A Work in Progress

I've been working on a sweater from my little niece, Brooklyn, since the beginning of March. I bought the pattern and yarn from Knitopia Wools Co. in Langley, BC and dove right in. It is a little slow-going because it uses a sock weight yarn and 3mm needles, but I was making quite a bit of progress. Then, like so many other projects I've started, it was put aside when I got distracted by some other yarn or idea. At this rate, Brooklyn is going to outgrow the sucker before I finish it, so I am renewing my commitment to this project. Here's what I've got so far...

Front and sleeves are complete, though nothing's been blocked and the ends have yet to be woven in, as you can see. I've also got a good chunk of the back done, but it's just white stockinette on a needle, not much to look at.

But, it's coming along. The pocket on the front is so cute. I hope that although it is wool, the fact that the yarn is thin and light-weight will make it cool enough for her to wear through Spring and on Summer evenings. I'd hate for her to get too big for it before she has much chance to wear it. Hopefully I will have pictures of it finished and on Brooklyn to post soon enough!

Ravelry

I finally got my invite to join Ravelry and set up my account on Tuesday. Over the past few days I've been poking around, trying to make sense of everything and fleshing out my profile little by little. I've loaded all my finished hand-spun yarns so far. I can already tell I'm going to love exploring what the site has to offer. Although I hope becoming active in the community will help direct more people to my Etsy shop, I'm really excited just as a knitter to jump into Ravelry.

I can't wait to go through my stash and enter what I've got. I'm so looking forward to having such a fun and effective way to keep track of what I've got. Also, I figure if I get any inquiries about custom orders over on Etsy, I can refer people to check out my stash to see what kinds of yarns they could choose from. And the prospect of selling my hand-spun and seeing someone knit something with it and put it up as a project is exciting too! I'm also planning to input all my finished projects and WIP's, however I'm dreading that a little because I think my tendency to lack follow-through with my knitting endeavors will become very apparent. I wonder how many lonesome socks I will discover patiently waiting for their partners...

In other news, my computer has decided to stop recognizing the digital camera when I plug it in, so I'm not too sure how I'm going to photograph any of the new items I've got planned for my Etsy shop. There'll be some fun stuff coming though, including pouches knit from my hand-spun and some dope crocheted headbands!

Well, off to play on Ravelry some more :-)

Coincidence or evidence of an aware universe?

Okay, so I have been using computers for at least 15 years now, and despite the warnings, I have on occasion enjoyed a cup of coffee or a sandwich while surfing the net. Quite a few occasions actually, and I have never spilled so much as a drop. When I was a kid I obeyed the unwritten law sure, but in the process of claiming my adulthood and independence, I have become quite the rebel where technology and nutrition are involved.

Once again, I stress that I have never had an incident. So I was quite offended yesterday when my hetero life mate asked me to refrain from eating or drinking while at his computer, implying that I was not to be trusted to take this law into my own hands. I protested, citing my clean record and general competence. He said, "I know it's hard to believe, but accidents can happen." Famous last words!

This morning as I was going back and forth between the peanut butter brownies I was making and the recipe I had up on the screen, the unthinkable (to me) happened. I had a cup of coffee in front of the monitor and somehow (my hand had no natural reason to be anywhere near it) it was knocked completely over, causing a sizable spill. No harm done, everything was quickly cleaned and is in working order. I can't make out any odor of coffee either, but we'll see what he says when he gets home.

If this isn't a clear cut example of our ability to create the circumstances of our reality with the thoughts we hold, I don't know what is. I went 15 years without an accident because in my mind it was not a possibility. The very day after I am warned by my loving boyfriend, this happens. Coincidence? I think not. In that case, it's not really my fault, is it?

Love you honey!

Yep, Another "Cute Cat" Post...

Can you blame me? I was casting on for a pair of socks last night, as a little break from knitting and spinning for my Etsy shop, when this happened...

I think it's safe to say the cats are getting comfortable with each other! Myau (pronounced m-eye-you) joined our family about a month ago and became obsessed with Oliver, aka Fat Cat (black/white), following him everywhere. Until now, Ollie's always maintained at least a little distance - the gap has been getting progressively more narrow. But here they're practically holding hands (well, feet)! I was torn between enjoying the moment and risking disturbing it to get the camera.

And yes, that's Cat Bordhi's "New Pathways for Sock Knitters" under Oliver. I think I've settled on the "Riverbed" contruction for the new socks I'll be making with my JoJoLand "Melody" sock yarn. They're going to be awesome! I'll be sure to post pictures along the way.

A couple of works in progress

I was all set to finish up this Brown Lotus needle felted wristlet, when I realized I'm fresh out of dark brown zippers! I'm pretty happy with it though, so I thought I'd put up some pictures of it in progress. Here it is with its liner all sewn up and ready to go. If all goes well it will be in my Etsy shop tomorrow!

I'm also working on a bag which I knitted with one of my first attempts at handspun. This is it, all knit up, about to be felted. I'm a little nervous about how it will felt. Hopefully the colors are still bright and distinct... we shall see.