Spreading the Wealth

We have three local yarn shops in a radius of about 1/2 hour from home.  I've done my best to support all three the last couple of weeks.  I really want to cast on all of these yarns.  But, I am going to finish something first.

From Knit 4 Together - the left bottom two are the same color way just wound differently.  They will be the main color of the pattern below for me.  The top will be the contrast.  This one will not be cast on until later this Summer, but the yarn was on sale, so I had to buy.

Fino from Knit 4 Together.  This is a yet to be named shawl.  It was the last of it and well, you know on sale too.

From Ewe-Nique, I've been wanting to knit one of those half sweaters for a couple of years.  I really cannot say why I decided to buy the yarn now.  But, I did.  I think I went in for a pattern and came out with yarn.

And then there was the trip to Fiber Universe.  I was just going to pick up the new Vogue Knitting magazine and take a stroll along the river.  Erin had a Leftie knitted in colors similar to these.  I wasn't real crazy about Leftie until I saw it in person and in my colors.  Now, I am just itching to cast on!

And friend Debbie had her small tulip sweater knitted up and showing off.  Well, you know the rest of the story.  This probably will not happen until next Spring for Miss Mona Lisa or Bella, but at least I will have the yarn when I am ready to knit on it.

I may be over compensating for not getting to go to Stitches Midwest next weekend, by shopping local, ya think?!

Mix It Up Monday

This post is all over the place.  The Tall Guy leaves the mail on the kitchen table for me since he gets home before me.  I could not figure out what the white plastic envelope had in it.  It was this super cute composition notebook cover that I have coveted since Susan B. Anderson blogged about it earlier in the Spring.  Isn't it super cute!

 The other envelope I knew what it was right away!  My Just Beautiful Alpaca from Cheryl so I can finish my Birds Nest Shawl!

While waiting for the yarn to come, I've been knitting on my Summer Sweater.  The back is done with some modifications.   The pattern is the Women's Boxy Pullover from Plymouth.   I am not a boxy kind of gal, so I've used my standard modifications and am making it with cut out sleeves.

I've got the front cast on and ready to go for knitting at the shop tomorrow.

I really haven't had an appropriate post to show a couple of shawl pins that I picked up at the shop a couple of Saturdays ago.  I figured on Mix It Up Monday, it might be an appropriate time to show them off.  When I was at camp earlier this month, I really decided that I needed some pins to keep my shawls and shawlettes in place.

Both of these are going to fit the bill.  Even though, this is on my sweater as a backdrop, isn't this one super cool.  I am just loving it, even as a decoration on a sweater.  Hmmm.

This pin is going to be perfect for almost every shawl I have!

My pins may get a work out the next couple of days in Central Illinois.  We have had some unseasonably cool nights and mornings which I am okay with.  It seems more like early Fall than July. I'm not complaining though.

When You Get Up At 4 A.M. On A Sunday

I started it.  I was thirsty for lemonade and couldn't sleep.  The Tall Guy was up right behind me at 4 a.m. on a Sunday.  What?!  We both should have been sleeping in.  We spent yesterday at the old house getting it ready for the painter who is starting this week.  We found someone who would paint it, the cabinets, the steps for a really reasonable price.  But, before she could we had to get the rest of the stuff out and do a bit of cleaning.

So, now that I have the laundry done, what will I do with the next 13 hours?  Something to do with knitting and nothing more.  That is what this Sunday is for.  Oh, I have several projects surrounding my chair.  And I while I am waiting for more yarn for my Birds Nest, I have toyed with a couple of WIPs that fall under my Summer of Shawls (as blogged about on Friday).  And I went as far as to wind a couple of skeins of yarn this morning for a shawl that I wanted to cast on this morning in the wee hours.  But, I didn't yet.

I took advantage of the early morning to get outside and get some pictures of a couple of shawls that I do have on the needles.  My Pi Shawl is my purse project.  It is getting pretty close to the point where I am going to need to figure out what kind of lace patterns I want to use on it.

The original plan was to wait until the final increase to do some lace, but after seeing some on Ravelry that did not have lace until the very end, I decided that it was just too plain looking without something.  I'll want it to be fairly easy because I want to be able to do it with a minimum of keeping track.

I've been knitting a bit on the Scallop shawl this weekend, but unfortunately this pic isn't the best.   It tends to get a bit wrinkled when shoved into the project bag.

I will admit though, the neighbors are wondering what the new lady is doing today.  You see while taking the pic of the shawl I had to have someplace to put the attached ball of yarn.  The light was just begging to hold it for me.

While Waiting For More Yarn To Come

for my Birds Nest Shawl, I got a hankering to cast on a new shawl for my Summer of Shawls.  I have a few that I would love to cast on and so I spread them out on the yarn room floor tonight to think and look at.

I started to narrow it down to a quick knit of one skein of sock yarn from Madlinetosh.

 But my common sense piece told me maybe I ought to work on one that was already on the needles while I waited.  This scallop shawl is one that can be easily put down and picked back up  and is a good knitting on the porch project/

watching the bunnies at night project!

Wednesday Website

http://dairylandknits.blogspot.com

You have to watch this fairly new video cast that I have been turned onto.  I am loving it and I think you will too!

My Shades of Gray

Over on Ravelry in the Knitaway board, we've been knitting on the Birds Nest Shawl for our Spring KAL.  I cannot believe how much I have been knitting on it!  I say again, markers have been my salvation on this and I am now a convert to using them on lace patterns.

I took my Birds Nest Shawl to camp to knit on.  I, also had a spare project in case I couldn't pay attention to what was going on and keep to the pattern.  

But, I surprised myself and really accomplished a lot while there.  Only downside, I ran out of yarn so I have put an order in for another skein from Cheryl.  As soon as I get it, I'll have another shawl done.  Mine is out of Just Beautiful Alpaca which will be a great shawl to throw on in the cold air condition!

On my list since Susan Rainey did her first one is Hitofude.  I ordered Sea Pearl from Chris at Briar Rose in the early Spring for mine.  Since I am waiting for more yarn for the shawl, I am swatching.  I am down to a size 1 needle.  I see a trend in my color ways - Shades of Gray.

And the downsize of this morning.  As I was walking out to go to work this morning, this is what greeted me.  Seriously, what makes someone do this?  I just don't get it.

And Now We Have Come To The End

Knit Camp blog posts will be over for the year.  And so I am double posting for today.

The last pics I am sharing are just some random pictures of camp, tomorrow, we'll be back to the a new work week (where I have to work all five days) and regular scheduled  blogging.

From right to left, Maggie who knits some beautiful sweaters and shawls; Susan, well what can I say Susan is an amazing knitter; and Kim, she has put me onto some really cool little kids things.

Left to right, Elizabeth who is wearing Hitofude, a sweater that I am swatching from Briar Rose, Sea Pearl; and Sandi, the knitter of those unbelievable flower socks from the contest, wow.

Kim and Susan mucking it up for the photo.  By the way, Susan is wearing Vitamin D, another sweater  that I have on the needles.  Mine is out of you guessed it, Sea Pearl.

In the foreground in this picture is Al and Leanne.  Al was our photographer in the past years.  They have had a rough go of it this past year, but they are on the road to recovery and we were so glad they could be at camp this year.

And dear Meg, what a treasure, she is examining Renate's unbelievable swatch and wearing the RibWarmer by EZ.

And thats a bag or rather should I say thats a wrap for Knit Camp 2014!

And Then There Was Mine

More than a year ago, I commented on Linda's Blog that the yarn she had spun was my colors, you know.  At Camp last year, it was her Show and Tell, and I remember Meg asking her what she was going to do with it and she explained that she was giving it to me.  

I had to work at it a bit to decide what it wanted to be and just a few days before camp, I finished it with just this little bit left.

I was so pleased on how it turned it out.  The yarn is super soft and I just love the way the colors graduated out.  I purposely started with the dark so that the  blue would not be covered by my hair.

The pattern is from Folk Shawls by Cheryl Oberle, the Triangle Feather and Fan Shawl.

The tails are long enough that I could tie it behind my back to wear at camp, but I have also bought a couple of really cool shawl pins that i will be able to use with it as well.

Here is Linda (the spinner and generous friend and oh yes a Cardinal Fan) and I holding the shawl up for pictures.  And over there on the left is Nancy (Nancy is a fan of another baseball team), hi Nancy!

I am so pleased with my new shawl and will treasure the thought that went into the gift of yarn always.

Show and Tell

So many lovelies that I just could not get all of the pictures that I wanted to.  You just come home from Camp thinking you will never knit everything you added to your list!

The Contest

 This years theme "Secret Garden".  Here are some of the entries.

You just would not believe some of the knitting!

The Sweaters

Not mine, but Meg's and EZ's.  You just cannot believe them until see you them in person.  All that history!

The Room

I really wish I was a super good photographer.  In my mind, there is so much potential for some candid shops of a bunch of knitters knitting.  But, since I am not these we will just make do with what there is.

All day long there is knitting quietly going along.  I made so much progress on my knitting this weekend, I can hardly believe it.  At the front of the room and at the sides are t.v.s that shows what is going on at the front desk by either Meg or one of the mini-workshop knitters.

Me, I sit at the back right there where the teal water bottle is next to Sandi.  We more than first timers, kind of have a ritual as to where we sit.  I like to be along side the table at the very back so I can come and go without a lot of fan fare.

On Thursday night, we are all pretty much looking at what is in new in the shop.  During camp as Meg mentions something new, it is unusual for someone to jump up and get it in the shop to add to their brown book page.

All the colors of Shetland sit on another table for seeing up close and personal AND picking out colors for our next projects.

My fave wall in the store - the Unspun Icelandic wall, I love it when there are new colors on the wall!

This is the front of the room where Meg sits with the camera.  Amy will sit there as well when she presides over Show and Tell.  The books are new or interesting books that Meg talks about on the first day.  There is always something there I just have to have.

At night, we gather back in the classroom in varying spaces to knit, spin and generally get to know each other.  Yes, sometimes there is drinking and chocolate but always with caution.  And the nice thing, no one is driving.