Hello Universe... What was that you wanted? ~ A post by Kelli

         "How would it look, do you think, if everyone, old and young, would sit down together to knit for a while?  Laughter and merriment and riddles and questions and folktales and anecdotes from each person's life would blend together in stitches.  Then later, when you recall these events that have gone through your own fingers stitch by stitch, they would speak their own quiet language: Do you remember?  Do you remember?"                                

                                                             ~Hermanna Stengard

From the book, The Swedish Mitten Book by Inger & Ingrid Gottfridsson      

 

This is just one of the many heart soaring reads I've found searching through these books.   While at work a couple weeks ago, I wonderful lady came in the yarn shop while I was busy answering customers questions.  She dropped off a heavy medium sized box on the counter and she left.  I glanced her way questionably and yelled "Thank you".  Not knowing what I was thanking her for.

 

 Books!  knitting books!  It was like Christmas,  Knitting Without Tears, Zimmermann 1971, Latyian Mittens Lizabeth Upitis, 1981, Knitting in the Nordic Tradition, Vibeke Lind, (english translation, Annette Allen Jensen), 1984, Norwegian, Cornish guernseys, British Isles sweaters, the list goes on and on.

This is a serious collection of hardcore tradition (except the Knitted Animals) which helps lighten it up.  It is overwhelming when I look at them all at once, but when I grab one at a time it's a joy. 

This'll keep me busy for years.

                     OH! and happy summer!

Starmore Sweater ~ A post from Kelli

                           If you where asked to take, finish
                 and keep an Alice Starmore sweater, would you?
                                              





  I had a long conversation with  Carol Thompson a local gal who lives in my town.  She was done with the project.  She'd finished 75% of the sweater, with great tension and lovely stitches, and wanted it to go to a good home, she wondered if I knew of anybody who would finish and enjoy this Celtic Fair isle, in my size.  With the book, yarns and even the Addi Turbo US#3,36" circular needles, bought in 1996, (for only $8.95! from Weaving Works in Seattle).  She'd steeked the arms and neck, but didn't know what that was, I explained to her what that was.   Her hands have arthritis, I could tell it was bittersweet to hand it over.  I offered to 'someday' finish it for her.  She wanted no part in the return of the sweater. 


It will be a bit of an undertaking for me. I've never picked up, where someone has left off,  I do love it, and am excited to work on it soon, (it needs to get in line).  I will be asking advice from my coworkers.  That steeking thing still makes me nervous.   I should tell you also there are a couple hundred 'ends' to weave in... :/   Oh to have an Alice Starmore sweater~


I did know somebody who'll give her Alba sweater a good home.  I asked for a hug before she left and thanked her. 


You just never know where this 'knitting thing' will take you.

If I'm Sitting I'm Knitting ~guest blogger Andee

Today I am wearing my T-Shirt that says "If I'm Sitting I'm Knitting". Unfortunately I am not knitting, but working. I decided to take a quick brake and make a post. Melissa told me it was okay :)  I released two new patterns yesterday.

 

First up OUTLANDER.

 

 

I used Fable Fibers Novel yarn in the colorway Amelie. I am in love with this yarn. I had planned on releasing these patterns in the Fall. But I couldn't resist releasing it now.

 

 

 

The pattern knits up like a top down shawl, but it is worked in the round. I wanted to design a mindless project that would be a good travel knit. I also wanted something that would be good for unique one of a kind skeins of yarn. Whether it is hand-painted, hand-spun or just a pretty skein of yarn I wanted a pattern that could show off the colors. 

 

I also wanted a pattern that would work for my parents, Arrow Acres Farm, alpaca yarn. We get our yarn back from small fiber mills and the thickness vary from year to year. I wanted a pattern that would be flexible and work with any weight of yarn. Below is a version of it with my parents farm blend yarn. It is a combination of three of their alpacas.

 

The second pattern I released is "Standing Stones".

To be honest I have been wearing this just about everyday since April! It is the perfect thing to wear over my shoulders and knit, drink my coffee, go out to dinner.... It is just a simple and very functional accessory.

 

 

This pattern has a chart and the directions are also written out. I would say the skill level would be an advanced beginner.

 

 

I am busy working on a Fingering weight version of the Standing Stones pattern. I just want to double check the yardage. Then I'll be back on my Spire.

 

I have turned two corners on my Spire and I keep putting it on and showing it off around the house :) It is still pretty bunched up on the needles though so it is really hard to photograph. As soon as I'm done with my next sample I'm back to working on it. I'm hoping to have it done before our next camping trip in a few weeks!

 

Have a great day and happy knitting!!!

 

~Andee

 

links-

Outlander

Standing Stones

 

I also have to give a shout out to my sister Leanne for the amazing graphic design work she did putting my patterns together.  If you ever need any graphic design work I highly recommend using her!!!

 

 

look what she can do! ~ posted by Melissa

I thought about naming this post :

'Who Needs A Plumber?'
or



'How I Spent the First Day of Summer Vacation'

...but neither felt exciting enough for today's accomplishment.

 

This week I discovered that my dryer hose was heavy.  Very heavy.  And full of water.  Houston, we have a problem, and I'm guessing it's a pretty d*mn big one.  So with some supervision from my husband (who is still in chore lock down), I added a plumber's cap (which is so much better than plumbers butt !) to my growing collection of hats.  Check this out!

 

Before photos (I spared you the rusted sopping wet mess that I found inside the wall):

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

I did things I never knew I could do this afternoon!  I cut out drywall, removed insulation, disassembled all the old ventilation pipes and a piece of our tile floor.  Our foundation is so wet and the metal pipe has been leaning flush against it for longer than the 15 years we've owned our house.  It was full of rusty holes and literally fell apart as I was removing it.  I think the only thing that was holding it together was the insulation packed around it?

 

And I did all this in between the wall and our laundry organizer ~ a space about as big as I am wide so there was very little room to work in (the picture below, to the right of the step ladder is where all this took place.  Tight squeeze, let me tell you!  I don't know how my husband could have fit!

 

 

 

And now, although the new drywall will wait til Jason is back to his old self, I have a functioning washer/dryer and brand new shiny pipes and ductwork :

 

I've done a load of laundry already and nothing fell apart (I feel like I aced a test!).

 



I think my husband might just be a little proud of me ~ he made me dinner in return :) .

 

Sesame Ginger grilled chicken sandwiches and a salad...no pictures this time, I was too hungry to take the time to share!

 

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

~ Melissa



hap(py) ~ posted by Melissa

 Hello again!  Many thanks to everyone that chimed in to last week's post (link here) and helped solve a mystery.  Although quite a few of you thought my plant is a white hydrangea (and have now made me covet a few of these as well!), I believe that those of you who decided it is a snowball viburnum hit the nail on the head.  Everything I've looked at online mirror images the flowers and leaves and size of the plant we have.  Thanks again ~ I'm excited to track down another of these since they seem to thrive in our bog of a back yard when not much else is happy there.
 

 

This week I pulled out a work-in-progress (and if you know me at all, you're not surprised that I chose something that matched the color scheme of the book I'm reading ~ I'm a dork!).  I'm working on my jaywalker socks (link here) and I should be done with them by next week's yarn along.  They're pretty easy and I put them away with one completed and the other already started so I'm more than half finished.  They're fun and easy and a sanity saver (thanks, Will ~ hehe!).

 

And look!  I finished the hap I cast on last week already! 

(link here) 

 

 

It was such an addicting knit ~ so hard to put down and so quick to knit up.

 

 

That Kate Davies is wonderful ~ the pattern is very well written and so classic and simple.  I think I'm going to cast on another soon in a lighter weight yarn.  Perfect for a travel, no-brainer project.

 

Hope you all had a good holiday weekend (if you're stateside) ~ I tried to balance the must-do's with a few wanna-do's and it turned out to be a fairly pleasant few days.  The best part though was when my husband (who I've had on chore-lockdown for the last 10 months...and counting) told me to park it on the couch and knit so he could make me dinner.  It was delicious!!!  I felt guilty the entire time but I sure enjoyed it ~ and even better, there were leftovers the next night.  What a guy :)

 

 

here's a link to the recipe : Papas Con Chorizo

 

see you all next week :)

Melissa

 

joining Ginny @ Small Things and her Yarn Along Crew





Meet my new knitting group~posted by Kelli

                                 Lucy, Tessa, & Isabell~  twin sisters on the ends, 10 years old and Tessa 8 years.  We try and get together Sunday mornings after church.  They brighten my day with so many questions, and comments.  For example, today they called the stockinette stitch side, the 'waterfall side' and I'm right there to remind them the correct naming of things.
 They are naturals and knitting and chatting.  Lucy on the left is knitting her baby cousin a blanket, Tessa in the middle just started last week, on a scarf, and Isabell a hat in the round.
 I can't tell who enjoys it more, me or them, but I pretty sure it's me~

curious ~ posted by Melissa

 

 

Hello again, everyone ~ now that I'm looking forward to Wednesdays and our weekly visits, they seem to be upon me before I know it.  I'm slowly savoring my reread of Angle of Repose ~ I'm enjoying it immensely more the second time through and am taking my time to feel all the nuances of Stegner's writing.  He's brilliant.

 

 

I made some good progress on my Coda sweater (link here) but didn't think to take any pictures.  I'm getting close to where you divide for the armholes which is exciting.  I caved in and cast on yet another project when Kate Davies released her newest design this week.  It's 'A Hap for Harriet' (link here) and I'm finding it very hard to put down.  It's a really intuitive knit and I rarely have to look at the pattern now that I have a few chart repeats under my belt.  The yarn is a bit of a mystery ~ my friend Kelly got it from her local spinner's guild sale and sent it to me (thanks again, Kelly!).  It's a wool/silk blend but I have a feeling there's a smidgen of nylon in it since it's impossible to break.  There was no tag with it so this pattern is perfect since it's all based on percentages and you can use whatever yarn you have and make it work.  Very fun!!

 

I managed to hit a few more new blogs this week and enjoyed seeing how crafty some of you are.  I'm hoping to visit a few more this week that I haven't yet!

 

One more thing ~ I've noticed many of you are gardeners and I'm hoping to solve a mystery.  We have this gorgeous bush in our yard that gets these huge bigger-than-a-handful poms of delicate white flowers in the spring and I can't seem to find anything similar online to identify it.  If anyone knows what this is, please let me know ~ I'd love to plant a few more if I can figure it out!

 

 Have a great day & see you all next week!

Melissa

 

joining Ginny @ Small Things and her Yarn Along Crew