Thank you Aunt Dar!

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Originally uploaded by bean counting knitterThe other day Aunt Dar sent me a note telling me there was a package of buttons on its way to me. It arrived Monday. I can't wait to sort them out. There appears to be some interesting little boxes in there that might hold little treasures. Thanks again Aunt Dar!

Black September Finished

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Originally uploaded by bean counting knitter

I finished the Black September Shawl and blocked it today. I am very happy with how it turned out. I ended up short yarn for the last repeat but I am very happy with the finished product. My friend Heather designed the pattern ~ September Scarf. (Pattern for sale on Ravelry.) Great pattern Heather!

My Grammy would have loved this...

http://www.crochettoday.com/crochet-patterns/stitchy-gingerbread-house 

This is featured in the current issue of Crochet Today. I did not make this but I know Grammy would have.....

Knitting Hands

As you may have noticed recently I have been renovating my blog. The latest addition/change is the title picture which I have named Knitting Hands. Original huh? Anyway I scanned through my digital pictures and cropped to create this picture. I am excited how it turned out. I have been working on it since the beginning of the blog construction project so it has been a while coming to fruition (knitting kept getting in the way).

I am one step closer to the end result of all the modifications I would like to make to the blog. Stay tuned and thanks for reading!

Got a beater?

Recently a knitting friend invited me to join her and two other knitters on a trip to A Wool Gathering. We had a good time but we all agreed that A Wool Gathering wasn't as plentiful as our trip in May to Great Lakes Fiber Show. There was a fair amount of roving to be had yesterday but the yarn selection was less than desirable. 
I have been considering/reflecting/dreaming about weaving for many months now. I have always been fascinated with the way thread/yarn can be manipulated to make lovely fabric. I knew I wanted to start out small to try it out to see if it is something I really would stick with so I purchased a couple looms yesterday. At the fest I purchased a small table top tapestry loom. I was disappointed last evening when I unpacked it to find the directions were not included in the bag as the selling vendor promised. I have asked another friend attending the fest today to stop by the booth to ask for a copy of the directions. 

The picture above is the loom pieces as well as some weaving notions I picked up. I was in another booth looking at the weaving notions when the seller asked me "do you have a beater"? My mind immediatly kicked in thinking ~ no he doesn't beat me but I didn't say it out loud thankfully. The paddle with teeth thingies, on the bottom left, is called a beater. It is used to push the woven yarn down tight against the woven yarn below. Or filling the gaps to create the woven fabric. I am currently in the process of learning weaving vocabulary. Like knitting there are many terms and I am finding I might be more successful if I learn them now rather than later. Next to the beater are five tapestry weaving needles and some yarn bobbins. 



True to form when I start a new craft I picked up a couple tapestry books. One is for techniques and the other is directions for projects. The first picture is of the books and the second shows a couple project ideas. WOW look at the detail! I think tapestry weaving is more of a free form weaving. 

 

I did pick up about 1,500 yards of some Knitting Notions Classic Merino Sport weight yarn on clearance for 50% off. The colorway is Maple.

On the way back from the fest we decided to stop into A Tangled Tale in Powell. I just love this shop. Dorren and her mom Elaine are fantastic, good people. Very helpful and totally enabling. I picked up a ball of Ty-Dy sock yarn. Very pretty pink, green and brown colorway.

Elaine is a weaver and stocks some small weaving Weavettes in the shop. I picked one up yesterday and have already made 7 pieces from left over wool in my stash. I can see where weaving will be great at stash busting. 

Travel knitting

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Originally uploaded by bean counting knitter

During our trip to New York I was able to knit the back down to the 19 inches called for and start the front. I moved the back stitches to scrap yarn since I want to knit the front to the same length and work the collar to determine if the length is where I want it before binding off. Speaking of the collar I think I am going to knit it with a "v" in the front. I am not a fan of things up around my neck so I think the opening will give me the space I need. Also I don't like to work garter stitch in the round and this will give me a better result for my preference.

Clambake 2009

Saturday was my family clambake at my Mom's on the shore of Lake Ontario in New York. There were about 30+ people in attendance and a great time was had. Some folks recently asked me how the clams are cooked so I decided to do a little photo "how to" posting. We were lucky enough to find a vendor selling clams already washed and bagged. This saved a couple hours of work on Saturday morning. Normally Mom heads to the public market around 6:00 AM to buy clams on clambake day. Then we gather to rinse them, count and bag them. But thankfully we didn't have to do that this year. 

Here is a picture of how they came to us. NICE! The clam steamers. 

 

The propane tank is connected to the burners on which the steamers sit to steam cook the clams.  Check out the flame on that burner! 

You can also see the water in the base to be heated to steam the clams. I believe the 80 dozen clams were put on around 12:30 to and by 4:30 they were ready to eat! 

The clams are ready when they open up.....  This is my Mom putting the 2 pounds of butter on to melt for clam dipping.

  

FO - Kauni Ribbed Mitts

I finished my Kauni Ribbed Mitts while on a trip to New York this past weekend. These will go perfectly with the Kauni Raha scarf this fall. :-)

Yoke finished and 1/3 of the back knitted

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Originally uploaded by bean counting knitter

There are some projects that just grab hold of my attention and just will not let go. The Snickerdoodle Luxe is just such a project. I cast on as soon as I got home with the box of yarn on Friday and have hardly knit on anything else since. I wonder how I will feel about it Sunday evening after 14+ hours of car knitting?

We are heading to my Mom's for the weekend. She is hosting our family mostly annual clambake though it has been several years since the last one. I am looking forward to seeing most of my maternal family that is still talking to each other. The trip is 7+ hours each way and Jimmy will probably do the driving since I suck at driving distances. I am charged with keeping him awake. The knitting will help keep me awake! We also have a couple audio books to help entertain us.

Maybe it is the equipment!

Recently I have been voicing my "opinion" that I HATE lace weight yarn. Hate is such a strong word I shouldn't use because it usually bites me in the a$$ as you will see very soon. Besides there is such a fine line between hate and love that it is often blurry anyway.

I had almost resigned myself to knit with only fingering or heavier weights of yarn for the rest of my life after I finish my current Leaf and Trellis project. However, I have taken a step back to look at some facts. Is it really the lace yarns fault because I was angry? 

I was knitting on the Leaf and Trellis while visiting with a couple knitting friends recently and though "geezzzz I really hate these rubber stitch markets." They were dragging on the needles and the lace stitches were getting caught up together and wonkified. The yarn didn't seem to move nicely over the wooden needles either. So I asked the gals if they wanted to take a ride over to Temptations so I could buy an Addi Lace Turbo Circular and off we went. Just that little change of needle was enough to make me not hate working with the lace yarn so much.

I plan to change out my rubber markers to some brass markers I received in an order from Knit Picks last week. One other change has been made. I realized the chart size was killing my eyes so I have since blown up a copy of the sections I have yet to work and my eyes are grateful.

So I think with some minor adjustments to my knitting equipment I won’t have to eliminate lace weight yarn from my available resources. This is a good thing since I have a good pile of lace weight yarn in my stash....

French Pressing Tea!

What a weekend it has been already. Last night we went to a Columbus Clippers game. It was a beautiful night for Baseball. 

Today we met up with Molly @ Staufs for some knitting and conversation. Lately I have been drinking tea more than coffee. Tea doesn't seem to bother my stomach like coffee does. Staufs sells many loose leaf teas that are so yummy. Well this little French Press caught my eye today. A few weeks ago someone mentioned using a french press to brew tea and my mind just went nuts when I saw this little guy. How could I resist it when it is all red and cute even! I have brew 4 cups of tea since getting it home tonight and it makes a darn good cup of tea! 

 

I harvested the last of the catnip crop for this year. The cats have been going nuts tonight. I wonder why?

 Below is the blocked Raha scarf. I am very pleased how this project turned out.

Snickerdoodle Luxe

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Originally uploaded by bean counting knitter

OH MY! I am really really in love with these cables already. I am currently working the horizontal yoke cable panel. This yarn is a little toothy yet soft. Much softer than the Tahki Yarns Donegal Tweed I used last year on the Suzie Hoodie. I am sure once I soak and block the yarn will be even softer.

Cables and excitement

 

I am so excited.... My yarn shipped today so that I can make this Cable Luxe Tunic sweater. I pray I have better luck with this sweater than my last.... 

 

I am going to knit using Wool of the Andes in the colorway Snickerdoodle. YUM! Even better the yarn for this substantial sweater cost just under $50 bucks! So see I have much to be excited about.... Helps me save more cash for my new 17inch Macbook Pro I will be getting very very soon. ;-)

Fingerless Mitts

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Originally uploaded by bean counting knitter

I am so excited that I am finally going to have a pair of fingerless mitts. I finished the first one this morning. This photo was taken last night so more to come soon!