ta da.....

the pillow! finished just in time for the return of the exchange. i am happy to report that my project was completed early in the week. i say this because several were finished that morning :)
how about a close up....

The owner is dear, sweet karen. it was truly through happenstance that i got her bag of fiber. i wait until the end of the exchange to take mine. i don't really care whose fiber i get, they are all awesome! my only complaint was that this was not my color. it became painful to spin, and knowing i then had to knit it..... argh! then pattern choice became a challenge, and one that i brought on myself. i asked by dear partner to offer an opinion about my first pattern choice. rejected. second choice..... rejected. this continued until i finally found this. i wanted to do lots of cables, but this intricate celtic knot was just the ticket.
what else? the crazy weather has the strawberries ready sooner than usual.

we got forced out of the patch on our first picking because of lightening. the rain was bad enough, but that certainly hurried us along. this was the second picking. we've had about 15 quarts of berries so far. i may go out one more time. they are just so good!
i started spinning some fiber from 'fiber optics' in march. not really sure why i bought it, and really not sure why i spun it. the fiber is sw merino and bamboo. spun nicely but the color was painfully pastel. i kept going and can't say that i love the final skein, but it's done!

don't be fooled by this photo.... it is really pastel. bland. blah. i'm telling you.
i've got the 30th anniversary colorway 'wine country' on the electric wheel. my sister was here for a visit, so while we were chatting, i was spinning!

i wanted to have a plan for this..... and i may still get some inspiration. this is going to be part of the display at the fingerlakes fiber festival, and i think that i'd like it to be...... well, don't know. many folks plied with thread (and they look awesome), and i'd like it to really be.......well, i don't know. i'll just keep spinning and see what inspiration strikes me.
i also finished the last 'sweet peach' that i've had on my needles. just got to say that this is such a fun knit. it travels well, doesn't need much thought or memory on the part of the knitter, and this time i added beads.

the yarn is left-over malabrigo from last summer. i had just enough and even added the medusa edging.
so now i have nothing on my needles. well, i do have that blasted seaside rumpus, but i don't want to knit that (or even really talk about it). there's a baby shower coming up in august, i've started thinking about holiday gifts, and i should knit another sweater.
maybe i'll just pick more strawberries!

not much knitting

that i can show! i'm slogging along on the pillow project.... and it's a really good thing i got an extra month. we decided to post-pone the return for the exchange until june because there were several conflicts with the may guild meeting. what you may ask? this was one.....

amythefibergoddess was at the Brockport graduation and i was at the FLCC event. i took an easy knitting project and got a few rows done. wrapping up all those end of semester projects, planning a party, getting everything ready, just ate up all my fiber time. i'm itching to play with my new stuff from maryland, but i must. knit. pillow. i have absolutely no idea why this is dragging for me. i'm about halfway done. really.
i've been busy with other fiber things. kathy and i visited the hemlock fairgrounds to check out the new building...

it is massive! we needed to see it all in person to have a better perspective on the the placement of our vendors, demonstrators and guests. we can only hope for a day like this one for the festival!
i also committed to doing the 'color run'. it's billed as a fun 5k (which was hard to contemplate). i've been training since april to be ready to go.

as we were pre-registering the thermometer said 52, and it felt like 32! i said that jokingly to amy, not really thinking that it would be that cold the next day. it was.

i had so many layers on i didn't think i could move, let alone run. the sun was wonderful, the gals were full of energy and we got pumped! i took one layer off.

yes, that's amythefibergoddess, marvelous marcia and the gals. we had a blast!

best time ever! it's on my list of do-overs.

and i'm still knitting the pillow.....

MWSF ~ weekend wrapup

the whole group of fiber gals made the trek to maryland for the sheep and wool fest!  last year, amythefibergoddess had family commitments that kept her home so it was just like 'normal' to be all back together again. the weather was stellar! clear skies, warm breezes and after the winter we endured..... heaven.

i brought my wheel to ply project yarn that we are creating together for this year's pillow exchange. amy did a single, i did a single and voila... together they are lovely. it was her first time playing with the hansen, and you can guess who we visited the next day.
so we started early and i had everyone in the car on the rode in great time. until we were about a mile from the fairgrounds and the traffic stopped. we inched along and arrived a bit later than we planned.

my selfie skills are hampered by my short arms, but hey... what a group! you can feel the energy starting as soon as you open the car door. we decided to make our way to the largest building because it gets crazy crowded. we were distracted on our mission by this rascal....

i'm guessing there was trouble from that treat!

several new vendors make it hard to stay the course. i really appreciate seeing new folks, new ideas and products. this gal had stunning, vibrant colors in all her yarns and roving.

i fell for another basket. this may become my summer purse or wheel basket, not sure which but i had to have it. in the bag is the beginning of my pilgrimage to feederbrook farm. it started with 4 ounces of bfl roving in a random mix of subtle, lovely colors and 4 ounces with sparkle. i went back later and got another 8 ounces of plain. briar rose was there. at rhinebeck i never can get into her booth and really explore. i had the same problem here when i fell in love with the sample scarf. i was blind to anything else. i of course there was a skein that whispered my name and i was on my way before i realized that i still didn't explore her stuff. rhinebeck, for sure.
one of the best parts of the trip is converging in the lobby to chat, drink wine and catch up. there was quite a group of us and though we see each other at meetings, there never seems to be enough time to talk. this weekend is all about that.

sunday the traffic was way better and i got myself to feederbrook farm to get another 4 ounces of roving. i'm regretting just a tad that i didn't get more... so i'll have to make the most of those 16 oz.
this year i felt that i saw every booth, touched lots of sheep and sucked every moment of fun that there was.

i'm all ready for next year!

it could be spring

the sun was out... the temperatures made it to 70.... the screens doors went on. i hope it's really spring. i moved all of my winter clothes out of the closet and summer clothes in. i didn't get too crazy and kept several fleeces handy.... and the snow shovels out! i don't want to jinx it. we still have several snow piles in the yard, but i'm sure they will be gone soon.
i've been on a tear to get the winter projects done to be able to put some happy on my wheel and needles.

this is 100 gms of 'wool of the andes' roving from knitpicks. the color is a stunning deep, forest green known as aurora heather. i was really digging it in december, but not so much now. i finished it up on friday and it had the privilege of being the first skein dried outdoors this year.

i finished the baby skein of merino for the sheep study. this was too die for lovely. i hand combed each lock (with some help from the kids and their friend) i may just see how much yardage i have with this and make a little something lovely.

this is a sneak peak at a birthday gift. my sister doesn't read my posts, so i can share the story. i knit her a tam many years ago for christmas. she loved that hat. her kids loved that hat. and now somewhere, someone else is loving that hat. she wore it to a recital and realized that she left it in her seat. several phone calls ensued and no hat was ever recovered. she felt just awful and took quite a while before she told me. every so often she mentions how bad she still feels about losing it because it was her favorite hat. i couldn't replicate exactly, but i'm coming close. her birthday is friday, so i'm cutting it close. i have confidence i'll make it!

where did march go???

i did not realize how tired my spirit was until i walked the dog in the sunshine today. the birds were chirping, the air was sweet with the smell of wet earth ... the blasted snow was melting. as i hate the season of mud, i welcome its arrival this year. the spring flags went up, the forsythia wreath is on the front door, i washed the windows.... bring it on spring!
so when last i blogged, i had just finished another sweet peach (the name still stinks) and decided that it was going to grace someones neck. didn't know who, but this was going to be my 'random act of knitting kindness'. here comes the story: every year (since 1994) the gals in my family do a 'girls weekend', this year traveling to western massachusetts. it's a nice mid-way point for all and we rent a house, then shop, eat, chat... have fun. five of us traveled from here with my house being the starting point. the ladies came in for a final potty-stop before leaving. my niece walked to the chair where the wrap was waiting, fondled it and commented on the softness, color and loveliness. so, on her neck it went. it matched her brand new spring coat perfectly and she wore it all weekend.

i took my wheel with a bit of color on it....

for me the best part of spinning in a group is not having to count, keep track of a pattern, forget where i am.... i can just relax.
i washed and spun fabulous merino for the sheep study..

we went to a class where the winemaker served wine from bottles that looked like this..

it was delicious so several came home with me. i'll have to discover some way to preserve these....

i got some swatching done ..... and kept working on the next peach....

i just can't stop. i've got another project waiting to go on the needles, the slippers to finish so i may take a break (but really? who am i kidding... i'll definitely be starting another)

In like a lion

March arrived. I keep looking at the calendar, then out my window and just can't seem to see spring. The wintery weather finally took a toll on us. my dishwasher ( about 10 years young) started making a grinding noise. i checked the filters, washed dishes by hand for several days, then called the repair dude. he's the nicest fellow, and while we were waiting for his tools to thaw (it was a balmy 0 the morning he came) we chatted about,,,, what else... the weather. he's been seeing lots of damage, some beyond repair, so i was thrilled when we were able to rescue my appliance. it seems that the drainage hose was coiled ( as it should be ) around the side of the machine and with length of these super frigid days it froze.... seriously froze. thankfully, i stopped using it when i did so no damage was done.

i cast on another 'sweet peach'. this needs a better name.... there are no peaches in sight and i get such odd looks when i tell someone that's what i'm knitting. if i do another (and we know i will) i must find an alias for it.
so last week as we were sitting in the kitchen, the youngest child asks me why the light is dripping.

it getting to the point where my dear sweet partner is letting my calls go to voice mail :) yes, the snow and ice were so packed on the roof that we had an indoor rain. friday i had three lads on the roof with power saws, shovels and brooms. thankfully the rain stopped and the notion of painting the kitchen just got moved up on the summer project list.

i finished the scarf, completed a large spinning project (it's top secret) and was just freaking out wondering what to cast on next when fate stepped in.
we had a friend for a sleep over last night and she was looking at all the fiber stuff. we flicked locks, did some needle felting and she told us how she always wanted a pair of felted slippers.....

wish granted! i haven't made a pair of these is forever. i found the pattern, dug out the yarn and got started. it's amazing that muscle memory works for knitting too. my hands and brain just seemed to fall back into the rhythm of these.

more finishing

as i headed outside into the cold (it was a whopping 2) i realized that there was one more finished item to share. my moebius scarf.
it's not often that what i imagine actually turns into a wearable item. i mean, it seems like it would work in my brain, the math looks good, but the end product? not so much.
this didn't disappoint. i am continuing my love affair with lion brand's amazing. soft, pretty, cheap great price point.....it hits all the notes. this had no pattern, just a guess-ta-mit for number of stitches, a brief feather and fan pattern, and viola......

warmth. it looks like a lot of fabric around the neck, but it is truly comfortable under a coat and does a great job keeping the back of my neck warm.