First things first. Here’s my Christmas gift to myself. You should never overlook yourself in all this holiday planning. I’m making the over-the-knee stockings from the book Handknit Holidays. The cable ribbing is what (supposedly) keeps them in place above the knee and the darker line you can see running down them is actually a little cable lace pattern. The lace runs down the back of them, mimicking a fancy stocking seam. I’m using Knit Picks Essentials sock yarn and it’s treating me fine so far. I think I can get them both done by Christmas. I’m giving my aunts pretty lace scarves this year. One is getting the trellis scarf I finished a while ago. I bought some beads to add to the ends of the points to fancy it up a little. I have another skein of the same yarn so my other aunt is getting a similar scarf that I recently started. The pattern is from the cathedral lace afghan in the Interweave Holiday issue and I added a wavy edging.

Next up is a blanket made of old, felted sweaters. It’s really big and I haven’t started sewing the squares together. I’m kind of afraid to start because I’m worried it will be harder than I’m anticipating. When it’s just all planned out, it seems so nice and simple. I’ll let you know if it really turns out to be nice and simple. I think I’m going to give it to my mom. It seems like her kind of colors. I finished my yarn-dying class. Here are my skeins! I’m in a hurry (Mike’s rushing me to go out and get our tree) so I won’t take the time to dredge up from my memory what dyes I used. If you want to know, just ask and I’ll try to remember. The one on the left is a skein I dyed last week. It’s the one on the right in the last picture- the one that’s yellow and grey and green. That’s right, the ugly one that you were all too kind to point out. I decided I hated it so I took it back and dunked the whole thing twice in the indigo dye. Now it has really pretty shades of blue and blue-green and it’s one of my favorites! It’s great to able to fix your mistakes by just dunking it in another color. I think I’m goint to knit the hexagon scarf from Knitting Nature. It’s probably not quite enough yarn but I’ll figure something out.

Lastly, another gift for me! My lovely secret pal sent me some gorgeous yarn, candles that didn’t make it into the picture and some candy that is already eaten. Thanks secret pal!

When I was older, I was in 4-H and I had animals so I practically lived at our county fair. I accumulated boxes full of ribbons and my grandpa and uncle were embarassed every year when I made them drive me to the fair to pick up the boxes full of stuff that I had entered.

This is a long intro to explain to you how excited I was to see that Larissa started a State-Fair-Along! I entered some things in the Oregon State Fair for the 1st time last summer (I am not a native Oregonian) and was excited to win a blue ribbon for some cookies but was disappointed at the lack of competition in many of the categories, including knitting. So was Larissa. There are so many crafty people that aren’t entering things in their fairs! So fellow Americans, knit, sew, bake, make something to enter in your local fair this has started a summer. It will be fun!

I just made this skirt but it is not fair quality. It’s summertime-fun-in-the-sun quality and that’s all I was going for. Please forgive the wrinkles, the white fabric is linen and I have been wearing it all evening. I used some of the fabric previously seen here.
So, what will I be knitting for the state fair? After much deliberation, I have decided on this:It’s the ogee tunic from Knitting Nature. I’m using Knitpicks merino style in tide pool and I am already almost done with the 1st sleeve! Pretty exciting, huh? What could be more exciting than a partially finished sleeve? A package from my secret pal! I was so excited to get this in the mail! It’s 2 skeins of knitpicks laceweight merino and a pattern for a shawl. The blue yarn is Cascade Pastaza-wool and llama! I’ve been fondling this yarn for a while now and have been wanting some. How did you know, secret pal? The colors of both are gorgeous- just what I’d choose for myself. I also got some great chocolate and fabulous stitch markers so I don’t have to use those cheap plastic rings anymore. Thank you, thank you!

You may remember this sweater from a while back. The sweather that I loved for many years that finally got too many holes to wear. Well, I have transformed it into this!I felted it, embroidered it with spiderweb designs and added a lining and handles. The handles are just plastic tubing from Home Depot with some orange Lamb’s Pride threaded through it. I love bags.
That’s armwarmer #2 in the bag. The lining is a fun comic book print. I sewed 2 pockets to the inside and I matched the fabric exactly! I was quite impressed with myself. You can barely see them in the picture. One pocket is the lady and the other is the beach scene.I finished my corset pullover! It just needs a light blocking and then you’ll get a modeled pic and all the details. It fits nicely and I’m really happy with it, which is exactly what I needed after the modern bustier disaster. Sorry I never posted a photo of that, by the way. Blogger freaked out on me and then my mom came to visit (so fun!!) and then I figured out how to fix it. Details to come.

In honor of Project Spectrum, here is a beautiful rainbow of flowers. Pioneer Square was all decked out in flowers in honor of the Rose Festival last weekend. Here’s an ariel view and a picture of me and my hot, tired pup.
I love Portland. I also love knitting again, now that I am reminded that I can do something right!

I hope your week is off to a great start, fabulous blog readers.

Bradely, all wet and happy after swimming.

one husband and 1 new (to me) house. The house, by the way, is the reason I missed going to the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival this weekend! I got so caught up doing work on the house that I totally spaced on the festival and forgot it was this weekend! Of course I remembered too late to get there yesterday and today I have to work. Anyone buying an old, fixer kind of house should definitely weigh risks such as this. It’s probably a good thing in the end, though, because I shouldn’t be spending any more money on yarn right now. I have a lot of projects that need finishing.

As I mentioned yesterday, I sewed a great roll-up knitting needle case. Here are some pics. The print fabrics are cotton upholstery fabrics and the solid is a sateen cotton.

Now my needles can be neat and tidy! I just need something for those pesky circulars . . .