tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-133682852011-08-16T23:09:29.385-04:00and spins, and sews, and weaves, and a lot more!Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.comBlogger4381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-78146175404908257672011-06-07T11:13:00.004-04:002011-06-07T11:52:20.643-04:00

Yeah, I'm not even going to pretend that I'm going to start back posting regularly. Honestly, life gets in the way, but I'd like to show some things I've finished. And this isn't everything, so who knows, maybe I'll get around to showing the rest of it soon.I have absolutely no knitted objects to show today, though I did finish a lovely merino and angora Sahara back during the winter. Hopefully,

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-77418574477774183982010-09-29T14:27:00.004-04:002010-09-29T14:49:37.550-04:00

I know, original title. I've been weaving a bit more and have finished a couple more scarves. There are actually two scarves here, from the same lovely variegated warp, so they do look very similar at first glance. The one on the right, being modeled by Brownie, has a blue weft, and the one on the left has a pink weft. It is a plainweave, using the "No Hassle Rayon Slub Scarves" pattern from

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-55453812646749157142010-09-15T10:31:00.002-04:002010-09-15T10:56:48.926-04:00

I may have spoken too soon about not liking the scarf. It came off the loom yesterday and it's much better than I had hoped. It's not perfect by any means, the selvedges are wonky (quite a bit in some places) and it's a bit wavy in places, but overall it is actually quite lovely and I'm happier with it than I'd anticipated (making me really glad I didn't cut it off the loom before I'd finished)

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-5563097856699003692010-09-14T10:08:00.001-04:002010-09-14T10:10:13.391-04:00

I've been working on the loom all week to finish a scarf that's been on there for quite a while. I've realized I'm not going to be happy with it. I should have waited a while.I'm not saying one shouldn't be ambitious. I've been pretty ambitious in my knitting, but only after laying the proper foundations. I didn't exactly start out with complicated colorwork or lace. And when I did begin

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-80141339444890795592010-09-02T06:59:00.003-04:002010-09-02T07:23:19.681-04:00

Recently, I came across a neat blog called Wardrobe Re-Fashion. The rules are not to buy any new clothing for a certain amount of time. You choose whether you want to sign up for 2, 4, 6 months or life. Thrift stores are fine and undies, special needs clothing (for employment, sports or school), and shoes are exempt. Handmade items from somewhere like Etsy are also exempted. You get one "Get

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-21838556705914828782010-08-27T18:31:00.004-04:002010-08-31T11:35:26.354-04:00

I seem to be going for a record here of how long I can go without posting. I have actually been knitting and have an actual finished object to show very soon. I've also dug out another overdue project in time for winter. It involves a very nice merino/angora yarn. I'll show that soon, too.So, what have I been working on instead of knitting and blogging? I've been sewing quite a bit. I have

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-70715735457634293392010-05-26T10:48:00.002-04:002010-05-26T10:54:26.907-04:00

Warning: Only click on the following links if you love disgustingly cute animal pictures. And if you do, only click on the links when you have lots of free time because there are lots of pages of disgustingly cute. Enjoy!Naptiem (yes, that's how the site spells it).Daily SqueeCute Pet of the Day(Yeah, yeah, this is what I've been doing instead of knitting. Although I did weave a little this

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-22441738679068186292010-05-07T10:00:00.003-04:002010-05-07T10:24:17.917-04:00

Okay, folks, I know I haven't posted in a while, but I'm still here. Just not knitting so much right now (way too many hobbies in the works). I did go to the Maryland Sheep and Wool and came out of there without a single fiber related item for myself. The kids got spindles and fiber, but I didn't get a single spindle, no yarn and no fiber for myself. Amazing, isn't it? I did, however, get

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-45330407925704251022010-03-02T10:33:00.006-05:002010-05-02T18:19:22.324-04:00

Okay, part of the reason I don't knit so much lately is because I've found a couple of somewhat time consuming (yet educational) links. The first of these is a language learning site called Live Mocha. This site has free basic courses in tons of languages. There are also "premium" courses which are actually quite reasonable, but I've enjoyed the free Italian 101 course very much and I'm about

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-36974295881542775232010-02-22T09:14:00.003-05:002010-02-22T09:27:03.640-05:00

I actually finished something! A pair of socks. These are using my Plain Old Stockinette Sock Pattern and Trekking 147. These took way too long to do due to lack of knitting time, but I finally finished them. They are nice and comfy and I love the color! I also have another pair of socks that has been finished for quite a while except that I have a little more embroidery to do. Just a

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-120161247709604802010-02-15T07:35:00.004-05:002010-02-15T07:55:15.188-05:00

Well, I've now gotten out of the house, but we were trapped inside for a few days. As I didn't want to put the kids in front of the TV for the whole time (we were lucky to keep our electricity!), we did some crafty projects. The ideas came from the book Felt Sweets. I ended up making a cupcake and a piece of chocolate. These items are made from craft felt and stuffing; the book includes

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-42028694886763941892010-02-06T11:14:00.004-05:002010-02-06T11:22:29.372-05:00

I know you can't see the numbers on that white stick in nearly the middle of the picture (leaning against the deck banister). But it has numbers on it and there are about 19 inches on our back patio right now. You can see the chair. Now the 4 inches we had the other day had melted off the back porch, but was still mostly all over the ground still, so there's quite a bit of snow out there.

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-48704145639220601702010-02-03T15:52:00.003-05:002010-02-03T16:13:21.790-05:00

I couldn't decide on "OMG, Actual Knitting Content" or "Enough is Enough Already!" So, rest assured, there is an actual photograph of knitting in this post. First, however, a pretty winter tree picture and the "Enough" title. We got another four inches or so of snow last night. This is in addition to the couple of inches we had the other day. And we're expecting another foot or so this

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-65708336291014997902010-01-28T10:02:00.003-05:002010-01-28T10:29:56.478-05:00

I will show knitting soon. I'm just disenchanted with the whole intarsia thing right now. So, I'll show a few of my pens. As I said the other day, yes, fountain pens are still being made. There are lots to choose from. Lots of styles, lots of colors, and lots of prices. Lamy is a German company that seems to make a pretty good fountain pen for a very fair price. Hence, my owning four - two

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-64934389669364472432010-01-26T16:49:00.005-05:002010-01-26T17:09:50.435-05:00

Wow, two whole months of not posting a single thing. That has to be a new record for me. I truly feel guilty for not updating the blog much sometimes, but I have so many competing interests right now, knitting just isn't always there. Maybe I need to expand the blog to include some of my other interests (they are many and varied). Most recently, my interests have included a renewed interest

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-28522460135753608652009-11-16T07:41:00.003-05:002009-11-16T17:21:36.383-05:00

I've actually made a bit of progress on the strap. I'm nearly done with the short row section. I'll be glad of that because my tension still isn't as good as in the round. I think it's okay enough though to work itself mostly out in the blocking process. Only about three more short rows though and I can go back to working in the round. I'm also hoping to get some sewing done this week. I

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-44247511770841399282009-11-13T06:59:00.004-05:002009-11-13T08:38:15.810-05:00

It's occurred to me that I may own quite a number of books. They range in subject matter from history, trashy romance, Learning Ancient Greek, Mark Twain, Jane Austen, and more. In that library of books, I also happen to own quite a few crafting books. These books also cover all interests - Temari, sewing, beading, weaving, spinning, and, of course, knitting. I also own a few cookbooks.

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-21833031359952501502009-11-09T08:11:00.002-05:002009-11-09T08:45:16.920-05:00

I'll tell why there's no knitting to show in a moment. Meanwhile, there are pictures of fluffy animals taken at the zoo yesterday.First of all we have a fluffy animal that could bite your head off.Isn't he cute trying to get his ball out of the water? These little guys are always so pretty.So why am I distracting you with no knitting pictures? Because I had to frog some more. The short row

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-76204609724488301592009-11-05T07:07:00.003-05:002009-11-05T07:28:36.422-05:00

The color change for the center short-row section of the strap seems rather, um, abrupt, don't you think?The pictures of the finished bag on Knitpicks seem to bring all the colors together though, so I'm going to continue on.As you can see I'm a bit past where I was when I had to frog and now getting spot-on gauge (yay!), so I made the right decision, and it's moving right along. Colorwork in

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-74412544761159852672009-11-03T06:45:00.004-05:002009-11-03T08:28:44.244-05:00

Someday, I'll learn to make a darn swatch, especially when 450 stitches are involved! I'm a tight knitter, so I knew I should have moved up a needle size or two to begin with, but I decided to go with the called-for size 1. It's a purse, if it's a little off, it won't matter much. If it's significantly off, however...Well, last night, after I'd shown everyone what I was working on at my guild

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-14188324630700337852009-11-02T09:48:00.004-05:002009-11-02T10:06:53.358-05:00

I'm really enjoying the East Meets West Bag so far. I think I may have FINALLY figured out how to keep a fairly even tension in Fair Isle. I've always used two hands to hold the yarns, but it's never really given me results I'm overly happy with. So, I tried to hold both yarns in one hand and I'm much happier with the results. Here's a little bit of the first five rounds (keeping in mind that

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-66955842562654321272009-10-31T10:33:00.004-04:002009-10-31T10:48:32.382-04:00

I keep meaning to blog, but there's really been nothing to blog about since there hasn't been much knitting going on here. October's always a low-knitting month due to the whole Halloween costume thing. I make the kids' costumes most years (basically, the years I can't convince them to wear last years'). So, anyway, they're finally done and I've finally cast on for a new project. No, really,

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-40163169393670207222009-10-06T07:42:00.005-04:002009-10-06T08:31:35.978-04:00

I don't know if I've posted these socks that I started a while back. They're Bex from Cookie A's book. Well, I discovered that they aren't exactly good social knitting a couple of weeks ago when I found that I'd somehow dropped a stitch and couldn't find it. I ended up frogging about half an inch, which for complicated cable socks is quite a bit. So, I started a nice simple stockinette pair

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-26606427438988092312009-10-01T09:20:00.003-04:002009-10-01T09:32:13.606-04:00

How motionless! - not frozen seasMore motionless; and then,What joy awaits you when the breezeHath found you out among the trees, And calls you forth again!part of the poem "To a Butterfly" by William WordsworthLast night was terrible; we had an overflowed washer and had a small flood to clean up, but sometimes life sends you a little reminder that everything is all right. This morning, my

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-12963322455658264242009-09-24T12:27:00.003-04:002009-09-24T12:41:15.889-04:00

My tension is much better on the ribbing now. Now, I've moved on to obsessing about my selvedges. There's just no getting around it. Selvedges are ugly anyway, but mine need a little tension work.I've also realized something else. Of all the knitting books I own (and I own quite a few), there is not a single general knitting reference book. Lots of pattern books, lots of stitch dictionaries,

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-89632243093587124282009-09-22T07:47:00.006-04:002009-09-23T10:07:51.154-04:00

Less than 24 hours after having received my TKGA packet that perhaps someone with obsessive compulsive issues in their knitting shouldn't sign up for something like Masters Knitting. It may make me even more obsessive about my knitting, something I didn't think was possible. Perhaps, you've forgotten just how obsessive I can be, so take a look at the socks I just finished.Okay, the picture's a

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-84377331246351351762009-09-16T09:24:00.002-04:002009-09-16T09:58:00.498-04:00

Well, if I have any readers left, I have a finished project to show.Pattern: Delpine from French Girl KnitsYarn: KP Shine Sport in CherryNeedles: Honestly, I don't remember; it's been nearly a month since this was actually finished and I'm just now getting around to posting it.I just don't seem to have much time to blog any more. I homeschool, so it seems like a good portion of my time is

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-38306132961318126752009-08-03T08:40:00.002-04:002009-08-03T08:48:32.310-04:00

I was hoping to have Delphine finished by my guild meeting tonight, but it's not looking likely. Almost there, but not quite. So, I'll be able to show off the Kimono Top and hopefully I'll be able to show Delphine on the blog sometime in the next couple of days. I also have a new project already picked out and I'll also show that soon. Meanwhile, here's a picture of Sam:Look at that face. It

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-53486207772341086782009-07-29T08:30:00.004-04:002009-07-29T09:35:27.469-04:00

Someday, I'll get back to posting regularly and checking other people's blogs as well. For now, I've actually finished a project or two. I've finally finished the Kimono Top:I'm extremely happy with the finished product, not so much with the finished pictures. (You may recognize the pin. It's from Designs by Romi. Her stuff is so beautiful.)The specs:Pattern: Kimono Top from Knit so FineYarn

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-34267622607736486472009-06-07T11:00:00.001-04:002009-06-10T16:17:00.464-04:00

You know you haven't blogged in a while when your husband, who has often in the past told you that you spend too much time blogging, tells you that you really need to update your blog. I realize I still haven't posted goodies from the Sheep and Wool festival and I got some neat stuff, pretty new spindles and pretty new fiber. I'll try and get around and take some more photos, but for now,

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-79526160086944400762009-04-22T07:23:00.005-04:002009-04-22T07:35:27.630-04:00

It is pretty hard to keep a knitting blog when there hasn't been a lot of knitting going on. I have done about 2 rows on my Kimono Top in the last week and a few rounds on the Longbourn socks, both done at the weekly knitting get-together.So what have I been doing besides knitting? I've been walking a lot more. Big dogs are really good exercise programs. I've been working on a cross-stitch

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-23317092427482352702009-04-06T09:45:00.003-04:002009-04-06T09:54:24.011-04:00

The back of the Kimono Top is pretty much finished. Since it's a three-needle bind-off, it's still on a cord with the yarn still attached, so I have the option of adding a little more to the length if needed. I'm casting on for the fronts and plan to work on them simultaneously. (I know it's a pretty lousy picture, but you try getting a decent picture with a very exuberant 20-pound puppy who

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-91614576727499326002009-03-31T11:08:00.004-04:002009-03-31T11:26:40.937-04:00

We went to the local gardening center this weekend for gardening supplies. Gardening supplies only, mind you. I have some tomato seeds coming soon and I want to get them started as soon as they arrive, so I had to have some potting soil and peat moss, etc.Well, you know how fairs and such occasionally have adoption tables set up? Our center was having an open house complete with beekeepers and

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-67299073120896240142009-03-25T07:21:00.003-04:002009-03-25T07:29:40.075-04:00

I've made a bit of progress on the Longbourn socks:I really like how the colors are working together. I've had the mauve yarn for a while now and just couldn't figure out what to do with it. As for the denim, I already had a pair of socks in that exact color and didn't want another one, but with the mauve it really makes the denim look different. And it look like the cuff fits just about

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-34818357092000449052009-03-23T10:31:00.005-04:002009-03-23T11:24:11.646-04:00

Note to self: don't have eyes dilated on bright sunny day. Two pairs of sunglasses stacked on top of one another only help slightly. I've seen the "personal sock clubs" floating around on blogs for a few months now. Honestly, I don't know where they started, but they are a brilliant idea. The basic premise is you pick yarn from your stash, a pattern, throw it into a paper bag. You do several

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-80554479700608870822009-03-09T08:23:00.003-04:002009-03-09T08:58:26.123-04:00

I finally got some spinning done. I've been working on a Grafton batt (just scroll down to "C" for "Corriedale") I got a couple of years ago at the Maryland Sheep and Wool (only two more months until this year's!). So, I got around to plying some of it. There's a dime there to show how thin. (You can click on the picture to make bigger.)It's definitely a laceweight and had turned out very

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-30995075498848162722009-03-05T09:47:00.004-05:002009-03-05T09:58:34.553-05:00

I've made a little progress on the Kimono Top:And as if I didn't already have enough stuff in the works, I got a project that had been on backorder since October when I ordered my loom:This is for two scarves. The middle variegated is the warp (goes longways) and the pink and blue are for the weft in two different scarves (the pattern). You can click on the picture for a closer view. Of course

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-74885052537290077832009-03-02T07:55:00.000-05:002009-03-02T08:03:17.410-05:00

This happens:At least five inches and still coming down. That'll teach me to brag about my 60 degree weather.

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-10888757249319996692009-02-27T08:53:00.004-05:002009-02-27T09:17:00.859-05:00

Okay, folks, you know you're having a bad photography week when you have to resort to the "least crappy" photo. This shawl is beautiful, but apparently she's not very photogenic. At least not in the lighting that has been available to me the last few days. I'll keep trying to get better photos, but I really want to show her off. (I love the way NB names her shawls. "Greta" sounds so graceful

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-39345774644604001732009-02-25T09:21:00.004-05:002009-02-25T09:47:03.618-05:00

Greta is finished. Unfortunately, no pictures yet. I did try, but the pictures just wouldn't turn out well on the blocking board. Not enough light in the library right now, so I'll try again this afternoon when the lighting is better or maybe I'll wait until it's off the board. It is very pretty and blocking really pops out those nupps. Since Greta is done, I don't feel all that guilty about

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-24318199976507440152009-02-23T09:15:00.005-05:002009-02-23T09:32:20.222-05:00

Hopefully, I'll have Greta to show off by the end of the week. Each row is pretty short now. Last night at my Sit 'n' Knit, I finished 10 rows (and that was with me running my mouth a good bit of the time). And since I only have about 40 rows left, I should finish very soon. I also may have started a new project which I'll also show very soon. For now I have some new pretties to show off.

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-83322118186462623832009-02-18T09:08:00.003-05:002009-02-18T09:20:02.848-05:00

Knitting May Delay Memory LossI'm on the last chart of Greta; just haven't felt great the past couple of days. My yoga class kicked my butt Monday and I just wasn't great yesterday. Usually, yoga helps me feel better, but when I haven't been in a couple of weeks... I do know it helps me in the long run, but that's really hard to believe when one can barely move.I hope to have pictures of Greta

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-64719309010583290102009-02-13T08:06:00.004-05:002009-02-13T08:16:49.915-05:00

I know, a day early. I know it's really Friday the 13th, but I've actually always had pretty good luck on that day. I'm a big believer that if you believe you're going to have bad luck, you certainly will. I'm not saying there aren't days where bad luck just seems to find you no matter what, I'm just saying, there's no point in looking for bad luck to happen.I'd actually hoped to have the

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-58850452927183712592009-02-05T09:02:00.002-05:002009-02-05T09:12:35.361-05:00

More fun with paper:First of all, you can click on the picture for a close-up; you can see all the little beads and such (there is a tiny seed bead clasp for the purse and beads for the hat band). Also, these are tiny, the tallest is only 4 inches high. Is it sad that I'm having so much fun making little clothes? Just think what cute cards these little dresses and pjs will make though. I'll

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-24771982676837416102009-02-03T18:33:00.005-05:002009-02-03T18:52:24.961-05:00

Saturday I finally found a few minutes to finish warping for my scarf. I had already finished the threading and all I had left was to wind the warp onto the back beam and tie it on the front. As I was almost done winding, I hear "ping". Two of the warp threads had popped. I was told later that I could have just tied them together and once it is woven and washed, you can't tell. But I didn't

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-76475989458681186392009-01-29T19:11:00.006-05:002009-01-29T19:29:23.653-05:00

I've completed the lace border of Greta. I had to rip about three rows because I wasn't happy with the nupps. (By the way, did you know "nupp" is actually pronounced to rhyme with "soup"? I did not know that until I watched a video on Knitting Daily with Nancy Bush to see how she made hers.) Anyway, I'm much happier with the nupps (rhymes with "soups"; I have to remember that) now. Although

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-87345053605186817992009-01-26T08:32:00.002-05:002009-01-26T08:42:55.164-05:00

I started a new shawl. It's the Greta Garbo Shawl from Nancy Bush. It was originally supposed to be in the Estonian Lace Knitting book and I was very disappointed when I got the book and realized it wasn't in there. I was very pleased, however, to find out it was available as a kit (and 8 pages of pattern). It's a beautiful shawl and I love the color I chose. The color is funny though. It

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-738344510003214062009-01-19T15:43:00.005-05:002009-01-19T16:12:42.614-05:00

I seem to be acquiring a bit of bamboo as of late and I haven't shown any of it off. First up is some Madil Eden that I acquired a few weeks ago from Webs; these colors were on closeout. The pink is a bright pink and the blue is a little lighter than the picture, more of a bright azure.I got enough of each for a Kimono Top from Knit so Fine (click here if you're on Ravelry). I'm not sure which

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-36702139870698788002009-01-16T08:14:00.005-05:002009-01-16T09:08:27.337-05:00

Absolutely no knitting was done this week, but I have a few neat discoveries I made this week (none of which pertained to knitting, though one is fiber-related).1. Heidi Swanson. I discovered this name over at Fiber Fool a couple of weeks ago. She has a wonderful vegetarian recipe website. "I'm not vegetarian," you say. Well, neither am I, but go on over and check out a few of her recipes and

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-27396298118683679442009-01-12T11:14:00.003-05:002009-01-12T11:47:23.704-05:00

Work on the sweater has temporarily stalled. I've made it to the sleeves, but as I increased the diameter of the armholes, it also requires a bit of calculation on the sleeves. Not that I mind making the calculations, it just requires a bit more concentration than I've had the past few days and I want the sweater to work out well. I feel that it is very important if you make sweaters for

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-27641775567171928512009-01-08T08:36:00.004-05:002009-01-08T08:55:41.784-05:00

I don't know why it's impossible to get an accurate representation of purples, but it is and seeing as how purple is probable the color I use most, it gives me no end of grief taking a dozen pictures, then trying to correct the color in Photoshop. Sometimes, it just can't be done, especially when it's next to other colors. So pretend that the purple in the following picture is actually the

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-11587971041838515532009-01-03T08:45:00.005-05:002009-01-03T09:11:40.346-05:00

I ordered some earrings from Opal (she's got some gorgeous stuff over at her shop). The earrings are silver (like purple, I can never seem to get an accurate representation, but they are very silver). They are delicate and very light, even though they dangle to nearly the shoulders. As for the stitch markers, they have a lovely unicorn charm on them. When I purchased some stitch markers from

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-85573233406758456942008-12-31T08:20:00.000-05:002008-12-31T08:27:08.420-05:00

I guess my year was a fairly productive one. Not so many socks this year, only two pair for myself. I did finish an albatross that had been hanging around for a couple of years. I love my Hex Coat now that it's finished, but it will be a while before I do that much moss or seed stitch again. I also finished only 4 shawls this year, two really small, but 2 were pretty much the biggest I've

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-41260347174374999822008-12-28T10:11:00.003-05:002008-12-28T10:29:21.617-05:00

Wow, she's finished and blocked and HUGE! Here she is in all her glory:The color's a bit more accurate on this one, though the grey may even be a little lighter; it's showing up a bit too dark on my monitor:(Click on the pictures for close-ups!)Specs:Started: March 1, 2008Finished: December 26, 2008Size: about 60 inches squareNeedle size: Size 2 (3.00mm)Yarn: Zephyr in PewterPattern: Magickal

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-78295762575989143292008-12-26T14:35:00.003-05:002008-12-26T14:40:46.300-05:00

The Magickal Earth Shawl is finished!! All that's left now is to block her out, but here's a preview:More pictures and specs later! I will tell you that I'm already sure that I'll love this shawl.

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-55040411080419486382008-12-22T12:53:00.004-05:002008-12-22T13:20:44.790-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I won a blog contest over at Sarah's blog. It was one of her beautiful mugs:Do I even need to say that pictures don't do it justice? It came on Wednesday as a well-needed "good" part of the day after Julie's eye problems. It holds a nice-sized cup of tea (with a little milk and honey). Speaking of Julie's eye, I took her in to the vet today and he was flabbergasted at

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-49773952220098163062008-12-17T20:15:00.000-05:002008-12-17T20:57:05.417-05:00

My puppy isn't exactly a puppy anymore. She's fifteen years old, a breast cancer survivor, and she is part of the family. Anyone who has pets knows that they are family members and we hate when our furry children are in pain. My furry child is in pain. She's had cataracts for a while and she had an eye infection on top of that. This morning when I was going to put the antibiotic drop in, she

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-15872419027185736022008-12-15T11:05:00.000-05:002008-12-15T11:11:04.054-05:00

I finished weaving some hand towels the other day and finally got around to cutting them apart. The first ones are done in pastels and all different treadlings (you can click to see a close-up of the different patterns):The other two are Christmas colors. The one on the left is a basket weave and the other is a 3/1 twill (again you can click).The pattern is a Sampler Towel pattern from

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-66863078273394004912008-12-11T08:55:00.005-05:002008-12-11T09:26:01.657-05:00

While kung fu movies don't seem to be conducive for lace knitting (see this post), The Lord of the Rings trilogy seems to be quite productive. I rewatched all three of the extended movies over the past three nights, staying up much later than I really should have. And while watching, I worked on my Magickal Earth. LOTR and ME seemed to fit very well together as I'm now a mere 2-1/2 rounds from

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-81990308599965880102008-12-10T18:57:00.003-05:002008-12-10T19:28:38.898-05:00

I try to make it to yoga classes at the gym once or twice a week. I go specific days for two teachers whom I love, but also partly to avoid one particular teacher. Occasionally, I'm unlucky and this woman subs for one of my regular classes. Today was one of those days. I hate to say it, but this woman bugs me. It's not that she tends to have the music a little too loud or that she talks

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-10275667623976028002008-12-07T09:42:00.004-05:002008-12-07T10:08:30.624-05:00

Friday night as I was knitting while watching a movie, I discovered a mistake about 3 rows down on the Magickal Earth. Me and my darned perfectionism streak, because it was a mistake NO ONE would have ever figured out (even my fellow lace friends with a magnifying glass). No one but me, of course. I would have seen it every darn time I looked at it. Perfectionist that I am, even I was not

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-64891388855064806892008-12-05T13:16:00.001-05:002008-12-05T13:18:18.225-05:00

The maker of this silly quiz has obviously never seen my closet or my yarn/fiber stash:You Need Some Purple in Your LifePurple will make you feel ambitious, independent, and creative.And with a little purple, you will project an aura of individuality.If you want more extravagance, you've got to get a little purple in your life!For extra punch: Combine purple with green or orangeThe downside of

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-63386923333073523912008-12-03T09:30:00.000-05:002008-12-03T09:49:48.647-05:00

I have been weaving a bit, but I've also been working pretty exclusively (as far as knitting goes) on the Magickal Earth Shawl. I have unicorn legs:I'm nearly halfway through the unicorn pattern. I really like that this shawl is getting smaller and smaller. The rounds are going much quicker now. I may even finish by the end of the year! (Maybe, unless I get distracted by something else,

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-62787957626935634112008-11-26T09:10:00.001-05:002008-11-26T10:20:58.131-05:00

A little birthday yarn that came yesterday:It's tencel from Webs in colors "Jewel" and "Blue Ming"; I also have some black that's on backorder. I hope to weave some scarves with the three colors somehow used together. I'd love to find a bright pink to match the pink in "Jewel", too, maybe a purple (the yarn is actually pretty equal amounts of turquoise, pink, black, and purple; it just seems to

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-14305479694735743112008-11-24T08:40:00.004-05:002008-11-24T08:54:01.627-05:00

Well, I had planned to finish plying some lovely yarn that I've been spinning for a while. I had planned to finish it up yesterday and give it a nice bath and then I had planned on having some lovely pictures of it to show off this morning. I had also planned on getting some more weaving done, maybe even some more of Magickal Earth. But things don't always work out that way. I spent most of

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-29187209929755778922008-11-17T11:09:00.004-05:002008-11-17T11:25:48.904-05:00

Yes, really, it is. I know it doesn't seem like it because I haven't shown any actual knitting in ages. I hadn't touched Magickal Earth in weeks; I'd only done a few stitches on my current socks and I haven't even touched this beautiful sock club yarn from Neighborhood Fiber Company's October installment:(Honestly, I can't even get the colors close on my computer to the loveliness that is this

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-79563553268386882512008-11-13T07:56:00.011-05:002008-11-13T09:54:17.366-05:00

Once there was a maiden by the name of Arachne who was extremely skilled in the art of weaving. Her weaving was so beautiful in both the finished product and the actions themselves that the nymphs would often watch her. Some said she was blessed by Athena herself, but she denied this saying she had taught herself everything she knew. She even went so far as to dare the goddess to test her

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-21264480282589362222008-11-11T14:23:00.005-05:002008-11-11T14:54:45.548-05:00

Weaving is something that has long interested me for many reasons. Weaving is one of the first textiles. Man had been wearing animal hides, but somewhere along the way, he (I mean that in a general sense, not that it was actually a man necessarily) discovered that he could roll a bunch of plant fibers up and get a pretty strong thread. Man probably later discovered that certain animals could

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-39723750955849656842008-11-07T08:07:00.005-05:002008-11-07T09:02:38.992-05:00

My first weaving is off the loom. I was a bit worried that I had threaded the loom wrong because my sampler wasn't matching the one in the pattern's picture, but when it came off the loom, I realized that the picture was of the backside. The sampler is about 31 inches long and 12 inches wide, but I couldn't get a good shot of the whole thing. Here's a bit of it though:Close-up:The selvedges

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-91781249565751419072008-11-04T07:12:00.009-05:002008-11-04T10:58:50.136-05:00

Whatever candidates you support, exercise your civic rights and duties and get out there and vote! Okay, so now my public service announcement is over, I'll warn you that the rest of this entry is about the rally I went to last night. Those of you who've been reading for a while know that I don't normally use my blog as a soapbox. I may discreetly say whom I'm supporting, but I'm usually not

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-85989854656163236022008-11-03T08:15:00.003-05:002008-11-03T08:23:27.723-05:00

Actual weaving!I'm enjoying my new toy immensely! My selvedges (edges) are a bit sloppy, but I'm fairly happy with the rest. I would have used a floating selvedge, but wasn't aware that this pattern needed one while I was setting up, so I'm improvising one. Hopefully next time, I'll know better.Happy Monday, everyone!

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-87206079038259245992008-10-31T07:45:00.004-04:002008-10-31T07:57:53.802-04:00

Warning, there is a picture of a real spider at the end of the post. Thought I'd put that for the squeamish out there. Not that I love spiders myself, but as a budding weaver, I have developed a fascination with their web weaving abilities and this little guy was working hard a couple of weeks ago, and I grabbed the camera. Thought I'd save the picture for Halloween. If you're having trouble

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-84311775071776181312008-10-28T10:03:00.004-04:002008-10-28T11:23:21.675-04:00

Okay, now I'm off to make sure that it's going to make it around that one corner on the basement stairs!

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-25188678445319038272008-10-23T09:13:00.006-04:002008-10-23T09:54:39.802-04:00

The other day, I mentioned that I had ordered my loom. This loom is my Christmas present from last year, but it was conditional. My husband had told me that I could order it when I had finished cleaning the basement so that there might actually be room for it. For the heck of it, I called a loom store last week just to ask some questions, and they told me that since they didn't have the loom

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-74344472179126276922008-10-20T08:34:00.004-04:002008-10-20T08:53:01.535-04:00

My posting has become so erratic that I've considered abandoning the blog altogether. I just can't bring myself to do it though. I've made such good friends through it that I just can't do it yet. So, meanwhile, I'll keep posting erratically and maybe try and post more often again. I finished my Trekking/Cat Bordhi socks:Pattern: Master Upstream from New PathwaysNeedle size: 0sYarn: Trekking

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-91493318851854340162008-09-07T09:56:00.006-04:002008-09-08T14:18:08.605-04:00

Okay, it needs a light blocking, but I couldn't wait to show if off:(I'lI post more picts once it's all nicely blocked). I love, love, love this coat. I think it might carry me through a lot of the winter as well as the fall because it is quite warm. I probably should have made it in a neutral color, but then, a good bit of my winter wardrobe is neutral, so color is probably a good thing. I

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-32936358800464483052008-09-07T09:20:00.005-04:002008-09-07T09:23:52.327-04:00

Had to share a picture of what we found in our yard after all the rain from Hanna. Aren't they adorable?! (Click for a very close-up.)Hex Coat is officially done! Well, except for all those darned ends and it probably needs a light blocking, but the blocking might wait. I'll try to get pictures up tomorrow. I really love the coat. It's going to be quite nice this fall/winter!

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-57581372661862318742008-09-05T08:29:00.004-04:002008-09-05T08:38:13.811-04:00

I've emerged from hexagon hell (yes, hexagons are a pain in the bum when you have done a dozen of them, but I only have four! left now) to finish a pair of socks.Specs:Pattern: regular old stockinetteNeedles: 0sYarn: Trekking (I'm afraid I don't remember the colorway right off, but it's black with some subtle colors throughout)And I've begun a new pair, also in Trekking, color 05 this time:I'm

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-27991165888991416932008-08-25T08:10:00.002-04:002008-08-25T08:17:36.431-04:00

All the moss stitch is done! The coat is all put together! All the ends are sewn in! All that's left are all the hexagons around the opening. I've done five out of about twenty or twenty-one.The hexagons though are pretty fun to do. I'll actually have a finished coat soon.

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-72411321460369533242008-08-11T15:46:00.006-04:002008-08-11T16:22:06.899-04:00

Opal has been very busy with her etsy shop lately, spinning up some lovely handspun and making lovely stitch markers. I had to have these:Couldn't believe they arrived already. I just ordered them Wednesday and they came all the way from Hawaii!Anyone who has been reading my blog for a while might vaguely recall the next project. I started it around this time two years ago and have given it

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-84454226996724836772008-08-05T10:14:00.005-04:002008-08-05T10:34:42.519-04:00

I know, two days, two posts, but I had to show off my newest acquisition. I've actually tried to stay out of yarn stores because of my ever-increasing stash and what happens, our guild has a local dyer to come in and give a talk and share her wares. *Sigh* Seriously, how could I resist these shades of purple?These are merino silk blends, so the picture does not truly show the richness and

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-89504741012211479162008-08-04T07:21:00.004-04:002008-08-04T08:09:45.532-04:00

I am still around, and I actually finished something. I finished a pair of socks for my husband: It's his second pair. He seems to like them, so he might get another pair for Christmas. Pattern: My own plain old stockinetteNeedles: My usual 0sYarn: Regia Galaxy in blues/greysI'm almost done with the evergreen trees section of the Magickal Earth Shawl. So, I'm very close to starting the

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-64489137460768315652008-07-21T07:58:00.002-04:002008-07-21T08:02:14.273-04:00

I've finally finished the dreaded edging of Magickal Earth. I've picked up all 1152 stitches and started working inward. Here is the edging and the beginning of the evergreen trees:It is such a beautiful pattern and I'm enjoying working on it very much!

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-80549684420797011292008-07-02T09:34:00.005-04:002008-07-02T09:47:59.655-04:00

I actually finished something! Here they are:Swallowtail, the pink:Swallowtail, the blue:Specs:Pattern: Swallowtail by Evelyn Clark, Interweave Fall 2006Size (both the same): 44 inches across the top and 21 inches down the center to the pointYarn: Shadow from Knitpicks in Pink Posy and MermaidNeedles: Size 4I worked on these shawls at the same time. I would complete one pattern repeat on one

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-1307300532462204222008-06-24T07:52:00.004-04:002008-06-24T07:59:18.531-04:00

One of the MANY things I'm working on is two swallowtails in Knit Picks Shadow, one in pink and one in "mermaid", for my girls. I'm working on one for a little bit, then the other. That way, I won't finish one and then have a whole other one to do. I'm done on the blue one with the budding lace and just about done on the pink one. I'm still working on the Magickal Earth Shawl edging here and

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-50359442726662593152008-06-03T08:23:00.005-04:002008-06-03T08:36:28.271-04:00

I was actually hoping to have this finished last week and posted and even finish another one, but I got some sort of nasty flu all last week. So I finally sewed the bottom and made the little tassels and drawstring. It's a cute little purse and I'm working on another design in green and white. It's a nice, small project for practicing Fair Isle. My technique on this one was still a bit tight,

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-60224181983520467862008-05-25T21:43:00.004-04:002008-05-25T22:01:34.165-04:00

Time does fly, doesn't it? I'm still plodding along on the Magickal Earth, but for sanity's sake, I had to find a little instant gratification. I've been working on some medieval mini relic bags from a pattern I got at the S&W. I've now nearly finished this heart one, but here it is in the beginning stages:I've finished the knitting now and will post again after I sew up the bottom and put on

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-91731311231011618052008-05-13T09:16:00.005-04:002008-05-13T09:34:27.311-04:00

or rather the shawl that's going to take a really, really long time.This is the edging. I have done 18 of the required 48 repeats of the edging pattern. For anyone math-impaired, that's just over 1/3 of the edging done. It's a giant pain in the bum. Out of all the shawls I've done, my least favorite part has always been the edging. Usually, the edging is done last, after the body of the

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-76828775893521157602008-05-09T08:13:00.006-04:002008-05-09T10:06:46.794-04:00

I know, three posts in one week after posting just once a month for the past few months. Seriously, no heart attacks.First of all, I found this "highly scientific *cough* caffeine test" on Stumbling Over Chaos. I scored 160 clicks without my morning tea. What does that say about me? That I'm too jittery or I just have quick reflexes?I don't have any pictures today, just some thoughts on

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-45934568245711837762008-05-07T08:05:00.004-04:002008-05-07T08:35:59.517-04:00

I know, two posts in one week. Don't have a heart attack or anything. I've been spinning some of the Wensleydale I couldn't get a picture of earlier on the new Golding (see last post). This is a pretty decent representation of the purples, except you can't really tell that it's a bit variegated:I'm spinning a little thicker than usual and hoping to get a three-ply fingering, possibly sport.

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-33649664069901318622008-05-04T09:04:00.006-04:002008-05-04T13:18:09.964-04:00

Yes, I do realize what a blog slacker I've been lately! Since I haven't been knitting a whole lot, I haven't had a whole lot to blog about, but yesterday was my annual trek to Maryland. My friend and I got there a bit later than last year and had to wait a bit before getting parked. We had made plans to meet up with Opal (who was there all the way from Hawaii!) at the Golding booth right at

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-41047248285528851212008-04-09T07:46:00.005-04:002008-04-09T08:05:18.312-04:00

Yes, believe it or not, I'm still here! I've just been incredibly busy with life and such. I blinked and nearly a month passed. Then I've been trying to get pictures of my current projects (yes, I actually have been working a little), but we haven't had a sunny day in a week or two. It's still not sunny, but I managed to get a fairly decent shot of one of my projects. (Now, let's see if I

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-19838448079782121582008-03-02T15:08:00.004-05:002008-03-02T15:23:08.255-05:00

And here's my finished shawl (the silver thing at the bottom is a 12-inch ruler):Here's the usual closeup:The specs:Pattern: Frost Flowers and Leaves from Gathering of LaceNeedle: Size 6Yarn: Lane Borgeosesia Baruffa Cashwool; 2 skeins, so under 2920 yards, light blueSize: about 70 inches by 70 inches (in other words, really, really big!)I've wanted to do this shawl ever since I got the book

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-35759748881237463652008-02-19T08:22:00.003-05:002008-02-19T08:33:39.745-05:00

I was getting exasperated at how slowly FF&L was growing and I was planning to start a series of pictures (thanks to a conversation with Chris) of a "ghost shawl". I was going to drape it over objects and demonstrate how very slowly it was growing. Then all of a sudden it started growing at an alarming rate. I have just four rows left before beginning the edging. Just four more rows. I'll

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-66639762948352055302008-02-06T07:42:00.001-05:002008-02-06T07:59:55.282-05:00

Yes, I've been out of blogland for a while. It's not that I haven't been knitting; it's that the knitting doesn't look much different.As much as I keep knitting on Frost Flowers and Leaves, it just doesn't seem to grow. Okay, it actually does grow, just very slowly. Anyway, that's what I've mostly been working on. Doesn't really make for great blogging when it just looks the same week after

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-70466527949016252442008-01-11T08:12:00.000-05:002008-01-11T08:43:35.953-05:00

Believe it or not, this is the first pair of socks I've ever made for my husband (as well as being the first finished object of 2008):I finished them last night. The specs:Pattern: My own basic patternYarn: Trekking 62Needles: My usual size 0sSo, I've been working a bit on Frost Flowers and Leaves and I've been working a little on the Hex Coat, which shall henceforth be referred to as the

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-27131113932939094172007-12-31T08:00:00.000-05:002007-12-31T08:40:04.587-05:00

My usual end-of-the-year wrap up. I really can't believe I finished so few shawls as I did nine in 2006! There are so many I want to do, I have to really get going in 2008. Anyway, I hope everyone had a good year and I hope next year is better!SOCKSMunchkin Socks #2Munchkin Socks #1Sonatina Stansfield SocksWild Austermann SocksApple Laine Blueberry Oriel SocksFoxy Lady Rib SocksSpanish Moss

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-80004917257017162662007-12-27T11:35:00.001-05:002007-12-27T11:47:46.807-05:00

As promised, pictures of the smaller munchkin socks. I know they look remarkably similar to the first pair, but if you look closely you can see that these have less pattern in the cuff (in other words, they're a wee bit shorter). I'm lazy, so if you want to see the specs, they are pretty much the same as the first pair (which is in the aforementioned link).I also have some socks started for the

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-9125398721947258952007-12-24T07:48:00.000-05:002007-12-24T07:59:16.041-05:00

I know I've been lost again, but wanted to pop in to say Merry Christmas to all who celebrate, so Merry Christmas! I will have something to show later in the week, believe it or not. I finished the second pair of munchkin socks and as soon as I can rip them off the munchkin's feet bribe the munchkin to take them off, I'll get a picture. I also started a pair of socks for my husband in dark

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13368285.post-9270895018904303292007-12-03T08:06:00.000-05:002007-12-03T11:59:22.285-05:00

I actually have a little something to show:The Specs:Pattern: Diamonds from More Sensational Knitted Socks, forethought heel (I tried to do my usual heel flap, but I just couldn't get the gusset striping to work out to my liking)Needles: Size 0sYarn: Knitpicks Essential in Petunia and African VioletI tried to actually use a larger needle for these socks, and got the exact same gauge, so I decided

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455960552860567288noreply@blogger.com10