Olympic Update - Day 6 - In the Groove....mostly.

Day 6 of the Knitting Olympics drew to a close with knitting progressing more or less right on track. As you can see, I've managed to complete the top of the sweater...and I've even transferred it to another needle so I could cast on for the bottom.

I am now facing a difficult decision of to frog or not to frog. It's truly a conundrum. If you recall, the sweater is being knit not out of bulky yarn, but of dk weight yarn. This resulted in lots and lots of math. Well, not too much, but enough to make me scribble notes on various sticky notes to append the pattern.

Anyhow, while it looks like the gauge and everything was right on, and I did pick the right size to knit, I am wondering if a straight translation was not so smart. Why not, you ask?

I present to you the following:
Exhibit A: Note where the shoulder ends on the knitted top. Note where my actual shoulder ends physically. Does this seem odd to you? With the exception of Raglan Sleeves, I do not think garments are not supposed to be shaped this way. Especially garments with set in sleeves. I could be wrong, after all, this is only my 3rd sweater...and I'm not so good with sewing. It could very well be that everything settles into place with the finished weight of the garment.

Exhibit B: Thickish, wideish, tallish, frumpy looking collar. It certainly doesn't look that wonky on the other sweaters I've seen - Part of the problem is the collar is not yet secured with a button. The other part, is I'm also fairly certain that if the sleeves pull the shoulders into place, it will also flatten that collar out - not to mention the additional weight that will be on the bottom of the sweater when it's not crop top length.

And finally Exhibit C: The placement of the leaves is um...a result of my straight mathematical conversion of the pattern with lack of thought to placement of design elements (also probably why I was having issues on Day 3 or whatever day it was I was working on that part). Here is a closeup (of both Exhibits B and C). The little leaves are supposed to be jauntily off to the side of the neckline, but if we observe these photos, we will note that the leaves are parked more or less right below my chin. Not too dreadful, and I'm becoming more and more comfortable with the placement. I've caught the mistake now and have adjusted placement of the leaves on the hem of the sweater.

Plan of Attack: Well, a wise woman (who also happens to have a son with a fine taste in hats) suggested I do the sleeve seaming tonight instead of knitting blindly onward on the bottom of the sweater...this way, I can see if things fall into place, as it were, once the sleeves are attached. If not, there will be much chocolate, and perhaps some other things, while I pick out my seaming and kitchnering of the sleeves and rip back the entire top and go back to the drawing board to make design adjustments to the pattern.

This is what I get for substituting yarn I guess ;)

And now for a diversion

You are Shetland Wool.
You are a traditional sort who can sometimes be a

little on the harsh side. Though you look

delicate you are tough as nails and prone to

intricacies. Despite your acerbic ways you

are widely respected and even revered.


What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Olympic Update - Day 5

The needles are positively flying here with the finishing of the armhole increases and the re-joining of the front and back. 24 more rows of knitting (to be completed tonight while watching the amazing mens freestyle skiing event). With some extra caffeine and a touch of insomnia I might even cast on for the bottom of the body. I'm taking some liberties and am thinking of adding some shaping to the bottom piece. With minor miracles the sweater may well be ready for assembly by the weekend. eep!

oh, sorry for the lack of photos - I've been knitting well into the night and really can't bring myself to get out of bed to take a progress shot before putting the knitting down, and there's just no time for photos before dashing to work!

Olympic Update - Day 4

Knitting Continues, with no photo to share. Day 4 of the Knitting Olympics found me at the dividing point for the top of the Leaf Lace Pullover - finishing 2 of 9 increase sets (only 28 more rows to go and I'll be rejoining the halves for more knitting in the round). If you're keeping track of balls of yarn used, I'm nearly done with ball number three. The knitting rhythm is settling in and I had nary a frog in sight yesterday :) I think at this point it is fairly safe to say I'm no good at estimating required yardage for sweaters that I have to do math on.

Not the Smoothest of Starts

The Olympic Crazed knitting was off to a slow start for me, as I was distracted by my spinning on Friday afternoon - I had all the good intentions of starting my knitting promptly at 2pm local time, but just couldn't bring myself to leave that full bobbin alone and unplied until the end of the Olympic undertaking. Look here to see how it turned out.

Anyhow, Day One (or the day of Opening Ceremonies) otherwise was off to a creeping and slightly bumpy start - I think I finally cast on around 4pm or so. Progress was slow, with the twisted rib pattern going slower than conventional ribbing. About 2/3rds of the way through the leaf chart, I realized I had made a mistake in my knitting, and had to rip back to fix it, as I could think of no easy way to drop and re-pick up the stitches in a manner that would resolve the problem. I called it a night after I did my first set of sleeve increases.

Day Two - a day dedicated to knitting - I had hoped to finish off the sleeves, but apparently I was plagued with YO forgetfulness - meaning I forgot to insert a YO or two, and couldn't figure out why my count was wrong (I wasn't paying attention - I was too busy watching the Olympics on TV) Anyhow, like the minor fiasco of the previous day, there was no simple dropping and picking up the stitches to fix the problem - so rip rip rip I went....ending the night just after the last set of sleeve increases (and the ends of my first two balls of yarn).

Day Three - was supposed to be an off day, with knitting relegated to the car, but between the possibility of the forest being closed down (thanks to some foolish git who failed to put out their campfire properly) and sheer exhaustion, plans got mucked up and much sleeping ensued. Regardless, I finished off the sleeves, leaving enough yarn attached to graft them to the shoulders of the body once I get that far.

Seems I can't go a day without *some* issue with my knitting - in addition to finishing off the sleeves, I did cast on for the top of the sweater and discovered not one, but two discrepancies with my plans - the first was a math error on my part, resulting in uneven placement of the shoulders - that wouldn't do, and was quickly resolved. The 2nd was a combination of the pattern as written in the book and my math - (something about the increases for the shoulders - the number of stitches just weren't adding up properly - neither in the book nor in my converted notes). I think I've corrected it properly - we'll see once I get all the increases done. I have to say I'm loving this yarn (SWTC Optimum) - it's wonderfully soft - Lilac wouldn't be my first choice for color, but the price was right when I bought the yarn - we'll just pretend that my color choice is inspired by the Purple Leaf Plum Tree, shall we? :)

a Little Last Minute Spinning

Knowing I was headed into the Olympic Knitting Frenzy today, I had to spend some quality time with my wheel last night.

I was experimenting with core spinning - this is a handblend of merino blues (with a touch of firestar) that I am calling "Twilight" spun over top of some of that Beachcomber Yarn that I haven't known what to do with. The super shiny spool is lurex, and I'm getting ready to ply these two together....

In other news, the beaded yarn is dry and skeined...commentary here, for sale here.

All Quiet

The calm before the craziness, if you will (in case you've missed it, the Knitting Olympics madness starts tomorrow).

The balls of yarn are sitting patiently by, the husband has been warned, the needles will be prepped tonight (I need to take the curl out of my circs)

In spinning news, I'm wondering if the beads weren't so good for my wheel - I've noticed some groove marks on my flier hooks. I didn't think I've been spinning that much, but the wear marks on the hooks would indicate otherwise. In other news, the beaded yarn is dry, I'm just waiting for some light so I can photograph it! Stay tuned...perhaps you'll see it tomorrow!

Weekend Spinning

In addition to some coils, the weekend spinning involved some experimentation with the spinning wheel.

It involved small shiny things, chasing the cats, minor cussing and lots and lots of time. Likely a one of a kind yarn, at least with this size bead (seed, in case you are wondering) - look closely - you'll notice I am actually spinning the beads onto the singles.

Here's a closeup of the bobbin. Don't mind the white blob - that's a little bit of the leader yarn - I got tired of trying to wind onto the bobbin without using a leader (yes, it's possible, but it's also a pain).

Here is a closeup of the plied yarn before it headed off to its finishing bath. The skein is nearly dry and will make an appearance on the finished objects blog and the shop soon.

While I have proven to myself that it is indeed possible for me to spin beads directly onto the yarn, I find it a slow and painstaking process - it may be better if I used larger beads, and perhaps I'll give that a try in the future, leaving the seed beads and sequins to be plied on with an accompanying thread.

Make Thyself More Useful

I'm not quite certain how it happens, but it seems I am always finding a plethora of plastic grocery bags hiding under the sink. Loath to let them go (it's the packrat in me), I eventually have to round them up because they are threatening to overflow their allotted territory. Instead of hauling them off to be recycled, I did the deed myself, and have given them new life and purpose.

Larger photo and more info here.

The Carder is here to stay!

Well, I broke out the drum carder and had some fun with it... All of the fiber I have for blending right now is lovely merino - and I have to say, the spinning is wonderful. I'd forgotten just how lovely it is to spin with merino - it drafts out so smoothly!

For any new/aspiring spinners out there, I personally recommend going with as lovely a fiber as you can while you're learning - I think it will help because you'll love the feel of the fiber as it flows through your fingers...and even if your finished product is a bit slubby and uneven, you'll still love the feel of it! (and trust me, going back to the slubby spinning is tough once you are in the habit of turning out a fairly even gauge single!)

Anyhow, go ogle the results here.

First KAL for the New Year?

Well....I swatched. And I did math - lots and lots of math. I think I have a Random Button around too that can be used to close the sweater.

What am I yammering about? The KAL is Yarn Harlot's crazy Knitting Olympics. The object of my craziness? The Teva Durham Leaf Lace pullover. Knit in Southwest Trading Company Optimum in Lilac (I think - or maybe it's Plum) - whatever it is, it's purple, and it's sitting on the side table waiting for the designated start time, along with my copious notes. I sure hope I did the math right...and I'm also hoping I have enough yarn. In order to try to mitigate the possibility of shortage, the following strategy has been planned: 1) knit the sleeves, together of course...even tho they have different motifs on them 2) Knit the top and finally 3) Knit the bottom, and if the yarn is looking short, graft away and hope to heck it's not a belly baring sweater.

Am I nuts?
Probably.
Oh well. According to some, this is not a new development.

Cats on the Brain

Don't they look like twins?

Okay, maybe not completely...but humor me here!

Anyhow, the little cat is indeed inspired by the big handsome one. And I had to prove I could design other animals other than sheep (tho there is really nothing wrong with sheep :D)

This guy is easier to create than the sheep, in that he is created entirely of "regular" yarn, and the seaming didn't seem particularly challenging.

With some luck, I'll have a new creature added to my growing menagerie fairly regularly, but I'm not promising anything.

And in case you're wondering, the pattern is indeed up for sale in my shop.

I Love Pirates.

Amazing! I've managed to complete my pirate hat - and much more quickly than anticipated :) I think I actually finished it within a week of when it was cast on (I'm behind in my blogging, what can I say?)

Details, as usual, can be found over here (you really should read on - it's up for adoption).

It's fair to say I'm addicted to fair isle now, and am planning a 2nd Pirate Hat (mostly because the first is too small for an adult, my own fault) and I'm tempted by the Teva Durham Bias Fair Isle sweater in Loop-d-Loop.

Olympic Training?

I was all fired up to join in on the Knitting Olympics, that is, until 1) Work went to heck in a handbasket and me up to my eyeballs in taskforce meetings 2) I realized I didn't have yarn required for the project I had planned. What project was this you ask? The Teva Durham Leaf Lace Pullover. For me to complete this project while not enhancing the stash would mean mucho math. And while I'm not opposed to mathematics (I am, after all, an enginerd) my brain has been mush and not mathematics friendly of late. I could go ahead and cast on the Misti Alpaca and see about doing another Pirate Hat.

So then I thought hey - maybe I could join the Crochet Olympics instead, but then I wasn't sure what I could crochet.

What would probably do me best tho, considering the recent haul of fiber would be the Spinning Olympics, wherein I attempt to spin a bobbin a day or something like that...Of course, seeing as I only have 4 bobbins, I would have to finish off or wind off a mess of singles...

Course, I could just say I don't need this additional stress and finish off that cat bed, after all the winter won't be staying long and the cats need more furniture :P

Have you ever wondered...

How big a box is required to hold 40 lbs of fiber?

Well now you know. :P Cat and 1qt/1L Nalgene bottle included for scale.

I have not taken a photo of all the luscious fiber inside the box, mostly because it is just plain shameful. Most of the fiber is colored solids, so I can play with blending color - see the drum carder on the counter? It's out of its box...and just waiting to be loaded...

There is, of course, a bunch of solid white/ecru in there, so I can start with the hand painting...of course, this means at some point, I'm going to have to make a dye purchase. I'm hearing good things about Lanaset Dyes...and I'm a little familiar with Dharma Trading Co...but of course, I'd love to hear about other dyes. I'm ready to expand from Koolaid!

New Tricks!

I'm learning all kinds of new tricks these days!

See? Here is the beginning of my first fair isle project :) I'm considerably further than when I took these photos - I've been a bit preoccupied and haven't been the best at updating my blog :P

Anyhow, I think I'm addicted. I'm knitting two-handed (ha ha) meaning, I'm knitting with the main color in one hand and the contrast color in the other. The knitting seems to be moving along smoothly, with no puckering or pinching. We'll see how it comes out at the end. Some of the stitches aren't terribly defined - I'm not sure if it's because my tension is a little wonky or if it's because I'm knitting fingering wt yarn on US3s (I started on 4s to try to hit gauge, but things looked way too loose). The hat seems to fit (yes, I tried it on and it looked more like a hairband) but it might make the skulls look a little weird - there's plenty of stretch in the fabric, but because I'm on needles a little larger than recommended for the yarn, the floats might show thru when stretched.

Lookie Lookie! Another Finished Object! Isn't it lovely? :) In addition to learning how to knit fair isle, I learned how to install a faucet. Much mumbling, cursing, grumbling and chocolate later, it is happily installed with no leaks - and it works wonderfully! It's such an improvement over the el cheapo faucet that originally came with the house!

I've been Memed

Somehow, I got Memed. Seeing as it was interesting reading, I'll play along.

Instructions:
First: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot.
Easy enough :) Here we go.
making (nee stitch marker)
step into my thimble
scissorina
Brooklyn Handspun
Half Baked

Next: Select five people to tag:
Alrighty then, here they are:
Raquel
Chris
Amy
Another Chris
the Luscious Gracious Clan

Finally, answer the following questions:
What were you doing 9 years ago?
I was bright eyed and bushy tailed...well, figuratively speaking, of course. A total green newbie to corporate life. Eeeek! Has it been that long?!

What were you doing 6 years ago?
I was properly aged and a true cynic, looking desperately for ways out of corporate servitude (I haven't found an escape to my liking yet). I was likely also lamenting the tech stock crash.

What were you doing one hour ago?
I was watching the plumber install the new water heater * (*I should note that I am typing this entry and saving it for posting for later.....)

Name 3 movies you can't turn off if you stumble across them on television.
Any of the Lord of the Rings Series
Any Wallace and Grommit movie - including Chicken Run (even tho Wallace, nor Grommit was in the movie, it has Wallace and Grommit Feeling)
Any Pixar movie, because Pixar does wonderful work - their animation is wonderful and the storylines and presentation are fantastic :)
Thank goodness the question wasn't about what type of TV shows I get sucked into :)

Name 3 things you want to improve upon this year.
Time management
Weight management
Financial Health (I'm aiming to get out of Corporate servitude, remember?)

Name 3 things you can't live without
Fine Foods, Friends and Fiber
Wonderful Wilderness
Good Health

Name 3 things you could (live without)....
Corporate Servitude
Bureaucratic Nonsense
Bush in Office (oops, did I just let show my colors?).

Name 3 things you really like about yourself.
My curiosity to learn - nothing in particular, I just like to learn new things!
My ability to pick up new skills quickly
My ability to problem solve. I know, that sounds nerdy, but it certainly provides a fantastic sense of accomplishment!

A Chocolate Kind of Day

Being "grown up" can be such a blessing...and a curse :P Our house is starting to show signs of its age. The last couple of days have been spent learning about the joys of plumbing and spending lots of unforecast money (this after already deciding to take the plunge about getting serious with my handspinning business!) it's driven me to Chocolate.

Chocolate firmly in hand, I'm learning how to contort myself in strange ways to fit under the kitchen sink so I can replace a faucet. I even had to buy a funny looking wrench for the job! The other major plumbing fiasco has professionals coming to fix it. Lets just say it involves a dreadful odor of something burning, a tripped breaker and no hot water.

Speaking of Chocolate, I highly recommend this stuff:


Especially the peanut butter variety. It's a perfect sweet and salty combination, as proclaimed on the bag - and it's like crack terribly addictive. Anyhow, enough "resting" in front of the computer. I have chocolate a faucet to tend to.

It's Lambing Season!

Just as cute, if not cuter than the lambs I designed for Southwest Trading Company, and inspired by the little lambs I see in fields this time of year, I present my first pattern available for sale in my shop!

They are made out of SWTC yarns, mostly because those are what I have on hand these days. I have been successful in making these sheep out of other yarns and note that while the Karaoke is easier to find substitutes for, the Feather is quite unique. If you know of yarns like it, to use as a substitute, please feel free to leave a comment!

Round and Round we go...

No, you're not seeing things - those fat little slubs and coils were put there on purpose! And no, the photo doesn't do that skein justice - a closeup, and more info on what's doin' can be found here. But if you don't want to go there, I'm planning on offering up more unique yarns by way of my handspun sometime in the future. When? Not sure. Soon, I hope - I'm just having some problems figuring out how to knit, crochet, design patterns and spin all in my rather limited spare time. Does anyone have a functioning Time Turner?

Come out, Come out Wherever you are!

Apparently, this week was National De-Lurking Week!

Unfortunately, I'm slow to catch on, and the end of the week is nigh!

Please, if you are a lurker, leave me a comment - first, because I love comments, second, because if you have your blog identified in your blogger profile (or if you don't have a profile, leave your blog address instead) I happen to love seeing "who" my readers are!

If you don't feel like leaving a comment, think about leaving a pin on my Frappr Map!

If you're super motivated, do both!

I have no willpower.

I am weak. An absolute Wimp with a capitol W when it comes to yarn sales - even more so when I can get my hands on said yarn to feel it up good and proper before it goes into the shopping basket. The original intent was to purchase some yarns for spinning - or rather for plying and some yarn so I can start that Pirate Hat...

Anyhow, behold, the yarns for spinning - in their glittery glory - 5 balls of fancy yarn to use while plying - a little something to add some shimmer to my handspun goods. The white stuff is actually an iridescent glittery yarn, and the red is Flame colored Little Flowers from Crystal Palace. I couldn't resist.

Here is a small pile of yarn that is destined to become pirate hats. I figured the red and black actually matches the yarn that is called out in the pattern - the baby ull will require some futzing to get it to hit the gauge requirements. Wish I had known Adrian was going to release matching mittens, I would have picked up extra - as it is, I'm going to have to figure out what to do for the linings in the hats as I didn't get extra yarn, and I really don't have any sport weight yarn in my stash - which would be why I had to enhance the stash to get those hats done!

What's that? Oh, the blue stuff? You're right and you're terribly observant - I've broken the resolve to not stash enhance already. I couldn't help it. I've been wanting that stuff ever since I first saw it in a yarn shop - and was successful in ignoring the urge til this last round. Clicky clicky on the photo for a closeup. It's Noro Lotus, in case you're wondering, and no, I really have no idea what it's going to turn into. I might actually have to get a WPI tool so I can try to spin to match it. In addition to the hoard above, I picked up a small group of Addi Turbos (some normal addi's and some Addi Naturas) because my Phildars don't have the smoothest of joins (that, and they were included in the sale).

Last, but not least...remember what I said about being weak? Everything, and I mean *everything* in the store was on sale - that includes the item in the box...if I didn't already have a spinning wheel, it would have been a good time to buy one - I settled for a fine cloth drum carder instead. In an effort to fool myself, it's still in the box, waiting patiently in front of my wheel. (I figure I'm not really committed until I take it out of the box - then again, my wise husband inquires how I know I will like it unless I open the box - it's a catch 22, I tell you!) I intend to use it for custom blending fibers - both by way of color and fiber type. I guess I ought to get that fiber biz moving, eh? I've got to start off setting the capitol expenses!

So Spoiled!

My cats are terribly spoiled.

Here is Troy, lounging around in a catbed, created by me, expressly for him - he fills it perfectly...but I have to admit, that may simply be coincidence :D

If you're curious as to how it was done, I've posted what I recall of the process over here.

Feeling Sheepish

The tail end of last week and a good portion of the weekend was spent on increasing the size of my herd.

Incidentally, this guy is a bit different from the first group - though they do go together quite nicely.

To find out why I was busy making sheep, read on here.

Fruitastic Yarn!

Honestly, it didn't take a week for the yarn to dry...It only took a few days, but I got distracted, what with returning to work and all (what a drag, I was on such a crafty roll too!)

Anyhow, I'm fairly pleased with how it all came out. The fiber still has lingering fruit smell, and the fruity sheep smell has dissipated (thank goodness!

As usual, finished photos and more detail can be found by reading here.

Late to the Party

As I cast on for new projects in 2006, I'd like to present the last of my creations of 2005 - one for each workday between Christmas and New Years - 5 brightly colored birds to say "howdy do!" As usual, more details can be had over here.

New Year Projects have started - I've prepared the wheel for some spinning, and while I wait for the local yarn shop sale this weekend (so I can finally cast on for that Pirate Hat), I have decided to make a dent in my stash and cast on for the Kitty Pi Bed. The Kitty is pleased, every time I lay that project on the floor, she is immediately sitting on top of it :) Hopefully she'll love it just as much once it's felted!

Looking Backwards and Forwards

2005 was a fantastic year - especially when it comes to crafting and "meeting" all kinds of new people when it comes to blogs!

Accomplishments in 2005 included:
Learning how to spin, on both a spindle and a wheel
Learning how to crochet
Plenty of new knitting techniques - including reading charts, knitting lace, ditching dpns to knit socks from the toe up and the cuff down, and learning to cable without a cable needle!
Finished objects were numerous (I'm actually quite surprised, since it really didn't seem like I was finishing much of anything at the time!), and included:
1 long sleeved shrug
1 cardigan (hooray, Ribby!)
various baby gifts, including 2 pairs of baby booties, a matching sweater and hat, and a pinafore
3 works of lace
numerous scarves
a rather neat menagerie of creatures
a felted bag, a photo of which appeared in Creative Knitting
a fancy tank
and finally, some Cabled Goodness in two varieties

This year, I hope for lots of things - I hope for continued and new friendships, good health, plenty of creativity, and the time management skills to be able to do it all ;) . With cabling and sock knitting down, my next task is to conquer color knitting :) Other fiber pursuits include massive stash reduction, getting my fiber business off the ground, and learning how to turn out a spectacular supercoil. I have plenty of other hopes that are non-fiber related too, but those seem rather mundane - from improving my health and fitness, to learning to live more simply and with less stuff and all kinds of things in between.

I don't know what it is about the beginning of a new year - either time time away from work has been particularly energizing, or it's just the mental thing of starting anew - whatever it is, I'm liking it, and I hope to remain energized for quite some time!

Ringing in the New Year!

A Bell to Ring in the New Year!

Before I get too far in this post, I want to wish you all a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

All kinds of creatures wear bells...

Any idea what might be sporting this bell?

If I had been more on top of things, I might have ordered some fancy ones to remind me of my trip to the Swiss Alps, where in addition to the melodic lowing and bleating one could hear the sounds of all kinds of bells as the herd moved on the hillsides.

Anyhow, for more info (and a photo) of the creature(s) wearing this bell, click here!

A Steaming Pot of....

No, that is not my dinner - it's 2 pounds of yarn - split into four packages....dyed with KoolAid and Gel food dye.

In case you're wondering why it doesn't look like 2 pounds of yarn, the first reason is because you're looking at the top of 4 packages of yarn...the second is because the pot is monstrous. I bought it ages ago for vat dying...it's 18 inches in diameter...and I could probably put 2 more pounds of yarn in there.

I have to admit, it certainly took a lot longer to handpaint these than I thought it would - first, the winding of the yarn onto an extra large niddy noddy took a long time, and provided all kinds of entertainment for the cats. Then the tying of the yarn at semi-frequent segments (I think I settled on 16 ties per skein of yarn) - I had a little accident with one where I was not paying attention and snipped the actual yarn in addition to trimming the ties *sigh*. Then the soaking - in case you're wondering, two pounds of yarn just barely fits into my kitchen sink. And then there was the mixing of dye - I was going for 1 packet of drink mix per ounce of fiber, - it turned out that wasn't quite enough (ran out of dye mix as I was dying) so in some cases I had to mix more...either that or perhaps I didn't dilute it enough *shrug*. Then there was the matter of handpainting - or in my case, hand syringing (I used a 10cc syringe to inject dye all over the skein that was draped over yards of plastic wrap on my kitchen counter). Then the wrapping and transferring to the dyepot...

Stay tuned for the results - all I can say for now is that the house smells of a fruity wet sheep.

I'm on a Roll!

I'm liking this time away from work :) It's really letting me spend some quality time crafting.

In following with the suggestions made on the Poll I took a while back, I cast on for a pair of socks (and since the next project down from the socks was an aran sweater, I found a heavily cabled pattern for you cable fans) - these beauties flew off the needles (in more way than one - hooray for cabling sans cable needle!) and were finished in about a weeks time.

One of the bigger challenges was knitting the stockinette cable pattern on the heel flap - cabling across the back would have been bad enough, but in this case, it adds twisted stitches to the mix - the cables are comprised entirely of twisted knit stitches - according to the pattern writer, the twisted stitches stand out more strongly against the background - I have no idea if this is the case, but the pattern on the socks came out fantastically. More details can be found over here.

Still tuned in?

Thank goodness they didn't take my crochet hook away on the airplane - otherwise I wouldn't have made much progress on my little amigurumi kitty! (well, that and the five+ hour flight home would have been even more boring!)

I'm a sucker for amigurumi - and they're fun (and relatively easy to make!)

For more details, and larger photos, click here.

Hooray, Holidays!

The Main Day of celebration has gone, and I was touched by the various thoughtful gifts and calls that were received - I'm especially enjoying the crafty gifts and those that enhance my various stashes (I'm such a sucker for people who enhance my stashes - especially when I have a self-imposed stash reduction effort underway!)

We spent the day enjoying each others company, catching up with far flung relatives, watching Harry Potter (finally!), and playing with gifts. Dinner was fantastic, and if anyone has suggestions on what I can do with ham, I'd be happy to hear it. We've already done the ham omelets/fritattas, and the bone is destined for soup - regardless, I've got several pounds of ham destined for the freezer.

I hope you all had a fantastic holiday and that your celebrations are merry and full of joy!

Happy Holidays!

During some downtime last week from knitting and spinning, I decided to get a little sewing in and finished Gustaf off just in time for a last minute holiday postal run.

More details on Gustaf can be found here.

Best wishes for a very happy holidays, whichever of them you are celebrating :)

Kitty Cuddle Time

With Friday finally here, and all the holiday craziness running amok, I feel just like these two - in serious need of flopping down on the bed for some veg time. Hooray for use it or lose it vacation - I'm officially off regular work til next year! That means some nice decompressing time with the crafts and the kitchen - and if I actually manage to get my act together, I'll have crafting in the kitchen in the way of hand painted yarn!

Stay tuned...

While I was whiling away time on the plane the last week, I was playing with hooking instead of knitting.

I was working on a little something from this book - Amigurumi Collection Vol 1 - ISBN? Of course! It's 4309265723 and it looks like this:



What is it? Well, you'll have to stay tuned and see :)

Progress!

Happy Solstice Day!

While I've determined that none of the stores I visited in NYC carry Dale of Norway Hauk, and my LYS doesn't either, I've cast on for a pair of socks and I've done some spinning (see? I do listen to my readers :D) And in order to also placate those that voted for the aran sweater, I hope you'll be happy to hear that the socks involve lots and lots and lots of cabling (sorry, I'm having lighting problems and am not satisfied with the photos I've taken, so no photos of the SIP (socks in progress)). Incidentally, I've no photos of the spinning either, but then again, I never find bobbins very enticing to look at. I'm still hunting for things to ply with - I had thought of just plying with a variegated thread, but figured that might be kinda boring. I've got a pile more of the fiber to predraft and load onto my distaff and another bobbin to load - so I've got some time before I decide if I'm going to ply the singles together like I have done with my other yarns or if I'll ply them with a comercially spun thread or other yet to be obtained (hello, shopping!) goodies.

Anyhow, I'll probably be doing some online shopping around for Hauk, or I might just buy up some Heilo and call it a day and cast on for that hat. After all if water resistance is really an issue, the hat can always be Scotch-guarded or DWR treated after the fact!

Gocco Frenzy

If you haven't heard already, the Gocco print machine is being discontinued. (Read details here) I hear supplies for printing will still be available for several years, possibly longer, depending on demand.

What does this have to do with me? A Gocco-less, drawing-challenged individual? Well, I like the idea of Gocco. With electronic tools on hand, to help me with creating images, it actually makes it possible that if I *did* have a Gocco, I could make my own cards, etc.

Of course, with all this hoo-ha about the Gocco being discontinued, it is creating a run on Gocco machines amongst crafty folk. I've caught whiff of the Gocco frenzy but am resisting, and am still going round and round with myself as to whether or not I ought to purchase a Gocco or not. I have to admit that many of my other crafts are falling by the wayside as I continue to be focused on Fiber. Ah well, I will admit to "shopping around" for a Print Gocco machine, and most places are currently sold out and are on backorder.

A wee bit of weekend baking

Yes, I do realize that the traditional sugar cutout cookies and gingerbread men are missing, my excuse is we've been hit by whatever bug is making the rounds - I'm up and moving with just a few sniffles and a cough that might be more related to the stagnant air and high pollution advisories, but I just didn't have the energy to do full out holiday cookie decorating madness (some of you might remember the time I was up until 3am decorating snowflake shaped sugar cookies...on a work night).

Anyhow, I did manage to get some holiday baking done - not enough to permeate me with the smell of butter, sugar and vanilla, so I am drawn to eating these. I've boxed up the majority of them to take to work tomorrow to get them out of the house. Bigger photo and a recipe can be found here.

Need a dose of Cute?

If the holiday rush has in you in a daze and you need a dose of cuteness, go here.

Non Traditional Holiday Baking

Well, nontraditional for me anyhow. Holiday Baking for me generally consists of cookies. Lots and lots and lots of cookies.

Somehow I'm off my game, and unless the mood strikes this weekend, the opportunity will have passed for my Holiday Baking Madness. Why is that? Well, mostly because I can't stand to have all those baked goods sitting around my house - once I've moved onto the 3rd or 4th batch of cookies, the smell of butter, sugar and vanilla generally keep me away from the goodies. Unfortunately I haven't gotten to that natural block yet, and I've got the increase at my waistline to prove it. In any case, 3 or 4 batches of cookies usually turns me off the butter and sugar for a while, so if I intend to go all out for a baking extravaganza, I need to make sure I have an outlet to off load all those cookies (or they will go to waste). And no matter how much I want to bake, I prefer my holiday time away from work :)

Anyhow, you know the drill :) I've compiled more info about those tasty little cupcakes over here.

FO = Naked Needles!

The needles are naked!

But my feet aren't :) You're looking at my first ever socks - quite luxurious being made of a wool/soysilk blend yarn, but quite plain as they are simply stockingette with 2x2 ribbing for the cuff. Details and another photo here.

While I was away and waiting for the poll results of what I should cast on for next, I settled for a little bit of hooking and I've just got a little bit of assembly to complete. In case you're wondering what the outcome was, it appears the winner was the Fair Isle Pirates hat, tied happily with Spinning. Since I don't have the yarn for the hat, I will probably cruise my sock patterns, do a little swatching and see what socks I might be able to cast on for next while I hunt for Hauk (my most convenient LYS does not carry Hauk - they might have Heilo, but it's not teflon treated, which would be a big advantage for an outdoor hat).

Help me decide - what shall I cast on for next?		Votes
They Call Them Pirates Hat - yarn needed!	21%	5
Miter Squares (for a blanket) - Cotton Ease Stashbuster	4%	1
Socks! (pattern TBD) - Sock Yarn Stashbuster	17%	4
Aran Sweater (I'm liking Irish Moss by Starmore) - Natural Wool Stashbuster	13%	3
Kitty Pi Bed - Reclaimed Felting Yarn Stashbuster	8%	2
Buttonhole Bag - Felting Wool Stashbuster	4%	1
French Market Bag - Felting Wool Stashbuster	4%	1
Minis (sweaters and socks) - ornaments for NEXT YEAR	0%	0
Lace scarf - Doucer et Soie Stashbuster	8%	2
forget the knitting, what happened to the spinning?!	21%	5
24 votes total

I'm Back!

I had intended to write a much more lengthy post explaining my absence, but I'm not feeling particularly well. I suspect it is post travel illness :( darn that recycled cabin air!

Anyhow, I was off on the East Coast for work.

Leaving my home, I nearly had my crochet hook confiscated (apparently it looks like a threatening object in the x-ray machine).

It was cold. There was a snow storm (just a mini one, but the panic was all the same it seems)

Ribby and Kepler were both featured during the trip with great success.

While I was over yonder in the land of cold whiteness, I visited my brother and sister in law, my big sis, and Marie. Marie is much more organized than I am when it comes to getting her shop going, and she even has stuff selling at various shops (including her own)! I must say thanks to her for carting me hither and yon to various knit shops (and talking spinning talk with me). I must say, I persevered in not adding to the Ridiculous Stash - hoping only to find some Dale of Norway Hauk with which to cast on for that Pirate Hat (since that's what seemed to be winning). I was nearly undone by some wool-silk Alchemy and some gorgeousness by Artfibers. Since the hat and the spinning were tied though, I figured I should either settle for Hauk or roving. Neither of which were available. Thank goodness.

Freezing Cold!

Seems the entire country is experiencing cold temps!

The good news is all my hand knits are getting used! Hooray!

Sadly, it seems I don't have that many hand knits that I can wear - I've given away a bunch of things (it turns out I don't actually own a handknit scarf of my own - I've gifted away all the ones I've ever knit!), and for a while, I was doing softies (3 penguins, catnip mice and 1 crochet kitty) most of which have all gone to new homes as well. The few cold weather knits that I have made have been worn - Ribby Cardi, Fuzzy Feet and Kepler!

In other news, my needles are now officially naked. Stay tuned for photos and details of the most recent FO! While I'm waiting for the poll to get populated, I've been spinning - I'm still trying to decide if that yarn will be left as singles or if it will be plied. If you haven't voted or left comments on what I should cast on for next, the poll is still open - go vote now (you can pick more than one! scroll to the bottom of this post to vote)

Stuff For Sale

Don't forget to place your vote on what I need to cast on for next! I'm rapidly closing on the end of the socks I have on needles...I'm just trying to run out the rest of the yarn in the cuff before I bind off (and then I will have *gasp* NAKED NEEDLES!)

The next round of items is up for sale on eBay.

I've got the following listed:

• Nearly New Doc Martens 10 hole boots
  color: black
  Size: UK7, US Mens 8, US Womens 9 (according to the Doc Martens site anyway)
  They are a bit too big for me, I usually wear a size 6 Doc Marten, but somehow got confused when I bought this pair.
• Matfer Professional Mandolin
  I even have the instructional video! It slices, dices, waffles and juliennes! Alright, maybe it doesn't dice, but it does make quick work of apples, potatoes, carrots and other veggies. I've just found I'm handier with my small cutlery collection and I just don't do waffle or ripple cut things often enough to keep it.
• Minolta 35mm semi-pro Maxxum 7000i SLR
  We've gone digital, and this excellent film camera is collecting dust.
  Included are:
• The body of the camera, of course
  
• Minolta Maxxum 28mm AF Lens
• Minolta 70-210mm AF Zoom Lens with Tiffen Sky 1A Filter
• Minolta 3200i Flash
• Canon Elph LT APS film Camera
  A nice little pocket size point and shoot that uses Advantix style film.

For full details, photos and to bid, please visit the individual listings on eBay.

Weekend Diversion

You people are definitely not all about the immediate gratification on knitting projects are you? ;) Right now, the fair isle pirate skull cap is winning, with the Aran Sweater running a close second. If you haven't done so already, go and add your votes and/or comments. I'll leave it open for another week then I guess I'll be casting on and doing your bidding ;)

In other news, I actually did a little baking this weekend. Nowhere near what I usually do for the holidays, and only one kind - it was a new recipe to me, pointed out by Mariko.

Want to drool over more photos?

Or just want the recipe? Both can be found here, at my poorly neglected Food Blog.

Next Knitting!

For those that are still furiously holiday knitting, don't forget to call 1-877-SOS-KNIT (toll free in the US and Canada!)

I had all these ambitions for holiday knitting, but quickly threw in the towel and will have to space my holiday knitting over the course of a year, I think. All I accomplished was this before I got distracted by selfish knitting. Of course, it doesn't help that I did rounds of scarves last year - and I still have a few people in my family who have not received anything hand knit yet - I'm sure I'll have to remedy that soon or people will think I'm playing favorites :P - or perhaps I should just learn from Kiki's comments on Gift Knitting.

Anyhow, I'm now pondering what next to cast on for - I'm planning on starting up some more amigurimi crochet, mostly because it's a little faster (or so it seems) but then again it could well be because they are all such small projects they fly off the hook quickly! Other than a pair of socks that are nearing their finish, I'm sans projects right now (amazing!!!)

So...what *shall* I cast on for next? I'm partially of a mind to get a whole mess of projects for felting going - that way I can stuff them all in the wash at the same time...but at the same time, there are plenty of other things to cast on for as well - I've got plenty of yarn in the stash that needs to be whittled down. What *is* a blogger to do? Why turn it over to her readers of course :) Please vote, I'll probably cast on for the top 2 items.

By the way, I may have finally found a pattern that might suit my husband (who has, to date, turned down the offers of sweaters, socks, slippers and clogs). What miracle pattern brought about this change? Hello Yarn's "We Call them Pirates." Of course, as luck would have it, I do not have yarn for that pattern - which would mean stash enrichment rather than stash busting - oh well ;)

Help me decide - what shall I cast on for next? (you can pick more than 1!)
	They Call Them Pirates Hat - yarn needed!
	Miter Squares (for a blanket) - Cotton Ease Stashbuster
	Socks! (pattern TBD) - Sock Yarn Stashbuster
	Aran Sweater (I'm liking Irish Moss by Starmore) - Natural Wool Stashbuster
	Kitty Pi Bed - Reclaimed Felting Yarn Stashbuster
	Buttonhole Bag - Felting Wool Stashbuster
	French Market Bag - Felting Wool Stashbuster
	Minis (sweaters and socks) - ornaments for NEXT YEAR
	Lace scarf - Doucer et Soie Stashbuster
	forget the knitting, what happened to the spinning?!
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Darn it, I missed out again!

*sigh* turns out SHF (sugar high friday) and IMBB joined forces for a virtual cookie swap. Of course, I was busy playing somewhere in remote canyons, and falling behind on my holiday duties...

The first half of the wrapup is posted and I will be perusing it closely so I can start up the baking machine and start on my holiday baking...while madly trying to finish holiday gift preparation and holiday card addressing! Go have a look, but make sure you're not hungry when you do - who can resist all the photos of all the lovely cookies?! (not me, that's for certain!)