Spinsters was in Lawrence, KS this past Sunday — Lawrence, home of the University of Kansas, basketball, fabulous shopping on Mass Street, Civil War history, and our host for Spinsters, Julie W.

Julie lives in a historic district in Lawrence in a house that was designed and built as a part of Studio 804, a final semester project for the Architecture and Urban Design students a KU. This particular house was the 1999 project and is a wonderful space.

Because the location was a historical district, there were restrictions of the building size, but the space is efficient and open with big windows and high ceilings.

In the upstairs hall, Julie had a wonderful collection of leaves that she has pressed and framed dating back to 1999.

The house cat, Bug, supervised all knitting, crocheting and spinning and tried to be our taste-tester as well!

It was a wonderful space to have Spinsters — thank you Julie! As always, the company of the group was so enjoyable — there was laughter, much food and spinning. I’m always amazed at how the group has grown from our little gathering of five, to as many as seventeen in attendance and 42 on our e-mail list, and it seems that we have someone new that joins us everytime. I’m always in such a happy mood on the last Sunday of the month . . .

This is my version of the “Sweet Little Nothing Shrug” pattern by Kay Meador, a free Ravelry pattern. I decided to make this little sweater using my own handspun that I had spun from fiber I had bought from The Arts at Eagles Find in the “Under the Sea” colorway. I spun it in a worsted weight and knit with US#8 needles.  The sweater is knit top down with raglan sleeves and I love that there were no seams to sew up.  I modified it by adding length and decreases for shaping to both the sleeves and body and changed it from a single snap closing at the neck to nine button and button holes.  Whew, I was a bit worried about having enough yarn during the final stages of knitting, but, I had JUST enough yarn, with maybe six inches left when all was said and done!  It’s just right for the crisp weather of fall, yet not too warm to wear in my office.

I’ve been a very, very bad blogger!! Knee surgery (ouch), jury duty (grumble, grumble, civic duty and all that), SOLD MY HONKIN’ BIG LOOM, lay-offs at work, Nikol and I finished our new dye book (more on that later), Yarn School, bronchitis, knitting, LIFE! Ok, there are the Cliff Notes for my summer . . .

Now for my knitting. I finished my “Wollmeise socks“, a pattern by Monica Jines that’s FREE at The Loopy Ewe. I knit using 2 pairs of 16 inch #1/2.25mm circular needles used Miss Babs “Yummy” sock yarn in the Iris colorway of greens and purples.

The pattern is very subtle, with staggered k2tog’s and yo ktb. A very easy knit from the top down pattern that goes together quickly.

A little side line, I was so impressed when my friend Rachel saw me knitting these socks and without hesitation, she stated (paraphrased), “oh, I love that “Yummy” sock yarn from Miss Babs, and that “Iris” color is great.” The girl knows hers yarns!!

Oh, My!  The corgi pup of Ravelry member GwendolenG is on this oh so cute commercial for the New York Lottery.  Did I say the lottery?!?  

CLICK HERE TO WATCH!

I’ve been on a mission as of late to knit more with my own handspun yarn.  This little sweater was knit for my new little neice Kaitlyn Rose using two yarns I’ve spun, a green merino super wash that I dyed and a multi-color merino dyed by Maisy Daisy Handspun.  The pattern is Pie, a free and super easy pattern published by Berroco.com.  I modified the pattern from a kimono to and one button cardigan and added a crocheted edging of the Maisy Daisy around the body of the sweater and the green around the edges of the cuffs.  Because it was knit in garter stitch and the pieces are simple with very little shaping, it knit up amazingly fast!

I found this video on Flickr, posted by “pikojin”, of Piko & Jin, two beautiful black and white Cardigan Welsh Corgis.  

I laughed so hard because these two are frapping wilding away in their home, just the way Louis does in our living room, only times two!!  There is such a sense of pure joy as these two fly through their paces.

Go HERE to see these two in their frapping glory!

Wow!  Is that a fabulous dress or what?!?!  This is Louise Fairburn, an award-winning sheep breeder in the UK, who made her dress with locks from her Lincoln Longwool sheep, Olivia.

For the entire article, in the “Daily Mail”, look here.  

WOW!

Okay, I’m on a roll . . .  While going through all my Flickr favorites, I realized I have MANY pics of Corgis sleeping in the funniest positions, just like Louis, and I had to make a mosaic of them.  Hopefully, they’ll bring a smile to your face as well.

1. Typische corgi slaapstand, 2. Gotcha your nose!, 3. Dead Bug, 4. PUPPEH, 5. Nelson, 6. When the heat goes out, 7. Asleep in the bookshelf, 8. 090228_062, 9. Smell it~~~, 10. sweepy, 11. hitting the books, 12. All Wrapped Up, 13. Sleeping Through Bathtime, 14. Tara en Misty, 15. No one should sleep this well!, 16. Peaceful Sleep

Created with fd’s Flickr Toys.

Oh, to be so relaxed and oblivious to all that surrounds you!  I woke up to find Louis at the foot of the bed, on his back with his legs up in the air, asleep and at peace with the world.  I love this dog.

p.s.  To see another Cardi sleeping in a like position, go to my friend Sarah’s blog and see Kane.

This past weekend I attended a two day spinning workshop held at The Studio Yarn Shop that was taught by Jacey Boggs of Insubordiknit Yarns. I started the day on Saturday very excited and equally nervous — Jacey spins wonderful art yarns that are full of beehives, coils, faux boucle, super coils, halos, thick & thin, core spinning, auto-plying and felted objects, and I’ve spent my time spinning trying to perfect a dk weight yarn that’s consistent. I’ve always wanted to learn how to spin thick & thin, beehives and coils, and have seen several demos on how to do them, but I’ve just haven’t been able to grasp the techniques. I realize now, that was because I hadn’t met Jacey yet.

Jacey is an amazing instructor — her yarns are stunning, but her technique and her ability to convey how to accomplish those techniques is what makes her such a good teacher (well, that and the fact that she’s SO much fun and nice). She would bring us up in groups of four and demo what she was going to spin, going over the technique and explaining it as many times as needed. Then we would go back to our wheels and trying it for ourselves. When Jacey had demo-ed for everyone, she would then go around to each of us individually at our wheels and see how we were doing, give us pointers, and showing us hands on if needed. Then she would go back up front and do group demos again as needed. So thorough! By the end of the two days I may not have perfected each technique, but left with a firm understanding of each ones structure (plus I bought one of her dvd’s so I’d have a reference at home!).

The Studio did a great job hosting and sent out orders for lunch for the group each day. All the participants were so nice, with Steph coming all the way from Germany to attend! I left exhausted and thrilled and anxious to go home and attempt my new skills at home.

For more pictures go HERE.