Livin' La Needle Loca

...the garden thinks it's spring. The apricot tree is blossoming, the birdies are singing...if only the sky wasn't so overcast. Up this weekend, some really mundane things like cleaning the house and going to the grocery store. However, once that's done, I can work on my crafty stuff. I'd like to finish the knitting with wire project, which shouldn't take too long because I have 75% of it done. I also want to pull out Sirena and do some spinning. I need to finish one of the fibers in process so I can work on the yarn I promised to make for a friend. I also need to start working on someone's birthday present... Hope you all have a good weekend!

...it's done! (A mere 5.5 years after I started it, but it's done.) I also think I'm done with printed canvas needlepoint, at least the machine printed kind. This canvas was off by 6 rows (click on the picture and look at the bottom right corner to see my stitching vs. the printing on the canvas). Anyway, it will get blocked and join its friend, the Just Nan Christmas ornament, in the stitching portfolio...I don't need to see this project again for a long time!

...Al, the alpaca. (Or if you wish to address him by his full name, Sr. Alberto Pérez de los Andes.) I adopted him from the Alpaca Direct booth at Stitches West. He protects my monitor and watches me work. Since this is WIP Wednesday, I guess I should show at least one WIP. Here are the Lenore socks (ignore the little bulge on the side--the cup edge makes it pop out like that). The cuffs are as long as I want them, so it's time to start the heel flaps. Yay! And, I am *this* close to finishing the Seahorses needlepoint. My goal is to finish that this month and get it out of my face. I'll post a picture when it's finally done. ( I am so ready to mark this off of my WIP list!! )

...I did very well. I bought more this time than I have in previous year, mostly because I have some very specific projects in mind. I am knitting for two babies-to-be, plus there are some shawls that I want to make. And now that I'm spinning, fiber played a big role in my purchases. I bought Ravelry and Stitches swag. I was lucky enough to get most my Ravelry stuff on Thursday—I got a button, the Rav and Bob pins, and the Ravelry bag. Then on Sunday, I bought a Ravelry t-shirt. I think I'm set. (LOL!) I also bought my 2008 Stitches West pin. I have taken individual pictures of the yarn and roving and logged the yarn into my Ravelry stash . Rather that show the individual pictures and make this a really long blog posting, I'll show the over view pictures here. I have added a Flickr set for my Stitches West purchases and included a Flickr badge in the sidebar. First up, the yarn: I bought yarn for 4 shawls and several baby items. Next, the fiber: I really wanted the Sheep...

...I'm tired, my feet hurt, and my wallet is empty. But I met lots of nice people, learned new techniques in my classes, and had a great time! Some of the highlights: The Ravelry meet-up and meeting fellow Ravelers. Getting my Ravelry passport stamped. There were several new-to-me vendors that I got to see that I probably would have bypassed except that they were in the passport. Fondling lots of hand-dyed fibers. Seeing the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Raven colors in person. Great classes I'm off to rest a bit and then take pictures of my new treasures. I'll be back with a stash post tomorrow.

...let's see: Stash Inventory list printed? Check ! Market floor map annotated? Check ! Shopping list made? Check ! Class materials gathered? Check ! Homework done? Check ! Project to work on during down times? Check ! The only thing left to do is transfer money into my craft account. When I first started attending Cross Stitch Festivals 10 years ago, I discovered that the easiest way for me to control my spending was to put money in a separate checking account and only use that account for market purchases—when I'm out of money, I am done buying. This method works well for Stitches, too. Anyway, I'll go to the bank in the morning. I'm looking forward to the Ravelry meet-up (which is the first event for me this year). I'd love to connect with other Ravelers in the area! Can't.Wait. Open. Open. Open!

...the three day weekend was great! And since I'm only working Tuesday and Wednesday because of Stitches West, I have a short work week. (Yay!) So, first the shorter list: what I didn't do. I didn't knit much more than a couple of rows on the Lenore socks. I didn't spin anything. What I did do: Finished all of the fiddly little sections on the needlepoint seahorses and worked on the blue background. Started quilting "The Wright Stuff." I did stitch-in-the-ditch between all the quilt blocks, and am working on the quilting mid-block. It is hard work pushing the fabric through the machine, so my shoulders and arms tire easily. But it's a start! Did my homework for my class on Friday. While searching for stash yarn for my class homework, I found some yarn that I had forgotten about. I photographed it and put it in my stash list on Ravelry . (It's also in my stash set in Flickr .) Plotted out my course for the Stitches market preview. Made a new Knit2 Bag...

. ..courtesy of the Husband and Sugar Butter Flour in Sunnyvale, CA. Clockwise from the top: Passion Fruit tower, Brandied Cherry, Raspberry heart, and Caramelized Hazelnut. These were marvelously decadent with the Domaine Carneros champagne that I gave him for Valentine's day. OMG...sooooo gooood! Up this weekend: I am finalizing my plan of attack for the Stitches West marketplace--Stitches West starts the 21st and runs through the 24th. The Student Market Preview is Thursday night and I plan on doing a lot of my shopping then. (I also plan on attending the Ravelry meet-up and Student Mixer events that take place before the Market Preview. If you are a fellow Raveler, I am needleloca .) I also need to do my homework for my class on Friday (all day; The Freedom of Foxglove Sock Architecture). I also have a class on Sunday (Knitting with Wire), but it doesn't have homework. After that...well, it's a 3-day weekend! One extra day for doing something crafty. Maybe I'll s...

...to those who celebrate it! See you tomorrow for Eye Candy Friday!

...first the WIP. Here is the current state of the Seahorses needlepoint pillow top: I'm getting closer to the end! The seahorses are all stitched now and I'm working on the background. Thank goodness I'm all done with the oranges and yellows--they are not my favorite colors. I have no idea what possessed me to get this kit in the first place. Finishing it is a personal challenge, but I don't know whether I'll actually use it once it's done! I took a few pictures of my sewing/craft room. (I am in the process of adding notes in Flickr to help identify what is stored where.) This is the smallest bedroom in the house, so it's pretty full in there. Here is the view from the door: You can see that the sewing table takes up a lot of room, but I love this table. The table has an extension that folds down when not it use, but when it's open, I have lots of room for machine quilting. The ironing board is setup most of the time. Under the sewing table are two f...

...didn't quite do what I planned, but it was worthwhile anyway! Instead of spinning or working on the leg warmers, I finished organizing my craft room. I really wanted to start quilting one of my long-standing WIPs, but I didn't have enough room around the sewing machine. Plus, I still hadn't put any drapes in the room and I was worried that my needlework fibers (hanging up on the wall) and quilting fabrics (stored on open shelves) would start fading once the good weather arrived. So this is what I did on my weekend: Moved all of the hanging fibers into two new drawer organizers that completely block the light. Hung up all of my scissors, rotary cutters, and other tools where the fibers used to be. Moved all of the sewing patterns and ready-to-sew doll clothes (don't ask how old these are...) into smaller boxes and bins that are easier to manage; put them on the top shelf of the closet. Purged a bunch of odds and ends that I have no idea why I still had them--most were...

...I finished the Josie yarn, but it's a little, shall we say, "energized"? On the average, it's a little thinner than I have been spinning so when I plied it, I put too much spin in it. I'm hoping it will relax some after its bath. So for what it's worth, here's Josie: and the dime shot: The Specs : Finished 02/06/2008 Yarn Wench Falkland Wool roving (4.1 oz) in Josie Spun half by spindle and half by wheel; plied on Lendrum Folding wheel Navajo-ply, yield: 337 yds. Weight: 17 WPI average, Fingering So that's another WIP that comes off of my list of things to finish this year. One long-standing project that has been hibernating for some time is a cross stitch mermaid. I haven't even looked at this project for a while, so I pulled it out of its cover this morning. This is the Queen Mermaid pattern from Mirabilia . As you can see, I have only done part of the bottom. If you click on the picture and look at the bigger version, you can see the yel...

...because I showed them to you yesterday! (Guess I should have waited until today!) Aside from Ravelry, one of this things that distracts me from crafts is reading. I read a lot and I read fast. I read a little every morning and every night (and sometimes I read in between times, too!). I prefer to read novels and mysteries (escaping reality is a good thing). I particularly love James Patterson, JD Robb/Nora Roberts, Debbie Macomber, and Diana Gabaldon. I really don't like to read non-fiction books, except when it comes to crafts. I love a good knitting or quilting book! Now, the Husband likes reading, too. However, his tastes are more towards the non-fiction end of things. His favorite books are about history, Native Americans, and the outdoors—hiking and biking trail books, the Roadside Geology book series, and field guides of all types. At this point, I own most of the knitting books that I consider to be essential (well, not counting some haven't been released). I reall...

...yes, there was spinning over the weekend. I finished the singles for the Josie fiber and started Navajo-plying it. Because I spun it on the thin side, the plying is taking a bit longer than I expected. But I think I've plied about half of the singles so far. I should finish it this week. The Lenore socks are coming along, but slowly. Normally, I do a little knitting at lunch time, but since my invite to Ravelry, I've been spending my lunchtimes entering stuff there! Here are the Lenore socks so far: I have finished the top cuff pattern and am now working my way down the leg. I like this pattern and it's easy to remember. I just need a few more hours in the day to work on it!

...and yes, I feel old! (gee, thanks...I hadn't thought about that in the last 5 seconds! LOL!) Seriously, I know all parents say it, but I don't know where the time has gone. When they're babies, it's hard to imagine them as adults with their own separate lives. You just want to cuddle them and keep them safe from all harm. As they grow, you delight in their delights, praise their achievements, discipline when necessary, and just love them. The older they get, the faster time seems to fly. For me, time went into warp 9 when the Daughter started high school. She was so busy with school, activities, and friends that it was all done by the time I caught my breath. Then it was off to college...grad school...and now the doctoral program. Whew! She's worked hard to get this far, and she's taken us with her every step of the way. She calls to share her delights, announce her achievements, and ask for parental sympathy when things don't go as planned or hoped. We...

...February sky (recap at the end of the post): OK, I know I said that there was going to be a long blog post, but this isn't it. As it turns out, the post was getting far too long to be put on the blog (at least I think it is), so I decided that it will become an installment in the Reflections section of my web site. When it's ready, I'll post a notice here. To make up for it, here are more pictures from Monterey. Another Carmel beach shot: This seagull was oblivious to the activity going on around him... Back to the mission, here's a picture of the basilica from the front... ...and from the side. January Recap I didn't get as much done this January as I have the past two. After my visit to cross stitch hell, I didn't much feel like doing any more of that for a while. So here's the list, such as it is: Finished: Just Nan 2002 Christmas ornament (cross stitch) Worked on: Black leg warmers in Caron Simply Soft yarn (knitting) Spinning 4+ oz of Yarn Wench ...