Gimme and "S"...YAY, Stress!

I had a craptastic weekend.

It started on Friday with a call from my mom. There was an incident at the daycare. This is a very long story that I still haven't gotten to the bottom of yet. No one was hurt, but the story isn't very clear, and I was not personally notified, nor was my X.

So, I wandered home and I found Smooshy in my mailbox, and well, yarn always makes me feel a tiny bit better. Yellow, blue, and purple colors. Beautiful.

I'll tell you, I am completely a Noob at this whole "luxury" sock yarn thing, but I can't tell the difference between the mediumweight STR and the lightweight. Of course I don't have any lightweight. So I ordered some. I agree that the mediumweight is thicker than Koigu, but it appears to be of similar weight to Shibui. It's soft.

I went to Fontana Sushi in Littleton and Abe's Cafe in downtown Littleton on Friday. I had cheesecake. It was nice. I'm good at the description, huh? They had these cute little miniture snapdragons out front and the gentleman working called me "Carolyn" with his accent. I was amused.

The next day I received my order from Fearless Fibers. I've been impressed with what people have knitted with this yarn as it supposedly doesn't pool. Also, it's the 7 deadly spins sock yarn club, at least I think so. Either way, I like the colors, the prices are good, and the shipping is quick.

I met up with a friend on Saturday night and we went to Vines in Parker. I highly recommend this place. It's a tapas bar. I had some sort of filet migion wrapped in pastry and brie. Drool. It was good. I also had the bruschetta, I have to admit I like mine with chunked mozzerella, this one wasn't too bad. More of a cream cheese with tomatos and balsamic on top. The wines they serve in glasses, bottles or basically half bottles. They also have "flights" where you can try 3 types of wine. I thought that was kind of clever. The prices are from $3 - $15 for the tapas. They have a patio or a dining area. I'd post a picture except my phone won't allow me to email pictures to myself anymore. Another lesson learned, take the camera stupid.

That night too, my friend and I talked about the supernatural. So, let me start with this. My experience with people, in general, is that often I find myself talking about stuff with people, and I find that people seem to tell me all sorts of things without any sort of filters, for whatever reason. Also, I get creeped out very very easily. My X always found this mildly amusing and would like to scare me just to see my reaction. I hated this. Lastly, I do think that there are things that cannot be explained. So, here it is about 10:30 pm or so, and she's relating her story to me. I told her, that I'd be more happy to talk with her about it, but it needed to be during the day, this was after about 30 minutes of conversation. She said she understood, but how conversation often goes, she kept going. I then sort of shuffled her out of my place then. Blah, blah, blah, tired, etc, etc.

Well, the next day, I had had my phone on silent because I had been up until 5:30 am watching Star Trek, partially due to stress, partially due to a little creeped out. When I finally check the phone around 11 am, here is this voicemail... "I think you were rude, my feelings were hurt, I was trying to tell you a story, etc etc." Then an hour later, another voicemail... "I'm sorry, I know your under a lot of stress, just forget my prior voicemail."

sigh

I have drama. I'm so normal it's painful I think. Maybe it's because I don't know what I think.

Sunday I went to Michaels to find a cross stitch frame holder. I found one, and I like it, I think it will work with my frame, but...I also picked up a 50% coupon for next week. Rats. I think I'm going to get another one using that coupon. Why, oh why, do I find out about sales when I'm AT the store.

Anyway, my long winded weekend came down to this. Did you know that stress causes you to knit tighter, which causes your gauge to be thrown all to pieces? I know, redundant. :) Sarcasm is my friend. So, my sock, my loved little sock, the first one came out so perfect. The second one came out at least an inch shorter. The YO look way smaller. I almost frogged them both. Dang. I've decided just to finish them up. Chalk it up to a learning experience, otherwise I will be knitting these same socks forever.

I don't think I'm a great knitter. I don't even think of myself to be an expert. I do find people asking me questions. I know quite a bit about knitting and I haven't ever knit anything yet, that I wasn't able to interpret, eventually. One knitter I met not too long ago told me I must just be good. Knitting, it just makes sense to me, now if only the rest of the world did.

Lessons learned from the Noro sock.

1. Stress effects gauge.
2. Try counting rows.
3. Try knitting both at the same time on 2 different needle sets.
4. Don't be afraid to pull enough out so the socks can kind of match, if that's what you want.
5. If making your own pattern...WRITE IT DOWN...more is better than less...

Due to happen again

It's official...per me...I have too many projects going on at one time and none really reaching a state of completion.

1. Noro Silk Garden Scarf
2. Scarf for friend
3. Noro socks
4. Granny square blanket
5. Blanket for son
6. Socks for family member

Not to mention all of the other projects of non-yarn nature.

In need of advice, or maybe just encouragement

Let's first talk about dp ladders from hell. They look SO big to me. Poo.

Ladders happen with dp right? They just do. No matter how hard you tug at the yarn between the switch, they just happen. Do they ever correct themselves? I've never really asked anyone I've knitted socks for. Besides the people I have knitted socks for are not knitters, and most certainly they would look at me as though I had lost my mind talking about the ladder in the garage.

Second, how important is it to count rows? I know that tension and gauge can often vary slightly from day to day, and mood to mood. I've always just measured. I'm sure my inner perfectionist is just having a hay day with my brain. Poking at the little worrier child in my head.

I'm using this cast on for my toe. I like it. It's less likely to need tightening. Although the first stitch seems to always be loose. On the first sock I just tightened it and left the little loop it left, the second sock I tightened and then knit it with another knit stitch. This I think may have left a tiny hole, so I may have to rethink my thoughts about that loose first stitch. I may just try the Knitty version of the figure 8 again. It's been so long I really don't remember.

On a side note...I'm so ready for it to be Friday.

It's always seems like I get home at night and all I want to do is sit down, read some blogs, and go to bed. It's not that I forget to take the pictures, I just seem to run out of time.

Today I had a first. I took back sock yarn to an LYS. I'd link you to their website but String, A Knitting Boutique seems to have had it deleted. I don't know what is going on there, but it remains at my least favorite. I'm grateful that they took back the 2 skeins I had. One was a Fortissma, and no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't convince myself that the cotton/wool/nylon blend was going to work with the wool/poly blend of the Opal skein I have to go with it. So I ordered a solid Opal skein instead, and opted to take this one back. I also took back a skein of Noro, not because I didn't like it, but I had 2 of them. I decided I only needed one. Instead for their store credit, I picked up Jitterbug and Koigu. A much better idea in my stash.

I'm still not crazy about this store. I went up to the counter and let the person at the register know I wanted to do a return, she informed me of the store credit thing. I said that was fine and I just thought I'd pick out my new selections now. She nosed through my bag and picked out the solid color Fortissma and said, "Are you sure you bought this here?" I replied, "Yes, here's my receipt." sigh. For that reason alone I don't think I'd really want to be a shop keeper. Maybe I'm a crappy customer having the expectation that you ought to have a basic idea of what is in your store.

I also went to Knitty Cat. Ann has Flat Feet in bright colors. She says she's going to order more. Yay, because the stuff she had, I don't think will last through the weekend. I hope she gets in some of the Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn too when it comes out. She said she'd ask her rep. I went for Flat Feet and a Jitterbug followed me home.

The Jitterbug has so many colors in it. It's like a crayon box that tastifully threw up.

I also came to the conclusion today that I need to have yarn at my desk...on my desk as a display. For some reason it kind of just makes me feel good.

A little bit of Monday, a little bit of Tuesday

It never fails me. "Cycle" at work comes around, and I can't sleep at night. I hate that. So, the time when I need to be most awake comes at the time when I'm the most exhausted because I can't sleep. Goody. I also start falling behind in every other aspect of my life, blogging, bills, eating, etc. I've done this for 5 years. Oh, how I need a change.

I finished my first sock. Yay. Noro is nice. It can be rough on your hands. My skein had 2 knots, hopefully no more. The colorway looks great on the skein, but can be troublesome because of the knots. It has slubs and sticks. However, it keeps my foot warm. It feels soft to me. I didn't have any problems with breakage, although I have heard others who have had issues with that. I'll be interested in seeing how it handles washing.

Have I ever mentioned I hate feet? I think they're sort of odd looking. I don't paint my toenails and I don't like pedicures. I do like to knit socks.

My second sock has begun, and well, I've miscalculated the colorway. Poo. I thought about frogging and pulling until it matched closer...but...nah...forget it. It's my first set of my socks. I'm sure it will be fine. Yes. Fine. No frogging.

This of course is not the second sock. I haven't had the time to take a picture of the second sock, or post pictures of flowers from mother's day.

This is a picture of my "design," the one that made me slightly batshit insane. It's cute though.
Needless to say, I did nothing last night. I fed the kids, read, and went to bed. My cloud of fogginess is better today and my shoulder doesn't seem to ache, which I am sure is a direct result of work and not from knitting too much. *cough*

I ordered some Smooshy. Seems interesting enough, stupid sock yarn habit. The worst thing about this habit...is when I send my order to my PO box instead of my home address. Duh. Now I have to wait until Friday instead of stalking my mailbox.

I need to figure out how to wear my socks. This I can sense is going to involve a new pair of shoes. I'll have to ponder this. I don't like women's shoes much. I always like to tell the men I've dated, "Slow down. Next time you get to wear the heels." I normally wear some type of boot, heeled usually, looks sort of professional with my slacks. However, this does not bode well for socks. I think my Teva's will work well, but I can't wear those to work or in the winter. I did see some Mary Janes that seem sort of cute, heeled, and in an elderly sort of fashion. No offense to anyone, really, but I remember my father's aunt wearing those shoes. So, it's hard for me not to imagine a 90 year old German woman in association with those shoes, but I still like em. One day I'll even have a link so you can see.

Randomize

Geesh, I almost forgot. Look at the time.

I pondered it for awhile. I've read on other blogs people have just happened to mention that the first commentor never seems to be picked when people use randomizer.org.

So, I decided with my contestants that the old fashioned way was going to work okay for me. I penned up everyone's name, shuffled them up and tossed them in the air.



The winner of my first blogiversary is...

See you on the 30th?



Oh, mighty sock gods of frusteration...this looks okay right? After finally puzzling out the maddening zig zag...the end is now upon me...

A picot seemed the most perfect thing in the world. I knit, I picot, I knit and bind off, I cut...and try it on.

Oh crap.

The bind off is so tight it cuts off my circulation. I try and try to ponder how slouch socks will be okay.

Riight.

I frog. I start again. K1, P1. I made it 14 rows, I think, and now I'm going to sew it up, once I locate the nifty K1, P1, bind off in my books. Only one more sock to do cries.

Going, going...

Last chance. Happy blogiversary to me.

My order of Socks that Rock arrived. Mediumweight. Korppi, Haida, Rauen, and Stormy Weather.

grin

I like it. Sqooshy and soft. Not as thick as I expected. I think I'm going to be fine. I'm knitting my Noro sock on a size 3 needle. I think I'm going to be just fine. After all, I've knit worsted weight acrylic socks before. *ducks*

Progress on my sock.

I've learned a few things.

1) It's not the wisest thing to knit a sock at 3:00 am, you will make mistakes.
2) Frogging sucks.
3) It may be wise to wind the skein into a ball first before knitting, that way you can find the knots first (2 knots in this skein, can you believe it, let me tell you how pleased I was)

This is why the sky blue is kind of long I couldn't really determine, at 3 am, how long the colorways were, so I guessed.

Yeah, well...looky! I made a pattern. It is my special friend and I shall call it George. George is also the reason why I had to frog 6 rows...my zig didn't zag and instead made a line, and well my Borg perfection just could not have that. The second sock should look interesting.

No title is a good title

I've been pondering some about blogs lately. I've never really found myself to be all that interesting. I'm sort of full of self induced complaints, know-it-all advice, lousy grammar, and noncontinuous thoughts. I used to think that I was better at putting thoughts into words instead of words into thought, but I'm not finding that to be true. I'm finding that I simply am a random brained person who makes up words to describe their perception of the world. I think too, I don't have as much to complain about anymore. It's this sort of just acceptance of any given situation, and knowing when situations are simply out of your control. This doesn't mean it is any easier not to give my advice. I like running things.

Maybe that's why I enjoy knitting. I'm in control of how my product turns out. At least, most of the time. Like my sock for instance. I'm kind of following a pattern, but I'm improvising some. I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm enjoying my kfb instead of M1, although I wonder if they will be too tight.

I also like seeing progress. This is why knitting is so great for me. This too explains why I'm so frustrated with my job, but that is not a story for today.

The great part about knitting too, is realizing when you almost have the heel flap completely done, that you've knit it off to the side somehow, just slightly. Enough that you know there is no good quick fix, frogging is the only answer. Since I didn't figure this out until 10:30 pm last night I don't have a picture, because really, when I find my mistakes I usually don't go looking for my camera right away, because that would impede on my progress of correcting the error. So, all I have is this picture of the sock I'm working on. My happy twiney sock.

The thing that is bugging me the most today, is that fact that I cannot figure out how to tell someone that I think that they are a worthless ass, in a nice sort of PC way. We've had this discussion before, him and I, many, many times before. He just doesn't seem to get it though. So, I'm left with accepting the situation. I just hate sucky situations. I hate it when people don't understand what the right thing to do is. Even if it sucks for them too. Somehow it will puzzle itself through. This however is complicated in situations of divorce. Things become mine and not ours and responsibility is only okay when it doesn't involve money.

sigh

Somedays I wish I could just do more.

Did I ever mention I'm vague too? 3 more hours until work is over and I can go knit more. I'm reading Yarn Harlot's book, I think the first one, it has a little distressed looking sheep on the cover. Her humor and observations are delightful. I especially can relate the parts about children. Mine told me that for Mother's Day they will allow me to sleep in, even though they will be hungry. My daughter also informed me that she was going to just let me stay in bed if I wanted to all day, but no knitting.

Lol, what? What kind of relaxing day is it when one can't knit to relax?

Alpaca's squeak

Contest...I still don't have my "prize." I don't know if I am being impatient or if they are sort of slow. I emailed yesterday.

Update: I'm kind of slow. I finally puzzled out the confirmation number out of 3 on the receipt, and wha-la...progress of transaction. They mailed it the day after I ordered it. So, busy weekend, I checked today at lunch and poof there it was. See what happens when I don't stalk my mailbox? So, this is the prize. Lovely, periwinkle.

So lovely, that I had to acquire a set for myself as well as the orchid colorway. Yipee. Maybe I should start counting sock yarn as stash?

All I know is this, after I finished organizing my stash, I ended up having more room in my stash boxes. So that means I need to fill those spaces right?

I think there was a time when I thought that it would be cool to have a few sheep or alpaca or other fleece producing animals. However, this has sort of changed. I'm sort of afraid of animals really, unless they are cats or fish. Dogs, I tolerate. Sheep, while cute, especially when made into a stuffed animal, are a little odd looking to me and a friend told me, full of ticks. Alpaca's...well they make this really weird screaming noise that kind of freaks me out a little.

Am I a bad knitter/spinner? I would like my fleece processed and colored and ready to go, as though it was never on the animal. Just like my chicken comes in cellophane, all clean and plucked...so should wool.

Speaking of wool. The Alpaca thing, I made it, on Sunday no less, but Saturday I had an ass ton of things to get done (help build a fence, pick child up from other parent's house, take child to birthday party, take child back to other parent's house, go home need shower from fence building, go to meet D, go to bar and listen to bands.) So, Sunday, I set my alarm, and I made it there right at 10 am. I didn't remember my camera. It is my talent to always forget 1 thing, on Sunday, it was the camera.

It's a little show. There were a few vendors. The vendors downstairs had a handful of fleece, all alpaca, all 100% worsted weight alpaca, seemingly handspun, some small skeins of milled. I wandered upstairs to the "fiber arts" area. I expected crafts however, to my glee, I found more vendors. The first one I run into, selling plain roving, and colored roving to needlefelt. Rats. I didn't want to purchase just plain ol' roving. What's the fun in that unless you're going to dye it. Sure, I guess the practice is good. The next one was the same as well, and then there were a few people to my delight, spinning. Roving, yay.

I found this at the Eye Dazzler Alpacas. It's ready to go and it mixed with silk. I bought 2, they were only 1 oz. sizes. They had red, yellow, purple, and a brown/black. The purple and the yellow were great, but I took home the purple. They teach classes at this farm, which is approximately 2 hours from Lone Tree, CO. They offer natural dye classes as well as acid dye classes, but not until next fall or spring, which is okay. All sorts of exciting. I'm hoping that perhaps I can take a class or set something up perhaps. They were very friendly and at this booth I learned how to spin and ply at the same time from a drop spindle.

This selection I found at the next place. I picked up some alpaca roving as well as merino. They had silk hankies which were beautiful, but I just didn't think I wanted to bother with them at this point. I also found this sport weight red/black yarn, socks of course, it's not superwash, but it's a really great color. Does anyone know, if you knit socks out of yarns that are not superwash can you still wash them in a cold water wash in the washing machine. I don't mind hand washing socks. Just curious. I keep pondering the socks I think I want to make for D, although I think he'd like slippers better, and I keep thinking that superwash is a good thing.

Speaking of socks...I'm making socks. Out of real sock yarn (yes, I make socks out of worsted weight acrylic). It's Noro sock yarn. I figured since I haven't really used super squooshy sock yarn to knit with yet and only the scratchy sort of Fortissma sock yarn, that Noro would be a good start. Besides I had 2 of this colorway in my stash, how did that happen? The reviews that I have heard from fellow sock knitters is, it's like knitting with twine. Hmm. Sounds great. I'm actually liking my twine though. I like Noro so much anyway. I'm enjoying the weird slubs and picking out my little bits of vegetation. Odd little knitter I am.

I only frogged the toe 2 times before I decided that the toe up K1, M1 was leaving a sort of little hole by the toe increase that I didn't care for. I only frogged once more after that realizing that I should at least sort of use a pattern in order to knit this in a sock that might fit me. D pointed out that my children have smaller feet than me and if the sock is too small I can just give it to them, practice practice.

Practice? What? It's not going to be perfect on the first try? I can't have that. My sense of Borg perfection cannot assimilate. Okay, so I didn't frog it a 4th time. It's going well so far, except for work and life getting in the way of my knitting time. I think it needs a pattern in it, however I want to practice the gusset heel instead of the short row heel. The short row heel is why I don't like to knit toe up, but the toe up concept makes me keep wanting to try.

Why does it have to look so good?

Yarn that is. Impulse buys are going to kill me. Help! I've drowned in my own stash. That is what my tombstone will read. So, we won't go into that especially since I didn't have to sit on the box lid to close the stash box. :)

D pointed out to me yesterday that I don't have to crochet all the pieces in one night. Hmm...I guess that might be why my shoulder is a bit sore. It's not close to being done and I have not idea how I'll piece this together, but the sewing is something I'm not looking forward to. The crocheting is easy.

I'm going to A Knitted Peace this Friday. If you're bored you should go to. $12 yarn tasting party. Why the heck not. If my link didn't work Google their website and look at their newsletter. I'm going to be about an hour late because of the drop of thang, so hopefully I won't end up with the ickiest color ever, but it'll be cool yarn and new people. Should be grand.

3 days...

...until May 1.

May 1 being my 2nd year blogiversary. I will see how many lurkers I have. I'm thinking 3.

I'm not sure what the prize will be. It will either be a sock yarn of something, I was thinking Shibui however, my little ones do not have much tolerance for 1) yarn stores, 2) mom's weird need to always run "errands" to them. Therefore this weekend I did not make it up to Knit Knack to pick up some (yes, I know I have some, enough to drown myself, but it's it's in my stash and seems so very happy). So, my dilemma is this, I may just pick up some lace from A Knitted Peace tomorrow as I will be in that area of town, and hopefully it will be warm as I will be carless.
Reading back...I may just stash bust. It would probably save my sanity and give me a reason to order a few more colors from Simply Socks.

Onward. Yesterday my girl kid decided that her special friend of the day was going to be Furrball from Tiny Toons. She renamed him "Bob." Bob went everywhere with us yesterday, yarn store, haircut, home, park, home, park, haircut, ice cream, home. You may have noticed home and park were in there twice, this was not a typing error, but my reality as I have a boy child who always insists that he does not have to go to the bathroom only to find out frantically that he does once we arrive (sometimes before) that he has to go. If you see my car on the side of the road...yeah. Anyway, Bob was noticed missing at bedtime. Rats. I hate to admit that I actually have this weird sort of emotional tie to Bob. You see Bob was once mine. I got him on a trip to Florida with my parents. I think one of the last trips I went on with them really, because then I just became too cool to hang out with my parents for any length of time. So, my stupid inner "only" child was pretty annoyed at my girl child for forgetting Bob somewhere. I know, I know, then why give it to her to play with? Well, I'm over 30 now, do I really need hundreds of stuffed animals? I mean I don't sit up late at night playing tea party with them, and really they do sort of sit in my variety of plastic bags and boxes lest they take over the house. I couldn't be mad at her, she was very upset at forgetting Bob. I can understand that...sort of...stupid only child syndrome, everything is mine.

Bob was located at the haircut place. He was a little miffed about hanging out there all night, but the girl was very happy to see Bob.

So, my lesson for the week it to let go. This is a very helpful lesson really, because my inability to let go of issues causes me to worry about everything. Less stress would be a good thing right?

The good news. I called the haircut place today and they have Bob. I will pick Bob up after work. See? All that worry for naught.

I have resurrected the project of this scarf for friend. I worked on it last night. Can you tell? I can't either. I have come to realize between watching Captain Janeway and crew try to get back to the Alpha quadrant and SSK that I'm not sure how to end this scarf. By end, I mean how to do the last triangle. It started from a right angle to an equilateral triangle...how do I get it back to the right angle? The directions are a little confuddling. My solution it to make a mini version of this...bookmark sized and puzzle it out. I'm sure this will only confuse me more. I can't wait to finish off this scarf though. I'm not very excited about this yarn. You know, when I first bought this type of yarn (I have 3 more colors of this stuff) I had grand ideas of them becoming sweaters for the kids. Riight. Since this scarf I have learned...um...no way. So those colors will become scarves...but hopefully scarves where you don't have to knit and then knit in the back of same stitch at the beginning of each odd row. I don't know why my eyes seem to think boucle yarns seem so fascinating...because my brain knows better.

My granny square crochet is progressing. 4 squares. They take me about 30 minutes to crochet. Longer than I thought, but mind numbing. So mind numbing in fact I think I messed up the 3rd one by forgetting to ch1 at the beginning of one of the white sc. Poo. I will not frog the square. I will not frog the square. It's not as off as the pink one I ch3 in each corner instead of ch2, and let me tell you, that makes a big difference. I'm not looking forward the the sewing. If only projects could sew themselves. Maybe that is why I've only really made socks and scarves. I don't have to sew them.

Happy warm week.

Ah..Monday

My apartment is leaking. This foul smelling drip from the fire extinguisher system. The bucket I placed under the slow drip is making the smell worse. Hopefully they will send the maintenance people soon.

My wine cozy is complete, and eagerly awaiting felting. I had enough yarn to make the handle. Now comes the test...how much will it shrink. Go me...patternless wonder.

I've been working on another Noro scarf out of Silk Garden. It's turning out well, soft and of course fun to watch the color changes. I'm pondering that I should finish up the other scarf and a pair of socks I started last year before diving head first into my sock yarn. If anyone who happens to read this and has any sock leftovers that you would like to get rid of...I'm willing to pay, at the very least postage, and depending on the size of the leftover, I'm willing to pay for the leftover. Send me your emails... taelixev AT gmail DOT com.

Speaking of sock yarn. Friday and Saturday left me with loot.


Woolgirl on Friday. I decided on Saturday to try and see how yarn photographs outside. Needless to say I did enjoy the results of the morning sun. I don't really have a good place to photograph though. I'll have to keep looking.

I think the pictures however do a better representation of the color of the skeins.

There was something wonderful with taking pictures in the warm sun with yarn in hand.

Purple, black and white. I wish there had been bigger skeins. I bought 3 just in case. I think they should make 1 pair of small socks.

Another black and purple skein. It didn't have white in it, but it's pretty. This is the picture that I over exposed. Ah yes, like everything in my life, I am in a hurry.

Lastly, blue and yellow. I think this will knit up interestingly.

One day I will update Ravelry. I'm not sure when. Perhaps one day during the summer. I might find a great place to photograph yarn near the pool or tennis court. I'll have to explore the area I live in more this summer.


Hazel Knits on Saturday. As always, quick delivery. I love how this yarn feels. I think the hardest thing for me sometimes is that I make a purchase of yarn and then I see a color that I didn't notice before and I want to acquire that too.

I've realized that I don't really have a plan for the sock yarn. My initial idea, that got me jumping into sock yarn, was a mitered blanket made out of sock yarn. I haven't been able to locate any really good deals in destashs (there was one, and it was sock yarn enough to make 10 adult sized socks for $30 including shipping, ever since I saw that I've sort of been very picky about what I think is a great deal on a destash) and there weren't any leftover sales, so I started buying new. Then I figured out how easy Etsy was to use...and well, it was all downhill from there. So, with new sock yarn, I feel as though they truly need to be socks (or something) before they are piece mealed into a blanket. I've only made really plain socks thus far in my knitting career. Stockinette stitch, 2x2 rib...you know, kind of plain, but I am excited to begin these projects. I suppose I'll see how long it takes for me to get utterly bored with the idea of socks.

Process

Knitting is such a process to me. I love watching how the piece grows and shapes itself. This is too why I love working with variegated yarns.

My mailperson is not done delivering yet. However, my last order was ordered today. The colors of Shibui that Nachaele showed me today was just too much to resist. Who needs food, I have yarn.

Speaking of awesome beyond words. Nachaele brought me a pattern for the Transition Gloves and the Central Park hoodie today. She also brought me Malabrigo...blue, purple, and red. Gorgeous! I love love love how this stuff felts. I'm sure it will knit something nicely as well. It feels soft and not nearly as itchy as Kureyon, a scarf may be in order. Thank you Nachaele!

This is how the wine cozy looks so far. I have the top part and the handle to puzzle out still, as well as the felting.

I've discovered a use for this bucket too. My X-MIL gave me a bucket bath stuff for Christmas because she liked this bucket. I wasn't sure what to do with it, but it seems just the perfect thing for a small project and my couch.

This is the scarf for my friend. It just seemed like a good idea...and well, I apparently am the scarf maker. I think I can knit anything, but I always seem to make scarves. This is a multidirectional scarf. It's turning out sort of neat but the color transitions are just slightly longer than I anticipated. So it doesn't quite fit the picture I had in my head. Also I was hoping to start with black and end with black, however it makes for a very short scarf. Therefore, for the very tall person it will need to start with black and most likely end with white.

I can't wait until June. I need more spinning fiber.

In the mail today...3 packages greeted me.

This one is from Crash Into Ewe. This is the Jewel colorway. Pictures do not do this stuff justice. I'm not sure how it will knit up, but looking at it made me want al of the colors I could possibly get my hands on.

The reds look great the orange and green looked great. I don't know if I noticed a black or not, but I sure do hope she keeps making these great yarns for a long time.

This came from Stash Up Yarns. I liked the name, Peace Rose, on the left and the color on the right. Peace roses are my very favorite roses. This yarn looks just like one.



This came from Loopy Ewe. Angela is the colorway on the left. I love black and a contrasting colorway. The color on the left is Cosmic Dawn, it is silk and sea cell, and it is amazing to touch. I have plans for Cosmic Dawn in the form of a Clapotis, although this yarn is not worsted weight. Either way I think it'll make a grand scarf.

Okay, so my blog doesn't make any sense and doesn't follow any sort of writing pattern. That's what happens when I write part of the blog during the day and the rest at night.

I found this at Michaels today. It just screams felted bag to me. I hate it when yarn talks to me. I don't have a pattern in mind really, although the felted recycled bag pattern that I saw over the weekend and Knit Knack spoke to me.

I thought while I was driving home today what is my favorite color. I'm not sure. I'm still partial to purples, blues and blacks, but really I just enjoy yarn. Does the color rainbow count? Although I do have to admit that I had one friend who tried to buy yarn for me for 2 Christmas holidays and I wasn't exceptionally crazy about what she picked.

Lastly, aren't presents great? This one is for a friend. Won't she be surprised. :)

Snow day

I don't have a picture of the cloudy cold today. It depresses me. I don't know why this year especially, I am so over the snow.

I have completed my redo of my daughter's scarf. Here's to kids not acting like puppies and pulling on it again. I wish it was just a little longer, but it works out okay.

I also love Knitty Cat. I picked up some Noro Silk Garden the other day. I was inspired by a light colored yarn vs a dark colored yarn scarf, so I thought I would make one. Knitty Cat is having a sale in June and I couldn't bring myself to buy yarns that will be on sale then, even though the light colored Kureyon better. Sock yarn too is going to be on sale. I hope they get more in before the sale.

Last night I started my wine bottle cozy. I don't think I have enough of this yarn to make it completely olive green, so I used some Lamb's Pride on the bottom and depending on how tall this turns out I may use it for the top cuff and maybe a handle. I think this green yarn is going to felt wonderfully. It is fun to watch how the colors mesh together as I knit.

Other than that, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. I'm not sure by what. Relationship woes, car woes, tax woes, kid woes, work woes. Just a lot of woes.

My second yarn blogiversary is in May. I'm not sure what day, that's okay. As much as I think I can live online, I can't, although I do try. I think this year, since I didn't even acknowledge it last year I may have a contest...some just random number contest. I'll keep you posted.

I'm still into my sock yarn buying craze, although I think I'm starting to slow down as i run out of room to store it. I need to knit from my stash a bit before I start collecting more. However, I've said this before too. I would like to start a toe up sock with some Noro that I've stashed, although that has been kind of put on the back burner since I started another 1x1 rib Noro scarf. Someday I will update my Ravelry.

Today Starbug Knits delivered. Lovely orange and black, and pink and black sock yarn.

Yay

Yay.

This bag is so freakin' cool. I liked the cranberry one in person, but the lining was very stiff and I couldn't get the darn drawstring to close fully. I did try. A lot. Oh well. I like this one too.

Just what I need. Another pointless object. I heart it.

It occurred to me I could probably just use a yoga mat bag, but this is pretty durable. I suppose I could try to make one, but I'm not very talented with any shape other than a square.

I've also never lined a thing in my life. This works much better.

I'm excited.

1) It'll hopefully distribute the weight evenly-ish on my back instead of my side bag or my backpack.

2) You can wear it while knitting.

3) I think it's stylish. I'm telling you, the red one was really really pretty.

Inside is my favorite yarn ;p it's going to be a multidirectional scarf. It's turning out sort of the way I think it should. I think I should make one out of Noro someday.


This was my quick fix to my size 6 needle that my son accidentally stepped on. The project of stealth was partiallyknitted on this as well as my trusty old aluminum needle.

This fix consisted of craft glue (which didn't hold) and nail polish (which did). Quite clever. I'll have to remember that trick, or just settle for knitting needles sold at LYS.

The replacement finally arrived. Much, much sooner than I expected which was great. Although I had already finished the project of stealth.

It'll be ready for next time. I've also acquired some DP out of the harmony wood. Not as fascinating as the circulars, but still neat looking. Shorter than I usually knit with, only 6 inches. I would have preferred the 8 inches. Oh well. This works.

I also picked up some bare wool for my dye experiment. I didn't take pictures of that. I figure the kids and I can take out the crockpot sometime and some food coloring to try it out. I am sold on the whole acid dye thing...but really, studios...outside, vented...away from the house is a good thing.

Anyone interested in the fish tank...

Look!

I have fish!

The bacterial bloom has cleared itself up. No casualties. Woot.

Plague

I hope this isn't an annual occurance, but I seem to recall fighting off illness that turned into walking pnemonia last year at this time. Suck. I hate being sick.


I'm not sure I'm going to need to finish my story. It's mostly for myself I think, I like to beat a dead horse.


I'm pretty happy though. So, perhaps it's just the inability to understand happiness.

I found.


I called a couple LYS instead of just the one I go to for Kauni. They actually had Noro sock yarn in now. Although I wasn't super crazy about the colorways at the one store I went to. So I'm going to try the other store sometime.


Did I blog about this before? The sick is getting in the way of my normal brain function. I sure hate germ season at daycare let me tell you.

The boy's still pretty cranky too from being sick, but at least there isn't the fever anymore.

I finally got mail! Yay!


My bf told me to quit stalking the mailman. I think I must have checked the mailbox at least every day for a week. This normally is only an occurrance twice a week, sometimes just once a month.


KnitPicks Options needles. Pretty. They do snag just a hair, but I like them. Eventually I will acquire the two longest cables. I don't like that the actual size isn't somewhere on the needle or on the cable. That's just asking for disaster when dealing with me.

Look, they even look pretty when used on the project of stealth.

Pigeon-holed

As a verb. I've become a little obsessed. This was how my laughable "career" was described to me by a hiring manager at the corporation I work for.

I'm a little bitter.

I'll deal.

So, half ass-ed job hunting now. Why half assed? Well because part of me thinks that I could be chucked to the side any day. Although that would put a serious damper in their soul-sucking demeanor every day. I'd hate to put a kink in their quirk. The other part is because when I finally get home, I've got my other job, "mom," to complete in 3 hours or less. I am a tired tired person.

But I've realized a few things in the past month...

1) I don't think that that hiring manager wants to work with me really. It's the second/third time I've posted for the job.

2) It's not that I don't know enough. The first time she sent me away with stuff to improve on, this time she did it again. The guy who had a work history similar to mine is still there 2 years later. If she had hired me in the first place she wouldn't have gone through at least 4 other people since that point.

3) I do need a change from the evil window cube they've stuck me in, as well as the job, but I hate that window more. Worst thing to do to someone with crappy eyesight...stick them next to a window.

4) I am really freakin' busy with the kids. Mostly worrying over them. Which is what I'm doing now. I think my son is coming down with the croup again...or the plague, we'll see what the temperature is tomorrow morning.

5) This job is hindering my "career" goals.

6) I can't do it all. I really can't. I'm good at trying, but I can't. I'm tired

7) I think people at work, at least those around me to some extent, think I'm stupid. I'm not sure how I've given them this impression, but somehow I think I have. I think because I'm distracted at times...because I have a lot to remember. Work things, kids things, my life things...oh yea...bills...

Anyway, knitting.

Isn't it beautiful?

It is, and it's soft to touch. Silk and Romney, I think...label too far away, don't want to get up from chair.

I've learned one thing about this beautiful lump of fluff.

I hate batts.

This sucker just sheds all over me. I think I've gotten it down to a teeny trickle now, but it's irratating.

Even when I split up the batt and prepare it. I dunno...I did happen to run into another batt online that I think I like, but...well, we'll see.


It's spinning up nicely though. My wheel is not squeaking right now. I still can't figure out what is causing that by the treadle. I've oiled everything but the plastic. Kind of hesitant to do that.

I'm interested to see how this will ply. It may be a scarf or hat for my kid. She helped me pick the next spinning project from my plastic box collection.

Speaking of...the lace yarn I bought the other day...because I'm not quite sure how to reply to posts...I've forgotten the name of the yarn, but it's super super soft and just the right sort of gray for something. I haven't knitted lace and my needles have not yet arrived in the mail. I think it's enough for a scarf or something. I just need to find a pattern. I have a few books on lace, but I'm not quite sure I like any of the patterns.

I want to make a shawl or stole, but I'm not sure I want to wear one. Just like the Kauni yarn. Beautiful, but I don't know if I can wear that much rainbow. I'm not convinced I want to make a Fair Isle for the kids either. They grow so quickly and I knit kind of slowly.

The Koigu, I've never knitted with. I liked the colors though.


Here's the scarf so far. I'm almost done. I think I can complete it by Thursday. The skein had much more pink in it then it lead on. Oh well. Still nice.

I can't wait until I figure out if there are any LYS that carry Noro sock yarn. I know one will in March. But

March is SO far off.

When I'm rich, I'll open up a yarn store or something. Haha, better yet, when I have time to look into business requirements again.

Pretty sexy lookin' scarf too where I joined the pink end of a skein to the gray part of a new skein. Ah yes, lack of perfectionism at it's finest.

Motivation

This is my latest spinning project. I bought this batt a few years ago. Needless to say I have another one in a different color in the closet.

It seemed like a good idea when I bought this for the drop spindle.

Now that I'm using the wheel to do this...

I don't like dealing with batts. Roving is SO much easier. This is just shedding all over me. Anyone, suggestions?

I don't have carders and I'm thinking that it would ruin the color if I just mixed it up more.

On the knitting front, I'm not up to much. Sort of due to 1) a lack of inspiration, 2) a great amount of stress.

However, I have been working on yet another Noro scarf. I heart Noro.
The scarf I made last year is currently falling to pieces. I can't even figure out where it came apart, but there's a gaping run in it.

Me: What if it's pink?
D: Did you make it?
Me: Yes.
D: Then I bet it will be warm and I'll wear it.
Me: What if your friends giggle.
D: Then I'll tell 'em they're jealous 'cause they don't have a girlfriend who'll make 'em one.

Ah, how can I not like the guy? He just makes me smile so. There's no hour long argument. No questioning my thoughts for being my thoughts. No snide remarks. He's taking me to dinner on Saturday. I hope I like it. ^_^