Hippity Hoppity...

Two bodies. Four ears. In need of a pompom (or really two!). Hippity Hoppity...

BUNNIES!

Pattern: Easter Bunny by Christine Manitz (Ravelry Link, my ravelry project)
Materials: A little more then half a skein of Malabrigo in a very creamy tan, plus a very small smidgen of leftover Manos in Wildflower I had lying around from my SIL's scarf two Christmas' ago.
Needle: US9 Addi Turbo Circular 24"
Start Date: First: 7 May 2008; Second; 13 May 2008
Completion Date: First: 9 May 2008; 14 May 2008
Size: Tall is about 9 inches, Short is about 6 inches
Project Spectrum 3: Earth (green, brown, metalics)

Notes: This is sort of a recipe more then a pattern. So the increases and decreases while evenly spaced aren't set in stone. Giving each bunny its own shape.

The manos was an issue. I thought the lip of color at the bottom of the second bunny was going to be really really cute. The manos didn't straighten out when felted, it curled instead. And really didn't felt that well either.

I am a bit disappointed about it. Who knew that while it usually felts well it doesn't straighten out like the malabrigo or Cascade 220 or a number of other yarns.

Still they are very cute so that makes up for it I think.

knitting with cats made easier

A month or so ago I purchased a really nice bowl. I know you are so excited for me.

"WOW, a bowl, is this blog-worthy??!"

I love the pink, rose, and brown shading. I love the shape of it. I'm rather fond of the felt bottom that doesn't scratch my table or floor. I love the slits in the side. LOVE them. Why?

Containment. Plain and simple. I like my yarn to stay put. There won't be any accidental rolling off the table. (No added dog hair fibers in my yarns!) There won't be any dogs that can eat yarn that accidentally rolled off the table and all the way across the room. The won't be any wondering what is snagging my yarn as some cat (or dog) steps on it or tries to eat/play with it. Yes knitting is far simpler.

I've seen a number of yarn barn things around. They look intriguing. Really they do. Check out Dee's (which are awesome - This link may not last forever, she likes to erase things...) But there is one little problem with them. The yarn is stuck in the barn until you finish. There isn't a way to get it out. I can't live like that.

"who me?"

I have CATS. Silly creatures that think that all fiber belongs solely to them and they are just loaning it to me. ha ha ha There is no way my project yarn can go through the hole and not be susceptible to small paws pulling it out from the ball. None! So no yarn barn for me. I prefer the removable kind.

I am now 42 repeats and a just a little less then a fourth of the yarn into the scarf. Not sure how long it will end up. I'm not sure I will use the whole ball. I was going to measure based on the unblocked length. I will block it but I know full well that once its gotten used a couple of times blocking tends to disappear some. Its got a lot more knitting days left. I was knitting last night and I'm pretty sure this is the slowest knit I've ever done. I haven't a clue why either! I just seem to slow down when I knit this. Which I suppose is not necessarily a bad thing.

[The bowl can be purchased from Knit Witch but not until the end of the month. They are revamping their ceramic studio and it won't be ready until the end of May. If you are interested in a bowl (for yarn or spinning), you can go check out the website and view sold bowls so you can get an idea of what styles they have had before. Mine I think would qualify as simple. It suits me just fine.]

I'm Bored

Chris is in Houston today. I had a whole list of things that I was thinking of getting done today. Knitting, sewing, making a new logo that fits more on a business card...blah blah blah. Instead I am restless. I am cleaning. Yes, CLEANING. So far most of the downstairs is completely done. I've played with a dog. We've chased off a snake. We think. I've reskiened some yarn only to discover there are 14 knots in the skein (which is why I don't sell this kind any more!) I'm about to vacuum some more of the downstairs.

So the reason I am bored and restless? I think it lies in the fact that Chris is not here today. Usually we might go do something together or I'd have someone to talk to you or ...please name off a list of things. No today it is just me and the dogs and the cats.

Speaking of cats. I was at the petstore this morning. They let me into the store 10 minutes before the registers opened. It only took about 5 to find the things I needed. So I wandered over to where the SPCA has their cats for adoption. There were several that were probably 5 or 6 months old, two that looked about a 2 months old, and a solid black tomcat that was 4 years old. I didn't look at the kittens at all. This older fellow had my attention. He was a beautiful cat and his family gave him up because they traveled too much. Poor fellow. I wanted to bring him home. I really really did. But I think we've reached our maximum pet threshold here at casa crazy animal. So he is still there at the petstore, unless some other kind person decides to ignore the kittens and adopt an older cat.

Also on the animal front, we apparently have a snake to go with our bullfrogs. Just great. He was up on the porch this afternoon and I'm guessing he was why our cats were acting crazy last night. Any thoughts on ways to get rid of snakes? We do need to have someone go in and trim down the stuff at the forest edge so the weeds don't get to high and start encroaching. Other then that I'm not sure what to do.

I have new fabric

I have this lovely new fabric to play with.

The both birds and the red are from Amy Schimler. The larger birds are from her Creatures and Critters line which I think is absolutely adorable. The smaller birds and the red are from her On a Whim collection. They all make me really really happy, but then most the fabric that I buy does! Its nice fabric and is very soft and smooth. The blue fabric is Amy Butler from her Midwest Modern collection. I hadn't tried any Amy Butler so I got this yard of fabric to see how I like it. It doesn't feel as nice as the Moda fabric, but its still nice fabric, also quite soft and smooth.

There is a really sad thing with the sock monkey fabric. When I ordered more either the Paypal didn't connect properly or somehow I forgot to pay. I didn't check it either, just assumed that it went through. I thought it would be arriving yesterday or today and instead I have an invoice asking for payment! She says that seems to happen occasionally that paypal doesn't connect properly, but it worked today when I paid so hopefully the fabric will arrive soon!

Postage

I've spent quite a bit of this evening getting stuff ready to go out tomorrow. Knowing I actually need to walk into a post office (customs forms can't be filled out online!) makes me want to have it all ready before I leave for the office tomorrow so I can do it on the way home before it gets busy.

There are 8 packages. Some shop sales. A swap package for Carla (sorry I am so much later then I said!!! I hope you like it!!!). A calorimetry winner's package. And some pay it forward. Other pay it forward went out on Tuesday.

So who won the Calorimetry. Was it Gus??

No sadly knitwear makes him hot. Especially as the weather is heating up. (To answer a comment question, this is why Gus doesn't get one!)

No our winner was Robyn, of Robyn's Nest (nice shop!) and Knit & Purl Mama. Robyn I hope you like it!

Working On Wednesday

This is the Old Shale Scarf from Tiennie. (Ravelry link and non-Ravelry link) I am loving this scarf. The minute I saw it on her blog I thought of this yarn and knew it would make a really pretty (and cozy!) combination. The yarn is from KNIT! on etsy (of course). Its called Peach Cobbler and it is a merino/nylon blend. Its soft and squishy and is knitting up beautifully in this pattern. So far I am about a fourth of the way in, so 20 or so inches.

I've done a feather and fan scarf before (blog post and Ravelry) but that was with Aran weight yarn and that is one I will never see again. It turns out that we dumped the recipient as a friend very shortly after I gave her the scarf. She'd been around for years, but she had turned into not a very nice person very quickly.

I noticed as I was shooting the photos that it goes pretty well with the living room couch too.

Thank you!

I need to send out an enormous thank you to Cynthia at Cygknit. At the end of April I won her blog contest and she went to Connecticut Sheep and Wool festival and picked out a prize for me!!

It arrived yesterday and it is wonderful.

It starts with a pretty skein of sport weight sock yarn from The Painted Sheep in the Birch Mountain color.

Look at these rich colors. I have a skein in the shop called "mountain majesty" that Chris named which is purple and blue. Since this was Birch Mountain. I decided that for some reason blue and purple must be associated with mountains. Chris had to clarify that in the national anthem it says "purple mountains majesty." I contend that there was no way I could possibly have associated these two things... Oops...off topic. Back to pretty yarn...

The next thing I pulled out of the package were some very cool note cards. Sweaters in three colors. I often send little notes to people so these will definitely come in handy.

Some cute sheep magnets. I have the perfect spot for these at in my office!

Finally this really cute keychain that every knitter needs!

Thank you so much Cynthia! This is a really awesome prize!

Two

Happy Birthday to you...
Happy Birthday to you...
Happy birthday my girlie....
Happy Birthday to YOU!!!!!

My Abigail is two today. I can't believe that she's been in the family for nearly two years. Just 7 short weeks from now that happens.

When I got home from work today she wanted to go play soccer. Here she is ready to attack the ball (and my foot). She's always been the sporty one.

She's my sweetheart. A crazy soul. A group hugger (runner over). Never shy. Rarely afraid. Always looking for action. She's a happy-go-lucky, go-with-the-flow, everything is a good time, type girlie. She stole our hearts at first sight, even before we "met" her and once we had met we couldn't let her go and we big time rearranged our lives (mostly mine as Chris was working quite far away) so that we could bring her home. She is stubborn, eccentric, loving, and over-the-top. She is a BIG personality in a compact body. She is the embodiment of love. I think a dog is always in investment in love. (Cats too!) No matter what you paid/donated they are always worth more. And always bring you so much more.

For Abby's birthday she wanted to give you a gift. I've knit two Calorimetry head wraps in the last week. I didn't have enough of this yarn for a zeebee (Schmeebot if you don't do ravelry.) like I planned and I didn't think I had enough for a long enough hat either, but I did for two calorimetry. One for me and, instead of giving the second to Abby like I might have, I've knit one for you! (Don't worry Abby will steal mine. She won't go without.)

These both need blocking but I'm calling them finished or I'll just put off this post (can anyone say Lizard Ridge finished project??) They've also already been Gus approved as he tried to eat mine.

Pattern: Calorimetry from Knitty (my ravelry project)
Materials: Each one took exactly half a skein of handspun yarn. The batt was from Loop yarns and it was spun by StonyCreek. I traded one skien of Sundara Sock in Rust over Chestnut for this skein of yarn through Ravelry. This yarn was very rope like to knit with but in the skein, the ball, and in the finished project its soft, comfy and oh so pretty. Its a brighter green then the photo here. Think more Kermit and less lettuce.
Needle: US7 Addi Turbo Circular 32"
Start Date: 9 May 2008
Completion Date: 12 May 2008
Size: Smaller then the pattern. I only cast on 88 and its plenty big enough. Also on the one I am giving away I've knit some cables on one side so it is reversible. They are random cables. Whenever I felt like making one I did. So there isn't a pattern to them and they don't occur even in every knit rib.
Project Spectrum 3: Earth (green, brown, metalics)

All the second one needs is a bind off, weaving in and a set of buttons (needs two since it is reversible!) This won't have the leaf button because it wouldn't feel good against your head when you reverse this and its not openable with the awkward button. I've permanently sealed mine, but then mine also isn't reversible.

Are you interested in a handknit head wrap you can't use for another few months (most likely)? If so leave a comment before Thursday night 6PM Central (15 May) and I will draw a name for the recipient. If no one wants it I will give it to Abby, since it is a little silly for me to have two as I only have one head.

Report of the day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers!!! (Also the pet mom's too!)

I don't have much to show for today. I spent the morning watching a movie and knitting on my scarf while Gus slept in my lap and Abby slept beside me. Then we spent some time in the studio finishing my swap bag. Once we went downstairs we had to deal with the laundry and think about eating some food.

I packaged up some orders to go out and played with fabric this afternoon in a did not touch the sewing machine way. Just designing in my head. Planning and scheming.

This evening we had a really lovely meal out at a restaurant called Ounce tonight. Its a steakhouse. We actually went there just a month ago for my birthday too. Its about an hour away from us. Good drive for getting knitting done.

I am about to head off to bed because I had a VERY late night last night and still got up very early this morning, but I wanted to say that tomorrow I have a giveaway.

Cheers!

Please remind me...

Someone please please please remind me the next time I volunteer to make sock monkey bags or dog bags or cat bags or any other animal, that every time I have to maim a monkey or decapitate a dog, or ... cut the wiggle off a bulldog butt... that it makes me sad. I'll still do it, but at least I'll be prepared. Thanks. Really.

Small and large sock monkey bags. I LOVE the way these turned out and this Moda fabric is FABULOUS. I will be buying some more of this. Not necessarily more sock monkeys but definitely more Moda. Going to go look later and see what they have available.

A couple more currently in the shop. The monkey's are there too.

Love this paisley! So pretty and springy.

Dogs have made it to the shop. This is the bag I had to cut the wiggle off the bulldog on! Makes me so sad. What is a bulldog without the wiggle???!?

Into the shop tomorrow (because its already 1040 PM)

I LOVE this fabric. I can only describe the in person effect as luscious. I am completely reminded of fresh peaches and strawberries... mmm... Seriously, I don't think my image does this fabric justice. Its vivid and fresh and seriously juicy looking.

I have several other bags that are going to make it to the shop sometime soon as well. I'm still working on two designs but spent most of my craft time this weekend getting these things done and not spending as much time on the designing bit. I'm hoping to spend next weekend perfecting a couple of bags. I still need to finish my swap bag so that will happen tomorrow so I can send it out on Tuesday when I ship everything else.

I've finished a knitted something with that green yarn, but it wasn't what I originally intended...not enough yarn... more on that tomorrow! Off to bed now.