I’ve been in the midst of house fever so I haven’t been knitting that much or taking pictures of things other than food. So just to have something to post….

1.What was I doing 10 years ago? Hmm well I was 21. Which means I Had just moved back to St. Louis from a failed relationship/move to Montreal. So I was going out a lot and looking for mr wrong. I was also working my ass off to save enough to go back to school. Fortunately I was a cocktail slugger at a casino and the high rollers loved me.  Even though at the time I didn’t care for the job the one thing that broke me of most of my shyness was being a waitress so it was a good thing.

2. What are 5 things on my To Do list today? A) Finish this blog post B) Catch up on email C) make sure all my paperwork is in order for my long separation from my husband D) Clean up the house E) Meet with builder and ask questions.

3. Snacks that I enjoy? Hummus and Puff onion paratha ( I know I’m mixing countries but its very good), Japanese Gummi, Gyoza/potstickers, Samosas, Pretzels and cream cheese

4.Things I would do if I was a billionaire: A) Start a school in the middle east for victims of ‘marriages of convenience’ (this delightful practice allows people to sell their daughters into essentially legal prostitution and most times the families do not want the girls back which leaves them limited options other than prostitution) B) Buy a huge craftsman home or build a replica of gamble house C) Buy a horse and train for eventing D) Fund a rescue for failed racehorses E) Start a business that specializes in restoring historic homes and modernizing them but keeping in the spirit of the original period.

5. Places I’ve lived: Miami, Chicago, Clarksville, St. Louis, Montreal

6. Jobs I’ve had: Waitress, Cocktail Slugger, Tech Support, Cook, Cared for an elderly woman, Dog bather, Bookstore Clerk

So some of you know how much I have wanted an ebook device. I read more than I knit probably and I have quite a collection of ebooks, they take up much less physical space than the books I have in every room of the house (minus the bathrooms). Anyway I wanted one because its not always cozy to read on my desktop and its certainly impossible to curl up with my laptop (I’ve tried and just got a sore neck) Anyway I finally found a place to get it that allowed returns if you hated it. So I bought it. It might be the best device I have ever purchased. I’ve read one book on it and really enjoyed it. I don’t skim like I do on desktop and its so small and portable I can keep it in the kitchen and still watch dinner being made. The cover it comes with is kind of fug though so I plan on getting a black one soon. Also…although you do have to reformat a bit…HELLO DIGITAL KNITTING PATTERNS. I can keep all my current patterns in there and if I wanted to I could even type up my notes as I went along. Also can you just say fantastic battery life? Anyway on to knitting…The first sleeve is finished. YAY, GO ME, and all that. I don’t have a photo because I had very little sleep and I didn’t feel like breaking out the camera. So you’ll get an ALMOST FO shot later this week. The sleeve is a bit well ultra fitted but I figured better that than bat wings.

Out of the top 50 yarns on Ravelry (by number of projects):
Bold the ones you’ve used and would use again,
cross out the ones you’ve used and would not use again,
and italicize the ones you’ve never tried, but would like to.
Add comments as desired, and then pass the meme along to 5 knitters/crocheters.

1, Cascade 220 Wool, 11967 projects

My Favorite felting yarn ever. I have a sweater amount but haven’t used it yet.

2, Patons Classic Wool Merino, 10445 projects
3, Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted, 8421 projects

The softest yarn ever.

4, Noro Kureyon, 7947 projects

I’d use again but only for something felted. It made my finger raw.
5, Caron Simply Soft, 7914 projects

Not bad for craft store ack.

6, Lily Sugar’n Cream Solid, 6864 projects
7, Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted, 6619 projects
8, Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids, 6176 projects
9, Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solid, 5554 projects
10, Noro Silk Garden, 5410 projects

I do wish it was more even.

11, Koigu Painter’s Palette Premium Merino (KPPPM), 5094 projects
12, Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, 5071 projects
13, Lion Brand Homespun, 4296 projects
14, Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, 4157 projects
15, Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock Multi, 4086 projects
16, Manos del Uruguay 100% Wool, 3989 projects
17, Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky , 3927 projects
18, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, 3751 projects
19, Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock – Lightweight, 3723 projects
20, Plymouth Encore Worsted, 3573 projects
21, Cascade 220 Heathers, 3422 projects
22, Lily Sugar’n Cream Ombres & Prints, 3384 projects
23, Zitron Trekking (XXL), 3348 projects
24, Patons SWS (Soy Wool Stripes), 3243 projects
25, Rowan Kidsilk Haze, 3203 projects
26, Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, 2917 projects
27, Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Co., Inc Peaches & Creme Ombres, 2658 projects
28, Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, 2512 projects
29, Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock – Mediumweight, 2503 projects
30, Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, 2489 projects
31, Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Co., Inc Peaches & Creme Solids, 2476 projects
32, Cascade 220 Superwash, 2323 projects

33, Berroco Ultra Alpaca, 2286 projects

My fav basic yarn

34, Knit Picks Swish Superwash, 2226 projects
35, Knit Picks Essential, 2149 projects
36, Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice Solid, 2142 projects
37, Colinette Jitterbug, 2090 projects

Some of those colors rock my err..socks

38, Lion Brand Lion Wool Solid, 2030 projects
39, Knit Picks Shine Sport, 1976 projects
40, Dale of Norway/Dalegarn Baby Ull, 1885 projects
41, Lion Brand Microspun, 1871 projects
42, Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino, 1863 projects
43, Knit Picks Palette, 1765 projects
44, South West Trading Company TOFUtsies, 1762 projects
45, Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, 1756 projects
46, Mission Falls 1824 Wool, 1725 projects
47, Rowan RYC Cashsoft DK, 1718 projects

I love cashsoft with a love that feels almost dirty.

48, Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Multis/Ombres, 1664 projects
49, Rowan Felted Tweed, 1646 projects
50, Rowan Calmer, 1571 projects

I had such high hopes for this year’s knitting and blogging. I started off right with 3 FO’s but since then the output has uhh declined. I spent many days trying to find a pattern before settling on the wicked cardigan mod. Then I had to swatch and redo the math and well that didn’t go to well since I have done it 3 times at last count. I did finish a sock last week before my trip but since then I think I’ve done umm a toe hat + six rounds.  I had started writing a series on what not to knit but that also was pushed to the back burner by what at the time seemed like extreme laziness. In fact what it turned out to be is that I’m pregnant.  We found out last Sunday.  I thought I had PMS but when it failed to uhh show I thought perhaps I should you know check pregnancy symptoms and sure enough I had too many to just discount so I took the test and promptly freaked out. We weren’t trying but we weren’t not trying having decided to let nature take its course.  Anyway Justin is very pleased. I’m kind of terrified.  Once the kid is here I’ll be fine because although I have nonspecific fears of turning into this mom creature other than myself as a mom the part that really really gets to me is all the prenatal stuff and the birth. So I’m still kind of adjusting and trying to be healthier.  Anyway other than periodic yeah we’re fine posts I probably will try to not gross anyone out. Also this totally throws my knitting plans for the year in disarray. I had planned on steeking the wicked cardi as part of my prep to dive into colorwork since I wanted to make the Autumn Pullover thing by eunny. Now though….since I am totally unsure of what having a kid is going to do to my perm bust size…..I have no idea what to knit. Suggestions much appreciated.  I mean sure socks are a no brainer but I like to do other stuff too. Also stuff other than baby stuff since I’m not sure how much I’m really going to knit for le spawnlet.  I am a slowknitter and they grow fast… I do want to do the tulip dream in color cardi and the baby surprise jacket and probably the peapod set.  Although I did take the opportunity to order myself a new camera. Babies move fast therefore I was totally justified in ordering a nikon d80. So I am still learning how to use it but so far I am totally in love. So although no new knitting photos cause we went to visit the in laws this past week I do have vacation shots.

Jada

Quincy

Mountains

Anyway there are loads more and if you’re bored and want to see them go here.

Yeah… Nablowhatever and I parted ways about when I got busy for the holidays. It happens. Anyway, I’ll do a mega update after this post maybe tomorrow. So on to the fun stuff, the contest. We had three people enter and thus three prizes so everyone is a winner. Everyone got a similar prize. There were two gift certs to loopy and one to Knitpicks since I have to say I loathe going to the post office. So now on to what people said.

Sarkasmo wrote:

OK, if money were no object, I’d be more of a process knitter than I am even now. I think I’d get a wheel and a friend who owns sheep so that I could create my own yarn from scratch. If not a wheel, then a wider collection of spindles. Anyway, I’d be happy to dye my own yarn and spin it myself while at the same time sampling other yarns to try to emulate them. Yeah, I’d love to knit a cashmere sweater someday, but it would mean more to me if I’m the one that spun the cashmere. That way it’s more “check me out, I was confident enough to spin cashmere fiber into a yarn for this project” than “check me out, I can afford a sweater’s worth of cashmere”. It’s probably along the lines of that “Give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day; teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime” saying. The money invested in learning to spin that yarn would cost more than a sweater’s worth of cashmere at first, but then I could do a lot more with those skills. And besides, ever since I saw that $90 skein of crap yarn in the LYS that closed after 6 months in Cincinnati, I’ve been less likely to believe that expensive yarn is automatically quality yarn.

This was an awesome question!

Kraftie had this to say:

If money were no limit… there wouldn’t be any acrylic in my stash.
(well… there wouldn’t be since I know what good yarns are now).

Most of my yarn stash would be filled with nice handdyed sock yarns
and rovings. Heck… if money weren’t a limit I’d also probably have
a scary amount of fiber tools as well, like another wheel or two, a
loom and a drum carder… I’d probably also have purchased all sorts
of dyeing supplies so that I could just make the yarn/roving colors I
REALLY want.

Alex Offered:

If money were no object, would it change my knitting? Well, short answer,
yes.

I wouldn’t knit cashmere sweaters per se, because of the bad things I’ve
read about the demand for it. (In fact I haven’t bought any yarn with
even the smallest cashmere content for months, and have been destashing
some of the stuff I already had.) But I think I’d try to knit more
“green,” since organic stuff is almost as costly as the luxury stuff,
though organic prices are coming down, while the luxury yarns are going
up.

I suppose in some cases I would be more relaxed about knitting. If
something wasn’t working, I could destash it for cheap (since I don’t need
the money), and go work on something else that caught my fancy. I don’t
think I would do that often, with the perfectionist in me, but it’s
something to think about.

Now for my answer. I’m not sure it would change how I craft. Oh maybe I’d buy more expensive yarn for certain projects like a sweaters worth of sundara or something but I am not really sure I would. My favorite yarn yet is fairly inexpensive at 7 something for over 200 yards (ultra alpaca by berroco) I hate paying full price, I always have so I would probably be as much a sale shopper as I am now. The one thing I believe in is buying good quality tools. Even if I have to save for them and do without them for the moment I have never regretted buying any of my high end kitchen gear because I know it will last me a lot longer than something that isn’t as well constructed. However I always still try and find a good deal. That’s why even though I wasn’t 100% sure I’d totally be into spinning on the wheel I still got a majacraft. I figured if I didn’t love it I can always resell it and if I did in a year or two I wouldn’t be going but now I want a new wheel, had I bought a babe or something less versatile. As for the cashmere question I actually own a cashmere sweater (11 bucks at tjmaxx) and I never wear it. Its way too warm for this climate. However I wear the hell out of my cheapo thin merino cardis. Even though I consider myself a process knitter, my goals with crafting/knitting are to create items I would buy if I saw them in stores. The only thing I am completely sure would change if I was more flush (actually it would change even if we had a larger home) is that I would have my own studio. For all my crafting pursuits with lots of space, light, a comfy chair, a desk, a sink and heat source for dyeing. Sometimes on the weekend when Justin is playing a game there is nothing I want more than a place where the sound of said game is not permeating the air. So for now I go into the living room but it would be nice to have my own room. Someday I’ll get it. Actually I thought of something else that would change, I would knit more. Instead of feeling guilty about the housework I’d just hire a cleaning service and then I could knit more.