Books and patterns oh my!

Here I sit at the laptop looking at tons and tons of new patterns on Ravelry! How can I not? There are so many awesome designers out there these days. That is one of the wonderful things about Ravelry, how it gives creative people a way to make their patterns available to other creative people.
So never mind the fact that I have many many pages of queued patterns in Ravelry, I might have added a few more today *grin*.
Here are a few of the ones I might have just added:

• Workhouse Mitts - I love the simple elegance of these. Fingering weight, not too fussy but still nice. I may have to push these to the top of the queue!
• Jenolan Shawlette - this immediately caught my eye! I love a simple shawl (for Lilly-girl), and one that isn't out of lace/fingering weight is a bonus for me! This one is out of DK and has just enough lace to make it pretty. Really like it!
• IceBerry Mittens, IceBerry Hat - I simply must mention these. The designer is a wonderful lady and she comes up with such beautiful designs!! I love the option on the hat to allow it to fit over a ponytail! So fun.
• Lenore - I'm not sure what it is about this one that has caught my eye but I was immediately taken with it. I'm sure the color is part of it, but I think the flowy lines really draw my eye.

So many pretties to choose from! Is it any wonder my queue grows so quickly?? I think not.

Perhaps after I have tamed the wild Darling Hubby sweater I'll be able to devote some time to a sweater for me. What am I saying? The instant I have needles free something for the Lilly-girl goes right on them. *smile* But I am going to work on that this year...actually of things actively being worked on only one of them (the hitchhiker) is for her, so that isn't too bad.

As everyone who knows me just a little is aware of...I tend to get very deeply involved in whatever my current interest is. When I was a scrapbooker I spent ALL my extra time with scissors, glue and paper. When I started knitting I immediately began my mad rush into all things fibery. From knitting I headed strait into dyeing yarn & fiber, spinning, weaving and of course what could follow that but raising my own sheep, rabbits and/or goats! I haven't quite made it to the livestock yet but it is the goal. Between wanting the livestock and learning all I can about spinning The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook became a must!
Mom & I attended Sock Summit in Portland together this past July (2011) and came across this book - WOW. It has so much information in it - talk about overload (in the best way possible). Mom surprised me with a copy of it after we returned home (too big & heavy to lug on the plane home). I haven't had a chance to read through the entire book as of yet (it is really big, did I mention that yet?) but there is just so much information. It covers sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas, camels, bison, must oxen, yaks and more! The book has sections that are divided by family: Dorset, English Longwool Family, Merino Family, etc. And within those sections are the individual sheep breeds. For the breeds it gives history, facts about the fiber (from staple length to diameter, colors, characteristics, etc.). There are pictures of the locks (raw & clean), spun fiber different ways, knit swatches. Just a tons of information. I am really looking forward to getting familiar with more breeds of wool producing critters!!
I can just see myself with a sheep farm (okay, maybe not, 2 acres isn't really big enough for an entire farm). Well in my dreams I can at least.
We have taken the kids to wool festivals and they just love the sheep. Last summer they were able to help shear a sheep, comb the wool and spin it. Then they were allowed to use a loom for weaving. They loved it all! Seems to me it is time for them to learn about skirting and cleaning it *very big grin*
Okay, enough rambling on my part. If you are interested in learning about the properties of different wools go get this book *wink* I think I am going to get back to reading it myself.
Have a great day!

And the winner is....

BEA the Basement Monster!!!!

Yes, poor Baldwin the bathroom monster did not receive even one vote...wonder if it is the bathroom association *grin*. So Miss Bea was started yesterday. I hope hope hope that I have enough of the chosen yarn. Miss Bea has decided she wants to be purple and pink. What a pretty monster she should be, though she isn't really much to look at yet...


So, as you may recall if you read Friday (sister dear - hee hee) I posted knitting goals for the weekend. And I knocked them out of the park baby!!! Woohooooo. Okay, so maybe I didn't really do much of anything else...but still. A little props? Please?
Okay...here we go.

Multnomah - FINISHED! I even blocked it! Yay me *big grin*. It is currently in the possession of Princess Lilly-Girl.
Pattern: Multnoman
Yarn: Grant Creek Yarns, Merino/Cashmere/Nylon blend in the Raspberry Mint colorway (luv!)



Darling Hubby's Basket weave scarf - The goal was to add 2 inches. I added 7.5 inches!! Yay! It is currently a whopping 16 inches long....and I have to go to NINETY inches. Yay, almost there....or something like that. But he loves it and it will keep his yummy neck so toasty warm so that is what matters.



Hitchhiker Scarflette for the Knitgirllls KAL (knit-a-long) - the goal was to add one point to the shawl... and I added 3 (I think, I forget what it was at). It has a total of 14 points now. The pattern calls for 42 total (hitchhiker, get it??) but the skein of yarn I have will not stretch that far so I'll work til I have no more yarn. Not sure exactly how many points that will get me. It's coming along quite nicely though.




Then I had a spinning goal of at least 10 minutes each day. Managed to do that as well. Yay! I will talk more about that later in the week...hopefully be able to get some pretty pictures.


And then the lovely Bea Monster...
Not much to look at yet is she? *grin* But hopefully she will come along nicely too...though she is a monster...so maybe not...




Maybe I should make an egg laying monster? We have new chickens (new being subjective, they were all born this past spring) and they are just starting to lay on a semi regular schedule. Perhaps a little monster that perches in the rafters of the hen house to remind them that they need to lay eggs? Or maybe a basket...I still don't have an egg basket to gather eggs in...Maybe I should knit & felt a basket. Anyone know of a good basket pattern?
There is some pretty sunshine out right now and the hens and the pretty rooster are out scratching in the mud and enjoying the sun. It's so nice to be able to sit and see them enjoying the outdoors. Rhode Island Reds are quite pretty! If you are ever in the market for hens they are a nice one. Lay well (I'm told), pretty to look at and friendly. We call one of our sons the Chicken Whisperer because he has them so used to him that they sometimes climb right on his shoulder from the roosting post *grin*. It's a fun experience for the kids, and we get eggs from it. Works for me.


So, that's the update after this weekend. Time to get moving along. Have a lovely Monday!

Weekend plans. Help me decide. **and a little enabling**

Wow! It happened again! The week had just flown by. Where does the time go? Just another couple of weeks and this year will be gone forever. (that's a little depressing)
On a happy note, I found a stack of knitting and spinning magazines piled in a corner of my craft room today *grin*. I do believe that this weekend I will look through them and decide which ones to keep and which ones to give away. It's always fun to look through them again, specially when it has been a while.
So, no unusual plans here this weekend. Just the usual relaxing weekend we usually have in the winter. Hopefully lots of knitting. My projects seem to be piling up like crazy the last few days. Though it is possible that some of it is completely in my head and not actual projects yet *laugh*.

One of the things I'm thinking of starting is a Knitted Monster from the Rebecca Danger book, The Big Book of Monsters. I've had the book for several months and keep wanting to make one so I finally decided I am going to! Why not, right? These critters are just SOOOO darn cute! How can I resist? SO while trying to decide which one to do I realized that there are two of them whose names start with B - perfect for fitting in the stash down A to Z group, December being the letter B. Yay!!!! Love it when things work so well like that!!
However, I have a small dilema...which one to make?? We have:

• Baldwin the bathroom monster
• Bea the basement monster

Both are uber de duber cute! Both start with the letter B! Both would be equally loved by some little person in my house....Ack! Dilemma dilemma. So, help me decide. Leave a comment on this post telling me which one you think I should do. I'll count them up Sunday morning some time when I am ready to start the little monster. Yay!!

So other weekend knitting & spinning plans so far are:

1. Finish the Multnomah!! I have either 4 or 8 rows left - depends on the amount of yarn. Should be an easy finish...right? Right? Good.
2. Put at least 2 inches on Darling Hubby's Basketweave Scarf.
3. One point on the hitchhiker scarflette for the knitgirllls KAL.
4. Spin at least 10 minutes each day - see how much of my LOOP batt I can get spun! *luv*
5. And of course the "B" monster - at least start.

Some other things that are floating through my head - cause you know you are curious about what's up there *wink*...

• Hat for my sister - have the yarn all picked out...have had for nearly 2 months (oops)
• Hat for her husband - (my sister has a husband, still getting used to that)
• Hat for one of the boys from my handspun
• Socks for my Darling Hubby - though this one will wait til next year at least
• Bel Cloche - for Lilly-girl. Would fit in with B month for Stash down A - Z.
  

Ahhh, I know there are more but that is what is coming to mind at the moment...

Oh, another piece of fun news! I'm sure it comes as no surprise to anyone who has been reading here that I LOVE (great big pink hearts of love) Three Irish Girls yarn. Yummy bases, gorgeous colors, smart & beautiful proprietress....TIG just has it all going on. Anywho, yesterday, today and through the weekend is the Three Irish Girls end of the year sale! Excess (ready to ship) yarns are listed on the Yarnista's blog here and it becomes a great big free for all to get lots of yummy yarny goodness. I am doing my best to be good and not buy everything *wink* like I usually do. SO jump on over there and keep an eye out for yummy deals! Also there is a thread on the TIG Ravelry forum where everyone is egging on everyone else and just having a good ol' time. So if you are looking for some fun it's a great place to be.

I think that is everything going on here today. Not too much (is it nap time yet??). We shall see just how much progress I make this weekend and if I finish anything I'll be sure to try to get pics for next week - assuming weather/lighting cooperate.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!!! (buy lots of pretty yarn!)

Pretending it's Tuesday...

As usual time has gotten completely away from me, again. Guess that just means my life is full. A good thing.
Tuesday I was going to post a couple of magazine reviews...and then I picked up new magazines last night while at the grocery...so maybe I'll review those instead.

I picked up three magazines:

• Knit 'N Style February 2012
• Interweave Knits Winter 2011
• knitsimple winter 2011

Lots of fun!!!

Where to start...well how about Knit 'n Style since it is first in the list.

There is a really neat cardi vest on the front page. Probably not one I'd wear but it still looks really neat to me. I love the sideways construction! Actually without the art yarns I would probably wear it happily.

There are always lots of patterns in the Knit 'n Style magazines that appeal to me. This one is no different. An interesting thing about this magazine is that it also contains patters that are crochet as well as a couple for machine knitting! Neat! Love variety!

So among the beautiful patterns in this issue are Scalloped Mini Shawl - a pretty feather and fan pattern. Shoulder Shawlette - a lacy and dainty shawlette that I can completely see on a friend at church (Marissa - you need to learn to knit in your 'free' time). Woven Cable Shawl - very pretty and has a handy loop on the front to pull the other size through so keep it pulled together...I can see myself making this for my grandmother (though don't let that lead you to think it looks anything other than stylish - cause she rocks!), though I'm not sure about the cables, very beautiful though. The Skinny Stripes Shawl is SO going on my to knit list - going to put my little sticky tab right on that page....oh sticky tab, where are you....there, done. Need to find some pretty self striping yarn in my stash (or dye some). This one is just so perfect for Lilly-girl. I am not a cape/capelet person but the Viennese Capelet is really appealing to me. The Casual Men's Polo is REALLY appealing as well...perhaps when I have Darling Hubby's sweater finished and have had some recovery time I'll have to consider it...I really think it would look lovely on him. Buttonless Jacket is so pretty. I love the simple style, it would go with anything. And there are so many more that I haven't mentioned. Definitely lots of patterns in this one.

This time there is also an article about Yarn Substitution - things to think about when using a yarn other than what is called for in the pattern. Very handy information!!

Next, Interweave Knits. There is a GORGEOUS sweater on the front of this one. A friend brought this one to my attention and put this magazine on my must get list for this issue. Briar Rose Tunic is the name of this one. Just WOW. I don't know if it is the lines, the cable, the color, or a combination of it all. Anyone want to volunteer to knit this for me? *grin* Gorgeous! Also in this issue (as if it needed anything else??) is an article by Eunny Jang about cables. Looks very informative (going to have to read it when the kids are quiet). Several interesting sweater patterns are in this issue. They have a retro look about them. Also in this issue is a cute pattern for slippers. If they were sized for toddlers I'd make them for Lilly-girl. The fabled cardigan is another that I just love! I totally see myself making this one for Lilly-girl. I'm not a lover of making cables but it is just so pretty, and it is out of bulky yarn! SO I do believe it is a must. Lots and lots of cable patterns in this magazine this time.

Third is the Knitsimple magazine. I love looking at the book reviews in this magazine. A couple that caught my eye were The Knitter's Life List, Knitted Dinosaurs and the novels How to knit a heart back home/Wishes & stitches. This issue includes a couple of afghan patterns (knit & crochet), lots of sweaters, some shawls...the Triangle lace shawl and the textured shawl both look pretty & cozy. A few matching sets caught my eye, mittens, cowls, etc. Again several pretty items!! Though the granny square skirt is not one that is going to make it to the top of my list. *grin*

So lots and lots of great new patterns have been released in this bunch of mgazines! I am looking forward to casting some of these on!!

Monday Sharing.

Unfortunately for me there was a limited amount of knitting over the weekend. My arm seems to be suffering from overuse so I gave it a rest on Saturday (it is the Sabbath after all). Sunday it had recovered enough that I was able to do a little knitting, though I tried to not get to carried away.

So that means I didn't make as much progress as I had hoped. I did get a few repeats done on Lilly-girl's Multnomah. Hopefully I will be able to share some pictures soon of that. (Must find camera cord!) I believe I have 5 repeats (4 rows each) left to do if my yarn yardage holds out. Yeah!!! Getting close! I have really enjoyed knitting this :)
If you need an easy and relatively quick shawl knit - this one gets two thumbs up!

Next on the needles is the Hitchhiker for the Knitgirllls KAL. I haven't worked on this one in probably a week or more. I have 10 or 11 of the points done, there are supposed to be 42 (the answer to everything). So I am a quarter of the way there (never mind that fact that the rows get longer as you go). This is another I think will go really fast, when I actually work on it *grin*.

New on the needles is a Basket weave scarf for Darling Hubby. He needs a new scarf to go with his new winter coat so here we go. It also just happens to go along with the Stash Down A to Z this month - the letter B. Good project for low concentration times like watching tv, in town or overseeing school.

Sitting on the back burner for now is Darling Hubby's sweater (boohoooo), the beautiful What Cheer! sweater for Lilly-girl (Which at this rate will be too small by the time it is finished, double boohoo), and two pairs of socks (hopefully for me).

Well, thankfully it is not January yet so me casting on the scarf (and possibly a Bel Cloche) does not go against my goals for next year. And if all goes according to plan the scarf, multnomah and cloche will all be done before the new year. Would be nice to have Darling Hubby's sweater done as well, but since that one is still an unknown...just not sure.

What's on your needles? What fun knitting did you get to do over the weekend?

Knitting goals...decided (probably).

As I mentioned before, coming up with knitting goals is really hard for me. I do not want them to be something so specific that they stifle all creativity, but if there isn't some kinda of point to them then, well what's the point.
So after much deliberation I think I have finally come up with some reasonable goals for my knitting/fiber arts in 2012.

1. Spin for 10 minutes a day (more is great).
2. Knit from stash - don't order new yarn for projects if it can be helped.
3. Knit patterns from books already in my library.
4. Knit for more people than just Lilly-girl (even though she is the smallest/fastest knits)
5. Try to keep WIP's and UFO's down to no more than 3 at a time.
6. Really stop to think twice and thrice before ordering new yarn/fiber.

These goals seem entirely reasonable and responsible to me (at least right now they do). That should make it easier to keep on the straight and narrow....right? RIGHT? Come on people, be supportive. *grin*

Perhaps I'll get really industrious and check to see if all my Ravelry stash is accounted for and that all the mostly used skeins are marked correctly so that I can actually track how many skeins I really do use/add over the course of the next year. That would be fun....as long as I stick to it, otherwise it could be depressing.

So, what kinds of goals are YOU going to have for the following year?

Sidetracked again!

Yesterday was a day of being sidetracked. First one thing and then another.
One of those things was finding out that the new Knitty is out! It's always so fun to heck out the new pattern releases. Unfortunately not many of the patterns really interested me this time - lots of beautiful items, just not ones I'd make. Some of the really pretty ones to me are the Alata sweater and the Grace socks.

Today continued with the distractions. These were all great distractions though! In October Three Irish Girls released a limited edition set of colorways to honor the King & Queen of Norway and their trip to Minnesota! ( you can read about that here on the Yarnista's blog) I was able to order some of them!! And they arrived today. YUM! Yes that is all I can say!
My most favorite one is Point Park Lilacs. Gorgeous!


Is that not absolutely gorgeous? Well I think it is. I am leaning towards using three of the skeins (On springvale super, worsted weight, superwash base) for a Cali Cargo dress for Lilly-girl. Hopefully I can find a semi-solid in my stash of the appropriate weight to put with it for the trim. I think she would like that and it would be oh-so-cute!

Another distraction that occurred today - also in the form of yarn - is that I received an order from the Net Loft, a delightful little store in Cordova, Alaska. They have some beautiful colorways dyed by Three Irish Girls that are specific to their store only. The colorways are based on local icons, flowers, etc. My most recent purchase from there is the beautiful Cordova Flora minskein set. Eight miniskeins in a mix of colors that represent their local flora. So pretty! I am thinking I will use them for socks and/or a shawl for Lilly-girl. They are really bright and colorful. Perfect for a little girl who has her very own sense of style! If you are on facebook you can "like" The Net Loft and see some of the Three Irish Girls colorways they have had dyed.

Well, I was going to review my newer magazines but since Knitty provided the first distraction and I gave a very short review of that I think I will hold off on the magazines. Save them for another day.

In personal knitting news I finished the garter section of the Multnomah I was working on and am ready to stat the feather & fan portion of it. I don't know if I'll get that set up with markers and start it or if I'll dig out the trim I need to start the Cali Cargo dress....that is really calling to me.
Happy knitting to you!!

A quick catch up.

Wow! I can not believe it is December already! How does that happen??

Unfortunately I did not get Darling Hubby's sweater done by Thanksgiving! SO sad! I was moving along making tons of great progress - front done, back done, sleeves done...when it occured to me that the sleeves did not look like they were going to fit. Do a quick measure...nope, definitely not going to be the baggy sweater he was asking for! ARGH! So I stopped after finishing the sleeves. I am going to have to wash it and block it all out to see if I get any growth (I don't think I will, the swatch did not). Then I will have to consult some very smart knitting brains (with way more experience than I myself have) and see what can be done.

In the meantime I was able to finish the test knit I was working on and it has been published, so I can share!!
The pattern is called Anadara. It is a beautiful shawl. I'm not much of one for knitting fingering weight shawls but I HAD to test knit this pattern. It's beautiful and designed by my friend - so what else could I do. If you are looking for a quick and easy knit - maybe something to do as a gift - you should really check it out! And if you want to knit it with others there is a Knit-a-long that has been started on the SPAllison group on Ravelry here.
And my finished Anadara:



I used Three Irish Girls club colorways, Sproutling & Beach Cottage, in the Velvet Sock base.
They were quite lovely to work with. A skein of each was sufficient with some of the semi-solid left.
Lilly-girl loves it! She even slept in it the first night after it was blocked.

So after I finished that another friend asked if I'd like to test knit a baby doll piece - I did, of course! It was an uber fast knit. When she releases it I'll post it here as well.

Then I spent a little time working on the Multnomah in Raspberry Mint (Grant Creek Yarns). It is coming along quite well. But once again it has been put back on the back burner.

And on December 1st I stated the KnitGirllls knit-a-long using Cloudlover's Haunted Vineyard colorway. I'm making the Hitchhiker shawlette. I have about 10 points done. The first ones move really fast. The one skein of yarn I bought will not make the 42 points, but that's okay as it is for Lilly-girl anyhow. This too has been pushed aside though.

Another friend has a test knit that I'm going to be working on. I need to start on it right away. First the dreaded gauge swatch. Nah, it will not be too bad. Actually it might be even pleasant. I'm using Three Irish Girls Wexford yarn base - a blend of silk and wool. Yummy! It has the most dreamy sheen/glow to it! LOVE it!

So that is what I've been up to.
When I arrived home from Kentucky there were lots of bags of yarn and fiber waiting for me at my desk! So much yumminess.

I will be sure to try to write frequently again now that I am back.
Perhaps next time I'll review the magazines I just bought.
Have fun knitting!

keeping on keeping on...

Well I am keeping on keeping on. Making a little progress here and there on the sweater - and a little progress here and there on the shawl. Mostly LITTLE.

However I have been enjoying my spinning wheel a lot of late. Spinning some fun fiber and plying some singles that have been sitting here waiting for love.
I will try to post some pics after Thanksgiving.

I am going out of town for an extended holiday til after then! Yeah!
Hopefully I'll get plenty of knitting done because it is THIRTEEN days and counting til the sweater is due....eeeeeek!!!

Plus one to...fail. Oops.

So just in case any of you were not aware...it is a BAD idea to knit while you're tired. I continued knitting on the test knit last night past the point where I was so tired I was brainless and today I'm paying for it by having to undo a row and drop and pick up several stitches to fix them. Ooops.
So be warned...do not knit tired. It's never a good plan. Consider this my public service announcement for the day.

So today I think I will spend fixing that and hoping to make some progress, because I have a LOT of repeats ahead of me. A 400+ yard skein of yarn...knit knit knit knit. Not sure how much I'll use.

I might also spend some time going through my fiber, reorganizing it a bit, trying to make heads or tails of it...my craft room really needs some work. I'm starting to get the destash bug - makes me want to get rid of all the clutter around me.

Well, back to my un-knitting...if I get around to sorting my spinning fiber I'll try to take a picture to post.

Weekend full of knitting.

I set a goal for myself this past weekend of finishing the front of Darling Hubby's sweater and starting the sleeves. Thanks to a friend who gave me a push by offering to race on our knitting I made my goal with flying colors! The front got finished and I am now 11 inches into the sleeves. I'm knitting both of them at the same time - on the same cable. I'm a little less than halfway done with their length. I'm pretty happy with that progress. Still plenty to do of course but it is a good dent in what needed to be done.
With 17 days left to finish the sweater I am still going to have to really work it but I feel better about how much is done.

As a reward (and a rest for my hands & wrists) I decided to work on the test knit I am doing. Can't forget that I have to have it done before the end of the month as well!

Last week I spent a bit of time working on going through all my yarns stash. Wow - that's a lot of yarn. I pulled quite a few things out to destash and hopefully help me clean up and better organize my craft room. I've got a giant basket of fiber for spinning that I need to go through too. I really want to spend more time with my spinning wheel. Need to make that a priority I guess. Perhaps after I get the two time sensitive things off of the needles I'll be able to.


Anyway, that is all for now. Hope everyone had a fun knitting weekend.

Missing..one beautiful bag!!

I am so beyond saddened. I have a wonderful friend. She knit and designed a wonderful bag.

A little back story if you will...

My friend Trisha from TAAT Designs designed and knit a most beautiful bag that she named Fulfillment. The design was published by Sanguine Gryphon.

Here is the bag:



An amazing work of art isn't it?
Well, as is the custom with these things, the finished bag traveled hither and yon and made appearances wherever Sanguine Gryphon went to sell their yarn. The most recent place it visited was Rhinebeck for that lovely fiber arts festival. However for some unknown reason Fulfillment did not return home. I know not if it went home with someone who was so taken with it they could not resist or if it got misplaced and ended up in a lost and found box somewhere. But if you have this bag or if you have seen this bag and know where it is could you PLEASE return it to Sanguine Gryphon? This bag is the rightful property of the designer and she is deeply saddened and hurt that it will not be returning home. It would mean more to her than I can possibly say to have it back.

Countdown to Thanksgiving...20 Days!

Twenty days!
Yes, 20 days. Twenty days til the sweater I promised my husband must be done.
I have the back done and a bit over half of the front done.
So I must finish the front, do both sleeves, seam it and do the hood. In 20 days. Totally doable.
Of course I'm also doing the test knit for A that needs to be done and evaluated by the end of November.

Yeah, I think I need to spend less time on the computer and more time knitting for the next 3 weeks...

Knitting goals.

Every year I see people set their knitting goals and making these grandiose plans about what they are going to knit in the coming year. There are groups and threads on Ravelry for different things - 11 sweaters in 2011, 11 pairs of socks in 2011, 11 in 2011 (for 11 goals apparently), 11 in 2011 (for spinning), 11 shawls in 2011, 11 hats in 2011 - the list goes on and on and on. I always wonder how many people complete the goals. I know some do. I've got friends doing the 11 pairs of socks in 2011 that have completed that goal already (Not me! I have completed 2 pairs).
That leads me to wonder how they have the power to stick to it. There are so many things I want to make, and so many new things that will come along in the next year. I don't know how I'd stick to it. I know that there is already talk of what the 2012 goals will be - 12 of this or that in 2012. I wonder what this people will do when it is 2020 *laugh*.
This train of thought came about from watching old episodes of the knitgirllls podcast (trying to catch up but I'm at 31 so I have a ways to go - maybe that should be my goal). Leslie and Laura were discussing goals for the coming year (would be this year since they are last years videos). What they would knit or participate in. Very shortly after watching that a friend on a group started talking about doing 12 pairs of socks in 2012. Of course that is mind boggling to me because I have TWO pairs done. Yep, just two pairs. One of those pairs was for my 3 year old daughter (shhh, don't tell!). I don't think I could commit to making 12 of something...I want to be able to knit lots of different things, ya know? And I'll be honest, as soon as I say, "I'm going to make this and this and this." I want to do something else. I think I have knitting commitment phobia.
That leads me to this: what will my knitting goals be for the coming year.....I don't know. I am tossing some ideas around though. I have recently gone through my stash and looked at all my yarn. I've moved some of it to my destash on Ravelry to sell and others I've lovingly fondled and started dreaming about all the things I want to make with it. Since I have so much fingering weight/sock yarn (it seems like a TON) and yet am so slow on the socks I think I should use it for other things - sweaters for little girl, shawls, whatever. I also have the Sock-Yarn One Skein Wonders book that has lots of cute ways to use a skein of sock yarn. Seems like a perfect combination to me. I think I will go through it and pick out lots of things I love and that are pretty....and then maybe I'll knit a few of them. Or not. Maybe I'll think about knitting a few of them. I do, after all, have a year long subscription to Three Irish Girl's Sock Yarnista sock yarn club. So I should really do something with all those gorgeous sock yarn's sitting there waiting to be loved.
Of course I also have a ton of unspun fiber sitting here giving me sad puppy dog looks. It has been sorely neglected. I really need to practice my spinning and get to know my wheel better - why it does what it does, and why it doesn't always do what I want it to. So maybe I should have a spinning goal.
And I did find the Stash Down A- Z group on Ravelry. That looked like a fun way to really use your stash and knit some of the things sitting in the ginormous queue I have.
See, just too many things to do, too much fun to be had. But the more I commit to the more likely I am to run the other way and be overwhelmed by it all.
I guess I will think on it for a bit and see what sounds the most fun.
What are your knitting goals going to be for 2012? 12 shawls, 12 pairs of socks, 12 pounds of spun fiber....or just knitting and having fun with it? Or perhaps you love a challenge and your list contains all of the above?

Trying something new - a photo share.

Okay, I really want to be able to share pics of fiber/yarn purchases, things I make, etc. But I do not want to overwhelm people with 10 photos at a time.
So I'm trying to learn how to make a cute little mosaic out of the photos. I'm hoping that will load faster/easier for people.
So if this works there will be more in the future (probably the very near future).

This picture is of 4 braids of fiber that I recently ordered from Unwind Yarn Company on Etsy. Beautiful colors, soft fibers...I'm really looking forward to playing with them.

Unwind Yarn Company, a photo by rhondacary on Flickr.

A test knit revealed!

In late September a wonderful friend had a pattern that she needed test knit. I was given the chance to test it! Julie (Jaia on ravelry) frequently designs beautiful socks. This time around she designed an adorable mitten pattern - Sugarboo Mittens. They are so quick, cute and easy, sized for children 12 months to 6 years. I knit up a pair of them in Three Irish Girls Springvale Super and just loved how they worked up. I fully intend to knit up a couple more pairs of them this fall/winter for my two smallest monkeys.
If you have little ones you would like to make mittens for or need a quick gift, etc you should definitely check this pattern out - it is well written, works up quickly and is cute! :)

Here is the first one I did...I don't have a picture of the pair of them together for some reason.



If you don't have a need for little mittens then check out the sock patterns Julie has available on Ravelry - some beautiful worsted weight socks as well as fingering weight ones!

Another day gone.

Where do they go?? Time flies when you're having fun I guess, at least that is what I'm told.
So the weekend was mostly spent catching up on rest (mentally & physically) after a busy week with kids' school things. I did next to no knitting on Saturday because I was just mentally exhausted. I wanted to knit...but it just was not happening. However Sunday a nice part of the day working on Darling Hubby's sweater. I have gotten more than half of the front piece done - I'm into the arm shaping now - YAY!!!! :) Hip hip hooray for me :) Quite happy about that.
Then today I spent the day (between teaching the kids - during the 'hurry up & wait' portions of the day) working on the test knit for my friend :) I'm making decent progress on it I think and am really enjoying knitting it! I can't wait til I can share details!!

So, not a ton going on here at the moment as far as knitting goes - at least not new. Though I did have a couple of new fibery pretties show up on my doorstep over the past few days that I'm looking forward to sharing with y'all!! Nothing like yummy fibery goodness to drool over!!

Have a lovely night!

The wonderful thing...

The wonderful thing about knitting is that there are SO many options - so many yarn bases, so many colors and dyers, so many patterns & knit-a-longs (KAL's). Just so much! You can do anything, be anything, make anything.
The bad thing about knitting is all of the things I just listed. LOL. Every time I read a post on Ravelry or the knitting forum of my cloth diaper board or look at a new magazine ( LOVE that new November Creative Knitting!!) it just adds ten more things that I want to make or yarn I want to buy or fibers I want to spin. So it's wonderful that there are all those options - I just LOVE it!! But boy does it play havoc with me getting anything accomplished.
SO as I posted yesterday I started the Multnomah for my daughter. Then last night I read a post from a friend saying she needed a test knitter. OHHHHHH. Yes, please. I love my friend, I love her designs and hey I love seeing things before everyone else (don't you?). So I couldn't say anything but "sign me up please!" right? And since it is test knitting it is on a deadline so the Multnomah will have to go on the back burner for a bit (sorry baby girl). But I'm so excited to do the test knit!! I don't think L will mind too much because this will probably go to her when it is done as well.
Does everyone else have as much trouble with being distracted by all the possibilities out there or am I the only one?

Oh and on the topic of the new Creative Knitting (issue - November 2011) - WOW! I love this magazine! I should really get a digital subscription so that I don't miss out by picking them up at the grocery store. The items in this issue have already been added to Ravelry - you can find it by searching in the pattern tab (search 'Creative knitting November 2011'). It's nice to be able to see what is in the magazine if you are not a regular purchaser.
I am in LOVE with the little girls dress & jacket they have in this one - The Bianca Bolero & Jumper. I can just see that on my little girl.
Fresh Powder, Gryphon, and the Arbutus Swing Jacket are all very pretty. They really caught my eye as potential sweaters. The Winter Spice is another of the circular sweaters that are so popular right now. Really pretty. This issue was packed full of pretty things.
I do have to share a bit of a funny. So I'm sitting at the table last night flipping through the magazine - I like to look at all the ads and everything as well, not just the patterns. I come across an ad for a new yarn, Berroco Boboli. The lady in the ad was holding a HUGE ball (hand wound looking) of this yarn. The colors were rather jewel toned and this ball was just HUGE - think basketball. I then notice a QR code in the corner of the page. Right away I grabbed my phone, scanned the code and found the website. I got to looking and bam! it hit me, the yarn comes in 3.5 ounce hanks. Booohoooo. I thought maybe it was a new gimmick and they were selling it in these great big balls (sweater quantities maybe?). I so wanted one, lol. Now I don't want the yarn, lol. Though it really is very pretty. Anyhow, that is my funny moment for the day.

Bitten again!

Yes, I have a slight problem with casting on new projects. Well, I say problem...it's not a problem while I'm doing it, lol.
So a lovely friend is making a Multnomah shawl in Three Irish Girl's Alchemy colorway (from Sock Summit 2009). Alchemy is an absolutely gorgeous colorway!! I can not wait to see how it comes out.
However instead of just waiting to see I decided to cast on a Multnomah of my own. Yes, I know, I have four projects actively on the needles at the moment, two I plan to get to quickly and numerous others I want to do as well, lol. But I just couldn't stop myself. So last night I got out two pretty pink yarns from my stash:
This beautiful yarn from Dragonfly Fibers - it is Spring in Washington on the Naiad Sock base. I bought it at Sock Summit this past summer.


The second option I got out was some yummy Grant Creek Farms. The base is a wool/cashmere/nylon blend in the Raspbery Mint colorway.



So my little girl is a seriously girly girl and her favorite color is PINK. She is alll about pink. She loves all colors but pink is the best according to her. So I fully expected her to pick the dragonfly fibers with it's very pinky pink. However she (yet again) surprised me and chose the Grant Creek Farms. So my 3 yr old little girl is about to get her second Cashmere blend shawl, lol. How many three year olds do you know who wear cashmere shawls??

That is how I came to be bitten by the cast-on bug yet again and increased my number of projects from 4 to 5. Drat, lol.
The Multnomah is lots of garter stitch though and then lots of feather & fan pattern so it should move pretty quickly I think.
This will have to be my evening knitting. Darling Hubby's sweater is too dark to see well late and it strains my eyes to try to work on it. (good excuse don't you think?)
When I get a little further on the Multnomah I'll be sure to post a picture :)

Slow as a snail...

Yes my knitting this week is as slow as a snail. We homeschool our 5 children and our school schedule is different than that of the public school district we live in due to religious Holy Days. So we've just been getting back into the swing of things with school lately and WOW it has really killed my knitting time. So I did absolutely no knitting on any projects yesterday. Boo :(
However today looks like it may end up giving me at least a couple of minutes to spend on the sweater I am doing for Darling Hubby.
The pattern I am working is the Hooded Sweatshirt in the book Knits Men Want. The yarn I am using is a Three Irish Girl's yarn - the base is Springvale Bulky and the colors are Eaven, McNamara, and a club colorway call George Bailey. Springvale Bulky is the softest, squishiest, yummiest bulky base ever :) No other way to describe it. The colors - Eaven, a deep teal blue, McNamara is a really neat green with layers of colors in it, almost like gold when it knits up, and the George Bailey is a beautiful deep brown from the clubs.
I am really really loving how this sweater is knitting up. I'm not loving the idea of seaming it of course but I worked to learn backwards knitting before I started this so it is going much faster for me than it otherwise would have. I finished the back of the sweater a couple of days ago and cast on the front. So now I am working on the front - just lots of back & forth, back & forth. Not terribly exciting but something I can easily do while working with the kids or watching a show or video podcast (like the knitgirllls!). Here's hoping it turns out well because Darling Hubby is really looking forward to having a comfy sweater that he can snuggle into and I am kind of looking forward to being able to say I knit a complete man-sweater, lol!!

Let's see, I have fewer projects on the needle right now than I have in probably the past year and a half. I became so completely poly-minded in my knitting that I was getting very little done. But this summer I really worked towards having less projects on the needles. So as of writing (typing) this I have 4 things actually ON needles and two in the plans.

So the first thing - my primary focus is the sweater for Darling Hubby.

Then I have a sweater, What Cheer!, on the needles. It was designed by a friend. I am LOVING knitting it, but it keeps getting pushed aside for things that are more pressing - boo! If I don't finish it soon my poor little girl will not be able to wear it. I'm using some beautiful Three Irish Girls in a retired colorway for it.

Next are some socks that have been on the needles since about this time last year (oops). A pair of Chirality by Star Athena that I started during the KAL that they were done in. And a pair of Isaz that I started during the KAL where they were released. Both are beautiful socks, I just haven't had a chance to work on them. I want to love making socks but I just haven't fallen for it yet, lol. Though that certainly doesn't keep from trying repeatedly.

The two things that are planned are a pair of Argylers Handwarmers from some yarn I received in a magic yarn ball swap and the Hitchhiker that I want to do as part of the Knitgirllls KAL that will start in November.

So it is getting better, pretty soon I'll be down to just a couple of things on the needle...nahhh, lol. There are way too many things out there in the world that I want to knit! Sweaters, scarves and shawls for my darling little princess, sweaters, hats and mittens for my rugged little guys. Just lots of fun to be had.

Hope you are having fun knitting on whatever you have on the needles!!

Froggy went a courtin...

Yes, unfortunately my beautiful Purl & Zag socks have met their end...before they even reached completion.
Purl and zag is such a pretty sock pattern but unfortunately it just wasn't working for me. Maybe a case of taking too long (they were cast on November of last year - ooops). Ribbit ribbit ribbit...
So I've got this beautiful skein of Three Irish Girls Westerly Sea Sock yarn in a gorgeous club colorway - Aurora - which I am going to now frog and make a plain vanilla type pair of socks for me with. I haven't chosen a pattern yet but I think I just want to let the yarn shine.

This is the beautiful yarn:


So this evening will be spent frogging and re-winding the yarn while I sort through possible patterns. Here's to finding a suitable pattern to let this gorgeous yarn SHINE.


So what sort of fun things are on your needles these days?

Welcome to my blog!!

Once upon a time I had a blog about scrapbooking, Though I'll be honest it was not kept up very well. However it seems like so much more of my time has come to be devoted to the fiber arts instead of the paper arts that it just made sense for me to move on to a blog that is more about my knitting & spinning (and hopefully one day about weaving too).
I hope that you will enjoy reading about what is going on in my world when it comes to needles, yarn, fiber and wheels.

I'm sure I'll be a bit slow to get this going but stick with me and maybe it will be worth your time & patience.