LavenderSheep's Fiber Garden Blog

500 and a Tree Hunt

2009-12-05T20:27:00.000-08:00

Of all things, I noticed that this is my 500th post! I tried to think up something really cool for my 500th, but my mind went totally blank. Maybe I'll do something extra special for my blogiversary next month. So, instead how about we have some pretty pictures from our tree hunt today? Yay!

Blair found the perfect tree right off the bat! It was awesome! We just started looking around when we found a tree that somebody else had cut down earlier and discarded. This isn't exactly smiled upon in the tree hunting rules, but it happens. The tree looked just fine to us, only a little tall. So we trimmed a bit off the bottom and adopted it as our own!

Soon, my parents found a good tree. They are far more picky about things like symmetry and spacing of branches than we are. Their trees are always beautiful, while ours have a little more character. You can view our trees from 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Molly had a lot of fun wandering around exploring everything. My mom made her a couple of polar fleece jackets, which she just loves during the cold weather months.

Lastly, we need some knitting content! I posted awhile ago that I had knit a Neckwarmer for Blair. Well, I finally got a picture of him wearing it! It kept his nose and chin very warm. He kept moving it between warming his neck and warming his nose. I might take it back out and make it long enough to cover his neck and face, but I'll have to get his final word on it before I decide. Most of the time he folds it over on his neck because he doesn't like it too long.

One last note: I received a message from my website without a return email address. It was as follows:

i would like to order roving for my niece who has just started spinning. could you tell me what quantity of roving to buy, to make leg warmers for a teenager

To answer, I would say 4 oz would probably be enough, but mileage may vary. As in depending on how fine the fiber is spun into yarn will determine how much of it there is to knit. If it is spun at a bulky weight probably more like 6-8oz, whereas there would definitely be more than enough yarn with 4oz of sock weight yarn.

Hopefully, this message gets back to whoever left it on the website. Also, any added advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Happy December!

2009-12-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

Well at least, hopefully, calmer than last month! I think I can live with less of the ups if it means less of the downs as well. My family is holding up well. Thankfully my little brother was always an upbeat kind of guy. Even when he was upset it was easy to get him laughing again. So there are plenty of happy memories to think about and not all sad and tears. I'll probably share more as time goes on, especially around Christmas time, which was one of his favorite holidays.

Ok, back to normal, or at least semi-normal.

Last year I ran a sale for Free Shipping ANYWHERE in the world, so that is what I am going to do again this year for the month of December! Check out the shop for more details!

Also, a big THANK YOU to everyone who commented on my brother's passing. Your words have meant more to me and my family than you can ever imagine. We are truly grateful. We hope everyone out there stays happy and healthy this holiday season!

Rest in Peace, Little Brother

2009-11-27T14:41:00.000-08:00

I am sad to say that my little brother passed away early this morning.

He was the sunshine of my family. Always cheerful to everyone he met. I am still in shock that he has gone so suddenly. He will be missed so terribly!

Giving Thanks

2009-11-26T12:47:00.000-08:00

This year has been filled with many changes and surprises. So many of them have been so good and I am so happy and thankful for them all!

Definitely the baby and the new house are near the top of my list for things to be thankful for. The baby is doing well and kicking everyday. Moving into our new house is going along. Maybe not entirely smoothly, but we are here in our new home with most of the essential things that make a home a home.

Most of all I am thankful for my husband. He has picked up whatever slack there has been. He has been on the ball through everything. He has even made sure I haven't picked up boxes that are too heavy for me and has been super patient when I was too tired to keep working. I don't know how I could do it without him by my side.

So even though this year my family came down with the flu and we are unable to celebrate the holiday with them, I am really happy that I can spend it with my husband. Our first, and hopefully only, Thanksgiving where it will be just the two of us in our brand new home!

I hope everyone out there is doing well and keeping well! Happy Thanksgiving!

Exciting November News, part 2

2009-11-18T09:52:00.001-08:00

So you guys already know that I am going to have a baby in March and it will be a little boy! We are very excited about this. Well, on top of that LavenderSheep is moving to a new location!!! We found a beautiful house in Cascade Locks where there will be room for us, our new baby, and studio space for dyeing and other crafts!!! That last one was an absolute must for me!

The house has 4 bedrooms, so I am going to convert one into a dye studio. The house has beige carpet in all of the bedrooms. Somehow I don't think it will mix well with dyeing yarn, unless I want a technicolor rainbow for a floor. So as soon as we move in I am going to get linoleum instead. So what does this mean for the online shop? Well, hopefully you guys won't even see a difference. We don't have to move immediately from where we currently live, so the shop inventory will stay here until we can safely move it to its new home. Also, since we are only about 20 minutes away I can easily fill orders even as we are moving everything else. I'll be back and forth between the 2 places for awhile anyway. I just can't wait to have my new studio and share brand new photos for it! Cascade Locks is also a very beautiful place. I can't wait to share photos of it too!

There will also be a few other positive changes with the move, so stay tuned to hear more about them!

Blair's Neckwarmer

2009-11-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

So maybe I am managing a thing or two that isn't baby knitting. The other day I thought my husband looked cold, so I did a little stash diving and came up with a skein of Shibui Knits Baby Alpaca DK in Midnight. I originally bought this skein for him last spring at the shop hop with the idea that I would knit him a scarf. However, I think cowls and neckwarmers are way more awesome!

So I poked around on ravelry looking for a good manly pattern. Finally after much consultation with the man in question I finally decided upon the Darkside Cowl, which is a free download on Ravelry. You guys might remember that I knit one for myself last January out of some bulky tweed yarn. I really love the pattern! The only thing I modified from the original pattern is I added an additional repeat. This is because the baby alpaca yarn is DK weight instead of the worsted weight the pattern calls for. I also went down to a size #6US so it wouldn't be too lacy looking. Needless to say he loves it! I just couldn't manage a picture of him wearing it because it's too dark out when he gets home from work. Thank goodness Ms Lavender was willing to step up and be a model!

I definitely recommend this pattern for some quick holiday knitting. It only took me a couple of days to finish it off. Now Blair should be warm all winter long!

It's a...

2009-11-12T11:08:00.001-08:00

Boy!!!

The doctor is very positive, we are having a boy! Now I just have to get all my knitting books out and plan on some very boy knitting! Anyone have any suggestions?

Grandma's Blanket

2009-11-09T12:56:00.000-08:00

Yay! I have one more project off the needles! I knit this beautiful blanket for my grandmother for Christmas. I think it will be my only Christmas knitting this year, since it is baby knitting all the time around here.

I actually started this blanket this last summer before I even knew I was pregnant. The only trouble is it isn't very photogenic while in progress. I had a hard time explaining what it was to people in person, so I figured I wouldn't have any luck here on the blog. Most people thought it was a bag, since the border is knit in the round. That was the only downside to an otherwise fun and easy project to knit!

Also, it is simply gorgeous once it is blocked. The pattern is Brooklyntweed's Tweed Baby Blanket. I modified the pattern by knitting it out of Cascade 220 Superwash, which is worsted weight yarn. The pattern calls for DK weight yarn on size 8s. So to compensate I knit it on 10 1/2s to keep that loose lacy look. This makes the blanket a bit bigger than the original baby blanket, so perfect for an adult size.

It's the perfect size for my grandmother! I knit it for her because her retirement home has a small bus that takes residents and those in the nearby area to their doctors appointments. Often the bus can be a bit drafty as it loads on and lets out passengers. I thought this lap blanket would be just perfect to keep her warm during her journey.

I might have a couple more warm and wooly things on the needles as the weather gets chillier! I'll share what I now have on the needles next time, if I don't have any other exciting news!

B's Sweater

2009-11-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

Oh, look, knitting content! I know I haven't posted knitting things in awhile, but I have a good reason for it. 1. I wanted the baby sweater I was knitting for my cousin to be a surprise. and 2. the other thing I have been knitting on looks like a big blob, but is also finished and will be blogged about soon too.

So, what have I been knitting? Well, I have been working on a very special Dale of Norway sweater for my cousin's first baby! I started it well before I even knew I was pregnant, and have been working on it all summer. This was my at home project, because it took a bit more concentrating than I am able to sustain while talking and listening to my wonderful knitting friends. So here it is:

This is all of the finishing. If you want to each of the photos with my comments on each step, including the scary steeking, you can check it out here:

B's Sweater

I made a little modification to the pattern, instead of knitting the hood I added an adorable matching collar, which I much prefer. Also, for errata: in the section for picking up the front it should say pick up 32 sts for every 4". Other than that the pattern was perfect! The pattern is Dale of Norway 16203: Hooded Cardigan by Olaug Kleppe, from Dale of Norway book #162. The book is currently out of print, but sometimes you can find it on ebay or they will sometimes reprint patterns in other books. Although I have only seen this pattern in this book so far. I used the recommended Dale of Norway Baby Ull yarn and even the recommended colors. It is a lovely fine superwash yarn that I simply love to work with, especially for colorwork baby things.

I have cast on for my own little Dale of Norway project. This one isn't colorwork, so it is knitting up much faster. As soon as I can snap some photos of it I will make sure to share it. I just love baby knitting!

SOAR

2009-11-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

I got up early Friday morning to head out to SOAR! A couple of my lovely friends offered me a ride down and I simply jumped at the chance to go.

Here is the view on this lovely fall morning. I just love the contrasting colors. For a second there was even a rainbow, but I wasn't fast enough with my camera to catch it.

After being on the road for 3 hours to get down to Sun River, we arrived at SOAR! Only we got there at lunch time and found out that the marketplace doesn't open until 4pm! So instead we went out for a very lovely long lunch at the lodge. Then we wandered around and got some caramel popcorn and other tasty treats from a local candy shop. Then us girls found a comfy place to sit and knit while we waited for the market to open.

Here is just a taste of the market place! It was packed with people! We got around and looked at everything at least twice. I resisted buying anything, but I definitely have some ideas for Christmas and next spring!

I know posting has been a little slow, but I promise it will pick up. I actually have knitting content to share. Also, lots of really cool things are going on this month I can't wait to share with you guys!

Plover Designs Shawl Pins

2009-10-23T09:17:00.001-07:00

I'm so happy to announce that I now carry Plover Designs Shawl Pins in the shop!

These really cool shawl pins are made by Jewelry Artist Colin Boyce, the husband of my really good friend Donna!

Donna asked her husband to design some unique shawl pins by telling him about the function of a shawl pin without actually showing him any examples. What he came up with are truly amazing!

I first saw them when Donna put them in our booth at Black Sheep Gathering. There were just a few available at that time. So when Donna said at Oregon Flock & Fiber they were finally ready to sell them to a few select shops I jumped at the chance.

So if you are looking for the perfect gift for the shawl or scarf lover in your life, make sure to check these out!

Late October Sale!

2009-10-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I am late with October's sale! This month has just been crazy. So, to make up for it I am going to run this sale through the end of November:

I have dyed up a variety of new fibers for the shop. I'm experimenting with a bunch of new types of roving for the shop. So until the end of November they will all be 10% off.

The fibers include: BFL, Mixed Brown BFL, Superwash BFL, Merino / Tencel, Superwash Merino / Tencel, Merino / Cashmere, Merino / Silk, and Merino / Tussah Silk. I'm just having so much fun with all of these fibers. Mmm... Hopefully you will enjoy them too!

Snow!

2009-10-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

It's a bit early for those of us in the Gorge, but we have snow today! Just crazy!

Spin-In

2009-10-12T16:10:00.000-07:00

It seems like everyone has been so busy lately, and I am no exception. So to catch up, I went to the Spin-In in Mount Hood.

As you can see it was very crowded. The Northwest Regional Spinners Association had their meeting at the same time. That meant that people from all over the northwest came with spinning wheels to spin the day away.

Here is the token booth picture. It was a lot of fun having a show so close to home, only 20 minutes! I had a great time hanging out with some of my favorite spinners. Of course I haven't spun that long for quite awhile. It was a 6 hour day! My muscles definitely felt the burn the next day!

Oregon Flock & Fiber

2009-09-30T11:59:00.001-07:00

I think I might be back on my feet after OFFF. What a busy weekend!

Here is the booth before we were fully setup for the morning. I should have also gotten a picture of the Gardiner Yarn Works booth. For this show we get a double booth, which means lots and lots of space to spread out!

I got a little bit of knitting time in. I finished the baby sock I started at Sock Summit and then started another baby sock in Lemon Lime. Both are out of my Superwash Sock yarn. I just love that they are University of Oregon Duck socks. Perfect unisex socks for the baby and perfect team colors!

A friend of mine mentioned that she hasn't seen a picture of my bunny in awhile. So I thought I would post a recent picture of Soot. She is out in the living room lounging the afternoon away. Such a silly rabbit!

Don't forget that next Saturday is the Spin-in in Mount Hood. I haven't even unpacked from OFFF so I can head straight up there for the Saturday activities!

Odds & Ends

2009-09-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

First off, a big thank you to everyone who commented about our happy news! I am doing alright, just a bit tired. It definitely makes getting ready for a show a bit longer when my body insists on having a nap in the afternoon. Still, naps are very nice things! Let's see, what else? Well, we are going to find out the sex of the baby. I am going to make a few gender neutral things. However, it will be so much more fun to make little sweaters with trucks on them or frilly little dresses when we find out. We are hoping for a healthy baby, so it doesn't really matter to us whether it is a girl or a boy.

In other news, I am getting ready for Oregon Flock and Fiber this week. I am so excited! I am going to have a booth on the lawn with Gardiner Yarn Works. The weather report says it will be sunny. I am so looking forward to it. Maybe I'll even have time to do a bit of shopping! Also, I have been trying out some new rovings for the show. I'll only hint that some have cashmere and there may be some silk, among other things. Mmm....so pretty. I'll post them up in the shop after the show.

Then Saturday, October 3rd, which is the Saturday following OFFF, I will have a table at the Spin-In up in Mount Hood. Mount Hood is about 20 minutes from here up Hwy 35. The Spin-In is $5 and includes lunch. It will be at the Town Hall, which you can't miss going through town. I think I will pack my spinning wheel and everything and have a grand old time.

Oh Baby!

2009-09-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

So, I have been working on a slightly different project:

I'm currently 12.5 weeks. I just love this photo because you can see the baby sucking its thumb. So cute! I see a lot of little baby things on the needles in the near future!

New! Gardiner Yarn Works Patterns

2009-09-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

Gardiner Yarn Works just released 4 new sock patterns and 1 new sweater pattern! Here are 2 of the new sock patterns made out of 2 of my new yarn colors:

The first sock is the Forest Park Sock. This sock was inspired by Portland's huge urban nature park. These socks are knit top-down with instructions for 3 different sizes! The yarn used is my Superwash Panda Sock yarn in color Moss!

The second sock pattern with my yarn is Sunset Beach. This sock was designed especially for my colorway and yarn, which debuted at Sock Summit. They are knit toe-up with instructions for 3 different sizes! The yarn is my Tencel Sock yarn in color Vineyard.

Also make sure to check out all of Gardiner Yarn Works new patterns!

Happy September!

2009-09-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting back into the swing of things. Life has just been so busy! Anyway, without further ado, September's Sale:

Introducing my brand new Superwash BFL Sock Yarn! This yarn was a huge success at Sock Summit, so I have decided to add it to my line. It is on the finer side of fingering, so it would be great for lightweight socks or fine lace shawls. I love this yarn so much I have decided to offer it for 10% off for the month of September. Make sure you check out this awesome new yarn!

Socks!

2009-08-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

I suddenly realized that I haven't posted about the socks that I finished up just in time for Sock Summit.

First these are the Nautilus Socks. They are knit toe-up. I like these socks a lot. The second sock is a bit bigger than the first sock, because on the second sock I actually followed the directions where it says to go up a needle size for the cabling. That little detail makes the sock just perfect for fitting my foot. I can technically get the first sock on my foot, it just takes a little maneuvering. I probably won't fix it, because it is all done and I don't want to rip it. However, if you are going to make these socks, take the advice of the pattern and knit the cables on a bigger needle! The yarn I used was my LavenderSheep Superwash Sport yarn in color Mountain Sunset!

The other pair of socks I finished are my all-time favorite socks! They are the Autumn in Oregon Socks. I love the pattern and I love the yarn! This is the first time I really have knit with the Tencel Sock yarn in a textured pattern and I simply love it. It shows off the pattern in crisp detail.

Here is the side view. I can say it is very difficult to take pictures of socks on one's own feet. It is a very awkward balancing act to say the least. The yarn I used was my LavenderSheep Tencel Sock Yarn in color Smokey Rose. Mmm...I just love these socks so much!

I was able to get both pairs done in time for Sock Summit. I wore them both during the show and got many compliments on them!

Slideshow

2009-08-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

So, one of the things I have been working on lately is getting together photos of things that have inspired me to create a particular colorway. I am really inspired by the things around me, so I thought I would share what I have come up with so far:

Sock Summit - Now with Photos!

2009-08-20T16:23:00.001-07:00

Finally I got my photos together! I didn't take a lot of photos because so much was going on all the time. It was totally crazy, but so much fun!

Here is our booth while we were setting up. I'm always amazed how chaotic it all looks before it is all setup and put together.

See! This is the finished left side. I really like the setup this time. It's so pretty!

Next, the finished right side! Mmm...so pretty. It makes me happy when it is all up and organized!

One of the cool things at Sock Summit was we got name badges! Name badges that we could decorate with swag. I made sure to fill mine with Toe-Up buttons for Chrissy's new Toe-Up book and Ravelry buttons. I finally got a Ravelry button from Jess and Casey in person! It was so cool. I put my sheep sticker on it, but Blair thought that I should have one with my username so he got me another one at the Ravelry meetup.

I didn't buy a lot of things in the marketplace. It was just so overwhelming I couldn't decide. However, I did have my heart set on a couple of mugs from Jennie the Potter. She also had awesome buttons! She was right across from us, so I knew I was in trouble. I limited myself just to these things so Blair and I can drink tea this winter out of them. I just love them!

On Sunday all of our group went to see the Luminary Panel. It was simply extraordinary. These wise women shared their lifetime of information and advice to all of us who would listen. I could listen to them all day.

Oh, and I did get a little knitting in. I thought maybe I could knit some baby socks out of some leftover sock yarn to use it up. I managed this one itty bitty cuff throughout the entire weekend. The booth was hopping the whole time, which meant very little knitting time. I guess I'll just have to finish them sometime at home!

Sock Summit Highlights!

2009-08-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post a few highlights from the weekend before I get my photos together. It was such an incredible show. I feel very lucky that I got to be a part of it and here is why:

-I met Jess, Casey, and Mary Heather from Ravelry and received a Ravelry button directly from them!

-Our booth was directly across from Jennie the Potter, so I scored 2 of her special edition Sock Summit mugs, before they all sold out, and some pretty buttons. I will picture them later. So very awesome!

-Saw baby Hazel from Twisted in Portland. So cute!

-Got to spend a very awesome weekend with Donna and her sister Colleen. Both are simply hilarious and a lot of fun to be around!

-Got to see Chrissy Gardiner. She is turning into a regular celebrity with people lining up to have her sign her new book. They are all super excited to meet her in person.

-I got hugged by a serious LavenderSheep fan, who couldn't believe she was meeting me in person. First time that has ever happened.

-I shook hands with Ann Budd. I didn't realize who she was at first, until I read her tag, then went a little fan girl. I hope I didn't scare her too much.

-Saw Amy Singer of Knitty walking around the market.

-Cat Bordhi came into the booth to make sure we were promoting Chrissy's book properly. From the amount of people that were buying it I think we were doing alright.

-Had a class with Anna Zilboorg. Her life is so amazing I could listen to her all day. I am definitely in awe. I got up the nerve to ask her to sign my book. Now I need to track down the rest of her books, especially her ones on socks and mittens.

-Barbara Walker came into the booth and looked at a couple of shawls. Both Donna and I froze, which is definitely a first for Donna, but really we didn't want to gush over her as we are sure she was getting from all over.

- Went to the Ravelry meetup where I met many more wonderful and creative people that are doing many wonderful and creative things.

-Went to the Luminary Panel. It was simply amazing. It was an incredible, dynamic group of ladies that I would love to hear more from. They were so inspirational. I definitely would love to take a class with just about any one of them just to hear what they would have to say.

It was just a wonderful and incredible weekend. I can't emphasize that enough. I definitely would do it all over again. I think my brain is still trying to process it all. I'm sure I'll have a lot more to say once I get my photos together.

Reminders...

2009-07-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

I am winding yarn for all I am worth in preparation for Sock Summit. So, I thought I would just pop on here with a couple of quick reminders.

1. Tomorrow, August 1st is the last day to vote for your favorite Dye for Glory yarns on Ravelry.

2. I am going to close preorders for Chrissy's Toe-Up! book on Tuesday morning, August 4th, for Sock Summit. I'll leave the preorder button up for those that want it shipped to them until after Sock Summit. I'm so excited to see the book in person. Sock Summit is almost here!

Dye For Glory! - Socks Edition

2009-07-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

Just so you can see my Dye For Glory yarns all knit up into Socks. Here are the previews of the new patterns being released by Gardiner Yarn Works at Sock Summit:

The first sock pattern is Forest Park out of my Panda Sock yarn in color Moss. The subtle changes of this yarn make it a perfect match for textured pattern.

Next up is the Ripple Sock in Tencel Sock yarn in color Vineyard. I love how these colors knit up together. They are just spectacular!

Lastly, the Peace Lily Socks out of my Silky Sock yarn in color Peace Lily. This sock appears in Chrissy Gardiner's new Toe-Up! Sock book. This yarn was designed specifically for this book and this pattern. I think the combination is simply phenomenal!

All of these yarns and patterns will be available in the Gardiner Yarn Works Booth #815 at Sock Summit!

There is still time to vote on Ravelry for your Dye for Glory yarn choice! Make sure to vote if you haven't already!

Also, if you are not attending Sock Summit and you would like to get these yarns they will be available in my shop after Sock Summit. Probably after I have time to dye up more. If you would like to order a skein to be shipped to you after Sock Summit feel free to leave a comment here with your email address or email me directly at: lavendersheep(at)gmail(dot)com. I will put all custom orders as top priority!

All images used with permission from Chrissy Gardiner of Gardiner Yarn Works!