You can never have too many hats!

Finished the Quick cable slouch hat by Azure (go to Ravelry now and get this pattern!).
I love this pattern and the end hat and love the yarn (Araucania chunky).

Very pleased, want another.

And while snapping pics I thought I would get another of my Dandelion Beret , since the last pic was inside out....ooppss! Sorry about that mistake.  It looks much better the right way and I love this hat too!  Yes, another I want to make again and urge you to go and get the pattern.

Just another Saturday...

While having my morning coffee (cup number 3) I decided to pull out some old stash yarn and make a quick knit project.  (Why another project?  I have no idea, but just wanted to cast something on AND use yarn I had to make me feel productive.  Yeah, makes no sense, I know)

 I went with the Laser by Ashley Aguilar. 
I pulled out some Lion Brand Homespun and size 15 needles.  I would much prefer the Malabrigo she used, but sadly no bulky Mal in my stash :(
I am also gearing up for a little vacation coming up and need some projects to take with me.

And just like any other Saturday (hee hee) I had a bellydance performance.  Twice a year, the troupe I dance with has a big show and they are wonderful!
The ladies are awesome and I love our group!  My mom and grandmother came (big supporters) and rocked it out with us! :) 
I wish I had more pictures of the costumes, because I am all about costumes, but sadly I don't.  This is the only pic I have from the show...boohoo...and I had some killer costumes!

Baubles :)

 In between knitting, I stopped and made a couple of pretty baubles.  I love these earrings :)

I want to make more!  Plans, plans, plans....I need to plan some jewelry time, as well as stitch marker time.
Maybe even a giveaway or too, how fun!

Round of applause....

for me and my finished hat and it didn't take me forever :)
I love this pattern!  It is for the Dandelion KAL on Ravelry and I just love it....say it again...love it! 
His Majesty was gracious enough to take this pic for me before he left for work.  See the unwoven end???  How can you not!
It is still damp, but I wanted to post it's gorgeousness. (though I messed up several times...my fault entirely)

I have a doc appointment today and afterwards will be going to find Aran yarn for another.
I made this one with worsted yarn in the stash pile, but want to try an Aran, which the pattern is written for....love it!

I love hats :)

I have been busy working on my Dandelion hat KAL, trying my best to finish the hat before I run out of yarn :)  Ever been there?  I have a terrible fear I will run out of yarn...ikes! I decided to go with a slouchier version and did the repeat twice (hence fear of yarn outage)

 Here is the hat at the end of the 1-16 row repeats times two.  I love how it looks and feels.  The pattern is wonderful.  I will definitely be doing another.

Now, I did mess up along the way and it is blaringly obvious to me when I see it, but I hope not to you.  I was knitting in the dark (yes, dumb) and watching a movie and messed up.  Once I figured out I messed up I was already 2 rows up and thought FORGET IT, not going back.  So, I will live with my error and NOT knit in the dark again.

I wish you could see how beautiful this design is knitting up, but my 32 oz tea just doesn't model the hat well!!  (hee hee)

Hopefully I will be able to finish this week and get back to finishing my socks...and making a knitting list for the beach :), which is coming up soon.  Thinking about socks and maybe some fingerless mitts...

Finally, something off the needles!

I finally finished my Multnomah shawl, which I love :)  I'm very pleased with the end result, though I ran out of yarn on the 5th repeat.  That made me sad.

I used some handspun I made during last year's Tour de Fleece.

 This is pre-blocking, when it was a wrinkled mess.

And then with the blocking wires, which made life so much easier!

Yes, need to make this again, but with lots more yarn, so I can have the full 10 repeats and lots of flounce on my edge.

Once again a slacker..

My end of the year wrap-up has been going on at work and I have been a busy bee, which means slacking on posting. I had several posts roll through my head, but they never made it to the blog...anyway, here I am. Just sitting here with a cup of coffee and peanut butter toast slapping on a few pics while the poopies snooze on the couch and the kitties chase each other around the table.

You know I am a slow knitter, but I am slow on the tips and tricks end as well. But I discovered this cool beans way to measure my left over yarn and handspun. I love it!

I just couldn't afford a commercial yarn yardage meter, but read several comments on Ravelry about fishing line meters and their wonderful yarn measuring capability. It works! This is my set-up....so high tech. Toss the yarn in the container, thread it through the top, slide through the meter, and wind away. Genius....

Interesting discovery, was winding a ball with a label stating 153 yards. The ball measured 128 yards, hmmmmmmm 128 and 153 does not add up. I hand measured other small samples and ran them through...the meter caught the correct yardage....so why not the other ball???? Mystery.

I have been monogamous on the Multnomah shawl, because I need the needles and just want to finish it! I am so close! I finished the 5th repeat of the lace last night and will NOT have enough yarn to do the full 10 repeats. I will start the 6th repeat this morning and see how far I get.

Meanwhile...

I wound up some steely blue Chaco worsted for the Dandelion Beret KAL on Ravelry. This is a gorgeous beret from Little Yellow Cat. Come join us!

Now off to walk the poopies and make a grocery list, good times.

Gearing up...for TDF11

The time is drawing near for Tour de fleece 2011 and I have signed up for two teams so far.  Who knows, by the end I may be in 10!
I snagged this gorgeous BFL in someone's destash over on Ravelry and it came in the mail yesterday.  I have fondled it off and on...it is so pretty.

I finally posted my Babe wheel on Ravelry this morning, as well as my hand cards.  I'm working towards thinning the herd and utilizing what I have without excess.  Does that make sense????

This beautiful yarn is another destash that was practically given to me!  It is Araucania Aysen in the number 813, what with the numbers????  It is wool, silk, and alpaca and I could knit undies out of it...it is that soft.  I just fell in love with it when I opened the package.  Gorgeous beyond words and thinking of a vest...but open for suggestions.  I think I have right at 800 yards.

Now this is what I have been busying doing this week...

hooties

monkey

 

 

 

I have been making more drawstring project bags, in the hopes of selling them.  I have given several away and now want to make a little money back to cover costs.  They are quite roomy.  These are the medium bags and I believe they are 12 x 13 with the squared corner bottoms.  I will soon post them (not sure where yet) for $15.00.  I LOVE mine and carry projects in them all over town...and work...and events.  (the gals in Home Depot now call me the "knitting girl" because I follow His Majesty around knitting out of a small hootie bag)

Anyway, I have been sewing, spinning on my fire roasted lasagna BFL and working on my Tuscany socks (those *%$@% socks!).
Have a wonderful day!  I am heading to the store for ice cream, since I rode 9.3 miles on the bike and survived!

It's time we say goodbye....

 

My Babe Fibergarden wheel and I are going to say goodbye.   It has been a tough decision, but I have to part with a wheel and i finally decided on the Babe.  She is a wonderful wheel, but I need to let one go.  Downsizing...debt paying...destashing...

I'm sad, but I figure I will post her today on Ravelry, along with a set of hand carders and get cracking on this destashing business....before I change my mind.

And now...off to take some pics of my soon to be cast on projects and my wish list :)