Evil Eye

I really have been knitting, and doing many crafty things, I just keep putting off posting about these activities. So, what have I been doing?

On top of not posting, I haven’t been great about taking pictures of what I have been working on either, but I do have a few pictures.

Do you sense a theme here? The first is the Fixie hat from the pattern by Larissa Brown. The Second is the Pinwheel Blanket, from the pattern in Knitalong, also by Larissa Brown. The third is an All-star sneaker bootie from the pattern by Brooklyn Handmade. Yup, baby items. Which brings me to the other project I have been working on:

(Picture taken at Yarn School, I was 27 weeks along.)

I’m busy making a baby.  This is part of why I have not been posting much.  I have been waiting to post about it, and when ever I sit down to write, it feels strange to withhold something so important.  It’s not like I reveal everything I do on this blog, hardly, but still, this is pretty huge.  But, having been through a miscarriage before (see, I didn’t tell you that either), I knew I wanted to be pretty far along before I shared the news with the blog reading world.  Now I am firmly into my third trimester, and feel like it is time to fess up.

So, there you have it.  But that is not all I have been doing!  I am also helping plan World Wide Knit in Public Day, which takes place on June 14th in Millennium Park in Chicago (and in cities all over the world, if you are not local to Chicago, go to the website, and see where you local event is taking place.)  Please join us if you can, and it’s not just for knitters, crotchers, spinners, and anyone making stuff with yarn is welcome.  There will be a yarn swap, a collection of yarn and knitting needles and crochet hooks for Interim House, a woman’s shelter, and 9″ X 7″ afghan rectangles for Afghans for Afghans (including a group you can join to sit around and assemble the blankets.)

I’m also, of course working on YarnCon with Sara, and we are still accepting applications, so please, if you make stuff yarn lovers would enjoy, or know someone who does, please contact us at: info (at) yarnygoodness.com
Whew!  That is a lot.  So, I am taking a little break.  I will be away from all things electric for a week, starting May 20, and returning May 27.  Needless to say, I am taking my knitting.

Yikes!  I almost forgot to mention that on Saturday Woodlawn experienced its first farmer’s market of the year at 61st and Blackstone, and all of the gardening we (mostly Scott) got done.  I am so happy to have a local farmer’s market!  But, I have much to do, and will have to post more when I get back.

I forgot to mention that I did finished the “Blue Ribbon Scrap Wrap” in time for Yarn School. It was just what I wanted, something warm but not too warm. Just right for those Spring days in which the weather can’t make up its mind.

Ever since I got back from yarn school, I can’t get enough of spinning.  I am thinking differently about my approach to how I spin yarn, how much twist to give the singles and the plies, and how to split up the top to get desired color effects.  I spun up the sample from Maisy Day, and I love the results.  The colors line up for the most part, but with lovely bits of overlap, that make for a very pretty 2-ply yarn.  And it is the most even weight yarn I have spun to date.

Today I started washing my alpaca fleece.  I did just enough to dry on a screen I use to dry sweaters.  I figured if I messed up, I didn’t want to waste the whole fleece.  I am pleased to report no felting at all, and it smells very nice now.  As if I was not already glad to own a washing machine.  As soon as it dries, I will try hand-carding some rolags and see how it spins.

Now to decide, sit outside and knit, or put up a couple of shelves.  It seems a shame to not get those shelves up, but it is an awfully nice day.  Hmmmm…..