Earthquakes and snow don't get me down!

Earthquake rocks Athens
All co-workers are safe and accounted for in Athens, Greece (ATH) after a 6.7 magnitude earthquake lasting 15 seconds struck the area around noon today. BBC News reported no apparent casualties or damage (an excerpt from my companies' daily news update)

Yes, apparently this earthquake happened while I was on a plane from London to Athens. Actually, I did not find out about the earthquake until I got home and was skimming through my company emails..





It also turns out that the last time it snowed in Athens was FOUR years ago. Yes, FOUR years ago...Two days after I arrived, it snowed and snowed... Mind you, I came prepared for cold weather but definitely not snow and ice. Trust me, the snow and ice did not stop me from running around Athens at all (my black and purple bum will attest to that)!







This is Greece telling me to come back in the fall. ALL of the sites of ruins were closed due to snow and ice.


As close as I got to the Acropolis...




I did indeed run across SEVERAL yarn stores. I was a bit disappointed at first because all I kept finding was Italian yarn. I adore Italian yarn, but I was procuring Greek yarn. Finally, after the 5th attempt, I found Greek yarn...




Delfino is a brand of cotton and wool. Unfortunately, I will not be keeping any of these new acquistions...Yes, they are soon to be gifted...






The owners of these 2 stores were SO kind and helpful. For anyone with plans for Greece, I will be MORE than happy to give you the addresses for these two lovely yarn stores.


I did not get a lot of knitting done on this trip...It turns out knitting needles (addis, knit picks, any metal needles) are prohibited in your carry on luggage out of the UK, Greece, and Belgium.




Here is the Pee-Pee Boy, also known as the Mannekin Pis in Brussels. I was hoping that he would be dressed up in a costume but it was not a holiday.

Yes, Belgium...Let's talk about Brussels....I simply adored Brussels and plan to run back the next chance I get. The cafes, beer, chocolate, mussels, and ABUNDANCE of yarn stores, oh my....
And really, I had plans to go to Germany after Greece but the flights were SUPER full.

Off to catch up on my MANY UFOs..

Greece, here I come!

Going to Peru just didn't work out due to a few flight cancellations (volcano ash, etc in Ecuador affecting stuff). So, I decided to hang out at home instead and shop! Yep, that's because I just NEED more yarn...Recent aquisitions:




From top left clockwise: Yarntini in Refresh (from the Loopy Ewe sock club), Online Supersocke in 999 (from Twisted Yarns), Yarn Pirate in I Want Candy (the latest Booty Club arrival), hand dyed by Amy in Teal, Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Monet (also from Twisted Yarns), and Malabrigo Worsted Merino in Jacinto (from Twisted Yarns).

Twisted Yarns was having an aniversary sale, so Susan, Jenny, Amy and I took a field trip to Spring, TX. It was such a lovely day with lunch in Old Town Spring, yarn stash enhancement, and knitting at Jenny's.

I promised myself that I would NOT cast on another project until I finished something. Well, with all this time on my hands (I'm on vacation from work), I finished :




Yarn: Yarn Pirate in Patience
Started: December 2007
Finished: Yesterday
Needles: 1s




Foliage from Knitty
Yarn: Worsted Malabrigo in Sealing Wax
Started: February 6, 2008
Finished: February 10, 2008
Needles: 7s and 5s

I am still plugging away at my RPM :




His mate will be started tonight..maybe.


Tomorrow I will be on a plane headed to Athens, Greece. With a country full of sheep and goats, I am sure to return will all SORTS of yarn-y goodies! Off to pack socks and stuff..

Instant gratification

After MANY frustrating sessions of starting and ripping out my plain old sock in Killer Bees, I went ahead and ripped it out and stuffed it a drawer for some time out. No matter WHAT I did with it, the stupid sock STILL pooled!!

In order to appease my need for instant gratification...i.e. an actual FINISHED object or two, I decided hats would be a nice treat.




The Unoriginal hat
by Yarn Harlot was made with one skein of Rowan Big Wool in 25 on 11s. This was a quick, QUICK knit.



Greta by Ysolda was made with 2 skeins of Noro Cash Iroha on size 5s for the ribbing and 7s for the remainder. I actually had to pay attention to what I was doing while knitting this (i.e. NOT a mindless knitting project) but also quick to knit up. After making this cute hat/beret, I feel compelled to make more things with the Noro Cash Iroha, which is so, so soft.


I had purchased a skein of Noro's Kureyon sock yarn about a month ago and was not crazy about it. I really tried to like it. I couldn't get past the hard texture and the colorway I had chosen. So, I gave it away. Well, since then I had read up on it, broke down and bought another skein.. Yes, I am very glad I gave it another try. I got over the hard texture. Once it is knit up, it does indeed soften significantly. I started RPMs today and have not been able to put this down...Yes, the anticipation of what color will come up next is GREAT!





I am so in love with the purples and greens and the RPM shows off the beauty of these colors together. I'm so glad I came around...




This is the latest Booty Club arrival. Kalamata is a superwash merino that is begging to be transformed into Nutkin by Knitzi. However, I promised myself that I would not cast on anything else until I finished the projects currently on the needles...

Up and running

I finally got my passport renewed. Hooray!! The traveling itch can once again be scratched... Now, I won't go into drama that transpired in the passport office. However, rest assured, I have BOTH my new passport (with my name spelled correctly, ahem) and my expired passport (with my VALID visas intact, another ahem).


It looks like the itinerary in the next couple of weeks is calling for a trip to South America. A bit of sun and relaxation in Colombia and some yarn fondling in Peru. I can hardly wait!!

So, I have been starting and ripping out and starting and ripping out a new sock in Yarn Pirate's Killer Bees (another Booty club exclusive) to get the sock to stripe and not pool so much. Wow, what a headache.
This is what I have come up with for now:



Now, I am not completely ecstatic with the striping but I don't exactly hate it either. I have not decided or not if I like the somewhat diagonal stripe. I'm using 2.5s. I have increased and decreased the number of stitches cast on. As I have tried different sized needles. Anyway, I'll keep on trucking with what I have for now until I hit the heel.

Oh, the lovely purple bag dressing up my new WIP is made by JapaneseHandmadeEtc. I simply adore smaller bags for the portable projects. One day I will learn to sew...

And for today's sock stash enhancement segment:







Crystal Palace Yarns in Merino 5 acquired from Loopy Ewe.



Perchance to Knit in Irises also acquired from Loopy Ewe. This little pretty came with an adorable stitch marker matching the Irises colorway. How smart!

Done!

I finished these Cedarbrook Socks Tuesday. They were worked on 0s and with Yarn Pirate's Cranberry Ice. Here is a upclose shot of the details.






The pattern and yarn were both included in last month's Loopy Ewe
sock club installment. This year, packages will be sent every OTHER month! I'm ecstatic!

In today's episode of As the Stash Grows...

From Top counterclockwise: ShibuiKnits in Marine, Yarn Pirate in Hawthorne, Yarn Pirate in Icicle, Yarn Pirate in Rebel, Yarn Pirate in Moon Beam and Duet Sock Yarns in St. Valentine.

Santa was REALLY good to me this year. Thanks Santa! I haven't decided what to do with all of these lovelies as of yet....socks, fingerless mitts,... If only there were more hours in the day!

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....