Deb on the Web

A new prize! And some FOs

Prize #9 for the CCFA walk fundraiser!!  Is a little something for you spinners out there This beautiful fiber is from Capistrano Fiber Arts.  It is 60% Merino 40% Bamboo in a limited edition colorway.  Just beautiful shades of green.  And as we have had a lot of rain here in the Northwest it is looking very similar to my surroundings right now;)  You have to make a donation (in any amount) right here to have your name in the prize hat!  All prizes will be awarded on Saturday June 28th (And it is coming right up.  CCFA is a very deserving charity.  Colitis and Crohn's Disease really gets very little mention and fundraisers like this go a long way to raise important money to help those afflicted.

In the I have finished department-- A finished Needle Felted Bucket bag!  I really love the way it turned out.  The pattern called for design on the sides, but I liked the fact that I can see a little bit of the decrease pattern there.  I do have to sewn the handles on a little better.  After a very heavy load at the Farmer's Market yesterday there was fraying of stitches (I am so not a seamstress!).
For the first baby shower of the Summer we have Angora baby booties I just had to use that German Angora/merino right away (from BSG).  It felt wonderful to knit with and will look darling on the feet of this Mama's baby
I have been roasting a chicken with Morel mushrooms, beets and turnips while typing this.  It is not time to steam the greens from that veg.  So more tomorrow with pics of our mini farm:)

Happy, happy birthday!

To the husband today!!  It is both his birthday and of course Father's Day!  And luckily a beautiful mountain day.  We couldn't sleep late.  Bounded up at 6:20a to start a Tiramisu for after dinner tonight (I bought local strawberries to go with). 
A lazy day for him and a gardening one for me.  I have seeds to plant, lettuces to transplant and bunnies to pet (always bunnies to pet).
I had planned on showing you all the progress on the Needle Felted bucket bag.  However, I am so disgusted it will have to wait.  I broke both my felting needles last night in my excitement over the project.  It is addicting!!  But best not to do it in your lap while watching TV.  Very easy to get carried away during the action scenes...

Yarn Prize--#6

Back in the Blogging saddle again (yes, I can hear the music).  The Italians are on a plane heading home (very sad).  We had a wonderful time relaxing at the mountains!  Fishing, eating, drinking and watching American movies in Spanish (no italian for Jesse James movie).
You have been waiting for some more prizes I would bet.  So here is a big beautiful one-- A lovely shawl project for prize #6!  The yarn is "Whisper" by Aurora Yarns (a one of a kind colorway).  I think the colors will look like poppies in this pattern--Field of Flowers, by Evelyn Clark.
Now is the time to donate!  So you can get your name in the "prize hat" (random number generator) for one of the lovely prizes (scroll back to previous posts for more!).  The next batch will include some books!  I would really love to blow my goal out of the water and raise the amount:)  That happened last year!!

As our friends were in the relax mode I was able to finish up a couple of projects while hanging out.  The Needle Felted bag is finished and felted really looking forward to tomorrow's class in which we will be learning to needle felt this lovely (I am over using that word today) Noro yarn onto the front of the bag.  I still need to order handles for this lovely...hehehe
Also finished this first sock from the April Rockin Sock Club (yes,I am a bit behind).  I would love to get the other finished by the 21st.  The start of the Summer of Socks!  However, as my LYS started their Summer of Socks on June 1st I am actually right on time:)

New Knitalong and lots of other stuff too--

Yep I'm back.  But before we get on to that there is a revival of the knitalong over at the blue blog.  I'm not going to make the sweater, but I have started on the Hermione Hat.  It was a great project to start while camping.  And one I'll finish on the way to Reno next week.  It will definitely need to be washed.  It was hit by smoke and ash from the fire several times and a pug (Chester) sat on it enough to be a red and white striped hat.  When finished and washed I'll post.  The Cascade 220 "ruby" matches a scarf I received in a swap last year perfectly!   

Okay, camping was great!  A little short, but I'll take what I can get.  I only took one picture My view while knitting!  Not bad, huh?  We camped right above the Salmon river just a few miles into the Mt Hood National forest.  I feel like it was cheating a bit.  We were only 5 minutes from my in-laws so when we ran out of wood and didn't have enough forks it was a quick trip down the road.  I can say that I brushed my teeth at the river's edge and didn't brush my hair for 2 days.  I kind of roughed it;)

While we were gone I received my third set of stitch markers in the mail!  Two are for smaller needles, 2 for slightly larger ones and 2 that clip on the the knitting itself.  I'm love them all, but am especially thrilled about the clip ons.  I saw that someone else received some and thought it was such a cool idea.  Thank you so much pal from Ontario!!

In other mail news I received the big box for you Allison!  Just thought I'd let you know.  I can't get to the post until Monday.  I'll let you know the price when I do.

And finally in knitting news--Here is the beginning of the embroidery on the satchel. Pat and I worked on it last weekend.  I haven't gotten back to it this week (so very busy), but this will be a weekend project.

And a few more pics

I haven't received the third stitch markers yet, but I really want to show you the ones I have received.  So those will get their own special post.  First came these from Philly .  They are so beautiful.  I love the jewel tones!  And then from Ca aren't these neat.  I have only worked with dangle-y ones for homemade.  These will be neat with hairier yarns.

Here also is the finished front of the Weekend Satchel .  Next the embroidery has to be tackled.  I'm a little nervous about how that will turn out.  It has been so long since I've done any.  I don't want to have it look crappy when I've gone to all that work.  I thought I had finished the back.  When I came back to it I remembered I just took it off the needles to use them for the front.  I have about 4 in to go.  It is all st st with the main color.  There are 3 other pieces (2 gussets and bottom) in MC, then the extremely long red straps.  I am really looking forward to the construction process.

A knitting class

It used to be (for the first 15 years I knit) that every project I chose was partly to learn a new skill.  The last few years I've been choosing projects more to use the great new yarns available or because a pattern looked like fun.  Today I started a project to get better at some skills and learn a few new ones.  This bag is gorgeous!  And it actually is knitting up fast.  Before class I finished 3/4 of the back.  I have only tried one Intarsia project before and it was a lot less challenging than this.  Pat is such a great teacher!  This is how far we got tonight. The back does get a little messy, but I can deal (deep breaths).  I'm feeling like I will be able to get a ways on this during the week (yes, after the baby blanket).  I'm really looking forward to the embroidery.  I know at some point I've played with it but can't even remember when.  The felting and bag construction will be interesting.  We've also decided to line them.  I'm so excited to be learning several skills I've really been interested in for a while.  Besides the fact that I will have one Christmas present under my belt!  Here is the basket full of yarn for this project. And here is Pat showing me her beginning example.

In shops now!

It is official!  My felted scarves can now be found at Cuckoo on N. Mississippi st.  Pretty exciting!  It will be more so when the store is open:)  I got them finished and went running over there to find it still in a bit of shambles.  I think the scarves were the only inventory last week.  They may be open by now.  I know Anna was working around the clock to get finished last week.

On other life news...the papers aren't signed...but...it looks like I will own a new restaurant in 2005!  We have a final meeting tomorrow before signing for our new space.  I will be back to working full time and blogging part time instead of the opposite:)  We will own this with another couple.  So the idea is that no one will be killing themselves as we were in the beginning of Gino's.  I am hoping to have some knitting and design time still.  I was given specs. for IK submissions for next year.  I really would like to pursue that, but I am afraid to bite off more than I can chew.  The farm is going to be the big area of getting no attention.  Our farm partners are very understanding though!!  Right Gina?  I know you are out there somewhere:)

I worked on the scarf swap project last night.  I am almost finished.  It will be photographed and mailed by Monday.  I sure hope ..... likes it:)

Secret Pal--I still haven't received the package.  I just wanted to let you know so you didn't think I was just not posting about it.  I am a glutton for punishment, cause I'm loving the suspense.  Not that I want it to go on forever mind you!

I also have a giftie under the (tabletop) tree from Jane.  I am waiting to open it until Xmas.  We have a lot of craftiness on Solstice with only one present exchanged from the party.  All other gifts that reach our house have to wait til Xmas morn.  Well except what DH is getting this year (evil little smile here).  I won't be sharing what he is getting...and there definitely won't be any photos!!

Another felt scarf and other funny photos

Here is yesterday's felting project. The white is wool and the spots are yak.

And since I am being a procrastinator in the Man-Along I thought I would show a photo of another manly sweater I made last year. Note the sweet disposition of DH

I am seriously spoiling my feet again!! Tomarrow I am going back to The Barefoot Sage with the friend I was planning on taking in the first place. Woooo Hoooo!

The felting process

I am going to set up a new photo album with the process I'm using for felting scarves. Here are the two that I made yesterday and today. These are a little before and after action:

Also, Glampyre has the coolest necklace idea! Plus other very "glam" patterns to check out. I have necklace ideas swirling around in my head now!