Procrastinating

So, when I started the blog I promised to try my best to get lots of pictures up, however taking the pictures and getting them uploaded to the computer seems to be the bottle neck for me :) I even have the slot on my desktop that takes the card directly so I don't need to search for the cable to connect the camera to the computer. So rather than put off another post, this post is going to be all words. Next post I promise will have more pictures :)

Lots of progress on the WIP this month. I actually knocked off 2 lace scarves, finished my mermaid socks, my mushroom socks, a SWS felted backpack (I purposely made it huge, because I had heard horror stories about them shrinking a lot, however I didn't anticipate something that was 2 feet by 2 feet to shrink to something about 8 inches tall. And to shed all over the place and felt so much to obscure the herring bone pattern I had knit. Note to self: SWS Paton self striping sheds significantly less than SWS Paton solid colours), finished 2 kitty pi, spun up 2 pounds of wool (started with Merino because yes I am a glutton for punishment, but I did learn a lot from it), learned how to Navajo ply, and to 2 ply.

My handspun is getting much more even and I believe that I'm no longer overtwisting the yarn, after I ply it, it hangs very nicely without twisting upon itself. I've also managed to go from a very thick/thin bulky weight, down to a pretty consistant worsted weight. At least that's what I think it is now. I am aiming for a nice fingerling weight so that I can dye/spin/knit my own socks :) I think that is a ways away still.

On the new WIP side, I've started 3 more pairs of socks that are all progressing nicely :) 2 pairs in sport weight (one from pattern with lots of cute cables), and one of my own design (with lots of hidden cables, if that makes any sense to you :) ), and then one with a ball of totfusies that I love, but had no idea what to do with. That one there I'm trying a very interesting 2x2 mesh pattern. It really does look like basket weave, I'm a little worried that I won't be able to see the pattern because the colours are so busy, but if you look closer, it looks really cool. One of these days I'll upload more pictures of all of these. I've also started 2 lace scarves, picked up some yummy cashmere lace for some xmas gifts, and some Cookie A patterns that look daunting but very challenging.

I also managed to visit Little Knits in Seattle. WOW can we say amazing quantities of yarn. It was like being in a treasure chest, you just wanted to touch and stroke and play with the yarns that were strewn everywhere (well not strewn really, but shelves and shelves, and boxes of yarn).

Then there was the mishaps at Dave's Mercantile. Gorgeous, gorgeous yarn, and it's all mine! I fell off the wagon again at the Loopy Ewe, but that's okay :) the space I have designated to hold my stash is only starting to fill up. It really sucks when you go to your stash to pick out something to do, and you can't find anything you want to work on at that time. I am very happy that recently I've switched from sweaters to socks/lace because the sheer volume that socks/lace take up vs aran/cable/huge sweaters is significant.

I have been toying with doing the Kauri cardigan, but I'm not sure if I really want to steek. Cutting something you have knit just seems so wrong. I've downloaded the pattern and I might modify it so that I knit it in once piece, but turn at each end of the bottom. I wonder if that would let me keep the colours working properly. I'll have to think about it a bit more before I start something like that. As well, none of the colours that the yarn comes in really calls out to me as something I would wear. But I would love to try a "fair isle" like fingerling weight sweater at some point. Could be totally frustrating, or could be totally wonderful.

Hrm... perhaps I should blog more often so that I don't end up having soooo much to write.