Radio Silence

This month has been really quiet here but I have a good reason.  Mostly it has to do with family and the holidays, but it also because of a series of flings.  Knitted flings of course.  Flings must be kept secret, they take you away from your commitments and they make you feel a little knotty.

It all started with a phone call asking my mother what my step-father would like for Christmas.  She said a nice black hat.  I ran out and got some Lion Brand thick and quick and two days later had this:

Then my Godmother surprised me with a really nice gift

so I made her a Fling Scarf.

 













I knit my mother a necklace from the kit she bought at Rhinebeck. I forgot to photograph the finished product but it looked a great deal like the kit photo. This was such an easy pattern, so soft, so pretty and quick nice looking gift.

Finally, there was a nice calming soft brown wool hat that kept me calm through all the December drama. I knit it not knowing who it was going to be for or even why I was knitting it when I have a deadline baby blanket on the needles.  I needed something simple to knit on, something that kept my hands busy and when I cast off I found a very deserving person who felt honored to claim possession of the hat. All and all it was a good knitting month of flings but now I better get my tail in gear and finish the starfish blanket before Little Miss Mermaid comes.

Hope everyone had a very happy holiday.  I think this was one of the best Christmas' we have had in a long time.

PSA

In the knitting world, there is a phenomenon called "Sleep knitting" where you doze off with needles in hand and wake up to find more knitting done then when you drifted off.  Normally your hands go on automatic and just do a knit stitch or a purl stitch over and over.  Never to your hands work in patern, unless it is Garter or Stockinette and then it is only a 50/50 shot that your hands will get it right on their own. Knitters have reported that this usually requires tinking back to correct it.  However, if you don't recognize till 6 inches later, you must start ripping back or the daredevil move of dropping back. (I always feel I need Mission Impossible music when I drop stitches 6 inches down to get make that purl get in line.) 

With Christmas coming up in 23 days, I am issuing this Public Service Announcement to watch yourself.  Do you feel sleepy after staying up late to finish one more row?  Do you wake up with needles in your hands? Please if you feel drowsy, put down the needles. It is not worth it to try to get a couple more rows when you may have to rip it all out again.  Sleep Knitting can get you in deep trouble when you are working on a deadline.  Which is again, only 23 F-ing days away.

The More You Know...

Done and Done

So this year, my only goal was to make sure the boys had new hand knit hats before Christmas. It makes me feel like a good mom while I am knitting lots of other things for me. 


Bugs is the bomb.

Boo as the Dark Knight

Bugs, 6 years old, is a fan of video games and anything black and gold (Go Steelers!!) so I made up an Angry Birds hat. Boo, 2 years old, likes superheroes so he got a Batman hat with mask. 

It got so cold last week that we unearthed their hats from last year to wear to school. That pushed me to cast on.  I hurried to finish and they were both done the day after Thanksgiving (Yea to Bear for doing all the holiday driving so I could knit.)

Then this weekend, it has been 60 degrees and way to warm to wear their hats. Sigh.

So,  I now solemnly declare in front of all three readers of my blog (Hi Mom!) that there will be no more Christmas knitting.  No last minute projects for the kids teachers, no up all night finishing something for Aunt What's-her-face, No stress, No fuss.  My Christmas shopping isn't done but I have a list. Some of it will be baking because that is quick, cheap and well appreciated but no knitting...I hope.

Different Style

I decided a couple of weeks ago to paint my nails dark denim blue. Last Sunday, I changed it up and painted the tips blue with a plain background. This is a big change for me as I am normally a french manicure vanilla kinda girl.

So, I was out with a knitting friend last night at a restaurant. We had finished eating and pulled out our knitting when I noticed a couple early twenties looking at me (the way the booths were they could not see my friend.) The woman was whispering and all I heard was "She's got..." and "She's like 30" I thought it was my nails. They were too dark and I was too old and they were laughing at my trying to be young and fashionable.  I got uncomfortable until they left.

Just this morning as I am reapplying my nail polish and thinking, "screw that girl" that it hit me.  I was knitting...in public...maybe she was saying, "She's got knitting in her hands and she like (only) 30."

Sunset

So, if you follow my blog regularly, you will remember my knee high stripy socks. These socks were part of a knit along with two friends so we could all wear our stripy knee socks to Maryland Ren. Fest.  Well, my socks were finished in plenty of time for our trip this weekend. Huzzah!

The color pooling was completely unpredictable and it reminded me of something but I wasn't sure what.



Then, last night, as my husband and I went out on a date, I saw the sunset and there were my socks.

Pretty cool, don't you think?

Rhinebeck In Retrospect

My haul from Rhinebeck was small this year since I really don't need more yarn. I was very careful and planned ahead.


I got three skeins of Miss Babs Yowsa Whatta Skein in Black Cherry. I am planning to make Greenaway by Amy Herzog.



My mother bought this kit by Laura Nelkin and asked me to make it for her. I am looking forward to learning beadwork and I think it is funny that mom picked this after picking socks from Laura Nelkin for me to knit her as a barter for purchasing the Blackthorn needles for me.


This is my biggest prize. I caught Ann and Kay walking around and they signed my book.  They were so fun to talk to, even if I did get a little tongue tied and even if I forgot some of the patterns that I had used in the book.  They were impressed that I hauled this book around all day and I didn't feel like I was bothering them much. After all, they were on my bingo card.

Eating Wool

Sunday could not have been a prettier day.

We strolled around and shopped very little at NYSW in Rhinebeck. There was a mini traveling zoo with three young kangaroos and a tortoise.

There was a wonderful artist that was carving some pretty impressive pumpkins. 

 

We bought some maple sugar cotton candy and opened it right away. It was so yummy. We were stopped by a couple of women who had to ask, "Are you eating roving?"  We couldn't stop laughing but later looking at it in the car

It does look like wool.

Rhinebeck on Saturday

On the way to Rhinebeck, we had "the running of the yarn." Mom had a bag of yarn on the back seat. As she took a sharp exit, there was a sign saying "New York Sheep and Wool." The yarn jumped out of the bag and scampered over to the window. I swear!



We took a wet felting class with Nancy Dorian.


Ravelry meet up was a blast. Rhinebeck Bingo was so much fun.  I even met some famous authors.


I shopped and bought some great yarn.

It was a great day.

Pre-Rhinebeck

This weekend, I took friday off work to spend the day (7 hours) driving up to Rhinebeck, New York for a New York Sheep and Wool weekend. Before I left my desk on Thursday, I saw my african violet was blooming (first time in 4 years) and I took it as a good sign.

We also got a call last week that our favorite Manicurist/ Beautician had two spots open on Friday morning, so we got pedicures. I got emerald green sparkly nail polish and mom got a teal green that turns lime in the sunlight. We didn't get outta Virginia till almost 1 pm but our feet look cute.


With Mom driving most of the way,I finished my stripy knee socks.

I'm too sexy for my socks

We got to the hotel around 9:45 pm. We didn't get to bed till 11 pm because we were so excited. I will have Saturday to share tonight but first I am going to take a nap and get dinner.

Choose your seat wisely

Random quote of the day:
The world is full of cactus but you don't have to sit on it. -Proverb

As a side note: Webster's Dictionary says the plural of cactus can be cacti, cactuses or cactus.

Because I know you were all concerned as I was about the proper use of the word.

SVFF Raverly meetup

I think I can safely say that the meet up of Ravelry members at the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival 2011 was a success.  Here is the proof:

Shawl and Swag

My Wish shawl is finished.  I feel rather clever when I wear it. The grey is handspun (not mine, I got it in a local yarn swap) and I am guessing it is wool. The teal is 100% yak yarn from Bijou Bason Ranch.  It has excellent stitch definition.



Below is my haul from SVFF:


From left to right: Furnace Mountian Suri Alpaca Lace Weight (grey yarn in mug); Mug is handmade by Liz and Wendy; black folder is full of info from my class with Mary Gildersleeve; The bulky yellow cotton is 4 skeins of Queensland Pima Fresca; Bulky Blue cotton is 5 skeins of Araucania Nature Cotton; Soap is Sheep's Milk Soap from Row House Farm;
the last couple of Rav buttons from a wonderful meet up; SVFF mug (says "Fiber for Ewe" on the back); two shawl patterns. Not pictured is a calender from Sheep Incognito (I really wanted to take home a $3,000+ painting but settled for the calender) and  a deluxe set of stitch markers from Lizard Toes.

What did you get?

As a side note, I have heard from people who have had problems commenting on the blog.  I have allowed anonymous comments for now.  I am going to check with blogger to see what is going on. Thanks y'all.

We can spot our own

The 4-Bs (Bear, Bell, Bugs and Boo) went out apple picking.  There is a large orchard that has PYO apples plus hay rides and a playground.

Marker-Miller Orchards in Winchester VA

   While picking some Empire apples (my favorite), I spotted her.  She was arguing with her friends about who was the best at picking perfect apples.  She had the cutest pig hat with little pig ears and the hat had a cast on jog (or it could have been a bind off jog.)  It is that last stitch when you join in the round and it can be very difficult to get that stitch to meld in with the others. It was definitely a handknit hat.

   I kept my cool but when my husband started pointing out the 'perfect' apples to help her friend, I mentioned that I like her hat.  She smiled and said she knit it.  I grinned and showed her my handknit socks.  I asked her if she was going to Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival next weekend.  She lit up like I had told her Disney World was coming to town.  She said she didn't know about the fiber festival so I gave her the website info.  She got all excited and said she had a whole bunch of friends who were impressed with her knitting and wanted to learn.  I told her to bring them along.  Converts are good for the knitting world.

It keeps us on our toes in the vendor markets.

Catch me if you can

So here is my Fall Fiber Festival Plan:

September 24-25 Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival

We are doing a Ravelry meet up on Saturday at noon.  I am volunteering at the T-shirt booth Saturday morning and I am taking a class on Sunday afternoon.



October 15-16 New York Sheep and Wool Festival (AKA Rhinebeck)

The only plan so far is a class Saturday morning and I plan to go to the lunch time Ravelry Meet ups. I plan to go both days but since I have a drive home on Sunday, I will likely leave after lunch.

Let me know if you are planning to go to either of these events.  Walk up and say hi if you spot me.  I love to talk to other fiber enthusiasts. 

Never forget

I remember what I was doing. I remember what I was wearing. I remember what I was thinking. I remember crying till the tears flowed in streams down my face.  I remember calling everyone I knew to check on them.  I remember finally turning off the TV because I just couldn't watch anymore.


Pentagon Memorial

Where is my sunny day?

I love a rainy night but this week long rain storm has got me down.  Time for hot tea and warm wool.  What are you doing to chase away the rainy blues?

Brain is on vacation

On this last three day weekend of "summer," we took a drive up to the family farm. We had a great time playing baseball, throwing the frisbee, chasing a toad, looking at deer scat, running around, eating lots of yummy food and climbing on everything. (Yes, I am a mother of two boys, how did you guess?)



At the end of the day, our uncle, the farmer, told us that there were some new baby chicks down in the chicken house.  Would the boys like to see them?  The boys were so excited that I didn't give it a thought.  Sure, we can go down and see the chicks.  We had a great time petting their downy feathers and giggling at their little wings.  We drove home and I got two inches done on my knee socks.  Then we all fell into bed. Great day.

But here is the hitch, I am allergic to chicken feathers.  I have known this since my grandmother had old chicken feather pillows on her guest bed when I was a child.  I have bad reactions to the flu shots because of my chicken allergy.  So, this morning I was all clogged up.  I feel like I have been hit with a two by four in the nose.  I have taken enough allergy and decongestant meds to stop an elephant just so I can breathe.

To see their faces as they talk about being around the chicks makes it all worth it though.

In knitting news, I have three projects and three deadlines.  My Wish shawl needs to be done by Sept 24th for SVFF.  Knee Socks have to be done by Oct 22nd for Maryland Ren Fest. My Oak Cardigan has to be done by the end of the Knitty KAL on Nov 30th.  Then I have a couple of Christmas/ Birthday small items to be done by mid Dec.  I do better with knitting deadlines. Wish me luck!!

End of the season

Vacation is over.


The fair is done.


School has begun.


Somewhere in the middle of  all this, I lost my knitting mojo. When autumn settles in, I should find it around here somwhere. In the mean time, I am trying to remember what I did to pass the time before kntting.