As if I needed another hobby...

... I've taken up spinning. I'm still very much a beginner, but I'm having fun trying! My town's historical society is having a "pioneer Christmas" on Friday and I've volunteered to help demonstrate knitting and spinning (by drop spindle, someone else is bringing a spinning wheel). :-) I'm excited to try out my new skill in public, even though I won't be the greatest example of spinning, at least someone might learn that sweaters don't just come from Wal-Mart.

Project update: I've completed the body and sleeves of my colorwork sweater. It looks awesome! Now I just have to get up the guts to do the steeking and finishing work. That may take a while.

In the mean time I've started the February Lady Sweater (Ravelry link). A friend of mine at Blue Canoe Alpaca Farms (Facebook Link) raised the alpaca, "Skittles," from whom the yarn came. She has it professionally (er... machine?) spun. It is lovely and soft! I can hook you up with details if you'd like to buy some. She doesn't use dyes or anything so it's all natural alpaca colors. Mine is Rosegrey. She has other colors (though I believe she's about sold out of everything for this season) too.

Color Magic

So colorwork has officially fascinated me.

I'm falling in love with the way the different colors go together,

and how the shapes begin to form,

and all the patterns the stitches make.

Even the inside is pretty.

I love it!

Time Flies

Time flies very quickly these days. I've graduated, been ordained (become a pastor), moved to Michigan, and acquired a second cat (twice. It's a sad story.)

Knitting projects have gone more by the wayside than I've liked, but much progress has been made on MIL's dresser scarf. I also recently started my first colorwork sweater. It is a Knitpicks kit and I think will be lovely when it is done. I love how the warm colors are working together and am very pleased to discover that the Telemark wool isn't bothering my hands as much as I was afraid it might. :-) Both projects are traveling with me this week, so I may have more progress updates when I return. Of course, I've been very remiss in my blogging this year so perhaps I shouldn't make too many promises. Anyway, here's a picture of my new sweatery love:

Bad blogger!

I have been woefully remiss in my knitblogging (or any other sort of blogging) this school year. Life has taken over. Classes have taken my will to write. And here it is, spring break, and I am finally sitting down to think about my current knitting projects:

1. Sweater commissioned by uniquely sized co-worker. I'm sort of making it up. We'll see how it goes. Must be completed by graduation. Body is almost done. Still have to figure out sleeves.

2. Dresser Scarf for MIL. I thought I was going to have to make it up. Then I found this: the Candle Flame Shawl. (Ravelry Link) Must be completed by Christmas.

3. Prayer shawl for a classmate. K3, P3 seed stitch (so it doesn't come out in 3x3 ribs!). Also must be completed by graduation. About halfway there.

And all those guilty incomplete projects:
Monkey Socks, gloves from the honeymoon yarn, honeycomb vest... *sigh* I know I haven't listed all of these... but that's all I can remember at the moment.

These penguins are from the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland. They were one of our favorite sights on our honeymoon.

Maybe this weekend I can do a project picture purge (once I actually take some) so there are actual knitting things on this blog. I've got the Honeycomb Vest, Fire Fountain Dresser Scarf, Knotty Gloves, and a surprise project actively on the needles (Rav Links). It's hard to work on some of the more complicated projects (like the Fir Cone Square Shawl and cantankerous Monkey Socks) aren't being worked on because I don't have time to puzzle out the next steps I need to take.

In the recently completed pile: hand towels and a swiffer cover for a friend, lots of plain cotton washcloths, a snazzy laptop bag for my new toy! Pictures soon - assuming the sunshine sticks around for a photo shoot.

New Adventure

Today I began a new adventure in knitting. My MIL requested a dresser scarf for Christmas. I'd never heard of such a thing, so I did a little Rav research and found a few patterns. I bookmarked one of them, but wasn't in love. Then when Knit Picks had a sale on laceweight yarn I snapped up some Shimmer in Cumulus - the perfect colorway for my MIL! Unfortunately, my bookmarked pattern and my yarn did not match. I did more searching, but found nothing to my liking. Enter the Interweave Knits "101 Stitches to Knit" card set. I found two lace patterns I liked and decided to try my hand at putting them together.

The Fire Fountain Dresser Scarf was born (in my head anyway). Because this is lace, I've taken a few good notes on what I'm doing so I may even be able to share this pattern when it is completed. I'll have to double check copyrights on the lace patterns first, though. When I've got enough of it done to look like something, I'll post a picture. For now, just wish me luck!

Finally

My big secret project is no longer a secret!!

Wedding Sweater for Christopher (Rav Link)
Men's Cable V-Neck Pullover by Kim Barnette
Rowan RYC Cashsoft Aran in 016 Mist

This was a five month labor of love for my new husband. He loves it. It fits him beautifully. (I'll have to get an action shot sometime soon!) I'm thrilled to pieces! Now, he's just got to learn how to take care of it...

Shortly after I gave it to him, I discovered it in the trunk of his car soaked in Windex that had leaked all over the place. When we got home, he carefully washed it and has promised to take much better care of it in the future.

Center square done!

The center square on the Fir Cone shawl is complete! As soon as I pick up all the border stitches, each round will have 614 little loops of joy for me to knit and purl and so forth. I can't wait!!!

Also - wedding countdown = 10 days!!!

The Fir Cone Square Shawl is shaping up nicely! I'm about halfway through the center section and am falling ever more in love with the pattern. It slides through my fingers now, instead of struggling with them. I can't wait to see it blocked!!

All other exciting and recent knitting projects are wedding and/or gift related. Just three more weeks to the big day! I can't wait to show off the pictures (of the knitting of course!)

He is Risen Indeed! ALLELUIA!

Now the green blade rises from the buried grain,
Wheat that in the dark earth many days has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been;
Love is come again like wheat arising green.

In the grave they laid him, love by hatred slain,
Thinking that he would never wake again,
Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen;
Love is come again like wheat arising green.

Forth he came at Easter like the risen grain,
He that for three days in the grave had lain;
Raised from the dead, my living Lord is seen;
Love is come again like wheat arising green.

When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Your touch can call us back to life again,
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been
Love is come again like wheat arising green.

- Now the Green Blade Rises John MacLeod Campbell Crum, 1872-1958

Happy Easter!

The Return of the Fir

I've finally gotten back to knitting on my Fir Cone Square Shawl. Over the weekend I ripped the whole thing out, went down a needle size, and started over. I'm much happier with the results now. Now, if only my cat would stop looking threateningly at the yarn... one snap of those jaws would snip it in two and I'd have to figure out how to weave in ends on lace. *gulp*

I am able to spend time on the shawl now because I've completed my bridesmaids gifts! I'll post pictures after the wedding - they're a surprise! But I think they're precious! I can't wait to show them off! Just a little more than 6 weeks now... we're getting close!

With this being Holy Week and last week being incredibly busy with a funeral and other goings on, I'm looking forward to a bit more knitting time after Easter. I'm starting to feel yarn-deprived!

Far too long

It has been far too long, dear knitting blog, since I spent time with you. I have excuses, I promise! I've been swamped with work. (That one's old.) I've been knitting secret projects that cannot be revealed until a later time. (Valid point, I suppose.) I've been traveling and away from my computer. (Ever heard of a laptop or e-mail, genius?)

In any case, the Valentine's Day gift for my beloved was a lovely Besotted Scarf (Ravelry Link). It's a lovely green flecked with yellows and browns and blues. I'll have to ask him to take a picture of himself in it. My camera is still broken and I forgot to ask to use his. I apologize!

My big pink, fluffy prayer shawl is close to being done. The knitting group has completed 5 already! We're blessing them in worship on Sunday. :-)

The remaining monkey sock is hibernating for being ornery.

For now, that's all the knitting news I've got.

Happy New Year (a month into 2009)!!!

I didn't fall off the face of the earth - I promise! I've just been knitting a lot more than I've been blogging. I suppose that's what happens when your fiancee lends you all of his Star Trek DVDs (ie - all of TOS and TNG). As much as I hate to admit it, I've been pretty glued to the TV for the past month and a half - but it has produced a lot of knitted goodness! One monkey sock is complete, and the other is fast approaching the heel. A Valentine's Day gift for my beloved is also complete, but since he reads this blog every so often you'll have to wait until next week to see it!

A new prayer shawl ministry is up and running at church. I had to start my shawl over when I discovered it was too narrow, but one of our knitting converts, my dear friend Deb, has already completed hers! I'll be showing her how to weave in ends at our meeting on Tuesday!

Well, that's all my publishable knitting news for now! See Ravelry for more details!

On the Way

The projects for Chris' family are all done! I mailed them on Tuesday. I sent washcloths to his parents and this cabled scarf to his grandmom.


I think the blue will compliment her eyes beautifully! Ravelry Link.

In other knitting news, we've started a prayer shawl ministry at the church. My dear friend Deb is even getting into knitting! I'm so excited to be sharing my love of yarn with her.

Life in general has been incredibly busy. Advent will do that to you, I suppose. I'm looking forward to this time next week when I will have a couple of actual days off!

Meme from Spinnerknitter (a Ravelry friend)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I love getting creative with wrapping paper, but sometimes bags are better for strangely shaped gifts
2. Real tree or Artificial? I'd much prefer a real tree, but since I live in an apartment with my cat we've got a little artificial one that a friend is loaning us.
3. When do you put up the tree? Normally, Christmas Eve. But I needed some cheering up since I've been sick this week so I put it up a couple days ago.
4. When do you take the tree down? Jan 6 - Epiphany!
5. Do you like eggnog? I don't think I've ever had it
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Tough call! Either the dollhouse my grandpa and I put together or my big stuffed dog, Spot!
7. Hardest person to buy for? Dad. Hands down.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Mom or my fiance
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes! Olive wood from Bethlehem.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, if I do them.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don't know.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Carol (don't make me pick a version!)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I make most of my gifts, but I keep my eyes open for things all year round.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Grandma's Pumpkin pie!
16. Lights on the tree? Yep!
17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh man oh man... don't make me choose! Infant Holy, Infant Lowly; O Holy Night; Silent Night; Angels We Have Heard on High; There's a Star in the East...
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Usually I travel to see family, but this year family is coming to me!
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donder and Blitzen and (of course) Rudolph!
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The fact that it starts after Halloween and ends on the 25 of December. The world forgets Advent and the actual season of Christmas (Dec. 25-Jan. 5)
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? My Aunt Dee who is also my godmother has given me an ornament every year for Christmas and those are my favorites.
23. What do you want for Christmas this year? I've got a long list of books (many of which are about yarn...)
24. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel, one I made as a kid
25. Favorite Christmas dinner? We usually have ham and turkey, mashed potatoes, rolls, green beans, pumpkin pie... yum!

Project Overload

It happens every few months.

I think Ravelry is part of the problem, but its not the only thing contributing to my plight.

Yes, I've overloaded my project capacity again. There are just too many wonderful things to knit! I've got so much on the needles that nothing is being done (okay... just washcloths... did you really think I could not knit anything??) The Fir Shawl is hibernating by the couch; the monkey socks are napping in my travel bag; the lace scarf has hidden itself in the stash due to neglect; my poor herringbone mitt sits forlornly on my coffee table, begging for its mate to be completed; and I can't even find the gumption to choose a pattern for the sweater I want to make for my fiancee as a wedding gift. (Though, to my credit, I did finally take his measurements so when I do finally pick something it will fit him!)

Then there are the Christmas things I'd like to make time for; and the birthday gifts as well...

I hope people like washcloths.

Staying Warm

Fingerless Mitts by Ann Budd
Ravelry Project Links: Neckwarmer and Mitts

My friend and co-worker, Deb, requested some fingerless mitts to keep her hands warm at the office. She bought this lovely, soft bamboo yarn and I had enough left over to make a neck warmer as well! I loved raiding my button box for the funky buttons. She loved them so much that she showed them off at our staff meeting, which prompted the organist to request some mitts as well because the sanctuary where she practices the organ is always so cold during the week. I finished those this week and gave them to her today. I've been pretty cold at my computer the last few days so I'm probably going to make some for myself soon since I can't seem to find my old pair.

I've been working on more socks and trying to make time to work on the Fir, but life has been pretty busy. Advent is almost here! The intern's life is starting to get busy!

Carpenter's Star

Here's the center star! It still needs borders, but those will have to wait for another Saturday. I'm loving this project! The colors are so bright and cheerful!

Knitter Weather

Today was the second day in a row that I had to scrape ice off of my car. This time I thought about it ahead of time and remembered to wear a hat, scarf and gloves! It was the first time out for my Shedir! I love this time of year!

The Fir is progressing slowly. I've been working on simpler projects recently - mostly socks. I love the mindlessness of socks some days. I'm still trying to come up with something wonderful for my fiancee's mother. I just don't know where to begin since I've never met her. *sigh*

I'm so excited about taking a quilting class on Saturday! I'll be making a queen size carpenter's star quilt. I got the fabric, washed it and pressed it two weekends ago. Its going to be beautiful! :-) I'm really looking forward to having something to do on a Saturday too. Chores get old quickly. It will be nice to get out for a change.

Irish Eyes

Plaited Cable Scarf by NJ Niemeyer
I've misplaced the ballband on this yarn. Its a wool acrylic blend of some sort.

This is an awful picture of the color, but a decent shot of the cables on the scarf I completed this afternoon.

And progress has been made on the Fir Cone Square Shawl thanks to "The Devil Wears Prada" from the e-listening library and episodes of "M*A*S*H" and "What Not to Wear."

There's a sock ready to have its heel turned when I get around to thinking about it, and another colorwork mitten on the needles, but they may be laid aside for Christmas Knitting in the near future. I really should finish the lace scarf and I need to think of something for my fiance's mother... hmm...