Spring Cleaning

Spring Cleaning - SC. I normally do Fall Cleaning as being on a farm, dirt road and Spring being mud season it makes more sense. That way come Christmas my house is set and I can spend the winter knitting, spinning, creating and fun stuff.

Part of my SC is cleaning up anything on the www. From this blog, to Knit Meter, to Ravelry (cleaning up my queue, stash and project lists), Yahoo and other sites I play on I'm being ruthless and putting everything up to speed or deleted. Which brought me to my blog which I have been neglecting -total neglect. Hey, I had to use dial-up. Can you blame me? Now, my "tether" aka cell phone being a hot spot I can write and post and not worry if it actually posted.

Other things that are getting cleaned: workroom/office, basement (where I make my goat milk soap), barn, grooming pastures, (there is nothing like getting a fiber animal in your hands w/ the fiber is filled w/ pickers. OUCH), and general toss it activity.

Another area in dire need of refreshing: patterns, books, needles, yarn, fleeces, WIPs - it's finish-it or frog-it time the list is looong. But it's a chance to see what grabs my attention, or bores me to tears and adjust as needed. Rather theraputic when ya think about it. Makes ya face that Gosh-darn awful scarve that makes you cry "ugh" and put it back under the pile so you don't have to face the fact that it is ugly, ugly, ugly and you will never finish it. FROG the darn thing and get "new yarn".Yarn sitting in-waiting is fine.
It doesn't scream "you don't pay any attention to me".
 "I feel so alone".
 "You'd pay attention to me if I was made w/ that blue alpaca yarn".
 "Yes I'm guilty of all that. I'm just not very happy w/ the way you are turning out".
 "I will frog you and put you back into skeins so you can dream of being something wonderful".
"Until that time - shut it!"

So I talk, whisper, or yell to my yarn. I'm not the only one! Just visit Ravelry and you'll see what I mean. It's not like I'm holding it and making promises I won't keep just to give it attention. As in all relationships we all have said things we wish we could take back...k...some of my yarn has heard some very unkind things and I won't take it back. "I hate you" has been known to be heard. I just need to rethink the project, and the yarn I chosen. Hey don't mess w/ the lady w/ multiple sets of DPNs. Yarn should understand that!

So what the heck is on my needles?

~A shawlette in Cascade 220 Heathers Green. Have 1/2 of a row to finish before the cast-off. Mind you this finally row is over 800 stitches!

~The 1st of 3 Bulky Sweater Jackets w/ Bernat Softee Chunky.

~ a couple of pairs of socks that I have to finish!

~and a few other things that need to be blocked, sewn-up, what have you.

Speaking of the shawl...where did I put it?

Testing Waterfall Lace Scarf

I am test knitting the Waterfall Lace Scarf for Zenmaria on ravelry.com.

Heres the link to flicker for a photo. http://www.flickr.com/photos/22549772@N07/5580891471/not

I picked South West Trading Company Bamboo for this project. I tried 5 different times to see if I liked it...that's a big NO - in this color way. The lace effect got lost in the translation:
Back into the stash until I find a scarf pattern for you, bamboo.


Stash dived and came out with "Hempathy" in dark orange and I love it! The weight, the stitch definition, the ease of knitting. It turned out awesome! Here is the scarf blocked and drying.

It measures 5"wide by 55"long. I knit two skeins of "Hempathy" as that's all I had in the orange. It was the perfect amount. Only have a couple of yards left!

I love "openess" of this pattern! It was easy to memorize and I could just sit and knit.

Now to other projects.

That's it Stash...I'm Taking You Down!

Dear Stash,
It's time we had a talk. You are getting bigger than I like. You are taking up too much space. I need to get working on you and reducing you to a nice small pile! I keep looking at you and shaking my head at the size of you. How did I let this happen to you? I wasn't paying enough attention to your size and have been adding to your girth. I have a ton of patterns, quite a few people who would love something knitted and I will make the time to work you into a much leaner stash. I'm sorry I was lazy about working on one project in - one project out. No more waiting! Projects out - no new yarn in!

I love this time of year! Just love it. I get energized and want to get things done. Who needs New Year's Day, I have Fall. Happy I am, as I organize, organize, organize! Putting up the gifts from the garden into the freezer and jars. Clearing out paperwork, clothes and anything that is hanging around that we don't use anymore...then I look at my stash. It's contained in boxes - by fiber. In a tote for the things I want to make for Christmas this year. A few clear zipper bags hold projects that are hibernating and a few skeins are just hanging out.

I do not need to add to this stash. I've even gone into my favorite yarn shop and walked back out without a single skein of yarn following me home for 3 shopping trips! Enter the Mary Maxim Tent Sale. Came out of there with 2 new book - Son Of Stitch 'N Bitch by Debbie Stoller, and Knits for Children & Their Teddies by Fiona McTague and 2 count that just two skeins of Mary Maxim Aloe Sock Yarn in Sandstone...come on give me a break - they were $1.97 each. A pair of socks for $4? Of course I'll buy a couple!

Then, there in the back of the Patons Shetland Chunky: a fantastic dark blue, a wonderful deep red and a happy dark green skeins...I could have sworn I heard them call my name. Been looking for a sale on Shetland Chunky to make my hubby and his best friend, Joe, a sweater each. Gonna take hubby this weekend to pick which of the three colorways will be for Joe and which will be hubby's. Once I buy the yarn for those sweaters I'm on a serious yarn diet.

Oh, yeah, that's right, I was talking about my taking my stash DOWN! I buy yarn for a specific purpose...(see paragraph about) even when the yarn is on sale. If I don't have a project in mind I don't buy it regardless of the price. Looking at what I have on hand, I'll be happy knitting away this Fall. Sitting outside in the early morning and knitting. In the evening, sitting outside knitting. In the house knittin'. I have too many projects I want to do. Instead of buying yarn on sale for a project I had better work on my projects I already have waiting. To me my stash is huge...to a yarn stasher elite, my stash is very small...it's all in how you see it.

One. Two. Three...jumping into my stash...if I don't come up for air soon send some chocolate!

Knitting for Lent

Knitting for Lent. 40+ days of knitting hats for mariners. Any yarn that I have that is "girly" will be knit into other things. That's what small projects are for, using up yarn!

I usually give something up for Lent; TV, chocolate, pop, chips. The past few years though I have been adding something to my life. Be it reading books instead of tv watching. Exercise - daily and such. But this year I'm giving of my time and yarn and helping to make 4,000 hats in 40 days for the Mariners. I am joining other Episcopalians in the knitting of the hats! It's a win-win situation! Mariners get hats and I use up some stash!

I have my favorite hat pattern that was a big hit with the sons-in-law, so I know it'll be fine for this too! Manly colors all the way! My goal? 40 hats for the 40 days of Lent! That is another reason my favorite hat pattern will work. It's a quick knit!

Today is Ash Wednesday. Time of prayer, and preparation .The roads are bad due to a snow storm so getting to church is not going to happen. But casting on will! Knitting my hats will be done the same way I knit Prayer Shawls! Quiet, prayers, cup of tea and maybe quiet music.

To the hats!