Dusty Blog

I forgot I had this blog very sad indeed.  I have been knitting and spinning alot too and you can see all that progress on my Ravelry Site Im Southernspinner.  My interest lately has been the dreaded wips and I am trying hard to get those either finished or frogged.  I am enrolled in my spinning class again and am spinning alot lately.  So new year going to try to keep up with this blog.  So curious about my wips list just how many projects am I trying to finish.  I use to be a very good at just working on a couple things at a time.

Wips 2011 or older

Falling Leaves Sock-  Online sock yarn one finished
Entrelac Fingerless Gloves- One close to being finished
Top Down Lace Cardigan- just need to knit the bands with button holes
Entrelac Vest- Just need to knit the bands possible buttons
Aran Vest- Mostly done had trouble and reknitting parts
Phoebe Pullover- Might Frog
Beaded Shawl- Kinetic beads hurt my hands all the slipping while knitting 1/3 done
His and Hers reversible Scarf almost done yea

I just finished spinning Highland Handmades 4 oz. Polwarth/silk blend colorway Our Maine Coast
I'm spinning some Cotswald/Romney cross natural color brown roving hard to draft so spinning it with a forward unworsted style to keep it very fuzzy and lofty.

Sorry no pictures this post

Cable Vest Progress

I really enjoy working this vest the patterns are easy enough to follow, and the yarn feels really nice. This vest is coming along very nicely hope to be able to take a picture soon with me wearing it. I got the pattern from Patternworks it is a Martha Hall design exclusively for Patternworks. a link to their website is www.patternworks.com

I also made some more hats with my Knifty Knitter looms so easy and they go very fast. No finishing except hiding your tails when your done. I made these hats for a special child who is fighting cancer right now. My machine knitting class starts again in the fall so I hope to get comfortable with my DAK program which downloads patterns to your machine awesome. Designing can also be done as well as some charting for your own patterns. I have alot to learn about this program. I got some easy patterns for a cardigan I also want to try.

Sarah Shawl/New Birds

I have been working on this garter stitch drop shawl pattern that I found in Folk Shawls by Cherle Oberle. The pattern is called the Sarah Blanch Shawl inspired from a shawl her grandmother made using her hairpin lace loom. I picked this pattern because I wanted a quick knit with out having to follow any charts. The long repeats are working out very well. The Revontuli Shawl is coming along nicely too. Here is a updated photo.


I also have been birding and yesterday I saw two new birds a Least Bittern and a Poorwill. The Least Bittern is a very secretive bird that hides in the reeds. Luckily for me someone had spotted a whole family that have been very visible so we went and checked it out. I also got the oportunity yesterday to see a Poorwill that was hanging out in a friends driveway and was not identified but just described to another friend of mine. We were not dissapointed we went up their at dusk and there it was. We all got really good looks and some photos. I will post a picture when my friend sends it to me. So now my San Diego Bird Count is 256.

May 09 continued

I meant to send this picture the completed Kauni Rainbow Shawl. I also meant to mention that the other bird photo is a Grasshopper Sparrow who was very fun to find they sound like a bug and are very secretive. I was able to get it to come up with the help of playing its song briefly.

May 09

I started a new shawl this one is called Revontuli made with the same Kauni Rainbow yarn. I am very pleased with how the first shawl came out. This pattern is free on Ravelry you just have to search the patterns for Revontuli shawl and you will come across the link as well as a discussion group who did a knit along. If you have trouble with charts or are just learning like me their is plenty help. I am happy how it is coming along not much process to really show off how pretty the pattern is. Also working on a basic sock pattern with Cameleon colorway from the Opal Rainforest collection.

The photos are of a Ash Throated Flycatcher also shown are its small speckled eggs. I visited nest boxes at Mission Trails Park in San Diego, Ca. The monitor opened up the box to show me what its nest looked like. First the House Wrens use the box and fill it up with sticks that even blocks the opening. After the Wrens are done using the box the Ash Throated Flycatchers and Tree Swallows nest in them as well. Each of the birds has its own unique nest. The Ash Throated Flycatchers take two weeks for the eggs to be incubated and the young to hatch and leave the nest. I will be going back in two weeks to check on the little flycatchers.

Still working on my count for the 400 club my 251 species was a Snow Bunting first time ever found in San Diego County. She has headed North sticking around for just about a week, and to make the news.

San Diego Coast Birding

I finally got to get out and do some birding yesterday. I have not been able to bird for three weeks, that's along time for me. I went to the LaJolla Coast and brought by scope to look for sea birds. I have always wanted to visit Stan's Bench a fellow birder who has worn the paint off of where he sits. He is remarkable how he can tell what those far away birds are that I could barely see even with a scope. There was a dead whale probably a blue they thought that was out aways making its way towards shore. The visibility was excellent and we saw a Jaeger probably a Pomarine variety. Also a Glacous Winged Gull, and the usual sea birds.

I also visited the San Diego River Channel called Robb Field and saw a Mew Gull and a Laughing Gull which we see maybe one of a year in San Diego. First time for me seeing these two gulls. I also saw lots of Blue Winged Teals, Cinnamon Teals, Green-Winged Teal, Gadwall,Western Grebes,Eared Grebes,Red-Breasted Merganser,White Pelicans, Little Blue Heron, Great and Snowy Egrets, Least Sandpiper, Western Sandpipers, Dunlin,Marbled Godwits, Dowitchers. My list could go on we saw a total of 70 different species. I have a total now of 239 species seen in San Diego working towards my 400 species total for the 400 Club. I am climbing up there.

The picture is of a Blue-Winged Teal with some females nearby. The Blue-Winged Teal is identified by the White Crescent on his head you can't miss it. The picture was taken with a Canon IS 3 Powershot with Converter Lens.

FLAK

I have been knitting away on the Kauni Shawl and am almost done. I realized a mistake a few rows back so will have to rip alittle bit. Not my favorite knitting to do the frogpond rippit rippit.

I started the FLAK which stands for Follow The Leader Aran Knitalong that was from 2005. The pattern is by Janet Szabo at www.bigskyknitting.com bought the pattern and am working on the first part of the knitting. I also have her book Aran sweater Design to help me. The idea is to have a custom fit Aran Sweater knit from the top down. The picture is what they call Saddles and they fit across each shoulder. The neck and back and front are picked up from these will post followup when I get them knitted. I am using a yarn called Peruvian Highland Wool by Elann and it comes in so many pretty colors. The color I am using is called Tranquil Lagoon. I hope I have enough yarn.