My first Lace Blocking...

Before blocking....










































blocking.....
















And soon to come? A pic of my lovely Mama modeling her shawl! It turned out wonderfully, you can't even see most of my mistakes! LOL

My MBoY for me!

My Magic Ball of Yarn!! It got here yesterday, right when I was in tears over a conversation with a certain person that some of you know...

This is after unwrapping THREE balls of Knitpicks Shine Worsted in Wave. . ...This is how much yumminess still awaited me. Mommyddeville really stalked me I think. I just looked at that pattern on MDC not too long ago. The bottle is of some delicious wool wash. Its quite fancy, and smells quite aquatic. I think Lindsay should carry it in her store someday.

And a needle sizer!!! I have sooo needed one of these!All of the goodness out there now... Thats 7 balls of Shine, 3 hanks of laceweight alpaca silk blend (oh it's so soft, I stayed up til 1 oclock winding one hank...) equaling 0ver 1300 yds.
The wool wash and sizer, tazo chai tea, a million tea bags, knitpicks 16 in circs in size 7 and 8, a wee sachet of some pretty buttons, a card, ribbon, and a pattern!

Lovey Lace....I am going to get a wonderful pattern for this
stuff. For ME all for ME!! Bwah ahaha.

Thanks so much Mommyddeville, you are a very very generous gifter! I love it all!

A wee giftie

I knit this for a friend. She is 10 I think, a member of our homeschooling Girl Scout Troop. Her family recently went vegan and appreciates the earth friendly, not consumerist gifts. So I made her a soap sack out of Blue Sky Alpacas organic Cotton!~

Swallowtail Shawl

Pre blocking. But it's already pretty, isn't it?

I have the pins and stuff from KP now that I am going to use for my first lace blocking experience!

Will update when complete!

June Big BoY

I have a very scary looking ball of yarn waiting to go to the Post Office....

Looks like some lucky MDC mama is going to be getting about 7 ounces of FUN FUR! Woo Hoo!

FO Sighted!

The Pack Packs are felted and ready to finish! Which scares the hell out of me, but whatever. The IBK Galenas (Blue and Multi) felts quickly but makes for a softer, thinner, more malleable fabric. Riley's PP took only one (less than, really) wash cycle to felt. Like the dragon buttons?

Want to sew on the straps and buttons for me?







Pay no attention to ... Oh never mind, my crappy picture, I mean AMAZING photography skills, have ensured that no one can see the laundry spilling forth from my couch.


It's so Tiny!










And Addie's just finished blocking. The Peregrine Merino has lots of lanolin left in it and I am guessing that why it's a bitch to felt. Took probably 5 ish cycles, I lost track after 2.

Worth it though, this yarn makes the most dense, sturdy, beutiful felt! I am definitely going to be using it again as a felting medium if I can get my hands on it through a co-op again. Might be a tad pricey to felt at full price!

And no, my pictures not fuzzy, that is a gorgeous halo this stuff developed! I keep petting it...



And yes, that IS a Ginourmous zucchini in the background. From my mama's garden. I have offered to shred it all up to freeze, but um, have failed to do so yet...

Oh, the other thing, I think I accidentally knit up the toddle sized straps on Addies. I had done the longer straps for Ry, because, well, they are 4.5 and 6. So Addie's may turn into a over the shoulder bag...

Almost FO

I am finishing up LTKs Pack Packs. Felted one, and finishing the straps on the second. Pics soon!

Knitting Meme from a fellow MDC Mama...

#1 Is it about the finished item or about the process of knitting? Some of both? Has your focus changed one direction or the other over time? Hmm. Some of both, I believe. I do really enjoy the finished product, and have worked feverishly on a project to get there. But the rhythm and meditation of the process gets me as well. I guess the type of project dictates whether it's about the process or the finish line.

#2 How do you view mistakes? Do you think they give your project character? Is it important to have one, as my Aunt says, because only God is perfect? Or would you rip all the way back to row 5 of your husband's finished sweater knit on size 3 needles to eradicate a mistake no one else would notice? A small one I can ignore, especially if it is something for me, or something like a dishcloth or such. But I have been know to frog large sections for a mistake only I will see. The biggest problem with that is that I lose my groove. It's hard to get motivated to continue after ripping out stitches... Like the completely abandoned Quinn bag that a toddler pulled the needles out of recently. I just CANNOT make myself attempt to pick up stitches in a cable pattern.

#3 Would you rather knit a project that is comfortable for your skill level, or do you prefer a challenge that requires you to figure out new things? Depends on my mood. Usually I like a challenge that will completely encompass me, but with a new babe it's nice to pick up some mindless knitting once and again.

#4 What is something you really want to make but haven't yet? What holds you back? Is it money, skill level, time, fear of the unknown or something else? Large projects like sweaters, just because of money mostly. But I plan on getting some knitpicks at a steal and make myself a cardy for the fall. I WILL!

Are you noticing a theme of unfinished business around here? The lovely Pink Pack is made of Irish Baby Knits in the Rory colorway, on peregrine merino. The peregrine has loads of lanolin left in the fiber so I have used it alot for longies, shorties, soakers etc....





Next is the Pack Pack again in IBK's Quinn which is a dream to work with . This one was on Galenas, a buttery one ply. YUM The Pack Pack is knit double stranded on 10.5's and there is no seaming. My kind of pattern.
















I learned the Magic Loop! I am not finished with my first project, but hey. I had a baby. Give me some slack. Two Socks on one Circular. True Love.
These little babies are for Riley. If, that is, I finish them before his feet are too big. In which case they will be Bodhi's. ;-)

Hey look! Shelley is Alive!

And She Has Pictures!!!

Kitchen Cottons, Mercerized Cotton,
Elizabeth Lavolds Hempathy
And some commando lace scrap in grey

(L-R)
IBK Peregrine Merino in two colorways, In Quinn for Rileys Pack Pack and some cotton
IBK's undyed assortment and um, more cotton.

Blue Sky Alpacas Org Cotton, Some handspun from a swap, Organic Cotton/Milk fiber blend
Peace Fleece in oh so lovely colors

My dear, lovely Mama is waiting for this, but she said it could wait until TX heat cools down some, so it has been on the back burner. The stitch pattern is from Knitty's Monkey

and the yarn is Elisabeth Lavold's Hempathy. I bought this at the New Years and have just been savoring it. It's cool to the touch and just lovely.