Just my thoughts and rantings on all things fiber, as well as some of my life as a wife and mother.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Yay for colorwork
Fly
These are going really fast. I cast on yesterday afternoon and have been working on them sporadically. I'm using Wullenstudio Superwash Merino Sock in Lipstick on my Collar and Araucania Ranco Solids in 107... I hate when colorways are numbered and not named, so I named it Charcoal. Not very original, but it's better than 107.
Today is 2 years that Shawn and I have known each other... we met when a mutual friend sat with my roommate and me at chow. Shawn was with him and sat across from me. I was immediately drawn to him and kept looking at him (I tried not to, but he was right there in front of me!). He later said that he noticed I kept glancing at him. That was going to be that, but we literally ran into each other almost everyday after that and this is where we are now! We both started coming to NGCSU (our school) fall of 2005 and never met until a year later. I had broken up with my last boyfriend of over a year the day before Shawn and I met (trust me, though, I was over him about 5 months before I got the guts to break it off)... Good timing, huh?
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Afghans
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
NaBloPoMo and WIPS
This is my most recent WIP. It's the Eyelet Skirt in Cascade 220. I'm calling it When in doubt, wear red. I love wearing red... it's so bold and looks good on just about anyone, anytime. I'm doing a few mods to the pattern since I'm short (5'2")... I found another Raveler that is my height and I like how hers turned out. I'm shortening it overall, omitting the triple yo row, and doing a different ending than the pattern calls for. Shawn's unsure about the color, wondering what top I would wear with it. He's the typical guy when it comes to color... if it isn't the color of a tree, he is iffy on it.
I've also been working on the Friendship Afghan from swap-bot.com. I have 35% of my squares. I was just stitching them together, but decided to take it apart and single crochet them together and add a single crochet edge to it. I like it so much more. I'll post a picture tomorrow.
I'm thinking of starting a pair of mittens using the Wullenstudio sock yarn I got from my SP and some other solid fingering weight yarns. It's A Bird in the Hand. This will be my first attempt at color knitting... I plan on using the variegated Wullenstudio yarn (colorway Lipstick on my Collar) for the background (black in the picture on the pattern) and a solid for the rest. I'll be picking the 2 solid colors from the stash or may be spinning it up, depending on what I find.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Spinning, FO, and a new frame
Saturday, October 25, 2008
An amazing day...
Ok, that was my stuff. Here's what fibery goodness my mom walked away with:
That's the fiber-related stuff we got today. Non-fibery and not pictured are a handmade pottery soap dish (with a sheep on it!) and handmade oatmeal soap (smells and looks good enough to eat) for Michelle for Christmas, a handmade pottery oil lamp thing (really pretty) that I got for my dad for Christmas, and 2 handmade shampoo bars (one each for Moma and me). I also bought a cute ornament, but it got dropped while we were unloading everything and it broke. It's easily fixed, though, as it was just a clear glass ball ornament with red and white fiber inside. I saved the fiber and will be getting a replacement ball from Michael's or something. Shawn and I have a tradition of getting each other an ornament every Christmas and this was his this year. He saw it when it broke, but that's Ok. We do this so that we will have something to put on our first tree together.
It was a really great time today, but we are glad to be home. It was tiring walking around and taking it all in. I think we made 4 trips to the car to drop stuff off in order to get more!
We ran through the alpaca barn and my mom was wanting one really bad. She had never even seen a picture of one before and was in love when she saw them. She also wanted to get some angora rabbits, but I decided to wait until May to get some... I'll be home then and can do the grooming. I know she doesn't want grooming duty until May! We didn't see the sheep (we looked for them) and only saw one goat. I wish that I had gotten a picture of this little thing... I have been around a lot of goats and have had my fair share of babes born under my care, but I have never seen one so tiny. I swear it was about the size of our 4 lb Yorkie girl, Eunny. So sweet. There isn't a cuter thing that God created than a baby goat.
Friday, October 24, 2008
FO
I ended up doing 2 full pattern repeats on the legs and ended with rows 1-7 and 3 rounds of 2x2 ribbing (no twisted stitches). This created infinity cables all around the leg. Really pretty. I knew I'd have to cut them short (the pattern calls for 5 repeats on the legs) since I was about 100 yards too short on the yarn and I thought this was a good way to do it. I could have easily finished up that repeat all the way through, but my left hand was literally numb from all the knitting I was doing on them tonight! I wanted to finish up before going to bed and I knitted on them for about 4 hours straight. The tiny gauge killed my hand, but they are completed!
I've got all my stuff ready for SAFF! A list of things to remember to bring, directions, important numbers, all my stuff laid out. I am beyond excited about it. I'll be posting either Saturday or Sunday will all my loot, so be sure to check then!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Mail!
My final SP 12 package! My swap partner, Pheelya, was wonderful. She sent me some really nice stuff:
-A cute classic Batman card. I love Batman and this was just too cute.
-A Knit Journal that is amazing... it has so many features and even includes a guide for yardage required for different items depending on yarn weight, garment size, etc. This is so wonderful!!! I really love this. It's so nice!
-4 dpn tubes. I definitely needed these. Remember how Shawn sat on my size 2 KP dpns and broke one?
-The Shop on Blossom Street, by Debbie Macomber. Yay! I had this on my Amazon wishlist. I love knit novels. Can't wait to get started on it.
-A pack of needle holders that have antique shamrock charms. I haven't seen these before. I know they'll get lots of use!
-A pack of Easter grass. This will get incorporated into some of my handspun.
-Frog Tree merino. I've long-lusted for Frog Tree yarn! It's sooo soft.
-Wullenstudio superwash sock yarn in the Lipstick on my Collar colorway. Gorgeous yarn... soft, beautiful color, and I love the name of the colorway!
-A Hello! Ravelry button. Much wanted and great timing since I'll be going to SAFF this Saturday!
-The cutest dinosaur tape measure. Adorable! I love dinosaurs and this is really great since I recently misplaced my old measure!
-2 packs of sticky notes, one pack is T-shaped (for Timiae!) and the other is a set of three with marine life. I love stationary and use post-its all the time. These are just too cute!
-A set of KP metal dpns, size 4. Thanks so much for these! I'm forever lacking the right sized dpns and it's nice to be able to add to the collection (in a size that I don't have!).
Monday, October 20, 2008
Still trucking
I'm also still working on the SAFF Knotty or Knice Socks. I haven't been going at them in one sitting, but am doing a few rounds here and there. I hope to get some real sock time in the week so I can have them all finished up by Friday, ready to wear Saturday morning to SAFF!
Speaking of which, I am sooo excited! Shawn and I are going Wednesday to draw the money out. I have the to-buy-for pattern list almost ready to go (just need to get all the info on a single sheet of paper!)...
-Rusted Root: fiber to spin, though may go with yarn if I find the right stuff
-Tree Jacket: fiber to spin
-Kaleidoscope: yarn, hopefully from Creatively Dyed
-Minimalist Funnel Neck: fiber, possibly yarn (though probably not)
-Naughty/Nice Scarf: fiber or yarn, depends on what I find (this is a Christmas gift for Arty)
-Coupling: fiber to spin
-BFF Socks: yarn
-Treads: fiber to spin (these are going to be a surprise for Shawn, to wear at our wedding!)
-Northern Dreams Pullover: yarn, most likely
Those are the patterns. Some of them I'm definitely buying for, others are if I find what I'm looking for and have the money. I do plan on getting things without projects in mind also and really hope to find some good circs/dpns. I can't wait to get there and see everything! Moma said that I can get a sheep or a goat or something, so maybe there will be something affordable...
This weekend was Gold Rush, Dahlonega's yearly giganto craft show. Half the town gets shut down and there's a sea of people. Literally. There are people that come from other states and even out of country to hit this thing. I've been every year since 2004 and it's never any different as far as attendance. There is always neat stuff, but I never really buy anything. The past 2 years a lady comes with her crocheted hats and they fly off the shelves. I think they're priced at about 12.00 each and they are all fun fur or some other novelty yarn. People can't get enough of them. I'm really wanting to knit/crochet a few things and hit a few craft shows to see how they do. Baby items, pet items, hats, scarves, etc. I saw a booth with a bunch of simple crocheted baby blankets and cloth blankets with crocheted borders that was doing very well. One person bought 6 of them for his grandchildren. Not sure how they were priced, though. People don't want to pay what something is worth and it's sad. They want everything for nothing and I just don't work like that.
Friday, October 17, 2008
I can't help it
Here's my progress on the SAFF socks (Knotty or Knice socks):
I am almost to the heel on the second sock. This picture is really flashy and the colors are much darker in real life. The cables are gorgeous! I really love this pattern and it's so quick. I'm going sans cable needle, as usual. Much less fiddley. I have the first sock on waste yarn for fear of running out of yarn, but it looks like I'll have enough to make the legs longer, which I really prefer on handknit socks. The pattern doesn't call for a traditional cuff (the pattern is ribbed anyway), but I'll be adding a cuff, maintain the twisted/regular rib pattern up for at least 10-15 rows. Without the cuff, it looks like the sock was either cut off or the knitter just lost interest and ended it where it was. I think it will look more finished with a cuff.
OH, did I mention that Shawn and I picked our wedding date?!? It's November 13, 2009. It's Friday the 13th, but that's Ok. We planned it for that date because it's the Friday before Thanksgiving... Shawn will still be in school then and doesn't want to miss too much class for the honeymoon. This way he'll only miss 2 days since he has off for Thanksgiving break anyway. We'll just do our first Thanksgiving as a married couple alone, on our honeymoon. We are starting to plan a little, but don't know yet where we want to have the wedding/reception (other than we know we want them at the same place). Until we decide that we really can't get too much of the real planning done, but are thinking about cakes, my dress (Moma is making it), food, music, etc. The colors are white (of course), dark red (like garnet), and gold. I want an outdoor ceremony, but that's not 100% yet. Just depends on where we want to have it (hopefully around Dahlonega somewhere...). I have the yarn for my wedding Clapotis (wrap-sized) already and will be casting on for that probably around Christmas. I plan on adding pearls and gold beads to the dropped stitch spaces.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Long post... the fill-in, pets, and a FO!
Here's my most recent FO:
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Flower Necklace
Here are some stitch markers I made for my Color Swap pal:
The picture is kind of dark, but they are made from Swarovski crystal and pearls. The crystals are a really pretty shade of pink and the pearls are silver-gray.