Dreaming… Of yarn

I can dream right? Every single week there are multiple knitting bloggers that post yarn giveaways in between posting about what’s new on their needles. And every single week I comment on their posts in hopes to win. And every single week goes by with me not a winner. I can dream right?

I have been drooling, and ooooing over Tanis Fiber Arts’ yarn now for a bit, dreaming of the day that I can order even just one skein of their yarn… It’s so lovely!

And. Right now… They have a giveaway!!! A contest!… I can dream right? I can hope & pray? Not only is it a stunning golden yarn but her new pattern too!!!!!!! A beautiful lacy shawl…

So I know I have some knitting readers. If you want to compete against me and comment too in hopes to win check out the blog post here. In the mean time, I’m going to keep dreaming… Of beautiful golden yarn.

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My homespun…

Are you sitting down?!…

I spun my first skein of yarn!

It looks more red & white in the picture but it’s not… It’s the best shade of strawberry pink

So, I went to Fryeburg fair this year and found a kit to learn how to spin. It was only $12; how could I pass that up?! It came with a drop spindle, wool & instructions (which stunk, so thank goodness for YouTube). I also bought an ounce of angora. And, when I went to the sandwich fair I bought an ounce of wool that apparently was dyed with red bugs that live in pine trees… Which was of course the selling point for me =)

So that’s what my home-spun is: 2 ounces of a Marled, Chunky weight, 20% angora, 40% plain old white wool, & 50% super cool bug dyed wool.

Oh yessum… I have the fever & sooooooo want my own spinning wheel… (& my own sheep, alpacas, & bunnies)

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It pays to knit publicly!

I’ve found a new love in knitting…

Dish cloths. Quick. Simple… instant gratification!

I’ve knit a few patterns over this winter, but I’ve fallen in love with one in particular… the Elvish Dish Cloth (shown above) I was a tad intimidated by it, being so lacy but I dove in and found it to be an incredibly easy pattern! I highly recommend it. Check it out on Ravelry or check out on the designers blog for the pattern details… best yet it’s a FREE pattern! Love it!!!

My tip: I highlighted each row in a different color! Made for easier reading. I had about 7 marker/crayons that I used. Being that it’s an easy project… I bring it with me every where I go. So that brings me to a kinda funny story…

This past winter we decided to go out to dinner, and of course I brought my knitting! Now we love sitting at the bar (better service). When you bring your knitting into the public you always attract comment (especially in the Caribbean where knitting is rare), so with the dish cloths what I’ve done is I’ve been keeping a finished one to show on lookers. So of course one by one that night each of the wait staff stopped by to see what I was working on. Well then it got to the bar tender…

He asks “so what are you going to leave us with (pointing at my knitting) to remember you by?”

With out hesitating I whipped out the finished dish cloth I had in my work bag and presented it to him. He was astonished. He proceeded to go around the bar and show it off!….

Now this is why I say that it pays to knit publicly… not only does it raise awareness about knitting but it also got us a few free drinks that night, made us a few new friends and a lot of smiles!!!

Fittingly enough there was an email in my inbox yesterday morning from Knitting Daily: “Knitting on the go: Six tips for travel knitting”. Here’s the link to that article!

Don’t forget to pack those pointy sticks!!! If your feeling strapped for time, then make some! Today we’re going to go to a marina to listen to a band, of course I’m going to bring the socks I’m working on for my father in-law! There is always time to do the things you want, if you want to make the time to do them… be creative, be ArtSea!

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The Artists of Etsy I applaud you

Today I’d like to give a shout out to some fellow Artists on Etsy that I applaud & tilt my hat to. Lovely works of art that I can’t imagine making but can so imagine owning & enjoying!

So here are a few of my favorites from Etsy.com for your viewing pleasure, I’ve made sure to include the links to each items store for further viewing & shopping, I hope you enjoy them…

I love books, & read every single day. This lovely hand made necklace: the Autumn Library Necklace just rocks my inner bookworm…

Now this artist I just found today. Her entire shop is all miniature things that she hand blows out of glass. What initally got my attention was this Heart in a Jar Necklace, now I will say that it’s not something that I would necisarily want to wear, but I find the creativity and work behind it amazing…

So by the same artist is the Miniature Wine Set – Hand blown glass, now I think this would be the perfect addition to any doll house or shadow box…

This guys work just makes my heart sing!!! My favorite food meets my favorite hobby, may I present the Avocado ukulele ( Avolele ) I just don’t think it gets any better than this!

He also has snail, apple, fish and winebottle shaped instruments… outstanding!!!

The Woodland Terrarium Ring just has itself wrapped around my finger… or atleast I wish it did… (sorry yes, cheesy pun intended)

I just keep scratching my head and wondering how people think of this stuff!…A handmade Dutch Clog that doubles as a planter and a necklace! Of course I also love the tank top she’s wearing…

Do you have any favorites on Etsy? Please share below in the comments!!! I’ll confess… I’m addicted, checking out what others create keeps my own creative thoughts flowing and inturn keeps me creating… and it is just stinking fun to shop sometimes Don’t you think?

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Too many cookies but a step closer

I’m only human dang it!!!

Ok, let me back up…

I don’t think it is completely a good thing that I’ve already eaten 5 chocolate chip cookies today! Homemade or not. I think my only redeeming action was that I also had a tall glass of green smoothie! So, therefore, I’m not going to beat myself up for it. I’ll just have another glass of green smoothie, probably another cookie and go for a swim!

Moving on.

I have gotta say how excited I am that
Mama Kat mentioned my music post in her weekly news letter… I’m famish! LoL… Thanks Mama Kat!!!

Today so far has been well spent in my opinion… With a handful of writing already under my belt today, organizing my knitting/crocheting supplies & cataloging my supplies, editing websites, dishes done… I’m on a roll!

But do you know what this means, all this “progress”!?…

I’m just a step closer to my new project! My Letters of Love!

My status on the new site & blog is this: I’m finishing the site so it’s pretty & ready to go (need a wordpress for dummies book! LoL) and I need yarn sponsors, so I can start the project!

More to come on that soon!!! I’m thinking the official site “launch” is about a month out at this rate (being I don’t have Internet unless I go to a cafe! Ug!)

What else is new? Well it’s officially off-season here in the Caribbean. Which means the weather is even more perfect! So if your looking for a late winter Caribbean vacation then contact us at Friends Charters mention my “Artsea Blog” for the best price in the Virgin islands!!! I mean it, we are practically giving the boat away this time!!! Now – May!!!

On that note, I’m going swimming!!!

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My Music!!!

I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about this post today! Last week I finally got the piece of mail that I’ve been waiting months for! I received the certificate saying that my songs are officially MINE! All mine! Copy-written!

Understand; this was a huge commitment for me to submit them! And another huge commitment to post it on YouTube! I’m giddy!

I was inspired to write a song about my life and how much I love my captain! Here it is:

“First Mates Jolly Jeer” (sorry about the wind)…

on YouTube!

My other blog/website: Friends Charters

This post was also inspired today by:

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Music to my eyes

I found this artist a couple of years back and fell in love with their work! So I was on etsy tonight and decided to check in and torture myself by looking at their beautiful musical instruments that I can’t buy. And do you know what I found, I found my dream ukulele…

Seriously!?.. A snail shaped ukulele click here to see!

Do I play the ukulele no, but that’s besides the point! How can I learn to play unless I have one! Answer me that!

So when I first found this artist of wonderful things I asked myself… “self, if you could order anything from this artist what would it be?”

My answer was: a banjo with the face of it that looks like planet earth, and a beautiful wood grain neck. That’s what.

I still want my custom banjo (which I also don’t know how to play) and now we can add the snail ukulele to my wish list.

I love Etsy! You never do know what your going to find.

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Letters of love

So I’ve had a secret project which i mentioned in one of my last blogs, well here it is…. The cats out of the bag now!

This story goes like this… I don’t have just one path in my life (which is fine by me)…keeps things interesting!

So over 10 years ago I started a project. My “A night at the opera” shadow box (things you’d find in a victorian opera house, behind stage & in the audience)

I collected all kinds of antique & vintage items, i drew up a drawing of what I wanted it to look like and what items I wanted. Then after I had them all collected I had my dad build me a huge shadow box. I made it all up just the way I planned and we hung it on the wall…. awesome, until it fell of the wall (TWICE!!!), breaking some items and ruining it. I got mad at it and tucked the project away for hmmm… 7-8 years now.

So over the summer my Mom kept reminding of how she wanted it finished again. Dad screwed it into the studs so it’s definetly not going anywhere.

So when i was staying at their house back in November before i moved; there i was taking my time waking up, feeling relaxed, played Phantom of the opera on the piano… I was feeling “inspired” to do something creative.

SO I started working on the shadow box. All the stuff was right there next to the piano in a box. “OK” I said… and I laid each item out on the floor and set to work. But because things broke I had some empty spaces, so I opened up more sheet music…still not enough… I had a stack of old letters that were still tied with the original ribbon that they came with. Funny. When I bought them, they were just another thing on my list, and they looked perfect the way they were, so I never opened the letters to read them… I just tucked them into my picture the way they were… besides what possibly could they be about?!. “dear ruth,…” Well, I got the bright idea to open them up and have a letter sticking out from behind the ballet slippers that I had in there to fill that gap. Wouldn’t you know when i opened them, yeah there were a few letters, one to Ruth… but their all Crochet & Knitting patterns from the 20′s, 30′s & 40′s!!!!! Red Cross patterns for service gloves, sweaters & socks!!!! A pattern for a dish cloth written on Poland Springs letter head!!!! ETC. ETC….

I’m in stinking heaven!!!! Long before I start knitting & crocheting I bought letters for another creative purpose, and low and behold a decade later they once again fit into my creative life!

It was suggested to me that I should use them to write a book. I’m now lettting my creative juices flow… I will start a blog and share my tale of knitting throught these patterns, making them, and them publish them in a book when all is said and done.

My first knittting & crochet book.

Needless to say I am estatic!!!!! I can’t wait to start… but I’m going to wait just a tad. I only have so much room here. SO, I will knit through what I have here for projects lined up while we keep settling into our new routine…
Then, let the fun begin!!!!!!!!

This project sooo inspires me! I need to get knitting!!!!

(and did I mention that this is just one of two things I’m doing!, again more to come)!!!!!

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The Country Fair

Who wants a free knitting pattern!?!?… ok, read on…

The weekend before last all our local family got together and went to the Sandwich country fair together. Lovely. Everything you would expect of a fair was there! From: Fried dough, Fried Pickles, Cotton Candy, Warm Apple Cider, Alpacas, Cows, Sheep, Fancy Chickens, Pies, the Horse Pull, Home made items for sale, art & craft exhibits and stuffed animals to name a few.

My mom & I had a great time on the Himalaya ride… what would a fair be with out scary rides…

Happy 100th Anniversary to the Sandwich Fair…

 

So while walking through the craft barn, I of course find two Yarn vendors from local farms. One of which had yarn… and are you ready for this….

It was ON SALE!!!

Of course I had to buy it! How could anyone pass up on a lovely homespun for only $3?!?…

So now I had the problem of figuring out what to do with the stuff. It’s very irregular, and about 100- 150 yards…

So I played around and came up with a scarf pattern! It was suggested to me by my local yarn shop to do an eyelet pattern to make the limited amount of yarn stretch for the length of a scarf…

Well the length of the scarf is to be determined, but here is what I have so far, and of course the pattern itself…

 

My Homespun Country Fair Scarf

 

Cast on 20 sts.

 Knit 4 rows

 

Eyelet Pattern:

Row 1: K2, **K2Tog, Yo**, Rep between the ** 8 times, K2

 

Row 2 and all even rows: Purl 

 

Row 3:  K1, **K2Tog, Yo**, Rep between the ** 8 times, K3

 

Repeat Rows 1-3 for the length of scarf desired.

Finish with 4 Knit rows

Cast off & Weave in Ends.

 

Basic Abbreviations

K - Knit

K2Tog - Knit 2 sts together

St(s) – Stitch(es)

Yo – Yarnover

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