Christmas Gifts

Well, I have to say I was busy this summer, but mostly I was busy on making Christmas gifts. All are done and left with my mother back in the US.

We landed back in Ireland on Tuesday and I am still suffering from the jet lag. So we dug into the boxes that we left behind and have begun to make a good size dent. What a good feeling to tear down boxes and get rid of even more stuff.

Back to the real world and school can't come soon enough. The kids really need something to do and I need for them to have something to do as well. Monday... How many hours is that???

Crochet 101

This is the first Crochet project I've ever finished. I found that most people either knit or crochet well, but not both. There are exceptions... you may be one.
I have mastered the simple chain stitch and that's about it. It's probably the pattern reading. I loose track of where I am as soon as I put it down. Anyway, this is the project. Jewelry and needlework!

I used sterling wire. 28 gauge and a large J size crochet hook. Dyed fresh water pearls in celadon green and peacock. The cubes are a gemstone of some sort. I was distracted by the colour. Yummy!! There is also a smokey crystal that's hard to see in the photo, but it adds a hit of sparkle.

5 strands of wire at 6 feet each. Leave 2 inches. String 15 beads on and chain 3. Slide a bead down and chain three more. Work until the last 2 inches. This makes a 16 inch necklace. Do all 5 the same. Twist all the strands together and fasten off however you choose. I used a cone with a hook closer.

Really fun with great results. I will definitely make more of these. I may even put them on the Etsy shop if I ever get around to posting stuff up.

Wool Hat

Hard to believe this is 100% Wool. Amazingly soft. I may need to go off the yarn diet for a bit of this.

It's Berrocco Pure Merino. Low shrinkage and did I say how soft it is. Man!! Pretty good colour range as well.

This is present #4 completed. Easy pattern with a good result.

I like the way the top makes such a nice effect with the decreasing.

Reminds me of a quilt block of some sort. I did the larger size on bigger needles to accommodate the head size of the recipient. Fits the sons head without much stretch and the wide cuff is adjustable.

Yikes!! New Look

Ok, I had to try it. Customize your blog. Took a few hours and lots of redos, but I got it to a point that I like.

Wide Striped Bag

This is from the stash as well. It's really working out well that I have so many small amounts of yarn. Again, Lopi (orange), Manos (yellow and red), Lambs Pride (pink). The pattern is made up as I went along. I wanted something different in the shape, so I short rowed after about 50 rows.
I embroidered the lazy daisies on before the fulling.


The blue is from a yarn swap and I think it's Berocco. The multi coloured yarn picks up the other four. When for the square button and set it at an angle.

Stripey Bag

Here is the next Christmas gift done and dusted (Fulled). I used Lopi, Manos, and Craftspun yarns from the stash. I have a niece who is mad about purple. I had no ideas how furry the Lopi was when fulled. It was a small hairy animal that I pulled out of the washer. It was a little bit frightening, not what I expected at all. I have brushed it many times and still need to pull some of the pills off, but she'll really like it.

The pattern came from Felted Knits by Beverly Galeskas. It has lots of pattern to choose from and a wide variety of projects. I still have a lot of yarn to knit in the next 3 weeks before returning home. Yikes!!

Mohair Shawl

Not a great picture, but this is the shawl after blocking. Started out with 5 stitches and increased 2, then did Garter Stitch for several rows. I continued increasing on both ends and on either side of the center stitch on the front side. It was odd working from the top down. It was a knit experiment thing.
Couldn't quite figure out which end was the top and what was the bottom, but it really like it. Hard to tell, but it has 6 rows of garter stitch every 4 inches. It will be warm and fluffy this winter. It's not itchy either. I bound it off with Collinette Ribon and it adds a nice touch to it.

Green Acres

We've just returned from 2 weeks on the East coast. Pennsylvania, Maryland, DC and a few others that we drove through. We stayed for a bit with DH's sister and husband. They live in a lovely area in South-Central PA. Mountains, valleys, rivers and the best coffee roaster in the US! (according to DH) Sounds rough doesn't it! Anyway, they have a farmette. Mini farm. Although I think it takes just as much work as a larger farm.

There are cattle, cats, dog, barns, tractors, fields of green stuff. Alfalfa I think, but not sure. Oh, the country life. The kids couldn't have been more content. Running outside to bottle feed the calves, tease the cats with straw and just living the life we don't have on a regular basis.

I love fresh produce. It's amazing the difference in taste. Right out of the fields. This is one of the produce stands that is near their house. Has anyone ever seen purple cauliflower? The pic isn't great, but the colour is amazing. I would be interested in what it does when you cook it! Great stuff. Beautiful stand. Owned, run and grown by the Mennonite family that lives there.

No New Hobbies!!

That what I told myself when I started doing a bit of beading on my felt. I don't have time or enough creative juice to do another hobby. Well, as it happens, I've been making a bit of jewelry. It's fast and very rewarding. As I said before, Crafting stuff in plentiful and cheap in the US, so I've been making a few pieces to go with things for much less than I could buy them. Also, they will appear under the Christmas tree at my parents this year for some of those that have been good. I'm not great by any means, but I have a friend who makes awsome jewelry. She came over to give me a little lesson and a few tips. Really fun.

On The Road

Well posting in very hard these days. Between traveling, unpacking, getting settled temporarely, you all know how it goes. Knitting is still going on. Pressie 3 is done. Will post pics as soon as it's blocked.


First pic is knitting in the car on the beginning of a 14 hour trip to Maryland, near Washington DC to visit friends. Below is the growing Chicken Nugget by the pool. Quite the vacation spot. Overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. The kids had an amazing time in the pool every day as I hid from the heat. So much for a good tan. I've really gotten accustomed to cool weather, even sunny cool weather.

This is the second shawl I've done. Two different patterns. This one came from a link off of Isobel's blog. I'm using the Tangerine Mohair from Blackberry Ridge. I got 5 balls last May for a sweater, but decided it might be a bit much. So it's evolved into shawls and wraps.

The first one was a present to DD's teacher this year. She's a doll. Both of the kids had her and she's wonderful, so it went to her with much appreciation. It was such a quick turnover, that there wasn't time for photos and DH had the camera in the US.

We're now in Pennsylvania. As we sit at a coffee shop, DH and I are hacking away on our computers, coffee and beverages in hand and the children reading their newly acquired books. Fluffy animal books and Captain Underpants for the other. The lengths we go to for a little wifi. It must be done! We're off to Hershey Park tomorrow. A veritable Chocolate village and theme park!!

Not Dead Yet!!

Well, we've been in the US for nearly 2 weeks. Having a bit of trouble with some email and finding wifi can be a challenge. Just got a new camera yesterday, so as soon as I learn to use it there will be pictures. Lots of activities and knitting. Finished Christmas pressie no. 1 and no. 2 is in the works. Spending a bit of time each morning at the lake under a tree during swimming lessons helps. Man the heat it HOT!! Not used to that any more. Any grand plans for a suntan may have to come from the spray on booth. Anyway, having a great time so far and we're staying really busy. Photos to follow. Happy belated 4th for those that it applies to.

Curly Q

Today the children and I went to visit my friend Maria.
She lives on a farm in Ardee. It's about an hours drive from Dublin. She called last week and said that the Wenslydale sheep had been sheard and that she had two for me. A Ewe and a lamb fleece. Maria is part of the Felters Guild in Ireland and we had been talking sheep at one of the workshops recently. She told me that she had a small flock of about 13. She bought half that many a year of so ago, to keep the paddocks down and because she just loved the breed. I can't say I blame her. They are as cute and curly as can be.

Her farm is breathtaking. I just can't explain how beautiful it is. OLD with gorgeous gardens. Not the type that are to prissy, but lovely built up stone planters and outbuildings. Horses, chickens, ducks, sheep and pheasant that just seem to roam around freely on the property. Lots of babies. DD was in heaven. Gravel paths to run, Gigantic Veg patches and green houses. Very self sufficient. She bakes, cooks, takes care of the animals while DH is out at the other farm working the real job of raising beef cattle. Not that Maria doesn't have a full time job plus...

She's a little slice of heaven and a sweet as can be. She came and tracked me down when I turned the wrong direction and got lost. Thanks for a very memorable and lovely morning.

If The World Was Flat

If the world was flat I'd have an excuse for not blogging. It not, so I'll blame it on Eircom. Two days before we moved, DH called to get our new phone number and get our broadband reasigned to the new house. OK, they said. You will have 3-4 more days before we disconnect you line. OK, we said and before DH got off the phone, our internet was snapped off!! Wait!! Call back!! I'm not ready to be without it! I still have a few very important things to do and emails to send!! So he calls back. I'm sorry (sure) but once we've switched off your internet, we can't turn it back on. It will be 7-10 days before your new internet is in place, provided we don't get to busy. Thanks! GGGGRRR!!!!
So two weeks later, we find that we have finally got internet. After searching far and wide for wifi or an internet cafe to check our mail. Now I'm happy, although the digital camera has left for the USA on Thursday, so no pictures at the moment. May try to see if I can get our cast off one to work. The kids take some interesting pictures with it.

Thanks so much for all the nice comments on the house. We're getting unpacked a little at a time and the crafty room I'm sharing with the crafty daughter is starting to take shape. It's great to see her little face across the room creating away. She loves it, although she did fall down the stairs today in her slippery socks. I'm sure she'll have a few bruises tomorrow, but it could have been worse.

Now it we could get the cable sorted out!

WE HAVE A HOUSE!!!

- Home Sweet Home -

Just wanted to say thank you to all who have wished us well, crossed their fingers, said prayers and kept a lookout for rentals. In a market for landlords at the moment, it's hard to find something that would suit our needs. We only needed one and now we have it. I'm looking forward to unpacking the crafting stuff and getting back to like as I use to know.
Except for the newness of everything and the children readjusting to new schools and friends, we're all ready for a new adventure.

What to Do While We Wait

This is one of the projects from the Dyeing Day. Brown and White Jacobs fleece, spun and dyed with Lemon-Lime Kool Aid. I think it looks kind of like spinach. Not the good kind, but the soggy stuff we use to get frozen as kids.

Despite the memories, I really like the effect. So while I'd rather be sewing (packed) or starting a new knitting project (packed) I decided to do what was available. Instead of pacing the floor, checking to see if the mobile phone is charged up, looking at the mess that now is the state of my home, I'll card one of the fleeces that is in the garage.

It's very clean. Not much veg in it and cards up beautifully. Pretty nice for 5 euro each or $7.50. Fleeces can be purchase really cheap in Ireland if you know the right farmer or friend of farmer.

I'm in the queue or line for a Wensleydale lamb fleece (free) from a lovely lady in the Felter's Guild. She has a small flock that she keeps to maintain the land around her house. She generously offered one to me, despite my attempts to buy one. Just need a few days without rain so they can dry out. Yippee!!

Will We or Won't We

That is the question of the day. Will we or Won't we have a house. We were out scouting on Friday and saw a great house. Located across town from where we are now, but have found 2 schools that the kids could get into. It's close to the train and buses into town and is big enough for us with an office space too! The waiting is the hard part. Hopefully we'll know by this afternoon!

Happy Mother's Day

Well today is Mother's Day in the US and since I will not be with my mother until late June, I will show her what will be coming. I felted a white wool bag with a silk hankie in the center. Nuno felt. I also incorporated silk carrier rods on either side.

I love the silk worm cocoons. I am always thinking of how I can use them in something, but haven't yet. Until now.

I have good memories as a child of raising silkworms. I'm not sure why we did, but I love the fat soft worms. They are similar in colour to the cocoons with a darker head. At one point they escaped from the box and climbed up into the drapes. The rest is vague. It's been 30+ years. We used to go and cut mulberry leaves for them to eat. The whole process was fascinating. Maybe it was a school project or just something we did for fun. Anyway, life was full of adventure growing up.

Happy Mother's Day to my mother and two sisters. Hope you have a great day. I love you all and think you've done a fantastic job of being mother's to your children.

A Day to Dye For

Today was our Guild meeting for the Irish Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. Our location was at Kathleen's farm about an hours drive west of Dublin. Kathleen is a professional willow basket weaver, although I know she can weave most anything into lovely baskets. She grows her own willow as well as veg, ducks, chickens and a few horses. She's a transplanted pioneer from the US. She treated us all today by sharing her world of willow. The barn and weaving studio look as if they were staged for a photo shoot, although I know it wasn't. Stacks of willow reeds were in the studio drying, while the peat burning stove kept the room toasty warm.

Today was my day to discuss what little I know about chemical and acid dyes. My experience has been strictly self taught and by trial and error. I must say, you need to be flexible and willing to risk a bit of wool. I have had some bad dye jobs. (wool not hair) So with that in mind, I set to work showing our eager guild about how to mix and apply colour to hand spun yarn, roving and commercially spun yarn for the weavers in the crowd.

The problem with being the demonstrator is that you don't get many pictures. I did an over dye of Lemon-Lime Kool Aid over a brown and white Jacobs yarn. It turned out really kool! Roving was done in Cushing Bronze Green, Salmon, Aqua and Chartreuse. Juliet took that home before it had a chance to cool down and Maire bought the Galway cross Coils plyed with mohair. It was dyed in a bath of Magenta and jars of Orange, Pink Rose and Violet. They really suited her. I wish I had a bigger pot to have been able to spread the jars out a bit more, but it was a practice day and most of my things are packed.Kathleen also did some natural dyes outside. Onion skins, Logwood and something else with a couple different mordants to show us how the colours change. Really amazing. The weather was great and so was the day.

Wales - Day 3and 4 Finally!

Saturday morning after a walk on the beach, we had breakfast and went into our next workshop. Liz Clay, paper maker and book binder, showed us how to make felt by using paper making techniques. We finger carded brown Alpaca, Black Gotland and White Shetland onto templates and slid them onto a paper making screen. She then applied a type of wallpaper paste to them and allowed it to dry. Then we did the same samples in the usual felt making process. We ended up with about 10 samples to then make into a book. The feel and finish was interesting that the same fibres had with the two different techniques.

After lunch was spent doing landscapes. We were sent to draw a few quick scetches on the University grounds. By early afternoon, a thick, dense fog had moved in, followed by heavy rain. Most of the campus was cloaked in a thick grey blanket. Not much to draw, so we used our imagination. I have to say, I didn't love doing landscapes that day. I did like her technique though. It was all made of prefelts cut into shapes and the placed end to end and felted again. Can't say what mine looks like, but I remember the initial drawing. I'll leave it up to you to decide what it is.

Sunday was the last morning and one of the workshops I was looking forward to. Needle Felting. I don't do any, other than to tack down something that doesn't stick. Our instructor was Birgitte Krag-Hansen from Denmark. I'd been looking at her hair bob since we arrived in Wales and was interested in how she got such detail in her works. She has done work with the Royal Theatre making Puppets for drama productions. They're quite amazing and large. Almost life size. I loved this workshop. We started out with the basic egg shape and worked by adding layers to achieve the nose, eyes, cheeks and so on.

Here it Harold. The children have named him. I wouldn't be into trolls or pixies myself, but he was great fun to make.

From there we gobbled down our lunch, submitted our projects, got our luggage and headed towards the airport. With several extra bags of fibre related goodies, one person very ill and another on crutches, we landed safe and sound with lots of fun behind and ahead of us.

Mama, Your Famous!

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0418/nationwide_av.html?2239639,null,228

Out of the mouths of babes. Mama's on the TV. A few weeks ago I was contacted about doing a TV piece on knitting for RTE. Sure, let's make sure it's about knitting and not just me. Don't really want the attention! Kind of an odd thing to think after I've just agreed to do filming for the countries people show. Anyway, we all gathered around and watched in anticipation tonight. Great job to all the ladies that participated and have had input into my knitting life since coming to Ireland. Thanks a million to you and to Laura Fletcher who was a great interviewer. Have a peek and see what's happening in my neck of the woods!