The Woolen Rabbit

Whoosh.......

...and just like that 10 days flew by.
How was your Thanksgiving?  We had a very enjoyable one with family and friends.  It's hard to believe that it is time now to actually think about Christmas.

I have just completed what has become dubbed "The Never Ending Sweater".  Between that sweater and the little Whitfield sweater for my grandson, I thought it was time for a few quick knits for some instant gratification, and perhaps some Christmas presents, although, I never put that Christmas pressure on myself, so for now it's just knitting for fun...

I love the "Flapper" period from the Roaring 20's.  I love the clothes, the shoes and really love the hats, so when I saw this pattern on Ravelry, it quickly went onto my list of future knits.  This pattern has a very different setup, which is really making it interesting to knit.  Today I had a doctors appointment (they always keep me waiting), so I had a good chunk of time to really work on it.  FUN pattern!
I am using my WW Kashmir yarn in Pomegranate, which will make it so soft against the skin.  I have a feeling this one will be done in no time. :-)
There are a few cloche type hat patterns that I love, so I am looking forward to these fast knits.

I had hoped to have a photo session with the NES yesterday before Courtney headed back off to school, but it was just too dark and gloomy.  It looks like it is going to be gloomy for most of the week, so I will wait for a brighter day to debut Vitamin D here.  This was a very interesting design as well. :-)

Friday Favorites......

I think my Friday posts from now on is going to be about my favorite things.

All of you have seen my middle daughter Ashley here on my blog, but it's been a long time since my two youngest have appeared.
Courtney the older of the two is fun loving, chatty and knows how to have fun.
Hannah on the other hand is a bit more serious and a very determined hard working young woman.  When she puts her mind to something, you can be sure it will be finished.
So different from each other and both so lovable each in their own unique way.

Yes....definitely 2 of my most favorite people. :-)

Feel free to join along with me on Fridays.....Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Junglebook.....

Wherever I wander, wherever I roam
I couldn't be fonder of my big home
The bees are buzzing in the tree
To make some honey just for me.......
Bare Necessities from the Junglebook

Pattern:  Whitfield Shorty
Yarn:  Woolen Rabbit Frolic
Colorway:  Junglebook
Needles: US 5and 6

Whenever my grandson Aidan comes over he loves to come out to my studio to see all of the yarns.  He has been fascinated with all of the fiber for many years......going right back to the love for his blanket.

Aidan for years has been asking me to make him a sweater, so when I saw Anne's little sweater that she made for her nephew, I begged her to write the pattern because I knew it would be perfect for Aidan.

A year later, Mr. Aidan has his sweater and he loves it!  He told me that it smells like Grammy's house and how happy he is to be able to wear his "blanket" to school.  Of course I did ask him if smelling like Grammy's house was a good thing...LOL....thankfully he said a resounding yes. :-)

Enjoy your sweater little guy!

All That Glitters.....

I have found out something about myself recently. 
I LOVE things that glitter and sparkle.  Who knew?

Last Sunday when Ken and I were getting ready to take off for the day, I grabbed my camera.  It was a cold morning and the morning dew was quite frosty, making the leaves and grass just sparkle with light.

It was SO pretty.....the field looked as if it were glass...glittery glass.  Such a beautiful morning.  It had me thinking about a few recent purchases that I had made.

It's no secret that I have some lovely spindles that I rarely use because I have never really enjoyed that process.  I so enjoy looking at the spindles because most are made of beautiful woods.  For me it has always been about the wood...until....

...these little lovelies made their way into the studio of The Woolen Rabbit.  Now I will be straight up with you.  Normally I would have looked at these spindles and maybe found them a bit garish...definitely not what you would expect to find here at all.  So what happened?
Well a friend who enjoys leading me down the path of temptation had purchased one at SOAR.  I looked at it and thought it was pretty but not my cup of tea.  It wasn't until she gave it a whorl that I understood why she purchased it... the glitter....the sparkle was just amazing as it spun around and around.  Like a beautiful fire fly.
  Agghh....I knew I was sunk.

I took a few videos today to share some of my glitter with you......

 

 

I love watching these girls sparkle so much as they go round and round that I am actually using them!  Who knew..... :-)

The Wedding Shawl.......

Passion is but a prelude to years of gradual unfolding..
Den Ming~Dao

Many of you know that my daughter Ashley recently married her long time boyfriend/fiance, Brian.  You also know that my life has become very busy and full, but I had promised Ashley a shawl for her wedding......

So one day when I was talking to Ken about what I was going to make, he said to me......"why don't you have someone else knit the shawl?...you have enough to do."
BRILLIANT idea because I have been outrageously busy and another deadline would mean added stress, which I really did not need.

I thought on it some, and then contacted one of Anne Hanson's test knitters, Karolyn.  Karolyn is an amazingly fast knitter and I can attest to the quaility of her work....it is so beautiful.  The pattern Ashley and I had chosen was Anne's Ice Fantasia.  I knew that Karolyn had already knit it once, but I hoped she would be willing to knit it again.  When she said YES..I was SO thankful!!

So I bundled up a few skeins of Lark Lace in it's natural state along with some pearl seed beads and Karolyn worked her magic.  Magic indeed! 

When I opened up the box that Karolyn sent to me I gasped.....such incredible beauty!  It still amazes me that a string of yarn can become something so beautiful.
Lark Lace is a very soft blend of Alpaca, silk and cashmere, so you can imagine how soft and warm it is....

Thank you Mr. Woolen Rabbit for your wise suggestion, thank you Karolyn for your amazing work and thank you Anne for your beautiful pattern.  Together we all produced a beautiful heirloom shawl for Ashley and Brian's family going forward,