March Phat-ness

You got it, Bitches!  I got another Phat Fiber box!  This month the box sold out in 45 seconds during the first round!  45 FREAKING SECONDS!!!  I even woke up early with a hangover from the night before and a bit sleep deprived, and I still got one.  I was quick on the draw I tell you.  My etsy-foo is not to be messed with.  So, yeah, enough of my bragging.  On to the box!

Mine was decorated with all these cute stamps.  Jessie said her kids helped out and I think they gave my box a little extra love.  I could feel it, and I think it rocks!

In the envelope/recipe (for Colcannon, Irish mashed potatoes, the theme was Celtic this month), there were coupons and stitch markers.  The coupons are for Northern Bay Handspun, Wooliebullie, Natchwoolie, SLV Folk Arts and Fiber Festival (put on by Laura Murphy of Wildethyme), Danido Crafty, My Fair Bag Lady (no coupon, just a very vague business card), The Cupcake Factory, and Extreme Spinning.  The coupons were very generous this time around and it’s going to be difficult not to use all of them.

Also in the box, a stone pendant from Ambrosia and Bliss,

a very pretty stitch marker tied with the most adorable little bow, from The Twice Sheared Sheep,

and a photo card of a very delicious looking raspberry from Marlyn’s Corner Store.  And that was just in the envelope, people!  Onward!

Note:  The dollar did not come in the box, if anyone did get dollars in their box though, I call shenanigans.  Mine came from my pocket and it’s just there for scale.

First, some adorable samples of Rambouillet and Merino top from East Kentucky Fibers.  From what I gather from the card, the cream (undyed) is Merino top and the dyed samples are Rambouillet in her various dyelots.  They’re very soft and the colors are nice and rich.

From The Fox Hop, about .5oz of Corriedale cross, Shetland Fleece, Superwash Merino, Alpaca, Bamboo, Sea Cell, and Angelina.  She labels it as a Foxyie Batt, but I’m gonna call it “The Kitchen Sink”, cause it’s got everything but that.  It’s hard to tell in this picture, but the angelina in this batt absolutely glitters!  I keep turning it so the light catches it all over and it just sparkles.  Sigh.

Ohhhhh.  Fiberphile Alchemy.  I love her colors and this one is no exception.   She sent in 5.2g of Merino Bamboo (80/20) Sock yarn in the Emerald Isle colorway.  It’s so squishy and soft!  Quote from her card:  Fiberphile Alchemy is dyed in random overlapping layers of two to four harmonious colors.  This technique creates beautiful blending effects and results in a rich, mulit-dimensional colorscape for your finished project.  How could you not want some of that?!

Moonlight and Laughter sent in an 18 yd skein of Merino/Nylon (75/25) Superwash Sock yarn in the colorway “Kil Kelly”.  It is very squishy and looks like it will have great stitch definition.  The colorway reminds me of my Mom, they’re very much her colors, so therefore I love it!  (she also had a coupon for 20% off your first purchase, so I might have to get a skein of this for mother’s day)

Punk Jordane sent in a really uniquely packaged mini skein of Superwash Wool.  The buttery yellow/soft yarn is wrapped around a bamboo stalk!  Cool!  She also sent a sample of her scented bath salts.  The scent is Full Bloom and she uses real sea salt and cosmetic grade fragrance oils.  It smells really good and it seems like a little would go a long way.

I LOVE the colors on this yarn!  The way it’s spun reminds me of the sample from Fuzzy Bunny yarns in January, but it’s not.  It’s from Simply Twisted Yarns, and it’s got me simply twisted!  There is no fiber content included, but it weighs 23.6g and is about Sport weight.  I can’t wait to see how these colors blend!

This lovely ball of fluff is from Tersa Levite Studio.  It’s .25oz of Hand Dyed & Blended Shetland Wool/Tussah Silk (60/40).  The color is actually brighter than this picture shows.  It’s almost neon green, love it!

This is about the time in the photo session where Sam started to take interest.  So most of the following photos will feature him, or some part of him.

See, there’s a paw.  And some handspun from Dragonmaille (great name!)  It’s 13yds of Alpaca/wool blend in the Celtic Isle colorway.  It has shades of green and brown that are hard to pick up in this picture.  Believe me, it’s very pretty. It’s also spun really well, it’s very even and soft.  I hope one day I can spin this nicely.

Three different colors of Suri Alpaca Locks from Moonwood Farm.  The colors are (top to bottom) Irish Moss, Celtic Gold, and Light Fawn.  From the card:  These samples are washed but will need to be combed before use to remove vegetable matter.  I don’t really have anything to comb them with (except for my comb, but I don’t think that’s the kind they’re talking about), and I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do with them.  But they are pretty, and soft and one day I may find out how to spin with them.

Sam’s helping.  This is quite a generous skein from Abstract Fibers.  25.5g of Mighty Sock (Superwash Merino/Tencel; 50/50) in a Husband-worthy colorway, Steel Bridge.  It’s shiny and soft, and Sam-approved.  That’s good enough for me!

It’s called Cordelia!  (no, not after the Buffy cohort/Angel sidekick, but I’m going to pretend it is)  That would be all I need to know, but I’m sure some of you aren’t as easily convinced (or huge dorks like me, but I certainly know some of you are!).  This is a 15yd skein of Extravagance Sock Yarn from Knit It Up (remember them, I got some smelly and some soft from them).  It’s Superwash Merino/Silk/Nylon/Silver Fibers (63/20/15/2).  It’s got bling, yo!  You can’t tell in this picture, it’s very subtle, but it does sparkle.  Also, the color is actually a little darker than this picture shows.

From Aurora Fiber Arts, this is 2oz of Fireweed Worsted Merino Wool in the Eire colorway.  The colors are lovely and I’m always on the lookout for a nice worsted wool.  I will be keeping and eye on her site for sure!

This deliciousness is from Extreme Spinning.  There are so many good things about this fiber that I think I better let her explain it.  From the card:

 Since I love knitting things that CAN be washed, especially for kids and socks, but hate the idea of always having to work with superwash chemicals, I searched all over for the right wool.  Finally, I found it!  From a small, family farm in the mid-west (what-up!) comes this Certified Organic wool.  These beautiful sheep are raised on open pastures and lots of love!  Happy Sheep make Happy Fibers! 

The roving in your hands comes from Suffolk/Hampshire crosses which are “down” breeds, not wool breeds.  Instead of crimp, down wool has curl, keeping the yarn bouncy even if spun worsted.  For an extremely squishy yarn, spin it woolen! (I don’t know what that means)   The more you wash it, the softer it becomes.  Spin, Knit & Wash!

I have also used no harsh chemical dyes to create this machine washable wool.   The colors you see were created by the new Greener Shades Dyes, an organically certified line of dyes created without use of heavy metals.  And I use an organic soap to wash my fibers.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

I don’t think I need to say anything more.  Except that those two pictures are the same batt (approx. .25oz), top and bottom.

Yay!  Another KIP bag!  Ruddawg makes awesome bags.  This one is a little smaller than the other one I have, but it’ll fit in my “fancy” purse much nicer.  She’s always getting in new fabric so check her site often!

Sam would NOT leave this skein alone!  I don’t blame him either (he gets his great taste from his Mommy), it’s Hedgehog Fibers!!!  My very first 100% silk roving in a delicious colorway (that’s actually the same colors as my cat, no wonder he likes it), Traffic Jam.  I don’t know how many oz it is, but however much, it will never be enough.  I (and Sam) heart Hedgehog fibers!

Hiding out at the bottom of the box, was the Boho Knitter!  Well, not actually her, but one of her patterns.  The Bocca Baciata hair comb pattern, which now that my hair is short, wouldn’t really work.  But I know someone who would look adorable in this, I’m thinking black and red (what do you think Jen?).

So that is my box.  I think the vendors were very generous this month, most of the sample sizes were very large.  I thought the ratio of different types of samples was pretty good (although I would have preferred more fiber, but I think that’s because I’m just getting hooked).  No Knickolas for me, which I was a little sad about.  I wanted to take pictures of him with Franklin Habit, who will be speaking at our library’s Knit-In next week.  Oh well, I might be chauffeuring him around for a bit and Knick is the one missing out.  :) 

Please click on the links and show these Phatties your love.  These are all independent businesses and they can really use our help.  All of the products I have received have been high quality.  The prices at most of these shops are very reasonable as well, they understand that in an economic crisis they are not exactly top priority for the budget (but that depends on how faithful you are to your budget!).  They go out of their way to make sure that your shopping experience is a good one, and some of them even throw in little extras!  Ok.  This concludes my advertising broadcast.  Pictures of handspun to come when I get my birthday spindle from Ray!

A Gift From A Friend

My friend, Maura, went to visit our friend, Heather, in Mankato, MN this last weekend.  We had planned on going together, but work has kept me from being able to go out of town this month.  So, Maura took her first trip (since living in WI) out of town by herself to visit a friend.  It sounds like she had a really fun time, and I can't wait until we can go together and get into some crazy shenanigans.

At one of the several yarn shops they went to, Maura saw some fiber that she knew I would love.  So, being the awesome and wonderful friend that she is, she bought it for me.  Squee!

It's gorgeous, soft, shiny, and SOFT!  Leave it to Maura.  She knew that I was kind of jonesing for some fiber so she brought me a fix!  I love her.  Check this out:

See?  GORGEOUS!

But, you know, she gave this to me on Saturday night.  And I had Sunday off.  Do you see where this is going?  Well, if not, I'll help you out.

This was spun on my Louet drop spindle.  It's a worsted to bulky weight yarn and is approx. 38 yds.  I'm thinking I might be getting a new spindle for my birthday, one that is lighter.  So then I'll be able to spin thinner weights, and therefore make my fiber go a little further.  I also need to work on not over spinning as well.  I tend to get parts of the yarn that coil up on themselves.  This yarn is still really soft though and I think it will make a very nice neck warmer.  Or something.  I could really use a cute crochet mesh hat to go with my new haircut and the soon-to-be-warming weather.  Hmmmm..... so many possibilities.  Want to see another one?  Okay, okay, here you go.

Hey Big Haircut!

Yay!  I got my hairs cut today!  My (awesome) friend, Leah, does hair and nails down at the Orange Pearl Salon (call and make an appointment with her and tell her I sent you, she'll give you a great head massage!) in La Crosse.    She gives great cut.  Much better cut than I do pictures, but here are a few more anyway.

Sam approves (as much as his grumpy nature will allow anyway).  I also went to see The Watchmen today.  I won't say too much, since I know a few people that read this haven't seen it yet.  I'll just say.......hmmmh (that's a pensive hmmmh, not a pompous hmmmh) and ouch.  Take that how you may.

Lavender and Plum

My shipment from Knit It Up (I didn't realize they had a longer name, the etsy site is just called Knit) came today!  My spoils:

2.5 oz of BFL fiber in the Plum colorway, and one pound(!) of Provencal Lavender buds.  That bag that you see?  There are TWO of them.  I know what I'm going to do with some of this, but lordy, I shall never want of lavender again.

So now I have more fiber to practice with on my spindle, and the picture is a pretty accurate depiction of the color so it's going to be some gorgeous yarn! 

Speaking of more fiber:  do you remember that Phat Fiber box I got in January?  The one that led me to Knit It Up (and so many other wonderful shops)?  Well, if you head over to the blog, there is a giveaway for 4oz. of some great superwash merino, a scarf pattern, and a cute pattern holder/reader!  All from Samantha In Stitches Yarn.  Check it out!

As for me, I'm off to spin up some of this fiber and plan out a way to contain this lavender in my stash.

 

P.S.  If this post has led you to buy something from Knit It Up's etsy store, please put my etsy name (ZombieEatsSam) in the comments section.  She has a pretty kick-ass referral program.  Thanks!

I've Got a New Drug

I finally broke down and tried my hand at spinning.  I had avoided trying it out because I knew that I would probably really like it (a lot), and therefore it would be cutting into my yarn budget.  However, Maura had given me the drop spindle I gave her for Christmas a while back (she has a wheel now) and I had some roving lying around that I had won in early January (a giveaway on the Phat Fiber blog), from Desired Haven Farms.  It's the "waste not want not 2."  She took all the thrums from her spinning and carded them with some wool and angora, then dyed the whole thing sky blue.  The staple (or fiber length) is very short, and so it made it a little bit harder to work with.  I think it turned out ok though, especially for being my first try.

It's a thick & thin, sort of by accident, but also because there were slubs of other fibers in it.  Some of the twists are a little tight, but I think after a little more practice I can even it out.

Speaking of practice, I will soon have some more roving to practice on.  Yes, it has begun already.  I found 2.5 oz of BFL for $7 on Knit's etsy shop.  It's the plum colorway.  I think this will be a little easier to work with and will help me work on consistency.  I also picked up 1lb of lavender buds to use in sachets for my stash (I've been meaning to do this for a while).  Maura and I went to the fabric store today and I found some really cute fabric in the quilts section.  The next project is to sew them into pouches to use with the lavender coming my way.

One last picture of my "special creation" :

Love and Left-overs

 

A lovely bouquet of flowers from my Lovely.  I didn't take a picture of the half-eaten (by me) box of chocolates he also gave me.  I don't really want photographic evidence of that deed.

Even though we both worked yesterday, it was a very good day.  He made dinner of Cajun Roast, fried potatoes, and steamed asparagus.  I provided dessert from Fayzes in the form of a seven layer bar and an apple pie square.

It was delicious and there are plenty of left-overs for us to dine well again tonight.

Speaking of "left-overs" (would you believe I didn't even plan that segue?), I've been working on a project to use those samples I got in the January Phat Fiber box.

These are mostly Phat Fiber samples, but there are also scraps and left-overs from other projects.  These are all the sock-weight samples, which were the majority.  I have piles of samples (plus my own) in worsted and bulky weight.  I think I may do knitted squares of those, or try for a scrap yarn scarf or something.

If you're interested in obtaining a Phat Fiber box (which you should be, you have no idea!), the theme for February is Romance & Chocolate.  Here is a link to the video on the Phat blog for all the goodies that will be in the February box (which goes on sale on Monday Feb. 16th, email her- Jessie at phatfiber at yahoo dot com- for the times!).  There are lots of really cool items (patterns and magazines), lots of gorgeous fiber and yarn, and there will even be chocolate!  As well as a few special extras that weren't in last months box.  All this for only $33, shipping included!

I'm passing this on in the hopes that someone I know will get one and I can oogle over theirs.  I can't get one this month, but am very hopeful for the March box. 

 

p.s. the squares up there are done using this pattern.  it's fast and super easy!

Life in the Phat Lane

So (waaayyy) back in December I caught wind of this yarn and fiber sampler box that this wonderful woman, Jessie, was going to be putting together. She'd be getting sample skeins and batts, stitch markers and balms, needles and bags, and all the wonderful things that go along with this great lifestyle. Each month indie crafters would send her their samples in the theme (I LOVE themes!) for that month.

January's theme was "Wintery Mix", and on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 8:22pm (during knitting group, what better time?!) the limited amount of boxes went on sale at Phat Fibers etsy site. Your humble blogger (that would be me), was able to procure a box (there were two available, a fiber and yarn box, and a yarn only box. I went for the latter.) and now I present to you, my spoils:

A box FULL of wonderful samples of yarn! It's a sight to behold. Let's let them out of the box so you can get a closer look at some of them.

From L to R: BunkyBoBo's Superwash Merino Sock in Hera (10g); Melissa's Kre8tions, no info on color or fiber content but it looks handspun and ranges from yellow to red, about worsted weight (4.5g); The Fuzzy Bunny 100% Wool, light sport weight (10g/25yd); Whorled Peace, 3 mini skeins of handpainted sock yarn (total weight 2.8g); Chocolate Princess 100% Wool in Early Winter, dk weight (9g); Wildethyme handspun Wool/Mohair/Tussah Silk, bulky thick 'n thin, and a beautiful purple beaded stitch marker (8.5g); Hedgehog Fibres 65% Merino/20% Bamboo/15% Silk sock yarn in Water Edge, super, super awesome soft (4.3g)

From L to R (and top to bottom): Moonlight and Laughter 100% wool in Leaves of Grass, bulky weight (2.4g), 75% Merino/25% Nylon sock yarn in The Golden Road (1.7g), BFL roving in Deep Lake (3.6g), and an adorable orange glass stitch marker; Crazy4Dyeing Jolly Sock, 100% Superwash Merino in Glacier (13.4g); Yarn Candy by Melissa dark and light blue smooth, metal/enamal stitch markers (and a 20% off discount code which is why they're upside down); Tracy Rios handspun Mohair/Wool/Cotton yarn (11.5g); Turtle Cove Farm Turtle Feet (75% Superwash Merino/25% Nylon) sock yarn in Ice Flower (10g/46yd); SummerStar Creations stitch markers, two red glass beads and one awesome business card! ;); Handspun and Dyed Too handspun Falkland wool (10.5g); Faerie Dust & Angel Fluff 100% Baby Merino Wool, lace weight. This is the SOFTEST bit of yarn I have ever touched. I WILL be buying more of this! Ahem...(2.7g); In Stitches stitch marker and offer for a free gift with purchase, nice and lightweight.

From L to R (and top to bottom): Artemisia Ink 100% Merino Wool (handspun by Ashley Flagg) in Ocean Seaweed, bulky weight (34g/23yd); Island Sweet Fibre Arts handspun Merino/Corn fibre/Ramie/Novelty in Glitter Storm, bulky thick 'n thin (7g); Designs by Tami sent a cute "matchbook" style notepad in a pretty, retro flower pattern; The Lote Tree (this is the wonderful Jessie, mentioned above, that put together this whole thing) Peppermint Lippschitt (great name!) lip balm. I'm wearing it right now and my lips are smooth and tingly! Dragon Lady Designs sent three adorable stitch markers, the strawberry is my favorite! Infinity handspun Superwash Merino/Alpaca, bulky weight (16g); Knit Get a Grip handbalm in Home scent, as far as I can tell it's a balm to make your hands a little tacky so you can grip the yarn and needles better. That's what I get from the instructions anyway, at any rate it smell delicious! DyedByDanido (the tag for this was missing, but I found out who it was from the forums on ravelry. eta: the colorway is Katchemak and it's 100% wool. Thanks for the comment DaniDo!) sock yarn and a link to an exclusive pattern for the yarn (2.2g)! All of these lovelies are laying on the Ruddawg KIP bag that I got. It's big enough to hold a small project such as socks (or the scarf for Ray that I'm working on, more about that later). It's very well made, and while not in a fabric that I would have chosen, it will get plenty of use.

There were also coupon codes for Moonwood Farm, P2tog, and Andey Originals. Hooray for discounts!

All this wonderfulness (either I use this word a lot, or it is actually a word because the spell check isn't underlining it...hmm....) only cost $33.00! That was including shipping (which was mighty fast). I won't be buying the February box (ONLY because I went over my yarn budget this month and need to stop for a while) so if anyone wants to check it out, go to the Phat Fiber blog and email Jessie and she'll send you a notice as to when it goes on sale. However, in March you can bet your sweet, furry yarn biscuits that I'm going to be clambering for one of those boxes. So please don't get in my way, I would like us to remain friends. ;)

Anyway, onto other project news. The $1.50 cardigan that I've been working on for a few months now is nearing completion. These are the two fronts blocking:

I've already blocked the sleeves, and the back is waiting for its' turn on the "blocking board" (which is actually one of those put-together play mats from the toy section at Wal-Mart. Only $20 and it works great!). After that, it's time to sew and then add some ribbing around the neck and fronts, add a few buttons and voila! Cardigan! This process is taking a bit longer than it needs to because I'm also working on this scarf for Ray (any time I put it down, he oh-so-discreetly puts it on my place on the couch. he's very subtle.)

It's the Exchequered scarf from Knitty. Double knit, worked on sz. 3 needles in Reynolds Revue (Gray: 1336 and Chartreuse: 1474). It's a little slow going because of the double knit, but it's going to be so soft and warm that it'll be worth the time for him to be toasty (and look cool).

And now, because it's been a while since you've been accosted with his cuteness......

IT'S SAM!!!!

Hang Over On New Year's Day? How Cliche.

And yet here we are, in our pajamas at 3pm with the lights off, the TV off and the funk of the bar still around us.  Poor Ray is much worse off than I (when he does drink, which isn't very often, he tends to go to far), and is keeping the couch warm with a bucket at the ready.  Despite of the dour feelings we have right now, we both had a really good time being with friends last night and are particularly grateful to a few that helped us at the end of the evening (Matt, Janet, Heidi, and Ben; you all get medals).  Our cameras battery has been dying rather quickly lately, so I don't have any pictures of our debauchery.  However, I do remember a camera and seeing some really awful photos of myself, so the proof is out there somewhere. 

I was prodded by someone (*coughJanetcough*) to post pictures of my Christmas present from Ray.  Since our camera is a bitch, and I'm too f'ing lazy to try taking good photos of it anyway, I'll post this link to a video of my present.  I got both the ball winder and the swift, but unfortunately not the art yarns.

I'm off to down some more water, maybe make some soup, and lay in bed and watch Buffy and Angel. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY, YOU MAKE EVERYDAY WORTH CELEBRATING! (although, perhaps not as much as last night.)

A Day of Pie, Pizza, and Pictures

Yes, faithful followers, I have been neglecting you. I just don't take the necessary time to keep you updated on what is going on. Probably because most of the people that read this blog see me on a regular basis, and we communicate in person. However, there may be one or two people that read this that I don't see regularly, and to you; sorry I've been away.

Anywho, it's Thanksgiving Day! And guess what? I don't have to do A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G! To celebrate our not having to drive anywhere or cook anything, Ray and I had pumpkin pie (store bought, of course) for breakfast. I think every Thanksgiving should start with pumpkin pie. I'm seriously going to make this tradition around our house, why wait all day for deliciousness? For dinner, we're having One Sun Bakery Organic Spinach & Garlic pizza from the co-op. It's our favorite! I might actually break my oath of not doing anything and make this pumpkin bread, but it wouldn't take very long and looks delicious. Worth oath-breakage.

I also took time to take pictures of some of the projects I'm working on, since I haven't done that for a while. I'm almost 3/5 of the way through the Dollar and a Half cardigan from Interweave Knits Spring 2007. I'm using Rowan Soft Lux, in Ciel, that I got super cheap on elann.com.

This is the left front. The back and right front look like this:

A side view of course. Also, I haven't blocked any of the pieces yet, so they look slightly "bubbly".

I really love this yarn though. It's got a slight halo to it, and the metallic fiber that is spun with it makes the fabric sparkle. Glee!

I finally started on the Pride project from the 7DSC last night. It's my first real lace project and already I think I'm doing it wrong. Maybe some one can tell me by looking at it, but the spots where my YO are don't seem to be "twisting" like they do in the picture of the project (and in the one's other people have done).

If you look at the row of YO by my right index finger, you can see they form more of a sideways "V" rather than a single line, like this one does:

Actually, after looking at this picture compared to mine, none of my YO look right. Is this one of those "blocking" things? I know that lace isn't really completed until it's blocked (and the second one OBVIOUSLY is). Just looking at the stitches though, mine don't seem to be "formed" right. I know I'm doing the actual YO correctly, and on the next row I'm working them through the front. Am I supposed to work them through the back? The instructions don't say either way.

This technique dilemma aside, I really like doing lace.

Ok, onto the spoiler mentioned above. GREED! That's the theme of the 5th shipment of the 7DSC.

We've got 367 yds of 50/50 Superwash Merino/Tencel in the Precious Metals colorway (Gold & Silver). A $100 bill magnetic bookmarker, gold, silver, and copper colored bangles, gold and silver chocolate coins (which I greedily ate before I could shoot them. I wasn't too greedy though, I shared them with others), clear beads to string onto the yarn as well as a silver button for the pattern, a stitch marker of $100 bills, and a length of cream colored raw silk (used as the background here) for the lining.

The pattern is for a clutch purse, to hold all of my monies. Of which I have very little of at this time of year, and in general. I could stuff it with toilet paper though and no one would know the difference, just like in middle school......erm, I mean. What's that over there? ~runs away~ :)

So, that is the latest shipment, and I am pleased. Very pretty yarn, very good use of the theme, and it came with chocolate. Thumbs up!

p.s. I have designed a project for Knitty which they are going to be using in an upcoming issue (not the next one), but I don't know which one yet. So I can't say what it is, but when I find out which issue it'll be I'll let you all know. Squee!