No time for knittin' Dr. Jones!

The line is truly "No time for LOVVVVE Dr. Jones." It's from a movie.

This has been a busy week. Early on I had hopes of knitting a lot...but that dwindled as the week wore on. I did some knitting on Monday, or was it Tuesday??? That's it, my week has been a blur. Anyway, stopped by the Yarn Shop on one of those nights, met up with Audra. I wanted to pick up the BUCKEYE colors to knit another felted bag. We mused around a bit, then finally home, where I did start said bag. PS... am not liking the way I created the base, so I may rip and start again. I'm kind of making my own pattern up as I go. Anyway, I think I need to start over!

Then I had to cancel plans to attend the Wednesday night get together with the "west" side knitting group, which is really a grandview knitting group, but whatever. And I'm on the east side so.... does it matter really? I got tickets to a fabulous show, Angels and Airwaves. It was amazing, blew me away and my eardrums, too.

Then plans to knit on Thursday never happened because I was trying to help Aud download her pics from her camera so she can do her inventory and upload pics and such... only we had a few probs... but we had pizza and chatted and that was all good too!

And now it's FRIDAY?! I can't believe it, I am thankful that it is here because I am ever so tired, this has been a long exhausting week!

Today is the final day of my Ravelry swap and I need to get my partners stuff in the mail TODAY! I have everything put together, I just haven't been to the post office yet. Oh gee. So much to do!

Instant Gratification!

So I guess for me, this weekend was all about the instant gratification. I put the sweater project down after working into the wee hours fri night/sat. morning. I was DETERMINED to get to the cable row before the wednesday night meetup!

So I did it and then didn't touch the sweater the rest of the weekend.

Instead, I knitted a bag on Saturday afternoon. I LOVE the colors, but don't like how it felted out. I plan to do another round with the washing machine. Heavy agitation and hotter water this time.

On Sunday I decided to work up a pair of slippers/clogs. They take 2 strands. I'm using a multi color from Paton's merino and a fuzzy mohair. I have plenty of the patons, but the slipper/clog used all the mohair. So I have to get another skein of that. ONLY, I'm on a no shopping until Pittsburgh rule right now, so what to do?!

But I was pleased to have almost finished the slipper yesterday. I just have to bind the cuff and knit the outer sole. Shouldn't take long and I had plenty of time to do it yesterday evening except I was being lazy and didn't feel like going to find another circ for the join. Perhaps tonight.

In other news, Brian helped me pick up the living room yesterday and we did a VERY thorough job of sweeping the floor. It looks very nice now. It's like a whole different house when you don't have bits of chewed up whatever from the dogs!

Pictures to come later!

Bag that!

Saturday I was in the mood to work on something new. I put the sweater down and started the Buttonhole bag from Mason-Dixon knitting. It was quite an easy project that worked up really quickly. After tossing in the washer to felt, I was a little sad that it didn't felt quite the way I wanted. Of course, maybe if I leave it for longer it will? I don't have much experience with Lamb's pride bulky, but I would have thought it would felt really quickly... but no. I even did a pre-soak in warmish water. I thought it would help break down the fiber a bit before the agitation stage.

I may go back and try another go 'round with the washer.

I was also thinking of doing another of these bags. I can definitely see it in Scarlet and Grey (GO BUCKS!). I can definitely see making some modifications, as well. Maybe do a round base instead of the oblong one. Or make it even more oblong and it would be a perfect needle carrying case. :)

Pictures to be posted-later!

Yarns and swaps

So... I've been interested in swapping. I've joined a couple of swaps on Ravelry. 2 of them were already in progress so I have to wait until March. However one is current, and I'm still really looking for stuff for my swap partner. I was really excited about some ideas, but am having troubles finding the right pattern for the yarn, or the right yarn for the pattern. It'll work out, but I went from super excited to bummed because what I want to be RIGHT isn't. So I'm rethinking the plan.

In other swap news, I signed up on Swap-bot. It sounds like a fun place to hang out and there are alll kinds of swaps going on all the time. I signed up for a couple easy ones, one is for pens, and the other is for postcards. Those should be fairly inexpensive and lastly, I signed up for a yarn swap. It's a color of the month and the 1st swap is red. There is a $20 limit. So I'll have to keep my eyes open on this one for something unique and interesting. I'm thinking I might be able to get something when we go to p-burgh. Of course we don't have partners assigned yet, so am not sure if I'll know what I need to buy by the time we go.

I hit up both the Yarn Shop and Knitter's Merc today looking for particular items, of which neither of them carry. :( I've done some hunting online and I can buy direct from the mfr, but I'd rather just get here, so I can get one skein to try and do a swap rather than spending $100 on several skeins and not liking it.

I guess if I'm patient, I will find the yarn I want eventually. Lord knows I don't NEED anymore right now. It's just stuff I have in mind for future projects.

On shops and things

It's been a bit since I've posted. I feel like I have much to do and when I think of all the things I want to do, it seems overwhelming and that I don't have enough time or I should be doing other things (like cleaning) and then I end up getting nothing done. It's a crazy cycle.

In news of what I want to get done.
Add pictures/backgrounds and such to Blog.
Add more links of things I've found
Figure out a way to make it a "prettier" blog, etc.

In the real world, I need to work on my kitchen. It needs a good scrub down.
I have MULTIPLE projects I want to finish. I'm doing pretty well on them and I just need to keep plugging away.

I'm super excited about the trip to p-burgh in a few weeks. Can't wait to visit the LYS's and see what they have to offer. I'm also trying to save and think of what I might find and think ahead for projects it might work for and make sure I buy enough while there. So much to think about!

Speaking of shops and stores... I drove past a couple of spots in the Short North last week and I am thinking what PRIME retail space for a fiber shop. It's a pretty trendy area and would probably be on the expensive side to lease, but what a great area. A lot of foot traffic. One drawback being convenient parking. But... parking meters and a small walk aside... what a great area. It's one of my favorites actually and I just think it would make such a nice addition down there. That's just my opionion. It also made me a little sad because I wish I had the capital to get it started and go for it. Audra and I could finally have our place we've been wanting and hopefully it would be successful. Well I guess we better get our STUFF together and make it happen. First we need a plan.

Well better get some work done for now. More updates to come!

Mr. Greenjeans for Joy

So I decided to start this sweater.  I was going to wait until I finished at least ONE of my other projects.  But I needed something new to provide visual stimulus.  And so far, I have just worked on it for this weekend.  I started it on Friday and it is coming along well.

I am starting to have some concerns though.  I was reading in the KAL group from Ravelry this morning and many people were having various sizing issues and such.  So, since I'm knitting this for Joy and she's a few hours away, how am I to be sure the sizing will be right?!  I figure I might be able to use Ashley for a rough sizing.  She's thin, but taller than Joy, but hopefully probably about the same size.  I'm knitting this in the medium size.

The pattern so far has been really easy to read.  Initially before I started, I did a simple swatch in Stock. stitch.  And since I'm nearing the end of that section, I decided to do the other swatch, which is the cable swatch.  Turned out well.  

At this point, I have 12 more rows to go before I pop off the sleeves.  And continue with the body, if I was sure on the size I would probably get to the point of the cabling start, but I'm worried, so I may hold off.  More to come on the progress of this. 

Organizing the fiber

For whatever reason, lately I've been in a cleaning and organizing mode.  I'm curious as to how others organize.  For me, it's been yarn in a plastic bag, stashed in the closet unless it's in use in a project.  Now, what this leads me to is that not all yarn makes it into said closet.  Sometimes it's in my room, sometimes in the area where I'm working on stuff... sometimes... it's just everywhere.

So with this lack of organization, I frequently don't know where things are or what I have.  So, I decided to get on track.  I went through all rooms in my house and collected all the yarn I could find... and let me tell you it was a lot!  I bought some totes from Kmart and I separated the yarn by type.  Example I have a tote of just sock yarn, or yarn I bought to MAKE socks.  I have a tote of stuff I plan on using for sweaters.  I have a tote of "fluffy" yarn, like boa type stuff.  What I realized is that I didn't buy enough totes!  I still have 2 large bags of yarn to pack up.  I have quite a bit of different wools for some sweaters, so I need a bigger tote, or just more totes.  

I feel pretty accomplished though.  Now I just have to work on my WIP's and get some of that stuff finished.  I'm really craving starting something new but I know I shouldn't.  I know I will feel so much better when just ONE of these things is done.  I need to get on it!  I guess that means I should get off the internet and start working!

For the Love of Funk

Hi! I thought I would jump in here and introduce myself! I'm the infamous Audra, Kristie's friend and partner in Yarn and Fabric crime! We also get into trouble with scrapbook and rubberstamp stuff, but we won't go into that now! I love the name of our blog, Fiber Funktastic! I'm one of those people that like to make up words but also love to use the words that other people make up. I think I'm a pretty normal person and most people, when they meet me, think I'm pretty normal, so I have to show my personality in my words and colors and crafts!

As Kristie mentioned we've been talking about starting a business for years. I am also hoping that it goes into fruition sooner than later. I have many, many ideas and have been researching a business for years but I think my problem is getting the guts to just go ahead and do it.

One of these days, I'll have to take a picture of my stash. You would think that I had my own craft store in my home. I too buy more stuff than I can use at any one given time. I would love to be able to knit, crochet, quilt, etc....all day, any day, any time that I wanted. Wouldn't the world be a much calmer, sweeter place if everyone knit!

I say "Craft On!"

What's in the bag??

So instead of staying home like I should have, I did go out and do a bit of shopping. I headed up to Knitter's Merc around noon. I hung out for awhile, chatted up a few people and looked at yarn of course.

I walked away with 2 fun yarns. Plymouth's Fantasy Naturale cotton for a Market Bag I started and then Trendsetters Pepita yarn, which is a ribbon type yarn, it's a multi with GREAT colors. I can't wait to try it out. I'm thinking of using for another market bag also to see how it works. If it goes well, I'll have to go back and get more. They had more colors and they were on clearance... extra bonus!

What's in a name anyway?

So when trying to devise a name for something, I often run up short. I try to think of clever things or something that will add interest. Something that makes people want to check it out. As I was sitting here, pondering the name of this blog, Fiber Funktastic... I was wondering if that is the right name. It's as good a name as any. I kept coming back to SOUL names, like Fiber is good for the soul type. And then I think SOUL isn't the right message, well it is because I think knitting is spiritual and soulful, but what I mean is that SOUL is misleading. It's commonly used in conjunction with music. And I'm not into SOUL music. But thinking along the musical lines I took soul into FUNK which is what inspired Funktastic.

Prince titled one of his albums, "Rave un2 the Joy Fantistic" and one of my earlier thoughts was Rave Unto the Fiber Fantastic. Cause that is how I feel.

But, back to Fiber Funk... I do like it and Audra does too, so we have group buy in. But I kind of laughed to myself because I feel like we should be called Fiber Junkies! I'm sure that is a name used elsewhere in the world, probably multiple times.

But here is where the junkie part comes in. I love yarn and fibers and material. I love textures and different feelings of different things. I love soft things (don't we all). I dislike scratchy things. Years ago I purchased this oh so soft soy yarn. I wanted to experiement. Well... half a sock later, I realized the softness was just in the skein, but not in the finished piece. I've since read, people with similar experiences, so I know it isn't just me.

Onward with the junkie vibe... I love to shop. I, like many yarn afficionados, love to buy it. I find stuff all the time! Every LYS I go to. I find a million things I like and it perpetuates a million new projects... and I want to start them ALL right now! I'm extremely impatient, too. So I get tired or frustrated easily.

Project time for me is mostly on the weekends when I sit around doing nothing but knitting. Audra on the other hand will pick up her projects basically anytime she is home during the week/weekend. My problem is when I go back to the "real" world and the work place on Monday morning... the only thing I can think about is knitting and my projects and how I just wish I was at home. We continually talk about different businesses we'd like to do. Book stores, yarn stores, craft stores, etc. And while I lay in bed at a ridiculously early hour this morning, I thought, "Why NOT?!" We could SO do this. I mean, we just need capital and to get capital you have to have a business plan. We are women and we are both of a "minority" race which could lead to our advantage to find funding. What's to stop up, but our own lack of committment?

I'm an idea person. I come up with great ideas all the time. My brain constantly runs, chugging along spilling stuff all over the place. What I do fail at though is OVER committing. I think I can do all these things and then I end up overwhelmed. I'm also forgetful and things get backburnered all the time. Hopefully, maybe we can commit to a business in the near future and make it work for us. And maybe it won't happen until we are well into our 40's. But I guess it is something we can work toward together.

So it's a perfect Sunday morning at home and what am I doing? Blogging, surfing yarn sites and project sites and pattern sites and revelry discussion boards. Good grief, I certainly know how to dig a hole.

I am putting off the inevitable and I KNOW I shouldn't go, buy I am REALLY craving a trip to Knitter's Mercantile today. I love that they are open on Sunday, most places aren't. And what will I do there? Probably buy MORE yarn that I don't need right now, or get more ideas of stuff I don't possibly have the time to work on right now.

I'm so bad!

Places to check out in PA

My sister Sarah, BFF Audra and I are going to see Bon Jovi, March 15th in Pittsburgh. Since Audra and I will be road-tripping to get there and staying with Sarah, we've decided to make a weekend of it! Of course I NEED to go to Ikea (yeah, like I need a hole in the head, but whatev), but I've done MUCH Ravelry searching and have found some shops to check out.

For anyone else interested in the PA area, I found a site for Pittsburgh Knitting that lists local events and shops and such. I'll have to see if there is such a site for Columbus... if not, note to self, get that in the works.

Anyway from reviews and other comments, I'm thinking these are the places I'd like to check out. OF course this is all time and MONEY permitting, how much we get to. But it will be fun anyway.

Sarah is slightly SW of PIttsb in McDonald. So one place is Bloomin' Yarns which looks to be about 12 mi SE of her. They don't have a website, but from everything I've read, seems like a nice place to stop and it's close, bonus points for that.

Then, Yarns Unlimited looks to be about 17 mi North. From the reviews the store sounds interesting, but I can't say that I like their website.. at ALL!

Knit one, which has great photos online and makes me really want to check it out is 22 mi E and has Sunday hours so that is good. Gives us more time if we can't make it on Sat.

Natural Stitches is E about 25 miles, but I think they have Sunday hours which will make it do-able as well and we might be able to hit both stores.

All these places sound fantastic, I hope we can do it all! And there are a few others as well, so maybe we'll hit more than these?!

Introduction

Hello, I'm Kristie, myfriend Audra and I wanted a place to blog together about our projects and events that we plan on going to or that we hear about. Our attempt is that this will become a resource for others as well. Well probably be revamping the layout, adding pics and more stuff soon.