Happy Friday!

On May 11, 2018May 11, 2018 By FogKnitsIn Stash Enhancement, WIP7 Comments

Look Familiar? Not much has changed. Things have been meandering along this week. I tried to generate some excitement last week but it didn’t work.

The baby sweater I cast on is sitting untouched in the corner. I’m not sure the stripes I chose are a good idea, maybe I should just stick with the color blocking? I still haven’t cast on a Local Yarn Shawl. My colors aren’t quite right. I need to dive a bit deeper into the stash. Just a lot of meh going on.

May the Fourth inspired me to pull R2-D2 out of his corner. And while, he’s gotten lots of love this week, it’s not entirely obvious, thanks to the effect of white stitches on a very pale blue background. It doesn’t help that cross stitch makes knitting seem fast and efficient when done by hand.

Even my beloved Dotted Rays is stuck in a pit of ennui (<-that’s how bad it is, it’s turned French?!?). Progress is being made, and it’s going to be awesome. I’m ready for it to be done though. It’s grown to very cumbersome, shlanket proportions.

It WILL be done soon and I’m going to love wearing it. Even that ‘purple’ stripe that is totally skewing pink is going to be great. The whole thing is terrific. Terrific is not exciting though.

And then, just when I thought all hope was lost, that moment when vacuuming seemed like a better idea than crafting…the mailman showed up! Phew! It was a close call. The mailman arrived just in time. He brought me a package from my Mom, a sort of reverse Mother’s Day package! It’s an especially good one…

Not one but TWO skeins of Magical Tundra Qiviut! For those not in the know about this stuff, it’s the epitome of luxury fiber. An incredibly soft, incredibly warm, incredibly lofty fiber from the arctic musk ox! I always visit the musk ox booth at Stitches to pet the skeins but I’ve never brought any home with me. This is Excitement (<- capital E!)

And, it turns out, fancy musk ox yarn, isn’t even the most exciting part of this package. Mom also sent 1000 yards of her own hand dyed amazingness!

Yes, FriYAY can officially commence now. I love all of these colors! I can’t wait to wind and swatch all afternoon! Turns out I wasn’t meandering or bored all week. I was just waiting for the right moment to get excited! Patience is, indeed, a virtue. Wooooooo!

Happy Friday! Hope you’ve all got excitement on your needles too!

Stitches West 2018

On February 27, 2018February 27, 2018 By FogKnitsIn Misc, Stash Enhancement8 Comments

Before I get into Stitches, I’ve got one last Olympic photo left on my desktop.

Behold…the Clipboard of Power!

I laughed so hard when I saw that. Also, I want one! Clipboards definitely give you super powers. This one must be very special. I bet they needed specific training before being allowed to handle it. Yup, I definitely want one.

List #1 for the Clipboard of Power…all the yarns I want to buy next year.

Neighborhood Fiber Co for starters. I was drawn back to their booth so many times. Surprisingly, I bought nothing there??

Hedgehog Fibers…nope, didn’t bring any home?! A Verb for Keeping Warm…it was gorgeous, didn’t buy any though. I passed up the Shibui booth entirely. I never visited the Yarn Over Truck. YOTH…not this year. Sincere Sheep, such a shame to miss.

Frankly, once I gave myself permission to buy whatever I wanted, it’s amazing that this is all I came home with:

So where DID I shop?

First stop: Miss Babs

That’s five skeins of Yowza caked up at the top of the photo. It’s the yarn that set my color palette for the weekend and for year one of nephew knitting. I hit the teal-purple-grey with a pop of chartreuse color scheme pretty hard this year. If I’m going to do all this baby knitting, I may as well like it.

Those five skeins are going to become the ultimate Rebecca Danger layette set — a monster blanket and a monster sweater, both with pockets for monster friends. There will be a whole gaggle of monster friends and whatever else I can squeeze out of those 2800 yards. That’s 1.6 miles of yarn. It sounds like a lot. I’m not convinced though. Good thing I kept shopping…

Next, KnitPicks. I’ve long had a love-hate relationship with them. Love the product, hate the shipping issues. Being able to buy their yarns in person, even if it’s only at special events, is awesome!

I got a couple hanks of the new worsted weight yarn, Provincial Tweed. It’s got baby sweater potential. I love tweed for it’s ability to hide pills. I’m guessing it will hide spit up pretty well too?!

And of course, fan favorite, self-striping sock yarn, Felici. I don’t even knit socks but show special $3.50/ball…how do you resist that? Blaming this one on the impending baby as well…thinking a Baby Vertebrae and a set of little baby leg warmers. Chubby baby legs wrapped in yarn are pretty adorable. Once the idea was planted, there was no ignoring it.

Still, though, I wasn’t done. Zombie Yarns was definitely calling my name. I can’t wait to knit this. I got the ‘Playful Monster’ yarn pack to make the ‘Playful Monster Hoodie’. I’m not sure it’s monster enough though. I may have to put some monster ears on it to jazz it up a little more. (and also knit it in my size!)

Never fear though, I did by some yarn for myself. I know you were probably concerned about that. I think I’ve finally collected enough speckles for a speckle fade cardi!!

A couple finds from the Western Sky Knits sale bin (the two on the left)! $15 speckles! Yes Please! In the middle, a gorgeous purple speckle from Hooker’s Corner called Wisterious. Love it! On the right, another purple speckle, this one from Arucania.

I think getting out the rest of the collection for a full fade inspection will really be the motivation I need to cast on a fingering weight sweater.

And finally, there’s the first yarn to make it onto needles. It’s Valley Yarns, Goshen – a cotton/tencel/silk blend. A July baby needs a cotton blanket!

A bit of a swatch and off I went…

I’m just happy it’s not a hat! :) I’m making good progress. Fingers crossed I can resist the urge to cast on more new yarn. It’s time to finish my current sweater WIP. A little focus goes a long way!

Knittus Interruptus

On February 1, 2018February 1, 2018 By FogKnitsIn Scarf, Stash Enhancement, WIP6 Comments

I made it all the way to January 31st before I broke down and bought yarn. Despite my ardent claims, we all knew it was going to happen. I really did mean it though. I thought I’d make it into February before I came up with an excuse. And, I do think I’ve got a good excuse…

This is the Striped Asymmetry wrap. I was supposed to have the exact right yarn for this project. Woolfolk Tynd, the yarn the pattern calls for.

Turns out, I didn’t. And, I’m so far off, I can’t even call this a yarn chicken fail. The stripe pattern needs to continue on, consuming the grey tail up top, as the stripes continue. That’s still a lot of tail stitches to use up. I must’ve misread the pattern. Losing the pattern page with those details on it probably didn’t help.

So you can see where this is going. I bought this yarn back in September at the Knitterly, in Petaluma. I figured it couldn’t hurt to call and see if they still had it. And sure enough, they had a dye lot match! My lucky day!

How could I not buy that? It’s the rest of the pile I probably didn’t need…

Neon green acrylic…going to be part of the bike project I’m working on. I didn’t need the yardage but the project is missing some green pops. It’s sort of justified. Also, only $6.

Price is my justification for the other two skeins as well. YOTH Little Brother, from the clearance section. It was 70% off, only $8/skein. It’s a little fuzzy from being kicked around but that’s what cashmere does. At $8/skein, it’s irresistible. I had to buy it. HAD TO.

Plus, look at all this yarn I didn’t buy…

I resisted a lot! I have no regrets! NONE! Not only that, I’m glad about it! It was a beautiful day to be traipsing across the bridge!

I stopped for bridge pics coming and going and I even managed a little trip to the beach and some knitting time.

Nope, not one single complaint about it.

I really mean it this time though…I’m not buying any yarn for the next three weeks. Then it’s Stitches. Of course I’ll buy yarn at Stitches. I’ve got a justification for that too (details to follow). Maybe a more reasonable goal is to only buy yarn once a month?? I think I could do that?!

Maybe.

WIP Wednesday – A New Sweater

On December 27, 2017December 27, 2017 By FogKnitsIn Casting On, Stash Enhancement, Sweater11 Comments

Before I show you my new sweater project, let’s take a moment to bask in the glory of this amazing yarn!

This is a DK weight, 100% baby llama yarn my Mom dyed and sent me for Christmas. I absolutely love it! Mom used an ice dying technique that I don’t think is common among yarn dyers but seeing the results, it should be!

You prep your yarn as normal and then pack it in ice. You sprinkle dye powder on top of the ice. As it melts, the dye is solubilized and trickles down to the fiber below. The result is all kinds of unexpected fun! The chartreusey green dye broke into it’s base components giving an amazing array of gold and yellow tones while still maintaining much of it’s greenness.

I love it. So much complexity from one dye and some ice. I can’t wait to use it. It’s 220 yards. I’m thinking cowl. We’ll see. Maybe even some sort of lace leaf motif. Just as spring starts springing, I usually have a fit that only this color can calm. It’s gonna be good.

In the meantime, this is my palate…

Thank you Noro! This is the Noro Rainbow Roll, a 100% wool pencil roving. It’s surprisingly soft for a Noro yarn. It’s certainly softer than the yarn I’m pairing it with, Plutolopi, an unspun Icelandic yarn.

I’m pretending they’re the same gauge, even though they aren’t. The lopi is distinctly thinner. I think it works though. I like the swatch. I’m going with it.

The plan was generic top-down, raglan cardigan. The gauge worked out perfectly for Vivido, though. My two favorite cardigans are this pattern. One of them is well past it’s expiration date. I keep repairing it but it really should be retired. So, in the spirit of if-it-ain’t-broke, my new sweater is another Vivido.

It’s going well, but the plan has definitely changed already. My original intention was a striped cardigan. As I work these stripes though, they’re a little busy. I’m not sure I need that all over my body.

The new plan is striped yoke, solid brown body. That’s a totally fair compromise. Plus, I wouldn’t mind having some of this Noro left over. It really is soft. I’m feeling the urge to stash more! (it’s only $11 at Webs right now!?!?)

(and Noro is prone to discontinue this. It’s definitely a specialty item.)

(I’m gonna try really hard to resist.)

(I should probably use this pile first!)

(I think I’ve talked myself off the ledge. For now.)

Weekend Stash Enhancement

On November 12, 2017November 12, 2017 By FogKnitsIn Stash Enhancement, Yarn9 Comments

I visited another new bay area yarn shop this weekend, The Black Squirrel in Berkeley. It’s a nice, bright, open space with an amazing yarn wall. They have a small, trendy selection of yarn.

It’s kind of amazing that I only came home with three skeins. I don’t usually do trends but speckle yarn is one trend I am on board with!

There were maybe 3 or 4 different indie dyers represented on the wall. I went with Spun Right Round, a dyer from Rochester, NY. This is the sock base, an 80/20 superwash wool/nylon blend. In colors Caterpillar and Idle Gossip.

For a quick minute, I thought, I should do one of those faded sweaters. I think I’ve come to my senses since then. I’ve got too many WIPs for that but just in case I decide to do a fade of some kind, my third color is the perfect neutral for a fade, Newsprint.

White with black speckles…an instant classic!

I’m not casting the yarn on yet but I did have time for another little project I picked up.

A christmas ornament cross-stitch kit.

They worked up quick and turned out super cute.

Pre-Thanksgiving isn’t too early for a Christmas tree, is it?

And, I managed to make progress, this weekend, on the Bill Murray Sweater too. Good progress I think. I’ll share some details and photos for WIP Wednesday! Hopefully it’ll look like something by then!

Stash Enhancement

On September 20, 2017September 20, 2017 By FogKnitsIn Stash Enhancement11 Comments

Once again, the stash has grown. I ventured north out of town last weekend.

North means Knitterly in Petaluma. It’s a really cute shop and the staff is lovely.

I stop whenever I can. I didn’t think I was having a yarn bonanza. I thought I was making one small stop.

I bought three skeins of Woolfolk Tynd. It’s amazing. It’s soooooooo soft. And, in all my time hanging around yarn shops, I’ve never used any Woolfolk. This seemed like a good excuse.

That was it. Just three skeins.

I honestly thought I was done buying yarn for the weekend.

Until. I. Remembered. This.

Really? Did I plan a trip to Mendocino without realizing it was the same weekend as the county fair which just so happens to include the California Wool Show?? Yes. Yes, I did.

As soon as I realized this, I was on my way. An hour drive out and an hour drive back, left me with two hours of county fair & yarn shopping time before I needed to be back for the wedding. You know, the reason I went north in the first place. Not the yarn. Yarn just happens. Who am I to say no?

I had time for knitting & curly fries. Not actually a great combination. Greasy fingers. Once I cleaned up, I did manage to find a little bit more yarn I liked at Sincere Sheep.

Indigo & natural dyed gradient on Cormo grown in Wyoming! And it’s not superwash! Sign me the heck up!!

Cormo is awesome. It’s a Corriedale – Merino cross. We all know the softness of Merino! Corriedale has a long staple length which brings in a sturdy, hardwearing quality. The result is a soft, springy yarn that wears wells.

That made this, entirely irresistable:

It’s a kit for the Andrea Mowry shawl, Briochealicious. It’s a crescent shaped shawl with alternating bands of brioche and garter stitch. It’s going to be mega squish heaven! The squish of the brioche compounded by the squish of the yarn! I can’t wait.

I have to though. Because there’s this.

An amazing blue & grey colorway from Nerd Girl Yarns called My Internet Friends are Real, from an internet friend, naturally. It’s even more gorgeous than it looks. I’m thinking a hat, from Woolly Wormhead, Sumner. I like the structure of it.

We’ll see…so much knitting. I need to do some finishing first! I think cat sweater #2 should be next. It’s time. I’m ready to be wearing a cat sweater. Obviously. Must. Knit. Faster!

The Royal Bee – A New LYS

On July 30, 2017July 30, 2017 By FogKnitsIn Misc, Stash Enhancement, Yarn9 Comments

I saw a thread on Ravlery ‘new yarn shop in pacifica’. Yes Please! Knowing nothing more than yesterday was the soft opening, I set out! I haven’t had a spontaneous stash enhancement in a couple months!

It’s funny to read the old post and see that my decision was guided by parking. I pulled up to Royal Bee yesterday completely in love with the PARKING LOT. I couldn’t wait to take a picture of it! ha ha.

Rows of FREE PARKING! Can you tell I live in the city? Free parking is all it takes! LOL! So Royal Bee gets two thumbs up already!

Once inside, the delights continued! The beehive themed yarn wall is so pretty! If I lived in a house with lots of wall space, I’d love to display my yarn like this! Lots of interesting yarns here…some Rowan, a bunch of Skacel like Kenzie and Simplicity and HiKoo. Yarns I know of but haven’t used. A variety of fibers, colors, weights. There was a bunch of sock yarn too.

I chatted with Kelley, the owner, a bit. She’s super and definitely interested in recommendations. My first suggestion was local yarns so I can’t wait to go back after the grand opening and see how the shop evolves. (August 16th, details are here, if anyone wants them!)

It’s a poly-stitchual kinda place, with a really cute selection of fabrics and notions and whatnots.

And Rainbow Elastic!! I love that stuff! I use it in hats all the time! It takes the worry out of stretch & fit. Look at all those colors! There were even more too. I can’t wait for my next hat binge, which is due at any moment. I know where to find the perfect Rainbow Elastic now!

I picked up a couple balls of Llamor, 100% baby llama. It’s so soft…perfect for cozy winter hats or August in Pacifica.

The best part of my purchase though, hands down, is the snarky cross stitch kits! I couldn’t resist. I finished the first one already.

Not only have I finally figured out French Knots but this new fangled cross stitch kit innovation blew my mind:

The strands are held secure on the back so you just snip off a strand as you need it! I love it! I’ve started my second design already. No sorting colors and wondering if I’ve labeled them right. This little tag makes it so easy!

I may have to redecorate my bathroom with snarky cross stitch now. Assuming I can make the finishing work. As much as I’ve cross stitched, I’ve never finished anything in the hoop. The instructions involve cutting the excess aida away and installing a running thread.

I know what all those words mean. How hard can it be? Wish me luck!