Lucy Neatby’s Udderly Divine Bag from Orange Kitten Yarn - DONE!

I came, I saw, I put it in the dryer...

I have felted!  And I’m pleased with the results!

Before felting, next to a file folder for size comparison

I have long avoided felting, fearing the unpredictable outcome.  Thankfully, my guide (or in this case cowherd) to this brand new world was the indomitable Lucy Neatby, who counseled me (via her very detailed pattern instructions and even an online video) to pull the thing out of the dryer every 15 minutes to check on the progress.  That not only made me feel better, it allowed me to pull here, poke there, smooth out this corner, pinch that edge, and generally work this baby into perfection.

Post-felting, next to same folder

It’s deliciously outrageous, this bag.  The shaping, the colors, everything.  My design adaptation to make smaller teats worked out just the way I’d pictured it--how often does that happen?  I loved it so much I couldn’t wait for it to dry before I snapped a photo and sent it to the intended recipient, a dear friend going through a rough patch.  She’s so excited she wants to meet for breakfast tomorrow!  I hope it’s fully dry by then.  Really, how can you not be cheered by a cow bag?  I know I couldn’t.

All in all, while no small challenge, this project had a very satisfying payoff.  It was a lot of work (and I got a lot of stares), but it was worth it.  It’s a perfect token of my time in the Dairy State.  Thanks, Orange Kitten Yarns!

By the way, it seems the esteemed Chicago Tribune has caught on to the glories of Monroe.  Click here for an article from this Sunday's paper that touts a few places DestiKNITters already know!

Next up, DestiKNITions gets "up to date" in Kansas City!

Lucy Neatby’s Udderly Divine Bag from Orange Kitten Yarns - Day 2

Fun and tangles...

I have to admit, the cow pattern is a great deal of fun.  It’s just now starting to be clearly recognizable--up until about three inches in, it just looked like random black and white.  Now, it’s clearly bovine.  I love it! 

Despite the large needles, this doesn’t feel like it goes fast.  It is a lot of complicated knitting.Two color work is hard enough, but two-stranded two color work?  The tangle factor is huge!  At the end of every row I have to take ten minutes to untangle the four balls.  I’m wondering if I need to buy three more yarn bowls and line them up on my coffee table.


After about three rows on my larger Denise needles, I went online and ordered KnitPicks Harmony needles (my current set stops at 11).  No matter what I do, I cannot get the Denise needles to stay connected, and the results of that break are no fun at all.

Sandy's Art Yarn Hat from Orange Kitten Yarns and Homestead Wool and Gift Farm

Crazy...

How can you not enjoy knitting yarn from a sheep named “Cosmo”?  No doubt about it, “Cosmo’s Crazy Quilt” yarn is a one-of-a-kind fiber.  While Sandy's Crazy Quilt Art Yarn comes in a variety of colors, Cosmo's version is a simple white with all kinds of goodies mixed in.  I found silk flowers, ribbon, sparkly tinsel-like fiber, silky sari-like fiber, pearls, as well as a variety of colored wool fibers.  A veritable carnival on my needles!

 The New York City Handspun Bouquet scarf was the last time I got to enjoy a “one night” project, where I sat down with a ball of yarn and ended the night with a finished product.  There’s something wonderful about the “I made something from nothing” feeling a quick project like that gives you.  It makes me feel like some kind of wool wizard.

Quick, however, didn’t mean completely easy.  Wrangling all those textures made for some tricky knitting and times, particularly the ribbon.  I admit to some worry as to how comfortable something with all those “additives” will be on the young head that gets this hat.  

I do take pride in finally managing a respectable pom-pom.  I’ve made some mangy ones in the past, but this one turned out rather nicely.  It might be a little large, but since the rest of this hat is over-the-top, why not the pom-pom as well?

Right now, I don’t have anyone in my life the right size to wear this.  Size aside, this hat has to go to some child with the personality to match--a loud and lively little lady.  So I’m going to tuck it away and trust that the right head will present itself sometime in the future.  Every time I have done that, the perfect moment to give it away has always come along.  It’s part of the wonder of handcrafting, don’t you think?

Next up, the Nordic cozy from The Sow’s Ear.

Fable Mitts with yarn from Homestead Wool and Gift Farm - Done!

What do you know...it IS easy being green!

I haven’t had a project knit up this quickly in ages...it feels wonderful!  Sure they’re really, really green--neon, in fact--but it kind of grows on you.  I just might end up wearing these, which surprises me.  I expected to like them enough to gift, but not enough to wear.  That’s the lure of handmade--it’s always more than just the fiber.

Speaking of fiber, I did indeed have enough--with even a little (a very little) to spare.  That made me happy. I love it when a pattern lives up to its stats, don’t you?

One thing I did notice--there was no way the called-for length of the wristband would have made it all the way around my mitt.  Since I didn’t think I had enough yarn to lengthen it, I ended up making my wristband go from the outside seam just across the top.  That means my button is on the thumb side, but it looks okay to me.  I was just glad to have enough yarn that I didn’t have to make the wristband a different color.

And speaking of color, I decided to go subtle for the buttons. I think these simple dark textured ones add the perfect final touch.

Up next, a hat from Orange Kitten Yarns that is anything but subtle!

MONROE, WI

Small town charm...

This was one of those years when I headed north and south in alternating waves.  It has made for some interesting comparisons in fiber culture.  While art is art no matter what the thermometer says, there’s just something about how a northern state takes to knitting.  The appreciation goes so much farther than the aesthetic--it’s survival to be able to cuddle up in warmth when the snow drifts deep.  So, when life afforded me the chance to head back into Wisconsin and find some more yarn destiKNITions, I went.

Last time we centered around Milwaukee.  This time we’ll be visiting three smaller towns--Monroe on one day, Verona and New Glarius the next.  You could do all these in a single long day from Chicago, but I wouldn’t recommend it...you want time to explore and enjoy, right?

One of my favorite aspects of midwestern living is the “circle the square” small town.  It’s the quintessential plaines states set up--a small town whose center is a square of commerce set up around either a park or the town hall.  There’s just something so friendly and connected about it that appeals to this urban techie girl.

Today we’ll be visiting Monroe.  First stop for me is always coffee, and in Monroe that means: 

Chocolate Temptation

1004 17th  Avenue

Monroe WI  53556

608-328-2462

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chocolate-Temptation/125278597522921

Sure, it’s a dessert place, but all destiKNITTers know the value of dessert for breakfast! (don’t worry, I’ll make sure you have something more traditional for lunch).  They have loads of delectable ice cream flavors, but I opted for an excellent latte (remember to stir--they serve it to you in layers!) and red velvet cheesecake.  There’s a reason the place has been going strong for 18 years--the chocolate here is outstanding.  Start here, and it’s nearly impossible to have a bad day.

Duly caffeinated, spend an hour or two wandering around the rest of the square.  On my visit, I found 

an indoor farmer’s market on Wednesdays and Saturdays (a rare treat in winter months)

a collection of antique boutiques at the Monroe Antiques Mall

At 1117 16th Avenue, I found some seriously good pastries and a local specialty called the Lindberger Roll (ideal for brats, sandwiches, or eating straight out of the bag) at the Boomerang Bakery

But there’s way more to explore here so grab all the info from a brochure or click here to see everything.  

When you’re ready to get your yarn on, head just a bit off the square to:

Orange Kitten Yarns

1209 17th Avenue

Monroe WI  53556

608-328-4140

http://www.orangekittenyarns.com/

Don’t let the small size fool you--this is a fun little shop with lots to offer.  If you want a taste of the fiber world’s wonderful connectivity, this is where you’ll find it.  Owner Jocelyn Kline is an enthusiastic Monroe ambassador, introducing you to the town community at every opportunity.  You just know a shop with a full-size cutout of Elvis in the bathroom and a weekly Wednesday “show and tell” session is a friendly place to knit.  

Jocelyn (left) and Benita (right)

Still brand new--just over a year old and barely nudging up to a full-open schedule--Jocelyn has found a niche as the hub and showcase for many local artisans.  No, you won’t find a wall full of every color here--although Jocelyn has a respectable stock of the basic commercial lines given the size of the shop.  What you will find are delightfully unique yarns from the thriving local community of fiber-producers, other locally sourced products like goatsmilk soaps, and eight new friends the moment you walk in.  Benita Miller was in making socks while I was there, and I felt like we were all related before I left (and, in a fiber sense, aren’t we?).  

This is a shop where you can “do knitting any way you want it--art, distraction, or community,” says Jocelyn, who sees her shop as more community service as commerce.  I feel as if should I ever move here, Jocelyn would have me plugged into the community before I unpacked my kitchen (maybe even before I unpacked my suitcase!).

This is the dairy state, and folks in Monroe take their cheese seriously.  Very seriously.  Every other year, they go all out for “Cheese Days”--the area’s biggest festival.  The next event--the 100th anniversary, mind you--is September 2014 and I plan to be there.  

I’ll be appropriately accessorized with our first knit-along from this shop:

Lucy Neatby’s Utterly Divine Bag

So bold and quirky I couldn’t resist!  I’ve avoided felting up until now, but this bag was just outrageous enough to break down my reluctance.  As with every Neatby creation, the fun colors also sport some very clever design tactics.  Who could say no?

If you’re looking for something more local and low-key, opt for:

Ewe n’ Me Enterprises Thrummed Mitten Kit

Inside a cozy knitted mitten are tufts of roving that will custom-felt to your hands as you wear them.  Hands-down the warmest mittens you can find, and in a rainbow of cheery colors.  Packaged into kits by the Winnebago IL company, they’re as pretty as they are practical--especially for those of us who lack the skill to artfully combine colors.

If you want a project that embodies Jocelyn’s connective philosophy, I’d suggest:

Sandy’s Art Yarn Hat

Art Yarn--fiber that’s tricked out with all kinds of goodies so that the strands are as much  a work of art as the final product--always adds extra pizzaz to basics like hats and scarves.  This kit is no exception.  A great way for a new knitter to get some high-power punch out of simple stitching, this kit creates a one-of-a-kind hat children or teens would adore.  You’ll hear more about Sandy and her happy sheep in our next post, by the way.

When you’re ready for lunch, you’ve got quite a few choices, but here’s the two we tried:

Cafe Claudeen

1014 17th Avenue

Monroe WI 53556

608-329-5899

http://www.cafeclaudeen.com/

This place is to food what Orange Kitten is to Yarn--a showcase for local products.  Friendly service, an inventive menu, and a casually elegant atmosphere make this an ideal place for lunch.  I had a lovely quiche while my companion had a hefty sandwich.  Had I not already indulged, the dessert case had several great options.  If you think small midwestern towns can’t deliver foodie-level noshing, this place will prove you wrong.

Want something a little less delicate but loaded with fun?  Try:

Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern

1301 15th Avenue

Monroe, WI  53556

608-325-6157

https://baumgartnercheese.com/

The line to sit down is your first clue this is a local favorite.  Filled with murals, dozens of cheese selections, and a basic tavern-style menu, this place oozes character.  With simple fare done to perfection, this place can handle a rowdy boys’ night out as easily as it hosts a kids’ lunch with grandpa.  As a matter of fact, our server asked if we’d mind sharing a table with an older couple out for a Sunday drive, and we ended up having one of the most entertaining lunch with strangers-turned-friends I’ve ever experienced.  The world is losing such places, so I’m glad this one still stands.  Hand your server a dollar and watch him tack it to the ceiling in the most original and entertaining charity drive I’ve ever seen!

Tune in next time to find out the wonderful farm adventure that finished our day in Monroe.  You won’t want to miss it!