The Buzz That Is MS4

If you don't already know, there's buzz around about the latest knit along, "Mystery Stole 4". This is my first MS to participate in, I've heard such good things about these knit alongs. I enjoy knowing that there are many many other knitters out there working along the same pattern and the same time frame, unless you turn into a Turtle, or a Snail! So far, I'm neither, YAY! I completed CLUE 1 a few days ago, the beading in the beginning was torture! There was a bead every other stitch, but I pressed on and I really like how it adds a nice pearly border to it. I used my recent stash addition, Blue Moon Fiber Art's LACI in Typhoon Tina colorway. The deep rich blues and blacks are very pretty and will dress up any jeans attire. This yarn is soft and luscious, literally, I find myself continually stopping to pet it as I knit. I know, I'm totally weird, but I just love to pet yarn, something about it gives me a soothing feeling... does it do that to you? My bead choice was a lame one, I found myself, again, scrummaging for beads, not willing to drive to a bead shop, but hyper eager to start knitting, so my impatience to knit won over, I just strolled to my local Michael's (just a few blocks away), and bought two different sets of beads, some clear ones, and some really pretty blue ones, that have this sheen, kind of like a pearl sheen, they were very pretty when I saw them. They match the color of my yarn, dead on, and look very pretty knitted up. I took a bunch of pictures last night trying to get all the angles, but sadly my camera didn't want to cooperate, it never does. Sometime soon I'll invest in a new camera that takes really good and clear pictures. The beads are very silky to touch and don't hurt at all when you press on them, which for me is a requirement because I plan to wrap myself with this stole, and I don't want the beads to feel like there engraving my skin. The diamond pattern is very pretty, a surprise for me, which threw me a wrench for a minute is that the right and left ends have sort of a wave to it, so it's not a straight vertical border. As I was knitting, I kept thinking, I hope I don't get a visit from the frog fairy, cause it's not looking straight, but I had faith in Georgia, MS4's designer, and pressed onto the end of CLUE1. It's pretty neat to step back and see it, now I can't wait to continue onto CLUE2. I'm glad I'm keeping pace with MS4, for now, I don't want to have to join a turtle club 8)

Falling for Ewe Question of the Week#2 9/16/08

For my swap, question is "What ‘cold weather’ project are you looking forward to making the most this autumn?"

That just could be the most difficult question to answer! Autumn, Fall, Winter, all these are just about some the best times for a knitter, crocheter, spinner, you name it. All you can think of is that fibery warmness. :-)

I have so many projects I want to finish just to be able to enjoy them during all the cold weather that's coming. Let's not begin with all the ones I aspire to start, as well. If I had to pin one project down, that I would love to have done to enjoy, it would have to be the classic of classics, the "Central Park Hoodie".

Need I say more??? Not only is it stylish, and just plain cool, it is perfect to wear during the colder months. I really have been aching to start this one and get it done to wear with honor. I've yet to invest in yarn for it, however I have decided on a color, it would be a real pretty deep brown, a brown with character. I so love the color brown. I haven't decided on a yarn, I know I'd want something soft and durable, just don't know what to use. I do know it has to be brown though, that I am sure of. Anyone suggest any good yarn for the Central Park Hoodie?
Here are some pics of it I found on the web, I just love how this hoodie looks. That green tweed is really giving my brown color a challenge, I love greens too!



Oooh, maybe a brown tweed! OMG, okay I'll have to be on a serious mission to find the perfect brown tweed that is soft and durable..any ideas???

Also, because I just have to share goodies, I got my latest installment from the fabulous Woolgirl's Seven Deadly Spins club, this has gotta to be the winner of the entire club. This is the "Pride" package, full of luscious yarn from The Unique Sheep, the colors are so pretty and Fall'ish. This shawl pattern is so pretty and it really is one I want to make. I just love the goodies that Jenn from Woolgirl puts in. A cute yellow plastic WIP bag, some stitch markers, candies, all sorts of goodies, I'm a sucka for this stuff.

Here it all is....

Treasures to love

Knitter's Treasure Swap package from Marisol


Originally uploaded by RockyMoreno

My adventures in the "Knitters Treasure" Swap are now at end. It's been quite fun having Marisol as my swap pal. I thought because I already knew her, having her as a swap pal would be easy, but it turned out to be much different. Marisol has a crazy stash (I've seen it!), she could literally open a yarn store from her house, the choices are broad, the colors are so gorgeous! She arms herself with all the right accessories, notions, etc. So in actuality, it was harder for me to get her things because "What do you get the Yarnaholic who has everything??", well I ended up putting together a package I would really love to get myself. She will hopefully get it today, if not the latest tomorrow, or else I'll be going postal at my local USPS office (just a metaphor, nothing serious)...hee hee



Besides my package to her, I received her package to me Saturday, it's just FIBERLICIOUS! She knows about my recent interest in spinning, and really catered to it. I got some very pretty fiber, see that pretty red, white, burgundy, and orange huge ball of wool on the left? I can't wait to spin this, I bet it will turn out real nice. I also got a very pretty drop spindle with glass rims, too bad I was tired when I took this picture, cause I totally cut it off, I'll have to take more pics tonight so you can see how pretty the glass rims are. In my package I had 3 balls of some luscious red lace, 2 more balls of wooly fiber goodness, and some ultra soft green & white cashmere! A bunch of other goodies, sheep magnets (I LOVE MAGNETS), a sheepy tape measure, pretty glass stitch markers, and a WIP tool, plus a keychain needle sizer..... and what don't you see here??? Are the bars of chocolate that came with my goodie package, but unfortunately never made it to a photo cause they were quickly gobbled up by the chocolate hoards at my house. Last but not least, a very pretty knitted flower, it will go great as an embellishment to a future project.



Marisol, I can't say thank you enough for this wonderful package!



Besides my goodie Knitter's Treasure package, I also was able to really make progress on my "Mini-Fiber Studio" this weekend. It is another treasure to me, and soon it will be completely setup for anything, spinning, dyeing, computer work, knitting, sewing, you name it.



Here are few pics of it:







We put in a large shelf, I'm now able to have all my books, patterns, magazines organized. I even took time to go through my entire stash, and organize it, seal it, and keep it safe from critters and such. There is so much more for me to do, I just need to find the time, but it is coming along rather nicely. I have a ton of magazines I still need to put up, more decor, more yarn to organize, but it's a great start.


Plus I got my 2 balls of Noro I ordered for my Traveling Scarves Group 37 Noro Knit & Crochet group, the colors really are much prettier in person. Now to decide which one to start my piece with???



I'm thinking the one on the top? I'll have to order me more of this lovely yarn, may favorite NORO colors.



Happy Monday Everyone!



~Rocky

What do you have planned?

Anyone doing anything this weekend? For me, I have alot of goals I've established for myself. One fun thing I was able to get done, packaged and dropped off to the U.S. Post Office, is my package for my swap pal from the "Knitters Treasurer" swap on Ravelry.

I joined this awhile ago, and perhaps cheated a bit, because I was able to choose my swap partner, my good friend, Marisol. When I first came across this swap back in early August, I really like the goodies that you give in the swap, and put in my request to join. I was told that they would need at least one more member to have a swappee for me, so I invited Marisol, who happily joined! Whats even better is that I was able to make a goodie package that I'm hoping she'll love!

Could there be the yummy yarn in it???
What type of yarn, I wonder???
Could there be patterns?
Could there be recipes?
Could there be knitting accessories in it???

Hmm... who knows? Only time will tell. I want to share this goodie package, but I won't spoil it for her (I know she reads this blog) ... I just want to tease a little!

For other swaps upcoming that I've requested to join, are a Tea swap, fun! I love Chai tea, it is my favorite tea of all teas. I love it hot, with some milk and a touch of sugar. The aroma is just so comforting. I also love homemade sun tea with some simple syrup, ahhh, refreshing. Normally in the summer I'll get some monster tea packets, and fill a big glass tea jug with clean bottled water, loads of freshly sliced lemon and just put it out in the morning, right smack in the sun's view, and by end of day I have the most refreshing and great tasting tea. It doesn't last too, my kids and my husband drink it up by end of day. It is so eco-friendly, you use the suns heat to penetrate the tea leaves to flavor and enrich the water. The lemon adds such a nice zing to too. I believe there are still openings for the Tea Swap, if your interested and have a Ravelry account, please visit The Odd Ducks Swap in Ravelry.

Another swap I'm also in, is the Day of the Dead swap. I've been putting together a package for my spoilee for awhile now, and probably won't call it complete for about another week, and then I'll send it off. This swap is in honor of, obviously, "Day of the Dead". It means so much to honor those who have passed on. Swaps are just so much fun. I love getting to meet new knitters/crocheters, and visiting their blogs. If you've never been in one, you should try it, I bet you'll enjoy it.

Onto my Traveling Scarves groups, I'm in Group 37 Noro Knit/Crochet, the premise behind this is that you knit or crochet a section of about 5 x 5 inches with only NORO yarn, and then pass on to your downstream knitter/crocheter. This goes around in a circle, between all members. Over the course of the traveling scarves, you'll get sections from each of the members and be able to add your own section. By the time you get your original section (your scarf), you'll have an FO that was knitted or crocheted by the members of your group. Cool idea! I love this group, it's all NORO, and you get to knit or crochet. Since I've been honing my skills at crochet, I love it, I can crochet my piece quickly. It can also be a great stashbuster, but I deviated and went and purchased some new NORO yarn, look at these, I can't wait for them to arrive!



Yummy New Yarn, my fave!

Plus, some late breaking news, not relative to knitting, but to me, I've landed a permanent job at a new company, and will be starting there in about two weeks. I currently work contract right now at another company, and while I like it here, the opportunity at my new job is just immense. It's a company that completely outsourced their IT services, and are unhappy with the performance of the vendor, so they decided to build an in-house IT from the ground up. I was contacted about this opportunity from a former colleague, who I can't thank enough! I'll get to influence, develop, and create an IT from scratch. There is so much opportunity with this, I'm really hoping it turns out to be a good thing. An even better plus, it's about 10 minutes from my house! I left an interview there about 4:55 p.m. on a Friday, and was walking into my home by 5:15 p.m.!! Wouza! I deserve this, for three years my hubby and I commuted from Newman (Central Valley of California) to San Jose, and to Palo Alto for me. This is about 400 miles a day, just in commute time, so this will be a nice change for me, especially since we now live in San Jose, CA again 8)

As for what I have planned this weekend, just straight knitting. I really want to get back on track with my Secret of the Stole KAL, and with the Mystery Stole 4. This is the first time I've knitted with STR Laci,and I love it. It is so soft and easy to work with, I can't imagine using anything else. The stitch definition and structure is just strong and pretty. I'll take final pics over the weekend to share with you.

Besides knitting, there will be some re-organizing/re-decorating of my home office. I have big plans for it to be a "Mini Fiber Studio". We'll also try to get our dining room in order. Right now it's empty and full of boxes.

So my plans are pretty simple, and cost nothing but my time 8) Maybe I'll throw in a BBQ for football Sunday! I just can't do without my football 8)

Have a good weekend everyone!
R

Mid-Week Stop

It's Wednesday, and were halfway through the normal work week. It always seems longer following a short week, like the one we had for last weeks Labor Day Holiday. Isn't it nice that the Central Labor Union of New York City worked to get us working citizens of the U.S. and Canada a true paid day off? So nice of them, but ugh.. it sucks starting a new full week thereafter, oh well, guess you can't have all Monday's off, unless your a lucky one 8)

I progressed pretty good on my CLUE 1 of the Mystery Stole 4, I'll definitely finish tonight. I did get to skein my hand-dyed fingering superwash merino too. This was my official first attempt at a dyeing yarn "solo" and end up with a good colorway worth gleaming over. I don't have a skein winder, that's next on my list, so I skeined this laying 2 desk sized CD racks on there sides, and slowly wrapping the yarn around it. It took me about an hour or so, give or take some annoying tangles in between. to wrap all the yarn. I didn't get a tight tension when I skeined it, so of course when I went to form into a pretty braid it came out kind of loose. It still looks pretty though, my hubby said he would make me a skein winder and a warping board as well. I have some ideas for him to make an easier way to setup self-striping yarn, but will see how that goes. When I refer to skein winder, I'm referring to this:



I already have a large umbrella swift, which was oh so handy when winding my uber-duber 1750yds. of BMF STR Laci in "Typhoon Tina" the other night for my MS4 project. Plus my large ball winder too, that thing is a work horse.

Here's my braided version, though it's loose because of the tension I didn't have when forming it.








I really enjoyed the dyeing process.

And to share more my recent endeavors into the world of Crochet, I finished the "Undulating Cowl" last night. I'm liking the pattern and the way the Malabrigo Charrua looks, but I'm not happy with how small it turned out. My gauge was correct, but it's still small, and I don't have a big head, well in the physical sense (LOL!). Then I got to examining the photo on the pattern, the women modeling a completed Undulating Cowl, I'd have to say, has a rather narrow & small neck, so possibly for her a 60 chain stitch diameter worked, but for me, it's a little rough getting over my head. It would be perfect for a kid though. I ended up soaking it with some Aqua Soak that I had a sampler of, blocked it and will check on it later tonight to see if it loosens up a bit, but I don't think it will. I might start another one, possibly instead of the 60 chains, I'll beef it up to around 80 chains. It turned out real pretty though, regardless of the size.





Happy Wednesday Everyone!