Yarn Club Sign-ups Open

Sundara's Yarn Club is open for sign-ups! I've been very happy with the yarns and colors I received during the last session. I chose autumn for my color palette the first round. This time I'm choosing spring.

Life has been very busy here with sickness (I'm better now), out-of-town guests, baby showers, bar mitzvahs, kitten sitting, etc... I'll post soon with some knitting content.

Knit on!

The Reveal

I went to Stitches West last month and had a great time. This was my sixth year in a row and it gets better every year. I went with my mom, my MIL, Grace, and her friend Shirley. It was a fiber filled girls weekend!

I didn't take many pictures. Unfortunately, I was distracted. My mom came down with the flu the day after we arrived. It was bad. Poor mom. She didn't leave our room for the entire weekend! She missed out on everything. I felt so bad for her. There's nothing worse than being sick away from home. So I made sure she had medicine and food when she felt like she could keep it down. I checked on her often. When it was apparent that she wasn't going to feel well enough to go to the market before the weekend was over, she handed me money and asked, "Will you buy me some yarn?" (Mwaa-haa-haa-haa-haa)

Now some of you might remember that my mom missed Stitches last year because she was sick. Next year, she's getting a flu shot! I have to say that the Stitches staff were great about this situation. They gave her credit for her classes and events that she had paid for at the last minute, no problem. Great customer service!

I took two classes this year. Fair Isle Knitting with Fiona Ellis and the Joy of Steeks with Maureen Mason-Jamieson. I took the class with Fiona because I enjoyed the class I took last year with her. She has a great energy about her. I didn't learn anything new in this class though. I had taken a fair isle class last year. I thought this would reinforce what I had learned. The problem was that Fiona knits english style and holds both yarns in her right hand. I knit continental and learned to hold one color in each hand. So I practiced what I had learned last year. Practice is always a good thing. The steeks class was fun and I learned a lot. It was actually fun cutting my knitting...on a swatch, that is. I'm not so sure about a project I had spent a few months of my life knitting and then taking scissors to it. Maureen was a great teacher and very inspiring.

Here's a picture of the Bellman with 4 womens luggage and stuff the day we left.



Now onto the loot!

Koigu, anyone? I've been charmed by the Babette Blanket deisgned by Kathy Merrick. So I decided to start collecting Koigu for the project. Foxy Knits always has a great selection of Koigu solids at Stitches West, so that was on the top of my list. I'm making a girlie blanket for my future little girl (someday). I bought several shades of pink and pastels. I'm going to add two different shades of red (trust me on this), a neutral such as taupe and possibly a shade of purple. Here are some of my favorites from Ravelry: Baizou's Babette, Angie's Babette, Chatoune's Babette... There's more to look at. Twenty pages in fact. So if you have the time, it's fun to look at the different color combinations. Do you want to see a Koigu closeup?!


I thought so. :)

I also bought some alpaca from Honey Lane Farms.

The colorway is called Jelly. I resisted buying this last year, but couldn't resist two years in a row. I'm thinking about making a cardigan with a shawl collar.

Also on my list of things to buy was this design software program.


Cochenille's Garment Designer and Stitch Painter. This has been on my list for the past couple of years and I finally took the plunge. I didn't buy this because I want to start designing. I don't. But sometimes I'll have a specific idea of what I want to make with something in my stash and can't find a pattern that matches my idea. And this will be ideal for very simple sweaters. You just plug in your gauge, pick your silhouette along with details for the neck and sleeves and it gives you a pattern. It will be fun to play with.


Last, but not least, are my impulse buys.

Lace yarn! I'm lured by the lace ever since seeing the garments in person last year from Victorian Lace Today. They are stunning! All of these yarns are from the Yarn Place booth. From left to right we have Gentle in Dark Ruby. This yarn is 5% cashmere and 95% Australian Merino. Next is Heaven, which is 45% Tencel/55% Merino Wool. It's a very bright chartreuse like color. And it's cobweb laceweight! I don't know why, but I was drawn to it the whole weekend, so I bought it on the last day. And last is Touch which is 5% cashmere/10% tencel/85% merino wool. The color is called Wedgewood Blue. Someday, this will be a shawl for Grace. I let her pick out the color and told her the surprise will be when she gets it. Could be this year or next, for a birthday, mother's day or Christmas. All of these yarns are super soft! Maybe I'll focus on knitting lace this summer.

Stitches West did not disappoint this year and my mom has fully recovered. That's all for now. Next time I'll share some WIPs with you.

Oh Noro, how I love thee....

Just a quick post to prove that I'm still here. I cast on Shrugs & Kisses a couple of weeks ago. The yarn is Noro Kureyon color 185. This was a birthday gift from my MIL bought at Stitches West last year. I thought I should at least cast on before leaving for Stitches this year. I love the colors and how they gradually change from one to another. If it weren't for that, I'd be bored to tears of stockinette. I'm eager to finish the body of it so I can move onto the crocheted collar and bottom border. This is what it will look like (I hope):

It's going to have some competition for my attention soon. My knitting group is knitting the Lenore sock pattern and I have yet to cast on. I think I'm the last to cast on actually, so that will be happening very soon. And a dear friend of mine is having a baby in May. I just got notice that there will be a shower in April. I have a month to knit up a gift. Good thing I bought all of those kits for the Dream in Color Tulip sweater!

Stitches or Bust

Thank you for your condolences in regards to Nikko. It's been a very emotional week. Our home is not the same without him. I still find myself coming home from work and wanting to look for him like I've always done. It's going to take some time to get used to, but I know it will get better and Jeff and I are focusing on the great memories we have.

I finally have a picture of my nephews sweater!

I put the second picture in to show the cute reverse seams on the shoulder. It's a little big for him, so hopefully it will fit him next year as well. And he likes it!

Pattern: Simple Sweater w/Shoulder Seam Detail from Great Knits for Kids by Debbie Bliss

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Aqua Blue (this isn't the color name - I have to find the label but it's late and I'm tired)

Needles: Knit Picks Options size 6 (I think...I really should write this stuff down before I finish...)

Started: September 2007

Finished: January 2008

This was a super easy pattern to knit. And quick too! I finished the knitting by the end of October but didn't finish sewing it up until January. I love the shoulder seams and the rolled edges. I think Anthony looks my handsome in it. When I gave it to him he wanted to put it on right away. That's all the encouragement I need to make him more handknits!

I'm off to catch some z's. I'm leaving for Stitches West tomorrow. A little yarn therapy should make me feel better.

Sweet Valentine

Yesterday we lost our Nikko. He was 16.

I was very lucky to spend 16 wonderful years with him. He was extraordinary and will be greatly missed.

My heart is broken.

Yarn Parade! (aka Sundarafest)

Warning: This post has lots of photos.

As promised, I'm sharing my yarn acquisitions purchased during my recent blog hiatus.

But first, I have another FO to share!

Here, Mary and I show off our matching Shedir hats. That's Mary on the left, me on the right. Thanks Madge for taking the photos! : )

Here's a closeup from the back. I love how it turned out.

Project: Shedir hat
Yarn: Rowan Calmer in Plum
Needles: Brysoun 16" circulars size US 3
Start: January 15th
End: January 27th

And now....on with the show....

First up - Jeff and I went to Portland last October for the marathon. While we were there, I had to visit at least one yarn shop. I went to Knit Purl which is a very quaint shop in downtown Portland. They have a good variety of yarns to choose from, a beautiful wall of Koigu, a basement where classes are held and the staff was friendly without being overbearing. I didn't purchase a lot, but I did want to bring home some souvenir yarn. On the left is Artyarns Ultramerino 4 in color 139. The colors remind me of a lagoon. And since the colorway has no name, only a number, I think I'll name it Blue Lagoon. On the right is Shi Bui sock yarn in Rust. This was the first time I had seen Shi Bui in person. It has great sqwoosh-factor. Super soft. I'm thinking I'll make a pair of socks for Jeff with this.


Last year I was a member of Sundara's Petals Collection which has now transformed into the Seasons Yarn Club. The Petals Collection consisted of sock yarn. The Seasons Yarn Club is a variety of yarns and colors based on whichever season you choose. I chose autumn. Above is the second to last package from the Petals Collection. It's 100% Superwash Merino in Poppy. I personally have never seen a poppy this color. It's absolutely gorgeous. It's a deep, dark purple. Almost eggplant, but not quite. I might make the Lenore sock pattern out of this.

And last came Magnolia. It reminds me of cotton candy.


Our next float comes from the Seasons Yarn Club. It's 1,000 yards of silk lace. The color is Copper Over Bamboo. I plan on making a shawl or wrap. I'm just not sure which one. There are so many pretty patterns to choose from!

Next came Mossy, another skein of sock yarn.

And last, but not least, Bronzed Sienna, which has various shades of copper and a little brown mixed in. More socks!

I've been very pleased with the colors and quality of Sundara Yarn. I think I will probably sign up for the club again after this session ends. I'm going to pick a different season so that I'll have a new palette of colors. But it wasn't all Sundara.

Last summer I saw a post on the Yarn Harlot, which for some reason I can't link to the particular post, only the month of June. If interested, scroll down to June 5th. Then I saw this on The Panopticon. After months went by, I had a weak moment and followed this link to ThreadBear. Seriously. I couldn't decide which color combinations I like best. And this is what happened:




I was a little out of control! But this Dream in Color yarn is truly dreamy, let me tell ya. And now they have sock yarn....


Finally, I've been thinking about making Rogue for awhile now. As I was browsing on Ravelry one day, I saw a verison I loved made of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed. That was all the inspiration I needed. : )

Are you still with me? Thanks for hanging out. Until next time...

Ta Da!!!

I know I said in my last post that I would share yarn acquisitions with you, but the yarny goodness will have to wait. I have something even more exciting! Scroll down and be surprised...

Ladies and gents, may I present Pomatomus! Jeff and I were vacationing last week in Cabo San Lucas so I took them along for a photo shoot. This was taken from the balcony of our room. I was so excited to have finished these socks. I pranced around the house in them like Cinderella at the ball. Why am I so happy? Well...

#1 - It's an indication that I have my knitting mojo back.

#2 - They're my first pair of adult-sized socks.

#3 - I love them and they're pretty!

#4 - The pattern was fun to knit and kept me interested. I never got tired of knitting them. I was only eager to finish them because I couldn't wait to wear them.

#5 - It's a FO! I haven't turned out a FO since last summer (I think). Oh dear.

#6 - The Sock Bug finally bit. Socks are fun. And they feel so much better than store bought socks.

Pattern: Pomatomus Socks by Cookie A.
Yarn: Sundara's Blue Grape Hyacinth colorway
Needles: Knit Pick's Options DPNs US size 2 (2.75mm)
Start: August 2007
Finish: January 2008


I loved working with the Sundara yarn. It has a very nice feel to it while knitting and the finished fabric is soft and squishy. It's a good thing I like the yarn. Once you see my next post, you'll understand why.

I also finished my nephew's sweater. I just need to block it and then I'll have him model it for me.

My knitting group started a KAL for the Shedir hat on January 1st. The pattern can be found on Knitty. It was one of the fall surprises for that issue. I'm one of the last to finish but I'm making good progress and it's still January. I should finish in the next few days.

The stitch marker is from Zero Markers. I tried to get a close up of it, but my camera wouldn't cooperate. It's pink and purple with a fresh water pearl on the bottom. I've bought several sets of markers from this site. I consider it jewelry for my knitting. I'm using Rowan Calmer for the hat and I'm lovin' it. It's super soft. The hat is knitting up much faster since Mary showed me how to cable without a cable needle. Thanks Mary!

So January included a great vacation and lots of knitting. A good start for 2008!

And we're back.....

Happy New Year everyone!

Well, I've been a little bit absent, haven't I? Seeing that I haven't posted since September, it would take a novella to catch you up on the goings on around here, and quite frankly, it would be a boring read at that. So I'll spare you many of the details and suffice it to say that the holidays kicked me in the ass.

I work in retail, so for me, the holiday madness started in October with grand plans and preparation. And since I work in a cookware store, Thanksgiving is a huge holiday and we get busy earlier than most. By the time Christmas came around, part of me didn't care whether we celebrated or not. We did, of course. But the thought of picking up the phone and calling our family members and saying, "I'm sorry, but Christmas has been canceled over here. You'll have to make other plans. I'll be in hibernation for the day.", did cross my mind. I really felt like a grinch this year, which is so unlike me. I did manage to pull it together, however, and a good time was has by all . And in hindsight, I'm glad I didn't cancel on everyone. Next year I will try to do things differently so that the work demands don't effect my holiday spirit with friends and family. But I'll figure that out later. At this moment, I don't want to think about it.

Let's think about yarn, shall we? There was a little knitting going on here at the yarn addict's. Not a lot, but some.

Pomatomus

I started the second sock for the second time. The first time I had knit the ribbing and the 22 row pattern only to discover I had followed the wrong chart. Doh! That's the thing about knitting. Just when you think you know what you're doing (because you've already knit the pattern once before) it reminds you that you don't, that you need to stay focused. And so, I ripped and started again. I have one more pattern repeat and then I can turn the heel. I'm still enjoying the pattern and I'm eager to finish so that I can finally wear them. The finished sock is super comfy.

Simple Sweater

This is Anthony's birthday sweater. He's the big 2 now!

I started this Sept. 15th, the day the Yarn Harlot visited LA. I didn't blog about it and now it's such old news that I'll just say, if you ever have the opportunity to see her in person, do it. She's fabulously witty, funny and entertaining. Oh yeah, the sweater. I finished the knitting about a month later and began to sew it up. And then I got swept up into the holiday vortex and here it sits. I think I should rename it a Valentine Sweater rather than a birthday one. It's deja vu. I'll still shoot for his birthday to ensure it will be done by V-Day. ; )

The grey cable and rib sweater has been in timeout. I've finished the back, one side of the front and both sleeves. Just one more front to go.

So many near FOs and all I can think about is what project to cast on next.

I'm not going to make any resolutions. Only that I want to be better. A better blogger, better at finishing projects, better time management, etc.

Next post: yarn acquisitions!

Splat

This morning as I was finishing my shower I noticed I was not alone. Something was flitting about here, there and everywhere. Once it stopped to take a rest I could see that it was the worst kind of intruder of all. Especially in a house full of luscious wooly goodness. It was a moth. I quickly picked up the can of shaving cream (my weapon of choice) and in one swift, deft move reminiscent of Bruce Lee.....I smashed him.

Moths are not welcome here. I must protect my stash no matter what. Even if it means resorting to murder.

If you happen to be a moth reading this post, you have been warned. Now... go tell your friends.

Bitten & Smitten

Wow. Where has the time gone? I haven't posted in over a month! Nothing exciting happening here. Just life - work, appointments, homekeeping, etc. But I didn't mean to let so much time go by between posts. I guess since I've only been knitting a little here and there, I haven't felt like I have much to say lately.

But today I have BIG news!




The sock bug has finally bit! A culmination of inspiration gained from Cookie A.'s sock class and my first skein of Sundara's yarn, not to mention the cool socks my friends have made.

I decided to make Pomatomus designed by Cookie A. and available for free at Knitty. I questioned whether this was a good choice since I have never actually finished an adult sock before. Would I be so overwhelmed by the lace pattern, in addition to the sock construction, only to have an abandoned half-finished sock in the bottom of a bag hidden in my spare closet? I worried. Afterall, this has happened before with a very simple sock pattern I began for Jeff a few years ago. It's still there. In a bag. In a bin. Hidden deep where I won't be reminded of my first sock failure. Still. I know it's there.

Cookie recommended choosing a pattern you love and yarn you'll love knitting with. Good advice to keep the knitting inspiration alive. I thought Sundara's Blue Grape Hyacinth colorway would look great in the Pomatomus pattern.

I started a few weeks ago, but only worked on it a little at a time. It isn't very portable because of the chart and the fact that I have to pay attention. I had this holiday weekend off. Jeff and I didn't make any plans. Temperatures have been in the 100s here lately, so we've been holed up inside with the a/c running. I've had lots of time to work on my sock.

See!


I'm now on the foot which is now almost half done. I've really enjoyed the sock process. When I got to the heel flap I didn't want to put it down until I was done. Then I couldn't wait to start the heel. Then the gusset. Now the excitement is over so I'm racing to get to the toe!


I hope to have one finished Pomatomus to show you soon. I better go. The weekend's almost over. Hope you have had a good one!

Everything's coming up....

Sunflowers! They've been growing wild in my yard this year. It's the weirdest thing and it's never happened before. And they're in three different areas of the yard. The wind must have blew in some seeds....They're a happy surprise!

Wow, this has to be the most boring blog out there right now. Even I'm yawning. Not much knitting has been happening. I guess the needles are feeling they're due a summer vacation too. I gave in, but I'm about to cut their summer short. It's really almost over anyway. I can feel fall just around the corner!

This was in the last package I received from my secret pal during Secret Pal 10. Did I get lucky or what?! Three skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in color 24 (deep red), a Chick Knits pattern book, a book on The Language of Happiness, New Yorker Cats note cards, a mini spa kit, a hand care kit and a cute little magnet. Who was behine all the wonderful gifts the past few months? Alissa at Lis knits, too. Thanks Alissa!

And finally... even though the knitting content here has been bleak, there has been a little going on. A couple of months ago my coworker discovered she has breast cancer. I wanted to make her something that was both useful and comforting. I chose a hat in her favorite color pink.

Pattern: Dude, where's my hat? from The Yarn Girls' Guide to Beyond the Basics
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk, color 25009 (a pink-mauvey color)
Needles: Size US 7 dpns - not recommended for a hat unless you have longer needles. My stitches came off the ends several times.
Knitting time: I started on a Saturday and finished the following Friday in three sittings.

Thoughts:
I don't love it. My biggest gripe is that hem line across the top of the brim. The pattern calls for doubling the brim length and then folding it under and stitching it to the inside of the hat. It's not as noticeable in the book since they used Tahki, Donnegal Tweed which makes a sturdier fabric than the alpaca silk I used. But I was going for soft.

Another gripe is that the picture in the book is not knit up 'in pattern'. The pattern calls for purl rows creating a garter edge. The picture is all stockinette. I noticed this before I started, but decided to follow the pattern...until I got to the crown. It also called for purl rows (not in the picture!) and I decided to leave them out.

The picture in the book is very cute. It's just not what the pattern makes. It would be disappointing for someone who is more of a beginner and doesn't know how to make the adjustments so that it looks like the picture.

I need to reblock the brim. Do you see where it flairs out on the sides? Thats because I laid it flat while blocking. How do you block a hat? On a cantalope?

I wouldn't knit this particular pattern again. I liked working with the yarn, but it was the wrong choice for the pattern in order to get the look I was going for. The right choice for softness though, which is more important. I'm going to give it to my friend nonetheless. And then I'm going to knit her a better one! :)

Cookie, Canning & a Contest

So my toe-up sock with Cookie A. Thursday night was a lot of fun. The perfect way to end a workday. We made a small sample sock so that we would have time to knit all the hard parts, i.e., the toe, the heel, the gusset, the bind-off, etc. For some, this sample sock made perfect baby socks. They could go home and practice further by making a matching sock and have an instant baby gift on their hands. For me....

It would have to be a baby with mighty fat feet. I put the pen in for scale. The sock doesn't look as big in the picture as it really is. I think these would even be too big for a 3 year old. We used worsted weight yarn, size 7 needles. Oh yeah, and I'm a loose knitter (get your mind out of the gutter!). So no matching sock for this lonely sole. (heh) I bound off to pratice the sewn cast off rather than continuing up the leg.

The class accomplished exactly what I wanted.

• It was a refresher on making socks. I had taken a top-down sock class a few years ago at Stitches, but never actually made a pair other than the class sample.


• It renewed my interest in making socks. I've been thinking about them ever since! Maybe I'll actually make a pair this time.


• I met Cookie! She's very down-to-earth, approachable and patient. Things you would want in an instructor. Her designs are amazing. I bought several patterns.

The Thelonious Sock,

Millicent,

and Rhiannon

But first I'll try something a little more simple! I'm glad I took the class. I don't have a preference to top-down vs. toe-up. I think I have to actually make a few pair before having an opinion. I find it interesting that a lot of people prefer toe-up because they don't like doing the kitchener stitch over a few stitches at the end, yet they'll do a sewn cast-off over 64 stitches. They seem very similar to me. Maybe they do a different bind-off. I know there are other benefits to toe-up. You get past the fussier parts at the beginning and you can knit until you run out of yarn. I wonder what my prefernce will be.

My knitting hiatus seems to be ending. What did I do in my free time if I wasn't knitting, you ask?

I've been playing in the kitchen. We have an apricot and plum tree. We've been told the apricot tree is dying, but it put out a good crop this year. I didn't want the fruit to go to waste like it has in the past, so I made preserves. It's been fun! And tasty! I'll definitely do it again.

On a final note, Ali at Skeins Her Way is having another contest. Let her know I sent you. Good luck!

Enough said.

Sundara Yarn - Petals Collection



I've been eagerly waiting my first installment of Sundara's Petal Collection. It did not disappoint. The color is Blue Grape Hyacinth and it came with a sock pattern that has little clusters that look like hyacinth blooms.

I couldn't capture the subtle varigation of color very well on camera, but there is quite a lot of purple hues throughout the yarn. I've read such great things about Sundara's yarn on various blogs. Now that I have some for myself, I highly recommend it. It has great skwoosh factor and I love, love, love subtle color varigated yarn. I'm not sure if I'll save this for socks or a baby sweater. It will be awhile before I get to it.

I'm taking a class with Cookie A. this Thursday. Hoping the sock bug will bite!

What grows in your garden?

My dad and I planted a garden on the side of my house this spring. I've been wanting to do this for the past two years, but something always got in the way of our plans. Not this year! We finally did it. We have tomato plants, yellow squash, cucmbers, radishes, green beans, watermelon (dad's idea - we'll see) and some herbs. It's been a ton of fun watching everything grow and a great project to spend time with my dad on. He's a Mississippi country boy afterall.


Look at that cucumber!



And those radishes-


Yellow bell peppers -

(gasp!) Rowan Felted Tweed (shade 155)!

Rowan Polar (shade 654)!

Filatura Di Crosa Nilo in color 50!

Rowan Calmer (shade 476)!

Sigh. It's a nice fantasy. These are actually some of my finds from the Black Sheep Knittery sale in May. There has been very little knitting going on here lately. Hopefully that will change soon. Here's an update on the grey sweater:

The back, one side of the front and a sleeve are done. It's growing. Very slowly.