big yarn mama

One Day Old

2011-02-24T04:56:00.000-08:00

LAMBS!!!

2011-02-22T13:11:00.001-08:00

Our first baby lamb was born today at lunchtime- on my husband's birthday!! He was the one who found her. He called and I raced home from work and there she was, all damp and soooooo cute! We are in love.

Mom's name is Yarrow, grandmother is Yesterday and this little one is named Yvonne (after a good friend who loves my sheep almost as much as I do!!)

winter update

2011-02-11T08:04:00.001-08:00

I have been getting a little spinning done in these snowy winter days. I am trying to use up the rovings that I have and process the fleeces before we shear next week.

Here are the girls in all of their pregnant glory. They are due a few days after we get home from vacation in February and I have all of my lambing supplies ready to use if needed. Their wool is thick and warm and I can't wait to have my own homegrown wool and homegrown babies!!!

The wheel picture is just thrown in. I am borrowing it from a woman who hasn't used it in 30 years. It is a little squeaky and I am not sure that I love it yet but it is nice to have a light weight wheel to move around the house. It's an old Louet and I would love any advice on the care of Louet wheels. I hope all of my fiber friends are staying warm and finding time to play with wool!!

New Family Members

2010-10-23T14:49:00.000-07:00

Our family is taking the next step in fiber. Behold the newest members of our family, Yesterday and Yarrow...

These ladies are mother and daughter- both bred. They are BFL/BL crosses with beautiful fleece and really sweet personalities. They eat right out of our hands!
I just started spinning their roving that I got from the sheep farmer and it is delicious. I am hoping these girls will get me back to the blog more often.

Return to blogland

2009-11-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

I seemed to have disappeared from my cyber world in the last year. Nursing school is finished, I have a full time job as an ER nurse and I love it! Life is full and very busy with three kids and a full time job.
I do manage to find time to play with my wool, and my needlefelting supplies business is starting to take off. It is all word of mouth and mostly local for now as that is all I can handle, but it gives me great reason to dye alot of wool in interesting colors.

My reentry into blogland comes from a need to share my new beautiful tool...

It is a Jensen Tina original in black walnut and finished with three coats of walnut oil. I have wanted this wheel for a long time and ordered it in June. It just arrived last week as Mr. Jensen takes the summers off to fish. My friend Kristin has one I have been coveting and now we can spin on our Tina's together!!

I did finally make it to Rhinebeck this year, now that I have a job and can take a weekend off without feeling guilty leaving the kids behind with my husband. It was such a great time. I took a spinning exotic fibers class and have a lot of new fun fiber to spin.
One last little note (not so little anymore) that has taken up an immense amount of the whole family's time...

This is Maggie and she was born on June 22nd. She is a lab, shepard, rottweiler mix and full of fun and energy. She LOVES the kids and has fit right into our world of chaos. She is recovering from a broken leg right now but still as happy as pie and up to no good!
Hope to have some fiber goodness to post soon.

Wool, wool, wool

2009-01-18T07:25:00.000-08:00

After my last post, my friend, Laura, wrote and asked about the three bags of wool I had acquired. I made a contact with a local man who raises Shetland sheep to train his dogs. We talked and he gave me three bags full-one black fleece, one brown fleece and one gray. I skirted the black, which is a beautiful rich color and it is getting cleaned and carded as we speak and the other two are next in line.

Skirting fleece is quite a project. It takes me a long time and I get really particular, probably more than I need to. I am getting the fleeces cleaned and carded at Tunbridge Wool Works, a local solar and wood powered facility.

The next picture is the first fleece I skirted and had processed at the wool works. It is a Jacob fleece and I love how it the batt is still striped and shows the color variation within the fleece. I have not spun Jacob before and it feels like it will be a little coarser than I am used to...we'll see.

I am still dying and very rapidly making my way through the pounds of white roving I have. I am working on getting my etsy account to sell roving and handspun as well as needle felting supplies. This wool was dyed and spun with the final product in mind. I think there is too much blue but I need to knit it up and see how close it comes to my vision.

I don't have much knitting content to show but I was really busy before Christmas. I made felted slippers for my whole family (five pairs!) and made the boys and my husband all matching cabled hats. My daughter got a nice light pink cashmere hat. I also finished last semester finals and worked alot over my school vacation. Each member of the family (not including myself) was ill over the break and one of my kids ended up with pneumonia so I was nurse at work and nurse at home.
We went to visit my parents for the holidays and I went to Knit Happens in Alexandria, Virgina. They have local dyers and I found a new (to me) dyer. This sock is the product, so far, of a local No. Va. dyer. I hope to get the other sock finished before winter is over!

Losing my virginity

2008-12-19T04:55:00.000-08:00

Well, i did it. I lost my virginity (and my 4.0 GPA). I am a little disappointed as I have been in school for five years and will be finished in May but...it is not as big of a deal as I thought it would be and I feel surprisingly relaxed about life. Now that I let go of that pressure I can play without my fiber without guilt! I am also looking forward to three weeks off of school in which I will work some and do a lot of knitting and spinning. I went yesterday and picked up "three bags full" of FREE shetland wool that is beautiful! A local man raises the sheep for training his sheepdogs and I happened to find him. This could prove to be a really good relationship! Today is my first day of vacation so here I am, back on the blog. I am off to skirt fleece but will have pictures soon. Happy Winter!

More FO's!!!

2008-09-01T09:46:00.001-07:00

On this last day of summer (for the kids!) we have a beautiful sunny day in Vermont- perfect for dying! I am working on my first overdying project. I have nine skeins of gray Manos wool that I want to be green for a sweater or poncho. The gray was a blue tone so I made my green dye mostly yellow with just drops of blue. It looks great in the dye pot but a little too yellow for me drying in the sun. I just have to be patient for it to dry to know the real outcome.

My boys here are modeling the hats I have made recently. The bright green is a simple cable cap knitted with some of my first handspun. The hat on the left is a Koolhaus hat knit with Malabrigo worsted merino that I have dreamed of for close to a year. I was bummed when I saw the pooling. I usually appreciate pooling on my socks to make them fun but the color pattern really takes away from the stitch pattern on this one. I have started a second Koolhaus with another color of the Malabrigo and no pooling so far...
Here is m finished February Sweater!! It was soooo fun to knit and I love the style. I may make a second one out of another yarn. This sweater was knit with Cascade 220 and it will be perfect for fall! Sorry about the sideways pictures- I haven't figured out how to deal with that yet. One of these days i will get a Blogging for dummies book and learn how to use my blog properly!

This last photo has been a long time coming. This is the cutest baby ever in one of the cutest sweaters I have ever knit. My first BSJ- out of my own handspun!!!!

Hope everyone if enjoying their holiday weekend!!!

Picture Heavy Post

2008-08-09T06:09:00.000-07:00

I walked into my yarn room this morning and realized that maybe I am having a case of Startitis. I have four pairs of socks on the needles and half of a Koolhaas hat on the table. I also have a partially finished pair of felted clogs and two afghans halfway knitted. Sadly, (or not) I am going to start one more pair of socks that I have been wanting to make.

I have to share about the best gift I have gotten in a long time. My friend, Laura, sent me a graduation present that has made me smile for weeks. There was a great children's book called Woolbur about a sheep that refuses to follow the flock and two skeins of DK weight yarn in the Doctor without Borders colorway. Half of the proceeds from that yarn goes to DWB. I just love that! I had to cast on right away for a sock- my gauge was off and it is big enough for my husband's huge feet and is the beginning of his Christmas gift!
Remember the green single ply in the last post. Kristin and I plied the two singles together and this is our final product.

Now that I have had a taste of dying I have to do it more and more. The following is some superwash merino dyed in really bright colors that ended up being rainbow. It is a little too bright for me but my children all love it!

The next roving I dyed with yellow, purple and olive green. I love the colors and how it spun up. I can't wait to see what it looks like knitted. The transformation that happens from roving to yarn to knitted object is so amazing to watch- every time!

This is the next roving in line for spinning. I started separating it into strips but then sidetracked by all of the knitting projects I needed to try out.

This final project is just a little sample of the spinning I have been doing this summer. We have had more rain than ever in Vermont this summer and although my garden is a jungle my fiber projects are moving right along!

been a long time

2008-07-12T06:08:00.000-07:00

True to my past schedule I haven't blogged since the last time I had a break from school. I have been really busy with my fiber projects this summer and I will have alot to show you once I get my camera working.

First up in this post though is my first dyed roving spun up into a single.
I have a new fiber friend and we dyed this roving in a crock pot using three different colors. I had merino roving and she had some wool top that we dyed in the same pot at the same time. It was amazing to see how differently they took the colors. We just got together last night and plied her single with mine and I will have a photo of that soon.

I love that I have a new friend who loves wool as much as I do. I enjoy the blogging community because it makes me aware of other passionate fiber fanatics but I rarely get to meet them in person. Kristin came over the other night and looked at the stash with me and talked fiber and ideas and knitting and we had such a nice time.

I have spent alot of time spinning while I have the summer off of school. I am still studying for the boards which I take in ten days and then I will start a part time job. I got a job at a quaker based assisted living community and i am looking forward to working with people during the end of life process.

Back to knitting content-- (I have been doing some of that too!)

First up a morning surf scarf as seen in the latest Spin Off. This was a fun project and stitch pattern to work with. It is some of my first handspun yarn and I think it turned out well. The roving was from Spunky Eclectic called Delphinium.
This next project is one of the cutest things I have ever knit. It is a Minnowknits pattern made from a now discontinued yarn put out by Cascade. I forget the name of the yarn but it is cotton and 1% nylon which gives it a little strech. I have some cute fimo buttons to sew on and voila- a baby gift!
There is so much more to show and talk about and one of these days when the garden is not such a jungle of weeds I will take more pictures. Happy summer to all in blogland!

another vacation week

2008-04-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a pattern that I only blog when I have time off of school. When I am in school I barely have time to knit let alone blog about it! After this week I have ten weeks left and then I will get a certificate as an LPN and sit for the boards! It is pretty exciting after all of the work I have done to know that the end is in sight. I am waiting to hear if I got accepted into the RN program for next year (I really think I will- I hope!) but I am planning on working as a nurse this summer and part time next year too.

OKay- on to the good stuff! I bought this yarn on e-bay a few weeks ago. It is a silk/cashmere blend that I am hoping to make into a montego bay scarf. I made one this last summer with the sea silk and I love it and I know that my sister-in-law will too. She gets a scarf every Christmas and I am really ahead of the game this year!

Speaking of e-bay- does anyone else have this problem of buying things on ebay even though you didn't mean to? I just can not look unless I plan to buy- I'm weak when it comes to deals on ebay. I am currently expecting 3 skeins of Koigu in the mail any day now.

I have been making progress on my knitting projects. It's slow but it is progress. The Morehouse merino sweater for my son is missing sleeves so I hope to knock this out quickly. It looks like it will be for next year or the year after as it almost fits me!

I started another pair of socks too. I am using the Noro sock yarn for the first time. I read alot of other knitters opinions on Ralvery- Did I tell you I got my Ralvery invitation? Pretty exciting! I haven't had much time to organize myself there but I am now a member and come summer I will be more active...anyway... I agree with most folks that the yarn is a little rough. It is also quite thin but the colors knit up well and it is making a nice fabric. I anticipate that it will get softer with washing.
This is the beginning of my Gathered Pullover from IK. I have a few more inches on it now but I am already thinking I may not like the rolled edge. I also had to choose a size that was too big because the next smaller size would be much too tight. I still have to follow that patterns on sweaters and not make too many independent changes- that's for later in life.
This photo is a FO! Socks I made for a friend who has been really helpful this year taking my kids ALOT while I am in school!
On a final note some great friends and a really special family just had a new baby. WELCOME WENDELL!!!!

A big change!!

2008-02-20T09:55:00.000-08:00

This feels sooo good! I have been thinking about cutting my hair for a while and it finally drove me so crazy, getting in the way, that I did it! I wanted to grow my hair so long that it was Mermaid style (see Sandi's blog). It got there and then I promptly chopped it off. I may even go shorter next time.

It is really hard to take a picture of yourself. I took at least twenty shots that made me question what I really look like- they were so awful! This was the best I could do.

Isn't it funny how we knit so many things and then go out and buy something someone else knit? It is supporting our knitting community. My husband may hang me for buying something handknitted when I have a room full of yarn! It's cute though, isn't it? I saw it at least six months ago and passed on buying it, but when i went back to the store it was still there, so I knew it was meant to be. It even works with the new hair.

FO's!!!

2008-02-16T07:38:00.001-08:00

This is the second one of these headbands I made out of this nice merino from Uruguay. It is also the second one I gave away. I now have to make one more for me because I really like it! It is a pattern from Knitty and it is a great first cable project- it has a few different stitches and it is easy to see how they work.

These mittens are made out of some handspun I bought on ebay a year or two ago. I am really trying to stash bust right now as I have the winter yarn buying bug! I feel better about adding to the stash if I use some up at the same time. The wool was a heavy worsted and I knit it on size 7US DPN's so it is a nice, tight, warm mitten. I love the bright colors for this time of year too. We have so much snow here in Vermont that it is hard to get around the yard or driveway. I went for a snowshoe yesterday and my feet were sinking 2-3 feet even with the snowshoes on! That's alot of snow!!!

I finally finished theses socks that have been on the needles for almost a year. The yarn is a soft wool dyed by Mama E in a colorway she dyed exclusively for the store I bought it from, Knit Happens in Alexandria, VA. I love the orange and bright purple blend of color.
I have been needing new socks as I had a hard winter where four pairs got holes in them and I am not a darner. I did find a tutorial online but I have yet to use it so the pile just grows. I am gearing up to cast on for a new pair but I have alot of other projects in queue right now.

I started this last night and it is a big stash buster. I bought a sweater kit from Morehouse Merino years ago for my son and I am finally making it! The yarn is discontinued now- I can see why- it has alot of hay particles in it. There are too many to pick out as I knit so I will just do a big pick when I am finished. It is soft though and the pattern is nice and easy for me to knit.

I am on a week long break from school and it is much needed. I have had so much work to do lately that I felt like I may have a nervous breakdown. I am looking foward to decompression with alot of knitting and spinning so I hope to have fun things to show you by next week!!

Handspun!!!

2008-02-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

Two posts in a month- it's almost unheard of for Big Yarn Mama! I just had to show off my new spinning wheel. I have been breaking it in- every Saturday is spinning day. Here it is...

(I have got to figure out how to turn the pictures!! Sorry!)

Please ignore the mess in the background. By the time I finish my Saturday spinning the kids have efficiently demolished the house. They are nothing if not thorough!!! The following pictures are all of the yarns I have spun up since Christmas.

It is amazing how unique each roving turns out to be and how you never know how the yarn will actually end up. I have a few single color rovings but I am not as inspired to spin those yet. I would like to mix the single color with the variegated and try some new ideas I have. I just have to get up the courage and get over the fact that I may not like what I create.

And, Just so you see that I have been knitting... these mittens are made out of handspun. I have whipped out four pair this month. I spent a day this week cleaning and organizing the stash (no small project!) and now I am on a mission to finish all the WIP's I found. I did a little ripping and so far a little finishing. I'll keep you posted!

catch up

2008-01-19T12:42:00.001-08:00

I have so much going on and very little extra time for myself that the blog has just taken a very last page in life. I have been expanding my fiber pursuits these days and doing alot of spinning on MY NEW WHEEL!! I got a Kromski Minstrel for Christmas from the kind Bill at Copper Moose. He is local in VT and was recommended by three different friends. I did have a good experience with him and my wheel is great. It has taken a little adjustment to get used to as it is a double drive and double treadle and feels quite different than the Louet S15 I was using but I am getting the hang of it. Of course I don't have pictures yet but one thing at a time.

These are a few of the Christmas knits I made for my family this year. The pink skirt was for my daughter in her favorite color which she promptly told me she won't wear. I am looking for a new pink-loving recipient! It was a pattern I got off knitty and even though I made a size six and she is three it seemed a little tight for her.
The vest was a request from my son. He actually wanted the whole thing knit out of the bright green color in the stripe. I did spin that yarn out of some merino from Linda at Sunset fibers. She does really nice work and has a fiber of the month club. I decided it was just too bright for me to make a whole garment out of so he got a Charlie Brown stripe instead. It fits his personality to have that stripe. He is being a good boy and loving his new knitted gift!
The hat was my husband's christmas gift and it was the best spun yarn I have made. This was some merino from the Yarn Wench and I created that pattern. It is a cabled brim and just stockinette top. He has worn it every day since I made it which is nice as he is not into the handknits quite as much as me! He also got a pair of socks but alas, no picture of those either.

I have made a few pair of mittens out of my handspun and they are a great project for a small amount of yarn or for mixing yarns. I also have the Book of Yarn that has taught me about what I am making and how to use it and I got the Spin to Knit book for a gift also. It is a little more basic but it has info about people I know so that part is neat.

Nursing school is intense but i love it so much. After eight years of being a stay-at-home mom it is awesome to have my own schedule and routine. My family and friends have been so supportive that I give out a big thanks to them!!

I hope to be back soon with some fun fiber photos.

one month later

2007-10-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

I guess my blog will be monthly while I am in school. It is hard to find time to make dinner let alone do anything like blog about knitting. I am still finding time to knit though. It is what saves me during a stressful week!
I just unearthed this vest that I finished knitting about two years ago. It was supposed to get a zipper front but I hated the way the collar looked and it was kind of itchy to wear zipped up so it sat and sat. I got motivated to finish it up so I took out the neck and just crocheted a simple edge up both sides and around the neck. It is drying now and then I have one of those silver clasps I will sew on and voila!- a finished project. It is one of the great things about WIP's. I feel like I got a lot done in a short time!
I don't know if I will actually keep the vest but if not it will make a nice gift and Christmas is coming.
Up next is another WIP that I have been slowly working on for at least six months. I loved the Koigu yarn but I wanted to see it instead of having it on my feet so...

It is a twisted rib pattern from Mountain Colors that I got at last years NH S&W Fest. I just finished it this morning and now it is blocked and drying. yeah-a new fall scarf.
These are some simple wool/silk garter stitch scarves for an upcoming craft fair. I used the J Knits yarn and I really like it. I stopped by my LYS one day for a pair of needles and came out with a hundred dollars worth of yarn. It happens.

This last photo is a project for a good friend who is having a baby soon. I was making it for someone else but you know how as you are making something it tells you who it belongs to? that is what happened here and I am glad. This way I will see it on the new baby. The yarn is Noro Kochoron which is great to work with and it is a simple vest.

There is not much more to show except a room full of half finished project and a desk full of books. School is awesome. I love all that I am learning and my clinicals are great. I am at a nursing home right now and i didn't realize how much i would love it. I could do this for a job when I am done. I have three more weeks in the first semester and I am really looking foward to a much needed break. It is amazing how much i get done when my time is really limited although if you walked into my house it is apparent what I have let go of!
I was sad to have missed Rhinebeck but it is fun to look at other blogs and read about it. This is why I am in school- to get a job and not worry how much I spend on yarn and fiber!

bad blogger

2007-09-15T07:40:00.001-07:00

I have become a spinner!! I love doing it and I get started on a color and I just go until I finish. This is what I made yesterday and this morning. I got this roving at the VT sheep and wool festival last weekend. I love going and besides the vast amount of wool that I came home with I had other exciting things happen. I met some blogging friends in person!! Pippi Knee Socks was there selling her beautiful hand dyed fiber and yarn and Amy from Spunky Eclectic was right next door to her. Amy is the first person I bought roving from and I happened to have the first yarn I had spun with me so it was neat to show it to her and meet her.
My good friend Brigette was there with her handspun and beautiful felted containers. She won first prize for the vase she entered at the festival. Pretty cool.

Here is a picture of my new identity which has taken up most of my time for the past month...nursing student Heather:

I love school and have been learning really great things. It has been a big adjustment for my family to have me gone most of the week. It is like having a full time job without the pay and homework! I do get a little knitting done on the side but not as rapidly as I used to! Here are the promised picutres from my vacation knitting back in August. I finished the motego bay scarf from IK. It was the first time using Handmaiden Sea Silk and as nice as it is to wear and feel it was kind of a pain to knit with. I do love how the scarf came out. I still haven't decided if i want to go with the fringe or not- we'll see.

This little bag is now felted along with three others just like it in different colors. I love things i can whip out in a day- it made for good vacation knitting and now I have a few things made for my fall craft fair.

I made a quick pair of socks out of Noro which I traded with a friend for a massage. She is a great friend who i only see for short periods of time each summer when we go to the island so I wanted her to have something nice to take home until next year!

This last photo is something I am so proud of. My first cabled project! I was afraid of cables and now that I tried it I can't belive it has taken me so long. I am already half way through another hat! This one is made out of some handspun I bought at the NH sheep and wool. I am keeping this project for myself! I want to become braver with the cabling but most of them seem to be on charts and I haven't started with charts yet. They give me anxiety to think that I have to follow them when usually I am knitting with three young'uns running around. We'll see.

I have the body finished on my cardigan sweater and will start on the sleeves this week. I hope to have a finished object to show you soon.

i'm back!

2007-08-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

It's another pictureless post. I was away on vacation and actually have alot to show you as i worked hard to finish things up and i did my first cabling project. I can't believe it took my so long! We came home to a jungle of a garden and tons of food to process and I start full time nursing school tomorrow. I have been frantically trying to get my desk in order and I wish I had time to clean the house once before it gets ignored for the year but alas, there are not enough hours in the day and it was worth it to be with my family for vacation. I will update later this week with the knitting photos and send warm, hardworking thoughts my way!

very little progress

2007-07-31T14:10:00.000-07:00

I don't have much new work to show. I have been bogged down with freezing food from the garden and getting the kids to the water as much as possible. I decided to bail on the Harry Potter sock swap as I had to get a new blogger address for it and i just don't feel like I can handle any more right now.
My drama for the day is that a large bird flew into my windshield this morning and four hours later I found it in the back of my pickup still alive. It was a Pileated Woodpecker and it was just stunning. I was in town and it was roasting hot and I didn't know what to do and I felt very guilty for being the one to injure it in the first place. I finally found a nature center that took it and was going to get it to the bird rescue place so I do hope it will survive. It distressed me way more than I thought it would have. Anyway...in the world of knitting I am just plugging away at the two pairs of socks, two scarves and one sweater I have already posted about. I did manage to make two little felted bags. I am going on vacation for a week in a couple of days and am hoping to finish a few of these things before I go. I hope to have something to show soon. Hope everyone is having a fun summer.

Sock Swap 2!!

2007-07-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't help myself and i joined the Harry Potter sock swap 2. It was so exciting to have someone make me socks and it was fun to get a package together for someone else so... here are the answers to my questions.

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

Second Years

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?

Gryffindor

2. Shoe size? Foot length? Foot circumference?

Shoe size- 9 ladies, Foot length 9 1/2 inches, circumference- 9-9 1/2 inches.

3. List your three favorite sock yarns.

a.Koigu

b.claudia's handpaint

c.fleece artist

4. Would you like to try a new brand of sock yarn? If so, which brand?

i would love to!! No particular brand- surprise me!!

5. Do you prefer variegated or solid sock yarn?
Variegated.

6. What colors would you like to add to your sock yarn stash?

Any. I like purples and greens. (Also reds, oranges etc!)

7. What kind of sock patterns do you gravitate toward? Lace? Ribbed? Fair Isle?

Ribbed, plain. Sock knitting is my travel knitting so it is great when it is simple to follow. I have done a little lace and loved it but it would need to be a simple pattern.

8. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, animals, etc.)

no.

9. Will your socks be exposed to cigarette smoke or animals as you knit them?

An old dog who does not touch the yarn.
10. Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal?
yes.

Owl Post!

2007-07-18T11:39:00.001-07:00

I have an awesome Harry Potter sock swap pal! I opened my mailbox the other morning and look what I found!

There were HP candies that were promptly gobbled up by little people, a pair of Brittany DPN's, stitchmarkers that are so lovely I could wear them for jewelry and the yarn leftover from the socks she made- enough for me to make another pair for one of the boys! The socks you ask...

are beautiful! They were immediately on my feet and they fit perfectly. I am so touched that someone made me a pair of socks because I know how much work goes into them. thanks so much Erin.
I really enjoyed this swap thing and look foward to doing it again. There is a HP sock swap 2 if anyone missed out the first time.

it's raining, it's pouring

2007-07-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

We finally had a rain free day and the kids and I hit the beach. I did manage to take a few pictures too! This is the Montego Scarf from IK summer issue. It is the first time I have used Seasilk and it is quite luxurious. I find that it is a little slippery so I can't work on the project for too long at a time or my fingers ache. I hope to get it done soon so it can be a summer accessory.

This next scarf is made with two skeins of Koigu I had in the stash. I loved the colors so much that I didn't want to put them on my feet- I wanted to see them so... The pattern is called the Twisted Rib scarf by Mountain Colors. This pattern would be lovely in the Bearfoot yarn also.

This is a cardigan sweater I am hoping to have done for fall. It is made with the Lavold wool/silk blend and the yarn is really soft. It knits up nicer than I expected from the feel of the skein. The gauge was only measured in width and there was no gauge for length so I hope it works. The pattern has me knitting until I reach a certain number of stitches (after increases) instead of to a certain number of inches so we'll see. If it doesn't work for me I have a nice gift for someone smaller!

This next picture is really exciting for me- it is my first few skeins of handspun yarn! I LOVE spinning! I had used up some random roving from someone when I first tried it a month ago and it was really hard to draft. I decided to order nice roving and it has just been great! I spun up the blue/green in a few days and all 4 oz of the darker wool in one day. I have more ordered and it is challenging to wait for it to arrive. If there was a local source (I am sure there is, I just haven't sniffed it out yet!) I would already be fast at work. I told my husband we will save money this way because I get to enjoy the fiber twice when I spin it and then knit it!
I got the roving from Amy at Spunky Eclectic online. The lighter colors were Falkland top which is so soft and the darker is BFL wool. I ordered more BFL and a little Merino to try out next. I can't tell you how proud I am of these two skeins of yarn and I can't believe they came from my own two hands!
Anyway... This last photo is just a treat from our Vermont summer. The delphiniums love our climate and grow beautifully. Hope everyone else is surrounded by flowers these days!

Rain rain go away...

2007-07-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

So it looks as if we may have a rain free day here in Vermont! We have had rain every day for weeks and there are parts of the state that are flooding and needing Federal help. I hope to get some pictures today when the sun finally shines. I have been working on a couple of projects through this gray period although nothing is completed. I bought my first skein of Sea silk and it is gorgeous! I am making the Montego Scarf project out of Interweave Knits Summer 07. The yarn is a little slippery and I can only work on it for so long before my hands get sore from holding so tight to the yarn. I am still plugging away at my Koigu scarf and a pair of socks made from Mama E's cyber fiber. Beautiful colors she uses! The most exciting thing that has happened is I am spinning again. I spun up a bunch of white Romney last month for the first time and then for some reason I couldn't seem to spin anymore. It turns out that the flyer wasn't spinning and once I figured that out (a month later!) I have been spinning away and I love it! My first skein is drying right now. This is just a quick check in as I have been away from the blog for a while but I will get pics up soon!

it's been a while

2007-06-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is the grey neckwarmer made out of the baby camel yarn I wrote about earlier. It is so lucious. I used a larger needle size then called for, and to be honest, I can't remember how many stitches or what size needles I used and I already gifted it to the intended. I wanted to show you the project as I recommend people try out this yarn. Classic Elite Baby Camel.
This baby sweater is for my new neice. I used Manos Stria- it is my favorite cotton. So soft and always has a nice drape. The project is Yoda Sweater from Dogs steal Yarn. Baby sweaters leave me with such a sense of satisfaction as I can complete a sweater in a few days. This following picture is the recipient of the sweater, Morgan.
I finished up a pair of socks that have been on the needles for at least half a year. They will be a gift for my son at Christmas. He already has two pairs of socks made for Christmas. i am knitting myself into a little bit of a pickle; if one kid gets two pairs of socks they all want two pairs of socks! At least the other two have smaller feet!
These last socks are for my Hogwarts Sock Swap partner. I double stranded Brown Sheep Nature Spun sport and they knitted up beautifully on size 7's. I love the Cowgirl Slipper Sock pattern in last winters Interweave Knits and I wanted to make them again. It was a little challenging to find a pattern I liked with the colors I needed to use. I hope my pal likes them.
I also did manage to find the Addi Turbo DPN's again in VA. They are my favorites and i only had one pair (I now have three!). I went to one yarn shop and the owner didn't believe me that they even make DPN's and instead told me they make circulars, "you know two needles with a string in between". I was a little offended. Anyway, my second stop at Uniquities in Vienna, VA had the Addi's and a very nice woman working there. It is a lovely shop if you are in the area. I go to see my family a few times a year and have to visit all the shops around. One of these days I would like to do a yarn crawl from here to there and stop all along the way. i know that trip will not involve my husband or children!
On a final note my Herb Conference was amazing and i met many new teachers. I took a four hour intensive in Hula dance with a magical woman from the big island of Hawaii . It is a powerful dance and she is a powerful woman. I learned alot about medicines from all of the other plant lovers there and came home feeling renewed. It has been a challenge coming home to my life of chores and children but I just go off the good energy there and count my blessings that I have chores and children to tend to!

busy, busy, busy

2007-06-21T04:53:00.000-07:00

My computer is acting funny so I have no photos today but I do have some fun things to show when I get it fixed. I used Classic Elite baby camel yarn recently and I have to tell you if you see this yarn you want to buy some. It is so soft and creates a beautiful and lucious fabric. I made a neckwarmer for a friends husband and I am looking foward to using it again.
I have been under famly travel deadlines which have made me whip my garden into shape. We grow a lot of our food and getting the crops in has been a big feat. I bailed on planting corn this year but I managed to get everything else in. I also have full flower gardens for the first time! I created these gardens five years ago and up until this year they have small plants with alot of dirt. This year the plants have filled in and the dirt is minimal. I am now trying to move things and figure out what blooms at which part of the year so there can always be color. My mom is an amazing flower gardener so I have learned from her.
There has been knitting. I was on a 12 hour car ride twice this week and I finished the Hogwart's socks for my sock swap pal. They turned out to be pretty good and I hope she likes them. Bright yellow and black were new colors to work with!
I am headed off to the International Herb Symposium this weekend. I love these conferences and this is my second year going solo- without any children. I get so renewed and I need that to get through the summer.
I hope to get pictures for the next post when I get home.

look what I did!

2007-06-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

I actually spun some yarn! It doesn't look great and I have a long way to go but i have figured out how to use my foot and hands at the same time (quite tricky!) and there are moments when the yarn spins itself and I feel like I am really doing it. I have already used up all of the roving in my house and am looking for more- does anyone have any suggestions?
Of course I want the soft merino beautifully dyed but I think I need to stick to wool that is easier to spin until I have more control on the wheel. Here is the wheel:
It is on indefinite loan from a friend with three young kids who is a weaver and wants to focus on that for a while. I have been wanting to learn to spin for years and the drop spindle just hasn't done it for me.
On the other news. I am working on a wrap sweater for my cousin's baby. The yarn is Manos Stria in light green. What a nice soft yarn to work with. I am using size 6 needles which are a little big so the fabric is more flowing and has a nice drape. I hope to get the sleeves done today and it all put together over the weekend.

A last picture to show you the stash enhancement that happened at WEBS the other night. It is almost all new to me yarns that I haven't used before. The possibilities are endless...

yarn harlot

2007-05-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

I am lame and have no pictures to show but I do have a story to tell. I went on a road trip yesterday with my friend Deb to Northhampton, Mass to see the Yarn Harlot! We got to town a little early and went out for a berkshire beer (Deb's favorite and not available here in VT). We then went to see Stephanie and she was so funny. I loved hearing her voice and seeing her in person after years of reading her blog and all of her books. After the talk she was heading to WEBS for book signing and Deb and I made our way to the Northampton Brewery and had more beer and dinner. They had great shirts there with a peace sign on them, heart and beer. Peace love and beer. I had to have one! We then headed over to WEBS where I was rendered speechless for at least ten minutes after walking in the door. It is a knitter's dream and if you ever get the chance to go there you definently should! We roamed around touching yarn and filling our baskets for about an hour. I then start talking to a woman who says " Now that I figured out the warehouse I come a few times a year". The warehouse? I thought we were in the warehouse? Nope. If you head through the door at the back of the shop you enter a huge space with shelves up to the ceiling filled with YARN!! It was so exciting. We actually closed the place down. Poor Stephanie- I think she was tired by the time we left. I loved meeting her as the meditation book she wrote was the first thing that made me aware that there are other people in the world as crazy about knitting as me!! Thanks Stephanie for being so inspirational!

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all. I hope it is a day full of appreciation both by your family and by yourself for the job you do as a mother.

I have had a great weekend so far. I spent all day yesterday at the NH Sheep and Wool Festival with two good friends. Kimberly left with two Angora bunnies and Deb and I left with a few new skeins of yarn.
This is all the yarn I added to my stash. There is a beautiful skein of cashgora/merino blend from Spirit Trail fibers. I love all of her yarns. It was hard to leave with just one but I am sure I will visit her website often. The peach colored skein is handspun by the woman from fiberfetish. She was so personable and fun that I wanted to stay all day and watch her spin. The little purple and green skein is a wool/silk blend that will make a perfect spring and fall scarf. I got it from a local woman- Ellen's half pint farm- I don't know if she has a website. I think this is the first thing I will knit. The two skeins of variegated green are destined to be socks for my husband. He gets a pair every Christmas and he has had his eye on some green that I bought for myself at the VA S&W last fall. Now we both will get our green socks! I got a skein of lacy silk and two skeins of a to die for angora blend that I bought and used last year too. It was the one vendor I knew I had to visit again this year!

I bought a few patterns and a book- Sweater Workshop based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's sweater formula. The woman who wrote the book was so great and she has been knitting forever.

I found a new pair of needles that I can't wait to use. They are ten inch circulars with a strechy cord. The idea is they will stretch so it is easier to knit socks on them. I can't wait to see how they work and if they work as well as I am hoping I will be purchasing them in many sizes. I can crank out socks on small circulars!

The last skein of yarn needed it's own photo...
This is what my daughter calls Double Pink and is currently her favorite color. I have no idea what I will do with it although I would like to just use half and keep half for her to fingerknit with when she learns. I think she will love to use the yarn too and we have to get them started young- right?

Onto the knitting...
This is the first of the Horcrux socks. It was a fun and easy pattern to knit although it is going to be a challenge to finish the second without diving into the new lucious yarns I now own. I did cast on the second to keep myself from second sock syndrome completely!

So, that was my mother's day gift from the family and what a treat it was! I went to bed last night dreaming about yarn and colors and do wish that I had many more dollars to go back again today! We instead just got our three piglets and are introducing them to our land. This makes for a fun mother's day treat too!

Green socks finished!

2007-05-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the green socks out of Fleece Artist yarn. I whipped the first one out in a week and then got a wee bit distracted by the other yarns calling my name and had to do a few projects in the interim. I just buckled down and worked on the second sock this week and I am so happy I did. They feel so nice on my feet and the color is great!! Here is a close up that shows the color better.
I just got a few new books in the mail and since I love to read and knit it is a treat to read about knitting! I got the Yarn Harlot's new book. She is going to talk at WEBS in Mass and I am planning on making the trip down to hear her if any Vermonters are interested in carpooling. I have never been to WEBS and am looking foward to a yarn store where I can have a shopping cart!
I also got the new Harry Potter pattern book which my kids have pored over. I love that the projects they like the best are the bookmarks and the mini sweaters. They may actually get those! The last book is by Elizabeth Zimmerman. I can't remember the name right now but it is the first book of hers i have read and it is so amazing. I have been hearing her name for years now and I can finally understand why!
There is currently no new work in progress- I am carrying around a few balls of Koigu trying to figure out what I want to knit with them. I don't want to do socks as I love the colors and I tried the clapotis but got off in my numbers really early on and ripped it out. ( Lace overwhelms me as there is very little knitting without young children around!)
I will have to get a photo of the yarn soon so I can hear your ideas!

Spring has sprung!

2007-05-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

Spring has finally happened here in Vermont. I have been busy pulling weeds and planting seeds- it feels so great to dig in the Earth. I also finished my final exam for my last class until fall. It feels a little strange to not have thinking work to do every evening but I like it. I am trying to decide what book to read first.
On the knitting front I have finished the Kochoran afghan.
I thought about making it bigger but I just had to use it. It fits perfectly over my lap and down past my toes and I am the one who will use it so I sewed in all the ends last night and snuggled up!
I made a beautiful head wrap/ scarf from a pattern by Wendy Bernard- the Dream Swatch
Here's a closeup of the stitch pattern:
Isn't it lovely? It looked a little complicated until I started knitting and then it knits up pretty quick. I would like to try some with nice sock yarn. This is made out of silk and it is already getting a little furry.
A good friend is having a baby any day and I found this cute bolero in the One Skein book. It was a fast knit and I used a cotton/tencel blend that is so soft. It is perfect for a spring baby! I have to get it off in the mail tomorrow as baby's grow so fast!
Once again I did not finish my socks for the sock a month KAL. I finished some in February and the Fleece Artist socks have been next inline. I am finally in sock mode again (at least until this pair are finished!!)

i have a problem

2007-04-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

When I started the blog I wondered if yarn addict was a silly name but today I realize that it is the truth. I am a yarn addict. I don't know if it is the winter blues or spring fever but I have made alot of purchases this week and I have an almost overwhelming amount of WIPs. I just received a box of Noro Kochoran I bought on ebay today and have already casted on for an afghan I am going to make by mixing two colorways. I have no idea how they will look together, as with Noro it is hard to tell until you knit it up, but I am looking foward to snuggling up in a blanket so soft. These are the colors.
I have had some finished projects though. I finished the purple silk scarf and made a second which I am wearing and I have gone a little crazy with the washcloths. They are really fun and fast to make and I think I just needed something like that. I am trying to make a set for each teacher I work with for an end of the year gift. I will be leaving my job at the end of the school year to go to nursing school full time. I am looking foward to the school experience but I will miss all my colleagues and students.
I am going to work hard to finish my research paper tonight so I can spend the next snow storm doing nothing but enjoying my knitting. A big one is coming Sunday so wish all of us New Englanders happy thoughts!

My sock swap questionnaire

2007-04-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

Here are the answers to my Hogwarts questionnaire. I look foward to finding out who my pal is!
1.

What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?

Ravenclaw

2.

Shoe size?

9-9 1/2

3.

Foot Length?

9-9 1/2 in

4.

Foot Circumference?

approx. 9 in

5.

List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length.

a.addi turbo bamboo

b.any wooden needles

c.

6.

Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length?

sure- shorter is better- 5-6 inches

7.

If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference?

I think I would like either

8.

Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal?

yes

sock swap

2007-04-10T17:05:00.000-07:00

I am excited about the new sock swap I joined. It is the first swap and it is a Harry Potter sock swap. You can check it out here. My oldest son and I have been reading the HP series and he is so into it. He helped me with the sorting quiz and did it for himself too. He was not sorted into Gryffindor and now wants to try all the sorting quizzes we can find online to see if he will get in at a different site. It is fun to see him so excited about books and reading. Anyway, I think he is just as happy as me about the socks and it will help us have some good knitting time together.
I went crazy with the cute washclothes this weekend and have already made seven more. I will get a picture up soon as well as a new photo of all the kids comfort dolls!

king winter returns

2007-04-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

I had high hopes that spring was on the way but Mother Nature fooled me again! the daffodils were starting to poke up and I found a couple of tulips peeking out too and they are now under a foot of snow. To add insult to injury my car is in the shop and I have a 2WD loaner with no snow tires so I am forced to stay home. The good part about staying home is that I make time to knit while I hang out with the kids.
I just received my first online order from WEBS. The Cascade Cloud nine is new to me and a little different color than I thought I was ordering but it seems quite soft and will make a great baby gift. I love the Debbie Bliss Alpaca/silk. I have a hat pattern I have taught a couple of people that works beautifully with the yarn. I am really excited about the italian merino in deep purple and green. I knit with it once a few years back and loved it! All of the colors I received are a little different than what I thought they would be but yarn is yarn and I do love it all!
The next two photos are the projects I whipped out the last two days during the blizzard. The color is off on all of the pictures but the scarf is a really beautiful, shiny purple silk that I purchased a few years back at the VT sheep and wool fest. This scarf is for a friends birthday but there is so much left and it is so soft I am working on one for myself too. I love the feeling of silk wrapped around my neck!
I also just made these washcloths following the pattern from the book Mason Dixon knitting. I have been wanting to make them for a while and now that I have I wish it hadn't taken me so long. They are fun and easy to make and they are the most lovely cloths I have knitted. I am sending them to my mom for her birthday.

I have made a few exciting knitting related purchases this week. I found a copy of Lily Chin's The Urban Knitter discounted at a small bookstore. I can't wait to make the empire waist dress. I have one made out of wool from a friend and would love a lighter weight one for the warmer months.
I also won a skein of qiviuk on ebay last night. I am so excited!! I have had my eye out for this yarn for a while now and haven't found it at any of the stores I have been to. I hear that it is at the Burlington YS but I have not been up that way in a while. Qiviuk is supposed to be softer than cashmere--Is it possible?!? I imagine it will be knit up quickly once it gets here. I guess that is one great reason to give thanks for this extended winter, right?

one down and many to go

2007-03-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

I finished the calorimetry and I love it! I have worn it many times already and besides it's comfort and warmth it covers my hair on dirty days when I don't get time to shower!! Such a mom reason for loving something. I actually want to make a few more in other colors and definently one in cotton for the summer months.
Of course I can't finish one project without starting another so here's the new one. It is a baby blanket for a friend. I bought some yarn from the closeout section of WEBS. My first time shopping there online. I got some good deals on yarn I am familiar with and then this new to me yarn. It is a wool, acrylic blend so that it can be machine washable. I am such a fiber snob that I have a hard time with the acrylic. I hope that after I wash it it will be softer. I just envision new babies wrapped in cashmere but I can't afford that! I think I would just like to be wrapped in cashmere! Anyway, the colors of the blanket are lovely and it is a basketweave pattern with 9 stitches for the middle and basketweave with 3 stitches for the border. Everything else is on hold while I make this as babies do not wait when they are ready to be born.
I found my first daffodil sprouts this week so I worked hard and removed all the hay bales from around the house. Such a Vermont spring- it snowed within four hours. I was a little down about it all day yesterday but I am feeling better now. I know warm and sunny days are on the way!

WIP's

2007-03-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

This past month I just wanted to knit for knitting's sake. I suddenly did a 180 and now i look at my stash and wish I could knit faster as there are so many things I want to make. I have been wanting to make a calorimetry (pattern on knitty.com) this winter and decided I better get to it if I want to wear it this winter so here it is so far...I am using a handspun yarn that I purchased at last years NH S&W Fest.
These are the socks I started on my Florida trip in February. It is made with the Fleece Artist sock yarn which is very nice to knit with. I tried following the pattern on the label to try something new but it wasn't working for me so i switched back to my pattern at the heel. How exactly is it supposed to work with an odd number of stitches on the heel? Has anyone else tried that pattern?
And here are the squares for the Lizard Ridge which are so addictive that I get nothing else done. they are done in repeats of 6 rows and it is so easy to say just one more repeat. I may have to make a second when this one is finished.
I have one other project on the needles for a friend who might read the blog so I can't put up a photo. I am trying a new (to me) Noro yarn that is a wool, acrylic, cotton blend. It is a kind of slubby nubby and I am not sure if I am going to be inspired to finish this one but I know that the recipient will love it so I knit on!
The last photo is of my beautiful three year old princess. The party was very pink and very fun. Quite different than the parties my two boys have had over the years!
Can anyone enlighten me on how to highlight something so that people can click on it and go to that site? (ex:knitty.com) Thanks.

update

2007-03-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to show off all of the work my students have done so far. We have about 40 dolls and hope to have a lot more in the next few weeks as everyone finishes. Give me an e-mail if you want to participate! I will have updated pictures of my home knitting after a three year old pink birthday party tomorrow!!

Tamponification

2007-03-12T16:14:00.000-07:00

I got an e-mail today sending me to the Seventh Generation website for tamponification. You click on a state and they will send free environmentally friendly feminine products to a women's shelter in that state. It is so worth the minute it will take to type in www.seventhgeneration.com .
In knitting news I am plugging away at my Lizard Ridge squares. I will put up pictures soon. I also finished the first of my March socks for the SAM KAL3. I made it out of the Fleece Artist and it is the first time I have used the yarn. I do love it! I started the sock following the pattern they have on the label but having an odd number of stitches on the heel threw me off and I just switched half way to my own sock pattern. I thought the one on the label was a little unclear. Anyone else try that pattern? How did it work for you?
The comfort doll project is chugging along. We were hoping to have 100 dolls in the next month but we are falling short. I have been trying to encourage parents and others to make one as the kids have put so much into the project. I don't want them to be disappointed. If anyone out here in cyberspace is interested in whipping out a doll (they are really quick) the pattern is in my archive and I will give you the address to send it to.
Sorry about the lack of pictures. I will take some in the next few days and get them up! Peace.

more blocks

2007-03-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

The lizard ridge squares are coming along. (pattern can be found at knitty.com ) They are addictive to knit as most things are with the kureyon wool. I have been finding that alot of my skeins may not work as well as I hoped. For each square you knit from both ends. After 6 rows you change ends and supposedly get a sharp contrast in color. The problem has been that alot of the skeins have the same color starting on both ends of the skein. I have been going through all of the skeins I have, which seem to be alot, and it looks as if I will have to purchase more if I want the dramatic color changes i am looking for.
I have also really been needing a garter stitch project so I can just knit and meditate. My children have had so much vacation that I am going crazy and it seems like they may be too. We had our Feb vacation two weeks ago and now we have Mon and Tuesday off too for town meeting day in Vermont. I do not know why Monday when all of the meetings are Tuesday but it is what it is. The children are so needy and grumpy with each other that I have not had time to sit and knit the projects that I have to count for or really pay attention to. Any ideas? I may just start knitting away a big square that I can add onto as I go out of Bartlett wool that I have in the stash and see what happens. Another blanket is always useful and as it takes me a long time to finish blanket projects it may be ready for next year.
My big family news is that I have been accepted into a full time nursing program starting this fall. It is a little overwhelming as it will take alot of time and money but I am determined to keep my eye on the prize and this will help my family immensely in the long run. I am looking foward to all of the great things I will learn. Well, the children are getting to watch a movie today so I am going to use that time to sit next to a cozy fire and knit by myself.

Back home

2007-02-28T13:06:00.000-08:00

Well, I am back at home and the work begins again. I was lucky to have alot of knitting time on vacation. I finished the baby socks and my mother's hat and scarf set. I also made a scarf for my niece
and finished two blocks for the Lizard Ridge afghan. I was amazed at how quickly the squares knit up. This is a picture of them unblocked. I am going to block these two to get a feel for how they will really turn out. I also changed the pattern a little and did four repeats instead of three because I seemed to have alot of extra yarn after three. I have small balls left after four which I am taking for the kids to use with the comfort dolls. They (and I) love the yarn that changes color!
I have been so grateful for the warm and sunny days we have had here in Vermont. I was very cold the first few days back and the nice weather helped me to adjust. I have alot of photos to send off for developing so ta ta!

i'm on vacation!

2007-02-18T11:21:00.000-08:00

This is my view from the living space in our Florida condo. It is so wonderful to be somewhere that is warm, even if it is too windy to be on the beach. We have the pool and it is heated and the kids are all happy! I have to say that I love knitting in the sun.
I started the first square of the Lizard Ridge afghan. I saw it on Knitty.com and fell in love instantly. The pattern is pretty easy to follow although I may do four repeats instead of three if yarn allows. I will put up a picture of the first square soon. I get alot of knitting time here as we have both grandmas with us!

Here are the finished baby socks. They turned out to be pretty cute and I hope they fit. Little babies can be so chunky you never know. I will get to meet my new neice in a few days. I am looking foward to a little baby snuggling time.

comfort doll update

2007-02-14T07:10:00.000-08:00

Here is the update on our comfort doll project. The kids are really excited about it and I have a couple of girls who are knitters at home who have already made more than one! WE would love help from others to reach our goal of 100 so if you are interested the pattern is on this site (scroll down)and you can e-mail me for our address. It is a great way to use up odds and ends and they knit up very quick!
We are having a blizzard here today in Vermont and we got the day off of school. YEAH!! My family is gearing up for a trip to Florida next week with all of the grandparents and I really have to use today to unpack the attic and pack up the suitcases! I am looking foward to the 12 hour car ride to DC- I am planning on finishing up the scarf and sock on the way. Happy Valentine's Day!!

it all works out

2007-02-12T06:03:00.000-08:00

My daughter Abby has three pairs of handknit wool blend socks that I love for her to wear in the winter to keep her toes warm. She does not feel the same as they fall down alot! I decided to make her another pair in her favorite color- pink- with ribbing and smaller needles in hopes that they stay up and she will wear them. I also cast on less stitches which, in hindsight was not the best idea so...
...here is the sock. Isn't it cute? It is fingering yarn from Brown Sheep. What is the problem? Here is the sock on Abby...
It is so small it doesn't even go onto her foot! Thankfully I have a new niece that I haven't given a welcome to the world gift yet so I am now making them for her. A gift completed and my first pair of socks for the sock KAL 3!! It all works out! Just one last picture of Abby as she is helping me write this post today.

too fun!!

2007-02-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

These mitts are so fun to make. I am having a hard time getting things done that I have to do because I just want to sit and knit (is this any different than any other day?) The second one is almost complete and my kids all want a pair.
I joined my first sock KAL. I am excited. A pair of socks a month for the next six months. I believe I can do this! To find this knitalong go to knittinmom.blogspot.com

scarf interrupted...

2007-02-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

I have been faithfully chugging away at my mother's alpaca scarf but I find myself each evening staring at the stash (my wall of yarn, my husband calls it!) looking for something new to start. I need a break from socks as I have just made three pairs this month but I love the sock yarn, so... I am making fingerless gloves out of Koigu. I have had these skeins for a couple of years and I have started socks and a scarf out of it but neither were its destiny. I decided on the mitts because the room where my husband and I watch movies and TV is always COLD and when my hands get cold I don't want to knit. I am hoping that the mitts will help or else my husband will have to start watching movies alone while I knit in front of the fire!

comfort doll project

2007-01-30T13:01:00.000-08:00

My students and I are making comfort dolls to send to the AIDS orpahns in Africa this spring. I have around 40 students from first to seventh grade and they are each making at least one. Our goal is 100 dolls by April 1st. Anyone interested in doing a quick project that will use up leftover yarn and make a little child very happy?

The pattern is quite simple. I use worsted weight yarn and size 8 needles. CO 32 sts with brown yarn for the feet. Knit 8 rows. Change colors and knit approx. 3" for pants. Change colors and knit approx. 2" for shirt. Change to brown for face and knit approx. 1 1/2". Change colors again for hat and knit as follows.
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: decrease 4 times evenly across row
Row 4: Purl
Row 5: decrease 4 times evenly across row
Row 6: Purl
Row 7: decrease 4 times evenly across row
Row 8: Purl
Row 9: Knit 2 together across row

Thread needle and sew through remaining stitches pulling tight. I like to make the face before I sew it all up. Sew up center seam in back. Stuff head. Weave a string around neck and pull tight to make a neck. Stuff body and sew up feet. Using a backstitch sew from waist to just below neck to form arms. Define legs in the same way sewing from bottom to just below waist.

This is a great project for beginners and a quick knit for more experienced knitters and a great way to bring a little love to a little person. Email me if you have dolls and I will give you the address. Happy knitting!

I'm finally a blogger!!!

2007-01-28T05:49:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about blogging for a couple of years now just to have folks with whom I can share my love and passion for fibers and knitting. I believe my family and friends get a little tired of hearing what project I am working on and what new yarn I have acquired. I have just finished my first knit from your stash project- some new leg warmers. Now that I teach I find that I wear more skirts and the leg warmers make this possible in vermont winter. These are made with 44 stitches in Manos del Uruguay yarn.

I am trying to finish up a hat/scarf set that my mother requested and bought the yarn for. This is a big deal because she is not into any animal fibers. It is a soft alpaca in pastel green and blues that we got together at the VA sheep and wool festival. The colors are not as nice in the photo as they are in real life. I am hoping to get better at all of this over time.

Well, the picture is up at the top. I don't know yet how to put it in the right place. I just cast on the second sock for my first month's gift project. I am a little behind but more than half way! Here goes the posting. Thanks for reading!