Monday, April 30, 2007

Sockless In Seattle...

First, let me apologize for the title. It even makes me cringe.

You guys will either be really proud or really disappointed with my Seattle yarn trip. This is all I bought ---

It's Sea Wool sock yarn made by Fleece Artist. It's 70% Wool and 30% Seacell. It has the greatest sheen and it's very soft. It's a bit thicker than normal sock yarn (they suggest 3mm). I might use 2.75mm needles though.

I picked up this sock yarn and the More Sensational Knitted Socks book at The Fiber Gallery. This was a really awesome yarn store, and it took great self control not to buy more. I've never see such a great book selection.

For those who are wondering. The GPS is amazing. We were able to zip around Seattle like pro's and found every stop on the first try.
Here's my current WIP---
It started out as Roza's Sock from the Spring 2007 Interweave Knits magazine, but you cannot see the brioche stitch on yarn that is this variegated. Once I realized this, I switched to a plain 3x3 rib, and I think it fits the pattern perfectly. It's kind of a "Mock Roza's Sock".
This is the sock yarn I got from my Knitter's Treat Exchange pal. For those with short memories (like me) it's Socks That Rock in Fire On The Mountain.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Happy Birthday To Me!

Well, yesterday actually. Anyways, I feel a little bit gypped by my B-Day, because I had to work all day, and I was still really sick. I'm feeling a bit better today, so Stu and I are going to head down to Seattle for a little shopping.

We will be aided by the coolest birthday gift ever! Look what Stu got me (all by himself)---

It's a GPS thing for the car. You can program in an address (or a whole bunch) and it will route you through them. And it talks to you! So "hypothetically" one could program in, say, six Seattle yarn stores, and be flawlessly directed to all of them.... Hypothetically....
We went out for dinner last night, and we got directions to the restaurant by typing the restaurant name into it. How cool is that!

Thursday, April 26, 2007

So Many Things...

I had fully intended to blog yesterday morning before work, but I ended up being woken up by my sinuses at 3am, and was up for a few hours before going back to sleep. I was feeling even worse when I got up, so I spent the day in bed. Let me tell you, extreme sinus pain, headaches, and an upset stomach is not fun. It was a miserable day.

Redd and I had a nap and slept through a call from the mailman. As much as I wanted to see what the package was, I wasn't really feeling up to an outing. I did end up having to go get some more sinus meds though, so I picked up the package while I was out.It was the package from my Knitter's Treat Exchange Pal! I feel very treated! It really felt like she knew me! The yarn was Socks That Rock in Fire On The Mountain. This is kind of funny, because I've been wishing I had this since my STR order a few months ago, and I was on the STR website yesterday morning being whiny about my yarn diet, because I wanted that yarn!

She also included some chai tea. I love chai tea!! As well as some beautiful soap (honey scented) and some Burt's Bee's bath salts. Oh, and the current Vogue Knitting.

I guess you're wondering who this wonderful pal is? It's none other than Jen from Friender. Thank you Jen!!!


The one good thing about being home yesterday was that I managed to finish the pair of Waving Lace socks I've been working on. Even though I was knitting each sock from one end of the ball at the same time, there were no tangles or anything. I'd use this technique again.
My only alteration was knitting a plain foot, instead of carrying the pattern down the foot. I think it still looks good, and it makes it a bit more functional.
Specs:

Pattern: Waving Lace Socks from Favorite Socks book.
Yarn: Socks That Rock Lightweight in Blue Moonstone.
Needles: 2.5 mm Crystal Palace dpns.
Alterations: I didn't carry the pattern down the foot.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Hi There!

First, I want to sincerely apologize for my lack of posting in the last week. Stu was working Friday night and all weekend, and I managed to involve myself in it, so I didn't have the most relaxing weekend.

Yesterday I was more tired than I ever remember being. Usually I manage to wake myself up during the day. You know you're in trouble when a triple shot caramel machiato doesn't wake you up!

I managed to keep my eyes open for the hockey game. We won!! Go Canucks!

There will be knitting pictures soon. I promise.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Mom's B-Day Present

I finally got to gift the Sea Silk Shetland Triangle last night.


I made it for my Mom for her birthday. She loved it, and I'm glad! I'd really been looking forward to giving it to her and it was hard to wait (and keep it a secret) for a few weeks until her birthday without saying anything. I know that my mom is the biggest fan of anything that I knit, and I think this is one of the best thing I've ever made.

Look what I've been making---

I know it's crochet, but give me a break, it's good to have variety! It's a rag rug. I had a bunch of fabric left over from those little bags I was making, so when I saw this rug on the Whip Up website I could not resist!
I'll be putting it in front of the sink in the kitchen. I think I'm going to have to do a few more rounds though. I was hoping I wouldn't because the only fabric I have left in the house is this---

In my effort to be tidy I got rid of every other scrap of fabric a few months ago. I love the left over fabric and wanted to find something pretty to make with it, but it looks like at least one of them will be torn up to finish the rag rug. I'm not that heartbroken. I can always buy more.

Sock Update:

I've finished the legs on both socks and have turned the heel on one of them. I'm going to get the heel flap done and turn the heel of the second sock today. No pictures of this process, as I am sure you would prefer to watch grass grow.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Progress...

I wanted to show you what I've been working on lately.



It's the Waving Lace sock from Favorite Socks. I'm knitting them in Socks That Rock Blue Moonstone. I love this yarn.

Did you notice that there's only one ball of yarn, but two socks attached? Isn't that neat? One sock on each end. I'm just making sure to keep the one I'm not working on in my knitting bag so there's no tangling. So far so good.

I'll be finished the legs of the socks tonight.

...Seriously Though...

There is a full on yarn purchasing ban at my house right now (even lace yarn). I'd like to spend more time knitting and less time yarn shopping!

I'm making progress on the Waving Lace socks, and I'm hoping to share a progress pic tonight.

Here's to sock knitting!

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Stash...

I was sitting on the couch thinking about my stash this morning, when I came to a realization.

I was contemplating a little more Sweet Georgia, and trying to figure out a way I could justify more. Well, that wasn't hard, but it came with some conditions.

I decided that I needed to create some yarn buying rules for myself. First, I thought well okay, I've got two sweaters on the go, so if I want to buy more, I have to finish them first. My next thought was that sweaters were really in a different category, and shouldn't stop me from buying sock yarn.

Rule #1: I must finish both sweaters I am making before I can buy more sweater yarn. Because really, sweaters are in a different category from socks and should be treated differently. Really.

Then I figured I should tackle some sock yarn rules, since my stash has been expanding rapidly in the last few months. Now, I'm a firm believer that sock yarn should be subject to the fewest rules possible (beauty in chaos, etc.). So, my next thought was that I should knit X-number of pairs before I can buy more. Considering (in the last two months) my sock yarn stash has expanded by enough to knit about 30 new pairs, I figure 10 pairs is enough to knit before I can buy more. Or maybe 8? 5? You see why I have difficulty with this. No, 10. Must knit 10 pairs.

Rule #2: I must knit 10 pairs of socks before I can purchase more sock yarn.

If you have knit lace, you know it is addictive. You also must realize that the only way to control addiction is full blown abstinence. Yeah right. Not. Going. To. Happen. I mean, let's be realistic.

Rule #3: There is no controlling lace yarn purchasing. It just can't be done. If it can't be done, it's not my fault. So there!

While making these rules, my realization was that I enjoy my stash. I don't just stash because I can't control myself, I stash because it brings me comfort. I like knowing it's there. The reason I don't knit all my stash is because I don't want to use it up, because then it won't be there for me.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

A Second Secret Pal 10 Contest!

What's the furthest I've travelled for a yarn?


Actually, this map shows how far I've travelled specifically for yarn ---

Stu and I went on a yarn expedition one day, and headed down to Seattle. We stopped at a few places, (the best being Marilyn's Yarns in Bellingham). We (I) was in search of Socks That Rock and Trekking. We had an awesome time, and amazingly Stu didn't seem to mind the trip. I think he even had fun! Which is still a little surprising, considering the sole reason for the mission was to go to yarn stores and acquire yarn.

We are planning lots more yarn expeditions in the not so distant future. Hopefully we will be venturing further into Washington state and maybe even down to Oregon.

PS. We found both Socks That Rock and Trekking.

Friday, April 13, 2007

A Finished Shetland Triangle, And A Secret Pal Package...

Do you know that lace blocks quickly? It does. I put the Shetland Triangle on the blocking foam late last night, and it was dry when I checked on it at 6:30am. This shawl is huge! I love it though.
Before I forget, the foam puzzle blocks are PERFECT! I don't know how I ever blocked without them. For the Triangle, I didn't even put towels down under it.

One last time, here are the specs:


Needles: 5mm 32" Addi Turbo (regular not lace needles).



Yarn: Koigu 3.5 - 3.75 hanks in color number 2238.

Pattern: Shetland Triangle from Wrap Style (published by Interweave).Alterations: I did several more repeats than the pattern called for (I didn't keep track of how many though). I also only did to row 9 of the edging, because I like the less pointed edges.
Overall impressions: I really enjoyed this knit. This is my second time knitting it in a month, so I don't think I'll knit it again for a little bit, but I'm happy with how it turned out, and the pattern repeat was actually easy to memorize. This is a great beginners lace knit.

Here is the first Shetland Triangle I knit. It's re-blocking on the foam. I can't wait to gift this one!

I love that I have a knitting blog so I can keep track of all this stuff!

Yay for an awesome SP10 pal!


Lookie what I got!!!

First, we have a lovely skein on Vesper Sock Yarn by Knitterly Things. The colorway is Meteor. Gorgeous! I can't wait to knit with this. I've been wanting to try Vesper for several years now, and I'm glad I'll finally get the chance!



Second, we have the coolest thing ever(click to enlarge) ----



It's called a Zip Clip, and you clip it onto anything with a zipper as the zipper opener! It's a sweater on knitting needles! How much cooler does it get!

Third, I am now the proud owner of the 2007 Knitting Pattern A Day calendar. There are several patterns I like in there!

And last but not least---

A pen. Have I mentioned I like pens? I love pens!!

Thank you so much Secret Pal!! You're awesome!!

Remember, When Your Bag of Yarn Is So Heavy It Hurts Your Fingers...

...Life is good.Before I finish weaving in the ends of the Shetland Triangle, I wanted to share the fruits of my secret yarn mission. Now that I have had a chance to scope out the selection, it's safe to tell you that Three Bags Full in Vancouver has just received their last shipment of Sweet Georgia yarn.

They had a ton, but it's going quickly. I really helped out with that.

I picked up four hanks of lace weight to fuel my lace addiction. I'm hoping to use at least one to knit a yet-to-be-determined pattern from Victorian Lace Today. I totally forgot to mention that I picked up this book a week or so ago.

Left to right: Honey Fig, Blue Steel, Dragon, Cassis.

I also managed to pick up 12 hanks (enough for 6 pairs) of Superwash Sock.

Left to right: River, Sakura, Rainforest

Left to right: Blue Fig, Midnight Rain, Olivia.

These colors are far more vivid in real life than in pictures (especially on this dark and rainy day.

It's Not Pretty...Yet...

I finished binding off the Shetland Triangle last night. I'll be weaving in the ends today at some point, then hopefully beginning the blocking process tonight (on my new foam pieces!!).


I have a secret mission to go on after work tonight, but I can't tell you what it is until it's done.


I put the Chibi needle on the shawl to show you how big it is, then Redd decided to help out too!

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Rounding Third...

I started the edging chart for the Shetland Triangle last night. It's at the point now where each row is taking about half an hour. I'm only on the third edging row right now, but I'm hoping to get through 2 or 3 more rows tonight.

So, for the rest of the news, I'll go in chronological order---

First, my boss came up to me today, looked at me, and asked me if I was gaining weight. Yes, you read that correctly. So, yes, as a matter of fact I have gained about 5 pounds in the last month. Yes, I am EXTREMELY sensitive about it. It's funny, this morning I was thinking that it's not so bad, because it's not like anyone would notice. Ha! So, I spent most of the day in tears, and I'm not looking forward to getting dressed tomorrow.


Second, I joined Sockapalooza. I am such a joiner. I just couldn't help it. It was like I was compelled!

Third, my Loopy Ewe order came today. I think I found my favorite yarn color ever. It's called Rosie and it's made by Yarn Pirate. I love you Yarn Pirate!!!


I also picked up some Yarn Pirate Malamute. Gorgeous!


I can wait to knit with these two yarns!

Sunday, April 08, 2007

A Trip To The Creativity Mecca...

We went for a nice family lunch in Sidney at my Aunty Kathy & Uncle Pete's house for Easter. (I stupidly left my camera in the car!). We had a great time catching up with everyone and it brought back memories of my childhood Easters.

We even went on an Easter egg hunt! That was so much fun! Easter gets a little weird once everyone's grown up, so it's really nice to keep the kid traditions alive.

Anyway, the reason I refer to this house as the creativity mecca, is that I've always considered my Aunty Kathy to be the crafting Queen. The house just has this creative vibe in it. The handcrafted is everywhere - From the beautiful quilts displayed over the wooden railing to my Uncle Pete's wooden handcrafted giraffes. My Aunty Kathy doesn't knit, but I am greatly inspired by all that she creates.

And in new knitter news, my cousin is knitting! And she wants to make socks!


The shawl is getting closer to being done. I'm almost finished the 3rd hank of Koigu. I keep thinking that I'll just do one more round, but I can't stop. I have a feeling I'll use close to all five hanks. It's getting pretty huge. Keep in mind that this picture is taken on one of my 2' foam pieces.

Happy Easter...

From The Cat---

And Redd ---

And the rest of us!

Have a great Sunday!

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Okay, I'll Take A Few Minutes Away From Shoveling Popcorn In My Mouth...

First, I think I'm addicted to Kernels Kettle Corn, and their Double Butter popcorn (which is caramel corn with twice the butter). Yummy!

Second, Spinny Bunt is a genius! Thanks to her , I now know how I can block my lace without having to spend a fortune. Actually, her way is preferable to a blocking board.

She uses these (a similar idea anyway)---

Each package has 4 2'x2' squares, and I got two packages. The great thing about these is that you can arrange them in many different ways to get the perfect shape and size for what you're blocking.

I had a hell of a time finding these foam puzzle pieces, so FYI - I found them at Home Depot in their floor covering area. Ikea doesn't have them, neither does Toys R' Us.

I'm still working on the shawl, but I took most of the day off yesterday to pick up the foam, do some plant shopping---


...And get some new shoes ---


These ones are DKNY, and are super cute on---

There's one more pair, but I don't have a picture of them yet. Can you tell I got my tax return?

Today is going to be spent restfully watching movies, before we go over to Vancouver Island to visit family tomorrow. Now, back to the shawl knitting...

PS. I'm hoping to have some serious progress to show you by the end of today.

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

I'm Doing It Again...

I picked this up this weekend---

It's 5 skeins of Koigu KPM in color #2238. The color reminds me of perfectly ripe raspberries. I couldn't help myself, I just had to cast on for this---

It's another Shetland Triangle from Wrap Style. This one's for me though. I'm going to make it super big, so I can wander around in a pretty shawl all spring.

I'm 1 row into the second ball, and I'm thinking that 5 skeins is going to make a huge shawl. I'm using a 5mm Addi Turbo circ., FYI.

There will be lots of knitting time this Easter weekend, because I've decided to treat myself and take the Monday off as well. Thank God for four day weekends!