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!

 

phase two ~ posted by Melissa

 

Operation Alex

 

there were only going to be two batches but look what I received in the last two days

 

enough to warrant a third batch later, I think, since there are still more coming

 

you all blow me away...

 

 

thank you Miss Lightbeam for the thoughtfulness to include something for Alex's mom...

 

I know you already know how I feel about you :)

 

 

& will Alex ever be blown away, Mimi & Sean, when he opens his package of 'army guy'  stuff

 

you both blew me away (I know ~ a little repetitive but it's true) ~ thanks for your kindness and thank you for your service, Sean

 

mom asked for one hat...

 

we've answered with sixteen (16) so far with more on the way (I did wrap each one of your hats individually and put a tag that has your name and where you live on it so he knows how far and wide people care about him)

 

thank you thank you thank you

 

(just to update ~ mom still is unaware of what's been going on...she ended up at the doctors with one of Alex's siblings last week on the day I was supposed to see her...when it rains it pours ~ I will let you know when she and Alex finally get all your packages)

dear andi ~ posted by Melissa

See you in Jersey, girl :) ... they did it!!!!!

phase one ~ posted by Melissa

 

Operation Alex ~ the first batch :)

 

these will go to mom tomorrow...thank you Annette, Penny, Trudy, Bonnie, and Kelli for your time and thoughtfulness

 

and thanks to everyone whose hats haven't arrived yet or are still in the works (that means you Will, Kelly, Mom, Mimi, Andrea, Chris and Elaine...and anyone who is knitting the boy a hat and hasn't told me...may good karma come back to you twofold!)

 

the second batch will go to Alex in a week or two

 

I'll keep you all posted if I hear anything about how he is doing ~ I imagine tomorrow he will be so surprised and excited by all his new headgear

 

thank you so much, everybody ~ I owe you one

 ~ Melissa

 



peace ~ posted by Melissa

 

 

the best thing about hard times is the moment when you feel like you've turned the corner and things just may be returning to normal

 

today I sit in a quiet house ~ no tv ~ no radio ~ and appreciate the silence

 

just me and my knitting

 

our health crisis is 99.9% behind us ~ I finally feel for the first time in 5 months that there's no need for any more worry

 

my daily routines are getting back to normal ~ I'm finding time to help those in need, instead of feeling needy

 

my wish for you in 2014 is that you have peace and joy and hope all throughout the upcoming year

 

thanks to everyone that is helping with Operation Alex ~ I can't thank you enough ~ the first batch of hats will be delivered this week and another later in the month as more are finished

 

hopefully we'll bring some joy and peace to a family that got off to a very difficult start this year ~ I am thankful for all of you

 

happy new year, all   ~   Melissa

 

(link to my Spire on Ravelry)

 



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

spire 2014 - my progress so far ~ posted by guest blogger Andrea :)

This picture shows my current status.  This is as flat as I can get it laid out. I'm now knitting on 2 circular needles to eliminate some of the scrunching. I like to see a little better what I'm doing.  I've reached the middle of Chart B, repeat 3.  I am really in the rhythm of this pattern. I count all stitches in each quadrant before I move on and it has gotten a little difficult (100+ stitches in each quadrant).  I've now added, for my convenience, 2 additional markers - one after the 1st 16-stitch repeat and another after the 4th.  This way I can break down my count to more workable and visible numbers.  Knock on wood, I've had no mistakes to unknit or fix because of these additional markers.  It's all to eliminate headaches and frustrations.

I am in love with my yarn and this pattern.  However, I'm ready to move on to the next chart.  It won't be much longer.  I love this project.

Let's hear a little from some of the others out there.  I'm curious where everybody is and how it's going, particularly Kelli.  A little bird whispered to me and I want some verification.  Happy knitting everyone!