Twinkledog Designs

Twinkledog is coming out of hibernation. :)

Watch for new knitting designs to be added to the blog shortly. The look of Twinkledog blog will also be changing, so be on the lookout.

Happy knitting to all!!

Taking the Olympic Scarf Out for a Test-Drive

Happy knitting to everyone!

Took the scarf (some think it's a wrap) out for opinions this week.  First - #2 daughter Amy made it a wrap!

Next the scarf went outside to feel the cool breezes of spring in the cherry tree!

 

Background Color

 And then the scarf went to monthly knitting group.  (See Paula above)

And then, Meg got into the act (see below)

 

A good time was had by all.  The scarf/wrap was a hit!

  

 

Now to get the pattern completely written...............no rest for the wicked.

!!!FINISHED!!!

I have not posted in a month, shame on me.  My regular job has still been too busy and hectic, so I have been working on the scarf in every spare moment I have had.  This took much longer that I thought it would, but there were many detail adjustments as I worked out the patterns in the actual scarf.

BUT IT IS DONE!  I actually got it off the needles on Friday evening, and dyed on Saturday.

The tiny Twinkledog models the scarf just as it comes off the needles:

No ends tucked in yet!   Thought I'd see how it draped before dyeing and blocking.  My daughter Heather was sweet enough to try it on with about 1 minutes notice:

 

 So - Friday night I cooked up the brazilwood chips and let them cool and soak overnite.  I also mordanted the scarf in alum and let it soak and cool overnite also.    

Saturday morning - I have a houseful of family visiting, but cannot wait to dye the scarf. In between playing with my grandchildren, visiting with my daughter and her husband, and getting ready to go to the natural history museum I dye the scarf. I was hoping to get a dark rose color.

The chips are strained out of the dye and the scarf goes into the pot.  Heat to simmer and YIKES - IT LOOKS ORANGE!!!!  My family looks and says its a nice color.  It's not bad, but not what I envisioned:

 

Simmer for one hour, take off the stove to cool to room temperature, and we're off to the museum.

Back at mid-day and the pot is cool.  I start to rinse - orange, orange, orange....  The family peeks into the pot and mumble encouragement.  I continue to rinse every half hour and each rinse  bleeds a bit of color, and the gradually the color bleed begins to change hue - a bit more pink now?????  I leave it alone for a while, soaking in water.  I am confused.

When I come back a couple of hours later - it has changed to a lovely burgandy wine color????  How did this happen.  I thought I was losing my mind, so called the family in to evaluate.  Yep, it has changed and it is lovely.  So, out of the pot and onto the stretching wires for blocking:

 Changed to a dry towel this morning.  It should be dry by tomorrow.

What do you think?

 

Missing in action

Sorry to have been absent for the past week (and then some).  Before I left I was preparing for a very long civil trial at work. ( I am a paralegal in my other life)  It started while I was gone and I came back and had to step into a trial in full swing - which means a minimum of 11 to 12 hour work days - seven days per week. The jury went back to deliberate yesterday afternoon.  Hooray.  No verdict until early next week.  I have done very little knitting  as I have been sooo tired that I could do nothing but mess it up.

I will try to catch up and have a lovely sample to show in the next day or so.  I started the scarf over while on vacation and didn't get very far after that.  Take care and happy knitting!

 

Ta ta for now.

More Pictures 2/22/10

Haven't quite got the hang of the remote texting - but attached are pictures of the mass start of the biathalon and the beautiful view from the bus window coming back from Whistler. What a beautiful country:)

Buses, Trains, Seabus - Oh My!! 2/22/10

Hope everyone is enjoying the Olympics. Sunday was the marathon travel day for us to go see biathalon at Whistler . We took a short train ride to the Waterfront Station, water taxi across the bay, and then a 2 hour busride to the Olympic venue. It was actually less stressful than getting around with the thousands of people in town (the crowds are enormous - VERY up-close and personal on the trains -maybe because it was 6:30 am when we started. We wound thru mountain passes to get there, so knitting wasn't too productive. I am not as far along as I would like to be. Biathalon was fabulous!! We had grandstand seats, sardine packed, but it kept you warm, so we had a great view of everything. A russian couple stood nearby waving their flags and kept poking me with them (looked like large knitting needles to me) Ole Einer Bjorndahlen was competing but had a terrible performance - didn't shoot well - so he did lots of penalty laps:( For those of you unfamiliar with biathalon, it is a cross-country ski race and the skiers shoot at the end of each lap. The race was 15 km . So they raced out into the countryside, looped around and came back and then came into the stadium area where they lay down and shot 5 times at the targets . If they miss any of the targets they had to ski a penalty lap in the stadium before they could go back out to the ski course . They ski the course 5 times. The men did lots of penalty laps. The women raced after therm and shot much better. The winner of the women's race was Magdelena Neuner, fom Germany - she has a blog and she is a knitter!!! As you know we are staying near the hockey rink and it was really rocking last night . US v Canada - the building was roaring. US won so it was a fairly quiet night downtown after that . We are very tired and are back at the condo today - going to go to Robson St to shop and see the sights. No buses or trains today if we can do without. Maybe I'll find a yarn shop:) .

February 20 - OHNO!!!

Not much knitting the last two days. Hockey and speed skating were at night and at the rink venues security herds you into the rinks in long long pathways - then herd you out in an entirely different direction -you cannot go back. Hockey was ok - BUT SPEED SKATING WAS AMAZING. Got to see Apolo Ohno win a silver medal in the men's 1000. He is the skater in the picture on the inside lane. The scarf may be called the Ohno. Spent the day yesterday roaming around Vancouver - lots of time in the Anthropology Museum. It is 5:30 am and we are leaving soon to head out to Whistler. Happy knitting everyone and Bonjour as the say her in Canada.

Almost an International Incident 2/19/10

Hello from Vancouver! We arrived last night and were pleasantly surprised that the condo we rented was everything it was advertised to be. We are actually right next to the hockey arena!! Today the games began. CURLING!!!!! Took the train to the venue and attempted to go thru security screening with my knitting. Guess who did not appreciatey creative efforts? See pictures. The screener called the police over and they arrived in force. Yikes! Fortunately for me Canadian Officer Doyon took pity on me and escorted me out the VIP entrance and hid my knitting needles in mulch under a very large tree. i would not give up my knitting. The needles were there after we watched curling!! I re-hid th for session two of curling in the front yard of a home near the venue. So I have changed my olympic knitting goal - I will hide my needles outside the venues and will try to not cause any more international incidents. Next - HOCKEY!! Happy knitting everyone!!

Olympic KAL 2/17/10

Hello and Happy Knitting to everyone.

As I don't have time for another project just now (Remember the scarf is due to the yarn shop first week of March) my scarf is my Olympic KAL.  I started the scarf last weekend during opening ceremonies.  I am using a flecked fingering weight wool.  It is going well so far.

 

Let me know what you think.  And is anyone out there knitting an Olympic KAL? What are you knitting?

For me it is REALLY a OLYMPIC KAL as I am leaving for Vancouver tomorrow morning!!!  

Hooray! ( I have been working way too may hours at my day job and need a break)

We will be seeing curling, speed skating (Apolo Ohno!!!), hockey, biathalon,, and mass start cross country. (Be still my heart - watch for Ole Einer Bjorndalen SP?) 

So, stay tuned for Olympic knitting updates!  I will be transmitting from my IPhone - "up-close and personal", about all my attempts to knit at any and all the Olympic venues I can get into.

My scarf needs a name, and I think it will come from my upcoming Olympic adventure.  Olympia?  The Ohno Scarf?

Any ideas?

Take care everyone.  The tiny Twinkledog hopes you are all staying nice and warm. (She is ready for winter to be over)
 

February 11, 2010

Happy, happy knitting to everyone.

"Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration.  The hummingbird's delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation."

I received a package last week, and there was a little card in the package with the hummingbird storyon one side and the merchandise logo on the other.  I almost missed it!

Two last swatches to share:

 1.  Diamond Outline - This was very fun to work up. I have extracted components from complicated 

knitting patterns and adapted them to match the Navajo rug pattern and the size of the scarf.  Somehow the

repeat numbers are lining up closely and this is actually working out!  I am amazed at my luck.

 2.  Last one - Eyelet edging and horizontal zigzag.  I like this alot - very perky.

On to the first sample scarf! It will be knit using Shetland lace technique - all rows are knitted. There is a resting row between patterning rows.  Fingering weight seems to give the nicest drape to the samples.

The trick now is to combine the patterns in similar order to the rug - without making the thing look like the patterns just stacked on one another, in a static manner.  My goal is to get the patterns to flow into one another, with liveliness and grace.  Like the hummingbird!  Wish me luck!