17.5 Projects Finished so far in 2010!!!

Hi everyone! I know it's been forever since I've posted. I've been frantically working to help my oldest son, Tim, to get into the WPI Frontiers summer program for Interactive Gaming and other school related tests - AP Computer Science and SATs. I can't believe this fall will be his last year of high school and then he's off to college. The whole process so far has been overwhelming, confusing and exhausting...and he's only a Junior! Things are so very different from when I was getting ready to apply to college. It's like a whole other world! So...that's what's been keeping me away.

During this time of confusion, my knitting has definitely helped to keep me sane and more patient. I've been whipping out projects that I've wanted to knit for a long time, though I've been postponing finishing Ben's Log Cabin Square blanket for a while. I finished knitting all 16 squares (using Noro Kureyon) in early February this year, but adding the garter stitch borders is sooo boring, time consuming and frustrating. (It's VERY pretty, though.) I hope I'll be able to get myself to finish it before Christmas! LOL!

Here are a couple of things that I've knit and finished since the last time I blogged:

TOYS (with Ravelry links)

1. Knitted Cacodemon (character from the DOOM game) for Tim:



2. Knitted Eyeballs for the boys:



3. Captain Underpants for Ben:



4. Holiday Stocking for Ben (with one for each of the rest of us on the way) in Cascade Eco Wool:



and, not a toy, but a Jade Sapphire cashmere "Robin" scarf for Jackie for her birthday this year:



Also, I've become obsessed with knitting shawls from the book, "Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls" by Martha Waterman. Though the information for the patterns aren't as detailed as I'd like (ie. yarn used, yardage, sometimes gauge or dimensions), they've all been super fun to knit and I love every one that I've made so far.

(listing in order of the first knit to most recent)

1. Garter Lace Triangle shawl in handpainted cashmere



2. Children of Luir stole in Knit Picks Telemark wool



3. Fan Stitch Half Circle shawl in Ivy Brambles Romantica, Cherry Tree Hill Suri Alpaca and Zephyr lace



4. Gate and Ladder Circle Shawl in Kauni EE



5. Cat's Paw Square Shawl in Aurora Inca Tops baby alpaca



I only have 3 more left - I'm working on the Cocoon Stitch Half Circle shawl at the moment and then plan to knit the Kerry Blue Square Shawl and, lastly, the Os and Vs' Circle Shawl.

Whew! I've got Shawl Fever!!!

This past Saturday, I went to the NH Sheep and Wool Festival and bought:

-Sereknity "Wattamelon" Faulkland fiber and "Margharitaville" Classica fingering weight yarn (for the Os and Vs shawl!)



-Ball and Skein Arequipa (80% alpaca/20%silk) in "Peacock Strut" with lovely semi solid teals/blues



-A gorgeous hand-dyed silk scarf (from Purple Hummingbird Woolens) with hand felted flowers on the ends by a girl who is making/selling these to help pay for the harp she wants. So cool! I could've bought at least 2 more of her scarves. Gorgeous stuff.



Here I am with Heather/Sereknity at her booth at S&W:



and with Dendrea - it was her very first time to S&W!!! We had a blast!



So far this year, I've knit and finished 17.5 projects! Yay!!! My goal is to finish: 3 more shawls (named above), 3 more holiday stockings, finish Ben's blanket and finish my October Frost cardigan. Will I do it??? We shall see.....

UPDATE on my Dreamscape book: So far, I'm very, very happy with how the book has done. I've sold 225 books since December 2009. Yayyyy!!!! I'd love to sell the remaining 75 I have before this December.

Hard copies of my book are now available here:

1. My Etsy shop
2. Yarn and Fiber Company Website
3. Fran's Willowgate Farms Website

PDFs are available here:

1. The home page of my blog on the right sidebar
2. Ravelry

As a little motivation to everyone out there (and in celebration of my upcoming birthday), I'd like to offer a FREE PDF of my Dreamscape book for you AND a friend with every purchase of a Dreamscape book (hardcopy) from my etsy shop or from either of the online stores that I've listed above.

After purchasing the book(s) from any of the three websites, email me that you'd like your free PDF copy of the book, along with your order number. Send me either both your Ravelry name and your friend's (much easier for me to send there) or your two email addresses. (For a limited time, your book(s) will come wrapped in black gauzy ribbon and come with a handcrafted stitch marker.) Please let me know if you'd like to have your book signed and whose name you'd like in the book.

Thanks so much and Happy Knitting!

Yooo-hoooo! It's Me! I'm Catching Up...

(L-R: Patti, Eileen, Julie, Sharon and Me)

Hmmm...I thought I'd blogged more recently, but realized I hadn't. I'm finding it harder and harder to divide my time between Ravelry, Facebook and Blogging. A lot of people say that blogging is outdated. Is that true? I know that at least around 200 people are checking out my blog daily, but WHERE ARE YOuuuuuuuu, lovely people??? he he

Anyway, I wanted to share with you my FANTASTIC trip to NETA (New England Fiber Arts) Spa weekend and my recent finished handspun yarns and projects. Ready??

Since beginning spinning about 5 years ago, I've tried to attend the NETA Spa weekend. (I think I've only missed once.) For those of you who don't know about this great event, I'll explain. If you knit or spin or work with fibers in any way, this group is for you. On usually the last weekend in February, the group (who mostly only converse online over the Rav group or Yahoo group) meets in Freeport, ME at the Hilton Garden Inn/Hareseeket Hotel for a Thursday - Monday (or Friday- Sunday) weekend of shopping (wonderful shops around Freeport), visiting the yummy vendors at the hotel (where you can buy the most unique fibers, yarn, patterns, spinning wheels, spindle, looms, glass buttons and other accessories), chatting, eating, spinning, knitting, crocheting, weaving, and perhaps having a Spa treatment (at the Hareseeket Hotel or nearby Spa) - pedicure, manicure, massage, etc.


(L-R: Ericka, Kerrie-Ann and Sandi in our knitting/spinning corner of the hotel.)

It is totally worth trying out, if you've never been. You don't have to be a NETA member (though it helps because you get updates on what's going on, when/where to book your hotel room and how to win prizes, etc.) to go. If you want to pick a day, you can just go over to the hotel, shop and sit and work on your projects with the hundreds of other knitters/spinners/weavers/crocheters.

I love it, not only because it's a mini vacation, but because you'll see the most amazing handcrafted clothing, accessories and items all in one place! Everyday, you'll say to yourself, "Oooh, I LOVE that shawl!" or "Where did you get that YARN??", etc. And, the best part is, no one looks at you like you're crazy and back away from you screaming! LOL! Everyone is happy to share what they've made and let you touch it and answer as many questions as you want to ask. Sometimes, they'll even let you try it on! Or take pictures of them in the item! Woo-hoo!

This year, I think that the Winner of the Most Ogled Knitted Item in our group was Amy's Shetland Tea shawl from "A Gathering of Lace" book (pages 39/40) in oatmeal, pinks and natural white. What was most surprising, was that this was Amy's FIRST knitted lace EVER!!! (Yes, you may hate her. She's okay with it.) Not only was it beautiful, but it was knitted perfectly and it was the most flattering color on Amy. Now...if only I'd taken a picture of her with it on. Damn it.

I only got a pic of her WITHOUT the shawl. Ugh.


(Britni and Amy at Spa)

I had the absolute BEST time this year and even got to exercise on the treadmill every night, go to sleep early and wake up early so that I could spin, knit, spin and SHOP! Yay!

Heather even sold 7 of my Dreamscape books and 1 Lisha Lace pattern! Yippeeee!

Now, if I don't start showing off my loot and finished handspun...plus FOs...I won't ever be done before the end of the day. So...the rest of this post will be short and sweet - with pictures! ; )

1. Spunky Eclectic's booth (Amy's in a whirl...she's so busy!)



2. Heather/Sereknity's booth (Heather is wearing my Persephone beret in her Sweet yarn!)



3. Items I bought...mmmm.


(Della Q spinning bag and lovely sportweight Angora/merino for a sweater/shawl for me!)


(Spunky silk purple scarf for Donna, Spunky Targhee and Spunky bfl/silk fibers)


(Alpaca Obsession merino and bamboo with nylon sparkle fiber for Hilary)

I also bought some glass sheep stitch markers for Jackie and Donna, a glass needle threader for me, 2 skeins of gorgeous Sereknity yarn ("Margaritaville" in Classica for me and "Envy" in Worsted for Jackie) and a little more fiber.

HANDSPUN GALLERY

1. Spunky Ecletic's BFL/Tussah Silk (I created a 2 oz, 2 ply, 100 yard, worsted weight yarn in "Cotton Candy" colorway)



2. Spunky Eclectic's Targhee Combed Top (4 oz. 2 ply, dk weight, 195 yards in "2010" colorway)



3. Alpaca Obsession's Alpaca with Angelina Sparkle (3 oz, single ply, laceweight, 300 yards, in "Faded Jade" colorway)



4. Enchanted Knoll Farm's Superwash Wool/Nylon/Recycled Sari Silk/Sparkle (3 oz, single ply, fingering weight, 280 yards, in "Birthday Party" colorway)



5. Enchanted Knoll Farm's Superewash Wool/Recycled Sari silk/Sparkle (3 oz., single ply, fingering weight, 300 yards, in "Blue Jay" colorway)



And, FINISHED OBJECTS!!!!

1. Lego Man for Ben (Some Assembly Required pattern with Cascade 220)



and



2. Hat for Ian (Ann Budd's Hat pattern with Rowan Lima in a goregous deep green, 881, I think)



3. Log Cabin Square Pillow (Log Cabin pattern with Noro Kureyon- 226 on back, 250 on front)



4. Persephone Beret (My pattern with Sereknity Sweet yarn in "Floozy" colorway)



Whew, I'm beat! Off to do some bellydancing, hula hooping and then have some lunch!

What have YOU been up to??

"The Joy of Sox" - PRIZE GIVEAWAY!!!

I'm very excited to share with you the newest sock book in the knitting world...



This sock book (which is a play on the book, "The Joy of Sex"...with lots of innuendo and flirty sock names) is very special to me - I have 2 sock designs in this book!

"A Roll in the Hay"



and

"Rock-A-Bye"



And, not only that, but "A Roll in the Hay" is the very FIRST pattern in the book and a picture of it is on the back cover. (On the front cover, is the gorgeous pair of socks ("Takeout for Two") by one of my favorite designers, Cathy Carron.)

AND, not only that...but both of the socks that I designed were knit using the beautiful and amazingly dyed Sereknity yarns by my very talented friend, Heather. She donated both skeins for these designs - Pharoah's Gold in Shimmer for "A Roll in the Hay" and Blue Hawaii in Satin. If you haven't tried knitting with her yarns, please try them now - and with my pattern (he he). Once you try one of her yarns, you will be totally addicted. Her yarns are available on her etsy shop, at The Yarn and Fiber Company in Derry, NH (and online) and also at many other online and New England yarn stores - including The Loopy Ewe and The Yarn Sellar.

AND, not only that...but THIS:

I'm having a prize giveaway that includes:

GRAND PRIZE



A FREE copy of the book, "The Joy of Sox" with patterns signed by me (if you are inclined to want such a thing!)
and
A FREE skein of Sereknity sock yarn in colorway, "Pharoah's Gold"

What do you think of that???

SECOND PRIZE

A FREE skein of Sereknity sock yarn in a surprise colorway!

THIRD PRIZE

A FREE copy of my "Lisha Lace Scarf" pattern
and
Small Secret Goodie Item

And, now you're asking..."What do I have to do to win these prizes?"

Simple!

RULES of GIVEAWAY

1. Read this blog post. If you want to be included in this giveaway, comment on this post with a joy that you get out of sock knitting or handknit socks.
2. Watch out for a new podcast ("The Joy of Sox") link on my blog or iTunes. (Check Wed or Thursday of next week)
3. Download and listen this podcast (Sleepy Eyes Knits).
4. I will give a codeword on the podcast that you will email to me (link for emailing on right on homepage of blog) and I'll enter you into the drawing.
5. Check out the blog on the following Monday to hear who won!
(Winners will be chosen by a random number generator)

Comment..NOW! Good luck!!!

(entries accepted until 10 pm of Sunday, 9/6/09)

P.S. If you'd like to see more pics and read more details of my sock patterns, please check out these Ravelry pages:

A Roll in the Hay and Rock-A-Bye (feel free to favorite them if you want...lol!)

I forgot! Lark Books sent the results to their Sock Questionnaire and here are the results...very interesting!

1. Do you wear socks to bed?
A) Yes 49.38%
B) No 50.62%

2. Do you have a yarn addiction?
A) Yes: big time! 64.32%
B) Maybe, although I'm working on controlling it. 31.95%
C) No--I can quit anytime I want. 3.73%

3. How often do you look at pictures of socks online?
A) 1-3 times per month 14.52%
B) 1-3 times per week 37.34%
C) 1-3 times per day 29.88%
D) More than 3 times a day 18.26%

4. What kind of music do you like to listen to while knitting socks?
A) Rock—It’s perfect for keeping a good pace. 16.96%
B) Classical—I’m classy like that. 9.57%
C) Heavy Metal—The rough stuff is always better. 1.74%
D) Jazz—Perfect for improvisations! 1.30%
E) Country—Laid back makes for smooth knitting. 5.22%
F) Audiobooks—My fingers work best on autopilot. 29.13%
G) Knitting Podcasts—All knitting, all the time. 13.91%
H) None—Silent and devotional! 22.17%

5. Do you prefer playing footsy:
A) Besocked 47.83%
B) Bare-toed 52.17%

6. Be honest, now. How large is your sock stash?
A) One medium-sized rubber storage bin 48.52%
B) Three shelves in my closet 31.65%
C) My stash has its own room! 19.83%

7. What’s your favorite post-sock activity?
A) Posting picks of your creation online 14.64%
B) Getting a hand massage 0.84%
C) Wearing your socks somewhere public 30.13%
D) Starting another pair (of course!) 54.39%

8. How many pairs of hand knit socks do you own?
A) 1–5 29.05%
B) 6–15 39.00%
C) 16–30 21.99%
D) An uncountable mass 9.96%

9. What's your favorite kind of sock yarn?
A) Wool 94.19%
B) Bamboo 3.73%
C) Cotton 1.66%
D) Acrylic 0.41%

10. Which is your most productive sock knitting season?
A) Spring—fresh breezes and pretty flowers are all the inspiration you
need. 9.44%
B) Summer—those lazy days are perfect for sippin' lemonade and
making socks, too. 24.89%
C) Fall—from Labor Day to the holiday rush, there's no better time to
add to your sock pile. 19.74%
D) Winter—you love to cozy up with a pair of needles and yarn. Let it
snow! 45.92%

11. Do you paint your toe nails?
A) Yes 43.28%
B) Why bother, I’m always wearing socks! 56.72%

12. What’s the most you’ve ever paid for sock yarn?
A) less than $10 1.66%
B) $10--$20 24.48%
C) more than $20 73.86%

Busy, Busy, Busy Bee (Part II)

With the kiddies starting school again in two days and many household events the past couple of weekends, I feel a bit frazzled, overwhelmed and tuckered out. Not in a bad way, though. I like to stay busy. (Ask my hubby...he knows how hard it is for me to relax....)

If you don't mind, I want to chat a little before sharing my list (I love lists...) of finished/in progress knitted objects. If I could get off of my butt and make myself a cup of tea right now, I would....but, I'm so damn hot and sticky that I don't think I could really drink anything warm at the moment...even some tasty, slightly sweet Country Peach herbal tea. (My favorite next to Peppermint).

We had some guests over this weekend...my sister, Kim, visited on Sat- Sun and we had a great time. We don't get to see her very often and it's always a nice treat when she can drive up and sleep over. We got Chinese take out for lunch (I made a change from my usual Spicy Stir Fried Green Beans to Green Jade), went in the pool and then off to the Derry Flea Market. That was incredibly interesting...I've never seen so many "hot", brand named purses in my life. Whoa. Needless to say, my sister had a blast and found, what she thought, were some fantastic buys. The kids and Ian were more interested in going over to Clam Haven and having some creamy, tasty ice cream. I loved how Ian's chocolate dipped soft serve was melting all over his face, hands and lap onto the ground. Niiiice!

Yesterday, Ian invited some friends over from work for a BBQ, swim in the pool and night of furious Wii Sports playing. It was hilarious watching the guys compete over who could do the best dives/jumps off of the diving board. I wish I'd taken pictures!! (or videos) I think Ian truly beat them all - he's goood! It was a bit of a fight to get Ben to leave all of the activity, but I lured him upstairs with baby carrots and whole grain goldfish - and the new Sesame Street podcast to watch on my iPhone. It was really nice to get into our air conditioned bedroom after the day was over.

The best part of the whole weekend (I know this will sound crazy) was that our house is looking so nice and clean and organized. Ian did A LOT of yard work in the front and back and it looks pretty good - we need some more pretty colored plants (maybe some geraniums would look nice...) and mulch under some bushes but, all in all, it's much more attractive. We spent time cleaning up the "playroom" which is a completely white room (walls, curtains, and tile floor -what the heck were the previous owners thinking??!!!??) and, as you can imagine, gets dirty (and looks dirty) within literal seconds after having cleaned it. With a bunny, cat, and 2 kids in the mix, it's truly a nightmare and sometimes I can't even bear to clean it out one-more-time. It should be o-kay for at least one more day - I hope. Having everything clean and organized is essential to my well-being. Anyone else like that? I feel like I can't sit and relax for a second if I know there's any kind of mess somewhere in the house waiting for me to clean it up. Maybe I'm just weird.

I'm both not looking forward to the kiddies going back to school and also looking forward to it at the same time. I'll be happy (and relieved) to have some peace and quiet (no bickering or fighting!!!), but I'll miss them a lot. Especially Ben - who'll be going into 1st grade this year. And that means he'll be gone ALL DAY! (excuse me while I cry a little) Tim's starting his Junior year in high school and has some great classes - AP Java (which he's getting college credit for), as well as French 4 and other interesting classes. He's excited that this will be the first year that he'll have a study period and, though I hope he'll use it to get some homework done, I'm not counting on it. LOL!

I'm going to use my free time to try and teach more yoga classes and organize the house. I have these things in mind:

1. Clean out Ben's closet - get rid of old baby toys, clothes and donate old baby books.

2. Clean out art cabinet- it's currently filled to the top with Ben's artwork and art supplies thrown in everywhere. You can't even open it without everything falling out. That will change and I will organize and catagorize everthing to the DEATH!

3. Donate more old clothes and books from the rest of the house.

4. Fill boxes with things to donate or sell at yard sale - anyone interested in 3/4 full bottles of perfume? I have many. I always change my mind about what fragrance I like. You can have them for free. Just let me know.

5. Get my sewing area ready - I haven't decided yet where to set up my new sewing machine (and sewing basket, fabric, pattern books, etc.) yet. It's a choice between a corner in the kitchen or a corner in the living room. Both would work out (outlet-wise), though I think the kitchen would get more sunlight/light. But, the living room would be more out of the way of traffic. Any suggestions?

6. THE BIG CHORE - cleaning out MY walk in closet, which is currently full to brim (Ian, don't read this part) with yarn, fiber and books. This might take a few days. (gulp)

Well, I think that's it for now. I will follow up all of this talk with a picture of my one finished object and a knitted project-in-progress.

Buttercup



Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in colorway #70
Needle: Size US 6 and 5
Size: Large (though it came out to the correct measurements for the size, it was much too big for me...and I'm holding it to the side with my hand. I'm thinking of trying to wash and dry it so it'll shrink a little)
Details: You can see more pics and read more about my experience with this pattern HERE on Ravelry.

Lizard Ridge Afghan



Yarn: Noro Kureyon
Needle: Size US 8
Size: I'm making 5 vertical strips, each 10.5" by 74" and each using 6 full skeins of Noro Kureyon. So far, I've made 3 full strips plus almost done with 1/3 of another.
Details: You can see more pics and read more about my experience with this pattern HERE on Ravelry.

WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE:

I'm up to over 85 pounds lost and I have only 19 pounds to go. Or a little less. I feel like I'm getting closer and I'm trying VERY VERY HARD so that I can reach my goal by the end of the year. Thanks to everyone for always encouraging me and cheering me on. You're wonderful! I keep trying to re-motivate myself, which is not always easy to be sure....and I truly could NOT do it without my husband. He's been my number 1 supporter and daily compliments me, helps me and keeps me on track. I think Weight Watchers needs to give HIM and award! : )

Have a great night and hope that you're all doing well...big hugs from me!

P.S. The top picture is of the newly acquired yarn that I bought (and was gifted) from Heather of Sereknity. The top pic is of a new skein of Malabrigo Worsted that I'll use for a new Amanda Hat for myself for the winter and the others (in the "Perfect" yarn base) are: Alyssa, Indigo-go and Posy - all new and simply gorgeous colorways that Heather has created. I can't wait to knit them up!!!

Busy, Busy, Busy Bee (meaning ME!)

Yay! Another successful couple of weeks (or few?)...I've been trying to get many things (especially knitted items) finished and it's been going well so far (except I keep procrastinating about those damn dragons!).

Before I go into my fun, finished creations, I want to share some pictures from a trip Jackie and I took to go and see Julie/Noolie in Maine. First, we visited the Yarn Basket in Portmouth (where I got some gorgeous Cascade 220 Paints for the amigurumi knits) and then off to see (and hug and squish and hope for more hugs) Clover and Julie.

We had a good hour to play with Clover and I brought her a light-up ball, which seemed to be a hit. Here are some really cute pictures of her with her ball. Though, the first one is a bit more crazy than cute...but I liked the effect that the camera made when I took the picture.



and



After playing (coloring, watching the adorable one dance...), we went over to the Yarn Sellar and shopped for yarn (I got enough yarn to make Ben a new Wallaby and also more Cotton Chenille to make a facecloth), knit on our projects, laughed our heads off and also met up with Heather, who happened to be making a stop there for another errand. Yay! What a super fun day....I had such a great time and can't wait to visit again!



Now...onto the KNITTED STUFF (oh, and one sewing project):

1. A Kitchen Apron that I made using a "Cut, Sew and Go" Reversible Apron kit from Jo-Ann Fabrics. Now, we all know how horrible I am at using a sewing machine (must-take-lessons!), so this entire apron was handsewn by my own little fingers. And, instead of the promised "Make in 1 hour!" slogan, it took me one week. But, that's okay. It came out sooo cute and I love wearing it. It's 100% cotton and washable with pockets on BOTH sides and...the best part...fits me perfectly!



Here is a look on the other side:



2. The Kraken that I made for Tim from the new book that I bought, "Amigurumi Knits", which I have to say is one of the BEST and MOST FUN (and brilliantly designed) pattern book that I've come across in a long time. Not only is every single thing in it adorable, but it's using bits and scraps of Cascade 220 (which I have a lot of) and there is hardly ANY sewing up....everything is either picked up or very quickly and easily sewed. I had so much fun making the Kraken that I'm dying to make more toys.



You can also read more and see more pictures of my Kraken project here on Ravelry.



3. The Hap Blanket from Ysolda Teague's book, "Whimsical Little Knits", which is another fantastic and really fun pattern book...and I have plans to knit everything from it! (Well, at some point!) Here is my version of her Hap Blanket, which was knit up in only 2 weeks....and also while I was knitting on other things. I made some changes because I was going to run out of yarn, but I love how it came out - it is SO squishy soft and beautiful. This would make a truly nice gift for someone's new home or new baby. I was lucky enough to have 3 skeins of Cormo/Silk to use for this (with Heather dyeing up a portion of one skein in her colorway, "Escape" for me!). YUMMMY!



and, you can read more about this project (and see more pictures) on my Ravelry page here.



4. Gaye's Socks are finally done! She's only been waiting for these for 9 months! (ugh!) But, they fit perfectly and she even has some extra Sereknity sock yarn left over for something else. This Berries colorway came out very pretty and I'm so glad that she likes them!



More details on this project on Ravelry here.

Finally, a few more pictures (jeez, this post has too many pictures!!) of the kids and the fireworks we set off on Saturday and Sunday night. I am loving the "fireworks" setting on my Canon camera!



and Ben:



and Tim:



P.S. I'm up to 78 pounds lost and I'm hoping to make 80 by the end of the month or sooner. Yay!!!!!