I had a few balls of this in my stash that I thought I would use up:

But as the days went by and I hadn’t started knitting, I had to admit that I wasn’t super excited about knitting a cotton candy pink blanket, even though it is for a girl.  Rather, what I realized is that I’m kind of spoiled by all the lovely hand dyed yarns I work with and this yarn just seemed SO flat to me. So I got a harebrained idea. One that involved a lot of Kool-Aid

After an hour or two of soaking, cooking, cooling and waiting I ended up with something that I affectionately call “Cherry Bomb.”

I was thrilled with the makeover. The photos just don’t do it justice, but what I got was a subtle semi-solid with cherries and pinks and all of the depth I was looking for.  It took me a couple of weeks, but I knit it up and photographed it this evening.

Now all that remains is wrapping it up for the shower, and then welcoming the little girl herself!

Earlier this year I joined a wonderful fiber club run by my friend in New Zealand.  Tracee of Maude & Me Fibers dyes some beautiful things. February’s selection was New Zealand Perendale in the St. Alex colorway:

I then took the fiber I purchased and spun it up. It spun beautifully (one of the skeins I’m really proud of!). I then turned around and listed it in my shop:

A month or so later a fellow knitter purchased the skein. Imagine my surprise when she emailed me asking if she could link to me in her shop. She had taken this skein and woven it into a beauty which is now for sale in her shop, Spinehogknittables.

Maybe I should back up. Etsy is a fabulous site for handcrafted goods of all kinds from jewelry to knitting to prints to sewing to anything you can make and sell! I’ve recently opened my own shop, but I am continually inspired by the artisans I find there.

As I explored the “treasury” a little more, I decided I wanted to try my hand at creating some. I think I’m addicted!  In both of the ones I’ve linked below I had a particular item that I loved, so I build a set around that item’s theme.

In Gothic Lolita, I started with a stunning red gown and looked for things that complemented the theme and color. Of course no collection is complete without a fibery influence.

In Into the Woods I started with a wooden button and jewelry maker (the second item in the top row is one of her works) and built from there.

There are a few other collections up that I have put together. Stay tuned!

But the wonderful thing about belonging to a fiber community like Ravelry is that you can find people with other talents and you can barter. And barter I did.

Approximately a month ago I struck a deal with my friend Tracee in New Zealand. I would send her some yarn she wanted, as well as materials and she would weave me a scarf in exchange. Well the scarf arrived this past weekend and WOW! I could not be happier, as it is SO pretty! The yarn is Wollmeise and the weaving is impeccable! Here are a few pictures:

Thanks to a former colleague for the heads up!

I came home and we chilled while watching some t.v., then got our stuff together to go out shopping for a bit. We stopped at Home Depot for some utility shelving, at Bed, Bath & Beyond for some miscellaneous kitchen items, at Borders so we could spend a gift certificate, and then at Macy’s so I could pick up a crock pot that I have been coveting (yes I now have domestic urges… sometimes).

Then we headed down to a big shopping center for our last shopping stop and some BBQ at Famous Dave’s – a local favorite. We were headed for Cabela’s, an outdoor and sporting mecca of sorts. Now Wes drags brings me into outdoor stores all the time and usually I’m fairly bored. He loves kayaking and camping and I prefer day trips to nature followed by a hot shower and a good night’s sleep in a warm bed.

Nonetheless, I have to say, Cabela’s was pretty awesome. It was kind of like Disneyland for outdoorists. In front of the lodge-like structure is this huge bronze statue of elk – please excuse the picture, all I had with me was my camera phone. What you can’t see is that behind the elk is a man-made “waterfront” where you can take the boat you want to buy for a test drive.

Then you head inside and there’s a man-made stream inside (with live fish and ducks!) and a whole mountain sculpture with stuffed animals of all kinds. It’s kind of a like a trip to the zoo, except that the animals have all seen the taxidermist. There’s a gun section, an archery section, a fishing section, a camping section, a clothing section, and of course the water-related areas. There was also a yummy looking grocery section to be used for both camping, and home cooking. And there was a fudge counter in there with 20+ different kinds of fudge! After resisting going for so long, I felt kind of silly. I’d totally go back and browse, and I don’t even like the outdoors. (Why yes, that is a grizzly bear staring down at the fish in the stream – too bad he’s dead and the aren’t!)

Anyhow, after Cabela’s and a BBQ dinner at Dave’s we’re now sitting at home hanging out. I’m icing my toe which I delicately slammed into a curb outside, and knitting a bit. And it’s the perfect lazy Saturday (well minus the toe-slamming).

P.S. My coworker says they offer classes in basket weaving. Do you think they take place underwater? Teehee….. couldn’t resist!