STITCHES WEST HAUL!!!

Following pics show my latest yarn haul! I was so looking forward to attacking the Blue Moon Fiber Arts booth for some Socks that Rock yarn. They were out of the fingering weight and only had med and heavy weight, but it probably was for the best--one LESS thing for me to decide! I even found a skein called 'Seduction', which is a merino/tencel and stitches up as a fingering weight. Too fun!

I got a new drop spindel and will have to post pics of my new lovely. I'm not the kind of person who likes to name inanimate objects, but I would actually consider naming this one!

I've been staying up late SINCE Stitches West, which I attended on Friday! You know-doing the usual: pouring through books and patterns and swatching... It's just crazy! As if the sweater design class wasn't enough to inspire and motivate this behavior, add to it a trip to SW! Speaking of which, my last class was last night. I stayed up swatching a short-rowing sample to make sure I understand how to do the shaping for a TOP (vs. socks)... A VERY GOOD IDEA, since I realized that since I'm not doing a sock heel or following pre-set directions, I ended up wraping the purl row the wrong way. It will work but will look quite crappy. Also, you pick up all the wrapped stitches as you knit back across your work, whereas with a heel turn, you go back and forth, picking up one per side as you go...Talk about crash course in short-rowing! Now to figure out if it really is best to start them only 3 or so stitches in from the sides vs. further in...I don't know...Time to turn to the experts!

And of course, had to use some sleep time towards a few more rows on my sweater and one of my socks I started!