In an effort to catch up which, as we now know, is Impossible, here is a grab bag of Unraveling knitting news. I include everything I can think of that is in process, has been finished, gifted, or is yarn-related in the last month. A fairly lengthy, photo-heavy post.
Sockapaloooza
I received the most lovely orange socks from Leslie, who it appears is blogless.
Leslie, they are wonderful! Such fine work, and the color, well the color is...how shall I say this?...PERFECT! They are even more special to me with the knowledge that you Kool-aid dyed the yarn with your son.
I note that these are only the second pair of handmade socks that someone else has made for me. It will be a pleasure to wear them. I have very happy feet!
I also finished and sent the socks I knit to my sockpal in Maine - ten days late - but HOORAY they are on their way!
I dyed the 100% Merino wool yarn in Nancy Robert's Machine Knitting to Dye For class in March. The pattern evolved as the socks were on the needles. These are already well-traveled socks - they were knit in Berkeley, San Francisco, on the plane to and from San Diego, on the plane to San Juan, at the archaeology conference in San Juan, in New York, and were finished on the plane home from New York. I hope my sockpal's feet will be as happy as mine are.
Booty!
Last Friday, I finally received a treasure chest of Pirate Booty.
The box contained an eye patch, which my Girlie comandeered the moment she saw it. The Pocky was relinquished to the Girlie who is asserting her piratey self, chocolate money (suitable for paying ransome to the Boyo and his mateys), jeweled stitch markers (I'll keep those for myself), and three balls of Jaeger Luxury Tweed. I'll have to think of something fun to make! Thanks, Amy Lu.
Cancer Sucks
As does losing one's hair to chemo. So I made this hat for Cancer Warrior Melissa.
It fit her perfectly and the spring green color goes beautifully with her eyes. Sorry, no photos. You'll just have to use your imagination. It's Araucania Nature Cotton from Chile, color 22. One skein, baby, with about 3 yards left over.
Stash Enhancement
While I was in New York last week, I visited several yarn stores I hadn't been to before. Suss Design on Lafayette was the first stop. It's a nice, large, open space with plenty of delicious yarn to look at and a helpful staff. First, I picked up this colorful skein of cotton to make potholders.
And then The Girlie and I got to thinking that maybe we could find a pattern and some soft yarn to make her a little bolero. She picked this lovely cocoa-colored cotton.
And I'm now in the middle of knitting this.
It's an absurdly simple pattern but it's what my Girlie wanted and I'm already more than halfway through knitting it.
Fast, easy, hopefully wildly successful, and just what the Girlie wants.
We also stopped at Purl Soho on the same day. It is a jewel of a shop: tiny, with plenty of tempting fibers. But I only purchased these two skeins of Koigu KPPPM, which my Girlie spotted.
Haven't seen this colorway anywhere else. Wouldn't have spotted it except that it caught my Girlie's eye. She says don't waste it on socks. "It should be seen," she says, "and needs to be a hat or gloves, even if it's not for me." Sly one, my Girlie.
I bought myself the Mason-Dixon book for my birthday and became enamoured of the Euroflax hand towels on page 27. I bought the blue and green Euroflax on the left at the Stash Yarn first anniversary sale in Berkeley just before I left town...
...and then picked up the orange and yellow at The Point, on Bedford Street in the West Village. What a nice shop! Full of tables for knitters to dine and knit at. Good selection of yarn. Helpful staff. Yummy food (they have Rice Krispies Treats!) We went there to meet Kimberli at the weekly Stitch & Bitch (tuesdays from 6-9 p.m.).
Not the greatest way to get to know someone (it was crowded and noisy), but I was glad to finally see her in person and knit togetner for a little while.
Finally
I have not abandoned Stella's Blouse (IK Spring 04). As you know, I am a fickle knitter. But I'm determined to finish Stella. The back is done. Front is knit to the arm holes and...
...is waiting for me to pick it up again when I can give it the attention it deserves. I have to be able to think in order to follow the pattern - something that has not been easy the past couple of weeks.
Thanks for making it this far. I'm hoping to post about San Juan this weekend. We'll see how I feel after staying up to greet the grunion tomorrow night.
May the fish be with us.
