That Silly Man of Mine

Last night at dinner, I made a comment to everyone that Popeye (aka Daddy) needs to tell me what would be a good day for me to come to the town where he works (near us) so he and I could have lunch together.

Popeye: You could come over on Wednesday.

Me: Well, I really can't on this Wednesday, but we need to figure out another day and it has to be at least a Wednesday or a Thursday.

Popeye: Why?

Me: Because after we eat lunch, I want to go check out the new yarn store.

Popeye: Oh!!!!!!!! There is an ulterior motive! I've heard of playing second fiddle before, but not playing second NEEDLE!

Me: (laughing) No, I'm just killing two birds with one TRIP is all. :)

Baby things and others

I knit up a few baby things for a woman at church. I'm not particularly close to this young woman, but we play together in our church orchestra. She will be having her first baby in just a few weeks. I knit two hats and a bib.

This hat is called Little Boy Blue Ribbed Baby Hat. You can find the pattern at The Shizknit. Just a simple ribbed hat that will fit this winter and for several more on into toddler hood. Even my boys can wear it, although it looks a like a beanie on them. I used some leftover Plymouth Encore can'trememberthecolorname variegated.




I think I got this pattern off of Ravelry. It is just a simple roll-brimmed hat with topknot. I used some leftover Shine Worsted in Bachelor Button from Knit picks.




This baby bib is the Double Woven Bib. The pattern is very easy to memorize and turns out a very cute bib. I used some Peaches & Cream dishcloth cotton yarn that had been sitting in the stash.




This is the Undulating Wave Scarf. I'm really liking how this is turning out. I've never knit with beads before, so learning this new technique has been fun. Sometimes it can be a little frustrating, but victory feels good when you conquer. I'm using Schaefer Heather in the Gertrude Eberle colorway. More details when it is finished.




This was going to be a scarf, but it is going to the frogpond. The color of this "mahogany" CASHMERE (oh so soft) yarn looks rather purple. On my monitor this picture looks mahogany, but in the real outdoor light, even Popeye and the boys agree, it is purple. Since this gift is for a man in my family, I don't think purple will cut it. I'll still use the same pattern though

More New Fibery Goodness

My nice friend Jennifer knows of my newly acquired hobby of spinning. I actually haven't done much with it yet, but I WILL! She was so kind to bring me some fiber to use. I don't want to use these because they are so pretty until I get better at spinning. So in the meantime I'm using plain roving.

This is 4 oz of Merino.



This is 4 oz of Merino and Kid Mohair. Aren't they both so pretty?




This is my latest acquisition of Sundara Yarn. I traded some (that I wish I still had) for this. It is called Blushing Charcoal. It doesn't look quite this pink in person but more grayish Maybe I can find that which I traded sometime in the future.

On Hiatus, Finished, New Aquisitions

The Brigit socks below are on hiatus. I am mad at them for the moment but will get back to them at some point. They can sit in the corner for awhile. :)

I have a finished project to show off. At LONG last the Chevron Scarf is complete. (Sorry for the blurry pix.)





Specs for this project:
Needles: Size 3 Knitpicks Options
Yarn: Socks that Rock Medium weight Monsoon and Cherry Tree Hill Northern Lights.

This was the most boring project I've ever knit so far I think. I love the effect now that it is over, but I don't love it enough to knit it again.

I gifted it to my best friend, Lisa, and she loved it!

In the new acquisitions, I have traded yarn or received from my clubs some very interesting yarns.

Here are a few:

This is Ravissant in Bling. This came from one of my sock yarn clubs. I really like this was hoping for something a little darker in more of an eggplant purple. It will be a scarf of some sort eventually. This is the last of my subscription from Zen Yarn Garden.




Next is June Bug from Yarn Pirate. I'm trying to trade or sell this yarn...NOT my colors at all. This was the last shipment from my YP subscription.



Shibuiknits (don't know the color number/name and I'm too lazy to get up) Received this yarn in trade for some Yarn Pirate I think. Nice browns and burganys in this.



This was the May offering in the Socks that Rock Club. Incredible Shrinking Violet. I love the purples, but I'm not sure which socks this shall become.



Last but not least is Socks that Rock Thistle - I received this yarn in trade for I don't remember what, but I really like the colors in this. I don't know if I'll want to do socks out of this or not. It will definitely simmer in my stash until I can decide.



Believe it or not, I'm getting burned out on socks for awhile. I'm working on a pair now and I'll post about those soon. After those are finished, I'm going to take a break from socks for a month or so and focus on a few other things....but I'll save those other things for another post.

Give me more cables

I'm LOVING cables. I don't know why...I guess it's the way they look. They look like you've done something really fancy, but they are really easy (at least the ones *I've* done so far).

Current WIP. This is Brigit in the Dahlia colorway by Sundara Yarns. This is going really fast and is a fun pattern too.



I've also decided that I think Sundara's yarn is some of the best on the market. I love how it looks, I love how she overdyes and I love how it knits up. I may end up not signing up for any sock clubs next year except for hers (I'll have to wait until April 2009 before she takes any new members.). I can spend my money on her website for the first four months of 2009 though. :)

1st, 2nd, 3rd

First....my first cables, my first mystery sock




Second....almost a second sock



Third...third pair finished this year (yeah, I'm slow)



Specs:
Socktopia Mystery Sock Shushan Socks
Yarn: Zen Yarn Garden HARMONY Semi-Solid Sock Yarn Club Yarn in Aubergine
Needles: Size 2 Knitpicks DPNs, then Magic loop with KP Circular

FINALLY finished and a few WIP

I FINALLY finished the Hedera socks...and hopefully my SIL won't read my blog before she has a chance to receive them. They are drying now.



Thanks goes to Sweet Pea 2 for being my model. My feet are too large for these socks. I did NOT enjoy knitting this pattern. Zoomom loved it, but I had SUCH a hard time memorizing lines one and three of the pattern. It did make it easier after she drew me a chart, but I will never knit these socks again. Thankfully, I know my SIL will like them since she is a part-time knitter and knows what goes into projects like this.

A few other things on the list are in progress. I'll have lots of knitting time this weekend so I hope to finish these socks.



These are mystery socks from the Soctopia group on Ravelry. I don't think the pattern is online anywhere except on Ravelry so I can't link it. I have 1/2 of a sock left to go.

Also going on is a new sock barely started.



This is Brigit and it is a surprise for someone I can't say since she may read my blog. Pattern only available on Ravelry.

I do have a lace scarf started but only 4 rows of garter is not anything to show. My Chevron scarf is coming right along too with only 25 inches left to go. I was hoping to finish it this weekend too, but we'll see. If not, it is good baseball knitting whereas Brigit and lace are not.

The month of pink

In my last post I commented that I did not buy any new yarn because of what I had already bought and what would be coming this month from my yarn clubs. I've received these in the past few days. Thankfully (am I really saying that?) no more yarn will be coming until mid-May.

These first two skeins are from Zen Yarn Garden. Top picture is Abloom and bottom picture is Pinata. These are from the new Colour Burst Series. I did buy these and they are not a part of all my club yarns. I couldn't resist though.




This yarn is from the Yarn Pirate Sock Club. I wanted to try it out. You subscribe for 3 months at a time and can unsubscribe at any time so you won't receive yarn after the 3 month period is up. This month's yarn is called Sweet Lime. I'm not sure I'm too crazy about it, but I'm going to keep it for awhile and see if it grows on me. It isn't anything I would normally buy for myself (or any others I know of other than Zoomom ) so we'll see.



This is the April shipment for the Zen Yarn Garden Harmony Semi-solid club. The colorway is Rambling Rose. Again, I don't think I would have picked this out to buy. I only have two more months of this sock club. I wish this club would be spread out over the year like the Socks That Rock Club instead of a skein per month. Maybe I'll suggest it to Roxanne.

Reason #1 why I did not buy yarn in Atlanta.....

As much as I WANTED to by yarn at Knitch in Atlanta last weekend, I was held back remembering my recent stash enhancements:



There are 4 skeins of STR Raven colors, several skeins of "other" Socks That Rock colors such as Purple Rain, Just Right Red, Jasper and Tanzanite, some Zen Yarn Garden, and Yarn Pirate.



And then....I just couldn't resist getting the new Lorna's Laces Grumperina colorway.

And if that isn't enough....two more skeins of Zen Yarn Garden are making their way to me as well as my Zen Yarn Garden monthly club skein.

Needless to say....I'm now on YARN restriction!

I didn't know we'd make the news!!!

While I was standing in front of the line holding my and Meredith's places, she was off becoming famous! ;) Here's an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution about the Yarn Harlot's visit and about knitting being so popular.

Yarn Harlot Trip

The Yarn Harlot came to Atlanta. There were several from my area that were going to travel over to see her. It turns out that not as many went as had intended to go. I was EXTREMELY excited about going since I didn't get to go in September when she was here and nothing or no one was going to stop me from going. I decided that even if no one I knew was going, I'm a big girl and can have fun all by myself...after all, an afternoon with the Yarn Harlot, my knitting, and a latte (or two) makes for loads of fun. ;)

Popeye and the Sweet Peas decided they wanted to go see the Atlanta Braves play so we journeyed together.






EVERYTHING worked out perfectly....location, time, everything! The Braves' stadium was literally only 5 miles away from where the Yarn Harlot was going to speak. Popeye made it possible for me to arrive with plenty of time to spare. The guys let me out at Hilan Theatre. Too bad the Starbucks isn't there anymore. :( (But I made do. ;) ) I walked up the street and around the corner to Knitch...the yarn shop hosting the event.






This is the first floor fiber stash. LOTS more goodies there than what I took pictures of.



A picture of just SOME of the goodies upstairs. I meant to get a picture of the rovings but I was so in awe of everything and trying to take everything in, that I forgot.





I made just a small purchase or two (I resisted the yarn...I have my reasons which shall be divulged in a day or so).





I decided to walk down the street in search of a latte and something to eat. I found the Belly. My turkey sandwich was to DIE for! Homemade bread, tasty veggies (even thinly sliced cucumbers) on my sandwich with spicy mustard...and my latte (the first and second one) was WONDERFUL.

I decided it was time to take my sandwich and walk back down to the theater and get in line. I knew it was probably too early to start getting lined up but when I got there, there were 5 other women already at the door. I figured "why not". I got here early so I could get a good seat so I might as well take advantage of it. Soon thereafter, more and more (mostly) ladies were lining up. I had arranged to meet up with someone from my area. She wasn't quite to Atlanta yet. So I told her I would save her a place in line so we could sit together.

Here we are (I'm on the left, Meredith is on the right...terrible picture of me)




The Knitch ladies let us into the entrance to the theater. This is just a PART of the crowd.



After we were allowed to go in at 1pm, we were greeted with these displays:





(My camera did NOT like the lighting in this place.) This is just PART of the crowd on the bottom floor. There is an upstairs that was full. Oh, we were sitting on the 2nd row...I could have gotten on the first row, but figured 2nd was fine enough.



This was Georgia's largest knit in so while we were all knitting and waiting for Stephanie to come out, there was a raffle. The proceeds from the raffle went to Doctors without Borders. Unfortunately, I didn't win anything, but it went to a good cause. Three more tickets and I would have won some really nice yarn (live and learn).

It was finally time and the Yarn Harlot came out to take her blog pictures and give us her speech. (These are REALLY dark but I think you can make her out if you squint hard.)





Afterwards, she did a Q&A which was as fun as her giving her speech. Then they had the book signing. Those who were disabled, pregnant, had a baby on the outside of their body or traveled more than an hour to get there, got to go first. One of those categories fit me....the over-an-hour-drive one. :D





I showed my sock Stephanie as she was signing books. ;)




And then I held the Harlot's knitting while she held mine. I was so giddy with excitement and caffeine. She is SO nice and such a down to earth person. I think she would be a great person to be around on a regular basis. It is a day I won't soon forget.

News, I have news....

New socks for Sweet Pea 1

They are BRIGHT though....get your sunglasses ready. The stripes don't match either, but he doesn't care and neither do I. He wanted "no show" socks, so that is what I did. I knit a linen stitch heel for these as part of my Ravelry group Sock Knitters Anonymous bi-monthly challenge. I like the heel quite a bit.







And a surprise.....

















I've been bitten by the spinning bug....so I researched and read and researched some more and ended up with a very nice Kromski Minstrel spinning wheel. We're getting to know each other well.