Purple Water

Friday was the start of the conference and I had a day long class on plaiting with the goal of plaiting a hat.

Before lunch we covered the techniques by weaving a square, a basket, and a sphere out all of newspaper. My sphere is decidedly pill shaped since I wasn't willing to stop. After lunch we moved onto a hat.

There's my hat!
A better photo. I am set for the apocalypse and can weave everyone I know a sun hat, as long as our supply of wallpaper lasts.

At least my wall paper has a bamboo and reed design on it.


The conference comes with 3 sessions in the package. The day before was a two session class. That means on Saturday I had a half day class. Usually, I buy the 4th session but this time I didn't. Instead I took a drive along Lake Superior.


I stopped at coves and in tiny towns. I walked on sand beaches and on red rock beaches. I hiked up a stream and I froze. It was so very cold. 50F and the water even colder. Hard to believe it was just days away from July.

That reminds me. It stayed light for so long into the night. A full 45 min longer than back home. The sun came up earlier too. So exotic.

I love how that the water is purple. I need yarn that looks like that.

I'm bring up the conference now, so many months after I went, because I'm on the planning committee for the next one. Midwest Weaving Conference 2013 is in Emporia, KS.

We are in full swing and it seems that all I think about anymore. Right now I'm in the process of writing the contracts for the instructors.

Rest and Relaxation

After the 3 day pre-conference workshop there is a day of rest and relaxation before the conference starts. And when I say rest and relaxation I mean 14 hour of running around on bus tours, gallery walks, artist talks, shopping, exhibit openings, and more shopping.

I spent the day going to 3 conference board meeting, hitting the vendors twice, two galleries and three artist talks. I was gray with exhaustion when I made it back to my room. But what a day!

For all the shopping I did I didn't buy much. I had a strict budget too keep. However, that means it took longer to decide.

I bought hand dyed spinning fiber in an exotic combination of wool and banana fiber and matching silk hankies.

I love buttons. What was even better there was a box of random buttons all mixed together and at a discount. So there was the thrill of the search and on sale and handmade! Perfect.

I also picked up a knitting spool to knit wire. I've been churning out jewelery ever since.

Good times

The next morning classes start and I'm in a 3 day workshop on spinning yarn. I know pretty much everyone there and when I walk into the room I'm asked- "Um, why are you taking this class don't you know more than the teachers?" seriously, I was asked that. And it's true. And it's not. I always learn something new that is worth the cost of admissions.

This class was on spinning the yarn we want with the emphasis on specialty and art yarns.

My bulky singles yarn.

Close up of the snarl yarn.

Some point on day two as we are washing the swatches to set the twist someone asked what we could do with this yarn and the instructor said there was enough to knit a hat and she would love to see one made some day. Many people disagreed. Others scoffed. The gauntlet was thrown.
That night I knit a hat. I knit a hat after a day of spinning and an evening of doing my homework for class the next day, and I was knitting it out of still wet yarn. Yes, I'm a bit intense like that. But I was mocking myself just as much as my dorm mates were mocking me as we hung out in the lobby that night.

It was worth it. I played it cool, not wanting to look like a nut who knit a hat in one night out of still wet yarn. But it didn't take long for someone to bring up the idea of a sample hat again.

That was my cue! I whipped it out, called my instructors name, and threw it to her. She squeeeeed. The class broke down in tears they were laughing so hard. Photos were taken. I was mocked for knitting with wet yarn. It was perfect. Better than I had hopped. Better than I could have dreamed. Good times.

Staying Forever

I've been dragging my feet about finishing the posts of my summer vacation. I've finally pinned it down. Since I traveled alone this wonder full week is all mine. Posting it makes it public.

However, I use my blog as a way of neatly documenting photos so I'm compromising and putting up photos and maybe captions and I will see where it goes from there.


My dorm room. That is a floor to ceiling window. A wall of glass.

The view from that wall of glass.

The view looking down. That's a walking trail from the dorm.

Turn around and there is the kitchen.
My bedroom.

The suit was about 800 maybe 900 sq ft. 4 bedroom and 2 baths and it was all mine. It was also beautifully done in tile and granite, glass and stainless steel. I loved it. I wanted to stay forever. It's much nicer than anyplace I've ever lived. One room could be for the bed, one for the computer, one for yarn and I would still have one left for guest. The guest bathroom could also be a dyeing studio. The only downside was no bathtub in the bathroom and no dishwasher in the kitchen. However, the gym in the lobby was a wonderful touch. So was the TV-show-ready kitchen and bar next to the gym, if the kitchenette in the suit wasn't enough.

The first night is always a bit of a letdown. Worn out from the long drive and before I've had a chance to meet anyone. Sort of lonely. This time more so since I was in the overflow dorm and didn't find any parties in the halls.


I made a run to the grocery store to stock the kitchen and a stop at Walmart to buy a CD player. I cooked dinner and finished another book on tape while spinning the buffalo fiber I won as a door prize at the 2009 convention. A nice circular touch.

Fan Girl February and What I Did on my Summer Vacation.

Groundhog Day

Sumi-e saw his shadow as the sun woke us up this morning. 6 more weeks of winter. I actually hope that we get 6 weeks of winter. 6 days even. I want to play in the snow. It's snowed once and it was heavy and wet not good for playing and all melted by noon.

Fan Girl February!

Of the knitting almanac of last year this month is too good to miss. I've started it off by joining a Shakespeare swap. Shakespeare and a secret pal package. Two of my favorite things.

Another of my favorite things is the Midwest Weaving Convention. I went last year (I never miss it) and only now am I sorting the photos. 2011 was 10 days of yarny goodness in Michigan's upper peninsula.

It all started with finding a kennel for Joey. I don't travel much and Joey is great at coming along for the ride. But no dogs allowed in the convention dorms so Joey couldn't come.

He had a nice doggie spa to go to back in Illinois but the few places I'd tried since moving back had been horrible experiences. But with this trip I found the great place we use now.

How I found them is not important (recommended by my vet). The important part is how very many places I called before I found a place with room. Father's Day weekend and the doggie inns were full.

I start my drive Saturday afternoon with a car full of spinning supplies and 46 hours of books on tape from the library. I made it through my first two books. A really bad Doctor Who, although it was read by David Tenant, and the really great Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander. That's right, 6 hours before my first stop. Traveling alone is the best.

I'm on my 3rd book, The Sword in the Stone, when I decide it's time to find a room. It's almost 10:30pm. I pull off at the next exit and everyone if full. I pull off at the next exit and everyone if full. I pull off at the next exit and everyone if full. I pull off at the next exit and everyone if full. This is a long and reoccurring theme.

I've never had a problem finding a place to sleep before. It's after the 4th town that I realize the correlation of the doggie inns being full and the lack of people inns too. Lesson learned.

A little after midnight I've decided that I'm just going to have to sleep in the car in a rest stop but I'll keep on trying until I find a non scary one. Thankfully, two towns later I see a vacancy sign. It turns out that a person that had booked a 2 night stay didn't want to run his marathon in the rain or wanted to go home after running his marathon in the rain. Anyway, he had canceled his second night at the last minute leaving a room for me.

Oh, right, it was raining. It rained every day of this trip. And it was cold. Colder than it is today. The coldest last week of June I've ever experienced.

Worn and Comfortable

My hot water bottle is about the same size and weight as Joey.

When we are sleeping together at night I can't tell them apart. That was the point of my getting a hot water bottle. Joey is crazy old and won't be sleeping with me forever and I can't sleep alone.

In the meantime Joey also likes the hot water bottle. He LOVES the heated corn bag, but the hot water bottle is washable and the corn bag is not.

So when he stays at the kennel the hot water bottle goes with him because they wash everything. He comes home with washed sweaters, washed bedding, washed blanket, even he is squeaky clean and washed. I also had them trim his nails. He is so sleek and pink right now. Nothing like the before photo above.

They just gush about the hot water bottle and how well it works. They also try to send me home in a towel to wrap it in, and new bedding, and a new pillow. They are super nice but do imply that I don't get him nice things. I try telling them that I leave his nice things at home so they aren't washed or peed on. I'm guessing that's why they need washing but they just might like washing things since they said he did great.

But even his nicer things at home are old and well used and I wonder about replacing them at this point. At this point I don't even buy the big bags of kibble. But while they are old they are still serviceable and comfortable even if they are worn and pilly, just like Joey.

There is a brighter side of him getting old. Now that he is blind and deaf he is an easy boarder. No more separation issues. No more hunger strikes. He's happy to see me when I show up but confused when I get him back home. His whole body says "This place? I thought we lived at the kennel now. Why are we here again?" It takes him a few days to get back into the groove of things. After all, at the kennel he stays in the office with the people, plays with other office dogs, gets dried liver sprinkles on his food along with being spoon fed pumpkin, and all the natural chicken apple cookies he can eat. Who wouldn't want to live at the kennel? I'm just glad that he wants me to live at the kennel too.

Heated Love

I really love the Stash and Burn pod cast. Knitting, food, TV, Star Wars and most important our relationship with yarn. It's perfect. Nicole might be the power behind the episodes but Jenny and I are the same person.

Jenny loves her hot water bottle.

She loved it last year, she still loves it this year. She, like me, has a sleeping sweater and hat. She even has sleeping mittens. Or maybe that's Nicole but their places are cold enough that sleeping mittens are a good idea. So is my place.

I searched for a hot water bottle of my own but all the ones I find at the drug stores and Walmart are stinky red rubber enema bags. Um, No.

Amazon reviews say I need a Fashy brand water bottle.

I email Jenny (yes, I'm creepy like that) and ask her what she has. She is nice enough to reply that she has a Fashy.

Fashy are made in Germany and run about $20 plus shipping on Amazon.

I mull this over for a while and then I email a Doctor Who swapping knitter in Germany. She is sad that our favorite $4 China Glaze nail polish is €8 over there. Does she want to trade nail polish for hot water bottle? Sure! Fashy hot water bottles are only € 5.50.

Whatever € 5.50 is, but I do know it's less than a bottle of nail polish.

She can't wrap her mind around how I don't already own a hot water bottle and why a Fashy since they are on every grocery store, convenience store, and drug store shelf. I tell her Americana's aren't cool like that and does she want our nail polish or not?

3 bottles of polish later I get this in the mail.
I love it so much. It's a million times better than I expected. I fill it with hot tap water at night and it's still hot in the morning. It heats the whole bed and is warm and heavy and squishy and wonderful.
I love it so much I'm even knitting it a sweater.

Small Things

Another highlight of 2011 has been nail polish. It all started with the Doctor Who swap and finding the right TARDIS blue nail polish color*. And then there was Amy and the search for all the colors she wears. But it's much more than that. It's a chance to spend small amounts on colorful things in small packages. A pick-me-up that doesn't strain the budget or overfill my apartment. It also satisfies my craving for picking out and playing with colors.

The polish that Kiddo gifted me for Christmas.

I love it and I'm wearing it now.


*China Glaze First Mate is my favorite David Tenant TARDIS blue. China Glaze Bermuda Breakaway is even closer but it's a streaky mess.

For a Matt Smith TARDIS blue I recommended China Glaze Calypso Blue or Barielle Berry Blue.

Winter Madness

2011 has been a good year and one of the highlight of the year has been secret pal swapping.

The most recent swap was Winter Madness. In the madness of the holidays we didn't have to make the gifts along a theme. Who has the time with Christmas knitting? Instead we all sent a care package with everything needed for our secret pal to make something.

Confusing, right? However knitters understand that the best part is the making it our self so to receive a package of knitting bag, yarn, pattern, and needles is wonderful.

Mmmmmm tissue paper goodness.

Joey and I tear into tissue paper like children at Christmas.

The group shot is wonderful but it all ways looks so small and doesn't do it justice. There is much awesomeness packed into these small packages.


Cheery winter mitten pattern on project tote bag.
Yummy yummy yarn in my favorite shades of blue.

About this point I realize the theme might be mittens. Mitten stitch markers, mitten covered tape measure, mitten project bag, double pointed needles..... could my pattern be for MITTENS? It is! IT IS! Plum Blossom Mittens

I've already knit and blogged the mittens. Photoshop was holding these photos hostage. I'm thankful I have a computer and that I can access them again but not so thankful I'm stopped wishing for a new computer.

Knowing that tradition is important and that branching out is not done at the holidays my spoiler gave me exactly what I listed as my favorites-

Dark chocolate covered caramels, chai tea, and cocoa


And she still made something for me too, mitten magnets. Amazing.

For the hands in the mittens, nail polish and lotion.

Such a pretty color. My camera didn't capture it at all. It's the aqua of a 1957 Chevy. One with fins. A Bell Air Coupe. I didn't ask for polish or mention looking for aqua in Winter Madness. I did mention back in May that I really really really wanted this shade of color. So either she has a memory like a steel trap, dug through lots of posts, or has the ability to read minds. However it was done, it was a very thorough bit of spoiling.

Thank you, sprucegoose87, everything is perfect. but I bet you already know that.

Secret Something

Last night I finished all the knitting for today and tomorrow and I was even in bed by midnight.

That leaves me free to knit whatever I want today. I think I'll cast on a secret something* for my dad. Knitting for family today makes me feel closer to them. I want them to have the love in physical form and to make him something special. Never mind that his Christmas gift was knit and finished last January so I knit him something else in July and that is finished too. Something special and new.



December hasn't been all deadline knitting. I've done some decedent knitting for me too. Plum Blossom Mittens in Valley Yarns Berkshire Bulky a wool/alpaca blend. They are wonderfully toasty warm. Colors Light Blue and Navy and I love the way they look with my new coat.


*oops almost said what I would be casting on- waves at family

Christmas Eve

Christmas eve, the culminating of a year worth of gift knitting. I'm down to the crunch but I'm telling myself I have plenty of time as I lay out my unfinished projects in the order I will be gifting them.

I've spent the day knitting on a project that needs to be done for the 26th. Now it's time to set it aside and pick up the one that will be opened tomorrow. Then tomorrow finish the one for the 26th. 26 through the end of the week work on the ones that will be opened on the 29th. Then 29th and 30 is for finishing the ones that will be opened on the 1st. The 1st I can start on the presents for the 12th.

I have a plan and faith that I can pull it off. However, next year I'm shopping the mall like a normal person.

Trouble

I've picked my next project, a toddler sweater our of Mission Falls 1820 cotton. Cotton isn't really a decadent fiber but with the cost you would think this yarn is made out of pure gold.

This sweater just does not want to be knit. I've cast on seven time and ripped out inches of knitting more than once. I stayed up late trying to get the kinks out and as I was setting it down I realized that half of the sweater had two more rows than the rest.

How is that even possible while knitting in the round? That is a rhetorical questing. I know how that happens but it's such a noob mistake it's hard to believe I made it. I've never had a 100 stitches in K2P2 ribbing give me so much trouble. I've ripped it all out again and giving it a new go this morning.

Some knits are just trouble but I think this is a sure sign that I need more sleep. I also need some dedicated knitting time. 3 min at a time is not working out.

Maybe I need to cast on a simple hat. Maybe 100 stitches in K2P2 ribbing.

Decadent December

This is the last month of my very own knitters almanac. Decadent December is for taking it easy and knitting those too special skeins of cashmere and silk. Instead I'm afraid it will be another Deadline December because I still have 4 projects to finish for Christmas.

Knitting in November was fabulous. Very freeing to just knit on whatever I wanted.

I knit hats for Operation Breakthrough.

The most notable is Nine Dwindling Cables knit in Brown Sheep Lanaloft Worsted, Violet Shimmer. I love the yarn. A nice hearty robust wool without mohair so it isn't itchy. It cables well. As I said, it's robust so it has body not drape. Maybe not the best choice for a slouchy cabled hat but it will be wonderful for mittens and weekend sweaters. I can't wait to get more.

I did finish a super secret boys sweater. I'm thinking of trying on the boy to be sure it fits before wrapping it up to give to him. I know that is completely weird but then again I know, and I'm pretty sure the boy knows too, that hand knit kid sweaters are really for the moms.

TARDIS Day

As is known by now, Ashpags and I got together on TARDIS day to exchange our low-key swap boxes. While I handed over a mediumish box she passed me a smallish blue bag that is so much bigger on the inside.

It started with local coffee.

Banana socks and Ashpag made me a Corn Bag in a soft flannel. Corn Bag, what a strange name. It should actually be called Microwaved Awesomeness. I’ll be using this in bed at night. My place is sooooo cold.

Yarn nail file and the cutest little mini China Glaze nail polish!!!. China Glaze is my favorite. It’s to the point that when I bring up China Glaze is my favorite everyone answers “I KNOW” this is IRL too

Ashpags made me stitch markers. They are so very sweet.

I think Ashpags requested this colorway be made just for me. She will have to tell the story since I’m a little blurry on the details. It is so stunningly beautiful I was having a hard time catching my breath and maybe forgot to listen.

A project bag for the yarn. It’s lined and everything. I’m super impressed with the sewing. Super impressed!

A pattern from my queue to be the project. As if. Maybe in a year or three when “Donna Noble Has Left The Library” stops being trophy yarn. It is too perfect to use right away. In the meantime I’ve already knit one mitt from it in stash yarn.

Ashpags made the cards. She even MADE THE STICKERS! How cool is that?

Rose’s Doomsday mitts. I love them so much I’m never taking them off. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are brilliant!

The most squeezable Adipose ever. I made him a pair of Rose’s Doomsday mitts so he can be a Mini Me. I knit them at work. Everyone thought He, Me, My Mitts, and the mitts I was knitting was too cute.

While all the contents can be compacted into a smallish space this is not a low-key gift. This is the most thought out, skilfully assembled, wonderful, perfect, touching TARDIS Day box ever. It’s MAGNIFICENT.

Thank you Ashpags. I love it!

Knit in November

This was supposed to be NaKnitSweMo. However, that was before casting on a sweater over 220 stitches, knitting an inch, twisting it, and knitting another inch before noticing.

I then decided I could NaKnitSwe light and just fishing a sweater this month would be enough. I pulled a sweater out of the UFO closest and spent the day looking for the pattern book. I never found it. That sweater is now back in the UFO closet.

Just knitting is my theme this month.

So far I've cast on a baby sweater, finished a pair of socks, cast on a pair of mitts, looked at other mitt patterns, and finished a hat. The new theme is working out much better.

Sock Yarn

This is just perfect for Socktober

The cowl I knit for the Hometown swap won the prize. As such I received this gorgeous sock yarn from Germany. One is Trekking the other three are hand dyed by Handarbeitskram.

I've bought absolutely zero balls of sock yarn this year and yet I have more sock yarn than when I started. Nice.