Ravelympics and Knitting Projects

It's my own fault for over-extending myself-I know it. That's just how I am. I am now starting day 2 of the Ravelympics, knitting a really sweet cardi with some of my handspun, but I've got the mate to Tom's kilt hose still unfinished on the needles and the din it's making for my attention is deafening!! You know how socks are, they can be quite insistent. I told Tom this morning that I am going to have to get it done-even though he was gracious enough to understand if I put it aside for the next two weeks. But, it's me, and I can't-I just can't. I have to finish it. I'm trying to come up with a mental schedule of how I'm going to manage the two and finish them both, so here's the plan: socks get at least two hours a day dedicated time. The rest of the knitting hours are for the Cardi. What else can I do?

And talking about over-extending...but so cool...I've found a kajillion sock patterns that can be adapted to Kilt Hose; not to mention that I recieved two new books yesterday that I ordered that have some really sweet Scottish patterns in them-for hose and clothes! I bought Cables, Diamonds, Herringbone, Secrets of Knitting Traditional Fishermen's Sweaters by Sabine Domnick and Scottish Highland Knits by Sarah Dallas. Can we say "Early Retirement"? Oh I wish!! Still, there are so many things I can knit and all Scottish related too. How cool is that? I also ordered enough Gloss sock yarn-Porcini colorway and Dusk colorway-to make two pair of kilt hose. Very awesome Merino and Silk yarn! I'd love to have a sweater set made from it-in Red.

We've ordered our Sponsorship for the SMHG so that's all taken care of. Tom won't have his kilt in time for that, but should have it for GMHG next July and perhaps some other events inbetween. I think he'll look fabulous in it!! Clan Hunter, he is.

Now, off to knit-time is a-wastin!

GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN IN JULY

What could be better than the Highland Games in North Carolina in July? The fact that it was, without a doubt, one of the best weekends we've ever had as far as weather and the games! Tom found his clan and was emotionally struck as we all are when we find our clan and roots, and he is now all out to get his kilt and I am as happy as a piggy in mud that I'll now be able to spin and knit him some kilt hose and flashes!! YEA!!! I've found some patterns I want to try so maybe he'll like one of them. I also have a fabulous pattern I've made up for flashes that will have a thistle pattern knitted in. I know he'll love it! At any rate, the games were lovely. We both love it up there and as I've said before numerous times, this trip only made my resolve that much stronger, we're going to retire up there!!

I'm gearing up for the Ravelymics in August...I'll be knitting the cardi...see below...and that is coming along just fine. I've nearly finished my spinning. I'm knitting a cabled sweater in the Blueberry wool crepe, which I started at the Games and have completed, almost, the back. It looks really nice, but will be somewhat warm for this climate I think...could put it up for sale on the site though.
Just got 4 ounces of Merino roving and I have more roving coming from Brenda-the Llama and some things her hubby made to put up on THISTLEKNITS.

So, better get back to some spinning and knitting.

Spacious Digs

Well, I know it's been nearly a month since posting but it has been quite chaotic around here what with school being out for the Summer-a whole glorious month to sleep late and then have a lovely coffee, peruse the web, work on the store and just plan my day a I will-but I digress,...lets see, school out...oh yes, and I took the first week out to clean out my studio. Oh indeed, boys and girls, a clean room it is! I have space for both wheels, all my stash of wool and yarn, magazines, books, my fav. knitting chair, moved the computer and business stuff to my drawing board and got rid of the rickety computer table and will soon have a new coat of paint on the walls and shelving up so that I can actually see my knitting and spinning books and have a bulletin board as well. I've also got to buy a new window treatment...yes, defintely a new window treatment!!! Must look for one-maybe today!
I joined the Ravelymics beginning Aug.8 and am currently spinning enough yarn for a sweater. I chose one sweater, now, however, I'm afraid I won't have enough for that one and must choose another or make it in a much smaller size-which means some lucky recipient (namely Pat or one of her girls) will be getting a sweater for Christmas if that is what I do. Not such a bad plan, but I sure do like the colorway of this one. Anyway, along with that, I'm de-stashing by definitely knitting a sweater, the Placed Cable Aran by Cathy Payson in Fall '07 IK, for me with the Blueberry Sidar Wool Crepe yarn that I was gifted by RoseQueen. It's such a treat to knit with-I didn't want to put it down last night~ Also on the knitting front, I knit a cowl of handspun for Elaine and will knit mitts to go with it. It's in the purple/blue handspun I made from one of my first Ugly Batts-which isn't ugly at all-it's gorgeous!
Tom and I are leaving Thursday for the Highland Games in Boone! I am so excited!! This will be his first BIG GAMES experience. I do hope the attendance won't be down too much due to the price of gasoline, but I fear it might-I'm having to spend all my spending money on gas this year, but it will be worth it! We got the good tickets-park in the Meadow, get into the Sponsor Tent, etc. I just don't see having to suffer the heat and all that at my age. It'll be nice I hope-then we'll also get to tool around the Blue Ridge and take photos and such and dream of retirement-because this is where I want to retire!
Now, I'm off to pop a cake in the oven for Tom's critique meeting tonight and then I will settle in to some knitting before I get myself ready to meet friends for dinner this evening!

I've Been Busy With The Etsy Shop

Can't believe how busy I've been with this shop and with spinning for the shop! I'm slowly but surely learning the ins and outs. I've got to change some of the photos out for better ones-it will take time but now that I've got a light box, they will look much better! I do wish that I could devote more time to all of this-the spinning, knitting and working on the shop. Anyway, I do believe once I get it looking good the business will pick up and I will make a sale. I get such good feedback from my friends at Ravelry too-it's a great site!

On the spinning side, I've just mailed off a box of Llama fleece to Brenda for processing. I am so excited to get that back and begin spinning it. I've still got Babydoll wool to spin as well as other roving in the stash, which includes, but is not limited to 2 pounds of Merino, 2 pounds of Corriedale and several other dyed rovings of at least 4 ounces each. Basically, I've got enough stash to see me through the Winter without buying (or inheriting) anything else...but I know that's just being practical-there's no way I'm not going to get more stash! It's almost a necessity now. You just never know what might confront you. I mean, what was I to do when the free Babydoll presented itself to me? Then, how about the Llama? It was free-I was obligated, right? I love it all-I had to.

Summer is upon us and Tom and I will soon be on the road-even with gas prices as high as they are (cringe)-for NC and the Highland Games. It will be our only trip this Summer as I must be back at school at the end of July. I am so looking foreward to it-and Tom is going to love it I know! Perfect place for him to get some great photos.

So now, back to spinning..or is it knitting? Since today is KIP day, perhaps it's knitting. I'm making a cabled cowl neckwarmer from some hand dyed, handspun Merino-my own spinning. It's sooooo lovely and soft. It's making means that I will need a new Winter coat to accessorize it with! :D

Visiting Lialiane's Farm

On Sunday (last) Tom and I went to visit Liliane Grant at her farm in Dallas, Ga.
Liliane is the very lovely and generous owner of Llamas of Atlanta. She not only raises the most beautiful Llamas on her farm, but Babydoll Sheep and Great Pyrenees dogs as well. The farm is just so lovely...although it is quite "out in the country"! There is a gorgeous stream running through and it's just one of the most peaceful places I have been in a long, long time.

Liliane was so gracious and generous on our visit. She gave me...yes "GAVE"...4 large trash bags full of Babydoll fleece-both white and brown. She also has promised me the Llama's shearings as well once they are done!!! I am in total shock still...can you imagine??? Free Llama and wool?? I am so grateful! Her animals are so beautiful too...well, just take a look at those babies!! Are they not all just too adorable?

Tom and I had a great time! I'm going to take Shannen with me next time and I have some friends who want to go too!

I've Become Habetrot!!!

I am so addicted to spinning I feel like the old girl herself! Hopefully I'm not as ugly as she was supposed to be, but I could spin all day and night like she did! It's so funny, but several years ago, before I ever thought I would want to spin or learn to spin, I illustrated the story Habetrot for a children's book of Celtic Faery Tales. Little did I know....
To illustrate how bad I am about spinning-Last night I woke up and went to my studio to spin because I realized I had the makings of some Lindsey Woolsey!!! I spun up a length of it and I am so pleased with it. I had a whole bag of flax and wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but now I know. It appears to be a very strong thread and I will most likely ply it with itself for some summer weight yarn. I spun the sample with Corriedale. I'll post pics of all of this later on.

Today Tom and and I went to Lilian Grant's farm. It's soooooooo beautiful there! She raises sheep and Llamas and Great Pyrenees pups. She gave me 4 garbage bags full of sheep wool and said that if I want the Llama wool I can have it too (once they are sheared)!!!!! I am in awe of her generosity! She says she throws the stuff out...I say don't waste it-give it to me!!!! The sheep I'm totally in love with!! They're Babydoll Sheep and they are so sweet-they will let you pet them and they're not shy at all! I want two!!!! Tom took lots of pics so I will post those later as well. My mind is reeling with spinning ideas for all this free wool!!! Hoping to get it processed somewhere then get the roving back for spinning!

Getting Back to Fiberey Art Goodness

Mama's death and funeral really took the wind out of my sails and I'm only just getting back to feeling like myself.
Tom and I went to Huntsville a couple of weeks ago for the Leyendecker exhibit-fabulous!-and I went to the Useful Knowledge Conference sponsored by Little Barn. I attended the Spinning Class for Knitters taught by Merike Saarniit and it was wonderful. Met lots of Ravelry friends there and learned a ton of useful information about spinning...hence, I suppose, the reason they named it the UK Conference. I learend to spin on a spindle-too much fun but have to resist buying a spindle right now-how to make a balanced yarn (tres useful) how to spin from the fold-which I now find to be my favorite way to spin, how to card and blend fibers and a whole ton of other things that I just can't remember right now.
I also bought about $100 worth of fiber...thank you Tommy for your credit card!!! I even ventured away from the neutral colors somewhat-although I did buy one lovely choccy brown and black top, 2 pounds of merino, 8 ounces of linen, and 8 ounces of Tri Color Jacob. They were just too lovely to pass up. I don't know what got into me buying the linen, but I think once i get the hang of spinning it, it will make a very nice knitted summer handbag. I have a lovely pattern from England that I can use for it.
I've decided to use some of my very own blended wools to make a wall hanging. I've chose the linen stitch to do these in as it makes a nice dense fabric with a lovely pattern. I'll have to take a better photo of this when I get a bit more done. I was inspired by some digital artwork I did a few years ago and I want to re-create it in knitting. I'm sure it will be ongoing for some time as I would like to make it a rather large piece.
Pics I am posting are of the wools I bought at the conference and some knitting and spinning I have done recently. I've promised myself to keep up the blog a little better from now on...I hope to keep it.

Sad news for us

Mama passed away on Saturday, February 16th at 12:30 PM in Anderson,SC. I didn't get to talk with her, except to tell her that we were there-but she was in a coma and died an hour after we got there. I will miss her so much.

In honor of my Mama, I knit this hat and am calling it Margarett's Tam. It is knit from the handspun Merino in the Primrose colorway I spun on my wheel about a week ago-knit from the fingering weight singles.

KNITTING WITH MY OWN HOMESPUN

Woooo Hooo...I've spun enough BFL to make this little shoulder wrap! I can't believe how soft it is and surprisingly, for a singles, it isn't wonky when knit up...I'm very pleased.

SPINNING YARN(S)

This week I have been practicing my spinning...and I'm pretty sure I'm getting better at it...at least no more overspinning with all of the curls and skewed yarn everywhere. What a pain...thought I would never learn to get it to resemble real yarn. Anyway, I've spun all of my Tri Color Jacob..wish I had known about spinning thinner because it would have made some lovely sock yarn (wahhhhh) Nevertheless, it's all spun..I've spun a couple of hanks of Merino...yummmmmy soft goodness! I must have more of that!!!!! Also working on the 8 ounces of BFL which is a lovely milk chocolatey brown and 8 ounces of Shetland...which, by the way, is a pain the arse to spin. I must learn a better way for it because all I am getting is a slubby yarn. That may not be so bad, but from what I understand, Shetland is supposed to be a pretty decent wool. It's soooooooo short!! Yikes, I am not able to manage it well at all! I'm saving the Yak hair for when I actually know what I can do with it. I have no clue right now-but I got a lot of it and it's bound to make something interesting!! I should have enough of it for a sweater I think...I have a whole pound of it!!!!

IN THE SPINNING ZONE...FINALLY

I know I haven't been spinning long, but sometimes it just takes that one time to finally have the light go on and then you're in the zone!! I reached that zone yesterday and I have been spinning up a storm ever since....I can't get enough and now I need wool...I need silk...I need all sorts of spinning goodness to try!!! I've spun all of my Jacob, most of my Merino and pretty soon all the BFL will be spun. I tried the Shetland, but I don't really like it for spinning...maybe later when I get better or I'll spin it with something else...too rough and sticky for me though! The Yak is being saved for something wonderful (and further spinning instructions...to be obtained at the Conference in March)

Oh yeah, I finished my Toes Up Socks too...

Garn Studio Eskimo KAL...I'm gettin' her done!

You'd think since I love knitting so much I would be chomping at the bit to do this sweater...maybe it's knit overload from the Holidays, who knows. At any rate, I do love the sweater design and am anxious to really get into it and make it for Pat, soooooooooooooo to that end, I've joined the KAL to do just that!! I know once I get moving along on it, it'll be fun. If I like it well enough, I might make this same sweater in the lighter weight version-just to have, not necessarily for myself.
Ignore my whining about it in the post below...It's going to be fun to knit with others who are making the same. See-I even have the button that proclaims me as a participant. It's official-it's done!!

I've got FO's ....yea!

The mad Holiday rush is over and I surely am glad of it. Now I can get down to some seriously interesting knitting and hope that by year's end I will be well ahead of the game...no last minute, late night knitting sessions to finish gifts that need to be mailed, no knitting the last sock on the way to deliver them, etc. Yeah, right! What would this passion be without burning some midnight oil and all that? In fact, I was up until the wee hours Friday am finishing the little lavender jacket for Misstress Claire Johnson...but such fun and doesn't Mommy look happy with it?

I've also finished my very first Tutorial on Wet Canvas..the Toes Up Sock...and I think it's going well. I have 5 Stars!!!!!! I love these socks so much and they fit like...well, they fit like good fitting socks! I'll be making lots more of these.

Pat's Drops Design Jacket has been started and I don't know about it...it's one of those things that I know she's going to love when I give it to her because she picked the pattern and the wool, but it just isn't all that much fun to knit. It's bulky and the needles are big so it feels sooooooo chunky in my hands. I will finish it of course, but I know me and it will probably be one of those projects that I will only occasionally pick up and work on from time to time. Hope to have it finished by the end of February (see, that's how much I plan on working on it)

Now, back to knitting....