Saturday, April 29, 2006

Knitty SP6 reveal

Last week I received the final package from my Knitty SP, Elisabeth from Wool Is Wonderful - hop over there to see the cutest lambs on earth!

This is her wonderful package:


Slide your mouse over to see what was inside.

Two hanks of Blue Sky Cotton, one skein of Lorna's Laces she spun herself, and a box of Kids Knit Pattern Note Cards.

Thank you so much, Elisabeth, you rock!

Thursday, April 27, 2006

I am so predictable

Most of you guys guessed right:

Cleo Clutch

Here it is before felting. I used one skein of Peace Fleece in Georgia Rose.

So I put all the names in a jar, and we have a winner: Erica!

Please send me you address so I can send you the prize.

Thanks everybody for playing!

Monday, April 24, 2006

I had a plan

I always have a plan, and I usually do not follow it. But this time I thought I would. I finished Principessa's Hopeful, so I asked Paperino what he wanted. He said a Gryffindor Scarf, and I was all set. I am working on my Sugar Maple shawl, and when I am done with it, and I am going to cast for Susan's Mountain Stream Scarf - I can't handle more than one lace project at once. I have two socks on the needles, and I am actually working on NBaT again (when I am done with it, I am going to cast for Picovoli.)
Then two things happened:
1. New Spun and I had to cast for one of the project as soon as I saw it.
2. Kerrie emailed asking for submission for a book featuring handpainted yarns AND the Interlacements Yarn booth was next to FTA booth at the Knit and Crochet Show.
So guess what I have been doing in the last three days? Hint: the Spun project is basically done. Which pattern, do you ask?
Contest time, baby!
Post a comment with your guess and among the ones you guessed right, I'll randomly select a winner. The prize? The yarn to make the same project I am making.

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Greens and blues

May is coming up, and with that Project Spectrum is going be green. I has some free time today so I have decided to play with four hanks of fingering wool I had lying around. Instead of handpainting the wool, I decided to go for straight handdyeing this time around. I used 3 different colors for each dye bath and I really like the results:

Greens and Blues

Well, yes, I played with some blues as well, because of a coming project for FTA.

These hanks are 100% wool, not superwash. It's a little too scratchy for my taste, so I am wondering if I should use them for a felting project.

Friday, April 21, 2006

I could not get her to smile

Principessa was so excited to be meeting Vickie Howell, that I could not get her to smile:

Principessa and Vickie Howell

She really wanted to wear Hopeful for the occasion, since she saw it for the first time on the show.

Principessa and Vickie Howell

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Someone smack me in the head

I can't believe that, after posting the photo of the yarn Zarah sent me, I just neglected to say that I absolutely love it! Well, what's not to love, take another look:

Lake Taneycome Sunset
Click on the pic for a larger view

I can't wait to knit it up, but my #0's and #1's have projects on them, maybe I'll try #2's and see how it goes. Did I mention that Zarah was the swap hostess? No? Well, as I said, smack me in the head. She did a fabulous job!

Another thing that I completely forgot to mention is that this coming Saturday, April 22, I'll be at the Knit and Crochet Show in Oakland, FTA booth. Vickie Howell will be there as well, at 2 p.m., so stop and say "Hi!" - to Vickie, I mean. I did meet her yesterday, check out Hollis' blog for more details, my pics are still in the camera, and she is so nice and funny. Principessa was so excited and happy to meet her, she is a fan and watches every episode of Knitty Gritty over and over again.

EDITED TO ADD: Zarah is the swap hostess, the swap must go on. Sign up is still open for May. Stop by her blog and leave her a comment to sign up.

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Project Spectrum Spin-offs

On Monday I received this beautiful handpainted sock yarn from Zarah:

Lake Taneycome Sunset

She was my April partner for the Project Spectrum Hand-dyed Yarn Swap and named this colorway "Lake Taneycome Sunset". I am yet to decide what to make of it, either another Jaywalker or another Sixth Sense.

Another Project Spectrum Spin-off is Project Colorswap. For May, I am to spoil Marisol and Erin will spoil me.
My Project Colorswap questionnaire is here.
May color is green, so I started to think about greens. From my office window and my house windows, all I see is green, fields, grass, trees. Wow, there is a lot of green out there!
How about my stash? No much green there.
I have some Lorna's Laces:

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock

A bag of Lane della Robbia that is waiting to become a cardi:

Lane Della Robbia - Osiris

Some Karabella Aurora 8 in baby green:

Karabella Aurora 8 in baby colors

And there several yarns in which there is some green:

Noro Kureyon #131

Magallanes

Artyarns Supermerino

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Socks Camouflage

So, am I green or not?

Monday, April 17, 2006

Pasquetta

Working the day after Easter is so uncivilized ..... I miss home.

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Buona Pasqua a tutti

Can't write, le pastiere are baking, il casatiello is raising, and Principessa wants to wear Hopeful tomorrow.

Friday, April 14, 2006

Serendipity

The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.

Serendipity Hat

No more appropriate name for a yarn, since I did discover it by accident while ordering the Diakeito. It is softer than butter and the colors ..... Well, look!

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Warming Grace

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Squares knitted, blank postacard bought, envelope all ready to go to Canada. Need to go to the post office.

Warming Grace

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Diakeito

Diva Knitting just opened an online yarn store and the first thing I noticed is that she was going to carry Diakeito, a yarn I have been wanting to try for a while. So, guess what? I was her first customer, and I ordered this:

Diakeito Diamusee
Click on the photo for more info about the yarn.

Going to be honest here, I got this too:

Dancing Fibers Serendipidy
Click on the photo for more info about the yarn.

But the stitch markers were a gift, aren't they gorgeous?

Anyway, within few hours from opening the mailbox, the first ball of Diakeito had become this:

Diakeito Hat

I really like this yarn, it is definitely very similar to Noro, but so much soft! The color variation is beautiful, and I could not stop knitting because I wanted to see what was coming next.

It is not as soft as STW Karaoke, so I would not use as next-to-the-skin (but I have a very sensitive skin, so pay me no attention.)

Definitely a winner!

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Sixth Sense Sock

What happens when you use yarn from the queen of sock yarn to knit a sock pattern from the queen of sock patterns? You get the most beautiful sock you can ever knit.

Sixth Sense Sock

I am completely in love with this sock, I don't know if it is the yarn, the pattern, I just want to look at it all the time. And bug HWME asking "Isn't it pretty? No, look, again, isn't it gorgeous?"
He left yesterday morning, business trip he said. Umh, maybe he just wanted to get away from the sock.

Sixth Sense Sock

He said I am obsessed, but isn't it beautiful?

Monday, April 10, 2006

Project Spectrum April Update

Sugar Maple Shawl

Stitches are getting crowded on my straight needles, but I am determined to keep using them until I really have to switch to circular. Switching will slow me down considerably, and I can't afford it.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Project Color Swap

Yesterday I received the package from my Project Color Swap partner Melissa:


Slide your mouse over to see what was inside.

Look how many orange and yellow goodies:

Project Color Swap April

Melissa, being a smart lady, sent me everything but yarn (I do have enough yarn, don't I?), so that I can branch out. Well, if I can get the loot back:

Project Color Swap April

But something I managed to keep for myself, these stunning stitch markers:

Project Color Swap April

Melissa sells them on etsy, in case you want some.

Saturday, April 08, 2006

She laughs

I have leftover yarn from both Fragola's, winter and summer, Cascade Superwash and Lana Grossa Toccata. Soft, pink yarns, perfect for Warming Grace. Plus I know my gauge already, and I am so diligent that I went into Principessa's room, got Fragola and double checked. Yes, as I thought, 5 sts/1". I am using the lace zig-zag pattern I used for Scarfa, I know it by heart.

So I make the first square, I am very happy. 5 inches is ..... 12.5 cm .... uhm, this looks bigger. Measuring tape. !@#$% it is bigger!

My gauge is 5 sts / 1" on US #7, I used #8.

Can you hear the knitting goddess laughing?

I made two more hats for the Dulaan Project as an offering.

Hat for the Dulaan Project

Friday, April 07, 2006

Got Pink?

Have any pink yarn in your stash? Knit a square for Warming Grace.

Warming Grace

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Cupboard

Kate is having this funny contest, she wants us to show her the content of our cupboards over the fridge, so here is mine:

cupboard

I am afraid I am not even in the running, I keep our cereals up there. But behind the cereals boxes? I have no idea. And that little shelf up there? Total mistery. One thing I know for sure, there is no yarn there.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

My Knitty SP rocks!

Look what she sent me:


Slide your mouse over to see what was inside.

Yes, the whole first season of ER (one of my favorite TV shows), a box of popcorn to eat while I watch, and this fabulous yarn:

Maggi Knits Linen

Thank you so much, Secret Pal, I am watching the first episode as I am typing this .....

Just Another Pair of Socks

Socks

You know, when you do not know what to knit, knit a pair of socks. Since I have no enough on the needles, I just keep these as emergency knitting in my purse. Toe-up, plain vanilla, ribbed socks, child size (they fit Principessa). They'll go either to Afghans for Afghans or to Warm Woolies.

And since I have you on the subject of donations, my Project Color Swap partner, Melissa, has posted this appeal a while ago. This is my box for the Interim House:

box for Interim House

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

One Evening Hat

It's April, so I finally found the needles for my March stashbuster - I guess it'a my April stashbuster now!

But this is what I made a couple of days ago with some DB Cashmerino Chunky leftovers:

Ring Hat

Monday, April 03, 2006

Project Spectrum April

Project Spectrum April is all about oranges and yellows. But the thing is, I do not wear orange and yellow because they make me look green. I have olive skin, so I am a blue/red/purple kind of girl.
However (there is always an "however" that leads to more yarn), I can wear yellow and orange socks. And I can knit things for others in yellow and orange.
But back to the socks, here, it is, 4x580 of superwash merino fingering yarn hand-dyed by me:

LuLu's Yarn

Some of it will end up on my etsy shop, if I can part from it.

Sunday, April 02, 2006

The Day After

What to do the day after Flash Your Stash? What about "get a grip and de-stash some of it"? Well, that is exactly what I am going to do, thanks to Susan.

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Saturday, April 01, 2006

Flash Your Stash

I have photos of all mys stash on my flickr account, link on my left bar, just above "Ball of yarns: 538". Need. To. Knit. Faster.

But here are some of my favorite ones:

Art Yarns Ultramerino 4

Lorna's Laces Twirl

Koigu

Katia Jamaica

Karaoke

Pakucho Organic Cotton

Beyond

Lorna's Laces Glenwood

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock

Noro Kureyon #131