My first and last trip to the Iowa State Fair.

We attempted the Iowa State Fair on Sunday in the hopes of some fun and some Joan Jett. I'm glad I went but I know I will not return. Overall there were some frustrations with the parking and the crowds but there was good food and lots of knitting on exhibition.

I was so proud to see lots of people I know submit and win ribbons for their knitting projects.

Three hours later with sore legs and lots of sweat I decided I had more than enough. I opted out of Joan Jett and went home.

I had never been to the fair before and this trip will last me a lifetime. I was able to see daisy duke shorts, cowboy hats, belt buckles larger than my hand and so many other unique outfits. The people watching was great but the crowds were just not worth staying at the fair. I wish I had my camera with me at the fair as I don't think anyone will believe some of the things I saw and some of the things I wish I hadn't seen.

Better Picture of the Red Hoodie

I was able to get a better picture of the red hoodie - not only in the color of the sweater but with the receiver actually wearing it.

I started MY teal hoodie this weekend.

It was a fabulous fit and a great RED color.

Returning to work today is challenging after a fun week away. The girl’s trip was a blast. We came, we saw, we conquered, we got tattooed. Well, most of us got tattooed.

Although Stitches was the reason for the road trip, it was by far not the highlight. We sat by the lake, shopped Michigan Avenue, ate fantastic food, went to some yarn shops, stared constantly at Audrey’s pink star tattoo and spent some time knitting.

Stitches Midwest was worth going to although it was not as large as last year and we easily did our yarn shopping within a day. My purchasing was somewhat limited as I only bought yarn for one sweater (I’m making a top down hoodie for me), the felted hedgehog kit in purple and jelly yarn.

The highlight to the trip in my eyes was getting our tattoos. I’m still in shock that four of us left with tattoos. Audrey’s pink star tattoo was the cutest, Kim’s was the most personal, Margie’s flower was the most decorative and mine was the most flaming.

I high-jacked the picture of our tattoos from Cheryl’s blog but will soon post up-close pictures of my tattoo. This tattoo is quite meaningful to me as it celebrates a hobby I will always hold dear in life.

Finished Projects

I had the pleasure of helping my favorite client Lisa felt her first bag this week. She picked the coolest pattern from an interweave knits magazine and although it was only her second knitting project felt comfortable with intarsia - she has incredible talent for knitting and didn't miss a beat with this "so-not-a-beginner" project.

We had so much fun felting it - we kept the lid open so that we could periodically pull out the bag and check on it. It was washing, washing, washing and then suddenly - it was felted and done! I'll never forget the look on her face when it was done - she was so surprised.

As for me - not only did I learn how to iron tonight, I finished a red hoodie sweatshirt for my friend Dianne who owns www.yarnsforever.com. We are meeting up in Chicago this week for Stitches.

I mention the ironing because I normally don't block out my knitted items unless my friend Nancy helps me out. The red hoodie required it because the borders were curling up. After steam blocking it I will most definitely block every knitted item going forward - I loved the results. The hoodie is knit from the top down and I loved the pattern minus the use of switching to smaller needles for the borders - I wouldn't do that for the next one I make. I will be making at least 2 more of these kind of hoodies - I really enjoyed making this sweater.

And now the pictures...

Lisa's bag before felting:



Lisa's bag after felting:



And the red hoodie: