Welcome Ezmaralda!

Paul came home with a baby today.
I named her Ezmaralda.

Ezmaralda was born March 28th and is 8 weeks old. She has crusty ear mite ears (treatable but bleck!) and is very alert and playful and feisty. She will fit in well here with the Hanlin women.

Welcome Ezmaralda!

Flirtation Block

Here is block number one for my new project, Reenie's Stitch Sampler Cabled Afghan (Pillows?)

Knit from Malabrigo worsted in Apple Green, from the Flirtation Pattern, which is free on the Vogue Knitting site.

The back also looks groovy:

My book arrived yesterday (Vogue Stitchionary Vol. 2, Cables) and WOW! yummy and amazing-- I had no idea there were so many fun cable designs to play with. I have marked more than a few to tackle!

Thanks again Sam for the inspiration!

I have been thinking of starting my first lace project (Proud of me Angela?) and would like something manageable, like a scarf, which is challenging but will not make me want to poke my eyeballs out. Suggestions anyone???

Yarngasm!

I am so excited. I just redesigned the Handspun Yarn Shop! Now each designer will have their own page showcasing their spectacular creations!

We are now featuring a new yarn designer, Eva of AtomHeart!

Check out the shop to buy her yarns!

I also just updated with six new Reenie skeins! I have been having a bit of a color fit lately so they are COLORFUL!

I am now off to find a glass of wine and KNIT!
What are YOU doing this weekend?

The New Project~

Reenie's Stitch Sampler Cabled Afghan (Pillows?)

Inspired by Sam's Stitch of the Week project in Lime and Violet's blog. (Sam's blog link)

I want to be challenged, but NOT over-committed to a large project right now. This I can pick at when I get a chance and the pieces can travel about with me. I am not sure if it will become an afghan/throw or pillows yet. I have plenty of time to decide.

So here are the yarns I have chosen to use. All Malabrigo worsted, because I have some in stock and it is so very yummy. The colors I have chosen are perfect for my house and they make me smile.

Colors are:
Forest Green, Apple Green, Velvet Grapes, Molly, Amoroso, Holly Hock, Shocking Pink, Buscando Azul, Jacinto, Violetas, Fucsia and Purple Mystery.

I may follow some of Sam's chosen cable patterns, but have decided to start simple-ish.
I found some free cable patterns on the Vogue site and just ordered the Vogue Stitchionary Vol. 2, Cables book. I wound all of my skeins into balls and made this handy little yarn reference card thingy for my journal. (just to satiate my OCD).

So-- first color is Apple Green and the first pattern is Flirtation, which I started last night.

I will post a pic of the first sampler when it is done.

phew!

I gotta say, our trip to PA has kicked.my.butt.

The time change in the fall and spring wack me out for days, so imagine what a 3 hour time change does, mixed with a cold/flu? (thanks mom for the cooties I caught from you) I fell asleep last night at 7:30 pm and was up this morning at 4 am. haha

I am attempting to knit a new (to me) cable pattern and it is hilarious. Perhaps I should hit the Nyquil or vodka and go to BED? Or perhaps it would make my knitting more interesting?

I DID get one skein spun for the shop, a shop order organized, 10 days of email caught up and about 6 loads of laundry done. PLUS I organized, thought out, researched and photographed the yarns for my new big project, I just could not manage to get the pics I took uploaded. heh. Maybe I am not doing so bad after all.

Tomorrow will bring a massive grocery trip (blerg) and a shop order production. Maybe a nap and some meds...... sniff.
AND the pics that I took today.

for now..... make dinner and then zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Ambitious? OCD? Overcommitted?

All of the production spinning I have had to do lately has given me a lot of time to think. Paul is on the road so much lately, which leaves me with so much on my plate.
YAY for his new job, though, because it puts me in a position where I don't *need* to work, which changes my perspective drastically.

So during all of this thinking time I have been struggling with the whole production issue. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my yarn shops, but new ones keep coming in and I am so busy I realized that things that are way more important are getting pushed to the side. This is why I dropped out of the MBA program I was taking a few years ago. My girls mean the world to me and they will be young for such a small amount of time. My house? bah! Let's not discuss that, ha!

My creative time has also been put on the shelf, which I NEED to keep me sane. I have this knitting itch and my dolls have been calling my name lately also.

What's your point Reen? There is a constant struggle within me between the business woman side and the momma/wife side. The momma is winning out. I have decided to take a step back from yarn production, choosing to keep up only with my current shop accounts and started a "new shop" waiting list for now, until I figure things out in more detail. This leaves me more time to basically function (sleep, homeschool the girls, clean, eat, etc.) and to keep spinning my one-ofs for the shop.

There are now several fantastic spinners represented in the Handspun Shop, and I have several NEW spinners who have sent me yarns to photograph and list.

I have also recently completed a big knitting project (big for me)-pics coming soon and have been sniffing around for something more challenging to knit.

Stay tuned as I am currently organizing myself and taking pics of the yarns, etc. I am so excited! hee!

more later....................

Jacob "The Singer"~

My nephew Jacob is at that hilarious age between toddlerhood and childhood.
He LOVES to sing. He says he is "THE SINGER". The kid is a hoot. Check out the Elvis leg and moves along with the Axel Rose torso reveal at the end of the first version.




He was so proud when he saw his video.
We are still in PA visiting family and completely exhausted from running from place to place to place to place trying to fit everyone in. phew!

I have been knitting up a frenzy and will take pics to post soon.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!