Playing a Game with Yarn

I've been playing with yarn & not in my usual way. I received yarn from my sister-n-law, K, while visiting their home back in January. After all of this time (~ 20 years) there is zero info regarding these yarns so I decided to do a bit of detective work. I really wanted to see exactly how much there is of each type & try to confirm the fiber content of each...as best as I could anyway.

First, I confirmed each sample's fiber content by doing a flame test using the information in this chart ...thankfully all the samples tested as wool...plus one seems to have silk as well. Next I used my handy dandy Salter scale to weigh out 10 grams of each yarn sample. Why 10 grams? Really just to make it easy to calculate the numbers. After weighing the 10 gram sample I measured to see how many inches were in a 10 gram sample size.

I also wanted to figure out the yarns' weight...lace or fingering, worsted or bulky...without doing the dreaded gauge swatch. So how did I do this? To start I also used a dowel & wrapped the yarn around it lightly so that each wrap touched the previous wrap. I did this for about 1 1/2 inches, measured out 1 inch and counted the number of times the yarn wrapped around to get the wraps per inch or wpi measurement. There are several charts available to reference, but I liked this one since it also included yarn totals along with type & gauge.

After using some simple math* I determined that I had the following:






A. Deep Emerald Green, 100% wool, fingering weight (15-16 wpi), cone of 2053 yards...actual yarn is a deeper, richer emerald green










B. Light Blue, 100% wool, bulky weight, (10 wpi), 520 yards, 2 skeins









C. Brown Tweedy, wool & silk, fingering, (15-16 wpi), 3010 yards, balls









D. Variegated Cream to Peach, 100% wool (think mohair), fingering weight (16-18 wpi), 1018 yards, balls





For the most part I have more than enough of Yarn A, Yarn C & Yarn D for most anything...a lacy cardi may be in the queue. I haven't settled on anything quite yet, but I do have a pattern for a lacy vest, Vintage Vest, that I may knit out of the emerald green. My favorite of the four yarns is the brown tweed, Yarn C...a wool with some silk slubs throughout. I need to start a search for a good pattern to knit. Suggestions?

My least favorite is Yarn D, the mohair...cream to peach in color...not a favorite color combo for me. Not too fond of lace weight mohair either, especially really hairy mohair. Knitting with it usually brings out quite a bit of frustration & annoyance when I need to correct knitting errors. Let's face it...there will be errors. Some kind of wrap? Mmmm...the Mosaic Maniacs are doing Wisp, but have I mentioned I don't care for hairy yarn? Think I can over dye this one too? I certainly have enough for most wraps.

The plan would be to over dye Yarn B (light blue) to a deeper shade of blue & use it in a felted bag since I really don't want a bulky light blue scarf or hat. The other problem I see with this one is that it has become somewhat felted over time so knitting may be interesting. I'm leaning towards using food color to dye the yarn a deeper color...or a multitude of colors. If it ever stops raining I'll give it a shot and see what I end up with. Seems I have a lot of ideas floating around the brain these days.

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*For example: let's use the numbers from the variegated yarn:

10 grams measured 980" ....980"/10 grams=98"/gram
Total yarn = 374 grams
98" x 374 grams = 36652"

36652" divided by 36"(1 yard)= 1018.1 yards

Got Nothing

It's finally happened...nothing on the needles to knit. I finished my February Lady (Ravelry link) sweater tonight & it's now ready to be blocked. It's the first time I have really nothing left on the needles ready to go. Not totally true because I'm waiting on a yarn order for Webs...it's been almost 3 weeks. Sale yarn is the best yarn, but the wait has been longer than I anticipated.

I do have a couple of projects in mind for one particular yarn, Rowan Calmer in mandarin...Etrusca or possibly the Shay Cap Sleeve top from Webs. I'm also going to cast on another February Lady for my Mom since her Mr. Greenjeans didn't work out too well...'nough said about that one for now. Last week I was able to get 7 skeins of Malabrigo's Autumn to start the sweater while visiting Mosaic so I will have a few things starting soon & there's always socks. I have another new book that I'm dying to get into for some really cool socks...Sock Innovation by Cookie A.

Looks like I may be busier than I first thought...

Whoops

We drove up to the Burg this past weekend...beautiful spring weather & Hokie Spring Football! I was even able to visit one of my favorite yarns shops (Mosaic) & hang out with my knitting group. Our group was created a few months back with the idea that we'd have some opportunities to teach each other something new as well as simply getting together to knit & chat...or more chatting than knitting when it comes to me. It's been a great way to learn a new trick or two.

So on this occasion I briefly did a little demo of how I make my stitch markers...so simple and fun. You need only a few tools (round nosed pliers, wire cutters, & my favorite split ring pliers) a few 'jewelry' making supplies (split rings, beads, & headpins)...that's it. Great gift idea for knitters too...inexpensive & quick. Of course while there I finished using up my last Christmas gift certificate...found some awesome glass buttons for my February Lady (Ravelry access required) cardigan and added a couple more Addi Turbo needles to the stash.

While in the area I had my Mom try on her Mr. Greenjeans sweater....Whoops. While knitting on this sweater it looked so small even though I was right on gauge & measurements I worried that I had failed to get my knitting to come close to fitting an actual body. I hoped that some miracle in the blocking would occur and it would grow...a ton. It didn't. It seems as if my worry was spot on...doesn't fit Mom. No. Way. Now I have a sweater that doesn't fit anyone...too poofy around my middle & the button was set much too low for me. I decided to re-knit the button band, moving the button up to fit me. It's still way too poofy around the middle...per my dear husband. He says it looks "really weird" so no way I'll be wearing it as it is now. What to do?

I could try sewing a seam on both sides taking in the sweater, but I'm afraid it may look even weirder. Now it's sitting folded up waiting on me to make a decision. I'm really leaning towards ripping back the cable/rib section up to the arms and re-knitting it to fit me. It's a shame to let such nice yarn go to waste in a sweater that fits no one. In the meantime I've started another February Lady for my Mom in Malabrigo's Autumn...maybe this one will fit her. I don't want another Whoops...

The Need for more WIPS

I find myself in a bit of a pickle...only one wip (work in progress for you non-knitters). You read that right I currently only have ONE work in progress as I write today. I'm about done with February Lady so it's possible that I will not have anything on the needles very soon. I have not had that situation in a very long time...like way back when I first started knitting in 2005.

Way back then I had this attitude that I would only buy yarn as I went...yeah crazy right? I would finish a project before I'd get more yarn. I would never have a 'stash', never have to worry about where to store yarn, never forget what I had, yada yada yada. As a side note I also have said that I'd never knit sweaters, socks or lace...all untrue statements now.

I have a stash and add to it quite frequently as noted in prior posts...here, more, & yet more over the last few months. Not to mention the sweaters I have knitted...starting with my Mermaid and more recently Mr. Greenjeans & February Lady. Socks? Yep broke that one too...along with lace, hats, bags you name it and I've tried to knit it. The great thing about knitting is the fact that there is so much out there to knit.

Which brings me back to my original problem. With so much out there & so many things I want to start...how to pick what's next? So the plan...such as it is...a pair of socks -angee (ravelry link) by cookie a in Sock Innovation, a tank or summer top-Shay Cap Sleeve Pullover and maybe another sweater. I still like to use wool even as the weather warms. Ask me about the Blankie knitted during July and August. I think I can handle knitting a wool sweater...maybe Chicknits Eyelet Cardi?

Now I only need to choose the yarns & needles to go with these projects...then cast on.

An April February Lady

I dragged the yarn & pattern all over the country for over 2 months without doing much other than a gauge swatch. What was I thinking? After casting on I've been rolling right along on this cardigan. February Lady by Pamela Wynn has been a joy to knit...mostly. By the time the lace sections get monotonous you realize that you're done. Perfect! The best part of the whole project has been the yarn. I decided to use Malabrigo's Azul Profundo for the cardigan. Talk about a soft touch...this stuff has been wonderful to knit. I only hope that the pilling that sometimes plagues this yarn won't happen. Most all of my other items knit with Malabrigo have not had any issues with pilling. Time will tell. The color is a beautiful shade of cobalt blues...a wee bit of varigation, but not an overabundance. Love the color!

As for the cardigan itself I think I'll be done in less than a week. The first sleeve is about done...deciding where to stop & start the garter stitch cuff. Do I want to stop at the elbow as the designer has done or work down as far as my forearm? Thinking I'll like it better with the longer sleeves. Decisions, decisions...off to finish the sleeve cuff. Ooooh and I need to look through my buttons...more decisions.

Giddy Up

Jeeze, could it take any longer? What you ask...putting together a baby blanket. I mean it's only 16 eight inch wide squares for goodness sake. My plan's have changed more times than I care to count. I originally finished the 16 squares way back in February while on our jaunt across the country. The project was perfect for car travel. At least while on interstates...not so much when it came time to hit the back roads. Knitting actually took a rare back seat as we drove through some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.

My plan was so simple...pick a stitch pattern, cast on enough stitches to create a 8" square and ta-da a square is done in a couple of hours of knitting. I figured that in a few days time I would have enough to make a nice square baby blanket for my husband's new nephew, Benjamin. Of course I originally had planned to have the darn thing done by the time we arrived in San Antonio for our visit...did not happen. Yet another example of underestimating how much time a project would take.

Working on the squares while driving the Interstates worked to perfection...the last square was completed while we were in Taos, NM. The problems starting creeping in after that last square was done. While traveling it became obvious that I would need to hold off putting the blanket together until we were back home. I really needed more space to spread out everything and the brain power to do it. I must admit that the combination of traveling and physical activity drained the energy right out of the brain by the end of our day of adventure.

We arrived back home and after a couple of weeks it was pointed out that babies grow...really? and I should "get busy" before he was driving & needed a bigger blanket. So this past weekend I got back to it and spread out the squares, picked up the needles to add borders to the squares & realized that Plan A was NOT going to work. Of course I realized this after I had picked up stitches on each block, put the squares into rows of 4 squares each, & added another border on the long edge of 2 sets & then trouble...could not line up the edges of these borders no matter how many attempts were made.

What next? First we went out to dinner...my husband knows exactly what's called for in a knitting emergency. Next I frogged all the borders and by the end of it had 16 blocks all alone once again...along with one heck of a pile of tiny groups of yarn. Once done I put Plan B into operation...mattress stitching. Well after a little side trip by way of the whip stitch...didn't work...I moved right to mattress stitch. I worked on each block attaching one to another until I had 4 rows of 4 blocks each. Was it tedious? Yes. Do I like the look? Yes. Is there a border? Yes, one single 2 inch border around the entire group of blocks. The whole thing was completed with the attached i-cord coordinating color'.
The last finishing touch was attaching the most cool flannel fabric that is a perfect match for my theme...think Texas. After attaching the backing using the "overcast stitch" I also added some yarn ties spread around the corners of the squares to keep things a bit more even. Thankfully all is done and ready to mail to it's young owner & he's still under 6 months. Whoohoo!




Details:
Patterns: Texas, Lonestar, Eyelet Mock Cable, The remaining blocks: Diamond Brocade, Garter Ridge Rib, Simple Basketweave, Moss Stitch, Feather Lace & Herringbone Rib came from the Vogue Knitting Stitchionary

Yarn: Red Heart Soft Yarn (Worsted Weight, 100% Acrylic, 256 yards/ 5 oz), colors: off white, chocolate, seafoam. I used one skein each of the seafoam & chocolate for the squares and the off white for the borders. The attached i-cord was done using seafoam.

Needle: Addi Turbo, 40" circular, size 8

Gauge: didn't matter on this one

Size: 35" by 38"

Yet Another

I have yet another finished object to post about...Mr. Greenjeans is drying on the blocking mats. I'm thankful to have bound this one off. I have to say that this sweater has driven me nuts in the last week or so. Not so much the pattern, but in the size I was seeing as I knit...seems way to small for the desired XL size.

I'm worried it won't fit the intended recipient...Mom. She asked me to knit this up back in January and I took it on our trip (travel blog). I swatched and determined that I would need to use a size 7 needle in order to achieve the valuted gauge of 18 stitches/ 4". After casting on in Mom's desired size XL I knit until I had to put it on hold so she could give it a test fit. Added another 2 inches to the body after seeing where it hit her body...and on and on.

My problem with this is the sweater just looks way too small...it seems to fit me across the body okay although the shaping is all off for my torso. I don't think this will be fitting Mom as well as I would like. I'll be lucky if it fits across her shoulders much less have it button correctly. The thing is that all my measurements are spot on the schematic...now I can only hope that the magic of blocking will work out and this will fit well.

Details
Pattern: Mr. Greenjeans by Amy Swenson

Yarn: Schaefer Miss Priss [100% Merino; 280 yd/256 m per 113g/4 oz skein], colorway: Elena Piscopia. I used most of 4 skeins with a bit over 1.5 oz left.

Needles: Addi size 7, 32" circular and Knitpicks Options size 6, 60" circular, and size 8 DPN's for the sleeves

Gauge: 18 sts/26 rows = 4 inches of stockinette stitch

Size: XL

Once this is dry I'll finish up the little details...weave in the ends, attach the button, etc. and I'll post a few pictures with a body wearing the sweater. Now off to find the body...

Only Three

Now for the details of those items I actually finished over the course of our 2 month trip. First thing I completed was a hat for my husband. Actually it's the second one I've done for him. The original Bill Hat (Ravelry access required) was done as a reversible hat out of Berroco's Ultra Alpaca and Pure Merino. He loved the warmth, but he had a problem with it...yeah you guessed it...too warm. It was really way too warm when the weather in these parts doesn't get all that cold so he asked for another one. His 2 requests...single layer and the appropriate (to him anyway) orange to go with the maroon. I found it in the Tangerine from Blue Sky Alpaca...approved by him prior to casting on as being the "right Hokie orange".

Another Bill Hat:
Pattern: used a hat calculator for simple ribbed hat

Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca (50% super fine alpaca, 50% Peruvian Highland Wool) in maroon and Blue Sky Sport Weight Alpaca (100% baby alpaca) in tangerine. I used about 60 grams of the 100 gram skein of Ultra Alpaca and about 15 grams of a 50 gram skein of the Blue Sky.

Needles: Knitpicks Options, 24" circular needle, size 6

Size: to fit 23" head

While away I really took more yarn than I probably should have...don't all knitters take more than they could ever possibly use? Anyway I only knit one pair of socks out of the 3 balls of sock yarn I took on our cross-country trip. I never even pulled out my pattern book that I had packed in anticipation of starting the other socks. What sock did I finish? Jaywalkers...my second pair, very easy pattern and actually knits up fairly quickly.

Jaywalker's
Pattern: Jaywalker (Ravelry access required) by Grumperina, no modifications to the pattern.

Yarn: It's Tubular x 2 *(80% wool, 20% nylon, 480 yards in a 100 gram skein) in the "jeans" colorway by Scarlet Fleece. Very generous amount I had about 28 grams of yarn left after finishing the sock.

Needles: Harmony DPN's, size 1 from Knitpicks

Size: woman's size 9


Now for my hat knit out of Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool sport weight in Blue-Green Variegated. I've knitted this pattern once before here and loved how it fit and looked on my head. I have to say that I'm not loving or even liking this version very much. Before blocking the beret seemed too small, after blocking it seems way to big. The patterning isn't showing up as much as it had on the plain white version so this one may just get frogged. The yarn is too lovely to waste on something I will not be wearing...still searching for another hat pattern that looks good on my head. I've posted the details anyway since I'm counting it as a completed project. It would seem that I'll be reknitting the yarn though into something else.

My Beret
Beret Pattern: Fair Isle Beret by Anna Bright, no modifications to the pattern.

Yarn: Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool Co., (100% wool, 400 yards in a 4.5 oz skein) in the blue-green variegated colorway, used about 3 oz. of the skein to complete the beret.

Needles: Clover bamboo 24" circular, size 2 and size 3, Knitpicks Harmony DPN's size 2's

Size: head circumference 22"

Back to Knitting

After our 2 month trip I'm back to my regular habits, in my regular comfy chair with my regular overhead lighting. About the only material thing I missed while on the road was my chair & lamp. Most rooms had pretty decent lighting for a change, but lacked in the comfy chair department. Have I mentioned that I have a general dislike of knitting in bed? I do it, but under protest and I can't knit for as long. Now I have the opposite problem...bedtime has been 2 AM for a the last few nights.

While away I was able to complete a few small items...another Bill Hat, a beret for myself, a pair of Jaywalker socks, (Ravelry access required) and blocks for a baby blanket. I started Mr. Greenjeans for my mother...now waiting to get her to try it on before I start the cable section. I have yet to put the baby blocks together. It was pointed out to me this AM that if I don't get on this the baby won't be a baby...mmm. Ya think? I also went ahead with plans to cast on the sweater,February Lady, (Ravelry access required) whose yarn traveled along on the trip. I have gotten in the groove and have a few things on the needles once again.

Now to get a few pictures and update everything.

Wrapped Up...of Sorts

I thought I'd share a wrap up of sorts of the yarns and shop photos from my trip...how y'all enjoy the pictures. Of course I forgot to take the camera into a few shops. So sorry no pictures of The Yarn and Fiber Place in Bozeman or Unraveled Sheep in Salt Lake City. Next trip I swear I'll do a better job of documenting my visits. At least I have the yarn pictures. Right?

*run mouse over the pictures for some fun

Yet Another Post About Yarn

One last post about the new yarn on the stash...I promise. After leaving Kalispell, MT we headed off further west, but I never stepped foot in a yarn store in Washington, California or Nevada. No real desire to search them out in Spokane, Fresno or Reno...weird, right? Oh don't worry I more than made up for it when I got to Salt Lake City, UT.

Maybe I just needed some snow in sight to get yarn fumes heading straight to my brain. Salt Lake had several to choose from close to our hotel so one afternoon while we were out & about my DH stopped at Unraveled Sheep. Quite a few people were in the shop and everyone was very friendly and welcoming. I was even able to share Raverly ravatars so we can keep in touch with a couple of ladies...hey there sockhappy & bleighw. Amazingly I met someone originally from Virginia whose sister actually owns/runs Unraveled in Radford. It is a small world isn't it?

The shop owner, Verla, pointed me in the direction of some locally dyed sock yarn by Sleeping Dragon Yarns and I was a happy Hokie...yep, it was Hokie inspired colors. Although they called it 'maple' it reminds me of the colors at sunset or even the desert. One could argue that it's the colors of maple trees in the fall, but 'maple' was not my first thought at all. Along with the skein of maple I also got another one called...mallard. I have no idea what they'll look like knit up or
what patterns I'll use, but couldn't resist these soft skeins of yarn. The skeins are 100% superwash merino wool and a very generous 450 yards each so I'll have more than enough...with left overs.



My last yarn purchase of the trip was once again Mountain Colors. This time I fell for Mountain Goat (55% mohair, 45% wool) in sweetpea. For some reason I've been drawn to rich blues & greens while on the trip & that's exactly what these 2 skeins possess. Emerald greens and blues as well as a touch of brown...a lot like the fir, spruce, pines & bright blue skies we've hiked through. You see it always comes around to all the natural beauty that has been around us on the trip.

So that's it for my yarn shopping adventure of the Wild West...now all I have to do is let all of this marinate for a time in the stash. I really don't want to 'mess' up when picking a pattern for these special yarns. Especially my bisondown...that would be criminal.

More Gushing About Yarn

Now where did I leave y'all last time? Bozeman...when we left Bozeman we stayed in Montana and headed north towards Kalispell, MT. I actually didn't think I'd visit another yarn shop while in Montana. I figured I went to one so let's wait until we move on to the next state...hold off, save money, yada yada. Then I read a write up for Kalispell's very own yarn shop, Camas Creek. All I can say is WOW, maybe a double WOW!

This place is so beautiful and I 'm not just talking about the yarn. Not only do they have one of the best selections of needles & yarn I have ever seen the owners, Melanie and Andy spent a lot of time, effort and cash to totally rehab the building that holds the shop. I'm not kidding either...my mouth fell open when I walked through the doors. Once again my pictures don't do the shop justice, but you can check out their very own commercial to get a small taste.




I only wish that I had visited early on during our week long visit in Kalispell...knitting on comfy sofas, drinking coffee from a real cup, and such nice folks would have been very special. OK, 'nough of the gushing on to what I actually bought.

I ended up with Montana's very own Mountain Colors in two different types of yarn...one called Winter Lace (50% wool, 50% silk) in a huge skein of 1200 yards called deep blue. I also bought a fun yarn from Mountain Colors called Twizzle (85% merino wool, 15% silk) in the colorway wild horse. Maybe I should have bought one more skein to have enough for a vest...mmm. Phone call may need to be placed.

It's Been Awhile

Yes, it's been a while since I actually wrote anything about knitting. It's been all about the trip, but things are back to "normal". While away I had the opportunity to visit several yarn shops along the way. One thing is certain you most always find people with a love for all things yarn & willing to talk about it...at length.

As most people do when they travel I love to bring back some kind of remembrance from the trip. Since this trip was going to be of some length and space was an issue I decided that buying special yarns would suit my purposes perfectly. Our first stop was Taos, New Mexico where I visited La Lana Wools shop. It was sensory overload as I wandered around looking at the collection of beautiful yarns. The colors were amazing...all dyed naturally from various plants. Quite a bit of the yarn was hand-spun. What to select was rather overwhelming...but of course I did choose something. By the time we left Taos I had 3 beauties in various shades of red sprinkled with some gold, along with a gold worsted weight yarn to mix with it and 2 skeins of an indigo dyed "sock weight" yarn. Stay tuned for what I'll use these for in the future...


Next we headed North up to Laramie, Wyoming and a little shop right in the downtown area called Jeny's Originals. I found the illusive bisondown which is more expensive than cashmere and to add to it the equally expensive lambswool. These yarns are super soft and warm...thinking I only have enough for a hat or cowl, but I really didn't want to blow the budget all for bison. A sweater's worth would have ran well over $300! Geez!


What do you think of when you here Montana? Is it Mountain Colors? You betcha...lots of it can be found at The Yarn Shop & Fiber Place in Bozeman, Montana. Along with the 13 Mile and the most scrumptious alpaca yarn from Black Wolf Ranch I sorta went crazy. I ended up with 3 skeins of 13 Mile in oatmeal, 2 skeins of lace weight alpaca from Black Wolf Ranch in a yummy dark charcoal and a skein of Mountain Colors in Bearfoot's 'crazy woman'...a truly appropriate name in my case. I so enjoyed my conversation in the shop with Jane...thanks so much for being so helpful in pointing out exactly the right items. All Made in Montana!


Mountain Colors Bearfoot's "Crazy Woman"

13 Mile in oatmeal

Black Wolf Ranch's fiber donated by Flannery & Grey Flannel...thanks so much! More coming in another post. Afterall I do have 'work' to do...yeah I hear all of y'all laughing.

Another Visit...More Yarn

After our drive out to West Yellowstone we were back in plenty of time to drop in on The Yarn Shop & Fiber Place. I'm still on the look out for the unusual or special yarn and today was no different. The shop was empty except for the clerk so I was able to browse & chat as I looked around. The shop was rather large...surprising when judged from the outside appearance. There was a good bit of yarn, rovings, and even a large selection of yarns for weaving.

I ended up choosing some gorgeous alpaca in a natural gray, 2 ply sport weight in a very generous amount of 350 yards. Made in Montana to boot from fiber donated by Flannery & Grey Flannel...the alpacas living on the Black Wolf Ranch. No idea what I'll knit with the lovely 2 skeins, but it will be something special.

I also decided to get some Thirteen Mile yarn in worsted weight. Actually made very close to where we currently are staying. I decided on 3 skeins of oatmeal...225 yards each so I'll be able to knit a nice cabled scarf. Just saying that I really need a nice natural colored scarf since I don't currently own one.

I've had a ball visiting the local yarn shops. The strange thing about all of these shops so far is that there have been no other knitters in the shops. Isn't that werid? All the shop owners have been fun to talk to, but no other knitters are around. I just find that a bit odd...maybe I'm missing something. I'll keep checking...off soon to Washington. I'm sure there will be knitters in Seattle & Spokane...maybe? If not I'll keep looking.

New Stash...Bison & Lamb

Souvenir shopping when one is fighting a head cold is not as much fun as when one is well. I managed to suff erthrough it long enough to find some illusive bison yarn. While here in Laramie I dropped into Jeny's Original Yarns and Handwovens to see if they had any local yarns. Yes they had several in fact...bison, yak, alpaca, llama. All local grown and spun in natural colors of cream, grays, blacks & browns. Not much else was in the shop except for 2-ply sheltland yarn (Jamison I think) and some yarn that had been "specially dyed" to match the owner's husband's photographs of local landscapes...interesting, but not what I was after.

I ended up with some bison...actually bison "down" mixed with Cormo sheep which made up into a nice mix of brown & cream. I bought only 2 ounces (100 yards) of the stuff...cashmere may be cheaper! To add to the bison/cormo I also got a skein of some of the softest cream color lambswool. I think a hat with these 2 skeins will be very soft & warm. Next up will be Montana and I'm sure to find some Mountain Colors in something I have not seen before.

Casting on Something

I couldn't take it any longer. I had to switch to some other project without finishing the blankie...maybe in a week or so I'll get back to it. I really wanted a hat for myself 'cause I'm hating the choices I bought along on the trip. All acrylic? What happened to my wool cabled head band...is it lost? Who knows, but I cast on for a simple beret similar to this one (Ravelry). I am using some beautiful variegated yarns from Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool. Now if the cold will let go I can possibly knit on it before we head to Montana. Mountain Colors anyone?

More Yarn Please

I dropped in again on La Lana Wools today. My DH has decided he'd rather get sick than ski so I was left to my own devices. After a scenic drive along with some photo taking I decided to swing back by the yarn shop. Too little yarn is not a good thing...figured I would add one of the solids to the handpainted from yesterday. I selected a gold skein of worsted weight yarn dyed with marigolds...the color was also called "marigold". Not exactly sure what I'm planning to do, but I'm going to be work the marigold in with the handpainted tsarina from yesterday. Mmmm....maybe a lacy sort of wrap? I'm off to look through Ravelry and see what I can come up with.

A Visit to a Yarn Shop

My first visit to a yarn shop while on our extended trip. After skiing a few days we took a break from the slopes & went exploring around Taos. I had been told about a yarn shop in town so we headed there this afternoon. La Lana Wools is a beautiful shop full of more handspun yarns than I have ever seen. All have been dyed using only natural dyes from plants found in the Southwest...marigolds, Navaho Tea, & lupine for instance along with some exotics like indigo. Only one person was manning the shop while we visited. She said that the shop"manufactures" all of the yarn from the moment they acquire the roving, to the spinning, and hand dying process. I cannot imagine how many hands have been involved in the whole process from sheep to shop.

It was a bit overwhelming to visit such a shop with the huge selection of colors & types of yarn. I ended up with 2 skeins of their Forever Random Fines in sport weight (100% Romney wool) in 'deep sea indigo" which has been dyed in indigo, purple, green. I'm thinking I'll use this for a beret of some kind since I have a tad over 230 yards.

The other yarn was from their Forever Random Worsted collection what was described as "obverse double dyed 60% Romney wool/40% Yearling". I chose 2 skeins in a color called"tzarina'. The tzarina colors are amazing...dyed bayeta red with madder, gold, indigo, green and lavender. I only bought the 2 skeins and must decided what to do with only 140 yards of this beauty. I can only imagine what a sweater would look like in this yarn...but price does come into play and I'm just starting this adventure.

What is It?

Well it’s been more than enough time since my last post so time to post something.Anything is better than nothing at this point. Right? I’ve been “on the road” since mid-January so I’ve taken my knitting on the road so to speak. As we drove on interstates…lost track of how many…I knitted away on baby sample blocks. I ended up with 8 squares of seafoam and 8 squares of chocolate brown. I had hoped to have it all done by the time we got to Austin for our visit with the great nephews, ages 3 and 2 ½ months. The squares were done by the time we left San Antonio, but not the “putting it all together” part which was a bit disappointing. I had wanted to have it done so I could leave it with them. At least I have a lot more interstate travel ahead so it will be done soon…mailed rather than personal delivery will just have to do in this case.

While in San Antonio my BIL’s wife, “K” gave me several yarns she had bought when they had lived in Italy over 20 years ago. She was taught how to knit while they lived there & had went shopping right before heading back stateside. ”K” said that you could go to the local mills and buy yarn by the POUND!Can you imagine that…bags & bags all sold by the pound. Anyway as she was showing me her stash she offered me several different yarns. Now I have to figure out what I have actually added to the stash…100% wool? Mohair? Cashmere? Now I need a good way to determine how much & what weight of yarn I now have…being on the road make that a bit more difficult.

Knitting From the Road

Our trip is underway and so is a bit of knitting. I've started a baby blanket for my DH's niece...2 squares down & 10 or so more to go. I have not decided just how large this blanket will end up. My two choices are a 4 x 4 square blanket or a bit smaller rectangular one that is 3 x 4. Either way I'm planning on using 2 colors of Red Heart's Soft Yarn for the main body...seafoam & chocolate as well as some off white for the edging and borders. I must say that the yarn has a soft feel & so far hasn't been too bad knitting up. I usually hate acrylic yarns, but figured his mom would rather not hand wash a baby blanket.

My first square is the state of Texas...home state of the new arrival. Now if I could only find the link to post...

Let There be Light

An even better title could be "How to See to Knit in Dark Hotel Rooms". Why does management fail to put light bulbs in the lamps? An even bigger pet peeve are those lamps that have bulbs that are 40 watts or less. I hate those. I was planning on taking my own bulbs or even a lamp with us. Thanks to my dear husband he's manged to come through with 2 other options. Both came to me as Christmas presents...one made me laugh so hard I cried. Back when I first mentioned taking a knitting light on our trip he told me about a cap with built in LED lights under the brim. The idea was interesting, but I'm not fond of caps...not to mention flat hair & looking funny factor.

As we were shopping we came across a set of LED clip on lights. I mentioned that I liked them. They were compact enough to travel easily & could be clipped on the headboard or even set on a table. I wasn't sure how bright they'd be or how long the batteries would last, but so much better than his original hat idea. Maybe not as entertaining to those around me, but no one would be cracking up watching me knit.

The second options was totally unexpected although it was "hat inspired". My husband always finds something that I'm not expecting...always a surprise & most of the time I end up loving it. This time was no exception. He wanted me to have enough light & found a LED headlight with 3 different settings. I even have night vision in the form of red LED lights. When I opened this gift I must have laughed for 5 minutes non stop. I mean how funny would this thing look while I knit away? The picture in my head was hysterical. Then today as I was wandering around the internet looking for new patterns I went to check out Norah Gaughan's new pattern book. As I was reading through her blog I found this. I cannot wait to show him & let him know that his idea isn't quite as crazy as I first believed.

I took the light for a test knit Christmas night and it really is nice to knit with even in total darkness. I'm just not going to do so in public. Once again he comes through on a great idea.

The Nan Bag

Finished one more slipped stitch handbag based on the Little Slip bag. I've really enjoyed knitting these bags. Quick, simple, & looks complicated all at the same time...don't you just love a knitting project that looks complicated? It's felted and now drying so I made another self imposed deadline. By Wednesday it will be dry enough for me to finish attaching the handles and adding doodads to the fringe. Now I have nothing on the needles once again. Only some seaming left to do on a sweater and the New Year will be off to a brand new start of knitting projects.

Have I mentioned that it kind of drives me nuts when I don't have anything on the needles. It can be a stressful time trying to narrow down the choices of projects to cast on. What to pick first? Do you start with the yarn? Pattern? Mmmmm...I got to get started on choosing what to take on our trip. Really cannot take as much as I want because I'm sure I'll visit some yarn shops on the trip.

My Mom has asked me to knit her Mr. Greenjeans for her. She bought the yarn at Mosaic's big sale...Miss Priss in the Elena Piscopia colorway. So this one has made the cut...stay tuned for those other "must have" travel projects.

Nope, I have no new knitting to report today. Still knitting away on my SIL's felted handbag which should be done by Sunday. The good news is that I have another blog to yammer on about stuff...stuff other than knitting.

Since my DH has this grand adventure planned he wanted somewhere to post the goings on around us over the next few months...so that leads to another blog. It took a while for him to settle on it's name... fitting don't ya think? Looks empty at the moment, but in a week or so things will be popping up about our little excursions over the next few months. Expect lots of pictures...our last trip was well over 2000 shots. Yeah I know that's way too many, but he loves shooting with a digital camera for that very reason...lots of shots at no cost.

Don't you just love the New Year. I've posted every day...so far.

Changes for 2009

Already there will be changes in 2009 in this household. As of yesterday, my DH is now an officially retired person...does that make me "old" too? The next really big change will occur next Saturday when we embark on a trip that will cover several states in the heart or is it the teeth of winter. My knitting blog may become more of a travel blog. Can you just imagine the knitting I can do while on the road, stuck on the side of the road or holed up in some distant hotel room waiting on the weather to "clear".

The states that we are planning to visit...in no particular order...West Virginia, South Carolina, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, Montana, and then Tennessee. I know it's nuts to hit all of these states in the winter, but then we have always been a touch 'off in the head'. I'm hitting yarn stores throughout the South, Southwest, Great Pacific Northwest...you name it I'm gonna give it my best shot. I cannot imagine a more fitting memory from the trip...except for the several thousand pictures that will be taken. I promise to update my knitting as I go along.

Now I need to choose the projects and some "get me started yarn" to take along for the ride. Suggestions are appreciated!

The 100th Post

How fitting to have the 100th post on the last day of 2008. A short run down of the projects that have been underway these last few weeks. I now have only 1 item to complete...the Shaped Edge Sweater that has been one of those UFO's since the beginning of the year, way back in February. If you feel the need to read about the early history of this poor sweater you can go here, more here, and finally. Oh, and who could forget about the Finishing Class at Purl Jam...where my sweater's seaming was begun!

When I put it away last March I only had the one sleeve left which I kept pushing to the back burner until this last week. I had nothing on the needles and no excuses for not pulling it out. Funny too because it hasn't taken long...maybe 2 days to get the sleeve done and join everything so I could knit the collar.

All I have left to do is finish the seaming...maybe later today? Maybe.

Other projects done:

Two Felted Slipped Stitch handbags for my sister & aunt......

A dozen or so felted snowmen....just forgot to get a photo of everyone together.

I also did a narrow ruffled edged scarf for Oldest GF...a new Hokie!

She also deserved a pair of Hokie Jaywalker's...
love the patterning of the Scarlet Fleece Sock Yarn!

A really cute set of mini mittens I used as a Christmas Tag on my sister's handbag...

Slip-up at Christmas...or what else is New

After deciding that this was the year of not knitting any Christmas gifts I changed my mind. I knew I would because I always say "no more" then start adding those small quick to knit things which suddenly morph into multiples and become much larger projects. The years haven't changed since I first started to knit.

I should say that this year I really only have a small number of things I'm knitting...Jaywalker socks, Hokie Ruffled scarf, 2 Felted bags and one more Hokie Hat. Really it's not many at all, is it? The socks are close to being done & one bag is felting in the machine as I write this up. Only leaves me to cast on for the second bag, the ruffled scarf and the hat. Did I mention that I now have a head cold that is holding me back a bit...yep, and I still want to knit this stuff up before Christmas. Better get more tea and a nap so I can work on these projects....

Jeeze...a Month Already

Yep, it's been a loooong time since I last posted. I really have no excuses because I have had material or rather knitting to write about just no time or more like inclination to post. I'm thinking that this will be a quick drive by post...

What have I been up to? Well I made the decision to only knit on stuff that's been cast on like forever ago. Which means I have finished all but one item...the 2nd Basic Sock...done, the Nicole Jacket...done & even worn a few times and I finished up the Felted Brown Bag. My only project left to complete is the 2nd sleeve of the Shaped Edge Sweater which makes me feel pretty darn good...except I have nothing on the needles. Yikes! When I realized that I was down to only one lonely project I had to cast on something. I mean what if I decided I couldn't stand one more stitch of ribbing? So, of course, I cast on 2 somethings...first was a pair of socks using Grumperina's Jaywalker's

The second thing is the cutest snowman from Knitpicks...Lumpy which is a free pattern in both their last magazine and on line. One has been done just to test the waters so to speak...now a whole family is underway. I'm hoping to use them as Christmas wrapping ornaments. The plan is to knit up several with knitted caps, scarves & capes...here's hoping anyway!

Another Felted Bag

WooHooo! I have another handbag...cannot have too many of them right? Come on now everyone must have several felted bags in their closets. No? Is it just me? Mmmm...that may be a true statement. Anyway, I now have a brown bag with a bit of maroon, a flap and button closure. Love it!

After finishing up my CPH way back in August I cast on for this bag with the left over Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride in Cafe-Au-Lait. After knitting a bit it looked as if I may run low on yarn so I added some Malabrigo Stonechat from the stash. I last used the Stonechat on the Arrowhead Shawl I completed last fall as a test knit. I love these two colors mixed together...the brown tones are so warm all mixed together with the maroons/greens & browns from the Stonechat. After a wash in some hot water and a week to dry I got out my eyelet tool and wacked away. Both on the handbag and my fingers...my middle & thumb got in the way of my hammer. Good news- I can still knit. Bad news- the fingers really hurt...just not enough to stop me from knitting. Anyway, I got the eyelets in all four corners, threaded the icord handle through & presto another bag. One that is the perfect size for my wallet and a few accessories...which is just the way I like it.

Details:
Yarn:Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride, Cafe-Au-Lait, 85 % wool, 15 % mohair, 190 yds/113 grams , about 1 1/2 skeins and Malabrigo Stonechat, 100% merino wool, 216 yds/3.5 oz., about 1/2 skein.

Pattern: Modified version of the Coco Bag by Diane Sutliff at feltedhandbagworkshop . I added an icord bind off at the top on three sides, then picked up stitches on the last side and knit a trianular flap to cover the top. I made sure that I created a button hole for my handmade button...after felting it's a wee bit tight, but should loosen up with use.

Needles:Knit Picks Harmony Options, size 13, 24" cable

Gauge: Didn't matter so I didn't measure it.

Size: Oops forgot to measure before felting. Post felting: width= 11"; height= 9".

One last thought about the Lamb's Pride is about it's feltability which was terrific. I am amazed at it's thickness after felting. I did use this double stranded so that was part of it, but compared to Patton's Classic Wool this is so much denser. Come to think of it this denseness is probably why I had so much trouble getting those eyelets beat into submission. It's going to really help this bag hold it's shape even better over the long haul. I'm off to wind up some Malabrigo Azul Profundo and LP's black for another bag...yep now I need one to go with my Mermaid.

TGID*

Finally, finished the second sock of the pair of Basic Socks started way back in March. I talked about the why's and reason's way back here, & here and must say it has been a struggle with these socks. Not sure why, but it probably has something to do with not enjoying the yarn as much as I usually do. The Wisdom yarn was not pleasant to work up...splitty and not much feel to it. Afterall, that's one of the reasons I enjoy knitting so much. I love soft, squishy yarn that doesn't bleed on my hands as I knit and has some 'heft' for lack of a better word. The Wisdom fell short on heft and man could it split apart when you weren't paying attention.

I'm done and the yarn's patterning is close to matching between the 2 socks...not perfect, but pretty darn close. Not sure why one sock has a more defined patterning, but in the end they match up fairly well and I see no reason to worry about it anymore.

Details:
Pattern: Basic sock recipe found in Knitting Rules by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Yarn: Wisdom, Chicago, colorway 232, fingering weight, 75% wool, 25% nylon

Needles: Clover bamboo sizes 1 & 2

Size: Woman's size 9

*Thank God It's Done

Snezi...it is snowing

Must have been living right this past week 'cause I finished a shrug in ONE week. Yep, it's true...the fastest knit for something that you can wear as if it is a sweater. I do love the feel of the Rowan Cocoon against my bare arms. I did not expect that bit of happy news...sometimes mohair drives my skin nuts, but this stuff feels very nice.

Another positive for a person who simply doesn't like nor understand the "shrug" concept of the itty bitty variety is that THIS one feels very sweater like. It's big enough to really wrap into and it stays up on your shoulders even when moving fast to the coffee shop in a driving rain...yeah it's been rained upon less than 12 hours after completion. It kept me dry & warm while I was doing this too...another good thing. My only 'complaint'...I find it hard to keep my bag on my shoulder while wearing this. The sleeve area gets smooshed up so more arm is exposed to the elements...kind of defeats the whole purpose of a warm item doesn't it? Now I'm on to the next item on the list...I should really start a couple of items for Christmas.

Details:
Pattern: Snezi Oversized Shrug (Raverly link) by Sarah Shepherd in Sensual Knits

Yarn: Rowan Cocoon in Cloud, 126 yds/100 gr, 6 skeins, 80% merino wool, 20% kid mohair

Gauge: 13 sts/16 rows = 4 inches

Needles: Knit Picks Options size 9, 24" circular, Boyle size 11, 29" circular

Size: Unblocked Length (nape to hem)= 27", Width (including armspan)= 53 "

One more thing...love the name of this shrug. The Czech translation is "it is snowing" which is so appropriate for where this will be travelling. I'm hoping for a awlful lot of the white stuff in just a couple of months.

PJ Herringbone

The PJ Herringbone is finally done. At least it hasn't taken 6 months which is about how long I thought it would take me. I got tired of seeing it look back at me...tired of the Noro Silk Garden Lite hanging around my knitting bag...just tired of thinking about finishing it. So tired in fact I pulled it out last week and cast on the 347 stitches for the last side. Now it's done...only needs a blocking to even out the diamonds & triangles. The colors look pretty good all together...surprises me a bit since I'm not a fan of the color purple. The first side has more in it than I care for, but the last side balances the colors out rather well...as if it were planned, mmmmm.

The details of the project:

Pattern: Herringbone Scarf/Wrap by Cornelia Hamilton-Tuttle. Pattern received while attending the Purl Jam Knitting Retreat sponsored by Mosaic Yarnshop in Blacksburg, VA in June of this year. More on the Purl Jam experiences here, here, here and last one I promise here.

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden Lite, colors 2039 (2 sks), 2014 (3 sks), 2023 (2 sks), 125 meter/50 grams, 45% silk, 45% kid mohair, 10% lamb's wool

Needles: Knit Picks Options, size 6, 24" & 60" cable

Size: Unblocked width= 10", length= 71"

The Blocked version turned out much bigger than I thought it would...so happy with that bit of news. I love long wraps! The width ended up at 13" and the length is my preferred 85.5". Wow!

No modifications were made on this wrap other than in the overall length. The original pattern called for a scarf/wrap of 60". I'm partial to long scarves so I continued well past that length. I'm thinking it will be a warm addition to the wardrobe this winter as I travel through the snow covered west. Let's hope....I'm thinking I'll need all the warmth I can pack!

Rolling Along

It sure feels good when there are multiple items finished within days of one another. Maybe that's why I like to have multiple things to work on. Each one gets some attention as the week progresses...one or two become my "all consumning" projects and kind of take all the attention until their done. By some miracle suddenly you have nothing left to work on and I start the whole cycle again. It's a bit of a slog on occasion, but it works well for me.

In the last week I have finished S's Gameday Scarf, as well as her Beret. The Beret was a very quick knit even on size 2 needles and multiple issues with the stitches falling off and unravelling. I do like it...looks pretty good even on my head and I'm NOT a hat person. I've been wondering if this beret may be the answer to a few Christmas presents? MMMM...may need to check out my sock yarn stash.

Anyway on to the details of this hat:

Pattern: Fair Isle Beret by Anna Bright

Yarn: Louet Gems, in white, 100% merino wool, sport weight, 100 gr/225 yds

Needles: Knit Pick Harmony, size 2 & 3

Size: 20-22 inches at the brim

Modifications: I did not do this hat as a fair isle project. The recepient wanted white to "set off her new hair style" ...that's the only thing I changed about the whole project.

Then last night I finished a pair of socks I started last month as a fill in project. These were the Cable Rib socks from Favorite Socks by Interweave. Actually a quick knit when I was knitting on them...sitting in the bag not much got done. I love the feel & look of these socks, but there is one small minor problem. I evidently cannot count to 10...at least not 2 times. The first sock has the pattern's recommended 10 cable repeats, however when it came time to match the second sock my math gene left me. I miscounted...to 9...so that created my sock being 10 rows shorter than the first one. I didn't catch the mistake until I finished and put them both on for their photo op. Funny how this one isn't bothering me enough to fix. I mean rip the entire foot back just to do one more cable? Now that's nuts...I'm crazy, but not crazy enough.

Scarlet Fleece It's Tubular x2 was the yarn I used for these socks. What a nice yarn to knit...no splitting, no knots and quite a bit left over. My only problem getting these done was in my needle choice. For the first time I used my Knitpick Harmony's in size 1...before I could finish sock #1 it broke in 3 pieces. It shattered in my hand and it wasn't even the needle I was knitting with. So I need to see about a replacement even though I still have 5 left. It's the priniciple...needles should not shatter the first time used. Now for the details:

Pattern: Cable Rib by Erica Alexander in Favorite Socks from interweave

Yarn: Scarlet Fleece It's Tubular x2, colorway persimmon, fingering weight, 80% merino wool, 20% nylon, 430 yds/ 4 oz

Needles: Knit Pick Harmony, sizes 1 & 2

A Month Later...well almost

It's been awhile since my last post hasn't it? I've been busy though... just with projects not related to knitting, but busy none the less & nothing much to post about knitting. I finished my CPH a month ago and still haven't found the time to get a decent photo. Maybe soon, but not high on the list evidently.

I started & finished the Gameday Scarf for my friend's daughter. She's attending American University so it's in the very patriotic colors of red & blue. I can't say I loved the yarn, Berroco Comfort, 'cause I did not...much too splitty for my taste. On the positive side it does feel nice against the skin and it's machine washable. An important feature when gifting to a new college student who hasn't played with "handwashables" & their special requirements. Felting her scarf is not an option.

Pattern: Gameday Scarf by Julia Vesper

Yarn: Berroco Comfort in shades 9756(copen blue) and 9750 (primary red), a 50% super fine nylon, 50% super fine acrylic, 193 meters (210 yards) in 100 grams. I used most of 2 skeins of the copen blue and for some reason a good bit less in the red. I have 0.013 grams left of the blue and a whopping 0.041 grams of primary red.

Needles & Gauge: Boye Needlemaster set, size 8, 16" cable...I used to love this set, but sadly no longer. The cable join isn't smooth & kept hanging up with this splitty yarn...need more Addis's...seriously. Gauge not important, but I did get 20 stitches/28 rows per 4".

Size: Length after the dreadlock additions ended up right at 72 inches and the width was spot on at 6".

I am also knitting her a hat to go along with her scarf...it's coming. I'll have more to say about the beret next week. Off to finish up those ther pesky projects before the weekend officially starts.