Thank you everyone for playing along in my contest. Most of you thought I had enough restraint to wait until Saturday to cast on. Saturday is a work day for me and I don’t think I knit at all on Saturday I was so tired. There were a few of though that did guess the right day. Thursday.

There weren’t that many of you so I put all the names in a bowl and let the Boogie Baby choose.

I love that look on her face. It’s like she knows she’s picking the name for something good. And as for that blanket - yes, she almost always has it with her, and wrapped around her even in this 90F weather. uck.

This was the handoff, sort of:

She decided that since she picked the name, she got to keep it. So I read the name off and let her keep it.

Joni won! It’s a good worsted weight Merino that could make some plush soakers. Congrats lady!

The Mitten:

It’s a fun pattern and I really like how it looks. The only thing that irks me is that the cuff is so loose. It’s in the pattern that the cuff is 2 stitches wider than the hand. Normally I tuck the mitten under my sweater, I suppose with these I’ll be putting the mittens on top.

You would think I’d have more done on the mittens. I would have knit more if I hadn’t gotten distracted with the baby sweater or the baby herself.

The last time I posted a recipe it was for Tacos. Mmm Tacos. To go with them yu need refried beans. I started with 1 pound of Black beans. You can get the canned one but I like to cook mine because I can add a few spices in while cooking. Like cilantro and garlic.

Refried Black Beans.
1 lb of cooked beans.
peanut, vegetable or corn oil
garlic
Cilantro
Salt and Pepper
Cayenne Pepper

Heat up a frying pan (I use a flat bottom Wok style pan) add in about 1/4 cup of oil. Mash 3/4 of your beans (I blended mine). Into the hot oil add all your beans and spices. Mix it up and fry fry fry - that’s why they’re called refried. Continue cooking until it’s a nice pasty consistency. Serve hot.

I wish I had a photo for you but we ate it all.

FIBER TALK:
Knitting:
I can’t talk about knitting. I don’t want to give anything away. Did I start my Mittens or did I work on the kids sweater all weekend? You have the rest of today to comment on when or if you think I started my Mittens and get a chance at winning the handspun yarn.

Spinning:
I didn’t do much more than predraft the Hello Yarn Fiber club:

This is destined to be part of a sweater for Baby Boogie.

Why haven’t I been getting much done?
I’ve been spending lots of time on the shop. Which, by the way, there is a group of us getting together on Saturday August 4th. Not an organized group, just been chatting about it. So people are bringing their wheels and we’ll have a potluck supper. The expansion isn’t done, so we’ll be doing this group event in September to celebrate the shop biggening. Here’s where I am on it now:

By this Saturday the shelves and floor will all be painted and we’ll have a space to set up inside in case it rains. Plus I should have most of the stock of undyed fiber all in place. The space is larger than it looks here.

Red Bird is done. Red Bird is going to be set in a box and wait until Baby Boogie fits in it. That’s right, Baby Boogie. It was supposed to be a sweater for the big girl but she’s decided she doesn’t like it. I knew this would happen.

Many times I swear I won’t knit her a sweater and then she begs and I give in. This time I thought I was being smart. She picked out the patterns, she tried it on at every step. I stay up late to put it together. Instead of being excited to have something new to wear, I hear “I don’t like it”. The only reason I’m remotely ok with it is that the little one will be able to wear it. I tell you, it certainly makes me not want to knit her a sweater again. At least not until she begs and I feel bad because Baby Boogie has gotten more sweaters. Stay tuned for the next saga. I truly am a sap.

I also decided that I need to finally cast one for a sweater for my soon to be new Niece.

I’m using some Sirdar Denim Tweed I picked up at The Knitting Experience. The pattern is a lacy top down sweater from a book by Mary Rich Goodwin. I also picked up yarn to make Boogie Baby a sweater. I know she’ll wear it so I’ll cast on for hers soon.

I ripped a few things. I have a lot of WIP’s. If you’ve ever looked at my Ravelry notebook, you know. I’m ok with the amount, but there are times when I need to get real and realize why some are sitting there. Some I just don’t love anymore. There are just things that you get knitting and you don’t enjoy it. Why continue if you don’t enjoy or you know the end product won’t please you. My Mom’s sweater is one of those things.

I’m not a big fan of garter and this one uses garter bands. I can’t finish this sweater and be happy with it. I only had half a sleeve done, it’s been ripped.

I have a contest for you
Do you want to win some handspun? Handpsun Merino?

A couple of you thought I was going to cast on for the Mitones Ivenos by the end of the week. I think some of you thought I wouldn’t make it to the end of Wednesday without casting on. Did I? You have through Monday to give me your guess. Comment here letting me know if I cast on or will cast on: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, or Later.

All the people that guess the right answer will be have a chance to win the yarn. I’ll randomly select the winner and announce it Tuesday. That is of course unless only one person guesses right, then that will make it even easier. Guess away!

At least I think so.

Phew. I’ve either been working in the shop or I’ve been working on the club and wholesale orders. I feel like I should be working at warp speed. Yesterday I went to the dentist. This is significant because it was the middle of the day and I got to sit, nay lay! If she hadn’t been chopping the heck out of my gums I would have fallen asleep.

So, because I’m scattered and I can’t seem to come up with a coherent theme for a blog post, I’m going to post one little picture and then I need to label the rest of the club before the shop opens.

Way back in 2004 or 5 I posted that I got Andean knits and that I had dyed some BFL to make the mittens in it. Well, there they sat in a little box in the closet. Until one day last week. Something possessed me. I wanted to make some fair isle mittens (yes I think it was a hot day) but the ones I were working on didn’t cut it. I ripped them out and thought, and thought and thought. Then I remembered these. I spun and plied all the yarn, wash and set it all in one day, and then they’ve sat since.

I’ve been wrestling with myself over finishing projects. You know that’s not like me. I work hard and I should knit what I damn well please thank you very much. But I really want to get a few things done. We’ll see how long I hold out and if I actually finish anything before I cave and have to have these mittens. Mittens in July….

It all started when the hollyhocks bloomed.

I didn’t want to miss it this year. I always forget to pluck them until it’s too late and then I don’t have anything to dye with. Well, I got the Boogie Girl out there plucking and she got me this:

And then I figured while I had the alum out, I should just soak a ton of fiber and go on a natural dyeing spree.

Left to right: Shetland dyed with Cochineal, Merino/Cashmere dyed with Cochineal and hollyhock, Shetland Handspun dyed with Hollyhock, Merino/Cashmere dyed with hollyhock:

I didn’t have enough petals to get a good red, and I over heated the batch. My crock pot is a little over enthusiastic. The next time I’m waiting until I have a ton of blossoms and I’ll be sure to put in a different pot to heat. Although I do like the sagey green quite a bit.

This is Merino Cashmere with Brazilwood and Osage Orange Sawdust.

This is Shetland with Cutch and Osage Orange Sawdust.

Here is Merino Bamboo with Cutch and Merino Cashmere with Brazilwood.

I have spun the singles fo the Merino Cashmere dyed with the Brazilwood. It’s the lighter pinky color and I really like how it works up. Now I have this vision of dyeing a ton of 2 ounce samples of Merino Cashmere and making Fair Isle mittens and things. I now have a large list of colors I want to dye. I looked at mitten patterns last night and I’m ready to start. If only my yarn was as ready as I am. Then again, it’s not like I have a lot of spare time

This is my last post for the week. Boogie Nana started her craft shows this week (go visit her at the Clam festival in Yarmouth Maine) and I’ll be doing a lot of the club work by myself. The rest of the week my computer time will be mostly work. I’ll be back on Monday.

*edit* I swore that I posted it this morning only to realize that I never hit the Publish button. The girls have been jabbing at me every waking minute. If you read something that seems like jibberish - well, now you know my excuse.