28 September 2011

Houston, we have a problem

How I managed to get this much done as quickly as I did remains a mystery:

All that's left is the folded hem......which will have to wait until I knit another hat that will actually fit my husband.  I was so excited to find this yarn in my stash (it was meant to be ~ you know that feeling ~ the right colors, sport weight like the pattern calls for, exact yardage) that I neglected to double check my pattern notes from his last hat where I clearly noted that I used WORSTED weight yarn.  Needless to say, when he tried this on at 11:30 last night he couldn't hide his disappointment that it just doesn't fit.  At all.  He tried to convince me that after I blocked it everything would be okay but the fact that it doesn't fit me either speaks to the contrary.

So, a quick stop at Great Yarns! on my way home and lucky me, they had the EXACT same yarn I used on his last one, in Seahawks colors so I'm back in business.  GAME ON!!  Think I can whip out a second one before Sunday morning?  Wish me luck ;)   ~ Melissa
Cascade Yarns Pure Alpaca ~ ooo, lala!

26 September 2011

Hats and Other Things

I'm making good progress on my Peerie Flooers hat.  The knitting is going a bit faster and I seem to be getting into a little rhythm which makes me relax, which is nice!  I got to this point yesterday and decided to stop and get started on a hat my husband asked me to make for him (you read that right!).  I was on complete lock down for 4 years ~ 'no thanks' was always the polite refusal when I offered to make him something.  Then last year, I got a 'I would wear that if you made it for me' as he was looking over my shoulder one day while I was on Ravelry.  Shocker!  The hat he asked for was done immediately!  Fast forward to a year later and he's nicely asked me for 2 of the same hats, one for Seahawks game days so he can wear it to the stadium and one in 'work colors' so he can wear it everyday and not worry about it getting dirty.

So, while he was at the football game yesterday, I started on his next hat & hopefully I'll have it done by Sunday so he can wear it to the game at the end of the week.
It's a fun pattern that you can find on Ravelry for free ~ 'We Call Them Pirates'.  It's going much quicker since it's only 2 colors instead of 7 like Peerie Flooers.

On a side note ~ if you haven't checked out America's Knitting, you should.  It's a really neat website with maps and locations of fiber shops and festivals across the USA.  I've been on Mary's site before and was surprised and a little tickled that she sent me a note over the weekend to ask if she could feature my Vitamin D sweater that I recently finished on her Fall 2011 projects page on the site.  I love unexpected things like that ~ makes life more fun!  If you want to take a peek, here's the link.  Dozer even managed to make it on the page ~ that's his bushy black tail in the photo.

Have a good week, everyone!  I've got lots of knitting to do so better get to it!   ~ Melissa

24 September 2011

Another Peerie~



I think we're at the same spot.


I'm loving this hat. Wish I lived closer I'd help you two finger fair isle. I'm the same way with not wanting to put it down.


Your hat is looking great!


Stay loose~


Kelli

Polar Opposites ~ at least for today ;)

Kelli finds peace and poetry in her knitting ~ for me, the last 3 days have been all about tension.  Tension in my neck and shoulders from concentrating so hard on trying to get my tension right on this hat:
Peerie Flooers by Kate Davies
Honestly, I can see where I could eventually really, really enjoy fair isle.  There is such a rhythm to it and there's never a good spot to put it down and walk away from it because you want to do 'just one more row' to see the magic that happens with the next color changes.  Kind of like that last potato chip ~ do you ever stop with your first thought of 'that's the last one' when you have the munchies?  Anyway, I'm proud I've gotten this far with no color mistakes (Kathi ~ there will be no sharpies touching THIS project!!) but I wish I could speed up the pace just a bit.  I'm a slow knitter by nature but, holy cow, since I don't know how to carry yarn with both hands and I have to stop with every color change, it's taking me twice as long as it should!

There is definitely a colorwork class in my not so distant future.     ~ Melissa

23 September 2011

PEaCE iN ThE LoOPs

Creating loops with needles.

Something about the rhythm, about the feel of wool, the choice of color.

Next row, rows adding.

Why does it soothe me?

Eyes gaze back checking the pattern.

Wanting to create.

Time slips by, I am creating peace~

22 September 2011

Playing Hooky

I got to take a personal day at work so went to sit and knit with the 'Thursday Group' that I never get to see.  Talk about sensory overload ~ so much chatter and needles flying and projects to see ~ how can I be this tired from just sitting for 4 hours??  I need a nap! 

Jo & Zoe got to go and hang out with us at WildFibers:
Is it just me or does Zoe look stoned when she's sitting next to Jo?  Between the outrageous locks and the buggy button eyes.....I think some changes are in store.  Thoughts???

I cast on Kate Davies' 'Peerie Flooers' while I was there ~ 4 hours and only 7 rows done.  Geesh ~ I just can't knit any faster, especially with colorwork.  It's hopeless ~ or I am!  It's so pretty so far, even just the little bit I've done:

And if you're intrigued by what's underneath my knitting, let's pan out just a bit:
The word had gotten out that I was going to make an appearance today and Linda (THANKS!!!) remembered that I had wanted to borrow her Herbert Niebling books and a few German lace knitting magazines.  Pages and pages and pages of inspiration.  Linda, I will try very hard not to drool all over them!
                                                         ~Melissa

15 September 2011

Party Girls

Jo and Zoe's first play date!

Tuesday night was our knitting guild's 2nd birthday party and what better place for the girls to meet for the first time?!  It was a really fun meeting ~ everyone brought snacks, there were cakes from Snohomish Bakery, members shared their ribbons from the Evergreen State Fair a few weeks ago, there were prizes for UFO's ~ biggest, smallest and oldest! ~ and the new officers were sworn in for our upcoming membership year.

It was great to see our guest blogger Morgen, who surprised me with an unexpected, tremendously generous and oh, so loved already, birthday gift:
Zoe cuddling with my birthday yarn
Yes, that's my favorite yarn ~ madelinetosh ~ in a weight I haven't tried ~ sock ~ in the most beautiful variegated colorway I've ever seen ~ Magnolia Leaf.  There's a little over 1000yds which is plenty enough to make a gorgeous shawl.  I'm going to have so much fun planning for this yarn!!  Thanks again, Morgen ~ I'm still shocked ~ and thanks also for the loan of the book.  I can't wait to delve into this one!

There's been little knitting time lately as I've been spending every spare minute getting ready to start my position as 'Knit News' reporter for the guild.  I'll have the opportunity every month at our meetings to do a presentation on any topic that happens to strike my fancy.  I'm close to done with my first presentation ~ the topic is top secret until October ~ but I have to say, every person that I contacted on Ravelry in regards to project, photo, and pattern sharing has been so generous and encouraging that I think I'll be able to work through all my jitters about speaking in front of the group on a regular basis.  I'm excited to see if I'm 'interesting' or if I 'bomb' ~ as a fairly new knitter, what do you talk about that would interest a room full of lifelong amazing crafters.  It will certainly be a challenge!  I'll let you know how it goes after our next meeting.  Wish me luck!

I did manage to finish a project this week ~ just what the doctor ordered since nothing feels 'done' right now (home, knitting, guild, you name it) and I needed to complete something


This is Vitamin D by Heidi Kirrmaier in one of my top 5 favorite yarns ~ Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in Coffee Bean.  I'm thrilled with this knit and the drape of the yarn.  I'll get a ton of use out of this one this fall and winter.  This was a great knit with a little math and short rows, which kept all the stockinette from getting too boring.  I loved this pattern.

That's about all that's new for me ~ Kelli just finished a really pretty vest but if you want to see it you'll either have to check her out on Ravelry or razz her a little here to post more often (I'm all for option #2 ~ give her some grief, please!!).  Enjoy the last week of summer as we start hunkering down for some cooler weather and prime knitting time.  Happy weekend, all!      ~ Melissa

[Edited to add:  DANG ~ I was just rereading this after I posted and I HAVE finished something this summer ~ look at that awesome deck I'm standing on!!!  I stained that all by myself ~ 2 coats of stain and 38 man(or woman!)hours later ~ it took just about every single minute of sunny weather we had this summer that I wasn't at work!!!  So proud ~ and so pooped ~ but it is FINISHED!!!!  I get excited when it rains now since the water beads up which means I did a good job ~ yeah, for me!]

11 September 2011

The Girls Get Around!


This morning the girls discovered they were featured on Nancy Anderson's blog, Yarn Juleps on the Veranda!  What a surprise.  Zoe's head swelled a little (maybe her dreads are too tight?) and she thinks she owns the universe now ~ doesn't she look proud?  Now if only I could convince her to keep her cute little feet off my new computer ;)    ~ Melissa

09 September 2011

Playing With Dolls

Meet Zoe Agneline Peep....
Stay tuned for her adventures with her sister, Josephine Elizabeth Peep....
who finally decided what to wear after recently being seen streaking at the Evergreen State Fair.  Who said that being older means being 'more mature', eh?  Can't wait to see you, Kelli!
                                                                      ~ Melissa

[Nancy Anderson's pattern for Maggie Bean dolls can be found on Petite Purls website ~ thanks to Nancy for sharing such a fun pattern!]

08 September 2011

Indian Summer

Can't you feel autumn just around the corner?  I do.  It's everywhere I look.   ~ Melissa
Spanish Lavender

Budding Morning Glory

Bamboo

Fading Hostas Blooms

Changing Lilac Leaves

Charlotte and her web

Cotoneaster Berries

06 September 2011

More birthday fun

I think everyone knows me perfectly ;)
good friends....

Carrie's delicious Carrot Bundt Cake

Kelli didn't think I won enough awards at the fair so she made us all ribbons to wear with my goofy face!

I have the best friends....

This Labor Day weekend was spent, well, laboring.  I finished staining our deck (finally ~ never again to be a one-woman job...what was I thinking?) and we worked on our landscaping.  It wasn't all work, though, since I did manage to celebrate my birthday a few times ~ with the hubby on my day, with my folks last night and on Sunday, Kelli planned a girls trip to The Artful Ewe in Port Gamble just for me!  Awesome.  We had a great time strolling around the one road town and doing a little shopping.  We capped the day off with a lovely picnic lunch of fried chicken, watermelon and a homemade carrot cake (thankyou thankyou thankyou, Carrie!) followed by some wonderful gifts.  Thanks to everyone that made my birthday one to remember.  It was perfect!  ~ Melissa