Scribble shawls

I have completed two scribble shawls from the book Mason-Dixon Knitting. The first one pictured here I sold right off the needles. I had no intention of selling it. What's a girl to do when someone offers money, enough money to seriously consider selling something you love? 1) Make sure there is enough yarn to make one for herself. 2) Plan on spending the money on more yarn. SOLD!


The second scribble shawl, you can see part of it in the picture below, ended much too soon. The balls of yarn were deceptive and there was not enough of the blue to make the shawl long and swishy. So, it has hung out in my "studio" for the last couple of weeks trying to inspire me to do something with it. Since it would be IMPOSSIBLE to frog that is not an option. A trip to the button box proved the spark to complete this project, I hope. Folded in an uneven rectangle it resembles an asymmetrical shrug that needs something to hold it in place. My plan is to construct a brooch of sorts on a recycled lapel pin with buttons that coordinate with the shawl.
First, a test piece out of white buttons to make sure the glue will hold and my idea will work.

While the Chiefs are trying to loose again, and Clint Boyer is on rain delay I am gluing buttons, deconstructing a sweater and finishing a baby kimono. Hold the phone! The Chiefs just tied the game. Go Chiefs!

Comfort Shawls

Anna, my college freshman daughter called last night. She loves school, tolerates her job and I miss her terribly. From day one my internet name has been kidsnwork because my kids and my work were my life. Between those two parts of my life there wasn't much time for anything else. My kids were my inspiration to wake up every morning and know that there would be some adventure about to take place.
Shortly after I started knitting almost two years ago I joined the Prayer Shawl ministry at our church. I use a simple K3,P3 pattern and make long rectangular shawls for those experiencing hardship or celebration. During Anna's senior year in high school she asked for a shawl to take with her to college. I knew that I would also make a shawl for Kelsi, her best friend, college roommate and my daughter #2. They couldn't be regular shawls and they couldn't be from the regular yarn.
One day I ran across the pattern for the Feather and Fan Comfort Shawl http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting/patterns/shawls-shrugs/
feather-and-fan-comfort-shawl. htm
and I knew that was the pattern.
Another day I ran across Mystical Creations Yarns http://www.mysticalcreationyarns.com/
and after drooling over many yarns chose one color way for each shawl.
I had not done anything this detailed at that time and was in danger of wearing the yarn out from frogging Kelsi's shawl. Once I got the hang of it I fell in love with the pattern and immediately after finishing Kelsi's cast on Anna's.
They had been at school about a week when I went to visit and deliver their shawls.

Why this blog

I have another blog. It was my test blog before starting our business blog. It is a little of this and a little of that. Testing ideas, family news and a little of my knitting. I wanted one that is just about my passion, fiber and related things. I love fabric; old and new, buttons; old mostly but interesting newer ones, beads; glass, handcrafted, wood, ceramic, etc., yarns of all types but prefer plant and animal based. I love reading about and talking to people who create beautiful things with all of the above mentioned items and more. I am married to a photographer so many of our conversations revolve around color, light, and texture and with him started my thoughts on inspiration and what inspired me. I was looking for a name for my blog and nothing was working. During a recent conversation about a new photograph taken on a trip through the Flint Hills I thought about how the colors and the light were the perfect inspiration for a piece that I need to start. Soon there were buttons, yarn, some beads and I was on my way to a new blog and a new freeform piece.

This should have been the first post on my new blog but I had a name and I needed a post or two to start it and I wasn't ready to write this one. So what is inspirational about the first three posts?

The first is about my son and his dog and their blankets. They both inspire me every time I see them. They are both fun, energetic and loving. Eric's love of the unusual and his intelligence led me to the web site that I used to create his blanket.

Does Clint Boyer inspire me? I'm not sure inspire is the right word but I enjoy watching him race and I particularly like the look of his 07 car and the sponsor's label on the hood. I guess Clint's car is inspiring.

Was Botanica inspiring? Could anyone be surrounded by that much beauty from nature and from the artist's exhibiting their work and not be inspired?

Last but not least The Harlot. Yes she inspires me. How she handles her life and her family. How she is pursuing her dreams but remains rooted in her home and her family. Besides that, she IS The Harlot. Enough said.

I am off to be inspired by an episode of 24 and some knitting.

The Yarn Harlot

While in Wichita for the Gallery in the Garden art show at Botanica http://www.botanica.org/
I was able to slip away to meet and listen to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee speak.
She is a hoot! I loved every minute of her talk and she graciously signed the three books I brought with me.
As you will see in the photo she touched my knitting! It's true, my knitting has been touched by The Harlot. How in the world am I ever going to use it for it's intended purpose, a shopping bag? Maybe it will be a knitting bag instead. Seems a loftier occupation than a grocery bag.

What might you ask is Stephanie doing here? For those of you who don't already read her blog here is the address so that you can see what she is taking a picture of and hear what she has to say about her trip to Kansas. She likes us, of course.

http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2007/09/16/catching_up.html


A few pictures from the gardens at Botanica.

Hometown boy does good

Clint Boyer Kansas born and raised won his first NASCAR race yesterday at New Hampshire International Speedway. He started at the pole, led for 222 laps and claimed first at the checkered flag. This moves Clint from 12th to 4th in the chase standings.
http://www.clintbowyer.com/

Does Clint inspire my knitting or am I simply proud of our hometown boy? Well, I am very proud of him and he does not inspire my knitting but I sure get a lot of it done when watching NASCAR racing.

Log Cabin Slogging

This is an ongoing project for Eric. It is a knitted log cabin blanket. I started this last winter after reading about it in "Mason*Dixon Knitting" by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne. The first one had so many mistakes I was going to frog it and start over but Eric wanted it for Alex his dog. So Alex got the first blanket and Eric will get the second.
This blanket is colors from my stash that Eric approved. The colors and logs are randomly chosen from two lists I generated from www.random.org
Since this picture was taken I am adding the next log to the lime green at the top of the picture and it too is lime green.
Below is a picture of Alex on his blanket.