surprises

Leah bought this little sheep pin as a surprise for me while at Spa Knit and Spin last weekend. I don't know when exactly she purchased it, but I do know that I spent at least half an hour chatting with Susan from Goose Pond on Sunday morning and she kept Leah's purchase a secret. I think my facial expression matched this sheep's look of surprise when I arrived home to find it on my desk! I forgot to include it with the pic of Spa purchases because it was already pinned to my coat.

I can't believe it's practically the weekend again already and the coming weekend looks to be every bit as much fun as the last. Meanwhile, this entire week has zipped by with many happy surprises and good karma all around.

First, I won a prize through one of the New England Textile Artists' contests. I don't know what I won yet, but I think the anticipation and surprise is part of the fun.

Next, it appears that Leah's Sylvi caused a bit of a stir when Leah wore it in the fashion show at Spa last weekend. I was completely unaware of this because I was busy trying to catch a decent photo of her in the show (unsuccessfully, as you can see in the last pic of this post), but Julia Farwell-Clay, the Features Editor of Twist Collective, the online magazine that published the pattern, subsequently went out of her way to track me down and compliment my work. She started with a Ravelry post that included terms like "showstopper" and "utterly gorgeous." And, wow, people then followed up with similarly enthusiastic comments and someone else was kind enough to link Julia to my blog. She then left a comment on Sylvi's blog post that mentioned the "audible gasp" when the knitters saw Sylvi. Seriously, I can't believe I missed all the hubbub at the time, but I am blown away by the flood of compliments now!

Given a good-natured kick in the pants by Julia and other Sylvi enthusiasts, I updated my Ravelry projects and Leah's too. We both had something like 15 projects to add -- yikes, I guess it's been a while since we updated!

While I was on a roll, I updated Scott's Etsy shop with a few new things too. Just realized I still haven't taken a pic of his new beads that look like teeny drop spindles. Off to track some of those down...

Sylvi

Pattern: Sylvi from Twist Collective

For: Leah

Yarn: Mystery coned wool that cost $8 total at a yarn tag sale

Beads and buttons: Glass, made by Scott

See also Sylvi Post 2 for more pics, details, and comments.

getting Twisted!

Welcome, Twist Collective readers! I've been admiring Twist Collective's work since its first issue, continuing through to knitting Leah's Sylvi last winter, and am THRILLED to see Scott's sheep beads as one of the featured goodies in the fall issue's Tidbits section!

It occurs to me that we haven't done a giveaway in quite a while and those are always lots of fun, so let's whip one up right now.

Wanna win a freebie sheepy?
Up for grabs are those three sheep in the Twist Collective feature, one black and two white. Well, not those sheep, since those are probably floating around the Twist Collective world headquarters somewhere, but similar ones from the same flock.

Since we're all about enthusiastic living and learning 'round here, how about if you leave a comment about what you're learning lately (doesn't have to be fiber-related!). Please make sure to leave your contact info (email address/blog link/Ravelry name) in the comments so we can contact you if you are a winner. Every commenter will get a chance to win, with one sheep going to each of three randomly chosen commenters. Comments will be open until Monday, August 24, at 5:00 p.m.

Don't forget to subscribe to the blog and/or Etsy store to see the newest things we're working on.

Thanks for coming out to play today! Knit on!

BTW, have you seen Mari Muinonen's Luminen? I fell in love with her work on Sylvi and think this might be calling my name next, only this time it would be for ME!

Sylvi, post 2

Mods: 

1. Omitted bobbles in center of flowers, replaced with glass beads.

2. Added a flower on sleeve and one side of lower front.

3. Skipped hood, opting for a simple ribbed neckline so that top flower wouldn't get covered up. 

Time to knit: 2 weeks

Time to sew on all those petals, leaves, beads, and buttons: 4 additional weeks!

Fun to make, fun to wear!
See also Sylvi Post 1 for more pics, details, and comments.

amused. or not.

We are easily amused 'round here, as evidenced by the ooh...ahhh response to whatever happens to Scott's glass goodies as they go through the annealing process. Yup, it's all pretty and it's all good, except when we want the buttons and the beads for Leah's Sylvi sweater coat to MATCH. The buttons turned out as we hoped, but the beads for the flower centers were not encased in clear glass and turned a much stronger purple. Common sense would suggest that making more beads, using the same glass rods and encasing in clear, just like the buttons, would net that same soft plummy-purple on an amber base with slight iridescent haze over top, right?

RIGHT?!

Um, no, apparently not.

That'll get you mossy greens. Beautiful, indeed, but not what we were aiming for.
So, it has been decreed that the original beads will remain in place, not perfectly matching the buttons, but pretty nonetheless. And the beadmakerbaker has told his #1 pain-in-the-butt non-paying and highly demanding customer :::waving howdy ho, that's me!::: to take her special orders for a flying leap. :-)

Meanwhile, hey, guess what my sister wore as a wrap for her company's Christmas party this year?

It's the Lady Eleanor stole that I knit for my mom a little over a year ago. WooHoo for knits that get used, and in such a stylin' way!

(I'm working on getting Bren to hand over that dress so I can snip off that chiffon outer layer and nuno felt it into a jacket or something for her. She still cringes at the thought, but I know she'll go for it eventually.)

After about a dozen false starts on knitting projects that just haven't worked out lately, I seem to finally have something workable underway.

This is a big fat cone of tweedy goodness scored at a stash swap last weekend. I'm knitting two strands at a time, aiming for a gansey for Scott. As long as it has his beloved seed stitch and a cable or two, he'll be a happy guy. It's the least I can do, after rejecting so many of his pretty (but wrong) beads!

Lastly, a big thanks to Amy at Live, Learn, Knit for passing the Kreativ Blogger award our way. I'm supposed to then pass it on to some bloggers whose work I enjoy, so here's to:

Laurie at Issues With Knitting
Ruth at Knitting On Impulse
Karrie at Delaney's Duds
Lorraine at Of Faith and Fiber
Maria at Passing Down Crazy
Pat at Pat's Knitting and Quilting
and Faith at The Needle and The Damage Done

hold that thought

Sorry, can't come to the blog right now. Swatching for Sylvi.

How do we love the stash? Let us count the ways!

Best yarn candidate: the 5 cones of heathery blue/purple in the top right of this pic.

Santa Baaas is on its way to the Rabid Crafter!

in between the secret stuff

We have a supercool xmas gift in progress around here, but I can't talk about that. And there are a bunch of things recently finished, but I can't talk about them either. And a few things that aren't gifts, but I don't have pics, so I can't really talk about them. And beads/stitch markers galore coming out of the glass studio, but they haven't gone through their Etsy process yet, so no point in saying much about them. Let's just say we always make a lot of things around here, but lately we're making stuff in overdrive!

Until I can spill the beans, here are some projects I can share. First is a tippet Leah knit for herself. One of the costumed interpreters at Old Sturbridge Village was knitting a wedge for one this summer, told Leah the recipe, and the girl set out to make her own. She plans to someday add a knitted or crocheted decorative edge, but for now, it serves its purpose when she wants just a bit more warmth or fancies herself transported in time to the 1840s...

Where she just might be invited to join in a social dance with live music, in the parsonage barn at Old Sturbridge Village. Yet another wonderful evening spent there for Christmas By Candlelight last weekend. Full moon, roaring bonfire, horse-drawn carriage ride, holiday music performed by a Celtic group, mulled cider...peaceful and beautiful and festive. Ahhh. Noticing that the four members of my family were wearing a total of something like a dozen handknit items to keep us cozy on that chilly night certainly warmed this knitter's heart.

When the kids both had friends over a couple of weeks ago, Leah's pal was wearing legwarmers. Next thing I know, a certain somebody's digging around in our yarn, pulls out a bunch of leftovers, and sets to work making this stripey cheerful set. Destined for one of her friends who doesn't read this blog. :-)

My work is finally at a mellow pace again and I'm enjoying the breather immensely. Scott requested a simple pair of mittens, so I've taken to working on them while doing online reading, waiting for files to download, being on hold on the phone, etc. I'm practicing my knitting-without-looking, definitely getting more comfortable with that, and astounded to have nearly finished a pair of mittens over the past few days, mostly knit during those little wait times.

I have some Viking knitting to show you too. Did some at craft night last week and one of my friends gave it at try at craft night yesterday, with equal enthusiasm about the results.

I'm also expecting to finish the first Sylvi sleeve while we're out with knitting friends (a mom and her two knitting daughters) and aquaintances this evening.

Oh, and Edelweiss mittens, complete!

Yes, yes, yes, Makestuff Overdrive, happily so! More to come, for sure.

shrinking, stretching, screwing up

Boy, Scott's been making some very pretty things at the torch lately. Check out these beads.

I know, maybe not the best pic in the world, but I love how the sunshine is reflecting through the clear glass encasing each bead. It was just that sunny here yesterday. And no matter how great a pic I could've taken, it wouldn't convey how gorgeous these beads truly are, so let's just enjoy that sunshine, eh? Besides the pretty, pretty effect of the glass used, these beads are also much smaller and more delicate than the big-holed beads Scott was making before. Hm....I might just need to start wearing bracelets. :-)

While he went smaller on the beads, he also went larger on some buttons. These are a full 3 cm in diameter. Perfect for a single button accent on a handknit sweater, or maybe replacement buttons for the black hand-me-down coat I just received. Lots of subtle coloring in these and a metallic iridescent sheen in those little speckles when the sun hits the glass. Yum.

Also oversized is the pair of slippers I'm knitting for Jesse. It's the well-known Fiber Trends felted clogs pattern. I made a pair for Scott a few years ago and they have held up beautifully, so when Jesse requested slippers recently, I was happy to make another pair. Since Leah's Sylvi is just waiting for a glass order to arrive so Scott can make the beads and buttons for it, I again had a clean slate with no knitting in progress. New Year's Eve's snowstorm, sick Goob (laryngitis, bronchitis, general ooey gooeyness), and It's A Wonderful Life on DVD = perfect slipper knitting evening.

Now, Jesse's feet are big anyway, at size 12, but anybody who's familiar with this pattern knows that the slippers are enormous when knit up and then you felt them down to size for thick, warm, durable slippers. This one, for instance, is 18" long. Luckily, they're knit on size 13 needles, so they go fast. Maybe too fast. I was happily knitting away, finishing the first slipper in an evening, when I finally took a good look at the thing and realized I had a major screw-up on my hands! I must've gotten the whole thing off kilter at some point. Can you see the problem in the picture above? See how there are decreases traveling across the top of the foot asymmetrically and half of the sole is showing on the right side? Um, that would be WRONG. If the opening of the slipper is straight up, half of the sole is creeping up the side of the foot. If the sole is positioned flat on the ground, the slipper opening is at a 45º angle. This slipper could be a perfect fit for anyone who walks on their right ankle. :-P

Nope, no amount of twisting and fiddling would save this thing, so we all laughed at my lovely mutant accomplishment for the evening and then I ripped it out. Reminder to self: counting stitches is important on this pattern.

No biggie, really, but I have to laugh because I was out to dinner with a friend on Tuesday and she, who had tried knitting for something like three whole days, commented that she's just not good at it. She then went on to compliment my knitting skills and I promptly reminded her that this was with years of practice and I *still* screw up, tear out, and am utterly baffled on a regular basis. In my warped world, that's part of the fun, the thrill of the chase, trying something new and challenging, just to see what comes of it.

Sometimes, I even get it right. Jesse's new pair of slippers will be felted later today. :-)

jaws' natural predator

Squirt, mild-mannered maiden when his humans are home

Crazed attacker of shark hats and protector of his domain when left in charge.

Jaws has not succumbed to injuries sustained and will live to face his tiny foe another day.

Meanwhile, the Knitters mesmerize a guy passing by, who did a double take and a U-turn to ask all sorts of questions.

Looking forward to arrival of double amber purple glass today so Scott can make the beads and buttons required for finishing Sylvi! Also, since we've been out for five of the last seven evenings, looking forward to a quiet night at home. 

with a little effort

It's been a while since Leah did any spinning, so when she sat down recently to spin yarns for an intended xmas gift, she was a bit rusty. Thick and thin chunky yarn, not what she was aiming for but still perfectly usable. This skein includes some C*eye*ber Fiber BFL Leah received as a gift from our favorite LYS, Creative Fibers, and also some angora. And some plying by a friend.

By the second skein, she was getting back into the swing of things, putting more twist in, drafting better. This skein includes angora rec'd as a gift from Chris at Woolybuns when Leah wrote an article about angora rabbits for Spindlicity a couple of years ago, and also some llama down received as a gift from Lars and Gayle at West Mountain Farm.

And by the third skein, big improvement! This is alpaca that Leah received as thanks for being a spinning demonstrator at Burgis Brook Alpacas' open house last year.

All three skeins were given to a friend yesterday. On the way home from a knit night with friends, which followed a knitting afternoon at a local NICU with a friend and her wee preemie, Leah told me she already started spinning something else. She raided the fiber stash and chose a beautiful pound of roving that we got at the Fiber Twist this fall. She says spinning is the perfect thing to do while listening to Louisa May Alcott books on her iPod, courtesy of Librivox.

I, meanwhile, am enjoying a lull in the workload, happily knitting along on Sylvi. I'm almost to the halfway point on the back and expect to finish the second sleeve today. Not bad for only being a week into this project! The flowers will be added as surface decoration later. I'm up to the 2nd flower, the one toward the right at hip level. I'm using the mindless sleeves as social knitting and working on the back when I can concentrate on the chart.

Xmas-induced vagueness alert: Yesterday, I again experienced the wild and wonderful generosity of fiber fanatics. This time, I met up with someone for one thing and left with significantly more than expected, because yarny people are just nice like that. :-)

Y'know what I did on Sunday? All of the past year's knitting projects that didn't have a specific destination were placed into a box and offered for anyone who wanted them at the xmas festivities with Scott's side of the family. There were stranded mittens, a lace wrap, two pairs of socks, a few scarves, and a bunch of neckwarmers. What fun to see the ensuing feeding frenzy! Such a great feeling to see many of those things adopted by people who love them and will put them to good use!

collaborative

Beads for my sister.
Green beads, along with turquoise and blue ones not seen here,
made by Scott and six novice beadmakers, including
my mom, brother-in-law, nephew, and the four members of my family.

Neckwarmer for my mom.
Spun by Jesse,
plied by me,
knit by Leah,
floral buttons made by Scott.

Even Hawkeye's in on the knitting fun.

Back to sewing on Sylvi's petals.
Fastest sweater-coat EVAH!

Moving on

Sylvi went to a new home today, with a new owner (Scott's sister, Vickie) who is all done growing!


Spring cleaning, knitterstyle!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

fiber twist north

Last weekend, we were at the Fiber Twist at our favorite farmers' market. This Saturday, we rolled northward nice and early. Destination: Franklin County (Massachusetts) Fiber Twist. We shared a booth with our friend, Leslie Wind, whose beautiful metal shawl pins and cable needle necklaces were a nice complement to Scott's glass work.

Leah was tickled by the whole thing, of course, but especially by the opportunity to wear her Sylvi sweater/coat in Twist Collective's fashion show. She otherwise spent the day flitting among the knitters, participating in charity knitting sessions, gathering ideas, soaking up colors, and doing metalwork with Leslie. She was also working on her Swallowtail shawl again, as apparently it's been in a time-out long enough.

Beads made of beads. Must find tutorial.
In between selling Scott's glass stuff, I enjoyed a steady stream of knitting friends I know from other places, folks I had just met but felt like I could talk to for days, and loving all the incredible things they were wearing -- beaded, felted, knitted, crocheted, woven, and on and on.

No lack of inspiration or ideas after a day at an event like this!

Leah made a point of visiting Gail Callahan, the Kangaroo Dyer, to tell her she finally found what she thinks will be the perfect pattern for the gorgeous red and black hand-dyed yarn Gail gave to Leah last year. They had a good chat and the next thing Leah knows, Gail is handing her this awesome skein of yarn to go turn into something fabulous!

It looks like blue shades on my monitor, but it's purples, from hazy gray-purples to full-on grape, with itty bitty iridescent sequins spun into it. Incredibly beautiful, especially for a kiddo who is recently falling back in love with knitting lacy patterns. This might become a Shetland Triangle or a Forest Canopy Shawl. Gail has a book coming out this winter and it's bound to be a great resource with stunningly dyed examples.

Home again in time to scoop up Jesse and head out to Pipes in the Valley, a Celtic music festival in Hartford, so we could see performances by the Wicked Tinkers and Gaelic Storm. Then home to bed, with another big day to follow.