Here I go again...

I'm about to set off on crazy whirlwind trip #2 (the 2007 edition) tomorrow morning at oh-dark-thirty. It won't be quite so crazy as last year's version (5 cities in 8 days!) because we've cut out Honolulu and Anchorage. So this time it's just San Francisco and Seattle, then more east coast next week. Sadly, I don't have much free time in any of them (other than hosting a meeting). But I will find time to stop by my happy place and most likely buy another sweater's worth of yarn, never fear! Actually, I am getting a bit of time in San Fran (hence the early morning flight) to hang out with some old grad school friends. Very exciting!

But a few photos to round out the last entry... some of my recent dyeing escapades. They don't always turn out exactly as I'd planned, and some of my happiest color combos have been the ones where I was just trying to empty out the dye pots so I threw a bunch of things together. But here you go:

Rose Red

Forest Floor

George

I can't tell you what my inspiration was for Forest Floor because it would most likely ruin it for you, but I'm happy with how it turned out! And George is one of my mostest favoritest creations ever. I love, love, love the turquoise and orange. Slight variations on that theme will keep coming up, I'm sure.

And one more before I go:

Linus loves to help me ply!

Hello, nurse!

Eleven days. How has it been 11 days since my last post? I have no idea... and no real post to make. So, let's go for a list of what I've been working on...

1. Arwen. I've just cast on for the sleeve (the front and sleeves are knit as one piece). And I think I have my neck solution figured out... almost to the point where I'll have to try it out! Pictures to come at some point.

2. Spinning.

Irises

Distance view

I think it has the colors of irises... which hopefully we will soon have in our yard.

3. Garden Update (seemed like a good segue). Right now, the some of the daffodils are out, and the tulips that we bought in Amsterdam (on our layover coming home from Tanzania) have their big leaves out - can't wait to see the blooms!
Today we went to the garden center and bought a few more plants for the yard. Some azaleas to fill in a holes, two (more) hydrangea, a pieris (Lily of the Valley shrub), and - the one I'm the most excited about - a Cherry tree! Hopefully we'll have some real cherry fruit to eat in a couple of years! Dan dug most of the holes, but I managed to get a lot of dirt under my fingernails filling them in. I never seem to be able to find one of the 6,000 pairs of garden gloves that I swear I own.

4. Dyeing. Yes, there's been more dyeing, all roving. What can I say - I find it very theraputic. I'm definitely working beyond my capacity to spin, so I'm looking into selling some - probably on etsy. More information to come, of course!

5. Touristing and hanging out with my girls. I spent last weekend in Williamsburg, Virginia, with some of my oldest friends (like before elementary school friends). We shopped, drank wine, learned about Colonial life, and ate fabulous dessert. And, visited a LYS - The Knitting Sisters, a fabulous store with a great selection, a friendly proprietor who was knitting some Fetching mitts, and a great sale nook! I may have accidentally fallen off of my KFYS wagon, but I dare you to resist Rowan Denim at 50% off.

6. Planning our vacation. We're going to Scotland! We're spending a week in Oban with Dan's parents and brother. Oban is on the west coast and is the main ferry terminal to the various islands off the coast. We've got our eyes on one particular island trip (puffins!), plus a few other islands, a pub crawl (free t-shirt! Woo!), and many other things... probably lots more things to do than time, in fact. But if you have anything to recommend (particularly yarn or wool sources!), please let me know!

Sorry, that's all I've got... more later!

Sweetheart Baby Sweater

Is this cute or what?

Pattern: The chart for the moss stitch heart came from Knitting for Baby, one of my favorite and often used books. The sweater proportions are also based on the ones in this book, although I had to wing it for gauge, and I created my own neckline with shoulder buttons.
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cathay
Needles: KnitPicks interchangeables, size 6
Started: ~ February 25, 2007
Finished: March 4, 2007

I was down to the wire finishing this one - we stopped at the fabric store on the way to the baby shower to buy the buttons! For what it's worth I tried to stop by earlier in the day (the same day) but the store was closed. I sewed the buttons on and wrapped it up during the car ride. It's supercute and perfect for the new baby, who just arrived earlier this week! (They had the shower just in time - I guess that's what she was waiting for.) I can't wait to see her modeling it.

Here's a close-up of the buttons:

Tiny buttons!

And it seems like it's baby season around here... I've got another tiny sweater in the works for another wee one that's due in three weeks. A boy this time, so no more pink!