A fiber-crafts fanatic who lives to create. I'm also "Wovenflame" on Ravelry, Flickr, ETSY, DoA and yahoogroups.
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Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Happy Halloween!
Better pictures of the whole costume can be seen on her own blog.
Too bad she's too young for a candy treat. She did get a yummy Farley's biscuit though.
The bib she is wearing is 47 years old, it was mine when I was a baby.
With Great Pleasure
I had the loom warped by 3 pm and thought I'd weave for a wee bit before I had to start cooking supper.
A couple of hours later the project was going so well and looking so pretty that I had to tear myself away to cook, feed the family, and clean up after dinner. Then I was back at it, weaving, weaving, weaving until by bedtime I had totally finished the yardage --- and then some even. Wanting to utilize as much of the warp as I could I actually wove past the heddle blocks by holding the heddle up or down with one hand while pushing the shuttle through with the other.
I'm loving the finished result. I popped it in the washer this morning, into the dryer for a few minutes, and have it all pressed and waiting for cutting into placemats, machine stabilization of the ends, and hand hemming.
The weft is all Sirdar Denim Tweed DK in shade # 0636. The warp is mostly the same, but with a small amount of handspun wool (the darker, solid, vertical stripes), and a small amount of Sirdar Denim Tweed DK in natural (the white stripes on either side of the dark, handspun stripes).
Woo, Hooo! Gotta love it when a project goes so well.
.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Yorkshire Cap
Quite successful, I think.
The 2 Button Scarf is a FREE interactive pattern by Knitting Software.
The hat pattern, calling for Noro yarns, was made by a local designer and is available through:
Chilliwack Wool & Craft Shop
Ask for the "Yorkshire Cap" pattern featuring Noro yarns and they will know what you are talking about. They are out of stock at the moment but are expecting a shipment any day now.
Sock Update
Well, when I got that all knit and tried it on I wasn't pleased. It didn't fit right. The heel was too loose, probably because the foot was a little too long. But that wasn't the entire reason for the frogging. I also didn't like the way the stripes (the ones I was trying to avoid in the main foot/leg portions) reappeared in the gusset and the heel. Bleah.
So I ripped 'er back all the way to pre-gusset and I'm making my way back up, this time with an "Ultimate" wedge heel planned. The sock, despite working on it much of yesterday afternoon and evening, now looks pretty much exactly like it did in the last picture.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Addicting Sock
I've tried a few different patterns with little success. In "plain vanilla" socks I find the very regular stripes of this particular colourway rather harsh looking. I wanted to break them up some so I tried a traditional feather and fan pattern and although I liked the look, I found it difficult to calculate the number of stitches I would need to do the sock in the undulating pattern. The sock ended up too tight to get comfortably over my heel and I frogged it.
This new stitch pattern, adapted from "little tent stitch" in one of the Barbara Walker treasuries, seems to be doing the job nicely and the sock appears to fit okay so far. I'm having a hard time putting it down though, it's quite addicting! My INTENT was to just get the sock started so that I could leave it in a little bag I keep specifically for boring car trips. This might end up being one of my fastest pairs of socks though. It hasn't even made it out to the car yet.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Two Button FO
The buttons DO match, the light is just reflecting on the top one in this picture. This scarf was created using Carol Wulster's interactive pattern available free at Knitting Software. The yarn is some of the Classic Elite Yarns - Desert, that I won in Carrie's blog
Monday, October 22, 2007
Next Up
In the meantime I've started on the next project. This will use the remainder of the "Classic Elite Yarns - Desert" that I won in Carrie's blog contest.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Half Way
I'm very pleased with it. This is a symmetrical stole worked from the centre outward so, with the first half successfully completed, I anticipate no problems with the second half. Now I need to get busy and finish spinning that second package of Black Rainbow Glitter from Aurelia.
Here's a little close-up of a modification I am doing. I'm adding beads to the side and end edges. They are the "oil slick" colour, I think referred to as "dark aurora borealis", and they match the glitter in the handspun perfectly.
Also, instead of the "bind off loosely in knit" I'm using a great bind-off I learned when doing the Swallowtail Shawl. It makes for a very stretchy yet tidy edge.
K2, *transfer the 2 stitches on the right needle back to the left needle and then K2tog through the back loop. K1 and repeat from* around.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Two Button Scarf
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Bee and Honeycomb
I'm hoping I'll have the time to completely finish this half of the stole before I have to put it down again. I'm allowing myself a few days working on it and then it's back to projects with looming deadlines again.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Mary Jane and Bobbi
Starting with a pattern I made for my own kids many, many years ago, I improvised a great deal to come up with the Mary Janes and Bobbi Socks idea.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Pathetic Photo
You'll just have to trust me that it's lovely, as this is the best photo I was able to get.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Porch With A Swing
I'm sure Kaylen will love it though. Grandma's baby doll is just taking it for a test drive while we wait for Kaylen to recover from a cold so she can come for a visit.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Anouk Front
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Anouk Interrupts
I'd tell Anouk to wait its' turn and to quit butting in and being so rude, but I'm afraid it is right. For a few days anyway, I'll have to give Anouk some attention. A deadline is looming.
Kris, have you started on your part?
1 + 1 = 4
Well, the guests arrived carrying a great big bouquet of fall flowers for me. Gorgeous flowers, including a few exotics like a bird of paradise and a stem of gigantic, aromatic, white lilies. I quickly arranged them in the largest container I had on hand, a heavy, clear glass cookie jar.
Then next day, when I had more time, I was looking the flowers over in more detail and realized that with a little creative rearranging I could combine the flowers from both the fall bouquets and come up with 4 separate bouquets.
Part of the motivation for separating some of the flowers were these:
I've heard that Gerbera Daisies break down causing a murky pollution in floral arrangements which makes the other flowers wilt a little sooner than they might otherwise. I love the look of Gerbera Daisies all by themselves anyway, so I separated them out and they now liven up a corner of my main bathroom.
In amongst all the yellows, golds and rusts there were a number of pink flowers. Carnations of course (my birth month flower), and I think the others are called "freesias"? These seemed a natural go together, and look lovely in front of the hutch mirror on my bedroom dresser.
Then there were three lovely yellow roses and a yellow filler of some kind that now have a home beside my knitting chair. I love yellow roses. I chose them for my bridal bouquet 30 years ago.
And last, but not least, what remains is still a very large, mixed bouquet! It takes centre stage in our living room where the fragrance of those white lilies fills the room.
I know for sure that there have NEVER been so many beautiful flowers in my home at once. What a treat!
Monday, October 08, 2007
Through the Swarm
Here's a closer look at that (unblocked) section.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Winner's Confession
The biggest thing I have ever won (so far) was a contest sponsored by a Prince George radio station. It was an entire catered backyard barbecue for 20 people. All 20 people got a free t-shirt with the summer barbecue logo and all the booze they could guzzle and food they could eat. The food was prepared in my backyard by chefs from the Keg. They brought in big barbecues just for the occasion. I didn't get to keep those, nor the portable hot tub also brought in for the event, but I did get a lot. I got to keep a cedar picnic table, a set of barbecue tools, and numerous smaller prizes from local sponsors. It's been about 20 years but I still remember there was an Hawaiian themed gift basket with suntan lotions, sunglasses a Frisbee and a lei. The entry fee? Nothing. I just had to phone in at the right time (first win) and then at the end of the week be chosen from the daily winners (second win).
The oddest thing I have ever won was a "green pack" from the same radio station. It was a Saint Patrick's Day give away. Everything in the gift basket was green. I remember there was 7-UP, pea soup and spearmint gum among other, now forgotten items.
Other things I have won? A turkey given away at a butcher shop. Door prizes at spin-ins (more than once). A significant number of door prizes at Christmas parties, both work related and hobby related. A water bottle, CD, t-shirt, mug, tickets and such from radio stations. I'm sure there are other things that are just not coming to mind right now.
I don't feel guilty about all this winning. I'm an honest person. I don't lie and I don't cheat. I also don't believe that my good fortune causes anyone else's lack. I won't get into my beliefs in detail here, but I believe we each create our own reality --- that which we perceive to be "bad" and that which we perceive to be "good". Sometimes we can't see the blessing in our trials, but trust me, the blessings are there.
I feel the key to creating all that you desire in life is JOY. Not the kind of joy the comes purely from circumstances (like winning a lottery?), but the kind of joy that wells up inside despite outward circumstances. When I go to a place inside where trust and allowing dwell, JOY is always there waiting. It is from this peaceful place of Joy that I create my reality.
Friday, October 05, 2007
I Won, Twice!
Under the brown paper wrapper there was this lovely wrapped gift box. I was opening it as my son was going out the door and we had a brief conversation about what was inside. I told him I was delighted to be the winner of a blog contest and that I knew what was inside as the prize was announced on the blog.
Turns out I wasn't completely right. Oh yes, there WAS the 3 balls of Classic Elite Yarn in the Desert colorway, as promised, but there was more ---
That little packet on the top right? That WAS a package of Ferrero Rocher. Was. We'll just flip that little puppy over so that we can't see the calorie count, shall we? Good thing I actually had the camera out before I opened the box or we would have no photo of the yummies.
Then there was the yarn of course. As lovely as promised and full of potential. I have a project in mind but it will have to wait while I finish up the Honeybee Stole. Deadlines first I'm afraid.
Look what else Carrie included, all wrapped pretty with a bow ---
--- it's the fanciest dishcloth I've ever had. I love handknit dishcloths!
And if that wasn't enough to put a skip in my step and a smile on my face I also got word today that I won Rosemary's blog contest too. One of her beautiful shawl sticks is on it's way to me --- accompanied by one of her beautiful pins I just couldn't resist buying. ;-)
I'm not cheating.
Honest.