TdF Stage 1 & 2

So, yesterday saw the start of the Tour de Fleece.  I had to work, then volunteered for a few hours at Heritage Farm, so ended up doing Stage 1 on one of my drop spindles, spinning some Jacob roving I got a few years ago at MDSW.  I got the spindle mostly full, so am happy with it:

Today, for Stage 2, I started on the main project I have planned for the tour.  I have ~5 lbs of a Leicester Longwool x, also purchased at MDSW, and will be playing with it for the next several, using different preps and drafting to see which I prefer.  Once I decide which I like best, I will be spinning the rest in that style and (hopefully) knitting a sweater out of it.  

So, I split the fleece into 1 ozes and spun them each on a bobbin.  Two ozes were spun long draw and will be plyed tomorrow.  The other bobbin was spun short draw and I still have the other bobbin to spin tomorrow, then it will be plyed with the one from today on Tuesday.

I am really looking forward to seeing the differences that the prep and drafting will have on the fiber and the yarn that I end up with.  I'll be flick carding them on Wednesday and again drafting both LD and SD.   Then I'll card them on my hand cards, then comb with a dog brush.  I don't own wool combs, but hope to be able to buy a pair before the end of the tour.

Tour de Fleece

In less than a week the Tour de France is due to start (next Saturday to be exact) and as I have the past few years, I intend to spin in the Tour de Fleece.  The TdF was started several years ago by a member of Ravelry and has since become something of a spinning sensation.  I plan to spin a fleece I got two years ago at MDSW.  It is a Leicester Longwool cross and it is gorgeous!  I washed and scoured it myself, but I need to rewash the first two batches that I did.  There is still a lot of lanolin in them and they feel sticky.  The second two batches are much nicer.  I keep thinking that I have to finish them before the tour, but then remember that I have three weeks of the tour and about 2 lbs already washed and ready to go.  I don't know how I am going to spin all of it yet; I plan to try several different drafting and plying techniques to see what I prefer.  My goal is to spin thirty minutes each day.  I hope to have enough at the end of the tour to make a sweater during the Ravelry games in August, but how well that will work with my school schedule remains to be seen.  Here is my fleece, the bag on the right is the one that needs rewashed:

Early this year, I began bullet journaling and really like how it (somewhat) keeps me on track of things that need to be done.  If I am still having problems, it is my fault, not the journal.  I belong to a group on Ravelry that is all about planners of all kinds and after reading through the threads for most of last night at work, I decided to liven and invigorate my journal a little bit with some doodles.  I went looking for washi tape with a 4th of July theme at the local craft stores, but none had any.  I'll check again closer to the holiday.  Anyway, after all the reading I did, I got really into journaling and decided to do my July spreads a little early.  I also changed something, in that I did all my July weekly spread at once, though not with out a few mistakes (I should know better to do anything like that at the end of a 12 hour night shift.  Thank Bob for White Out!)

So, here is my July log and tasks list:

and my July habit tracker.

Also, I have been making these cool looking socks for my friend Jane, owner and operator of Loomyladi Handwovens.  She is teaching me to weave and I am making her handknit socks, its a win-win for both of us!  That will be another post, I should be finishing threading the heddles and tying on tomorrow.

Also, in an earlier post I mentioned that I was participating in the the 2016 Book Challenge and wanted to update my list:

A book based on a fairy tale
A National Book Award winner
A YA bestseller-The Hunger Games
A book you haven’t read since high school
A book set in your home state (province)
A book translated to English
A romance set in the future
A book set in Europe
A book that is under 150 pages
A New York Times bestsellers
A book that is becoming a movie this year-Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (haven't read yet)
A book recommended by someone you just met
A self improvement book
A book you can finish in a day-Charlotte's Web
A book written by a celebrity
A political memoir
A book at least 100 years older than you-Jane Eyre
A book that is more than 600 pages (will need to figure out the audiobook equivalent, thinking 45 hours).
A book from Oprah’s Book Club
A science fiction novel
A book recommended by a family member
A graphic novel
A book published in 2016
A book that has a protagonist with your occupation.
A book that takes place during summer
A book and its prequel
A murder mystery
A book written by a comedian
A dystopian novel
A book with a blue cover
A book of peotry
The first book you see in a bookstore
A classic from the 20th century
An autobiography
A book about a road trip
A book about a culture you are unfamiliar with
A satirical book
A book that takes place on an island
A book that is guaranteed to bring you joya book recommended by your local librarian or bookseller-One Thousand White Women
a book you should have read in school
a book that was banned at some point
a book you previously abandoned-Oliver Twist
a book that intimidates you
a book you have already read at least once

Catching Up pt 1

     So, I finally got back to the blog again.  I've decided to play catch up on the things I am working on and see how I am doing so far this year.  I am actually quite happy with my knitting right now.  I have two projects that I am concentrating on at the moment, and hope to have one finished tomorrow.
     That project is my Something Wicked In Green, a sweater that I have been working on, on and off, since September.  It is my first time knitting a raglan sweater and I really like the style (in large part because I don't have to worry about setting in the shoulder seams!)  I had to do quite a bit of redoing on it, because it was a little too short and the collar was too tight.  I frogged the collar and reknit it with more stitches and a looser cast off, but redoing the bottom to make it fit took a bit of work.  I had to put in an afterthought lifeline, which was a first, and add on about an inch and a half of stockinette stitch to improve the length.  I am now almost finished with the ribbing, then just need to weave in the ends.  Here is what it looks like:

     The top picture is the spider on the shoulder, the middle picture is the spiderweb on the front and the last picture is a spider on a purled background that I added for the fun of it.  It is connected by a spiderweb running from the shoulder down the sleeve to just above the cuff.  I will probably finish the ribbing and bind off tomorrow.

     Another project that I am working on is a pair of colorwork socks, called Dark Isle Socks.  I cast these on on Jan 29th, but work on them has been a bit sporadic, due to wanting to finish the sweater above and also having to frog a few times due to size issues (namely that they were too small.)  I am still on the first sock and doubt that I will finish them this month.  The top picture is the yarn used, Cascade Heritage Sock in 5686 China Blue and 9786.  The other two are obviously in progress shots.

     I have also been doing a little spinning (a very little!) on Sumi, my Golding Tsunami laceweight spindle.  I only have about 40 yds, but it is very nice anyway.  I plan to finish spinning at and knit Pretty Thing by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee with it:

     That's all the knitting stuff; I'll post again tomorrow with the non-knitting stuff.

Walking From Hobbiton to Rivendell

No pictures of WIPs yet, I was asleep most of the day, but just wanted to mention that I have decided to join the Hobbiton to Rivendell walking challenge.  Some very dedicated Tolkien fans have figured out that it is 458 miles from Hobbiton to Rivendell and even where you would approximately be after a certain number of miles.  For example, yesterday I walked a little over three miles and that put me over the plank bridge over the water.  I am including general walking and not just planned walks, so haven't figured out where I would be yet today.

2016 Reading Challenge

This year, I have decided to join the 2016 Reading Challenge.  I haven't started yet, because I don't want to reread anything and I don't have any new books to read in the house.  Here is the list and I will hopefully be updating it as I go:

A book based on a fairy tale 
A National Book Award winner 
A YA bestseller 
A book you haven’t read since high school 
A book set in your home state (province) 
A book translated to English 
A romance set in the future 
A book set in Europe 
A book that is under 150 pages 
A New York Times bestsellers 
A book that is becoming a movie this year 
A book recommended by someone you just met 
A self improvement book 
A book you can finish in a day 
A book written by a celebrity 
A political memoir 
A book at least 100 years older than you 
A book that is more than 600 pages (will need to figure out the audiobook equivalent, thinking 45 hours). 
A book from Oprah’s Book Club 
A science fiction novel 
A book recommended by a family member 
A graphic novel 
A book published in 2016 
A book that has a protagonist with your occupation. 
A book that takes place during summer 
A book and its prequel 
A murder mystery 
A book written by a comedian 
A dystopian novel 
A book with a blue cover 
A book of peotry 
The first book you see in a bookstore 
A classic from the 20th century 
An autobiography 
A book about a road trip 
A book about a culture you are unfamiliar with 
A satirical book 
A book that takes place on an island 
A book that is guaranteed to bring you joy

I think the first book will be an audiobook of The Hunger Games, since I can listen to the audiobook on YouTube.  I plan to post again tomorrow of my current knitting WIPs. 

Finishes and Beginnings

Yay, my second pair of socks for 2014 are finished.  If this keeps up and I don't lose my sock knitting mojo, I may actually meet my goal of knitting 12 pairs this year.  Here are my finished Cranberry Biscotti.  I rather like this pattern and may do it again, only more scrappy.  I did end up running out of the pink yarn before finishing the second sock, so I switched to a purple, and I think they look quite good:

So, since I finished that pair, a few days later, I cast on my Valentine Socks (for the record, they are called that for the color and the month, nothing else).  They are going to be based off of Kebnekaise Socks, but with some modifications.  For one, I will be doing them toe-up, using a Fish Lips Kiss Heel for the first time and staying in regular st st instead of knitting the sole in reverse st and with 2x2 ribbing at the top.

In other news, I finally got more hours at my security job!  It turns out that a guard at Direct TV is quitting, so there were several hours available.  I know the site supervisor, having worked that site before, so he had not problem giving me the hours.  I may end up working there full time it they can find someone else to work at Allevard, the site I am at now.  So, I will be working form 16-36 hours making 9.50 an hour.  So, I will only be working at Taco Hell two days a week!

Man, Its Been a Long Time!

I didn't realize how long it has been since I posted anything on here! Close to two years.  Well, to catch up, I am on a hiatus at Marshall University, still working on my BA in History.  Lots of knitting and spinning going, which I will get to later and really beyond that, not too many changes.  I am back living with my grandmother, so expect to see ranting about that from time to time.  So, recent knitting.

I have several projects currently on the go, including a pair of socks, two shawls, and a blankie made from leftover sock yarn.  The socks are Cranberry Biscotti, which uses small amounts of at minimum, three different colors to make a very visually interesting sock pattern.  (Just a warning, most patterns I link to go to Ravelry).  I used three different leftover sock yarns, a Knit Picks Stroll Tonal and two colors of Cascade Heritage Sock Yarn.  I think it looks quite cool:

The upper pic is of the yarn before I started and the lower pic is my current progress; I am halfway through the gusset of the second sock and hope to finish it in a few days.

Another project that I am working on is a Lacy Prairie Shawl.  The cool thing about this shawl is that it is being knit out of my handspun yarn!  I participated in the Tour de Fleece this past year and while I didn't finish my fleece (which was 3.5lbs) but I did make some serious headway into it and now have over a dozen skeins to knit with.  Here is a pic of a day during the tour:

 And a pic of my current progress (it is currently in hibernation, first due to Christmas knitting and now I am on a bit of a sock knitting jag.)

I also have a Haruni being knit from more Cascade Heritage Sock and with added beads.  When I when to MDSW in 2011, a friend I made there gave me several items in a RAK, which included a tube of crystal beads.  I am using them on the border of the shawl, following what someone else did that I saw on Ravelry.  This pic is not up to date, it is actually a bit bigger, but will do for now.

I also have a sock yarn blankie in progress, but don't have any good pictures of it yet.

So, there are my current WIPs.  I also have a few UFOs, but since they are not being worked on right now, will not feature on this post.

I am also trying to participate in the 365 project this year, so hope to post a picture every day.  It will mostly be pictures of either my knitting or my cats, but should still be interesting (I hope).  In fact, my second picture, of the CB socks is my picture for the day.

Maryland Sheep and Wool 2012 prep

   Well, another MDSW has come and gone.  This was a good year.  The weather was great and I had a lot of fun.  I had a bit of drama leading up to it though.  After the 08 festival, I decided that staying in a hotel was cost prohibited if I am going by myself.  All my life I have gone camping with my family and decided to see if that was a viable option.  It turns out that it is very viable and that I am not the first festival goer to think of it.  There is a campground very close to the fairgrounds called Patapsco Valley State Park-Hollofield Area.  In fact, it had its own thread on Ravelry in the MDSW group.  I stayed there last year and had a lot of fun meeting the other knitters and spinners.

   The drama I mentioned involved where I was actually to sleep.  Last year, I borrowed my dad's truck and slept in the bed.  I planned to do the same this year, until the Monday before the festival, the starter on the truck died.  My dad had to take off the old starter, buy a new one and put it one.  So, I ended up using my mom's van instead.  The rear seats fold down, and I slept on them, lying diagonally across them.  As usual, I traveled light, with only enough clothes, some basic food (pb&j, a few corn on the cob and potatoes) plus my knitting.  I saw a lot of friends that I made last year, like Joe and Lucinda from NY and their three Papillons, Bitsy and her two Scotties, Susie Q, and several others.  The festival campers are a very friendly, encouraging group.  After each day at the festival, everyone would do show and tell of what they purchased that day.

   As usual, my prep for the festival didn't take long.  I just packed a few shirts, some jeans and shorts, towels and toiletries meant it didn't take long to pack.  I had been saving money all year in preparation for the festival and after counting it all, I had a budget of about $250.  I spent the night at my grandmothers, since going to get my mom's van then driving back the other direction to go home would be silly and a waste of gas.  I left right around 7:00 on Friday and headed north.  One good thing about the route is that it it is very easy to remember: I-64 to Charleston, then I-79 to Morgantown, then I-68 to I-70, then exit 87.  After a few stops for breakfast and to use the restroom, I arrived at Patapsco at around 2:30, got checked in and found my site.  It was right next to the bathhouse and very close to Bitsy.  I just spent Friday evening hanging out at the campground, meeting new friends and reconnecting with out ones.

To be continued in a few days.

Seedlings

Well, so far I haven't killed anything.  My seeds are now sprouting seedlings.  The garlic is thriving and I will probably transplant it and a few others later this week.  I really need to take pictures to document my progress.  I was planning to possibly plant my cukes earlier than recommended, since we had several days of very high heat.  I'm talking in the mid to uppers 80s.  But Friday it rained and really lowered the temps into the mid 60, with about 40-50 degrees at night.  I can't wait until it is time to plant the other things I am planning to.

I intend to plant bush tomatoes; hopefully Hatcher's will have Tumbler tomatoes, which are specifically developed to grow in containers.  I am considering buying a pole designed to go in the ground to hold plants.  That way they would get plenty of sunlight.  I will also need a trellis for my cukes.  The carrot seeds I bought are for a small variety called fingering, so I think a 12" pot would work just fine.

I went to the local Family Dollar and they sell very nice looking plastic pots for $2.00 apiece.  I plan to put the herbs on the steps of my apartment.  It faces east, so hopefully that will be enough light.  If not, I will move them to the backyard.  My main problem there is that (1 they are not as accessible and (2 the downstairs neighbor might not like it if I use the back stairs, since they go to her apartment.  That is one issue I don't know how to deal with: the backyard is open to both apartment and I hope that she will not take my veggies without asking.  Still, they aren't even planted yet, so I will worry about that if and when it comes up. 

New Hobby (I'm Insane)

So, despite money troubles, working my behind off at two full time jobs and already being obsessed with knitting, I have decided to try a new hobby: container gardening. In container gardening, instead of your plants being in the ground, everything is in pots. I intend to plant veggies and herbs instead of flowers and have already started with six different ones: garlic, sweet basil, oregano, cilantro, chives and parsley. I also intend to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and peppers later on in the summer, when it is warmer.

One thing that I hope will help is there is a large greenhouse in Ohio, Hatcher's Greenhouse, that recently bought a smaller one that is very close to my apartment. I spoke Saturday with the owner, who is a very nice lady and was very helpful, even though they are not actually open for about two more weeks. She even gave me a huge pot to use for my cucumbers when I plant them and some good advice. They also sell large bags of soil and fertilizer for much less then the local Walmart or Lowe's. Plus the fertilizer is organic.

I planted my herbs last Wednesday, the 14^th and since most are not supposed to sprout for 7 to 14 days, I was not expecting much to happen yet. Well on Saturday, I was delighted to find that one of my garlic cloves was showing a tiny spike above the soil. Yesterday morning, before going to work, it was about an inch tall and the other two (I put three in the same pot and will soon need a bigger one) had emerged as well. There was nothing else visible in the other five pots. I opened the blinds so the sun could get in later (they are on a small dresser in my bedroom, which has an west facing window) and when I got home from work at 4 pm, I was amazed. The first of the garlic to emerge was almost an inch taller, the other two were about an inch each and teeny, tiny furls of green are visible in two of the other pots, the basil and the oregano.

At about 5:30 I decided to walk to a nearby Family Dollar and see if they had any pots and how much they were. They had several and while I don't plan on getting any until Saturday, it is nice to know that they have some and that they are fairly cheap. There were several that were 10” for $2.00 apiece. I will probably head there on Saturday and buy six or seven of them. When I got home, I looked at my pots again, and a new spike had emerged from the Chives. Still nothing in the last two, but hopefully, in the next few days if the weather cooperates and stays sunny. It has been very rainy and cloudy the last few days, which might have something to do with it.

I have never had much luck with plants before, but I discovered something that might help: looking at my tiny, green points and knowing that they are there because I planted and watered them is a lot like the pride I feel when I have finished a knitted item. The sense of “I made this” and also the knowledge that it won't always go right, that I will screw up. But, as with my knitting, there is the possibility of a due over, that I can try again until I get it right. Last week I was working on a sweater and was a good ways up, two inches of ribbing and four inches of the pattern, when I realized that my gauge was wrong and that it was coming out much to big. I ended up frogging and restarting. And it is possible to do that with my plants.

However, whenever I get into a new hobby or interest, I really get obsessed with it and tend to go way overboard, which usually ends up biting me in the rear when I get in over my head. So, I am going to take this very carefully. I am keeping a journal about what I am doing and how my actions affect the plants. That way, if I mess up, I will hopefully have an idea of why or can ask someone what I did wrong. On that note, I think that I will be a frequent visitor at Hatcher's. So here goes. Wish me luck!     

Maryland Sheep and Wool Fri and Sat

Warning: This is a very picture heavy post.

In December of 2010, I decided to attend this year's annual Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in West Friendship, MD.  The MDSW is one of the largest sheep and wool festivals on the East Coast.  It is always held the first weekend in May.  I ended up having a blast.

I was getting ready for the festival for several weeks before hand, buying food and supplies.  I borrowed my dad's pickup truck and slept in the bed.  The night before I left for Maryland, I spent the night at my grandmother's, because they lived in the direction I was going.  At 7:30, I got on the road.  Almost the entire trip was on various interstates; specifically: I-64, I-79, I-68 and I-70.  It was an eight hour drive, and since I was by myself, I used a variety of different things to keep it from being boring, mostly listening to music and audiobooks on my Ipod. 

Even though I only stopped three times on the way, twice to use the restroom and get a Maryland state map, and once to eat lunch, I didn't reach the campground were I would be staying until 3:30.  The campground I was staying at was called Patapsco Valley State Park. There were several other people from Ravelry staying there, including Lucinda and Joe from New York, and Mike and Ruth from Pennsylvania. 

I spent most of the afternoon fighting to keep my campfire lit.  They sold wood at the campground, but it was green and difficult to keep lit.  I ended up hunting the ground around my site and was able to find several pieces of wood that had been trimmed from the trees around my site.  With them, I was able to get enough heat to roast a few hot dogs and make s'mores.  However, when it came time to roast the hot dogs, I discovered I had forgotten both a can opener and a pot for the sauce, so ended up having my dogs with just ketchup.

After I ate, I wandered around the campground for a while.  Half the people there were for the festival and many of those were on Ravelry.  I met and spoke to the people around me, and found a few more.  While talking to a few ladies who were all there together, we noticed that it was starting to look like it might rain and I headed back to my site.  Because I was sleeping in the bed, I had very limited space in the bed of the truck, so put the remaining wood, and the cooler and plastic bin in the cab.  I climbed in the truck at around 8:30, just as the rain started.  It was soon to dark to read without the flashlight and I didn't want to use up the batteries, so at first I listened to music on my Ipod.  I then decided that the rain was nicer and was soon asleep. 

The next day, I got up at 7:30 in order to get to the festival early and get a good spot in the line for the t-shirts.  That early, the traffic was not that bad, and I was parked and heading for the gate by 8:45.  I got in line and ended up talking to a very nice lady named Patty who asked me about the sock I was knitting.  She was knitting a hat for her mother for Mother's Day, and was unsure of how to use DPNs.  I was able to answer her question easily and chatted with her and her husband as the line moved. 

I was using a food saver bag with Marshall University on the side and was spotted by another knitter from Huntington.  I ended up telling her about the local guild and invited her the next meeting.  There were a few other guild members there, but I didn't see any of them.  After I got my t-shirt, I headed out to check out the rest of the festival.  The weather was perfect, 70 degrees and sunny and the fairgrounds were fairly crowded.  This is the view from the top of the hill:

I started at the far end of the festival.  MDSW has grown so much that this year there was an entirely new section at the bottom of the hill, by the sheep dog demos.  I ended up buying an oz of CVM fiber.  I then decided to concentrate mostly on fiber, to find as many different breeds as possible and play with them to see which I liked best.

After a quick stop for a lambburger from the boy scouts, I headed for the main barn.  I ended buying a BFL grab bag from Bullen's Wullens, totalling 4 oz and was given a free CD spindle kit when I traded them several ones for a ten. 

I then wandered through the barn until I found the booth I was most interested in: Golding Fiber Tools.  I had been coveting a Golding Spindle for several years, but wanted to see and test them before buying one.  I soon selected and purchased a Golding Tsunami in cherry wood, weighting 0.75 oz.  It spins like a dream and is beautiful to boot, see:

I continued through the main barn, including checking out the items in the fleece sale.  I ended up deciding that a raw fleece would have to wait for another year, even though one lady was interested in splitting a lovely gray Romney fleece with me, with about 4 pounds for each of us.  I also spent an educational few minutes listening to one of the volunteers talk about the qualities of a good fleece.  I continued on and bought a 4 oz braid of BFL from Cloverleaf Farms, colorway Spruce Goose:

After Cloverleaf Farms, I headed on through the main barn.  My next purchase was at Shadeyside Farms, were I found about 3-4 oz of a Shetland-Icelandic cross.  It is the fiber in the above pictures of my Golding.  I then left the main barn and headed for the others.  In barn 6 I made two more purchases of 4 oz of Jacob roving from the Jacob Sheep Breeder's Association and over a pound of cleaned, processed Romney for $15.00.  I was told by several people that was a good price.

I then wandered through the other two barns.  I decided to save the outside vendors in the North and East sections for Sunday.  So, I headed to check out the sheep barns.  Some people complain about the smell of the sheep, but to me, it smells of county fairs and I find it a comforting smell.  In the sheep barns I made my last purchase of the day when I got about 3 oz of black Finn sheep.  The lady selling it was very nice and through in a bit extra. 

It was now about 5:30 and I was tired, so I decided to head back to the campsite. 

This was my home away from home for the weekend:

I cooked dinner (more hot-dogs) and had a bit of show and tell with the other festival-goers in the campground.  Some of the Ravelry people had a little get together around a fire-pit, and I didn't go to bed until 10:00.  I ended up waking up at 3 am, from  the cold and could not get back to sleep until I added a couple blankets my mom had insisted I bring.  I texted her in the morning that she was right and got a text back saying I told you so. 

The post for Sun and Mon will be posted later, it is getting too big.

Late Christmas post

Ok, Christmas come and (long) gone and I still have not posted all the projects I made, so here you go. (Just a warning, a few of these were taken on my camera phone, so they are not the greatest.)

First off, Mamaw Rose's Clapotis shawl. She loved it and used it Christmas night after I gave it to her.

Then, my brother asked me to make him some fingerless mitts after he saw a pair that I made for myself, so here they are:

Then both of my nieces got teddy bears (and Airianna's was literally finished Christmas Eve.) This is Airianna.

And this is Kira and her mom Kristen.



Then my nephew, Hunter got a scarf.


My mom got a pair of socks:

And my Mamaw Mary also got a scarf:

I also knit about seven or eight dishcloths, but I am not posting all the pictures of they here, so if you really want to see them, check out my photostream at Flickr.com: WVrambler

Pics and Progress

Well, the Christmas knitting is almost complete and here are the pictures of the finished projects that I have.

Mamaw Rose's Clapotis (the shawl is finished, but final pic will be her wearing it):

Then there is Mamaw Mary's scarf. I found the scarf I made her a few years ago in the utility room, so I guess she has been wearing it, but she said that is itches and I can not blame her; I knit it out of Lion Brand's Fisherman's Wool, before I started going to LYS and not just shopping at the chain craft store.My nephew, Hunter, is also getting a scarf. He has an olive green coat with orange detailing, so I am hoping this matches okay.

And the last for today is a pair of fingerless mitts for my older brother, Bruce. They aren't finished yet, but should be by the end of the week. I am about 5 rows from the end, and then have to knit the mate, but it only took me from Monday evening until today to do the first. I am seriously think of making a pair for Mommy and a pair for myself also.

Progress Report

Okay, the move is over, except for some stuff at Mamaw Mary's but that is stuff that I can do without for the moment. The entire weekend was dedicated to work and moving. I went to work on Sat. made a quick run form storage to the apartment. Then went home and tried to sleep for a few hours. Tried is the key word there. My neighbor has a pit bull in his yard that belongs to his daughter, and I swear, that dog never shuts up! I gave up on sleeping after about two hours and worked on some knitting instead.

Then work Sunday night and let me tell you, a twelve hour midnight shift after no sleep is no fun. I then collected my older brother Bruce and we went to meet my uncle Chris for the moving. My dad had let me borrow his truck and Chris also had a truck, so it only took us two trips. It was a bit of a hassle to move the love seat in (the hazard of living upstairs). But they got it in and now I just need to unpack. I didn't realize I owned so many books. That is what the majority of the boxes held. I will be looking into donating some of them. The Kenova Public Library would probably like some, their budget was cut this past year.

There are still boxes all over the living room, the furniture needs rearranged and my bed is currently in pieces, but I started staying there Sunday evening. I was planning on staying at Mamaw's, but Mike's dog started up again, and it was a question of going to the apartment, or killing the stupid dog! So, I packed up some clothes and crashed on the mattress on the floor. It is so much easier to go to and from work form within town instead of having to drive 45 minutes one way! Though, I managed to spook Bruce and his family, and he spooked me. They can hear when I go up the stairs and he thought I was still at work when I can in. I was in the middle of taking out my contacts when the doorbell rang, and it is loud. It is an actual bell, rung by a clapper in the hall. I almost put one of my eyes out! So, I explained to Bruce that I get off work at midnight during the week.

Also, I have finished another Christmas gift. Mamaw Mary's cable scarf is finished. I literally finished it in on of my classes. Due to the fact that I didn't have any yarn other than kitchen cotton (it is still all at Mamaw's), I hunted Ravelry for a free dishcloth pattern. I will probably give it to someone out at Heritage Farm. Pics to be posted once I take them.

Moving and Christmas Knitting

Since July of 2009, I have been living with my grandmother after moving out of an apartment in Ceredo, WV. I love my Mamaw, but frankly, we do not see eye to eye. She is an utter neat freak, while I see nothing wrong with having things on the floor if there is no other place around my to put them. This mostly includes books, various knitting projects, and occasionally dishes. She tends to freak if everything is not 'in its place'.

So, this week, I took steps to relieve both of us: I rented an apartment. I told my older brother, Bruce that I was looking for a place and he told me that the apartment above his is empty and that the landlord wanted to rent it out to me for less because I was Bruce's sister. We checked it out on Monday and I signed the lease. It is a very nice apartment, a one bedroom, and I also have the attic space for storage. I got the electric on on Tuesday and the water today. I also had to have a fridge put in, but it is now there. Also, the last tenant left a couch behind because the stairs are steep and narrow and he didn't want to deal with moving it out. Now, I just have to deal with moving my stuff in. I am trying to get my Uncle Chris to help with the furniture, so Daddy does not have to. He is 56 and moving the love-seat, and dresser (the largest stuff I own) is hard on him.

Also, it gives me more time for knitting. I am now living within walking distance of Marshall University, and on 25 minutes away from work, as opposed to 45 minutes away. So, it will save me a lot in gas.

And speaking of knitting, I am currently in the middle of knitting Christmas gifts. I have finished one, have two on the needles and am planning several more, although most of them are small enough to finish in a day (I hope). Here is the breakdown for my Christmas knitting:

Mamaw Mary: Twisted Cable Scarf-50%
Mamaw Rose: Clapotis-finished
Bruce (brother): fingerless mitts-planned with yarn in stash
Hunter: scarf-planned with yarn in stash
nieces : Ruby Bear-one 75%, other one planned
everyone else: soap socks-planned

Cass Scenic Railroad Trip

Last week was fun. As a long time resident of WV (meaning I have never lived anywhere else), I am a huge fan of the numerous and different state parks. But one of the best and most unique state parks in all WV is Cass Scenic Railroad. Cass used to be a logging town back when most logging in the state was done by railroads. There used to be 3000 miles of railroad tracks throughout the state, but now there is only 11 miles left, built in 1901, and they are at Cass.

When the company that owned Cass closed down, it seemed that the town of Cass would become a ghost town as people moved to find work, but in 1961, Cass was purchased by the state and designated a state park. Since it opened to the public in 1963, giving people rides to the timber camp if Whittaker Station, then to Bald Knob, the third highest point in WV, in 1966, and then to the ghost town of Spruce, which used to be owned by the same company as Cass, in 2004.

Well, last week I had a day off from work, and decided to go to Cass before the season ended at the end of October. I decided to make it a two day trip because driving to Cass from home is about five to six hours. So, I got online and found a neat little bed n breakfast called the Old Clark Inn, in Marlinton.

The Old Clark Inn is an alternative to standard hotels and motels. You can rent a bed, a room with the bathroom in the hall that you share with others, or a room with its own bathroom. I ended up picking the room with the shared bath.

I left Huntington at around 12:30. I would have left earlier, but I had a midterm to take in one of my classes and could not miss it. I decided to avoid I-64 and the other, more main roads past Charleston, so I left the interstate at the town of Chelyan, and got in Rte 60 until I reached the town of Gauley Bridge, then took Rte 39. I stopped in the town of Summersville to use the restroom and also, to check out their quilt shop, which had moved to a much larger building since I was last there in June.

I then continued on into Marlinton and after having to backtrack once, I found the inn fairly easily. I checked in, got my room key and then signed the register. While signing the register, I noticed that the people who had registered before me were also from Huntington. I mentioned it to the innkeeper, who said that they had checked in about 15 minutes before I had. I wondered if I would bump into them. I then went outside to get my bag from the car, and as I was walking back in, I saw a woman in the dining room of the inn. I stopped to say hi and ask were she was from; as it turned out, she and her husband were the couple from Huntington.

Their names were Betty and Peter and they had spent the week visiting family in Virginia, mostly on a motorcycle. They had decided to stay at the inn because it was motorcycle friendly. Peter was a retired minister and Betty a retired teacher and they were both alumni of Marshall University. I spent a few minutes talking with them, then mentioned that I wanted to get something to eat. All I had had that day since breakfast was two apple, a bag of chips and a candy bar. Somehow, without any of us saying a word, we decided to go eat together. The inn had provided menus for guest use, and we decided that a local restaurant called Dories sounded good.

It was only a few blocks and the weather was nice, so we decided to walk over. After arriving and sitting down, we all decided that the spaghetti sounded good. what followed was one of the most pleasant evenings I have had in a long time. We talking about everything, including their faith (both were members of the Anglican Church) my classes, history in general, Cass and a dozen other things. They decided to split a piece of pie and we then headed back to the inn. On the way back, I noticed the most interesting mural on the wall. It depicted different things about the area, such as Cass, Droop Mountain Battlefield, skiing and fishing.

After we got back to the inn, I headed to bed. I slept ok, for being in a strange place. I woke up around 8:00 and headed down to the continental breakfast offered by the inn. I spoke some more with Betty and Peter, and also some other people who had stayed at the inn. They were bicyclists riding on the Greenbriar River Trail, a 78 mile long trail that used to be a section of railroad tracks, but has been converted for use by hikers, bikers and horseback riders. No motorized vehicle are allowed, except for motorized wheelchairs.

I got on the road to Cass at about 9:30 and got there just at 10:00, about an hour before the train I planned to ride left. I had decided to go on Friday because that is the day the train to the ghost town of Spruce runs. I have been to Whittaker Station several times and Bald Knob once several years ago, but had never been on the Spruce train.

I spent a leisurely hour poking around the gift shop and ordered a box lunch to take with me on the train. Also I found another knitter, or maybe I should say that she found me; as I was standing in front of the depot waiting for the trian, an older woman walked up to me and performed the knitter's handshake: she started petting the shoulder of the handknit vest I was wearing. She clearly was an experienced knitter as well, she was only one size off of the needle size I used.

At about 10:30 to train pulled into the station. The train that would be taking us up to Cass that day was Shay 6, (also called Big Six), the largest Shay engine still running in the world. For a video of Big Six pulling up, check out this video on YouTube. Also, here is a picture taken from the steps of the gift shop.

Here I am in the engine! We left the station at 11:00 and headed up to Spruce. First we headed up the track to Whittaker Station, which took about an hour. We stopped there for a restroom break and so some people could go to the concession stand, which is claimed to have the best hot dogs on the mountain.

We were at Whittaker for about 20 minutes before continuing on. There were some phenomenal views of the distant mountains, including the boundary between West Virginia and Virginia and the leaves were already turning at the higher elevations. I was able to get a little knitting in during the trip.

After about two hours, we arrived at the ghost town of Spruce. There really isn't much left after all this time. Spruce was developed for the production of pulpwood and was active from 1904 until about 1950, when it was abandoned. While active, Spruce was one of the highest towns in the eastern US. All that is left now is the foundations for the mill and some other buildings.

We wandered around the site for about an hour, and then headed back. We didn't stop on the trip back, except on one of the switchbacks so that the 2:30 train to Whittaker Station could pass us. We stopped just short of the switchback and the Whittaker train, pulled by Shay 5, went into the switchback, then we entered the switchback behind them and pulled onto the next section, while they continued on up. We got back to Cass at about 3:15 and I decided to buy a few of the things I had been looking at earlier. I got a coffee mug and a hiking stick medallion. I then headed home, with a detour through Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park. They were having a reenactment that weekend, but were still setting up when I got there. So, I decided that it would be easiest to go home by I-64. I stopped at Tamarack and had a very nice chicken potpie for dinner and arrived back home at about 10:00.

Shop Hop Details

As mentioned in a previous post, last week I participated in the Mountain Quilt Quest Shop Hop, which is a shop hop held by several quilt shops throughout West Virginia. It ran from Wed. to Sat. with each shop having extended hours for the duration of the shop hop. Each shop has a block that when put together makes an entire quilt. They all have a quilt (or several) made using the fabric and blocks from all the different shops. Most also sell kits so you can make your own version of theirs.


This year, the fabric was made especially by a WV artist, Tina Richardson, for the Shop Hop. It incorporated 18 different things representing WV, including important landmarks, state animals and things like that.

Something else that I had planned to do was to buy two Batik fat quarters from each shop and use them to make another quilt. At first I figured to just make a nine patch quilt, then decided to make the Turning Twenty Again quilt instead. The first shop I went to was Quilts by Phyllis in Hurricane. Phyllis' shop is a large, open shop with a very large selection of fabric, notions, and several long arm machines. While there, I found out that the friend I had planned to bring along was unable to come and decided to go on to the rest of the western stores that day instead of waiting until the next day.

I then decided to go to the farthest store and work my way back to the shop in Ceredo and then go on to work. The farthest store on the chain of the western stores was The Quilt Shoppe LLC in Summersville. That store is a smallish store with shelves everywhere. It should feel cluttered, but it doesn't. Instead, there is a sense of wondering what is around the next corner. The owner seems to prefer more older types of styles, such as 30's repros and Civil War fabrics, but there is a good mix of more modern styles as well. I found out while there that the owner is also a knitter and ended up talking to her about Ravelry.


The next shop was Quilts and More in Victor, just outside Hawk's Nest State Park. They had the quilt pattern I liked best. They didn't have the kits already made, which was actually a good thing, because I could not have afforded it that day, but I left my information with the owner and she will call me when it is ready.

The next shop I went to was Sneed's Sewing and Vacuum Shop in Charleston. they don't have much fabric, but they do sell a lot of notion and Bernina sewing machines. I hope to buy a Bernina Aurora 440QE sewing machine. While I was there, I realized that I was not going to be able to visit the shop in Ceredo that day, due to time constraints. In fact, I ended up being a half hour late for work.

So, I went to Sew Many Blessings in Ceredo on Thursday instead. Sew Many Blessings is my own LQS. It is the most convenient, being right on the way to work and the owners, Winona and Heidi, are both members of my quilt guild, the Creative Quilters in Huntington, WV, as well as being lovely ladies. They are both every into breast cancer funding and donations and this was reflected in their quilt. The fabric for the quilt was black and white, so some of the other shops added some red and Phyllis also used yellow fabric, but Winona and Heidi used pink as a accent border.

Then came Friday. I knew that Friday was going to be a long day. My plan was to start in Parkersburg as the northern most shop and travel to Elkins, the southern most store. I knew it was going to be an all day venture and I was right. I left at 7:30 am and got home at 9:30 pm, so, I was on the road for a total of 14 hours, mostly driving between the shops.

The Parkersburg store was the Parkersburg Sewing and Quilting Center. I liked their store, but they had the long -arm machine running the entire time I was there and it made it a bit hard to hear people. Also, their quilt seemed a bit off to me. As said before, most people added red or some other complementary color to their quilts, but Parkersburg added a bright green that didn't go with the black and white very well, IMHO.

While in Parkersburg, I could not resist checking out Market Street Yarn & Craft shop, which is also in Parkersburg. I ended up buying some sock yarn as a souvenir.

The next shop to visit was the Woolen Willow in Williamstown. The Woolen Willow is a very interesting store. It not only sells fabric, but also yarn, rug-hooking and needle-felting designs. It also sold lots of primitive decorations.

I then headed to Pieces of the Past shop. That has to be one of the smallest quilt shops I have ever seen. It is in an old house and consists of three rooms, one with fabric, one with patterns and one with notions and embroidery thread and supplies. If that shop had 100 bolts of fabric, I would be surprised. Still, when I bought my batiks, I found one that ended up being one of my favorites. She didn't have very many pre-cut fat quarters, but said it would be no trouble to but some from the bolts. I selected a pretty ecru batik and a dark blue with electric light blue lines shot though it. I was surprised to see that when opened out, the electric blue lines formed swordfish. When cutting the fabric, I made sure to fussy cut one of the swordfish out.

I then had a 2.5 hour drive to the next shop in Fairmont, called Sew Chic. By the time I got to Fairmont, it was about 1:30 and I was starving. I ended up getting of the interstate and eating at MacDonald's. Since I am trying to lose a little weight, I have avoided MacDonald's recently and usually had a salad when I did eat there. This time I didn't care about my weight or anything but eating as much as I could manage. I ended up getting a #1 combo with a large sweet tea. I figured that I would walk it off in the quilt shops before I was done.

Sew Chic is one of the easiest shops to find. It is a quarter mile off of I-79 and in a large red barn. It is a very orderly shop, with all kinds of different fabrics, Bernina sewing machines and notions. I signed up for their newsletter during my first shop hop in 2007 and still receive it. I doubt that I would ever get the chance to go to it otherwise because it is several hours drive.

I then headed to Morgantown and The Sew Inn, Ltd. I have been on three shop hops now and have never seen more of Morgantown than the route to the shop hop. The Sew Inn is a very large, bright store. They sell Viking sewing and embroidery machines and lots of patterns and notions. They also were selling T-shirts a s souvenirs of the shop hop, but I didn't have the money to get one.

While at The Sew Inn, the long day and all that driving caught up with me. I really didn't want to go on to the last two shops. The shop in Buckhannon was not that far, but the Elkins Sewing Center was 40 miles one way. I decided I had come to far to not finish out the rest of the stores and got going.

The Buckhannon store was in what was in a large house. It was very interesting, wandering through the different rooms to see what the fabric was. The selection was excellent and I wish I had more money so I could have spent more at each shop. I then headed to the last shop, the Elkins Sewing Center. The drive was not as bad as I had thought it was going to be. I think the slump at Morgantown was the after effects of the sweet tea I had at lunch.

The Elkins Sewing Center was fun. I had just arrived and was talking to a few of the ladies helping during the shop hop when a bus tour arrived. After that it was very crazy trying to get around a suddenly very full store. I ended up talking to a few ladies who were from Pennsylvania on the Shop Hop.

After I left Elkins Sewing Center, I decided to head home. I saw a Dollar General a few doors down from the shop and decided I wanted some food to take with me. I bought a coke and a snickers bar and headed off. I was just a few miles out of town when I realized that my camera, which I had had with me all day was not on the passenger side seat where it should have been. I had left it in Elkins! I quickly turned around and hoped I had left it in the shop and not the dollar General. As it turned out, it was in the Dollar General. The cashier had set it aside and I was able to retrieve it. It was the only thing I forgot all day, a fact that I am rather proud of, with my memory! I had by that time been on the road for 12 hours, so I think I can be excused.

Well, that was a good, long post, wasn't it?

Pics and Shop Hopping

OK, so the Internet is working on my computer again, so here are the pics of my most recent projects.

First off, the Demeter Camisole:

Next is my niece's toddler socks:

Then there are my WIPs. First is a Memory Shawl that I am making using the little oddballs of my stash.

Then there are my current pair of socks, basic socks knit 2aat.

The last pic is of the ball band dishcloth that I work on when bored with the socks. It is knit with Sugar and Cream yarn on size 10 needles.

The shop hop I am going on this week is not knitting, however, but quilting. Every year several stores in WV participate in the Mountain State Quilt Quest Shop Hop. This year there are twelve stores participating in the shop hop. I went to four today, will go to one tomorrow and will get the rest on Friday. A friend of mine, Brian, was going to go with me, but he just got a job and has orientation the next few days. More on the shop hop later after I visit the rest of the stores.