Whoops ~

Even when you have a rough week, and you promise yourself that you can cast on something really exciting if you can make it through the week....

Even when you have beautiful yarn in your stash to cast on, and the correct needles, and a pattern with great potential....

Even when you read the pattern before you cast on, and diagram those increases so they come out just right. Even when you do a gauge swatch (*gasp* yes, really!)....

There is a chance that you might miss something in that first line of the directions....*ahem*... and have to start over tomorrow...

Spring into scarves ~

We are on a roll here with scarves. Instant gratification for me, as they are a fast for me to knit as it is the 4 row pattern in the Yarn Girls book. The other bonus is that H is picking out yarn from my stash that work well in scarves, and these yarns have long since been forgotten my me...so they have a new lease on life as a knitted garment... good news, all around! This catchy little number is yellow bamboo (looks peach in the picture, but really is yellow) and a multi textured yarn called Chico.... I had a ball & a half left from a hat for Jen, several years back, and I still like all the colors.... the scarf looks beautiful, all the colors of spring ~ yellow, green, blue, pink, violet....

Red Wings again ~

The Detroit Red Wings won their first game against the Chicago 5 to 2! Yeah! Hockey knitting continues, with another scarf for H. This one is another stash buster, out of Patons Brilliance which is a real fuzzy white, plus a very skinny purple with a bit of glitter thread intertwined. I've doubled the purple, and it is still hard to see anything but the white fuzzy... but, H likes it, so that is the most important... plus it is a stash buster, so that is a bonus!!!!

Pondering the Next Knit ~

Although I have a few projects "on the needles" I am still thinking about what I want to cast on next. There are so many beautiful patterns available, and with spring in the air (finally) there are so many possibilities for warm weather knits. I must admit that I've not opened my new Interweave Knits magazine yet, as I'm worried it will send me into a "new pattern frenzy" as happened with the First Page of the last Interweave Knits magazine. I saw this pattern for a lacey wrap, and thought it would be great out of my Cascade Cloud 9 in bright green. Wouldn't that look great?

now that I think about it, what is wrong with "new pattern frenzy"?

Yarn at work ~

A knitting fantasy of mine is to be able to knit at work. Actually, to be encouraged to knit at work, perhaps even paid to knit at work....this would be great. I'm not saying that I want to knit for a living - no, not that.... but to be paid to knit, to have those 10 hour days full of yarn & knitting, and then come home....well, waking up to my real world, I do not get to knit at work. So, I have done what others in my fantasy world have done. I made a great screen saver on my computer made up of fun yarn & knitting pictures that I found on the Knit Picks website. Then I can see the beautiful images scrolling through and I can dream of knitting while I'm on the phone, or thinking of that next work related inspiration. They are really great little "knitting breaks" in the midst of my work day!

This ice cream picture is my favorite ~ which is your favorite?

Samples are good ~

When you've never tried a certain yarn, I would recommend buying a sample amount for a hat or scarf. Just to see if it is wonderful and soft and just what you were hoping for. Buying yarn can be a scientific experiment, so we should try new yarns and then report back to the greater public as a community service to all. A selfless test to further the education and enlightenment of those around us....Yes, I recommend buying a small amount, just as an experiment ~ plus, it is really great for our economy.

yes, I couldn't resist ordering a wee bit of the sale cashmere ~ it may help me keep my sanity.

Cashmere anyone?

Have you ever had the chance to play with cashmere? Any kind of cashmere, pure or blended? I recall being devastated when Knit Picks discontinued their yarn that was a delicious blend of cashmere and all fibers soft...called Panache (Decadence was that the yummy 100% alpaca they discontinued at the same time). As soon as I found out it was being discontinued, I called in my order ~ "Send me all of it please..." and they did.... "Plus, please send me all the Decadence too."

Well, on the happier side of discontinued yarn, have you ever checked out the WEBS website? I must say that I never had looked before yesterday... when I saw a beautiful scarf being made of wispy cobwebby cashmere that is oh-so-soft & oh-so-pretty.... WEBS has sales on cashmere. Several types of cashmere - DK & Bulky & Worsted.... wow.....

More inspiration ~

Yippee! The new Interweave Knits has arrived! I've decided that I'll be "allowed" to read it once I've finished listening to Breaking Dawn as that will give me extra motivation to finish this audio book before the due date at the library. So far, the Interweave looks like it has a lot of potential ~ remembering that the last issue sucked me in from the very first page of advertising, as it was the Lacy Pullover (shown below March 31, 2009 post).

Cozy knitting ~

I'm knitting in my new chair, listening to Breaking Dawn, the last in the Twilight series, being very cozy and relaxed. This chair has been the perfect addition to our room, and the perfect way to knit in my cozy room! I'm making progress on the lacy pullover, and I need to be patient as part of me wants to start a new project with a new set of stitches, or perhaps I should pick up one of my Works In Progress and then I'll feel like I've started a new project... I miss those hats that knit up so fast.....but, the lacy pullover is looking great, really it is.....

Reacquainted Love ~

At the Sewing Expo we also were reunited with Miski by Mirasol ~ a lovely 100% llama yarn that is so soft and melts in your hands while knitting. I knit a blueberry hat last summer out of Miski, as my sister and I found some at the Stitchin' Post in Oregon. I had not found this yarn in any of our local shops but found it at Roberta's shop (Fibers Etc in Tacoma, WA) at the Expo. I bought the creme color and the midnight blue. If you haven't knit with this yet, do yourself a favor and meet a new love.....or become reacquainted with a past love. This yarn is wonderful and the story of the shepherds in Peru that the yarn purchase is supporting makes it more lovely! I think you'll start using this yarn for all your soft and lovelies!

A day to remember ~

While trying to think of something worthy enough to post today, I kept thinking of Stephanie Pearl McPhee's calendar post yesterday for Martin Luther King Jr's day "I have a dream..." that inspired a nation, a world and can be translated by all knitters. I pondered my wonderful stash, just like Stephanie says we should, and I put those thoughts with President Elect Obama's call to service. I finished my first 2009 hat for charity, plus cast on another one. Knitting is something that I can do to help a little part of the world, so that is what I am going to do.

What an enjoyable way to help the world!

Victory of da feet (defeat)

Knitters are talking about Socktober this month ~ a designated month in the knitter's year dedicated to the knitting of socks. I was pleased to hear on Stash & Burn that even Nicole is knitting socks this month. If you have not listened to that podcast, please do, as Jenny & Nicole have lots of inspiration and motivation for all of us. So much that I need to show you the wee bit I have knit on my "socks in progress" in the past weeks. Although no "victory" yet, the blog title was the genius of my sweetie, so I am using it with his permission. The picture shows (right to left) my blue/green tofutsies, my jewel tone jitterbugs and my yellow alpaca bliss socks...... How are you doing on your sock knitting?

Pondering Socks

The summer of 2007 was the summer of sock knitting. My knitting projects for camping weekends were beautiful socks. I finished several pair of delightful socks, including my first Jitterbugs. I finished a few pair in the winter too, but was not as productive as those long wonderful days knitting in the river. Last winter 'sale' sock yarn was a temptation, knowing that I would knit more socks this summer. I accumulated a treasure trove of amazingly beautiful and luscious sock yarn, but did not finish any socks this summer. Now it is Labor Day weekend, and my Tofutsies and Jitterbugs remain on my needles. I am pondering why the big slowdown in my sock knitting ~ perhaps because I have yet to knit a pair that I can wear with my every day shoes. Those wonderful finished socks of mine fit only in my hiking boots....which is why I am knitting the Tofutsies on size #1 needles to see if they will fit with shoes. We'll see... This picture is my treasure trove of amazing sock yarn ~ the glorious colors of Jitterbug, Lorna's Laces, Cherry Hill and Urban Gypze are stunning. I look at each and want to cast on all of them ~ so tempting are the colors and textures. Perhaps, I will work on the Tofutsies and Jitterbug tomorrow.

The Cat on the Hat ~

Another great camping trip and four hats to bring home. My 13 year old daughter, who will now be called rockin13 on this blog, took these great pictures of my hats, our garden and our cat. All the yarn used is from my stash, so they are all "free" with added time and love to create them. I know they will be loved at the November Church Bazaar. Shadow, our cat, sure loves the hats ~ doesn't she look great in red?!

Knitting Bazaar Hats ~

Another weekend of delightful knitting in the river! I've ended up with three baby hats for our church's November Holiday Bazaar (why does that word look like it is spelled wrong? I've even checked it!). The middle hat is a pink "Squiggle" hat ~ very fun and oh-so-cute on babies! The hat on the left is a pink stripe version with Cascade Fixation bulky, and the hat on the right is a blue Cascade Fixation bulky variation. There is a 4th hat almost done, also out of Cascade Fixation bulky. All the hats are made with Stash Yarn ~ an extra bonus for me in my stash reduction activities! I try to knit 10 hats each year for our church Holiday Bazaar, and this is a good start for a great cause.

My 13 year old daughter is credited with the hat photos. Too bad it was raining today, or we would have had another "Chickens with Hats" picture to share! My other daughter turned 10 years old yesterday ~ very exciting, indeed ( could have said, "How Bazaar"!)

Here are some of last year's bazaar hats!

Lovely Stash ~ Amazing Stash

I have an incredible sewing room that my husband built for me when we moved into this amazing home a few years ago. It has a long "L" shaped counter top with my sewing machines (and my oldest daughter's machine) "at the ready". It is an amazing place to sew. On the other side of my wonderful room is my yarn wall ~ my stash ~ my wonderful and delightful collection of yarn. On days when I don't have time to knit, or nights when I work late, I check out my yarn wall before going to bed. I touch some alpaca, move some colors around and whisper to myself (and the yarn?) that I'll be back soon for some real time together. It is a soothing place where I find comfort and inspiration. There are memories there of many yarn shops and shopping events, and few projects-to-be of the "What Was I Thinking" variety that have not (yet) been cast on. Who knows, there may come a time for those, or the yarn may get re-purposed into a new project. There are also some knitting cards from friends, "Friends don't let friends buy acrylic" and an autographed picture of the Yarn Harlot from one of her book tours. Lots of good times to remember ~ and so much potential for what all this yarn can be in the future!

I was only able to knit a few rows today, so my post is a tribute to my stash. Then I'll give it one last look (and touch) tonight, and whisper that I'll be back soon for some real time together......