heylucy

Novelty Yarn

So I'm just going to call this 'Novelty Yarn' and be happy about it:

It's a bit thick and thin. I'd like to make something from it, but I'm not quite sure what. What have others made from hand spun yarn? Any suggestions would be welcome. I want to use it, since I'm going to all this trouble, but I don't think there will be a whole lot, so I need to come up with a small but useful project.

In the FO department I have these:

My first attempt at booties. I like them, although I think the next time I will use wool yarn-these are Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora and the fabric is just a bit stiffer than I was expecting.

Hi to all the visitors coming from Kerstin's site. I hope you'll come back again some time!

Meet Sally

Here's Sally:

I'm hoping she'll arrive at her destination safely today.

I forgot to take a picture of my spindle and yarn, but maybe it's better that I wait until I get a little more practice. Spinning is so simple, yet so difficult. I think it's going to take lots of practice to be able to spin the yarn exactly the weight and texture I want. It's so fun though, even if my yarn is a bit thick and thin. This link is for my future reference.

I've started working on my Salt Peanuts sweater again, I'm almost done with the sleeve I started so many weeks ago, and I think I'll be concentrating on it most of the time from now on. I have a couple little projects going on-my first attempt at socks, and a baby sweater for the new niece, but there's no rush on either of those. It was too hot to knit much when the air conditioning was out, but as of yesterday afternoon we have cool air once again!

And today's gratuitous cute pet picture is Gigi:

I was sitting and knitting in my usual chair while watching TV last night, and looked over, and there she was, just sitting like that.

who has time to knit?

I have lots of pictures to share, but no time right now, maybe tomorrow or the next day. I went to the San Diego monthly Knit-together in Balboa Park last Saturday. It was a great time and I learned to spin! I even met a couple fellow bloggers. Links in my next post! Then my cousin and her family came for a visit and I had a mini vacation and showed them the sights. We got terrific sunburns and wore ourselves out, but laughed and had fun the entire time. I even taught her and her daughter to knit. Ha! Two more converts :o). Three exclamation points in one paragraph! Oops, I mean four. Is that a major grammar faux pas? It was all exciting stuff, believe me.

This weekend I was a lump on the couch. I think this past week is one of the hottest we've had since moving here two years ago, and our air conditioning conveniently went out. That's right, it's been 88 degrees in the house, at 7:00 pm. Lovely. The needed replacement part has arrived, however, and is scheduled to be here tomorrow. Bless you, air conditioning repair man!

I made a cousin for Mort, for a new neice (sceduled to arrive sometime in October), her name is Sally Bean (Mort's cousin, not my neice), and that is one of the pictures I will put up here shortly. She is purple and a bit more serious than Mort, because being purple makes you that way, I guess.

Progress Reports

Man, where does the time go? I haven't knit much this past week, here is a progress photo:

I just have to finish sewing up the booties and they'll be done. I'm up to the cap shaping on the Salt Peanuts sleeve, and the sock is just for when I want a little project. I think Salt Peanuts is going to be a long-term kind of project. I like the yarn, but my hands get tired, because I have to pull it pretty tight in order to stay on gauge. I'm using birch needles, maybe it would be easier with plastic or metal needles? I may give that a try.

Lately I've felt more like sewing than knitting. Last weekend I made myself a blouse:

I used a pattern, but made some minor alterations, inspired by my Anthropologie catalogues. Maybe someday when I'm not quite as large as I am now, I'll take a picture while wearing it :o). It is actually very flattering, so maybe I'll be brave and take a picture despite my current plumpness.

Monday's big project was to take Bear to the groomer for a bath and a haircut for the summer. I feel so terrible, he was so excited to go for a ride in the car, and then I left him with the groomer, where he stood at the door on his hind legs and watched me drive off. No dog has more pitiful facial expressions than that dog. It took five hours, what with all the nervous peeing and shaking. I came back for the last half hour, and I've never seen a dog tremble with fear like that. He finally made it, though, and we went to Wendy's for hamburgers after that. He's very happy with his short hair now: