Just in time for this crazy cold snap on the east coast (and yes, it is chilly here in NC!) I found myself with most of a ball of yarn, the right needles, and 2 finished projects with 4 hours of time to kill. I had just finished another project in the yarn and am in LOVE with the Mirasol Ushya – so I knew I wanted a nice snuggly cowl out of it!

Winter Wonderland
Yarn: Mirasol Ushya – 1 skein
Needles: Size US 13 (9 mm)
Notions: Size M (9 mm) crochet hook, 3 buttons, tapestry needle
Gauge: 2.5 stitches and 3 rows per 1″ in SS
Price: $5.00

One of th HPKCHC classes this month was to figure out what someone participating wants and make it. One of the mods wanted cookies. So – I made her cookies. Crochet cookie coasters. They were a ton of fun. I had so much fun – I wrote up a freebie pattern for them!

Cookie Surprise
Yarn: Worsted Weight and Fingering weight – leftovers – less than 100 yards total
Hook: E
Gauge: Not important for this project
Also needed: Felt for backing
Price: FREE

I made chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies (i.e. cookies with no chips!) Hope she likes them!

Now that the Charlotte Area Yarn Crawl is over – no fear – there is still lots and lots of goings on at Yarnhouse! This coming week, I am teaching Tunisian Crochet on Wednesday night (6:30-8:30). There are till spaces left in that class – in that class, we will be starting a Tunisian Crochet Sampler I designed.

Keep going with it and you can make a full afghan. Or baby blanket.

After SAFF, I will be teaching an awesome Fair Isle class where over 2 sessions you will learn how to knit in the fair isle style, setting up steeks and then we will actually cut the steeks! Super exciting!

Lots more coming in November – all of my classes are available on my class page here on the website – and everything through January that is being offered at Yarnhouse is up on their website – Jenny, Amy and I are all thrilled to be bringing some amazing classes to you this winter! Hope you check them out!

Kaylee thinks this is the perfect size for a kitty blankie!

Tunisian Sampler
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Fez (3 balls = 9 squares & border as shown)
Hook: Afghan Hook size G
Gauge: Varies based on square
Price: $5

So, I had this woven scarf that I was never going to wear. I made it as a sample for a beginners rigid heddle class I taught earlier this year. The yarn was cool – a cream color worsted weight (Encore maybe – I don’t even know, it was in my stash) and a skein of Kollage Dreamy in a green. It wasn’t a long scarf – or very wide. Like I said, it was a sample. But then the AWESOME Crystal (aka Kitty Von Trapp) told me about the scarf bag and a thought came to me…

I could make that scarf into a bag. And I bet other people have knit, crochet, woven (heck even store bought) scarves that they don’t know what to do with.

So I did. Chris and I were brainstorming fun classes to have at the shop, and we thought this one would be a lot of fun. Plus, even a new knitter can turn their scarf collection into a couple of bags in no time flat!

So here is my cute little Scarf Bag! It is at the shop if you want to see it up close. The strap is short on it – like I said, it was a sample that I had around – but it is super cute! I can just see a really long woven or knit one with deep pockets being taken to the farmers market!

Scarf Bag Class
September 24, 2011 – 2 pm – 4 pm
Yarnhouse

Call the shop if you are interested in taking the class!

This summer I did two very big things. First – I finished my MBA in late May!

Then in late June I took the Senior Professional in Human Resources exam. And passed!!!

I won’t lie – it was hard. I have a full time job – which I work very hard at – and have been knitting. Plus, a lot of work and personal travel this spring and summer – so it was a lot of work on top of everything. And the exam – yikes. I almost got up and left in the middle I was so convinced I would fail.

I am very proud to have finished both – they were both goals that I had set for myself – so now I need to go find some new big life goals!

OK – I admit it – I would be quite happy living in the middle of nowhere baking pies and stuff – well as long as I had internet and plumbing – the idea of stoking the fire every day for heat, not so much. . The whole working the land, maybe not, but having a couple of sheep or alpacas, I could totally do it. Now, that said, I am a totally girlie girl and would rather be knitting, sewing, baking, crafting than mowing a lawn, but tending a small garden – oh yeah. Poor Tattoo Boyfriend, he has no clue! (Ok, he does, but I think he is living in denial! Especially since I told him that I don’t DO yard work – but I would like a container garden.)

So, I joined the Plurkette’s Hencircle shortly after joining Plurk and I am excited. I spend a great deal of time knitting, crocheting and sewing. I love to bake and cook. I really would have made a great 50s housewife – except for that whole being submissive and having a spotless house thing!

As a kid, my great-grandparents owned a small farm in Ohio, so I learned how to (badly) milk a cow when I was probably 5. My uncle tried to get me to shoot the milk into his pants pocket (to learn aim) and I am pretty sure I hit him in the eye instead. I got pecked in the forehead by a mean and nasty chicken while collecting eggs when I was about 3 (and this is why I say chickens are only good for eating!). While I have issues with the sun, I do love to be outside in the fresh air. But most of what the inner-farmgirl movement isn’t about being out in the sun, but rather building a supportive community of amazing people who share like minds.

Finding the knitting community, for me, was amazing in that I found people who liked to knit, but this is more than that. The Hencircle, the inner-farmgirl, is more then just knitting – it is a life style and it happens to fall into where I am at these days – feeling very much like I have too much stuff, too many obligations and I want to simplify down to the way I live. To unplug a little more and worry a little less while enriching my life through the things I enjoy. Now, I am not giving up the internets by any means – life without Ravelry would suck – but I do want to concentrate on some other things.

I am excited about this whole thing. And now off to do some knitting on some of these sekrit projects. Tomorrow I have a FO for you – one that I can show you and everything cause it is for ME!

One of the women I work with sent me an email and asked if I would be willing to knit a hat for her SIL who is going through Chemo. I said yes.

Pattern: Shedir from Knitty
Yarn: Rowan Calmer
Needles: Addi size 3
Mods: None
Notes: I cabled without a cable needle.

I have included this so you can see the great pattern from the top…

…pay no attention to the fact that I am still in my jammies. Or that my hair is a mess.

Today we have a stash dive. I probably have other things I could have shown you today, but it seems a shame that this has been hiding in my stash for so long.

This is Lime n Violet The Cloakmaker purchased from the LnV shop.

425 yards of squooshy happiness – superwash wool.

This is gorgeous stuff – I am so happy to have gotten this and I really should knit with it – there is a lot of knitting to be done though so it has been sitting …

Look at it – isn’t it a shame?

Maybe I should find something to make with it?

About time it saw the light of day! Next week maybe I will show you her sister in stash hiding.

You may have noticed a lack of WIP pictures the last few weeks. I was out of town and then I started the craziness that is wedding/baby gift knitting. I have 3 weddings and 2 babies to knit for as well as a chemo cap I was just asked to knit this week. So most of my knitting can’t be seen yet…sorry. The first of the weddings is in July and I have some more crazy travel in the next month too.

With all this knitting and travel, Eva has finally learned to entertain herself.

Where’s Bob, Mom??

Now, if I can only get them to clean the house. and feed themselves.

And because I love spring so much (because it marks the return to warm weather!!) I bought some awesome spring yarn!

Michelle’s Pretty Pink Cactus – A Loopy Legend!

485 yards of pink and green superwash merino happiness!

Purchased at The Loopy Ewe!

The pictures don’t do this justice.

This is some gorgeous yarn!

I am so pleased with this purchase!