Arizona State Fair 2017 Results

I didn't get a chance this year to go see the fair and see how I place.  I did pretty good.  My handspun got 2 first place and 1 second place.  My knitting got a first place and a fourth place.

It's That Time Again!

Time for County and State Fair.   I'm entering 2 shawls, 1 hat and 3 handspun yarns.  I hope I can get best in show or best spinner for State.  It's going to be hard since I got it 2 in a row already.  Here is a group shot.

The dark shawl is done with my handspun yarn.  It was suppose to be 3 different yarns but I ended up using 6 yarns.  The bright shawl was a shawl I did for a knit along.  I do love it.  It's bright and happy.  The purple hat was last minute.  I had a test knit hat but I thought it wasn't complicated enough.  I love how the cables showed up.  Wish me luck!

Tour De Fleece 2017

Well, I only managed 1 skein of yarn and finish another after the Tour De Fleece was over.  My goal this year was to spin at least an hour each day.  I've been busy with sample knits so spinning has kind of gotten left behind on some days.  My usual goal is to spin every day.

My first skein was fiber I got from my birthday.  It was 4 oz of Superwash Merino Roving from Pigeon Roof Studios called Tropical Flower.  I got 275 yards of fingering weight yarn.

Next was 5 oz of SqueeZins from Treadle Handspun yarn along with almost 2 oz of sample fiber.  I got 478 yards of sport weight yarn.

I hope to spin more next year!

FO and Another Sample Knit!

I got my test knit done.  It just needs to be washed and blocked.  It's the part I like least along with weaving in the ends.

I finally got my  Baa-ble Hat washed and blocked.  It's ready for my trip to Rhinebeck in the fall.

My  Drachenfels turned out HUGE but that is what you get when your "fingering" weight yarn isn't quite fingering weight.  I love it though and it will go in the county and state fair this year.

I got my Woolgathering off the wheel.  I can't wait to see how it plies up.

This is my latest sample knit.  It's Spotlight and it will be at Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival at the Backyard Fiberworks booth!!  If you remember just around Christmas, I won $100 gift certificate to Backyard Fiberworks.  I got some lovely yarn and just decided to ask Alice if she needed samples knitted.  She said yes!  She has some other shawls I will be knitting too.  This is Backyard Fiberworks Sock in Shell.  I soon will be adding Silver Springs.

Same Old Song

Trying to finish some projects, trying not to start new projects, trying to stop signing up for test knits and trying to get some spinning in.

I did managed to finish my Rhinebeck Hat.

It still needs to be washed and blocked.

I started another test knit.  I wanted to use some of the lovely yarn I won from Backyard Fiberworks.

I see another test knit that I want to do for AMBAH and I have the perfect yarn for it.

I joined another KAL.  I got yarn for this shawl for Christmas.

I've managed to finish a pair of socks but not from the same pair.  I got one of each done. LOL!

I got yarn.  It was my birthday this month so of course that involves getting yarn.

My latest handspun and what is on the wheel right now.

Chicken Boots USA

This is going to be a fan girl post.  Instagram is a bad place to get introduced to new yarn, new dyers and new companies to buy stuff from.  My friend Angela has this great Neo Atsume bag that she posts in a lot of pictures.  She often gets asked where she got her project bag and her answer is Chicken Boots USA. www.chickenbootsusa.com.  Now the sad part was that her bag was part of a limited run and not available any more.  The happy part was when Chicken Boots decided to do something called Egg Crates.  You had 3 choices:  chick, teen and Head Hen.  The chick was just the wallet, teen was just the tote and Head Hen was both with some bonus items.  The January Egg Crate is sold out and the next one will be in March.

This is a picture of my collection of Chicken Boots.

Here is a picture of the head hen with all the goodies.  There are different versions of the pin and pad.

Go to this page to find out the future egg crates coming. https://www.chickenbootsusa.com/pages/new-egg-crates

This is the wallet (inside and outside).  This will become my travel wallet.  My every day wallet is huge with lots of cards and items.  I love that the pocket for the bills is large so it would work for those foreigner bills that are different sizes then the USA dollar.

Look how much the tote will hold!  That is 3 skeins of yarn and a fairly big shawl.

I lovely pocket in the front.  Perfect for my pattern card.

I didn't even notice there was a pocket in the back!

This is a charm keeper.  This wasn't a part of the Egg crates but extras people could get with the egg crate or separately.  I wasn't going to get this bag but I'm SO glad that I did.  I love the tote but the cute cat fabric is on the inside.

Look how much this bag can hold!!  That's why I'm glad that I got it.  I have plenty of smaller project bags that can pretty much only hold one skein of fingering weight and a sock project.

Cute fabric inside too.  You can get other fabric charm keeper here:
https://www.chickenbootsusa.com/collections/new/products/charm-keeper

This was my first Chicken Boots purchase.  It was in the sale section and I got it for the yarn washi tape that came with purchase.  I have a thing for cats if you haven't noticed.  Love that its so HUGE and that it has a zipper pocket for my pattern card and tape measure.

There isn't anything there right now but don't forget to check out sale items too!
https://www.chickenbootsusa.com/collections/sale-and-seconds-items

Last of the Sample Knits

A sample knit cowl.  I had to send it on waste yarn (ran out before the end of the pattern).

A sample knit hat.  I added a pom pom but didn't take a another picture.  I liked how this came out.

This is a shawl with my handspun yarn.  I hope I don't run out of the red/black.  It takes 3 colors.

This is part of the Kindness KAL.  I need to finish by March.  KnitCircus is donating $5 for every shawl finished.

 Love how this sock blank is knitting up!  It's from Gale's Art.

This is what is on the wheel.  Superwash Merino from Nest.

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!