Knittin' for myself

Sounds like something Billy Idol should be singing, huh?

Okay, I never knit for myself. I have knit sweaters, scarves, socks, mittens, etc. for almost everybody - and let's leave Aunt G. out of this please - but I very rarely knit for myself. Here's how it works, I knit something, I like it, but as I'm knitting someone LOVES it and I know it would be perfect for them, and I give it to them upon completion. I know I can always knit myself another, and I know they'll (usually) appreciate the knitted item.

Right know I have a sweater that I knit myself, and that will be headed out to Salvation Army soon because it really does not suit me. That's it. No mittens, no scarf, no hat, no socks for me and by me. The items I do have that are handknit have been given to me because my fellow knitters cannot believe how ridiculous it is to not own any of the items listed. J. made me some cool socks and a hat, B. gave me a scarf, I bought my mittens from Nancy Bush...
but...

guess what?

Yep. The Mystery Socks.

I am all caught up and the clue for the toes comes out tonight.

Tomorrow at this time but hopefully a bit earlier, I will have knit myself a pair of socks.

Yes!

...then it's back to knitting for everybody else.

Assuming the weather is okay I'll post a photo tomorrow.

Mohair Headache

No. It's not done yet.

I dug it out today, ready to work on it. It took me ages to figure out where I was in the chart, and then I was completely baffled by the fact that the 2 front pieces were at different rows in the chart...blah..blah...blah.

Massive headache. It required a nap.

YarnCon

I went to YarnCon today with my friend M. It is a lovely fiber show and sale in Chicago in a really beautiful old Chicago Park District building. I saw many friends, and met some new people, okay, I know, you just want to see the goodies...

This gorgeous stuff is by Halftone Yarns.
75% wool, 25% nylon, machine wash, 462 yds. 100gm



I love that it looks like a favorite pair of faded and broken in jeans, and let me tell you this is the softest stuff around. So soft, so this will be for socks for me.


Sophie's Toes Sock Yarn
100% merino superwash, 350 yds, 100gm


L - Christmas Lights, R- Cranberry

The colors on these yarns are amazing. My friend M. kept picking up more skeins and I had to stop looking because I was really tempted to buy more...

I also bought a really nice smelling bar of oatmeal and honey flavored goat milk soap, mmmm, and I bought a Pattern Tamer. Pattern Tamers are the greatest thing, magnetic ribbon strips for keeping your place in a chart. Much better than a Post-It! I can never find my smallest Pattern Tamer, so I bought an extra.

That's it. Hope you are having a great weekend!

L.

My friend L. lost her battle with breast cancer this afternoon.

She was 40 years old.

Do me a favor ladies, and make sure you get an annual mammogram.

That's My Story

When I buy yarn I generally try to think about how I would use it. I don't knit particularly fast, and I don't have that much time to spend on my knitting. Truthfully, I am not always in the mood to knit either. I have still managed to amass quite a collection of yarn. I cull it with some regularity, and I have traded some of it and donated more. I still have a lot, and there still many projects waiting to become the intended knit item.

I want to knit it up my yarn and use it, not save it, otherwise what will I have gained from it? Not feeling the spring of the wool in my hands, or seeing the knit fabric being made...I could look at yarn anywhere, I don't really need to see more of it hanging around our already cramped apartment.

That's my story.




So...how did this happen?






1 skein of Fibranatura Yummy.

Sock Yarn, you know.

Sock yarn doesn't really count, because you know it's going to be used for socks.

That's my story, and I'm sticking with it.

The Shoe Check

I went to get my haircut the other day, and unfortunately I now get my hair cut at a "Full Service Salon and Spa". I say unfortunately, because I am not a salon-y person at all. The salon is in a nice mall, not the Sears or Kohls type, but Neiman Marcus and Saks type mall.

I got the shoe check at the salon, I got the shoe check in nearly every store I went in, and let me tell you it was NOT subtle at all! They smiled at me and asked me if I needed help, and then looked down at my shoes to check them out! I couldn't believe it.

I was dressed nicely, and appropriately, make-up done (yes, mom) and I was wearing a nice pair of cowboy boots. Nothing weird, unsightly or possibly embarrassing, well, at least I don't think so...

Has this ever happened to you?

?

Stash Mystery Sock

I couldn't resist. It was broken down so perfectly into 5 very easy steps, and then at the end you have a lovely sock. No idea of what it will really look like, but given the track record of the awesome designer, I think it's a safe bet that it'll be lovely.



Of course I had appropriate yarn in my stash. I grabbed this beautiful Dream in Color Smooshy that T. bought for me at the DIC mill end sale, and I hesitated for a moment, thinking that perhaps that color was better for a shawl or wrap or something else that might never actually materialize and fulfill it's knitterly destiny as a perfect knitted project...forget it. There will be more lovely yarn in my life and this would make some really gorgeous socks. I wound it up before I had a chance to talk myself out of it... I love it. I am so glad I used it.



It's got a bit of sparkle which doesn't show up in the photo, and sadly will wash out. That's why it was a mill end I guess.