My Lace

I have been working on this every once in a while for over a year. I am intent on finishing it soon I hope. There are 193 rounds and I am on 111, I got a ways to go. I was inspired by another blog I was reading or maybe it was on the shawl yahoo group, anyway I saw a shawl that was similar and the woman finished it in a month and a half. I got to thinking of all the other things I have finished since I started this and it is quite a lot. Socks, sweaters, shrugs, cardigans, and a jacket well I haven't been lazy just distracted. I have not shown a pic of this and thought it was about time. Once it is off the needles I will post a pic of it again.

Tempted Yarns

I am very excited to announce the birth of a new family business "Tempted Hand Painted Yarns" my step-daughter and I are having a great time playing with the yarn. It has been fun and out of 8 skeins of yarn 5 are sold. We put them up on Etsy at www.temptedyarns.etsy.com and we also started a blog with the adventures of Tempted at http://temptedyarns.blogspot.com/. Hope this will be a good and profitable venture guess we'll just have to wiat and see.
On the knitting and spinning front I started to count how many projects I have on needles and I think it is only 4 not to bad, my lace shawl, lace socks, cables socks, and a scarf for a friend from her handspun. I also spun about 350 yds of an Alpaca/wool blend, I like it though I may still overdye it.

Will knit for Fiber

Got a great deal going for me, a local sheep rancher/spinner would like to have some handknit items from her own herd, but she is not much of a knitter. Let me do it for you I will knit for fiber. So now I am on my 3rd pair of socks and we have plans for possibly 1 cardigan and 1 pullover sweater. Not a bad deal for either of us I think.
I also have new neighbors my oldest step-daughter and her husband. They are both great, love having them around. The best news is that I think I might get her hooked on knitting, can you imagine she thought it was just for little old ladys! Well after looking at a ton of hip, exciting and a few goth blogs she figured out that women her age are very good knitters and designers. I am hoping that this will open up some awesome possibilities. You see I am well spastic, unorganized, and distracted, she is (useing her own words) OCD, very organized and methodical. What a combanation I think it may be an amazing colaboration, I think I have some great ideas for some sexy stuff and she has the smarts to make it happen. I love it. We will have to wait and see if she loves it or not. No matter what I love haveing her as a neighbor.
Yesterday we started our new adventure in dyeing yarn, we started with some of my handspun yarns and today we are going to do a few science projects. See she is so smart what I saw as just playing around with yarn she can turn it into a science project with notes and everything. I love it. I will get pics of our new yarns on here soon. Hope someone reads this and finds it slightly interesting.

My newest creation and I am very proud of it. Pattern is from 'DomiKNITrix' by Jennifer Stafford, I love her patterns, and I love the way she knits. It is fitted better than most and I do love it but part of what I love about my hoodie is that I spun all the wool myself.
It took me about 4 days of spinning to get it all done and I mean 4 days from morning to night. I bought 4lb of 100% Wool from Jessica Eastin (can't remember her farm name) the wool was no particular breed but the color was delicious. Love at first sight, (dreamy music begins to play as Antonio Banderas speaks) Her eyes fell upon the emerald mound from across the crowded room and it was like she was alone ---screech--- until some other women tried to touch it and then she began to hurriedly talk to the merchant. Sold its mine all mine. Had no idea what i was going to do with it at first until, January when I received DomiKNITrix by way of Amazon and it all became clear it wanted to be a hoodie. What a beautiful and warm hoodie it is. Well according to me anyway. I gotta get a better pic but this will have to do for now.
I have got a great deal going for me right now I will knit for fleece. Currently working on 4 pairs of socks for a very kind and generous women who happens to have sheep, goats and alpaca. I think it will work out for both of us. Got one sock done now gotta cast on the next. Well enough for now. Happy Knitting

Christmas time

Well it hasn't been quite as long since my last post. We had our Christmas this last Saturday and it was very very pleasent. All the kids and their signifacant others all happy and laughing together. All the gifts got opened late Friday night and I think everyone was very happy. I was, I got the needle set from Knitpicks as well as several skeins of lace weight and sock yarn. Also got 'Victorian Lace Today' by Jane Sowerby. A very informative and interesting book it has great patterns but also a lot of history. I think I will really enjoy it.
At some point I will get to do something for myself again but right know I am still knitting for babies, and kids. Well the 'kid' is 19 and not really a kid anymore but she asked for a shrug and by golly i will get it to her by the 28th! Speaking of kids the oldest is now feeling the baby move and on the 3rd of January I will know whether to knit in blue or pink. Can't wait!! I will try to get more pics posted soon but I am waiting for the babies to be wearing them 1st. Better go and get some knitting done or the 28th might pass w/out the shrug.

So much for that record

Although I have done very little blogging I have been doing quite a lot of knitting and a bit of spinning. This is one of the many baby projects I have completed in the last 2 months. In fact that is about all I have done in the last 2 months, infant socks, bonnets, and cardigans. I will have to post more pics once I take them. I have a sweater and another baby bonnet on the needles right now and more yet to be done. Not doing to many Christmas gifts this year, I just don't have enough time for it. Hopefuly I will post more later but at the moment I have to finish planning a baby shower so tootles.

Its a record

I have made several posts recently and am very proud of myself.
Working on a new sweater well I guess you could call it that it is very light and breezy. Made out of Karrabella's Gossomer in red and gold, and their pattern, I will take a picture and post it later. Just one more sleeve and I will be done, well almost. My daughter saw the pattern and immediately said I can't wear it unless I put a shirt on under it! My little modest baby, hope she will be that way when she is 16 and wanting a string bikini ha ha ha. Of course the rules my be just for me.
I am desperately trying to figure out how to liven up my blog, it is terrible and I want it to be more personalized. It needs RED and Black, drama and excitement. I am not quite as boring as this blog, at least I don't think so. huh

My wheel and some alpaca

Well here is a picture of my new spinning wheel finally and a bit of alpaca yarn I just finished plying. Looks kinda funny but so you know it is hanging in the shower I just gave it a good soaking and it is hanging to dry. Been working on a great see thru light sweater in red that I love can't wait to get it finished shouldn't be too much longer. Not much more to report due to my dear daughter home from school today with a fever. Better go and be a good mother. See ya

Bag of hair to da da da daaa..Coat!

OK first thanks to Katie for the freebee that started this coat. As I mentioned previously I began spinning a few months ago and am loving it. Shortly after starting I went to a meeting of the Tulsa Handspinners Guild and met Katie along with many other spinners. She then had me follow her to her home where she began to give me several bags of wool in different colors and breeds. Some of which I used for this coat. It began as a mass of clean gray hair and I spun it into a thick and bumpy yarn I am so proud. I had a few little hickups along the way but it all came out ok. I really can't believe I not only spun it all but knit a huge coat in about 2 months. Not bad if I do say so myself. Now that I think about it in that time I have also knit a cardigan for my preggo sister and a lace Tam for my daughter. Wow Wow Wow I am the queen of unfinished projects and I have started and finished 3 in 2 months. AMAZING I'm not bragging really I truly can't believe I have done it all.
On an almost unrelated topic I actually sent a msg. to Vicki Howell's blog (Knitty Gritty on DIY), think it was the wine. I think I am in love ha ha ha

Spinning taking up all my time.

Well I have finally got my wheel and am enjoying it thoroughly. I have also met many new people and learned a great deal. In fact this last weekend my dear daughter and I picked up a new spinning friend and her daughter and went to a wonderful class on silk. I had no idea you could do all that, it was amazing we made silk hankies and reeled silk. Don't ask me to explain all I can tell you is it was great and a lot of fun. My daughter really enjoyed it too, she had a lot to talk about at school on Monday.
The 2nd picture is of the 100% Merino that I have spun, I think it is destined to be a cardigan for a little girl. Having a very hard time finding a pattern though not many kids patterns out there. Lots of baby and toddler stuff but not much for ages 6-12. May have to take the tumble into design if I ever get up the courage. I have about 5 projects on needles right now and am trying to get the number down a bit. Made a cardigan (1st picture) for my prego sister and sent it off this morning hope she likes it, she is notoriously picky regarding clothing. Also working on a Tam for my daughter out of "A gathering of Lace" it is a soft pink kid merino, I think it will be beautiful. The "Hip Hop Coat" Winter '05 Interweave out of my own hand spun wool, back is almost complete. Others I will tell about in future entries. I will try to keep up this blog better in the future.

My new Passion

OHHHH MYYYYY GAWWWWWWWDDDDDDDD! I have a new passion! Spinning!!
I will try to start at the beginning, but I am so excited that I will probably skip around keep up if you can. LOL
About a week ago my daughter and I went to an Alpaca Farm (Acres of Love). On that visit I was given a reasonable amount of fleece to learn what I could from and just enjoy. Well my head was reeling from just getting my hands on raw fleece, I was so excited and could not stop playing with it. I got online and started searching for a store or a person who could teach me something about spinning it into yarn. I didn't want to send it out to somebody to spin it I wanted to spin it. My search led me to Margaret, a wonderfully sweet and helpful woman who asked if I wanted to come to her home and she would show me how to spin. Yesterday I spent the day with her at her farm learning how to spin, she let me try a drop spindle, then 3 of her spinning wheels. I loved it and had a great time. She was even kind enough to let me take one home to play with, she also gave me some wool to work with. To top it all off when I got home and showed my dear sweet hubby what I had learned he said that I should get myself a spinning wheel "make sure its a good one that you will really like". Isn't he great!!!! I gotta get off here and go start spinning!! YEAHHHHH Oh and I finished my Bag. Let me know what ya think Please.

Shrug for my lady

I just finished the shrug for my Lady. Got the pattern from www.Knitty.com will get its name to you in next post. i love the way it finished. Now do I have the guts to wear them???? Damn right I will my sister says its too redneck I think others may have a different point of view ha ha ha. Please share yours if you would Thank you lots and lots.

Motherhood and knitting...."Mom could you stop for just a minute"

Well as I am sitting comfortably knitting and watching our family Halloween movie marathon,10 movies all picked out by my beautiful 8 yr old daughter. My hands busy with the sleeve to a NEW shrug I started that day, my dear sweet and just a little scared daughter moves in to cuddle up and..... Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......gets poked by a quickly moving dp size 8. "MOM!!!!! Can't you stop for just a little while." I'm very torn, my daughter has been wounded (I really do feel bad...really) but I am pleased to say I did not lose in stitches. I really did not want to stop I was getting so close to the end but I did, (sigh) and made the obligatory kiss on the boo boo, "I am so sorry, will you be alright" ect... I got back to it as soon as Dad sat back down and I gently moved her over to him...insert evil laugh here.

Has a nice Halloween, spent all day at school with dear sweet daughter, I even dressed up. We were up at 6am for make-up and hair, out the door by 7:45. Trick or treating went as well as it could we were back home by 7pm with a bag so full she could barely carry it. I was exhausted, but not so much I couldn't but a few more rows into the 2nd sleeve of said shrug. Will post pics when done, it goes with my Mudflap girl tank. Can't wait.

Learning.... and socks

Thought I would post the picture of the super fast and cheap "Cottage Socks" I made over the weekend. They are knee high and very soft and cozy, and since we have now dipped below freezing a couple of nights they have come in handy. I am a bit disappointed, someday I will take the time to make a gauge swatch, but I had to make needles too so overall I think it turned out good. Still working on the bag and shrug.
I will someday figure out all these add-ons, I know so little about computers and this is my one and only blog so I'm still learning. I tried for hours yesterday and this morning to get a ring posted. I've tried everything I just can't get it right, anyone have any advise I'd love to hear it. I will continue to try to liven up this blog but till then if anyone is reading it please hang in there with me, I'll figure it out eventually.

Long Weekend

Had a very nice and relaxing weekend. I started and finished a pair of "Cottage Socks" it was a freebee pattern on the Lion Brand Site made with the Chunky Wool Ease. I had to make my own Double Point needles size 13, just couldn't find a set that big anywhere. Just took a dowel rod cut it into 5 pieces, stuck the ends into a large pencil sharpener and sanded for a long while. They worked out very well.
I have been really frustrated with designs and started drawing up my own ideas for sweaters. It's so hard to find anything that fits right, I have got to learn to alter patterns to my body. Unless I want to make sweaters that are to big all the time, my problem is that I have a large chest and not as large a waist. If I make a large to fit my chest, its too big at the waist and if I make it to my waist measurements its tooooooo tight in the chest. Oh well guess I just need to study and then not be so afraid to try and see.

Mud Flap Girl, me???????

Well well I did get it finished in about a week, not bad. Still working on a shrug and bag but I did finish something. I have gotten very mixed reactions to this paticular project some love it (mostly my freewilled,openminded women friends and hubby) others think its a little over the top. As for me I love it. Very fun and sexy. Please give me any feedback you may have. Thanks

Too long since last post

Thought I would download some new pictures. I am working on a great sweater from 'stitch and bitch' I love it. Also include the back of fair isles bag.

Been a long long time

My knitting is doing well but I just haven't had the time to sit down and write. Well maybe if I would put down the book I have been reading I could have made time.
I'm currently working on a bag and a sweater.
I have been so very very busy since I started this thing, had to make a trip down to Houston with family, right before Katrina hit. I am also volunteering at my daughters school and finally started working out again. Stay at home Mom, the hardest job I have ever had.