Molly, Me & My Mini

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2011-02-24T13:25:00.000-08:00

This morning just before 7 am, the snow was still coming down. All the schools closed for the day. Molly enjoyed snuffling and biting the snow. She gets just as excited as a little kid and wants to go out and play. The storm moved out of Canada, across Washington and hit us yesterday and last night, then it was off to California where San Francisco is expecting a dusting of snow. Mid morning the sun came out and by noon most of the snow had melted. More is expected this afternoon, but I suspect by tomorrow it will be a non-event. I covered tulips and budding hydrangea hoping to save them.

Midlife-Crisis, Mortality, or Simply Aging

2011-02-03T10:34:00.000-08:00

Recently a friend of mine posted about turning 50. I found the post interesting, so many of us late baby boomers are turning 50 or will do so soon. For me it is 16 months from now, but very much on my mind. I will turn 50 and weeks later my youngest child graduates high school, so I will also become an empty nester. Now what? What do I do now, cause the same old looks very boring. I love my children, have enjoyed raising them, but it is me time again. I look forward to the spontaneity this time will bring. Initially I know I will stay busier then usual to fill the void, but soon I will ease into the next phase of life. Eating when I want to, going out to see friends anytime I want to, no kids to haul somewhere or asking me for money, opps, I am afraid they still ask for money, college is expensive. Going to the beach for the day, and suddenly deciding to stay the night, because we can!

So with all this on my mind, I recently took a walk by my home to a old cemetery. It was a dark Grey day, the rain had stopped. The only noise was from cars passing by and my shoes in the wet grass. I walked the tomb stones, I took pictures, and saw some interesting things. This cemetery had many tombstones of WWII Veterans. What surprised me the most as I looked for more and more to confirm this. The Vets buried there, most lived long lives, but strangely, most out lived their wives, some by months, others by years. I thought "Us" gals typically outlived our guys, what happened?

I also found plots that were completely overgrown. So what follows are photos I first took using different settings on my camera, then manipulated them. I hope you enjoy the results.

Now I am off to work on my healthy diet, walk the dog, read a newspaper and remember to laugh at myself. Then I think I will spend sometime thinking about my contributions and how I would like to be remembered.
On a lighter note here's to looking at and enjoying another 50 years, hopefully. Remember to enjoy sunsets, and sunrises. Stop when the delicate smell of new roses in spring hits your nose and inhale deeply. Laugh until your sides hurt when your bird dog, leaps chasing a seagull into the ocean, only to realize she can not out swim it as it flies away. Look at the world through childlike eyes, there is glory all around you.

The Process of Creating

2011-02-01T17:37:00.000-08:00

I recently posted on my Artfire blog about creative inspiration and it got me to thinking.....

Once you find a source of creative inspiration, how does it translate for you? What is the required process needed to interpet the inspiration? How many paths are you led down before you decide on a medium to express what you see in your minds eye? Which one do you choose first or is there only one choice? The space you create in what does that look like and how does it serve you, or hold you back?

When I was in high school, we had a career class that we could take. I spent some time in the career center, when I decided I wanted to do something in Art. I found this article about a designer who took pictures out of magazines and photos and kept them all in files for inspiration. This process always stuck with me.

I find magazine ads to be inspiring. So some of the pages in one of my sketch books looks like this,

And This,

Honestly I think these leggings are relevant again, some 15 years later. I mean even the shoes, hello, cute.
So do you keep files in cabinets or do you paste them in sketch books? This is what I do;

Some times, I have been puzzling an idea and it comes to me at night watching TV and so, the idea will float around on a piece of paper like this one.......

The idea needs a little fine tuning, but in the mean time I made the first proto type. Sometimes when an idea hits I am at my desk by my laptop and this happens....

the beginning results of this can be seen in my Studio for sale. Last week when we went to the beach , I came home with.....

It has inspired my summer collection, more about that later.
I hope you start thinking about your process for creating art. Let me know what you like to do. Is it vision boards, or photos, or trips up the coast, flowers in garden?

No Shipping Costs the Month of February

2011-01-28T17:55:00.000-08:00

So here's the deal. At my Artfire Studio( look on the right here for a link) I am not charging shipping IF you enter the code: Valentine when you check out. Everything in my studio is now 20% off. So if your looking for a gift for yourself or someone you love, please check it out.

Valentine's Day Sale

2011-01-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

I have decided to have a sale from now until Valentine's Day at my artfire studio. All books, fiber and fabric will be 20% off. Treat yourself or loved one. You can get a book on something you were always interested in trying, or improve your current skills. Spin some beautiful yarn, or start a quilt!

Please take a look at WBKDesigns

January Randomness

2011-01-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

It is 2011, I am still in shock. By June 2012 I will be an empty nester, as much as I thought I would look forward to the freedom, I don't think I will like it very much. Have I ever said I have the best sons in the world and I am so very proud of them!!

The one thing I knit for Christmas was for my youngest son. He came to me at the beginning of December and said his hands were cold. I jumped at the opportunity to knit for him. Trying to be all casual I asked him if he would like some gloves. He did but he wanted his fingers free. I quickly pulled up Ravelry and with the lightning speed of a regular user, I had fingerless gloves for men pulled up. As we scrolled down, he quickly picked cigar with mods, but he just had to have the same yarn, knitpicks Wool of the Andes. Two weeks later I had the yarn, with two weeks to go, I started to knit, hoping my hand would be ok. His mods included only 2" of ribbing on the wrist. We picked the large size based on his hand width. he wanted all the fingers to end at the first knuckle. As I started to knit the hand and have him try it on, we did other mods. On the second set of increases I used the medium size, on the thumb I allowed all the stitches for the large size. We skipped the strips, of course he wanted all black, he is 16. I knit the rounds for the small, all fingers I allowed the medium size. I liked the way they came out, he is very happy and I finished the knitting on Christmas eve!

My only complaint was with the yarn. I was surprised at how much it shed. I probably noticed it more because it was black.

This caused me to spend some time on google looking up information about mills. Interestingly most of what I found was about mills in the US that have closed. I found that they used Sulfuric Acid to remove debris and neutralized this with baking soda before dumping it in ponds. I also found they soaked yarn in a chemical with the dyes. The land of these mills was toxic and have required clean up. This concerns me as a knitter, as someone who is chemical sensitive and for our environment. Especially so when so many yarns are made overseas and we don't know what they are using or how they are dealing with the waste.

Last but not least, I finally took the time to develop my Artfire Studio you can go there and read my blog about my New Years Resolutions. What have you resolved to do this year?

Ok this is really last, I also treated myself to a gazing with Braco I owe my Step mom lots of gratitude, she told me about him and we went together. I am sure this is not for everyone. All I can say, it was the best gift I have given myself in a long time, words can not adequately describe the experience.

Catching up

2010-12-08T12:59:00.000-08:00

In August, my mother came to visit. We had a wonderful time. We went to the coast and visited the Latimer Quilt and Textile Museum. It was a lovely day and we had lunch on the water. Mom was in search of the Boutique knits book, because she wanted to make the Side Slip Cloche Our travels took us to Knit Purl in downtown Portland where she purchased yarn for both of us to make the hat. More about this later...

September brought rain, fall leaves and my son back in school, while I started the job of packing up our house to move. I needed a break from my MSP so I did something for fun. I made these batts from a dyed roving of merino, bamboo and nylon. I threw in some brown Shetland roving and a chunky bits of soy silk top. Into the drum carder it went for one pass.

I made 4 one ounce batts and spun them into a thick and thin single.

Then I went back to packing, cleaning and moving. As some of you know I over did it and hurt myself. My upper back inflamed, my left arm spasmed and my carpal tunnel flared. Many weeks of doing very little and getting acupuncture. To be followed by a whooper of a fibromyalgia flair that sent me to bed for days. I admit I was grumpy and not fun to be around. Thank goodness for comcast and a dvr, recording shows and watching TV was one of my only past times. Recently I was able to pick up the needles again and started working on a sweater I started in February.

I thought I would do a little book review here. Knits to fit and flatter by Jane Ellison is a lovely book. It is laid out well, with easy to follow instructions and ideas you can use to change the pattern. She offers tips on how to customize the knits so they fit your body. This is my current favorite knitting book. I highly recommend it. I had wanted a basic cardigan and the twice as nice cardigan has been easy to knit. The yarn I am using is Woo Bu by Blue Moon Fiber Arts. In the colorway Oregon Red Clover Honey I love this yarn. It is a dream to knit. I love the feel of the fabric it makes and the slight shimmer the bamboo offers. I had purchased 2 skeins in January. The pattern says I need about 200 more yards for the medium size. Stubborn I am, I am knitting away. I made the back and one sleeve out of one skein. I have completed the second sleeve from the second skein, weighing everything as I go. My calculations say I will have enough for the two front sections, but just in case I do not, I have a plan. I'll keep you up to date.

If your wondering about this picture, it was not random. ~~Hell child,~~ oh I mean my darling kitty Leonardo da Vinci, or Leo as we call him, was laying all over my sweater and book as I was trying to take pictures. I prefer to call him fur ball because when he is done torturing me, he gets up all casual like and as he walks away he swishes his fluffy angora tail from side to side.

Texture

2010-07-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

We have textured skeins we have to do, one with silk and one with mohair. Yesterday after assembling my color wheel I felt the need for something fun. So I decided I would use some Merino blended top, cultivated silk noil and sari silk fibers to create my skein. I weighed, and hand carded and weighed again to do the math and get percentages.

I hand carded rolags

I spun woollen singles, and made a two plies.

I love the way the yarn came out after it was finished. It is springy, fluffly and oh so soft! Another skein in Level 2 complete!

Blending Colors

2010-07-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

In Level 2 we learn to do color percentages, math, blah! We learn how measuring out and recording helps us to reproduce colors. So blending for a color wheel with colored top is in our homework. I enjoyed this process. I found out after blending with hand cards, hand combs and a drum carder, that I prefer using my drum carder. I felt the drum carder produced a much more even blend. I learned that no matter how many times I put the fiber through the carder, it would only blend so much. It is really about how the light reflects off each color used, creating the illusion of the new color. Although I went for a tradional color wheel presentation, I got my colors backwards, opps!

Level 2 MSP

2010-07-09T12:57:00.001-07:00

So Heather here is the picture I promised. This is most of what I have done so far. I think I will spend some time mounting and labeling. I made some labels today based on what we were asked to include. I also think this weekend I will work on combing/blending my fibers for the final project. Saturday my husband is working, so I thought I had time to work on Level 2, but my son just came to me with requests. Sunday we are going to a Lavender Festival. So it is possible for you to gain a bit of a lead on me, just remember the tortoise, grins!

For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, this is my homework for Level 2 of the Olds Master Spinner Program. Last week I attended Fibre Week and took Level 3. One of my class mates is Heather who is also working on her Level 2. I proposed a friendly competition to get Level 2 and 3 done on a timely bases. Heather has decided finishing Level 2 by the end of July is a good goal, so I am desperately trying to keep up, lol!

Oh Canada!

2010-07-09T12:30:00.001-07:00

The end of June Me and the Mini packed full of my spinning tools left Portland headed for Olds Alberta. I drove through Washington, Idaho and British Columbia before entering Alberta and heading north to the Olds for the Master Spinner Program. Below are just a few of the pictures I took along the way. I wish they included a picture of the Canola fields in bloom. Miles of yellow flowers with hugh wind tubines scattered through out and the Rocky Mountains in the back ground, it was 8 am and the skies were blue with clouds. It was so breath taking it still makes my eyes well up with tears when I think of it.

Mushroom Hunting

2009-06-12T18:48:00.001-07:00

Oregon

Northern California

I really have not idea what any of these mushrooms/ fungi are. I take pictures, look in books and ask others. If you think you might know what any of these are, please leave a comment.

That's My Story

2009-05-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

It is all Grumperina's fault! LOL! That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Of course I read her blog, although lately I have not read it. So a couple of days ago I go to her blog to see what she is up to. Well! there I see all these granny squares, and a potholder swap. Off to Ravelry I went in search of patterns. The next thing I know I am down loading Scalloped Potholder and off to Llama Llama Knits for cotton. I came home with Classic Elite Yarns Premiere 50% Pima cotton 50% Tencel what a dream to crochet. In a couple hours crocheting I had a potholder! I am hooked! Thanks Grumperina!

Introducing Airelle

2009-01-20T10:21:00.001-08:00

This is baby Airelle who is just 7 weeks old. She is an English Angora Rabbit. I picked her up on Friday. My other fur child Molly was not to sure about this new addition to the family until yesterday. As usual Molly went to Airelle's cage, but instead of just touching noses, Airelle licked Molly's nose several times.

Fall Is In Full Swing

2008-11-10T13:31:00.000-08:00

Sigh! The lazy days of summer are gone. Fall has descended upon us in a hurry, and time seems to be flying by! Halloween is forgotten and Thanksgiving is nearing us. I have been so busy with kids/school, birthdays, anniversary, appointments, knitting, and getting together with friends that I have not posted. So I have posted some pictures of what I have been up to.

Pretty isn't it! That is the Mendocino Coast. These pictures were a short walk from the cabin my husband and I celebrated our one year anniversary in, last month! It was a very nice weekend filled with wine tasting, window shopping, and nice dinners. Remember This?

How about now?Yes I finished the NobHill Shrug from Knitty. I have lots of left over yarn, so a hat and possibly a scribble type shawl maybe in the works. I also finished spinning the Nancy Finn Merino my mother purchased for me from Knit Purl in Portland. I started working on my fleece study,

but it has been pushed to the side temporarily, ever since I went to Color. Then there was a proud mommy/sister moment as my son, and both my brothers spent the day testing in Wing Tsun. Woo Hoo! Brad made level 1 student! My baby bro made level 6 student! and my middle bro well he is level 10-2 now! Closing in on master level one! It was a long day for all, here is a pic of Brad when we got home. In a moment of play, he ran his hands through his hair and put on his step-fathers glasses, LOL!

So after the Color Fiber Festival and learning the basics of carding from Kristine. I broke out some camel/silk I purchased this summer at her studio sale and started to spin.

It is as soft and shimmery as it looks, I also learned. My friend Marie, told me she had been using her left over singles to practice her Navajo Plying, I thought it a stellar idea. So the last bit I had left, I Navajo Plied and I learned something. I like the camel/silk better in a three ply. It is so soft, it does not develop little bumps. In retro spec I wish I had Navajo Plied all of it!

One of my purchases at Color came from Pan's Garden..... Kettle dyed BFL.....with my new carding skills, the above is becoming this.Which I am spinning woolen long draw into this.I see Navajo Plying in it's future! To top everything off BadCat Designs has come up with a new knit for us! Autumn in NY triangle shawl using a long stripping color way like Noro Silk Garden Sock or Kureyon Sock. I am using the Kureyon Sock in colorway S229 A. This is a pic of charts A&B completed. I am currently working on chart C which she posted on Friday.

Booties Are Done!

2008-10-20T16:15:00.001-07:00

The booties are finished! Finding buttons was a challenge, but I think the trains are cute. The hat is a simple pattern I found on the internet, I think using both yarns from the booties and getting a tweed effect was a good choice.

Funny Share

2008-10-20T16:01:00.001-07:00

Recently I received this from my step mom, she's funny! I have to say it made me laugh out loud. Then it made me grateful that my Molly girl has never done this, but then again she is not left alone and I don't leave my knitting out.

Last week while at the grocery store my teen sons were up to mischief. When I returned I found they were dressing up Molly.
Can you say " I wanna be a cowgirl"? I was told no funny clothes on the dog, while game on. Knitting For Dogs has been marinating on the bookshelf since May. I think it is time to do a little doggie knitting!

Fleece Study!

2008-10-10T16:18:00.000-07:00

Look what the mail carrier brought today!

Do I start with the cleanest? dirtiest? Ones with least amount of lanolin? Long staple? short staple? Do I just dive in and have fun? Note to self-in the future-if I buy a fleece it will have been coated and skirted, 'cause, wooo! weeee! do some of them smell, gracious me!

In need Of Some Quickies

2008-10-10T14:36:00.001-07:00

After finishing the Summer Sampler I have been in need of a quick knit. These were just the ticket. Although not finished yet, I will finish them this weekend, so I can move on to a hat to go with them. It was also time to start my mood board. This was inspired by a trip last Thanksgiving to the Oregon Coast. It was so difficult to decide on which pictures, since there are hundreds!
My first hand spun was inspired by a shell from that trip.
It was the first time in way too many years to count that I spent Thanksgiving with my father and his lovely wife. It was also Molly Dog's first big run free at the beach for a week trip, she was 8 1/2 months old. The camel/silk I spun reminds me of my father, the one person in this world who gets me more then anyone, we creatively think alike. He also has this amazing ability with just a look, a certain look, that gets me to go along with whatever crazy idea he has in mind. It usually ends up being something fun, silly and full of laughter and adventure. So once I put all of it together, I ran for my stash of fiber and yarn. Right to left Camel/Silk, Alpaca/Silk & yummy soft Cotton.
Then I grabbed these. Left to right A soft chunky Alpaca, which I might make into Morning side Neck Warmer by Brooklyntweed , a blue green cotton/silk, maybe into a mobius shawl and 1300 yrds of soft 3 ply Alpaca I am undecided about.

The Never Ending Knit is Finished!

2008-10-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

Done! Over! Finished! Moving on! Whew! LOL! What a great experience knitting the Summer Sampler Shawl with BadCatDesigns has been. I learned so much for the lovely Andrea! Thank you! I look forward to knitting more of her designs. So here are some photos.

Good Girl Gone Bad!

2008-10-04T17:01:00.000-07:00

I have been trying so hard to stick to my plan, be disciplined, follow through. It has been 10 days since my new wheel arrive, my shawl is still not finished, but I have been practicing spinning on my wheel. I thought I could stick to it, just spin the Corriedale. I was doing well, spinning a heavy worsted weight. three skein I spun and plied into 2 plies. I have 2 lbs of the stuff, gees. Then it started... I decided to spin smaller, just one skein, no big deal, a 2 ply fingerling. Eight bobbins of singles, four skeins of yarn, it was time to take a break, focus on knitting. I made it 2 days and the collapse began....This little voice. You know you want to spin. I ignored it, then I saw a beautiful 2 ounces of Bombyx Silk roving in shades of purple at Llama Llama Knits. I tried to be strong... The little voice came back, you know you want to spin the Merino/Silk in shades of purple,white,burgundy.... I could not take it. I broke out the wheel and spun and spun. Before I knew it I was racing back to the yarn shop and purchasing the Silk.

The Merino/Silk Became this..... and then the Silk..... Voila! I spun the two singles together.

I know I am addicted, I just had to spin. This morning I was checking my stash and worrying, I might run out of fiber. LOL! I know I am being silly. It is just so much fun to spin, I absolutely love it!

Now I can spin some more Corriedale and wait for another 2oz of silk to arrive, so I can spin the rest of the Merino. I only used 1/2 of the 4 oz's I had. Then I will have enough yarn (approx 350 yards) to make something beautiful.

Molly Approves The Sonata

2008-09-25T22:22:00.001-07:00

Earlier then expected the door bell rang. Molly runs for the door, as I open the door and see the box, I just smile. Molly could not stop sniffing the box, it did travel through 6 UPS stations to reach us. Trying not to trip over her, I get it inside. Hmmm, small frown, the box was torn open and taped back up, but my hopes are high.

I guess companies don't know that when you put a fragile sticker on a box, USPS & UPS interpret that as drop kick!

I knew it would come nestled in a nice padded case... So out it came.

Since Molly was a pup we have worked with her on her shyness. Sometimes statues scare her and she gets worked up, barking and such. The first time she did that, I have to admit, I laughed so hard I cried..... Anything new has to be thoroughly investigated. First inspection- hmm seems okay.I unwrapped it, more sniffing............

Mom it might be okay, but I can't be sure............

Alright! We can share a chewie with it....................

She almost changed her mind when it started to move..................., so I took this video.

Finally I was able to try my Sonata. I love the smooth treadling. Super easy to stop and reverse direction. So I made my first yarn on a wheel. I am addicted!

Academy Of Science!

2008-09-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

I have to say it was so worth the wait! I will be visiting it many more times. The new Academy Of Science is a mixture of the old and the new and so much more!

Bless my husband, he is a good man! He signed us up for a membership, so today we went to a member preview. My loving husband at the last minute could not make it, he is 1/2 way to Oregon picking up his booth for his trade show next week, more about that later.

Early this morning I kicked my teenage sons out of bed and off he headed for San Francisco. It was so much fun! I felt like I was 10 yrs old again. Anyone who lives in the BayArea the Academy will be free to the public during it's grand opening September 27 & 28, then it will be free the third Wednesday of every month. Please encourage your PTA's to fund field trips. For children in groups of 15 who live in San Francisco it is free and for all other's it will be $4.95 a student. If I sound like a spokes woman, well I am. I feel it is very important for our youth to be encouraged to explore Art & Science.

I took many photos and my son (who has a better video camera) took even more photos and videos. For now this link has only mine, but either tonight or the next couple of days I will add his. Enjoy! Update:9/22/08 I have added my son's photos, please keep in mind he is an enthusiastic young photographer.

http://picasaweb.google.com/WBKdesigns/AcademyOfScience?authkey=XQUSdvDF48k#

Chihuly and Beyond

2008-09-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to San Francisco for the day with my mom. She wanted to see the exhibit at the Legion of Honor, when we got there, it was packed. It was not the first Tuesday, which is free and crazy crowded, it was the second Tuesday, what gives? I still don't know why so many people were there. We made a last minute change and dashed for the DeYoung Museum hoping to see the Chihuly Exhibit . Not crowded and we walked right in, being a member, sometimes makes this easy. Well it did not disappoint! It was awesome, breath taking, wow! For me Museums are a venue for creative energy, I find inspiration and renewed interest in designing. So what follows are several photos I took.
These were spectacular! This photo does not do them justice. They are huge! The rooms were black, with spot lights on the glass, my little digital camera can only do so much.

This is the garden. The black and green pieces remind me of swans.

After the museum we headed to Sutter Street, anyone know what is there?...

Upon our arrival we had lunch at Cafe Metropol. It was nice, I have never had a vanilla lemonade before, I really enjoyed the unique taste. This Cafe is just steps away from .....you guessed ArtFibers. I was in search of Triple Cheese Cake for the Nobhill Shrug. I love Artfibers' yarns, but as we all know they get discontinued them quickly. So I was in hunt of a replacement and this came as a suggestion Chanteuse for the body and Udon for the accent. I know, I know I have not finished the summer sampler yet. I have finished the 3rd corner and I am working on the second long side, the finish is in site. I was temporarily derailed, I could not help myself! Just look at this chunky monkey squeezable goodness. The need for something quick and Fall like consumed me. I blame it on the wool fumes, I was weak, just for a moment.

Now back to the Summer Sampler, I swear it will be done soon!

California Wool and Fiber Festival

2008-09-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

Friday I hopped in my car, cranked up the music and hit the highway for a long drive to Boonville for the California Wool & Fiber Festival. In Marin it was foggy and crisp. I had no idea how much fun Hwy 128 would be in my Mini, half way between Cloverdale and Boonville the fog was breaking up with the promise of a beautiful day. Before I knew it I was at the Mendocino Fair Grounds. The roadway was lined with cars, so I parked in the paid parking area. Boonville is full of nice, cordial, smiling people, it was refreshing to know that less then two hours from the BayArea people are not in a hurry, more then willing to take the time to talk to you. It gave me the feeling of being far away from the busy suburban area in which I live .
Online the fiber festival did not mention, that is part of the County Fair! Cotton Candy,Corn Dogs and wine tasting I personally opted for a softy ice cream since it was sunny and warm.
I made my way to the building with the Fiber Vendors and the Fleece judging was under way.

Not that I know anything about raw fleece and how it is judged. I would assume staple length and texture have something to do with it. It was facinating to watch for a while, all smiles and seriousness. As a new spinner I am not ready to tackle a fleece, I leave that to those of you know what your looking for. So I walked around drooling over spinning wheels, touching fibers and watching the Owner of Merry Meadows Farm .... machine card fibers. I decided to purchased some of her Corriedale/Romney fibers. I have not spun this type of wool yet and it feels very soft, so I thought I would expand my knowledge of wools and what I like. I also purchased some Merino wool and Silk blend from CarolineHomespun , Morgaine is very nice! and the price was very resonable.

So off to class I went, there were 5 of us from Sacramento, Oxidental, Walnut Creek, Ornida and Novato. Two of the ladies had wheels and spun regularly, two had never spun before and recieved a quick lesson on a spindle.
Nancy Finn of Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks is great! I had so much fun in her class, she taught us all about silk and where it comes from. We went home with samples of different kinds.

We learned about coccons (sorry to any vegans who are reading) both wild and cultivated, Tussah Silk, and Silk Hankies. How to handle the hankies, dye them, what kind of dye to use and how to set the dye. I have not dyed silk before, so I found the class to be very informative. Dying the Hankies brought smiles all around. I was transported back to finger painting as a child.

I want to thank all the ladies in my class for a wonderful day, what a nice group of women! I apologize for the shaky group picture. The child within took over when I entered the fair and I did not eat lunch.

Next post will have some of the results of my dying, spinning and knitting with Nancy's fibers....

On The Home Stretch!

2008-09-01T10:35:00.001-07:00

I am not a pro photographer, and getting the right light is tricky! In the pictures that follow, the middle one is more true to color, the yarn is a mix of rich blues and periwinkle and I love it! First picture is pattern 12 Field of Corn. Woo Hoo! It is the final pattern of BadCatDesigns Summer Sampler Shawl.
This is the edging pattern, my very first attempt at doing an edging on a shawl. Andrea has been great through this whole process. She has taken the time to hold my hand and help me through the process, because of this I now feel I can tackle any shawl with a border.

Two days ago the corner pattern was released. I am so very glad I decided to put in a life line before attempting the mitered corner! Oh man! Let me tell you, first Molly kept putting her ball under the couch and whining at me to get it, then my husband, kept popping up to discuss political commentary from the morning newspaper, then my youngest son was asking advice and seeking praise for his art class homework, whew! I look down and realize I have twisted stitches and attempt to knit back only to realize I am totally lost and I was half way done! Without hesitation what flew out of my mouth !*&%#$ @#$& #$%^* could have made a truck drive blush! Shame on me! So I ripped back to my life line, got up and took a soothing hot shower and started attempt number two. I am cruising along and I get to row 48 and do a double take and then go back to the charts, I scratch my head, hmmmm, I message Andrea, more contemplation and I do the unthinkable and alter a designers pattern and ask forgiveness. My yarn is heavier and variegated, so I knit back the last row and added a cable. I really like the result.

Now I am knitting up the long side, 315 picked up stitches, I am going to be here a while, maybe a couple of weeks, but I am determined to stay focused and finish this shawl. It will be the largest project of my (so far) short knitting career and I am feeling quite proud of myself. The next post regarding this will to show the beautiful blocking frame my husband is making for me, so I can block this monster without it becoming covered in dog hair.

Fingers Are Flying

2008-08-19T11:54:00.000-07:00

I finished Pattern 11 of the Summer Sampler!

Here is a close up.
Andrea is back and will soon post Pattern 12, then it's onto the border. I have learned more about lace knitting then I could have ever dreamed I would. My confidence level is growing and I feel great about that. As much as I have loved knitting this shawl, it has been a long knit. I know, I know it teaches patience and focus, but gees, I am wiggling in my chair like a small child. The solution to that, I remind myself, I have a small break before the next pattern, which gives me time to work on another WIP.
Even with all this knitting going on, I am also knitting scarves with my mother. We have purchased each other kits and are now getting together once a week to work on them. The first is a kit call Boa Boa Scarf she brought back from La Lana Wools

Plying,plotting, dying & Knitting

2008-08-16T21:52:00.000-07:00

Focus has been difficult lately, there are so many things I want to do all at once. I have fallen deeply for spinning! I plied my first batch of the Camel/Silk. It is very soft!

I have also been knitting like a fiend on my Summer Sampler. I recently finished Pattern 8 - Surf

And Pattern 9 - Fritillaria So far this is my favorite pattern, I enjoyed knitting it the most and it knit up fast (either that or I am getting faster!)

In between....I received Knit Purl's newsletter which always leads to checking out their website. I kept going back to this kit for Gisela by Coco Knits
It uses Habu Textiles Gima Cotton. Apparently they wind cones with enough on it for the whole sweater,so there are fewer tails to weave in. On a recent trip to Portland I stopped by ...The bummer was they were out of them, but the good news is I believe I came up with something better, thus the plotting began. Honestly when I looked at the smaller skeins of Gima Cotton I was not excited about it. I searched Knit Purl which stocks several Habu Textile yarns, and I spied a beautiful color of their Tsumugi Silk.
It was suggested I use another fine yarn with it to make it thick enough to get gauge, I went along and settled for a white non twist cotton by Habu. The ladies tried to be nice like they always are and say it would look fine, but already the ideas were spinning in my head......When I arrived home I knit a swatch. My lovely husband said it looked nice, but I stuck my tongue out at it.
After taking a small piece and attempting to dye it with coffee and finding it resisted. I was off to buy some dye and I settled on a bronze dye, knowing I would get a variegated yarn, but also knowing that the olive hue would tone down the yellow in the silk....or so I hoped. Here is the yarn in the dye.
here it is dried and wound on a cone
And the new swatch, Woo! Hoo! everything I hoped for!!!

I'm Spinning!

2008-07-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

Recently I took a beginner top whorl drop spindle class at Article Pract taught by Kristine Vejar. Thank you Kristine! I had sooo much fun! I learned a great deal and Kristine is a great teacher. Here's a couple of pictures of my first attempts at spinning. I bit uneven and novelty yarn at best, LOL.

After the class I purchased some of Kristine's roving. The blend is camel and silk that is naturally dyed called Succulent. I think the name fits perfect! I am in love with it.

This is it spun.
I am working on a second batch so I can ply it. I am excited to see the finished yarn. I do believe I am hooked!

Been a while

2008-07-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since I blogged. This spring and summer I have spent more time outside doing things like watching morning cloak catepillars do a walk about in my yard and...
Then watching for weeks until this happened...

Then there was 8th grade graduation......

and birthdays and a family reunion..........

My great uncle Hap with my nieces. He served in the Merchant Marines, was in WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. While in the Merchant Marines(if I have this straight) his ship was distroyed and he survived a week in the ocean in a life raft. My grandfather was the oldest of 10 children and now 4 are left...

Then there was the visit to the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco.

There were Begonias with flowers from 4'' across to the size of a small dinner plate. I want mine to be that big!

And of course butterflies!

Last but not least I have been knitting. I am making the Summer Sampler by BadCat Designs and I think it is most appropriate to show the Grand Spider Pattern. If you want to see my progress I have posted it on Raverly my ID is Dragonflybabe.I will try to be better about blogging, it is just so hard to get my head out of the clouds when it is summertime.

Shoulder Wrap Pattern

2008-06-04T15:48:00.001-07:00

Shoulder Wrap

I would like to state that this pattern is to serve as a guide for your individual creativity. I would hope you will experiment with color combinations, width and length of the wrap and the ruffle to create your own object of art. I combined the first three yarns because I liked the way magic ball added interest. The classic elite added density and bring together the colors of the main piece with the ruffle. The Big Bunz added luscious softness and warmth. These three yarns together made the wrap light and thick at the same time. The bamboo was used for its drape, softness and shimmer.

Yarns-
Big Bunz Angora- ArtFibers 250 yard ball Color 02 7 stitches an inch on size 5
Be Sweet Magic Ball Mohair-African Veldt 120 yards/50g 3 stitches on size 11
Classic Elite Mohair- 6572 underappriciated green –need 120 yards
Be Sweet Bamboo Color 664, 110 yards/50g 5 stitches an inch on size 6

Needles-
Size 19 Straights
Size 9 40” Circular
Size H Crochet hook
Finished wrap measures 45”x7 ½”

With Angora, Magic Ball & Classic Elite all together CO 15 stitches, using long tail CO.

Knit approx. 110 rows, BO, weave in tails.

Using Be Sweet Bamboo and crochet hook chain along one long edge. Due to size of loops on main piece, insert hook into edge, YO pull yarn through loop on hook and create a chain. There will be approx 3-5 chains in each edge loop of main piece. Approx 158 chains. Transfer last loop on the crochet hook to the size 9 knitting needle. Now pick up all stitches ending with 159 stitches on your needles.

Row 1- Knit all stitches.
Row 2- Purl all stitches.
Row 3- K3 *YO, K9*, repeat 17x’s till 3 stitches remain, K3.
Row 4- P3 * P1 & K1 in YO, P9* Repeat 17x’s, P3.
Row 5- K5 *YO, K11* Repeat till 3 Stitches remain K3.
Row 6- P3 *P1 & K1 in YO, P11* Repeat till 5 stitches remain P5.
Row 7- K7 *YO, K13* Repeat till 3 Stitches remain K3.
Row 8- P3 *P1 & K1 in YO, P13 * Repeat till 7 stitches remain P7
Row 9- K9 *YO, K15* repeat till 3 stitches remain K3.
Row 10-P3 *P1&K1 in YO, P15* repeat till 9 stitches remain P9
Row 11- K11 *YO, K17* repeat till 3 stitches remain, K3.
Row 12-P3 *P1 & K1 in YO, P17* repeat till 11 stitches remain, P11
Row 13- K13, *YO, K19* repeat till 3 stitches remain, K3.
Row 14-P3, *P1 & K1 in YO, P19* repeat till 13 stitches remain P13.
Row 15- (RS) Purl all stitches.
On WS BO in knit. This will prevent the edge from curling.

Use a clasp of choice- I used a metal and bone clasp, with a small double layer of cream colored felt between the two layers for support.
Adorn with buttons, charms or beads. I used a black chain cut into short lengths. I then wire wrapped a pearl on one end of the chain and a crystal on the other end. Then I slid the chain onto an eye pin that I thread through the button back and wrapped to secure it. I then used the wire loop and matching embroidery floss to sew them on .

Copyright 2008 WBKDesigns All rights reserved.

Road Trip to Portland

2008-05-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

Molly and me, we went on a road trip recently with our man. He needed to go to Oregon for business, the Mini needed a service and well I can never miss an opportunity to see my father and his lovely wife, besides it was days before Mother's Day. So we headed north....First stop to see a job which used tropical hardwood that came from a managed forest.....

Let me back up a minute and say before we arrived to see this job we stayed at a dog friendly place called The Windmill Inn of Roseburg (our half way mark) .

Once we reached Portland it was time for Molly to stretch her legs......so up the hill and to one of the most beautiful parks we went....

I love the ferns growing on the trees! Everything is covered in moss.

Molly had lots of fun sniffing and exploring.......

Then off to check in to our Hotel. The Hotel Monaco is also dog friendly and in downtown Portland, I need to add only 5 very walkable blocks from Knit Purl . Knit Purl is a must stop everytime we go to Portland! They have yummy yarn, a wonderful and friendly staff and a knit night on Thursday night, they welcome out of towners to come knit with them. They also have some wonderful workshops.

So as a final here is a pic of Molly enjoying the Monaco....tee hee.

Shoulder Wrap

2008-05-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

I finished my shoulder wrap a few months back. I finally have a couple of pictures to share. I have been asked several times if I was going to write the pattern. After much thought I have decided to post it free here on my blog. Check back soon.

Spring Time

2008-05-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

I know I have not blogged in a while, life has kept me distracted and busy. I have finished a few projects, which I will photograph and post later. I love spring! All the flowers and new plant growth. So I have been spending my time outside, planting, watching birds, butterflies, caterpillars and lady bugs. Here are some photos from my garden...

The Wisteria was magnificent this year!

One of the hanging baskets my husband and I created

I love the color of the Pansy's

Flowers, trees and plants inspire me to design and create. I love the textures I can find like the ones in this tree.......or the color combinations of these Iris's. These two photos came from a home that was on the Native Plant Tour my husband and went on this last weekend. Bringing Back The Natives . If you live in California it is worth looking at, all the homes on the tour have their plant lists online as well as photos of their gardens.

Stitches West 2008

2008-02-24T11:27:00.000-08:00

Friday I attended my first yarn/fiber event. Stitches West held at the Santa Clara Convention Center, see here and here.
I had so much fun! Beautiful yarn was everywhere, it was a treat to the senses. I wish I had remembered my camera, as I stood and watched a woman spinning wool on to the largest bobbin I have ever seen. All the beautiful patterns, yarns, books and very nice people. Many women were wearing items they had knit. For those of you that are veterans, I am sure you are going Uh Ha and hopefully smiling. I was like a child at my first amusement park! It was so difficult to stick to a plan and purchase just what I had intended.
My first stop was Blue Moon Fiber Arts . I have been coveting one of their lace weight yarns called Geisha in a colorway called Valkyrie . I could not buy just one, I knew I needed two, once I touched it. The project in mind for this yarn is by Bad Cat Designs called The Veil of Isis. The pattern is free when you join her yahoo group. I know it is ambitious for a beginner, but I have time and patience on my side. I have to add when it was my turn to pay for my purchase, the women of Blue Moon Fiber Arts, smiled at me and said, " you will see." The look I gave her had a question all over it, the two of them exchanged a glace and then looked at me and said, " How addictive it is!" I could only smile from ear to ear, see I am already addicted!
My next stop was to Belisa Cashmere from Australia, I have not included the link, because it seems to be down. They have a story on how the cashmere goats came to Australia. I swear it is the softest cashmere I have ever touched. They were so nice to talk to! They gave a free pattern for a scarf with the purchase of a skein of yarn. The yarn did not feel as soft as the scarf and I asked if it would change. ( I am a rookie) This woman gathering arm fulls of the yarn turn and looked at, a sparkle in her eyes, she said, "it blooms as you knit it." I was hooked right then and there! next I made a stop I had not intended, the yarn fumes and visual assault broke down my will power! Beacon Yarn Cabin I purchased two skeins of Zephyr Lace weight 50% Merino and 50% Tussah Silk. this yarn is so, so soft! and I purchased from them The Florence Scarves by Fiddlesticks Knitting. They told me they will be live in a month online to sell their yarns and patterns. I then stopped by East Port Yarns where I purchased one small skein of their Alpaca/Merino blend in a colorway called Bayberry. I was taken by Hawk's personality and what a great name. It was the most expensive yarn(per yard) that I purchased, but it is grown, spun and dyed in the USA. Besides when a man glows when he tells you their Alpacas are treated like kings, what is a girl to do, but smile back and reach for yarn! Oh! Deborah Doyle of Asciano FiberArts Tools had the most beautiful wood knitting needles! I had to pet some of them and took one of her cards. Each size has it's own design on top, Stunning! As I made my way to the door, slowly walking by all the books and booths, I thought I was home free, then what do I spy? Tucked away in a corner of the massive space they had for all their books and products, Superfine Prime Alpaca Yarn by Village Spinning and Weaving , I almost drooled on myself. Deciding on one of the un-dyed colors was difficult! I had to have one skein, just one. Alpaca yarn holds a special place in my heart. I knit my very first project out of Alpaca Yarn and I love it. I stood in the longest line to buy that yarn, but it was so worth it, when I hold it in my hands it feels like soft cotton clouds of goodness, mmmmmm.
This picture does not do it justice, but here is Geisha.

Reason Why Tree Jacket is Still Not Finished

2008-02-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

The Sun came out and I emerged from hibernation? You do know some of us Californians melt in the rain, right? Flowers are blooming! Time to garden! I wish that were the reason, well it is partially true, but only in the last week.

It could be......I have attended 3 jewelry courses in January. Each course a fast paced 3 full days of learning at The Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts. This first picture is a necklace I made after purchasing some beautiful stone beads from the Gem Faire.

The Fine Silver piece I made in the Metal Clay classes I took at The Academy last year.
These earrings are from my Fabrication 1 class. I struggled to get a decent picture, probably a good thing, now you can not see how wobbly the lines really are. These earrings were about learning to use a jewelry saw and how to saw a stright line. Each of the nine holes were pierced with a drill and sawed out. Finger strengh is a virtue with this lesson. If your fingers are not strong, they will be when your done!
Okay! Okay! This may be part of the reason I am not finished with the Tree Jacket. After miles of garter stitch and finishing one sleeve, I just needed a break! A yarn in my stash was calling my name! Whispers on the wind, ohhhhhh Kim knit me, you will love it! knit me, knit me, knit me..................... And so I caved in. The yarn calling me to the needles is by ArtFibers, it is called Tesla, a stainless steel and cotton yarn. The little puffs of soft cotton are dyed different shades of brown and rust colors. I have seen it knit by it's self but I wanted something different. So I increased the needle recommendation of size 11 to size 15. Then I searched for something to add some interest to it. At my LKS I found Rowan Kid Silk Haze. A yarn I have carressed, read about, but have never knit. It is true.... the Mohair, gets all fluffy! Amazinging a tiny yarn can transform it's self that way. I am sure I am boring all the seasoned knitters, but maybe they will smile at my rookie delight and child like enthusiam. The below pictures are not very good, it was the best I could do. The scarf I am making is about 1/2 way done.
See how the Stainless Steel shimmers against the black Mohair?
And last but not least, a picture of my Tree Jacket with one sleeve knit. I have to say I am pleased with myself. This is my first sweater, ever! I love knitting from the top down! Finally a way for me to make sure what I make will be long enough in the arms and body for me! I love it! Now I just have to grin and bear it, buckle down and finish the last sleeve. Maybe lots and lots of coffee can get me through all those garter stitches. It is like driving from California to Las Vegas, miles and miles of boring scenery, and nothing exciting to look at. Don't fall asleep at the wheel, windows down, coffee in hand and music up way high, here we go................................!!!

Yeunny Mear's Beautiful Vests

2008-02-11T09:53:00.000-08:00

Finally I have photos of the vests Yeunny made for me. It seems whenever we have a nice sunny day, no one is around to assist me in a photo shoot, so I photographed the vests on my dressform. This first one is shorter. It falls to about my hips. It is Olive Green with a beautiful fern pattern. I love the detail drawings of the ferns and flowers.

This second one is much longer. It falls to my knees and is slit up both sides to my hips. It is a taupe/grey color with black details. It's versatility in my wardrobe is wonderful. I can dress it up or down and combine it with many colors.
If you are ever in the Town of Bodega go visit Yeunny's shop. I am positive you will love what you see.

Tree Jacket Coming Along.

2008-01-28T13:36:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the body of the sweater and today one of the sleeves. Pictures to follow, just waiting for some good light. Jewelry classes and the Holidays got in the way of finishing it. I really enjoy making jewelry. I have been learning fabrication and setting. Still debating if jewelry is my ture calling. Along the way I have found I enjoy teaching others. I like breaking things down into easy to achieve steps. It brings me joy to see Ah Ha moments in others eyes and see them smile when they learn how to master a new skill. Maybe teaching crafts to others is what I should do?

The growing Tree Jacket

2007-11-30T16:26:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of the KAL on the Sexy Knitters Club, I have not finished. I had to take two weeks off and let my thumb and wrist calm down, I think it was the weather changes that caused the Carpal Tunnel to flair up. I will keep working on this, even if it is more slowly then I want. I will post pictures when it is done.

Thanksgiving on the Oregon Coast

2007-11-30T13:58:00.001-08:00

We drove to the Oregon Coast for Thanksgiving with family. Here are some photos of
our trip.

Sunset the second day, looking from our cabin, photo by my 13th yr old son.

Our First Day at the Beach..........

Sand Castle Building at SunSet the first day.......

Molly on the Road Trip.....

The Dressmaker in Bodega

2007-11-30T09:39:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago Molly, me & the Mini went on a road trip to the town of Bodega in Sonoma county, CA. It was a beautiful day as we drove through rolling hills dotted with ranches. Cows, horses and sheep. I was very excited because I was going to see the DressMaker, Yeunny Mears. She does not own a computer, nor does she send out samples, but she creates the most beautiful clothes. As I turned off the Bodega hwy headed to the town this was my view.

As I entered the tiny Historical town, this is the view I had.

Some of you might have an Ah Hah moment, this is where Alfred Hitchcock filmed the Birds.

Yeunny is such a lovely woman. I had so much fun, looking at fabric, trying on samples, then finally deciding on what I would like made. I ordered three items and had to wait a week for them. Photos to follow.

The Tree Jacket Grows

2007-11-15T09:19:00.001-08:00

This Picture was taken on the 8th, I made it to the try on stage. I think the fit is great so far. I knit about two inches of the lace in the body, then started one of the sleeves and had to stop. My thumb is inflammed, weather related I am sure. I decided to knit the sleeves in the round, it is my first time using dpn's. So far so good!

Progress on the Tree Jacket

2007-11-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

This is my progress so far. I know it is not much, but I just got married. The KAL started 2 weeks before the wedding. Now that life is settling back to normal I can knit away! I am enjoying knitting my first knit from the top sweater, so far, so good. some 20 repeats from now, give or take, I can try it on. More photos to follow.