margit's knitting adventures

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And it has something to do with what's in this box...

Check out the new blog at fiberfiend.com/blog to find out what's in the box! And to continue reading about Margit's Knitting (and Spinning!) Adventures!

Some Scarves

Here's Holiday Scarf #2 in Moda Dea Tutu

It kind of looks like snow... it's the same 20 stitch 2 x 2 ribbing pattern I used on the Aerie scarves.

And here, sound the trumpets, is my hand-dyed handspun soy silk entrelac scarf!

Yay! And a closeup!

P.S. I got some Lorna's Laces in Black Pearl at the after Thanksgiving sale at Purlescence...

Mojo's 4 months old!!

Mojo turned 4 months old today. He weighs 25 pounds! That means I don't think he's going to get as big as I had initially thought and hoped. Jezabelle was 44 lb. at 4 months. He's a sweetie though, and I'm sure however big he gets will be plenty big enough.

Since I last posted about Mojo, he's been to the dog park a few more times, and he made some new friends...

He frolicked around with Siena...

He got a little muddy...

We all took a nap (Lilla was in her crate)...

We started putting him and Siena in the same crate overnight...

Mojo started digging in his water dish, getting quite wet, so we gave him a new water delivery system (like a giant gerbil feeder)...

I let him explore the empty dog food bag while I watched through the window, prepping his food (putting kibbles in chew toys)...

And he plopped down in the grass...

We noticed he has webbed feet, which probably confirms that he is part Yellow Lab. We had dinner with some friends for Thanksgiving, and one of their friends said he has Blue Heeler eyes, aka Australian Cattle Dog eyes, which could explain 3 other things: pointy ears, heel biting, and small size.

So, now I think he's a Yellow Lab/Australian Cattle Dog/Rottweiler mix. I think he'll be 50 lb. at 1 year and 60 lb. as an adult. Next month, I think he'll be 33 lb!

Sweater Woes

The sweater is almost done. You know what sweater I'm talking about. I absolutely love it. But, I've just about run out of yarn, and it's not quite done yet. Since realizing I am going to run out of yarn, I have contacted 4 different online vendors to purchase one more ball. They all have websites that say they sell this yarn (Lana Grossa Due Chine), and they're all out of stock in the color I need (and most other colors as well). I've posted on Knitters Review. It's my last hope...

I'm in quite a pickle here, because 1) I wanted to sell this pattern, so I now have to find a new different yarn that will work at approximately the same guage and knit another sweater in that yarn before finalizing the pattern and putting it up for sale, and 2) I really really love this sweater and really really want to finish it and wear it!!!

Booooooo!

[Added later, but before posting]
OK, so I picked a new yarn and I'm excited to knit another sweater. I really love the pattern, so it will be awesome to have 2 sweaters in different yarns and colors. Plus this way I will follow my pattern directions (once I write them up in a bit more orderly fashion) and see if my directions are good or not.

In other news, I'm knitting an entrelac scarf with my handspun soy silk, which I will post a picture of soon. I started another holiday scarf, but put it on hold. I figured out what pattern to use for my nephew's baby blanket. I haven't spun anything in almost 3 weeks... and Mojo will be 4 months old tomorrow, so I'll post more pictures of him then too!

Also, my mom loves her new socks.

(You see where I get my love of big dogs.)

And I did say I'd post pictures of Siena modeling my latest scarf, the only holiday knitting I've completed so far...

Doesn't she remind you of Greta Garbo?
She's definitely got flare...

A little sock yarn and fiber for your viewing pleasure

I used my coupon at Purlescence and picked up some Claudia Handpainted (Walk in the Woods, Jungle from Left to Right), and some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock (Pioneer, Mt. Creek, from Center to Right)

I also picked up some Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks Merino/Tencel fiber, which might just get its chance on the spinning wheel sometime very soon...

Mojo Madness

[Picture-heavy puppy post. If you hate puppies, don't scroll down.]

It was a momentous week in Mojo's life, as he made his first trip to the dog park.

He was a bit terrified...

but he made some new friends...

Siena wasn't too happy about having to share the back of the car with Mojo...

but there is plenty of room for them in the back of my new (pre-owned) dog mobile...

Mojo also made it up on the couch, without the impetus of the devil vacuum cleaner.

He convinced Siena to play with him a bit...

And we've started trying to teach him to leave Lilla alone...

Sometimes Siena just wants to be left alone too...

Somehow Mojo didn't gain any weight this week (or I weighed him at the wrong time of day), so he was 19.5 pounds at 15 weeks. He did grow 2 inches taller since the last time I measured him 2 weeks ago, so he's now 14.5 inches tall. He's still 17 inches long. He has started biting our heels, so he definitely has some herding dog in him. His ears are still getting perkier. So, I still think he's a Rottweiler/German Shepherd/Lab mix, and that he'll be 70 lb. at 1 year and 90 lb. as an adult. I'm going to go for 23 lb. again as my guess for next week's weight.

Knitting and Spinning Progress

I finished the first Moda Dea Aerie scarf, in an off-white color, which will be a holiday gift.

I wove in the ends this evening -- I'll have Siena model it tomorrow.

I started a second one too... in a light blue color.

Yay, I'm using up stash!

When I was out with Mojo the other morning, when it was sunny after pouring all day long the day before, I noticed this...

and thought it was pretty darn cool.
No, my fence is not on fire.
Water was evaporating off of the wet fence.
(Isn't my neighbor's house ugly?)

In the world of spinning, I was surprised on Tuesday when I started spinning up the bamboo I dyed earlier this year.

How did this

turn into this

?

Every time I look at it, it amazes me.

Because of the all of the colors, and because I only have 4 oz., I initially thought I would make bamboo sock yarn, and knit myself a pair of bamboo socks. However, Cookie said that bamboo socks probably wouldn't be very flexible, and suggested I make something lacy. Since it's coming out in varying shades of purple, I might just leave it as singles, and do just that.