Fairly Shocked

Two entries. One ribbon.

Lace Ribbon Scarf and Z's Raglan.

I'm so stinking happy! Already making plans for next year. :-)

There was SO MUCH gorgeous work this year.
God, I love the Fair!!!

Thannksgiving in August

Back at home. Feels like... home.

A loss and a lot of love.

At my grandmothers funeral

I kept looking at my child,

my siblings, my niece,

my mother and thinking:

thank you.

What a gift.

Will be spinning at the State Fair on opening day, 8/21.

Stop by the Baa Booth to say hi.

Also entered 2 knit items. Will see how I do.

And the living is easy...

10% and SWMBO* came up from TX to spend the 4th.
They get to escape the heat and we get to enjoy their company.

We all went up to Duluth for a couple days and were back safely at home for the holiday.

Franconia, MN has the best Fourth of July Parade in the country.
No spectators, only participants.
Marching followed by a cookout party,
complete with egg toss and 3-legged race.

Good fun for the whole fam-damily!

We did manage to set off a few fireworks.

In spite of what Z's frantic retreat implies, these were merely smokebombs.

We waited until after dark to almost sear his foot off with sparklers.

Hit the river this weekend with our neighbors.

Z adores driving. He quickly learned to operate the accelerator.

Check out the wake!

Guppie Z learns to swim.

Thank you Stearns Company!

A big storm in a big sky yields a big rainbow.
As context, nuttnhubby's sculpture is 65 feet tall. Details here.

Miss Julie and I head to La Belle Vie on Friday. Ooo La La!

Our great love of this restaurant was inspired by our even greater love of the Supreme Julia. I highly recommend adding her shows to your Netflix queue.

Details on our meal plus fiber dyeing, spinning, and knitting forthcoming.

* She Who Must Be Obeyed

What rhymes with Penguin?

Basketweave Cowl

Pattern: modified version of the PurlBee Basketeweave Scarf

Yarn: River's Edge - nuttnbunnyspunme dk
113 yards navajo plyed

Warmy Neckerson

Pattern: my own

Yarn: Vineyard - nuttnbunnyspunme dk
cashmere/tussah 50/50
nuttnbunnydyedme too :-)

Love that carved stone button.

Little Penguin

Pattern: my own improvisation
I took notes as I went and will try to put it all together in a pattern.

Yarn: River's Edge - nuttnbunnyspunme fingering
168 yards 2 ply

nuttnhubby said I really captured that "penguin essence". Hmmm....

Mowl (that's a Man Cowl) :-)

Pattern: Gloria Cowl

Yarn: Sterling - nuttnbunnyspunme fingering

Notes: Multipurpose. He can wear it around his neck too.

Happy Fathers' Day! xoxo...

Still life with snakes.

Z's play is becoming more and more enchanting. I love stumbling upon these little scenarios. I think I'll start capturing the images, fill in the narrative and make them into a children's book. :-)

More images of everything on Flickr.

The same, only different

This week was a study in doing the same thing twice.

This is my head... This is my head emerging from a chrysalis.

Pattern: Balsam

Modifications: Knit an abbreviated version casting on 90 stitches and working 2.5 pattern repeats for a cowl.

Yarn: nuttnbunnyspunme dk
Insect Wings
from Hello Yarn Fiber Club
February 2008
BFL

And a twin. Now, why would I need two of these? Hmmm...

And the same in spinning.

River's Edge Fiber split and spun two ways.

This into 168 yards 2 ply at 15 wpi/fingering.

I have a new found love of plying from a center pull ball.

And the same fiber, other half.

Spun into 113 yards DK weight at 11 wpi navajo ply.

Related, yet different.

What it is. What it isn't. What it might be.
That's one for me to ponder all week. :-)

Well, I didn't mean for that to happen!

A quick blog vacation.

Back to our regularly scheduled program...

Mother's Day gift for my Mom. As mentioned elsewhere, I must really love my mom b/c anyone else would totally have gotten a flower delivery while I made off with this scarf!

Z was my little helper by shooting this pic!

Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf

Yarn: nuttnbunnyspunme
Verdant
from Hello Yarn Fiber Club
January 2008

I think we may be looking at a State Fair entry. What do you think?

Some sweet spring mud for the recent Cowl Craze.

Pattern: Purl's Cashmere Cowl

Yarn: nuttnbunnyspunme
Mud Season
from Spunky Club
March 2008

They have another pattern for a lace cowl that I'm going to try too.

Shepherd's Harvest Festival was on Mother's Day weekend.
Lots of stash building. (I bought the equiv of how many sheep?!?!?)

And "Party Dress/She's So Unusual" took the Blue Ribbon in Novelty Yarn. I'm surprised by how few entries there were in the skein competition. Why is that?

Lastly, I've got a little Scavenger Hunt going on Ravelry. You have to find it to play. There will be prizes... Come on! :-)

The Young, Mysterious King

El Mysterioso Rey Jr.
I consider it a public service when he wears this to the grocery store.

We're on a prairie restoration cycle at Franconia Sculpture Park and we burned the fields in that service earlier this week.

Awesome.

Miss Julie had a birthday!

In her honor
(1) Claire the Lamb produced this bag o' fleece which
(2) I (in her honor) spun into yarn.


13 oz prepared fleece spun into 576 yards 12 wpi 2 ply sport weight yumminess.

Color - natural

Texture - soft and bouncy

:-)

Destined to be knit into what I hope will be an appropriately honorable Christmas gift.



And more spinning.

"Insect Wings"
Hello Yarn Fiber Club
February 2008
10 oz (how I love the double club) BFL

Spun into:
323 yards
10.5 wpi
DK Weight

Julie Frick energized a great devotional cowl worship on Ravelry and Flickr.

After a secret gift project is complete (not for you Miss Julie, not yet :-))
Insect Wings will become a cowl.

Better late than never

Pattern: Incredible Custom-Fit Raglan
Yarn: nuttnbunnyspunme dk - low country from Hello Yarn fiber
Notes: Best worn while dancing around and singing the theme to Scooby Doo




And not a moment too soon. He's almost outgrown it!

Can't stop smiling about these stripes.


We've been serious EZ Bakers.

Might be better if we added more chocolate.


V. carefully...


Wonder if this frosting's any good. Let's check it.


Hits the spot!


Yes - it's still snowing... in April.
Those are Hammie's prints.
He really wants the squirrels to get off his damn porch.
It's a cat thing.


And another pair. MUST try another pattern after this.

Pattern: Dragon Scale Mitts from PurlBee
Yarn: Frog Tree Alpaca - sport weight
Notes: used the US2 needles again. Like em a little snug.

These are a gift for Tara at La Belle Vie. Miss Julie and I are taking nuttnhubby and Anna Nanna out for dinner this weekend to celebrate our birthdays. Oooo baby!

Hello 41! Big plans for a great year. :-)

Sprung?

Need things to stay warm. It's still winter here.
Don't let the passing of the first day of Spring fool you.

Pattern: Quickie Cowl by Fawn Pea

Modifications: Used Size 11 needles, provisional cast on, and grafted to finish.
Just like on Frivoli!

Yarn: nuttnbunnyspunme bulky - “Mutant Peeps” from Spunky Club
on flickr and ravelry

Notes: Super fast, super soft, super cute. Destined, alas, for a gift.



And for another Spring activity:
Newly boiled and ready to dye in the super-speedy-nuttnbunny-uber-dye method.

• Put in a colander.
• Splash with vinegar.
• Sprinkle with food dye.
• Swirl around.
• Rinse.
• Dry on a cake rack and...

Voila! 4 dozen in 15 minutes. Call Guinness, it's a Record.


Thank you Easter Bunny.
I'm a little scared of this guy. So sweetly menacing.
Z was much more brave.



Friends came over for an egg hunt. In the snow for godssake!!!!


Post egg hunt movie time.


My tummy hurts. Can I please have one more piece of candy? It's a just little tiny racecar.

Mmmmm.... Ham.

Another for Pay it Forward. Now if I could only get my ass to the post office!

Pattern: Lacey Ascot
Yarn: nuttnbunnyspunme sport here on Ravelry
Notes: Christina Marie's original looks so great with the color shifting Noro. Not sure this subtle yarn shows off the pattern as well.


It is v. v. soft. So happy to knit with my own yarn. I'm heading to Keri's shop for some more of her wonderful battlets. Suggest you follow me there.


More knitting for Pay it Forward.


Pattern: PurlBee Beret
Yarn: Locally produced fine Alpaca
Notes: Made this one exxxxxxtra slouchy


More spinning. This from Spunky Club February 2008.

"Think Spring" colorway
100% South African Fine Wool
has spun into
"Mutant Peeps"
100 yards
Navajo Plyed
Bulky @ 7 wpi


"Animal"

This fiber from Spunky Club January 2008.
100% Icelandic Wool

The fiber (which I neglected to photograph) seemed so "beasty", in a good way, that I wanted to spin it bulky to capitalize on it's "animalness",

Not sure what to do with 63 yards of bulky - 7 wpi. Maybe a blanket for Z's puppy to accessorize with his little raglan?


Charged Hammie's scratcher up with some fresh catnip. He's feeling fine.

Got another 4 inches of snow on Monday night. With Easter this weekend I think the kids are bound for an indoor egg hunt.

At least we'll have the ham to console us.