Stitches West 2009 - Market Day ONE

HPIM0684, originally uploaded by legolizzy.

I don't even know where to how to begin! We have an AMAZING time at Stitches West 2009. It was EVERYTHING and MORE!!

Within the first hour of shopping, I went to Creatively Dyed's booth and went crazy at her $3 table! Here is the cache from that one visit.

It was just the beginning.. I will post more.. much, much more!!

Rainy Day at the Ocean

So what do you do on Day 3 of a Stormy Presidents Day Weekend? How about go out to the Ocean? Doran Park, Bodega Bay, one of my most favorite places in the world! Yes, that is exactly what we did. We packed up the girls and the dogs and headed out.



We had a GREAT time! Just was we arrived, it rained like crazy.. I had the girls hide under the blankets to try and stay dry. The dogs didn't care, they enjoyed the rain.

The rest of our time was wonderful, the rain cleared out the people, so we had the beach to ourselves. We saw a beautiful rainbow and had fun in the sand.




Just as we arrived home, it started to hail! See our lawn.. amazing!

Baby News!

I have the best NEWS! Asa and Ashley are expecting a baby!! I could not be more excited....


Clearly this has inspired me.. as I cast on Friday night and just now finished a baby hat! The pattern is super cute and very simple...



I used Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino purchased at Balls & Skeins in Sebastopol. The pattern is Sweet Pea by Chris de Longpre www.knittingatknoon.com also purchased at Balls & Skeins.



I am going to cast on the Sacque just as soon as I finish this post. There is nothing like the news of a new baby on it's way to inspire baby knitting! Oh.. what fun!!!

Tamami- Where are you and all your lovely homespun?

Hi Friend, I will speak for the world, WE MISS YOU! Your lovely homespun, the fiber you are preparing to spin.. and of course your beautiful finished objects.

Please post! Share .... Missing you! Liz

Another Ann Norling #54 Spiral Rib Hat by Song Palmese

I made this one Ann Norling #54 Spiral Rib Hat by Song Palmese using a very lovely with Mirasol Yarn Miski- off white... probably the softest fiber on earth! The hat is sooooo pretty I want to keep it for myself.. but I this one is slated for Ashley.

As you may notice, I made a mistake part way on the hat which gave it a different look.. a longer faux cable look, I think it is pretty anyway! The hat took about 1 1/2 skein - so I have a little left over which I will use when I create my next miski project.

I was thinking I should make fingerless mitts, but I think the yarn is too soft and might end up piling, so maybe a scarf or cowl. Of course that would require another trip to Balls & Skeins for more, right? Of course, I could just shop at Lizzy's Stash... where I have a lovely light purple Miski just waiting to become something lovely.

I really recommend the Ann Norling pattern, easy to knit up and easy to make variations, intentional or not.

Hats, Hats, Hats.. Can't get enough! ;-)Liz

Turtleneck Shrug Scarf - FINISHED!

Remember this post back in Feb 2007?

http://designatedknitters.blogspot.com/2007/02/turtleneck-shrug-scarf.html

Well, guess what folks.... my longest standing unfinished project is
D-O-N-E! DONE! Yes, it is TRUE.. the Turtleneck Shrug Scarf is FINISHED...

Perfect, it is not. And really, when would a person ever really wear one? As I tried it on, I think.. humm.. I should make a tank top of the same yarn to go with it... nah! I think I just might chalk it up to a lesson learned. Sometimes knitted items just don't turn out as expected.. that doesn't mean we need to keep it, or try and make it better.

Here are some up close photos... no distant photos because again, it really doesn't make sense...




Maybe if I wore it as a scarf? Nope, don't that that works either... now I am contemplating ripping it and reusing the yarn.. except that it doesn't rip well because the fibers are too fluffy... It might just end up as a puppet... or I am thinking about felting it, it might work better for Nicole... I will let you know what I end up doing.. in the meanwhile, FO folks FO! ;-)Liz

Hats for Da'Boys - Christmas in February?

Okay, so I had this bright idea that I would knit hats for Da'Boys. Four boys. Aren't they handsome boys? YES! They are!


If you will remember, I already posted about the pattern. The Boy Hat in a post a few weeks ago called -Mad Hatter

Well, I have made great progress. I have completed 3 of the four hats.. and the last one I am just about at the decrease. Oh and about those decreases, I am getting pretty good at my SSK, if I don't say so myself! So it looks like we will have Christmas in February this year!

I used Cascade Heathers for two of the four hats and Cascade 220 for one (Balls & Skeins). LOVED IT! I believe the pattern and this fiber is a perfect match!

I also used a Hemp Wool for one of the hats - the black one in the middle (Stitches West 2008, Hemp for Knitting). I really loved the feel of the fiber and enjoyed knitting that one up. If I was to do it again, I would use a smaller needle to have a tighter looking fabric. I used an 8 and really I think a 7 or maybe even a 6 would have been great. The pattern has enough give that I would probably not need to increase the cast on or if I did not by much. If you have never knitted with Hemp or Hemp Wool, I VERY much recommend it. I think once you do, you will forever be in love with the fiber! Without a doubt, I will be visiting the Hemp booth at Stitches West 2009!


And now for something totally unrelated... Nicole got a hold of Sean's motorcycle helmet the other night... I think she just might have a little "hat" fetish too?



Whatcha look'n at Mamma? The funny thing is the helmet was so heavy she had a hard time walking around with her head up straight, yet, she didn't want to take it off. Our little biker girl!Got me to thinking that I just might need to find a helmet hat pattern... oh my! More hats? Makes me want to jump up and down from the joy! Off to Ravelry in search of a new pattern or three! You can check out my pattern queue anytime.. See you online! ;-)Liz

Cure for a Hang Over?

Needless to say, I woke up this morning with a raging hang over! Wine and I do not mix! So, I started my morning slowly, got my hair cut & colored.. best haircut and color I have had in years and years.. that made me happy.. despite my upset tummy and pounding head - oh yes, and the parking ticket for an expired meter!

So, what is a girl to do? How about visit her Local Yarn Shop? Yep! Just a few doors down from my new hairdresser is the LYS Castaway (castawayyarn.com) - visiting was a must!

The shop is lovely! Open, bright and full of wonderful fibers. The selection is amazing and the feeling of the shop the same. I left with a little bag of cheer - also known as blue sky alpacas Organic Cotton - 2 skeins in hot hot hot pink (color 617) and two in an off white (color 80). The shop owner had them right at the front of the shop, I was taken the second my eyes spotted them.



I also left with a class schedule .. I think it would do me good to take a class or drop in on Knit night.

Tonight I checked for ideas of what to knit up with my new stash item, and found wonderful FO's, seems this is a pretty popular fiber! I must have great taste! ;-) I am thinking of knitting up a hat using the Cloche du Bois pattern on Ravelry. You know how much I love hats and a crochet flower, I am head over heals!

So, to summarize... best cure for a hang over? Visit your LYS and pick up the prettiest fiber you can find, then cruise Ravelry and pick out the perfect pattern! Yep. That's my story and I am sticking to it...

Oh.. and sorry Erin for the drunk dialing! You were a good sport.. and sorry for inviting you to all these crazy groups on Rav... I was in the zone! - oh yeah, and had WAY too much WINE! I shouldn't be left home alone! ;-)

Taking comfort in Ravelry & Happy Thoughts of Stitches 2009!

Here I am... up to my ears in my "to do list". To do.. everything... and I am overwhelmed and feel like a complete failure at all of it.. so where am I on a Friday night with a glass of wine? .. cruising Ravelry.com .... adding patterns... adding myself to new groups... finding comfort in the companionship of Ravelry.com!

What does that mean really? I guess if it was lunch time, I would take a trip to my LYS for a quick fix... or do a little online shopping at work.. but instead.. I find a sort of comfort and companionship in looking at the various groups.. and the recently posted finished objects (FO's), recently posted stash... it somehow makes me feel better.. I feel connected.. to fellow knitters, yarn enthusiest... to my friends...

It is a place of safety and comfort.. and enjoyment.. I love thinking about the pretty things that others have created.. that maybe someday I can create... it is just such a wonderful place to be...

THANK YOU RAVELRY.COM for giving me somewhere to be on an evening when I feel unsure and overwhelmed!

Meanwhile... I am in the middle of finsihing my last Christmas gift.. yet another Boyfriend Hat.. this time in Cascade Heathers - Green.. it is quite lovely actually.. I even made a mistake somehow along the way.. but it looks great anyway! So I decided to not rip.. but just keep going.. I mean, really do we need to rip every mistake? Can't it be part of the process.. and look good anyway.. you know what? In this case it does.. so I am moving foreward...

Happy Thoughts...

Here is a pic of Erin and I from Stiches West 2008 last year.. we were wet from the rain but happy from the day at the market... when I see us, it makes me happy and for tonight.. that is exactly what I need.. a good thing.. wouldn't you say?
I can't wait for Stitches 2009! Classes, market, girlfriend time... yarn, bags, tools, new friends.. again, it is a time away from our real life.. a place where we can share in our special passion for yarn, knitting, and everything fiber related.... counting the days..

HAPPY THOUGHTS TO ALL!!!

Being Quiet

Funny thing. I haven't felt much like talking. Lucky for me Liz fills in the blog for me.

Work has been stressful, and I've been plagued by this vague feeling of not doing things right. Both at work and home. That's not very comforting. Maybe this is the reason for my inward grunting.

One thing that's going well Celtic Cable Neckwarmer with my handspun camel.

This is an instant gratification project, as far as any cable projects go. This goes to my mom, if I can part with it.

What I should do is to spin. It does me good, always.

Mad Hatter!

I am MAD for hats these days.. I can't seem to get enough of them. I seek out and find hat patterns, find yarn that would make the perfect hat.. and yes, as strange as it sounds.. actually cast on and knit hats!

I have a new pattern I am MAD for.. a very simple yet, may I say, PERFECT hat pattern. The pattern knits up very quickly and the finish project looks great. Here is a link to the blog.. it is a free pattern. I found it on Ravelry (of course!)

http://limulusknits.blogspot.com/2007/11/boy-hat.html

So far I have knit it using some Cascade Heathered yarn, in a Camo brown/green color. And I did another in a Black Hemp/Wool mix (I just have to weave in the ends - I will post again because there are some noteworthy comments about the use of this lovely yarn and the pattern).

Let's talk about my finished project. I used Cascade 220 Heathers - brown. It is sort of a CAMO look, brown but hints of green along the way. I think it turned out GREAT!

The only issue I really had wit this has was on the decreases. You can't really see the problems from the pictures - so the good news is no one else will notice them .. aside from me! I will try not to get too picky when I see him wearing it! I am doing something wrong with my SSK - so my thought is I will watch a video on knittinghelp.com and keep making hats until I have a perfect SSK!

I say, if you want to make a great hat for a boy or a man or heck even for yourself - do it trying this pattern!

Happy Hat & Fingerless Mittens

Have you ever picked a yarn that well... just made you feel happy when you saw it, touched it? Yet, it isn't really something you would expect to invoke such emotions? This is how I felt about this lovely little lime green - The Alpaca Yarn Co., Snuggle, #6878 Pucker AKA HAPPY GREEN, GREEN, GREEN! It doesn't make sense, I know. And I didn't just buy 1 skein, no, I bought like 4! On two different trips to my LYS Balls & Skeins in Sebastopol.



It was just one of those things. Then also unlike me, I cast on straight away, that very night. I asked my 7 year old daughter if she liked the yarn and she said she LOVED IT! Well, that was all it took. That yarn never even hit my stash. I found the perfect pattern, my new favorite hat pattern because I can use whatever yarn I happen to have in hand - paired with whatever size needles and wah-la.. I have a recipe for a great looking, pretty hat! The pattern is from Ann Norling #54 Spiral Rib Hat by Song Palmese and again I love it!



Now, all of you who know me, I take a very very long time to complete a project. I only have 1 project going at a time and it takes me a while to complete. Well, I even surprised myself on this one.. I was finished in two days! So quickly that I wasn't finished with the yarn, so I quickly cast on matching fingerless mittens. I took the pattern repeat and with my best guess I cast on and created the mitts. I think they turned out GREAT! Nicole wanted LONG fingerless mittens.. so I just kept knitting until they met her liking. You know I liked them too! I finished the pair in two evenings, they knitted up so quickly. I then decided to crochet a flower for the hat and crochet a finishing on the mittens.

I still have more Snuggle left in my stash, I am thinking about casting on for me! This was the perfect project because I learned that when I am inspired, I really can create and finish a project with ease. So, the project is finding the right project and the right yarn AND to be inspired! Of course, it doesn't hurt when I find myself working with the softest and happiest yarn ever.. and knitting something for my daughter who is so happy to show off to her friends at school.

I will be posting more FO's, as I have had great success with another hat pattern that I must share! Meanwhile, I wish you HAPPY YARN as part of your every day! ;-)Liz

WELCOME 2009! STASH NITE

So what better to do to celebrate a new, wonderful and very hope filled New Year? Cataloging One's Stash on Ravelry! Yes, indeed!

Yesterday Erin and her wonderful boys came over for a visit. Well, before we knew it we were deep in the bowels of my stash.. tubbies and tubbies of stash! I even dug deep into the closet in the back room where one does not go without an escort.




There was too much... it was overwhelming.. but Erin - The Braveheart! She said we could do it.. she said she had all night. Little did she realize it would take ALL NIGHT! Yes, she left just before Midnight - with the majority of the stash cataloged on Ravelry. I have 1 tubbie left to put in - all Cascade which should be easy enough for me to handle.

In the end, I have 25 miles of yarn - four space bags full - and 1 tubbie left to enter. It was an AMAZING experience - and I feel GREAT when I look at my stash online. I feel inspired to knit from my very own Local Yarn Shop... Lizzy's Stash! ;-)

I did do the right thing, and nominated some of my stash for Goodwill, after all, we all make mistakes when buying yarn time and again. I even have 4 skeins on the sell/trade list - it was a "what was I thinking" purchase.

The evening was so much fun.. reminiscing over the yarn purchases - Stitches West 2007, Stitches 2008, Knitterly, Balls & Skeins, Cast Away, Gifts, Game Wins.. all of it was so much fun. And you know what I discovered, I have EXCELLENT taste in yarn! I love it all.. I could see my color themes over time.. Heathered wool, Blue Malabrigo, Yellow/Green.. Pink, Pink, Pink. It was really a visit down memory lane. And now what do I have to show for it?

I can go to my stash anytime and see all the lovely yarn. I know how much I have.. I can search for patterns and inspiration.. I don't have to wonder, or be afraid to dig deep in a closet, where I might feel compelled to clean. It is a WONDERFUL, HOPE FILLED NEW YEAR!!




Thank you Erin for all your help. I would not have done it without you.. and now I owe you big time!!