The Gabby Knitter

Whirling Wednesday

I really don't have anything to show you today. I just haven't really been spinning all that much the last week or so. I mean I have been spinning just not as much as usually do. Which means I have no finished yarns to  show you.  Instead I thought I would show you a knitting project I started a month or so ago with yarn spun from 2 CMF's superwash rovings.

This is the Chevron scarf that everyone's been knitting from Last minute knitted gifts. The colorways are Ain't no mountain high enough and Crazy love. While I love working with my handspun and I love how it's working up, I'm not really loving the pattern itself. I'm not sure why it's perfectly nice pattern but it's just not doin' it for me. I could rip it out but I think it's too pretty and I know I will get a lot of use out of it once I'm done. Instead I just knit a few rows here and there and eventually it will get done.

I have other handspun knitting projects in the queue. Most of them I will have to hold off until the weather gets cooler, but........

I think this will be knit up into the Forest Canopy Shawl very soon. This is spun during my first year of spinning and I had forgotten all about it until the other day when I was going through some stash. As soon as I finish up Morning Glory this will be next.

September Socks

I was able to finish 3 pairs of socks this month for SAM4. One pair I started knitting in August and the other two were both started and finished this month.

These were started at the beginning of August and were my plain socks that I knit before bed, while my husband, drives and at various appointments. The yarn is sKNITches syncopation sock yarn that I bought The Loopy Ewe. The colorway is "Wildest Strawberry" and was knit on a size 1 knitpicks circular needle. I really loved working with this yarn. Not only is the striping cool but it has a great hand and makes a pair of sturdy yet soft socks. 

I started these on my birthday and finished them up over the weekend. I used Fiesta Boomerang in "Sandstone" and the Math Whiz sock pattern on a size 1 knitpicks circular. The only modification I made was to do a heel flap instead of the short row heel. I'm not a huge fan of the short row heel. I'll use if I'm knitting toe up but in knitting from the top I almost always use the flap. I think it makes for a sturdier sock.

I finished these up on Monday. These are for my Monkey swap pal. I used Fleece artist in the "Cosmic Dawn" colorway and a size 1 additurbo needle. This is was another new to me yarn and I must I really enjoyed the soft, sproingy feel of it. Well that's it for the September socks. I have a few more on the needles but you'll have to wait a bit for those as I have to charge my camera batteries. Have a great night all!

And the winner is.........

Sorry about Whirling Wednesday but I started up with a cold Tuesday night and I felt like such crap yesterday. I'm still not feeling to great but a little better.

I did finish up a skein of the merino/Bob (angora) handspun. It's not as evenly spun as I would like. I'm sure part of it is my inexperience at handcarding but it does have character. I haven't set the twist yet as I have one more skein of this to finish and then I'll do them both at once. It spun a bit thicker than I had anticipated between a dk and worsted. I suspect after the twist is set it will be more like worsted so I'm not sure what I'll do with it yet. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

So I guess you'd all like to know who the winner of my blogiversary contest is. I assigned you all a number from 1-14 and had my oldest son pick from between those numbers and the winner is blogless Denise! Shoot me your address Denise and I'll send out your goodies.

I have so much knitting to show you but it will have to wait until next week. I hope you all have a great weekend! Oh and if I haven't commented on your blog or responded to your e-mail in the last few days just know I'm not ignoring just trying to kick this darn cold before the weekend. 

Where does the time go

First off I'd like to say thank you for the birthday wishes. You guys are so sweet and you really made my day.

Yesterday was my 2 year blogiversary. I would have posted but I was busy getting the house clean in preparation for my parents as they were watching the kids while we went to the Genesis concert. We had a great time but didn't get home until late and only got about 3 hours of sleep so bare with me here. Any way I can't believe it's been two years all ready. It seems like yesterday I was writing my first blog post. Blogging has been truly wonderful as I don't have any friends who knit in my everyday life and I can't get out to any knitting groups because my husband works nights and it's difficult to find a babysitter. So you all have been like my virtual knitting group and made me feel so welcome. I really appreciate each and every one of you for taking the time out of your day to read my ramblings about knitting/spinning and life. You all have really become my friends. You've been there for the good stuff as well as the bad and opened up a whole new world where everyone is connected by the love of needles and wool. So to thank you all for your comments, friendship, and encouragement I'd like to give away a little yarn.

2 skeins of yarn I handspun from one of CMF's superwash merino fiber. There's plenty there for a pair of socks and I'm pretty sure you could get some knee highs out of it. The other skein is Yarn Pirate in the primrose colorway. All you have to do to win these beautiful sock yarns is to leave a comment telling me what you like best about blogging, or what you like best about the on-line fiber community in general. The contest ends midnight Wednesday and I'll pick a winner at random and announce it on Thursday.

Thanks again for making this a great 2 years of blogging, you guys are the best! 

The Big 30

Yesterday was my 30th birthday. I had a great day relaxing, knitting, and being with family. The day before my parents dropped by and brought me a birthday cake they made and some balloons. The birthday cake was so good that well.....it's gone and I forgot to take a picture.

Not only was it my birthday but it's was also my SIl's birthday. So every year we get together with my MIl to celebrate. See the beautiful necklace I'm wearing, my MIl made that for me.

This is the necklace my SIL made for me and she also made the earrings which match the other necklace. I love receiving hand made gifts. It's nice to know someone cares enough about you to make something with their own two hands.

Since my MIl was on vacation for her birthday she got to celebrate her birthday as well. I try to knit a pair of socks for her every year. My SIL also got hand knit sock but my husband who was the picture taker forgot to take a picture. She got these and some other goodies. After we opened presents the three of us went out to a nice breakfast.

My husband bought me my favorite flowers

and of course there was yarn involved. These are from my husband and kids which was bought from The Loopy Ewe.

I also celebrated by casting on for a new pair of socks even though I have several pairs on the needles right now. I'm using Math Whiz pattern with Fiesta Boomerang in the Sandstone colorway on a size 2 needle. These babies are working up so quick and the pattern is a lot of fun too.

Tomorrow is my blogiversary but we'll be at the Genesis concert so I'll post Monday and of coarse there will be a contest and the winner will receive some great sock yarns from my stash and maybe some other little goodies. Until then have a wonderful weekend all!

Whirling Wednesday

This week I decided to try carding Bob the bunny's fur with some merino I had dyed a while back.

While I still have a lot to learn about handcarding I thought this came out fairly well. The rolags are sooo soft and just yummy to spin. Almost like spinning up a fluffy cloud. I really like how the bits of angora show through the single. Can't wait to spin up the other bobbin so I can ply. I should have enough for a largish shawl but I'm not sure which one it will be yet. Next time I'll show you the finished yarn, that is if I don't start knitting with it first.

Have a great night all!

Like a good book

I finished up Ariann on Friday

I blocked her yesterday morning and she's still not dry. I'm hoping to have some good pictures by the end of the week.

Since I finished Ariann I was finally able to start my Kauni Cardigan. The yarn had been staring me in the face all week and begging me to knit it but I held strong and waited until Ariann was done. I had seen this cardigan all over blogland and thought I'd really like to make that but I'm not really in to fair isle as steeks really freak me out. Something about taking a pair of sharp scissors and cutting up something that took you hours and hours to knit is a little unsettling. Then Ann posted her Kauni in progress and I left a comment saying something like I wish I was better at colorwork I'd really like to knit that sweater. She emailed me and said it was a fairly easy pattern and the yarn is wooly so steeking shouldn't be that bad. So I bit the bullet and bought the yarn.

I'm so glad I did! This sweater is like a good book, you just can't put it down. I start knitting and then I can't wait to see which colors will come up next and in what combination. I haven't had a knit capture my attention like this in a long time. It will definitely be one of those knits that I'll be a little sad to finish.

Some Good Stuff

The 3 day weekend really messed me up and I totally forgot about Whirling Wednesday. So I really don't have anything prepared. Instead since last post was about somthing bad I decided to balance things out and post about some good stuff.

First we were able to get the glass on our van replaced on Friday. Just in time for the long weekend and were able to finish off the school shopping.

The kids went back to school yesterday. They had a great first day and love their teachers (hopefully they'll still be saying that a month from now). This is my daughters last year of elementary school, I still can't believe how fast they grow up! My oldest son is in 2nd grade and this will be my little guys last year of preschool.

Yarns from the Loopy Ewe. I may have comforted myself by buying a little sock yarn in last weeks sneak up.

Fall is in the air. I know this because my internal knitting clock said it was time for some sweater knitting.

So Ariann came out of hiding. Right now I'm doing the raglan decreasing and am almost ready to start the neck decreases. Hopefully this will be done in time for Rhinebeck.

The Morning Glory wrap is growing slowly but surely. I'm almost done with the second repeat of the first half. I'm really enjoying the pattern. It 's not really complex but doesn't get boring either and the yarn is sooo soft! It's Briar Rose Wistful which is an alpaca/merino/silk blend, to dye for!

There will be a contest coming up soon as both my 2nd blogiversary and 30th birthday are this month so keep an eye out.

Lastly, my MIL's Birthday was this past Friday and she's on vacation still but she has been reading the blog wish her a Happy Birthday would ya.

If your reading this Mom, here's what is waiting for you at home.

That about does it, wishing you all lots of good stuff!