Yarn and forgiveness

The last sock of 2006, and probably the last FO of 2006 - I doubt I am going to finish something tonight.

Paperino forgave me and said that I can knit him sock from SWTC Tofutsies Foot in the Door - I said yes because, well, I thought a second "No" would cost me too much in therapy and I kind of owed him since I made him model the original Tofutsies.

Yarn and inspiration

I did not finish my Thuja sock yesterday as I said because I remembered that today we are driving to friends up toward Napa and I need something to knit in the car - you can think whatever you went about socks, but they are the ultimate car drive knit. So I played with this:



SWTC Inspiration, soysilk and alpaca, a dream to work with. It is sport weight, so I am doubling it to make a scarf on #10.

Update on Paperino's socks: he must have guessed that I think he is not Koigu worth (maybe the fact that I have hidden the stash was a hint?) So now he does not want hand knit sock anymore.

Here is the horrible truth: I am such a bad mother that I am so relieved that my stash is safe and I can just go to Old Navy. His feet grow too fast anyway.

Yarn and stash

Day 3 and I may finish the socks tonight. Worsted weight socks, who knew? It may be a new chapter in my bored/intrigued relationship with knitted socks. I love this yarn so much that I cannot care less about the so-so colorway, I may go to Purlescence soon and buy a boat load. After all, it is sock yarn so it falls under the exemption of Knit From Your Stash 2007!

I find this concept so amusing that I have decided to join just for the heck of it. Here are the rules - my comments in red:

1. The Knit-From-Your-Stash-a-Thon will start January 1, 2007 and run through September 30, 2007 -- a period of nine months.

2. We will not buy any yarn during that period, with the following exceptions:

2.a. Sock yarn does not count. What? You think we are made of stone? Ah ah, most of my yarn purchases are sock yarn, not because I like to knit socks that much (it usually bores me, there is no thrill in knitting socks), but because "it is only one skein". I like this exception!

2.b. If someone asks for a specific knitted gift that we really and truly do not have the yarn for, we may buy yarn to knit that gift. I can't imagine a situation in which someone asked me to knit them something (I can offer, but I do not take requests), and then on top of that, they specify the yarn? Ugh?

2.c. If we are knitting something and run out of yarn, we may purchase enough to complete the project. Yeah, right. If I ran out of something, you can bet that it is discontinued.

2.d. We each get one "Get Out of Jail Free" card -- we are each allowed to fall off the wagon one time. This is very dangerous.

3. We are allowed to receive gifts of yarn. Like, how I am going to prevent people to buy me yarn? Even if I wanted to.

4. Spinning fiber of any sort is exempt. Since I do not spin, Stitches West is exempt. And before you start screaming "cheater, cheater", I'll tell you that I do not do well in crowds, in fact I bought nothing for myself at Stitches West 2006 (just few things for my SP spoilee). But this year I'll be strong and conquer two stalls: Brooks Farm and Morehouse Farm. And Lisa Sousa. And Tess' Designer Yarn ...... never mind, I will never make it.

But at least, this could me my shot at knitting the I-am-not-going-to-count-how-many sweaters for which I have yarn in my stash.

Yarn and love

Before knowing that they needed to be 10.81 inches long, I have decided to knit my father some socks. Good thing I chose Thuja and a worsted weight yarn - I went from this to this:



in one evening. I love love this yarn, it has an unsurpassed springiness for a worsted weight 100% merino, very tightly spun, but as usual with STR, I am tepid about the colorway. Heaven would be to have Lorna's Laces colors, I am dreaming of Charcoal, with this yarn.
Speaking of great colors, Paperino wants socks too. He went through my sock yarn stash and came out with these two skeins:



Can you guess what it is? I can tell you this, I love him more than life itself, but I don't think he'll get those.

Note to myself: hide good yarn better, with a child proof lock.

X-mas presents

While everybody seems to be done, I have just started. You see, I am incapable of doing anything but at the very last minute. So, I won't see my brother and his family until tomorrow, so my niece's hat was knit on x-mas day:



and my brother's hat yesterday:



My parents? I won't see them until mid January, so these are my father's socks for now:



Better than my mom's present, still to be identified. I am thinking the Bejeweled Scarf - there is even a knit-along for it, and much suitable yarn in my stash.

With 2006 coming to an end, some of the knit-alongs I have participated in are ending, so room for few more.

Someone was very happy

with his gift from the knit fairy

It gets better and better

Look what Susan sent me:



Two books from my Amazon wish list - an unexpected and very appreciated gift!

Merry X-mas to me

X-mas arrived early for me this year, in the form of a package from my wonderful SP9:



All the gifts were individually and beautifully wrapped, and I did take a photo of them, but the camera decided to hate that particular picture. Stop rubbing your eyes, you are not hallucinating (I thought so too): the Ringo Bag pattern - so cool! - Lush bath products, Noro Kureyon:



and the JitterBug sock yarn - I have heart about it, but this the first skein I hold in my hands:



The colorway, amazing, is Florentina.

This is the third package my SP has sent me, and each one has been better than the previous one.

Thank you, SP, can't wait to know who you are!

The most difficult thing in knitting a kippah

is getting a child to stay still for the photo shoot:





My ficus behaves better:

Feeling the pressure

Three days before x-mas and I am starting to feeling the pressure. A little bit. Teachers' gifts are done and delivered. I finished my niece's socks:



Wildfoote Luxury Sock Yarn, pattern by Mona Schmidt in Interweave Knits Winter 2005 (adapted for baby socks). Still on my to-do list, one yamulke and two hats. Three items, three day.

Caps for the Capital

My contribution, three tiny hats made with leftovers, hardly an evening of work:

Knitting content, finally

I know that there has been little knitting content on this blog lately, but between things I can't show and gift that I am knitting and giving away so fast I forgot to take a picture ..... Excuses, excuses, I know.

So, finally, a scarf!



It is that time of the year, gifts for the kids' teacher. Paperino stated that Ms. G. likes purple, dived into my stash, and came out with this - Colinette Skye, in my stash for a long time. Well, she is worth it. Principessa's, as usually, was not so easily please. Mr. O. likes neutrals and for a second she thought this could do it:



But then she decided, nope. Nothing in my stash satisfied her, so we stopped at the store today to pick up some Cascade 109 Tweed in color 7627. I'll make the hat tonight and then I have a week for the x-mas presents, right?

Henry Hudson

Look what landed at my doorstep few days ago:



Henry Hudson, filled with goodies from Jenn:



Candies, candles, notecards, point protectors, A Deadly Yarn, tape measures, a project bag I suspect she made herself, and the most amazing purple from Fleece Artist:



Definitely in the "too beautiful for sock" category.

Thank you Jenn!

Henry Hudson sailed already for the next port .......

It's been raining

So the internet has been kind of iffy at my place, I tried to post but the connection was so slow that I could not see the photos on my flickr account, so it was like flying blind. I gave up.

A lots of this and that then.

You may remember that my Sock-ret Pal sent me some natural yarn a while ago, and since it was raining and surfing the web was frustrating, I have been dying:



This is Corridale unbalanced ply, and for someone who does not like green much, I love it.

Then I bought some yarn at the local farmer market and dyed this:



And I dyed some DK cashmere:




My Sock-ret Pal, and then this:



The tea smells soooo good, and the yarn deserve some close-ups:





But before that, my Knitty Winter SP sent me this:



filled with this:



this:



and this:



And least but not last, I have the first photo of a finished project of a customer who bought one of my yarns:

Best calendar ever

My Sock-ret pal sent me the best calendar, and a another package - pictures coming soon!

Linea Rossa No.2

The Linea Rossa No.2 book is out, and I love it as much as the first one. I think the pattern are beautiful, and very well written (by my standard of "well-written", sweet and short).

I had to have it.

Sometime I feel so smart

Sometime I feel so smart, like when I dyed a self-zigzaging yarn, sometime I feel so stupid, like when I did this:



Slide your mouse over to see the other side of the sock - yes, it is right, I put the pattern on the sole as well.

Knit Unto Others

Yesterday was the last day of Knit Unto Others - hop over there and read the comments, some knitters have made as many as 31 hats in two weeks, I am really impressed!

My totals? One square:



Another square and a pair of mittens:



Two hats:



And one scarf:

Gardening

Give the children some shovels and they'll be busy for hours - who knew?
Me? I took photos; a square for Kaitlyn:



my zig zag scarf:

The new Magknits is up

And I immediately fell in love with Cinnabar (and I think I have the yarn for it!)
I followed the link to the designer's website and found out she lives in Como - beautiful photos on her blog!