a great tutorial

oh yes, wait a minute, Mr Postman

I do a lot of yarn swapping on Ravelry. I know that you've read me sayin' this before, but its getting worse! I'm quickly becoming quite the swap hoar! Today my favorite mail deliverer dropped a hank of gorgeous Malabrigo in Tiziano Red.

This is what Sasha the Pug thought of the Mal!

Yum!

With all the projects that I have in mind right now, I figured it was high time I got to winding some of these swappy gems up! The red is the Malabrigo, the green is "Kerosene Pickles" from Knit Fit Knitting, and the juicy looking multi-colored cake is Cascade 220 Painted Superwash in a "fruit punch" kind of color.

{fiboetry}

I

Pledge

as the Queen

cake would be for all

Death - a faded, bad memory.

~jlkg 0024 2010/07/30

Marie-Antoinette - Joseph Ducreaux, 1769

from the Poetry Foundation -

What's a Fib? Math plus poetry.

BY DEBORAH HAAR CLARK

One
Small,
Precise,
Poetic,
Spiraling mixture:
Math plus poetry yields the Fib.

Gregory K. Pincus wasn’t expecting to start a movement when he posted this Fib—his very first—to his blog last year. The Los Angeles writer, volunteer librarian, and dad was simply commemorating the opening of National Poetry Month by sharing the six-line, 20-syllable poem.

to read more, follow this...

{daily fiber}

Recently I joined my very first fiber club! Just check out my booty ...

4oz Falkland Fiber Club in "Memory"

Cosette Cornelius Bates is the lady behind the cosymakes Patterns and cosySpins Yarn & Fiber Shop. She's also the author of the fab crafty book Knit One, Embellish Too.

I adore her crafts, and am positively green with envy over her hand embroidery! I've looked at fiber clubs before but this one was just the right amount of time (3 months) at a very reasonable price ... and my budget doesn't have much budge. Also being a spinning n00b, I don't reeeaally need a bunch of roving, now do I? A least I keep telling myself that ;)

The Lorax would be pleased ...

Found while roaming the interwebs today; Woolly Fabulous' tree project flickr set.

*I would love to share photos but, blogger is being testy right now

I fall down go boom!

Oh my gawd! I'm in such a hurry right now to get offline but I had to share this delish find for all my pretty-pretties hoars ;) How nice of me, I know.

I just fell down at Jenny M. Jewels Etsy shop. For the love of all that is sparkely, go there now!

what's goin' on? {in pictures}

If you look closely, you can see my little chipmunk buddy on the stairs (right next to that ugly ass bush I'm allergic to). I want so much to get better pics of this little dude, as he's adorable! When I snapped this, he was grooming and keep a close eye on a couple of robins bopping around my yard.

Baby girl on her way to dance class. I really have to get a pic of her in tap shoes to share!

Our new roomie. She has kids on the way and likes to hang outside my backdoor at night. I *think* she's a sac spider.

My dreads need a root touch up but, I looove how they are looking these days! In a few weeks they will be 2!

What would you do with a ball of recycled silk Sari? Now fielding suggestions!

{Friday Fill-In}

I haven't done a Friday Fill-In for a loooong time so, here I go!

1. This is what life does. It lets you _live, live, live_.

2. _Why can't more people just_ appreciate the moment?

3. Upon reflection _maybe grabbing that hot dish right from the oven wasn't so smart after all_.

4. _I hope to live_ for quite a long time.

5. Later, you wake up _and realize it's still dark out and there's still plenty of time to sleep_

6. _Sail away with pirates_ to the far and boundless sea.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to __knitting and a local band with friends_, tomorrow my plans include _going to a birthday party_ and Sunday, I want to _make love to my husband first thing in the morning_!

firsts

This is the delicious hand dyed roving I've been practicing with ...
This is what resulted from my first try at plying. It's 2 ply. No weight, as of yet...

Not too shabby!

busy morning...

Molly-Fae is keeping herself busy with a Cranium game, while I'm doing some spinning. Viva la Tour De Fleece!

And then ... Mol decides she wants to give it a whirl!
My first bobbin! By tomorrow, I hope to be plying. That should be interesting!

there's a Bee in my house!

The Spinolution Travel Bee Wheel is awesome! Thanks for letting me use it, Miss Carol (aka The Enabler)!

yarn - the olde way

Hand spinning "starter kit" from Maine Woods Yarn & Fiber

You may or may not know that the Tour De France is happening right now. To coincide with the bicycle event, Ravelers are participating in the Tour De Fleece. Unlike the event that takes place on a bike, the fiber TDF is more of a personal challenge than a competition against others.

During the Tour De Fleece, each participant sets a goal to spin fiber into yarn, either by spinning wheel or hand spindle. It's only day 2 and already I'm blown away by just seeing what's been in done in such a short time! It's inspiring to a newb like me!

Day 1, my roving turned out to be about worsted weight. Not bad but, the movements involved felt really awkward. Day 2, things turned out much skinnier! (and I love my skinny yarns!) Still awkward getting the roving situated, spinning the top whorl without getting the roving wrapped around the spindle...ugh. I am happy with my little progress so far though :) Tonight a beloved buddy of mine is lending me her Bee Travel Spinning Wheel.... I'm stoked to get on a wheel and try out my skills that way!

Day 1

Day 2

Tropical Punch by mail

More luvin' arrived by mail today! Yet another yummy something I attained as part of the swappery swapping I've been doing in the Rav group ChitteryChattery Swappery Swappers!

It's Cascade 220 Superwash Paints in a delicious Tropical Punch #9859. The entire 220 yards is alllll miiiiinnnee! mwahahahahaha!

gimme, gimme, some {knit} luvin

I looove Freecycle! Why? Knitters and crocheters frequently destash, and give their stuff away!

Recently I've been blessed by a self proclaimed hoarder, who can't remember shit (also self proclaimed) and "has neither the time or patience" to sit down and work on projects she promised as long ago and a decade.

In the last few days, I've picked up a major stash of books from her...

Not pictured is a file folder stuffed with patterns she cut out of knit and crochet mags dating back to 1991. Also missing from this blog post are pics of 3 books straight outta 1982. I can't tell you what the patterns are because I've been so distracted by the hair styles. Yikes!

Now in my possession, is a hank of Knit Fit Knitting superwash sock in a fab colorway called Kerosene Pickles! I received it as part of a swap deal I took part in thru the Ravelry group, ChitteryChattery Swappery Swappers. Join, and become addicted! It's a great way to destash, and add something new to your collection.

I heart zombies! (and now my yarn does too!)

So, recently I frogged my blue heather Tea Leaves. Yesterday I cast on, once again, using Lorna's Laces worsted yumminess in a colorway worthy of badassness - Zombie BBQ!

I'm a bit farther now than shown in this photo - I may be as far as when I frogged the original. (yay! progress!) I plan on using the Zombie BBQ for the yoke, then continuing the main body with a luscious "plum" from Ella Rae Classic Wool.

felted bag featured in Ella Rae book 11 using "plum"

photo borrowed from Little Knits