Now Isn't That Just Ducky

Raining outside today and kind of raw weather wise...I miss the sun.
But at least it's not snowing instead as we would have had some
accumulation. I know I should love the snow, but last winter here in
Massachusetts was a particularly long and rough one...so once it starts
to snow it just keeps up for many months.
All this rain reminds me of ducks, as they actually like it.
One of my early futile attempts at intarsia was the little ducky hat.





I actually did this in a stranding style aka fair isle when I didn't have
a clue how to do it right. Thank goodness the little ducky is such a
tiny motif or I would have majorly screwed up on my floats (a knitting term
for non knitters [as have a few that read my blog], floats are carrying yarn
across the back of work...floats or yarn trails should lay smoothly,
but the tendency is too pull work tight
as you knit so it looks good on front part).
~Long story short...Duckie sits pretty good on hat as he is a lone ducky...had
he had buddies going around sides of hat...they would have looked all squished
up, and squished up ducks is just not a good look to go for.
The pattern for the ducky hat can be found in Creature Comforts by Amy Bahrt
This hat did go to charity.

Addendum: I have since learned to do proper fair isle and intarsia. It is rather
amazing when done right. I liked how they wrote the pattern on this one
to have ducky's little wing be 3-D, and if ducky were smart he would have flown
right off this first intarsia attempt hat, but a good learning experience.

I love to look at blogs. One of my all time favorite designers is Kristin Nicholas.
I have been lucky enough to take classes with her and have all her books. Her blog
is such an inspiration and there are always new things going on there.
It's called: Getting Stitched on the Farm and can be found at:
http://www.kristinnicholas.com/

Updating March... a month of yarny goodness

March is almost gone, and having so many yummy yarn
adventures that I am almost sad to see March go...
however April has many exciting things happening...
so as my kids would say...bring it on...
March's one new yarn shop visit was quite nice.
This time I got photos of my yarn purchased...



Love the pretty raspberry shade of the 100% wool
Bartlett yarn...also since I did not have my notes
when posting last post...they also carry...
among others....Aslan Trends, Kertzer, Sheep Shop Yarn,
Misty Alpaca, Gran mohair, Sirdar, Cleckheaten,
several brands by Plymouth haven't spotted before,
and lots of lovely mohair...wasn't looking for sock yarn,
but they seemed to even have that too...as well as some
unusual knitting needles and a few knitting toys I
haven't seen before. Once again noted the prices
seemed more than reasonable to me, and even ran a
little less on some items than other stores.
One more shop visit for the month, which was really
a revisit, but haven't been there in quite a long time
was to Windsor Button (photo from their site online)
in Boston...located quite close to Boston Common...



They are still in the same old building as before, a bit run down,
but the yarn collection has grown enormously with some very
high end yarns there now...if you are looking for any kind of
craft book, that is probably not a place to miss...
they had everything...prices are fairly standard for
the yarn shops around the Boston area.

Also earlier this month attended a Knit-a-thon in our area...
Betty Christiansen of Knitting for Peace spoke...



Then Kristin Nicholas spoke to us and showed us
slides of her farm and talked about her colorful knitting,
current and future projects.




Up after this was Wren Ross of Changing Patterns:
Discovering the Pattern of your Creativity spoke
along with Andrea Price of Knitspeak.
Wren wore the most fantastic floor length knitted coat
which she knitted herself. ...Thank you to the posting
by Guido from It's a Purl Man...you can actually see
the exact coat Wren was wearing (as I forgot my camera that day)...
awesome huh!



There's quite a long story to go along with the coat
as to what all the symbols meant. She also sings, writes music,
and plays the guitar, all of which we were treated to,
she sang us a great song she wrote about knitting.
Andrea Price was another fabulous speaker,
and I would not miss either of these ladies if they
came to another function. Of course I snagged her new book,
which she autographed too. fits so nicely into my knitting bag,
as it's pocket sized, perfect for such a great resource tool.
All 4 women were available for questions and autographs.



Also this month, one of my knitting guilds had an author come...
Barbara Delinsky who wrote Family Tree, among many, many other books.



It was very relaxed, small group of women,
and we were able to ask her all sorts of questions
about writing and her own personal knitting projects...
what an interesting person. I really enjoyed this.
She also autographed books for people.

Well that probably is generous for one month...
but I also attended a knitter's breakfast
at a local fabric store, where Encore yarn presented a trunk show.
Did not win any raffles,
but came away with lots of lovely free things,
and even more ideas...Hooray! Yes March was really cool!

As for that guy in the fatigues without a head
from the last post...I feel like I've really lost
it this time in regards to strange knitting.
He is a revolutionary figure from Cuban named
Che Guevara and on Time Magazine's top 100 list.
He was actually a knitting request, and I thought
it would be a fun and different challenge...
anyway here are the photos...and because it's my way,
I did a couple of poses with him knitting,
which will certainly make him turn over in his grave...if he
could only see himself depicted that way!

...if only he didn't have to smoke that little cuban cigar
while knitting that expensive yarn!

How the Easter Bunny really delivers those eggs

Today managed to photo Easter Bunny
evidently out delivering eggs.
So now I know, he uses a backpack.
Rabbit is a Debbie Bliss pattern
Woven look (actually knitted) backpack
is from Alan Dart, latest Simply Knitting Mag.
Eggs pattern-also Alan Dart...note Alan Dart
does not decorate his eggs with crazy colored
embroidery, however I was sitting in a class
by Kristin Nicholas attempting to sew up my eggs,
and I would say her wild colors/embroidery just
rubbed off on me.





Happy Easter from da....Bunny