Felted Sheep Tote

So my needle felting needs a little work, but I think I can correct my mistakes on the next bag. And maybe I'll go back today and fill it in a little...I suspect I poked too hard with the 40 gauge needle...hmmm...

I'm getting ready to teach a class on this Felted Sheep Tote. It was fun to knit, and the needle felting, while obviously not beautiful, is so much fun!! I think I'm going to make the bigger size for the class knitalong bag...

My apologies for the poor photography...I think my camera batteries are dying!

Thank you, thank you!

For those of you who donated scarves, hats and mittens to the kids at Youth Underground...thank you so much! We played a game of Bingo to allow kids to select items , then handed out what was left. It was definitely appreciated! (And the staff were very jealous!)

Not EGGsactly about Knitting!

I know I should be blogging my Neck Down Bulky Bolero in progress...

But I'm more fascinated with this!

Aren't they pretty? Our 14 feathered ladies are giving us about a dozen eggs a day. We've tried a lot of great recipes including (but not limited to) Scrambled Egg & Pepperoni Submarine Sandwiches, Flan, Egg Casserole, Angel Food Cake, and Egg Burritos. Egg Quesadillas, Butterscotch pudding and Bacon & Egg Pizza are on my list of things to try next.

Even with all these great ideas, we could probably use a few regular egg customers while we are experiencing this egg boom. If you would like some beautiful eggs from happy hens named Catalpa and Owl (et al), please let me know. We probably have at least 4 extra dozen a week and would be glad to give you some in exchange for a donation to the chicken feed fund. Talk to me if you would like to be on the egg list! :-)

On the Needles...

I know you all must be dying to know what is on my needles. I'm sure that I sensed a cosmic "What is that Heather person knitting these days?" earlier today. I hear and I obey....

First up, the Gentleman's Sock in Railway Pattern (or something with "gentleman" and "railway" in it) from Knitting Vintage Socks. What is the yarn, you may be wondering. I am, too. I know it was in the bottom right hand bin of sock yarn at River Knits. (That'll make Elizabeth roll her eyes...). It's my first adult sock using size 0 dpns, and I'm really liking the product I'm getting...
To say the next item is OTN is not accurate anymore...it was OTN when I was taking pictures for and planning this post, but was finished during a literary adaptation festival at my house this weekend (Our Mutual Friend and Persuasion). It's the Tumbling Blocks Cashmere Scarf, designed by Amanda. I used Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere in the Film Noir colorway (how could I not use a colorway called Film Noir?) I love it, and I plan to wear it tomorrow with what Joe calls my "X Man Outfit".

The shawl below is being affectionately referred to at my house as the Very Useful Shawl (a tribute to A.A. Milne and Pooh's Very Useful Pot...). The real pattern name is, I think, Simple Garter Stitch Prairie Shawl from Folk Shawls. I'm using Lamb's Pride Worsted and the color is called Blue Flannel. I have a lot of this color left from my failed Knitting in the Old Way sweater attempt. I'm looking forward to having this to throw over my shoulders in my best "Cathy on the moors" fashion, a la Yarn Harlot.

And...another Irish Hiking Scarf. Some of you may remember that I made a scarf in this pattern for the Christmas basket (and some of you may be screaming "shut the *&^% up about the Christmas basket already!! Sheesh!"). That version of the scarf was made from Lamb's Pride Worsted and selected by Joe's sister, Cam...one of the truly knitworthy of the family (she also got a pair of Trekking socks this year). The next morning she very quietly asked me if I had a softer scarf, because the one she chose was itchy. I washed it using conditioner, but still it was too scratchy. (Cam is delicate. I write that because I'm sure it will draw a funny comment from frequent commenter and utterly knitworthy Michaela...) So...I'm making her another using Pure Merino. If that is too scratchy, she is beyond hope.

And last, but not least...the Movie Socks. These are plain, basic recipe socks cast on specifically for knitting in the dark when I go to a classic movie at the Lafayette Theater. The front left sock yarn is from Opal, but I don't know much more than that. It was a generous gift from Sheryl, and happens to be Klondike Middle School colors. The front right sock is a Lorna's Laces sock yarn that I've had in the stash too long to remember the colorway. The back sock, which I wish you could see better, is using Cherry Tree Hill...the colorway is called Silver Streak, but I'm calling them the Olbermann socks, since the colorway comes pretty close to matching Keith Olbermann's hair these days. I will be attempting an afterthought heel with at least one of these pairs. Wish me luck....

Dragged Back to Reality...

Christmas is over, and I've been dragged by my heels back into the real world. At Mae's house, there is no internet. I turned off my phone. For 6 glorious days I had no idea what was going on in the real world. Here are some of the things I saw while I was gone:


SCARVES...I finished the last of the scarf basket scarves (this one is Branching Out from Knitty.com) and saw many of them taken and worn by family...










JOE...knitting his brother a scarf when none in the basket were manly enough for Manly Mike.


Joe used his own basketweave pattern and knocked out a scarf in two days. I must say, the yarn was not from an LYS, as Hometown only has a craft chain...so the best we could find was 80% acrylic, 20% wool...and squeaky. But apparently, manly men can't tell the difference.







SCRABBLE...with Josie and Grandma (also in this picture, Curtis and Aunt Sharon). Grandma is a Scrabble junkie, and Josie is a grandma junkie, so it worked out perfectly.











CORNHEADS AND BANANAGRAMS...more games, this time it's Curtis with my sister and two of her boys. Holli's pretty cut throat, even while competing against children, so I bowed out of that one. (Actually, I got in trouble for encouraging 5 year old Justin to cheat by making up words. Poor kid can't read yet, and is trying to play along. It was just more fun to let him make up words and pretend they were real.)







CURTIS BEING THE COOL OLDER COUSIN...as he teaches Cory to play Playstation football....it was fun watching all the little kids look up to Curtis...and for the most part, Curtis was pretty patient and cool.

AND FOR HEATHER...lots and lots of this kind of thing. I read and I knit and I read and I knit. It was wonderful.

Can't wait for next Christmas!!

2008 FO!

calorimetry
Originally uploaded by RiverKnits

My New Year's Project for 2008 is done already! That is a first. It was fun & easy & yes I only cast on 100 stitches just like everyone else who has knit Calorimetry.
The yarn is Jasper. I love it! Happy New Year!