Knitting Dreams ~

Dreaming of hand spun hand dyed yarn, in a beautiful twist of blues, violets and a hint of turquoise, being knitted into a delightful hat ribbed and warm to ward off the snow of December......

Beautiful Yarn ~

When Rockin#13 saw my finished peach hand spun hat, she said, "I would like a hat like that." Always up for a requested assignment (which means someone actually wants something I knit) I pulled out the other hand spun I bought from Sisters, Oregon. Instead of the greens, she chose the beautiful blues & purples, and I cast on during the Christmas Pageant practice today. The yarn is beautiful and evenly plied ~ smoother than my lovely peach ~ and such a joy to work with.

When not to knit ~

There are a few situations when it is not appropriate to knit ~ but only a few! One of those times is when you get to watch your daughter play basketball for the very first time in middle school. This was her second game, and I was very excited to be able to see her play ~ she is so fast, just a blur, eh!! She scored her first basket, too ~ so of course I had to watch every minute and not miss any action! I suppose I could have knit during half time, but it was fun to watch the girls practicing, so I did not want to miss that either....

Beautiful Hat!

Wow ~ this hat from hand spun hand dyed "family" sheep's wool is beautiful! I just finished it a few minutes ago and have been parading around wearing it with pride! Rockin#13 daughter took my picture and promptly asked if I would make her the same pattern out of the green hand spun hand dyed sheep's wool from Bend, Oregon. The pattern is a 3 inch 2X2 rib (as rolled hem doesn't look good with all the bumps in the hand spun) and then a 5 inch crown, and then start the decreases..... very basic & beautiful!

A Good Cause ~ part 2

This is how the "How to Knit" kits look now that they are wrapped & ready. Do they look like something festive & creative for a teen or a mom? Let's hope so!

A Good Cause

I made three "how to knit" kits for gifts to needy families in our area. They will be part of the toys & teen gifts collection at our church this weekend. Perhaps a teen will like a "how to knit" kit, or perhaps their mom would like it! The "kit" comes with a 14 page booklet (in a plastic envelope) with directions to cast on, knit, purl and bind off, plus a scarf pattern (shown in the picture below the yarn), knitting needles, plus enough yarn to make a scarf (or 2). One colorway is Harry Potter Gryffindor House (red/gold), and the other two are in purple and gold, local team colors. I will also donate the newly finished Sari Silk purse, as that seems like something a teen might like.

Real Sheep

I am knitting with yarn that came from a real sheep in Bend, Oregon. I know, I know, all wool must come from a real sheep ~ however, I know a bit about this particular sheep, I know the owner and spinner ~ we are practically family!!! My sister & I took spinning lessons last April at the yarn & spinning shop in Sisters, Oregon. I bought this hand spun & hand dyed yarn from the shop owner, and sheep owner, Pam. Her sheep was named Galadriel, from the Lord of the Rings. The wool is a combination of beautiful shades of peach ~ my favorite color (can you see all the shades in the picture?). Pam talked about Galadriel, and when she first came to live with their flock, and sheering her, and dying the wool and spinning it ~ how could I resist buying this yarn ...so now it lives with me, and is becoming a hat! And go to chicken news!
(can you tell who was editing this blog? Yup, rockin#13 ~ check her adventures out in Chicken News!)