Tutor Madness

Hello:

I've been tutoring my number 1 son every night.  This makes it so tough to post!  I had to get in a quick post before bed, though it's already after midnight.

On Friday, I made it to Crossroads for Fiber Friday, but forgot my camera, and tried to take photos with my phone... but they were horrible.

On Saturday, I went to the Country Living Expo in Stanwood with Wajio.  We took a fleece processing class, then a class on how to make your own yogurt.  Then Wajio took Pie Crusts and Barbecue, while I took a class on spinning.  It was an exhausting day, but so much fun.  I haven't tried to make yogurt yet, but I got the ingredients, so I will report here when I have tried it.  I did come home and spun for about 2 hours while the Doc and I watched the last Harry Potter movie.

On Sunday, I  made it to Sunday Knitting at Panera's in Redmond.  I remembered my camera, but the photos are pretty bad.

Puzan was knitting a hat!

She is using sock yarn, and I believe it is the Sock Head Hat.

JitteryKnitter is making a beautiful cowl.

VanesaPolo and Skeinherder were working on their Mystery Shawls

Wajio brought her Shur'tugal Socks.

BlueWolfWalking is also working on a cowl.

I think part way through the morning, Puzan stopped working on the hat and brought out a cowl.  She just can't stay away from them!

It is almost the end of the month, and that means that I am frantically finishing my "classes" for Harry Potter Knitting/Crochet House Cup (HPKCHC).  This term, I am trying to increase the bonuses for yardage by making more than one thing for each class. 

For instance, the prompt for Astronomy is the planet Jupiter.  You can make something to represent the giant red storm that is on the planet.  A year ago, I would have made one afghan square.  This month, I have made 4 squares all "inspired" by this prompt.

They are:  16 Circles Square (expanded to 36 circles) for an Andy Warhol representation of the storm

 Squaring the Big Circle

 Frostbloom

 And Lemony Lime Citrus Square

These are for an afghan for my Godson who is graduating from college in May.  He loves red and black. 

This is helping me to make good progress on the afghan, but it is way more work than just making 2 squares a month.  I also made two of the squares in the Green and Gold of Notre Dame for the College Afghan I am making for the Doc. 

The Frostbloom:

Lemony Lime Citrus Square:

I don't have a deadline for this afghan, so I can take it a bit easier.  These squares will be turned in to Herbology class.  The prompt there is to plan a garden.  I can explain how the squares are the beginning of an afghan that will grow.  Actually I will turn in 2 more squares for that class that will represent 2 more afghans.  I am growing 4 afghans this year!

And so you can see how insane I am.

This post got much longer than I had planned, but I'm gad that I took the time to bring some of my projects up to date.  I also want to thank everyone who voted for me at the Eastside Knitters Guild meeting tonight.  I am the new Vice President. 

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with squares

Eastside Stitchers Late Post

Hello:

Sorry I didn't get the Eastside Stitchers Wednesday Meet up post up last night.  When I got home, my Number 1 Son wanted some Math Tutoring, and after that, I was just too tired to post.

But, here it is:

Wajio has made significant progress on her Shur'tugal Socks.  She has knit the heel flap:

Short row heels are nice and uncomplicated, but it is so fun to knit a heel flap that has some extension of the pattern on it.

JulieMustKnit is also working on socks.  She has finished her heel and is closing the gusset.

What a cute project bag!

Tara1682, fresh off her triumphant Chinese New Year Performance, is working on an Aviatrix hat.

GwenS, we miss you so much, we are now channeling you and knitting your projects!

BlueBerryMary brought two scarves. 

We had a nice Ravelry tutorial, now that the Crossroads Branch of the King County Library System has finished its remodel and has its wireless up again.  JitteryKnitter took some pictures of Mary's scarves, and Mary added the first projects to her project page.  We also got her started in her very own blog and linked her blog to Ravelry.  OOOO the pressure to post is now on, and we will be looking to see what Mary blogs about.  ha ha ha between Ravelry and blogging, how will she find time to knit?

Speaking of Jitteryknitter, she brought a finished cowl Trust Me, by Louise Zass- Bangham.  It is a really cool mitred square pattern. 

She also brought the shawl she is working on, it looks like a bit of a pile of yarn here, but the color choices are lovely.

Guess what Puzan was working on?

Ha ha ha ha!  Tricked you!  It's a hat, not a cowl.  She is using sock yarn (EEEEEK!)

Colleen came right at the end, but as I left a bit early, I wasn't able to see what she had brought.  I hope I don't have to work on Friday so I can make the Fiber Friday Group. 

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with yarny friends

Eastside Stitchers Move to the Middle

Hello:

Eastside Stitchers met at Crossroads Mall tonight.  But, when the first people arrived, they discovered that some OTHER people were sitting at our usual tables.  So, we moved to tables at the middle of the Mall.  We all agreed that the light was better at the new location.  It was a bit loud, though.  We were able to get 2 of the large round tables which was key because we had a fair size group.

Vanesapolo was wearing her beautiful Summer Flies Shawl, knit in Madelinetosh Pashmina.

She was working on the charity baby blanket she is knitting.

Skeinherder needs some free needles.  After all, it is March Madness in only "two more sleeps," as she would say.  She was finishing a WIP Christmas Illusion washcloth, so she can use the circular needle it is on for a Malabrigo project in the Malabrigo Junkies' Malabrigo March KAL/CAL month of craziness.

 GwenS and Anerenbe were back from their visit to Stitches West.

GwenS was working on a baby sweater, in Mad Tosh Tart.  I had inadvertently written this as Malabrigo, because I have Malabrigo on the brain with the Madness starting tomorrow, and knowing that GwenS is perhaps the maddest of us all (though Skeinherder is giving her a run for that title this year.).  The pattern is the Antler Cardigan by tincanknits.  There is a very lucky baby out there.

Anerenbe was finishing up some fingerless mitts.  At least I think they are fingerless.  There is an afterthought thumb, but I'm not sure about the fingers.  And this photo is horrible, as my camera did not like the color of her yarn.

You can see where the thumb will go.

Redbird1 was wearing her beautiful Zuzu's Petals Cowl.

She had brought in a quilt for show and tell.  This quilt is her very first.

Redbird1 was knitting the Purl Ridge Cowl by Stephen West.  And, she finished it tonight.

WireKnitter was wearing her Integrali Shawl by Susan Ashcroft over an anonymous sweater.

She was knitting a Coast Starlight Shawl.

I am seeing a definite color theme for WireKnitter.

Wajio, having finished her Crimple Socks, was back to work on her Shur'tugal by Alice Yu.

She brought a triangle project bag for Show and Tell.

Colleen was hard at work on some of her Charity Headbands.  She managed to finish up two of them tonight.

Chockelet brought a lot of show and tell.
First she had finished and blocked her Wrap Me Up.

She brought some of the project bags she had been working on:

 

Chockelet was knitting a Linen Stitch Scarf.  Not sure how many times she has cast this on.  It is more than 2, though.

Hrvdmnky was beginning a three color scarf

of her own design.

That's it for tonight.  Tomorrow morning, I will be flying down to watch my son dance at the Univ. of Arizona.  I hope to post from Tucson.

Peace,
f1bercat
Shaping the planet here in Washington.

Eastside Stitchers Come and Go

Hello,

My stitch buds, the Eastside Stitchers, met at Crossroads Mall tonight for some knitting, great conversation, and lots of laughter.


We had people show up at 5:00 pm, other arrived after 7:30.  Some stayed all the way to 9:00pm and some left by 7:00pm.  Coming and going and enjoying a night of knitting.

Wajio brought her finished Crimple socks by Michelle Hunter.  She knit these in HiKoo yarn by Skacel, and with a Skacel knit-a-long.

I really love this pattern.  It knits up a very stretchy sock, but with that wonderful bit of lace.
Keeping in a sock mode, Wajio brought her Shur'tugal socks by Alice Yu.  She had started these socks before the Crimple socks, but broken one of her needle cables.  She has now successfully transfered them to a new needle, and is back in business.

Colleen is taking a break from knitting baby blankets for charity.  She is not taking  break from knitting for charity, just knitting baby blankets.  Instead, Colleen is knitting earwarmers.  She crocheted a bag full of flowers, and is knitting the bands on which to put them.

Just to switch things up and mess with all of our minds, Vanesapolo was knitting a charity baby blanket:

She is using yarn she got t our Eastside Stitchers first yarn swap and using a feather and fan lace pattern.

Vanesapolo was wearing "swatch cap."  She made a good sized swatch for a colorwork sweater by Meg Swanson, then turned the swatch into a cap.

Redbird1 has finished and blocked her Biscuit scarf,

and was getting a good start on a Zuzu's Petals shawl.

Wireknitter was also knitting a new shawl, Coast Starlight, by verybusymonkey.  She is knitting this in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Marine Silk in Jasper.

Chockelet was starting a Linen Stitch Scarf by Churchmouse Yarn and Teas.

Hvrdmnky came a bit later, and was working on socks.  She is using up stash yarn, and since she has quite a bit of sock yarn, she is making ...  socks.

These are showing the color beautifully.

Tara1682 was knitting on a new rectangular shawl, the Cloister Wrap by Miriam Felton.  She has gotten a good start.

Tara is using JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk in the color Blueberry.  The yarn is showing off the pattern beautifully.

Everyone who couldn't make it, we missed you!

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet from Crossroads Mall.