First off let me apologize for the signs of construction here. My old theme wasn’t really working well with the new version of wordpress so I’m in the process of searching out a theme to modify. I’m fairly pleased with this one beyond some of the color choices so we’ll see. I am way too lazy these days to deal with doing it from scratch.  I have a good excuse because who could resist this face…

Elke's first Bubble Bath

Knitting has been sparse since we decided to build a house and I became consumed with finding flooring and paint and what not. So you’d think the problem would be solved once we moved right? Oh no because then Justin went off for a year and here I was in a house we’d just moved into with 90% of our things in the garage. I told the movers to leave most of the boxes in the garage so I wouldn’t have to look at them as I was unpacking. What I didn’t realize was that out of sight= out of mind and also that less than a month later I would find out I was eating for two. So for me anyway with pregnancy came exhaustion. Of course my under-performing thyroid didn’t help matters. Sure I take synthroid but between the two of them any excess energy I had went into getting the house into a state you could live in. Since I sure as hell knew I wouldn’t have time after she was born. Anyway I think I managed to finish a clap and a scarf I had started months earlier. It was just so much easier to read. Then after Elke was born I was going to the NICU to visit her 2x a day and well yet again it was much easier to read or stare at a dumb show on TV. Now I did make her a couple of hats and a pair of socks back then. Now that Justin is home and she’s a little older I’m managing to carve out some knitting and spinning time. I love to spin and knit but by the time I’ve made dinner and cleaned up, it’s like 9 pm and I’m tired. Also Star Trek Online came out and I am a supergeek so…. So unless I get up before she does it just doesn’t happen. So my current projects are:

1. Spinning this green Corriedale I bought from a local-ish dyer at a fesitval. It’s really easy to spin and it’s very relaxing, however I feel like I’m almost relearning how to spin. Which is more than fine I just seem to need that mental break every day.

Thick N Thin since I am out of practice

2. Garter Yoke Cardigan (Rav Link)

I started this a couple of weeks ago and so far I like it I think. I’m using Classic Elite’s waterlily which is sort of their response to the semi sold craze.  I have too many sweater amounts of Worsted so I’m trying to get through them by making tons of different cardigans that I can wear in the house or under a coat where they won’t really show.

You'd think it would go quicker with just garter...

3.  16 Button Cardigan (Rav Link)

Yet another worsted cardigan. I’m modifying the pattern though so the ribs on the bottom are all of equal height. I just didn’t want to bother keeping that much track….plus I thought it looked kind of goofy. The yarn is Cashmerino, we’ll see how it wears. It will probably turn into pill central. However the yarn is nice to work with.

Started this Months ago...

4. Strangling Vine Scarf (Rav Link)

Oh Boy I started this like a year and a half ago but I’m finally getting serious about it. I think it’s incredibly lovely in this yarn. The yarn is Knitting notions in aubergine. I bought it as sock yarn but it was that really thin henry’s attic sock yarn that for me is just *too* thin. Like I’d have to knit it on a 0 or a 000 since I like a tightly knit sock. Anyway I saw this pattern and put the two together. I went down a needle size to compensate for the ultra thinness of the yarn. I’m about half way done maybe it kind of depends on how it blocks so I’ll probably do a soak and a pin out soon so I can judge how much more to do.

I love the colors in this yarn

5. Garter Rib Socks (Rav Link)

I always seem to come back to these. I like plenty of other sock patterns but for some reason these really work for me. I love lace socks but I’m always worried I’ll lose my place or whatever. These are in some leftover DIC worsted in gothic rose. I actually finished sock #1 last week but I haven’t starIted sock #2 yet. It’s been a busy week….

This is such fantastic yarn. Not too many other companies manage to make yarn that doesn't Pool

6.  Log Cabin Scrap Blanket

No rav link because although I’m using the mason dixon blanket as inspiration it’s really just a way to use up scraps leftover from various sweater projects. Also even when I’m super tired I can manage garter…

Who doesn't want an almost totally mindless project that will eventually get destroyed by the house felines?

1. Basic Black in Black

Currently I’m past the decreases for the armholes and am working my way to the shoulder area. It’s nice peaceful morning knitting. It’s really a good basic pattern. Not neccessarily the most exciting knit and the black yarn really is a black hole for light but I find it sort of nice to not have to constantly be reworking the pattern or doing gauge math.

2. Leyburn Socks

I like this pattern most of the time. I’m not super compelled to work on it so even tho I fixed the yarn break issue (enki’s fault) I haven’t done much else with it.

3. Spinning

This is by far my favorite fiber so far. It’s a 65/35 merino/silk pencil roving.I love the colors and it just drafts like a dream. I am actually going to get some undyed so I can do a semi solid for a scarf. I think this will be a scarf too. I’m thinking knit lengthwise on kinda big needles and it should be really pretty.

The first up is the 4 oz of Optim I got. Oh my god this stuff feels incredible.

The purple is a merino/silk blend (65/35) in a colorway called Phlox and the green is corriedale in a colorway called Forrest. The noddy came from Little Barn.

This is a Quasi-Solid sock yarn in a colorway called Sangiovose. It’s a wool/bamboo/nylon blend.

Next up was Deer Trace Farm. They have some gorgeous alpaca but I still haven’t used up the 8 oz I bought before so I gave that a pass this time but I did get this amazing 50/50 Merino Silk blend.

Lastly I hit Little Barn. They had FANTASTIC pricing. They sell 4 oz of optim for 9.95. So hell yeah I got more. Anyway compare those prices to other vendors….Anyway from them I got the Noddy I showed you up above and all this.

From left to right is another 4 oz of optim, 8 oz of bfl, and 16 oz of tussah silk. That day seriously felt like Christmas cause when I got home the books I had ordered had gotten there. So now I have yet more stitch dictionaries (Knit/purl and Lace/Eyelets) from the new Harmony guides and the book that hopefully will teach me to sew. The Sew Everything Workshop comes highly recommended and from what I’ve read so far its totally justified. It seems to be the SNB of sewing.

Animals were seen like this cashmere goat:

Fiber and yarn were fondled and bought from Fiber Denn:

Friends were met but I forgot to snap photos.

Overall it was WAY better than last year. Easily twice the size. I think the organizers deserve a great big round of virtual applause for putting that much effort and work into it. My favorite vendors this year were Fiber Denn (as usual) and Little Barn (SUPER FREAKING CHEAP). Plus it’s always nice to see folks I don’t get to see too often since I am just lazy enough to consider Nashvegas a wee bit too far to go to knitting groups there.
So we were there about 3 hours I’d say and then off to plant world we went. I know this isn’t a gardening blog but oh my god did they have gorgeous plants and lots of them! We have nothing like that here. It was almost like being at a botanical garden. I took so many pics. However I’ll only bore you with my two favorites.

Lunch was had and then we took off for home. Next post the Fiber HAUL.

1. Improved Spinning

2. A finished Single Sock…Charade knit in Shibui

I learned that I think an inch of ribbing at the top is more than enough so I came *this* close to ripping but decided not to since no one but me will see that sock top. I’m half way through the foot of the 2nd sock now. I should have it finished in time. Thermal has a finished sleeve so I do have a slight chance of finishing it by the time real life has to resume (jan 6th). I hope you got lots of phat loot and had a good holiday.

The problem seems to be when I start off things go well and then I want to speed up, that is when I get into trouble. However Siouxsie rocks.
Anyway…I have one of the cuffs of the sleeves for thermal done and I’m doing the neck today. I kinda plan on doing the sleeve in stages to avoid SSS. Even though I’ve been busy getting stuff done for the holiday I’m thinking that today and tomorrow I am going to relax. Spin, knit and game. Sounds like a most excellent plan to me.