Off My Needles~ guest blogger Andee

My Spire is off my needles. I repeat my Spire is off my needles!!!!!

I had huge hopes of taking pictures of it with the wild horses on Assateague Island, but my family didn't want to give me the hour to sit and finish it before we left for our vacation. So sad. I had hoped I could block it before we got on the road so I could drag it around with me. Instead however I did get to work on it while hanging out at my campsite while I watched the sunrise and then again at night watching the sunset.  I finished up the final few rows last night after we got home and unloaded the camper. I blocked it and woke up to it all ready to wear this morning :) I'm going to take some more pictures of it and I still have a modification or two to do with it. 

I have a feeling the wild horses wouldn't have even wanted to be in the photo shoot with me anyway. They were more interested in sunbathing, eating and one was actually standing in the showers at the beach. It was too funny. I didn't have my camera on me at the time. I'll have to go back next year :) 

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!!!

 

 

Chart "C" Complete!!! ~guest blogger Andee

Woo Hoo I finished up Chart "C" last night!

 

Humm lets see how many pictures I can post of an unfinished project :)

 

 

It is so hard to photograph all bunched up on those needles!

This is the fiber I have left. I need to spin it up for the edging. Hummmmm

I think I am going to card it to blend the color until it is pretty uniform. I am not sure how much waste I'll get from carding it. So I am also thinking about ordering more solid color fiber. I don't want to run short on yarn.

 

This is where it will sit until I decide what to do.  I'm going to think about it a little more.

 

The color of the fiber is "More Coffee". I have an imaginary date planned with Jared Flood where he will come over to my parents alpaca farm and we will sit and chat and have coffee. Maybe we can turn it into a retreat. Anyone want to come visit the farm? Please note that if you do decided to attend the retreat you might have to kidnap Mr. Flood and bring him with you :) I think it would be a good time.

Time to Make More Yarn ~guest blogger Andee

Status update...

 

 

Time to make more yarn!

Harvesting the Fiber~ guest blogger Andee

For those of you who don't know. My parents have an alpaca farm. I help out on the farm with chores. I love being around the alpacas. Last week my parents headed to Las Vegas for an alpaca auction. While they were gone my sisters and I chipped in our time to care for the herd. I was in charge of morning feedings and cleaning the pens. All was going well until we got hit by a huge snow storm!  My parents flight was canceled and they were stuck in Vegas.

I had been getting up all week at 6 am to hit the gym for an hour, then to the farm to feed. Then got back home to get the kids off to school. Then back to the farm to clean pens, then back home to work and take care of my husband (who just had shoulder surgery).

After seven days of this I was SOOO exhausted and could barely stand up to move from the couch. I felt like I was a contestant on the Biggest Looser. I was getting quite a work out. I felt like I deserved a Biggest Looser Weigh in today. I was ready to stand up on the scale this morning and watch the weight tick away to reveal I lost 8 lbs. Woo Hoo. I really did work my butt off this week. But now my parents are home and I hopefully will have more time to relax and knit.

I have really enjoyed working on my Spire. I took a little brake from it to work out a new pattern. I just ordered 1600 yards of Loft for it :) Sometimes I feel like I spend so much time swatching and writing patterns and I have nothing to show for it :( I'm going to try to get as much done on my Spire before my new yarn comes. I got a notice it shipped today, so I better knit faster!

I feel like this looks much cooler in person than it does in pictures.

I'm not sure how well it comes across on the computer, but I am really happy with it in person.

The colors didn't completely fade smoothly, but I really like it.

I inserted two strands of waste yarn at two points.

I am thinking about opening it up so I can wear this as a cardigan / vest.

It will be an heirloom Snuggy.

 

I think I'll get more use out of it if I can wear it. I will decide after I block it.

If I don't want to make the arm holes I'll just graft the row back together, otherwise I'll work some

knitting magic to make nice arm holes.

 

And since I went on so much about the farm in the beginning of this post.

I thought I should include some farm shots I took with my cell phone.

It has been tooooooo cold to carry around my good camera.

 

 

I shoveled walk ways in each of the fields so the alpacas could walk in lighter snow.

At one point four of them were laying in one of the walkways head to tail. They looked like

the alpaca bobsledding team. I am kicking myself for not taking a picture.

 

Kigo found a nice warm spot in the barn.

 

In other exciting news we bought a travel trailer. I claimed my knitting spot!

I can't wait for it to warm up and we'll be off camping.

I see weeks of traveling, knitting and photography in my near future.

I can't wait!

 

Spinning and Knitting~ guest blogger Andee

I have spun about 1,000 yards of yarn and I have my Spire on my needles. I am a little further along than the picture above. The color is blending very nicely and I am very pleased with it. I am still working out in my head how I'm going to do the blending for the knitted on edging so I'm keeping 8 oz of roving unspun so I can work on those details as I go.

 

In the mean time I am loving the ease of this pattern and I'm enjoying how quickly it is knitting up, but like all things that start from the center I'm sure progress will start slowing soon.

 

~Andee

Put Me In Coach~ guest blogger Andee

I was very excited to see that the Spire was chosen for this KAL. Not only am I obsessed with all things Brooklyn Tweed I was also looking for a project that I could try out a gradient/progressive/fading, whatever you want to call it, yarn.  I knew this project would be perfect for just that. Now the trick was to find the yarn.

I have been searching for a gradient yarn for a while. I have seen some yarn that had a gradient to it, but I wasn't fond of the colors or I have found it and the price was way too high. So I gave up the search and decided to make the yarn myself.  This KAL was the perfect excuse.  I had the roving dyed by Spunky Eclectic and it arrived in the mail today! I almost busted down the door to get to the mailbox when I finally saw the mail man.

It is strange to order fiber that I have never seen and was custom dyed for me. It isn't like I can just return it. Also since this project takes 1600 yards I better like it because I'll be working with it for a while.

I was so relieved when I opened the package to find this!!!!

It is Panda-

This is the description of the fiber from Spunky Eclectic's website.

~Panda Combed Top - Panda is a gorgeous blend of Superwash Merino (60%), Bamboo Viscose (30%) and Nylon (10%). It's got all the strength and durability to be a long wearing pair of socks with all the lusciousness to be much much more.

Progression Dyed ~

In my opinion the fiber is Heavenly. It is so shiny and smooth I couldn't be happier with it. I can't wait to start knitting with it. But first I have to spin it all to make sure I'll have enough!

Can you see the slow gradient of the yarn?!

I am so happy to finally get to work on this project with such a great group or people!

Happy Knitting

Andee

on Ravelry as AndeeKF

The Quill Must Go On~ Guest Blogger Andee

I am on the final edge of my Quill.  Are you applauding? I am giving myself a pat on the back. I am further along than the pictures above, but these are the last pictures I took of it. I was lucky to be able to go camping for a week and have lots of knitting time.  I worked on my Chesterfield Sweater until I ran out of yarn and then devoted the rest of the trip to my Quill. I am so close to finishing! Hopefully I can keep my focus and get it done soon.

 

I loved sitting on the beautiful porch swing at our friends cabin in the Adirondacks knitting and enjoying that beautiful view. I also spent many morning over the campfire at our campsite working on it.  We had chilly mornings and it was so warm and cozy as it was draped over me as I knitted. This project has been like a good friend. I'll miss knitting it when it is done, but I will enjoy using it!

Finished! ~ guest blogger Andee

 

I finished up my Shetland Triangle last night! I headed outside with my trusty camera, tripod & remote shutter and tried my best to get some quick pictures of it.

 

It is so windy out today I was afraid a tree was going to fall on me!  So I'll be back later when I get better pictures, but I wanted to prove it was done!!! I love how it turned out. I did 17 repeats and I really liked the yarn I used.

It is a hard color to photograph see the picture below. Not the right color.

 

So once we get some good lighting I'll get better pictures. I love how I can wear it as a shawl and as a wrap around my waist.  I tried taking my manikin outside for some pictures to show how it can be worn but the wind kept knocking it over.  So you'll have to take my word for it right now.

 

I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday weekend. I'm looking forward to the next KAL!

 

~Andee 

Tangled~ posted by guest blogger Andee

I was hesitant to join the May Day KAL. I knew May would be a busy month for me.  I started the month off with a trip to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival.  It was fate that I ran in to Will & Jeff and saw their Shetland Triangles and I knew I had to make one too. 

But I've been busy as excepted for the month and knitting has been slow.

There have been two new babies born at the farm.

Then we had shearing day. I am so sore from shearing day. I have sore muscles I didn't even know I had.  But it is totally worth the hard work.  The alpacas are so much happier to have their heavy winter coats off. This is my alpaca Blue and his awesome gray fleece. I think I have to make a cardigan out of his fleece.

A before and after shot of another alpaca named Bing.

Plus add in a few birthday parties and BBQs and here is where I stand on my Shetland Triangle.

I have about 16 or 17 repeats done, I'm not really keeping track of the repeats. I got about 3 rows in on the edging and my center pull yarn decided to get tangled.  I spent 3 hours last night trying to untangle it.  Stupid I tell you.  I was tempted to cut it so many times. But well I guess I'm stubborn.  I am almost done working it out.  The party we were supposed to go to today got canceled because of the weather. So fingers crossed I will get the tangle undone and finish this up and on the blocking wires today!  Wish me luck.  No more distractions. 

~Andee



Ready Set Go ~ guest blogger Andee

So I had plans of using my handspun merino for this shawl. I got it on the needles and I was loving the pattern and yarn, but I couldn't help but thinking of another project I thought the yarn would be so much better for. So I set it aside and picked up a skein of Cascade Heritage sock yarn.  I very rarely buy yarn without a plan and this yarn I had bought because I loved the color.  I figured for only $12.00 a skein of 437 yards I'd buy two and find something to make with it.  It has been sitting next to my computer waiting to be knit it.  I started the shawl over with this yarn on Saturday night and by Sunday at noon I was done with all the repeats from the chart and ready for the edging.  Talk about a pattern that flies off your needles. 

I am loving the rows of purling and knitting! Lace with rows of knitting sign me up any day.  I still have the other skein of yarn so I'm going to keep going until I run out of yarn.  I think this would be nice to be able to wrap around and around. We'll see.  But I did set it aside and picked up another project. Two projects at the same time. Yikes! That is so not me, but I really need some hand knits to wear in this warmer weather.  So I casted on a top.  I'll be picking away on the Shetland Triangle over the next week. But I'm not rushing it. It is such a joy to knit.

Ravelry notes- Shetland Triangle

Happy Knitting,

Andee

I'm Back! ~ guest blogger Andee

I am so excited to be joining the May Day KAL!  I spent the weekend at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival and look who I ran into Willy G & Jeff!

Do you like the bag I'm carrying? Lori made it. So she was kind of there with us. My sister Leanne was off at another booth so she missed the photo :(

I had such a good time meeting these guys they are so much fun. It was great to chat about yarn, patterns, and people in the KAL. I was totally shocked that I ran into them. In the small time we got to hang out I think 100 people complimented them on their hats. They were such a huge hit.

I came home from the festival with 6,110 yards of yarn and 24 oz of roving.  Oh and some books for me and toys for the kids.  Now can I figure out what to use for the shawl? I am thinking about spinning the purple roving to make the shawl.  Because apparently purple and spinning are the things to do these days.  So fingers crossed I can get this casted on soon.  I'm so glad to be back in the KAL!

I have more pictures from my trip on my blog.

Happy Knitting!

~Andee