Happy Halloween!!!

HAPPY Halloween! I love this holiday.  It is a day where adults can be a kid again and for kids - well it is the mecca of holiday's - candy, candy, candy!!

I was online just looking for random things and look what I found....

http://wordcandybooks.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html

That's right - someone out there is as big of a Jane Austen freak as I am and carved a pumpkin with her on it! This seems like something that I might have to try next year.  I have a feeling that if I tried this though that it would be an epic fail, but one can always dream.

Happy Halloween - I hope you all get the candy that you want :)

Happy Birthday Sense and Sensibility

Today is Sense and Sensibility's 200th birthday of a sort.  It was 200 years ago today that Sense and Sensibility was first published.  So - I will be having a birthday pumpkin pie slice for the book tonight!

http://www.umershafqat.com/sense-and-sensibility-review/

Hat Love

I love this hat on Goddess Knitters.

Reblog Friday

I have been sick the past couple of days, which has put a serious dent into my blogging schedule.  It's Friday already and I haven't even told you about the book I just finished, or the one that I just started.  I will work on writing my thoughts about both books this weekend, so that I can adequately explain my thoughts on Monday.

In the mean time, I have been meaning to reblog these numbers.  This is from the blog blurbomat, who is the husband of another awesome blogger dooce.com.  I thought it was really important to reblog these and get them out there to more people.

Depression Hotline: 1-630-482-9696

Suicide Hotline: 1-800-784-8433

LifeLine: 1-800-273-8255

Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Sexuality Support: 1-800-246-7743

Eating Disorders Hotline: 1-847-831-3438

Rape and Sexual Assault: 1-800-656-4673

Grief Support: 1-650-321-5272

Runaway: 1-800-843-5200, 1-800-843-5678, 1-800-621-4000

With that - have a wonderful weekend!!!

Woolly Wednesday

I have some new yarn!!! With my parents visit came a delicious new yarn that my mother picked up for me at the Plaza Arts Fair in Kansas City, MO.

It is from Lost City Knits, colorway Winter Hike (go to their website and check out the yarn, they have a much better picture of the color).  It is a Llama Bamboo Lace yarn with 80% llama and 20% bamboo make up.  (The label says that the llama's Name is Angelique! - I love it).  After looking into Lost City Knits a little more, I have found that it is based in Oklahoma and the skeins that my mother purchased are part of their Oklahoma Fiber Partnership where they partner with other local farms that have fibers that they don't have to create some wonderful blends - such as their Llama Bamboo Lace yarn that is now living in my stash! I love the fiber community.

With the yarn came a pattern for a lovely shawl.  So, look for updates on the progress of that.  I have some Christmas projects that need to get done first, but then I will get started.

Even Harold likes the yarn.

I have never knit with Llama before, so I am excited to work with the material.  Which makes me think that next weeks Woolly Wednesday will be dedicated to Llama and like fibers.

Technorati

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I am trying to prove that I am indeed the person writing this blog. If you are not Technorait, please disregard this post.

Weekend Weekend - Where did you go?

I am thinking about starting a movement to implement a 4 day work week so that we can have another weekend day.  For one thing, I think that everyone could use another day to relax and enjoy life - I don't think we do enough of that.  But for another thing, a three day weekend would prolong weekends like we just had.

The parents.

My parents were in town, so we were out and about all weekend.












 Living in the DC area, you sometimes forget how many cool things there are in your home town or really close by.  On Saturday we went to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.  Adam and I had been there before, but it was my parents first time, so we drove the Skyline Drive for a few hours to check out the different parts of the park.

For those of you haven't been - it's amazing.  There is view after view of just beautiful nature.  Adam was really excited to go this weekend because all of the leaves have started to change.

And of course, being in nature and spending a relaxing day in a park with my parents and husband, there was undoubtedly some knitting going on.

The shadows are my family taking pictures.  I'm not really sure what people were thinking when they saw us!

On Sunday we went downtown to check out the new memorial to Martin Luther King Jr.  As expected, since it is new, we went there with our closest 1,000 friends.

Even though it was crowded, I am really glad that we went.  They did a wonderful job creating the monument.  It has a great position around the tidal basin and is beautifully made.  I want to go back again later when it isn't as crowded to be able to take it in a little more deeply, but it was still great.

And then all too soon, the weekend was over and away my parents went.  I had a great time, but am even more committed to 4 day work weeks than I was on Friday.

Weekend

How was your weekend?  I'll post some pictures from our weekend this evening, but until then... Happy Monday.

Cast on

I've cast on for a knit for....wait for it...myself!

I can't remember the last time that I knit something for myself.  I decided that with the year I have had, and the amount of doctor's offices that I had to sit in, I deserved a little something for myself.  When we were in Boston, I bought enough 100% Merino Karabella Aurora 8 to make myself a shawl.  You can't tell in the pictures because of the bad lighting, but it is a lovely white, here it looks like it has a yellow tinge, which it doesn't.

After prowling Ravelry for a few hours, I settled on making the Acadian Shawl by Melisa McCurley.  I have a red coat that I think this will go very nicely with.


Harold was a little nervous when I cast on for another knit.  He is just hoping that this isn't one that he will have to model.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Fresh off the Needles

I have another project fresh of the needles.  And a very somewhat willing model to help show you.

Harold struck a pose for this one. Or he was eyeing Adam for an explanation.

"Just give me the treat already."

 I started this, well  last year around this time.  To be fair, spring and summer came and the urgency to have a scarf done kind of went away.  But, since the weather is changing to fall, I thought now was the best time to finish it so that it can be used throughout the winter.

This is a gift for my friend B.  It is an improvised pattern.  I choose the stitch pattern from the Vogue Knitting book and then figured out how to make a scarf with that pattern.  It turned out really well, if I don't say so myself.

I used KnitPicks Comfy Bulky yarn colorway Flamingo (which has sadly been discontinued) with a size 9 needle.  I really enjoyed knitting this.  The yarn was perfect, it felt great on my hands while knitting and never once was there a snag.  The pattern was really fun too.  While it isn't one that you could travel with, you had to pay attention, it was an easy lace pattern that was fun to see come together.

Woolly Wednesday

Well, it's Woolly Wednesday even if there isn't much left of it.  Sorry for the late post, my week has been a little off due to a migraine that put me out of commission for most of Monday and Tuesday.  But, it wouldn't be Wednesday without some fiber in it somewhere.

Either this woman is having a migraine like I did, or, she is trying the Jedi Mind Trick.
http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com/issue-14/natural-remedies-for-migraines.php

This Wednesday ---- MOHAIR!!!

http://www.cascadeyarns.com/dive-MohairKiss.asp

Mohair is considered a luxury yarn right up there with cashmere, angora and silk.  It hasn't always been easily accessible to knit with due to supply, but that is no longer the case.  As of right now, and according to Wikipedia (seriously, what did we do before Wikipedia?) 60% of Mohair is produced in South Africa.  Although, I hear from Clara Parkes in her book The Knitter's Book of Yarn, the U.S. is in second, with the majority of that coming from Texas.

Mohair comes from the angora goat.  Some of you must be confused right now.  Let me explain.  Angora comes from angora rabbits (which are amazing - I"ll post pictures when we get to angora), while Mohair comes from angora goats (picture below).  I was a little confused with that one for a little while.

http://www.toughpigs.com/265-dollars-worth-of-kermit/

Like wool, Mohair is flame-retardant, can absorb moisture without you noticing and resists soil.  "It is also warmer and stronger than wool" according to Ms. Parkes.  Some consider Mohair scratchy.  To be honest, because of that reputation, I haven't knitted with a mohair yarn yet.  But, I am up for trying new things and after reading more about Mohair, I am going to go for it.  After my Christmas knitting is done, I will venture out of my comfort zone and will knit with Mohair.

One thing you have to be careful of with Mohair is fluff.  But, one way to avoid that is to not knit with pure mohair - so it looks like I will be looking for a mohair blended yarn after the holidays.  Any suggestions?

2nd Secret Knit

I know that you all have been dying to know what the 2nd secret knit is that I posted about here and here.

Drum Roll Please...

It is a baby sleep sack.

Again made for my friend Sam's baby shower last weekend.

The pattern is Owlie Sleep Sack by Teresa Cole.  I used Malabrigo Yarn Rios colorway 866 Acro Iris on size 6 circulars and dpns. It is a superwash Merino yarn that has amazing color repeats as you can see. Again the beauty with this yarn, in addition to the awesome color, is that it is machine washable and makes for a great baby gift.  I would definitely work with this yarn again.  It was really easy to work with and felt great while knitting.

Despite the name, this is not meant for the baby to sleep in unattended.  It is meant to help keep the newborn warm while cuddling with mom or dad.  I can't wait to take pics of the baby in the sleep sack - which I promise, I will post on here!

You can't beat owls!

B's

Bear baby blanket being blocked...

Bear baby blanket being bagged...

Bear baby blanket being baby showered...

The best part of knitting - the giving of the knits!

This was surprise knit #1 that I mentioned in an earlier post.  It was made for Baby Roger's who is due to join us in two months! The baby shower for Baby Roger's mom Sam (pictured above) was yesterday, so I didn't want to post the finished projects until they had been gifted.

The pattern is the Teddy Bear Baby Blanket by Barbara Breiter (see there are B's all over this post!).  I used Cascade Yarns 128 Superwash Chunky, color 1984 Lemon.  It's a 2-ply yarn and if I were to make the blanket again, I would probably use a thicker yarn, but otherwise, loved using it and will use it again for other projects.  The yarn was perfect for this knit, because it is machine washable and tumble dry low which is perfect for baby knits.

Surprise Knit

I'm getting close to being able to share my two secret knits.  But, since I know that you are on pins and needles waiting :) below is a sneak peek of one of them.

 (yes, those are owls :) )

Woolly Wednesday

PROTEIN FIBERS!!!! This is the type of fiber, yarn, that people probably instantly think of when you say knitting, or yarn.  This grouping is made up of all of the fiber that comes from animals.  The most common and most well known is wool from sheep, but there are many many more - goats, rabbits, silk worms, camels etc.

http://www.squidoo.com/MinistryofSheep

It does only seem right, however, to start the posts on protein fibers with sheep - that and well, some are just super cute!

http://www.royalwhitesheep.biz/

There are a ton of different types of sheep which also means that there are a ton of different types of wool and an almost endless number of ways to then blend those wools together.  There are three things that all wool have in common:

1. They are all hygroscopic; meaning that they can "absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture while still feeling warm and dry against your skin."
2. They are all naturally flame-retardant.
3. They are all "extremely resilient and highly extensible," basically, they it will go back to its original shape and can stretch quite a bit.

Honestly, it can get a little overwhelming looking at all of the wool that is available to knit with.  There are Bluefaced Leicester, Polwarth (which is what I am spinning with right now), Shetland, Leicester Longwool, Rambouillet etc.  There is an even longer list here.  With all of different kinds of sheep and therefore yarn to choose from, each with its own qualities, how ever do you choose???

Luckily Clara Parkes helps to answer that a little bit in her book The Knitter's Book of Yarn that I have mentioned in an earlier posting.  She recommends looking at three things when shopping for yarn.

1. Fineness. Basically this is the diameter of the fiber.  It is measured in microns.  The smaller the micron number the finer the fiber. This has a direct correlation to the softness against your skin, the finer the softer it will feel.

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/iledefrance/index.htm

2. Length. Each type of wool has a different length of individual fibers that make up the yarn.  The shorter the fiber, the softer the fiber.  However, the shorter the fiber the more easily it will pill - so it is a trade off.  There are some wools that are soft and have a longer fiber length, so you need to feel the yarn.

http://www.history.org/almanack/life/animals/pr_rare.cfm

3. Crimp. Crimp is how wavy the fiber is, just like human hair.  From Parkes book "crimp helps fibers absorb and balance twist, and is also helps them trap still air, which - in turn - makes your fabric warmer." Strangely though, the fiber with the tinier crimp are the warmer fibers.  Parkes recommends tinier crimp wools for "cozy sweaters, hats, blankets, and anything where softness, stretch, and warmth are prized." She recommends bigger ringlet type wool for "projects where drape and shimmer are needed, such as elegant sweaters, shawls, and throws."

Hopefully that helps when sorting through all of the different kinds of wool that is out there.  But don't be confused, wool isn't the only type of protein fiber - next time Mohair!!!

http://rmdstore.com/thread-12/

Rock Chalk

Really - need I say more :)

Source: None via Lindsey on Pinterest

New Find

 WARNING: trust me, unless you have a few free moments hours, don't click on the links right now.  Come back and click on them when you have some time.  They are TOTALLY worth it, but can suck up some of your time.

I thought that stumbling upon StumbleUpon (yes, pun intended) was a time problem for me.  It has been nothing like finding Pinterest.  I have found myself constantly thinking of new things to search for and start pinning.  But seriously, what am I to do when I find pictures like this:

From flickr.com, pinned by Marjorie Armstrong

And this:

From flickr.com, pinned by Meredith Stewart

And this:

From tumblr.com, pinned by Karen Brand Rogoff

And this:

From supdandchloe.com

And this:

Picture from loverforbooks.blogspot.com

This could become a problem.

PS - notice that I have added a "pin it" button to my posts - I have completely sucked in.

My weekend

Adam and I traveled again this weekend.  Not nearly as far as Boston though.  We stayed near and went to Montpelier, Virginia to the Fall Fiber Festival & Montpelier Sheep Dog Trials.

Llama

If you have never been to a fiber festival, I encourage you to go to at least one in your lifetime.  Even if you are not a knitter, it is fascinating.  Plus you get to see some really cute animals and some that you wouldn't see anywhere else.

Llama up close!

We got there right in time to see a demonstration on shearing sheep.  I went wanting to see this, but I had no cool it would be to see.  The guy who demonstrated was awesome.  He did a great job of explaining everything about raising sheep and the process of shearing - including in other countries.

Afterwards, we walked around and looked at all of the yarn and fiber related products.  I ended up getting fleece from the man who demonstrated the shearing above.  I have started spinning recently and am looking forward to spinning some yarn with this - I am thinking a shawl is in my future! (more on the spinning later)

The picture doesn't do the color justice - it is gorgeous.  It is 100% Merino Wool from Delly's Delights Farm, the website is under construction right now, but check back - I didn't see anything in their stall that I didn't like.  I know that I will be purchasing more from them in the future.

Our last stop at the festival was the sheep dog trials.  We didn't get any pictures of this, but  it is the reason that I was able to talk Adam into going (that and he loves me :) ).  It is amazing to watch the connection between dog and owner.  It puts Harold's ability to bow (which we have been working on with him and is super cute) to shame.  I guess we have more work to do with him.

To wrap up our Saturday, we went to Montpelier, the home of James Madison.  They didn't start renovating the house until 2003, so they are still in the process of furnishing the home with period pieces, but it is still well worth the trip.  I look forward to going again in a few years to see all of the changes.

The property is absolutely beautiful. With the view from the front porch, I can see why they built the house where they did.

We don't have any travels planned for next weekend, and I'm okay with that.  While it is fun to get out and travel, it also makes your appreciate the weekends that you have at home.  We have a three day weekend coming up and I am already dreaming of things that I can do with my three days!  What about you? Have you gone anywhere recently?