DeeAnn

I didn't get an entry together for Fiber_Friday this week but I did get a bit of spinning in.  I moved most of my knitting updates to my new blog http://feelingtangerine.blogspot.com/

Tangerines at Midnight - 140 yards 100 grams hand carded Romney and Blue Faced Leicester

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This weeks fiber_friday  entry.  The topic is Fresh, so I spun Spring Rain. 

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This weeks entry for Fiber Friday:

Sunset at Vesuvius - a beautiful moment

200 yards Rambouilette & Llama worsted weight single - unbelievably soft!

New Years Resolution - Enjoy more moments, stress less

It's not so clear from the photo but the green tweed has flecks of the wine color in it so the combination is a nice blend.  The design is mine, erratic cables and two color mosaic slip stitch.  I'm doing it from 3 balls of yarn in intarsia.  They tangle a bit but I thought it was better than seaming for this project.  The yarn is Queensland Collection Kathmandu Aran, a merino-silk-cashmere blend that is wonderful to work with.  I highly recommend it for next to your skin softness and it's quite resonably priced comparatively.  This is the design I finally settled on for my mother's scarf.  It is simple but the tangling of the skeins makes it a slow knit.  It will be quite warm though!  I am alternating between working on this and my Rosemarkie vest in Shetland.  My hands are thanking me for the gentleness of the merino after working with the tough Shetland for awhile.  I would love to knit a full sweater out of this yarn and tried to get it for Kepler but they didn't have enough in the same dyelot.  Gives me an excuse to use it for another project :)

Happy Birthday boogie_babe !!

Have a fabulous day!!  :)

Rosemarkie, from Alice Starmore's Celtic Collection, is officially on the needles. I have completed the corrugated ribbing and almost one repeat of the pattern stitch. I really like it. For my first fair isle pattern I don't think I could have picked a nicer pattern. It is well written, the instructions are very clear and the design kind of sings in your head. The knitting is very easy to read and so far quite a pleasure to work on. The Jamiesons Shetland is quite rugged and should hold up very well. I received a lot of wonderful advice from folks that claim the puffiness all comes out with blocking so I'm taking their word for it and enjoying the knitting. I love the colors and I'm so happy to be beyond the swatching phase. I think the official cast on date was the 15th and I'm hoping to complete it by my birthday at the beginning of April. Sounds like a plan for now.

I'm also craving a cable cardigan. I love the cable patterns in Starmores designs "Grapevine" and "Fern" but the book Stillwater is one of the out of print ones that is cost prohibitive. A group is starting a knitalong for a beautiful Japanese design but I need to stick with english at this level of my knitting experience. I am trying to avoid chunky cables and find something a little more delicate. I need to find some other designers to research for cables and color work.

My sister, BIL, niece and nephew came in this week from Italy. They are all very excited that they will not be returning to Italy and get to stay for a few months to visit. My nieces have ganged up and decided that they want Aunt D to knit them mittens. They traced the outline of their hands on pieces of paper for me to take home so I know how big to make them. The girls are seven and eight and were quite cute in their conspiring. So I'm off to learn how to make mittens too. Big fun :)

The foot is still weak so I am not playing in the snow or joining the crazy throngs in shopping frenzy. But I did manage to do a fair bit of knitting and I have almost finished Kepler.  Yeah!!

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Yep, that's my foot.  In the air.  Am I showing off my felted slippers again?  No.  I'm just whining.  I'm doggie-sitting for my mom's pooch while she is on a cruise (must be nice you say?  yeah, I said that too)  Said doggie tripped me half way down the stairs and sent me tumbling and my foot, ankle and knee twisting and swelling.  Owwwww!!  So this is now my view, my world seen with my foot at eye level.  No where near as exciting as the Harlot and her socks. 

I can hardly hobble to the facilities and here's the kicker (no pun intended) - you know how bad it hurts cus.......I couldn't even Knit.  That's right, what other benefit could there be to being stuck on the couch for endless hours?  aha!  I can Knit!  That's not so bad then right?  Wrong, it was bad.  Couldn't concentrate, kept getting frustrated and confused and finally I gave up.  A whole day and a half I lay in misery.  This morning is better.  Hallelujah!!!!  It doesn't hurt half as much as long as I don't move.  Which means at least another couple of days on the couch but with knitting included this time.  That makes me feel so much better.  Wow, I was scared there for awhile.

Well, I guess I don't have to worry too much about the 6 inches of snow on the driveway this morning, now do I?! :)

Not the tall dark and handsome kind but the very colorful kind - Fair Isle!!  ( pics & info )

        Yep, that's right.  I finally sat down by the frog pond with Kepler.  I have finished the sleeves.  They went quite well and Kepler and I were having some fun.  Then I cast on and went a merrily a knittin on the cabled hip band.  And just as merrily, I kept making the same mistake with the cable.  The big problem with that being that it was one of those mistakes that are not as obvious and I was doing it consistent so it took a bit for me to catch it.  After I had frogged twice and made the same silly mistake again, I put Kepler aside.  For weeks.  I tried working on 'other stuff' and found I was getting frustrated that I couldn't focus.  Last week I realized it was because I didn't want to be knitting the 'other stuff', I wanted to finish Kepler.  So yesterday me and Kepler had a meet, and I brought the frogs.  I ripped back to a safe spot and spent quite awhile figuring out exactly where that was in the pattern and exactly which way those stitches should be.  And I started forward once more.  I made it through the problem spot twice so I think I'm cured.

    

While I haven't made much progress to report on the Town & Country scarf I do have to say that I *finally* can handle and knit it like yarn.  Ummm, you say, it *is* yarn........yeah but.......merino lace weight just feels like it will snap easily so at first it was kind of like trying to knit it.......without actually touching it.  And yes, it really is the hardest way to knit, not touching the yarn and all.  I got it down now though, you betcha!  Solid on size 4's and tension like a serene sea.  Now the color play and pools are a bit interesting.  Have to see how it all plays out in the end.  I also started a sample size mini-hap shawl for lace practice.  It's the funky hand spun octopus looking thing up there.  Exciting huh!?  I'm practicing the bind off border, never done anything like it and since it's knit in the round, it will be a complete surprise to see how it turns out.  To be honest, I will be impressed with myself if it simply lays flat! :) 

It's here, first snow in true Michigan style!  It was in the sixties all week, warm and windy.  Then the past two days brought the rain storms - really loud and extremely wet thunderstorms.  This brought out the last of my flowers for the season.  That of course was the perfect setup for..........the first snow!!!  Can you see it?  On the leaves and the little purple flowers?  Have you seen your first snow of the season yet?  Yeah?  Where at?  :)

I have a new temporary houseguest, a beautiful greyhound named Leslie in need of some special attention.  (and a new name if you ask me, but hey, one thing at a time)  She seems to have a degree of separation anxiety that I am going to try to help her with for the rescue I work with.  Actually, I am hoping my other two, Lily & Kya will help her the most.  She came in this weekend and was quite stressed poor girl.  Needless to say, this has definitely cut into my project time - half spun spools on the wheel, half done knits everywhere, piles of fabrics in need of cutting and sewing, so many things.  The problem being, most require a degree of concentration, well, not the socks but they have been causing me pain (I needed to knit them on size 0's at 11.5 st/inch why????), but the others.  So the best way to remedy that?  Start another one, right?  Well it seemed like a good idea at the time.........

   So I started that afghan I had talked about earlier.  It's a simple staggered mosiac stitch in alternating stripes.  Just enough changes in each row that it isn't quite the same as miles of stockinette but it's close.  It is also huge.  I chose Paton's Decor, a 25/75 wool/acrylic blend in rich aubergine and sage green which is surprisingly pleasant to touch for acrylic content.  In this case I based my yarn choice on advice from y'all on wool blends, and availability.  While it is knitting just for the sake of making stitches, I do really like it.  The stitch pattern keeps the shape even though it is a high acrylic content.  I *snag* tested it because I am no fool and am fully aware it will get caught on a dog paw at some point and this stitch pattern also held up very well to that - a snag of several inches was easily tugged back into shape, none the worse for the experience.  I really tried to like something more challenging, or complicated, or original, but..........I really just liked it simple.

This weeks fiber_friday theme is "Happy Hour" - Cheers all!!

( Cheers!! )

Nothing like wool drying on the hearth.  Sometimes I just like it in colorful piles of fluff.  Cheerful happy wool before the work starts to card it all.  I was trying to capture some of the colors from my brothers coral reef tank.  I used Corriedale and Targhee for this batch so however the resulting yarn turns out it will be way soft.  The Targhee is lamb and the softest stuff I've ever had.  Hopefully I will have some time to play this weekend and spin up something luscious. 

  Inspiring colors aren't they?   And yes, we call the little clown fish in the bottom left corner "Nemo", not too original I know but he's really cute :) 

 I've been painting at my mom's again all week and every muscle I have hurts today.  When I think I am finally done, I always seem to come up with one more thing that would just be too cool so it's back on the ladder for me.  It is starting to look really nice and she is happy, so this is good.  If we get the painting done this week then I will need to start on the fabrics next week.  Hopefully my uncle will take his time getting the woodwork done and I can have a breather.  What do you think the odds of that would be?

Well, I spent the weekend closing down the lower level and moving the office, the family room & TV, and the craft room into the kitchen, the living room and the dining room.  I had already closed down the upper level so now I only have to heat one floor.  Great timing with the crazy storms we had yesterday - wow was that cold and noisy!  Winds were up to 55 mph.  I was lucky that I didn't lose power here but alot of folks in the area have.  Hopefully they will have it all restored soon for everyone.

On the more creative front, my mom decided she wanted me to knit her a scarf so I introduced her to my LYS.  ( Details and yummy yarn pics )

My Denial Flower.  I am not sure how but she has not stopped blooming for months now and I find it quite inspirational.  Lately she has been a little island of denial that winter really is getting close.  There are many things to enjoy about fall and winter, but I miss the flowers and deep rich jewel tone colors very much.  I thought this photo represented alot actually, for such a simple still life shot.  I also found the shot to be quite amazing in itself and wonder how long it will take me to figure out what combination of innumerable camera settings I used to create it........ :)

Busy busy busy I have been!  On the bright side this has led to much accomplishment in grand obsessive compulsive style with many projects - they just haven't been my own!

Meet my brothers latest obsession:

Coral Reef tank.  It's a 24gal Nano Cube that I've been helping him with.  Mostly my part involves processing hundreds of pictures and providing a plethora of opinions and advice, I love it!  I am working on some spinning that plays with all of these colors.  I am almost as bad as he is and can stare at it for hours.  It is another very meditative outlet and just facinating.

I am also helping my mom remodel her bedroom and bath....... 

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The Michigan Greyhound Connection hosted their annual fall picnic this weekend with Kya and I in attendance.  It was good times and good friends, great fall weather and happy greyhounds.  They had a costume contest that we didn't enter this year due to the cash crunch but everyone did a great job and the dogs were adorable.  They also had a bobbing for hotdogs contest but Kya missed out on that one too - I just got a look like "But Mom, it's WET!".  I tried to explain that her nose was already wet as my varying body parts could attest but she still wasn't buying.  Then came the raffle and we hit the jack pot.  I bought 3 tickets for $3 and Kya won the lovely Candy Corn coat, complete with snood, that just happened to match her scarf perfectly.  I missed out on taking pics at the park but she graciously agreed to model it for you in the living room whilst lounging in front of the fireplace.  She also won a beautiful Winter Holiday collar done in velvet and ribbon that she will model for you later.  I won a beautiful print of a greyhound sketch that I really like that gets to stay in my office.  I will have to show you that one later too since it missed the photo shoot.

    

( Check out my Matching Socks! )

Name 15 random good things. (in no particular order)


1. Puppy kisses
2. The love of friends and family
3. The smell of fall
4. Adventures
5. Books on Tape/CD
6. All natural fibery goodness & some fake stuff too
7. Learning lace knitting with the help of friends
8. Sharing the joy and tears of your friends accomplishments and stumbles
9. The colors of spring
10. Handknit socks! and anything else handknit pretty much
11.  The feel and smell of newborn babes (with clean pants :)
12. Instigating a bit of mischief in the world
13. The beauty of natural gemstones
14. Not taking things too seriously
15. The internet

If you read this, consider yourself tagged.

Thanks hello_mango !  I know IceCream should really be up there somewhere too :)  Ahhh the power of positive thought.....