Stash Update

The birthday weekend extravaganza is almost over.  I can't say I am happy; in fact, I am dreading the return to "real" life.  When can I have three full days off to do nothing but knit and shop for yarn as my heart desires?  Of course, we all know about my splurge on my needles; it didn't really hit me until today after a trip to a yarn store when I picked up a sweaters amount of Malabrigo Rios (in Pearl Ten) for a Driven sweater... say, if my gauge is off that's no big thing, I'll just dig in my little plastic bag and try another!  It is something I won't be able to take for granted.  The yarn is beautiful and I couldn't resist.  I had to cast on for a gauge swatch (yes, seriously).  I seem to remember the pattern being slightly intimidating when I bought it a year and a half ago but I have knit many sweaters since then and when I pulled it out of my binder just a few minutes ago, I read it breezily, thinking, "Oh hell, I can do that!"... I guess so is the progression of a knitters life.  

I also picked up a skein of Noro Silk Garden Sock... I couldn't help myself.  As I have mentioned, I have been on a serious blue kick lately.  I found myself drawn to it, but I had my mind made up on getting it before I even walked into the store.  

All of these purchases were made possible by the generous gift certificate my mother in law gave me yesterday.  I feel so incredibly lucky that my family really gets or accepts how obsessed I really am.  Even Phillip mentioned something flippantly to me when discussing what he had told someone to get me for my birthday.  It went something like this: 

Me: "Well, what did you say?" 

Phillip: "I said yarn. It's all you ever want."  

Happy Birthday to Me...

Yesterday was my birthday and I promised myself a little splurge.  I visited my usual LYS and dug around for a while and found a beautiful skein of Sweet Fiber Yarns (in color Fossil) that I had to have.  I milled around for a really long time and nothing was striking my fancy.  I ended up in deep conversation with a few of the ladies who work there and before I knew it they were talking me into buying an interchangeable set.  Here's the thing, I have needed a set for a really long time.  I find myself digging around for needles that don't exist in my collection; even Phillip has been trying to talk me into the splurge.  But for whatever reason I decided to take the plunge yesterday... the set is by Knitters Pride and somehow I wound up feeling quite smug when I realized they were half the price of the Addi's I have been eyeing for years. The ladies also told me that should I have an issue with a needle or a cable I can bring it into the store for a replacement.

In actual knitting news, I cast on a Sugared Violets shawl by Rose Beck yesterday.  I have been fawning over this pattern for a while--it is simple, but the end result strikes me as looking complicated without trying too hard.  I have been moving along on the increase sections and this special hand dyed skein seems to be perfect. 

Also, to top off the birthday knitting extravaganza a wonderful friend sent me the pattern for the Eternity Cardigan by Brooklyn Tweed.  If only I had 1600+ yards just lying around... Off to the drawing board to find the best deal I can for this amazing project. 

Happy Knitting!

Finished: Idlewood

I guess my last post came too soon.  I had no idea that I would embark on a knitting marathon yesterday which included binding off Idlewood.  Now that it is completed and I've had an opportunity to test out the fit (I never did on the needles, not sure why), I am actually quite in love with the color.  The pattern is really great. I can see myself knitting this again and again and again.  I opted not to do sleeves even though I had plenty of yarn left over (including a rogue skein which was hiding in my stash)... 

Speaking of stash, since the purchase of our new platform bed I have been pondering a way to store my yarn without actually having oodles of clutter and drawers around the bedroom. We have never had a bed which allowed us to shove stuff underneath, so after a trip to Home Depot I now have about 1/3 of my yarn hidden out of view which is a big improvement over having skeins in every nook and cranny. 

And even though I came across a slew of things that made me think, "..forgot about that.." I am still dreaming of my birthday splurge... a sweater quantity of Madelinetosh?  Differing skeins of something luscious like Malabrigo Worsted?  A whole lot of work horse yarns like 220?  Ahh, the possibilities are endless.  

Finished: Seaside

I have been meaning to make this post most of the week but the thought escaped me at every turn.  Not too much to report in the way of knitting; don't get me wrong, I have been knitting away but nothing too extravagant this week.

Last weekend, I cast on another ships and seaside by TOK.  I am not sure how much detail I went into on my last seaside excursion but here's the thing: I am terrible at Kitchener. And what am I even worse at? Kitchener in the round... I sat down in a quiet corner with youtube and my project and I flubbed it again... So what did I do, you ask?  I bound off and sent it home with a work friend to mattress it all up for me.  I made the cowl in Rowan Felted Tweed, which is always dreamy.

I also cast on an Idlewood sweater in Berroco Vintage... I've had this yarn in my stash for a very long time--few years?  The gauge is really loose on 10's which is in some ways beautiful and in other ways showing every decrease in all its glory.  I really shouldn't complain. I started it and less than a week later I am almost finished.  I knit a lot at my work desk and hear this and that regarding my projects.. "Oh, pretty color!" etc.  With Idlewood, I heard "..now that is pea green.."  Still trying to decide if it was meant as pea green or pee green... we'll see.

In other news, my birthday is less than a week away and I can't stop dreaming of what splurge is to come!

Happy Knitting!

Finished: Burberry, Milanese Loop

I haven't been knitting as furiously as I imagined.  I have been battling something like  a cold and I am trying to figure out whether I will need to give up reading books permanently  since I am incapable of having two hobbies at once apparently.  After reading a good book, I managed to finish two cowls this January.  A Burberry Inspired Cowl Neck Scarf (which is insanely popular on Ravelry and now I know why... in Classic Elite Ariosa) and a Milanese Loop in a gorgeous shade of Madelinetosh Pashmina (well water).  The Milanese was really simple and I am incredibly happy with the end result.  I used a size 6 needle which produced an airy end result but I know  I will be wearing it year round.  

Finished: Line Break

Line Break is the perfect representation of my knitting life.  The yarn, beautiful Madelinetosh Merino Light (from a few posts ago), was purchased from a Rav destash and the pattern was gifted to me by an amazingly kind RAK-er.  After less than a week, I found myself binding off, and being a little sad that this gem was done. 

I am feeling so rejuvenated as we haven't even hit two weeks into 2013 and I am almost at 1000 yards!  It's back to the drawing board for me now; I am quite anxious to start knitting  sweaters but I have just received a skein of Madtosh Pashmina in Wellwater that is dying for attention. 

Happy Knitting!

Finished: Shaelyn

Phillip and I have both been working hard.  Him on a new header for my blog, and me on knitting up a storm. Three days into 2013 and I already had an FO!  I finished my Shaelyn shawl in the amazing Sweet Fiber Cashmerino Luxe yarn I picked up after Thanksgiving(?)... I am really glad I finally knit this pattern.  Now I understand what all the fuss is about! It was easy enough to keep with me when I wasn't really supposed to be knitting, but interesting enough that the lace worked as a minor challenge.  (Ok, challenge is not the right word, I definitely think the pattern is new knitter-friendly, but it required thought.) The end result is beautiful and I am really glad I splurged on this yarn, only now I am regretting not buying more!

I received a package of AMAZING tosh merino light in Stovepipe for a Line Break Shawl, only to return to paypal to pick up a skein of tosh pashmina in Wellwater.   I know that the costs will eventually save me money in the long haul, but I am still feeling a little sticker shock as I continue to rack up the purchases.  Or maybe I am just telling myself that even though I buy nothing but yarn?

On New Years day, I made a short trek to a LYS for a sale.  I picked up some Classic Elite Ariosa for an unknown cowl, and some Rowan Felted Tweed (at 50% off!) for a striped shawl.

And while I am on the subject of yarn, I hand dyed another skein of bulky weight yarn, for an unknown project to come.  I was pretty happy with how this skein turned out, the colors are subtle, muted, and even though I don't have the dyeing thing down just yet (duh, I only just began), I find it really interesting and fun.
Maybe this skein should go to my friend Julie, who provided me with all the supplies?

This morning I cast on a Tea with Jam and Bread for Phillip in 220 Heathers... I am already approaching the raglan increases, so here's hoping he will have a new sweater in a week or two!
Happy Knitting!