Brandywine Shawl

My daughter in law wanted a shawl for a friend of her's daughter's wedding, so I did not complain as long as I got to pick the yarn and pattern. I did this one in just over a week.

Pattern: Brandywine by Rosemary (Romi) Hill. www.designsbyromi.com . A portion of the sales of this pattern go to Haiti relief.

Yarn: Sublime. Merino, cashmere and silk-yummy!

Needles: Size US 5

Saturday Sky 05-28-11

This is the sky in Rosemount-40 miles southeast of us when we were visiting our daughter. Partly cloudy, chilly, but we ate outside.

More Clubs

I thoroughly enjoy receiving club shipments! But I'm beginning to think I belong to more than I should!

This is Loopy Ewe April shipment. I've heard people talk about this yarn, so now I own some. Who knows what it will end up to be? Both of these patterns are nice.

This is the May Three Irish Girls yarn. We had our choice of these colors, but were told that the pattern would be a two color pattern, so I ordered the 2nd skein in case I wanted to knit the pattern-I don't, but am looking at the sock pattern from the book, Knit One Below by Elise Duvekot. She is teaching this sock at Stitches in August and am thinking about taking it. Or, try to figure it out on my own. But as the bag above says, there is never enough time to knit!

This is the Shawls are for Suckers May selection. I love the bag and the yarn. The pattern-probably not.

I was not the last one to receive Romi's Shawl and Pin club this time. It actually arrived before I started looking for it, which was fun! This month's pin is exceptionally beautiful I think.

Hazel Knits. I think this is my last kit from Hazel Knits. Nice yarn and patterns.

Not one of these yarns/projects has even been started!

Marina Scarf

Little did I know when I started this scarf that this is where it would end up! Our grand daughter broke her wrist on a ripstick (a skateboard which swivels) and needed closed reduction under anesthesia. She wanted to wear the scarf to surgery; MD said she could, anesthetist said no. All is well now, except she won't get her pink cast for 2 weeks. Note the pink "tail" on her cap.

Yarn: Marina

Needles: Size 13

Pattern: Cast on 8 stitches and knit (using the loops in the tape as yarn) until yarn is used up. Bind off.

Saturday Sky 05-21-11

Heavy rains this morning turned into a nice afternoon with a temperature of 71. Didn't mind the rain this time as our association replaced winter damaged sod and then the sprinkler system broke. It's much easier for the rain to keep it watered.

New Books

The last two days, I've received 3 new knitting books. One I have been waiting a long time for: Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knit One, Knit All. The designs are ones that she wanted published in a book, but publishers never agreed with her. Now, her daughter and grand son together with some volunteer knitters have put together the designs and published this book. Many of the designs had no written instructions so the patterns were put together from her notes or drawings, her journal, or the actual garments were disected. I have made one of the designs many years ago-the Suspender Sweater at Door County Knitting Camp with Carol Anderson of Cottage Creations. I thought the book contained patterns never before printed, but they are patterns not in any of EZ's books. The Suspender Sweater was from a Wool Gathering and is a sweater I get many compliments on every time I wear it and it was fun to knit-interesting construction.

The second book is the book completely about charts. This I ordered as a reference for my teaching. Anything you ever need to know about charted knitting.

The third book, 10 Secrets of the Laidback Knitters, A Guide to Holistic Knitting, Yarn, and Life I bought just from a blog and pictures on the internet and it turned out to be an absolute gem. The picture on the cover of the little lace scarf is the one that yelled out to me as it looked like it was made from the stainless steel yarn I bought last year at Stitches and which had about 3 inches of a scarf which I wasn't very crazy about. The big surprise was seeing the pattern and seeing that it-plus one more in the book-are designed by Romi! This book has stories, pictures, patterns, history, and lots more.

Oh, for more time to knit!!

Saturday Sky 05-14-11

A gray, wet, nasty day! No wonder I'm grumpy! The temperature isn't even up to 50 and it has been misty/raining all day. Now I'm home and it's a good day to stay there and knit. At least the leaves are appearing on the tree.

Why Do Things Become UFO's?

Here's one example. Couldn't wait to start Spanish Moss from Romi's Shawl and Pin Club. If you remember, my kit got lost and I waited and waited for it to arrive. I took it along on my trip to France and got the center panel done but it had to be put aside because...

I had to make Juneberry Triangle for a shop sample so I could teach the class this summer. (I did finish this one-but I thought maybe the patterning would show up better on a heavier yarn, so after I finish the one I'm working one, that will be my next project-in a pretty red.)

When I finished Juneberry, I started Sakaki. It is really a simple pattern, but I've had to rip substantial amounts 3 times for a simple loose stitch in my YO's. I do enjoy this pattern and it is a good one to do when with people as it doesn't take a lot of concentration. (My mistakes were sloppy knitting, not pattern mistakes.) But...this has been set aside...

because my daughter in law wants me to make a shawl for a friend's wedding June 18. A deadline pushes this to the top of the queue. This is Brandywine Shawl by Romi.

So that explains 3 unfinished shawls, plus one in the "need to do right now" queue. Notice, they're all shawls! I have started Spud the sheep from the book, Spud and Chloe at the Farm by Susan B. Anderson, which is also for a class and I work on when I'm in the mood. It's real putzy! There just isn't enough time!

Haleakala Socks

A finished project! Even though it took a long time to make these, I enjoyed doing them. I love the rambling ribs and cables of Cookie A's socks even though it takes a little more concentration.

Pattern: Haleakala by Cookie A. From her Sock and Cookie Club

Yarn: String Theory Hand Dyed Yarn Caper Sock. Wonderful, soft yarn which shows good stitch definition.

Needles: 2.5 mm. Made both at the same time on magic loop, my new favorite method of making socks.

Shepherd's Harvest

Today was Shepherd's Harvest and my daughter and I had a fun time browsing. Of course the biggest attraction for me was 4 huge buildings full of yarn and fiber for sale.

There were people all over knitting and spinning.

Musicians.

Sheep

Rabbits. (I want one so bad!)

Llamas (Thee were alpacas too.)

Some had fancy haircuts.

Goats

This is all I bought. The roving is 100% alpaca, a Signature needle and the yarn is from All For Love of Yarn! a local dyer- 90% superwash merino and 10% nylon. I bought it for the beautiful color.

Oh! There was food, too. Mostly the typical fair food. Twice we stood in line for fried pickles, but the line never moved, so all we got was kettle corn which was shared with my great grand daughters when we got home.

Saturday Sky 05-07-11

Blue sky! It was a beautiful day! Got up to 70 degrees and the rain forcasted missed us.

Juneberry Triangle

In progress. This was made for Amazing Threads where I will be teaching this as a class this summer.

Pattern: Juneberry Triangle by Jared Flood.
Yarn: Marion Foale 100% wool. This was between a fingering and sport weight. The pattern called for sport or worsted. I'm wondering if the pattern would show up better in a heavier weight yarn.

Needles: US 7

Prior to blocking. It doesn't look like much.

Blocking brings out the beauty of lace. It is such fun to wet it and stretch it out into shape and see the true beauty.

This project restored my confidence in my lace knitting. A while ago I started a shawl which had patterning on both the right and wrong side rows. (I can never remember if that is knitted lace or lace knitting.) I just could not get that pattern, so gave it up and felt like my mental abilities were slipping. Well, this pattern has patterning on both sides, and I accomplished it, but it is not a project for a beginner lace knitter.

Knotty Scarflet

I do finish things. I don't just buy yarn, but realistically I buy more than I knit! This was a fast, easily memorized pattern.

This picture is prior to blocking.

Pattern: Knotty Scarflet by Sivia Harding

Yarn: Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino (only used 1 ball, so cost only $9.50.)

Needles: US 7

Blocking.

And the final product.

Yarnover 2011

Yesterday was the MN Knitters' Guild 25th annual Yarnover. I have been with the guild since almost day one and attended number one. Sixty people attended the first one with local teachers except Kate Martinson from Decorah, Iowa. On the right in the picture is Peg Torgeson who had the original idea for a one day knitting get together. Nancy, a good friend is on the left.

In commemoration of the 25 years, I found these items available. The mug is made by Jennie the Potter: www.jenniethepotter.com. The little button is a magnet which was all that was available when I got to the table. The teachers and the lucky people who got to the table first got pins. Actually I'll probably enjoy the magnet more as it will be on my refrigerator all the time.

These are a few of the teachers. This year was a stellar group of national and international teachers. We are only able to take two classes, so it was a really difficult choice of which classes to attend.

This is a poor picture of the 400 some attendees at the keynote speech by Merike Saarnitt.
In the morning I attended a class on Japanese short rows and bind off given by Susanna Hansson. I sure wish I'd taken the class before I made the Traveling Sweater.

Class sample. (Mine has a couple mistakes in it.)

The class I took in the afternoon was with Rosemary Hill, http://www.designsbyromi.com/ . I took the class to get to meet her as I've been knitting so many of her shawls which I just love! In the picture I'm wearing Maia from her e-book, 7 Small Shawls.

Romi with some of her fans.

The class was correcting mistakes in lace knitting. Knitting the homework sample made me appreciate the habit I have of admiring my work so ofter. I would have seen this mistake before I got it this far.

This is how to go about reknitting just the portion with the mistake. I have done this many times with just a few stitches and a few rows, but had never pinned the yarns in the correct order. Now I will pin my strands and won't have to reknit rows over because I used the wrong strand of yarn. (I did not complete the correction-I learned what I needed to know and had shopping to do.)

There were 43 vendors at the market so shopping opportunities were plenty. These are my purchases. In the top row, left is a bar of silk shampoo from Shepherd's Choice in Anoka, www.shepherdschoice.com . I love this shampoo for my fine hair! (Getting it at Yarnover saves me a trip to Anoka and the temptation of the new ice cream store!) The book is the 2nd book by Catherine Friend, author of Hit By a Farm and now Sheepish, Two Women, Fifty Sheep & Enough Wool to Save the Planet. The books are about her and her partner starting a farm in MN. The first one was fun to read and I anticipate this one will be too. The yarn from left to right: 1) Happy Hands Hand Dyed Superwash Merino Tencel: www.happyhandsyarn.com .

2) Corny Goodness, 100% corn fiber: www.cornygoodness.com .

3 & 4) ilLOOMimated yarns 75% superwash merino/20% nylon/ 5% gold or silver stelina. www.illoomiminatedyarns.com/shop

We always receive gifts at Yarnover! The silver needle gauge necklace was given to the first 425 participants commemorating the 25th anniversary. The light green yarn it is sitting on was my door prize; Cascade Cloud 9 donated by Shelly's Yarn and Fiber Shoppe. The dark green Jo Sharp DK Cotton and pin saying, "I Knit because I am smarter than you" and shop bucks were donated by Three Kittens www.3kittensneedlearts.com and was given to participants after completing the evaluation. Also given after completing the evaluation was the Boro Boro, hat pattern and little silver tag, saying "made with love" were donated by Steven Be, www.yarngarage.com .

Need I say it was a fun day? But...I should have taken pictures of Sharon from Three Irish Girls, Catherine Friend, author of Sheepish, and the group from Ravelry.