Hello Blogland

Blogless Karen here. While Margene travels to the wonder that is the New York Sheep and Wool Festival, she invited Val and I to guest blog in her absence. My first thought after receiving such a lovely invitations was “How sweet of Margene to ask me to write a couple of posts for her. I’ll get to play around with blogging and see what it’s like.” Now, however the responsibility has sunk in. Zeneedle has a lot of readers. You’re going to visit expecting… well… expecting Margene. I’m not that interesting. I don’t know where to go to take the amazing pictures of Utah landscapes. I tend to sleep late and be lazy on weekends. I’m going to have to figure out a way to step that up.

I guess I’ll start with a little background. I’m married with 3 cats. This is Kit Kat, the other 2 wanted to be petted rather than have their picture taken. 
I’ve been knitting for about 5 years. Growing up I had a wonderful neighbor, Gladys, who knit afghans and sweaters and all kinds of other things. She was like a grandmother to me and I loved watching her knit. I still have an afghan and a couple of sweaters that she made for me. Fast forward many years to my last year of college when I finally learned to knit. A friend taught me the basics and then I took a class at a local yarn shop. I’ve always loved sweaters, especially wool sweaters and I couldn’t wait to make my own. A sweater made to fit me, in a color and style I picked out. In fact my first real project was a sweater. The class I took was called “My First Sweater” and was a top down raglan. Here's a picture of it.  It's a little boxy but very wearable.  The wonderful lady who taught the class started from the ground up. At the first class she helped us select yarn, determine gauge, take our measurements, and figure ease. Then we used worksheets she had made to write our own patterns. As a beginning knitter, I sometimes wished I had a written in stone pattern to follow instead of figuring it all out; but now I’m so grateful for that beginning. By understanding how a garment is constructed and shaped I feel complete freedom to make things the way I want them. It’s made me a pretty fearless knitter. I love that knitting can always be fixed. Short of setting it on fire just about any “mistake” is fixable. If I don’t like the way something fits or looks I can go back and change it. Not many things in life are like that.

I began spinning about 3 years ago while living in Michigan. A couple of friends in my knitting group spun and it looked like fun, but I thought it would take time away from knitting. Then I bought the Winter 2003 Spin-Off magazine. When I read the article about natural colored mohair I was hooked. A whole new world opened up. I had never seen yarn like that, I didn’t know that was possible. Here was a way I could make a totally unique yarn for a completely unique project. (Can you tell I never liked to wear the same thing everyone else was wearing.) Two exceptional friends lent me a wheel, gave me some fiber, a couple of lessons, and opened a door that has led to a path of creativity, surprise, and joy. Thank you. Then life took an abrupt turn and I moved across the country to Seattle. I returned the wheel to my friend and wasn’t sure how much more spinning I would do for awhile, wheels being a large investment. I was tentative about a drop spindle because of the 3 cats. They tend to be very interested in string with things dangling from it. Little did I know, The Twisted Sister Sock Workbook was about to cross my path. I checked it out from the library because it was about knitting socks. I read it cover to cover (frequently distracted by the pictures) and kept re-checking the book out. When I finally had to take it back to the library, I promptly bought it. I loved the colors and all the options. Dyeing roving sounded like a lot of fun too. I bought a couple of drop spindles and spun like crazy, I haven’t really stopped since.  This is my collection of handspun socks so far.   

Then the dyeing started. First it was a little sock yarn with Kool-Aid, then with acid dyes, soon it escalated to roving . I was having so much fun I couldn’t stop and I had way more than I could ever possibly use in my lifetime. Wool was taking over the house. I did the only thing I could possibly do… I started my own business, Sleeping Dragon Yarn  was born. This coincided nicely with moving to Utah. Here I met Margene in person and all the other talented and inspiring, lovely women of SnB. They are a wonderfully welcoming group that I’m so happy to a part of.

Val will be back tomorrow to entertain you. When I come back I’ll show you one of my latest FO’s and one of my all time favorite projects.  I almost forgot please post lots and lots of comments so we can show Margene what a good job we're doing of guest blogging.

Comments

[susan]

Hey, I'm first to comment. good luck, Karen.

[Lizzy B]

Karen, nice to meet you! Wonderful post and what a cute kitty you have there! I've neard wonderful things about your yarns!

[marie in florida]

it's a wonder you were able to get one pix of the Kitty, what with the other two head-bumpin' your picture takin' hand to get their pet on....LOL...

[lisa]

Hello! Blogless Karen! I've gone through books like you did w/ the twisted sisters sock book...my bookshelf is filling up with them! You all live in a beautiful place, and so different than here (think spruces, fir, lakes, and ocean---maine). I found you through the "I'm knitting as fast as I can" blog...will post you to my favorites and comment, daily I hope! You and Val are good to Margene...maybe you'll start your own blogs after this??? Have fun!

[Kathleen]

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

[Lisa]

Are your handspun socks from your spindle spinning or do you now have a wheel? I have a friend who is just starting to spindle spin so I'll send her this link so she can see what she can accomplish! Thanks for the interesting post. Can't wait to hear more.

[Sherry]

Hi Karen:

You shouldn't be blogless (although it might get a little confusing having your own blog & then being a guest blogger for others!!) LOL

Thank you for sharing your pictures & inspirations. . . it was great reading.

Sherry

[Roxie]

You can always fill up a blog with kitty pictures. Love those helpful fuzzy faces. Are they spin assistants?

[Roxie]

You can always fill up a blog with kitty pictures. Love those helpful fuzzy faces. Are they spin assistants?

[Sarah]

Hi Karen,
It was fun to read yiour story. And I just wanted to say...I received some of your yarn in the knitsockkitswap I did recently. It was so great I started knitting the socks up that day, finished them both over the next 3, and have been wearing the heck out fo them ever since. Thanks for choosing such nice yarn to dye, and for making your colors so beautiful!

[Kristi aka Fiber Fool]

We didn't get a chance to chat much at Estes so this was wonderful to learn more about you, Karen!

[--Deb]

It's great to meet you! And yes, clearly, you should have your own blog....

[Heather Joins The Round]

Really nice getting to know you better! Nice post.

[Norma]

Yay, Karen! I'm over here hosting your blog hostess. She's giving me a lot of trouble. (lol) I'm sure glad you're doing the right thing taking care of the blog while she's gone. Gotta run now.....Margene's calling.

[Sallie]

I love the colors in your yarns. Lovely. Great post also. It's always interesting to hear about someone elses journey into the world of yarn and knitting.

[Karen]

Hi. I loved reading your knitting history. You should have a blog.

[Carol]

Greetings! All that's left for you now, is a blog of your own...JOIN US!

[CindyCindy]

What is about the Twisted Sisters book? It had the same effect on me. Thanks for sharing your story.

[Tan Summers]

We definitely want you to get lots of loot, so we'll comment. Thanks for sharing your "journey" as they say.

[Wendy]

Nice to have you here!

[Carole]

Welcome to blogging, Karen. You did a fine job.

[Marcia]

And you don't have a blog because.......?! Great job! (I think I met you in May when I crashed your S'n B, but I was kind of fuzzy after a day of flying so am not sure.)

[beverly]

What a great first knitting class....

[Kim]

Hi Karen! I met you in person one time before I moved to Virginia, and it's nice to see you in blogland! (I think Margene's whole plan to use guest bloggers was just a plot to suck you guys into blogland so that you'll finally get your own blogs, teehee!)

[Kathleen]

Great yarn there at your shop. I'd buy some, but I really need to stash bust first. I bookmarked you for later! :) I decided I can't start the spinning thing and I wasn't going to start the dye experiment. But I went and bought yarn to dye! It'll have to wait until after all the gifts are done. Hopefully I won't succumb as easily to the spinning thing because I really can't afford another obsession! :)