originally. but then the quilt-that-must-be-made caught my attention. so the weekend plan was altered.

Friday night I finished sock #1 (aside from end weaving). the verdict - it fits, but kind of funny. so the ends have not been woven in and sock #2’s toe has been neglected. I’ve also discovered I have a good bit of yarn left and could probably have made the cuff longer.

the sock!

Saturday, the husband and I went fabric shopping. We hit JoAnne’s in Coon Rapids first. Saw a few fabrics that caught my eye, but they weren’t quite right. So we wandered over to the Hancock Fabrics over in Crystal which is one that’s going out of business. (we got a bit lost in the process - the cell phone map wasn’t as clear as it needed to be. and they don’t know how to name roads around here. example: on what must have been a town border, if you’re going in one direction on the 2-lane road, you’re on some numbered street. if you’re on the same road in the opposite direction, it’s some-odd Lake Rd.) I found most of the fabric needed for the quilt there (and at 60% off. woohoo!). We also got some fabric to make bedroom curtains from, and dh picked out some horrid green stripe flannel fabric for the pajama pants he’s been saying he wants me to make.

(horrid stripes, curtain back, curtain front, quilt contrast/border, quilt background, quilt border)

Onwards… to Mill End Textiles, who were having a 50% off Memorial Day Sale. Holy fabric batman! We should have gone there first. Found a ‘perfect’ fabric for the quilt. Just needed a couple basic solids for the quilt still, so back to JoAnne’s. we encountered another bit of bad cell phone mapping, so we went to the one in Maple Grove this time. which was good, cuz they had fabrics that were perfect that the other one didn’t. so got the backing fabric, another fabric, and a remnant, and quilt shopping was done. whew! (there was also a stop for lunch, a poke into Half Price Books, and a stop for dinner. yeah, it was a great all day event).

(quilt backing, ‘perfect’ for quilt, more quilt fabric and remnant for quilt)

when we got home, it was time to sort things out, and then the great prewashing began. my least favorite part of the sewing process.

Sunday morning was spent ironing the prewashed fabric. oh joy. and then I began cutting quilt squares/strips. and did a couple other things quilt-related. then we left to see a movie, which didn’t end up happening for various reasons, so we went to Hollywood Video instead.

This morning has been spent tracing. there’s a lot of applique on this quilt, and the tracing is starting to get to me. so it was time for a pre-lunch internet break. If I’m lucky, I’ll get the tracing done and be able to start putting quilt blocks together. why’s there gotta be so much darned prep-work????

Here’s what half the quilt squares will look like:

the fabric stash that is. I poked into the library to pick up a couple book that were on hold (Felt Frenzy & Kid’s Knitted Sweaters… from Cabin Fever) and decided to poke thru the regular stock of books. (This was at the branch that I consider to be the size of a shoebox. They still have a decent selection without resorting to summoning from other branches.) Anywho, since this library is the size of a shoebox (unlike, say, the Central Mpls branch by work, where knitting takes up most of one row section), knitting shares a shelf with quilting. And 3 quilting books came home with me as well. One of which has the CUTEST quilt that I, as a knitter, feel I absolutely must make. despite the fact that it has taken me a good 4-5 years to make minimal progress on my first quilt attempt (it took me a year to wash the fabric. I am counting that year.) unfortunately, my fabric stash doesn’t contain many quilt-worthy fabrics, and so I feel I must make a pilgrimage to the fabric shops. JoAnns seems to be having a sale. ooh, or there’s a quilt shop up in town - I wonder what their hours are this weekend… and what the damage to the yarn budget would be…

in knitting news, Dulaan hat #4 is nearing completion (when do I need to get these in the mail by?). and so are my socks. pics coming soon.

(did I mention that we got satellite internet at home now? now, can we keep the clouds away while I’m at home so that I can actually connect?)

warning, this is a photo heavy post.

So, Saturday, I headed out to meet my friends from dance Kim and her daughter Emilea at the local sheep fest. Emilea is a big sheep fan, but she hasn’t yet been bitten by any of the fibercraft bugs. the day was punctuated with many shrieks of SHEEP! Kim was a diehard crocheter (why use two needles when one hook is just fine), but recently has taken up knitting and has a fondness at the moment for felted bags. (though I think she said she plans to start a sweater soon.) and I also planned to meet up with Nancy & Rina.

I quickly found Kim & Em in the first building of vendors that I went in. and a bit of shopping later, I ran into Nancy & Rina. Kim made the first purchase of the day - some buttons and other bits & bobs. Then it was Em’s turn. She couldn’t resist the pottery. (If I could make a decision, I wouldn’t have been able to resist either.)
Kim was on a mission to find the ‘right’ shade of green roving to do some needle felting on one of her felted bags. and she found it. but I forget which vendor it was. but they had some other gorgeous merinos, and I’m really wanting the black with colored bits that they had. I’ll have to see if she got a card.

then it was time for a break. we ran into Nancy & Rina again at the sheep races sheep dog demos. This was the only time I took pics, and to save your sanity (I don’t think you want to see THAT many pics of sheep bums) this is only a sampling of them.

and they’re off…

they’re coming down the straight away…

oh, wait… this isn’t a race

after that, we headed to lunch. (yes, I had a lambburger. and fried cheese curds. mmmm cheese curds.) and then back to shopping. towards the end of the day, we encountered the booth of Handspun by Stefania. They had some gorgeous spindles that sucked us in. I ended up purchasing one from Fox Den Fiber Arts (link not working at the moment) - as an Irish dancer, how could I not? Kim also got one. and I got some fiber too. Here’s mine:

MY SPINDLE! (there’s a bit of green in the design, but it doesn’t show up much here)

my feeble attempts at spinning - as of Monday

coopworth dyed with indigo & osage

then we wandered across the aisle to watch some spinners in action. one of them gave us her info so we could get private lessons on how to use our new spindles. and I ended the day with a purchase of some Lorna’s Laces sportweight sock yarn in Black Purl. I can’t wait to knit this up!

I love the colors at the lighter end.

it was a fun weekend!

oh, and in parting, a pic of Kashka:

Saw this on Pam’s site, and thought it’d be interesting to do. If you want to do it, consider yourself tagged.

Bold for stuff you’ve done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing.

Afghan/Blanket (baby sized)
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dyeing with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dyeing yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards (I haven’t tried purling back yet. Knitting back requires enough thought as it is. Especially since it comes out twisted)
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

I need to post more often.

I seem to have neglected to mention the trip to St Peter with Nancy a couple weeks ago. I ended up getting some grey DB pure silk (40% off) and a pattern to make a lacy bolero. I started it the following weekend, made it a decent way into the back and did something wrong (I’m not sure if I forgot to click a couple rows or if I just read the wrong line of the pattern). so it’s been sitting doing nothing while I try to figure out if I frog it or leave it. the problem with frogging is that I’m not so sure how to do that with a lacy pattern (too many yo’s and psso’s). the problem with leaving it is that I then have to figure out how to ‘duplicate’ it on the front pieces. so it sit’s, waiting.
I also got some green and black koigu that is seriously tempting me to make some socks. but what pattern?

last weekend I started a 4th Dulaan hat. I’m slogging my way thru the cable band right now. easy to remember pattern. (it’s from One Skein Wonders. I love that book.) just wish it knit up quicker. I suppose if it were a traveling project, it would be. but I’m using two strands held together, so it stays home. (I’m using a recycled thrift shop sweater yarn that’s a recycled silk/wool/who knows what else blend held with grey Paton’s wool.)

the CTH glitz socks are making some good progress. I frogged back the first one Tuesday night, but haven’t finished the toe yet. I had to frog cuz I was almost done working the heel and needed the needles out of it. sock #2 is at the decreasing after the heels point.

oh, and I forgot to mention the April progress for the UFO Challenge - I resurrected the Mother Bear. She’s been sitting so-close to being finished for far too long.

This weekend will be busy - I’m heading to Shepherd’s Harvest Saturday morning, scurrying back to St Paul for a last-minute pracice session for dance. then Sunday is the Twin Cities Feile (Irish dance competition) at the RiverCenter in St Paul. Saturday I will not be wearing any handknits (because I don’t think the temps will be worth wearing Fetchings - my sole finished object for myself). and I have straight shoulder-length hair as seen in the Harlot-visit pic. Sunday at the feis, I will have curly hair like the side pic there shows. Just so there’s no confusion. :) (unless I show up at the sheep fest after the feis with the curls. that might be fun…)