Caught up!

I finally finished Greta!  The cardigan came out very nicely and it is now hanging at the shop by the Rowan yarns.  I picked out some small buttons and sewed them on before class last night.

Greta on display.

Yoke detail

The other project is the Beaded Beret.  I used a skein of Richard Devries yarn in the colorway Twyla Brae.  The clear beads look like raindrops.  I like the pattern so much I think it needs to be a class!

I love this hat!

This is a perfect first beaded project.

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is celebrating 100 years this year.  Three masterpieces will be on display throughout the year.  The first is Vermeer's Woman in Blue Reading a Letter, which I saw many years ago in  Amsterdam.

I took this while sitting at the cafe way across the room.  

A little more Shetland and Grey Wolf

Before I left for Grey Wolf NYLT (National Youth Leadership Training) I intended to post more photos from Shetland.

We returned from camp on Saturday (June 28).  It never ceases to amaze me when I see the youth staff develop over a five-month period during developments, and then work with the participants to put on the best program possible.  There were 72 participants that came into the week and 72 graduated!  This was the first opportunity Jim and I had to serve together on staff after 8 years of Grey Wolf.  He is a good leader and mentor for the staff and participants.  Even though I have been with the program for some time, it was an honor and pleasure to be on the same course with my husband.  Ben was on Week 1 and we were able to see him a few times.  It does not seem so long ago we dropped him off for leadership training!

Mr. C. watching the action.

Gery Grey Wolf our mascot looking sharp with his uniform.

Mr. C. living it intensely (note the bracelet--it says "live it intensely," referring to the Scout Oath and Law.  This happened during the ballista event.  

I finished the replacement Urchin.  It is not hand spun, but will be a nice hat.  I feel badly about losing my hat, but it is in a lovely place--Shetland!  Perhaps one of the local critters will find it and wear it at a jaunty angle.  The ends of the project bag are woven in, the lace is finished, and the handle is about halfway finished.  Washing, blocking, and then sewing up are next.  I will make a lining for the bag and sew a facing on the handle for stability.  It would be nice to incorporate the little button that Jane gave to each of us, or make a Dorset button closure.  Next up is the Little Black Vest, which turned into a KAL (knit along).  I decided to go with the triangle design instead of the tumbling blocks for the texture stitching.  I cast on for the Greta, by Rowan.  I am thankful it is a shop sample and not for a class because of the fine yarn and small needle size it will take some time to make.  Shwook is my personal project.  I love knitting color work and I think about Shetland as I knit.

Going through the UFOs I was surprised I did not have as many as I thought, which is good.  Summer is flying by and it would be nice to finish up projects for me and for gifts.  Lots of little ones to knit for this year!

Spinning up a storm with the drop spindles with focus on Iceland and Shetland.  I have to come up with something for Spin-Off and maybe even Knitty!

Speaking of Shetland...

Elizabeth spinning some fine Shetland wool. 

Her lovely little Shetland spinning wheel.

The Shetland Designer was bursting with colorful knitwear.  The color ways shown here are the ones from which the volunteers at the Shetland Museum and Archives chose for their uniform vests.  The vest at the top left is one of the vests the volunteers wear.  

Neila's studio has a lovely view and her innovative designs were such fun to try on.
My favorite piece is Toog.

The flowers and colorfully painted spinning wheels add charm to the shop exterior.

Textile Museum 

Hazel Tindall was a pleasure to meet.  She was knitting away on this beautiful sweater.  Watching her work is a wonder!  Her quick, efficient movements create magic.

The photo before the loss of my beloved hat.  Taking a walk on a beautiful day in a beautiful place was worth the loss.  The wind was blowing and the air smelled so sweet.  Wildflowers abloom and the waves splashing on the rocks...I was in heaven!

Halfway through the project, Jane taught us how to make Dorset buttons.  

A little friend joined my on my walk around Lerwick.   I believe the colors of the cat, pavement, and wall might work as a nice colorway...mmmm...

I bought the pattern and some yarn to make the Eid top (in front) designed by
Hazel Tindall for Wool Week 2011.  I will post photos of my color choices soon!

This treasure was at the Shetland Museum.  How sharp the Boy Scouts look in their uniforms!

Weaving in ends...

23.1.2013
I wish!  No, I am just getting things finished--such as:  sample sweater, website, painting new office, UFOs and WIPs, Goodwill, Half-Price Books, and the list goes on...

Secret Garden Cardigan: If I with the body and sleeves done, the colorwork will be my reward.  I am leaving the steeks and bands to be finished by someone else.
Tangled:  The steeks have had plenty of time to heal and now it is the moment to pick up the stitches and knit the bands.

Kili(aaaahhhh!)manjaro:  Just finish already!  The knitting was easy, but the decreases over the offset lace pattern caused headaches (so to speak).  Very annoying.  

Future work:  rewrite patterns to  sell on Ravelry, pick up Eala Bhan and continue knitting, get going on the Master Handknitter Level II, and start my handspun Bláithín.  Between these projects I can work on samples for the shop and upcoming classes.  That is a full plate for the next few months, which must include my Scouting events.  

This week between classes I managed two trips to the MIA to see the Terracotta Warrior exhibit.  It was amazing!  Sadly, I couldn't take any photos or sketch, but I managed to take notes.  On the second visit I purchased the catalogue and it is chock full of information and lovely photos with details!  As always, I paid my respects to Hortense and wandered around looking closely at the tapestries and textiles.  My goal is to take time to visit at least once a month.  It's refreshing to wander around all the wonders of the museum.

7.2.2013 
After the wild and woolly weekend up in the north country, I am back to working on catching up.  I managed a quick and easy project with Malabrigo Rasta and size 35 knitting needles.  The herringbone stitch is fun and I love the way the stitch shows off the hand-dyed colors of the yarn.

One skein of Rasta + BIG needles + fun stitch = neck warmer!

...and don't forget the great buttons!

Another project finished is the cap pattern I submitted to Cascade Yarns for their new book 60 Patterns from America's Yarn Shops.  I used the Stitch and Pitch hat pattern I wrote for Comfort when I worked at AAY.  This time I made the hat in a child and adult size, improved the topper, and improved the pattern instructions.  I have my fingers and toes crossed that it will make the book.  That would be a HUGE boost for me!  

Art in Bloom

The last of winter melted away yesterday with a visit to the MIA.  My friend, Lynne, and I spent the rainy day at the museum taking in the Titian exhibit before it goes away and it was also cool to watch the floral artists set up for the Art in Bloom exhibit all over the museum.  Florists chose works of art as inspiration and arranged flowers to display along side the art.  Lovely colors, textures, and smells!

A nod to Alenander Calder

This is the painting to the left of...

Hortense! 

Renoir is to her right.

This one was so beautiful and captured the light and color of the painting.

Ahhh, Monet...

This was a clever and very Americana interpretation
of Grant Wood's work.

Chagall needed no flowers!

Lynne's friend did this arrangement beside the monkey.

The art teacher at CRHS made her vase and arrangement.

This was one of my favorites--simple and elegant.

The Quant is finished!

I finally got photos of the dreaded headband.  I like the Great Adirondack yarn much better than the Noro for the project.  I used the pattern modification to make both ends the same.  The left sleeve of the Aranmor is almost finished and I started the cuff of the right sleeve.  Light at the end of the tunnel--at last!  The weather is still dreary today, which is fine--I do not have class until later.  I hope the rain stays away during the baseball game, as Jim and some colleagues from work took the train into the city to see the Twins play.

I like the pattern modification to make the ends match

A sleeve and a cuff

I have a lot of catching up to do.  I lost a few days with being miserable.  Bronchitis = ugh!  We received some "medicine" in the mail the other day from Bernd and Angelika--Ritter Sports and Milka chocolate bars, a chocolate bunny, and Milka eggs with little purple spoons for scooping out the cream centers of the eggs!  That will make me feel better really quickly!  Danke!