Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas!

Twas The Night Before Christmas (Yarn Style)

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
There was unfinished knitting/crocheting not under the tree,
The stockings weren’t hung by the chimney with care
‘Cause the heels and the toes had not a stitch there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
But I had not finished the caps for their heads.
Dad was asleep—he was no help at all.
And the sweater for him was 6″ too small.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I put down my needle/hook to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash.
Tripped over my yarn and fell down in my stash.
The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
Reminded me how far I still had to go.
When out on the lawn I heard such a noise,
I was sure it would wake up both Dad and the boys.
And although I was tired–my brain a bit thick,
I knew in a moment that it must be St Nick.
Yet what I heard left me very perplex-ed
For nothing I heard was what I expect-ed.
“Move Malabrigo! Move Cascade! Move Universal and Clover!
Move Schaefer! Move Plymouth! Move Farmhouse! Move over!
Autunno, don’t circle around, just stand there in line.
Pay attention you sheep and you’ll work out just fine!
I know this is hard as it’s just your first year
But I’d hate to go back to 8 tiny reindeer.”
I peered over the sill. What I saw was amazing:
Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing!
And then in a twinkle, I heard at the door
Santa’s big boots stomping on the porch floor.
I rose from my knees and got back on my feet.
As I turned around, St Nick I did meet.
He was dressed all in wool from his head to his toe
And his clothes were hand knitted/crochet from above to below.
A bright Fair Isle sweater he wore on his back.
And his toys were all stuffed in an Aran crochet sack.
His hat was a wonder of bobbles and lace
A beautiful frame for his rosy red face.
The scarf on his neck could have stretched for a mile,
And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.
On the back of his mitts was an intricate cable.
And suddenly on one I spotted a small label:
“S.C.” in duplicate on the cuff.
So I asked, “Hey, Nick, did YOU knit and crochet all this stuff?”
He proudly replied, “Ho, ho, ho, yes I did.
I learned how to knit and crochet when I was just a kid.”
He was chubby and plump, a well dressed old man,
And I laughed to myself, for I’d thought up a plan.
I flashed him a grin and jumped up in the air,
And the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair.
He spoke not a word, but looked down in his lap
Where I had laid my needles and hooks and yarn for a cap.
He began then to knit/crochet, first one cap then 2–
For the first time I thought I might really get through.
He put heels in the stockings and toes in some socks,
While I sat back drinking a scotch on the rocks.
Quickly like magic his needles/hooks they flew,
Good Grief! He was finished by two!
He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,
And over his shoulder he looked back at me.
I heard him explain as he sailed past the moon,
“Next year, start your projects sometimes around JUNE!”

~ Author Unknown ~
MERRY CHRISTMAS





Lifted From: TEMPE YARN & FIBER

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

just keep spinning, spinning, spinning....

I was going to title this entry as, "I'm pretty sure I suck at this..." but one dost offend with such words (only if they're in the title, not in the body :) I joined a Mystery Spin along and have loved every minute of it!! The lovely people at my LYS, Tempe Yarn and Fiber, concocted this whole scheme and I must say that it seems like they've put a lot of time and attention into this. First you get this big bag of stuff...

Then you get these clues...
But first I had to get some hand carders.

I've intentionally avoided instruction in this fine art because I want to do it myself, but I may have to reconsider because I kinda suck.
I'm not sure that instruction would help much but I'm having a ball...

I take a little bit of the roving and try to card it, but it looks weird with little fluffy bits in the batt. I end up with small flats that I turn into what I affectionately refer to as woolly rats...


Well, they are kinda cute :)
So, the clues are really fun. Each one is a 'recipe' for spinning and --wait for it-- there's an actual recipe to go with it!!! *LOVE*
Salmon dish with capers...

And then spun...

I can't wait to finish, I think I'll knit a scrap wrap or a wavy scarf...wheeeeee!!

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Just Ducky :)

So, since I'm not a joiner I just joined another club...but I gotta say, I'm thrilled!!!!

It's The Unique Sheep's Ducky Club....
You get a great selection. One cutey tote, handmade soap, a ducky and a skein of cotton (this one is Pima Petite). It's about 150 yards and 2 ounces that is buttery softness...

It doesn't come with a pattern and so you get to create your own. The drape was a pleasant surprise, it practically floats...

I just did a stockinette stitch with garter stitch boarder so that the colors could show through...
I'm also working on a "soap sack", which is essentially a square toe sock that I'll run a drawstring through...
Did I mention the soap? It's hand made and it smells amazing (which in this case is a deep and welcoming spruce-y smell).


So now I'm all set for my next bath :)

Thursday, December 4, 2008

The End...


So, this is the end, my yarny friend, the end...

The last installment of the Rockin' Sock Club '08.

It's called Muddy Rainbow, and is as promised by Tina at the beginning of the year, a Rare Gem. One of my fellow Ravellers called it "whooshing". It means that the yarn is whooshed from the pot so that they dye takes in different ways with each skein, making them all individual. Mine reminds me of fall leaves and the rainbow of colors that develops with the cold and the falling...

The first sock is done but it's mate will have to wait until I can work in some more Christmas knitting...I'll post pics when I'm done...Still can't decide if I want to do next year's sock club. On the one hand I probably would not have purchased any of these yarns, on the other hand, that was kinda the point. Plus, the patterns and the comradery. Gah, still sitting on the fence but leaning toward going again simply because having something and not wanting is better than not having and wanting. Right?

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Thank You, Happy Stasher!!!

Ok, so, Ravelry. What to say, what to say...It is indeed a time-suck, and an enabler, and an excellent place to find more stuff to spend money on than I need. But it is also a community. A great place to find and maintain friendships and an awesome place to trade yarny goodness :)

I heard the call of a sock camp friend for just one little tiny skein of the wonder that is Wollmeise yarn. Ms. happystasher and I worked out a wonderful trade...
She got this:

And I got THIS:

Two beautiful Mill Ends from Blue Moon Fiber Arts!!
*sigh* I think I'm in love with these yarns--especially the one of the right... now if I could just find some time to knit...

Monday, December 1, 2008

Ugh, I give up.

I have finished a couple of Christmas presents so far and I am cautious but optimistic about my ability to finish a pair of socks and a few pairs of felted clogs, and some anklets, and one or two scarves...
Anyway, one of the presents that I've finished is one of those projects...

I had a brilliant idea. I had the perfect yarn. I had the skills. What I failed to calculate was the shear will of this blanket. It did not want to get made.
First, the pattern. It's an adaptation of a scarf that Wendy made and I doted on. I saw clearly that if she could make a skinny long rectangle, that with a few extra repeats I could make a more robust version and have a pretty fantastic baby blanket. So, I swatched (you in the back, stop laughing) so that I could measure how wide and tall the repeats were so I could do the math for my blanket.

That having been accomplished, I went to town. I quickly determined that more than one skein of yarn would be needed and ordered some more. And I started knitting...and knitting and knitting...but gosh it was getting w-i-d-e.

Dern, I'll have to take out some repeats (frog pond, 1) So I did. Then I realized that I didn't like the cast on (frog pond, 2) and ripped back. THEN I got the new skeins in the mail and realized the implicit danger to using hand dyed yarn--no two skeins are ever alike...

...and they were never going to be close enough and I HATE the idea of alternating skeins (frog pond 3)...BAH!!!!!!! So, I searched for a suitable replacement and found this...and this little baby was finally on it's way.

Oh, boy! I'm knitting and knitting and it's getting wider-not taller. Skein 1: Hmm, maybe I should frog it and reduce the number again...well, maybe it'll block tall... Skein 2: hmm, maybe I should order more yarn...Skein 3: Definately needs more yarn...Skein 4: mygodthisisnevergoingtoend...Skein 5: Good thing I ordered that extra one, but man, it's still kinda wide...Until, here I am at the end of my patience and then end of my dye lot and the damn thing is a rectangle THE WRONG WAY!!!!!!! The @(#(*$%&$^ thing is 'landscape' and I wanted 'portrait'!!!! PORTRAIT!!!!!!

Gaaaaahhhhhhh!!

And then, I put it in the wash to give it a little rinsy so that it would be clean for the baby and the peanut-crackin'-cork-popper BLOOMED!

*sigh* I knew it would all work out :)