Watershed & Watership Down

This photo is just for Tamra!

Photos of my latest taken in my knitting attic!  It's coming together, slowly but surely...I obviously still haven't gotten around to putting my books in the bookcases!  ~ Melissa

(If you haven't read Watership Down by Richard Adams, you should.  It's a classic and a wonderful read.  And if you love bunnies, you should check out this post from Snohomish Shepherdess.  Adorable!)

A day for play...

Yesterday we spent the day goofing before we spend our upcoming vacation week doing major home improvement things.  It was a great idea and I feel refreshed and ready to paint and install and unpack and organize....hopefully there will be some new photos of the attic by the end of the week that show major progress.  Until then, here are some pics from yesterday to tide you over!  ~ Melissa


a better photo of the Mondo Vest



brrr ~ it is NOT springlike quite yet!



Giddy-up, nephew ~ so sweet!



Time well spent playing with my nephew ~ my boots are big boots to fill!

Congrats, Tesia!

So, I'm sitting at work this week and a patient walks in with this amazing bright green sweater on.  You can imagine how the conversation went:

Me:  Did you make your sweater?
Patient: Yes.  Did you make your sweater?
Me:  Yes. (I was debuting my finished Mondo Cable Vest ~ I LOVE THIS KNIT!)

My Mondo Vest

Me:  Your sweater is so cute ~ what pattern is it?
And then she says.....

it's her very first published pattern.  She had submitted it to Three Irish Girls and they liked it and now it's available on their website.  It's called Green Is the New Black and I've seen it in person ~ it is a beatiful knit!  I'm so happy for her.  She's 'Tesia' on Ravelry if you want to find her.

She was also nice enough to offer her help if and when the time comes for me to try and get something in print.  I'm in the dark about sizing and how the whole process works and she gave me a link to a website for some info.  I may take you up on your offer somewhere down the road, Tesia!  Thanks for being so generous.

I'm sure getting to know a lot of really nice, and really talented people lately.  Life is good!
Melissa

Oh, the blather....

I love that word.  We had Kathleen Taylor, author of Fearless Fair Isle Knitting and self-described blatherer (the word even sounds blathery!) speak at our guild meeting last night.  She was wonderful, although after having been through the public speaking experiment a few months back, I will always say that anyone that can get up in front of a group of strangers and speak for an hour without the slightest of a swoon will always be wonderful in my book.  She shared her story of how she became who she is and how she is still evolving into the next phase of her knitting journey.  She talked a bit about her new book that I mentioned above and although most of the sample knits that are in the book are out on a trunk show, she was wearing the hands-down masterpiece ~ this beautiful Fair Isle piece (or stranded if you so choose to arguably call her work) that she designed and knitted herself ~ you'll have to click on the link to see it since I cannot find a single picture of it to download and share ~ Dragon Ride Shawl.  That's her wearing it ~ isn't it amazing!?  I have said before that one of the things I dislike about stranded knitting is the look of the carries on the backside ~ I know, I know, you don't see them but I know they're there and they bother me.  They just look plain messy and unfinished, but I discovered last night that it's not the carries I don't like, it's my carries!!  The backside of this shawl was like artwork ~ I definitely need lots more practice and some technique tips. 

Which is why I signed up this morning for the 'Tips and Tricks' class she's teaching at Great Yarns this Saturday.  I haven't taken a class for awhile so it will be fun and I'm sure I can learn a thing or two...or ten from her.  Plus, there's a wine and cheese reception afterwards so what could be more fun than spending the day in my local LYS, surrounded by yarn, and wine, and cheese and amazing people?  Sounds like a great way to waste away a stormy Pacific NW day.

I am getting some knitting done and I reached the halfway point on my Mondo Cable Vest last night.

  I'm getting better at talking and knitting at the same time, a skill I completely lacked until very recently.  Which reminds me, I sat and chatted with a fellow guild member last night for quite awhile and after a bit she said that I reminded her of a girl that had come to speak a few months back and that I looked so much like her that I could be her twin ~ we had quite a laugh when I told her that WAS me!  She said 'you're the shy girl?! ~ I don't believe it!'.  Kelli, that story is for you ~ the turtle has her itty bitty shy head poked so far out of the shell these days people don't even recognize me (the baseball cap could have had something to do with the confusion, though!).  I'm sure enjoying the guild and my new friends and all the encouragement and getting to see so many talented people sharing what they love with each other.  It is such a creative and supportive environment to be in.  I highly, highly recommend everyone that isn't part of a local knitting group check out what's available in your area and get involved.  I always leave so inspired and anticipating the next get together!