High Fiber—Hitting the Shops

 As I promised last week, here's a review of the Needlepoint Joint in Ogden, Utah.

Joanie, Ellen and I stopped there after the Acorn Antique Fair. We always stop there when we can. Joanie was looking for yarn for a poncho with a cowl attached. The people who work there are very helpful.

When you come in the door, you see a nice selection of bags and books.

Whatever you need for your knitting, they have it. Here are needles and notions.

Ellen enjoyed checking out the yarn.

In another large room, we found buttons, crochet cotton and other items, and a place to sit.

They have supplies for spinning, needlepoint, felting and rughooking, including spindles and a spinning wheel.

They also have soaps and everything you need to care for your nice handmade items.

Of course, they have classes, and nice tables to sit around. Joanie bought some pretty yarn, and I ended up with the spinning fiber I showed off last week. I always end up buying something here. It's the highlight of our trips to Ogden!

In quilting news, I finished the train quilt top. Here's a closeup of the engine block.

And here's the train top finished.

The pattern is the Chiloquilters Train Quilt. It's a great pattern, and fairly easy to follow, but there are mistakes in cutting the pieces for the Steam Engine and the Caboose. Good thing I had plenty of fabric!

Ellen and I went into town Friday to find fabric for the center plain block, the sashing and binding, and the backing. The binding and sashing are the same fabric. Here's the backing fabric, with the blocks and binding fabric, so you can get an idea.

The backing fabric was on sale. It's covered with dog paraphernalia, not exactly train-themed, but I don't think Zachary will mind. The colors are suitable, and he's coming into a family with a dog, so it's sort of a two-for-one quilt.

While we were at the quilt shop, Ellen helped me choose fabric for BS's diaper bag and lining. I think he will like the dinosaur fabric.

The bag will be felted. The lining will have pockets. I also found buttons for the BSJ for BS.

For you fans of Miss Daphne, here's a recent photo of her looking like a tomboy. She certainly is growing up!

Vintage Stitchers met last Thursday, and there were lots of quilted items to see. I'll have to show them next week. Stay tuned!

What's on my needles: Diaper bag for BS, Dogwood Blossoms sweater.
What's on my wheel: Full Circle roving in Caramel from KP, well into second bobbin.
What's on my iPad: P.D. James' Murder at Pemberly from Audible, All Wound Up: The Yarn Harlot Writes for a Spin eBook by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee on the Kindle app.
What's my app of the week: IMDb, great for checking movie information while watching the Academy Awards. (You can even look up our son, Peter Stuart, who does special effects and worked on "The Wild" and "Coraline.")
What's in my wine glass: Charles Shaw Shiraz aka "Two-Buck-Chuck." Definitely a favorite!

Note: This blog post was produced entirely on the iPad. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for or cleaned.

High Fiber—More Baby Stuff

I'm making progress on Zachary's quilt.

The pattern is the Chiloquilters Train Quilt. They placed the trains in strips, but in my version, there will be two trains, each going around two sides of the quilt, with a "tunnel" between each, so four blocks by four blocks. I designed the "tunnel." The other blocks are from the original quilt. I'll put something in the middle, I don't know what yet. It depends on what kind of fabric I can find for it. I still have to make the second caboose, the second tunnel and both locomotives. I'm going to be busy with this for a while! We learned this week that our other expected blessed event, BS, is also a boy, no name yet, though. BS's Baby Surprise Jacket (BSJ), finished but for the buttons.

The pattern is from Elizabeth Zimmermann's The Opinionated Knitter, one of my favorite knitting books. Schoolhouse Press has a pamphlet that has row-by-row instructions, which is also nice. It has instructions for a collar, a hood, different methods for the CO, and making the increases and decreases, along with different sizes up to adult. My friends Joanie and Ellen accompanied me up to Ogden on Saturday to the antique fair. I didn't find any antiques to buy, but we stopped at The Needlepoint Joint, where I purchased some Targhee spinning fiber. I'm planning on doing a review of the shop next week, so stay tuned.

It's Mountain Colors "Crazy Woman." I got a little bit of spinning done during the week, but not much, after the Spin-in. I'm starting the second bobbin of Knit Picks Full Circle in "Caramel."

The Mary Scott Huff's Mystery "Flight Path" KAL is on hold until the people who bought kits get their extra yarn. That's OK. I have plenty of baby stuff to work on! Common Threads met this week. Ellen showed off her quilt, back from being quilted by Julie of Mountaintop Quilting (thorum@xmission.com). I'll try to get a photo soon. Lynda has been knitting a beaded shell:

It's "Evening Lace" from Ann Budd's book Knitted Gifts. The beads are Lynda's own idea. Barbara was working on the mate to this sock from Churro wool:

Kay is back from a vacation in Costa Rica studying Spanish. She's working on a scarf: 

Brenda is working on a sock. It's from a kit.

For Daphne fans, our little girl is growing up.

We really have been enjoying Skyping with her. She was trying to make her tummy look big, like Mommy's. I hope we get there in time for her brother's birth!

Speaking of babies, I want to take a moment to welcome Will, Susan the Blue Lake Knitter's new grandson, born Wednesday. I'm sure you'll see some photos of him, if you haven't already. We've decided it's a good year for boys! I also want to send birthday greetings to Susan, whose birthday was Saturday, and to MartyAZ, who has a birthday next Wednesday.

What's on my needles: "Dogwood Blossoms" sweater from Knit Picks. I got a few rounds done on sleeve #2. Ready to CO diaper bag for BS.
What's on my wheel: Caramel Full Circle merino and Peruvian Highland Wool from Knit Picks.
What's on my iPad: Finished Steve Jobs. It was good. I'm perusing my iPad audiobooks, trying to figure out which one to start next. I'm also reading Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's All Wound Up—The Yarn Harlot Writes for a Spin through the Kindle app.
What's my app of the week: I have to toot the horn for QuiltCalc again. I keep using it to figure out how much fabric I need for different parts of quilts.
What's in my wine glass: Concannon Petit Sirah 2009. I think is would be even better with chocolate. Now where did I stash that chocolate?
Note: This blog post was produced entirely on the iPad. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for or cleaned.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

High Fiber—Winter, Wonders and Wool

Vintage Stitchers met this week. Janet is finishing up her Noah's Ark quilt, which she started when her son, now a high-school senior, was little. She has made many quilts in between. Now this one will be for his child someday.

Diane is working on a block from Hop to It by Edyta Sitar.

She has most of the blocks done.

A member of the local quilt guild has been working on a display for the Olympic Quilt, which we made for the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics. It spent some time in the Summit County Library before being moved to its current location. We're hoping it will be installed soon at the museum at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City.

On Friday the 2012 Spin-in on the Knit Picks Knitting Community began. Here's what I got ready to spin. I don't think I'm going to be able to finish it all, but I've made a dent in it, at least.

The two in front are Knit Picks Full Circle Roving
 (recycled merino and Peruvian Highland wool) in Caramel and Wolf. I started with the Wolf. Here's the first bobbin:

Here's the Knit Picks Full Circle Roving in Wolf, spun and plied:

The Spin-in will end Monday at noon. No sooner is the Spin-in over than the next clue will come for the Mary Scott Huff Mystery "Flight Path" Knitalong will come. (See last week's blog for link.) Here's what I have so far:

While preparing for the Spin-in, I warmed up with some Targhee in Calico from AlohaBlu. (See last week's blog post for link.) Here it is, a two-ply yarn. It was nice to spin, too.

As April approaches, I'm under the gun to get Zachary's train quilt done. The first block was completed on Saturday. The second was identical and finished Sunday. 

The free pattern for the train blocks is here. The Chiloquilters' quilt had the trains marching across the quilt. There are six cars, including the engine and caboose. The blocks are 12". I'm planning on running the train around the outside of the quilt. Each train (there will be two) will turn a corner. I'm working on figuring out how to turn he corner now. Um...and what to put in the middle! Stay tuned!

White Valley: We're getting lots of snow now, finally. Here's my backyard.

The ski resorts are ecstatic! We had about 20 people in church Sunday. The others were either snowed in or skiing!

Mitts of Steal needs nearly 30 more pairs of mitts for dialysis patients. If you knit or crochet and can help out by making a pair, check out the KAL here. If you want to know where to send the mitts, send me a PM or leave a comment, or contact Angelkarhu on the Knit Picks Knitting Community.

Happy Valentine's Day!

What's on my needles: BS's BSJ ready to weave the hood, the Mystery project and the "Dogwood Blossoms" sweater from Knit Picks.
What's on my wheel: For the Spin-in, getting a start on the Caramel Full Circle merino and Peruvian Highland Wool from Knit Picks.
What's on my iPad: Still Steve Jobs from Audible. I'm on the last part. I'm also reading Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's All Wound Up—The Yarn Harlot Writes for a Spin through the Kindle app.
What's my app of the week: The new, improved BlogPress.
What's in my wine glass: Doña Paula Los Cardos Malbec 2010. Lovely!

Note: This blog post was produced entirely on the iPad. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for or cleaned.

High Fiber—Projects for Me, for Babies and for Those in Need

In the past week, I managed to put the borders on Daphne's "I-spy" quilt top.

My friend Ellen needed to go to the doctor, so I took her down to Salt Lake City. After she was done with the doctor, we had lunch and then went to Elaine's Quilt Block, where I bought the borders for the quilt, along with material for the backing. The border and backing fabric are from a Dr. Seuss line. We found a panel for the center of the backing. It's the entire The Cat in the Hat story. That's Daphne's favorite book.

The border and the rest of the back are from The Lorax, which is my favorite Dr. Seuss book.

Some of us in the Knitting Community have joined the "Flight Path" mystery Knitalong organized by Mary Scott Huff. If you're on Ravelry, you can find the Ravelry group here. I'm using Wool of the Andes Sport Weight in "Wonderland Heather," "Baltic Heather," "Saffron," "Fairytale" and "Avocado." Last Monday we got the first clue. Here's what we ended up with:

Today (February 6th) we get the second clue. We have a KAL group for this project on the Knit Picks Knitting Community as well. It will be a busy day. Sunny and I go to visit the nursing home tomorrow, so she will need a bath today.

In spinning news, I finished up my "Autumn in Park City" by AlohaBlu. (See "What's on my wheel," below, for link to her Etsy shop.) Here it is plied:

Other exciting news: My subscription to "Knitter's" magazine finally expired. 

Why is this good news, when I love this magazine so much? It's because I was able to get a digital year's subscription through Zinio. I have vowed to eliminate all my paper subscriptions in favor of digital versions on my iPad. So far, besides "Knitter's" I have "Vegetarian Times," "Entangled" and "Knitting Traditions" on the iPad. It will still take awhile for my quilting magazines and "Interweave Knits" to expire or become available in digital form.

While I have your attention (I hope I still have it), we need more fingerless mitts for "Mitts of Steal." You can read more here. Or if you're on Ravelry, you can participate here. We're shooting for distributing Mitts to some dialysis centers on March 8th, World Kidney Day. Fingerless mitts alleviate Steal Syndrome, a common condition associated with dialysis. They keep the hands warm, but still allow the patient to read, do crossword puzzles, knit or text while dialyzing.

No new photos of Miss Daphne this week, but here's an update. We Skyped on Sunday. She's taking a music/dance class for toddlers. She loves dancing with scarves. Her vocabulary is growing every day, although the words sometimes are only an approximation, sometimes with amusing (or alarming) results. For instance, she has a toy frog she calls "F--K." I'm sure she will grow out of that. Maybe when she learns to spell.

What's on my needles: Finishing up the hood on the Baby Surprise Jacket for BS. 
What's on my wheel: I finally get to try Targhee wool spinning fiber. I'm working on AlohaBlu's "Calico" Targhee.
What's on my iPad: Still Steve Jobs from Audible. I'm on the last part. I'm also reading Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's All Wound Up—The Yarn Harlot Writes for a Spin through the Kindle app.
What's my app of the week: QuiltCalc, "The Quilter's Little Helper," which I used to figure out how much border and backing fabric I needed for the quilt.
What's in my wine glass: Crane Lake Malbec 2010. Very nice!

Note: This blog post was produced entirely on the iPad. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for or cleaned.

High Fiber—Fast Forward to February

The Sundance Film Festival is over. The celebs have left town, and only the skiers are left. It was fun volunteering, especially with such great fellow volunteers, like Bev (my supervisor):

We've seen some great films. To check them out, see the Sundance website.

I worked long hours, and even though I took my knitting, I didn't get as much other stuff done. On my day off, I did get to do a little spinning. The fiber is "Autumn in Park City." I purchased it from AlohaBlu. Here's the half hitch I use for holding spinning, in case you've ever wondered what I do with that loose bit of twisted fiber when the phone rings.

I also got a bit done on Baby Stuart's Baby Surprise Jacket (BSJ). Here's what it looks like lying "flat:"

I think it looks like a potato chip or a cuttlefish. It's really sort of an origami project. You fold it a  certain way, and you end up with a little jacket. This will give you an idea of what it will look like folded properly with the shoulder seams sewn:

Just the hood to do. In case you've missed previous posts about this project, the yarn is Stroll Sport in Winter Night and Mink Heather. You can get the pattern from Schoolhouse Press. (You will have to scroll down to find the pattern.) It's also found in Elizabeth Zimmermann's The Opinionated Knitter, also available from Schoolhouse Press and Knit Picks.

Winter storms have brought the snowplows and the trucks that dump salt on the roads up here in Summit Park, outside Park City, UT. The salt on the road is to local moose in winter what the ice cream truck is to kids in the summer.

Sunday we went to see the performance of Rigoletto at Utah Opera. It was wonderful, with Celena Shafer as Gilda, Rigoletto's daughter. She was outstanding. (I was hoping she would get to live this time, but it ended as it always has. Sigh!)

Last week I swatched for the "Flight Path" mystery Knitalong organized by 
Mary Scott Huff. If you're on Ravelry, you can find the Ravelry group here.

I'm using Wool of the Andes Sport Weight. I showed you my swatch last week:

Today (If you're reading this on Monday, January 30th) we get the first "clue." It will be fun to see what the project turns into. A bunch of us from the Knitting Community are doing this Knitalong. It isn't too late to join us if you want. It isn't a race. Just a fun thing to do together. All you need is the pattern (see link above) and 5 skeins of sport-weight yarn, each a different color. I'm going to start a discussion in the Colorwork KAL in the Knitting Community, if you want to join in. Just get your pattern and yarn and join us!

For fans of Miss Daphne, here's a photo of her on her new toddler bed.

The quilt is the one made by my friend Ilene, who lives in California. Daphne took to her new room and bed like a fiber fanatic to wool and cotton! The old nursery will soon belong to baby Zachary.

This week, I hope to unwind (pun intended). I will be shopping for fabric for the borders of Daphne's "I-spy" quilt, so I can get that quilted.

Until next time, happy fiber fun!

What's on my needles: The BSJ for Baby Stuart (aka "BS"), and by the time you read this, probably my Flight Path mystery KAL project.
What's on my wheel: The "Autumn in Park City fiber, Superwash BFL.
What's on my iPad: Still Steve Jobs. I'm into part two. He was a very interesting, complex and (yes) human person.
What's my app of the week: Gas Buddy! It led me to the cheapest gas in the area just when I needed to save time.
What's in my wine glass: Panilonco Merlot Malbec 2010. We love red wines, and this one is unusual, in a good way. Nice!

Note: This blog post was produced entirely on the iPad. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for or cleaned.

High Fiber—More Baby Projects

Since my last blog post, I have started two new projects and made a start on Daphne's "I-spy" quilt.

If you aren't familiar with this quilting tradition, the idea is to use lots of fabrics that depict objects a child might be familiar with: animals, foods, toys, flowers, etc. You tell the child, "I spy a (name of object)" and let them find it in the quilt. It's a game, but it's also a way for a small child to increase his or her vocabulary. I will be looking for a fabric for an outer border and backing for this quilt, and then get my friend Julie to quilt it for me. I plan to take it with me when I go to meet Daphne's baby brother in April.

A new order from Knit Picks brought the yarn for several new projects.

For the other new baby, arriving in June, I purchased yarn for a Baby Surprise Jacket (AKA "BSJ.") It's like the one I made for Daphne's brother. Here's what I have done so far:

The yarn is Knit Picks' Stroll Sport in "Winter Night" and "Mink."

The expectant mommy is making one for the new baby herself. She has made good progress.

The yarn is also Stroll Sport, which can be washed in the washing machine and makes a sweater a good size for the first few months for all but a preemie.

Also in the order is some Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes Sport and Wool of the Andes Bulky.

The sport-weight yarn is in "Wonderland Heather," "Baltic Heather," "Saffron," "Fairytale" and "Avocado." I purchased it for Mary Scott Huff's mystery KAL, which starts January 30th.

I've made a swatch:

I was able to get gauge using the size 4 needles, so I'm set to go. (Our swatch could be any pattern of stranded colorwork, so I just played.)

The bulky-weight yarn is for a felted diaper bag like the one I made a couple of years ago for Daphne's use, but this one will be for her new cousin. The BSJ I'm making for this new baby will coordinate with the bag, although it won't match exactly. The colors for the bag are "Porcini" and "Navy."

The book was added to my order for my friend Joanie.

In spinning news, I'm well into the second bobbin of the "Autumn in Park City" fiber I purchased from AlohaBlu. Here's what the first bobbin looks like:

It's Superwash Blue-faced Leicester. Christina, owner of AlohaBlu, dyed it to match the photo I took of the lovely colors during a hike in the fall. Being Superwash wool, it will be good for baby knitting if I choose.

The Sundance Film Festival has started here in Park City. I had my first shift Saturday afternoon and evening, when the weatherman decided to favor us with a blizzard...finally! I live in a mountainous area far from town, which usually gets the most snow. They let me go early, but it still took me an hour to get home. DH was almost done plowing the drive when I arrived at 11:30 PM. Perfect timing! This is what greeted me Sunday morning:

Between noon and midnight, we got 20" but 8" in four hours was the worst of it. Happy, happy ski areas! Not-so-happy Festival-goers, some of whom missed their films because of snow, traffic and accidents.


What's on my needles: BSJ for Baby Stuart and "Dogwood Blossoms" sweater, second sleeve.
What's on my wheel: Bobbin 2 of "Autumn in Park City."
What's on my iPad: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson from Audible. Knit Picks Podcast. 
What's my app of the week: QuiltCalc, which I used to figure out how much fabric I needed for the sashing and borders for the "I-spy" quilt for Daphne.
What's in my wine glass: Charles Shaw Chardonnay 2008. I don't usually go for Chardonnay, but this one I like.

Note: This blog post was produced entirely on the iPad. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for or cleaned.