Pretty in Pink

Good Evening Everyone,

I had wonderful luck and bad luck at Cultured Purls in Issaquah.  They were out of the yarn I most likely would have purchased.  Out of the size of cable (30") that I would have bought...However, the sales woman was tremendously helpful and patient and I looked over the choices I did have.  I chose Rowan's Kidsilk Haze in a mauve/pink color.  It was that or an off-white grey-ish one and I am not too big on grey for my own wardrobe.

I have worked with this yarn before...it can be tricky...because all that beautiful, fluffy mohair keeps you from easily taking out (tinking) mistakes made.  Last time I used it I was crocheting though...still how different can it be.

Anyway I was so anxious to get started that I dug everything out at my Aunt and Uncle's place after we had finished our gourmet dinner.  I managed to go four rows and then stopped...my count was off and I wasn't sure that I was interpreting one of the stitches correctly.

So on our way back today we stopped back in at the shop and the two ladies working today both knit lace!  I got the stitch clarified by one and the second told me she does her swatch up in a worsted weight and larger needles so she can really see the pattern develop.  I decided that was a trick I wanted to try and as luck would have it I had all those supplies with me!  We continued on and I started my test swatch...in red Lamb's Pride.  I have just two rows so far and it doesn't look like much yet!

And now I am tired and heading off to dreamland. 

Goodnight!
Janet

Lace...

Good Evening!

Well look how late it has gotten...I always intend to start writing earlier in the evening... Last night I told you about a new project...a personal piece...that I intent to make...and I hoped to get out to shop for the supplies I need today...but as so often happens other things kept popping and prevented me from leaving to shop.

So I figured that since we are going on a road trip to Seattle tomorrow(Tukwila actually) that I would see if we could squeeze in a stop at a shop somewhere along the way. I'll take my pattern with me and then I can get started tomorrow night!

Here is a photo of what I hope to make...it is called Dunes & Waves and was written and published by Natalia Blank (natalia.blank@gmail.com)

I downloaded my copy of the pattern right from Ravelry, but she is also on Etsy as Rukodelnitsa.
Her sites are http://www.tashaknits.blogspot.com/ and http://www.natashaknits.blogspot.com/

And I have located a promising shop to stop at in Issaquah...right on our way as we are going to divert there to go through Renton and see my Aunt and Uncle.  So Cultured Purls it is!... Check them out!

http://www.cultured-purls.com/

Since we will be out of town and on the road I will not be posting tomorrow...however I do intend to post Friday after we return...so check in and see what I found!

Bye for now,

Janet

Bhahhh! What to do, What to do?!

Hi,

I got the bah-hum-bugs today so I went shopping!!! Great idea, right?  Well I thought so... and I did find a great dress at the second hand shop that I can use to felt with.  Then as I was looking around at home to decide what to do next I ran across this set of patterns I had purchased back when my sister was getting married...



And I decided that I would use some speciality fibers that come from Montana to make the shrug shown at the bottom in mauve.  The fibers are a mix of wools and silk that make a beautifully, rich and vibrant yet soft and supple felt.  To this I plan to add a crochet border that I hope to make out of another fabulously luxurious fiber - mohair - from another company in Montana.  Their mohair yarn has such a wonderful luster and sheen, plus great body that I just want to lay a bunch on the carpet and roll up in it!

So tomorrow I may go shopping again to buy all the fiber I will need to make this very special wrap.  Then I am going shopping for lace weight yarn and needles so I can start on a personal project...more on this tomorrow!

Later,
Janet

Quotes of an Inspiring Kind & Inspiring People

Good Evening Everyone,

What a great day!  I have been enjoying my new book: The Knitter's Life List.  I know I have already said that, but it is worth repeating.  The resources and tidbits in it are endless!!!

I am so excited to meet some of the people that author, Gwen Steege, has been introducing me to through her words!  She does a great job of bring them to life...Hopefully some day I will meet some of them in person...for now I am enjoying Gwen's words.

Today the special person she introduced me to is Alice Starmore, a resident of Isle of Lewis, Scotland.  We may be an ocean apart, but I feel as if I know Alice.  She is a very busy lady from running her own croft - or small self-sufficient farm - to managing careers as a designer of her yarn company Virtual Yarns https://www.virtualyarns.com/ to her graphic design company http://www.windfallpress.net/home.html and a career as a professional photographer and teacher.

Yet, what really resonated with me about Alice is her love of nature.  She most often turns to it for her inspiration in designing patterns for knitwear.  I guess that is how I feel about nature and it is often why I write about parts of it here in my blog.  Alice speaks of the life affirming sensations she gets being close to land, sea, sky and all the creatures...I know for myself that is how it was when we were sailing our sailboat, Sapphire.  Everything is so...close...intimate...and you know you are alive!

Quote from Steege's book: "It may seem that my various activities are disparate, but they are not at all", she explains.  "Everything is closely related.  When I am working in my croft; or taking photographs; or studying wildlife; or taking people on nature walks; or preparing classes for children; or walking the hills, moors, and coastlines; or visiting London or the Louvre, I am doing what every creative person does - absorbing inspiration and allowing ideas to form.  It is a crucial part of the process that ends up a piece of art or design."  page 110

Google Alice Starmore and look at images and you will be inundated with tons of work people have done using her patterns.

Check out both Steege's book and Alice Starmore's art...neither will disappoint you!

Janet

For Those That Have It...Treasure It!

Hello,

I just love it when I get feedback from my followers.  Today I got a great tip from Carrol about a blade for my rotary cutter that will be very helpful...so "Thanks Carrol!".

I am still working on fingerless gloves, cuffs and scarves for Christmas gifts...but I get sidetracked a bit here and there (always!) as ideas hit me in mid-stride and so tonight I am finally getting a few photos posted of my knitted scarf and fingerless gloves that I have been referring to for a bit. 

What is so funny (or maybe not) is that I bought a huge stash of this yarn in all the colors one day when I stumbled on it at Michael's.  Everyone has admired my scarf as I was knitting it and so I began to sell off my stash to friends...No problemo, right!  Wrong!!!

I ran out of some colors and some of the ladies of my knitting group want more so I went to get some and found - none - in any store in the area... still not a problem...I'll order it online...wrong again!  It is GONE!  Word on the street is that it was a limited production for the holidays and Red Heart is not going to be replenishing stores...so... 

So those that did get some and kept it are selling the balls at auction on eBay and Amazon.  Today I found numerous balls that still had a day or more to go at auction and already the bid was up to $15.50!!!  We are talking about Red Heart Sashay yarn...normally $4.99 that I got on sale once at $1.19 and once at $3.99...Incredible is all I have to say.  If you want a scarf made of this yarn and do not already have your yarn, you can buy finished scarves online from $15 to $30.  One YouTube video says the scarves were selling in stores for $30-$38.  Expect that and the price on balls of yarn to keep climbing.

So I will treasure each and every ball I have left all the more...

Enjoy it if you have it!

Janet

The Dance

Hello,

Wonderful! We have Chinese Ring Necked Pheasants in our neighborhood and I just love it when I get a good look at one.  Our small dog, of course, has decided that they do not belong in his back yard, but he doesn't seem to care if we see them out on our daily walks...which is terrific for times like today when two males were dancing back and forth in front of us!  It must have been a ritualistic breeding dance.  Quite fun to watch as they were mirroring each other in movements.  Of course, nothing lasts and they eventually decided we were encroaching in their space and so they took off...one flew to our right...one flew to our left.  Then they landed in the scruff and began calling back and forth.  Wished I had been able to film it for you, but I couldn't so I have included a couple videos so you can hear what they sound like at times. 






What I would really like to try is to create a piece of nuno felt that reflects some of this superb plumage.  Do you think I can do it?  We will see, huh!


Well I did get a bit of work done today on some felt cuffs that I made.  I added a mohair trim with some multicolored metallic beads.  All in all not too bad.  Kind of showy like the pheasants we see around here.

Goodnight everyone...sweet dreams :)
Janet