« April 2006 | Main | June 2006 »
May 31, 2006
Happy First Blogiversary To Me!
Yes, DriveByKnitting.com has been blogging it up for one year now! So there is no new layout yet, but one day... I promise.
I'm more fascinated than ever with Cafe Press. Not with so much how it works, but about the seconds, all those things that don't come out right. Apparently, a lot of it ends up at the Wayside Christian Mission store in Jeffersontown, Ky. My grandma loves thrift shops, yard sales, and the like, so with Wayside being in the neighborhood, she frequents the place. On two different trips, she's found knitting/yarn related items for me. One was a Knitting Olympics T-shirt and the other a coffee mug. How do they end up there??? The world may never know.
I started on Madli's Shawl from the Summer 2004 Interweave Knits. I love the pattern! I'm knitting it up in KnitPick's Alpaca Cloud in the color Iris. I'm actually farther along than the picture shows, about 8 repeats into it. It'll likely be entered in the fair, then Mom gets it as her showpiece.
I'm on a lace kick again. I'm spinning up a silk/wool blend for the Icaris Shawl in the latest Interweave. I'm planning on dying it a pale blue. I also just ordered 7060 yards of laceweight on eBay! It was only $23.00 with shipping and handling and it's coming from the Ukraine. What am I going to make with it? Anything I want! Hopefully, I'll win the Burda lace patterns I'm bidding on, and I'll use a bit of it for that.
I also went by Sophie's on Saturday, where I talked to Elise for a while, and also bought MORE SOCK YARN. I was only going to look. I really was, but I was seduced by the lovely ArtYarns Ultramerino 4. So wonderful!
There'll be another post this weekend, once I get back from the Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival. I've got a few things on my wish list already. Mainly, more BFL, Suri Alpaca fleece or top (not holding my breath on it), Shetland, and a new spindle.
Posted by Holly at 11:44 PM | Comments (3)
May 21, 2006
Adventures in Felting
I've just tried felting fiber for the first time. I don't know why I've waited for so long! It was really easy, though the first piece didn't work out as well. Apparently, Suri alpaca doesn't felt as well a huacaya. Oh well, there's always a learning curve. I can definately see felting leading me in an interesting direction.
Here's what I've felted so far (with before and after pictures).
Friday was the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association Conference. I went down to see all the sweet alpacas. And to look at fiber, of course! There were so many more 'pacas than last time, and many had been shorn for fleece judging.
The cutie on the right wasn't happy with his second place finish in some compition. I snapped this picture after he grabbed his red ribbon and dropped it on the ground. Lesson? Alpacas are sore losers.
Another adorable creature
At the show, I bought the BEST T-SHIRT EVER!
Yesterday, I joined Ann from Grinny Possum and some friends at the Howard Steamboat Museum in Jeffersonville for a craft fair. My arms still hurt from five hours of spinning. It was a really nice day, and I had such a great time.
Ann, Mary, and I spinning away. (sorry for the blur)
Posted by Holly at 10:48 AM | Comments (1)
May 18, 2006
It's been a while since I've posted, I know. I've been busy working on the lay out for DriveByKnitting's 1 year anniversary make over! It's almost done and you won't believe it when you see the new look!
Or not.
I lied. I haven't been working on the layout. I had planned on it, I really had. And I will eventually. I've just been really damn lazy. Sorry about that!
I did finish the Wyvern Socks. What fun pattern! I may have to make more in other colors.
Yesterday, I knit the Heart Sachet from the WebKnits section of Interweave Knits Summer 2005. I used some of the handspun, icing dyed to make it after deciding it was too rough for socks. Mitered squares are a lot of fun, but damn there are a lot of ends to weave in. I still have to get some lavender to put in it and seam it up.
Speaking of handspun, I spun the BFL rovingI dyed in the prevoius post. I'd have to say that may be one of my new favorite fibers. I ended up with 175 yards of "The Dark Before The Light" and 125 yards of "Hydrangeas."
There's another alpaca show this weekend and I've been invited to participate in a spinning demonstration else where, so there'll be more pictures and goodies soon.
Posted by Holly at 09:57 AM | Comments (0)