07 December 2006

Yummy, Hand-dyed, Luxurious Goodness

Have you seen Posh Yarn? It looks to die for. I have to stop buying yarn until I complete some more projects. I know, I know, stash enhancement and all that, but I want to knit with the divine goodness I've got! Patience.

06 December 2006

Errata blog

The kind ladies of Knitblog have an errata page here. It covers various pattern publishers and book titles. How nice!

05 December 2006

Coop blues

So, I join the Yarn Coop group on Yahoo! and am about to join my first buy (Jojoland cashmere) when it all goes south. Sigh. Seems like there are some sensitive folks in that group. The problem is that you don't get to know people on that list very well, since emails are all about the buys. It's probably just as well. I don't need to enhance the stash right now. Right now I need to knit!

04 December 2006

Yummy

Have you checked out the Kim Hargreaves patterns? I wish she sold them without the yarn, since I have yarn, but I may have to break down and snag something...

FOtastic

OK, so I didn''t snap any pics of the FOs, but I did wash and block my garter gloves, which stretched nicely, thankyouverymuch, as well as the Purl scarf for my sister, DH's gloves made last winter, and the purl beret for mom, which will definitely need some fixing. I have a bit of yarn left, so I think I'm going to pick up and knit the cast on edge and decrease some. I guess the yarn is too stretchy or something. I stretched it over a dinner plate for blocking, and there was only about an inch on the underside. Maybe I should rewash and block on a dessert plate or something. I just don't know.

I did finish a hat for Dad with yummy blue Malabrigo (azul bolita), I did a double brim, casting on with a bit of lighter blue I had left over from my BFF's little boy's birthday stocking made last year. Then I had enough light blue for one row just before starting the decreases. That yarn is soooo soft, and the color is amazing. That one needs a wash, as well as the asymmetrical cable hat for DH, and my little lovely Purl scarf from last winter.

A cable scarf from Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky Hand Dyes is also in the to-wash pile for my brother, but I'm having second (fourth? I've knit something up a few times before I finished this version) thoughts. Maybe it should just be stockinette. It's got two cables on one side and three on the other, but I'm not sure they show up well enough in this darkdark purple. I made it a small tuck scarf, so he could wear it with a dress coat, but I could do that with a plain version, too. I just wanted to do a cable something for him, but maybe that's not this project.

I picked up a skein of orangey (glazed carrot? I can't remember right now) Malabrigo and two of purple magic at Seed Stitch in Salem this weekend. There was a plan to put the orange with the blue for Dad, but the orange wasn't intense enough for the blue, so I'm going to make a ribbed hat for DH out of it. No one will mistake him for a deer when he's out with the dog!

And the purple magic is for Isobel. I'm going to make her a sweater. The shocking pink one I made her last year is still wearable and oh-so-soft that she needs another (with age-appropriate sleeves). Hope I can whip that one up before the end of the year.

More work to do on Grandma's shawl. I saw a similar one in the same yarn at Seed Stitch, though they used four skeins, while I only have three. They tubed theirs up, like the one in Alterknits without the fabric inside. It was scrummy. Grandma's will be, too.

And I need to make Isobel a pair of mittens from the Shells leftovers. It snowed here this morning (thank goodness I didn't have to direct that photo shoot down in Rhode Island!), so we need to break out the winter gear.

01 December 2006

Christmas is coming

In an attempt to get some stuff out of my head, here's a partial list...

  • russell + hazel Gift set binder deal for organizing patterns and whatnot in light blue, of course
  • Vogue Stitchionaries and/or Nicky Epstein's Edge series
  • cable hoodie from Old Navy (already have the tan one) (and the navy one!)
  • Bobbi Brown Lip Tints - yummy peppermint and SPF15!
  • Dogeared necklace - not sure which one (a silver pixie with rock crystal or pearl, silver pearl reminder necklace, silver teeny star or wishbone Make a Wish necklace or a Healing Gem necklace - see, hard to choose!)
  • Starbucks gift card 'cause I won't go buy a Peppermint Mocha on my own dime
  • Moleskine date book
  • Dream slippers from J.Crew in surprise! Glacier
  • YARN! (Yarntini, Sheep Shop, Malabrigo, Claudia Handpaints worsted, Lobster Pot two whale of a skeins in rose or hydrangea or cape sky for a sweater, DB Alpaca Silk, Alchemy, sKnitches Breath Mint, Nest Egg, or Collegiate)
  • Knitting Notions (Bryspun needles, black sheep tape measure)
  • digital kitchen scale - Soehnle, no idea which one
  • cast iron griddle/grill pan that flips sides and covers two burners
  • Merrell funky sneakers in Stone Blue, of course
  • The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen on DVD
  • drop spindle
  • ear light (like one of those bluetooth ear things for your cellphone but a light to knit by in the dark)
  • Peppermint Bark (I do make my own, but I'll always take more)
  • from Lush: honey trap lip balm, big blue bath ballistic, dreamtime bath melt, dream cream, skinny dip shower gel (discontinued, but a girl can dare to dream)
  • wireless jobby for Tivo so it can be on the home network (be still, my heart)
  • Netflix - like the Starbucks thing, I don't know why I won't do it myself
  • More crack

    Yes, I did buy more KSH from someone else's destashing. Sigh. Three skeins of caramel color and most of a ball of Trance (beautiful teal blue), as well as a couple of skeins of DB Cashmerino Aran for some Fetchings. Do I need more yarn, probably not. But I can't resist the siren song of Kid Mohair and Silk.

    I worked on Grandma's shawl last night. It's good mindless knitting for those time when you have to watch ANTM. And Top Chef (tonight's viewing pleasure, thank you, Tivo). The color is scrumptious. I hope she'll enjoy it.

    So, what shall I make with the new KSH? I think the Haze will have to go towards something like Mrs. Beeton's or maybe the little lacy scarf in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. Maybe I'll do a Wing of the Moth in the Beige. Although I also have this handpaintedyarn.com black laceweight merino... I think after the holidays I'll be ready to give lace a good crack.