Fiber Arts Festival

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My grandchildren are back from Disney with lots of stories to tell!

On Saturday I went to a Fiber Arts Fair at the Bangor Library. (I had never been there before - what a great library!) It was worth the trip up. There were not too many booths, but some very interesting ones. There was one on wet felting, which I really want to try. At another, Bob and Amy Nichols from Artfelt Creations in Brooks, ME, did needle felting. Bob makes really incredible needle felted sculptures - one was a sculpture of a man that was about three feet tall! The faces he sculpts are really amazing. There were a couple of spinners - one from purplefleece.com in Stockton Springs. I love watching people spin wool - it's mesmerizing! Another booth had fabric crocheted baskets and rugs - made from strips of fabric - also very interesting.
Today I tried felting some soap - that's right felting soap! You use carded wool that has not been spun into yarn yet, and you wrap it around the soap, then rub, rub, rub, until it felts and makes sort of a cocoon around the soap. You use it in the shower as sort of a combined wash clothe and soap. It is drying now - I'll post a picture when it is done.
I'm also still working on my project to use up leftover yarn (so I can buy more of course). I made a mini-tote bag today, which put a dent in the stash. I added some fun fur and ladder yarn to the wool - can't wait to felt it and see how it comes out.
Also finished up a LB Trellis triangle scarf for a special friend.
And....my grandchilden are back from Disney with lots of stories to tell:

Easter Baskets

I'm having fun using up my leftover felting wool to make felted Easter Baskets. For this one I used left over Cascade 220 and cast on 35 stitches. I knit back and forth for 35 rows (17 ridges), then picked up 17 stitches along the side, the 35 CO stitches, and 17 stiches on the other side and began knitting in the round, changing colors every 10 rows until it was about 12" tall. I made the handle from a 7ft. long 5 stitch I-cord, which I cut in thirds and braided after it was felted. After felting the basket, while it was still wet, I put an oval shaped box wrapped in a plastic in it so the bottom would dry in an oval shape. For the fur trim I CO three stitches with two strands of fun fur and knit a strip long enough to go around the basket. After the basket dried, I sewed the braided handle on and glued the fur piece around the top. This is the result. For my next one, I think I will knit the fur right into the last couple of rows of the bag, and maybe add some other bits of novelty yarn along with the wool. More Easter Baskets to come!

Lion Brand Suede mini-purse

This suede is fun to knit with. I like the looks of the bag - but it's pretty floppy. I think it needs to be lined with something to make it a bit stiffer.
It only took one ball of LB Suede. It's about 8 inches wide and 6 inches tall. The pattern is in Quick Knits With Today's Yarns

Happy Valentine's Day!

These are the Valentine's I gave to my class of 18 2nd graders. And, This was my Valentine gift to my DD. The mini-tote was made from leftover wool, and the socks from Knit Picks Parade. My grandchildren's gifts were green - money to spend at Disney, where they are spending their winter vacation week!

Caron Fabulous Scarf

I knit this scarf from a pattern on the back of the label in Caron Fabulous, Misty Violet colorway. It didn't even take one ball of the yarn, and was quick to make.
It's a birthday present for my SIL. I don't like working with the Caron ladder yarn as well as the Lion Brand, or the Eros. It's thinner and a little harder to work with. I think I like the result though.

Moonlight Mohair Bias Scarf

A ball of Lion Brand Moonlight Mohair, in Corol Reef, somehow found it's way into my shopping cart when I accidently wandered into the yarn isle in Walmart recently. It was so soft and pretty that I brought it home with me! This was a quick bias scarf pattern right on the back of the label. It goes well with my charcoal coat and is nice and soft around my neck.

Blizzard of 2006?

We haven't had much snow this winter - but that is all changing today. They are calling this the Blizzard of 2006. I don't know if it will live up to that reputation - we will see by tomorrow morning!
If it does, that's okay, because I finished another pair of socks to keep me warm! This pair was made with LB Magic Sripes. They went pretty fast on size three, 40" circular, using the magic loop method.

Nori Kureyon Fan & Feather Scarf

This was my first Noro project. I used Noro Kureyon, color 102. The pattern was an easy fan and feather from The Little Book of Scarves, and it was fun to watch the colors change. It's not as soft as I'd like it to be but I think it's pretty. In keeping with my goal to use up all of my leftover yarn I made a mini tote with some Galway and leftover Kureyon. I think it is so cute! I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it though - maybe a mini gift bag.