The Llama Has A New Home

Please head on over to TheWoollyLlama.com for all new posts.

Unfortunately, Blogspot is no longer formatting correctly on mobile devices.  Since 80% of web viewing is done from mobile devices, this is a pretty big issue.  I apologize for the awkward spacing in recent posts, I assure you I did all I could to have it appear correctly.  Fixing it on mobile broke it on desktop, and vice versa.

So, after a few years here, The Llama decided it was time to move on.

See you on the new site.

-J

We are all 50% Mermaid...

... and now there's a little girl who may be approaching 75% mermaid.






















My step daughter is about to turn 6.  I could not think of a more fitting blanket than this.

She'll be able to flap her fins while watching cartoons and swim across her living room floor in glorious fashion.

Knit with Bitsy Knits Squoosh Superwash in color The Case of the Sausalito Sunrise and Caron Simply Soft Party in color Royal Sparkle.

Happy Birthday Sierra Ruth Adaza.  We miss you and we wish we could be there to celebrate this day with you.

All our love,
Your American Family

Zero Hour

I finished Michael's birthday socks.  That's two socks.  Plural.  One for each foot.

They were finished at 10 pm tonight.  Also Michael's birthday.  That still counts, right?

I had the pattern somewhere, but it's missing.  Probably buried somewhere in the disaster that is my unfinished project pile.

Made with Superwash Merino by Flying Goat Farm that Michael picked out at Rhinebeck.  I don't know the colourway, but he saw then skein and decided that it looks like the sand and the sea, and that reminds him of Australia.  So these are the Sand and Sea Homesick socks.

I came dangerously close to running out of yarn for these.     

I made it though.  Who doesn't love a good game of yarn chicken.  The second sock may or may not be a row or two shorter than the first one.

I'm sure they'll be fine.

It's a lovely Christmas we're having this spring...

This is the first Christmas Jack doesn't have a finished sweater.  Considering it's currently 67º, I don't think he minds so much.  It's mostly done, just needs half a sleeve.  He'll have it next week, when it will actually be cold enough to wear it.

I'm choosing to blame the weather for my lack of knitting this season.  It's quite difficult to get into the spirit when it's this warm and humid and there hasn't been a single flake of snow yet.

I did finish the Noro Topper I was working on for my client/friend.




I gave it a nice warm soak and laid it on the mat to dry.

That took a fair bit longer to accomplish due to the weather, but it managed to dry just enough to get boxed and wrapped and picked up by the elves for delivery.

Made with Noro Silk Garden in color #211 Turquoise Fuchsia.  This was not the yarn called for so the pattern demanded some revisions, but it came out as expected and should hopefully fit quite nicely.

This brings the total Christmas knits to an appalling THREE.  That's all.  Just three.  Two pairs of socks and this poncho.

It's Christmas Eve, and this is the first one in years that I won't be crying into my wine and knitting at the dinner table.  The yarn will work itself into a finished project at it's own leisure this year.

Sweaters will come when they are needed, socks will be ready in due time, and everything else will fall into place.

For now, I'm off to lay under my Christmas tree and not worry about due dates.

Happy Solstice.

Only 10 Days To Go.

I finished Michael's other Christmas sock.

Now he has two.  And since he also has two feet, this is the perfect amount.

Pardon the images.  I have no time for photography.

Fiber Optic Yarns Merino Sport in color Northwoods.  I've named them the Cosmic Socks.

Broken Rib recipe, with reinforced heel.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

I've been neck deep in the Christmas knitting for quite some time now.  For some reason, I've been unable to make any real progress.

I've managed to finish only ONE project in all this time.  Granted, it is a Christmas project.  But something tells me just one isn't going to be enough.

Heading off the in-progress list we have Jack's Christmas Sweater 2015.  Just missing the sleeves. And he doesn't want a vest, I already asked.

We have Michael's Christmas socks.  Er... Michael's Christmas Sock.  Just the one for now.  Second one isn't even cast- on yet.  Maybe tomorrow.

And another Christmas Stocking.  Or at least a Christmas Stocking cuff.

These are Jack's Christmas socks.  Just my standard recipe, no frills.  They have the distinct honor of being only project I have actually completed.

I also have some things that are Christmasy only because it's December, but aren't actually Christmas knitting.  Like this sock.  These have dreams of becoming Michael's birthday socks, a birthday which happens to fall the week after Christmas.

Last up is a last minute gift for a dear friend and client.  After a meeting with her a couple of weeks ago, she handed me 3 full shopping bags of yarn telling me she just doesn't have the time.  In one bag I found a sweaters worth of Noro, a pattern, and the start of what appeared to be the bottom ribbing of the back piece.  Rather than finishing the sweater for her, I opted to use my creative license.

Sometimes we knitters change patterns when knitting for ourselves.  Longer/shorter sleeves, larger/smaller bust, longer/shorter waist, etc.  Rather than something that wouldn't fit her the way she prefers, I chose something that would be a little more lenient on sizing.

Pics to come, on the off chance that she sees this post.  I hope she likes it as much as I enjoyed making it.

In case anyone is curious, this is how I imagine I'll look by Christmas Eve...

The Greatest Day of the Year

The Sheep and Wool Festival is a sort of Mecca for artisans.  On the third weekend in October we make our pilgrimage to Rhinebeck, New York to partake in all things yarn.

There are sheep, and rabbits, and goats, and llamas.  Dogs bred to herd such fibre bearing creatures.  Spindles, and looms, and wheels.  Needles, and notions, and swifts, and winders.  And yarn of all content.  Cashmere, Angora, Merino, Alpaca, Shetland, Highland, Peruvian, Australian, Icelandic.

With all of these choices, on 144 acres (I looked it up), it's amazing that I managed to only come home with this.

I look forward to this weekend all year long.  I try to put myself on a yarn diet (and usually fail) just so that I can go batshit crazy buying everything I see in Rhinebeck.

It's become a bit of a tradition to stop at Fishkill Farms on the way home.  That's where the apples and pumpkins seen above come from.  

Any good apple picker knows that the good ones are always at the top of the tree.  That means you need someone to catch what you pick.

There are very few things that warrant standing in line for 45 minutes at sunset on a cold, blustery October evening. A Fishkill Farms box of piping hot apple donuts and a few cups of hot apple cider is on that list.  After that, it's time to head home and start counting down to next year.

Planning all the projects to use up the yarn, and all the recipes to use up the apples just helps the drive go faster.