Looking forward into 2008

Okay, I've been out of the country a lot lately, but there's really no excuse for how lax I've been here! When I went to review my December goals I realized I never made any. Then even worse, when I looked back to the November goals I realized I never finished any of those! But I really like the idea of monthly goals, so my only goal for the new year is to not make any but instead to make (and hopefully keep!) monthly goals.

While I haven't been knitting I have been putting my stash up on Ravelry. Currently I have 784 different yarns (meaning unique brands, colors, and dye lots) stashed, and I figure its about 80% of my stash. I decided to use my spreadsheet to enter yarns even if I didn't have a picture. If I couldn't locate the yarn in the Ravelry database, I'm waiting until I pull it out to photograph and/or use. I'm also adding items to the queue when I know what I intended the yarn for. And if I have no idea, or know for sure I'm no longer interested in the plan, I'm listing it as available for sale or trade. By the way, if you aren't yet on Ravelry, get over there and put your name on the list. Believe me, as long as the list seems you'll get in much quicker than I did. And it is a wonderous resource!

Now for the beginning of the year totals:
- 463727.15 yards of yarn in the stash
- 42 kits not otherwise counted in the stash
- 23 WIPs

The only one of those I'm in any way proud of is the last, as its the only one smaller than last year!

Now January goals are tricky. I know I'm going to be away a large part of the month again, but I'm hoping unlike other trips I will be able to do a fair amount of knitting on this one. So here's my January goals:

- Take the "knit a mile" challenge in the Stash Knit Down 2008 group on Ravelry, and, since it straddles two months, knit the January proportion to reach that goal.
- Finish the last two Christmas presents. Yes, that's right, since my travel took longer than expected its not all done!
- Knock at least one more WIP/UFO off the current list.
- Knit enough yardage to exceed the incoming stash from existing clubs and any other purchases I don't manage to resist (yikes I'm going to be near Webs!). Though there are enough existing clubs incoming that I'm hoping that thought will help resist the later.

I've stashed 500 yarns in Ravelry!

Yikes, once I decided I didn't have to put a picture in for everything who knew it could add up that fast. And I'm still no where near done!

Work life is crazy right now. I can't really think of anything until after a certain project is done!

I never posted this picture

I said I'd post a picture of the finished moebius when I took one and I never did. Thanks to Becky's modeling skills, I finally have one.

I also caught up with my tracking on yardage, WIPs, etc. Since most of the recent WIPs were so close to completion I never entered their yarn in the database. So I don't get a yardage reduction for them. But the WIP count is down to 22 from 30 at the beginning of July, so that's something to be proud of!

Good news and bad

The good news is I have some long overdue finished objects to report. My friend Gayle invited me over for a finishing day yesterday. She should do this more often as it really works for me!

To the right we have a lace scarf and a little beaded purse. The scarf was knit long time ago. The fringe is supposed to have a bead on each one. I had beaded one end but then never finished the other! Then I couldn't find the matching beads. So Gayle suggested removing the beads already on there. Viola - finished. The little purse was a sampler from a bead knitting class I took a long time ago at Knitter's Day Out. I'll use it as a tree decoration now that its finished.



And to the left, the sampler from the Danish Skråtrøje class I took with Beth Brown-Reinsel at the local guild years ago. I'd put one of the sleeves in sideways and put it aside fed up. So yesterday I took out the bad sleeve, sewed it back in along with the second sleeve, crocheted the neck edge and viola once again.

The bad news, looking at my list of resolutions for this month I'm rather apprehensive about finishing any of them. The wristers are started, but in black silk they're very hard to work on and definately not train material. Plus I didn't factor in the week I was in the UK and didn't even bother to bring any knitting because I knew I wouldn't have much free time.

Oh well, I still have some time and a long weekend coming up. Though I have to 'fess up that I'm planning a wee yarn crawl on Friday with a couple of friends.

October wrap-up/November resolutions

Okay, first off, I've figured out who I must credit with the idea of monthly resolutions - Polly of All Tangled Up. So thank you Polly. All in all, I don't think October was too shabby. Enough so that I'm going to continue.

So this is how I did with the October resolutions -

- I didn't finish the knitting on Robert the Bruce. In fact I haven't even found it again!
- I did finish knitting the socks with Regia Bamboo.
- I did knit at least 20 rows on Hanami. In fact, exactly that many!
- I did start something new despite the vow not to.

So, lessons learned. I get most of my knitting done on the train while commuting, and right now most of the WIPs/UFOs cannot be done under those conditions. Either too complicated and/or too big. So I need to make allowances for that in the plan not to start anything new.

On the other hand, the project I started when the socks were finished was also finished by the end of the month. As with most lace, its nothing much to look at right now. Hopefully I can wash and block it this weekend and will post a pic when that is done.

So here's the November resolutions -

- Finish the knitting on Robert the Bruce (at least run it to ground!)
- Knit Whitewater Wristwarmers.
- Finish the current repeat on Hanami and knit at least one more.
- Do not start anything new except to replace the current train project. Preferably with Christmas knitting. The Whitewater Wristwarmers are in that category and are what I'm about to start on tomorrow's commute. There's at least one other pair of mittens I'm considering as a Christmas gift for someone, so that would be good here also.

Beyond that, not buy anything in the UK next week that I can't get here! The dollar is so weak compared to the pound right now! The last time I was there (about a decade!), the dollar and the pound were almost equal. I really need to keep in mind that the real cost of anything I look at is more than double what that tag says now!

The Universe is Trying to Tell Me Something!

So I bought The Knitting Tarot. That block to the right is a "magnesium cut" used in printing it. Not being a printer, I really didn't know what to expect. I think I could even use it as a stamp if I wanted to. But this is where it gets weird. I'm flipping through the book that accompanies the cards and I find my image. And you're never going to guess what it is: Seven of Skeins - Too Much Stash. Is that eerie or what!



And to the left we have the wimple I started, breaking the first of those October resolutions. The yarn is cashmere lace weight from Posh Yarn. You have to lurk on the site for when the yarn goes up on Sunday (6pm on the east coast), but its worth it. This was actually sale yarn because it had a "flaw." I believe she called it a green spot in the description, maybe the size of a quarter on the skein. It broke up when balled and it just causes the occasional stitch that now seems more gold. I actually really like it as a highlight! The pattern is the Wavy Feathers Wimple from Caryll Designs. I'm really enjoying it and suspect it might end up becoming a go-to pattern for gifts.

BTW, on those monthly resolutions. Not my idea. And I really wish I could remember who I got the idea from to give them credit. Maybe in November I'll find another post from them and can do that.

And yes, there was new yarn this week. But I'm getting bored with posting about that. Never mind that tarot thing freaking me out!

Well one resolution done!

Finished the Regia Bamboo socks.

The yarn was a cream color with red, pink and purple flecks. The red dye really ran, so the background is more pink now. Just as well I decided to do some lace when I got to the cuff of the first one, thinking the yarn was girly and needed a girlier cuff than just ribbing!

I also got to some knitting on Hanami last night. I really enjoy that kind of knitting. I just need more time when I can sit and focus.

There's a little problem with the other two resolutions. First, I can't seem to find Robert the Bruce. Second, now that the socks are done I really need some traveling knitting! I don't know whether I can get another WIP there or not.

More yarn arrived this week - a few more colors of Kidsilk Haze (I'm also gathering yarn for the Earth Stripe Wrap in the recent Rowan magazine), my freebie kit for renewing my Rowan membership, some sock yarn from Spritely Goods. Oh, and my Wollmeise! I got some lace yarn, three skeins of worsted weight to do her moebius pattern, and one more skein of sock yarn.

As I'm typing this I kinda decided what to do about traveling. I gifted my sister with a skein of Posh Yarn cashmere lace weight. I think we finally settled on a pattern that will work for her. I'm going to start it myself with one of my single skeins, so when she starts I'll be better able to help her.

Have I said that I run a call-in Knitting Emergency Help Line? At least for her. Its kinda funny.

I think I'll give monthly resolutions a try

I've been thinking about this, and maybe monthly resolutions would work better for me. The big ones I seem to do okay at for a few months, then go crazy when I break them.

So for this month this is what I've decided:

- finish the knitting on Robert the Bruce
- finish knitting the socks with Regia Bamboo
- knit at least 20 rows on Hanami
- not start anything new.

Robert the Bruce is a gorgeous aran that I was test-knitting for a woman who unfortunately died before her patterns could be published. That caused me to put it aside when all that was left was basically finishing. Then when I picked it up again I started sewing it together without finishing the knitting on one side of the neck on either the front or the back. I'm ashamed to admit how long it took me to figure out why it just wasn't going together right. So totally fed up with myself I put it aside again. I'm thinking I'm make the knitting a goal for this month and the sewing up/collar knitting a goal for November and finally someone can wear this baby!

The socks are both at the cuff stage (they're toe-up), so that should be doable and get another project off the list.

Hanami was supposed to be my mother's Christmas present, so I joined a KAL for it. And promptly had life get in the way so I fell behind. Way behind. Some members are finishing and I still haven't finished clue 1! I'm re-evaluating whether this can really be her Christmas present, maybe it will be for her birthday in February. But I'd at least like to get back to the knitting!

Now you probably noticed that not buying yarn isn't on the list. Well that would be because I've already done that this month! In fact, a slew of mail orders arrived Saturday (almost 10,000 yards worth of yarn plus 5 kits!). It did help me decide not to go to the Fiber Festival in Montpelier on Sunday or Stitches next weekend though!!!!!

Finished!

Check it out! I finished something from the great New England buying spree of a couple weeks ago!

Yarn keeps mysteriously showing up at my house. Another 3001 yards this past week. One of the things was the Knit Picks Palette to start Spilly Jane's Sea Mineral Mittens (see the link on the right side of her blog). This was one of the first patterns I found after joining Ravelry and I've been waiting for her to post the pattern. I'm dying to start them, but I also have some Christmas knitting looming over my head so I'm torn.

So here's a question - what knitting web sites would you be better off not visiting (lest you find yarn mysteriously showing up at your house also)? For me two big killers are Earthfaire and Naturesong Yarn or any of its sister sites. 'Nuf said.

Ready for the number?

10796.95 yards!

Plus seven kits - the six little ornament kits and another Flock Sock club kit.

Here's the damage!

That's it all together. Knowing what I spent it doesn't look like much, but there is a lot of cashmere, alpaca and silk there.

On the left side, top to bottom, we have 2 skeins of Filatura di Crosa Superior in lime and burgundy, one skein of Kidsilk Haze in Drab and one skein of Rowan Calmer in a light tan. In the middle section, left to right, we have one skein of Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton, one skein of Valley Yarns Hand Dyed 2/14 Alpaca Silk in Atlantis, one skein of Classic Elite Alpaca Sox in Garden, and two skeins of Art Yarns Silk Rhapsody in color #139. On the right top to bottom we have six skeins of Frog Tree Alpaca Sport in two shades of grey, red, orange, chartreuse and light blue, and one skein of Tofutsies in color 785. Oh, and not in the picture are the the sheep ornament kits that can be seen at the Buttermilk Cottage site. I have all six now.

Now the good news is I actually have a plan for all of this. The Filatura di Crosa Superior is for a lace scarf. The lime skein is for me and the burgundy for my friend. We saw the sampler lace scarf in the pattern book, but we aren't going to buy that book for a scarf pattern when we have lots of stitch pattern books! It is good to know that you can get a nice scarf out of one ball given the price of it!

The Rowan Calmer is to make a chemo hat for an aunt (though she's actually about my age so I always think cousin), the Organic Cotton for a baby kimono (even though there's no baby in mind now, I just love that pattern), the Alpaca/silk for a Rhea Stole (a Valley Yarn pattern), the Silk Rhapsody for a Dramatic Squares shawl (an Art Yarns Pattern), the Alpaca Sox and Tofutsies for, well, socks! The Frog Tree alpaca is a substitute for the Blue Sky Alpaca to make the Composed Mitts in the most recent Interweave Knits magazine.

The skein of Kidsilk Haze in Drab finished this collection:



Can you guess what it is for?

I do have some additional yarn that arrived in the mail since the last time I did a tally. I probably won't get all of this entered into the inventory until the weekend, so I'll give a two-week total next Sunday.

Quickie until I get back to Virginia

Well I said I was taking my Aunt to Webs while I was up here, but that's happening today.

But Saturday I had to take my niece to her job, and decided to take a quick run up "to check on the store hours for Monday." So while I was there I decided to look for the stuff on my shopping list, so I could focus on helping my Aunt today. Are you buying any of this????

So this is what I bought at Webs on Saturday - 1 skein of the Alpaca Silk Handyed, 2 balls of Filatura di Crosa Superior (1 for me and 1 for Gayle), AND (not on the list but I noticed while I walked by) 1 skein of Classic Elite Alpaca Sox and 1 skein of Natural Cotton (blanking on the name but its the one for the One Skein baby bolero). Plus 2 shawl/stole patterns.

Then yesterday we went down to Tiverton Four Corners and my sister remembered that the sheep ornament kits she had ordered for me were at the yarn shop. So we went there to pick those up, and I found the one color of Kidsilk Haze I'm looking for Modern Quilt Squares. Oh, and 1 ball of Calmer for a hat for an aunt who's undergoing chemo treatments right now.

Plus I vaguely remember that some stuff had come mail order since last weekend.

I'll post better details and photos of the pile when I get back.

Anyone think I won't buy anything else at Webs today?

I can't resist showing you some pictures

The first two are Wollmeise yarn that I purchased direct from Bavaria. Claudia was great to work with.



And these yarns are even prettier than I imagined! I may have to do something with them other than socks just to show them off!

The last is from Zen Yarn Garden's Art Walk Sock Club. This was my first month with the club, and unfortunately it will be my last. She's also started a semi-solid club, and lately I'm more drawn to those types of yarns. So as much as I like this yarn, I've made the decision to stick only with the other club. But if you aren't in too many sock clubs, I'd recommend checking this out. Its a month to month commitment only.



Okay, so true confession time. I did finally get that yarn to the friend that know's someone who works at the jail, so 475 yards out of the stash. But the sock yarn buying frenzy continues, so I was also up 6170 yards! About 1/3 of that is a cone of Henry's Attic fingering for some dye experiments, but still! And next weekend I'm heading to Massachusetts and promised to take my aunt to Webs.

P.S. Click on the pictures and they'll supersize so you can really get a sense of how gorgeous they are!

So I've been missing for a while

Why, well that's hard to say. Work has been crazy busy the last few weeks, so I haven't had much energy to do anything else during the week. I've come to the realization that my job only has two speeds - busy, and crazy busy. I have to stop thinking its going to calm down and figure out how to deal with that.

Then, I received my invite to Ravelry two weekends ago. If you're there, my user name is vaknitter (imagine that!). If you aren't, go there and get your name on the list! It took about six weeks before I got my invitation. They just go down the list, so an invite is just a matter of getting in line and waiting your turn. And it is worth it. There is no way I'm going to catalog my entire stash there! Its just too big, and last year I created an inventory. But if your's isn't as big as mine, its a great place to do it and then you can download an excel file. I'm going to add new yarn as I get it, and also yarn I'm actually working with.

But its hard to describe just how much you can do there. There are groups, and all sorts of info, and just take my word for it, its amazing. I had a lot of fun one point picking a yarn in my stash and searching to see what other people are doing with it to get ideas. Or say there's a pattern you're interested in, you can find others who have done it or are doing it, what they're using, their experience, etc.

Anyway, I must admit I wasted a lot of time there last weekend.

This weekend I got back to some house chores, and now I'm catching up here.

So the yarn buying orgy continues. Last weekend I should have confessed adding 5070 yards to the stash and using only 212.36. This week, I've added 3020 and used only 109.36. Mostly sock yarn. Makes you wonder why I got rid of so much last year! No pictures - you'll just have to go to Ravelry for that (cruel, I know).

As for the WIP count. I finished an ancient one - a scarf using NZ Artisan Laceweight. Not that exciting, but it was quite nice to get a longtime WIP off the list. I also ripped a shawl that I had only 2 rows done on and frankly couldn't remember what I was doing with it. Better, to just restart from scratch. I started and finished two Calorimetries. The first, two go with the fingerless gloves in the last post.



And I had so much fun with that one that I made another from some Noro. I have one mitten made with this yarn but not good notes on how I did it! I figure this gives me an idea which needles I used anyway:



And today I started Hanami:

Well I started something new - but I also finished it!

Presenting extremely quick fingerless gloves:



I've been hearing about the knitting guild in Hanover County for a while. When I was meeting with some Richmond friends at a Panera in July we ran into some ladies who were with the group. So I was able to find out time and place so I could check out the group.

Their program for last Saturday was fingerless gloves. The president, Fran, emailed me the homework last Monday. So I ran out at lunch and bought some yarn (which was way easier than digging it from stash!) and new needles (again, not like I have any of those at home!). We had to knit to where the thumbhole would be going in before the meeting. I got both done to that point, so I was able to finish them up yesterday.

I actually ripped back the first one after it was finished so I could extend the cuff another inch, since I knew I'd have enough yarn.

Not being used to working with chunky yarns, I was worried that one skein wouldn't be enough, so I bought two. Now I'm trying to decide whether to return the second skein, or make a matching scarf or hat with it and the little yarn I have left from the first.

I also received an order from Carodan Farm that I had placed a little while back. One skein of the limited edition Tofutsies for August, and four skeins of Lorna's Laces sock (2 in Black Purl and 2 in Seaside), just so I'd get free shipping.

So the net stash increase for this week is 1427.95, and the WIP change is 0.

Oh, and I received my Ravelry invite last Thursday, so I've been wasting too much time there! My name is vaknitter if you're there.

Another stash increase, of course!

Really, could I have been expected to resist!

After my Colorsong Yarn arrived last week I wandered to their site to see what was new. Bad plan! On the left we have Handmaiden Tussah Silk in Amber. It called to me for 5 days before I gave in and purchased three skeins. The site is like the Borg. And since its flat rate shipping, well I picked up that Fleece Artist Blue Faced Leicester Aran on the right to make a bag for my Denise Needle set and accessories (free pattern on Cat Bordhi's site).

And in the middle. Well I went to my favorite beaded knitting site, Earthfaire , to pick up a pattern. The yarn in middle is Mama Llama Silken Cashmere - 55% silk and 45% cashmere. The stuff is like trying to photograph jewelry - the flash just bounces off of it!

So the stash is up 2922.2 yards.

On the other hand, I haven't given in to the urges to start another project!

A little late checking in!

I do have a finished object to report this week, but no pictures. I finished my Kiri using Colinette Parisienne and beads, but I haven't blocked it. The house is still in too much of an uproar to find room to block this baby. So pictures will have to wait.

I also ripped out another project. This is yarn I've never found anything that it looks good in. I thought I'd try a scarf based on the Clapotis pattern, and that was working to break up the bad activity of the colors. But I really don't like the colors I decided. So rip, and I give up and will donate this yarn to the prison. Here's a pic if you want to see:



Actually, on my computer that pic doesn't make it look too bad as its washed out. The green is the problem color - its somewhere between lime and olive and not attractive.

And oh, yes, some new yarn arrived!



From left to right we have:

-3 skeins of Nature's Palette Organic Worsted Weight Columbia Wool in Spring Grass
-1 skein of Seacoast Handpainted Yarns Superwash Sock in Sunny Day
-2 skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Rainforest (limited edition for August)
-2 skeins of Ruby Sapphire Treadsoft, 1 in Brian and 1 in Antoinette

The odd thing here is the Spring Grass yarn is a little washed out, while the Treadsoft are dark. They are dark skeins, but not quite as dark as they look there - one is blues and greens and the other purples and olives.

So the net result for this week is up 1934.93 yards (I'm not counting the yarn I'll donate until I actually do), and down 2 WIPs.

I think the stash increase rate as at least slowed a little!

Wow, its amazing how little I got done knitting-wise this week!

So I was home all week while a bunch of work was being done around the house - painting about 1/2 the interior, new heating/ac system, new hot water heater (tankless!), and then repair work for the holes they had to cut for the new vents/pipes for these. I had been hoping that I would do a little more sorting/de-cluttering of the house myself. But I honestly thought I'd have time for lots of knitting.

Well I didn't! First, it was just so hectic here I quickly realized there was no work happening on the Mystery Stole. Luckily there was no new clue this past Friday, but since it is Sunday afternoon and I go back to work next week, and I haven't knit one stitch on clue 4, I think its very doubtful I'll get that clue done before the clue 5 comes out next Friday. Oh well, I'm still way ahead of when I normally lose pace with these things.

And I didn't even really get any easy knitting done. I had thought I'd finish Kiri this week. And I'm on 7 of 12 rows in the edging. But I'm going to start adding beads now, which means its no longer a carry-along project. Which also means it will be competing with Mystery Stole for at-home knitting time. Oh well.

But I did get rid of some yarn this week. My friend Melodye stopped by one evening and took the last of the sock yarn I've been meaning to put on ebay. So that's a reduction of 3472.2 yards of yarn. Which as you'll see just barely exceeds the incoming yarn from last week, and not that from this week.

First, I never gave you a total on last week's incoming. I know the yardage for the kit, so that can go on the yarn inventory rather than the kit inventory. So the total was 3124.73 yards.

And this week:



Starting on the top row left, 2 skeins of "Buckwheat Honey" from Wooly Wonka for the Bee Fields shawl and 4 skeins for "The Iceman Cometh" sock. Last in the top row is a skein of sock yarn from Two Waters Fiberworks in the color Fleur. Bottom row, again left to right, we have Urban Gypz Hand Painted Sock yarn in "Yam, I Am;" Madelinetosh Highland Sock in "Ocean;" Dream in Color Smooshy Sock in "Wisterious" and "Beach Fog;" Knotty Sheep Painted Ladies Lace in "Dragon Ladies & Dragon Knights" (2 skeins); and Trekking pro natura in color 1508 (a denim tweed). The 2 kits have to go on that list, the yardage on the remainder - 4441!

Its really too bad I mostly buy lace and sock yarns - bulky would have much less yardage!

And I started a Clapotis to use up some yarn I've never been happy with in any other pattern. It will be easy enough to be a carry-along project. I think I have enough yardage for a scarf-size. And I'll put it in the gifts pile when I'm done.

Quick confession

Stash still increasing.

No decrease on WIPs.

But I am home this week while I have a bunch of work done at the house. I'm hoping I'll have at least one WIP to report next week.

So, mail orders that arrived this week are the Lily of the Valley smoke ring kit from Wooly Wonka Fibers and 3 skeins of Trekking XXL.

And I went shopping in Richmond on Saturday. I was worse than I hoped, but better than I normally am under the circumstances. The damage - one skein of Cherry Tree Hill Suri Lace (a new yarn I had to try) and two skeins of Sea Silk in Ivory.

I think startitis might really be a disease!

I stopped in at Stitch DC yesterday on the way back from lunch and they had a few of Susanne's ebony circulars. Having heard a lot of these, and finding one in a popular lace needle size for me (US4), I picked them up. Now I have the crazy urge to cast on a new shawl, despite having recently tallied just how many of those WIPs are shawls! So far I'm fighting it off, but I am thinking about it a lot.

On the good news front, no yarn walked out the door with me!

Still working in the wrong direction

First the sock yarn from Carodan Farm came - Tofutsies June Limited Edition w/ pattern and Claudia's Handpaint in Blue Skies.



Then the Posh Yarn came - from left to right, Allegra laceweight (20% silk, 20% cashmere, & 60% cotton), Emily sock yarn (80% wool, 10% cashmere, & 10% angora), and Eva laceweight (55% silk & 45% cashmere). Only the last was bought with a specific project in mind, the rest were a whim. And until I received the pattern I didn't realize I may have moved on to a new color trend!



But I did finish my first toe-up sock using a short row toe and heel:



So the finally tally?

Increase of 3519.95 yards and decrease of 462 yards this week. Net change since July 1st - increase of 3975.33 yards. Current yardage in stash - 379484.47 yards.

Decrease of 1 WIP, to a current total of 28.

Clue 3 finished also!

Yep, finished clue 3 early this morning. This clue seemed a lot easier to me, I think because there were less beads.

I'm beginning to this this is the summer of the shawl - I finished the one skein shawl a week or so ago, and I have 4 shawls on the needles right now - Kiri, Leaf Lace, Nina and Mystery Shawl 4 (which I more typically didn't finish with the group!). I'm actively working on Kiri right now.

Plus I just purchase a kit for the bee shawl that is all the buzz right now (plus a few other kits from Willy Wonka).

Mystery Stole 3, Clue 2

Well I finished clue two Thursday morning, meaning that for the first time ever I have managed to keep pace with a KAL for more than one step! I'm so puffed up with pride its embarassing.

I've mentally started calling this "plain vanilla" because some of the dark ones are so gorgeous. But Melanie's pattern is so stunning that it really isn't plain!

One week in, almost 1000 yards up!

Yep, that resolution didn't really take so well. It didn't help that I found a picture on the internet of someone's stash that made mine look like small potatoes!

First, the Earthfaire order came - a merging colors kit in "Cape Cod." No details on the yarn, so this just adds one to the kit list:



Then I went to the Knitter's Cottage yesterday. They were having a "Christmas in July" sale and I couldn't resist a few things. Two skeins of Colinette Parisienne that were 50% off, 3 skeins of Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille that were 30% off, plus the new Interweave Felt special magazine and a Rowan Classic book.



I had missed a "staff" dinner last week, and the owner gave me the very generous goodie "bag" she had given everyone. Yep, that's some more sock yarn in the mix - Misty Mountain Farm Jubilee:



But I did finish a shawl made with one skein of Artyarns Silk Rhapsody:



I also ripped out the Genevieve shrug and started a Kiri shawl with the yarn on the Fourth. Its moving right along, and in fact looks like a project that will work as a train project. So hopefully it will be finished pretty promptly.

So, the net change on the count - 1 kit up, 917.38 yards up, 1 WIP down.

Oh, and I did order some other sock yarn this week and pulled off a few things from today's Posh Yarn posting! So another increase is on the horizon!

Now I should get back to clue 2 of the Mystery Stole 3!

Mid-year resolutions

Well between my post about the yarn-shopping blackouts and now life got really crazy. I decided that since July 1 was mid-way through the year I'd treat it like a New Year's Day and recommit to this destashing thing. I did mean to post this yesterday, but time got away from me.

So, yardage in the stash yesterday - 375509.14.

Kits not counted in the yardage - 1 cardigan, 2 dolls, 2 hats, 1 mitten, 4 novelties, 4 purses, 1 shawl, 4 socks, and 1 vest.

On the needles:

Robert the Bruce (aran sweater)
Mitered Vest
Danish Skra-troje sample
Soft Cables mobium
Mini Lace & Beaded Flag
Yummy mittens
Travelers socks
Trellis Stitch scarf
Simple socks
Bonkers hat
Noro 73 mittens
Flora (fair isle vest)
Finola (sleeveless sweater)
Bronte (lace scarf)
Leaf Lace Shawl
Lace scarf
Beaded pouch
Loopy & Luscious scarf
Philosopher's Wool cardigan
Log Cabin afghan
Twined Wristers
Mystery Shawl-a-long 4
Nina Shawl
Genevieve (shrug)
Angel Pearls (scarf)
Wendy's Toe-Up socks
Arctic Diamonds Scarf
Wendy's Toe-Up socks
One Skein Shawl
Mystery Stole 3

I have two outstanding yarn orders - one from Naturesong Yarns and one from Earthfaire - and I'm still in the Flock Sock club. But hopefully this time I won't go negative on the destashing!

Mystery Stole 3

Well I joined the Mystery Stole 3 KAL, along with thousands of other knitters from all around the world. I'm using vanilla Zephyr just like Melanie, but different beads. Below is my swatch (if you click on it you can actually see the detail). I put the beads I used around the swatch as I was amazed at how they looked so different in the bottle and so similar on the yarn. Starting from the bottom:

no beads
with Beadwrangler #111 crystal rainbow (lower left in bottle)
with Beadwrangler # 107 (lower right in bottle)
with Beadwrangler #212 (upper right in bottle)
with Beadwrangler #264 (upper right in bottle)



And here is my finished clue one:



Melanie's patterns are amazing! Now I'm twitching for the next clue. But its not like I don't have a bunch of other things I could be working on!

I may be having yarn shopping blackouts!

Okay, my big confession left out something big!

A while back my friend Melissa posted that she was getting ready to place an order to stock her booth for Maryland Sheep & Wool and did anyone want anything in particular.

Well I did.

Fleece Artist Merino 2/6 and Sea Wool for socks. Handmaiden Seasilk, Flaxen and 4 ply Cashmere.

And I kinda forgot about it, until I realized I wouldn't be able to pick it up at Maryland and it arrived this week by mail.

All 2670+ yards of it.

I am so in the negative numbers, and that backordered wool still isn't here.

And then I got tricked into buying some Classic Elite Lush (124 yards). At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

And I took a dyeing class Saturday after which I have a (beautiful if I must say so myself) 400ish yard skein of DK weight wool.

Oy!

Confession time

Okay, I suck. I fell off the wagon big time about a month ago. I've dealt with it by avoiding it. Time to 'fess up and get back on the program.

Until last weekend I haven't been knitting much. I've done a little crocheting. I've signed up for a crocheted shawls class the last weekend in April with Melissa Leapman. I am the exception that proves the rule that crochet is faster than knitting. I decided in early April that maybe I should crochet a little before the class came around. To date I've crocheted one coaster, which is lumpy bumpy, I think because of my gauge. And I've started a washcloth.

Last weekend was crazy weather so I gave in to the urge to watch some movies and knit. I went back to work on the Artic Diamonds scarf from a recent Interweave Knits. Got 60-70 rows done, so not too shabby.

Okay, I'm obviously really trying to avoid the confession!

So this is what has arrived to date from the binge:

Lisa Souza Sock! Merino – 560 yards (I've started a scarf with this)
Lisa Souza Big Wool – 434 yards (Intended for a bag)
Lisa Souza Fingering – 3500 yards (2 skeins for a stole)
Lisa Souza Lace – 2500 yards (for the Hanami stole)
Scarlet Fleece It’s Tubular – 960 yards (2 skeins) (for socks)
Yorkshire Tweed – one bag of Stainless – 1200 yards (for the collection)
3 colors of Lion Brand Cotton Ease @ 207 yards each
2 colors of Lion Brand Lion Cotton @ 236 yards each
2 colors of Lion Brand Organic Cotton @ 82 yards each
Euroflax Linen – 3 colors (champagne, lilac and pink panther) @ 270 yards ea
Louet Gems fingering – 3 skeins ea of 2 colors (aqua & lilac) – 1110 yds
Louet Gems sport – 2 skeins of Turkey Trot – 450 yds
Art Yarns Silk Rhapsody – 1 skein each of two colors – 260 yards each
Mystical Creations sock yarn - 560 yards

Grand total - 13861 yards! And I'm still waiting for an order of a sweater's worth of yarn that the color was a special order!

For those keeping track, that now takes my destashing yardage for the year down to a mere 964.05 yards, and you know that last that I'm waiting for will put me negative!

Time to either start knitting my fingers off or get some stuff on ebay!

Sock Madness

A little while back I signed up for Sock Madness - an aptly named group if there ever was one. You can learn all about it at http://sockmadness.wordpress.com/ . The first pattern was distributed to the contestants last Saturday (3/10). When it was time for me to leave for my freeform class at The Knitter's Cottage I checked the flickr group to see if anyone was posting and discovered that a number of people were already on their second sock! So much for feeling good about being at the heel on my first sock. When my division closed on Monday I slowed down, but did finish them this week. Even when I was commuting by train and focusing on sock knitting on the train I took about two weeks to knit a pair of socks, so I'm still rather impressed by knitting these in one week:



In other sock news, I joined the Flock Sock club this year. I received my first kit a few weeks ago and can't resist including a photo of this. The blue is one of the prettiest I've ever seen:

Since my last post...

(The pictures I talk about in this post are in the previous post to this one.)

I finished 2 cat mats I purchased at Morehouse Merino around Christmas time - took 660 yards out of the stash each. The picture is the second one. The first one was the same but blue where the orange is in this one. Not too exciting so I didn't bother taking a picture.

I also finished a pair of socks - the second picture. Another 464.78 yards out of the stash.

I've also bought some stuff. One skein Euroflax line - 270 yards up. One of my sock club kits arrived - another 503 yards up. Twenty balls of Cotolino. A great sale but a 2296.6 yard increase! Two new sock yarns I had to try - Apple Laine Apple Pie and Regia Bamboo Colors for a total of 1007.44 yards.

I put 8 auctions up on ebay. All have sold, but only 4 have been paid for to date, so I'll only count 5677.66 yards gone to date.

I've also been on a bit of a ripping spree with the WIPs. The third picture is a "Lost Points Stole." Ever since I started this I wish I had done something differently. The pattern has you cast on a large number of stitches (the long side of a rectangle) and knit for a certain lenght. Then you pick up around the other three edges and work in the round outward for the stole. I've always felt it would be funny to have one edge worked from live stitches on that center rectangle and the other three from not live stitches. Since the pickup would be easier if I only had to do the short sides, I was wishing I had cast-on with a provisional cast-on and could use live stitches on the other long side. The only thing that had held me back was how slippery the yarn is to handle. I swear the initial balling, and now the ripping and reballing of this yarn was more work than the actual knitting. But its done and that's one less WIP!

The fourth picture is a hat. I took a mitered squares class, and we were given a "pattern" where you knit a strip, join it in the round, pick up stitches and work the top of a hat. I got that far on this one but had never figured out what to do with the bottom edge, and didn't think the hat would be something I'd like even if I finished. I had another strip ready to go. Both got ripped. This one was the start of a Multidirectional Scarf, and I've knit all the ripped yarn plus some so far. I'll be much happier with the scarf. For the other yarn, I had already knit a mitten with some of the yarn. I kept pretty good notes - except WHAT SIZE NEEDLE I USED! I think I'm going to try and figure out the needle and knit the other mitten. Then maybe a simple beanie with the rest of that yarn.

The last picture is a gorgeous sweater I started knitting at least 10 years ago. I still love the sweater, love the yarn. But I'm fairly certain my knitting has changed so much you'd always see the ine where I picked it up again. So all that yarn is ripped out, dipped in hot water to relax it and is now drying in the tub. Probably will restart this some day.

There's one more WIP I had decided to rip, but I've actually "sold" it. Once its paid for I'll count the yardage in my minus column, but I've already taken it off the WIP list.

I have started two new projects - some toe-up socks with the new Bamboo yarn and that scarf. So since you probably can't keep track any more - the WIP count stands at 27!

Some pictures, with an explaination to come

3 FO's and Facing Reality

Well I not only finished the two things I promised this weekend, I finished a third.

First, dragon scarf from Morehouse Merino. I knew I'd get this done as it was blocking and just needed the eyes and smoke added when it dried.

Second, Harvest Cable socks from an old Opal yarn. This is one of the many single socks that were in my basket after I burned out on socks a few years back. Again, I knew I'd finish because I only had one toe left to graft.

Third, Ruffled fingerless gloves from "Not Just Socks" using Regia yarn. One was done, but the second was a bit of a surprise. I was a little sick this weekend, so got more knitting time in than I expected.

Total yardage out of the stash - a whopping 1204.09. NOT!

So I started to wonder how my "reducing WIPs" goal meshed with the "reducing the stash goal."

In the process I discovered a couple of discrepancies. First, the Regia yarn was listed incorrectly in the spreadsheet, reducing the stash by an additional 229.66 yards. Plus, I missed listing a cardigan kit in the tally - a Philosopher's Wool kit that was correctly counted in the WIP list.

Next, I tallyed how much the stash would be reduced if I finished all of the WIPs (which isn't even the goal). That would get me a 26503.04 yard reduction in the stash - so maybe half way to the stash reduction goal. Clearly I will have to do much more to reach the stash reduction goal than knit, so its time to think about going back in and destashing some more. So you may be seeing more of that soon.

Okay, new year, "new" blog

Okay, so I'm going to start really tracking my knitting in an attempt to keep track of what is going on with my stash.

Currently I have 350,182.14 yards of yarn!!!!! The previous pictures are still pretty accurate. I'd like to get it under 300,000 by the end of the year.

I have 34 WIPs (works-in-progress). I'd like to get the WIPs under 10 by the end of the year.

Plus the following kits I couldn't account for yardage-wise - 1 cardigan, 1 christmas stocking, 4 hats, 1 mittens, 4 purses, 1 shawl, 3 socks, 1 vest and 4 "novelties" (i.e., beaded fish). Probably not realistic to say they'll be gone by the end of the year, but cut in half maybe?

Baby steps. But I'm soooooo close to getting two WIPs finished - definately by the end of the coming long weekend!