It's knitting season.

Finished madelinetosh's Honey cowl a few days ago, but I can't decide if I like the drape of it enough to keep 3 skeins of yarn tied up in it.



It is super warm, but very bulky and I think I would only wear it doubled like in the photo. I would like to knit another cowl in a solid or semi-solid bulky as well. I'm a little over triangle-shaped shawls for the moment, but I have an infinite amount of lace.

On our way to Dillon today, which means I'd like to have a new project started, but unsure of what to bring. Work has also slowed down enough at this point that I'm getting in quite a few hours of knitting every day/night, so I need something to consume those hours.

Mostly, I need shelves so that I can organize my yarn well enough that I'll be inspired to use it. Love the diamond shelves at INUA Wool Shoppe - might have to take up a minor construction project. Oh the sanding though!

Stash Organization

I just keep buying more yarn! This needs to stop. My plan for today was to run into town and exchange a skein of Noro Silk Garden at Stix, my local yarn shop. I started making a Ten Stitch Blanket two days ago, but the colorway I chose was a little too bright jewel-toney for me to knit an entire blanket of.

I cancelled that plan, however, because lately I am unable to walk into that store without splurging on yarn for which I have no project. This means that I have two skeins of madelinetosh sock, two Shibui sock, infinite amounts of Malabrigo lace, as well as Artyarns Cashmere 1 and 4 untouched skeins of Malabrigo worsted.

Today I went through my pile o' yarn next to DH's leatherworking desk and tried to bag things by brand and weight. I found a half skein of bison yarn, and 2 1/2 skeins of qiviuq. Hundreds of dollars of yarn, which are sitting there, waiting. Why can't I just give it away?

I have so many skeins of unplied worsted, I need a fulled project. I have been planning on knitting a horse blanket, but was unwilling to spend hundreds on the 1500+ yards of wool I needed. Looks like I may not need to.

Perhaps I need to look up a stash swap group on Ravelry. I might be too picky for that though. I just wish Lidped was here to help me make decisions on knitting.

Stranded!

The title of this entry seems to impart a lot right now.

Strand is the German word for "beach," and in the past week, I've been beached quite a few time. It was so nice to go visit the ladies in Missoula, then have them come down here to visit. We did a lot of sunbathing, dancing, quatching and imbibing, so I figure between mental and physical health I should break about even. The girls left this morning, but I'm hoping to see them and the Missoulian soon.

However, they did manage to get me stuck at my house. I attempted to start the car to go into town this morning, but the thing wouldn't turn over. Low and behold, the dome light was on, and so I am stranded.

I decided to work on what I can from home. Luckily, my favorite wedding blog and dress-shopping center, Once Wed provides useful distraction. I can't lie though, I'm getting a little fed up with this wedding stuff. The dresses are ridiculously expensive, then I saw an inner tag from a dressmaker I had been jonesing after, Monique Lhuillier, and 40% of the dress was nylon! Thousands of dollars for nylon. Call me a fiber snob, but that crap is bogus.

The wedding venue is another source of frustration in that the place upon which my heart was set refuses to have us, and my second choice for a reception venue hasn't gotten back to me.

It will all just come together, right?

I'm also in the middle of knitting an Amber Vest for Knit/Purl, unfortunately the pattern is not incredibly detailed, so I'm looking forward to pulling out rows before I can continue. I want to get this DONE so I can work on my queue of knitting that I've ignored for months.

Current List:
1. Vest
2. Smoke ring for Aunt Lise demanded by father
3. Silk/Linen Vest for me
4. Veil?

Done with writing, now with doing!

Saw this on another knitting blog, good for keeping track. Fiance has commented lately that I've been knitting to the point that I'm unavailable, so I might have to tone it down a little, it's just that I'm so excited about my current knitting project for knit/purl that I can't put it down, plus I've got an amazing queue of Handmaiden Flaxen yarn, Malabrigo lace, adorable sock yarn from Lid and 50/2 silk to decide on a pattern for. There's no way for him to understand how excited I am about knitting.

Right now I've got a pattern from Amimono, by Isager. It's knit holding four strands in Moss stitch, and it's amazing to watch come along because I haven't worked on 10 3/4 needles for years. I don't think I've touched larger than a 6 for at least two. I feel like I'm skipping!

Bold for stuff you’ve done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing:

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip-stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity Knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/Doll Clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting: knitting items on, or to be left on the street
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Household items: dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…
knitting socks- or other small tubular items- on two circulars
Dyeing with plant colours
Knitting items for a wedding
Olympic Knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dyeing yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/Felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegated yarn
Stuffed Toys
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Free-form knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm-warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a Loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Wow, that was way more fun to look at than to do.

She'll be missed.

In more somber news, a couple of weeks ago when visiting Missoula, I bought the yarn for my veil from Joseph's coat. It's pure undyed silk, 50/2. I'd talked to the owner, Susannah, a couple of weeks before. H Tess let me know yesterday that Susannah passed away. She worked at her yarn shop until the day she died, constantly surrounded by visitors, friends and her ever present hundlein. A good life. She was an interesting and interested woman.

Oh man...

Not nearly enough knitting these days. Still working on Mom's Mother's Day socks, now about 1/4 of the way on sock #2.

After a morning of indolence, I decided that since my downstairs roommates have left for the summer, their den would make perfect yarn storage. I put away yarn that I had no plans for and organized my knitting needles. I was v. happy to discover that I have nearly ever size of 16" circular needles, almost of full run of longer circulars, (including, very strangely two 10 3/4) and all dpns minus 4 & 5. AND. I now own my very own crochet hook! My first, currently only for provisional cast-ons, but I have a few balls of dk cotton that my roommate gave to me that might make a nice washcloth? Or whatever a good first crochet project is...

A new occasion for which to knit!

Herr and I took a trip to the Southwest this April/May between seasons. We both work seasonal jobs at the moment so as soon as ski season ends, we've got around a month of unemployment to look forward to. It was beautiful down there, a good 20-30 degrees warmer than up North. It felt good to get some sun and do nothing except hike, read, and knit for days.

On April 29 we camped in Valley of the Gods in one of our favorite camping spots, and Herr proposed marriage! We are now engaged and plan on marrying at the courthouse this summer, having a small ceremony in Mozambique with some family attending, then having a ceremony and reception for family and friends in August 2o1o.

It looks now like I get to knit for 3 weddings! Oh man, I am pretty excited about the prospects. Listen, I may or may not have been looking at veil patterns for the last year.

So, to knit:

Veil (maybe A Curved Shawl

Cold Feet Socks for him and her

Shawl for Grandma

Hats for Groomsmen

Garter

Shrug/Cardigan for Engagement/Rehersal dinner

Oh geez! I love lists.