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..!