Tag: Yarn Mart

Knitting

Yarnlove

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SHOW AND TELL

Cascade 220

Color # 9604

100% Peruvian Highland Wool

(I have a definite plan for this, but must keep it on the down low for now)

Lorna’s Laces Solemate

Color # 3684 – Flames

55% Superwash Merino

15% Nylon

30% Outlast viscose

Socks, definitely.

A NEW FAVORITE POEM

Sabrina fair,

Listen where thou art sitting

Under the glassy, cool, translucent wave,

In twisted braids of lilies knitting

The loose train of thy amber-dropping

hair;

Listen for dear honor’s sake,

Goddess of the silver lake,

Listen and save.

John Milton

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Knitting

A Confession, Just Grand

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HAS THIS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?

A certain family member requested some type of scarf (she’s not picky) to go with a new red winter coat.  My cerebral cogs started meshing and here’s what they came up with.

Mochi Plus

80% Merino/20% Nylon

Cherries Jubilee

To make a long story short, I’ve fallen head over heels in love with this yarn and am having separation anxiety over the thought of using it for a Christmas gift.  I want to clutch it to my breast and croon, “don’t worry, you’re staying with me.”  Is this weird?

Truly, though, the red in this yarn is the wrong red to go with the coat.  The coat is a blue undertones red and while this yarn does have red, it’s red with orange undertones.  Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  Off to my LYS sometime today to find a more appropriate bluey red for the gift.  I think this is called a “rationalization”.

THE GRANDS

Mr. Iknead and I had the ultimate grandbaby experience over the weekend.  Bigdaddy had a wedding to officiate up in Branson, Missouri and took Bigmommy along.  Mr. Iknead and I had the Papoose and Sprout solo from Friday morning until late Sunday afternoon.  What a treat!

A good time had by all!

Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.  Lewis Carroll

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday 10/09/13

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ON THE NEEDLES

Christmas knitting is going like gangbusters.  One more evening of knitting on this particular project should wrap it up.

Les Miz scarf/shawl is moving right along, although when I took it outdoors for a picture I noticed that somehow one of the needles has pulled out, so that will be today’s Les Miz knitting.

Yesterday was a day of galloping startitis, so I caved and started Hilton Field Cowl, designed by Kate Gagnon Osborn, in a book called November Knits .  I’m using Cascade 220 that I found in the sale bin at Yarn Mart, in the colors I love.  Does it get any better than sale yarn in favorite colors?  I don’t think so.

ON THE BOBBIN

This

is in the process of becoming

this

Merino from Diamond B Sheep in Greenwood, Arkansas

Linking up with Tami’s WIPW blog and Frontier Dreams.  Visit them for inspiration overload.

Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it.  Ella Williams

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Knitting

Snakebit?

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AM I?

Last weekend, I was shopping my favorite part of my LYS – the bargain bin – and picked up seven balls of some great CEY Portland Tweed.  I blogged about it here.  I decided to try to reproduce a favorite sweater and started calcs last night.  Once again, not enough yarn and I’d bought up all Cindy had.  Again, no prob, there’s always the internet, right?  Again, wrong wrong wrong.  None, zilch, nada available anywhere, great yarn, just discontinued and now extinct.  That’s twice in a week that I’ve come up short on yarn for projects.  Sounds snakebit to me.  Dang.

Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain.  Lily Tomlin

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Knitting

Is It Fall Yet?

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TAKING A SPIN

My first attempt at plying – I think I need to watch some more YouTube tutorials

Nutmeg and Copper

STASH ADDITION

I’m condition SABLE (stash acquisition beyond life expectancy) and I know it, but I just couldn’t pass up this Portland Tweed that was on sale at Yarn Mart Saturday.  i’m thinking funnel neck sweater – if 870 yards would do it and it might, it just might.  If not a sweater, then maybe a shawl.

I just noticed that perhaps I’m thinking in fall mode now, with my newest stuff definitely being autumney, making me think of pumpkins and falling leaves.

Classic Elite Yarn Portland Tweed, color number 5012, 50 g/approx 120 yds, x7, 50% virgin wool, 25% alpaca and 25% viscose

SOMETHING NEW FOR JOSIE

I made Josie a new bed yesterday afternoon, I decided the old, zipper broke sleeping bag was just too ratty and found this pattern in a library book called One Yard Wonders by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins.  Turned out well and she seems to like it.

True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in the worth and choice.  Ben Jonson, Cynthia’s Revels

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Knitting

FO Finally!

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OFF THE NEEDLES AND INTO THE SOCK DRAWER

Crocus Vernus in Shibui Sock

I had several setbacks with this project, but am glad I stuck with it.  They turned out really well, I think!  The Shibui color is mystery pink, found two skeins in the sale bin at Yarn Mart which had lost their bands.  Excellent find!  Will be making another LYS run sometime this afternoon, probably on my way to the Art Center for some clay play.  With the holiday Monday, I’ve not been able to get to the pottery studio in a week, I’m having a little bit of withdrawal.  I had a couple of things that were ready to fire.  Hopefully, they were included in the kiln and since with clay and glazes, what you see is not usually what you get, the suspense is killing me.  I might even remember to take some pictures!

Don’t forget to drop in on Tami’s FO Friday blog to catch some amazing FOs.

Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction. Pablo Picasso

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday 05/08/13 Short n Sweet

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ON THE NEEDLES

I think I have more WIPs than I ever have, due to a terminal case of startitis over the past month or so.  I’ve been working steadily on each of them and so far project boredom hasn’t set in, which is a good thing, because that’s how my startitis starts.  So, here they are, in no particular order:

Crocus Vernus Socks from Knitter’s Curiosity Cabinet

The yarn is a mystery Shibui Sock that I discovered in the sale bin at Yarn Mart.  I think it’s perfect, don’t you?

Sunday Swing Socks

These are also knitted using Shibui Sock, colorway Poodle Skirt and are sharing the stage with Stephanie Pearl-McPhee‘s newest book.  I’m linking up with Ginny’s Yarn Along this week, so don’t forget to drop by and check out more projects and current reads.

Last, but certainly not least, is a simple, top down sweater I’m calling Karma as it started out as the Imagine Sweater, morphed into the Yarn Formerly Known As Sweater and is now born again.  Instant Karma, anyone??

100% cotton Yarn Formerly Known As Sweater in Periwinkle

Don’t forget to check out Ginny’s Yarn Along and Tami Ami’s WIP Wednesday blog.

Well we all shine on

Like the moon and the stars and the sun

Well we all shine on

Everyone, come on

John Lennon

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Knitting

I Spy?, Harlot Visit and Where’s Spring?

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SPY?

My neighbors probably think I’m spying on them.  Remember, I’m the weird lady out taking photos of yarn in her pajamas every so often?  The scoop is that since I put out bird feeders a few weeks ago, we have a lot of wildlife activity in the yard, mostly squirrels, birds and now, bunnies and in my quest to declutter, go through, donate or throw out, I found a pair of binoculars and that’s what’s been happening the past few days.  Honest, mister, I’m really not interested in what goes on across the fence.  I just want to see the birds and bunnies.

I’M SO EXCITED!

I can’t wait until Saturday – Stephanie Pearl-McPhee aka as the Yarn Harlot, is coming to Arkansas to speak at the Arkansas Fiber Arts Extravaganza. I’ve been an admirer of hers since I started knitting. The Extravaganza is being held at the Lodge at Mt. Magazine, one of the most beautiful spots in Arkansas. I was there a few years ago for the very first knitting get together and always wanted to go back, if not for a weekend, just for a day.

Beautiful!

OFF THE NEEDLES

Last weekend, again in my quest to organize and declutter, this time my yarn room, I unearthed two unfinished scarfs, lacking only casting off and weaving in ends.  I got busy and they officially became FOs.

All I can remember about this one is that it’s a pattern from Classic Elite Yarns.  This is the second scarf in this pattern that I’ve done.  The first was done in Liberty Wool.  This yarn, I don’t remember.  I’ll do a stash dive later and see what I can come up with.

ON THE NEEDLES or LIKE I NEED TO START ANOTHER PROJECT

I caved in last night and cast on Crocus Vernus from The Knitter’s Curiosity Cabinet, using the pink mystery Shibui Sock I found on sale at my LYS, Yarn Mart.  Loving it already, the color and the pattern.  And yes, I’m still working on the Sunday Swing Socks.  I have to admit it’s very gratifying to see that this pattern really does show off the colors in the Shibui Poodle Skirt yarn to their best advantage. I love it when a plan (finally) comes together!

WAIT, IT’S MAY, NOT JANUARY

I think someone neglected to send Mother Nature the memo that it’s May.  As I type this, the temperature is 40 degrees in Little Rock, it’s snowing in Fayetteville and raining here.  What happened to Spring?  It was here a day ago, I saw it.

Lots more FO Friday projects at Tami Ami’s blog!  Don’t forget to pay them a visit!

The minute you choose to do what you really want to do it’s a different kind of life.  Buckminster Fuller

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Knitting

WIPW 04/10/13, Yarn Along and Sock Pattern Lust

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ON THE NEEDLES

I decided to give myself a little break from fiddly stuff for a bit and have been knitting up dish towels instead, finally using some of that Sugar and Cream that’s been in the stash for lo, how many years.  My current favorite is the Yarn Over Cable Cloth from Dishcloth Boutique.  After just a couple of repeats, I’d memorized the four row pattern, a welcome relief from having to look from pattern to knitting and back to pattern.

I’m getting the sock knitting itch again, I just wound some new Shibui Sock from Yarn Mart and am pondering patterns even as I type.  I have a couple of ideas – Spring Forward or Kew, both from Knitty.  Love them both, maybe I’ll flip a coin.  Here’s a look at the new Shibui –

This color is called Poodle Skirt and how cute is that??

MR. CANON AND ME, WE GETTIN’ TIGHT

Beginning to feel much more comfortable with Mr. Canon and today, it took only about 30-45 minutes to remember and do what took hours yesterday.  Josie, Mr. Canon and I just may take a field trip tomorrow morning, especially if the weather stays as beautiful as it has the last two days.

Photobomb by Josie

BY THE BOOK

My Yarn Along contribution today is Stephen King’s Under the Dome, in preparation for the mini-series scheduled for sometime in June.  I’m still technically reading Annie Dillard‘s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, but haven’t picked it back up since Monday afternoon at the library.  I’m planning to get started again this afternoon, the weather is predicted to be stormy and this seems like it would be a good book to cocoon with.

DON’T FORGET TO

Visit Tamis Amis’ WIPW blog for more WIP goodies and Ginny Sheller’s Yarn Along for lots more book and yarn love.  Prepare to be inspired!

The better part of happiness is to wish to be what you are.  Desiderius Erasmus

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Knitting

WIPW 3/13/13, A Bump in the Olivia Petit Road and Library Whimsies

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ON THE NEEDLES

I have a couple of things, as usual, in the process of knitting up, frogging or time out.  The first one up today went through all three stages yesterday, the Lolita vest.  Here’s what went down – Rewind to Monday evening.  Happily knitting, patting myself on the back for doing such a good job of staying on Task Lolita, even when the new yarn on the block, Knitpicks Comfy Sport in Honeydew, was calling me out to get acquainted and get started on the   sweater(s) I had planned for it.  Final pat on the back and then to bed.  On inspection of my progress yesterday morning, I noticed that somehow I’d gotten a few, surely not more than three or so, stitches off in the pattern and now part of the openwork was wonky and didn’t match up with the previous openwork.   Tinked back to correct, fixed – still not right, tinked back and tried again – still didn’t suit me, tinked back one more time, reknit and finally produced something I can live with.  Since it’s knitted side to side, at the moment it’s just a wad of knitted fabric, but the spring sunshine was too great to pass up this morning and I took a pic anyway.

I’ve hit a pothole in the road on the sweet Olivia Petit sweater and haven’t been able to figure out what’s going on.  I cast on, did the set up row for the neck and raglan increase, so far so good, worked the next increase row and that’s where the wheels came off.  Too many stitches when I went to count.  OK, operator error, frogged and started again.  Same thing, too many stitches.  Must have misread pattern.  Frogged and started again after going over the pattern with a fine toothed comb, counting and recounting, reading and rereading.  Still screwed, went to bed.  I’m knitting the smallest size, so I’m thinking maybe going up one pattern size will work.  Please.  Will frog one last time and start again.  If no go this time, I’m swallowing my pride, taking it to Yarn Mart and letting them figure it out.  Frustration overload.

BY THE BOOK

I finished an absolutely, positively wonderful book yesterday, I started it Monday and couldn’t stop listening until it was finished, An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11 Year Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny, by Laura Schroff.  Goosebumps though the whole thing!  Incredible heartache, incredible joy, incredible book!

AT THE LIBRARY

I’m a huge library fan and not just for the books; it’s a favorite place for me to sit, knit and people watch for an hour or so whenever I can and I’m always excited to check out the collections on display.  This week was a particular treat, with a collection of pottery.  Surprisingly, my iPhone pictures through the glass turned out really well.  I’m disappointed that there was no artist or artists mentioned but that didn’t cut the cool.

Library exhibits 3-11-13

Library exhibits 3-11-13
Library exhibits 3-11-13
Library exhibits 3-11-13

Library exhibits 3-11-13

Love the paper pumps but Birthday Cake Grandma is my all time favorite.  I’m crazy for her skull purse!

Don’t forget to head to Tami Amis for more WIPW stuff!

To study and not think is a waste.  To think and not study is dangerous.  Confucius

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Knitting

Get your WIP, Get your WIP Wednesday here! – 1/23/13

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ON THE NEEDLES

This week’s WIP Wednesday offering is the second Phloem sock from Knitty, using Shibui Sock that I’ve named Sand and Sky.  I loved the way the first sock took shape, with a botanical bent and so I was probably a tad bit over confident when I cast on the second.  I just dove right in, not an unusual plan for me.  After all, I finally had the pattern down and what the stitch key showed, right?  So, last night, about two inches into it, I went back just to review something in the pattern and noticed that I’d completely forgotten to do the cuff.  I waffled about just forging ahead and pretending it was OK but I just couldn’t, I knew it would bug me just knowing it was supposed to have a cuff but didn’t, so I frogged and started over.  I can rest easy now.  Yes, sometimes I tend to have a perfectionistic streak a mile wide and sometimes it serves me well, like last night.  So here’s the do-over.

THE GRANDS

Remember Babysis, the Papoose’s baby sister? Well, I changed her name from Babysis to Alfalfa Sprout, as in Our Gang/The Little Rascals.  She has a huge, no holds barred cowlick on the crown of her head that is so freakin’ cute I almost can’t stand it.  I just thought that Sprout was a better fit than Babysis.  See what I mean?

I wasn’t kidding, was I?

THE GREAT WASHING MACHING CRISIS

It’s over, it’s really, finally over – at least until another appliance gives up the ghost.  Got my new, fancy washing machine delivered and hooked up.  I think I did at least 15 loads that first day.  Man, does laundry pile up or what?!  Mr. Iknead laughed when I took a picture to share.  I think he thinks posting pictures of washing machines is a little odd, but I tend to blog things that I’m happy about and things that interest me and I’m definitely both about my new washer.  I think it’s very handsome, myself.  To each his own.

NOT ON THE NEEDLES, YET

The Yarn Mart just called and said my special order yarn, Metalico Gold Dust, has arrived so I’m hot-footing over to pick it up.  Pictures and description later, it’s calling my name.

Want more WIP Wednesday?  Check out Tami’s Amis, you can’t miss.

You never truly understand something, until you can explain it to your grandmother.  Albert Einstein

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Knitting

What Did I Tell You?

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LOST THEN FOUND

Yep, that’s right.  After making a special trip to Yarn Mart (a real sacrifice, ha), the lost needle magically reappeared ON THE TABLE BESIDE MY CHAIR.  No, it wasn’t there the whole time.  My housekeeper obviously found it and knowing how crazed I can get when something is misplaced or lost, made sure it was right in the open, where I could see it.  Before you get excited about me having a housekeeper, let me clarify.  Mr. Iknead and I decided a few years ago that we’d earned a little housework help, I have a friend who loves to clean and loves even more the little bit of mad money she gets for doing it.  I’m telling you, it’s a match made in heaven.  She comes in every other week and like magic, stuff is put away, floors are shiny, bathrooms clean and the dust bunnies are staved off for another couple of weeks.  Totally spoiled and I plan on staying that way.  Anyway, here is a picture of the prodigal needle.

I am the size six and I’m back!

TOP OF MY LIST

It’s rainy, windy and cold again today,  I’m going to sit myself down after the one errand I have to run and read, listen and knit, read, listen and knit to my little heart’s content.  Sounds like a great day to me!

“Where shall I begin, please, your Majesty?” he asked.  “Begin at the beginning,” the King said, gravely, “and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”  Lewis Carroll

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