Furballs

Look at me! I'm posting! About knitting!!

Because of the lack of knitting and spinning adventures on this blog lately, you may be about ready to give up on me.   I have, however, been busily working away in the background and now I'm ready to give you an Ultra Post, LOADED with fiber content!! 

First up, a project I have been working on (and off and on) for about a year.  I used the Ann Budd pattern in her sweater book and knit millions and millions of stitches on a size 3 needle.  It's Koigu, which makes a perfect light weight sweater.

It's a little big.  It used to be very big and I threw it in the washer on hot and then in the dryer along with some prayers and it shrunk down a couple inches.  It could stand another inch or two, so I might risk it one more time.

Some friends in my yahoo group have been bribing me with gifts to get it done!  I have some substantial rewards coming!

My head has been cut off in these pictures because the "feels like" temp today is 104' with hellish humidity and I just wasn't looking all that fresh. 

Next up is the Angel Lace shawl made out of sea silk. 

This was a fun and quick knit - the pattern called for more repeats but I wanted a smaller shawl for summer. 

And let me just say, sea silk is dreamy. 

And some socks...

On the left are some Opal Cotton
and on the right are some STR, sort of the Twisted Cables pattern with modifications. 

And then there's the handspun.  I know there's not much less interesting than looking at a bunch of gray yarn, but these have been really fun fibers to work with and they represent LOTS of time! 

On the left is from a Gulf Coast fleece from Running Moon Farm.  It's one that has a bit of Romney in its lineage, and it's wonderful to spin.  I plan to spin enough for a cabled sweater.  Next is some merino/bamboo from Blue Moon in the colorway Lunasea, I believe it will become a Flower Basket shawl. Next is a skein of a romney/merino/silk blend in a fingering weight that is slated for some cabled mittens.  And the last two are some shetland x lincoln that is puffing up nicely into a soft and lofty yarn for... who knows. 

There was another shawl, Tuscany from No Sheep for You out of Silky Wool, but that became a birthday present.  I'm working on getting a picture, though. 

So now it's time to start a new project and I have no idea what it will be.  I've got about half a dozen things on the short list, but I think it depends on what yarn I pass on the way to my knitting chair! 

   

The Winner is...

OK, don't feel bad that I didn't pick your names. I really did like them all. But because it was a contest, there has to be a winner who isn't me (I give myself prizes on a fairly regular basis). I do apologize for being so slow to the finish line but if you look at the frequency I've been posing lately, in my reality it's right snappy.

So I had an unbiased party pick the winner and the lucky contender is....

Chris!

Strange that a bird would pick a cat owner...

So what does she win? Well, since the prize was to be determined based on the winner's interests, I believe Chris will be receiving some lovely sock yarn! Don't know which one yet, as I'll give her a choice to pick from.

Congratulations Chris and thank you all for your suggestions!

And no, no eggs yet...

With Arms Wide Open

They have names!! They have names!! They sort of appeared out of nowhere.

Scooter and Faye.

Scooter because when he gets excited he scurries really fast back and forth across his perch.

Faye happened while I was filling out the new patient forms at the vet. She had been looking sort of ill so brought her in to get checked out. They asked what her name was and I said, "um, FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFaye." And I have no idea where it came from.

So poor little thing has an eye infection and needs drops twice a day. This is not a hand-tamed bird, so this is a huge deal.

And.

She's pregnant.

Contest Update

No winners yet. There are some who are very close. There are some who gave me one name I like a lot but not so much the other one, and mixing two up from different groups doesn't always make sense.

Susan, I like Bette, who doesn't like Bette? But Barry??? Even though he really does look like a bird (yes, I watched the video).

The movie and book references were all good, though I can't believe I didn't get a single Chris and Julie

Hmmmm..... Chris and Julie. maybe....

I really like the name Scarlett, but not Rhett. *sigh*

I think Scully and Mulder would make excellent names for Bassett Hounds.

Caroline, nobody in Minnesota knows who Betsy and Jerome are. Including me.

Other suggestions that were called in...

Cotswold and Merino
Feather & Fan
Axel and Floyd (Rose and Pink)
Thunder and Lady (both Birds)
Spinner and Knitter (since the other bird is Weaver)
Gus and Hulda (relatives from when the family tree was a seedling) (so Maureen, that's a big nod in your direction for the idea)

Really like Desmond and Molly, had to go look up the words to Ob-la-dee Ob-la-da. This is a contender.

Dawn and Dusk is a great concept. It's been marinating. What do you think of Sol and Dusky?

Love Seymour and Audrey but I already had a cat named Audrey. Audrey is a perfect name for a feminine little pet. Real people, too.

Carrie and Big? Jen? OK, like, Kerry's taken???

Joanne, nothing in this household will ever be named George. I don't even like to type it out.

Nigel is a great name. Maybe paired with Scarlett or Bette?

And of course, John and Fanny are still contenders.

This is so much harder than I'd ever expected.

Vanessa, Lisa will have to answer the dyeing question. I think pink, white, black with touches of navy would make an excellent colorway, myself.

There will be knitting content one of these days. I need to block something and put a button band on something else, then I'll have pictures.

Bird Talk... and a contest!

Last week my parakeet Lairy died after being in the family for 7 years. She was a sweet little bird who was content to watch the rest of us do what we do. She would make kissy sounds when I fed her at night and she loved Rudy the orange tabby (there's a picture of them together in the critters photo album). He would put his paw on the cage and she would rub her beak on it, sort of odd but fun to watch.

Feeling a parakeet sized hole in the universe, I spent a couple of late nights on the internet reading up on all of the birds I'd come across over the years that I wanted, and finally decided on a Rose Bourke Parakeet, I found one place in hundreds of miles that had them. Actually, she had two and wouldn't split them up. So now I have two new family members!

They don't do a lot - which is more than fine with me - but they have a really beautiful song, which they sing in the morning and at sundown.

The other animals are adjusting like it's no big deal, though Oakley is enchanted and tries to get a little too close. Rudy is sad because they freaked out when he put his paw on the cage, but we're only a couple days into this.

So now for the contest. These little birdies need some names. If you provide me with new names that I pick, you will win a prize. I don't know what the prize is, but it will be a good one, I promise. If you can't think of anything, tell me which of the following names you like best:

Sheila and Cobber (Australian slang for woman and buddy)
John and Fanny (after the poet John Keats and his love, Fanny. You know, a "pair o' Keats")

Rules: You may enter as many names as you think of. Sorry, I know 99% of people with Rose Bourkes name their birds Rosie, but I refuse. Barbie and Ken are out, as are Brad and Angelina.

The contest ends when the parakeets have names. You may begin.