a little color

I went to a wedding party yesterday. Two colleagues that I played a little cupid with. They're perfect together and the party was just as perfect. Outside at her parents farm. The food was all in the barn which was decorated so cute... the weather was perfect and the band was awesome!

I've been spinning up a storm... lots of brown and a little more color. I have this pink roving that I spun up. Not quite sure what it is but I think it's the stuff that Kraemer's in Nazareth makes Mauch Chunky with. It isn't super soft, but I love the way it spun up!

more fo's

finally, the linus project blanket that needed seaming (thirty-six 7" by 9" pieces) is complete.... I was thinking about an attached i-cord edging, but I need to decide on a color. At any rate, I could send it out now and here is the labor of all those kids work from March and April, many of them new knitters



it's all acrylic yarns but various companys and many knitters. My retired teacher friend has another 36 blocks in more girly colors that she is in charge of seaming. My pointer finer is actually a bit sore from that darning needle.


I also have some little magic baby booties that I knit up from scraps in the wrong weight wool, thereby forcing me to use a larger needle and messing up the gauge. So i winged the math and came up with these:

and to see the bottoms:

you can tell that the yarn is from the same skein, but they aren't a matched pair, which kind of gives them a charm of their own!

I'm trying to import pictures from flickr that I have already uploaded.. we'll see how the look is.

I finished up spinning some Colonial top from Ashland Bay that a friend has sent me a sample of long ago. It spins like a dream. Someday I'll order more.... after I get through the stash of fiber that already is in my house. Right now I'm working on another sample that the same frind dyed. I'm not sure of the fiber though.

someday I'll learn this html stuff so that I can really make my blog the way I want it to look, but for now there's no time.

DS1 had a friend sleepover last night. Tonight is DD's turn..2 of her friends. pulling in the last few days of summer!

tour mosaic

or trying this


1. BFL finished by 7/23, 2. Finn and BFL, 3. BFL singles, 4. Ashland Bay, 5. Lincoln Longwool, 6. alpaca

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!

catchin' up

Lest anyone think I've been up to nothing (or no good) I thought I'd post some pics of WIPs


The recent Lizard Ridge block in color 148 lot A

I was up in the air about what scarf to make my pop for Chrismtas this year. At first I thought something with a cable to match the hat I made him last year, but I don't have enough of that particular colorway so I opted for something that would compliment instead. It came down to a choice between Grumperina's Shifting Sands scarf and the My So Called Scarf. The latter won out (it fits wiith the 100purewool that I wanted to use better) I really love this pattern, it's a brainless knit. I was going to use chocolate fantasia, but opted for aquisgran instead. This stitch pattern really uses the varigation to it's advantage. I think it would make a great dishcloth pattern too :-) At any rate, I wanted something cozy and soft for him. He's so sensitive to wool. (If you don't recall, I lined knitty's coronet with fleece for him last Christmas)

i did some spinning last night as well. I'd like to finish the Targhee, but the entire fleece isn't ready (still flicking and carding to go) I have 2 or 3 more fleeces to wash (let's not talk about how many need to be carded. And I just 'won' 1 pound of white BFL top off ebay. I'm going to start dyeing the top that I have before I spin it to see if I can make a more interesting yarn. I've been loving what jared has been spinning with roving (check out 8.24.07 entry) from spunky eclectic.

In yarn acquisition show offs Both of these are from ebay:
4 skeins of malabrigo in an olive green color. I see some manly gifts from this... maybe has, mittens and a scarf?

And 3 skeins of Noro, one of which I'll use for Lizard Ridge and the other two????

Slowly but surely, the stash is being put up on ravelry.. it's almost sinful... OK it is sinful. I've started to queue projects, my books are up and my FOs are getting there. Hopefully before too long I'll be caught up so I can play (and knit) more!

The final cloth…

for the August birthday


Pattern: Mason Dixon ballband cloth
Yarn: Lily's Sugar & Cream and Elmore Pisgah Peaches & Cream
Color: Pumpkin and Butter & Cream
Needle: Susan Bates size 6
This makes a half dozen and with that I think I'll stop. Time to get the needles clackin' on something else again!

It was like Christmas at my house today. I got a package in the mail with double the amount of this lovely Corriedale cross roving... two pounds of it. I bought it from ebay but it orignally comes from Ashland Bay. Now to decide what colors to dye it. I think I'll dye before spinning, then braid it and look at it for a bit.... it feels lovely. DH just rolled his eyes. LOL

I'm thinking of printing one of my sunflower pictures to put on the top of set of 6 cloths after they're wrapped. The colors would be perfect... too bad I can't just put a sunflower on the top! Maybe I should consider a sunflower hot pad to go with the set.... I really am addicted to knitting these small projects, they go by so quickly and are so satisfying.

On a very sad note, I learned the other day that a dear friend of mine who moved away from me a couple of years ago was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. She has had a full life, but I still feel so sad. The prognosis isn't good, they've predicted about 8-12 weeks left. So prayers for a peaceful passing would be appreciated for my dear sweet Gene. She is my surrogate mum in the best sense of the word.

catching up

Thursday was DD's Fine Arts night for her school. Everything was held at Lehigh University Zollner Arts Center. The art work was in the lobby and the concert in the main hall. The kids did a fine job. They sing very well in tune and were cute to boot! This was DD's exhibit in the art part of the show, Queen Nephretete. If you look closely, you can see her name written in hieroglyphs in the lower center of the sarcophagus. Funny how she made her with blonde hair... my WASPy child... and her school is pretty diverse, guess the art teacher didn't show pictures of what the Queen may have looked like in real life!


This is some of the Lincoln Longwool that I've been spinning on Patti's Ashford drop spindle.. I've taken it in to school and the kids are fascinated. Maybe I'll bring some along on my journey of historical living. It was so funny because all week I was wearing different long tie dyed dress (made by moi) and spinning.. I must have really looked like a hippie to them. LOL

And finally, my portion of a combined gift to a retiring colleague. Well my part is the knitted part (what a surprise). The eggs inside aren't going to her, but there will be two others that my dear friend has made (she made the two in there right now) This woman will be sorely missed... in so many ways... we love you Rhoann!


Pattern: Chakalaka by Wendy Wonnakott for the Garter Belt
Yarn: Peace Fleece
Color: MirAtlantis Periwinkle
Needle Size: 10 bamboo dpns

I was contemplating felting this basket when it was finished. I did change the pattern, in that I moved up on the needle size, mostly because Peace Fleece is such a heavy worsted yarn. Other thatn that I followed this pattern exactly. I'm sure I'll be making it again, for it was super easy and fast. I love how the stitch looks up close. If you click on the picture it will open an enlargement that allows you to see some of that ;-)

More later.. gotta run!

I'm too smart for my own good LOL

It was Diane... and I have to show you what I got:

The cloth is a pattern by Rachel called Lacy Butterfly and one that I had not yet made! DD loves it as I knew she would. The little gingerbread boy is made from beeswax... LOVE it and a Kashi bar.... mmmmm mmmmm It hasn't hit the stomach yet though. I'm saving it.

The really cool thing is Diane told me this was the first thing that she has knit completely continental.. YO k2tog and all.... I'm so lucky... Thanks a bunch!


Well I was spinning on Patti's Ashford Drop Spindle today (as well as Saturday) and now I need to empty it. I'm thinking of using this wool for either 1. Wool Jacket for DS2 (if there's enough) 2. Small Rug or 3. Felting it into either a purse or a bowl. I'm spinning it on the chunky side of thick and thin. The wool definitely isn't soft... not for wearing next to the skin at least. It's Lincoln Longwool... But the colors are so pretty! I guess it all depends on how much yardage I wind up with.

So tell me what do you think it should become???