Yarn, yArN, YARN!

It’s been a busy summer. So busy that I haven’t even thought about updating this blog until my friend Pixie mentioned that I should a few days ago. And she’s right, so here I am typing nonsense because the problem is, so much has been going on and happening in my world that I don’t know where to start. Hmm, what is blogworthy…

Well, let me begin by showing you this sock yarn I was kettle-dyeing yesterday in a few different shades of beautiful blue. Right now, I’m dyeing about one or two skeins each dyeing session, maybe three times per week, so roughly three to six skeins are done per week. I honestly don’t think I could do any more than that and still keep the same quality in each dye job because sometimes a single skein will take me four hours to finish. Each skein of yarn that I dye is uniquely and meticulously handpainted or kettle-dyed to my own personal satisfaction. I’ve seen some people on some blogs that output a large amount of handpainted yarn at one time (over ten skeins) and I just don’t understand how they do it, unless they have a small army helping them.

The reason I’m dyeing all this yarn is because I’m going to be a vendor at the 2009 Fiber Festival in Snow Hill, Maryland, coming up on October 10. I have to build my inventory so I have quite a bit to sell there. Of course, teen had a small fit when I told him I needed him to wind up all this yarn on the niddy noddy (right now I’m looking at 24 skeins that need winding and the niddy noddy makes my arms ache), so I invested in a new knitting tool. This is my new maple Will Taylor Clamp-On Skeinwinder/Swift, which I ordered from Carolina Homespun, and it’s wonderful! The teen is off the hook, at least for now.

Thanks to Pixie, I’ve also gotten back into my knitting. I finally finished those Nightmare Socks with her encouragement, and they fit although I loathe them now because they took two years to complete! I think I got tired of looking at them, the pattern wasn’t the easiest to follow, and the yarn wasn’t as soft as I would have liked, but Plymouth Sockotta was the first sock yarn I ever bought for myself. That was before I learned how to dye yarn and now I’ll never buy any commercial brands again. Unless I absolutely have to. Not to mention the fact that I have approximately two bins full of my own handpainted yarn already.

On to the next project: Two-at-a-Time Toe-Up Socks on Two Circulars, from the book, “Knitting More Circles Around Socks” by Antje Gillingham. I have her first book too, and both include very nice patterns that are easy to understand. These are only my second pair of socks, and I’m knitting them with my own kettle-dyed yarn, Sand in my Stitches Pure Merino SW. I’m a little further than the image shows and so far, so good. These will be a demo project for my yarn at the festival, and I’ve given a skein of my Kona Sock yarn to Pixie to knit up in some kind of amazing lacy project. Many, many thanks to Pixie for the motivation and help. 🙂

Read Full Post »

FO: Diagonal Knot Stitch scarf

Since Thanksgiving, we haven’t really had any adventures to speak of, and since I finished my Clapotis, I don’t have any really good knitting news, either. There is the second scarf I made for my Ravelry Scarf Exchange pal, Rae, which was mailed to her over a week ago. I know that she probably received it by now, although she hasn’t emailed to say so.

Completed and blocked, this is the Diagonal Knot Stitch scarf which I knit out of Malabrigo Merino, colorway Violetas. The pattern really opened up once I blocked it, but I do need to find my iron because I could have done a much better job with it. Once I find it, I will be able to block my Clapotis, and finally be able to wear it, hopefully in time for Christmas. (I don’t know what it is about that project, but I’m itching to make another!)

The second nightmare sock of the pair I started eons ago is getting additional rows added to it here and there when I have time at night, which is the only time I get to knit anything anymore. There is just too much to do during a day with homeschooling and housecleaning and cooking and now decorating and Christmas shopping. Phooey! I’d love to just sit and knit all day!

My perfect day would include everyone going out so that I was left alone in the house. The first part of my day alone would be spent in the kitchen dyeing yarn, and the second half of it would be spent in the living room knitting in silence. In fact, that’s not even a day, but about eight hours. Eight hours that I could spend doing the laundry or vacuuming or cleaning the house. Eight hours that I could spend teaching long division to my 6-year-old. Did I mention he’s learning to type, too? In the image at right, he’s practicing his typing skills! 🙂

Congratulations to my good friend, Anita, who’s handmade polymer clay stitch markers are featured in the current issue of Knit Simple magazine! You can get a set of these adorable stitch markers for yourself by visiting her etsy shop, Yarndemon Designs. I have a set of those sweet peas, and I’ve gotta tell ya, the real thing is soooo much cuter than the images, by FAR. Her shop also features the perfect accessory that every fiber crafter needs: little tape measures with very nice hand-crocheted covers on them. When Anita sent my stitch markers, she also include one of these tape measures which I keep in my little accessory bag and gets frequent use when I’m knitting! Wouldn’t you know it’s that time of year — the season for gift giving, and these stitch markers and tape measures would make PERFECT stocking stuffers!

Read Full Post »

Ravelry Scarf Exchange

Today I received my Ravelry Scarf Exchange package from Emily and I couldn’t be happier with the scarf she made for me — it is really nice! It’s soft and squishy when you bunch it all up and squeeze it… and the color is a beautiful bold green that I just love! She went above and beyond my expectations with all the other little goodies she sent too, and I feel well and truly spoiled.

My boys were just as excited as I was that the package came today. In fact, it wasn’t easy to get my youngest to keep his mitts off my stuff! It seemed to be the endless package, as he kept reaching in and pulling items out for me, one after the other!

Along with that beautiful green scarf that she knit for me was the leftover yarn she had, wound up with the yarn band. She used Brooks Farm Yarn Acero, and I’m going to use the rest of it to make something special. I don’t know what yet, but with the help of Ravelry, I’m sure I’ll figure it out soon!

Some knitting accessories that I will definitely use — sock-shaped point protectors, yarn needles and a cable stitch holder — which are going into my little accessory bag right after I finish this post. A rose, sandalwood, and vanilla-scented glycerin soap and spice-scented fizzing bath bombs are going to drive my DH crazy because he can’t stand scented soaps and candles, but I love them. Therefore, I do believe I’ve figured out that I have a secret weapon if I want to be left alone! LOL! Hmmm, that idea has a lot of potential and I could have a lot of fun with it… I’ll keep you posted! 😉

Then Corey saw a CD in the package and snagged it right away and put it in the CD player — Let It Snow by the Chanticleer Holiday Orchestra, which was a very nice surprise! Every year, we get one or two new Christmas music CDs to add to our collection. This year, Corey has been the super Christmas boy, spreading the Christmas cheer since about August when he started playing our Christmas CDs on a daily basis, starting as soon as he woke up, and ending when his dad wanted to watch TV after dinner each night. You can probably imagine that I’m SUPER GRATEFUL that she sent this CD, as we really needed to hear something new. How many times can a person listen to “Christmas is Love” by Alabama, or “Hard Candy Christmas” by Dolly Parton before they lose their mind? Really!

Emily also sent a nice journal that I can use to record knitting notes, a skein of Atacama by Araucania Yarns in this sweet tealy-blue colorway (potentially to be a pair of knucks), and chocolate galore — a bar of milk chocolate, one of dark chocolate, and a peppermint bark white chocolate bar (can’t WAIT to taste this) — and some maple candy which I’ve never had before. Looks yummy… let’s see… YUP! Yummy! And they’re pure sugar! WOOOOOO!!! Wow! I’m going to be wired now!!! I see a long night of speed knitting coming up! 😉 Am I supposed to put them in my coffee or something? They’re very potent….

Thanks a ton, Emily… you’re an awesome spoiler! I’m wearing the scarf now and my neck is nice and toasty! 🙂

Read Full Post »