A Camp Update

Well, I got back from camp on Saturday. It was only a week and a half session, but it was a lot of fun. We were in an outdoor cooking and building program, which meant starting lots of fires and (at least this year) lots of lashing. We made our own bridge, platform and tire swing, as well as a catapult that didn't really work (but it was fun anyway!)

I was with mainly guys this year, similar to last year, although this time I had another girl, instead of being by myself. We affectionatly called the program "girl boot camp", just because it takes a lot of energy to keep up with the opposite gender. :)

Next year, I hope to be a CIT (counselor in training). All of the counselors were so kind and helpful, it was great to get to know them!

I had a rest hour every day, which meant lots of knitting time. My brain was also on "get up early for school" mode, which meant I woke up an hour and a half early some days. As a result, I made this:
It looks done, but it's really a tad too short. I cast off too soon so that "the guys" could see that knitting an hour a day (give or take) really does amount to something. I wore it, loose ends and all the last day. A couple little ones who had watched me in amazement as I had knit throughout the session told me good job when they saw the finished project.

On the way home, I cast on another project:

The goal is to turn it into a shrug, one of those projects I've always wanted to try, but always got side tracked. The yarn was tie-dyed at camp. I spun it eons ago, it seems. It's so thin and weak, I doubted I could even knit with it. But it seems to be holding. The general idea is being adapted from this (minus the pretty lacey thing, I'll probably follow her pattern some other time, it's good) shrug. Perhaps I'll enter my version in Knotions Magazine, which I just found, something. Who knows?Speaking of dyeing, there's a dyeing workshop my spinning guild organized, so expect lots of prettyprettypretty yarn soon!

Oh, and I made this on the way to camp-

G'day all!

Ahem.

The bolero and vest were not created. No yarn was found.
*moment of silence*
Perhaps I will be able to make them for their Christmas gifts.

I did, however, create a little book of fiber for my cute twin neighbors--I'm always ready to push the knitting/fiber aspect!

Using some leftovers from various projects, I had a page for alpaca, wool, soy silk, silk, corn, and flax. By putting hot glue on the pages themselves, the paper stuck. If I put hot glue on the paper, it wouldn't stick to the yarn. There's probably some scientific logic to this; I wouldn't know.

We also got some hardcover books, one about sheep in a car that won't go, and, my personal favorite, "Is Your Mama a Llama?"

*personal happy rant ahead*

Their birthday party was adorable. I was worried that Ryan and Riley wouldn't recognize me with so many relatives around, but they gave their usual big smiles when they saw me, and Ryan even crawled over one time to be picked up. Happy 1st Birthday, cuties!

*ok, I'm done*

I'll be at camp for the next week and a half, the same one I went to last year and came back with dyed yarn and new fiber Mom and Dad had sent from home. This year, I'll be bringing some fiber, as well as the leftovers from the cardigan. (aka these 800 yards)I still have no idea what I will make with it, but I do have a few ideas. Please let me know what you think!

Choices (I have 800 yds of yarn):

A) Knit a shirt similar to the halter top, except instead of a single strap, I would make two thick straps, maybe even little sleeves, yarn permitting. Does that make sense?

B) Does anyone have a pattern for lacy gloves? *fiberfiend6891 was nice and found the pattern for me! I need the needles though. Off to look for them!*

I found a picture in the Spring or Summer Interweave Knits, but (grrr) the pattern wasn't there. I may not use the the cardigan yarn (wrong color), but I do have a couple hundred yards of white handspun I'm up in the air about dyeing. A problem about this idea is that I don't have enough double-pointed knitting needles to make a set. That, and I've never made gloves before in my life.

C) I'd say socks, but the double-pointed knitting needle problem would come up again.

D) Anybody have any other ideas?

I'll check the blog tomorrow, then I'm off! Camp, here I come!

You Know You're a Child of the Internet When...

...your friends check on your blog to make sure you're all right when you don't answer the phone, and panic when you haven't posted anything recently. True story. Sorry guys! Hopefully this will quell your (possible) fears.

I have a couple moments to breathe before buckling down into finals again, so I figured a blog post was in order.
Remember the yarn I won in Ravelry?
It is now a triangular shawl.

The possibilities with this baby are endless.I feel so safe in it--this will be what I wear for the last day of school.

I am also spinning some soy silk. I'm not quite sure what to make of it yet-it's so soft, I'm tempted to just knit a pillow!

Aaaand, compliments of Sarah at Mom's Knitting and her blogiversery contest,(I'll probably have a year-and-3-months contest, so stay tuned!) I got some yummy yarn in the mail!It's all so soft and yummy. Thank you so much, Sarah!! I'm still waiting for it to speak to me about what it wants to be made into. I'm hoping it's a teddy bear. The twins next door would love it to death!

Speaking of the twins, I have yet to start on their birthday presents. Of course, I already have the ceramic shoes, but I wanted something more knitty-related, if you could recall. I found a Debbie Bliss book with an adorable bolero top for the girl, Riley, and a little manly vest for Ryan. The patterns call for cashmerino, which, considering the fact that it's spring, wouldn't be a good idea.

When we go to the yarn store tomorrow, after exams (the one good thing about taking long tests is that we get at least the other half, if not the other 3/4ths of the day off!), I'll be looking for a cotton blend. I found something called "CotLin" on KnitPicks, perfect weight, colors, the whole shibang, but the yarn wouldn't get here in time for their birthday party this Saturday. As it is, the chances I'll give them a half-made gift is far from unlikely. My goal is to post every day this week to make up for the fact I've been a bad blogger.