Holy shit...

you really can find anything on the internet! Last Friday, before my sons went to their dad's house they told me they wanted to be Jawas for Halloween. They showed me a picture from a Star Wars library book. It was barely helpful. Today, after a trip to the fabric store and a guess-timation that six and a half yards would get me two costumes I was at a loss for how to proceed. After some grumbling I thought I would google it and dudes here's a website
jawa robe pattern. Google and ye shall find! After that I sewed two costumes in less than two hours. They are not fabulous, but since I had no idea what I was getting into, I am pleased.

I am knitting like a house on fire over here! I've solved my co-worker holiday gift giving dilemma and am feeling pretty confident that I will have the time and energy to accomplish my goals. I'm behind on my socks (three pair - half done - no, not SSS, just startitis for other projects). Those projcts are: the frogged first smoke ring and am doing it in the Old Shale pattern (a.k.a. feather and fan) and another pair of socks to be gifted.

Oh, and there is more spinning in the works. Some of my fiber from funky carolina is on the Louet bobbin right now...and calling to me... Maybe some pictures tomorrow.

Finished homespun hat

I finished Cap Karma by S.M.Kahn Smariek Knits! The 4 oz. batt from Miss Babs worked wonderfully. I adore the colors, the texture, and the finished hat.

I wanted to take a picture of it on someone else, for a variety of reasons, but it's too big for all my children, so I had to suffice.



This would look so much better in daylight, but I really like the top. The crown decrease came from Jared at b r o o k l y n t w e e d



In other knitting news, I've frogged the Chameleon Colorworks version of the Anne Modesitt "backyard leaves" scarf. I think I just knit too damned loose and no matter what yarn I've tried it looks like crap. To rectify my loose knitting issue, I'm working on a lacy smoke ring by Kathy Hinkley (I found it at Spindlecity), but I'm using the cast-off Chameleon Colorworks Evolution for it, instead of the handspun it was designed for. So far, row 5, I like it. You never know how I'll feel about it in the morning, though. Heh.

Beautimous fiber

After a week from HELL I am finding solace in the quiet house through cleaning and fibery pursuits. Work had some very sucky moments, my daughter had three very sucky days with me (which, her teacher informs me, are a window into her future being as an adolescent - I'm scared already), and I accidentally burnt rice one night while being distracted by needle felting my Loopy Ewe woolpet and my house still smells like burnt rice. Wah.

In the peaceful world of spinning, I think I've spun about half my sunset batt and have started the second bobbin. I love how the colors have worked out. Plying will be very cool with this one!



My first STR chickabiddy monkey sock is finished! I'm working on the second - YEA!



And the first of Roza's socks is finished as well. This sock is very comfortable, I can see it fast becoming a favorite.



I am continuing my laid back day with a night of more of the same. Hopefully, next week will be better.

New fiber acquisitions

This is all about new fiber. I've been stocking up on fiber for some fall spinning. Right now, on the bobbin, is some Sunset fiber from Miss Babs. Both batts are so beautiful. I can't decide if I should spin and ply both 4 oz batts together, or spin and ply each separate.



The other, forgotten name, batt is a lighter orange with lovely yellow streaks in it.



And, because I love the colors from Carrie (a.k.a funkycarolina) I have two new rovings. The first is called 'ask'



And the other is called 'remand.'



It's a good thing I only have one wheel. I'm trying to practice project monogamy (spinning mostly) but I have three spindles with 'in process' spinning on them, and I have half a bobbin of the first Miss Babs already going on the wheel. Basically, I have to finish something in order to start something else right now. AND, I'm still on the holiday gift making deadline. My compromise this year, if I run out of time, is to give people etsy gifts. If it can't be hand made by me, here are a whole slew of talented people to take up my slack! I'm addicted to this place.

In the knitting world, I've felted bag number five and have started number six, the first new monkey sock is almost finished, and my chevron scarf is still interesting to me (yea!).

Steve Earle and still socks

I realized I have not been effervescent about Steve's new album. I am quite pleased with it. It is good to hear a love song from him about someone he still loves. Most of the time they are, "I love you even though I treated you badly and you're gone." I have the CD with the bonus DVD and let me tell you, that man would be a HANDFUL! I knew he seemed kind of hyper, but now that he is drug, alcohol, AND nicotine free - Holy Hannah! The man barely pauses to breathe. Steve had a radio show called The Revolution Starts... Now on Air America for a while. His show had other musicians coming on and sharing their favorite music; problem was Steve would barely let them get a word in edgewise. I haven't heard the new show, so I don't know if his interviewing skills have improved (and I still adore him even if they haven't).

I was a little disappointed in the drum loops and the lack of the Dukes on the album. The Dukes rock so hard live. My favorite songs right now are: Tennessee Blues, Down Here Below, City of Immigrants, Oxycontin Blues, Red is the Color, and Pete's Hammer. Almost all of them. Next week it will be the other songs not on the list this week.

Intercession break is over so the children are back in school - yea! - and happy to be there. The great thing about their charter school is that, in most cases, their only homework is reading for thirty minutes a night. Chicky has spelling every week, but that is so doable. I am worried about next year for the boys, I need to go out and start scoping out the middle school situation. Scary. I can't believe they are so freakin' old already.

My love for monkey socks is extreme. I got four rounds of the pattern off yesterday, and am waiting for the kids to go to bed so I can work on them some more.



Roza's socks by Grumperina are coming along nicely. I love Cherry Tree Hill yarn, it is so sheeny, soft, and bouncy. Of course, they will look better when blocked, but they have grown on me. Now I want to do her Odessa hat next.




I'm almost finished with Nancy Bush's Welsh Country Stockings! Right now, they are a little large, so I might try felting them a wee bit if blocking doesn't help the situation.

Chicky is spinning on her drop spindle. She's using some funky carolina scrappy love to spin, and hopefully knit a sweater for one of her dolls. I would've bet good money she would have chosen all the pinks. I was dead wrong. She's going for the greens. All. of. them. It's so hard to share.



She's pretty darn cute though.

Knitting and spinning FO's!

I finished Elena's socks! They will be given to her tomorrow, I was starting to get worried it would be cold before I was finished, but no worries about that..another hot day (and week ahead). Here they are on the new Loopy Ewe sock blockers.



I also finished spinning the nemo and did a two-ply. I like three ply better, but I'm not so good at getting the yardage I want. I'm still a pretty inconsistent spinner. Anyway, here is the finished "nemo" hanging. It is very lofty.



And in a tidy skein. I love how the color combinations came together.



This is the potholder loop rug from Mason-Dixon Knitting that was finished a while ago. I made the mistake of washing it and (I really knew it) it frayed and bled. Oh well, it's a bath mat after all.



I've started my STR Chickabiddy monkey socks! Pictures tomorrow...

Spinning

I've spun and set my two ounces of Spunky Eclectic Fiber and I'm bummed I didn't order a double. Here is the final result.



I received my Funky Carolina order yesterday and I got 8 oz. of Scrappy Love.



And 4 oz. of superwash merino in the "Nemo" colorway.



I've already started spinning the Nemo, I like the colors and am trying to decide if I want to ply it with a different fiber or itself...we'll have to see what the fiber tells me to do. After a really long week at work I am looking forward to a day of mostly spinning, with some knitting at the boys' soccer game.

Spinning Aspen

A few days ago I received my first monthly installment of Spunky Eclectic Fiber. It was 2 oz. of merino/tencel which I have only previously spun on my drop spindle. I decided to have a go on my Louet 17 wheel. I thought it was fine, but my 3 ply is rather lofty (not necessarily a bad thing, but when you only have two ounces of fiber...it doesn't go that far). I knew I should've gone for the larger subscription. Anyway, here it is still chillin' on the bobbin...



Then I Navajo plied it (I really dig that, even though I have a rather rudimentary system including a shoe box and a knitting needle).



I spun it partially inch-worm style and then practiced with a longer draft and got more loft. It will definitely be some accent somewhere.

I meant to crop this picture...sorry...here is the lovely Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight in Chickabiddy (destined to become my next Monkey Socks). I fell in love with this colorway on Cara Davis's site (january one). I am not a pink and yellow girl, but this is so beautiful it's been on my mind ever since she made them. Here is Chickabiddy as a skein



And again as a "cake"



And my only other skein of Blue Moon - for right now- Watermelon Tourmaline also in lightweight STR.



That's all for now folks, gotta go knit and listen to some more Steve Earle.