Auntie E's Knits

In the Interim - A Yarn Along

2012-01-25T20:59:00.002-05:00

It's Wednesday and Yarn Along day. Join Ginny at Small Things for all the latest reading and knitting projects in this unique community.

I am waiting for pictures from a few people so I can post finished items in their entirety here. In the mean time, I got serious itchy fingers and started a fun Cabled Keyhole Scarf by Anne Hanson of Knitspot fame. The yarn is Berocco "Jasper" and it is a little thicker than the pattern demands, but will likely be toasty warm when complete. I made two of these scarves at the end of 2010 and loved everything about them. There are some other daunting projects that are begging for a finish, but the mood was not right just yet.

In reading news, I am re-reading the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I am definitely taking my time to soak up the details this time around. We had a lively book group discussion on Monday during which I thankfully remembered all the key points. While it was initially a page turner for me, I am enjoying the process of really studying the family tree and learning to pronounce all those Swedish names. This book may be the one to inspire me to take up coffee drinking. Coffee is either made of consumed on just about every other page!

Till next time, stay warm and enjoy some cozy knitting and reading!

SOOO Big!

2012-01-05T10:26:00.002-05:00

Dark Star is four months old today!

I promise that there will be pictures of knitting soon. Three finished projects need a photography session. And the new owners must receive them! Stay tuned...

Growing...

2011-12-03T10:06:00.001-05:00

The cold weather is setting in. I am very excited that I still get to eat fresh veggies from the garden. The cold frame plus a warm-ish Fall really helped my plants mature nicely.

Spinach salad: it's what's for lunch almost every day! I am only plucking the outer leaves so that the plants keep producing more from the insides. We had a wonderful spinach salad with mustard greens, mache, and early turnips for Thanksgiving.

Here are some mâché and turnips. The turnips are touching the top if the cold frame plastic and got a little frost damage this week. I may decide to harvest most of the greens and little turnips soon so they don't go to waste. I put some greens and baby turnips into a soup last week - divine!

Yarn Along

2011-11-23T22:45:00.004-05:00

Just popping in to say hello and join the yarn along at small things today. I tried to post last week and it didn't want to upload from my phone, so here we are, back to the old school way of blogging from the computer. How spoiled we get!

I'm still knitting a scarf with Brooklytweed's Wayfarer pattern. I am in the middle of chart C and keep making mistakes and ripping it back... Sigh... Almost finished with Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. Just in time for book club on Monday night! It took me a while to get into the story, but that dry British humor was certainly enjoyable.

Happy Knitting and Reading!

They Grow Up So Fast sniff

2011-11-14T21:01:00.003-05:00

After seven long weeks, our little darling cria boy and his mom returned to the Shady Grove Farm on Saturday. Dark Star is a little more than twice his original size now. He is already eating hay and grain and is much more solid than his former gangly self. He is ten weeks old today.

The Alpaca Farmer decided to re-breed 'Greta, which meant a little visit to the farm of origin. Alpaca crias for all - put in your order! They're awfully cute, as you might note...

It is nice to have the whole herd re-united again. Or for the first time, if you consider that Bella and Dark Star have not co-existed together yet. As you can see, Bella is separated from the others because she has a tendency to gobble up all the hay and grain while chasing the others away with her neck. She will even go so far as to eat the dog food. I have started calling her Miss Piggy.

Moonstar is lurking in the background... She is either plotting a play session or a domination match with her new pen-mate. The two "Stars" are hilarious to watch!

Till soon... HUM!

Winter Gardening

2011-10-21T17:08:00.001-04:00

With the coming of the cold, I am looking forward to trying out some winter gardening. Unfortunately, my cold frame is a seriously drafty work in progress.

I recently read that it takes two 4x8 foot gardens to feed one person in the winter. I only have one box in that size and two people to feed, so I'm thinking that the draft won't really matter if I finish eating the goodies by November! I'll just start planting earlier in the spring.

Here is some spinach that is very tasty in salads.

Mâché and turnip greens are not quite as advanced. There are also some tiny carrot plants that may not make it. Additionally, the mustard greens and lettuce have re-seeded themselves in another bed. I should also post a picture of the colossal kale plants that will be consumed in great quantities soon.

I promise I'll do some knitting soon. I'll leave you with this inspiring photo of my mum plant.

Oink

2011-09-12T08:48:00.001-04:00

Someone is gaining a lot of weight-about 3 pounds in one week!

We weigh Dark Star once a day on a hanging scale, much to the dismay of his mother.

Greta also enjoyed an additional grazing opportunity on a little walk into the pasture on Saturday.

Here's to good eating!

Of all the gifts, LIFE is the greatest!

2011-09-06T06:14:00.003-04:00

Yesterday morning, the Alpaca Farmer said that there was a lot of humming going on in the barn during feeding time. Our animals are not usually very vocal, so this was interesting news. Mid-morning I was out gardening and I decided to check on the animals. Greta was lying on her side humming a mile a minute and I thought that there is no way we were not going to see a cria today. I left for five minutes to check on something and when I returned, the nose was already poking out, followed soon by legs and then the body. I got the whole scene on the video camera on my phone. I cannot recall a time when my heart beat faster and I was more nervous. If something went wrong, it would be all on me to fix and not kill the new cria. Fortunately, the breeder told us later that the whole process was exactly "by the book."

Anyway, enough about me. Let me introduce the new little boy "Dark Star" to you. Born in the 11 o'clock hour here at Shady Grove Alpacas on September 5.

He is wearing a little coat because it is cold and windy here. Alpacas do not thermo-regulate their body temperature during the first few days of life, so the coat is critical. Since it was freezing, we had to blow him dry with a hair dryer!

Greta is an outstanding mother. She was humming and bonding with Dark Star all day. And she was standing properly for nursing. She is very protective when we have to weigh Dark Star or bathe the umbilical cord. She has already spit off the house dog!

Dark Star stood up in record time, under an hour. And he was nursing within two hours. He was also already prancing around and trying to roll on the ground. The breeder said he is thriving more than the average cria!

Above everything, this little guy is eye candy. How can anything in the world be so CUTE!!!!

Have a "humming" day!

Saddle Mountain Hike 8/1

2011-08-02T12:27:00.001-04:00

Our trip has taken us from the wonderfully mysterious and foggy Rainier National Park, through the waterfall filled Columbia River Gorge (pictures to follow) to the Oregon coast. This day was particularly unusual because it was clear throughout the whole day and the mountains were not shrouded in any clouds. The wildflowers were stunning and the views exquisite.

Way in the back you see three volcanoes. They are a bit faint, but are identified as (left to right) Rainier, Mount St. Helen's, and Mount Adams. Also visible but not on photo were Mt Hood and Mt Jefferson in the far distance.

View of Pacific Ocean.

The mouth of the Columbia River flowing into the Pacific.

Indian Paintbrush.

Some sort of geranium?? Still need to look this one up.

A beautiful succulent known as Common Stonecrop was blooming everywhere on the higher rocks.

Lilies and daisies with a back drop of green hills. I was obsessed with the lilies and must have close to 100 photos of different ones with various backgrounds.

An Iris

Columbines

Tall Purple Fleabane

Fox Glove. These line the roadways throughout Washington and Oregon. Heal-all is at it's base.

Finally a view of Saddle Mountain from halfway down the trail.

This is turning out to be a most satisfying hiking trip. Happy Summer to you too!

2011-07-27T23:39:00.001-04:00

Ahhhhhh.... holidays! This year's hiking and camping trip is to the Pacific Northwest where we are starting with Mt. Rainier National Park. The flight in was clear and beautiful, but then more typical weather took over for yesterday and this morning. The sun is showing itself in spurts.

There are lots of great waterfalls in the park, including Sylvia Falls below. The trees are giant, old, and spectacular, often towering almost 200 feet above our heads. It is difficult to get perspective without a person in the picture or just being there. The sun showed itself just as we hiked to Box Canyon. Just behind are the hints of the mountain!

Happy hiking/ camping/ vacationing!

Blogging on my phone...

2011-07-23T10:13:00.001-04:00

The world is a truly astonishing place. Who would have ever guessed that one could write and take pictures on a lazy Saturday morning and have it broadcast all over the WORLD... using a TELEPHONE!!! That very thing is what I am attempting right this minute.

Let's go look at the garden.

Some of the yummy veggies and pretty flowers that I have around here.

And here are some alpacas for good measure.

Stay cool. Hopefully this heat wave will break soon!

Yarn Along - 2

2011-07-06T08:17:00.003-04:00

Hooray for Wednesday! Why? Because I am joining the Yarn Along at Small Things again this week. So much fun!

Yes, I am feeling a little ADD about my knitting this summer, as this is the third unfinished project on parade. I am hopeful for a fast turn around on this one though... This week's knitting is the Wayfarer Scarf by Jared Flood. I am using some of the hand spun yarn that was gifted to me last weekend (see yesterday's post for details). I love the variability of undyed hand spun yarn as some different colors stripe themselves into the knitting. So far I am loving both the wool and the pattern. This is only the third brooklyntweed pattern I have tried, but I am always amazed by how much I am learning about construction, or in this case, stitch patterns.

Today's book is The Solar Food Dryer by Eben Fodor. Constructing a food dryer still seems awfully daunting to me. I think I will wait until a friend who knows his/her way around a toolbox and construction is on site to help me with this one. But the whole concept of harnessing solar energy is fascinating to me.

Hope summer is treating everyone well!

Wooly Wealth

2011-07-05T16:32:00.005-04:00

Last weekend was not only filled with family, but I also received some unexpected fiber-related treats.

These hand cards belonged to the great great great grandmother of my step father-in-law. His mother wanted the cards to go to a home in which they would be appreciated, which they certainly will be here! The woman who originally owned the cards is Cynthia Catlin Miller and she lived from 1813-1883 in Warren County, PA. She was an abolitionist who established the Female Assisting Society and the Ladies Fugitive Aid Society in Sugar Grove, PA. Her son Franklin Richard Miller founded the Miller Foundation Tree farm, the first tree farm in Pennsylvania.

The cards have "Sargent & Co, New York" printed on them with a galloping horse in the middle. It is unclear which era of the Sargent Company produced these cards. One article reads that J. B. Sargent's father's company made wool cards for the mills in the New England area. When J. B. Sargent took over around the 1860's, it sounds like the company he headed made more hardware and locksmith items. At any rate, the cards can be solidly attributed to the early to mid 1800's.

While the cards are in excellent shape still, I will DEFINITELY NOT be using them for carding fiber. The leather holding the metal teeth is in good condition, but the teeth are just a little rusty. They will serve as a nice decoration in my study!

A friend of my mother's friend is a very active spinner in Maryland. She must have run out of space to store all of her yarn goods, and so she is passing some of them along to me. I am very grateful, as I was about to order another batch of Jared Flood's lovely American-made SHELTER yarn for a hat and scarf project. I am sure, however, that he would approve of me using handspun, American made yarn for his Fortnight hat and Wayfarer scarf patterns in place of the SHELTER yarn.

She prepared some of the yarn for sale at the Maryland Wool Show in 1990. The little tag on the gray yarn states that it comes from a Copworth Gray sheep named Norman. The brown skeins come from a Romney Brown sheep named Helga. It's fun to have a "personal connection" to the yarn one is working with.

So now, if you will excuse me, I think I will cast on a project!

1,000 Shells

2011-07-04T16:05:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, a second cousin of mine came to visit my parents. I had not seen him since 1993! We showed him several attractions in the area, beginning with the birthplace of Thomas Edison in Milan, OH. This 1,000 shell knit afghan was made by Edison's mother for his sister's wedding on what appeared to be size 000 needles... I can only imagine the amount of time this must have taken. I am assuming that she probably spun the yarn for this project as well. So. much. work.

Here is a close up. It takes one's breath away... (Clicking on picture will make it larger. A second click on the photo, even bigger and more magnificent.)

In the afternoon we checked out the Marblehead Lighthouse and had a lovely dinner at Mon Ami. And then played some music to round off the day.

The weekend was great! Happy Summer!

Yarn Along

2011-06-29T14:43:00.007-04:00

I recently stumbled upon the "small things" blog and have been enjoying everyone's knitting, crocheting, and book suggestions on the Wednesday Yarn Along days. So instead of continuing to lurk, I decided to join with my own post today.

I put my project from my last post on another hiatus, because I think I FINALLY found a pattern for some yarn that I inherited a few years ago. The yarn is made by Sachmayer Nomota and has been discontinued years ago, and thus finding an appropriate pattern is a big challenge. It's texture is both thick and thin, creating a lumpy and interesting fabric. Luckily this lovely pattern called Amiga recently showed up on Knitty.com. It is made with yarn that has a similar texture. So today I am playing with needle sizes and trying to find gauge so that I can cast on the project for a special someone!

My constant book companions this summer are Eliot Coleman's Four Season Harvest and Patricia Lanza's Lasagna Gardening. Eventually I would like to grow all of my own vegetables. Last year my garden drowned in a combination of too much rain and non-draining soil. So I built six 4'x8' raised beds that I am filling with yard waste, grass clippings, straw, old leaves, alpaca poop, and compost via the lasagna layering method. Two beds are already planted, with just some finishing touches planned for the last two. I will probably cover the unplanted beds for a few weeks and let them "cook" a little before planting one or two of them with winter crops that will be covered when the weather gets cold.

Want to see? Here are the fledgling gardens!

Happy Summer!

Summer is HERE!

2011-06-21T22:21:00.000-04:00

Summer is here and moving quickly...

There has been lots of travel to:
-Washington, DC for a conference and some time with two nieces and nephew and to reconnect with some family friends.
-St. Louis for an alpaca birthing clinic at the Dos Doñas Alpaca Farm. Serendipitously my brother and his family was also in St. Louis and we met up for dinner.

-Ithaca, NY, for an old college roommate's wedding. Reconnecting with old friends and making new ones is such a great experience. I also got to go hiking quite a bit. And I got bitten by two deer ticks that I miraculously managed to spot. My doctor prescribed the early Lyme disease antibiotic right away.

Ithaca Falls

Buttermilk Falls Gorge hike

Buttermilk Falls Gorge

Buttermilk Falls Gorge

Waterfall at the top of the gorge in Treman Park

Salamander on the trail

There is a lot of productivity in the gardening department. New raised beds are hopefully going to yield more crops than last year. I filled the beds with the "lasagna" method beginning with newspaper, alpaca poop, peat moss, grass clippings, more peat moss, leaves from last fall, and more peat moss to top it off.

Swiss Chard Harvest

Dumb luck - the two lettuce plants that I let go to seed last summer filled the entire round flower garden with yummy salad this spring. And I did exactly nothing except harvest!

Roses!

My viola d'amore has a new bridge and strings and sounds amazing! It is on loan for a few weeks to a friend of mine.

Finally, GASP, there is some knitting. This is the third try for this project due to sizing issues. I'll just leave you with a picture for now. I really don't want to rip and restart again in case I jinx my luck by writing all about it!

Happy Summer!

Oh BROTHER!!!

2011-05-25T22:17:00.005-04:00

One of my brothers finally put in a knitting request:

Yes, you see correctly. That is a KNITTED SKELETON!

I think knitting a sweater for my brother's 6'6" frame would be less of a hassle than this project. And also take less time. What are you, a pediatrician or something? Those must be some soft bones... They might need a procedure! Or prescription for Fosamax... Oh wait, that is for older patients...

This image was borrowed from failblog.org.

ETA: No I did NOT knit this crazy piece... yet! HAHA!

Precious Pucker

2011-05-21T21:54:00.007-04:00

A colleague in A's department was raising money for a school in Kenya. Another colleague promised to match the first $500 of donations. Students and faculty donated money in $10 increments in exchange for a vote... A vote for one person on the faculty to KISS AN ALPACA!!

Yesterday, we hosted a party for the faculty and students at Shady Grove Alpaca Farm so the winner could plant a juicy one on an unsuspecting alpaca..

Fetching the animals.

The professor is preparing his lips for the big kiss. Will the alpaca turn into a princess? Oh wait, his wife is the department chair - she will have none of that, I'm sure!

SMOOCH!!!! Bella loved every second of it!

No animals were harmed in this experiment!

'Greta either felt left out, or sorry for the poor professor. She gave him a giant arm snuggle!

'Greta also enjoyed entertaining the little one at the party.

Alpacas in retreat.

Elsewhere on the farm: first Iris in bloom. These were in a neglected garden in front of the first house we bought. My mother split them and took some to her house. Eight years later, she had to split them in her garden and now they're baaaaack!

Bleeding Hearts: must belong to a vampire as they are quite white...

Chives - so tasty and beautiful.

An amphibious friend hanging out on a window sill.

He might need a kiss... Pucker up!

Three Bags Full

2011-04-23T10:16:00.005-04:00

Hum, hum 'Paca
Have you any wool?
Yes ma'am, yes ma'am
Three bags full.

One of the master
And one for the dame
One for the 'Paca-sitter
Living down the lane.

Hum, hum 'Paca
Have you any wool?
Yes ma'am, yes ma'am
Three bags full.

These bags aren't as aesthetically pleasing as Mother Goose's undoubtedly were. However, they held a surprising TWELVE POUNDS of raw fleece!! I don't think our alpaca sitter is that interested in a bag full of fleece, but he might get a scarf out of it some time... All long time from now... Now there are lots of questions about processing and spinning to answer before I can even dream up a knitting project.

The alpacas were shaved within a half inch of their life and look incredibly bald and cold. Have you ever seen such skinny necks?

Here is a comparison photo from a few weeks earlier. So wooly!

Nephews #1, 2 & 5 are here for a visit this week also. Hello, nice to meet you!

Nephew #1 is feeding some grain by hand.

The dog is also a big hit with the nephews. Nephew #1 petting Tenny.

Nephew #2 petting Tenny.

Nephew #5 is still a little small to fully appreciate a large dog and preferred taking it all in on Mom's arm! The other boys took great pride in learning how to take care of the animals and even got their uncle's approval to feed Tenny in the evening all by themselves. We are all having a wonderful time together, and we can't wait to host the boys and their parents again soon!

Alpaca Adventures

2011-04-17T19:51:00.010-04:00

I'm sure a few years from now this event will have become commonplace, but today provided a fun new adventure. This afternoon, we loaded up a rental cargo van with four alpacas to take them to their shearing tomorrow morning. According to the Alpaca Farmer, it was one of the best days in recent memory. The trip certainly was a small and hilarious adventure.

Emerging from the barn on leashes.

Yummy! Some grass snacks on the way... tasty after all that dry hay this winter.

Surveying the cargo van.

Let's get in!

A big giant case of "WE DON'T WANNA!!!"

OK, the side entrance has steps. Moonstar jumps in.

'Greta is next.

Milling around inside the cargo van. Bella (facing the back window) was humming non-stop, except it sounded more like a cow in distress.

Hanging out, looking out at the cars behind us out of the back window!

A little relaxing makes the trip go easier. Of course 'Greta was spitting at the other alpacas most of way because they were touching her. And Sassafrass never did manage to lie down.

Visitor at the helm! Sassafrass was co-piloting for a little while with the Alpaca Farmer!

We all made it to our destination with no incidents... Unless you count Sassafrass peeing in the van literally 30 seconds before our arrival. Good thing we have mops and buckets to clean off the rubber floor mats... And Sassafrass will stay with her owners after shearing. We were just borrowing her...

HUM!

Woodruff Mittens

2011-04-01T14:22:00.010-04:00

This post is NOT an April Fool's joke. I finished the mittens shortly after lunch, and by the looks of the weather forecast, we can expect temperatures in the 30's during the next two nights. I am scheduling an evening stroll or two, decked out in my new accessories. See, I do need mittens in April...

The Woodruff mittens were a delightful find, though the knitting instructions confused me for the first 20 rows of charting. Then there was a sudden *CLICK* and I noticed the whole pattern, both on the chart and what to expect the knitting to look like. The rest of the mitten took an afternoon to knit up. Likewise, after a small break, the second mitten was born within a day's time. That left me with one last thumb and weaving in ends to finish yesterday.

The yarn, also a creation by Jared Flood, was also a wonderful find. Jared has a very inspiring story about its creation on his blog, listed below. Initially the yarn was an impulse purchase, but a few months later became happily matched with this pattern. There is plenty of yarn left over, and I intend to make my husband some fingerless mitts with the same pattern (minus the bobbles) and yarn. And then I will buy more of this yarn... and another pattern... But I digress... You would like more info:

The Details
Pattern: Woodruff Mittens, by Jared Flood
Source: www.brooklyntweed.net
Yarn: SHELTER by brooklyntweed
Colorway: Soot
Needles: size 5 and size 7 DPNs
Size: pattern size
Started: December 25, 2010
Finished: April 1, 2011

My only hope is that blocking the mittens will not cause them to shrink. They ended up slightly wider and longer than the pattern predicted, and even so, just barely fit. I should have measured my hand first, but for the next mitten project, I will plan ahead for my oversized paws!

Rapunzel is Retiring

2011-03-30T17:48:00.002-04:00

After six hair donations to Locks of Love (locksoflove.org), I think I may be finished growing my hair out. Maintaining the patience to grow the last few inches before racing to the hair dresser is growing thin for me! However, as in years past, I do hope to inspire a few students to follow suit and donate their hair as well. 80% of donations to Locks of Love come from children.

This year I am able to donate 12 inches of hair. The grand total length that I donated in six times was 82 inches, which is 6 feet and 10 inches or 2.0828 meters. Yes, I think Rapunzel may be finished. That is a lot of hair!

Here's to inspiring us to help each other in as many ways as we can think of!

Surprise Gift Bags

2011-03-28T11:00:00.008-04:00

In addition to Nephew #1, my parents also celebrate their birthdays in March. I whipped up another reversible gift bag for the occasion. For a March birthday we have a display of yummy cherries.

For Christmas, sparkly gingerbread men are the feature. My mother was eyeing this fabric with great interest at Christmas when I wrapped something else in it, and was sad when I immediately reused it for another gift. So, I thought it would a perfect part of her birthday present. I'm sure it was a nice surprise to peek inside the gift bag and see a favorite pattern.

The second bag is in use for the second time already, this time with spring flowers on the outside. Here are the two birthday bags, stuffed with gardening supplies and chocolate, just like their recipients asked for!

I have two wonderful friends who enjoy wine A LOT! In October during Fall Break, I picked up some wine at Hermes Winery in Sandusky, OH, for them.

I wanted to make the gift extra special and searched online for a wine bag pattern. This beautiful pattern and tutorial came up: http://www.berninausa.com/webautor-data/529/WineTote.pdf

Sadly, one my lovely friends recently lost her dog to an illness. This was the third dog she lost within a year. Condolences of a special sort were in order.

My other friend is constantly doing me huge favors and is a great musical partner as well. I definitely owe her a token of appreciation. This fits the bill nicely.

Finally, it always amazes me how much time it takes for finished crafts to materialize! Fortunately, the process is usually as rewarding as the product, though there were a few incidents that demanded the use of a seam ripper on these projects...

Here's a toast to awesome family and friends!

And the Sorting Hat Shouts...

2011-03-22T20:35:00.008-04:00

GRYFFINDOR!

Nephew #1 turned 9 years old recently, so technically he is still too young for Hogwarts, let alone a 3rd year scarf, but how can you deny a favorite person a knitted gift that he requested?!?

I have been revisiting the Harry Potter book series via Books on CD recently on my commutes - so fun! I am trying to get through all of them before the last movie comes out this June. That will be a sad day... but I'm sure the thrill of these books will not be lost on several other nephews who will also need Harry Potter knits in the near future! I am so thrilled that my nephew not only can read well, but is enjoying a series that has become a family favorite.

The Details - Beanie
Pattern: House Hats, Beanie by Alison Hansel
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Worsted
Needles: size 8
Colorway: Burnt Sienna and Butternut
Size: Small
Started: January 2009
Finished: February 2009

The Details - 3-4 Year Scarf
Pattern: Year 3-4 Scarf by Lauren Kent
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Worsted
Needles: size 8
Colorway: Burnt Sienna and Butternut
Size: Small and short
Started: January 4, 2011
Finished: March 6, 2011

A quote from the nephew's Grandma (who is also my Mother-in-Law): "I mostly wanted to tell you that J. absolutely LOVED the scarf and hat! It was so cute... when he opened up the scarf and hat, he jumped up in the air yelling, "this is exactly what I wanted!" And laughing his J. laugh, he put them both right on!! It was so cute to see! I have never seen a 9 year old boy so excited about a scarf and hat! By the way, they fit perfectly!!"

Happy Magical Knitting!

Sure Signs of Spring

2011-03-20T10:56:00.008-04:00

Crocuses are popping up all over the property, both in flower beds and in the "wild."

A late Valentine's Day gift report: How awesome is this pin of a Suri alpaca?!

Speaking of Suri alpacas, the animals on the farm are starting to show their fiber in longer dreadlocks. Click picture to make larger.

Of course, we can't have Spring without a nearly finished mitten... While danger of frost continues through May 17 in these parts, I am not hopeful that I will get a lot of use out of these until next season, especially since the second mitten still needs work as well. The pattern is "Woodruff" by Jared Flood, a very fun knit.

Happy Spring to All!

Finally... a Lace Shrug!!

2011-02-02T17:01:00.005-05:00

I am pleased to FINALLY present a Lace Shrug in its completed form. We have had the worst winter weather the past few days and I am beginning to wonder if we will have school at all in February. I just got the call that there will be no school for the third day in a row tomorrow. So today I sat down and made myself finish the seaming and the end weaving. Here is the result!

Details:
Pattern: Lace Shrug by Kristin Sparkland (Shubuiknits)
Yarn: Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace
Needles: Size 4 and size 2 for cuffs
Colorway: Night
Size: Small/Medium
Started: March 27, 2010
Finished: February 2, 2011
Notes: If I were to make this pattern again, I would not knit double stranded. The shrug is a little thicker than I imagined it would be, giving it a sweater-ish quality. Single stranded would have been lighter and more sheer, which would make an interesting contrast to this version. It also took a lot longer to make than I expected. There were many points where I didn't work on it at all, but when I was knitting, it took much longer to make progress than I expected. I am humbled that even an easily memorized lace pattern demands attention from an experienced knitter. I might choose projects more carefully next time!

Close-up of cuff and sleeve:

I planned to wear this item to many events already, but I think it really WILL make its debut appearance on a recital this Sunday. Initially it was slated to cover up my arms at my sister-in-law's wedding on Memorial Day weekend. The shrug would have been ideal as a summer accessory in the freezing cold air-conditioned concert hall at the Viola d'amore Congress in June. Then, I wanted to perform in it in this Fall's Symphony concerts... And it would have been so nice to show off at the holidays, since my in-laws gave me the generous gift card that allowed for the purchase of the lovely yarn and pattern. Alas, now it is February and I am thrilled that I have an event to wear it. In spite of its relatively diminished size, the shrug is toasty warm and should keep any chill in the church off my arms.

Stay warm in your woolies!

Have Wheel, Will Travel

2011-01-17T16:17:00.007-05:00

In anticipation of alpaca shearing season, I asked for a spinning wheel for Christmas. Several family members gave me generous sums of money. The day after I returned home, I headed out to Stitches 'n Scones and purchased a recommended model: the Ashford "Traveler," which features a double treadle. That means you can use both feet to make the wheel spin, thus decreasing the one-legged fatigue that a single treadle produces.

Who would have guessed that a spinning wheel arrives in a box?

Opening the box with awe at the packaging... and some trepidation:

Look at all those parts! There are 31 steps in the directions - GULP!

Midway, several parts are together, but not connected yet:

Finished, after about 4 hours of careful work! It could have been put together faster, but I re-read each instruction many times so I wouldn't have to re-do any steps... and I didn't want to scratch that beautiful Beechwood!

And here is the "traveling" part! This is how I can transport the wheel easily to spinning lessons and group meetings. I had a great lesson with Christina Wall last Saturday. I have gushed about her knitting designs in previous posts, and she is a wonderful spinning teacher as well. (Classiccableknits.com)

I can't wait to spin on my front porch all of next summer...

Welcome, New Woolies!

2011-01-17T15:44:00.005-05:00

(Bella, left - 'Greta, right)

Time flies when you are having fun! We welcomed our third alpaca, Bella Oak, to the farm two weekends ago. Bella came with her friend Sassafrass (or Sassy, for short), who will keep Moonstar company.

(Sassafrass)

Moonstar and Sassafrass are still young and growing which means they eat higher protein hay. These animals don't like to be alone, even if they can see each other in the next pen. So the breeders allowed us to borrow Sassafrass.

(Moonstar, left - Sassy, right)

Unfortunately, there was some bad news: Bella is no longer pregnant. Her cria was reabsorbed some time in December. The breeders did bring the ultrasound machine so we could see 'Greta's cria developing nicely. If things progress as planned, the new cria will be born mid-August.

After a few days of getting used to each other and the new environment, the alpacas and the dog have settled in to their new routine.

(Tenny)

The routine consists mostly of eating hay all day!

CHOMP!

Christmas Pre-Reveal

2010-12-25T13:20:00.010-05:00

I am tired of seeing bags and bags of Christmas wrapping paper go into the trash on Christmas morning, and so I decided to begin taking action.

Presenting, recyclable and reversible gift bags!

These three presents are headed to the Missouri niece and nephews:

Close-ups of the nephew's bags:
Bag A

Bag B

The view inside of the bags:

And the bags in reverse: perfect for upcoming birthdays!

Close-ups of the bags in reverse:
Bag A

Bag B

I also experimented with reversible wrapping paper, this gift for my niece:

As Christmas drew close and time ran out, I just used the two gingerbread cloths like regular wrapping paper. I did manage a third bag.

Will these few gift bags reduce the paper at this Christmas? Not by much, but I hope that throughout the next few years we will have more recycle bags and less waste.

Now that I have pre-revealed the gift wrap, I must confess that I did not knit a single gift item for Christmas... I think that the scarves below will become late presents for some friends who still need a token of appreciation. I am hoping for a more inspired knitting year this coming 2011.

Until then, enjoy the 12 days of Christmas!

More Neck Warming

2010-12-24T23:33:00.005-05:00

I do love this Cabled Keyhole Scarf Pattern! Newly matched with souvenir yarn from last summer's trip to Maryland, this is yet another soft and beautiful combination. The yarn comes from a Huacaya alpaca named Smokey, introduced in this blog in July. He lives on the Bluebell Alpaca Farm in Grantsville, MD. You can find more info here: http://www.bluebellfarmalpacas.com/

Details:
Pattern: Cabled Keyhole Scarf by Anne Hanson
Yarn: Alpaca from Smokey, Bluebell Alpaca Farm, MD
Needles: Size 7
Colorway: Gray
Size: The larger one
Started: December 22, 2010
Finished: December 24, 2010
This is a great knit project for a road trip!

Merry Christmas to All!

Love for the Neck

2010-12-22T12:37:00.004-05:00

I ran across this lovely pattern at the Knitspot.com, shortly before Thanksgiving and couldn't wait until she published the pattern. She promised is for after the weekend of December 11th, but the joke was on me when I checked out her blog on Monday the 13th and found that she had already published it on Friday the 10th!! Sometimes restraint on the Internet is not worth it! I hurried to purchase, rooted around in the stash for perfect yarn, and cast on. It was a busy, hectic, ridiculous week, but I managed to finish it up by Friday the 17th.

Here are the details:
Pattern: Cabled Keyhole Scarf by Anne Hanson
Yarn: Schachmeyr Nomota "Alpaka Fashion"
Needles: Size 7
Colorway: Blue with a hint of green
Size: The larger one
Started: December 13, 2010
Finished: December 17, 2010

The yarn was purchased in Biberach, Germany, the day before I went to my first Viola d'amore Congress in Ochsenhausen at the monastery. Very special memory for me, and I am happy that I finally found the perfect project for it. I had two yards to spare when I was finished! I just need to block it still... Maybe after all the celebrating is over!

FOILED!

2010-11-30T11:26:00.004-05:00

I was pushing for a strong finish to my shrug, which has been languishing since, well, many months this year...

When I ran out of yarn on Saturday...

And the yarn store had every colorway of this brand and weight, except this one...
So now it's on hold again until my specially ordered yarn comes in...

I guess I'll try knitting something else! Happy Knitting!

Sunday Stroll

2010-11-08T20:11:00.004-05:00

Did you know alpacas were animals that liked to take a walk on a leash? Me either, but it is a nice way for them to go out and get some air! We didn't go far, and they did not seem interested in grazing.

If you give a girl an alpaca,
she'll want to take it for a stroll.
If the walk is long,
she will want to feed the alpaca some grain.
The grain will make the fleece grow twice a fast,
and the girl will want to shear it.
After shearing the alpaca,
the girl will need a drum carder.
And when all the fiber is aligned as roving,
she will need a spinning wheel.
When the roving is spun to yarn,
the girl will knit shawls and sweaters.
When many knit goods are completed,
she will demand a store,
In which to sell her goods.
To make more money,
To buy another alpaca...
To take on another stroll...

Oh yes, I'm getting ahead of myself: Happy Knitting!

They're here!

2010-11-04T20:13:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, two of our three new alpacas came to live with us on the farm.

Three attentive beasts, from left to right: Tenny, Moonstar, and 'Greta.

Day and Night

Moonstar is as brightly colored as day and is almost fully grown. Softest fleece ever - YUM!

'Greta, dark as night, is built like a tank. She is also very soft, but her fiber is little coarser than Moonstar's.

Is someone coming to feed us??!!

Bella Oak will be joining us in a few months. Do you see her cute cria peeking out over her back?

Can anyone stand to knit with all this excitement?! Happy Knitting anyway!

Tenny

2010-11-01T20:56:00.003-04:00

We brought our first farm animal home yesterday! I have never been more enthusiastic about an animal, let alone a dog. This young lady is truly magnificent. Her stature is noble, her coat is composed of a wonderful thick white fur that does not get dirty, and her personality is out of this world. I could not think of a more gentle and loving animal. The aura of serenity that floats around her is unbelievable. Nonetheless, she is a guard dog and has an energetic bark. Watch out deer and coyotes! Tenny is still getting adjusted. She is just 14 months old and was in a car for the 2nd time in her life yesterday. It was a rough day for her, but she is already getting acclimated to being with us and going about her duties.

As you can see, the fencing around the barn is also finished! We are ready!

Happy Knitting! (PS - I finished a sleeve on the shrug. Just one more to go and then I'll have a finished object at long last!)

Sneak Preview

2010-10-25T22:11:00.008-04:00

Pssssst! There might be some knitting!! A sleeve has been sighted on the left side of the shrug.

Close-up of the stitch pattern. Unfortunately the cables are not visible in this shot...

And we went to visit the "girls" last weekend. We are looking forward to welcoming them home in a few weeks.

Work on the barn is almost finished. Fencing is in progress and should be complete at the end of this week or next.

Grass is seeded and now we are hoping for just the right amount of moisture so there is no rotting and no seed swimming away in a torrential wash.

With more news soon, Happy Knitting!

A Week in Wool

2010-10-14T16:55:00.004-04:00

Last week was very crazy, hectic, exciting, and full of many experiences. (Barn-raising, middle school festival concert, playing the viola in my symphony gig, teaching school and commuting all the while...) It was therefore lovely to get several shipments of woolly yarn throughout the week to infuse some calm moments into all the activity.

First up on Monday was the arrival of the new sock club yarn and patterns.

The photo intentionally does not show the full glory of the dyed yarn, as this color way and its accompanying patterns won't be released to the general public until January. The yarn is beautiful and so soft! The patterns look wonderful too!

Second, I finally decided to finish the Adult Tomten sweater that I started a few years ago. The yarn that arrived in record time on Wednesday from Beaverslide and was an absolutely perfect match! That means I don't need to do any fancy knitting to incorporate old and new colors. It still means that I have to frog the original knitting. Just not happy with what is going on with the sizing and front closure options. This jacket needs to look perfect when finished.

Oh, and don't forget to order honey next time you order from Beaverslide. The honey is DIVINE: light, fruity, and you can almost taste a little bit of the dusty mountains from the environment it was collected in. Delicious!

Third and last, I did make an impulse purchase over the previous weekend.

Jared Flood has come out with his own specially designed yarn called "Shelter"on the first of this month. You can read about this amazing yarn on his blog here: brooklyntweed.net/blog. I should have waited to order the yarn, because he published the pattern I want to make (Wayfarer Scarf) the day after I ordered the yarn. So I am one skein of yarn short. Never mind, the yarn has a wonderful texture and color (Soot colorway) and will make a lovely product.

Now, I hear what you are saying: Will we ever see any more knitting from you this year? I do hope so... though I do confess that the output has been extremely limited this year. Maybe the next time I will show you something??? Till then, Happy Knitting!

Barn Raising

2010-10-11T21:37:00.009-04:00

The Shady Grove Alpacas need a home, so here is a little photo journal of their barn raising...

Day 1: 10/4 - Posts are drilled and framing begun.

Day 2: 10/5 - More framing

Day 2: 10/5 - Animal entrance framed

Day 3: 10/6 - 48 TONS of fill dirt delivered and distributed

Day 3: 10/6 - Dirt fill raising barn to flood-free level, sub roof installed

Day 4: 10/7 - Front framing continued + window in the back

Day 4: 10/7 - Animal entrance framing continued

Day 5: 10/8 - Three walls of siding installed and agricultural lime delivered

Day 6: 10/9 - Metal roof installed

Day 7: 10/10 - Trim work is starting to make the barn look classy and finished

Day 7: 10/10 - Trim work installed overhang near animal paddock

Day 8: 10/11 - Ag lime spread on barn floor

Day 8: 10/11 - Sliding doors installed on animal entrance, paddock

Day 8: 10/11 - The farmer gesticulating at the paddock and animal entrance side of barn

Day 8: 10/11 - The farmer looking out of the human entrance

Day 8: 10/11 - Awaiting inspection, garage door, water and electricity

And fencing, and pasture, and rain, and guard dog, and alpacas... There's still a long list of things to do around here. Until then:
Happy Knitting!!!

Good-bye Summer!

2010-09-22T21:29:00.004-04:00

Even though it is sooooo HOT right now, summer is officially over. Let's just review some of the goals...

1. Blog every week. I did manage to blog 7 times, though only two and a half were truly on task about knitting.

2. Finished knitting included a hat and a scarf. Progress was made on the shrug, though there is still some left to go. Many projects left in the queue...

3. Viola d'amore goals were met! I finished learning and performing 4 pieces for the Congress in Evanston, IL, in June! And I have begun work on additional pieces and am experimenting with A=415 tuning.

A sink full of plums:

4. The vegetable garden was a complete failure. A handful of tomatoes and three tiny peppers from over a dozen tomato plants and 5 pepper plants was pretty anti-climatic. I did notice that there are a few watermelons still trying to make it. They are the size of tennis balls right now! However, several flower areas did well and looked great. Finding fruit trees on the property just as fruit was ripening was fun as well. I did not get to can as much as I would have liked, but it is comforting to know that we have some established trees ready for next year.

Little deer love apples and choke cherries!

5. Bike-riding was also a disappointment. After just two rides, my right knee no longer wanted to cooperate. I rested it and had a successful 10-mile ride a few weeks ago. Taking it easy is the key here!

Of course additional items such as alpaca fever and the start of school in early August put a partial stop to some of the activity. In all, it was a lovely summer and I have no regrets about slacking too much. And the good news is that with Autumn here, we will presumably get cooler temperatures soon which will inspire the KNITTING! Bring on the wooly yarn!

Happy Fall Knitting!

Farm Update

2010-08-25T22:06:00.006-04:00

Summer is definitely bringing forth the beauty of the earth this year! Here are a few reprises of flowers that I showed you a little over a month ago.

There were also happy surprises that involved finding a PLETHORA of fruit trees on the property. At least 3 crab apple (nice size fruit), three regular apples that are yellow and red, and a mini plum tree that features very sour fruit. There is plenty of applesauce up in this tree! The pie I already made was delicious!

There are also several wild spots on the property that need addressing. Very pretty, but not very functional.

So we went to the Small Engine Warehouse to rent this tough guy: Billy Goat (Gruff)!

At times, we were hoping the Billy Goat would be tougher... That brush was super high after a rainy summer.

The Result:

And now why would we be clearing all this land? Someone has a new hobby desire: raising a few alpacas. As as fiber enthusiast, I could not be more thrilled with my husband's choice! Here are a few pictures of the Suri breed at an alpaca farm we visited last Saturday.

How can you resist something so CUTE!!!

Happy Knitting, alpaca style! (Hummmmmm!)

State Fair 2010

2010-08-14T11:43:00.008-04:00

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to visit the 2010 Indiana State Fair, where I entered several items for judging. I am pleased to report that the peacock shawl that I knit for my sister-in-law's wedding last September won a blue ribbon! She is a wonderful person to let me borrow this from her.

My sister-in-law makes the most exquisite quilted wall hangings from prize ribbons. If you have a lot of ribbons that you have won in competition and wish to have them made into a quilt, make sure to visit her website: www.showthrow.com. She would be happy to take your order! It's going to take me a long time to amass enough for a showpiece like she makes!

The shawl amidst its competitors.

Here is a proper picture of the shawl over a wedding dress.

I also entered two antiques which won some ribbons, while some strawberry jam and a photo did not win anything. All in all, a Very successful year at the fair for me! Thanks to my good friend P.O. for inspiring me to enter some items.

Till next time, Happy Knitting! (Maybe I'll have something finished for a change!)

Alpaca Farm Visit

2010-07-29T17:42:00.022-04:00

It's true vacation time: road trip, family time, a rented house on a lake, kayaking, and best of all, a field trip to a working alpaca farm. This morning we visited the Blue Bell Farm Alpacas in Grantville, MD. (www.bluebellfarmalpacas.com)

We got to feed the female alpacas grain out of our hand. They let us go into the barn and onto the pasture with the animals.

The gentlemen alpacas were a little more rowdy.

Look at those teeth. Perfect for fighting.

The poor little 7 month old black alpaca at the bottom of this heap was recently introduced to the male pen and is being dominated. If he were to fight back and spit a little, the others would start leaving him alone. Hopefully he will figure that one out soon.

Of course we had to take advantage of the gift shop to purchase prepared fleece for spinning. This is the most high quality fleece off of an alpaca named April Snow.

And then some finished yarn for some hand warmers or mitts. This yarn was made with fleece from an alpaca named Smokey.

You can see Smokey, the only gray alpaca on this 45 animal farm, in the middle of this picture, chewing some hay. His exquisite gray coloring did not come out well on this photo, but he has won awards for the quality of his fleece. Unfortunately, he had a heart murmur and was gelded as to not pass on his line of genes. However, he would have been a champion breeder for fleece animals had he been more healthy. I can't wait to knit up some wrist warmers with the yarn from his fleece!

Happy Knitting!

Flowers

2010-07-17T11:32:00.007-04:00

Since the last post, I have knit exactly two rows on my lace shrug. Auntie E's Knits is on slow-going mode, in spite of stated goals. I have, however, made a road trip to my hometown to meet up with friends, read "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," taught one of two weeks of music camp, and been busy sorting through old boxes of memories. The gardens, especially the flower gardens, are looking like it is summer finally. Here are a few pictures for your amusement.

Quincy

2010-07-01T08:07:00.006-04:00

Finishing the Colt's scarf two days ago inspired me to take a look at a few other projects that are almost finished. On this hat I only had to finish the top section and was worried about two things: 1.) Running out of yarn and 2.) Figuring out the best way to "hide" the kitchener stitched join that was clearly in two different points of the yarn's color variegation. In the end, I opted for following the directions on the pattern, thus not hiding the join at all. It took me several tries (and consequent ripping and re-knitting) before I read the pattern correctly. The blame for this behavior goes to lack of sleep due to my attendance at the midnight opening of the movie "Eclipse" in the wee hours of June 30th. I have no regrets! (...about attending the movie or my decision to keep working on the hat...) See for yourself:

The Details:
Pattern: Quincy, by Jared Flood from his booklet "Made in Brooklyn"
Yarn: Marks and Kattens Sarek - 2 skeins
Needles: 10.5 Bamboo
Colorway: Party (though it is a pretty gray party, I would say!)
Started: November 7, 2009
Finished: June 30, 2010

The yarn was very special to me. I found it in the very last minutes of shopping in the lovely town of Banff last summer. The yarn shop "Jen by the Fjord" is located at the end of an alley near a parking garage. They had a lovely assortment of yarns that I had not heard of before, including this one. The proprietress was such a great lady and had lots of information and also questions. It's fun to have my souvenir yarn transformed into a hat to remind me of a fun hiking vacation.

This picture shows the obvious join. The join does not look as terrible as I thought, but next time I make this hat, I will either plan ahead and purchase more variegated yarn to make a better match, or make it in one color.

And yes, I did run out of yarn. My stash supplied a similar yarn to finish the last few rows. I like how the darker color brings out the star pattern on the top. And I also appreciate the little "halo" that came from the lightening of the old yarn before the change.

Here is a memory this hat will inspire.

Happy Vacation and Happy Knitting!

Finished: One Colt's Scarf

2010-06-29T12:07:00.004-04:00

I am not sure why I was dragging my heels, but I did finally put the fringes onto this scarf to be able to add it to the finished project pile.

The Details:
Pattern: House Scarves, by Lauren Kent (From "Charmed Knits" book.)
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Galway Worsted - 2 skeins of blue and 2 skeins of white
Needles: Size 8 (16" length. This pattern is knit in the round to produce a thick and warm product... and easy knitting!)
Colorway: Bright Blue & White
Started: March 19, 2010 - My mindless knitting while supervising a competition
Finished: June 29, 2010
As mentioned previously, this scarf is part of a city-wide service project. When Indianapolis hosts the Super Bowl in 2012, it wants to reward its thousands of volunteers with hand-knit scarves. I might volunteer myself to get this scarf back! Or I could just knit another.

In other summer goal news, the viola d'amore congress went very well! All the practicing definitely paid off. The garden is less full of veggies than I anticipated, but that is OK for the first summer of living here. It is also drowning from the vast amounts of rain that has been pouring down for the last few weeks. I also got a couple bike rides in last weekend, but most unfortunately put my right knee out of commission - OW! So while my goals are hobbling along, I am enjoying the summer none the less!

Happy Knitting!

Summer! Summer!

2010-06-11T13:00:00.002-04:00

Summer began a full two weeks ago for me. Before all of it gets away, I would like to make a few goals and be a little more accountable for all of my free time...

1. Blog every week. If I can post 5x in a busy month named November, certainly I can update this space once a week in the summer.

2. Finish some unfinished knitting projects. In the queue are:
Colts scarf (almost finished)
Lace shrug (missing the arms)
Tomten sweater for a little child
Tomten sweater for an adult
Hat
Lap blanket
Look for these and more.

3. Play lots of music and master my viola d'amore.

4. Garden, garden, garden!

5. Get some great bike rides in every week.

No post is fully complete without a picture. Here is my viola d'amore.

The viola d'amore and the garden are getting the most attention so far. And now the blogging goal has some hope as well.

Happy Knitting!

Forgotten Reveal: Emma Jacket II

2010-04-30T21:42:00.001-04:00

Somehow I forgot to show off another Christmas reveal, perhaps because I never had a brilliant photo shoot before hastily wrapping and gifting it. And (WAH-Wah-wah) because it did not fit quite right due to a recent pregnancy that my sister-in-law was recovering from. I still hope that she will be able to use next season when everything is back to normal.

The Details:
Pattern: Emma Jacket (classiccableknits.com)
Size: 36
Needles: size 7 & 5
Yarn: Dream in Color Classy, 4 balls
Colorway: Petal Shower

I really enjoyed making this pattern the first time, but was not as excited about the yarn the second time, which diminished the experience. It wasn't as squishy and flexible. I also decided to knit from two balls to prevent pooling in the hand-painted yarn. That was tricky and so I forgot to add one of my most favorite design element, the two rows of purls near the top of the pattern. I was already dividing for the sleeves when I noticed and did not want rip back. On the whole I loved how the colors turned out. The hanks of yarn looked like they had SOOO MUCH white in them, but it blended into a nice pink product.

And this sweater as a work in progress also made a guest appearance on Gina's blog here: http://ginakanouse.blogspot.com/2009/12/classic-cable-knits-kal-wrap-up-and_10.html

Happy Knitting!

Many Odds and an End

2010-04-07T22:03:00.009-04:00

Oddly, my husband treated me to white roses two weekends ago! Happy Day!!! They make a great backdrop to the beginnings of a lovely knit shrug that I would like to wear over a sleeveless dress to my sister-in-law's wedding Memorial Day weekend.

Odd that I should become a sports fan of my new home's team: the Colts. As Indianapolis is hosting the Super Bowl in 2012, local knitters are supplying all volunteers with a hand-knit "thank you" scarf. If you would like to contribute, please check out this link: http://www.our2012sb.com/super-scarves/

Gorgeous sock wool, thanks to a new "Socks that Rock Club" that I am a part of. The odds are not good that I will even begin these lovelies until Fall...

And THE END: One of the cutest little girls I know in the Clara Dress for her Grandfather's party last Saturday. Now this is a great final product!

(She was loving some water, which got down the front a little bit!!)

Happy Knitting to all on a deadline or two!!

Clara

2010-03-30T16:54:00.004-04:00

I fell in love with this little dress as it popped up on several blogs I like to look in on. I like it even more now that it is finished and about to be gifted to my newest niece (age 7.5 months) this weekend. She will most likely wear it to a party for her Grandfather, who just attained an impressively numbered birthday! Coincidentally, I will be performing Märchenbilder by Robert Schumann on the viola during that party. Schumann was of course married to a famous woman named Clara. Kind of fun connection.

Details:
Pattern: Clara Dress
Yarn: Isager Strik Alpaca 2, most of 2 skeins
Needles: Size 4
Colorway: Dusty Plum
Size: The larger one, though the dress is not going to fit a 2 year old!
Started: December 25, 2009 as I was traveling with my husband to Washington, DC in a non-stop driving rain storm on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. An auspicious start, but a little rugged knitting never hurt anyone!
Finished: March 27, 2010, first day of spring break!

View of the back and adorable buttons.

I went up one needle size on the dress, because I had forgotten the proper size of needle at home. It did not knit up too loosely and added even more to the beautiful drape of the fabric. A very fun project, though the delicate yarn and small needles did make it a bit tedious at various stages.

Happy Spring and Happy Knitting!

How Is Your Knitting Year?

2010-03-22T18:47:00.003-04:00

(Click on picture to make the print larger)

I found this funny greeting card and thought that it summed up my knitting year so far. No finished objects except for a late Christmas present scarf... and lots of yarn and patterns coming into my life that are not getting attention. Maybe it is time to embrace the idea of "stash" with less anxiety. I just don't want it to take over...

Elisabeth = 1
String = 5

Till next time - Happy Knitting! Perhaps I'll get some knitting in over Spring Break!

Snow Day!

2010-02-06T19:02:00.009-05:00

Today was the perfect Saturday: nothing on the agenda and completely snowed in! Here are a selection of photos from around the house.

I should re-knit the cuffs on my Norwegian sweater and go snowshoeing in grand knit style tomorrow...

Till then, Happy Knitting!

Late Loot

2010-01-21T08:47:00.002-05:00

Somehow I got really behind on the holiday knitting. So I had to catch up a bit after the New Year started. This scarf is for my friend P, who is a great pal and admirer of my craft. Another friend of ours had made her a scarf (turns out it was also green), but P had misplaced it in a recent move. I'm glad that her new scarf could fill the void!

Details:
Pattern: Ariel by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Cascade 220, one skein
Colorway: Hunter Green - neither photo does the color justice, oh well!
Needles: size 8, metal
Start: January 1, 2010
Finish: January 9, 2010

Happy Knitting!

Little Professors and some Sugar and Spice!

2010-01-01T14:16:00.013-05:00

My husband and I have 5 siblings between us, three of whom are having children. All three reproducing siblings (or their wives, as the case may be) had a third child this year, which meant that Auntie E needed to spring back into action with the yarn and the needles.

One little sweater was already finished in March. After several years of languishing through the finishing process, it needed to languish a few more months for the little niece's arrival. Here is Niece #3 showing off her new sweater. Full post and details about the sweater can be found in the February / March 2009 archives.

So Sweet! She just needs to roll up the sleeves a little!

On the other side of the family, all the nephews (and nieces) love and strive to be a awesome as Uncle A., who is a professor. How perfect to find the "Little Professor Vest" pattern, another great pattern by local designer Christina Wall. (classiccableknits.com)

These were super easy and quick knits.

The Details:
Pattern: Little Professor Vest by Christina Wall
Yarn: Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Superwash, one ball per vest. There was plenty left over.
Size: Newborn for Nephew #6, 9 months for Nephew #5
Finished both: Just in time for gifting - December 24, 2009
Notes: There is no 9 month size, but I just added 4 stitches to the 6 month size cast-on number, knit an inch longer, and then followed the directions for decreasing after dividing the front and back parts of the vest until I had the same final stitch numbers as the other sizes. I'm glad I added a little more room, because this child is sprouting! I was also worried about the newborn fitting into his vest, but he was perfect for it. He was only 12 days old at the time of the photo shoot!

Nephew #6 - "This vest is making me so sleepy....zzzz"

Nephew #5 - "I'm so happy that I look like Unc already!!!"

Cousins! - "Hey, what's new down there?"

Happy New Knitting Year!

Well...

2009-11-30T19:48:00.006-05:00

Here comes POST NUMBER FIVE for November! Blogging with regularity, it turns out, is all about setting goals and following through, just like anything else... Though I feel slightly guilty for not finishing at least this hat. I got sucked into a book series this weekend. Twilight, while no Harry Potter series, certainly has its page-turner moments...

Back to the knitting... This is Jared Flood's "Quincy" which, I am finding out belatedly, should probably not be knit in a variegated colorway. I am having a difficult time deciding if I should follow through on his directions, thus putting the not very subtle seam front and center for all to see. Or if I should semi-hide the seam in the cool fold that is my favorite part of this hat. And then there is the matter of possibly running out of yarn for the top. I bought the yarn in Banff last summer and have not seen this brand in any local stores... I guess I'll have to post again soon!

Till then, Happy Knitting!

Knitting Nancy, Knitting Nephew

2009-11-29T21:49:00.006-05:00

My Knitting Nancy resurfaced a few weeks ago, innocently smiling up at me out of a crafting drawer.

So this Thanksgiving when Nephew #1, age 7, wanted to help me knit, I knew exactly what he could do. He needed a little bit of assistance first, but quickly gained confidence.

By the time it was bedtime, he had figured out how to handle the whole thing by himself! We had lots of giggles and anticipatory moments trying to guess when the knitting would come out and when the colors would change. It was really fun to see what a good time he was having!

Hope your Thanksgiving was great too!
Happy Knitting!

New beginnings

2009-11-19T06:52:00.006-05:00

As seen in several previous posts, Auntie E has been indulging herself recently. With a new nephew, new niece, and another new nephew due December 18th, it's time to fire up the needles with some more child-friendly knits. And there are a few adults who have been neglected who need some attention this holiday season too.

Details coming soon...

Happy Holiday Knitting!

Shalom Cardigan

2009-11-08T21:08:00.015-05:00

This sweater marks the official end of summer, or rather, my summer knitting. I started this sweater on my way to Calgary, Alberta, in July when I was anticipating an amazing hiking trip in Banff, Yoho, and Jasper National Parks. I finished it just in time for the chilly weather to set in and have worn this sweater as often as possible so far!

The Details:
Pattern: Shalom Cardigan by Meghan McFarlane (FREE at Involvingthesenses.blogspot.com)
Size: small
Yarn: Rowan Purelife British Sheep Breeds - 5 balls (4 were just right, but I made some modifications that required additional yarn)
Colorway: Dark Grey Welsh
Needles: Size 7mm Crystal Palace Bamboo
Started: July 25, 2009
Finished: October 17, 2009
Notes: I stole several hours on October 17th to finish the cardigan thanks to a dress rehearsal that got out extremely early. It was either knit or go home and paint walls... tough decision...

Modifications: I used similar modifications like Ishi on Ravelry (http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ishi/shalom-cardigan), adding two additional buttons down the front...

...and also adding some short sleeves.

It took me a while to get used to knitting this yarn. The yarn was a little hard on the hands and scratchy. Its redeeming qualties include a delightful "sheepy" smell and a natural look that cannot be beat. I was quickly won over by the overwhelming warmth and comfort of the finished fabric. I'm glad I decided not to make it with long sleeves.

These fine friends also enjoy hanging out and snacking on the fire bush that I am standing in front of.

Can't wait to put up a fence around my garden next year... HUMFFFF!

Happy Fall and Happy Knitting!
(PS - Post #2 for November!!)

Hey Teach! It's NOVEMBER!

2009-11-02T20:25:00.005-05:00

In honor of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month), I am trying to see how many days I can post about new knitting this month. I did not sign up on the NaBloPoMo website because I am tired of being responsible for yet another social networking site membership. However, the idea behind NaBloPoMo is to blog 30 days in a row to form a habit that one will continue. I don't have time to knit that much this month, so I will probably not change my sparse blogging habits too much... I will set my goal for five posts!

Fortunately, there are some finished objects saved up. And yes, you guessed it, my "Hey Teach" sweater was finished a few weeks ago, just as the weather turned cold - and two months after school started. Well, it will be nice new item to wear this coming spring.

Details:
Pattern: Hey Teach! by Helene Rush from Knitty Summer 2008 (knitty.com)
Yarn: Classic Elite Cotton Bam Boo in colorway Rosewood - 5 balls
Needles: Size 6 for stockinette, size 7 for the lace
Started: May 23, 2009
Finished: October 3, 2009

I did not really like this yarn. After this experience, I think I might consider myself a strictly wool knitter. It was hard on my hands and the finished product grew and faded some. I hope it does not continue growing... The yarn is very soft though, which is its redeeming quality against the skin.

The final fit is perfect though. I had to knit my yarn on smaller needles to make it look nice and was fudging numbers in the pattern left and right. The sleeves were the diciest but aside from a little tightness at the seams, they worked out well. I had to knit them longer to fit into the longer armholes that I had made. Cute buttons found at JoAnn Fabrics.

All in all, I would recommend this pattern, but not the yarn, unless you truly love working with cotton and bamboo...

Till SOON (I hope!) - Happy Knitting till then!

Distractions

2009-10-29T19:49:00.018-04:00

I have had a lot of things to do lately. Primarily, there was LOTS of packing, cleaning, painting, remodeling, and moving on the agenda. On top of those activities there were concerts to perform on the viola, Fall festivals and concerts to present with my Orchestra students at school, and a student teacher to supervise. Now I am ready to do a little relaxing and resume my favorite hobby, just in time for making all of those holiday gifts! But let me share a few pictures from "before, during, and after."

Looking into the living room from the front entrance:
BEFORE (boring...)

DURING (good riddance to that carpet / hello wheat grass color on the wall)

ALL MOVED IN! (wood floors and furniture in place. Where are my pictures?!)

Looking into the dining area from the living room:
BEFORE (How unattractive is off-white EVERYTHING?!)

DURING (New chandelier, color, flooring ready to be laid.)

AFTER (Dinner anyone?)

The view down a very long driveway. Many leaves have fallen since this picture was taken.

Some morning frost on the marigolds.

Of course I must confess to stealing a few moments to finish up with the summer knitting...

More on those soon! Happy Knitting!

PEACOCKS!!!

2009-09-09T22:13:00.001-04:00

Once upon a time, there was a woman who unwound more yarn than she could knit... almost... (that would be me!)

Presenting: Fiddlesticks Knitting - Peacock Feathers Shawl

Details:
Pattern: Peacock Feathers Shawl available from fiddlesticksknitting.com
Needles: Size 4, 32" circular Addi Turbo lace
Yarn: Exquisite, 50% mulberry silk, 50% merino wool - 2 balls
Start date: March 28, 2009
Finish date: August 29, 2009

As I look at these pictures, I am astounded that I created this... I thought I would not be able to stop writing. I am finding that the shawl speaks for itself, and my story (and long list of hardships and complaints) is less important than its finished existence.

A few hundred hours, thousands of stitches.

This project was a true test of paying attention. Every lace row needed careful controlling. The right, focused, state of mind was helpful to accomplishing a flawless row. And then I re-checked the lace pattern to make sure I didn't miss any stitches. My day dreaming needed constant reigning in. Very interesting...

And the reason for the season: a young peacock or two, favorite pets.

(A few more months of maturing needed before the full plumage and tail feathers grow in.)

... or many peacocks! (Six, total, currently live here on K & L's farm.)

And a peacock themed wedding on my brother's farm! This is my newest sister-in-law modeling the loot on her wedding day this past weekend! (Click on picture to enlarge to see stitch pattern)

Congrats to K and L for tying the knot. Here's to many happy years together on your lovely farm!

PIGS!!!

2009-09-09T19:32:00.033-04:00

This past weekend was my middle brother's wedding on his farm in the (nearly) completed new house. Since he and his wife were hosting the WHOLE thing, my family had to put our heads together to add a little special something to the rehearsal dinner.

As a wedding present for the bride, I made the Fiddlesticks Knitting Peacock Shawl to enhance the peacock themed wedding. It was presented to the bride as a family welcome gift. Plus, she may have wanted to use it for her wedding the next day. It turned out to be HOT, though there were some nice pictures taken at the wedding photo session.

Next up, was a presentation of the Groom's Cake... inspired by his favorite stuffed animal - a baby boar piglet.

Unfortunately I did not get a picture of it fully decorated with Godiva truffles and marzipan fruits before everyone started snacking on them... The glaze frosting was also a little worse for the wear after the car ride to Ohio. Oh well!

The groom's cake was followed by a scavenger hunt around the farm (idea compliments of my other brother, J).

You see, this farm is on McDonald Road. And Old McDonald has live horses, cows, dogs, cats, chickens, and peacocks, BUT NO PIGS on this farm. We had to remedy this situation....

Pig on a Pan

Pig Spout Snout (watering can)

If Pigs Could Fly...

Pig on a Pot (hidden in the outhouse that you see in background!!)

Back side of Pig on a Pot

a>

Pretty Primping Pigs (originally placed in front of a mirror)

Pigs in a Pen (originally placed near the pens in the barn)

Most A-DOOR-able pig door stop (with a very cute nephew...)

Basil Roasted Pig

Pig Pics on a Post (Pictures in magnetic frames were originally placed on a post supporting the deck)

Pig ornament

Sunday morning reading and relaxing

Painted Prize Pigs

More Pig Prizes - My father cut out these little pigs on a band saw, both parents sanded them off, and an artist neighbor applied the paint. (She also painted the pig "on the pot" and vase of "pretty primping pig.") All scavenger hunt participants received a prize pig as a reward for participating. The whole affair happened in the dark by flashlight... a little sketchy on a farm full of potholes and manure.

A ton of fun was had by all! And Old McDonald can now sing the pig verse on his farm! There he is with his piggy garden ornaments!

Congratulations!

Post Script: I know this is a knitting blog, but I didn't find a knit pig pattern until three days before the wedding. Clearly, a miscalculation in planning; that pig was not going to be made in time. Maybe for Christmas!

Where, oh where has summer gone?

2009-08-30T17:04:00.007-04:00

Summer freedom has come and gone. My school has been in session since August 10th! In spite of oodles of free time, no blog posts have appeared. Knitting has been happening, sometimes in beautiful places.

At Two Jack Lake in Banff National Park.

Lace knitting in a tent is quite an experience!

Airplane knitting. That break in the clouds was the end of some of the worst roller coaster plane riding I have experienced...

Also a new experience this summer: entering knitting at the Indiana State Fair AND winning an honorable mention! I entered the "Spring Break Sweater" in the "two or more colors" category, not remembering that stranded knitting would be entered into this category. All the color ribbon winners, of course, did indeed knit intarsia. I felt honored to get some recognition, even though my work was less complicated.

More finished projects coming up soon.... including a post or two about my brother K's wedding next weekend! Stay tuned, and till then, Happy Knitting!

Beautiful Blogiversary

2009-05-04T23:24:00.003-04:00

Saturday, May 2, this blog turned one year old. I was planning on commemorating the event with a post on the day, but it so happened that I was taking 57 middle school orchestra students to Kings Island for the day, all day. I was dreading it all week, due to a horrible weather forecast. Every time I logged onto the weather website, there was a greater chance of rain and chilly temperatures. Until Saturday morning, when suddenly, the precipitation percentage dropped to 30% and only "showers" were predicted. As our buses rolled closer to Ohio, the sky became progressively bluer and sunnier. Once at the park, it was a P E R F E C T day for riding roller coasters and entertaining young teenagers.

On top of that, there was plenty of time on the bus to start some knitting that also included stash busting. Here is a little headband that I came up with.

Details:
Pattern: Mine 108 stitches in the round
Needles: size 4 16" circulars
Yarn: leftover from reindeer headband in Christmas post
Knit 11 rounds
Purl 1 round
Knit 4 rounds
Add blue in this pattern (go bottom to top)
oooxoooxoooxoo
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
oxoooxoooxooox
Knit 1 round in original color
Knit 1 round in contrasting color
Repeat pattern above in contrast
Knit 1 row in contrasting color
Knit one row in original color
Repeat pattern above
Knit 4 rows in original color
Purl one row
Knit 11 rows
Bind off, fold inward at purl rows, and sew together
Started: May 2, 2009
Finished: May 3, 2009

Happy Beautiful Birthday, Blog!

A Knit Mouse!

2009-04-30T11:31:00.004-04:00

I recently ran across several very cute mouse patterns. This one came with free instructions on the website, so the knitting choice was easy.

Details:
Pattern: Marisol Mouse (yarnigans.vox.com/library/post/marisol-mouse.html)
Needles: 4 size 3 DPNs
Yarn: leftover Lyon Brand wool-ease in dark gray and Encore in dusty rose
Start date: April 27, 2009
Finish date: April 29, 2009

This mouse is going to a dear, dear person who needs a great deal of cheering after a long string of bad luck. I hope it makes you laugh!!

And the knitting de-stressed me greatly too. There is nothing like dealing with the stress of administering standardized testing (for the third time this year!) during a school day. An evening knitting diversion is just the ticket for continued sanity.

Happy Knitting!

Humans have usable wool too...

2009-04-27T10:02:00.006-04:00

It's donation time! Last Friday I decided time was up for this long mop of mine. I got 10+ inches chopped off and made my 5th donation to Locks of Love (locksoflove.org). If your hair grows quickly, please consider donating 10+ inches to this fine organization, which makes wigs for children who don't have hair.

Since I am a teacher, I try to donate every 2 years to inspire my students to also grow out their hair. 80% of donations come from children under 18 who wish to help other children. Two years ago four other students and another teacher joined me in cutting their hair. I hope this year will be as inspirational!

Spring Break Sweater

2009-03-29T17:32:00.002-04:00

Clever marketing is such a beautiful thing. It works. It persists and follows you. And so it was that every single time I walked into Stitches n Scones the winter of 07-08 - BaBUMPHFF - there was this gorgeous sweater on a mannequin right in my face as I opened the door. I don't even like pink - at all. Well, one day on my way there, I just knew that if the sweater was still there, I would have to make an impulse purchase. Ironically, they didn't have the exact colors in stock and I had to wait a few days to get the yarn. Half of my spring break, no less. Oh the "wasted" knitting time. However... well yes... read on...

This project had many lessons in store for me.

Body, no border

I taught myself how to do a basic cable (YIPPEE!), but was too lazy to buy a cabling needle. Trust me on this one: buy a cabling needle. Instead, a size 3 knitting needle held the cable stitches for me. This caused great undue tension on my left index finger. I knit continental style, so there is already extra tension on that finger. Add to that my extreme obsession with seeing the cable pattern unfold before my eyes, the mesmerizing rib knitting, and all the free time of a spring break, and I developed extreme tendonitis in my left index finger. And had to stop knitting for at least two weeks. And wear a finger brace to keep me from moving the finger unnecessarily. It was torture, especially since I was not even close to finishing this sweater. All is well that ends well and I was busily knitting away again by early May.

Body back, no border

I learned some actual techniques as well, thanks to local knitters meeting at the LYS. Being a mostly self-taught knitter, picking up stitches usually meant putting the loop on the edge of the knitting on a needle. OOPS, not so much! And I wondered why there were always holes at the pick-up line... Now I know how to do it right. There are still examples of the old technique at the sleeves.

Finishing off the sweater was also a major dilemma as I could not figure out a sewn bind-off to save my life. I finally swallowed my pride and thanks to a private knitting lesson with Lin at my LYS, I was able to forge ahead. The best instructions were found the ancient Readers' Digest Knitting book and Lin drilled me until I got the tension right. Thanks! The finish is so smooth.

Besides some of the obstacles and set-backs, I loved every minute of working on this sweater. The rib knitting had a very soothing effect. I never dreaded knitting a row of all purls because there were manageable amounts of purl every few stitches. The wool was so soft and gorgeous to touch and work with. I recommend this sweater to anyone.

The Details:
Pattern: Gedifra Fall 2007, Pattern #1034
Size: Medium
Wool: Gedifra Volata Tweed in 9057 Pink and 9021 Brown
Needles: Size 6 & 8 metal circulars
Start date: April 3, 2008
Finish date: September 28, 2008

Modifications -
First off, less seaming is better than more, so I knit the two front sections and the back in one huge row. I divided the sections when it was time to make sleeves. Then I picked up stitches for the sleeves right off the body, leaving me with only shoulder seams! I tried to kitchener stitch those together, but it doesn't really work in rib, so I went back to my normal seaming method.
I also knit two stitches together every other knit rib on the end of the sleeve before the bind-off row. This prevented flaring at the end that just didn't seem to go with the knitting. Finally, the pattern did not mention this, but the picture looked like the sleeve bind-off was in purl, which think looks great.

To top it all off, my husband got me this awesome pin to close it. Check out Romi Designs to get yours: http://www.designsbyromi.com/index.html. My music students also enjoy the G-clef theme.

I don't know which I like better, knitting the sweater, or wearing it. I do know that it made last year's spring break very fun and this year's spring break a little warmer... Because of course, it's snowing right now! (Perfect knitting weather!)

Katelyn Sweater & Emma Jacket

2009-03-23T17:13:00.016-04:00

[Edit: I decided to rename this post for easy Emma Jacket finding, for those of you linking here from Christina's blog.]

For my birthday in 2006, I received a very uncharacteristic, but highly cherished, gift from my husband: a rather large sum of money on a gift card to a local yarn store. For months I couldn't decide what I wanted to buy and made at least a half dozen trips to see what might inspire me. Sometime early 2007, there was a clearance sale, and that's when I spotted eight balls of Katia Tundra in colorway "greens." It was magically soft and the colors were very appealing to me. It was also going to be the first project that I wanted to knit for myself, and it would be a sweater. I thought it would be a cardigan, but when I couldn't find a pattern that I liked, I decided to knit a somewhat generic pattern with the help of this pattern: http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/katelyn/katelyn.html. I used a store-brought sweater to help me size it just right. I was a little skeptical if the collar would stay firm and not expand on me and then went for a turtle neck look, which I really like. I also didn't want the additional work of the stitching, and I think it turned out perfect.

This is a gratuitous shot of my dog Loki, helping me model the sweater.

The details:
Pattern: http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/katelyn/katelyn.html
Size: Small
Yarn: Katia Tundra in colorway "greens"
Needles: Size 6 & 8 metal circulars
Start date: February, 2007
Finish date: June 1, 2007

Recently, I've been in "stash bust" mode and was looking for a smaller project to finish using up this yarn. I ran across the "Emma Jacket," the product of local designer, Christina Wall.

Check her patterns out at classiccables.blogspot.com. This was my first opportunity to try a top-down sweater, and it was so addicting and a quick project. I love trying the sweater on during the knitting process. I made only a few modifications. I knit one less sleeve increase than recommended for the size. I was afraid that I would run out of yarn. Around 5 yards of yarn remained at the end of the project. That was perfect planning! The sleeve length turned out to be exactly as long as the sweater body, a look which appealed to me. I also used size 8 circular needles for the sleeves, because I was knitting way too tight on size 7 DPNs. Finally, I knit an extra two rows before dividing the sleeves, to reduce the possibility of too little room under the arms.

The Details:
Pattern: Emma Jacket, cropped version
Size: 34
Yarn: Katia Tundra in colorway "greens"
Needles: Size 7 Clover bamboo 36" circulars, Size 8 Clover 16" circulars, Size 5 Clover bamboo circulars
Start Date: March 2, 2009
Finish Date: March 18, 2009

Finally, a blocked update on the previous post. The little sweater that troubled me so much really turned out not so badly after all. It's all ready to be gifted to a lucky new someone. :o)

Minor Miracles

2009-02-27T16:28:00.004-05:00

Miracle #1: I actually managed to post on the blog TWICE in one month! I may be getting the hang of this after all.

Miracle #2: I finished off a sweater that I thought would be my first incomplete knit object in my adult knitting life. I was so excited that I had to share before blocking. :o)

It sure took a long time and provided plenty of challenge. The first challenge was not liking the colors. My husband helpfully nicknamed this sweater the "Beach Blanket." I don't think it was a compliment. The second challenge was that the wool is very fine and that takes a long time to knit and sew up seams. And finally, all those stripes and my 2006 rookie knowledge provided endless sewing in of ends. I should have carried more of the color up the sides and knit in the round. There are plenty of visible mistakes. Like how I didn't know how to pick up stitches around the collar. (I have learned the proper way to do such a thing since then.)

The yarn was left over from a previous jacket project for two nieces in which I knit all three colors together. Knit together the colors looked a lot more cohesive, especially modeled by these cuties!

The facts:
Pattern - From an Anny Blatt book for kids
Size - 9-12 months
Yarn - Knit Picks Pallette, cream, hot pink, gray
Needles - size 3, metal circular
Begin - December 27, 2006
End - February 26, 2009

Originally I thought that I would donate this sweater, but recent pregnancy announcements amongst siblings and cousins make me think that I might want to hang on to it for a while and gift it... Here are Nephews #3 & 4 "helping" Auntie E knit the sleeves last summer. Perhaps a little sister would like to wear this in a few months??

Finishing objects... and a hat obsession

2009-02-02T19:52:00.015-05:00

Recently, my unfinished objects and my stash have been calling my name. Loudly. Obsessively. Or maybe I am heeding their call obsessively. At any rate, I am slowly working my way through some overdue items.

But before I share my knitting, allow me to introduce another crafty item. In 2007 I took a class called "Teaching Creativity." During a group invention project, we were asked to come up with an invention to help our life flow more smoothly. I found a great apron pattern by McCall's (I think). I then added some plastic pockets in front of the cloth pockets as my "innovation" to have a place to display flashcards to start a lesson plan. The plastic pockets ended up being way too fussy for me, so I reverted back to the plain old pattern version. The apron holds all of my teaching materials in one place on my person and has made my life in the classroom much easier. My student teachers last year also thought they were great, and so I made one for both of them as well. I also stocked it with a few "teacher-ly" items... very fun gift! I wear my apron daily.

Our head night custodian caught sight of this item and "threatened" to steal it one night. She felt that it would be perfect for her job cleaning. And I agree. So this year for her birthday, I made her one too! Here is the fourth organizer apron that I have made. Each one took me just under 3 hours, not including time to get the supplies at the fabric store.

Thanks for all you do, EW!

I have to confess that I have been annoyed with one of my favorite knit blog designers the past few months. It seems like every new post is of a new hat. I am not a big hat fan, and feel like knitting a hat is way too simple, fast, easy. If I am not laboring for a month or more, the knitting pattern is not really a project for me. (I have to do everything the hard way!) Imagine my surprise when I noticed the other day that I have made nothing but hats this year! I think the combination of very cold weather and high stress days allowed me to succumb to these quick and easy little knitting treats.

Besides intarsia hearts, the rest weren't that difficult. I followed the basic directions for the beanie from "Charmed Knits" and kind of experimented with stripes and decreases. I had enough Plymouth Encore wool from the Gryffindor scarf project left over to make two additional hats! One was made to match my husband's Gryffindor scarf.

Here is a poem he wrote me:

Ode to Scarf
Ah, how I love my Gryffindor House Scarf,
Whether I am chasing bludgers through the winter air,
Walking to class on frigid morning,
Sneaking up a drafty tower carrying a dragon,
Walking around DG house properties,
It always keeps me warm, toasty, comforted, and loved.
Also stylish.

I especially enjoy the last line!

The intarsia hearts were inspired by a motif I found in "Traditional Scandinavian Knitting" by Sheila McGregor, page 52. I repeated the pattern five times, using 110 stitches.

The hat, made of Encore worsted weight yarn, verges on size extra large, but I was afraid that four repeats (88 stitches) might be a little too small for an adult. I will probably try this pattern again, because it was fun to knit. I may try four repeats for the sake fun and experimentation.

I also found two other remnant hats that I made last year with the same pattern. I used leftover Cascade yarn that I used for the Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin Harry Potter scarves with (see June 2008 post).

Finally, I found some little "quilt squares" designed to be affixed to note cards. Unfortunately, my choice of "fall colors" looked more like "Revenge of the 1970's" when knit together. The Hempathy yarn by Elsebeth Lavold knit up to a texture more like a washcloth than a charming quilt square. Each square took a surprising amount of time. Think 3+ hours. The thicker yarn combined with size 000 needles was cumbersome at best. The pattern is promising, though: http://www.interweave.com/needle/projects/quilt_blocks.pdf

The end result could have been worse. I'm sure some crafty or artsy friend of mine will enjoy receiving one for their next birthday!

2008 Christmas Reveal Post

2009-01-13T20:06:00.013-05:00

I didn't have nearly as many finished projects as I had for Christmas 2007, but when I look at the projects all in one place, the number is still fairly significant. So here's the fruit of the labor!

First, I was doing a bit of stash busting and found some blue and white nubby wool that I had made nephew #3 a birthday sweater with in 2007. I decided to make a scarf for the custodian who cleans my room at school every day. She and I have some great conversations and I definitely felt like I needed to kick my appreciation up a notch this year. Our building custodial staff is understaffed and overworked. Hey look, it's the Colts colors! (She loves the Colts). Merry Christmas JM!!

DETAILS:
Pattern: knit 15 stitches with garter stitch till yarn (held double) runs out.
Needles: Cheap plastic brand in size 17
Started: October 22
Finished: October 22
Notes: It was a fun road trip to NYC with the husband!

I had the extreme pleasure of spending some quality time with my youngest cousin during the summer of '08. Upon showing her my knitting photo book she "ordered" a "headband in 'ice-blue' with a reindeer motif," a motif that I used in several hats. I nearly forgot about this and I don't have a picture of her modeling it yet, but it turned out comfortable and pretty. I hope she enjoys it for many years!

DETAILS:
Pattern: My own + reindeer design from "Traditional Scandinavian Knitting" by Sheila McGregor
Needles: Bamboo 16" circulars size 4
Yarn: Lion Brand Microspun in Lilac and Lily White, 1 skein each
Started: December 1
Finished: December 11
Notes: I loved this yarn for the color work knitting. It was easy to manage both strands as it was being knitted together.

The third project was the big one this fall. My sister in law expressed an interest in a new afghan for her couch. So I sent her a pattern book and asked her to visit a yarn store to pick out the color and the yarn. This is the fabulous result. Great choices!

DETAILS:
Pattern: "Done By Monday Afghans" pattern #13
Yarn: Cascade Superwash color #904, 12 skeins held double
Needles: Addi Turbos size 13
Started: November 4
Finished: December 20

I adjusted the pattern so that it had 8 cables across instead of 7. The substitute yarn was just a WEE bit thinner than the yarn recommended. I also used 12 balls of yarn instead of 10 so that it would be longer. It was a fun and pretty fast project, but it was not "done by Monday!" The lady at the yarn store suggested I should start knitting on a Tuesday. Another person's blog suggested it would be done by "some" Monday!

Here is the lucky sister in law wearing it inside out at the Christmas reveal.

My #4 nephew still did not have a hand-knit sweater from me, so I whipped one up with a number of patterns and past projects inspiring the size and shaping.

He loves cars and so I applied one using duplicate stitch. I made a similar sweater a few years back for nephew #2 and knitted the car with the intarsia method. I decided both ways were quite a bit of extra work. The wheels are buttons and always a tactile hit with the little ones. He loved it and couldn't stop talking about how it had a car on it!

DETAILS:
Pattern: Conglomeration of several including Hogwarts Sweater from "Charmed Knits" and a free Bernat pattern that I got on some Bernat wool; the car was inspired by something I found in a knitting magazine that has been gone and buried for a few years - sorry! The blue stripes on the sleeves... I was running out of red yarn!
Yarn: Encore Worsted weight in red and royal blue
Needles: Bamboo size 8 circular, metal double pointed size 8 for sleeves and collar.
Started: October 23
Finished: December 31 (Our get-together was late this year - WHEW!)

Finally, these hand warmers were an experiment with my new cable needle necklace and another stash busting idea. It turned out that my mother loved the design (though it is quite retro and 80's!) and so I surprised her with a little extra package at our late Christmas celebration. This is actually the first official knit product of 2009, but it was a Christmas gift, so I am including it in this post.

DETAILS:
Pattern: Mine - 42 stitches in the round. K2, (P2, K4 repeat)... and K last 2. Cable the K stitches every 5 rows. Knit back and forth when you wish to have and thumb opening and rejoin into a circle when opening is large enough. Cabling every 5 rows was a problem only on the thumb opening rows. Just a little cumbersome to cable while purling.
Yarn: Encore worsted weight in cream, dusty rose, and maroon
Needles: size 8 double pointed, new cable needle necklace
Started: January 1
Finished: January 3

HAPPY NEW KNITTING YEAR TO ALL!!

A First Pair of Socks

2008-11-10T17:35:00.001-05:00

In which a first time Sock Knitter knits a pair of socks:

a. Without knitting a gauge swatch.

b. With no pattern.

c. With no clue of how to turn a heel.

d. And insists on learning from her mistakes by making an uneven pair... You know, it took too long to knit the first sock to unravel it again.

OK, so the part about no pattern was an exaggeration. I did use a pair of hand knit socks I received for my birthday (made by my mother). And I felt confident enough that I could figure out how to turn the heel by looking at my model. Some day I will actually try and read a pattern to see if I did it "right." The socks turned out so that's right enough for now. The thing about the gauge swatch though... it would have helped to knit one. Note the part about the uneven pair of socks. I also wasn't paying attention to the toe decrease, resulting in somewhat pointy toes. My mother used a different thickness of yarn and size 2.5 needles. Minor details, ha ha!

Pattern: Mom's Birthday Sock
Material: Kiogu handpainted merino sock wool
Amount: Two skeins
Needles: Size 1 bamboo
Started: June 11, 2008
Finished: September 27, 2008

One of the most enjoyable aspects of these socks? They were knitted mostly on my Europe vacation last summer. Nothing is quite as civilized as riding through the countryside in a train while knitting.

Ahhhhhh!

Why I Don't Knit Socks

2008-07-11T21:25:00.011-04:00

Yes, this picture shows TWO DOZEN HAND KNIT socks, lovingly knitted for me by my mother and by my grandmother.

My sock drawer floweth over. The sock drawers of my brothers, husband, and sisters in law are equally stocked. Why would I ever knit a sock for myself and those same loved ones with all this wealth? Especially when I have so many maroon socks that I haven't bothered finishing all of them yet?

That was then. This is now... Yea... I found this delightful Kiogu yarn...

Maybe I'll try just one pair...

Hello Lovely! Come here and let me knit you...

A 30th Anniversary

2008-06-04T13:27:00.002-04:00

Today is a special anniversary for me: the 30th anniversary of beginning my knitting career. I received a "Strickliesl," AKA Knitting Nancy similar to the one pictured above, for my birthday 30 years ago from my cousin who is also my Godmother. More on the special role of Godmothers and knitting in a later post. Sadly, my original Knitting Nancy is currently MIA, but I did find the results of my youthful labor.

I think all that snakey product was supposed to become a pot holder. Thank goodness for the maturity of age that now allows me to finish my knitting products.

Oh yes, and Happy 35th Birthday to me!

Memories of Last Summer, or Long Live Harry Potter

2008-06-01T09:03:00.003-04:00

As the first day of this blessed new summer vacation draws to a close, I find myself sifting through some photos from last year.

Last summer at this time, my family and I were eagerly awaiting the 7th Harry Potter book and discovered (with horror) that the book would come out on the first day of our big annual family reunion vacation. The emails flew thick and fast to establish "the rules" about reading, sharing the books, not divulging, etc.

In the mean time, I stopped by my LYS and found a stack of "Charmed Knits: Projects for Fans of Harry Potter" by Alison Hansel right next to a large selection of yarns that were recommended in the book. Halleluia, a store that understands my need for straightforward yarn choices right next to the new pattern book. I still obsessed about the "most perfect" color choices for a Ravenclaw scarf (requested by my sister-in-law) for at least an hour... Had I needed to roam the store to find the appropriate yarn brand, weight, etc., AND COLOR, it would have taken me a half day deciding... The upside is that I love hanging around the yarn store. But you knew that!

Of course, I was also taken by those most seductive Gryffindor colors and thought to myself that my husband might just adore it. I also had a venue in which to knit it in secret - a trip to the Grand Tetons with a friend - later in the summer. Turns out, I spent two days getting from Philadelphia to Jackson Hole... and another two days in reverse. The traveling was a very, very ugly affair, but the upside was a finished Gryffindor scarf.

With two scarves down, a thought of making my brother-in-law a scarf germinated somewhere in the back of my mind. When asked, he joked that he was certainly a Slytherin type. Perfect. New colors to maintain knitting interest. Back at the yarn store I decided that I couldn't just make three of four house scarves, so I also purchased the Hufflepuff colors for me. The lucky upside of those two scarves is that the Slytherin scarf also shares the same color scheme as the Philadelphia Eagles (brother in law's favorite sports team) and the Hufflepuff colors are the same as my alma mater (University of Colorado, Boulder) and the current school that employs me. Win, win, WIN!

The big reveal was Christmas and I didn't want to let on that I was knitting Hufflepuff for me (three out of four scarf scenario, husband could get suspicious, etc, etc...), I also had to knit the Hufflepuff in secret. It was very tricky, since I usually drive or watch a movie WITH my husband while also knitting. There were many sneaky moments and near misses in this process. Lying too. Not comfortable. The final product was barely finished and wrapped in the late afternoon of Christmas Eve. All is well that ends well... Note the unfinished Hufflepuff scarf below.

The Reveal:
Each scarf was given to its recipient by at least one member of each Hogwarts house.
Ravenclaw scarf: from Luna Lovegood and Cho Chang
Slytherin scarf: from Crabbe, Goyle, and Brian Dawkins (check the Eagles roster in case you were looking in the HP books for that last name...)
Hufflepuff: Cedric Diggory. I wish I had a picture of my husband's confused and amazed face when this was announced and opened! Worth the price of knitting time, hands down! ("You made and gave yourself scarf?? I am so confused!")
Gryffindor: from the ghost Sir Nicholas de Mimsey-Porpington!!

Needless to say, the whole event was a smashing success! Ah, the happy memories of summer, a completed book series and matching scarves!

And here we all are in our be-scarfed glory!
Left to right: Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff

Who Needs Another Knitting Blog?

2008-05-02T13:07:00.000-04:00

Apparently, I do! A combination of stimuli recently inspired this move toward posting my own blog.

First and foremost, I have been admiring the beautiful craft of many other knit bloggers and would like to say "Thank you!" for the inspiration. Hopefully I can contribute a tiny spark of inspiration to you as well from time to time.

Second, my family has been bugging me to create a virtual home where they can check up on my knitting escapades. I already photograph all of my works and have a little photo album. You have to be near me to look at it. The amount of work it represents makes me feel very protective of it. This blog will allow me to share. More posting and hopefully some pictures soon as well...

Till then, HAPPY KNITTING!

Auntie E's Knits

In the Interim - A Yarn Along

SOOO Big!

Growing...

Yarn Along

They Grow Up So Fast **sniff**

Winter Gardening

Oink

Of all the gifts, LIFE is the greatest!

Saddle Mountain Hike 8/1

Blogging on my phone...

Yarn Along - 2

Wooly Wealth

1,000 Shells

Yarn Along

Summer is HERE!

Oh BROTHER!!!

Precious Pucker

Three Bags Full

Alpaca Adventures

Woodruff Mittens

Rapunzel is Retiring

Surprise Gift Bags

And the Sorting Hat Shouts...

Sure Signs of Spring

Finally... a Lace Shrug!!

Have Wheel, Will Travel

Welcome, New Woolies!

Christmas Pre-Reveal

More Neck Warming

Love for the Neck

FOILED!

Sunday Stroll

They're here!

Tenny

Sneak Preview

A Week in Wool

Barn Raising

Good-bye Summer!

Farm Update

State Fair 2010

Alpaca Farm Visit

Flowers

Quincy

Finished: One Colt's Scarf

Summer! Summer!

Forgotten Reveal: Emma Jacket II

Many Odds and an End

Clara

How Is Your Knitting Year?

Snow Day!

Late Loot

Little Professors and some Sugar and Spice!

Well...

Knitting Nancy, Knitting Nephew

New beginnings

Shalom Cardigan

Hey Teach! It's NOVEMBER!

Distractions

PEACOCKS!!!

PIGS!!!

Where, oh where has summer gone?

Beautiful Blogiversary

A Knit Mouse!

Humans have usable wool too...

Spring Break Sweater

Katelyn Sweater & Emma Jacket

Minor Miracles

Finishing objects... and a hat obsession

2008 Christmas Reveal Post

A First Pair of Socks

Why I Don't Knit Socks

A 30th Anniversary

Memories of Last Summer, or Long Live Harry Potter

Who Needs Another Knitting Blog?

They Grow Up So Fast sniff