finally done

so that sweater that i started knitting from my handspun..... many, many months ago? it is finally finished. i had started the project, had an issue with the colors (caused by my careless spinning), had sandy make me more fiber, spun that up, knit the sleeves and there is sat. i put it together with the intention to wear it to the fiber fest, but that didn't work out. i finally blocked it and today i put the buttons on. i love it! i was anxious that there was still too much color variation, but i was assured by my harshest critics (that would be my family) that it is a winner!

i may just need to pack this baby to wear at rhinebeck.
so that left me without a huge project hanging over my head which meant i immediately cast one on. i decided that i was going to actually enter the second part of the handspinners basket category at the ffest. so the linden wrap is on the needles.

i'm excited to see how this works up. the pattern is interesting enough to keep my interest and it has elements of entralac, so we'll see how this goes.

fiber festival - day 2

i had such a blast yesterday! the very best part was catching up with old friends! i chatted with several fiber folks that i haven't seen in years, and it was just like we had spoken the day before. fiber folks.... the best.
i made time to visit the skein & garment display where my prize winning items were. woohoo!
my entry for handspinners basket won first prize and i received the award for best handspinners basket.

this was the first fiber i had ever purchased from sandy long. shades of greens, beautifully prepared, i could hardly wait to get it home to spin it. in 2008. took me until this spring to get it onto my wheel. i saw a wrap that i loved and then re-discovered this fiber. my goal is to get it onto the needles soon (not in three more years)
i had also gone rummaging in the closet for one of those many hats i made last winter. i found one, steamed it and entered it. so when those winter winds blow, someone will be wearing a prize winning garment to shovel the drive!

as always the weekend passed much to quickly and i didn't get to see nearly enough. i'm already excited for next year.

fiber festival - day 1

i finished the bazillion stitched 'miami wrap' for amythefibergoddess. it is amazingly beautiful! i know i sounded like a real grump as i slogged along on it, but it really wasn't that challenging and the final product is lovely.

today was the first day of the annual fingerlakes fiber festival. i went out to the grounds yesterday to set our guild display up. we had over forty folks participate in the exchange and almost all lent their garment to the display. the festival goers get their chance to vote on their favorite pair. it's always fun to see what ones tickle the fancy of our attendees.
with the departure of our current chairpersons, i decided to get myself more involved in the actual 'hands-on' work. i really felt that i should know what these dedicated gals do each and every year to make this festival so awesome. armed with a walkie-talkie and a vente dark-roast i started off the day with our leader. i answered questions, scolded drivers, filled in for no-show volunteers, and generally tried to be as useful as i could be. my nose is sun burnt and my body is tired, so i hope i met my goal.

there were lots of folks having a fibery good time! tomorrow the fun continues.....

short rows

if ever you see that phrase in your knitting adventures, don't be fooled! it does not mean that the rows are short, it means that row you are working on is getting longer and will end in a shorter row that what you started with when you cast on a bazillion stitches!
it is all garter stitch and great for knitting, but i've got to tell you it is a long row....

this picture does show the subtle variation in the wool.... it is lovely. i'm super happy with the yarn, amy has another winner on her hands!
yesterday as i prepared to say good-bye to summer, i realized that i needed to get that fleece (purchased in may at msw) washed. i had wanted to wash and dye the locks, then hand card it. unfortunately i ran out of time in my life. it washed up beautifully and i had only a handful that was full of vegie material. i'm going to card that separately to see if i can get it out.

the very best part of having a hot tub is that it is a perfect place to dry wool. nice and warm on the underside, up off the ground and far away from sniffing doggies! i was really surprised at the color variety i have going on here. there is silver, brown, very dark brown and grey. it is bagged and to the garage for storage.
i found some cool knitting notions while out and about. i needed to use that 50% coupon at joanns and came home with these....

triangle stitch markers in xs-s-m. i had several coupons and traveled with shoppers. they are made by clover and are the same hard plastic as others, but i love the shape. i may need to cast on another large project, with lots of lace panels to try them out with :)

today found me doing my annual 'spin at the fair' day. the new york state fair is fortunate to have a wool room, which is a small free-standing building across from the sheep barns, that houses all the things done with fiber. spinners spin, knitters knit, weavers weave.... well  you get the just. volunteers come in daily for 4 hour shifts to demonstrate the art. today was my day! it's now becoming a tradition that the family tags along and has fun fair-going while i'm engaged, then we meet up and play for the rest of the day.

i was seated with three gals that i recognised from last year, and away we went. near the end of my shift, a dear man stood and watched the process tirelessly. he was so interested in the mechanics of the process, and picked up fine details that i struggled to explain. talk about being challenged! my fellow spinners jumped into the discussion and soon we were turning wheels around, taking bobbins off, and having a fine time with explaining all the gadgetry!

i was soon off to get my 25 cent milk (i can put away milk!) and then the $1 baked potato. i know it sounds like i'm beyond frugal, but they are my favorite fair items and worth every penny. i looked at baskets (passed them by, i'll wait until rhinebeck) and found another summer dress. (if i tell that i got it for $15, i'll really look like a cheap-skate :)

we made it to the sand sculpture. words are inadequate to express the simplicity and beauty of the tribute to the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

on to the next

i'm happy to say that my sample knitting for nistock farms yarn is complete! the mittens were steamed, blocked, labeled and sent to robin. my goal was to have them done before i started back to my 'real job' and i made it with a few hours to spare. the mittens were so much fun, well the entire project was just too much fun, but with the cool nights, i'm thinking that i need to work on more of those hand-coverings. i still don't own a set of mitts. remember the hat issue from last year? well, mitt for me will soon be in order.

my other sample knitting is for amythefibergoddess. she loves me, i know she does. why else would she chose a pattern with a bazillion stitches and a jazillion rows to have ready for the festival in two weeks, if she didn't think i needed it? actually, after i got through the first round of lace, i'm starting to have fun. i even took it with me to work to settle my nerves :)

it is the miami beach shawl pattern in her kettle dyed worsted weight yarn. i'm knitting it a size us9 needles, so it is really cooking along. i have a suspicion that it is going to be huge when i block it, but she will surely find a wonderful way to drape it in her booth. the family thought i looked reptilian as i had it out for a photo shoot. again, can you tell they love me?

gifts given

several years ago, when i was but a new, green knitter, i fell into the felted clog hole. i crafted these by the dozens (not an exaggeration) and many, many in my family have wooly love on their feet. one of the first that i did was for my niece. a sweet little gal with a summer birthday, i made them with grow room in her favorite colors. she wore them and wore them until she grew right out. her family would often joke that her slippers were the family favorite. by family favorite, i mean critter favorite. it seems that the family labradopes would search out these slippers for biters.if you have never loved a labrador, they are retrievers. nothing is better than carrying around a 'dead duck' in your mouth. since these are family pets, 'dead duck' aka: a biter, is usually a mitten, slipper or same sized object that they carry about.
i stopped to visit today and upon getting out of the car came across this....










the first beloved slipper. it seems that when i was told it was the family favorite, they really meant it. the dogs lug it around, the cat carries it about and here it is decorating the driveway.
it's a good thing she already got her replacement slippers or i would have thought twice! :)