Knitting goal in sight

Sorry, no pictures today. I haven't done anything that I can take pictures of. Its all for Christmas and I don't want to post the pictures and spoil the surprise. I have two of eight items for completed. Not too bad for three months away. Now if I only don't find more patterns that I think I need to make!

I've been sitting at the computer for the last hour, catching up on blog reading. I've also been spinning on the Hitchiker. When R left the room he said, " I thought I heard the spinning wheel, but I thought she was on the computer." It's nice to know, I can still surprise my boys once in a while. I have spun about half a bobbin in the past hour or so. It's nice to actually get some spinning in.

Today, I also made a wrist distaff for my new drop spindle. I even tried it out and it works fairly well. The only thing is, I made the tassels a little too short! Oh well, I still have plenty of materials to make another distaff.

Okay - I couldn't get away without at least one picture. This is Cleo. Don't know how C managed this picture, but I think its kinda cute!

Happy knitting & spinning.

So many things

There has been a lot happening around here lately. First a picture of the "haul" from only an hour of shopping at the Great Basin fiber fair. The green and pink on the left is from here.
The color doesn't show up too well on the photo, but I think it is really pretty. The purple in the middle is a corriedale cross from Rumpelstiltskin's in Logan UT. This fiber is spinning up very nicely on the drop spindle I got from Greensleeves.
The fiber on the right is from Judy's Novelty Wool in the Macaw color-way. I really liked this when I saw it at the Idaho Falls fiber fair and so I got some now.

On Saturday the fiber guild from Pocatello came for our monthly meeting. Some of the pictures didn't turn out. I'm sorry ladies!

We had lots of good conversations, touchy feely experiences, new books to look through and covet, great food and an excursion to the LYS Yarn Connection after the group split up. We also stopped into the bead store across the street.







The weather started out sunny, so the sun-room started to get really warm. But then the clouds came up and made the room just right for the afternoon. Thanks weather for cooperating with our afternoon!















I have done some knitting this past week and have completed the socks for Jb. They are only size 12! Why does this child have to have such b-i-g feet. The color doesn't show up to well, imagine that! But it is a brown tweedy color which is really nice. I have enough left to use as
heels and toes on another pair of socks. Maybe I can use the left overs in the sock class I will start the first Saturday in October.

I do have another pair of Christmas stocking to get done. They will be for ES's second daughter, Ag, and here soon to be husband. They are getting married in about ten days and they may end up getting the stockings as an early Christmas present.

Well, enough of my ramblings for the night. Happy knitting and spinning!

Not enough time

This weekend went very fast! I did get to go to the Great Basin Fiber Fair, although I didn't get to stay for very long. Aren't the Alpaca cute. They were sure inquisitive and cute to watch. They wanted to know everything about where they were and any strange noises close to them.


This gentleman was fun to watch also and did a good job with the girl scout troop that was there. It was interesting to listen to him answer their questions and talk about the craft.



I'm ready to go back, but without any other commitments for that day! I am interested in seeing if any others from the fiber guild went and what they were able to come up with there. I guess I will see this weekend when the guild comes to my house, hopefully!

I've been busy knitting on some socks. They will be gifted! They are coming along really nicely, but are taking me quite awhile to get done. I am going to be taking a monthly sock class on the first Saturday of each month. Maybe that will motivate me to get some socks done!

Happy knitting and spinning!

Finished Christmas Stockings

I haven't had much time to knit or spin the last few days. Consequently, I haven't accomplished much. I did however finish this pair of Christmas stockings which will be a wedding gift for a friend's son and new bride.

I think they turned out really well. And I was able to use quite a bit of yarn from the stash--I didn't buy anything new for this pair! They were my own design on how I put everything together. Hopefully, the couple will enjoy them for many years to come.

It's been a stressful day, so I'm heading to the spinning wheel for an hour or so. Happy knitting & spinning.

Only two years

This weekend I was able to finish washing a fleece that I bought only two years ago at Knowlton's spring wool-trek. The fleece is multi colored gray (champagne) which is really pretty. I haven't decided what to do with this, but I am getting anxious to start doing some carding and some spinning. Besides I need a project for the Hitchiker as I am almost done spinning the Sea-foam color way.

Just for you Lyn, I made "C" wear his beanie so I could get a picture. The yarn is some dark acrylic camouflage that I picked up in Minnesota at Hobby Lobby when "ES" and I were there in February.
The pattern is a basic K2, P2 ribbing over 68 stitches for 4-5 inches and then decreases starting about every 8 stitches every other row until down to about eight stitches and then pull yarn through loops and tighten up the top. "C" likes wearing the hat with the purl side out. For some reason that side is best for him. I'll try and get a better picture of the beanie when he isn't wearing it and it is daylight.

Well, that's all for now. Happy knitting and spinning!

Over 25 yards

Monday was spent watching some tv and spinning the fibers from the previous post. I got just over 25 yards of this blend. It turned out really nice and I think I will combine it with the skein of the black walnut dye and make a headband or hat. The colors go quite well together.
Monday night I also made a beanie for "C". He had a haircut that day and he was afraid his head would be too cold for school the next day. He has worn the beanie non-stop since then. A friend stretched it out on Tuesday, so I am making another one for him. He is already saying "thank-you, thank-you, thank-you."

I washed a skein last night and am anxious to start a scarf. (Christmas is right around the corner, ya know!!) The skein is still quite damp, so will have to wait until tomorrow or the weekend, but I do have the pattern and needles ready for the minute it is dry.

Well, off to get ready for this afternoon's obligations. Happy knitting & spinning

Carding fun

On Friday, I took this slightly felted roving (it had been in the indigo dye and didn't take, so I redyed it last Sunday) and tried to predraft it. The predrafting didn't work. So I tore off little sections and carded them together. The blends turned out really well. And it is spinning up very nicely. I had to take off what I was spinning on the Scholar and spin some of this blend up.


The blend here is kind of dark, but it is turning out really well. From the picture above, you can tell there is blue, green, orange and a little bit of purple in the mix. Some batts are turning out more blue and some are turning out more orange, but they are all blending really well.

On Saturday I wasn't feeling really well, so I spent most of the day on the bed knitting. I finished knitting the shawl and now need to block it. Once it's blocked I'll put a picture up. I started the second Christmas stocking. Yes, we got another wedding invitation, so I really need to complete the other one. I turned the heel by Saturday night, did a couple of sections last night and only have two more color changes to do and it is finished. The two stockings don't match exactly, but they are close enough.

Enjoy the Labor Day! Happy knitting & spinning