Turkey precious and handspun

Hello there! Is it hot everywhere else too? :) We're coping by waking up early enough to work on chores while it's still cool in the morning. We have fans running in two windows to help pull in cooler air (we are a/c-less). I have all but unplugged the oven ;) how do you guys keep cool?

It's Tour de Fleece right now! I am not participating as heavily this year due to several knits that must be finished soon. However, I did finish spinning this:

It's half Norma and half mystery fiber; both from Sheep on a Spring. I looove the colors!! I always love the colors that Dag uses to dye, very vibrant and cheerful.

It's two ply and about 180 yards of sport weight. The yarn contains merino, alpaca, and "everything imaginable from angora to yak" (reads the fiber tag). I don't have plans for this skein yet! I would really like to knit a lot of Christmas gifts from handspun yarn!

There are a lot of Tour de Fleece tags on Instagram if anyone is interested in seeing what others are spinning, or looking for spinning inspiration. Among the tags I've seen are:

• #tdfleece2014 
• #tdf 
• #tdf2014 
• #tourdefleece

This past week I placed my first order to Jimmy Beans Wool, and I am so freaking pleased! The yarn is gorgeous:

I ordered five Unicorn Tails to add to Mrs. Weasley's blanket and a skein of Lorna's Laces in color Edgewater for a long overdue pair of socks for Scott :) the last pair I was knitting for him I ended up frogging halfway through...so it's been over two years since he's received a new pair, yikes.

Everyone talks about how quickly they ship - I ordered on Sunday and had my yarn on Thursday! Of course I Instagrammed my purchase, and JBW reached out and commented. Instantly I loved them.

I can't help but compare JBW to Knit Picks because they are the only two large yarn online companies I've purchased from. While it's likely I'll order from Knit Picks in the future, their shortcomings are glaringly apparent when stacked next to JBW. Anyway.

Madelinetosh Unicorn Tails !!

my first skein of Lorna's Laces ♥

I went back and forth on how I wanted to knit his socks. I've been dying to knit a vanilla sock one at a time just to keep in my purse. But I realized I might run out of yarn and was truly worried I might lose my steam after the first sock. I decided on toe up TAAT and I think it's the right decision. I'd like to make them as long as possible.

I looooooove the colors so much. If these fit me, I would have a hard time parting with them :)

I've named them Turkey Precious and here's the story the best as I can retell it.

Scott and I had been cracking up over the above video for weeks. Anytime one of us said "potato" in daily life we'd rap the song. So one time we were waiting for the bus to school and had been laughing about po-ta-toes. Then I said something about having turkey for dinner, and Scott honestly said, "What's turkey?" with 100% innocence. We still joke about "what's turkey, precious?" :)

(if that was a horrible story I apologize!!! sometimes it's hard to explain inside jokes!) 

Anyway! His socks are coming along very well. I love working with Lorna's Lace and will definitely purchase more. Uh yeah, I want a pair for myself too.

Berny wishing for winter

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for visiting me!! x

Hiking and Mrs. Weasley

Hi friends! I wanted to share a few photos from our hike this weekend, and some new photos of Mrs. Weasley's blanket!

We drove down the Bitterroot on Sunday morning and hiked Bear Creek. It's an easy hike that follows alongside the creek.

 

We hiked it once before a few years ago. During that time, it started pouring as soon as we reached the falls. We wouldn't have been worried but we each had a camera (I can't remember if we had brought rain jackets). So we sped down the trail to the car, about 1.5 miles, taking cover under large pines every once in awhile. At one point I skinned my knee on a tree that had fallen over the path and by the time we were back at the trail head, we were soaked!

Thankfully, it was nothing but sunshine when we hiked this past weekend :)

I took a photo with my camera's self-timer and it worked great except I didn't see that little plant in front of the lens. Photo bombed!

And now, progress on Mrs. Weasley's blanket:

Today I seamed two quadrants together. I had to YouTube how to seam (!!) and I found a superb video:




It really did make an invisible seam, which is important for me because my seaming yarn was a different color.

My invisible seam!!!:

I love love love this blanket ♥

Whoop whoop! socks

Socks! This pair felt especially super when I finished sewing in the ends; not only are they for a friend, but they are my thirteenth pair! I have reached my sock goal this year :) since I foresee more sock knitting, I'm increasing my goal to twenty pairs. That might be a little ambitious, especially with holiday knitting starting soon, but I'm going to try!

The yarn is hand dyed and I am so happy with how it knit up.

I hope everyone has been enjoying their weekend :) We have been indulging in the Dead White and Blue marathon, eek! (the Walking Dead) I never ever liked zombies until I started this show. I still don't like them, but I can't stop watching.

Oh one last thing! If you are interested, I am co-hosting a KAL with Jessie from Big Heart in a Small Town - we will be knitting Clinquant shawl by Lisa Mutch. The KAL starts on August 1 and ends on September 23... there is plenty of time to find yarn! If you visit the Ravelry thread for this, you will also find a 50% off coupon code for the pattern! We would love to have you knit along with us :)

Enjoy your weekend!! x

Book Club Baby Shower

Last week our book club gave a baby shower for not one, not two, but three of our expecting mamas! (that is almost half of our total membership!! Someone jokingly asked, What do you guys read??)

We spent the evening at a park eating, laughing, playing games. The weather held, though it sprinkled a little on us.

The super adorable cake Abbey made:

Since we are a book club, our gifts to the mamas were children's books!

FO: Hiking socks

It feels so good to have a finished object! On the pendulum of knitting, I am on the part that swings towards finishing all of the WIPs. Have to keep going while I have the momentum!

I just wanted a simple wool sock to wear with hiking shoes. The yarn is Patons Kroy and I enjoyed using it and I think it will hold up well. These were solely purse socks and knit on them while out and about.

Can't wait to try them out :) These make twelve pairs this year. I am going to change my original goal to knit thirteen pairs... maybe I will shoot for twenty pairs?


I cast on Echo Flowers shawl:

this is my first real lace project. I know they always say lace looks like spaghetti before blocking, but I am seriously worried! I am worried because my yarn is single ply, and wonder if the shawl would hold up better in a 2-ply. That photo represents three hours of knitting! One good thing is the pattern is becoming easier now that I'm on the third pattern repeat. What do you guys think? I will keep knitting on it (unless someone says knitting single ply lace shawls are the worst idea ever!), but any comments are appreciated.


I did make a little progress on Sue's socks:

I also started reading Orange is the New Black since finishing the second season (it's also our book club's next book). In rare history, the book is not as good as the tv show! Character development is nowhere as in depth in the book. I realize they want to make good tv and probably "enhanced" a lot of characters, but it makes the book dull. Oh, and almost all of the characters' names are changed! So that is confusing.


We made these Chia Seed Oatmeal cookies yesterday and they are delicious!

They have no added sugar, and don't use flour or eggs. But honestly, the selling point are the chia seeds! I really wanted to try them. The cookies are moist, chewy, and banana-y :) I definitely recommend them!


Today looks so bright and sunny, I am excited for the day! Hope you have all been enjoying your summer weekend xx

always socks

Hi friends!

I have been such a polygamous knitter lately, it's kind of driving me nuts because I haven't finished anything! I should add, while I usually have several projects going at the same time, this feels a little out of control. eep!

 

Dad's socks have been receiving more knitting time. They won't be finished in time for Father's Day, but I think I will give them to him anyway. I really want him to try them on so I know how much longer to knit them.

 

Look at the cute Belgian waffle stitch marker I received from Brie!! Cute stitch markers definitely help motivate me in that sea of navy blue :)

  

I also have been knitting on Sue's socks. I think I was still on the leg the last time I posted about them. I have turned the heels on both and have knit a little bit of feet :)

  

An eye of partridge heel is still the prettiest, in my opinion!!

 

I finished one hiking sock! Even though they are short, they are sure taking a long time to knit ;) The cuff and the leg are both one inch long, and then I started the heel flap. The yarn is Patons Kroy but doesn't it look like handspun? 

In my polygamist state, I cast on a new sock. It's Sunday Swing by Kristel Nyberg in Juno Fibre Arts Buffy Sock, colorway Lilac Pool. This is a BFL yarn and super squishy! One thing I have noticed about knitting with BFL (the other time I knit with BFL was with the String Theory Christmas socks) is that while it stretches very well, it doesn't really sproing back, know what I mean? I started this sock 64 stitches on 2.25 mm needles, which is my usual method, but they were too loose. I started over, 64 stitches on 2.00 mm needles and it fits much better. 

 

  

I really love the pattern! I am ready to start the heel :)

One last project: LACE!

  

It will be an Echo Flower shawl (isn't it pretty?) It's for my friend's boss, who was looking for a light something to wear over her dress at her son's wedding. This will be my first full lace project, with lace yarn, and I am a little apprehensive but also very excited about it. My deadline is July 29. eek!


I didn't take a progress photo of Mrs. Weasley's blanket but I finished the first quadrant (36 squares) and have knit about four squares of the second quadrant. I've received a bunch of mini skeins from Instagram friends and am slowly working them in!

little lovelies!!

oh, that little mouse? The sweet Dani made and sent it for Berny!!

(I posted a video of Berny going crazy for it on Instagram! it was so cute. But then she crashed hard, so I took a photo, of course)

Scott is enjoying his new toy, a PS4 !! He traded in an old PS3 plus some games, and that credit was applied towards the purchase. I think it was a great deal. But while he is playing with his toy, I think I will knit!! I haven't been able to knit as much this week because my coworker is gone, which means I've been working full days. I will tell you what, this weekend has been so blissful and leisurely!!!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekends, and Happy Father's Day!!!
xx

Mischief managed

spring spring S P R I I I I I I I I N G ! ! !

I think spring might be my favorite season after all. I love the cool air during the early morning and late evenings, it isn't too cold, just refreshing. And I love the fact that I can wear Bermuda shorts during the day but can still slip on a sweater to stay comfortable. The trees are all kapow with new leaves, and there are dots of color in front of everyone's home; tulips, irises, poppies.

I've cast on a new blanket and started the annual Harry Potter read. That is how Mrs. Weasley's blanket came to be.

Pattern: based on Hue Shift Afghan by Kerin Dimeler-Laurence

Needles: US 3 or 3.25 mm 

Yarn: only sock yarn scraps

You might remember I've already started one Hue Shift afghan...and haven't finished it. But I have been itching to cast on a sock yarn blanket for awhile, and finally decided to! I love this pattern because you pick up stitches as you go to form the next square, so no sewing blocks together!!! I'm altering this one to have four quadrants of 36 squares, I think that will be plenty large enough. 

It's ridiculous how fast this is going. I started both the blanket and the first HP on May 24, and I've knit a block of 6x5 squares and am on the third book already. I cannot put either down.

Doesn't it look like something Mrs. Weasley would knit?

my tub of sock scraps

That's it from me, I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!! You know what I'll be doing xx