I Can See the Shore!

I am still treading (treadling) water as I finish up the last of the Ocean Wonder orders!
phew! Wonder how many miles I have treadled?
Here is the next-to-last batch in progress...

Been fighting a sinus infection and the worst part has been the fatigue! I am so rarely sick that I forget how I hate to be down. I mentally call myself lazy, which is just nutso really, I have still been productive, just cranky and whiny. I suppose I will never really accomplish what I expect myself to in any given day. The strife of the over-achiever and the ocd, haha.

Not much else going on other than spinning and some serious re-organizing! Still kind of unpacking, even after a year! I need to PURGE MORE STUFF, but am trying to do so in spurts.
No knitting news either- I have grounded myself from working on my sweater until all of my orders are complete.

I leave you with a picture of the cutest cat EVER! She jumped into the light tent when I was photographing yesterday. I put some candy corn yarn in front of her.

MROWL fffft, Halloween Cat!

Here she is in front of her first fire.

Candy Corn Yarn and Free Hat Pattern!

Yesterday a package arrived from Arabella. She designed the yarn and hat concept.
I designed the hat pattern using my free Rainbows Eve hat pattern as a starting point.
The result is an adorable fall hat! Knit using Arabella's handspun Candy Corn yarn to avoid color changes! Buy handspun Candy Corn yarn here.

FREE CANDY CORN HAT pattern is below...

Here they are!

Traditional Flavor (is it vanilla?)
And Chocolate!
Now for the FREE PATTERN~

Materials:

Bulky weight yarn in 3 colors, approx. 80 total yards (hint* Using MW Candy Corn yarn eliminates color changes)

Size 10 1/2 circular needles, 16 in. length

Size 10 1/2 double point needles (dpn)

Yarn sized needle

Instructions:

Cast 48 st onto circ. needles

Connect first round and place marker at beginning of round.

Knit in k2p2 rib for the first inch.

Switch to stockinette and knit until hat measures 4 inches in length

First decrease round: *K10, K2tog*, repeat until one round is completed, placing markers at beginning of each decrease.

Knit 4 rows.

Second decrease round, *K9, K2tog*, repeating again until one round is completed.

Knit 4 rows.

Continue to decrease and knit 4 rows between each decrease, (switching to dpn when necessary), until 8 st remain on needles.

K2tog around until 4 st remain.

Using a yarn sized needle, connect all stitches and secure opening. Weave in ends.

Click here for a printable pdf.

Whales!

This is the actual footage of the whale we saw at the coast this weekend.

A nice, nice lady was taking pics while we were squealing with delight!
They (Lynna and her husband) emailed us the images later that day. Here is their link.
©2008 T.P.B. Photos


Such a spiritual thing to see- it took all I had to not stand there and cry. Well, I may have teared up a bit, but fought off the full blown boo-hoos. I want to go back and sit by the cliff for a few days and just watch.

Here is a shot Eve took of whales in the distance.

Whew!

It's been a whirlwind of a week for sure!
Our best friends from PA have been visiting the past week and it was a week of road trips and frenetic spinning! Plus big meals, drinks and good company.

They sadly just left for the airport. Here are some pics from our wanderings.

First road trip was to Mt. St. Helens. I love seeing her so much. Eve is completely obsessed with all things volcano so each trip up is even more fun.
Sat. we drove to the coast to see the tide pools. After a climb down a cliff and over some gigantic rocks, Nicole and I chilled by the water and the men and girls explored the tide pools.
I spent some time searching for agate and sea glass.

I also took some time to knit on my sweater.After the tide pools we drove to Depoe Bay to look for whales. You could see their blow streams out in the ocean, then we realized one was swimming right at the edge of the water!

See the next entry for a video clip!

After the whale extravaganza, we drove a bit north and found a quieter beach that was easier to access. The kids ran around like maniacs, the men too! haha

Paul played with a giant sea weed plant.

The dudes decided to take a polar dip- the water was COLD. I still have a ton of spinning to do for orders and for the site.
Update coming by the end of the week!

Back to the wheel!

What? Lotsa Pictures~

Wow- time is flying by! This past week has been a blur of Ocean Wonder orders. I thought it was Thursday all day today. But then I thought Tues. was Mon, Wed. was Tues. etc. all week long. sigh
No wonder I always feel like I am running to catch up. I am a day late. haha

I started a new scarf (like I needed another project) as my chronic startitis continues. As long as I am also finishing things I will let myself be.

The "Je ne sais quoi" Scarf, knit from the yummy yarn
I recieved from Morgan in the HHHH swap.

I am using a Moss Rib Stitch pattern you can find HERE. It really shows off the yarn.Today I updated the site with some fantastic Halloween themed yarns!

SororMystica
Mystical Owl
Here is my evil Halloween cat with her usual odd behavior.
We found a wonderful local organic farm and scored a pile of yummy veggies!
We love to support our local farmers and everything tastes so much better than grocery store produce. mmmmmmmm
The girls have spent some serious time this week painting on the deck. They were very quiet and process-oriented. My girls. sniff

Ignore the neglected Xmas tree stand. haha ~Someone please go put that away?
Gallery
By EveMeerkat still-life I found by my printer this morning. Funny kids.

My First Sweater~

I am so proud. Been knitting for almost 5 years. Own an online handspun yarn shop for 3 1/2 years, but have never made a sweater. It's time.

Here is the pattern.... the Nubby Cardigan! From Knitscene Fall 08. (These are not pics of me, they are from the magazine. I want her hair though.)

It is one sexy sweater (in my opinion). It's warm and snuggly yet feminine at the same time.
I chose Cascade 220- Heathers in the Galaxy colorway. It is dark purple which looks almost blackish in darker light, but more purpley with flecks of blues and reds in the sunshine. Hard to photograph. soooo pretty....
Here is my progress so far. I am almost finished with the back panel. I was undecided to make the large or x-large. I am not a tiny girl, so I def need the large, but chose the x-large as I plan to wear this as a coat most of the time. This leaves room for heavier clothing underneath. I also added 4 inches to the pattern length for proper butt and belly coverage. The stitch pattern is stimulating enough to keep my attention yet not so complicated that I am poking my eyes out.

I plan to hit my button collection to find some vintage buttons to use but I think I will wait until I am closer to completion to look. This way I can bond some more with the sweater.

Well, enough procrastination blogging. Off to card Ocean Wonders! (cracking my own whip).

My Inner Aborigine~

I am taking a small break from spinning this morning- my elbow argues with me when I spin too long. Not sure WHY, I must be clenched. haha ME? Clenched?? Get out!
I need to chill out, I tend to get intense when I am ultra-focused on goals. Paul comes home tonight so that will help- he has been in Boise all week! Miss him.

A month or so ago I took some time to start painting again, if you remember that post?

Well, this morning I was exploring a site about aboriginal art. I have always felt drawn to the symbolism aborigines use and their over all design. I found THIS painting and it gave me the chills.
I know my inner design-eye is influenced by their symbolism from my studies, so some of the unconscious connections are from that, but there is more to it, some sort of spiritual connection? Past life? I don't know but I like it- it makes me feel connected somehow. Looking forward to exploring this more....

Here is more info on the artist who painted it. (gallery link)
Walter Hansen Walter was born at a sacred place in Spinifex country which cannot be named or discussed in public. In this work Walter paints his wider homeland area where he grew up. The rockholes he named specifically are Tjutapilyuru, Paki, Tjintilkara, Tjutaja, Karnu, Ilkurlka, Pirapi, Paupiya, Iltun and Tjuntjuntjara. Walter also shows some of the animals that traverse this area such as the emu and camel as well as showing the Kaluti (desert poplar) tree that regrows prolifically in the desert after a bushfire. The Kaluti tree has a smaller type of maku (witchetty grub) inside the roots. Walter is a senior initiated man and has been with the Spinifex project since the beginning.
Great website~ Aboriginal Art Online. Go. Learn. Absorb.

More pics of life over the past few days. I will spare you pics of piles and piles of Ocean Wonder skeins. haha.

My new aqua/teal blue phone- it was free and the only color they had left- I don't care and kinda like how garish it is... the Verizon girl asked me 3 times if I was sure this was what I wanted.
She obvious does not know me, haa... it's no worse than my last phone, which was pink...

My package arrived from the HHHH swap! Love love love this fiber and yarn! and chocolate...mmm Thanks so much Morgan!

Vicious evil kitty. She found this stuffed owl and was loving it up all day. Of course the loving has to take place on any available plastic bag.

I leave you with a new skein- just listed. Witch Kitsch Skull. I LOVE HALLOWEEN KITSCH!

Jonathan Adler

I have a crush on Jonathan Adler- he is so talented and I just want to hang out with him and be his best friend.


Seriously.

Click here to read his Manifesto. Here are some of my favorites...

We believe our designs are award winning even though they've never actually won any.

We believe in Aid to Artisans.

We believe you should throw out your Blackberry and go pick some actual blackberries. (funny because almost 4 acres of our 5 are covered with blackberry vines- and Paul just got a Blackberry- they really are addictive.)

We believe in infantile, happy emblems like butterflies and hearts.

We believe in carbohydrates and to hell with the puffy consequences.

We believe handcrafted tchotchkes are life-enhancing. (change tchotchkes to YARN)

We believe in blowing your nest egg on our pots. (change pots to YARN)

AND MY FAVORITE..... We believe colors can't clash.

I need to write my OWN manifesto.... hmmmm

Today I spent time between Ocean Wonder skeins to read through his site.
The fact that he has Rex Ray books for sale just cinched it. Sigh

I feel some Jonathan themed skeins coming.....

Jonathan-- do you knit? Will you be my friend?