Where's the WOOL?

It is time for a knitting update.  I left off with a Lopi sweater which has been great for skiing this winter.  My only slight complaint about any sweater I knit is the body length. This is a fitting issue, I will be focusing on in the future.  I have a few sweaters that I really love but the body length I feel is just too long.

I don't believe I posted this finished sweater.  This was the Shetland Chunky yarn with unspun Icelandic.

Done, off the needles, and used often this winter! This sweater has made for a wonderful warm layer when skiing in the bitter cold. Like all 100% wool, it keeps you 100% warm!

I did finish last spring's socks I casted on.  I never worry about socks as they are the "go to" project to just have around and to knit when time or my mind needs productive mindless knitting. Hats are another great project just to have around or to use up your leftover yarn to knit up a fun hat.

Nice pair of R & R socks as I am calling these.  Knit with Kate Davies Buachaille Yarn.

I also knitted and felted two pairs of baby booties.  I finished the icord on a baby blanket that was to be a throw years ago. This throw turned into a baby blanket as it has been sitting as a UFO (for those non-knitting folks this is an UnFinished Object) for YEARS!  It is now DONE!  Baby booties just need a bit of finishing work and all items will be delivered next week.

Knitted and felted baby booties.  Knitted with Malabrigo worsted yarn from the Knit'N Needle.  Malagrigo yarn is wonderful for felting!  This is my go to knit for little ones.

Leftover yarns, a long-term project, off the needles and soon to be on its way to a little one.

Brief intro: The big project is my Fair Isle Vest!  This has been a dream project/goal for years and now it is on my needles! It has been a bit of a struggle to get it on my needles  . . . read below

Carraig-Fhada Vest 

Carraig-Fhada Vest is on my needles for the third time.  Last fall, I signed up for the Inspired my Islay Club.  I would be getting weekly patterns through the winter and in the end the patterns in a book as well all by Kate and Tom. It was a weekly treat to see what would arrive in my "inbox."  When the vest showed up I knew I would have to knit it!  I did knit up a swatch and messed with the colors a bit.  The white background had me worried a bit, yet I loved the colors used and the nice spring/summer look of the vest. After a bit of messing around and thinking, I ended up going back to the original blue colorway in the pattern.

Twisted STS ribbing looks nice.

Far too large and to much stretch and I am just not happy with you!

Sometimes it is best to knit with a background that doesn't match your yarn--a knitting tip!  This just made it harder to see the sts.

I am lately having a ribbing issue with my knitting.  I frogged out the ribbing and debated a k2, p2 rib which is what most Fair Isle use or reducing the sts count.  I finally just went down 2 needle sizes and re-knit the twisted sts ribbing.  The ribbing is now done.  I tried it on and it seems better  . . . I don't love it though.  On a positive note, I started the color work which I do love!  Colorwork just talks to me! I love the reward of seeing progress as you work your way through the color motifs.

I knit this ribbing twice, the 1st time I forgot to go down a needle size or 2--ugh!  The second time I went down 2 needle sizes and knitted colorwork.  I decided, I really didn't like the colorwork or the ribbing.

After much debate, I had that "gut feeling." I am not in love with you
. . .  I frogged for the vest for the third time.

Colorwork which is looking pretty nice I will say, but I just am not happy with all that white!

I frogged the ribbing three times. I casted on with a different blue, a k2, p2 ribbing on needles 2 sizes smaller and minus 24 sts.  I have returned to my gut feeling of ribbing and colors and now, in theory, I should be all set to knit with no more major frogging!

A great thing about knitting a good size swatch is you have something to mess around with.  Ther blue I am using now is "Between Weathers"  with the "Haar" for the background color. I also used a duplicate sts to look at colors.

The colors I am now using are muted but I like them better.  My only last little color issue is I may change the Furz (golden yellow) to a Hedder (heather pink) . . . 

A side note: Fair Isle, Lopi, and Norwegian knitting design/techniques are what I love the most!  Aran knitting technique is running just a smidge behind color work for me. I love the traditional knits and color work of these techniques from the northern latitudes.




PS  I hope this doesn't read to disjointed.  It just took some time to get all the knitting updated. The photo below sums up how I felt about this post---JUST GET IT DONE WILL YOU!

Knitting Update! Food Update & the good ol' Miscellaneous collection of "things"

I keep trying to keep up with the BLOG but I find I run out of time which is a rather lame excuse I know.  I love writing post and sharing photos of my rather crazy world out here on the tundra.  I know a lot of you enjoy it as well as I have a lot of visitors.  I do feel like I need to keep everyone current.  After this post I think I will have all photos up from October and can feel like I have a clean slate.

I was totally smitten with Kate Davies yarn club  and had to sign up and order her new yarn named: Buachaille.  #sevenskeinsclub you can find out more about her yarn or visit her blog.  

My husband didn't know he ordered this for my Birthday present!  He was thrilled the shopping was so easy this year.  The yarn arrived after my birthday but no biggie at all. I have yet to get it into balls but I did weight it all as suggested for various knitting patterns that are all part of the club.

I love the yarn, the feel of it and the smell!  The colors are great and very rich.  I think Kate has done a wonderful job of putting together a great yarn with some fantastic patterns.  The first item I will knit will be the Kokkeluri Mittens.  I have been wanting a new pair of mittens.  I also wanted something that wasn't to Norwegian and Kate's pattern is the ticket.

This African Violet was started from a leaf last year.  I have several of these in my classroom from last year and they are doing GREAT!  Nothing like a bit of color in my dark wintery world!

October is my birthday month and my cake was pumpkin pie without the crust. I make this wonderful yummy treat often.  No crust well I have always liked the pie more than the crust and now I don't eat wheat so it is perfectly yummy!

One of the many tundra walks we take just about every day or when the snow lands we ski! 

Butternut Squash Curry with chick-peas and rice! Tonight we had this as a left over and added chicken breast so dang tasty@

Sadie loves to eat ice even if it is like -20ºF out she will lay in the snow and eat ice!

Just us "girls" out on the tundra!  Tally and me.

Miss Sadie and me.

I love tally just sitting and wishing those clouds would bring us some snow!

"See" says Tally, "I am praying for snow too!"

In the fall we always get jelly fish on the beach.  This year they are rather small but you can see them on the sand.  Clear jelly fish.  We jokingly call them "Jesuit Jelly Fish" as they have a cross in them. 

I can not say enough about this great tea company!  Chai Diaries.  I ordered several teas from them and all of them have been delightful.  Great flavors and fast service and for rural Alaska that is a must.  I know I will be ordering more of their wonderful teas!

Almond flour , chipotle  crackers.  This is a great little recipe and just plain old yummy and easy to make.

I love homemade soup.  Here is a nice little veggie soup with chick-peas.  The base is turkey and veggie broth.

Almond Flour scone with tundra cranberries!

Beach looking north along Norton Sound.

Beach looking south towards Unalakleet.

Here is Tomten # 2 with the sleeves completed.  Below is the amount of left over green yarn.  Luckly it all worked out perfectly with a bit of frogging and added colors.

Below are a few closing photos from October 31st tundra walk in the wind and snow! All of which makes me extremely happy!