Yarn is so PICKY!

So, last month I started designing the sock pattern for the March Sockamania KAL.  I had all of these really great ideas:  cute, bright colored Easter eggs, a nice plain background, etc. 

• I dyed up some bright colored yarn, dried it, rolled it up for a nice center-pull ball, and began knitting my idea that was in my head. 
• Only a few rows in, I decided (or rather the yarn decided) I did not like the "eggs" design I was knitting. 
• Ripped it back and re-vamped my egg design. 
• Again, ewww icky! 
• One more time
• Decided it was the color of the yarn. 
• Back to the dye pots with a new idea for the color combination.  The yellow turned out orange--not happy, but will work with the bright pink that was supposed to be pale pink. 
• More egg knitting.
• WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!! (What's wrong with this yarn!)
• Ripped it all out.
• Avoided knitting for three days while I tried to calm down and re-think the entire design idea.
• Threw the entire "Easter Egg" idea out the window and focused on just "Spring".
• Started knitting again.  
• Got to the heel and thought, "Wouldn't it be cute if I did an I-cord tie!"
• Ripping out again.
• Finally decided on the I-cord tie and found a cute lacey/flower bud looking design and finished the sock in no time.
• I still hate the yarn color!  And since when does yarn decide what to knit it into?  What was wrong with Easter Eggs? 

The Newest Sweater and Some Musings

As promised here is my latest sweater. It is from the same book as the other two--Best of Lopi. I used "Ecology" wool from Cascade for the main color and then left-over's for the accent colors. I thought it was kind of ugly as I was knitting it. After all the main color is quite drab. But when I finished it and put it on I was pleasantly surprised at how great it looked! I am loving these sweaters!! I have come up with a reason that I like them--NO SEWING is involved! I have avoided making many things because sewing was required. Not that I can't sew; I've quilted and sewn many items over the years. I just hate sewing up sweaters!!! I swear it takes as long to sew the darn thing up as it took to knit all of the pieces. These Icelandic sweaters have just a few stitches under the arm that you graft together and that is it! The entire sweater is knit in the round from the bottom to the collar. As I mentioned in the last post, I have yarn to make two more sweaters. Both of them will be out of Lopi yarn. I am so anxious to make them I about can't sleep at night! I've never made anything with Lopi brand yarn and I have seen advertisements that it is the warmest wool out there. I can't wait to compare it with the Australian brand yarn that I made the first two sweaters with. I will let you know if it truly is the warmest--I have tried just about every brand of wool yarn on the planet.

Now for the "Musings". Every winter I find myself doing this--in fact I may have posted about it before--I begin to look around at what people are wearing to keep themselves warm. I see small children in nasty acrylic knitwear that I know is not keeping them warm. There are teenagers on the ski slopes wearing very trendy hats, ear warmers, maybe even sweaters made in various third world countries out of the cheapest, scratchiest, worst wool on the planet (that's right, there is such thing as "yucky" wool). I walk through the malls and shopping centers and see racks and racks of trendy/holiday/fashionable sweaters, socks, mittens, gloves, hats, etc. all mass produced and just like the ones in the store next door and none of which will keep you very warm or comfortable.

During all of this I am wondering, "What are people thinking?" Do they think that ALL knitted items are the same? Is that hat the reason you think all wool is scratchy? Is your childs hat the reason you think that knit items don't really keep you warm? Do you go by that polar fleece junk because you think it will keep you warm in sub-zero weather? Did you spend all that money at that fancy sporting goods store for those socks because the tag says they are the warmest? HB even get's caught up in the notion that "commercially" produced fabrics and knitwear can rival hand-knit items even though he KNOWS it doesn't.

When I go to make an article of clothing or an accessory I ask myself, "Who is going to be wearing this? Where do they live? What temperatures could they encounter? Will it be wet and rainy, windy, snowing, below zero?" All of those play an important part in not only the style of the item, but most importantly WHAT fiber the article will be made from. For example: HB has an earflap hat I made for him a couple of years ago when he was spending almost his entire work day outside in various Colorado locations--some as high as 8,000-9,000 feet elevation. This hat is made from a black yarn--a blend of cashmere, merino wool, and silk. I knit it with needles that would be considered much to small for the bulky weight yarn I used. Why this particular style, fiber content, and needle variation? Because:

1. Black colored clothing will soak up any sunshine and help keep you toasty warm no matter what the temperature drops to.

2. Cashmere, merino, and silk are all very fine, very dense fibers. These fibers are known to keep you as much as 8 times warmer than regular wool (WAY warmer than the acrylic junk!! or polar fleece).

3. Smaller needles than what you would normally use to get gauge with a particular yarn will produce a firmer, more dense fabric. This makes the hat water and wind resistant. HB has actually worn his hat out riding our ATV in the snow and wind up in the mountains and his ears never got cold.

You see, hand knit items, especially when the knitter knows the purposes and uses for the item, are FAR superior to anything you can buy in any store anywhere.

I also spin yarn. Which means that I can get REALLY carried away with the details that go into making an item. I can make the yarn with any blend of any fibers I want. If I need extra strength--hemp, extra warmth--angora or cashmere or silk or all three. I can hand pick the wool. Just because something says it's made from wool DOES NOT mean it is going to be just like the other wool sweater or socks you have. Even wool from the same sheep can vary from year to year depending on it's diet, the climate, the weather, etc. Hand picking the wool ensures that you are getting all of the qualities you want to incorporate into the hand-knit item.

Sorry, I do get very carried away when it comes to the society we live in being slaves to whatever is for sale in the store. There are so many people out there that think they have to endure cold feet, hands, ears, etc. because they have given up finding something warm to wear. Me, I look forward to winter! But then........I knit!

Misc.

LOVING our new place! We are almost completely unpacked.

HB bought some new furniture for the living room. Our old couch weighs just slightly more than a grand piano and it takes 4 really buff football players or 6 regular people to move it. (It was a double lazy boy couch with a table top island in the center. 8 feet long and three feet deep!) We have moved it three times and that was that! I am only one little girl and HB can't help at all because of his back. So it was time for the couch to find a new home! The one we replaced it with is very nice and the money from the old one paid for the new one (YEAH! I like when that works out!). Plus we got a LOVELY chair to match. HB said I needed a really good "knitting" chair. He is so wonderful! He is also looking a coffee table to match that, as he descibed it to me, has "two big drawers under the table top for storing yarn". (Don't you wish your husband would shop for things with your yarn habit in mind? I am really spoiled!)

I got his mittens finished. Unfortunately I still don't have a picture of them. I promise to post one of them this week. They turned out really nice! Wait til you see them! HB was thrilled! He shows them off everywhere we go.

I will try to get some pictures of the new house and furniture to post with the mittens for next time.

Gotta go for now.
Happy knitting!

Ooooo's and Ahhhhh's

I realize what a "Knit" wit this makes me look like, but in the middle of designing last months sock pattern for Sockamania and spinning up the yarn for, and knitting two pairs of hunting socks for a customer I made this sweater:

Isn't it great! I love it. It turned out really good. The yarn is some I bought with my birthday money back in August. It isn't Lopi, but it makes a good substitute. It is the same yarn I used for the last sweater I made (Mauch) in different colors. The pattern is from "The Best of Lopi" also and the pattern name is "Brigitte".

And look at the cute buttons I found to put on it! I found the buttons at Blazing Needles in Salt Lake City. I love pewter buttons!

Anyway, the socks for my customer don't look too exciting, but they are made from my handspun angora/wool blend yarn. They are sooooo soft! and the minute you put them on your feet warm up. I am going to have to make some for my family for this winter. I made a nice fingering weight yarn and knit them up on US size 2 needles. Very plain, but very warm!

I love knitting!

Monday's Reflection

I am sure that I am not the only Knitter out there who has done this.

The kido's left for school this morning and as I walked back into the house I looked around and noticed that every surface of my living room had at least one partially knit project lying on it. I recall working on three different projects yesterday afternoon and evening--which were all laying across the couch, four projects and all of their patterns completely cover the end table, three projects in two bags in front of the couch, four more projects stuck between the couch and the end table--not counting the two spinning projects also stuck there, three more projects protruding from the decorative "pickling crock" in the corner, etc. etc. etc.

Well, imagine how embarrassed I was to suddenly realize that I have been on a "new project" bender for the last few weeks. I began to organize some of the mess and uncovered several other UFO's dating all the way back to last summer before we moved. Oh the shame! I don't know how this could have happened. I am usually pretty good at keeping my WIP's to a minimum and only one or two UFO's.

I think I know how I got all of my current WIP's--it was that clandestine trip to one of THE nicest yarn shops I have ever been to in my life (and it's right over the mountain from me!!). They have the most amazing selection of the finest yarns produced today. I thought I had died and gone to heaven! So of course I bought yarn!!! I promised myself I would not start any projects with it though until my current projects were completely finished. But that naughty, scarlet colored 100% silk that is so soft and divine kept whispering to me all night long. (Yes, I have my "special" yarn stash located in my bedroom) We are talking about a yarn that is so wonderful you want it to be with you even when you go to the post office, you dream about it at night, and check on it (touch and pet it) everytime you walk through the room. I couldn't help myself--apparently!--I had to cast on that "Lacey Hearts" scarf. It is THE perfect yarn for the project.

Just as soon as I got about 1/4th of the way through it the other fingering weight silk blend yarn began to seduce me. "You still haven't found the perfect pattern for me yet. You know how I look like tigers eye when the suns rays shine down on me. Don't you love me? Don't you want to touch me? You took out that little scarlet number right away, now what about me?" The next thing I knew a "Tigers Eye" lace scarf pattern was laying on my printer and the yarn was wound into a center pull ball and 30 stitches were cast on. Sooooo lovely to look at, so soft to touch! Can't wait to wear it!!!!!

Drunken with silk fumes, I found myself casting on for two more pairs (in addition to the four pairs that I have been working on) of socks--one with some GORGEOUS yarn from Lornas Laces (and who can resist her yarn?!!!) and the other with a beautiful charcoal yarn (because Father's Day is just around the corner).

With all of this going on, I got a yarn order in for a customer on Saturday that contained an extra "sample" yarn--Oooooo pretty........................soft..................................fluffy alpaca!!! Then an order of some close out yarns (I got 440 yards of sock yarn for $3.25!!!!!!!!) showed up today. Realizing that I have a friends birthday coming up next week I started looking through a summer lace issue of some knitting magazine I picked up somewhere while still under the influence of those silk fumes. Then it all hit me. WHAT AM I DOING!!! Am I really considering casting on ANOTHER project--a lace project that I am thinking I will have done in a week!!!!!

I went outside for a breath of fresh air, at this point, to hopefully clear my head a little. Now that I am feeling better I am going to attempt to resist the temptation to knit something for my friend and just send a card and flowers. Then turn my attention to organizing this disaster.

NO NEW PROJECTS FOR ME THANKS! I HAVE PLENTY TO DO ALREADY!

PS: If you have found yourself in a similar predicament stay away from Ravely!!! I get in trouble everytime I sign in! I find some GREAT pattern and the next thing I know I have cast on for it!!!!

PSS: I will post WIP and hopefully FO pictures next time--HoneyBunny took the camera with him on his trip.

FO's--FINALLY!

This is my "Hey Teach" sweater all done!! I mentioned that I was extremely obsessed with it a couple of months ago. I actually finished it before we started packing up to move, but since all of life has been consumed with the art of loading and unloading boxes for the last month and a half, I am just now getting the time to take pictures and write about this adorable little number.

And as if the sweater itself wasn't cute enough, check out the buttons that I found!!!!!! FOSSILS! I had to sit down and take a few deep breaths when I saw these. I have never seen buttons like this! I couldn't have special ordered a set of buttons that would have made me happier. (Yes I know, I am a little odd.) Who needs (blank) when you can knit a sweater from a pattern that is this easy, this cute, this well written, and then find buttons like these to put on the finished product? (Feel free to put your own words into the "blank").

I just finished these last night. They are the October Sockamania pattern. I knit them with some yarn I won from one of the KAL's I participate in. It's a bamboo/silk blend. I loved knitting with it!! It is reminds me of really good mercerized egyptian cotton, but with a softer hand and the drape of silk. A certain person from the "Christmas List" is going to really like these!

Speaking of "The Christmas List", how many of you are already making plans to knit all of your Christmas gifts this year? Ya, me too. I am falling into that same rut I find myself in about this time of year every year. (Ooo, I should make that lace shawl for... and those turkish socks for...and an afghan for... Ooo, and that sweater for...etc. etc. etc). It will be November in two days which means that I have less than two months to make all of these lovely projects for everyone on my list. Will I make it this year????? Nope! I never do. But who can resist all of that delicious yarn, the challenge of being "under the gun" at the last minute, and all of those great patterns? I've decided that planning knitting projects is a good chunk of the excitement and fun. After all, I like to think and talk about yarn and knitting almost as much as I like buy yarn and knit it.

So.............Happy Knitting!

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

After weeks and weeks of back breaking work I am beginning to see the end of this whole project. We finally got the living room cleared enough so that you can sit on the couch and watch tv from the entertainment center and not sit on the floor watching a tv that is also sitting on the floor. I have been able to resume cooking for us rather than eating out every meal--in fact, I am so sick of eating out that it will be quite a while before I get in the mood to eat out again. And things are looking more like MY house.

HOWEVER!, I cannot find my circular knitting needles!! I really need a 16 inch size 10! I have looked and looked. Also missing is 5 skeins of Hemp yarn in Avocado. I wouldn't be surprised if the two of them were in the same box hiding from me while they made a shawl or something. Anyway, the search is beginning to feel like an emergency situation. I have no idea where they are, in which box. I packed them but can not remember packing them. Unfortunately, none of the boxes say anything clever like, "circular knitting needles" or "missing avocado colored hemp yarn". So the search continues.

I will never do this again. Moving into a house that is located in the same building as your job is not a good idea. The owner thinks that it shouldn't be any big deal to put in 16 hour days at work while unpacking and arranging an entire house, changing banks and addresses for paying bills, getting new license plates and drivers licenses, and checking kids into new schools and get them settled in there, etc. I got some sort of stomach flu the day after we arrived and spent the entire day throwing up and laying in bed. Then this morning I woke up with a terrible sinus infection and cold. I feel horrible! I have done most of this move all by myself because of HoneyBunny's back and, since I am the brains of the outfit, have taken over ALL of the front desk/management duties for the motel. I think my immune system is a little on the weak side right now.

Anyway, I gotta go. I gotta lay down for at least a few minutes before we get slammed with business this afternoon. I am exhausted and I miss my knitting something terrible--I can hear my yarn and knitting books calling to me from the boxes down the hall right now. I sure wish that hemp yarn and those circular needles would speak up so I can find them!

Let's Try This Again!

After yesterdays disaster--my post disappeared somehow--it was too late to write the entire thing over so I am going to try to get it on here today. Unfortunately all of that great humor and fun stuff is gone so I will just have to do what I can to re-create it.

I have obtained a job. Yeah. Unfortunately it has nothing to do with yarn, knitting, or fiber so as you can guess--it's just a job. I am working full time and if I was to design the perfect job--that has nothing to do with the love of my life (not counting HoneyBunny of course)--it would be this job. Great benefits, salary, etc, etc. I am really happy I got this one, the alternative was awful! So, now I just have to find time for what I really love to do--pet yarn and knit. I'm sure I will figure something out. What is really difficult so far is trying to maintain my store--which is about a four hour a day job--and work at my new job--which is a nine hour a day job counting lunch but not drive time to and from work. I plan to be really tired all week and not have any "ME" time.

Next--WIP's. I have been crocheting a swimsuit for The Daughter. Now I know what you are thinking--EUWWWW! No! This one is soooooo cute you won't believe it. (I will post pictures as soon as I am done and have time to take the pictures). I am making it out of the beautiful turquoise cotton (called Piper) from Dale of Norway. You can see the yarn in my store here. I have the top completely finished--which is really the hard part because of all of the adjustments that I have to make so that it fits her (if you have seen her you know what I am talking about!). I hope to have the bottoms done this weekend so hopefully there will be pictures by this time next week. I am using a bikini pattern from "Sexy Knits" as a loose reference or just an idea to work from. It really is turning out fantastic!

And finally, HoneyBunny (better known as The Boring Sock Lover) has ordered at least 4 pair of "crew" length socks for his new summer work boots. So, after locating all of the odds, ends, and leftovers of several years worth of sock yarns I am well on my way to having the first pair done. Some of the leftover yarns are from fourteen years ago when I lived in Washington State!!! It brings back very fond memories of knitting for 6-10 hours a day and playing with my baby daughter (sigh)........Anyway, again, as soon as I get time there will be pictures of them.

So, that's about all of what got lost yesterday. I am REALLY missing my old schedule--get up, get husband to work, kids to school, sit down (in pj's) at computer with breakfast, visit bloggy friends, write in blog, look at knitting patterns, take some pictures, process etsy orders, get showered and dressed sometime around noon, eat lunch and read more blogs, go to post office, knit, talk on the phone, pick up kids from school, start dinner, pretend that I have worked super hard all day for HoneyBunny, eat dinner, knit, knit somemore, and go to bed after some reading and knitting. Maybe again someday..........

Happy Knitting! Even if I am not here as often I am still thinking about all of you!

Almost Spun Out!

After almost a week or so of spinning, combing, combining, dying, and fiddling with fibers I am just about done for a while. I love to play with fibers, but it takes a terrible toll on my upper body. Spinning is especially hard on me and now I have a raging head ache that will take weeks to get rid of. My shoulders are killing me, my back is sore and tight, my hands hurt, and my arms are pooped! BUT IT WAS WORTH IT!!!

Remember the fiber from Enchanted Knoll? Well it is now about 400 yards of luscious, fingering weight yarn! (It is incredibly difficult to capture it's true essence in pictures!) Very soft and glowing with all of those little blue, red, green, and opalescent silk threads. I am planning to make a lace moebius scarf with it. I have had the pattern forever, but never had "The Perfect Yarn". Well this yarn is as perfect as it gets. There will be pictures when I finish it.
This was some of the prettiest fiber ever! I combined a "sea foam" colored merino wool with royal blue tussah silk and then spun up this GORGEOUS sock weight yarn. HoneyBunny was even a little enamored with it. It is now listed in my etsy store.

This is some Lilac and blue wool/silk fiber I created.

This is a blend of wool, silk, and angora. It will be "to die for" when it's spun up!

I really got into the "Oriental" looking colors. I am going to blend this Scarlet merino wool and gold silk together. It should turn out really pretty, just have to get back my desire to do what it takes to get it combed and combined.

This is the "Sedona" silk that I got from Enchanted Knoll. It has tiny knots in it that make for a textured, shiney yarn. I am about half way finished spinning it into singles. There will be a picture of the yarn posted when it is finished.

And since I can't go forever without knitting, this is the sock that I started the other day. I am using the bamboo/wool I got from Anni's etsy store. It is such nice yarn. I don't think I will give this pair away--they will be mine!

So, that about wraps up (no pun intended :o) ) the fiber adventures for now. I have a bunch of knitting to work on!

Happy Knitting!

"Getting to know me, getting to know all about me"

I have now been tagged by Awesome Mom--I think she is just paying me back for tagging her. This one is more difficult because I need to link to a bunch of blogs I have written. So we are about to see how creative I can be with my computer in order to accomplish this.

1. While sitting on my "pity pot" for all the world to see, I wrote a lot about my family. I am not prone to this type of post, but it certainly gives a reader an idea of why I knit SOOOOOO much.

2. What are friends for anyway if they can't help you find more patterns than you could EVER possibly knit. They can be great enablers when you share an addiction to yarn, patterns, or fiber!

3. It isn't a secret that I have more UFO's and WIP's than are really necessary. I do it so that I don't ever get bored with what I am working on and so that I always have the perfect project for whatever I am doing in addition to knitting--riding in the car, waiting at the doctor's office, watching a movie, cooking dinner, etc.

4. Well this one is just silly! I am supposed to link to something I love. DUH! that's like my whole blog! Knitting, HoneyBunny, anything to do with rocks, knitting socks, yarn, fiber, Halloween--pretty much in that order.

5. Anything......with lots of pretty pictures.


Now I am off to tag five others!!

PS: I am still making yarn--pictures next time.