In trying to decide the next project - I took into consideration the time factor. Not that "Snowstar" took me all that long - but with the ever growing list of fleeces that are arriving on my doorstep, I need to think of space.

Yes - even a smallest ball of yarn takes up valuable studio space.

I decided on sox - hopefully, I will complete them ASAP as my mind is wandering to other things. Granted, my friend Pamela has some things planned. (WhEEEEE! - more on that later!) but, sox are the 'quick fix' in the knitting world.

I must mention that Christine is sponsoring a wonderful contest for super star Christie who is a participant in Revlon's Run/Walk next month. This event helps to raise money to beat Women's Cancers - cervical, ovarian and so forth! So ... don't walk .... RUN to her pledge page - Ruth Ricks.

I offer these wonderful, one of a kind "Swingin' Singles" as a prize! Go Christie! Go Christine! Comments, please!

It was a glorious weekend ... I finished the SnowStar! I am truly excited - and I do love the way it turned out. Eventually, it will be sent to The Tibetan Children's Village. Thanks Stas for finding this wonderful organization which embraces the mantra of Peace! (You MUST check out Stas' wonderful dyEing journey!)

I really cranked this baby out - of course, listening to some good music helps. Over the last week, I must have listened to my Bo Bice CD at least 100 times. What a great compliation of new Southern Rock. And what a VOICE. LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!

Trying to decide what is next?? Sox or another sweater??? Comments, please!

I find it curious that most knitting magazines & catalogs that I have been seeing of late - have been less than motivating for me.

Bland patterns with exceptionally priced yarns provide little inspiration for my Muse.

I offer thanks to the Cyber-gods daily for the internet. I truly appreciate & am mezmerized by the talent & knowledge shared on the Ezines & BloGs. Merci!

Today, I happened to receive my print copy of The Woodland Woolworks Catalog. I experienced a surreal moment - many of the items pictured were items that I actually *wanted* to create. Some patterns were challenging - some were pretty - some were things that I think would actually look good on me!

Off I go to peruse the catalog for the 4th time! I am feeling a wee bit euphoric. Comments, please!

Well - finally ... a photo of the Snowstar! The Lena's Meadow Peace Fleece makes a wonderful background for the intarsia design! I love the tiny colorbursts of lavender & olive embedded in the subtle blue-green - it truly looks like a meadow.

I started the first sleeve last night. Hopefully, I will finish the whole sweater (including seaming ) within the week. As you know - the sweater will be sent to The Tibetan Children's Village. Hopefully, I will be able to send an addtional sweater at some point.

Back to the needles ... for some reason, I have the hankering to knit sox!
Comments .... please!

There is no fibery content here today. Why?? Well, I am still plugging along on the "Snowstar"! It is coming along nicely - although, my lack of concentration did me in. Yes - the front of the sweater made a trip to the frog pond.

C'est la vie. It was a learning experience. *I must not try to complete a project so quickly that I forgo reading the pattern directions!* N'UFF said.

Anywhoo ... who was the brain child who developed the term "designer dogs"? Why would you purchase THIS baby from a pet store??
When you could adopt THIS baby from a shelter?? N'UFF said. Comments please!

Epiphany! Yes - has been one of those days. Today, I realized that Easter is just 10 days away.

I knew it was coming ... DH & I play host/hostess each year. But, for some reason - it snuck up on me. Have I been to busy?? Have I NOT been paying attention??

Needless to say, I will be even MORE busy this coming week!!

What have I been doing?? Why, dyEing sock yarn, of course. Check out my latest beauties ... and if interested in sales and member's only specials, sign up for my YahOO Group. You just never know what you may find! WhEEEEE!!!! Comments, please!

Those who dabble in the fiber arts are most giving! While the world is filled with horror shows & horror stories - the quiet 'whir' of the spinning wheel and the strong pulse of the knitting needle can be heard echoing within the confines of the Universe.

As you know ... there are many charities to which to donate hand made items. My forte is wool & natural fibers, so I eagerly knit and spin for those who LOVE the warmth of wool! Enter my dear friend, Stasia.

Please read her BloG as she informs us of another wonderful charity who deservedly needs our wonderfully warm knitted items - the refugee children of Tibet.

Me?? Sure, I accept a challenge!! Since the Tibetan Children's Village needs sweaters - this Peace Fleece yarn
will be turned into this amazing Retro SKI Sweater!

Truth be told - I LOVE this sweater design so much - I am thinking *I* need one for ME!!
Comments please!

I just completed *the* cutest infant socks!! Look!


I used my very own - hand painted "Painted Toes" sock yarn. Didn't they come out so sweet & tiny?? (Pattern may be found here. - I plan on making several pair for various charities as they take minimal time on a size 1 needle.)

Check them out against my vintage "Forget-Me-Not" Knitter's Computer ! There is something charming about 'low tech'! Comments, please!

I just completed 2 more hats for Dulaan. It is pretty exciting as I have used over 7 pounds of yarn stash. With fleeces arriving on my doorstep- almost daily - (surprise! surprise!) - I doubt if there will be a fiber shortage anytime soon.

Knitters, crocheters and spinners have a myriad of charity choices to which they can contribute. While surfing today, I discovered another worthy organization: Warm Woolies. Would you please join me in making a difference in the lives of those on the Pine Ridge and/or Rosebud Reservations (orphanages in Russia & Kazakhstan are helped too)?

The hats?? Well, here is a photo. The left is done totally of my dyEd handspun. The one on the right is Ukranian Red Peace Fleece combined with one of my "Swingin' Singles". WhEEEEE!! Toasty TOT Heads, anyone??
Comments, please!

HaPpY Spring!

OK ... so here in the Northeast, the temperatures hovered in the low 30's with the wind chill making those 30's feel a wee bit more like the TEENS. Yep - baby, it is *still* cold outside.

Look who was waiting on my doorstep this afternoon in the sunshine and wind??? Why, Dobbie, the tunis ram lamb!! Isn't he handsome??
Thanks a zillion Laurie!



Both the chilly temps and March Madness worked in my favor over the last few days! I was able to complete one hat for Dulaan - another is on the needles. The fair isle mittens were finished as well! They came out fine - but I hope, with practice, I will overcome the tension issues which plagued me. (Photo will come after blocking, but, suffice to say, I am having fun wearing them.)

I was also able to dye & card .... while wool may be my love, dogs are my passion. They go hand & hand as the former helps me to raise money and awareness for the later. Did you know black dogs are the least likely to be adopted?? They actually call it Black Dog Syndrome. Well, if you are looking for a forever friend .... who wouldn't love a Black Pearl? Comments, please!

Hmmm .... you all know that I am UP for a good charity.
Save the World! Save the Whales! Save the Wolves .... my list is long and worthy. I admit to being a little biased - most of my charities concern animals - all that just might have to change - ASAP!

Enter, Dr. Dave Patterson! A Scottish born, Harvard trained PHd - this cutie is not only running THE BOSTON MARATHON he is running to benefit Children's Hospital.

Now, ladies .... hold onto your yarn - Dr. Dave is auctioning himself off on eBay!! Got to love a lad who is smart, kind, athletic AND is up for taking the winning bidder out to dinner!!

If you weren't light headed before - drop the knitting needles now and slowly step aside. I can't let you faint with anything in your hands!! .... It is my civic duty to mention Dr. Dave is running said 26 mile marathon in a KILT! BID NOW - then pass those smelling salts! Comments, please!!

Tomorrow is a scheduled rally day to boycott the Canadian Seal Hunt. I urge you to join via voice or dollar! Tell your local resturants and grocery shops that if they carry Canadian seafood, your disposable income will end up somewhere else.

We the People need to raise the bar and hold accountability to a higher standard.

OK - I am off my soap box now. Sorry - but I feel it necessary to scream about certain things in the hopes of being heard. :)

On a knitting note, my fair isle mittens - might and I do mean *might* be completed today. I will be over joyed ... and I already find myself thinking about 'what to do next'. Hmmm.... I just dyed these leicester longwool locks .... what kind of trouble can I get into with these??? Comments, please!

My Creative journey didn't begin with spinning or knitting. It actually began with me being an "artist". I can remember being very young and coloring when a small peer/child asked me "Do you think you are an artist or something?" - the remark was due to the way I was using my crayons. Smart child .... how did she know at such an early age that I am an artist?? Hmmm ....

The tools that we use to create can either enhance or detract from the final piece. This runs the gammet from canvas to papers to wools - anything that we use to create art should offer diversity and uniqueness and quality to capture our own individual personalities. I have been doing quite a bit of knitting recently (remember the fair isle mittens?) - and it dawned on me .... knitters do not have the same access to the wonderful wools that spinners do!!

Knitters, weavers, crocheters get banded skeins with generic ancestry. Sure, one might find 'merino' or 'shetland' .... but what about clun forest or gotland or teeswater or cheviot or churro??

Realizing the deficit - I am creating Buck Naked Sheep Skeins!! Beautiful skeins that feature the glorious colorways of sheepies that nature intended. (Sorry for the shameless plug, but I am thinking knitters need to know this!)

What do you think?? Good idea?? Comments, please!

The Olympics are FINIS for another 2 years. I have mixed emotions over their ending - well, now it is on to Beijing, 2008.

My knitting wasn't 'gangbusters', just one solo fair isle mitten was complete. Did you happen to see Melanie's Parade? MoMMa Mia, I am in awe ... I can't wait until she posts the pattern for the "Olympic Flame" socks!! (I did mention Beijing in 2008, right? If I start them as soon as she posts the pattern - I am pretty confident they will be done in time!)

Now I am on to mitten #2, plus I will continue to spin & card wool too. I call it "Cross Training"! Comments, please.

How are your knitting Olympics progressing??

Suffice to say, I am glad to be an UNofficial athlete. My fair isle mittens bit the Big One. I crashed & burned. I fell on the ice. I 'yard saled' (hip snow boarding lingo!) I straddled a gate. In knitting terms ... they got frogged.

I am currently using a size 5 needle as opposed to 4 - and they are looking so much better. Will keep you posted.

But, I have been having fun playing too. Check out my latest
Swingin' Singles! Aren't they pretty?

I am having a ball creating them!!

And for those of you who love animals - I thought that I would share a wonderful on line resource: Animal Voice. Poke around in this site - your emotions will run the gammet. My friend Alicia, who is a REAL LIFE inspiration to me - pointed me to this horrific situation: Save the Horses! . While you & I may not be able to save the Whole World this minute - maybe we can start by saving a little piece of it this second. Comments, please!

EARTH DAY is right around the corner!! While once thought to be a haven for hippie celebrations and granola- loving tree huggers - Earth Day is a reminder for all of us that we each share both an equal & important part in our planet's future.

So - in the coming weeks, I ask that you consider how YOU can improve your little part of the world. Recycle more?? Bring your canvas/knitted/felted market bags to the grocery store?? Compost organic waste?? Walk instead of ride when you can?? Turn down your household thermostat a few degrees?? ME?? I am starting something new today: a 5 minute shower!! The timer is coming in with me and when it goes off, I come out! (While some of you may already take a 5 minute shower, I like to grow webbed feet!) This should be interesting!
Wish me luck!

Progress is being made on my Fana Mittens. My tension is tight - which is causing me a wee bit of grief .... my hand barely fits!! I doubt that blocking will do the trick. And the thumb?? MoMMa Mia - I still don't know if I am doing it right. C'est la vie ... if not, off to the frog pond they will go, then Lo' and Behold, if I redo them, they may actually fit!! Comments, please!

How are your Olympics going??

Well, on the Torino front ... I am confused. Sometimes I hear "Turin" - most often I hear "Torino". Feel free to enlighten me. I am geographically challenged.

So far, I haven't minded the coverage. I usually worry about mass-market showmanship as it pertains to the "host network". Bob Costas is no Jim McKay. Short of seeing "Punk Rock Cardio Man" at the Opening (someone can enlighten me here too - what *was* up with that??) ... I have been faithful to them everynight - at least until 10:30 pm.

On the knitting front - I started a pair of fair isle mittens out of my handspun. No pictures yet! The way the bottom is curling - I might need to block them before public viewing!

I did manage to dYe/card a bit! I introduce you to Lillette .... Comments, please!

The Opening Ceremonies have started ... and well, I just couldn't decide what event to enter in the Knitting Olympics.

Fair Isle?? Spinning?? Sox?? Mittens?? Each event has it's own technical requirements - it's own fantastic challenge with an equal time constraint.

So, during this Winter Olympics, I will sit on the sidelines, cheering for the good Ol' U S of A - with my knitted fair isle cap gracing my head and quite possibly my Dale of Norway "Lillehammer" adorning my soul.

I will spin - I will knit - and I will collect these achievements like medals earned ... only to display them proudly at the closing ceremonies!

I raise my needles to the wind and tap them loudly - to cheer all the athletes & knitters a like. May all your dreams be fulfilled over these next 2 weeks.

And while I sit and contemplate which projects to do - I take solace in the fact that I have a least one thing (oops - 2 things, we are both from NH!) - in common with Bode Miller (who, by the way - I REALLY, REALLY like.) - we will both be toasting (hiccup!) the athletes - Olympic Style. Luge, here we come! Comments, please!

Today, I made my doggies cookies.

That is right, home baked, fresh (almost) organic cookies. They deserve it. They don't ask for anything ... and yet, they are always there to comfort, to console and to love. My Motu & Diesel ... you are the best!


Now - I mentioned these home baked cookies are "almost" organic ... seems like my flour is *not*. Sigh ... try as I might, organics are difficult to locate. But, here is a tip I will share concerning the produce you see at your grocery store: (courtesy of "Vegetarian Times", March 2005)... Produce Stickers, Buy the Numbers ....

** 5 digits, starting with 8 ... The produce was genetically modified. (My interpretation ... STAY AWAY!)

** 5 digits, starting with 9 ... The produce was grown organically.

** 4 digits , the produce was grown conventionally.

Oh the doggie cookies??? Aren't they cute?? Comments, please!

Busy! Busy! Busy!

Now that I have achieved Fair Isle Nirvana - this past weekend was spent creating, once again for The Dulaan Project. To date - I have used over 7 POUNDS of STASH! Holey Moley! I still have much to do - but the process is fun.

Check out the "Onion Dome" hat made from Peace Fleece. Sturdy and warm ... I love the way it worked up. The pattern called for a picot crochet edging - well, that is a wee bit above my head. I managed some type of 'crochetness' to soften the edges ... I looks *really* nice if I do say so myself!


I also was playing in the DyE Pots!! Can you believe that Ola Lola came out of ONE pot??
I am in OVER-drive .... Look out!! Comments, please!