Choosing the perfect yarn to knit on vacation...

...priceless!

Thoughts of perfect little skeins of yarn, balls of fiber, and hanks to be rolled have been dancing through my mind for days. The idea was to swatch and choose patterns before departing for vacation. I swatched some Tuscany from Briar Rose Fibers for my Retro Cardigan. It was such a fun knit that I've nearly completed it. Thoughts of only taking things that would become Christmas presents (for 2007 Christmas) seemed like a good idea, but I've settled on a nice mix.

L-R Back row: Briar Rose's Grandmother's Blessing, Knit Pick's Sock Memories in Smores colorway (really, I could swear I detected chocolate and graham cracker smells as this yarn was wound), Knit Pick's Sock Memories in Cape Cod colorway, -peeking from the left corner is my Swallow Tail Shawl began this week, Aqua colored Panda Cotton, Briar Rose's Grace (bagged), Bugg's Lacy Cable Shrug in Briar Rose Wistful, Down Front: Ella Rae Silkience and Shibu. If this isn't enough, the shopfinder will be very near - and the driver gets to choose the route, right?

Realistically, this will not all be knit during this vacation, but at least there will be plenty of of options and SOME sock yarn from the stash is travelling. Note: I simply could not wind any Koigu, Lorna's Laces or STR - seriously, it's like sacred yarn and it's being saved for a momentous occasion - what is wrong with me?

Conflicted - there are blogs I read every day. Some don't post every day, but there will be lots of knits going on while we're away and blog-withdrawl is setting in.

On another note

We planned a picnic for last Sunday. The weather was a little cool (hence the sweatshirt and long sleeves) and the picnic was moved inside. Throw down a homemade quilt, call the Colonel and voila!

It was a very nice day!

...Off to the shore.

De-stashing and Enough sock yarn to sock the world

The De-Stash

Slowly but surely I have started de-stashing - emphasis on s - l - o - w - l - y.

A bit was posted on E-Bay and then I checked the yarn closet to see what else might be in the realm of giving up. Giving my yarn away for a song is not appealing to me at all. The idea of a win-win situation always makes me happy, but there are some of us knitters out there that want the yarn for nearly FREE and I would rather it wait patiently for me until the year 2020 (this is completely possible, too). Anyway, I could only part with a small bit this time - maybe more later.

Update: Heh, Heh...Kristy goads me into posting a picture? (see comments) Not today! My hubs would certainly see that and when I ran into the sock deal of the century we would be at an impasse.

After vacation - in mid - August, I am thinking of posting some de-stash here on my blog to sell if anyone is interested. Until then, e-mail me with any sock yarn wishes you have and I will dig into the pile to see if I have it. Want to knit with Koigu? Seriously, this is stuff only shared with knitting friends!

Sock the World

Truly, there are folks out there who knit hoards of socks. I love socks - love to knit them, love to wear them, don't mind hand washing or blocking, but I knit lots of other things too. This is why I cannot understand the enormity of the amount of sock yarn I have amassed. Theory is that it is pretty affordable to get enough cool sock yarn to make a pair of great socks. All sock yarn (within reach) was layed neatly on the floor - the idea was to post a picture for you all to see. It was so utterly embarrassing that I quickly sacked it up and stashed it back into the yarn closet. It was decided with certainty that 1. none of THAT yarn was going anywhere and 2. more socks need to be knitted. It is all great sock yarn - Lorna's Laces, Lucy Neatby's Celestial Merino, Socks That Rock, Koigu, Mountain Colors, Colinette's Jitterbug, Schaefer's Anne, Interlacement's Tiny Toes, some favorites hand dyed by pros that I dare not mutter - er, type.

So, a pair of socks WERE just finished (check previous post). That was out of Black Bunny that was nabbed off of EBay last month - while all this luscious goodness sat patiently waiting for me in the yarn closet, I purchased, received, wound yarn, and knit an entire new pair of socks. Nothing can justify the gluttonous behavior shown in the acquiring of such an amount of sock yarn! Guess what all my knitting friends can look forward to getting for their Birthday's and for Christmas...for many years to come!

Black Bunny Socks

Diagonal Cross Rib Socks - Verbena Black Bunny

It has been awhile since I've completed a pair of socks and these may be my favorite yet. It could be the fact that I benefited from someone de-stashing on Ebay (I jumped on this yarn!), maybe it is the fit, it is probably because both socks are finished -yay! I just grafted the second toe while waiting for my daughter to get home from a late movie. Oh, I barely had a smidge of yarn left over - I was sweating it!

Sock particulars:

Pattern: Diagonal Cross Rib Socks - Favorite Socks 25 Timeless Designs from Interweave

Needles: Sz 2 for upper leg; Sz 1 for lower leg and foot

Changes: Shortened the leg from 8" to 7"

Finished sock 1 - 7/5/07

Finished sock 2 - 7/9/07-ish

One for the boys

It is easy to get photos posted of Bugg because she graciously models all of the handknits for me. I take photos of the boys, but don't get them posted regularly.

So...here is a recent photo of the boys. I am a lucky, lucky girl!

Finished Icarus Shawl

Icarus Shawl

Modeled by my Bugg

Yarn: Briar Rose Fourth of July2 1/2 skeins; asking Chris for an estimate on yardage according to weight

Size 6 needles

Blocked Measurements (HUGE) - approx 88" across top and 58" down middle
This shawl is huge, but I would not knit it on a smaller sized needle.

It is made according to the pattern from 2006 Summer Interweave Knits by Miriam Felton. Bugg and I liked the way it draped and how it stays in place when wrapped. I will be taking a couple of the first chart repeats out and re-making this in an attempt to squeeze it out of two skeins of Fourth of July.

Dear Friend (you know who you are)...

Dear Friend,

I need your help.

My daughter just informed me that scrapbooks will be needed for Graduation next year. Yes, yes, I knew they would be needed, but there is a class in school - it is required, even - in which an assignment exists for the student to make their own scrapbook. Actually, there WAS a class, the administration changed it (bummer). Ok, I am SO not a scrapbooker. I could knit her a cap and gown and offered, but she won't go for it. It must be a scrapbook ..er two.

Remember all of those card-making supplies I purchased? They are still shiny and new and could be used for scrapbooking, couldn't they? Oh, the thought of spending hours upon hours on this project makes me feel ill. I just spent 2 hours going through photos and my head hurts so bad I think it will fall off.

Maybe if I had help on just ONE page...if I could finish just one...maybe I could find the confidence I muster when diving into a knit project. I know you don't love to scrapbook and we've talked about dispensing with all of the extraneous hobbies we've accumulated to focus on our beloved few -- but it's my Bugg!!!

I've looked at the shops, perused the magazines, browsed the shops trying to pick up the tips -- I am going to need your help - any suggestions?

Pray for me - this is DEFINITELY going to impact my knitting agenda!

Love,
Me