Sunshine in my window

This is the first batch of yarn I have ever spun, and as I really had no idea what was going on, I think it came out quite nice. I had no idea what I was going to do with it as I spun and dyed it, but figured it would come to me. In the mean time I hung the skeins in my window, and after a few weeks, decided that they should be a permanent window feature. So here's my curtain of pink dreadlocks. I love it, and may make another... or more. Either way, its lovely.

Here are some of my ceramic creations, most were thrown in the fall, but all were glazed together in February in a very nervewraking firing. The colors I developed myself, and using a formula as a base, I had to change that too, so this glaze has been the biggest headache of all time for me. A test after test after failed test kind of headache. Lets just say after working with it since October or so, it was a darn good thing it decided to work finally.

So here they are!

Good day sunlight!

The sun has returned to H'burg! I had forgotten how much I love March sun, so it has been a most enjoyable start to the week. AND I finished my super cool shrug arm turned knee socks tonight! (I call them the *shrug* socks) YAYYYYY!!!!

The yarn is from a local alpaca farm, Blue Ridge Farm, and I had started out with the intent to knit a shrug, but realized that I dont wear shrugs, plus the yarn could qualify in the mid-weight division of a sheading match, which I can't stand. So I ripped back and stuck a foot on the first sleeve and made a second to match. the pattern is all my own, and I'm quite proud of my cabled rib. and the fact that the cables mirror eachother, something my darling friend A suggested as a challenge. I took it, what can I say, I enjoy a challenge.

So here they are.

The wonders of no fingers...

I love love making things that keep fingers warm. It's my thing, just ask the family members who got such gifts for Christmas this year. They are fun, quick and visible things, gloves and mittens. I love spicing them up by leaving out finger tips and making flip-top mittens... I have finger mobility issues, they have to be able to feel and move at a moment's notice, none of this pull off the mitten to unlock the door business!

Here are two of my favorite finger warmers, both with alpaca yarns, and the fair isles were inspired by patterns from Alice Starmore's wonderful book. And the double layer of yarn keeps even the tipsiest bit of my fingertips warm when its cold.

The pretty green arm-length warmers have the pattern from Stitch N'Bitch by Renee Rigdon, the project that began my deep admiration and some may say obsession with double points.

So i'm a sucker...

So yeah, I've gotten sucked in, I'm hoping others read it, and enjoy my knitting and ceramic adventures (project is just a boring word, don'tcha think?... even though I use it everyday...). I'm excited, and am looking forward to posting pieces and talking with more super fun crafters, because what else is more exciting than making stuff but talking about making stuff?!?

Here I go!