Charted Chicken does the Puyallup

Well, I’ve done it. I’ve gone and entered my Charted Chicken in the Puyallup Fair. I just drove down there today to drop it off. So, if you happen to be at the fair this year (September 11-27, Puyallup Fairgrounds, Puyallup, Washington), do check it out. You will find her here:

 

Hobby Hall

Division H (Handmade Soft Toys and Teddy Bears)

Class 3020 (Knit Animals or Dolls)

 

She looks like this:

 

 

I guess the judging is Tuesday, but no one knows the results until the fair opens. I didn’t see the other entries, so I don’t know if I’m totally out of my league or what. I hope I don’t embarrass myself!

 

I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get there to find out if it won anything, so if you see it before me and it has a ribbon on it, let me know!

 

To new friends (and a massive knitting event)

Knitting, by way of Ravelry, has introduced me to so many wonderful people. Most of them I’ve never met in person, but there are two that I have recently met face-to-face and am glad to call friends. There’s KnittyBron, who, as it turns out, lives very close by (Hi, Bronwyn!), and just yesterday, Ewenique.

 

Ewenique was a total stranger to me until, oh, last week, when I found out she was flying to Seattle from the U.K. She wanted to go to a little show called the Sock Summit at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland while she was here. I don’t generally knit socks, so I didn’t give the conference much thought until, oh, last week, when I offered her a ride. You may not think there are many knitters around, but the show’s organizers managed to scrape up several thousand, I think, for several days of classes, demos, a Guiness World Record attempt, and lots and lots of yarn.

 

Did I mention lots and lots of yarn? Yes. There were 150 vendors at the Sock Summit marketplace. Since I hadn’t planned on actually going to the summit, I hadn’t signed up for any classes, but I did decide to go to the marketplace yesterday. Happily, my plans aligned with Ewenique’s, so I picked her up at her hotel in Seattle and drove the 3 hours south to Portland. It was a bit overwhelming, and I didn’t buy as much yarn as I thought I would, but a good time was had by all. I forgot to take pictures, so I’m hijacking Ewenique’s for illustrative purposes.

 

[There was a picture here, but now it’s gone. Imagine a big convention hall full of yarn. Now add more yarn. No, more than that. No, seriously, more yarn.]

 

After the marketplace closed, we went over to Red Robin for a big fat burger and fries (or chips, if you prefer). It was delish. Then we hopped in the car and felt our way over to Washington Park for a big Ravelry meet. I say "felt our way" because I just generally knew it was "over there" and hoped to end up at the right place. We did come in the north entrance, which apparently winds its way though the hilly park for a mile or two before ending at the World Forestry Center where the event was held. The south entrance, as it turned out, was right on a highway. Go fig.

 

The Ravelry meet was great. We didn’t stay long, as we had another three hours of driving to get back to Seattle that night. But the place was packed with knitters. They’d planned the event for 350 people, but well over that actually showed up. They had goody bags, but, sadly we arrived too late to get one. I’ve never seen so many handknits in one place! I did meet Casey and Frecklegirl, the founders of Ravelry, and Rainydaygoods, also of Ravelry fame. Knitters are so easy to talk to… just walk up and start chatting. We’ve already got something in common!

 

Rainydaygoods, Ewenique, and Frecklegirl

 

Casey and me (squee!)

 

I was so tired by the end of it, but it was a happy sort of tired. Still recuperating today. Thanks, Ewenique, for the company! Can’t wait till the next one!

Catching up, again

I had some additional projects in the works over the last few months, but never got around to posting them. So here they are.

 

First, in May, I knit a cute little cotton sweater for Trixie’s new baby.

 

 

The pattern is Offset Wraplan by Sara Morris, knit in Cascade Yarns Cotton Rich DK. I really liked the yarn, nice and soft.

 

Then, in June, I knit a chemo cap for my uncle.

 

 

Pattern is Marsan Watchcap by Staceyjoy Elkin, knit with Star Castle Fiber Mill Alpaca Sport. I got the yarn at Alpacapalooza earlier this year, and it’s super soft. Star Castle is a small mill in Oregon, and the fiber came from two alpacas, Mystique and Willow, at Camp David Alpacas, also in Oregon. It’s kind of neat to be able to trace the fiber back to the animals from which it’s shorn.

 

I’ve been working on this scarf for half a year. It was my take-along project, kept in a small bag that I’d take out when I was stuck somewhere with free time. That didn’t happen very often, so progress was slow, and I just finished it in July.

 

 

The pattern is One Row Handspun Scarf by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, the Yarn Harlot. The yarn is Black Bunny Fibers Mohair/Wool, which I’d won as a major award for a Ravelry fundraiser. Glad to finally finish something with that yarn!

 

I also joined my first yarn club earlier this year, and I finally made something with some of the yarn. It was a pretty quick project that took about a week of crocheting in the evenings. I just finished it last weekend.

 

 

The pattern is Queen Anne’s Lace Scarf by Khebhin Gibbons. The yarn is Three Irish Girls Wexford Merino Silk in Cherry Blossom, an exclusive colorway just for the club.

 

Looks like I’ve been busy. Didn’t seem like it at the time, but I guess I was!