I HIDE YARN

I'm In! I'm In!

The last time I had checked Ravelry for my place in the queue, I was somewhere in the 3000+.  I would check every time I read a blog where someone had just gotten his or her invite, and I would get my pout on because I would have jumped up about all of 10 places.

Imagine my surprise when I checked my email a little while ago and I had an INVITE!  Of course I have no clue what I am doing.  Most of my stash is in my yarn room, which I can no longer access (thanks to a wheelchair that doesn't do stairs.)  So I imagine it will take awhile before I manage to get all of my stash photographed for Ravelry.  Falls over laughing at the thought of...

1. admitting the full scope of my stash
2. photographing all of it
3. I might be finished in the next decade

If you want to look for me on you can find me under Blissfulknitter.

Last week I took my first few steps in about 3 years.  Today I get my Ravelry invite.  What's next?  World peace?

In other news, there has not been much knitting.  I have had a lot of little things to take care of that manage to stretch out over the parts of the day I'm not on the phone, reading posts in Bloglines, being cared for by my daily caregivers, laying prostrate on the bed between two fans because the Midwest is still on "bake in hot oven until done."  We have central air conditioning, but the wall of windows in my bedroom defeat it easily with the amount of sunshine that comes in.  Our bedroom is about 25 degrees hotter than any other room in the house.

Somewhere during all that fanning and sighing, I lost my danged mind and signed up for this:   I know!  I have not completed the easy shawl I am knitting, but have managed in the past couple of weeks to purchase the pattern and yarn for the Bee Fields Shawl (can we say WAY over our skills?) and now I have signed up for the Secret of the Stole, like I am going to be able to keep up with the clues and the knitting and beads and the chart.   Feel free to start laughing.  Okay enough with the hysterical wheezing, spitting and knee slapping... I can hear you.

Speaking of which, I don't think I have suitable yarn or stash, unless I filch the beaUtiful yarn that Kim dyed for me (you can get some too) called Tupelo Honey.  I see it might be a tad short in yardage.  Darn.  That could mean I need to buy yarn and beads.

Hello Kauni!

Like so many knitters out there, I took one look at Kauni yarn and fell head over heels in love.  Apparently I was late to the love pool, because by the time I had fell in said pool, there was no Kauni to be found on this continent.  Shops that were willing to get it in had no idea when to expect a shipment to arrive.

Never one to let a small detail like that stop me, I googled frantically and followed up every rumor of a lead.  I hit pay dirt in Denmark. Lisette was quick to email updates, and the entire transaction was easy.  Her site can be changed to English wish is a huge help.  She has Kauni yarn in many colors from solids, to various multi-shaded beauties.  I was head over heels for Kauni EQ, and barely glanced at any of the others.  I see she is well-stocked on Kauni EQ having 142 of the 150 gram skeins.  I'm just saying.  No affiliation here, just a very satisfied customer.

I knew I didn't want to make the cardigan, as beautiful as it was.  I decided on a shawl.  Yes, I know I have two unfinished shawls on the needles, what's your point?  At first I was going to knit a shawl designed by Jeanie Townsend, for Astrid's Dutch Obsessions.  I had seen the shawl on Jeanie's blog.  Jeanie sent me four different shawl patterns.  Many of you will know her from the Townsend Sock Group.  Jean has more talent in her little finger than many have in a lifetime of study.  She is a prolific pattern writer of beautiful knits.  Here is the one with Kauni EQ.

Before I had a chance to cast on, I saw this one (scroll down to Aug. 12th entry) using Susan Pierce Lawrence's Forest Canopy Shawl. 

LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING!

Yest, I was in love.  This was IT.  I have the perfect person to make it for and everything.  It will look magnificent over her navy winter coat.  It is smaller, therefore more likely to get finished, right?  Just nod your head, and play along...okay?

The Kauni came in two huge skeins of 150 grams each.  I have already wound one, but the other is in it's original commercial skein.  The small light blue skein is 8/1 (lace weight) included as a gift from Lisette because the order was slightly delayed.  That was very sweet of her as it really was a slight delay.

Next up is the wound skein(s).  I was winding along without a hitch, when I came to a splice.  Unfortunately the splice added a color out of order, which began a sequence in reverse.  Drat.  Thankfully it was really a small part of the skein involved.  I did notice a fair amount of "flotsam and jetsam" in the yarn.  Little bits of twigs or whatever also found in Noro yarn.  What is it about self striping wool?  Can they not get the sufficient graduation of color without bits and bobs of unknittable fiber?

Lest you wonder about the color placement in the two skeins...I know it looks like I have wound them in opposite directions.  I work from the outside thread of yarn wound into balls.  It keeps the ball from collapsing onto itself making a big mess, and also leaves a neatly wound smaller ball if you use less that the full skein.  For instance, I had a very nice, neat little ball of lilac yarn to include with my sockapalooza pal's package, in case she needed to mend the socks or wanted to reknit the toes, etc.

If I do indeed use all of the larger skein, it ends right (inside) the larger skein right at the place I would start knitting from the outside of the smaller skein.  Of course if I need even more yarn - I will wind the other big skein.

Next I knitted a swatch.  Uhoh, I think some of my readers just fainted.  I hope they're alright.  To the left of the garter middle row is the yarn knitted on size 6 Holz & Stein ebony need.es  To the right is the yarn knitted on size 5 Addi Turbo Lace needles. I prefer the former  I will check again once the swatch is completely dry.  I could probably get away with knitting with size 7 needles, but I think I will start with the 6 and see how it handles the lace.

I was a little dismayed to discover this yarn knitted like burlap.  Ouch!  It is rough like some Shetland, but it softened nicely after a soak in Eucalan.  Although I am knitting the shawl, it is good to know that this yarn is very sticky and would lend itself to fair isle, steeking and split-splicing quite easily.

So I'm off to knit on the monkey socks I started when searching for the right pattern and yarn for my sockapalooza pal.  It should be a good combo of knitting.  When my hands are sore from knitting the rough Kauni, I will soothe them with the super soft yarn Violets sock yarn from Dani at Sunshine Yarns.

Monkey See Monkey Do

I have been trying out some patterns for my Sockapalooza4 sock pal.  Monkey socks were not going to be in the picture, because the pattern is so popular.  I wanted my pal to receive something different and special.

So explain this...

How did these Monkey Socks get in my needles?  Now I know why everyone is knitting them.  They are a blast to knit!  Cookie A. you ROCK.  I don't know when I had this much fun knitting a pair of socks.  The yarn in Sunshine Yarns in the color violets.  (Pssst.  If you follow that link Dani has some of this color available right now in her Etsy store.  It is a tighter twist than this particular yarn.  A tighter twist will wear even better.) 

My pal likes purple.  Boy howdy did she get the right sock pal...red and purple constantly vie for my favorite color.  The only problem is these socks might be too big for my pal.  Oops.  That means they would fit me....mwahahaha!

I originally chose this yarn for my pal...

It is Cherry Tree Hill supersock in the color amethyst.  I swear I am not going to buy any more Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn, and then I forget why and get sucked in again.  Just one of these wound balls (1/2 a skein) has no less than THREE knots in it.  Bleh.  It seems like there is always something wrong with the yarn...knots, not colorfast...something.  I have a neat pattern picked out that should show up best in the vibrant solid color, if I can work around the knots.

DH is feeling much better at home getting his IV antibiotic treatments.  Surgery is now set for early Wednesday morning - the same morning Kiddo graduates from the 8th grade.

Your prayers, good thoughts, comments and emails mean so much.  Friends really do ease the burden.  Thank you.  I hold each one of you in my heart. 

Table of Goodies

Pardon my crappy picture taking abilities...just use your imagination...okay?

BEHOLD THE TABLE OF GOODIES

from left to right: 3 skeins of Cascade in a brown multi, gold and burgandy solid.; 4 skeins of Cascade (wound into balls) in two shades of denim-like blue and some Fizz to make a felted bag. A wound ball of Cascade quartro in a burgandy/purple/green, a ball of Cascade 220 in bright pink and some bright pink Fizz to make a scarf? small bag with pizazz? Some handpainted loopy/boucle in denim shades that is fingering weight and some more fizz. This needs an ultra soft yarn put with to make a super scarf. Or it may end up in a bag as well. Last, it's Haiku in a deep red chenille-like yarn all stitched up waiting on the seaming fairy.

AND A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN...

from left to right: the other side of Haiku, some Cascade Quartro in beautiful orange, purple, green and another skein of the burgandy/purple/green and the Bigger Bag blocking with it's pocket, tab and handles.

I am still slogging away on the Camo Cap. The teeny yarn is slow going. I have a mad case of startitis, so many ideas – what comes next? Secret Project? Scarves? Another bag? A vest?

Look What Was in the Mail...

YUMMY! Pass me a spoon!

Doesn't some of that Online Linnie Calypso Print look good enough to eat? I will be making scarves from this yarn. The three saphire balls of Austermann Angora Wolle is to DIE for...so soft. I am planning to make a lacy Mobius scarf from that. This package came lightning speed from the fine folks at Elann.

The skein of gold and black is some handpainted Bumblebee sock yarn from lotusblossom who has a wonderful Ebay store full of handpainted yarns. I have 3 more delicious colors on their way to me.

I wound the skein today with the help of my brand new swift and ball winder I purchased from Roxie at Lamb's Ear Farm.

Yes, I am becoming one spoiled knitter and I believe it is my personal duty to support every yarn shop in the country and beyond!

Shhh...Self Indulgence!

Oh the decadence of it all! This knitter has a birthday next month and I decided to be extra nice to myself by ordering enough Cascade Indulgence for the Ruana in The Knit Stitch. The yarn was purchased from One Fine Yarn at absolutely a "steal" of a close out price. I may not get to work on this until after Christmas, but just knowing it is here makes me smile. It's hard to keep my hands off it.

I am going to have to start knitting for hire to support my habit...

Poncho Knit-a-long

I am gonna join in on the Poncho Knitalong. You can find out more information here. You can use any poncho pattern. I am using the Berroco pattern from their Brochure #193. I spied this on greta's site and quickly stole her great idea and ordered the pattern.

I knew Hobby Lobby would have a sale on the Lion Brand yarn I wanted to use if I just waited a couple of weeks. After all, they had just had a "blowout" sale on Red Heart yarn. Sure enough, this week all the Lion Brand yarn was on sale.

I took kiddo with me to pick out the yarn since the poncho will be for her...I think she did a pretty good job of choosing...

Ebay Haul

I have GOT to stay away from Ebay...whew! This is just some of what I have been buying the past couple of weeks...

My digital camera does not always capture the right colors...from left to right, lime green luxor d.k., hot pink luxor d.k., flax colored sport-weight chenille, tulip (dark reddish rose) sport-weight chenille, taupe luxor d.k., plymouth encore d.k. in blue/black, deep plum (showing purple) Reynolds Sedona and salmon colored Reynolds Sedona.

I know there are some Chickami's brewing for Christmas...not sure what else yet.

Also on their way to me, a new set of Denise interchangeable needles and 10 more skeins of Noro Kureyon in #80, a blues/purple colorway.

Have to stop for awhile
...yeah...uhuh...right...