Spinning Addict

Okay. I have a problem. I think I'm addicted to spinning yarn. Oops. This addiction caused me to not bother with editing photos or posting to my blog. It caused me to miss the Yarn Along. And Crafting On. It's caused me to not respond to emails in a timely manner (or in some cases, at all). I feel compelled to apologize. Only.. I'm not sure that I'm really sorry. I'm having so much fun!

This would have been my Yarn Along:

I'm reading The Sleeping Beauty by Mercedes Lackey. So far I'm enjoying it more than the previous book in the series. This is good. I'm knitting the February Lady cardigan. Yes, look at that bandwagon! I've jumped on!

I finished my other cardigan - well, minus buttons and button loops. I wasn't able to get pictures yesterday due to the rainy weather. And.. er.. the spinning.

This would have been my Crafting On post:

Yarn spun (shocking, I know!) from the Colonial top that I dyed recently. I'm thinking about using the green for a birthday gift for the Elf. And maybe offering the rainbow-esque as a giveaway or just sending it off as a surprise for someone.

B actually asked me to make something for him. This does not happen often (or at all, really). He wanted a sleeve for his new tablet. He picked the yarn from my stash and I crocheted it in two days (using a D hook on worsted yarn is stupid, stupid, stupid - but created the right kind of thick-and-cushy fabric he wanted). This picture, and the one before, are of just-washed things. So the colors are off.

This is what I did yesterday (in addition to washing the above):

A wonderful lady that I knit with on Fridays brought me a bag of alpaca to play with. She carded it on a drum carder and produced a very fluffy batt. I was too afraid to dye it that way. I didn't want it to fall apart or felt (any ideas on how to handle this in the future?). I did find a youtube video about using a diz to make roving out of it, so that's what I tried. It was still too fragile for my liking, so I skipped dyeing it. It was a little weird to spin - lots of curls and crimp and maybe some lanolin still in it. But once I got the hang of it.. wow! Fun! It was also my first time plying. And now, I love it! I'm not sure if I can bring myself to dye this lovely off-white/cream with bits of light brown yumminess, though.

Did I say that I fell in love with plying? Because.. I am totally in love with plying. This is what was left of my rainbow-esque Colonial. It looks better off the bobbin and I'll take pictures once I get it off the niddy noddy.

So yes! This is what I've been up to.

Toads, yarn, and toddlers!

(Linking up with Linda's Creative Friday.)

We recently got this amazing book from the library. It's called Gem and was written by Holly Hobbie. It begins with a short letter from a grandmother to her granddaughter and ends with a letter from the latter to the former. In between is the story of Gem, a toad. The best thing about this book (aside from the *gorgeous* pictures) is that the story is told in pictures, not words. I love books like this - it's amazing to hear my younger children making up the story on their own.

We enjoyed this book so much that I couldn't help myself.

Meet our "Gem." I followed this pattern and used Cascade Eco+ and Lanaloft. He's stuffed with yarn scraps that I collect from all of my projects.

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Remember that top I posted about for the Yarn Along on Wednesday? I spun some of it yesterday.

Sadly, the Elf (who had such high hopes for it) says that he preferred it as roving. Oh well.
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And more gratuitous toddlers.

I'm holding these moments close to me, to remember on the days when they don't get along so well!

Yarn Along

Joining with Ginny for the Yarn Along. Following will be gratuitous toddler pictures. Just because.

Fiber + Books:

I'm reading/browsing this stack of books. Mostly I'm reading Elemental Magic while I wait for our trip to the library to pick up the fifth book in the series that I've been reading. Yes. I like mindless fantasy. Other than that, I've been studying the Botany in a Day book. I'm ashamed to admit how much it all baffles me. The yarn on top of the books is handspun by me. I dyed it yesterday while daydreaming about mermaids, sirens, lagoons, and pirate ships. Some day when it isn't raining and I can find a decent patch of natural light I'll take a better picture to show the true colors.

My actual knitting hasn't progressed much since my post yesterday. One sleeve is in progress and there is still a ribbon through the live stitches in the body. This is a source of great amusement for little hands than like to tug on said ribbon.

This is the top that I dyed over the weekend (also mentioned yesterday). I spun about half of it (roughly 2 ounces) and I think it's turning out nicely.

Yesterday I dyed the other half (about four ounces) of the Colonial wool from Mohair & More. I couldn't decide on just one color. Or a simple set of colors. It looks sort of like a clown (or rainbow) exploded. The Elf thinks that it will make stunning yarn. Here's hoping!
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Gratuitous toddler pictures!

Yesterday it stormed in the afternoon. The Beast woke up declaring "thunder!" It was kind of hilarious.

Comfort was given.

Kissing quickly followed (I swear they aren't making out). It's amazing how well these two get along. They are nineteen months apart in age (and only a few inches apart in height). Of course, they fight just as passionately as they love.They are toddlers after all.

Recently

Joining up with Nicole for {crafting on} today, although this is also just a "since the last time" sort of post.

Can I be him for a day? Seriously. Breakfast in bed. Lounging.

The Elf helping make my tea mix. It contains: red raspberry leaf, dandelion leaf, nettle, alfalfa, oat straw, mint, red clover). I add fresh or frozen parsley when I brew it. I make 32 ounces in my french press every morning and sip it iced throughout the day. Yum!

The Beast happily browsing the catalog that came with an order from Bulk Herb Store. He sat with it for a good twenty minutes. Let's just ignore that it's upside down in this picture, okay?

A while ago I ordered some fiber from Mohair & More. This is some (about four ounces) of the Colonial Wool. The mood struck and I dyed this up in a bunch of shades of green. I've had gardening on the brain, what can I say? I started spinning some of it today and managed to fill a bobbin worth. I'll share picture of that tomorrow maybe.

The Beast has taken to falling asleep in the afternoon with no assistance. This is weird, but.. kind of nice. He's learning to fall asleep on his own and that's a good thing. He still nurses to sleep at night, though.

There are so many things I want to say about this picture. Apologies and excuses. I'm going to skip them all and talk about my cardigan. It's almost done!

I've been working on it for a while using this pattern. I think it's finally about long enough in the body so now it's time to start the sleeves. When it's all done I'll be off to find the perfect (within my budget - which sadly precludes nearly anything handmade on Etsy) buttons. Hopefully the buttons will break up the massive (ahem) expanse of grey on the one side (it's being held together by a kids' knitting needle).

So..not so much crafting, I guess. Some dyeing, some spinning, some knitting. Mostly I've been cleaning. And cleaning. I never seem to catch up with all of the mess, though.

Yarn Along!

Linking up with Ginny for the Yarn Along.

Still knitting my cardigan. I'm a little less worried about it fitting. Here's hoping my luck holds out! I'm reading Fortune's Fool which is the third book in The Five Hundred Kingdoms series by Mercedes Lackey. I need to find the fourth one from the library as I seem to be missing it.

My oldest son, the Elf, is nine. He's tried to learn to crochet before with no success. This time he seems to be getting it! We're making pokeballs. He's super anxious to finish his.

This is another lovely toy that I was lucky enough to test knit for the amazing Emily. Do not be fooled by his smallish head. Or his twisted foot. Those were totally user error. Lessons learned: do not stuff things when the majority of your stuffing is in the bedroom with the sleeping baby and - the most important - do not assume things just because the legs are similar to the arms! There's an extra line of directions for the legs and they are there for a good reason! In hindsight, being more awake at the time might have prevented that particular error. In any case! I adore Emily's patterns - go forth and scoop them up for yourself. Her Cat and Dog patterns are especial favorites here. Though I'm quite partial to the vulture.

Crafting On

I haven't, actually, been crafting that much. I guess. I've been working on a knitting project that I'll share tomorrow for the yarn along. I'm teaching my oldest to crochet - also yarn along material. Hmm. Regardless, I'm linking up with Nicole today.

I did sew some diaper wipes. Here's how this works for me. I get inspired (by a lack of sufficient wipes), I buy the materials, I go so far as to cut out squares, I get tired of it, I stack it away and promptly ignore it for six months. Fast forward. We're now *really* low on diaper wipes. The ones we have are barely fit to be rags. I remember the work involved in washing, ironing, cutting, sewing, turning right side out, ironing, sewing, snipping threads. I groan and hunt Etsy for affordable wipes.

Do you know what? There are none. The cheapest I could find came out to be $0.69 each (including shipping) but were only one layer thick. Here's the thing. You can buy a yard of fabric at a local chain store for less than $5. You can use a coupon and get it for about $1.50 on a good day. One yard of fabric makes a great deal more than two or three wipes. I know this. I know all of this. But I have to scour the web looking for a deal, propose it to B, get that "I don't think so" look, and have a mini meltdown before I can gather the umph necessary to tackle the making again.

So! To make it all easier, yesterday I had helpers! I would sew the two pieces together, B and the Elf would turn them right side out and press out the corners, we skipped the ironing (because really, they're *diaper wipes*), I would top stitch them, and B would cut the extra thread. Whee! Now we have new diaper wipes!
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Okay. Unrelated! I very recently won a pair of amazing rings in a giveaway on The Artful Parent. Given that I apparently have fat fingers (we're shocked. Really.) I can fit up to eight characters on each ring. Now, if I only had two kids I could go the no-brainer route and get their names. Only, I have more than two kids. That leads me to the great dilemma of which words to pick. So I ask you, what are your favorite words (preferably 8 characters or less)?

Week and -ending!

Yes. I am still alive. With much computer switch-a-roo-ing, the script that allows me to dump pictures from my camera to my laptop was injured. Now, it is fixed. So I have, not only a "weekending" to share, but a "weeking" as well. Er. Something.

There are many things that I don't have pictures of. Like the elephant I'm working on for Emily. I messed up one of his legs, but attached it anyway. His head isn't stuffed enough. He's missing an arm. But the Beast loves on him anyway.

Speaking of the Beast. Today is his birthday. Oddly, the Elf and I spent much time talking about the births of all the boys. Weird. But.. nice, too. Speaking of the Elf! He's learning to crochet! He finally gets it! We have half of a pokeball each and will finish it up tomorrow. He's so pleased with himself. It's amazing.

And now to the pictures!

These have been done for a while, worn more than a few times, and washed at least twice. Yeah, I'm behind on blogging.

This was my yarn along post that never made it up. I'm further on the cardigan now. And finished the book (which I'd read before). But I've also finished the second book and am now on the third.

I ordered fiber. Glorious fiber. Now if only I could get my left foot and leg to stop cramping with charley horses when I spin..

I spun the last of my Mountain Colors BFL in the "firestorm" colorway. And then I used it to make a horse for the Beast.

I love Linda's patterns. Next up is a black winged horse for the Imp.

And a not-so-much-a-surprise-once-she-reads-this doll for a friend. I'm good at taking hints, even when they aren't really hints. Basically, tell me you like something that I'm capable of making and on a good day (or mediocre - or possibly even a bad one) I'll totally jump on the chance to make you smile. It's what I do. I like it. Getting to the post office, however, is not so much my specialty.

Oh! And I did end up ordering from The Bulk Herb Store. Thank you everyone who gave me your two cents. The herbs arrived quickly and are already being enjoyed. In fact, I've already placed another order with them - because I'm crazy like that.

Has anyone ordered from The Bulk Herb Store before? I need some things that I can't find locally. I really wanted to use Mountain Rose Herbs but their shipping costs just kill me.

I ordered some fiber from a place I'd never heard of. It's only been a couple of days, but I haven't heard from them. So I guess I'm getting mildly paranoid about which new places I try out.

Thanks in advance for any and all feedback on this!

Yarn Along

Joining up with Ginny for the Yarn Along. I almost didn't make it today. It's been crazy over here. My body is exhausted but my brain in in overdrive. It won't slow down. I have so many ideas. So much that I want to do. But! All these thoughts and ideas are jumbling together and it's leaving me confused.

At any rate.

I'm working on pockets for Lori. I'm also working on an elephant test knit for Emily. B, the Elf, and I are all reading House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones. It's the third "Howl" book. So far I'm quite enjoying it.

Crafting on

I am tired. Fatigued. Exhausted. Why my children cannot all sleep at normal hours is beyond me. At any rate, I'm joining up with Nicole's {Crafting on} link doohickey.

Here's what I've been up to:

This is a special doll for a special cat loving little girl. This spunky lady even has several changes of clothes. Tonight she'll be on her way to her new home!

This is about two ounces of yarn that I spun from Mountain Colors BFL in the "firestorm" colorway. I think I love it. I'm still massively pre-drafting, though. I haven't quite gotten the rhythm down to where I feel comfortable drafting from a huge clump.

This is the first "real" yarn that I spun on my new wheel. This is the fiber that they sent for me (Village Spinning and Weaving is awesome). Before I had been trying to use wool that really should be used for felting, not spinning.

This was my table this morning. I finally got around to giving this little merchild a face and hair.

Now she looks like this! Of course, I only managed a blurry picture of her front. I'm a little sad that for decency sake, she needs a top. I'm no good at mermaid tops. Perhaps I'll make a fabric vest this time. Hmm.

Of course, the shot of her back is in focus. Because I'm slick like that.

Mason Jar Cozy winner(s)!

Both of the littles wanted to pick a name from the hat. So I'm going to give away two cozies (also, because I'm late with this and feel guilty - I've become a bit addicted to my spinning wheel).

The winners are...

Congratulations Tracey (drawn from the hat by the Imp) and Natalie (drawn from the hat by the Beast). I'll be sending you emails shortly to request you addresses!

Thank you everyone who commented!

Yarn Along and the latest addition!

Joining up with Ginny today for the Yarn Along.

I'm still working on those longies. They've taken a back seat to all the other crafting that I've been doing. I am really loving the way the colors are working together, though. As for reading, B and the Elf finished Howl's Moving Castle so now we've moved on to the second book: Castle in the Air.

And now! My glorious new spinning wheel!

Yes, you should be glad I didn't also take pictures of our UPS guy carrying the box down our driveway. And don't think it didn't cross my mind!

It came with a "free gift with purchase" option. I chose these: 8oz of fiber, spinning wheel oil..

and a niddy noddy! The Beast is especially excited about this one, apparently.

The excitement was too much. The Beast took a nap while the Imp, Elf, and I unpacked the pieces. Here they are wrapped and unfinished.

And here they are all nice and polished with my homemade beeswax polish. Obviously the wooden car didn't come with it though it does seem quite happy among the pieces. By this point, the Elf was already in bed and the Imp was headed that way.

Let me say this, the directions that came with my Kiwi were.. subjective at times. It also didn't help to have a nearly two-year-old "helping" and sitting in my lap. I will admit that I had to take apart several pieces in the end because I'd put them together wrong.

The Beast was the first to use my new wheel. He got the hang of it extremely quickly - and only pinched a finger once. Of course, now I can't keep the toddlers off of it.

And here's my first yarn on the Kiwi! I was "helped" by little hands a lot with this one. The fiber was also more suited to felting (which is what I originally bought it for) than spinning. But it's good enough for me to practice on, I think!

I'm still kicking around a few names - yes, I'm going to name my wheel. I am, indeed, that crazy.
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There's still time to enter to win a crochet mason jar cozy! I'll pick a winner tonight!

Crafting on!

I'm linking up with Nicole today for {crafting on} Tuesday. This is how I've kept myself busy while waiting for my spinning wheel to get here.

I've made more doll shirts in the last week than I ever hoped to. I'm not a fan of sewing clothes - big or small. Evidently, I'm also not very good at it. Here's the kicker - these are all "prototypes" and none of them fit the intended doll. I think I've finally gotten something close to fitting. But sheesh! First I went with the trusty pattern by Adirondack Patterns, but it wasn't working for this particular doll (she has a lot of hair and nothing wanted to fit over it). So I've looked around, found nothing, and had to make it up as I go. I've never cut, folded, pinned, ironed, and sewn so much in so few days.

And another mermaid tail. It's a bit bigger than the other two and isn't a totally natural yarn, but I think the sparkly bits and the colors are just too perfect for a sea lady. Don't forget to enter the giveaway at This Cosy Life for a chance to win one of my mermaid dolls.

There's also the giveaway on my blog for a crochet mason jar cozy. I think I'm going to write up another tutorial for a to-go cup cozy soon, too.

And yes, there will definitely be pictures of my new spinning wheel when it gets here this evening!

Mermaid Giveaway!

Happy Monday, everyone! Head on over to This Cosy Life for a chance to win this lovely mermaid!

I started another mer-tail last night - so be on the lookout in the next few days for more mer-baby goodness. But today will be all about clothing for a sweet cat-eared girl!

Weekending

This is how I spent my *entire* weekend. Okay, well, most of it at any rate.

Meet the newest addition to my shop! I'm so please with myself for being able to crochet with the suri/merino/bamboo yarn. That fuzzy stuff always gives me trouble. I had wanted to make him a shark. After six tails crocheted and ripped apart, I gave up. I even tried a dolphin tail. Bah. I apparently still don't understand the basics of making shapes. But he's done! And I'm happy with him. With any luck we'll have another mer-baby soon!

Don't forget about the jar cozy giveaway - I know it isn't much. But please do enter if you're inclined.