Contest Winner!!

I'm VERY happy to announce the winner of the Design Naming Contest.....

Norma H of Columbus, Ohio!!!!
(NHoran on Ravelry)

Out of the 30+ truly fantastic suggestions that I received (via Sleepy Eyes Knits on Facebook, on the blog, and on my SleepyHeads Ravelry group), 3/4 of my favorites were suggested by Norma.

I've decided to go with....

"Tilia" (for lime tree)

It's a lovely, simple name and just has the little bit of extra sparkle that I wanted to describe the shawl's character.

Norma will be receiving a gift package of yarn and goodies, will receive a free copy of this lace pattern (or any pattern of her choice) and also be named on the pattern in the description.

Congratulations, Norma!!!!

I also want to thank EVERYONE who gave suggestions for this contest - I really loved reading all of the shawl name ideas! Thank you SO much!!!

(Please stay tuned for next month's contest as well!)

Before I go, I wanted to leave you with a couple of pictures of the new shawl design, "Tilia", blocking. I still have some writing, editing, and photography to do on the pattern, so keep a look out for a new post when the pattern is finished and available for purchase.



and



What do you think???? :D

Lace Shawl Design-Naming Contest!!!

Hey knitters!

I’m in the process of designing my very first triangular lace shawl and I need some pattern name suggestions.

In order to make this a fun process, I thought I’d have a contest.

RULES:

1. From now until July 31st, 2011 comment on this post with suggestions of names for my new lace shawl.

2. Suggestions should somehow relate to the shawl in some way (note “images” below) and I’d prefer if the name wasn’t already being used in Ravelry as a pattern, particularly a lace pattern.

3. The winner will not only be named awesome and amazing (on here, my blog and facebook), but also will receive a FREE copy of the lace pattern (or pattern of his/her choice in my pattern store). There is also free yarn involved (that part is a surprise).

4. In the first week of August, the winner will be announced, as well as the unveiling of the new pattern (pics included)…available for purchase on my Raverly pattern store as well as here on my blog.

The above picture is the yarn I'm using for this design: Mad Color "Classica" in the Margharitaville colorway.

Can’t wait to read your suggestions!!!

Hugs,
Gina :D

Here are key images to work with:

margharitas
limes
lemons
waves
fans
ripples
cool, frosty drinks
summertime
cotton sundress
sunshine
salt

Good luck!!!

SleepyHeads Group on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/sleepyheads/1752283/1-25

It's a Gemini thing...

I think it's a Gemini thing to have a million interests at one time. At least, that's what's normal to me. It seems like, once I feel like I've mastered (or semi-mastered) a hobby, craft or activity, it's time to move on to something else. I think that's why I loved school so much growing up. Every year, every month, every day was something new to learn. I don't think I'll ever go back to college to get my Master's degree (I've got a B.S. in Mathematics), but I love learning and I think of my life now as my own, personal college.

In life, I've not only had experience with being a daughter, friend, sister, girlfriend, wife, lover and mother, but also learned how to read, sew, crochet, knit, quilt, cross stitch, paint, cook, canning, making soaps, candles and dolls. I've taken up yoga, Reiki, reading tarot cards, bellydance and now, my favorite, hooping and hoopdancing. These are only a partial list of the interests in my life of learning so far. Is it because I can't sit still? (very possibly - you can ask my husband) Is it because I'm flighty and can't stick to anything? (possibly) Or is it because I just can't stop my love of learning and absorbing new information as much as possible? (that's MY answer - lol)

This year has been a challenge. I've had an incredible number of changes and events in the past year and I sometimes feel like I'm not quite caught up yet. In some people's eyes, these changes and events may seem trivial and unworthy of so much contemplation and time. But, to me, the accumulation of these things has been overwhelming - both good and bad. I've tried to organize these experiences in my mind and heart and, hopefully, at some point I can say that everything is in it's place - and can sigh in relief. In order to keep some perspective, I've made sure to write down all the things I'm grateful for each day and it truly makes a difference.

Having such a large number of hobbies and interests helps to calm my mind and dampen my feelings of being overwhelmed. For the most part, knitting is my activity of choice when it comes to calming my emotions and balancing any feeling of anxiety. It's amazing how two needles and yarn can be so relaxing!

The past few months, sewing has taken over - more as an obsession than a relaxation. I find that, as soon as I get my sewing machine out, I'm frantically tracing, cutting, looking over patterns and dimensions and then, exhausted, sitting at the sewing machine to crank out my project. Of course, sewing is so much fun and very rewarding - I love creating practical items for myself, my home and my family. But, man, is it frantic! It's go-go-go the whole time. Whereas with knitting, I can sit there, knit one stitch as slowly as I feel like, daydreaming about whatever I want and the knitting still happens and I'm still calm. of course, sometimes there are outbreaks of craziness - like yarn that breaks, splits, knots, pukes up the middle or a pattern that is just SO wrong that you feel like strangling the designer (that sometimes includes myself!). But, on the whole, knitting is wonderful.

I'm happy that I've gotten my knitting mojo back in time for the end of spring/beginning of summer. That time, of course, is known (to me at least) as the Summer of Lace Knitting.

In New Hampshire, it doesn't get overly warm but, to us, it's damn hot. When it's humid outside and the temps are in the high 80s, I don't feel like touching the fiber on my spinning wheel, doing any exercise (unless fully air conditioned) or cooking on my stove. The last two are inevitable, but the first I can substitute with some nice, lightweight, super fine yarn and an interesting lace pattern.

Here are some of the lace projects that I've finished so far this spring/summer:

1. Pleidades Shawl



-Knit using Mad Color's (formerly Sereknity Yarn and Fiber) Perfect yarn in Purple People Eater colorway

2. Weekend Shawl



-Knit using Swoon Fiber's sock yarn in Pinkish Red/Maroon colorway and Cascade Heritage sock yarn in brown colorway.

3. Echo Flower Shawl



-Knit using Jaggerspun Zephyr merino/silk in white colorway

and, the shawl I'm working on now is this,

4. Spring Things Shawl



-Knit using Karabella Lace Mohair in a neon green colorway

(All of my projects are also on Ravelry with more detail and more photos. Click HERE for my Ravelry notebook page.)

Along with knitting lace, I'm finding a lot of joy in hooping and hoopdancing. As I've mentioned before, I'm taking a teacher training course with Hoopnotica in September - in the meantime, I'm teaching free hoopdance classes in my neighborhood for experience. So far, they're going amazingly well and I'm having a lot of fun. (I hope my students are, too!) I'm still working on shoulder hooping, leg hooping and angled hooping. I look forward to my 30+ minutes each day that I practice ; )



If you're ever in the southern NH area, I'd love to see you at a class. The free classes are ending at the end of August, so take advantage while you can! If you'd like more information about Hoop Glow hoopdance and my classes, click on these links.

Thank you for still being loyal to my blog and for listening to my babble. It's so nice to know that you're still out there...

*HUG* :D

Spring Update

(Me in my new design, Winter Hiking Hat)

Hey Knitters!!!!!

I know it's been many, many months since my last post. I've watched my blog update go from over 300 hits a day to a very sad 90 hits a day. Yikes! What a depressing situation - though completely understandable. I really hate it when I'm following a blog and then that person doesn't update for a LONG time. But, I guess they usually have a good excuse.

Here are my excuses:

1. College
Helping my son, Tim, get through his college applications and scholarship applications...as well as going through the HELL of financial aid and horrible horrible FAFSAs. Though, I must highly recommend using the wonderful organization NHHEAF, if you are in New Hampshire. We went at least 3 times and, every single time, they were more than helpful. The people who work there try their very best to explain the whole college and financial aid process with you, without making you feel like a complete idiot. Happily, Tim has finally chosen to go to Champlain College in Burlington, VT (with a $10,000 scholarship!) for Game Programming. Also, Tim will be inducted into the French National Honor Society in May. Yay for Tim!!

Tim also participated in the 2011 Penguin Plunge in January to raise money for the Special Olympics - that was a great day!



2. Hooping


(my Pink "Firefly" LED hoop from Hoopnotica)

I'm preparing myself for the Hoopnotica Teacher Training in September this year. As many of you know, I also teach yoga (http://www.YogaGardenNH.com) and I'm hoping to add hoopdancing to my teaching experience - and I'd love to incorporate hooping into a yoga class as well. I started hooping in December 2009 and it was a very slow process for me to start with. I couldn't even keep the hoop going around me more than once for weeks and weeks. But, I kept it up and now I've learned lots of cool tricks and hope to practice enough so that I can teach others in the fall. I've been practicing at least 30 minutes a day and I'm making progress. If you want to check out my hooping page, click here for HoopGlow. Yay for me!

3. Sewing


Okay, I'm a traitor to knitting. It's true. I've spent most of February - April sewing (and hooping). And not knitting. I'm trying to work on my new (!!) book, a sequel to Dreamscape. And I'm lacking the enthusiasm that I was hoping I'd have. I have ideas sketched out for most of the designs and have already started on (which is very lovely, but going pretty slowly because of my other interests) Did I tell you that I had to order a 4th order of 100 Dreamscape books in December?? I was really happy about that. But, now, sales are down and I think knitters are waiting for something new. The other knitwear designers of the world must either be single or retired, because I'm having the hardest time trying to keep up with my housework, my family and my hobbies. Maybe I'm just too scatterbrained? But, those other designers must really focus 100% on their designs 24/7 to be able to crank out such fantastic things continuously. Sadly, I can't (and really don't want to) do that. While my kids are still somewhat young, I'd like to enjoy them. I have years and years left to devote to designing. Right??

Anyway, that was a tangent.

My hubby bought me a sewing machine last year for my bday in May and I was too scared (yes, scared) to use it until a few months ago. I usually always sewed everything by hand (toys, blankets, eye pillows, etc) and the machine really intimidated me. Luckily, it's a Hello Kitty machine, so it's less scary :D My friend, Hilary, came over and forced me helped me to start sewing and that was a breakthrough. Since then, I've made SO MANY things:

3 pairs (or more) of Waterproof mittens for Ian's winter hiking expeditions
1 balaklava and 2 cowls for Ben made of fleece
4 collapsible shopping bags for friends and family
2 baby quilts (in duck patterns)
4 Robot squishy toys
1 pretty patchwork bag with handles
1 knitting accessory bag
1 accessory bag that matches the patchwork bag
1 black peasant blouse (for me)
1 adorable strawberry skirt (for me)
1 super cute cherry pillowcase for my bed
1 pair of Spongebob flannel pajama pants
1 sweet Pennant Banner for a very special little girl that says, "Riley's Room"

So, now you can see why I haven't been knitting! lol

If you're into sewing, too, check out the book: "One-Yard One Skein Wonders" by Storey Publishing. I borrowed it from the library at first, but ended up spending so much time and money copying the patterns that I liked that I just bought the book. More great sewing books that I found are: "Weekend Sewing" and "Sew What? Skirts" - both are very nicely organized, appropriate for beginners and fun to read - and are inspiring.

4. Designing


As I wrote above, I'm in the process of creating my new book so all of the knitting I've been doing lately has been, well, work. It's not something that I can easily pick up and just enjoy. I've got to pay attention to what I'm doing, write down changes or mistakes that I've made to my pattern and just THINK alot. That's not always a fun way to go about knitting. My friends have suggested that I just have 2 projects going so that I'll have something mindless and fun to knit, but then I KNOW I'll end up procrastinating and not completing my designs for the new book. So, I'm trying to be responsible, but...it's hard.

I have completed a number of projects so far this year:

Angora/Merino Wrap
Amanda Hat for me
Armando Hat for my dad
Mittens
An Amanda Hat with earflaps
Ben's felted clogs
2 Winter Hiking Hats (my new design...Ravelry link HERE)...(see top photo)
2 sets of Baby Duck socks
2 sets of Baby Duck hats
A Baktus
and, my favorite, my Garden Gnome Mittens.



If you want to see some pics and/or details of them, click HERE for my Ravelry page.

5. Blog
Let's face it. Facebook has taken over blogging. Or, at least, I think so. Most of the people who keep in touch with me (in the knitting world), do it on Facebook. I constantly update my sewing and knitting projects on there - with links and pics. I'm finding it harder and harder to update my blog. But, here is where I have links to my patterns and other stuff, so I won't get rid of it. But, if you're interested in keeping in touch with me more often, friend me :)

This is my personal page: http://www.facebook.com/gina.sleepyeyes
(if you don't mind seeing stuff about my family, friends, hooping, sewing and knitting...it's less censored than here...lol)

Or, you can friend me as Sleepy Eyes Knits: http://www.facebook.com/sleepyeyesknits
(where I only update knitting related news/shows/projects/etc)

So, I think I've pretty much updated most of the stuff that I've been doing. Sorry that there's not too many photos and very little talk to knitting, but I hope that will change once I get more time on my hands. Hopefully!

Would love to know how you're all doing and thank you again for being so loyal to my blog. Hope to see some of you on Facebook, too!

Lots of love,
Gina :D

P.S. YIKES!!! Almost forgot...did you see my NEW Classic Elite pattern (Webletter #171), "The Kimberly Shrug"??? This pattern (named after my sister, Kimberly) came out right after Christmas this year. You can download this FREE pattern HERE on the Classic Elite website.

Check it out and let me know what you think!! :)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

(My family on Christmas Day)

Hello Knitting Friends!!

I wish I had more time to blog the past couple of months, but I at least wanted to write to say that I'm still "out there" in the knitting world and have missed sharing my posts with you.

Here's a quick update of what I've been up to:

* Due to popular demand (yay!), I've ordered a 4th set of 100 Dreamscape books to sell in 2011. Check out my Etsy shop for more copies - I sold 300 books in 10 months!

*I was able to complete 60 knitted projects this year (woo-hoo!) including a couple of new designs, more Amanda Hats, some lovely cabled items and some toys for the kids. (Will update with more info on this in January) You can check out pictures on my Ravelry 2010 page: click HERE.

*Three of my new designs - "The Bobbi Scarf" (on this Sleepy Eyes Knitting blog), "The Ericka Scarf" (in the new 101 Sock Skeins Wonders by Judith Durant) and "The Kimberly Shrug" (in the Classic Elite Webletter on Dec. 28. 2010) were all published this year - and a fourth, "The Winter Hiking Hat", will be written (but might not be up on my blog) by the end of 2010.

*My oldest son, Tim, got accepted to 2 colleges so far: Becker College (with a great scholarship!) and UNH Durham. Keep your fingers crossed for the other colleges. He's excited to start his career in Game Programming/Design : D

*I had many (over 20!) Amanda/Armando Hats featured in Annie Modesitt's book, "1000 Fabulous Knit Hats!" - it's a perfect knitter's gift and I love, love the photos and patterns ; )

I want to thank all of my family and friends for their amazing support this year through all of my trunk shows, book signings and pattern debuts. THANK YOU sooo much for test knitting, admiring and coming to visit me at these events. Love you!

I want to especially thank these yarn stores for hosting my Sleepy Eyes Knits trunk shows and selling my books in 2010:

Fresh Purls (Karen, you're wonderful!)
Windsor Button (Thanks so much!)
Yarn Sellar (You're always so welcoming, Patti and Julie!)
The Knitting Studio (Thanks to the very friendly group of Lee, Leslie and Bridgette!)
Elegant Ewe (Thanks so much, Kelly!)
The Yarn and Fiber Company (Thanks, Cyndi and Jerry!)
Slater Mill Guild Studio (Bernadette, you rock!)

Have a wonderful Holiday, Christmas and New Year and I'll be posting very soon!

With love, Gina ; )
xxoxoxo

A New Pattern, Recent Trunk Shows and Hooping a'Plenty!

I'm back! Finally...whew...I think once a month posts are all I can possibly get in at the moment. If you're on Facebook or my SleepyHeads group on Ravelry, that's a MUCH easier way to see what I'm up to and see pictures of my latest designs/trunk shows.

Anyhoo, I thought I'd update now before another month goes by without a post. I'll start with the smaller, personal stuff and then end with my NEW PATTERN! Yay!

FAMILY

The past month or so, it's been constant work helping my oldest, Tim, get his college applications sent in, essays written and portfolios created. He's intending to go into Game Programming/Design and has 5 colleges in mind. I thought that the Common Application would be so much easier, but really, it wasn't. Two of the colleges Tim was interested in weren't accepting the Common App and seeing how easy those were to fill out made me think, "Why the heck isn't the Common App set up like THAT!" The CA website is just not that user friendly at all and there is little room for change or being able to add things that aren't listed as options. Ugh. But, at least there'll all in and now Ian and I just have to focus on the horrors of the CSS Profile and the FAFSA. (please kill me now)



This is his senior picture, which I think is very handsome ; )

HOOPING

As some of you know, I got addicted to hooping last December and I've been loving it. Now that I can actually keep the hoop around my waist for more than 5 seconds, I love grabbing my hoop whenever I have a free minute. The best part is, I don't have to change into any fancy clothes or make sure I have an hour of allotted time to work out. You can work out with this slightly weighted hoop for only 30 minutes and burn over 300 calories! I'm having such a fun time with this that I've decided to get my Hoopnotica Teacher Training certificate so I can teach hooping next summer. I'll be taking that weekend intensive in March 2011. I've been practicing every day for my training....well, mostly hitting my head with my hoop and banging the hoop on my legs, but I still keep at it. LOL! I even thought of incorporating the hoop into my yoga class routine. As long as I have enough space and some interested yogis, I think it might be awesome! Check out Hoopnotica's website for more information, pictures and videos on hooping, weight loss, teacher training and to buy their stuff (adorable hoops, dvds, cds, etc.)

TRUNK SHOWS

I'm delighted to say that BOTH of my recent trunk shows were a HUGE success! As of this moment, I have absolutely NO Dreamscape books to sell -only PDFS. That's amazing! (There are still a few Dreamscape books available online to purchase - either at Coveted Yarn or Willowgate Yarn - see links on right sidebar...so hurry before those are sold out, too!)

Tonia Barry of the Classic Elite Design team, was wonderful and asked me to have a show at the Hub Mills Yarn store in Lowell, MA. The day went by so quickly and I loved looking at all of the gorgeous yarn in the store. It was lovely meeting so many people who came to look at my knitted samples and buy my book. I'd definitely visit that store again : )



Bernadette Vaughan of the Slater Mill Guild Studios, went out of her way to make my day fantastic. She organized this wonderful Knitting/Spinning/Quilting event at the Slater Mill in Pawtucket, RI and I thought it was amazing. There were not only vendors but, also my trunk show, presentations on spinning, beautiful quilt samples, and hot cider and goodies to munch on. The space was so beautiful - bright, light, roomy and felt so good to be there.



I was there for 5 hours and it seemed like just one! I sold ALL the rest of my Dreamscape books and had a large number of people interested in my designs - trying them on and complimenting them. I felt like someone important for that little while! : D



I'm happy to say that I've been asked back in January for their annual Knitting Weekend - where I'll be able to teach an Amanda Hat class and a Yoga/Knitting class during the weekend. Woo-hoo! I can't wait!

Thanks from the bottom of my heart for Tonia and Bernadette!!

FINISHED KNITTED PROJECTS

1. A Blanket for my Mom (I knit 3 of the squares and my friends knit the others):



2. The Harriet Cardigan from "A Fine Fleece" in Jaeger Pure Merino DK in blue:



3. Two Cowboy -themed washcloths for my sister's bathroom: (the other is a brown cowboy boot)



4. Another Persephone Beret in white for my mom's friend

5. A pair of Garter Stripe Baby Socks to go with the EZ's Baby Surprise Jacket in my handpainted sock yarn



6. And Gun Shy toy for Ben - who is obsessed with anything like laser guns and such.



Currently, I'm finishing up my friend Libby's scarf (in new pattern!) and the Fylindales Cardigan, also from "A Fine Fleece" in an imported 100% Scottish Wool aran yarn in the colorway, Blossom.

NEW PATTERN!



My newest pattern, called "Bobbi's Birthday Scarf", is now available for purchase! Yay! This scarf is a classic, cabled, unisex scarf with a twist - you add fabric to the back! If you're a quilter, you can even line the scarf with one of your gorgeous quilted creations. Depending upon the yarn and fabric you choose, this scarf could be made for anyone in your life...family, friends, teacher, bus driver, etc. The pattern is $5.00 and you can purchase the pdf here on my blog (see right sidebar of homepage under "Patterns for Purchase" or on Ravelry.



Well, I think that's about all that's new at the moment. As you know, I'm going to begin working on my newest Sleepy Eyes Knits book in January 2011 in hopes that it will be published by December 2011. This book will include baby, toddler and child patterns in a readable and colorful format. I'll be using the spiral bound format again and I'll also be offering a set of BOTH Sleepy Eyes Knits books for a great price around the holidays.

MY PATTERNS IN OTHER BOOKS

By the way, have you seen all of the Amanda Hats in the new book, "1000 Fabulous Knit Hats" by Annie Modesitt? Check out the TEXTURED HATS section. Most of those hats were knit by me or friends of mine. Soo cool!

Also, my OTHER new pattern in finally out in the new book, "101 Sock Skein Wonders" by Judith Durant. My "Ericka Scarf" is on page 94. The scarf is named after one of my close knitting friends, Ericka, and is knit using only ONE SKEIN of Noro Kureyon sock yarn, though you could use any sock yarn for this project. It would look best in a semi-solid or striping yarn, though. Take a look at both books and let me know what you think!

Hope you're all doing well and thanks so much for staying loyal to my blog.

Hugs and Happy Knitting!! xoxxo

Falling into Autumn with 2 NEW trunk shows!

Hey there! I know it's been over a month since I posted. Mostly, this summer, the kids and I were busy going in the pool (yay!) and keeping busy. It was harder to knit during those hot days (the past few here in NH have been brutal!), but I did manage to get some pretty great projects finished.

We also spent a good amount of time looking at colleges for Tim. We went to WPI (Worcester Polytechnic Institute...where Ian and I went to college), Daniel Webster College, Champlain College and Tim visited Clemson University with his grandpa (he's the head of the Graphics Department there, as well as a professor). So far, WPI is top choice for everyone, but it's a hard school to get into...so cross your fingers for him! He'll be taking his SAT's again in October and applying (early admission) to WPI before November. (please please please)

(It might help that he was actually born right off of campus and I was pregnant with him through almost my entire second year there - he took all of the classes I took! Do you think he can get college credits for that.....???? lol)

Ben is now in 2nd grade and I can't believe it! He's up to over my shoulder in height and he's only 7. I feel like the Incredibly Shrinking Woman in this house of tall boys/men!! He keeps cracking me up with all of the funny things he says and it's actually a little bit frustrating when he asks me something that I don't know the answer to. I always say, "Let's google it!"

Okay...enough family (for now)....here are some of the fantastic projects that I finished over the summer with pics. Also, at the end, I have a listing of the TWO (woo-hoo!) trunk shows that I have coming up this fall. Can't wait to go...they both seem like they're going to be lots of fun!

FINISHED PROJECTS SINCE LAST POST



October Frost Cardigan
From "A Fine Fleece"
Size: 43" bust
Needle size: US 6 and 8
Yarn: Queensland Kathmandu Aran in Burgandy
Yardage: 1600 yds
Time: May 8th-May 22nd, 2009 and then August 20-31, 2010 (about 4 weeks total)
Fun Level: B- Started off very fun (I knit the back in one week and one arm the next week), but then I lost interest (also having a hard time knitting all those cables during knitting group) and didn't pick it up until August 20, 2010. I finished the other arm, two fronts, collar and both button bands in 11 days. Woo-hoo! Love the way it looks, though I realized that I knit both arms in the wrong size, so they're like monkey arms. Besides that, it's a gorgeous and cozy sweater. The yarn is perfect for it!



Ben's Log Cabin Afghan
From Sarah Bradbury's "Log Cabin Square" instructions
Size: 54" square
Needle size: US 8
Yarn: Noro Kureyon (in many colorways for squares) and Cascade Eco+ in purple heather for the trim
Yardage: 1760 yds for squares and 956 for trim (2 skeins of Eco+)
Time: January 2010 - August 3rd, 2010
Fun Level: B. The Squares were super fast and fun to knit and I think I would've kept making squares all year. I stopped at 16 for a square blanket. The trim was very, very monotonous to knit and that was the worst part. I finished all the squares by the end of January and then didn't start knitting the trim and putting the squares together until the end of July. I finished by the first week in August. It's the prettiest blanket I've knit so far. Only wish I could give the piecing to someone else to do!





Baby Surprise Jacket 1 (& 2)
From EZ's "An Opinionated Knitter"
Size: Newborn (and 9 month)
Needle size: US 3 (and 6)
Yarn: My hand-dyed fingering weight merino (and Jojoland Rhythm)
Yardage: 276 yds (and 380 yards)
Time: 1 day (and 4 days)
Fun Level: A! This is a totally fun and addictive pattern to knit. As soon as I was done with one, I had to cast on immediately for another. I love how easy it is to knit and how creatively designed it is. To put it together is just magic. Highly recommended!




Ian's Woodsman Socks 1 & 2
From EZ's "An Opinionated Knitter"
Size: Men's large (size 10.5" shoe)
Needle size: US 6
Yarn: Harrisville Designs New England Highland in High Hemlock and High Evergreen
Yardage: 252 yds for each pair
Time: 9 days for 1 pair, 5 days for the second pair
Fun Level: A- Super easy to knit pair of worsted, hiking socks for the winter. My hubby loves the thick, slightly rustic yarn and how warm they are. I was able to knit a single sock in two days. I changed up the colors for the second pair so I was able to knit 2 full pairs of men's socks from 3 skeins of this yarn. Yay!

TRUNK SHOW & BOOK SIGNING #7:

September 25th (Saturday)
11 am - 3pm
Hub Mills Yarn Store
Lowell, MA
20% off all yarn, books and bags that day!

TRUNK SHOW & BOOK SIGNING #8:

October 3rd (Sunday)
12 pm - 5 pm
Slater Mill Guild Studio
Pawtucket, RI
Sign up to win a FREE gift basket including a Dreamscape book, yarn, chocolate and goodies!

There are literally only 40 Dreamscape books left in the world to buy (LOL!)...true, though. I have some listed on my Etsy shop and a few more one-of-a-kind stitch markers left, but they're going fast and, after these trunk shows, there may not be any left to put up in the shop. (Kind cool!)

As usual, I'll have the rest of my Dreamscape books, design samples and will offer a FREE pdf of the Dreamscape book to all who buy a book at the trunk show. Yay!

Hope to see some of you there and thanks SO much for your support and love! xoxoxxo

Almost 10,000 yards of yarn knit up so far in 2010!!

Wow! I just heard that calculating the yardage of your knitting projects is a more accurate way of knowing how much you've knit in a year, compared to the number of projects. Makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, you could have knit tons of tiny projects and it would SOUND awesome, but someone else could've knit one HUGE project and feel inadequate ("Why can't I knit FASTER???").

This way, you really know how much you've knit. I think it's pretty cool. And, being the mathematical geek that I am, I love adding up numbers and organizing my projects. It keeps me motivated and happy.

Wanna know my calculations so far??

(If not, please scroll down to the bottom of this post - LOL!)

So far, if considering all of the projects that I've finished (see list below) this year, I'm up to:

Nine thousand, three hundred, fifty seven and four tenths of yardage!!

9357.4!!!!

And, when I'm finishing sewing up Ben's Log Cabin Square Afghan (with the Cascade Eco+), it'll be over 9835.4!!!

AND....

When I'm finished with my holiday stocking (just finished Ian's), it'll be OVER 10,000!!!!

Makes me feel very, VERY motivated.

You should do the same for yourself. It really makes you feel like you've accomplished something wonderful and will help to get you in gear to finish lots of those UFOs. Try it!!

Okay, here is my list for Finished Objects of 2010 so far:

1. Ben's Hai-Ryo Dragon in Berroco Comfort
2. Bobbi Scarf in Patons Classic Merino
3. Chimera Flower in Valeria di Roma Angora
4. Peresphone Beret in Debbie Bliss Stella
5. Fudge Swirl Cabled Mock Turtleneck sweater in Berroco Ultra Alpaca
6. Cacodemon in Cascade 220 and Lion Brand Fun Fur
7. Eyeballs in a kit from Mary Jane Mucklestone
8. LegoMan in Cascade 220
9. Persephone Beret in Sereknity Sweet
10. Log Cabin Pillow in Noro Kureyon and Cascade Eco+
11. Another Log Cabin Pillow in Noro Kureyon and Cascade Eco+
12. Robin Scarf in Jade Sapphire Cashmere
13. Snowy Night Gansey Holiday Stocking in Cascade Ecological Wool (Ben)
14. Fan Stitch Half Circle Shawl in Ivy Brambles Romantica, Cherry Tree Hill Suri Lace Alpaca and Jaggerspun Zephyr
15. Captain Underpants in Cascade 220
16. Victorian Lace Scarf in JoJoland Cashmere



17. Gate and Ladder Shawl in Kauni
18. Cat's Paw Square Shawl in Aurora Inca Tops
19. Liquorice Lace Shrug in Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace
20. Painted Ruffle Scarf in Bashful Bags and Fibers Super Bulky yarn
21. Super Loops Scarf in Bashful Bags and Fiber Super Bulky yarn



22. Snowy Night Gansey Holiday Stocking #2 in Cascade Ecological Wool (Tim)
23. Annis Shawl in Universal yarn Starlight



24. Annis Shawl #2 in Katia Mississippi 3 Solid



25. Hallowig in Berroco Ultra Alpaca
26. Another Hallowig in Berroco Ultra Alpaca (see pic at beginning)
27. Snowy Night Gansey Holiday Stocking #3 in Cascade Ecological Wool (Ian)



AND...when I finished sewing it together...

28. Log Cabin Afghan in Noro Kureyon and Cascade Eco+ (Ben)

I feel soooo knit-motivated now!! Woo-hooo!!!!

(more blogging soon with updates on Dreamscape, shops to buy it in/from and new patterns coming up!)

Happy Knitting to all and to all a good night....

Dreamscape Reviewed in Spin-Off Magazine!!!

OMG - found out from my friend, knitting and spinning guru, Vicki (who taught me how to spin!), last night that she'd opened up her newest Spin-Off Magazine (Summer 2010) and saw a full page (page 18) review on my Dreamscape book!

How friggin' awesome is that??



I think the review was pretty great and the constructive criticism was definitely helpful concerning the photography. I mean, Ian and I aren't professional photographers (it's just a hobby, really) and I was going more for a certain artistic, vintage style and look...rather than close-ups of the stitches.

I thought we did have some stitch definition with the photos (especially since Ian tried to keep only the knitted item in color, with the rest of the photo "aged"), but I'm sure I could've added extra pictures with more focused details of the knitting - if I'd had the time and extra money, of course.

All in all, I was thrilled with the review and I want to thank Jean Lampe for taking the time to look at my book. Thanks so much!!

I was also super happy to find my Fireball Horseshoe Cap in this issue as well (must.buy.more.copies!) on page 88. Another full page description of the hat that I knitted out of my handspun, using Ivy Brambles' corriedale fiber in "Fireball" colorway (love it!). That was a quick, fun and adorable knit.



Whew - what a day!

I also wanted to share with you some pics of my Liquorice Shrug by Megan Marshall.

I needed a shrug to wear with my sleeveless black dress for a friend's wedding a couple of weekends ago and found this pattern - which I loved. You pretty much knit two of the same pieces (well, one goes the opposite way) and sew the seams. Great pattern and pretty easy to knit. The only thing I had trouble with was with trying to knit this in 2 weeks (just made it - finished it on the DAY of the wedding!) with size US 3 needles. I'd give it a little more time next time, I think. LOL!

Here are the details:

Yarn: Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace (used a little over 2 balls)
Color: Black
Needle: US 3, 24" circ
Weight: Fingering (I doubled the lace yarn)
Changes: I made my shrug with longer sleeves. Instead of the sleeves being 16" long, mine were 22" (8" of the sleeve actually goes over the back of your shoulders, so my sleeves were actually only 14" long) and I omitted the crochet trim. I liked the more "flowing" look of the ends of the sleeves - made them look more like bell sleeves that way.

Here's me in the shrug (in the hotel bathroom, of all places...jeez!):



and me with my sexy, handsome hubby, Ian in the reception hall at Stonewall Farm in Keene, NH: (Ian was one of the groomsmen...oh, the tux...the tux!)



I think that's all the news I have so far. Oh, Ian bought me an adorable Hello Kitty (Janome) sewing machine for my birthday on the 23rd (turned 37!!) and all of my friends got me the most amazing gift cards and sewing things so I can splurge on fabrics and such. I have the BEST and most thoughtful friends ever!!! : D

If any of you are looking for my Dreamscape book, please look on the right sidebar to my homepage (http://sleepyeyesknitting.blogspot.com) for 3 online shops to buy my book: My Etsy shop, The Yarn and Fiber Company and Willowgate Yarns. You can also download the pdf of Dreamscape off of my blog (sidebar, using Paypal) and/or on Ravelry.com here.

Would love it if you'd pass the word on! Hugs to you all and Happy Knitting!! xoxxo

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!