Not Friday Yet

I did nothing today when I got home. Too much stress. I couldn't even bring myself to finish my sock. It could also be contributed to the mass amount of frusteration I have over the second sock.

I checked the mail. My Simply Socks order came in the mail today. Black Opal, 75% superwash wool, 25% Polymyde. It will go well with the orange skein of the same. Shibui, Sky Blue, a color I didn't have, and it helped to get the order above the free shipping amount requirement. Can't argue with an extra skein or two. Lastly, Farmhouse yarn, it's pretty in person. Sort of this crazy clash of colors. It should be fun to knit up.

I just don't know what to knit next. Or for that matter when I will find the time. I guess that's good news for my shoulder.

I fed the children leftovers. I learned that they like leftovers as much as I do. We went for ice cream. The thing we didn't know was that it was some local elementary school's fundraiser night. At least we got there "early," I don't like crowds.

I think I'm looking forward to the weekend. I'm just looking forward to the warm. I hope to have a *much* more relaxing weekend than last weekend of worry and drama.

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...

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.

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.

Birthday baby

Tomorrow my baby will be 4. Kinda crazy how quickly time is slipping by.

Today we went to breakfast, hung out at the park, went to Posh, went to the store to buy cookies for class tomorrow, and to another store to buy a birthday present.

Whew.

The only picture I have is this. He helped me pick them out. Ah, yes, training my little ones to pick out yarn. Posh is a nice store, they have roving. It's small, parking can be complex, but they carry Shibui and Happy Feet. I liked the name of this store and the owner is very friendly.

Also, Imbrium, is the pattern gusset similar to this one? I'm lame, I know I could just email you too.

Lastly, a contest! Go check it out.

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.

Observations...and my first yarn tasting.

I haven't been checking my mailbox like a crazy yarn junkie. I've had the best restraint ever. However, that has caused me to wonder, where is my order (I need it for my contest)? Okay. It's only been 3 out of the 5-7 business days. This is the only reason I visit any LYS. I like to buy things online, I like their cheaper prices and I like free shipping but, damnit, I want it now.

Tonight is Yarn Tasting at A Knitted Peace. I've never been to one before. I typically don't knit with expensive yarns (unless it's a scarf) out of a weird sense of guilt. I paid how much for what? What if I screw it up?? It's as though I want to put it in it's own vaccum seal bag/box for posterity. I'll walk by it occasionally and think, "Wow. That sure would look pretty knitted into a sweater."

This was really a great event. Apparently, around 40 people had signed up for this. I can't say I met a lot of people. I saw a lot of people. My social skills are waning. If it weren't for my love of yarn I wouldn't have gone to this seeing that my social skills right now are on the bristly side.

They were busy. I would so go to this again. They had little appetizers, sushi rolls, crackers and cheese, and fruit. Wine and sodas.

I think I like this store because it's medium sized. They had about 5 sitting areas. Mostly around tables of some sort.

My little bag o' stuff had about 6 balls of purpled yarns (which was great, I like purple), a little sheet of patterns, a glass bowl, a sample of SOAK, a nail file, and a pad of paper. *grin* Now if I could only figure out what I ought to knit out of the yarn. I tried twice, but decided that my only pair of needles, size 7, weren't going to cut it. I forgot the rest of my needle set, but they had some "house" needles. I've pondered a scarf from this only because I don't really want a bunch of swatches wandering around my house.

I found some (clockwise from the left) Koigu, Kauni, Noro Silk Garden,and Berracco that just begged to go home with me. The Berracco everyone was raving about. The Noro...269. Happy, happy. Oh and they sell Happy Feet, I just couldn't find 2 skeins of the same colorway that I liked. I'll check back.

At the end of this year. They also have a ton of the Noro sock yarn, they did not have the Noro silk garden sock yarn. They said their rep would be coming by soon and that they would check with them. I want to try the silk twine. I still haven't tried my Noro, but I haven't heard great things so far.

Whilst I was at the yarn tasting, I noticed a sign for an Alpaca Fiber Festival and the National Western Stockshow complex...this weekend. Oh crap, roving galore...and me helping a friend tomorrow. Rats! Friendship. Perhaps Sunday then. Yes. Sunday. Roving.

I have a confession. One I've been avoiding for months now. It however is becoming harder to hide and one I can't deny.

I've become a yarn snob.

I know. Can you believe it? I still have 4 boxes of cheap acrylic yarn (verigated, solid, boucle, extra bits). I like cheap acrylic yarn...wait...before anything might be thrown at me for my tastes...it's easy to wash, I don't mind terribly if I totally screw it up, I have kids, it's worsted weight and makes fairly quick socks for people I dutifully think I have to knit for out of family kinship (and who think I ought to knit these things faster than I do.) My yarn snobbery is starting to show through more and more though.

It started with a box, just one, barely filled. A few skeins of Noro, a clearance wool from an LYS, a couple of balls of sock yarn. Then I went to the Estes Park Wool Festival with Imbrium and her beloved. It was like a small force of nature walking through the aisles of yarn. Laceweight, 2 of some sort (didn't keep the label, ah the innocence of not realizing how batshit insane that would make me now), 2 cashmere lace, and some roving later joined my lone box. My lone box however communicated to me, in a dream I'm sure, that the roving could not mingle with the yarn, you know, being roving. So the boxes became 2. One with roving and spindles, the other with luxious wool. No longer was it this itchy horrible nuisance to me anymore.

This brings us to the present. I got a great deal on some plastic bins at Target. The lone box became, the box of lace and worsted, commercially produced sock yarn, hand dyed sock yarns, and roving/spindles. They now rival my acrylic and I have this foreboding sense that it'll just grow larger. I'm hoping however that the higher quality yarns with just over take the boxes of acrylic. I'm not convinced of this. Especially since I'm expected at A Knitted Peace tonight and they have Kauni and Koigu. I sense that the Kauni and laceweight may demand their own box. Especially if there happens to be the black/gray or purple/black/gray colorways at the store.

Ah yes, my children will one day sit down and think, I wonder what mom left us...what?! Whadda ya mean 120 boxes of yarn? (6 in two years, divided by 2, equal 3, if I live to 70 and 3 boxes per year, would equal 120, which includes the 6 I currently have)

Lastly, I have a question, I hope somone can answer. Socks that Rock. I am the worst customer ever. I've emailed them about 4 times waffling, lightweight, mediumweight, mediumweight, lightweight. Oh hell, just stick with my mediumweight order. My friend once told me to quit reading about medical ailments online, this goes for yarn reviews as well. I don't know what kind of sock yarn I prefer. I've never knitted a pair of socks for myself. I've only knitted Fortissma, in the same colorway no less, 3 times. My daughter said she liked them but they were itchy. So, when STR colorways wandered into my view I had to have. I ordered 4 skeins of mediumweight. Am I going to hate this yarn?? I'm scared.

And fin...

I found a basket. Finally. I did go to the Ross/TJ Maxx stores seeking one. I gave up and just went to the Container Store, which had them in 4 different colors. It's high enough to keep the yarn from crawling out of it I think. It's perfect to sit on my couch, and should deter the children son from stepping inside of it. It even has a nifty zipper.

My order from Crash Into Ewe came in the mail yesterday I think. It's so pretty. Red and sparkly. I think I'm yarned out now until June.

Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to knit with all this lovely sock yarn.

Lastly, I got to go check out Purls of Wisdom in Parker, CO today. Only because hangs head in shame, they have Flat Feet in stock. This stuff just looks so nifty that I couldn't help it. It also makes me realize that I'm very happy I don't live any closer than I do to this store. This place is *great.* Not only did Jen the owner offer that it is okay to just come over and hang out at the store, but the kids can come too. She has a little TV and VCR set up in the back with kid sized chairs. She also carried dyes for wool and roving. What more can I ask for. Sunbeams? Yup, her store had those too at 10:00 AM. Sold on this store.

Atmosphere: 4 sheep
Smaller without feeling crowded at all. Inviting and the knitting areas are well lit.

Kid friendly: 5 sheep
Jen, the owner, has set up a small area in the back of her store with a TV and VCR with kid-sized chairs.

Product: 4 sheep
Nice selection. Could use a bigger selection of sock yarn, but they carry Flat Feet. I'm not complaining. They also sell roving and dye.

Staff: 5 sheep
Very friendly and willing to assist in any information about the product or project you may be considering.

WTF (willing to frequent): 5 sheep
I've never had a yarn store owner say to me that it's okay just to come by and knit in the store's atmosphere. That was really neat actually.

Friday

Today is the second "jeans" day Friday they've had at work, well, since they brought it back. It's kind of nice. I'm easy to please. Give me work. Say thank you. Let me wear jeans. Now only if I could work from home. That would be super.

Hopefully when I get home I will have my order from Crash Into Ewe. I know, just what I need, another skein of yarn. Last one. Really. :) Rats. It didn't make it today. It's another silver skein in a red colorway. A friend of mine said it was soft, because I had mentioned that I was concerned that the others weren't going to be, and because of her comment I decided I needed a red skein. I think a black and purple skein would be nice too.

I have a new obsession interest pertaining to yarn, plastic yarn. Made from plastic bags of course. I have just a *ton* of these and I haven't remembered to take them to the little recycle kiosks at the grocery store. Soooo.... what better way to entertain my inner OCD child than with making yarn out of plastic bags?! Kind of odd aren't I? I think I have come up with a method too. I'm excited. I'll knit a bag or something. Too bad grocery stores don't make them out of really pretty colors. I think I only have brown and white. My kiddo wants me to make a bag for her. I'm excited and she's on this eco kick since hearing about Earth Day at school.

I started crocheting last night. Well, after I finished frogging these pink granny squares. I had made them a long time ago out of yarn, mixed with new yarns, from an afghan I frogged that I was going to make for myself and my X for our room. Oh well, I figured I wasn't crazy about the colors anymore and I didn't want to use the yarn that was something for us, so I thought I would use it to make something else. Unfortunately, when I started making the pink granny squares I made some, stopped, made some more, realized the squares were different sizes since I wasn't using the right pattern. Apparently I just made one up in my head. So I plundered on, corrected myself on the ones going forward, but there were 2 that bugged me. I figured that I would sew them in and no one would be the wiser.

Well, last night I decided that was BS and that I wanted to start on another afghan for my cousin's second son. So I frogged the pink ones, they were bugging me, and I started on some blue ones. I know...different color anyway. Stupid perfectionist brain. You really have no idea how hard it is for me to fix that one sock.

So, I will update this later and add pictures.

I've now added pictures. I don't know if Bloglines updates, updated blogs or not. Anyone know?

I took the kids to dinner tonight, which was nice family time for us. I also met Imbrium and her *husband* (grins) and gave them their wedding gift, which I did have at the time of the wedding but had left in the middle of the floor of my apartment when I was rounding up myself and the kids to get ready and leave. I was so worried we were going to be late, we ended up an hour early.

To my total surprise Imbrium gifted me with fluffy *greatness* from Rhinebeck. OMG. LOOKY!! Merino/Tussah and Tussah. My wheel drools. Thank you!!

It was so nice to run into you guys twice. lol.

Another good excuse to head up north is Black and Read in Arvada, CO. It's a used book/CD/DVD/VCR/game store. I heart this store.

I've always liked used CD stores. My girlfriend in high school introduced them to me when I was 14 or 15. 200+ CDs later I was hooked. Needless to say, my interests moved from there. Not to say that any of the games I've purchased there yet have been used, but they have the best discount in town IMO.

I think I've always loved games. This however was always difficult for me, being an only child. I remember many many times playing Life, Monopoly, PayDay, etc by myself. I'd max out the players and take turns and play for hours. My parents, especially my mom, was very good at taking the time when she was home to play the games with me, but I always wanted more players. My dad was pretty good at trying to understand the rules too, but didn't play as often as my mom.

This fascination has followed me to my adulthood. However, I am running into the issue of frequency of play, as in, not nearly enough. My friends are pretty spread out now, le sigh. I am toying around with an idea of having Friday themed nights, sending out to people I know and see how many people are interested in coming over to play a specific game, and then whatever after. This is a good idea...otherwise I'm just this odd sort of collector...with a yarn addiction.

Mornings

My mom always told me I'd become a morning person when I grew up. Either she was 1) wrong, or 2) I haven't grown up yet.

I'm still sick. I hate being sick. I'm waiting for the sore throat and achy body to drop into my lungs. I'm not looking forward to this prospect.

I fixed my daughter's sock yesterday. The one with the stitch that never got knitted. I'm still not sure how I did this.

I'm convinced now I'm not sure if I know how to weave in ends of if I've been making it up all along. The first fix was terrible and I had to take it out. It looked like something gone wrong with embroidery.

This is a sock she has outgrown. My crappy fix will do, I will not frog the sock.

Can you see it?

How about now?

It's right above my finger. Oh, and in the sunlight theres a pretty little ladder too.

My sock perfection is far from...perfect. Sigh.

Well...well...someone also put the pattern on this yarn off about a foot. So there. Ha!

I'm still not convinced I like the look of short row heels. They just look sort of holey. I like the idea of toe ups, but not this heel, I want to try a skein of Noro with a gusset heel and see if I like that better.

Yesterday I received my order from Hazel Knits. This got here so quick. Wow.

I made the order with the intention of the dark pink that I just noticed listed. However, the light pink, light and dark green, blue and purple wanted to come along for the journey, so I had to order them too.

This yarn seems so soft and squishy and I love the semi solid shading effect of this yarn.

I finally picked up a green/black colorway. This one was from Kindred Spirits Yarn. It was just what I was looking for. Not too much green, not too much black, although more black would have been okay.

Now if you asked me why I was looking for this colorway, I can't tell you. I just think it's pretty.

My relationship with the mail

Since I'm not so cool to pre-write blogs and remember to take all the pictures later...

This is my FO wine cozy. Cute. Can't wait to see what it looks like felted. It will be the first non clog I've felted. I like the green yarn with it's bits of color. I found it on clearance at the Recycled Lamb, years ago. It think the biggest trick will be to keep it from felting on itself.

This is the latest of the Noro scarves. I love the way the dark and the light are mixing together. There's another colorway of Kureyon that I think would look better, but I'm going to wait for an end of year sale. Besides, I have enough socks to keep me busy for years.

Yesterday in the mail I received stuff from Knit/Purl. They have Shibui AND they have new new colors of Shibui. I ordered, a lot. I think that Shibui will be my blog contest yarn, I just haven't figured out what color. I may wander up to Knit Knack and figure it out sometime in May or I may look on Simply Socks. I'm such a stash fiend.

I also received stuff from Damselfly Yarns. Apparently this was a dye and then a re-dye. It turned out lovely. I love the orangey/melon color, I think it goes so well with the pink and blue. I can't wait to see how this knits up.

I've realized something about myself recently. The more I seem to want stuff from the mail, the more distant I'm becoming socially. I'm not really sure what to make of it. I just happened to notice that I became very involved with swapping with penpals twice in my life and I've been feeling that desire to get back into that hobby again. However, I realize that the amount that I tend to get involved is very time consuming.

My ceiling is no longer dripping, now there is a gaping hole in the ceiling. We can please people some of the time but we can't please all the people all the time.

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.

Springtime

Today felt great. The sun was shining, the air was warm, my kiddo was sick. Springtime colds suck.

Fiber however, does not suck. Fiber is faboo...and this one came in the Saturday mail at the PO box.

This is from the Enchanted Knoll. It is a part of their blackbird series of batts. No, I don't like batts, but this one was irresistable. It has fine bits of silk and glitz in it. I can't wait to see how this spins up. It also came with a sample.

My other weakness...wool fiber to spin. Sigh...

Today, in the mail came from the Yarn Chef. It's black, white and red. It looks better in person than in pictures. I'm totally impressed.

Kathleen also sent a recipie and a stitch marker. I'm so excited to try both of these items out, and of course the yarn too.

Lastly, came Hazel Knits. I purchased Terrywinkle. This color is awesome. The yarn feels great.

This skein too came with a stitch marker. It's this lovely dark purple/blue and the picture does not to it justice.

Now, if I could just find the time to start knitting again. That would be nice too. ;)