The Fantasy

I suppose, like most knitters, I sometimes fantasize about owning a yarn store.

I fantasize, actually, about being wealthy enough to own a yarn store, and not worry about it being profitable or not. Oh, and still buy myself health insurance, because of the diabetes and all.

I have been thinking about this stuff a lot recently. I found the perfect space on North Mississippi Avenue.

I found the perfect name: Ya Ya Yarn.

Then, while I was reading The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg, I heard this sentence: "The sky was a redemptive blue."

"What a great name for a yarn color, " I thought.

So now I have a whole new fantasy about having my own line of yarns. Like the world needs another new line of yarns. Especially with Tina making the perfect yarns right down the road at Scappoose.

But I could name them. Redemptive blue. Joyful yellow. Ocean of forgiveness blue. Acceptance brown. Flattering green. Integrity black. Openness white. Loving red. It's a warm, cayenne red. Essential gray. I could make lots and lots of color names, especially in the blues.

But what to call the line as a whole? Any ideas? Or shall I think on it some more.

And, speaking of dogs,

My little dog hates the snow. And we have lots of snow right now.

And speaking of dogs, let's show off the sweater that I knit for her this spring. (See, I really was knitting. Knitting, but not blogging.)




Notice the evil cat looking over Bean's shoulder there.

This was an improvised ribbed dog sweater, made with less than 1 skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock - Lightweight, colorway Henpecked.

I like how it turned out overall. Beanie can wriggle right out of it, so I may need to add a casing and elastic around the neck, small enough that it won't slip over her collarbone.

The whole thing was improvised so the ribbing worked well, but I learned some things about ribbing that would cause me to do a few things differently. I would have decided which side was the right side & the wrong side, and just added and subtracted stitches from the wrong side ribs, in other words the ribs that show as reverse stockinette stitch on the right side.

I don't so much care for the pooling that happened around the middle of the piece.

I added on the crocheted arm bands.

This is not my favorite colorway from the Depraved Dyer at BMFA, but I have lots of others that are my favorite ( I have about 20 top favorites from BMFA).

When the snow melts, Beanie might deign to be seen in public in it.

Baby Pants

My first attempt at a soaker did not come out well.

I used a gifted yarn, the lighter color in a subtle tan to green colorway. I found this pattern at glamarama.net (scroll to the bottom). When I was past the ribbing, I realized that the finished item was going to be way too large, and that I would probably run out of the gifted yarn before I could finish. So I frogged it, and went out and bought a green yarn to go with it, for the doubled yarn section. You see the finshed item here. Okay, so I still have to do the seams on the side. But it's still too large. It would probably fit a 12-y-o. And I hope this little baby is out of diapers by that age.


So, 2nd attempt.

I went down in needle size and yarn size. This is a Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn, I've forgotten which colorway, in Socks That Rock, Lightweight.I'm very happy with the color. In the doubled section, I was knitting from both ends of the ball. The touch of this little item is totally worthy of a brand-new baby. It feels so good.

It's still too big. It's about 11" across at hips. I cannot bring myself to frog it. It's Blue Moon STR!



I need to retry this one, smaller stitch count to begin with.

And then these: Fancy Pants, based on a pattern I found at Ravelry by Annalea.

Very nice, if I do say so myself. My waistband and enclosed elastic is marvelous.



Now, must keep knitting! I'd like to make at least two more soakers and/or baby pants for the beloved baby by Christmas.

And I'm wanting to knit a beanie or hat for a marine, thanks to TheWench and the Selfish Knitters group at Ravelry. Mischievous youngsters.

Oh, and Judy, I arrived at the Barn Sale late, and stayed late. Your was the first face I looked for, so I'm assuming that you arrived early and perhaps left early.

Oh, and thanks to Courtney for the link! She helped me find Stephania. Maybe I am losing my hearing.

I did not plan on buying anything

I did not plan on buying anything at the BMFA Barn Sale. However, that's not what happened.

But, as they say, what happens at Barn Sale, stays at Barn Sale. I did meet a couple of really nice folks, including D**** who was making her first sock. And this lady. Her photography is fabulous, or, as some would say at BarnSale f****** fabulous. And this lady who began knitting a mythical second sock in my very presence. I met even more really cool ladies, but you know how I completely forget things. I wish I could find Stephania's blog. She was great. I'll have to look harder. I got a few more inches on the Cute Baby Pants. I met Tina and she might even remember me this time, as I was wearing my Harley-Davidson gear.

The 2009 Sock Club opens up for registration on December 15, 2008. BMFA Sock Camp in March 2009. And the Sock Summit in August 2009. I'd ask Santa for help, but I've already made my request.

Photos soon? Perhaps, perhaps.

More knitting.

Must Find Camera

I find that it is impossible to blog without my digital camera.

At first, when I began blogging, that was inconceivable. Not now.

And I have a fabulous little digital camera, a Sony, in a beautiful felted sleeve, which is recycled from a striped thrift-store sweater. But I cannot find it.

[bad words deleted]

So I cannot show of my projects here or at Ravelry. I cannot show off my stash at Ravelry. While it is small, I believe my stash to be of exquisite quality, and astounding for the amount of Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn.

And I cannot show off my delightful little baby pants projects for Charlotte, who should be born within the next four weeks or so. Nor reassure her mother that not all of these will be the color of snot. They're not. They're very pretty colors, and I've even started a set of so-called longies, in a turquoise blue to burgundy, turning out very nicely. And I created a great waistband, so it's a new technical skill for me.

BTW, anyone going to the Blue Moon Barn Sale on Saturday? I'm planning on it.

I am knitting!

They changed my antidepressant meds a few weeks ago, and Becci asked me to knit pants for her new baby daughter, still in the womb.

Well, I have now been introduced into the world of soakers and diapers and omigosh CUTE baby pants.

I am the world's slowest knitter and perhaps the most easily distracted. Baby B is due in January, but Becci is off bedrest even now, so Baby could arrive at any moment.

I started off with this nice 1959 soaker at glamarama.net. I love garter stitch for baby clothes. I'm working the one in the upper right.

I can't find my camera. I had yarn problems, gauge problems, knitting problems, then ripping problems.

I'll post more tonight.

Florida Knitting

Okay, I have missed you guys. Work's been crazy and knitting's been off and on.

We took a week's vacation to Florida. Yes. Orlando. DisneyWorld. Very much fun. Very much spending.

But in the middle of our vacation, week took a day to just 'ding around' as we like to say. We Googled. We found two knitting stores within driving distance.

This is a sparse knitting environment, in my humble opinion. Considering that, at home, I have about TEN knitting stores within driving distance. Okay, so Florida is hot and perhaps there is less knitting than there would be in a cooler environment. It's also more densely populated. If anyone needs relaxation and knitting, it would be these dear folks.

So, anyhow. We drove up, blindly, trying to find the little community of Longwood. After a panicked call to the proprietor, we found the delightful store Knit! That first picture is me, seated, in front of their selection. You can tell that I'm on vaction. I look so relaxed!

And this is a photo of Marney Gibson, the delightful proprietor:

She's holding the book I bought and ringing up the one skein of sock yarn that called to me. She was very hospitable and gave us lots of good tips for what to do and how to get there. If I get to go back to Florida, I'm calling Marney first and running my plans past her.

She is a good soul. And she runs a knit shop. In Florida. Lucky woman!

My knitting project for the trip was Dave's mythical socks, the ones done on size ZERO needles, with Lorna's Laces in Black Watch.

I did okay, knitting an inch or so on the flights to Florida. Got the marker in for the afterthought heels. And about an inch or so after that. But, on return flight, disaster! I pulled out my project only to discover that one of the tiny bamboo needles had been broken. Woe.

And we arrived home late on Sunday, with no opportunity to replace the size zero circular needles. I visited three of my local yarn stores, and found one replacement needle (Addi Turbos, this time), came home, slipped all the stitches onto the replacement needle, set the project down and leaned over to move something on the couch, and BROKE THE OTHER BAMBOO NEEDLE.

Curses!

And on Tuesday, I had to work, and thus, less freedom to pursue another size zero Addi Turbo needle. Work. So annoying.

It counts, right?

Shopping can count as knitting, right?

Judy wanted to know what I got at the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sale

Here it is, all in my large Ikea bag. No, I did not fill the whole bag. But, it's good to be prepared.

Alright, top row, L-R: Loopy, which is mostly mohair. It's in a crazy rainbow dyed pattern. I think it will be a silly scarf. Next, my grab bag. I think it's pink Loopy and a Brach's candy colored sock yarn. Hmm. Perhaps another scarf. The 3 pink skeins are Wensleydale. (You know why I had to buy Wensleydale wool, don't you? I've already tried the Wensleydale cheese.)

Second row: Two skeins of Lil Loops, which was my first ever BMFA yarn. These two-one is a pastel green-to-green colorway, and the other is a pastel green-to-blue colorway-make me very happy. Not sure what they'll be yet.

Then two Feltable medium weight Socks That Rock. Five mill-end medium weight Socks that Rock, and finally four mill-end light weight Socks That Rock.

And five books.

Yarn fumes. I have heard of their powers before, but this was definitely a trip.

And I have to show off my new collection of these:

These are my nine KIP bags, made by Brenda. I LOVE them!! Practical, creative, not overpriced (hope she got a good deal on the fabric).

She uses a variety of fabrics on the bottoms, wool or denim, usually very sturdy. The front row left bag is my favorite. It's got fiery skulls on it! My husband practically grabbed it out of my hands, but the light-colored interior is going to be a problem for him. Most of his stuff has either grease or blood on it.

I bought these all on Ebay. You can see what she's got up for sale here. I'll try to control myself so you can buy some in the next few weeks. I think I'm going to have to limit myself to 3 of these project bags per knitting bag.

Gotta finish some projects.