B is for Beaverslide

B is for Beaverslide, originally uploaded by alexcateye.

The ABC Along is keeping me blogging. I love this roving. It's grown in Montana, it's soft, it's close to the earth...

I've spun two pounds of roving already. I'll post photos soon. I sometimes pick up this pink roving and give it a big hug. So nice...

Knitting Knightmares

I know that other people's dreams are boring, but I keep having awful knitting anxiety dreams. I reach for my needles and the tips break off. I go to the grocery store and the clerk is wearing my favorite sweater--only she's ripped big holes in it. Awful.

David and I are about to celebrate our first anniversary. We made it official on January 26, 2007. Since the first anniversary is traditionally paper, I'm knitting him a desk accessory suitable for an Air Force cop. Yup, toilet paper.

Why aren't you listening to Ingrid Michaelson--singer to knitters everywhere?

"The Hat" is a song about first love and first knitting. I'd recommend it to anyone.

A is for Alpaca

ravelry 002, originally uploaded by alexcateye.

I'm having a hard time writing these days. I've decided to join the A-B-C along on Flickr to give myself some inspiration.

I love alpaca. It's very fun and lovely to spin.

I met an airman (a female airman) on a snowshoeing trip last month and promised to knit her something with my handspun yarn. She has long black hair and I thought this snow white headwrap would frame her face perfectly.

Calorimetry headwrap made with my handspun alpaca...

Stocking cap

blog 004, originally uploaded by alexcateye.

I tried to knit Lacy Bed Socks, but the shaping was horrible. They ended up looking like the pants male gymnasts wear with the weird stirrup ankles. I unraveled them and salvaged a baby hat from one sock. I like it.

I plan to give it to a nonknitter at my church. I used my hand spun yarn. It's so soft. I hate to give handwash only items to new moms, but a hat shouldn't need too much washing. (Unless that baby is a real puker.) Especially a spring hat for a new baby. Sigh. Life moves on...

I'm still knitting...

I don't know what to do with myself these days. I'm starting a knitting circle at my church. That should be fun. I'm pushing forward all of the time.

I finished a pair of socks from the yarn I spun with Spunky Eclectic's roving. Ordinarily I am quite picky about personal cleanliness, but I have worn these babies three days in a row. I love worsted weight socks! I've never knit socks so thick and warm before. I live in Montana. I need big socks.

This was my first afterthought heel. Not bad. Not my favorite.

Pardon me, do you mind if I burst out of your chest?

I finished my Center Motif Pullover I started this summer. I wanted some mindless knitting and it was nice to get this done. I ignored the instruction to block the panel before knitting the sleeves and the sweater looks like an alien is about to bust out of my abdominal cavity. I'll post a better picture when it's done blocking.

This sweater has grown considerably with blocking. Yikes. It's still lovely and I know I'll wear it a lot because it's a big warm sack to crawl into.

Knit On

"Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crises." --Elizabeth Zimmerman

Here I am, knitting on...

Thank you to all for the kind thoughts and comments.

I have shivered all of 2008. I could not feel warm knowing that my brother and baby niece were gone. Somehow, wool in my lap is a tremendous comfort.

I'll never really believe it

I keep saying it to people, but I just can't believe it. My brother and ten month old niece died in a car accident New Year's Eve.

They were just here.

I am so lost. I have never cried so much in my life.