What a week!

Welcome! Here's this weeks offering for Fiber Arts Friday. Thank you so much for coming and don't forget to visit the other creative folks that participate over on Andrea's blog...Wisdom Begins In Wonder every week.
A lot has gone on this week at home and at work, I'll save you the drama and get right to...

the knitting...

socks commissioned by Rita of Yarn Hollow

Cookie A's Summer Sox.

one Ugly Sock done, second one started

I couldn't resist casting on with the handspun yarn that Paula gifted me. This is going to be Capucine. I purchased a ChiaoGoo 10.5 x 16" circ to knit this project with. I must say, I love the ChiaoGoo (pronounced chow-goo).

These lace tips are wicked! I'll have to develop a few little callouses, since I push the needle tip back with my fingers while knitting. It's a bit uncomfortable at first.

the fiber...
I'm happy to say I had the opportunity to support a friend and add to my fiber stash this week. Emily had intended to re-stock her Etsy shop. She brought in a few braids to show her new colorways and several of them didn't make it back home with her. I promised to post a pic of the ones that came home with me so others could enjoy the pretty. So here they are.

Exact same dye - colors and sequence...the one on the left is Faulkland and the other is Superwash BFL. Isn't it amazing how the different fibers took the dye? Thanks Em, they're fabulous...a perfect addition to my stash.

the pooches...

I know I can't post without a mention (and a pic) of LittleDog so here's today's offering, along with one of big brother Sam (who insisted that I take his pic too)

Sorry for the shiny eyes...I just can't figure out how to avoid them when I have to use the flash.

PS:  Tamara, LittleDog wanted me to tell you that we're sending good thoughts to your family in Syria and we all hope that they are staying safe during this super-scary time. Also, thanks for following us on Pinterest.

Friday Felting Finish

Hello and welcome. We're under a winter storm watch here in West Michigan. Batten down the hatches! Gas up the snow-blower! Find the doggie sweaters...maybe while I'm looking for all the winter tools I need I'll find LittleDog's sweater. It's been missing for awhile and I can't imagine where it may have gone to.

I know you came for Fiber Arts Friday and not to hear about the weather so here is the Big Zig Bag finally, completely and totally done. Yay! In case you missed the pics last week here's what it looked like pre-felting...

and this is the final outcome...

I purchased the yarn for this project at Rae's Yarn Boutique and started knitting it May 7, 2009 and finished by sewing the button on tonight.  That's a shamefully long time for this pretty thing to wait, don't you think?

I had to cut a slot in the tab for the button hole (since I didn't think to thread some cotton yarn through the button hole and it felted itself shut). Then I added one of the beautiful buttons my friend Shine made.

I still have to find a piece of good stiff plastic (I'm thinking an old piece of cutting mat) to put in the bottom to give it some stability.

It has taken up its task of keeping my swift and ball winder safe.

I really like it.

There has also been a bit of spinning going on here. The braid I'd been spinning for quite awhile was finally finished on Sunday...

this is 4.2oz of Rita's Merino Bamboo Tussah Top in the Sleepy Hollow colorway.  Having finished that braid I started on the fiber samples from a Phat Fiber box that Shine is trading me buttons for.  Gotta love the barter system. Here's what I've got so far...

There is some soft, shiney fiber in this box but my favorite is the fiber I'm spinning right now...the most beautiful red and there's some sparkly in it. yum.   In case anyone wonders...the pony holder is to keep the flyer from twirling around during transport. This LadyBug gets around! and sometimes the simplest things make for the greatest tools.

After leaving a comment and letting me know you were visiting here please stop by and check out the other creative folks that participate in Andrea's Fiber Arts Friday blog. Have a great week!

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

I've spent the last 30 minutes surfing around Pinterest...must pull myself away and get this post written.  If you haven't experienced the giant time suck for yourself you should certainly go check it out! It's my favorite dead-brain activity these days.  Lots of pretty pictures and very few words, LOL

Last pic of completely knit Big Zig Bag before felting

Beautiful handspun gifted to me by my BFF Paula...I love the sparkley!

We're both pretty excited about taking a trip tomorrow down to Chelsea, MI for the Spinners Flock Sale.  And hoping we find a good place for lunch. This place looks pretty promising...can't really go wrong at a place called Gourmet Chocolate Cafe now, can you?

It's getting to be the time of year for sheep shearing...Shady Side Farm is on February 25th, Windswept Farm is on February 26th and Hillside Jacobs is on the 10th of March. If you'd like to see some sheep and maybe get some nice fresh fleece check 'em out!

Thank you all so much for stopping by. Be sure to leave a comment so I know you visited. You should go check out all the creative peeps that participate in Fiber Arts Friday over at Wisdom Begins in Wonder. Tell Andrea I said hey!

Have a great weekend!

How do you like my teefs?

Fiber Arts Friday 2-10-12

In the home stretch on the Big Zig Bag that I started eons ago.  It's huge! The bottom is 19" by 13"

Once the knitting is done I'll be felting it.

This project was great practice for two stranded knitting since there was so much of it.

Here is a shot that shows the floats on the inside...

I'm enjoying the double i-cord handle that I'm currently knitting...wasn't sure how that was going to work out as the beginning was a bit wonky but it's taking a good shape now and when felted should be good and sturdy.

I convinced LittleDog to model for size comparison. Can you believe there is green grass in our backyard in February? It was still super cold today despite the sunshine.

He would easily fit in the pre-felted bag. It'll probably take a few days to do the handles as the directions say "repeat double i-cord for 277 rows" and that's a lot of rows! and I have to make two handles and a closure strap for the top. Good thing I like this part. Also, the double i-cord can be worked on straight needles...no cable to fiddle with.

And one more shot, with a flash so you can see the color better...and Tamara can get another look at LittleDog...

I started this project in May 2009...I'm on a roll with the WIPs these days...only have one more big and old project left to finish after this one.

Don't forget Andrea has a great list on her blog of other folks that participate in Fiber Arts Friday. Be sure to pop over there and check them out. Thank you for coming. Have a fibery weekend!

It's Friday! again...

Isn't it amazing how quickly the weeks pass when you're super busy? Unfortunately my busy-ness is at work which isn't nearly as fun as being busy at home in my craft room. I certainly need to be busy with fiber arts. I have way more sock yarn that I could knit in a year and now I have this other problem that seems to be manifesting itself in the same room...

I added a couple of very pretty braids to my fiber stash the past couple weeks. Here they are in order of purchase...

100% Merino, Fish Out of Water from KnitsinClass.etsy.com

80% Merino, 20% Tussah Silk, Red Rocks from ClawTreeFibers.etsy.com

100% superwash Corriedale, Mayim Bialik from (Rule Out): Fiber Addiction, NOS

Some progress has been made on that Ugly Sock...I'm ready to do the heel turn, something I couldn't accomplish last night while chatting at the coffee shop.

Mostly, I've been hangin out with knitters trying to forget how busy I am at work. Not very exciting, I know.

Looking forward to a good weekend though...thanks so much for all the kind words about last Saturday's memorial service. The service was nice but the weather (6" of fresh snow) and the drive (1hr, 15) were not. Saw some old friends we haven't seen in awhile and that was a good thing.

Since I've been so busy at work LittleDog is feeling a bit neglected. He really doesn't like having the chair all to himself...

anybody that is "owned by a pug" knows why the chair is wearing a sheet, LOL, 

between the "fish-butt" and the shedding you "can't have anything nice".

Have a great week everybody! Thanks for stopping in and remember to leave a comment so I know you've been here. You'll find more creative peeps over in the FAF blog circus on Andrea's blog. Go check 'em out!

A Mixed Bag...

Thank you so much for visiting. Please leave a comment and let me know you were here. Don't forget to visit my friends over on the Fiber Arts Friday blog circus at Wisdom Begins in Wonder.

The Alpaca Daisy hat is finished...

I can't believe I forgot to mention LittleDog had a birthday last week...he is 6 yrs old now. I've taken many pics of him since he came to live with us a couple of years ago. Here's a few...

I hope you all get to do something fun and fibery this weekend.

Tomorrow we will celebrate the life of our friend Ronnie...

R.I.P. Brother

We Retreated

Twisting & Tangling at Lily's last weekend was so nice. I got a lot of knitting done, did a little spinning on demand, ate some good food and got to hang out with my knitting peeps.  In addition to that, we had typical Michigan winter weather. Cold, windy and snowing!  Perfect.

Here are a few pics from the weekend.

 Lily's Cottage

 Lake Michigan

 a few pretty lights

 A perfect Christmas tree 

(if you have a really tall room to put it in)

my contribution to the yarn bombing

of the sign for the cottage

just before sunset on Saturday evening

Nice and wintery scenery don't you think? It was toasty inside though...

and I got to spin some yarn for a special project that Scott was working on...

I'd say that's a pretty good fox color

All too soon it was time to head home...

Wish you all could have been there.

I'm about 2/3 of the way done with the daisy stitch hat that I'm knitting with the remaining TSBAS alpaca yarn (I need to think of a name for this hat).  Once I got the hang of those k3tog thingies it's been rockin along pretty well.

I'm also working on AnUglySock...

it actually looks better in this picture than it does in person.

Thank you all for your kind comments on last week's post...Kathryn, the daisy stitch is k3tog (don't take the yarn off the needle), yo, k3tog into the same stitches...I think I'm getting pretty good at it now.

LittleDog believes that when the weather is cold like this it's best enjoyed from a nice warm spot indoors.

Have a great week! Be sure to visit all the crafty peeps that participate in Fiber Arts Friday over on Andrea's blog.