Wow it is almost Thanksgiving

Where does time go? I have done quite a bit of knitting recently, but only have these 2 pictures to show. One is the bag in progress and the other is an almost finished photo with the bag blocking on a cardboard form. I still have to make the straps and line it with fabric. I love color knitting with the palette yarn.
Pattern: Sipalu Bag from Knitpicks
Yarns: warm colorway alternate colors
Needle: Knitpicks 2.25mm circular and dpns
Finished size: 9" x 11" x 2"

The other knitting projects have been swatches for a fingerless mitt pattern I am designing for some friends who have a revolutionary war era re-enactment store. I hope to either knit up several pairs for them to sell or at least produce a pattern for them to sell. I have taught both of them to knit and so we might just knit up a bunch. This will only happen if I get a pattern designed that will work easily. I have never designed or written a pattern before, so this is a bit of a challenge.

Wool Gathering 2009

Before going off to buy more wool I finished spinning up some merino/tencel I got at MS&W2007. I have had this for way too long and finally got to it. It is one ply of a light green and on of a dark green. I ended up with about 550 yds total.

Last weekend was the Wool Gathering 2009 at Young's Dairy in Yellow Springs, OH. I went all by myself and had a nice time wandering around for a few hours.
There was a huge bunny for sale:
A very beautiful Border Leister sheep:Some very interested Jersey cows:
Two big tents of vendors:
It is about 1/8th the size of MS&W, but is only about 1 hr from here. I came home with 1.5 pounds of Romney in an oatmeal color that I want to spin and knit a sweater for Darin, 1 pound of a charcoal merino to spin and then knit something for me, 3 oz of a hand dyed BFL and 1 pattern from Knitspot (aka Anne Hanson).On the way home I had to stop at Jo-Ann's (since I didn't have enough yarn at home) and get some Cotton ease to knit a mesh shopping bag that I have been wanting for several months.

I finished the mesh bag this afternoon and here it is:
Pattern: BYOB from Knitty
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease, 4 skeins total (1 each of the contrast colors and 2 of the main)
Needles: US 7 and 10 KnitPicks options
Time: about 1 week total

Stupid Alpaca

Two weeks ago I sat down to start the Andean Chullo Hat kit from KnitPicks. I was going to make it for N, so I called him over and asked him to help pick out the patterns for the different bands. I told him I was going to use the alpaca ear flaps and he said "I don't want stupid alpaca on my hat". So the hat is not his, but Darin and I will wear it instead. It took only about a week for the knitting part. I love how Palette knits up in the color work. I couldn't stop, I had to see how the next section would look. My original kit had the substituted colors (navy for bark, sky for pool ,and turmeric for masala), but I was able to get the original colors before starting. I ended up using all of the colors I had.

I got some pictures of the Sarah cardigan today as well, so here they are.

In spinning news, I finished the socks-that-rock sheep-to-shoe kit I got a few years ago. I ended up with 413 yds in the big skein, 280 yds in the smaller skein and 71 yds of 2 ply in the smallest skein. I hope it knits up as nice as it spun.

End of Summer

Summer has ended and the school year started!!! We got back from a camping vacation where I finished 1 sock. I still have the second one to do, but I got one done in a week.

I have also been knitting on the Sarah cardigan kit I got at MS&W2009 from Selridge Farms. The color between balls 2 and 3 is not as noticeable in person, but you can still see it.
If you hold the balls of yarn next to each other it is not noticeable, but when knit up and photographed it is very distinct. I wonder if over-dying the whole sweater when done will fix that. Any one have an opinion on that?

I have also done some spinning and finished the 3 singles for the Socks-That-Rock Sheep-to-Shoe kit I got a few years ago. Maybe tomorrow I will ply them and see how many yards there are and if I actually want to make socks from it.

I finished 2 projects

I have only worked on 1 project at a time for a bit now. I finished 2 projects and have started a third.
First is a baby present:
Pattern: Baby Blocks by Ann Norling (in The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber)
Yarn: Vanna's choice, 8 skeins
Needles: KnitPicks size 8

The second is a shawl from Knitted Lace of EstoniaPattern: Miralda's triangular shawl
Yarn: Briar Rose Fibers, Sea Pearl, Laceweight
Needles: KnitPicks size 6

The new project is the Sarah Cardigan from Button Up your Top Down. It was a kit I got from Shelridge Farm at MS&W this year.

I am still here.

Here are some finished projects:
First the ski sweater I promised a photo of.
Now the Crew Crew socksI also finished the Aran Afghan. Actually it is more of a throw being only 3'x5'.Yarn: Lion Brand Fisherman's wool (I can't remember how many skeins
Pattern: based on a pattern from Knitty Gritty, but with other blocks. There are 12 different blocks. The corner blocks are the same (and my favorite one).
Time: Too long, over a year.

I have also done some spinning. A few years ago I got a Sheep-to-Shoe kit from Blue Moon Fiber Arts in the raven color series. I started spinning 2 weekends ago and I have gotten 2/3 done. Last Sunday I spun up 1/3 in about 9 hours. I can't do that much spinning in one day again without taking more breaks. Here is part of the first bobbin worth:


I still haven't photographed my purchases from MS&W2009, but I didn't get much. I got one sweater kit from Shelridge Farms, a sock kit, and 2 bits of wool to spin. I want to start something new, but I have a baby blanket I started that I must finish first.

Almost MS&W 2009

I am headed to MS&W again this year. Before I go I got several items finished.

First, Ski Sweater. No picture yet, it is on the other camera. The sweater is wind-proof and warm.

Second, Lyra:
Pattern: Lyra by Herbert Niebling
Source: Lacis
Yarn: JaggerSpun Zepher silk/wool in Mushroom
Needles: US size 3, KnitPicks
Finished weight: 143 g or 4 7/8 oz
Time: Too long, it sat in time-out for several months.

Third, tofutsies socks:
Pattern: from Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: Tofutsies, about 2/3 of a ball
Size: women's size 10
Time: again, too long.

I started a new pair of socks. These are Nathaniel's Crew crew socks.
We are fans of the Columbus Crew MLS team, so he needed socks to wear to the games.

Next time it will be pictures from the festival and pictures of the finished ski sweater.

Sleeve 3 is finished

I finally finished the other sleeve for my ski sweater now that the weather has decided to be spring. Oh well I can get it all ready for next year. Here it is blocking (soaking it really helped the puckering of the color work). Now to do the sewing up.While I wait for that to dry I am back working on Lyra. It is taking about 45 minutes to knit one round. I am on on round 145 of 180, so the end is in sight.

Yesterday we went on a spring salamander hike at the local park. We did get to see one:
It was fun, but a little chilly. At least it is a sign that spring is indeed here.

Shouldn't I be done yet?

I am almost done knitting the second sleeve of the ski sweater, but I am not almost done. I have to knit sleeve #3. This is because I like my elbows to bend when wearing a sweater. I got the first sleeve done and decided it was too tight and too short, so I ripped what I had on sleeve 2 and started it over again with bigger needles. I also re-wrote where the increases were and increased the length by 1 inch. I have already ripped the "finished" sleeve and washed to yarn to remove the kinks.

I also spent some time spinning. I want to try a cabled yarn. I have 8 oz of a superwash undyed wool that I split into 4 even pieces. I am spinning each as a single, then will ply them. I will to cable, but if it doesn't work, I should have some nice 2 ply.

February blahs

January ended with a snowstorm and closed schools. Don't get me wrong, I love the snow, but I hate having to take a vacation day for closed schools.

I have gotten lots of work done on the ski sweater, but had to take a break. I needed to make some baby booties for a woman at work.Pattern: from 50 Baby Booties to Knit
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto 4-ply (same as the traveling stitch legwarmers)
Needles: Knitpicks 3mm dpns
Time: about 4 hours


Then I went back to working on the Lyra lace. I still am chomping at the bit to start either the chullo hat or the Sipalu bag pattern or one of Knitspot's lace shawls I have everything for.

The big reason for the knitting lull is the wii Fit. I have been trying to spend at least 30 minutes each night doing the yoga, strength and aerobic games. This is part rehabilitation for my ankle, part staying in shape. I am still not fully dancing yet, but it has only been 7 weeks. I can point my bad foot about half as much as the good foot. It will get there, but I am sick of waiting. I just don't want to push it and end up in worse shape than I am now.

It is a new year.

I got to spend 2 weeks on crutches. Fortunately this got me out of doing any driving to and from Illinois, but unfortunately I could do as much helping with the cooking as normal. I have since been walking on my ankle and it is much reduced in size and color, but still bits of purple remain. I did much knitting on Lyra during the Christmas break, but ran out of room on the needles for the stitches. While I waited to place my KnitPicks order with longer needles I worked on the Ski sweater. I have gotten a good groove with that and I am ready for the neck steek.Now to get these done so I can start in on the many other projects I have yarn, needles and pattern for.