Blog Hop: Creativity!

Last week, Hege over at Cloudberry invited me to join in with a blog hop. Everyone taking part answers three questions about creativity and then nominates two of their favourite bloggers to do the same. I was so honored to be chosen to participate! You can read about my blogging experience in this blog post.

 

1 ::  What have been the doings/makings/scribblings at your desk/making table in the last week?

 

I tend to knit on my couch in the morning or at night when the kids are all settled and dinner is done. But the nights and afternoons have been beautiful the past few days so I've found myself knitting for hours on the front porch of the farm store (it's in my backyard) I am constantly knitting something. New things, half finished things, dreaming of knits, things for the farm store, things for friends, things for me, things for the boys. This week, I had a few things going.

 

A friend of mine is moving to Germany for the next three years with her 12 year old son.

She's headed there for work and I'm going to miss seeing them so much!

I thought there was no better going away gift than some hand knits to keep them warm while reminding them of home. So, I knitted up an Outlander Cowl in gray alpaca for her and a fair isle hat for him. I'm just realizing now that I never took a photo of the hat. oops. And I gave it to them today. So hopefully someday I'll receive a photo from Germany with it on his head! Hint, hint Rita.

 

   

 

I finished up a teal colored alpaca cowl for the farm store.

 

 

I made some major progress on my Pendulum Scarf (which I've named Strawberry Fields)

I am in the top picture finishing it! I just bound off:) Now I need to weave in ends and block. Loved the yarn for this project. I bought in on my trip to Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival this past May. It's from Marigold Jen. Beautiful fun colors and bouncy yarn that is a joy to knit.

I also got some more rows complete on my "Stole for Fall" scarf.

 

And I just got our new yarn tags in. I designed them for our farm yarn skeins. I'm very pleased with them. Can't wait for the farm yarn to arrive in the fall.

2 :: Where are you currently finding your inspiration?
---

Everywhere! Too broad? Ok...let's narrow it down.

I mentioned last week that we were struck by lightning and lost a bunch of things including tv.

I love tv. I'm not one of those people that thinks tv rots your brain. I enjoy it. Yes, I do.

However, we have not had tv for a week now. So I entered the podcast listening world on my phone.

Oh boy. A whole other level of knitting dorkiness!!!! I have discovered the Knitmore Girls and I've been listening non stop while I knit. They inspired me to finish up my half done projects while they compete in the "stash dash". It's helped! 

For other inspiration, I am constantly viewing Pinterest, instagram (a lot), Ravelry (too much), blogs, anything Brooklyn Tweed (hint, hint...hire me) and most of my inspiration comes from my surroundings, the alpacas, the fields out my front window, my yarn stash and colors surrounding me.

 

3 :: How important is being creative to you and how do you blend this with your work/life/family balance?

 

 Luckily, my job is a creative job. I am a graphic designer by day which forces me to be creative even if I'm not in the mood. Knitting keeps my creative juices flowing. I also love to embroider when I can.

Being creative is a part of my every day. I need it. It's a part of me. I can't imagine not having a creative outlet. However, my house tends to be less than organized and tidy. I blame the creative brain. :) So balancing it with my family and life is just a part of our life. My husband has learned that sometimes we can't eat at the dining room table if I have something blocking. And sometimes I have to spend a few hours crafting to keep me sane. I think my family "gets it."  I know my creative friends and sisters "get it." It's just a way of life for me.

Now, on to my nominated bloggers:

I nominate: 

Andee @ Matchthepictures • Andee is my middle sister and her blog is full of beautiful photography, her knits and my cute nephews. She is designing her own patterns now and they're amazing. I do not have the math brain, but she does. So hop on over there and visit her. you'll enjoy it!

I also nominate:

Lori @ lori times five

I know that Lori is going on the dream knitting trip to Shetland soon, so she may not be able to participate in the blog hop for next week, but I don't care. Her blog is beautiful, inspiring and full of beautiful knitting, photography and more. Hop on over there and you'll love it too. I promise.

 

 Thank you again to Hege for nominating me. I am honored.

Happy Knitting friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yarn Along-Vacation Style

I am very, very, very lucky to live by the beach. I never have a day where I'm not thankful that a trip to the beach consists of a five minute ride and a beach full of friends.

But it is nice to get away. Between the baseball schedule and work, we were able to get a few days away at my inlaws house (who also live at the beach) It's a great get away and the kids love it down there. So I of course took my knitting and reading with me and got a lot done while away.

I finished up another Outlander Cowl. I'm obsessed, I know.

My sister, Andee (AndeeKF on Ravelry) designed it and I'm making them as fast as I can to sell at the farm this fall and winter. This one was done with gray alpaca yarn.

Finished up this book. Hands down, one of the most well written, laugh out loud, make you cry, can't put it down for a second book that I have read in a long time. I loved it. It's going to be a movie and it's going to be awesome. Can't imagine it being bad!

 

My inlaws live next to Atlantic City. My husband and I got away one night just the two of us and stayed at the Revel. I spent a little time in the morning knitting on the deck. I totally didn't fit in!!! But who cares!!!!???!!! I also realize that I stink at having time to myself.

I feel guilty at all times and don't know how to relax and enjoy if I don't have a little person asking me to make them food. Pathetic. But we did have a nice time.

We took a day trip to Cape May to visit the zoo and the town.

I picked up a new book...I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb

and I spotted a yarn store! Had to stop in. Bought yarn from a local farm.

 

BIG NEWS FOR MY SISTER, ANDEE!!!!....

For the yarn festival junkies out there, Miss Babs will be selling Andee's pattern of the Standing Stones Cowl at her booth now! She'll have one knitted up on display. How cool is that?!?!?!?!?

So exciting!

Joining in with Ginny for the Yarn Along.

Have a great week. Stay Cool!

Yarn Along Time

Hello and HAPPY SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!

We made it! Kids are out. Temps are warm and clocks are out the window.

Happy days :)

It's Yarn Along Day...

Time to share what you are knitting and reading.

I knitted up another Outlander Cowl.

My sister, Andee designed the pattern. Now, yes she is my sister so I might be bias, but honestly this is a wonderful pattern! I never get bored and it's easy to travel. Perfect combo!

I used up the rest of the skein from my first version and used a second skein to finish up.

This one was knitted on size US7 so it's a smaller version. I sold the first one in the farm store last weekend, so this one will be on sale too! 

 Haha!!!! Garrett has alpaca ears! A blooper from my angle while Garrett took my picture wearing the Outlander Cowl.

 Hi Smoke. He got a fancy hair cut around his face this week. Our award winning shearer paid the farm a visit to shear the babies and Smoke got some special treatment!

And onto the next knit. Another Outlander. I told you! I don't get tired of this pattern.

This time on big needles like the first and in a light gray alpaca yarn that we sell at the farm.

I tried reading Outlander....I just couldn't get into it. So I stopped. Fail. But I picked up a new book and I loved it by the second page. So hoping this one keeps my attention. 

Miss Dandelion Deer has a new friend. Mr. Basil Fox is all together.

This was supposed to be a gift for Chase's birthday, but he's already playing with him.

I am intimidated by the tiny doll clothes that need to be sewn, so I think I'll knit him a sweater.

Who needs pants? Not this guy. Donald Duck didn't. So he doesn't.

I am making him a knitted scarf right now.

A whole armful of goodness.

I added some felted embellishments to my Smoke Alpaca Slippers!

And some weekly outtakes......

First summer morning. No bus stop. No craziness. Just calm, slow morning.

Garrett won the championship! Very exciting!

Babies got haircuts!

Have a great week!

Joining in with Ginny at Small Things.

Yarn Along - Finished Outlander

Happy Yarn Along Day!

From Ginny Sheller's Blog...

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? -

My sister, Andee (AndeeKF on Ravelry) designed some new patterns.

I just finished up knitting the Outlander Cowl last night.

It's waiting to be blocked, but I couldn't help myself to get out in the alpaca fields this morning and photograph it! Of course those curious little creatures came to check it out.

I think they approve.

I knitted this with 1 1/2 skeins of Cascade Pure Alpaca Yarn (220yds/skein)

The color is a yellow, green, buttery, springy HARD to photograph color!

But it's lovely in person :) We sell the yarn at the farm.

 

Knitted on 10 1/2 circular needles (bigger than what Andee suggested) caused my gauge to be on the big side, which I love. It created a beautiful drape. Super soft and comfy. However, it made my cowl pretty long, so I didn't do all the lace repeats. Next time I'll go with a smaller needle so I can get all those pretty lace repeats in.

 

The new baby girls checking out this funny looking person wearing a pretty cowl!

Who's the cute dark brown cria on the left you ask? Oh...that's the new baby girl, Wenge. 

We're calling her Winny for short. 

(Wenge is a kind of wood and most of the alpacas born on the farm get a wood name in honor of my family's woodworking business)

I really love this pattern and can't say enough things about it.

And my sister is the designer, so that's the coolest part!

Hop over to Ravelry to see my notes and pattern link.

Outlander Cowl Link

And for reading? Well, Outlander, of course.

Andee loved it and named the cowl after it, so I thought it was a good choice.

I checked a WELL LOVED copy out of the library this week!

I always say it's a good sign when a book looks like this. You know it will be good, right?

Happy Wednesday! I hope you have time this week to do something you love and knit/crochet/craft/photograph/play and learn.

 

Standing Stones

Andee has just released another new pattern.

This one is called "Standing Stones"

Inspired by the Outlander book series, this cowl/shawl/cape is a beautiful knit!

Ravelry Pattern Page Link:

Standing Stones Cowl

Andee has the knit design brain. I have the graphic design brain.

Put us together, and you get a printed pattern.

It also helps to have a gorgeous friend that models for Andee!

Thanks Ryan!!!!

Outlander Yarn Along

It's Yarn Along Day!

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr.  ~ (From Ginny Sheller's Blog)

I am very excited to share my sister's new pattern that has just been released!

Outlander Cowl/Infinity Scarf is now ready for your needles!

Ravelry Link to pattern page: Outlander

I'm really excited about this pattern because I've never really seen anything like it.

It starts out like a cowl and gets increasingly wider so it sits on you like an infinity scarf would but you don't have to wrap it around! It's beautiful. She designed it for a fingering weight, dk/sport and worsted. I casted on last night and I'm using Cascade Pure Alpaca that we sell in our farm store.

It's a pretty yellow, greenish color.

Here is my knitting so far....

My Ravelry Link: Outlander

I have had a few long term projects on my needles and I just needed something quick.

So a new hat for Chase it was. It came out a little small so I think Wade is getting a new hat for fall.

It's knitted with Jojoland yarn and I loved the gradient of it. It knits up so cool.

Chase wanted me to take a picture of him wearing it and he wanted to show his nose boo boo.

He took a face plant out of the back of the farm golf cart yesterday. It wasn't moving. He was just playing in it with Wade when he fell flat out the back and used his face to break his fall.

Blood. Scrapes. Fun times.

 

For my reading, I'm still finishing up The Owl & Moon Cafe.

Andee's cowl is based on the Outlander book, so obviously, that's my next choice.

It's been highly recommended to me many times, so it's time I read it!

Happy Knitting!!!

And if you get a chance, check out my sister, Andee's blog, Match the Pictures.

She has more photos of her pattern there.