Welcome back giveaway!

Since it is almost officially summer (graduation ceremony is tomorrow) I would like to celebrate my first year of teaching with a giveaway!  I will be starting up my podcast either Tuesday or Wednesday next week!

The first part of the prize is a skein of Happy Feet DK from Plymouth Yarn CO.  It is 90% Superwash Merino Wool, and 10% Nylon, approx 262 yards.

The second part of the prize is you get to choose any set of stitch markers from my Etsy shop! Just go to the following link - http://www.etsy.com/shop/luganchica102?section_id=6883224 and pick out which ever set you would like!

I will send both the yarn and set of stitch markers your way!!!

What do you have to do?

1. Become a follower of my blog
2. Visit my Etsy shop and let me know which set of stitch markers are your favorite in my blog comments.
3. Tell me what you love to do over the summer!

That's it! I cannot wait to hand out this prize! I will close the giveaway on June 8th, and will choose the winner with a random number generator.  Please only post once!

Good luck!

Sunday

This Sunday is graduation. And then I am done for the summer! Podcast is going to start up again!

Craft Fair

I am still alive. I promise! Things have gotten to be so overwhelming, but in a really good way. My first year of teaching is almost over, and I feel it has all gone down as a total success! I love what I am doing, and I could not be happier! I am wondering what to do over the summer though. I plan on teaching lessons Tues-Thursday so I have weekends free to travel and work at my summer home. But I really do not have much planned! Now the real reason i am posting tonight is because I finally have energy to talk about the craft fair I (The band program) hosted. We need money bad, to repair the drum line and buy a new sousaphone. This craft fair really helped us. We were able to bring in around $2,000 with vendor booth sales, concessions, and the raffle table. As soon as I get measurements down, I will start ordering repair parts for our drumline! Here are some pictures from the fair, taken by my mummy dearest. This is the main cafeteria. We were planning on having it in the gym, which has more space, but the school was setting up for their huge auction which was the week after the craft fair, so we had to change things around a bit.

Down the main breezeway, the Lee's Bee's ladies were amazing! They kept my mood up the entire day, even when I felt I could just fall asleep on my feet!

Our wonderful art teacher made the banners for the band raffle and the concession stand. I would have loved to keep the banner around, but during tear down, my students had other plans...

Our wonderful, excited students who were working the concession stand. I made sure we had students around the entire time. This event was put on for them, and they helped vendors move their items into and out of the building, went around asking if they wanted anything from the concession stand, and took care of the raffle and concession stand. They did a great job!

This is my booth. Not much. Don't judge! I was not really all that worried about sales, as I was more worried about the fair in general. I was able to bring in around $80 though, which helped me a ton with rent! My booth was a hodgepodge of items, knitted things, sewn things, stitch markers, earrings, handspun yarn... you name it!

These are just some cute booths along the way!

Our band raffle table. One thing I learned, no cell phones allowed behind the raffle table. Many of my kids would not interact with the people coming inside, and then they would not sell the tickets!

This is one of my seniors. She was literally my right hand woman the entire fair. She assigned students to sellers, and worked her butt off! I was so proud, and I know I could not have done it without her help.

Along the way, I was looking at booths and struck up a conversation with one of the vendors. It ended up with where I went to high school, and with that, we figured out she was my middle school science teacher! She was in her first year of teaching when I was her student, and now we have done a full circle! She took some amazing photography and sketches, I just cannot believe it! You don't know how talented your teachers are until you ask! BTW totally pimping her shop! http://www.etsy.com/shop/CarrieCarlson?ref=seller_info Please check it out! I am floored that she was one of my vendors. I remember her being my favorite teacher outside of the fine arts department. I disected worms with her! Science club was awesome, and I was just so excited to see her again!

My band actually created about a half hours worth of music for the vendors as well! (Side note, I now know that I need to have music playing the entire time, because it got pretty boring in there!) Thats me covering the bass drum part on the left! :P

My wonderful students calling out the raffle prizes.

and lastly, a view of the cafeteria and the wonderful vendors!

All in all, we had about 38 vendors, which is great for the first year. I sent out surveys at the end of the fair and about 90% were positive. The things that I need to change for next year- No rain, more music, different types of food in the concession stand (we had hot dogs, pop corn, and bake sale goods),one hour shorter, and use the gym instead of the cafeteria I think we can manage! Heres a big thank you to all the amazing vendors! And I hope to see you again next year!

Dramatic Knits Musical Swap!

I met up with my mom today for dinner, and she had quite a few packages for me since I have all my bulky mail sent to the rents place so it does not get stolen from my apartment.

I opened up the first box and squeeeeeed!

Beaglemomknitter sent me an awesome package! I put down that my two favorite musicals were phantom of the opera and A New Brain.

Phantom was the first musical I ever saw when I was young. Then the first cassette tape I ever owned. Then the first CD I ever owned. (second was beach boys haha)

A New Brain is a musical about a homosexual composer (Gordon) who writes music for a Barney like character named Mr. Bungee who is a frog. Mr. Bungee is... for loss of better words the biggest dick boss ever. Gordon have a brain aneurysm which could kill him if the surgeries go wrong. The overbearing, overprotective mother is exactly who my mother would be if I was very ill. The whole musical is about love, life, and music. It just.... I love it. It's absolutely my favorite musical.


She did a great job with the swap package!
An adorable knitted frog, which my kitten took a liking to! :)

Awesome froggy stitch markers

A phantom of the Opera Coaster/tile, and rose scented soap.

I couldnt be happier! Thank you!

Lent

I realize I have not posted anything in a loooong time.

Life caught up to me with not feeling good, and not having any free time during the daylight to take pictures of things I have been working on....

But I wanted to have someone back me up on what I am giving up for Lent. If I don't post this, I won't keep it up!

I am giving up fast food, and non diet soda. That is all.
In the past couple months I have been eating more fast food because I have been so tired after work. I sit down and knit and don't feel like eating even though I am hungry. So I started getting in the habit of just going through a drive through and getting a quick dinner.

No more. NO MORE!

I will cook every meal, and if I am really really tired, Something like Lean Cuisine will work (even though the sodium skyrockets...)

So far its been great!

I just need to do something better for myself. This is the best way.

Now that I am feeling better, I will also get back to the gym.... It's been.... over a month... ugh

Band Sponsored Craft Fair!

Looking for crafters in the Kankakee area!

Episode 9: Just a little quickie!

Just had to share!

My friend Kali from high school bought my Arcade handspun. She said her doggy approves!

:)

Goals for 2012

At least one handspun a month.
One full sized quilt
One baby quilt
One table runner
Kill my acrylic stash. Kill. Kill!

One pattern out of every knitting book that I own by the end of 2012: (Can have modifications!)
-First Book of Modern Lace Knitting by Marianne Kinzel: pg 90 Three of Hearts Design, made from Cushion cover into scarf
-One Skein, 30 quick projects to knit and crochet: pg 30 Asymmetrical Cable Hat
-Just Hats by Lion Brand: pg 91 Urban Trekker
-Not Your Mama's Knitting: pg 134 PDA mittens
-Stitch N Bitch Nation: pg 196 Hurry up Spring arm warmers
-Stitch N Bitch The Knitters Handbook: pg 187 Big Bad Baby Blanket
-Oddball Knitting: pg 42 Ted's Scarf
-Knitting on the Road: Pg 93 Whitby Socks
-Victorian Lace Today: pg 72 A Curved Shawl

Gifted Patterns:
Thermis by Kris Knits
Cladonia by Kristen Kapur
Juneberry Triangle by Jared Flood - in progress

Patterns:
Rock Island by Jared Flood
Cerasifera by Kirsten Kapur
Chalice Cowl by Julia Trice
Atalanta sideways by Asa Tricosa


Personal:
Get along better with my mother
Lost the last 5 pounds and tone up my legs
Eat healthy, and only have fast food once a week
Start a marching band program at the high school
Get the members of the bands at all 5 schools to grow by at least 5 for the HS and 10 for the GS

Merry Christmas!

Found it online and wanted to share it!

Knitter's Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
There was unfinished knitting not under the tree,
The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care
'Cause the heels and the toes had not a stitch there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
But I had not finished the caps for their heads.
Dad was asleep---he was no help at all.
And the sweater for him was 6" too small.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I put down my needles to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash.
Tripped over my yarn and fell down in my stash.
The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
Reminded me how far I still had to go.

When out on the lawn I heard such a noise,
I was sure it would wake up both Dad and the boys.
And although I was tired--my brain a bit thick,
I knew in a moment that it must be St Nick.

Yet what I heard left me very perplex-ed
For nothing I heard was what I expect-ed.
"Move Rowan! Move Patons! Move Koigu and Clover!
Move Shelridge! Move Starmore! Move Spinrite!
Move over!

Lopi, don't circle around, just stand there in line.
Pay attention you sheep and you'll work out just fine!
I know this is hard as it's just your first year
But I'd hate to go back to 8 tiny reindeer."

I peered over the sill. What I saw was amazing:
Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing!
And then in a twinkle, I heard at the door
Santa's big boots stomping on the porch floor.

I rose from my knees and got back on my feet.
As I turned around, St Nick I did meet.
He was dressed all in wool from his heat to his toe
And his clothes were hand knit from above to below.

A bright Fair Isle sweater he wore on his back.
And his toys were all stuffed in an Aran knit sack.
His hat was a wonder of bobbles and lace
A beautiful frame for his rosey red face.

The scarf on his neck could have stretched for a mile,
And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.
On the back of his mitts was an intricate cable.
And suddenly on one I spotted a small label:

"S.C." in duplicate on the cuff.
So I asked, "Hey, Nick, did YOU knit all this stuff?"
He proudly replied, "Ho, ho, ho, yes I did.
I learned how to knit when I was just a kid."

He was chubby and plump, a well dressed old man,
And I laughed to myself, for I'd thought up a plan.
I flashed him a grin and jumped up in the air,
And the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair.

He spoke not a word, but looked down in his lap
Where I had laid my needles and yarn for a cap.
He began then to knit, first one cap then 2--
For the first time I thought I might really get through.

He put heels in the stockings and toes in some socks,
While I sat back drinking a scotch on the rocks.
Quickly like magic his needles they flew,
Good Grief! He was finished by two!

He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,
And over his shoulder he looked back at me.
I heard him explain as he sailed past the moon,
"Next year, start your knitting sometime around JUNE!"

Episode 8: Hi all! It's been a while!

The band! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpwrDarlze0

Fo's
Christmas Blanket- stash bust Red heart
Blue and Silver Scarf- Vannas glamour yarn
Chunky Cowl- Malabrigo in Zarzamora (gifted)
Passafier Baby Blanket- baby yarn
Field of Greens- Baby yarn
Hats
Shawl- Handspun
New York Jets Hat- Red Heart Yarn

IP
Slipped Stitch Cowl- random sock yarn
Socks- Salvia- 100% Merino
Black eye shawl- Zauberball

Spinning
Taylored Fibers- Super wash Merino 100% wool 137 yards
Seaweed yarn 78 yards Navajo Plied
Gifted from Alpacaandwe 244 yards, plyed with white yarn I spun a couple months ago
Far Nebula - Madd Mess roving - 4 3/8 ounces from http://www.etsy.com/shop/Dingbattz?ref=seller_info - 548 yards  plied with three threads at once

But why do you spin???

This is not for those who spin.

This is for those who do not understand why I own a spinning wheel.

This is for those who stare at me weird when I say I spin my own yarn.

This is for those who are confused what I mean when I say I spin my own yarn.

Get ready for the extremely watered down version of how I go about spinning.
Booyah.

First off. You have your animal.

Sometimes sheep, sometimes alpaca, some times even silk worms. For realz.

You make the sheep bald and cold, then clean the wool.

Then someone dyes it. I have not gotten into dying yet, as I do not have the kitchen space, free time, or creativity as of yet. Though it will happen in my future.

^someone dyeing their fiber. Beautiful right?

After it is dyed, they dry it and braid it (depending on how they finish their fiber, sometimes they braid it, sometimes they batt it. There are differences but its just too much detail :) )

It is literally a thick....well... wrist thick...chunka.

Then you do this thing called drafting, which means you pull at the fibers so it is no longer thick, but looser and loftier.
And you take a drop spindle (which is what I started on)

Or a spinning wheel (Which I now have *SQUEE!*)

And you spend hours, (more so on the spindle) and I mean hours spinning. I am not very fast at the wheel yet, but I am getting better. The spindle and wheel literally twist the yarn, making it stronger (most of the time). And once you're done spinning half of the fiber you can stop there and call it a single. Or you can ply it, where you literally twist what you just worked with with another yarn, or onto itself. Confusing? It's really not. Its just alot of steps!

Once the yarn is spun, I wrap it around this swift which my awesome dad made me for Christmas last year. wrap wrap wrap, tie, measure, and then its off to the sink.

You have to soak the yarn to set the twist, then you fwack it. (Slam it against the wall, pull it, yadda yadda.)

Once the yarn dries, you have a skein of yarn! (I navajo plied this! First time and it went sorta well)

Close up of the yarn, not too shabby!

Some other yarn I recently spun and navajo plied. I was not fond of it at first but now I love it. I only wish I had more!

I LOVE IT! But seriously. 74 yards wont even get me a hat... hmmmm

What do I do with the yarn once its all spun up and pretty? I usually put it up in my store for a couple months, and if no one buys it and it expires in the store, I usually knit it up into something.
For instance! This was some of my favorite yarn that I spun up. It was 100% wool, and so colorful! The hat will be sold in my store shortly.

This is a shawl I made with some yarn I recently spun. It will also go up in my store soon.

Hopefully that gave you an idea of how I go about spinning my yarn.

Why do I do it?
It's relaxing
It's fun
It's exciting to really get down to the basics.
I couldn't find a good rainbow yarn, but I found some fiber. So I made my own yarn. How many people can say that?

I like knitting with the yarn I spun.

It's unique.
I like saying that I spin yarn.
It's what I do when knitting, crocheting, and quilting get boring.

And lastly.
It hypnotises my cat.
Which just makes it that much more worth it.

Spinners out there? Why do you spin?

OOOHHHH AWESOME!!!!!

I want to start out by apologizing for not doing a video this time around. I was planning on it, but with all the chaos of holidays I just wanted to lounge around the apartment in sweats!

But I still wanted to update as I have had such a great holiday (minus a couple of not so great issues...)

First up, Steve finally has his diagnosis. He has been having severe issues for months now, and
after multiple ER visits, and doctor visits, he was diagnosed with Crohns disease... So... well. Lets just say it sucks. Especially right around Thanksgiving. Mind you, he has had symptoms for years now, but it just got really bad these past couple months and he finally decided to take my advice and go see a doctor.

If anyone out there has some advice for making mornings less miserable for him, please let me know, I have done my research but its not the same as first hand accounts!

Other than having to deal with that, things have been pretty great. I have gotten a whole bunch of knitting done while he is resting, and I have been able to chug out quite a few things!

So heres the pictures!
First up is a squirrel from a squirrel family that has been haunting my poor Kitty day and night. Partially my fault for leaving a pumpkin to rot on the front porch, they have their nightly meals of pumpkin and it drives Kitty nuts.

His name is Ted, and he is a cutey!

Kitty glares at me from her table whenever I laugh at her....

Onto the knitting! I just finished this hat, earflap style. It is knit out of the yarn I spun on my drop spindle, 100% wool. I love this hat. I loved the yarn. I am just so proud of it!

It will be going up for sale in my shop this week, I dont wear hats, otherwise I would keep it!

Next up is a shawl I knit with the wool I also spun on my drop spindle. It was a pleasure to knit up and it went by really fast. I winged the pattern, but it sorta reminds me of the The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief by Orange Flower. Though not really.

I love it and I plan on keeping it for myself unless someone gives me a great offer! I love it and its soft and warm!

Lastly for the works in progress (which truthfully is not even half of what I have going now, I got lazy and didnt take more pictures)

is my silk hankie cowl. I must say, it is such an interesting thing to work with. My hands are slightly rough so the fibers stick to me like nuts. I love how it looks, I love how it knits up, but I cannot stand how my fingers stick in it!

Will I do it again? probably. Will I like it? eh. I'm sure I will once its done!

When I got to my rents place for Thanksgiving, I was greeted with multiple packages. Some I had ordered and knew about, and some were a complete surprise! Every single one made me smile ear to ear all day.

First up was the Far Nebula - Madd Mess roving - 4 3/8 ounces from http://www.etsy.com/shop/Dingbattz . I love the shop on Etsy, and I loved this fiber.

I cannot wait to spin this up, not sure what I will do with it yet, or what weight I will spin it, but I love it. LOVE IT. Epic. It has merino top and fleece, corriedale roving, mohair locks, bamboo, firestar in it. And it is gorgeous!

After that I opened up my last shipment of Sunset Fibers roving of the month club. It is cute pastel colors, and super squishy. I would reorder for the next three months, but currently I cannot afford any more, and I really have a lot of fiber at this point!

When I ordered my silk hankies from http://www.etsy.com/shop/SheepishCreations I also bought some fiber (Romney Wool Roving (Top) - Handpainted Spinning or Felting Fiber, "Samwise Gamgee" - 4.0) Which I love. And it is named after a character from the LOTR, which just makes me love it even more. When will I have time to spin it? No idea. But I will make it happen!

Next up was something I did expect. A teacher that I met when I was doing my graduate study abroad in Germany sent me an awesome care package! I had told her that for some stupid reason I forgot to get myself the one thing that I wanted to get while in Germany. A German made cuckoo clock magnet. She sent me one!
I left it on my parents fridge, but I swear she got me one and it works too! She also sent another cute magnet from/of Esslingen, which is the town we stayed in when we were there. AND sent me a whole bunch of German chocolate, which I did of course take pictures of!

GERMAN CHOCOLATE RULES THE WORLD!

The next package I opened was an RAK from a fellow Ravelryer. She sent me a very nice card thanking me for my dedication to teaching, and I almost cried. It was so sweet. Its just nice to know there are people that appreciate teachers out there.

She sent me chunky Malibrigo yarn in the Zarzamora colorway. It is beautiful, and I have no idea what I am going to do with it. Any ideas for bulky yarn out there?

Last but not least is the part of the post that made me say "OOOOOHHHH AWESOME!" So loudly that my parents came rushing down the stairs thinking I was dying or something.

Once I bought my spinning wheel, I started saving up to buy myself a flute. I have a trumpet, 3 clarinets, and a tenor sax. I find that when I am doing private lessons, some student benefit from hearing what the part should sound like before they play it. So with trumpet and flute I would just take their instrument and wipe it off before playing on it. But I really did not want to have to do that for sanitary reasons. Hence wanting to buy a flute.

I had posted on Plurk that I was attempting to save money through my Etsy store to purchase a flute, and Gail aka Alpacaandewe on Plurk messaged me saying that she might be able to help me out. She said she had one but was not using it, and would love to see it go to someone who could use it. She asked for a very small amount of money (flutes can range anywhere from 400-3,000$, and I was so grateful for the price she asked!)

She told me she would package it well, and sent it on the way.

I love the decorated case!

Its so beautiful! Plays like a charm too. I wouldnt say I am expert flute player, but now I can actually practice ahead of time to work with my students. Next podcast I will include a little tidbit of me playing flute, I am so happy!

But to my surprise.... She had not only included the flute. She kept her word on making sure the packing was suitable as to not hurt the flute. But I had no idea how awesome the packing would be!!!

Instead of actually packing peanuts, she included fiber. And lots of it. Everything except the braid (handdyed and falkland) is alpaca, which I have never actually worked with.

Look at all of that fiber!!! I think I started foaming at the mouth when I realized what it all was. Mom actually asked me if I was going to be alright. I explained to her how EPIC this package was. She was excited about the flute, but didnt understand my excitement when it came to the fiber. "It just looks like a bunch of stuff."

After I refused to talk to her for five hours, I explained how awesome it was.

The alpaca was dyed and processed by Gail, and grown by her sons. It is so soft. should be illegal.... I am so excited to work with the black and white fiber in the first picture, and the peachish in the second picture. You dont even understand how excited I was. I almost asked greg to take of picture of me throwing everything up in the air, but then decided I didnt want to risk felting anything.



Because Gail is so epically awesome (EPIC is the word of the week) I am pimping her store and blog.

Blog: http://alpacaandewe.blogspot.com/
Store: http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/AlpacaandEwe

Some days you just feel like crap after how the day has turned out. But knowing there are people out in the world who care makes me smile day in and day out. Thank you Gail, Maren, and Janie. You three are some of the most amazing people I know, and I cannot explain how grateful I am to know you!