Happy New Year 2010!!!

Happy New Year, Friends!!!

I can't believe 2009 is already over. In a way, I'm totally glad. It was a good year for me, I think, but so so busy.

(Can't believe how BIG my boys are now, too!)



I've still got a list of 10 things that I really wanted to get done this year that I didn't do. Like:

- Finish Reconciling the checkbook
-Clean out Ben's closet
-Clean out art cupboard
-Organize my yarn stash (which I'm sure will be a month long project)
-Donate old toys
-Buy a pretty rug for the kitchen
-Get a knitting corner set up for me to relax in (with new comfy chair!)
-Finish all pairs of hand knit socks (at least 5 singles to do!)
-Clean out and organize my freezer (fridge part is done!)
-Force (a-hem) Urge Ian to clean out the garage

But...maybe I'll get to those things THIS year...right? (right?)

The list above aside, the Year 2009 has been very productive for me.

(sorry, few pictures at the moment and very few links - I was trying to get this post done fast!)

I've published and printed my FIRST DESIGN BOOK - "Dreamscape":



-At my first trunk show at Fresh Purls yarn store, I sold about 34 copies of my book! It was one of the most awesome weekends ever!
-In the first two weeks that I had my book available, I made all of the money back that I spent printing the 100 copies!
-Soon, I'll be able to have another 100 copies printed (with an ISBN number this time!)
-I'm so grateful for everyone who helped with the book and for everyone who bought a book or pdf...THANK YOU!!!!

I've knit and finished 54 PROJECTS:

(must remember to add the new ones to Ravelry!!!)

-Amanda Hat in Ivy Brambles Superwash Worsted (tulips)
-3 Crocheted Dishsoap Aprons (various yarns)
-Golle Molle Baby Cardigan in Rowan Pure Wool DK (white)
-Lizard Ridge Afghan in Noro Kureyeon (many colors)



-Tim's Felted Clogs in Cascade 220 (red and black)
-Ian's Felted Clogs in Cascade 220 (dark gray)
-Fabulous Scarf in Ivy Brambles SW Worsted (tulips)
-Lacy Recyclibag in Green Mountain Spinnery Organic Wool (natural)
-Spring Savasana Socks in Ivy Brambles SW Worsed (spring meadow)
-Amy Beret in My Handspun (reds and pinks)
-Hai Ryo for Tim in Berroco Comfort Worsted (red) and Berroco Lumina (black/red)
-Ericka Scarf in Noro Kureyon sock yarn (long and narrow)
-Another Ericka Scarf in Noro Kureyon sock yarn (wider)
-Baby Bear Felted Teddy in Berroco Ultra Alpaca Worsted (brown)
-Baby Yoda Sweater in Rowan Wool Cotton (light teal)
-Plain Jane Socks in Sereknity Sock Options (Berry)
-Monk's Sweater for Teddy in Noro Kureyon (226)
-Grown Up Booties in Reynolds' Lopi (fushia)
-Tiny Shoes in Bunny Blend Angora sportweight (lt. pink and fushia)
-Mya's Sweater in Bunny Blend Angora sportweight (lt. pink and fushia)
-Button Up Neck Wrap in My Handspun (glittery blue)
-Hap Blanket in This and That Farms' Cormo Silk chunky (natural and Sereknity "Escape dyed)
-Kraken in Cascade 220 and Cascade 220 SW (yellow and cranberry)
-Sea Urchin in Katia Mississippi 3 (hot pink)
-Spider in Cascade 220 (black and red)
-Buttercup in Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool (bright blue)
-Icing Swirl Hat in Misti Alpaca Chunky (dk, turquoise)
-Mousie in Katia Mississippi 3 (gray and pink)
-Quant in My Handspun (various pastel colors)
-Octopus in Cascade 220 and Cascade 220 SW (turquoise and yellows)
-Elephante in RYC Cashsoft DK (gray blue)
-Sea Star in Cascade 220 (pink)
-Sea Star in Cascade 220 SW (yellows)
-Brown Lizard Ridge Square for Roger's Blanket in Cascade 220 SW (brown)
-Helmet Liner in Cascade 220 (camel)
-Cowl in Cascade 220 (camel)
-Horseshoe Cap in My Handspun (pinks and oranges)
-Sweet Leaf Adult Hat in Lamb's Pride Worsted (turquoise)
-Immortal Stole in Cascade ECO+ (red) and SWTC Jezebel (black)
-Immortal Stole (half and half with Kerry) in Cascade Eco+ (pale turquoise) and Ivy Brambles Shetland (dark turquioise)
-Lena Hat in Wollemeise Sock yarn Wool blend (Red Hot Chili)
-Roman Princess Scarf in Malabrigo Worsted (fushia)
-Amanda Hat in Malabrigo Worsted (butter)
-Persephone Beret in Cascade 220 (coffee)
-Persephone Beret in Anny Blatt Angora Super (pink)



-Persephone Beret in Cascade Pastaza (white large)
-Persephone Beret in Cascade Pastaza (white small)
-Persephone Beret in Cascade Pastaza (dark gray small)
-Soleil Shoulder Wrap in Spunky Eclectic Lace Merino (Walking on the Sun)
-Spellbound in Gedifra Ayala (gray)
-Chimera in Valeria di Roma Angora (white)
-Chimera in Cascade 220 (pink)

I've spun 5 HANDSPUN YARNS:

(on my Ashford Joy)

-2 ply fingering of Sereknity 100% BFL in "Blue Hawaii" for DonnaD (355 yards)
-2 ply fingering (20 wpi) of Icelandic Lambswool/Mohair from Fresli Farm (hand dyed lt. turquoise by me) (515 yards)
-2 ply lt. worsted of London Wul Fiber Arts 100% Polwarth in red-pinks for Amy Beret (245 yards)
-2 ply DK of Sereknity's 50% Lambswool/50% Angora in "Lilacs in Bloom" (98 yards)
-Single ply DK of Ivy Brambles 100% Corriedale in "Fireball" for Horseshoe Cap from Spin Off (160 yards)

I've read 45 BOOKS:

(my favorites were BY FAR the ones written by Dorothy Whipple!)

-They Knew Mr. Knight by Dorothy Whipple
-Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield
-Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple
-The Priory by Dorothy Whipple
-The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
-The Chinese Shawl by Patricia Wentworth
-Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Riechl
-Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
-Fortune and Fate by Sharon Shinn
-The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula LeGuin
-Wuthering Heights (thank goodness I finished this one!) by Emily Bronte
-To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
-Hitty: Her First 100 Years by Rachel Field
-Jamaica Inn by Daphne duMaurier
-Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield
-They were Sisters by Dorothy Whipple
-From May Sarton's Well by Edith R. Scharde
-Poison in the Pen by Patricia Wentworth
-Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
-The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
-Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
-Teatime for the Traditionally Built by A.McCall Smith
-Olive Kitteridge by Katherine Strout
-Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
-The Cricket in Times Square by Gregory Smith
-Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss
-Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
-The Secret Woman by Victoria Holt
-The Tree Book by Mark Ryden
-The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler
-Journal to the Self by Kathleen Adams
-The Sweet Life by Laura Stoddart
-The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
-Hooping: A Revolutionary Fitness Program by Christabel Zamor
-The One Hundred by Nina Garcia
-The Black Opal by Victoria Holt
-Secret for a Nightingale by Victoria Holt
-Seven for a Secret by Victoria Holt
-Shivering Sands by Victoria Holt
-Daughter of Deceit by Victoria Holt
-The Shadow of the Lynx by Victoria Holt
-Quatrain by Sharon Shinn
-The Black Swan by Phillipa Carr
-Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
-Handmade Home by Amanda B. Soule


I've also lost 93 POUNDS on Weight Watchers:

-Still an ongoing process, but I'm keeping at it. I'm losing much less per week and sometimes none at all. But, I'm not going to give up...and I WILL make my goal weight in the next 6 months!!!! (crossing fingers!!)

I want to let all of you know how much I appreciate all of your support, comments and love that you send to me through Facebook, Ravelry, my blog and email. You are all AMAZING and thank you so much for reading my blither blather every couple of weeks or so.

Have a TRULY MAGICAL 2010 and hope all of your wishes come true!!!!

16 Years Has Gone by SO Fast!

I can't believe (well, maybe I can....) that I haven't blogged in SO long! (Do I always say that???) I feel like I'm being sucked into a time warp of too-much-to-do-not-enough-time. Have you ever felt like that? Ugh. It's frustrating!

But, besides being busy, I've had a pretty productive and really nice month.

And here are the reasons why:

1. I'm up to a 63 pound weight loss on WW in the past 6 months. I'm hoping to reach my final goal by October 15th, which I when I first started. Yippeee! I'm very, very lucky because Ian is incredibly supportive of me - he gives me compliments every day and cheers me on even with the smallest of weight losses - like 0.2 or 0.4. I love you, Ian!!

2. I got a new haircut and I really like it. I wasn't sure if I was going to at first.....it's really short....but, I've gotten so many compliments on it. And - most importantly- the hubby likes it.



3. I finished the Amy Beret by Diane Mulholland - using my 2 ply worsted weight Polwarth handspun (which was AWESOME to spin, by the way) - and, although it doesn't really look that great on me - I loved knitting it and it was really fun to make. Diane is a truly talented designer. I just bought two more of her handspun patterns.



4. I've gotten ONE WHOLE PANEL of my Lizard Ridge Afghan done! I need to make at least 4 full panels before Christmas (I'm in the A Year in a Blanket group on Ravelry) and then add the trim in Cascade 220. Most of the people seem to be making only one square a month but, for this blanket, I need to make 2 a month - there are 24 pieces (at least) in all. The first panel is huge! About 10.5" wide by 72" long. Yikes! Should be sooo warm, though. And, really, I think it's gorgeous. (It's for my oldest son as a gift)



So.....the only thing that hasn't really gone my way....is.....dun dun dun.....

THE DAMN DRAGONS!!!!!

I am incredibly irritated with the Hai-Riyo knitted dragons. They were such a fun, quick knit and I was excited because the yarn was nice to knit with and all of the pieces were very easy.

BUT....(a big but)....

They are a pain in the ASS (yes, ASS!) to sew up! My boss had already made one and told me how hard they were, but it was her first knitted toy, so I thought that maybe I wouldn't have such a hard time. I was very, very wrong.



The pieces are in a bag (for both of them) and I'm trying to get together my courage to continue sewing them up again. Hopefully (for the kids' sake), it'll be before I die. (Maybe)



I was also planning on getting out a new pattern for Earth Day on the 22nd, but (alas), it was not meant to be. Maybe next week. I'm planning my oldest son's 16th Surprise Birthday party (eeeek!) for this Saturday and I'm slightly freaking out.

There is so much to do and I'm doing it all myself....balloons, ordering cake (thank goodness Jackie is picking the cake up for me!), favors, decorations for the house, banner, food (ordering pizzas and getting ice cream for the sundae bar), drinks, cleaning the house, uncluttering the house (harder than cleaning!), and trying to keep all of this from Tim. My mom is bringing some snack stuff for me (thank you!!!) and ice cream toppings. Ian and I still aren't completely sure what we're getting him for his birthday, either (it's actually on May 7th) and that's up in the air for now.

But, I can't wait to see his face when he comes in the door. He thinks I'm having my knitting friends over for lunch. He he!!!

Well, wish us luck on the party and I'll have tons of pictures to show next time. And, hopefully, the FREE pattern will be done by then.

I hope.

Have a great weekend!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!!

(Here is my family and I at Christmas....Back L-R: Ian, my mom, my sister, my dad and me. Front L-R: Ben and Tim)

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've blogged!!! Between shopping, wrapping, holiday parties and cleaning, I think I got completely overwhelmed with time - and blogging has suffered. Sometimes, I feel like making sure that my Ravelry is updated is more important than blogging. What do you think? Have you felt this way, too??

Anyway, Happy New Year!!

I usually try to do this blog post on New Year's Eve, but we got home pretty late (details on what the heck happened next) so this was the very first year that we missed watching the ball drop in NYC and I forgot to blog somewhere near the end of the year. Ugh.

Christmas Vacation and Pics

Our trip to visit Ian's parents' new house in SC was pretty crazy. House is very nice, though.....huge ceilings, great big yard and the kitchen is amazing....here's a somewhat obscured view of the outside.



The trip there started with us leaving the house at 4 am to get to Boston. Even though we had 1.5 hours before our flight boarded (and had no bags to check in), we got on the plane with 5 minutes to spare. Although, we managed to get to D.C. with no trouble (it was Ben's 1st time on a plane and he loved it!), our connecting flight was cancelled and Ian had to scream and yell to get United to pay for our hotel room for the night (we'd been waiting in the airport for 5 hours at that point). The hotel was beautiful and the amenities fantastic (Holiday Inn in Dulles....AWE-SOME!) - here is the pool area with Tim waving to me- so it actually worked out for the best.



We had a nice visit, like I said...Ian's sister, Felice (see her pic below with the Felted Tote that I made for her) and his grandmother were there, too...and the weather was gorgeous - warm and sunny. A nice change from the freezing cold. Took lots of walks, went shopping, and Ian and I got to stay at ANOTHER beautiful hotel at the Clemson University (where Ian's dad is Head of the Graphics department) - it had a dining room, kitchen, living room, 3 sinks!! and the most comfortable beds/pillows that I've ever slept on in a hotel. It's called the James F. Martin Inn. I totally recommend this place!



The phone reception in that area wasn't great (no reception in their house) so I was lucky to be able to use my iPhone (a Christmas gift from Ian!!!) to check Ravelry and my email while I was there. Really - it was SO cool! (Jackie was so sweet and checked on Cocoa the Bunny and Jack the Cat while we were gone-thanks so much!!)

The trip home was pretty interesting. We left the hotel at 7:30 am and didn't get home until 7:30 pm. (It was supposed to be a 2 hour direct flight) Come to find out, the airport was 2.5 hours away, the flight was slightly delayed, the flight (once we got on) couldn't land in Boston due to the snow, we had to detour to Albany for a while and then we were finally back in Boston. The ride home in the snow was v-e-r-y slow going. We were soo glad to be home last night. But, then, as I said, we were too tired to stay up to see the New Year. At about 9 pm, I poured seltzer water in 4 fancy glasses (didn't have anything else in the house except water) and we clinked glasses....and fell asleep. ZZzzzzzzzzzz...

How was YOUR night??? Hope it was more exciting than mine! LOL

To end this very lengthy and blabbering blog post, I wanted to share some of my finished projects/handspun/books read for the year...with pics sprinkled here and there.

Knitting Projects Finished in 2008

Click here for Ravelry link to all of my projects....

1. The Amanda Hat (3...and pattern) by me
2. Squarey by Jess Hutchinson
3. Icarus by Miriam Felton
4. Christmas Eve Mitts (in pink) by me
5. Hello Kitty Monster Hat by Insubordiknit
6. Wavy (pink) by Sarah Smith
7. Spherey by Jess Hutchinson
8. Lobster Claw Mitts by Morehouse Merino
9. Moose Hat by Bea Ellis
10. Dragon Scarf (Puff) by Morehouse Merino
11. Phiaro Scarf by Katie Himmelberg
12. Forest Canopy Shawl by Susan Lawrence
13. Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark
14. Mountain Scarf by Amy King of Spunky Eclectic
15. Cocoon Lace Scarf by Evelyn A. Clark
16. Lisha Lace Scarf by me
17. Kirby by me/Jess Hutchinson design- inspired
18. Meta Knight by me/Jess Hutchinson design-inspired
19. 1 Poseidon Sock by Tsarina of Socks
20. Clapotis by Kate Gilbert
21. Sarena Cashmere Cowl by Tonia Barry
22. Felted Tote by Two Old Bags
23. Armando Hat (3...Tim wearing his below...and pattern) by me

24. Presto Chango by Valerie Wallis (buttons to be changed to wooden ones)

25. Reverse-Bloom Flower Washcloth by Cindy Taylor

26. Branching Out Scarf by Susan Lawrence

27. Mr. Frosty by Michele Wilcox


Completed Handspun Yarn Created in 2008

1. "Cantaloupe-I'm Already Married" (Globe Mallow by Spritely Goods)
2. "Dragon Flames" (Smouldering Embers by Sereknity)
3. Random handspun (Rolags from different colored corriedale by Halcyon Yarn)
4. "Sexy Silk Bamboo" (Bali Hai bamboo by HollyEqq)

Books Read in 2008

1. Firebird by Janice Graham
2. Child Goddess by Louise Marley
3. Secret Garden by Frances H. Burnett
4. The Little Princess by Frances H. Burnett*
5. Mandy by Julie Andrews
6. Bridge to Terabithia by Katharine Peterson
7. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte*
8. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse*
9. True Confessions of C. Doyle by Avi
10. Witch of Blackbird Pondy by E.G. Speare
11. The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (strangely enough the name of the woman who owned this house before us)
12. Ann of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
13. Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery
14. Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
15. Down the Garden Path by Beverly Nichols
16. A Thatched Roof by Beverly Nichols*
17. A Village in a Valley by Beverly Nichols
18. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
19. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini*
20. The Age of Innocence by Edith Warton
21. Kissing Christmas Goodbye by Mary Higgens Clark
22. My Antonia by Willa Cather
23. My Life in France by Julia Child*
24. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
25. The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
26. Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert
27. An Innocent Gentleman by Elizabeth Jolley
28. The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber
29. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
30. Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
31. An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear
32. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
33. New Day Revolution by Sam Davidson
34. The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
35. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
36. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
37. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
38. Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
39. The Castle of Lyr by Lloyd Alexander
40. Tender to the Bone by Ruth Reichl
41. Comfort Me with Apples by Ruth Reichl
42. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell
43. The Clue in the Old Album by Carolyn Keene
44. The Mystery at Larkspur Lane by Carolyn Keene
45. What Tarot Can Do for You by Barbara Moore
46. Tarot Tips by Ruth and Wald Amberstone
47. The Host by Stephenie Meyer*
48 Twilight by Stephenie Meyer*
49. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
50. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
51. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
52. The Mystic Faerie Tarot by Barbara Moore
53. Strawberry Girl by Lois Lowry
54. Shoo Fly Girl by Lois Lowry
55. The Curse as Dark as Gold by E. Bunce
56. The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan
57. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
58. Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier*
59. Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano
60. The Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes
61. Miss Happiness and Miss Flower by Rumer Godden
62. Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
63. A Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
64. Heidi by Joanna Spyri*
65. Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann
66. A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch
67. Out by Natsuo Kirino
68. The Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez
69. The Painted Veil by A.S. Maugham
70. The Gentle Art of Domesticity by Jane Brocket
71. The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett
72. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
73. Mason Dixon Knitting II by Kay Gardener and Ann Shayne
74. Mah-Jong, Anyone? by Kitty Strauser
75. French Milk by Lucy Knisley
76. Candy Freak by Steven Almond
77. Cat Among Pigeons by Agatha Christie
78. Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie
79. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith
80. The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth
81. Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLaughlin
82. The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
83. Miracles on Maple Hill by Joan M. Blos
84. General Winston's Daughter by Sharon Shinn
85. The Conjurer by Cordelia F. Biddle
86. Watership Down by Richard Adams

(*denote my favorite books of the year. I wasn't able to finish 2 of the books I planned on finishing (Animal, Vegetable Mineral and Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver) and didn't get to the other 6 books on my list for the year (Treasure Island, Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, Tombs of Atrean by Ursula LeGuin, Fire Study and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte), but I think I did pretty well for attempting my book goal. I'll add these books to next year's list...which has 25 books on it so far.

Have a wonderful New Year's Day and hope this year is EXTRA good to you ; )

Birthday Yarn for Jackie

Last year, for Jackie's birthday, I had the inspiration to spin her some handspun yarn as a gift. I'd just bought some beautiful alpaca/merino/angelina batts from Loop (in the Lavender Mint Tea colorway) and Jackie had mentioned how much she liked the color. So....I thought, since I had time, and Jackie is totally worth it, I'll spin it up for her.

Come to find out, it was the BEST spinning I'd ever done (probably because I was thinking such lovely, friendly thoughts at the time) and the finest yarn (in wpi - wraps per inch) that I'd ever made. It came out to a fingering weight, 2 ply yarn that was perfectly balanced (that only happens to me 1/3 of the time....I tend to overspin and underply) - it was a MIRACLE!

She loved the yarn (which made me soo happy), knit something almost immediately with it (The Montego Bay Scarf....which made me even happier) and then even wore the scarf a lot (which caused me to have gleeful, handspun-ery hallucinations)!!!

To see this yarn, go here to my Flickr account. It's the last pic in the left hand column.

Fast forward a year....

And Jackie's birthday was coming up quickly. Having recently purchased some Spritely Goods fiber - which was HIGHLY recommended by the Spinning Goddess Cayli - I thought....this is perfect for another Birthday Spin.

So, I frantically used all my spare time (that I wasn't cleaning, cooking, working or with the kids) to spin this yarn. I didn't knit all those days....eeek! The fiber (a luscious mix of soft merino, angelina and firestar) was a dream to spin and the color truly cheered me on....she calls it, "Globe Mallow"...and it's a limited edition colorway. I'm SO glad that I picked it up. It was wonderful.

So, here's what I did:

Step 1: Take pics of fiber BEFORE ripping open.



and a close up:



Step 2: Draft Fibers (30 minutes).



Step 3: Spin on my Ashford Joy (5 hours total...not all in one day)



Step 4: Take WPI gauge before Plying...28.



Step 5: Ply (3 hours), Soak (overnight), and Dry. Take Picture of Finished Yarn (over 300 yards).



And then, I decided to rename the yarn, since it had a different (but lovely) look and color after finishing. It was inspired by jokes I overheard Tim and Ben saying to each other while I was spinning:

"Cantaloupe-I'm Already Married!"

I can only hope that Jackie likes this yarn half as much as last year's. I'm dying to see what she'll knit up with it.

And I'm trying to decide (early) what I'll spin for her NEXT year!

Can I sleep now? (zzzzzzz..........)

Stockings, Apples and Llamas

Jackie guessed it!!!



I am making 4 Christmas/Holiday stockings for my family. I am pretty sure I won't be done with them by the Winter Solstice or Christmas, but I'm starting them now....in hopes that I might. I got the wonderful pattern for these stockings at the Knit and Crochet Show a few months ago.

This pattern, called Judy's Colors Candy Cane Stockings, is only ONE of many beautiful stocking patterns. I'm also thinking about getting the "Mark","St. Nick" and "Mrs. Claus". Scroll down the page to see the adorable "Racecar" stocking! Such clever patterns.

I'm using the 100% wool yarn, Tove for the pattern. (You can buy some of patterns, this yarn and kits at the Yarn and Fiber Co. store I work at!) The yarn is pretty scratchy, but perfect for stocking and what GREAT colors!

Here are my plans:

Ben: light and dark blue for the candy stripes with the lime green for the cuff/ankle/toe
Tim: light and dark red for stripes, pine green for c/a/t
Me: light and dark pink for the stripes, lilac for the c/a/t
Ian: light and dark green for the stripes, bark brown for the c/a/t

(all our favorite colors!)

Jackie has been gifted the 5 skeins of Merino Style in Cornflower and the second prize winner for the most creative guess goes to.....

CAYLI!!!!

Cayli guessed the "Color on Color" scarf from the Scarf Style book which, strangely enough, I thought on the same day I bought the yarn that it would be perfect for that scarf. (I actually tried knitting that scarf once, but the construction was so complicated that I just quit. It's very unique, though) Cayli, make sure ot pick out what yarn you want!! (I'll email you...)

Thanks to everyone who guessed! All of your guesses were so original and fitting for each of the projects you suggested....like the Log Cabin Blanket (which I love) and the adult Tulips sweater or the Composed Mittens from IK. I also liked Glyn's idea of the knitted Babette and Sonya's idea of the Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket.

I also wanted to share my current spinning project: spinning laceweight llama down.



I bought 8 oz of llama down at the NH Sheep and Wool festival in May from the interesting Lars of West Mountain Farm and it is Soooooo soft. It's almost as soft as cashmere or merino. I've been spinning it off and on for a week, whenever I get a chance, and it's almost spinning itself. I was hoping to spin enough to make a laceweight shawl...which I think I might come close...but I don't think it's thin enough for a 2 ply laceweight. Either I use it as a single or ply it...in which case it will be more like fingering. Anyone have any other ideas?

Last Sunday, the guys and I went to Mack's Apples in Londonderry to pick apples...my favorite place. It was such a beautiful day...and extremely busy!

Here are the guys posing in the apple orchard...this is the pic I got after 5 tries.... crazy pics of them all making funny faces.



Ben loves eating apples! (although I spent half my time taking pics and the other half of the time eating all the skin off the apples for Ben...he kept saying..."Mommy, eat the skin off FASTER!")



And, finally, everyone running ahead of me (trying to hold apples and the camera) back to the car. It was so much fun. And the apples....delicious!!!!



Tonight is work again...and the Friday Night Knitting Club....remember to come and visit us if you're free! (5-9:30 pm, Windham, NH) Have a great weekend!!! : )

Fibergasm!

I finally got it!!! My Bee Fields Stole Kit from Wooly Wonka Fibers in the luscious colorway of "Buckwheat Honey". The price of the kit was very reasonable...great even....and I am so happy to finally have it. I'm not sure when I'll be starting it, but most likely in the later fall. (Which would actually be a great time to knit and wear it...)

I was thrilled to get another fantastic package in the mail last week. One of my all time favorite fiber gals, Holly EQQ, sent the fibers I ordered (plus a little extra something...which was so nice!) from her out-of-this-world shop, Oceans of Fiber.

Wanna peek?

GERONIMO

A brilliant, bright, and startling mix of greens...I love it! It's dyed using Brown Sheep's Wool/Mohair blend.



So easy to spin, though a bit "hairy". I love the way it's coming out. I'm actually almost done spinning it all up and just have to ply it. Not sure what I'll use it for, but I'm thinking either mittens for me or the kids.

PURPLE RAIN

A super shiny, silky soft parade of purples. You can't tell how shiny and soft this is. 100% Bamboo.



Once you try spinning bamboo, you won't be able to stop. Easier than spinning silk, as soft as silk and as shiny as tencel. I've almost spun up the other batch of bamboo I got from Holly last time....Bali Hai in peaches and pinks. A little goes a LONG way!

SKUNK

Yup, you read this correctly! S-k-u-n-k! And, no, it doesn't smell at all like one. I'm pretty sure it's just a wool blend, but it jumped right out at me and I just HAD to have it!



If anyone has any ideas of how I could spin this up, I'd love some suggestions. It will have to be something really special! The contrast of black and white is something I've never done before. A new experience....

And, if that weren't enough, Holly threw in some gorgeous deep purple locks for me. I love her locks!



(Forgive this picture...it looks a bit...intestinal, don't you think????)

My other treat was to pick up a skein of Heather's new colorway, "Pumpkin Patch". It's a soft, muted and beautiful color...in a bamboo/superwash merino/nylon blend! I can just imagine how wonderful it will be to knit this up. Mmmmmm.... You can check out some of her other 'selling-like-hotcakes' yarns and fibers here and here.



In the midst of "Weekend Madness" (Jackie knows what I'm talking about, right?), I had two ideas:

1. I must organize my patterns.

2. I must make a list of winter-knit-to-dos.

So, here is what I came up with:

1. Patterns- I bought 3 pretty 3 ring binders and I'm going to spend one day this week sorting through them all and putting them in appropriate catagories (yes, I'm very picky, perfectionist and...well, detail-oriented). I think some of the patterns are REALLY outdated and some I've totally forgotten I had. Before I go buying more, I think it's a good idea to just take stock...and then proceed. Anyone else thinking that, too?

2. Winter Knit To Dos- This is my list of things to knit before the end of the year...necessities in my mind. (These are totally new projects, not ones I've got OTN...like Tim and Ben's sweaters...sigh....)

*Mittens for Me (to match my Tassled Hat)
*Mittens for Tim
*Mittens and Hat for Ben
*Holiday Stockings for all 4 of us

Not sure if I'll be able to get ALL these done....with all the other things I need to do, but the mittens are pretty easy projects and I think I can do a "Month of Mittens" in November. Yeah! Actually, I will do a contest for it! So, start putting patterns and yarn aside...you can join me and win some free yarn to boot! What do ya say?? (I'll make a button that you can put up on your blogs, too.)

Is that all? Hmmmm....I think so. I just cooked a 3 lb. chicken with potatoes, carrots, and celery for lunch and now I'm sorting through the grosstastic stuff that's left so I can make homemade chicken soup for lunch tomorrow. YUM!

4 FOes and 4 Potatoes...New Mexico Style

Even though the hubby has been in New Mexico the past week (and also has plans to desert me again on Tuesday night until Sunday night....arghhh!), I was amazingly able to finish 4, count'm 4, finished objects. I can't believe it. It's mainly due to these factors:

1. Spending time with "my fiancee" Jackie and her kids....saving my sanity and getting lots of knitting done while the kids play.

2. Since I've been putting Ben to bed by myself lately (and that takes at least 2 hours!), I've felt like I've been neglecting Tim. So, I've been trying to spend time with him at night instead...we've been watching some good movies together, having popcorn and...that means... MORE TIME TO KNIT!

and

3. I'm trying to do well with my weight loss, so I've been spinning (yippee!), which burns a bit more calories than knitting. 4 hours of spinning is pretty good movement exercise...now, if I had a double treadle (like Ericka), I'd get even more calories burned!

Wanna see my FOs???

EXHIBIT A

The Angel Sweater by Oat Couture:



Knit for a sweet little girl of friends of ours. I LOVED knitting this. I used 3 skeins of KP Elegance in the "Wild Rose" colorway...this yarn is wonderful....slightly shiny from the silk and exquisitely soft due to the baby alpaca. If you haven't tried this yarn, you have to! (I think it's on sale now on the website) This only took me 8.5 days to knit and it was fun, too.



EXHIBIT B

Sweet Leaf Toddler Hat by SleepyEyes:



The pattern for this I am finishing up right now. It's almost done and it will available FREE here on my blog in pdf form. The pics on my pattern of this show Jackie's little sweetheart daughter as the mdoel, who I love to pieces. Melt-your-heart adorable. You'll have to download it and see!

EXHIBIT C

PicSock by SleepyEyes:



Another pattern that is SOOO quick to knit that I'll have on my blog for free early next week. It's my own handspun! I used 1 oz. of Ashford Bay corriedale in fushia for this and did a navajo 3 ply. The yarn is slightly bulky...or a heavy worsted weight. It fits my Canon Powershot ELPH perfectly and has a nice wrist strap on the side. (You can't really tell how cute it is with this pic and I couldn't take a pic of it with the camera in it, you know?)

EXHIBIT D

Two Handspun Yarns

This should probably count as two FOs, but one of the skeins is small, so I lumped them both in together. The first is a single ply fingering weight that I spun from Oceans of Fiber's Cotswold Lambie Mohair Locks in Aqua that I was given by the fabulous HollyEEQ herself (!!!) for my bday. I can't tell you how much fun I had spinning these locks and I was finally able to get over my spinning slump! Yay!!!



I'm trying to order more of this, so I can make a lace scarf with it. The color is AMAZING!!!!

The second is a brand new batt from "i-love-her" Amy of Spunky Eclectic. She sent me this batt in colors that I am calling "Sour Watermelon"....bright pink and even brighter green. And WITH SPARKLES!!!! I had so much fun spinning this and I alternated the colors as I spun, so they'll come out to be self striping.



You can't tell how sparkly this yarn is from the picture, but believe me..it's awesome! Again, I'm not sure how many oz. it was, but I got 119 yards of 2 ply sportweight from it. It's my baby!



I'm currently spinning lovely Heather's fiber....forgot what colorway it is (Heather???) in a 50%/50% lambswool and angora blend. You can get some from her Sereknity shop...it's SOOOO soft!

It's a bit more challenging to spin since the angora fibers are so short and I've had to predraft very carefully and then do a short draw draft as I spin....only moving my fingers 1 inch at a time. But, it'll be totally worth it because the halo this yarn is getting is beautiful!!

Did I show you the gorgeous Sereknity yarns I bought from Heather on Wed night?? The top one is her Sock Options superwash merino in "Seriously Citrus" and the bottom one is, I think, called "Belladonna" in a soft, laceweight kid mohair. I have been drooling over them since that night. YarnGasm!



(I've also just started spinning HollyEEQ's bamboo roving in the colorway, Bali Hai...pinks and apricots. It's my first time spinning bamboo and I'm LOVING it! It's got a shine brighter than tencel and silk....and even spins more easily than tencel and silk. When I was drafting it out, it was like bright, sparkling ribbons of butterfly wings....oh! It's so hard to describe. Cayli recommended this bamboo to me [and gifted this roving to me for my bday] and I'm hooked!)

Now, you're asking....what about the podcast? Yes, I'm still in the works on that...and since hubby has been away and going away again, it's very hard to find time (QUIET TIME) to record it. I promise to get it up soon.

Speaking of hubby, I have to tell you that he's had a funny (but annoying) experience while out in New Mexico. He's working for NASA at the moment and they are very strict about having "clearance". He wasn't able to get a certain level of clearance in time (it takes a LONG time apparently), so he just has a badge. This badge doesn't let him go anywhere except where he is working....meaning this one room. So...say he needs to go to the bathroom....know what he has to do? Ask someone with "clearance" to go with him. They actually have to stand outside the door (and that's not so great if you've been eating a lot of yummy Mexican food). Same deal if he wants to go smoke or even go into another room to access another computer! Jeez!

I wonder if he dropped a pencil and it rolled out into the hallway, he'd have to go and get someone to come out with him to retrieve it????

Wanna see some Potato Heads????

(Ben and I have been playing with these the past week....they are SO much fun!)

Pirate Potato



Lady Potato



Darth Vador Potato...he's missing an arm



And, my favorite, Transformer Potato, who is named, "Optimash Prime". Do you love it???



Will finish spinning and working my mom's lace shawl....oh, and the podcast. Lots of stuff to do and hope I can get some done while Ian is gone this week. We'll see. If only I was the one who was traveling....all those wasted hours waiting in the airport could be put to good use!

Have a great day everyone and wish me luck this week!!!

Can a Spinning Wheel fit in a Forester?

Yup. It can!

On our way down to RI to visit my family for Easter, we stopped in Bellingham, MA (at the Whole Foods Market...why don't we have one in NH?) to meet lovely Ilene...and to pick up my new wheel.

Eeeeeek! It's great. Yes, at spinning on Friday, a lot of women were bashing Ashford wheels, but I still LOVE, LOVE my Joy and I'm so happy to get this new Traditional. It's how I've always thought a spinning wheel should look like. This one is for home and my Joy will still be for traveling. So far, I've had 1 minute (literally) to spin on it, but I'm looking forward to many, many more hours on it this coming weekend.

I've been up to my eyeballs (with my patience level at NIL) in packing and getting my older son (who is usually known around here as Cyberworm) ready for his trip to D.C. with his 8th grade class. There is a list 5 pages long of all the things he's got to bring, can't do, should do and what he should think 24 hours a day (well, maybe not THAT far...). But, it helps for me to know what he'll be up to all day long...not that it will make me miss him any less. He's been driving me BONKERS for the last week, but I know I'll be crying in the car all the way home from dropping him off. (Beware of me on the road if you live in Londonderry and plan to be driving around about 5:30 am)

Anyway, Easter was fun...I got to see my sister's new apartment (awesome! I wish it were mine...I tried to stow myself away, but Ian noticed I was missing...damn it!) and was able to give my Grandma her sweater....which she LOVED! My sister took a pic of her in it, so I can hopefully post that soon. She put it on right away and seemed very appreciative. It fit her perfectly...though it might have been a bit long (she's like 4'8" to my 5'2") and a bit roomy around the bust.

My mom and dad made a great lunch (Ben and I had turkey burgers!)...and everyone else had ham, potatoes and such. Ian and I took the kids to the playground (where I used to go as a kid!) and my sister came, too, which was fun. I REALLY wished that I'd brought my camera. After the kids got tired of playing (it was freezing out), my sister and I took the kids home and Ian did more geocashing. He is SO addicted!

My mom got the kids tons of cool toys and candy...she got me a Hello Kitty dvd and lollipop, some makeup and candy, too. Am I spoiled or what??? It was a fun time and I was glad I got a chance to spend with them. On the way home, Ben kept saying, "I miss her......!" (meaning my mom) So sad...

Good news, though. I got my fiber swap package from the beautiful and talented and super awesome Kimberly of The Giving Flower and, when I tell you it was FANTASTIC, I so mean it!

I got these:



[golden and blue fiber are 100% merino and the red (oh, Ericka, you're going to drool when you see this!) is merino and luscious tussash silk! Plus, a handmade herbal bag with lavender! Smells so good!]

and these:



[tons of yummy chocolate from Germany...do you know that those eggs have TOYS in them??? Not just junk, but very cool toys?? The kids went crazy over them!]

and this:



[PINK!!! Regia self striping sock yarn....oh, Kimberly, I love you!]

and, finally, these:



[Hello Kitty magazine (in German...so cool!), pencil and adorable notepad set in a cute tin...she even gave me the HK shopping bag in came in...oh, I'm a pile of mushy love!]

Thank you so much, Kimberly! BEST SWAP EVER!!!!

And, last Wednesday, I bought these yarns from the talented Heather:



Punky in Pink and Martian...aren't they awesome??

Finally, a pic of my progress on my Lizard Ridge....



Hope you all had a great holiday and my next post will be goodies to win if you send in a "Ask Sleepy Eyes" question. 'Night!

P.S. Here are some belated pics of the snow we got last week...it was disappointing because I thought spring had come! But, it was pretty....



and one pic looking up at the ceiling of the sunroom....