Spinning more purple

I wonder sometimes why I buy so much purple and blue wool for spinning. I think that it's because it's relatively easy to find good color blends in those hues. It's easy to find a horrid green. But I'd like some good greens.

Speaking of good greens, my Cash Iroha cardigan is coming along again:


Yes, I know, putting clothes on one's dog is not highly regarded in some societies. (Boy, does he need a trim!) I'm trying to adapt a leaf edging from Knitting on the Edge, but it's still experimental. This pattern would go down the front along the button edges.

Don't ask about Orangina. We decided that we needed some space, and will try reconciling later.

So here's what's on the wheel:

Not too much spinning lately, which is too bad, as it's a good stress buster. And I'm off to go hiking this weekend, another stress buster. See you all later!

More socks!

These are the socks that I made last year for my grandma.


You may notice that I'm fond of a picot edge on socks. It's just so pretty! It's my favorite sock yarn, Trekking XXL.

I'm going to hop on over and post on the Sexy Knitters Club in regards to Miss Orangina!

Alpaca socks finis!

I'm experimenting with photo size to see if that fixes the problem in Internet Exploder. (Problem being that the posts don't put themselves at the top of the page)

So let me know if this fixes it.



Back to knitting related content! Alpaca socks are done! And I found the socks that I originally made for my grandma RIGHT as I finished these socks for her. They had been missing for nigh on a year.

My yarn order came in the mail (finally!). I swatched for Orangina, and am going to go throw the swatch in the wash to see what it will do (besides get wet). Pics to come.

Doll sweater

At the clinic where I've been working, some dolls showed up. They were donated by a doll-making club for children to draw faces on and take home. Presumably to keep the kids entertained and happy at the clinic.

I've been stressing about using all of my lonely skeins lately. So it hit me like a ton of (polyester stuffed) bricks. Make doll clothes for these poor naked dolls!

This is a luscious skein of Plymouth Bamboo. So soft and shiny! I would love to make a me-sized sweater out of it, but it's a little pricey. So at knitting night with the girls, I cast on 20 stitches on borrowed needles. When I got to knitting the next day, I had a crochet hook with me but no needles. Improvisation served me well here.



It's not quite done, one more side of the cardigan needs a crochet edge, and it needs a big button at the waist. Then she needs a skirt.

I never outgrew playing with dolls.

Breaking News

From a link on cuteoverload.com,



Too cool!
Source page with more background.

WIPs galore

I love knitting!

There are so few things in life that it is easy to have unfettered enthusiasm for. It's just not in style. I try to set an example by expressing my giddiness when it surfaces.

I have a sock growing on my needles while I read the latest issue of Spin-Off. Sadly, I'm almost through the magazine. I also got the Interweave Crochet Spring/Summer 2006. I had to choke when I saw the Babette Blanket, which calls for 22 skeins of Koigu, which runs $11-12 per skein. According to the numerous calculus classes that I took in college, that's LOTS OF MONEY. It's quite a blanket, though. Eye-popping colors.

Speaking of Koigu, did I mention that since I was ordering my Hempathy from Patternworks, I threw a skein of Koigu in so that I could see what the fuss was all about? Well, I did. And I can't wait to see a little brown box sitting on my doorstep. I'll open it up, cast on for Orangina, and scrutinize the Koigu. (There was a false alarm this week, with a brown box just the right size for yarn appearing on the doorstep. It wasn't.)

I'd 'a thought that Koigu would be Japanese, but it's a Canadian yarn. Learn somethin' new every day.

And I have a question for y'all: Does my blog load with the picture of the day near the top of the page, or do you have to scroll down to see the first entry if it has pics? I have noticed different things with different computers.

Alpaca Socks

I've make socks from this yarn before, and they get a nice felted patch under the heel and ball of the foot. Picot edging on the top.

I'm getting crochet lessons from one of my stitch'n'bitch gals.

I'm sad that no one has commented on Mini-E. I'm so proud of it!

FO:Mini-E

Fo' sho'. It's the Mini-E(ssential stripe)! Isn't she a cutie?



And I STILL have yarn leftover! This has something to do with ordering 2 extra balls of the chocolate brown (darn minimum order!).

I aimed for about 3/4 length sleeves, but not having any kiddos around to measure it on was inconvenient. I tried searching online for average child measurements, but no luck. I'll have to think on how to refine that search, I tried "sewing" and "pattern" added to child measurements, but no luck. Wouldn't it be handy to know how long the average 3 year old arm is?

I also went to a smaller needle for the rib on the sleeves and the bottom, but not the neck. It just seemed more practical for a kid.

My green Cash Iroha cardi is going slowly, the frogging really took the spark out of me. I've only got a few inches this time around.

Last night was knitting night at the local coffeehouse. A small turnout, but good for inspiration. I'm going to leave myself a coded to-do list, as some of it involves presents:

red-green minis
pink alpaca
orangina
artyarns
modular

Yes, Orangina is in there! I'm -this close- to committing to it. The Sexy Knitters Club is doing a knit-along, and it's a pattern that I've been considering for some time. I'm thinking of Elsebeth Lavold "Hempathy" for the yarn. I even went so far as to purchase the pattern this morning, and would have bought the yarn too if the computer had behaved.

And I'll leave you with another photo.

(not yet blocked)

Stash Flash

In all of its glory, this is my yarn and wool stash:

Seeing it all in one place is painful, but healthy. It's a reality check. Remember how I've been obsessing on the spring cleaning lately? Well, this is like pouring salt on the wound. Seeing all of the knitting that needs to be done hurts. But, I'm confronting it head on. Looking it in the eye.

This is the handspun portion of the collection:

This part is less painful, as it means I've already done something with it after buying the wool. Very good for assuaging yarn guilt.
Another shot of the handspun: (the grey boucle isn't mine though)


And when I take the unspun wool off of the pile, it looks more manageable.


I have quite a bit of fair isle yarn that I accumulated early in my knitting career.

Well, I'll muse about this more later. There's knitting to be done.