THis is my first and only piece of embroidery. I made it about 6 or so years ago. I really only did it as a practice piece, thinkning it would not look very good. I took the design from "Japanese Design Motifs". I just love this book. The family crests are so inspriring. I just flip through it and think about all of the different ways they could be used.
I've been wanting to do more embroidery, but I just haven't made it a priority in my creating time. I must put it up higher on the list.
My friend Darcie, is fantastic at embroidery. She has been doing it since she was six years old. Her stuff just inspires me to do more.
She has a website for her other creations on etsy, Dream Land Treasures.
Hopefully, some embroidery will work it's way ito my creation list soon.

These are the socks that I have been working on for my husband. They are from Nancy Bush's "Knitting Vintage Socks". I wanted to make both socks at the same time, so I have been using the "Magic Loop" method. It's been quite nice, though it does seem to take longer. I just keep reminding myself that I'm making TWO socks right now, not just the one, so my progress will seem slower. Once I finish one, though, I'm finished with both!

So, we go off to Holden Beach, NC for over a week, return home, and this is what we find in our garden.
Monster Okra.
This stuff is as long as my forearm. The one on the left is an okra pod at the largest stage that I feel it should be eaten. We have MANY that are between the sizes of the one on the right and the pod in the middle. The pod in the middle is about 12 inches long.
If you think you're on my Christmas gift list, be prepared for some extra large okra Christmas ornaments.
Or an Okra Lizard.

On the knitting front:
Didn't accomplish as much on Hubby's socks as I expected. I'm on the gussets right now.
Also didn't get to read as much as I expected in "A Passage to India", this month's selection for Knit the Classics.
Chugging slowly but steadily through them both.

Here are pictures of the shawl for my younger sister's wedding. She's getting married in September in the mountains and will have this for after the ceremony. The Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aram feels wonderful.
I thought it would take me much longer to knit it up than it actually did. Now I can pick the socks I've been working on for my husband back up. Hopefully they'll be done before too long. Then I can make the Moebius baskets out of my KoolAid yarn and then move on to whatever I think of for next!
I've begun thinking about Christmas presents. I'm thinking the gift de jour for this year will be a luxurious washcloth out of Crystal Palace's Cotton Chenille, paired with a bar of fancy handmade soap from my local farmer's market.

This is the result of my first attempt at handspinning. I took an introduction to handspinning class this past Saturday morning at Yarns, etc. in Greensboro. The teacher, Tina, was wonderfully patient. I really enjoyed the process and hope that I can continue to practice and get better.
I was bitten by the spinning bug in mid-January, and just have gotten to take a class this past weekend.
I hope to post more pictures of my spinning as it happens!

Here are the dyed yarns after having been wound into center pull balls. They look much nicer this way. I think I have decided what I will make with them. I have recently checked out Cat Bordhi's "A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting" from my library. I like the moebius baskets and think this yarn will be perfect for them.
I finished all of the knitting on my younger sister's shawl last night. I hope to have the ends woven in by bedtime tonight, and then block it in the next few days. I'm not fully sure just how I will block it. I've seen a few different techniques, but don't don't which way would be best and/or easiest for this type of shawl. The scalloped bottom edge is what puzzles me.
I'll will post pictures of it while it is blocking!