JFC

It’s been six and a half million years since I was here. Dinosaurs literally walked the earth last time I posted. Okay.

Last time you saw me, I was at Rhinebeck in October. What.

November
I wrote a novel: ongoing! Original goal of National Novel Writing Month is 50,000 words in 30 days. I have 90,000 now, after 3 months. It’s almost done. Sort of.

I finished Juno for my grandmother for Christmas.

10/21/09-11/13/09, Juno Regina in JL Yarn Vinca. Pink! Lauretta loved it. Blocked it on my shiny new blocking wires which were a fabulous birthday gift from my mum. <3

I finished my Clover socks.

Clover by Kate Blackburn, fun to knit, in my handdyed in a “gradient” that was actually just kind of mostly purple. Brand! New! Picture! I blame my lightless dorm room partly for why I don’t blog. Pictures are crap. Blah.

December
Socks for granddaddy:

“No one has ever paid such attention to my feet!” Dec 10-20, 2009. Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in “China Blue.”

Clapotis for mom:
no picture! Sadpants.
Clapotis by Kate Gilbert, in BMFA Mediumweight “Tanzanite”: October 26-December 21, 2009. Purple! Shiny. Excellent.

Also in December was Finals Week and a personal ass-kicking, as well as winter break. I went home and promptly spent every day sleeping, writing, internetting, eating at weird hours, running occasionally in the mornings, and knitting. I ignored Daegmund the whole time and felt bad. Oh well. Made many plans. Spent time with friends. Enjoyed myself!

In January, I finished some Christmas presents, such as Dad’s gloves and Disco the hedgehog:

gloves by DROPS, 12/22/09-1/14/10, KnitPicks Gloss.

Hello terrible dorm picture! This was for Sarah. Smith by Ysolda Teague, with Cascade 220 and Berocco alpaca and fluff. 12/24/09-1/21/10.

The Whirlpool socks from my personal sock club got started and finished…

December 2, 2009 – January 3, 2010. Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in “Lakeview,” plus beads!!!!!!!!

ALSO, my pride and joy of the month:

The motherfucking DNA hat.

LOL. omg. So excellent. I had to knit it three times because it was too small EVERY TIME. Fuck you colorwork. Whatever.

Anyway. In the end, successful. January 1-19, 2010, Cascade 220, no pattern, just the chart on my Ravelry page (above).

Finished winter break with a whole lot more of the same, and came back to school. Had an impromptu “airing of the stash” all over my bed.

Not bad, eh? Still not buying more yarn. I just need to not.

Oh, also forgot, new fun incarnation of the sock yarn blanket!

This one is the Ten Stitch Blanket that I saw Erin knitting and waaaaaaaaannntteddd. So I ripped out the squares and went to town.

I started two new pairs of socks, also. My shitty shitty photography does not do these two justice, because they are both SUPER AWESOME.

The first (started at home) is York and Lancaster by the Lisa Grossman (the Tsock Tsarina). I bought the kit at Rhinebeck, and I adore it. Except that it has colorwork and pattern and is WAY TOO HARD to work on while also taking notes in Organic Chem and Biology of Macromolecules. FUCK. I love these. They are not getting worked on. ;_;

Also, Viper Pilots, still super awesome, still too hard to work on and take notes. Wah! I want them. Yarn is Neota Designs Zephyr in “Mountain Majesty” or something. Estes Park.

AAAAAANNNDDDD finally, what I actually HAVE been working on because it was easy enough:
One Row Scarf and Fetchings for Mary in Malabrigo “Amoroso.” No picture because I can’t get my camera to acknowledge a) light or b) saturation, so fuck it. Whatever. It’s very red.

and technically I’m still working on my Bayerische socks, but remember when we talked about things being too hard to work on while note-taking? These are too brain-consuming to even work on while doing fuck-all else. What.

THE END

Welcome to February. See you guys in May, probably.

Or for Ravelympics, which at this point I’m participating in with my goal being KNIT ANYTHING EVER.

Yarn Pirate rocks

So a few weeks ago or so, Georgia of Yarn Pirate had a wee blog contest, asking for suggestions of good etsy.com sites. I shared the one I like to go and stare at when I’m sad/bored/procrastinating/wanting in a little inspiration, Rosasharn Designs (I apparently visit it often enough that I started to type in etsy.com to find the shop and it was my second option in the address bar…).

Rosasharn Designs is a not an indie dyer, but an indie book maker. She makes these fabulously cool notebooks out of found and recycled paper! They’re so awesome. I bought one a few years ago for a swap and sent it to my partner, but have coveted these notebooks ever since. I think they’re great. They’re just the prettiest journals and notebooks, in all sizes and dimensions and paper counts. She uses envelopes and drawing paper and music sheets and coloring book pages and blueprints. Agh! They’re so awesome.

Anyway, Georgia picked my name from her contest, and sent me the yummiest and most generous package ever!

Included in the package was some handspun yarn (!!!), a book, and some candy. I shook the box before I opened it and was very excited about the candy noise. =P The handspun is 130 yards of her superwash merino (available in roving!) in the colorway “Pretty Pirate,” and it is all kinds of soft and delicious. I have already rubbed it all over myself a little bit.

It’s raining today, so the light is weird, and I got a whole bunch of shitty photos and only a few good ones.

I don’t know what I’m going to do with this yet, but it seems to be saying “mittens.”

Thank you Georgia! You rock!

Pi Day!

Was yesterday. But my mommy sent me a package that I have yet to receive that I expect will be full of pie. Oh boy!

So I’m back from Spring Break, which could probably be put down as the worst spring break I’ve ever had, but I’m not really going to go into it. It was shitty, and I know why, and I can’t wait for another opportunity to go home instead. South Carolina, however, was beautiful, I love the beach, and I think I have a tan, too.

Today, instead of working on a paper I need to have revised for tomorrow evening (I did a little editing, I swear), I’ve spent some of my time organizing a stash-based sock club for myself. Squee! I’m so outrageously excited about this. Here’s what I did:

1. Remove all stash from sexy clear hanging yarn-rack, and put it on the bed.
2. Admire yarn.
3. Label envelopes with each yarn’s name and colorway.
4. Choose patterns for each yarn.
5. Print/obtain each pattern and put it in each yarn’s envelope.
6. Seal the envelopes.
7. Put all the yarn back in the yarn-rack.
8. When ready for a new pair of socks, grab a yarn and its pattern!
9. Be surprised and delighted!
10. Knit awesome socks all year!

I had 11 sock yarns ready for a pattern. Or, maybe 10, because one of those yarns is supposed to be for the Playwright’s very boring and plain socks. I’m going to knit him Thuja socks instead of boring socks, out of Dream in Color Smooshy.

It’s a bit like cheating, but I’ve also got the next two pairs of socks I want to knit planned. Once I finish my Eleanors, I either want to knit a pair of Leyburn socks out of STR in “Chapman Springs,” or a pair of Herringbone Rib socks from Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn in Black Bunny Fibers in “The Deep.” It seems fitting to pair a Carol Sucolski yarn with a pattern from her book! So excited.

Some pictures! Works in progress!

The might-never-get-finished Alaska mittens that I’m sort of working on. Sort of.

The sock yarn blanket, which at 35 squares is now almost wide enough (one more), and is 21% complete. Woo hoo!

Eleanor socks, about to get toes. Knit out of Mind’s Eye Yarns Merino/Tencel, on US 2s.

The Bayerische challenge. Knit out of Cascade Heritage, on US 1s.

Yay socks!

Okay, seriously, I need to work on my paper.

bag blogger bad blogger

what’cha gonna do? what’cha gonna do when they come for you?

anyway. it’s february.

it has snowed a lot here recently (I’m back at school now). yesterday it started snowing early in the morning and kept on until late last night. i went out and played in it, and there was a big snow ball fight around 11 (pm), which was tons of crazy college fun. this morning, it was pretty out my window:

I love snow.

Winter makes for good knitting! So what have I been up to?

I got back to school on Monday the 19th. On Sunday the 25th, I headed into Philly to go to the book signing at Loop Yarn on South Street. The book was Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn by Carol Sulcoski of Go Knit in Your Hat. It was excellent! I love Philadelphia so much.

Highlights:

Me and the Schuylkill River.

Juxtaposish!

I want to live here.

I didn’t take any pictures of Loop or Carol, because I was shy, but she signed my book and we chatted a bit, and then I ate M&Ms and talked to another woman about knitting two socks at the same time.

Also I bought some of her yarn: Black Bunny Fibers

Tucked in my bag at the train station.

The yarn is fingering weight superwash merino, and the colorway is called “The Deep.” These are so my colors. Colors of my life.

So then the next weekend, my sister visited me!

Beyond fun. She’s great. Did I mention that beyond graduating this year, she’s going to college next year? Hooray!

She’s also getting on Ravelry soon. Go Sarah go! Knit!

Okay so THEN I finished ML’s mittens for her:

Start: December 13, 2008
Finish: January 30, 2009
Pattern: Kiehkuralapaset- Swirly Mittens
Yarn: Elsabeth Lavold Silky Wool in black, some of my handdyed in “Firebrand,” and a little Schaefer Anne in an unknown colorway to finish out the top. This addition makes these mittens less than awesome in my book, but ML wears them all the time, and so if she’s happy, I’m happy.
Needles: US 2.

After those were done, I turned my attention to my Rhythm ‘n’ Blues Monkey socks.

Start: December 4, 2008
Finish: February 1, 2009
Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A.
Yarn: Fannie’s Fingering Weight
Needles: US 2

The Playwright got me this yarn in SoHo this summer, from Purl SoHo, and it is wonderful. It was fabulous to knit with, and the color combination is so fun and so me. I love these socks.

I did also finish a Turn a Square hat, but I think its recipient reads the blog, and I want it to be a random surprise. So I’ll post about that later!

I almost forgot to mention two OTHER things I finished since the last post: Baudelaires and my mum’s silk mittens.

Start: January 2, 2009
Finish: January 19, 2009
Pattern: Baudelaire by Cookie A.
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy, “Lunar Zazzle”
Needles: US 2 (I’m a fan)

These socks are great! I knit them toe up, and I think they’re actually a little long because I went by full leaf motifs. If I had been less obsessed about full leaf motifs, they might be more snug. But they are comfy, and they’re gorgeous.

Finally (bad picture coming up), I finished my mom’s mittens for her birthday

The idea behind these was that I found a lone mitten tucked in a bag with a ball of yarn. The mitten was beautiful, but too long for my mom (fit me perfectly). I wanted to give it a mate, so I cast on very sneakily (not) and knit up the mitten’s mate in the same yarn, on needles I thought would match the gauge (they did, clever me). Then I cut off the top of mitten #1, which had been knit flat and seamed, and knit up again to the same length as mitten #2, all the time keeping a purl line as a false seam. So mitten #1 has a half-way seam and mitten #2 does not. Success! Everything went swimmingly, and I think mum really likes them.

Start: January 14, 2009
Finish: January 15, 2009
Pattern: none
Yarn: Schachenmayer Nomotta – Saskia in silver/gray
Needles: US 4, bamboo

I think that covers everything up to now. Are these extensive FO posts just too insane, or are they ok? I like to keep track of what I finish, so I’m content doing this, and I like sharing the pictures too. I blog when I have time, yo. College is crazy. I love it.

Nearly forgot: WIPs! I know, right.

I am currently knitting:
1 commissioned headband for LCS, for whom I knit the Crofter’s Cowl in December
1 pair of mittens for myself: probably going to get frogged because I’m almost positive there isn’t enough yarn
1 original design henley sweater out of Brooks Farm Four Play in a fabulous blue. I have these coinesque buttons that I got at the mountain man festival or whatever in Montana, and I lost one, so I only have 3. Thus, the sweater will only open to about mid-boob, and be a pullover south of that. I’m knitting it top-down with raglan shaping, and I love it.

The end! Come back soon. Whew. I need to update more often to save myself all the typing.

oh dear

Hello blog (blowing the dust off).  I haven’t forgotten about you, I swear.  It’s only that I’ve been very busy with school and everything, lots of knitting, etc, but not a lot of time to take pictures of things.  You understand.  Most of the time now I’m out and about from 8 until 4, and by 4 the light’s all gone and my room’s getting dark.

But as it is, I am still knitting, lots and lots.  I’ve got most of my Christmas knitting done, and I’m working on the last two gifts for my immediate family (omg!).  I’d show you my dad’s socks now, but I forgot to take a picture of those today, so I’ll take it tomorrow and promise to come back and show.  He’s seen them, already, and tried them on, so that’s no secret.

The other gift is more secret, so that will have to wait.

I also gave DN and JP their Christmas presents, so perhaps I’ll get pictures of them in them tomorrow. DN says she lay in her bed last night wearing her mittens and watching Gossip Girl. She’s a bit strange.

However! I do have pictures of other things. Today I got my package from the Loopy Ewe which I ordered as a party for myself for finishing my novel in November (you might have noticed the little box in the corner over there).

cute note from Sheri, plus goodies

Spiraluscious pattern by Anne Hanson

Sheepy tape measure (silly addition, but so far very amusing)

Cascade 220 for the cowl (mentioned later)

Mountain Colors Targhee roving (mom, I’m under the impression the wait list for the fiber processing is very long…)

Four skeins of sock yarn, all Lorna’s Laces, in “Lakeview” (variegated) and “China Blue” (solid).

Also I started a pair of Monkey socks for myself (pair #3), and this one is not going to wander off because it’s in yarn that the Playwright got me in New York, and it is wonderful.

Finally for today, I have started (and half-completed) a cowl for a girl who I work with at the Arboretum. I’m knitting the Crofter’s Cowl (her choice) in Cascade 220 in a beautiful heathered teal (which I got from TLE). It looks bad in the dark light of my room, but it’s pretty, and she is very excited.

So for tomorrow! I need to do lots more photographing, but also lots of work, so we’ll see how that goes. Also this afternoon, while knitting, I finished “Post Captain,” and will probably start listening to “H.M.S. Surprise” tomorrow or Sunday.

“Ewe and I” Adventure (in some serious rain)

This morning I woke up and realized it was my first real weekend day of this new college school year. So I decided an adventure was in order! Because I love adventures!

Earlier, probably before I even got up here, I found the only yarn store within about 7-10 miles, Ewe and I, which had recently moved from a closer location near Bryn Mawr to about 3 miles from here in Narberth. This morning I determined would be perfect to go find it and hang out for a bit and learn the area. It’s actually set in a really nice little shopping area, and if I had taken more time to explore (or when I do have more time), it ought to be really nice to walk around in. Not as awesome as Hamden, clearly, but it’ll have to do. =P

So here’s my before shot. This is actually crucial, and you’ll see why later.

I set off on my trusty steed around 11:00.

The ride’s about 3 miles, part of it on moderately busy road, but all fairly flat and not challenging. I was tired, and a bit sweaty, because it has been very muggy here, but all in all a great ride. I really enjoyed it, and I had no trouble finding the store (or a place to lock said trusty steed).

The store was really nice! I will absolutely definitely be heading there again. The two employees there were very friendly and enthusiastic, but also very content to let me wander about on my own. I chatted with one, and petted the yarn. Their selection of yarn is different from Lovelyarns, but not in a good/bad way, just different. Their sock yarn collection is of unknown size, because it’s all over the store, so I kept discovering more and getting excited. They have Claudia Hand Painted and plenty of Noro, and some Cherry Tree Hill, and lots of other things. In the front of the store is a table and chairs for sitting around. I sat and worked on my Hedera sock and helped a few ladies figure something out. It’s instinctive, helping people knit in a yarn store, but I had to specify that I didn’t actually work there. Oops. Calm down.

Around 12:40, I decided I should go to Bed Bath & Beyond for part 2 of my day’s mission, if I wanted to make it back to school before the DC closed for lunch (at 2). It was raining by then, but not very hard, and I thought I’d picked a good time because it looked like the rain had let up a bit.

Well just so you know we’re experiencing the rain from a tropical storm, so no indeed it had not. In fact it was pretty much the same the whole time.

I rode to BB&B, bought me a mattress pad and stuffed it into my backpack. I missed the 1:02 train back to the nearest stop (because I thought perhaps I’d just take my bike back and avoid some rain), so I grabbed a burrito at Santa Fe Burrito and took my bike across the street. By the time I figured out which track I needed to be on and had carried the bike down some stairs, under a tunnel, and back up the stairs, the train had arrived. I showed the conductor my student ID, and he was like “What is that.”

Duh, it’s a student ID. Do I get a discount? Do you want my money?

“I’ll get you on the train,” he said, “it’s four dollars.”

I didn’t get on. I had $3 in my wallet, and I just said, “Nevermind, it’s cool, I have $3. Whatever.”

And the train left!

Well F-you, SEPTA, you suck. $4 my college arse.

So I packed my burrito away and finished my soda (I made the conductor hold it so I could find my money) and rode back to school, about 1.5 or 2 miles at that point, in the decently heavy rain. At that point it didn’t even matter anymore how wet I got. I was soaked. My hair was wet, my clothes were wet, my backpack was wet, everything was wet. I couldn’t even tell if I was sweating. I probably was. It just didn’t matter. It wasn’t cold, just wet.

I had so much fun that ride back! When I finally made it to the main college road, I screamed a hello at the guys playing Ultimate (I’m on the women’s team), and they were all kind of like, “What…?”

So here’s my after picture:

Yeah! Soaking wet.

It’s still raining now, 2+ hours later. It’ll probably last all night, too.

At Ewe and I, I picked up some Dream in Color Baby/Lace, because I felt like showing up sweaty, staying for an hour, and usurping some customer-helping ought to be followed by spending some money.

Isn’t it lovely? I’m excited.

Also, my first Hedera sock is on the foot region, nearing the toe. I need to try it on Julia (roommate) because she has size 8 feet and I need to see when they’ll be long enough.

Today’s been a good day. I apologize for not blogging much. I’m busy during the week! Ultimate Frisbee literally takes up 10+ hours of my week, which is awesome and intense. We practice for 2 hours, Monday through Friday, plus I’m expected to go to the gym a few times a week and lift weights, and go running once a week. I love playing Ultimate. It’s worth all the work. But that’s my excuse, anyway, and thanks for sticking around.

<3

Ravelympics!

I admit, I have not really been watching the Olympics. I’ve spent most of my evenings out with friends instead, stocking up on friend-time before I leave for college on the 27th. I think I saw men’s synchronized diving.

But god forbid I be left out on something fun and huge like the Ravelympics!

So I also decided it would be a “good idea” to knit for Christmas this year– something I’ve sworn not to do before. But since I’ve started now, and I have a plan, etc, it should work out with minimal embarrassment.

Start: August 8th, 2008
Finish: August 13th, 2008 It really only took two days to knit, but I made it too big the first time. Boo.
Pattern: Aspen Cowl by Andrea Tung
Yarn: Malabrigo Sily Merino in “Nocturnal,” which I bought at Yarn Paradise in Asheville, NC. Exciting!
Needles: US 8.

I cast on 130 stitches at first, and knit all the way to the end of the yarn, but that ended up very wide and short and outrageous, so I frogged it and started again with 110, which was perfect. It’s very cozy, and exactly why I prefer cowls over scarves. Plus they take 1/27th the time to knit, practically. I love them.

So that was finished, and then I cast on a pair of gloves for the Glove Decathalon. The Playwright asked for a pair of gloves, and so these will be for him (he’s already seen them, not to worry).

I love them. I love gloves! I even love fingers. I don’t love knitting fingers (I don’t mind it), but I love the way they look and how pretty the yarn is in the narrow tube. They are beautiful. I want a pair for myself.

The yarn is Lorna’s Laces Sport in “Jeans,” and while the PW asked for gray, I found blue/gray, and he was content. I love this yarn. And these gloves. I will have new gloves this winter too, let me tell you.

And then there I was yesterday in Lovelyarns, and I was there for a whole hour or more, knitting contentedly, when I got up to get different 4s for the gloves. And walked right by the new Dream in Color Smooshy that Sue had. At eye level. Damn!

So since I’d worked before I left and had some hours stored up, I might have come home with some.

I am a Smooshy whore. I’m pathetic.

From left to right: GoGo Grassy, Flamingo Pie, and Lunar Zazzle. They are beautiful, and exactly why I love this yarn. *flail*

Anyway, next in line after the Ravelympics are over: potentially a gift for my dad, although I’m thinking it would be okay to like, save that for later. I might get him something else. Whatever.

And then! More holiday knitting: socks for my cousins.

Last time I saw them they were little, and now they are 11 and 14 or something outrageous, and have normal-sized feet of normal-sized people, and not, say, children’s feet. But I’m knitting them socks, and I’ll start soon. My self-imposed deadline is September 31st, and then it’s on to presents for my other set of cousins (who are toddler sized).

Blue for Joel, yellow/green for Anna. I’m excited, actually. Anna’s socks will be Hedera socks, in conjunction with the Sock Knitters Anonymous Sockdown! 2008-09.

SPINNING WHEEL

(among other things)

Do you know, gentle readers, what this is? This is my spinning wheel. This is my spinning wheel that I built. This is my spinning wheel that I built with my own hands. I MADE A WHEEL. Okay, okay, I had help, and I used power tools, but… it’s my baby! And it’s not from a kit! We didn’t have a kit, or plans, or anything. Just lumber and something to copy.

Man, it’s so beautiful. I think it needs a name. I think it’s a boy, and I think it needs a name. Help me out here. It also needs a single pilot hole drilled in one of the treadle supports because the leather strap (a.k.a. my dad’s old belt) needs to be connected and isn’t yet (and I don’t want to split the wood (again)).

I’ve spent months on this baby, and it’s so wonderful. It’s smooth and it’s pretty and it’s cherry and it’s mine. In every sense of the word. It’s a “copy” of an Ashford Traditional, but it’s my creation.

I’m showing it off at school tomorrow, and I’m excited to use it for the first time. I want to spin on it (but I can’t, see above not attached treadle).

Ooh, man. I love it.

My favorite part is the maidens that don’t match. On the right you can see the maiden I bought at Sheep and Wool. On the left is the maiden fashioned as a substitute until I get another one that matches the one on the right. I think it’s so funny that one is beautiful and round and turned and one is SQUARE. It rocks. The flyer and bobbin I did not build. I did build the mother-of-all and the base, though, so they match the cherry wood.

Squee!

In related news, I have swatched for the Project Sweater. I think the 7s gave me the nicest fabric, so I think I might just cast on the final stage tonight!!!!

The yarn I dyed is ready…

(mostly…)

And I can spin and dye more as I need it. Oh boy!

Also today, I pulled this little bastard…

off of the roof of our house. Picture me hanging out my sister’s bedroom window for half an hour trying to lasso a kitten out of the gutter with my sweatshirt and the handle of a bag. I have bruises all kinds of places. Freak. I love him. He’s fine, by the way.

Help me name my wheel!

The Carnage

I’m amused by myself and the references to Sheep and Wool being somewhat akin to lions eating an antelope. Maybe that was just me, but that’s a bit what it felt like, maybe. Really lovely, peaceful lions, eating a wonderfully sunny, breezy, fiber-filled and wholesome antelope.

Friday:

The stalls were half-up and empty of people, but they were beautiful. I spent the day with the Skein and Garment competition and learned more about yarn and spinning yarn than I literally thought there was to know. Insane. And amazing. I got some incredible critiques on my yarn and know what to do next time. My spinning has already improved.

Saturday:

I arrived…

… to a parking lot full already, and made a bee-line for The Fold’s booth, which was full of Socks that Rock, and also full of knitters. Being bound for a 9:00 start time selling t-shirts for the festival, I stood in line with my two happily acquired skeins until about 9:30. No guilt.

I visited my socks.

And bought some yarn.

At lunch I met up with Molly, and we watched the sheep dogs for a bit (but I had to go back and sell more shirts).

There were emus. And alpacas. And llamas.

I saw lots of people I knew, and took pictures of none of them. I saw Jessica, Erin and Michelle of The Sweet Sheep, and Coleen. I also saw my Spanish teacher and her daughter/my friend who is coming with me to Haverford. I saw Lolly at the Ravelry meet up, and I saw Jacey admiring her yarn at the skein and garment (she won first place for her hand spun yarn with eyeballs).

Did I mention I LOVE this festival?

After I got off selling shirts at 6, I went to (got lost en route to) the Ravelry party!

I met the lovely Jess and Casey, and coerced the adorable and fashionable Mary-Heather into a photograph:

(she’s way cuter than I am).

I met Pam (right) and Julsey,

and won some yarn in the raffle(!).

(thank you Webs/Ravelry!)

I didn’t expect to stay until 11PM, but I was having such a good time that I did. It was lovely. Everyone was so fun and interesting and wonderful. Then I went home and crashed.

In order to return on Sunday! I came back with my mom and sister on Sunday for the shopping. We saw a lot more of the barns than I’d seen the day(s) before, so that was good. Also we ate funnel cake. Then I picked up my items in the skein and garment competition, and we came home. I forgot to take pictures all day, but pictures of me shopping really aren’t interesting.

Pictures of what I shopped FOR, however, clearly are.

Five skeins of Brooks Farm Yarn Four Play (wool/silk) for a sweater (pattern as yet unchosen) for me.

Six skeins of O-Wool for the Elinor tunic from this summer’s IK.

Two skeins of Koigu for socks.

Two skeins of superwash merino laceweight from Tess Yarns for a shawl of some sort (I’m loving knitting lace).

Two skeins of Socks that Rock mediumweight in “Sapphire” and “Chapman Springs.”

And finally, parts for my Ashford knockoff spinning wheel.

Now I’m beat. I started a pair of socks with the STR Chapman Springs, but the yarn was too exciting for the pattern. I loved knitting with it, though. Yum.

There are, of course, lots more pictures in the Flickr set, so please click on through to see like 15 more pictures of those alpacas (among other things).

We’ll see about next year. S&W tends to fall right in the time of serious studying for finals in the college world, and I might not make it (sob!).

I loved it.

Oh, also I got a photo with Jess and Casey– my sister pushed me to ask because I was being shy. I’m glad she did!

Caribbean Blue

If I could go to the Caribbean again, I would in a heartbeat. It’s already getting hot there during the day, with the sun shining down, and the warm blue water, and the sweet, pretty flowers…

We went to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands a few years ago (four? five?) and spent the week at this hotel/resort with a pool and its own beach. We spent tons of time snorkling off this beach, chasing the cuttlefish around, exploring big rocks, watching the bright fish dart about, trying to follow a sea turtle. The sand on the beach was white and hot, and the water was so clear and calm.

This is a blend of BFL and superwash merino, dyed by Lisa Souza that I bought at Stitches East last fall. The colorway is “South Pacific,” but looking at it just makes me think about the Caribbean islands. Sure, it looks like Hawaii, too, but I loved the Caribbean. I think it’s the blues.

Specs:
Fiber: Superwash Merino + Blue Faced Leicester
Weight: Bulky, with some worsted spots
Yardage: 280 yards (w00t!)
Spun/Plyed: on a Louet S51.
Started: March 15th
Finished: March 21st

I think it’s going to be a hat.