Entries from July 2007
The Devo Scarf is a manly scarf!
I love this FREE pattern, and the yarn (Filatura Di Crosa Zarone) is just wonderful to work with!
I plan to make several more of these for the men in my life! This one is for hubby.
Son #2 is the handsome model. He is off to Colorado and college next week. So, Mom will be taking lots of pictures. He’ll just have to deal.
The scarf used 3.5 balls of Zarone, color 726 and I knit it on my favorite regular gauge Wonderloom.
Here is a woven scarf I recently completed! 
Check out this bag!
Eco-friendly materials. Designers are finding innovative ways to incorporate reclaimed, recycled, and sustainable materials into stylish bags.
Escama – conversation-evoking handme bags made from aluminum can pull-tabs, in four sizes (Supple and lightweight, it’s hand crocheted with over 1,600 recycled aluminum pull-tabs.
Comes with nylon fabric liner, YKK zipper closure, one inside zipped pocket, shoulder strap with hand crocheted padding.
How cool is that? Massively cool!
Categories: Ashford Knitters Loom · Devo Scarf · handwoven scarf · knit scarf · loom knitting · wonderloom
Eureka Springs, AK…the place to go for adventure, relaxation, scenery, lodging, shopping…and a heaping dose of the great outdoors!
Hubby and I had a wonderful time in Eureka Springs, AK. What a beautiful destination! I never knew how much I liked Victorian style homes. This little town is full of them! And the gardens, oh how lovely.
My wonderful hubby took me to the only yarn store within 50 miles, Little Bo Peep’s Yarn and Antiques, on our first day in Eureka Springs! There we met Michelle, the owner of the shop. I wish I had my camera with me, as her shop is adorable! Be sure to stop by and see Michelle if you visit! I came home with some lovely yarns that I am anxious to work with!
I also scored on a beautiful cedar chest to store my yarn!
Eureka Springs must have most of the worlds best chefs in residence. Every single meal we ate was superb! If you visit, be sure to eat dinner at Ermilio’s. By far this is the best Italian food I’ve ever tasted in the US.
We were entertained by the fact that Hells Angels were in town while we were there! What a sight! The estimates were that over 500 Hells Angels would be in town for the weekend. You couldn’t drive far without seeing a group of motorcycles along with the ATF, FBI, federal, state and local police. Hubby was VERY entertained watching the Hells Angels and the law enforcement groups watching each other! It was a sight to see for sure! I was too chicken to ask if I could get my picture taken with a group of the Hells Angels.
While hubby and I were in Eureka Springs, our youngest son was at Bucks and Spurs dude ranch outside of Ava, MO. The ranch is beautiful. If you are looking for a western ranch, with no less than 45 beautiful horses, breath taking countryside, immaculate cabins and great down home cooking check them out! Son #3 had a great time. This was his third year at the dude ranch.
We arrived at the ranch on Friday, so Hubby got to ride Friday night and Saturday morning.
I spent treasured time alone, on the beautiful porch of the amazing cabin both knitting and reading. I read three books cover to cover on our five day vacation!
Take a look at all of our summer vacation photo’s here
Categories: Travel
Remember that tangled, ugly, totally messed up warp I had on my Beka loom awhile back? Well, I finally got the warp on properly. Thanks to Beka, I now have instructions for the loom. I had the loom totally put together incorrectly! It sure works a lot better when set up properly!
Score! Kirkwood Knittery, a LYS here in my area had an unbelievable sale…they had an entire bookcase of yarn discounted to one dollar a skein, YES!!!! $1.00!! !! I am using Brown Sheep Nature Spun, Mountain Purple for the warp. The weft has two yarns, Brown Sheep Nature Spun, Beet Red and Prisma mohar. These are three of the yarns that were in the dollar bin! I was good, I only purchased 15 skeins of yarn….but as I drove away, I could hear a voice telling me “Woman, you should have at LEAST bought 30 skeins at that price!”
My fingers are pretty much raw after a week of working on Absorba, the great bathmat, from Mason Dixon Knitting. I am using Sugar n Cream cotton yarn, potpourri ombre. The bathmat is knit log cabin style with 3 strands held together, which means 6 strands total are on each peg on the loom. I am making the bathmat larger than the pattern dimensions called for.
Hubby and I are off to Eureka Springs, AK for a 5 day vacation this week! We’ve never been there, but I’ve been told I will love it! It is a little Victorian town, with lots of shops located in the beautiful Ozark mountains.
Awesome freebie pattern find of the week:
Best Friend by Kristin Goedert
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Awesome music! Colbie has such a beautiful voice!She reminds me of Jack Johnson. She is touring with the Goo Goo Dolls. It is rare that I love every single song on a cd. I love this cd!Coco
Colbie Caillat
It is the FREE Song of the week on iTUNES! Go get it now! |
Categories: Rigid Heddle · Rigid Heddle Loom · Travel · loom knitting · weaving
When I look into your eyes
I see our future bright and true
You are the perfect one for me
and I’m the one for you
We’ll go through life together
forever hand in hand
our hearts will be joined together
by our wedding bands
The best is yet to come for us
Just you wait and see
The best is yet to come for us
we were meant to be
Greg, look into my eyes
And you will know its true
I’m keep’n you
Categories: Family
Mason Dixon Knitting. This is a GREAT book! I love the funny narratives, the way they have made the patterns easy for all levels of knitters. I want to make every single pattern in this book! Seriously, you gotta buy this book!
I am starting with the Absorba, the great bathmat pattern.
America Knits
This is a beautiful book. The photography is gorgeous. The book is full of stories about knitters/artists across America. It is divided into regions of the country. The patterns are way out of my league….but wow, what an inspiring book!
Categories: Book Review · Great Books
The Grand Scarf is complete! I love how it turned out! I can’t wait to purchase more yarn from the three irish girls! Son #1 is my handsome model!
I was looking through my stash last night, and found 3 balls of Southwest Trading Company Karaoke 50% soysilk 50% wool yarn. I just loved the feel of the yarn. I picked up a H crochet hook and was just going to make a little swatch to see how the yarn looked worked up. Well, I enjoyed working with the yarn so much that I just kept crocheting! I’ll have a cute little purse by tomorrow!
Mind you, I haven’t really crocheted since I was 12, other than an edge here or there. So I really have no idea how I will finish this little purse. But, I’m resourceful, I’ll figure something out!
Here is the finished purse! Crochet is really fast, compared to knitting! This purse was using only the single crochet, so nothing complicated.
Categories: knit scarf · loom knitting · three irish girls
Sigh. I spent a good part of yesterday warping and setting up my Beka loom. All looked great…until I asked Son #3 to hold the back of the yarn tightly, so that I could wind up the warp onto the loom.
Somehow, the yarn came off the pegs on the back warp beam, and everything is a mess. I suspect I should have put rubber bands or something to keep the yarn stable there? I really have no idea.
This is the downfall of teaching yourself with books and trial and error. I really need to get a good lesson on setting up this loom! I am certain once I learn how to do this properly, the whole process will not only go quicker, it will be fun! Note to self….place that call, schedule a lesson!
UPDATE!!! I contacted Beka a their 888 number, told them about my loom, and my new best friend Renee said that I was missing the heddle blocks. She is sending me a set of heddle blocks and the original instructions that came with the loom and get this….all for free!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!! What wonderful customer service. I bought the loom used, not directly from Beka. Amazing!! They have a customer for life in me now!
I guess the good part of this whole sad story is that I still can’t wait to weave this warp once it is put on properly…thats the true sign of a glutton for punishment artist right?
Here is a picture of something beautiful that made me smile today! Our first tomato from our tomato plant! I love fresh tomatoes! Hubby was so sweet to plant us one. We’ve got the tomato plant up on our porch, to keep it away from the thieving raccoons.
Yummmmmmmmm it is going to be tasty!
Categories: Rigid Heddle · Rigid Heddle Loom · weave · weaving
We are lucky to live on a private lake. The lake was so peaceful today, even though it was in the 90’s! I have really enjoyed looking out at the lake these past few months that I haven’t been working. When I was working, I guess I just never took the time, I suppose because my days were so busy. I’m going to miss these lazy days when I go back to work!
Guess what is finished? Yup! I am so happy with my Vermont felted bag! I ran out of yarn, so as a crafty person would do, I searched for a way to make a different handle. Can you guess what this handle was meant to be used for? Leave a comment with your guess!
Categories: Vermont felted bag · loom knitting
Check out this awesome website! www.baggybritches.com The designer of these awesome bags is the Mother of Son #2’s best friend!
She is so talented! She will design you a purse to your color specifications.
Support talented single Mom’s!!!!!
Categories: Blogroll
Yummy yarn cakes
I have been just LOVING this pattern and yarn. The yarn is Lindon Merino in the Siofra colorway from three Irish girls. I have purchased several of the girls yarns, and they are all just to die for! Their store has become my favorite place to buy yarn online. Check them out!!! I am so excited that my wait on their waiting list for their yarn of the month club is over! I can’t wait to get my first club shipment!
The pattern is named “Baby, What a Grand Alpaca Scarf”, it is a free knitting pattern I found here. It is a very simple, easy to follow pattern. If you can knit, purl and slip a stitch, you can loom (or needle knit) this awesome pattern! I love how this pattern is working out….the checkerboard little boxes created really highlight this awesome yarn! I am using a regular gauge Wonderloom made by Decor Accents Inc.. It has fast become my favorite loom to knit with. Check it out here.
I just love making yarn cakes, still no luck on finding a job as a yarn cake maker…I won’t give up hope that I’ll find a job I love as much as I love making yarn cakes!
My best friend Shelly even enjoyed making a yarn cake with my swift yesterday! I also gave her a short lesson on how to weave on my Ashford Knitters Loom! She did a great job, and I’m hoping it spiked her interest in the yarn loving world!
Categories: Ashford Knitters Loom · fiber · loom knitting · three irish girls · wonderloom · wool · yarn cakes
