Completion

I did it, I actually did it, I completed a sweater! First one in....well, around 15 years, and it fit the intended recipient! Behold DD in her new Wonderful Wallaby.

Specs:
Pattern: The Wonderful Wallaby, by Cottage Creations
Yarn: Cascade Sierra and Cascade Bollicine held together as one
Needles: Size 7 US for body, size 5 for ribbing
Size: Warren Wallaby - 8 year old
Time: February 06 until 9/28/2006. I put it down because I knit one of the sleeves too big, but resurrected it when we drove to Wisconsin Sheep & Wool festival and I worked on it faithfully until then.

More Wallabys are in my future for sure. This was a nice easy pattern to make and I think it turned out great, obviously, she has some room to grow in it, but at least it will fit her for a year or 2...AND she voluntarily wore it to school today! My heart swells with pride.

Warm Hands

Hurray for Warm Hands. Last year, I knit some ...oh, what were they called, mittens with the little tufts of wool in them, made my hands look more like linebacker hands than they normally do...oh, fulled mittens, in purple with white fulls. This summer I found some Malabrigo in my almost signature, lime green and then I wandered into the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool festival.... but it wasn't my fault, my friend Lori said, "If you find anything interesting, get some for me, I prefer earth tones", what was I to do when I saw more Malabrigo. Hers (which I of course didn't take a picture of) was creamy and tanny and brownie all in that pleasing Malabrigo way and I bought for myself....Good friend that I am, I offered it to Lori as well. What will I do with it? Why more mittens of course.

My Morning Ritual

This is my morning ritual, the tea pot is from my Grandmother, she wasn't a big tea drinker, but she did collect pots. I USE them. The mug is a Christmas present from my son. He went Christmas shopping with his scout troup and this is what he chose all by himself for me. It made me cry then and still warms my heart. I bought a 2nd one just in case the first one gets broken...

On the knitting front, I am to the hood (read boring back and forth) on DD's Wonderful Wallaby and I can't wait to show pics. It is a tad big, but at least it isn't too small. She looks adorable in it, but I doubt she will wear it until she grows into it a little bit. Unlike her momma, she likes the form fitting stuff.

When it is done...what to do, what to do. I am contemplating more charity knitting, finishing Birch that was cast aside a year ago due to a mysterious error that I can no longer find, there is the Warm Hands knit-a-long and the (*@#&$*(@&$(#*@& opal socks to finish..or burn in a pile in the driveway...
Have a good day all, I'm late for the grind...

Black Bunny Fiber has ARRIVED....

In a fit of joining, I also have joined, (or attempted to join) the Black Bunny Hop, http://blackbunnyhop.blogspot.com/2006/09/black-bunny-is-wild-animal.html it isn't hard, you just need to knit with the ellusive Black Bunny fiber of some sort and blog about it...I stalked Carol's etsy shop for a while and then called Rosies Yarn Cellar http://www.rosiesyarncellar.com/ for the low down on what was there. Blindly I ordered 2 skeins of DK weight (225 yds per) in the colorway named Grape Juice.

I don't know where the color came from, but it is the varigated denim-ish yarn that I have been searching for. I plan to make Susan Pierce Lawrence's Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl http://http://ma2ut.blogspot.com/2006/09/forest-canopy-shoulder-shawl.html at any rate, joined or not joined, I'm going to cast on for this as soon as I can get the project from hell off my needles.

You see about a year ago when I was expecting my 3rd child, I started a pair of socks from Opal Rodeo, I love the colors, and I'm sure it will bloom, but that yarn is like knitting with SEWING THREAD (just my opinion). To add insult to injury, I am doing them 2 socks on 2 circs, I think I will never live long enough to finish these socks. I have taken them off the 2 circs and am now racing them one against the other (1 magic loop, 1 on dpns) and I am thinking it is time for the heel, this is my first attempt at Wendy's generic heel pattern. Wish me luck ...

Knitters Tea Swap 2

Well, I've gone and done it now... joined the KTS2. I missed it last time, and I am afraid of making a commitment that I have trouble fulfilling, but darn it, I'm going to join this time...no more lurking for me, no mam/sir....

So without further adieu...My Stash

Well, Blogger doesn't want to cooperate right now with that oh wait there it is.... Suffice it to say, I have a small stash, I drink hot tea every morning, usually P.G. Tips or TyPhoo, although I bought a new one that was on clearance (box was dented - Lyons) that I haven't tried yet. Last night I had a cuppo (or rather a potto) Valentine tea from Adiago teas, luscious, is all I can say, to me it tastes like a wonder pipe tobacco (dry) smells...love.it. and tat got me going on the chocolate tea...took that to work for a pick-me up.

So there it is, I'm eagerly awaiting my swap partner and then I'll re-review the rules to make sure I do it right. Thanks for looking.

Wisconsin Sheep & Wool

Greetings!
I don't know if anyone will ever read this, but this is my first post. Reading blogs for over a year now, I decided to "unlurk" and start my own Blog.

This weekend, I dragged the DH and kidlets to Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival in Jefferson, WI http://www.wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com. About a 2 hour trip. Left about 8:30am, remembered to pack extra clothes, and etc for all but ME!

Fortunately, once at the festival, I spied a woman in a rather smashing sweatshirt advertising the festival. She directed me to the vendor and I secured the last item in my size for her. Good for DH as the alpaca sweaters were $175 and up...

I won't try and fool anyone, I could have cared less about the sheep and pelts and roving and locks of dirty fleeces, I was there for the VENDORS... cased the joint, making my wish list with the kids. When the kids got tired of the vendors, had some lunch at the conveniently located lunch stand (shredded lamb sandwich $4, lamb hot dog in natural casing $1.50, and BEER, yes, Beer sold by the Jefferson Lions Club. What a hoot, never see that in IL) we checked out a shearing demo, the arms on that man...oh, wait, I digress...I said to MG, isn't that cool the way he just peels the wool off of that sheep. She said, "But won't the sheep be cold". I thought that was cute and assured her that the sheep grows fleece very fast and it would be fine.

Shortly after that, DH returned (he went to look at a tractor about 35 miles away) and took on the task of entertaining the kiddies and I hit the vendors pocketbook in hand.

I'd have to say that I was focused and restrained. Recently, I've been trying to be on a finishing tear and I focused on the things I can't get locally. I bought a book for MG (Knitting Nell, http://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Nell-Julie-Jersild-Roth/dp/0618540334/sr=8-1/qid=1157943566/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-0067682-3875011?ie=UTF8&s=books, which is a cute book, 1 skein of Sea Silk in a pinky orange color, as I can't find it anywhere here, 3 skeins of DK alpaca in cream for a Swallowtail shawl, 2 skeins of Malabrigo (one is for my friend Lori) and 4 skeins of Softie from Kimmet Croft Fibers http://www.fairyhare.com for the Stora Dimun Shawl from Folk Shawls. Now, I just have to get knitting.

I didn't see as many knitterly sightings as I would expect to see at say, Stitches, but there was a woman wearing a shawl much similar to the Stora Dimun Shawl that insipred me to get the yarn from Kimmet Croft. I saw a couple of intarsia bags.

Since I mentioned shawls. How do y'all choose what color to knit shawls and it is only me that seems to always pick a color that I have nothing to wear with?