#57 - 2KCBWDAY1: DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE.

My knitting (and blogging) mojo has been missing for a majority of the season, but I'm making the effort to get back in action with the second annual Knit and Crochet Blog Week. However, in typical fashion, I have the feeling I might cause a bit of a ruckus amongst my knitterly compatriots with my response to today's prompt, which is all about yarn:

Part of any fibre enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.

So, I'm already having trouble. I will not bash yarn here. Even when I don't particularly enjoy using a certain yarn, I generally assume that I am the root of the problem for one reason or another - I chose the wrong yarn for the project, I'm knitting too tightly / too loosely / etc, I didn't take x-factor into consideration... Whatever it is, I don't like to go postal about a yarn unless something completely unacceptable happens - for example, a skein with multiple knots in it. But still, rather than write a ranting post here or an angry tweet, I like to contact the manufacturer and see what can be done. Of course I might complain with my knitting group, but I'm not going to publish a diatribe against a yarn company.

A mix of high-end and less expensive yarns in my handknits, all with lovely results

But the major disconnect I'm experiencing is that I don't really have a favorite yarn. I truly enjoy every thing I work with, and I always look for the good qualities in fibre. I have a serious distaste for the yarn snobbery that I see in yarn shops and on the interweb. I believe in the notion that 'it might not be your taste, but that doesn't make it bad.'

In actuality, I am an Equal Opportunity Yarnie, as coined by Maria of the Subway Knits podcast. I love the colors of MadelineTosh as much as I enjoy the springy bounce of Paton's 100% Wool. Rowan Felted Tweed has those amazing little flecks of gorgeousness, but so does KnitPicks City Tweed. I nearly die over Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton, especially when I can buy it with a coupon. But the same thing happens to my brain with a lovely locally sourced yarn, Angel's Kiss Alpaca-Merino Worsted.

I like to think that I don't discriminate too much, but I typically prefer natural fibres over synthetics. My favorite yarns are usually straight-up undyed wool, but if you're telling me you don't use superwash or wool blends for socks, I personally think you're out of your mind. At the end of the day, I think it's all about making knitting accessible to everyone - so use your alpaca or your acrylic with pride. And don't be surprised to see me knitting with anything that strikes my fancy and fits my budget.

#56 - STASH ENHANCEMENT

Yeah, it happened.

I didn't mean to do it. Really, I swear.

I've been on point for the last three months - no new yarn. (Well, aside from the 2 skeins of Lorna's Laces I won from Karin's blog, but that doesn't really count... right?) Plus, I've been knitting lots of big projects to help bust some of the stash that has grown so large I truly, honestly have no where else to keep it. I'd even go online and ogle sale yarns, filling my virtual shopping cart with armfuls of merino alpaca blends and Malabrigo and sock yarns, but never acting on those impulses. One day, I even spent several hours at a coffee shop directly across the street from Lovelyarns, but I didn't walk in. I've been surprised by my self control.

Then, my mom said, "Can you knit me a lacy spring scarf?" Damn her. We paid a visit to Black Sheep Yarn Shop, an LYS I had never visited before, and I was screwed from the start. The store is huge. They have a wall of Noro. Beautiful samples hanging all over. And a major selection of pattern booklets, books, and magazines. So long, yarn diet. It was fun while it lasted.

It wasn't all that bad, though. I ended up getting several skeins of Claudia's Hand Paints fingering weight yarn in a peach and yellow variegated colorway for mom's lace shawlette. I'm making another Springtime Bandit by Kate Gagnon Osbourne, which I'm really excited to get on the needles. I was a novice knitter when I made my first one, and while it looks so pretty, I can see a few beginner's issues: I think the yarn I used, Fibre Company's Road to China, was too bulky for the piece. It also didn't help that I bought far too little yarn and had to omit the last lace repeat. I wear it only occasionally, as compare to my other handknits. Nonetheless, it's super pretty hanging from a hook in the hallway.

I also bought several balls of Ella Rae Worsted Merino in an oatmeal shade for a future sweater project, completely ignoring the THREE sweaters I have on the needles at this moment. Planning ahead, that's all. I glimpsed the Hollyhock sweater from Cecily Glowik Macdonald and fell in love. It has all sorts of qualities I love - an oversized cowl neck with lace edging, short sleeves perfect for layering, mindless stocking stitch body with nice waist shaping, and knit in one piece. You had me at hello. In the meantime, I've avoided startitis and finished the sleeves on my Effortless Cardi, so now I'm onto the trim and collar. I'll share some more updates on my WIPs later in the week.

Happy knitting!!
xx

#55 - WIP WEDNESDAY: SOCKS AND SWEATERS AND KNITTING OVERLOAD

It always happens this way. I was hoping (dare I say, expecting) to be finished with something by now, but no. Then again, a few things have come up in the past weeks, including an inflamed shoulder that required a bit of a knitting vacation and a serious massage, and a little fluffy rabbit named Ganache that I'm adopting from the House Rabbit Society.

My very exasperated bun, Ganache

Needless to say, the knitting progress has suffered. Nonetheless, here's what's been on my needles as of late:

Ravel it!

First up is the Effortless Cardigan designed by Hannah Fettig, that I'm knitting with the Tumblr gals. Basically, I'm a sucker for MadelineTosh yarns so it's definitely been a pleasure to knit. I'm past the subtle waist shaping and now finishing the length of the cardi body. And this sweater truly is a breeze, ignoring the fact that I hate purling these long rows. Seriously, I've taken against purling. Moving on.

Ravel it!

The other WIP is Hermione's Everyday Socks designed by Dreams in Fiber, that I'm knitting in the most gorgeous sock yarn ever: Neighborhood Fiber Company's studio sock yarn in the Bloomingdale colorway. Basically, this plummy-peachy colorway is perfection, and the fact that it's lovingly dyed in DC makes my heart even warmer. The only problem with these socks is that they're distracting me from sweater knitting. The typical complaints, of course.

The socks are a product of serious startitis, and I'm realizing that my eyes are bigger than my knitting needles, lately. There's so much I want to knit and so much yarn I'd like to buy, that I simply give up, hide underneath a blanket on the sofa watching Pride and Prejudice on repeat, and forget knitting altogether. What do you do when knitting fatigue sets in?

And psst, check out Tami's Amis for even more Work in Progress Wednesday action!

Happy knitting!
xx

#54 - FINISHED OBJECT FRIDAY: FENIMORE AND MORE

Fenimore Hat - Ravel it!

Last week, I excitedly bound off my Fenimore Hat and I've shared this already with the yarnies on Twitter and Ravelry, but I am completely in love. It's no surprise that Jared Flood has done it again with an entrancing and engaging pattern. The cables intertwine in a basketweave fashion that leads into pretty little star patterns at the crown. The cables are much less challenging to execute than they appear, and the texture shows off the subtle tonal variegation in the yarn. I'm in love and can see myself knitting more of these in the future.

Crazy Vanilla Sock - Ravel it!

And last night, I finished something that I've had much less love for - my first sock. I can't explain it. I can't blame the pattern, and I did feel like a bit of a magician when I turned my first heel. I think the yarn and I aren't getting along too well - it has no spring and tends to be a little splitty for me, as I'm a pretty tight knitter. Nonetheless, my sock ennui vanished when I realized I had to simply close the toe to bind off this vanilla sock. Let's hope I'm inspired to knit the second one, so my poor mother will finally have the pair of socks I promised her months ago.

The loveliness that is Madelinetosh yarn

Now, I'm fighting a tiny bout of startitis so I can make more progress on two sweaters on the needles. And I'll be starting a third in a few day with this gorgeous Madelinetosh yarn, which unfortunately is photographing more purple than blue in the skein.

Have you finished any new crafty projects this week? Don't forget to check out more yarny bloggers participating in FO Friday.

Happy knitting!!
xx