Here's a bit of the shop

BB Gail took pics at the opening, like our first customer and such. don't have those...yet. However I do have pics of some of our wares. Wish I could have gotten a better pic of the hats cos in real life they are pretty darn cute. The yarn is from one of our local breeders, we now have more yarn in stock. And the roving is some that was grown in the backyard of Alpaca and Ewe. Please feel free to email us at alpacanewe@gmail.com with any questions and such.

Catchin' Up

Wow much time has elapsed since my last post, and much doings as well. Since my last post, I have quit my day job, had a wonderful vacation with my hubby, and am preparing for the

Grand Opening of the shop my best friend and I have.

Hubby and I of course went to Gettysburg, September 13 - 17. It was originally to be a solo trip for me while hubby was off tramping the mountains of Colorado with best friend's hubby. Man trip and while the man is away the woman will play. Well, the mountain excursion fell through, so hubby came with me. Worked out very well actually, while hubby was driving, I FINALLY finished the Civil War socks!!!!! I was so proud of myself and the socks, I took a pic of them as soon as they were finished. Sunday September 13, 2009, 1:49 p.m. on Route 30, just east of Bedford, PA. Seven and one half years in the making. I said it would take me longer to knit the socks than it did to fight the war. One of the objectives of the trip was to locate the monument for Company B 20th Maine and the hand carved monuments I read about in a magazine article. Mission accomplished!! Hubby found all but one for me. I managed to locate one before he did. We walked the deadly mile of Pickett's Charge, went to the new Visitor's Center and saw the Cyclorama, awesome presentation. I would highly recommend that and I'm not an attraction person. At Gettysburg, the battlefield holds the most interest for me.

On to the biggest news, the Grand Opening of Alpaca and Ewe Gift Shop at Jesse's Branch Alpaca Farm. My best bud and I have been talking about opening a yarn, fiber related store for more years than I can remember. It's finally happening. Woo Hoo!! We are converting her backporch sun room into a small shop selling hand made knitted items made with local alpaca fiber. As well a woool items, hand made jewelry, and other local products. We've been spinning and knitting for several of the local alpaca breeders already, so it just made sense to us to open a shop. Wish us luck.

Will post pics of the big day, which is this Saturday, October 31st.

Forty One Days

Forty one days. Forty one days till my vacation in Gettysburg, PA. Whoo hoo!!! Some folks might find that a bit boring, but not me. Gettysburg National Military Park is my idea of the perfect vacation. I love the Civil War and the ground at Gettysburg is just awesome. Got walking tour podcasts and I am recreating Pickett's Charge. I cannot wait. Was originally to be a solo trip, while hubby was in Colorado, but his trip fell through, so he is coming along. I have promised not to wander off like I did the last trip there, he worries if he doesn't have a visual on me. Has to be his Marine training....must protect the wife!!! Like I need protecting; I carry pointed sticks!!! LOL I haven't started serious packing yet, but I have been putting a few things in the suitcase. Got film, video camera and the lists started.
I am determined to finish the Civil War socks, got one done and am almost finished with the heel of the second. The end is near, I've only been working on them for 7 years. I would like to have them done by next Tuesday, the 12th, for our knitting guild meeting. We have show and tell and I would love to produce them with a grand "TA DA" at the meeting. I do need to get them out of the way since I need to finish spinning the yarn for my upside down coat, which I also want to take to Gettysburg with me. Since hubby is coming and he must drive I do have some quality knitting time available, so if I'm close on the sweater, I could finish it on the trip there.
Meanwhile, I am also involved in spinning and knitting for alpaca farms in my area, besides working at Whack Job Central. Looking to get out of there, really starting to get to me. Working retail will kill ya!

What I have been up to

mostly checking my tweets. I discovered Twitter and it is awesome. Love it. Keeping up on all kinds of conservative happenings.
On the other hand, ain't been knitting or spinning much, between being a radical conservative, following the Penguins on their trek to the Stanley Cup and working doesn't seem to be much time left for other stuff.
Speaking of work, time to get ready to head out the door.

Finished Wheel

Ok this may not be the best photo but I am so stoked I had to post it anyway. This is my new spinning wheel, finally finished. I bought this awesome Louet S15 at the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival. It was unfinished when I bought it, a blank slate all ready for me to make my very own and make a statement about myself. I did put linseed oil on every part but the wheel itself, couldn't oil that till I figured out what I was going to do with it.

Ok, let's list the favorite things, Steelers (6 time Super Bowl Champs), nah, already have more than enough stuff to make the statement that I am a radical Steeler Fanatic.

Next, Civil War, Gettysburg to be specific. Well it is only a 20 inch wheel, so a map of the battle field might be bit scrunched.

That leaves Lord of the Rings, I can deal with that, now what?? DUH, the engraving from the One Ring. How will I get it on the wheel? Burn it on! Oh yeah, small drawback to that idea, perhaps a couple maybe. No woodburning tools and can and/or will Hubby do this for me?? Tools, not a problem, hubby not a problem either. He did go halves with me on the wheel to begin with.

So TA DA!!! Here it is, I do promise a better photo in the very near future, because this is a butt kicking work of art!!!

Possum Lodge

For fans of the Red Green Show on PBS, no explanation is needed. For the rest of the populace, I shall attempt one, although Red Green somewhat defies explanation. On Saturday nights at 10 our local PBS station, WQED Pittsburgh, runs a Canadian show -The Red Green show. It's set in the fictional Possum Lodge and quite the hoot. Red Green is a handyman, who makes Tim "Tool Time" Taylor look proficient. Red's favorite tool is duct tape, "The Handyman's Secret Weapon", you would not believe how he uses it.

Anyways, I love Red Green and when one of my favorite roving suppliers, Jehovah Jireh Farms, came out with Possum Lodge roving, I couldn't resist. I ordered an 8 ounce ball of it and commenced spinning it as soon as it arrived. The rotten stuff started screaming at me to be a sweater. I DO NOT DO SWEATERS, well...try not to anyway. I am a sock addict, but the Possum Lodge would hear none of being socks, it steadfastly insisted on being a sweater. So I emailed Jehovah Jireh and they sent me another pound of this lovely roving and what you see before you on the left is the first batch of yarn from this delightful roving. The roving and new spinning wheel wanted to make an appearance, as well. Danged bossy stuff!

This is me and my new hat. A friend issued a challenge to come up with a knitted version of the vintage Steeler helmet in honor of the Super Bowl. Being a Steeler fan and avid knitter, how could I not respond??? So here it is.

Vintage Steeler Helmet Hat
by Cathi Long
based on and adapted from Judy Gibson's Two Needle Garter Hat
This hat is worked in short rows for the top striped section, then seamed up. Then pick up stitches around the edge for the band and ear flaps.
The pattern as written fits my 22 inch head. For a larger head work wider stripes of black in between the gold sections.
Materials:
I skein each Lion Brand Wool, Ebony and Goldenrod
Size 7 straights and 16 in. circular
Yarn marker
Tapestry needle
STRIPED TOP
With Goldenrod, cast on 30 stitches on straight needles.
Knit 22, leave 8 unworked, turn work.
Knit the 22 stitches.
Knit 23, turn.
Knit back.
Repeat these two rows till one stitch remains unworked.
Attach black, do not cut gold, knit all 30 stitches.
Knit 3 rows of garter ( 2 ridges)
One section is now complete.
Repeat for 7 times for a total of 8 sections.
Bind off on last black row, leave long tail for sewing up seam and closing top.
BAND
With Goldenrod pick up and knit all around bottom, placing yarn marker at beginning of round.
Purl next round for garter band.
Knit one round, purl one round for a total of 6 garter ridges.
EAR FLAPS
(Ear flaps are knit below the second and third gold sections, between the 2nd and 4th black stripes.)
Bind off to start of second gold section, knit 18 or to end of third gold section. Turn.
Knit 1, K2tog, knit to end.
Knit 1, K2tog, knit to end.
Continue till 5 stitches remain.
Bind off.
Break yarn.
Reattach gold, bind off till you reach the 6th gold section.
Repeat as for first ear flap.
Reattach yarn and bind off remaining stitches.
Attach black, pick up and knit all around hat edge.
Knit one row, bind off on next row.
Can also do single crochet or attached I cord edging in black instead of the knit edge.
Alternative black edging: Caution, I have not actually done this, so attempt at your own risk.. Instead of binding off and picking up again, you could attach the black, knit with it to the gold ear flap, knit it, then continue on with the black to the other flap, knit it in gold and then continue on with the rows of black .

Go Steelers

Ya'd think what with work and housekeeping I wouldn't have time for such foolishness. Not so especially when it comes to my "Stillers", Steelers for those of you not from western PA. I just had to do something creative to celebrate the Steelers going to the Super Bowl!!! Am I stoked???? Maybe a little.

Oh I guess I should describe the above creation just a bit, it's a choker, available in the round alphabet beads or heart shaped which you can see in the upper left corner.

Check out my Etsy site if you want one of your own. Sorry, I only do Steeler stuff, ok call me a fanatic.

Stay tuned for the next Steeler creation.

What I did on my day off

I am a compulsive crafter, I knit, spin, bead, learning to tat again, can crochet, don't do it much, bad wrists. Anyways, I have this Etsy site with my handmade stitch markers and I loaded a few more to the site yesterday. While I was there I had to look around and see what other folks had on their sites and got the idea to do beaded knitting needles. I have made needles for my own consumption before and I am up to my hips in beads, I said I was compulsive. So I dragged out all the larger beads and dowel rods and what not and "Viola!" we have beaded needles. These are a prototype, but I like them. Might have to make some more for Etsy. This model is a size 8, 10 inches long. Great for dishcloths and scarves. I got an idea for another type and will try it out here in a bit.

Intro

The scarf is my contribution to the Special Olympics World Winter Games Scarf Project. My daughter, in her younger days, participated in Special Olympics locally and in the Pa State Games. She did very well in her events - wheelchair racing. I saw how much the athletes enjoyed their participation and I just had to make a scarf for the project. I enlisted our local guild and ended up mailing out 24 scarves, including mine. I hope the athletes are blessed by the scarves as much as I was knitting mine.

I HATE SNOW!!! Great intro, isn't it? I do, especially today, where we are under a winter storm warning till 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. Groovy. I have to be at work at 10:30 a.m., the snow plow just flew by which means I have to bundle up and go out to shovel snow so I can get my car out to go to work. NOT FUN!!

OK, so it is beautiful, but I have to drive in it and I am not happy!!