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October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween!

Trick or treat, smell my feet. Gimme something good to eat!

I wish I had a nice pumpkin shot or something, but I didn't get a pumpkin this year to carve! What's wrong with me? Kids will be lucky they get candy! I have good candy too! CANDY BARS!

I really almost have my February Lady Sweater done. I want to take pictures of it this weekend when there is some sunlight. So you will just have to make do with this:

I think I am getting the hang of this spindle spinning! The spindle is a student spindle I got years ago, I don't even rembember where I got it! It's doing a nice job for me right now. I hand dyed the roving myself a while back. It's chartruse. I didn't like spinning it on my wheel and I almost got rid of the roving! So I tried it out on the spindle and now I like it. I have been trying to spin a fingering weight yarn so I can make socks.

I think I may have done it!

So I am going to cram as much as I can on this spindle and see what happens!

Posted by beth at 12:33 PM | Comments (4)

October 27, 2008

Unexpected pleasure

For a crappy weather weekend it sure turned out nice! I was planning on knitting with my Ravelry peeps at the local coffe shop when another Ravelry peep and Guild friend let me know that the Alpaca Show here in town was looking for people from local guilds to demonstrate spinning. There was free roving supplied to the spinners. So I said: Free roving? YES! PLEASE!

So Christina and I braved the weather and went to the fairgrounds (about 10 minutes from my house) and demonstrated! I had the best time!

Here is Christina and Jeanine from Gaze Acres Alpacas who so generously donated the WONDERFUL, AMAZING most BEAUTIFUL Alpaca fiber I had ever had the pleasure to spin.

I am telling you her roving is better than Crack. Not that I know what that is like, but you get the idea.

We were situated right near the Fiber Sale area, but also in a spot with lots of foot traffic. Here are some of the creatures that literally stopped by:

And this guy (or girl - I didn't think it polite to ask...) Was so curious about what Christina was doing

I thought we almost had a new guild member! This animal was totally digging Christina!

How cute is that?

I did mention that they were selling stuff didn't I? I wish wish wish that I could have a little more will power. But these two skeins of sock yarn were calling my name. I couldn't decide which one so I got both.

I mean really. Walk away with out buying anything? Yeah right.

So I did spin while I was there. Which was the whole point of going right? Here is what I did:

I was trying to spin as fast as I could so I could get a good yardage. But then I didn't want to get too greedy... I got a decent fingering weight:

All spun and plyed on my Golding! I am so going to buy Jeanine's roving. SOON!!! I am also planning on doing this again next year and staying the whole day!

PS: I am THISCLOSE to finishing the Feburary Lady Sweater!

Posted by beth at 12:36 PM | Comments (9)

October 24, 2008

You like me! You really like me!

Well, I know not everyone likes me, but I do know that Laurie
likes me 'cause she gave me an award!

I want to give this award to Laurie too 'cause that girl makes me laugh a ton!

So now I am supposed to pass this along to the blogs I like. There are so many. I am only supposed to choose 4, but like Laurie, I don't like to follow the rules either.

Here are my favorites:
Christie
She can crank out a sweater in no time. You have to love that. Oh and when she becomes a famous actress she is going to thank me when she gets "THE" award.

Maryse
Her pictures are stunning and she makes me laugh. How can you not love that?

Kris
I think Kris became one of my first blog buddies. It's weird, but we tend to knit the same stuff. At least we won't be showing up at the same parties with the same thing on! (she's in Norway) I love her blog and her photography

Celtic Cast On
She makes little itty bitty sweaters that fit her and look fabulous on her to boot. Oh and she takes pretty pictures

kit kat knit
She is a fellow spinner. Love her knitting and spinning. Um, another one who takes really nice mouth watering photos...

Alison
I bet she doesn't know this, but I started reading her blog when she was in oh god, where was she again? Indonesia! There. That is broad. Love her knitting and her stories. Would love to meet her some day. She takes good pictures too.

Terhi
I want to be Terhi when I grow up. I want her to give me every pair of socks she has ever made. Truly an excellent knitter. And she takes pretty photo's.

Cosy
Here is a new blog to me that I started reading for a couple of months. She is a knitter and a spinner and an author! AND she posts a lot. I like that. Oh and she takes good pictures too.

I like some good photography!
So now here are the "rules"
Here are the rules for the award recipients:

1. Please put the award on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. You must nominate at least 4 fellow bloggers for this award.
4. Add links to the recipients.
5. Leave a comment so the recipients know they have received an award.

I think I can do this. Pass on the love.

I leave you with some spindle spun and plyed 100% Alpaca and a fat cat

she is so pretty:

She was taking a bath. Have a nice weekend!

Posted by beth at 12:22 PM | Comments (11)

October 21, 2008

Baa Baa Black sheep.....

Have you any wool? Yes Sir! Yes Sir!

THREE BAGS FULL!

I feel like I had my own mini Rhinebeck! Loren let me know she was shearing her lamb a few weekends back, would I be interested in 1/2 the fleece? YOU BET! She threw in a couple of goodies too. (don't worry, I paid for this! ;-) ) I have so much washing and carding to do now, I will be busy all winter! I don't mind. I just love brown sheep.

So Rhinebeck was this weekend! I didn't go this year. I am totally okay with it too. My husband actually wants us to go next year! Well, he will drop me off at the fair and father and son will go to the air show or airplane museum. Something like that. We all win that way.

So I finished something!

It's the Weavers Wool Mini Shawl that has been very popular these days. I used some handspun (not my own) that I purchased like 15 years ago in Ashville, North Carolina. (I am finally using it Lemon!)

I really like how this came out. It's nice and warm and chunky. It didn't really take long to make either. I have more pictures on Ravelry and Flickr. Please go see them. I am almost done with New Moon, the second book in the Edward the Vampire series. Couldn't put it down...but I did so I could finish up the shawl...

Posted by beth at 02:46 PM | Comments (11)

October 17, 2008

I wish I had some knitting to show

But I don't. And I didn't want to go a week with out saying

HI!

Let's see what's new with me? Well, 3 deer decided to cut through our yard this morning. It was kinda neat. I tried to get some good shots but I shook the camera too much and they were quick. This one is kinda cool

I don't know why it's so dark. It wasn't dark out. Look at those eyes! Freaky deaky!

I think I know why I don't have much knitting.... I have been trying to resist, but I have finally succumbed....

Me a grown woman! I wasn't able to put this down all week! Well now I am on the second book "New Moon". And to make matters worse I have to wait until November 21st to watch the movie.

I don't know about you but Edward Cullen is one of the hottest vampires out there right now!

Stacey and I have been having nice e-mail conversations about why us more mature women like this story! We want to be 17 again!
Nah.....I am just lusting over this actor who is probably old enough to be my son.
sigh....

Posted by beth at 12:26 PM | Comments (9)

October 08, 2008

Do you believe in fairies? Then clap your hands!

Part of me says: What the heck! Why not jump in the ring! But I wanna come back!

What in the world am I talking about? Well, it sure looks like a fairy ring to me! Although it is lacking one or two mushrooms....

Fun with the macro setting:

Okay, never mind. I know I need to mow my lawn...

So I started a new project

It's a..... shawl.... like I need to start another one of those...
What's wrong with me? Why am I starting so many things and not finishing them? This I will finish soon. I am almost done already! Didn't I say that about the February Lady Sweater too?

sigh.....

Oh! I also got another spindle

But we all knew THAT would happen. I purchased it from a friend/guild member. She MADE it! Isn't it cute?

Posted by beth at 12:30 PM | Comments (9)

October 02, 2008

Enough of my handspun already! Jeesh!

Sorry....

Isn't it pretty? It's from my wheel. I am hoping to some day spin this good on my spindle.... Looks like I have a long way to go...

It's not as pretty, but I am getting the hang of it. My goal is to one day spin fine enough for a pair of socks...

In other news I am making very slow progress on the final sleeve of my February Lady Sweater. I have been knitting on it, it's just going very s l o w l y.....

Posted by beth at 12:51 PM | Comments (9)