Tagged! Shelly tagged me with a Meme.

Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

Here goes...

1. I love to spin, especially natural animal fibers. If they are dyed, they need to be in rich, jewel tones to really make me happy.

2. I raise my own fiber animals. Navajo Angoras and Nigoras, both rare breeds of goats, that produce great fiber.

3. I love to knit lace. This is a new thing for me as I have always knitted practical items, like socks, hats, scarves and sweaters. Last summer I tried a lace stole with encouragement from my friends and did it. :) So, I got hooked.

4. I like designing things, from knitting patterns to graphics for websites and even websites themselves. I can't draw very well, but I do work on trying to improve my drawing.

5. I'm pretty much a loner, but do have a few good friends.

Now to think who I can tag....
1. Shelly, since she got me into this.
2. Dorothy, she does such good work and is a great person.
3. Marion, she doesn't have much confidence in her work, but it is beautiful.
4. Lisa, she has such great patterns.
5. Jenny, she needs to learn to relax and post to her blog.

Had to rip back to the lifeline at the end of Hint 1 on the Secret of the Stole :( I will get it back on the needles and work on it again. I'm NOT going to give up on it.

I'm playing around with some worsted weight yarn, trying to get a 3/4 circle shawl design that is in my head to work out. I won't say anything more about it until I get it done and the pattern written, proofed and test knitted.

I am still working on Dracula's Bride, haven't had much time to work on it this past month. I was busy taking care of my dh, as he was home sick. Since he left, I have been working on the Secret of the Stole. I have the first clue done and I am half way through the second clue. It is turning out really nice. I am taking my time, as I love working with the yarn. I am hoping to get more of it later for other projects.

Well, I decided to frog the Secret of Chrysopolis. It just wasn't working out. I will use the yarn for a different project and will get something else for the Secret of Chrysopolis. I pulled "Dracula's Bride" out and started working on it again.

I also have a pair of socks on the needles, for me. I'm using the "Arrow" pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks, using B&L Durasport in the Denim colorway.

I finally got some pics of Bob's mittens. They are turning out great, except for one problem. I ran out of the yarn I was using before I got the thumbs done. Since I can't get more of the fiber I spun for that yarn, I'm going to use some of my mohair for them.

I am finally on the fingers on Billy's second glove. I'm hoping to have them done by the end of the week, so I can go back to the two lace projects that I have on the needles.

Seeing this post on a friend's blog Ask The Bellwether: Meme: Spinning Resolutions 2008.Got me to thinking about New Year resolutions and what I would like to accomplish this year in my spinning and knitting.

On the spinning front, I would like to get back to carrying a spindle and fiber with me and using it, as I haven't been doing that as much as I would like. I also want to try to spin down the mohair stash, I have 2 shearings worth of fleece to spin, with another one coming up in April. I have about 6 pounds of shetland (one fleece), 10 pounds of llama (one fleece), 15 pounds of mohair (two years worth from 5 angora goats) and assorted mystery wools.

On the knitting front, I would like to get all the sock yarn I have knitted up for everyone in the family, finish both lace projects I have on the needles and do some other lace knitting. I also would love to be able to design a true lace shawl pattern, something that is totally original and different.

Ok, Yahoo didn't like the amount of hits I was getting on my site, so they shut it down :( I put the pattern files here. I hope you enjoy them.

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.