Store Additions

You might notice that Needlesandewe.com has fun new additions! I am working as quickly as I can to add all of the new items to the website. Check back to see all of the new additions. Here is a preview of the new items on the website:

Minkee Blankee Fabric! So soft and wonderful.

Flannel Fabric--for the Holidays and beyond!

 

A lot of new yarns, including wool, cotton blend, novelty, and more.

Clover knitting needles, sewing needles, crochet hooks, accessories--including the incredibly popular pom pom makers

Eucalan no rinse delicate wash in Eucalyptus and Lavender.

And so much more! Come explore at your leisure.

Epic Fail...But I'm Back!

Well, my intention of posting once a week has resulted in an epic fail, but I had a lot of fun while I wasn't posting!

I went up to the mountains and enjoyed the beauty of the lake and wildflowers. The colors were amazing and I enjoyed walking where the view was better than in the city.  

For the most part, all the people I meet at the lake are so nice and interesting. I have a theory that the farther you drive up into the mountains, the nicer the people are since they have the patience to put up with the drive. The campfire and s'mores were a nice time to get to know some of the other people ... and to just stare into the flames. 

 

I also went to a wedding in Southern California. The flowers were lovely and the bride and groom radiant. I loved that they had a photobooth there. We took a bunch of silly pictures and wrote messages to them. The only sad thing was that we got so close to the beach and never got to touch the sand...

 

...Which is why I was very happy to get to go over to Avila Beach! As always, the view from the room was worth the trip. I love being able to sit on the balcony, knit or talk, and listen to the sound of the waves.

We scheduled a boat trip around the harbor...or rather, we thought we did. The boat company was double booked and we couldn't stay until the next open tour. Instead, we walked around on the pier.

Tyler enjoyed seeing the boat lifted out of the water and loaded onto a trailer. A very smooth process! But the real highlight was seeing the seals and sea lions swim around under the pier.

When we walked down to the bottom level, we saw the perfect napping place...

His friend, however, was trying to entice him to play by swimming up and jumping into the air. Because of the delay on my camera, it took me a ridiculously long time to capture him actually in the air. (Don't even ask about the picture I captured in the meantime that reminded me of the children's book Everybody Poops.)

On the knitting front, I finished my Lovegood sweater. I must say, I don't like it nearly as much as I thought I would. I think it's the shape of the sleeves. They aren't as belled as the pattern. Also, I can't seem to make the button band not pull at the buttons. It isn't too tight, but it does not look as smooth as I would like it to look.

My side slip cloche hat, on the other hand, is so nice. I love the Rowan Soft Lux yarn. The angora makes it so soft and, well, luxurious. The metallic thread throughout gives it some sparkle and interest. (Yes, I have since cut the yarn and woven in the ends. I don't wear it around town with the yarn hanging down the back of my neck!) 

 

Despite my statement that I wouldn't be using fingering yarn again for a while, I couldn't resist using this beautiful gray yarn for a Hermione hat. I love how it turned out. I would make another one, but I would probably use larger needles next time.

The really sad thing it that I have lost it! I took these pictures at the beach and I haven't seen my hat since then. I am hoping that it is in a bag somewhere, but every time I look where I think it might be, it isn't there.

An Update in Pictures

It's Finally Summer

Until today, I've known it's summer, but something felt like it's been missing...because I hadn't made my trip up to Lakeview Cottages at Huntington Lake. For the past four or five years, we have gone up there to open the cabins and prepare them for the lucky people that get to rent them during the summer. This year, the weather has been so weird that it has thrown the schedule off. Because the snow was falling so late this year, we could not even drive up there (unless we bought a snowplow) and the water company could not get to the valves to turn on the water to the other end of the lake. The result was not being able to open the cabins in time for the first week of rentals ... and I missed you, Lakeview Cottages! 

Today I was able to go up and spend a very enjoyable and productive day. I was able to finally finish my last row on Lovegood. I believe the part that took me the longest to finish was the button band. Not because it was hard, but because I was so ready to be done with it that I couldn't make myself start the button band (contradictory, I know). After a stern self-lecture and a rather hard self-kick, I started it and finished all the knitting today. I still have to actually sew on the buttons and block it but, bah, that's easy. Now as a reward for my diligence and hard work ;) tonight or tomorrow I can cast on for my side-slip cloche hat.

Not your usual lake view in mid-June, but I took my knitting down to the lake. I knew it had snowed late this year, but I didn't expect to still see snow around the cabins and down at the lake. Here are some of the boats by the snow. One of my favorite ways to enjoy the lake is to take a boat out with a book and just drift. Today, the wind pushed us toward the edge of the lake so quickly we had to move back out to the center again every ten minutes or so, but the view was worth the extra effort! (Hello Cabin E!)


And to make the drive down more enjoyable, we stopped at the Big Creek General Store for some berry cobbler and homemade ice cream. Yum! (Sorry, it was half gone before I thought to take a picture.)

And the Winner Is...

The winner of our first yarn giveaway is TopHat, who said, "I love the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino in purple. I would make mittens for my daughter!"

I will be contacting you for an address to get your Noro Silk Garden yarn sent out to you as soon as possible. Congratulations to TopHat.

Be sure to check back for future giveaways!

Summer Skirts

My mom and my sister are making skirts to wear this summer. I am noticing a green trend in my family right now (as I sit here now in my green shirt). Although I don't think I would wear this particular skirt style myself, I think the fabric is so fun and summery and they will look great when they are done.





Their sewing project has reminded me of the fabric and pattern I have tucked away somewhere for a summer dress. The only sewing I have done recently has been tailoring clothes and a little quilting. This summer might be the summer to finish old projects...but that is so hard because there are so many new projects out there to start, too!

Back From the Wedding

Well, we made it through the drive--there and back again. The drive convinced me I would never make it as a truck driver or an on-the-road sales person. If we had more time in the places we passed through, that would be completely different. We did pass through some beautiful country. Beautiful lakes and mountains and trees.
The overcast skies and green, green trees are a different feel than our own forests. (Twilight, anyone?)
Later, we drove through some areas that made me want to visit Ireland again.The cliffs weren't quite as dramatic as the Cliff of Moher, but we also didn't leave the highway, so who knows what other beautiful sights we missed.
And for those of you who know how much I hate driving, and doubt that I did drive, I have the proof!
And I promise this is a blink and not me driving with my eyes closed.
I'm so glad I got to go see my grandma and her new house! She is making it beautiful, as she always does. The adventure to the park gave us an opportunity to get some fresh air, visit, wear beautiful knits that are too warm now in California, and expend some energy.











The wedding itself was beautiful. Kudos to Jessie and Luke for being such laid back, relaxed people, because I surely would not have done as good a job going with the flow with needing to change wedding/reception locations and dealing with weather problems. The wedding decorations turned out beautifully and the bride...of course beautiful as well. A very fun wedding perfectly suited to their personalities (Though Jessie, I did wait a long time to see if you would stay with the sailor-themed wedding from so long ago!)

And the obligatory photo holding my own camera. One surprise was that the wedding was moved indoors since the winds outside were so strong and the rain was not quite what they had envisioned for their wedding. The result? The shrug that would have been too light for outdoors was too warm for indoors! I did wear it for a picture, but not during the wedding or reception. Ahh, but ever so cute...
I'm sure I will have a lot of opportunities to wear it this summer, since I seem to be one of the few people I know who carries a sweater around in the heat of summer. (The change from 100+ degrees outside to cold and air conditioned inside means a sweater is always welcome!)
And...finally, I award the Cutest Ringbearer Alive Award. Tyler did such a wonderful job smiling and standing where he was supposed to stand. (I know he charmed the wedding photographer photographer.) No pictures here of the fake mustache, but cute...very cute.

A Wee Tiny Shrug of a Problem

Where have I been recently? Madly knitting on a shrug that can go with light, summery colors. I have been know to procrastinate (only on occasion, you understand) and sometimes live in denial about how close things actually are to happening. But I could no longer deny that this Tuesday I will be making an epically long drive to Idaho to visit my grandma and go to my cousin's wedding. (Google maps says about 20 hours without stops!) Yesterday I finished my shrug out of incredibly soft wool and am happy with it.

Now, however, I have checked the weather forecast for the wedding next week. I have heard rumors of snow and hail. The weather forecast has beautiful 70 degree weather...right now. For the wedding, they predict a chance of rain and highs in the 50s. And, well, I begin to wonder if my light shrug I have worked so hard to finish in time will be warm enough for an outdoor, possibly rainy wedding. I really hope the weather forecast is wrong! I don't think I have anything else to pack to go with my dress, and a snow jacket might look a little out of place at a wedding. This weekend I get to find some new projects and gather everything I will need for them. Part of the 20 hours I will be driving (yuck!) but that still leaves more plenty of time for other things--and then there's all the time driving back....

If you were in the parade, how would YOU travel?

We went to see my dad in the Clovis Rodeo Parade when he was walking with the CARDA group.He's the one in the background...with the arrow pointing to him ;) While it was fun to see him in the parade, it made me think about all the different ways of traveling in a parade and--sorry Dad--walking is probably lowest on the list. Similarly, the flat-bed truck floats are pretty standard, though certainly less effort. The Red Hat ladies zooming around in their golf carts and ATVs looked to be having a lot of fun.The military vehicle with the arm that moved up and down was interesting, but still not what I'd pick.One of the beautiful cars--I'd like to ride in them, but the speed is a little wasted at 3 mph.
There were certainly a lot of beautiful horses, but...well...there were so many of them. And so I believe I would choose....

...the ZEBRA! Very original and fun.
Since it was the Clovis Rodeo Parade and there were a lot of horses, one zebra, and who knows what else, the very efficient last "entry" down the parade route was the street sweepers.
I'm glad the there was nothing to step in on the way back to the car!
My nephew started to get a bit tired and so he did not enjoy the entries at the end nearly as much. I looked over and said, "Is he glaring at them?"
Really, I think it was more zoning out than glaring, because right after that was this cute face:
After the parade we made a quick stop at Target.As bright as his outfit was in the parade in a sea of orange shirts, it was shockingly bright in the store lights!