Party pics

The spread!



Mary Kay, Connie and Kati with my tree in the background (and my husband's ass)



Mary Kay and Connie



Sylvia, Brandi and Dawn (and my fat ass) enjoying the gnosh


Brandi and Sylvia checking out their gifts. Sylvia got some GORGEOUS handspun yarn. I'm a wee bit jealous.


Mary Kay and Connie checking out their gifts. Mary Kay got a supported spindle and some cotton. Again, I'm jealous. Connie's holding her new project bag. Again, jealous. LOL


Sylvia fondles her yarn while Dawn reads us the Letter From a Box of Earplugs as Irene listens. I never knew that little foam earplugs were so useful to a knitter until the earplugs wrote the letter for Dawn (as told to Connie) illustrating their many knitting uses, from point protectors to children drowner outers to projectiles for people who interrupt you when you're counting.


That's it. :-D

Guild Christmas Party

Last night was the guild Christmas party. We had it at my house, which was nice not to have to stress about DH being home to watch the kids and all. The food? Delish. The wine? Fabulous. The company? Divine. I also managed to snag 8 oz. of Color Me roving in Fiery. Drool. We had a small gift exchange, as well, and I received some lovely handmade soap in the most gorgeous little gift bag. I didn't get any pictures, but if they're posted on the guild site soon I'll snag them.

Weird

My monitor suddenly fixed itself last night. Gremlins in there or something. Anyway, now I can see how much the picture of my shawl really sucks. lol I'll get some better ones soon, promise.

Stick a fork in it

It's done. Thank goodness. This picture was taken by a girl in my guild on her cell phone. My monitor is shot (the red doohickey [actual technical term] fried up so I only have green and blue) so I have no idea what this picture actually looks like. lol Sorry if it sucks. It'll fit right in with all my other sucky pictures.

Editing to add details:
The pattern is Creatures of the Reef
The yarn is Knitpicks Alpaca Cloud in Tidepool (gorgeous, gorgeous stuff.)
Knit on size 4 Addis, and I guess it took about 6 months to knit with a LONG hiatus in there, so really more like 2.

Navajo plying

I tried my hand at navajo plying tonight. At first, I wasn't pinching it off at all. I was just letting it wildly twist and wind on. Mmm, bad idea, okay? Don't do that. Once I figured it out, it was alternately pleasant and stressful. I think a tensioned lazy kate would help, but I'm using the super fancy Ghetto Rigged Knitting Needle Stuck Through a Box method. Also, the bobbin I was using seems to have a small bit on the end missing, and it was clacking and driving me crazy. That could have added to the stress. I'll have to find some way to fix that.

It didn't turn out too bad, I suppose. The main thing is the color changes were preserved. I had 2-plied some spindle spun yarn with this same top, and, well, it looked like crap. So I'm much happier with this. I'm not happy with the thickness. I wanted it thinner. Such is the learning process. This is before setting the twist.












With a dime for scale and whatnot. I dunno. It seems to be what you do. LOL

Just a few pictures

Okay! Time for some sharing.

First, here are my Lacevember projects.

First we have Baudelaire, which I started in the summer and finally finished yesterday. The yarn is Knitpicks Essential in Gulfstream.










Then this is the progress on the Creatures of the Reef shawl. I just have to do the seafoam stuff at the top and it's done.












Next up, my worst case of Second Sock Syndrome is officially OVER. The Jaywalkers! They're done! I think I started these at least a year ago. Sheesh. The yarn is Knitpicks Sock Garden in Pansy.






















And lastly, a truly craptastic photo of the splendifferous roving my secret pal sent me.











How does it look spun up?

Gorgeous.

Serendipity

Oh, y'all (I say as if anyone actually reads this blog LOL) I had the best day ever yesterday.

I sat knitting by the window stalking the UPS man and almost finished my cursed Jaywalkers aka The Worst Case of SSS in History. Finally he came! My wheels! They came! Wooohoo!

So I tore open the boxes and dug through all the hidden treasures that dear L put in. Homemade soaps, some Romney roving to get me started, extra paint and decals for the wheels, just good stuff. She also sent along some spindles. One is a basic top whorl that is painted with the same green and purple paint as my wheels. How adorable! Then there's another one that is so light and tiny it's like a feather. Can you say cashmere? I knew you could.

Anyhoo! So I got the wheels set up and sat down to learn how to use them. I succeeded in breaking my yarn and losing the end, mostly, but eventually I got it. As I was sitting there, there was a knock on my door. Who could that be? Why, it's the mail man, and he brought me about 8 oz. of the. most. beautiful. merino roving you have ever seen in your LIFE from my secret pal. She is just the best! All you other secret pals be jealous, because I got the best one. She put in a sweet note that made my day most of all. But how perfect that it arrived on the same day, nay, the same HOUR as my wheels? Of course, my pal says she totally planned that. ;) I've already got BIG plans for it.

I really need to get a picture of it. I tried, but the pictures just do not do it any justice at all. So I'll keep trying and post a picture soon. Just be warned. You might need a drool bib.

So then I spent the day spinning and getting to know my wheels, and that evening was the meeting for my Spinners and Weavers Guild. They ooohed and ahhhed over my wheel (I brought the green Delft with me) and tried to steal my secret pal roving when I wasn't looking and Suzieann (sp?) from Fire Ant Ranch was there trying to leave us broke tempt us with gorgeous spindles and fiber she had from Kid N Ewe. Much fun was had.

By the end of the day, this is what I ended up with. Please excuse the craptastic photography.









Not bad, I think, for my first attempt. Brown is not my color at all, but DH likes it and wants me to knit him a hat and some bulky boot socks, so I guess I'll oblige.