Last Post of 2016!

Been busy cooking.  Always starting new project and trying to finish projects too.  I also won a $100 gift certificate giveaway by Backyard Fiberworks on Instagram!  I can't wait to get the yarn.

My last handspun yarn for the year.  I won't start another one till Jan 2017.

I love this pattern for wash clothes.  This is my second one and I have yarn enough for 2 more.  Great use of the cotton bon bons I got last Christmas.

Another Christmas ornament that uses the bon bon yarns.  Great small free pattern.

My hat.  I need to finish it before its 2017.  My third one from the same pattern.

My felted slippers!  I have to knit another pair for my daughter and then I hope I don't have to knit it again for a while.

My husband likes slippers.  This is his third pair.  Just in time since the last one had a hole that I covered and then the other slipper developed a hole too!

Apparently I Won Best Spinner Too!

I found out at the end of November that I won and today I got my gift certificate.  I hope I can use it before it expires!  This shop is 300 miles away and a 5 or 6 hour car trip. 

Time is running out!

For the most part, I can't show you what I'm working on since its a test knit for a future KAL.  It's an interesting mixture of color and texture but I have to wait till the KAL is done before I can put up pictures.  Meanwhile this is what else I've been up to.

Still working on this purple fiber.  I think I'm more then half way through.  It's from Hobbledehoy.

I added this to my fiber stash.  Can't wai tto see how it spins up!

Added this fun yarn from The Fiber Seed.  It's fingering weight called Funfetti.  No, I don't have a pattern for it yet.

I finished a square for my patchwork triangle blanket!

I need to finish the second slipper and then felt them.

This is suppose to be a Christmas gift.  I have this chart and then the edging to do.

This is one of those vanilla socks with a self striping yarn for my sock collection.  These make great knitting projects to take while waiting for appointments.

Another vanilla sock pattern knitting from a sock blank for my daughter.  I LOVE how the colors are showing up.  You never know from the sock blank just how it will knit up. 

More Sample Knits

The last of them for the year!  Excuse the ends.  I usually weave them in after they are washed.

Needles:  Size 6 circular

Yarn:  Swans Island Natural Colors Merino Worsted in Fig

Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/blackberry-mitts

Needles:  Size 2 and 4 circular

Yarn:  Spincycle Yarns Dyed in the Wool in  Kimono and Pick Your Poison

Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hank-7

Needles:  Size 7 and 9 circular

Yarn:  Swans Island Natural Colors Merino Worsted in Fig

Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/beloved--aran-

Almost 3,000 yards!

I finally finished this HUGE Mermaid Blanket for my daughter.  It took almost 3,000 yards of yarn.  It's worsted weight held double.  I couldn't knit on it during the hot Arizona summers.  I'm so glad its done.  She picked the colors.

Since I finished one blanket, I couldn't help but start another one.  This one is a patchwork one.  It will be a nice small project to take.  I hope I will able to sew all the squares together when I'm done.  I don't like sewing knitted pieces.  Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/patchwork-triangles

Here is another test knit hat.  It shouldn't take long to finish.  It will be interesting to see if the pattern gets lost with the variegated yarn or not.

First or Second and A Surprise At Fairs!

Here is a group shot.  All the items with their ribbons at Arizona State Fair.

Here is a group shot with all the ribbons from Arizona State Fair and Cochise County Fair.

This shawl got First place at County and Second Place at State.  Yarn:  Alisha Goes Around Panoply of Peacocks Fingering in Mark Anthony.  Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jaali-2

Ever year I knit up one of my hand spun yarns into a shawl to enter the next year's Fairs.  This was last years First place winning yarn and I got Best Spinner for it.  I got First place at State and County.  Yarn:  JulieSpins Merino Yak Silk in Colonial.  Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sunshine-and-shadows-2

I got First place at State and County for this test knit hat.  Yarn:  The Verdant Gryphon Traveller in Hot Pink ELC and  madelinetosh DK Twist in Carnation  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bridge-walker-hat

This was another sort of test knit.  It's was knitted in my hand spun yarn.  It got First at County and Second at State.  Yarn:  Wool Gathering July 2013 Fiber Adventure Club and JulieSpins Targhee in Glacier.  Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/anemone-hat-2

This won Best in Show at State and First Place.  It was also First place at County.  Into The Whirled 50/30/20 Alpaca/Merino/Silk Blended Top in Sentinel.

This won First place at State and County.  Bee Mice Elf BFL Top in Nile.

This only got First place at County and nothing at State.  It's Loop!

Self Striping Spontaneous Spinning Roving BULLSEYE Bump in Quantum Leap.

Here is my bag of ribbons.  I had to get a bigger bag to put them in.  I've been entering the County Fair since 2013 and Arizona State since 2014.

A Break from Sample Knitting

My Sample knit shawl.  It was mailed on Saturday morning and it arrived on Monday.  It was super fast!  She has more smaller projects but I'm not in a rush to get them.

This shawl is a Christmas present for the wife of my husband's co worker.  I need to get it done!

These slippers are for me but I have 2 more pairs to make.

These socks for my daughter are almost done!!

On the wheel is some lovely 15.5 micron merino and its so nice!!

The last of the rolags are spun up!

This is actually starting to look like a cardigan.  Never mind the fact that I started it 3 years ago!

Another test knit hat.  It's a good way to make sure that I get it knitted and done.  It's for the lady at Safeway that makes sandwiches.  She is really good and going to retire in February.

Need to Knit Faster!

Here is the progress on my sample knit.  I have one more repeat of 8 rows and then a bunch of garter rows.

I had to start this shawl since its going to be a Christmas gift.  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/grand-teton-shawl

I'm trying to finish up my last of the rolag/punis.  I need more time or more arms!

The Call of the Bobbins

One of my favorite Dyers is HeyHollyHoHum.  I've gotten a couple skeins of yarn and I love how she packages them.  They come in this shiny silver envelope.  Inside the yarn is wrapped in fun tissue paper.  Enclosed is a packet of tea and a couple of gummy candies.   Check her out here:  http://www.heyhollyhohum.com/products  and follow her on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/heyhollyhohum/

I really want to start Holly's Patchwork Triangles blanket http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/patchwork-triangles  but I REALLY need to get going on some Christmas gifts and time is running out! 

Test Knit, Another Sample, Spinning and Yarn!

Here is my progress on my test knit.  I'm getting to the end.  There is more brown now on the right side since this picture.

I was almost done the 2nd repeat of this sample shawl when I saw that I messed up the last section of the first repeat.  UGH!  Now I have to rip back and reknit it.  The pattern is pretty easy with lace and garter sections (8) repeated 6 times.  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/paris-toujours

Spinning progress.  I will be n-plying this today or tomorrow.

I saw these Caron Cakes at Michael's and I had to bring home 2 for this pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/skye-boat-shawl

County Fair Results

First place for 2 hats, 2 shawls and 3 handspun yarns!!  Can't wait to see how everything does at Arizona State.