Not Available In Stores

Three cakes of hand spun 2-ply wool. That's what the bulging golden envelope with the beautiful stamps and return address of Nairobi, Kenya contained.

People talk about being environmentally green these days, even when it comes to yarn. This wonderful gift is the real deal: barely processed, loaded with lanolin and vegetable matter, and definitely spun without the consistency benefits of a wheel. It's that very authenticity of the yarn that may make it difficult to work with.

As I attempted to find the working end of the yarn, it began to come apart. I am obviously unaccustomed to yarn spun in this manner. Perhaps I will do as the giver asks, simply keeping it as part of my collection and enjoying it for what it is: a symbol of a friendship born in an Amsterdam cafe, that made its way across continents and blossomed in Africa - all thanks to the Internet.

Give It Away

What I've got you've got to give it to your momma
What I've got you've got to give it to your papa
What I've got you've got to give it to your daughter
You do a little dance and then you drink a little water

~ Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Give It Away" ~

The band claims their Grammy award winning song was their frenetic, musical take on love and the proverb, "It's better to give than to receive."

With that in mind, I give you yarn. What kind? Well that's up to the winners of my first annual Birthday Haiku contest. The following haiku were chosen at random from of a pool of 42 comments:

Marsha said...
Another candle
On a yummy birthday cake
Make a happy wish!

Chris said...
Time slips past us as
birthdays come and go, leaving
happy memories.

Fiber dreams drift soft
Through joyous sleeping mind, with
no need to count sheep.

Patti said...
One more year counted
Like stitches on your needle
Adds to the person

Each winner has been notified and will be gifted with quality yarn in their choice of color family and weight. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to offer birthday wishes, a comment or to submit their haiku. You added a little something to my week.

So how did I spend my birthday? I hopped a train headed away from the teeming millions in the greater metropolitan area to visit my yarn dyeing friend, Rebecca a couple of hours south of Chicago. A little pizza, walkabout and general relaxing and it was time to come back home, but not without an indescribably soft surprise package of laceweight silk and mohair.

At some point, Rebecca also slipped two chocolate chip cupcakes into my bag, making the ride back to the city a bit sweeter. You're a sneaky one and for this, I thank you.

I made it home just before big, sloppy raindrops began falling. Just inside the back door, I found a box containing not one but two dozen red roses from a long-time friend.

"What? You got two dozen. I can't take a little taste?!" - Rocky

Yes. It was a very good day.

Crochet In Progress

I tried knitting a little bit. You know, just to test the shoulder stamina. Bad idea. I can't keep my hands still though, so I found an attractive, simple pattern and some surprisingly soft hemp yarn and kicked things off with a 15-stitch chain.

Shake your Boteh!

Although the pattern calls for a skosh over 400 yards fingering weight yarn, I'll have to make do with 280 yarns of DK weight allhemp6LUX. After I've made the body of the scarf, I'd love to have enough left over to do the edging, as this gives this fabulous summer piece the perfect finishing touch. I checked Ravelry (account required) to see the flavors of Boteh in the wild. Only a handful appear to have used contrasting yarn. I think that, for this particular scarf, same-color edging maintains an elegant simplicity. Oh, imagine this one in the slubbed, subtle sheen of silk...

Birthday Haiku Contest
Just a reminder for those who have not yet entered: I am giving away FREE YARN for my birthday! All you need do is post a 5/7/5 English-style haiku in the 'Comments' section by midnight (CT) May 30, 2008. I'll select 3 random poets to receive goodies from my stash.

Go on. Get creative!

Dye Tripper!

*Picture heavy post*

I never really thought about the whole colorful, messy business of dyeing and distributing yarn. I learned a thing or two during the Hyde Park Knitting Guild's behind the scenes glimpse into life at Lorna's Laces. It was exciting for me to see how yarn moves from color concept

to realization

to a yarn scavenging frenzy. We got our pick of mill-ends, one-of-a-kind and the occasional oops dyed yarns - some as low as $1 per skein. Believe it or not, I left empty-handed, merely chronicling the event.

I think I was most surprised that the operation (and the people) behind this now-famous brand is nothing fancy or pretentious. Owner Beth Casey and her sweet Great Dane Pearl welcomed us as we reached the 2nd floor landing at the door of their space in this sprawling warehouse.

Pearl roams around the main rooms beneath the high ceilings and suspended PVC poles holding freshly dyed and drying yarns. Bare yarn lies in wait next to dye pots and utility sinks. The walls are lined with yarn-filled wire baskets fronted by handwritten signs bearing the names of a yarn shop near you.

Perhaps that is part of the appeal of our crafting adventures. It is humble. It is imperfect. It is one REAL thing in a culture often consumed with artifice. It is the work of our hands.

Review: Silky Wool Showdown

I'm always on the lookout for a good blend of quality, luxury and taste - whether it's my coffee, my clothing or my yarn. The two yarns reviewed here are the latest silk / merino offerings from two yarn companies you already know: Cascade and Malabrigo.

Because of the slippery silk content and my desire to maintain some control of my stitches, I knit both swatches on a size 8 US bamboo circular needle.

Cascade Venezia Worsted

content: 70% merino / 30% silk; multiple plies
yardage: 219 yards / 100 grams
suggested weight or gauge: 5 sts per inch on size 7 US needles; I got 24 rows and 18 sts over 4 inches on size 8 needles.
care: hand wash in cold water or dry clean
hand: beautiful drape, good stitch definition and smooth to the touch; only drawback is the occasional splitting of the multiple plies or snagging of the resulting fabric if your manicure needs a touch-up.
color: 104, Red Pepper

------------------------------------------------------------------

Malabrigo Silky Merino

content: 50% merino / 50% silk; single ply
yardage: 150 yards / 50 grams
suggested weight or gauge: dk; I got 24 rows and 20 sts over 4 inches on size 8 needles.
care: hand wash, dry flat
hand: lofty, almost weightless fabric with a subtle sheen and slight halo of the silk very apparent.
color: Indiecita

------------------------------------------------------------------

Which do I like best? In my opinion, the question really becomes one of appropriateness of use. Both yarns produce a soft, light fabric that frankly feels wonderful next to the skin. I would, however, be very careful about using the Malabrigo for anything that might be subject to friction as rubbing and pulling on the yarn caused the silk halo to become even more apparent.

Manos del Uruguay, along with a few other vendors and indie dyers also offer silk blend yarns. Good luck choosing from this embarrassment of riches.

My Kind Of March Madness

I originally had no intention of committing to any more deadlines, since lately I'm finding them little more than a recipe for failure. Grand plans. Not keeping up. The usual blah-blah. So why in heaven's name did I let friend Rachel persuade me to hop onto another Ravelry knit-along (KAL) bandwagon? This time, it's all about the Malabrigo, baby (Ravelry link).

The Malabrigo Junkies are sponsoring a half-dozen or so KALs, including Knitty's Foliage hat. Since Foliage and I are already acquainted, I expect to comfortably meet the end of March completion date. See? I've already finished one repeat of the leaf pattern past the crown.

Malabrigo, "Velvet Grapes" (cat hair at no extra charge)

Could I stop there? No, apparently not. When I saw the Agatha shawl on Wendy Knits, I knew I had the perfect candidate for the job: Malabrigo's latest offering, Silky Merino.

At first blush, there appears to be more of silk than merino to this yarn, in both the touch and the halo sheen so characteristic to that fiber. The label says 50-50 but it seems to me that the wool serves more as a supporting player. This stuff is smooth, affordable luxury and is available in both solid and variegated colors.

I didn't even know about Silky Merino until I stumbled across it while checking out Manos' silk blends in a nearly identical weight and yardage. I know both companies have their proponents. Anyone who has touched either or both care to weigh in?

The Herd Instinct

I don't know what possessed me. I must've gotten caught up in the enthusiastic swells surrounding the desire to knit a sweater along with other Ravelry Loopy Groupies. The easy part of the deal was the choice of yarn: Dream In Color. I selected "Nightwatch" in the worsted weight, Classy. For some reason, the yarn photographed several shades lighter than it actually is. My camera is being futzy on auto, I suppose.

Ah, but which sweater to knit? Originally, there was to be a list and then a vote selecting the sweaters to choose from. But that was too much pressure, considering that group members taste and needs vary as widely as the Grand Canyon. Besides, there are literally hundreds of patterns in the Ravelry library alone, making the winnowing process nearly impossible.

So far, it looks like I'm the only one knitting Laura Chau's Lucy In The Sky cardigan. It's basically knit in one piece, with a simple diamond patterned body that won't fight with the light variegation that Dream In Color is known for. The sweater fits close to the body and is sized up to a 50" bust. I looked through the various versions of the cardigan on Ravelry and it seems to work on a variety of body types - including those on the fluffier side like me.

In the end, the sensible ties that bind us in this KAL are the yarn and the June completion date. What do we get for our trouble? At the very least, a new sweater and, quite possibly, a whole bunch of Loopy Ewe loot should we win the randomly selected grand prize. Keep those hooves crossed for me. Baa.

Thirty Stitches

Blue Sky Alpacas' Organic Cotton (l-r: Bone, Espresso, Willow, Sage)

Thirty stitches. That's how many I cast onto my size 9 (US) straights. Thirty stitches. If you do the math, that means I've got quite a few possibilities for texture and pattern blocks to make up my scrummy organic cotton throw. So far, I've combined 5 (bone), 6 (willow and sage) and 15 (espresso) stitch patterns. Believe it or not, I've got my eye on a 30 stitch leaf motif that should be quite striking.

Originally, my plan was to create four squares since I settled on four colors of yarn, which is, by the way, some of the most deliciously soft, plump cotton I've ever tried. You may have read about it like I did at Knit and Tonic. Wendy showed a basket full of the sportweight version of this yarn, whereas I opted for the plumper worsted weight. I kid you not. This is the softest, most pet-worthy cotton yarn I've ever touched. No "rough and ready" business here.

Ah, but I digress. I was at "four squares, four colors." As I looked through various stitch dictionaries, I realized just how foolish I was to limit myself - especially after doodling with a few different stitch-number scenarios and hitting on 30 as "just right!" I've picked out eight patterns and will assign each color one of two options. That should provide enough textural diversity and, along with the approximately 1200 yards of yarn, quite a patchwork of 16" x 8" strips: soft enough and varied enough to make for an interesting knit.

A Change In The Weather

I looked out my window and got the shock of my life. I saw near white-out conditions, with winds whipping gusts of up to 50 miles per hour. All this instead of a little rain. That's all it was earlier. Rain and 50 degrees (F). The last time the winter winds went haywire, my 9-foot patio umbrella snapped in half and the outdoor furniture started moving down toward the back gate. Good thing I still have cozy knits on my mind.

The start of a top-down raglan cardigan in Noro Silk Garden, color 224 (disc.)

Organic cottons from Blue Sky Alpacas, destined to be a textured knit throw

In the quick update department, I've got one Monkey done and I've started on number two. A new yarn, Fiesta Boomerang in the color "Sedona", is all wound up and waiting to be knit into Lisa Dykstra's "Sedona" socks. I thought the synchronicity was too perfect to pass up.

In Other News
Some of you know the details of my spinal fusion and how I tried to wait until artificial discs were available. Reading this New York Times article makes me glad I didn't. The article implies that some of the glowing reports of success may have been tainted by surgeons with a financial interest in the devices. In addition, research results may have been cherry-picked so that failures were under-represented.

My replacement discs came from bone harvested from my hip. It still hurts on occasion, but at least I didn't risk rejection or rupture of synthetic materials in my spine. Thank goodness for small favors?

A New Leaf

It's OK that things sometimes spin out of control, as long as you can find the way forward at some point. I've picked myself up. I got back on the horse that threw me. Now I ask you, how many mixed metaphors does it take to make a point? I've turned over a new leaf this week.

Your adorable little boy will be turning 3 years old and you invite neighbors and friends to celebrate. What would you expect one of those crafty neighbors to do, now that the chill is on hereabouts? Knit a hoodie, of course, based on a free Lion Brand pattern (registration required). I've converted it to knitting in the round, though. Methinks Rocky would like a piece of the Fearless Fibers worsted weight wool and mohair in "Stormy Night". Naughty boy!

If you were in Chicago this past weekend, you may have had the opportunity to stop by YarnCon, our first-ever local indie dyers, spinners and crafters convention. I finally got the chance to see my friend Lisa Mendez's hand spun and dyed yarns in the wild. Naturally, one or two came home with me, and I just couldn't resist the urge to turn this artfully painted green-to-deepest chocolate brown merino goodness into something equally full of texture.

That is why "before"

is fast becoming "after."

Lisa's vision was that this yarn resemble the color and texture of tree bark. I think she knocked it out of the park!

----

Speaking of handpainted goodies, bellamoden is having a sale, today only! Rebecca is one of the new dyers for The Loopy Ewe, so get her yarn while you can at this price.

Entanglements

My original plan for today was to show you just how much sock I was able to twist up in 24 hours with my brand-spanking new yarn, the lovely sportweight Chewy Spaghetti in "Cheeky."

I was cruising along on one of the "Sensational Knitted Socks" chevron patterns late last night when I hit a wall of tired around 1 a.m. That's when I started to make mistakes in the 2-round pattern; the kind of mistakes that mean you first try the restrained un-knit, then you pull out a row or two in frustration. After doing this twice into the wee hours, I decided the sock and I would be best off put to bed. There was still much love for the emerging footwear goodness.

Once I awake from a foggy, fitful sleep and get a little caffeine going through my veins, it is once again time to tackle the sock with a positive attitude and renewed vigor. After knitting and un-knitting and laddering down and ripping back at least four times, my positive attitude dissolved like sugar in the rain. Oh, yes. Girlfriend snapped and that sock became tangled, angry string in no time flat!

Before, in a fit of frogging rage:


After I regained control of the knotty problem (and myself):

I don't blame the pretty yarn but I do think it wise to declare no socks for me - at least not today. I think I should back away from the Addis and call a truce with this particular effort. Does anyone else ever have one of those days where things just get all tangled up?

The Knitting Wasteland

There is the faint, haunting whistle of dust and emptiness; the antiseptic sweet aroma of mothballs and cedar. Mohair fluff mixed with cat fur form giant fiber tumbleweeds that huddle in quiet corners. Sad projects, begun with such promise, litter the landscape in various states of undone-ness. This is the knitting wasteland and it is not a pretty place.

I manage to knit a few rows here and there before my right shoulder resident, Madame SLAP tear, bites back. A baby sock. An accidental toddler sock that was supposed to be a baby sock (I had Addi gauge issues). An emerging second sleeve for Fantine. A promising start on the Honeybee Stole slumps to last place on the WIP parade. Too bad there's nothing consistently working. I've got plans and yarn, baby!

This charcoal Cascade 128 for Juliet:


Two sportweight skeins of Claudia's Handpainted in Peppermint Mocha acquired from The Loopy Ewe for a buttoned neckwarmer I have in mind:

Two flavors of Malabrigo (Loro Barranquero and Burgundy) with nothing in mind beyond some heavy petting. Come to momma, precious...


In the other news this week, my copy of Rowan NewShapes arrived. How you wound me, my beloved cover girl, Anise, for I cannot begin to begin you in either capability or good conscience.

Naturally, all these schemes are on hold - only to be played out in my rich knitting fantasies, where shoulders don't scream, fingers do not tire and the yarn (oh, the yarn) is soft, plentiful and wonderfully organized. A girls gotta dream.

A Falling Out

autumnal Tones

green Slips into brown.
yellows, reds? they Rust away -
transmutation Time.


ShibuiKnits "Autumn" (top, bottom) "Honey" (middle)

I think shibui, or Japanese for "elegant with a touch of bitterness" perfectly describes the harbinger of change that is the first day of the Fall season.

From Bavaria, With Love

Hallo meine Freunde! Today it's all about the contents of my Luftpost package - specifically, two newly arrived Bavarian beauties from Wollmeise.

Naturally the 4-ply superwash wool is soft, but that is not what makes Wollmeise so special. Each 380 yd. (350 m) skein is available in nearly 40 different shades. Consider too that you can vary the intensity of that color (bright, medium or dark) and you've got hundreds of customizable possibilities. Toss in Wollmeise owner and dyer Claudia's one-on-one customer service and you've got a winning proposition.

(L) Campari-Orange       (R) Poison Nr. 5

At 13 Euro each plus 8 Euro shipping for 1 - 2 skeins, these unique hand-dyed yarns are worthy additions to your collection.

Is your German a bit rusty? Click on the link near the bottom, right labeled 'englisch'. Once you've decided on which color and type of yarn you want (they offer sock, worsted and baby aka lace weight), click 'contact' to send Claudia an email with your request.

By the way, a selection of Wollmeise yarns will soon be available in North America through The Loopy Ewe if you don't want to navigate the Wollmeise website.

In knitting news, I stuck a pin in the map and have set a goal of finishing mates for 2 single socks over the next couple of weeks. After that, Forest Canopy bobs back up to the top. This time, I made note of the last pattern row so as not to repeat The Dance of the Stitches once I resume.

Desperately Seeking Yarn

I was inspired by two things: my just-purchased (and suddenly misplaced) STR Silkie and Julie's honest assessment of yarn lust run amok.

I was absolutely frantic. I searched three closets, a half-dozen plastic bins and miscellaneous bags and boxes, yet I could not find two bleeping skeins of yarn. As I searched over and over again, it really hit home just how much yarn I'd amassed in 3 years.

Shame washed over me. How could I continue to automatically respond to the "S" word (sale!) now that my circumstances had changed? I felt like a glutton who'd stayed at the buffet too long, with pants unzipped to make room for the burgeoning belly. And yet, I still did not find the yarn. In light of this realization, I decided that it was time to lighten my load so I went on a search of a different kind – a search for a local group that would be willing to accept yarn donations.

This time, I did more than a cursory look-see. All bins, luggage, bags and hat boxes were opened and the large plastic bags began to fill one by one with Red Heart, Lion Brand, Rowan, Debbie Bliss, Jaeger, KnitPicks and Malabrigo. (ETA) No, not all the Malabrigo.

I felt as though I'd shed a second skin (and cleared out one of the three closets in the process). I also took the opportunity to organize the remaining yarn. Though still a substantial amount, at least I am able to more quickly locate that which I seek.

By the way, I did eventually find the Silkie.

Karen, Karen, have you any wool?
Yes ma'am, yes ma'am. Five bags full.

It's A Good Day!

Oh! It's a good day, for singin' a song,
An' it's a good day for movin' along,
Yes, it's a good day, how could anything go wrong?
A good day from mornin' 'till night! - Perry Como

By all accounts, it was a most excellent Friday. Not only was the weather cooperatively ideal (sunny, a tad cool), but my friend Stylish Girl took me to lunch (surprise!) at a beautiful South Loop restaurant, Zapatista. I wished I'd had my camera; the food was good to look at and even better past the lips onto the tongue. Yum!

Next, we stopped in to see a mutual friend - a friend who happens to own a yarn store. Like a moth to a flame, I tell you what!

(Claudia Hand Painted Yarn: John B. (l, r) and Woodland Moss)

After a much-needed nap, I headed downtown for Looptopia, Chicago's all-night arts, dance and theater cultural extravaganza. People, people everywhere! So many in fact that it looked like they'd been brought in by the bus load, clogging foot and automobile traffic and making it nigh impossible to avoid bumping into someone. Sadly, it seemed I was the only one within earshot whose manners ("Excuse me, pardon me") got any kind of workout.

With all those people, it was a miracle that I found Franklin, Michelle, Dana and Jonathan in the mass of folks who stopped in either for a quick knitting lesson or to add their own touches to the group knitting art piece set up in the center of the Garland Room at the Chicago Cultural Center:

(Windy City Knitting Guild's Interactive Knitting Project)

(Franklin shows off the his christening shawl, in progress.)

By the time I got home shortly after midnight, I was exhausted and achy but it was worth it!

Yes, it's a good day from mornin' 'till night!

Choice Cuts!

No clever dialog or confusing choices; just a little frequency distribution of the reader-supplied data with a soupçon of personal bias.

The winners are "Moss" from Yarn All Over and Socks That Rock "Star Sapphire" from Blue Moon Fiber Arts.

"Moss" will become Mona and "Star Sapphire" will become Monkey Socks. Yes, a cheeky blue monkey.

Thanks for putting up with the dizzying array of choices and color groups. I'm installing poll software so that I'll not have to put you through that again.

Now, I better rest the shoulder if there's to be knitting any time soon. Later.

Notes From Stashland

This little sock monkey has been busy trying to pull the right yarn out of the stock on hand for my Sockapalooza pal. Since I sometimes dwell in the land of indecision, I'm counting on you to help out with that choice. Even if you can't decide on a specific yarn, at least point me in a color family direction. As for patterns, I've decided it will be one of two choices - both of which are from the talented Cookie A.: Monkey (Knitty, Winter 2006) or Mona Socks. On to the hard part: pick a yarn, any yarn!

The Blue Group:

The Red Group:The Green Group:

I've seen Monkey work equally well with both handpainted and solid yarns. However, I'm not sure the curves and eyelets of Mona will fare as well with the less subtlety variegated colorways. As always, I appreciate your input and advice.

Happiness Is...

Beautiful friends, tasty grub and fine yarn.

I broke my Monday routine and did not go to physical therapy, choosing instead to meet up with three knitting buds and one knitting bud mum. Tehemina (KnitDDS) picked me up around lunchtime and we headed to that mecca of Indian goodness in Chicago, Devon Avenue.

On the weekends, Devon is a driver's nightmare, with clogged traffic, jaywalkers and signals-optional motorists aplenty. Midday Monday? Another story altogether and frankly the best time to shop for a sari, pick up some dal (lentils), or just soak in the scented atmosphere of this multi-ethnic 'hood. Today, we were here for the food.

After a brief wait, we were joined by Alyssa (Knit Mongrel), Suni (Knit Masala) and T's mom (a machine knitter sans blog). T is 6 weeks away from giving birth to her first child, so I tried to come up with a fitting gift for a knitting mother-to-be.

I call it "Blanket Seeds": eight balls of RYC Cashsoft and a quilt-like center starter blanket. You might recognize the 6 panels of the blanket as the swatches I did for the Walker Treasury Project (Moss Stitch Rib, Waterfall, Flying Wings, Traveling Rib, Puff Mock Cable).

I single crocheted each swatch in Claudia Handpaint's "Blue Terracotta", then whip stitched each together with the blue Cashsoft. Lastly, I added a puff stitch border to the entire piece.

This 6-sectioned center panel is large enough to be used as a car seat cover initially, with the plan for knitting Mom to add to it as the baby grows.

After inhaling some dee-lish southern Indian food, Alyssa, Suni and I head into the danger zone, also known as a local yarn store.

Behold stitchers in their natural habitat. See the excitement on their faces as they cuddle up to their fibery kill.



And what did I buy? Three skeins of custom dyed Louet Gems (in "Browns") right off of the display for their new DIY dye kit. I saw the yarn, went looking for it elsewhere in the store and was told that it was one-of-a-kind.

"Will you sell it to me?"

Oh yes, my friends. It was a good day.

I So Need To Knit Something Green.

A light exists in spring
Not present on the year
At any other period
When March is scarcely here.

A color stands abroad
On solitary hills
That silence cannot overtake,
But human nature feels.

It waits upon the lawn;
It shows the furthest tree
Upon the furthest slope we know;
It almost speaks to me.

(Excerpt from "85" by Emily Dickinson)

I'm trying to be so very good and faithful to the other projects that, at this point, seem to be malingering on the WIP pile. No one to blame save myself of course. There's no denying it though. With the temperature rising and storm season brewing and the grass hinting at its former glory, I most definitely need to knit something green.

I'm thinking it may be time to revisit Mia (PDF) , knit up this time in Dream In Color's "Happy Forest". It would be the perfect complement to my new green and brown silk chiffon dress with the empire waist and tiny green bugle beads.

Ah, Spring!

Shine On, Cider Moon

Two friends drawn together by their love of fiber and color, Gail Alsdorf and Jacki Vance-Kuss founded Ohio-based Cider Moon in 2005, quickly expanding from their fabric lines into hand-dyed roving and yarns — even chainmail jewelry.

Their yarns have names like Adagio, Champagne, Icicle, Haiku and Whisper, with each representing a particular weight, style and blend. For instance, Adagio is a bulky mohair boucle that knits up on size 13 US needles. In contrast, Haiku is a soft, lovely silk merino destined for use by size 1 US needles. And what do I have above? These are 4 skeins of Glacier, 100% Extrafine DK weight merino, cheek-soft and oh, so squishy:

A. Habanero
B. Prickly Pear
C. June Carter
D. Sweet Potato Pie

Heads up, all you Loopy Groupies: a selection of Cider Moon yarns will also be available through The Loopy Ewe. Way to go, Ohio!

Socks That Mock

I was just about to pick up where I left off with these troublesome socks when I looked down and saw it: this sock was unmistakably smiling. Not a happy, welcoming smile so much as a curled-lip, mocking grin. OK, I'll leave the anthropomorphizing be, but I do see something amiss in the gaping pre-gusset maw.

Here's the backstory: I started this sock last week in Teyani's yummy Sock Hop yarn (Wild Thing) as an antidote to the gray, sub-zero weather. I'm not following any particular pattern. Just a 64 stitch cast on with K3, P1 ribbing into a stockinette leg. I was at the point of the heel where things came twice undone.

Since this is a "knit as you go" kind of thing, I decided to try my hand at a short row heel once again. I was successful back in October and I had plenty of books and online guidance to make it work once again, or so I thought. First try: wrapped short rows left gaping holes which I tried to ignore and couldn't. Second try: yarn-over short rows which looked equally bad and left me feeling completely incompetent.

Look, the purpose of knitting isn't to leave you feeling defeated (unless you're into that sort of thing). I just wanted to have a go at knitting a sock for colorful warmth and comfort. That's why I resorted to what I know best, and that is the heel flap and gusset construction. Not very exciting but at least I won't be saddled with holey, mocking footwear.

Ruby Tuesday

"Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still I'm gonna miss you."

- The Rolling Stones, 1967
(see video via YouTube)







Rowan wool cotton, Rich

Blue Monday

- Lisa Souza, Periwinkle -

'Blue Monday' by Fats Domino

Blue Monday how I hate Blue Monday
Got to work like a slave all day
Here come Tuesday, oh hard Tuesday
I'm so tired got no time to play

Here come Wednesday, I'm beat to my socks
My gal calls, got to tell her that I'm out
'Cause Thursday is a hard workin' day
And Friday I get my pay

Saturday mornin', oh Saturday mornin'
All my tiredness has gone away
Got my money and my honey
And I'm out on the stand to play

Sunday mornin' my head is bad
But it's worth it for the time that I had
But I've got to get my rest
'Cause Monday is a mess

Chocolate Sunday

- Fearless Fibers, Sublime -

"Of the many stories about the invention of the sundae, one frequent theme is the sinfulness of the ice cream soda and the need to produce a substitute for the popular treat for consumption on Sunday." (Sundae - Wikipedia)

I propose we substitute yarn. It's luscious to behold and completely calorie-free.

The Thrill of Discovery

Today began as any other: feed the boys, put on a pot of coffee, fix some maple and brown sugar oatmeal, pour some juice to gulp down the morning meds. I had no expectation that I would find something delightfully soft, colorful and home grown.

Despite instructions to the contrary, I took a walk along the patchy snow-littered streets. Alone and unaided by steadying hands, I made my way to a brand new yarn store whose existence I'd just learned of this morning. It turns out that I am acquainted with the woman who owns this sweet shop mere minutes away from my home. Nice corner space, tastefully decorated with a selection of the usual high-end suspects: Noro, Debbie Bliss, Claudia Handpaint, Blue Heron.

What pleased me the most was the unexpected handpainted yarn from a Chicago-area company called Dream In Color. I left the store with 3 skeins of their yarn: 2 100% Australian merino worsted weight skeins of Lipstick Lava (# 270) and 1 very generous skein of merino sock yarn in the Wisterious (#240) colorway.

I couldn't wait to get my needles into it. As soon as I got home, I got my swatch on with the worsted (yes, I know my cable is crossed the wrong way, but I don't care):

Subtle color blending of the reds, orange, deep pink and the occasional dot of purple. Nice twist with no splitting of the yarn. Good stitch definition. Big bonus? I found none of the splotching, pooling or striping that can sometimes be problematic with handpainted yarn. This is bad because I need more yarn like...well, you know.

My recommendation? Get your hands on some at your LYS. You won't regret it.

Green Chic

I do love my greens - both the kind you eat and the kind you knit with. In the spirit of the Green Sock KAL, I decided to do a little more stash spelunking in search of said sock yarn greens. The results?

* A deep forest blue-tinged green from Fearless Fibers
* A melange of sprightly green moss from Yarn All Over
* Louet Gems Willow (Fern's brighter cousin)

Since I've got 2 skeins of the Yarn All Over, I'm really thinking of knitting up my first pair of knee socks. Any suggestions on a pattern suitable for stout calves? I know I'm in for some shaping madness, but beyond that, I'm open.

Now the "Chic" part of today's entry comes direct from Bonne Marie's ChicKnits catalog. ChicKnits now offers hard copy versions of some of her most popular patterns. Now, the one I chose is a new take on an old fave: The Ribby Pulli.

Bonne Marie worked with Scout to develop some custom colorways for the model sweater. Beautiful, but too spendy for me as I'm fairly dedicated to shopping in my home-based yarn store. I found 5 skeins of Lorna's Laces worsted in the Ice House colorway and paired it with Web's house brand Valley Yarns Amherst for the swatch you see here.

I'm going to do the long-sleeve version, though the pattern includes short-sleeve and hoodie versions as well. Love the blues and greens of my new-found yarns. Even knitting up the swatch made me happy in the dead of winter!

Alert The Media!

For all of you Cotton-Ease afficionados (and for those who are NOT on a yarn diet), Lion Brand just announced the return of your favorite yarn!

It's cheaper than some of the high-end substitutes (Rowan, for instance) and more substantial than a similar TLC cotton / poly blend. There are some mighty fine new colors, too.

Be the arbiter of your own yarn-buying conscience. My enabling work here is done.

(And no. I don't work for Lion Brand.)

Paean to Pain

Mad about knitting,

But pain's return gives me pause.

All projects? Full stop!


The lovely yarn taunts,

The hanks, heavy with promise

Of gifts left unmade.





Lisa Souza Merino Sock, Mountain Colors Bearfoot)