Lambtown 2009

Last month the Photographer and I headed up state to attend Lambtown in Dixon, California, west of Sacramento.

There was Sheep Judging


Strolling Alpacas


Penned sheep ready for dog herding trials


The Fiber Show

The seated woman in blue is Shari McKelvy of Morro Fleece Works.

The view from the back of the building


A rare breed of sheep (sorry I've forgotten the breed name) whose coat was like bristles. The man said there was no known use for the fiber; the Photographer throught it would be perfect for bristle paint brushes.

That coat is not soft at all, felt more like a hair brush!


Angora Goat - look at that FACE!! (Is that really an Angora or Mohair Goat?)


Alpaca Show


I found three bags of Alpaca fleece on display near the pens. There was the most gorgeous black fleece that I coveted the moment I saw it. I went around asking who owned it until I found her; the fleece was brought for display but she was happy to sell it to me. (I walked it right over to Morro Fleece Works and saved the cost of shipping) The beautiful, super-soft fiber was from Midnight, the black boy in the center below. (That's him from the rear in the above photo)


And here I am having a wonderful stroll, third time around, in the Fiber Show.


There was a wonderful Sheep to Shawl going on that I wish I had pictures of. Looked like there were eight teams - that's the largest S2S I've ever seen. It was fun to look at all the wheels, drum carders and looms.

The "C" Word

Yes, don't fall off your chair but I've been Crocheting this week. Last Tuesday I cut the tip of my index finger while slicing a tomato for a sandwich. It's not serious but it's the exact spot I use to push the tip of my knitting needle. Two hours of no knitting and I was already going crazy; that's when I remembered the red yarn I'd bought for the Red Scarf Project. A short search through my pattern binders, a quick run to Michael's to get the right size hook and I was ready.



Just pretend the picture color is a true Christmas Red - I just couldn't make the camera give me the right color.

This is Paton's One-Skein Crochet Scarf in Mauch Chunky in Poppy. Took most of three skeins of this yarn, approx 325 yards because I made the scarf wider to fit into the Red Scarf Project requirments. I'm almost finished with another scarf - same pattern, same yarn. (Right now I can't find a link to the pattern, Sorry.)

No offense meant to Crocheters but crochet just doesn't do it for me like Knitting does. I get bored while I'm crocheting - maybe because this was a very simple pattern - but there's no chance crochet will replace knitting in my life.

We've got a squirrel in the backyard that's getting to the vegetables just before they're ready to come in the house so I've been picking a couple days early.

This is what came in today.

And I leave you with a picture from last year that I took while driving to Flagstaff, Arizona. We were headed east on Highway 10, just west of Palm Springs.

Hat and Mitts

Last year I made a pair of Maine Morning Mitts for Jessie out of Apricot Malabrigo Merino Worsted as a Hanukkah/Christmas present. I didn't get them to her until the middle of January by which time I made Anne Hanson's Hot Waffle's Hat from the left over yarn. I figured since I was so late getting this present to her, Jessie should get the matching hat too.

You've heard the saying about the cobbler's children going barefoot; well try and get photos of something when you work with Photographers. I never took pictures of the Hat and Mitts before I wrapped them and gave them to Jessie; she reads this Blog and I wanted to keep the present secret. Since she works at a Photo Studio Jessie said she'd get someone to take a picture - I finally can post pics of Jessie wearing her presents. Thanks to Ashley for taking the pictures.







The yarn was a dream to work with. And I highly recommend both patterns.

I-Cord or not??

The shop where I work received a large order of cotton dishcloth yarn and I realized I'm so over wool (a knitter's form of Spring Fever?) and loving the feel of working with cotton. I knew I'd find inspiration from Mason Dixon Knitting and the book didn't fail me; I cast-on the Baby Kimono a week ago and finished the knitting yesterday but...

there's always a but isn't there!

see how the back of the neck and the bottoms roll? I blocked it and they still roll - what to do.

Here's what the diagonal front edge looks like - just OK not wonderful.


Having recently read Kay's I-cord Tutorial (Feb 12, 2008) for making square corners I tried an I-cord edging.

and a close-up. What I wonder is does this edging treament over power the whole sweater? This is a worsted weight cotton and it makes a thick I-cord.

what do you think? I-cord or not?

The Soft Cabled Scarf is done.

I love this scarf; it's so soft and drapey. The yarn is Austermann Bamboo Soft (65% Merino 35% Bamboo) color 002 a deep rich black. (Photo is not representative of true color; altered to show details) It's Karabella Pattern #KK239, cashmere Hat and Scarf. The seed stitch borders give body to this soft yarn while the wide cable undulates up the center - I'll be making this scarf again.

I love to see glimses of other Blogger's private lives so here's the Photography Studio (Feb 28, 2008) where I work part-time; one of the owner's put pictures up on his blog. You'll usually find me in the Production Area.

TV Mute Button Confession

I confess, I can't watch live TV without a remote Mute Button! First because the commercials are so much louder than the show - what's new; Second because they play the same few commercials over and over and over. I don't care for commercials, who does but why the same couple of commercials every few minutes? We watch very little live TV with DVDs and DVRs around here so my exposure to commercials is minimal and I'm sick of the same commercials; what about those that regularly watch shows live? How sick are they seeing the same thing over and over? I don't understand the repetition; there are so many commercials out there what do they hope to accomplish showing the same one so often it turns people and TVs off? Anyone know what's going on in the TV advertising world?

Now you know, I watch TV and videos in the evenings while I knit. I'm a big fan of Netflix; with the Writer's Strike I've discovered old TV Series DVDs. How did I miss Buffy and Angel the first time around?

I finished a UFO pair of toddler mittens this last week, only six years from start to finish.


My second thumb shows my knitting has greatly improved over those six years. The purple is Opal Sock Yarn left from a pair of Adult size socks.

I plied the BFL Rapture singles



The picture doesn't show the purple and green true to color. It really is lovely - I especially like the chartreuse strands.

Have you seen the My So Called Scarf pattern?

I using Lorna's Laces, Bullfrogs and Butterflies in the Gold Hill colorway

A very interesting pattern to knit; this isn't mindless knitting. I have to watch it as it's hard to rip back and pick up invisibly. I guess the pattern stitches gives a twist to the yarn that shows in the work. I hoping the slightly visible lines block out.

Playing around online I found that Blue Moon Fiber Arts, the Socks that Rock people, also dye Roving/Top. The called it "Sheep 2 Shoe", love that name! I ordered a bag/ 8.5 oz of Superwash Merino. This stuff is so soft and easy to spin. Their directions suggest you split it into four lengthwise sections and spin a worsted 4 ply yarn. That would be way thicker than any socks I could wear around here so I split the yarn in half lengthwise and am only working on one half of the yarn. Four ounce 2-ply socks are the normal thickness I can get in my shoes.

(What appears gray in there is actually light blue and a medium dark Teal. This is a very nice fiber to work with.)

And I finished the January 2008 Mid-Month Dishcloth Kal on the Yahoo Monthly Dishcloth Group in Peaches & Creme.


When I gave #2 Daughter her Alpaca Chevron Scarf for Christmas #1 Daughter said she wanted one too, in Blue.

This is Misti Alpaca Handpainted.

One evening I was lucky enough to be sitting at my computer when the email arrived notifying me of a Sundara Shop Update. I jumped at the chance to buy this sock yarn - her stuff never lasts long because it is so beautiful. I bought Cobalt over Mediterranean and Caribbean.


The camera's back. The repair page said, "Camera tested within specifications. Replaced optical assembly." What does that mean? Either it worked which usually means it needed no repairs or it's broken and they fixed it. Anyway it was still under warranty from the last repair so all I'm out is the postage to ship it back, twice, to Canon in IL. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. What's your opinion, from the pictures above do you think it's fixed?

Oregon - The Photos

The Photographer and I flew into Portland on a Wednesday afternoon. Thursday morning we started driving south to Eugene for Black Sheep Gathering.

First stop was Salem where we had quite a time finding the Visitor's Center because half their directional signs had no "this way" arrows. Thought we found it once but it turned out to be the Housing Authority. When we walked in to ask directions they ask us why everyone comes in to their building thinking it's the Visitor's Center. We suggested it was because out on the main street, right in front of their corner building, there is a sign that says, "Visitor's Center." (The first we realized all signs didn't have arrows.) The people in there had to call the Center to find out where it was; they live there and didn't know!

Turns out that it's in the Old Woolen Mill that's now a museum to the area's historical wool industry.


The wool scrubber train


This Mill was water powered; water was diverted from the main river by a flume.


The gates that controlled the amount/speed of the water that powered the machinery


Driving up to our hotel in Eugene we found this right on the street


Yes, most of you will say it's just a fireworks tent. Remember, I've always lived in Southern California where it's always fire season; fireworks haven't been legally for sale where I've lived since I was preschool age. (Our four seasons are: earthquake, flood, mudslide and fire) Back to the fireworks, I was surprised at the smell. It was pretty strong especially in the mornings.

Friday afternoon after we made our first pass through BSG I drove The Photographer with the bad back around to see the covered bridges of Cottage Grove.

This bridge was still in use. One lane with no particular right of way that we could determine. We found several other covered bridges, not in use, in various stages of decay.

While driving through the town of Cottage Grove we passed this store. Had to make a loop around the block to get this picture.

I realize hunting is big up there but what are they using Machine Guns for? Or am I mistaken and this means they machine guns?

Saturday was spent at BSG and a drive up the McKenzie River Valley.

How's that for green?



Dinner that night we couldn't have picked a harder restaurant to find. I think we drove across this bridge six times before we finally found the place


Here's a picture of McMenamins Pub - North Bank

such a beautiful place! And the food was worth the frustration trying to find it. The Photographer mentioned to our waitress how much trouble we had finding their establishment. She laughed and agreed and said she can't ever give directions to the place, she always hands the phone to someone else! She works there and can't tell someone how to get there - I'm surprised we're not still driving back and forth over that bridge!

Sunday morning we left Eugene earlier than planned due to the back problem. While driving to our hotel we took a wrong turn off the freeway and came upon 23rd Street in downtown Portland. Talk about revitalized downtown - this one street starting at the north end being very artsy and got more upscale the further south you drive until right before W. Burnside it's looking like Rodeo Drive. Wish we'd had more time to spend there.

The Photographer took this picture just because it was a beautifully designed condo building just off 23rd St.


Monday morning I drove The Photographer around to all the waterfalls along the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge that you could easily walk to.

(Strangely he could walk uphill with no problem, downhill was just too painful even with me carrying his 40 POUND camera bag.)

Multinomah Falls


The sock at Horsetail Falls


We had a bit of a search looking for Vista House; we could see it from below long before we found the road signs for the turn off.


This building is all marble inside


And this is the billion dollar view looking east


It was a fun trip which will keep us in wool and stories for quite awhile.