Stash Magic

Last week, as I prepared for the magic ball and shawl workshop, I wanted to gather materials to use as an example and to have a project of my own. I pulled out my stash and started mixing and matching to see what I could find. I wanted a combination of colors and textures that would be beautiful, I'd love to work with, and I'd enjoy wearing.

I was inspired by some off white yarns. What I had was a great start and I was able to get a picture in my mind of what I wanted but it just wasn't enough. So, off to the store I went. I bought a couple more skeins in different textures. And, when I came home, I pulled a couple more from my stash that all of sudden seemed to be perfect. I couldn't wait to get started.


The more I work with it, the more I love it! It's hard to put it down.


I'm so pleased with how these yarns are coming together. I can't stop looking at it! And, I can't wait to wear it. My daughter has already asked if she can wear it too. :-)


The yarns I'm using are (from left to right):

1. A boucle from my weaving stash. I have pounds of this stuff...and I've already woven yards of great fabric from it. It's nice to find another use for it.

2. JoAnn Sensations "Beautiful". It's sooooo soft. This is one of the yarns I picked up to fill in. I wanted something fluffy, soft and angora-like. This works perfectly, at a fraction of the price.

3. Caron Spa left over from a cowl project. I love that little touch of pink!

4. A white terry cloth type of yarn, left over from a poncho I made years ago. I have no idea what kind it is but the bright white adds a nice highlight to this shawl and the texture is nice too.

5. Rave by Crystal Palace. It was waiting for just the right project. I love how much this ribbon adds to the look of this. I have to use it sparingly though as there are only 44 yards in the ball.

6. Bernat Satin...another fill in that was inexpensive and adds some shine.

7. Off white Fun Fur. This is the kind of yarn that got me interested in knitting about six years ago. I'm not crazy about it nowadays but it sure adds a lot of texture and interest to a project like this.

I'm using size 11 needles. I started by casting on a few stitches and I'm increasing at the beginning and end of each row. I was inspired by one of the students at the workshop to mix the yarns as I go. It kind of feels like I'm painting a picture...when I feel I need a little more pink here or there or shine or fluff, I just cut what I'm knitting with, tie on the new yarn and start knitting again. It's a lot of fun!

The pictures came out pretty good but it's much prettier in person. I'm trying to figure out a name for it that expresses the glamour and prettiness but the casualness of it too. Do you have any ideas? I'd love to hear them.

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Lemon Cake

You know the saying..."when God gives you lemons, make lemonade". This year, with so many lemons on our tree, we're making everything we can think of with lemons. We've made lemonade, mixed drinks, marinades, salad dressings, chicken soup and now...cake...


I took this to the Super Ball Sunday, "Magic Yarn Ball and Shawl" workshop yesterday. It was a hit! It's very easy to make. It's a simple lemon cake mix but after it's baked and still hot, I poked holes in the top and poured a mixture of the juice from two meyer lemons and two cups of powdered suger. The holes look a little funny so I dressed it up with a little dusting of powdered sugar, a few lemon slices, and leaves from our lemon tree. It's moist and delicious!

Super Ball Sunday!

One of my favorite yarn shops is "Knit N Stitch" in Riverside, California. It's been there a long time. In fact, rumor has it that it's been in business (with various owners) for over 50 years. I keep meaning to ask and confirm that but whenever I go there I have so much fun and get so inspired by yarn projects that I forget to ask. I remember going there with my mom when I was in high school! It's a 25-30 minute drive but it's worth it. I often find new and exciting yarns and I'm often very inspired. One of those inspirational visits happened last year when I saw this....




Sue had started knitting this sweater, using various yarns. I love the color and texture combinations. It's so pretty and fun!


Around that same time, I saw a ball of yarn someone had bought that was made up of various yarns. And, another local yarn shop was selling skeins of yarn made up of various yarns of different textures, sheens, and colors. They were gorgeous but way out of my price range...around $50 each!

Those things inspired me to come up with the idea of making "magic yarn balls" with stash yarn. A group of ladies that I was knitting with regularly liked the idea and we got together, swapped yarns, started cutting and tying and came up with beautiful balls of yarn on our own. It was a great way to breathe new life into old stash and get gorgeous new yarns without spending more money. It was a lot of fun!

Several of us knitted our new "magic yarn balls" into shawls. I blogged mine HERE last year and put it on Ravelry. Someone saw it and the next thing I knew it was featured on the "America's Knitting" website along with other projects made by knitters in California. What a fun surprise!

A couple of months ago I took my shawl to Knit n Stitch to show Sue, the lady that sparked the inspiration. She and others that were in the shop that day fell in love with it and and quickly arranged a workshop.

We had the "Magic Yarn Ball and Shawl" workshop today, on Superbowl...now Super Ball...Sunday! It was so much fun! There were about 14 ladies that came. They were so excited and we quickly got started...


Right from the start I heard "this is fun!" and I kept hearing that throughout the day. That was like music to my ears.


There was a little trading going on, a little shopping to find yarn to finish off what they had brought, and the store had some bags of yarn that they had coordinated ahead of time and were selling for 35% off.


One of the great things about this project is that there really aren't any rules. It's all about color, texture and creativity. So, not only was it fun to see the yarn combinations, but also to see the various ways that the ladies assembled their yarn balls.


The combinations of colors and textures were gorgeous! Just as beautiful as those $50 skeins that I've seen.


I think the magic yarn balls are special because each one is unique and personal to the person who creates it.


Some of the ladies had so much fun making the yarn balls that they just spent their time working on that...sometimes making two! Others were anxious to dive in and get started...


Just as there are no rules to making the magic yarn balls, there are no rules on how to use them. Some of the ladies are making triangular shawls...


Some are making scarves. She's making her's lengthwise and it's going to match a lot of the clothes in her wardrobe...


We're all getting together again in about a month for a little show and tell, fashion show. I can't wait to see the magic that each lady creates. It's always so much fun to see how different each project turns out. I know they are all going to be gorgeous!

One of the things I love about this store is the unique and beautiful projects they have on display that use various kinds of yarn. This is one of my favorites...


I love the textures and the colors! It's so pretty! I just might have to try this one...after I finish my vest. Which, by the way, is coming along nicely. :-)

I Did It!

A few years ago, I opened up a little fiber arts shop at the local farmer's market. It seemed like a great place. I was selling wool...it comes from a farm. It fit into so much of what I believe in and love...a place that was down to earth, natural, creative...real...It's hard to explain. And, the rent was cheap. It seemed like the perfect first step to eventually owning my own yarn shop.

It was so exciting to have my own little store. I did lots of research, opened accounts with vendors, got everything ready, loaded up my SUV on Friday nights, left early on Saturday mornings, set up my shop, did spinning demonstrations, and had lots of fun! However, there were a couple of problems...most of the people that went to the farmer's market were just there for fruit and veggies; I was tucked into a corner, away from where most of the people were shopping; having wool around food vendors didn't work (it could absorb the odors); and rain or hot sun don't work well with wool. Needless to say, my little shop didn't last long.

I've sold beautiful rovings and supplies since then at fiber parties in my home, to friends and people that I meet, and on Ebay. Enough that I've even been able to order more. And, I had every intention of opening a shop on Etsy. In fact, I opened an account quite a while ago but didn't list anything. I wasn't sure about shipping, etc. I let fear get the best of me. Until today! I did it! I finally did it! I listed three items in my Etsy shop. I'm so proud of myself! It may sound silly, I know. But, what can I say?!

If it works out, I think it could be a lot of fun, at the very least. And, I could even make some money...that would be great! I listed three things for now...until I'm sure I have the shipping and other things figured out. If all goes well, I hope to list a lot more very soon. Be sure to stop by and see my shop. The shop name is AcornFiberArts (Acorn to Oak was already taken). Wish me luck! And, let me know what you think.

Lavender InVESTment

Last fall I spotted some yarn at a LYS that I just can't get out of my mind. The more I think about it, the more I like it. So, yesterday, I decided to go for it and I bought four skeins. It's Berroco Vintage in a beautiful lavender color...


I really want to learn how to knit sweaters. And, I'm thinking that a vest will be a good step toward doing that. So, last night I spent hours searching for the perfect pattern.

I'd really like to make one with texture and interest and I found several that I really like. However, when I started reading the patterns I got lost and confused. So, I think I've decided on THIS vest. I think I'd enjoy wearing it. It's plain and simple but I can learn about shaping, edging and seaming. Plus, the simpleness of it gives me a little more assurance of a successful finished product. That's something I'll need before taking the next step of knitting something with sleeves. I'm planning to cast on today. Wish me luck!

Quirky Korknisse

I found a pattern on Ravelry that made me smile. The pattern is "Korknisse". It was originally written in Norweigen and has been translated into many languages and knitted around the world. The name means cork hobgobblins. I had everything I needed...leftover bits of yarn, wine corks, and knitting needles. I couldn't wait to get started. They're adorable, fun to make, and it's hard to make just one...as you can see...


I had originally planned to make them simple, with little dots for eyes and a smile drawn onto the cork. But, most of the corks I have are stamped with big words. So, I got out some paint and covered the stamps. This was my first one...


My daughter instantly fell in love with the idea and started making them too. She felt that the faces needed a little more detail. Here's her first one...


It was fun to knit with yarns I love and had used on previous projects. Here's my second one...


I think my third one is ready for cold weather with her BIG fuzzy sweater and hat. My daughter gave her a pretty face and blue eyes that go perfectly with her outfit...


My daughter is having so much fun with these! This one is a "snowboarder" with an extra tall hat that she plans to glue on and make into a keychain...


I love the simple ones I've seen and I plan to make some. But, in the meantime, we're having fun making these...They're a little quirky, but cute!

10,000 Steps and Counting

Last year, in an attempt to try and get fit, I bought a new pedometer...


I'd tried other ones over the years and became frustrated with how they weren't consistent in working. Sometimes they worked. Sometimes they didn't. It seemed to matter how high or low my waistband was or something. I never quite figured it out. But, this Omron Pedometer is great! It works whether it's in my pocket, on my waist, even in my purse (I still can't figure out how that works!), upside down, right side up or backwards. I love it! It gives me lots of different information...how many total steps in my day, total of moderate steps for the day (steps more worthy of true "exercise"), total steps since I changed the battery or reset it, calories burned, miles, time, etc. It even has a little leash with a clip to keep it from falling out onto the ground, taking a dive into the toilet, or getting lost. And, when I don't have a pocket, it has a handy clip to slide it into. :-)

My original goal with this pedometer was to get 10,000 steps each day. I did pretty well in the beginning but my numbers have been declining. However, I've been finding a lot of motivation lately at another blog, "Basically Benita". Benita is teaming up with other bloggers so we can reach our weight loss and fitness goals together. There's something about doing these kinds of things with other people that really helps a LOT.

Today, she posted a great idea..."The 10,000 Step Club". I think this is just the motivation I needed to get me excited and going again. It'll be so much more fun to do it with more people, be accountable to one another, and see our progress. Not to mention that Benita's enthusiasm is contagious! I've been waking up in the morning and thinking how Benita is probably on her treadmill and it's been getting me on mine or out the door for a walk. Thanks, Benita!

Would you be interested in joining in on the fun and walking a path to better health? Join us! And, don't be shy, let us know. There's a lot of motivation and power in just telling someone that you're going to start walking and being more healthy. If you need even more motivation, Benita's even going to have a contest! Check it out HERE!