Reducing your stash? Let me help!

I've given up on New Year's resolutions. That way, I can't fail and feel bad that I couldn't stick to them! Last year, I posted that I was going to not buy any yarn. I lasted about three months, before I found myself standing at the cash register of my LYS with an armful of yarn, reaching into a bag to see what my discount would be (Damn mystery discount sales!). I got all that fiber goodness for 50% off. How can you argue with that? It's like getting yarn for free!



Joining Ravelry made me take a good look at my yarn inventory. It's too large to call a "stash" anymore. I think of a stash as a little (yarn, money etc..) something you can put away for a rainy day. My "stash" is not small enough to hide away (lol). My plan this year is to knit some of it up. So, I'm on the look out for patterns. Like I really need more patterns!!! We won't go there today.



Here's one very nice neck warmer to help reduce that stash and keep you toasty on a winter's day! I found this today on Veronik Avery's blog. It's a Chevron Neck Warmer. She didn't write a formal pattern, but provided her notes on making it. These notes and chart are very easy to understand. According to her blog, people saw her wearing it and requested a pattern.

I know exactly what yarn I'll be using and where I can get some buttons ! Go visit Avery's blog and get knitting that stash down. I'd love to see other's neck warmers. So, post it to your blog so I can see ! I'll Post mine too.

364 knitting and blogging

Only 364 more days to go...

Reading my blog post title, you'd think I'm anxious for 2009 to arrive, but I'm really not. Instead, I've just lost my mind and signed up for blog 365 ! I've seen badges for this on other blogs and my curiosity got the best of me . The premise is to blog every single day for 2008. Currently over 600 people have signed up. This will be quite a challenge for me seeing as I only blogged 24 times for all of 2007. This means more knitting posts than ever before AND you'll get to know more about me than you ever have or maybe want know!!! I have to have something to write about daily!

365 and knitting/blogging!

Let's do the time warp again...

Well readers (if there are any of you left!), it's been awhile since I last posted. When I first started blogging, I read all the newbie articles explaining how to have a good blog and make it inviting to readers. One of the first suggestions was keep it current like a diary and write about what your doing now in real time. So, much for that on this blog!!! I've been criss-crossing back in forth in time with my posts and projects! but...

I can't let 2007 close without a December post! So, here goes...


I joined Ravelry awhile ago and have been having some fun meeting up with other ravelers at different events! The first one was Rhinebeck and the most recent was at a Ravelry meet up in Fairhaven, MA (12/8/07). Pam of Lick my Sticks organized a Sunday Brunch meet-up At Eva's Yarn Store. It's a beautiful store with lots of wonderful yarns, patterns and more. She was very gracious and opened the store 2 hours before the normal Sunday time and offered a nice discount for any purchases. (Oh, you know I bought yarn!!!). The food was plentiful and it was so much fun meeting everyone. Lots of shopping and lots of conversation and new friends. Even without another meet-up (one's in the works for Spring!), I'd go to Eva's again. Eva is a knitter and her shop is very welcomingt o knitter's with places to sit, knit and chat. There's coffee and of course lots fiber to drool over . Thanks Pam and Eva!!! Eva was a good sport and modeled Cadbury Keeper's knitted Punk Mohawk. The picture og her shop is just a small part of it . Believe me there's much more to be seen! While there, I bought some Artyarn to make a seafoam scarf (2008), new sock yarn from J. Knits. It's a hand-dyed yarn in an almost solid color of burgundy red called "Massachusetts". It's a super wash too. I'll let you know how it knits up. It hasn't decided what kind of sock to be, so I'll decide later or maybe even have a contest with suggestions and a fiber prize. I've never had a contest, so maybe 2008 is the time to have one! I also bought some Chrystal Palace -"Taos" . I love the colors. It's 100% wool and very soft.


Now,onto the F.O.'s! The first is the "Lace Leaf Pullover" This was a fun and easy knit, until I got to the grafting part of it. This sounds crazy, but I actually enjoyed seeing the grafting as it was completed and the fact that once done, It was not obvious where it was grafted. However, I pulled it and my hair out 4 times before doing it my way and looing the way I wanted it to- invisible!. Teva's directions has the have the upper part of the sweater bound off and the lower half of the sweater with live stitches. When I tried to graft it , I kept getting a line showing exactly where it came together. Finally, I undid the bound off edge and grafted both pieces live. Voila, a whole sweater. Would I make it again? Yes, but would make just a few modifications. Should I make it again, I'll share those mods. A year ago, I would never have thought of making my own modifications! I think this means I've grown at least a little bit in my skills! I used the recommended yarn and loved it. While making it, anyone who saw it commented on the beauty of the color. Believe me, my photography just doesn't do it justice. The yarn is Filites-Van Dyck. It's a chunky yarn and very warm! As you can see it's not fitted, but was comfy and went great with my jeans. here is a close-up of the wooden buttons I used. I found these at my LYS. This store sells sewing,quilting, and other craft supplies. What I didn't realize was the extensive button section at the back of the store! If I hadn't procrastinated for so long, this sweater would have been finished last spring instead of his November! My next project is one that just made me smile and think of summer every time I took them out of my bag to knit... watermelon socks! These were fun to make and I was fascinated by how the stripes and the watermelon seeds appeared just as they should as I knitted them up! The yarn is from Freshisle Fibers in Canada. It is 100% suffolk wool. I was obsessed from the moment I saw this yarn and had to have it. Only so many batches are made each year. 2007 was my lucky year! Initially, I wanted the fingering weight for socks, but like vesper yarn (which I scored this year too!) disappears 5 minutes after its put on the website for sale! I went with the worsted weight to make boot socks or around-the-house and am very happy with the results. These need to be washed before being worn ( I was in a hurry to post them), because the yarn is minimally processed ( I found straw in it). After the wash, they will be fluffier and whiter. So consider this a before picture and I'll post an after Pic later. Lastly, I make a the Noro scarf from Ocean Wind Knits. I loved the pattern and the scarf came out beautifully!. The pattern calls for Noro, but I substituted Plymouth Yarns - boku. It was easy to knit with and the color runs are similar to Noro. The pattern in the scarf is called Orca scale stitch. It's a free pattern. Check it out!


Well that's my end of the year knitting and I'm ready to start 2008 with enough projects to keep me going till the next millennium! I want to say thanks to everyone whose stopped by to say hello, offer support and be the wonderful people you are!! Hope you'll join me again in 2008. I'll certainly be dropping by your blogs with my coffee and knitting in hand! This last post for 2007 ends with Pictures of my sweet cats(although they look more haughty than sweet ...they really are sweet!)and me wishing you a:
HAPPY, HEALTHY,AND KNITTY NEW YEAR!!!

Rhinebeck... It's stuck in my head!

It was really stuck in my camera, which decided not to give up the pictorial memories!!! I don't why the computer couldn't upload them, but I finally found a way to get them and without further ado...Rhinebeck!

As a newbie to I jumped in with both feet by going with a group of knitters via Yarn Safari Tours. I met some great knitters/bloggers and despite a few bugs with bus route and and late start, it was a good way to go. Next year, I like to go for the weekend. Besides the festival, the area itself is absolutely beautiful! Fall is my favorite season and the Hudson Valley area was a dream! I played blogger bingo and even before getting into the festival, I met one of the other players, Pam! She has a great blog called Lick my Sticks. I was so excited to meet my first blogger bingo person, I called her by the wrong name and then forgot to get a picture! Pam remembered. It was great to get to meet her!

There was so much to see that I walked around in awe not sure of what to do! I decided to stroll through several areas to get my head together and then shop. First, I walked around the outside vendors and animal pens and then went into some of the buildings. There were lots of knowledgeable 4H students and farmers talking about their animals and products. People for the most part were pretty laid-back and friendly, despite the large, sometimes slow moving crowds.strollers, shopping bags, etc.

Here are a few pics of some animals I saw. The little boy in the picture was great at answering every one's questions about these sweet alpacas. One was making little cooing/chirpy noises and snuggling with the other one. Sometimes, they'd snuggle around the boy and put their heads under his hand. You could tell he was very proud of taking care of these animals.

For me, it was a real eye-opener learning about all the different types of sheep there are! Here is a picture of two peaceful looking sheep. These two seemed totally unfazed by all the visitors looking at them and touching them. After seeing all these great animals and having time to get myself together, I was ready to shop! Here are pictures of the great stuff I Bought!

I promised myself not to even think about spinning... hand spindle or wheel! Seeing all those different spindles and wheels, put me over the edge! I broke down (It didn't take much !) and bought a Rakestraw Spinner and some beautiful roving (new vocabulary). I also got some lace weight yarn from Briar Rose Fibers. They also sold patterns. So, I bought a pattern I'd seen online called the bumblebee shawl. I was good and only bought two skeins of sock yarn. The pink one is made out of wool and soy silk. I haven't knit with this blend and it's so soft! I bought a few patterns (not shown) and I had to get the Ice Wine after taste testing some of the wines.

I didn't think of eating until later in the day and stuck to my usual fare... sausage with peppers and onions. Everyone was talking about how good the lamb chili and lamb kabobs were. Never, never, never...not Me! I just couldn't think about eating those cute little lambs! I know what your thinking...hypocrite...she ate the sausage. I have to draw the line somewhere. Dessert later in the day was much less of a dilemma. I had chocolate pudding cake drizzled with chocolate sauce and raspberry sauce. It was delicious!

I had a great day and can't wait till next year. I figure this post is better late than never. If your in the area next year and have never been to Rhinebeck. it's worth your time!

Now... Spider Man 3 is waiting for me

Rhinebeck here I come...I'm a Player and a Square!

When I saw the date of my last post, I almost fell off my chair! Yikes!!! All I'm gonna say is "Ditto" cause I have the same reasons for not blogging that you've read on other blogs and I don't want you to have read them again!

I'm very excited aboutgoing to the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival. I've never been before, but always read about how much fun it was and of course, there's all that beautiful fiber! Like I'm in dire need for more yarn(LOL), but I just have to feed my addiction. I'm also going to jump right in and play Rhinebeck Bingo. It's a chance to meet lots of other fiber lovers and knit bloggers. I heard it was a blast last year, so I'm jumping in with both feet this year and being a player and a square! The object is to find all of the players who are on your bingo card. I got mine via e-mail and the countdown to Rhinebeck begins. 2 days and counting. There will be prizes for bingo and who doesn't love prizes!

I'm going by way of Yarn Safari Tours. It's run by a woman named Peta Bailey who arranges bus tours to the various fiber events in New England. I'll be able to meet fellow knitters and sit back, socialize and knit. Who could ask for more? No driving to New york for

me! Anyone else out there in blogger land going on the Yarn Safari bus? Drop me a comment!

Now onto knitting...

I really have been knitting . I finished a pair of socks that have been sitting around since March and another pair is close to being done (clementine's). Of course, I can't leave sock knitting alone until I completely finish all my UFOs. I've started another pair "Watermelon"...love these socks! Last but not least, the lace leaf pullover is finis! I really like but the grafting....aaaaaaaaaaaah! That's all I'm saying for now. I'll give more details in the next post when I show it off! Despite the screaming, I'd make it again! I don't have any pictures of the above for this post (no batteries in the camera), but I'll have some for the next post.

Almost time for the "Bionic Woman" gotta go!