Halloween Fun!

Yesterday was our annual Pumpkin Carving Party! Most everyone dresses up for the event and brings a pumpkin or two to carve. Fun was had by all!



note: sorry folks, no knitting on this day! Enjoy the pics and Happy Haunting!!

CJ's Legwarmers

While having Miss M try on the legwarmers for their photo shot I took a closer look at the insides of these little gems. So I had Miss M turn them and try them on. "Oh too cool" was what she said, and she's right they do look pretty cool on the insides as well. So they are reversible! Here's another shot of them.

Knitting, knitting, and yes folks MORE knitting

The weather here is cold, windy, and rather wet so what's a grrl to do? Knit of course! A raging case of startitis. But I have finished some things and even recently joined a Knit-a-long. The knit-a-long is for mittens. Check it out over at Sandy's Place. And she's a few very cute buttons as well. Since I love to knit mittens and hand warmers I thought it would be a fun join. Plus I've already finished one mitten!

On the kneedles now are some gifts. One is a helmet liner in hunter's orange for a favorite uncle who has a birthday coming up. This should come in handy as he'll be headed to Montana with his son and my brother for fun in the mountains on horseback (or possibly muleback.) We're also knitting these liners to send to our troops overseas. They're fast, easy, and you'll be helping our people over there. We were told at the shop that the troops were supplied with liners only they were acrylic and red (WHOA!!! wouldn't it have been easier to put a bulleye's on them?) So go to the link, knit up a couple in wool and a nice dark color like black and send them. Or you can bring them around to the shop. We have a customer who will be delivering them personally. Here's another link for the liners as well.

Another gift is the Irish Hiking Scarf. Lots of beautiful cables! I love the Hello Yarn website as well. It's well thought out and very clever! While you're there check out the yarns too. Totally yummy! The scarf is going along quickly so I may just knit up a bunch more for gifts.

Another thing on the kneedles (never to be accused of not having enough projects!!) is one of the skirts from Color by Sally Melville. As it happens I even doing it in the same color as the one in her book using Manos del Uruguay. This yarn is really wonderful to work with.

I've finished the leg warmers for my cousin, CJ. She's taking a ballet class and the class is held in a lovely old church basement. So she requested a pair of leg warmers that would come up over her knees and would be easy to care for (hey!! she's only 13 years old) so I've knit them out of Wool-Ease. So they should stand up to some abuse and still look good. I've written out the pattern so if you're interested, drop me a line and I'll send it along to you. Mind that I'm the only one who's knitted from this pattern so it's not be tested -- you'll be the tester.



This is sorta knit related but not exactly. Sunday here just happened to be a beautiful day. Which was good because it was also the date of the annual Knit Out, Crochet Too in Washington, DC. So being the fiberhound that I am I went. DH and the Wyldman came along as well not to go to the Knit Out but to go to the National Museum of the American Indian. This museum is absolutely beautiful! From the building itself to it's exhibits, everything was really well thought out and presented in a way that everyone could get something from it -- even those who just look and go. I spent some time at the Knit Out, and then ran to meet the guys at the museum. This was my second time at the museum and I still haven't seen everything. I do plan on doing some of my holiday shopping there (there are two gift shops with some totally amazing things!)
So if you're in DC, it really is a good stop to make but plan on spending a lot of time there. Here's a pic of one of our favorite items.


Doesn't everyone want a pair? These are beaded high tops. Beaded as in seed beads (#10's I believe) and the handwork is amazing. The top is a woman/girl holding an umbrella and the bottom is a man in full dress dancing.

Quick update

Just getting home from work and I'm tired and starved. But wanted to give you all a photo of the mitten completed yesterday. It's mate is underway!

So much yarn so little time

So we're now carrying Kid Seta in the Shop. OMG!! This yarn is beautiful! I honestly can't put it down. For kicks I'm starting Birch by Rowan and it's in a bright yellow color. If you're lucky I'll even post a photo for you.

On the home front, I've completed one mitten for Nathan. He informed me that it's cold up at the bus stop and he needed his hands ready for writing when he got to school. Now, how can a mom not drop everything and knit her guy a pair of mitts? I used a slip stitch broken rib sort of pattern and when both are off the needles I plan to swish them around a bit in some hot water to see if I can't felt them up a bit. I'm Dalegarn's Sisik. It's a mohair blend so felting may not happen but we won't know for sure until we try!

I wrote the pattern up and will offer it to you folks out there. However be warned that it has not been test knitted so I'll be counting on you to correct me.

For now, I leave you with Roscoe. This is were he waits for me every morning. It's a overhang from the roof over the kitchen. I walk out onto the deck every morning to stretch and drink my coffee. The nasty look on his face is from the screen door slamming as the Wyldman was hot on my heels.

Gifts!

For me even! A friend of Miss M's (we'll call him B) gifted me with 4 skeins of llama yarn from Homestead Gardens here in the Annapolis area. This is not dyed, still has a bit of guard hairs, looks just beautiful knitted up. Since the yarn was given to me I'm making me some new mittens. He also gave me a large bag of daffodils, a bag of assorted Iris bulbs, and a bag of alliums. I feel very lucky! Of course with Autumn making an appearance -- as you can see from the leaves on the dock, planting bulbs and knittin' mittens is just the right activities to be having right now!

Stop over at Miss Lola's blog! Her nephew, Kai Edward has finally made his entrance into the world. Send him a big welcome and conga ratz to Lola and Bruce the proud new Auntie and Uncle.