Frankenstein & Vampire Suicide!

I only bought the fiber a year ago. I did spin up Vampire Suicide last year, but it took my a year to finally pick a pattern to knit with it.

The fiber: FatCatKnits Vampire Suicide, superwash BFL, 8oz (but I only needed one braid, second one will be for next year)


The yarn: chain plied, two small skeins, because I knew I wanted to do either socks or mittens with it


The mittens:





pattern: Love in the time of Camelot by Stephania Fregosi (love this pattern)

And there was also some FatCatKnits Frankenstein fiber: 4oz Polwarth


(sorry about the bad fiber photo)

the yarn: chain plied:





the hat: pretty on both sides, this is right side out


inside out: has more texture




It's no secret that I like slouchy hats.

pattern: Graham by Jennifer Adams, I LOVE this hat. In fact I've knit a second one right away, but with commercial yarn, and not for myself. I will knit this one again, and again. It's a great fit, and can be knit in one day.

Well, that's all the Halloweeny we'll get around here. We don't need costumes, or mask, we are scary every day. Aren't we? :o)



Happy Halloween everybody!

♥ ♥ ♥

Kale Chips?

You know how they say you can't eat just one potato chip at a time? Same goes for kale chips. Some time ago I saw kale chips being sold in bags in the health food store, and marveled over the prize of one bag. Was there gold in it? I though it couldn't be that difficult to make them yourself, and I was right.



The way I do them: get a fresh bunch of kale, remove the dark green bits from the thick stems, rip into smaller pieces, toss them in a little olive oil, sprinkle with garlic powder (or any other spice you fancy) and sea salt, and put them in your dehydrator (or on a baking sheet with parchment paper in the oven, the pieces not overlapping). Forget about them for a few hours (don't know about the time in the oven, since I've only done them in the dehydrator). After they have cooled down, they are ready to be eaten. Crunch, crunch, crunch. The dogs are crazy for them too. Of course I shared!

Speaking of dogs. Here are a few pics.

While Happy and Maggie were playing outside, Denny was overlooking his kingdom.









♥ ♥ ♥

Handspun Friday - FatCatKnits Semi Solids

Earlier this year, I decided to spin for another blanket, using FatCatKnits semi solid colorways. At the time there were a little over 50 colors, but Ginny continued to add more colors. In the end I stopped at 61 colors, while she has over 80 in her store now. They are all so beautiful!

Here's a picture of the big mother load I got first.






During this years Tour de Fleece, it was my goal to spin as many semi solids as possible during that time. I stuffed them into this plastic bin.


At that time I had 32 colorways left to spin, and managed to spin 19 during Tour de Fleece. Here are some pictures of finished yarn.





I filled a few bobbins, and plied them at one go, so that there were always a few done at a time. Like this:







With each batch I thought there was one which was my favorite, but I can't choose just one favorite. I like them all, and really love some of them.
Anyway, while the fiber took up space in 2 1/2 shelves, the finished yarn only needed one shelf to house all those little pretty skeins.

I do like this combo a lot though.


It's "Rust" and "Toasted Almond".



Each color is 2oz, chain plied, on Falkland.



I can't tell you how happy I am to be done with spinning them. I had an idea how I wanted to knit this blanket, but have dismissed this idea since then. Now I have to think some more, before I can cast on, but there is no hurry. I love looking at this shelf. I still have to add up the total yardage.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

♥ ♥ ♥

Fall

I love Fall, and yes, I say this every year. What's not to love (well, yes, there are some things I don't like about this time of year as well).

Nature is beautiful, even when shutting down, don't you agree?











What I don't like is mud, and everything that comes with it.



Happy's big paw print, even with dog hair and everything.



Maggie's dirty paws. Granted they are not that bad at the moment I took the pictures, but believe me, a few minutes later they were all black, and only the hose would do, before entering the house.



Happy's paw is more wet then dirty, but as I said, a little later ....



I can't wait for the ground to freeze.






A little digging, or a lot ....

Music Heaven

Another guilty pleasure of mine is listening to music. Sure, I listen to music all the time, while knitting, and spinning, but it's background noise, more than anything else.

It's something quite different, when I put my head phones on! I really don't like to be idle, twiddling my thumbs, but this is a time, I only want to listen to music. Closing my eyes, and leaning back, letting the music flow through my body from head to toes.



I'm not a musician myself, even though as a child, I learned to play the piano for seven years. I didn't want to (I feared  my first piano teacher, she was Hungarian, and a drill Sergent), my parents made me, but I'm glad they did. I did enjoy playing eventually (if not well, and I had zero ambition to get any better), but loathed recitals.
Many years later, when my kids had the opportunity to learn an instrument (they at least got to choose the instrument they wanted to play), I fully understood, when they didn't like recitals either. But their music teacher told me,  that a musician wants to play for an audience, which sounds about right. Well, I'm not a musician, but I LOVE music.

Oh, yeah, why this post? Because those are new head phones, and they rock!

♥ ♥ ♥

Handspun Friday - Submerge/Bamboo Forest

Southern Cross Fibre September Fiber Club was Submerge and Jasmine (not featured today).  I've taken Submerge, and an older SCF club colorway (Bamboo Forest) and made a 3-ply yarn with it.



September 2012 fiber club - Submerge - Shetland


September 2011 fiber club - Bamboo Forest-Shetland

I must admit that Shetland fiber is not my favorite to spin. This had some veggie matter, not too much, and a few nebs to be picked out during spinning. Shetland is also a little prickly next to skin, but I think they will make good socks.
I absolutely LOVE the colorways though, especially the bright, fun green in it.







I've got 329 yds, 3-ply yarn.

***
And so you don't get withdrawl symptoms, here's some doggy cutness. My sweet Yoda Happy!



Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

♥ ♥ ♥

Lattice shawl

Earlier this year I've knit this beautiful shawl. As much as I like lace shawls, I also love textured ones a lot.



I love everything about this shawl, the yarn, the colors, and the design. I especially like the border with the lovely star stitch.











pattern: Lattice by Rose Beck
yarn: Wandering Cat Yarns Top Cat DK - Loch Ness, dyed especially for me. This is lovely stuff. I'd like to have a sweaters worth of this yarn some day.

♥ ♥ ♥