Once Upon a Time.....

.......there was a lady named Lara. She was a crafter of great variety but also a mother, daughter, granddaughter, friend, an employee and many other things. Sometimes she shared her projects and perhaps a few stories on a blog. However, other times life kept her a very busy lady and if you only followed the blog, she appeared to have poofed into some mysterious disappearance and who knew if she would ever return?

In short - yes, I'm still around and have been living life with all it's ups and a few downs to go with it. Thankfully, I also have those crafts to enjoy and they have not been as neglected as the blog! Christmas and New Year's came & went since my last post. Valentine's Day was enjoyed by many. On Ravelry - where I have been slightly more visible these last weeks - the Ravelympics began and ended. As a team captain and a team member I also spent quite a bit of time on Ravelympics as a matter of fact and while I did not manage to complete everything I signed up for in the mad insanity of enthusiasm and hope when planning for events (ok, work also played a disruptive part) I DID cross the finish line with two projects (more coming soon), did considerable spinning on a third and even managed to complete more than half of a shawl I plan to wear to my son's wedding late June. Soooo many things to share but we must start somewhere, right?

Therefore - to begin - I give you a glimpse of first of Seed Pod Socks, started and completed since my last, long ago post - finished, in fact, even before the end of December!



Pattern: Seed Pod Socks - Bad Cat Designs
Yarn: Plymouth Happy Feet, 2 skeins
Needles: US1 / 2.25MM

These were fun to knit and I will no doubt knit them again......and in spite of only one in the picture, the pair really is finished and has been worn!

Next - finished December 30th - you might recall the lovely Misty Moonlit Midnight (Tallin Sunset) shawl I began some time ago. As a related side note, I do hope my resident photographer is able to assist with some modeled pictures of several projects - including these - sometime very soon.



Pattern: Tallin Sunset, by Bad Cat Designs
Yarn: Handdyed Merino Lace (Stonybrook) by Fearless Fibers, used ~1,115 yards
Needles: US4 / 3.5mm
Beads: Megatamas, 3mm crystal AB beads from Earthfaire

As with all Bad Cat Designs, I feel you can't go wrong knitting this! The pattern was great fun and the yarn was lovely to work with.

I will be back - perhaps even later today - with more on Ravelympics .......

Life Happens......

Life happens and that's a fact. For those who have wondered where I "disappeared to" well, I appreciate your thoughts and concern. I'm still around but I've had my hands full. In the last few weeks I've had all the usual stuff (and some fun extras....really, truly) and some not-so-fun extras including:

- Fraud on my bank account
- Harddrive meltdown
- The heartbreaking saga and surrender of my Alaskan Malamute
- Hospice care for an Uncle
- Broken hip for my grandfather
- Funeral for said uncle
- Nursing care / therapy for grandfather

and of course all the associated calls, visits, time, and family. I must say I have been blessed with some really AWESOME family, friends and co-workers. Such a wonderful bonus to offset some of that not-fun life stuff. The family upheaval did bring visits from afar including that of my mother all the way from Thailand. She will be staying with me weekends until early December since she is here to teach, not just visit us all. My brother from Florida was also able to come for a week and we had some great laughs all together. Silver linings, ya know?

Some other fun:

- Family visits and laughs
- Great, supportive friends
- Marvelous designs from BadCat to play with including the Summer Squares projects and other new patterns (details on her blog -> link over to the right ->)
- Knitting therapy
- Weaving (yup, you'll see.....)
- Spinning (spindles, wheel......loads of therapy AND fun but to share another day)
- New wood to play with (Red Cedar - awesome stuff!)

....and ever so much more..........don't let the list at the top fool you, I have a great deal to be grateful for and I don't forget that, especially when "life" happens ;-)

Moving along on that same sort of "life" path, one of my cousins is expecting twins and while I haven't finished everything I have planned for her I actually have not been idle with my knitting needles and even weaving. (The spinning is for other things but has been great therapy as well!)

Today I bring you a couple of cute little baby hats, one shown above and the other here:

Sorry about the lack of focus - perhaps it's symbolic? Nah, just a needs a better photographer, hehehe.

You can safely assume that the twins in this case are expected to be a boy & girl, not identical.

I've not managed all the booties yet but a pair in lovely cashmere - a fingering weight marl (naturally from Colourmart!). One is of course washed and the other shown not so you can see the amazing transformation that takes place.....


I have soooooo much more to share - take note of the growing list of finished objects and status changes in the sidebars. Those don't even include nearly everything in the works.

There's more great fun ahead; I hope you'll join me :-).

Wait, what happened to Christmas?

A few shots & info from some Christmas presents......long overdue!!

For my "nearly nephew" a pair of snug, soft and hopefully warm.....fingerless handwarmers in charcoal Cash Vero DK.

My "actual" nephew loves handknit socks and hopefully will get some wear from this pair of Twin Rib socks knit in Elann's Sock It To Me before he outgrows them!!

And for my brother's "nearly" fiance? (hey the guy's gotta propose properly before it's official, right?).....Autumn In NY take two can be seen below. I'm hoping I can talk her into some modeled shots for some better pictures.

My niece taking dance lessons this year gets a nice soft & warm pair of pink legwarmers in some wonderful Colourmart Merino.

A bonus shot of the Forest Canopy in a lovely Hydrangea (Handpainted yarn) that went to my "nearly niece":

There are a few more........I'm hoping for a modeled shot of Miralda which my grandmother loves thoroughly. Autumn in New York #1 has a new home as well but I need more pictures. The Heartland Shawl that did a marvelous job of keeping me busy knitting instead of spending a bundle at the Estes Park Wool Market this past year is much loved by it's new owner (my sister).

Oops? More previews....

.......Well I learned something new about posting ;-). Continuing with the previews.....and by the way, proper links with all the pattern credits, etc including links will be added with the full project posts.....

A mysterious green thing? Not really - but rather looks it, eh? This will eventually be a Large Leaf Rectangle Shawl from Victorian Lace Today.

Socks, anyone? These are finished too.

A goodly bit of progress on a pattern called "Ostara" by Goddess Knits. A very nicely flowing design.....

I call this my "Conference Call" shawl - it's really Magic Circle from A Gathering of Lace but it's something I can work on without looking at it and is great for conference calls and football games! Sometimes it moves along and sometimes not depending on what else is on the needles and my whim of the moment.

A Faux Russian Stole from Gathering of Lace.......although the yarn is laceweight, not fingering as the pattern calls for. This will be cozy.

I also have a very pretty purple "thing" on my needles as well but can't share that until it's both done and the designer approves......

This is just a sampling! There's more........but all in good time :-)