Spring Trip to The Fold

On Saturday our lovely gang of Stitch n' Bitch ladies headed out to a little sweet spot called The Fold. I just love how our group can feel like some hard ass bitches one second and innocent tea time ladies the next.



I promised photos, but besides for this random Lets Get It Started photo, I got nada! Six of us piled into Jenn's mini-van and off we headed in search of fiber.

We had an awesome time exploring the shop and discovering little gems to take home.



I picked up Chuckanut Yarn in hopes I'll get gauge for the Faery Ring, but as my cold has done funky things with my brain... I think I'll wash the swatches and recount later when I have a clear mind.

Psychotic Santa Strikes

No one can ever say that Nana’s Knitting Shop can't throw one hell of a party. Thanks ladies, what a blast!

I had intended to do perhaps 2 or 3 different ornament designs... yeah, well we all can't be like Georgian right? So I set my sights on a little Santa. The pattern is not difficult and in a matter of hours I had him stuffed and hanging on the tree.



The pattern had brought back memories of my childhood during the holidays. Each year that we pulled out the decorations, my sister and I would play with Mr. & Mrs. Clause. They were handcrafted ornaments that eventually showed the true well loved nature of small children.

So, do you think that Mr. Clause will be lonely on the tree? I might have to modify the pattern in order to get Mrs. Clause.

In other knitting news, I helped Tangled with a photo shoot of her Avalon



I'm so thrilled to have helped out. I truly believe such a lovely item should be showcased to the best of our abilities. It was fun.... cold, but fun.

@#*!%$* Beret

Got into a heap of mess last night and I'm blaming Tammy... she let me try her hat on and thus began the whirlwind of SnB Windmill Beret.



This is the groups first KAL and boy did we pick a doozie. Do you see mine in the group...yeah, I'm on the bottom with the green. You know, the smallest of the group. I started over roughly 8 times that night. Here is a closer look at my colors for this painful project.



I love it when something hurts so bad it feels good. You ever get that feeling? Just determained to see it through and even though your about to poke yourself with the DPN, you think, hummmmm I'm kinda enjoying this.

For all my SnB gals... I did Get Happy, but it didn't happen until this morning on the train ride into work.

Recovery

How do you bounce back after knitting with the Harlot? It's not easy. In fact I've lost a little of my blog-mojo. I was doing really good, trying to post as often as I could when this past weekend hit. I really wasn't up for it. I guess I've got some post-fiber-partum going on.



I'm kinda speechless. Stephanie and Franklin in one room and at My Local Yarn Store! How totally Wicked!

Trich the owner of My Local Yarn Store: Nana’s Knitting Shop is just awesome and gracious...we got to sit and just take it all in.



Then of course there were some naughty South Side Gals...



Even if the wait was something close to 2 hours, we pose for a group picture.



And I think what kills me the most is thinking back about how a customer came to the back door of the shop and I answered it with a Big Hello. The lady had a huge grin on her face and then proceeded to ask how my flight was. I was taken back... "I'm sorry" I said to the lady. She then said... "You look so much like her!"

People. Dudes. She had mistaken me for Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Well, I can kinda see how she might be taken back... although I'm thinking cousins.



I'll have to double check with the family, but I believe to have distant relatives in Nova Scotia. With a handful of Great-Aunts and Uncles born in that area, you never know!

Guess What Happens When...

You bring a three-year old to SnB?



They practice fish faces with ShopDaughter. Then the "oh-so-cute" little monkey takes pictures for mommy to blog. I have more, but I'm withholding until you give me all your Malabrigo;)

I walked outside this morning to check up on plants...



(Click Picture to see it big) Just blows me away that I haven't killed anything yet. Only time will tell.

On some bad / weird and just gross side of things. I was taking pictures to update my Ravelry stash and this little bugger crawled out of the middle of a yarn cake.



I have no clue. I don't think it's a m-m-m-moth, but needless to say I tossed the yarn into a ziplock bag then into the freezer. It's smaller then a grain of rice and has me just a little concerned about the rest of my stash.

So Proud

I just want to climb to the top of my building and scream to all of Chicagoland that my Cable Lagoon is being test knit by Raverlry Members.

Then I think about that statement. Do I really want to do that? Heck, I'm still proud but I think people view me as odd enough already.

I posted on the Test Knitters Forum on Ravelry and dudes... I got some serious responses. So far I have 8 people request the pattern and one knitter is showing her progress on her projects page,

::squeal::

I love the idea that my little socky-pattern is out there in the hands of another. So don't fret my friends. Soon there will be a link here to download the pattern for all to share. It will be free because god-for-bid I let anyone pay for my writing and if your reading this going...it's okay send it my way, I'll try test knitting it. Just put your email address in the comments and I'll forward it on over.

In other Knitty goodness, tonight we are celebrating the 3rd Anniversary of the South Suburban Chicago SnB. I will be surrounded by my fiber loving friends tonight and I can't think of a better way to spend my evening;)

She Started It!

I swear it wasn't me. It's all Her Fault. But I certainly wont say I'm not loving the Fulmar Knit-Along. Knitterary and I got to compare our Fulmar's at the last SnB and it truly is something amazing.



I think the Fulmar has some secrete thing happening...just look at those grins. Half the time when I pause to look over the cables, I think to my self ...Wow, I did that.

My camera stinks and when I tried to take pictures of a side-by-side the colors were just screaming and combined with bad lighting...oy.



While out during lunch I took a daylight picture to really show off the cables...ah, much better.