Yarn Along...After the Lightning

Hello!

Well, it has been quite a week around here. The Jersey Shore has been slammed with thunderstorms and extreme rain the past few days. We have had more rain in a short amount of time than I can remember! And the lightning and thunder! We were the unfortunate people that were hit by lightning.

Yes. I said it. HIT BY LIGHTNING! Ok...maybe not direct hit, but VERY CLOSE!

It hit my parent's sprinkler system (it's attached to their house) and blew it up across the yard and in the same strike we lost all power, a blown up lightbulb, killed tvs, satellite, internet. My parents lost a tv in the process too. SCARY! But thankfully we are all ok and the houses are ok.

The computers were all safe. THANK GOODNESS!!!! I need my computer for work and I have so much info an photos on here. Makes me realize that I REALLY need to back this thing up!

Wow...I'm using a lot of all caps. Sorry. 

Ok....so anyway....it's yarn along day.

And thanks to the nice Verizon repair man that visited this morning, I now have a new functioning modem and back with the online world. So I can share in the yarn along fun with everyone else.

Here goes....

I finished another Outlander Cowl. I used gray alpaca yarn from the Coop.

And new knitting. Using the remainder of the gray skein, I casted on the Standing Stones Cowl.

My dear friend and her son will be moving to Germany in a few weeks for work and she'll live there for 3 years. So, of course I needed to make them some knitted gear to remind them of home and keep them nice and toasty.

 

I also enjoyed listening to the podcast of an interview with Jared Flood. I really enjoyed hearing the process of dyeing the fiber and his painting major background. Gotta love other art school peeps.

 

Fresh flowers that Chase and I collected from the farm this week. In a small pottery vase that I think Lizzie made in college.

Still working on this book...........just not loving it. But many of you have said to keep going. So I am :) I am not giving up....yet.

 

Wishing everyone a good week. Join in the fun over at Ginny's Blog for more yarn alongers.

Back to Reality....Sort of...

Happy Monday folks.

Vacation is over so it's back to reality. Well, sort of! My older boys stayed at my inlaws for a few extra days so they could have a chance to hang out with their older cousins that we don't get to see very often. They're having a blast. I think they've completely forgot about us.

They'll be back tomorrow and then a loud crazy house will be the norm.

As most of you know, my sisters, myself and my dad also work other jobs besides the alpacas.

My mom is the full time alpaca lady and my sisters and I help with the farm store and care when we can. I'm a graphic designer and have worked as a freelancer for 12 years now. (am I really old enough to have had a career for 14 years?! yikes) Anywho.....my DREAM FREELANCE JOB is open.

Jared Flood and the Brooklyn Tweed team are hiring a freelance graphic designer. My heart nearly stopped when I read this job posting. It is close to my home, most work is from home, it's my absolute favorite company, which if anyone has ever read this blog will know that I am in awe of everything Jared Flood. So, the application has been sent and my fingers and toes are crossed. Can you imagine? The honor of working for such an amazing company?!!!! I am praying that I will be considered for this. If any of you know Jared, you can always give him a nice shout out for me. Just saying....!

Just thought I would share some recent knitting projects that I did this week as well as a few photos from our little get-a-away.

Tomorrow I'll be back with lots of alpaca photos and farm fun!

4th of July was rainy for most of the day. How unAmerican. So I did what any good American would do, I knitted the day away. I casted on the Standing Stones Cowl using Baby Alpaca/Merino blend yarn that we sell at the farm. It's a great teal color and I think it's perfect for this pattern.

Vacation also meant lots and lots of guilt free knitting time. Coffee and knitting every morning on the front porch of my inlaws. This is my Strawberry Fields shawl. Slow going. I forgot how long garter stitch with fingering yarn takes!

 

 

I finished another Outlander Cowl. This time using a light gray alpaca yarn.

Using the big needles again, this cowl is so soft, loose and drapes beautifully. 

A few vacation shots....

We had a chance to visit our favorite seafood joint in Cape May.

H&H Crabs is a great little place. They bring the crabs and lobster right off their boats, into tanks right outside the restaurant. You order up what ever you want, they pick them out, cook them and serve them to you in a big bucket dockside. It's a byob and lots of fun.

Chase's reaction when I told him he couldn't put his hands in the crab tanks.

It's tough being two.

Among many fun things we got to do last week, I think I had the most fun catching frogs in the yard.

There was plenty of frog catching to be done!!!! I am the champ.

Alpaca pictures tomorrow! I promise  :)

Have a great week all!
-Leanne

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!

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!!!!