Studio Color....

I've been lucky to spend a good deal of time in the studio since the last post. Granted, most of it has been this Spring-motivated urge to clean and purge (before it swallows me into a pile!) but there has been some fun stuff too.

The texture of knitting with varied yarns...oh so yummy. Can't get enough!

These fine little knit and felted hearts, pattern shared from Silke and waiting for little tiny embellishments to be sewn on. (to cover the holes where it didn't quite felt....these are a learning curve...)

And YARN! Noro YARN! 
It looks like Spring and the Summer flowerbeds and knits up soft and dreamy. A stash indulgence....but is it a *stash* item when things are getting knit from it? Hmmmmm......I wonder.....

Between cleaning and sorting, I allowed myself some creative time and this is what developed from moments well spent. I think I could enjoy a dozen cards like this. Dear Frida and the parakeet. Sweet Amor!

And this sight makes me happy! Six hats knit, and hopefully one more before next Wednesday, to take and share. Fun, funky, bright. Bringing life and light into dark corners.
Life is very, very good indeed!
Color in the studio and color in my heart~~hopefully yours too.
Let it overflow.


 Pax....

This Is The Scarf That Never Ends........la la la la!!!!

Okay everyone.....sorry for that nasty little earworm, but I have to tell you, after finally finishing this monster, which comes in at around 100" in length and waaaaay too much weight, I feel like I have sang the song over...and over....and OVER.

Sunday night I finally finished the last few stitches, bound it off in a rush and of course blocked it completely wrong, but it is wearable and that's all that matters. I had set a goal of having it finished by the 25th of January, and made it!

I have to admit, when I came home from the hospital, I was barely strong enough to do more than a couple of rows a day, and I just plugged away at it. Trying to follow a chart like this with *medicine-brain* was both frustrating, hilarious and required a lot of pulling out stitches and bad words!!! (probably more of the last one mentioned.....if truth be known....)

I was sure, about 2/3rds of the way through that I would run out of four of the yarn colors, so ordered an extra ball of each.

Wrong-O.

I now have the leftovers from the scarf, and MORE than enough for matching socks and a hat.......not that the socks are happening and I don't think the hat is happening either.

The close up below shows the two patterns that switch back and forth in the length of the work. I did fine on the flower pattern; the scrollwork was another story. Yes, there are mistakes.

I do NOT CARE!!!!!

If the knitting police come to visit, they'd better be wearing armor or they shall find an assortment of my old needles stuck somewhere that is most direly unpleasant! LOL!!!

This was like running a marathon. It was a test of endurance. And as I sit watching the few snowflakes swirling about, I am glad it is wearable for this winter.

Because, my gentle readers, my short attention span would never, ever last that long. And then I'd have to throw a fit about money wasted.....yadda, yadda. Most ugly!

I'm glad that option did not come to pass!

And now I am back to appreciating the quickness of socks, even on size 1 or 0 needles!!!

Pax.

P.S. Thanks to my blog-grrrrls yesterday for their verbal support! Y'all ROCK!!!!  :-D

Noro.....a Rainbow on the Needles...

......and a pip to knit, being one of their one ply types, but gosh, the color is worth the trouble. I did not even try to bother with color correcting the pics; the shades are so luminous that I don't know where to start. Truly, the color is much more intense than pictured. The yarn is beautiful in person.....no other company can compete with it. I have lusted after their yarns for ages, but cost always held me back. It is not inexpensive.
I remember the first article I read about it, the photos of the fibers being readied for carding, the Japanese asthetic in color blending. I was in love; L-U-V!!!
And fairly broke, so, no Noro for me.
However......finally, years later, Simply Socks has a SALE (the magic words for any woman!). And Noro was on SALE.

Okay, fess up time. I bought this at half price, have two other balls in different colors, will no doubt use them for socks too....just not now. I want to see how these wear. I chose ribbing for the back panel and kept the lace on the front; I wasn't sure about long term strength. And the lace has a lot of yarn overs, which are thin is some areas......me visualizing the worst, a thread breaks.....things unravel...I unravel!

Spinners know the travails of one ply; it twists back upon itself in thin areas. When I spun, mine was always over twisted and I had all these little knotty messes. I only had a few with the commercial yarn but you still can't be harsh--it has to be handled carefully. I think, though, after a good wash that they should be fine. 100% wool, so minor felting should occur, thus locking the fibers. (just nod your head *yes* and agree with the crazy lady with the sharp needles)

I have a bamboo blend yarn on the needles now and it has NO give what so ever. All I can say is it is soft. Have doubts about the amount of ease when finished.
This is my "sitting on the couch behaving" work. By December, I should have enough socks knit for ten centipedes. Even centipedes with my size feet...nervous energy put to good use. And the stash diminishing. Well, not that much but I can see yarn I forgot I bought, and now wonder WHY.......
The best part is when I get to knit socks from the leftovers. I like those the best--all mixed colors and solids and quirky! Like I need help in that department. HA!
So that's my contribution to the creative end of the gene-pool today; at least for the most part my legs didn't show...... ;-) Thank heaven I didn't have to post the "pasty leg alert" this time!
Have a good one and someday maybe I'll share my little cussing-fit story of doing that picot edge from the toe up. (totally backwards---it is much easier when doing cuff down! like you're supposed to)
I bid you warmth, good yarn, and above all else....

Pax.

A link for mini Christmas ornament stockings:

http://littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/free_knitting_patterns/2007/06/knitted_mini_ch.html

An easy way to learn without lots of committment of money and time......

Busy As A Bee......

(Leslie, this one is for both of us Celts!!!)

Yesterday was pretty much a blur. I was hopping from the moment I got up but again, by days end I was scratching my head as to what I had accomplished.

Dishes--done. Twice.

Cooking--homemade soup and a delightful coconut cake from scratch.

A bit of cleaning.

Computer work.

Basement work.

Trying to glue angelina onto the candle flames of the church banners. That should have been on video, because what I thought would be quick and easy was a slow, delicate, questionable process. I also spent a good deal of time attempting to locate the proper glue.

Spent time picking out beads for the banners.

Also spent time finding the bowl of beads for the banners....

Finally gave up in the early afternoon and retreated to the chair for some knitting and rest. Feet up time.

I started another pair of socks, this time knitting Noro. It is the first time I have knit a one ply wool, and if the colors weren't so absolutely scrumptious, I would throw it out the window! I have spun and tried to deal with one ply not twisting back upon itself, but socks on---again, stupid pill time---size ONE needles with the squirmy, twisty stuff........whole nuther realm. But the tiny bit of the toes that are finished are lovely....the color flow......oh yes, I think I can tolerate the demands of the wool!

So since basically today may be a *sock knitting day* we have the thistle pic in honor of Leslie and all the knitting she does, although I believe she actually enjoys more of hers..... ;-)

I'm not making any promises on accomplishments today; what gets done, gets done. I have a reception I have to attend tomorrow evening and need to rest up for that---Monday's hospital adventures sort of took it out of me!

Therefore, I give you all my blessing for a day of something easy and fun! That way my guilt-trip doesn't kick in.....

At least not too hard!

Pax.

P.S. I woke to discover not only my Facebook badge screwed up and useless but also one of my other sidebar apps that lets me help keep track of comments so I don't miss anything. Another blogger lost all the pics of her followers....what is going on???? Now I get to go BACK into Facebook and try and rebuild my badge, which has gotten picky and I guess just wants wall photos........someone hit me NOW. It's too early for all this thinking....... >:-(

Absolutely delicious yarn......

This is yarn to fight over......check out Yarn Exhibitionist for a chance to WIN this skein! Now, if one of my gentle readers wins it, there will be a scuffle as I will *visit* and demand sharing...... ;) ......(ahem!)

Seriously, I love the color and texture and want, want, WANT this!!!

I guess, after art, my passion is knitting, or at least the one at the top of the list at the moment. I used to spin, but had to keep my numerous diversions somewhat under control. So I envy hand spun yarn. There is nothing like the feel of the fiber going between your fingers and thumb, being coaxed into a single ply before your eyes, and then the delight of plying a couple of colors! It's magic, and falls into the dyeing fabric catagory. If I got started I would get nothing else done.

So go over to Yarn Exhibitionist and check out the luscious fiber!

I order you.......now.....no excuses... ;)

And yes, last evening while Iwas taking a breather between projects and a nervous breakdown, I was knitting on the Groundhog Day socks as Leslie so aptly named them! They just go on and on and on and I get no where. Like I am in this sock-hell-loop or something, waiting to get it right. Go figure! Seriously---I knit and knit and knit and there is still yarn left---when will it stop???

And that's the pin-up for the day Kiddies! Drool at will! Just not over your electronic appliances......