Mom strikes again

Please allow me to show off my latest wonderfully beautiful knitting needles!

Aren't they cute? 100% mom-made!

The small needles are a size 2 and appear to be bamboo with intricate cinnabar-like beads on top. I use small needles a lot and I don't have any size 2 straights. The larger set are size 9, made of wood with glass beads on top. Nice, right?

Also, now that I know I'm allergic to nickel, it's great to start building non-metal needles into my stash.

Speaking of nickel allergies, here is an example of my brain power: For about ten years I actually believed that earrings were supposed to hurt the way high-heeled shoes hurt, and most women were tougher than I in their ability to suffer for beauty. Also, knitting with metal needles for extended periods of time made one's hands rashy because of the knitting.

I won't bore you with the a-ha moments and all that. But now that I know better, I easily can avoid cheap metal. But before I go too far down this left turn - Thanks Mom. As usual, you rock!

Happy Hour Knits

OK, remember how I was a guest on DIY's Knitty Gritty last year? Well the show is finally going to air! And about 7 months sooner than they originally told me. Crazy!

A big thank you to Jeremiah for pointing out to me the airdate has been announced! Be sure to see Jeremiah on the couch of this episode as he is one of the fabulous knitsters.

We were told the show would air in the late fall but it looks more like APRIL 2nd, 2007! That's really soon! Okay here is the page with the project I demonstrate on the show. I think they relese the pattern when the show airs.

My project is the first episode (EP 801) of the infamous 800-series that includes Stephanie Pearl-McPhee among other rock star knitters.

Now that the show is upon us, I am nervous all over again. Why did I go around telling everybody?

Fiber Friday 3/16/07

What? A Fiber Friday without pictures? What is this crap?

WELL... all the spinning I did this week was for swaps and I don't want to have any spoilers out here. But I do have a few links you simply must explore:

My new pal Kari's blog is worth visiting because she is talented, takes good pictures, and she wrote a whole post about me! She also is asking for links to more blogs to spotlight so perhaps you all should stop by and leave her a comment.

While you're there, note the irony that "each Friday she has something new!" - and today is actually the Fiber Friday where I do not. Ouch!

If you are looking for a dose of yarnahol go to the Fiber Friday post on Craftster. It never disappoints.

Happy FF everyone. I promise to have yarn to show off this time next week!

Things I love

I felt like sharing some of my favorite art that hangs in my house - which is saying something because I have a lot and I love it all... but here's the problem...

I don't know who the artist is!

I bought them on a trip to NY, at Union Square in the summer of 2006. The woman who made the prints was hanging out with a card table and a stack of great pictures.

Because I am a knitting fan as well as a cycling fan, I couldn't decide so I bought these two. I ran across the street to buy a mailing tube and framed them soon after I got home.

I intended to frame them properly but haven't gotten around to it yet. Please know that they do look better in person.

If anyone recognizes the artist - let me know, please.

Did I mention that I like to pretend they are pictures of me? If you squinted, they almost could be. Is that something I should keep to myself? Probably.

Speaking of things I love... I'm currently having an affair with this chocolate bar. Seriously people, salt and chocolate GO together.

Keep on selling in the free world

I discovered the EtsyMini today, which excited me because of my car. But no, it's the banner on the right there with clickable photos that link to your shop.

So I finally got my act together and had some cards printed up for my etsy shop. I'll have two sets available, one of yarn pictures and one of New York photos. I'll be listing them this week.

I've also been on a batt kick! Sometimes you don't want to work with roving. Sometimes you want to play with a light fluffy cloud...

And I've previously mentioned my recent unicorn-rainbow revival, right? Okay then.

Rapunzel Scarf

I've been in the throws of a swap where you send lengths of yarn out to different people and we take our yarn and braid them into a scarf. It's a great project for stash busting.

However, I haven't had much patience. While waiting for all the yarn to arrive, I made a rapunzel scarf out of my stash. I added fake flowers for fun.

"Fake flowers" sounds tacky but I think they look pretty good in there.

The funny part is that I sent the scarf away in a DIFFERENT swap to someone else. I did take a picture of it before I sent it, here it is of course. I wish I had a dress form to take proper photos of things like this.

The other funny part is that it's in the 90's in Los Angeles already. No way I could wear a scarf.

But I'm still going to make a scarf for myself when I get all the swap yarn, don't worry. Here is where the idea originated.

Fiber Friday 3/9/07

It's that time again... I have three yarns to show off today. First up: domino!

It's red, black, white, gray with coils, beehives and a whole boneyard full of dominoes. 85 yards, 4.1 oz.

The middle yarn here is a mostly olive single with mohair locks and recycled sari silk for fun. 3.2 oz, 111 yards.

The last yarn is a bit off the deep end. It contains sequins, pom poms and loads of coils and beehives. 3.6 oz, 104 yards.

Is everyone having a good FF? Big plans this weekend? Someone just got another shipment from Sheep Shed Studio. Someone is very happy!

Another great mail day

I scored again! I got two beautiful skirts from the fabulous fleur_delicious.

AND some terrific earrings she made - holy mother of pearl! Jackpot.

I'm very lucky indeed.

In knitting news, it's time to update the finished objects page. I've talked very little about knitting and spinning lately and that's just plain wrong. What's on the needles? Well, I'm finishing up a project that took me a year to make. I call that news! I'll post pictures when everything is said and done.

Let's just say there were some ups and downs. And part of why it took so long is that I used the wrong yarn for a while and was stubborn about admitting it. Ah yes, there it is.

I've also knit 3 market bags (from magknits) in a row, for swaps. I really want one of these bags for myself but I can't bear to make another just now. Here's the pattern, but I know it by heart. Seriously. (with size 15 needles, CO 45...)

Actually it was this bag that put me over the edge for finally memorizing kitchener stitch. I used to have to look it up every time to remember the proper order of things but not now. I turned a corner, and I have that market bag to thank.

You know what else I realized? I LIKE KNITTING WITH COTTON!

Sorry to shout. It's like confessing some great secret. It feels great to shout it. Take your luxury fibers and pet them for all eternity. I'll be doing the work over here with the utility cotton. Perhaps the free patterns (upper right links) are an indication since the knitted items are all made out of cotton. What can I say? Fancy yarn is intimidating.

So yeah, it also feels good to be talking about knitting again. I'll post some pictures soon, I just wanted to give these beautiful skirts their due.

Ahoy thar

You know when I am posting pictures of stuff I get in swaps I am not spinning enough. But hey, it comes in waves. Now that we got that out of the way... look at this hip belt!

Why it's a nautical themed belt-pouch thing and I adore it.

It looks great in person, trust me. Now off to spin!

You know you want it

Presenting the adorable birdie tote I scored in a swap from SewingLori.

Obviously I love it. Can you see the lining is fabric that looks like measuring tape? Very, very cute.

Oh yes... It was a nice weekend. I pretty much ate my way through Los Angeles. Tomorrow I better walk it off because tonight I will surely sleep it on.

My assignment this week is to start thinking about how I'm going to get my spinning wheel on a plane.

Yeah!

Fiber Friday 3/2/07

First up, some really soft natural alpaca I scored in Idaho recently, spun with hand-dyed dark orange wool with brown and mango recycled sari silk.

2.3 oz, 112 yards.

Next up, three skeins of soft wool singles all from the same dye lot. They are around 2.7 oz each and range from 94 to 119 yards each.

They total 8.2 oz, 319 yards.

The next one here is another new one - sea water. It was fun to spin all blues and white together and ply with metallic blue thread strung with sequins.

It's very bouncy and sproingy. That's a word. 3 oz, 98 yards.

The last two pictured are gone in a swap and I hope they are happy out there.

Happy Fiber Friday everyone! Make it a good one!

Hydrangea

Three skeins in total = 8.2 oz, 319 yards.

Just something pretty suggesting the arrival of spring, lilacs blooming, little soft bunnies riding unicorns over rainbows. That sort of thing.

In other news - < drumroll > I signed up for spinning camp! < cymbal crash! >

What? Spinning Camp, Pluckyfluff style.

When? October 3 and 4

Where? Taos, NM

Did I mention that there is also a fiber fest that weekend?

Anyone else going?