Monday, May 01, 2006

Oooga!

I've decided on the stripe pattern for my Booga, and I already have the yarn. So ... I'm posting it, before I lose it again.

9 of gray O O O O O O O O O
3 of deeppink O O O
3 of gray O O O
9 of deeppink O O O O O O O O O
3 of gray O O O
6 of deeppink O O O O O O
3 of gray O O O
3 of deeppink O O O
6 of gray O O O O O O
3 of deeppink O O O
3 of gray O O O
15 of deeppink O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O


I'm making this first Booga out of yarns I already have, a hand-spun brown-grey wool, and a bright fuschia 100% wool. I've been eying the Noro Kureyon at the LYS I love, but I figure I should use some of this up first.


Jason finished the bunny he was making on the vacation trip ... a camo orange bunny, but a bunny just the same. And because it was knitted on large needles, and had some .. erm .. holey features in the knitting, we decided to felt it. So, my first felting project was done today, and it looks like it worked out well. Now he just needs to dry, and be stuffed and seamed. I'm actually very pleased with how it came out, and very proud of him!

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Lots of news to post, not all of which is knitting related.

First of all, I bought a new car. I bought a 2006 Pontiac Torrent, after trying out the Saturn Vue and the Chevy Equinox also. I found the Torrent was better than the other two for what I was looking for .. and the color I got was far better than any I could have gotten from Chevy. It's a beautiful vibrant blue .. called Blue Streak .. and the car is just a dream. I got a sunroom, and XM radio, and a 6-CD changer in the dash .. it's perfect. I couldn't ask for much better in a car for me.




Also, we're going on vacation next week. DH is in-between jobs right now .. though he's been offered positions at 3 separate dealerships now, so it's just a matter of who will give him the better deal ... and so we have time right now to go on vacation without worrying that he's missing a sale. And though I will have to get a job when we get back so I can make my car payment ($380/mo), I should have plenty of time to do that when we get back from the mountains.



We've rented a cabin up in the Pigeon Forge area of Tennessee. DH and I have been up there before, with his folks. This time we're taking B with us, as we often go on vacations with friends rather than going it alone. It's a beautiful little cabin, with a hot tub, and a pool table, and even a n old-fashioned arcade video game machine! And we'll be there until Saturday, when we check out and head home. But this time, we're not spending $4-500 on a rental car, since my Torrent is big enough easily for us to take on long trips. I still have to baby it a little, but it's more than capable of handling the drive.

On the knitting front, I've found the perfect LYS. It's about 20-25 minutes away, in Pineville NC. They have classes about every day for something, on a somewhat rotating schedule, and most are only $10 for 2 hours. Felting classes are $20 for 3 hours, so it's not bad at all. And best of all, of all the places I've seen in the area, they've the best selection and prices around.

My dust bunny is nearly completed. I'll likely finish it up tonight, get him seamed and stuffed, so I can take pictures. He'll be done just in time for Easter!! He's going to be utterly adorable, I swear. And happily, I found the yarn used to make him $5 cheaper than where I had been buying it .. at the new LYS. So I can make him a little more affordably for others!

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

You Know You're Addicted to Knitting When ...

You have a room in your house devoted just to knitting. - Not yet, but I'd like to!

You buy yarn just because it's pretty, even if you don't know what you'll do with it. - I try no to do this, but I'm good at thinking up things to do with it!

You have been to at least one trade show (convention) or knitting camp. - Not yet. It's not until October.

You have traveled across state lines to increase your stash. - Regularly.

You have spent over $100 on knitting (yarn/patterns/books) in one day. - Not yet.

You have spent over $400 at a knitting trade show (convention/camp) market in one day. - Can't see myself doing this ... unless I get honey a spinning wheel.

You have lied to hide the fact that you have bought more yarn. - I don't lie about what I buy, thankfully.

You have put the name of a grocery store in your check register for the check that was for yarn. - What's a check register?

You try to beat your husband (or significant other) to the mailbox (so you get to the yarn deliveries first). - I always beat him. I'm home, he's not!

Most of your friends are knitters. - And if they're not, they will be!

You have called in sick to stay home from work to knit. - I'm blissfully unemployed, thank gods!

You have called in sick to go on a knitter's field trip. - See above.

You stay up at night to knit, even if it means you only get a few hours of sleep. - I've so done this!

The employees at the local yarn shop know you by name and have memorized you credit card number. - Not my credit card number (that'd be bad!) but they no longer ask for ID.

You find it hard to sleep because of your UFOs (unfinished objects) or new ideas whirling around in your brain. - It has happened, yes.

You get up in the middle of the night to work on projects. - I have. But only when I can't sleep.

You get up in the middle of the night to read online knit list messages. - I'm not -that- bad!

In your dreams, you are knitting. - I haven't remembered any yet.

You have more than two knitting totes. - Much to my honey's chagrin, yes.

You have an email address that reflects the fact that you are a knitter. - Of course I do!

You have a personalized license plate that reflects the fact that you are a knitter. - Umm .. no.

You have some kind of knitting accessory(ies) in every room in the house. - Guilty!

You are the only one in your family who knows what a yarn bra is. - I'm not even sure I know what a yarn bra is ... ?

You can recite the names of more knitwear designers than past presidents. - Umm .. yes. Sad, isn't it?

You knit and read at the same time. If you are unable to do this because of a complex pattern, you will forego the reading. - No, only because I don't read. But I do knit and watch TV or play computer games at the same time.

You have used knitting and the acquisition of yarn as the theme for a vacation. Here's an idea - let's look for all of the yarn mills in (Prince Edward Island, British Columbia/ Virginia/Wisconsin/etc. - place your destination here) for this year's vacation! - We're planning on going to the NC Fiber Fair in October .. does that count?

You joined a knitting Web ring and keep a knitting blog. - Guilty!

Friday, April 07, 2006

New Knitty Gritty episodes are coming!!!!!

I'm not sure exactly when, but I read about it on KNittingHelp.com's forums, and double checked on the website .. and indeed, there are new episodes listed!! No dates given for them just yet, but how fnatastic is that!

I forgot to mention the haul I picked up the other day. We went to Hobby Lobby (our el-cheapo LYS .. where we get stuff like Sugar and Cream, and lots of my baby yarn comes from there) on Wednesday .. to pick up something for B's scarf. Well .. we got in there to learn that all the needles were on sale. And I drooled a little over the bamboo, but J mentioned it might be better to wait to get a full set of those ... so I completed a set of aluminum 10" needles instead, and got a bunch on 6" DPN's also. Not a full set of those, but I'm not a sock monster yet. So now my de-lovely needle case is truly useful. I'm so deliciously pleased. And yes, I'm a horrible completist. I hate not having complete sets of things. It was eating at me to not have at least 1 pair in every size.



The needle case rolled up and closed, now.


The needle case 2 weeks ago, open and rolled up.


The needle case now, open.


Also, I've been working some on my new rag-bunny. This yarn is very interesting to work with, but I'm enjoying it. I only fear that it's going to take more than the 1 skein to complete him .. this is the most expensive yarn I've ever used .. $15 a ball. I only bought 1 ball, but it looks like it's going to take at least 1 more to complete him. Not a -huge- deal, though it is a bit frustrating.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

I should take DH to the LYS more often!!

We went in, partially to get some yarn for B's scarf so he can make funky tassels. We also were going to ask to use their ball winder and swift, as I can't afford one just yet. Well, DH took over that project .. he had fun winding my 6 hanks of handspun, hand dyed wool into lovely little balls. And I got to ogle the merchandise!

I also came out of there with a ball of mohair, a ball of this adorable novelty yarn that has little strips of ribbon yarn every few inches, and a couple of balls of a fluffy soft nylon baby yarn .. for making bunnies with, of course. I'm so incredibly hooked on making bunnies now .. I'm working on one with the novelty yarn now.

I also learned that the lady that owns the LYS .. while she's currently looking to sell it .. is also looking for someone to work the yarn side of things, as she has enough to deal with working the needlepoint. I'm going to call her tomorrow and see if she's really looking to hire someone. I don't know exactly what she's wanting, but I'd be more than willing to work there, even part time!!

Bunny!




Made with my very own hands. From this pattern.

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Eeek! A Flasher!

I know it's several days late, but here's the first batch of pics of my stash. Thus far, it's just my baby yarns.




I have to run Jason's phone up to him now, but I'll be back and I'll flash the rest when I do. I'm stopping at a yarn store anyway, so ... it might grow.
I got my package from Herrschners, with my Bernat LuLu baby yarn in it. It's sooo cuddly soft, I'm going to be wishing I'd gotten more of this I'm sure. I'm using some of the pink variegated to make a couple of bunnies, though. The solids I'll likely use for baby stuff for my friend D.

I also taught myself to use DPNs yesterday .. I made two little preemie hats, though I'm afraid they're too small to be useful for anything. I'm trying another, this time expressly from a pattern, and on straights. We'll see how that goes. Here's what the first two hats look like, as well as the preemie blanket.



Yes, I still owe pics of my stash. I'm terribly late, but I promise, I'll get to it tomorrow. I felt horrible today, and yesterday I had to go spend time in the city with my husband and our best gay, and one of hubby's co-workers. So I have had -bo- time to actually dig out the stash to flash it. But it's coming, I promise!

Saturday, April 01, 2006

In preparations for Flash your Stash today, in an amongst the many other chores I had to get done, I went through and reorganized my stash. And discovered a horror.

I have too much yarn for me to really justify buying more! *cries*

I've been working some on my Preemie Feather and Fan blanket today, and got a few more rows along. It's really about 2/3ds till done. I'm gonna make a bunch of those, and probably some hats and booties too, so I can send them off. Though, I'm considering instead asking local hospitals if they'll take the donations instead. Or perhaps in addition to ... so I can play and support my community too.

Friday, March 31, 2006

J's spindle came today. I haven't opened the box, because he'll want to do that himself, but I'm very pleased that it actually got here so quickly. It took all of two days to arrive .. very quick shipping indeed. If he wants another one, I'll definitely go to them first. :)

I also took a nice trip to the library today, and checked out a bunch of knitting books. Some are just for reference, some are specifically for patterns. I really want to find a large stitch dictionary. I should look on half.com and ebay, I know, but I was really hoping just to find something through the library.
I am in the middle of half a dozen projects really, three of which are actually on needles, the rest are remaining in my head. The baby towel .. knitted at the wrong gauge and thus larger than projected. Preemie blanket #1 .. about halfway done, and frought with minor mishaps until I finally put stitch markers on the needles. Block one of the jewel-tone afghan I will finish sometime in 2010, if not later.

Whee!