~Springtime Cowgirls ~

My sister and good friend Zaynab are having a show this coming 1st Friday.  The show will be held at Her Tern (Skinny Ravens parent store), Friday May 7 from 4 - 8 pm.  Their show is going to be amazing and is going to feature leather goods.  These two ladies are doing wonderful stuff with leather!  It is amazing to watch.  Yesterday, after pestering my sister for days, we went down to the leather studio (the basement of our office) and Julie cut out my bag and with a little (I mean just a little) help from me, we put this together and it is ALL MINE and ONE OF A KIND...  I LOVE IT! 

If you want to see more of my sisters work check it out HERE!

and the winner is...

A day late is better than never, right!  This morning I gathered up the names of the people who commented on my blog (thank you) and I put them in my cute little felted vessel.  Brendan drew a name out of the vessel and we have a winner...  Aunt Rachel in Hamilton, Montana is the winner of some hand spun yarn!  I will get your package off to you on Monday!

500 Visitors - HOW ABOUT A DRAWING!!!

500 VISITORS!!!

Wow!  Who knew that this blogging thing could be so much fun!  I just got a message that I have had 500 visitors to my blog so I decided that I would do something fun!  I have some hand spun yarn at home that needs a home so - if you make a comment, I will put your name in the hat for a drawing.  This drawing will take place on Friday!!! 

Spring Fling Recap...

(From top to bottom, left to right)

The Spring Fling Flyer, Denise was presented with a hand made banner, she cried!  My new book!  Orange Shetland Fiber Porn!  Alpaca, Silk, Mohair Fiber Porn!  Owl Project Bag that was in the mail when I got home.  Buffalo/Merino Fiber PORN!  A view of the "fling"  My friends Cathy, Cathy, Toby and others!!!

What a wonderful weekend that was had by all in Wasilla.  The Spring Fling hosted by Denise Morrison with Fiber N'Ice was a hit!!!  I started my weekend at about 2pm on Friday and drove North to Wasilla.  There I met up with my good friends Zaynab and Toby and quickly dropped our stuff off at Zaynab's Mother in Law, Sonia's, house.  We then traveled to the Best Western Lake Lucille Inn where the Spring Fling was being held.  When you walked into the conference room you were greeted with people feeling alive and ready for a weekend of fiber enjoyment.  There were spinning wheels, fiber, yarn, tables set up for felting of vessels, wall hangings, scarves, painting on woven fabric, carding, combing, etc, etc, etc.  Zaynab was busy all weekend with classes (felting, felting, felting and then some embellishing).  I taught one class on magic loop and fingerless mitts.  I spun up some of my first most extravigent purchase of buffalo (75%) and merino (25%).  I did not do a whole lot of knitting other than my class but I just observed, learned, and visited with old and new friends.  There are stories.  A couple.  I will post about those later.  One involves a little boy named Chance and the other involves a felted scarf donated and found!!!  Stay tuned...

The naughty deer...

I have been working on another ear flap hat, chullo, toque, hockey hat - whatever you want to call it!!!  Clint is getting ready to take off on Sunday for a couple of weeks and since this hat is for his work buddy, Jake, I needed to slam it out last night.  When I got home from work I still had to close up the top, apply the ear flaps and finish of the edging with the icord bind off, oh yeah, and add the braids.  So I hunkered down on the couch, remote in hand and watched Bones, Bones - NEW, Glee - recorded and the Mentalist and managed to finish the hat, blocking included!  Here are some not so great shots of the Naughty Deer (I still need to work with Clint on the modeling thing - geez, pull the ear flaps down would you)! 

Pattern:  Chart from the "Fornicating Deer Chart" (on Ravelry)

Ear flap hat is personal - made up - perfecting!

Yarn:  Berroco Ultra Alplaca - Three Colors

Needles:  Size 4 Knit Picks Options

Project bags, can you ever have to many???

My friend Alissa sent me a link the other day to a gal who sews project bags.  She had one at FNK (friday night knitting) and must have seen this one and thought of me because I promptly had a link to an Etsy site in my email box.  I was spending some time cleaning up email today and finally clicked the link - my jaw dropped!  How cute is this fabric...and the bag...  I LOVE it!

If anyone else loves these cute little bags and NEEDS and I mean NEEDS to order one for themselves you will find Vengancraftastic here!

Rip it! Rip it! Rip it! The knitters definition of "FROGGING"!

Skew has bit the dust - temporarily.  I have decided to rip it out!  This sock will be made again.  The reason that I decided to "frog" it is because the gauge was WAY off.  I was measuring 3 1/2 inches wide when I should have had 4.  In ripping this out I will also be able to make the sock with the "proper" increases!  So here is frogging in a nutshell, step by step...

1. Remove needles

2. Pull yarn

3. Keep pulling yarn

4. You are done frogging when the yarn is in a wrinkly pile and no stitches are present