Stitches West Countdown

It's been a long time since I've blogged or even participated in Fiber Arts Friday.  But here I am, with an FO and lots of stuff in progress.  First, I'd like to present the FO, my Color Affection in Handwerks Luxury Sock (sadly no longer available).  It's laceweight, 100% cashmere and luscious, if only you could feel it!

 
If you're on Ravelry you can find details here.

I'm madly knitting in preparation for Stitches West which is February 21-24 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Northern California.  So, second (third, and possibly fourth),  I've got sample knitting to do.  A Giant Kelp Scarf in Handwerks Cabled 8, pattern by me.

 

 

A Drunken Path scarf in Handwerks So Soft Sock paired with Cascade Kid Seta Noir, pattern by K1C2.

 

And two lovely skeins of Handwerks Super Twist that will be something reminiscent of Mesquite Flat, originally done in Sock Plus 8, but no longer available, and Canyon River revisted, both patterns by me.

Why all the sample knitting? For the past several years I've been designing almost exclusively for Handwerks.  So this time instead of in the classroom, I'll be in the market! Come see owner and chief yarn painter Laura and all her yarns in booth 1336, and me, fledgling designer and all my patterns!  We'll have beautiful handpainted yarn, patterns, lots of samples, chocolate, stitch markers (for the swap!) and a sock machine!  We'll even have designer Lorna Miser, founder of Lorna's Laces (yes, THAT Lorna) signing books!  And to kick it all off, I'm having a 20% off sale on all my patterns available on Ravelry, just enter FNFSALE for the code in your shopping cart, now through February 15th.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday and FO Friday!  Leave me a comment and stop by again to check my progress!

Manic Monday: Crash

Did anyone see that coming?  Friday, the day before the lace class I spent all week preparing for I was diagnosed with Shingles.  It all started with a tiny blister on my palm, by Saturday I had blisters on my right forearm and upper arm and pain on my right shoulder.  The worst of it was I couldn't touch my right forefinger to my thumb without considerable pain.  Couldn't hold a fork, work chopsticks, or knit.  I couldn't even crank a sock machine.  For the three-day weekend that I was suppose to be in class I took painkillers and read holding my book with my left hand. 

It's been over a month now and I'm just getting back on my knitting saddle again.  Two weeks ago I joined a local KAL for Color Affection, in cashmere.  What better way to get back into it, right?  As my sensitive nerves repair themselves the feel of cashmere lightly soothes my thumb.  I need to regain the strength I lost but it's all coming back slowly.  Sorry I've missed so many Monday's but while I could type, I wasn't doing much and didn't have anything to report.

Here's my Color Affection, Ruby lips, one Black Pearl eye and one Sapphire, all in Handwerks Luxury Sock 100% cashmere.

Want to join me in the madness? Got a day job funding your hobby? Craft evenings and weekends to get it all done? Bead, knit, or crochet, sew, quilt, spin, felt, weave, lace AND blog? Just how Manic are your Mondays?

Join me here -- linky party will start up again soon, watch this space.

Piled Higher and Deeper

I signed up for a bobbin lace class that's coming up this weekend.  I have to have at least 3 pillows ready so I can switch projects easily.  I have (pictured here) my "One and Only" (that's what it's called, but it isn't really the only pillow I have) free, and I thought I could order more blocks so I could switch them out for each sample.  I do have 2 spare plain cookie pillows, but no covers for them.  So I either had to go with the extra blocks, or make covers for my spare cookies.  Somehow I thought doing the blocks would be easier.  I'd only have to sew felt over them and slip them in cotton covers (which I made last night, which is why I'm blogging now).  But it's taking an evening to sew the felt on each block (I started Saturday).  I've got 2 done, 2 more to go and I still have to wind bobbins and prepare my prickings. 

And you know what I found when I searched for the fabric to make the cotton covers?  The 2 covers for my spare cookies, which I barely remember making!  Wow, silly me.  I only have to prepare a felt layer for these (no sewing) and cover them and I'd be ready for the class!  But I'm on a roll so I'll go ahead and finish the other blocks AND get these cookies ready for next time.  Maybe I'll get to use one of these cookie pillows for the 2nd day of class.

I haven't had time for much more than this because Sunday was my monthly knitting group and Saturday I spent the day at CNCH up at the Oakland Convention Center.  It was a very small convention for weaving, spinning, dyeing and basket making.  I managed to buy a new (small) loom, 2 more drop spindles, 3 cute little shuttles, some fiber and books (not pictured).

 

And my earrings? 

Well, I've got most of the beads picked out...

(the tube of elastic is to run through the edge of the covers for my cookies -- I don't know how it got in the picture for my earrings!)



Want to join me in the madness? Got a day job funding your hobby? Craft evenings and weekends to get it all done? Bead, knit, or crochet, sew, quilt, spin, felt, weave, lace AND blog? Just how Manic are your Mondays?

Join the party and don't forget to link back to http://fiberdev.blogspot.com/

Button coming...I have it, I just need a moment to shrink it down.

Best Intentions

Despite my best intentions, no earrings got made last week.  I kept thinking  that if I leave it out, somehow I'd have a chance to make a pair or two, or maybe the earring fairy will come and leave me something lovely.  No? 

Well a few weeks ago I pulled out this little guy in hopes that I'd get a "round tuit" and crank out some legwarmers for my ballerina.  Yet, they are still not done.

It's a crazy life, but I do love to craft.  So much that even with all  the things I have to finish and all the things already on my TODO list, I managed to start this:

Pictured with my Mother's Day loot, I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

Want to join me in the madness? Got a day job funding your hobby? Craft evenings and weekends to get it all done? Bead, knit, or crochet, sew, quilt, spin, felt, weave, lace AND blog? Just how Manic are your Mondays?

Join the party and don't forget to link back to http://fiberdev.blogspot.com/

Button coming soon...

Got Earrings?

I'm beginning to get settled with the new job.  I work for a small company and everyone wears multiple hats.  Besides the job I was hired for I also need to help with support and do some local customer visits, so I decided to upscale the wardrobe a bit.  I shopped for business casual clothes and dug out the accessories.  I found some cool necklaces that I made but at the time I didn't think to make matching earrings.  I've made a few pairs of earrings for my daughter, and loads of stitch markers which I still make for friends. I've got this book so I'll start with the necklaces shown here, plus I've got a few bracelets that could also stand some mates.  There are also some bead sets in the stash. From now on maybe I'll set aside a few beads for earrings and make them at the same time.

The knitting on the sidebar will have to wait another week.  I'm knitted out at the moment.

Want to join me in the madness? Got a day job funding your hobby? Craft evenings and weekends to get it all done? Bead, knit, or crochet, sew, quilt, spin, felt, weave, lace AND blog? Just how Manic are your Mondays?

Join the party and don't forget to link back to http://fiberdev.blogspot.com/

Button coming soon...