it's not scratchy

life is back to it's insane state this week, so i was happy to have completed the gator for my honey. it's the alpaca/wool blend that i got all spun up, knit exactly to his specifications.....the real ones! i finished it just in time for the weather change, from the balmy 50 on monday to the brisk 29 today. it fits superbly and will be worn (if he knows what's good for him) daily.

i almost saved it for valentine's day, but i'm hoping that my current spinning project (the lovely lupine) will work for that.

the pattern is the 'dark side cowl' available for free on ravelry. love it.

my merino!

the december meeting of the guild is the holiday fiber exchange. it's simple... bring in 8 ounces of creatively wrapped fiber and you'll be 'gifted' with the same. i was very excited to get 9 ounces of sandy long's fiber. well..... that excitement was destined not to last. sandy immediately told be all the reasons that she had put that particular bump in the exchange. it is a merino/ wool blend that she had left and she didn't really like it. not that is wasn't fine fiber.... (hmmmmm) just not to her liking. seems that merino is not a fiber that speaks to her. i took it in stride and happily took my gift home placing it prominently under the tree until the wheel was empty.









i divided it into 2.3 ounces and spun the singles with alot of twist. i'm not usually a teal person, but looks at how it just accents the color! when they were all on bobbins, i started plying. again i put some twist into it looking for a firm yarn. i had it with me at the last meeting and like a proud momma i'm showing it off to sandy and amythefibergoddess. each of them continued to dash my moment in the sun. like big fat rain clouds i heard 'there's no luster, no sheen' or 'i never liked merino, too dull'
well.









i remained undaunted and was rewarded with this!










stunning.

suri - ho

i'm getting quite adept at spinning/plying that alpaca blend. got 4 ounces done in less that a week. it's soft, lofty and i hope good practice for doing those 'full' singles.

two little balls. one is going to live with cc as a barter for a pashmina scarf that she needed to re-gift after christmas. now i know that usually regifting is just that..... but how could i let cc be without a gift? i could not! the knitting is up to her, but she'll have fabulous yarn to use.

it's amazing how different light give it a different color. this is the second attempt at mine. it was about 2 inches long when the recipient informed me that he didn't mean 'exactly like' the one i did before, he meant 'like the pattern was written, before i suggested that you alter it and then proclaimed that it fit me perfectly'. bitter? me? so now we are rolling along. again.

nothing says happiness...

like hugging a ewe! amythefibergoddess welcomed her three new ewes to the farm. so i made it a point to get over for a visit. the gals are lovely, big..... woolie..... mommies-to be!

ears were scratched, noses snuggled.... these are very affectionate ladies. there even a special sniffing when i was not giving enough love.

subtly tried hinting at which fleece would be the best to acquire :)

since the sun was shining i decided to try to better capture the color of my rare gems.
stunning, and why was it that i didn't get more???

fiber fight

the mail arrived containing this bit of loveliness. mountain colors, targhee top in lupine. i've been hankering to spin this for quite some time. one of the downfalls, ummmm... benefits of being connected to other fiber freaks, ummmm enthusiasts, is that you hear about all sorts of stuff. cool hand painted fiber is some of that stuff. when i took it out of the package, there was a moment of silence, then all those around me felt that they deserved the yarn that this would become. my partner held it up to illustrated the neck warmer that could be crafted. eldest spawn thought that mittens would be fabulous. i just stood there in awe. this is the family that mocks my fiber? that bemoans that fact 'that it's everywhere'? shows disdain when i mention that we all could enjoy a fibery outing? hmmmmm, i'll have to ponder this a bit.

the socks are rockin! i'm zipping along on the foot. can't wait to were these beauties!

french press slippers

When i first saw these, i knew that i too was going to fall quickly down the rabbit hole! i ordered the pattern and knowing that i would be casting on a pair for my cousin. we draw names each year for 'christmas craft' recipients, and i could see these resting on her feet. the eldest child saw what i was doing and needed a pair as well, so i decided to do two. they knit up very quickly, pattern was easy to follow and very complete. the challenge for me was putting them together. it became clear during the felting process that my seeming was not aggressive enough. the pink pair came completely apart and even my attempts at re-attaching were unsuccessful. the good thing was the crafted pair survived. i used cascade 220 in deep purple. the pictures show two colors, but they are the same slippers. i was able to find buttons from my mom's button box, so that made these extra special. as you can see, the recipient put them on her feet immediately (they fit!!) and wore them the rest of the visit.

so now, i'm required to replace the pair for eldest child. hopefully i've got the kinks out!

rare gems

it seems that i didn't fall hard enough at the blue moon sale.

these arrived on my doorstep yesterday and they are stunning! earth is the top colorway and it has all my favorite shades.... chestnut, mahogany, shale pink.... very soft and lovely. air is a thunderstorm! the sky is the color of a fresh bruise... purple, magenta, gun metal....vibrant and striking. my only remorse is that i didn't acquire the other colorways.... i was having a frugal moment (bad, bad girl)

what fun i will have with these.

finishing

last year, i fell in love with kits! everything together that you need, complete with absolutely no thinking required! i have had lots of success with projects from morehouse merinos. i did the gator scarf, and several hat/scarf combos from her book. so when i saw this wormy apple scarf i knew that i must do it and for whom it would be done. my niece is an elementary school (early grades) teacher. she loves themes. she live literally in an apple orchard. need i say more?
so i cast this critter on, eons ago. when i turned the calendar, it seems that her birthday is fast approaching. funny how they come every 365 days and i'm still surprised.

it was done except for the head. i finished it last night and stitched on the eyes in the light of day today. how sweet is this?

i may just need to order another kit! i'm contemplating the gator bag.hmmmmmm.

success

whenever you start down the gift giving path, you run risk of injury. it can be bruised feelings, sore hands, head explosions..... the list is endless. this year i was truly limiting myself so that i could avoid any chance of incurring such wrath.

didn't work.i had inquired about crafting a neckwarmer for cc's honey. he is the toughest dude to gift, but i struck platinum last year with his ear-flap hat and wanted to repeat my success. 'no' was cc's reply, 'he just doesn't want one'. so we went with plan b- itunes and wine.

last week, cc tells me that several comments were made about the neckwarmers that she was knitting and that 'dan wants one'. of course i can't just knit one, i have to make the yarn first. duh! spun that fiber, cast on the dark-side cowl and done. turn around = 4 days.best part? he really seems to like it! worst part? i now have request for more.