Stitches West '09: An Exercise in Trading Plastic for Yarn

Tess Designer Yarns Superwash Merino Worsted, "Marine"

Well, the Social Pressure Experiment is over. I have to admit I didn't do too well toward the end. I hit a few snags when I found out that a Love Affair Yarn was discontinued, and bought a whole mess of it to dye and love and roll in. Then I got some stunningly gorgeous Cashsoft Aran for - are you ready for this? $24.50 per bag. Yes, per bag. Jasmin and I agreed that while it was outside of the Experiment's parameters, it was also a short-time deal and shouldn't be passed up. So I didn't.

And then Malia announced her candidacy to be a mom in July, and I recognized the dearth of baby-weight superwash wool in my stash. So there was that.

Pigeonroof Studios 80/20 Merino/Silk, "Grape Myrtle"

But all in all, the real point of the Experiment was, if you recall, to encourage Jasmin and I to change our spending habits and think more carefully about when, where and why we were buying yarn. And overall, I have to say that in that respect, it was a success. My desire to salve (not solve) problems by buying something new isn't unique, but it is something I try to be aware of and master. Sometimes I win, and sometimes I end up looking at something I now own with a twinge of regret. The yarn I bought in bulk? Definitely a satisfactory purchase. Every time I look at it, I wriggle with anticipatory joy.

And speaking of shopping. Oy. It's a lot of work to shop all day!

Malabrigo Sock Yarn, "Velvet Grapes"

Final Count:

Sock Yarn: 22

Sweater Yarn: 4 skeins, 2 sweaters-worth

Lace Yarn: 2

Roving: 16 oz.

Patterns: 3?

Apparently Stitches this year was all about the sock yarn, which was CLEARLY the weight of yarn I needed...

Lisa Souza Dyeworks 4 oz. Sock Batt, "Petroglyph"

I'm slowly developing a theory about why sock yarn is addictive. Stay tuned for more. I do tend to gravitate to the finer-weight yarns, partly because I feel like I get more bang for my buck, but also because I enjoy knitting with them more than the heavier gauges.

Windy Valley Musk Ox 15/80/5 qiviuk/merino/silk

I have been working steadily on my Scarf #21 for the KAL with Brie. I'm nearly finished with the first edging, and have come to the conclusion that it will be not so much a scarf as a stole. The damn thing is about 15" across right now unblocked and it'll get bigger still before I head into the actual lengthening part of the center. Therefore, I've made a strategic decision. I'm going to knit this first edging, then bind off and knit the second one, which I will then rotate the requisite 90 degrees and commence the center panel. When I get close to running out of yarn, I'll graft the second edging onto the end and be done. It's not the official way to do it, but it will ensure that I don't run out of yarn halfway through the second edging.

Lisa Souza Hardtwist Merino Petite, "Printempo"

The Girasole is in time out. I need to re-start it due to some user errors, but I've been working on other things because I can sense the overwhelming gravitational pull of Jared's gorgeous shawl. The Ravelry comments on this one are littered with "I started and finished it in a week..." and "so addictive!" I think I'll give Scarf #21 a few more days' head start before I dive headlong into Big Red.

Hazel Knits Artisan Sock, "Cami Chic"

I also started one of the yarns from this year's Stitches! Yesterday I cast on the Limeade TOFUtsies yarn I got to complement the Berries 'n' Cream socks. I'm making some modifications to my vanilla pattern, so hopefully these will fine-tune the fit to a place I'm not just happy with, but thrilled with. If it's different enough, maybe I'll write it up!

Tess Designer Yarns Super Sock and Baby, "Teal!"

The rest of my Stitches purchases are already catalogued and posted on the internets. The Ravelry link is here, and the press-pass pictures I took of both my yarn and Stitches-as-a-whole (not to mention Erin's swank and classy party at her shop) are here.

Blue Moon Fiber Arts mill ends

Don't Call It a Preview

Yesterday, my plan for the beginning of Stitches weekend looked like this:

Thursday:
5:30 - get off work and head to Stitches Preview
6-8 - calmly stroll the market, making notes of things I would buy on Saturday. Also take some photos using my Press pass. Make friends with famous knitting people like Lily Chin and Lucy Neatby. Be handed a fabulous job as the new editor of a popular knitting publication such as Knitscene or Vogue Knitting because clearly I deserve it.
8-10+ - dinner with the girls. Possibly margaritas involved because of the lack of work on Friday AM.
10-ish - Get home, dye hair, shower, bed.

Friday:

9:30-ish - Get up, caffeinate, read internet
10:30 - head to Stitches, where I would calmly walk the floor again, prudently pruning my list and possibly adding things
1:30-6 - work at R-N's
7+ - have dinner with Mom and friends, possibly margaritas involved


Then I got the call. The Younger R-N has a fever and wasn't at school on Thursday, nor is he likely to be at school on Friday. Did I have plans for Friday morning? Could I possibly take care of a sick child all day? Of course I can; these people are wonderful and nice to me, and I already bailed on them for Saturday night in favor of the party at Bobbin's Nest Studio - where there will be champagne and possibly margaritas involved. So I bailed on my plan for Friday morning (sorry Aija! Have fun!) and also the margaritas from Thursday night. Don't worry, I'll make up for it on Saturday.

Despite my tendency toward impetuousness, I don't deal well with change I haven't initiated myself. This is a somewhat hypocritical attitude, I know; however, all the things I do impetuously are amazing and the things everyone else does are obviously less so. Such as needing me to nanny a feverish 8-year-old instead of schmoozing with knitting celebrities.

Anyway, let's talk about Stitches. I arrived on Thursday and got my press pass from Jasmin - the one that lets me in the door of the market on preview night. Wait - stop. Consider the word "preview" for a moment. For example, Cookie A's book was available to PREVIEW at one of the booths, but not to buy. However, everything else was for sale... which did a bit of damage to my "calmly walk the floor and write down items for Saturday" plan, especially in light of the "not going to the market on Friday morning" change. So I gave up on that and bought the things I didn't think would last through until Saturday, while also trying to stick to my mental shopping list.

See Flickr page for notes

Looking at the photo, I can see that I have once again shot the rainbow in color choices. Go me!

There are a couple of things I didn't get to last night, namely: A sweater's worth from Tess Yarns, more Pagewood Farm Denali, and a ball of TOFUtsies that coordinates with the Berries and Cream socks. There may also be some Malabrigo sock yarn in my future, but it'll depend on the color selection.

Chloe got some Lisa Souza batts!

I've altered my plan a little - okay a lot - for today. Instead of spending money this morning, I'm sitting at my computer tapping out a lovely, witty little blog post for you all (see how much I love you?). I also threw more projects than I can possibly finish/start/work on into my bag today. A second Coraline glove, Scarf #21 (re-started and up to row 12 this time!), Girasole, and a mending project for which I forgot the appropriate needles.

Yesterday I finished two things!

Dishcloth #1 (of a projected 10), 85 yards

Mismatched Elder R-N socks, 302 yds.

That's right, those socks are finally done! I decided a few weeks ago that the first sock I finished on the Mexico '08 trip was too big and also ugly, so I pulled out the bind-off and just re-knitted the thing directly from the original sock. It earned me a few stares and a couple of comments about Sisyphus, but it was quicker and easier than re-skeining, washing and winding back up. And now they're ready to block! Hurrah!

All right, I'm out of tea and itching to start all this knitting that I've promised myself. After all, there's a whole market full of gorgeous yarn that I haven't even imagined, just waiting for me!

Down for the Count

As the resident carrier monkey among my acquaintance, being ill means that whatever is going around is a doozy of a virus, so here's a wish for the good health of all my 3.5 readers. I hate being sick. I know that puts me squarely in the majority of everyone else on the planet, but I couldn't manage to keep my fingers from typing the phrase over and over again. Just once more: I haaaate being sick! This cold/flu/deathplague thing I have seems to be on an accelerated schedule - misery right now, but it does mean I will probably get better soon. Typhoid Tika that I am, I'm usually better before I'm no longer contagious. I promise not to be offended if you cross the street when you see me coming.

Being ill also means I get all scattered and a little forgetful, which could explain why I misplaced my Pistachio Mitts in a place where it is unlikely they will ever be found again. ARGH. I put them in my purse in the car, went into my house, and the next day they were nowhere to be found. I had a half-waking dream this morning that a kindly stranger picked up my poor mitts in the street and put them on the hood of the nearest car. Then the person who owned the car took them off the hood and is now enjoying lovely hand-knitted warmth and will maybe start knitting and someday will lose a pair of mitts, and some stranger will put them on MY car, and then the circle will be complete. Sominex plus NyQuil do strange things to my head.

I'm adding 200 yards to my finished total anyway. So there, fate!!

(someone please take away the cough medicine)

Here's the completed Hated Manos Scarf, all posed and pretty like the last 50000 Seeded Rib Scarves I've made:


And here's the Edgewater Scarf for Unka T:

Seeded Rib Scarf #6
Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted, "Edgewater"

It'll be done today; since I don't know when I'll get the chance to photograph in the morning again, I figured I'd take the opportunity to pose it appropriately. Only one more to go after this and I can send the whole lot off for a late Christmas gift. Sadly the Huron Shepherd Worsted is knitting up a bit more feminine than I'd like, so I'm going to toss it in the dyepot this weekend. Some navy blue will man it right up, I'm pretty sure.

Here are some shots from our outing on Sunday:

Backs of heads, L to R: Jasmin, Gigi, Cynthia, Chloe, Andrew

Please note the lack of baggage that means we are on our way to the yarn store, not away from it.

An artsy shot on the way to lunch

Afterwards, Chloe and I stopped by Cynthia's to clear out her Malabrigo Chunky stash:

Chloe has opened a Home for Wayward Yarn. She's been relieving friends of their yarns, knitting them up, and returning them (sometimes!) with a renewed purpose in life. I can only aspire to such generosity.
And speaking of generosity, Cynthia gave me this Malabrigo Lace yarn. It's just as bright and intense as it looks in the photo - by some miracle my camera picked up the red tones perfectly. I don't know what this will be yet, but probably something from VLT. I wish with all my heart that the Malabrigo Lace yarn came plied, because I would never want to knit with anything else. Ever. It's that lovely.

And this is a color called Oro y Vino. Cyn has an extra sweater's worth in her stash, and as soon as it shows up it's coming to me. It's not a color I would choose on my own, but the girls assured me it's becoming and that I should expand my color palette, so I'm gonna do it. After all, I spent a good chunk of time at the yarn store convincing Cyn to do exactly that, so it's only fair that I practice what I preach.

Later that night, Chloe and I sat in with Jasmin and Gigi to record their podcast. You should go listen. I'm all internet famous now, but I promise to remember you.

5-Minute Blog Post

This may become a regular feature! anyway, time is ticking.

First, the Drive for Change trip. We headed out for Reno on a Friday and then to Dayton, about an hour further on for canvassing on Saturday and Sunday. I've never really experienced the desert; it was stark and pretty at the same time, and the lack of big buildings or huge trees made for some pretty stunning views. The campaign workers asked us to try to be inconspicuous about the fact that we were coming in from California, so I didn't take as many pictures as I would have normally, but we did manage a picture of this trebuchet sitting in someone's side yard. It was pointed at the neighbor across the street's garage, but I'm sure that was just coincidence...

The rest of the photos are here.

Then came Color: A Fiber Festival this last Saturday. As previously mentioned, I descended gracefully from the SPE wagon. Originally I had intended to but nothing, and it would have worked if Jasmin hadn't started crowing about being morally superior. I blame her. I bought from A Girl on the Rocks, Pigeonroof Studios, and new-to-me Celleach Dyes, which is run by the lovely Kelley and her family - including Brynn (who helps skein yarn) and Rowan (who might be the cutest 3-year-old on the planet right now).

Pictures are here.

Then on the way home, No-Blog Rachel informed J and I that there was a yarn swap planned at Purlescence for Sunday, which promptly absolved me of all my Saturday purchasing. I went through my stash like a whirlwind, culling things left, right and center. Then I divided the pile into 3 bags: Wool-Ease (originally purchased to make sweaters before I knew better), Baby Yarn (gag acrylic!) and Stuff Other Knitters Might Actually Want. That's not to say that Wool-Ease and Baby Yarn aren't perfectly respectable yarns; they certainly are. I'm just a snob, really, when it comes right down to it.

This is what 12 pounds of yarn looks like.

I didn't intend to pick anything up at the swap, but J had left 5 skeins of lace-weight tan that would be perfect for over-dyeing. At 6000 yards, I couldn't pass it up - especially with my Lace Bibles staring at me, and my new as-yet-unexplored interest in Niebling. (ETA - Thanks for catching the spelling, and for the suggestions, Diela! I have a better place to start now. :))



I also grabbed a stunning red in the same brand; only 1200 yards this time, but it's enough for the Faux Russian Stole that has been drifting through my dreams.

This particular red is one of my favorites, most likely because my blankie when I was a child was this color and so I associate it with comfort. Plus I just love red.

And finaly, J dug this out of her stash so that I can make a mis-matched pair of socks for the eldest Relatively Normal. She doesn't wear socks that match, and since I promised her a pair for Hanukkah, I'll be making 2 different ones.

Elphaba Sock #2 is trucking along. I'm about to start the calf increases, so there are only about 12 more inches of sock to go...

Surpassing Loveliness and Unbearable Angst

First, happy Jewish New Year, my friends! Take a moment to celebrate life and those you love whether you adhere to the Jewish faith or not. We don't take enough opportunities to remember the overall beauty of the world we live in, I think.

Are you done? Ok, back to me.

While I watched the debate on Saturday night, I finished the collar on my Ribbi Cardi! Now all that's left is to (find and) install the zipper, and it's d-o-n-e! I'm going to weigh it before I put the zipper in; at the moment I'm not certain how many yards it is, but it's definitely a big ol' chunk of them!

Also falling under the "finished!" tag are my little sissy's Christmas hat and scarf:

Pre-blessed by my mom's cherub fountain! I used the Torch Island handspun for this and I'm quite pleased with how it knitted up. The gradations I worked out on paper ended up pretty close to what I got in a finished fabric, so I'm quite chuffed with the whole she-bang. And as a final finish, I put buttons on the Theodora sweater:
Astute observers will notice the buttons don't match; this is because I used buttons from my great-grandmother's button box. I was utterly charmed when my mom pulled the box off the shelf and let me dig through it; it started life as a little 6 oz tin of buttered toffee from England and has grown to fill a Christmas cookie-sized tin; later that afternoon Mom gave me the original 6 oz tin and let me chose some buttons to start my own button collection. Things like this give me a feeling of being connected to my past. Growing up in Alaska, far away from most of my extended family, I didn't ever really connect with my grandmothers, aunts or uncles. Of course I love them dearly - they're family, after all - but we were definitely cut off from a big family experience, and so I don't know them as well as I would wish. I sat for hours stirring buttons with my mom while she told me that certain ones reminded her of her grandmother, great-aunt or mom. Occasionally a button would recall a specific sweater, or make us cackle with how ugly the original garment had to be to deserve such a monstrous button. Mom was delighted that both her children had used Great Grandmother Madge's button box in the same day; Gabe needed a button for some khaki's, and he learned to sew on a button while I tacked on the three wee buttons for the Theodora sweater. I think now that I have the beginnings of a button box, I'll be more likely to pick up a few here and there when I see them. I already have plans for a few of the lovely buttons I took from the original box, and I'm pretty secure in the knowledge that if I don't actually use them, they'll all fold back together again when the box comes to me.

I've also been working on an Accordion sweater for my friend's mother. She asked me to make a sweater for one of her nephews, and I accepted. I've never done anything on commission before, and I don't know that I will again. Despite the fact that I liked the pattern and didn't mind the yarn, I definitely felt a slight undercurrent of mutiny while I was knitting away. Hopefully that won't come through in the finished piece; at the moment it's waiting to be sewn together and blocked:

But on to the main event! I met this lovely icon on Saturday:
Cat Bordhi and her workshop were everything I wanted them to be. Mom and I joined Jasmin and her mother Gigi along with our friend Colleen and trekked up to Lafayette for a day of mind-blowing ideas. Jasmin and I have been saying for quite some time that neither of us understands toe-up socks or short rows like we want to, and in the 8-hour workshop Ms. Bordhi settled both problems with alacrity.

The woman has magic hands, I swear. She thinks like an engineer and an artist at the same time. We all agreed that one of our favorite things about her is her genuine desire to teach people instead of market her own ideas. I can't yet explain the things I learned at the workshop, but I am reasonably certain that I'll be making many more toe-up socks that actually fit me from now on.

After lunch, we stepped over to the charming Yarn Boutique, and when I walked into the store and Jasmin looked up like a deer in headlights, her arms full of Kauni. For shame! But according to our deal, it's okay as long as she's getting rid of an equivalent amount. This afternoon we'll be doing some weighing out of both of our stashes; I simply could not allow this Anne to stay orphaned at the shop:
Isn't it stunning? I'm in love. Yesterday I stopped by Purlescence to replace some Addi needles I lost when I misplaced a sock bag and picked out this for my stepmother's Christmas present:
I think the bright pink will amuse her when she looks down at her feet during the day; there's an added bonus in that her feet and mine are exactly the same size, so I don't even have to guess about stitch counts. I also cast on these in the same pattern:
That's some of the Regia Man Yarn I bought pre-SPE. It will probably be socks for my dad's Christmas present, but I'm not sure yet.

The mail has been pretty busy lately; I got a fleece back from Sherri at Morro Bay. It's a Lincoln/Merino cross named Steve, and for whatever reason it just tickles me that somewhere in the world there is a Sheep Named Steve. I also got my Knitters for Barack Obama gear:
That's the hoodie and t-shirt; I also got a mug and stickers for my car. I was able to customize the shirts and the mug with my name, and for whatever reason it makes me feel much more involved than if I had simply ordered the stuff without. Zazzle is awesome, people.

And really, this stuff is just in time. Let's have a tiny chat about Sarah Palin, shall we? She's debating with Joe Biden on Thursday, and frankly I'm looking forward to seeing her crash and burn. She may have done fine as governor of my home state - my dad the staunch Dem *loves* her - but she canNOT be allowed to have any part in running our country. Equating being neighbors with Russia and Canada with foreign experience is theatrics - although theater is by and large more watchable than Palin. Everything that comes out of her mouth borders on gibberish, and what isn't ridiculous blustering is jaw-droppingly ignorant or party-line. She's simply appalling, and I'm embarrassed for her as a woman and as a politician. My friend E is heading to Reno to campaign for Obama this week, and I plan to join her as an Alaskan for Obama for a weekend in October.

I think one reason we lost the 2004 race is largely that we sat back a little, thinking no one could possibly vote for Bush after the shit he pulled during his first term. It was a mistake - if so small a term can be used for such a monumental failure - and I for one don't intend to let it happen again. I believe it was Olberman who said that if Sarah Palin gets elected VP, all 350 million Americans will have to evacuate the country, and he's so right it hurts.

Run Out and Reset

So just after Brie left her comment about my adherence to the Social Pressure Experiment, I fell down a little. But before you snort into your tea (it is before noon, after all), allow me to explain. My friends Kate and Conrad moved to Prague, Czech Republic on Tuesday. They are some of the best, most loyal friends ever, and I will miss them terribly. A few years ago, I re-taught Kate how to knit, and she's been working doggedly away on the same garter stitch scarf ever since. When I learned they were actually leaving (it's been in the works for a couple of years now), I decided I would knit her something. Something gorgeous, lacy, and appropriate for going out to the nice dinners Conrad is so fond of. Something epic. Something like this.

Then, a week before they left, I spent the night at their place in order to help them get rid of all the wine they couldn't take with them to Europe, and Kate tried on my No-Purl Monkey socks. She's very sensitive to wool, but these, she gushed, were perfect - except that they are purple. Kate is not a girly-girl, and the only other color of Panda Silk in my stash was pink. So that settled it; off to the yarn store I went, in search of a Kate-colored Panda Silk that I could whip up into socks in the week before they left.

When I got to Purlescence, I did a bit of in-for-a-penny shopping and picked out three colors I knew Kate would like: straw, tan, and olive.

Olive was the color I pulled out of the bag first, so off I went. I started the socks on Tuesday, hoping to have them done in time for the going away party on Saturday. It didn't quite work out - I had worked through most of the second sock's gusset decreases by Saturday night. So in between sets of Rock Band, I knitted away, and managed to graft together the toe during Conrad's rendition of "Paranoid."


So yes, I bought yarn without intending to get rid of something in the stash. But I did seriously consider what I have before making my expedition, which was the major point of the Experiment in the first place. Neither Jasmin nor I are very interested in having a stash that fits into a shoebox; we simply wanted to break the habit of buying yarn on impulse.

I planned to confess once Jasmin got back from the California Wool Festival, but I received some unexpected absolution in the form of Jasmin's poor resist roll against fleece. She picked up one or two lovely things, and to assuage what she thought would be my indignation - as well as to make up for the loss of the Fleece That Got Away - she bought me 2 pounds of gorgeous oatmeal roving:
It's merino, raised and processed by a 93-year-old woman, and it's simply gorgeous. Every time I look at it, I see a cobweb ring shawl, all floaty and serene. Absolution, indeed. I 'fessed up to the Panda Silk, and we decided that we would call it a wash.

In other news, I've started the daunting task of Christmas knitting. It's really not so bad; I started with a simple diagonal scarf for my sissy out of some handspun. I realized at some point that I should probably have begun the hat first, so I put the scarf on hold and cast on for a hat last night:

I hope the colors agree with her. I'm pretty sure they will - she's wicked cute.

And speaking of wicked cute, let me show you something that is NOT:

This is the Norah Gaughan sweater that (dis)graces the front of the Webs catalog for Fall 08. Now, I'm a fan of Norah's, and I love her unconventional approach to construction. And I confess that at first, I liked this particular unconventional confection. But then I began to channel my inner Jessica and Heather, to the detriment of the garment. The epaulet shape on the collar/shoulders is very cute, but it does strange sag-inducing things to her bust. Then the bottom two rows of shapes create this weird, unattractive corset-but-not shape around her middle, and make her look like nothing so much as an aging flapper whose Spanx have lost their ability to rein in what they are designed to rein in. I hate it. Hate hate hate, and I can't think of a single person I know - of any size - who would look good in this shape.

This idea might possibly fly if the shaped bits stayed on the shoulders and dissolved into a nicely-fitted stockinette sweater, but as it is, I am just bowled over by the unflatteringlyness of the whole thing.

On the plus side, I really like the model's hair.

I don't have to work tomorrow - the Refreshingly Normal family is hanging out together, thus giving me an unexpected day off - so I'm headed up to the Farm tonight. I plan to spend the weekend laying on the porch and working on my as-yet-non-existent tan.

Have a good weekend!

Miles to Go

I've been plugging away at things lately. Inspiration seems to have dissolved along with my will to live in our annual early September heat wave, so I've been using the time to finish up a whack of stuff that has been hanging out on the needles:

No-Purl Monkey Socks, Panda Silk, 257 yds.

Daffodil Socks, Undulating Rib pattern, Lorna's Laces "Daffodil," 294 yds.

Theodora Sweater, Dream in Color Classy "Chinatown Apple" and "November Muse," 198 yds.

Ok, well that last one isn't 100% complete - I'll pull out the needle and thread to attach the buttons after I publish this post. But for real it'll get done today. I swear. 

I've also been fooling around with a Branching Out Stole, and I think I've come up with a workable pattern. I'm one whole repeat into the thing, and it seems to be coming along nicely. I'm nowhere near close on memorizing the lace yet though, so no pictures yet; I'm avoiding the 'lookie! I'm smart!' jinx. 

I've decided that 12 miles of knitting in 12 months isn't such a bad goal, so I'm extending my 12-Mile Quest through December. Despite the fact that once again I seem to have bitten off more than I can chew in terms of completed items, I do feel like I've been getting things done in a relatively timely fashion. This is not the time to mention to me how long the knitting on my Ribbi Cardi has been finished. I'm waiting for the Perfect Time to block it, and obviously that Time has not arrived. Shut up. 

Jasmin and I sat and chatted at Purlescence this afternoon, and I manfully resisted the siren call of a Perfected Henley's worth of Dream in Color. As far as I can tell, the company's not going anywhere and I should be able to get the yarn in February, should I still lust after it. This Social Pressure thing is working! 

However, I did pick up these little gems:

Shibui Knits Sock, "Hawaiian Sea"

We all agreed that if a knitter has been lusting after a color so much that it invades her dreams, she should probably make room for it in her stash, so it came home with me.  I'm not certain it wants to be socks, but I could be wrong - perhaps it wants to be some Millicents or even some German Stockings. Hmmm. Speaking of the ever-innovative Cookie A., I picked up her 2 newest patterns today: Ornette and Moselle. Aren't they lovely! It'll be awhile before I make them, considering that even simple things have my brain in a muddle lately, but they're in my queue nevertheless. 

I also brought this little unassuming ball home:

 Cascade SW merino, "Pie Crust"

It's not really called Pie Crust, but that's what it is destined to become. That's right folks, I remembered to get pie crust yarn after only a month and a half of forgetting. Call Guinness; we've got a record on our hands here. And while you're there, get me a celebratory beer. 

Lastly, Robin the Amazing remembered my abiding love for Schaefer and gave me this: 

Schaefer Anne... mmmm!

It's this lovely autumnal mixture of colors that just make me smile. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go purge 200 grams of yarn from my stash. I think the awful chenille in the back corner of my bureau might be just the thing...

P.S. - As promised, the Baby Surprise Jacket yardage was [drumroll please!]: 360 yds.

Five Minute Blog Post

I know what you're thinking. "Stop whining, Tikabelle! Show us the pictures of yarn and stuff!"

Your wish is my command.

I finished the Baby Mama Shawl, but it's really just a Baby Shawl. Behold in all its tiny glory!


However, I did manage to finish some baby items for Mer's shower, and since Baby Cinnamon isn't due until the 9th of October, I've got some time for a do-over - I'm thinking a plain something from EZ's February Almanac. Here's my first BSJ:

It turned out pretty cute! I heart the buttons. Yardage to come soon.

I've been craving lace lately, and now that the Baby Shawl is done I can move on to a new project. Since my good friend Kate is moving to Prague in September, I found her a lovely red Zephyr yarn and it will become... something not what it is right now:

That, for the uninitiated plebeian population, is the beginnings of a Secret of Chrysopolis shawl. And while it's absolutely lovely, it's more lace than I can handle right now. I may make a Branching Out Stole (3 pattern repeats across), but it's TBD at the moment. Lordy, I do love that color - I think I may have found my eventual reward for the Social Pressure Experiment in a cone of this lovely Cinnabar from JaggerSpun.

Moving on! Only 2 minutes left!

I've repurposed the Panda Silk from Sock Madness into a pair of No-Purl Monkey Socks:
That's sock #1; school started on Monday and as a consequence I am mostly done with the foot of sock #2. Hurrah for knitting during lectures!

And this, my friends, is what I got in trade from Aija for my 6-ish balls of Lion's rand Chunky:
128 g of sparkly, silky Chai batts from Enchanted Knoll. Don't tell her, but I think I got the better end of the deal!

I also obtained some scraps of yarn from Jasmin to add to the Baby Yarn Collection, and yay! I won this in Omly's blog contest awhile ago. Getting pre-Social Pressure stuff in the mail is always a treat.

That's about it! I have to head out to work for the Refreshingly Normal family now, but as soon as I get into the swing of getting up at 7 instead of noon, life should iron out nicely. Insert blissful sigh of relief here.