consider this stash enhanced!

consider this stash enhanced!
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

Yesterday was not a very productive day. I woke up groggily this morning, realizing that I had fallen asleep around oh, 7 pm last night! (Ugh... and I fell asleep on my bed, which was covered in all my sock yarn, and stayed there, all night. I had yarn and needle impressions all over! Good thing I didn't poke my eye out...) I didn't mean to fall asleep. It's just that I'm knitting the most boring sock in the universe, and Icarus (also not that interesting right now.) Anyway...

Yesterday morning I had total house fever and just HAD to get out. I had been arranging my sock yarn stash, trying to inspire myself to finish these STR socks, when I noticed I have NO red sock yarn! (except for one lonely ball of LL sport. We'll forget that for a moment.) Combined with the fact that there was a new shipment of koigu in over at Angel Hair, I knew what my mission was. Sadly, it proved harder than I thought! They had lots of pretty rainbows, blues, purples, and a nice solid red, but only this one red variegated. And it's really more orange. But that didn't stop me from snatching it up and purchasing it! I still wasn't ready to go home, so I got directions to Haus of Yarn. I had heard bad things about this place: that it was dark, the women cliquey, the prices jacked up... all of it untrue! The women were all very nice, letting me browse but checking on me from time to time. (I roamed around the same display 15-16 times. I'm surprised I didn't wear a track into the carpet.) They have LL, the only place in Nashville, though they had no red LL. I did pick up this Watercolor, which I had wanted since I started knitting, to make Jaywalkers for my mom! (who told me they were her favorite of the socks I've knitted her. Obviously she will receive more Jaywalkers in the future!) They also carry Claudia Handpaints, and a big ol' display of koigu. How I missed this before, I DON'T KNOW. But now the situation has been rectified, and I will be going back after payday. (That's so wrong, I know. To take your paycheck from one yarn shop, and spend its money at another. Awful! I'll have to buy something at the Knaughty Knitter too, just to be fair.) In the background there you'll see eight balls of Cashsoft 4 ply for my next design. I am really excited about it! I need to find a good (inexpensive) source of Kidsilk Night though. If you have any ideas, let me know!

almost.... there...!

I was a good girl today, and have nearly finished the second sleeve (the second time I've knitted it, too) as well as updating all my pattern notes for the vintage-ish sweater. Now all that's left is one cuff, and the edgings for the bottom, front closures, and neckline. I have never knitted a cardigan OR a top-down sweater before, so if I can do this, anyone can! I think though, I'll offer it as a separate pattern rather than in booklet form. I'm hoping to move after Christmas and it will be 2009 before I get all 10 designs finished. :P I did get 8 balls of Cashsoft 4ply in a rich black to knit the next sweater with, and ideas are buzzing around. Something that hugs the bust, with baby cables and a deep vee neck. (That's a good part about being an hourglass, by the way. Most clothes won't fit you, but when they do? Va-va-voom!)

Two exciting bits of yarny news: one of my LYSes just got a new shipment of Koigu in. I'll be visiting them today, after putting out all my sock stash and realizing I had no red sock yarn! Obviously this must be rectified. Also, another LYS may be carrying BMFA Socks that Rock soon; at least, I hope that's what she meant by her cryptic message. Seeing as everyone else carries/has carried Soxie, and the colorway doesn't look like Claudia Handpaints, I can't imagine what else it could be. Too bad my heart is set on an obscure colorway, called Puck's Mischief (named by fellow blogger tapmouse! Cool!) I like that the sock club get to do cool things like name upcoming colorways and win free yarn, but I haven't been crazy about any of the colorways except the first one. Maybe next year... (who am I kidding. I am rarely pleased by "mystery" gifts...)

I did cast on for a regular sock using my STR in Peaseblossom. I am not loving the colorway, the colors in my skein just don't suit each other. Magenta and teal, ok. But cloud blue and grey, WITH the magenta and teal? Nah. I am glad I swapped for it, because now I know what everyone is talking about. It is good stuff, but I don't think I'd buy it without seeing it. It's sort of like koigu: when it's good, it's very very good, and when it's bad, you feel a little ill.

new Knitpicks stuff

Sory guys; even though the camera has been found and is charged, I worked all day and am too tired to bother with it. So you'll get a review sans picture.

I ordered the color cards for Swish and Gloss from Knitpicks, as well as one of their new circulars (the classic kind, a size 3 32".) Let's talk yarn first.

Of course, since it's a color card, I couldn't knit a swatch. but it's a good thing too, because I wasn't impressed with the Gloss. At all. I thought for sure I would be; I mean, it's silk and wool, what's not to like? But it has a distinctly tussah silk feeling - know what I mean? Dry and a little crunchy. It's pretty, and the colors (what few there are) are saturated and well chosen. (No three shades of green here!) But the texture to me is unappealing. I get eczema very easily from sock yarns high in nylon or other thin, scratchy yarns that catch the skin. I can see Gloss doing this to me, because it doesn't have the silky smooth glide that I had hoped for. If your skin is less sensitive, maybe it will be a good choice for you, but I can already tell it will irritate the sensitive skin on my fingertips (I also knit left-handedly, so the yarn spends more time on one area of my finger than it would if I were a "thrower.")

The Swish: I like the color choices here. They kept it relatively simple, but covered the whole rainbow, down to a buttery yellow (often skipped! I hate that!) They did skip the Natural (which is in the "Bare" line apparently, but I'd rather have it all together on the same page and color card.) The feel is soft, but still maintains a bit of that superwash squeak feeling. It's not as pronounced as say, Cascade Superwash, though. It has a feel similar to the Merino Style, with a bit more loft and is a thicker yarn (of course), and definitely softer than Wool of the Andes. At only $3.29 a ball, you could easily knit a woman's medium sweater for less than $40 unless you did lots of cabling. If I order any of the new yarns, this will be it.

As to the circular - it is much sharper than a similarly sized Addi. I'm knitting my Icarus on an Addi, size 3, and once it's long enough it's definitely going onto the Knitpicks circular. The cord is softer and more flexible (thinner and plastic, so it doesn't attack you right out of the package. Yay!) The joins seem strong on the pair I have, though I decided against trying the Options line until they worked out the cord issue. (A few people have had issues with the glue not holding cord and screw together, FYI.) I also like the purple cord. Irrelevent, I know, but I like it nonetheless! And while they are just slightly heavier than my Addis, I didn't even notice it right away. It won't cause a problem for me, I feel.

I'm almost through my third of five repeats on my Icarus shawl. I'm still loving the Alchemy Haiku and feel it's worth the money, about $20 per skein. It's so soft and the colors are absolutely luminous. It's the WIP I've gotten the most compliments on by far. I'm also finding the pattern extremely easy, probably because I'm "reading" the knitting, rather than staring at the pattern. I also received the new Rowan, no. 40, in a swap and will be ripping out my "Pam" sweater to knit the lace corset sweater - gorgeous! (As much as I love Pam, I will never finish. It just takes too much damned time.)

I hope you are all doing well out there in blogland, and I'll be making the rounds again soon. :)

Christmas knitting...

I had fun felting today! I had never done it before. I mean, I did the felting with the roving and the soap and super-hot water, not the washing machine knitted kind. Sadly, the camera cable for my camera has vanished, and my mom's camera is MIA, so there are no pictures. Which is just as well, because while I had fun, I didn't produce any museum-quality pieces. :P I did make an eyeglasses case out of a piece that's cream on one side, and dark brown wool on the other. I embroidered a little eyeglass picture with some handpainted rayon thread I purchased in NZ... no idea who it'll go to. Maybe Mark? hehe.

Nothing's really getting finished right now. I know, that is not exciting for all 3 of my readers, but I am feeling the knitting ADD come on, as well as Xmas looming! Here's my Xmas progress so far:

Dad: hat in Cashsoft DK (done) and vest in Encore Chunky, baby blue (this is not a man afraid of color. thank god! I've ordered the yarn, and have an excuse not to start it til it gets here.)
Mom: sweater in Silk Road Ultra. This may not get done, as I have ripped it out a couple times and am tired of it!
My sister & her husband: gift certificates. They are nice people, but more Pottery Barn than Earth Guild, you know?
My aunt & uncle: felted wine bottle cozy (him; not done at all) and Icarus shawl knitted in Alchemy Haiku (about 1/4 done, loving it!)
My cousin Sara: I bought her a cool purple knitting bag and will gift some yarn. Saves knitting, and she likes to knit. Also, I have good taste in yarn and she has to, you know, pay bills and not buy yarn with her money.
My best friend who now lives 5000 miles away: lace shawl, all the way. Not even started.
Mark: He has requested a felted hat, with, and I quote, "No stripes. I know you like stripes (I do?) but.. just.. plain. Please." Ok!
Grandma: lace shawl. (Done!! in glorious Koigu, too!)

I am also knitting a little dress for my niece, but I accidentally gave the needles to charity and now have to find Susan Bates metal needles in sz 7 to knit the OTHER half.

Anyway; I want to knit a shawl for best-friend-across-the-sea. I rarely get to talk to her, and want to send her something fancy. She likes baby colors; pink and baby blue. I am thinking a fingering or sport weight yarn, good quality for not hoards of money. I have some Alpaca Cloud, but it's like thread and I don't know if I love her quite that much, you know? I do have all these koigu leftovers I've been saving... but... I don't know if I can part with them. Isn't that selfish?! If you have any yarn ideas, let me know. I'd prefer something wool or wool blend.

Gorgeous.

fleeceartistsock
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

That is how I feel about my new socks. Isn't the color to die for? When I got the package, I wasn't totally convinced, especially since the seller had goofed and sent a darker dye lot than the one she had pictured. But now that it's knit up? Positively yarngasmic. Let's hope the Socks that Rock that arrived yesterday (from a swap, I'm still not buying!) will be just as lovely.

I'm also working away on my cardigan. I'm proud to say I finished the body, including the PITA picot edging, and have gotten halfway down the first sleeve (which also needs picot, but we won't go there now.) After that is the other sleeve, the collar, and the edging for the front. I think I'm going to leave a small hole on either side of the fronts so a vintage-y clasp can be slipped in to hold it closed with style. Then it will frame my woman-bits in a lovely way, something I know I always appreciate!

I also sent an email to a woman seeking a test knitter. She can't pay $$ (sad), but she does have an online store and is offering a nice gift certificate in exchange. And, once I saw she sells handpainted silk, I was sold! (I am really in a silk mode for some reason lately.)

I'm busying myself with this cardi, as it's getting cooler now (read: not muggy and disgusting) so my thoughts have returned to my Pam sweater. All those cables.. mmm.... at one time they seemed overwhelming, but now they seem so enticing!

long weekend. literally!

There is no way I'm taking pictures for such a boring post: I completed the first Fleece Artist "Vintage" sock, turned the heel on the second. I've finished the body of the cream hourglass cardigan, but there's a picot bind-off and I hate picot. I love how it looks, but HATE doing it! (Especially having to choose which row to pick up the stitches... Uuuugh! Anyway, that's stalled because I just can't do that picot any more today. But, on the good side, all it needs now is sleeves, which are knit in the round (hallelujah, SO much faster for me) and it's done! I've tried it on and am very happy with the shape it cuts, very vintage inspired, and just what I had in mind. Now to decide what sort of closure... I had thought of picot all the way up the insides with a clasp or frog closure, but the thought of that much picot is making me a little nauseous. So I thought maybe just picot on one side, with some little pearl buttons? I do love clasps though, especially if they sit right below the bustline and enhance the hourglass shape even more. I'll ask your opinions when I get the sleeves done. (did I mention there's picot on those, too?) Then I need to find a test knitter. If you find yourself absolutely dying for a project to make, and not minding my cheapness (I can only supply the yarn, and you can keep the finished piece once it's photographed) then shoot me an email and we'll talk towards the end of the month.

I'm making a surprise (to me) trip to Atlanta and won't be free again til Saturday evening. I got my SP8's final package today and LOVED it, but it deserves a proper post and so shall get one on Sat. evening or Sunday.

I am planning on going to Knitch (ATL) and Genuine Purl (Chattanooga) on my way back, so I should have more yarn shop reviews for you then. I'm thinking of putting up a little page with all my shop reviews on it, just for reference. Would that be useful to anyone?

Also, totally unrelated, but I picked up the September selection for Knit the Classics, the Time Traveler's Wife. I've not yet read it, but I'm sure I'll start next week. My co-workers from my old job at the B&N raved on and on about this book so it should be interesting, at least!

long weekend. literally!

There is no way I'm taking pictures for such a boring post: I completed the first Fleece Artist "Vintage" sock, turned the heel on the second. I've finished the body of the cream hourglass cardigan, but there's a picot bind-off and I hate picot. I love how it looks, but HATE doing it! (Especially having to choose which row to pick up the stitches... Uuuugh! Anyway, that's stalled because I just can't do that picot any more today. But, on the good side, all it needs now is sleeves, which are knit in the round (hallelujah, SO much faster for me) and it's done! I've tried it on and am very happy with the shape it cuts, very vintage inspired, and just what I had in mind. Now to decide what sort of closure... I had thought of picot all the way up the insides with a clasp or frog closure, but the thought of that much picot is making me a little nauseous. So I thought maybe just picot on one side, with some little pearl buttons? I do love clasps though, especially if they sit right below the bustline and enhance the hourglass shape even more. I'll ask your opinions when I get the sleeves done. (did I mention there's picot on those, too?) Then I need to find a test knitter. If you find yourself absolutely dying for a project to make, and not minding my cheapness (I can only supply the yarn, and you can keep the finished piece once it's photographed) then shoot me an email and we'll talk towards the end of the month.

I'm making a surprise (to me) trip to Atlanta and won't be free again til Saturday evening. I got my SP8's final package today and LOVED it, but it deserves a proper post and so shall get one on Sat. evening or Sunday.

I am planning on going to Knitch (ATL) and Genuine Purl (Chattanooga) on my way back, so I should have more yarn shop reviews for you then. I'm thinking of putting up a little page with all my shop reviews on it, just for reference. Would that be useful to anyone?

Also, totally unrelated, but I picked up the September selection for Knit the Classics, the Time Traveler's Wife. I've not yet read it, but I'm sure I'll start next week. My co-workers from my old job at the B&N raved on and on about this book so it should be interesting, at least!

ARHG! I hate that!

I resisted shopping temptation by transferring all my paypal money to my bank account. That'll tie it up for a few days til the urge passes.

I thought that I would have some progress to show you by now; I finished the first chocolate-cherry-colored Fleece Artist sock, and was THROUGH THE HEEL on the second one before I realized that I had cast on 72 st rather than 64 st. No wonder it was taking so long! *sigh* So, back to square one on sock two.

I have gotten a bit done on the first sweater for the booklet, am now into the hips, though it's not nearly over yet. There's the rest of the body, the sleeves, and all that edging... it'll be a while longer! I also wound my Alchemy Haiku, and am resisting ordering two more skeins ($$!) to make Icarus. I know it would be beautiful, but I just can't swing $40 right now.

must not spend! argh!

I have this thing about having money. I spend it. I don't what my problem is, but having money stresses me out. As soon as I get it, I start planning what to do with it (I got good with the $870 paycheck, I paid off most of my cc). Once it's spent, I feel relief. "Whew! I'm glad that's over... now I don't have to worry about it any more." I realize that this makes no sense at all. But I prefer the simple life, and having money and being a knitter are two things that combine to make more stress. There is just so much yarn out there, how can I be expected to choose?! So anyway, I've been destashing and have some $$ burning a hole in my pocket. Before you say anything, I took most of it out and will be using towards my CC and gas. But I left a little sitting in my paypal account for a rainy day

edited to say, I remembered that I'm expecting a final package from my SP, two Magic Balls from a co-op sometime in September, and a swap next week. I will not spend right now. No matter how bad I want that sea silk or peter rabbit by fleece artist... ;)

stashing along

My kingdom for a darning needle! Like sock needles, darning needles disappear at an alarming rate around here. I've tried buying a bunch at once, but whether I have 1 or 10, they all seem to vanish at roughly the same time. (it's about 1-2 months). It wouldn't be that big of a deal, but I have at least 4 projects that are done except for seaming or end weaving. While it would make sense to just go buy one, it's at least an hour trip, while there are other projects waiting to be knit on. I'm working at the Knaughty Knitter on Thursday, I THINK I can wait that long. (It is painful though..!)

I finished my wool peddler's shawl last night and blocked it, but as it needs seams woven in, it won't make a debut til the weekend (sigh). Also waiting for ends or seaming: Iris from Rowan 35, Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk hat, and a Koigu shawl for my grandma.

Still OTN: Jojoland socks (I finished the heel, but the toe was too short and had to rip it out. sigh), Schaefer Anne socks (got the heel turned and about halfway down the foot on the first sock), Fleece Artist socks, Trekking socks, sweater out of Silk Road Ultra, sweater for book, Thinking Dress from Miss Bea's Rainy Day for niece (front completed, I lost the needles on which it was knit though), a baby blanket that will be ripped out today, and Pam from Rowan 35. So including seaming and darning projects... that's 13 WIPs! How did it get this bad??

Anyway, I think I'll work on the sweater for the book, since it's fairly fast. I'd like to get that darning needle though, that'd knock my WIPs down to 9... in one day! Maybe I should allow myself...

Icarus shawl info

If you're planning on knitting the Icarus shawl with Alchemy Haiku, like the Yarn Harlot, note that you will three skeins, not two. This is heartbreaking for me, as I bought one, and was planning on ordering another from Knit/Purl. Sadly, according to YH's reader Lori Gayle:

I'm one of the Interweave Knits technical editors, and according to my notes the original Icarus shawl shown in the photos weighs 90 grams. The Suri alpaca used has 800 meters in 100 grams, so a shawl worked exactly according to the directions will require about 720 meters.



A skein of Alchemy Haiku has 325 yards per 25 grams. On the upside, you will have enough left to either make the shawl a little bigger (which you may want to do) or knit a scarf or something. :)

Also: I am trying to whittle down my WIPs (now I've counted to 10, I think) by finishing things one at a time. It's painful, so now I'm doing two at a time. :P The Wool Peddler's Shawl in Rowan Cashsoft 4ply is nearly done, lacking about 22 rows and a blocking. I'm thinking my current ball will run out (it's ball no. 3) but I have 4 more waiting so I think I'm okay. I'm just over it, over the lace pattern, glad it's easy to remember but isn't it done yet?!

sock yarn stash

sock yarn stash
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

So I followed The Knotty Gnome's example and counted all my sock yarn. I thought I had more, actually! There're two skeins coming from a swap (one Socks that Rock, and one CTH Supersock) and that's it! Including half-knit socks, I have enough for 15 pairs. That's pretty close to where I'd like to stay - around 8-10 pairs worth? I never know what sort of sock I feel like knitting, so I don't mind having a stash of that sort of thing!

Anyway, normally I'm only knitting one pair at a time (they get done faster that way, who knew? ;) but the socks on the bottom (Jojoland fingering) are missing their mate somewhere, and I need it to make sure the length matches, so it languishes, for want of a few rows! The top left (the black blob) is Schaefer Anne, a sock I started for my dad and then in the sudden move, it disappeared! I found it again last night and started the heel flap. The middle one, the purple Trekking, I started as my "new" sock, but I hate knitting Trekking. I have to watch what I'm doing, as the stitches love to leap off my metal needles (and I dislike bamboo for socks). So these just get a few rows when I'm in a thinkin' mood. And the newest sock, on the right, is my Fleece Artist in Vintage. I was a little afraid to break into this, truth be told, as it's my last Fleece Artist for a long time (*sob*) but I needed its pretty colors and softness.

That concludes the sock portion of our tour. Note that there is no Lorna's in there; I'm waiting til I find a LYS that carries it before I buy more. Whenever I buy it over the internet, I seem to get disappointed by the colors.

ugh, temptation...

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Silk Thread in Farmhouse
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

I was looking around online during a knitting break (knitting 8 hours or more a day will do that to you) and of course, ended up looking at Blue Moon Fiber Arts' homepage. I love their Farmhouse sock yarn, it gives me a true yarngasm. But I have about $50 to my name right now, and cannot buy ANYTHING. (And don't need to. I have yarn! Lots of it!) But then I remembered my BMFA Silk Thread. I felt sure it had only been wound once, when I purchased it. I wind all my balls a second time, to make sure the yarn isn't stretched (which can affect your gauge, after it relaxes.) So to make myself feel better, I rewound my silk. Now, I have no willpower. I am overcome with the need to see a knitted swatch. But I have yet to find a pattern that suits its beauty, that isn't boring but allows the color to really shine. Obviously knit on a fairly small needle, as bright colors tend to look faded when stretched out too much. What do you think? Have you got any ideas for me??

dr pepper berries and cream

I can't decide how I feel about it. On the one hand, the commercials annoy the crap out of me, with their constant use of "berries" and "cream". I can read the bloody can, ok? And soda is not "rich" so don't describe it as such. On the other hand, it DOES taste like it has the two aforementioned ingredients in it, tastes pretty darn good, and is.. well.. different. I hated coke with lemon (A LOT, pine sol anyone?) and lime (not as bad, but still gross). Some fruit flavors should never be combined. But berry and coke... both are dark and sorta sweet, so why not? And I like cream soda. I guess I'll drink it til it runs out and switch back to water :P

Anyway, I still have the reviews for the other yarn shops to write up. Sorry I haven't gotten to it yet! The two I haven't mentioned so far that I've really loved were Abundant Yarn (the cafe is good, the yarn selection also good) and Lint, which is in sort of a scary neighborhood at night, what with all the construction and not lots of people walking around, but the proprietess was so nice, and their selection of Brown Sheep, Rowan, Debbie Bliss, and Lorna's was so large that I have to love them. (Just search for Knitted Barbecue to find them. Check out those deviled eggs!)

I've decided to write my own knitting book and self-publish. Or, more accurately, two of them. One is different, and I haven't found ANY books on the subject yet, which means it's either untapped or a horrible idea. But I think it'll rock, and other people whose opinions (and silence) I trust agree with me. The other is a book of patterns I've designed for my mom over time. Weird, I know, but moms of us college-ish kids are not old enough to want frumpy designs; they are trendy for the most part, but still want to look classy. And while you can find all sorts of patterns that are "classic" (plain) there aren't too many with interesting stitch patterns or flattering shapes. I should also mention that the sizing goes from 28" to 52", which I THINK is big enough, but if you know of a demand for smaller or larger, let me know.

What else... when I visited Portland, I met a woman who is wanting a nanny for her two boys (both well-mannered while still being young boys.) I have no idea if this will work out, but I really like the family and the city, so I may be moving there sometime soon.

Now to go work off that credit card bill... and all that wine and cheesecake..!

addendum

Just a quick addendum to the post below; if any owners have a comment to add, or want to invite me to their shop if it's a little further afield and know how to get there using mass transit or my legs, please email or comment. I do like to give owners a chance to respond to reviews. And of course, it goes without saying these are all my opinions.

Portland Shop reviews, part 1

I'm trying to hit as many yarn shops in Portland as possible, while still giving a fairly in -depth review. You can find lists of shops and websites, and individual shop reviews, but that's a lot of legwork (mousework?) for a relatively simple request.

Portland has a LOT of yarn shops; I'm considering moving here, and I must admit, that plethora is swaying my judgment just a smidge. Today I visited three: Knit/Purl, on 1101 SW Alder was the first. In terms of location, I love it, because it's very close to Josephine's Dry Goods, a Portland staple sewing store with an amazing collection of buttons (I bought some). The shop is not huge, but airy and pleasant, with lots of windows and excellent lighting. Knit/Purl carries a good amount of harder to find yarns, especially Fleece Artist (thrummed mitten kits and BFL, no sock yarn), Handmaiden (Sea Silk), Koigu, Lorna's Laces (nearly all the lines in a good variety of colors), and their own line Shibui. The Shibui sock yarn is especially nice; it's solid, but a kettle sort of solid with rich colors and a soft base (the same base as medium Socks that Rock and Koigu). It costs about the same, however. They do (or did?) carry Blue Moon Fiber Arts, but pickings were scarce since it was all 40% off. I did manage to score a hank of their 100% silk laceweight in Farmhouse and two skeins of semi-solid Sock Candy for pretty cheap, but it didn't seem as though they would be getting more. The shop is a high-end one, but not necessarily in a bad way. The service was still VERY good (and I'm young and wasn't particularly well-dressed). One of the girls offered to wind my 1200 yards of laceweight silk, and when it tangled, she spent the rest of the day untangling it. Some places won't wind lace at all, so I was really happy with this service. (Of course, on a busy day, you may have to wait a while.) The yarns were not overpriced which happens in so many urban shops, and even though they carry almost all higher-end yarns, they're all of good quality - cashmere, merino, silk, alpaca, angora, etc. I would definitely recommend this shop if you have a good yarn-shopping budget. There's also a room downstairs that has yarn that's on sale. Today, it was hanks of llama dyed by Blue Moon. :)

Next, I hit Dublin Bay, at 1227 NW 11th. It's at the VERY end of 11th, so don't give up if you don't see it right away. Inside they have a big-screen tv and comfy chairs for anyone with you who doesn't "get" yarn shopping (I had one today, and it was appreciated). They carried most of the RYC line, some Fleece Artist (Kid Aran, some Sea Silk), lots of Cherry Tree Hill (supersock, baby loop, ribbon, alpaca lace, etc.), Rooster Almerino, which is mostly just found in the UK and compares to Cashmerino, and lots of Regia, among other things. The shop itself had a rareified air to it; very quiet except for the tv and the click of needles. The woman at the counter smiled at me, but I have admit.. I prefer to be talked to beyond just a "hello" and back to the needles we go! I walked around for about 10 minutes and left. No "what are you looking for?" or anything like that. I just found it too quiet. I prefer yarn shops where people talk and laugh, music plays, etc. If you really would like some peace (or it was a slow day for her) this shop may suit you better. I would have preferred that they carry the sock yarn by Fleece Artist since they carry other yarns by the brand, and they had room in the cubicles. All together, I wasn't crazy about it. They do offer coffee and chocolates from 2-4 on Sundays, so perhaps that would be a good time to visit for the first time, rather than right before they closed. They also had a good selection of the RYC books and good quality baby yarn, FYI.

Lastly, I hit Mabel's Cafe and Knittery, on 3041 SE Division, across the river. In a house, with a coffee bar that also serves beer and wine (good pinot noir, btw), Mabel's carries a small but well-chosen selection of wools, cottons, alpaca, and most of Debbie Bliss' yarns. There are paintings on the walls by local artists (I wanted the large cream house painting, but couldn't afford the still-reasonable price tag.) There are couches and tables, good for a spouse or friend who'd rather take a book or journal along and sip while you shop. The woman at the counter (who I am not sure was the owner, but she seemed very comfortable so perhaps so) greeted me several times throughout my shopping. She was never pushy or nosy, just pleasant if I had a question. They carry a good collection of Manos and Manos Stria, Bartlett Yarns, Plymouth Alpaca (Brushed, Suri Merino, and Grande) and lots of Opal, including solids! I liked the place so much that I bought 4 skeins of Debbie Bliss Pure Silk in 12 (Poppy/Coral) to make something dressy and beautiful. I love that Mabel's has long hours, open til 9 pm Monday-Thursday, and til 8 pm Friday-Sunday! The number of tables and the cafe would make it my choice for an after work SNB. If you're in the the area, check it out, though if you only get to hit one LYS you might skip this one since the selection is more limited.

Tomorrow: Hopefully, I'll be heading to Yarn Garden (if I can figure out how to get there via mass transit), Abundant Yarn & Dyeworks, Lint, and Knit Knot (though I must admit I've heard that Knit Knot is quite snotty, I hope to find out for myself and report back!)

Leavin' on a jet plane...

In case you haven't already heard, Interweave is having a hurt book sale right now! The pages always load slowly, and things sell out, but a good deal can be found. I waited and watched til the site went live this morning, and got a copy of The Art of Fair Isle Knitting and Alden Amos' Book of Handspinning for half price. The shipping is slow, but I consider it worth it. (Now if only someone hadn't beaten me to that sock book...!) The link is here.

I also got a copy of Yoshitomo Nara's newest book for $22. I've been watching it for a while, and when I found a copy in an NZ bookshop for $100, I figured I'd never get it. But it seems it was remaindered by some dumb store, so I got it cheap!

ALSO, 4 Rowan mags for $20. Sick, I know. Number 30 I already have, but Sara wants it, so I'll send it to her.

I'm leaving for Oregon tomorrow, and won't be back til August 5. I hope all my new books (and yarn, did I mention the 12 skeins of KP Main Line I bought for a song?) is waiting for me when I get back! Maybe I can use my Main Line for the Rapunzel Jacket! I have some white KSH that I could hold with the Main Line, for a softer look, too.

Ah well. Once the office is done I can actually use my camera etc. again!

secret pal confusion

I've been keeping up with the blogs related to the SP8 exchange, and I have to say, it bothers me that so many people complain openly about their pals. Not that there aren't slackers out there, and yes, I've been blessed with great pals both times I've participated. (By the way, pal, your tissues came in VERY handy on the 15th, when we all moved out. SO many tears needed drying, and cute tissues make even the weepiest girls smile.) Anyway, as much as I love seeing what everyone gets from their SPs, I do think it sometimes sets a standard that is unreachable by other SPs. I know my first round, I was not the best pal. I tried to find things I thought my pal would like (it seemed she did) but I did not understand AT ALL about presentation! Cardboard box, check. Yarny gifts, check. No tissue, nothing. My ears burn at the thought now! Anyway, my pals have set me straight, sending me sweetly packaged gifts.

I guess my point is that not all pals "get it" right away, and rather than complain in a public forum, even anonymously, contact your hostess. I know it made me feel bad, and wonder if I hadn't sent my pal enough emails, gifts, etc. Her final package is also very nice (a cashmere theme, y'all. To atone for my previous pal sins). I also worry other people will see it and wonder why their pal sent them something other than cashmere. *sigh*

At least I have a wonderful, kind pal (whose candle I am burning right this second, to air out the "new paint" smell) who reminds me that SP is still a good thing.

Wahoo!

So, Governor's School is over. The paycheck is about halved, since I used some of it to pay down my old cc bill (from college. *sigh*) Now it is down to about $200, which I think I can pay off pretty easily by doing odd jobs here and there. BUT, the best part? My parents told me they did not want me to work right now. At all. (I have never been without a job for the last 8 years!) I have 3-4 months of uninterrupted knitting time. Which is good, since I have a massive stash. The only bad thing is not having my own money coming in. I am still teaching privately on the side, which is about $20-30 a week, and I think Meredith at the Knaughty Knitter will need my help from time to time as well. Either way, the remainder of my summer paycheck will go unspent til I go to NY in November. (Flying Fingers and MOMA bookstore, here I come!)

Since I'll be making so little money, I figured it would be a good time to stashalong. The mod of that list is on vacation, but that won't stop me! Here's a list of OTN and upcoming projects featuring stash yarn:

OTN: Pam (towards the bottom) from Rowan 30 in Rowan Wool Cotton (Poster Blue). I LOVE this yarn; it is SO soft and squooshy. I've started on the sleeve, to get used to all the cable patterns, but thus far no problems. Two repeats above the cuff. I know this project will take a while, but if I take TOO long I'll get lost and stuck and never finish it. I'm shooting to have it done and assembled in time for winter (late september/october down here.)

Two pairs of socks are in progress right now. One is Fleece Artist Merino in Wildflower. I'd reccomend this seller for all your FL sock yarn needs. She ships faster than anyone else I've used, and her shipping is comparatively cheap! The other pair is in Jojoland fingering. It stripes similarly to Noro, so you must give up the idea of matching socks. But that's never been a problem for me!

I've got a few projects laid out to start when I finish something else. I guess I do like to have a couple things going at once - usually socks and something else - so for socks, I have a choice of Great Adirondack Soxie in Rosewood (no picture, but it's a beautiful colorway of plum, blue, chocolate and cream), Opal Petticoat in 1291, and some varying shades of KPM and KPPPM. I have some other Opal and things too, but I prefer softer sock yarn! ;) I haven't counted, but I imagine I have sock yarn for about 15 pairs.

As for other projects? The Icarus shawl in some kind of mohair (I have many kinds and colors, though I'm leaning towards white KSH for an angelic look), matching sweaters for my niece and nephew out of All Seasons Cotton, a ruffled, beaded scarf from KSH, a tank top from some cashsoft 4ply... and that's just the beginning.

Like the stashalong, I'll be allowing myself one free day a month. This month I'm saving for when I'm in Portland (no sales tax). But I'm looking for certain things, since money's tight. Koigu to add to my collection (I hope to make a sweater or shawl from odds and ends) and 2 balls KSH in blushes for aforementioned scarf. THis entry's getting long, so I'll go, but I'll be back with pictures of all the things I knit during Governor's School!

ARHG

Did I mention I'll miss GSFTA, but I will not miss having to be mean? I don't enjoy it, yet when one of the kids does something totally boneheaded, I can't ignore it. It's my job!! Last night I had to bang on the door of the same two rooms three times each afer 11 pm to tell them to PLEASE GO TO SLEEP BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO SEND THEM HOME! And then today a kid just doesn't show up for final critique, expects us to just call him. (Apparently he is too sick to come, and must stay in. Note that he did not, you know, CALL US EARLIER, or tell his friend/roommate/girlfriend/whatever, just doesn't show up.) Then when we call his room he doesn't answer. Then he shows up in a class he's not even supposed to BE in, and comes to me fussing like it's my fault and he's going home and boo hoo. I like him and all, but part of college is being responsible for yourself. *sigh*

Anyways, I am still knitting away on Pam from Rowan 30, though it's going slowly. If I remember, I'll take a picture cuz it really is a gorgeous design. ;)

Also, I am going to Phoenix and then Portland on the 26th and will be gone 10 days. I'll make sure to send my pal's last gift, and I have to say, I'm jealous of her! Heh heh... I struggled with wanting to keep her gift for myself, but I won't.

New York, New York

So my mom and dad visited on Sunday! They took me out to Don Pablo's, where the waiter was super cool and knew all the dishes that were veggie/vegan, even though he wasn't himself. That's unusual in a small town like M'boro. Anyway, I have never been to New York, despite the fact that some family lives there and my mom grew up there. But now she's decided she wants to go over Thanksgiving, or pretty close anyway, and has decided to take me. YEAH!! She even brought me a NY travel guide, tho I'm trying to find one for ALL the art museums and things as I'm sure there are tons.


I've not felt like knitting lately. Last night I got blitzed for the first (and last) time. I hate throwing up and I threw up all morning. I hate drinking other than with a meal, and will never do that again!

My second gift! :)

My second gift! :)
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

My mom called to tell me I had a second SP8 package waiting for me! (I'll get it Sunday when they visit.) She thoughtfully photographed it for me though, so I wouldn't have to wait (I'm not a patient person) and she's a knitter too so maybe she'll get inspired to join a swap!

Inside were three beautiful loaves of Misti Alpaca Lace, in a light blue color. I have no light blue laceweight. My pal is just that psychic, she knows the ONLY color I don't have! (Except for light green.)

I don't know if you can see the cover image for the Second Book of Modern Lace Knitting that she included (THANK YOU) but I'm thinking the thistle pattern would look so pretty in that pale blue, hehe. Not to mention the clean smelling candles, which will be perfect for this funky (in a bad way) dorm room. And the tissues - somehow she KNEW that my allergies had been going into overdrive! THANK YOU, PAL! I'll have to send you a prezzie when all is said and done. ;)

New blog

I just wanted to let you readers out there know that I started a new & separate blog about my frustrations with emigration and NZ. It's here: http://emigrationfrustration.blogspot.com. If you have any stories or advice of your own, post or email me and I'll upload it. This blog isn't just for me to blather on, but to help other people who feel helpless in this complicated and tricky process!

To the Is-land

Just dropping in quickly to tell you I finished another pair of socks, my Opal Petticoats in colorway 1297. Of course, no picture (no camera). But the're on display at the Knaughty Knitter til I leave Murfreesboro in July (too hot to wear them right now).

I also started a pair in JoJoland's fingering weight pink/blue mix. I have mixed feelings about this yarn; it is soft for an all-wool sock yarn; the colors stripe nicely, and the pattern shows well because the color changes are slow and subtle. BUT, the two balls are VASTLY different. I wish I could take a picture. One has lots of a purpley-blue and a peach; the other is mostly yellow and minty green. It isn't just the stripe sequence, one is also much brighter than the other. I think if I were to order from them (and I would, it's nice yarn and only $7 per ball) I would specifically request two balls that are the same dye lot. Unfortunately I threw away the labels for these so I don't know if they match or not lot-wise, but I am guessing NO.

I went to the library (see, being cheap!) and checked out two Agatha Christie novels (I read one a day. It's an expensive hobby.) and checked out a copy of Janet Frame's To the Is-Land. I am only 10 pages in and fascinated. I would tell you more, but I want to get to the KK and buy a needle before they close. Later!

kids everywhere!

I think this gig has me thinking of never having children. Not because they're awful or something (they aren't) but they're noisy and need constant attention (i.e. girls screaming their heads off over a stupid cockroach at 11 pm.) Obviously I am spending a lot of time knitting and trying not to cuss. ;) It is fun though, just stressful.

I finished a pair of Opal socks, the new yellow petticoat colorway which is really pretty. I also am nearing the finishline for the Knaughty Knitter sweater. I was thinking of bringing some of the fiber kids to the Knaughty Knitter block party thing tomorrow, but I think I need to get away for a while. Sorry kids!

We had good Indian at the Clay Pit. I was super friendly for some reason (glad to see another adult?) so we got free bread and soft drinks. (I love naan [sp?])

We'll talk again soon.

I am beginning to think I have psychic powers...

I am a little freaked out by recent goings-on; I'm stuck for a month in a steaming dorm with 25 14-year-old girls! One of them is apparently "addicted" (her dad's words) to oranges and eats five pounds of oranges a day. I can't leave the kids at all, lest they start smoking or having sex with each other or possibly skipping stupid social dances to read books instead. (I was not exaggerating about the five pounds of oranges. This girl eats more than 10 oranges a day.)


Anyway, lest I think life is sucking too much, I just remember all the weird coincidences that have occured in the last couple days. First of all, I cannot spend any money. But with all the summer sales of yarn, I would be completely daft if I thought I could avoid it altogether. So I made a deal with myself: only things for my secret pal, OR if I found a cashmere/silk blend on sale for a good price. I passed on the Trilly (50% of $35 per ball is still too pricey for me!) BUT, THE SAME DAY, LIKE 20 MINUTES LATER, I get an email from Posh Yarn that they have a sale page. Well, for $30 (including shipping) I got 2200 yards of cashmere/silk. In a color I like. How crazy is that, right??

I complained inwardly about having to shell out $150 to back up my laptop and replace the charger. Miraculously, the charger appeared in my mother's luggage (no idea why it would be there. It's been lost for almost 2 mos. now..) AND they apple store forgot to charge me for the dvd backup. HA. FREAKIN'. HA. If they think I'm going back to pay it, they're morons. XD

AND on my last day of freedom (see above orange girl and others) I remembered it was employee discount days at the B&N. My employment expires tomorrow, and my discount was an extra 10%. So despite my bitching over having nothing to read, I now have 2 magazines and 4 books to read. (1 knitting book, of course!)

Now if only Mark's trip was cancelled and he had the burning desire to spend the whole evening fawning over me, it would be perfect. I guess I should wait by the phone ;P

Ouch!

Zephyr scarf
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

I'm sorry I neglected my poor blog for so long. My only excuse is that I am working on so many things at once, nothing seems to ever be "finished" and I get sorta tired of progress pics. BUT, I finished something yesterday, and have two events coming up, so there's plenty og blog fodder in the near future!

I knit this scarf over a few days when I saw that my favorite author, Laurie R King, was doing a signing here in Nashville. I LOVE her Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes books, and her new one looked pretty interesting too. There was no way I'd miss her signing! Anyway, I went along to Davis Kidd and got there a bit early. I'm glad I did, because there were quite a few people there! Thankfully their restaurant serves food and alcohol, so I was able to get a Guiness (though the bottled kind. Eugh) and somethin' to eat while I waited. I did bring along a sock I've been knitting, since the angora shrug is now just needing some shaping and I can't pay attention to both author and knitting. There were actually several people there who knit, but I was the only one who had actually brought mine.
Laurie was lovely, and an interesting and funny speaker. I'd never read any of her other series, but having heard her talk about them, I'll definitely have to read Folly and The Art of Detection. (I will always be a staunch Russell fan, so excuse my slight disappointment that I'll be waiting two years for the next book.)
She did sign my knitting bag (obviously a first request of that type, heh heh) AND spelled my name correctly without any help whatsoever! Yay Laurie!

I'll be moving into the dorms for 5 weeks on Friday to teach Governor's School. If I don't have internet there, my posts may be more sporadic, but I promise at LEAST once a week. ;)

Back from Arizona

Gorgeous octopus paperweight
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

I uploaded most of my pictures from AZ to Flickr. Head on over to check them out! (Click on the photo to go.)

I had a wonderful time soaking up the sun and relaxing in the spa. Between the massages, pedicures, and body wraps, I am downright glowing and gorgeous (hehe).

By the way, I picked up a new cd at B&N - The Wreckers "Stand Still, Look Pretty." It's Michelle Branch & her friend who've started a country band. The cd is gorgeous; the best song so far is "Tennessee." Really, she makes the transition smoothly, but it's not so country that pop folks couldn't get into it too. Not to mention singer-songwriters - it does have that quality too.

I finished a pair of socks, the Fleece Artist ones, so I'll add a photo of those too to the FO 2006 section. I ended up gifting them to my counsin who was graduating. :) Congrats Jen!

Leavin' on a jet plane...

Just popping in to say I will be on vacation until Tuesday, May 23rd. Sorry about the lack of photos lately. I did take some with the parents' camera, but I can't figure out how to upload them. (*sigh*) I solemnly swear to have my dad show me how it works (hate these PCs, everything's so dang complicated!) so you will not only have photos of two pairs of socks and a sweater and some new stash yarn and knitting books (Fleece Artist!! Rowan! WendyKnits! More Rowan!) but also, of lovely Arizona.

Wish me luck that my DPNs don't get confiscated! ;)

P.S. to my secret pal: I'm glad you got your package, and you can make whatever you want with the contents. Also, I will not be able to check my email while gone, so don't think I've forgotten you!

Wahoo, the spinning wheel came!

LL Wool Top in Child
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

My spinning wheel came, and my dad put it together for me so it was waiting when I got home from work! Yahoo! Too bad my dang laptop isn't working or I'd show you a picture (sigh). However, to celebrate, I bought myself some pretty (rainbow!) roving off ebay. 10 oz too, so enough to actually make something! I can't wait til it gets here to use it!

Also, yellow sweater needs about 5 rows on the neckline and it's done. THANK YOU, LAWD. It is so soft and sunny, I want to wear it tomorrow~! But only if I can sew down those dadblamed hems.

wheee....

Welp, tomorrow's my 23rd birthday. Man, I suddenly feel older! I've not been blogging much because I'm trying to break my addiction to the internet (it's working!) so I've been walking or knitting when I'd normally be websurfing. I've almost finished a sweater in less than a week! That tells you how much I use the internet. ;)

I'm trying desperately to knit this thing before I see Mark for b'day dinner tomorrow. My parents aren't able to celebrate it til this upcoming weekend, so we're going out instead, muahaha.

Anyways. If I am victorious, I will take a photo of me in the sweater and post it tomorrow before bedtime. Wish me luck!

SP8 and some other stuff

I did not realize it had been 10 days since I last posted. Sorry! I guess I haven't felt much like talking on the web recently, especially since I seem to be constantly answering questions IRL. (What happened? How's Mark? Where are you living now? etc. etc.) Anyway, I don't feel like talking (or thinking) about it, so I guess I just sort of turn off!

Regardless, I finished one thing and started a sweater. I'll take a picture once my mum gets home; I don't know how to work their digicam and my laptop's shot. (Yay!)

But... SP8 is starting! Wahoo! So here's my questionnaire, and an excuse to post!


1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I love Plymouth Suri Merino. I think I have knitted in in 3 colors now and have plans for one more. I also love Elann's Baby Silk, anything Lorna's Laces (especially worsted, mmm.) I love handpainted things. I am not a fan of mohair with other fibers, just on its own. I also love a good stretchy yarn, regardless of content.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

Ziploc baggies. My gadgets and stitch markers are in a clear zippered pouch I received from my previous SP. I love that thing!

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

Intermediate with aspirations towards advanced. I'll try anything (except steeking. I'm too scared!)

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

I sure do! Just search for my name and you should find it. (Hint: it's the one with all the knitting books.)

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

Anything comforting, like lavender or vanilla. I also like spicy scents if they aren't too strong. Mulled cider and orange citrus come to mind.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

I love all sweets equally, with two exceptions: I hate licorice, and circus peanuts. Red licorice is ok though.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I spin, sew, quilt, draw, paint, build... pretty much everything.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I loved my mix cd that I got last time. My car plays them, but I don't have a stereo right now.

9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?

I like most colors. It's easier to say what I don't like! Reddish-browns, green-yellows, and super dark colors. Anything that is the color of an Easter egg is probably safe!

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

(*sigh*) I live with my parents and their 4 cats and a dog.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

All of the above except ponchos. I need freedom of movement!

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Anything lacy. I don't really have a favorite thing.

13. What are you knitting right now?

As I type I'm knitting the body of the Hourglass Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts in Plymouth Suri Merino (butter yellow).

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

I love all handmade things (especially books and cards!)

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Circulars and DPNs. All my straights are dusty from neglect!

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

I do indeed.

17. How did you learn to knit?

From a book! (SnB, if you must know.)

18. How old is your oldest UFO?

Maybe a couple weeks? I don't tend to let things languish (any more).

19. What is your favorite holiday?

Easter, followed by Christmas.

20. Is there anything that you collect?

New Zealand things (though not touristy stuff...) And books.

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I don't subscribe to any knitting magazines. I'd love a copy of Alterknits. Also, lace patterns from Blackberry Ridge. I dearly love old mystery novels, so paperbacks of Agatha Christie would be nice. There is a book "out there" about designing lace shawls, but I can't remember what it's called. I'd LOVE that!

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

*gulp* Fair Isle.

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

I wear a US women's 8.5. I do love to knit socks, too.

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

05/09! Right around the corner! Come wish me Happy Birthday and make me feel special! :)

baby gift

baby gift
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

I started this "shawl" as a gift for a friend. Let's say it was a learning experience - increasing up the middle makes a diamond, y'all, not a triangle. So, instead, I have a baby blanket. Too bad no one I know is having a baby! I'll tuck it away in the gift box for when a new family member is on the way.

Yarn used was Fleece Artist Curly Locks or somesuch, purchased on Ebay. It ended up being soft and plush, and relatively easy to work with, for a boucle anyway.

Not much else to say at the moment - during the day I feel fine, at night severely depressed. But that is just life, and if I have to take a sleeping aid for the first couple weeks that is what I am going to do.

whole milk is a little too whole for me, thanks.

I deleted the last post, since I couldn't self-edit at the time apparently. Let's get one thing straight - this sucks, and it will not get easier til I am out of here and not seeing him for a while. Though he may be a good person and a sweetheart, right now it is not good for me to see him. Period. (I feel guilty saying that, even.)

So I'll skip the moving commentary til it's all past. We're getting together first week of May to watch LOST, til then I think I'll eschew the contact just to give me some time to mend.

I couldn't apply for Arrowmont, as I needed 3 letters of reference, and only found it a week before I had to apply. I'll apply again in July for the fall session. Wish me luck! :) I'm donating some art books to the studio today and there's a show of some artwork that's been restored. I was hoping to pick up Wendy's new book at the Barnsie, but it seems I'll have to settle for looking at it til Friday!

(Also, I finished my Mother's Day Jaywalkers, but as my mom is currently wearing them, I have no picture. Sorry!)

Anita's Kiri Shawl

Anita's Kiri Shawl
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

Man, I am on FIRE. No pun intended; I'm going to a fire breather's show tonight that Mark saved a ticket for me for. Also, I have a free ticket to see HOOT on Thursday! yay!

Anyway, knit over 5 days with 4 balls of Elann Baby Silk in Raspberry. It's relatively small, but I like it and it seems appropriate for my aunt (who it's for anyway) since she's always on the go and has no time for frou frou things like ginormous shawls. Mmm... soft...

bunnies

bunnies
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

Happy Easter, y'all. I have a shawl pic for you but I'm not at home to upload it. I thought this was hilarious though. :)

Dammit!

I had a post all ready to go about the new shawl I've been working on as an early Xmas gift (yes, you heard right.) But then I saw my paycheck, and my hours at the store, and I just about had a heart attack. The ONE REASON I was happy about moving out was not paying rent for the time being. Too bad my hours got cut, so I am STILL barely making it! Can you imagine surviving on essentially $100/week? Because I am, right now. And it is damn painful. *sigh*

On the very happy side, I am getting a "big surprise" from my parents for my birthday. Seeing as I already have a car, I can't imagine what it would be. I also got hired on for 5 weeks at the local college mentoring to HS students, but that doesn't start til JUNE. *sob* (Even if the money is good, hehe.)

Just for once, can I make more money than I spend in bills? I am not a shopper, really. I have not bought one thing in over a month, except groceries. NOT EVEN A CD, y'all! And still I have $15 for the whole week left over after bills. Did I mention the baby shower is at a restaurant, and food is not free? Personally I do not think you should hold parties at restaurants without everyone's support, because some us just can't afford it right now.

I'm gonna go mope and be grumpy. :P

Adrienne's Lace Blankie

Adrienne's Lace Blankie
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

Y'all know I am nothing if not adaptable. So when I was told that Adrienne's baby shower is on Friday (and only handmade gifts were acceptable), I took a long look at my Faux Russian Stole. Baby color? Check, it's actually a robin's egg blue. Soft? Check, it's merino and alpaca. Nearly done? Check! So I ripped out the four rows I had on the next repeat, added on the edging last night, and blocked this baby when I woke up. I have to say, I am really proud of this. There is not a single damn mistake in the whole thing!! Of course, it will soon be covered with baby spit and is not machine washable, but oh well. Actually, another gal is making a baby blanket and I had forgotten about it, so I hope she is not upset with me. I think she is crocheting it out of something machine washable, so at least they can be used at different occasions - one for everyday snuggling, and one for upstaging other people's babies, heh heh.

Anyway, I'll try and get a picture of it in better light when it's dry.

I JUST REALIZED I FINISHED TWO PROJECTS IN THREE DAYS! Awwww yeah! Also, my mom in her infinite love and wisdom, has asked me what I want for my birthday (May 9). Now a hank of Helen's Lace (for ME) and a bag of Rowan Wool Cotton are snuggling in the wrappings, just waiting for the day. Little does she know I plan to finish both her and my dad's socks at the same time, so they'll get presents too. :)

FINISHED!

markssweaterblocking
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

This sweater has been dogging me since OCTOBER 2005. That is pretty bad! Anyway, I finished it this morning and once it's dry (tomorrow?) it'll go to the alterations shop to get an olive green zipper put in. I have to admit, I am proud of this thing... the yarn softened up considerably when washed too! I will say, the water was SO DIRTY when I blocked it, that I had to rinse 3-4 times just to get it clean. It took most of a cone of Brora Softspun bought at Webs for about $30 including shipping.

I'll have some modeled shots in couple days. Now I just have to deal with the bewilderment that comes with finishing a project...!

STASH FLASH!

Fiesta Yarns' Zia in Morroco
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

I now have a stash flash set on Flickr. I'm curious to know what you guys think of my stash.. it actually has gone DOWN in size, thank you god, since last year. I photographed EVERY ball of yarn too, so nothing was left out except 2 hanks of koigu in the mail and the koigu for the sweater which is out in the car in my knitting bag. (I didn't have shoes on, ok??)

Anyway, if there's anything you want, perhaps we can swap too. But really it was fun, and right on time as I needed to pack it all up anyway!

Go enjoy the photo album, and pat me on the back for having less than 10 balls of "crap" yarn. :)

Between the Lives

The last couple days I have been reading Between the Lives by Shepard. It's a collection of biographical essays about artist-couples in New Zealand and their experiences with maintaining relationships while also being artists. Not surprisingly, many of the female partners chose to give up their art to support their husbands and raise their children. That is not depressing to me; much of being allowed to choose is that you can choose what other people don't agree with. But what is sad is that their efforts were rewarded with philandering, especially so for one woman whose husband brought home a student he had impregnated (!) to live with them. Worse still was that he delighted in the birth and growth of this child, while regarding his own as troublesome nuisances to his work.

Now, I know plenty of people who have happy, successful marriages. But right now I am not feeling optimistic about marriage in my future. Not because men are scum (some are; most aren't) but because of the culture of submission in women. Even a strong, liberated woman (such as myself) will find herself caving to society and wondering just when she started worrying about having the house clean and dinner cooked before her man gets home. I am afraid of what love will do to me, really. (Or what it has done, several times in the past.) I become slow, unsure of myself, needy even to the point of madness. I become depressed more easily. It's as if my every flaw is magnified, and in turn I feel insecure.

I can only hope that a long period of nomadic travel, making art, and being alone will be the cold water in which my steel is tempered. Do I want to fall madly in love someday? I've been there, it's not that great after a while and it makes you silly. But what I do want is a supportive partner who is equally interested in my work, is happy to see me thrive, and works to create a positive environment for me as I do for him. Someone who is independent, but still thinks of my feelings before making plans. Someone who has an excellent work ethic that will rub off on me, who likes to be intimate and close, and enjoys little things like the smell of the sea on the wind, the satisfying sound of clicking bike wheels over soft earth. Someone who wants children, not someone who wants to add to the gene pool then support them only financially.

Anything less is unacceptable, a temporary distraction on my road. I guess what I want is a fellow journeyman, not a destination that I am forever looking forward to. Someone who wants to travel alongside me, be with me, and discover things both outside himself and within.

(That isn't too much to ask, I hope. But if it is, that's ok too.)

Not much physical progress...

But mentally, a lot. I finished one sleeve of Mark's sweater, added it to the body, and got about 1/3 through the 2nd one today. I also returned a 4-month-overdue library book, paid the fine, did laundry, washed dishes, sewed new buttons onto Mark's cardigan, and arranged to have my diploma sent to my parents house rather than mine. I even took mark out to lunch since I was on campus (sushi and orange fanta, if you're curious.)

Right now I'm looking into doing some artist residencies. It's paid travel, and you give them the work you create (sometimes) or get a stipend (sometimes). Either way, a good way to get away for a while. I still want to go to San Diego sometime soon, and Jiyeon (my best college pal) invited me to come to Chicago. Plus I think we are still taking a trip to Asheville together... not sure on that one.

All the rest is the same. I spend my time satisfied and deeply in love, or miserable and ready to pack my bags and go. The prospect of basically living in a guest bedroom after having lived on my own is so unappealing that it overcomes my desire to leave right now (hence the constant travel.)

I'm hoping to get the sweater done by this weekend so he can take it on a rugby trip. We'll see...

Plymouth Suri Merino, Koigu, and sweater sleeve

Plymouth Suri Merino, Koigu, and sweater sleeve
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

I haven't posted a picture in a while, and I apologize. I didn't have any batteries and also was feeling like crap. On a side note, is it just me, or is everyone having a crap month this month? Death, illness, pet death, moving, breakups, divorces... they seem to be abounding right now. I hope it turns around for everyone who's struggling right now (including me, because I'm selfish that way.)

Anyway, that dark blob on the right is the first sleeve of Mark's sweater (yes, I'm finishing it. I can't imagine sitting and attaching all that emotion to an innocent cone of yarn. Better to attach it to the sweater!) I am working hard on it so that I can move on to... dum dum dum... a sweater out of that gee-orgeous Plymouth Suri Merino. It's a relatively new color, a butter yellow, and the yarn was so inexpensive (got it on sale, thank you Knaughty Knitter! I need to get two more balls somewhere, since I want to lengthen the sleeves.

And on the far left, we have Bronwyn's Be-Still-My-Heart sweater. In short, my mood lately has been downright brokenhearted, the sort of "I will never trust again, how can you do this to me, wait, I love you, no, get out of my life" sort of mood. To battle that, I am knitting a sweater out of koigu. Sadly, my LYS did not have enough of the same dyelot, so I was thinking of doing stripes of coordinating colors around the hem, cuffs, and sleeves. Annie to the rescue! I emailed to enquire if she'd part with some of her yarny babies, as I knew she had an overload of koigu. Well, wouldn't you know that honey-hearted gal traded me not only her pinkish leftovers which coordinated beautifully, but also, two fulls balls of the pink that you see there! (I only had to untangle one, and it took maybe 45 minutes.) Now, I'm not one to wax poetic about gifts. And I know I gave her some Kidsilk Haze and some other secrety things which she will receive soon. But let's be honest folks; I need this sweater. Not like a person needs food, but like a very sad person needs a hug. Not only did she facilitate a hug I can wear, but when I do wear it I'll be reminded of Annie and of everyone else I've met via blogland who have been kind, or thoughtful, or just sent a nice email when I was down. So thanks for that, and I'll be photographing that sweater when it gets started because it's everyone's child now, and I want you all to see it grow. :)

mmm.... new projects...

pingouinspring
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

I was so proud of myself for making a spreadsheet (yes, I finally figured it out!) with all my WIPs (7 of them, sigh.) that I did a little online shopping. Nothing crazy, but something I had been wanting for a while. I had 8 balls of Elann Baby Silk in Raspberry, and while I loved the yarn, I made the mistake of seeing that new stock would be up in *gasp* a gorgeous purple! Now, I am on a purple kick ya'll. Purple and butter yellow. There was no yellow, but there was this cute pattern (sans buttons *shudder*) and it was the right weight, and there are 8 patterns for $1.50! The rest of them aren't my style, but my mom would no doubt like one of them. So anyway, 10 balls of Lotus Blossom and 1 ball of Parchment are winging their way towards me to make this cute top. :)

I also saw that HandworksGallery.com is having a sale, including... drumroll please... koigu! It's KPM only, but that's what I wanted so I am too pleased. I restrained myself to enough for 1 pair of socks, in a lovely robin's egg blue color.

(What about the no-yarn rule, you say? Well, when one is breaking up, one is entitled to be a little more spendy than usual to calm the nerves. This also extends to the dance lessons I signed up for and the fact that I ate out alone last night.)

My mom is taking me out to lunch so I won't get much knitting time til after that, and you won't see my progress til tomorrow! But it's purple, laceweight, and very nearly done already. *happy sigh* (Oh. And it is out of my stash...!)

Meme!

I've never been tagged before so pardon if these are so yesterday. A progress photo of my many socks coming soon!

What were you doing 9 years ago?
I was in Middle School, getting horrible grades and going to all sorts of special counselors and having systems for stuff because I was so disorganized and wacky.

What were you doing 6 years ago?
I was flying by myself to California for a comic convention. I had this thing for flying by myself, I loved it! (And still do.)

What were you doing 1 hour ago?
Sleeping.

Name 3 movies/tv shows you can't turn off if you stumble across them on TV:
Kim Possible
Lost
Anything Miss Marple/Sherlock Holmes/Midsomer Murders/etc.

Name 3 things you want to improve upon this year:
Being a little more impulsive (Did I mention I want to take dance lessons?)
Lose things less often
Spending more time with people who care about me (friends and family :)

Name 3 things you can't live without (aside from knitting):
snuggles, hugs, and squeezes
eBay (for yarn!)
a comfortable bed and a library card (these go together!!)

Name 3 things you could live without:
half my clothes
stress-related muscle tension (tho this is better than it used to be. yay!)
soda

Name 3 things you really like about yourself:
I don't give up on anything. Ever. (this can also be bad. See: stubborness)
I am really warm and caring
I'm excellent at finding information

I don't really tag people, but if you do respond send me a link. I like reading other peoples' answers. :)

hmph.

What do you say when someone asks you how you're feeling? The truth - which is far too long and complicated, and people think you're crazy for doin' what you're doing, or they ask some stupid question like "what went wrong? you seemed so perfect together!" I KNOW, ME TOO.

So here I am, I am not feeling as bad as yesterday but then my whole world fell apart then! So I guess I still feel pretty bad. However I went to watch today's rugby game, we won, and I got many kisses and hugs so obviously he is not doing that stupid boy-thing where they shut down, and act as if you have leprosy, also can we have sex? You know? But anyway, I am drinking a (small) glass of white wine with my minestrone, and I have a Cadbury egg here too, which is good because besides a piece of toast with peanut butter I have not eaten anything. Not because I'm sad, or feel fat, but because my stomach is just screwed up, which happens every time I get stressed.

Now I am going to dye my hair, take a bath, and listen to my new itunes mix I made for myself. No, not heart-wrenching breakup songs, but songs about hope and the future and moving on. (I am, however, avoiding the radio.)

Thanks for the emails and advice, though I won't be following all of it. You just take one step at a time, cry in public if you need to (not that you'll be able to help it. Ya'll know, right? isn't that THE MOST EMBARASSING THING?)

Well, I asked before I posted about this.

Normally I veer away from personal topics, but this one couldn't be ignored, See, after a glass of wine last night and about two boxes of tissues, Mark and I talked a long time and decided to separate. Not because we're unhappy, or don't want each other any more, but because we both have things we want to do that just can't involve somebody waiting on them. He needs to go home to NZ when he graduates and face all the things he ran away from (his words) and I need to move elsewhere to pursue my art. I guess it sucks so bad because we still love/care about each other; I think he shed as many tears as me. I feel so lucky though, not only because we had this wonderful time together, but because we have been able to handle this with real grace and compassion.

We even shared a story with each other. His parts are about the caterpillar, mine about the stone...

In a beautiful garden, it was summer all the time. A caterpillar met a smooth, dark stone in that garden and they became fast friends. They spent every day together and were so close. However, one day the stone was found by the gardener; "This doesn't belong here! it needs to be back with all the other stones, at the beach!" So, not seeing the frantic caterpillar, he slipped it in his pocket and carried it on the bumpy and dark ride to the beach. The caterpillar was left behind, crying all day and all night. Eventually it cried so many tears that its body was covered and the tears hardened into a chrysalis. And as the stone was worn by the ocean, the caterpillar erupted from the chrysalis, the most beautiful butterfly in history. From the beach the stone could see the glint on the wings, and its heart ached with sadness. But the waves washed away the stone's tears, and other parts too, until the stone, too, was transformed into something beautiful. But the days in the garden were a warm memory for both the stone and the caterpillar, and though the ache lessened, there were still thoughts of each other from time to time.

The end!

Well, it made me feel better anyway. I don't know if I'll be posting any knitting progress for a while though. I have never "lost" anyone so close to me and it feels like sacrilege to be doing things I did before. We WILL be living together through May, when we'll split up all of our things (because there's no way we could bear it now.) Until then we'll still be a couple, and not see other people or anything like that! We're just a couple with an expiration date, and one that is sadly too soon.

If you have any good vibes, please send me some as right now both our hearts are breaking big time but this is just how it has to be for us.

ugh!

I don't know why, but the last couple days I have been feeling miserable. Not sick, just... miserable. Nothing bad is going on, but I'm crying at car commercials. For some reason my self-esteem has vanished and left a wobbling pile of insecurity and self-doubt in its wake and I don't know why! (As in, any time somebody compliments me, I can't believe them. I find myself thinking "What did they mean by that?") It gets me feeling frustrated, which only makes it worse. I wish I knew what was going on in my brain, because I can't seem to calm down or focus on anything! (Can I have a hug, please?)

Anyway, my ebay auctions ended and I did really well, but I am NOT SPENDING THAT MONEY! It is staying in my account. I am going to Adrienne Outlaw's studio today to see about an internship and one of my favorite people will be there. God, I hope she is, because I could sure use somebody to commiserate with!

(It probably doesn't help I am listening to the Perishers. Their music is beautiful, but it is all depressing as hell.)

Please send some mental love my way, til I can get over this very fragile feeling.

I held out pretty long, don't you think?

Lorna's Laces sock in Gold Hill
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

I guess I was thinking more "buy less yarn" than "buy no yarn". I did buy some yarn today, but I don't feel bad about it because:

1) I know exactly what it will be used for (socks for Mother's Day.)

2) It was on sale. ($13 I got these for, and the shipping cheap too.)

3) I like the seller. Not personally, I don't know him/her, but when I sent her a little advice about his/her auctions, she thanked me and asked me some more questions, and seemed genuinely interested in being a good businessperson. How can you not buy from somebody like that?

Anyway, I counted it up, and I have bought 3 balls of yarn this month. I am really proud of myself! I also had a swap go really well too; I traded away 13 balls of DB merino dk I didn't want for...drumroll please...

2 balls of Kidsilk Haze (in a color I wanted anyway)
2 balls of Lorna's in Desert Flower (ditto)
8 balls of baby alpaca silk in red (I have been wanting to try this yarn, and it's enough to actually DO something.) YAY!

So while I have all this yarn coming to me, the expenditure was practically nil and my stash also lost a little weight. (Did I mention my WIPs as well??)

Anyway, I'm feeling so good that I sent in my tax return. Now, tax return time is bad for the yarn stash, as it tends to swell insanely from all the "free money" I get back. But seeing as I'm on this yarn diet, AND enjoying the effects of it, I decided the tax return would be spent this way: 40% into savings for summer vacation. 40% towards credit card. 20% is free money to play with, about $40 I think.

I spent last night thinking about what I would spend said return on... and I'd like your feedback if possible. You've come to know me, you know what I'll use, so let me hear your opinion!

1) One hank of Artyarns Silk Rhapsody. I doubt I'll go with this, as it's not much yardage for the money and it's the last yarn I'll be buying for a while.

2) Four hanks of Lorna's sock. (colorway options: gray's corner, happy stripes, wisteria, watercolor, seaside.) I love LL. What can I say?

3) lace patterns. Baltic Sea Stole from Fibertrends, Violets by the River from Blackberry Ridge.

4) 2 hanks of Schaeffer Anne (socks)

or 1 of 2 kits, the garter stitch jacket kit from Fleece Artist, or a shawl kit from Blackberry Ridge. Right now I'm leaning toward this conglomeration:

Fleece Artist mohair jacket kit ($29), and a lace pattern or two. What do you think? (new suggestions I may not have thought of are, of course, welcome.)

Yarn porn!

silkrhapsody
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

And you thought I'd been a bad girl, didn't you? Truth is, I am D-Y-I-N-G to have some of this, but I am being strong! No new yarn til I don't owe anyone money! (I just paid $50 too. Pretty good, huh? At this rate it will only take.... 10 months to pay it off!)

Anyway, if there is a rich, yarn-gift-loving person out there, I am currently in love with the purple mix. But really, I'm not picky! :)

Honestly though, I've found it easier and easier to say no to yarns when I think of how many years that gapcard has hung over my head, collecting interest (and in the past, late fees. But no more!) I'm trying to pay more than the minimum each month, and putting money into savings too. When I think about going to Asheville in the summer, and San Diego, and how much that will cost, I won't be able to do those things and be paying big ole credit card bills. (Well, bill. but I don't make a lot of money!) So I just think of my future happiness, enjoy the new yarn that's out there, and live vicariously through other peoples' purchases. So please, share your buys on your blog - it's the only way I'm getting new yarn action for a while! *grin*

I've also been working dutifully on the Faux Russian Stole, which is about to become the Faux Russian Baby Blanket because I'm bored of the pattern already. I'll take a picture when it's done, otherwise I might get lazy!

Mark's Felted Hat

Mark's Felted Hat
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

I forgot to mention, I finally got a new Flickr account. I was pretty pissed off that yahoo/flickr merged and then made it such a pain in the ass to merge the accounts. Anyway, I gave up and got a new yahoo email (which I won't be using) and a new Flickr account.

I knit and felted this hat all yesterday, in one day. That is some kind of record for me, seeing as I've never felted before and did it by hand. I knit it using a hat calculator, which I won't link because it didn't work for me and I ended up with a hat that would've fit the Jolly Green Giant. We filled the sink with hot water and scrubbed and rubbed and twisted, and this is the result! it fits perfectly, and I have to admit it's darn cool looking through I was not keen on knitting all that grey and brown.

It was due to this hat that I broke my yarn diet. I discovered I love this hat, but cannot handle the greyness. So I started another one - out of teal possum/merino I had from NZ, and the leftover grey wool. I had a ball of Knitpicks' merino style in Vanilla, but no other color that matched it... so I hopped on Knitpicks, and, armed with my free shipping coupon code, ordered one measly ball of merino style in crocus, a cheery yellow. Yellow and cream make the prettiest stripes! I also got a colorcard for merino style, to make color picking in the (far) future easier. I know it isn't much, but it's a good feeling to just buy what you'll use right away rather than adding to an enormous pile. There're so many things I found while cleaning that I want to knit, I began to realize by overstashing I lose things I want to have handy.

it's done!

Chamonix Sweater
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

I started this back in December, and picked it up again when we got back from New Zealand. I designed it using 6 balls of Jaeger Chamonix in "Marseilles" (with some left over!). I used size 10.5 needles and a copy of "The Sweater Workshop" to create this custom sweater, that is SO comfortable and a little bit sexy too! I took measurements at my hips, waist, and bust then figured out sts/in and just did the math. (Please note: I am horrible at math. You can design this too, with the help of this hand book!) I also have an extra copy of the Sweater Workshop, so if you want to buy or swap for it. send me an email or leave a comment with your info.

Anyway, this sweater is the most comfortable, flattering thing I have and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. In fact, I am thinking of swapping my four remaining balls for a different color and buying two more to make a striped version! (I'm thinking cream (Orleans) and gold (Rouen).) I hope you all like it as much as I do!

saving is good. but painful.

Much like working out, saving money is one of those things that feels good after you've been doing it for a while. Not when you're in the act of "ten more minutes of cardio," or "I'll just walk out today without buying anything." But later, much later, when you're sleeping soundly instead of wondering if you can pay rent with the yarn you just bought.

See, last year I had a problem; a shopping problem. When I am stressed and frustrated, I buy. Especially yarn, because it makes me think of what I'm doing in the future, and, stemming from that, that there IS a future out there for me. So I shopped, a lot, and have lots of yarn to show for it. But I did a lot of lying awake, and after an emergency loan from my parents (God, how embarassing) I realized I was a little bit sick and needed to fix myself quick. (hey, that rhymed!) So after Christmas, I said no more yarn. Not really thinking I could do it, but guess what? I've only bought two balls of yarn since January 11. I know, it's still yarn bought, but that's a total of $14 spent on yarn in a month. That's pretty good!

Not to say it hasn't been hard. But what IS fun is trying to figure out how to use the 1 million little balls I have collected. A shawl is being knitted, a sweater which will use a whole cone, and an art piece that is eating up my little balls. I couldn't be more pleased. Seeing the drawers actually close without having to be slammed, no wiggly strands waving limply from baskets and containers.... it's a good feeling.

I still have to make it til January 1, 2007 without buying more than an "eensy-weensy" amount of yarn. I'll even knit my dad or boyfriend a sweater out of the Debbie Bliss merino dk that I bought, to avoid buying new yarn for a new sweater.

Oh, and I'm teaching at the Knaughty Knitter now. On March 9 I'll be teaching cables. Wish me luck! (Good thing I only get an employee discount in the month that I teach. That should keep it way down!)

Faux Russian Stole

So here is my problem. I want to knit the Faux Russian Stole from Gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen. Except that it calls for 1200 yards of fingering weight (sock weight) yarn. Now, I'm not normally a cheapskate, but I'm not even working enough hours to pay the bills (thank God there's two of us) and I can't justify buying new yarn. Yet the only yarns I have in quantity are Jaeger Luxury Tweed and DB Merino DK, both really too large. I think the Luxury Tweed (Kingfisher Blue) might work better than the DB, though it's supposedly larger, because it's so lofty and has a fuzz to it. My only other option is to double-strand Knitpicks Shadow, which would cost me all of $14. But, I'd rather use what I have so I'll start swatching with the Luxury Tweed before I buy anything else. And really, I could stand it if the stole were a little bigger, so bumping the needle size up to an 8 (to make a holey fabric with the larger yarn) would be ok with me.

I can't get Flickr or Yahoo to talk to each other right now, so I may have to sign up for another photo program. Too bad, since I liked Flickr so much!