An Invitation to a New Year

We are all at the same place--the end of an old year, the beginning of a new one. It's not like it hasn't happened before. Sure, we say we have new resolutions, that we intend to follow through in the new year on our plans, but in the past they may not have come to fruition. I am proposing something a bit different. Just try changing one or two small things rather than having a mile-long list with goals that are almost insurmountable. For me, I plan on trying to blog a bit more than the every 3-6 months. I plan to record my projects, whether they have photos or not, because sometimes, it's not the project that is important, but the lesson learned that is the most interesting.

Having said that, I will show you what I have been working on and my environment (which is very pleasant to me). I think it's important to have an area set aside for your fiber artistry. This way, you know that it is something special and not just another room with a table. Place inspirational photos or print quotes in large fonts so that you will always have something egging you on.

Take a look at my studio or at least part of it.





I like to save tidbits of yarn that I have tried, or some that I want to use again and this little vintage Coca-Cola case in just perfect. I actually look at it and am inspired sometimes. It doesn't even have my main color choices, but it works for me.

This year I will try to show more of my projects, no matter how simple some of them may be and I will relish in sharing my unique projects that are first time trials and designs of my own. My year is so full already and I am brimming with ideas, some I've had for quite awhile and some are rather new.

I started on Jared Flood's, OK, BrooklynTweed's, Hemlock Ring and I am knitting it in a color not too different than the color chosen by Jared--a deep chocolate which happens to go rather nicely with my King Size bed coverlet in a rather light coffee color. So far, it's been real fun knitting the Ring. I was intimidated at first, but once you read through the pattern and get the errata off the site noted in the above link, you're in business! Simply stated, the center of the round blanket is a vintage doily pattern and Jared added feather and fan in the round to create such an exquisite, and classic design quick to knit with chunky yarn. Or for those of you who like to be different, you can always knit it in laceweight for a beautiful dresser scarf or centerpiece for your dining room table.

Mine looked like this only a few days ago

Having almost finished the Ring, I am inspired to knit yet another piece in the round--feel free to give me suggestions for patterns.

Stay tuned for more of my projects, the latest of which is a nice little hat knit with one of my favorite colors, purple , but with a strand of mohair died with the rich colors of green, purple and lavender.

And just for fun, I'm cooking tomorrow. It will be a nice round casserole dish of au gratin potatoes. Prepared quite simply by cutting however many potatoes you want *very* thin and place in layers with Cream of Mushroom soup, onions cut in the style of onion rings and lots of cheese, the latter the preference of my other half. Place it in the oven on aout 350 degrees for a couple of hours or until it is one. It will melt in your mouth--promise. So easy! If you try it and like it, please let me know.

Out with the Old, In with the New

I've once again been busy with my loom. My most recent finished project is a shawl that I call my Purple Rose Shawl. It has rayon on the warp and the finest merino on the weft. The colors produced by this combination range from Blue to Rose and everything in between-mostly purple which of course, is my favorite color. It's also exquistely long. Every time I wear it, people stop to admire it. Oh My! Isn't that lovely. I think so.



My next project is going to be a bag with sherbert colored cotton, but it may take me awhile to get there as I promised myself to finish some of my projects before beginning new ones. Presently on the needles is a marketing bag for buying produce at the Farmer's Market. It's a big lacey string bag knit with cotton. It is hardly bearable to knit with wool these days as temperatures have been so incredibly hot! However, I did finish my landscape wall hanging which was knit with yarn spun just for me my Moonrover on etsy--check out her shop--she knows how to spin!

I am putting the finishing touches on the landscape right now and this was before it was felted, so stay tuned to see the finished project.



If all the finishing of projects and planning new ones were not enough, I have just ordered myself a spinning wheel. I can't wait to take up my new "habit." And I can't wait to spin with new and old friends at Yarnorama.

Precious Me

It is a beautiful day today, and after my trials and tribulations of yesterday I thought it would be good to do something positive. Sharing one of my latest creations might do. I saw a few needlefelted animals not long ago and simply fell in love. I wondered, to myself, of course, what my favorite animal was that I could possibly portray in wool roving that gets pummeled by a needle. A Pig. Yes, indeed. I love pigs--especially the pink ones. So my mission was to find some pink roving and I started envisioning what my pig would look like. So many artists give realistic versions of beagles and beavers and assorted animals, but I was thinking of my little pig in the abstract. This is the first one I've created--she thinks quite highly of herself, as you can see.



Ahhh, there, I have shared and I feel better already. As I said, yesterday was pretty horrendous. It was one of those days that you just feel out of kilter in everything you attempt. Nothing went smoothly, nor in the sequence it should have. I was preparing to knit my new lucious Ella Rae Lace Merino into a pair of socks I was going to knit on two circular needles. But first, I needed to put the yarn on the swift and wind it into a ball. Somehow, I managed to forget that I needed two separate balls of this beautiful yarn. Once it was in one ball, I thought I would simply pull out half of it (230 yards worth) and turn that into a new ball. In the course of measuring the yarn, it fell in on itself the way yarn does and loops around itself. As if I didn't know that's what would happen--what was I thinking? I ended up with a mess of yarn that needed to be unmangled. It took me about an hour. That's not bad, you say? I beg to differ. You see, after I got it wound up, I realized that I had not counted out 230 yards--it's more like 130 yards. How I made that mistake I will never know. The only thing I can think of doing is buying another hank of Ella Rae Lace merino. Pity the thought.

Life's Little Pleasures

So once again we meet at a date much later than what I had expected to post over two months ago. But much has happened since that time--the holidays for one, the passing of my dear cousin Bernice, my own herniated disc, and a variety of other ills and sordid moments that make up this life. However, I always turn to my knitting for comfort. Last weekend I taught a class at Hill Country Weavers on how to create a pillow and just had a great time with an exceptional group of knitters--I believe they had fun as well.

As I prepared for the class, I took the opportunity to rummage through my stash--I never like to pass up that particular delight and often look for reasons to do so. I pulled a few things out and that you can see here.




Included in tht nice little bundle is a yarn by Terra that is 60% Merino, 20% Baby Alpaca and 20% Silk that is a most unusual color of purple and steel blue. It is magnificent. And then I also saw a beautiful skein of 100% Mongolian Cashmere by Jade Saphire which is simply a very light lilac color. And last, I was surprised with a very red Blue Sky Alpaca skein that is 50% Alpaca and 50% Silk. I ask myself how such luxurious yarn has managed to escape me and am left with mouth agape and no answer. I do remember that I purchased them to knit flowers with. I have since knit a few flowers and will continue to do so, but I am not sure I will use these special skeins to knit flowers with. I guess I will have to hunt for projects to use them in. What a lovely diversion to all the turmoil of late.

And on another happy note, I've started needlefelting, so stay tuned for my first project which I am about to complete.

Gratitude for Life's Little Moments

This Thanksgiving holiday has been filled with good times and a few sad times. I feel grateful for being alive and well and looking forward to more knitting projects. I have been quite prolific of late, but have not taken photos as I should have. Part of my frenzy has been in preparation of the Hill Country Weavers Fiber Festival. I will be volunteering on Saturday, December 13, but the fun event goes through Sunday. Local crafters, not just knitters, will be selling their wares at the store that weekend--if you are in the Austin area, please drop by--you are sure to find some great items for holiday giving.

Sad times include my aged cousins--one ailing with a fractured toe and the other preparing for a mastectomy. And yet, we are all here and grateful to be alive. That's why we endure miniscule inconveniences such as having to wear a hard boot to keep toes straight and why we choose to have surgery to remove a memorable part of ourselves. Because life is worth living. We are definitely looking forward to a new year filled with good times that life seems to be stingy with sometimes.

I am also grateful for having attended this years ACL Fest in Austin. Absolutely loved Robert Earl Keen, John Fogarty's energy is electrifying and what can I say about Alison Krauss and Robert Plant. I'm one of Robert's biggest fans and Alison Krauss is my favorite female vocalist. So to be able to see them together after listening to Raising Sand, there joint album produced by T. Bone Burnett, about a gigazillion times, it was great to be able to see them together in person.

Take a look at a couple of the photos I took. Not great mind you, but it does conjure the memory for me.

The Unity of Knitting and Reading in One Project

My latest project is almost complete. It will be so yummy to wear in the fall and winter. It's made from Malabrigo and the color is burgundy. As you may know Malabrigo is kettle-dyed and so color pooling is not consistent amongt the skeins. But it is all beautiful and so luscious against the skin!





Here's a picture of the inspiration and what it will look like when finished (except for the color, of course). You can get the pattern here at

Lisa Knits

The pattern appealed to my inner reader. My problem with reading is very much like my problem with knitting, so many projects, so many books! I've started three books recently: Clapton, Garrison Keillor's Pontoon, and My Boyfriend's Back. My knitting projects are the Reader's Wrap as seen above, two pairs of socks and a scarf which I will share with you next time. I'm also listening to Pillars of the Earth on an audiobook downloaded onto my Ipod about three months ago. I fear that I will not get back to Pillars anytime soon and will most likely have to start over. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with the number of books and knitting projects and am guessing that I am not alone. At one time, it was worse. I would start so many projects and get so overwhelmed that I didn't always finish them. Bit older and wiser now, I finish most things that I start. And I have managed this by keeping the number of projects at three or below. Anyone else have a plan of attack for maintaining sanity amongst the lure of so many wonderful projects shared on the internet and at your LYS?

Tying Up Loose Ends

Today finds us tying up loose ends, literally. I have been busy weaving in ends and working mattress stitch, backstitching, and sewing on buttons on the latest pillow design. I call it my handsome pillow simply because it looks masculine. I planned it that way, but I also had Xmas in mind. Thus, the green and the red, but hardly the brightness of most things considered Xmas.

You can see that it really is a fairly simple design. Mostly stockinette done in even rows so I could carry the yarn up the side and avoid having too many ends to weave in. The back side is all done in the dominant color of the front, a nice chocolate brown.

There is ribbing on the top, or the side, whichever way you might prefer. The buttons are from Adorknit. You can find them at Yarnorama, one of my favorite LYS.

My sweet kitty, Louie already likes the pillow--he took to it right away. He has good taste, I believe.