Of Chickens and Pi Shawls

OF CHICKENS AND PI SHAWLS
Just as I started writing this blog entry, the chickens--yes I said the chickens--came to the front door to pay a visit. They have a whole nine acres to roam about, but like to congregate on the front stoop. Go figure. I wish I had some clever parallel I could draw to life, but none comes to me.
On the knitting front, the forty-eight row section of the Mystery Pi knit-along shawl is done and is awaiting the next clue. The photograph shows off the section I just finished nicely. Since my daughter and I are currently competing for the 60" no. 7 (4.5 mm) circular needle, I just put an order in for more. We've decided to give the Knitpicks needle a try since they are to be similar to the Addi Turbos, but much less expensive.
Peace and Blessings, Renate

The Sandpit

The Sand Pit
Some folks ask where the moniker "The Sand Pit" originated.
We live in the northern part of West Michigan where there are mostly sand dunes--sand dunes with trees, with houses, with people. I sometimes jokingly say that most of Michigan is made up of sand dunes.
The house we bought came with nine acres of woods and one giant pit filled with sand right behind the house. I've been trying to convert this sand pit into a garden with bunny poop from our angora rabbits and chicken manure from the chickens. I figure that this process will take years, since we only have 4 bunnies and 8 chickens. Well, in that pit of sand grow some poppies, probably from seeds dropped by birds. And so the name "The Sand Pit" was coined one day when I was in a particularly silly mood, and the poppy became our logo. So there you have the long and short of it.

Lace Knitting

I am enamored with lace knitting, particularly in shawls. As I knit and the pattern unfolds and becomes visible, I am always amazed that order and beauty comes out of what in the beginning seemed to be utterly chaotic. I am currently working on the Knit-A-Long Shawl from the EZasPi Yahoo Group. The shawl is knitted with handspun lace-weight yarn.

I have also started an Orenburg Shawl. This is going to be a long-term project since the yarn is commercial cobweb I picked up at the Michigan Fiber Festival. The yarn is a challenge, but I have promised myself that I will finish the shawl before I die.
Otherwise, I have a modified Einstein Coat (Sally Melville) on the needles and have started to dabble in Alan Dart's toy patterns. Unfortunately, I have to pay an arm and a leg for the patterns, since they are in demand in the US and mostly listed on e-bay. My first project is the Baa Baa Black Sheep pattern; however, I will have to sing "Baa Baa Brown Sheep" since I am using oddments I have on hand. Peace, Renate

The Knitting Blahs

I have the blahs, the knitting blahs more accurately. I'm at loose ends. No new projects planned. NADA! And the creative juices seem to resemble today's weather: dreary. I've finished a shawl for a friend and have started another one -- a knit-a-long with the EZasPi, a Yahoo Group. But it's only Tuesday and the next clues are not coming out till Friday. So, I have reverted to finishing UFOs. I'm knitting a Sally Melville's Einstein coat for myself--not with any particular enthusiams, however. I'd rather be doing lace, but Fall has arrived in northern Michigan, and the snow will fly soon. So it's time I get cracking and finish it.
The picture at the top of this post is the Shetland Tea Shawl from a Gathering of Lace. The shawl was knitted with yarn spun by my daughter.