We're Moving!

All righty, there,
All you (yes, you!) please change your subscriber information for my blog to the

NEW and

     IMPROVED

STASHMUFFIN'S LOOSETHREADS

Now found at stashmuffinsloosethreads.com

Please be patient with me and me and my capable web monkey David A. Phillips get the site up and running!  It promises to be more capable of handling multiple pages, it links to my Ravelry store (http://www.ravelry.com/designers/laura-ricketts), and will also have a page with the  classes that I am available to teach, including a mini-Sámi mitten class.

Ravelry store up and running

Whew!  It took lots of flipping between webpages on Ravelry, but I finally got the second pattern linked successfully.  It is found at:

http://www.ravelry.com/designers/laura-ricketts

Last night, after getting the Ravelry site to work, I came over here and tried to figure out how to link the code and get point-and-click buttons working to hot link the two.  Sleep won out, so that will have to wait for another day.

Putting Patterns up on Ravelry

Well, with my first published design in a magazine, a book contribution almost published, another book contribution in the works, yesterday I posted a couple patterns on ravelry for the first time.  One, Candy Cane Topper, is free.  The other, Puff Ball Beret, is for sale.  Here are some images of the completed works:

Sweet, no?  These "real life" models are the best, aren't they?

I wanted to write this quick post to say to anyone coming over to this site to buy the Puff Ball Beret, that I seem caught in a circular motion between this blog and Ravelry.  I am trying to get the pattern loaded onto Ravelry's site, but I haven't been able to do that, yet.  Please bear with me.  I will try to iron out all the wrinkles very shortly.  

In the meantime, cast on for the Candy Cane Topper, and by the time you cast off, I'll be ready for you!

As well, I am finalizing information for a beautiful shawl that will be part of a Knit-Along in the near future.

Spotted in a Post Office in the Midwest

Maybe this average Midwesterner (read: overweight, middle-aged, white male) has some Sámi blood in him? Stranger things have happened. Because of the stigma of being Sámi among the dominant cultures in Scandinavia, many immigrants left the labels at the border and never told their children of their heritage.

In any case, this gentleman has gravitated toward the beautiful Sámi colors nonetheless, and I, for one, approve!

Final FINAL Reading of WeWMdFK Book

Today I got the final, FINAL copy to read through of the What ELSE Would Madame DeFarge Knit book (click on the title to view!!) patterns by yours truly, and two essays. When one designs something, and pours so much into it, and has to write an essay to go with the knitted item, one can end up putting so much time into them, that one is, well, done with them.  That certainly felt the case when I started out with these two designs and three patterns.  They were the first ones I had written so closely, and had edited to be published.  But, now that time has passed, it is a pleasure to read them once more.
I am honored to be the writer/pattern designer to start out the book.  And, a little sheepish, which I guess isn't a bad thing in the knitting world.  But, scrolling through the book, this is the first time I have seen one of the items photographed.  I was so chuffed to see that first photo!  So cool!  Well laid out, and an adorable model(s)!  Gosh!  Maybe I need to knit another one right now!

I can't show pictures; I can't talk about the wonderful, gorgeous patterns filling the entire book.  I can, however, urge you to click the link above to the book order and encourage you to be the first on your block to have this book!  Do it!  Do it now!

It's been a quiet week here..

...With Dr. Frankenfoot.   Caution:  gross picture to follow.

I have carted him around to appointments, but very quickly he started carting me so I could knit.  He's already back to work, and happy.  Just really wanting the pin to be removed.

 Isn't it gross?  I have referred to him as my human martini, and sushi shishkabab, or "sush-kabob" for short.  The eeriest thing about it is that his toe is straight.  I need to card him everytime I see his left foot.

It is never easy keeping Chris down.  He wanted to make sure I wasn't, so on his first day back to work, he picked out Daisy Lucille to keep me company.  Here she is, for her grand blog entrance:

Isn't she adorable?  Don't let those puppy eyes fool you:  she can be guilty of misdeamnors as well as the next dog.  She is not as innocent as our earlier-try-at-a-dog.  She has already chewed on the last scarf I knit, and has been found with bits of roving.  We'll have to keep our eyes on this one.

The poor little thing has an almost naked belly.  These past few days have been frigid.  Today there was a two-hour delay for schools, not for snow, but just for the temperature.  With wind chill, I think it was -18F.  On my volunteer day at Emmaus Mission, I saw this, though, which gave me hope:

It was right in front of the building for the homeless shelter.  What an apt image:  an abandoned bird's nest in front of the abandoned Catholic school.  The school has been taken over as a place to house those who need it.  A family moved out since last week when I was there, to their new home, and it won't be many weeks before a sparrow or a mourning dove has nestled into this "house," to start a new round of egg laying.

Michelle came back to show off her baby that I knit the black hat for.  I'm so glad she has been able to keep him.

On other knitting news, I finished a hat last weekend for my niece's birthday.  I knit on it during another cold day, dressed in shorts, a tank top and flip-flops.  I was in Nappanee, which has got to be the hottest pool and swim event in the circuit.



Here is a picture of one swimmer.  He is my little Viking that protects me.  From what has yet to be determined.

All the best, and may you have a good week!

Sámi Mittens

Sigh.  Just posted this Blog update, and all the writing was extinguished.  This means I have to type faster the second time around...

Today, after many attempts, Fed Ex finally got this box to me.

It's from Piecework Magazine, and it is their seventh annual historic knitting traditions magazine.  More importantly, it is my first published article, and it is on Sámi Knitting Tradition.  The Sámi are the European people group native to Northern Scandinavia.  They live across the Northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Komi peninsula of Russia.  

This article talks a bit about the history of their knitting tradition, and some features that differentiate it from the knitting of the other peoples around them.  

It's so nice to have these little mittens home again, along with the dolls I sent and the yarn for the pictures.  Props also to Kenneth Hætta for the lovely opening picture.  The magazine sent me two extra copies that I will mail tomorrow to Dikka Storm of Tromsø University, Norway and Aile Aikio of Siida Museum in Inari, Finland.  Both of them were invaluable in their research help.  Thank you so much!

In other news, my hubby had bunion surgery this morning.  I knit and knit on baby legwarmers and did the whole pair.  Here he is doing a little light reading beforehand.

And, after.  Isn't he cute?  He's resting his straight foot on a McGill pillow.  No better way to heal.

The Eternal Husband.  Any of you ever read that one?  I've never heard of it, but I bet it just goes on and on.