~~Last night was another fun Chicks with Sticks night. Most of the usual crowd was there and we had a visitor, Aricka who was a lot of fun. She had stopped in the shop earlier in the day and saw the shop sample of my Tulips Scarf and Hat. She wanted to buy it or learn to make it.
~~Turns out she did both! Patti didn't have a copy of my pattern in the shop, but it's so simple I was able to write it out and show her how to make it. She had crocheted in the past, so I really just had to give her a little refresher. She used a beautiful rose color of Ultra Alpaca and got quite a bit done while there. She did a great job and she seemed quite pleased, which pleased me. I just love it when someone gets so excited over a project, especially when it's my design :-)
~~Several of the regulars of CWS have recently taken up spinning. Since there doesn't seem to be a local spinning group, we decided to start our own. Patti offered to host it at the shop and we'll be getting together once a week to spin. I can't wait; it's a great group of friends and it's nice to have an excuse to meet a second night each week :-)
~~I started another sweater for Clover the other night. I knit a few inches on it thinking I was using the size 8 needles that I'd just finished using on her other sweater. Granted, they didn't look like 8's, but that was the size I had put in my knitting bag when finishing the other sweater. I wasn't liking how tight it was knitting up and decided I'd try a size 9. I took out my Harmony tips and that's when it hit me - I had ripped out the Lisha Lace Scarf the night before (we will not speak of this other than to say the pattern is great; I just can't count) and threw those needles (size 5) in my knitting bag. The size 8's had already been put away.
~~No wonder it was tight! Needless to say, I ripped out and restarted the sweater using the size 8's. That was yesterday afternoon before CWS. Here's where it's at after CWS (just a couple inches left on the back):
~~I bought this yarn from Zonda about a year or so ago when she mentioned that she had extra and wouldn't be using it. It's Freshisle Fibers Suffolk Wool. Along with the watermelon self-striping, she also had the solid watermelon red (which I used on the seed stitch border) and the solid watermelon pink, which I think I'll use for the sleeves.
~~I'm hoping that tonight I'll finally finish spinning the singles of the Campfire fiber I bought from Heather last month at Fiber Revival. I really can't believe how long it's taking me to spin. It seemed like I was really moving along quickly there in the beginning.
~~It may have seemed that way because after spinning for a while, I weighed the fiber I had left and thought that I had already spun 2 1/2 of the original 4 ounces. I thought it went pretty fast and the bobbin didn't look all that full but I changed bobbins and began spinning the "second half".
~~A couple days later, Samm wanted to see what I had for fiber so I went into my fiber closet and guess what I found. Yep, the actual "other half" of the fiber was in the closet. I had only spun 1/2 an ounce on the first bobbin - DUH.
~~Why yes, I am rather brain dead at times, why do you ask?
~~Go ahead, laugh at me. I can take it. I'd laugh if it were you instead of me.
Hey, what night is CWW (chicks with wheels) going to be? I'll have to see if I can make it. Maybe on a Thursday...
Posted by: Brenda | Sep 17, 2008 at 07:25 PM
Spinning group??? Yay! I can't wait til my next vacation so I can come spin!!!
If I even remember how, that is...
Posted by: Sheepish Annie | Sep 17, 2008 at 07:25 PM
Damn, CWW... I so live in the wrong neck of the woods!
Posted by: marianne | Sep 17, 2008 at 10:43 PM
Glad Samm could help you out! hehe..it was in a safe place, you just couldn't remember (as I do too!) Clover's Watermelon Pullover is going to be sooooo cute!!
Posted by: Zonda | Sep 18, 2008 at 08:10 AM
I love the Watermelon; it's adorable and it's going to look great on Clover! :) Your spinning group sounds like it's going to be lots of fun - - great of you to organize it.
Posted by: dana | Sep 18, 2008 at 08:56 AM
Love the watermelon yarn!
Posted by: cursingmama | Sep 18, 2008 at 09:51 AM
Watermelon pullover is going to be really cute.
Posted by: Amy | Sep 18, 2008 at 10:44 AM
That's so great that you started a spinning group. I LOVE my Tuesday night group.
Posted by: ~Kristie | Sep 18, 2008 at 02:51 PM
I love that watermelon colorway. It's going to be perfect. I can't wait for Chicks with Wheels to start on Thursdays. Must we wait until a week from Thursday?? :(
Posted by: Carol | Sep 18, 2008 at 03:47 PM
Oh man, that watermelon sweater is going to be adorable.
Posted by: Chris | Sep 18, 2008 at 05:31 PM
That watermelon yarn is beyond gorgeous. Now I'm going to spend all night looking for watermelon colored yarn on the Internet.
Posted by: April | Sep 18, 2008 at 11:54 PM
I feel so bad that you had to rip out the LLscarf! What happened? Can I help in any way??
I love your Watermelon sweater...I have a similar yarn tucked away and I'm thinking of making myself some socks with it. For me!
And I think the spinning group you formed is awesome!!! You'll be spinning 10 times as much now!!!
Posted by: Gina aka SleepyEyes | Sep 21, 2008 at 05:43 PM