Shepherd's Harvest Festival 2014

The Shepherd's Harvest Festival is an annual event held at the Washington County Fairgrounds near Lake Elmo, MN and I have gone for the last four years. It was me and my mom hitting the festival again this year. I like to get there when it opens on the first non-class day so I get to see the most amount of yarn and wares from the vendors. (Greedy little yarn diva that I am - I don't want to miss a thing with building up my yarn stash!) 

This year we decided to start in the last building first as that building tends to get high traffic and is hard to maneuver, and that is all because of the gentleman above who graciously welcomed me and my mom when we walked in the door. That is StevenBe who is also known as The Glitter Knitter and he is just the warmest, kindest person. He is doing a tour this summer across America with Stephen West and my head kind of explodes to even think of that level of awesome combining. (Ok - Enough with the fan girl!)

So the festival this year had three buildings set up for vendors rather than four, so it did feel a little scaled back to me. This is also the first year that they charged for entry, so I thought that was interesting. Frankly I think they should have charged all along as it is such a wonderful festival, and anything that they can do to sustain it is good with me!

There were spinners here and there, like this gentleman from the Blackberry Hills booth. So fun to watch! This was a busy booth and is you can see behind where he is spinning, they had some gorgeous handmade shawls for sale along with their other items. The shawls were just beautiful!

This is another example of a vendor booth. So much yarn and fiber goodness! This was at the entrance to one of the buildings and had great light and you pretty much just walked right in to an explosion of color and fiber fun when you walked into the building. So awesome.

Although I am not much for fleece, I do appreciate what it gets turned into, so that makes me like the fleece even if I have no use for it. (I WILL NOT SPIN! If I keep saying that it will be true, right?) It was pretty much impossible to walk buy a bag of fleece and not plunge your hands into it.

Here is a picture of me holding the reins of Lonnie the Llama. Lonnie is about 8 years old according to his human and he was so majestic. We were walking across the fair grounds and I spotted him and had to go meet him. My mom snapped this shot of me grinning wildly up at Lonnie. I just wanted to hug him and take him home!

After meeting Lonnie we headed over to the critter barn and got to see some llama's and alpaca's. It is always so fun to get up close to these guys and see them in touching distance.

 

Next we were off to the Sheep shearing which was just impressive. This gentleman can shear a sheep in no time and we watched him shear several breeds of sheep and learned a lot about the sheep as well.  Really neat!

So I managed to control my splurging this year better than years past. This is the haul I came home with. Some ridiculously reduced price yarns at one booth - like the Boku and the Nashua yarn. The white skeins are 100% alpaca from a vendor that I search out for at this festival every year. Really nice guy and the yarn is like touching heaven. Am quite pleased with my stash enhancements this year and also proud that I controlled myself a little bit.

My other bit of wonderful I picked up is this mug. Both me and my mom got the same mug and I use it all the time. It makes me smile every time I see it and it's just a fun addition to my festival memories.

All in all it was just a wonderful time. I love going to this festival and it was great fun spending the day with my mom and touching fiber and talking yarn and eating deep fried egg roles while sitting in the grass and watching the people with all their hand knit items being worn (quite a fashion show!) while they walked the fair grounds. I look forward to this every year and it's just something special.

Progress resumes on my West Knits KAL

Now that the Olympic Games are over and the shawl I knit during them is complete, I am going back to work on my WestKnits Rockefeller Shawl. I am about half way through Clue 2 and it is pretty slow going. The work isn't hard - but it's just not fast for me. I think the strings of color work slow me down, and then of course weaving in the ends every time I finish adding in one of the rays of plum color takes time too. I just have to tell myself to go at my own pace and to enjoy the process.

I find it interesting the way the Noro yarn is unfolding in the pattern. It feels like the Noro "knows" when I am getting ready to do a purple strand and that it wants to be purple then too. Perhaps Noro has nanotechnology and it is becoming sentient? I would not be surprised.

Anyway, I am happy to be back to work on this and am anxious to get to Clue three and Clue Four!

Ravellenic Games Shawl - FINISHED!

I have finished my shawl for the Ravellenic Games on Ravelry! WOOT WOOT!

The pattern was the Colonnade Shawl (Free pattern on Ravelry or Knitty).

The finished shawl weighed in at 202 grams, and I used Sun Valley Fibers MCN Worsted in Yowza and Stormy.  (Which is just about 440 yards of length.) This yarn was really wonderful to work with. I picked them up at the Shepard's Harvest Festival this Spring and it was a bit splurgy but I have zero regrets. The yarn is so soft and so wonderful. And I got no bleeding of dye when I soaked it. I admit - I held my breath and worried that the gray would leak into the yellow. But nothing happened! Wahoo!

The only changes to the pattern were that I did one repeat less of the yellow lacy portion as I would have run out of yarn. Also I blocked it out a bit more bat wing than the pictures of other shawls. I just liked the look.

I am always amazed what a soak and a block do for a shawl. I originally had a shawl that was 16" at the spine and 55" across. After soaking it and blocking it It was 25" at the spine and 55" across. Amazing. And the lace part really opened up.

Very pleased with my end product. Wonderful pattern. Very happy.

Now for a nap.....

Day 10 Ravelenic Games Progress Report

My shawl is coming along very well now. I am very happy I ripped it out the first time and redid it. I am learning a lot this past month with my knitting. I feel as though I have really stretched and grown as a knitter and am very proud of myself and my work. Nice feeling that!

I am over half way through the yellow "lace" section of the shawl. Once this section is over it's a simple couple rows of knit on the edge and then I can block it out and I will be done! I am hoping the gray doesn't bleed into the yellow when I soak it. That would be sad.

In other news, I have pulled my first couple tomato's out of my garden and a few cucumbers as well. It's always exciting to pull out that first produce.

My hubby and I went out for a bike ride yesterday and I was shocked at how easy a 5-6 mile ride was. Nice to see progress on the health front.

Not much else to report. Knitting, watching the Olympics and the usual chores are filling my days.

Day 4 of the Ravellenic Games

PROGRESS! I am making it! I have hopes of finishing this gray panel tonight (knock on wood!) and then I will be onto the yellow lace portion again. I spent some quality time in my jammies watching the Men's gymnastics last night and knitting away. Uffda. USA really struggled on that pommel horse and the vault.

Ok - Less typing! More knitting!

Day 3 of the Ravellenic Games

I had to RIP! The further I got in my shawl the more I realized it just wasn't looking right. I tried to rip out just the yellow lace work - pulled it all out and picked back up all the stitches (not fun), but upon closed inspection I realized there were some mistakes in the first section as well, and since I was already ripping....

I recast on and saw that I had missed the Knit 3 rows line at the very beginning of the pattern which would have prevented the neck from rolling. So already I am happy that I ripped the whole thing out and am starting over. (I wondered why the neck was so unstructured! DOH!) I think my next go at this will be much better!

Day 2 of the Ravellenic Games

I have been working away on my Collonade Shawl for the Ravellenic Games. This yarn feels very large after working in lace weight for two weeks! I am very happy with my progress and love the yarn and the look of my product. I am not enjoying this yellow section as much as the gray - but perhaps when I get the rhythm down a little more it will feel better. I think because my stitch count was a little off going into this I feel like I have been fighting the pattern a little. I believe I got that all worked out with the first pattern repeat and hopefully it will be smoother sailing now!

Ravellenic Games 2012

The Olympics opening Ceremony was last night and I was finally able to cast on my project! I am making the Colonnade Shawl by Stephen West. It was supposed to be my first Stephen West project, but as I researched this for the games I got swept into the Westknits Mystery Kal. These things happen.

I am very happy with my first days work. I had been up for 14 hours by the time I could cast on and was already pretty tuckered out from a long work week, but I was very exited about the games and the new project. I am knitting this in Sun Valley Fibers MCN Worsted which is just HEAVEN! Very soft and lush. I would work with this again in a heartbeat!

I knit until my hands were clawed and I was so tired I could hardly stand it. Then I set my knitting aside and watched Sir Paul McCartney sing Hey Jude. An interesting opening ceremonies. I wish it had been broadcast without commercials as I know they cut a lot of stuff out. (Although the commercials were good bathroom and stretch points, so they had their value I guess.)

Progress on my Westknits Mystery Kal will pretty much stop while the games are on. Clue 3 was released yesterday and although I read it and looked at the boards on Ravelry about it, it will be a while until I get to it. I am not quite half way through Clue 2 at this point.

Above is a photo of me using a crochet hook to pick up stitches on the icord edge. I tried over and over to pick up the stitches with my knitting needles, as the moderators for the KAL insisted that this was the easiest way, but it just didn't work for me. I need to remember that not everything works for everyone and I have to find the path that works for me with my work rather than trying to force myself to do something the way someone else tells me to. Honestly I felt a bit bullied by the attitude of the moderators and like there was something wrong with me for not being able to pick up the stitches the way they said too. I think it was just a very simple skill for them and they were a bit surprised at even needing to explain it to people.  There is a bit of snobbery on this Kal - it's not terrible, but there is a bit of an attitude that people with a lower skill set are needing a lot of help. I am still really happy I am doing this and my skill level is much higher than it was before I started it, but I can't help but feel a little feather ruffling at the snobbery.

Anyone else participating in the Ravellenic Games?

Westknits Mystery Shawl KAL Progress Report

I feel like this KAL has kind of taken over my life - and I am pretty happy about it! Clue 1 was waiting for me when I got home from work last Friday and I cast on and dove right in. I started this in

Sun Valley Fibers MCN Lace in the colors "Plum Crazy" and "Autumn". I swatched and had the needle I wanted - a Size 4 - which is probably one of the smallest needles I have done a project on! By Sunday I had 9 "wedges" complete and was kind of at a stand still. My short rows were pretty ugly and I was just not happy with how the project looked. My knitting was not pretty. Add to this my hubby asking if I "would really wear a shawl in THOSE colors?" which turned this from looking like an Autumnal shawl to Witchy-poo socks in my head in a hot second. Suddenly I was feeling kind of sad about the shawl.

After going through all my stash options (a process that took a couple hours! Must organize stash!) we ended up going to The Yarn Garage where I picked up some Noro Taiyo Sock yarn. When I got back home I did a practice test of German Short Rows on some acrylic and when I was satisfied I started over with renewed vigor! Am so happy I started over! Normally it kills me to "knit over" but it was a really good move this time!

The Noro is a three ply and the Sun Valley Fibers is a 2 ply - so my new project is coming up just a tiny bit larger than my old. Here is a comparison of the two projects side by side - the difference in the 9 wedges is just about an inch in length. I can't feel the difference and the way it is working up I feel like this was a good choice to make. I have more than enough yardage so I know I will be fine on that end as well.

The new Clue was unleashed yesterday and I cannot wait to dig in. I finished knitting up my Clue one  today and will be heading in to Two-ville as soon as I get some chores done.

This is my first Westknits pattern I have worked up and I am really happy I am doing this with a huge crew of people in this KAL. There are many things I am doing in this project that are new to me and the support in the Ravelry Forums has been amazing! Enough talk! Time to Knit!

Fugly Update

I thought I would update on my Fugly blanket this week. I spent a couple hours last night weaving in the ends and tacking down the fugly seams I created when I crocheted chunks together. Today I pulled my blanket our and measured it and took a few pictures. It's currently 56 inches by 52 inches (142 cm x 132cm). I feel like if I make it too much larger it will hit "blanket" or "afghan" level rather than throw. I wonder if there is a real division in the those or if that is just my feelings? Anyway - I don't want a HUGE blanket. I want a mini blanket for throwing over my shoulders in bed at night or wearing on my lap while I knit. My internal voice told me I was there.

My next challenge is picking out the color I want to edge it in. I THINK I have it figured out now, but honestly I have changed my mind three times this morning already, so.... Yeah.

My only requirement is that it be in my stash. I have a whole bin of cotton - so that's really not an issue I don't think. This whole blanket is an experiment and since I have declared it FUGLY from day one there really is nothing I can do to it to make it worse. That really takes the pressure off.

In other news, my weekly weight in was pretty successful considering how much I consumed over the 4th of July holiday! I gained about half a pound this week and I was pretty happy with that since I was sure it would be much worse.

Another blessing is our heat wave finally broke. We hit 102F (38.88C) yesterday and it was over a week of temperatures like that. Last night we had storms roll in and today we are a bit cooler - so yay for that!

Is anyone doing the Stephen West KAL that starts next Friday? Lord help me - I signed up for it! I don't work with small needles  - like ever - and I am thinking if I am lucky I will be knitting this up on a size 4, but the yarn states size 1-3 needles so I may end up smaller than I think. Uffda. What have I gotten myself into?!?! My other concern is that this KAL will only be halfway over when the Olympic Games starts and I have a project geared up for that as well! So.... Yeah. We will have to see how this goes!