Where the heck have *I* been?!

Time slips away and it has been so very long since my last post!  Where did the summer go?

Well, for one thing, this summer vacation for Lil Emp was shortened and he ended up starting school mid-August!  He had about a week or two off from school, then started day camp for a couple of weeks.  Just when we decided he could attend the third week, we end up off on a 4-week roadtrip from the West to East Coast!  Actually, the road trip was a four-day rush to get to Massachusetts since a good friend of SassyMan's has passed suddenly.  We stayed in and Massachusetts for two weeks meandering between visits with friends and-yes!-a couple of fibery excursions!

Prior to leaving, I had just spun my very first skein of 3-ply yarn-and, of course, made a fiber purchase!

Lorna's Laces roving-my first 3-ply!

  I had dropped in to A Verb for Keeping Warm and fell in love with these two beauties.

WOW-what timing!  We left for Massachusetts so suddenly that I forgot to grab a bottle of wine from my stash to give to Knittinggolfer, since I hoped to see her.  Fortunately, I had made my trek over to A Verb so I did have the freshly purchased roving to bring to her!  It had been well over a year since we had seen each other in camp, and one of the best things about this trip was getting to visit with her-and her wonderful family!

Lil Emp and her foursome enjoyed playing miniature golf together as well as sharing in other fun activities-like indulging in this...

And as much as we enjoyed the day with SassyMan and the kids, including attending Knittinggolfer's DS's ballgame, I have to say that the best thing was getting to sit in the "spinning room" and check out all the lovely fiber and give my buddy a hug in PERSON!  I even scored some of her Massachusetts-grown alpaca she had gotten and had processed!   (Thanks again, my dear bud!)  The place that had processed it added some merino to it and it spins up so nicely!

I love my girl, Knittinggolfer!

The good thing about road trips is that I was forced to seam this baby top-the seaming was difficult to avoid since the projects I had accessible to me in the car were limited.  And afterall, where was I going, anyway?  Couldn't really get away from it!  But at least this baby top for my cousin's 1 yo was done before I returned. 

Baby Jayla is not a baby anymore!  She turned one, so I made her a top

And SassyMan got to see friends of his who he hadn't seen in years.  And *I* got to meet his friend's wife who sells her gorgeous lampwork beads on Etsy!  (Dark Flower Bead Arts).  AND I got to see her work studio and lovely creations!  (OK, so maybe I shopped a bit, too...)

Dark Flower Bead Art's lampwork studio

Gorgeous beads made into pendants

Another friend of his has a property that formerly housed monks and still has a remaining cabin they've kept intact and maintained.  We got to sleep in it one night!

The inside of our 'cabin'

Prior to the trip I had just recieved these items in the mail before I left on the trip...

I did a little sample spin of the roving (Fleece Artist BFL) but it is waiting in line to one day become yarn.  Under the roving are two balls or "Cumbra" I purchased for the Pembroke vest, which is half completed.  Sadly, the concept of travel knitting forcing the focus didn't quite hold true with this yarn.  I brought it with me, cast it on and knit maybe 2 inches and it sat for a good 6 weeks.  You see, by the time I ran out of other items to work on, I had been able to hit Classic Elite's retail store and had replenished my knitting possibilities.

I got very motivated to design and knit some "Avatar" (Last Airbender,  NOT the blue people Avatars) socks for one of SassyMan's friend's daughter.  She and LE hit it off with their mutual love of the Animae series and spent time watching the various episodes together.

So by the end of the trip, I had spun most of the merino from Knittinggolfer, finished the baby top, completed all but the finishing touches on the Avatar socks, and knit a pair of Calendula socks for my friend-totalling three socks in all, since I completely misjudged the size!

Of course, when there is so much time between posts, there is always so much more to post to catch up.  There are a couple more things from my trip to share, but for now I'll fast forward to what I was working on right before I decided to start this entry:  the Blue-Leaf headband.  I was itching to actually complete a project, so I had to do the counter-intuitive thing-start a new project!  I'm on the decreases and it should be completed soon! 

Next post, I'll share how it relates to the Cross-Country trip, too!  I'll also have to share how my "clever" inspiration turned not-so-clever.  Seems to be a theme with me-I get inspired an in an effort to take a short-cut or avoid something I think will be a big PITA, I end up causing myself even more time and work!

And I STILL knit!

It's late and I need to go to sleep, but I actually found a camera I could get to work and load pics, so thought I'd share some of my current items OTNs!

Remember the Baby Bolero pictured on the front of a Sirdar pattern book I recently purchased?  Well I am quite proud that I found yarn in my stash and a baby set is well on its way with the completion of the bolero and the beginnings of a mini-buttonhead to match!

And then there are the Zoom Zoom socks of which I have completed one, and am working on the gusset of the second.  Kind of put aside and going slower since I am concurrently working on a couple of other baby knit items.

 Speaking of baby knits, here is a larger sweater that was *supposed* to be around a size 2.  It is coming out quite large so that my earlier fears the recipient would outgrow it before it could be gifted are more than alleviated.  As a matter of fact, I probably have a good year or two play time to get this done!

And now, a mini-recap of past posts...


A pic of the COMPLETED Twisted Flower socks!...

And a follow-up of Lil' Emp's haircut after he decided to cut some gunk out on his own...

 This little more than 1/4" that first blended in with his long hair has now grown into a couple of inches-now more visible as a tuft that can easily stick up from his head.  Ah, well...though not at that young pre-school hair-cutting age, he is definitely of the problem-solving, independent age...

Meeting deadlines!

Thanks to Mapleweave, I joined the Socknitters Annonymous group on Rav and ended up joining their KAL in April.  Happily, it pushed me to finally knit Cookie A's "Twisted Flowers" pattern.  I know, this picture is not proof, but close enough and trust me, they ARE done!

And I'm kinda proud that I finished it by the deadline-end of May!  I swear, I got in under the wire, finishing on May 29.

Another happy completion?  My "Plain Vanillas", inspired by Lara's.  I had had the Conjoined Creations "Flat Feet" fabric sitting around waiting to be knit and decided-why no some Plain Vanillas?  So I did it and they are done!



After not doing much by way of socks (or at least, not seeing much progress or attention to socks over the past few months...), I took it a step further and even cast on for Knitquest's Zoom Zoom socks!  

At 56 stitches per round, it is an awesomely quick knit!  I am making these for a friend's daughter and she is a women's size 9 and I have the first one completed.  Love the soft Shelridge sock yarn and the colorway!

And yes, there have been a few purchases.

First, and the most special (to me) is this gorgeously decorated darning egg.

Stormy is an old Sock Camp buddy and when she posted a pic of this egg, I thought it was absolutely adorable!  I love the "Untangling Faerie" and had no idea she was offering the egg for sale.  Apparently, at some point (and I obviously missed this!) she opened an Etsy store and is selling her hand-decorated darning eggs.

Decorating eggs is not new to her, as she has been making and selling Pysanky eggs for some time.  What a lovely cross-over to now decorate darning eggs!  They are truly beautiful and I especially love her White Rabbit (Ala Alice in Wonderland) and Sea Life! 

And in case you didn't notice, see the gorgeous stitch marker she included with my order?  One talented late, I'd say!

I guess I must have decided I had money because I also fell in love with the Moon Valley lotion bar and decided I needed another.  Now, I must admit I love Lo Lo bars and the variety of scents offered by Bar Maids, but after using the lotion bar and later realizing how soft my hands still felt later in the day, I got kinda hooked on the lotion bar, too.  And well....you know, to justify shipping an all...

And no, there is nothing I'm withholding from you except that after having a 9.5 lb kid almost 10 years ago, I was thinking that the tummy bar would be good not just for mommy-in-waiting but for stretch-marked moms!  Come on-how could I request such an obvious TUMMY bar anyway?!


And last, there was the quest for the giant, plastic, ergonomic crochet hook!  WonderMike of Fiber Beat had Tweeted his adorable bulky crocheted scarf and that hook was oh-so-tempting!  At $2.50, available locally, I had to go get one.

As always, I can never leave Lacis without other goodies, too!  Embroidery goodies cuz I seem to have this delusional idea that I will embroider a set of tea towels at some point in my life.  Note:  I have another set of iron-on tea towel motifs still untouched.  I can dream, can't I?...

So quite a bit of time has passed since my last post and I am still the same.  Thinking and dreaming of more and more projects to start and do, with little time to complete them!  The upside is that I AM actually getting projects done, albeit slowly, thanks to my new found 'semi-focus'!  Baby projects are cast on and underway.  Let's see how I progress with them, shall we? ;)

The case in favor of a wheel

The way I see it, I could either wait until the furloughs at work cease and our salary is restored, or I could use my coming tax returns to purchase a spinning wheel now. 

At the news of my former boss (now moved to a City job) losing her job (it was eliminated) and the economy not doing so great, I started to re-think my decision to use part of tax returns towards the purchase of a spinning wheel.  THE spinning wheel.  The long-desired spinning wheel.  The one that maybe 5 years ago Morgaine of Carolina Homespun had recommended to me but that I had decided to wait on so that I could splurge and go to the very first Sock Camp.  The same wheel that I postponed purchasing time and again due to budgetary constraints.  Due to space constraints.

I had finally decided that this was it-I would take the plunge and purchase my long-desired wheel.  Afterall, I will be getting a tax return!

Then I started thinking that maybe *this* is exactly the time I should hold back on a major purchase.  That things could get worst and that this would be a purchase of regret.

Well, at some point I turned my thought around and started envisioning my monetary situation not getting better.  In fact, getting worst where I could never get a wheel.  It then occured to me that this was exactly the time to go ahead and get it!  If times get worst, I will have my wheel and not have to put it off further into the future. 

And the best part?  It is a tool.  If all else failed, I would have a tool to work with, to help me be more efficient in making things.  It would give me more earning/creating options if I had to figure out how to make some extra money with a side job.  How perfect to buy a spinning wheel NOW!

And so, when I saw Amy from Knitty.com retweet "RT @avfkw: you know what's awesome? buying your spinning wheel from your local spinning shop. #supportyourlocaleconomy" I went straight over to Carolina Homespun's site and was immediately reminded of the "1% for Peace" as well as how I had told myself all those years ago that when I purchased my wheel, it would be from Morgaine because she was the one who first told me about the Lendrum.  She was the one who I purchased my very first spindle/kit from.  She was the one who made me sit and learn to "park and draft" when I returned to her booth the following show to tell her how I just wasn't able to teach myself to drop spindle.  And so I clicked the 'buy'.

In my attempt to finalize my payment, I realized Morgaine was out of town for the Maryland Sheep and Wool. Festival.  It was ok.  I could wait for her return.  This morning I was surprised to read Lann's email back to me saying, "the only question is...do you want to come here and pick it up?" 


So right after work, I headed straight to Carolina Homespun.  And tonight, I got to play with my new wheel!

And for fun, I had snuck a couple of stash enhancement excurtions in...

A purchase from One Planet's 3 day sale...

Some Fleece Artist BFL roving and a couple of balls of DK merino that was priced well and I couldn't pass up!  I have been trying to figure out what to knit for a co-worker's baby and new this would be enough for a baby vest.

Then, I saw this and could not resist...

I'm thinking this will be cute in BMFA medium weight Socks that Rock.  I'm thinking Boysenberry with maybe Sophie? or possibly with Grandma's Garden?  Apple Valley Road is appealing for the body, too, but it may come out too stripey and I'm going more 'semi-solid'.  Input?  Feel free to give your opinion-the order hasn't gone in yet!

Catching up!

If you follow my tweets or FB, you have already seen these...

PEEPSHI that I made, inspired by a Craftzine Tweet (a Grace Kang recipe shown here)!

 

 

And finally, a reveal of some of my Stitches West goodies...

Shall I start with some roving...?  This is some BFL from Blue Moon Fiber Arts.  The sad thing is that BattGirl is similar to some other colorway name that I can't remember!  So this is either Batt Girl.  Or the other one! (Yaks Per Color-?)  OK, the second one still has it's label and says it is "Batt Girl".  But to my inexperienced-Dyer eyes, they look so same.  But they truly are two DIFFERENT colorways.

 

I decided that I needed this Leticia superbulky in Rainforest Jasper.  Turns out Leticia is discontinued, so it was really a good thing I snagged it up!  And then I, of course NEEDED to get a skein of Lenka!

 

And about that handspun I showed in my last entry...

I swatched...

 

 And now have a finished Buttonhead hat!  I just blocked it and will post a finished, blocked, buttoned version in another post.

 

I actually even finished a Conway Cloche, but alas, need to take a picture to post.  I used the Berocco Vintage Alpaca/Acrylic that I had gotten at Sock Summit in my Rav bag.  I know PDXKnitterati is a self-proclaimed YarnSnob and gave hers away on her blog.  But I must say I love the yarn!

And look what arrived in the mail?  A Knit bag from KnitterBag on etsy!  It is thick and sturdy and sooo cute!

So I have been fairly focused and even finished my "A Little Something".  (Yes, another item with no picture at this time...)  I will post a pic as soon as I can get one taken and loaded!

So as much as I have a zillion socks in progress, I joined a KAL and chose Cookie's "Twisted Flowers" pattern to knit.  I am knitting the pattern with Shabui Sock yarn in the Wasabi colorway.  I'm not sure if any of you recall my sub-sub yarn stash (well, my sub-sock yarn stash that is my green sockyarn stash...)  Well, as odd as it may seem-I've not a green pair of socks to my name to date!  So I decided this would be the opportune time to dig into that GREEN sock yarn substash and knit me some GREEN socks!

I am thoroughly enjoying this pattern and find it difficult to put down.  I have finished the cuff on the first sock and am working on the heel flap.  LOVE this!

 

I'm going to try and behave and keep my focus-mojo going and get this pair done before leaping into my Slip-Jig socks-one of the latest Rockin' Sock Club patterns that just came out.  And it is knit by none other than IrishGirlieKnits!  As much as I'm 'resisting' casting on, I couldn't resist buying yet ANOTHER set of needles and winding the new club yarn (colorway: My Wild IrishGirlie) into a cake.  It will definitely be used for the Slip-Jig pattern, but I definitely plan to knit up Janelle's Secret Garden pattern, too.  I'll have to see what the next Blue Moon Fiber Arts new colorways reveal will be on the 15th of this month!  I've been pretty good, but I sense a 'caving' by way of a BMFA order in the very near future!  

OH-And I almost forgot!  A pic of Solly wearing his sweater and matching hat!  OK, the sleeves and overall length could have been a tad longer, but I'm just glad I completed the set and got it to him while he could still wear it!

I Make Progress When I Focus!

Nartian and I realized that we were working last Friday so I made my first trip to A Verb for Keeping Warm in Berkeley!  Adrienne was tending shop and Kristine was working in the dye area but popped in to visit and chat. So many beautiful fibers and yarn!

I purchased 2 oz. of Blue Faced Leicester in the Mermaid colorway and 2 oz. in Magic Bean.  LOVE these colors and decided I would spin and ply them together to us for Leethal's latest Knitty pattern, "Buttonhead".  And look what I got done!



I finished and gifted a cabled brimmed hat for my cousin and gave it to her a couple of weeks ago.  No finished pic, but here it is, 1/2 done...
where
Finally, I've made progress on KnitQuest's "A Little Something".  I think the length is just about done.




Just for fun?  Take a look at this...

I saw this piece of hair in the trash and wondered where such a long length of hair could have come from.  I called Lil Emp in and asked, "Did you cut your hair?"  Yes he did.  He had gotten some fake 'tar' in his hair; realizing it wasn't coming out, he cut this piece off!  He has a tuft about an inch long on the top of his head, but it blends in well with his long hair!  Amazing how he got through his younger years when self-delivered haircuts are not unusual only to do something like this at age 9!  He seemed a bit embarrassed by it.  I'm actually rather amused, but you can imagine how seeing this in the trash threw me for a loop a bit!

As an aside, it was a very strange day at work for Nartian and I.  During our usual Monday lunch knitting, there was a loud sound and screaming.  A co-worker had chosen to end his life at our work site by jumping off the top floor of our building into the atrium which it opens out to.  It was disturbing and unsettling to say the least.  My thoughts go out to his family and I am saddened by the hurt he must have been feeling to do such a drastic thing.  It just seems so strange and unreal.  I didn't add this part in to be a downer but at the same time it seemed like I couldn't ignore acknowledging that this happened today.  It was real and a real life is now gone.  I didn't ever work directly with him but after 20+ years of working at this same job, I'm sure I would recognize his face, though his name is not familiar to me.  But maybe not.  For now, I can only send out thoughts of healing and comfort to his family, friends and to my other co-workers who had to see or witness more than I and suffer from the horrors of what they observed.

And we have pictures!

Yes, camera issues still exist, but I managed these...proof that knitting had occurred!

In honor of the Blue Moon on New Year's Eve, Tina of Blue Moon Fiber Arts thought we should all cast on a project during that time.  My choice was easy-I had planned on making a February Lady Sweater to wear at the Blue Moon Fiber Arts booth at Stitches West in February, so I had a project, I had purchased the yarn-and well, I had a DEADLINE!

I had first wanted to knit the FLS with "Fall on Tap" and purchased three skeins of Socks that Rock Heavyweight in that colorway.  LOVED it, but when I saw the special club colorway for December, I changed my pick to BLACKBIRD!  I love Blackbird and the way it turned out, but I actually mourn the two skeins I exchanged out for the Blackbird!  I think I may just have to buy more Fall on Tap and make a different sweater as a consolation after I get my tax returns back! ;) (ACK!  Was just going to link-up Fall on Tap and it has been 'rested'!  OH NO!  WHAT HAVE I DONE?!)

 

 I didn't like my finished FLS pic, so here is the button-pick photo I took.  I'll try and post a finished pic in the future, but as for buttons...I settled on the center ones-somewhat plain but interestingly shaped shell buttons with highlights of many of the same blackbird colors in it.

But look at the red buttons with the BRICK Blue Moon Fiber Arts Peru yarn!  I'm thinking that one of these red buttons will be perfect with this yarn for KnitQuest's "A Little Something".

I swatched it with two needle sizes, but because I fall between sizes, I need to decide whether to go with a larger gauge and knit the smaller size, or go down a needle size and do a larger size. 

 

I haven't had to decide yet, since I've yet to start "A Little Something".  Well...actually, I started casting-on, but then had to consult with Nartian.

 Then I got all focused on finally finishing Solly's sweater and other giftie projects.  But look-I finished it!  AND the Botanic hat I had mentioned in my earlier post!  The Botanic Hat is actually not the same Mainline Blueberry yarn-it is knit with Socks that Rock Heavyweight "In the Navy" together with "Carbon Dating", which was used for Solly's Baby Racer Sweater

And here is what I love so much about this hat...

It is reversible and I love how the slipped stitches form this awesome pattern on one side!

And then there was inspiration from Lara (Buried in Fiber) to make some "Plain Vanilla" socks.  Something I could just pull out and knit...and knit...and knit...!  But it came to a stop at Stitches West when I decided that since I was working the Blue Moon Fiber Arts booth, I should knit ONLY Blue Moon Fiber Arts fibers! 

So I put my Plain Vanillas away to rest...but wouldn't you agree that the perfect pick for Plain Vanillas would be my Flat Feet that has sat in my stash, being ignored?...

 

And here is my Stitches West-Inspired (or more accurately-Cockeyed-Inspired...?) knit: 

Traveling Woman. 

 

After all, Cockeyed says all the cool kids are kntting it!

 

I thought this Rare Gem was too irresistable and though I would agree that this lace pattern may have been better knit with one of the more nearly-semi-solid Rare Gems I got at the Once in  Blue Moon Sale, I know I will still love this!

Off to work on a hat (with a brim, please!) for my cousin.  Yes, another quick project to focus on-and has taken my focus of the others...for now.  Luckily hats are quick knits (if I have the time, that is!-but of course, I will have to hunt down that needlepoint canvas for the brim!).  But yes, no pic of the hat...yet.

A Picture is Worth 1000 Words...

And since I've had some camera issues, I guess that is why I haven't blogged much these days.  Blog entries don't seem as interesting or fun without PICTURES.  We all want to see, don't we?

Though I haven't blogged much, I have been knitting!

Last week, I finished a pair of fingerless mitts for my cousin's daughter.  It was a cute Drops pattern, but I must admit I didn't enjoy having to figure it out for myself!  I can, somewhat, but the beauty of patterns is that you don't have to take the time to do that.  You just pick it up and GO!  Yes, I know...for experienced knitters who never learned to read patterns, what's the problem?  You just pick up your work and GO!  But for me, as much as I don't consider myself 'planny' or 'anal', I have my limitations of free form.

I also finished Solly's sweater right before Stitches West!  I purchased buttons while I was there but was disappointed in my spending $42 at a button booth where I was supposed to only purchase buttons for the baby sweater.  The purchase should not have been more than $6, but I'm pretty good at pushing up the budget!

Stitches West-Inspired Knits...

And while I was at Stitches West, an old camp buddy, Erica, was showing us her Botanic hat.  VERY CUTE!  So I had to make one to match Solly's new sweater.  Got the pattern and just finished the hat last night!

So while I am talking about Stitches West inspiration, while unwinding after the market, Cockeyed started up a Traveling Woman shawlette.  CUTE.  So she gets back from SW, and Tweets a photo of it.  Done!  Just like that.  And soooo pretty!

I had to start one, too!  I chose a Rare Gem medium STR that I purchased at the show.  It is a bit more variegated than is probably best for this lacy pattern, but I decided I'm ok with that.  I will be happy with a shawlette in these gorgeous pinks (from Hot Flash pink to Peek-a-boo pink) with splashes of Puck's Mischief green and other assorted lovely hues: golds, olives, burgundy...

And yet-no pictures to show you! 

I'm hoping I will get some up soon, but yes, I am still knitting.  I am still a knitter.  And I am hoping to have better camera options soon!

Seriously Good Fun!

I really can't offer much by way of a Stitches West report, since I was mostly hanging in the Blue Moon Fiber Arts booth, helping out the lovely Sockateers, Cockeyed and EttaMae.  I so enjoy spending the time with them and IrishGirlieKnits, who was also working the booth.

Funny how working the BMFA booth will keep me out of OTHER trouble, but only enables the BMFA desires!  Also 'funny' is how on such limited time, I still manage to spend WAY more than I should!

I'm hoping to have time to get some pics taken of part of my goodies tomorrow, and I only got one pic while at Stitches West.  But it is the best pic of all...

SOCKATEER ROYALTY!

 Seriously.  Look how good and color-coordinated the Queen and Goddess are!

Progress in the New Year...

But first, I'll show you what I got from  the Blue Moon Fiber Arts sale!

My four skeins of Rare Gems-all medium weight...2 Earth, 1 Fire, 1 Water.

Even though I had UFO Smackdown plans, I could not resist the call of a new head cover.  It was quick and I finished it, so I feel justified in satisfying my desire for another slouchy beret!  Besides, that lovely Malabrigo worsted Nartian gifted me for Chirstmas was calling out...the softness, the smoothness, the loft that could easily be made into a hat in a short amount of time...so I made the Baroness Beret!

I loaded pics ahead of time, but since have almost completed to Baby Yours I have been working on.  The seams killed me.  I've taken a few knitting classes, each covering seaming, but when you really don't seam often and are a bit impatient to finish something, as I was, it really holds no pleasure.  And, of course, the results reflected this.  I'll share a finished object pic when I get a chance.  It is laying out, seamed and blocked, waiting for buttons.

 

And I might as well show you a not-so-recent acquisition...

  

I had ordered "Estuary" from Three Irish Girls back in August at Sock Summit and waited patiently for it, soon forgetting all about it!  When I contacted Sarah, she said it would be out in 2 weeks.  I again forgot about it and didn't get a chance to pursue it until last month.  Apparently she had been unable to contact me via email and once she got my address, sent it on it's way.  I LOVE this colorway!

My final UFO Smackdown of January was my second Kew that had been languishing for oh, maybe 3 years!  They started as a mini-KAL with Nartian; she was knitting hers with Nodding Violets and I, with one of the chicken colorways (Rooster Rock?).  Naturally, Socks that Rock!  Of course, Nartian zipped along and completed hers in a timely manner.  I chugged slowly along and completed one sock that sat forever.  I cast on for the second and it sat, 1 inch past its cuff for ages.  I decided to make it one of my first orders of business for January's UFO Smackdown, along with Solly's sweater and Baby Yours.  So far, still have to move on the Solly sweater which had its own set-back when I lost the sleeves!

Still working on my February Lady Sweater which I hope to complete in time for Stitches West!  So far, so good.  Just need to keep the focus mojo going!