in which I am impulsive and maybe a little nuts

Everyone else (it seems) was buying the kit for Laura Chau’s dipped infinity scarf from Sunshine Yarns. I really want to make that but the kit is, of course, all wool yarns. 120 yards each of seven colors of fingering weight yarn plus 50 yards of an eighth color. I really want to make it too so it was my goal today to find non-wool yarn that would work. Part of my search lead me to RedFish Dyeworks I go into their booth every year and drool over their yarns. It’s all so gorgeous. The 100% silk only comes in laceweight and finer. Finer than laceweight. Cobweb. Nearly invisible weight. Gorgeous but not something I can manage in my life.

While I was in their booth this year I picked up a sock knit with the 20/2 (laceweight) silk. I asked what size needles to use and the woman in the booth told me, “triple 0s” and I just laughed, I couldn’t help myself. Triple 0s are 1.5mm needles. TINY. She also had sock samples with the yarn held doubled knit on 1s or 0s but then I would have needed a second skein of yarn. Somehow, between the need for a second skein of yarn and Lisa saying, “I’ll do it if you do it!” I convinced myself that this was a good plan.

seductive silk

Seriously, the sock they had knit up felt SO good. I couldn’t help it. Ten stitches to the inch, though! My will is weak.

I am still determined to find the perfect yarn for that scarf but first I have to knit some socks.

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stitches yarn and stuff

I must admit that I was not really looking forward to Stitches this year. I’m not sure what happened. I think I was bummed about Signature not being there and then there was lots of snow in the Sierra and it didn’t look like Kristi would make it. Signature still didn’t make it, but Kristi did, which is better than the other way around.

I bought some yarn.

Sunshine Yarns Sunsilk Lace

I don’t know what I’m going to do with that, but isn’t it pretty? I’m considering the Curatio Shawl (Ravelry link). Or maybe an infinity scarf (a large cowl that you loop around yourself twice, basically). It’s just so sort I want to snuggle with it.

At the end of the day, I got some more yarn.

Manos Cotton Stria

That pile of burnt orange is 10 hanks of that yarn. They were in bundles of five and marked down and I couldn’t resist. I am considering Kiama (Ravelry link). We’ll see. I think the color would be overwhelming on me on something that closed in the front but I like the idea of something drapey and open.

I also got buttons for Christine’s Liesl.

It’s a set of 12 buttons but I only need three. I think they’re perfect, though, and I’m sure I’ll figure out something to do with the other nine. I’m working on the first sleeve and they’re short, so I should be done soon!

Last, but not least, I got Norah Gaughan Volume 7, some highlighter tape, a 10-dent heddle (for DK weight weaving projects) and a book.

The book comes with a story. I saw Rachel Herron in line to get a ticket so, as I was walking by, I told her how much I love her first book and how I stayed up late reading it all in one night because I couldn’t put it down. She said, “You win, then!” and told me that since I was the first person to approach her I could have a copy of her next book, which isn’t out yet! She even signed it for me even though between the three of us (her wife, Lala, was there also) we didn’t have a pen that was completely functional. Ah well, I know who was signing it.

I wonder if the kids will let me curl up on the couch one day and read this one all at once too. Fat chance, eh? Later, Kristi told me that there’s a short story available on Amazon for Kindle (or Kindle for Mac, iPod, etc) for free! I downloaded it tonight and am looking forward to reading that too!

All in all, it was a good day. I am looking forward to heading back to the market tomorrow for the grand prize drawing. I have two more tickets I forgot to drop in. I need to make sure that I’m there on time!

some gift crafting

The sweater I’m knitting for Christine is close to being done but she is leaving on Sunday so I might still have to mail it to her. That seems likely. Sorry, Christine! At least you’ll have a package waiting for you at your new house.

I did finish this for her, twice.

I made it twice because it was too long the first time. I took off two of the blue beads which I made into a pendant, unpictured.

The story behind the bracelet is this: I went to a going away dinner for her and another friend of hers brought those beads and each person said a blessing or a prayer over one of the beads and then I put it together into a bracelet. My blessing for her is that she find a parenting community as supportive and welcoming to her as she has been for me in my parenting journey. I am a better parent for having had her in my life.

It was another dear friend’s birthday this week so I made her something too.

Rachel’s husband is Swedish and she has a photograph of her daughter dressed as a Tomteoboarn (little people of the woods?) I couldn’t find any descriptions of them in english, but this blog post in Swedish has a photo of them. I thought the little mushroom girl was very similar. I gave it to Rachel today and she liked it and mentioned maybe turning it into a pin.

That pattern came from the Felties book that Kristi gave me for Christmas. So much cute stuff in there. Stefan wanted a mushroom girl too. He wants one of everything I make.

did you ever…

Did you ever start a top-down sweater and get about 7 inches into the knitting of it before you bothered to check if a normal human neck would fit into the neckhole and then discover the answer is a big fat no and have to rip it all back?

Me either…

peaches n creme no more?, project and itching updates

I just read a post on Mason-Dixon Knitting that said that the maker of Peaches n Creme is closing! So sad. I’m trying to resist the urge to go hoard that yarn, since I do love it. Resist the urge! (Okay, so I went back and read that article more closely. They are not closing completely, just their US plant. No need to panic or hoard yarn! Sorry about that.)

Instead of working on Aidez yesterday I started a Liesl.

I’m knitting it for a dear friend who is moving away. She has been asking me for years when I would knit her something and I kept thinking I should one of these days so now that she’s going away, I’m doing it. I think it will go quickly because it’s aran weight yarn on size 11 needles. I initially swatched on size 7s instead of 7mm needles and I couldn’t figure out why my gauge was so off. Oops. If you look at the pattern pictures, I’m making one with a high neckline like the pink one but longer length and sleeves like the green one. That is my plan anyway, the sleeve length might be determined by the yarn. We’ll see.

I wanted a picture of how Aidez is doing too. Both sleeves are done and the picture below shows about 8 inches knit of the body (all in one piece).

If I start working on it again, I think I could actually finish it by Stitches. I’ve pretty much decided that the yarn isn’t causing my itching because I didn’t touch that project yesterday and my itching got worse and spread to my arms. I think it’s just that my skin is irritated and anything that touches it bothers me. My sweatshirt yesterday was driving me nuts and it’s fleecey and soft on the inside. I have a theory about what it is so I’m eliminating that (a vitamin supplement that was recently added into my diet) and we’ll see if the itching subsides. I feel like it’s better today but that might be wishful thinking!

reporting back and itching

The felt heart/valentine project went well. The kids seemed to like it and I realized afterwards that it taught them a useful skill: how to sew on a button! Go figure.

In knitting news, I am starting to think that I am allergic to something in Berroco Remix. I’m not sure what or even how that is possible but I made myself a cowl with it and I’ve been knitting my Aidez fairly faithfully and my neck and chest are super itchy. It seems unlikely to me since there is no animal fiber or any fiber that I haven’t used before but I can’t deny how itchy I am. Last time I ignored being this itchy I ended up needing steroids and regular nebulizer treatments to be able to breathe. Not good.

I’m going to take a little break from Aidez, I guess. Maybe I can finish my slinky ribs in time for Stitches instead.

what I did for four hours today

I cut out these….

The end result is supposed to look approximately like this…

I’m not sure it actually took me four hours. I started around 10 and ended around 2 when it was time to run to JoAnn before going to school to set up for Arts Focus. It felt like more time than necessary cutting out pieces of felt. I hope the kids enjoy making their “fabric valentines” since that’s what I’ve decided to tell them they are.