Random Thoughts.

Just some random thoughts today…

• Still waiting on my special-order Symphony Lace yarn to start the Lace Jacket from Vogue Knitting Early Fall 2011.
  

  Can't wait to start this, but I'm nervous, too. This'll be the most challenging project I'll have attempted, to date.

  Well… it’s not the yarn I’m waiting for. Turns out I also had to order the needles since I didn’t have the right length circulars.  I finished my interim Norfolk Ramblers project, so… what to knit, what to knit… ?  Oh, I know!  How about… more socks?  This time they’re for my daughter – she asked for knee highs.  And I love this colorway.

  

  A simple sock pattern, knit with Cascade Fixation. I have no idea what my daughter will wear these with, but she's 6, she can get away with a LOT.

• My daughter is involved with a few extracurriculars, all of which are wonderful and challenging for her.  I think I like ballet the best, though.  Once a week, her class meets for a whopping 2½ hours to study ballet, tap, and jazz.  So for a whopping 2½ hours each week, while sitting in the waiting area, I get to knit.  Or attend a knitting group here.  Either way… bliss!
• Like so many of us yarny-types, I take my knitting everywhere with me.  And lately when I’ve been knitting in public, I’ve managed to attract a bit of attention, not from like-minded adults, but from children.  I’m always so impressed when a kid bravely approaches and asks, “What are you making?” or “Is that knitting or crochet?”  And immediately I start teaching.  I show them the work, I explain what it’ll be when it’s finished, I ask them some fun yarny trivia questions… and they absolutely eat it up.  With that in mind, this Spring, I might have the opportunity to try my hand at actually teaching children how to knit, for real, in a sit-down type of environment and everything.  I’m really hoping it’s as fun as my KIP mini-lessons are.
• Yikes, I’m missing #knitchat…

Planning Ahead.

All of the excitement that was KDO has gotten me into a planning mindset…

Sept. 22nd – Yarn Garden is celebrating their 5th anniversary (5 years already???) with an Open House event featuring Susan Gibbs of Juniper Moon Farm.  This farm is the first Fiber CSA in the country – how fantastic!  Read about it here.

Sept. 24th-25th –  Alpacas of York is ringing in the 4th Annual National Alpaca Farm Days with their own Open House.  I’ll be trekking out their way on the 25th, with my very indulgent husband and daughter in tow.  Because alpacas = love.

Oct. 1st – Dec. 31st – Knit like the wind.  The number of knitted gifts I intend on giving this year is growing exponentially.

Jan. 11th, 2012 – I’m betting that this is the date of the Sheep-To-Shawl Contest at the 2012 PA Farm Show.  I didn’t cover it last year… explanations here… but I’m thinking that this year, I’m ready to do it again.  But in the age of Twitter and YouTube and live broadcasts from the local cable network, would anyone still be interested in following the event via a live blog?  I’d be interested to hear opinions on this – if there’s interest, I’ll be there, on the floor with the shearers and carders and spinners and weavers.  If not… I’ll still be there, but in the stands (*sniff*).  Watching (*sniff sniff*).  And knitting.  😉

What fiber-y events are on your calendar?

What Goes On.

sigh.  OK, time to catch up… again.

First, the good stuff.  I finished my Gathered Mesh Polo about 3 weeks ago… and it ROCKS!  What do you think?

It fits! It fits! It fits!

My first sweater-in-the-round was a huge success… after I had to frog it and start again on bigger needles.  This is really a great pattern, whether or not it’s your first sweater-in-the-round.  I’ll definitely keep an eye on other patterns from Cathy Carron.

Next up… another Harrisburg Academy sweater, this time for the lucky auction winner from the school that bears the same name.  Can’t remember if I mentioned this or not, but after getting a lot of thumbs-up from my daughter’s friends (and moms), I thought I’d offer a custom-knit sweater, a la my daughter’s, in the school’s annual fundraising auction.  And the winner happens to be one of my daughter’s classmates, who chose the sweater over being Head of the School For A Day – does that kid have taste, or what???

My daughter modeled the sweater wearing a pair of shorts... in March. She's such a good sport!

And more yarny stuff:  I was checking out one of my favorite yarn shop’s website, and on their home page is a long bio/description of some locally-produced sock yarn.  Dyed Bright Here is the brainchild of one Sue Taliaferro, who basically sounds like a yarn prodigy.  After I read the piece, I kind of hated her.  I mean, she caught on to knitting/dyeing/spinning so fast, and that’s so unfair to those of us who… just haven’t gotten around to all that yet.  So when I visited the yarn shop, I checked out said sock yarn… and it’s soooooooooooooooo pretty!  How can you hate anyone who makes such pretty-colored stuff?  Now I’m really… intrigued.  Maybe she’ll be at…

KDO!!! Knitter’s Day Out 2010 is coming September 24-25, and finally finally finally, I’m a registered student!  I’ve gone in the past, but only to the Knitter’s Market (which is awesome).  But now I get to attend classes – New Ways To Knit and Intro To Sweater Design – and go to the Market.  It’s a serious Mommy’s Day Out for me!  Anyone else goin’?

And some non-knitty news:  my daughter turned 5 last weekend.  Overnight, she went from watching Nick Jr to iCarly.  And she says things like, “Yeah, baby!” and “Oh… My… GAWD!!!”  She’s such a big girl… for such a little girl.  And she’s awesome.  Love you, JoJo.

My daughter graduated from Junior Kindergarten... so cute!