Hmmmm....a new sweater for Fall....??

I specifically remember saying, "no more garments, other than socks and scarfs", and yet,  here I sit with a pattern I love and yarn that I really love..Dream in Color Classy....a lovely blue tonal. So how did that happen you ask, well, the answer is....I just don't know. Sometimes having the internet and friends who enable us are a dangerous combination.

I printed off the directions for the sweater and I started to sweat! Fortunately, it's 95 degrees here, so masking my panic was rather easy. After a slight panic attack, I sat down and really read through the directions and started to swatch to get GAUGE! Oh, elusive gauge, how you torture me!! A quick trip to LYS and chat with my experienced knitter friends left me feeling like I can do this. I will cast on later today.

Socks are still my most portable project and I am knitting a pair for the hubby in fabulous Jitterbug.

School is thankfully winding down and just as soon as it does, we will be headed East for a family vacation.

I see a yarn crawl in my future...  :-)

Socks, socks everywhere and a trip to the Zoo!

I have been busy swatching away on different fibers and am amazed at the difference a particular fiber makes! My hubby was sitting at the computer the other night and made a comment that he would like a pair of socks before I start making them for friends and I thought that, yeah, that's only fair! I had a rather handsome color just for him and on they needles they went. Been a bit distracted by baseball games, end of school year projects and trips and the never ending housework, but I am still stitching!

Tomorrow is the school trip to the DC Zoo...it's going to be 94 degrees and I'd rather be inside stitching, but I will suck it up and go. I know the only reason Bryce wants me to go is because of the zoo gift shop. I am sure that it will be fun despite the heat and the bus ride. I am tempted to bring my knitting, but I suspect this might be a bad decision. I will be bringing my camera, so stay tuned for pictures!

My first sweater update...UGH!

Well, here it is, my beautiful Baby Llama sweater! At the moment it is basically a poncho as the sleeves have to be ripped back to where I started to decrease. Apparently, my decreases are facing the wrong way which makes putting the sleeves on a big No No. This is the most expensive sweater I own. It is as soft as a baby's bottom and as warm as heck and yet here it lies on my guest bedroom floor for this picture. I will be honest, when I was told of this problem, I immediately wanted to cry and I suspect that my friend Paula sensed this and ever so kindly said, "just put it away for the summer and we will revisit it in the Fall". They were kind words for a beautiful garment that continues to torture me and teach me at the same time. Knowing me, I will put a life line in soon and start ripping. You gotta learn it the right way!

It was a SOAP kinda day!

So, I saw an article in a magazine, you know the one with all the "GOOD" things, and it was about making your own soap. I saw it and thought, that sounds like fun, I'm in! I was at the craft store early and them home, blending fruit and melting gylcerine. I had a wonderful time and the soap looks good enough to eat. The samplings are as follows, lemon-tangerine, strawberry, lavender-strawberry and blueberry-lemon. My fellow yarn lovers will get to test drive these and see if they are a HIT or a MISS. I will keep you posted as to how it all washes out...LOL!

Yarn 101 and then some!

My wonderful LYS and second home, had a wonderful class today, Yarn 101, for those of us who need to know what we are doing with all our wonderful yarn and what all that strange writing is on the yarn label. Yes, we tend to ignore these things, but they are the things that will make or break a project. I took alot away from that class and one of the BIG things was GAUGE and how crucial it is. Swatching is NEVER a waste of time or yarn (that is what always bothered me, wasting yarn and forget the details, I just want to get knitting). Swatching is the difference between making something that fits you and something that might fit a cow. Gauge matters!!! Better to swatch and see how you like the pattern and yarn before you make a big investment and possibly a big mistake because we have all "been there and done that".

A new obssession......Shawls!

It seems that I have been obsessed with all things knitted this week. I must still be on the high from the Sheep and Wool Festival. That really was a great time and it has been fun looking at everyone's stashes, especially on Ravelry. Some people really hit the mother load. One of the things that also "kinda happened" at the festival, was that I became aware of lots of woman wearing beautiful shawls that they made..of course. And I am not taking about your grandmother's shawl, I mean delicate beauties casually draped around their necks and guess what, now I want to make one or two. My friend Karen suggested the PERFECT pattern and I have the perfect wool/silk yarn for the job...enter a new challenge...reading and following a CHART. This should be interesting.

I am still working on socks and I am casting on for my 3rd pair which will have some sort of new pattern and the scarf is still a WIP as are all my household chores. But is there really anyone keeping track, I think not!

The Stash.....!!!

Well, I am pretty much recovered from the weekend and have a busy week in front of me...it's just so never ending! I did however, want to share my stash from the Festival!

Baaack from Maryland Sheep & Wool....

WOW!!! I had a fantastic time! Gosh, I am exhausted and it was SO worth it! Met wonderful people, fondled fabulous fibers, bought sock yarn like a crazy person. Was very happy that I did a lot of research on specific sock yarns before I went, so as to buy wisely, and I did! Had a great time with all my knitting friends. Did I mention that I have been up since 4:30 am. I will say, that when that alarm went off, I popped right out of bed...no snooze button for me, there is yarn to buy!

I came home with 13 new skeins of sock yarn and some killer needles and some lavender hand balm. One skein is a gift and the rest I will take pictures of to add to blog at some point this week. The weather was a perfecto 72 degrees...last year it was 95.

I am off to look at my new additions and then to bed.

Maryland Sheep and Wool....Baa!!!

The day has a arrived....it's Maryland Sheep and Wool and I am super excited. Angie and I will head out tomorrow at 6:00 am to meet up with the rest of our friends. Looking forward to seeing some fantastic yarns and getting myself a beautiful pair of Signature Stiletto Tip circular needles. Yes, stiletto's in my hands and not on my feet, at least there are stilettto's in my future...LOL! Apparently, you can also buy sheep there and hubby has already said...NO! But I still think that it would be really cool to shear our own sheep and spin the wool. I must go to bed and rest up the body and the mind, for there will be decisions to be made tomorrow and I need to be rested and relaxed.

I will share all of my fun after I have recovered  from all the crazy shopping!

Are they Yarn Worthy????

You may not understand what I mean when I say this, but if you are looking to make something beautiful for someone, please stop and ask yourself...are they worthy? I have heard horror stories at my knitting group of beautiful knitted garments gifted to those who thought the floor was a great place for it to end up or WORSE, they washed it in the washing machine and now it will fit their Barbie Doll. I just couldn't do that to my beautiful yarn!

I decided to put a list together of people for whom I would knit for. It's very short and my hubby and child did not make the cut! Sad, but true. My mom is totally yarn worthy and so is my godmother and my hubby's aunt, and that's pretty much it.

My son is begging for a pair of socks....maybe for Christmas....I see the dog with one of son's socks in her mouth all the time. Do I really want it to be a hand knitted one??? Uh, NO!

Anyway, that is my definition of yarn worthy. Someone who will love it as much as the person who made it!
I'm just sayin'.