Ravellenic Games 2012 thus far, part 1

I really need to do a post for the things I knit but didn't do a blog post but hinted at for the longest time. I'll do that next! I'm in a weird groggy state and throwing coffee at it to make it go away.

We finished up Tour de Fleece 2012 and I won a Random Number Generator pick of some fiber in Team Ashford:

Isn't it pretty?! The colorway is called Tanzanite and I'm showing great restraint in not jumping in and spinning it right away. ;-)

Instead, I have been knitting! I picked some projects that I want to show off in and Arts and Science showing Labor Day weekend - at September Crown, the Unbelted Artisans Geekout. I thought I would take a variety of things, knitting, spinning and hopefully some needlework type stuff. Depending upon space in the car, and heat, also a wheel.

Here's what I have knitted thus far:

Gunnister purse knit with Jamieson's Shetland and on US 00 needles

I put it next to the first one that I made using sport weight yarn and US 3 needles. I had hoped to get it to size, but my gauge was still a bit off. I think it still works as a nice small belt bag. I even followed the fussy cast on that gives nice little loops to thread the drawstrings through. Cool! This was entered in the Bag and the Colorwork groups:

I had also looked at my project page and things that have been sitting for a year, or more, and what to do with them. I decided some would hit the frog pond and then went for it:

These are in the official competition. A shawl I wasn't happy with the end and thought about frogging half of it and re-doing, but really didn't want to do that, so just frogged the whole thing. A shop sample that I had started during the winter Olympics, hurt my shoulder and lost Nessa and was struggling with, so frogged. Just need to get the yarn back to the shop with a HUGE apology. A blanket I started for a nephew who is now a couple years older and not as enthusiastic about Spiderman as he was when younger. 

These were going to be fairy wings. I needed to do some crochet and that ended up stalling me out. I tried frogging, but mohair and frogging is often difficult. I ended up just throwing it away because I wanted it GONE!

Foliage hat that came out HUGE! Okay, checking gauge might have been useful at some point. ;-)  I frogged it. I had thought it might work for a man's hat, but Brandon nixed that idea.

Think this is getting long, so splitting and adding the rest to the next post. You'll catch that tomorrow. ;-)

Happy 7th Birthday Nessa!

My little girl turned 7 today. We celebrated with a 'spa day'. Shower and full body massage followed by a dry off by dad. Then a hair cut and mani-pedi. She got extra baby carrot treats, canned food and strawberries for dinner. Her special toy is a fluffy pink sheep toy that she promptly had to play tuggy with Norbert over. There's been snuggle time too, so a great day for a puppy!




Brandon also helped her with extra fish viewing time with an unobstructed view of the fish. (Sidenote: the other little fish we bought Friday showed up. We have a really good hiding place in there for the fish because one of the other fish was missing earlier in the week and reappeared.)

Brandon's happy, I let him get a new weed whacker. I'm happy because it's electric not gas operated. We'll also have to replace the lawn mower because it died today, I've got him talked into replacing it with an electric one too - score!

Finished sock number one of the Wisteria Shur'tugal. I have a photo but its all flash, so tomorrow night after work can try for a better one. Need to put a bit of time into the Foliage hat so couple hours there before bed.

This week: Monday I'm at the shop, Tuesday filling in as the health aide at Liberty High School, Wednesday is spinning at the Grange and class at the shop as well as knit night at Haggen's. Thursday I'll be able to get new tires for the car with the tax money and work again on Friday. Hopefully knitting in there too! Saturday we plan to go to the Tualatin Valley Gardner's Plant Sale (great place to pick up your veggie starts!) for veggies and a Japanese Maple for the pond. After that we'll head over to Faire in the Grove at the McMennamin's in Forest Grove. I plan to get another basket from the 'Basket Peddler'.