Mittens

I finally completed a set of mittens to sell in my Etsy store located here. They are made from 100% wool, and before you say that $25 is too much, realize that it cost me almost $24 to buy the yarn. Not much of a profit margin there. I do also take custom orders.

Knitting & Thanksgiving

So I went to the parent's house for Thanksgiving, got to spend some time with my sister, brother, nieces, nephews, and most importantly, Dad. He keeps telling everyone this is his will be his last Christmas. He can't shake the constant pneumonia. We also invited their next door neighbors over. There was plenty of food, and these people were going out for chinese because one decided at the last minute they weren't going to bother cooking, so the other two were SOL. I also took in my niece's cheerleading uniform. I understand that she's a freshman, and they don't get the choice pieces, but I had to take the side in 2 1/4". The skirt had been taken in before she got it, so I could only do one side, the solid colored side. The opposite side had been taken in at least an inch. This girl is tiny, and she was giving a HUGE skirt.
Christmas is at my house this year. I will be invaded by no less than 7 people. I wish I had a double oven.
Here's some of the knitting I've been doing. Some are samples for SWTC, others are gifts.

This is the starfall shawl; a new pattern just published by SWTC. It is done with one skein of Tofutsies. Isn't it great?

This is the latest hat for my nephew. Unfortunately, we couldn't get a shot of him with it on. We tried. Cascade superwash.

Another pair of mitts for Em. Moose, the English mastiff introduced earlier, decided the last pair tasted yummy.

This is the back of a shrug I made for my DD using Saphira by SWTC. Love the yarn to pieces!!! Great bulky single ply yarn, soft and yummy! I have some that I'm going to make into a cardigan for myself, when I get a chance to knit for myself (yeah, right. A girl can dream, can't she?)

This is a cashmere scarf I designed for my mother in law, and gave to her as a birthday present. It almost didn't leave the house. Cashmere is so sinfully soft.

This is another sample for SWTC, it's their Comfy Coat done in a georgeous olive green Saphira. Unfortunately, the camera would not cooperate to show the beautiful color. You can check out the back on Flickr or Ravelry.

And last, but not least, the Vilai socks from Cookie A's book Sock Innovation. These are done in Cherry Tree Hill's Northern Lights colorway. They are beautiful in real life.

Now, back to the needles. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I realized how thankful I am that I still have my dad, and that we can share a wonderful day with people we love. It's not about the food, it's about the company. I also am thankful for friends and family long gone, at least I knew they for a brief, shining moment and each of them touched my heart and taught me a life lesson. Joe, Ray, Grandpa, Grandma, Dave, and everyone else here and gone; I love you. On to Christmas...

Giants, angora & secret knitting

Wow. November already. And my beloved Giants have dropped their last 3 games. To whomever kidnapped the real Giants, please let them go. We want them back. NOW!

One of the generous ladies that I work with asked me if I wanted some angora rabbit fur. It's raw, needs to be carded and spun. I don't have hand carders, but I said sure, why not. It'll be a good learning experience, you have to use a different methon spinning this than other yarns. She and her husband raised angoras years ago, and he had stored some of the fur they had not sold. One of their sheds needed to be removed, and while cleaning out another shed, he discovered this treasure trove. I thought they probably had a little, no more than 6 oz. I was WAYYYY wrong. I receieved a 5 gallon bucket full of black/white, and about 12 other buckets (the kind used to hold hamburg; probably between a half gallon and a gallon sized ice-cream tub). Holy angora! I have all kinds of colors, fawn, chocolate, pure white, black, you name it. All needs to be carded (there are some matts in some), and spun. Now, I am a beginning spinner and a quick learner. But instead of receiving ounces, I got pounds. The generosity of folks amazes me. I also bought an antique yarn skeiner from a co-worker at a steal.

I'm still doing my secret knitting for SWTC, can't wait to be able to reveal them to you. If you like bulky superwash yarn, try out their Saphira. For cotton/bamboo blends-Terra. Sock yarn-Jezebel for those pure wool lovers, Tofutsies for those who like to walk on the wild side. Infinity for those cobweb heirloom lace pieces. Or you could double it to make up a lace scarf (pattern to be developed as soon as I'm done knitting & spinning, maybe sooner!) Therapi is just that, yarnie goodness. Soon I'll be trying out Karaoke. Check them all out here.

Off to knit again!!

Where in the USA have I been?

visited 21 states (42%)
Create your own visited map of The United States
I saw this link on a fellow Raveler's info page, and thought it would be cool. I guess I need to do more traveling...

I'm still here...

Wow. September flew by, and I realized that I haven't posted in a while. I promised pics of my stargazers & casablanca lilies when they bloomed, and I apologize to my one reader (me). I've been doing some secret knitting for a company; when the patterns are published I will post pictures. I've also been working on some of my own designs and the Lilac sock pattern is now available to purchase on Ravelry.
Summer was one month here in Maine. August. That was it. September has been nice, but we had so much rain during June & July that I'm praying for a mild winter. I don't know how much more moisture the ground can take. On a positive note, at least I don't have to worry about my well running dry.
So, right now my life is composed of kids after school activities, secret knitting and regular housework.
I can't wait to get back to spinning...

Flowers

My liles have begun to bloom, I got 3 kinds from Maple Crest Lilies at the Bangor Home show in March. We put them in the ground, and I've been a mother hen over them to make sure they bloom. The Red asiatic bloomed first, and the stargazers have begun. The casa blanca will open last.
We have also discovered that begonias do well at our house, we have 2 red, 2 yellow, 1 white and 1 pink.
And our butterfly bush.

And 2 of the pansies.

In knitting news, I finished the original design of the lilac socks

and my daughter's bookbag.
It's really too hot to do much else other than socks right now. The humidity is horrible right now. I can't wait for it to break.

Catching up.

Whew, it's been a while. DH and I attended the Gathering of the Vibes in Bridgeport, CT over the weekend-what a great show! The venue was beautiful. The only downfalls were that there was a horrible thunderstorm on Thursday and Friday, so the concert field was a bog. The town of Bridgeport tried their best to suction up the water and lay down hay to make it better, but the ground remained muddy and the venue smelled like a barn. At least the music made up for it. On Sunday, Buddy Guy came out and introduced us to Quinn Sullivan, a 10 year old guitar prodigy. If you get a chance to look him up on Youtube, the first link that comes up is him at age 8 playing "The Trill is Gone". Keep your ears open, as long as this kid follows the right path he'll be playing until he's B.B. and Buddy's age. It was also my first time seeing George Clinton and P. Funk-what a stage show they put on!
I know some people will look down their noses and say "You must be a druggie", or "I can't believe you'd go to a dirty hippie event". Really, there were some of the nicest people there. There was a OD that occured Saturday/Sunday, but it was in the middle of the camping venue and all the drug action was in that area. We were on the very outside of the entire thing, and to be honest most of the kids offering us hard core drugs looked like they just walked out of an Abercrombie & Fitch ad. I was astounded!
Another thing I learned is that when you are one of the very few that does not imbibe in alcohol or drugs, the people who are tripping along in outer space come to you for a safe zone. They know that you are grounded to reality and can be a lifeline to them. Actually, DH explained this to me after the same kid kept returning to us time and time again. At least I could offer him support in a way.
I love going to outdoor concerts, whether they are a folk festival, music festival, or an outdoor concert on the 4th. Being outside with nature and music lets your inner child out. I intend on going to this show again, and maybe in a couple of years exposing the kids to it-but we'll be in a hotel and not camping around all the drug drama.
Not too much knitting went on, still working on the same old stuff. The Lilac Aeolian is worked on very fine soysilk yarn with seed beads. Thanks to DS for getting me a 0.65mm (yes, that's right-a 0.65mm) crochet hook to help with this. I had bought a 0.75mm, but that was still too big for 90% of the beads. It did help it go quicker than using a piece of beading wire as a hook, and I'm hoping to have this done soon to show everyone.

SPIDER

Ok, so we were doing outside stuff, and while the DH was changing out a porch light fixture, he pointed out this little guy:

He's between the size of a quarter & half dollar. I'm not sure what kind of spider he is, other than he's big. If anyone has a guess as to what he is, I'd love to know.

I did get some knitting finished in between running back and forth to Home Depot & the doctors. First off, a half sock for someone who broke her leg:

This is knit in Boku by Plymouth yarns, 95% wool and 5% silk.

Secondly, I got a present pair of socks done:

And a close up of the stitch pattern:

The pattern is Swirly Girl by Deby Lake from SWTC. The yarn is Tofutsies, which I love. I also did get the blocks baby blanket 95% completed, hopefully it will be done tonight.

Gatherning of the Vibes

We got our tickets yesterday to the Gathering of the Vibes in Connecticut. I can't wait, 4 days of music by the coast, and there are so many great bands playing! Just the DH and I, camping out.

I've spent the past few hours trying to figure out how to put this next statement:
To the news organizations who insist on replaying Paris Jackson's breakdown-STOP! It's so tormenting to see that little girl sobbing over the loss of her father at least 4 times every hour. I'm sad that he's gone too, but we have lost other great people recently as well. I didn't see this much coverage when Koko Taylor, Farrah Fawcet, or Ed McMahon died. I know that MJ was a great entertainer who gave the world much, but let the poor man & his family have peace. Just my little rant here.

Any who-GOTV here we come!

Rain, Rain

What a month June was! 95% rain. I had to check between my toes to see if there was any webbing growing in. My SIL was in from California, I think she may have had 2 tops days with minimal rain. While she was here she scoffed up the Eunice socks I was making.

The yarn was Plymouth's Happy choices. Its knitted into a scarf of natural colored yarn, and then it's hand painted. You then have the choice of wearing it as a scarf or making something else out of it while unraveling the scarf at the same time. I picked it up at Pins & Needles. The yarn bloomed nicely after washing, but if I ever used it again I would probably wind it into a hank to get the kinks out first. Off to Cali they go!

While DH was hanging out with his sisters L & C, niece A & C's dog, a baby/adolecent squirrel decided to charge the dog. The dog promply grabbed the squirrel in it's mouth, bit down, and spit it out. The following is not a verbatum of the converstation, but you'll get the gist:

DH: " Guess the dog killed the squirrel. I've never seen something like that."

C & L: "It's not dead! It's still blinking!" (I'm guessing it was in it's death throwes.)

DH: "C-take A away. I'll take care of it." And he promptly dispatched of the squirrel.

Fast forward back to C's house. DH is now titled "Squirrel Killer". Ain't family grand?

Blueberry Triangle Shawl

Another FO (finished object) and another project cast on. I know a few women who are having babies, and so far the known sexes are boys. What's going on? I love blue, but there are so many cute lacy patterns to give, and they do not belong on boys. Oh well.
Here's the finished blueberry triangle shawl. The name comes from the fact that the yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Merino lace in the blueberry hill colorway, but also because this is being donated to the Girl's Talk raffle that is held during the Wilton Blueberry Festival. My DD has done the girl's talk program the last 2 years, and it is wonderful. 5th and 6th grade girls team up with a mentor from the community (including UMF students) and they both read the same book. Once a month, there is a dinner where the girls & their mentors discuss the book and do activities together. This year the DD had a chance to go to the Margaret Chase Smith museum with 3 other girls. This is a wonderful program, and hopefully the shawl helps raise a lot of money.

(notice the daughter's new haircut from the relay for life!! 12 inches gone to locks for love! I know I said this before, but I'm really proud of her for following through with it, eventhough it was nerve racking for a minute. She really loved having long hair, but knew it was for a good cause and that it would grow back.)
And a closeup:

Updates

First off, we did the Relay for Life event in Farmingdale on 6/18. While there, DD decided to donate 12 inches of her hair to Locks of Love. I promised her that we will both work on growing out our hair together and donating it next year. One more softball game this week, and then playoffs next week.
DS is done baseball-his team went from 2nd to last to first place this year, made it to the championship gaem and unfortunately lost, but it was a good effort by all the kids. Much respect to the team that won, they were in last place last season.
Hubby had a good time fishing and brought home brookies-fish fry tonight!
I've linked my Flower Meadow Scarf as a Ravelry .pdf download to make it easier for people to find. Just look for Terrapin Creations. It's also for sale at Etsy under the same name.
I've finished the Blueberry Shawl to be donated to the Girl's Talk program at DD's school, will post pics as soon as it stops raining and I can get a good shot.

Nancy's Scarf

Nancy's Scarf Done, originally uploaded by EeyoreknitsinME.

I made this as a thank you to the middle boy's 5th grade teacher. She has done a lot for him, and has gone through a lot personally this year, losing her husband to cancer around Thanksgiving. I really think that good teachers are hard to come by, and she has been one of the best. This was done in Nobo Josephine, on size 11's, and is based on the Yo! Drop it scarf from Stitch & Bitch Nation. In other news, the DH has gone fishing up north (Allagash way) and promises to bring home trout. He promises this each time he goes fishing, so far no trout =). This is his Father's Day getaway with a bunch of friends. Too bad it's not a vacation for me, the DD is still in softball, and the DS has a championship little league game tomorrow. I never imagined I would be a soccer mom...

Men's hunting socks

Ok, so living in Maine, I have a lot of hunters/fishermen in my family. And those who do so, also have friends that do. Hunting camp, fishing camp, etc. I came up with these socks for them, and offer it to you to make for the men in your life. The picture is sized for a size 13 shoe. No, he isn't a Yeti, but pretty close to it. You may gift these socks to the people in your life, but may not sell them unless you get written permission from me. Enjoy! (sorry for the bad pic; this was before I got my new camera!)

Man's Hunting Sock

Materials: 2 skeins Christopher Sheep Farm 2 ply Sport Weight (350 yds. each skein) One skein may be enough depending on what size you need to make.

Set of 5 size 3 DPN (or set of 4, or circs, whichever you prefer)

Stitch markers

Gauge: 28 sts=4". Row gauge is not important.

Abbreviations:

k=knit

p=purl

pm=place marker

pwise=purlwise

sl=slip

ssk=slip, slip knit

p2tog=purl 2 together

N(#)=needle number

C/O 72 sts. Distribute evenly over 4 needles; join being careful not to twist. PM for beginning of the round Work K1, P2, *K2, P2*. Repeat between * around to last st, K1. Repeat this row until sock is 7", or desired length. K1 round even.

Heel is worked over 36 sts; instep is not worked.

Row 1 (rs): Sl 1 pwise w/yarn in back, k1. Repeat across.

Row 2 (ws): Sl 1 pwise w/yarn in front, p across.

Repeat rows 1 & 2 13 times (or until heel measures approx. 3.2"), end ws row.

Turn the heel:

Row 1 (rs): Sl 1 pwise w/yarn in back, k 22, ssk, k1. Turn.

Row 2(ws): Sl 1 pwise w/yarn in front, p 11, p2tog, p1. Turn.

Row 3(rs): Sl 1 pwise w/yarn in back, k 12, ssk, k1. Turn.

Repeat rows 2 & 3, increasing the number of stitches worked by one on each side until there are 24 stitches left on the needle.

Round 1: N1-K 12 stitches, pm for new beginning of the round, k 12, p/u 16 sts along side of heel flap for gussett. N 2 & 3-k across instep sts. N4- p/u 16 along next edge, k 12. (You should now be at the beg. row marker with 92 sts. on your needles.) Work 1 round even.

Decrease Gussett:

Round 1: N1-k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. N2&3-k across. N4-k1, ssk, k to end.

Round 2: K around.

Repeat rounds 1 & 2 until you have 72 sts. Continue to work even on 72 sts. until you are 2 1/2 " from desired lenght.

Toe:

Round 1: N1-k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. N2-k1, ssk, k to end. N3-k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. N4-k1, ssk, k to end.

Round 2: K

Repeat until you have 36 sts total, and then work round 1 only until you have 20 sts. Cut yarn long enough to graft toe closed, weave in ends, and work 2nd sock the same as the first.

Starry Night

Here's a quick shawl that was really fun to make. It used a little over one skein of Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome in Silver Streak. The pattern is Gail on Ravelry.

Here's a close up:

On the rock out back:

Birthday goodies!

Birthday goodies!, originally uploaded by EeyoreknitsinME.

I love swaps on Ravelry!! I'm a part of the Gemini knitters, and received this great package from bdegar! She sent me sock yarn that probably will become something in Cookie A's new book (either Kai-Mei or Vilai), roving, wool wash, buttons, and a great bag that is already in use. I love the handmade card as well. I know I wasn't supposed to open it until my birthday, but since I'm a Gemmi, I can blame it on my evil twin.

Flower Meadow Scarf pattern finished and for sale

flower meadow, originally uploaded by EeyoreknitsinME.

These pictures were taken by Cooper for Susan at Abstract Fiber, she has been so wonderful to work with through the design process. You can purchase the pattern here:

Supplies needed:

• 1 skein abstract fiber sock yarn
• US #5 needles
• Approx 200 E beads
• Tapestry needle

Flower Meadow Done

Here's the finished scarf for Abstract Fibers, modeled by my daughter, M.

And a close up of the bead pattern:

I also got the pedal pushers done; and have been designing a shawl for the upcoming Cherry Tree Hill design contest. I've gotten my 6 skeins of supersock at Pins & Needles-Cheri was great in helping me with the color scheme.

American Cancer Society Relay for Life

I just wanted to say that I'm proud of my DH for meeting his fundraising goal. Our family has been hit hard by cancer, with 10 members diagnoosed with different types and in different stages, and he's walking this year in the relay for life. If you are able, please visit his page here and donate. Cancer is a horrible disease, and the cure isn't much better. Even if you can't donate, please try to join a team in your area, or create something to donate to your local hospital. Thanks!

Back from Vacation

Back from vacation-sometimes it feels like you need a vacation from your vacation! I got to meet my BF's new English Mastiff, Moose. He's 5 months old and is a big sweetheart!

At least him & Bert get along. Good thing, too. Bert would be a 2 bite snack for Moose!

I got my Diamonds & Pearls socks done on Monday while watching the Boston Bruins beat up on the Montreal Canadiens. Man, do I love hockey! These were made from Tofutsies, and the pattern is Diamonds & Pearls by Deby Lake.

I also picked up Cookie A's new book, Sock Innovation. This is a must have for sock knitters!
In order to unwind yesterday after the rainy drive home, I cast on the Calorimetry, and finished it 6 hours later. This was done in Plymouth Boku on size 5's.

Next post, the blocked Flower Meadow Scarf!

Bert!!

I just had to share this:

Flower Meadow Scarf

Edited because I'm an idiot and accidentally removed the pics from my Flickr page. Duh!



The colorway is Glen Jackson Bridge.

Abstract Fiber Design

I received a package from Susan at Abstract Fiber on Saturday; it is a lovely supersock that I will be designing a scarf from. Just by touching, this is a very soft yarn and will make a great scarf.



On a different note, I've begun Deby Lake's Diamonds and Pearls as the April Sockdown Challenge for the Sock Knitters Anonymous group on Ravelry. This month's challenge is to knit an underappreciated or knee high sock. I was #6 to knit this pattern on Ravelry:

Spinning Away

For our 5th wedding anniversary last year, my DH bought me a Babe's spinning wheel. I've been knitting so much that I haven't gotten too much spinning done, but I did make this hat from start to finish last year:

The roving was give to me by a co-worker, and so I spun it and knit up this Unoriginal hat by the yarn harlot. This weekend I got the spinning bug again and got lost in my own little fiber world:

I'm going to ply these together; it will probably be a DK or worsted weight. The roving is corridale bought from The Purple Fleece in Searsport Maine. They are the folks that sold me the spinning wheel. The fam was at the Commonground Fair and I was looking at the wood Ashfords and Louets she had out. Then I noticed a box with the description of the Babe wheel on it. Since these wheels are made from PVC pipe, they weren't allowed to be on display. The fair is all about organic/natural living-coffe isn't even sold inside! The ladies from the Purple Fleece were so nice, I highly recommend seeing them if you are at the Commonground or in Searsport!
Next roving up: Cherry Tree Hill merino in blues & purples bought at Pins & Needles in Farmington Maine.

Flow Motion Done & Pedal pushers begun.

Here are my flow motion socks done; this was a fun & quick knit. I used Kollage yarns Yummy, colorway Overseas & size 5 dpns. The yarn is bamboo & wool; we'll see how it holds up.

I always have at least one pair of socks on the needles, so I began the pedal pushers by Deby Lake using Tofutsies. I love to use the Tofutsies!

Leaf & Tendril done & Flow Motion Begun

Leaf & Tendril done, originally uploaded by EeyoreknitsinME.

Leaf & Tendril socks by Cat Bordhi; knit in Kollage Lucious, colorway Asparagus, needle size 1.5. Once I figured everything out; they moved along pretty quickly. I shortened them by 1 repeat; I hate knee socks. This yarn was a pain, very splitty. Instead of keeping these, they will be gifted.

I also started another Cat Bordhi sock with another Kollage yarn-figured I give them both another shot. These are the Flow Motion socks found in either Vogue Knitting Fall 2006 or Vogue's ultimate sock book. I must say, this is a very quick knit, and I'm liking the yummy better than the lucious. My only complaint is that I found 2 knots in the first skein. Quick rant-I wish yarn companies would sell partial skeins instead of knotting a skein to make yardage/weight. Just a personal pet peeve!