided! Now if I can just find the perfect pattern.........

Yay E-Bay!

2006-03-11T19:20:00.002-08:00

I really should have been checking out some spinning wool since I haven't made use of the wheel in a while. But I kept hearing the call of the sock wools and quickly gave in to thier charm. I'll be watching the mailbox extra close the next few days until my new toys arrive. Maybe we'll have some pretty weather and I can get a couple of pictures to show off. I'm so excited! I've never had any Lorna's Laces before. I can't wait to see it myself!

Y'all all have a terrific rest of the weekend! I know we will!

What a Heel!

2006-03-07T03:46:00.000-08:00

I've completed the heel on my Simple Socks. I'm not really in love with the technique either. I kind of wonder just how comfortable a pair of socks can be with a SEAM running through the heel. Oh well, I'm committed to following the pattern this time.

While I'm on the subject of heels (and patterns), there's alot to be said for keeping up with your notes. I don't think I wrote the heel part down for my Black Socks, but still. I finished the other heel turn over the weekend and it looks nothing like it's mate. Crap.

What Month Is This?

2006-03-04T05:09:00.000-08:00

I don't think my Black Socks are going to see completion by April. I thought April was a reasonable time frame and there's the added incentive that it will probably be getting kind of hot by then and I do not want a pair of black wool socks in my knittng bag. Nobody's sick this weekend but me, so I think this may be the perfect opportunity to sit around and knit and not feel like I'm expected to do anything else. As long as I don't smell bad, they won't bug me except maybe to eat. I'm getting ready to put in the grey heel and I can't remember exactly how I did the last one. I wrote down some basics, but I don't understand most of what I wrote. But once I figure out the heel and get it started, the rest should go pretty fast. Until I get to the miles and miles of 1x1 ribbing for EIGHT INCHES ON SIZE #1 DPN'S!!! Nothing to do but get it started I guess!

'Simple' Ribbed Socks

2006-02-25T14:39:00.000-08:00

The pattern really is pretty simple, and I've decided to actually follow the pattern this time too. Except for not doing a gauge swatch. And only making ankle socks, because the rib pattern used got a little tedious and well, boring. Oh, and since I didn't check gauge, they're not going to fit me. Maybe somebody with daintier feet? The pattern as written should make a women's size 8-9 sock, but the same pattern as knitted by me gives me about a 5, no bigger than a 6. And I really hate that, because I love, love, love this yarn. I might have enough left to make one of the men's patterns and only do ankle socks with those, and I think they'd fit okay. Anyway, I'm still lovin' the KnitPicks Simple Stripes, and I'm enjoying the patterns from my Vintage Socks book too. Making up your own patterns is fun, but the habit I have of not checking gauge seems to cause more problems than it's worth. Not that using a pattern makes that problem go away, but it helps if you have the pattern writer to blame instead of just cursing yourself as you rip out row after carefully planned row.

Okay, so I'm well down the road to finishing one of these stripey socks, and I finally finished ONE Black Sock. No picture. It's a black sock, use your imagination.

Assembly Required

2006-02-21T02:53:00.000-08:00

I started one of the patterns from the Vintage Sock book. I like it, but sometimes I need something that doesn't require me to pay such close attention. (still haven't found the perfect knitting-while-driving project) So the black ones are still hanging around the knitbag. Just in case I need to be bored. And I set myself a dead-line to finish the black ones.

The Knit Picks Simple Stripes is perfect for some of the less fussy patterns, it makes plain ribbing more interesting to knit. I didn't realize how bad that turned out. The colors are kind of a sherbet orange, maize yellow, and a light turquoise-ish. It uses a k6,p1,k2,p1 rib pattern below16 rows of 2x2 rib on the cuff. This one's going to take a while. I may need to re-think black sock's planned finish date.

Decisions, decisions

2006-02-19T15:08:00.002-08:00

Okay, what do you do when your favorite two sets of size 1 dpns are currently held hostage by a terribly boring unfinished black sock? I guess the practical thing to do would be hurry and finish those so you can move on to more exciting yarn and new patterns. Screw practical! I want pretty, stripey, colorful yummy yarn! I was given permission from the man of the house to purchase myself a couple more sets of US #1 dpns, but the only place I can sometimes get them around here is Hobby Lobby which is closed on Sundays. I really want bamboo anyway, and they don't have those. I may give in and place an order for some, but I'll still have to suffer the wait, and you know, I'm not so sure how long those delicate #1 bamboos would last around here anyway.

I thought I might distract myself with a new pattern book. And just what did I get that may motivate me to finish the black socks and liberate my #1's? Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. I should really be ashamed of my lack of self control, I'm not, but I should be. I'm happy. It's cold outside and I have hot chocolate, a movie for the Tot and a whole chapter on toe and heel techniques to entertain me. If Black Sock behaves itself, I might let it sit next to me while I read. I might even knit a few rows on it if the mood strikes.

Cold feet Anyone?

2006-02-09T03:51:00.000-08:00

Crocs:

Croc socks:

Croc sock fixins:

Okay, I know I still haven't learned proper lighting techniques, blah, blah, blah. But aren't these the neatest shoes?! (thanks Mom!) They weight nothing and come in cool colors-you probably couldn't tell, but these are hot pink. And great timing too, because I got bit by the sock bug again. I just got those skeins of Knit Picks Simple Stripes in the mail yesterday. The finished sock is Lion Brand and the pattern came with the socks. They also have it on the website http://ww.lionbrand.com. The lionbrand socks are going pretty fast, which is good, because I can hardly wait to get into my Knit Picks. I can wear my LB socks with my new crocs while I knit up the other socks. I'll have a whole new sock wardrobe!

Oh, and I think my next major purchse will be a better camera.

Long Time, No Blog

2006-02-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

I promise I am working on something and will have proof of this very soon. It's going pretty fast, so maybe by the end of the week?

Instant Gratification

2006-01-31T03:51:00.000-08:00

I cheated on my knitting with the knitting machine. It was great. I bought yarn Saturday morning and had a finished project by Saturday night. That was one of the wraps some one requested. The pictures were a little ummm, bad, really bad. But I had a finished wrap/shawl. I used 3 balls of Bernat soft boucle' (yeah, acryllic, hush) in black. I ws going to put fringe on theends, but I ran out of yarn and I couldn't go back and get more becuase what I bought was all they had in black. That's fine since the recipient was more than pleased without the fringe. Now I have to find more of that yarn to make another one. Two projects in a week? How cool to finish something and see it being enjoyed by someone (who is not related to you and therefore has no obligation to not hurt your feelings by not appreciating you hard work and creativity)!

Kitty Boots, Novelty Yarn, & A Big 'Ol Swatch

2006-01-28T06:07:00.000-08:00

Kitty Boots:

Novelty Yarn:

And A Big 'Ol Swatch:

Hello?

2006-01-27T04:01:00.000-08:00

I have really missed knitting and writing about it. I have a few requests for knitted items and I haven't even taken the time to go pick out yarn! What real knitter would pass up a chance to buy yarn when they have a good excuse to do so? I guess one that's settling into a new job and schedule with a longer drive to and from work and a knitter who wants to make a 4-5 hour drive to Baton Rouge every weekend to see a baby. That would be some quality knit-time if somebody else drove. It's hard to knit while you're driving, especially in heavy traffic. No, I didn't actually try, but I did work out a plan in my head, but the only knitting that would be suitable behind the wheel is socks and since I just have those boring black socks in progress at the moment, it just wouldn't be worth the ticket a state trooper might be tempted to issue. However, if I happen to purchase some really funky, bright-colored sock yarn, well, I might have to suck it up and pay the fine (if it comes to that). Tempting. Get thee behind me wool-devil. I will not knit and drive. I will not knit and drive. I will not knit and drive. I will not knit and drive......

Yay For New Things

2006-01-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

And I don't get all excited about many new things that aren't yarn related. But anytime you get a new family member is reason to get excited. I think my weekends are going to be a little busier now that I have a brand new niece to spoil. And knit for-can't forget that. Not that I have time to be knitting right now, I've got a baby to go rock!

Still Not A Photographer

2006-01-18T03:37:00.000-08:00

The Kiri shawl turned out beautiful. You'll have to trust me because the pictures are not exactly true to life. I can show you this:

Or I could show you this:

Not much better? I could have posted the ones I took the other day. But at least it proves I finished it! And I liked the pattern, so I might do another one, but not anytime soon.

Felted?

2006-01-15T08:18:00.000-08:00

Or just felt? I wonder if that's right? Would somebody who felts alot think I myself had made felt when I had actually only felt felt? Would somebody who never felted before think I was a little off if they overheard a discussion on felt. I feel they might. Who's on first?

This used to be a box of navaho churro wool from Walks Far Acres farm. Then it became my first attempt at spinning. Then it turned into a dyeing experiment. Then it hatched into an actual project. I crocheted a little bag and made and i-cord handle for it and then began the felting process. Keep in mind that this was my first try and I know nothing about which types of wool felt the best. I don't know that much about spinning yet either for that matter. This turned out to be a very coarse wool, you wouldn't want it on your skin, trust me. I don't know how the sheep themselves could stand it. But it was a good, fairly inexpensive wool to learn with. And it did dye pretty much as expected, so I don't have any legitimate complaints. And the finished project? Well, what do you think? It's just about the right size for a sock-in-progress or for a Tot-tote.
Kind of cute, isn't it? And in other knitting news..................there isn't much. Well, I probably could have the Kiri shawl done today, but it will need some blocking before it's ready to be seen. We'll see how that goes.

I'm a Knitter Not a Photographer

2006-01-11T03:46:00.000-08:00

I finished these toddler socks, but I'm ashamed to say that's I've spent 30 minutes just trying to get a picture. They either turn out blurry or black. But these are really cute little socks and I should have finished them a long time ago, but I got distracted. They are navy blue acrillic-very durable. And I made a design in hem-glue on the bottom so that it will have little rubber-grippy things and little feet will have a better chance of staying where should. Or help them get to where the shouldn't, whatever.

I present Baby Jackson Socks. Trust me, they're cute. I just hope these fit! And Baby Girl To Be Named In Nine Days will get a pair to go with her cardi. One day. No, she won't have any hand-knit socks when she arrives, I'm a bad aunt.

Fastest Shipper in theWest!

2006-01-10T04:05:00.000-08:00

Er, make that north. If you're in the market for some pretty new needles, you've got to check out The Red Barn Farm. (theredbarnfarm.net) It's dark and raining, so I haven't got a picture to post of these gorgeous rosewood needles, but they make me wanna buy more yarn. I'm on a yarn diet, but I just might dig something out of the stash and test drive them.

Check out The Red Barn Farm's E-bay store if you get a chance. I'm hooked!

Yay For Knitting!

2006-01-07T15:11:00.000-08:00

And a BIG YAY for grandparents that have a special knack for keeping little ones entertained so mommy can have a little knitting time. I didn't take any pictures of Kiri-it still looks like a pretty pile of yarn. But I did take a few pictures of one of the techniques the Tot's grandparents have discovered to keep her happily occupied.

For this you will need:

1 Small child approx 30 lbs(gender not important)

1 Mild sunny day

1 Large pile of leaves (oh, come on, you weren't using them for anything)

Toss child into leaves whole and mix well until child looks like this:

Now, hurry and go knit before the youngster gets tired of this.

I'm Still Here

2006-01-05T01:17:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I'm coming or going most of the time, but I'm here somewhere. And I have been knitting a little. Enough to finish a plain fuzzy black scarf some one requested. It was fun and really fast on US13 needles. And who knew WalMart had their own line of novelty yarn? It was gratifying to finish a project even if it was something so easy........well, it was easy. (I was going to say so easy that my mother could do it, but I think she reads this sometimes. Hi Mom) I've also done a little knitting on some ME stuff. The Kiri shawl with KnitPicks Shimmer-still in progress. The 'Plain Black Socks' in KnitPicks Essential-also still in progress and very close to finishing ONE. I still think 1x1 ribbing in black yarn of any kind is the most boring thing ever, but I carry it around anyway in case I need something easy/boring to keep my hands busy or occupy some time when it wouldn't be prudent to drag out the Kiri. Oh, and I would have taken a picture of the progress on Kiri, but it looks alot like the last picture only a slightly larger pile of yarn. And the sock doesn't get a picture either since one black sock looks alot like every other black sock ever knitted.

Oh, and I retract my reccommendation for Ardith Keef. The Peace Fleece needles I ordered for my mom's Christmas present back in NOVEMBER never came. I finally called to ask what was up since I knew they would be back-ordered until December 9th, but now it's January and I haven't heard from them. No e-mail, no nothin'. I hate that. I knew orders would take a while to ship during the holidays and they had some bad weather up there too, but a little communication isn't too much to ask, is it? Bad customer service=me cancelling an order and shopping elsewhere from now on. So I'm going to go check out Ebay and see if I can find some pretty needles that would make a new knitter happy.

Done

2005-12-26T18:33:00.000-08:00

Another Christmas is behind us and all that's left to do is take down the decorations and put the tree away for another year. Space has been made on the shelves for all the new things the Tot received and the last of the torn wrapping paper and empty boxes has been taken to the trash. Soon another year will be over and we'll start on a new one. I hope that we can all make improvements in the places in our lives that we know we should and look for ways to make life more pleasant for those around us.