Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Need a break!

Hi all! I'm going to take a break from blogging, but I'll be back!

sleeping Happy June 2012
(sweet sleeping Happy)

Take care!

Monika

♥ ♥ ♥

Friday, June 22, 2012

Handspun Friday - Truffula Trees

This was my second Nest Fiber Studio fiber I've spun. It's so colorful, I just loved it.
nestfiberstudio-sw merino-4oz-Truffula Trees

I've decided to make it a 3ply yarn. Got 243yds of it, and it's on superwash Merino.


nestfiberstudio-sw merino-3-ply-243yds-Truffula Trees

nestfiberstudio-sw merino-3-ply-243yds-Truffula Trees

This yarn has been gifted, and was very well received. I hope to see pictures of what she'll make with it some day.

On another note, I have to show you my latest favorite cookies! Gluten free bacon bits & chocolate chips cookies!
gluten free bacon bits & chocolate chips cookies

Next time I'll bake these, I have to add more bacon bits (home made), because  I burned some of the bacon, so there was less in the cookies. But I like the chocolate/bacon taste. Don't ask me were I got the recipe, I can't remember at the moment. :o) Doesn't my coffee mug look greedy at my cookies? I have to watch that one!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

♥ ♥ ♥



Monday, June 18, 2012

Cameo

It warms my heart, when strangers are concerned by the lack of new blog posts! Thank you so much! Last week was a little hectic all around, and I just could not muster the will to write and post a new blog post. But fear not, I'm still here, I'm well, and I have lots to show!

Lets start with my latest finished object, the Cameo shawl.
handspun Cameo

It's knit with my handspun yarn, called Brad (golden brown) & Angelina (blue), which I've shown you earlier.

handspun Cameo

I had to add a few more rows of the lace part, because I wanted to use most of Brad's yarn, to get to the lighter part for the picot edge. In the end I still had to break the yarn and remove some of the golden part, to get the lightest yarn for the edge.

handspun Cameo

I love how it turned out.

handspun Cameo

handspun Cameo

handspun Cameo



I've also finished TTL Mystery Shawl Summer 2012 clue# 3:
TTL Mystery Shawl 2012-clue # 3
Not much to see, but it's some leaf lace pattern. I can't wait to finish this shawl and block it, to see how it looks. I like the color very much, but it's still going to be a gift.

And I know I've shown a similar photo of Denny before, but he's been doing this sleeping on his shawl thing, or other wooly blankets a lot lately. Must be the combination of being wet a lot, and the A/C in the house.
June 15-Denny and his shawl

Denny is cold after swimming

Well, that's it for today. Must go, lots to do.
♥ ♥ ♥


Friday, June 08, 2012

Handspun Friday - Koi

Today we have some variegated BFL fiber dyed by Jennifer of  Nest Fiber Studio (shop updates are like a feeding frenzy, one has to be really fast to get some of the fiber).  Isn't it lovely?


nest fiber studio-vBFL-4oz-Koi
I turned 4oz into chain plied yarn, 302yds of yummyness.

Nest fiber studio-vBFL-Koi-302yds-chain plied

Nest fiber studio-vBFL-Koi-302yds-chain plied

We've received the second clue of TTL Mystery Shawl 2012 one day earlier. I don't expect to be able to show the next two clues stretched out like that. Can't wait to see how this shawl looks finished. I love knitting with this yarn. It's Wandering Cat Yarns Continental Cat in the colorway Lilac. So nice and soft.

TTL Mystery Shawl 2012 clue # 2 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
♥ ♥ ♥

Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Thank you!

I tried to make someone happy, and gifted my Shipwreck/Longest Night crochet bag, and what do I get for it?
Valerie turned it right around, and sent me this beautiful yarn! It's Baby Camel/Silk blend, something I've never tried before, and it's sooooo soft. The color is Pine Forest, lovely! It's not even in their shop yet. I hope they'll decide to have it in the future, because everybody should knit with this yarn blend at one time.

gift from Valerie- 2x WCY Desert Cat-50% Baby Camel/50% Silk- 870yds total-Pine Forest

The pups got a present too. I'm not sure they deserve it, but they will still get it.

Thank you, Valerie, you shouldn't have, but it's very much appreciated!

♥ ♥ ♥

Monday, June 04, 2012

Do you know where my vacuum is?

I was visited by Vertigo this past weekend again. I could deal with it better this time, since I knew what was going on, but it still was not a fun way to spend ones weekend.

We've been having rainy days, which is good, since it was way too hot, and dry before. The pups adjusted to the change in weather, sleeping curled up mostly, like Denny here.

Denny June 3

I know now why he chewed a hole into this shawl last year, because he likes it for himself. He's dragging it around like a security blanket. And no, the vacuum is not broken. I just thought test knitting was more important, than lugging that thing around.

In other news, the Robin parents are back, renovated the nest, and are going for another round it looks like. How often do they breed in one season?

I've been test knitting with this yarn, because of Vertigo I didn't finish it this weekend, like I hoped I would.
Madeline Tosh Merino Light in Flashdance & Amber Trinket for test knit shawl
The yarn is Madeline Tosh Merino Light in Amber Trinket and Flashdance. I've been knitting with it for the first time. It's nice.

I've also got the first clue of TTL Mystery Shawl 2012 done. Not much to see yet. It's going to be a half circle shawl, that much we know.

TTL Mystery Shawl KAL-clue one

Friday, June 01, 2012

Handspun Friday - Brad & Angelina

This last round of FatCatKnits Fiber Club was themed Famous Couples. April installment was Brad & Angelina. I've chosen Polwarth/Tussah Silk blend as my fiber base. Lovely!

FCK Fiber Club Famous Couples-April 2012-Brad and Angelina on 85Polwarth15Tussah Silk-10oz

I've got 5oz of each colorway. The warm colorway is Brad, and the cold colorway is Angelina.

I decided to spin it as two ply for a shawl. This is Brad, 4oz, 435yds, 2ply. I took out the grey parts, and spun it as some kind of gradient.
FCK-Fiber Club Famous Couples-2012-April-Brad and Angelina-85Polwarth15Tussah Silk-4oz Brad-435yds-2-ply

FCK-Fiber Club Famous Couples-2012-April-Brad and Angelina-85Polwarth15Tussah Silk-4oz Brad-435yds-2-ply

This is Angelina: 517yds, 2ply
FCK-Fiber Club Famous Couples-2012-April-Brad and Angelina-85Polwarth15Tussah-Angelina 517yds-2ply

 FCK-Fiber Club Famous Couples-2012-April-Brad and Angelina-85Polwarth15Tussah-total of 952yds

Brad & Angelina FatCatKnits April Fiber Club

I'm maybe halfway through with knitting this shawl. It's Cameo by Paulina Popiolek. She's got several nice shawl designs. The knitting on this shawl is on hold right now. Two days ago, I've got another Stephen West test knit (shawl), which I'm working on right now, and today we'll get the first clue for the TTL Mystery Shawl KAL as well.
Busy, busy!

♥ ♥ ♥

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

FYI: Do you remember the story about the "bagel tree"? Yesterday, Denny was circling the young trees in our backyard, with his nose up in the air. I don't want him to bother the local wildlife, so I went to investigate. I thought he might have found a bird's nest in one of those trees, but as I was looking closely, I found an English Muffin, half eaten stuck into a branch fork. I took it out of the tree, and rewarded him with a treat for finding it. I sure would like to know the source of these carby "treats" turning up in our garden via squirrels, which is on a regular basis. It's just that I find pieces often before the dogs do, and remove them.

Happy being happy!
May 15-Happy

Maggie waiting for me to play with her.
Maggie

Denny, watching our house guests from far.
May 15-Denny