Who's The Cute Little Predator?

You are! Yes, you are!





Putting it together...first, a fin:





Nothing says "scary ass predator" like a set of crazy eyes:






Next up, teeth implants:







"RAWR!"





* * *
Down and Dirty Details:

Needle
US 8 - 5.0 mm

Yarn
Knit Picks Gloss DK

How much?
.15 skeins = 12-15 yards

Colorway
cranberry

Purchased at
Knit Picks

Yarn
Malabrigo Yarn Silky Merino

How much?
2 skeins = 300 yards

Colorway
azul bolito


Purchased at
Home Ec Workshop in Iowa City, Iowa

* * *

Rawr! I Live In Water!

Okay, sort of more like hanging out on a friend's hands soon...

Just finished sewing on the mouth for the left and right mittens. This was a challenge as I have to stitch the mouth on a completed mitten.




The pinning went alright (rosewood pins from the Knit and Knot):




You'll notice the big, flat bamboo spoon in the photo. I had to come up with a way to stitch the mouth on while keeping the shape of the mitten, while I also kept from stitching the mitten accidentally closed. I don't have a darning egg or darning mushroom, although I'm not sure that would have worked given the shape of the egg or mushroom. The flat spoon worked much better as you can see from the final result:






And to quote the Child O' Mine: "Rawr! I live in water!"




Next up: knitting the fins, adding the teeth and eyes.

Too Hot!

No, that's not a reference to my person or any project I'm currently plugging away on today, but the actual weather around here. You just never know which Memorial Holiday Weekend weather you'll experience around here. We've either got your "shades of things to come for this summer" with above-normal temps, high humidity, and the attendant bugs or you've got "fooled ya, it's not summer yet" with below-normal temps, continual drizzle or steady rain. This year, it's the "shades of summer."

Now, to knitting content. I'm almost done with the right hand of Sharky the Mittens. I have a thumb to knit, then it will be on to the fins and mouth.

Meanwhile, I wanted to knit a hat for a good friend while she and the husband hit the slopes for their annual ski vacation. She's a huge Steelers fan, and luckily enough I found that Berroco has colorway to match the team colors:





I'm going to knit her the adult size of the Top Knot Hat.


Finally, y'all know I'm not that big into spinning wheels. However, if I were so inclined to get myself one, I think this would be it:







It's compact, easy to use, and very portable. I may have to think about possibly adding this to the graduation present wish list...

Gorging on Yarns

I had gift certificates smoldering in my wallet, so off to Knit and Knot I went with the Child O' Mine.

This is the first yarns I pulled to make this hat pattern:






Then I decided a wee man of the family need one in da Bears' colors:





Finally, I had the CoM pick out some yarn for a fall scarf, and we ended up with this pile because I'm a glutton for silky gorgeous teal blue yarns (no, I don't know what it wants to be yet for me other than snoozing in my stash):





It's Berroco Lustra, colorway is Montmartre and even more beautiful in person than in any photo!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch... I've finished the basic mitten for Sharky the Mittens:

Lace

There's very few persons I would ever knit lace for... I'm happy to say this project, the Lacey Beret turned out as it was supposed to, for the person it's intended is a hell of lace knitter:









* * *
Down and Dirty Details:

Needle
US 4 - 3.5 mm

Yarn
Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca Worsted Solids

How much?
1.5 skeins = 153.0 yards (139.9m)

Colorway
green

Purchased at
Knit & Knot in Bettendorf, Iowa
* * *

Hello, Lover...

It's finally arrived! The bag which I purchased with the generous early birthday funds from a friend and my making up the balance.




It's so beautiful! And so large! It was worth waiting six years to get one of these bad boys...















Now I have to figure out what I'm going to put into it!

In case you're looking for a custom, handmade project bag, you can go to Offhand Designs. I bought the Scottie version in the "Eleanor."

Being 45 Years Old And On The Right Side Of The Big Ol' Dirt Nap

Yes, I am! From here on out, it's going to be rocking the middle age gig for me. I can't wait to see what the next few decades bring forth. In the meantime, there was a shopping road trip to Galena this weekend to celebrate the kick ass 45 year old birthday...

A good friend and I motored up to Galena to visit FiberWild! and see what they might have to tempt us. Personally, after the last yarn purge, I'm set for projects for the next few years. Although, I had been eyeballing the Tulips baby sweater kit from Dreams In Color before going, this may have primed the pump of lust. (So to speak.)

I walked in the front door and immediately my eyes fell to the shawl that had been in the shop back in early fall 2011. I resisted temptation at that point, but I took it as a sign from wooly destiny I was meant to take it home now. I'm so glad I did! It's hand spun and hand woven by a local artist in Galena, it's called a "butterfly" shawl:






I'm just charmed to pieces by the whole shawl, but especially so by the cabled pockets on the front.

Then, it was as if resistance to two other project kits (which I had been sighing after in late spring 2011 and early fall 2011) had just evaporated. I fell hard:














I was lugging around another armful of colored yarns for that kit debating on the expense and perhaps foolishness of purchasing it after getting the shawl, but then I saw these blues/greens/teals. I immediately chucked the other aside along with my doubts.

And perhaps common sense was the baby that was tossed out with the bath water (to mix metaphors) as I also ended up with this kit:








Finally, I'm not sure how I ended up with these size 9 sheep finial needles, but there we have them:

Spun Out

This was supposed to be a post about chucking the whole spinning gig because I really lost interest in it.

I mean, I've tried wheels, and honestly, it feels more like work than fun to me. And yes, I've tried numerous wheels generously lent to me from local spinners. Wheels just aren't my thing.

So, I went to my spinning box (Rubbermaid storage container) to photograph those things I wasn't going to use any longer. Well...

This is my Golding 2" model with some Bruce spun up on it:






Hearts
2" Cherry Whorl
0.45 oz, 0.75 oz


For those who may have not read this blog for as long as some others, "Bruce" is the name I gave the depigmented yak fiber I bought eons ago. I figured if I was playing with an animal's hair for as long as I was, I should name it. Thus, Bruce.




This is fiber broken down by hand as I was trying to salvage Bruce from the original yarn I spun when I didn't know what I was doing and used the wrong weighted whirl to spin:




This is the rest of the original yak yarn from ages ago. I've decided that I'll use it as an alternating stripe with something lovely to distract the eye from how lumpy and uneven it is...





Meanwhile, I also got out and fondled this Golding 2.75" spindle:



Art Nouveau Filigree
Finely Scrolled Walnut whorl
Inlaid Bronze Alloy Ring
1.6 oz


For which I would use to spin this gorgeous hand-dyed merino a friend named especially for my book persona:








And this brings us back to the point of the story where I thought I was going to give up spinning completely as I've not picked up either of my handmade, beautifully balanced spindles in over two years. I was on rest from them at the beginning because I had "tennis elbow" years ago. Then when given the release, I spun for a bit, but my heart wasn't in it. So I gave away 99% of my fiber to better spinners than myself, and stored away this wee bit.

Today I spun a bit of the Bruce. And damned if I didn't enjoy myself. I think I may have gotten my spin groove back after all.

What Goat?

I think we all knew I would end up here.

First there had been that post I did about the astounding $300 ball of vicuna.

Then Franklin Habit posted a brief mention about his score of vicuna at a fiber fest where he was teaching. I was a goner when I hit the link in his post.

Thankfully, I purchased Tank's treats and food for the next month before purchasing these two skeins from Hickory Ridge Farms for their paco-vicuna. Even though these beautiful yarns were *well* below the $300 yarn, it was still pricey. Good thing mama enjoys her toast and tea...








If you're in the market for gorgeous, exotic, exquisitely soft yarn then I cannot recommend highly enough Hickory Ridge Farms paco-vicuna. Gloria was a peach to work with via email, the yarns arrived tout de suite, and were everything more than I expected (thanks, Gloria!).

Oh, the project? There's going to be two of them.

Scarf #1

Scarf #2


I'm not abandoning the wee cashmere goats, especially at the price for the vicuna, but damn this yarn is so gorgeous and soft.