Knitting and documentaries

These cold evenings have been spent rolled up in blankets on the couch knitting dishcloths (an easy mindless pattern) and watching documentaries like Burt's Buzz and Tiny.

Burt's Buzz - I'm a big fan of Burt's Bees products, from the old stand by lip balm and hand salve to the newer face wipes and moisturizer. I had no idea there was a real Burt. I was surprised to learn about the story of this reclusive beekeeper and the drama behind the creation of a billion dollar company. The best part was seeing Burt's rustic cabin and watching him make a fire. "A good day is when no one shows up... and you don't have to go anywhere." - Burt Shavitz

Tiny - This is a documentary about the Tiny House movement. It follows a couple as they build a 120 square foot house. There were also interviews with other people that were already living in their Tiny Houses. I just read about a Tiny House in Rochester. I think it is an interesting movement and great for people looking to downsize their lives. Not my thing however.

Airport knitting

Aaron and I are heading to Kansas to spend Thanksgiving with his family. We had a six hour delay and then a four hour delay so we spent a lot of time in the airport. I was happy to be traveling with Aaron, a holiday issue of Martha Stewart Living and my knitting.

I was able to finish one of my wrist warmers by the time we made it to Kansas!

Knitting

Knitting again. Must be the weather.

Yarrrn

It's been great to get to spend some time with my friends Peggy and Walt while I'm in Vegas. They are the best thing about coming here.

Peggy is a big yarn fan and got me one of these skull and crossbones yarn t-shirts. Love it.

summer yarn shop window

I forgot to take a picture of the spring window I did for my friend Sarah's yarn shop. Aaron helped me make these yarn flowers for the windows.

The flowers are yarn balls on green dowel rods stuck in flower pots. Last night it was time to switch the spring window out for a summer one.

I went with a picnic theme with my friend Debbie's idea for yarn ice cream cones.

She rolled balls of yarn which I stuck on ice cream cones.

I think they turned out really cute.

Aaron also put together a yarn hamburger for the display. He was quite pleased with it.

Aaron's mom gave us these three little knit snowmen a couple years ago. They are supposed to be Aaron, me and Oscar.

Now we need another snowman for Stewie. Has anyone seen a pattern for anything like these out there?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

(a knit turkey I saw in the window of the NYC Public Library = awesome)

Last night at Sarah's Village Yarn and Fiber ShopI worked on what will someday be the World's Largest Sock. It's big, it's heavy, it's multicolored. It has to be 12 feet long before the heel turn!

Oh and lookee here! Look who I finally finished! He knit a little on the big sock too.

Aaron made a video of it too.

I went to the Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Festival today. I love petting all the sheep, llamas and yarn. This particular sheep was in seventh heaven having his head scratched. Look how his eyes are closed in happiness. I never met such a personable sheep before.

I bought some yarn of course. The light brown will be a shawl, the dark brown a poncho. I am going through a brown phase.

I have been excitedly sitting on this news for weeks. My friend Sarah has opened a yarn shop! She and her mom bought the Village Yarn Shop and moved it from Midtown to East Rochester. It is now called The Village Yarn and Fiber Shop!

Aaron and I helped out a couple nights before the store opened... inventorying the enormous amount of yarn and stocking shelves. It was all fun and I am so proud of them! It is the cutest, coziest knitters haven. The Sit & Knitters have a new home!

We stopped by on their opening day to pet the yarn and buy a few skeins. It really is fabulous and if you are a Rochester knitter, you gotta go check it out!

I am looking forward to going to Sit & Knit this week. Between traveling and concerts I haven't been in awhile.

Since Aaron usually comes with me I like to encourage him to do something crafty too. He did make a stupid sock creature a bit ago. 

I think he should try knitting too. And I saw just the book for him. Men Who Knit & the Dogs Who Love Them. Could that be anymore perfect? I totally think he and Oscar need matchy matchy knitted sweaters!

I was admiring the ripple blanket made over on Posie Gets Cozy and then was equally impressed when she jumped right into a granny square blanket when I remembered something...

When I was home for the holidays, my grandma gave me an unfinished granny square blanket she got from my great aunt. Jackpot! One third of the squares are finished, two thirds need the tan edging and then all the squares need stitched together.

The colors might not be exactly what I would have chosen, but having the project kick started for me is so worth it. A lot of work has already been done, yet there is enough work that when I finish it I can still claim that I made (part) of it! I just need to get a square to the store to buy matching tan yarn. Hmmm... maybe I am going to discover why my great aunt stopped in the middle.

I was feeling so good about knitting my mittens that I tried another non-square item... a hat. I used Lion Brand Landscapes wool and a pattern from this card deck.

I was excited to try out my pom pom maker to top off my hat. Stewie is obsessed with my hat's pom pom. Sometimes I let him wear the hat and that makes him feel better.

 

After several years of knitting only square items, I have finally broken out of my comfort zone and started a pair of mittens. The first one is finished and the second one might be done by the time it snows. I am so pleased.