Tuesday, August 26, 2014

TDF Fall Fiber

Spinning up the 75% BFL/25% Tussah Silk that I got from the Tour De Fleece winnings.

Here are some progress pics. I am loving doing the Plying-on-the-Fly method.
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The fiber spins just lovely and I am enjoying the Fall colors. I'm trying to spin it all up before the end of August.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Mark's Socks

All finished with Mark's socks. I was hoping there would be enough to make matching socks for his son, my nephew, Liam, but the skein wasn't big enough.

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I do not like how difficult it is to photograph this color though, it's hard to get it clear.  I did like knitting with this yarn though.


Yarn
: Knit Picks Hawthorne
Color: Forest Park
Content: 80% Superwash Fine Highland Wool, 20% Polyamide (Nylon)
Care: Machine Wash and Dry
Needles: US 1
Size: US Mens 11
Pattern: None, just my own toe-up sock. Did use my new toe though. I am still refining it, but I really like how this one worked out.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Inspirations

Recipe Inspirations:

Sazon Chicken Tenders - - sounds good!

Friday, August 22, 2014

Follow the Butterflies

My very first and last Into the Whirled Classic Club is very pretty, it the "Follow the Butterflies" colorway.

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I say last because even though it's pretty, I cannot justify the cost right now.  Plus getting it just made me want to dye up my own fiber.   I already prepped it for spinning and I'm sure it will be lovely.  I love the peachy color in it.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Dyer's Notebook Podcast Group Swap

This was my last attempt to do a swap, I have been burned too many times on these and this was my last ditch effort. Luckily it turned out wonderful!

Here is what I sent out:

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The yarn is fingering weight 75% Superwash Merino and 25% Nylon. It's self-striping, 4 rows pink, 6-8 rows variegated pink, white, purple, and black, 4 rows purple, and then 6-8 rows variegated pink, white, purple, and black.
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The fiber is just some small bundles of random wool, they were dyed in some of the remainder of the dye from the yarn.
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Here is what I received:

Halloween inspired yarn, 75% Superwash Merino and 25% Nylon
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Orange bit was sent as a coordinating color.
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She sent a second skein of Rainbow inspired yarn, 70% Superwash BFL, 20% Silk, and 10% Cashmere.  I'm thinking a hat or part of a shawl.
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She also sent this needle keeper which is interesting.
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Here is what I am making with the Halloween color:

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I am making some Lazy Cable Fingerless Mitts for one of my niece's for Christmas.  Not using a pattern, just figuring it out as I go.  Had to do some ripping back a couple times, but overall I think it is going well.  Knit on US 1.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Wookie Wednesday

Even if Mommy is lazy in her blogging, I make sure she posts about me . . .


I tried to chase some Canadian Geese, but those things are huge!
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We went down by the lake and it was super windy.
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You can tell, both me and Daddy were just so enthused to get our picture taken.
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Don't forget to do your daily people watching, they are so interesting.
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If you truly enjoy a smell, you have to furiously roll in it.
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Warm clean laundry means snuggle in and take a nap.
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Every good day ends with some nice exercise or more specific Pilates/Belly Dancing Fusion.
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Sunday, August 17, 2014

Inspirations


Recipe Inspirations
:

Kung Pao Chicken Zoodles - - one, you just have to love the name, two, it sounds yummy!


Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder - - sound good, a love a good chowder


Grilled Peach Jalapeno Bacon Guacamole - - this sounds disturbingly good

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Wookie Wednesday!

Let's just stop and lay in the cool grass for a while!
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Okay, time to move!
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Haha, not only did I steal Daddy's exercise mat, but I am heckling him about it!
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Okay, just a small pit stop!
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Puppy exercising is just exhausting!
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Wait, wait, let me amend that ... puppy life in general is exhausting!
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See you next Wednesday, I'll make sure Mommy gets some good shots of me for next week!

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Mark's Birthday Socks

Still working on these, but getting close to done. My brother-in-law, Mark, has a birthday at the end of this month. Since I will be in Washington State in early September, I will be bringing these with me to give to him.


One straight on and the other from the side.
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As you can tell, they look big, he has size 11 feet! My sisters really could have picked husbands with smaller feet!
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Here is the back, I did them toe up, gusset and then heel flap... it's my favorite method!
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This picture was earlier on, but you can see more accurate colors here.  I used a newer sock yarn from Knit Picks and really like the feel of it.  It was supposed to be variegated greens and grays, but as you can see it is doing some weird spiraling stripes.
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Yarn
: Knit Picks Hawthorne
Color: Forest Park
Content: 80% Superwash Fine Highland Wool, 20% Polyamide (Nylon)
Care: Machine Wash and Dry
Needles: US 1
Size: US Mens 11
Pattern: None, just my own toe-up sock. Did use my new toe though. I am still refining it, but I really like how this one worked out.

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Inspirations

Sewing Inspirations:

Thread City Gym Shorts - - look cute, especially for kids!





Recipe Inspirations:


French Onion Soup Grilled Cheese Sandwiches - - no doubt, I am going to have to try this!!


Roasted Cauliflower Rice - - think this is worth trying, I am more likely to like the roasted kind, since that's how I make my regular cauliflower.


Basque Cake Recipes - - Not sure if I'll ever make one of these, but they look good and I love it when people do comparison baking.


Gluten Free Crepe Cake - - I mean seriously does anything more need to be said? Yummy!


Peaches and Ginger-Lime Whipped Cream - - this just sounds so oddly delicious!


Ginger Teriyaki Beef Kabobs - - sounds yummy


Moroccan Garlic Chicken - - sounds interesting!

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Wheels of Time

So I finally finished this blanket started about 4 years ago. I tried to find old progress posts to refer back to, but I was podcasting at that time, so it's all in videos. Here is the tutorial I used though, Raw Edge Circle Quilt. I didn't do it quite as she did, because I wanted different color of circles on different squares. So after I cut out my circles, I cut them into four before I hand-stitched them onto the blocks. Also, I did not cut the corner off of the back fabric, I wanted the stability of both layers.


I had all the circle pieces hand-stitched onto the squares within before Eleanor was born almost 3.5 years ago. I set it aside to work on some other things and then just never pulled it back out again until a couple weeks ago. All that was needed was to sew the blocks together and put a back on it, which was done by machine. Took a few hours, but oh how I wish I would have finished it so long ago, I love how it turned out.

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The back is a light fleece material in different colors.

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The front pieces are all cotton.
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It was so hard to get a good full length picture. The weather has been rather rainy lately, so outside wasn't an option. If it gets dry, I'll try to get some better ones.

This will be going to Washington State with me in early September to finally be with Miss Eleanor.

Monday, August 4, 2014

New Turkish Spindle

So in my Tour De Fleece, I won a gift certificate to the Threads Thru Time Etsy store. So of course, what did I have to do . . . buy another spindle, of course and in their new size Small. This spindle is the one I got.  Now that I finally go to try this size, it is by far my favorite size!


Here is the spindle in the middle of it all. The fiber on the little legs is the already plied yarn and the yarn wrapped around the shaft is the singles waiting to be plied.
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I spun up the little bit of fiber that was sent as a sample with the spindle of Ashland Bay Colonial top in the Raspberry colorway. I got 30 yards of a chain-ply. I love spinning little samples, as I don't grow board and I love their fiber.
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I am thinking I may spin the Tour De Fleece fiber I won on it next . . . we shall see! :)

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Inspirations

Crafting Inspirations:
Going to try my hand at this!





Recipe Inspirations:

Cheesy Stuffed Mexican Peppers - - this sounds delicious!


Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta - - sounds yummy, especially if the noodles are subbed with rice noodles or it is stuffed inside a chicken breast.


Ham and Cheese Sandwich Balls - - sounds interesting

Friday, August 1, 2014

Post Tour De Fleece

I most definitely did not get as much done during the Tour De Fleece as I wanted to, but I did better than years prior and am happy with what I did finish.

I finished somewhere around a bit less than half (I am bad with estimations) of the Greenwood Fiberworks in the colorway Arcade, 85% BFL and 15% Tussah Silk. I got 165 yards of a chain ply/3-ply. I love the way the colors turned out in the end and would definitely recommend this fiber! It's around a fingering weight or maybe a light fingering weight.

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I am still slowly spinning the rest of it and I am more successfully trying Plying-on-the-fly chain playing. Thanks to Revelations of a Delusional Knitter's YouTube video.




Here is my little bit of progress so far on the rest of the fiber.
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