A Life of Situations: April 2006

Yarn Disappointment...

I have loved the Cherry Tree Hill yarns I've purchased before, Super Sock Potluck and Super Glitz varieties. So I decided to branch out and try their worsted wool potluck.

I ended up getting

This is a one skein wonder in progress.

The yarn is exactly like the Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool I dyed with grape Kool-Aid some time ago. Except this cost me $12. I was expecting the kind of rich beautiful variegated colors I got in my Super Sock Potluck skeins - this looks like one color was used and in some areas it absorbed more or less creating the color variation. It is kind of ugly but I like purple and I love the long sleeved one skein wonder so I'll definitely wear it.

I have found the cure to Second Sock Syndrome

... eliminate all first socks on the needles and only make socks two at a time. That is right, I frogged all incomplete first socks and started a pair in CTH Super Glitz in Monet, below. Now that feels good.

Sock Rage

You know the purple trekking broadripple I was working on on size one addis? Well I made it too long. I ripped it back and couldn't pick up the stitches right. So I buried it in my yarn closet underneath a whole mess of yarn.

I am so frustrated and angry - that sock was so incredibly beautiful. I think I will have to try again at picking up the stitches some other day with 00 or 000 dpns. Today I am just too frustrated to knit anymore.

AAAAARGH!

There is going to be some major stashbusting around here...

I have too much yarn... or rather I just don't have enough room for the new yarn I lust after. Boyfriend was looking for paper towels and opened the yarn closet. Apparently he did not fully grasp the stash until then and he told me that I should not buy any more yan. I said I was using the yarn and he said that was fine that I just shouldn't replace it. He can't tell one ball of yarn from another so I shouldn't have much trouble sneaking more into the closet to fill any empty space.

Allright, I have a lot of balls of certain yarns that I purchased as grab bags that I need to find projects for.

First up, Tahki Willow, a linen cotton blend - it tends to split when knit so I've been avoiding it after swatching but it must be used. I have 10 balls in a light lilac color (5010). This should make a nice summery something or other. Here are some contenders:
-Interweave's Front Slit Tank
-Knitty's I Do Shrug
Actually, according to the ball requirements in the patterns I should be able to make both! That would make such a pretty set.

Berroco Furz in blue/violet 3882. I am very conflicted about this yarn. 10 balls.... what to do. I can't make a sweater - I learned from The First Sweater that bulky hairy yarns such as this make me look like a gorilla. In this case I would be a blue-violet gorilla. Some ideas:
-A stashbuster blanket, since most of my yarns are in this color family it would tie them together well.
-A fuzzy shawl/wrap

Artful Yarns Vaudeville in greens.
-An openwork long sleeved summery coverup
-A sweater

That's all for now. More knitting and brainstorming later.

Finished Bloom Shawl

I started the Bloom Shawl from Knitty on Friday. I've been wanting to do it for a long time and had bought the Noro Blossom for it in color #10 for $5 a skein. It is a very fast knit! It is all garter stitch on size 15 needles with short row shaping. Right now I am blocking the shawl as you see below.

And here it is after blocking - it dried in just a few hours! I absolutely love it :) It took a total of 4 and a smidge skeins so now I have almost three full skeins left. (I have a phobia of running out of yarn and it was on sale) I think I am going to make a flower from it to make a pin to pin it shut - I don't think I wan to do a crochet trim - maybe I can make a cute cloche type hat to go with it. This shawl looks like magical spiderweb <3

And as promised the Long Sleeved OSW. The sleeves didn't grow as much as I thought and it is super comfy. I would definitely make more of these.

Long Sleeved One (Three) Skein Wonder

I decided that I wanted a functional piece of knitting that is quick would be a good way to get me motivated about finished my current projects. Therefore I knit a long-sleeved one skein wonder. It took exactly three balls of Noro Kureyon. And I used my stash - yay! I think this is color 134 - but I'll have to check later to be sure.

Here she is blocking - the pinks are really very bright, since it is a bit wet the colors a little dulled. It is super cute I'll have to take a picture when it dries with it on. I love the way Kureyon softens up after it is washed.

A couple other details I forgot to add earlier:

I made the sleeves longer by joining them in the round and knitting on Clover 12" plastic mini circulars (I love these things!) I didn't do any decreases and they have a bit of a flared look to the sleeve but it is rather minimal.

The sleeves grew 1.5" or so in length in the blocking so I guess I'll have to reblock or live with it for now.

No matter she is going to be worn today!!

WIPs on Parade

I have far too many projects on the needles. Especially socks - first socks not even second socks. There are so many projects I want to start too, help!

I ordered this custom dyed sock yarn from: http://www.allthingsheather.typepad.com/ (visit her Etsy store!) and it came today. Absolutely perfect, the colors were exactly what I wanted.

This is how it knits up - the colors are truer in the other picture. This sock will likely get frogged because I want to make these two at a time toe up to get the maximum sock possible, I always make mine short for fear of running out of yarn.

A beautiful sock I started yesterday in Trekking XXL in the Broadripple pattern. I'm in love with this sock - near the top of my priority list.

The first of Ali's graduation socks - her feet are 8s while mine are 5.5/6s so it is a bit big on me.

A sad little jaywalker relegated to DPNs. That is a lowely status! They are basically my version of sock stitch holders because I can technically knit with them leading to the possibility of work on the project but my dislike of DPNs makes it unlikely.

My booga bag - finished except for felting. I tried felting it in the sink, it didn't work. Here it is hanging on my towel rack next to the sink.

This sock was hiding under the bed - it is the first of two meant for David. Who knows when he'll get the second sock, good thing he doesn't really want the socks :/

Another sad jaywalker from a binge a while back.

I got past the increase rows and man is clapotis annoying! She sucks all of my knitting patience and frankly I can't stand the slooooooow progress. But it is sooo pretty and soft.

I am really wanting to make a sweater... These are all relatively small projects (except for the clap) so maybe I can justify it.

And now the true meaning of yarn porn

What a difference a little natural lighting makes! These colors are so true to life!

Lang Jawoll Cotton Superwash (sock yarn)

Cherry Tree Hill Superglitz in Monet

Cherry Tree Hill Superglitz Dusk

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Purple Club and Iris Garden

Cherry Tree Hill: Supersock Potluck 15A, Superglitz Dusk, Superglitz Monet

Trekking XXL: 108, 105, 78 and Austermann Step 08

Noro Kureyon 126

The itty bitty beginings of a Booga bag in Kureyon 126, so little progress because this caught my eye...

Mmm, like spun cotton candy - the epitome of spring. Lorna's Laces Bullfrogs and Butterflies in Happy Valley

Pastels are not usually my colors but this is the comfort food of knitting

The colors remind me of childhood, carefree times and cuddling. That pooled rainbow makes me swoon...

She will be my Clapotis - a grown up blankie to cuddle up in during chilly moments.

I did finish something (I know it would seem I can only cast on)

Such comfy socks and they are all mine! KnitPicks Parade.

By the way... my favorite color is purple. Perhaps you have noticed.

p.s.

I have joined:

0/3

(0 knit up until Jan 1st - because I only started knitting in December but 3 pairs have been knit this year and there is one finished single and three on the needles)

The Exhibitionist In Me Approves

Stash flash! (These pictures are in roughly chronological order of yarn aquisition so forgive the early acrylic purchases and keep looking for the nice stuff.)

Everyone else blogs their pets so Valentine was jealous and had to get into a shot.

I have a problem of buying much more yarn than needed for a given project. Here we see a collection of Lion Jiffy - the beige made a scarf and the black a sweater. I have no idea what I will do with all of this.