isn't she grand!?! ~ posted by Melissa

Do you guys remember Penny, my very talented artistic friend?  If not, let me introduce you to her:

This is Penny, who come to find out has a heart of gold as big as the stack of hats she's holding.  And that's a mighty big stack ~ 33 caps, to be exact.  Penny and I have a friendship made in heaven ~ I had an enormous bag of leftover yarn from finished knits that was always meant to be turned into some sort of charity project, but could never find the time to make a dent in it.  Penny knits hats for charity and has lots of time but had run out of yarn.  So, about a month ago the bag of yarn changed hands, and those hands on the receiving end got busy and with needles still smoking, Penny delivered this giant mountain of love to her local homeless shelter yesterday.  And you can bet they were thrilled ~ and encouraged Penny to come back with more, which as you can tell from the grin on her face, does not break her heart!

Penny, you rock!  Thanks for putting the yarn to such good use and I know the people that benefit from your kindness during the upcoming chilly months will appreciate their warm noggins and all your hard work.  I'm so glad to know you!   ~ Melissa

If you've joined Ravelry, Penny is an honorary member of the knitwits ~ her rav name is knitwitless if you want to check out the project she created for these hats.

Who needs electricity anyway? - post by Guest Blogger Jeff

So as most of you probably know, we got hit pretty badly by Hurricane/Super Storm Sandy on Monday and Tuesday. Will and I have been without power since Monday evening, though, luckily we have a gas stove and hot water heater, so have been able to enjoy coffee and showering just like normal.

But what's a guy to do once it's gone 5 o'clock and the candles need to be lit? Why, knit contentedly on his Niebling by the light of an oil lamp, of course!

I've determined that if I'm only able to knit the smaller size, that would be about 101,148 stitches before the bindoff (I'm also considering a knit on edging since my crochet technique leaves something to be desired). Based on the fact that I've gotten through row 62, that's 11,880 stitches and about 11.75% completed (provided I don't do a knit on edge...) I'm thinking I'll have enough lace to do the small size plus a knit on edge, but not enough to do the large size. I still need to calculate the number of stitches that would be on the off chance. :)

Happy knitting everyone!

I'm here! A post by guest-blogger Morgen

Greetings all!

Just a quick post to check in and let everyone know what I'll be doing this time around. 

When Melissa first floated the idea for a Niebling-Along I jumped at the chance.  How could I not?  A menu of patterns to choose from that rivals the Sears Christmas Catalog from when I was a kid, (I imagine now they "have an app for that" that my kid can get on his smartphone.) and the promise of a challenge.  A big challenge.  Just to add a little spice and kick it up a notch we'd be starting as everyone is headed into the holiday season.  I wanted a seat on THAT train of crazy.  Count me in!

I currently have 4 dogs.  (One summer I had 9!)  They are little dogs and they are better barometers of emotional energy in the house than anything else of which I could possibly think.  If I sigh in just the right way they are off my lap and out of the room like firecrackers.  They know when a storm is brewing.  (True fact and most times I am aware of it enough to take a step back and readjust accordingly.)  Suffice it to say they were wary around me for a couple of days as I sighed my way through the entire Niebling library.  I made lists.  I hemmed and hawed and assured myself that whatever patterns I loved and that I didn't choose I could always do in the future.  (Please don't let these be like potato chips where you can't stop at just one!)

One pattern I kept coming back to and it is the pattern I chose.  It is called Jesien ("Autumn"...a nice counterpoint to Melissa's "Spring")   But the pattern itself posed a bit of a problem for me.  What attracted me so much was the sheen that seemed to reflect off the piece which told me I needed to use a yarn with plenty of silk.  A yarn that was spun in such a way as to really bring out that sheen in the solid portions of the work. First I had to figure out what kind of yarn, then I could think about color.

I happened to stop into Serial Knitters in Kirkland and Debi, enabler that she is, said "Hey Morgen ahve you seen the knew Sweet Georgia we got it?  It's in the basket right up front, sock in the top, lace in the bottom.  She's mean.

I went to look and saw a couple of skeins of Merino Silk Lace in a gorgeous color called Tumbled Stone.  It was one of those rare colors that defies description.  If I had to call it something I guess it would be a beige of sorts, but in the right light it has a purplish sometimes pink cast to it.  It certainly wasn't what I had expected to choose, but it had the sheen.  Right there in the skein it had the sheen.  I bought all 4 skeins that Debi had.  That gives me about 3000 yards to work with.  I don't think I'll need anywhere near that much but better safe than sorry.

NOW my dilemma is what size needle to choose.    Again for me it is all abou the sheen and that will be conveyed in the solid portions of the leaves which I think will need to be knit at a slightly tighter gauge.  I'm thinking of a 3 or 4.  I don't know.

But I will have a few days to figure it out yet.  Wednesday I head out for the Fort Worden Retreat, so I am not officially casting on until after I get back, probably next Monday.  I took the picture of the yarn and printed out the pattern yesterday, our official start day.  Blog post today, and my plan is to spend one hour every day working on the Niebling in some capacity or other, gauge swatching, color coding the chart, winding up the yarn and finally casting on.  One hour per day committment until it's done (at which point I will likely be committed.)

What does it say about my life when I am looking forward to the one hour each day of a NIEBLING to provide balance and calm???  Ha!

I am really looking forward to this!  I am so glad to see everyone on board and am especially thrilled to spot on Ravelry that Kelly has already started and is also doing Jesien!  I'll have someone to bounce ideas off of if I get stuck!  (Plus she lives in my old stomping grounds where I grew up! ~~~~Waving to Kelly!)

THIS is going to be fun!

Hugs to you all,

Morgen

should have done more homework ~ posted by Melissa

So, this post no longer holds true ~ I was debating needle sizes this morning and after a lengthy Ravelry search of circular projects, I think that my 2500 yards of 'daffodil' will not be enough for 370+ rounds, even if I go down 2 or 3 needle sizes from the size I want to use.  Bummer.  Ah, well, better to get a late start than knit 350 rounds and run out of yarn after a lot of hard work.  I'll be watching from the sidelines for a week or so until my yarn arrives ~ I decided to stay with the Zephyr Jaggerspun but instead of a half-pound of 'daffodil', I'll be starting with a full pound of 'ice blue' and not the slightest worry of getting to the end of my cone before the end of my pattern.

 

Hope you all are having a good weekend ~ batten down the hatches, all you east coast peeps :)  ~ Melissa

 

 

I'm using my husband's computer today and found this old picture of Dozer when he was just a puppy ~ napping on the dock while we fished for trout a few summers ago.  It was a good day ~

see you next 'fruhling' ~ posted by Melissa

can I get a drumroll, please.......

This is it ~ my jaunt into the insanity pool that is Herbert Niebling.  I've chosen 'Fruhling' (or 'Spring', which in all honesty is probably when I will finish this project).  I've decided to go with the Zephyr Jaggerspun in 'daffodil' and I cannot wait to cast on.  You can follow my progress here on Ravelry and I'll try to do periodic blog posts, also. 

Can't wait to see Andrea, Kelly and Morgen's choices.  I do think we all decided on different patterns so this should be really interesting!  The countdown continues....2 days to go!  ~ Melissa

...and when Jeff talks, ladies, we all should jump 'cause well, he's Jeff, that's why...let's see some pictures!!!

My foray into insanity, once again - posted by Guest Blogger Jeff

Hello there!

Once again, I've been convinced by my knitty friend on the West Coast to join another crazy insane KAL. (Actually, to be truthful, I think I may have been the one who ignited the Niebling spark for this KAL, so apologies all around *grin*).

This knit-a-long should be a lot more engaging than the last one. Don't get me wrong, the Bridgewater is a beautiful shawl, it just didn't keep my mind very focused on the knitting with all that garter.... :) (and I like to be engaged in what I am knitting). I think this time around I might have a lot of "huh? wth?" moments, and there may quite possibily be a lot of profane words being muttered under my breath. So excited!

And now...for the big reveal from JeffInAmbler (formerly jmkorn - too many people were calling me "Jim" so I had to change it!), I plan to cast on the Pomegranate pattern on Saturday. Though, based on the amount of laceweight I have for this project (2625 yards), it's looking like I'll only be able to knit the smaller version.

And... my lace of choice for this is Sweet Nothings Silken from Bittersweet Woolery in the colorway "Icelings":

Isn't it lovely?

 

I was tired of doing all of my large lace projects in white JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk, so when I found this lovely 80/20 Wool/Silk blend with subtle tinges of pink and blue throughout at the Garden State Sheep Breeders Sheep and Fiber Festival last month, I couldn't resist. I think it's going to be perfect! What do you think?

 

I'm dying to see what everyone else is doing pattern & yarn-wise! (That means post your choices! NOW! *grin*)

 

Postscript: This is a shameless plug to check out my partner's blog: Strings-n-Stuff where you can read all about our Rhinebeck experiences this year! :)

another weekend come & gone ~ posted by Melissa

The weekend was a blur ~ filled with a road trip, a birthday party, yarn shopping, football watching and snuggling up in the blustery autumn weather.  All in all, a joy filled weekend but it was overshadowed by a huge, unexpected loss that one of the women in our knit group experienced.  All of our hearts, mine included, swell with sorrow and sadness for her and her family.  Another reminder to hug the ones you love and hold dear, and to live every minute to it's fullest. 

Hope everyone has a peaceful week.  I'm thinking about you, Chris.

isn't he handsome....

signs of fall everywhere

Suquamish Tribal War Veteran Memorial on the Suquamish Tribal lands...

the Seattle skyline from Suquamish...

Chief Sealth's grave and tributes left at his burial site...