It's not fiber......

Since none of you have posted in a while, I feel honor-bound to write something. I got myself into a new hobby. I didn't mean to and I didn't really want to but there it is.
It started like this: baby pictures and the need to put them into somethning I could carry around and force people to look at. I'm a Granny, it's my job. So I got myself a book (archival quality) and some glue and some cutesy baby stickers and voila! I now scrapbook. (digging toe into sand, head hanging down) See, my problem is that when I start something new ( and most all of you saw me start to spin) I go hog-wild and pig-crazy. How'd ya llike that Tennessee talk? So. I now feel obligated to buy everything I will need to be a successful scrapbooker. Even if I don't know what it is I need. I am such a sad case. Or, my bad, whichever fits. I could be spending my money (such as it is) on fiber goodies, but they are my Quad Squad and I love to look at their pics. I'm a Granny, it's my job. And speaking of the Squad, they are doing great. Reagan has slept all night 3 times. They are all growing and now they are 3 months old. Zachary and Reagan still cry a lot and no one seems to know why. Maybe when they are a month older and start to get a little solid foood it will help . So now that I have told y'all what I have been doing, it's time for someone else to do so.
Is anyone going to SAFF along with Caroline and Bill and Paul and I? Lets do it!

I'm Back!!!

Hi everyone! I am back from a most perfect trip. In fact, so perfect, Pam wants me to pass along my itinerary. I have never hit so many yarn and fiber places in one trip as I did on this trip. I am journalling my adventures on my regular blog, if you care to see. (There is also a link to a picture of one of our own group having a good time at another retreat - not me, by the way).

Twisted Friends

Vacations always count. I love the quilt. I also love the typo. It fits really well in my world. Still slogging through the shawl. I will "git 'er dun"! Send me your blog addy again. Since I lost my addy book on AOL (ya gotta love them) I don't have a single addy left that I can find. Well, duh, I guess you would like to know it's Kandy I am talking to about the blog(blob)addy.

Angi, puppies are just MEANT to ruin whatever is near and dear to your heart. They are precious, but oh the aggravation. You do beautiful work and whoever gets it will surely love it no matter what it is or when you started it. How do you get into these exchanges anyhow?

Hey Pam......

I was on vacation too, does that count? I've been neglecting this and my other blob (haha- decided not to fix the typo, 'cause it fits!) lately. Heck, I haven't even been readin' blogs (i MUST be sick/have fever). Spent last week with my Mom, and made a quilt! See:

Have been spinn'n, weav'n and doin some knitt'n, but have no photos yet. Sorry dudes.... hehehe

My Dog Ate My Homework

I don't care how many times I set out to be early with something, I always end up late.

I was knitting a pillow for the One Skein Exchange final gift. It wasn't going to get to my exchange partner early. But with Priority Mail it would have gotten there today or tomorrow.

I found it upstairs. It had been turned into Designer Puppy Lace. She even chewed my bamboo needles.

I started a this scarf for her last night. I'll have it finished quickly. The yarn is an amazing cabled blend of angora, merino, and polimide, left from a cardigan I knit a few years ago. I hope she likes it.

OK y'all

I have been waiting and watching for someone-anyone- to put a new post on TF. what's up? I don't really have any new fiber news except that @#^%&*!! shawl which is still kinda eatin' my lunch for me. I have about a fourth of it done now. You know, knit 10 rows, frog 3 or 4, knit some more etc. The only failure is giving up and I AIN'T SKEERT!! Just dogged determination keeps me working on it. Babies are all home and doing what babies are supposed to do. I haven't seen them in three weeks or so. That has to change. I have been spinning up some fiber I got from Lynne at Red Rooster. Nothing really in mind for it, just wanted to spin. Hey Elayne, Kandy, Blaine, Jerry, Lynne, Sandy Caroline(who is on vacation right now, lulcky thing) Rosemary, Jennifer, Angi, what's up? Write darn it! I know you are all doing way more exciting things than I am at present.

Fiber frustration and the reason why

I am so sorry that I haven't posted lately. Most of you know that I have recently become the grandmother of quadruplets. These precious babies have taken up most of my summer. Thankfully I was able to attend the Red Rooster Retreat and absolutely wallowed in fiber and friendship. Loving every minute of it of course. This is just a prelude for our new fiber friends that may be joining us soon. Of course we welcome all new fiber friends. I have not been able to finish one single knitting project this summer. I HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN ABLE TO SPIN!!!!!! I am Jonesing of course. But I have the only excuse I can give. I have been trying to help my son and daughter-in-law take care of the "QUAD SQUAD". I am sending a pic of the only things I have even tried. I would love to do the shawl that Jerry sent me the inst. for. I don't have enough brain power left to follow the inst. The Diamond Pattern shawl that the pics show don't even come close to showing the 8 or 10 times I have frogged back to the beginning and started all over again. My OCD and good sense are fighting. And I am glad to tell you that I am still alive to tell you that there is NO exhaustion like trying to feed, change, burp, rock, etc. ad infinituum three babies at once. Thomas was not home yet and three were more than enough for me. I am working on my third day of 11 in a row at work just coming off of a three day weekend of staying up from 8 in the morning until 4:30 in the morning. If I sound less than intelligent that is why. I am sorry that this is not all about fiber but I am too tired to post on spinnin skinny. I love y'all please forgive me.

We Need a Gallery!

I have been corresponding with Lynne, who has just finished another dyeing/spinning/knitting intensive in New Hampshire. Apparently, they are as enthusiastic as all of us are about fiber arts. So, we are planning to invite our newly adopted Twisted Friends to join in on the fun. But, ladies!! We need some of you to post some pictures of your work so our new friends can see what we have come up with. It doesn't have to be something you completed recently - anything you have done since our first workshop would be great. Lynne and I were discussing my scarf, so I will go first. Please follow suit and jump on in! Or, if you want to email me a picture, I will post it for you.

Haven't the Foggiest Idea

Well, I used the picot cast on for the ribbing of this sock. Umm, I think I did anyway. The jury is still out on this one and my thinking is about as blurry as the picture. I had fun, though.
Also, here is some random spinning for a colorwork project (yet to be determined) and a scarf I wove from the yarn Sandy dyed.

I received these beautiful skeins of Rowan Cashsoft as a gift from my One Skein Secret Pal. They are DK weight 142yds each. I want to knit something beautiful with them for my 4 month old Granddaughter. I was thinking of a little shawl/blanket. Do any of you talented ladies know of a pattern that 710 yards would be enough for? Or perhaps a pattern where I could use this yarn for a center, and buy something complimentary for a border? I usually have to spin when I want luxury fibers, so knitting this will be such a treat!

Changed my Personal Blog Address

Here's a link to the new, improved Yarn's the Word.

Sorry to bounce around like this, but the old host was making me sick with all the pop under ads.

Look What We Finally Got

(Sorry, it doesn't involve fiber.)

Twisted Friends

Hi everyone. Where did you all go? No new postings lately. I am posting an update on my spinnin skinny blog. I am too tired to do it twice so please visit snugsblog.blogspot.com.

I am trying to show y'all what I have ben doing lately. None of you can top this I'll bet!
Jonathan is the one with his eyes open. Reagan is in the middle, and Zachary is asleep on the other side. Too bad he doesn't sleep at nap time or night.

Okay, So Tell Us What YOU Are Up To

I have had a full plate fiberwise lately: Spinning the lovely Merino/Tencel blend that Lynne dyed, learning how to weave (?!), dyeing yarn and teaching a lovely little (fast study) 10 year old girl how to knit socks. She is a delight to be around - she is very patient and attentive to her work. Today, she learned to do the long tail cast on, purl (all she knew was how to do a knitted cast on and a knit stitch prior to today), to do 1x1 ribbing and to work with Double Pointed Needles. The girl is a knitting prodigy! I also have a full plate of knitting classes coming up to teach at my LYS.

So, but what I really want to know is, what are the rest of you up to? It seems like Kandy and I have taken over. We really would like to see some of your beautiful things.

Weaving

Too. Much. Fun.1st project

Started Thursday night late - finished Friday afternoon (worked on during conference call).
Needs finishing, fulling and blocking.

# 2 - Plaid
Using the yarn made with the roving of Sandy's I split up and carded,
plus two skeins from my stash.

I might have ordered the three other reeds, a book, some shuttles and the tote bag.
Just saying.

Pictures

Elayne managed to turn our the end of our group picture into a night time scene. She should be in the special effects business! And playing the part, I look like a deer caught in the headlights.


Here we are doing a recap of what we have learned so far.



Rosemary shows off her awesome intarsia. And, a closer view of her gorgeous stuff:

A Couple of Projects

This is the lace scarf I am knitting from the Shetland/silk combo. I did not dye this yarn, but spun it. It is the finest laceweight I have done to date. You just have to love Shetland! I forgot to add in a coin or something for perspective, but those are size 2 needles the work is sitting on.




Here is the picture of the BFL/Alpaca I dyed, spun and plied. Can't wait until I produce enough of it to actually knit with!

The Loom, The Loom

Knitter's Loom - No photos, haven't warped it yet, but it did arrive this afternoon and I skimmed through the instruction booklet.

Just finished plying another 4 oz. of fingering weight (this skein has taken me about a month to spin).

I've uploaded photos to my computer - so here is what I worked on last week

This is Sandy's roving I purchased at Red Rooster. I used the picot cast on for the sock, though I'm not sure I ended up with the right side facing out. I'm knitting this on a size l needle - yippee!

This is 4 oz. from my stash that I spun and plyed last week at Mom's. I'm finally happy with the end result of my spinning, and I have to thank our time together at the retreat with getting me there.

Gotta li'l problem

I tried all day long yesterday to start a shawl with the silk y'all saw at the retreat. I want a soft, drapey, flowy kinda shawl. Well....single silk didn't work. It was like knitting cobwebs or cotton candy, and I put a lot of twist in it. I tried plying it with sewing thread. Didn't like the results. I plied it back on itself and it knitted up really well, but wasn't very soft and flowy. I am now trying to put my hair back on my head after pulling it all out. Apparently I need some help. Y'all got any suggestions?