Poppies on the Wall and Piper's Journey Shawl

First it was Sheep on the Wall, now it is poppies directly underneath the sheep:

Width: 40"; Depth 36" (acrylics on wall)

And a finished Piper's Journey Shawl:

Now to just frame the poppies with that last rough firring strip of wood.

The Little Box of Socks

Schurch and Parott's The Little Box of Socks was one of the first knitting books I purchased several years ago.

The box is literally a cardboard box that snaps open (and shut).  Included are twenty different sock projects; each of the sock patterns are laminated on heavy stock paper for easy portability.

A favorite pattern in the little box is the "Lace Rib Sock", constructed in such a way that knitterly skills are shown off to good advantage.  It is a tightly woven sock and designed for a solid color yarn project.  The yarn is from Blue Moon Fibers, a popular supplier for specialty dyed yarns.  I subscribed to the 2012 Rockin' Sock Club where...

Each Kit that is delivered to your door every other month includes: 

400 yd skeins of Socks that Rock® lightweight or mediumweight yarn in a unique club colourway. (Working from shaded solids all the way through the spectrum to multicolourways.)  

2 (that’s right, two) patterns developed by two different designers for color, form and function. We promise one will be a sock, the other—who knows? Both the patterns and colourways will not be available to the general public for a full year after you receive it. Tina’s Dyer’s Notes explaining each shipment’s inspiration(s). 

Notorious Sock Knitter gear like mini skeins, buttons, stickers and a swag surprise or two. 

A blog and forum for sharing and support. A 15% off coupon good until December 1, 2012. A community of Notorious Sock knitters just like your self. (Priceless!) Each package leaves the Blue Moon barn and heads your way during the last week of January, March, May, July, September and November. Let’s rock the rainbow together!

The first shipment arrived in a beautiful colorway called "HRH Crown Princess of Purple, Violetta."  I got busy on the Lace Rib pattern and completed these:

close up of heel:

 The second of six shipments should be mailed out in two weeks.  It is always fun to anticipate a UPS package from Blue Moon Fibers and to guess the clues on what color and new patterns will arrive.

Sheep on the Wall

Why not have some sheep to keep me company in my craft room?  And maybe they could knit along with me. There's an idea.

Folk art has easy lines and is fairly quick to draw.  Inspiration came from Kathy's Needleworks in the form of canvases for needlepoint.  I copied John Blake's sheep from a canvas available at the needlework site.  After sketching them onto the wall, I then painted them in acrylics.  It is about half finished in the above picture.  If the next owner of the house does not want sheep in this room, a quick primer and another coat of paint will cover over the critters.

(Finished: inside dimensions 40" x 32")

Rough cut 2 inch firring strips frame the sheep; they are stained and add a barn-like touch.

But for now, those woolly gals are just making me happy and keeping me company while I knit Piper's Journey Shawl in a celestial blue that is 15% cashmere and 85% merino wool.

 The sheep approve.