Sunday, January 31, 2010

"So Long, January" Sunday

"A new British survey has revealed that 9 out of 10 people like Chocolate. The tenth lies."
- Robert Paul
Last weekend was spent with a good book, great tea and new yarn. I am loving the way the Bamboo feels. It does split a little more than Superwash Merino does, but with a little care taken, it is well worth it.
And they came out so cool!!
This beautiful yarn is, I believe, destined right now for the Evenstar mystery shawl on Ravelry. I have signed up, but I haven't finished my sweater yet and I may put the pattern with the yarn for another time. I still wind all my yarn by hand, I am a very tactile person that way.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Icy Wednesday

Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish.
Albert Einstein
One of the many joys of living in the heart of the Midwest, is dealing with the crappy weather. Can I use that word on Blogger? Believe me, it is much better than the word that came to mind this morning when I got up and could hear the ice tinking off the windows. There is no let up in sight. There are accidents everywhere and semi trailers in the ditch off the Interstate and some of us still need to try and brave it to go to work....
I found a necklace thrifting that had the most interesting elements....they all came apart to make row markers for knitting. Do I really need so many row markers, you may ask? Well, of course not, but now I have some to share with friends! I love that part of it.
I have been dyeing yarn again and it is wonderful to see it come together. This yarn was dyed very quickly in lime Kool-Aid, heat set and allowed to dry before three different sessions in tea. The color is as close as i am going to be able to get to the color in my head. It is destined, one day (probably not anytime soon) to be Anne Hanson's Honeybee Stole.
And this lovely table mat was made for me by Cathy of Cath's Pennies Designs. If you have not been to her blog, she has begun selling her patterns of some of the most whimsical designs. I just love her Love Ewes pattern, a sheep candle mat that has buttons to accent the little feet. This is one talented lady. I am expecting her newest pattern, Scarecrow Jack in the Pumpkin Patch, in the mail almost any day. She does tutorials on her blog to show you how to put her patterns together.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Holiday Mondays are Wonderful!

“Waste your money and you’re only out of money, but waste your time and you’ve lost a part of your life.”
― Michael Leboeuf
My very smart Daughter-In-Law and Son contacted my favorite yarn dyer, Qutecowgirl, for my Christmas presents. These yarns were dyed with me in mind. The yarn in the foreground was hand-dyed, the dark you see throughout the skein was the word "Health" spelled out during the dyeing process. The yarn in the background was her daughters first yarn. She knows how much I love her daughters yarns. My Son and his Wife sure put a lot of thought into this. Thank you so much, Perry and Kim!
The new sock project bag has been going everywhere with me. It was included in the gift. There is a small pocket inside, just the right size for a little something else. Something like, oh...I don't know, the gorgeous stitch markers that also came along with the gift. All I can say is WOW. I was thrilled to open this package Christmas morning.
Have you ever knitted with bamboo? Well, until this month, I never had. My Dad gets my next pairs of completed socks and I wanted him to have something soft. These feel like chenille.
It is no secret I love hand-thrown pottery. I thought I would show a couple of pieces I collected over the summer and have put to good use. I can never walk by a pair of knitting needles at a yard sale or a thrift store. You never know when you or a friend will need just the right set. And they look like little bouquets!

I have more to show you, I got some beautiful soy yarn from a dear friend....stay tuned.