The Woolen Rabbit

Who's That Knocking On The Door?.....Nov. 29, 2005

Why it's Elspeth Elizabeth!!  Elsbeth is a lady of un certain age who is a creative writer and dresses as befits a lady poet.  She knits her own angora scarves (my favorite kind) in off beat colors which she wears to poetry readings.  She is rarely frivolous, but does indulge her penchant for sherbet lemon sweets.  Elspeth Elizabeth still believes in la grande passion and awaits it with beating heart.  (an excerpt from the history of Elspeth Elizabeth)

As some of you may have guessed, Elspeth comes to me from across the pond, made with love by Jane Brocket.  I am an avid reader of her blog, which is full of wit, charm, wonderful recipes and some of the nicest pictures in blog land.

Can you guess what it was about Elspeth that caught my eye?  Why it is her lovely orange angora scarf.  How could a Woolen Rabbit, who adores orange and angora pass her by??

Thanks Jane.........she is lovely!! She is right at home with a few of my other ladies ;-)

Now, some of us have been very productive knitters lately and I am in awe of the items being accomplished.  Myself, I am still struggling to get caught up with my bloglines, and I am going away to Atlanta this weekend........eekk....... I.  will . NEVER . get . caught . up!.  Such a dilemma..........do I read all of the fabulous work you are all getting done, or do I just give it up and get some knitting done?? As much as I love blog surfing, I have to admit, that sometimes it seriously affects my productivity, but I just can't help myself.  So many wonderful stories........and lovely finished objects.

Needing a quick finished object fix, I set down behind my trusty Robin wheel and finished the last of this yummy Spinner's Hill roving that I purchased 2 years ago in Rhinebeck.  It is destined to become my next favorite vest ;-)  Ahh........I just LOVE this color!

NETA Blanket Project.......Nov. 28, 2005

For the last 3 years NETA (New England Textile Arts) has raffled off an afghan at the Spa weekend, which is held in February.  The proceeds from the sale go to Ellen Harpin of the SHIPS program to help offset the postage in mailing the hats, slippers and cooling ties (in the summer) for our troops overseas

A good number of the NETA members volunteer to knit one or more blocks for the afghan.  This year I believe that two afghans are being made and judging from the blocks that have already been sent in, they are going to be lovely blankets!.  One is done all in white Bartlett yarn and the other in purple Encore yarn.  As you can see, my block was done in the purple.  Encore is not my favorite yarn to knit with, but I was happy with the way my block came out, and it really does make for a softer blanket.  My block is "Frost Flowers" from Barbara Walker's "A Treasury of Knitting Patterns".

The joining party for the afghan is held in Portsmouth, NH in January.  We have a wonderful time  sewing the blankets, spinning, knitting, eating and having a great time all around.  This is where I met Julia for the first time and I am looking forward to meeting new faces again this year.

Snow............Nov. 25, 2005

It looks more like Christmas Eve here, rather than Thanksgiving night.  How beautiful our first heavy snow has been ;-).  I hope that you all had as nice of a day yesterday as we did here in the Mountains.

Gloves Anyone?

What a fun trip this glove making adventure is for me.  Being more of a mitten person, as I really do think that mittens keep your hands warmer, I have never ventured into the land of knitting gloves.........however, this Nancy Bush pattern just called out to me.  The pattern is Merike's Gloves from Knitting in Estonia

As I test the glove knitting waters, I am truly knitting on blind faith as there are some things that are not quite making sense to me......yet.
Such as the thumb.  The pattern tells you to knit the thumb stitches onto a piece of waste yarn, but then you continue knitting those stitches.  I am guessing that it must be some sort of a thumb gusset.  As I said............"Blind Faith".  You can be sure that I am paying very close attention to these directions for sure!

Every time I try these gloves on to check for fingertip length, I fall in love again.  If you think Koigu is wonderful on your feet, it is even better on your hands!

I can't say enough good things about this book.  It is a ton of bang for your buck.  So many of the patterns are now on my to do list.  I highly recommend it!

As We Gather Together.....Nov. 23, 2005

 

BE THANKFUL By Author Unknown   Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to? Be thankful when you don't know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn. Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow. Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement. Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build your strength and character. Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons. Be thankful when you're tired and weary, because it means you've made a difference. It's easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings May your Thanksgiving Day be a peaceful one                  ~Happy Thanksgiving~

Be Careful What You Wish For........Nov. 21, 2005

Meet Kali

"Grandeville Mexicali Blues"

We spent the last few days trying to figure out what to call this little girl.  Somehow Rizzo just wasn't clicking, so we ventured down different paths.  Drawing back on those old Deadhead days, I came up with this name, that somehow suits her just right.......so Kali it is ;-)

Be Careful What You Wish For

On Friday, Cassie mentioned that she was giving her sock knitting a rest for the weekend.....a moratorium.  In my comment to her, I told her that my NE socks were languishing and that perhaps I needed a bite in the butt to pick them up and start working on them again.

Cassie commented that I should be careful what I wish for.......

Hmmm......perhaps that should have been an omen, a premonition that I should have picked up on.  Did I?  Nope.........happily past the heel and gussets, I merrily knit along completing another full pattern round. With only 2 more to do, I was feeling mighty happy with my progress...........that was........until...........I took a good look at the sock.  Acck.......how could I have forgotten that I left off, before starting the heel, 1/2 way thru a pattern round, (as the book instructed).  Agghhhh..............  I was so disgusted with myself for not reading the pattern carefully enough, that the socks went back into stashland.

So What Does One Do........

Why, she starts something new!!  After seeing a picture of these gloves on Margene's page last month, I knew that they would make it on my to do list.  I picked up the recommended Koigu and the Book, Knitting in Estonia, a few weeks ago.  Never having ever made a pair of gloves before, this will be a first.  Let's see if I can pay better attention to the pattern this time.

Puppy Play

Home Again, Home Again.......Nov.16, 2005

What a mixed bag this weekend was, but look at what came home with us!!

This little Miss does not have a name yet, as I like to get to know their little personalities a bit first.  Her registered name is supposed to be "Summer Night" and my daughter wants me to name her Rizzo, but I am not sure she is a Rizzo or a Summer Night yet.......but I know she isn't a Sandy......LOL

What do you think?

I set out after the show (Bliss took a 4th place both days), on Monday to pick up this little puppy.  We were staying in Pennsylvania with my mother in law and the puppy was in Goode, Virginia.  Printed out the directions and a map from MapQuest and set out on my way, with my 14 year old daughter, Courtney.  MapQuest told me that it was a 4 hour trip and it looked pretty straightforward, so I didn't think I needed to look at the map............BIG mistake!

As a rule, I am not very fond of heights, especially when I am the one driving.  Can't shut my eyes when I am at the wheel......eeekk!  3 1/2 hours into the trip, we got off of the major highway onto route 43.  It was a fairly narrow road and it started to climb a bit.  I said to Courtney.......Hmmm.......it looks like she lives in the mountains too.  Higher and higher.......narrower and narrower........oh dear!!  We were driving up the side of a freakin mountain!!!  Higher and higher still, I am getting more and more nervous.  Finally we reach the top, at a place called "The Peaks of Otter" .  Such a beautiful, beautiful place, nestled in the Blue Ridge Parkway (now I know that is Rt 43).  Had I not been so nervous thinking about the ride down the mountain, I may have actually taken the time to enjoy the scenery for more than a few minutes.  Needless to say, I didn't take many pictures, but the link above shows you some of the beauty in that spot.  Wasn't until today, that I found out there was a Winery very close by.  If ever I could have used a glass........it was that day......haha!

Nothing too exciting in the knitting department though.  I have been plugging along on my Morehouse cardigan.  In the car I noticed that somehow I had a hole on the raglan sleeve increases about 10 rows up.  Too rip or not to rip was the dilema, as there was no way just to drop the stitches down with the increases. Would I be able to get those increases back in the right spot once off the needle?.  In the end, I ripped back the 10 rows and thankfully was able to get it all back on the needle with very little fuss.  This sweater is worked on size 3 needles, so even though I worked on it alot in my free time, it doesn't seem to be moving too fast........... such a nice knit all the same.  I love this laceweight Morehouse Merino!

I have seen this going around blogland, as I have been desparately trying to get caught up.  I decided to give it a try........scary how close these things can be sometimes......notice how green is my color~

A Little Red Sweater.........November 10, 2005

Molly from Junior Knits
Handspun PolwarthNovember 3 to November 10, 2005
Flower from Knitty
Handspun Angora Blend
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A special thank~you to all who sent healing vibes for my daughter.  She came thru the procedure without any ill effects.  We have more questions than answers right now, but we know that her "ticker" is healthy.  Thank~you!

A Little of This and That.......Nov. 9, 2005

Imagination, song, the soaring spirit.
Separate them to know them as aspects of the whole,
Join them to know the mystery of totality.
Deng~Ming Dao

The mind, if focused, can become the most powerful force we know.  Yet for most of us, we are lost in the vastness of our own uncharted minds. (also Dao)

What a weekend!  Have you ever been so completely scattered that you don't know if you are coming or going?  That is how the last few days have been for me.  So many things to do, and so little time......and here I thought that this would be a quiet time for me.......my mind is definitely feeling a bit uncharted right now.......and busy.  When you finish reading this post, you will see, just how scattered I truly am right now, in my true to form, typical ADD madness

Later this morning my oldest daughter will be undergoing minor heart surgery (if you can call any heart surgery minor).  Once I am sure that she will be ok, the younger girls, my DH and myself will head down to Pennsylvania, on Friday.  I will be attending a dog show with Miss Bliss. The rest of the family will be helping my MIL...........and..............I may be coming home with a cute little Black and Tan package of the canine variety :-)).  Stay tuned for cute puppy pictures....<eviLgrin>

If you think of it today, say a little prayer for my daughter, she is very nervous, in fact we all are a little bit.

And now the fibery stuff........

As much as I am looking forward to working on some fair isle or ethnic mittens this winter, right now is not the right time to do a pair for the Warm Hand KAL.  I have so much going on and knew that I didn't have the concentration to learn a new skill.

So on Mitten Monday, I pulled out the "handy, dandy" sander, a little black kid mohair and some colorful mohair locks and set about making a pair of mittens..  The beauty in felted mittens is that in four short hours, you can have a nice pair of completed mittens, that are both windproof, warm...and it is fun!

Over the weekend, I took the time to work give all of my WIP a little time and attention.  There was a little knitting and a little dyeing

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can honestly say that I am enjoying all of the projects that I am working on right now.  The little red sweater is moving right along and I am hoping to finish it up at the hospital today.  There is such satisfaction, I have found, knitting something special for someone with yarn that you have spun yourself.  I love the way this polwarth yarn feels.  Soft and springy with no itch, and how can you not smile when working on this lovely shade of red.  Hopefully the little princess will agree~

There has not been much progress on the New England Sock, as half way thru, I realized that 3 skeins were needed.  I had a skein of Koigu in an olive green that would have matched, but wanting these socks to be a pair of dress socks, I feared that the green would make them look a bit more casual.  Thankfully, Patternworks is just a hop away from me and having the perfect excuse for a trip, I took a little "me" time on Sunday to visit the "wall of Koigu".  I found the perfect shade of brown for the socks..........and came home with a little something extra.  Margene always speaks so highly of Nancy Bush and the pattern knits in this book were just too lovely to pass by. 

Meme
Eeeeekkkk......I've been tagged by Julia and Marguerite.  I am not always a fan of meme's, however, as Julia usually says, "It IS nice to be asked" and she is right........so here goes........

What is your all time favorite yarn to knit with?

This is a hard one.  Almost everytime I work with a new yarn, I think to myself......"Wow, this is IT!".  Currently, I am enjoying Rowan's Kid Silk Haze and Koigu.  Handspun as I mentioned previously, is always the most satisfying yarn to work with.  There is something magical in watching the yarn that you created yourself work up into a finished item.

The worst thing you've ever knit?

Don't laugh.......it is a handspun sweater.  I didn't say that they always come out looking nice.......only that they are magical to work on......haha!  This sweater was a beautiful celtic knot sweater, that was made with covered, clean, coopworth wool, that I painstaking handcombed........all 3 pounds of it.  The sweater came out a bit big, but still lovely..........so where is the "worst" part you may ask??  The darn sweater pilled so badly, that I ended up giving it to the Salvation army as it irritated me so,  everytime I looked at it. Lesson learned..........covered fleeces sometimes have damaged ends from sweaty sheep.

Most valuable knitting technique?

If you can cast on, cast off, knit and purl.........you are capable of knitting ANYTHING ;-)

Your most favorite knit pattern? (maybe you don't like wearing it...but it was the most fun to knit)

Most recently, it has been "Birch".  There was something so soothing in that knit.

Best knit book or magazine?

Like everyone else, Interweave Knits is hands down my favorite magazine.  My favorite knitting books are those that tell a story (see below) along with the patterns.  The scenery in some of Alice Starmore's books are breath taking and the patterns are so beautiful.  I am fortunate to own most of AS's books and I never tire of looking at them.......they are so lovely.

Your favorite knitwear designer?

I have two.  Alice Starmore for her incredible celtic sweaters.  One of these days I will finish Inishmore.......and Nancy Bush.  I love the background stories that both of these women incorporate into their books.  They weave a tale with their patterns.
 

Your favorite knit blogs?

This is the hardest question of all.  There are so many blogs that I enjoy and so many new friends I have made along the way, that it is impossible to list them all, for fear of leaving one out....but I will mention two that are my favorite stand~bys and who always make me smile..  I start my morning off as many of you do, reading Margene's stories with my coffee.  Her outlook on life is always positive and puts a smile on my face, most every day. Liz, with her garden treasures and wonderful cooking is always a treat to read......I love her commitment to a simple life.

Recently, I have discovered some of our blogging friends over the pond, such as Yarnstorm and PeaSoup, along with Wooly Warbler and a few others.  I am so enjoying the way that these women write.  Having visited the UK a few years ago, it brings back some of the enjoyable memories of the delightful little town in Wales that I stayed in and the unique little differences of life across the pond. 

The knit item you wear the most? (how about a picture of it!)

Anyone who knows and loves me....<VBG>......has seen me in this vest.  It is THE most comfortable item that I own....and everyone knows it....LOL!

Handspun with wool from Spinner's Hill, it is a Sarah James's vest pattern.  The pattern is about as easy as they come and it's simplicity, shows of the lovely colors of the yarn.

It is getting a bit tired and worn out, so it is time to get a new one started on the needles this winter.

So there you have it..........  I think that just about everyone has done this meme, so I won't tag anyone........this time.........but watch out Norma.......there's always next time.....mwaa haaaa!!

Angora Chick..........Nov. 6, 2005

Why Swatch?......Nov. 4, 2005

Now, I ask myself......."Why do you bother swatching, if you are going to ignore what it tells you?

The little Bolero pattern calls for aran weight yarn, knit on size 8 needles. 18 sts and 24 rows giving a 4inch square.  So, I started off with size 8 needles....and as you can see the swatch to the left looks a little loose and big. It measured out the 4 inches in length, but it was a bit bigger in width.  Did I pay attention to that swatch.......NOOOOOOO.............

As you can see, the knitting to the left was working up quite loose and floppy, so what did I do, I knit another swatch going down a needle size.  I didn't rip out the first attempt at the sweater, just in case I was right the first time, but I don't have to tell you that I was wrong, wrong, wrong.  When will I ever learn??

This little sweater is knit all in one piece. Each 40 stitch sleeve is cast on in increments of 10 stitches.  Easy, peasy, right?  Merrily I am knitting along and as I am knitting, I am thinking to myself, Hmmm........this sleeve is looking short.  How can this be?  So I go back and look at the gauge swatches, even the smaller needled swatch is a hair bigger than it should be, so why oh why are my sleeves looking so short?? 

Duh..........instead of doing 40 stitches on each side, I did 40 stitches combined (20 and 20).  How could I have made such a silly error?  This week has been the week of knitting errors for sure.  No good knitting Karma here......why?  As I was reading Cassie's post this morning, the light bulb went off.  Daylight savings is playing Tom Foolery with my mind.  Too many cobwebs, I guess.
Finally, I think I may be on the right track this time.

Lesson learned......if you are going to swatch, listen to what they tell you.

Something to smile about this week.......