challenge of the alps

I spun an entire bobbin of BFL today! Frogged a sleeve and the back of that cashmere sweater to come up with something like 1200 yards of lace weight cashmere, add that to the other 450 yards from the first sleeve and I have half the front to do yet... mm mm mm!

I spun a little bit of alpaca as well and did some (not nearly enough) housecleaning on my computer.

Tomorrow is ply day (and a visit to the dentist)

Happy crafting!

privacy

is the word for emergence. We were out getting passport pictures taken and the 4th butterfly emerged. Of 5 chrysalis that we've had (and butterflies) I've not seen one emerge.






Pattern: Love to Knit by Alice Imholte Monthly Dishcloth July 08 KAL
Yarn: Sugar 'n Cream
Color: Light Green
Needle: US6

I've a secret for this cloth but I can't reveal it for a bit.

Regarding the Tour, I have a bit over 500 yards of 3 ply BFL spun and waiting a wash.
I've started singles again. Tuesday is a rest day so I think I'll spend some time carding tomorrow so I can get ready for the next mountain. (I'll be spinning late tonight to make up for the minimal spinning that was done

I didn't spin much yet today. We all got passport pictures taken and we went to the pool this afternoon. It was practically empty and the water was beautiful. The breeze was chilly but we all had a great time!

drama for an 8YO

DD has a very good friend (call her G) at school who was going to be her twin for twin day next week. Until another friend (call her T) gave said friend an outfit for her birthday that was the same as T's... and said at the party (in front of DD) now we can be twins for twin day. Of course DD was heartbroken... so suggested they go as triplets to which the other girls agreed... except that the outfit is no where to be found in our area... Yikes the drama of being 8! I don't remember it being so hard when I was that age.

on a happier note, I got home from work today and found this in my mailbox

it's from my dishcloth exchange pal on ravelry, aka zellspin.... I love everything. The grapes in the background belong to a small project bag that she made. The colorway for the yarn is fairy tales. Thank you so very much!

I finished #10 of lizard ridge square fame> This is color 116D. I'm thinking I better start to knit with the brighter Noro in my stash or I'm going to want this afghan to stay dark. I really love knitting this (I have mentioned that already, no?)


DH's socks have picked up a bit... especially when I realized that father's day is less than 2 weeks away. I'm adding some wooly nylon to the heels and toes hoping that they wear a little better.

And my MIL claimed this cloth:

Pattern: Lace Loops (chante's tricks) from Shirley's Knitting Knook Yahoo group
Yarn: Sugar and Cream
Color: Newport
Needle: US6

I'm only too happy for her to have it!


Over the weekend I finally untangled this pile of yarn, that I had spun ages ago and dyed Easter Monday with coffee. It was a tangled mess from the dyeing process and was sitting in a basket by my chair for a long time... so now it has its own little mini skeins..I think I'll spit splice them all together and then it will be one single ply skein of about 240 yards to do something fun with. I'm thinking it's Romney, but wouldn't bet any money on it.

wish me luck finding that outfit made by Fang clothing. I know they carry that brand at Boscov's so maybe another outing will prove successful.

FO friday

ok.. not really many but here's what I've gotSquare number 7 for Lizard Ridge in color 156B. Next block up in 40U







and the Mid month KAL for the monthly dishcloth group

Pattern: Every day any day by Sue Schaefer
Yarn: Sugar 'n cream
color: countryside ombre
needle: US6

on a frustrating note, the superdrive in my G4 isn't working.... and my warranty ran out about 5 weeks ago (it wasn't working then either, I just was too lazy to take it to the computer store) so I'm kicking myself in the arse... hope my dear nephew can fix it for me... (with pay of course)

so much.....

to show.

I finished the Monthly Dishcloth KAL a couple of days early. But now that everyone could be done, I'll post the picture:

Pattern: Dots within Stripes April mid-month KAL for the Monthly Dishcloth Yahoo group
Yarn: Elmore-Pisgah Peaches and Cream
Colors: Persimmon and Tea Rose
Needle: US7

I'm planning on gifting this to one of my friends from work. She's really having a rough go of it right now and I know she LOVES the cloths for her kitchen, which is orange. I'll try to whip up a ballband or two in the same colors as well.







I finished the prayer lap blanket for church.

Pattern: Adapted from Lion Brands Prayer Shawl
Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun
Color: Fiesta
Needle: US 13
Completed Size: 40" x 26"
I started this before getting the instructions from church so I cast on fewer stitches than they suggested, as a result I knit it longer so it's a bit larger than suggested, but I think it should be fine. This is really soft, but kind of a pain to knit with. My pop got the last one that the hospital had (since then they've received more from church) but it's part of the new knitting me.... you'll see more of the new side of the knitting me over time. It's a good side. I think you'll eventually agree :-)







I also finished the second Baby Kimono from the Mason Dixon book.

Pattern: Baby Kimono from the Mason Dixon Knitting Book
Yarn: Bernat Naturals Organic Cotton
Color: Cactus
Needle: US6
Button: from stash

I chose cactus because it's the color of the baby's room. I think the sweater looks much more casual knit in garter than in stockinette. I purposely made this larger by about 20%. I hope it fits little Sean.
I'm going to try to make a toy before I mail this out to Paula. Auntie Andrea likes it though, so that's good!

Hopefully you've noticed some more flowering proof of spring in this blog. I really love this season and I think the reason is the new life! The chicks in the 5th grade classroom are hatching. Tomorrow I think I'll take P up to see some.. I must take the camera along to get pictures of him with them. And one of my first grade classes had an emergence from a cocoon yesterday. I still don't know what it was. Need to do some research on that one! Maybe a buckeye butterfly, but I'm leaning more toward some kind of moth.

We hit the local annual booksale at the pool today. DS2 got a Thomas book (hardback with about 4 stories), a Beverly Cleary book (he liked the picture on the front) and the Pony train. DS1 chose Lego books and DD picked out 2 videos (spy kid and some barbie movie) and a Scooby Doo book. Me, I bought them the Rudyard Kipling Just So Stories, Dr. Suess Daisy-Head Mazie (never had heard of that one before and both were hardbacks) and I got the story of Peer Gynt (another hardback) and 2 sing along videos for work. All of that was $10.25 Not to shabby. I love thrifting :-)

....and life goes on

I spent the weekend cherishing my family and doing things that heal.

First: the local church had a community Easter Egg hunt....This was after crafts, drama and singing. The kids had a blast.



We colored eggs here at home. And got food prepared for the usual family dinner at my brother's house. This cake was part of our contribution. DD helped decorate it. She really loves the cooking thing.





I finished the cloth that I started at pop's bedside and gave it to my SIL who hosted the family. There are a few mistakes in it. Guess my concentration wasn't so good. But she loves it anyway.

Pattern: diagonal ripple cloth
Yarn: Lily's Sugar n Creme
Color: Delft Blue
Needle: US7

I started to knit a prayer/healing shawl for the ministry at church. Dad was given the last one by the woman at church who is a nurse at the hospital and happened to be not only on his floor but taking care of patients right next door (and really took care of him as well) She tells us that on his last good night, they spent hours talking about many things and felt honored to have met him. This is a Lion Brand pattern and I'm using the same yarn that the group uses... Lion Brand Homespun, even though I really don't enjoy knitting with it. It is incredibly soft though (and machine washable) I knit during both services on Sunday morning and felt no guilt but prayed that the spirit of the services were knit into the cloth and it would provide as much (or more) healing to whomever receives it as it was giving me to knit it. I hope to finish it this week.

We had the annual egg hunt at my brother's house in the afternoon. The eggs were hidden in crazy places and obvious places. DD cleaned up, but she knows that she has to share the loot with her brothers.






Mom really enjoyed watching the excitement. It was the normalcy of the kids with the holiday that kept everyone going.





The good news is that our family was blessed with a new baby on Sunday morning. And she's beautiful Congratulations Cameron and Rachel. I'll cast on soon with a BSJ... just ordered the yarn (superwash merino) last night from Knit Picks I also bought yarn for the Wild Stripes blanket from Knitty.com to knit for our friends who are expecting their third. NIce to know we're not the only crazy ones out there ;-)

Early this morning (like 2AM) I dyed some yarn that I had spun on my wheel. I used the leftover egg dye for this skein. I didn't know what I was going to call it, but then it struck me.... hyacinth. It really looks like a combination of the colors of hyacinth with the green leaves. What do you think?

Today, I went to mom's to help clean out dad's stuff. I got all his clothing packed up so we can donate the usable to the church rummage sale next month. The unusable, I'll take to recycle. She's doing OK... sometimes better than her daughter.

until later, happy crafting

more knitted goodness

finally finished the last details on the baby kimono:

For: Baby Nicholas
Pattern: Baby Kimono from Mason Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Bernat Organic Natural Cotton
Color: Mineral Spring Trim: Oasis
Needle: US7
Button: from stash

Thanks D for the i cord suggestion and trim on sleeves. I took it one step further and did trim along all the edges. Ties it together more. I was going to put 2 buttons, then decided it limited the sizing possibilities, so then thought of ribbon, but when D saw the hat she said... trim the sleeves in varigated and put varigated i-cord tie... great idea! Hope the mama likes it and it's comfy on the babe.


Also finished the Monthly Dishcloth March KAL and gifted it to my friend Sam

Pattern: The Empty Tomb by Lindy
Yarn: Elmore Pisgah Peaches and Creme
Color: Camel (reminds me of coffee ice cream!)
Needle: US6


This cloth is timely for me. Dad was taken to the hospital again Tuesday evening. Among other things, he has a bladder infection... not good. The prognosis is glum and he really would rather be on the other side. I ask for your prayers for my mom and my brothers in dealing with this. Me, I know what waits him is better than what he has now. I just hope that he can pass with some dignity and not too much pain. Guess I better hurry up and finish that vest........

I leave you with the complete baby gift..I think it looks pretty all together.

wowza

DH and I went to hear Denyce Graves in recital last night at Moravian College. It was an incredible performance. The woman commands such stage presence and conveys the message of the song or aria so believably through her acting. I was completely enthralled. Her accompanist Brian Zeger was amazing as well. The collaboration between the two was so evident. It was the highlight of my musical year so far. Thanks honey for insisting that we go and finding the way to make it happen. You're a dream!
The program you ask?
Schubert Heimliches Lieben, Der Tod und das Mädchen, Gretchen am Spinnrade
Brahms Nicht mehr zu dir zu gehen Meine Liebe is grun, Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer, Die Mainacht
Celia Acerba Volutta from Adrana Lecouvreur
Mascagni Voi le sapete from Cavalleria Rusticana
Robert Saari When the Forsythia Bloom (a cycle from a new composer)
DeFalla Siete canciones populares españolas
A set of spirituals: Scandalize my Name, Prayer, Swing Low and Git on Board
3, yes 3 encores... including Habañera from Carmen by Bizet and two very humorous encores I need a dog and I'm hungry both of which had one foot in the classical realm and the other foot in the musical theatre genre.
The audience was totally engaged. I wasn't alone in my admiration for these artists.


On the knitting front, I present to you:

Pattern: Chinese Waves by Margaret Radcliffe
Size: CO 49 stitches
Yarn: Lily's Sugar 'n Cream
Color: Key Lime Pie
Needles: US6

I am not a real fan of green. I made this for a colleague that I work with. But I have to say that this cloth shouts spring to me and I need that about now. Fortunately I have another skein of this in my stash, cuz I think I'd like one for me too! It's a great pattern for using varigated yarn and this will rank right up there with the infamous DW cloth that I also LOVE to make! I found this pattern through the weekly dishcloth group on ravelry, the place where I spend most of my web time.

I got some yarn from ebay yesterday in the mail. The woman who sold it posted that it smelled of mothballs but there was 500g for $9.99 in a mixed lot of wool so I bit. Before we left for the concert I took the odiforous skeins outside and hung them to air out. I brought them in after returning from work today. Granted it was a very windy, sunny, sometimes snowflurry 24 hours but there is absolutely no remnant of odor on the skeins. DD claimed the lot of this (2OOg of worsted weight) for mittens and a hat There are another 200g in a similar colorway and then 100g of some fun thick and thin mostly browns but with teal yarn.

The cruddy part of the day was the walk through of the construction site where I'll be teaching K and 1st grade music next year. Once again, it's evidenced that our school is the stepchild of the school district. Makes no sense, cuz our kids do as well as if not better than those that come from the Taj Mahal in the country... go figure. One of these days I'll stop sucking on the fuzzy end of the lollipop... they won't care though. I'll just be replace with an incompetant boob and they will be blissfully unaware of the difference. What a shame!

oh what fun it is to ride!

Friday afternoon when the snow stopped falling, we went sledding.. well at least the kids went down the hill (OK I did once, too) They had such a blast. DS2 would scream woo-hoo as he was sliding down. It was great that they finally got a snow that was worth playing in.


Sunday afternoon was perfect weather for building a snowman. The sun was shining brightly but the snow still lay on the ground. This boy's decorations were provided from a snowman kit that my SIL gave us years ago. It's helped a lot of snow become people. This kept the kids outside for an hour or so.

DD lost a tooth Sunday night. The kicker is that the fairy left no money.. I told her it's cuz she wasn't in her bed, but I was there in stead so she thought I was trying to scam her ;-) hope she bought it. There's cash in the pillow now, though

I'm about halfway through my second skein of wool for dad's vest. I finally decided on 8s which make a thick cloth, but I like it better than on the bigger needles.

I also cast on a cloth for a co-worker tonight.. of course procrastinating doing work. The forecast for tmrw is glum. Snow then freexing rain and sleet until 11AM so I'm wondering if we'll have a late start or maybe nothing at all????

I better get my school work done. I'm sleeping at the computer while I type.

happy crafting everyone!

last minute addition

Pattern: Lattice Hearts Cloth by Rachel van Schie
Yarn: Lily's Sugar 'n Cream
Color: Tea Rose
Needle: US6

This cloth is being gifted to one of the ladies in the after school program for DD and DS1. The other lady will be given the red cloth from yesterday's post. It was the KAL for Rachel's Knitting room yahoo group for February. It's a pretty cloth and perhaps I'll make it again someday.

OK... gotta put the kids to bed.