Deborah Fillmer's » yarn

Shoes for Trade // Yarn Trade Anybody?

deborahfillmer — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:28:10 +0000

I am putting these in a post on Ravelry as well, in case anyone there might be interested. I have three pair of clear shoes that I purchase a while back. One pair was to be for me, and two others were to be for gifts, when needed. Problem is, everyone I know has feet my size…big! All three pair are brand new, never worn and would look great with hand knit socks. I wear an 8.5 shoe normally, so I bought a size 9 for myself. Being a tennis shoe type of person, they just didn’t work for me, so I never wore them. The other two pair are size 7 and 8. Anyone interested in trading a pair for some yarn or anything else knitting related?

Let me know through the comments page…Thanks

Goodbye 2008, Bring On 2009!

DK — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:48:36 +0000

I did not want to do the typical “What did I do in 2008″ post, as the last one of the year. Nor, did I want to do a “What is in store for 2009″. So, to mark the passage of this past year and the beginning of another I thought the following photos would suffice.

We enjoy attending the NCAA Men’s Auburn Basketball games every year and I take my knitting along. The photo on the left was the beginning of the Civil War Shawl during last year’s (2007-2008) season. The one on the right is from this season, one year later. I am almost to the edging and it is actually a lot bigger than it looks.

Happy New Year to everyone, Safe Travels and Fair Winds!

I’ve Been Knitting

admin — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:00:47 +0000

Remember when you all voted and chose my next knitting project to cast on? You all chose the Way of Life Stole. After a frogging episode, I finally got on a roll with this one and this is what it looks like so far. It is about 20% complete.

Here is a close up of the lace pattern.

I have also been working on the Rona Shawl. Here is the proof…

Tonight, I also finished this year’s hat for my grandson. So far I have given him a Christmas hat every year of his life. He will now have three. Photos of the hat tomorrow.

He Does That

admin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:56:01 +0000

Yesterday, I received a package in the mail from Jaimi at Plays With Yarn! It is a beautiful skein of Smooshy sock yarn that I won by entering a contest on her blog. Whoo hoo!

As for the Dog on Thursday…this is the way I found him when I came out of the kitchen this morning…

He does that…

Starting Over on the "Way of Life" Stole

DK — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:28:57 +0000

Well, I started the stole pattern that you guys picked out for me. Now I am restarting. The recommended needle size for this stole is US 7 or 8. I went against my better judgment and started with a US 7. Way, way too big for my taste!! So, I am going to restart with a US 4 and see what happens. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, here is the carnage, and a little Blazer sandwich to keep you distracted. No animals were harmed in the creation of these photos.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!! We have a winner for the Nautical Knitter Contest!

DK — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:00:47 +0000

Lucky commenter number 21 is the winner! First, let me thank everyone who commented and put my link on their blogs. I really appreciate it! I am so excited to share with you all what is in the bags and especially what I will be knitting next! Our winner is Diana (Foxi) from Germany. To see what was in the bags and what she won, check out the video:

Here is the list of bags you see in the video and their contents.

Bag #1 – Pattern – Sunflower Designs “Iris“; Yarn – Xie Bamboo Fiber #469

Bag #2 – Pattern – Knitpicks “Rona“; Yarn Knitpicks “Dye your own lace weight” that I dyed in blueberries

Bag #3 – Pattern – Sunflower Designs “Hydrangea“; Yarn – Xie Bamboo Fiber #492

Bag #5 – Pattern – “DaVinci Shawl“; Yarn – Yarn Place “Touch” (this yarn is so soft!!)

The winning bag was #4 – Pattern – Knitting Delight – “Way of Life Stole“; Yarn – Knitpicks “Alpaca Cloud” Moss colorway

If you would like to knit along with me on the winning project, you can find the instructions here. It is a yahoo group and you have to join to get the pattern parts. Leave me a comment if you want to knit along with me. If you don’t, that is ok, just stay tuned to watch my progress. Catch ya later, I’m off to cast on!! Whee!!!

A Contest!!! What should I knit next? You decide…

DK — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:30:29 +0000

I am having trouble deciding which of these 5 projects to start next. So, I thought I would let you guys decide. Vote in the poll on the left and post a link on your blog to mine, so others will vote too. Leave me a comment on this post telling me that you did both of these things and I will pick a winner from those who follow these simple steps. Easy, huh?

The prize will probably be some sort of yarny goodness. I haven’t decided yet. I can’t tell you what projects are in what bags, I have already forgotten… But which ever one gets the most votes I will start next. All are lace of one kind or another and none are my own design. That is all I can offer. Stay tuned for the results…

What would you do with a quart of VERY (found in the back of the refrigerator) left over blueberries?

DK — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:21:53 +0000

Put them in a pot of boiling water and dye some yarn! That is exactly what I did and now I have 1600 yards of lace weight yarn in an amazing lavender color that is just waiting to be knitted up into something special. This was such a totally cool thing to do that I have now found a new passion, Natural Fiber Dying. Awesome!

Stats:

Knitpicks dye your own – 2 skeins Lace weight

1 quart semi frozen, definitely inedible blueberries from the back of the fridge

Soup pot, 1 gallon water (+or-), and 2 Cups vinegar

Bring water and berries to boil. Cook for 1 hour. Mash and strain out the blueberries.

Soak yarn in additional water and vinegar mixture, then place yarn and water/vinegar in soup pot with blueberry water.

"Cook" another hour or until water is clear and yarn has soaked up all the color desired.

Gently rinse yarn until the water runs clear and hang to dry.

*Do not stir the yarn too much while cooking. It will felt!

Enjoy.

Spinning? Not so much…

DK — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:12:27 +0000

A few years ago I was gifted a lovely spindle and some purple/mauve mix fiber. These came in a “learn to spin” kit, complete with instructions, etc…

Fast forward to present. I have spun enough of this fiber, on this spindle, in the intervening YEARS to confidently say “I know how” and “I don’t care for spinning”. I think I would be able to master a wheel much faster and enjoy it more, but I still don’t think that spinning fiber is the craft of choice for me. Let’s just say I consider it well worth my $$ and my time saved to purchase a nice hank of cashmere, silk, or even alpaca that someone else has lovingly spun into luscious fibery goodness.

So, even though it may not be my thing either, I will take the rest of this fiber mass and attempt to needle felt something. If that doesn’t work, and you happen to be a close friend or relative of mine reading this, you can probably expect a nice felted bar or two of bath soap in your Christmas packages this year. The spindle is going on the Christmas tree as an ornament.

How To Make A Double Point Knitting Needle Holder

deborahfillmer — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:34:42 +0000

Do you need a way to keep your double points together when you are working on a sleeve or sock and have to put it away? We have the perfect solution for you. Here is an economical and fun way to make your own personalized double point knitting needle holder. They are so easy, make a bunch for stocking stuffers and gift exchanges. Enjoy