Homespun and Hot Waffles

Well I got my fiber order in from Dragon Fibers I got 4 oz of Merino/Bamboo roving in Solar Flames and Merino/Tussah Silk (4oz) in Purple Storm. I spun up the Merino Bamboo before I took a pic of the roving, but beleive me it was beautiful. My pictures sure don't do it justice. I decided to knit up a pair of mitts with the homespun as I didn't want to waste it, but it really isn't the best yarn. But its a start I guess. It may have been the bamboo but it plied up into a quite sturdy yarn. Probably will be hard wearing as well. I don't know if I can throw them in the machine to clean them or not. I double bamboo will shrink but maybe the merino will. the pattern is a modification of the pattern from Knit Spot and its called Hot Waffle Mitts. The pattern is actually for fingerless mitts, but I opted for addding a couple of repeats and making mittens.

I made a pair of these for Jackie earlier in the week and loved the pattern. It may become a staple mitten pattern, although the patterned colorways doesn't do the pattern justice and I have some Cascade 220 on the way in solid colors and I am sure they will be beautiful.

I also added to the yarn stash.

sKNITches in Barn colorway...this is really pretty. I thought it would be really red, but it is quite pink. But I like it...alot.

2 Skeins of Osmosis by Red Corset Designs...I got mine on line from Pick Up Sticks. One in tangelo and one in Wheatgrass. (The wheatgrass is actually brighter then this photo. The tangelo is pretty close to the real color

1 Skein of Claudia Hand Painted Yarn in Black Walnut. Again bad photo. The color is gorgeous. Black, browns and rusts. Unfortunally when I bought this from the Loopy Ewe I didn't realize that they were sold in 175 yd skeins and I only got one. I see a hat or mitts or socks for Bronson. (Only the best for the boy!)

1 Skein of Handmaiden's Casbah sock yarn in Pumpkin. This was actually a gift exchange gift and it is decadent. I don't think I can make socks from it. Maybe something from Victorian Lace Today.

Finished Object

I just finished these. I put them on Ravelry so thought while I had the pictue out I might as well add them to my blog as well. They are the Hot Waffle Mitts by Anne Hanson. True they would have been better in a solid coloured yarn so you could actually se the pattern but I had the Schaeffer Lola in the correct weight so this is what it is. They are lined with Fleece Artist Peter Rabbit Angora - Gorgeous!

I got 2 - count them - two - Elizabeth Zimmerman DVD's for my birthday from my mother - God love her! I've wanted them for a while however since I already "knew" how to knit I couldn't justify buying them, but they were on my wish list and Mom grabbed them. How have I gone so long without them. I love the glossary and although I have been knitting for 30 plus years I have already learned some new techniques and garnered some new ideas.

I haven't been spinning much strictly due to Christmas knitting and work. But planning on taking some time off. I was going to be off from Christmas Eve until Jan 7, 2007 but have to go in to the office on the 27th, but then I'll be off! And I'm going to spin! Although I haven't been spinning it hasn't stopped me from buying lots of yummy fibers which I hope will arrive prior to my days off and John going back to work!

In the interim I will continue to work on Gwen and hopefully get that finished up for mom.

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Joy oh Joy

No matter what say below. Bronson is the true JOY in my life! And who can blame me? Look at those baby blues!

Firstly I want to post a pic of my Christmas gift to myself. It was evident I was never going to knit thru my stash and therefore John was never going to buy me a new wheel. I have been "trying" them out and the minute I sat behind this wheel at Birkeland Bros I knew it was going to be mine. Sure I've tried other wheels and the Ashford Traveller came awful close...but the Joy it was. John had no trouble encouraging me either considering he wasn't paying for it!

I've been busy doing the proverbial Christmas knitting. 4 pairs of Fleece Artist "Soft Mittens" They are made with one strand of DK BFL and 1 Strand of Fleece Artist Mo. Very, very nice. Quick and easy too! Here is one pair. This is in the colorway Earth - this photo doesn't do it justice. You can't beat the Fleece Artist's Colorways.

These are Malibrigo worsted weight mittens. I bought the Malibrigo as I have heard so much about it and had never worked with it. I don't usually use worsted weight. But it is nice and soft and knits up quickly using a pattern from Anne Budd's Book of Knitting Patterns.

Some regular- and inexpensive, when compared to the others- worsted in Turquoise and Cream. Knit from Anna Zilboorg Magnificent Mittens. I like knitting mittens with pattern. I just didn't have time to do them all in pattern. Still even though they are probably the cheapest they're my favorite. (John hates the color but I like it!)

These are Fleece Artist Woolie Silk in Hercules Colorway.

Fleece artist again. Cashlana and Peter Rabbit in Rose. These are gorgeous in real life. Soft and fuzzy. Very pretty. These are my next favorite next to the color work pair2 pairs of socks, the Ice Queen (from this months Knitty) for the girls from work. We did the Christmas exchange on the 13th so I didn't get the pics done, considering I just finished blocked the Ice Queen on the AM of the 13th. Darn though, she was a beauty. Easy too. IT was obviously meant to be as for whatever reason when I ordered the yarn from Loopy Ewe for my Modern Quilt Wrap for whatever reason I ordered 2 balls of Kid Silk Haze in Heavenly. Huh! Grace was looking down on me!

I've spun up some stuff I've had around that I had initially bought for the spindle, including Merino from Spunky Eclectic, and some stuff from Lisa Souza (both gorgeous roving's or really tops) I was told when I was spindling that I should use the best stuff I could afford even for practice and you know I think that is good advise. SO I still have about 4 bumps left in my fiber holder and I just ordered MORE from a couple of sellers on Etsy. CJ Kopec Creations and Dragonfire. I love etsy. Just can't keep away. I found both of these sellers thru one of the spinning groups on Ravelry. (Also love Ravelry)

I was so disappointed as I spun up POPSICLE colorway and it was so pretty. But - here you go newbie mistake, when I plied it I plied in the same direction that I had spun the roving! Shucks. I tried to reply it in the opposite direction, however I lost my love for it and I know I'll never knit it. I can barely stand to look at it. (It isn't balanced and even though I wet set it to set the twist it still has a slight wave in it!)

Anyway all I want to do is spin, spin, spin, however life keeps getting in the way! I bought the wheel then I had to do all those mitts etc for work so squeezed some spinning in between life and knitting, now when I have finished all the Christmas knitting my mother asks me about Gwen.! So now I'm knitting Gwen and not spinning! ARGH! If you are going to knit something for your mother it is best you don't tell her or else she'll hold you accountable.

Mom has wanted a red cabled sweater for ions. I started doing one for her last year, thinking I was going to give it to her for her birthday in Nov 2006. Of course Nov 2007 has passed and she still doesn't have it. I realized that may be a lost cause, but discovered Gwen and thought I could do it in the Louet Gems sport weight in red and it is a shell and therefore quick and easy (no sleeves you know). I last knit on it on Nov 4, 2007! However I was crazy enough to tell my mother I was making it and even sent her a picture. Now she wants it and is holding my nose to the grindstone.

I picked it up last knit and unfortunatly I wasn't as far as I thought I was. Only about 4 inches done and have to do 13 before I can start some armhole shaping! Eeek! Oh well. I'll knit only it for a bit and hopefully will get it done fairly quickly so I can spin. My youngest son has gone to Cranbrook for the Christmas Holidays and Rebecca, Bronson and Pierce won't be here until the 26th or so. I took vacation from Dec 27 to Jan 7 and really planned on having some "me" time as John goes back to work on the 26th too. So hopefully I won't have the red cables holding me back from spinning. (oh I wish I had bought her slippers from LLBean like I did for my Dad and his wife!)