Thursday, July 20, 2006

It's nailbiting time....

Well, I did it.... I just got home from putting 3 of my handknit items in the fair. It would have been 4, but the local fair doesn't have a category in which my finest skein of handspun alpaca could go (sigh). I suggested that they might want to think about it, as spinning is making a comeback and the State Fair has a category for it. Hmmm...Now that I think about it, I probably shouldn't have said anything like that until after my pieces were judged! Just kidding! :)

Anyway, I entered my butterfly shawl and my white top-down sweater that I finished last month. I also entered a pair of mittens, which I now see that I neglected to take a picture of when I got them finished. I'll have to try to remedy that when I get them back next week. Hopefully I will at least get a "well done" ribbon, even if my beginner's skills aren't good enough to take 1st place. I'd be happy with that...especially since this is my first ever entry into a fair!

I also have some new interchangeable needles that I LOVE! They're similar to the Addi Turbo needles in that they're nickle-plated brass and very fast to knit with, but they're much less expensive and have a great feel to them when I'm knitting with them...very comfortable. They're from KnitPicks and they're called "Knit Picks Options" needles. They're wonderful!

I also attended Dani's first ever Fiber Fest and Dye Day at Knitty Paws. It was wonderful! I bought some yarn (in conjunction with my friend Rachel) to knit a baby blanket for our friend Lisa. We're using different patterns for each square and doing it in pastel colors. At the end, we'll put them all together and see what we have! I think it's going to turn out great! Oh...and CONGRATULATIONS to Dani on winning two ribbons at her local fair! You can see her award winning projects on the Knitty Paws website.

On the needles now? Well...the baby blanket squares, a pair of socks on two circulars, and the blue top-down sweater I have already put pictures of on here. The sweater is finished except for the sleeves. I have some repair work to do on the sleeve I almost have finished because I dropped some stitches trying to knit in the dark at my in-laws' house last weekend (I know...it would help if I took the time to get up and move to where the light is when we're at a cookout...I just didn't want to get too close to the fire and end up getting a hot ash in my fiber!).

Well, as much as I wish I could say I'm going to go knit, I have yet another paper to write for class. I'm still longing for the day when I can come home and spin and knit to my little heart's content!

Saturday, July 01, 2006

On the needles now?


Another top down sweater! This one is for a Christmas gift...but I can't tell you who for because lots of my family members read my blog! I also have quite a large stash of sock yarn, so when this sweater is done, I'm going to tackle 2 socks at once on two circular needles! Another new challenge - I can't wait!!! I'm getting together with a couple of friends (Hi, Rachel & Ann!) on Friday to teach them how to do the top-down sweater, so I'll have a good chance to work on the sweater (and forget homework) for a while. I'm sooooooo looking forward to it!

My first "top-down" sweater



I've also knitted a top-down sweater! I'm officially addicted to top-down sweaters now...no more piecing together for me! I'm entering it in the Jackson County fair to see how it does. I've never entered anything in a fair before...who knows...maybe I'll get a ribbon of some sort! :) I posted the second picture because I also learned to do a "mock cable" stitch, which I REALLY like. I used it around the neck band, on the sleeve cuffs, and around the bottom of the sweater.

What's up...





Since my last post, I've been trying to keep my head above water with school and work...not nearly as much time as I'd like to be knitting and spinning. In fact, I haven't done any spinning at all. I have been knitting, though, as I can do that while I'm reading homework. I got my purse felted - here are the before and after felting pictures. I carry this purse around every day...I love it! And almost everywhere I go, people ask me if I made it...What a great feeling! :)