Knit Picks Yarns

here's some of my yarns from knit picks I just received an order from them yesterday. I just finished knitting up swatches which I've used the wool of Andes $1.79 skeins different colors and my swatches I did was with needle sizes 6-10.5 all of which I was happy with. It was very soft at first but after knitting it up I thought maybe a bit itchy for the very sensitive person next to there skin but would be a great outer garment such as a cardigan.. Would be wonderful for cables and other designs as well. If your not so sensitive to slightly itchy then it'd be perfect for you. I didn't see it being as dying as some other wools like Reynolds and such. Much softer then them I think. I also spin my own yarn and am pretty spoiled so for other knitters I thought it'd be great! I'm going to enjoy the yarns I received form them for sure. The alpacas & silks were indeed at great prices and my thoughts were all positive on them. I don't think you can go wrong with them at all. The sock yarns are also great! Although I 'll knit socks from anything with out a problem no matter the weight or type of fiber, even with toothpicks!....LOL

Handspun White Merino

a bobbin of white merino that I just finished spinning and navajo plying. OH soooo soft! I only have 4 skiens plied I really want to spin more before starting a project with it.. Like 15-20 first then I'll start my project! Oh I can't wait, now to find more time to spin!!

Catching up!

Catching up I guess. I've been ill and the kids,too. We've been having problems with our heat! Thursday the oil company final came by and replaced some parts since our boiler wasn't even running for a couple days or so, actually hasn't been running properly all month! Now we have heat again no more running the electric room heaters! YAHOO!! The oil company should've come sooner for our yearly maintenance though! Now we've have colds, I spent the past couple days in bed and couldn't get up for nothing! Actually I don't think I had a cold but maybe some reaction to something, I don't seem to have any cold symptoms today?! Much better today, I can sit up and and not have to entire room spin on me.....;o)) So I thought I'd catch up a little on spinning a little and knitting a little on different projects I have going on.....

I'm still trying to o figure out my new camera and my photos have been crappy I know, bare with me, I'll get this thing to work eventually! LOL I think I figured out the focus thing I wasn't using it properly, I've looked over the book a couple times already... WOW!! The pics I did post were the good ones out of the 100 or so I 've tried taken with the camera and after editing them... One of these days, I guess it takes some getting used to a new camera.......I'll have to keep practicing I'll post them when I get a little better, I have some skeins I'd like to get a pic though....

I was at a yarn shop a few days ago, yes again!! ;o) Anyway there was a woman in her 90s and she told us that you have knitting projects in the works you can not die!! So of course I bought more yarn and started another sweater for my son, A curly raglan sweater in periwinkle.
I'll post it in progress as soon as I can get a decent pic!

Enough chatter, my wheel is calling me as well as my needles....

My Kitty knits!

Oh can't forget I was trying to get my little 9 y/o kitty 'Cookie' to help me knit since she loves my yarn!! LOL I think my kitty knits for me when I'm sleeping or I must knit in my sleep because I don't know where I find all this time for all my projects I have going on.....;o)))

4 Hour Sweater

I started this Saturday night, a four hour sweater for my Katie she picked the yarn out Saturday. I used Sirdar Kool Kidz Chunky...Even did a small swatch and allowed 2 extra stitches on each side but it's still a tad tight on her. Will have to give it away and make another one. I bought 3 100g skeins thinking I'd need at least two but only used a little more then one so back to the paper and calculator again!!!I haven't decided if I should put buttons on it yet or not but it's all done except for buttons if I decide to use them.
Well back to more knitting this afternoon, maybe a little of this project and that one. I don't know but I'll be working on something anyway..... Maybe a little spinning in-between

Blaze on Knitty in the works

This is suppose to be Blaze from Knitty...working in the round, nice simple pattern minimal finishing & seamless, but definitely time consuming. I'm using Cleckheaton Tencel Wool, made in Australia, It's a pretty green with beautiful sheen. I've been bound and determined to make something with this yarn and I continue to pull them apart and start over so I hope this will stay, although I'm not sure just yet about it???????

Berroco Tropical Mix

the back of a summer sweater I've been working on the decreases. Using Berroco Sprite & Tribeca to make Nicholette from the tropical mix brochure. Actually has worked up quickly. I need to find 3 buttons to match.... Decisions, decisions, decisions!

Snowing again!

Well yet another Monday, and snowing! What a great way to start off school vacation week with the kids home.. Little one's coming down with a cold. Oldest went for a sleep over last night so I have to go out in this stuff! We're having about 4-7" this time. At least all the other snow is gone. Only took about 3 weeks to melt away....lol
I think I'll try to get s little spinning done and lots of knitting today. My plan anyway, doesn't always turn out that way.
I think I'll buy a new camera while I'm out today and take some photos of some projects I'm working on....

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tonight was out monthly guild meeting. It was small but I learned a lot, one that I've been using my wheel wrong...LOL Who knew?? I polish my wheel all the time with sweet orange EO and I do oils all the moving parts never knew I should tighten all the screws and legs..... I thought it was normal for my wheel to walk away from me when I spin and I just pull it closer when I need to. It never has walked to far that I couldn't catch it........heeeheeeheee I've always tighten my drive band too like a banjo spring and the tension I always tighten and made sure that my springs were just a tad stretched.... opppps What I thought was double drive and whirls was all wrong.. I've tried spinning all different ways and never noticed a difference in yarns so I thought I'd just buy another wheel.. Why not??? Well now that I was shown how to I'll be spinning tomorrow and see if I noticed any change with a lose drive band , not much tension on the springs , everything tightened up, oh and my wobbling leg... I think I'll miss all the adjustments , just not sure how I'll adjust to spinning the right way instead of Michelle's way... Whatever works.. Should I have taken A class of something before??? hmmm
I'm blamed it on my friend Maggie who got me hooked on this in the first place. I was curious but not to interested until I met up with her!! WOOHOOO! I blamed it all on her which I probably shouldn't of but was only kidding. She gave me a BIG box stuffed with Lindt chocolate truffles!! OMY YUMMY!!! All my favorite of all chocolate too! She tied it so tight with ribbon and a bow, it wasn't easy to get into I really had to work for my treats....LOL
Lin came too and I think we had a good time...;o) It went by really fast though. I actually did start to spin a little more white merino of course. Boy is it soft! I need to figure a way to post a picture of some soon.....I'm thinking of making a Dale sweater but tough decision on which style! I have a couple weeks to decide before I start it and have plenty all spun to start it with.. Unless I can find something else that would work up nice in merino......

Ok off to be a good girl and set my wheel back up somewhere.. naa to tired. I think I should get some sleep tonight so I can be up early and have some quiet time to sit relax with my coffee and wheel in the morning before getting out of bed? Yes, my secrets out> I keep my wheel next to my bedside so I can spin everyday, night whatever. I wouldn't want it in front of the fireplace or someone else. I like to give myself timeouts during the day to sit and spin why not by my bed, I get to look at my wheel every morning and every night so I won't forget about it and spin every chance I can. I like to spin both at night and in the morning and knit though out the days on/.Off as much as possible. Boy am I enjoying being home in the house now..... My youngest is 3 y/o and I think this is the worst age. Not sure why every complains about the terrible twos no way! It doesn't start until 3y/o! So I don't go out much any more I'd just rather stay home and work with him and his tantrums instead of being out somewhere... He doens't seem to mind and we get along great! He's such a mommy's boy! We do have our special outings together and we do alot together during the day too. He also likes to help me spin and hold my yarn when I knit. he's such a god helper.......


Hope everyone had a great valentine's Day and received chocolates!!! If you don't like chocolate send them to me!!! ;o)))))))

My Red Luxurious Socks

Well here's my soft & cozy red sock, I knitted it using a strand of very soft cotton blend yarn with a strand of red kid mohair... OHH LAA LAA!! This has to be the most softest luxurious pair of socks I've ever worn. It's been several weeks since I made them.
I've been trying to play with my daughter's new camera and we're not even sure how we got this picture up but we did! Not sure we can do it again, it was pure accident for sure! She wants to return it for another one and I want to buy a simpler one to use for myself, since mine broke and I can't find anywhere to send it out to be fixed....I'm looking for recommendations on which digital camera to purchase. The other sock is on my foot and we tried to take a picture of them but this camera just isn't at easy as we thought it's a Sony cyber-shot. Neither of us like this one that's for sure! ;o(((

Luxurious Soft & Cozy Red Socks

Well my sever has been down for a couple days, so I had more time to spin! I've spun more white merino & I also spun some white and black llama together by taking strips of the two rovings and drafting together. Not as easy as I thought. I watched someone at a demo one night doing this and she made it look so easy! However, I do like the tweedy effect on the single, I can't wait to ply this one to see how it turns out....

I received a package today from www.woolworks.com my new Valkyrie combs, sock yarn and little WPI stick I hung of my wheel.... It's so neat! I was so excited, they arrived so quickly, it was just shipped out late on Thursday afternoon. Now these combs are definitely something I'm going to have to get used to. I hear there top of the line for combs I guess but now if I could use them the way I was showed by my friend Charice last weekend then I'd be all set. I wish I tried here's instead of sitting back and watching her as I was sniffing all her lovely soaps curing! Kicking myself in the butt now! OH well something else for me to practice, I only did a couple minutes but stuck myself a little bit......She certainly did warn me that they were dangerous for kids.....I think she really meant me anything sharp and me just don't get along, I better keep them away from my husband or he may hide them on me... I'm dangerous with tools, knives or anything sharp but only to myself by accident.......LOL I'm forever cutting myself with something.

Off for more medicine and heat, pace the floors, the cold weather is making all my muscles stiffen up and arthritis kick in very badly! Too much pain I can't sleep the drugs make me so tired but the pain keeps me up..
So I guess I'll just have to knit a little and wait to see Maggie put up a picture of her new felted tote bag that I made her! It's pretty wild!! And doesn't walk! lol I do hope she was surprised and enjoys it. She's such a wonderful person and deserving friend who not only brings me back chocolate from Germany without eating it! ;o)) Also shares with me all the time ;o)) Is she trying to bribe me to be her friend?

Spinning & Knitting Day

It rained a good part of the day so it was a good day to spin & knit a little. I'm almost done with that other bag for a friend of mine.....Spun a bobbin of white Merino and triple plied it into a skein. Spinning another bobbin now. I want to get a couple pounds spun up so I can start a Dale sweater with it! I'm thinking of spinning up a little chocolate brown cashmere for a little color in it.......Of course I have to have enough to make a pair of socks to match my sweater! Now the tricky part is to not get side tracked......but how?????? hmmmmm

Crazed with needles!!

OK I just received a bunch of new needles from Taiwan (gold fish brand are nice to use). I love the bamboo ones, then of course the ones I've been buying through out the years, some people gave to me and of course my denise's needles all nice in order in their own case. Now for the rest I'm CRAZED with needles I can't seem to find a good way to continue to keep them organized in some sort of order in one place! Between all the straight needles, sock needles & circulars I'm going to go crazy! I'm soooo confused! I heard that an empty zippered CD case may work, doesn't seem to help me right now especially with the bigger circulars. I need Ideas LOTS of ideas! Please please help me!
I guess maybe I should just try to use them all at the same time so I won't have to be so crazed! Off to work on yet another project! heeeheeeeheee

Quiet Day!

WOOOHOO! What a nice quiet day today. I slept a bit later then usual like 7am! DH took Katie to school this morning. Christopher slept late. I had my coffee, read some emails, showered, dressed, made beds. It was wonderful and relaxing. Good thing because I was so tired from yesterday. I knitted on and off through out the day. Caught up on some household things. Enjoyed playing with the kids today. Had a little headache but was fine. Knitted some more. I just actually stopped. I started yet another project. A beautiful Berroco top. Nice tank top style, made of a cotton/rayon/nylon blend. It's a stripe pattern different amount of rows in sprite graffiti & Tribeca, what fun this is it's so hard to put it done..... I do need to find a few button for the front 3 or 4 I think will do nicely. Maybe in a mother of pearl as my friend Charice suggested to me earlier I have the back about 1/2 done and since it's sleeve less this should be a quick project. Another Italian made yarn.....They are beautiful yarns. I'll have to post a picture another day. How many projects can one have going on at the same time and always know where they are... Well most of the time.....Inside of double of my most frequently used needles I'm starting to think in triplets now ;o))))) Can you tell I have spring fever!?! Still looking for spring, where are you my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray, you'll never know dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away. Good thing you all can't hear my singing right now!! ;o))
I think I need some sleep now.....

Fiber Play Day!

OHH BOY! What a great day! I went up to NH with Lin to Charice's house today what long day! It was so much fun and relaxing. We had such a GREAT time! One of Charice's old guild friends moved to Ireland and couldn't take all her toys and Charice inquired EVERYTHING at such a great deal from a weaving loom to fine fleeces & dyes! Even a books the lady started of all kinds of diffferent breeds from sheep to alpaca, stuff we never heard of to mystery stuff...She had pages labeled about that particular breed, a lock before and after washing some a sample of spun yarn with notes along each. An awesome journel of them. I don't think Charice will ever see the end of her stash in her lifetime! WOW! We had a field day poking though all her stash! Playing, combing, carding, picking blending, spinning, knitting, shared some books, patterns and soap of course... We had a swap with one of the yahoo groups that we're on (spinningandknitting-subscribe@yahoogroups.com) Which each person in the swap sent in 4 oz of fiber of ther choice as long as it was clean. Of course we went a little over board with this. We all have bags & samples of all kinds of different fibers to play with. Lin shared some lovely yarns she inquired from Tawain.. wooohooo! Lin also shared some different types of beads she got while visiting Tawain last month. Oh so very neat! Of course my long double pointed bamboo needles and circulars came back with her too. No Chocolate!! ;o(( I even shared the last of my chocolate Maggie brought home from Germany! She's shut off from chocolate now I think!?! Although she did stop and buy a couple cases of alcohol & wines that she had me help pick out the liquor and wines for her... Like little kids to funny! She went to the truck and I popped into the little gifty type shop, seemed like I was in there along time. Checking out other soapmakers products tring and smelling, I wanted to buy some...lol I was hoping that Lin would come in and save me but after a while I figured out she wasn't coming in to save me from myself so I went back to the truck she was sitting there in her own little world knitting away. Way to funny! I did find a great blend I can't wait to try it was a fragrance spray I think was lemon and peppermint Eos.. hmmm IT sure smelled great! She did share with us so I guess she's off the hook this time anyway!! lol We really missed Maggie and our friend Ellen who couldn't make it because of superbowl but we forgive them! (this time!)
We had such fun and great company, just don't know where the time went, boy times flies when your having fun! and the company was good too! ;o) The quiet was so unbelievable I was a little dazed and confused... It was great to be away from my kiddos, I missed them dearly! The love hugs & kisses anyway, not the whiney, nagging ones.. We don't get together often and we never seem to have enough time together but I'm looking forward to doing it again. Soon!
I need some sleep! Oh am I going to feel this tomorrow for sure mornings come way to fast these days.. Good Night!

Katie's Slippers

Felted slippers

Katie just had to share her slippers but she didn't want to wear them for a picture...lol

Luxious Socks

merino/cotton socks

My luxious merino/cotton blend!

Some socks

Here's some socks
the left pair are merino superwash magic stripe type yarn needles size 2 and the right side are simple varigated yarn with size 5 needles

Mohair & Fun Fur Sweater

Mohair & Fun Fur Sweater

OK I Had bought some black mohair yarn years ago froma store going out of business, then I knitted it all you and didn't have enough for a collar I wanted to do, so I ended up recently picking up some white Fun Fur and adding that then finish a roll collar with the remainder of mohair. Now the d*** thing doesn't fit me. Now what to do with it??? hmmm Tina my teen won't wear it because it was made and doesn't have a expensive designer name on it but would fit her perfectly, Katie loves it and wants to wear it but too young yet and still to little ;o((
OH well I've have to make another and another and another!

30FT Boat awaiting patiently

30Ft Boat

We're awaiting patiently for all the snow and ice to be gone! So sick of being indoors can't wait to sit on the boat again! Cabin Fever! New scenery to spin or knit ;o)

Katie & Chris Saying Hi!

Katie & Chris saying Hello!

The kids wanted to say hi and both smiling in the same picture at the same time! ;o)) They like to help mommy on the computer aren't they sweet??? heeeheeee of course they are in a picture but boy have they been whiney! We're finally defrosting our snow banks are now about 2 feeet instead of 4 or 5 feet! YAHOO! We were coloring nicely now we need to find something else to do.

Walking Bag

Walking Bag


Here's the famous walking bag I designed! This was taken at the SNB meeting at Borders the other night with Maggie (the photograher), Melanie, Benedetta and someone else that I can't remember her name for the life of me, I'm horrible with names! Anyway it was fun! For the bag I used several different fibers and yarns, some were samples and small amounts of fiber that I had spun up over the past couple months. I added some patrons merino denim some were double strand and some rows triple strand. I just kept on knitting to use up all the scraps of yarn I could find or spin to go with it, has a little of this & that except for dryer lint....;o) I even added an inside pocket with what I had left for little notions and things. Last night I cut off the legs and refelted again but it didn't shrink any more just wanted to felt in the seems on the bottom corners. Working on anothe rone in differnt bright colors and some kool-aid dyed romney and store bought merino... Hope it doesn't walk away when it's done since it's a little gift for someone special ;o) I love to mix and match and play with different types of fibers and yarns...

I DID IT!!

I figured out how to add link with the blog rolling and have them actually show up on my blog! I was so excited! lol It's only been a couple days! Well now I miss spinning and knitting I feel like I haven't done anything it days becuase of all the time I spent trying to figure this out! As Dora the explorer would say "I DID IT! I DID IT! I DID IT! YEAH!"
Well off to do something, not sure what yet but something..... Also to pack for the girls day of fiber junky tomorrow.. A few of us girls are getting together to play, YEAH !! No kids! I've been looking so forward to tomorrow I can hardly wait! I so need some time away from my kids, isn't that awful! ;o))A much deserved break anyway to the daily rountine and whining!

So Confused!

I've been trying to set different things up on this blog and I'm so confused. I've been at it for days now. I'm very new at this and I'm having a hard time. Calgon take me away!!!
I'll keep trying but bare with me here, remember the first time you set up your blog an it wasn't so simple either! I'm doing this on my own without any help. Is there any quick tips you don't mind sharing.. I'm around!
Thanks!

Lets Chat

Finally tired but started my Blog today!

Well, I"m dragging today yesterday was a very long day. Day visit to the BI up to Boston then I stopped by our little knitting group at Bordors in the mall on my way home. Actaully did get a little done on a sock I'm working on with some german sock yarn, my friend Maggie picked up for me while visiting Germany...;o) It's such a fun group of people there, I really enjoy going there altough only my second time both which was on my way home from my infusions and I've been lets just say not my normal self! lol Well decided that a blog seems to be the must have these days so why not here we go! (yet another project) lol
Maggie took pictures of course I wasn't looking so good and I can't wait to see this picture of my felted bag with legs......heeeheeeeheee