I just love my friends...!

Aren't knitting friends the greatest? I'm so lucky to have friends (like Nartian who can go to Stitches West and shop for me-and I just know she has a feel for my tastes!)...and my bud, Paula who gifted me with some Claudia Handpainted!!! The colorway is called "Eat your veggies" and is such a fun color--green with hues of lavendar! Reminds me of asparagus or better yet-ARTICHOKES!!! (MY FAV...)!

I think I'm going to knit the Claudia's using Evelyn's pattern, "Creeping Vines"...

Think I'll get it spun?

Look what arrived in today's mail!!!

MORE Spinderella Thrums! This is their "Alderman" colorway which appeared more purplish to me in their pictures. You can see alot of the blue in one bump, but it really spins up more grey flannel-ish with all sorts of fun lil' bits.

How do I know this? HA! I already started spinning a bit!-LOL!

I didn't say 'mohair' in the description and this batch didn't have labels, so I have no idea if there is any mohair in it. The last batch of "Breeze" thrums I purchased hadn't mentioned the "M" word, but when I got it, the tag had it checked off. I am suspicious there is some in this colorway, too...I guess I can email them and ask, but it's not as if I'm sending it back or anything! It spins up quickly, but I'm not trying to keep it even or slubby; it just has so much pieces of bits in it that it is doing slubs. Very fluffy (yes, I fear mohair...)...As far as my lungs giving it away, it is hard to tell since my asthma has been aggravated by a lingering cold or infection.

I ordered two bumps...this is ALOT of fleece for this drop-spindling newbie!

Really...I don't just buy yarn...

I have others buy it for me!-LOL! Many, many thanks to my bud, Stilaholic Nartian ! Thanks to her, my stash now includes another Cookie A. pattern and Cookie A. yarn!!! --sorry, pic is the third down, despite my desire to have it first!

So...instead, I have this pic of the Pomegranate Roving from Scout's Swag that I had just posted about. Everyone has such lovely outdoor, scenic pics on their blogs, so I decided to throw my yarn on the Rosemary bush and see if it made my picture prettier. Well...maybe not, but here is a lovely Rosemary bush in the urban San Francisco backyard...See? I got some spinning in!--and even a bit of knitting!

I FINALLY finished one of the Koigu socks I started (probably over a year ago) for my sister. She's in town right now, so the timing was perfect to have her try it on for a fit. And I'll have a whole year to finish the next! (Well, unless I end up going to visit her in Italy first!...or if she comes back in the summer...) One thing for sure, I will most likely NOT mail them to her, since the Italian government gets funky about knitted items coming into the country. Yeah, like I'm gonna steal Gucci's or Benneton's handknit market or something like that! Anyways, they prohibit stuff like yarn, knit items, etc...from being shipped in. When I fill out the duty slip, I have to get creative--like when I sent her the "Pooch" scarf I knit for her..."novelty gift"...

Oh! And the red sock I started a bit ago...Mountain Colors Bearfoot in "Rosehips"! Knitting their "Fritzy's Sock" pattern with it. Now, if I can only finish an item to post! ...

Yarn P0rn Friday!--in an hour!

So I might as well post now, don'tcha think? Because I just got my order from SCOUT'S SWAG!!! Name anything "Pomegranate" and I'm there! Must be a holdover from my childhood. My grandfather was a fruit farmer; on his ranch were many an apricot, pear, peach, plum tree, and on the side of his lawn was a single pomegranate tree. The rare fruit. What few pomegranates that tree bore, we all had to share. I just love pomegranates-the look, the flavor, the colors!

That said, I was so bummed to see her tease of a pomegranate roving-no sooner posted as 'new' to her site, labeled as "SOLD OUT". Waaah! I wanted some!

Well, stupid me, I could *order* some custom dyed for me, now couldn't I? The nice thing, too, is that my most awesome friend in Nebraska (who, btw, I met through the stamping world...) gave me a gift certificate for Scout's Swag, so i could order the stuff guilt-free! HOO-RAY! So here's my order--oh--sans the knit soak samplers I got cuz well, I forgot to put them in the pic! (Yeah, too lazy to take the pic again, too!...)

So I got the Pomegranate merino roving, merino sock yarn dyed in 'Bibioteque', the soaks, and a Chic Knits pattern. I know, the pic's kinda dark, but I think you can get the idea. Don't worry, not even thinking of quitting the day job to be a photographer...

I have to post these goodies cuz I'm not going to Stitches West. I think I've said that already. I need to convince myself and truly understand that it would be far more torture to attend and expect myself to curb the purchases than to just skip it altogether. So far, I'm not so sure I'm convinced. I waivered and thought, "it's not just about the stash enhancement opportunities-it's about knitting fellowship! I can reunite with my knitting buddies! I can hook up with my old co-worker who I hadn't seen in years and who is now living far away and retired but who I saw there last year. I can see Sylvia--maybe she needs a ride home (or at least to the City) again, like she did last year...or what about my old daycamp trainer who is now knitting up a storm, who I hadn't seen for over 20 years but ran into only two Stitches ago...? And what about rubbing elbows with the high-rising star, Cookie--you know? Cookie-author of the most fa-bu sock and other lace pattern wonders! And the opportunities to try out more spindles and spinning wheels?..." Oh yeah...then I'd HAVE to buy yet *another * spindle and lament over my desire for a spinning wheel!

OK, remember, I'm going to Sock Camp...going to Sock Camp...going to Sock Camp...Sock Camp will more than make up for the large void that skipping SW is creating...yes, sock camp GOOOOOD...

Well, the wonderful thing is that though I'm NOT going, my partner is yarn shopping crime *will* be going, and I have sent her on a special errand for me: to seek out and grab some of Cookie's hand-dyed yarn that I understand will be there. Thank heaven for the Nartian Knitter! She will save me. She will help me to go to SW vicariously through her!!!

Damn! i wanna go...

More ramblings...

So I realize that the only good thing my blog has going for it is all the sock yarn pics! I don't have anything clever to say, nor do I have any sage knitting advice, since many of my projects remain in the UFO state so I can't offer wonderful knitterly advice based on what I've done... But when all is said and done, my blog serves the following purpose:

1) lots of wonderful sock yarn to view
2) proof that there is at least one person (me) who is worse than you with their yarn stash! (See? my whole existence is based on making others feel better about themselves knowing there is someone out there far worse than they...)

Yeah, I'm a bit addicted...

Well, I meant to start this post out with my addictive Stash enhancements, but Blogger decided I would start out with this...my completed "skein" (I don't know what real spindlers call them) of the Spinderella Thrums! I can't believe I got all (was it four ounces?) spindled!!! And here it all is...

And now, on to the addition to my forever growing number of socks-in-waiting...

This, just in from One Planet. I saw their ad on Knitter's Review; unfortunately, I didn't see their KR discount code!-Pisser! I could've saved shipping! But isn't this just gorgeous? HAD to try this stuff out, too...

So...above are two skeins of SereKnity Sock Options: 100% merino in Blackforest Fudge; the other is a merino/tencel blend in the One Planet colorway! Too awesome!

HEY...now that I think of it, does the One Planet count towards my Project Spectrum blue study???

The things we do for kids...

Here's what I was doing this evening, per the Emperor's request.

Chocolate cake, white icing and--"hey, Mommy, why don't you make white icing and pink icing?" And of course, you can't send a cake to a First grade classroom without sprinkles, right?

I'm tired! Treat boxes done and cake iced. I'm going to bed!

Project Spectrum is focusing on blue right now, but it seems like the only colors I"ve been working in these days are pinks and reds!

testing!

Here is a pic of a STR med weight (Rolling Stone) I frogged! No more!-haaaaaaahaaaahaaa!

Random thoughts run through my head!

So here I am recovering from a cold/flu yucky thing, knowing I have to go to work tomorrow and yet am compelled to stay up and blog! And let me tell you, I was so sick that this was the first day that I was well enough to be awake for more then 2-3 hours straight and to even have the urge to knit!

The only thing I did over the three days off of work was spindle for maybe 10-15 minutes a couple of times yesterday, and after each short session I had to lay down and go back to sleep!

I've been entranced with my spindling. Maybe it is like when these people get really sick with fever and wake up with psychic abilities-only mine is a more intense attraction to my spindling! Or really maybe this just is a carryover from my visit to Carolina Homespun and the excitement of having lots more fleece and lots of spindles! Or maybe Morgaine doused me with enthusiasm when she told me of a man she knows who knits and sells *whole sweaters* from yarn he hand-spindles! I of course exclaimed that his sweaters must cost and arm and a leg-and she confirmed this. Then tonight, as I thought of this in my crazy lil' ol' head, I started to think..hmmm...now I know something like that is mucho, mucho work and would have to command a high price, but I wonder...is there more of a novelty that this was all done by a *male*? Like somehow, society would be more "charmed" by the novelty of a hand made sweater made from handmade yarn by a male, somehow likening to "Designer" class? Could a woman doing the same thing get as much for her sweaters made in the same way? I wonder...Now I know that historically, knitting has not always belonged to women, but that doesn't change the frame of mind that many have of knitting being a female thing.

OK, I got that off my chest! Also, let me add that I must be feeling better since instead of going to bed early (the wise choice), I instead plied some of my merino and worked on a silk swatch! Of course, none of this stuff occurred until late this evening when I should have been asleep! Earlier? No knitting or spinning, but I did flip though a knitting catalog, so I was well enough to think about knitting! Actually, I even had stamping on my mind! Like how I purchased a kid's tracing/art lightboard for my 6yo just so that I had an excuse to purchase it for the light table enclosed so I could use it for my embossing! I'm sure there are knitting supplies I've purchased for my kid, as well...like the knitting spool...and the kids' 'knitting machine'...sickness, I tell ya!

A Spinning Hopeful...

OK, so now I present to you my crappy stuff (along with my better stuff...) just for a compare and contrast. Remember, I'm not saying the better stuff is GREAT, but much better than the crappy stuff...



Which one is which, you may ask?...Oh, *that's a shame*!!! OK, the stuff on the left and center is the uneven, crappy stuff! The far right lays alot smoother, though not totally even.

I sure want a spinning wheel!

Well, this weekend was all about spinning. Whatever free time I had, I found myself drop spindling. I added to my fiber stash last week when I went to Carolina Homespun, which is probably what inspired me; adding to my fiber stash and realizing it has become a 'stash' (which I had tried to avoid over-developing since I am such a newbie spindler and don't spindle much and don't have a wheel...read: it takes a loooong time to get through an ounce of fiber!)

But...I am proud to say that I did get this spun...


Spinderella Thrums In 'Breeze'...

It looks good to my amateur eyes...but I have to say that I spun some of the roving from my Learn to Spin kit (i.e., the very first fiber I ever spun and still haven't used up...). I filled a spindle and had another bunch of single-ply I had spun a while back. Well, much to my shock, that stuff that had been sitting un-plyed absolutely mystified me! It was LUMPY! Uneven, crappy...the stuff I had spun before that one looked so much better, that I couldn't figure it out. I'm thinking now, that it must have been when I decided that I needed to try and figure out how to do slubby, uneven spinning. I just couldn't get it real thick and slubby, but I got it uneven enough to shock me when I now found and plied it! The other thing in the back of my mind was that I also may have been trying to do 'uneven' to see if something I read (about it all 'compensating' and evening out once plied) was true. Well, I don't have pics right now, but I'll post later and you can see the crappy stuff.

Like I said, it was a spinning focus this weekend and I had to dig into my grab bag that I got at Carolina Homespun and ended up leaving behind! I had to go back yesterday and pick it up...

Fun, huh? I'm going to randomly spin this stuff up and see how it turns out. Probably just stick to my newbie 2-plying. I just can't handle plying more than that since I can't figure out how to keep all the plies from twisting into each other and tangling. I don't have a Lazy Kate and I don't even know enough about plying to want to figure out the shoebox thing that REAL spinners have mentioned to me!

And here's some new stuff I ordered from Little Knits...some DK Alpaca ("Atacama") and some Viscose/Cotton chenille "Quellon" from Araucania Yarns.



So again, I am soooo wanting a spinning wheel! But-Sock Camp comes first! And no Stitches West for me this year, either! Oh well...I definitely see a wheel in my future. Just not near future. BTW, Morgaine reminded me they do lay-away...don't you just love our "helpful" spinning community...

Am I a follower or what?!

I, too, had to join up for Project Spectrum! Stilaholic Nartian is always so on top of things, so when I read her blog and saw her Project Spectrum stuff, I realized it was that time and I HAD to sign up! So here I am, but I don't plan on making it about what project I'm working on, so much as noticing the subject colors and how they interact with other colors.

Hmmm...maybe it would be a good time to pull out the dye and dye somd yarn, since I've yet to do that (other than "Kool Aide" dying yarn!

I collected a couple of pics that have blue in them and my goal for this blue/white/gray(?) study will be to try to do something fun adn crative with the pics using my new PhotoElements program.

Now, on to another bit of non-knitting...Just as there are quick-to-knit, ever so satisfying, "Look-I-got-something-done" projects that help to make us feel a sense of accomplishment, so it is with QUILTING!

Here, shown, is what I am calling my "Olivia Squared-It's All About Me" quilt. The blocks were cut and pieced in 2-3 class nights (remember, deduct time from the classes for eatting and chit-chatting...). This was sooooo quick! I finished piecing this quilt on Tuesday night.

It still needs borders and a backing (and, of course, the acutal quilting, but I will probably have someone else do the quilting for me...)



It got cropped horizontally, but you can get the idea. This was a super-quicky revision of it's parent, "Turning 20" (also, a quick-to-piece quilt, only more blocks...)

Nothing like the feeling of accomplishment to fire the motivation!

Yarn and Fiber Gluttony

I realized that I had forgotten that I had expanded my yarn substash even more! Here are the lovely Lorna's Laces Shepard Sport I purchased a while back...(Purple Iris, Desert Flowers, Vera colorways)


And some Claudia Handpainted I had forgotten about! (Stormy Days and Purple Earth)


A little food to show you because I thought this little star pasta looked so interesting:


And guess what I did today...? OK, besides attending a workshop, I got to go to Carolina Homespun and of course couldn't walk away empty-handed...I had to add to my SPINDLE collection! Check this one out:

a *square* whorl!!! It is a spindle from SpindleWood Co. The whorl is "Lignum Vitae" (Ironwood) and the shaft is Bloodwood. I just love this one!



And, of course, roving to go with it: Spinderella Midnight Lights and some Sage and Garnet merino to spin!

I definitely should NOT go to Stitches West this year since I'll be going to Sock Camp. I had a conversation with Morgaine (at Carolina Homespun) and another woman who was there having her test out her spindles. We decided it is torture and not being good to yourself to attend a Stitches West when you do not want nor intend to spend money. Besides, it is a small sacrifice since I instead will be attending Sock Camp.

I guess I should explain Sock Camp, since I hadn't done so earlier. I am a member of the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin' Sock Club. I joined last year and am joining for this year.

Well, the most awesome ladies at Blue Moon decided to put together a Sock Camp (Camp Cockamamie, to be exact) exclusively for us members of 2006. It is a 3-day camp which will include 2 full days of classes with Cat Bordhi and the Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McFee, as well as Tina Newton (awesome Dyer Extroidanaire of Blue Moon) and Kaci (the other Blue Moon Lady of Awesomeness!); oh-and a day of whale watching and other fun activities.

I decided I needed to go for it and splurge, so there you have it-I'm going!!! It's not until mid-April and I'm so excited to be a part of it!

Oh...and a last thing to share: I had a lovely lunch on Friday with a couple of good friends at the Beach Chalet. The weather was nice and sunny and made up for the rain and cold of the days before.

The picture looks gloomier than the day actually was. And you have to appreciate the detailing of the historic building it is in...



WOW! I'm Super Blog-Woman tonight!

Gray days...

I took these pics the same evening...Funny-they're all gray!

Thought I'd take yet another pic of my Marble Arches socks. Clearly one came out a bit smaller than the other, but after wearing them, guess what? I'm not frogging them! They stretched out and don't feel like a turnequet on my foot afterall, so I'm just not gonna re-do!





And see what I got to sit in the other night?...I'm usually behind the wheel, but DBF was driving and I thought, "gee-a non-knitting picture for my blog!" Admittedly, I'm not the best photographer, but I just need people to appreciate that they weren't sitting in this. OTOH...maybe you were there, too...? Yes, all the little red bright lights are tail lights and yes, we are all going the same direction!



And lookie what I got?...



You gotta check out Scout's Swag, only the most awesome scarf pin I've seen! OK, this and the Moving Mud one's I adore! Moving Mud has the bestest glass buttons and pins! A wonderful friend of mine got me a gift certificate for Scout's Swag and I just ordered some roving and sock yarn! I will have to show them off, once received.

Oh-and the "I don't know what these are gonna be" socks are progressing. I'm still not sure I like them-I'll have to wait til I get more of the pattern knit up.

Sometimes I get stuff done...

Ta-duh! Some socks! Cheater socks, really. Worsted weight and quick! Here are some Thujas I did using the Peruvian Highland Wool. And a toe-up version using the new Colinette handpainted (Cadenza-? something like that...)




And definitely the first one that I've gotten to the cuff. The heel is exactly where I have stopped with my Puck's Mischief socks. I just wasn't sure I was liking how they were coming out.

I have definitely decided that I LOVE this toe-up heel construction (heel flap, no stitches to pick up. I can't say I prefer toe-ups to cuff down, but definitely toe-up has advantages-the obvious being when you want to maximize your yarn but don't want to run out of yearn, either. But I must say I do not favor short-row heels. That said, I was seeking out patterns with this particular reversal of the heel flap, but done over the number of stitches I was using (in this case, 48). In the long-run, I doctored up the Knitty Wittershins pattern. It worked to my satisfaction and I am pleased to have a heel flap right where I like it! Nice not to pick up the stitches, either.

Now that I am somewhat versed on this, I think I am a big girl and can try and figure out the math for future variations of stitch counts...


And BTW, JFF, look what I bought to cook up? I think the bigger banana thing is a Plantain; how about the smaller above it? Yes, I am motivated to make a somewhat "traditional" Carribbean style dinner. This all started with my purchase of a can of "Cuban Black Beans" from Trader Joe's. So I guess I'm in a creative kind of mood today. I've got some Jerk Chicken marinating in the refridge and pepper oils on my fingers. Don't ever put your pepper oiled fingers to your eyes-it'll burn! Water and soap don't wash the oils off very well...milk did better, but there are still trace oils on my fingers (probably under the nails...)...this I know...

And, well...when in a creative mood, I'm always STARTING new stuff...this sock has no name and may never come to be...it's an experiment:


The yarn is Jitterbug by Colinette in Tuscany colorway. The photo color is rather faded and grayed-out compared to how lovely the color looks in person...


Well, I need to quit blathering on and get the kid ready for bed-back to school tomorrow!

A Little Calorimetry

So I knit up Knitty's Calorimetry...um, like 5 times so far with these results...



http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=344757566&size=m



I say 5 times and show you two pictures. That's because I knit the stupid thing several times before getting smart (after Stilaholic Nartian mentioned board talk on this pattern...) and FINALLY checking out chat boards for comments on this! Well, my checking confirmed that yes, this will knit up huge if you follow the pattern, as printed. (Note: I contacted the designer who said she has submitted changes to Knitty...) So actually, I have three-I conveniently forgot to post my third pic! So really, there were 5 attempts and one that will not be frogged (the red). I plan to frog the Noro one because now that I have altered the pattern, I'm not using as much yarn and like the reverse colors on the skein better! My first Calorimetry attempt (not shown) was using DK weight. I miscalculated my adjustments, but at the time didn't even realize the pattern was off...thus, a HUGELY HUGE Calorimetry in a lovely tweedy green gradation. I re-knit that first attempt to come to the realization that the pattern is WAY off! So the first one sits and will also be frogged.

The good thing: 1) this is a relatively quick and easy knit, 2) the striping helps keep my interest, 3) with the revisions, this will be even more quick and easy since there will be less stitches!...

So I have joined the oversized Calorimetry Club! I have to admit that even the red is bigger than I'd like, but I already sewed a button on and have worn it a few times. I'm lazy. I'll live...

Do pairs ever really match?

Get a load of this:



I can't BELIEVE how tight I was knitting at the end of my first sock!!! Believe me, I'm NOT frogging the first one to re-do; I'll live with them the way they are! I would actually consider it if it were not for the fact that looser stitches = more yarn=joining ends/splicing =I *don't* care to do that!!! So, this one I am finishing shall be my right foot sock; the other, my left foot sock. I am thinking I must have gotten into a rhythm in finishing the first sock and was knitting more on the tips of the needles. Oh well...

Well, here are some pics...

FINALLY, some pics! See if they turn out, though...I seriously need to fix this blog!

As you may or may not notice, I only earned a 1.0 GPA; I like to think of the 2 singles as a 'pair', so I guess I can stretch it and call it a 2.0!-lol!


My Rockin' Sock Club final shipment: Rare Gems and Mustang Sally!


And my latest purchases...(acutally, there is more STR, too...shall I post pics of those, too?...

Lotsa Show and Tell

Well, I just got a new laptop and just switched my blogger account to the 'new' version-whatever that means. I haven't gotten my internet connection figured out yet, so pictures will be a challenge for a bit. But, of course, so much to share! My Rockin' Sock Club final shipment of 2006 arrived earlier in the month. In addition to our shipment color (Mustang Sally), I got a 'Rare Gems'-basically same concept as Cherry Tree Hill's "Potluck"-it is leftovers or odd balls that are either overdyed or dyed with dyes leftover from other lots. My Rare Gems is a burgundy shaded skein. I don't think there could have been a color I wouldn't have liked. I gathered my sock club socks for pictures only to find that I am quite the flunkie, with one pair plus 2 singles completed! In addition, I have quite the growing stash-what else is new?! Stilaholic Nartian is so awesome! She took a trip down to Purlescence and purchased more STR yarn for me in: Puck's Mischief, Black Onyx, and Harlotty. In addition, she GAVE me Seal Rock for Christmas!!!! I LOVE that colorway!!! Boy, it is so fun to have an equally obsessed knitting friend who is a mere flight of stairs away! So...now to see if I can get pics posted. So far, I'm having trouble just forming a new paragraph; thus, this lovely run-on entry!

Blog Diving!

Well, Stilaholic Nartianhas finished her PAIR of Kews! And Monkey1's pair, to boot! Am I lame or what? I can't seem to get past my first Kew!

And I even checked out my lil' bro's blog and he actually has updated it recently!

So everyone else progresses and I feel like I've not got much done at all! This past weekend I had bad lace knitting karma and am not feeling too great about that, but at least with the Kew, I can easily frog back the few rows where the chart and I parted ways and get back on board! As for the shawl...? Ah, not sure I'm up to the challenge in dealing with that one! I need to just work on some plain stockinette, huh?...