My New Look (aka 'thanks to the yarn mojo)

Thanks to the awesome yarn mojo created by waiting club members on Ravelry, the yarn has left the mill and is winging it's way here pronto, scheduled for a Friday Delivery.


So, here's my new 'look' for probably about the next 3 weeks.
(Just a thought, but I wouldn't sneak up on me, if I were you.)

General Updates

**If you are still waiting for your yarn or kit, I have not lost your order or dissapeared into the night with the money. I am expecting yarn from the mill in the next few business delivery days, and after that, and several sleepless days and nights, I'll mail out your packages. I appreciate your patience!
To entertain you until the yarn arrives, (Look! Something Shiney! Over There!) we'll use 'distraction technique number 32', labled 'Cute Animals' from the handy book of distractions. (These are the lambs that were born in February - a set of twins and a single. They are all doing great, even the one with the broken shoulder is now leaping & playing games with his mates.)


And here's another one...

And Look! Lambs!


And what's this? Ok, it's not a lamb but it was cute.

We'll follow that up with 'distraction technique number 17': yarn Pr0n. This is some of the yarn I dyed for a knitting class taught last saturday in Fonda. 4oz balls of worsted 4ply wool, I assimilated had 6 new/newish knitters! Fun was had by all, they are knitting hats.

Ok. You there! Back to work.

Winter 2008 Newsletter

Vancalcar Acres - Winter 2008 Newsletter

It’s March now, and I like to imagine that winter is almost over, but when last week started out with a foot of new snow, and ended with another 8… well, it’s hard to imagine anything but snow. On the positive side of things, 3 lambs were born last Monday just before the storms – a set of twins and a single. The fact that all were born in the daytime, on dry hay bedding, in the sunshine with no wind means that 2 sheep have finally gotten their acts together on this farm, and we’re just hoping the rest follow suit. Or better yet, wait until spring like they’re supposed to, because we’re not supposed to be lambing in February. I say this every year, and every year we have at least one lamb born in February just so the fates can laugh at me.

On the fiber front, I wonder have you ever heard of the Yarn Harlot? Yes, I’m sure you have. In January, 3 days after I finally snuck my loom into the house and out of the freezing garage with big weav-ish plans… she blogged the Vintage sock kit. And by blog, I mean convince eleventy billion other knitters that they also needed to share in leaf-knitting. Life as we knew it around here ended. I called the mill to order more yarn, just in case. I mean, there wasn’t really a chance of running out of yarn, it was in the triple digits here in poundage but there were the new club kits coming up and it’s best to be prepared. And then in February, I realized, the poundage was now in the double digits and dwindling FAST. The Yarn Harlot officially broke the stash here, and we’ve run out of yarn. Oh, there are skeins here and I’m finishing off as many pending orders as possible, but for all intents & purposes, the cupboards are bare. I’ve called the mill, and begged and pleaded. They do not know who the Harlot is, and were not nearly as impressed with it all as I was. Barring my calling other companies and begging them to cancel their orders to move mine ahead in line, there is nothing to do but wait. I should have yarn the 2nd week in March and I’ll probably be heavily sedated by then with anxiety and frustration.
Besides that, there are several wonderful new things planned for when the yarn DOES arrive. Obviously, filling all the pending orders if the first priority. After that, the first club kit Firebird gets prettied up and sent out the door, and then Cleopatra is released on the world. She is the first club kit from last year, and a beauty. A pattern called ‘Afterthought’ is all but printed, Swan Lake is being tested out (felted boot – how cool), and there are several new colorways I’m dyeing to release (get it? Dyeing?). End of March for the new colors is the goal, we’ll see how it goes what with sleeping and eating interrupting me now & then.
On the family front, don’t tell anyone but we seem to have gotten a complete month’s worth free of colds. Husband is the one who broke the record by bringing home the flu the last Friday in February, and he was sequestered in his room, hibernating for a week. There is not enough hand sanitizer in the world to make me feel completely safe, it’s as if he’s got bubonic or something.
I think that sums things up for now. There are a couple of farm & family related issues that I’m not ready mentally to let loose on the world, some changes around here that have left me wondering a lot about priorities and choices. With everything else going on and as busy as I’ve been, I haven’t been able to concentrate on those things right now and so, we’ll let things ruminate in my mind as I come to grips with a new reality. A good one, to be sure, but different from what I had come to expect.

Thanks for sharing time with us,

Eric, Jennifer and Nora Vancalcar

NOT what I had planned for today.

There were a ton of kits I had wanted to get mailed out today. A ton.

For some reason, I couldn't seem to get anything finished today. I didn't waste time knitting, I didn't watch tv, or read a book, or sleep in, or watch a movie....

But I DID take a walk through the pasture this morning. I'm not completely certain, but I think this is what caused my problems today. Yes, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure that the pasture walk was definately the root of my lack of completed and mailed kits today.

First, I found these:

Then, when I went back out to bring them in the space in the barn I'd made for them, I found THIS:

Frankly, I'm afraid to go out again.

Out the Door.

Both Roxie and myself, actually.

Roxie in all her infamous glory went out the door Thursday, along with goodies, as the last official 2007 FlockSock Sock Club.

I followed shortly after, for a brief visit to 'the city', staying on Lisa's proverbial couch as it were. I am here officially, to deliver awesome grassfed meats to equally awesome customers in the city. I brought the snow with me from upstate, and with about 3 inches of snow on everything here, at 8am Friday morning I was brought back to consciousness by the sound of a snowmobile. They are a bit desperate for snow here I guess, cause his tracks cleared what little of it there was off the road in his wake. By noon, the plow truck came by actually plowing water. Interesting. Oh well.

Friday marks the first day since the Yarn Harlot did this where I did not dye any yarn at all. Not for lack of trying mind you. As I added bin after container after bucket of stuff for the husband to load in the car, he began to have suspicions that I was not, as stated, 'done' putting stuff by the door when he was not looking. When he noticed the bags of undyed yarn and the bin with dye and spoon (rabbitch, please not the singular of this word).... well, he drew the line. After much discussion and debate about the remaining and pending orders, customers waiting, lives hanging in the balance (ok, maybe that was a bit extreme), he finally won the argument with this one:

"You know what will happen. You'll start dyeing yarn, the 2 of you will start yakking and giggling, you'll FORGET about the yarn and completely RUIN the color you were aiming for and you don't have time for mistakes... blah blah blah."

For the record? Lisa and I do NOT giggle. Cackle maybe, but NOT giggle.

Sniff.

I consoled myself with instead bringing all of the yarn that IS dyed and ready to mail out, which is going out today. So while I'm not actually dyeing any yarn for more consecutive hours than I can even think about (I get a little anxious when I think about it - kind of a precursor to withdrawal I think)... please note that I am being productive on ya'll's behalf. (Yes it's a word. Go visit Texas if you have any doubts.)

My daughter helped me pack, and she reminded me to bring my camera (what a good little blogger), and gave me this so that I would not be lonely and so I would have something to protect my suitcase and clothes from bad guys. (Don't let the pansy colors or the strawberry tattoo fool you. This is really one wicked guard-pony.)

She also gave me a picture of her from the fridge collection, so I would "not forget what she looks like" she says.

The forced moratorium on dyeing any yarn is giving me the time to update the info on club members for the 2008 FlockSock Sock Club, and some other paperwork-ish duties I've been neglecting.

I DID bring knitting, but for some reason, can't bring myself to do more than look at it. I like the project (scarf in a simple wave stitch), I like the yarn (undyed bulky aran-style wool), I am PLANNING the color (it's undyed as I plan to dye it after it's knit), but I think that I feel like it's for 'when everything else is caught up' and so I keep leaving it upstairs. Of course, with this bizarre thought process it will never be finished... oh well. Off to pack up kits to take over to Lisa's post office, which also seems rather bizarre to me. (She mailed me the patterns from this post office, I drove them back here and assembled kits, and mailed them AGAIN from the same post office... weird.)

We interrupt this broadcast....

"...for a critical 'where's waldo' type scenario - especially if you live in Augusta Georga:"

Florie R. in Augusta GA - - Please call me back!!

Florie is a wonderful knitter in Augusta GA who meets with other wondeful knitters at the local library. They told her all about us over here at chez Vintage and we had a wonderful phone chat when she called me. Now, she says she's not online and so I'm looking for other knitters in Augusta to help me find her. If you'd please have her give me a call ASAP, that would be WONDERFUL. Otherwise, you'll find me calling every library in Augusta, and I don't even know when they meet.

---

"And now, back to your regularly scheduled broadcast"

It's almost to late!

... to get in on the club, that is.

Here's a hint:

If you haven't heard from me yet regarding your club membership and you've paid for a spot - your in like Flynn. (Bet you didn't know Flynn was a knitter, eh?) I'll have a welcome note out to you in a couple of days.

If you mailed in payment via check/money order, please email me to make sure I have a way to contact you other than just dropping kits out of the blue on you, via the USPS. There are contests & stuff and I'd hate to see you miss them! If your PLANNING to mail me payment via check/money order, let me know asap so I can pin a name to the board for you here.

Yes, I'm still mailing out kits that you wonderful knitters have ordered. Yes (Colleen) I'm still spinning 'the yarn' as it's known by around here.

Talk about your black hole...

Stephanie mentioned a time loop phenomenon happening with her totally AWESOME Vintage socks. Most knitters have experienced the Black Hole of Knitting during a project where you knit forever and accomplish NOTHING. And then there's that hidey spot in the universe, where the dpns and tape measures go, and sometimes they show up in interesting places giving rise to many theories like elves, gnomes, fairies, and (my favorite) matter-transport as seen in Star Trek (oh I'm waitin' for the day).

A similar thing is going on here, having to do with packages. I dye the yarn, I skein the yarn, I address envelopes and pack the kits, I stuff the envelopes, I take BAGS of packages to the post office (hi Dave the postmaster!), and I deliver them into the waiting hands of the Post Office, U.S. style. I mail between 15 and 25 packages a day on most days. The phenomenon? You still don't have your kit/yarn/package!

If your still waiting, I'm still packing/shipping packages. I appreciate your patience. Yarn for the 101Kits and the Fiber Festival came in, and I've been catching up those.

Some Updates:

• Roxie, the last kit of the 2007 FlockSock Sock Club (please refrain from looking at your datebook) is getting ready to ship, along with goodies.
• The first kit of the 2008 club is in the works.
• Cleopatra is on the horizon as the first kit released this year from last year's club kits.
• I think the new-for-Valentine's Day colorway is going to have to wait until March :-)
• As soon as they get that matter-transport thing working, your packages will arrive WAY faster. Tell your congressman to get crackin on funding that one, eh?
• On March 10th, after all the kits are gone, and I've dyed a whack of that new Valentine-in-March colorway... I'm planning on taking a nap. I'm a little tired so mark your calendars cause I'm taking the phone off the hook for an hour or so.

So Close...

So Eric & I have been pretty focused lately on numbers. Specifically, the number of skeins of yarn yet to be dyed. We talk about it quite a bit I guess, because this morning before running off with dad to the Library, Nora left me this 'note'.
She told me "this is the number of yarns to dye while I'm gone."
"If you forget, you can look at it until I get home."

Here's the note:

Here's the couch:

She told me when she got home, that I didn't quite get enough done. Taskmaster, that one.

**If you are still waiting for your kit, I appreciate your patience! This past few days (and the current weekend), have been all about dyeing everything needed for the outstanding orders.

Assembly is the name of the game.

I know there's a title here somewhere...

Hi! I dyed almost 80 skeins of yarn today, how 'bout you? Yesterday's batch(es) are being (re)-skeined, and tomorrow's skeins are prepped & ready to hit the dye pots. Do you know that moment when you feel everything come together, and for one brief shining moment (I feel a show-tune coming on - Camelot here I come) you are one with the universe? Ya, it was a good day.



Tomorrow is a holiday at the post office, so I'll be packing up some eleventy-billion kits to go out bright & early Tuesday morning. I love hitting the post office with more packages than will fit in the building. The post office here is so small, that until the recent postage increase requiring weight AND measurements.... all he had was a scale. Nora loves that post office because she gets to put the stamps on - this place is so small they do not have anything automated. Once or twice I've sent out some hefty boxes. They looked like some old lady who'd been saving stamps finally mailed out that fruit cake she'd baked a billion years ago. Nothing says crazy lady like $17.00 in self-stick stamps covering 1/3rd of the package. (way to use up those .03 cent stamps, small-town postmaster.) If that was your package please know I'm not crazy. The postmaster is.

Good news on the Tsocks 101 Kit and the Fiber Festival Kit: New Base Yarn has been found! After much searching, swatching and testing, a new base yarn to replace the discontinued yarn has been ordered. If you've ordered either (or both) of those kits, the yarn will be here next week, and as soon as the paint's dry, so to speak, your kit will wing it's way to your door.

And look! The latest batch of sheep's milk soap is just about cured.

Ok, the last batch of yarn is done, and my 'break' is over!

update

I was all set to take pics of yarn today.... and the batteries are dead. For once, we can't blame Nora's Disney Princess Phone... They're in the charger now, but they take a few hours to charge (and I have GOT to remember to turn the camera off after downloading pics).
So in the meantime, just a quick update.

If you've purchased a sock kit or yarn, I'm working on it. It's going to take a few days to get all caught up, but since the dye pots & I live in the same house.... well, let's just say it's more than a 9:00 to 5:00 job around here.

If you've joined the Club (all the cool kids are doing it ya know), expect to hear from me in a few days... still catching up and getting everyone in the database. There's still room... come sign up!

On the health front, we're still suffering a bit from lingering bronchitis & head colds here, and last night I almost had a bit of a panic attack because people, Nora SNEEZED. Twice. Never has such a small reaction to (hopefully) dust or other minor allergens caused such a reaction in me. Quick! Everyone have a zinc swab & some echinacea. Have a couple, and a glass of orange juice while your at it.

I have big plans to log on again tonite with pictures, when I take my next break from the dye pots and knock back another Emergen-C drink, we'll see (film at 11, don't ya know).

4.2 seconds allotted for blog post.

Ready? Go!

First, for those of you who participated in the recent Secret Santa Project, I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I do, but she does it better:

"OMG! Thank you soooo much to anyone who may have contributed!
I am so excited and happy and CRYING!
You have no idea how much this just made my day!
You tell those folks that I LOVE THEM TOO!!! Thank you all so much, I can hardly take it all in!"

I think she's happy, don't you? Here's what we gave her:

There's just a WHACK of yarn there, from STR to alpaca, from lace to worsted. A lovely collection of Avon goodies. Gift cards from Target, Home Depot, and Meijer (that's a midwest grocery/everything chain. Those of you who've never been in one, don't know what your missing). Movies for the kids (and family) to enjoy, and what's that in the background? A digital camera! (I feel just like Bob Barker.)
For those of you who contributed via check or paypal, you helped purchase the grocery card at Meijer, as well as these items she'd been doing without (they shipped directly to her):
You guys are the best!

Now! On to new 'news'. Just as I begin to recover from bronchitis... Barely recovered enough to get up off the floor... but in time to hit the ground running:

In case you hadn't already heard, the Yarn Harlot is a leaf-lover. (No, that's not a new term for tree-hugger.) She picked up a Vintage Kit at Rhinebeck and has begun knitting.... leaves. Go see the wee things, I'll wait here.
Aren't they great? They are great. They are also the reason why I only have 4.2 seconds to blog this evening. I have to go dye leaf-yarn! Lots and lots of leaf-yarn. To go with lots and lots of Vintage Kits. So, the dye pots are dyeing, the skeins are drying, and the dyer is well... dyeing.

And it's a multi-tasking party over here:

**Note to Colleen: 2/3rds of the way through your yarn ma'm.
**Note to Holly: almost finished carding your fleece!
**Knittingfiddler: I have NOT forgotten your 'best socks ever' project that languishes here.
**Tsarina: 'hand' yarn, navy blue yarn, flames & stuff. ya, ya. It's on the list.
**Susan: Yarn Party custom colorway: Got it, you'll have it.
**JanetK: Your replacement contest winnings have not been forgotten, and we hates that they were lost. (To whoever at the post office has some lovely yarnz now, give em' back - they are not yurz.)

Anybody need anything else? Bring it on. I've got cold medicine and caffiene: I can take the pressure. (now if you'll excuse me, I need to go collapse in a heap and has anyone seen mommy's bottle of wine?)

Someone asked...

I was trying to tell someone recently about this picture, it used to be on the website a long time ago (in a galaxy... well, nevermind). Anyways, I found it stashed on the ol' desktop in the bedroom, so for a walk down memory lane... I give you the rams. Not the brightest, ok, well one of them is obviously smarter than the other, but rams none the less.

'the box' (and some yarn stuff)

Colleen has asked for an update - and while I WAS collating email addresses and putting together an email to the folks interested.... this is way easier. (DUH moment)

So, 'the box' has made huge progress here. A couple of Target gift cards have arrived to be stuffed in the box, and emails from 3 people that packages of goodies are on their way to me for the box, mailed out to me either yesterday or today.

Some of the cash donations thru paypal went to good use yesterday. Santa found out about a couple of things that had been long on a waiting list for her (score 1 for ebay) and they are on their way to her today, ahead of 'the box'. I don't want to spoil it for Santa and tell you what was purchased so you'll have to wait until after 'the box' and the wishlist items are received.

A check came in the mail that I've combined with other cash donated towards a gift card at the local grocery chain for the family. I grew up with this grocery chain and I'm here to tell you that it's not just food - it's pharmacy, clothing, housewares, you name it - it's there. And it's not wal-mart... This chain has had everything in their stores since before I was born (and we will not discuss that date any further). Anyways, a dollar goes a long way there and I'd love to see this amount doubled... right now it's at $75.00. You can paypal me funds at gwynivar @ hotmail dot com and put 'secret santa' in the comment/note/subject line.

Still waiting on some things coming in the mail that folks have emailed me they were sending. If you've mailed it to me, please let me know so I can anticipate things here. If you have not mailed it but still want to, get your keester to the Post Office asap. I'd like to get this box on it's way Jan. 2nd at the latest - depending on who emails me with cries of "It's on it's way!!".

**Very Important: If you commented that you wanted to participate but have not had a chat with me via email or Ravelry mail, you need to get in touch with me asap at jennifer @ nysfarm dot com. I have not ignored anyone, I simply could not find your email address thanks to the blogger system. There is still time to play your part as Santa for a family making ends meet - out of the string in her stash. Give me a shout!

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Yarn Stuff:

For xmas, I knit my MIL a scarf. Nora announced she wanted to dye it. And so, the scarf:

And then here's Nora getting ready to dye it....

And, the finished scarf (we won't discuss what time christmas eve this photo was taken):

Pat, Lisa, you'll please take note of a couple important things here. First and foremost, I FINISHED A PROJECT. Second, it even has design 'features' (not mistakes or 'bugs').

Big deal you say, it's a scarf! Ya, well, Pat & Lisa know that knitting hasn't EXACTLY been my forte lately. I've knit circular lace shawls on the fly in the past, but recently haven't been able to knit, well, anything without completely screwing it up so we're pretty pleased with the basics right now. So, if you'll excuse me, I've got an appt with an ice pack for the migraine. Ta for now!

The other side of the black hole.

Apparently, my house is the other side of the knitter's blackhole.

Could someone let The Harlot know that I found her tape measure? Thanks.

Pics (found the camera cable)

So, if my daughter were made of money, this is how she would look:

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I don't know how they do things where you live when it snows like a new ice age is starting, but here... folks get to work just like any other day, just using different modes of transportation.

This is Casey, who works here on the farm for me. The storm closed the schools but didn't keep her from coming to work! I must say, excellent work ethics out here in farm country. And no, she is not looking for work. She's mine. All mine. (dudes, she even gets to work here EARLY.)

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These are some of the skeinlets/balls of colors ready to go into colorwork for The Nine Tailors:

I missed something in my 'in progress list' on my last post... Colleen - I am spinning as fast as I can!!

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Ok, about this secret santa thing. It's not going to be in time for christmas, but perhaps that makes it all the better. I met someone the other day. No not THAT kind of someone - I already got me one of those!

This was a someone who touched my heart. There's this family see, with not much in the pocket so to speak, but plenty in the heart. There is a spirit here that deserves to be preserved, lifted up, and promoted to continue. Without this kind of person in the world, it would be a darker, quieter, bleak world. She supports her family with things you and I take for granted. And she has dreams, people. Go to school sort of Big dreams. And you know what? They really have very little to do with herself until you realize that the most important thing to her.... is helping others. She has nothing, and the most important thing to her is getting things in order so that she can give to others.
I don't think she reads my blog, and she doesn't know I'm doing this. I would like to ask those of you with a little extra, to help me out here. I've got a box. I am filling the box. She is a knitter. You see where I'm going with this maybe? Maybe not. Sure, I want to fill the box with yarn, but I also want to fill the box with the things she needs. Family to support, husband who works very hard and 3 beautiful children to raise with strong values. So, I'd like to add some gift cards. Wal-mart, Target, the local grocery chain. If you'd like to help in that way, and can pretend for a moment that you have another person on your christmas shopping list, then send me an email at jennifer @ symbol nysfarm dot com and we'll put something together. If you'd like to send on some stash that needs a good home where her knitting literally clothes the family, email me for that as well and we'll work that out.
I leave you with this thought. Take a look at what you spend on 'required' items each month. Now, take a look at your grocery bill. Could you support a family of 5 on half of that? on a quarter of that?

Added afterthought: Folks, thank you for pitching in. For those of you who've left comments wanting to do your part.... if you haven't heard from me it's because blogspot has not given me your email address or you forgot to fill it in. I've tried all day to send you psychic vibes, but obviously sunspots are getting in the way or something.
You really need to email me for best results here at jennifer @ nysfarm dot com.

Quickly!

So Eric & I both have terrible head colds (again)... have simply slogged through life here, moving from room to room (or, kleenex box to kleenex box if you look at it from my point of view) forcing myself to at least keep going because some progress is at least SOME progress.
So, until I find the camera cable, this post is pictureless but here's the finished list:

The Nine Tailors: Mailed out, every single lovin' one of them. And this should have way more to it, because what it really means that I've finished is this:

• dyed what felt like hundreds of skeins of what someone on Lisa's blog titled 'floodwater gray'
• dyed and divided smaller skeins of cuff gold
• dyed really only a couple each of the 8 colors for the color patternwork cause each sock only needs a couple of yards each.....
• and then wound those all into balls and divided them into smaller balls for each kit (you'll be thrilled to know I pulled them all at the same time saving myself from winding each color individually, wound them into a center-pull ball, put each one in a small ziplock with the center-pull ready to knit. No work for you :) I have pictures, but can't find the cable.
• Remembered to put one of each (main color, cuff color, packet of colorwork colors, AND emerald bead packet) and a pattern book into it's own little ziplock (love ziplock) and mail them.

One Rosy Hat: Finished - it's slated for a spot in a store on Thursday

Christmas packages mailed to (most) family members.

Still on the to-do:

Make soap - that's what I'm doing right now, this blogging is just a figment of your imagination.

mail the REST of the xmas stuff today.

start brown hat to be finished by I would say the 23rd at the latest...

order cousin Austin's 'stuff' for them to mail today.

order Grandma's 'stuff' for them to mail today.

Finish project for MIL coming for xmas. (feel free to re-read that last one, it's a whopper, since I just cast on last night and Nora wants to dye it when it's done so it's in boring white right now)

Finish mystery gift

If anyone has any ideas for Eric that do not involve knitting a sweater in record time, or moving to the beach cause he's sick of snow, please let me know. So far I have one of those Toblerone Chocolate Oranges you 'whack' to break into slices. Not much for christmas presents, ya know?

Find camera cable.

So, that's the to-do list for today. All bets are off.

Oh, and remind me to tell you all about my 'secret santa' idea cause I'm going to need your help to make it really good.

It snowed here...

Am I not the cutest?

Belated B

They definately do not ever never, go in these:

Or these, the summer version:

Or even in the 'dress-up' summer version. (If you see these at TSC, do NOT buy them. The sun won't heat your feet up as in the regular summer boots above, but they will also not last more than 2 weeks. These must be the Martha Stewart version, meant to look good but have someone else do the actual work.)

No, no. These go here with butt in chair and feet up on stool, being admired by passerbys forced to stop yet again and admire them.

Want a closer look?

When Lisa was last with us here at chez critters, she pulled a sample out she'd been busily knitting on to show me. I was really liking the color, thought it knit up really cool in such & such pattern she was using. She looked at me as if I'd grown another head, and told me "well YOU dyed it!!". Hmm. thinks I. Really? But it looks so... awesome! I did THAT? I'm still surprised when I knit something I've dyed and it not only actually works like regular ol' yarn when 2 sticks are applied, but looks good doing it (the project, not my ass), I'm surprised.

So anyways, when I opened the package from Lisa and saw the socks, I turned to Eric and told him "if Lisa tells me that I dyed that, I'm making a dr's appt for myself because something is seriously wrong with my brain to not remember the absolute most amazing colors." And plus, it's REALLY shiny.

Well, thankfully, my brain cells such as they are, are not failing me. I do not remember it, because I did not dye it (score one for the brain). Astrid did!! How cool is this, that the dyer dyes yarn for the knitter making socks for her OTHER dyer friend. You need to totally check out her etsy shop. Run, don't walk - er, type asap because she is all about the awesome, bold colors. Not only that, but the shiney part? This is bamboo blend yarn. The colorway is Bamboo Forest and the pattern is being called 'You Jane'. So we have my yarn, off to Astrid, dyed and snatched away by Lisa, back to me where it originated. Wickedly awesome circle, I must say. She has more of it there for sale, you should clean her out of stock. (How many of you are there, anyways?)

So anyways, these totally awesome socks are mine as part of a belated birthday present that also included 2 of the totally new Harmony needles from knitpicks in size 1's. Lisa has a gift coming from me as well, and no I didn't go to another designer and ask for a sock pattern for Lisa. I xxxxxxxx and xxxx some lovely xxxxx in very nice colors of xxxx xxxxx and xxxx. It's interesting to xxxx the xxxx because I don't get time to do that much anymore. It's part of a small xxxx that got started on xxxxxxxx, though it's been a few, I hope she remembers that! Because of the 'when are you coming' question, I put off sending her gift longer than she held off on mine, and so it's here.

If there's a fire here, I'm going back for my hand-knit socks.

Oh, and btw. Please note there are indeed 2, count em' 2 socks in the picture. 2 feet, 2 socks. Lisa can indeed finish a PAIR of socks.

Hey, whatcha looking for?

Have you found my contact lense yet? Keep looking!

"Jennifer has potential, but has problems following directions...."

.... says more teacher comment/report cards than I care to discuss from my stay in public institutions.

(Pat, thank you for the positive thoughts on my knitting. This post, is dedicated to you. Enjoy.)

So I have a friend in Michigan who has the loveliest Icelandic sheep in 48 states and 3 countries. And the best smelling as well, she has a lavender farm. Go look, I'll wait. See what I mean? Anyways, she knits these wonderful felted hats, large brim, fancy shmancy - she puts great buttons or effects on them etc. Anyways, I wanted to be that talented and so she graciously shared the directions. They were straightforward. I could so do this. I got yarn, I got needles, and I started following directions. Well, sorta. You see, I had the same yarn she used with awesome results but just wanted to knit a 'test hat' so I got guage using 3 strands of 'Car Cozy' (which still needs a new name chosen - I haven't forgotten). No problem.

Now, I've knit felted hats in the past, lots actually (but just your basic rolled brim hat felted with not much brim or shaping) with no problems. So, when I started reading the cast/on number I was stunned. It was way more than I expected. It couldn't possibly be right. I cast on the smallest number for the smallest size, and started knitting. This was huge. I looked ahead in the pattern and saw all sorts of directions that made no sense including increases and decreases in places that really shouldn't matter. Obviously I was going to have to edit things. My friend must have misunderstood what pattern I was wanting. So, on about row 15, I started decreasing down to the largest size of MY pattern I usuually made, hoping to salvage this hat. I have also in the past started my decrease point a bit to early, so I used the pattern direction for 'guidance' on how many rows to knit before beginning the decreases for the crown. I noted that the decrease/crown rows in the pattern were also sadly bizarre and obviously not going to produce the desired hat shape and so I skipped that as well, and used my own good judgement on that section as well.

So without further ado Pat, I give you my felted hat.

Here it is after knitting. The marker is for scale, it's a regular ol' whiteboard marker. The color changes look better felted, that's expected.

It seems a bit big to me, but the hat was supposed to have more brim than the ones I normally knit, and felting solves a lot of problems... right?

I somehow couldn't find the next picture this morning, (lost to the laptop crash) but suffice it to say that it came out of the wash flat. Like a frisbee, flat. No 'hat' shaping at all. Pancake. So, I took some of the gray yarn used to knit it, and pinched in four corners and felted it again.

It does look a little better in person, I felted it again and used it at Rhinebeck to display cobweb weight yarn skeins. That picture is missing as well... oh well.