Tour de Fleece'10Team Phat Fiber,Team Lantern Rouge,Team Peolton

Tour de Fleece'10Team Phat Fiber,Team Lantern Rouge,Team Peolton, originally uploaded by mamakinznot.

It's finally here again, the Tour de France, where all the best cyclists will be spinning their wheels from Saturday July 3 through Sunday July 25th. Ravelry spinners will be joining them and will be spinning along with them, only we'll be using spindles & spinning wheels for our challenge.

I'm going to be spinning for Team Phat Fiber and am also on Team Lantern Rouge and Team Peloton in the TdF group. I'll be using my spindle and have been practicing with some of the beautiful fibers from the contributors from the Phat Fiber Sample Box.

Having Strata around is giving me a handicap beside the physical one this year. She's been stealing my fiber every chance she gets and I think she must be up nights finding new places to store some of my best fiber since I can't find half of it. What I do have I've posted, and if I get to spin through this it will be a miracle!

To all those joining in the Tour de Fleece, good spinning & good luck if you have a kitten as your handicap :D

Desert Garden Giveaway!

PHAT FIBER is going to kick this week off RIGHT! They're giving away 4 oz of delectable Desert Garden tumbleweed batts in "Fruit Batt" which is a luxurious blend of Ultrafine Merino, Nere Mere (LOVE to spin this stuff!) Alpaca and angelina. All you've gotta do is visit Desert Garden, check out all the funky handspuns and fiber she has listed and pick out your favorite. Come back to http://phatfiber.blogspot.com/ and post about it in the comments section below. Be sure and use twitter, facebook, ravelry and/or your blog for extra entries- help spread the Desert Garden Love!

Click on the Title here & it will take you to PhatFiber's Giveaway!

StrataCATster Has Arrived!

StrataCATster, originally uploaded by mamakinznot.

We're all still missing Kitty so much but today turned out to be a miracle day for us. We went to the North Shore Animal League's Adoption Marathon and found a kitten that my husband wasn't allergic to...a miracle!

She's a cutie and the kids think she has the look of a Rock Star! Which brings us to the naming of the kitten. The first choice was Axl for Axl Rose of Guns 'N Roses, but it's not really a feminine name so that got the ax after a while.

Then we got to naming her after a guitar. I'm good with that, but Les Paul has the same problem Axl did, as does Martin, and then we got to Fender,ahhhh, I'm liking this, but of course the inevitable problem of calling her Fendi or Gucci came up so maybe not. But wait, let's visit Fender yet again and think of that great guitar, the Stratocaster, yes, that's something I can wrap my mind around. But Strato would be masculiine, so it would have to be Strata...StrataCATster...and there you have it. A great name. Little StrataCat.

If she ever decides to stay awake long enough to learn it, I wonder if she'll live up to it...so far I'd say she needs a little tuning, but she's just so cute I'll settle for her deciding she doesn't have to hide when she sees how big her new house is. I'm hoping that will happen very soon since it's like clowns in a VW bug when we all squeeze into the bathroom where she has her new pink Princess Bed & matching blanket, new toys, and stunning ceramic bowls from her Aunt Erika, and her litter box. I'm thrilled to announce that she finally decided it wasn't a bed and used it properly. There's hope for StrataCat yet :-)

Phat Fiber Giveaways!

If you run to http://www.phatfiber.blogspot.com/ now, or just click on the Phat Fiber Giveaways! title (I've made it just too easy ) you may still have a chance to get in on some terrific giveaways!

http://www.fibrofibers.com/buy.html is giving away their nightfall superwash sock yarn by Fibro Fibers yarn in the colorway WINE which is sold out at their shop already. Nightfall is a line that has stunning colors that go from a beautiful base color like Ivy, Copper, Wine and many others and travels to black! The sock yarn comes in two skeins so you can make matching socks that are just magnificent. It also comes in a larger skein so you can make a shawl or whatever your creativity takes you. They offer a free pattern at their site for a shawl made from Nightfall that you're really going to want to see and make your next project. They also offer a line of yarn that is dyed to order in several different weights that you'll love as well.

Color Bug Yarns on ETSY is also offering a giveaway of a beautiful skein of skinny bfl sock yarn from Color Bug Yarns in Koi- which has the most amazing combination of saturated deep turquoise blue and orange and green- very watery yet bright at the same time. Her shop is filled with incredible, colorful yarns, my favorite being the BFL sock yarn in Dragonfly-beautiful jewel tones that are hard to resist. She also has an amazing tool that I've never seen before but now wonder why someone hasn't done this before-a Scarf Fold Up. This cool gadget controls the unruly length of the scarf you're knitting and all you have to do is wrap it around the Scarf Fold Up. The Fold Up also has a built in 4x4 stitch and row gauge, a needle conversion chart and an 8" ruler all as part of the unit. It's a must have. I'm also loving her magnetic pattern markers - just slip it onto the pattern you're working on and you don't get lost while you knit. They come in a package of 3, each in a different length.

All you have to do to enter the giveaway is go to www.phatfiber.blogspot.com take a look at each shop-they make it easy by having links-take a look around each shop and see what you like and then post your comments on each of the entry sites on the Phat Fiber page. It couldn't be easier and you're going to love the shops...and who knows, you could win some great yarn!

For Kitty With Love and Thanks 3/26/10

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with a muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message She Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

She was my North, My South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

(Thanks and apologies to W. H. Auden)

Kitty looking for yarn & doing Cat Yoga 3/25/10

Kitty looking for yarn & doing Cat Yoga 3/25/10, originally uploaded by mamakinznot.

Kitty has been in the hospital being treated for kidney failure. This is her second day & while she's still on IV fluids & other medications, she was doing well enough today to read her Cat Yoga book, check out my bag to see if my knitting was still in there (I took it out, no sense in teasing her with good fibers that she can't play with), did some beautiful Cat Yoga poses and took a nap on my sweater after all that work.

I want to thank everyone who have been so supportive, offering love, help, healing thoughts, prayers, and information on Kitty's condition so I can be more informed and ask the right questions when I speak with the doctors. Thank you for hoping for a miracle, it means so much to all of us. We're praying for that miracle too.

Argentina-Yarn from Kyle - March 2010

Argentina-Yarn from Kyle - March 2010, originally uploaded by mamakinznot.

I know I have a lot of catching up to do but this is a biggie. My son went to Buenos Aires and actually took the time to find the yarn district and bring home yarn by the kilo for me!!! Now that's a son every woman wishes she had, but I won the jackpot. He's the best!

The yarn is from two different shops, "nube" and "Yanabey". The book came from "nube" and has beautiful patterns. They're all written in Spanish so I'll need some help there, and they're written very differently than pattern books here. They appear to give measurements for the different sizes with an outline for the back, front & sleeves. Interesting. They must all be knitting geniuses in Argentina because I'm lost without a pattern.

The yarns from "nube" are fingering weight. He got 6 100g skeins of a dark gray, and 7 skeins of the dark cranberry/maroon colored yarn. Both are beautiful & I'm hunting for the right patterns. Socks for the boy are definitely on the ist!

The yarns from "Yanabey" are very different. They're similar in feel and appearance to Manos del Uruguay's Classica without the very thin areas you find in Manos. Both colors are stunning. The deep dark chocolate yarn has lighter shades & shades that seem almost black. The close-up photo with the tag is a pretty accurate photo of the color as is the close-up of the deep turquoise/blues. The blues are stunning and makes me think of watching the ocean moving.

So now I have to find the perfect patterns for the perfect yarns from the perfect son. I'm one happy lady :-)

Ravelympics 2010 Aerial Unwind Event

Hot off the presses...I am standing on the podium receiving a bouquet from none other than Kermit the Frog himself as the Ravelry International Anthem plays...Duuum, dummm, de-dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, du-de-dum dum de-dum dumdedumdeDUM!!!!

and the hip hop crowd goes wild with delight!!!

And then it happens...

Also, please accept this medal from the head of the International Ravelympic Committee, Adonis Dionysius Bobicus Maximus. I've now got my first medal of the Games. Yay Bobicus Maximus!

Ravelympics 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

I haven't been too busy lately as you can see. I'm in three groups and am doing everything from frogging an old sweater (happily finished), to knitting socks, a scarf, a few small person sweaters and hopefully I'll pull into the finish line with a Wollmeise Haruni shawl...I hope.
Here are some of the great Ravatars the groups have designed & I'm switching off every day or two to represent all the groups. Happy knitting everyone & good luck to all the Olympians in competition as we knit,crochet,weave, spin & design during the events.

Light Brown Hare Giveaway!!

Once again the Phat Fiber Queen, Jessie, has a great giveaway. This time it's from Light Brown Hare at http://www.etsy.com/shop/lightbrownhare and boy does she have some amazing fibery goodness in that shop! I'm especially crazy about Carmen-2 an incredible, perfect RED with silver flowing through it. It's just perfect & the color is a killer. I'm also loving Robin's Nest with it's softly blended colorway. Check out the shop and stop at http://phatfiber.blogspot.com/ to log in for your chance to win a skein of her yummy yarn.

Magnificent Multnomahs

Magnificent Multnomahs, originally uploaded by mamakinznot.

I'm really loving this pattern. It's easy enough to be relaxing, yet have some interest when the fan & feather comes around. And working with Wollmeise for the first time is really a treat. I'm so glad that the first thing I make in this yarn is for my daughter. What Wollmeise is to yarn, my daughter is to people-the very best-, and she's my first. Every year at this time I get all teary eyed and bore her to tears with the entire story of how I'd been told I couldn't get pregnant. That there was no medical reason, but that it just happened that way sometimes. Since I'd tried for years & used everything the doctors could invent all to no avail, her arrival was the best thing I'd ever been blessed with in my life. My son gets the same story about his birth when his day nears. They tolerate me and my overflowing heart every year, God bless them. One day I hope they know the same joy they give me when they have children of their own. Then we can cry happy tears together.

In the meantime, I've been knitting away on some birthday gifts for my girl and the first one I finished is the Multnomah Shawl with Wollmeise Twin in Sabrina. It's a magnificent color and makes me think of being in a forest of evergreens; and somehow Claudia managed to dye fiber to bring that very combination of subtle colorways to perfection. I made a mosaic of the Multnomah and my quality control Kitty on the job. This one is much smaller than the first one I made. I used one skein of DIC Knitosophy for the garter and one for the fan and feather section so it turned out quite large, and I really liked it since it would go with anything. I'm pretty sure it's going to be the first thing made jsut for me.mwahahaha

Now I've started my first Clapotis. I'm making it in Madelinetosh's worsted in Toast and I love the color variations and the feel of the yarn. It looked a bit small to me for a wrap so I added 2 repeats on the increase section...now that I've started dropping stitches, I'm realizing the genius of the pattern and how much larger it's going to get. So my next concern is having enough yarn...it's always something. This one is going to be a gift for my daughter's birthday too. I should have taken out stock in these yarn companies-I could have retired in a week.

So, today I give you the photo mosaic of the Sabrina Multnomah....and the quality control manager here.

Unbelievably Talented Women

I'm stealing most of this post from the Phat Fiber Sample Box group on Ravelry because nobody says it better than Jessie and I want to share the talents of some of our terrific members.
First up is Beth, who is soon to be published for her incredible knitting bags-well, bags you wouldn't even think of as just for knitting since they're so beautiful. I especially have a thing for her Arsenic and Old Lace caddy...it's calling my name...loudly! She also spins and has some stunning batts & yarn at her shop. Stop by the Phat Fiber site for more info, a chance to browse her shop & even win one of her handmade bags.

Blue Mountain Handcrafts Bag Giveaway!

In case you haven't heard the secret- Our Beth from Blue Mountain Handcrafts will be featured in Interweave Crochet very soon! Look for her hand sewn bags under the new and notable section. You know what that means... her bags will be in even higher demand! If you were thinking of purchasing one, now would be the time!

Beth is a temptress of the worst *ahem* BEST kind! I have spun her batts and absolutely adore them! As I prepare and plan for the Ravelympics, The rainbow-dyed BFL I purchased from her is beckoning me!

Rachel, at Counting Sheep Farm has a site you can get lost in. It's informative, interesting, shows off her farm beautifully & it even has an easy way to purchase her beautiful batts, I'm particularly partial to The Bog Farm Fresh Batt as the colors remind me of the ocean and I think I'm ready for spring already. She carries beautiful yarn by My8kidsmom & I'm totally in love with "Fright", a hand dyed sock yarn that reminds me of Van Gogh's Starry Night, it's as if she lifted the colors right off the painting. She's also having a giveaway of her amazing lace yarn & a pattern to make a spectacular shawl. I'm really loving that! Again, stop by the Phat Fiber site for more information, and here's a sneak peek snatched right from Jessie again-nobody does it better :-) Now that you've seen all these goodies, how can you resist -run over and start shopping!

Counting Sheep Farm Giveaway!

Rachel from Counting Sheep Farm has an amazing new website! We're so excited for her and hope that this change brings much prosperity!

Above is a sneak preview of what could be in your Phat Fiber box this month- beautiful "Emerald City" carded batts!

I'll skip right to the part you're all wondering about- the giveaway! Rachel has sent in a book called "Maiden Shawl" by Jane Ann Jibson- more about the book att Arbor Yarns.
She also sent in enough My8KidsMom hand dyed laceweight ( in a gorgeous mottled gray!) to complete the shawl pattern that illustrates the book!

More busybusybusy with photos

Ok, this isn't quite what I'd planned but I'm giving up to the powers of the computer blog idiocy when it comes to posting photos.

These are photos of my first Multnomah. All the info and pattern details are on my project page in Ravelry, where you'll also see other projects I've finally posted. Of course this was only done because I didn't have a choice about it since it was required for some of the groups I've joined this year. This shawl was made just before the 10 Shawls in 2010 group started. It's made in Dream In Color-Knitosophy in Superhero from the Loopy Ewe and I have to say it was a pleasure to knit. It's definitely a yarn I'm going to use again, and not just for socks, though it's a great yarn for them too.

The colors are more true in the top two photos where Kitty is supervising the blocking process. She's big on quality control and for some reason, she really loved this shawl and has been lounging all over it for days. I actually felt a bit guilty snatching it away from her, but I felt it was a fair trade since I left the blocking squares for her. I'm using the alphabet and number Imaginarium blocks sold for children since it was at least 4 times less than the knitter's blocking squares being sold. Kitty is learning to read while I block.

Back to the colors, Superhero is a dark shawl. It's mainly a blend,IMO,of browns,blacks,dark blues that become lighter shades of blue, plum, an almost eggplant color etc, all blended beautifully. I've given away everything I've made so far and I'm giving serious thought to keeping this one for me - it's that beautiful.

I made it larger than called for with two skeins of Superhero. One skein made up the garter stitch of the shawl & the second was used for the fan and feather pattern. I made 13 repeats of the f&f and I'd make it again in a heartbeat....in fact I just cast on for another Multnomah in Wollmeise fingering weight on US 4 with the colorway Sabrina, which is a stunning jewel toned green, and since she doesn't read this yet, is for her 24th birthday at the end of the month.

I do have to get some baby sweaters made for the hospital (donations) and for my special nephew (and Godson) and niece, as they're expecting a boy early Feb or late Jan. As soon as I get them started I'll put them on my Ravelry project page.

So, today is the first Multnomah, and I'm very excited. I'm making it in Wollmeise - Sabrina, a stunning jewel toned green which will look fabulous on my DDs pale skin & blond hair. I've still got those shawls to make for 10 shawls for 2010, the Clapotis KAL at TLE, and the Ravelympics in Feb. I'm hoping I survive. But I know I still have to knit some baby outfits for the new little great nephew ( I can't wait til he's here so I can hold him), and a ton of socks for my son. He's turning 21 in May and I really want to give him 21 socks at the least and 21 pairs of socks at the best.

I've just got to figure out a way to put the photos wherever I want. I can’t stand computer problems. I wish I understood them more. I have to rely on my DS to help me through everything. My DH seems to know everything about that stuff but just fixes things while my DS takes the time to explain things to me in terms I can understand. (he built himself another computer over the holidays with the help of his cousin…they were together Christmas & the following day…then he did finishing touches on his own. Am I the only one who, many, many years ago, put together Barbie & her new fashion looks after Christmas & two days later on my bday. and thought I was a genius? -duh)

For example, he decided about a year ago I needed a new laptop. I had no idea why since it was still working, slow, but working. He then proceeded to let me know that he was having one built that would hold - and I can’t remember this exactly but you’ll get the idea & probably laugh your butt off at my lack of knowledge-4000 pocketbooks and my old one held about 300 pocketbooks. He went on to say he’d set it up so that all the pocketbooks would be in the computer holding everything I wanted and from time to time I’d be able to pull some of the pocketbooks to the front because I needed them. Then the other pocketbooks would move to the back of the closet and wait til I needed them to come forward. I get that concept. I just wish I had more pocketbooks. I'd like to do a bit more but he's programming his new Droid. He’s a great kid and believe me when I say I’ll miss him when he goes back to NYU (Stern School of Business) in a couple weeks.

I’m trying to make him either 21 socks, or, if I get lucky, 21 pairs of socks for his 21st bday in May. Any socks I make him he calls his lucky socks & wears them to all his tests & presentations. For some reason he knows he’s the only guy he knows with handmade socks & he’s proud to show them to anyone interested. Fortunately for me he likes ankle socks. Could it be that handmade socks, when made by ones mother, are really lucky socks, helping the recipient get As in his classes, scholarships, deans list? Hmmmm. He’s going to Buenos Aires over spring break to work with a company there as part of one of his classes. I”m not taking any chances. I’m sending him with as many handmade socks as I can knit. If I pass the 21 pair mark I’m making his roomies a couple pairs as well. I’m a firm believer in spreading the luck/love, especially to the young where the art of the handmade item is all but lost. They need to know how wonderful this kind of art actually is so they can tell stories of their socks to others, spreading the good word about people like us who take the time to carry our ancestors with us in our hearts when we make something for another person.

I”m glad we have computers & people who can make them work for us. But I still believe someone will cherish the memory of handknit socks at least a couple decades longer than the guy who fixed out computer.

busybusybusy and other things

I don't even know where to start, there's been so much going on around here. I hope everyone had a great holiday! We didn't do the whole dress up the house & put up the 8 foot tree with decorations I've made since about 1970 since I wasn't up to doing it myself & everyone else had work & school and "stuff". So we had the little tree - about 4 feet I'm guessing and someone was kind enough to put some white lights on it. No decorations, but some white lights. I put up the little Starbucks penguin my son gave me last year as the tree topper when I saw that nothing else was going to happen by way of ornaments & it made me smile when I'd pass it just because it was from him. Then I remembered a friend who decorated her entire, verrrry large Christmas tree with skeins of Wolmeise. So that's what I did & here's the photo to prove it. Of course, Kitty got a bit too interested & I got a bit too paranoid, so I took my photo and packed my WM safely away. I took it so there'd be a reflection-not just to make it seem larger than it actually was, but to make it look like I had a ton of WM :-) I'm also wondering why, after I write all of this, the photo of the tree jumps to the top of the post...I want to be a computer geek so badly le sigh. Still, it is very colorful & a real tribute to Claudia's dying skills...not to mention, my addiction...Well, better that than smoking. I was thinking of new ways to justify getting more WM and here's the top contender - it probably costs as much as a couple cartons of cigs and it doesn't blow up as smoke! I'm thinking it's a valid way to explain my stash, especially if I'm lucky enough to score some WM lace...mmmmmmmmm.

Some people make New Year Resolutions. I thought about it this year and my reaction was, Nah!!! After my last 6 purchases from The Loopy Ewe, Wollmeise & The Sanguine Gryphon, I think I can handle working from my stash. Bet lots of you feel the same. After all, any yarn you buy and put in your stash area automatically becomes stash, so I think I can do my yarn diet this year and work from my stash....starting next week...I really want the elusive Tomato Frog Bugga! to make another shawl for my DD

I've already started getting in over my head this year by signing up for The Looy Ewe's Clapotis KAL. This came just after their Shawl KAL which was a ton of fun. I made a Multnomah shawl in Dream in Color-Knitosophy in Superhero, a lovely colorway of dark browns, blacks, dark & light blues,plums. It was lovely to knit up and it came out looking beautiful. You can see it on my Ravelry projects page, along with everything else, but I'm going to add a couple photos here...let's hope it doesn't jump to a place it likes instead of where I want it. Of course it didn't so I'm going to try to rearrange things so this makes some sense. It seems it doesn't want to cooperate with me so I'm guessing I'll have to do this in a series so please bear with me.