Busy Fingers

SOOO Sorry! I know I said I'd try really hard to do some blogging while I was away...but every time I tried to contemplate what to write, there was SO MUCH to say that I couldn't possibly figure out how to consolidate it into the short period of time that I had available to me...

I did get quite a bit of knitting done - mostly while sitting in airports!! Here's my first day of travel! I finished it up just a couple of days later - ok, well, not FINISHED...still need to actually tuck in the ends...but the way I did it, I didn't have to sew ANY seams!! Knit in the round up to the sleeves, backwards loop cast-on sleeves, knit to top. On the back, pick up stitches from the existing side of the sleeves, knit till even, cast off both shoulders together! Super simple.

So, that was the first one. In between I ended up knitting two Mason Dixon Dishclothes and a Mason Dixon Hand Towel. Sadly I forgot to take pictures of those, and no longer have them...more on that later.

On the way home, I started my second sweater when I arrived at the airport at noon...and had a LOT of time to knit. I finally arrived home to my apartment at two minutes after Midnight! Here's what sweater #2 looked like by the time I arrived.

In other news, I decided while I was away to participate in a Secret Pal exchange, so I'm eagerly awaiting my SP Downstream assignment!! The theme for this is Spooky/Fall/Spring SP. Ok, so the spring part is for those "down under"...actually I think I might enjoy doing a spring theme. Fall would be nice too...actually picked up a couple of things while I was away in the event of a fall themed DS. Also just "got back" from setting up a SP email address too :) Can you tell it's my first one and I'm a little excited?

LOTS of vacation news, including Fiber Festival and Baby Shower to come...soon, soon. I need to also make a decision on yarn for the Judy Pascale vest and get that ordered as well. While I found some great stuff at the Fiber Fest, the person who suggested I was unlikely to find the right thing there for my vest was totally correct. Tons of GORGEOUS hand painted wools, alpacas, even llamas....but not a lot of cottony yarns.

Important Knitting Lesson of the Week

• Knitting while Walking - Good!
• Having a free glass of wine on an airplane (while seated in First Class!) - Good!
• Knitting under the influence - OK
• Knitting while Walking under the influence - NOT ok!!

Done!!

I am DONE!! Everything has been finished, it all looks beautiful! I'm packed and headed out in the next few minutes, but in the meantime I wanted to leave you with this:

ARGH!! Planning, packing, and finishing!

Ok, well, I haven't started physically packing yet...but I'm mentally packing...now I just have to get it down on paper so I don't forget all of the things I want to take with me!

• Camera and battery charger
• "Pixie Dust" for baby shower
• Genealogy research docs to work from
• All the knitted baby stuff
• My Grape Arbor shawl (checked baggage)
• New projects (checked and carryon)
• Books to read
• My drop spindle for the Fiber Fest
• A photo that I want to do the Felted image of
• ...

And I'm sure that's just the partial list! Also cleaning, have to check in with my cat sitter, drop off my ball winder for knitting class prep at the end of the month, do a whole bunch of laundry, including the baby gifts...would really like to do a test wash so I can see for myself that they're not going to all fall apart!! Bibs are done, buttons installed - they look GREAT! Will try to work in a picture in the next day or two... Started curlique's for the tops of the hats finally...about half done on that...they go quick though...

Finally decided what to do next... I wanted something relatively small and compact that wouldn't be too intensive, since I have the Judy Pascale class/vest coming up soon, don't want anything too large... So, the West Orange Knitters had previously decided to do Guidepost Kids Sweaters as a charity project for the year. We had the great fortune to have several different people donate a couple of bags each of acrylic yarn - some of it pretty ancient. Since the patterns are very basic, and very straightforward, these will be a great project to take home with me.

So, I have 4 different sets of yarns for four different sweaters.

• Solid teal, teal/peach/white variegated, white
• Dark peach, light peach, cream
• Bright green, green/yellow/white variegated
• All sorts of ends of blues and a cream

I'm sure that will be plenty to keep me busy!! I might not actually take all of it...will decide probably based on the fullness of my luggage!

Quick Update!!

THE KNITTING (and cross-stitching) IS DONE!!!

Finished burp cloth #7 last night!!

Now I just have a heck of a lot of finishing to do! Will be tucking, snipping, and buttoning tomorrow...

Oceans, Cotton, and Cross-Stitch, Oh my...

Here's an interesting diversion a friend just sent me... Oceangrams! Go to the site and you can send a message in a bottle...or just wait for a little while and you'll pick one up! These can come from anywhere in the world!

Now on to the cotton. Our guild is bringing in Judy Pascale this fall to teach her Vertical Vest class! I'm very excited about this class, but now find myself with the following dilemma... We got the materials list the other day - here it is:

For the beaded vest you will need between 1050 and 1300 yds of fingering weight yarn (Koigu or something similar). She sells the beads she uses in her class, but if you want to purchase your own, you will need to buy size 6 seed beads. I did not ask how many oz of beads needed, but can do that.

For the other vests, you can use any weight yarn from fingering to worsted. You will be doing a gauge swatch so will be able to make it to whatever size you want. She said that Cotton Classic is a great yarn to use for our area, she loves how it works up, but cotton or wool is okay. No chenille or textured wool, cotton, etc.

So, I did some hunting online the other day to get an idea of what I was looking for, and found a few options. First, I'd like to stick to cotton or a cotton blend, but I WILL be doing the beaded vest, so fingering weight is a must. I'm also going to reserve a decision a bit, since I will be going to the Fiber Festival in three short weeks in NY, so may find something there that I'd like to use. I am a little afraid though, that they might not have much cotton, since it's a spinning fest in NY in the fall... Will keep an open mind however!

In the meantime, this is what I've come up with:

Yarn possibilities:

Mississippi 3 Print

$6.10 - 230 yds

Meilenweit Cotton or Cotton Fun

$7.35 - 207 yds

Mayflower Cotton 8

$3.59 - 186 yds

Rowan CashSoft

$8.50 - 197 yds

Stork by Dale of Norway

$5.00 - 195 yds

Mondial Cotton Soft Yarn

$6.95 - 196 yds

Ringspun Cotton

$12.00 - 700 yds

Also in my stash I found Paton's Grace mercerized cotton. I don't have enough for this project, but it's a lovely yarn and another that I might consider.

Edited to add:
Two more links that Janette (aka - my enabler) sent...so I have them when I'm in NY ;)
KnitPicks Gloss
$3.99 - 220 yds

And a SALE! on Mississippi 3
$2.50 - 230 yds

Oh, and I know that the CashSoft doesn't have any cotton in it, but it looks SOOO lovely that I had to consider it... No idea what color I want to do this in either...but will let you know all of that as soon as I figure it out!

As for the Cross-Stitch? It's actually going pretty well! I worked on it for several hours last night...the good news is that there isn't really ALL that much to it! But, off to stitch now!

Closer and Yet Farther Away...

Oh, I am SOOO nuts!

Completed:

• Baby Afghan!! Yep, it's actually, totally done!
• 4 pair Booties - sewn up, ties in place!
• 3 hats - still need their tassels :(
• 7 Bibs! - picked up the buttons for them this evening!
• 5 Burp Clothes - two more in progress...
• 1 Scarf - Started and Finished today!

I know, I know, where are the pictures??









And here's the scarf...

Ok, so what's this about "yet farther away"?? Yeah, well...dropped by Joann's today to pick up buttons for bibs... and found a few other things... Actually, they were having a GREAT sale on a whole lot of different things - picked up a bunch of cotton yarns on deep discount - 400 yds sport weight cotton for $2.10!! But, I also found a pair of very nice little Counted Cross Stitch patterns - marked $5 and $7, then 30% off that! So, one of those will also need to be completed by the shower...the other is a birth announcement, so it'll have her name, Ava Rose, as well as her birthdate. I'll be able to do everything except the date in advance, then I can take it to them when I go to visit after she's born. Here's the bad photo of the first one...two weeks to get it finished!...you can get the idea anyhow...

Progress!!!

Wow, busy weekend!! Knitted Saturday Morning. Knitted at lunch Saturday Afternoon. co-Taught a knitting class with 16 learners (and 3 teachers!) late Saturday Afternoon!

Woke up Sunday and started crocheting the border around the afghan squares. Crocheted through two movies. Crocheted through lunch. Crocheted through the KnitWits meeting. Came home, crocheted a border around the afghan.

Sewed in ends of afghan. Sewed in ends of remaining booties. Made Plyed yarn ties for booties.

Ok, so sum total COMPLETED for baby shower:

• Baby Afghan - DONE!
• 4 pair Baby Booties - Sewn up/Ties made - need to insert Ties
• 2 Baby Hats - Need tassles on tops and a third hat
• 6 Baby Bibs - Need buttons and to tuck ends on two or three of them - will make 1 more
• 4 Baby Burp Cloths - Need to make 3 more

Whew! The only thing totally not started is the scarf for mom-to-be...that'll go up quick.

Sorry no pics...will try to take a few tomorrow night and get them up. Right now need to get to bed...Job interview for a "dream job" of sorts tomorrow!

Baby Knitting

Wow, what a month!! Yes, that's all it has been is 4 1/2 weeks since I started baby knitting!! You've all been carefully following the saga of the Log Cabin blanket. The squares, are DONE! Here they are:


Once I completed them, I laid them out on the floor and with the help of several other people, we balanced colors, checked for duplication, etc. I'm pretty happy with the final arrangement, shown above.

Now that the knitting is done, I have only to finish it. How to do that you ask? I'm going to do a single crochet border around each square, slip the squares together, then do a full single crochet around the entire afghan. So, the only remaining question is, do I crochet in blue, or in pink?

The verdict is in, I bought my final ball of yarn this evening...and it is....


Yep, that's right! 90% certain they're having a baby girl! Ok, lots of work to get done now. The shower invites are all printed, envelopes are printed, and I picked up "It's a Girl" sparklies to glue to the invites.

In other related knitting news, I've been making baby bobble hats...will make a third one to include my new color! Still need to add tassles or squiggles or something to the top...planning on the squiggles actually.

Made three pair of baby booties last weekend...one more to go...in pink. These little puppies are AWESOME, and knit up in about an hour and a half. They also have an eyelet row just at the ankle. I'm planning to twist two strands of yarn together to make ties - two of the other colors...so they'll bring the multiple colors of the blanket and hats down to the booties!

Am also working on a box of bibs and burp clothes...will go through my remaining colors of cotton and pick out the best baby girl colors. My goal is 6 and 6. I'm at nearly 5 bibs and 3 burp clothes. Making good progress.

So, that's the update for now. Have to be up early tomorrow, but wanted to share the great news!

Spinners Day Out!

This report is also somewhat overdue, but hey, better late than never, right? Last weekend, 7 brave souls set out on a three hour tour, a three hour tour... Ok, so it was really only 2 1/2, but who's counting? We went to visit with Ella, a lovely woman, fantastic spinner, and awesome cook! You see, Ella used to have a Fiber business for various spinning fibers, from washed, uncombed naturals all the way up to Quiviet combed top!

Ella graciously opened her beautiful home to us (Look at the living room lamp!! - and it even turns!), preparing a lovely (and completely South Beach friendly!) lunch of various finger foods, dessert, and WIDE array of beverages ;) It was nearly 1pm when we arrived, and after a brief visit to the restrooms (we stopped at a "gas station" in Bartow...oooh, SCARY place!), and an ever so quick glance around at the piles of fiber so lovingly laid out, we sat down to lunch. Candace shared stories of her experiences with Hurricane Katrina animal rescue, and we all shared other stories and got to know each other.

Once the food was sufficiently demolished, and we'd all had a few bites of Ella's lovely (healthy!) dessert, we attacked the fiber! I wish I'd taken pictures before we hit it, as it really was a lovely sight - boxes full of beautiful fibers... Instead all I can offer is these photos of what it looked like after we were through... Needless to say, the prices were excellent, and we can all feel good about helping Ella to clean out some of her overflowing closets! Now WE'RE the ones with the overflowing closets! I have had three bags of fiber (one for me, one for SOS, and one for Melody who was unable to join us) in the back seat of my car all week. I delivered Melody's yesterday, and today brought mine and the guilds fiber into the apartment...trying to find space was really quite frightening!

After we made our purchases, we were able to find a few minutes to break out the wheels and spin. Candace got to try out Ella's Electric Spinner, and was so inspired that she immediately came home and started planning how to make her own! We'll all look forward to hearing how her creativity turns out. Ella surprised us all a bit by standing up at her wheel! (She usually does sit down, though at the electic spinner, she uses the entire living room!!) Ella also shared with us how she does hand spun BEADED yarns! We suggested she come up to the Fiber In and give a demo, but in reality it might not be until next year. What a lovely person!

Ellen spent some time playing with her new drop spindle!

Nancy showed us all how to Navajo ply on a drop spindle - definitely a good person and great technique to know!

As we were wrapping things up, Ella brought out a bag of vegetable scraps from lunch, for us to go "feed the animals" Huh? Yep, it seems that her neighbors have their own little mini-zoo of sorts (animal rescue I believe), including two deer, a goat, and an emu! Ella warned us before we went out to beware of the emu, since he just sorta bites at anything in reach. I should have listened better - he was trying to get me and my camera while I was taking these!

Long Past Due Photos

For various reasons, all related to the "surprise element", there are a few photos that never made it up here. So, if you didn't get to see the Grape Arbor Shawl, here it is!! I'll of course post photos of the first one once it's complete. I hope to finish it while on vacation to NY. The plan is to have all baby shower knitting done before I leave - more on that later. So, the final photos of the Grape Arbor Shawl II, as well as some of the other items I made, a Chemo Cap and bookmark for Dale.

The Wait is Over!!

Have you been waiting to see the Grape Arbor Shawl?? It's up! Donations will be accepted until tomorrow evening if you haven't had a chance to donate but would like a shot at this shawl or any of the other items up as prizes!! I've got to say honestly though, I'm almost more jealous of the person who wins that AWESOME cartoon from Gregg!!

Baby afghan is going well...three squares complete, 4rth nearly so... Have also started Mason Dixon Burp Clothes... 1 down, 1 in progress. Gosh I've got SOOO much I want to knit in the next 7 weeks!! Haven't started any of the M/D Bibs yet, but those will follow soon!

Sorry no pics tonight...trying to check in on a bunch of different fronts...catching up from the computer (Internet) being down last night :(

PS

Um, yeah...that ink refill thing?...yeah, not so much... *grumble*

Grizzly Bears in the Wild!!

Yes, this is a completely Off Topic post...but it's just too cool not to share!! Love nature? Love bears? Check out this National Geographic WildCam site!!

Saturday, Sweet Saturday!

Have I mentioned how much a LOVE my Saturday Knitting meetings?? It's a great bunch of people, with lots of awesome ideas, and it's totally MY day! So, I can knit, enjoy, chat, go to lunch, and I don't have to feel like I have to run home and get to sleep since I have to work the next day... It really is the ideal day to knit because not only do I get to enjoy Saturday, but I can get excited about other projects, and I still have Sunday to follow through on them! For those of you following the Log Cabin Baby Blanket...it's growing! I've decided two things about the blanket. 1) Each of the squares will have a unique center square color. 2) Each of the squares will use only 6 of the 7 colors in the overall afghan.

As for the baby shower, the invitations are planned out...will need to print them. So, that combined with the fact that I've been out of printer ink for the last year or so...well, went shopping at Office Depot today...and found something I wasn't really aware of before...REFILL KITS! Anybody ever tried them? I'm hoping they work well...a little concerned because the cartridges haven't been used in so long, but, well... I'm told I have 14 days to return for a full refund if it doesn't work :(

Also on the subject of the baby shower and the Log Cabin afghan, I picked up a copy of Mason Dixon Knitting at B&N on Tuesday just to check out what was in it. Now, I have to say, I'm usually not one that's too into knitting books. Most of them have a whole lotta crappy patterns that I could never see myself actually knitting... NOT THIS ONE!! What an AWESOME, and FUNCTIONAL collection of patterns! I've heard the text is also very interesting, though so far I just keep looking at the pictures and haven't actually read any of it yet. However, I NOW OWN IT, so I'll be doing some reading very soon!

Sorry B&N...actually had planned to buy it at Amazon, but then thought it through... 33% off at Amazon, then I either have to buy something else to get up to the $25 free shipping level, or else I have to pay shipping... Alternative? 25% off >$20 purchase at Borders - and Tax Free at that! Probably about the same price as paying shipping at Amazon, but I have it in my hot little hands RIGHT NOW!

So, what's the first thing I'm going to knit from M/D Knitting? Well, aside from the Log Cabin Afghan that I'm already knitting... I LOVE the Bib and Burp Cloth patterns!! Cute and simple! So, since Michael's has Sugar 'N Cream on sale for $1 a ball... I do have a whole box of it already, but, well...I just couldn't resist. I think this will make some great Bibs n Cloths!!

Chip-N-For-Dale - Thanks and Last Call!!

First, the Orlando Area Knitters want to thank all of you who have so generously responded to the letter we sent out requesting your help! Your donations have been wonderful, and every cent will go directly to help Dale and her family with their expenses. If you haven't been following her progress, you can do so on her Journal blog at http://www.jarrett.ws/dale/.

The Final "Grand" Prize of the fund-raiser will be posted on Monday, and I'm thrilled to say that it will be the Grape Arbor Shawl (pattern from WendyKnits) that I knit for this event. It is truly gorgeous, and I hope you'll drop back by the Chip N site on Monday to see it! http://chip-n--for-dale.blogspot.com/ My shawl aside, if you have been waiting for the right time to make a donation, NOW IS IT! Donations will close at 11pm on Tuesday night.

We're so close! Wouldn't it be great to break $3000? Thank you again and God Bless!

Jody

LOVING THIS!!

Hooray!!! This new afghan pattern is AWESOME! Went and picked out two more colors to add to the initial 5...dark peach, and light purple. The finished square is about 15"x15". I'm going to do a 2x3 blanket, with a (probably single) crochet around the edge. Then will crochet the two blocks together. The color to put it all together? Well, that all depends...either "Berry Blue" or Hot Pink! Should have a better idea which I'll need by the end of the week. I'll definitely have plenty of time though, since I have 4 1/2 more squares to knit!


Janette shared a blog with another really cool idea tonight as well...a Random log cabin afghan!! 5 colors, same order, strip height determined by a random number generator! (dice would work as well). What a great idea!! I might do this just for the heck of it sometime...we'll see...still too many projects too little time.

Checked out Mason Dixon Knitting last night as well...the book that is. It had some truly awesome patterns in it!! I'm not usually much of one for pattern books, but I really like this one. I think perhaps this weekend I'll pick up a copy...there are a number of additional things in there that I'd like to make for the baby.

I'm feeling much better now...

Many thanks to Janette for her very quick response to my earlier plea for help. She recommended the Mason Dixon log cabin pattern...and here's where I'm at now...

This is actually a pretty cool technique, that I haven't done before, so while it's all garter stitch, I'm still learning things, including some great starting and finishing techniques to avoid having to deal with a lot of ends when I finish!

I found an interesting technique recently that I wanted to share...it's for making a braided "rope". In this case I used three strands of sock weight yarn. In one end, I tied a loop and looped it over the knob of a dresser drawer. Then I walked it out to full length (about 1 1/2 yds in this case) and began twisting it. And twisted, and twisted. Once it was highly overspun, I held out a finger to keep the tension in the strand and mark the center. Held the two loose ends together, and allowed the whole thing to ply up (just the same way a single on a wheel will ply if you release the tension on it!). Here you can see the great 3-2 ply rope that I've made! This is, btw, the new strand for my pendant cutter. Had to prep it for my trip to NY in September...not to mention it's coming in very handy for my current project.

Does this look right??

Started on the afghan this afternoon...the stitch pattern is VERY open. I'm not entirely sure it's appropriate for a newborn either... I'm a little afraid that they would get their little fingers caught in the open-ness of the pattern. Besides which, it's very hard to count rows...since the row definition is so bad. The full width picture shows the whole 8 1/4" block, while the second focuses in a bit more on the details of the pattern. I would LOVE some feedback on this, cause I'm not entirely happy with it...may very well switch to a different pattern.

There is one on the yarn jacket that's actually pretty close to what I had in mind I think...except I just looked inside and realized it's a crochet pattern...I could always do it in garter stitch though...

Or, let's see, here are a couple of the other patterns that I really liked when I was looking today...

The Knit Crossword Afghan is very interesting...
Would cut back on the size. I would want to spell Love Baby or something on it though, and you can't really cross those like a crossword. Ideas for what could be crossed?

The Leftover Afghan is also nice, and would be very simple to knit. I don't want color to go all the way across though, I really prefer the idea of blocks of some sort...

The Short Rows Afghan also appeals to me to a certain degree. Remember, we're talking bright kiddy colors...actually, the colors I picked out are almost the exact same ones shown in the Caron pattern.

For that matter, the Knit Tiles Afghan would work just like the one that I'm trying to do, but with a better actual knit pattern...

I would LOVE some feedback...I don't have time to wait until next weekend...need to get crackin' on this!

Found the Pattern, Bought the Yarn!

Here's the pattern that I've picked out to knit for the baby! It's a LionBrand free pattern called Earthtone Tiles Afghan. I've also picked out Caron Simply Soft in 5 lovely bright colors! So, it won't be an Earthtone Tiles Afghan, but rather a Bright Baby Tiles Afghan! Will also make it smaller of course, but I like all the geometrics, it's a reversible pattern, and while there will be some sewing, I think it'll come out gorgeous!!

FTR - the tale that knitting yarn is part of the FL Tax Free week seems to be greatly exaggerated. Walmart said it's not on the list and they're not honoring it. I'm trying to find the source of the list we were looking at yesterday that said it WAS Tax-Free. It's only $.70, but it's more the principle of the thing!

Gotta go get started, just wanted to let you know I'd found a pattern!

As One Chapter Closes, Another Begins

The Grape Arbor Shawl has now been delivered, as have a few other small items I've been working on. That project has taken up most all of my knitting time over the past month or so...

Now I have another project that will keep me busy for the next two months... My mother called on Thursday with a grand idea...they were thinking of having a baby shower for my brother and his wife at the beginning of November (she's due the end of December). Then, they thought, "Wait a second, Jody will be here in September, what if we did it then??"

So, we're now planning a baby shower for two months from now! Which means I have to get my needles clicking! Of course the first decision is what to make...

At this point, we don't know what they're having just yet...it'll probably be another two weeks before we know...and even then we might not...so I think I'm going gender neutral.

I think a blanket would be a nice place to start - was thinking of using Caron's Simply Soft. It's a slightly lighter weight worsted, and acrylic...and the price is right. Any other suggestions? I also kinda like it, since it comes in a wide array of colors. I'm more inclined to do something with a collection of bright colors instead of using pastels, and the shades I saw of SS fit the bill nicely. So, now I'm off to look for a pattern with nice color changes, as well as a semi interesting pattern. Am thinking blocks, though I hate the idea of sewing/crocheting them together. The up side however is that I can do lots of bright colors. Who knows, perhaps I'll even make up my own, using different patterns for each block and just make it a patchwork of squares.

I also have a cute little pattern for a baby bobble hat...could do that out of leftover SS actually. I did have an idea that I'd like to do it from a very soft washable wool blend, since they are in NY and it'd be warmer. What are your thoughts on using any wool for babies? Am I just better off to stick with acrylic or cotton?

Perhaps, I'll do a multi-colored afghan, then do a bobble hat and a pair of booties from the leftover yarn...

Would LOVE feedback and experienced suggestions on this, since this is the first time I've ever actually knit for a baby!

How can you tell you drink too much coffee??

You just completed another sweater and you don't know how to knit.

Actually, that reminds me of the scene in the movie Demolition Man where Sly's character shows up in the morning and presents Sandra's character with a freshly knit sweater! Whipped the whole thing out overnight! It seems they reprogrammed him while he was frozen...to Knit, Sew, etc.

Hhmmm...so what does it say when you churn out project after project and you don't even DRINK coffee?

Obsession. It's the only reasonable excuse!

Nearly done with the hat that I'm working on...only about 6 or 8 rows left! Gotta get off the computer and get working on it! It helped that I spent several hours at a knitting meeting, then had a nice dinner with Maria at TooJay's. After our lovely salads, we knitted and chatted for a while longer. All the more time to get the hat finished!

I also saw a pattern earlier this week for a great bookmark - made in Jaegerspun Zephyr....so I had a particular color in mind, but pretty much a polar opposite color from my Zephyr Shawl (Indigo). So, sitting at the meeting tonight and Cindi walks up to show me a huge cone of Zephyr in exactly the color I needed!! She was kind enough to let me wind off a small amount, so now I'll be able to knit the bookmark in the color I want too! Yet another project for the week!

Knit, knit, knit...

We had a going away luncheon today for a co-worker who is picking up her family and moving to South Carolina. The movers come tomorrow, they should get into the new house Tuesday. ...Oh, wait...not really relevant... what IS relevant is that I took my newest knitting project with me to lunch. Actually, I cast on on the way to the restaurant! Kind of a fun cast on really...it's the Emily Ocker Cast On which is a nifty little cast on where you crochet the cast on around a loop of the leading tail. Once you're well into the project, you can tug on the tail and snug up the cast on! Simple, elegant, and very tidy. This is a perfect cast on for circular projects, knit in the round, from the center out.

Today's project is a nifty little hat made out of some Koigu that I bought a couple of months ago. The color is a combination of pinks and purples. It's knitting up beautifully and I'm looking forward to completing it to see how it comes out.

Won't be able to knit on Saturday, but someone just reminded me that there's a Sunday meeting! Hooray, I'll get to knit with friends this weekend afterall! Will also help, since I have about a week to a week and a half to complete this hat! I'll show you a picture sometime after it's completed.

Brain is rambling in no particular logical order right now, so I fear it's time for me to go for the night...Hope to see you all again real soon!

Grape Arbor Shawl #2 Done

Hooray!! The second Grape Arbor Shawl is officially done!! Wanna see it? You'll have to check out the Chip-N For Dale Blogsite! It's not up just yet, but keep checking back, it'll appear there sooner or later! Oh, and in the meantime, you can check out all of the other lovely items up on the site!

Now I have to decide if I'll finish the first Grape Arbor shawl - out of my turquoise handspun - or start one of a number of other projects that I have on tap.

So many decisions...

Here's where *I* Wanna go to Camp!!

Now this is MY kind of summer camp!

My boss has enrolled his kids in all kinds of summer camps...Space Camp (they got to see the shuttle go up from up close and personal!), Soccer Camp, you name it... I'll have to tell him about this one...though I'm not sure he'd send his kids to Iowa for a week for it, but hey, sounds good to me!!

Decisions....

So many decisions to make...

The Finger Lakes Fiber Festival posted their class list this week...exciting stuff! So, here's my short list...

This felting class looks pretty cool actually...of course now the question is, what photo do I take to felt? So many possibilities... I might pick out a couple of them, so I can make a final determination once I get there...

"Especially for Ewe" Felt making Fun- Students will create a landscape in wool fiber working with a favorite photo, painting, or from their imagination using both wet and needle felting techniques. Student to bring a towel or two and a picture. Sandy Cirillo $45 Saturday 3-5

Now here's another interesting one...dying from natural dyes! The gardener/naturalist in me really likes this idea, and a whole day class will help to create a great foundation! Lots of notes and a whole bunch of cool samples to bring home!

Fantastic colors from Natural Dyes- Participants will learn about the natural dye process, wool handling, basic color theory, the history of natural dyes, and dyeing and safety considerations. Participants will gain hands-on experience with the process of dyeing on wool and silk with natural materials, a range of color possibilities (achieved through the use of mordants, assists, single and multi-color dyestuffs, including indigo), and how to record dyeing results for further exploration. Basic color theory will be covered, with references to the history and uses of natural dyes. Each student will leave with samples of approximately 25 colors from 4 -5 dye pots, complete instructions, a reference list and sources of supplies.
Carol Wood Debbie MacCrea $60 plus $35 materials
All Day Saturday (Sunday if enough demand)

If I can't take the natural dying class (if it's not offered on Sunday), then these would be my other choices...The dyeing class, since it would give me a general overall survey of dying. I do think the natural dyes class will be more interesting, but this is a good backup.

Dyeing 101- Learn three techniques in dyeing-- microwave, space and pot. All supplies included. Betty Todd $30 Sunday 10-12

Also a good survey course in fiber preparation...

Fiber Blending- Learn about blending fibers with hand carders, drum carder, combs and hackles. Students will bring home their blends. Debbie Santolla $35 Sunday 2-4

I know, I know, I could do this myself...but I'd still really like to know what sort of techniques they use in this class. I'm not sure it'll be offered at any time that I could actually take it...but I'll see when the offer it and see how the rest of the schedule fits together...

The Amazing Multi-Directional Scarf- Learn short-row shaping and see how this technique and a space-dyed yarn combine to make a mesmerizing scarf! Students should bring short, straight needles, size 8. Erin Kosich $38 TBA

And OF COURSE I'm definitely looking forward to spending some quality time at the market! I've visited with several New York State vendors previously...and have purchased from a couple of others...also I understand that Susan of Spinning Bunny fame will be there as well. Am trying to save up now so I can get some great stuff to bring home with me!

Knitters, Knitters, EVERYWHERE!!!

Question?: What do you get when you combine two individually formed knitting groups, plus throw in a couple of extra knitters who just happen by?
Answer: 17 Knitters crammed in the front half of Barnes and Noble, all talking at once, in a gigantic impromptu Show & Tell!

What a DAY! I sure am glad I didn't miss it! (Almost did, but, managed to work out the conflict!)

To Liz, Marci, and all of the ladies from the Gotha knitting group, it was great to meet you all! If you look to the left, you'll find the links that I mentioned.

A few highlights...

The Florida Fiber In has recently set up a new web site! It contains information, dates, demos, and vendor information for the Fiber In that will take place in Orlando on 9/15-9/17/06.

Chip 'n for Dale - Jackie mentioned this morning that we are trying to help out one of our members. Check out the blog for Dale, help out if you can, and enjoy the eye candy on the site (maybe win some of it too!)

The Knit or Knot Website - While this is a site for a specific guild, we also strive to provide information on knitting groups in the area. If you're looking for other opportunities to meet with knitters, there's a list on here! We'll add the Gotha group info as soon as I receive it.

Orlando Area Knitters Yahoo group - This is the group you visited with this morning. If you'd like to be on our Mailing list, feel free to join - just let us know who you are when you sign up.

So Much to Say, So Little Time

I know I've been sadly absent the past few weeks from this site... I wish I could say that will improve, but I fear it is destined to remain the same for the next month or so...

I have been knitting whenever possible, and have made progress on the second Grape Arbor Shawl. The main body is complete, I'm knitting on the lace edging. It's coming out beautifully, I can't wait to see the finished project! I'd show a picture, but for now I think I'm going to keep it a surprise. Soon it will appear on the Chip'N for Dale site - be sure to check out the site daily to see all the wonderful items that will be posted and add your donation for a shot in the drawing!

It helped that I went to visit some friends over the weekend in West Palm Beach...they decided it was a good weekend to buy a car...the total 5 hours that we spent in the dealership was enough to remind me that I don't want to buy a new car anytime soon!! The good news was that between the car dealership and a bit of shopping on Saturday, I knit an entire ball of yarn into the shawl! I also got to visit Great Balls of Yarn while I was there. Nice store, good selection. We were most impressed that they are in the process of opening the *4th* store in their franchise! I did find a cute little baby bobble hat pattern that was one of their store patterns, and was able to get a copy of it. It'll come in handy since I now think I'll be knitting baby hats in the near future... No, no, not for me...don't get any ideas!!

I see that the Class and Workshop schedule has been posted for the Finger Lakes Festival... will be looking that over soon to determine which classes I want to attend, and also to figure out if I'll want to have my wheel with me... Trying to get it to NY might be a challenge, but it would be oh so nice to have it with me.

Speaking of spinning...got my Birthday present from my mother the other day...a gift certificate to Susan's Spinning Bunny!! Very exciting stuff...now I just have to pick out what I want! Will make some decisions soon.

I did take a photo for you of the Cherry Tree Hill fiber that I picked up a couple of weeks ago at Chez Casuelle. It's truly luscious stuff, and almost enough to make me sit down at my wheel right now...except that I really want to get this shawl finished!!

And, as if this fiber, and my Spinning Bunny GC soon to be fiber wasn't enough...We've been working on planning a trip to a former Spinning Shop/Studio as well! Was originally planned for this Monday, but alas, work is totally kicking me around, what with our budget being due like two weeks from tomorrow... So, we've postponed the field trip to a time that will work better for the group as a whole, and be much more enjoyable for all of us, myself included!

Enough typing for now...want to go work on that lace edging for the shawl...talk to you later!

Sorry!

I've been admonished for my lack of posts of late... sowwy! I am still knitting...no spinning lately. I actually went out to take some updated pictures today, only to find out that my camera batteries need charging! Ok, so I'm not too on top of things. Anyyhow, first grape arbor shawl is stalled, as I am working on the second. I really like the drape, color, and clarity of the second shawl. Will post a pic when I get it.

Went by Chez Casuelle again today...had to look at the Cherry Tree Hill rovings...YUM! Ok, so it's not THE softest roving, but it's pretty nice anyhow. And the colors are MUCH more vibrant than they appear on her page. Picked up a bag of the Jewel Tones potluck. I was also very intrigued by their misc felting bags. They consist of a total of about 6 oz of fiber in all sorts of different colors and shades. It was enough to make me want to 1) Take up Needle Felting, or 2) Spin a wicked funky multi-color yarn!

On my way home, I just happened to see the signs for the Lakeridge Winery Craft Fair and remembered that THAT was why we didn't see Melody this morning...so, dropped by to chat with Melody and Barry for a bit. Even better, I had already spent all of my actual cash that I had...so I couldn't stray to the Kettle Korn booth! Woo Hoo!

Off to work on the shawl, but will charge batteries and try to get you some pictures perhaps tomorrow.

Finger Lakes Fiber Festival

The 12th Annual Finger Lakes Fiber Festival is coming up quick!

What's this you say?
When I took up spinning last year, I discovered that there is an Annual Fiber Festival held in Hemlock, NY!

And this is relevant how?
I grew up about 20 miles from Hemlock, and in fact, the Kindergarten I went to was actually located in the old school in the heart of downtown Hemlock!

So, you guessed it...I'm going home for a visit, and even better, I'M GOING TO A FIBER FESTIVAL!! This will actually be my very first! Can't wait till they post the class and demo schedules so I can sign up for my classes. BTW, if you happen to be reading this, follow the link, and notice that the class time schedules are up, LET ME KNOW, Please! I definitely don't want to miss out!

Warning-This Applies To Yarn As Well!!

I seem to be acquiring all sorts of interesting anecdotes this week! From the Hurricane Knitters list:

Chemical Warning A recent study indicated that fabric gives off certain Pheromones that actually hypnotize women and cause them to purchase unreasonable amounts. When stored in large quantities in enclosed spaces, the Pheromones (in the fabric) causes memory loss and induces the nesting syndrome (similar to the one squirrels have before the onset of winter i.e. storing food). Therefore perpetuating their species and not having a population loss due to their kind being cut into pieces and mixed with others. Sound tests have also revealed that these fabrics emit a very high pitched sound, heard only by a select few, a breed of women known as “quilters”. When played backwards on an LP, the sounds are heard as chants, “buy me, cut me and sew me”. In order to overcome the so called “feeding frenzy effect” that these fabrics cause, one must wear a face mask when entering a storage facility and use ear plugs to avoid being pulled into their grip. One must laugh, however, at the sight of customers in a quilt fabric store, with WWII army gas masks and headphones! Studies have also indicated that aliens have inhabited the earth, helping to spread the effects that these fabrics have on the human population. They are call QUILT FABRIC STORE CLERKS. It’s also been experienced that these same Pheromones cause a pathological need to hide these fabric purchases when taken home (or at least blend them into the existing stash), and when asked by significant other if the fabric is new, the reply is “I’ve had it for awhile.” Author unknown

Word of the Day - Bedizen

Subject: bedizen: M-W's Word of the Day

The Word of the Day for June 6 is:

bedizen \bih-DYE-zen\ verb

: to dress or adorn gaudily

Example sentence:

"Adorned by minarets and spires and bedizened by more than a million lights, Coney Island embodied what has been called the 'architecture of exhilaration.'" (Blaine Harden, _New York Times_, August 28, 1999)

Did you know? "Bedizen" doesn't have the flashy history you might expect -- its roots lie in the rather quiet art of spinning thread. In times past, the spinning process began with the placement of fibers (such as flax) on an implement called a "distaff"; the fibers were then drawn out from the distaff and twisted into thread. "Bedizen" descends from the verb "disen," which meant "to dress a distaff with flax" and which came to English by way of Middle Dutch. The spelling of "disen" eventually became "dizen," and its meaning expanded to cover the "dressing up" of things other than distaffs. In the mid-17th century, English speakers began using "bedizen" with the same meaning.

World Wide Knitting In Public Day

We talked quite a bit today about World Wide Knitting In Public Day
Here's the link to the Orlando meeting! I said that I thought the meeting time was from 1pm-3pm - It's NOT! The meeting time is from 10am-12noon!! Be sure to follow the link above for all the details!

Fiber Fanatics all right....wow!

Would you STEAL to get yarn? This article is making the rounds...and I had several thoughts on it....

First, I was SADLY DISSAPPOINTED that they didn't actually show more of the yarns in their video clip!! I mean hello?? You're talking about $13,000 worth of yarn...I'm sure the general public has no idea whatsoever what that means! So, show us some of this glorious stuff...heck, if nothing more it'd be great advertising for the stores that have been wronged!

Second, I was thinking... "Of course, theft is wrong....but ya know, some small part of my brain sympathizes with the thieves!" Yes, I know, I know, it's not an approved means of Stashology... *sigh*

Ok, so there was a third thought going through my brain as I was watching them throw around the word skein every other sentence or so... On Friday I was headed out to lunch with my 3 co-workers - all of whom are male (we have another woman starting on Monday then we'll actually have a full team!!). The subject of weekend plans came up, and I mentioned knitting of course. I also ended up talking about last weekend's field trip. So, as I'm telling them about this fabulous yarn store Chez Casuelle, I was throwing in big words like skein and describing the process of hand painting yarn, etc. At the end of the brief chat, my boss was so impressed with himself, since he can now say intelligent things like "Oh, what a beautiful skein of hand painted yarn!" I have to give them credit though...it's easy for a company to espouse Diversity and all, but it's pretty unique to have three men actually take two minutes to let me talk about yarn, and not only that, but to ask intelligent questions and actually take an interest! There is always an awareness level that I have when talking with yarn muggles that my audience is only likely to remain attentive for a very specific short period of time...

Oh, back to the field trip last weekend...I've been meaning to tell you all more about it, but, well...just haven't had a chance to give it the time I'd like to. I met up with Helen and Cindi at 9ish, and we headed for Mt. Dora to meet up with the Longwood contingent (Michelle and Orna). Our first stop was DreamStitchers in Mt. Dora. They had a lovely selection of various needlepoint and embroidery patterns, kits, and fibers. I kept it light there...knowing that the next stop was the BIG one!

Did pick up a Teresa Wentzler cross-stitch pattern- The Minstrel. I've ALWAYS wanted one of her patterns, and the opportunity presented itself... Also purchased a GREAT reference book on Huck Embroidery patterns - I had seen this book previously in a friend's stash, but there's nothing like having your own copy! The two hanks of Pearl Cotton are also a purchase with Huck in mind. And, well, they're hand painted, which is a BIG draw for me...

On the way to DreamStitchers, we did drop by the site of Knit n Needle Nook on Main Street, just to see if she'd be open. This store is the stuff legends are made of...not in the high quality / trendiness of it's yarns, but more in the sheer quantity / AGE of it's yarns! You want something that hasn't been manufactured for ten years? There's a good chance they'll have it! Sadly the store was not open, and a note on the door indicated that illness was the cause. I hope she gets better and is able to re-open.

For lunch, we had reservations at The Gables in Historic Downtown Mt. Dora. Parking was a bit of a nightmare, but we all enjoyed a nice little walk from the Marina area. Lunch was fabulous - light, inexpensive...and of course we shared the first set of purchases for the day around the table!

After lunch we all headed out to ChezCasuelle in Historic Downtown Leesburg. We had a few fits and starts trying to actually find it, but eventually we did. A very unassuming store front (she didn't even have her sign yet!) on a side street off the main drag, but there wasn't a ton of activity in the area, so parking was pretty easy right on the street. Inside it was a simple old building with Marble floors and walls lined with yarn! The decor of the room was very toned down, which helped the amazing yarns to pop off the shelves! Carla has amassed a large collection of absolutely gorgeous hand painted yarns! With the help of an opening Month in-store discount she was offering, I was able to pick up a couple skeins of beautiful yarn and still stay within my pre-determined budget for the trip! I also got to see A Gathering of Lace and really look at it for the first time...it's now on my Wishlist :) Definitely a successful trip! Oh, and I had the realization once we arrived...that it's only about 40 minutes from my apartment to her store! This makes ChezCasuelle my closest local yarn store!! Be afraid, be very afraid...

Victory!!

Finished up the sampler clutch today...it looks GREAT!! This really is the same basic pattern that Pam wrote, it's just adapted a bit, rearranged a bit, and so forth! You can see the great yarn over detail in the front view. The back view is a little simpler, consisting of the initial garter and stockinette sections. I added the I-cord just to finish it off!

I'll be posting the updated instructions on several of the Yahoo groups once I get them completed. If you are not a member of one of the groups that I post them to, and you'd like a copy, let me know and I'll forward the word file.

Insanity!

What a crazy week! Got to meet up with an online friend for lunch on Monday - had a great time getting to talk and spend time together. That was the end of my peaceful week. Since Tuesday I worked over 37 hours - yep, in just 4 days...

Anyhow, that's over. Have gotten a few rows of shawl done here and there while waiting on files to download. Tonight I took up a new project. At the OAKs group tomorrow, we're expecting a new knitter (she dropped in last week and said she'd be back). Therefore, she is in need of a pattern to get started with. Another knitter had previously developed a sampler that teaches lots of great knitting skills. Tonight I knit the sampler, to see how it was written, and what it turned into. I think I've figured out how to make the sampler into a small hand purse! It will need a couple of minor changes, but they won't alter the fundamental learnings of the piece. Will confer with a couple of other people tomorrow, then re-write the pattern, and perhaps test it out on our newbie!

I'll let you know how it goes, and perhaps knit a full scale sample soon!