Lace?

I am becoming a lace knitter.

I like being challenged. I like the complicated look of lace and love the ease of it. Who knew that mixing in a few yo's, p's, ssk's, k2togs with the k's would get such gorgeous results?

I have a crush on Anne Hanson's designs. Every single one of them. I want Bee Fields. Wow.

And Ishbel? Just gifted to me (thanks, Jen!). I've been lusting after this pattern for a long time now.

I just ordered some J Knits Lace-a-licious for something...not sure what, but it comes in 1200 yd skeins, so I should be able to make any Anne Hanson design. Ishbel will be from Mal Sock! I can't wait to cast on!

Stash Death

In an effort to make money fast, I sold a large amount of my stash. Six skeins of Wollmeise, 4 skeins of Lorna's Laces sock, 5 skeins of Sundara Merino Sport, 1 skein of Shivaya Lace, 5 skeins of Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light, 2 skeins of Claudia Silky Merino, 2 skiens of Shibui Silk Cloud, 2 skeins of Claudia Hand Painted, and 2 skeins of Yarn Love Anne Shirley.

This experience has taught me to not buy yarn until I am ready for a project. I have, altogether, too much yarn. The allure of Wollmeise is over. The allure of a "good deal" has passed. I want to knit with what I love.

It almost brought me to tears when I came home after posting all the yarn from work...to touch it, bag it, address it, send it...was really hard. But I know that there are other loving homes out there...and I've learned my lesson about over stashing.

Smaller and Smarter

Spring Cleaning.

I cleaned out the cupboards. Got rid of processed gook. Mr. J and I are eating healthy from now on. No more junk. He's waxing and I'm waning.

I cleaned out the office. It had become a dumping ground for all things homeless. It's now a workspace. Time to get a move on chapter 4. It practically writes itself. Then on to chapter 5. That's the hard one, but, since I'm so much closer to chapter 4, it won't be as bad.

I've begun to analyze my stash, too. I find it hard to purge. There are yarns I don't love but am afraid that their time will come. There are colors I question, but wonder if, when I shrink, if those will make incredible sweaters...

Holy Yarn, Batman!

Today was fun.

I subbed for my friend Batman and I bought 8000 yards worth of yarn.

Yay for fun.

Around and around and around we go

I just cast on for Jared Flood's Girasole. I'm still on DPNs, but it's getting to the point where I need to leave them in the dust. I am absolutely addicted to knitting this pattern.

Don't you love it when you find something you just can't put down? This pattern is like reading a good book - you get to the end and you flip the page hoping there is more. The yarn (Malabrigo Worsted in Paris Night) and the pattern just fit.

There are charts galore in this pattern, so I'm learning to use charts, too. My first lesson was to double check the chart after printing and compare it with the pdf... My "no stitch" and "knit" boxes look identical b/c the gray was shaded so lightly.

It's going well - I think. The ssk, yo, k2tog, ssk, yo, k2tog is giving me some trouble in that it is slower than the others...but I did learn how to k1p1k1 into a single yo!

Soccer was cancelled for this morning, so I think I'll hit that row again after I have my eggs.

20 grams and 20 pages

Twenty grams from finishing mom's cowl...need to post pics. It's my first "design" and it's going all right...the yarn is not nice to me, but the stitch I chose (gull lace) is going well with only one mistake that will hopefully be obvious to only me.

Twenty pages away from finishing my discussion section. Of course, this is just an arbitrary number, but I've literally been thinking for two weeks with little progress. :( Later today I'm going in to the lab to work on stimuli selection for a different project since I can't seem to get on with my discussion section. Seriously, brain, why aren't you stoked? This is one chapter from Dr. Mel! I'm hoping that something will click - soon.

Things I love...

Sanguine Gryphon Yarns

Gorgias
Cochin
BFL

Three Irish Girls Yarns

Carys BFL
Wexford Merino Silk
Lindon Merino
Beckan Stretch Merino

Three Irish Girls Colorways

Emer
Cameron
Erin
Maura

Sundara

Cobalt over Mediterranean in FSM or Aran Silky Merino
Green Olive Tapenade (from the December colors)
Ruby Port (November colors)
Sangria over Garnet.
Winter Yarn Collection


Needles:

Kollage
Addi Turbos
Addi Lace

Colors I love:

Vibrant Blue
Gold-ish (like DiC Smooshy's Gold Experience)
Greens
Reds
Dark Grays and Blacks
Slight variegated yarns where the colors are versions of each other (not like Dusty Olive in Mal)

Non-Knitting

Origins Modern Friction
Bare Escentuals