Spud

A fun book with children's Read A Long. What I like about Susan B Anderson's toy patterns as they are pretty much knit in the round. Spud was made with Spud and Chloe Sweater Yarn. The wool was real putzy, but turned out nicely. Susan has a good video demonstrating the technique on her blog and is worth watching.

www.spud&Chloe.com/blog/2011/05/twisted-loop-stitch-tutorial

Saturday Sky 06-25-11

This picture looks identical to last weeks-it is not. The newspaper said today would be a "lovely summer day." Sunny with high of 79. Well, the sky has looked like this all day, a little rain fell a while ago and at 4 PM the temperature is 69. I've put my sweater back on-I took it off yesterday.

Propaganda Yarn

A friend of mine has started a hand dyed yarn company, Propaganda Yarn launching on www.Artfire.com this month.

This is Anastasia-Fingering- 100% merino- Color, Cut My Teeth on Diamonds.

This is Dacha- DK-100% merino.
Neither one has told me what it wants to be when it grows up.

Spinning Again

When I retired 11 years ago, I oiled my hibernating spinning wheel, spun 1 bobbin of wool and didn't touch it again until a few months ago. While in hibernation the wheel did nothing but serve as a ship's wheel when the grandchildren played with it. A few months ago I decided I wanted to spin again so brought out the wheel and put it back together as best as I could remember. I did do a little spinning with some wool that was so dirty all I did was pick out vegetable matter, so that fiber didn't stay around. I started on the blue fiber but after spinning 1 bobbin, decided I wanted to take some classes to refresh my memory and skill. So, this is what I have produced after 2 classes. I do not know what either of the fibers are; found the natural in my fiber stash and bought the blue at Stitches last year, but do not remember what it was.

Alcyone

Pattern: Alcyone by Romi from e-book, 7Small Shawls Book 1

Yarn: All For Love of Yarn Nogi.

Needle: US 5

Finish blocked measurements: 86 inches by 16 inches.

Another gem by Romi! I am excited that she will be doing another book during the next year-and I'm a test knitter!

Saturday Sky 06-18-11

Cloudy and humid until this afternoon when the rain started-just a nice soaking rain with temperature about 70.

Juneberry Triangle

When I made my first Juneberry Triangle by Jarod Flood in a sport weight yarn, I wondered if the pattern would stand out better in a worsted weight yarn, so I knit another one!

Yarn for this one is Plymouth Select Worsted Merino Superwash using US 7 needles.

Shawl Pins

I HATE going to Curves, but because I know it is good for me, I force myself to go 3 times a week. Lately it has been more fun to go because I found out one of the women who goes when I do makes this beautiful jewelry from vintage silverware. When I saw her shawl pins, I just had to have one because I knit so many shawls. (the bottom picture). When I saw the picture of a new technique she developed (the top picture) I ordered it almost as soon as I saw it. Her website is: www.etsy.com/shop/BentSpoonJewelry

Saturday Sky 06-11-11

Beautiful sunny, but cool day.

Gadget Box

This is something I carry in my knitting bag most of the time. It holds most everything I might need. I found a small crochet that fits, my puppy scissors fit, and more markers than I'll ever need. People are surprised when I tell them where I got it-Cabella's. It is a fishing tackle box. All the compartments are stationary except the large one on the left which has removable partitions.Looking at the bottom picture, it isn't very big.

Sakaki

This is Sakaki, a pattern by Rosemary Hill (Romi) designed to benefit Japan's earthquake survivors and recovery. (I'm a Red Hatter so can wear red and purple.) Sorry about the awful expression on my face. I always have to give my husband directions to take a picture and he snaps while I'm talking.

I laid it out when I was this far along to take a picture for Ravelry and discovered this...

At the time, I didn't know what I had done, but ripped it back and reknit. The pattern is easily memorized and a relaxing knit, so it wasn't so bad. Towards the end, I found the same problem and in taking it out realized what I had done-did it two other times, too. When I made the picot, I cast on 3 sts, K2 tog tbl, K1 tbl, pass first stitch off over 2nd. I was forgetting to pass the stitch off.

Yarn: Hazel Knits Sock Yarn (from my last sock club shipment!)

Needles: US 5

This is how much yarn I had left over! I did eliminate 2 ruffles in order to have yarn to finish.

Saturday Sky 06-04-11

This has been a beautiful weekend! Summer has arrived in MN. Temps both Saturday and Sunday in low 80's and humidity is down.