Merry Christmas!

I've been trying really hard to finish off some WIP and at least knit on some WIP before the new year.  Here are some FO and yarn that I got for Christmas.

Gifts, Test Knit and Finishing Up FO

Needles:  Size 5 dpn

Yarn:  Lily Sugar'n Cream Solids & Denim in Red

Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/kitchen-dishcloth--lattice-stitch-pattern

Needles:  Size 5 dpns

Yarn:   Lily Sugar'n Cream Solids in 1742 Hot blue

Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/kitchen-dishcloth--double-seed-stitch-pattern

These are quick teacher gifts paired with a bottle of soap and some hand made cookies.  Between being sick and having sick ones, I ran out of time to put more time into a gift.  I wanted to weave some hand clothes.  Maybe next year.

I managed to finish this test knit hat over the weekend.  My oldest has been into hats so she liked this one.  It was a pretty quick knit for me.  Details:

Needles:  Size 6 and 8 circular needles

Yarn:  Caron Simply Soft in white and charcoal heather

Pattern:  test knit pattern coming soon


Now I'm trying to finish up some WIP that have been on the needles way too long.  Wish me luck!

Pink!

This is on the wheel right now.  My daughters request for pink fiber.  I got it with my gift certificate from The Fiber Factory.  It's 4oz of Romney.

It's going to be a rough spin though.  This is the VM (vegetative matter) after I pulled a small strip out of 2 oz to spin.  There is a LOT of VM that I'm not use to in my spinning fiber.

Slow Recovery

Still recovering from pneumonia so not much knitting or spinning.  I have been trying really hard to finish some of my WIP.  This bind off took me about 5 months.  I started the bind off in June.  It's just 4 lines but I only bind off 2 stitches each time.  This shawl was started on Aug 3 2013!  I'm glad its done.  It wasn't hard but the lace yarn was a bit hard to work with some of the stitches.  Details:
Needle:  Size 5 circular
Yarn:  Dream in Color Wisp in March '12
Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vostok

County and State Fair Results

 I got first place at County for this shawl but nothing at state.

I got First place for County and State for these socks.

This Best Spinner award came with a $75 gift certificate!

This is the yarn that won Best Spinner, First Place for County and State!

All the ribbons together for the handspun.

This just won First place at County.

This won first place at County and Third place at State.

Gift Certificate Shopping!

I finally got a chance to head up to Phoenix.  Mesa actually.  I went to the Fiber Factory and got this with my gift certificate plus some cash.  The pink fiber is Romney for my daughter.  She picked it up and said "It's so PINK!!".   The other fiber is 50% silk and 50% merino.  The rainbow color yarn was also picked by my daughter for a hat.  Interesting choice but as long as she wears the hat, I don't mind.  I couldn't pass up the gradient set.  The purple yarn is a hat for the other daughter.

Gift Certificate

I got this in the mail.  It says "Best Weaver" instead of "Best Spinner" because the "Best Spinner" gift certificate is for a store in Prescott which the Best Weaver wanted.  This is fine with me since I've never been to the Fiber Factory.  I can't wait to check it out!

Sick One

Not me yet, but one of my girls was sick this week which means nothing goes as plan.  I did managed to get some knitting while waiting at doctors' offices.  Yes, more then one visit this week.

 Finished this shawl but ran out of yarn again.  I just did a picot bind off in grey.

Started this plain sock.  Need waiting around projects to work on.

Trying to finish these bird socks.  Getting close!

Just need to bind off but its 4 rows that only pick up 2 of the stitches.  I can only handle about an hour of this and then I need to go to something else.

Arizona State Fair Results

One handspun got first place and best in show.  I've never won best in show before.  I'm happy to have gotten both for this yarn.  I really like how it turned out and I'm glad the judges like it too.

My green handspun yarn got third place and the other yarn didn't place.

For my knitting, my socks got first place.  Second and third place went to my friend so I was happy for her.

My purple handspun shawl didn't place but I can't wait to get it back since it was knitted with the handspun that got first place last year.

What Have I Been Up To?

I have been trying hard to finish up some projects and almost done spinning a Loop Batt.

The grey shawl just needs to be bind off.  The problem is that in 4 rows, I only bind off 2 stitches (don't ask me how many stitches need to be bind off).  I spent an hour on it and it doesn't look like I did anything to it.   The Double knit shark scarf is SO close to being finished after a year.  I started in Sept 2014 and hubby loves the idea of actually using it this winter!  The colorful one is the Mermaid blanket I started for B.  It's very slow going and I only have like 8" done for the 44" I need.  Good thing its getting cooler so it won't be so bad on my lap.  I don't know if it will be done for Christmas or not.  The brown, yellow and blue is a shawl out of my handspun yarn.  I'm almost done one skein and like 7 more to go.  Here is some picture of the bump I've been spinning.

First Place for ALL!!

I don't have my items back (socks, shawl and 3 handspun yarns) but I have the ribbons and mark sheets.  The items are off to Arizona State Fair.

Yes! I do have an issue

I like to start projects.  Sometimes I will even finish projects that I just started rather then finish off a project that I started a couple of years ago.  Yes, I do have projects that are 2 or more years old.  I decided to show my daughter this Mermaid blanket and of course she wanted one.  Off we went to Jo-Ann for the yarn (I don't keep washable worsted weight around even though my stash should have enough yarn).  This is what she picked out.  The two on the left are for the tail.  You have to hold 2 strands of yarn for this blanket.

Here is the pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ladies-mermaid-tail-lapghan-cocoon-blanket  My friend is knitting the actual mermaid tail and the pattern is here:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mermaid-tail-lap-blanket-for-children-and-teens

What I have been doing?

I am ready to ply this 5oz of JulieSpins Rambouillet in the color Northeast Kingdom.  I am expecting very bouncy yarn from it and hope to get good yardage.

I finally finished these socks!  They almost too me a year.  I like to start projects but easily get distracted.  In fact while washing some knitted projects, I almost started another handspun shawl.

Details here:  http://lilieknitting.blogspot.com/2014/10/cherry-socks-wip.html

This is the shawl that almost got me caking up some of my handspun to begin another one.

I love this pattern because you can basically knit till you are done then bind off.  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/diving-in-recipe

I started another sock.  These are part of my project I take with me everywhere so if I end up waiting around, I have something to do.

Details here:  http://lilieknitting.blogspot.com/2015/09/bright-rainbow-socks-wip.html

Still Missing In Action

My back is still hurting so I haven't been doing much.  I'll be seeing a orthopedic doctor next month.  Meanwhile I did manage to get my Cochise County and AZ State Fair entries ready.  I have this thing about knitting up the handspun I entered last year.

The purple shawl is the handspun that won 1st place in county & state last year.  Details here:  http://lilieknitting.blogspot.com/2015/02/persian-shawl-wip.html

The socks are actually my husband's.  I just finished them.  The ones I was trying to finish up for the fair didn't make it.  Details here:  http://lilieknitting.blogspot.com/2015/01/western-socks-wip.html

I'm entering 3 handspun.  Details here:  http://www.ravelry.com/people/AtPlayWithFiber/handspun/js-merino-yak-silk-colonial
http://www.ravelry.com/people/AtPlayWithFiber/handspun/js-80-merino-20-silk-great-barrier-reef
http://www.ravelry.com/people/AtPlayWithFiber/handspun/wg-green-merino-silk

They Weren't Kidding!

Sorry for the lack of posts!  I somehow managed to hurt my back last Sat and am just starting to feel better.  I ended up going to urgent care on Tuesday since the usual heat pad, rest and Motrin wasn't doing it.  I was in a car accident and sometimes even a strong sneeze can make my back hurt.  I had to take muscle relaxants this time though.  Those even at 1/2 a dose puts me to sleep and I don't get anything done!

I did managed to finish spinning my Wool Gathering 50% merino/50% silk.  I just need to ply it.

I did finish my cowl too!

Needles:  Size 9 circulars
Yarn:  The Verdant Gryphon Codex in Behind the Beautiful Forevers
Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/happy-hoppin-cowl

New Project Bag = New Project

I got a new project bag and of course I had to start a new project to use it!  I need to get a copy of the picture I took of the bag.  It's My Little Pony.  I do have a picture of the project though.

Details here:

Needles:  Size 6 circulars
Yarn:  Pigeonroof Studios Cassiopeia Lace singles in Pale Wisteria
Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/thoth

I haven't gotten very far since I had to cast on 393 stitches!!  I have all of  Anna Dalvi's books and I finally started to knit one of the patterns from her book.  This pattern is from Ancient Egypt in Lace and Color.

Here is my My Little Pony bag!

Finish Plying BME

I got 584 yards from my 8 oz of Merino/Silk from BME (Bee Mice Elf).  It's 20 WIP which is about fingering weight.

I've been finishing projects and wanted to start one for me.  Details:

Needles:  Size 9 circulars
Yarn:  The Verdant Gryphon Codex in Behind the Beautiful Forevers
Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/happy-hoppin-cowl