Estes 2009

How quickly the time goes and once again it is time for the Estes Wool Market. This year I went with my friend Anne, Maddie and met Schelli there. The four of us had a fantastic time and thoroughly enjoyed every moment and dollar spent. I just love the Teeswater sheep, aren't they cute with their bangs?This little sheep was getting sheared.
And this baby Shetland named Diamond Lil almost came home with me. My FIL says all I have to do is build a fence and then I can get some, not sure I'm ready yet though but she almost had me convinced.

It was quite entertaining to watch the border collie shepherd the ducks.

Here is Schelli's Ted with a fellow llama. The llama doesn't look too sure about Ted.

This was a small fleece I bought, probably a 1/2 fleece of Romeldale/CVM from Arianna at Aniroonz in Wellington, I love the rich deep chocolate color.

I adore this Jacob from Perry that Maddie picked out. It is only 1 lb 12 oz but enough hopefully for a vest or maybe even a sweater depending on how much of it is grease.

And my absolute favorite is this luscious 5lb CVM fleece from Geri McGilney in Loveland. The colors are amazing and the crimp is divine. The test lock washed up beautifully and I can't wait to get it to the processor's and back.

This is Ellie, a lovely Paco Vicuna from Hickory Ridge Farms. I purchased 2oz of her fleece to add to the 4 oz I bought last year. Hopefully that will be enough to make a shawl with.

So heavenly, once I make that shawl I think I will wear it with everything I own.

This is a 40/60 Bamboo/Merino roving I purchased from Bonkers. It is 4oz. of the Pavoreal colorway.

I also bought 2 oz of silk hankies from Bonkers.

And a couple of ounces of nylon that I plan to blend with some wool I will dye to match for socks.

And lastly these great Wensleydale locks are going to be used in carding projects and maybe I'll try an art yarn out of them as well.

Overall it was a fabulous time and I am still happily in love with my new fleeces. I just love the smell of sheep.

Welcome Sunshine

I think I finally see the sun poking through the clouds, both literally and figuratively. It has been a rough few weeks lately, I've been battling with kidney infections and UTIs and am now finally feeling a bit better. Good enough to work on my socks today. I did a short row heel, which is by far my favorite heel to do. I think this pair is actually going to fit just perfect, not too loose.
Estes is this coming Sat. and I am so excited to go get some new goodies. My FIL gave me a jump started and gifted me this lovely fleece. I have yet to find out what breed it is, I did do a little test wash and it cleaned up pretty nice. Not next to the skin soft but definitely something usable and free to boot!

I was recently in a swap on Ravelry that included hand spun and hand prepared fibers. These are the batts I made for my partner Linda/Bartons15. I used some SW Merino, some hand dyed by me Coopworth/Mohair blend, tussah silk and some reg. ole wool. I really like how they turned out and think I will have to make some more for myself.

In return I received this lovely package. The yarn is scrumptious and I am eager to knit it up, just waiting for the perfect pattern to come to mind. There is 225 yards or so, time to pull out the One Skein Wonders book. She also dyed the lovely blue wool. I have some BFL that I hand dyed in shades of blue that I think I will ply with this and use it to make little A a set of mittens, scarf and hat. The goodies were awesome also. Thanks for the great swap Linda.

I've also done a little spinning. I am currently working on the Llama/Silk blend I bought at the Alpaca festival. I received a very fast flyer for my Lendrum for Mother's day and am using it to spin this fiber lace weight. I'm almost half done so I should have pictures soon. Now that I'm on the mend I hope to knit with the Arvada knitters again soon, it has been far too long and I miss my knitting gals.

A new spinner in the making

Maddie is on the wait list for Maggie's beginning spinning class this summer, but she just couldn't wait. So the other night we spent some time learning the basics of pre-drafting, worsted vs. woolen, combed vs. top and the infamous inch worm technique. She took to it rather quickly and seemed to enjoy herself, despite the numerous bouts of frustration when the twist would get away from her or the fiber would fall apart.
But in the end she made some real yarn! I have a bowl with my baby skeins, made up from leftovers from a 3ply or fiber I gave a test spin and now Maddie will have her 1st skein for her own collection.

I just finished this luscious blend from Julie Spins. It is 60/30/10 SW Merino/bamboo/nylon. The colorway is called Sherwood.

It is a 3ply, 315 yards, 5oz, 18 WPI, somewhere between heavy fingering and light sport weight. I plan on using it for a pair of socks out of the new toe up sock book, I can't wait to see how it knits up.

And on the resolution road, I have finished one front and am about to finish the other and then there are just the sleeves left to complete my last WIP the Minimalist!! Yay!!

Odds and Ends

Where does the time go? It is almost summer and the days are flying by faster than I can keep up with. So what follows is a bit of odds and ends of what has been happening in my world.

Yesterday was field days for 1st graders. Anthony was quite proud that his class won the tug-o-war battle between classrooms. Luckily the rain held off and all the activities were thoroughly enjoyed.

Basketball has been also consuming a large amount of time in our household. We were fortunate that Anthony was able to score us 5 tickets (very rare to get 5) to see the final game against the Hornets. JR is my boy!!! I love that man. :) Most nights we are snuggled up in our bed with the kids watching the games on TNT. I have no idea why they have decided that they like the 37in. tv in our bedroom better than the 50in. one in our playroom, but so it is. As long as I can knit with out a pair of stinky feet in my face I am good.

Here is Anthony after the game last week, just a wee bit bushed.

I finished the yarn I was making for Maddie. She is going to knit her first pair of socks out of it. She picked the colors and carded it herself. Hopefully she will be in Maggie's class this summer so she can then spin it on her own as well.

I decided I didn't like my yarn hiding in the closet so I bought another set of cubbies. I love that it is all out now and accessible. The closet however remains full of unspun fiber. I am contemplating if I need to take over, I mean trade rooms with Ian when he goes off to college...so much more room for fibery goodness. Perhaps it is better to just knit as much as possible from my stash to ensure he does come home on breaks....I can't even believe this is a little over a year away. Sigh.

This guy followed me home one day.

Sat. I forced/encouraged the Anthonys to go to the alpaca festival with me. It was pretty fascinating to see the animals and talk to their owners. Big A wanted to know if you could eat them and little A wanted to pet them all. Now alpacas aren't the most outgoing of creatures, they are quite timid in fact, but he did manage to pet a few. Big A jokingly called my FIL and told him I had bought two alpacas and was bringing them to his property to live. He reacted amazingly well, stating I need to make sure to come by 2xday to feed them and take care of them. Tempting, but I think for now I will just buy the fiber. I found this lovely llama/silk blend. It is so soft, Anthony says it looks like old lady hair.

I also purchased a 1 1/2lbs of alpaca fiber which to my family's horror I washed in the tub last night. Apparently they don't embrace the wet alpaca smell as much as I do. Man those suckers get dirty, they love to roll around in the dirt and consequently my tub was quite filthy when I was done and the kids lit incense.

I also finished this scarf last night. It is a present for my Aunt' birthday in Sept. but I wanted to get another Wip off my list.

With this one done all that remains is the minimalist, which I have finished the back of. Then I will be free to knit whatever I want. I have so many projects in my queue I have no idea what to knit first.....hmmm sounds like a good contest idea.

And this is just a little gem I found on ebay. I love this bag, it is perfect for a small knitting project and is made from the recycled woven/embroidered garments of the Mayan women. They even make an actual knitting bag. I love the colors and the beautiful workmanship. (and of course the fact it is orange!)

That brings us to the present. Mother's day is on the horizon and I am eagerly awaiting my new very fast flyer for my Lendrum! I am counting the days til the kids get out of school and summer begins. But for now I am savoring each moment as the school year winds down.

Oh and GO NUGGETS!!!!

NJ Trip Part 3-finale

NYC has always had my heart. Everytime I'm there my serotonin levels get a major boost, its like the city's energy recharges my batteries. To get an additional boost we hit Starbucks, I figured since I was on vacation I could put a moratorium on my Frappacino hiatus. There we found Wooly Bear, our trip mascot, he was meant to come home with me.

We bought ticket for a 3pm show so we had some time to kill which we used to explore Knitty City.

What a fabulous store! The staff was eager to help me find something special that was made locally. I decided on this scrumptious silk, I just adore the colors.

We strolled through Central Park before heading to the theater. The park was lovely and many tees and flowers were in bloom.

Stunning views abound.

We stopped to see the memorial for John Lennon at Strawberry Fields in the park.

We attended the play Impressionism which was starring Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons, one of my favorite actors. We were in the third row and it was absolutely amazing to be so close to such talent. The play was delightful and even coaxed a tear or two from my eyes in the end.

We finished our evening in Little Italy and had a fabulous dinner at Lunella Ristorante. I had an incredible Osso Buco with risotto, mmmm I can't sing high enough praises.

We then headed back to Penn station and took the train back to Morristown. The next day the weather was rainy so we hit Short Hills mall where I fell in love with a stunning orange Fendi purse. I did manage to resist and made it home with some money still in my wallet, not much but at least something. We ended up spending 6+ hours waiting at the airport and then had the long flight. By the time we arrived home at midnight I was happy to be back in familiar surroundings and to sleep next to my dh once again. We crammed quite a bit into four days and it truly was a delight to go back. Next time I won't wait so long.

NJ Trip Part 2

How nice was it to find out that the lovely store Accents on Knits could be seen right from my hotel window. We had stopped in on Friday as they were setting up for a big sale starting Sat. So after a yummy breakfast at Friendly's we returned to the store. The couple who owned it were so personable and eager to assist us in finding some great buys.

Full bags were on sale for 50% off so I snagged this delightful shade of blue Glace with which I plan to make a summer top.

I also bought this nice linen which I am thinking of using for the Aleita Shell.



We then headed to our old church where I also attended 1-4th, 7th and 8th grade. I left in 1987 and hadn't returned since. I found out about the 50th Anniversary from my friend Michael who I chat with on Facebook. My favorite pastor Mike Ortel gave the sermon and even though my beliefs have change it was still moving to listen to such a dynamic speaker.

Here I am with my old classmates Michael and Tara and Michael's adorable children.

In the afternoon program Michael spoke about his experience attending Jockey Hollow Adventist School. He refreshed the good memories I had of Mrs. Chisholm and all the wonder times we shared.

I also was thrilled to see Ileana. She looks amazing, she hasn't aged at all since the last time I saw her, it's hard to believe she has 16 years on me. Growing up she was like a mentor/big sister, someone I could always talk to and relate with. Seeing her again was truly a high light of the trip. And even though it has been quite some time it only took a little while chatting to remember all the great qualities that endeared me to her in the first place.

Following the afternoon program we headed back to the hotel and then went to Grasshopper's for a drink and some dinner and a little more catching up with Ileana. It felt just like old times. We headed to bed early so we could get an early start on our trip to NYC Sunday.

Up Next: Sunday in the City

NJ Trip Part 1

We arrived in NJ Thurs evening and checked into our hotel. The Hyatt was right on the green and with in walking distance to many restaurants and stores. That night we had the pleasure of meeting my old friend Bill and his wife Cheri for dinner at the Morristown diner. It has been 22 years since we last saw each other, when I left NJ for CO. For four years we were neighbors and friends, he still lives in the same house but now has a lovely wife and children as part of his family. It was great to catch up and reunite. Friday we spent the day with one of my Mom's dear friends Sue. We went to this great yarn store in Denville Nonna's knit cafe. It is owned by two sisters who were beyond friendly and helpful. They assisted me with picking out this luscious cotton to make the tee pictured below.


We also drove to our old neighborhood and saw our old home on Kearny St. The new owners have added an addition on back but it still is as tiny as I remember it. For lunch we ate at Anthony's pizza in Rockaway, my all time favorite pizza place. And yes the pizza was just as delicious as it always is.

That evening I braved driving in NJ to go meet some online friends, Candy and Christina. We have been chatting for years so it was just like seeing an old friend rather than just meeting. While driving my cell phone which I use for GPS died. Luckily I found a Best Buy and was able to find my way back to the hotel. If I were to live out there again I think it would take me some time to get used to the driving. To say that NJ drivers are a different sort is kind, I do value the general courtesy of CO drivers. After arriving at the hotel I made my mom get out of her pjs and join me at the lounge for a drink. After the white knuckled driving a martini was well deserved!

Next up: Sat's church reunion and more yarn!

Revontuli is finished in time for Easter

I can not express enough how much fun I had with this project. It was a real challenge to spin the yarn so that the stripes would be in the same proportion when there was only 20 stitches and then later over 450. I think it came out pretty balanced. Here it is blocking:

All spread out, getting ready to go to Easter lunch.

From the front:



I think this one captures the colors best:

And lastly I have had this vintage pin for eons. A few months ago I was cleaning out my jewelry chest and almost got rid of it. I am so glad I didn't because it works perfectly with the shawl. I plan on bringing this shawl with me to NJ this week to wear to church on Sat. I am so proud of it.

Wanna see my tank?

My lovely Blue Sky Alpaca organic cotton. Oh how I love thee. The tank however is a whole other story. I believe this picture is from the first time I started it, just a few more inches into it and I had to frog it for being too big.

Last night I was close to finishing it.

But now my attitude has changed a bit.

$%^# this tank. I had it done to the armholes, and the entire front finished. I tried it on and still it was huge!! I had already went down a dress size and a needle size as well. I did a gauge swatch, but I should double checked it as I went on. I am going to have to go down another needle size and maybe make the small. That is when it is allowed out of time out. Bad bad project. I think with that kind of behavior and the fact that it is now just another part of my yarn stash removes it from the WIP list. So now I just have the Minimalist and the Rainy Day scarf.

ETA: Okay so it's not just me! I looked at others' tanks on Ravelry and there were a lot of tears and frogging going on due to it being huge. Also many people said it was too heavy for summer. So I'm going to give this yarn some time to figure out what it wants to be. This looks promising!

Perhaps it is better to talk about the other things I am doing at the moment. Out of the stash has come some stones to be made into new necklaces. A lot of these beads I bought almost two years ago at the bead show in Vegas. So I have had plenty of time to find inspiration to create something out of them. The orange one already existed, I just restrung it due to a faulty clasp. It is still my favorite.

Mmm looks like candy!

So I think I mentioned in my previous post that I didn't go to Taos after all. I knew the weather was going to be dismal and I just really wasn't up to going. Four days of quiet time and knitting time and sleeping in sounded so much more appealing. However, I did still benefit with some awesome souvenirs brought home by my boys. Little A picked this one out for me. Isn't he cute?


This one is soo fuzzy and soft.

And who can resist this gorgeous little vicuna? Now they just need names. Suggestions are welcomed.

Dh did good with this purchase. It is a mohair/nylon boucle from Southwest Weavers. I can't believe he actually bought yarn that was $25 a skein, and not just one skein but three!!! I think I am going to make this out of it. I just love the colors. What a great guy I have!! Swoon.

And lastly I must say, it hasn't all been bad in the knitting world. My Revontuli is coming along gorgeously. I can't wait to wear it for Easter. It is over 300 stitches now and a bit slow going but I am still enjoying it.

It only took three years!

I finally finished my Mom's Philosopher's sweater. I thought the day would never come, but with a little diligence and commitment to my resolution it happened. I finished it at 2am this past Friday night. It took me about 8 hours that evening to sew around the steeks, attach the arms, knit the button bands, cut it and add the buttons. I just couldn't go to bed until it was done. Luckily I was home alone after deciding not to go to Taos and was able to sleep in uninterrupted.

Today my Mom and I went to brunch and I was able to finally give her her birthday present. I think she really likes it.

I made it a v-neck because my mom doesn't like stuff around her neck and it is indeed not next to the skin soft, more functional for outerwear.

I also made the button bands taper down and I made a facing for the back of the collar.

Cutting it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I cut the center after I picked up for the button bands and before I knit them. This made it easier to knit the kind of neckline I was going for. I'm soo happy it is finished and out of my WIP pile. I only have 1 tank, 1 minimalist cardigan, a scarf left to finish! The scarf will be for a gift in Sept. so really that is only two more UFOs to go!

And lastly to brighten your day I give you 2month old Grey in his Sweetpea ensemble. I had the pleasure of spending the day with him and Mariah yesterday. Is there any rules on how many times you can kiss a baby?