Monday, September 27, 2010

Chrome64 is Phat

I mentioned last week that I would be contributing to 
the October Phat Fiber box!

And here it is!
This months theme is Steampunk!

I'm not sure how steampunk this really is,
but I've been taking pictures of manhole covers 
for years and years and years...

There is something about the textures, colors, and rust
that appeal to me!


So, I decided to base my inspiration on just that...

Rust!

I give you:



Each sample is packed in a super cool plastic jar!
Merino, Corridale, and Sparkles

Extra samples, complete with a super cool jar,
will be available in my Etsy store on October 11.

And look, the super cool jars can be used for all sorts of things!
 Full Size Batts of IRON OXIDE will also be avialable
in my Etsy Store on October 11!!!

Monday, September 20, 2010

A Great Big Thank You!!!

I made a difficult decision this month... 
when I realized how much money I have spent 
on fiber related goodies over the last 6 months,

I decided it was time for a Fiber Diet! :(

For the first time since March, I would sit out of the Phat Fiber box...

This made me sad.
Don't get me wrong, I don't "need" the fiber,
but it makes me happy, and I love the thrill of
scooping up a box during the 60 seconds each month 
that they are available and then 
the 3 days that I spend watching the videos 
over and over again while waiting for my boxes to arrive.

It turns out that I have some really awesome friends on Ravelry!!!

I came home one day to find a giant box on my front porch.
I thought, what is this... Did I order something...
When I opened it I found the best surprise ever!


OrangeJello1984 sent me an awesomely HUGE
Fiber Care Package to help me get through
my Fiber drought!

As you can see, 
I couldn't wait to spin the Watermelon Batt
that was her contribution to the
September Phat Fiber Box
(that I sat out of!!!)

The other two batts are in Mickey Yellow 
and Mickey Red!! I can't decide if I want to ply them
together or spin them alternately to make self stripping yarn!


Oskar loved the Watermelon!!!

Here's the final yarn, 2-plied!

Then I flew away to Germany and when I returned
and picked up my mail, LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!

This Super Sweet black and white batt arrived from
Uniquely Yours and was sent from "A Friend!"


Seriously, I nearly cried.
I have the coolest Fiberholic Friends and
I hope to find some great ways to pay it forward
as the year goes on!

THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!

To both Kassi and my mystery Friend!

Phat Fiber day came and went,
I watched both drops and had 
a serious twitch in my mouse hand.
But I survived!!

On to October! 
Where I hope to be a contributor for the very first time 
and the theme is Steampunk! 
Oh wait, I have already prepared 40 of my 50 samples 
so I'm well on my way!

My first contribution as a Phattie will be called "Iron Oxide!"
Inspired by one of my beloved Manhole Cover Pictures:
Here is Randall showing off my Ginger batt 
from the Famous Couples Spin-A-Long

And here is my Thelma & Louis, well half of it anyway.



Right before I realized the need for my Fiber Diet,
I found this awesome MiPattern Saver from 
Slip Stitch Studios, with matching travel scissors/key-chain!



I thought you all might enjoy a pic of my knitting flare 
that goes with me most anywhere!

I'm afraid I don't have my required 37 pieces...

My favorites: 
Keep Calm and Carry Yarn
Knit Your Freak Flag
F.A.A. Member - Fiber Addicts Anonymous

I also placed an special order with
IST Crafts about a month ago.

I explained to Ian that I wanted a smaller,
but heavier, version of his Turkish Spindle.

This is what we came up with!

This is Atlas!
He has gorgeous Snakewood legs:


And the shaft is Bog Oak!!
Here is the excerpt from IST Crafts' website:
"Quercus petraea - Sourced from the East Anglian fenland basin this stock of Bog Oak has been carbon dated to 3,300 BC so is in excess of 5000 years old. Logs are excavated from a sunken forest caused by a rise in sea level that started about 7000 years ago."

How cool is that? 

Check out the grain on this wood!!
Atlas will certainly be a world traveler!

Random side note:
I found a head to model my hats.
She freaks me out a little bit at night!


And I know you are all still waiting to see the final
AMAZING SWEATER!

Life is still interrupting 
and it's just way tooooo hot for the modeling session 
that will be required to get proper pictures!

So here's a blocking picture to hold you over!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Munich

Rathaus

YouTube Video


Randall over Munich!














Ratskeller










- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Please stand by....

Life is interrupting our regularly scheduled program!!

I'm currently in the Atlanta airport waiting in line to beg for an upgrade on my flight to Munich.

The Amazing Sweater is DONE!! It's been blocked and the ends have been woven in. But between State Fairs, football games, and work, I haven't had any time to take pictures or post updates!!

So it will just have to wait!

But I do have some exciting news!

I'm going to a spinning retreat in Newport, Washington!!! I'm so excited and I'll get to meet some of my favorite fiber artists In REAL life!! Squeeeeee!!

This will also be the first public appearance of ThE MOST AMAZING SWEAtER EVER EVer ever!!!!!

And Leroy and the gang will get to meet everyone too!

I will be back with more awesomeness soon!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Leroy Goes to the Fair



Having some knowledge of statics, dynamics,
and structural integrity, I couln't help thinking
we're all going to die

Especially since everything was put together 
with chains and cotter pins.


But we all survived.
Leroy enjoyed the fair and got lots of attention!


Randall, pictured above, had lots of fun
showing off how fast he could spin!


And no fair is complete with out lots of things
DEEP FRIED!
I was actually disappointed that they
didn't have Deep Fried Oreos...


Look! I won a fish!

Chuck and Sally Update!

Chuck and Sally are enjoying their new home 
in Germany with Edith!

Here's what they've been up to:

From Edith: "I like to spin a very thin yarn with Sally, 
but also a little thicker with Chuck (very nice with the wool silk!)"

I gave Edith some samples from Bohoknitterchic,
CCSmile2006, and a few others!

Look at how much she packed onto Sally!



There are so many pretty flowers every where in Germany!
Just growing on the side of the road even!
I could go for a walk and pick a full bouquet
without taking a single flower from someone's yard!

Sally in her new sweater (handdyed merino):

Chuck likes wool-silk (it´s 75g!!!):

Sally loves flowers :-)

Back home again and this is from my Famous Couples Spin-A-Long
which is a Craftypuppylover/Bohoknitterchic collaborative Spin-A-Long
This is Fred from my Fred and Ginger batts!



This is my plied Grape Sheep Smoothie!
She has some adorable hand made Teddy Bears in her shop too!
So cute!

Now, to prove that I do not have a one track mind...
I spun half of my Thelma & Louise 
(not sure which one this is, 
but I know it's Craftypuppylovers...)
Famous Couples SAL on my new
Butterflygirldesigns top whorl glass spindle.

So, I can do it, and it's a very very pretty spindle.
And it's very pretty when it spins.

But I just don't think that spindle spinning, on
anything other than a Turkish, is for me!

You see, now I have to wind this off of the spindle
before I can ply it.
That's just more work...


But I tried it, I proved I could do it.
And now I'm good, I no longer need this spindle!
So, Who wants it?
$25 including priority mail shipping within the US.

I have other top whorls that I will be selling,
but I insist on trying them before selling them.
I'll let you know!