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!!

Good Bye 2008

It was a great year, and it was a year of turmoil at the same time. I enjoyed the break from work, and endured the challenges of the new school for Mitch. The world changes in a dramatic, catastrophic way, I am still thankful that we are able to spend the last day of 2008 together and healthy. I hope that the year 2009 will be a better year for all of us.
Happy Knitting and Spinning New Year.

Fingerless Mitts, Fingerless Gloves, Fingerless Mittens

No, I haven't gone insane, if you were wondering. Not yet anyway.

I finally managed to knit a pair of fingerless mitts, and I get to post about it. I'm dying to see if I can attract some Googlers that come to visit our blog as a result of searching "fingerless gloves" or "fingerless mittens." Between the fall and late winter, those who come to see Liz's post that was written nearly two years ago are a half of the hits on our blog. You see, it's like a study on statistics...

So there.

Sorry about the dark pictures. It's just a gloomy day here... The pattern is "Mitt Envy" by Weezalana. I love this pattern! Used Nature's Palette fingering superwash. Probably used about a half of a skein with US 1 DPNs.

As much as I love them, I don't get to keep them... They are going to our beloved neighbor Lia. Yup, I am going to knit a pair for myself before it gets warm!

I've neglected to post, but I've knitted a pair of socks for my mom using the same yarn earlier. They are done and safely arrived in Japan, and she loves them -- phew! It was the first time I've used this yarn, but I was shocked by its rather poor quality. The color is great -- it's the uncreatable "Mystery" colorway. But the yarn was cut in three places, and on top of it there were about six places where the yarn was thin, barely held together by a fiber or two. The second ball I wound up was the same way. I've contacted the owner of the yarn company, and she promptly contacted me, to which I was pleased. She mentioned that she suspects a moths damage (which never occurred to me as the cuts were all clean, perpendicular cuts). I offered to send her the yarn so she could inspect, as she did show an interest, but after that no reply. I have a ball of yarn just sitting here... And yes, she did offer to send me replacements -- very nice of her.

Seed Stitch Ribs from More Sensational Knitted Socks. My mom has tiny feet, so a skein was more than enough to knit this pair.

Ok, here's Mitch's Cowabunga, knitted with my handspun merino. See the post below for the link for the pattern. Another great pattern!

Should have made it larger (or deeper). It'll be way too small next year!

I've spun the camel too. Three-ply with two strands of Camel/Silk 50/50 blend from A Verb for Keeping Warm, and a strand of Mongolian camel I spun at GGFI. Some of the Mongolian camel was re-carded and respun after I practiced long draw with cotton. Fulled and whacked. 12 wpi.

I'm not sure if I LOVE this yarn... I'll see when I knit it. It was quite confusing to me to spin the Silk/Camel blend. Silk is very long, and camel is short. To which fiber do I apply the twist to? I felt like I was doing a core spin, the silk fiber being the core. I love the camel though -- so I decided to treat myself for the camel/merino blend from Herndon Creek Farm. I thought these two fiber might be more akin to each other, and less confusing.




Great quality, great service -- and the red ribbon is a nice touch! Oh, did I mention GREAT price? I highly recommend them. Can't wait to spin it, but now I have to concentrate on casting on and finishing a pair of mittens for Mitch.

I need to take a breath! Boy it's a loaded post. Happy Holidays everyone -- wishing you a great time knitting and spinning, and being with the family.

My Hat Model

My son's Cowabunga hat was going well, until of course I ran out of my handspun yarn just short of finishing it.

When I spun the first batch of merino for this hat, I thought I had messed it up -- I did intend to put more spin and ply twists, but it seemed way too much. So I was expecting the yarn to be tough and harsh on my hands as I knit, but in fact it was one of the nicest of my handspun to knit with. It was bouncy and even, tight but smooth. I'll remember to recreate this again when I spin for socks.

So he models the propeller Cowabunga while I spin more yarn. But so far it fits.

While the wet-finished merino yarn dries, I knit another item for Llama Llama's Homeward Bound Knit-along donation. We needed more kid-sized hats. I think I'd call it a acorn hat.

I love this yarn (Sabrina from Tahki Stacey Charles, needles US 13 and 10) -- it was an odd-ball in my stash, but now it'll be useful somewhere and hopefully loved.

My hat model, a.k.a Mitch, has been working hard on learning reading, writing and numbers at kindergarten (and at home too -- the amount of homework he gets!). He helped me make a grocery list today. I think I'll save this one for myself -- the first one went to his grandma. I just hope that he'll start curving the "J" to the left soon!

Teaser

I forgot about it, but I've signed up on a mailing list for Herndon Creek Farm at the last California Wool and Fiber Festival in Boonville. I bought some Sally Fox organic cotton from them (and drooled over their nice wooden tools).

A very nice letter came from Herndon the other day, announcing their Fiber Special for the month of December -- be still my heart -- baby camel and fine merino blend. Just look at the sample I received in the mail.

What a teaser! And oh so effective. I'm trying to remind myself that I have enough fiber to last me for the next five years, but my voice is getting less convincing. Sometimes, less works better than more.

Procrastinating or Love

I am so in love with this.

Naturally dyed Merino-Bamboo 60/40 from Tactile. Erin got me four hanks for the use of my car (which is not getting much attention lately and sitting lonely on my driveway). I really don't know how I always strike such a good deal with her.

This really is nice to spin. Well-blended, so I don't feel like I'm spinning a chunk of merino here, a chunk of bamboo there. I'm thinking to do a three-ply and knit a sleeveless sweater. Llama Llama Knit now carries their spinning fiber!

I wonder why I've been spinning so much lately -- aside the fact that I do love spinning -- then it dawned on me that it's like avoiding to study for a test. Yeah, what's that word, procrastination? I escape from the pressure of the Christmas knitting and run to the comfort of the wheel. Now back to Mom's socks...

Spinning Bliss

After some practice with cotton and re-spinning the camel I butchered at GGFI (it was my first attempt in long draw), I felt I was ready for the yak down. I had two 2 oz bags from Tactile -- one I got as a door prize at GGFI (thank you, Maia and Brooke!) and another I purchased at California Wool and Fiber Festival.

It was another humbling experience. But after fumbling with the whorl size and skipping the carding process, it started to go much better.

This is before fulling, in a somewhat poor light -- and here's the one after fulling in hot soapy water. Yes, the sun makes it look much happier as well.

It's so soft and downy I can't stop fondling it. I think this might be the softest yarn I've ever spun. Spinning from the clouds of down is also very different from spinning a commercial top. This may get me addicted.

The four day weekend has been very nice and relaxing -- tomorrow I'm going to go take my scarf to Llama Llama Knit. They are hosting a "Knitting for Others" event, and all knitted objects gathered from the knitters will be donated to Homeward Bound of Marin. Llama Llama will also give you 15% discount for the yarn for this project, and there are some raffle prizes for the participants too. The event ends on Dec. 19.

I love this scarf -- very light and soft, and love the color gradation. I hope it will keep the recipient warm. Used two balls of Gedifra, US 10 needles.

Despite the fact that our annoying neighbors have already put up the Christmas lights, I am still in denial that Christmas is just around the corner. I'm so not ready.