November 12, 2012

Happy Monday All!!

I'd like to start by thanking all military personnel, past and present, in honor of Veteran's Day. I am grateful for your sacrafices. My son John, is currently serving in the Navy, stationed on the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Nimitz. Veteran's Day is a special day for us because this year it marks his 3rd year away from home. Of course we see him when he is on leave, but he is stationed in Washington state and we don't see him often.

I've had a very busy fiber weekend. First of all I finished the 2nd Chinook scarf, and washed and blocked it. It was knit on size 6 circular needles out of Knit Picks stroll Handpainted, in the Pony Ride colorway.

This is a very fast knit. I weighed the yarn before starting to knit, follow the pattern until half of the yarn is used then begin the decrease until the yarn is gone. It will make a great gift for Rachal.

I received the fiber that I ordered from Spin Monkeys, 100% merino wool in the Aquamarine colorway. I purchased it with the idea that I would spin it to use on the Advent Scarf KAL that I will be part of in December. Here's what the fiber looked like:

And when it was spun, it looked like this:

There is only 242 yards which is not enough for the scarf but the fiber spun so soft and squishy that it will be great for a hat or fingerless gloves. Along with the shipment Spin Monkeys sent me a couple samples of some of her other fiber which was very nice. There is a small lock of polworth fiber that has a really long staple. She also sent a nice little sample of a merino, silk, nylon blend.

Here's what it looked like:

It's so helpful because it gives me an idea about new fibers that I haven't tried before.

So I need to find a different yarn/fiber for the scarf. I ordered some fiber from dyeabolical.etsy.com , Polworth Silk blend in the Kara colorway. It is a very beautiful teals and gray combination. It totals 4 oz which isn't enough for the scarf either. I bought from this shop because The Knit Girllls raved about her colors on their podcast.

Well, that will do it for today.

Happy Knitting!!

November 9, 2012

Happy Friday!!

This is my 2nd most favorite day of the work week. I say the second because, believe it or not, Tuesday is usually the best day for me. The reason is that I have Wednesdays off work so Tuesday is my "1st Friday" of the week and somehow it comes sooner (at least in my mind) and I enjoy it so much better than the last Friday of the week. Just a glimpse into how my mind works!!

Last night was very quiet in my knitting world. I worked exclusively on the Chinook Scarf for my daughter for Christmas. It is knit in the Pony Ride handpainted colorway from Knit Picks stroll. Its a very easy knit and I have begun the decrease part of the scarf. I am using the Knit Picks Zephyr needles size 6 to knit this scarf and I love them. I am so surprised at how smooth they are and how smoothly the fabric glides on them. I had gotten an interchangable set of the nickel needles for Christmas a couple years ago so occasionally I buy a set of needles (cause the others just might be buried in a WIP that is forgotten!!) and this is the first time I've used the acrylic needles. I really appreciate these needles and how smooth the join is with the cables.

In the midwest we are in the midst of the holiday craft show season. This weekend is a new one to me, small but should be fun. There is a building, called the Wilder Mansion, that is a historic building which once housed the library but is now being used for weddings and other meetings. It's located here in Elmhurst Illinois (western Chicago suburb) which has always been an upper class community. I wanted to go to this show really just to see the house! I image some knitting will be accomplished around this event tho.

Next weekend is the Autumn Festival Arts and Craft Show at the Odeum Center in Villa Park (Nov 15-18). This is a really big one which I attend every year. I try to find Christmas gifts and sometimes I do, but its more an opportunity for my friend and I to spend some time together. Here's a link for a $1 off coupon to this event if you will be attending.
The weekend of Nov 30-Dec 2 is the Lamb's Farm Holiday Lights Gift and Craft Fair at the Arlington Park Racecourse and this one is hugh!!! They have 500 vendors slated for this show. It is an all day experience. I love it! If you are in this area, you should really try to attend.

Have a great Weekend all!!

Happy Knitting

November 8, 2012

Happy Thursday!!
I didn't do any spinning last night as I anticipated. I started thinking about how soon Christmas is and decided I would concentrate my efforts on gifts for now. I have wanted to knit another 

Chinook Scarf by Ali Green for my oldest daughter. I was showing her some yarn I had purchased and she liked the Knit Pick Stroll Pony Ride handpainted colorway in fingering weight. Its a superwash merino and nylon blend in a really beautiful combination of brown, tan, gray and black. This is what it looks like so far.

I really like this pattern because its a very easy knit. I just weigh my yarn before I cast on and knit until I've used half of it then begin the decrease so that I don't run out of yarn. The last one I knit took just about 8-10 hours so its a lovely, and quick gift.

 

I had ordered the roving from SpinMonkeys and I got an email last night that it had already been shipped. The policy on the website said it would take 3 days so it's a nice surprise to find it coming so soon. It is being shipped USPS and snailmail can be very unpredictable. That fiber will be spun for the Advent Scarf I'll be making for my mother for her Christmas-birthday. I'll be sure to share what I think about the fiber when I've had a chance to work with it.

 

Here's a little personal information about me. I am employed as a staff member of a small private college and one of the benefits of employement is that myself, my spouse and my dependents are given an opportunity to take classes for just the cost of fees which currently is $100 per semester plus books. I have taken classes for 3 years now and completed an adult accelerated business management program to get the bulk of my credits. I have just 7 credits to complete to earn my bachelors degree in business.  It has been a time of personal, not to mention mental, growth for me to relearn how to write papers, do research and most of all remember information in order to do well on tests. Currently I have a GPA of 3.863 and if I'm able to keep a high grade point, I might graduate with honors. My plan is to be done by May 2014. I have registered for 2 classes in the Spring term so knitting usually takes 2nd place when homework and studying needs to be done. It will be great to be finished with school but this is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream so I want to make the best of it.

 

That's enough for today.

 

Happy Knitting!!

Happy Wednesday!
     Well, unfortunately I have to work today. I usually work a 4 day week and with Wednesdays off. It's nice to have that break in the middle of the week. The benefit of working 5 days (trying to look on the bright side!) is that each work day is shorter so there is more time to knit.

     Last night I finished plying the peach colored wool that I had spun. I think it might be a merino blend but I can't be sure. I got about 475 yds so far of a two ply, probably about a fingering weight. I will post a picture of that soon. I thought about making something for my mother from it because its her favorite color but I'm not sure. Maybe a small shawl. It still needs a bath and there is some on the bobbin that I still need to wind off.

   For the Advent Scarf : http://www.ravelry.com/projects/nomofomo/lila-and-claudines-2012-advent-scarf  I ordered a braid of 100% merino from http://www.etsy.com/shop/SpinMonkeys in the Aquamarine colorway.

The advent scarf KAL runs Dec 1-19 with a daily email for each part of the pattern. I want to make this for my mother because her birthday is Christmas day and Aquamarine in the December birthstone. The designers will also send a daily devotion with the pattern so I will bind those together and give them with the scarf. I can't wait for Dec 1 to get here!!

     I went through some of my fiber stash this morning and found that I don't really have much in the way of dyed fiber that is skin friendly which is why I bought fiber for the scarf. I did pick out some alpaca fiber from the stash that is a chocolate brown, just beautiful, and a braid of blues that is really pretty too. I can't remember the content of that one. Maybe I'll start spinning one of those tonight while I'm waiting for the spinmonkeys braid.

Well, happy knitting all!!

November 6

I was on Ravelry yesterday, on the Knit for Kids World Vision group, and the moderator was a little frustrated because there hadn't been much activity, so I decided to start a sweater earlier than I had planned to help her out some. So here is my progress so far on a size 2 child's sweater.

I found a skein of acrylic (recommended) in my stash and used size 5 (for the ribbing) and size 7 (for the body) circular needles. The size 7 are wooden (probably bamboo) with a tube-like circular part (?) and they are a little difficult to move the yarn back and forth. I probably have better needles buried in an unfinished project somewhere!!  Anyone interested in being part of this group can look into the http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knit-for-kids World Vision group to help out. It is a good cause.

I am still struggling on the KAL for Sock Knitters Anonymous. I have ripped it back to the ribbing 2 times but I'm not giving it up yet!!

I have to say that between Ravelry and this blog I am able to not only keep my sanity, but they make me accountable for my time and efforts and keep me focused on my goals. That is a very positive improvement in my life.

...Happy Knitting!!

Happy Monday!!
What a whirlwind weekend it was!! Those two days go by so quickly!! Saturday was a trip to a church holiday bazaar. It was nice and very big but because I went mid-morning on Saturday, it was packed with kids and noise. I did see a craft I would like to try sometime. It was wreaths made out of small (maybe 2.5"X 2") pillows of specified fabric like patriotic, holiday, apple, halloween, etc that were arranged in a ring form with ribbon and other items added like pine bough, plastic apples, or flags and some had raffia. They were cute and probably very easy to make.

I had placed an order with Knit Pick on Thursday for some fingering weight to make some shawl/scarfs and socks for Christmas gifts. It came on Saturday so I got busy with a scarf. I ordered the Hitchhiker scarf by Martina Behm from Ravelry and I'm knitting it in Knit Picks Stroll Fingering handpainted-Juice Box.

I finished the other project Chinook Scarf by Ali Green in the Hearthside Fiber Superwash/Bamboo/Nylon Blend in Annie's Snowflake colorway. Here's the finished project on my dress form.

The sock challenge has really been a challenge. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time on the Amble sock pattern but I am. I get a few rows in and completely lose track of the pattern and the stitch count. But its supposed to be a challenge so I'll keep trying.

That's all for today.  Happy Knitting!!

I began the November sockdown project of a textured stitch sock. I am knitting the Amble pattern on Ravelry by Allison Clayton with KnitPicks Stroll in the Lily Pad Multi colorway. Here's the CO picture:

I have already encountered a problem with the pattern so I will frog it to the ribbing and start again. Too often when I start a more detailed pattern someone will decide they need to talk to me and get me off track. Plus, honestly, I was watching "Raising Hope" on Netflix---HILARIOUS!!! So that was distracting some too.  I finished the scarf I made (don't remember the name) out of a superwash merino, bamboo, and nylon blend that I got at the Fiber in the Park show this summer. Here's a picture of it blocked and drying:

This will be a Christmas gift.
I will take a more attractive picture of it to post now that it is dry.

So that will do it for today. Happy Knitting!