Creative Process

Packing

2011-10-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

This is why I over pack. 1st about a week before take off I start thinking about what to bring. I investigate the weather. I weigh every option of things we might do...mountain climbing, skiing, surf boarding??? ( no I'm not that healed). Then I start obsessing. What outfits to bring, how many shoes, 10 is good, do I just put on some good classic jewelry like a diamond pendant and solitair earings and wear them everyday... or do I bring the fun trendy cosutme stuff that looks killer if I want to really look stylish. I agonize for a few days. And then today, even though I have vowed not to pack til tomorrow, I start making the list. And this my friends is where I discover the reason I over pack. I do not believe in wearing the same outfit more than once on the entire trip, except pjs and swimsuits and since I can do laundry work out wear. Sigh. I'm always right at 50lbs, and you can't go over like you do when you say you're going to get shoes for $50 but find a fabulous pair for $89. I need help. Maybe an intervention.

In the meantime let's get nostalgic

2011-10-18T18:29:00.000-07:00

Blogging to resume soon.

I gave in

2010-10-29T11:35:00.001-07:00

to weaving that is...

A little yarn to drool over

2010-07-04T17:13:00.001-07:00

Wollmeise Daisy WD Twin

Would you be able to resist?

MIA once again

2010-06-24T14:57:00.001-07:00

I haven't disappeared, just been busy. Summer has begun, the kids are home and keeping me occupied and then of course those stupid pesky health issues put a dent in my knitting time as well. I have been able to sneak in some time, mainly at hockey tournaments, to get some knitting done. These are the socks that I made for Anthony's 40th birthday with the yarn I spun a few posts ago. He is pleased with them and has already requested another pair. I knew once I gave him a pair of hand knit socks he would be hooked.

I've been addicted to knitting plain old vanilla socks lately. I use magic loop, toe up with a short row heel. I realized that I care more about having a wide wardrobe of socks more than a few really fancy ones. And certainly I have the stash to provide for this. These socks are so soft and comfortable and fit really well. The more pairs I make the more I've realized that I need to make myself really skinny socks for them to fit right. I'm talking 48-56max stitches on size 0 or 00. I have really skinny feet and I don't like baggy socks.
This is the one sweater I'm working on at this time...well actually it's been a few weeks since I've picked it up but I am eager to get it done, something about the summer....perhaps the 90°+days, keep me from wanting to knit big items, hence all the socks. This is the Berries Cardigan I am knitting out of Wollmeise. It's a bit of an adjustment to do color work with fingering weight, so far the only fair isle I've done was with Philosopher's Wool, but I do like the resulting fabric. I'm making it a bit small as an incentive to lose a bit more weight this summer. So far I'm down 9 lbs and we won't talk about how many yet to go.

These socks are with Noro Kureyon and again is simple toe up with a very easy rib. I'm alternating knitting these with the next pair. I knit one sock and then knit one of the other and then back to the first. Trying to keep it exciting.

So this would be the other pair. I just turned the heel on the second one so they should be done soon. They were supposed to be for Father's Day but I'm a wee bit late. I love this WM color, Spice Shwammerl, I hope I have enough left to make myself a short pair. Although I don't think I'll get the same effect since I will have to decrease the stitch count considerably. But that should make it exciting to see what it works up like.

So that's about all the excitement in my knitting world. I am already starting to think about my goals for next year's knitting. I really want to focus more on designing and would like to do a project from fleece to FO including the dyeing and designing. Once I finish all my UFOs I'm going to start small, perhaps with a pair of color work socks and WM or handspun. For now I'm just enjoying the summer and trying to abstain as much as possible from the WM updates. I'm not very disciplined to Anthony's dismay.

Prom 2010

2010-05-02T22:32:00.000-07:00

It's all Kathy's fault!

2010-04-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Okay maybe it isn't all her fault but she brought the skein of Saami to the retreat and I was reminded of how pretty Wollmeise is. I had a lonely skein of Digitessa but somehow I managed to add some skiens since then. In the center is the sweater project I'm working on, a skein of lace, and a lonely cake of petite poison that will soon be cast on for a pair of brainless socks.

I've been wanting to take pics for a while but I always was awaiting for another purchase to arrive. Right now only 7 skeins are on the way and hopefully they will arrive soon. Until then I'll be ready to stalk at a moment's notice.

A new toy!

2010-01-21T20:56:00.000-08:00

It's been a long, long time since I've done any scrapbooking. Probably since we moved into our new home. Today I received in the mail some nifty new scrapbooking software to help me catch up with the millions of photos I need to preserve. Unfortunately my shots I received earlier this week have seemed to have hurt more than help so I've been in my pjs today with plenty of downtime to fiddle around with the new program. It is called Memory Mixer and it really user friendly.
The nice thing is that there are plenty of different downloads available, papers, embellishments and alphas so you don't get bored. The possibilities are endless. If I didn't have an order of over 500 stitch markers to fill I could see myself getting sucked into this.

But I do think I will bring my computer along for the scrap I'm attending on Super Bowl Sunday. I wonder how many pages I can get done?

2009 Summary

2010-01-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

So I perused my projects page on Ravelry and came up with a summary of what I accomplished in 2009.

4 pairs of socks

4 scarves

4 sweaters

3 hats

3 baby outfits

3 shawls

and 1 dog sweater

6 of these were made with handspun

Many of these were items that were already started and were a part of my resolution to finish all UFOs. I hope to accomplish this much again this year with a greater percentage made of handspun.

Right now I am working on the Necessity vest using my hollyberry handspun. I really like how the colors are working up.

I just finished these socks using Mini Mochi. I love the colors and they are super soft and squishy. Aside from knitting I have been enjoying our girl Lily. She is growing so big and has more than doubled in size since we brought her home. She has continued to be a good little puppy. She is very mellow and is now finally house broken. She's a snuggler and a welcome addition to our family.

Up Next: Plans for Knitting 2010

So far so good

2010-01-08T11:09:00.001-08:00

No yarn purchased and I've been busy spinning! I've been working on this for quite some time and I finally finished it! yay! This is a 3ply, 18wpi, 417 yds, 6.75 oz. I spun one ply of Spunky's SW Lame Duck Mallard, one ply of Spunky's Banff and a third ply I alternated the two rovings. The wool was SW BFL and Corriedale. I put a lot of twist into both the singles and when plying to make it durable. I plan to use it to make my dh a pair of socks for his 40th bday. It was really fun to watch the colors come together as I plied.
Banff, SW Corriedale:

Lame Duck Mallared SW BFL:

Next up pics of my latest project and finished socks.

New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-05T11:29:00.001-08:00

Since they worked out so well for me last year, I have decided to make some resolutions for the coming year in relation to my knitting.
1. No yarn purchases until all my credit cards are paid off.
This excludes: yarn for gifts, yarn bought with money from de-stash, yarn needed to complete a project.
2. Limit fiber purchases to monthly clubs and Estes. Above rules also apply.
3. Knit a sweater every two months. I have yarn for about 20-25 large projects and it is about time I start making some of them. List to come later.
4. Knit at least two sweaters from hand spun.
5. Spin at least once a week.
6. Sell enough stitch markers to purchase an electric spinner.

That should cover it. I think this will help me tackle some of my stash and will result in some nice new garments to wear. We won't talk about the great binge that occurred right before the 1st. Hence the credit card balances.

Actual Knitting....and some bags

2009-12-17T20:21:00.000-08:00

I started making the Panda Silk Fan shawl using the Noro Silk Garden I purchased at Serendipity in Buena Vista this fall. I am rotating three skeins to make the color shifts longer and may introduce more as it gets bigger. I think this may be one I’ll have to make a handspun version of, my wheels are turning. Perhaps for the shawl contest next year. I love how you can make one fan and then feel a sense of completion. If I average one a day I can knock it out pretty quickly.

This was supposed to be for the gift exchange at Knit Knack Tuesday but unfortunately I just wasn’t feeling good enough to attend. So instead I have given it to Maddie since she loves the bright green shades. There are 280 yds, enough for a hat and mittens if she so chooses.

I’ve been doing some damage on ebay recently with my bag purchases. I found this pretty Isabella’s Journey bag that matches my larger one. It came with a cute little bag charm. Perfect for a small project.

This is another Isabella bag that is so cheerful and fun. It is currently housing my fan shawl. The front pocket is very handy

Lastly is this posh small project bag. I was also going to gift this at the exchange but I guess it will just have to make itself comfortable with the rest of the bags in my closet.

And I just can’t resist posting a pic of Lily. She is getting so big. I think she has now doubled her weight since we brought her home. She is still pretty mellow and loving, and fortunately, knock on wood, potty training is going better. Notice the shoe among her toys….we are still working on that. Quick someone spare the sheep...perhaps I can spin it's wool. lol.

If I don’t post between now and then I wish you all a wonderful holiday filled with lots of love and yarn!

Tis the Season

2009-12-14T09:52:00.001-08:00

Here is a glimpse of our Christmas décor. While this time of year can be rushed, hectic and stressful, it is nice to take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the season.

Congrats Liz and Eddie (and shoes)

2009-11-25T10:34:00.000-08:00

Isn't little Eleanor the sweetest baby ever. She is so beautiful and I must say models the hand knits well. Congrats on your new arrival.

Heaven forbid one were to think that my shoe fetish has subsided. Here are a few of my recent purchases modeled by my lovely daughter. These are the most comfortable Steve Madden flats, it's like wearing slippers.

These are just some cheapo heels I bought to match a dress at Forever 21, not the most comfortable but cute non the less.

These are really cute, somehow I have yet to wear them.

I lusted after these for a long time, but when I went to purchase them they were gone. Not to be discouraged I found them online. They are the most beautiful deep purple, my new color obsession.

And I finally found a pair of Uggs that I don't find ugly. They are sooo warm and made w/ real sheep skin, so comfy.

Lastly are my awesome slippers that match some pjs I recently bought at Macy's. When I wear them together it is like having footsie pajamas. They are sooo soft, warm and cozy.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with scrumptious food, family and friends.

Flashing my stash

2009-11-19T20:47:00.000-08:00

Okay since I went through all this work for a thread on Ravelry I thought I'd post this here too. You can definitely see the difference between now and two years ago (please ignore the messiness) I have indeed added a bit to my fiber stash!

Sorry for the picture heavy post but you will see I would have a hard time consolidating.Okay I’m going to flash my stash. I’m sure that there is more I am missing somewhere and I do have three fleeces off for processing.This is where I keep my spinning WIPs, the knitting WIPs live in zipped up bags the puppy can’t access (for now…she’s pretty smart).

This is roving and yarn I plan on dyeing Monday. Kitty likes to jump into pictures whenever possible.

Some of my yarn sorted by color. The bins are also full of yarn.

The rest of the majority of my yarn.

Where I keep my favorite yarns (in the basket) and my recent handspun hang from the hooks. As you can see I love red.

My Juliespins and Spunky Eclectic rovings.

The top shelf in my closet is all my processed fleece purchases from Estes and other shows.

The middle shelf is all mostly batts I made or purchased .

The bottom is where I keep my single skeins in the top drawer, remnants in the bottom drawer and fiber in the bins on the left.

Up close of bins. One has more roving braids, one is natural fibers and the other mish mash fibers.

Sock yarn used to live here.

Until I dragged it out to take a picture of it all, now it won’t fit back. I’ll be buying a new basket tomorrow.

Lastly my knitting books.

Lily's sweater

2009-11-15T21:28:00.000-08:00

I know I promised some shoe pictures, but I'm behind on taking pictures of my new acquisitions so for now this will have to satisfy my readers who share my addiction. Aren't these the loveliest little sheep slippers? I bought them at Bath and Body works, they also have a matching sleep mask and a robe out of the same fabric that might make it on my list for Santa. Lily likes to chew on the sheep's ears so maybe even a back up pair is in order. Today I spent the day snuggled in by the fire, appreciating the snow outside the window from my cozy seat while knitting Lily a sweater. She gets a chill when she rides with me in the car and it isn't warm yet so this should give her a little extra protection from the elements.

I picked up some Vanna's choice at Joanne's the other day and I am pleasantly surprised at how nice a hand it has. It isn't squeaky acrylic like Red Heart but rather comparable to Plymouth Encore however much less expensive. I think I may use it in the future for kids, dogs, charity or any other washable required items.

She wears it well, the only problem is getting her to sit still while I take a picture. I think the cat that was just below on the stairs was a bit of a distraction.

This week I'll see to getting around to taking some pics, my new Uggs are awesome! And I have some nice spinning to share!

Meet Lily

2009-11-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

Isn’t she a doll. We adopted her yesterday, she is a collie/terrier mix and just the sweetest little girl ever. It has been many, many years since I had a puppy and oh boy the joys of housebreaking are infinite. We are crate training her which seems to be working well minus a few accidents. Little A is just thrilled beyond words as she is his puppy. The cats however are not so thrilled, although she has been spending much time in her crate the kitties are seeking refuge in our bedroom.

In other knitting news, I have been busy finishing some projects. This is another Shetland Triangle shawl I knit using my handspun llama/silk. I am pleased with the end results.

And this is the set I made for my friends Liz who is due today. It is the five hr. baby sweater and matching hat and booties. I had never knit booties before and oh my they are just the cutest little things, I want to knit a dozen.

Up next, recent purchase and SHOES (well boots and slippers)

22 inches of snow!!

2009-10-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

It's an Oct. blizzard. We are snuggled in our pjs knitting by the fire while drinking hot chocolate. So far we have had 2 snow days and I'm hoping they cancel tomorrow too, after all it is a Friday. I know I'm behind on my blog and I have lots of knitting to share but for now enjoy these wintery pictures. http://www.flickr.com/photos/34985522@N00/sets/72157622689915066/

Shetland Triangle

2009-09-12T14:07:00.001-07:00

I know I haven't been posting much...recovering from surgery and getting back on track, but I did manage to finish this project which I thought I'd share.

I've been working on this the past few weeks. It is from Falkland which I handpainted and then spun fingering weight 2ply, the pattern is the Shetland Triangle. I enjoyed it so much I immediately started another shawl out of some llama silk blend. This is a gift for my husband's 2nd mom who was just in the hospital.

Californyha nyha nyha nyha

2009-08-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

South Park watchers will get the title.

For my birthday this year we decided instead of a big party to get away, just the two of us. It was a wonderful birthday and started out on the right foot when the rental car agent upgraded our midsize to this bright convertable.

The main event of the trip was seeing Blue October in concert. They trail not far behind NIN as my 2nd favorite band and seeing them live is always a treat.

Our hotel was awesome, so many cool little details that made it stand apart from the standard chain.

The view from our room was wonderful as well.

Thursday we went to the beach in Santa Monica and hit a wonderful yarn store, Compatto as well. I bought a couple of gorgeous hand-dyed sock yarn made especially for that store.

On the last day we went to In N' Out and then I spent the afternoon on the hotel's rooftop pool while A worked. It was pure heaven to sit viewing the Hollywood Hills while knitting, drinking the hotel's signature martini the stillo. Just when I thought that life couldn't get better a massage therapist came by and offered me a free foot massage. Ahhh this is the life.

Now if I could live in this house I think A might be able to convince me to move to LA. The more we go the more I am able to invision ourselves living there. Perhaps once Maddie has gone off to college it will be a good time...time will tell.

And I did manage to accomplish a bit of knitting, this is the sweater I am making for little A out of Berrocco Comfort. So far he thinks it is pretty cool. It is knitting up fast and I should have it done pretty quickly.

It's been a long summer

2009-08-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

And even though I've been less than 100% I have managed to get some things done. The great news is I fulfilled my New Year's resolution and have completed the Minimalist. I love, love, love how it turned out. I did full length sleeves instead of 3/4, I made it a bit longer and I did a i-cord frog closure.The best feeling is the compliments I have received from non-knitters on it. The frog closure I did with my little hand i-cord maker and then used the pattern from Knitting Over the Edge by Nicky Epstein. The button I received in a swap and I think it works perfectly. I wish summer would be over soon so I could wear it every day. I was actually pleased when it was chilly this week.
Yesterday I finished my Crosshatch Lace socks using my handspun Sherwood yarn. It is a a 60/30/10 Merino/Bamboo/Nylon blend. I had 315 yards and used size 1 needles and ended up with quite a large amount left over. Definitely enough for child's socks.

Now that these projects are finally complete I've moved on to knitting this sweater. The pattern is in a Tahki booklet for Nova yarn. I am using Debbie Bliss eco-cotton. I can't say I'm particularly fond of this yarn it is 10 plies of 2plies and is splitty as can be.

I am however quite please with how it is knitting up. I love the soft blue color. I hope I get it done in time to wear while it is still warm.

This is the fiber I am using to make batts to spin. I had made some for a swap and loved how they turned out so much I decided to card about 27 ounces to do a sweater. The fibers included a mohair wool blend, sw merino, tussah silk, Wensleydale locks and a merino/tencel blend.

I have run them through the carder twice and am pretty pleased with how they turned out. I am eager to see how they spin up.

And lastly this is the yarn I have spun this summer. I bought it at the Alpaca Festival this spring. It is a 80/20 llama/silk blend.

I think I will use it to make the branching out scarf, I have about 540 yards of it to work with. It is fingering weight.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and is getting lots of fiber arts time in. Right now I am sitting on my patio and enjoying the beautiful day.

Estes 2009

2009-06-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-10T18:43:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-06T12:32:00.001-07:00

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

2009-04-24T14:48:00.001-07:00

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

2009-04-24T14:27:00.001-07:00

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

2009-04-24T13:22:00.003-07:00

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

2009-04-12T15:12:00.001-07:00

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?

2009-03-31T13:07:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-03-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

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?

New Project

2009-03-23T15:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I cast on for my Revontuli shawl. I am doing this as part of a spin along in the Spinner Central group on Ravelry. It's fun to see how everyone is spinning for and knitting the pattern. So far they are all beautiful. I decided to use this roving, Lemon Berry BFL, that I hand painted. I started by

separating out the colors. For the purples and yellows I spun directly from the roving, for the pinks I blended the odds and ends on my drum carder to get a more heathered look.

I had to run both skeins through the opposite direction to remove some twist so it would be balanced, but I think it is worth the extra effort to have an unbiased knit.

The good thing about spinning specifically for a project is the amount of control you have. I started with short color repeats and gradually made them longer.

Hopefully this will work out so the last rows of the shawl are distributed as evenly as the first few rows. I am having fun watching it come together.

We are off to Taos this Wed. for Spring break, so we will see how much knitting time I get. I think this will be perfect for the long drive.

I also have finished the main knitting for my Mom's sweater and just have to sew it together and make the button bands, so close!

Happy Spring!

There is always an exception to the rule.

2009-03-19T13:15:00.001-07:00

These are socks I just finished knitting, I had to make an exception to my New Years Resolution to only knit UFOs and gifts because I was dying to knit this yarn. So now there is an exception for handspun. I had never made plain jane socks before, they knit up fast! The roving is from Spunky Eclectic. It is Finn and the colorway is called Acadia. I spun it as a 3 ply and ended up with 210 yards from 4 oz. The socks were knit toe up on size 2 needles and I even had a little left over. They make me happy.

Fletcher is finished!!!

2009-03-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo!!! Another project finished! I love this coat, it turned out awesome. I got the fronts and the sleeves to match up perfectly. The size is just right, although it looks big here modeled by Maddie. I ended up using almost every yard of the extra skein I bought. I must have wove in a billion ends by the time I got to the hood and was knitting with all the little tidbits I had taken out to make it match up. I am so thrilled I finished it in time to wear it a bit before winter is truly over.

Substantial Progress with a slight Detour

2009-03-04T07:55:00.000-08:00

I have no clue why my pictures are sideways, but anyway, I am making great progress on my Fletcher. These are the sleeves, I am working them at the same time and attempting to get them to match.

The back:

The fronts which I took great effort in matching. I am way to retentive to have it not match up. It wasn't that hard really, just a few extra ends to weave in and lots of little balls of Noro bits and pieces.

When you wake in the morning and your seven year old tells you that there is a detour sign right in front of your house, you don't really think he means literally.

These are the joys of having teenagers. I just have no idea where Ian should put the cones once he removes them from his vehicle. I imagine this is a direct consequence of the prank calls he made to his friends last night for a 3OH!3 contest.

And lastly is the yarn I spun up Sat. night at the Sit n' Spin I hosted. This is Romney in Eclipse colorway from Spunky Eclectic's monthly club.

This was a quick spin of heavy worsted/bulky weight, 100 yds from 4oz. I think I am going to make the Maine Morning Mitts out of it.

Have a great hump day and watch out for the detours.

2009-02-26T15:50:00.001-08:00

Well Ian could not be the only kid sporting a new hat. I made these for little A and Madison, they chose the pattern and colors. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

(I never want to make a pom-pom again.)

So much extra time!

2009-02-20T19:53:00.000-08:00

Well the one benefit of the economy is increased craft time. I got laid off from my job last week so now I have a bit of free time on my hands. I only worked 10 hours but it still consumed time, if I had a 10am meeting I didn't really have time to do anything in between dropping A off and leaving for the meeting, same deal in the afternoon...so essentially a few hours at the office would take up most my 8-3 time. Any way.....I've been busy trying to put my time to good use. I finally finished the tussah silk I have been spinning since this summer. I must say silk is a joy to spin, I love the way it has such strength and yet seems so delicate. I ended up with 770 yds of lace weight from 4 oz. I am thinking of making a shawl with it, just waiting for the right pattern to pop out at me. A triangle shawl might accent the long color repeats better but rect. shawl is appealing as well. Luckily Christie gave me another escape clause, casting on for this will not be a new project but merely a continuation of the same one. Thanks Christie!
I received a gift card for Joanne's from a friend for Christmas and finally got around to using it this week. I found this sock yarn there that is actually pretty nice, it is 50/25/25 wool, bamboo, nylon blend and was only $4 a skein. (blogger is posting my pics sideways again.)

So if you turn your head you can see I also bought some scrapbooking stuff. I think these will make some lovely cards and am eager to start working on cards and scrapbooks again. Those supplies in my craft room have been quite ignored, yet somehow they have managed to multiply. I also want to use some of my time to get making some more stitch markers and get my business back up and going again, I have kind of ignored it and haven't actively tried to get any new business, so now that I lost my yarn fund, I mean job the extra dough might be nice.

I also bought this at Joanne's. It is super cool and does an awesome job of making i-cord, the only drawback is it doesn't do worsted or heavier weights.

And lastly with my time I have been on another big organizational frenzy. I hit Staples and loaded up on P-touch tape and went hog wild in my closet and craft room. Now all my purses are labeled so I will start using more than just the one I always seem to carry.

And all my boots too. I forgot I had some of them.

And it had been quite a while since the shoes were updated with labels for the newest purchases. No more digging around trying to find the right pair or forgetting about the pair I love but somehow got lost in the masses. Dh drew the line when I went to put the "husband " label on his forehead. Someday me and my p-touch will organize the whole world!!

An escape clause!!!

2009-02-10T18:34:00.001-08:00

Indeed I have managed to use my little escape clause to the maximum. Remember how I said I would not start any new projects until I finished my old ones? Well I also said EXCEPT for gifts. So guess who is feeling generous?

This scarf is a gift for my Aunt Maria as a thank you for letting us stay with her during our recent CA visit. This project was fast once the yarn finally decided what it wanted to be.

This was mystery yarn I purchased sometime ago on ebay. I had two skeins of it and wrongfully assumed that both skeins would be the same yardage. With that assumption in mind I knitted my way gleefully through the Hug Me Boucle Shawl. The concept was simple, knit until you finish half your yarn and then start to decrease to knit the other half. Well guess what, the two skeins were indeed not of the same yardage and this is where it ended.
Too bad too, because I really like the pattern. I think I may use it in the future with this boucle in my stash. However next time I will measure it out on my niddy noddy and give myself some room for error.
Frog, Frog, Frog was in my future.

After several different attempts at several different scarves with different needle sizes and gauges, I ended up doubling the yarn and using size 19 needles to whip this out. I sorta was at the end of my rope with this yarn and wanted to get this shipped out sometime this millennium. I kept with the yarn over pattern of the shawl and I think it turned out pretty well.

It isn't super long, but the yarn has a lot of elasticity to it, and besides it is more for accessorizing than utility given CA's mild weather.

The next gift was made at the bequest of my 17 year old son. Now it is a rare day when Ian takes any interest in my hobbies. The beautiful scarf that I so painstakingly made out of my own seat of my pants pattern, in my early knitting days to boot, alas ended up in the corner of his closet to be left behind when we moved. So although I was delighted for the request I also knew that this time I wouldn't be whipping out the luxury alpaca for this project, especially when this was the inspiration I was given directly from him.

He seems to be quite appreciative and happy with the end result. At least that is what I am assuming by the fact that he hasn't stopped wearing it. 17 year old boys aren't ones to gush their gratitude. I used Plymoth Encore and this pattern and heavily modified it, but luckily kept good notes because now both siblings want matching ones.
Btw, I did manage to do a few rounds on the infamous mom sweater, so I'm not slacking too badly.

I'm a Godmother!!!!

2009-01-31T12:48:00.000-08:00

Now I don't think I am biased at all, but I do believe other than my children this is the most handsome little guy I have ever seen. Welcome to the world baby Grey Hudson. You are already loved by so many people. I am so thrilled to be your Godmother. Congrats Mariah, you will be an excellent mother. Just remember they do grow into little monkey boys! Ha Ha....inside joke. (well most mothers of boys should get it).

Grey Hudson

Jan 29th 2009

7lb 14 oz

20 3/4 in.

100% adorable

and he comes with that heavenly new baby fresh smell. My heart swoons.

Woo Hoo I finished something!

2009-01-28T15:37:00.000-08:00

In sticking with my New Year's resolution I have been working on my UFOs. Monday night I finally finished these socks that have been in my knitting bag since April. I don't know if I was really stressed in April when I did the first one or super relaxed when I did most the knitting on the second one this past Sunday, but there is a huge difference between them. April sock has 18 repeats and Sunday sock has 16 and is also a wee bit loose. It also affected how the yarn worked up.
Anyhoo I am pretty happy that they are done and I can cross something off the list!

Socks for Veronique
Panda Silk
size 1 needles
Started April 2008
Finished Jan. 26th

I left my heart in San Francisco but came back with a full suitcase.

2009-01-23T09:53:00.001-08:00

This past weekend I had the pleasure of traveling to Santa Rosa for my dear cousin Olivia's (2nd from the right) baby shower. She is expecting a baby boy this May and many of the family came together to celebrate. It was so nice to see many of the 25 cousins I have. (not to mention the 11, soon to be 12 2nd cousins). This picture is sorta a one of these things is not like the other. I swear I am related and I am Mexican, my mom just happened not to marry another Mexican, hence my gringo appearance. I must say we do have a good looking family.

Now in this picture everyone looks like each other. I swear the older they get the more my mom and her sisters look alike.

This is the hat and baby kimono I made out of Paton's cotton tots for Olivia's baby. I didn't know it was a boy until the shower hence the neutral colors. I brought along my trusty yarn shop travel guide and managed to sneak in a few visits to some LYSs. The first shop I went to in Santa Rosa was Cast Away. They had a wonderful selection of Blue Sky Alpaca yarns but nothing local, at least that I could find. The person working never addressed me or offered assistance the whole 10 minutes I was there, so hence I left empty handed.

Now Knitterly in Petaluma was a whole different story. It was a delightful shop with a very friendly staff who eagerly helped me find some local yarn. They even let me take pictures. I think if I lived here this would definitely be my hang out. I love the felted ball curtain that hangs in the front door, too cute.

This is the local artisan yarn I purchased. The Royal Hare is the indie dyer and this sock yarn is called Russian River Rose. I just couldn't pass it up with a name so perfect for remembrance of my trip.

I also bought this beautiful optim roving because I have been dying to try optim and the price couldn't be beat.

While on my mini vacation I did manage to fit in some knitting as well. I finished the Sweet Pea set for Mariah and am thrilled I completed it before the little guy has joined us.

On Sunday I traveled with my Mother and Aunts to San Francisco. I wanted to do something a bit different this time since I have seen Fisherman's wharf more times than I can count. So we headed to Japantown.

Here I was able to purchase some great presents for the kids and maybe a thing or two for me. I bought bento boxes for Maddie, Little A and I. All of the accoutrements are too adorable to pass up. I love the little sauce containers and the animal food picks. I also picked up a quirky little red notions bag, a tea bag dish (gifted to me by Aunt Esther) and some chocolate at Ghirardelli Square.

But the most awesome purchase was this kick ass bag that I fell in love with. Already my daughter has tried to steal it but I am resolved to keep it. It is made by Angry Little Girls and is just awesome. I have a feeling I am going to buy more of their stuff in the future, it is so hilarious and cool. You have to give it a look.

So overall it was a quite enjoyable trip spent with family and friends and a nice dash of fiber. Next time I will not wait 6 years between visits. My heart always belongs to San Francisco.

Please say a prayer

2009-01-20T19:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday a dear friend of mine lost her husband in the pile up on I70. He was only 37 years old and a father to two young boys, one of which attends 1st grade with my son. This is so very tragic, if you could all say a prayer for them and keep them in your thoughts I would appreciate it. Ladies, give your husbands a big hug tonight and tell them you love them. The world can turn upside down so quickly and we need to take the time to appreciate all we have been given.

Holy Knitting Batman, A Post with Knitting Content!

2009-01-07T15:42:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!!!!!

And to celebrate I am finally going to share some FOs!!!! Here is my lovely Noro scarf that I am madly in love with.

I'm sure you have seen it before on Brooklyn Tweed and The Yarn Harlot's blogs, but even though it has been knitted by the masses it still enthralled me and held my interest the entire time. I am eager to make more, but we will address that later in my resolutions.
For Maddie's skating coach I knit these Princess Mitts from the Book of Yarn. They were a really quick and fun knit. It is the first time I have done cables from a chart and it was a great intro that gave me confidence in my chart reading skills.

I used Ultra Alpaca a 50/50 wool alpaca blend. I am so happy with how they turned out I plan to make a pair for myself with the other skein I have of this yarn. I sure hope her coach liked them.

And although I didn't get it finished in time for the shower, I should have this project done before Mariah's baby makes an appearance. I am using this sport weight merino that I hand painted.

To make Sweet Pea.

The hat is finished, although for some reason Blogger is posting my pictures sideways, and the gown is 75% done. I can't wait to see him in it!

On the spinning front, I am working on spinning for a sweater. I am blending on my drum carder a blf x shetland with suri alpaca for a 50/50 blend. So far I have 6.5 oz and 350 yards completed.

I am planning on making the Town and Country sweater (the cardigan) from A Fine Fleece. So far it is going well and is a joy to spin. My swatch turned our pretty well so I think I am on track. Turn your head and you will see it is moss stitch.I have also been spinning this delightful tussah silk I bought from Sqoosh on Etsy. On this bobbin is 2oz, half of what I have to spin and who knows how many yards.

As you can see I am spinning it quite fine. I think spinning lace weight can really make your budget stretch with the amount of spinning time you can eek out of a small amt. of fiber. And lastly as I have touched on I have indeed made some resolutions for the new year. Besides all the usual get healthy and exercise standards, I have included a knitting resolution. This year I intend to finish all my UFOs that are lying around, which included the infamous Philospher's Wool sweater for my mother. I will not start any other new projects other than gifts until all these projects are complete. Off the top of my head the list is:

The Philosopher's Sweater

The Minimalist Cardigan

One Sock for Veronique-really for me, that is just the name

Rainy Day Scarf for Aunt Esther

Ribbed scarf for dh

editted to add: Fletcher in Noro Iro

and one more...the fitted tank in Blue Sky Alpacas Cotton

So not too many projects, but enough to keep me busy this first quarter. Hopefully by the time these are completed I will be done spinning my yarn and will be able to begin the Town and Country.

Wish me luck!

Merry Christmas To All

2008-12-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

Although I've been scarce I thought I would pop in here to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. I hope everyone is enjoying time with friends and family and cherishing the spirit of the season. I should be posting some awesome FOs soon! Merry Christmas.

I am not a cabochon.

2008-12-02T21:28:00.001-08:00

Today was our 2nd anniversary. As many of you know we have been together far longer than these two years. As he is so good at doing, I was quite indulged this year. After working I had a mani and pedi, an hour and half massage and then got dressed and ready to go to dinner at The Black Cat in Boulder. Dinner was amazing, the lamb pancetta, a petite morsure was everything that lamb should be,truly the highlight of the meal. He bought me gorgeous gold earrings I have been eyeing forever as well as sexy lingerie and the romance package is awaiting us Friday night at the Westin. But the best gift he gave me were these words "You are not a cabochon". These words ring so true and came as I voiced my unease as we slid into the Bside lounge to elude the chill of Pearl street on the way to our car in the midst of bass and drum night. I was frocked in a pretty silk skirt with proper heels, my familiar LV purse and demure Burberry trench. How could I feel so out of place here when I can feel contented at a goth night dressed in red vinyl and fishnets? Because my dear, you are a gem, he tells me. You are not a cabochon. You have many facets that make you shine.

Indeed some nights I am the goth party girl, having the time of my life with the hordes of people I know in that world, but that is merely one facet. I am also the friend that would give you everything to make you happy. I bare my soul to those I love, not hiding flaws but accepting that we are all gems that are beautiful though some times we have inclusions.
I am the mother who gives all that I have to my children, my time, my love, my honesty and my humility. Each day not only do I try to be a better parent but I keep my eyes open, learning from them how to be a better person. I am many things that only my dear husband sees. I am strong, and at times I am feeble. I am impatient and impulsive, emotional and passionate. I am not perfect, I am aspiring. These words comforted like a warm blanket in a time of self doubt. So thank you dear husband for the best gift. And every day I can live knowing that I am not a cabochon and my husband loves my facets.

Just a quick funny

2008-11-17T20:55:00.001-08:00

This is what my kids were doing tonight while I was off getting a massage.

Interesting

2008-11-14T13:13:00.000-08:00

I lifted this from Nicole. I'm not sure what to make of the results, but the funny thing is I don't like this painting pictured here!

Your result for What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test...

Traditional, Vibrant, and Tasteful

13 Islamic, -1 Impressionist, -3 Ukiyo-e, 3 Cubist, 1 Abstract and -13 Renaissance!

Islamic art is developed from many sources: Roman, Early Christian, and Byzantine styles were taken over in early Islamic architecture; the architecture and decorative art of pre-Islamic Persia was of paramount significance; Central Asian styles were brought in with various nomadic incursions; and Chinese influences . Islamic art uses many geometical floral or vegetable designs in a repetitive pattern known as arabesque. It is used to symbolize the transcendent, indivisible and infinite nature of Allah.

People that like Islamic art tend to be more traditional people that appreciate keeping patterns that they learned and experienced from their past. It is not to say that they are not innovative personalities, they just do not like to let go of their roots. They like to put new ideas into details and make certain that they will work before sharing them with others. Failure is not something they like to think about because they are more interested in being successful and appreciated for their intelligence. These people can also be or like elaborate things in their life as long as they are tasteful. They tend to prefer geometric patterns and vibrant colors.

Take What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test at HelloQuizzy

Behind Once Again

2008-11-05T19:12:00.000-08:00

In my defense, it has been a busy month. This whole job thing really cuts into the free time! Who was it that was complaining they were bored now that all the kids are in school all day? It couldn't have been me. I have so much I have been wanting to blog about lately but haven't had a chance to get to it so here comes a big power blog in which mosaics are my friend.

Little A had a field trip to the pumpkin patch that I had the pleasure of joining him on. I was thrilled to see several hand knits make their appearance to warm the heads of these 1st graders. Once I pointed them out little A warmed to the idea of wearing his.

Then Halloween crept up on us. I forgot how much I really don't like carving pumpkins. I like it for a little bit but man it seems to take forever and eww the guts are so slimy! However the pumpkin patch does make for some great pictures.

Halloween weekend we headed to Dallas. One of A's clients gave us tickets to the Dickies 500. While there we spent time with my friend Kandi and her adorable family. The kids were so cute in their costumes, Jordan makes an awfully sweet, I mean terrifying mummy, and Drew was a great Indy. We also visited the Dallas World Aquarium which was first rate, the Stockyards in Ft. Worth and of course the big race. It was so nice to have four days away from it all.
Back at home all the work, chores and running around is still here waiting for me. Another month has flown by and the holidays are just around the corner. Hopefully I will blog again much sooner as I have an exciting new project in the works.

Fall Refresher

2008-10-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

Nothing refreshes my spirit like a nice fall getaway. Even better is when it includes knitting, lots of it. Once again I had the pleasure of sneaking away for a couple of days to Buena Vista to knit with friends. As I drove up with Mary Kay we were awed by the colors which were definitely at their peak. These pictures were taken during our return just a few days later and already the colors were on the decline. It was a magnificent drive and a fabulous weekend. I had so much fun spending time with some of my favorite people and I accomplished quite a bit too.
While there I finished my Creamed Spinach scarf.
It seemed to double in length as I blocked it. Overall I am pretty happy with the results and am eagerly awaiting a chill in the air so I may wrap it around my neck.
I also started and finished this delightful hat, finally adding a key knitted piece to my wardrobe. I don't know how I managed to go so long with out knitting myself a hat, but now I see many in my future. The yarn I used was hand spun for me by Amanda as part of the HHHH swap on Ravelry. I have never been gifted hand spun before and I must say a girl could get used to it.
I also started a new project, Fletcher, a Noro pattern using Iro. I can't wait to finish this and wear it all fall long.

Unfortunately this will be happening a little later than I had planned. See all this progress I had made, well it is now frogged. Upon reading the comments re: this project on Ravelry I decided to start over. Everyone was pretty much in unison in their proclamations that this thing is huge. I was knitting a small, getting gauge and my back was measuring 26". My bust is around 38" so that leaves quite bit of ease, 14" to be exact. I figure it was better to cry now and be happy with the results later so I am starting from scratch with a XS. I called Mary Kay and let her in on the sad news as she too is knitting this. So our race (we were jokingly competing to finish) is now back at the starting line.
Oh and where should one put these lovely skeins of Noro while knitting you ask. Why in a matching Atenti bag of course! Isn't this fun and funky! I happily used my Serendipity discount to purchase this bag, I see a lot of use in it's future.
Lastly, here are my weekend's purchase in clockwise order:

Lonesome Stone Mountain Feat in Shades of Plum, Red Rocks Fiber Work's San Diego (a merino/ sea silk blend) in Jenni's choice, RRFW's Steamboat (665 yards of merino silk) in a vibrant green, I am going to make the Fox Island vest out of it, 2 skeins of green Panda Wool for socks, RRFW's Aspen sock yarn in an unnamed amazingly copper colorway, three skeins of Panda Silk in red for another Shapely Shawlette, Lt. green Panda Silk for the Waving Lace Socks (out of the Favorite Socks book I also purchased), and lastly a fabulous skein of Yarn Pirate Superwash BFL in Neptune. So if you don't count the 10 skeins of Noro Iro I think I didn't do to bad this weekend.

Just don't ask my husband's opinion.

Thank God I have a stash enhancement fund, I mean job now!

Firsts

2008-10-06T15:03:00.000-07:00

This past month we have experienced many first in our family. On the 14th Maddie participated in her first figure skating competition down in CO. Springs. We are quite proud of what a wonderful job she did not only preparing for the competition but in carrying out her desires and challenging herself to compete at a higher level. Although she did not place she did very well and showed much poise, grace and skill. I am looking forward to attending more competitions and watching her skills improve as she continues her learning with her coach.
Ian recently received his driver's license and is now driving his very own car. I know it doesn't show in the photo but he is indeed excited. Although he protests this photo greatly and proclaims it lame. He also was hired by the local events center as a food runner, which will come in handy when it comes time to pay his car insurance.
Anthony had the pleasure of attending his first Rockies game in the company of his big brother. Part of the thrill was getting to ride the RTD bus down to the stadium. The boys arrived early and luckily procured a baseball from practice which several of the players autographed for them.
And although it was not a first, Ian enjoyed attending his HS's homecoming game and dance. After the kids all headed to our house for a party, which I am happy to report did include any major incidents.

In other news, I had a lovely time being spoiled in the Yarn Thing swap on Ravelry. My partner, iamnycgirl, was wonderful. She sent me four luscious skeins of pure cashmere, some cute patterns for neck warmers which I think will be lovely with the brilliant red yarn, yummy m&ms, cute shoe gift tags, some cools mixed cds of her favorite music and some Christmas songs as well, a pretty dishcloth she knit, and lastly some hair bands. (an inside joke in the swap)

Previous to receiving my big package she also sent me these awesome books. She has an in with the publisher and really went above and beyond to gift them to me. I am already using the culinary book and Maddie is eager to make the knitted boxers in the Knit Wit book.
Oh and did I mention that she sent my gifts in this awesome shoe bedecked bag? She really did her homework on me! (Look at all the red!!!)
Up next: A lot as I am far behind, including a knitting get-a-way, finally finished objects and new projects. Oh and a bag!!!!

Feeling Batty

2008-09-17T13:09:00.001-07:00

Last week I had to run an errand for dh, one that I am not particularly fond of. I agreed however to do it in exchange for fiber. So while in Boulder, Maddie and I headed to Shuttles to stock up on some top to card. I also bought some undyed Corriedale Cross and BFL to dye in the future. It was quite fun to teach Maddie how to use the carder and I am happy to share the results of our efforts. This first one I call chocolate cherry, it is 80/20 Merino/tencel.

Not sure yet what to call this one. I like it though and think it will spin up into some funky socks. It is 100% Merino.
And here is the Merino that Maddie carded from the top she picked out. I really like this color combo and might just have to go pick up some more for myself. She wants me to spin it up for her in sock weight so she can knit her first pair of socks. I however decided that with two wheels in the house we should have two spinners. So she is now signed up on the wait list for Maggie's beginner spinning class.
And this last one I made a couple weeks ago. I ran out of things to card so I used a roving that I had previously hand painted. It was so similar to the one I dyed for Carys' slippers that I decided to card it so it would be blended and heathery. It is Superfine Merino.
I am also happy to report that I finally finished spinning up the Denim and Diamonds batt. It is 4 oz. 2ply, 510 yards, and approx 24 wpi... it varies since I am not perfect at consistency.
I am thinking of either making the Morning Surf Scarf or the Shetland shawl. I really like knitting shawls and love the look of them, but haven't really worn the other one I made. This second picture captures the colors best.
And just in case you thought I was on the wagon, here is evidence to the contrary. DSW was giving a free tote away with purchase a couple weeks back and I also had a rewards coupon so how could I resist. I love these Franco Sarto peep toe mary-janes. They are exactly what I was looking for. I have already worn them a time or two and they were quite comfortable, except the day it was rainy and my feet swelled.
I just had to share this too. My dear Pablo is quite happy when I break out the sheet to use as a back drop. Something about sheets has my cats entranced. Whenever I change our sheets they are ecstatic, sliding and pouncing across the bed and under the sheets. It is quite amusing although albeit a bit frustrating when your back drop is under attack!

Up next...a bunch of firsts.

New loves, old loves

2008-09-11T20:33:00.000-07:00

I have so many loves in my life...my family, my hobbies, my friends, my home...the list could go on and on. But somehow there is always room for another. Enter my new love, Anthony Bourdain. It is hard to resist the bad boy of the culinary world, with his cynical outlook and adventurous spirit. I have been obsessed with watching No Reservations on the Travel Channel. I long to live his life, eating my way around the globe. But I must settle to live vicariously through him for now. But not content to merely watch him I also have his voice permeating my head as I read his book Kitchen Confidential. You would think I have enough Anthonys in my life, but I guess there is room for one more.
Ahh, old loves. They fit like a nice well worn pair of converse. Trent has been so good to me through the years. Always there to blast on my car stereo when aggressions, sadness and other emotions need a musical representation. It was so nice to see NIN again in concert at my favorite venue Red Rocks. The concert was wonderful and sitting in the 3rd row was an added bonus.

One final love is of the fiber variety, lest we forget the theme of this blog. When I was a wee preschool child I attended a catholic school complete with nuns in habits. A nap time my favorite nun would busy herself in fiber arts. I often asked what she was making and was told it was a gift for the best napper. You can only imagine my delight when I was gifted this lovely poncho she had spent hours making as we slumbered. I still have it and treasure it dearly. I can only hope to hand down the same sort of memories with my humble creations.

2008-08-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

Nothing says Happy Birthday like a drum carder! I was fortunate to receive this beautiful Deb's Deluxe drum carder from my loving husband. As you might have noticed I have been enjoying the beautiful batts I have purchased on Etsy. So now that I have this carder I am able to attempt to make a few of my own. I will however not abandon my favorite sellers for their batts are beyond luscious and the amount of work they put into each batt, picking the fibers, dyeing them and then making the stunning batts is incredible. First thing after dh set it up I was putting it to work, and how nice it was of him to capture the moment, pjs and all.

This is the Corriedale/Rambouillet fleece I bought at Estes. I carded about 2oz of it to break it in. I think it could benefit from an additional scour however since there is still a bit of grease in it. Dh says it looks like old lady hair, he still lacks the appreciation of the sheep. Here it is stripped into a ball of roving.
Then I made this batt, it is a 80/20 Merino Tencel blend. I really like how it turned out.
So soft, like fluffy clouds. I have a little under 6 oz total.
The last bits of fiber that were left over I ran through the carder several times, as opposed to the one time on the above batts. This produced a more heathered blend.
I gave it a quick spin on my Ashford to see how it would work up. I only have a smidge of it, but I do like it and may card some more in the future. I am definitely enjoying the carder but see the need to purchase a lot more fiber to satisfy my new addiction.
This past month I also had the pleasure of taking Spinning II from Maggie Casey up at Shuttles. I can not recommend taking a class from Maggie enough. She is such a patient and knowledgeable teacher, I feel so lucky to have her practically in my back yard. This was a wonderful class that really expanded on my basic spinning skills. We learned how to spin worsted and long draw woolen, how to count twist per in. and how to spin much more consistently, how to make a thick lofty single and so much more. Our last class I must say was my favorite. We were give the change to spin a variety of fibers, some which had intimidated me in the past. Here are the fibers, from top to bottom: Bombyx silk cocoon, tussah silk, flax (linen), adult mohair, cotton, cotton on the pod, and a wool/silk blend.
And here are those fibers spun up in the same order, left to right. I really enjoyed them all. Linen, although a bit harsh is actually quite interesting to spin and could make some lovely summer garments. And the cotton which I thought would be difficult was wonderful to spin long draw. My favorite though by far was the silks. Oh they spun so incredibly fine and smooth. I did break down and buy some Tussah after class and can't wait to spin it, I'm sure it would make a divine lace scarf.
So now we are a bit more up to date in the goings on of my world. Right now I am trying to finish some fiber that has been on my wheel since July, I'm just about done. I also am determined to finish my tank top and wear it before the weather changes.
Oh and lastly, I had the great opportunity to get together last night with some of the ladies from the Downtown Stitch and Bitch for a sit and spin night. I had a wonderful time and was thrilled to meet some kindred souls.
Happy Labor Day!

It's been a while

2008-08-27T16:14:00.001-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it has been over a month since I last posted. A lot has happened in that time and it has been quite busy around here. The main reason for my absence is that my lovely husband gave my laptop to one of his clients and the one I was using in the meantime didn't have a SD reader. But now I am equipped with a brand new Compaq that I am loving, it has a huge 17" screen and is ginormous.

So here is what has been going on this past month. My baby started first grade last week. It has been awfully quiet at home during the day, I am not sure what to do with all that free time, but I am sure that I will figure something out.

My birthday was Aug. 5th and we celebrated the following weekend. I don't know why this picture is sideways, maybe one of bloggers weird quirks. Anyway, Anthony threw me a fabulous party. We started at the house with cocktails and some Thai food I prepared and played some Wii bowling. Anthony had the guests write a poem and bring something pink, prizes were awarded for the best poem and item. It was quite entertaining.

Then we loaded in the big Hummer limo and headed downtown to Tryst and Sutra. And yes I wore this tiara the entire time...after a few vanilla Stolis and diet cokes I kinda forgot about it. Sutra was a blast, we had a VIP booth and bottle service and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. We headed home and played drunk Rock Band on Xbox. I did a horrible Bon Jovi impression which shortly there after everyone called it a night and crashed at our house. I think they were tired of my singing!

This past month I also participated in the HHHH swap. Lainevierge was my partner and she sent me this gorgeous Merino/Tussah blend from Pigeonroof to spin up.
She also spun this gorgeous merino from All Spun Up for me. I love the colors and think it will make a great hat for the coming winter.

This is the roving I picked for my giftee, Lizard Smells, it is a Colonial/Merino blend from Copperpot and it is called Leaping Lizards, which I thought was fitting.

I was pretty happy with how the yarn turned out, although I had a hard time getting the photos to do it justice.
And this is my favorite purchase of the month. I bought these awesome clear Converse sneakers with the birthday money my MIL gave me.
They are just the perfect shoes for showing off hand knit socks, I adore them.
Well it's good to be back. I have much more to catch up on, so I should be back to my regular posting in the coming days. Missed you all!

From Dyepot to FO

2008-07-23T16:39:00.001-07:00

It has become a tradition that every year for her birthday I knit my best friend's daughter Carys a present. For her first birthday it was a sweater, a tank for her second and last year she was gifted the metro bear. This year I decided to take it a step further and enlist some of my newly learned skills in the creation of her present. I started by dyeing up some Coopworth/Merino blend, I call the colorway Starburst, after the flavorful fruit chews.

I then spun it into a nice lofty single.
And then created a two-ply yarn from the singles, I had about 150 yards of heavy worsted weight, an adequate amount to knit up her present.
I chose to knit the adorable felted ballerina slippers from Bev Galeskas. I had knit them once before and was thrilled with the result so I decided it would be the perfect project for the handspun. Here they are prior to felting.
And after.

I love the subtle variation in the colors of the yarn and how it patterned on the slipper.
I use the grip it mesh for dish shelves on the soles, they are an excellent way to prevent slipping, although they take away the fun of "skating" on the wood floors as my son will attest to.
Pretty ballerina slippers can only be adorned by the cutest buttons.
Although she has her eyes shut in this picture, I do believe that she liked them. I hope they keep her feet warm and dancing this coming season.
I did have a bit of the yarn left over so I used it to make a new little knitting accessories pouch.

And once again affirmed my lacking sewing skills by tackling a lining. I even managed to make a little pocket for my embroidery needles.
I found some needle felting supplies at Hobby Lobby and decided to add a few accents for a little flair.
So there you have it, two finished objects from start to finish. On to the next project.

2008-07-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

Here is my latest yarn that I am so in love with! It started as this batt from Wooly Treasures. It is BFL, Alpalca and Bamboo. The singles:
All finished. It is 17wpi, 360 yards, navajo plied. It is probably the most consistent I have spun to date. I am thinking it will make a lovely pair of socks that I will knit up as soon as I finish some of the other projects I have on the needles currently.
Up Close:

Ooh I just love the colors. I am so pleased that it changed very little from the batt and that it did not get muddied.
I also recently dyed this. It is more Coopworth/Merino. I call it geranium. I am really thrilled with how it turned out. It was supposed to be pink and brown but somehow the brown turned green, but I love it all the same.
And I finished the socks I was making from the Superwash Merino from Spunky in the Dogwood colorway that I spun up. I love how the socks turned out. I did them toe up two at once on one circular, my favorite way to make socks.
They are definitely not identical but I love this yarn so much that it doesn't bother me one bit!
Up next, another project that went from the dyepot to FO in just a couple of weeks.
Have a fantastic weekend!

California Dreaming

2008-07-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

At the last minute we decided to pack up the Yukon Xl and head out to CA. for the 4th of July weekend. We drove all night Thurs and arrived by noon on Friday. We checked into our hotel and promptly engaged in a nice long snooze. When the kids were at wits end and tired of Cartoon Network we awoke and headed for the beach. We were staying just a mile away from the shore in Manhattan Beach. Little A had previously avowed his disdain for salt water but there was something about the Pacific that cracked his resistance. He took to the water like the little fish he normally is at the local pool.
Maddie loved the water as well. All three days we were there we spent a good block of time at the beach, swimming, dodging waves, boogie boarding and the like.
A was a natural boogie boarder and could spend the entire day riding the waves if we had let him.
Friday night we went and saw the fireworks at the marina in Rodondo Beach. They put on a lovely display that was right above our heads. While watching we dined on some delicious local BBQ. Nothing says 4th of July like fireworks and ribs.

On Sat. we headed to Hollywood to do all the touristy things. I have been to Southern CA several times but have never seen Hollywood, Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills and all the tourist traps. It was indeed a lot of fun.

Ian's one desire while in CA was to hit Roscoe's. Apparently it is a favorite haunt of Snoop Dogg and he wanted to have the opportunity to dine on this unique combination. It was actually very good, some of the tastiest fried chicken I have had in a while. The sweet potato pie was unbelievably good.
Sunday we spent at the beach again and then we headed home Monday morning. On the way home we stopped at In-N-Out in Vegas for one last fix of our favorite burgers. Oh how I wish they had In-N-Out here in CO.
We made it all the way through Utah Monday, but ended up spending the night in Grand Junction, too exhausted to continue on.
We were happy to arrive home safely Tues. but will definitely miss CA. The kids are ready to move, Ian is thinking of applying to schools there and I am still on the fence. But for now I am satisfied to be home where the gas prices aren't quite as bad.

HHHH Questionairre Answers

2008-07-01T16:48:00.000-07:00

1. How long have you been spinning? A year and a couple of months
What skill level do you consider yourself?Beginner
2. What kinds of yarn do you create (singles/2-ply/3-ply/art yarn)? Two plies, navajo plied and singles
3. What do you spin with (spindle/wheel/both)? Pretty much just my wheel since I bought it last fall
4. What are your favorite fibers to spin with? Anything you don't like? BFL, Merino, Bamboo,Soy silk, Blends. I don't like anything too scratchy, I pretty much stick to stuff that is next to the skin soft.
5. Who are your favorite crack dealers fiber sources (etsy or otherwise)? Copper Pot, Wooly Treasures, All Spun Up, Spunky Eclectic
6. What kind of fiber do you want to try? I am open to anything but cotton or linens...Nothing too difficult
7. Is there any techniques you would like to learn? I am really trying to get 350+yards of 3 ply out of 4oz. Not quite there yet.
8. Do you dye fiber? If not, would you like to learn? See previous post
9. Do you have fiber prep tools (and like to use them) or would you prefer ready to spin fiber? I would prefer ready to spin, although I am getting a drum carder this Aug!!!
10. What do you do with your handspun? What projects have you completed? Love it, pet it, admire it. I started a scarf and a pair of socks and am looking forward to knitting up more of it. 11. Are you in need of any spinning gadgets (WPI Gauge, threading hook, etc)? WPI would be great
12. What colors "fall into your shopping basket"? Any colors you just can't stand? I pretty much like all colors, Reds, oranges and jewel tones are my faves.
13. What is on your wheel/spindle right now? A lucious surf and sand bat from Wooly Treasures
14. What other crafts/hobbies do you have? I make stitch markers, beaded jewelry, scrapbooking and cards
15. Other than crafts, what are you passionate about? reading, spending time w/ my kids, cooking, shoes
16. Do you have an online wishlist?Nope
17. Is there anything that you collect? sheep, shoes, Louis Vuitton (wouldn't that be a fun swap lo.)
18. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What magazine subscriptions do you have?Nothing off the top of my head. I subscribe to Interweave, Spin off, but buy most all the other ones on a reg. basis
19. When is your birthday? Aug 5
20. What book or movie character do you most resemble in personality? Hmm... that is a tough one, not sure.
21. What is the climate like where you live around this time (need to know for careful shipments of anything meltable)? Hot, Hot, Hot.
22. Tell us one weird fact about yourself! I am a weekend goth girl with a closet full of black vinyl.
23.Favoritesfavorite painting/picture(link):
Candy: Dark chocolate, marshmallows.
Food: Sushi, Thai, Italian
Drink: Chai, Vanilla Stoli and Diet Coke
Movie(s): American Beauty, Pulp Fiction, Little Miss Sunshine
TV Show(s): Law and Order and SVU, anything on the History Channel, Forensic shows (the non fiction ones)
Book(s): Jennifer Weiner, Augusten Burroughs, Anita Shreve, Amy Tan are a few of my favorite authors
Guilty Pleasure(s): Massages, manicures, pedicures, hot baths, ice cream

I took the plunge...

2008-06-29T21:41:00.001-07:00

straight into the dye pot! Finally, it is about time. I conquered my fear and decided it was time to dye. I recently took advantage of Knit Picks 40% off sale on books and added the dyeing starter kit into my cart as well. With these jars in hand as well as the books Color in Spinning, The Yarn Lovers Guide to Hand Dying, and the Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook, I finally had the ovaries to jump in and do it. I should preface this post by saying this is by NO means a tutorial.

I started by mixing some dye stock. The Twisted Sisters book said to use 2 tsp of dye to 1 qt. of water, the Jacquard site said .5 oz to one cup of water for a very concentrated dye. Well I had bought 1 qt. mason jars so I decided on following the former. Unfortunately I didn't read carefully and thought it was 1T. per qt. Well 3 tsp. is 1T. so it would just be a little more concentrated, which should be fine right? I started by mixing the T. of dye with a bit of hot water, making a paste.
I then dumped it into my quart jars and filled them to the brim w/ very hot water and then let them sit for 1 hr.
During this time my roving was soaking in some warm water w/ a squirt of dish soap. I could not find synthrapol when I did my shopping and my google searches reassured me that dish soap would suffice. (so now we have done two things wrong...oops...cross fingers). I bought this Coopworth Mohair blend roving at Los Vigiles Living Arts in NM last April, so it has been sitting around over a year waiting for me to put my big girl panties on and dye it.
Once everything was ready I mixed up my dyes in squirt bottles. I made a lovely red shade, a rich orange, a subdued purple and a teal shade as well as a small mess. I then laid the roving out in two matching zig zags on top of a layer of craft paper and then plastic wrap. I had two 4oz. rovings which I planned to dye to match. (ha ha). Once arranged, I carefully squirted on the dye in no particular pattern, well I did make a bit of a mess and some of the placement was a result of where the color spills were.
Over all it looked pretty decent, not quite what I was going for but hey this is my first time at this. I then put it on the rack in the electric roaster I purchased specifically for dyeing. There it was to cook/steam for 20 min. Oh shit, I forgot to spray it with the vinegar before placing my bundles in the roaster. Double shit, some of the roving has fallen into the water and some of the dye is bleeding. Out it comes, holy cow that is hot! I unwrap it and squirt it with vinegar and then back in it goes having been re-wrapped. Check on it 10 min later to find the colors are so much more vibrant now that I did the vinegar step. But still, with all these screw ups what exactly is going to come out of the roaster? A mess of brown muddy crud?
After cooling a bit and a vinegar rinse, and then another plain water rinse this is what became of my roving. Weird, I only remember using 4 colors to dye it and yet we have this rainbow of shades.
I am in love. Why did I wait so long to do this? If this is what I get when I completely screw things up imagine what the possibilities are! This could become really addicting.

I am on cloud 9. I have already rationalized my new hobby. I explained to dh that by learning all these new skills I am actually saving him money. You see I could go spend $100 on yarn and knit a sweater OR I could spend $ on fleece or roving and dye it, spin it, and THEN knit it. See all that entertainment and joy stretches the dollar so much further don't you think? Is Shuttles open on Mon? I need some more undyed roving stat.

Everything is coming up roses...

2008-06-27T10:10:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately I was unable to plant a garden this summer, time just got away from me and I didn't get the ground prepared in time. But I have been enjoying all the beautiful flowers that were already a part of our landscaping. It has been a delight to discover all the surprises blooming around the yard, an unexpected bonus of purchasing a new home. Thuy the previous owner had a weekly Gardener who did a fabulous job planting so many gorgeous plants. We finally turned on the fountain and it looks lovely with the roses blooming in front of it. We also discovered the tree in our front yard is a plum tree and is heavy with an abundance of plums. Does anyone have some good plum recipes, I am going to have more than I will know what to do with and I am happy to share. The rest of the pictures need no commentary, just enjoy nature's splendor.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Estes

2008-06-20T19:24:00.001-07:00

Estes was a blast this year. Last year when I went I had just learned to spin on a drop spindle so this is my first year there since my wheel purchase and the beginning of my fiber addiction. We were promptly greeted by this cute Llama. Last year I didn't go into the animal tents. I was on a time crunch since I was there w/ dh and ds. They were off fishing but I knew I didn't have that much time so I only hit the vendor's tent. This year I saw it all. I just love the alpacas, if only I could convince my FIL to get a couple to inhabit his 5 acres. Or perhaps a vicuna?
I decided I was going to focus my spending on undyed fleeces and fibers since I have found so many cool dyed rovings, batts and tops on Etsy. The alpaca tent was the first tent we visited and there I found Carys. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to spend $50 on a lb. of alpaca, but it was so unbelievably soft and Carys had won several blue ribbons at other festivals....and there was the fact it was named Carys, also the name of my bf's (who accompanied me) daughter. So when we returned at the end of the day and it was still there I decided to take it home.
Up close.
This was my other luxury purchase. 4oz. of Vicuna. If you have never had the pleasure to feel how soft this fleece is you must. It is incredible. I plan to save this until I am able to spin a true lace weight and then will knit a scarf or small shawl w/ it depending on the yardage I get.
This is 4oz of BFL. I love the colors of it, with the pretty cream tips.
I would love to figure out how to knit the cute scarves I saw that used the locks on the end as fringe.
4oz. of mohair.
And this is shows what a difference a little bath makes. I tested a bit in a glass of water and it came out so beautiful.
Some more in grey.

Lilli the Angora bunny provided me with 2oz of divinely soft angora. I saw some gloves there knit with angora on the cuffs that looked really cute, I may have to make a pair w/ Lilli.
This is a blue ribbon Rambouillet and Corriedale cross fleece, 4lbs total.
Up close:
Dyed mohair locks, 4oz, this one is called Goth Passion. I did break down and bought these already dyed because they were just too pretty and well the name sold me.
And another 4oz. of Iris.

This is the fleece I split with another lady who was in the booth. It is a Shetland/BFL cross, about 3lbs total. I washed a bit and teased it. It has a little bit more VM than I care to deal with so I sent it off to Spinderella's Fiber Processing, and hopefully they can clean it up a bit and save me a little work. It is delightfully soft though.

It has a really nice staple length and crimp.
I also purchased 4oz. of natural bamboo, but failed to photograph it. So now I need to get busy and wash the fleeces, they are sitting in the closet along with my wedding dress and the smell is not pretty. (I also desperately need to take my wedding dress to be preserved). I can't wait to get my drum carder for my bday so I can blend some of the fibers and play with them.

In the meantime I have been keeping busy with my spinning. These are the singles from the Dogwood from Spunky Eclectic in my previous post.
I Navajo plied it and ended up with around 24o yds from 4oz.
It is soo squooshy! I love it!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Happy Knitting. (and spinning)

Fiber Heavy Post

2008-06-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

As promised I am sharing all my yummy recent fiber purchases as well as some finished yarns. I will try to be less wordy and let the pictures do the talking.

This is from Spunky Eclectic, which for some reason I always want to call Electric, her colors certainly are! This is 4 oz. of superwash Merino in the Dogwood colorway.

4 oz of South African Fine in Mountain Majesty also from Spunky.
4oz. BFL in Hubba Bubba from Dragon Fibers.
3.5 oz. of Falkland in Picnic colorway from Squoosh.
4.6 oz of Merino from All Spun Up.
Forest and Sky batt, 4oz of a blend of BFL, merino,silk,camel down, bamboo,angelina from Wooly Treasures.
Also from Wooly Treasures this is Surf and Sand, 4oz blend of BFL, Alpaca, Bamboo and Silk.
And finally some spinning in progress and the end result. This roving is from Zitron, it was 50g. I received it in the FCS3.

On the wheel.
The finished singles. 145 yards, sport weight.
And the lovely Forest Fantasy batt I posted a couple post ago turned into this.
433 yards, 17 wpi, 2 ply lace weight.

Estes was a blast, so much more fibery deliciousness will be posted soon. I did manage to return with $6 in my pocket, pretty good for someone who always goes over budget!

Eww and Mmm

2008-06-11T18:25:00.001-07:00

So we will start with the Eww. Sunday night Maddie and her bf Elyse got sprayed by a skunk while riding their bikes home from McDonald's. Wow did they stink. We made them wait outside until they were washed off and the whole back yard smelled awful. So we started with a nice bath in tomato sauce. It was definitely entertaining, especially when they got rinsed with the ice cold hose water. About the time the tomato cleanse was finished I googled skunk spray removal and learned that the old tomato solution is not in fact a solution at all. So A headed for King Soopers to purchase large quantities of Hydrogen Peroxide. They then showered and lathered up with the HP, baking soda, and Palmolive concoction. This actually was worse then the tomato bath since it irritated their skin and made them painfully aware of any scratch or blemish on their skin.
It did do the trick however and they smelled a million times better once finished. We also had them convinced that if they couldn't get the smell out of their hair they would inevitably have to shave it. lol. We are evil parents.
So can you guess what was for dessert tonight? Let's see how many pictures it takes for you to figure it out. We will start with this awesome balsamic I picked up at the Manitou Springs Wine Festival this past weekend. It is unbelievably good.
Mmm, homemade lemon curd.
Fresh berries w/ a little sugar and the balsamic makes a lovely sauce.
Ooh, no dessert is complete with out some fresh whipped cream.
And to contain it all, some lovely crepes.
Nothing is more delicious than lemon curd crepes w/ a balsamic berry sauce. Well the savory crepes of goat cheese, asparagus and rotisserie chicken come in a close second, that was our main course, but I did not take picture.
Tomorrow we are making homemade marshmallows and will be having smores for dessert. I really need to stop watching the Food Network. Especially when I have PMS. I actually started crying while watch Bobby Flay's Throw down yesterday (the inspiration for the crepes). And not just once but during both episodes. I just hope this wasn't too high in fat because I started taking Alli and the side effects don't sound pretty. And that might be literal.

Up next:

I am awaiting just one more delivery of fiber and then I will share with you my new additions. I also have completed some scrumptious new yarns. And of course, ESTES!!!!!!

I keep forgetting to post this

2008-06-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

So if you love Sushi, here is a real treat. Last Sat. night A and I went to our favorite Sushi restaurant-Sushi Den. I love this place, it is always amazing, there is always toro and the specials are tdf. This time I decided to be adventurous and give some new things a try. So we asked the Chef Ryan to prepare whatever he wanted for me. I ate so many new things that were unbelievably good and some old favorites such as Toro and copper river salmon w/ new twists. I think the seared toro was one of the best pieces of sushi I have ever tasted, I also loved the Uni, the Sayori and the Kanpachi, the only thing that didn't float my sushi boat was the giant clam, a little too strange a texture and oceany for my palate. I thought I was never going to get full, piece after piece made it's way across my plate and yet I still yearned for more. About the time he started some hand rolls I began to feel full.
I highly recommend doing this at least once in your lifetime if you are a sushi lover. It definitely isn't cheap, the chef does not skimp on quality that is for sure. But it is indeed worth it. It is quite indulgent to have the chef cooking only for you. So go say hi to Ryan and eat to your heart's content. (A nice dirty martini make a good accompaniment as well)

FIbery Goodness

2008-06-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

I really need to stay away from Ravelry. At least the Spinner Central forum. All the enabling is killing my wallet, but boy is it fun. Here are a some of my newest fiber purchases. The other six I ordered are in transit and will be posted upon arrival.

This first batt, Fantasy Forest, is from Copperpot on Etsy.

I absolutely love the colors and it is a dream to spin up.
I am doing my best to spin it as fine and even as possible. I am hoping to get fingering weight when plied. I am using the 10/1 ratio. I really would love to get a fast flyer so I can spin true lace weight.
Also from Copperpot, this is Denim and Diamonds. It is 4oz of a 80 merino 10 colonial 5 tussah silk 5 mohair blend with an extra side of glitz.
Online I found some more of the merino/soysilk blend that I bought from Lampspun at Estes last year (the 2nd pic below). Turns out it is called Karaoke Soysilk and it is by SWTC. I decided to buy some more online and also got this colorway, Playful, 4oz.
The original I spun previously is the Rainbow colorway. I purchased an additional 4 oz. I hope to spin this in a fingering wt. 3ply for socks and to use the stuff I already spun up for the toes and heels. We will see.
This is a lovely merino I purchased up at Serendipty in April. The color is midnight and it is so soft and luxurious to work with.
Spun up the colors are quite subtle and striking.
I am also striving to keep this one fine and even using the 10/1 ratio. It is a lot easier to work with than some other fibers I have tried. I really am enjoying it.

So as I mentioned I have a few more items on the way, oh and I joined Spunky Electic's fiber club. Only $16 +shipping to get a monthly dose of fiber goodness. I need to restrain myself a bit since Estes is coming up in a couple of weeks. I just may buy a fleece when I am there and then I should perhaps just maybe be content with my fiber stash. Maybe.

Welcome Summer!

2008-05-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

Today is the kids' last day of school, where did the time go? I just took these pictures I thought a couple of days ago, but I look out my window and the wisteria are all gone. They were breathtaking and fragrant while they were here, but alas summer is on the way! But Spring did bring new additions while it was here. I lucked out and scored this Ashford Traditional for a steal from a woman who works at one of my dh's clients. She was gifted it about 20 years ago but never used it, so decided to sell it for lawnmower money. I quickly snatched it up. It only needed a new leather footman piece and a drive band and some TLC. I am hoping to get to it this weekend so I can see how it spins.
Meanwhile on my Lendrum I have been working on this roving from Ashland Bay. I believe I posted the picture of the single previously.
And here it is all plied. I ended up with about 675 yard of worsted/bulky weight. I am hoping to find a cool vest pattern and knit it up this fall.
I did however start this with the merino/tencel I spun. It is the Cream of Spinach scarf. I did only 2 repeats instead of three to ensure I have enough for adequate length. This is my first knit with my hand spun, and I am enjoying it thoroughly.
Other projects have been going so/so. I just frogged the Blue Sky tank last night, it ended up being way too big. I was about 1/2 way done too. :( The Veronik sock just got a heel flap and is being ignored while I spin. It is so busy this time of year it is hard to find time to do it all and I find myself choosing spinning over knitting lately it would seem. Coming up soon: all the lovely new fiber I have added to my stash!

Sound Familiar?

2008-05-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

You're from Colorado if:
You'll eat ice cream in the winter.
When the weather report says it's going to be 65 degrees, you shave your legs and wear a skirt.
It snows 5 inches and you don't expect school to be cancelled.
You'll wear flip flops every day of the year, regardless of temperature.
You have no accent at all, but can hear other people's. And then you make fun of them.
'Humid' is over 25%.
Your sense of direction is: Toward the mountains and Away from the mountains.
You say 'the interstate' and everybody knows which one.
You think that May is a totally normal month for a blizzard.
You grew up planning your Halloween costumes around your coat.
You know what the Continental Divide is.
You don't think Coors beer is that big a deal.
You went to Casa Bonita as a kid.
You've gone off-roading in a vehicle that was never intended for such activities.
You always know the elevation of where you are.
You wake up to a beautiful, 80 degree day and you wonder if it's going to snow tomorrow.
You don't care that some company renamed it, the Broncos still play at Mile High.
Every movie theater has military and student discounts.
You actually know that South Park is a real place not just a show on TV.
You know you're talking to a fellow Coloradoan when they call it Elitches,not Six Flags.
A bear on your front porch doesn't bother you.
You've been to the original Chipotle near the DU campus on Evans.
When people out East tell you they have mountains in their state too, you just laugh.
You go anywhere else on the planet and the air feels 'sticky' and you notice the sky is no longer blue.

Fun Packed Week

2008-05-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, we were busy this week. We has something going on almost every night. We started the week on Monday with the Duran Duran concert. We had 5th row center seats in the pit and about half way through we ended up in front, directly below the stage. I am still unsure who is cuter 20+ years later, Simon or John. I'll post a pic of the concert as soon as A emails them to me and perhaps you can help me finally decide.

Tuesday I had the pleasure of being invited to Christie's house for a swap and pizza dinner. It was so nice to see everyone on a Tues night. Here is Gerri (owner of Knit Knack) modeling a sweater she purchased from Judy.

And here are Betsy, Christie and Cheryl having a laugh.

I almost nabbed this bag right out of Gerri's hands when she walked in the door carrying it. This is the exact Namaste bag that Maddie had been eyeing in the shop.

This gorgeous Stella yarn I purchased from Christie almost matches it exactly. I am not sure what I am going to knit with it, but I do have the DB Bliss book for this yarn so I have lots of possibilities.

As you can see Maddie was quite thrilled when I brought her home the bag, in fact I do believe some jumping up and down and squeals were involved.

Yes, it does bring a little flair to the rather dull outfit she was donning.

Thursday night we had dress rehearsal for the ice show which occurred on Sat. I wish I had taken pictures, but I knew that the glare of the glass around the rink would ruin the shot. It was a ton of fun though and both Maddie and little A did an excellent job. Although little A admitted he did have some stage fright, he was the cutest little Tigger. My SIL came for the second show and sat further up so I hope she will have some pictures to share which I in turn will post for all of you.

In the world of knitting I have been busy working on the Fitted Tank with this gorgeously squishy Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton. I think I am going to have to end up buying another skein though. Shoot, just what I needed, an excuse to head up to Conifer.

I also finished spinning this Merino/Tencel Blend. I Navajo plied it, which was a first for me. It did come out a little bit over-plied so I ran it back through the other direction. I have about 220 yards and no clue what to do with it. It is rather pretty.

Well with the Ice Show finally over, this week should be rather calm. I do have a lot of work to do at our old house. We are putting it on the market at the end of the month, so my hands will be filled with paint brushes rather than knitting needles for a while. And I just had a manicure Fri., so figure.

MS Walk

2008-05-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

The MS Walk was a blast. We met Liz and the team at 8am at City Park at the Mix 100 booth where our cool Mix 100 team t-shirts were awaiting us to don. Here is Liz with her sister Hannah, their Mom and Liz's daughter Emma.
Hollywood Henderson told the crowd of over 5000 people about our team and Liz followed up giving thanks to the station for their support. She did a fabulous job, I can't even imagine talking in front of that many people.

There was a great turn out and the walk was a nice stroll around city park at a leisurely pace given the crowds, which was fine with me.

We finished the 3 miles with in an hour, stopping along the way for potty breaks, snacks and pictures.
And greeting us at the finish line was this beautiful view of the Denver skyline.
Thank you for all of the generous donations, they are greatly appreciated. It is not to late to contribute if you wish to do so. I'm looking forward to walking again next year!

Colorful weekend.

2008-05-04T17:37:00.000-07:00

What a fun weekend this has been! I started off bright and early Sat. morning heading to the MS Walk. It was a great experience and I will blog about it further on another day. I don't' want to post too many pictures at once and I have lots of other things to share. Friday night I finished the pretty pink pussy bed! Actually looking at it I think I should rename it the furry pink pussy bed. Here it is before felting. And after.
Pablo had little interest in actually laying in it. He did try to nibble the fur a bit though.
With some coaxing (force) he did sit in it long enough for me to capture this shot.
And with in seconds he was done. I placed it in his normal sleeping spot so we will see if he accepts this new bed.
Saturday after the walk Maddie and I headed to Knit Knack and Bliss to knit/dine with our friends. It was the Purple Princess' birthday...well she has claimed to stop having them but we celebrated anyway. Isn't her cake the coolest? Christie was so sweet to get this for her, it was gluten and sugar free carrot cake and unbelievably delicious.
Every princess needs a crown of course.
And here is Leanne wearing Nicole's new purple wig. Sorry princess but I think it looks better on Nicole. You do give her a run for the money though. It was so good to see everyone. I haven't been to knit night in a while since the kids have ice show practice on Tues. nights, so it was great to catch up. I also did a swatch for the shell I will be making with the Blue Sky Organic cotton. I love how soft it is....but more on that later.
And today I managed to finish photographing and posting all my yarns to my stash on Ravelry. Whew, that was a chore, but it is fun to see it all organized. I do have some yarn listed in my sell/trade page, so if you see something you like feel free to make an offer. I think I will go make some tea now and start my shell while watching Iron Chef. I hope you all had a fabulous weekend as well.

Pardon my pictures.

2008-05-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately these pictures are not the greatest quality since they were taken on the camera phone. Dh is in San Diego and took our camera with him, but I couldn't wait to post so these will have to suffice. I finished my socks, and love love love them. I am so happy it is cold today so I can wear them!
I also started to make my pretty pink pussy bed. I am using Brown Sheep and fun fur, and am going to pick up around the edge when the base is done for the sides. After that the whole thing will go in the wash for felted goodness. I hope the kitties like it, well I know Nietzsche will care less but Pablo seems to favor cozy sleep surfaces. I know it is not very manly and doesn't match my decor but I am trying to use up some stash, although I did end up at Mew Mew's today to buy another skein of Lamb's Pride. Maddie noted that it looks a lot like the items I knit when I first started knitting. I am happy to report that I have almost depleted my fun fur stash.
This yarn arrived today in the mail. I bought it on ebay from The Special Tea Shop. It is 468 yards of 90% wool 10%nylon blend sock yarn in Orange Cranberry. My two favorite colors in one skein!
And on it's way is another Atenti bag. I need to stop searching ebay for them. Tsk tsk.

As promised...

2008-04-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

Here is my exciting news: Maddie and I are going to do the MS walk this Sat at City Park and are honored to be on the MIX 100 sponsored team. They took applications from different teams participating in the walk and chose my friend Liz's sister Hannah's team "I Sold My Soul For Rock and Roll and Now I have MS" to be the official Mix 100 team. We are so excited to be a part of this event. We have done the walk previously but it has been a couple of years since the last one. We are both still $250 away from our goal of $300 in donations so if you would like to donate here is the official team page. Thank you so much to those who have already contributed to this worthy cause.

And for the perspective. Often in life we talk about the "big" things and not sweating the small stuff, and ponder what is truly important. Recently a dear friend of mine lost everything she owned in a house fire. Fortunately her family escaped with only minor injuries. These are the big things, the ones we love. Everything else we possess is fleeting, but our friends, family and loved ones are truly what matter and often we forget what our priorities should be. I can't imagine how incredibly tough it must be to lose family pictures, baby books etc, but I am so thankful that they are all unharmed. If you would like to help them out please send me an email and I can direct you on how. Give everyone you love a big hug and remember what the big things are in life.

Whew, a minute to pause

2008-04-25T20:25:00.001-07:00

Wow it has been a busy week. Swimming lessons, ice skating lessons, ice show practices, orchestra camp, field trips, play groups....on and on it goes. But in there I have managed to fit in a bit of knitting. I am almost done with the cuff of my Sock for Veronik. I am really liking the pattern and think it does indeed look nice with the variegated yarn. I did get a bit side tracked the other night and cast on these socks after reading this tutorial. I have been wanting to do the Turkish cast on again and also try two at once on one circular, and the tutorial took advantage of both techniques. I am using some Paton's Merino given to me by Nicole. Socks sure go fast when using worsted weight yarn. I think I am going to make them knee highs, perfect for wearing with boots.
The rest of my spare time has been spent making these stitch markers to go with the newest Cat Bordhi book. I have a lot of outstanding orders to fill for them and have been trying to get them all done asap. I should have some going out Monday! Ugh, I hate falling behind.
I did take a break tonight and whipped up this jewelry set. I bought the porcelain beads at Joanne's today after the orange color grabbed my attention. I paired them with some sterling beads and I'm not sure what the black beads are but I like them.
I also found these cute little critters in the garden dept. At less than $2 a piece who could not give them a new home.
Ooh and look at this cute Atenti purse I found on ebay. It is just the right size for socks, although I have used it as a reg. ole purse for most the week.
And alas I am not the only one who is exhausted. Little A fell asleep the other night playing Xbox (and before I had the chance to make his bed w/ new clean sheets).

Next: as promised my exciting news and the perspective I mentioned earlier.

2008-04-19T10:01:00.001-07:00

I saw this on Nicole's blog and couldn't resist old Myer Briggs. Although I must say I am not unselfish, I want all the yarn in the world for ME ME ME!!! Oh and I would be a good politician if it not for all those skeletons. hee hee.

You Are An ENFP

The Inspirer

You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends.
You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority and rules.
Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives.
You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're quite the storyteller!

In love, you are quite the charmer. And you are definitely willing to risk your heart.
You often don't follow through with your flirting or professed feelings. And you do break a lot of hearts.

At work, you are driven but not a workaholic. You just always seem to enjoy what you do.
You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist.

How you see yourself: compassionate, unselfish, and understanding

When other people don't get you, they see you as: gushy, emotional, and unfocused

What's" Your Personality Type?

Pretty in Pink!

2008-04-18T16:21:00.000-07:00

Yay Spring! How I love thee let me count the ways and finish before it starts snowing again. Today is a beautiful day and I felt the need to express it on my toes. Little things like this make me happy. I went to my reg. nail salon, Elvis Nails, and lo and behold they had just purchased some new pedicure chairs. I was merely going to get a re-base, but that was just too tempting. So I broke down and indulged in a deluxe pedicure. One hour of pure heaven. So now my toes are all ready for spring. I am not even a pink person but it just fit my mood so well. And then when I arrived home this cute new Atenti bag I bought was waiting on my doorstep. I wish you could make it out a little better in the picture, but the plastic reflects the light.
Here is an up close of one of the sassy girls in the print. It also has rhinestones speckled through out.
And it pulls open to reveal a lush hot pink satin lining and a little pocket perfect for notions. I love my new bag, it's just so adorable!
Enjoy Spring!

eta: Oops I guess you caught me falling off the wagon. And all that talk on my last post about being good. Wait til you see the other one on it's way!

p.s. Some really exciting stuff is going to be coming up on my blog, as well as some perspective. Stay tuned.

2008-04-17T22:03:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I was so lucky to get this great package in them mail from Jennifer T. She had me in the FCS3. We were having some problems with her emails landing in my junk mail folder but she still managed to do some detective work and find all sort of great goodies for me!This pencil roving is such pretty shades of orange (one of my fave. colors) and I can't wait to try it out. I had been wanting to give pencil roving a try. I also love the Aracunia and the Koigu, also a first, I would love some suggestions for the Koigu, I may have to peruse my One Skein Wonders book.
I swear, it was as if Jennifer was in my head. I have been dying to get a yarn themed stamp and also wanting to try this soak since I saw it in Buena Vista. The buttons are super cute too.
I love these note cards, so versatile. Also some great scrapbooking swag as well.

Oooh pretty beads, not sure if I will make some jewelry or stitch markers. Perhaps both.
And she definitely must of read my wine posts. Isn't this so pretty? Thank you so much Jennifer, you did awesome!
Also last week I made a trip to get Maddie some new Converse at DSW. Well I was quite fortunate to see that they were giving away a free tote with purchase. Not a bad bag for free, and a very useful size too. I had to forward the email from them to dh to ensure him that indeed I did not purchase another bag. I'm trying to be really good so I get the Atenti weekender I am coveting for Mother's Day. So good in fact that I passed on the tdf gorgeous black patent leather mary jane peep toe pumps by Ellen Tracy. I saved my money for the trip we made Sunday to Colorful Yarns. There I purchased some gorgeous Hand Maiden Sea Silk and the Interweave Holiday issue.
I just cast on this pattern "Socks for Veronik" out of the Interweave Holiday issue.

I am using the Panda silk I recently purchased. Not sure if I stitch pattern will show in the variegated, but we will see.

Knit on!

Meanwhile in other crafty arenas...

2008-04-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

While my Aunt Esther was visiting from Las Vegas we spent a relaxing Sat. morning creating cards. This first one is a thank you card.A jolly Happy Birthday Card.
And my favorite, a just because card.
Hee Hee, this should be my motto.
Also my mother has been making purses from placemats. Aren't they adorable?
These are the two I picked from the half dozen or so she had made.
As for my time currently, I have been quite busy making stitch markers. I'll soon post some pictures of a few of the fun ones. I also managed to add all my sock yarn to my stash in Ravelry. I can see now just how long of a process it will be to add my entire stash. I guess a little at a time and I'll slowly get it done.

Knitting Getaway Part Two

2008-04-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

WARNING: PICTURE HEAVY POST

(because I have no self restraint)

I really don't think I purchased that much, I mean if you consider that sock yarn doesn't count.

Our first stop was Knit Knack, soon to be Knit Nook in Conifer. They carried this great Maizy sock yarn,a corn fiber/elastic blend, (the pinks and the khakis) which Nachaele had previously used to make some adorable socks and highly recommended. (now upon perusing Nachaele's blog and all her recent purchases I think mine look respectable). I also bought some of the Panda silk (the purple) which is a soft bamboo/merino/silk blend. I am going to use the single balls to do the toes, heels and cuffs like Nachaele did.

I also purchased this soft as butter Blue Sky Organic Cotton in a lovely rich brick color to make the tank pattern pictured. I can't wait to wear this in the summer.

On the first visit to Serendipity I found this beautiful pattern in the Louisa Harding Summer Classics Book.
Which I intend to make in this color of Louisa Harding Jasmine. A cotton/bamboo/silk/polyester blend. I love this color! I also plan on adding an inch or two so that the lace does not fall upon my belly roll.
And I finally purchased the Yarn Play book. I had bought some gorgeous yarn from Los Vigiles Living Arts Fibers for the sweater (Poppy) on the cover last year. I wish they had a website, but this is the only link I have for them. Rose Vigil the owner will be teaching and selling her beautiful fibers at the Wool Festival in Estes this coming June. This project will probably not be started until next fall or winter, but since I was in spend mode, I figured I should get the book now.
I was also thrilled to finally get to ogle/fondle the Noro sock yarn. Although it is not the softest, I have been told that washing with conditioner helps, so how could I resist the beautiful Noro colors?

So on my 2nd trip to Serendipity I picked up some On Line yarn to make this fabulous scarf that Karlene had shared with us during show and tell. It was so much fun to knit. I started it Sat. evening and had it done Sunday. I wish I had learned German from my father so I could find the link to the pattern.
I also bought some in purple for Maddie to make one for herself, and if she doesn't do it soon I may have to knit it for her because it was so fun.
From Marilyn, who sells Black Water Abbey Yarns, I purchased this gorgeous pattern which I intend to knit using a pretty wool/cashmere blend in shades of red.
I also got this cute sock pattern from her.
And these gorgeous buttons for the Kerry sweater kit I had previously purchased and intend to knit at some point in time. She really has some of the most beautiful patterns and shades of yarn.

And finally we returned to Knit Nook for one last shopping fix in which I purchased this pretty Happy Feet yarn. I am going to make the Chevron scarf with the two different shades and then socks to match.

I have noticed that often the color of sock yarns I purchase are not necessarily the colors I wear. So with that in mind I bought the following two skeins of Jitterbug.
I wish I could capture the true colors of this skein, it is mainly black with some rich colored accents.
These skeins were only $.50 so I figured I could use them to make baby socks since they are only 200 yards a piece and they were orphans.
And lastly I was so kindly gifted this gorgeous Lorna's Laces in Tuscany from Leanne which I had been eyeing for quite some time. Thank you Leanne. :)
And as you can see, I managed to fill my sock yarn basket to the brim. So I either need to learn self restraint or buy myself a bigger basket. Which do you think will happen?

Knitting Getaway Part One

2008-04-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

Ahh the joys of escaping it all and spending a weekend knitting the time away amidst the company of distinguished women. Yes this is how I spent the past weekend, at a lovely B&B called Liar's Lodge. I arrived Thurs afternoon, having carpooled with my friends Leanne and Nachelle, and having made a stop at a new LYS in Conifer. It was a lovely store with a great selection and I of course was able to find some wonderful yarns to purchase. I was also fortunate to add the store as a customer and they now carry Creative Process stitch markers! Yay!

After settling in we dined in town at a local Mexican restaurant. Mmm I must say the shrimp enchiladas were quite tasty and Connie the owner of the Lodge did inform us that calories only count as half at that altitude. A fact that I indeed took advantage over the weekend.

Friday was spent knitting and shopping at Serendipity ( I will post later about all my purchases). We also had a lovely lunch at Mother's and then enjoyed a tasty dinner made by Connie. That evening we participated in a gift exchange that was an enormous amount of fun. I received a beautiful scarf kit in vibrant oranges from Barb. It was as if it were picked just for me. I guess wrapping isn't everything since I picked the present in the trash bag! I was pleased for Judy to receive the present I provided. I hope she like the goodies I selected. There were some really wonderful gifts, I think everyone made out quite well. We were also the recipients of an adorable sheep pin and knitting mints from Judy.

Through out the weekend we were not alone. Often mule deer could be found roaming the property. They were most plentiful in the evening hours, when we would see as many as thirty grazing at a time.

Although, a one did make an appearance at breakfast, dining along the river banks.

The views and weather were lovely and seasonal. Although I waited to take pictures of the scenery until Sunday, just as a storm was moving in.

I slept in the loft of one of the bedrooms and directly above my bed was a large window with these beautiful views. At night I could look up and see the star filled sky above my head.
We were just on the edge of the Arkansas river, which stirred in me a desire to go rafting this summer. I think a long weekend at the lodge with the family will be a great escape this coming season.
But beyond the shopping, the food, the view and the presents, the greatest part of the trip was truly the people. Reuniting with old friends and making new ones was a joy. These are some of the greatest women I am proud to know.
We had such a wonderful time sharing stories, skills, projects and laughter. The great fellowship is what will always entice me to return.
We wrapped it up on Sunday and headed back home and to the reality of daily life, but not with out one more stop in Conifer for a last fix.

So in Part II I will share all the goodies acquired on the trip!

Hello April

2008-04-02T16:43:00.000-07:00

Well so far it has been a busy Spring. Lets hope that April is a little calmer. I did manage to finish Buster2 this past month in time for my friend's baby shower.

I used Rowan Wool Cotton for this one and really enjoyed working with it. It is size 1-2years.

And in a blink of an eye this little cutie will be big enough to wear it, whether Liz is ready or not! Isn't Julian just the most precious little guy. I couldn't stop sniffing his baby head, taking in that unduplicatable baby smell.

And look who followed me home today! He was looking so lonely on clearance at Hobby Lobby I just had to adopt him into my flock.

Any suggestions on a name for the precious ewe?

I was also busy buying presents for my FCS3 person. The bag is starting to fill with all sorts of crafty goodies. I sure do enjoy surprise shopping. Just a few things left to add and then off it will go next week.
And lastly here is the afghan a bunch of us knitters made for our dear friend Nicole . I hope it brings her warmth and comfort and she tackles chemo. I feel fortunate to know we have such a great network of knitters with generous charitable hearts. I pray I never need such an outpouring but I am so grateful to know that the support system is there. Well I am off to finish packing for a weekend retreat in the mountains. I can't wait. Leanne is picking me up at noon tomorrow and we are meeting Nachelle and then heading on up to Buena Vista. So far I have presents, wine, m&ms, wine, diet pepsi, and more wine packed. I think I better get on the rest or I am going to be naked with nothing to knit.

Favorite Color Questionaire

2008-03-31T08:43:00.000-07:00

Favorite Color Swap Questionnaire
1. What are your top three favorite colors? crimson red, rich lush oranges (not bright) and blues
2. What crafts do you really enjoy? knitting, scrapbooking, cards, spinning, beads
3. What products do you really covet? any nice sock yarn
4. What other activities do you enjoy besides your favorite crafty things? kids, family, outdoors, reading, yoga
5. Is there anything you collect? yarn. lol. I would like to start collecting little sheep to display, so far I have three and they need friends.
6. What is your zodiac sign and/or Chinese zodiac symbol? Leo, Ox
7.What are your favorite……scents/smells?I like earthy rich scents, nothing flowery
…types of music and/or bands? alternative, modern rock
…authors? Amy Tan, Anita Shreve,
…animals? Cats
…places to shop? Target, LYS, JoAnne's
…season?fall and spring
…yarn/fabric/paper/other craft supplies? I like it all. Really would love to try some alternative yarns..bamboo, soy, corn etc
…candies or goodies? Anything chocolate, caramel...pretty much anything sweet
8. Do you have any wish lists?No
9. Are you allergic to anything? Nope
10. Do you have any pets? What are they? 2 cats
11. Please include anything else you would like your secret pal to know about you- anything that would be helpful in finding you little gifts that you will really enjoy. Also, if you have a Ravelry ID, please include it here.
I am pretty easy to please. My ravelry ID is Creativeprocess

Yarntopia Follow Up

2008-03-04T14:55:00.000-08:00

I finally got the time to knit up some swatches of the yarns from Yarntopia Treasures. The yarn on the far left is bamboo, the center is the wool sock yarn I ordered, and the right is her best selling rayon boucle. I made two swatches of each yarn and tested one of them. The other set I simply got wet and blocked. Here is the first round of soaking in warm water. And this is the water after 30 min. I did a second soak, but I guess I forgot to take a picture after that one. On the first go around it looks like the bamboo bled the most. Cute little Pablo.

After the second soak I gave the test swatches a wash with a spot of dish soap. The bamboo and the rayon were clear but the sock yarn still bled some.
I gave the sock yarn one final soak in warm water and it bled minimally.
The control is on the left and the experiment on the right. This yarn is the one that faded the most, but not a whole lot more than other sock yarns I have bought from other big name manufacturers. It is still very pretty and I will most like purchase sock yarn from Tammy again.
The bamboo, again control on the left, which actually looks a little muddied from when I wet and blocked it. So I imagine that it would clear up if I subjected it to the same process. This one bled a bit at first but ran clear pretty quick. It is still just as vibrant however and has a beautiful sheen. I think I might order some more of this but don't have a clue what to make with it. Any suggestions? It is sock/fingering weight and I could probably get enough for any project so I am open.
Lastly the rayon boucle. This one, while bleeding a bit at the first bath, really looks the most like the original. It is super vibrant and lush, a very beautiful yarn indeed. Not sure what I will do with this one either, time to break out the One Skein Wonder book.
So in conclusion I am happy with the yarns I received from Tammy at Yarntopia. I appreciate her sending me the complimentary bamboo and rayon to test. I hope that my experiment was impartial and informative. I think there has been further clarification that Tammy is NOT MYC and is not affiliated with Danielle. I deleted a comment that sympathised with Danielle on an earlier post because I do not want anyone to think that I in anyway approve of the fraud that Mystical Creations has committed. I find it abhorrent to fake an life threatening illness and to steal from honest people. I hope that this experiment will allow others to have the opportunity to purchase from Tammy and enjoy her beautiful creations.