Yarn Along - sweater skirt

Joining with the Yarn Along at Small Things, Thanks for hosting Ginny!

 I am knitting a skirt for Butterfly as a fair challenge. We were given the fuffy yarn there - it is called Tutu by Berroco - and have to use it in something, either knit of crochet that shows it to good advantage and uses most of the two balls! So we will see.

I am crocheting actually two baby blankets using the same pattern (two day blanket) but two completely different yarns.  I ran out of yarn on the other and am waiting for the order to come in.  I find the traditional baby yarn one above to take longer and not look quite a nice.  Both are very soft and washable.

I am reading Thyme of Death by Susan Wittig Albert.  I am most of the way through and thoroughly enjoying it. It is about a lawyer who decided to change her life, slowing down and enjoying it, she now sells herb in a small shop in a small town.  It is a murder mystery as well.  I just happened to notice the puny tittle while walking past the stacks in the library.  So glad I got the second in the series at the same time.  I recently read The Urban Homestead, it was a great inspiration all about starting now and not waiting until you have your farm or the 'perfect' plot of land.  

Though I would include a shot of the finished throw that I was working on last time I join the yarn along.  I hope you projects are going well! ~ Julia

Fair projects

This is what I entered.  The boys did very well and Mouse is now an apprentice on the competition team that Beaver is on.  I had to leave everyone home to bring it all home, next year I am may need a truck... the boys both do train sections and this year a few people did not show up so to run the train we had to bring in our sections from previous years.  Three trips to bring it all there only one to get it home.  The dress is the one I made for the steampunk themed wedding.  Fair is done! time to start preparing for the one I grew up at, the family has been camping at that one since I was two the whole extended family would stop by and my Grandma and her sister would park their trailers and it would be a week long family gathering.  They are both gone now, and the family in that sense has moved further away but Mom & I still do it.  

wheel and treats

just when I feel like me schedule will allow me to begin posting again, my laptop stops working and my husband is too busy to fix it! So computer access these days requires wriggling through a que of four children, who all play nicely and cooperate while using the computer.  Um, yeah I'll read a book or spin like a mad fiend instead.  The upside I have gotten a lot of spinning, reading, crocheting, and knitting done. Downside, I am generally checking my email after the person who sent it has called to ask why I am not answering!

So here are some pictures of what I have been doing.

The first skein.

my favorite seat in the house

Shiny new wheel, now with footprints.

The back is that fun merino that Donna of Ester's place gave me. The front is a roving I bought from Fine Line.

This has tiny pink beads strung on it.

A white my MIL bought me mixed with the leftover wool that came with my wheel.

Finished throw.

Yarn cave. Who would not want a yarn cave?!

Some of the pretties.

Same spot different yarn.

Yes, I do have yarn hanging from everywhere. The white is from the wool I bought at Sheep and Wool, very dirty.  I figured out what I was doing wrong in scouring. I have hard water and should be using detergent not soap.

This the wool the wheel came with, and the first skein.

Pretty roving I picked up at Fiddlehead Yarns.

I hope you have had a creative and productive few weeks! ~ Julia

a long drive home

Beaver took these for me as we drove, finally, home yesterday.  The sunset was more beautiful than it appears but try though we might, we could not get it to come through any better.  This is a common game for us, the one spot on the drive convincing us to get out the camera, with the remaining drive foiling us with trees and hills.  It really is a lovely drive under an amazing sky.

I worked in the field - back at the trade post site - the last two days.  Worked is a bit strong despite blisters and sunburn as the guys I am working with make it all day raze each other and laugh-a-thon.  Have not really found much yet but even given the limited amount of work we want to accomplish it is early days.  We are clearing a 50cm by 2 meter trench currently.  Olive glass, a flake, flow mulberry, and a plastic face (piece of a saint icon) are the notable items so far.

Off to Garfield to dig with their program in the morning.  

Wooly wednesday! a new plan

recently I gave up... not spinning, but my wheel.  It is just too touchy and too poorly constructed (craftsman's wheel.) I came to this realization at Garfield Farm Museum demonstrating spinning and getting from sheep to yarn. I brought my wheel down hoping it would behave, being a realist I also brought my drop spindle.  I have only spun on it this year. I was not proven wrong. The pin came out again. The wheel refused to do anything but look pretty. I did let some kids play at treadling. 

Next to me was a neat lady from  Esther's place fibers she had me try her wheel - a matchless - to say I fell in love would not be putting too fine a point on it. I am going down near her this weekend and hopefully buying a ladybug.

 Not as useful for demonstrating historically but I had to decide if I want to interpret or spin more and it is spinning!  I will have my father and friend try to fix my wheel so I can use it for reenacting but I want to spin, and spin a lot.

 Singles I spun on the drop spindle at the event.  I will ply this and knit it up as example to go with the sheep to sweater talk.

 Single I spun on the matchless while demo-ing and watching her booth for her.  She ran to take lunch and let me with her booth and wheel.  I sold a bit for her so I hope it was worth it.

Some wool she and her daughter dyed, I can't wait to try it out. 

Linking up with the ladies at Wool Wednesday!

Yarn along - I learned to crochet

Joining Ginny at Small Things for the Yarn Along!  A virtual knitting community and book club.

This is my new knitting (and crocheting) basket, I got it at the farmer's market this past weekend.  It is more red and blue than the picture shows, my kitchen makes everything look a bit pink in the morning. I am reading JD Robb's Creation in Death. I have been busting through novels lately (maybe 25 since the end of the term!)

I have been toying with the idea of learning to crochet for a while now with several friends and my sister urging the corruption upon me.  I grabbed a copy of The Happy Hooker (one of the Stitch and Bitch books) and the instructions and diagrams were very helpful.  It is so fast!!!

The Spiral Baby blanket finished off with a crocheted edge! 

 I need to block this as the center sticks up and the ladies at the knitting circle I was at last night pointed out it was a good thing it wasn't pink as it would look just like a nipple then!  The yarn is two different cotton acrylic blends so it should be nice and washable for the new momma!

My first all crochet project. 

I am making this throw - no pattern just double crochet - in colors that match my friend's living room.  As I was busy making dresses I gave her a rain check on wedding gifts, so I making her this and a small quilt. The bottom row is sparkly, I will have to get that in the photo better for next time.

And since you are here which fabric do you think looks nicest with the plaid, I ran out of fabric for the sleeves for a prairie sun dress for Badger. The plaid is the same in all three pictures and the bottom is accidentally dyed in washing and a bit brighter that the photo shows.

Off to see what's in your craft baskets! ~ Julia

a bit of this and that

I am still recovering from pushing my body too far with tilting and other yard work this weekend.  I want desperately to be tilting up the rest and planting everything, but my back has other plans.  So with the idea of trusting my body and listening to it more I am not gardening. 

I am working on two crochet - did I mention I am learning to crochet! you'll see them tomorrow - projects. I started cutting out a prairie dress for Butterfly and Badger but... the fabric for Badger ran out!  grr... and I thought I had enough muslin to line the bodices but the piece I found I could not tell if I pre-washed it or not.  I don't always for quilts and this was a backing end, so in to the machine it went along with material to make another (lighter weight) dress for me.  I am hoping to assembly line the girls' dresses and get mine and a dress shirt finished by next weekend. Badger's dress is green and tan plaid and I am trying to decide if I should make the sleeves out of plain green or a tan background floral.  Both look pretty. 

I made a one jar batch of strawberry jam yesterday as the tiny little berries we got at the farmer's market were looking a bit sad.  I would have gotten 2 jars but while the boys and I were at 4h, Jim and the girls had some of the macerating strawberries as ice cream topping. I had a little that would not fit in the jar on some ice cream myself and it was awesome. I used Marisa of Food in Jars recipe for strawberry vanilla jam, cutting it to fit the amount of strawberries I had. Today, I did nearly the same thing with leftover blueberries and grapes, no vanilla though, and got one and a half jars.

Butterfly dancing to the music.

I think (hope) it was a bug and not a wad of used gum on that rock, being studied so intently by Badger and Mouse.

Farmer's market is right by the river, we had cookies while resting from our shopping adventures.

There is a bird fishing on the opposite shore I promise.

We got Coffee, kettle corn, cookies, tiny strawberries, radishes, raw honey, and a basket made in Ghana by a widow's fair trade co-op. It is my new knitting/crocheting/drop spinning take along basket. You'll see it tomorrow too.

Hope your day is full of fun and projects, I am off to vote and pick up the boys from school. ~ Julia