Oh Sandy!

Cue up Grease! It seems like not matter where the storm named Sandy actually hits (Delaware? Atlantic City? NYC?), CT is going to feel part of the punch. We're all still smarting from Irene & the Halloween nor'easter of 2011! We are prepared for the worst, but I am hoping for the best. I hope if you are in the path of Sandy you can do what you need to to stay safe! In the meantime, I saw this and thought it was good advice - if there's no power, there's no internet!

What will I be working on? I have two socks in progress, am planning to cast on a shawl project today, I have a colorwork hat in the wings, and a crochet monster in progress. I could also work on the minis. Or maybe I'll swatch, I am itching for a new sweater for me. Both kids need new winter hats too! Do you have knitting plans for the storm?

Pining for Rhinebeck

Oh Rhinebeck. We wait all year to go and then woosh! the weekend just flies by! I had a really great time and consider this year to be a big success. I went with a list and pretty much found what I was looking for: yarn from Green Mountain Spinnery to do a JETS hat (inspired by their modifications to the Icebreaker Hat), "breed specific" yarn (thank you Solitude Wool), and Bijou Spun Sport weight Yak Down yarn. I also received a yarn payment - the same dyelot in a sweater's worth of yarn from Good Karma Farm for the Charleston Tea project. The most fun though was the infamous Rhinebeck Hat! This year, our hats were individual interpretations of the Fiddlehead Hat. I made several tiny pandas for my hat, and tiny mermaids for Virginia's hat.

My hat base was a black sparkle "holiday" yarn with green sparkly fiddleheads to be a loose interpretation of bamboo. Virginia's hat was blue and sparkly with green sparkly fiddleheads for seaweed.

We made a point to find Miss Mochimochiland herself in the book signing area. I do have her newest book, which she was kind enough to sign. I think she liked our hats - she tweeted our picture! And now, it's back to reality. There have been several sleepless nights as Nate is teething, I'm trying to keep up in an online course I'm taking about web design, there's work stuff, and general life. But, I've got pretty yarn to squish and pet!

Shift Finished!

I am almost done with this year's crazy Rhinebeck Hat - I will probably post a photo on Friday. I can say that both are coming together nicely and this takes the cake for obnoxious, easy to spot, silly, & yet totally appropriate for attending a fiber festival. But this post is about a new FO! I mentioned here that I scored a destash of Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica - it was an assortment of skeins. I had fun pairing them together and finally cast on a collection to create Shift. I started with this:
Many rows of garter stitch later, I have ended up with this:
I love that it can be long and chunky, but I can also double it for those really cold days that are sure to come!

Someone came looking for me when I was trying to take a few pictures!
And someone else was trying to snatch a few pancakes leftover from lunch, so I made him earn it.

Charleston Tea, finished!

Just today, I put the Charleston Tea in the mail, to return home at Good Karma Farm up in Maine. I know that I have said it here before but it is worth repeating: I love this yarn! It is a new blend and weight for them, and I am hoping to purchase more at Rhinebeck in a few weeks.

This colorway, which I believe is "Artichoke", was left to do its own thing. I did not bother to alternate the skeins and there was no instances of flashing. The cable and lace portion probably helped to break that up. There is a little bit of striping activity on the hood, but it still looks good.



I am considering knitting this again, for me. Now that's saying something! If I do decide to do that, I will be lengthening the body and sleeves and losing the hood. And those are rather minor modifications. I would also wear a more appropriate shirt underneath.

I love this photo. I can't put my finger on why, because it doesn't show the sweater very well, but something about it works, I think.

Rewarded

Last week was our local country fair. I entered a few items in the "Needlework" division: Juneberry Triangle, a Cow Hat, and the crochet Mom tattoo hat. I was very pleased to see that all of my entries won ribbons!

I have to admit, the competition in the Knitting and Crochet section of Needlework is not all that difficult. The knit and crochet categories are also a little outdated - my shawl was entered into the "Miscellaneous" category. The grand prize of the show went to a quilt.

Today is an overcast weekend day and my plans were limited to getting some house stuff done. I have been successful in that and was very excited when yarn goodies that I ordered mid-week arrived right as I finished putting the cleaning supplies away. This was my first order from Doodlebug Yarns - it came so quickly! Each item was wrapped in tissue paper and there were a few Tootsie Roll Pops. This felt like a swap package, not just something I ordered!

I now have a giraffe small Yarn Pop project bag, two skeins of The Wool Dispensary in Useful Poison: 13th Fairy & Sea Kelpie for a KAL on Ravelry. I am really looking forward to some totally selfish knitting!

Yarn Along - Sept 19 (and Winner!)

Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading?

It has been a week of light reading - mostly flipping through magazines while grabbing a quick bite to eat. In this pile you will find Everyday Food, Whole Living, and Crochet Today! (research!) I've also been reading the blog comments for the So Pretty! Crochet giveaway - I've gotten some good tips and a few good ideas! I'm still working on my for-hire projects. The Charleston Tea sweater for Good Karma Farm is so close! I have a few more rows to go on the hood, then I will seam it and then, on to the button band! I even have the buttons all set and ready to go. The other project is a bit of production knitting and it is just not going as fast as I would like. One stitch at a time, I'll get there. So, who won the So Pretty! Crochet book? True Random Number Generator Min:1 Max:17 Result: 7 Powered by RANDOM.ORG That would be YOU, Wife, Mom, Knitter! I will get the book to you ASAP! :)

Braids and Cakes and Stripes

A gentle reminder - there are a few more days until I draw a winner of the So Pretty! Crochet book! Leave your comment on that post for a chance to win!
I am having a bit of a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that we just had the last weekend of summer. I remember thinking in June that, at the time, it seemed like the summer was going to stretch on forever. All of sudden it seems a switch has been flipped. The weather is stunning. At night temperatures are just cool enough to have a window open and use a blanket. I'm wearing socks again. My oven is being used more for baking sweet treats. I look forward to having a hot cup of tea in the afternoon and after dinner. This weekend I also accomplished a baking a loaf of banana bread and I braided my hair!

That may be an odd thing to blog about it, but I am so proud! For my entire life I have wrestled with my lion's mane. Seriously. I have massively thick hair which is a blessing and a curse. For me, it doesn't work to just leave it down unless it has been cut / layered / thinned. I am well overdue for a cut. When I was a kid my mom or one of my aunts would frequently french braid my hair. I have never been able to do it on my own. I think I just gave up too quickly when my arms tired. I tried again yesterday and it worked! DH even noticed with the comment of "That looks intricate!" Bonus points for me as it stayed in ALL day - I did hairspray it quite a bit when finished, but that plus 4 bobby pins are the only things holding it up!
I've been busy knitting on two knit for hire sample knitting projects. They are going well, but I can feel my hands start to itch for something else to knit. I have two socks in progress that I would love to pick up again and the Rhinebeck hats. Within the last week I have queued three patterns on Ravelry, all variations of a stripey scarf / cowl, and I just can't stop thinking about them. Next to polka dots, I think bold stripes are my favorite. Did you happen to see Simple Sprinkle, Sen-Sen, or Shift? I am thinking about doing the Sen-Sen in two colors of Silky Wool (magenta and a dusty pink), but I need to check my stash to be sure I have the right amounts. For the Sprinkle or Shift, I am thinking about using up a mish-mosh of Manos that I scored in a destash. All the yarn came caked, so I have no idea of colorways, but I have been having fun putting them together. What do you think? Rainbows are always great:

I do love blues-with-a-hint-of-purple:

I also love purples-with-blues:

Or I could step out of my usual colorway zone, and go with purpley-pink:

What did your weekend hold?

So Pretty! Crochet: Review & Giveaway

Hello! Gracious, where does the time go? When I got in touch with Amy about her new book, So Pretty! Crochet, many many weeks ago (ouch!), I had the best intentions of getting this giveaway up and running. I appreciate her patience as life has taken over here. I love back to school time for the fresh-start feel and that is what I intend to do here with my blog.

In the last 3-4 years I have been working on my crochet skills. I have the basics down and have a few finished items under my belt. I do not consider myself a newbie, though I do still rely heavily on reference materials as I work a project. When I first flipped through So Pretty! Crochet, I found many projects that I wanted to try! The styling and photographs draw you in and you really will say "Oooh, that is so pretty!" Among the 24 projects, there is a nice mix of accessories, small wearables and home decor. The projects are all current and trendy. The projects are designed by indie designers, and each pattern in introduced by the designer with links of where to find them online at their etsy site, blog, or twitter. The materials used in the projects meet a range of price points. I decided to give the Windowpane Cuff, by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark, a try. This pattern has written and charted directions (awesome - for whatever reason, I am getting the hang of crochet charts much easier than the written directions! Knitting charts were not this easy for me!). I used some leftover Koigu sock yarn. I think it took me longer to decide on buttons than it did to actually work up the cuff! I am pleased with the results. I can see where I can still improve on my crochet skills, but that is expected! It fits Lorelai's lower leg quite well (the things we do for a good picture sometime!) and she kept it on for a while - fancy dress up, tah-dah!

This is a hardcover book and I love the sturdiness and beauty that adds, but I do wish it was spiral bound to help the pages lay flat. I also wish more projects from the book were up on Ravelry, certainly in time that will happen. You can look inside the book on amazon. This book does have basic instructions for crochet techniques which is handy for someone like me, but it is not a "Learn to crochet" book.
In the meantime, I am thinking about trying the I-cord bracelet (crochet i-cord! I never knew there was such a thing!), and I am wondering about the Pastelito Necklace (the bottom picture on the designer's blog) using some of my sock yarn leftovers.
Amy very kindly sent me this book and one to giveaway! Please leave a comment on this post (I have changed the comment settings, so everyone should be able to comment!) - Do you crochet? Do you have a crochet tip for me? Make sure I am able to get in touch with you if you win - an email or Ravelry id. I will draw a winner next Wednesday, Sept. 19.

It's all coming together

I am just about caught up. I think. Last week was thrown for a loop as party preparations took over. We went with a "Hungry Caterpillar" theme (and as themes go, it was a loose one) and this was a very DIY party for Nate's 1st.
It was a good day, we had a good time, and afterwards I was exhausted. For several days. Party clean-up, catching up on a few loose ends, and then Nate came down with another bug of some sort. Lorelai's energy has been exponential, and trying to keep up with her is a whole other sporting event.

I have to get the buttons of the cuff I made from the "So Pretty! Crochet" book and then I will really be ready for the review and giveaway. I have one sleeve done on the sweater for Good Karma Farm - it is going to be so hard to send this sweater back. I love it! I have a new skein of Sock Art Forest from Green Moutain Spinnery all caked up and ready to be cast on once a few other things are set. It's always something, right?

One!

The days may be long, but the years are short. Truer words are rarely spoken. I can't believe that already a year has passed since the little nutmeg arrived.

For the record Nate, here's a bit about you. You have 8 teeth and molars are coming in. Your balance is getting to be pretty good, and you are really good at cruising, but you don't seem interested in walking. You LOVE shooting mommy a sly look and crawling away to do the stairs. Which, by the way, you mastered going all the way up in about 2 days. You adore playing with Lorelai and she is a really good big sister to you. You are starting to get picky with food, and you will point to something you want and smack your high chair. No big surprise that you don't talk much - Lorelai does enough for both of you. When she isn't around you do babble and are verbal, and your words right now are Da & Ja. You love to play on the piano, the music cube, and when we listen to music at dinnertime, you "raise the roof"! Happy Birthday, my little guy! Love you!!

Yarn Along - August 15

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

I finally finished The Body In the Library.  It was good, but not one of my favorites.  Maybe because I slogged through it, which is unusual. Just this morning I began reading Pride & Prejudice & Zombies.  To me, this is The Walking Dead crossed with Downton Abbey.  I've also been taking a closer look at So Pretty! Crochet, and I have a project that I need to block! I hope to have a review / giveaway on Friday, so please check back. I should tell you - if you have a kindle, and you do not want to wait for a giveaway, you can get the e-book version for $2.99 for a limited time! What a deal! The purple sweater is the Charelston Tea in the Good Karma Farm yarn. Still totally in love with the pattern and yarn! I am just a few rows away from the bottom ribbing, then on to the sleeves / button band / hood. It is coming along nicely, I think.  

This past week I also finished my Modular Relay event - I knit up 19 hexiflats from the Muppets vs Sesame Street mini-skein swap.  I had to gather everyone around for a photo shoot. 

Feels Good

Way back in early 2010 I started to knit a sweater. It was a test knit and I managed to get all the pieces knit, and I even found buttons.


When I started to seam it up, I encountered major shoulder issues. There should have been a bit of cute puff on the shoulder, but instead I had pointy shoulders. It looked like an odd outfit you might find on Star Trek.


This is one instance where I really did not enjoy test knitting. When I made contact with the designer I was told, "Ok, I'll look at it, but really you should just reknit it". UM. That's not professional or helpful. My gauge was good. I'm testing a pattern to bring potential issues to your attention. I offered a few thoughts on what I thought would work. I was told, "That sounds good. I appreciate your notes." But that still doesn't help me with my sweater. I was so frustrated that the sweater sat. And sat. And sat. I never did try to redo the sleeves because I was just annoyed. Beyond the initial pattern revision due to a math issue, I never saw a revision of the pattern or even the final version so I don't even know what that is like. Anyway. 

Hello Ravellenic Games event, Frogging Trampoline. I have my yarn back.  I have great buttons to match! Now I need to find a better sweater.  I'm thinking maybe Snow White (no buttons needed), Arm Candy, Samovar, or even Notre Dame de Grace.


I am very surprised at how I felt ripping all that work out. It was addictive and therapeutic. And I can tell my seaming skills are getting better as it took me a while to find my ends! Here's to starting over!! 

Yarn Along - August 8

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading?~ {small things}

 

I received a copy of So Pretty! Crochet for a review and giveaway (keep an eye out next week!). It is lovely and the projects are on trend without being something that is a flash in the pan sort of style. Amy truly has an eye for styling! After I get through this chunk of projects I will be working on a few things from the book! We picked up this cute book at the library yesterday - The Hueys in The New Sweater. I'm a big Oliver Jeffers fan and in this book, to make himself different - one little guy knits a sweater, starting a trend. Cute! I'm still reading "Body in the Library. I just haven't felt like reading. 

It's been one of those weeks.  Following last week's yarn along, Nate became ultra fussy and we figured it could be blamed on new teeth coming in.  On Thursday, Nate was not any better, and then at SnB I busted through 4 projects! Good thing I have several options in my bag - I messed up the hat band, brought the wrong needles for a different hat, ran out of a ball of yarn... you get the idea.  Thursday night Nate was up quite a bit, still running a temp, being fussy and developed a rash. Friday morning then started very early (I was up at 4:30 and stayed up), and we were expecting relatives to help install a generator. I took Nate to the doctor's and he was "diagnosed" as having had some virus that resulted in the rash.  And that was about all that could be done, just wait it out.  Meanwhile, Dan wasn't feeling well, and someone made Lorelai's sandwich and didn't put the top of the Fluff container on the right way.

We muddled through the weekend and in between the fussyness of the little ones, fighting my computer's internet issues, I have found little time to knit or read. Oh well.  I do have 4 more hexiflats done, the sleeves for a sample knit are finished (the blue) and I continue to work on the body of the other sample sweater (not shown, it is still a blob). I was able to work up a relatively quick hat for a designer friend that might lead to a bit more knitting work, so yay on that.

Here's to a better week!

Yarn Along - Ravellenic Games Progress

What are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Have you linked up over at Yarn Along?







I feel like I am off to a good start with my Ravellenic Games "competition".  I've started the sleeve for my Sweater Triathalon event, but can't share photos until the design is published. My Rhinebeck hat is started for a Hat Dash, but that is under wraps until Rhinebeck! I did have a super idea for my hat, in my opinion, while working on the Modular Relay race and I am very excited about getting started on it. I hope it turns out the way I picture it!





I can share what I have done for the Modular Relay with my minis.  Six out of the nineteen minis are knit up and the ends are woven in.  I have to say one of my favorite things about working with the minis is getting to try out new-to-me yarns.  I am learning that I really like a yarn with good SQUISH factor.  Skein Queen is one that I LOVED knitting with and I will certainly seek out more. You can see it second from the left, the muted blue-green hexiflat, 80% merino, 20% cashmere; I believe it is the Blush line.  Another good SQUISH yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks the Rock. I have knit with their yarns a few times before.  The colorway Electric KoolAid Acid Test is incredible. I had just enough to make one hexiflat, it is the first one on the left. I do not think I have ever seen a more vibrant shade of neon pink and I love it. I am not a pink person, so that is really saying something.  Every knitter should have this in their stash for knitting with in the depths of winter. I am making a mental note to seek out more of this particular colorway, asap.

Creative Knitting is not usually part of my reading rotation, but I happened to pick it up today just to see what patterns were inside.  I flipped to the back and spotted this! That's the poncho sample I knit up for Plymouth back in February. It was a fun pattern, this is the child's size 8, but if you look at my ravelry photo I was able to wear it! I think this must be similar to what designers feel when they see their design published - my knit is off in the world!

And the winner is...

Thanks to everyone who left me a comment at my little stop during the Cast On, Bind Off blog tour! And thank you very much to Storey Publishing for putting it all together, including this giveaway!

There were 59 comments and the winner is...

#34 -KELLEY O'B! I'll be shooting you a message today to get your info to send along to story, and they will send you the book! Enjoy & Here's to many good beginnings and endings for your projects!

Olympic Trials

(Psst! There is still time to enter the giveaway for a copy of the Cast On, Cast Off book - click here and leave a comment!)

The Olympics are coming. I have no idea who any of the athletes are, but I am looking forward to watching some of the sporting events and I hope that some events are shown during the day (not just prime time) so that I can share them with the Lorax as well.  She is a gymnastics fan and I think she might get a kick out of it. The Ravellenic Games are also gearing up. I am anticipating being on a few teams and participating in a few events. Here's what I am thinking will be making the cut as part of my projects this year.


I have a set of minis from a swap on Ravelry, under the theme of "Muppets vs Sesame Street". When I first received my swap package I knew I wanted to work them up all at once as a group. My beekeeper quilt project needs an injection of good mojo and this seems like a good idea.  So, 19 minis to be turned into hexiflats for the "Modular Relay".







I was considering challenging myself to knit a sweater for the Lorax (Sundog, which I have the yarn and pattern for and have thought about making for her since it was published). However, the girl does not wear sweaters.  Handmade or storebought, it makes no difference.  Instead, I am working on a sample for Good Karma Farm (isn't it pretty? I love this yarn and pattern, Charleston Tea by BabyCocktails) and a new sample for Plymouth, so those would be great to get done for "WIP Wrestling" and "Sweater Triathalon" respectively.


That is probably enough, but I am still considering "Charity Rowing" and making some items for PatPatsHats, the "Hat Dash" for my own super-special Rhinebeck Hat, more "WIP Wrestling" for Dan's socks and my current cowl-in-progress.  I am sure I could find a few items for "Frogging Trampoline" and "Cast On Mania Trap Shoot" (start a project, work a third of it, start the next project) just sounds like fun.  Dangerous fun.

Cast On, Bind Off Blog Tour

When I attended the Knitter's Review retreat back in 2010, part of the weekend included a trip to Storey Publishing!  I was so excited to be contacted to participate in the Cast On, Bind Off blog tour! They sent me a copy of this new little resource to review and giveaway, isn't that nice?


So what do I think of this book? My first thought was that it was so small! This book is only 6" x 7", just right to have tucked into your project bag or sitting nearby when you start or finish your project.  The pictures are fantastic, which for me is HUGE. There is also a spiral binding so the pages will lay flat while you are working (why why why don't more knitting books come like this?!) I am a self-taught knitter, and left-handed to boot. Good photographs and descriptions help me reverse what I need to do in order to achieve the right results.

 Each technique has the cast on or bind off name, aliases, and a brief description of the characteristics and when you would want to use it. There are photos of the front and back of the edge. Then you are taken stepwise through working each technique and tips to "Get it Right". The front cover has an index of the cast ons and the back cover has the index of the bind offs, clever!

 My default cast-on is usually the long tail cast on, but from this book I am now in search of a project that would require something else - I love the look of the "Tricolor Braided Cast On". I have been meaning to try a color work project, and never thought that the cast on could be multicolored as well! I also find that even after knitting for 10 years, I still need to look up how to Kitchener and I-Cord bind offs. This book will be staying close by my work area especially for those photos and steps.


Would you like to receive a copy of this book for your own resource library? Please leave a comment with a way to get in touch (either email or Ravelry id will work). Do you know of a color work project on which I could try this Tricolor Braided Cast On? Is there a cast on or bind off that stumps you? A winner will be drawn next Thursday, July 26!

You don't have to take my word for it, I'm just one stop on this blog tour. Check out what these bloggers and designers have to say about Cast On, Bind Off too!

7/9         Picnic Knits

7/10       Knit and Tonic

7/11       Zeneedle

7/12       Rambling Designs

7/13       Rambling Designs (pt. 2: Leslie Ann guest post)

7/14       Neo Knits

7/15       Knit & Nosh

7/16       Knitting at Large

7/17       Rebecca Danger

7/18       Lapdog Creations

7/19       Nutmeg Knitter

7/20       Yarnagogo

7/21       Weekend Knitter

7/22       knitgrrl

7/23       It's a Purl, Man

7/24       Whip Up

7/25       Knitspot

7/26       Under the Humble Moon

7/27       Knitting Daily

7/28       Knitting School Dropout

7/29       Hugs for Your Head

7/30       The Knit Girllls

Yarn Along - July 18

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr.

My pile this week is quite the collection. I've been reading over Cast On, Bind Off in anticipation of the blog tour that is making a stop here on Thursday, July 19! I will be reviewing the book and I am able to giveaway a copy as well! I have returned to an Agatha Christie Miss Marple mystery, The Body in the Library. When I was in middle school / early high school, 95% of my reading was Agatha Christie. They are so clever, not scary, not gory, not violent. And now, having become a fan of Downton Abbey, I think I can better picture the setting and time period than when I was 13 (and probably was picturing the 1980s). Not shown in the pile there, but on my list to read soon, is a piece by my SIL, Virginia. Her newest piece, the Harper's Magazine cover story, is about Mary Kay - The Pink Pyramid Scheme.

The yarny pile is a mix of in-progress and finished items. I just finished two samples for Plymouth Yarn Co - Cat Hat with Earflaps & Baby Shrug. They were fun, quick patterns. Each were made in the 6-12 month size. The lil' nutmeg, being 11 months, obligied to model them for me. I should have tied this under his chin - he kept grabbing it off.









Rocking out a pink shrug. Ain't no thing.







I don't think I ever showed a picture of my Wings of Hope Wingspan using the Lorelai yarn. I love it and look forward to wearing it often! I really need to find some shawl pins.







 Also in the pile is a sweater in progress. A sample for Good Karma Farm's new DK wool / alpaca yarn. The colorway is Artichoke and the pattern is Charleston Tea by Thea Colman. Nothing but love all around and now that I've gotten everything set up and I am ready to knit knit knit.