Leaf Lace Shawl

C'est fini!

This pattern is fairly straight forward and very easy to memorize. The only issue I had was when I changed from the main pattern to the edging. I frogged the edging 4 times before getting it right. I think that was due to the fact that I didn't need to think about the first section very much; the edging requires some thought for sure.

Overall, I am just delighted with this shawl - Thanks to TYL for suggesting this wonderful, yummy Blue Sky Alpaca silk yarn. It was a dream!



Pattern: Leaf Lace Shawl by Evelyn Clark
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpaca Silk in Garnet, 4 3/4 skeins, #5 needles
I received 3 skeins for Xmas and was fortunate to find 2 more of the same dye lot
Size: Small (I can't imagine how big the large is!)
Alterations: none
Time to finish: about 2 months of weekend knitting

Cozy Wrist Warmers

Pattern: Joelle Hoverson Wrist Warmers from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Also available for free at Canadian Living.

Yarn: ArtFibers Kantuta 100% super baby alpaca / 94 yds, 50 grams. 1 Skein

Time: 2 days

Notes: I love, love, love this yarn. The hubby bought this in San Francisco. If you're ever there, check out ArtFibers. They make the most glorious yarns - all natural fibers.

I changed the pattern a bit and put in an extra repeat. I also knitted these on double points instead of the 8" circs, which would have driven me crazy. Because of the double pointed needles, I got a bit of stretch near the thumb opening. You'll see it in the photo, however, it's difficult to see while you're wearing these yummy warmers.

Ah...le printemps

My garden is already so prolific this year that I thought I'd share a few recent pix. After I took these photos, Richmond received so much rain that it now looks like a rose and hydrangea jungle! I love my garden, but have found over the years that I have one small problem - I plant things way too close together. I love to move things around every year so I suppose this problem really works for me... This year it will be difficult to move some of the plants - my oak leaf and lime light hydrangeas are now over 5 feet!

In addition to the hydrangea craziness, my roses have grown at least 2 feet this spring. This yellow shrub rose or climbing rose (I really can't tell which one it is as it looks like a shrub, but is growing up the side the trellis?) is really beautiful this year. Most of the blooms have now been washed away by the rain, however, they have now been replaced with these lovely hot pink trellis roses that come back every year whether I feed them or not (gotta love those types of plants!)


You can see more of my spring garden photos, including the hubby's wonderful kitchen garden (potager), on Flickr .



The same day I took all these photos, the hubby cooked this wonderful red curry carrot soup. Yum!


I have some knitting to post so stay tuned!

here sheepie sheepie sheepie - maryland sheep and wool rocked!!!

This was my first year at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival and wow did it surpass my expectations! Not surprisingly, I spent way too much money on new yarn...Aside from this stash enhancement, I was just completely entranced by the number of vendors and the amount of sheep in attendance. It was insane! I was also totally mesmerized by the beautiful, sweet, soft alpacas (who make a wonderful little humming sound); I literally could have spent all day watching and petting them.

All in all, it was fabulous - I put most of the photos on flickr, including pix of my mother-in-law and my new stash. You'll have to guess what type of yarn I bought as I'm too tired tonight to enter specs into Ravelry. I'll go to bed knowing tonight that it's quite nice and soft though :)

Bloo was quite angry with us when we returned home on Sunday. Not only did we smell like sheep and alpaca, but we left him for about 24 hours by himself. Look at that sad face!

Le Poulet (and some knitting)

The hubby is enrolled in cooking courses to earn his certificate in culinary arts. What a great thing for me! In the first class, he learned to debone a chicken, make chicken stock from the carcass and make pan seared chicken breast with homemade pan sauce! Yum, you say? Yes, well check out the these thighs and stock:




In knitting news, this is a sweater I finished in March - Very comfy!

Pattern: Yarn Girls' Guide to Simple Knits Sweatshirt
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay
Alterations: Left off the hood

Sewing: part trois

I'm diggin' my new camera. I need to talk to the Blogger folks about getting a faster upload though. They really need a drag and drop feature like Flickr. Maybe there's something that I'm not aware of?

Anne, Kristen and I are in the craziest sewing class! Tonight was our 3rd session and it was insane. We're making the following pattern, which states that it is tres facile, which I'm finding more difficult to believe with each passing week. Who knew that sewing was this hard!?



I think I'll stick to knitting and keep my sewing to pillows and curtains. Despite my stress with sewing, I have been having a wonderful time meeting the girls for dinner each week at European Market before the class. Leslie was able to join us tonight! Leslie, we miss you in the class! We enjoyed some wonderful soups - Anne ordered gazpacho and Kristen and I chowed down on shrimp and tomato soup. Leslie ordered a chicken salad sammie which looked quite yummy. I ended my meal with a homemade raisin cookie, which was delicious. Really - if it weren't for our European Market trips, I would lose my mind in this class. Thanks gals!

I'm back!

If there are any readers left for this sad, abandoned blog! I've been absent for a while as I was waiting to buy a new camera. While I was looking at the Canon Powershots, the hubby went and bought me a brand new camera for mother's day! (Glad I didn't buy one too!). I love it - it's fun, and really easy to use. So, I'm back in the blogging/picture game. I have so much knitting to show off!
Cheers!

Truth

Really this says it all! Happy Easter!


The only place where housework comes before needlework is in the dictionary. ~Mary Kurtz

Are you ready?

When you cannot sleep it is a perfect time to think about yarn and yarn related items. Is it March 18th already! I can't believe it. Spring is just around the corner. Are you ready for spring, summer and fall festivals!?

This year, I'm going all out and planning to attend many of these. Which of these are you planning to attend?
Hope to see you there!

May 3-4
Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival
Howard Co. Fairgrounds, MD
Notes: I have never been to this festival as we're always out of town. No matter what is going on (barring an emergency), I'll be in MD this year to see the sheep and enhance my stash.

June 14-15
SoXperience 2008 at Carodan Farm
Notes: I attended last year and highly recommend it! The farm is situated in the mountains of Virginia. You'll knit outdoors amongst sheep, alpaca and llamas.

Oct. 4-5
Fall Fiber Festival
Montpelier Estate, Orange Co., VA
Notes: I attended this show a few years ago and thought it was great. Since it's so close to me (and my brother and sister-in-law live right down the road), I'll probably head over this year.

Oct. 18-19
NY Sheep & Wool Festival
Rhinebeck, NY
Notes: OMG! I am so excited about Rhinebeck! I've never been, but this year some new friends that I met at last year's ASIST conference emailed me about going to NY! Hopefully I'll see some snow (as I've been deprived of any real winter this year ).

Nov. 14-16
KnitXperience, A Knitters Retreat
Graves Mountain Lodge, Syria, VA - sponsored by Carodan Farm
Notes: I signed up for this retreat last year, but at the last minute had to cancel. November at Grave's Mountain should be really cozy!

More

Things I Love

As I was Web surfing this morning I found a fellow blogger that had listed 100 things they love. I thought this was such a cool idea so here goes:

100 things I love in no particular order:
1 - my husband's homemade bread
2 - knitting
3 - rosemary
4 - cats (particularly Bloo)
5 - black and white photography
6 - sheep
7 - historic homes
8 - hydrangeas
9 - alpacas
10 - lavender
11 - downy woodpeckers
12 - grandpa ott vines
13 - goats
14 - my yellow yarn room
15 - farmer's market
16 - honey
17 - sleepy time tea
18 - my kitchen window in the breakfast nook
19 - inverness, scotland
20 - organizing things
21 - antique china
22 - northwest gardens
23 - the library of congress
24 - arts and crafts style
25 - the hubby's beef bourguignon
26 - dinner crepes at "le chat qui pêche" in valenciennes, france
27 - the jewish museum in prague
28 - the smell of pine
29 - holiday decorating
30 - fuzzy water
31 - côtes du rhône
32 - eva hesse (diary & artwork)
33 - red leaves in the spring on my tea rose
34 - russian sage
35 - swirlees at tomasitos in santa fe, new mexico
36 - the international rose test garden in portland, oregon
37 - my cashmere shawl
38 - my swallowtail shawl
39 - j.jill
40 - linen
41 - angora bunnies
42 - the outer banks in the winter
43 - pea island national wildlife refuge
44 - peony
45 - pine bark nuggets (mulch)
46 - my arbor
47 - ashtanga yoga
48 - pride & prejudice (bbc 6 hour version)
49 - rain
50 - snow
51 - wind chimes
52 - chicago architecture
53 - simone de beauvoir
54 - npr
55 - my new car
56 - seaboard cafe in raleigh, nc
57 - agatha chistie's hercule poirot mysteries
58 - the french language
59 - reading
60 - traveling to new places
61 - raspberries
62 - pottery barn & williams sonoma
63 - lewis ginter botanical gardens
64 - the wilson library at UNC
65 - historical maps
66 - chartreuse hydrangeas
67 - tulips
68 - wine labels
69 - the weatherspoon art gallery in greensboro, nc
70 - thai food
71 - blood oranges
72 - douthat state park in virginia
73 - grapefruit
74 - grove park inn in asheville
75 - bandelier national monument in new mexico
76 - a wood fireplace
77 - planting seeds
78 - elizabeth zimmerman books
79 - buying fabric
80 - my french press
81 - jefferson vineyards
82 - crabtree lake in nc
83 - kayaking
84 - otters
85 - montbeliard, france
86 - lemurs
87 - foreign films
88 - golden retrievers
89 - cottage living magazine
90 - west virginia pepper jelly
91 - watching trash tv with my new friends
92 - pottery
93 - getting my hair cut at aveda
94 - spas
95 - bicycling in the outer banks
96 - sewing
97 - vintage fabric
98- antiques
99 - scrabble
100 - fried shrimp at the farmer's market in raleigh, nc
and of course family & friends!