Mail call! And all the other good stuff...

OK, I've got mitts to knit, 2 pants to hem, swatches to swatch and wash, blah, blah, blah...but-I had to take the time to share some stuff I got recently...

I didn't think to blog this order and then realized-why not? Is not Knitpicks blog-worthy? I'm not a yarn snob, but I guess it is so much easier to gush over handpainted stuff that is more "one-of-a-kind" than to gush over less expensive, massively available yarny purchases! Nonetheless, yarn is yarn and we loveses our yarn!

I think I shared that I'm participating in Secret of the Stole II? If not, well-there you have it-I am! I needed some yarn for it and didn't have enough of any one laceweight that was appropriate for this project.

Enter our good ol' standby, Knitpicks for affordability and good, basic yarn! For less than $8, I got enough of the 'clearance' color for the stole. Of course, I had to meet the minimum for free shipping, so it was really more of a $40 purchase...(Nartian threw in some circs to my order, so that saved me a bit!)

So here's what I got:

In the rear, already wound, "Shadow" in the clearance color "Redwood Forest Heather". Dang, but this color is excellent and so much nicer looking than the pic shown on-line! Glad I went 'cheap' to save the .50 per skein, cuz I really do love this colorway!

Being inspired to make more Dashings, I purchased the aran tweed yarns, not realizing that Dashing calls for DK weight! Yes, Dashings, the cousins to "Fetching" is knit with DK weight, folks, NOT aran/bulky, as is the recommended yarn for Fetchings! Go figure. Someone'd better read her patterns more carefully next time!-lol! No worries, cuz I've done one in a Jo Sharp Aran and was able to alter it to work out.


Save the best for last, yes? Look what else arrived one day...what could be in this lovely package, sent to me from British Columbia?...
Look at the wonderful goodies I got from Spinnybunt's PIF! Not only a handmade item, but YARN!!! And an awesome color that I love!

And in case you don't see what she made, it's a needlecase that she beaded! Look at all the gorgeous detail!

Sorry folks, there is no way I can hold a candle to this, so don't make this the standard for my PIF!

So while we are talking gorgeous yarns, look what Nartian gave me for Christmas? It's from The Knittery and is her merino/cashmere yarn! I love this stuff-it is so soft! And look at this color-it's the "Autumn" colorway! Nartian-you are awesome! Thanks for a wonderful gift!


So remember the Fetchings and Dashings I need to work on? Well, one more pair of Fetchings down, 1/2 a Dashing complete, and a few more to go...


Oh-and about the Knitting New Scarves book I posted about earlier, with the crappy pics--I found all the good pics from the book here, in case you want a better look-see,,, Just goes to show what a bit of sleuthing will result in! Actually, it's kinda dumb that one should have to work so hard to find pics that only promote the desire for this awesome book!

And what I didn't post? The latest Rockin' Sock Club shipment! But I think most of you got that same kit, so I'll wait on it for now. Afterall, I've tortured you enough with yet another lengthy post and I need to go hem some pants!

Still not over, but a few things complete...

Phew! I got this second pair of Fetchings done for my friend by Christmas Eve! I actually finished them over the prior weekend, but still had 2 purses to make for her two girls!


Instead, I cheated. I used the one purse that was 99% completed for my other friend's daughter, since I wouldn't be seeing her right away. Just had to pick up stitches along the bottom, then cast them off. Since I ran out of the purple color, I used black, but then decided I needed to do the same at the top to balance the colors. On Sunday (yes, the day before it was to be gifted!), it went into the washer, then out to dry. I stuck it by the heat vent and crossed my fingers...

while I feverishly crocheted this...
OK, so it was another change of plans-instead of a felted bag, I did a crocheted cupcake purse. I had been naughtily procrastinating, checking out Ravelry, when I came across some crocheted cupcake purse pics. I decided that this was cute, I had the yarn in my stash, and by-golly, this couldn't take longer than a felted purse! And besides, then I wouldn't have to wash it and hope it dried in time! So in a way, I made up for the fact that I had used up valuable knitting time playing on Ravelry!

Actually, the pattern choices I found on Ravelry were both $4 patterns and I struggled over which to get. One pattern was also offered as a set of purses-all 5 patterns for $10! But I needed the pattern NOW and I wasn't sure how quickly the PDF would get sent to me! Should I wing it? It seemed simple enough...should I take the chance I'd get the pattern by the next day (folks, I think this was Saturday or at the earliest Friday night-late night-like 2-3am morning kinda late...) Besides this, where was my reason? I was supposedly doing this with very short time left and I was supposed to be justifying my enormous stash and somehow trying to make amends for all my yarny spending by saving money knitting my stash as gifts!

OK, I'm kinda proud of myself...after the "brilliant" idea of googling for a freebie pattern of this sort (hey-it was late, I was tired and it took that long to figure it out-DUH!), I found this pattern by Cynthia Gurisko! Thanks heavens for Google, Crochetville, free patterns and clever people willing to share!

I went down 2 hook sizes, knit the bottom in Cotton Fleece (Lamb's Pride) and the top with leftover Ella Rae (remember the felted slippers?...)...I severely increased the top, ( 4 evenly spaced increase per row for the first several cupcake top rows vs. the single increase per row instructed in the pattern...). And I was pretty darn pleased with it at 4am on Christmas Eve as I watched the Smurfs and then some other wannabe Smurfly type cartoon that followed...

So I still have a felted purse to make, and another pair of fetchings (for my bros GF), some Dashings for a friend who whines about how I never knit him anything, Dashings for my good friend's son who got me a Wii for Little Emperor with a two days notice (it wasn't planned, but worked out well...spoiled LE!), Fetchings for my quilt teacher who liked the first pair I was working on, so how could I not offer to make her some?, and a pair of Dashing for my bro (another thank-you for his awesome favor of drawing up some designs for LE's school to use for t-shirts and what-not...)

And when am I planning on starting Twist or swatching for my Secret of the Stole II? Yeah, I'm insane and don't know if these will ever happen! Keeping my fingers crossed and my needles moving!

And amidst the planning, wrapping, knitting for Christmas, I received my naughty, me-being-out-of-control Yarn Wench purchase of (not the original 2 I ordered, but) THREE bags of roving! If you care what colorways they are, I'll post them later. Right now I'm too lazy to go look again. I think one was amethyst something-or-other, gothic whatever, and orchid somesuch name...Beauties, aren't they? Oh-how about this...I did get around to sneaking a bit of spinning in to see how they'd look, so I'll show them with their names later...
And I also got me and Nartian's "Digetessa" kits! I'm only showing one because, well...you know, they look identical except one was wrapped in brown tissue paper and the other in green...the Digetessa and accompanying special-dyed Woolmeise yarn! And these yummy gingerbready tasting droplets attached!

And for now, I'll leave you with this...the guest of the Christmas Season! No, don't be fooled-it's not the Bob of Ravelry fame, but my canine niece, Nico! Here she is, wondering where her masters are and why she was dumped off at the Mouse Hutch!

Merry, Merry everyone! And have a wonderful 2008! Maybe I'll post again before 2007 comes to a close, and I hope everyone had a good Chanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, or whatever you celebrate during this time of year!

Recurring theme?...

I just loaded a few pics up at Flickr. In so doing, I noticed that the first one showing was a Purlescence bag with my stash enhancement of pencil roving, yarn...you know-all that good stuff we loves!

Remember this?


So in loading this, it was kind of a deja vu!
Am I crazy or what? Not so unique a composition, huh?

I was good and I was bad. I ended up with 2 Ravens: Grawk and Rauen. The Rauen is for a pair of socks for a friend. I think she and I had decided on a different one, but based on how Rauen looked, I decided she would prefer it over the Valkyrie (I think that is the name!).

From the first moment I laid eyes on the new Ravens pictures, I thought immediately that I'd want Grawk. Then it fell to the bottom of my preferences, since I thought I wanted less variance of colors. I was all over the board on which I wanted! So in the long-run, I just couldn't resist all that pond-scumminess and succombed to Grawk. There was no medium weight, which is good for me, since I would have otherwise purchased 2 skeins of Korpii in medium weight in addition to the others.

So the 2 Ravens was the planned purchases. I decided that the additional Rooster Rock was really not the same as my last Rooster Rock, since this one is dyed up so much differently. I am amazed at how the pinks aren't showing up in the Ravens pics I took. This particular Rooster Rock, (unlike my last skein) has a bright, deep pink in it. I think that with my first skein, the deep pink presented as a deep burgundy color. So amazing the difference! So buying another Rooster Rock really isn't a repeat purchase, since it truly is different.

But I was really only supposed to get the 2 Ravens, so I was going to put back 2 of the 4 skeins of STR I had grabbed up. I put back one. I decided that I did stick to my plan-2 Ravens! The Rooster Rock didn't count-it was a single skein just for me! (As if the Grawk didn't count in the 'treating myself' category!)

And about the roving...you see, there was a Fiber Fiend trunk show and there was all this gorgeous hand-spun fiber, hand-dyed rovings, patterns, samples...and well, I decided that I needed to go home with a bit of the roving-especially after finding this colorway!

What was I to do? When I grabbed up a braid of roving, someone said something like, "Oh! and you spin, too?!" I said, "Well, sorta. Enough to have to get this roving!"

I also got a Fiber Fiend sock pattern, too; then after walking out of the shop, pondered whether I had purchased it already! I know I had contemplated such when I saw it on-line! I still don't know since I haven't checked. Yeah, I'm that bad...

So what else is new...? Well, I took a (long) break just now and spun my new roving. Thought I'd show a sample of what it looks like along with my newly acquired Rum Butterscotch sauce! Yes, yarn wasn't all I bought today, and yes, I indulged on myself yet again!
I also wound this handspun into skeins...I'm thinking I won't ply and will use the singles for a shawl, perhaps? Kinda looks like real yarn you might buy, huh?

For those of you wanting to see better Ravens pics, this it the best I could do:

Grawk, opened to show the "pond scum" and "raspberries" colors

Rauen-black with reddish-brown

Lastly, the swatch that won't! Look how long this is. I'm so over it and have almost used up the whole skein! Long story, but basically, I am still trying to get just the right gauge so I can wash it and see if it will grow to the required 19 stitches over 10cm. I even bought a new Addi needle to use! But it is a lace needle and has a bit more grab than the regular Addis.

Funny about how the comments turned towards "Dashing", which is the next pair I was planning to do after the second Fetchings. However, Dashing may not actually come to fruition til the end of the new year.

One gift down!

I'm no longer a Fetching Virgin! I finished my first pair today-just in time to gift to my son's teacher! I've always wanted to make these, only other projects continued to take precedence. I can't believe how quick a knit these are and am so glad I figured out that I needed to make these for a gift!

Yes, your eyes do not deceive you-one is more tightly knit than the other. I had time to un-do the too-loose binding, but not to re-do the whole other mitt! The picot bind-off is pretty loose and I was kinda not completely sold on it, but left it anyways. Well, I had been talking to Nartian about these and she told me that she had the same issues with the picot bind-off flaring. That's why she ripped back and did a plain BO. Well no WONDER these looked so foreign to me when comparing them to my memories of Nartian's Fetchings. Duh! If I had read through her Fetching notes more carefully, I would have seen her mods about changing the BO.



I liked them so much and they were so quick that I decided that they will be a perfect gift for a friend who I had started a felted bag for. The Fetchings will definitely get completed, whereas the felted bag is a crap-shoot!

And (as I mentioned last time) it looks like my first yarn selection (Lana Grossa "Point") will not become Twist. Luckily, this ("Big") was in my stash, and enough of it for Twist. I am still swatching, but hope to get enough done to wash it up soon.
Here's the swatch in progress, and most probably going to become Twist.

And look (Terry)-right on time for YPF!-my WoolGirl December sock kit! "Christmas Tree" is absolutely awesome. The yarn is a Lisuu (now The Unique Sheep) Leili (75/25 Merino/Mohair) in "Spruce Sprigs"! The stitch marker is Mama Llama. We also got a Christmas Tree tape measure and a goodie bag filled with gourmet spiced cider, cinnamon sticks and the chewy mint candies with the tree desigin in the middle. The pattern is a "Ruffled Lace Twisted Rib" pattern! I loves it!

So I am hoping to get Toby's prize out to her soon, but I wanted to tuck a goodie in with it. And I decided since Marcy did such a great job on her guesses (UFO Contest...remember guys?...), I wanted to send her a little something, too. I'm lagging big-time!

Now back to the mitts and figuring out the decreases for the pink felted handbag that has been sitting until I could find the time to work out the decreases!

Planning, not knitting...

or shopping for that matter! (Sorry Terry, no yarn pr0n today!) Well, actually, there are many skeins I don't share that I've acquired because sometimes I just grab stuff so quickly and then don't get a chance to take pics. And they aren't handpainted beauties, so I just kinda act like they don't count. In reality, they do, cuz they take up just as much space as the other skeins!

So I really want to get some of the new BMFA Raven series yarn. I still need to decide which colorways. Specifically, I want to make some thigh-length stockings. So...which do you think? I first thought of the "Bellocqs", but think it will require more concentration than I can presently muster. Then, there is Annie Modesitt's "Silk Stockings"-here's a pic I took from Annie's book, "Romantic Hand Knits":



And then, the idea of expanding the Lenore pattern length into thigh-length was also appealing...

So I need to figure out which I will do and how much of which weight. I think I'm going with med weight STR.

I am also enjoying looking at all the gorgeous scarf constructions in the Knitting New Scarves book. These are crappy pics, but give you an idea of some of the unique constructions:


Between my gift projects, I've been trying to swatch for Twist, since I did join the KAL...I realized my first choice yarn-from-the-stash would not work. Lucky for me, I found enough yarn in my stash that I think will work. After knitting and washing the swatch, I realized it will grow a bit in gauge, so I need to knit a tighter swatch and wash it up to try and get gauge. I think it will happen. This makes me happy because I am so seriously committed to knitting from my stash on this KAL.

Now, I do still plan on a Ribby Pulli scoopneck, and finally decided on a (new acquisition) hand-dyed yarn to go with. After major lamenting over this colorway or that, this company or than, -poor Nartian had to hear it all!- I finally settled on the Rose Garden Red colorway. It is supposed to ship tomorrow from WoolGirl via Miss Babs, herself. Keep your fingers crossed for me that I made the right choice! Of course, I will share when it arrives...And of course, I will have to match up the colorway with a compatible solid. I'll deal with it when I have the hand-dyed in my hands!

Off to get Lil Emp to bed and hopefully work on his teacher's gift!

When stamping meets knitting...

So I spent the majority of Sunday working on these...


I had decided to join a Holiday Swap on Ravelry. In so doing, I pondered and stressed over 4-5 possibilities of yarns to send to my swap pal. I just couldn't decide between a bright, solid Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn, 2 different dark blue blends of Koigu PPPM, a pinkish mix of Koigu PPPM, and a turquoise blend Koigu PPPM. -Oh-then there was the grey Koigu PPPM, too! Then, all of a sudden, -wham!- it came to me-the brighter of the blue mixes, since (surprise, surprise) they were so similar in color. So once I figured it out and the pattern, I started putting together her package. Then I get this bright idea that I needed to not only make a card to enclose, but hey, why not a set to include in the gift?! So there you have it!

And this is what I put together for my swap buddy:
I included a few pieces of Scharfenberger chocolate; just wish I had had more time to got out and get a couple of bigger bars of it! What I had first imagined giving got encouraged more towards the knitting stuff end, since our group ended up having a big ol' discussion on how they like to relax. I then started doubting what I had gotten and what I had had in mind.

Before getting my swap buddy assignment, I had gone to LUSH and gotten some goodies, passed by a really awesome chocolate shop nearby and passed on that option since they were really good chocolates. I mean really good. I mean like the kinda good that is almost too good because there are some people who have much simpler chocolate palettes and would not appreciate this kind of chocolate that costs like a couple of bucks for one teeny, tiny, filled delight. I couldn't take the risk. I mean, you can't just give a single one, right? It'd have to be more like 2 or 4 and if it were a non-chocolate person or someone who really doesn't like the gourmet-y type stuff...well...it's be a waste. It was that kind of chocolate-the kind that you can only gift to those you are certain would 'get' it. Kinda like my good wines I hoard and only will share with other wine afficianados. (Don't get me wrong-I drink cheaper wines, too, but I can appreciate the goods stuff, too...know what I mean?) Turns out my swap buddy only likes 'good' chocolate and used to work at a chocolate shop! Yeah, go figure! Well, maybe she's kinda 'over' chocolate, having worked at a shop before anyways...

Then I saw she doesn't like "patchouli". Well, I never really know what all scents could possibly be in the different bath bars and all, but I still risked it and included the Bathos bubble bar. Hope it is a non-patchouli scent...

Well, I need to quit freaking out about it cuz it's delivered as I write. Now I'm just dying to hear how she liked it all.

Seems like I haven't been knitting much lately. Why? I guess cuz I've been too busy making cards and putting packages together!

My fellow PTA officers and myself decided to nix the school's annual "Holiday Sing-a-Long" and instead are opting for a "Winter Wonton Land". (yes, the name was my brainchild-which demonstrates my humor...) Yep! Wonton and BINGO! That's tomorrow night and this is our first year doing this-I think our new regime is freaking the old crusties out, but they'll live. So I guess the majority of my time this past week has been spent running around buying stuff for that and-oh-I forgot to mention...My felted slippers were NOT due Tuesday!

I had my dates mixed up, showed up for my quilt group party and realized it is next week! Luckily, it was the day from hell and I was "late" getting there, so I didn't bring nearly as much food as I would have and didn't make more of a fool of myself by showing up early! Yeah, I'm a nut! But I got 9 "Bento Box" blocks sewn and now have enough to piece a quilt top together! Next year's quilt to complete! Now to figure out how to pay for getting my sister's quilt quilted (I piece, I don't machine quilt...). Maybe a future pic will be in order.

A minor confession: what little knitting I have done, has not been any of the previously mentioned gifts! But I also have not cast on for anything new, IrishGirlie! (Not that you were asking, right?)

Quick-post! Observation...

No, really...this will be quick!

Look what I noticed the other day when I washed my Mystic Sea socks...

You may not be able to tell right off, but one is turned inside out. The lace pattern is just about completely REVERSIBLE!!! Not that I hadn't washed them before, but I had never turned them inside out to realize this! Score a lace pattern for a future reversible scarf!

We have a winner!

This post is a tad late, but I wanted to at least post quickly that we do have a winner! (And yes, I did get more than one entry and apparently have more then 3 readers!-lol!)

TOBY-you are the winner!!! She got ALL the yarns and patterns correct-right down to the yarn type and colorway! AMAZING!!!

Straight from her "fingers":

Top row from the left:

Paca Peds “Autumn” yarn in the RPM pattern

Socks that Rock “Titania” yarn in the Titania’s Revenge pattern

SereKnity “Black Forest Fudge” yarn in the Campanulas pattern

Bottom row from the left:

Crystal Palace Panda Cotton “Chocolate Almond” yarn in the Monkey pattern

Mountain Colors Bearfoot “Rosehips” in the Fritzy’s Sock pattern

Yarn Botanika Radiance “Heather” yarn in the Campanulas pattern

Congratulations, Toby! Give me a week or so to get your package to you!