Making mistakes so you don't have to...

So, I was surfing the Internet the other day just looking at yarn p*rn and I came across a lovely yarn from artfibers. It was shiny and shimmery and since --as my mother informs me-- I am part crow and part gypsy, I had to have it. Even better, it was on a cone so that added to the intrigue (not sure why). More serendipitous was the fact that I had just read the Yarn Harlot's adventure in washing cone yarn so I was super confident that I could do the same with no problem....but first, a bit of family history. One of the benefits of an independent upbringing is that since no one ever told me I couldn't do anything, I never stop to think that I can't. Specifically, not having the proper equipment has never, ever slowed me down. This goes for cooking, knitting and interpersonal relationships. Now, I told you that so I could tell you this: Since I didn't have a niddy-noddy to wind my yarn on, I went on a treasure hunt. I love these because they force you to take a new look at your stuff...suddenly, a chair is a possible yarn-winder-ontoer, so are the kids toy chairs, select picture frames, much of the standing furniture and some bathroom appliances...but I finally settled on a lap desk because - hey, it has a handle!First I checked to see if the yardage/weight of the yarn wasn't too much for my ball winder and from poking around in the stash I surmised that I could indeed get the whole cone wound afterward.The next step then is winding the yarn onto the mocky-niddy-noddy. Newbie Mistake #1: make sure you remember where your tail is so that you can tie it to the other end.





I reviewed the results of my online Google search for 'wash cone yarn', and decided that weaving in some waste yarn over/under style is the way to go. I picked several spots and tied them in a knot, not too tight and not too loose...I did it eight times, probably a little bit of over kill but I'm not taking any chances. Newbie Mistake #2: don't wind the yarn on your mocky so tight that you have to grunt to get the yarn off, putting yourself in danger of twisting everything up...

Next step, dishes. Hee hee, if you want clean yarn you should have a clean sink. Now, I don't know about you guys but if I want to clean the sink I have to get the dirty dishes out of it and that means that the clean dishes that are in the dishwasher gotta come out (the ones I haven't gotten around to using yet-cuz that's how I unload a dishwasher). So, once the dishes are done it's time for the fun stuff :)

I should tell you that I'm typing while I'm doing all this, not after, so I just had to take a huge breath and put my beautiful yarn in the sink. Right away I see that the over/under thing is a MUST...it's awfully loose and swimmy in there. I used regular detergent and I'm just pressing the yarn down into the sink-no swishing or stirring but as I'm doing this I have a terrible thought: What if this is the only cone yarn that you don't wash and I'm the only person that doesn't know that and I'll ruin my yarn for no good reason...if this is true, please don't tell me :)...the water is getting a little cloudy :0. Just for the record this yarn isn't grey...it's a very pretty vaguely-purple and silvery-blue and light platinum--which is funny because when I saw it online I thought it was tan and purple...pleasant surprise though!

Newbie Mistake #3: get your yarn out of the way before you take the plug out so it doesn't get sucked down into the dirty drain (NO, I didn't wash the drain...). Now we're rinsing...I'm just using tap water temperature water, by the way. I rinsed twice, just to be sure and then let the faucet water splat into the sink water so I could see if there were bubbles (bubbles all gone=no more soap, see?). I took it out being super careful not to twist things up and then wrapped it in a towel (again thankful of the over/under thing because you can clearly see how the skein should lay to stay untangled). Now this is the part where I say something peaceful about laying the skein lovingly in the shade outside so that it can commune with nature while it's regaining it's natural loft...but no, I'd be the only person in captivity that really doesn't care for the dusty, slightly choke-y smell of something dried outside, not to mention the cardboard-hard texture you end up with so, it's languishing indoors communing with the cupboard and the wine glasses, and it'll be fluffed several times so that it doesn't dry into crunchy straw...sue me. And, hey...the dishes are clean :)

Ssshhh, don't tell....

OK, ok, so I like to knit (duh). We all know it, even if you tell your friends otherwise. I know when I eagerly go on about new yarn or what project I'm working on, my friends are kindly nodding with that glazed, "She's my friend so I'm going to listen...but jeez" look on their faces. I especially like the panic they mask when I suggest that I could teach them to knit and then we could go yarn hunting together....I'm fine with thatt, I understand. My husband is likewise very understanding. He never asks me about the size of my stash or why there is yarn in the cabinets with the mixer (maybe he hasn't noticed??). Never does he query as to my need to stow half completed projects in individual zip-lock baggies and bung them in with the wine glasses. But, sadly, it goes beyond that. I have an Internet Google search set up to send me a link anytime anyone writes anything about knitting...straight to my inbox...waiting every day...I sip my coffee and fend off my daughter while I peruse the new yarn selections and drool over what other people are knitting. Periodically, a new and irresistible project is found and my husband finds me crouched over the printer, eagerly taking each piece of paper with its cryptic writing, petting the pages and calling thems my preciouuuuus, mumbling about yarn-overs, steeks and whether or not the sane would be willing to attempt a 480 stitch cast on with lace weight and a double-ought. Occasionally, however, good things come of my crack-like addiction and that brings me to the "White Blanket Project." There is this blogger see...a total stranger who just happened to post on her public blog where it was picked up by Google and whisked off to my inbox... and her friends had just had a baby boy, Jonah. He was born 15 weeks early... He was in the NICU and doing well and the gal was so moved by the hand made blankets that people had donated---so that these little guys would have something nice and soft and handmade with love to help them with their struggle-- that she decided to solicit knitters to make more little blankets for the babies...so...I did.

I made a total of three for this particular project ( I'm not sure if she's still collecting the blankets but if you Google "white blanket project", you can find places to donate) plus, they're so easy I was thinking about just cranking out a couple a month for the local NICU... If you've ever thought about knitting or crocheting but can't think of what to make or don't really want your house covered in yarn-y things, this may be a good outlet for that. If you feel like joining the movement but don't know how you can go here or here or here...we could go yarn hunting together...come on over to the dark side, we have cakes :0)

You know I love a Quickie :)

...and free stuff! So, Vickie Howell will be starting her new podcast on November first and giving away fun stuff. So, everyone who puts her CRL button on their blog and links to http://www.vickiehowell.com/podcast.html will get a free skein of her yarn, and she has several books and a kit that she's giving away while they last. In order to enter, email rebecca@vickiehowell.com with your mailing address, your 1st and 2nd book choices for the book part and your website so they know you posted the button. Yippeeee!!!

Grudge, uh, Knitting

Ever get to that spot in a project when you want to set the dang thing on fire? Where it takes soooooo long to get a round done that it seems that you've lost half a day? Does it feel like even though you've put the highest amount of concentrated effort into this work of art, like, "That's it, I'm sitting here until I get at least half way to the end..." it never seems to get any closer to finished? Ever happen to you? Well, it's happened to me. If it wasn't for the fact that this sweater is already a favorite even though I haven't actually worn it yet...I've thought about wearing it, what I look like, what jeans will go perfectly with it, what I'll say to my friends who say, "oooh what a lovely sweater, where did you get it?"...if it wasn't for all that, I really would be tempted to take the needles out and give it to the cat (you know she's been eyeballin' it--sleeping on the dry cleaning pile isn't nearly as romantic as sleeping on a pile of almost finished Manos Del Uruguay Pinwheel Sweater) Still, I trudge on, and on, and on.....

Don't look at me like that...

I fell down....but I landed on yarn :)

With the snap of fall in the air (read: it's below 100 degrees here) I've been feeling the urge to go play with yarn. I kept reading about This Fiber Festival and That Fiber Festival, (really it started when I read about Pitch 'n' Stitch and was all bent out of shape because I had missed the local date) and to soothe my yearning for yarn I was doing some absent minded searching through the Internet at the different fiber festivals. My husband leans over my shoulder and says to me, "You should go to one of those things, you'd love it" (THAT would be #154). So, I looked a little harder and found THE perfect one to go to. Not only was it going on the next day but it was right down the road from my family so.....my giddy up and go, got up and went :) Serendipity was all smiles that day... I found a last minute flight and was the last stand-by passenger on the plane---I mean it was so close that the gal that worked the counter had me wait at the top of the jet way and just signaled me to run for the plane like a referee with a starter pistol, so when she fired--I ran! My Grandmother met me at the airport, we drove on and picked up my Aunt and her puppy, drove on to pick up my Mom (and potty and change clothes) and drove up in plenty of time to thoroughly enjoy a wonderful fiber festival!!!!! There were tents of yarn everywhere... And some friendly fiber contributors...

Llamas...
Alpacas...
Angora rabbits... Goats... And yummy, yummy yarn...

I fell down hard, I'm not sorry and I'd do it again :) Sadly, I didn't prepare very well and ended up having to shake down Gigi to get some extra cash (I've heard of cash...but I thought everyone took credit cards... I guess too much city livin' rots your brain).
And now for the moment you've all been waiting for...the stash enhancement :)

I am now officially on a yarn diet...of course, a little sock yarn never hurt anyone ;)

Dork Knitting

On a dorkier note, I may never wash my server again...the venerable Vickie Howell, craft goddess...liked... my... idea...I'll give you a minute... I read her blog all the time and she asked a question and I answered it and...sheansweredmebackOHMAHGAWD!!! I'm still geeking out about it :)

One little thing; I love my husband. I know, I know but it happens (I sure it's true because I've seen it on TV) So, #152 that I love him: DH asked me (and by ask I mean I mentioned it and he didn't say no) to knit him a hunting hat (sniff, I still get misty thinking about it) and since I just happened to have three skeins of 100% pure acrylic, hunter-safety-orange, worsted weight yarn (because the devil Wal-mart had it on sale for a buck fifty...bstrds) I knit him up a hat for the trip :) And since I'm so proud of how cool that is I of course, told my Mommy...so she said: "I hope you pointed out to Craig that all his thoughts about your buying yarn in advance should suddenly take on a whole new meaning because when he asks you for something knitted in a specific color, weight, etc. you are able to fulfill his request in the blink of an eye! Most men would have had to wait till Wal-mart opened (then, tragically W-M would be out of that color) and have to wait for their spouse (however loving) to agonize over the pattern and then knit it (being a little rusty from not knitting) but YOU could say "Why sure hun, here you go!" en viola, a hunting cap appears from the ends of your knitting needles! Does he know how lucky he is?" *sigh* Thanks, Mom.
The final bit worth mentioning is that for all the yapping that I do about how much I love knitting, it really can be a useful thing. Never mind that if you're ever lost on a deserted island I would be your ticket to clothing, fish nets (no, not stockings dorko, nets...for fishing!) and bedding (never underestimate how important that is), or that knitting is as relaxing as yoga (tell that to someone who notices that they've dropped a frickin' stitch 18 rows back) but also, if you have trouble with any minions of destruction (squirrels, other vermin and/or an insect invasion) your local neighborhood fiber wrangler can help. As you may or may not know, I worship the Yarn Harlot. She was knitting royalty before there was such a thing and I read her blog even on the days I know she doesn't post :) Although to date I have never been "first" to post on an entry (being first is a mark of loyalty to be sure) because I'm on the west coast...I know she knows I love her...but seriously :) She has had some... (stealing, thieving) trouble...with some...(dirty rat bstrd) squirrels. This installment ended up being very helpful since my mom was having trouble with grasshoppers eating her seedlings (go all the way to the bottom of the entry). However, it was this installment that had me shooting coffee out my nose. Oh, and I finished something...
It's Elizabeth Zimmerman's EZ surprise jacket (yes, I'm aware I'm the last one to knit one of these). It's a surprise because it starts out like this...

Then it looks like this...
Then you do some origami and (wait, you know it's coming) SURPRISE, it's a jacket!!
If you know knitting, you'll may notice that I bunged it up a little, but I did do this without a cheat sheet...I'm weird that way. Of course, I had the cheat sheet ready to "grade" my notes (too many years of teaching) to see how close I came...I got a B...

Sorry for the crappy pictures, this yarn sucked... badly. So much so that it pulled the light from the room to the degree that even with the flash and the fifty hundred maxa pixies, the camera did a poor job of capturing the sweater. The yarn, it was, very splitty...yes, it's a word...and when you're working on tee-niney little needles with tee-niney little thread THAT THEN SPLITS INTO LITTLE INFINITESIMAL SHREDS WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO KNIT THROUGH THE BACK LOOP OF A YARN-OVER... I'm OK, really...it's just really a good thing that it makes such a soft and drapey fabric and is in colors to die for, otherwise...there would be hell to pay since I would be motivated for the first time in my natural life to RETURN...YARN!!

Finished Objects aka FO's

Not that I don't think you would know what an FO was, except that it took me forever to find out...mainly because I'm too stubborn to ask (teachers make terrible students)...I was thinking of creating a little dictionary on the side bar of all the clique-y acronyms that we knitters use, just in case...I'll put in a couple and you guys help me out :) Being a special ed teacher fills me with the desire to let everyone in on all those secret squirrel things...
I finished this last week ...


...and it was such a joy that I decided that I needed one as well. I adapted it from the elann free pattern. It's exactly the same (ahem) except that I changed the sleeve join and I decided on only a couple of inches of ribbing at the sleeve aaaand I may have added some stitches into the sleeve circumference... It was my first crack at attached I-chord and at joining a sleeve the "afterthought heel" way. I think it turned out really well but since I can't ever follow a pattern or ever do the same thing twice, I'm just going to change a whole peck of things and make one in my size. Now, I told you that so I could tell you this...I had the idea in my head for the sweater but no yarn yet had called to me...and then the fates created the most dangerous and fiscally lethal combination there is...a yen for a certain yarn-y thing...and a fabulous new yarn shop from which to procure it *sigh* can't you just hear my money running away? It was destiny...(insert wavy fade to a misty field of fiber...) we had gone to visit family and since they know of my proclivity toward collecting yarn (it's my super power...well that and making forms, but that's a whole 'nother thing) my amazing and the bestest of all mother-in-laws (trust me--you're jealous of how cool she is :) took me on a little drive and we made it to this the most excellent of yarn stores. Now, this isn't my first dog and pony show, and I've purchased many a hank/skein/ball so I know a good thing when I see one. Plus, having already convinced myself that I wasn't going to get a yarn fix the whole time I was away (because when I googled yarn stores in that area, the closest thing was Toronto--kidding of course but you get my drift) I was primed and ready for just such a happening...long story short, I had a tiny little accident...I ran into a pile of Manos Del Uruguay which (or is it "that") I accidentally, on purpose, bought the whole lot of...I'm not only unashamed but I'd do it again :)


Doesn't it just holler "fall" to you? No? well, try squinting....