High Fiber--Preparing for Summer

The big FO for this week was the felted bag for my MacBook:

Here it is in use (above), and then just to show off the lining:

I wanted to finish it so I could use it to carry my MacBook on our trip coming up in a couple of weeks. I used a variety of colors of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky. WotA felts great! (It feels great, too!)

I also dyed some spinning fiber for Tour de Fleece, which will start while we're on our trip:

I call it Wasatch Mountain Dusk, because that's what it looks like. I used various amounts and combinations of blue, neon blue, neon lavender and black food coloring with salt and vinegar. I used the sun tea method for dyeing. I used KP's Superwash Merino and Nylon, and I hope to make some socks when the yarn is done. My challenge will be to try to spin thin enough singles that the three-ply yarn will still be thin enough for socks. Good thing I have skinny feet!

We have been hiking, in spite of the wind and cool temperatures:

The pups had their grooming appointment, as scheduled, but it's hard to tell from this shot. Even Rocky's tongue was flapping in the breeze!

Vintage Stitchers met again this week, this time at Julie's. Brenda read a book to Alexis, Julie's DGD.

Alexis really admired Janet's Floral Bouquet quilt. (It has Minky on the back!)

Alexis already knows what she likes when it comes to quilts! This is the last of the bolt of Minky that Janet bought. Here's the quilt all finished and ready to give away:

It's like mine, only smaller. Julie expects to have one of my quilts finished this week. I can hardly wait!

Brenda had some quilts in various stages of construction. The Cat in the Hat quilt is done except for the binding. Here's the front:

And here is the back:

She started a Caterpillar quilt:

Brenda has several grandchildren, and they all need quilts!

A friend had a garage sale on Saturday, and I picked up nearly a pound of spinning fiber (half and half wool and mohair, with a smidge of lurex for sparkle) and a tiny supported drop spindle:

I stopped by her neighbor who keeps sheep. Too bad I missed them all wooly. Most have been shorn already. One of the white ewes has twins, but one is hiding on the other side of her.

Our tulips are mostly looking shopworn, but the daffodils are just now coming on. That's because the daffodils were planted in the shade and in a section of our front yard that keeps a pile of snow until very late in what passes for spring here. (Please excuse Jay-Jay's mess in the background.)

The wasps are back, and we got a couple of faux wasps' nests (say "wasps' nests" three times fast), which are supposed to keep the wasps from building nests in your yard.

The only trouble is, they say "The Waspinator" on the top, so the wasps will know they're fake. They should have printed "This is a real wasps' nest" on it instead. I'm not sure these will work.

Speaking of flying insects, I'm swatching for this cardigan for Daphne:

It's "The Bees Knees" from The New Stranded Colorwork by Mary Scott Huff. You can see it in another colorway here. I fell in love with this pattern when I got the book. I'm taking a class from the author at Sock Summit, and I hope to have it started when I ask her to autograph my copy of her book. The yarn I'm using will be Knit Picks' Stroll fingering yarn in various colors. Wait until you see!

What's on my needles: DBIL's "Prayer" cardi, front finished, and I'm working on my applique project again for a special quilt.
 

What's on my wheel: The Louet Olive Green Corriedale, bobbin #3.

What's on my iPad: I finished Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I especially liked the part that takes place in Bali, where I have spent some time. Starting Dog Sense by John Bradshaw.

What's on my iPod: Various podcasts, still including The Sweater Quest by Adrienne Martini, read by the author. 

What's my app of the week: Just upgraded Epicurious. Soon they will make it possible for us to keep our own recipes in the app, not just the recipes that come with the app. I've been collecting the quick and easy recipes posted in the Knitting Community Spin Along, "Rather Spin Than Cook," and I'm looking forward to adding them to the app.

What's in my wine glass: Ironstone Cabernet Franc 2009. Very nice!

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and MacBook working together, but no Windows were opened, waited for or cleaned.