Yarn and itchiness

Can you tell that I am itching to start something new?
The fact is, I am in sock purgatorio. I have these socks due in a week, so all I am knitting is sock sock sock. Yes, I need to make three, a pair plus a third one in a solid color. I am almost at the cuff of the second one, but, and it is a big but, there is mistake near the toe of the first one. Not really a mistake, it is just that I changed the lace pattern after two repeats. I do like the new pattern better, so I knit the second sock that way. And I need to knit the third one, and fix the first. So, purgatorio. Not hell, because, well, it's socks and sock yarn anyway, it can't be that bad.
If I finish one sock tonight I am giving myself permission to knit the collar of the EZ Surprise Jacket.

Yarn moving

I have moved to the new blogger, so I guess this is a test post.

Now I have a looong list of blogs I can't post on, and I guess I have to re-subscribe to the ones I dropped. Happy? No

Yarn p0rn

To distract you guys from the lack of real knitting content (sorry, I ran out of stuff I have completed a while ago, a wiser blogger would have save one of the two shawls for today), how about some yarn p0rn?



I found a place with better light in my house, too bad it works only in the morning when the sun is out (the sun out is pretty much always in California, it's me functioning in the morning that's rare.)

These babies won't go on etsy because I think I need them for myself will be on etsy soon.

Yarn and yet no photos

Look here, the number of WIPs is down to 15! I finished the Sock-ret socks (no photos, not only I am still sick, even worse than Friday, but I have plans for the pattern, so it is no wise to post a picture yet) and I decided to frog the SSS socks, the yarn just does not want to be socks, I'll use it for Project Spectrum in April/May. Since I managed two days without casting on for a new project, 17-2=15!

Since I do not have any new news, let's talk about old news. I have a new pattern here in Curious Creek "Arusha", a blend of merino and silk.



I finished the pattern ages ago, but since I am the worst at self-promotion, I just forgot to put link in my free pattern page. And talking about being really really bad at this, my pattern for the Sugar Maple Shawl has been available for sale for ages now, just never mentioned it - ops!

Yarn and no photos

Not only I am working an several non bloggable project, but I am sick, so the chances of me finding the camera and then actually work it are pretty slim. Yesterday I was at the store while I was starting to feeling not so well, and it was pretty clear to Hollis I was getting worse by the minute: she laid the new shipment of Handmaiden Seasilk in front of me and all I said was "Hum."

So, while I have no photos, I have updates on my 2007 resolutions:


I have seamed one side of my Debbie Bliss Simple Jacket with Collar from Book 2 (item #1 in the photo). Being sick right now, not seaming, but ...... I should see my mom tomorrow, maybe if I beg and I play the pity card ......


I have bought no yarn (remember, sock yarn is not sock yarn) and I am plotting the use of the one I have. Principessa has asked for a cardigan that will use about 20 balls of my Karabella Aurora 8 - either the designer was on drugs or it will fit her all way through college. I am using a lot of sock yarn since I have joined the L&V Sock Marathon 2007 (sock yarn is not stash yarn when I buy it, it does count as stash reduction when I use it - it's my stash, so my rules).
I have started a EZ Surprise Jacket last night (or at least I think so, it's the "knitting while I am sick" phenomenon again) with Lorna's Laces Sportweight in Bucks Bar, another pair of sock with STR in Fire on the Mountain and that brings me to ...


I finished one project from the 16 I had at the beginning of January, and now I have 17 in progress. Ops! In my defense I will say that the Debbie Bliss Simple Jacket is really close (all the knitting is done), I have worked a couple of rounds of the Logcabin blanket (and there I realized that since I am leaving the stitches on hold instead of picking them up, I really need the new Options needles), I almost decided to frog the SSS socks, I did work on the twin set, and socks are just socks.

Yarn 24/7

Every once in a while the question "If you were to knit with one yarn for the rest of your life, which one will you choose? My 24/7 yarn, the one I could knit with forever is Karabella Aurora 8. It is squishy yummy squishy, superwash, comes in all colors, and softer than butter. Every time I start a new project with it, I wonder why I have bothered with something else considering I could use for about everything, even worsted weight socks.
So imagine my surprise when I checked my FO 2006 and FO 2005 and found nothing knit with this yarn - what happened? Probably a serious attack of "there is nothing worth of this yarn, I'll just stash it." But that stops now, 2007 will be the year I knit with the yarn I love instead of stashing it.
Up there? Bejeweled for my mom, three balls of Karabella Aurora 8 in Cornflower, the color of her eyes.

Yarn Marathon

I posted a while ago that I was joining Wendy's Knit from Your Stash 2007 - the idea of finding out how much stuff I can make without buying new yarn certainly is intriguing (and Principessa decided to help selecting a cardigan from this that takes 2,000 yards of yarn!).
Then I found out about the L&V Sock Marathon and I jumped it - the purpose of the marathon is to find out how many miles of sock yarn you can knit in three months. Anything that I think is sock yarn qualifies, and I can knit whatever with it. Very low key do not stress about the rules KAL.
First task? Count how many yards of sock yarn I have. So, spreadsheet, sum, 22,718 yards. Sounds high, but I have no idea what that means. Google tells me it is almost 13 miles. Hum. Let's try again in kilometers.

21 km? Holy yarn! That does sound like a lot. Even if the general consensus is that anything lower than 15 miles does not qualify as "a problem".

The stuff in photo? Worsted weight, Bejeweled for my mom in Karabella Aurora 8 (from stash!) and One Skein Wonder in Rio de la Plata.

Yarn and excitement

My 2007 UFO Challenge is going well so far. My Inspiration Scarf (#3 in the photo) is done, I jut need to weave in the ends, block it, and then I can ship it to Jonelle. Sorry, can't show it.
My Very Berry T-shirt ( is almost done, I am at the yoke. Sorry, can't show it. My Sock-ret sock (#15) is at the cuff. Sorry, forgot to take a photo. The Debbie Bliss Jacket (#1) is done and blocked, I just need to sew it up:



Not very exciting, right? Just a pile of pieces, but considering that I started this sweater in November 2005, believe me, I am excited!

How about this for excitement? I said before that I am addicted to Lime & Violet. So, I am finally caught up, I have listened to all back episode (and ordered my Violet's Pink Ribbon yarn). Today I am listening to the last episode and there they say, lux2night on etsy, and start going all "ooh" and "aah" on my Toscana colorway. Good thing I was alone in the house, because, believe me, I was excited. I am easily amused, I know.

P.S. Paperino was not impressed at all, but Principessa emailed all her friends.

Yarn and fun fur

I read this on Susan's blog and I immediately thought : Pagoda!



So I tried. And failed. I really can't do it, my fingers refuse. You may ask why I have this, and to set the record straight, I did not buy it, Principessa did.

But back to the hat, if someone wants to knit this for the Children's Hospital, just drop me an email and I'll send it to you.

ETA: FTA has this stuff on super sale.

Yarn and corn

I do not like corn unless it is polenta, but I have to restrain myself not to try and lick this. It reminds me of cotton candy, and I just want to eat it, even if I do not like cotton candy, but I would if it were made of Amaizing.
The thing in the background?
Yes, it is the cardi, and the only thing missing is the collar. I am so good.
And happy listening to Streetcorner Symphony that I just bought - thank you so much to Megan, Mandy, Hollis, and Michele for pointing me to the right direction. Megan, send me an email with your address and I'll have something in the mail for you.

Yarn and a contest

It's been a while since I had a contest, so here it is. I need help with something that is driving me crazy.

Last fall ABC had a commercial on the air for their Thursday line-up, and there was a song whose lyrics said something "Come on over" - meaning switch to ABC on Thursday.

I can't find that song on iTunes for the life of me - of course I can't, I do not know the name of the song and who sings it.

Anybody?

I'll draw a name among the right answers and the prize will be something from my stash.

Yarn and obsessions

The Yarn Harlot says that obsession is normal, so I am getting more normal by the minute because I have a new obsession: knitting podcast. HWME (he who makes espresso) bought me a iPod with the Nike thingy for my birthday in December. I really like it because it records my every day runs (yes, it does that once I understood how to use it, but let's not go there). Then I stumbled about this "podcast" thing - yes, I know that everybody else knew about it and I am the last one, just do not comment on it, or if you do, be gentle - and ...... I LOVE MY iPOD!
I have been listening to Lime & Violet practically no stop in the last three days (I am up to episode 11, trying to catch up) laughing all the time. I love Unwond (I just sent an Odeo to her for her weekly poll, is my voice weird in English or what?). I have downloaded all the Cast On episode but I haven't started to listen to them yet - I know that I need to. I will listen to It's a Purl, Man.
So basically, I have been downloading like crazy and my house has never been so clean and tidy. And here is where HWME goes around mumbling "if I only knew, if I only knew" while he stares at all his shirts laundered and ironed in his closet.
You see, it's a iPod so it's portable. I stick it in my pocket, earplugs in my ears, and I go around the house laughing and cleaning, laughing and ironing, laughing and cooking. I can listen to Lime & Violet all the time because I am actually doing something else and be very productive while I listen. I do not feel guilty listening to podcasts all day long. I LOVE my iPod, and my family does too.

Knitting? Yes, knitting.



This UFO Challenge is working so well (yes, I know I can't count, there are 16 not 14 items in this photo), the sleeves of UFO #1 are done:

Yarn and resolutions

I can count 84 FO's for 2006 - do you want to know how many were for me? 8
Enough said.



This is not about stash reduction, as I already pointed out here, it's about stash utilization. I have Karaoke, Pakucho, Malabrigo, hemp, Karabella Aurora 8, Blue Sky Alpacas, Debbie Bliss, Jo Sharp in sweater quantities - some of these yarns deserves to be knit- I think.



Yes, I am a little scared so I stopped searching:



So, I am already out, because I have 14 and last time I checked, 2007 will have 12 months as usual. Some of these are pretty close to completion and I can finish more than one object per month, but then I can cast on for many more. See the socks section (12 to 16)? Two of them were casted yesterday, three in the last week. The yesterday episode? It's called "cheating", I wanted to slip those in before today.
Anyway, my UFO to be resurrected in January is #1, the wrong sweater, I think it is time for me to forgive it. And #9, it's for my niece and I would love to finish it so she can wear it at least once.
The tentative plan is to resurrect #7 (Mia from Debbie Bliss' Junior Knits) in February and #6 (SKB) in March. It's a plan, so I won't follow it.