A Little of This and That…….Nov. 9, 2005

Imagination, song, the soaring spirit.
Separate them to know them as aspects of the whole,
Join them to know the mystery of totality.
Deng~Ming Dao

The mind, if focused, can become the most powerful force we know.  Yet for most of us, we are lost in the vastness of our own uncharted minds. (also Dao)

What a weekend!  Have you ever been so completely scattered that you don’t know if you are coming or going?  That is how the last few days have been for me.  So many things to do, and so little time……and here I thought that this would be a quiet time for me…….my mind is definitely feeling a bit uncharted right now…….and busy.  When you finish reading this post, you will see, just how scattered I truly am right now, in my true to form, typical ADD madness

Later this morning my oldest daughter will be undergoing minor heart surgery (if you can call any heart surgery minor).  Once I am sure that she will be ok, the younger girls, my DH and myself will head down to Pennsylvania, on Friday.  I will be attending a dog show with Miss Bliss. The rest of the family will be helping my MIL………..and…………..I may be coming home with a cute little Black and Tan package of the canine variety :-)).  Stay tuned for cute puppy pictures….<eviLgrin>

If you think of it today, say a little prayer for my daughter, she is very nervous, in fact we all are a little bit.

And now the fibery stuff……..

As much as I am looking forward to working on some fair isle or ethnic mittens this winter, right now is not the right time to do a pair for the Warm Hand KAL.  I have so much going on and knew that I didn’t have the concentration to learn a new skill.

So on Mitten Monday, I pulled out the "handy, dandy" sander, a little black kid mohair and some colorful mohair locks and set about making a pair of mittens..  The beauty in felted mittens is that in four short hours, you can have a nice pair of completed mittens, that are both windproof, warm…and it is fun!

Over the weekend, I took the time to work give all of my WIP a little time and attention.  There was a little knitting and a little dyeing

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can honestly say that I am enjoying all of the projects that I am working on right now.  The little red sweater is moving right along and I am hoping to finish it up at the hospital today.  There is such satisfaction, I have found, knitting something special for someone with yarn that you have spun yourself.  I love the way this polwarth yarn feels.  Soft and springy with no itch, and how can you not smile when working on this lovely shade of red.  Hopefully the little princess will agree~

There has not been much progress on the New England Sock, as half way thru, I realized that 3 skeins were needed.  I had a skein of Koigu in an olive green that would have matched, but wanting these socks to be a pair of dress socks, I feared that the green would make them look a bit more casual.  Thankfully, Patternworks is just a hop away from me and having the perfect excuse for a trip, I took a little "me" time on Sunday to visit the "wall of Koigu".  I found the perfect shade of brown for the socks……….and came home with a little something extra.  Margene always speaks so highly of Nancy Bush and the pattern knits in this book were just too lovely to pass by. 

Meme
Eeeeekkkk……I’ve been tagged by Julia and Marguerite.  I am not always a fan of meme’s, however, as Julia usually says, "It IS nice to be asked" and she is right……..so here goes……..

What is your all time favorite yarn to knit with?

This is a hard one.  Almost everytime I work with a new yarn, I think to myself……"Wow, this is IT!".  Currently, I am enjoying Rowan’s Kid Silk Haze and Koigu.  Handspun as I mentioned previously, is always the most satisfying yarn to work with.  There is something magical in watching the yarn that you created yourself work up into a finished item.

The worst thing you’ve ever knit?

Don’t laugh…….it is a handspun sweater.  I didn’t say that they always come out looking nice…….only that they are magical to work on……haha!  This sweater was a beautiful celtic knot sweater, that was made with covered, clean, coopworth wool, that I painstaking handcombed……..all 3 pounds of it.  The sweater came out a bit big, but still lovely……….so where is the "worst" part you may ask??  The darn sweater pilled so badly, that I ended up giving it to the Salvation army as it irritated me so,  everytime I looked at it. Lesson learned……….covered fleeces sometimes have damaged ends from sweaty sheep.

Most valuable knitting technique?

If you can cast on, cast off, knit and purl………you are capable of knitting ANYTHING 😉

Your most favorite knit pattern? (maybe you don’t like wearing
it…but it was the most fun to knit)

Most recently, it has been "Birch".  There was something so soothing in that knit.

Best knit book or magazine?

Like everyone else, Interweave Knits is hands down my favorite magazine.  My favorite knitting books are those that tell a story (see below) along with the patterns.  The scenery in some of Alice Starmore’s books are breath taking and the patterns are so beautiful.  I am fortunate to own most of AS’s books and I never tire of looking at them…….they are so lovely.

Your favorite knitwear designer?

I have two.  Alice Starmore for her incredible celtic sweaters.  One of these days I will finish Inishmore…….and Nancy Bush.  I love the background stories that both of these women incorporate into their books.  They weave a tale with their patterns.
 

Your favorite knit blogs?

This is the hardest question of all.  There are so many blogs that I enjoy and so many new friends I have made along the way, that it is impossible to list them all, for fear of leaving one out….but I will mention two that are my favorite stand~bys and who always make me smile..  I start my morning off as many of you do, reading Margene’s stories with my coffee.  Her outlook on life is always positive and puts a smile on my face, most every day. Liz, with her garden treasures and wonderful cooking is always a treat to read……I love her commitment to a simple life.

Recently, I have discovered some of our blogging friends over the pond, such as Yarnstorm and PeaSoup, along with Wooly Warbler and a few others.  I am so enjoying the way that these women write.  Having visited the UK a few years ago, it brings back some of the enjoyable memories of the delightful little town in Wales that I stayed in and the unique little differences of life across the pond. 

The knit item you wear the most? (how about a picture of
it!)

Anyone who knows and loves me….<VBG>……has seen me in this vest.  It is THE most comfortable item that I own….and everyone knows it….LOL!

Handspun with wool from Spinner’s Hill, it is a Sarah James’s vest pattern.  The pattern is about as easy as they come and it’s simplicity, shows of the lovely colors of the yarn.

It is getting a bit tired and worn out, so it is time to get a new one started on the needles this winter.

So there you have it……….  I think that just about everyone has done this meme, so I won’t tag anyone……..this time………but watch out Norma…….there’s always next time…..mwaa haaaa!!