Eastside Stitchers Discuss Halloween and Dr. Who

Hello!

Tonight was the regular Wednesday night meet up of the Eastside Stitchers, and thank goodness.  It is always so ... refreshing... to spend time stitching with my buddies.  Truly, no one understands my fiber feelings, but other stitchers.

The evening started off wonderfully for me because Jan attended and wow, she brought me some new fiber to spin on my spindle.  She knows I am just beginning to learn how to spin. and wanted me to have some new fibers to play with.  She brought me a bag of Cheviot and another of Alpaca.

They both felt really neat, the alpaca was especially soft.  Jan also showed me how to comb the roving to get it ready to spin.  I can't wait to play with these, and compare them to what I am currently spinning (I have no idea what it is other than WOOL).

But enough about my wonderful fiber presents and on to the important part of the evening, Who was there, and What were they knitting?  I can say "Knitting" tonight because everyone who came tonight had a knitting project.

Jan was working on a scarf.  This is for a local charity for seniors.  Most of the scarves that have been donated so far are obviously for women, so she thought she would make something that could be for a man, too.

Skeinherder was working on her Windward Shawl in the luscious Malabrigo. 

For Show and Tell, she was wearing a very pretty scarf; I think it was the Directional Colors Scarf by Lion Brand Yarn.

GwenS was knitting her Guernsey Wrap by Jared Flood.  The yarn is Shepherd's Wool.  She bought it during her own solo Yarn Crawl in Portland.

Too bad my photo is so awful.  You can just barely see the beautiful textured patterns.

Vanesapolo was a vision in red.  She was wearing her red February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne, knit in Knit Picks Swish Worsted in the color Serrano.

Vanesapolo was knitting in red, too.  The Brioche Vest by Meg Swansen in Bartlett Yarns.

When it was time to go, Vanesapolo put on a coat, a RED coat.  I'm sensing a pattern here...


Redbird1 had on a lovely pink Saroyan by Liz Abinante.

She has finished her top secret test knit and it should be in the mail tomorrow.  Tonight she brought her Three Yarn Magic Scarf to knit.

Colleen brought a beautiful mohair scarf in a stunning red.  Sorry the photo is so bad but my camera just hates red.

Chockelet brought a variety of projects.  She has been knitting up a storm.
First was her two-tone scarf  she is knitting in Shepherd's Wool.

But Chockelet spent most of the  night working on her Clapotis.

Anerebe was making good progress on her Cecily Beret by Melissa LaBarre.

I'm sorry again that this photo is not the best.  Anerebe had some really cute stitch markers in her knitting.  You can just barely see one of them.

My worst photo, though, is of Ellyol's bear.  She is doing a fabulous job.  I am so impressed at how quickly she picked up knitting, and how quickly she is improving her skills.  Note the change of color.

Ellyol also started a knitted hat tonight.  I did not get a photo, but she successfully joined it in the round, and was well on the way to a neat ribbing when we had to pack up.  Practice makes perfect, and she is really cranking out the knitting practice.

That's all for tonight.  Allifer came right at the end again.  We missed Hrvdmnky who was at Rhinebeck!  Tara who was... missing,Jen who was probably at work, and our other good fiber friends.

O!  I forgot to mention the title of this blog.  We will not meet next Wednesday as it is Halloween, but on Thursday, instead.  And for some reason, this caused a big discussion of Dr. Who.  I don't actually remember the tie-in.  But I am always ready to discuss Dr. Who.  David Tennant is my favorite Doctor.

Stay safe and well.
Yours,

f1bercat
Shaping the planet with great stitching buddies

I'm Home for 3 Days

Hello!

I'm home for 3 days, then off to Arizona for a "Family Weekend" at the University of Arizona. I'm just posting a quick little update, because I am so busy trying to catch up on everything at home before running off, again.

So really, this is just to say:

Look!  Look! at me, I'm learning to spin on a drop spindle!

I just learned how to "Park and Draft."  And wow my first attempts were pretty funny.  I kept telling the instructor I was making novelty yarn.  But by the end of the hour, I had something that looked a bit more like real yarn.

Obviously, I'm just beginning.  I have a very vague idea of how to ply it when I get enough.  But, did you notice?  I'M SPINNING.

Ok, that's all for tonight because I'm trying to finish up a hat that I want to bring to Arizona.  I just had to frog it way back as it was HUGE.  I need to get to where I stopped increasing, well a bit before that, and make the darn thing smaller  (it's a top down one).  More on the hat tomorrow, I hope.

Stay safe and well.
Yours,
f1bercat
Shaping the planet with my own handspun.

One Eastside Stitcher Spins (the rest knit)

2012.03.22

Hello,  f1beristas!

Eastside Stitchers
Last night the  Eastside Stitchers  met, as usual, at Crossroads Mall, in Bellevue, WA.  People started arriving at about 3:30 pm, and well, I'm not sure how late they stayed since I had to leave at 8 pm to go defend a fort.  (Long story, especially if you do not play on-line games).  But, who was there, and more importantly, what were they working on?

In no particular order:

Cleothyla started a pair of lace i phone Mitts.
 She brought her second Brambles Beret, as well,

and this really cool tool for making cord called a Lucet 

Chockelet brought some recently spun yarn to share, some fiber,

AND her drop spindles for a demonstration

MsWiz brought a WIP that I can actually post as it is not a secret.  It is the lace shawl she tried to start a few weeks ago, but couldn't because counting and Eastside Stitchers, do NOT go together.

KateSchechter showed up.  She has been working on some fiberbombing projects in Redmond, WA, and was working on a swatch for a new stripe for one of the trees.

Colleen brought another Fun Fur Scarf.  She is making these for the YMCA's fund raiser.  Did I mention that I saw Colleen at the Y last week?  It was one of those weird seeing your teacher at the mall experiences.  She recognized me right away because I had my knitting bag with me, since I am knitting while riding the exercise bike.  But as she did NOT have any knitting, I had one of those, is that Colleen??, moments.

She also brought another mint baby blanket.  She makes these in super soft yarn for preemies.

Guess what I was working on?  You are right!  Sweater sleeves.

Where in the World is f1bercat?

Today I knit for 6.43 miles and reached 89.1 total miles knit!    On my way south, I stopped by Faith, Fiber & Friends Yarn Shop and Fiber Arts Studio, in Yelm, WA.  

View Larger Map

They have a farm!  16 alpacas, chickens, and a babydoll sheep.    They carry handspun yarns, and process and spin their own fiber from their own alpacas.  They mix it with other fibers, too, like wool, cashmere, and angora.  And that is not all, they also carry a nice selection of "factory" yarns.  The owner, Rustine, is very nice.  Remember, if you stop by, tell her, hi from f1bercat.

and on the big map:


View Larger Map

It's funny, I think I am making progress.  And, then I look at the big map, and I am still all squished up at the top.  Well, nothing to do but keep knitting.  At least I am no longer stuck on the side of the road by   Lewis-McChord.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the world, one successful fort defense at a time

(time to go take a nap)