WiPs and an Accomplishment

Happy Wednesday Everyone.

I don't have a lot to show you.  There's been a ton of stuff happening in my personal life and a lot of trips lately.  So while I've been knitting on things I don't have a lot of photos.  Oh and in between all of my weekend trips and work trips I moved last week.  So everything is still in boxes.  Who needs a hay maze or other Halloween related mazes when you have you very own box maze instead?  I have one project that I've been working on steadily over the last week or two.  A pair of socks.  And the only reason that I've been able to work on them is because I leave socks in my purse for travel knitting.  I found my stash.  I haven't found my WiPs.

These are Guardian of the Galaxy socks for my Dad.  He specially requested a pair of socks in the colors of the main characters space ship.  It has a name, I've forgotten it.  I did see the movie; however I am not a super fan and names escape me most of the time anyway.  (It is a good movie).

I finished the heel turn during a CLE (continuing legal education) lunch seminar today.  Now I'll be working on the gussets on the ride home tonight.  If someone would figure out how to type and knit at the same time I'd be set.

Forgive the blurry shot.  The socks are blues, oranges and a tiny bit red.  They look great in person and I promise to get a better shot when I show them off on FO Friday.

Also I have to brag [honestly there was a point between mile 9 1/2 and 12 on a hill from hell that I wanted to sit down and never move again (the ditch on the side of the road would have worked wonderfully for a grave)] because I FINISHED!  I ran the Nike Women's Half Marathon.  I ran the full marathon there in 2007 and wrongly thought a half would be a breeze.

The finishers medal is a Tiffany's Necklace.  And yes there are firemen at the finish line.  They should be at the start line where we look better.  Not bedraggled and sweaty and close to tears.  This is a fun race.  There is a lot of music and tons of spectators cheering us on.  I recommend it to anyone half crazy out there.

For more WiPs check out Tamis Amis' Blog

Curious Collective Shawl 2014 is my FO this week

TGIF!  I'm so excited that it's Friday.  It's been a long long week.

I finished my Curious Collective Shawl for 2014.  It's absolutely GORGEOUS!  I highly recommend this shawl.  You'll love it too.  It's got garter stitch, cables and lace.  It's something a beginner can handle and is interesting enough to keep an experienced knitter happily knitting through to the bind off.

I blocked it last night (in an unusual place because I'm in the process of packing up to move in a few weeks-so please excuse the mess in the background).

And Ta Da!!!!!

Here it is draped over a railing at the train station this morning

Cable close up

Pretty Lace Close Up

I LOVE it!

For more Fo's check out Tamis Amis' Blog and other finished objects by other bloggers.

If you're in Southern California this weekend come take a break from the heat at Yarnosphere in Long Beach.  Find the schedule for classes and more at yarnosphere.com

WiPs and OFF

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

I am really looking forward to the weekend.  I was hoping for a nice peaceful quiet weekend, but then remembered my schedule and have resigned myself to being busy again.  Yarnosphere is this weekend.  It's a local yarn event that will be held in Long Beach.  I've volunteered to help at the knitting help desk (whatever that may entail-I'm assuming assisting knitters with questions or problems with their knitting, but it could also mean teaching knitting) and am looking forward to a knitters yoga class in the evening.  Sunday, besides church, will be a packing day for me as I prepare to move.  Of course I will take a knitting break during the day so as to keep my sanity.

This week for WiPs I just have one to show you.  I've been working on a pair of vanilla socks (don't have a picture and I don't remember the yarn-opps) and haven't touched my Estuary tank #2, although it is still a WiP and not a UFO.  I finished the Curious Collective 2014 Shawl and need to find the time and space to block it.  I love the way it turned out and can't wait to see it blocked.

And I started Stephen West's Herbivore shawl.  Love it.  I am using DragonFly fibers in the Admiral Benbow colorway and will add another color for the edging as the Dragon Fly is 390 yards (which I hate btw-sock yarns should stick with the 420 standard yardage) and the pattern calls for 430 total.   I've barely begun.  Here it is:

I really love the colors.  

For more WiPs check out Tamis Amis' Blog.

Last weekend I went to Oregon Flock and Fiber (OFF) with my buddies (Lisa and Bessie).  We went up early and spent a day at the beach and a day wondering around Salem and the Woolen Mills (post about that later).

It was our first visit to OFF.  I am the only spinner in the group (Lisa knows how-she's got a drop spindle and a wheel but is way too addicted to knitting to let the needles go long enough to spin and Bessie just got her first spindle at OFF and will be learning soon) but there is enough at OFF to entice non spinners to visit.

There are several barns filled with sheep, bunnies, goats, Llama's and a few other critters.  A lot of vendors selling all types of fibers, yarn, tools, lots of wheels and more.

We sat through a Lamb cook-off and were able to taste three yummy dishes.  We strolled through the parking lot sale of fleeces (nothing enticed me).  And walked through the barns.  I bought a fleece at one of the barns from Crabtree farms.  It is a scrumptiously soft white-ish fine merino.  I saw it, felt it and walked away.  Three times.  The third time I bought it.  I am going to have someone else process it for me.  I don't want to ruin it.  I don't want to do it myself either.  I'd rather get it back pretty and clean.

We almost saw a sheep get sheered.  A couple of times.  Each time we'd wander over to the shearing area a sheep would be just getting to its feet after shearing.  It takes a few minutes to gather the fleece and fibers and clean up for the next one, so we'd wonder off and come back in time to see a sheep getting up.  Oh well.  Next time.

Here are some photos from OFF:

Where my fleece came from.  (The sheep was a 12 month old guy).

 Lisa is making friends with a goat.

 He liked it.

 At the cookoff waiting for the results (we still don't know-after 30 minutes of waiting we left to wander through more booths).  You can see some of the booths in the background.

This guy was for sale.  He is a nice Llama-apparently Llamas do not like to be reached for-if you reach to them they think you are a predator and get nasty.  If you gently hold out your hand for a sniff then they're friendly and will allow petting.

I think he looks like he's wearing a really bad toupee.

We had a lot of fun at OFF.  The area is really pretty.  Parking and admission are free.  They offer a ton of classes and have some interesting spinning competitions.  Worth a trip.  Plus there is camping on site if you wish and if you don't camp there are hotels.

We stayed at hotel Amy's parents.  The accommodations were perfect with the added bonuses of seeing my parents and nieces and nephew.

Have a great week.