Happiness is...

...a finished project and the start of a new one.  I love how my first color work hat turned out!   En Brekksprut is ready to wear after I block it.

I think I may have pulled my floats a little bit and I'm not sure how they will block out, but all in all a good first try.

Next on to the Mini Mochi Fair Isle Hat, a free download on Ravelry and another chance to practice my color work.  I'm using Mini Mochi Lapis Blue and Feldspar together.  The corrugated ribbing was a challenge but now I'm on to the body of the hat and it is addicting to knit.  This blue is so vivid, I'm loving it!

Not knitting related...we are going solar!  The Mr. has been thinking about this for a few years now and today is the day.  It is so cold out, clear, no rain...those guys on our roof look like they are freezing!  They are so good natured and of course not afraid of a little cold weather.  And happily we are supposed to have sun for the next 2-3 days.  Yay for solar power!

Miss Bibi is a little freaked out by all of the noise and stomping around on the roof, she has stayed close by my side all day knitting with me.  She took my pattern at one point and begged for a little attention.  I complied.  

Back to knitting now, tomorrow I think I'll stand by our solar panel and watch us sell power back to the grid.

Happiness is...

...trying something new.  For me this week, that would be color work aka fair isle.  I have been hesitant to do fair isle, not sure why...I guess it just seemed like too much trouble, too hard, not interested...then I met my friend Julie for coffee and she had on the  En Brekksprut' two color beret and all of my hesitation fell away.  It is very pretty,  and she said that it was a good beginning color work project.  So off to Ravelry to purchase the pattern, off to my stash to find some yarn and off to Hazel Knits online shop to add to my stash.  From my stash I chose a fingering weight Colinette Jitterbug in Copper Beach and then ordered Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in Malachite.

This is a good beginner pattern....it's slow going for me but I am enjoying the process.

And because it was a beautiful cold clear day here I got out and got a good walk in...the marina was busy with lots of walkers, runners, cyclists and dogs walking their people.

Edmonds Marina

What is the meaning of life?

"The meaning of life is happiness.  Hard question is not 'What is meaning of life?'  That is easy question to answer!  No, hard question is what make happiness.  Money?  Big house?  Accomplishment?  Friends?  Or...Compassion and big heart?  This is question all human beings must try to answer:  What make true happiness?"   Dalai Lama

If I only had a brain....

No worries, just knit one!  

A high school classmate from long ago commissioned me to make this brain hat for her.  She is a cranio-sacral therapist and teaches a neuro-anatomy class.  She thought it would be fun to wear a 'brain' while teaching.  So...without further ado I got to work and knit a brain.  There was a very helpful suggestion on Ravelry to get an "Embellish Knit Machine" to do the endless feet of i-cord needed for the brain folds.  (Here is a useful link for those of you interested in a little anatomy lesson on the brain)  Since I dreaded days and days of knitting pink i-cord I went to my nearby Joann Fabrics and for $12.00 bought the little device.  Best $12.00 I ever spent.  Instead of days, it took me about 15 minutes to crank out all of the i-cord that I needed!!  It worked great in spite of some of the negative comments I read online about the Embellish.  So the brain will be in the mail tomorrow to it's new home.  I hope it will live happily ever after.

In searching for some needles to knit the above mentioned brain hat I got my knitting needle bin out and was struck with shame. 

What a mess!!  Loose knitting needles everywhere...I vow before you that this will be taken care of by the New Year.   I have needles all over the house too, in various stages of usage in a project, tucked here and there for me to find and exclaim over.   No wonder I have so many size 10.5 circular needles, I go out and buy another pair because I can't find the other 5 hidden around the house.  I know that I can't be the only one out there who does this.  Right?

Just because...

No Black Friday shopping for me...

I have never nor will I ever head to a Mall to shop on the day after Thanksgiving.  I may have slipped out once to go to the grocery store for milk a couple of years ago but that was it!  I spent the day knitting, spinning and took a wee little nap, listened to it rain and rain and rain....  Walked on the treadmill while following the Hobbits to Isengard...some of my favorite lines from LOTR:

"They're taking the Hobbits to Isengard"
"The sky is red, blood has been spilled this night"
"This forest is old, very old"
"We ride north..huh!"
"They run as if they very whips of their masters were behind them"
"Tricksey little Hobbitses..gollum gollum"

Anyway I digress and you get the idea...there are many more lines that I love but I don't want to scare anyone with my LOTR nerdiness.

Knitting needle whiskers

Oh what fun we had...

...in the Cove at room6 on Saturday!!  We debuted our yarn and kits in Megan's beautiful shop in Deep Cove and had such a good time interacting with the customers, drinking tea and eating cookies, demonstrating spinning and best of all selling some yarn and kits.  Thank you to our friends and family who came to support us, and to Megan and her lovely helpers who made the day a delight.

One of my favorite shops ever!

The sisters in action

I finished my Deep Cove Cowl this morning and while it isn't knit from our own Emerald Lotus yarn it is still very soft and lovely.  It is knit from Tosh DK in the Plaid Blanket color way and I doubt that it will languish in my scarf drawer at all this winter.  Very warm and cozy.

And lastly a view of Deep Cove as the sun peaked out from a rainy morning - sigh - it is such a beautiful area, I never tire of it's changing moods.

A new kidney and lots of yarn!

First off...I am so excited to report that the man has a new (used) kidney...donated to him by his good friend Stephen.  Both are doing very well, the man only after suffering some major setbacks and complications.  But 6 weeks later he is on the mend, getting stronger and feeling the joy of the gift of renewed life from a dear friend.

taken pre-transplant at Mt. Rainier

Next, sister Kate and I are getting ready for two upcoming events featuring our Emerald Lotus Fiberarts yarns, patterns, kits and woven shawls.  Coming up on the 15th of November is the Mill Creek Lions Club Holiday Craft Bazaar, we are so excited!  It should be festive and fun for us.  Next up is the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd of November where we will have our yarns and kits at Room6 in Deep Cove, Vancouver BC.  We've both been dyeing and creating for weeks now and are ready for our debut.

I finally put the polishing touches on my new pattern, Copper Creek Cowl...It is up for sale on Ravelry and  Etsy in our Emerald Lotus Fiberarts online shop.

Copper Creek Cowl

Life is good even if the weather isn't...lol!