Wow, sure has been a LONG time since I last posted a blog.

I have been busy with work and some knitting, crocheting, and spinning things.

My Knitting:

I designed some fingerless Mitts (Horseshoe Mani Mitts) to match my Horseshoe Pedi Socks.  Completed my first shawl (A Certain Shade of Green).  I have started another shawl (Gingko Shawl) and finally a pair of socks (TARDIS Socks) that I will keep for myself.

Here is a pic of my completed "A Certain Shade of Green" shawl (pattern by Erica Jackofsky – Fiddle Knits)

My Crocheting:

I designed a new hat (Bonita Bonnet).  It has a center whole in it for the sole purpose of a pony tail to come through it.  The pictures on Ravelry show it with and without the ponytail.  I’m also in the process of designing an afghan.

A pic of my wonderful DD modeling the Bonita Bonnet:

My Spinning:

I did Tour de Fleece (TdF) for the first time and actually did more than my goal of at least 15 mins per day.  Doing the TdF has really sparked my spinning enthusiasm and can’t seem to stop.  Not that it is a bad thing or anything

Here is all I have spun for the TdF:

I also finally got a WooLee Winder and a total of 3 bobbins for it!  I’m so excited to use it.  I did a 2-ply of the two bobbins to get this:

I also plied the two spindle fibers together to see how it would look:

Here is what I am spinning now:

It is from Funhouse Fibers called PANDA (SW Merino, Bamboo, and Nylon) in the color way of "Santa Fe".  I am actually spinning it really thin on my wheel.  I usually only get it this thin on my spindles.  I’m trying to spin it thin so I can do a 2-ply for socks.  I hope that when plied it will be fingering weight.  I think it is looking good so far.  I’m so excited. 

My next thing to try at spinning is with beads.  I got Gypsy Dancer beaded yarn spinning kit from Funhouse Fibers and will give it a go once I’m done with the PANDA fiber.

And with all this going on, I have been busy getting things ready for my baby girl to go off to college.  She has a 7 yr plan for a Doctorate level Physical Therapist degree at Carroll University (WI).  Freshmen move in day is August 26th so things are really coming to an end (or beginning, depending on how you look at it) fast!

What’s on my needles:  Gingko Shawl and TARDIS socks

What’s on my wheel:  PANDA fibers

What’s on my hook:  New afghan design pattern

What’s on my iPod:  Betrayed: House of Night series (book 2) by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Attended Sheep in the City 2011!

This past weekend I attended the Sheep in the City Getaway 2011!

Friday:  I took the Beginner’s Drop Spindle class which was taught by a wonderful instructor named:  Lindsay O’Neill.  She was great!  I bought some BFL from a vendor and an Ashford spindle in the class and made a cute little skein. She walked us through making a single.  Next we took it off the spindle using an empty toilet paper roll to make a center pull ball.  Then we plied it using the spindle which I haven’t done before.

The reddish fiber is in the School House colorway by Happy Hands Hand Dyed Fibers (BFL) and the like grey, purple’ish fiber is in the Dusk colorway fiber by Fluffington Farms (bamboo, soy silk, black bamboo, perendale wool, yearling mohair, firestar, & angelina).

I’m really liking the School House colorway – really pretty. 

The close up of the little skein is next to a tealight candle in a glass holder to show the size.

Saturday:  I went back to walk through the vendors and see the two symposiums they had.

While walking around the vendors, the Village Spinners guild were taking the fiber from combing or carding, to spinning, to a knitted scarf.  I asked if someone could show me how to comb the fiber and then I to experience the combing myself.  When I was done combing I used a Diz to take the fiber off the comb and ready for spinning.  It was a great experience.  Never done that before.  So much fun!

I did a little shopping and got the following:

From Samantha in Stitches I got some pretty sock yarn she dyed, a wooden shawl pin, and some of the most wonderful hand lotion!  I love this stuff!

From Sun Valley Fiber Farm I got a really nice looking shawl (one of my goals this year is to make my first lace shawl) called Gingko Shawl and some of her hand dyed yarn to make it with.  This yarn is Merino Cashmere Nylon and feels wonderfully soft.  Can’t wait to start this, hopefully this week.

Antique Sock Machines from the Smithsonian – The speaker, John Loeffelholz, had done research for a book him and a coauthor wrote about the history of the Sock Knitting Machines.  He went to Smithsonian and was able to look at all the different types of models they have recorded and collected over the many years.  Unfortunately he didn’t bring in one to actually see, but the discussion was very interesting!

Nordic knitting in Estonia Symposium – Two women, Mary Germain and Sandy DeMaster, where inspired by a Latvian friend to work jointly on an article and pattern on Latvian knitting that was published in Piecework magazine.  Together, they traveled to Latvia in 2001 on a knitting trip.  Again on 2005 they traveled together to Estonia, another Baltic country, located directly north of Latvia, where they attended the Nordic Knitting Symposium along with 80 other knitters mostly from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.  They brought in some examples of this type of knitting and showed a slideshow of their travels.  It was a wonderful discussion to attend.  Makes me want to travel there too!

Well, that was my weekend.  Whew!  Time to rest now. 

What I have been up to lately

I have been really busy lately. The one project at work is finally DONE! Now we have to get out an emergency patch by the end of the year to fix some issues. Will it ever end? hehe

My new spindle and matching fiber came along with a second spindle w/fiber as a gift! What a pleasant surprise that was.

I tested out the gift spindle/fiber last night and this was what I have so far. It spins wonderfully!

Remember the BSJ’s I made for a co-worker who was due in February? Well, it now fits her and the weather is now cold enough for her to wear it (she lives in NC). Her mommy sent me some pictures of her in it. Such a cutie she is…

This past weekend was my Grandma’s 89th Birthday. I went up north (just a bit Northwest of Eau Claire, WI) to visit her. She was so happy to see my DD and myself. I brought along my spinning wheel and some homemade spindles that I made and stained to do another demonstration for her and the other residents at the care center. I left the homemade spindles and some KP fiber there for them to "play" with. My DD took the pictures below.

Us with my Grandma (from left: niece, aunt, grandma, daughter, niece, myself)

Teaching one of the ladies the spindle.

Spinning on my wheel

My niece is learning also and her sister is looking at a copy Spin Off.

Below is the year long afghan I have been working on. I still have to finish up the interlocking mitered squares in the upper right corner, the center square (embroidered design), and the lines (duplicate stitched) on the argyle square in the lower right corner. This month we meet on the 19 and will learn the crocheted edgings for the sides and top/bottom. That will complete the afghan.

Migraine Site

I ran across this site today – full of good information on Migraines. Really need to find a way to get mine under control. The pain can be really unbearable.

Tags: migraine

My Spinning so far…

First bobbin:

Second bobbin:

How does it look so far?

Tags: Spinning

I got a new Toy!

I got a new toy tonight! Something I have been wanting for a long time now. I got me a Spinning Wheel!

It is an Ashford Traveler.

Tags: Spinning, spinning wheel

Lots to Update on!

2-week diet

I started a 2-week diet Monday and have lost 5 lbs in the past 4 days.  I went on this diet to cleanse my system and give me a “fresh” start to eating healthier.  This diet is not based on calorie count.  It is designed to burn off body fat by chemical action (of the foods you can eat while on the diet).

After this 2-week diet is done, I’ll start back up with my Slim in 6 workouts.  One way or another I am going to get my body back into shape for the Renaissance Faire so I can wear most of my garb.  lol  Which reminds me…  I have several skirts and tops cut out and waiting for me to just sew them together.  I better get on that before July 10th. 

Slim in 6 Workouts

I had stopped my previous attempt at the workouts because I got really sick (bad bad cold) and then went on vacation to visit my family and such.

Knitting

I have designed 2 new knitting patterns for mittens.  Several people have offered to test knit them for me.  Once the test knitting is all done, I’ll submit them to Knit Picks IDP (Independent Designers Program) to sell them online.  Can’t wait to find out if they accept them into their program or not.  Sooo exciting!

New Phone

I got myself a new phone – the iPhone – and I am sooo happy with it.  I can have my knitting videos on it to reference at any time and it has a pdf reader on it so I can now scan my patterns in and save them as pdf to read on my phone too.  Now I just have one iPhone to carry around instead of a phone, ipod, patterns, and be near a TV or computer to watch my knitting videos.

Well, that’s all for now…

BBFN Everyone!

Tags: diet, iphone, Knitting, workout

Knitting Patterns?

Me write knitting patterns for selling on the web?  Someone might actually want to make my ‘doodles’?

Apparently so…

In a recent KAL (knit-a-long) online for mittens I ‘doodled’ 2 different ones.  Several of the other knitters showed an interest of where I got the patterns.  I told them I made them up and they offered to test knit them if I were to write up patterns for them.

If the test knitting goes good, then I can submit them to Knit Picks to sell online in their IDP (independent designers program).  This is getting exciting.  I completed one of them (the Creamsicle Mitts) and am almost done with the other one (Emotional Waves cable design).

If this works out good, then maybe I’ll write up patterns for my other ‘doodles’ and see if I can find test knitters for them too.  This is going to be a lot of fun.  And it is doing something that I love to do – Knit!

Till next time…

Have a good time everyone!

~Becky

Tags: kniting, mittens, Patterns, Selling

Day 1: Slim In 6 workout

Made it through almost the whole first workout on the DVD, but boy was I tired!  I didn’t realize how out of shape I have become.  My daughter did it with me.  It was fun!

This workout lasts 6 weeks and has 3 different levels of workouts and you workout 6 days a week.  The seventh day is to give yourself a break.  My plan is to start with the 1st level for only the 1st week.  Then switch to the 2nd level for the 2nd and possible 3rd week.  The last weeks will be doing the 3rd and final workout.

My goal is to get my body back into shape so I can wear my bellydance/chainmaile outfits at the Renn Faire this summer (July 10th is opening day).

Tags: beachbody, Exercising, slimin6, workout

What I have been working on

I have been working on several projects, among them is the Spiral Yoke Sweater which I finally finished this past weekend – took me 2 months to knit it.  It was fun!  My first with no seams. 

I have also been working on Mittens in the KAL and have a second pair that I’m making for a LYS Contest.  I have them done except for the afterthought thumb.

I am also experimenting on making a Roving Holder.  Got the idea from some of the ladies in the Mittens KAL talking about what Kelley described in her Spindle video.  I’ll post a pic when I’m done with it.

Tags: fingerless mitts, Spiral yoke sweater