Duke and Duchess Do Dutch Oven

Now THIS is how you should spend Memorial DAY! "Good Friends, Good Food, Good Fun" - Well Said!

The Duke and I went to a Dutch Oven cookout put on by our friends the Seattle Dutch Oven Guys!

http://seattledutchovenguys.com/default.aspx

Gary- our Dutch Oven Guru.

Tzarina and I got in a little knitting, Dutch Oven take a lot of time, time well spend knitting!

The Duke and I showing off our finished Corn Bread. It was soooooo good, along with the other 20 or so dishes. This is serious food!!

Also, notice my sweater, the Queen knit it, (several times) and just didn't like it on herself. So she donated it to the official Yarnnation wardrobe, which is always taking donations of knitted item! Isn't it lovely.

You Didn't!

You didn't!

I did!

What where you thinking?

I don't know!

What are going to do?

Ask for help. . . Sarah? Karen? Martine?

Baby hats, baby hats, ooooohh baby, baby, hats.

Look at all of these BABY HATS!

So about a month ago I was asked to start knitting baby hats to contribute to a service project sponsored by the stake I belong to. (a stake is a group of several smaller church congregations)

I knew that there was something more I could do than just knit a few hats to support this project I sent an email out to all my co-workers. Now, these are some VERY busy women. Many of them work two jobs, go to school, and still have to find time to knit, but a few of them were able to contribute. Thank you Tami, Roseanne, Kelly and Mimi. We were able to contribute 20 hats to the project. There are 18 hats here, but I wanted a nice round number so I hurry and knit two more.

So the project was four fold.

1. Knit hats for babies that come to disadvantaged women in our area- the stake collectively knit over 200 hats
2. Teddy bears for Police officers and Firefighters to give to kids that they rescue from traumatic situations- we (not me specifically) made vests for them.
3. Baby blankets to go with the hats - all sewn that day
4. Recording our feelings about the gospel in copies of the Book of Mormon, so when people read it, they know that there are real women out there whose lives have been changed, enriched and enlightened by the teachings in that book.



It was a successful project, with between 150 and 200 women there. It was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning. I highly recommend it!

Later in the day Tzarina and I went to two yarn shops I have never been to before, Seattle Yarn and Cultured Pearls. I didn't buy anything, but there were some yarns I had never seen before at Cultured Purls. I really liked two of them and I might make the trip back to Issaquah one day when I have money. I would tell you what they are called, but I can't remember, so there you go, a reason to visit a new store.
I also "shop hopped" to the Fiber Gallery, Village Yarn and Teas, Main Street Yarns, and Weaving Works on Friday. Amazingly, I went to 7 (including Hilltop where I work) yarn shops in one weekend and only spent about $30.

A Shop Hop and a Meme in Honor

Tomorrow will comence the first ever

Puget Sound Yarn Shop Hop

for details. . . go here

http://www.villageyarnandtea.com/shophop.html

In Honor, a new knitting meme. . . Hilltop Bloggers (and anyone else!), what do you say?


Which of your finished projects are you most proud of?
It's between the Duke's Green Polar Sweater (people never believe him that his wife designed and knit it!)
http://yarnnation.blogspot.com/2006/03/sisterly-love.html
and the awful lace capelet I knit for Princess P.
http://yarnnation.blogspot.com/2005/10/duke.html

Which of your UFO’s is never going to see the light of day again?
I am really ticked off at a little sun dress I was knitting for my neice out of Rowan Denim. I might frog it and knit her something else.

What is the most unusual place you have ever purchased yarn?
hmmmm. . . not that unusual but I did buy some recycled skilk from this Jewish guy selling various felted objects and other fiber treasures at the cash and carry section of the Seattle Gift Show. It was also the best deal I have gotten on yarn - $2.00 per skien.

What is the most money (plastic or real) you have ever dropped on yarn at one time?
Not that much, really, my vice is continual small purchases, but it was probably in the $100-$120 range.

Where is the craziest place(s) you have whipped out your needles?
The craziest is probably the circus, but the place I got the most trouble about it was at my husband's company Christmas party. People often think that me knitting equates to boredom, not true. . . always.

What is the most unique project you have ever undertaken?
Probably the fully functional dog collar, leash and anklets. (with felted doggie toys too!)

Have Fun

Duchess

I have CONQUERED the KITCHNER

This started out as a very sad story. I finished this lovely Kimono Sweater in Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK about two months ago. The day after finishing it I wore it and ripped a hole in it. It ended in triumph! I pulled out about three inches of the two affected rows, re-knit one of them, then kitchnered the two 'live' rows together. A little blocking and think no one will ever be the wiser. A Friday night well spend as the Duke studies with friend in the kitchen (yes, it's sick, it's now midnight and they are still at it.)
As a side note I got domestic in the kitchen today (explaination: I had the whole day off!) Steak kabobs on the barbie, baked potatoes, and yummy, yummy, yummy grilled mushrooms. Study friend (mentioned above) rounded out the meal with some sort of sinful peacan pastry thing- very good.

Crazy Crochet at the Circus

So, I am not a crocheter, nor do I really plan on becoming a crocheter. . . but it is coming into it's own, and good for it. I'm glad that there are actually nice patterns being designed now for those crochet queens.
So, one of those bringing about that change is Debbie Stoller, author of The Happy Hooker. She was here for a book signing last Saturday. Jen, the boss, made it into a whole learn to crochet event and even I got on board- for a second, or a week.


The pattern for the day were these cute floppy crochet mums. I thought I needed one, and when I got done with that I thought all the moms needed one for mother's day. So, I didn't get the chance to photograph all of them, I did about

12 of them all together, but I had to mail several of them off before I got to shoot them. Anyway, here is a nice sampling.

They are great little traveling projects, as they are small, and you don't have to worry about dropping stitches while it's being shuffled in your purse. In example my friend, the Tsarina, took me to see Cirque Du Soleil- Varekai and I took along my little crochet flower.

By the way, this is hands down the craziest most spectacular, and hopefully inspiring thing I have ever seen. I tried to describe it to the Duke, it was futile, it really defied description. The costuming was AMAZING! If you can, go see it, and take a crochet flower for 1/2 hour intermission. The pattern is available at Hilltop.