Best F.O. EVER!!

This here is without a doubt my best knitted garment (that is not a sock or wrist warmer, which is incidentally a bizarre item indeed, and caused the DRMC to say that I looked liked 'the Artful Dodger', but let's move on) ever. The Klaralund is a perfect example of a project that you grow so sick of, you put it away far out of sight, even though you only have--get this--5 inches of one sleeve to finish. Yes, this was my Knitting Olympics project, and you'll notice that I proudly display the Gold medal nowhere on my blog!! In any case, a few weeks ago I decided to pick this baby back up and knock it out.

Now, I cannot take all the credit, as my best pal Babs' mom, Big Babs, did the finishing on it....yes, you knew there had to be a catch somewhere, right? She did a phenomenal job. I went over to knit with the two Babses, who are the most fun knitters anywhere to hang out with--you enjoy their conversation so much that you forget you have a family and stay for hours and hours, and also to have her show me proper finishing techniques. Now, most people who know me will say 'Oh, right, once again trying to manipulate others with abusive emotional passive/agressive techniques into doing things for her', but I SWEAR that my primary aim was for her to show me, which she did...and then she offered to do it for me....and I am very, very happy with the end result and thank her again for her lovely work that is allowing me to sport my Klaralund with pride. Thanks Bib Babs ! And thanks Little Babs for lending her to me!;)
I did it out of Noro Silk Garden #84, which is a beautiful yarn. My only complaint about this pattern is that the errata sheet contains some pretty serious modifications, like, you need about 4 more balls of yarn than the pattern calls for. After I busted a** trying to obtain the same colorway, dye lot, etc., I finished the sweater only to discover that I had 5 balls of yarn left over. I have found that patterns tend to overstate the amount of yarn needed, or maybe I am a tight knitter. In any case I am very happy with my Klaralund as it is the perfect combination of japanese-swedish ingenuity!
This 9 month delaying technique was sort of perfect in that it allowed me to experience the thrill of finishing something with only a 1/2 day's worth of toil. Picking it up again makes me wonder what my problem was in the first place. I have a lot of projects in the delayed finishing queue, waiting to experience the last several hours of work that will transform them...Green Gable, there's hope for you yet!

Fetching cont'd

This pair of Fetching is brought to you courtesy of Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed, a luxurious blend of wool, cashmere and silk. Luckily I happen to have a ton of this stuff in my stash, and I can eek a pair out of just one ball. I am loving this pattern and am planning on making this my default Christmas gift for one and all. This weekend my peeps and I went to Pittsburgh and I finally got my grubby little hands on the yarn that this phat (sorry, my kids were watching Yo Mama! on MTV) pattern was intended for, some killer Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, and it was 35% off to boot!
When I was there I also picked up my newest fetish object--Blue Sky Alpacs 5" DPNS! From the moment I laid eyes on them I knew that they would be mine all mine (insert Lon Chaney Halloween laughter here). What was it about them you ask? Was it the special handy decorative tin with alpaca motifs and Taj Mahal designs on it? Was it the fact that they've been featured in every even slightly hip knitting mag this season? Was it the soft, sleek wood? Their diminutive stature? Was it their shocking price? (I won't reveal the actual number as the DRMC does read this blog from time to time and while he would be all in favor of the free trade practices of the company--these needles are "made in India by people who are treated well and fairly", he would faint at the price, let's just say they're the Colinette of the knitting needle world --wink wink!) Yes, it's all of those things. And they are the best dpns I've ever had the pleasure of using and now I want them in every size. Yes I always was a bit of a Veruca Salt type. Anyway, I am working on my third pair of Fetching in the DB Cashmerino on them and it is by far the most enjoyable pair so far. The gauge is smaller and the stitches have great definition. If you are experiencing a lull between projects I am strongly recommending this one, it's so fast and the payout is satisfying. I will be moving on to bigger things soon, like finishing the Top Down Cardi for the above-mentioned Marxist, but for the time being I am really enjoy these as they're making me feel like the kind of knitter that often finishes things...

Fetching

When this pattern came out in the summer Knitty I couldn't have been less interested. However a combination of the chill in the October air and reading other people's blogs has given me a serious attack of the lemmings and so I just had to try Fetching. The directions state that you can get the yarn after work on Friday and by Monday morning have a nifty pair of hand warmers for your Monday commute. I did indeed get the yarn after work on Friday (ok, out of my stash, but still!) and these little beauties are ready to go for tomorrow's commute! I used some Classic Elite Lush #4415 that I got on remainder last spring at Purl and that I'd completely forgotten about. I really enjoyed this pattern a lot, although the thumb was slightly tricky. I somehow need to figure out how to do this better on the next pair. On the left hand I stupidly did a knit cast on: You'll notice that it's curling at the bottom, hopefully blocking will take care of that. I did the recommended cable cast on (which happens to be my favorite cast on anyway) on the right hand and you can see what a nice edge it gives. Live and learn to read the directions more closely is the take home message... I love this pattern and can't wait to try it in the recommended Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran yarn.

Blue Ribbon, yee-haw!!

Let me just say right up front that I positively live for any type of competition. If the opportunity exists to beat someone else out, rip their heart out of the their tiny chest and stomp on it, well, I am so there. Much of this intense desire to win comes from several foundational moments in my childhood and adolescence.
1. Coming in dead-last in every event at Field Day in elementary school, and feeling so ashamed about it that I brought home the 'participant' ribbon and telling my parents that "I won". Yes, how sad.
2. Never being the top seller of anything, EVER. Mainly because I hate selling things. But still.
3. Making it all the way to the finals of the Minnesota State High School French contest. Grand Prize: trip to France! Blanking out on stage in front of at least 500 people, forgetting lines of Jacques Prévert poem and suffering utter and complete humiliation. Added bonus: getting beat out by the &*!$*&^* drama people, you know, those over-achieving over-actors that feel they must participate in any possible performance, even if they don't even particularly LIKE French in order to showcase their thespian ways...bitter much?
4. My family inexplicably winning a year's worth of Clark Candy bars when I was about 11. This meant that for one year every day after school, my brother and I ate about 7 each of these things. I know this seems like winning, but trust me, this had negative outcomes on the waistline and kept me in husky jeans throughout junior high.





Yes, these events have turned me into one twisted sister. But all I can say is this: Today the losing stops, because I am a blue ribbon winner. My hat won first place at our local community farm show! Yes, I beat out crocheted toilet roll dolls and kleenex box covers and brought home the bacon. So exciting. My prizewinnings top an impressive $4.

This was my first forray into the world of the community farm show, and let me tell you, it's serious business. People get VERY wrapped up in it. There are people there that you didn't even know existed in your town until seeing them set up their displays of giant gourds and preserved beets. I am not making fun of this event, but it was not at all anything I have ever experienced. I happen to know of two personal relationships that have disintegrated as a result of unhappy outcomes in the judging. These people are not fooling around, and even though my category was nowhere near as competitive as the Angel Food contest, I am still holding on to that ribbon for a long time!

A new fall romance

I have always loved the change of seasons, and perhaps no season augers better for knitters than fall. I am loving the new projects I've been working on and am so relieved to put some of those dastardly summer projects away. Green Gable, you were a gas for about 3 weeks in July, but frankly the romance is over and we'll have to pick up where we left off next spring--seeya! Ditto for you Lisa Knits Ribbed Shell. You're offically on ice and out of the rotation. Casting aside these erstwhile projects has given me time to devote to more long standing relationships. During the past several weeks I've rekindled my affair with Klaralund (where there's only remaining about 5 inches on one sleeve) and last year's Christmas sleeve is now a full-grown sweater, just delivered today to the finisher. Yes, I am an aristocrat... No seaming for me! I am really excited about my newest technique--Fair Isle knitting. I took a class at my LYS on Friday and made both hats over the weekend--yes, I said both hats. Both are in Peer Gynt, that retro Scandihoovian classic yarn that has not changed its label in about 50 years. Need less to say I am gaga over Fair Isle. I know that part of my interest stems from the fact that my great aunt owned a yarn shop in Manchester, England and was supposedly a master Fair Isle knitter. My mom says that as a child she remembers sitting at her feet watching her work all of those different strands without looking at her hands. In any case, I feel like suddenly my brain has opened up and knitting is brand new again. We learned the Philosopher's Wool yarn technique, which requires your left hand to knit Continental and your right hand to knit English. Sounds kooky, huh? At first knitting continental felt like driving on the wrong side of the road, but now I am in love with it. Out teacher was so patient and her kindness reminds me of one of the things I like best about knitting--the transmission of knowledge that happens between knitters. I enjoy being part of that. As you can see, I'm super excited about this new development and I'm sure it's only a matter of time until I become a major Kaffe Fassett hag.

Top down madness

It used to be that lit. crit. academic types like myself used to hear a term like 'top down' and immmediately think of some sort of materialist critique of political economic systems. Now as a knitter I hear the term and have a little frisson that has nothing to do with Marxism. I now know the real thrill of top down, it's not just for economists anymore! I am working on the Knitting Pure and Simple's Men's Top Down Cardigan and I am loving it. It's a similar vibe as that of the Green Gable, except since it's a cardigan, it's not knit in the round. It has the easy sleeve shaping and progresses very quickly. I'm doing it in Kraemer Yarns Summit Hill, which is a nice, springy machine washable worsted yarn from Bethlehem, PA. So far I am really liking this yarn, it had a beautiful hand and is looking like it's going to be a winner. I am also reveling in the lack of seaming involved with this sweater. I have sworn off seaming, for good. Luckily I ran into a woman who lives a block from me that does finishing on the side and charges about $25/sweater. I do have several WIPs that will need it, and I will not hesitate to darken her door. In any case, here's to hoping that the A.D.D. stays at bay long enough to make some headway on this project and that I don't loose steam. Pictured below are the baby socks that I finished about 15 minutes before I had to leave for the party where I was to see the nice girl from Iowa, who graciously thanked me for them and seemed to enjoy them. Knitting for appreciative Midwesterners is a true delight!

la rentrée, hélas...

It's that magical time of year when academic loafers such as myself are required to put down the suntan lotion, the gin and tonics and the knitting needles and politely report back for duty on the front lines of the American university system. I have to say that I am not displeased to return to the daily grind of work (hey, I was doing some work over the summer, people!) as summer vacation does get slightly dull at times. So it's back to school, c'est la rentrée!! I will still manage to fit in my knitting, no worries there, and I did manage to lighten my load by finishing Koigu sock #1 (picture above). Doesn't the Darling Marxist Curmudgeon's foot look positively, well, aristocratic? I also finished a baby sock in the Lorna's Laces from Purl for that nice girl from Iowa who is probably soured on the whole Sock of the Month Club and is silently wondering when the heck (Iowans don't swear) the next pair is coming her way.
I also frogged several summer projects that were bugging the hell out of me and finished the Blue Sky Alpaca Fitted Tank, a project that has me swearing off stockinette for awhile as a. it's so boring and b. every little mistake shows! So I am ready to undertake some fall projects. The DMC has requested a cardigan. Yes, a cardy! So that should be fun. He was wondering "..if I had any yarn in my stash for one". He used the word stash correctly in a sentence! Ladies, aren't you jealous? He's a keeper, this one...

Der Magic loop ist ausgezeitnicht!

I'm still running on fumes from my visit to Minneapolis and all my stellar acquisitions. Yarnzilla was still the primo stop, and Yarnzilla owner Linda made an interesting observation that got me thinking. She commented that "knitters should always try to learn new techniques to keep things new and interesting". In the spirit of her comment I got the Fiber Trends Magic Loop Booklet and decided to try this much vaunted technique. Having recently experienced several pesky breakages and unfortunate warping incidents with my wooden dpns, I figured I was ready for a change. You know I love those addi turbos and get a frisson every time I have an excuse to buy a new set. The directions were indeed very straightforward and in no time at all I was Magic Looping it to beat the band. I'll see how complicated the whole heel gusset scenario is and probably judge the Magic loop based on that, because I finally have that treachurous series of steps totally down on dpns and can turn any heel in my sleep, people. So this had better rock me, Amadeus, or it'll be Auf Wiedersehen to you, Magic Loop.
I'm using that Austermann Step mit Aloe Vera und Jojoba öl, and let me just say that I just love it when knitting allows me to break out my high school German! I'm glad to be learning a new technique and gratified that it's easier that I had imagined it to be. I am also curious: are there any techniques that you have been itching to try?

Twin Cities yarn blow-out: Uff-da!

If you've been to Minneapolis, you no doubt recognize the SpoonBridge and Cherry sculpture in the Minneapolis Sculpure Garden at the Walker Art Center pictured above. The garden is but one of the many spaces that make the Twin Cities such a miraculously pleasant place to live. This is the type of realization you have when you grow up and move away and live in a place that doesn't value art or green spaces, has no Vietnamese restaurants or co-ops and gives economic incentives to places like Wal-mart to thrive. In short, I love coming home and treasure everything about these two great cities, especially the fabu yarn opportunities!


My first stop was an evening visit to the Yarnery in Saint Paul. Let me just say that it was such a pleasure to do some yarn browsing at night, an activity that only metro areas seem to provide. As it turns out, one of my mom's good friends works there, although she wasn't there as she was busy judging at the State Fair, which anyone who knows anything about Minnesota knows that sacred space that that event occupies in the psyche of all Minnesotans. The Yarnery is a kick-ass yarn store, the staff is super friendly and they have one of the biggest selections of knitting books around. Major koigu scorage was had and I really enjoyed myself there, chitchatting with the Minnesota-nice employee who is as obsessed with Project Runway as I am. All in all, a great shop with very friendly customer service.
Next I hit Depth of Field , near the University and Needlework Unlimited, in South Minneapolis. Depth of Field occupies such a lovely space and has a beautiful storefront. They also have a fun sale loft that has many deep discounts and a great view of the store. I have a sentimental attachment to that place as when I was a student I alsways dreamed of being one of those smart, cool people who could knit and afford to shop there. So now that I basically am that person, I feel actualized and it feels like a mini-wish came true (except the smart, cool part, ha, ha!). Needlework Unlimited is such a massively gigantic store that basically has everything you ever wanted. Almost as if Ebay were a brick and mortar store and everything was immediately available. Because it's such a big place, the employees are always busy and you sort of feel like you're intruding by asking for help. One of these semi-surly employees is a mega Kaffe Fassett wanna-be, if you've been there you know who I'm talking about, he wears the needlepoint vests to prove it...anyway. N.U.'s selection is way above and beyond anyone else's, but the customer service leaves a little to be desired. Please don't hate on me for my observations, people!!

My favorite stop by far was Yarnzilla. The owner Linda has got to be the most freaking hilarious LYS owner I have ever met! She is super-helpful, witty and funny. She told my daughter that she might look like 'big bird' if she wore a ponco in a certain color, and another poncho made her look like 'she had a pneumonia thing going on'. So, so funny and helpful, she makes you feel instantly loved and like one of the gang. She has a huge internet business and offers huge discounts, so please check her out. Mad props to Linda and Yarnzilla!!
Hey, coming home is great, but now it's time to return to PA. and face the music. Summer is over and I will no longer have all day every day to devote to thinking about yarn. But that's ok, gotta earn some bank for my next yarn blow out!

Koigu, or yarn porn

There are many categories of yarn in a sock knitter’s stash. Some are tried and true work horses that you are forever turning to out of habit. They are dependable, trustworthy, a known quantity. For me, Opal and Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Multi fit this bill. I know exactly what I’m going to get when I cast on one of these two yarns, and I am never disappointed. I have many, many skeins on hand at a time and have no qualms about giving a skein or two away, either. Then there are those skeins that have yet to capture your imagination, and you can’t really say why. They are just there, in your stash. Taking up space. Waiting to be knitted. For me these would be your Meilenweits, your Regias and your Plymouth Sockottas. I’m sure they are phenomenal and produce a perfectly acceptable sock. I just haven’t bothered to actually give them the time of day, although I have many, many skeins in my stash. Another distinct category is that of the exotic specialty sock yarn. Maybe it’s a yarn that your LYS doesn’t carry and that you have to travel a distance to obtain. Perhaps it’s somewhat unusual and so you use it sparingly. For me Mountain Colors Bearfoot and Claudia’s Hand Painted are in this category. They are a little bit foreign and thus have an air of mystery about them.But they are still a known quantity.

And then there’s Koigu.

For so long this yarn has been something akin to the Holy Grail. None of my LYSs carry it. Until recently I never seemed to be in the right place at the right time to get it. All that has now changed. Now I have it and I cannot live without it.(See above picture for most recent addition to my stash). I even keep it in its own little special VIP section of my stash, cordoned off from the more pedestrian skeins. It’s become a fetish object. Sometimes I just want to pet it. I was afraid to knit it for fear of damaging its most perfect form. But now I have almost completed a sock (pictured above) in it and it’s just as I feared: it's absolutely divine and thus controlling my mind. It’s all I think about and I can’t stop. Help. me. please.
But, why? What's all the fuss about? Please, someone explain to me, what is it about it that makes it so darn appealing? Is it the colorways? The way it’s wound? The scarcity? The hype? Help me to name it and understand its power, then maybe I can break free…

Stitch n Pitch : Pirates beat St Louis 7-0!

Today was the much anticipated Stitch N Pitch in Picksburgh (translation for non-locals: Pittsburgh), PA. I brought kiddie winkie #2 and her sweetheart of a pal while the Darling Resident Marxist Curdmudgeon took #1 canoeing with a friend, and it's a good thing, because the sheer amount of Dippin' Dots consumed by the junior set would have made his hair stand on end!
Before the game we had a look at the exhibit table and saw our LYS owner as well as others who were involved in putting this very fun afternoon together. There were examples of knitting and needlepoint as well as a free bag o' swag for the Stitch N Pitch Stitchers.

During the game we met new knitters as well as saw some familiar faces. I made scant progress on the Green Gable, but as it was such a gorgeous day, I quickly became preoccupied with mandatory baseball game activities such as drinking beer, eating peanuts, staring at other fans (are tube tops suddenly appropriate again?) and yelling things like "throw the bum out!" (kidding). Our group was acknowledged at the seventh inning stretch and thankfully I was NOT on the jumbotron, as I am jumbo enough without the magnification that modern technology can provide. But our LYS owner was, and we were proud of her...All in all we had a great time, baseball and knitting go together very well indeed. The Stitch N Pitch schedule is only half way completed, and for those of you lucky enough to live in a city where your team will be sponsoring it, I recommend it highly.

So that's why you have an uncontrollable desire to buy yarn...

That Darling Resident Marxist Curmudgeon--when he's not busting my chops about turning up the burner too high when I make the Kiddie-Winkies their lunchtime Spaghettios or hovering outside the bathroom door in order to monitor the amount of water I'm using when I take a shower, he's making me laugh hysterically with his Dr. Freud routine. Why, just take the above-pictured half-torn ball band that he found stuffed underneath a cushion on the sofa. Examine it closely, notice its, umm, rather unusual shape? Does it suggest anything that Freudian types like my husband might find a tad telling when it comes to a gal like me who is ruled by her compulsions? He now claims that he finally understands why I'm so deeply compelled to buy yarn. Love that guy, seriously.
Tomorrow we're off to the Stitch 'N Pitch in Pittsburgh, it should be loads o' laughs. Anything with an 'n in the title that promises free knitting swag has my attention, can't wait!

Faith: Restored!

After last's week post of pessimism and negativity, the wheel of fortune has taken an upswing and I am back on a knitting high. Just after swearing off big projects to my LYS owner, my faith has been restored by a little pattern known to many as the Green Gable. Why am I so inspired by the Green Gable? There are many things to love about it, mainly the fact that it is worked in the round from the top down, hence no evil seaming scenario. It has an interesting, easy lace pattern that is done at the beginning, thereby keeping it interesting. When you're done with the lace pattern, it's just smooth sailing on the good ship stockinette and you can try it on as you go. Loving it! There's also a helpful KAL where everyone is nice and non-judgemental. It's so fun to do a pattern and have a way to avail yourself of others' expertise. I'm doing the Green Gable in Valley Yarn's Longmeadow, a perfect dk weight yarn that has the consumer friendly nice price of 3 and some odd change. Even cheaper if you buy enough to get the Webs discount...

Foshizzle my Sizzle!

Here you see two pics of Sizzle, which I finished knitting last week and finished this weekend. The knitting was a dream, loved the yarn--Cascade Pima Silk--and the pattern--Sizzle--is very well written and a pleasure to follow. My only gripe is with myself and my lack of mad finishing skills. No matter how careful I am, the end result is always somewhat of a letdown and it never looks as neat as I'd like. The seams seem to bubble and pucker and whereever I've picked up stitches it tends to look slightly raggedy. Simply put: I hate finishing! The moment I thread that needle for seaming an overwhelming feeling of dread overtakes me and I am instantly propelled back into 7th grade home ec class, which was basically my sewing primal scene, the place where I was humiliated beyond all belief by my teacher who told me that I didn't take pride in my work because my final project pillow looked like it had been stitched together in the dark by a one armed blind toddler. This pillow reflects very badly on you, she told me. You have limited potential. (So glad to have gotten the message sooner than later, thanks Miss Mitchell). Anyway, I wish to G-d that my LYS had a finisher because I would definitely utilize their services, without question and without asking the price! At least Sizzle is now in the FO column and thus no longer chipping away on my soul...

There is progress to report on the Blue Sky Alpaca Fitted Tank in Blue Sky Dyed Cotton, color #602 'Honeydew'. I am now finished with the ribbing, if that means anything to you, and am ready to make a dent in the stockinette portion of the pattern. This yarn is lovely, such a pleasure to work with and not at all like most cotton which tends to stretch and split like mad--I'm even doing this with Addis which tend to increase the whole stretching phenomenon, but I must say that this is not the case here, that's why we pay the big Blue $ky Alpaca buck$, right?

What a ruse...

Oh sure, I could show you recent pointless acquisitions from Knit One in Pittsburgh like this On-line sock yarn and this Claudia's Hand Painted Sock Yarn in Passion Fruit from Stitch Your Art Out in Pine Grove Mills...or I could show you pipe dream pics of this Valley yarn in Longmeadow that I will supposedly be doing the Green Gable out of (as if), or pictures of the Blue Sky Alpaca Cotton Fitted Tank pattern that I'll no doubt be completing very soon (once I cast on for it, that is...). Perhaps I could interest you in this dreamy handspun and hand dyed yarn from Sugar Creek Farm, a sheep farm in rural Wisconsin? A friend, someone who is my oldest partner in crime, sent it to me last week out of the blue. Maybe you'd like to see photos of my second Jaywalker, my Fiber Trends Leaf Lace sock or the nearly-at-the-bust-increases front side of Sizzle. How about a shot of my Nashua Handnnits Tank Top with Peplum?
But seriously,what would be the point? It would be nothing more than a shameless attempt to divert your attention from the real issue at hand. Real issue? That would be, of course, the glaring paucity of actual finished projects. Because there aren't any. All we have in that department is lack...and I'm not happy about it! I thought I could multi-task this whole knitting thing, I mean it seems to work pretty well in other areas of my life. I somehow manage to make dinner and read the mail while talking on the phone and drinking a gin and tonic. I am perfectly adept at rereading back issues of the New Yorker and brushing my daughter's hair while watching Project Runway and eating nachos, so why can't I finish these bleeding projects? I am so sick of all of them, I'm even sick of the ones that I haven't even started yet. What is wrong with me?! Knitting is making me feel mentally ill, like all of these semi-finished projects are some sort of outward manifestation of my inward state of extreme distraction and lack of focus. Someone pass the Adderall, stat!

Against my better judgement or, . . . Sizzle indeed!

Like everywhere else in America it is hot as hell in Nascar, PA. So hot in fact that a detour to the pool was in order this morning. The photo above was taken earlier today just before ferrying both kiddie-winkies to camp--it's a nice view, no? There are many less-than-ideal aspects to living here (ratio of people who still inexplicably like Bush to sensible people, lack of coffee shops,good bookstores and whole grain bread, alt.culture in general, etc.), but the view is one reason to maintain some liking for the place.
The junior set is at camp this week, the Marxist curmudgeon is doing his proton routine at the lab in Durham, and not, as the tiniest kiddie-winkie told our friend, 'experimenting with croutons'. All of this lack of togetherness means that I am on my own drill this week, and all good knitters know what that must mean, right? Knitting my a$$ off day and night!! Yes people, nothing or nobody can stop me. Just try... Apart from several meetings and a manicure (when did I become so... err shallow) this week, I will be knitting ad nauseum. This sense of freedom has compelled me to make a rash decision, that of taking on an entirely new project while I am in the midst of several other pressing ones.
The project that has my attention is Sizzle over at Knit and Tonic. I just love Wendy's patterns, so much so that I am concerned that Wendy, the blogger/designer behind K & T, will think I'm stalking her due to the many downloads of patterns from her site. I'm not Jennifer Jason Lee in Single White Female, I swear! In any case, I'm making excellent progress on Sizzle--so aptly named for this week, isn't it? I'm doing it in Cascade Pima Silk and hope to finish the back tonight, what with all my freetime and all...I'm curious, what patterns are calling your name right now in a big way? Which ones are seducing you, making you want to forget your current WiPs ever existed?

GypsyKnits yarn...hell yeah!

One of the great things about being a fancy-free knitting academic is that the summertime is just one giant knitting cluster fcuk! I can pop down to my LYS 2,3 even 4 times a week (who am I kidding, Saturday I was there in the a.m. AND the p.m.) for help, supplies and oh yes, more yarn. One of my on-the-way-to-work local shops just posted their new yarn acquisition on their blog and I am chomping at the bit to high-tale it over there, and my very local lys just acquired a massive amount of GypsyKnits sock yarn. This is a fairly new Mom & Pop operation from Cumberland, Maryland that spins and dyes all their own yarn and is only carried in one retail outlet--my LYS! Me so lucky! It's also available at Etsy, but you should hurry, this stuff is killer and if you recently got burned trying to obtain Vesper sock yarn while it was in stock for 5 minutes over at Kpixie only to find that it would be in stock again at some future date, probably some time when you will be visiting your elderly parents at a cabin somewhere in the North Woods and won't have internet access, you best act with alacrity! Our local shop had a demonstration and meet and greet with the owners of Gypsyknits this past weekend, sadly I missed it, being wrapped up in the whole travesty of the Italians winning the World Cup and all. Anyway, The yarns up top from left to right are Bubble Gum, Fresh Veggies and Big Top. The colors are stunning and the names alone sealed the deal on the purchase. Big Top? I always loved a three-ring circus! The yarn pictured here that has been wound into the hockey puck is called Strawberry Fields. Perhaps you're wondering how exactly I'm going to work these new yarn purchases into the whole 'omigod-my-sock-yarn-stash-is-out-of-control' complex/existential crisis that I so anxiously described earlier this summer. Based on much helpful feedback I received from commenters on this blog, I've decided to let the whole stress of that affair go and embrace my inner yarn hog. So these GypsyKnits skeins can just take a number, get in line and join the disfunctional a.d.d. knitting party!
Lest you think me a selfish type that only acquires yarn for myself, I purchased these little headband kits for my daughters and their pal, who is my best pal Babs' daughter.
They are all three budding little stitchers, and have made significant progress already. The project is an easy one and only requires casting on 8 sts and just doing a simple garter stitch. My rationale is this: any non-Disney channel related activity these days is a positive one, and this way when we go to yarn store they'll have something to occupy themselves with. Parenthood: it's all about creating the illusion that we do these things for them and not for ourselves!