Oktoberfest

First, I have to say how very wonderful my husband is.  The day I wrote the Dance of Spider Lunacy post he came home, donned a hat and went on a spider hunt.  I followed him around (he is much taller than me and I figured if he went first he had more of a chance of the spider jumping on him) while he searched under the eaves on top of the pergola and through the bushes.  I knew the chance of finding the offending spider was very slim and we were just about to give up when we came across him.  He was curled up on the side of one of the beams that goes across the top of the pergola.  Let's just say that he had an untimely demise and will no longer be scaring the crap out of me building his gigantic webs of horror on our deck.  The patio is now safe and hopefully spider free!

We were happy as clams (are they really happy?) and thought we were spider free.  Then we went to Busch Gardens for Hallowscream.  We love to go through the haunted houses, they really are so much fun.  What was not as much fun was having to walk through the spider bridge of horror.  I kept wondering if the was some sort of bad karma that comes along with eradicating a spider from you patio.  As large as these were, at least they didn't move.  They were creepy non the less.

Oktoberfest is now available in my Ravelry Pattern Shop.  It's a fun and very easy knit.  The stitch pattern is easy to remember which makes it a great take a long project. 

"Cool crisp days, falling leaves, fresh apples, and heading out to our local Oktoberfest are just a few things that make Fall my favorite time of year.

The Oktoberfest Cowl is the perfect accessory to wear to while apple picking and at fall festivals like Oktoberfest.  When the sun goes down and the air cools off, wrap it twice around your neck for extra warmth.  A luxury yarn like Shalimar Breathless DK will be extra soft around your neck and feel like a cozy hug!"

Margie, Diane, Holly, Robyn, Peggy and Linda did a fantastic job test knitting.  They had wonderful feedback which I really appreciate.  Be sure to check out their Oktoberfest projects on Ravelry.

Progress

Things are really starting to come together at the house.  I finished panting the den.  Ceiling, walls, trim and louvered closet doors.  I wound up painting the wrong side of one of the doors which was easy to fix but rather frustrating at the time.  I didn't realize I had done it until all three coats of paint were on it and I was trying to hang it back up.  I had even marked which sides to paint which just goes to show that no matter how careful you are mistakes can still happen.

I think they look much better painted a nice fresh white.  Ive also made valances and covered a couple of the throw pillows.  I have a a couple more pillows to cover and then I will be done with the sewing portion of the makeover.  I'll have some better pictures once the room is all together.  We have company coming at the end of the month and this room doubles as a spare room.  I'm excited for our guests to come and visit and have a cheery room to stay in.  We still have a few things to put in place (please ignore the mess on the coffee table) which is why this picture is only showing a corner of the room.

Ive always thought the sofa and chairs were a bit boring and overly neutral.  I'm really glad now that they are since they can work well with any wall color and have a whole new look with bright accent pillows.


In the evenings Andy and I have been working on the patio.  Andy finished the last section of the bottom wall on Monday.  It's almost time to start filling in and building up the patio with dirt.  I can't wait to sit out there this fall by the fire pit and roast some marshmallows!

 

In knitting news - I've been working on a new cowl pattern for fall, Oktoberfest.  It's in Shalimar Yarns Breathless DK in the Copper Pennies colorway.  I'm putting it out for test knitting this week.  If you are interested PM me on Ravelry (SpinningLara).  Oktoberfest is a quick knit and will be available in written and charted formats. 

 

Walk The Line is with the test knitters and should be ready for release at the beginning of September.  Andy is planning to do a photo shoot this weekend while we are in Yorktown.  There are a lot of interesting backdrops there so we should be able to get some great shots.  We are trying to find a new name for this pattern as another sock pattern was published last week with the same name.  One of the test knitters suggested Hold The Line which I like.  If you have a suggestion, I would love to hear it.  If I use your suggestion I will send you a copy of the pattern when it's published.

Indieway KAL

I'm so honored that Wendi from Indiway Yarns is hosting a KAL on Ravely with two of my patterns!  It's beginning on August 9th and running until midnight on September 30.  Choose between Ferry Beach, a cuff down sock and Wandering Wildflower, an infinity cowl.  Use any of Wendi's fab yarns to participate.

 
Wendi has generously offered free shipping for yarn for this KAL using coupon code: shipfree in her Etsy Shop.  If you would like to purchase Ferry Beach or Wandering Wildflower for the KAL I have a coupon code for 15% off until August 4th.  Use coupon code: Indie in my Ravelry Pattern Shop. Wendi will be having a drawing for a prize at the end of the KAL too! 

I  hope to see you in the KAL!  It's going to be a lot of fun.  I'm enjoying getting to know everyone in Wendi's friendly group.  My long time Ravelry pal Tess is taking part in the KAL and I'm really excited that she is going to be knitting one of my patterns!

A couple of weeks ago I posted about the lovely Frost in Bloom that Wendi made using her Delicate Pastels Colorway.  It's a really beautiful colorway and would also look great as a Wandering Wildflower Cowl or Ferry Beach Socks!

True Confessions

I think in life when we enjoy something some of us may tend to go a little bit overboard.  Now, a few of you who know me in real life are going to think: oh here she goes complaining talking about all of Andy's fishing equipment (it has it's own room in our finished basement).  No, this time it's a confession of my own.  Not only do I hoard yarn like a crazed chipmunk hiding acorns before a long winter, but I have another fetish.  I can't really call it a hobby because it's gone way beyond that.  But ok, here goes, true confession time.  I'm a MakeupAholic.  Particularly with eyeshadow and eyeliner.  I don't ever leave the house without wearing both along with mascara.  My friend Angie won't even get the mail without lipstick on so I don't think I'm alone in this. 

This is the collection of eyeshadow.  It's mostly Smashbox with some Urban Decay, Ulta and one Mac thrown in for good measure.   It's all much prettier in person than in this low lit picture.  It's a lot, I know.  I really do use all of it though.  The two Urban Decay pallets in the upper right are my new favorites.  The shadow doesn't crease or flake and the colors have a lot of pigment in them.

I love nail polish too.  Surprise, surprise right?  I don't wear it on my fingernails very often as they are soft and flexible.  The polish will usually chip off in a matter of days and sometimes even a few hours.  Ive have professional manicures and they don't last any longer so Ive given up on that.  I keep my toenails painted throughout the warmer months and the seem to do pretty well.  Painted toenails are kind of like little jewels for your toes.  This blue polish made me smile:

 The shoes are to distract you from the white glow from my feet!

The nail polish is all stored in a cute little wig box that I picked up at a tag sale.  The three at the top are by Butter London.   They have some amazing colors that coordinate nicely with my hand knits and wear really well.

 

I had a thumb injury a couple of weeks ago that required a trip to the emergency room and a round of antibiotics.  It injury was quite painful and prevented me from knitting for a while.  I'm finally back to my needles and much happier.  I'm still keeping it covered for a while longer, but at least it's just with a band aid and much easier to work with. 

While I don't have much to show that Ive been working on, Wendi finished her Frost in Bloom and it's really stunning.  I love the color so much that I had to order a skein for myself.  Wendi has her own shop and dyed this herself.

My newest sock pattern, Wentletrap, is in the final stages of being published.  The editor is going over it to make sure that I haven't made any errors in the written portion.  We had a photo shoot last weekend and the pictures turned out pretty well.  Due to the enormous amount of rain we have been having we had to take the pictures inside. I like the contrast of the orange yarn with our blue wainscoting.  Look for the pattern release early next week.

 

Wentletrap