Post Stitches

My goodies:
---------------
Pink alpaca/silk laceweight for Aunt gift
Blue alpaca/silk laceweight for mother-in-law gift
4 skeins of Karaoke for gift scarf - maybe one of my sisters or sister-in-law
4 skeins of socks that rock (one for a co-worker here that couldn't go)
2 cones of silk/stainless steel from Habu - I think I am going to make some necklaces for the shop with this
2 4oz hanks of fiber from Lisa Souza for the shop
6 oz of multi colored merino for the shop
1 goknit pouch

I think that is all. I was very good about not buying any more bags of yarn for sweaters - and not toooo much sock yarn. Actually If you look at what goes as gifts, and what was for the shop...I only bought some socks that rock...I was very good!!

Then of course I came home and ordered a couple of pairs of the new harmony needles from knit picks...as well as some more bobbins for my wheel...

I was somewhat disappointed in the amount of fiber available...it definately was more a yarn expedition, which is ok. I probably would have spent even more if there would have been lots of yummy fibers around! Too bad about not going next week for Rhinebeck...Ohhhhh I so want to go!!!

I think I am going to be really good now, and not buy anymore yarn until at least the first of the year. Think I can do it?

Languishing

Yes, the blog has suffered...and will probably continue to suffer during the summer months. Anyway, some quick updates in pictures!

Finished my pomatomus pair - bonus view with the sock blockers! The color on this picture turned out terribly. Really the color is much more purple.


I finished one arm warmer:


and I started: Hedera -- for the Sock Knitter's Anonymous August sock.

Stash Organization

Because of Ravelry I have been inspired to organize my stash a little better.



Here we can see some detail shots:



Compartment 1: Sock yarn! These are all the hanks of sock yarn that I have. Vesper, Lornas Laces, Socks that Rock.

Moving down.



Compartment 2: More sock yarn! This is all the non-hanked stuff. Regia, Opal, Trekking...also some caked Vesper and Socks that Rock. You can also see two socks waiting for their mates.

Down.



Compartment 3: This is my luxury box. Zephyr cones, Blue Sky Alpacas, cashmere and sweaters-in-progress-yarns Whiskey and Daletta.

Last one.



Compartment 4: This last compartment houses all my cotton. Behind the cones are many skeins of Sugar and Cream, and I picked up some Lion Brand Organic Cotton.

Flickr & Sock Blockers

Yes! I finally broke down and signed up for a Flickr account. I only have a few pictures up, but hope to transfer nearly all of my images there. I signed up for Ravelry too, but have yet to hear about getting started there. Really, the reason I signed up for the Flickr account was because I heard that it interfaced with Ravelry so well.

Anyway! Yesterday in the mail was a nice surprise...beautiful hand crafted sock blockers from Chappy. Hubby likes them too and knew what they were the moment he saw them. Tomorrow I will post some pictures with them with socks on them.

For spinning news: I am almost finished with the third bobbin of the Lapis Sheep 2 Shoe kit. Hopefully my extra bobbins and lazy kate arrive soon so that I can get on with the plying! This will be my first three ply, so I am extra anxious to see how it turns out.

I had bought the kit from The Fold at Maryland Sheep and Wool, and I wanted more! So, I contacted Toni and she was just great. We chatted a bit about what I was looking for, and she mailed me an order! So, I got another Sheep 2 Shoe kit in Little Bunny Foo Foo, 10 ounces of Extra Fine Merino in the Carbon colorway, and 8.5 ounces of the same in the Highway 30 colorway. The Extra Fine Merino is WONDERFUL. I have to check but I am pretty sure the micron count was something like 19 -- almost as soft as cashmere! I am so very excited to spin this!

As Promised!!!

Here are some yummy pictures of my Maryland Sheep and Wool loot!

Socks...again

Yes, another posting about socks...but there's other stuff too I promise!!

First, I finished the Tapestry scarf. I am still meh about the yarn -- I like the silky feeling, but I still hate the hairy-ness. If it could only be silky without the hair. I will probably gift this, not sure yet to whom. Because after complaining about the hair, how can I push it off on some poor unsuspecting recipient?

In the spirit of recent-stitch-marker-making, I completed a set of fabulous green stars. And here is what my findings box looks like now.


I also made another set of binary stitch markers using purple and clear beads. This time I used up all four bead spots and went to 15. I have the materials to finish the first set, but have been, quite frankly, too lazy.

For the hubby, I frogged the Saffron Cables blanket...I just didn't like spending so much time per row. I love cables - I really do - I just don't love them in giant blanket form. Instead I have promised him a different blanket. One with manageable pieces. One that takes very little thought to work. Of course I decided it also needed more color...So I bought two more colors to compliment the green and TADA:


The Hubby Log Cabin is planned and started. Five center green squares are already completed, and now I just need to wait on mister mailman to bring me more yummy yarn.

What about the socks?!? Well, in anticipation of the first shipment for the Rockin' Sock Club -- I ordered yarn from Blue Moon Fiber Arts!


From left to right, Lemongrass, Rose Quartz, Lover's Leap, and Little Bunny Foo Foo. I LOVE them all!!!


Also in this order, two hanks for hubby in the very manly Obsidian. He has watched me fawn over Socks that Rock for many months now, and decided that he needed a pair. -- I also received the first shipment of the club, but I will leave that for a later post -- no spoilers here!

February is for FO's

I have a couple of FO's to post about! February was a pretty productive month for me. I decided that I would tackle my UFOs in the order of percentage already completed. This enabled me to finish more projects...which I then promptly cast on a few new ones!

Firstly, I finished and blocked the Swallowtail shawl. I think it turned out lovely -- I hope Aunt Dorothy likes it!


I finished the Lorna's Laces socks for my sister...you know, the ones that have been 95% complete for about 6 months...






Also completed are my Dreidel Jaywalkers.










For the hubby I have one sock done! I also ordered him some yummy Socks that Rock in the Obsidian color...so next up, more socks for him.












What did I start? Well, I just love the Whiskey yarns from Reynolds...so I started a fair-isle sweater from their new Contemporary Collection.

I also started a new pair of socks for me with SWTC Tofutsies yarn. Let me tell you, I LOVE this yarn. It is very light, a good summer sock yarn. Something about it makes it just wonderful.

Pictures, pictures, Pictures!!!

To make up for the severe lack of posting recently, I have a huge amount of pictures today. So lets see, what have I been up to? First, update on Sapporo: I have about 3-3.5 inches of the body completed...and I haven't worked on it for over a week. Miles and miles of plain stockinette to go before the interesting patterning starts.

In rebellion against doing miles and miles of plain stockinette, I have started a few scarves. I don't know why, but I had the unquellible urge to knit some scarves. Here we have a bias scarf in Rowan Tapestry, and a Ruffles from Scarf style in Sarah's Yarns' dk cashmere. My comments on the yarns? I don't really care for Tapestry. It is very pretty, but it is a bit more hairy than I thought it would be. The soy in it gives it a sort of silky feel, but the wool content is VERY hairy. I don't have any other words to describe it, its not scratchy or halo-y, its just ... the scarf feel reminds me of a hairy man leg...eww

Speaking of man legs -- I got some new yarns, one DH has approved for his first sock request (the middle one). The one he liked is various blues, and its wool with bamboo. Other sock yarns I received (because you can't just order one!) More Trekking, and TOFUtsies!

Going back to Sarah's Yarns, I had also purchased two cones of Jagger Zephyr for some lace knitting. The first project: Swallowtail shawl from fall 2006 Interweave Knits. I love this pattern, especially after some clever nupp strategies. My method for nupps: Using a size 0 dpn, transfer the five stitches from the left needle, to the dpn. Now purl into all five. This way is a bit tedious because of the transfer, but it is MUCH easier than trying to purl all five from the original needle. Even with the size 0, it is still hard for me to get much of the right needle through all five loops. This shawl is destined to be gifted to Aunt Dorothy -- the one person I know adores my handknits.

I finished one Pomatomus sock! Here it is in all its Pucks Mischief Beauty. The Rockin' Sock Club is almost ready to start so I better get working on this mate! The second Dreidel Jaywalker is almost completed as well.












To carry it all, I splurged on a Namaste messenger bag! This thing is huge, it stores all my needles, notions and several projects. Notice in the picture my CrippenWorks dpn case. Mom gave this to me for Christmas, but I forgot to post about it.

Weekend Sock

This weekend, DH took the PS3 back to the store. But then...bought a new one...but found this deal where you can trade in your old ps2 and get $100+ dollars back toward the purchase of the ps3! So that is what we did. It was a good deal, but I still don't see him getting to into it, especially now that school is starting up again.

In knitting news, I completed the seal rock socks that rock for my sister-in-law. Those are waiting to be gifted. I wanted to finish up a few more projects, but got too excited about socks. In one day, I finished an entire jaywalker! The color way is Dreidel from Blue Moon Fiber Arts, of course. I decided to go top down, and try out a picot edging (all of the cool kids are doing it). But I think with the way the jaywalker zigzags, it probably isn't the best choice. It is pretty thick and the turning makes the edge want to roll over. Other than that small problem, I just love the way the yarn worked up. The striping is perfect and there was no pooling at all.

Here you can see Mr. Sharky thinks they are yummy! I have already cast on for the second and should definitely have the pair completed in a few days.




I found a group doing Dale of Norway projects starting the 20th of January. And so, I have decided to give that a go. My choice is Sapporo, which is the 2007 Norwegian Ski Team sweater. I received my booklet and zipper and just have to decide on what colors I want to make it. It is worked in Daletta, which I have never used before. I want to carry Dale of Norway at the store, so I also consider this project research.

Happy New Year!

Lots of pictures for you this posting. I was away for the holidays, and came back with a sinus infection but lots of gifts. First, from the Lancaster Stitch 'N' Bitch: My secret santa was too kind! Becky got me a stitchonary, some tools, a cute ornament, a cookie cutter, and personalized hand dyed yarn!

How awesome is that!!! Its named after me, "Heather's Twilight".






From the family I got several knitting books and even some yarn! My family doesn't understand my obsession one bit, so the yarn and books were really hard for them to feel good about giving. Most notably, here are the skeins of Socks that Rock from my mom. Yummmmmm!! I can't wait to start knitting more socks!









Speaking of knitting. Over the break I was on a color mission. I am almost finished with one endpaper mitt, and about half way through one legwarmer. The mitts seem a bit small...but I think they will stretch...The leg warmer is turning out pretty nicely, very spring-like.









Not Christmas related, my husband was able to pick up one of these:









Not sure if we are going to keep it or not. There doesn't seem to be that much incentive at this point. Only one real game that he's interested in that isn't available for the 360, so maybe he will return it until there are more games. Who knows...

Socks Socks Socks

Here are my finished Jaywalkers!








In addition to finally finishing that second one, I have started the second of the Seal Rock socks. The first of the pair are already on the cuff, and awaiting simultaneous knitting till the end of the yarn.









The other object I am working on: a vest from RYC Classic booklet. The entire booklet is using wool/silk, but I had all this Debbie Bliss Cash Cotton, so I thought I would try it out. It is going really fast for a 2x2 rib.