Monday, June 11, 2012

Bee Keeping - The beginning.

I have been so busy lately, family, school, work, and fibre.  I have had a baby, started an etsy shop full of squishy batts handy locking stitch markers and handspun art yarns and bought a house.  I went from just me to a family of 5! There has just been no time for blogging.  I keep thinking about it though.  So I am giving in to the blog bug and am going to have another go at sharing my musings with the world!






Recently I embarked on a new project.  Many of you will know of what I speak: The Beekeeper's Quilt.  It is self-published by Tiny Owl Knits.  This is the most addictive pattern I have ever started.  I don't think I have gotten more than 5 hours sleep per night since I cast on my first hexipuff.


Another exciting part of my life is Phat Fiber.  It is this great box of samples that you can buy once per month.  "Buy" makes it sound so simple.  It is more of a mad race to buy one of a limited number of boxes, it takes a very dedicated type of fibre stalker to successfully purchase one of these boxes.  This box is stuffed full with yarn and fibre and notions made by independent fibre artists all over the world.  It gives you a chance to sample their wares, to touch and pet and smell the fibre before you buy it.  Phat Fiber is more than that, it is a family, it is a group of amazing people that I feel privileged to be a part of.  Every month I send a batch of samples off into the world and every month a wonderful box makes its way to my door step.  


This box contains many samples, a lot of them are fingering weight, fingering weight just happens to be perfect for making hexipuffs.  Mine are more hexiflats since I am not stuffing them but I like the word hexipuff better.  So I am going to share my Phat sample hexi puff journey with you.  I might throw in the odd post about my shop, my family, the mushroom colony on my front lawn... but for now we will focus on hexipuffs because that is really all that this addiction will allow me to do.


This is my first batch of Phat hexipuffs:




It was made last week.  These hexipuffs were so much fun to knit.  The colour gradient in the yarn was mesmerizing.  The yarn is from Play At Life Fiber Arts.  I liked it so much I actually sent her a message practically begging for more little baby sockie makis but alas, there were none to be had.  


This is my next batch of Phat hexipuffs:



The amazing green puffs at the top are from Shenanigan's Yarns, then the bronze age and bornite (orange/blue/purple) puffs on the left side are from Fiber Charmer.  I liked the bornite so much I couldn't bear to waste it and used the little bit of leftovers to make a stripe of it on the bottom middle puff.  The green puff in the middle is from The Dyeing Arts and the colourful puff to its right is from Color Bug Yarns.  Finally, that leaves the lovely shiny navy grey puffs on the bottom row from Sky Loom Weavers.

Now that I have caught you up on my hexipuffing I am going to get back to knitting...

Cali

Saturday, February 13, 2010

It has been a long long time...

Hello! It has been so long since I blogged I don't even know where to start.

I moved out on my own last spring, spent a couple weeks in the hospital because of my gall bladder during the summer. I went to Gibsons Fibre Festival in August. Then I went on an amazing cruise to Alaska with Craft Cruises in Spetember. Then I went to the Twist of Fate spinning Retreat in October.

I got a spinning wheel last year and have been loving it! I just got a loom and have been taking weaving classes.

Cali

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Knitting at Sunpeaks

I had an amazing time at the Twist of Fate Fair Isle retreat. We spent an entire weekend hangout, knitting, eating and learning Fair Isle techniques.













Everyone got a swag bag with Erynn's logo on it and some yarn to make a fair isle sock project in it. We spent Saturday learning how to make a 'Goofy Bag' which is a great little project that taught all sorts of different fair isle techniques.













Oh, and I almost forgot the shopping! Twist of Fate, Wild Geese & Unwind Yarns were all represented. I bought 2 amazing skiens of 'Walk The Line' a new merino/cashmere/nylon blend. It is amazingly soft. I just love cashmere! I also bought some patterns and buttons.













I think everyone learned something, and we ended up with a cute little bag to show off our new skills:


It was a great weekend. It made me want to sign up for the Fall Spinning retreat even though I dont spin. I was sad to come home...

Cali

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Vacation's Eve

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG ~ I am so excited!


Tomorrow morning at 7 am I will get on a Greyhound bus headed for Kamloops BC. I am going to be attending Twist of Fate's Spring Knitting Retreat and I am so extremely excited.


My BFF Shannon, from Unwind Yarns has packed up a HUGE suitcase full of fibre-y goodness for me to sell while I am at the retreat. The yarn is oh-so-pretty. And of course I will be paid in yarn for all my efforts. I have already set aside a beautiful skein of Ocean Cove Merlot.


I should probably try to get some sleep...


But for those of you who are curious here is a little sneak peak of the yarn suitcase:


ttyl,
Cali

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Treats For Me!

I am such a spoiled girl today! I went for my first proper bra fitting. I know I am fairly busty but when the nice lady finally left me with some bras I snuck a peak at the tag and... Yikes! G42!!! Holy cats! But I ended up buying 3 beautiful bras. I have never had such pretty bras, lace and embroidery...

Last night I had more treats, I finally gave in to the temptation of the cupcakes at the Safeway bakery. I couldn't eat all the icing, it was a bit much but they were so cute!
The cupcakes kind of made me feel sick, but my new bras make me feel so sexy. Everyone should go for a proper bra sizing...

Cali

Friday, March 27, 2009

Fibres West 2009

Last weekend my Thursday night knitting group, Grimoire's Yarnies, all went on a field trip to Fibres West 2009. I forgot my camera but fortunately, Pixie, remembered hers. I have borrowed some of the lovely pictures she took that day.
We spent a lot of time and money at the Twist of Fate booth. Erynn had some amazing stuff for sale, including a new shipment of yarn from my very favourite; Unwind Yarns!

I bought some Silk Noil and a silk/yak blend from Twist of Fate. I also got some lovely hand dyed 100% Tencel at another booth.
My very favourite purchase was some beautiful alpaca which I had to wind into a ball right there. It took a while as the skein was half a pound!
Shannon finally got her spinning wheel, which resulted in a lot of excitement and crazy running around. Another from our group got an amazing new Namaste bag. And everyone got some pretty new yarn or fibre.
It was a very fun day, I think we all had a great time...
Cali

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Happy Valentine's Day!

My husband is not the overly romantic type, we have been together for nearly 11 years now so I don't usually expect much on V-day and neither does he. Well, This year he got me flowers! He even remembered that Gerbera Daisies are my very favourite!
I have been meaning to get some new dress shoes for work and I got a gift certificate for Christmas at my favourite clothes store that I haven't used yet. I thought I would go do a little shopping today. I bought a new pair of jeans and a cute skirt, nothing overly exciting. Then I went to payless shoes, they are having one of their BOGO sales. Well, I found 6 pairs of shoes that I liked and they fit and are all so cute! I got a nice range of sensible to sexy. My very favourite are the teal wedges! So cute! I can't wait to go somewhere so I can wear them!


I have bought a lot of yarn in the last little while, I was actually a little surprised when I laid out everything that I haven't added to my stash on Ravelry. There is quite a bit there! I have got to get caught up! I placed an order from the Elann website and got some of the clearance Zara and some baby alpaca and silk. I have a bunch of new sock yarn from Unwind Yarns. See that one messy tangled skein in the pic, Shannon gave me that one for free I just have to take the time to untangle it. I love tangled skeins and the colours in this one are wonderful!




















I also got a wonderful present from Shannon. Sock Blockers! With little sheepsies on them! I hung them on the wall beside my yarn and stitchmarkers. I think they look good there. My hubby thinks I am crazy.











Now I am off to stash all my new yarn...


Cali