Yarn along

 Joining Ginny and the Yarn Along today.

I am knitting my Split Back Tank by Allison Griffith. It is coming along, but all this stockenette is a slog. I like the blues colorway and the drape of the fabric and think the white is just heavier enough to make the tank hang really nicely. This is part of the Year of the Garment KAL with Yarngasm.

I am also working on a pair of sock for the box of sox KAL though I doubt I will finish twelve pairs in a year.

I just finished read Yarnitexture by Jillian Moreno and it was awesome. I have lots of ideas and things I want to try now.

I am starting the Handspinning Art & Techniques By Allen Fannin this week. Both are reading towards my Certificate of Excellence in Handspinning.

Happy Knitting! ~Julia

Yarn along ish

Joining Ginny and the ladies of the yarn along.

Two yarns I spun. The green is Targhee wool in pickle relish colorway, the other is the first self-striping yarn I have made.

No knitting. I have worked on Seal's prayer shawl, but despite it being easy, progress is show. My thumbs are hurting quite a lot and I am only able to do about three rows at a time (the rows are only 75 stitches). It is not going away, even with a full break so maybe this is the new normal. sigh.

Reading-wise, I stopped into my local library for a bunch of books you lovely ladies recommended and they had none. Not a single book I was looking for. In a few cases they had other titles by the same author, but mostly I struck out. Plenty of other books around but...

They had a table display to theme mysteries. You know the type a shop owner with other things to do happens across a murder and ends up solving it. I decided to grab a few different authors - people I had not before read but whose characters were interested in something I am. I pick a few duds, some I didn't even bother finishing (I used to view that as terrible but I got over it) and some I really enjoyed.

I have read and recommend for a enjoyable read - this is not heavy stuff in any way - Amanda Lee's Embroidery Mysteries (link) and Carol Ann Martin's Weaving Mysteries (link).

Amanda Lee inspired me for my own business. Want to see what I am working on? Check it out at MoonBound ArtisanShip.

~Julia

Yarn along - a sprinkles the sweater

Joining with Ginny and the Ladies of the Yarn Along today, combining our love of reading and knitting. Check it out and get some creative ideas and book suggestions.

 I started this sweater for Butterfly. This picture is very dull, I am blaming the lack of sunlight. I made the yarn, it is a three ply of hot pink mixed breed wool, teal merino, and chocolate alpaca. It is very soft with a WPI of 10. It is bright and busy. Maybe too busy for me but she loves it. The sweater is based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's percentage system but as I found her sleeve ratios problematic with Badger's sweater I am expecting to have to radically increase the % in the arms. Her key number is 112 and the gauge is 4 stitches to the inch on sevens. My mother in law made the yarn bowl for me.

 My weather blanket continues nicely, do you see that grey stripe, today I have to add another. Grey is 0-4 degrees. I really like the blanket, the weather not so much, but it warmed up enough to snow briefly today. A very lovely, picture book kind of snow.

 The bottom one is a magazine, Where Women Create Business, but it is so sturdy it feels like a book. It is focusing on different women and the businesses they founded. There are some tips and advice but a lot of how they got there, and what their business is about. I am really enjoying it. The other is a Dyeing book, I have only glanced at it so far, but it is very pretty. One of my favorite fiber-y things to do is natural dyeing, and the gathering of the dyestuff, with family.

Inside of the magazine and my nightstand reading. I really like the way she builds her characters, they feel like actual people and she includes lots of local history for whatever area she sets her story in. Dead on the Dance Floor by Heather Graham.

Hope your projects are going well and your book is hard to put down.
~Julia

Yarn along - milk sweater and a distraction

Joining Ginny for the Yarn Along.

I spent all day yesterday working on this. This however, is complicated as, which thing do I mean. The knitting of course! I am reading Northern Lights by Nora Roberts, which is paced very slowly for her. I realized about halfway through that I have seen a movie based on the book, the book is better, and luckily, I can't yet remember the ending. The Backpacking book is the latest one I am reading to gear or perhaps gird up to a hiking trip we are taking in August. I really should start walking to prep rather than just reading! I read Becoming Odyssa earlier in the week and it is very good, it is a retelling of one woman's journey both internally and externally while completing the Appalachian Trail.

Looking forward to seeing what you ladies are working on! ~ Julia

Thoughts on a Thursday

Last week Tuesday Butterfly turned 6, this is her dancing before school that morning.

 It is 7:24, Beaver is at school. Mouse - woke up early to crawl in my bed for extra cuddles - is ready for school and unloading the dishwasher to help me. Butterfly is whining that her socks are too big, her pants are to short, she has to sneak back in her bedroom again, basically that she is awake. Until a moment ago Badger was asleep - the last sneak in woke her up. Jim is asleep. Time to take Butterfly to school.

It is 8:04 I drove a much cheered (amazing what breakfast will do!) Butterfly across town to school, it started to rain.  My wipers were replaced last month and it had not rain until Saturday, when I found out they do not work anymore. I really need to go bug the place that put them on.  Badger helped me load the dishwasher, mostly so she could get toast. She did not like the cinnamon bread I made for breakfast and just wanted plain buttered toast and don't stack it mommy. (side note: she has invented a new swear word - Oh Crazelle Stacks! - terribly cute.) Soon I will be walking Mouse to school, time to find the umbrellas.

It is 8:45 Mouse is at school, the rain stopped for the whole walk. Normally, there are a few other kids maybe a mom walking them but no one else is walking. Today there were 4 people walking for exercise out on this wet dismal day. I am going to read awhile with my coffee and book, and finally have my cinnamon bread for breakfast, then I need to print this pattern for Mouse's sweater. I bought a bunch of German wool from St. Vincent's two months ago and I think it will be enough to make him a nice sweater, I'll do the sleeves last just in case, but you can't say no to 100% wool skeins for 79 cents. I bought all they had. His sweater will be a heathery green. Today is Badger and Mommy do errands and crafting time at out Local Yarn (beading and spinning) shop.

It is 2:12 I got the coffee and mattress cover we needed and some cookies to bring to crafting, Badger picked them out. We got to the shop and De was chatting with M, who I think is pretentious and while she is an instructor there is pushing her own agenda often at the store's expense. I wanted to get two yarns to use for sample socks (reading Toe up 2 at a time socks and she recommends practicing in worsted weight in two different colors once to get the hang of it) knitting needles for the girls, size 7 needles for myself and a 40" cable for the knitpicks system. I also got a new gauge, locking stitch holders and pearl cotton for a Barbie Wedding dress (i picked up a pattern book at the library, thinking I would knit some simple cloths for a Butterfly Christmas present, of course she caught me looking at it while I was on the wedding dress page!)  Normally there are a lot of other ladies but today not so much, so it was a lot of shopping then waiting for them to be done talking about a class they want to offer (I won't be taking it) but I ended up getting involved in the conversation which, along with reading The Knitting Sutra, has changed my plan for Mouse's sweater.  I will be using the stitch pattern - k 3rows, p 1 row - for the sweater but making the body in the round in one piece stitches based on gauge and his measurements rather than slavishly following the pattern. Later, M left and another lady joined us, she was working on a complicated (to my eyes) beaded bracelet. I would like to learn the technique,eventually.

It is 6:59, Homework is mostly done, violin lesson for Butterfly went well, but oh the homework.  Too much to have practice and lesson both before dinner. getting her to finish tonight was difficult. Have to work on getting dinner earlier, Jim seems to be working later and later into the evening... it is nice that he can work from home but he seems to be working 24/7 lately and always seems to be running late on the days that are busiest for the kids and me. I know he likes to do the cooking but I think I need to pick up a few days a week and make something that I can start cooking early in the day and is just ready to go.

It is 8:10, Dinner was yummy, pork roast with a spice rub that was so tasty, baked potatoes and corn &peas. The kids are all in bed, I expect the Badger to keep leaking out of her bed for hours yet. I shall sit and watch some whatever is on while starting Mouse's sweater.

Beaver's last cross country meet of middle school. He is the boy that is further away, I meant to get a better shot but as he got near me he yelled out - "I'm Freezing!" they made him take off his hoodie right before the race. He lives in that thing.

Fair days

 Doll blanket I made from scraps, entered into the fair, got forth place.

Dress I beaded for the Hand stitchery challenge, I did not place, the other ladies work was lovely and mostly embroidery.  I am thinking I went in the wrong direction for the challenge, Butterfly, however loves it! 

 Above is my husband's old beat up ripped t-shirt.  I turned it into this dress for Butterfly and took forth place in the recycling category.

 Close up of the flower.  I followed instructions I found online, I will link if I remember which one I used.

 My family has camped for the whole fair since well before I was born.  Here is Badger & me having breakfast.  I actually was at the fair when I went into labor for her!

My friend with the steampunk wedding entered her dress and won her category.  I really feel like I learned a lot during the judging and look forward to sewing more.

Yarn along - Anthro style

Joining in with Ginny and the Yarn Along, I am looking forward to seeing what everyone is reading and working on.

Teddy and the sweater of doom.  I was helping out at the student organization fair today.  The theme of this event was Ugly Sweater. So I took a broken sweater and added all sorts of yarn about ten different needles and whatever random yarn I could find.  I was hoping it would be a collaborative knit, nope.  I am thinking of keeping it like this for a while.  I also had a presentation of the culture and change in the knitting community and how knitting in public, knit ins, and yarn along are bringing women from all over the word together.  No one really watched it as it was running on the other girls' laptop, but oh well.  I also spun yarn on a drop spindle and that did get attention.  I had a great day. 

I am reading course material and did not get pictures. Maybe for next week.  Lots of Tyler, Spencer and Marx, with museum work reading and some new blogs (to me anyway) on Anthropology.  I knit while reading for hours this weekend and finished:

I am still not sure I like it, in some lights it looks pretty and shimmery and in others it looks a bit sick.  New Baby blanket for next week. 

Yarn Along - Beaver's gloves take two.

Joining Ginny at Small Things in the yarn along again today.  I am looking forward to seeing what everyone is working on and reading.

Could not decide which photo worked best so here are all three.  I finished a scarf in Peruvian wool that I bought nearly 12 years ago - before I could knit.  I never made anything with it, so this year I decided to make up a scarf and it would be a nice Christmas present.  Well it will make at least two.  This one is for my cousin Jessica.  I took this project west with me and the night of Grandma's wake, Jess wanted to open the bottle of wine she brought with her while we played cards.  No corkscrew.  Hotel couldn't help.  Mom suggested pounding a key into the cork with a shoe, which we tried.  Then she said "if you had a knitting needle...."  if I have a knitting needle????  I grab mine, which was a circular size 10 with this scarf on it.  I jammed it in and said "Nonnie (pet name for grandma) we need the wine!"  Pop, wine spurting everywhere, cork inside the bottle, house keys still looped on my sister's hands, knitting needle and scarf in mine.  We had a good time hanging out and I thought Jessica would love to have the scarf.  As I have enough for a second one cousin Sean who was also in on this will get one, and I will have to come up with a small something out of the leftovers for my sister and me.

I re-cast on the gloves which are very late for Beaver's birthday.  They are going well, and the right size this time.  Should have done a gauge the first time.  I did ignore the pattern a bit as the cuff was suppose to be garter stitch and I didn't like it so stockinette it was.  He seems to like them and I think I will have enough to do up a matching hat or scarf, for Christmas.

I am between books right now.  The plaid case is the cover I made for my nook.  Really enjoying much more than I expected.  I have read The Evil Inside by Heather Graham, Dracula by Bram Stoker, The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil Moneil so far.

Yarn along - the start of Beaver's gloves

Having a great love of knitting and reading what could be better than a yarn along with wonderful artisans from all over the world. Nothing.  So head on over to Small Things and check out what Ginny and everyone are working on.

 There they are the much awaited double pointed needles from my local yarn shop - Beading Heart Studios - just when I was about to give up and find any needles from anywhere, they arrived.  I am hoping I will be able to get the fingerless gloves Beaver wants for this birthday (Nov. 1st) done in time but he has been warned it may only be one on-time.  I have never done gloves or worked on dpn for any length of time, a few rows here and there but knitting while holding a porcupine is something I have avoided.  I took these pictures last night then knit for an hour on the gloves - less than an inch - and 3 while gaming, talking and eating on the scarf (below) so it is almost done.

I am reading The Natural Knitter, it is interesting with some information on fibers, history, farming mixed in among the patterns.  I finished American Terrior this week and read Green Knitting which was very interesting with about 6 patterns I wanted to make in it.  When I have time....

 Quickie knit scarf for my cousin's nearly 3 year old daughter for Christmas.  Left over yarn from Cowl below.  This is on 17's and mostly done this morning.

Cowl for Jim's cousin for Christmas, she is 13 and I plan on making one for each of her sisters (different colors) and tucking a matching nail polish in the package.  This was done on the loom and finished in like 4 hours total, it still needs some blocking and tail tucking. 

Yarn along - and on and on and on

I am knitting with Ginny and the other amazing craftswomen of the yarn along hosted at Small Things, I can't wait to see what everyone is working on.

I am working on Butterfly's sweater.  Finishing the made me feel like I was almost done, now it seems like I will never be done.  I think I have about 4 or 5 more inches until I decrease by three stitches then knit another inch.

I broke my no fiction during the term rule because a book put on hold became available.  The sixth book in the Clan of the Cave Bear series came out in the spring.  So I read it.  I read the first one when I was 12.  Long favorite and long awaited.  Should not have bothered.  Her previous book was poorly edited and often she seemed to forget what she had already told us, with long draggy descriptions that she seemed to insert in multiple placed just to lengthen the book.  Literally the same descriptions.  This one was worse.  Only about a hundred pages or so was given to the characters, the other 600 where used to describe every single cave in France, and not in a way that made you see them in your mind.  The only sign of a plot was literally copied from a chapter in book three.  I am left frustrated and irritated.  I would like to say I won't read the next one, but I said that last time, when I was dating the man who is now my husband of 7 years.   So I put a good book in the shot.  The girls love it.

He is working in Texas this week and I am utterly exhausted.  I miss him.

Yarn along - knitting rainbows

Knitting with the ladies of the yarn along - you should check it out and join us.  Ginny at Small Things is our wonderful hostess.

I continue to work on Butterfly's sweater.  Do you see what I have there? A sleeve.  I have one finished and the second started!!!!  I am beginning to worry about the amount of yarn I have left.  I have been listening to audio books while knitting (and doing dishes and sewing and just about any thing else.) the current one is Lost City by Clive Cussler.  Scifi book with heavy good guys bad guys theme but the science is not too far out there and the descriptions of places and time periods are wonderful.  One of my favorite authors.

This is the wool I bought at Sheep & Wool all washed up and drying (hopefully) in the driveway.  (sorry, cream wool on beige sheet does not a great shot make.) I washed it on Monday and really hope it will get dry today.  I think if I start doing this all the time I will need a table that is part solid and part mesh drying rack.

I look forward to seeing what you are working on and reading. - Julia

Hello again and Yarn along.

I have been away awhile, in part due to being busy and in part due to being exhausted and heart-sore.  Garfield Farm Museum Dig, RA-ing the Field School, a trip to Colorado, my cousin's wedding, grandma going from being the healthiest strongest woman I have ever met to being in hospice in slightly longer than a month. I am feeling broken and tired and lost and confused.  I will write about all of these events and try to work out everything they brought into my life, how they where a discovery making me stronger and weaker, less and more, but that is for later. 


Today I am craving normal, so I am doing what I do on Wednesday and joining Ginny at small things.

I am reading everything in sight, part escapism part sanity.  This week has been two Kim Harrison novels, The Good, The Bad and the Undead and Every Which Way but Dead, Linda Howard's Kiss and Tell, Heather Graham's Killing Kelley and Elizabeth Peters' The Curse of the Pharaoh. 

Knitting wise I have been working on the little owl awhile but only a little at a time, suddenly it all came together and I finish this weekend.  It will be for Badger's birthday. About once a month, I host all the crafty types in our circle of friend over to the host, everyone works on whatever they want and we chat, inspire each other and get projects done.  I started in on this little frog for Mouse, he chose the colors, for his birthday.  Butterfly wants a pink pig - must remember to buy pink yarn - and Beaver wants a horse. The pattern book does not have a horse pattern but we both think that changing a few things on the skunk will result in a horse. 

Yarn along - going in too many directions.

Good Morning to all the wonderful crafters at Ginny's  Yarn Along.  I join you today as a work in progress, actually as many works in progress.  I am working on Grandma's Christmas present (you can see why I started it early!) it is kind of boring and because it is three balls at once not a great take with me project, so slowly it is getting bigger.  I like it but it is dull to work on. 

The other project is a market bag I started a year ago and have frogged about 14 times.  It was beyond my skill when I started knitting it and frustrated me because just when I figured it out I would fine the mistake (usually ten or more rows back) that was causing the pattern to not work!  After the last frogging I tucked it away.  I will finish it I've started it too many time not to, and actually the pattern is making a lot more sense, coming so much easier this time.  When it is done it will be mine and I hope to feel pride in it not just have a symbol of my stubbornness.

I am reading In The Dark by Heather Graham and enjoying it but I did not notice when I picked it up in the store yesterday (shopping while irritated with Husband is not good) that it is actually two novellas by different authors.  I have not read anything by the other author so it will be surprise time.  The kids and I are still reading Little House in the Big Woods, it has been hard lately to find time when we are all home and I don't want anyone to miss a chapter.  Mouse and I are still working on Tumtum and Nutmeg which is an amazing book!  For summer reading I have a stack of serious books I want to read and will likely read a ton of novels as I have decided that come fall I am not reading fiction again to help me have more time for family, school, and crafting.  I can read a non-fiction book over the course of a few weeks reading when I have time, but a fiction book sucks me in and I have to stay with the story.  My non-fiction start for the summer is Historical Archaeology - A Comprehensive Guide for Both Amateurs and Professionals to the Techniques and Methods of Excavating Historical Sites. I have used parts for reference in the lab but never read it so here goes. 

The quilt square in the background is a project I am working on for a friend.  Her cousin was hit by a train and lost part of his leg.  He is 10.  She is requesting donations of crafted items which she is auctioning off to raise money for his medical bills.  She is setting up a blog for the auction and I will post the link as soon as it is done. 

Yarn Along - Market bag

Joining in the Yarn Along Ginny started at Small Things.

Actually, if I am being completely honest wanting to join the Yarn Along and the once a month Wooly Wednesdays is what convinced me to finally stop toying with the idea of doing a blog and actually start.  Thanks.

On to the knitting, with the weather starting to get better (fingers crossed) I am longing for the farmer's market to open up, so I started knitting market bags.  I finished one for my Butterfly last week and the pink and yellow one in front is for my Badger, when I get them done I will start in on ones for the boys.  I was not really happy with the way the first one turned out so this one is a bit different.  I am making a larger one as part of my 'craft it forward' projects, which is shown here in the back. 

I am reading Mistress Of The Art Of Death by Ariana Franklin, only 35 pages in but really enjoying it.  It is rich in detail with out making you want to yell 'walk into the building, already!'  The next book in that stack is The Oto by William Whitman written in 1935, which is for a paper I am writing.  The last is Native American Heritage by Merwyn Garbarino and Robert Sasso, it is for a class but is very informative and engaging reading.   

Oh, and that little green birdie head peeking out from behind the stack is an idea I am stealing for my kids and I to do for grandma's and center pieces.  The project is from Julie at Honey and magic.  The girls and I made the gluey paper nest for the little birdies on Monday.

Hope you stitch fast and enjoy what you are reading.  - Julia