Hot Chocolate and Essay Breaks.

As you can see I've been spinning. Well I've been spinning and doing lots of knitting, but most of the knitting won't be seen on here until after it's gifted away. This lovely skein is my first time spinning BFL, and also my first large try at navajo plying. I gotta say after having done the whole roving navajo that I really like the color graduation as averse to the barberpole, don't get me wrong I still like the barber pole, but the overall color transitions are magnificent. There's roughly 121 grams there, enough to do something with.
This here is Fibermonster (http://fibermonster.etsy.com) in the colorway "Stained Glass". I spun it as medium thin singles, and really think that this yarn wants to be a cowl. I've been hunting down a good pattern for after I'm done the christmas knitting, and then ooh boy will I be in a spin of knitting shit for me (THATS RIGHT ME). As much as I love knitting in general and therefor take pleasure in knitting for others, I'm getting sick of this knitting for others. Just sayin. I wanna keep some of my socks.
Since I blogged about the fibermoster batts together last time I figured I'd show the spun up versions together as well. This is the sunrise colorway and I want to have it's babies. Seriously I could buy a pound of this, I LOVE it. It too is a single and it's a medium to heavy yarn. It may become a hat, a panta, I'm not quite sure yet, It's that skein you have that you love so much you never want to knit. I was trying out the long draw method gleaned from Amy during stitch and bitch when she brough her Louet to show off. (Yes I drooled copiously and she even let me spin some).
Speaking of socks I don't get to keep, this here is a pair of Pomatomus that I do not get to keep. They are also maniaclly too big for me. I hope the recipiant likes them as much as I got frustrated with them. Nothing against them but the pattern was way too involved for this time of year for me. A nice way of saying they drove me batshit insane.

So this is october

Here are some commissioned knits awaiting their new home. It's safe in the bookshelf. Three pairs of men's socks. Next up, or already started should i say are the two pairs for Janelle, harder to make but maybe I need that to stay awake in classes. These three pairs however are done and waiting. I gave myself a deadline to make them and came in in good time so yay.
As you can see I've been working on that 101 things, here are some grasses waiting to be stuffed and eyeballed, all the neiclings and nephling are getting one for x-mass. I'm going with the rule of four for x-mass. Then I'll pad what I have with more if I need to or feel I need to. But for now I'm two and a half grasses done. That's right I'm accomplishing things even in the haze of books.
If you think it's been all knitting in my world you'd be wrong o. I have been spinning too. I finished this bobbin last weekend, and am spinning it's accomplice at the moment. It's stuff I dyed myself so I'm attached to it on many levels, it doesn't know what it wants to be yet. It'll tell me when it feels like. I've still got a skein that needs to be set. I'm going to wait until i have a few skiens to set before I go all set crazy and have an apartment that smells of wet sheep. Kinda makes the cats nutty. Just sayin. They all stand in the bathroom mewling at the hanging yarn, which is strange cause they generally ignore all yarn. I have good cats that way, they have no urge to play with it, only errant strings.

And last but not least, a hat. Yes it's a strange hat, maybe that's why I made it/like it. It's modified from cosymakes geometric helmet hat pattern. I used hand spun silk/merino handdyed with elderberries plyed with silk hankie spun and romney spun, basically a mishmash of things. It looks a little odd, like me. And it hides a multitude of hair sins, since the hair and I are not getting along lately. But I think I'll make a semi-normal hat to go with as well, and another beret.... okay so I've been on a bit of a "I NEED TO MAKE HATS NOW" kick.

101 in 1001. Start date.... NOW.

101 in 1001 (compleate 101 things in 1001 days...)
End date: Thursday, July 7, 2011.

Bolded Items compleated.

1) Spin enough of one yarn to knit a sweater
2) Finish Cable Hell Its being frogged, let's not talk about it.
3) Knit ten kids toys for the nieces and nephling (5/10)
4) Write five patterns (2/5)
5) Complete two charity blanket from squares
6) Dye at least one pound of roving
7) Create the Joni Mitchell sock colors
8) Spin with five different types of fiber
9) Finish at least one mystery shawl
10) Post to knit blog at least once a month for a year(10/12)
11) Organize books
12) Organize cd’s.
13) Organize knitting supplies
14) Organize crafting supplies
15) Cook at least fifteen new dishes. (2/15)
16) Make a yarn swift
17) Complete 40 pairs of socks.(10/40)
18) Sew 10 re-usable shopping bags
19) Make Rhodes baby quilt
20) Make or buy local for five family members for the holidays. Neices and Nephling each count as 1.
21) Give two garbage bags full of things to charity.
22) Save $1000 dollars for frivolity. Just to see if I can.
23) Learn how to make a PDF pattern.
24) Make said pattern available for sale.
25) Not cut hair except for bangs for a year.(5/12)
26) Get three more tattoos.
27) Sew Kitchen Café Curtains
28) Finish watching complete run of six feet under
29) Read Moby Dick.
30) Sew a Pair of Pants that does not have a drawstring waist.
31) Get NetFlix if it’s available in Canada, get something similar if not.
32) Print 10 blocks of Speedball art.
33) Get a T-shirt screen printer
34) Design and block print five t-shirts.
35) Eat at home three days a week for one month.
36) Knit 20 New dishcloths in different patterns. (6/20)
37) Learn to crochet granny squares
38) Crochet a granny square blanket (in progress)
39) Make soap possibly from a kit but try it anyway.
40) Spin 5 kg’s of yarn (3)
41) Read 50 books (audio books okay comic books no) in one year. (25/50)
42) Knit the Big Lebowski Siwash for Jody
43) Leave Regina for other places travel related twice. Concert trips count.
44) Go To N.Z. after graduating from University.
45) Create business plan for the Yarn Prawn.
46) Get secure funds for the Yarn Prawn.
47) Do a Cure themed sock yarn run.
48) Get a loom
49) Learn to loom (almost learned)
50) See the ocean.
51) Get drivers liscence.
52) Go to berlin.
53) Knit six different Cookie A patterns. (3/6)
54) Watch Doctor Zhivago
55) Get enough Fezzik yarn to knit a sweater
56) Knit button up cardigan out of said yarn
57) Knit everything in my ravelry cue as of today (08/10/08)
58) Collect all the sandman comic volumes.
59) Organize pictures in albums.
60) Learn to crochet amigurumi
61) Knit socks out of my own handspun.
62) Sew new covers for couch cushions
63) Learn to reupholster
64) Learn to make lasagna
65) Start taking vitamins regularly (let’s say three times a week for a month).
66) Drink at least one glass of water a day for three months (hopefully this helps the weaning off caffeinated products).
67) Knit two socks at a time.
68) Attend a knitting convention or fiber convention.
69) Bake something at least once every two months for a year.
70) Not dye my hair more than once a month for a year.(11/12)
71) Make a queen sized quilt.
72) Meditate once a week for three months.
73) Finish three cardigans/sweaters/coverup’s for myself.
74) File income tax.
75) Own all the Betty Davis Movies (3)
76) Host a Big Lebowski Bowling night.
77) Learn how to make cornbread.
78) Ask out a random stranger (coffee is enough in this case).
79) De-stash my wardrobe once.
80) Eat ethnic at least once a month for a year.
81) Learn to make skuffles.
82) Re-read the Lord of the rings trilogy.
83) Try three new knitting techniques
84) Cull the bookshelf once.
85) Have no more than five projects on the go for a year.
86) Pass Logic 100
87) Work at one job for one year.
88) Take Calcium tablets regularly (three times a week for one month).
89) Have a John Huges movie marathon.
90) Knit something with beads and actually finish it.
91) Watch all the Red Dwarf episodes.
92) Get matching cutlery that doesn’t rust or bend.
93) Knit the andre scarf (in progress)
94) Kiss a fool
95) Watch a minimum of 10 foreign movies in a year.(2/10)
96) Reserved for 09/10
97) Reserved for 09/10
98) Reserved for 09/10
99) Reserved for 09/10
100) Reserved for 09/10
101) Make another list.

baby blankets and berets.

This is some hand dyed Romney I got from Golden Willow and spun up, it's a fingering weight and is very pretty. The colors meet at some places and thats an accomplishment to me. There's a fair bit of yardage, once I get the twist set I'll probably take more pictures. It was my self project last weekend. It turned out beautifully. I am tres pumped to knit it up into something.
This is the new beret in all it's glory, made from clapotis leftovers. It is lovingly known among me and my friends as the "getting over you" beret. It really did help the whole purging him from my life aspect. And the beret itself hides a multitude of hair sins, yay for bedhead hiding accoutrements. I'm down with not having to deal with my hair on class days, I'd much rather spend the time making and consuming coffee.


As you can see I've been hard at work on the baby blanket for new baby. It's actually done but I lamely haven't taken any newer pictures. I love how bebop looks like he's being tucked in by the blanket. It's really big and has the ability to be both light and warm. Alas I bought way too much yarn for the actual project so I have at least 8 balls of random colors left over from the blanket. But that's okay, I'll think of something to do with them, maybe another Baby Suprize Jacket? That would work. Or if I can find something that takes the same guage I may make something else.

Ahh it's been a while mi corazon

But I have been knitting the whole while, between work and life anyways.
I've finished yet another clapotis... (done in Knitfrontandback S.A.S.S.Y. sock yarn, with enough leftovers to replace the beret).
This is for Brenda at the university for organizing the Missing Women confrence, it's in the colors of the confrence so it's perfect, that and she's a gorgous woman and a great prof, and really need I gush more? I will.


This charming number is done in Dog Lover's Sock Yarn (i think there's still some available on etsy), and it's for the future neph whom I do believe is being named "Rhodes", which is possibly thee coolest name ever. It's just a traditional Baby Suprize Jacket, they're soo easy to make and it really hilights the subtle color changes in the wool (a merino silk blend which is soft and extreamly plesant to work with). The buttons are going to be yellow lions and dolphins. I may make another BSJ yet as they are so dang easy.
This batt my friends is called "Sunrise", it came in the mail a few weeks ago and I have been gnawing off my arms not to spin it until I'm done what is currently on the bobbin. Sooo yummy. I have a possible pattern idea for it and stained glass but I haven't fully decided yet. It's from Fibermonster on etsy, I tell you this barely wanting to because its so amazingly wonderful I want all her things to myself. (greedy little knitter). I can't tell you what pattern I'm thinking of making but it will be beautious and beatific no matter what I choose, but I will choose handspun. All I'm sayin.
"Stained Glass" as mentioned above, I love the bluey black color mix. I'm not sure how i'm going to spin it, or how I'm going to spin the "sunrise" but either way I will and they will rock muchly.

In other knit related news I got into the Wollmeise sock club (yum) and that super pumped me up, although it also created a giant need for excessive ramen eating in my household. Between that and neil young tickets and school I'm so not able to spend money for the next little while.
Also I got an email back from Amy at Knitty and the pattern I submitted a while ago got lost, or rather overlooked in the whole process, but I now know she has it and it is being concidered for the winter 08 issue so yay that. I'm pumped to be in the running finally and actually to know that I am is a great.... relief? excitement? thrill?

Okay that's enough for today, I promise to try and post more, which will probably happen since I'll do almost anything to not have to focus on school work *evil smirk*

A day without rain.

Well here be a finished Clap (clapotis from Knitty that is) made from Blue moon's STR med. weight in thistle and tanzanite, see I ran out of thistle and rather than order another skien I decided to blend the two together. I think it's good looking and depending on how I feel I can wear one side or the other to the front. Versitle. Thats right...
I finally (accent on finally) finished the swallowtail shawl so here's a picture of it blocking. Done in misti alpaca lace weight. It took a while but it's really very pretty. To me it seems a bit... dressy? breakable? definatly not something I'll wear everyday but it was a challenge and it was fun to do. I don't think I'll do another laceweight shawl though, they're too flimsy for my likeing. I think I'll stay closer to stoles. Then again I did just cast on another shawl but it's in DK weight so I feel more comfortable with it. It's a little more up my alley and rugged.
The Susanna socks for auntie donna are done, and will be blocked before she comes for a visit later on in June. She picked the colorway so Hopefully she likes the patter I picked for her. They seem disproportionate but she does have very large feet, and she likes lower cut socks so cross your fingers she likes them lots.
It was my first forray into the cascade heritage sock yarn, and it's a nice sock yarn. Its definatly a bit thinner than the stuff I was useing before but it also lends itself nicely to lace patterns. I'm planning something cool for the other skeins of it I have. The Red/Blue is just calling to be a Cookie A. sock I know it is I can hear it right now. It will however have to wait I just casted on some Salto's for my travel knitting. And I like to keep it down to one pair on the needles lest it get a bit sock heavy.
Saving the best for last this is the Heartland Shawl (from the ravelry heartland shawl KAL). I'm doing it in some dk weight alpaca blend from the Crocus Hills Alpaca place in Pangman Sk. It's a great grey color and it's just dang fun. You can see bebop here likes it too.

Socks and Shawls oh my.

The swallowtail shawl (pictured here) is going again, as you can see. I stopped again to work on the Top Secret Mother's Day Present, but that is finished so its back to Auntie Donna socks and the Swallowtail. The shawl has been ripped once already (it was once long ago the MS3 shawl but I wasn't a fan of the second half of the shawl so rrrrip.



This is the Auntie Donna socks, the first sock is now done, the second sock is awaiting it's start (sorry the picture is old but whatever). Again they got stalled for mothers day (that project just needs to be blocked and then it should be ready). I'm happy to be going back to socks and shawls but the urge to cast on is strong, seriously, but I want to finish more things before I start another big project. Getting job has significantly changed my ability to knit and my time so I'm sure the summer will prove to be a slower time in Sadieville knitting. Sad I know. But so it goes.