Special Anniversary

I totally forgot that this week I celebrated a special anniversary....

December 24th marked 1 full year smoke free!!!

Go me!

FO Friday

OK - so yet again, there is a finished object and no picture... I swear I've actually been knitting, there's just no proof!

Davey's Silk Garden Beanie: Started December 19th - finished December 23rd (blocked on the 24th)... I think I may have knitted it about 3/4 of an inch longer in the body than called for, but Davey wanted a longer hat... I used Silk Garden #27 - it's really a blue and black stripe (as the silk garden does).

And a resolution for the new year (and I trust you people will keep me honest) - I resolve to take (and post) more pictures of my knitting/yarn and etc... both for me and for Ravelry.

What are your resolutions?

So busy!

I totally meant to post the WIP's I had for this week - and then I got sucked into Jury Duty for 2 days, and that kind of screwed up my week and my plans... but I do have a few pictures and things to show you from the past couple of weeks!

First off - it's the pre-felted bucket hat, and pre-felted fuzzy feet - I am hoping to get this and E's slippers felted on Monday (yes I know I'm pushing it with Christmas and all, but I can't do it any sooner!





crap - just realized that I only have the progress photo of the slippers and not the finished product, but I swear it's finished, just not felted yet!

And I also have pictures of the Airy Scarf I knitted as well - it was a present for one of my bosses and she requested that it be a scarf and she wanted it to match her glasses....



Last of all is the photo of all the goodies I got from my scarf exchange partner on Ravelry - Gilneas! I got SO many good things and my scarf is super gorgeous! It's ArtYarns Regal Silk (I think - my label is back at home.... I'm a bad blogger!) Anyway - I love everything in my box!



And that's it for now - I'm still trying to work on things for Christmas, but I pretty much know I won't finish, so I am trying to not give up on working on them at all!

Merry Christmas!!

Pay it Forward

The coolest thing has hit bloglandia, and it's called Pay It Forward. I found it through the Chickengoddess Knits blog and it goes like this:

I will send a handmade gift to the first three people who leave a comment on this blog requesting to join the Pay It Forward exchange. The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Sounds like fun, don't you think?

So sign up and Pay it Forward!!!!

Anybody want a combo?

I have both a finished object and a new WIP! I just don't have pictures of them... actually I do have a picture of the new FO, it's just that my camera is holding it hostage... and the picture of the new WIP that I didn't post about on Wednesday! (and the birthday yarn.... and the package I got from Gilneas over at Ravelry for the scarf exchange... boo).

The FO is the Airy Scarf from "Last Minute Knitted Gifts", I used the Rowan Kidsilk Haze in a beautiful green colorway called "Fern" and I ended up using the whole skein rather than splitting up the skein as called for in the pattern. I also apparently can't read directions correctly, so instead of a 5-lace-10-lace repeat, it was 5-lace all the way. Yep, I can't read.

However, I have been CAREFULLY reading the directions on the Felted Bucket Hat by Bonnie Marie Burns (over at http://www.chicknits.com). I started it on Wednesday and I think I'm 2-3 rows away from starting the top of the hat shaping/decreasing! I'm doing it in Noro Kureyon #40 which is bright blue/green/purple. It should be finished this weekend. Of course I found out that the person this is being made for won't be back in the city until January 2nd, but that gives me plenty of time to work up a pair of fuzzy feet and felt them all at the same time. And then I only have to finishing knitting the Hedera's for Leslye and figure out what kind of socks I'm going to knit for E... I've already got the yarn, but I've GOT to figure out the pattern! GAH! Hopefully my head won't explode in the next 10 days!

While I was gone...

Many things happened, including the breaking of the intarweb! So sorry for the delay in posting, but sometimes it's hard to get back in the swing of things! While I was gone there was a week-long trip home and of course getting used to being back at work. This is going to be a pretty short & boring (i.e. picture-free) post as I didn't take ANY pictures while at the homestead and haven't taken pictures of the birthday yarn either. I am not sure when exactly that will happen as my camera is currently at home and I am not right now as in addition to breaking the intarweb, the furnace at my house is broken as well and it's too cold in the house to stay there for very long. I know I could just take my stash out of storage and keep warm underneath it, but why do that when I can stay with my boy? Hopefully the furnace will be fixed soon, not that I mind staying with E., but I miss my stuff (and my stash).
I know you must be curious about the breaking of the internets, so here goes.... I was checking in on Ravelry the other morning (at E's house) and all of a sudden, the browser quits working. I was using Firefox on his Mac, so it was quite surprising - and he couldn't get things to work at all. Finally, he called the cable company and they diagnosed the problem as being located in his modem - but it was just the joke of the day that not only did I break the furnace at the house, but also his modem (and it's located in a totally different room). YAY - go me!
It's really busy at the theatre right now - we're totally in the swing of the Scientology Pageant (www.dadsgarage.com) so things are slightly crazy - but I wouldn't have it any other way! If you're local, it's definitely a totally awesome alternative to the traditional seasonal offerings - and where else can you see children singing and dancing and telling you the history of L.Ron Hubbard?

Two-Fer

OK - today you will be getting the infamous "2fer" - as in two posts for the price of 1... YAY!

First - a finished object!



Pattern: Titania by Cookie A. - part of the Blue Moon Sock Club 2006
Yarn: Titania's Revenge (BMFA)
Mods: None - but I did have to knit the left sock twice. My gauge was too tight the first time through.
Notes: Nifty pattern - it shows off the variegated yarn really well although I may knit these again in a slightly less colorful version!

Second - a new work in progress!



Pattern: Hedera by Cookie A. off Knitty.com
Yarn: Pagewood Farms Sock in Meadow
Notes: I started these directly after finishing the Titanias and since my last finished socks were a pair of Monkeys, well apparently I am feeling the love for Cookie A..

I am not sure how much I'll be posting next week, I leave to drive to Virginia Beach to stay with the family over the Thanksgiving holiday and I don't know how much computer time I'll have next week. So, have a save and happy holiday and eat and be happy!

Monday Happenings

Well, no handspun today - just didn't get around to it... but I did finish (again) the Titania Socks - but I'll save those for Friday and I did start a pair of Hedera's for Leslye for her birthday/christmas present. Nothing much else of note, I'm going have to jump in the shower and run to the grocery store, we're out of a few things and I want to cook tomorrow... maybe even do some baking!

FO Friday

Well.... I got nothing. I'm an inch away from the toe decreases on my Titania socks, and of course I should be knitting right NOW so that I could finish them up, but instead, I caught up on reading blogs. Sorry!

The archives bring you:



Cozy!
Pattern: Cozy from Knitty.com
Yarn: Reynolds Mandalay - 8 skeins in Charcoal (discontinued)
Needles: 8 (or whatever the pattern called for)
Mods: none

This was my first huge lace pattern, and once I got the pattern straight in my brain, it was an easier knit... I would actually recommend this as a beginner lace pattern. The pattern repeat is only 8 rows and the "pattern" rows also repeat, but are offset...

I wear it ALL the time as my transition scarf into and out of cool weather.

That's all I got for today! Have a good weekend!

WIP Wednesday

Here it is as of Monday actually - I spent most of yesterday working on Titania (the sock from last week). I turned the heel and worked probably 3 inches down the foot, but alas didn't document with a picture. Must go - I've a meeting in 3 minutes!

Handspun Monday

The most exciting part about posting this is that I didn't forget how to do it! I spun for about an hour - including set up time and all, so actual spinning time was probably about 45 minutes. And it's the first time I've spun AT home - with no one watching over my shoulder! GO ME!!

And the obligatory artsy picture of the new wheel from SAFF!



And you'll notice the bobbin still on the wheel for proof... and yes - I do have a roomie, but she is almost completely crafting challenged, so she definitely didn't do this for me!

I'm going to try and spin at least every other day... there are definitely days when I won't be able to at all, but I feel if I set this goal for myself I'll be able to do it and I'm sure it'll help my spinning!

FO Friday

Aren't we cute? The baby belongs to my boss Lena and her hubby Josh - and I knit that darling sweater for her!

Pattern: Brushed Alpaca Vest by Mac & Me bought at Knitch
Yarn: Brushed Suri by Blue Sky Alpacas in Lollipop
Needles: uh... whatever the pattern called for
Size: uh... took less than 1 skein so I assume it was either the XS or S size
Mods: None!

Seriously - It took me 2 days for the knitting and 1 day to seam it up (and less than 4 hours each time) and I'm definitely NOT the worlds fastest knitter. I followed the pattern as written and found it very easy, although next time I'm going to knit it in the round up to the armholes.

WIP Wednesday

Yes - this one is finished.... but the other one isn't! And it's really not much to look at since I just cast on last night and worked on it for exactly 5 minutes or so.

And now - Back to SAFF!
I had such a great time at SAFF this year. Mom has decided that we might go to Maryland Sheep and Wool next year or the year after if I can get the time off. She went this past year and had a great time. But we should definitely talk about my haul from SAFF...



I bought this ACERO at the Brooks Farm booth - it's so yummy! The blue on the left is for E. and the rusty one is for me. Usually I buy pinks/reds, and I decided I needed to step out of the comfort zone.



Staying firmly in the comfort zone! This will be great fiber to spin - it's a corriedale blend that I'm going to save up for once I'm past the super-beginner stage.



And even more fiber! The natural is from the Ozark Mill booth and was incredibly cheap - it's a wool/alpaca blend so it's really soft too! The pink fiber is Lorna's Laces that Aimee bought me for my birthday along with the spinning basket to hang on my new wheel.

And because I just need to stretch it out, I'll post about my winnings from the Lupus Raffle next time... they're pretty awesome, although not quite as great as Christi's.....

SAFF Weekend!

Picture HEAVY!

Well, it was kind of a crazy weekend that started pretty early for me. Usually my work week is Wednesday through Saturday, but last week I took off beginning on Thursday evening to go to SAFF with Aimee and mom. We all met at Aimee's house Thursday evening, in preparation for the drive to Asheville on Friday. This is how it started...


me and mom snuggling yarn at aimee's early friday morning.

Friday morning it was POURING in Charlotte... and I have no pictures to prove this, you'll just have to take my word for it. We drove up to Asheville which, because of the rain, took forever, but once we crossed over the mountain it cleared up and became a beautiful day.

We couldn't check in to the Holiday Inn because our room wasn't ready yet - so we decided to go over to SAFF, which was just down the street, across from the Asheville Airport. (Here is the disclaimer - if I was a better blogger, I'd have more pictures, but I kept forgetting I had a camera!)... We had a great time! There were so many great things to see (and buy!)... and here's the proof:


SCHWAG!

Now, for those of you who might know me well enough - you might say to yourself "Why Olivia, if I didn't know any better, I'd say there were several BAGS of fiber and roving in the back of the picture.... I didn't know you were a spinner!" to which I would reply "That used to be true!"


The Evidence.

This is the plying head of a Lendrum - I don't actually have a picture of my wheel, which I wasted NO time in purchasing on Friday! She's still in the box - fresh out of the car. But here's some proof:


First handspun!

The right-side one has been plyed, the balls on the left, well, there was a small accident and we won't speak of it here.

That's it for now... I'll post some more later on, as I feel like I've been rambling on a bit...

Belated FO Friday

I don't have any NEW FO's to share, so I am going to go back and start posting about old FO's - cause I never posted about them in the first place....

Pattern: Branching Out on Knitty.com
Yarn: Elizabeth Lavold Silky Wool in Plum (1 skein)
Notes: This was my first lace pattern - once I figured it out it wasn't that hard, but the first time through it was a bear. It did teach me about important things like: lifelines and reading your knitting. I did knit this pattern twice - the picture above as a present for my grandmother and once again out of a true laceweight for my mom. It's a very pretty pattern and I am contemplating knitting it once again for me. I have only knit a couple of patterns more than once and I think it would be easier for me know that I have not knit it for quite a while - I just finished 2 pairs of monkeys back-to-back and finishing that last sock was difficult, because I was bored with the pattern!

no picture on purpose

OK - for this Wednesday's WIP, I bring you a SUPER SEKRIT project. Which basically means I can't really tell you much about it - except that I am working on it and it's more than half-way done.



So I'll leave you with this photo of a quilt I made.... yes, I'm crafty :)

It's called 'Puss in the Corner' and the pattern is from the book 'Quilts from The Quiltmaker's Gift'**. It's the first quilt I actually finished (we shall not speak of the other two quilts I started and abandoned), it's my everyday quilt and the colors make me happy! The blue on the quilt also inspired me to paint my bedroom the same color - I get lots of natural daylight in my room, so it's not dark at all!

**'The Quiltmakers Gift' is a beautifully illustrated children's book with a fantastic moral and great illustrations - there are 2 companion books with the quilt patterns - you can do a search on Amazon for them - and it looks like theres even more books now!

Finally a picture!

OK - here's the picture from the last post :)

But after spending Sunday afternoon knitting with the group at Knitch, it's now almost 6" - only 3.5 more to go!

WIP Wednesday

OK - I hope that the picture works - if not I may have to do something else.... Anyway, it's the U-Neck vest from "Fitted Knits" by Stephanie Japel and it's cruising along. It's probably about 5" and there's about 4 inches to go until the waffle stitch at the bodice....

That's it for today - more of course next week!

rock star moment

OK ya'll - I totally had a rockstar moment yesterday - Annie Modesitt friended ME on facebook..... muhahahahaha.

Nothing else going on right now - I may have to figure out how to post better pictures, cause I know tomorrow is WIP Wednesday and all my photos are at home....

FO

OK - I finally wove in the ends and finished this pullover vest for baby Chloe (cell phone included for size).
Pattern Mac & Me #088 - Brushed Alpaca Vest.
Size 2
Blue Sky Alpacas Brushed Suri - colorway Lollipop 1 skein.
Needles - denise 7's
Mods - none.

This was an easy knit - I think if I had knit it straight through it would have taken less than 6 hours all told. I knit it over 2 evenings and then spent 45 minutes or so weaving in ends.
I would totally knit this again - it was very easy :)

Peer Pressure

OK - I snapped up the blog title and hopefully this will become a super fabulous knitting blog. Can't really post any more at this time, cause I'm actually working.....