we go together... ~ Melissa

...like rama lamma lamma ka dinga da dinga dong...

 

I just sent Kelli a note and thought it sounded impressive enough to share with you guys :

♥
'Today's Trivia'

we just passed our 8 year knitting anniversary (wahoo for us!)

you - 352 projects / 122,000 yards of yarn (yes, that’s YARDS!!)

me - less projects than you at 294 / but more yarn than you at 132,000 yards

my. oh. my.

that’s a total of 646 projects & 254,000 yards of fiber…

now THAT is a lot of knitting

(I wonder how many yarn shops we could stock if we frogged everything that we ever made…hehe!) 

♥
 

I just realized that's a quarter of a million yards of yarn...eep!!

...don't you just love all the little extra tallying Ravelry does for us as we knit our lives away? ...

here's to another eight my friend :)

~ Melissa

Come on along ~ posted by Melissa

Kelli and I are coming up on the 5th anniversary of our blogging adventures here at Girls in Sheep Clothing and it seems like the perfect time for another knitalong, don't you agree?

 

There are a few stragglers (myself included) on our Spire KAL but this new knitalong is a simple one and maybe even a good beginner lace pattern for someone new to making purposeful holes in their projects.  We've decided that Streusel by Bonnie Sennott fits the bill as a simple summertime knit.

 

It's a shallow triangular shawl with a lace border which is knitted on as you go, so no endless edging to work at the end.  The pattern is both written and charted, with both methods being very simple and easy to follow.  I'm just finishing up another project by Bonnie (Stria...just need to block her ~ rav notes can be found here ) and I can tell you her patterns are well written (and beautiful!).

 

So, if you're interested here's the skinny:

 

• the knitalong begins July 31st ~ our 5th blog anniversary

• there is no deadline...knit at your own pace ~ it's not a race!
 

• the pattern is available for purchase on Ravelry for $5.50 ~ link here

 

• pattern requires 400 yards of fingering weight yarn

 

• skills required are simple increases & decreases (explained in the pattern)

 

• here's a tutorial on guest blogging if you want to peek (thanks to guest blogger Kelly) ~ link here

 

 

If you're interested in joining us, comment here and also please pm me on Ravelry ( link here ) so that I can get the info that I need to add you to the blog so you can post along with us.  We share our progress and photos and offer help and encouragement along the way to those who need it.  We'd love to have you play along ~ we always have a great time and have made some fun friendships over the years.

this was one of our favorites...take a peek here!

(the collage enlarges if you click on it so you can see everyone's work)
 

I for one am looking forward to knitting with Kelli who I haven't seen in over a year (can that be right?).  We must do something about that ~ you'd think we lived on different continents :)

 

Looking forward to planning along with everyone as you jump in to join us and we talk about all things knitting!  Happy Monday!

~ Melissa



good juju & a bit of knitting ~ posted by Melissa

just a quick post today to share some loves ~

 

first off, I received this one of a kind gift in the mail from a new friend:

 

 

Jocelyn sent me a note back in January and wanted to know if she could contribute to our Operation Alex Project Phase 1 & Phase 2 (her hat and a few others didn't make it into the photos so there was actually a Phase 3 that never got blogged about...sorry!)



 

I recently noticed one of these button jar creations in her projects and commented on it ~ lo & behold, look what I am now so proud and excited to own!  Not only did Jocelyn knit up the pin cushion jar topper, she also made all the buttons she enclosed herself!  Thank you so much, my new (and very talented!) friend.  I hope much good juju comes your way if it hasn't already!

 

If you'd like to make one of your own here are some links:

Jane Burns : One Knitty Knerd (the jar)

NADELWERK's etsy shop (sewing pins)

The Blue Daisy's etsy shop (sewing pins)

 

on the knitting front:

 

I've been working on Coda from Wool People 7.  It's a wonderfully classic reversible ( ! ) sweater design from Olga Buraya-Kefelian.  It's a bottom-up sweater and I'm just about to the bust increases but had to stop for a bit since Olga sent me a note about errata in the pattern that I'm unsure about, so I'm waiting for her to answer a note from me before I go on.  I love this design and with the bonus of using Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, it's been pretty hard to put down.

 

I'm also working on this:

 

It's a lace weight version of Jared Flood's Guernsey Wrap that I'm modifying for the finer gauge yarn.  I'm hoping to have this done by our twentieth wedding anniversary in July (the entire project grew around this yarn and the colorway that so closely resembles our wedding flowers in color ~ salmon, orange and pink).  It's Sappho 1 by The Sanguine Gryphon in the 'but have you forgotten me' colorway...a destash purchase from our fellow blogger Jeff.  I was picking another friend's brain about my idea to use this yarn with this design and while I was chatting with her, she decided to surprise me with the pattern (thanks so much, Mimi!!).

 

I'm really enjoying this project as well since it prompted a visit down memory lane ~ the photo albums came out and we've had fun going through them and thinking about how quickly twenty years have gone by.  I'm hoping the next twenty bring just as much joy as the first did.

 

my handsome husband still takes my breathe away

 

That's it for today ~ Dozer has a much needed date at the do-it-yourself salon (why oh why does he insist on rolling on slugs in the yard ~ stinky stinky stinky!!) and today I'm the lucky lady that gets to give him his bath.  He hates it.  I'm pretty sure I will, too, by the time it's over :).

 

Happy weekend, everyone!  ~  Melissa

My Secret Crush....

So since this is supposed to be a fiber filled blog, before I share my crush I'll take care of a little knitting business first.  TA-STINKING-DA!!!!!  How cute is this?

Collar up.....

Collar down.....

Check out my new bling!

My husband beat me home tonight and had my anniversary present (3+ weeks early) that he couldn't wait for me to open.  It's a little blurry but my necklace is So Cool (and so is he!!).  Anyway, this is my finished Watershed in Spud & Chloe 'Sweater'.  I love the whole idea of this vest but the really wide stand-up collar doesn't work for me since it's wider than my neck is long (it flops open in back unless I hold really, really, really still.  So, I figured out how to wear it with the collar folded down and I love it.

And now that I've mentioned how awesome my husband is, it seems really wrong to share my secret crush...but I will anyway.  Steve Martin.  Yup, the Steve Martin of 70's SNL fame.  The man is hands. down. flat. out. talented.  He's hilarious, smart, witty, a funny actor, a great writer, and not that that isn't enough, the man ROCKS the banjo and can write music to boot.  I stayed up past my ever-earlier-bedtime a few weeks ago to watch the season finale of Saturday Night Live expecting to fall asleep before it was over but Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga kept me in stitches til 1:00 and then I had to see what was playing on Austin City Limits and there he was, Mr. Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers.  Made it through the entire hour and even got up to write myself a note to google his music in the morning.  Yesterday, my husband downloaded 'Rare Bird Alert' for me off itunes and I've listened to the album 4 times now and love every song on it.  If you like bluegrass music at all (it's my favorite genre), check him out.  You may find yourself with an old-er man crush, too! (Here's a link to his song 'Jubilation Day' if you want to take a peek & a listen)

~Melissa