Alaska and Camping

My parents went to Alaska on a 7-day cruise the first week of July. It sounded so totally awesome - now I want to go! They took so many pictures that it's going to take them quite a while to get them organized and available to family. I can't wait! My mom gave us a little preview while we were eating dinner right after they got off the plane. I think she ate her food in 5 minutes, and went back to scrolling though the pics and showing us the highlights. They were really nice pictures - and here's a little preview:


This is a display at the Anchorage Airport. All those items are made with "Qiviut" - which is musk-ox down. One of the rarest fibers in the world, there is only one true farm that collects the down on a regular basis and breeds the musk-ox (located in Alaska - my parents went on a tour of it.). Any other musk-ox or bison down is collected in the wild after the animal has already shed it. Qiviut has no know allergens and to me feels softer even than cashmere. It is also more expensive, and more insulating than cashmere.


The week before they left on the cruise, I asked my mom if I could put in a request for a souvenir. Can you guess what I asked for? :-) Check these out:

They generously brought back 2 balls of navy blue 100% qiviut!! Oh, it is gorgeous! Gently blooming, so soft you never want to stop petting it! I already know what I am going to do with it and already picked out a pattern. Of course it has to be an "Arctic Lace" pattern - how can it be anything else.

I also had a mini vacation. This last weekend I went camping with a few of my friends. It was so much fun. I brought my camera, but I'm not that big of a picture taker I've found out. I did take a few of the lake and the group eating (added later.)

This is a "Crater Lake" in CA right on the border of Lassen Nat'l Park. My dad took us (my bros and I) there fishing a few times when we were growing up. A tiny little lake - not more than 1/2 mile across - it is as clear, if not clearer than Lake Tahoe! Rainbow trout usually abound in the lake, but they weren't biting this weekend. It was really warm, so they were probably at the bottom were it was cold.


(Check out the reflections!)

I haven't been camping for a long while, but it was a lot of fun!! Nice and relaxing, cooler than down in the city, nice and cold at night. Campfires are always fun - can you say roasted marshmellows!! :-) I'm such a kid at heart!! The food was excellent, and the company better. Being in the heart of God's creation is always a refreshment. The evergreens, the singing aspens, the clear blue lake, clear fresh air, osprey, hawks, deer, and yes even the chipmunks and flies, and the stars...oh, my the stars!!! Saturday night we walked down to the lake to get a better view with out very many trees obscuring the view. All I can say is wow! I teared up at the beauty of it. You can clearly see the swath of the Milky Way arm across the north-eastern part of the sky. I've seen it like that before while growing up, but I appreciate it so much more now. Once our eyes adjusted to the might, we could see enough to walk around - the profusion of stars was that bright! Did I mention there was no moon? That made it all the better. Someone should have brought a telescope! Oh, well, next time, eh?


When I got back yesterday afternoon - I put my stuff away, then had one of the best showers. I tell you, being dirty for even 2 days, really makes you appreciate warm running water, flushing toilets! :-) I really appreciated my nice, soft, comfortable bed later that evening. ;-)

Happy 4th of July (on the 5th!)

Happy 4th of July (a day late!) :-) I had a nice day off yesterday, relaxing, nothing to do...but of course I did stuff. I am Knitter - I can't just lay there or sit there. I had an hour devotion time, after I got up at 6:15am (cats don't sleep in), which I need to do a more often. My normal devotion time is about 20 mins. Anyway, after that I knit for about an hour, then went for a walk around Virginia Lake. It was warm, even at 9 in the morning. Then it was poolside for about another hour, then back to the nice cool apartment for a nap!

After lunch, I finished the lining on this:


This is the Shetland Shawl I finished a couple weeks ago - I just love the color combination! I could have done a better job on sewing the lining on (hand stitched) - but I am please with the outcome nontheless. I am more like my mom than I realize, I think, now more than ever before. When she is going to do a sewing project (or probably anything involving more than 1 step) she sees in her mind exactly what steps she is going to take at what time. No skimping on the details either!

I lay out the lining with the shawl upside down on it, then pinned both together, making sure that I pinned straight along the line I was going to use to tack the fabic to the shawl. After pinning I cut around the shawl - only 3 sides, as I used the selvage edge for one side. That I did about a week and half ago. Yesterday, I lay the shawl down with the lining facing up and folding the edge over the pinned line, I ironed the seam, folding it under again to hide the cut (and slightly uneven) edge. After it was cool, I reversed the shawl and lining so they were wrong side to wrong side, and it was right side out. After pinning again, I then matress stitched the lining to the shawl. That part actually took the longest - about 2 and a half hours. Whew! My neck was stiff after that - but so worth it. If I had machine stitched it the thread would show on the green. Not cool, to my thinking.

Anyway, after that was done, it was dinner time, and plopping down on the couch with current knitting. More pictures to come a little later - I seem to be on a roll with shawls! It's the "Summer of Shawls." :-) Some knitters do socks - I do shawls!

No fireworks viewing for me this year - yesterday was simply a day off rather than celebarting our independence. While it does have meaning to me that 231 years ago, our nations founding fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence - the values and freedoms that this nation - One Nation Under God - was founded on seem to be disappearing rather rapidly into a cesspool of darkness. Besides - I take comfort in the fact that my citizenship is not of this world but in Heaven, with our Lord Jesus Christ. With Him in my life - I enjoy freedoms that many people don't. Freedom from despair and darkness. Amen!!

Shetland Shawl - Finished!

Before blocking. Of course the kitties helped me out! They are so sweet!! :-)


While blocking.




'Nuff said!



Except I finished these, too! Panda Cotton from CPY in the blueberries colorway.


Wow, quite a productive streak, huh? With more to come...

Saturday Hike

Sorry - this was supposd to go up on Monday! Been busy knitting!! ;-) Well, not really - more like busy closing the books at worok. And some knitting and spinning, and... :-)

Anyway - on Saturday my friends and I went up to Squaw Valley. What an absolutely gorgeous hike we went on. God is soo awesome, the most wonderous Creator! This next picture is now up on my desktop at home:





Unfortunately, I had forgetten to clean my memory stick out, and ran out of room, other wise there would have been a lot more pictures. Next time...

Next post I should have knitting and spining content. I spun up half of the last color on my Shetland project - the dark brown - and have (almost) finished some socks.

Happy knitting!

I am (not suprisingly)...

Take the Quiz here!

Happy Memorial Weekend

Well, I hope everyone had an excellent holiday weekend! I know I did. Here in Northern Nevada it was as absolutely gorgeous as it could get...Warm without being hot, breezy, but not windy, clear skies and bright sun!! My apartments opened up the pool, so I got me a little color. Especially on my legs - winter white that they were.

I was able to relax completely this weekend, as well as being quite busy. You know, that busy-ness of doing something you love doing. I got a lot done the last 3 days - namely dying on Saturday then spinning on Sunday and Monday. Also did some knitting, but I didn't make as much progess as I had hoped. More on that later.

Dye Day

About a month ago, on another dye day I did the skein to the left. (It was in roving form, then.) I so love the color that I'm calling "Orange Juice" that I wanted a pair of socks out of it. So that was first. I also threw in some pieces of silk on top to see how they took up the dye:

I just love the sheen, and the kettle dyed look.

Then, while that was perking, I handpainted the folowing:

Allison calls them "Hannah colors", I guess because they are mainly pink! :-) I like pink!!

Then, came the spinning:

This became this:

I not as happy with it finished as it looked spinning up. It looks kind of washed out and dingy. Maybe it will look better knitted up. One can only hope... None of the dye washed out, either after rinsing after dying nor after spinning, so I thing it just might be the large amount of white left between colors while painitng. Hmm, I'll have to try somehting else, then.

I also spun up the silk:

Oh, yeah - that's what I'm talkin' about!! That little mini skein is only about 6" long, but the stuff spun up so fine and even, and only drifted apart once while chain plying it. I love it! The shine, the cool peachy color, the feel (sorry, Blogger doesn't have an interactive virtual interface yet) (though that would be really cool, then we could actually feel and smell the yarns our blog buddies have posted pics of, as well as yarns at online shops, as well as...) the distinctive silk smell (although I recently found out that that smell comes from the saricin of the cocoon - the stronger the smell, the less clean the silk is). This is actually the first time I have spun bombyx silk, and I like it so much better than spinning tussah (which I have.)

I am planning now on dying the full pound I have in this same color. I am already envisioning a light and lacey shawl.

Knitting

On the knitting front, I am still plugging away at my Shetland Square Shawl out of "Folk Shawls." I am almost done with it, and I had hoped to be done this weekend. This is the progress so far:

On Friday I finished up the inner border, and was going to start in on the outer border Saturday morning. I did do that, however, being as this is the first time I have done a knitted on border, it took me a little while to figure out how it goes and get it going. At this time I realized that I have totally underestimated the time left. It is going to take a little while longer to finish. Oh well, it is coming a long swimmingly, and I am still so in love with the color (and the yarn.) I can't wait to block it and see the finished product. The picture above shows the one side that is done (there are three more to go!) :-/

Yesterday, the guild had an impromtu spin-in at Bartley Ranch Park. It was a lot of fun. That's where Allison saw my colors! :-) This was the first time I had been to this park, not only was it absolutely lovely, but it's only 2 miles from my house! I am now thinking of this place for my birthday party in August. I need to call and get prices, and make reservations. The place where we sat yesterday has six tables covered by a roof, a BBQ, lots of grass to play around on, and a nice breeze. I think it would be really nice to have it there. I could still decorate - string streamers and balloons from the rafters of the roof. There is even a rock wall around part of the area, where people could also sit, if there's no room at the tables. Hmm, this sounds like a good idea. I think I will take M. up there this week to show here - get some ideas from her.

Anyway, enough posting for now. Hope everyone has a great week, and may God bless you abundantly!!

What Kind of Knitting Have You Done?

This is a “What have you done in knitting?” that is going around the blog community. I thought it would be fun to share. And ask yourself – what have you done in knitting?

What I have done is in ITALICS, what I haven't done is in regular type, and commentary is always good. (Lets you know what I’m thinking!) ;-)

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch – um, yeah
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl – several , I can’t seem to stop!
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up – want to at least give it a try.
Knitting with camel yarn – but I will in a couple of days.
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL – (Knit–a–long, for non-knitters)
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn – I ripped out a off the rack sweater to make something else.
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn – huh?
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting – I actually am not sure what that means? I’ll have to look into it – somethng about knitting I don’t know?? (Gasp)
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles – uh, that’s all I have
Baby items
Knitting with your own hand-spun yarn – love it, because I made it.
Slippers
Graffiti knitting – not sure what this is either, maybe something like free-form?
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Participate in an exchange
Scarf - the first thing everyone learns to do
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca – love spinning it too!
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors – done it with food coloring though.
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
Knitting with someone else’s hand-spun yarn
Knitting with dpns – of course, you can’t do socks w/out ‘em.
Holiday related knitting – every single year, I can’t seem to help it!
Teaching a male how to knit – in my last class there was a man.
Bobbles – hate ’em
Knitting for a living – wanted to try, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to support myself.
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks – not yet, but that’s coming up.
Knitting art - every knitted pice is a work of art.
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously – I’m such a traditionalist, dpns are the way to go.
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool – do I live in the mountains?
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitch
Knitted flowers
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac – not yet.
Knitting and purling backwards – very handy for doing small back and forths.
Machine knitting – again, a traditionalist.
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn – always fun to see what the next one will be.
Stuffed toys – do cat toys count? :-)
Knitting with cashmere – not 100% but close enough.
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn – ugh, don’t like acrylic anymore.
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Free-form knitting - I'm too organized and neat.
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/arm-warmers
Pillows – does a crocheted one count?
Knitting a pattern from an on-line knitting magazine
RugKnitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting – supposed to be very warm.
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets – inadvertantly but, yes – my cats sleep on Noro Silk Garden
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair – not yet, but I have saved cat hair to spin up.
Hair accessories – and probably never will.
Knitting in public

Pass it on!