Day 12

and I've dropped the batton, tripped over a hurdle, did not knit for 4 days. Not a stitch.


However, squash blossoms sauteed in butter with fresh oregano taste even better than I could imagine. and I watched a world record get set.

So they were 4 days of fun. Now back to the knitting.

Day 5

The Olympic baby sweaters are coming along



It turns out I am in love with CotLin by knit picks. I find the quality of their yarn to be hit or miss. This one was hit right out of the ball park. So silky, so machine washable, so light, I'll be making more baby sweaters out of it.



I am very pleased with this sweater vest too. It only takes 2 balls of Mission Falls cotton, my very favorite cotton yarn, and a touch of a third color. The pattern said I would need 2 balls of each color so I picked 2 colors I had several balls of. It turns out the other 2 balls are for the matching hat. I missed my chance to use up some of my single balls. However, I like it so much I will knit it again.


Lookie at that, a female squash blossom. My first squash.

Funnel Cakes

It's time for the county fair.

My favorite is the rabbits....

...the chickens...

... and the horses.

As a child I was active in 4H and I spent the whole week running from event to event. There would barely be time to change my cloths from washing my calf in time to show my dog. Then hand off the dog to Dad and rush to the cookie judging. After cookies I would rush my horse into the ring. It was hectic, it was wonderful, it was too much, but I wouldn't trade that time for anything or enter fewer events either.

Since then going to the fair has been more sedate. It a day to pet rabbits and to look at the things the children are doing now, nothing more. However, this year I had pressure from all sides to enter my work in the open class. So I did.

Yarn spun from the wool of a shetland fleece grown by a local farmer.

Mittens knitted from my multicolored multifiber handspun yarn. The easiest thing I made. Even if I did dye the fiber and spin the yarn myself. But easy doesn't mean bad. They are like 2 little watercolor painting. Crop top sweater of my own design knitted from my handspun wool/silk yarn and trimmed with a understated crochet edging of silk. It not only won blue but some rosewood needles too. Yummy rosewood needles just right for lace. I'll post a better photo of the sweater when I have one.
My only disappointment. This sweater knitted from a wool/hemp hand dyed yarn that I bought directly from the dyer is an original design that fits me to a T because it had front and back darts. Darts are hard. Mine are stunning. Of everything I entered this is the only one I am proud of. I worked very hard on it. It is perfection. However this sweater was beat out by a lace christening gown and a knitted suit so it didn't do too bad.
A baby hat with attached scarf. More photos here. Not everything of mine received a ribbon. Ironically they photographed the best.

A lace scarf. I messed up 3 times knitting it and that really shows in lace. I knew it going in but thought there wouldn't be stiff competition at the fair. There was. I'm glad it didn't win. I'm glad there was better lace there.

And this scarf also didn't receive a ribbon. My blocking was shoddy and the edges rolled under. I thought long and hard about steaming it. I have a steamer for just that. It is very easy to use. I thought and thought about pulling it out and steaming it. It only takes 3 minuets. I did not. Maybe it still wouldn't have gotten a ribbon if it had been steamed but it would have helped.



Finally, in my bag at pick up bag clear down at the bottom I found these...

size 17 ebony needles. I have always wanted ebony needles. I think they were placed in the bag because I volunteered for a shift at the fair. I spent saturday in the fiber arts building spinning. It was supposed to be a 4 hours shift but so many people were stopping to talk and ask questions I was there for over 7 hours. I think that's why the needles are there. Or it goes with one of the blue ribbons. Either way I have always wanted ebony needles.

Day 3

I cast on 4 of the 5 sweaters and have been working on each in shifts. The only reason I don't have all 5 on the needles is I don't own enough size 3 needles. I'm really regretting not signing up for 10.

Summer Olympics

July I spent knitting baby hats for Hats For Alex. They are draped over my herb garden planted the same day I cast on the first hat. Both crops are doing well. The Watch Cap in back is nestled in thyme. The two hats in the middle are supported by catnip and sage growing in the same pot. The large hat is smothering the Marjoram. My favorite hat with the ribbing and rolled brim is on the Greek Oregano, the empty spot left by the Golden Oregano clearly shows. It drowned in all the rain we had this summer. Finally the hat in the right corner is supported by rosemary. I could send them in now but I hope to knit a few pink hats. They would look nice with the basil plants.

My first tomato of the summer. I hope it ripens before first frost.


My summer and winter squash are growing fast. Three weeks ago they were mostly dead plants being sold a quarter a six pack. Or I should say a quarter a two pack. That mostly dead thing.

I have been gathering yarn for the Summer Olympics on Ravelry. I'm using stash yarn with the goal of knitting 5 baby sweaters. At first 5 seemed like a hard but completely doable amount. 17 days, 5 sweaters, if I knit a sweater every 3 days then i could take 2 day off. Easy Peasy.

In fact maybe too easy. Maybe I would have all five finished by Monday. What then? So I pulled out all of my stash yarn odds and ends. In that box there is enough to knit at least 10 baby sweaters.
However, on Ravlery all entries have to be filled out in advance. I stuck with five. A sweater every three days with two days off. It better to have a realistic plan. Even if it's large enough to make everyone I've told gasp. It is the Olympics.