Cold, Rainy, Thursday

It's overcast, chilly and rainy here. The perfect day to stay inside.

Unfortunately, I had to go out.

The good news is:

The yarn for the sweater I'm going to make for myself arrived today. It's beautiful!

I picked up the instructions for the sweater from the library today (part of the reason I had to go out). I plan to actually buy the book, but that won't happen until a new influx of money next month. Here's the book:

The sweater I plan to make looks roughly like this:

I would want to make the neckline higher, with a little less negative ease, and make it a bit longer and add pockets, but this is the basic idea. And the yarn I got is the yarn that I made this set out of:

Sorry to repeat all this because I blogged about it the other day, but I didn't want you to have to search for the photos.

The buttons I'll probably use for this arrived yesterday. Steve has started casting things in pewter, and he sent me some shiny, silver-looking, tiny buttons with stars on them, and it suddenly occurs to me that this would be a perfect place to put them.

He also sent me some shiny, silver-looking buttons that are larger and have dragons on them! I'm excited! They're beautiful!

The bad news is that I finished the knitting on Holly's birthday present the other day, and started another project for her for Christmas, and I feel that I should finish that project before I start another one.

On the other hand, I will need to buy some beads to finish it, and I won't be able to afford them until next month, so I could probably talk myself into abandoning that project at any time, since I won't be able to finish it for a while, anyway.

I should mention here that I'm not going to say anything else about the project for Holly, so don't even bother to ask me about it! At least not on my blog.

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So, what this means is that I've got piles of knitting to do during all the wonderful TV shows that will be on tonight!

There's Flash Forward, Supernatural, Fringe, and The Mentalist on network TV. All of those are new tonight!

And on SyFy, there are three episodes of Masters of Horror, which I'm assuming is a show something like the Twilight Zone.

Be sure to check your local listings. Some of those things are on at the same time. I hope you have a DVR or TiVO! I do!

What could be more perfect? It's chilly and wet outside, but it's warm and snug inside with lots of fabulous stuff to watch on TV and more knitting than I can possibly do!

I hope your evening is as great as mine will be!

Help!

I'm currently undergoing a crisis.

Three actually.

Well, four crises and a lizard.

But there is one that you might be able to help me with, and, as with a lot of crises, it involves money.

I currently need $2,000 to $3,000 worth of dental work desperately, and immediately, with no way to raise the money without help. The universe is currently finding lots of ways to get money away from me without providing any way to get money coming in.

If you wish to help, there is a donate money button in the sidebar. Every little bit helps, even just $5.

But I've thought of some more creative ways to earn some money for me while doing something helpful or useful for people generous enough to donate.

The first is: if you plan to buy something through Amazon, I have an Amazon store, and it might be available through my store. If you want something that's not in the store, let me know and I'll put it there. This will  not change your purchase price, but a small amount will go to me and help with the cause.

I am a fiberartist. I make things out of fiber, including, but not limited to: Hats, mitts, scarves, wimples, hoods, sweaters, shawls, vests, afghans, lap robes, and lots more. Think Christmas presents. 

Items will be done in the order  the requests and payment come in, so order soon for Christmas delivery. Or order a coupon to give at Christmas so that the recipient can design a project of their own. The sooner you order, the sooner you'll get it, though.

I've had custom-made clothing most of my life. My mom made professional grade clothing for my sister and me while we were growing up. Then I learned to sew and made my own clothing.

Then I learned to knit and crochet and made even more clothing.

I realized only a few years ago that most people nowadays have never had something made for them, specifically to their design and specifically to fit them. 

So, here are some ideas for things you might like.

Scadians

Wimples, hoods, mitts, shawls, felted belt pouches.

Here's a hood I made for a friend. It's made of Spelsau wool, which is a sheep breed that was around before the Middle Ages and is still bred today. The wool is very authentic, especially for Viking personas.

I know about Medieval clothing and about fibers and I can make something authentic for you, or something that's practical and can be thrown in the washing machine.

Fans of the Celts and Vikings

I like Celtic Knotwork and can do incredible things with it. I'm currently designing and knitting a sweater for the Ravelympics that has a Saint John's cross (a Viking symbol for happiness) on the back, along with a lot of other knotwork in borders, runes and stand-alone motifs.

Here's a photo of the top of the hood:

Here's a photo of the partially-finished cross on the back. Keep in mind that these samples have not been blocked yet. Once they are, they will look much more professional and finished.

Magic Yarn for the Superstitious

Every culture has had myths and legends about magic yarn. It's spun in the opposite direction than yarn is usually spun, and then plied in the opposite direction. While it's being spun, the spinner concentrates on the magic that is wanted: happy thoughts, good wishes, fertility, abundance, etc. I can make magic yarn, and even knit it into items with almost any symbol you might want.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fans

The number of knitted items straight out of SF is limited only by your imagination.

In one of the Harry Potter books, Harry gets a blue sweater with a snitch on the front of it. I made one up, and it's available for sale, although I haven't gotten a photo up on Etsy yet. Here's a photo of the snitch on the front.

But the fun doesn't have to stop there. Would you like a copy of Rose's Slouch hat (seen in a publicity photo) with a matching pair of the mitts/wrist warmers that she wore in Doomsday? Or a Doctor Who scarf?

Almost any SF story has something knitted in it somewhere. Always wanted it? Here's your chance!

For Everybody

Here's an afghan that's already up for sale on Etsy. The photo doesn't do it justice. The yarns used in this were chosen not only for their visual effect, but also for the way they feel. Every single yarn in this afghan will cuddle up to you and caress your skin in a different, but luscious way from the others. I hand picked the yarns and knitted the afghan over the space of a year with loving care.

People with Allergies

I can get 100% cotton yarn in colors (a very limited palette) that has not been dyed. 

Think you're allergic to wool? So did I until I found wool that hadn't been dyed or processed. 

It turns out that I'm violently allergic to the mordants they use to dye wool with natural dyes. I can dye wool or other animal fiber for your project with KoolAid (if you're not allergic to it).  I can almost guarantee that I can find something to which you will not be allergic to make into the clothing of your dreams.

Pet Owners

Have a pet with a lot of fur? I can probably spin it into yarn and make a garment for you out of it. This will have to be a small project because I'm allergic to cats and dogs, but I could certainly survive making something small. Or I could make a larger project with your pet's yarn as trim.

Or how about something for your pet? I made a small blanket for a friend's cat last Christmas.

Limitless Ideas

The possibilities are only limited by your imagination, but I can give you more ideas if you're interested.

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I've gotten down past the armholes on the Celtic sweater, and am almost to the bottom of the cross. I suddenly got the inspiration to make a small cable on each side below the sleeve and above the waist. Wait until you see it!

It's going much slower now because I've added both fronts to the back plus extra stitches under the armhole, so there's more than twice as many stitches on each row. But it's pretty!

There will be more photos soon.

I hope you're having a great weekend.

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Addition! Yarn now available!

I have added some new stuff for knitters and crocheters to my Amazon store.

There is now YARN!

You can find the yarn I'm using for the Celtic sweater in my shop, along with the 100% silk yarn I wish I'd been able to find for the rune bags I'm making. There's even some beaded yarn available. Wool, silk, alpaca, and other luxury yarns are there.

I also have more knitting accessory stuff up: swifts, ball winders, and much more. And there's a separate page of kits for kids and beginners.

Enjoy!