Spinning, not Knitting.

Kathleen-
I'm way behind on the ABC along. I'll be catching up in the next week or so, but for now, there is spinning progress.

Ever since I was freed from the crazy work hours, I've been wanting to spin. And more, I wanted to spin something kind of special and different. So I pulled out some sliver I bought at the yarn store in Jasper this summer. It's from Fleece Artist, and I think the color is Polar Sea. I split the fiber in half lengthwise, and spun it onto two bobbins over the past few days:



Bobbin 1:

Bobbin 2:
I'm hoping for sock yarn, but it may be a bit too fine and end up as laceweight. But I love it.

So far the best thing about this week? I get to go to Knit Night tomorrow after missing it for weeks because of work. I can't wait!

Surprise!

Kathleen-
So we've spent months plotting a baby shower for Aubree (technically due at the end of the month, but she's full term). And tonight was the night. Aubree knew we were doing a little thing, but not about the extra surprise we had in store.

In the past few months, 14 knitters knit sections of the Circle of Friends Blanket. At knit night, pieces would be slipped in my bag when her head was turned, or handed off surreptitiously in the coffee shop next door. This weekend, I seamed. And seamed. And wove in ends. And more ends.

The finished project was so worth it!



There were, of course, other knitted gifts. An adorable (matching!) hat.

An ruffly pink hat:
The Baby Surprise Jacket I knit earlier in the year:
An an adorable sewn sleeper gown.

So now the baby is properly outfitted, she can arrive!

Right Aubree?


Coming up in my next post: our Grand Canyon trip in pictures. And: New Knitting Priority List.

Day 20- Flight Status Edition

Kathleen-
I just got back from knit night, and I'm sitting on the couch checking the flight status of Mom's flight approximately every 30 seconds. Mom arrives tonight and stays through Sunday, and we're doing Thanksgiving with Mike's extended family this year, it should lead to some good stories!

Knit Night was a banner laughing time tonight. I don't even know what we were so amused about, but we were laughing and laughing and laughing. Naturally, I worked on Grandpa's Socks. Almost to the gusset on sock #2. Just one more repeat to go.

Oops! Her flight is in. I'm off to the airport!

I Remembered

Kathleen-
I was getting my sandwich for Knit Night last night, and it occured to me what I had meant to blog about: SNOW.

It snowed (flurries, no sticking) on Monday as I was walking to lunch with Eily. Not heavy big flakes, more like little frozen pellets, but snow nonetheless.

Guess its time to really get going on winter accessories.

Last night at Knit Night we had the novel presence of a knitting man (who was lovely and funny), and it didn't curb our conversation one bit! He's married to one of our regulars, and though a relatively new knitter, has jumped in with gusto.

I spent much of the night bemoaning the very large feet of all the men I knit for, but I did manage to get to the gusset increase point for Grandpa's socks (I was a solid inch away and didn't know it till I measured).

I just reserved tickets for a dance show this weekend that some friends are putting on, so I need to either turn the heel first, or start the second sock so that I have knitting in the dark knitting for the show!

BSJ

Kathleen-
On Wednesday evening, I carefully cast off the Baby Surprise Jacket, thus removing any impediment of H having the baby (the baby won't come till the knitting is done). Sure enough, as I finished a crazy day at work, I got voicemail from Mike telling me that Harmony had been born! Woohoo!

So here's the completed jacket (needing ends to be woven in and buttons attached) that will be off to E&H on Monday.
Having completed the current baby knitting emergency (more to come of course, as there are more pregnant people in my life, including a baby due at the end of October), I cast on for Henry from the newest Knitty.

Tracy from Knit Night had contributed to me falling down and buying yarn two weeks ago, when she draped a hank of this lucious yarn around my neck. Baby Alpaca and Silk? What could be better? Next think I knew, I'd bought two skeins. Thursday, I used it to cast on for Henry.
(Ignore the dark blue, it's the provisional cast on). So far, I like it a lot. I'm hoping to finish it for my trip to Oregon in a couple of weeks- I think it should look smashing with my new brown jacket.

Catching Up

Kathleen-
Here I am, it's wedensday and I feel like I'm just catching up from the weekend.

Last week at Knit Night, we were talking about Shepard's Harvest, and suddenly we had plans to carpool! So Saturday afternoon off went a carload of happy knitters to Shepard's Harvest. A lot of shopping, sitting on the grass eating lamb gyros (yes, we understand the irony) and drinking lemonade, and petting the lambs in the sheep barn ensued.

There may even have been a wee bit of stash enhancement. Which brings me to my next point. I think I'm officially off the wagon for the Knit From Your Stashathon. I did well on it right up until THE Event, so I'm not feeling too much guilt. I also don't anticipate feeling the need to buy yarn this summer, so that helps. Stash enhancement pictures to follow at a later date (the camera is having a fit at the computers).

The other yarn I've bought recently is Royal Bamboo in black. I'm making the famous One Skein Wonder shrug for Mike's family anniversary party in June. I'm going to wear that lovely black and white Ann Taylor dress, and now I'll have a little coverup available if it gets chilly on the riverboat!

Other than that and a little sockapalooza knitting (which will be more detailed in a later post), there's not been a whole lot of knitting going on recently. I blame it on a packed schedule and enjoying our recently warm and lovely weather by gardening and such.

Hope your sock knitting is going well and that the third time remains the charm!

Hedgehogs to Feminist Theory

Kathleen-
Last night at Knit Night, the conversation went from hedgehogs to feminist theory and back again with barely a pause. My stomach literally hurt from laughing so hard.

Having learned my lesson the last time I tried to work on Arwen at Knit Night, I knit along contentedly on my Broadripple Socks. Did I mention that Minnesota threw us all a very cruel bone by reaching a record 66 degrees yesterday? I waited for my bus home in short sleeves, and we had the door open at Knit Night. So I'll confess that Arwen's wool wasn't appealing to me yesterday anyway. The temperature is dropping back into normal starting today("potential for 1-2" slushy snow tonight"), so I think my wooly inspiration may soon return.

Speaking of Arwen and my dilemma, I requested Ann Budd's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns from the library, and I just got an e-mail saying it was in. So I'll pick it up on my way home, and peruse the raglan section in detail. I glanced through it last night, and with some additional math and figuring, I think I can adapt my Arwen for raglans. Mike has choir practice tonight, so I'll be sitting down with the calculator and the book and working my way through. That is, after I make the chocolate mousse I promised for the potluck on Thursday!

I did a bit of spinning when I got home. The only problem with spinning to laceweight, and only spinning for 45 minutes or so, is that though your yardage is impressive, the bobbin doesn't really look more full! If it's sunny this afternoon I'll try and take some pictures of the spinning in progress, it really is lovely.