So much for dry spells....

Let the knitting flood begin....again :)

First off, let me introduce (finally) my only Christmas knit: Rib & Cable Socks. These were done for my mom who coos about hand-knitted socks. I love when my knits will be worn and enjoyed (I tend to knit and hoard away my keepers in my wardrobe....sad little pretty knits sitting all alone). These were done in Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Flathead Cherry on Size 1 circs. This is wonderful yarn to work with, but bleeds like the dickens....so many rinses are necessary post-knit.

My maternity knit (Cable Luxe Tunic) is in full swing and on its way to modification as a capelet instead of a tunic.
My sis is helping me on my way to baby knits. After being in the 2007 Socks that Rock club, I think that she may be addicted to their yarn. What did she do? She indulged me with a Baby Surprise kit from Blue Moon Fiber Arts...aren't these colors lovely? Yeah, our little girl will be rockin' in style with this. I can't wait to dig into this yummy color combo.
And now, some bitter-sweet splurging....my favorite local yarn store is closing. It is my favorite because of their wonderful selection of the Rowan yarns. I just happened to go in over the lunch hour today to browse and fondle some Kidsilk Haze only to find many empty shelves and seriously discounted yarn (50% off). With hardly any projects in mind and only my hands to guide the way, I went a bit....nuts. Here are the finds:

Oh, and I picked up the Bobbi Bear pattern. I think that I may not need any more yarns in 2008. My stash is at capacity. I was looking back at my 2007 gallery and noticed that my number of knits is down quite a bit. I have been trying to go for quality over quantity, but with learning to spin this year and MBA classes, I think my needles have been a little lonely. So, here's looking at 2008!

What's your entertainment?

When it starts to get cold & snowy around the zoo, it is time to put out the bird seed, bread crumbs, cereal crumbs, you name it to lure the woodland creatures up to our viewing area (i.e. back porch). Typically, we get a few squat birdies, a couple cardinals, and some fat bottom squirrels. On occasion, a deer works its way over. Here is Ein loving the view :) As for knitting, yes, it still happens. Here is the start of the Cable Luxe Tunic. I think I may modify to a Cable Luxe capelet, a la Kotan (March 2007 FO). Winter really puts me in the mood for cables...and these are lovely!

It's my egg in a box.....

Er, I mean eggie in a basket, egg in the hole, toad in a hole, egg in a boat....your choice. After watching V for Vendetta a couple of times, Hubbs and I were intrigued by the "Eggie in a basket" that was made a couple of times during the movie. We set out to find how to make this tasty-looking creation. The internet prevails once again, and it looks like this dish has been around for a long long time. Where have these been hiding? England? I don't know if these are truly British fare, but wonderful they are. I have always been a scrambled egg fan, but I think I may have found my new egg revolution. These things are mighty yummy.

I let mine get more fried than some of the other pics out there, but hey...it might take me a while to appreciate a runnier yolk. But I think I am a convert from scrambled. I fried my hole along with the rest, I can't let good bread go to waste after all. I used a measuring cup (1/4 cup) to cut out my hole and that seemed to be just the right size to get the hole I wanted. Mine was only seasoned with a little salt and a little pepper, but I have seen suggestions for adding a little parmesan cheese.

I am currently trying to fight off a case of the runny-nose, head cold. Egh. Not so much fun to be worn out and sniffly over the weekend. Hubbs is out enjoying the snow with another snow-biking experience. When he gets back I think I will try my hand at doing another eggie in a basket for him. YUM!

Seven

Wow, I only got tagged a little while ago by Knittripps....Sorry for the delay, sis. Rules for this meme:

1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So, how Random am I?
1. I have always been financially savvy and good with $
2. I have an adoration for owls and growing up my favorite stuffed animal was an owl named Hooter (still have him in his mangled state)
3. I like to check under the bed for "things of the night" and random visitors every so often
4. I feel naked if I don't have lip gloss (not a big lipstick person, but I probably apply lip gloss 5 times a day)
5. I really like the minimalist/simplistic living approach, but like to own very nice things
6. I have high expectations out of just about everything
7. I have a thing for the number 5 (my birthday, my lucky number, I even used it in my #4 random thing......hehe...just because it sounded right)

Who to tag? People I want to hear Randoms on of course!
Julie
Teach me
Life in Abundance
Pie Knits
String Theory
Girl Who Knits
Irish Eyes

This meme has been all over blogland, so please forgive me if you have already been tagged.

Time flies....

A month out of classes and only a month more before Spring semester. Week 23 of pregnancy, more than halfway to babyland. End of 2007, new year approaching quickly.

Wow, this year has flown by! Not a whole lot of updating to be done on the crafty front. Holiday knitting is a secret and finished (yup, done) :). My sis got me the Lion Brand Kit for the Cable Lux Tunic for my birthday, which I have dubbed as my maternity knit. I have barely cast on and started but can't wait to finish it. I need to get my knitting mojo going again. After all, I do have some baby knits to start!

And yes, we did find out a little more about the baby. We found out that we are having a little girl, and I couldn't be more thrilled. YES! A GIRL! It is so funny, when I told my mom...she starting going, "OH BOY, OH BOY, OH BOY!" I said, " Mom, you should be going, "oh GIRL, oh girl, oh girl" :) Hehehehe. Now comes the name negotiations, it seems as though our list for boy names was quite a bit longer than the list for girl names....hmmmm....And even better yet? I am starting to feel movement....here comes the little soccer player :)

As we start getting into full baby mode (where our world changes and some things seem less important), we decided to take a little time for ourselves. Hubbs and I have planned a little babymoon to get away and relax. I can't wait. I live for travel. I love to obsess about travel. Soon we will be escaping the cold, icy, snowy Midwest and heading off to San Diego. Woot woot! (No international travel for the preggie one...although hubbs kept mentioning far away lands)

Hope that everyone is doing well and has a special holiday season with their loved ones!

Woohoo!

I am officially done with my first semester of MBA classes. Wow, the knitting I have been plotting over the last couple of months, I feel so deprived :) I have been slowly working away on the Indigo Ripples Skirt, but Holiday Knits are on my mind. And let's not forget about baby knits. Tuesday we have our sonogram to figure out if it is a boy or a girl. Yes, inquiring minds want to know. I am such a planner. Need to know what to knit of course!

Check in

As my first semester of grad classes is wrapping up (can you tell that I am starting to count down the weeks), I am beginning to think of all of the knitting that can be done before classes start back up in January. Am I knitting deprived? Spinning classes are going well. This week is our last class and it is amazing how far one can come in 6 weeks. Last week we learned how to Navajo ply. A little bit tricky, but that is one sweet plying method.As for chugging along with any projects, I am getting close to being through the increases with Indigo Ripples Skirt. Only a few more inches of stockinette (good for baby brain) and I will be finally on to some lace detail. It should be finished just in time for me to step into maternity clothes and look forward to cool winter air, hehe. Perfect timing, no? :)

Cool spell

A touch of spring, meets the fall. The other evening walking to our door I spotted a sign of....spring? Yes, a rose bloomed again from our rose bush. It won't last long with all of the rain we have been getting, but it was nice to see it.
Here is the same wool: picked, carded, handspun with my wheel this time, plyed, and washed. I think this turned out quite a bit better than my last batch (picture on last post). I think some fingerless mitts are in my future with this handspun.

As for actual knitting, not a lot has happened. I am working on the Indigo Ripples Skirt, but going is slow. It is kind of hard to get to excited about knitting something that will most likely not fit once it is complete. I guess it will be encouragement post-pregnancy to get back into something cute. So, why not put it aside and pick it back up this spring? Well, alterior motives of course. I want to see if there is any extra yarn in my stash after the skirt to make a pair of the Baby Drawstring Denim pants from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

Other obsessions? Thumbing through baby knitting books as well as thinking of a special maternity knit for myself. I am thinking that capelets will be big this season :) Nordic Lights will be able to make an appearance as will Kotan. I am lusting over Lion Brand's Cable Luxe Tunic and considering how flashing the Bed Jacket from Romantic Style would be post-delivery....although people are telling me that I definitely will NOT feel very glamorous :) I am sure a lovely knit will help.

How about some singles?

Just when I think that I am getting the drop spindle down, I am humbled by the finished product :) I had it laying on top of my spinning bag and when we got home one evening, Hubbs says "Look what the dog got" (referring to our loving Ein who likes to pick up our items from time to time while we are out of the house). Of course the dog had not touched it at all. Hehehe.
What is a little curious is how my singles are looking from the Sheep & Wool festival roving. See a difference?

Our spinning teacher says that your yarn is a product of the picking, carding, spinning, and cleaning and that if any one is off, then you will not have a satisfactory finished product. Interesting, eh? It makes sense, and showing by my singles from class in the top picture, it is pretty accurate too!

Is there anything that you think knits well as singles? I am planning on leaving my colorful Sheep & Wool yarn as is. I still have quite a bit more to spin, so I am thinking that I could maybe do a medium-size project. I am in love with spinning variegated yarns.

Oh, BABY!

Dear Blog Readers,

I am so sorry to have been holding back on you. But I am sure you understand how it is. Waiting for the perfect time, sharing the news with family, friends, and now the blog community of friends as well. Hubbs and I are having a baby! Through the first trimester with no morning sickness....many more weeks to go. We are excited, thrilled...you name it!

We are adding on to the zoo.

Yours,

BAM

Now, on to my promise to you faithful readers. I promise to not make this blog a baby blog, but keep it to my general format of life and crafty endeavors. I must confess however, that baby knits are on the brain, so you may see more baby infiltrating to the blog through knits and projects.

And speaking of projects, the Breckenridge Shawl is complete! I am struggling to find the tag that describes this yarn, but it is from a cone that I picked up at the Fiber Store. If I happen to stumble across the tag again, I will update the post. Now that you know my baby news, I am sure that you will be eyeing my belly and form more closely in my pics. This pic was taken today, in the 13th week. So far I have had minimal weight gain (just a few pounds). I hear that the second trimester however is when I will start ramping up :)

Hope that everyone is welcoming fall....fall air is good for the soul!

The world keeps on spinning, spinning, spinning....

Not a lot of free time at the zoo to have a creative outlet anymore. But, that is ok. Busy is good. Taking MBA classes, working.....moving life forward. Last Spring I had inquired at a local (well, 45 miles away) fiber shop about spinning classes. They were not offering any at the time, but the owner Rosemary told me that she would put my name on a list and if they had one coming up she would give me a call. Sure enough, last week I got the call. 2 hours a week for 6 weeks. Spindle, wheel, everything spinning. I quickly called my sis and we didn't have much debate that it was time to sign up and move our spinning forward!

Thursday was the first class. Rosemary from the Rose Tree Fiber Shop armed each of us with a half a pound of raw fleece. She taught us how to pick it, "charge the cards", card the fleece with hand carder, and use our spindles. I quickly learned that using the hand carders is going to take some practice. I can't seem to remember each of the steps to transfer the fleece and get to the final step where I can roll my rolag.
A close up of the fleece. It is a grey Romney sheep from Iowa.

She sent us home with the supplies and a little homework. We are supposed to pick through all of our raw fleece (time consuming and yet hand conditioning with the lanolin), practice with the hand carders and create 3 rolags to bring to the next class so that we can start working on the wheels, and also fill up our spindle with yarn so that we can learn how to use the niddy noddy and clean the yarn. Fiber goodness.

Some people enjoy spinning in the "raw". I am enjoying the process, but think that most of the time I will tend to stick to my prepared fibers.

We have a small class (only 3 students) and so we are getting lots of attention and direction from Rosemary. She has such expansive knowledge and can easily point out what you are doing correctly/incorrectly. For example, when I am using my spindle, she pointed out that I was "de-gutting my rolag", which meant that I was clutching the fiber too tight, and not allowing it to flow quite so freely to my spindle. This was pretty funny to me, because it made me realize that is what I have been doing all along with my wheel & spindle, and that is why I would end up with a little "ring" of fiber at the end...I was de-gutting and pulling the fiber from the inside of my rolag out first! I loosened up how I was holding the fiber, and things quickly turned around.

What were some of your fiber foibles and struggling points as a new spinner? Do you like to work with raw fleece?

At the Zoo

It has been a while since you have checked in on the critters at the zoo. Well, they are up to their old tricks :)

Looking pretty cozy, isn't he? Well,the kitties have been enjoying their naps too. They are starting to get the fall air in their spirit (and zipping around the house), but I do have to tell you that lounging around is what they enjoy.

The past few days we have had a real taste of fall weather. Sleeping with the windows cracked, waking up all tucked up in the covers (poor hubbs, it is cover stealing season).....ah. Lovin' it. Yesterday morning, hubbs let me chose an outdoor activity to enjoy the weather. Of course, I wanted to include our buddy.

This is a butterfly hibernacula at a nearby lake. I especially enjoy this last picture. I wonder if you can spin those fluffy seeds :)

As for knitting, still cranking out on the Breckenridge Shawl. I am hoping to complete it this weekend, and still haven't decided if there is going to be any edging (fringe, beads....). Indigo Ripples Skirt is on the side right now, but still in progress. After working on 2 projects that are only one color, I am starting to think that my next project will bring some fair isle back. I recently picked up 1000 Great Knitting Motifs, and Knittripps had the great idea that I do another Nordic Lights (circa my 2005 finished projects), but switch up the fair isle and choose my own design. Tempting...very tempting....

How are you enjoying the weather?

Anybody home?

I hear that is what some of my friends are saying about this blog :) Everything has been crazy over at the zoo. My MBA classes have started, colds have been passed around our house, and knitting/spinning has fallen to the bottom of the list. Where to begin....

Last weekend was the annual 24-hour mountain bike race in Boone. This was year #5 and hubb's 5th year at the event as well. He has raced the event with teams a couple of times and has also raced as a solo rider. This year, was another year for solo. He had originally planned to do the full 24 hour race, but due to getting a head cold right before the race, he signed up for the 12 hour race instead. This way, he could get the endurance side of doing the race, stop at midnight to hang out and have fun, and get some sleep. It was a good event again this year (thank you especially to the Sedore family--Kyle does a lot for this event), and hubb's ended up getting 3rd place for the 12 hour solo riders. Woohoo! Even as a sickie he can throw down.

You may be wondering if we have moved or have sold our condo? Nope. Through suggestions of my sis and Dogs Steal Yarn blog, I recently purchased a St. Joseph statue for our home, went through the whole ordeal with burying him, etc. So far, he is not responding to us. We will be patient and continue to have faith in someone loving our place. I am not giving up though, these things take time.

MBA classes? So far I am really diggin' them. Pretty interesting stuff. Granted, the reading and outside of class work is cramping my style, but I think that it is good to be challenged to get outside of the comfort zone/daily routine. This week however, was pure suffering with the head cold. I forgot how miserable it is to be sniffling through a 3.5 hour class, a foot away from each of the people next to me. I felt like the plague. Yuck.

And yes...knitting. There has been minimal, but there are a couple of current WIPs. Funny thing is though, they are both KALs with Knitttripps! First, we have the Breckenridge Shawl (dubbed so because we began this in Breck) and then we also have the Indigo Ripples Skirt from Interweave Knits.

I have been going back and forth quite a bit on blogging. This could partially because I am now on Ravelry! Woot woot! After Knittripps told me that you could check your count, I found out that they had sent me an invite a few months ago and I never saw it! Quickly, they sent another out and I am in. Right now, I am struggling to upload prior projects vs. starting from current knits only.

Foot-Long Corn Dog Please :)

We ate our way through the fair (the way it should be done). Hubbs and I waited for the last day to have our feast (can't go without our annual corndogfest). We started each with a foot-long corndog and shared a freshly squeezed lemonade. After chowing those down, we ventured to look at the Butter Cow and this year's special butter sculpture: Butter Harry Potter. Excuse the flashes, I was trying to get a quick pic between the line of families circling the butter sculptures!

After the photo op, we went over to the AE Dairy stand to share a Strawberry Milkshake....yummy! A quick run through the cattle barn and that was enough for us (no sheep viewing this year). We headed back for another corndog (split the regular size dog this time) and an A&W rootbeer float...let me tell you, when we gorge ourselves, we do it right :) We went through and looked at all of the Iowa fishes that they have in aquariums and spotted a great-looking swan. Unmentionable calories later....we were exhausted!

The world keeps on spinning, spinning, spinning...

You may wonder what is the state of my spinning lately. Well, I have slowly become a real fiber hoarder. Want to see my stash?

Coopworth Wool roving that came with the wheel
Corridale/Silk Blend that was purchased at the Iowa Sheep & Wool Festival
Angora from our spinning teacher at the IS&W FestCorn (yup, it's really corn) from a trip to Ames Fiber Tree
And the most recent purchase: Alpaca from Double BR Ranch in Nederland CO....say hello to Maxi...and yes, the owner of the alpacas was at the store (Alpacas and More Store).....she showed me pics of her baby alpaca!



As you can see, I have some serious spinning to work on. I am looking forward to getting enough spinning to actually produce a project. The colorful mix has been reserved for the drop spindle, which I think I am finally getting consistency on my spinning with. The wool that came with the wheel has been my "test" batch and I am working away on it. I think that I may try my hand with dying spun yarn with this.

What projects do you think compliment handspun?

Sweetness

I have so much to catch you up on, dear blog readers. First of all, Hubbs and I just returned from a nice vacation to Colorado. We were in Breckenridge with my family and then in Estes Park for a wedding of some very special friends. I do have some pics and knits to share....but first......let me tell you some news:

I got 3rd place with my Clessidra at our State Fair!

You remember these right? The display at the fair doesn't really show off their true beauty...but hey....I got 3rd place in my first knitting fair entry....woot woot! And did I mention the tough competition? 15 socks in my category! Sweetness. And even better? My sis placed too in her category!

Current knitting projects?

I finished another Turkish String Bag before our vacation (can't find the picture I took, but you will see an identical one in my 2006 gallery) as a gift for my aunt for checking in on our kitties while we were gone. My sis and I were planning on doing a KAL together while on vacation, but due to some slow shipping yarn (boo hoo), I improvised with some yarn that I picked up at the Ames Fiber Tree....a massive cone. We decided to do a simple rectangular shawl which uses the pillar stitch.

And if that isn't enough info to pile into one blog post...I will leave you with a couple favorite pictures from our vacation :)

Secrets Revealed!

Did anyone guess right from the pic earlier this month? Yes, it is Mason Dixon's Moderne Baby Blanket. Nathalie from my knitting group suggested Lion Brand Cotton Ease, and the new colors are so vibrant that I couldn't resist. And after a run through the washer AND dryer....sooooo soft! Jen & Matt's baby will sure be snuggy in this :) They are due at the end of September, I can't wait to meet their little boy!

My knitting has gotten to be looser over time. The suggested needle size for this yarn I believe is a size 8. I used 5's and was still a little looser than I prefer. Must be the yoga that has eased up my style :)

My gauge was nowhere near what the pattern was and so I had to modify a bit to keep the blanket "crib size". Modifications listed in my 2007 gallery.

As for life, I will be enjoying a bit of a break over the next week or so. I don't plan on blogging, but may be lurking around checking in on everyone. Hope that you all are enjoying your summers....it will be FALL before we know it!

I can feel my brain getting bigger.....

I believe that it is important in life to keep learning. After deciding that it was time to challenge myself , I took the steps to apply to the evening MBA program at my alma mater. Now, I was a good student with good grades, but when applying for the program (my GMAT score was 6 years old and average at best), I had my anxiety. After encouraging words from hubbs (always the big supporter of team BAM), my family, friends, and my partners at work...it was time to take the step and go for it.

I received word today....I got IN! Yay me (she says hugging herself) :)

Go Cyclones!

Randomness

Summer is not my favorite season. Well, it is not even in my top 2. I actually might even prefer winter more (as strange as that seems). In Iowa, we are blessed with all 4 seasons. My personal rankings?

#1 Fall

#2 Spring

#3 Winter

#4 Summer

Summer and Winter are pretty equal actually. I think that having an office job and being in the air-conditioning really contributes to this distaste for heat. Hubbs usually lets my groans and eghs of the heat go by without much comment, but the other day he said: "Well, what did you do as a kid?" Of course I played outside a lot of the summer as a kid. I really think that your body gets conditioned to a certain temp and when being a "corporate" person with less time outside makes the heat sometimes unbearable. All that being said, we have gotten a little relief the last few days. I always say that I would be happy to find a place to live where it is fall all year round....most of the time that is met with San Diego. Hmmmm....where else I wonder.

Knitting has been a little slow lately, working on the "secret project" is getting to me. Not much to blog about there. Spinning creates a little bit of a side project. And I do have some news on that front. I was visiting my dear college town, Ames, and thought I would finally get myself to the Rose Tree Fiber shop. Now this store may have a lot of stuff spread out with no reason about the shop, but hey...that is similar to most of our own personal crafty spaces, right? They have yarn, they have books, but what they have that no other local store in our area has? Yummy FIBER! And not just wool. They have silk, soy, yak, corn, bamboo...you name it, they probably have it! I picked up a half of a pound of corn fiber which Knittripps commented that smells sweet/like corn starch. It has a nice sheen to it. I am looking forward to seeing how it spins!

Going to yoga is still one of my joys for the week. This week's pose that I will share works the core muscles and is the Full Boat Pose.

Yoga is very relaxation and leaving class makes me feel like my body is circulating better. I am learning that there are different styles of yoga, but I like to know that my body is "working", not just stretching. With this pose, I can feel the "work".

Any yogi's/yogini's out there?

Missing Paris

Ah, to bring a touch of France home. How about a sweet Madeleine? One of our take-homes from France was a pan to bake Madeleines. After a smoldering hot weekend, what better way was there to spend time other than baking? :)I couldn't resist. After searching around on the internet for a perfect recipe, I decided on this one. They turned out very well (good texture, good taste), although I think next time I will opt for a recipe that has a little more lemon...or maybe I will try orange to suit Hubbs' tastes. I hear that the pans create better madeleines after multiple uses. Mmmmm....

Of course our fur buddies were relaxing the weekend away and enjoyed the time I spent baking around the house. Ein is such a cutie...here he is in one of my favorite sleepy dog poses: