Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Etsy

I would like to flog the person who introduced me to this evil thing called Etsy. An addicting website for handmade goods, it is....
Over the weekend this came in the mail:



I got these zippered pouches from Piddle Loop



This adorable Piddly bag is one of Piddle Loop's newest creations. There is enough space for a small project, such as socks, mittens, etc.



These ingenious Mah-jong stitch markers are made by Yarn Lust. I am having a tough time deciding which one of my WIPs I will adorn with these beauties.

Speaking of WIPs, I am working on this bad boy's other half.



This is the imfamous Yarn Pirate's Cranberry Ice
in Cedarbrook Socks by Wildhorse Farm Designs. The pattern and yarn are Loopy Ewe Sock Club's latest delivery. And speaking of sock clubs, I am anxiously awaiting my Yarn Pirate Booty Club delivery....

Thursday, December 13, 2007

I'm back!

Wow. It has been about 6 months since I last posted. Yep, life happens and takes its toll in many ways (not all fun and exciting). All is good now.

Of course, I am known for my bazillion WIPs. So, today I will share a FO that was so quick and easy to complete that I am actually contemplating making more!



This is Hannah used with the handpainted version of Misti Alpaca Chunky. Houston has finally received a splash of cold weather (yep, it was in the 50s when I went for a run this morning). I tested this bad boy out this morning. I must say, it stayed on firmly on my head and was rather warm. It really is a great hat for those of us with long hair. I had some yarn left and I despise the mere thought of wasting good yarn. So, I started this scarf.


The scarf is a simple garter stitch on size 19s. I plan making it extra long so that it can be wrapped multiple times. So, off I go for one more skein to finish. I really do like the way this handpainted chunky yarn knits up!

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Baseball, beer, and knitting!

What can I say? I had a spectacular birthday this year in St. Louis. It all began with an afternoon of Stitch N' Pitch. The Cardinals played the San Diego Padres and WON 10-5 (what the Cardinals will do for a birthday)! Because there was SO much going on, I decided to take something mindless to knit: my Jaywalker.



St. Louis is a great city to visit. There is are many things to enjoy (baseball, live music, museums, etc) that will not break your bank account. The main reason I adore visiting St. Louis is the friendly people. I walked into the stadium Monday afternoon not knowing a soul (my friend Greg did not arrive until the 5th inning) As I sat down, I was mingling about with everyone around me! After the 6th inning, I noticed a lady working on a lace project. Lo and behold, Anna was working on Mystery Stole 3! Now, that's talent!




I was pooped by the end of the game. So, I called it a night (of course, after having dinner and drinks at a Bosnian restaurant on Taft).

The next morning, I made the pilgrimage to Sheri's Loopy Ewe. I could barely contain my excitement once I set foot in her basement...Needless to say, after about an hour (or so) of touching everything several times, I was able to pick a few items. No, I do not feel guilty in the least. I thoroughly enjoyed the stash enhancing event!
Thanks Sheri!


After suppressing my poor buddy, Greg to my yarn shopping experience, I figured the least I could do was pay homage to another one of my favorites: Shlafly Bottleworks! I fancy two beers in this world and only one of which is the US. We had lunch and spent the afternoon enjoying the lovely aroma of hops.


I am back home, anxiously trying to complete clue 5 of the Mystery Stole 3. Last week the theme was announced: Swan Lake! It will have a wing on the other enf of it. Once I complete clue 5, I will be sure to post its photo!

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Oh Mister Postman....

I woke up this morning to that L-O-V-E-L-Y knock on my front door. Lo and behold this is what awaited, my first package from the Yarn Pirate's Booty Club!!



I forced myself to drink my espresso prior to opening the contents. Needless to say, my throat is still a tad sore from the gulping... This is a Booty Club exclusive in a fingering weight superwash merino called Rum Runner. Not only is the sock yarn fabulous, Georgia was generous enough to include a limited edition soap(which smells so good I don't want to use it!) made by the Good Soapworks of Athens and an adorable Yarn Pirate button. Hum...Now the problem of what to make with the Rum Runner...

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

MS3



I picked up a bit of overtime this past week. Therefore, I fell behind on my knitting. Clue 3 for MS3 was completed this afternoon. I still haven't a clue as to what the theme is. Maybe after Clue 4 (this Friday) is given....

Friday, July 6, 2007

Ravelry




I got an invitation to join Ravelry! YAY!! Finally, I have some way of holding myself accountable for my yarn stash, projects, etc. My user name is willltravel4yarn (for those already on Ravelry). I figure my first project will be to photograph and document this beautiful mess of my sock yarn stash. The rest of the stash...well... before I photograph, I will be compelled to organize the spare bedroom (a.k.a. the yarn room). Ravelry is great...Not only can you organize your stash, projects, knitting/crochet books, etc, you can also check out the stash/projects/etc of friends! Unfortunately, it is still under the beta testing and the only way to get in (as of yet) is by invitation. Off to start taking photos of my stuff...

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Clue 1 finally finished!




I joined the Mystery Stole 3 group a couple of weeks ago. The group was started by the infamous Melanie, the same designer of the beautiful Hanami, and Mystery Stole 1 and 2. Every Friday, she submits a file of rows for the stole (with an unknown theme). At around mid-August, the stole should be complete, and the stole's theme will be obvious.

Other than socks, this is my first attempt at a larger project of lace. After 4 times of painful ripping, I finally have got the hang of it. I have learned that working lace and tv, working lace with the boyfriend telling you about his crappy day at work, working lace without power, or working lace with wine are combinations of disaster to distract one from accomplishing 100 rows of lace. So, I knit when the boyfriend is NOT around, during the day, AFTER my first espresso, and with my lovely chart keeper.

The suggested colors for this stole are black or white. Since, I already have a black stole and don't care for anything in all white, I chose a dark purple. I am using 2 skeins of Zephyr in plum. I must say these addi turbo lace needles are GREAT for knitting lace. Yes, they ARE worth all the hype. They are pointy and slick enough to make knitting lace rather enoyable! I am using a size 4 of these needles and about 300 of purpe opal-like size 8 bead. It is not apparent from the photo that there are beads incorporated.

Now that clue one has been finished, I am off to finish the sock I started last week...

Friday, June 29, 2007

Blog bandwagon






So, I have finally decided to start one of these. I haven't quite finished playing around with all the settings yet, so please accept my apologies. Content of this blog will cover knitting and my travels. I still have a few things to play with before it looks pretty. So, I leave you with this sock. I started the baudelaire last week using interlacements tiny toes in taiga. These are my second pair of toe up socks. I am loving toe-ups mainly because of its try on feature (no broken or bent DPNs here)!