best TDF evar!

today i'm super excited because i finally got around to taking pics of the prize i won during the TDF!!!

{ my new lovely locks, that happen to match my sheets hehe }

i got a wonderful goodie bag a few weeks ago filled with locks in 4 different colors and a few generous sized samples from Prancing Pixel on Etsy. i won this awesome prize from a challenge in the Team Fun Onion group where we were asked to spin the most unusual substance. as i think i've mentioned before i actually spun up some of my own hair clippings after a homemade haircut one day and entered it as my submission. thank you so much to Prancing Pixel for this great prize, this was the first time i ever won a prize for the Tour de Fleece....so exciting! ^-^

{ Doomsday Mitts - for mah Underworld Swap partner }

and on to knitting news, my 2nd go at my "Doomsday Mitts" pattern is shaping up quite nicely in some randomly self striping yarn i spun. the fiber came from FeltingSunshine on Etsy and it's 100% Falkland fluffiness that i spun single ply to preserve it's squoosh. i have to admit that doing the same pattern in both a plied and unplied yarn has taught me a lot about the properties of each. i used a 2ply BFL yarn for my initial cast on and found that my mitts were almost a bit too tight. using this single plied Falkland i actually had to adjust the pattern a bit because the fabric was a bit too stretchy. these are really good things for a knitter to know, word to the wise knitters; get to know your yarn ;P

{ closeup of the detail }

this pair is going to my swap partner for the "Legends of the Underworld" swap in the Legendary Swaps group on ravelry. i can't talk about it too much just incase she's my spoilee as well and is stalking my blog, but i think just posting pics of the mitts won't give anything away :: fingers crossed ::

and lastly in non knitting/spinning news i've started getting my first bell peppers in my garden ^^

{ baby bell pepper, oh what color will you be? }

i've always had a passion for growing things, but unfortunately i've got a teeny little back porch and no back yard so it's really hard to grow things. the light is always shifting because of the buildings all around so i have to grow in small pots like the pic below to be able to move things around for light exposure.

{ i can't wait to harvest these beauties }

i HAVE been attempting to grow tomatoes too but it seems that something is killing them :(

if anyone out there had any idea how to keep tomato plants alive i'm all ears :D

i hope everyone is having great return of fall (la rentrée as the french say) and don't forget to get started on your holiday knitting...xmas is just around the corner!

peace&love

~carla