24/24

Alaska was wonderful, but I didn’t knit much.  When I came home I started right back into my anniversary projects.  About 24 rows into my in-laws bedspread it was apparent that if I knit on this non-stop my fingers were going to kill me from the little teeny tiny needles.  So I decided that for now I’ll do 24/24.  24 rows of the in-laws bedspread, 24 rows of my sister’s afghan.  So far it is working well.  24 Rows of the AFghan takes around a week, actually a bit less.  24 rows of the bedspread about 2 weeks although I’m trying to get that down to around a week and a half, otherwise I’ll never get this project finished.

Otherwise there is not much news at all to share.  I’m going to show pictures, but proably not until next post because I’m exhausted.  The next month of my life will be absolutely consumed by work.  We have 4 major pleadings to prepare. 

My boys

So for now I will go back to snuggling these boys this weekend and work on the last 12 rows of the bedspread, all 916 stitches wide! 

Have a great week.

Inua Wool Shop

While in Alaska, one of the highlights of my trip was visiting the Inua Wool Shop.   Its an absolutely lovely shop, with lovely people running/working in it.  They have a great selection of sooo many yarns, including Quivit and Alaskan Cashmere.

For the size of the place I was really impressed with their selection, every inch is filled with lovely goodies, yarn and notions.  In fact they had one of the larges notion/needle selection I’ve ever seen.

I had a lot of fun looking around and making a few select purchases.  Just something I figured I couldn’t go to Alaska and not come home with.  I couldn’t afford enough to do a shawl, but I’ll probably use this quivit to make a nice little scarf or smoke ring.  I also purchased some fiber for my spinning wheel.

Quivit and Buttons with a Musk Ox on Them

We won’t discuss the price. 

Then, I saw the Alaskan Cashmere, its produced on a farm called the Nash Farm in Alaska.  Its laceweight and the most inexpensive cashmere I’ve seen.  Its not cheap, I won’t lie, but it was nothing compared to the price of the Quivit.  So I bought myself a present of some green lace-weight.  Then went back a few days later and purchased two skeins for my sister and two for my niece (Sarah) so they could make a nice cashmere scarf for themselves.  They’ll have to fight over the color each one gets, both the purple and marigold are beautiful. 

Yummy Alaskan Cashmere

I will probably make a shawl or stole out of my green, although looking back I wish I would have gotten a blue they had for me, instead of the green considering Gracie I just knit was in green.  But oh well, I do love green, it is becoming my signature color.

Last but not least here is my other niece (Cora) on her first knitting store trip.

And of course the sales lady adored her hat.

The store also holds knitting classes for kids, the next one is this spring, and the owner is going to contact me when they have them, so if Cora is still interested, I can sign her up for some so she can continue knitting if she chooses to do so.  BUt if not, the yarn will wait.

More on the actual trip to Alaska next posting.

Story of the Knitting Monkeys

The First Stitch

Once upon a time there was a little girl who watched her Aunt, who was visiting her in Alaska, knit.  She was amazed and intrigued by the motions and the process of creation.  Before long she asked her Aunt to teach her how to knit.  So they went shopping.  First they went together to Michael’s and found a little kit to knit a teddy bear, and a knitting machine.  Then that afternoon they went to the Inua Wool Shop (which is a post all in its own) and picked out some special needles and yarn.  That night we made our first stitches. 

It was rather successful, the little girl, barely 7, took to knitting like a duck takes to water.  Well after about a day of practicing.  In fact for a whole day we went with out her Nintendo DS as she found the knitting much more magical.

But then her Aunt, who was used to being in the Central time zone and not 3 hours lagging, couldn’t sleep one morning.  And bored, trying to let everyone else sleep, she saw a pair of needles and a beautiful ball of yarn that was purchased at the Inua Wool Shop sitting on the table.  Not being a strong willed individual when it comes to yarn the Aunt couldn’t resist.  She grabbed the needles and the yarn and cast on for a scarf which was intended for her niece’s step-mother.  But then a story had to be born to explain why the yarn had been used.  Thus the story of the knitting monkeys.

1 Day Knitting – Already had to take it to a Restaurant

See in the middle of the night the knitting monkeys come into your house and start your projects for you.  That way you can finish them quicker.  You rarely see the knitting monkeys as they are very stealthy, and they don’t come every night, just when someone needs extra help.  Well the story worked at least in the fact she didn’t get upset that her project had been started, and she knit and knit and knit on it.  Over the week her stitches became much more consistent and better and she did very well. 

I just wish I was there to teach her more.  But I checked at the Inua Wool Shop and they do have knitting classes for kids, so this spring if she’s still interested I’m signing her up for some.  If she’s not at least I dispensed a little knowledge to her and one never knows when she’ll take up the interest again, after all she’s only 7.

Between the little girl, her aunt, and the knitting monkeys the scarf was finished and her step-mother proudly wore her new scarf. 

Scarf Done Back to Nintendo

Then the little girl went back to her Nintendo.

And the knitting monkeys vanished into thin air.  Although the little girl truly believes in the knitting monkeys, and hopefully someday will look back on the story as a happy memory of her childhood.

More on the actual trip to Alaska and the lovely Alaskan yarn purchases.  Including Quivit!

Off to Alaska

Well I’m finally off to Alaska! We leave in a few hours. Until then, I’m snuggling with the dogs, finishing packing, and running to the store. Why must we always need last minute things? Have a good week, I’ll see you in a week when I thaw out.