Sleeping in Seattle

Hello:

Ok, the title should be Sleeping in Issaquah.  Last night I went to see Mary Poppins at the Village Theatre in Issaquah.  This is a wonderful little local theater that puts on quality productions.  Was Mary Poppins as good as the best shows I've seen there?  I have no idea.  I slept through most of it.  I kept dozing off, only to jerk awake and think, "How did THESE people get on the stage?"  I know the story from the movie really well as I love the movie.  I had even read the books by P.L. Travers when I was in High School.  But the musical is just different enough, that as I dozed off and woke up, I was often confused.  I remember at one point thinking, maybe I can just Listen to the show...

I have been trying to catch up on the 3 scarves I am currently crafting.  I say "crafting," because I am knitting two of them, and crocheting the third.

The first is the Racing Raindrops by Churchmouse Yarn and Teas.  I am making this for a swap through the Savvy Girls Podcast.  My goal is to have this scarf finished by November 19.  I am pretty much on track.  I need to knit 3 g every day to finish, but on Friday, because I went to the theater, I didn't work on this scarf at all.

I have passed the 50% mark and am decreasing.  It is going pretty quickly now, and I am excited to see what it looks like when it is finished and blocked.

The second scarf that I'm knitting is for Quidditch.  The prompt is to make something amazing that will dazzle and confuse Professor Umbridge.  I am using this amazing sparkly yarn by Little Red Bicycle called Spark Lace.  I am way behind on this scarf, I need to finish it by November 27, but I got about 15 g knit today, so I am catching up.

I am behind because I worked on it for 2 days, then decided that I didn't like the way the decreases looked and frogged the whole thing.  I started over, and am now frantically trying to get back on track.  This skein has over 800 yds (100 g), so if I can knit 5g/day, I can finish the whole thing.  Since I am only at 70g, I need to knit another 15 g tomorrow to be completely on track.  I can do it.

The last scarf I am making is probably going to be a cowl.  It is the Endless Cables Cowl by Laurinda Reddig.  The pattern is in Crochet! Magazine.  I get the magazine because I am a member of the Crochet Guild of America.  This is the first pattern I have made from the magazine, and I really like the stitch pattern.  I made another one of these last month, but I gave it away as a gift.

This first one used worsted weight yarn, and it is really thick and warm, but a bit bulky.  The one I am making now is with Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light which is Sport Weight.  I like the weight of this one better.  I am using a big hook, size I (5.5 mm) so it is loose and a bit drapey.  It is more narrow than the first cowl.

The one problem with this version is that I only have 2 skeins, and it won't be long enough to wrap around my neck twice.  I will have to see what that looks like.  I can't think of any way to fix that, unless I get 2 more skeins of some other color and make it two toned with each half a different color.

I don't have as much of a deadline for this cowl, just the end of the month so I can turn it in for a HPKCHC class.

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with yarn.

Fiber Friday's ROAR!

Hello:

It's starting, our gorgeous sunrises.  One of the things I love about living this far north is that as winter approaches, the sun rises later and later, and lazy person that I am, I can watch the sun rise without having to get up early to see it.  The above photo was taken at 6:50 am. 

So, Lions took over the table today at Fiber Friday. 

Ha ha ha, my fellow Gryffindor, Zillalatte, joined us at Crossroads in Bellevue for some knitting.  We have chatted both in the HPKCHC thread and in the Eastside Stitchers thread about the possibility of meeting up to stitch together in real life, not just on line, and today was the day.

We started early at Crossroads, or well I thought I was getting there super early, but CodyJunk beat me there.  We grabbed a big circular table in the middle of the mall under the skylight, got ourselves some coffee (I had a skinny mocha from Starbucks), and were joined by CathieC before we could even sit down.

CathieC was working on her beautiful Racing Raindrops from Churchmouse Yarn & Teas.

Later, we were joined by Constance49, who was also working on a Racing Raindrops.

Connie is using variegated yarn, and variegated beads, too.

CodyJunk, the Queen of crocheted toys brought a beautiful pair of knit socks to show and tell.

She also brought a special toy for my youngest son, Pookie. 

She brought Pookie a Pookie.  Get it?  Garfield's teddy bear, "Pookie."  A gift to my son, Pookie.  I can't wait to send it to him.

CodyJunk was also knitting today.  She is making this cowl with a really interesting stitch pattern.

Zillalatte was knitting hats for charity.  We have an ongoing Charity Hat Challenge in Gryffindor.  Zillalatte was knitting the Braided Gems Hat by Elizabeth Ravenwood Designs.  This pattern is on sale until October 12, 2013 in the Ravelry store.  For every hat you make for charity, the designer will send you another free pattern from her designs.  There is a thread for this offer in the A Big Comfy Doghouse Group on Ravelry. 

JulieMustKnit brought her almost-finished Union Square Cowl.

She is running out of yarn.  I can't wait to see the finished project.

Winterpromise31 brought her Twisted Trellis Hat.  She has reached the decreases and should be closing up the top soon.

We talked about a Christmas Gift Exchange.  We are planning something in the Wednesday group, and thought that the Friday Fiber group could do something similar, but a bit smaller, perhaps simply bring a gift (amount to be determined), and blindly exchange it.  That would require zero stalking.  Just presents.  I'm always up for presents.

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with a ROAR!

Fiber Friday Welcomes New Eastside Stitcher

Hello:

We had a new member of Eastside Stitchers join the Fiber Friday gang at Crossroads in Bellevue.  It was JulieMustKnit who has recently moved to the Eastside.

Welcome.

I don't know why, possibly because I am truly a kindergartener at heart, but it is so much fun to meet new stitchers.  We scootched over a bit and made room at the table in the center, under the skylight, where she joined in immediately on the enabling conversation of how we all want to knit from stash, yet need to buy more yarn.

JulieMustKnit was working on a beautiful Union Square Cowl by Melissa Wehrle featured in Metropolitan Knits.  JulieMustKnit is using MadelineTosh Vintage in the lovely Lolita colorway.

CodyJunk brought some more Traffic Cones to show and tell, along with a Fast Car.

I added the measuring tape for size comparison.



CodyJunk was working on some more washcloths.

In the spirit of more show and tell, she brought a new set of crochet hooks and their case.  I was very jealous.

CathieC brought her Racing Raindrops.  She is making this for a KAL with the Churchmouse Group on Ravelry.  I think it is coming out beautifully.  I got the pattern, yarn, and beads, too, while we were all on the 2013 North Puget Sound LYS Tour.  I need to find time to start mine.

Winterpromise31 brought her Twisted Trellis Hat.  Hahahaha, I just downloaded the pattern.  She has finished one full repeat, and you can really see the pattern, now.

Constance49 arrived near the end.  She didn't stitch with us, but, she brought the most beautiful show and tell, a beaded bracelet.

Constance49 beads with a group at Crossroads on Tuesdays.  You can find some crafting group here almost any day of the week.

I brought the Graduation Afghan.  I have 4 more squares to make, hook together into a row, the rows to hook together, and the border... I can do it!

Since JulieMustKnit is new to the area, we had some fun discussing the great abundance of local yarn shops, and what the different ones had to offer.  We may need to plan a field trip soon.

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with new stitcher friends

Eastside Stitchers Freeze in May

Hello:

This is one weird iris blooming on my beautiful Black Bart Iris.  The full dark purple is the normal blossom.  What is this mutant flower?  I have never seen anything like it, but there are a few more buds on the plant that look as weirdly variegated.

I just might dig up and sell the bulbs.

On to the important stuff.  It is freezing in Bellevue.  Today the high temperature was 57 F, and the low was 47 F.  It is almost June.  What is wrong with our weather?

The cold did not keep the Eastside Stitchers from our weekly meet up at Crossroads Mall in Bellevue.  We had a really large group tonight, as our visitor (and soon to be regular), AspenD, joined us from the UK, and and new friend, LauraH came to meet us all tonight, too.

Who was in out of the cold, and what were thy working on:?

Wajio was starting another pair of baby booties.  She is making "moc-a-socs."  These are amazingly cute baby booties that look like mocassins.

AspenD was working on an Elizabeth Shawl. by Dee O'Keefe.

MsWiz was starting the 3rd of 4 hats she is knitting for some very lucky children.

MsWiz is the very lucky recipient of some fabulous project bags by VanesaPolo.

CathieC is making good progress on her Frankenhat.  She has taken 2 different patterns, and is putting them together in one beautiful hat. 

The top of her hat is taken from the pattern Beginners Basketweave by Margaret Maney.

 CathieC had also brought one of her amazingly cute project bags.

Tara1682 and Skeinherder are making amazing progress on their Racing Raindrops scarves.

They got this pattern from Churchmouse Yarn & Teas during our stop this Sunday.

GwenS started her 4th Aviatrix hat. 

Hrvdmnky is still working on her Rivel Cardigan, by Miram Feton.

Wireknitter is knitting a beautiful Herrringbone Boomerang by Susan Ashcroft. 

The colors of her yarn are truly gorgeous.


VanesaPolo had finished another Potato Chip Scarf for her mother.

LauraH brought an Owlie Sleepsack.

And, Colleen brought a beautiful baby blanket. 

I brought my High Button Socks, which have been bound off the needles.  I am currently sewing on the buttons.  I will have to finish them up tomorrow because, once again, I am falling asleep at the keyboard.  I have 4 buttons to go, but, lately, I get home and pick up my keyboard to post, or my needles to knit, and it is like a wall of fatigue hits me.  I just can't see straight to sew on the last few buttons. 

I have sewing lab tomorrow morning, so, although I want to work on some more project bags, I will finish sewing on the buttons so I can just finish this round!

Peace
f1bercat
shaping the planet with some new Eastside Stitchers.