Stonecrop KAL~ by Kelli

Such a fun knit! Grateful to have a knit along. 

Can't wait to see them all!

WE IN - posted by The Girls

GO HAWKS

Oh How The Mind Wonders~ a post by Kelli

1-2-15
As I knit I can't help but think of fisherman out at sea, yes mostly my own. I think of all the love that's folded in each stitch of those past and future Guernseys.  The hope for safety. My mind goes to the romanticness that it's not.
It's hard endless work, and those fisherman sweaters were there for a bit of warmth and a reminder of home, if they had the luxury of thinking of home. Probably never got washed until the long season was over...if they had someone to hand wash them.
Now we have machine knitted tight, lighter weight, soft, machine washable 100% merino undershirts to send them out in.  Technology to write/talk daily, to get the updates on the days away which helps with the loneliness.
The hard endless work is still there~

I'm enjoying my romantic, days long ago thoughts. Due to my new knit~

A Walk In The Park~ a post by Kelli

Lov'in this Knit A Long, and everyone's colors are so beautiful.
Here's mine so far.


Thanks from all the 'well wishes' and sweet comments about our 5th
year blogging!

I'm In ! ~ a Kelli post

This is New England Shetland, fingering weight, double stranded... FOLIAGE.  Should be a 'bute Clark'~

Thanks Melissa, can't wait to add this Rachel Shawl to my collection. (OK, I just have the one other,  Melissa knit me for Christmas)

edited by Mel (hope you don't mind Kelli) : since I just posted about the kal last night and the post is buried now I'm adding the link to the pattern we're doing : Rachel's Shawl can be found here ~ the link works even if you're not a Ravelry member but you do have to use paypal for purchase.  Additional knitalong info can be found here!!

Spirtited Crafters~posted by Kelli

Ok...this is a new concept.

My 22 year old daughter M'lis, works at this bar couple nights a week, it's her second job.  She asked if I wanted to sell some of my knits.  I had no idea it would be HERE.???

 

 

The Brown Lantern Ale House has a craft sale,

I had to check it out, I'll bet a dozen venders were there... so com'on down the last Sunday of the month and check it out.

 

Pull up a stool and shop with any drink of your choice.

 

 It cracks me up!

 

Nunoing My Summer Away~ post from Kelli

 

A light lesson in Nuno Felting: You find an open woven piece

of fabric and feltable and a nonfeltable  materials.

 

The feltable materials will have to cover the 'non'. You lay

out you design, on the bubble wrap on a plastic table~

 

you roll it all up, with a hot tub bubble wrap and a long thick PVC pipe...you all have this, right?

 

I use the hottest tap water and a drop of Joy(dish soap that is) and yes you should have joy in your heart too :)

 

You drench the dry fibers, carefully, and start the rocking process, like how you rock a rolling pin with the palm of your hand, over and over for a really long time.

 

Unroll and take a peek, and re-wet. Over and over.

 

The heat, friction, and soap help coax those fibers to mesh together.

 

You roll and unroll every 15 minutes of so and re-wet and watch it bind together and get a little smaller~

 

yep it's in there...(wear sandals and shorts, it's messy) 

 

 

You can't see, but some of the hairs of the fibers are pocking out the back, after about an hour or more from rocking, you fold it up, like I did here and throw it down folded (as hard as you can) for 100 throws or more, and  the fibers really pock out through the fabric. Water and soap go a fly'in, and you get everybody's attention.

 

Rinse and lay it out to dry...

 

Ta-Da, wearable hand woven art that's been happening for centuries~ and with joy!

Happy summer~ Kelli

You can check out my Etsy, but no 'knits' yet!

 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/kellisknits

Nuno Felting~ a post from Kelli

Yet another way to use wool and fibers~  spent most of the day beating wool through  cut up polyester scarf pieces.  We rolled and smashed and threw fibers together till they meshed.  It's called Nuno felting, and it's a bit tiring.  The process is a bit unpredictable, so it's one of those 'out of the box' projects. As it's drying it still is puckering and changing.  Such a creative day!

Shall We Quill? ~ a post from Kelli

                  

  Everybody getting ready?  Here's my choice, Loft.  Snowbound for the main color, CC 1 is Old World, CC 2 is Long Johns, CC 3 is Almanac, CC 4 is Storm Cloud.  A big box with these yarns were sitting on my porch waiting for me yesterday from Portland Maine.  This is partial  payment from my test knit, at 25% off.  Which was received to Jared emailing me my work was "great!"  This test knit chapter is final.   I'm hoping a picture of my sample  makes the cut...I believe  will be in the Brooklyn Tweed fall patterns collection.  But for now we will start the beautiful Quill~

(here's a link to the Summer Solstice Knitalong ~ Quill ~ info if you still want to join in!)

I Can Hardly Believe It! ~ a post by Kelli

A couple a weeks ago I was asked to 'test knit'.~  This package came straight from Jared Flood's mill!

I haven't been doing much since.  As some of you already know I met Jared Flood in February at the Madrona conference in Tacoma WA.  I saw him again at Vogue Knitting in Bellevue WA, in April, where he asked if I'd ever wanted to test knit for him!!! (Melissa, should we tell the folks what I said to myself, in my mind?)

Early May I got an email from 'his people' asking if I'd like to test knit...my journey started, the first half of May and now into June we've been corresponding!!!... along with getting paid for my work, I get any of his patterns for free and 25% off his yarn!...and we all know I'd of knitted it for free~

I wish I could tell you all about the amazing piece I just finished,  I'm thinking this fall or winter I can.

I've seen all the fabulous lace shawls you've created, and from pictures and words it seems like most of us have a new favorite or favorite 'go too' project when needed.

Thanks for letting me share my excitement , and I hope to see everybody around this summer.

Kelli

A Chocolate Ribbon ~ A post from Kelli

What a great knit !...kinda quick (ya think?), so many great check points to keep me 'spot on', I love/need lots of check points.  I himmed and hawed about the cherry brown 'edging' with a different yarn. So happy how it turned out. Can't wait to see everybody's~

Everybody Knitting? ~A post from Kelli

hello!  Melissa here ~ just bumping up Will's awesome links in the comments below so that they're right in here with Kelli's hints ~ thanks Will for the extra effort...you rock!

Stephen West's cast on ~ Evelyn Clark's new & improved cast on ~ or just peek at how Will does it his way in his comment (good stuff!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For some of you who like visual help, I   went to YouTube  and found two helpful videos...

Type the words :  crochet chain cast on   

 That took me to a great video you can click on,   this provisional cast on the pattern calls for.

then ~

Type in the words :  rotate edge shawl 90

 That took me to a video that shows how you pick up stitches and turn to pick up more stitches.

That hopefully can help you to your 7 stitches to start with.

If I can help anyone let me know.

We haven't hooked up Skype... but maybe someday?

Happy May Day KALing 

Kelli

Tulip Time 2 0 1 3 ~ a post from Kelli

                                                      You almost have to pinch yourself

                                                       to believe it's real~  On a sunny day

                                          the flowers make color come alive.  You stand there

                                          and watch in wonder.  You are so thankful for sight.

                                          Thankful to farmers who farm.

Thank you Skagit Valley farmers and families~ Support a local farms.

Sharing Joy~ a post from Kelli

I think my friend Sherry left these on my front porch,while I was at work yesterday,no note, I am so blessed. Just wanted to pass along the joy. Happy spring~

A Noni Retreat ~ A post by Kelli

I work at Ana Cross~Stitch, a yarn and threads shop. We weekend at Camp Brotherhood every year about this time. The owner of the shop invites a different designer every year. This year was Nora Bellows or Noni as she's known in the knitting and felting world. She's a fabulous women, who beats to her own drum. She's a flower lover. We learned the anatomy of a flower and were soon knitting away. While she taught the class the Cherry Blossom pattern, I flipped through the book. In true "Kelli fashion" found something else to knit, in my own gauge,weight and size not like the pattern called for(did I say SHE beats to her own drum?). I knitted the Pom Pom Chrysanthemum, I had worsted weight yarn, the pattern called for bulky, I used a US5, the pattern called for US13, I was suppose to repeat 120 petals,I repeated around 60. I liked how the flower and purse turned out, I'm planning on making the purse an across the body bag, as soon as get a 27" purse chain hardware, which I believe her twin sister Laura, aka JUL sells. Flood, Harding and Noni, that's a good winter~

A Workshop Day! Yeah! ~post by Kelli

An all day play date for Melissa and I, we spent learning and creating~ How fortunate we are to have Sivia Harding teach us, a thank you to Sarah Parker the shop owner of WildFibers, in Mount Vernon Washington. The day 10:00-5:00 flew by as our minds were searching and configurating lace options for our own designs. I wish I could do these workshops more often. I get to stay focused and push myself. We learned new ways about creating as we go. Sivia is so encouraging and positive, she expressed with joy over every womens design the uniquness each one brought. So stay tuned to see what new patterns could arise~

What A Day!!!~ A post from Kelli

OH BOY did I have a check that one off the bucket list day~ meeting and talking with Jared Flood, we're like pals,he is a easy to talk with, smiley, listens and answers questions, along with being talented he's a pleasent and gracious man. My friend Sherry and I drove 2 hours down to Tacoma Washington where the yearly Madrona Fiber Arts Winter Retreat show/classes are held. Sherry wore her Juneberry and I wore my Leaves of Grass which Jared asked about. I told him about this blog and the knit-a-long. He hung on every word, I told him my Bridgewater story and Sherry told him about the Christmas exchange party where she tried to hold on to his PEI pattern/Loft yarn gift(from Morgen)by licking the pattern and sitting on it. Which was stold the next turn. We got him laughing. It was a great day. Yes I did walk away with some Shelter, handspun yarns and a couple of patterns I can't wait to start. I could have sat all day people watching the fine knitted garments walk by. The day went by too fast. Not sure I need to go next year but I'm glad I did this year. Happy Valentine's Day~ Kelli

I Have A Leaves of Grass Shawl~ post by Kelli

The wind helped me today. I think it agrees with my pattern and color choice. It picked up my shawl nicely. I just happen to be going out to dinner with co-workers from the knit shop, Ana-Cross Stitch where I work, a perfect time to showcase my lastest treasure. The shawl pin you see is hand forged, bronze, from an artist on Lopez Island, a island up here in the far northwest corner. I finished my last BO exactly at Superbowl kick off time, so you know I missed the first 1/2 of the game due to soaking, pinning and blocking. I was so excited. I'd go and check on the shawl while it lay there blocking, like a new sleeping baby to make sure it was still there and nobody bothered it. Can't wait to see yours ~ Kelli

New Treasures~ a post from Kelli

Lace tatted leather boots, an antique swiff, and an a beautiful new lace shawl,hand dyed in a rich blackberry! What more could a girl want? ...ok maybe her Leaves Of Grass shawl done? Was out 'antiquing' with my friend Sherry, she walked into a section of the shop, I looked up to see what was sticking out way above and saw this sweet old little swiff. Had to have that. My husband gifted me these boots (by Steve Madden) that lace up just enough before driving me crazy. The best lace shawl, that was created and knitted by Melissa,thank you much~ Always anxious to see what another year will bring. Happy knitting everybody. Kelli

So Far~ from Kelli

Loving this pattern and yarn choice, again the color you see isn't quite right, I'm on my 4th repeat of chart "C". I gotta football game worth watching and Downton Abbey to knit by today! Really am enjoying all the comments and posts, keep'em coming. Kelli