Saturday, January 30, 2010

Can't Begin To Tell You


Voila! The finished Striped Noro Scarf. Very rewarding and amazing! Edited to add finished photos. Thanks to Julie for the above photo taken at the Third Place Knit In in January. No matter how you look at it!






If you've never done one of these 1 x 1 ribbed Noro scarves, let me tell you...I can't begin to describe how addictive and beautiful they are. You will have to just try one for yourself! I am going with the flow on the color changes, which I find a few to be shocking, some surprising, most of them pleasing... and now must add in another colorway since I am nearly out of my 3 skeins. Scarf requires 4 at my gauge and cast on of 35.




Friday, January 29, 2010

My Namesake's in Haiti

I stumbled upon a blogsite through Ravelry: Charlotte Lyons which led me to yet another blogsite: House Wren Studio where she speaks of this wonderful woman, Rebecca, a notable artist/crafter who has visited Haiti and met a Haitian woman with my name, Jeannine just prior to the Haiti earthquake. Jeannine loves to embroider, but is lacking in thread, and so Rebecca has set up instructions on her blog for donations on etsy at the Haiti by Hand shop for those who would like to contribute and help women like Jeannine in Haiti who were impacted by the earthquake,. They are women like us who love crafting. I thought I would pass it on to you here, for those who are interested. Though it was her name that caught my eye, it was Rebecca's description of the women that got me thinking...They are all women like us: concerned about their families and livelihood and who also love creating with their hands.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

My Turn


It's finally my turn to make one of these. I am the bazillionth person to do this famous Noro striped scarf! I have long admired them and the color changes as you knit upwards fascinate me. Each one on Ravelry is gorgeous. I chose Noro Silk Garden in colorways 221 and 245, found on my trip to Churchmouse Yarns last weekend. Knit in 1 x 1 rib. Size 7 needles. Cast on 35. I am slipping the 1st and last stitch purlwise on the 2nd row of every stripe. The yarn carries up the side this way. It is beautiful and quite possibly the most fun I've had knitting ever, ever! It is like a surprise around ever corner...all the color changes...you never know what you are gonna get! And so easy!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Baby Ella Jacket

I was able to see Ella wearing her jacket at the young age of 3 mos. This was taken by a co-worker on her phone and unfortunately I was not at work that day,but Ella was 8 mos. here. What a versatile pattern if it can be worn for so many months!
No greater joy than to give the baby jacket at the baby shower! The fortunate recipient also got handknit hat and booties by another knitter, as well as a handsewn quilt!
Ok, here's a photo of the back side of the sweater. But I don't know why it is going sideways. Probably my size of photo or layout...



Here's another sideways view of the completed Ella Baby Surprise (Modified) Jacket with buttons! Done in time for the baby shower in February. This is my second time doing this pattern and it's a fun one to complete. There are only two seams in the sweater done on the tops of the arms from the wrist to neck. A fascinating knit!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Poulsbo and Bainbridge -Grand Day Out

Leaving on the Edmonds to Kingston ferry on our way over to do the "tour de Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island." Our mission: To find the Wild and Wooly Yarn Shop, Amanda's Art and Yarns shop in Poulsbo, then head to Bainbridge to visit Churchmouse Yarns and Teas. And find coffee on the way and get some good nature shots. Our ferry, the Walla Walla had a nice escort across the water by the Coast Guard gunner boats, which we've never had before. They said it was just routine, but it was a bit odd.

Apparently leaving what sun we had behind, we arrived in the fog at Poulsbo. Still decked out in Christmas decor, it felt a bit like Leavenworth and is very Nordic.

First stop was the Amanda's Art and Yarns shop, upstairs in this building.

They weren't open right at 10:00 so I thought maybe I had the time wrong, but they opened soon after. Very friendly people and alot of very nice wools (my favorite). Lots of pretty hand painted yarns and plenty to look at, touch and ponder over, however we had to move the car and move on...so no yarn purchased this time here. Too bad! Will have to come back again.



We stopped at a great local bakery: Sluys Bakery,the home of the famous "Poulsbo Bread", also on Front Street. And I had one of these amazing cinnamon rolls you see in the window with the cream cheese frosting. Not many calories, I'm sure of it....


They have a slogan in the store that is: "Giv os idag vort daglige brod." (Give us Lord our daily bread) AMEN to that! This was the best cinnamon roll I've had in my life!



We were amazed at the quantity and quality of the baked items. Gorgeous bear claws, cookies and anything you could imagine. HUGE doughnuts and of course bread.


If you ever get over to Poulsbo, you have to stop there!

Taking a little walk down to the waterfront. The fog was definitely affecting the view a bit. But pretty just the same.

The Nordic heritage was fairly evident all around us, as seen in this street sign:

As for the Wild and Wooly Yarns, the website is still up online, however the owner retired and the shop is no longer in existence on Front St. This we found out at a local bookstore.
We moved on to Bainbridge in order to find Churchmouse Yarns and Teas. I felt like I was entering a charming, sophisticated and beautiful store right away. And I was!


I knew this place was special when a kind gentleman offered me some tea. How completely lovely! Enjoying my tea while shopping for my Noro Silk garden...

The yarn selection was beautiful. I loved every offering there. Well layed out and the samples were gorgeous. They had such friendly staff and I was treated so nicely. I wish I lived closer to this shop!

I did end up with the Noro silk garden to do the famous striped Noro scarf and some nice Rowan Cocoon for some manly mitts for my Dad.

Included in my bag, they slipped in a free pattern for the Noro striped scarf!


Well worth the trip. I felt like I had a "Yarn Spa" experience! I want to go back!
We had lunch by the waterfront where we could see the Bainbridge ferry and downtown Seattle in the distance. One last stop for coffee at Pegasus Coffee. The service was not the best here. We waited a long time before being noticed, and others ordered and were served who came in after us!

While I wouldn't recommend it for that reason, my latte still tasted pretty good for the ferry ride home.

Oh, but one last stop before we go...and a funny sign written in the bathroom on the hand blower I couldn't resist:

While I did not get any bacon, I got a great laugh...great yarn and a fun day out with my husband!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Dreaded Moth Hole?

Nothing worse than to find a hole in a wool sweater in your closet and wonder if there are still any larvae lurking there. The audacity that a furry creature would do such a thing. Thankfully it was not one that I personally knit. I have searched online about caring for my wool and of course besides the obvious: dry clean them, store them in a cedar chest, or with cedar chips and storing in plastic containers, or store them with smelly herbal things, I discovered one site that mentioned to store them in clean cotton pillow cases. They recommend exposing the wool to light and air as well. Interesting. Apparently the buggers don't like to chew through the cloth and don't like light. Well for now, I am moving all the sweaters I care about into another closet and going to try to get some dry cleaner long plastic bags. I have so many I can't imagine getting each one their own little personal plastic box container. I have gotten some of the cedar blocks of wood but they have no hanger attached to them. Maybe a few bigger containers, but how cumbersome. For now, I will isolate the offending sweater. It is not something easily repaired, so I may have to just be "minus" one sweater. It's enough to make this wool-lover cry!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Baby Alpaca Mitts and Scarf

I know... they LOOK like Fetching fingerless gloves again... don't they? Funny thing...they ARE.., well a modified version again with only one cable. On much bulkier yarn, using size 10 dpn's this time. Cast on with 30 sts. K4 P1 most of the way, except for the one cable row at the wrist. Thumb stitches picked up were 10 total. Much faster with the bulky yarn. This "Baby Alpaca Grande Hand Dye" yarn is a dream. Scarf was K1 P1 the whole way. Mindless knitting, but so cushy soft to wear. 2 skeins made the scarf and mitts with a tiny to spare. Not an inexpensive yarn, but was my Christmas treat. "Catbert", otherwise known as "Stupid", as my husband lovingly likes to call her...HAD to get in my picture.
My Mom informed me that my Dad has been borrowing her Fetchings. Even though they have cables and look like women's gloves. I must find some manly yarn and make him his own manly pair of fingerless gloves soon. Oh, that makes 16 pairs of Fetchings so far, if we are counting.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Winter Day Out

In the Pacific Northwest, we are fortunate to enjoy being sandwiched between the Olympic Mountain range, and the Northern Cascade Range, as well as being minutes from ocean and lake views. Today we took advantage of the winter sun and went to Edmonds Beach, enjoyed the ferry boats and water views, as well as searched the marsh for blue herons.



Blue herons hanging out and flying in the marsh area:




We ate lunch in Edmonds at Chanterelle's, a very nice spot just off the tournabout on Main St. Grilled pesto chicken sandwich for me. Very good! A bagel with lox, red onion, tomato, and capers for hub. After lunch, I got a latte "to go" and discovered yet another coffee roaster: Tony's of Bellingham, WA. It was great! We stopped off near home at the Kenmore Logboom park to see if the cormorants were out. They were there in full force taking over on Lake Washington. Apparently only for a few months out of the year.

So many of my friends are in extremely cold temps in other parts of the nation. They should all come out West and join us!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Baby Surprise Ella


And for a friend expecting a girl in February, I am currently taking a break from the fingerless gloves (!) and working on a modified version of the Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman. Worked in one piece, with Mirasol 100% hand dyed merino wool in "Hacho". This yarn comes in a multitude of bright combos. Using 3 skeins, as in my previous modified Baby Surprise Jacket, it is coming along. There are seams at the top edges of the arms only. I am making 5 buttonholes down the front every 7 stitches.

These jackets are tons of fun to make and intriguing in design. They resemble a jellyfish and you wonder how it will ever make a sweater!