I ended up moving my site to Yahoo...not really happy about that, but it is better than where my ISP wanted it moved to. So the link to the Stormy Morning Shawl has been changed as well. It is now here. I am hoping to get a domain name and have it hosted soon, so things will settle down. I hope everyone will just bare with me during the transition time.

I also posted the pattern for the Dragon Scale Gloves on my site. They are turning out really nice and I already have a request to make one of Billy's friends a pair.
I cast on and knitted the hands for Bob's mittens, but didn't have enough yarn to do the thumbs. I will be spinning up some mohair to do them in. I'll be using fiber from my buck, Hawkeye, as it is as soft as the yarn the mittens are knitted in is and will be a blend of white and gray.

I have finally gotten the pattern for the Stormy Morning Shawl written!! This is a shawl that is designed for chunky to bulky weight yarn, so that it is nice and warm. It is an easy pattern and makes a modified triangle shawl. This is what the shawl looks like unblocked and a close up of the lace border. The pattern is here.


I uploaded a corrected version of the pattern on 12/30/2007.

Well...I didn't finish my Christmas knitting :( I got Sandy's shawl and wristwarmers done, Jenny's wristwarmers done, but didn't finish her shawl, still had the thumb to do on the FIRST glove for Billy and didn't even get started on Bob's stuff. :( They are all understanding about it and willing to wait for me to get everything knitted.

As for what I got for Christmas...an 8 gig MP3 player made by RCA, the sheep needle sizer from The Bellwether, the movie "Paint Your Wagon", and a fannypack. Plus chocolate in my stocking. :) Not much, but all things I wanted and can use.

I got Jenny's wristwarmers done today, now to wash them and put them away for Christmas. I also got the lifeline in the Dracula's Bride shawl and took pics of it. Here is one showing what I have done on it.

The Secret of Chrysopolis got put on hold while I do Christmas knitting, but I did get some pictures of it. This one shows the progress I made before I had to put it on hold.




For Sandy, I designed and knitted a shawl out of bulky hand spun merino and knitted her a pair of lace wristwarmers. Jenny is getting a pair of the lace wristwarmers out of hand spun shetland and if I can get it done, a "Dracula's Bride" shawl.


Billy is getting a pair of Dragon Scale gloves (a pattern that I am designing). Bob will be getting a chullo hat made out of hand spun mohair from our goats.

Well, I finally got the Secret of Chrysopolis cast on this past week. I am up to row 60 and it is turning out very nicely. I am using ColourmartUK 2/28 NM 100% silk in Blush for it on size 2 needles.

Today I cast on Dracula's Bride. I'm using some 6/2 cotton in orange for it, on size 4 needles, with beads that almost exactly match the yarn color, but with a bit of sparkle. I'm up to row 15 of the first clue already. This is a project that my daughter wanted to do then found out it was to difficult for her to knit. I offered to do it as I love knitting lace and challenging myself.

Well...I had a couple of changes to my to do for Christmas list. The younger daughter is getting a hand knit shawl, but out of some cotton yarn by a pattern she signed up for and found out it was way over her head. My son's gloves will be out of some hand spun yarn that a friend gave me a few years ago, he has one pair out of it that he calls his "gaming" gloves as they have no fingertips. This pair will have fingertips, to keep his hands warm while outside doing chores.

The oldest girl's shawl is coming along, the colors remind me of a stormy morning, so that is the theme of it. I am still working on the lace border design for it. I might have to spin up some gray wool/dyed mohair/angelina blend I have here for the final color in it.

I have finally started working on Christmas presents, I know it is already December and I have 4 hand spun/hand knit presents to make. I am making my oldest daughter a shawl out of hand spun yarn by a pattern I am working on writing. My other daughter will get a skien of hand spun yarn, my son will be getting a pair of hand spun/hand knit gloves out of some llama that he helped me shear this summer and my husband will be getting a hand spun/hand knit hat out of mohair. I still have to wash the llama and mohair for those two projects. So, wish me the best of luck to get everything done on time.

Well, I enjoyed my trip. We spent most of the time in the mid-west and saw some beautiful country. I didn't get any pictures, as the batteries for the camera died on me :(

I did get one pair of socks knitted while out. They are fall colors and ended up being big enough for Bob to wear, as my stitch gauge was way off. I then did a gauge swatch for the B&L I had with me and cast on the correct number of stitches for ME a pair of socks. I'm using the Ribbed Lace pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks. I have one done and the second one is down to the heel flap, and that should be done by the time I go to bed tonight.

My next project is going to be catching up on the KALs I have been collecting the patterns for this fall. The first one on the needles will be the Secret of Chrysopolis in some 2/28 100% silk from ColourmartUK in Blush, which is a pinky-cream. I still have to decide on what yarn and beads to use for the Secret of the Stole.

I have already signed up for 3 KALs starting in January/February, so will have to get to work on washing fleeces, flicking and spinning for them.

Finally got the Chocolate Covered Cherried shawl washed and blocked! Here is a pic of it blocked and ready to use.I will be taking it with me on the trip this month.

I was planning on just taking yarn for 3 pairs of socks and make myself work on them, but Bob got me some new sock yarn. It is in fall colors and is screaming at me to cast it on and make a pair of socks. :) I think the problem is that most of my yarn has/is blues and grays, with touches of green, so I was tired of those colors, I'm hoping that after this pair I can go back to the other yarns and get them made up. I really need the socks.

I'll try to keep my blog up while I'm traveling around the country in the truck. Posting about my adventures and who I manage to get to visit.

I still haven't cast anything on. I have been washing shetland, still have to flick it so it will be ready to spin. Still trying to figure out what to use for the scarf for my daughter's Christmas present, but that won't take long to knit once I decide on the yarn.

I ordered some 2/28NM silk from ColourmartUK in a blush color, to use for one of the two mystery stoles I'm signed up for. If it comes in this week, I will use it for the Secret of Chrysopolis, as that is one I can take with me in the truck. The Secret of the Stole is beaded, so not a good choice for carrying with me.

I will be going out with Bob for about 3-4 weeks, starting this Saturday morning. I will be taking yarn for 3 pairs of socks, a hat, and mittens/gloves. Maybe yarn for one of the two KALs. The time out will be like a vacation for me, as I won't have any chores to do for that time period, just sit, relax, knit, and enjoy the country. He is hoping to get me up to the northeast to see the fall colors.

I finished Bob's socks today! I'm so glad that they are done. Now to decide what my next project will be. Don't have the yarn for either of the KALs, I'm on, so can't work on them. Found out I don't have enough of the yarn I wanted to use for the scarf for my oldest dd's Christmas present, so having to rethink that. :( She really liked that yarn. Don't really feel like casting on another pair of socks right now.

Let's see, I finished the Chocolate Covered Cherries shawl, but still have to wash and block it. I'm on the third side with the knitted on border of the square shawl, I'm doing out of acrylic yarn. I am finally on the feet of Bob's socks. I think that takes care of all my projects, that I've had on the needles all summer. :)Now on to some new things.

I got three fleeces Saturday, a shetland fleece that the tag says is tan, but is washing up white/gray/tan, the spring shearing of the Navajo Angora buck I got and the spring shearing of the wether I also got. The bucks fleece is mostly white with some gray in it, the wether's fleece is mainly black with some white. I will be washing them up and spinning them this fall/winter. Right now I'm working on washing up the shetland fleece, flicking it and spinning it from the locks.

I signed up for two KALs, Secret of the Stole and Secret of Chrysopolis, both Yahoo groups. The first one takes 1200 yards of lace weight yarn in a natural color plus beads, the second one takes about 1600 METERS or about 1800 yards of lace weight yarn in a solid color. I don't know what yarn, I'm going to use for them at this time.

I finished the MS3!!! Here is a pic of my daughter modeling it for me. She loves it, now to keep her from stealing it. :)

Now on to my next big project. I'm using up a bunch of acrylic yarn, making shawls to donate to a local charity that she works with. I will be doing different shapes, which will allow me to learn how to do them.

I'm still plugging away at Bob's socks. About 1/4 of the way through the heel flap on the first one. I also pulled out the Chocolate Covered Cherries shawl to work on. I want to get it finished so that I have that set of needles for the other shawls.

I am on Clue 7 of the MS3! I will have it done today! I am so proud of myself for doing this. :) Bob asked me what I was going to do with it when I was finished and I told him fold it up in some tissue paper and put it away in my drawer. He was upset about that and asked why I wasn't going to display it. I told him I had no place out of reach of our animals, that I could display it.

I am still working on Bob's socks, have one on the heel flap and the other is still on the leg. They are so boring to work on being k1, p1 ribbing, that I would rather be knitting on the MS3.

I have finished Clue 4 of the MS3 and have the first chart of Clue 5 done. So far I like the way the wing looks in the brown. I'll know more when I get farther along on it.

I got my socks done and they turned out nice. I'm working on a short summer pair for Bob now. They are out of Lang Jawoll Jacquard in a k1, p1 ribbing. The leg is only 2.75" long, so I will have enough for the foot of the socks, as Lang Jawoll's skiens are smaller than normal.

I got some nice presents for my b-day this year. Bob got me 15 ounces of a 50/50 tussah silk/honey rayon blend to spin. Then my MIL gave me $25 to spend on myself. So, I ordered two books on lace knitting, "Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls" and "Gossamer Webs: The History and Techniques of Orenburg Lace Shawls." Both are more reference books than pattern books, they are designed to teach you how to design your own lace shawls. I am looking forward to sitting down with yarn and needles to work on some of the things they talk about.

I finished the green shawl. I ended up designing a border for it and like the way it turned out. Just have to block it and get pics. I still have two other shawls on the needles, both out of handspun and both on hold. One due to the temps and the other due to needing to spin more yarn for it.

I finished Clue 3 of the MS3, last night. At this point, it should be about 25" long x 20" wide, that is about 1/3 the total length of the stole. Mine is about 23" long x 18" wide, so a little bit narrower and shorter, but I don't care.

I finished the first sock of the pair and just have to do the toe on the second sock. When I finish this pair, I will cast on another pair. I have lots of socks to knit :)

I have the green shawl for the Spun Stitches KAL down to the border, but don't have enough yarn to do the border as charted, so it is on hold while I decide what to do for the border.

I got the yarn for the MS3 on Monday and wound it into a ball yesterday afternoon. I was swatching and decided to use size US 2 needles for it. I cast on and got Chart A, the first 50 rows, done. I like the way it is turning out. Had a funny experience, while casting on and working on it. We have been praying for rain, since it has been so dry this spring/early summer. When I pulled the yarn out to ball it, I heard a crack of thunder, then while balling it there was more thunder and started seeing lightening flashes, didn't think much of it as we have been having a lot of dry lightening :( Well...as I started knitting, the rains started! They didn't let up until I had finished the whole first chart, by then it was 8 pm and time to feed the goats and go to bed.

I am down to the heel flap on one sock and working down the leg of the other. They aren't taking long to knit. I just need to spend more time on them.

The shawl for the Spun Stitches KAl is on the third repeat of the lace pattern. I have one more repeat of the lace pattern to do after this one and then the border. I love the way it is turning out and will get pics soon.

I was offered some hand-dyed yarn, instead of waiting for the copper Zephyr, and took my friend up on it. She is supposed to be sending it and the beads to me this week, so I can begin the MS3.

I knitted a small bag for my youngest daughter to use to carry her ID card in, she made the strap for it. The strap is card woven in the same color, plus a lighter shade of it.

Well, I had to rethink the socks. The yarn is just to busy for any kind of pattern stitch, so they will be just plain stockinette. I will use that stitch pattern for another pair of socks, later.

I finally decided on the pattern for the Spun Stitches shawl. I choose the Barbara Shawl by Jeanie Townsend. It is working up quickly and looks nice with the yarn. I'm looking forward to having it, for early mornings when it is a bit nippy.

I am also working on the shawl out of the Chocolate Covered Cherries fiber, it is a thick/thin, bulky weight yarn, that I spun while learning how to spin on my Babe Pinkie wheel.

I am still waiting for the yarn and beads for the MS3. The first shipment of yarn got lost in transit :( and now the color I want is on back order. We are hoping that the first box shows up so I can get my yarn.

Well, the Shetland shawl is on hold...ran out of the yarn for it. But when I get more primitive Shetland roving, I will spin it and finish the shawl. In the mean time, I cast on the Wildfoote Elderberry yarn for me a pair of summer socks. I choose the 8-stitch pattern Arrow from _Sensational Socks_ for them, as it works with the yarn. I decided to try an new method of knitting socks, doing each one on dpns, but both at the same time, work on one to a set point, then work on the other one to that point, working back and forth between the socks, to see if I can prevent SSS.

Still waiting on the MS3 to start and trying to decide what pattern to use for the Spun Stitches shawl.

I FINALLY finished the colorwork socks! No, there are no pics of them, as I was so tired of looking at them, I just put them away for the summer. While I was putting away the extra yarn...I found some handspun Shetland yarn, well it jumped out of the storage bin into my lap and onto the needles. It is now becoming the Barbara Shawl by Jeanie Townsend, a free pattern that you can get here. I wasn't planning on using this yarn as I don't have much, but...it wants to be this shaw. I'm hoping that I have enough yarn to make the whole shawl, if not at least the main body of it and then can do a contrasting border.

I am still trying to decide what pattern to do for the Spun Stitches KAL, was thinking about this pattern, but still not to sure about it. I have the yarn spun, plied and washed. There is 600 yards of it, but don't know the wpi yet. I am making a wpi tool today out of some doweling that I have laying around the house.

Still waiting on the yarn and beads to get here for the MS3 KAL. My friend, Shelly, bought them for me. All I know is that the yarn is Jaggerspun Zephyr in Copper, don't know what color the beads will be. The first clue comes out on June 29, but the list doesn't close until July 6th. If you would like more information go here.

Well, I finally got the heel flap done, the heel turned and the gussets picked up and the gusset decreases done on the second colorwork sock. Now to just get the foot and toe done and I will be done with that pair. I have enough yarn to make me one more pair of socks and four more pairs for Bob, so won't be out of knitting for a bit.

I am almost out of processed fiber, so my spinning is at a stand still, except for the fiber I have on spindles. I need to pull those out and get to work on that Spring colorway again, I really want to get it done and the shawl pattern decided, so that I can get it on the needles.

As to getting my fiber processed, that is on hold for now, as there just isn't the money to pay shipping on it. So, I will see what can be spun from the locks and set that aside to use and the rest will be put away, until there is extra money.

The shawl is on hold until I can get more size 13 circular needles. I'm still plugging away at my sock, got 2 1/2 rows done on the heel flap yesterday. I need to work on it more and get it done. I'm still spinning up the merino as something to do while waiting to get my other fiber processed.

We were given last year's shearing from a ram, about 10-15 pounds of raw unwashed wool to have. I have also been washing up all the other fiber that I've had laying around for awhile. A friend is going to process it for me in trade for some of it. I'll be sending her, wool, mohair, silk, alpaca/llama, angora and camel.

I have a new website for my farm, http://weedeaterfarm.lets-spin.com. Check it out. Anything about the farm will be posted on there from now on. There is a blog for it as well. When the fiber is all processed, I will be posting any for sale on that site.

Well, I am still waiting to bring the goats down. She won't have a trip down until April and Bob is busy taking a class to become a Training Engineer for Schneider. When he finishes the class, he will be taking out new drivers and helping them get experience behind the wheel with an experienced driver. Hopefully when he gets back from the class and taking his first student out, we can get the new goats.

I finally spun up some fiber I've had since I first learned to spin. It is a colorway called "Chocolate Covered Cherries," a dark chocolate wool, with a lot of crimp and mohair that is dyed red. It made a nice thick/thin bulky weight yarn, that I'm using for a simple garter stitch shawl. Here are pics of the yarn and shawl. I am still working on my colorwork socks. I'm on the heel flap of the second sock, just taking my time knitting on them as they cause my hands to cramp, lately. I still have the Berries on the Wagon Wheel spindle, getting it done slowly. I need to get back to work on the Spring colorway, so that I can get it done for another shawl. I have been working on it for about 3 years now, but spindle spinning a pound of fiber takes time.

I got two blueberry bushes and two climbing roses so far this spring. Put the blueberries out by the Ponderosa Pines and the roses are going to go on the south end of the house. Just starting on all the spring yardwork, having to do the pruning and weeding to get things ready for the year.

Well, yesterday the lady that is giving me the buck, offered me his wether pen companion, also. I agreed as I like his color and he will make a nice addition to the herd. He is a reverse badger with white markings. I will be getting the front goat, Hawkeye, and the one on the right, Yazzie, for my herd.

From My goats

I finished the gloves for Sandy. They are nice and thick, so her hands should stay warm when she walks in the cold weather. They are out of Wonderland Dye Works fiber, in the Aurora colorway made with Border Leicester wool. They should last her a long time if she takes care of them.

From Finished Proj...

Now maybe I can get back to knitting on my socks, as well as spinning and having fun with my wheel. I got out my newest spindle last night and gave it a test spin, with Berries, another colorway from Wonderland Dye Works. The spindle is really nice and spins beautifully, it is light and well balanced, perfect for my lace weight spinning.

I was GIVEN a Navajo Angora buck this morning! His name is Hawkeye and he will be two years old this April, so is just old enough to breed. He will be a good addition to my herd, as he is not related to my does and carries color. He is what is know as a mantled pattern, which means that he is white with color across his shoulders, like he is wearing a mantle. I'm so happy that I am able to have him, as this means that Desert Moon Farms is off to a good start. I will add more does to the herd as I can find ones that I like and can afford.

From My goats

I finished Bob's hat in time for him to take it with him. He has realized that I need to modify it a bit to keep his ears covered, so will do that when he gets back. I finished the first sock of my colorwork pair! Now to cast on the second and get it done.

I figured out what I was doing wrong with my spinning wheel and have filled two bobbins with the merino. I will be plying that today. I have two pounds of the merino to spin, and each bobbin holds 4 ounces, so it will take a while to get it all spun. It looks to be about a sport weight yarn, which is nice. I'm still trying to decide what I want to make with it when I finish spinning it. I also want to ply some shetland that I spindle spun, thinking about using it with the denim B&L for another pair of colorwork socks.

Still to cold to do much yardwork, but I am starting to plan a veggie garden for this year. We want to plant corn, green beans, carrots, eggplant (for me), radishes, lettuce, tomatoes, watermelon, pumpkins, peppers (bell and banana), and some other veggies. Getting the list of seeds/transplants made now and have to decide where to put the garden. Once the site is decided, then I will have to dig it up and start adding the peat moss, humus and other stuff to the soil to make it rich enough to grow the crops.

The goats are doing good. They have nice thick coats and I'm looking forward to shearing them in March or April, depending on the weather. I am working on a deal to have a friend card the fiber and blend it either with some wool that I'm getting or some of the fiber from her animals.

Got busy and haven't had time to update, so here goes. First, we got the snowflakes blocked and up, they looked real nice. We didn't get the mini stockings done, but will finish them for next year. I'm on the heel flap of my sock, but doing the colorwork on it is slowing me down. I spent some time playing with my new wheel and got some merino spun on it the other day.

I cast on a hat for Bob last night, it is by a pattern that I'm developing, so can't say anything else about it right now. I am trying to get it done tonight, so that he can take it with him. I cast on to swatch for another pair of long socks for him. I have enough yarn in the stash for 3 pairs of short socks for him as well.

As for Christmas presents, besides the wheel, I got a stereo, a set of Susan Bates sock needles, a pan, $40, 4 long sleeve shirts and a pair of pants. I also got some candy and bath stuff. I spent the money on a scale to weigh fiber with, a small basket to keep projects in (I have 3 now) and other things for me.