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I am going to finish this fan & feather shawl if it is the last thing I do. So.close. Only 10 rows to go but man are they some serious rows! I timed myself on row 171 of 189 and was knitting at 31minutes a round. Not so bad for over 1200 sts a round. The pattern rows are the killers. Over an hour because I am triple checking my stitch count after every yo & decrease section. Last thing I need is to drop a stitch or make a mistake in the 11th hour of this shawl (knock on wood). So, hours will be spent knitting around & around in gorgeous merino single spun handpainted yarn. Darn.

I really wasn’t too concerned with getting balls of yarn all perfectly spaced to not have color changes. The yarn is handpainted/kettle dyed and a one of a kind 3 hank batch. I wanted it to be kind of raw moving from hank to hank. I like it a lot!

So in a completely selfish mood I decided to stop by Knit & Pearl this afternoon, before getting the kids from school, & purchase a pick me up in the hopes I would be motivated to complete the shawl & move on to something colorful & new to work on.

3 hanks of Patagonia Araucania yarn in shades; reds, oranges & blues. They will go with the emerald/blue that I already have on hand (all 9 balls) and become a large shawl. Triangle or spiral circle I am not sure yet. I was going to make a cardigan but have since decided that I will use a cotton shawl more. I already have a dozen knit cardigans that get passed over when I get dressed.

1 more ball of misti Alpaca lace for another shawl. I am slowly collecting the yarn for this shawl since I need over 3000 yards for the pattern.

And 1 ball of DB cashmerino aran yarn to make myself a pair of Fetching gloves for this winter.

And a sample of Soak (her prices are better at knit & pearl than online), a new wool wash that Julie had samples of. It smells so good…so good…

Oh & I did start a project the other night at a really late hour when I wasn’t thinking straight.

Woolease granny square blanket from Lion Brand.

I am using all the same colors as in the pattern pictured above. So fast. It’s an easy set-it-aside-pick-it-up-whenever project. Inexpensive & washable. Can’t beat that!

Let’s see, what else have I got going on? I have more sock yarn calling my name than I know what to do with. It’s almost worth staying up 72 hours straight & knitting socks just to use some of it up. Not a good idea you say? Shucks. Oh! And I started a Filatura Di Crosa sweater from the fall 2005 book. Gorgeous sweater. I will get a picture up once the shawl is done & I get past the 7inches of ribbing.

Now if I could only get some spinning in sometime….

Betsy if you are here to read you may not do so today. Tomorrow, fine. Not today or the surprise for your shower tonight will be ruined!

Now onto regularly scheduled knitting programming.

I have finished a few projects but I am having a hard time getting one recipient to model the cardigan for me so that one will have to wait. But to appease those that need visual stimulation here are a few goodies.

I love Village Spinning & Weaving up in Solvang. Love that shop! They have the most amazing hand dyed sport weight superwash merino sock yarn, “Hot Foot”, in half pound hanks =  560 yards! Here is the size of the hank & the ball on my blocking board so you can see it’s over 6″ in diameter. Big sucka!

It will become knee high socks for my winter white legs. THen I should have enough left to make a pair of regular socks too. You get a lot of mileage out of those hanks! Well worth the $28.

I have been working on a secret project that I am now revealing & Betsy better not have scrolled down to see!

This is a baby blanket made using the Ballband washcloth pattern (expanded and vertial instead of horizontal, obvi) and Lion Brand Woolease Thick & Quick yarn. Wood and Grass colors. Finished size 30″x36″. I will post a pattern in the free pattern page soon. It was really simple to do.

I have other little projects I have been working on but not completed. I am now focusing solely on the Fan & Feather shawl to get the sucker finished! I only have 16 rows left to go. Granted, I am now at 1224+ stitches so it’s a challenge to sit & work on it for long lengths of time to get anything accomplished. I can’t wait for it to be done though. Whew! That will be an accomplishment.

I am rather tired this week from my mother-in-law’s memorial extravaganza over the weekend so I am kinda mellow & taking it easy. Yesterday Tyler turned 8 and we had a blow-out bowling party over at Zodo’s. Fun for all! I, of course, had the high score until the tenth frame when George got 2 strikes to beat me! Lame! It’s okay, I am still the geek with the bowling trophies.

I will miss knit group this week, it’s mens night out at a huge Montecito estate. They get exclusive entrance to one of the biggest wine cellars around. And real cuban cigars. And a private chef for dinner. Truly a mens’ night! But next week I will be there & happy to do so!

Here is a preview of the cards I ordered for us to hand out to all who may be interested in meeting with our ever so humble little group.

Like?? I hope so cuz they are on their way!  I didn’t put a meeting place only because sometimes we switch it up & I thought it would be easier to not have it on there. I am now reconsidering. And since they have not gone to print yet I think I might put Java Station on there. Nevermind, I just went onto the website & they charge you for a new order if you edit the details. Oh well, they are fine the way they are! No need to worry about funds, it only cost me the shipping & handling. 250 cards for free. Sweet deal.

I have next to nothing finished to show you. No lovely pictures. Sorry. But I have been knitting. As a matter of fact I have been re-knitting. My picot top socks that rock socks were done. But when I put them on there was a major problem. The second sock gauge was totally off. I mean an inch difference at the picot hem top. The darn thing wouldn’t even stay on my leg. SO I am re-knitting it ripping from the toe of the finished second sock. It is interesting to knit while un-knitting something. The socks were so fast to make that I didn’t really hesitate to knit the second sock again.

I pulled out the Cycling Aran sweater for George and finished the back last night. I got most of it done at knit group (this week held at the Coffee Cat although a little crowded it was an awesome group last night!) and then finished it after getting home. I also cast on for the first sleeve but only got the first inch done. I would love, love love to get this one done this next week so my hubby can actually have a new sweater for the winter. I am also going to line the collar with some alpaca or cashmere to make it much more soft on the neck.

I also have some Top of the Lamb sport weight yarn in stone and charcoal to make George a ski sweater for this winter. I haven’t decided on a pattern/ fair isle chart yet but I will do that when I am ready to cast on.  That is, after I finish the Jefferson sweater. I am feeling the need for some cabling so that sweater is the perfect fix. Of course I considered casting on for something new in an aran pattern to alleviate the want for an aran fix but I should probably just finish something I have started, dontcha think?

I am really feeling the need for some knee socks. I have the yarn to make Meg Swansen’s socks out of the last vogue knitting

  SO gorgeous! Choosing colors is my only issue.

I just spent the loveliest hour+ at the new knit shop here in town, Knit & Pearl. Owned by Julie, another lovely aspect of the store! Her selection of yarns is great! Very reasonable prices & a few deals too. Some of the lines she carries: Manos del Uruguay, Nashua, Debbie Bliss, Filatura Di Crosa (she had the pattern book I have been dying to have for at least the last year), Patagonia cotton, Organic cottons, Colinette, Claudia Hand Painted, Bamboo, Euroflax, Noro (she is waiting for all of her colors to come in), Online, Misti Alpaca (and silk) and others that I can’t come up with at the moment. Oh Trekking XXL of course. Cuz I bought a new color that I don’t have. You can never have too much Trekking.

She has a sitting area with couches and chairs. Also a table with gorgeous chairs for teaching classes. Overall I would say it’s a simply beautiful store. Decorated just the right amount in a modern classic style. Beautiful wood choices for tables, mirrors, etc. It was comfortable in there, that is not something we have in any other knit shop in Santa Barbara. It’s a place that I would like to frequent and I think I shall.

Here is what I bought today (minus one light blue ball of Misit Alpaca Lace for Tracy that she took home with her). I will use the Bamboo yarn for washcloths, the Misti Alpaca Lace for the start of a new shawl from A Gathering of Lace and obviously the Trekking for socks.

I am so happy for Julie! I am excited to have a new fun shop to be happy in. It’s just good all the way around!

Not that kind of fringe benefits you dirty birds!

My secret pal that I gifted in the last round, Karen, mailed me a package with lovely goodies!

(I have pictures but one of my little rapscallions has absconded with my camera and said picture.)

Ashland Bay roving in one of their spring colorways, white & purples. And some other really soft RED roving! Gorgeous & I will be spinning it promptly (well, once one of my spindles is emptied). She also sent me some really amazing smelling almond body oil. That will also be used promptly!

Thank you so much Karen! I had so much fun putting your gifts together this last round & it was a joy to see how happy it made you!

Tissue box, check

Pot of Tea, check

Good book, check

No kids, check

Meds on board, check

Warm comfy clothes, check

New homespun blanket to cuddle up in chair with, check

Huge basket filled with cones & balls of cotton to knit dishcloths to my hearts content, check

The most comfortable bed in the world to sleep in, check

Now if you will excuse me, I have some sick sinus’ that need taking care of.

And why do they think we want our cold medicine capsules to have “cool burst”. I don’t want to know it’s dissolving down there, I just want to feel better! Not burp up cool burst. Those are some wierd chemists coming up with our meds nowadays.

Oh & Tracy loves, loves, loves her Alien Baby socks. I should beg her to post pics of them on her feet so you all can see how great they are when they actually fit!

I have a lot of yarn. A lot of yarn. Said yarn would like to be knit into things instead of gathering dust. I am on a finishing spurt. The leftover homespun blanket I started ages ago, found here, is just about complete.

 A few ends to weave in, blocking & that is it! It’s pretty big so I will get a picture of it while it’s blocking on my bed to post. I have made a few discloths to keep my mind occupied, simple & cute.

Oh & I do beleive I am sick! I know… I don’t get sick. I am going from thinking it is a bad case of my always present allergies to the belief that now that it is all 3 kids & myself with the same sinus, sneezing, morning coughing symptoms (um..I lost my thought…riiiiiight….) of a cold. That’s it. A cold. As the morning progresses I am feeling ever more yucky. It is nice that I can actually lay down if I need to. That is not something I have done since Sadie was a baby & only child. Not sure I can bring myself to do it though. I don’t just go lay down & rest, that is wasting knitting time or at the very least reading time if I feel too yucky to knit.

With no fevers I sent all the kids off to school with some meds on board for the runny noses. If they aren’t contagious then why keep them home?

I am hoping I am not sick so that I can actually go to knitting tomorrow night. I missed last week, it sounded like it was the best week we have had in ages! Is that saying something that it was that good & I wasn’t there?? :o) 

My star tattoo is distorting the ankle of my foot straight on so that is why you can’t see the eyelets perfectly there but yay for finished socks!! Fun pattern, GORGEOUS yarn! Overall I would say a complete success! This particular pair is going to Tracy seeing as how they are too big for my ankles & fall down continuously. I will be making myself a pair with a tighter gauge so I don’t have to mess with the pattern at all. Um…sorry ’bout the unvaccumed carpet in the photo. I am in way too much of a hurry to post the picture to take such care!

My Mother in Law, Marilyn Andreasen, passed away early this morning. She has been battling diabetes for the last 25+ years and her body finally had enough.  She had complete organ failure and was sent home to be with friends and family to pass away with love surrounding her.

I don’t know what to do other than to post about it here. She has donated her body to science so we have no time constraints on a service for her. No rushing around trying to take care of things, eating up the time we would spend thinking about it by keeping busy. Now we have time to think & remember her.  Last week her daughters and sisters met with her to discuss her service. The decision was made to have the service a month from now so that family and friends from all over the country (and possibly some danish family members) could have time to make arrangements for travel. It will give us time to mourn privately in our families as well.

She was a mother of 5. A grandmother of 17. A woman of Christ. She is now at peace, no longer suffering in her broken, worn down body.

She will be missed & loved always.