What to blog when you have no words
Since my ability to string ideas into anything more than gibberish seems to have disappeared, how about a handful of pictures instead.
3 rows and a bind off to go.
Mittens still missing some fingers and thumbs.
Pretty yarn all in a row. (The Sanguine Gryphon Mithril left to right: Zodiac, Woods and Undergrowth, Citizen Kane, and an Experimental Love Child.)
Something for the wheel. (Sanguine Gryphon bugga! fiber in Ponycorns)
And an Idea brewing.
Rhinebeck Haul
But first, the Rinebeck sweater that wasn’t.
This is what the sweater looked like last Wednesday evening. Then, it was an almost complete sweater.
It would have been completely possible to finish the hem, the sleeves, neck, and add a zipper by Saturday, a lot of work, but still possible. But then I realized I wouldn’t have a chance to get the zipper by Saturday.
I know I could have finished the sweater, and closed it with a shawl pin for the day, but then the waist was a bit wonky, and I probably should have ended the decreases a few rounds earlier, and it ended up kind of longer than expected, and if I wasn’t pushing to finish the sweater for Saturday, then well…
If you look carefully at the photo, you’ll see there are no needles in the sweater.
Now, it looks exactly like it did two weeks ago.
At least it’s a quick knit, and it could have been worse. A lot worse. (See, if you haven’t already Yarn Harlot-Rhinebeck sweater, and Carin of Round the Twist-Rhinebeck sweater. You might want to sit down.)
So the sweater is sitting in the corner for a bit, and new yarn/fiber is making me feel a bit better about the whole thing.
So, the first thing I bought was this beautiful skein from Bittersweet Woolery. Her shop seems to be on vacation at the moment, but if you go through the sold items there’s some great stuff (personally, I’m a fan of the first item ‘sterling’ in lace weight.) The first skein I got was a lace weight (big surprise there), 875 yards, 80/20 merino/silk, color name ‘ghost violet.’ I spend most of the day petting it, and I actually went back at the end of the day for a second skein from her.
Again lace weight, 875 yards, 80/20 merino/silk, this time in the color ‘black dragonfly.’ (I really need to stop buying this shade of blue, I’ve now got three skeins that are all basically this same color, all in varying lace weights.)
These two skeins were the only ones I bought. I figure with all of the yarn I have, and the very limited amount of knitting time, I probably shouldn’t go crazy with the yarn buying any time soon.
I actually went to Rhinebeck with two things in mind. A set of light weight, metal, small stitch markers that would work well for lace weight yarn, and fiber because I had none.
Yes, that’s correct, before this weekend I had no fiber stash. I had a couple bits of random fibers (less than an ounce type stuff), and I had a small fleece sitting in time out until I decide what to do with it, but that was all. So new three bumps of fiber came home with me.
First up, this is one of the stitch markers. The tag only has ‘Jewelry for your Yarn’ which I couldn’t find a website for with a quick google search, but I’m really happy with them. They’re about a centimeter in diameter, very light weight which is exactly what I was looking for, and they each have a different colored bead.
For the fiber, first up I got this beautiful stuff.
It’s 4oz of superwash merino from West Elm Farm, in a very deep blue, I can’t wait to start playing with it.
This braid of fiber (both pictures are the same braid, but different sides) came from Happy Hands Yarns. It’s 4 oz of polwarth in the colorway ‘Landslide.’ I’ve never spun polwarth before, so I’ll be interested in seeing how it differs from merino and merino/silk blends, which are what I have the most experience with.
And finally I got these 4 oz from the vender across the aisle from the Sanguine Gryphon’s booth (which had quieted down by the time I got there, but was still packed).
It’s from Biltmore Wool Barn (which doesn’t seem to have a website, but if you google them, they seem to come up on a handful of other sites), again it’s 4 oz of superwash merino. I (obviously) couldn’t wait to start spinning it, and it’s coming out beautifully, so soft and squishy.
All in all, I think I was rather restrained. 2 skeins of yarn, 3 bumps of fiber, and a set of stitch markers, I’m sure I could have done a lot more damage.
I’m still working on the Namaste-Hermosa review which I hope to get up soon-ish, and I’m still trying to make knitting progress, which I’ll post about soon (hopefully).
Oh dear…
…it’s been a month again since I last posted, and I’m sorry to say that sporadic updates are going to be the norm for a while (if they ever weren’t the norm). Mostly because the distinct lack of free time since I got back to school has meant that knitting time has been scarce and time to even think about blogging has been even scarcer. Anyway, lets jump into the knitting update.
Some of my swatches and yarn from the last post have moved onto WIPs in varying states of completeness.
First up the mittens, first one’s almost one. While I really loved the first green & blue pair (FO post about those coming soon, I finally washed them), I’m absolutely in love with this pair. I think the blue & black really make the pattern pop, they fit better into my everyday wardrobe, and I’m much happier with my fair isle. The knitting on the last pair was much too sloppy for my taste.
Fire breathing shawl anyone? I’m completely in love with this pattern, the yarn, the color, everything about it. Even though I don’t get much of a chance to work on it, it sits on my desk and I look at it longingly. Hopefully I’ll get some time to work on it soon.
The pile of Cascade Greenland is quickly turning into a sweater. Maybe a Rheinbeck sweater. Rheinbeck sweater? Rheinbeck sweater, yep, I’ll be at Rheinbeck on the Saturday. I don’t know if I’ll have time to finish the sweater, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I’m almost done with the decreases to the waist (about 7 more rows) at which point I’ll start increasing for the hips and introducing white stripes in a to be determined pattern. At this point I’m planning a turned hem, cap sleeves, with i-cord around the neck and arms, and a substantial metal zipper to top it all off. We’ll see what happens.
The black eyelet shawl is off the needles, but still very much unblocked. I’m planning on blocking this week, photos and pattern finished up and put together next week, then to the tech editor, and published by the end of October. I know there’s a lot of space in that time line, but with the way knitting/designing things have been going the past month, I’m trying not to push it.
And finally…
I got a new bag. It’s the Namaste Hermosa (scroll down), and it’s become my everyday bag, replacing my beloved but falling apart owl covered Strand bag. I’m planning on writing up an in-depth review eventually because most of the reviews I could find were kind of pathetic, but over all I like it, and most importantly it can carry everything.
That’s all I’ve got for now. I’m going to try to post more frequently, but at this point I’ve learned not to promise when it comes to blogging.
