Birthday Presents

I haven't been very good about finishing projects in time for the recipient's birthday, but better late than never... guess I need to learn how to knit faster. Or maybe I just need to learn to stop procrastinating, and start thing earlier...
Some of these ended up being later than others:

Hat for one of my friends who just graduated. Pattern is Truffle:



A couple of pouches. The first is knit with Tanglewood Fiber Creation's Rose Garden colorway:



Next one is done with Blue Sky Organic Cotton. The colors make me think of Charlie Brown:



Currently I'm working on a pair of ribbed socks. Trying not to buy any new yarn, so working on knitting and spinning from the Sock Summit stash!

Muffins and Yarn

Yesterday I made blackberry coconut muffins. Everyone who has tried them seemed to like them... Not sure I would make mini muffins again though. I ended up putting one whole berry in each mini muffin cup, and the muffins were kinda flat. I like bigger tops on my muffins, so will need to experiment some more!

Also took some more pictures, so here's one with two mini skeins of hand-spun:



The darker green yarn is the Spinner's Candy. I posted a picture of the unspun fiber a couple of weeks ago. The lighter yarn is one ply of an organic wool from April's Phat Fiber Box (you can see the fiber in the top right of the picture) and one ply of sea green merino from Material Whirled. Still have more of the Spinner's Candy fiber to spin, so hoping to end up with enough yarn for a small scarf or a hat. Having fun spinning, but haven't decided what to make out of my handspun yet!

Last Thursday

So last night Big Alice and I went to Last Thursday on Alberta Street. I had heard people talk about Last Thursday before, but didn't realize how big of an event it is! I'm not really sure how to describe it... it's a combination craft fair and swap meet, so people are selling all kinds of things. The art galleries in the area also stay open late. There are people everywhere, including street performers. We must have walked over 10 blocks, and we didn't even see everything!

Also went to Cork since my friend Shelly has paintings on display there. We got to try three wines for $5 which was fun. Cork also has a decent selection of wheat beer, so I got a Japanese hefeweizen to try. Which means tonight is pizza and beer night :)

Scrapbooking and Gifting

I haven't done as much knitting or spinning this week, but got inspired to do some more scrapbooking. It's more of a journal than a photo album, but it's been fun to put together pages and figure out what information I want to include. It's interesting how my crafting goes in cycles... Last weekend I got a couple of quick knitted projects done, and before that was mostly spinning... Still catching up on taking pictures though!

Also starting to think ahead to what kind of projects I want to make for holiday gifts. The holidays always seem to come faster than I can knit ;) and I don't think many of my family members would like to receive a skein of yarn. Maybe I should work on teaching everyone to knit instead of trying to knit them all socks... there's an idea....

Next I'm hoping to channel my creativity into cooking. It's been too hot to do much baking this summer, and I'm starting to look ahead to what I want to make for fall. Also looking ahead to a crazy 45 hour work week when internship starts, so need to come up with better ideas for what to make for lunch and dinner. Especially for days when I won't get home until after 9pm! I think I'm also trying to cram in as many craft projects during summer break as possible ;) At least I can knit on the train, but not so sure about spinning on the train yet. And scrapbooking is pretty much out unless I'm at home.

Sock Summit Stash

Still learning the best way to upload pictures to the blog, so hopefully this will work! There are also more pictures in my Flickr Photostream

First is the green fiber I got from Spinner's Candy on the last day of Sock Summit (she had a buy 2 get 1 free special, so I also have a blue braid and a grey one). The wool feels spongey which is kinda fun, and I like how it looks spun up.


Also a couple of skeins of sock yarn I got from CraftsMeow. I think this was my first purchase at Sock Summit. I had admired both of the colorways in the Dye for Glory contest on ravelry, so they had to come home with me ;) Hoping to make some witchy socks for Samhain.

Inspiration

I'm feeling more inspired to keep up with blogging. I've been reading Larissa and Martin John Brown's Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together which has some stories about blogging and knitalongs. There are also a few patterns that I would like to try :) I got to meet Larissa at Sock Summit and at an event at Powell's last week which was cool.

I've also been inspired reading friends' blogs (and I need to update my blog roll if anyone wants to check out their blogs). And I've had a few people link to me, so I feel like I should write something in case anyone wanders over here...

Now that I have a whole month of summer vacation I also have more time for blogging and crafts. Finally finished knitting a pair of socks out of sock-weight yarn and am working on a few birthday presents. And starting to think about holiday knitting since I tend to get carried away with projects for my family... And having fun spinning (I've tried BFL, milk protein, merino, and merino/bamboo blend) and plying different colors together for new effects... Guess I should take a break from making stuff and actually take some pictures ;) Maybe later...

Sock Summit

Sock Summit was fabulous... I made some new friends, visited with other friends I hadn't seen in awhile, bought too much yarn and fiber, learned some new techniques, and even got to help some new sock knitters turn a heel :)
Also procrastinated writing my last paper for summer term, which is why this update is so short.

Spinning...

Last weekend I (finally) decided to take a drop spindle class. I had been wanting to learn how to spin, there was still space in the class at Knitting Bee, and I needed somewhere air-conditioned to spend the afternoon... so it worked out well ;)

Seemed like a lot of things to learn in a two hour class, and I felt like I was just starting to get a feel for what the fiber and spindle feel like. Then I had school all last week, and there wasn't really any time to practice.

Today I pulled out one of the fiber samples I had gotten in the Phat Fiber box, and decided to try spinning to see what I remembered. Now I think I'm hooked ;) I think I've learned that playing with the fiber too much just leads to over-spinning, and it didn't seem to take much to turn the fiber into yarn. And I was using a fabulous organic wool sample from Extreme Spinning, so it was probably easier to spin than the roving we used in class last week.

So now I'm looking at what other samples I want to spin! I also have some nice Abstract Fiber samples I got during the yarn crawl last winter...

Also thinking about knitting another sock so I can have a pair to wear to Sock Summit next weekend! Finished the other one a couple of weeks ago, and haven't gotten motivated to knit the other one. But I would like to have a pair of socks to wear to Sock Summit, and the only other socks I've knit are house socks which will be too warm to wear!
I didn't actually get tickets for any events or classes, but am looking forward to checking out the marketplace and sock museum. A little scared about the number of crazy sock knitters that will be descending on Portland in the next few days though... I will also be volunteering at the Marketplace on Friday and assisting in a beginning sock knitting class on Saturday :) Should be lots of fun knitting and spinning adventures now that summer school is over!

Adventures in Sock Knitting

I took a bit of a knitting break at the end of spring term, but am started to get more motivated to finish projects again :) Wearing my house socks helped inspire me to cast on a pair of basic everyday socks. I decided to knit on double points this time, and quickly discovered that wood needles in small sizes is not a good idea... Yes, I managed to break one of my size 0 double points :( So I have switched to metal DPNs; I'd be impressed if I could break those!

Moonlight and Laughter & Bohemian Knitter Chic

I wasn't able to score a Phat Fiber box this month (guess I couldn't be lucky two months in a row!) But several of the contributor's offered specials in their etsy shops over the weekend. Since I wasn't spending money on a box, I ordered a couple of skeins of yarn. Made it easier to justify ;) Besides, my birthday is next week, so I'm entitled to treat myself, right?

I ordered some handspun yarn (one large skein of green/brown/burgundy, plus mini skeins of the green and brown) from Bohemian Knitter Chic. Also ordered a skein of handpainted yarn from Moonlight and Laughter.

Both of my orders arrived today, and I'm looking forward to knitting with my new yarn :) Also want to thank Marilla of Moonlight and Laughter for the great extras she included with my yarn: a pretty stitch marker, mini batt of fiber, a sample of sock yarn, and a sachet. I'm looking forward to trying out the sock yarn sample, since she has some great colorways! Would definitely recommend both of these sellers :)

Even though I didn't get a Phat Fiber Sample box, I still enjoyed "Phat Fiber Day!"

Knitting Help

I had forgotten how helpful knittinghelp.com can be! I am currently knitting the Scrunchie Armwarmers from the 101 Designer One Skein Wonders book, and noticed my increases weren't looking right. The descriptions on knittinghelp.com were very helpful, and I like that there are videos for continental and English knitters. I find videos more helpful than just diagrams!

I should also mention that I'm knitting the armwarmers as a sample for Abstract Fiber. The color is Sangria, which is a pretty red color with flecks of yellow and orange. I'm a little sad that I won't get to keep these when they're done! But I am enjoying the yarn, and it doesn't seem to split as much as other sock yarns I've tried. I'm still getting used to the size 0 needles, but the yarn seems to have a nice amount of stretch.

Short update

I'm trying not to neglect the blog, so I figured it was time for an update!
Sock Knitting Class - I finished my first sock at the end of the third class :) It was nice to have enough time to go through the whole process during the three weeks. The second sock went pretty quickly, since I had already learned the techniques with the first sock. Still need to take pictures, but hoping to post more soon...

Phat Fiber Swaps - So half the fun of the phat fiber box was swapping for different samples! All of my swaps went well, and I got some fun yarn samples (and I think everyone is enjoying the fiber samples I sent them). I'm almost done with a pair of fingerless gloves using three different sample yarns. Hoping to update on that later in the week.
and, it's almost time for the May Phat Fiber box to go on sale...

Also need to go shopping for the Gemini Birthday Swap. I've done some window-shopping, but it's getting to be time to decide. Luckily my swappee has a birthday in June, so I still have a little time. Also waiting patiently for my package to arrive...

Okay, this update is getting longer than I intended, so it's probably time to do some studying. Also planning to make some lemon poppyseed mini muffins to take to practicum tomorrow :)

Socks (part 2)

So, yesterday was part 2 of the sock knitting class at the Knitting Bee. Knitting the heel flap wasn't too bad, and the short row heel wasn't as scary as I expected. Picking up stitches was more challenging... I have picked up stitches before, but mostly for bags. I wasn't as concerned with making the picked up stitches look pretty when I knew the bag was going to be felted! Plus it seemed easier to pick up stitches when using size 10+ needles; it was different trying to pick up stitches on the size 3 needles!

It really got interesting when working the instep stitches. After working back and forth for the heel, I think I forgot the proper magic loop technique... so I got confused about where in the round I was. Also had to deal with the railroad rib pattern on the front of the foot. I think knitting plain stockinette socks would have been less confusing! And I may try my next pair on double points, since I feel more comfortable with those. Oh, and I supposed I should finish the second sock before I start thinking about the next pair...

Sample Swapping

April 2009 Phat Fiber Box - Fiber
Originally uploaded by alittleweirdo

Apparently half the fun of the Phat Fiber box is swapping samples you're not sure about for other samples...
Since there were several people on Ravelry eager to swap their yarn samples for fiber, I figured I'd look into swapping. Since I'm not sure when I'll have time to learn to spin, it made more sense to swap some of the fiber for yarn that I can use now :)

So I think I have found a good home for my fiber samples, and I'll be getting some more yarn samples to play with. I think I may have collected enough samples of similar colors to make a funky headband or short arm warmers :)

April Phat Fiber Box

April 2009 Phat Fiber Box - Yarn and Fiber
Originally uploaded by alittleweirdo

Just opened my phat fiber box! There are some beautiful yarn and fiber samples :) Trying to decide if I want to try to swap any of the fiber for more yarn. I would like to learn how to spin, but not sure I have any time for a new craft right now... but the fiber (especially the bamboo) is so pretty....

Yarn Candy by Melissa

I have been wanting a shawl pin to wear with my recently finished Clapotis. Today's post on the Phat Fiber Blog led me to Yarn Candy By Melissa. I'm trying to decide if this pin would be a good color complement. What do you think?

And after you check out Melissa's shop, don't forget to stop by the Phat Fiber blog for a chance to win today's giveaway :)

I also had a mail slip yesterday that I have a package, so I'm hoping my Phat Fiber Box is waiting in the apartment office for me...

Socks...

This afternoon was my first sock knitting class at the Knitting Bee. There were seven of us in the class, and it seemed like the right size. Any more people and I think it would get hard to keep up. Today we just focused on getting used to the Magic Loop method, which I am liking so far :)
I will say that knitting with double points makes me feel smart, but it does make it harder to try on projects. So with the magic loop it seems easier to try things on, and there's no risk of losing a needle (unless you just lose the whole project!)
So far my only concern is that I knit really loosely, which means I have to keep going down needles sizes. So my size 4 needles were too big for worsted weight yarn. Since I wanted to practice the magic loop technique some more, I tried casting on some sock yarn onto size 0 needles. Also looking too loose... and not sure I want to end up knitting on 000 needles or something. Any suggestions on knitting tighter? Or should I just knit thicker socks? ;)
Next week we get to learn how to turn a heel, so should be more exciting...

Third time's a charm...

Don't hate me, but I managed to get a Phat Fiber box this month!

I think I first heard about Phat Fiber on Carissa's blog. She donated samples for a previous box. Which reminds me, I have a beautiful skein of Carissa's yarn which is still waiting to get made into a shawl...

I thought the idea of getting to try samples from independent dyers and spinners sounded fun, so I signed up for the e-mail notification list. I managed to put a box in my cart in February, but didn't click on the check out button fast enough. Again manged to put a box in my etsy shopping cart in March, and again the box disappeared before I could check out. I almost gave up this month, but decided to try during the later drop time (I had tried during the first drop the last two months). Not sure if waiting for the second drop helped out, or if my clicking was faster after 2 months of practice, but I finally got lucky!

So, for anyone who has tried, unsuccessfully, to get a Phat Fiber box, don't give up!
And I'll post pics when mine arrives :)

Spring Clapotis

Clapotis front
Originally uploaded by alittleweirdo

Finally finished my first Clapotis! The yarn was my Valentine's Day present from Yarnia. It's a blend of 2 strands of bamboo, 2 different strands of cotton, 1 wool, and 1 silk strand.

The pattern was pretty easy, and the drop stitches were fun :) I'm happy with the finished size. I even have some yarn left on the cone, so hoping to be able to make a matching hat.

Now just waiting for the rain to stop so I can wear this outside and show it off!

Cloverhill Yarn Shop

I keep hearing about the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival on ravelry, and then today I saw another link about the Cloverhill Yarn Shop's booth at the festival. They're also running a contest to promote their booth, so definitely check out their blog!

Unfortunately I won't be able to make it to Maryland next month, but sounds like a fun event :)

Sock Knitting

Wow, didn't realize how long it's been since I posted! So I guess a short post is better than no post...

The Knitting Bee's Spring Class schedule just came out, and I signed up for a beginning sock knitting class. I had a friend who started teaching me how to knit socks, but we both got too busy. And I figured taking a class would be more motivation to actually finish a sock! It's also a good opportunity to learn the magic loop technique at the same time :) And I'd like to finish a pair of socks before Sock Summit in August... big knitting event that's just a MAX ride away, how could I not go?

Other bonus, after I paid for the class and supplies, I had spent enough at the Knitting Bee to earn a "busy bee certificate." So next time, I can get $50 worth of free yarn :) Might be a good time to treat myself to some more cashmere...

Lots of chocolate and a little yarn

Apparently Valentine's Day is the time of year for chocolate tasting... last weekend I stopped at the Orenco New Seasons for a chocolate taste test, and today was the Chocolate Fest at Whole Foods. I had planned to go the Tanasbourne Whole Foods, but, since I ended up at PSU for most of the afternoon, I decided to check out the Whole Foods in the Pearl District. There was a $5 fee (which was donated to the Christy Care). Not long after I arrived, I ran into Rachel, who I had met during the Seattle to PDX Yarn Crawl. There were chocolate bars to taste, chocolate mousse cups with berries on top, really rich chocolate brownies, chocolate dipped clementines, and even chocolate stout ice cream floats. The Pearl Med Spa was also giving free 5 minute chair massages (totally worth it!). I also got a coffee mug from them, with a peppermint scented body lotion. The other freebie was a Mexican Cocoa scented candle from Pacifica.

After I had my fill of chocolate, I headed to Knit Purl to check out a pattern for Hand Maiden Wool I bought during the yarn crawl. I had forgotten they have knit night on Thursdays, and didn't have any knitting with me. But I did have a glass of champagne. However, I don't think I can drink champagne when I'm knitting...
Though I think the real reason they give out free champagne is to lower your resistance to purchasing more yarn... at least, that's my excuse for the Shi Bui superwash merino yarn I bought. Though I am thinking this yarn will become arm warmers for my aunt, so at least it's gift knitting!

Then it was time to catch the MAX home and have dinner...

knitting in public

I've been knitting on the MAX on the way to PSU as a way to relax before class. This afternoon another passenger commented that it made her happy to see me knitting :) She shared that she learned to knit when she was 13. Since she was getting off the train we didn't get a chance to talk anymore. But I think it's interesting how knitting brings people together... and I know it makes me happy when I see other people knitting in public, too!

Hypnosis and Knitting

I volunteered to take place in a study about knitting and hypnosis. Today was the start date, and I knitted for 15 minutes while listening to the hypnosis MP3. I was surprised how easy it was to focus on the MP3 and the knitting became more automatic. There are several patterns to choose from, which are easy to memorize. I'm making the Yarn Harlot's One Row Handspun scarf using Spincycle yarn that I bought at the Knitting & Crochet show last fall. Glad to have found a pattern that works so well with this yarn!

I think the next 21 days of the study should be interesting... I haven't tried hypnosis before, so trying to be as open-minded as possible! and now I have an excuse to knit for at least 15 minutes a day ;)

PDX Yarn Crawl

I keep thinking I should start blogging again, and today seems like a good time to start! I just got home after participating in the Seattle to Portland yarn crawl. A huge group of knitters from Seattle took Amtrak to Portland, and about 20 of us Portland knitters were there to meet them at Union Station.

From there we split into smaller groups (so as to not completely overwhelm the yarn stores we would be visiting). I got a chance to visit with some of the PDX knit bloggers I hadn't seen in awhile, and meet some new people. Our first stop was Dublin Bay. After snacking on yummy scones and hot cider, I ended up with two skeins of RYC Cashsoft Aran (to be armwarmers for my mom), a skein of Lorna's Laces shepherd worsted (which is one my new favorite yarns), and a skein of Handmaide Sea Silk (to make Rusalka from Knitting New Mittens & Gloves).

Next was a quick stop at the Tea Zone for Rose Garden bubble tea. Then off to Knit Knot Studio. I had only been to this shop once before, and there was a better selection of yarn than I had remembered. I couldn't resist a skein of Tilli Tomas Flurries and then found a coordinating color of Laines du Nord Royal Cashmere (100% cashmere, enough said).

Then there was another quick stop at Cupcake Jones, and then on to Knit Purl. They had yummy lavender cookies and even yummier yarn... I picked up some Malabrigo worsted that matched the Tilli Tomas skein perfectly (I'm thinking these two will end up being a hat, possibly with a matching cowl or gloves depending on how much yarn is left). Also fell in love with some Fleece Artist Big Blue that had to come home with me. So I think I spent my yarn budget for the next 6 months or so ;)

By that time I realized I needed some real food, so went to Habibi with a new friend. Wasn't quite ready to go home after that, so headed back to Knit Purl for a couple more lavender cookies and some knitting time. I finally started a pair of Filigree (also from Knitting New Mittens & Gloves) for myself, and am really liking the Rowan All Seasons cotton for this pattern.

All in all it was a fun day, and I'm looking forward to knitting with my new yarn :) Though I probably should do some studying instead of knitting tonight...