PICTURE POST!

OK, so I've been slacking. again. but this time it's totally legitimate, I swear! If you didn't know, I work for a weekly newspaper and this happens to be the month where we have two special sections back to back. Well, this week I get to prepare 75 ads and do photo editing which may not sound like a lot, but believe me it is! so I've been swamped and what has suffered? The knitting! and spinning, and the rest of my non-working life... oh well...February is sure to bring me plenty of R&R PLUS some time to actually use my spinning wheel :) And just in time...for a SUPERB secret pal package arrived a few weeks ago...


I actually thought to photograph the whole process :)



OOOOH! look at the brightly colored paper :)



Inside the first package was this...what is it?


A handmade magnetic chart keeper of course! This was put to use right away :)



What is this dreamy cloud-like stuff? It's silk to spin! Very luxe!



Next up some merino top fiber. YUM! It reminds me of a summer sunset :)


And of course the gratuitous close-up!


MMMMM...chocolatey :) A merino-mohair blend in delicious colors.


Can you see that shine? It's gorgeous!


And an overview shot including the cutest puppy kitten card yet! And I'm a tea lover to boot :) So THANK YOU secret pal :) You're doing a great job! I love being spoiled :)

And next time an actual knitting post! That is when I get a chance to breathe :)

>^.^<

I GOT MY SPINNING WHEEL!!!!!

So for Christmas my parents gave me some cash for a spinning wheel from Babe's Fiber Garden. Their motto is "Function Before Form for Affordability" and I like it. Here it is!



Ahh...the double treadle production wheel...*sigh*

I realize now, hindsight being 20/20, that I could have taken pictures of the whole process of opening the box and assembly, but I was just too anxious to get going I forgot about pics! So I took a few after the fun was done for the night...


A close up of the flyer...


And the bottom of the wheel...

Here is what else I got:
Comes with 6 bobbins, four built in Lazy Kates (you can see the holes drilled on the sides of the bottom), 1/4 lb. of Brown Sheep wool roving, oil bottle, and two niddy noddys, a sample which is a one yard skein, and a standard which makes a 1 2/3 yard skein.

The frame is made of PVC pipe, and the wheel is originally for a wheelchair and weighs about 8 pounds. It only took me a few minutes to assemble with only 2 screws. The instruction were a bit wonky, but I tend to take things a little too literally sometimes. Although it is a bit wobbly during spinning, when I put it on the carpet that solves that. I think my treadling is just a bit too powerful :) Definitely a worthy investment for my first wheel, and much more affordable too. Now to save my pennies for a joy ashford!

i'm an ass...

so after reviewing my blog today, I discovered I forgot to thank my Secret Pal! D'OH!

I received a small SP package right around Christmas...



A little graph paper book with a kitty knitting from a sheep!, Hand stamped mini note cards with the same sheep and a ewe hoo! underneath, Dark Chocolate peppermint bar YUM!, a mini turtle notebook, a kitty and puppy note, and minty chocolate balls! A wonderful mini package :)



A close up of the kitty knitting from a sheep :)

I've already put many items to good use, and my BF thanks you for the minty chocolate balls! I had to share with him since the are his favorites :)

Thanks again SP!!!

The day draws near...

OK, so I don't know about you, but Christmas panic is settling in.

I just felted mom's fuzzy feet slippers last night, but they have to go another round in the wash as they are still too big. I still haven't decided what to do about the soles yet. I found a couple that cover the whole bottom and a bit of the sides, or I was thinking about cutting up some scrap leather I have and using that...I guess I'll have to figure that out soon!

I stayed late at work Tuesday night to use our big meeting table to cut out the material for my dad's night shirts. Well, I couldn't find my fabric scissors, so I ended up using ones that totally suck to cut material. It took me an hour just to cut out all the pieces! I also couldn't find the interfacing...After a hunt at home, I did manage to find enough interfacing to use on one nightshirt, but I have yet to cut it out. PLUS it's really hard to make a gift for someone you share a working space with. Mom says just to tell him it's for the boyfriend and maybe he won't notice...probably not :)

This is the reason I didn't get any sewing done on Tuesday...



The Dredlock Bag is finally done!



a top/side view...I actually sewed the zipper and strap with the machine :)



Here you can see how I squared of the bottom for a slightly more manly look...



And a little peek inside!

I used a heavy duty YKK zipper because the last one I got for my first bag kept splitting. It turned out to be way longer than needed, but the sturdiness is exceptional. When I hand sewed the side seams on top I sewed the rest of the zipper down the side of the bag. All in all, I think it turned out great. Now to present it to my customer!

And I finally got around to starting (and understanding) the vintage fan purse.



You can see it with the pattern. I don't know if I'm just used to knitting patterns, but sometime crochet patterns seem like they're in another language or something LOL.



A close up of the stitch detailing. Once I got the hang of reading the instructions with the help from my friend things went much more smoothly. While this isn't a Christmas gift, I did promise to make this purse for a September birthday (yeah, a little late!) I ordered handles from kpixie along with some magnetic snaps. I tried to go through the company in the book, but they didn't seem to have the same handles that were in the picture, so I just went with something similar.

OK, tonight I'm hoping to finish up some shopping and get some more progress done on the rest of the gifts! I hope everyone has a happy holiday!

>^.^<

Progress!

OK, so I've been in a frantic kinda rush to get gifties ready for all...

First up, for momma...


Fuzzy Feet from Knitty. These felted slippers (obviously pre-feling at this stage) are a really fast knit. I completed one Sunday afternoon and finished the 2nd one over monday and tuesday. We live in an old house that's really cold, so hopefully these will keep my momma's feet toasty! I hope to felt them by the weekend and adding leather patches to the bottom for traction.

For Dad I'll be sewing some flannel night shirts. He loves these things so much and they're really hard to find in the stores, so I know he'll get a lot of use out of them...

For the boy's mom I'm making a small black purse from a pattern book she bought me called Crochet Bags!: 15 Hip Projects for Carrying Your Stuff out of black nylon. The book has some interesting ideas, and LOTS of ugly ones...I guess it wouldn't have been so bad if most of the samples weren't made in a pea soup green color...oh well...I'm swatching for that now.

And finally I'm making this for myself...


So far it's about 1/3 of an Eye Mask from Knit Picks. The shine worsted is fuzzier that I thought it would be but is knitting up nicely. I think I'll fill it with rice and lavender...something to soothe me after the hella stressful days I've been having.

And a note to Miss Scarlett...am I your secret pal? Not that I know of, but you never know...Yes, I have seen NIN 5 times live so far :)

Until we meet again...

>^.^<

whirlwind

So last month to now has been a whirlwind...so many things happening, so much work do to, and not enough time to knit or blog! I promise I'll do better this month! I am really trying to get on track :) But now that I have a new 24" iMac @ work, things will go much more smoothly! I just wish I could take this baby home with me...

so on to the blogging!

After much red tape from the PO, I finally got my SP's package out last month. There are so many damn rules and regulations surrounding the PO and their services, I think I'll just use FedEx next time and avoid the hassle.

SOooooo about the dredlock bag (Kathy I know you're curious!)

I got the pattern from IndiKnits, but it is no longer available due to low demand. I actually had to drive about an hour just to pick up the pattern in the first place, but I hear Amy might be making it a free pattern, so keep an eye out!

Here are some pre-felting pics...




And after only one run through the wash cycle (I am pleasantly surprised) the Wool of the Andes from KnitPicks felted up beautifully!


here it is blocking...


an artsy closeup


And a close-up of the strap.

I took a few liberties with the pattern as this was my 2nd dredlock bag. I added a flap to the bottom to make a rectangular base. The strap was worked with two strands of wool to be more manly, as this bag was made for a boy. I also picked up stitches at the top and made another flap to square off the top. I'll have more photos once I pick up a zipper and get everything put together.

And on the knitting front, I've been S-L-O-W. The post-thanksgiving weekend I whipped up another pair of Sweet Mary Janes for a friend's x-mas gift. If only every project knit up as fast as these!


I'm going to add puff paint treads to finish these off.

And the Christmas knitting list get a little smaller. I have a pair of Fuzzy Feet to make for mom, and I haven't decided what else to make for others yet...man, I'm going to have to do more shopping thatn I wanted, but to save myself some post-work stress, it'll be worth it. Now let's just hope I get that Christmas Bonus!

until we meet again, hopefully sooner than later...
>^.^<

Oh my goodness! An UPDATE!!!

hi there kids...

I've finally gotten around to updating :)

I recieved my first SP package last week!


when I got it, it was "Received in damaged condition" by the PO, but all is well


I received a super cute Halloween card, some SOAK wool wash, a googly eyes kitty pen, and the yummiest minty fudge ever!!!


A close-up of the fudge. MMMMM...My bf told me to hide the fugde until I can find out where to get more LOL Awesome!

Thanks SP! You're so thoughtful :)


And on the knitting front, here is the progess (or lack-there-of) on the Olympic Sweater. I've actually gotten about 9 more rows knit of the cable pattern since this photo was taken. I can't wait until it's done!

I've also been working on another dreadlock bag for a friend. No pics of that right now though. It's on hold cause I had to order more yarn and other goodies from knit picks, so more of an update on that later...

now for more House!!!

later kiddies...

>^.^<

more info and stuff...

Hi ya'll!

So I've been slacking (again) on posting, but I'm about to get up to speed
:) I found some more fun questions on another participant's blog, so I
thought I would answer them too. enjoy!

Oh yeah, and pics soon to follow of my first SP Package!

1. Where is your favorite knitting spot?
I prefer to knit while "watching" something. Or perhaps at a reataurant with
a good cup of coffee. Or with my little group of knitting friends. Or... LOL

2. If you suddenly could never knit again (shudder) - what would you do
instead?
Well, I'd probably be dead! IF I really couldn't knit, I'd probably take up
painting...one of the FEW arts I never really got into.

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world - where would you go and why?
My first stop would be to the Phlippines so I could actually meet my Mom's
side of the fam. Then it would be off to europe to visit a few friends and
some cool places and I would end the journey on a nice sunny beach with
knitting of course! :)

4. When you were little - What did you want to do "when you grew up?" Are
you doing it?
Hmm...A hairdresser - I cut and styled all of my barbie's hair, A vet - but
I didn't like the yucky parts, an Artist - which technically I am :) Truly I
would love to work with metal or glass to build sculptures, but graphic
design will do for now :)

5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Dear god...anything Ben & Jerry's makes for the most part :) But I would
have to say Cherry Garcia and Phish Food are the top two

List your favorite:
Actor - Jason Statham
Actress - Reese Witherspoon
Animal - turtles, cats
Band - NIN (nine inch nails)
Book - Different Seasons by Stephen King/Dragon Tears by Dean Koontz
Bubble Bath - This stuff that used to come in a purple kitty but I don't
remember what it's called...
Candy - Chocolate! heehee
Color - black/red/silver
Drink- water, tea, tanquaray and tonic, newcastle
Flower - stattice, stargazer lillies
Food - carbs! cheese, potatoes, bread, etc...
Lip Balm - Blistex mint
Lotion - Moist Hemp - one of the few that actually dosen't give me a rash!
Movie - Shaun of the Dead
Place - Nature when it's warm, by the fire when it's cold
Song - March of the Pigs - NIN
TV Show - 24 and Weeds
Yarn - hmm...anything NOT scratchy & natural is best
Vacation Spot - Bonnaroo!