ARDIRI

At long last--some knitting!

I finally finished the Sunflower Tam from Knitting Nature. 

Verdict: I look like a COMPLETE DORK in it. 

Therefore, it will either be going to a zen-full classmate that I really respect and admire from my Tuesday night class (and who happens to look gorgeous in berets and tams) or off to Afghanistan, Russia, or some other cold place that needs warm hats.

Here's a pic of it in progress during yesterday's rainy afternoon:

And here it is all finished (with lots of mistakes and a complete abandonment of the pattern near the center after I tried it on and realized I looked like a total goober nut in it):

And here's a square that is 6inX6.5in for Betty's Blanket that Noolie is collecting squares for:

The woman for whom this blanket is being made is suffering from multiple myelomas and thus could use soft, 8inX8in squares of yarn (washable or not) that will be sewn into a blanket by Noolie.  I will have to log cabin on some coordinating yarn to make an 8X8 square as I ran out of yarn to finish this one up.  The colorway is my own; one of my original Kool-Aid dyeing experiments made most likely with black cherry and grape flavors--always winners, IMO, whether for dyeing or drinking.  [Thanks goes out to Debby of She Knits by the Seashore for the heads-up on this charity knitting project!]

Now, I'm off for a four mile run, which will be followed by a in-the-shower meditation on my sanity ;-) !  And then trips to the library, Joanns, and Trader Joes (for nutritious, good eats) with my friend B.

Sockret Pal Socks--Done!

Finally finished my Sockret Pal Socks last night while watching some of Season 1 of Lost (I just have to say that I LOVE that Jack uses a metal knitting needle to release pressure in Boone's lung in episode 20--"Do No Harm".  Knitting needles as surgical tools--who would of figured?!).  I am actually completely loving this show despite the fact that I figured it'd be pretty lame.  It has such a Twilight Zone feeling to it; scaring me almost sleepless at times with the best fear--the fear of the unknown.

Here's my Sockret Pal's Socks--they are a little bit wet from blocking and so will go out in a few days or so.  I used my own handpainted yarn--colorway "Elle Woods" and did the contrast toe with Knitpicks Ambrosia in Lavender on size 2 needles. 

Musical Chairs/Projects & What Must Be Done

I am busy knitting away promised gifts and an "angel" gift for a poor swapper from Tracey and I's first swap who didn't get any Mason-Dixon Ballband swapcloths.  So here's the list of UFO's and need-to-knits that must be done before I can think of knitting anything else:

1. Finish off the last five stitches on a Multi-Directional Noro Aurora (Colorway #1) Scarf for my mom (DONE!  02/11/07).  This will be replacing the HollYarns"Elle Woods" colorway socks that I was originally going to give her for mother's day.  When I took my last trip home in mid-January, she saw me knitting the Aurora scarf and fell in love with it.  Thus, it is now hers (even though it was for the recipient mentioned in item #2).  Nevertheless, for some   weird reason, I keep on screwing up royally on the finish of the last five stitches and then have to rip back a few rows and try again.  (Pictures of all Noro Aurora Scarves will have to come on a less rainy day.)
2. Finish off the last bit off the another Multi-Directional scarf in Noro Aurora (Colorway #4) (DONE! 02/12/07) for a friend/co-project partner who scaffolded me through our massive project for class last semester.  Almost there--have less than an ounce of yarn left to knit till finished.
3. Angel work (DONE! 02/16/07) for the poor swapper who didn't receive a single ballband cloth from the MDK Swapcloth Swap.
4. Another Multi-Directional Noro Scarf (Colorway #4) (DONE! 02/20/07) for a friend who did a humongous favor for me during the month of December.
5. Then I shall be swearing off of the making of Multi-Directional Scarves for at least a lifetime--or till I lose my nausea over making them.  I admit, I really enjoy making them--they are very meditative in that they are a simple pattern to make, easy enough to do in the dark while watching a movie, and you get to watch the lovely parade of colors as the colorway plays out.  BUT, right now, I am sick of them.  No mas, por favor. 
6. Finish up the "Elle Woods" socks that originally were going to my sockret pal, then to my mother, and now back to my sockret pal. 
7. And after all that, I'm killing stash by Knitting for Peace--knitting for charity projects (as well as for Cyrano's Creature Comforts Drive).  I am so tired of looking at the yarn in my drawers that has been there for so long.  A lot of it bought with the intention to make gifts, but then the yarn didn't knit up right, or the color seemed wrong for the intended recipient, etc. and on and on.  So, I am going to burn through some stash while listening to Stash and Burn.
8. Then, and sometimes somewhat in between, I get to be selfish and use some of the yarn that I really want to work with--like all the pretty yarns I got from my Sockret Pal (who is still a secret) and the de-li-cious Koigu KPPPM I got from my Secret Pal, Beth of Numerical Knitting.  Oh, and lest I forget!  That wondermous Alchemy Bamboo yarn in Forest Waltz that I got a week or so ago at Article Pract.

PRIZE ANNOUNCEMENT!

One Side...

I've decided that the First HAND-KNIT blanket to arrive at my doorstep will receive a prize of 584 yards of HollYarns Handpainted Fingering Weight Yarn in the colorway "Sir Gawain" .

PLEASE EMAIL ME if you have a blanket to send in so I can send you my mailing address!

And the Other Side.

P.S. This is also for sale at my Etsy shop!

FOs and COs

One finished object--a sock knit in my "Elle Woods" colorway (okay, so technically it is one-half of a finished object since socks come in, doh!, pairs):

And my cast-on project, a multi-directional scarf in Noro Aurora (No tag handy for color reference, sorry.  Knit on size 9 needles for a more airy look.):

Elle Woods is up for Sale!

Finally, Elle Woods--the colorway of a yarn I handpainted--is up for sale at my Etsy shop!
Isn't she pretty?

Description: HollYarns' Hand Painted Yarns "Elle Woods" Colorway was inspired by the plucky star of the movie Legally Blonde. "Elle Woods" is a stunning melange of dark iris purple, royal purple, lavender, lilac, fuschia, mauve, and soft pink-poodle color--all carefully handpainted by my self on Fine Italian Merino New Wool. This yarn should be hand washed and dried flat. The two skeins comprise aprroximately 285 yards (4.05 pounds)and will knit up nicely on size 2 or 3 needles. With these two skeins, you will have more than enough yarn to make a lovely pair of socks. The almost finished sock that is pictured comes from the other half-pound of this dye lot and is being made into a gift for Mother's Day. (Shhh! Promise not to tell!) The yarn was washed with Eucalan in the final rinse. Wound up into center-pull yarn cakes for your convenience. I ship USPS Priority Mail. FROM A SMOKE-FREE HOME! 

Finally! Handpainted Yarn and Lavender & Cedar Sachets for Sale

Hey there, folks!  Finally got off my lazy batuschka and posted some handpainted yarn as well as lavender & cedar sachets over at my etsy shop.  Keep checking the shop, as I plan on adding some more yarn in the next couple of days! 

Insomnia Sucks!

Let me start off by repeating--Insomnia Sucks!  This has been a week and a half of the most entrenched, most unbeatable, most annoying insomnia--and I know insomnia.  This recent bout of insomnia is like a virulent strain of Ebola--eager to wreck havoc and nearlycompletely immune to the strongest of drugs.  One would think that saying "Hello, $7 per pill of Ambien" (as in I have no health insurance) would mean saying "Goodbye Insomnia"--but, no, not in my fracked up world of sleeplessness.   Top that off with a week of wicked sinus pain/problems and what you have is Hades on Earth.

Onwards to the knitting and dyeing content:

This sock is made from yarn I recently handpainted for a secret pal.  When I get a chance, I will post this yarn up for sale at my Etsy shop.  Amazingly it is pretty much self-striping, although that was not intentional--just happenstance! 

The Down-and-Dirty:

• Pattern-Good ol' reliable, super-easy "Starter Stockinette" from Betsy Lee McCarthy's Knit Socks.  Using the women's small-medium size.  Cast on 48 stitches.
• Needles- Susan Bates size 2.  The pattern calls for size 3 needles but the yarn knits up better on size 2.   
• Yarn-My own handpainted yarn.  Any ideas of a name for the color?

Real, Actual Knitting Content--With Pictures!

By gods, today we have REAL knitting content!  I am currently working on a scarf for my International Scarf Exchange pal.  I decided to use some of my own laceweight handdyed yarn--colorway Lucky--to make her a simple lace eyelet scarf.  Boy, oh boy, does lace look quite fugly pre-blocking!

And for Ms. Lucky-Scarf's closeup:

And, in other news, it looks like my love-dove, John, and I will be heading to the Marin Headlands for a short weekend backpacking or camping trip (dependent on permits for sites--whichever has permits is the one we'll be doing).  Looks like it'll be pretty chilly, but not rainy.  I'll be prepared with both school-reading and knitting no matter which path we find ourselves on!