Got Monkey?

For long time readers of this blog (does anyone read it anymore?), you may recall my love of all things monkey. Four or five years ago, my felted monkey, Zira travelled the globe and I even developed a smaller pattern that I named the Cheeky Little Monkeys. Well for a variety of reasons, I never wrote up the pattern for the Cheekys and forgot about them. Thanks to a good bit of monkey love that several of my family and friends share with me, I dusted off the pattern, rewrote parts of it and am about to release it and several holiday versions over the next couple of weeks. Here's a preview of the newly revised Cheeky Little Monkeys



You can see more pictures on the workshop site - http://theindigomuse.ning.com . Check back for registration information since I'm planning on developing an online workshop for these little fellows since there are so very many tips and tricks that I can't adequately describe in print. Patterns will be available through the site and Ravelry. Keep your eyes peeled :)

In other news, I've been busy filming/developing online knitting workshops and writing up patterns. Not much personal knitting happening except for Knitspots beautiful Leafprints wrist warmers and I'm actually knitting them out of the recommended yarn - Great Northern Yarns Mink/Cashmere (heavenly stuff). I did have a fab weekend away from the guys last weekend with my Maryland peeps Heather, Ei and Donna. You can read more on H's blog HERE. My Grandma has been in the hospital for almost two weeks after cardiac arrest a couple of weeks ago. Please add her to your prayer list. Poor thing had to spend her 87th birthday on Saturday in the hospital :( We are blessed because this is only the second time in her life that she's been in the hospital and she's actually doing very well. She's in rehab now to get her left arm back up to full capacity so she can go home.

Here's hoping that Thanksgiving is low key and relaxing for everyone.

Belated Blogiversary Celebration

Whoops! I missed the actual date by a few weeks. Needless to say, the beginning of the month was a blur but things are finally starting to settle down. So June 6, 2004 was the first time I posted in Bloglandia and that first post brought me headlong into the wonderful world of knitting, spinning and the people who inhabit it. I've made some wonderful "real" world friends, learned advance techniques, gotten tips for practically everything and tripped into spinning, dyeing and most recently weaving.

Speaking of weaving, here are a few pics of my first "real" planned project - a wrap - off the loom. Twas a success!









So how am I celebrating my blogiversary? With a little happy dance and another first - I'm PUBLISHED!!! I've been waiting and waiting for my copy of Feltique to arrive from the publisher and it finally arrived.



It just didn't feel real until I had it in my hot little hands. Guess what's on the first page of the book? One of my little felted fortune cookies - SQUEEEE!



The fortune cookie pattern is on page 99.



I also wrote a pattern for a felted floppy flyer (pretty much a felted frisbee but because of copyright issues, we couldn't call it that) that's on page 105.



Feltique is FABULOUS! I love the variety of felting techniques that you can find in this one book and how visually appealing it is. I love books that not only show you the finished product but also shows you how to construct the project. This book is one that I will carefully study and toy with for years to come. I'm so very honored to have been asked to be a part of this beautiful book.

I can't begin to tell you how many hours Nikola and Brookelynn worked with me to tweek the pattern, mailing samples back and forth and fine tuning the technical info. Now multiply that times 18 different fiber artists. That takes dedication. The entire process took nearly two years from start to finish. I must say that I'll never pick up a knitting/craft book and look at it the same way again, knowing now how much time, blood, sweat and tears goes into every picture and project.

If you want to see more of Feltique, please visit the website or check out the Craftzine feature that Brookelynn did on several of the contributors (I'm featured HERE).

Thanks for letting me have a little virtual party here on my blog. My family and non-knitting friends don't "get" it. I'd kinda hoped that being published might validate my craft but they still think I'm on the nutty side with regards to fiber arts. Oh well, guess I'm in good company :)

Random Fibery Goodness

Flashing ya some pictures on the fly. I've been on the road quite a bit for both business and pleasure. Attended yet another wonderful, rain-free Maryland Sheep and Wool. Bought some hand cards, ordered a Robins custom wheel (3 yr waiting list so no photos yet), a Woodstock WPI tool (it was his final show before retiring), some yak/merino and yak/silk and BFL from The Fold (sorry not a STR fan so none here) and scored this gorgeous fleece from Rupperts Corriedales (which happened to have a couple of the prize winning fleeces in the show this year).



4.8 lb. Fleece (It's so clean, it brings a tear to your eye)



Close up of its crimpy goodness...



Spinning it up into yarn...

After starting her over a year ago, I finished Sahara just in time to wear her to church for Mother's Day with MacGyver (Mom) and Ebayman (Dad)





Cast on for the Swirl Shawl that was also purchased at Sheeps this year...



Busting the stash of some Malabrigo laceweight in the color Brisa (yummy stuff)

Praying hard for those suffering from natural disasters in Myanmar, China, the many tornados that continue to ravage the US (Virginia has been hit many times over the last couple of weeks) and our local knitting friend, Rae, who lost her home and beloved kitty in a fire last week.

Whirled Peas

Just quickly popping in to say "howdy' and show off the little bit of knitting I've done over the last few weeks. Work has kept me far busier than I've been in ages and I rarely have time to browse blogs, not to mention post. I get a break until mid-May, just long enough to visit my MD peeps at Maryland Sheep and Wool this year and to take a breather (we'll miss you this year, Kels).

Some of the stuff I'm knitting, I can't show just yet. I'm still reworking some patterns in hopes of posting them (easier said than done) soon. To appease those who wonder if I even knit anymore, I present to you a bevy of peas...



The main character from the children's book, Little Pea. What a cute book and a fun toy to knit. The story is about a pea who must eat all of his candy before he can have dessert which is a bowl of spinach. And in case you're wondering, yes Little Pea has freckles. I must give credit to mamaurchin.com/2006/12/23/the-progress-of-a-pea'>Mama Urchin's inspiration. I simply added the mods for the mouth. I made a couple of sizes but my favorite is this smaller pea that uses the Chichi body with the mouth mods.



The smaller pea was given with the book and a baby blanket was used as gift wrap for a baby shower. The larger pea was given to a friend's grandbaby for her first birthday. And the others are still waiting for their faces and just might end up in my Etsy shop.

40 days

For Lent this year, I decided to make a commitment - a challenge of sorts - instead of giving up something for 40 days and 40 nights. My challenge (albeit a shorter version): The Louhi Coat by Finnish designer, Tuulia Samela.



If you're on Ravelry, you can access her profile and designs HERE. Click HERE for her blog and the Louhi pattern.

I had forgotten how much I love cables until I started swatching for this project. The twists. The turns. I am so enamored with how each one develops. I'm 15 days into the project and I have a sleeve and am 70% finished with the hem strip.





All out knitting of the body will hopefully commence by this weekend. This thing is going to be blanket sized before its all said and done. This is the only instance where I'm glad that its still cold and will use it to keep me warm in the evenings. I'm sure that I'm overly ambitious in thinking I can finish this behemoth in 40 days but damned if I'm not going to try. By the way, the yarn is Patons Classic Wool in Denim Marl.

Ya'll, I miss my little puppy more than I can put into words. I came home after dropping Thing 2 off at school, opened the door and forgot that her little nose wasn't going to push it the rest of the way open in a possible effort to run away. I swear I think I saw her. I burst into tears, the kind that stain your face for hours and make your chest ache.



These sweeties have helped ease the pain. I can't help but smile when I see them guarding my knitting.





Just look at the detailed paws. Too cute for words. Order your favorite pet or animal from Wee Ones, if you must have some. Thanks CM. I. LOVE. Them!