A Few Sheep Shy of a Farm

Design projects

As I mentioned in the previous post, I’ve been working on a few design projects . . . and I’ve added one since that post!

The “Mini-Must-Have” is finished except the buttons . . . and the pattern is currently in the test-knitting stage of things thanks to [Tallgal], Kim and Jen.  Once I’m sure we’ve worked out the kinks (writing is rewriting, right?) then I’ll make it available through Ravelry.  And once I have the buttons selected and on it we’ll take some photos with it modeled.  In the mean time:

Mini-Must-Have

I’ve also been working on “Simplicity”

Simplicity

I’ve also started a new design project that I’m very excited about . . . its a twisted stitch sock pattern in two versions, his and hers.  Here is a little bit of his . . .

sock

This one hasn’t been named yet, but if all goes well it will be available as a free pattern in the Butterfly Yarns Newsletter later this month so if you haven’t signed up for it, check it out!  This pattern will available on Ravelry as well . . .

Farmyard

I’ve almost finished planting our garden for this year . . . I wait until Memorial Day weekend every year to be sure we really are past any danger of frost; after all this is New England!

my garden

It isn’t much really but I don’t dare plant too many things since the garden bed is inside the play area.  I’m cautiously optimistic that the boy-child will leave the garden alone this year but have a feeling the girl-child is going to find flowers and tomatoes hard to resist.   That said, I’ve got tomatoes, basil, rosemary, peppers for Dom, Eggplant and a few other herbs and flowers.  We’ll have to wait and see how they do.

And a few chicken pics for you:

and these are the new Eggie chicks, learning to forage:

chickies foraging

I’ve also taken up coffee roasting, using the wood-fired oven which works out wonderfully since all the smoke and smell is outdoors.  We were given several pounds of coffee beans but I have not idea what type they are . . . here is them being roasted:

roasting coffee

coffee roasting 2

roasted

and on that note . . . see you next post!

and priorities.

Now that it is September I’m thinking hard about my knitting projects and trying to prioritize what I really need to get done.  Its hard because I’m torn between wanting to work on what I consider my own projects and the things I’m designing . . .

I’ve got several patterns that are waiting for decent pictures to be taken and to finalize writing them up so I can post them to the site or submit them . . .

I’m also evaluating what the toddler needs for the fall & winter in terms of sweaters, socks, hats and mittens.  Since he just keeps growing he is going to need more . . . several of last years sweaters may still be big enough for this year but we need to dig them out to try on before I’ll know for sure.  I think his hat from last winter will still fit but as I expect we’ll play outside more this year a 2nd one probably wouldn’t be a bad idea . . . and I figure he’ll need at least 3 pairs of mittens to allow for drying time.  And of course, he’ll need more warm socks.  Those silly cotton ones from the store just won’t cut it when things get cold and wet . . . and he does love his handknit socks.  Luckily at 2 most of his stuff is still relatively small.

And with everything else that is going on I’ve got to reevaluate how much knitting time I’m going to have.  I don’t think I’ll wind up being able to finish all 3 of the larger projects I have going on right now: Prairie Blanket, Prairie shawl and Fern.   I think perhaps I’ll get 1 or 2 finished but not all 3.  I need to finish the blanet as I think the little guy is actually going to need it soon (the other 2 blankets he’s using are getting small) and of the shawl or the sweater which are both for myself I have a feeling I’ll use the shawl more often . . . therefore I think I’m going to return Fern to the UFO pile until next year . . .  I’d really like to keep working on it as I’ve finally been making progress but I just don’t think its the priority right now.  Perhaps I’ll do another couple of rows before I relocate the project box back to the storage area . . .

I’ve also decided to stop doing the baby gift sweaters . . . for the time being anyone we really need to get a gift for will get something purchased . . .  and I do need to do a sweater for the other niece for Christmas and finish off Megan’s but its basically done.  And it wouldn’t hurt to make them each a set of mittens as well . . .

Time for a new list!

I watched this show last night on PBS, its playing several more times in the next few days.  I don’t normally get into shows about how people spend thousands (or in this case, sometimes hundreds of thousands) of dollars on clothing . . . but somehow, I couldn’t change the channel.  Pehaps it was the way it was presented, but there was something utterly facinating about watching the process that the designers go through to get these few pieces of clothing to the handful of people who will ever wear them.  The detail that goes into the construction of a single piece was incredible . . . watching someone embroider delicate motifs on to a bit of fabric that will become a skirt or hand stitch feathers to a dress that they follow the creation of from sketch to a spread in Vogue. 

At one point in the show they mentioned that the average garment requires something like a hundred and fifty hours of handcrafting to become what you see on the runways.  I couldn’t help but think, how many of us who knit spend that much time on a sweater? Does that mean in some ways our finished projects are in some way related to Haute Couture?

I just signed up for this and think it will be a lot of fun. For the first round its only open to 25 people and you have to dye a skein of sock yarn to swap with someone. I think I can do that ; )

I actually love doing swaps, I love sending stuff off and I love getting things in the mail (and yes, that is part of why my stash is sooo incredibly large) but its fun! And hey, there are worse things I could be doing, right?

Another dye day come and gone

I dyed yarn 3 days this past week and still have some hanging on the clothes line in the back yard drying . . . I’m just really hoping it doesn’t rain! I actually had help with the dyeing (and tons of skeining) this time as A is on summer vacation and available. She’s going away in August so I really only have help for July so we are planning to do a lot of dyeing the next couple of weeks. . . . We’ve worked on batches of the colorways that are for the LYS and worked on creating some of the new colorways that will be up this Fall. I really like some of what we came up with . . . . I’m hoping to bring the lot with me to knitting on Monday night so I can see what some other knitters think of it.

Designs on designing

The design bug has bitten me again. I’ve got a few more inches of baby toddler sock to finish up and then I’m going to start working on the next design. I’ve got a list of the things I want to work on and both fortunately and unfortunately its been growing fast than I can get to things lately. Now if I can just hold onto the momentum behind each idea long enough to get to it . . .

Tomorrow is nuts here, we’re having brunch “in town” with some friends who are passing through from out of state on their way to pick up the kids from camp . . . and then we are headed north to my niece’s first birthday party! Then Monday, A is coming back and we’re planning to dye up a whole bunch more yarn . . . off to finish that sock!

I’m totally overwhelmed with the response to Midsummer! Both with the number of email requests for the pattern and with the comments on the pattern and the situation in general. To be honest, the whole thing had me rather down/upset but your comments and emails have completely turned that around for me. Thank you all very much!

I’ve made it to number 76 on the list so far in sending the pattern and hope to complete the list in the morning. I’ve already figured out how to make it easier next time I do something like this . . . and much, much faster.

And just in the past day or so I’ve had ideas for 2 more shawls! They are going to be a bit more complex and I may have to chart the stitches from scratch as I don’t recall seeing the objects I’d like to include charted before so that should be interesting . . . . I’ll keep you posted with how they are coming when I finally get started.

I’m also working on some fun little socks for the little guy, the first one is done and I’ve started the 2nd one, if I can I’ll take a picture tomorrow. I think the pattern is rather clever for toddler socks (but then I’m biased) and I’m planning to size it up and down a bit and post it as a free pattern on Inspirations at some point in the future . . . again, I’ll keep you posted.

Okay off to get a few loads of laundry folded and may be even sit for a few minutes before bedtime!