Being Creative

I haven't given an update on some of my knitting projects, so I thought I better take a few pictures and start sharing.

The heat seems to have broken as well as the humidity. So while I will soon return to finishing the Baby Hap for my grand niece, the Purple Princess, I want to spend a day or two more on my most recently active projects.

I haven't been able to work much on the Cactus Flower Gold Digger sock. The gloomy days recently hindered much in the way of chart reading.

I have only done a few of the charted rows. I recently put it in time out also. Lewie, the black fuzzy cat kept jumping on my shoulder in spite of the humid weather. I did convince him to sit on my lap. But when he jumped off, his leg was tangled in the needle loop. And he pulled half the stitches off. Well in all fairness, it was the needle he pulled out, not the stitches. After much patience, I managed to replace all the stitches, and salvaged the cable twist intact. Whew.

My Simple Brainless Sock is at the end of the leg and I have started the gusset.

Since I am again working a Fleegle Heel, as on the Gold Digger, I do the gusset first and then turn the heel.

And the Close To You Blue Shawl grew quite a bit during my trip up north to the fiber festival and after.

I think I may have accidently started making an extra two garter rows between decrease rows. But I am being consistent, so all is good. Never let the actual pattern get in the way of a design element, I always say.

On the non-knitting front, I made a batch of laundry sauce. It isn't lavender because I could not get any lavender Purex crystals, but this scent, whatever it is, is pretty good.

Since I don't have a regular blender, I had recently got a stick blender so I could whip this in the quart jars. But, unfortunately, the blender won't fit into a regular mouth jar. I managed to dump it into a metal bowl and it whipped up fine. Messy, but fine.

Note to self, get my hands on a couple wide mouth jars before my next batch.

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Fiber Fumes

So, on the day after attending a fiber festival with a friend, what do you do to recover from the lanolin and yarny fiber fumes? You play in your stash of course. While I just could not justify spending upwards of $75 for a single skein of the ombre dyed yarn that was everywhere (going from one color to another, or light to dark, over an 400-800 yard skein) I still found something to love.

Of course there was some stash enhancement while there. I purchased the two skeins of semi solid blue, and got the green free. I think they are probably destined for another shawl, since I wear shawls more than sweaters. One of the three patterns I purchased was a two color shawl.The skein on the left had a sample that was knit up into a scarf that really showed off all the light and dark color spots. I think that skein is telling me it wants to be socks, simple ones to let the colors play together nicely.

I also made a purchase to replace my broken sizable zero needle, which is already safely inserted into my Simple Brainless socks, taking over my broken needle.

On the way home we stopped at Arnies, a mega multi-craft supply store. I got some more yarn in a slow transitional colorway to possibly use with another shawl pattern I purchased.

Eventually Sandy and I made it home. With her mothers illness we had not gotten together much all summer. I was happily surprised when at the last minute we were able to make this trip. It was great fun to be able to spend the day together.

It does not, however, count as the "up north" roadtrip to compensate for the knitting of her Traveling Woman Shawl.

Even if I didn't get a picture of the finished shawl from her Alaskan cruise.

 

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Knitting Angst

It's real people. Just like the agony of defeat, without the skis.

So what happened? I got ready to sit down with some knitting this evening deciding to work on my Simple Brainless Socks. I pulled them out of my bag, adjusted the needles when....what? The one tip has snapped off from the cable. So I know one thing I may need to purchase this weekend at the Northern Michigan Lamb and Wool Festival: size 0, 40 inch circular needle. Preferably wood, but I won't be fussy. I had only used them for the amount of sock you see here.

So, since that won't be getting worked on for a while, I pulled out some handspun, merino silk I believe, and wound it into a ball to start a new shawl. Of course, since my swift is hung up with that mohair I mentioned before, this was hand wound again.

I think this will make a decent semi-brainless traveling project, once I work through the pattern repeat a time or two.

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That Time of Year

The local festival is here again. Old Fashioned D....oops, National BabyFood Festival time at last. Hubby and I went to the annual Brat and Pop cook-out at Bills Shop N Save.

 

The line wasn't too bad when we got there. And it was moving quickly. (Pardon the finger in the edge of the picture.)

Yum.

And the best thing, with all these people outside eating and lined up to eat.....

We finally got a brief, although much needed rain. Now if we can get some more. The radar is looking promising.

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Busy Day

I had my training today to be an Election Inspector for my township. Wow, that title sounds a bit overwhelming! I saw several people I know, and I think I can handle working once every three months or so. I'm also glad there is a primary before the big event in November.

The local weather guys have been calling this week typically the hottest week of summer. I am amazed at all the wedding anniversaries occurring this horribly hot week, including my own. What were we thinking? All I can say is, I can hardly wait for winter again

I have continued working on the Peanut Dress. I had hoped to work on it Sunday when I was at a graduation party. But the wind was blowing so hard, I didn't want it to blow away. As long as this heat holds, the Baby Hap is remaining in Time Out. Sorry, Purple Princess.

I planned on getting another good chunk of stockinette done tonight at Knit Nite. However, we had no key, and the spare was miles away, and another spare was camping. With the heat and congestion of the Old Fashioned Days.....oops, National Baby Foof Festival, I didn't want to trek across town to knit at McDonalds so we decided to cancel for tonight.

Since I was home, Hubby corralled me to wrangle squash vines do he could rototill around them. I also picked pickles. I posted the picture on Facebook. Here it is again in case you missed them.

Note to self, next year only plant three plants, not six.

And if anyone saw last evenings post, Jumper has decided to stay in his own pen today and just talk to his neighbors over the wall.

 

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Tour De Hesperia?

Among spinners there is this thing called the Tour De Fleece. This take off of France's bicycling binge involves spinners spinning daily during the same time period as the Tour de France. I took part several years ago, but this year, I have been trying to knit through the heat, rather than spin. However, as I mentioned previously, I did sally forth with my wheel and some drop spindles to Hesperia to spin.

You will notice the temperature was warmer than the last time I spun there. Indeed, this time I was more worried about a heat stroke, but the day was delightfully cool as I spun away.

I completed almost second bobbin today at Spin Guild. Although I didn't have as many extra equipment with me. The spindles and hand cards were left at home.

Knitting continues on the Baby Hap as the border grows. With the heat is a bit hard to work on the border with the entire blanket on my lap. As a result, my knitting mojo has been wilting.

I have been working on the Tapestry Hitchhiker at Knit Nite, but perhaps, I will need to start something more compact to work on occasionally at home.

Hmmmmm. Perhaps a baby something. Maybe I'll go stash diving again.

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Hearth and Home

My hometown, Hesperia Michigan, is celebrating 150 years this summer. Each weekend from July 4th through Labor Day there is something going on.

This weekend is dedicated to Hearth and Home.

You will notice on the schedule above, this Saturday there will be some demonstrations in the pavilion at Weaver Park. Old timers like me may know it as the old fair grounds. There will be demonstrations of quilt tying, basket weaving, Dutch oven cooking, and spinning. Guess who is the guest spinner?

Yes, that's me.

Hmmmm. I have a feeling that I won't need to bundle up quite so much tomorrow. Last October, when I spun at the library, the temps were in the low to mid thirties. (I can only dream of those temperatures now.). At least it is only supposed to be in the mid to upper 70's tomorrow.

I have been scurrying around, gathering roving, my hand cards, some uncarded locks, a couple drop spindles and spinning totes. My traditional wheel, Addy, is already loaded in Hharry and ready to go. I can hardly wait. (Why yes, I do have more than one wheel. But only three now. I have had two others that I learned on and passed along.)

So please stop by if you have the chance. I will be there from 10am to 2pm and would love to see you.

 

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Back Again

Well, look, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.  But it was a hot and busy weekend.
The Open House with Dances With Wool at Chickasaw Farm was fun.  It helped that before I got there I was able to get myself chilled completely.
In spite of the heat, I had a great time. I even wove a few rows on the huge tri-loom.  I put in a raffle ticket but I guess I didn't win.  I haven't heard from my friends that I had the winning ticket.

There were demo's of different crafts, and some vendors.  I didn't take my spinning wheel, but I did get one row of knitting done on my Tapestry Hitchhiker.  After all it was World Wide Knit in Public Day.  I got some wonderful wool for a shawl, and a nifty and inexpensive needle sizer.  Some people lose tape measures.  I lose needle sizers.  I also bought a white Shetland fleece to be layered with a rose gray alpaca I had found in my wool room and sent them off for processing at Stonehenge Mills.

I had to leave early from there, in time to get home for Mass, and then went on to the wedding reception with Hubby.

Friends of the family, the groom was the younger of our matching sets of boys.  Some of the groomsmen were familiar faces from the younger years. 

In spite of the heat, a great time was had. 

We even got a wagon ride back to the pond, where the wedding was held.  We saw a bald eagle fly off from a log when we interrupted his fishing in the pond.

This and That, With Yarn

I find myself hovering from WIP to WIP (Work In Progress) lately. After the weekly football game, I devote myself to the Scoreboard Cowl. These have been high scoring games, at least for the opponents, so I usually finish them late Sunday or sometime on Monday.

I finally changed the status of the Purple Swing Cardigan to finished, with the addition of the ribbon.

You can tell by my sloppy bow that, being the mother of boys only, I never quite mastered a neat bow. But the cardigan is all ready to exchange for a cuddle when the little Purple Princess is in the neighborhood visiting her grandparents. I only hope she doesn't blow out her diaper on me, like her brother did when I met him.

I have been working a lot on the Baby Hap Shawl. I know that is a crappy name, but the shawl/blankie will be wonderful when it is finished. There will be color, but not until the center square is finished. Right now this is my principal project.

I just haven't taken a recent picture, but it has grown a lot from this.

And today....

I swatched. From bottom to top, size 7, 8, 9, and 6 needles in the Coopworth/Teesdale handspun I coerced Sandy into buying when we were at the Fiber Festival last month. I agreed to knit a Traveling Woman Shawl for her, so I will let her pick the fabrics she likes. Even the size six needle this is a slightly larger gauge than called for, but with a shawl, it isn't too critical. We will go for the stitch she likes best. I'm leaning towards the top one, size six. I have plenty of time to finish that, it only needs to be done in time for her cruise next summer.

Hmmm. Looks like the Summer of Purple, is turning into the Winter White winter. Even though there is the Lilac Cardi and Lion's Cowl still on needles to keep it interesting. Since I don't think there is any danger of the Lions having a post season, I can start this shawl when the football season is finished.

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Fibery Fun Fix

Saturday was the weekend for a wonderful, little fiber show called Northern Michigan Lamb and Wool. Held at the county fair grounds near West Branch in the northeast lower peninsula of Michigan, it is a low key, relaxing event that doesn't have the heat and crushing crowds of the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan in August. Nor is it as ritzy or high toned as the event held in Charlevoix in late July. Instead it has a more comfortable, casual feel, with plenty of yarn and fiber and tools. I saw lots that interested me. One booth was packed with antique wheels and books, from the estate of a fiber crafter. Drool!

Mostly, I served as an enabler this trip. I was once again accompanied by my usual partner in crime and owl lover, Sandy. Unfortunately the shopping experience was hindered by her killer headache and her hubby'spresence. ( Although he was an excellent chauffeur.) He probably was also the reason we got home before 9 pm instead of 2 am.

I talked her into buying a shawl, although it was with the condition that I knit her one like another we saw. I said ok, as long as she furnished the yarn. So...I have a Traveling Woman shawl in my future. Luckily I already have the purchased pattern. We later found some lovely creamy handspun that should work really well.

I scored the last two skeins of a white merino-tencel blend. The tencel gives it a great sheen, and of course the merino makes it wonderfully soft. I also got another fan and small basket and some buttons. I was delighted to find that they were being sold by the daughter of the gal I had purchased my previous baskets from who will soon be a missionary in South Sudan.

Oh, I also got a ball of sock yarn at the festival...a Zauberball, barely seen in the basket below. I have always wanted to try it. Then I get home to an email from my local yarn shop and found they are now carrying it!

We had stopped at a craft store on the way to the festival. And since we had time and money, we stopped again on the way back. I spent a bit more there, tatting needle, (like I need another craft to learn,) some thread, buttons, and two skeins of Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn. Clearly I need to step up my sock knitting.

The night before, because none of my projects were in a state of being good traveling projects, I started to cast on this.

It was part of my birthday splurge at the aforementioned yarn shop. It is, as the label says, pure silk. It is a simple triangle shawl that looks lacy and rustic both, thanks to large needles and the thick/thin character of the yarn.

More on the knitting another day.

 

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Keeping Busy

Between the heat and life, I know I missed posting for a stretch, up until yesterday. I hadn't been knitting a lot, because the weather was cooled enough to turn off the air conditioning. But it was still too warm to stand a lap of wool. I am so ready for winter.

Progress is being made though, on both purple sweaters, as I mentioned yesterday. I need to count stitches right now on one to see how close I am to dividing off the sleeve stitches. Progress!

But the main reason for few posts was the fair. The good old dairy show was last Thursday.

I always get there in time for the last minute grooming, and of course the showing. So many families that I know and love had children out there leading their cattle.

Tiny ones making their first appearance in the show ring and old hands at showing.

And so serious.

Many with cute little Jersy cattle.

Others with big Holstein heifers.

They did great all through the dairy show.

I may have found time for a farmers muffin or two as well.

Yum.

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A Couple of Day Trippers

It all started with a trip to the former fiber festival at the Castle in Charlevoix. A year ago they changed it to an Artisans Show, with the addition of various crafts in addition to the fibery folks. There were people with handcrafted jewelry, carvings, and hand sewn items as well as the usual yarns and fleeces.

My partner in crime for the day was my former boss and still friend Sandy. We had a wonderful scenic drive up M-37 through Traverse City to Charlevoix. We wandered around and made several purchases.

A gadget box for knitters, a flowered purse type bag (too small for my everyday usage but great for special occasions), and a large tote, as well as some alpaca socks (a gift). I also got some mohair boucle in a chocolate brown, and a smaller size skein in the same color of my late poodle Gilbert. The sweatshirt shown comes later in the story. The pink bag also was purchased there. It holds a watch face. They sold beaded watches with them, but they were all too small for my fat wrist. Sandy and her hubby do bead work, so they will make me a stretchy band for it.

While I had a fun time there, I was dissapointed. The one item I had wanted to purchase wasn't there. I wanted some crazy yarn in natural colors from Stonehedge Fiber Mill. And all they had was multicolored and they had left the natural at the mill. Darn. (One of the gals in their stall gave me a price and a contact to call at the mill to see if I could order some direct.) The other disappointment was that many favorite vendors I looked for were not there. And I really am not a craft show shopper.

I'm not sure if I will return to the show again.

Well. By the time we left there, I needed lunch. So we went in search of a restaurant in Charlevoix. But Charlevoix was hosting another event in downtown. Traffic was crazy. All a sudden, we were no where near the place we wanted to eat and on the other side of Charlevoix, on the way to Petoskey. Once there, Sandy casually mentioned we were only about an hour to The Bridge. (To true Michiganians that means one bridge--Mackinac!) I grinned and said I hadn't been there since '96.

So after we ate, we were heading farther north. And before long.....Mackinaw City!

Want further proof?

 

 

We also got a few souvenirs. The I (heart) Michigan sweatshirt shown above, and I picked up a green Colonial Michilimackinac water bottle. No fudge, no pasties, no visit to the island. But...The Bridge.

And with that we headed back to do some beach combing in Charlevoix and Petoskey stones. After a bit, I sat to dry my feet and sandals. And try to call Hubby, at 8:30.

Before long we reluctantly turned south, entered "home" in the GPS and were on our way.

A great and unexpected day. Anytime you can touch the water of the Straits is a good day. Or two. It was 2am Sunday before I got home and to bed.

 

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