Living one day at a time
| BE THANKFUL By Author Unknown Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire. Be thankful for the difficult times. Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons. It’s easy to be thankful for the good things. May your Thanksgiving Day be a peaceful one |
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Meet Kali
"Grandeville Mexicali Blues"
We spent the last few days trying to figure out what to call this little girl. Somehow Rizzo just wasn’t clicking, so we ventured down different paths. Drawing back on those old Deadhead days, I came up with this name, that somehow suits her just right…….so Kali it is 😉
Be Careful What You Wish For
On Friday, Cassie mentioned that she was giving her sock knitting a rest for the weekend…..a moratorium. In my comment to her, I told her that my NE socks were languishing and that perhaps I needed a bite in the butt to pick them up and start working on them again.
Cassie commented that I should be careful what I wish for…….
Hmmm……perhaps that should have been an omen, a premonition that I should have picked up on. Did I? Nope………happily past the heel and gussets, I merrily knit along completing another full pattern round. With only 2 more to do, I was feeling mighty happy with my progress………..that was……..until………..I took a good look at the sock. Acck…….how could I have forgotten that I left off, before starting the heel, 1/2 way thru a pattern round, (as the book instructed). Agghhhh………….. I was so disgusted with myself for not reading the pattern carefully enough, that the socks went back into stashland.
So What Does One Do……..
Why, she starts something new!! After seeing a picture of these gloves on Margene’s page last month, I knew that they would make it on my to do list. I picked up the recommended Koigu and the Book, Knitting in Estonia, a few weeks ago. Never having ever made a pair of gloves before, this will be a first. Let’s see if I can pay better attention to the pattern this time.
Puppy Play
What a mixed bag this weekend was, but look at what came home with us!!
This little Miss does not have a name yet, as I like to get to know their little personalities a bit first. Her registered name is supposed to be "Summer Night" and my daughter wants me to name her Rizzo, but I am not sure she is a Rizzo or a Summer Night yet…….but I know she isn’t a Sandy……LOL
What do you think?
I set out after the show (Bliss took a 4th place both days), on Monday to pick up this little puppy. We were staying in Pennsylvania with my mother in law and the puppy was in Goode, Virginia. Printed out the directions and a map from MapQuest and set out on my way, with my 14 year old daughter, Courtney. MapQuest told me that it was a 4 hour trip and it looked pretty straightforward, so I didn’t think I needed to look at the map…………BIG mistake!
As a rule, I am not very fond of heights, especially when I am the one driving. Can’t shut my eyes when I am at the wheel……eeekk! 3 1/2 hours into the trip, we got off of the major highway onto route 43. It was a fairly narrow road and it started to climb a bit. I said to Courtney…….Hmmm…….it looks like she lives in the mountains too. Higher and higher…….narrower and narrower……..oh dear!! We were driving up the side of a freakin mountain!!! Higher and higher still, I am getting more and more nervous. Finally we reach the top, at a place called "The Peaks of Otter" . Such a beautiful, beautiful place, nestled in the Blue Ridge Parkway (now I know that is Rt 43). Had I not been so nervous thinking about the ride down the mountain, I may have actually taken the time to enjoy the scenery for more than a few minutes. Needless to say, I didn’t take many pictures, but the link above shows you some of the beauty in that spot. Wasn’t until today, that I found out there was a Winery very close by. If ever I could have used a glass……..it was that day……haha!
Nothing too exciting in the knitting department though. I have been plugging along on my Morehouse cardigan. In the car I noticed that somehow I had a hole on the raglan sleeve increases about 10 rows up. Too rip or not to rip was the dilema, as there was no way just to drop the stitches down with the increases. Would I be able to get those increases back in the right spot once off the needle?. In the end, I ripped back the 10 rows and thankfully was able to get it all back on the needle with very little fuss. This sweater is worked on size 3 needles, so even though I worked on it alot in my free time, it doesn’t seem to be moving too fast……….. such a nice knit all the same. I love this laceweight Morehouse Merino!
I have seen this going around blogland, as I have been desparately trying to get caught up. I decided to give it a try……..scary how close these things can be sometimes……notice how green is my color~
Molly from Junior Knits
Handspun PolwarthNovember 3 to November 10, 2005
Flower from Knitty
Handspun Angora Blend
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A special thank~you to all who sent healing vibes for my daughter. She came thru the procedure without any ill effects. We have more questions than answers right now, but we know that her "ticker" is healthy. Thank~you!
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!!
Now, I ask myself……."Why do you bother swatching, if you are going to ignore what it tells you?
The little Bolero pattern calls for aran weight yarn, knit on size 8 needles. 18 sts and 24 rows giving a 4inch square. So, I started off with size 8 needles….and as you can see the swatch to the left looks a little loose and big. It measured out the 4 inches in length, but it was a bit bigger in width. Did I pay attention to that swatch…….NOOOOOOO………….
As you can see, the knitting to the left was working up quite loose and floppy, so what did I do, I knit another swatch going down a needle size. I didn’t rip out the first attempt at the sweater, just in case I was right the first time, but I don’t have to tell you that I was wrong, wrong, wrong. When will I ever learn??
This little sweater is knit all in one piece. Each 40 stitch sleeve is cast on in increments of 10 stitches. Easy, peasy, right? Merrily I am knitting along and as I am knitting, I am thinking to myself, Hmmm……..this sleeve is looking short. How can this be? So I go back and look at the gauge swatches, even the smaller needled swatch is a hair bigger than it should be, so why oh why are my sleeves looking so short??
Duh……….instead of doing 40 stitches on each side, I did 40 stitches combined (20 and 20). How could I have made such a silly error? This week has been the week of knitting errors for sure. No good knitting Karma here……why? As I was reading Cassie’s post this morning, the light bulb went off. Daylight savings is playing Tom Foolery with my mind. Too many cobwebs, I guess.
Finally, I think I may be on the right track this time.
Lesson learned……if you are going to swatch, listen to what they tell you.
Something to smile about this week…….
Invisibility is the best advantage.
But if forced to a confrontation,
Come out with all of your skill.
Deng Ming~Dao
Those that know me, know how much I dislike confrontation, but there are times when it is necessary. This has been a very stressful and challenging week in the workplace…….sometimes being in charge is not much fun. There is not much knitting in this post as I had to rip back most of what I worked on this week. Somehow the stress carried over into my knitting. Thank goodness for simple stockinette knitting. My cardigan from Morehouse is the only work in progress that has actually progressed.
Last week, Lee-Ann sent me a challenge. She asked if I could come up with a red that was not blue and not orange……..just simply red. Now that sounds like an easy task, doesn’t it? Well……let me tell you just how many shades of red there are…..LOTS! With much tweaking, I think I came up with the shade that made her smile. (the color in the pan looks more orangy than it really is)
Playing with these brighter colors made me smile as well…..so much so, that I am going to create an additional line of bunny balls, called bundrops. These will be done in vibrant solid colors……….I am just waiting on the bunnies to give me a little more angora. Next week I will set about shearing everyone, so hopefully just before Christmas, I will have some new stuff, in addition to my usual muted colors.
Now there once was a lovely blue,green polwarth roving, that was spun into a double weight yarn. Somehow along the spin, something was lost and the yarn took on a yucky (is that a word?) grey cast…….but because the handle of the yarn was wonderful, she who spun the wool, tried to knit with it. Somehow, though, there was no inspiration……..no pizazz, no love, and it was cast aside.
A little Arabian princess (granddaughter, McKayla) has been requesting a sweater made of red for a long spell now……..so as I was dyeing this wool and then the angora, I remembered that yarn of blue (now grey) and wondered if somehow, I could get a nice shade of red for this little princess……as this yarn was of the softest variety. Into the dyepot, with a toss and a prayer, this yarn went.
Oops………I forgot to add additional ties to secure the yarn whilst it was dyeing and what a dyeing mess I got………YIKES!!! The color looks right, but will I ever be able to untangle all of this yarn for that little princess??
After the confrontational week that I have endured, the mindless untangling (thank goodness for yarn swifts), was almost a welcome distraction. With a ton little work five lovely balls of yarn in just the color that the little princess requested were produced.
It will be knit into this lovely sweater for Christmas. I’m thinking that a vibrant felted flower to pin on that sweater might be called for too…….what do you think?
Welcome to our little shop of horrors……Mwaaahaaaaa!!
You have your devil child….
……Your Arabian princess
….Your cowardly lion
….and the itsy bitsy spider…….
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of the things that I have really wanted to focus on this winter is learning and hopefully mastering a few new methods of felting.
This weekend, I was called upon as a spinning demonstrator at a small wool day program in Moultonboro, NH. The program was geared more towards introducing people to rug hooking, but a few of us who utilize wool in other methods were asked to attend as well. I can’t tell you how much I really didn’t want to go. I don’t know why……….I just wasn’t feeling very well, and really had to push myself out the door. I have to admit, that I am very glad that I did, as I learned some new things as well.
One of the ladies demonstrating, specializes in needle felting. I have dabbled a little bit here and there with needle felting, but not very much……so I sat down to a little private pumpkin session and look what I came up with! I have a few folk art ideas for the house floating around in my mind…..
Another thing I have dabbled a bit with is Nuno felting. A very good friend of mine, Sue Hoople, was demonstrating nuno felting this weekend. Sue is an incredibly talented and whimsical fiber artist.
As the afternoon quieted down a bit, I sat down for a session of nuno felting. Sue uses silk hankies which felts up very quickly. Sandwiched in between the silk is my favorite fiber……..angora blended with merino.
In addition to the above scarf that I felted, Sue sent me home with this book on felting. What an incredible book! It discusses the historical uses of felted wool in various European countries and follows that up with detailed instructions on different types of felting, covering things such as clothing, shoes, quilts, hats, mittens and rugs. This is one of those books that I know I will read from cover to cover!
Sue also sent me home with a bunch of fiber to play with. So today, I set about to do just that…..play.
I used the madder and indigo dyed silk and wool to start with. Let me tell you, if you have rough hands……..these silk hankies can be a challenge. Because I have been doing some custom dyeing and cleaning out garden beds, my hands were in rough shape. Thank goodness I had some of my spinner’s cream (blatant plug) kicking about !
As I laid the fiber out, I was concerned that there was not enough wool to go along with the silk, but being the impatient person that I can be, I just plugged along anyways to see what I would get……after all, I WAS playing and one can’t be striving for perfection when they are playing, right? (Sounds good to me)
These pictures were taken while the scarf was still wet. There are things that I like about it and other things that I know I need to improve on.
I like the light weightiness of the scarf, but unfortunately, I was right to be worried about the lack of wool to be sandwiched in the silk layers. As you can see there are some holes. I will take a picture of it tomorrow when it has dried. I can tell people when I am wearing it, that it is art……….hehe~
Sue being the generous soul that she is…….and truly she is one of the most generous fiber people that I know, sent me home with enough hankies, both dyed and undyed for me to play with. I can’t wait to dye up some wool and mohair locks to play with these beauties. Margene……there is that blue that I was challenged to use….let’s see what I can come up with 😉
So…..my day that I dreaded, turned out to be such an inspiring one!
BTW……….that lovely little puppy was bred by a friend of mine and she most likely will be coming to live with us in a few weeks. She is nameless to me yet, as.I like to study their little personalities a bit and see what name suits them. Isn’t she a cutie? I soooo love puppies and she really is a cute one!
The Woolen Rabbit 
