Happy Birthday NLFC!

So it has been one year today that I've been in business under the new name and I have to say it's been a great one! I have really enjoyed the people I have met online and in person. Contributing to Phat Fiber has definitely been one of my better decisions as I love being a part of that little community!

So to celebrate I am doing a Sale for the rest of the month! 30% refund on all items in the shop - including the gift certificates!! And I am doing a give-away! Comment on this post and you will be entered to win this skein of my dk weight yarn in the "pacified" colorway along with my new pattern "Mood Lifter Slouch".

It's been very wintery here lately (big surprise - I do live in Alaska! lol!) and here are some pics!

New cardi

I need a new cardigan. Badly. So when the yarn I got off of Ravelry (thanks Ina!!) came in the mail the hunt was on! I decided on the Alexa Capped Sleeve Cardi (Rav Link) I think the tweed will work great with the cables and that I will easily be able to wear this most of the year as well as with most of what I own or will own in the future. It has been very enjoyable to knit so far. My only complaint is that the pattern is written in a rather irritati

ng way in regards to the cable pattern. I find myself wishing for a chart, or even just for each row to be one one line instead of three or four.I plan on retyping it but the kiddos have not been co-operating with that so for now I will just deal with it. I have surprised myself in that I enjoy knitting sweaters in separate pieces. I think it is easier for me to get my head around and have a goal to work towards. I don't think seaming is really so bad after all :) Then again we'll see what I think after I seam this baby! Here is a pic of my progress. Hoping it will grow quite a bit today!

Also a little update in the shop today!

Looking for a gift for a fellow crafter? I put up Gift Certificate in the shop for $25 and $50!

Have you read the Yarn Harlot's latest post? I was just telling a friend yesterday...I really want to learn how to weave!

December already!?!?

Whew a lot has happened since I last posted!! As I am sure for most people this time of year. I always feel busy year round, but the time just seems to be running at a constant fast-forward speed during the holidays.

So here's a photo run down!

Thanksgiving!

Corbin's 3rd Birthday!

oh and here's a photo of him and I when he was new :)

and my latest project off the needles - a birthday sweater for my big boy!

Phat Fiber - Home for the Holidays

With moving and "The Upheaval" as I like to call it, I took a break from contributing to Phat Fiber. It feels good to be back! This is a great group of artists and definitely have a great sense of community! I love being a part them.

So yesterday my box came!! It is one of the best yet...I think I say that every time, heheh.

So I was on top of it and took my pictures and am ready to post 'em!

Fiber:

• Frosted Spruce: 2 samples in one! A little bit of white Alpaca, and some beautiful spruce SW Merino. Silver Sun Alpacas
• Timmy Knocked Over the Christmas Tree! - Ok I can't help but love this one - the blend is great and the name just describes it perfectly! Wild Hare Fiber Studio
• Through the Woods (To Grandma's): Wool top, Flax (so cool!), and Firestar. The firestar is the perfect christmas colors and gives the greatest sparkle! Giffordables
• Turkey Stuffing: I was so excited to get one of Brittany's samples! I have never gotten one before and it does not disappoint! It's a merino and silk blend. Boho Knitter Chic
• Green Beans and Cranberries: A great bodied domestic longwool. I love the colors in this sample and the name describes it perfectly!! Natchwoolie
• Next Day Leftovers: This delicate yet rich colorway is beautiful and soft with a great variety of fibers. Beesybee Fibers
• Glowing Embers: I have been dying to see what this luscious fiber blend is like and I can't wait to get it on the wheel. 80/10/10 Merino/Cashmere/Nylon. The colorway is just gorgeous it has a lot of depth. The Sassy Sheep
• Fall on the Farm: Beautiful. It is just a classy and lovely batt. I admit I teared up when I read the sweet family story that had inspired the colorway. a reminder of why it is so great to buy from the artisans themselves! Knit It Up

Yarns:

• A upcycled yarn, in a really pretty purpley pink color. Jag's Funky Fibers
• Gobble, Gobble. A gorgeous BFL handspun in fall colors. I LOVE the way she packaged it. The yarn makes the "tail" of the turkey. My whole family thought it was great!! Melissa's Kre8tions
• Sugar Plums, yummy sock yarn in 70 sw merino/30 Seacell (LOVE) I have been eyeing this shops yarns...they are all so pretty and this one is no exception! Anzula Luxury Fibers. Oh and I really like her logo!
• Peacock Feathers, sw merino sock yarn. Lovely blues, purples, and turquoises. Shelby B's Designs
• Mom's Harvard Beets, I loved her tag and colorway. I am not a fan of eating beets, but I LOVE the color. Great naturally dyed yarns in BFL or Organic Merino. A really lovely yarn! Vibrant Fibers
• Spin Girl Fiberarts socks sample is a really beautiful dusty autumnal colorway. I think it would make BEAUTIFUL socks.
• Winter Colorwheel, a lovely 2ply sock yarn. I was really hoping to get this sample! I was so happy to see it nestled in my box. It is a self striping sock yarn and I can't wait to knit it up! Also Nancy from Fireweed Dyeworks is another Alaskan!
• Gingerbread was another sample I was really hoping to get. It is just beautiful!! Wool, Camel, and tussah silk. Seriously yummy yarn!! By Rebekah with Love. Plus I gotta say I love her name :) My sister is a Rebekah also...

Extras:

• Got a cute block printed bag from Ruddawg with her logo on it...super cute doggie!
• A beautiful glass button from Sea Air Arts, really would add a lot to any project! Seriously huge value here!! This is a (rightly so I might add!!) $21 value.
• The Luxury Spa Cloth Pattern - Gonna have to try this one out! I have some cotton yarn with it's name on it! Rule Out Fiber Addiction
• Very nice no snagging stitch marker with a shoo-fly charm AND! a Super awesome shoo-fly pie recipe!! Not to mention the awesome froggy thanksgiving pic on the card! Lampyridae
• No snagging very pretty stitch marker from Susan's Kitchen.
• A nice variety of business cards and discounts

Whew! Check out these shops! They are amazing!

Hand Knit Love

This is my son with the blanket that he has slept under from the moment that he was born. It was part of a layette that was made by my aunt (you can see it here....[rav link]). I washed it (not for the first time lol) and it was drying over a railing. Noah did not appreciate that whatsoever. In fact it infuriated him, and he could not be distracted. Finally after some food and a nap he snatched it from the railing (albeit a tad damp in spots) and ran around the house victorious. He was so happy to have it around him and it just reminded me of the love and time my aunt had put into the blanket. This is one of the major reasons I love anything handcrafted!

Also big update in the shop....five new colorways of my Borealis DK weight yarn that my Mood Lifter Slouch was written for. Also if you purchase Borealis DK and the pattern I will refund $2. I also put up some more Cashnyro Luxury Lite and Terino Luxury. Whew that was a lot of links! :)

Mood Lifter Slouch

I feel like a proud new mama (okay not quite as intense as with my boys - but you get the idea ;P )

My first pattern is now live! Up on Ravelry and in my shop! Soon it will be available for purchase on Ravelry as well. I am just waiting to be hooked up to their system as a designer.

I also have plans for making this up into kits. Dyeing up a bunch of yarn tomorrow if all goes well!

Another wrap!

My Mama requested and I delivered! Took way less time than my last one...then again I don't think children ever really get over wanting to please one's parents ;P I knit it out of a pretty fantastic new yarn....Hillside Linen, 80% Alpaca/20% Linen = yum! I had never knit with linen before and I have to say I liked it! I really would love to make the Soap Bubble Wrap (rav link) out of linen yarn as called for in the pattern.

I have also started two more projects as my fingers have just been itching for more variety.

Corbin's birthday sweater - a darling pattern called "Twisted Tree Pullover". I am loving it! I

have to say I am pretty entranced with twisted stitches, and I am even knitting this out of my stash, good ol' Cascade 220 in a nice goldish color.

Also more socks! Just a preview pic for now as Noah has decided that it is time to be up and playing....

Socktoberfest Wrapup!

Well the end of October is looming (must start and finish the boys costumes!) and it was my first "Socktoberfest" which I eased into by participating in The Through Loops KAL (old news if you've been reading) but! I finished them! Pretty in love with them though I am suspecting that I could have gone down a size. This was a very stretchy pattern. My first time doing any sort of "cool" heel and toe and overall thought it was a great experience, here's my pics....

Also I am working on a pattern, it involves this yarn that I just finished dyeing and I am hoping it will debut with my other samples in the Phat Fiber November box, so just a little taste :)


I am on a sock roll and will be starting my next pair as soon as I hit "Publish".

Fall

So these past few weeks have been a pretty true fall for Anchorage. Pretty impressive as we usually have (at least what seems like) two seasons - summer and winter. With the new place comes a fantastically huge yard. Not so fantastically there are lots of leaves. John probably spent a good 14-18 hours cleaning up the yard and getting it ready for winter, ending with a cold drizzle that brought him in cold and hungry. He thoughtfully took a picture of the bags. This was even after I asked him to cover the garden area with a good layer of leaves. Though I will add that probably half of the bags are from previous years of leaves, grass clippings, and miscellaneous wood scraps that had turned into a not good gooey mess in one untended corner of the yard. John is guessing that there are around 45 bags or so....


A more enjoyable fall activity has been carving pumpkins! Corbin is now the age that he is "getting" more of this seasonally oriented activity and has been getting super excited about everything. He got to help Daddy get all the "guts" of the pumpkin out and kept telling me how yucky and dirty it was. He loved it!Also I finished the 4th clue for the TTL KAL. So happy with these socks!! I almost just finished the toes, but then thought she might have some surprise that I would miss out on. So I'm thinking that tomorrow night I should have a newly finished pair of socks...not the greatest pic but you get the idea :)

A common and beloved sight.

I totally meant to put this in my last post but completely spaced it!

This is very often the scene around 9:30am on John's days off. He's employed as an EMT-3 for a local Ambulance service in Anchorage and works a rather odd schedule. It is what's called a "Modified Kelly Schedule" (not that I have any idea where that name came from!) and he basically works on a 9 day work week, actually working 3-24 hour shifts in that time. He rides his bike to and from work and so as he gets off at 9am, he is typically home between 9:30am and 10am. Of course my boys literally squeal with delight when they hear the door open and Daddy walks in. He is a fantastic Dad and I just had to share this pic of him with my boys

well I know it's not fiber related, but I thought it was pretty sweet :)

Knitting, Knitting, and Knitting!

I am loving the cooler weather and I am just so wanting to be wrapped up in cozy hand knits all winter long! I am surprised that we haven't had snow in town yet. In fact it scares me a little. I feel like the weather is lulling me into complacency and then *BAM* it's going to come out of nowhere with a blizzard that will leave several feet on the ground! I just keep hoping that it's going to ease in gently.....

I started and finished a hat! It is one of those "slouchy" hats (Jane by Jane Richmond - ) as I thought my Sis's bangs and hair in general would work great with it! I gifted it to her last night at her birthday party we threw for her. She loved it and commented that it will be nice to have a hat that will keep her warm and not mess up her bangs! This pattern was awesome. It felt so good on the head with the doubled brim and slouchiness. I will be casting on one for myself as soon as I finish my minimalist cardi and TTL socks. Here's some pics of me in the hat.Also I have been on the look out for podcasts. I keep reading about much people love them but I had really poor luck in finding any that I liked. Especially now that we don't have a tv, I am always on the lookout for other ways to entertain myself while knitting. Thankfully I did happen across Never Not Knitting. I don't know how I had missed it before now but I LOVE it! I have now downloaded all of her podcasts and am catching up. Plus her blog itself is great. So leave a comment if you have any other podcasts. They don't have to be fiber related (though I would love any more of those), though I don't find myself enjoying political stuff. A little to heavy for knitting right now.

Another little update in the shop, my sale is still on - just mention my blog for a 15% refund!

Picking up where I left off and a SALE!

Well due to moving and getting organized I have had UFO staring me in the face! So when I was thinking how nice it would be to reduce their number, I realized that I was pretty close to finishing several of them! So with about 2.5 evenings of minimal knitting I finished my November Ruffle Wrap. I had cast this on in February so it felt pretty good to get off the needles. It is smaller than intended (which I knew it would be) but is still a pretty good "wrap" size at 16" X 52".

Now I have picked back up my Minimalist Cardigan. I already have the back and one sleeve done, and am now 2/3 through the second sleeve after casting it on yesterday afternoon. I think I am going to overdye this when it's all knitted as there are just a few "bright" spots.

I did finally finish the Jeanne shawl I was working on! This was using Funky Carolina's 2 ply Superwash Fingering Yarn in a beautiful deep wine color. I packaged it up and mailed it today. The first picture is too bright color wise, the second is more accurate.

Lastly I did a larger update in the shop! Here is a pic of the latest stuff that went up. I have more yarns and roving steaming, and a shipment due tomorrow or so. So keep watch! My latest additions included a wonderful new base that is amazing! It is a 70/20/10 Alpaca/Silk/Cashmere blend and needs to be felt to be believed!! In honor of the "knitting or crocheting season" I am offering 15% rebate! Just mention my blog and I will send your 15% off back to ya!

Roving and handspun, and hankies oh my!

Just a collage of what is now up in the shop! Go have a look!

Chickadee

So after finishing the second clue I feeling like casting on something new. I had been eyeing the chickadee cowl for awhile and have been wanting to do linen stitch so it was a perfect match. So a day, some bargain yarn, and a whole lotta linen stitch later....voila! (though excuse my serious face, I was concentrating on not dropping my camera lol) One Christmas present down! (Though I am seeing one of these in my keeper pile for the future! The fit and weight of it felt GREAT!)

Chugging along!

Just a quick post of pics from my Socktoberfest knit a long. I just finished the second clue for both socks! I think I may have been able to do the smaller size, but they still fit nicely. Unfortunately this colorway is proving difficult to photograph as they are actually purple not black, and let variegated in person as well. So as with many things they look even better in real life! Can't wait to be wearing these!

Can you feel the Love

Went to The Lion King last night. It was every bit as amazing as I thought it would be. I had not thought that we were going to be able to attend - but then SURPRISE! My parents bought us tickets!!! Included in the gift was watching the kids so John and I were able to get away for a wonderful evening together. I think it was our first date in about 2+ months....we usually try for more often than that! John and I always enjoy getting to attend events at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts as that is where we met and worked together for 3+ years. So definitely a great date spot :) Here is a pic of us about to leave (I find that we never seem to get pics together anymore, must be something about the camera always being pointed at the kids or fiber ;)Also I finished the second cuff of for the TTL Mystery Knit A long. I am thoroughly enjoying it and can't wait until tomorrow for the next clue to come out! I had brought it with me last night and had the opportunity to explain it to the lady sitting next to me.....she did ask first ;P


That's all for now! I have quite a bit of roving, silk hankies, and handspun which will be making their way into the shop in the next couple days. Part of the "to-do's" for today include a photo-op....

Before and After

Whew! This week has flown! Lots got done and was probably one of the most satisfying weeks I have had in awhile! All the sewing and knitting has had some nicely tangible results and that always leaves me in a good mood! So I thought I would share some before and afters of my living area. It still seems a little bare (it needs a rug and boy do I have big plans for that!) but it is coming along nicely - a big improvement from moving day if I do say so myself.

Before

After

I also am doing the Through the Loops Socktober Fest Mystery Knit A Long. I have never done a knit a long, much less a mystery pattern! So far it is proving most exciting and I already have my first sock through the first clue and the second sock about 25% through. Already looking forward to next Thursday! Here is my picture of the progress. The yarn is Pigeonroof Studios Original Sock Yarn in her Mourning Dove colorway. My lighting was terrible (flourescent - bleh!) so I apologize and will post better pics soon!

Happy Birthday Noah!

One year and about half an hour from typing this post my little Noah was born! It's been a great year and he has had a pretty fun birthday so far if I do say so myself! Calls and visits from friends and family - including Sally! She made him some pretty awesome tie-dyed shirt with appliques of dogs on them (he thinks dog are pretty awesome right now) and a little lovey blanket. Here's a collage of the afternoon...oh and he's wearing his birthday sweater too! It turned out great and I know it's going to get lots of wear.


After finishing his sweater I went ahead and cast on a hat for myself! I am super happy with how it turned up and will be writing up the pattern. I used a superwash merino dk weight yarn from Becoming Art that I had purchased from Sock Summit for just this purpose. Now I am back to working on the Jeanne shawl that I am doing for Funky Carolina! It is just cruising along and is a very enjoyable knit - more on that later but here is a little sneak peek pic for now!
All in All Monday had proven to be a good predictor of the week! I hope it stays that way!