Post 21

I just realized it's been over a month since my last post, and only 20 for the whole year. (Getting close to the 200 total posts!) It's been a busy crazy year - mostly fun and a lot of trying to get stuff squeezed in (like sleep?). I do have some things done...

I finally finished the slippers for my husband (I still need to take a final picture of them with the leather bottoms on)



I also worked up a shower gift. I love this hat. Curly had helped to make one like it for the Little Tomato and it fit forever since the rolled brim kept getting rolled less and less, in fact his just now doesn't fit. I hope this one will fit the new baby for a long time.


I just realized that I never took a picture of a earband and cowl that I made for Lily - so pics and details of them next time.

We took a break on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and went to see some things we've missed this past year...






We've never been to this farm before, although I have seen them at some different fiber events. It was a fun drive and very relaxing (especially as we drove by the mall and saw the nasty full parking lot and traffic) and of course, the whole family enjoyed seeing the animals and the yarn and fiber for sale.

I've also been working on Christmas presents that I won't post about until after Christmas. ...and knitting, and cooking, and cleaning, and decorating, and schooling, and baking, and sleeping, and holding the baby, and being social, and shopping, and reading, and such. Enjoy!

The Zipper is In!

I finished sewing in the zipper, so my orange bag is now DONE! It's so funny how such a little thing delays completion for such a long time.

I'm still working on the nightcap. I am now down to 20 stitches per section.... and every three rows I drop another stitch per section. Decrease row, knit plain row, purl a row... 19 more times and a tassel and then I'm done. ...then I can work more on the slippers and stripy socks and new projects!

Current (and Finished) Projects

I finished something...


Curly chose this yarn back many months ago. She wanted to make something with it, and I suggested a bag. It turned out to be too fuzzy for her to help with, so I did it while she did things for me. I just did a rectangle and then did a 3 stitch I-cord, picking up a stitch through both layers every other I-cord row (and then psso the last of the 3 stitches with the one I picked up). I did one side, then cut and put it on a small holder, did the other side and then kept going until the yarn was almost gone and then grafted the two I-cords together. That way I used up the yarn completely and got the handle as long as I could.


...and I am still working on the nightcap from the most recent knitty.




It will end up being big, but fit perhaps? My husband will have to try it one night and then we'll decide if we need to add some light elastic, or machine sew a bit to make it narrower, or just leave it alone. He's trying to talk me in to making a second one with less stitches around.... we'll see. We'll definitely have enough yarn, it's just up to my list and priorities.


...and I've got a pair of socks started (well, one sock started)

This is going to be a pair for my husband (I didn't knit for him all year, so suddenly all my projects are for him) and he wants them a bit tall, so I'll just get both feet done and then keep going.


I am still spinning the alpaca (one skein done, 3 or so to go). I had to bring my yarn down this weekend to regroup (plastic bags were taking over one corner of my room). I still have one rubbermaid container of yarn and one of fiber (and then a big webs bag of lopi - skeins and scraps). I ended up keeping yarn out for two new projects.... which will start as soon as I finish the night cap! ..well, at least one of the two will!

Made for me (with love)

Made by my husband for me...


A pair of socks (I do the sewn bind off for him) - it's a wonderful lace pattern made with yarn that is sock and squishy and has elastic in it.





A hat (one of the ysolda patterns - I now have two).


Isn't it pretty?





A shawl from the latest knitty - called Versatility.



It is just missing buttons then I can wear it ummm... four or five different ways :) It's pretty cool, you should click the link and check it out!

He's still working on a sock for me (first sock), and has cast on another shawl... which we won't curse by talking about it.

Details of all projects will be added to his ravelry page (some time) or you can ask him!

Lots of Fiber and FO (but not at Rhinebeck)

We didn't go to Rhinebeck (or even the MA sheep and wool) this year. We are planning to go nect year (as a planned event rather than a spontaneous event). I have plenty to spin and knit between now and then (plus, so many beautiful ones online!) So yeah, next year!

Recently (about a month ago) I got some boxes in the mail....


Last year at Web's tent sale I purchased some alpaca fiber that came from a local (Westfield,Ma) alpaca. Before the Little Tomato was born I sent it off to a local (Connecticut) mill to process it. It came back to me washed and turned into roving.

Lots of roving. (umm, 6 lbs?) I have now started spinning it finally. The first project attempted with it is slippers for my husband. I'm hoping to spin and get those done sometime during November.


I also started using some of the yarn I had spun up during the Tour de Fleece. I made this Brea Bag. I then had to purchase a strap for it at Creative Fibers and, since I didn't like the single button closure, I am in the midst of sewing a zipper in. Of course, I've been in the midst for about two weeks now...

I will finish sometime soon, but other things keep coming up, like...

My daughters do ice skating lessons once a week and needed new mittens since last year's mittens didn't fit so well anymore (as we found out the first week)



Lily now wants a matching headband and cowl, but those haven't been done yet.


After the bag and Curly's mittens, this is how much wool I had left:



I also finally finished my monkeys. They were fun to do, but I remembered why I usually love and make toe-up socks.



I finished them on a Monday morning and then immediately put them on and brought the girls to one of their groups, and then left them on all day.




Of course, as I left for their group I grabbed a bag of yarn, four different sizes of needles, and a pattern book. Monday morning until Thursday morning:




...and all day Thursday (for the baby shower Thursday night)



...so I made sure to sign the card from the whole family, as everyone really picked up the slack so I could knit, pretty much all the time.


I'm now almost up to date. Just one more post that shows all my current projects... like the nightcap from Knitty

Two and a Half Months Ago (Tour de Fleece)

The Tour de Fleece Wrap-up (kindof)

I started with this yarn

c*eye*ber fiber
FireSky (100% BFL)
8.7 ounces (246 g)
1423 feet (474.33 yards)
(DK to worsted weight)
I have already used this in projects (pictures next time perhaps) and it is gone!

Second, I did this yarn

Stony Mountain Fibers
Red (Merino/Tencel Top 70/30)
4.25 ounces (120 g)
1043 feet (347.66 yards)
(DK weight)


Then I made this:


Turn into this:

Stony Mountain Fibers
Sage/Daffodil (Merino I believe)
8.1 ounces (229 g)
436 feet (145 yards)
(Bulky or Chunky, whatever)

I wasn't trying for any particular weight, just trying to make it softer and bouncier. I finally did a kind of long draw (I'm usually a short draw kind of girl) and I really like how it came out. I've made one thing with this yarn, but there is still something planned and yarn left!


And finally, at the end of July, I did this:

Stony Mountain Fibers, not measured yet! (still in hank) It is very pretty black with different colors shinning through, it's just don't photograph well.


So from the 4th of July until the 26th I believe, with the support of my family, and very little knitting getting done, I spun these:




...and haven't spun since, but that will be changing very soon!

...they never get dirty

I've been deadline knitting for the past month...



...reports on my other knitting (before four black socks) and since, soon!

In the mean time...

I have many photos to share, but since they aren't on the computer already I know I will just delay if I wait for them, so I will post without for now.

Last week was vacation, which was a blast. We spent time at the local museums, had fun eating out as a family, went to a library summer skating party, enjoyed ice cream (and ran into another family we know), spent time looking at flowers, and a bit of time underground (the boat ride was the kids' favorite part!) and had an actual adult (no kids!) meal for our anniversary thanks to some grandparents. We also went to an aquarium which we plan to go back to over the next year... We went bowling one day, and drove up to the Bridge of Flowers and saw the Potholes and glass blowing (at North River Glass - no website?) on a different day. We continued driving north and showed the girls that there is a Springfield, Vermont also (happened to run into a group of missionaries that day at Subway - as we were almost done eating the older elder came over and asked us if we were members of our church - so we were spotted). I also finally got the letter for homeschooling (officially) in the mail so we should hopefully get approved and be set to go this next year (Kindergarten is not required in this state, so this is the first year I had to officially seek approval, as Lily is 6 now)

Then we spent the rest of the weekend sleeping, knitting, and watching Dr Who (we just finished season 3 of the newest version). It was sad to go back to laundry, cooking, schoolwork, and chores today....

I did knit during vacation, and like I said, I have pictures, which will have to wait for another day, as the Little Tomato is waking up again. Thank you so much for the comments and emails, I have been really bad about replying to them, but I do SO enjoy them!

Finishing and Starting

So along with trying to get my ravelry and sidebar up to date (not all my projects, just since the last time I brought them up to date), I figured I'd update here also.

I had some people over yesterday (monday) that helped with the kids and socialized with me. While they were here I managed to get some crafty stuff done.

I finished these socks:



...and kept working on these ones.



I worked on this spinning (and finished plying it today, drying now, nice photo when it's done hopefully)


...and I plan to start this one next.


I'm planning to try to make a thicker yarn and I'm toying with the idea of alternating the two colors (both are 100% Merino). They are sage and daffodil, the green isn't quite right in the picture though... We'll see what I do when I start it.

So that means I have kept up with the Tour de Fleece so far, spinning a bit every day, and so far have finished two seperate yarns (yardage and wpi info still to come for both of them)


I have also been doing the Hundred Push-up Challenge. I've been doing this every M/W/F and I was supposed to start week 5 this week. Instead of that, I figured I would do week four again, but this time do the middle column (I've been doing first column so far every week). And then next week I'll do week 4 again but do the right most column instead, and then start week 5 the following week, following the same pattern, so for the last three weeks (4, 5, and 6) I'll do them each three consecutive weeks, working through the columns. Make sense? So that means that yesterday I did 90 pushups over the course of about 15 minutes.

Starting to Catch up!

Since last we spoke....

I have been tending the kids, discovering the wonderful smell of line dried clothing (not everything, I'm not crazy, just a couple batches here and there to ease up on the electric bill while we have our window ACs on), enjoying the strawberry jam we made, researching some genealogy (some certificates from England!!), tending the garden (so many green tomatoes!), and alternating between watching instant netflix at night, and sleeping through (well, 5 hours is almost through the night, right?) and...


I have been spinning! Finally! Tour de fleece was the push I needed, and although I didn't sign up I did take it as an unofficial challenge. I started on July 4th (as my husband had the day off and I had a few minutes to start!) I have been spinning things out of my stash, and spinning a bit every day (well, one day I spent finishing the yarn, but still spinning related). So I finished this:




I received that for Christmas from Lily and sweet husband. The color is somewhere between those pictures. It took about a week between start time and when the finished yarn was dry. I haven't measure the length yet, but it was slightly more than 8 ounces, and it sure looks like a lot there now :) It is called Firesky (BFL) and is dyed by Mama-E bought through Creative Fibers
.

I am still working on my pair of socks...



...and I started a pair for my sweet husband.



I even pulled out another roving (purchased last year at rhinebeck) and have it half spun now.


I've even been sewing! I've so far made 2 small cloth bags,
(one for me)


(and one for Lily)


a wrap skirt and peasant blouse for Curly,


and we're planning an outfit for Lily.

This has been thanks to my younger sister coming over the past 2 days and spending her time holding Tomato-boy and playing with the girls.


And finally, I have pictures of the wrap I finished. This is something I started just days before going in to the hospital. I worked on it a bit there, and then a bit whenever I got the chance over the past weeks. I've had it finished for about a month now, I haven't blocked it and don't think I will. I'm planning to use it in the fall, during the time buildings transition between AC and heating.





It's a very simple pattern, two different rows on the front (really the same, just offset), and purl across the back. It's fittingly called the Stolen Moments Wrap! I really enjoyed making it and will probably do it again sometime when I have pretty yarn to show off.

Alive and Well

I realized the other day that I really do want to keep blogging, I just keep finding "better" uses of my time. So, instead of waiting for pictures to come off the camera, or for hours of quiet (or even a few minutes) I thought I'd write up a quick post while my girls are doing science and the boy is stretching on the floor.

I finished my shawl/stole recently. Umm... some day last week, so it only took me about 12 weeks (as I started it right before the little tomato was born and worked on it a bit in the hospital). That's right, he's now 12 weeks, and will be officially three months monday-ish. I still haven't blocked the thing, and I might not, but I will take some pictures sometime and put them up here.

I also finished one of my socks that I started after he was born. It only took me about 5 weeks to do one sock, so far the second one is taking me longer, but that's okay, at least I'm knitting again. I hope, sometime this weekend or next week to spin for the first time since his birth also.

This week we went strawberry picking (with the help of my mom and sister) and then spent a day and half making jam. The girls were so excited, and I was able to mostly work around little tomato's naps (with a little help of daddy holding him). It felt really good to do those things and to taste the fresh berries and the super fresh jam. (We opened one jar right away and I ate some that night - the same day we had picked the berries).

I'm also about to start a pair of socks for the sweet husband - he's questioning whether he wants toe socks, monkey socks, or a combination - but first comes swatching... maybe during the next nap :)

Busy busy busy

I got my birthday swap package. (Thank you Eileen!) My package to her can be seen here.

(not pictured here, two chocolate bars that were fairly quickly eaten)


Spring is coming... or maybe even here these days.



I am still knitting a little bit.

This is some mohair I got from a Swap (from Sue) and I found an easy stole/shawl pattern and worked a couple of rows and then brought it with me to the hospital. I actually did work on it some there (when someone else was holding the new one, or when I just needed to do something yarny or go nuts - new babies sleep a lot, me? not so much while in the hospital)


Other than that I've been



Just



...a little...



busy!

(pictures at 3 days, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks respectively, yes that is the baby surprise jacket I made for him. I normally don't post pictures of the kids for their current and future safety and privacy, there will be an exception for a few more months of baby pics I think before he'll go undercover. We're thinking about a blog-name for him. ...leaning towards 'Tomato' due to the glint of his hair - any better ideas?)