Big Daddy Needs New Yarn!

Not anymore, to say the least. I picked up a few things at my LYS at their Thanksgiving sale, but check out the haul from my honeymoon! I had no idea I'd bought so much until I was taking the photos!

Portland has dozens upon dozens of yarn shops spread out all over, so we didn't even touch half of them. We did manage to make it to 5 stores, not too shabby (in 3 days!). Don't feel too bad for DH's patience, he's been known to knit occasionally and some of this yarn is his.

Of course I picked up some Kureyon, as well as yarn for 7 (!) pairs of socks, but I also tried to buy locally. In addition to Oregon wool, and specially dyed yarn, I bought some handspun that comes from a 90-year old woman!

I was extremely impressed with yarn stores in Portland. They average about 3 times the size of the ones here, are absolutely bursting with yarn and they carry enough varied things that you'd have to shop at 2 or 3. Plus, perfect LYS manners: ask you if they can help, then leave you alone and when you do need help, they were very friendly and down-to-earth. We even got free handmade glass stitch markers at one because it was our honeymoon! None of the snobbery that keeps me out of a lot of places.

These are the places we visited and I hardily recommend all of them. The ones with an * had a tad more variety in my opinion.

*Yarn Garden
Dublin Bay Knitting Co. (specializes in yarn from the British Isles, very fun!)
*Abundunt Yarn & Dyeworks
The Naked Sheep
*Close Knit

Finally, the months-overdue Harry Potter beret. Probably not worth all the build-up, but I did get my photo taken with Hagrid, Mad-Eye Moody and Snape (sigh) while wearing it!



Project: Harry Potter Beret
Source: Charmed Knits
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Worsted in #999 & #1382 (maybe 1/2 skein of the red?)
Needles: US 6 & 7
Started: 5/6/07
Finished: 5/10/07
Comments: Easy Peasy!

Rainy Day

Update: I've finished my baby bib & think I will start some quick booties today. I've finished the back & left front of Kenobi & am steadily working on the right front. My blanket yarn should be arriving soon, so I'll probably jump right into that. I constantly feel slightly overwhelmed by my list of upcoming projects, yet any time I have nothing scheduled I go a little crazy and feel like I've forgotten something. It's a very strange dichotomy.

Anyway, Spring has sprung, although it feels more like the beginning of Summer here, so my blog has a fresh new look. I'm using a new browser and will soon have new email. Things are changing, huh? Let's hope so. My old browser was never very compatible with Blogger and I had to type out a lot of HTML myself so this is going to be much more fun & efficient. Thanks to phydeaux3 for helping me sort out my label cloud. By the way, I make no apologies to anyone who doesn't like pink!

Look at the yummy sock yarn that Greg gave me for my birthday. They're so bright and squishy. The colors are Girls Just Want to Have Fun & Crush Me. The yarn is from Crash Into Ewe.



And of course another skein of Kureyon!


I also received quite a lot of crafty books: Hollywood Knits Style, More Sensational Knitted Socks, Knitters Book of Finished Techniques, Lace Style, Folk Shawls, Died in the Wool, Simple Sewing with a French Twist, & the Stitch-It Kit by Jenny Hart. Yay! Now if only I had the room for them. I even ordered a couple others from Amazon the other day! Knit 2 Together is something like $9 and I ordered Charmed Knits because I need to get seriously busy on my HP knitting before July!

Hope you enjoy the new blog!

The Stash is Overflowing

I'm really running out of room for yarn. My rubbermaid tub has like a 2 1/2 foot high stack of yarn & WIPS & other layabouts on top. Anyway, I'm still pleased to add another skein of beloved Noro Kureyon!!! The color is 194 & it's a mixture of fushcia, green, red-orange & browns. This lone skein comes home to the stash courtesy of my squeeze, who stopped by the yarn store (!) on his way home from work to pick out the perfect colors for me & to see the delighted smile on my face. How thoughtful! He's a keeper (duh).



I finally got my act together & gathered all of my dishcloths to be put to use. I love them! I'm never going back to small, flimsy machine-made cloths again. Looks like I need to get cracking on summer cloths to fill up the basket spaces.

Spring Fever

So a few months ago I finally dug out all of my projects that needed finishing and did just that, excepting of course those stupid Fuzzy Feet that I still haven't felted. I've been trying to be very good and really complete things instead of just starting a bunch of projects. Well Spring is upon us and I've been very bad lately. My yarn hiatus lasted only a month or so (!) and I've got so many projects lined up. I've developed a mild case of Viral SSS and a slightly more serious case of Startitis. This all has to do with socks and more yarn and not being able to decide exactly which project I'm going to obsess over for the longest period of time.

Here's a lovely picture of my Alternating 2x2 rib sock in progress (it, at the very least is complete):



I failed to have any self control and ordered some yarn from the HUGE sale at Knit Happens and then ordered some more from Red Needle's moving sale. Luckily (I guess), I did get into the Knit Happens sale until very late, so there were not dozens and dozens of skeins of Kureyon to tempt me (only 1).

Here's what I did score:



Left to right: Nashua Creative Focus Worsted in Syrah & Rust, Noro Kureyon #147 & Araucania Nature Wool in Violets.

The Creative Focus is already being turned into this:



While waiting for that yarn to arrive, I had to distract myself from continuing my second sock by starting on a Noro blanket in very many stitch patterns. I also ordered yarn for the Vintage Velvet scarf from Scarf Style. Isn't it pretty? It's so soft, I can't stop touching it and it is all I can do to stop myself from casting on.




So my knitting plate is most definitely full right now. I've got to finish these projects, plus block my capelet, embroider my Mother Bear (oh, the afghan squares are actually for Warm Up! America) & of course, felt my Fuzzy Feet. I need to make yet another baby bib ASAP, get yarn for a new baby blanket and I can't stop thinking about Isabella from Knitty and it's knit on such small needles! I really need to get busy.

No New Yarn?

I'm not exactly going on a Yarn Diet, but I'm going to try to not buy any more yarn for awhile. I've already got loads and projects in mind for a lot of it. It kinda seems like yarn has been magnetically drawn to me lately. While mom was overseas picking out yarn for me, me & my boy hit two LYS in a span for a couple of hours! In addition I recently cashed in on a generous giftcard from my brother & SIL, thanks guys! Then this past weekend Greg presented me with some more yarn for Valentine's. I obviously have enough yarn for now, but by the time my birthday rolls around in a couple of months I could probably squeeze in a little more. So I present my recent lust-worthy acquisitions...




My most beloved Kureyon in various colors. I have an impulse to buy this whenever it flashes its multi-colored, hay-strewn eyes my way. I'm loosely thinking of starting a Lizard Ridge throw. I finally got my grubby little hands on my very own mmmMalabrigo in Emerald & Cuarzo, which I'm already using for mittens. Socks were swirling around my head when I spotted the new Tofutsies yarn from SWTC. It's the one with Chitin, a byproduct of the shellfish industry. I figure it's okay to use 'cause it's kinda like recycling.




For my giftcard I chose some Mountain Colors 4/8s Wool in Wildflower. They'll probably be used in the next socks I make. The magenta Colinette Parisienne will make some very luxurious sleeves for my arms.























This is the yarn from Greg. It's Berroco Ultra Alpaca in Pea Soup Mix for the Brea Bag. Thanks dear!

That's not a lot of yarn, right? Not compared to a lot of blogs. It's enough for me though, for now...

Knitting Gifts

Okay this is the very last time I mention Christmas for at least 6 months! I thought I'd share the haul donated by my generous family. Books include Folk Hats, The Harmony Guide Vol. 5 for cable inspiration & my mom bought me a couple of beret patterns I'm interested in and included a lot more patterns she found on the net. I also received a "Learn to Spin" kit from www.skeintilyclad.com I've been wanting for awhile, not that I really need another addiction. Not pictured: the Knit Picks Options interchangeable needle set. I love my bamboo, but I thought it was time to branch out, plus I need that metal to work with any more cotton. I'm hoping to learn Magic Loop on them this year.



My mom just returned from England & brought me a bag from John Lewis brimming with English yarns! I received the same treatment last year, however I wasn't the best in updating the blog...um, anyway I can't wait to whip something up with all these lovelies!



Top Row: Rowan Felted Tweed in a Dark Raspberry & Burnt Orange
Middle Row: Rowan Kid Classic in Dark Violet & Rowan 4 Ply Soft in Bubblegum Pink
Bottom Row: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Dk (!) in Goldenrod & RYC Cashsoft DK in springy Light Apple Green

Pretty nice for not having to leave the house, huh? Thanks mom!

Stash Enhancement

Ok, now I really have to stop buying yarn. My rubbermaid box thing has almost reached capacity & I really don't have the room or the want to have a stash spilling out of every corner of my home. I just ordered some Noro Kureyon from WEBS for my Lady Eleanor because they are having a great sale, which I've been waiting for. My goal is to finish my Candleflame Shawl first and then have Lady E completed by Christmas. That sounds easy enough, especially since I've started some of my Christmas knitting this week and am moving swiftly along.

I did pick up some Baby Alpaca Worsted & Chunky this weekend courtesy of my LYS:


I think I'm going to make a squishy hat with the chunky green to match the first scarf I made and I'm not sure what for the orange. This is my first alpaca and boy was I missing out! This is the softest stuff imaginable and I love these colors.



In other news I've been pretty successful with my small projects this week. I've finished knitting a bowl, I just need to felt it this weekend. I've also knit one slipper and am working on the heel flap of the second one. Those will also need felting. I've also finished my first christmas present. I'm trying to get a good head start so I won't be knitting like crazy on Christmas Eve like the Harlot. The Ninepatch Dishcloth is almost finished, for me it's a lot slower going than the Ball Band. I think I finally understand when I hear people complain that cotton hurts their hands. All for now...

New Yarn!!

I finally used my birthday gift certificate for kpixie and bought some sock yarn. I'd better actually start knitting socks before I succumb to any more sock yarn! The yarn by All Things Heather is hand painted in the softest, most beautiful colors. This one's called Cornflower.

Shiny, Pretty Yarn!!!

Just a quick pic of yarn porn so I can get back to my knitting. My lovely, lovely Colinette Giotto arrived a few weeks ago from across the pond. I'm so excited about this yarn it's crazy! It took awhile for me to choose which colourway I liked best, Colinette has so many to choose from! This one's called Florentina and I think it's perfect. I can't wait to start the Waterlily Top, I just need to practice the provisional cast-on for awhile first. The ribbon is so soft and shiny, it looks like velvet. Wish me luck in winding the yarn into balls without creating a huge tangled mess.

I'm bearing down on the end of the baby blanket. Only 3 skeins left now, with 1 reserved exclusively for the border. I tried to work on it for several hours each day last week, and after waiting in the ER for 9 hours with my mother and her broken ankle on Friday, I'm proud to say I accomplished a lot. The end is in sight! In other knitting news, there is another Ball-Band Dishcloth finished and another one about to fly sizzling off the needles.

Updating

Well, gee, I guess I haven't been keep up with the blog at all. Seein' as how I am now linked on someone else's blog, possibly to be viewed by others, I guess I should get crackin'.


To start with, I'm going to show all of the awesome knitting loot I scored for my birthday last month. The first two are oh-so-pretty Koigu PPPM from the "in-laws". I'm hoping to learn socks in the next month or so. I'm thinking of using a different yarn for my first pair because they will probably be kind of wonky, but this yarn is so yummy-looking, I want to dive right into it.











The solid pink is Lobster Pot 100% Cashmere received from my brother & sis-in-law. Isn't it luscious? I can't get over how ridiculously expensive it is. I'm going to have to find a really special pattern to use it. I'm thinking lacy gloves or something.









From my momma I got some Wool of the Andes in Natural. I'm so excited to try Kool-Aid dying. It's going to be fun to pick out colors.






Next up are the gorgeous skeins from the KnitPicks Palette sampler that my dear Greg got me. 30 colors, ahhh! You can tell I love taking photos of my yarn, I usually take 3 or 4 shots of each to get the perfect picture. I've already delved into these to make the Candywrapper Sachets from One Skein for Mother's Day.
















He also got me the Debbie Bliss yarn I've been eyeing for the vintage capelet from spunmag.com

This birthday was just so much fun with all of the knitting goodness. In addition to all of the yarn I received, I got some money, which has already been used to order some Colinette Giotto for the Waterlily top in IK's Spring issue. I was going to buy it from cucumberpatch on eBay, but she only had 2 skeins. Luckily for me, loop in London has just opened an online store: http://www.loopshop.gb.com/ I bought the yarn for less than half of what it costs over here. Yippee!! Knitting books received include: One Skein- which I'm already using, Knitting Rules!- I read it right away, Scarf Style- I can't wait to try Lady Eleanor of course, Sensational Knitted Socks- I will be using it shortly & Modular Knits- I love the color combos. My mom also got me a book on updated hippie crafts.

Ok, I think this is a good start to actually keeping up with my blog. I'll try to figure out how to make the format look better. I'll post some recent FOs and WIPS soon.