Label printing went better than usual this time. Not nearly as much bad language was uttered in the process, so that’s a good thing.
It took a good part of two days, with breaks for meal preparation and story time with my youngest. That’s all we are doing for school this month. We are reading through the Septimus Heap series, which I have never read before. They’re pretty fun so far.
Anyway, so I spent most of yesterday sorting and organizing yarn. This step makes labeling go smoother because it limits the amount of time spent hunting for the yarn you need to go with the labels you are working through.
I know to the uninitiated this looks far from organized, but trust me there is a system. 😉
I have started actual labeling and am working through it while listening to my own book. I am rereading The Circle by Dave Eggers. I am planning to read the new sequel, The Every, when I finish.
I have been enjoying a few days off while waiting for my next show set up on Friday for the Fall Fiber Festival of Virginia . I have mostly spent my time catching up on my reading and knitting, but I did go out on Tuesday to visit Luray Caverns. I had a nice time and have a few pictures, though not great ones I am afraid.
I have been re-reading the Cormoran Strike novels before starting the newest one that was released last week; Lethal White. It’s not a genre I read often but I can’t resist anything written by J.K.Rowling. These are both interesting as far as the mystery goes, and, even better to me, they are also character driven stories. I have loved getting to know the main characters Cormoran and Robin as the series has grown. It’s what she does so well. I am almost finished with The Silkworm already.
In knitting progress news; I have gotten to the last chart on Tendrilly which repeats 4x or 6x but I may be doing a hybrid size and repeat it 5x. If I do 4x it will leave about 3/4 of the 3rd skein but doing 6x will require a 4th skein. I am hoping to use just about 3 full skeins with my modification. I will know more as I approach that stage.
When I get a chance I like to sample local micro-brews, and this was my find here in Virginia to enjoy on my little vacation. Cheers!
I finally got around to writing up the pattern for my infinity scarf this week. It also has a name too, Pillars. I have it for sale on Ravelry and on my website for $5.00.
I have only knit it up in this striped version, but it would be great in a single color too. The stitch pattern is fun, easy, and has a nice stretchy texture.
Here’s another little fun thing I set up to go along with the pattern release. I was originally envisioning doing this design as a kit. I was going to pick 6-8 color combinations and package appropriate amounts of yarn with the pattern so that you can make the scarf in stripes without the need of purchasing full skeins when you only need 20-25g of a color (you need 40-50g of the main color, but more on that in a minute), but I came up with what I think will be even better.
Build your own kits! I have made these adorable mini skeins of the Classic Merino Sport and you can buy what ever combination you want. If you want it the way I made mine with a main color and two contrasts, you will need one ball each of the contrasts and two of the main color. For a single color scarf you one 100g skein. Fun, huh?
This is just a few of the colors, but aren’t they the cutest things?
If you visit the link you will see that there are two skein size options there; 100g and 25g. Pick a color and a size and there you are. Then go put the pattern in the cart and you are ready to go. We will see how it goes and if people like it we may even expand the idea to other yarns. Oh, this would be a fun for my Classic Baby Cardigan too.
Okay enough with the self promotion stuff, LOL! I have some more progress on the wrap I am working on. It doesn’t look any different, just bigger, but I took a new picture anyway. I am close to the end of the first skein and have almost 20”, so my prediction of it coming out at somewhere between 60 – 64” for 3 skeins seem pretty good.
I haven’t talked much about my reading lately, but that’s not for lack of it. I have actually made good progress on my TBR list. I finished my re-read of the Lord of the Rings and it was a pleasure to read as it always is. I swear it just gets better every time I read it if that is possible. I was listening to the new unabridged Audible version as I think I mentioned before, and I will reiterate that is is very well done. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
As soon as I finished that I started on Gone Girl, because my number came up on the Overdrive list for the eBook. I can’t remember the last time, not counting books I listen to while on the road, that I have finished book in 2 1/2 days. Wow. It was very interesting and just pulled me in and didn’t let go. I was going back and forth between reading and listening to the Audible version, so that helped, but honestly I just could not put this down. I listened to it while I was churning out those mini skeins you see up there, LOL! If you are one of the few people who haven’t read this one I encourage you to do it. I am not usually one to read something just because it’s popular, but I think this time there is a good reason for it.
So after I finished Gone Girl I started Clockwork Angels because I am a total Rush geek and I simply have to read it for that reason. So far so good. I just started it last night.
Okay that’s all for today! Happy knitting and reading!
Where to start? Since my last post I have made some small progress on my cowl/infinity scarf design, but not as much as I would have liked there to be.
It’s about 4” wide at this point and I didn’t have any definite width in mind before I started. I just figured I would knit it until it seemed like a good size, but probably at least 6-7” and possibly more.
My poor Boneyard Shawl hasn’t seen any action since I started the above cowl, but it did get to pose in one of our lovely new Yarn Bowls soon to be available on our brand new website. :-) We are tentatively planning for a Feb. 9 launch and I am so excited about it!
We are holding off several new products and some other cool stuff for a grand opening. Here’s some sneak previews of just a small sampling of the new Shawl pin Rings we are making.
Y’all they are truly amazing if I do say so myself, and I think I am entitled since I am not even bragging on myself here. My talented daughter Meredith who also makes the Shawl Pins, Nostepinnes, and Darning Eggs, is the genius behind these as well. If you have been to our booth at festivals, you have probably seen or met her. She is always with me.
Remember her?
Here’s some more to whet your appetite, LOL!
See? Fabulous, no?
Anyway I will give you all more details once we are sure it’s a go. We have had quite a few glitches lately but it’s all coming together and I am optimistic that all will be ready in time. Oh, you can also sign up for my Newsletter if you would like to get updates in email. It’s up near the top in the sidebar right under my Find me on Ravelry button. :-)
I haven’t given any reading updates lately. Let’s see, in December and the first half of January I was reading The Brothers Karamazov. My reaction to it was sort of underwhelming. I expected to be more impressed honestly. It is such a highly regarded work that I was left wondering what I was missing. I was not alone however in the Goodreads group I was reading it with. Many were left with the same feeling of “what is all the fuss about”? Have any of you read it? Can you educate me on what I missed? I would truly like to know what it is that made you love the book. I mean don’t get me wrong, I am glad I read it and there were some parts I found very interesting and thought provoking, like the part’s where Ivan is telling the story of The Inquisitor and his conversation with The Devil, but overall I was glad to be done and don’t see myself re-reading it.
I possibly impatient with it towards the end because I was badly wanting to start my re-read of The Hobbit and then The Lord of the Rings books. I just adore these and am immensely enjoying the new unabridged Audible versions along with my Nook copies. I like to immersion read sometimes and I am savoring every minute of these books. I read The Hobbit in 5 days and started The Fellowship this weekend. My only hang up so far was that when I started up The Fellowship, to my horror I realized that they didn’t start with The Prologue: Concerning Hobbits. To me an unabridged version should have included that. It is not optional to me. So I just read that part and started the audiobook when I reached the first chapter. I am currently at the point where Sam, Frodo and Pippin have reached Crickhollow and Merry and Fatty Bolger are preparing their second supper, LOL! I just love these opening chapters where the adventure is just beginning. It’s kind of like that time in a knitting project where it’s all shiny and new and full of promise.
Okay well that’s it for now I suppose. Keep you fingers crossed for the website launch!
What’s a guaranteed way to ensure a cold snap in late spring? Yep, you guessed it. Unpack and buy the appropriately seasonable clothing. It never fails that when we finally get everyone suitably attired for the season change, it changes back. So all you middle Tennessee folks who were cursing the chilly wet weather that began this weekend, you can blame us.
Speaking of cool weather, I did almost finish the Bel Air. I have the collar knit and the first sleeve sewn in. Yay! I took a couple self portraits that aren’t that great, but here ya go.
Here’s one with my head not chopped off, LOL, and a “laying on the porch” shot.
I will be casting on the second sleeve tonight. It would be awesome if I could get it finished for the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival.
On the reading side; I did finish Dragonfly in Amber and all I will say is it is hard to not pick immediately on the third book to see what will happen next. Will Claire go back to find Jaime? Will she take Roger and Brianna? What further role will Gillian/Geillis play? But I have also been waiting to start the Hunger Games for the last month and simply must read them now. They are so much shorter that I am sure the brief interlude will be a welcome change to these long novels. Don’t get me wrong. I adore long stories. It’s just that they take me so much longer to read than they used to. I like to dip into shorter stories in between longer ones. It’s kind of like with knitting; having a plain vanilla sock, a sweater and a lacy shawl going for the different complexities and time investments.
I am itching to cast on for Vonica with that blue Cascade 220. Remember that? Must finish the Bel Air and the Sprossling. Well at least the Bel Air. Then maybe a sleeve swatch.
So all you middle Tennessee folks who were cursing the chilly wet weather that began this weekend, you can blame us. 
