Stitch 'n' Pitch AZ

So, Sunday was our local Stitch 'n' Pitch. The turn out was great, we took over the entire section! We even had a few folks get into the spirit of things by dressing up in Renaissance garb. Who knew there was a period dress for knitters...

We got to see some wonderful knitting projects and my friend got a quality introduction to the wonderful nature of knitters.

Not only were people willing to answer her questions about what they were doing but let her pet what they had (I sure I have a total convert on my hands...mission accomplished). Fred, seen here (we're blogging each other :)


and Terry from Tempe Yarn and Fiber organized a bus and gave out cutie little skeins of sock yarn as presents. We got to our section and other local yarn shops had booths set up, including Knitting in Scottsdale and Fiber Factory. We also got cute t-shirts with our baseball teams logo in cross-stitch cute!

Flower Baskets

So, my Misti Alpaca is resting after a frog fest. It doesn't seem to want to be made right now so I'm respecting it's right to privacy. Maybe I'll buy it something nice and take it to the movies and it'll feel better...

That having been done, I went stash diving to see if there was anything in there that i couldn't live without, and came up with this...


It looks a little like Cousin It up there :)


Anyway, when my Mom, Aunt and I went to Medrona this spring, I came away with some wonderful stuff and one of my favorite acquisitions was this Silkmo in the colorway Korppi from the Blue Moon booth. It was meant to go with the Flower Basket pattern from Fiber Trends and it's working out beautifully right now.



Well, except that I keep messing up and forgetting yarn overs so I'm having to count stitches every half row right now. But, I'm hoping my learning curve won't be a learning hole and eventually I'll be able to make a whole row without having to tink back and remake a stitch :)



I'm using my cards to make it easier...it's kinda my thing (I'm a teacher and may have a laminating problem) I type the repeats out in bigger font and maybe the number of stitches that I'm supposed to have per row and whatever else I think I'll forget, cut them out and laminate them. They're easy to get into a knit bag, are water resistant and I can write on them with a dry erase marker if I need to mark off that I did a row or make notes where I stopped and so on. Each card is a row and when I'm done, I flip to the next card. They're very handy and I have quite a collection. Just make sure you write on them what the project was and number them or you'll have a collection of big fat mess (ask me how I know)!!

What to do, what to do...

So, I was kinda on a yarn diet. Not really, like no one was watching me to make sure I wasn't buying yarn or anything, but...really...I have enough, like more than a years worth of things to do; knitting or crocheting or spinning. I just have enough. I realize that this is a bit like sacrilege but, really! How much hand-crafting can one person do? Buuuuuuut the Blue Moon is retiring some colors (might have picked up a few), aaaaaaaand Loopy Ewe had a shop update (might have gotten one little tiiiiiny skein) aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I might have taken a trip to my local yarn shop, Tempe Yarn and Fiber and that would be where I fell down and my credit card cushioned my fall thus keeping me from having broken bones, which I totally appreciate but then again...

But I'm not sure what to do about it...
I want to make a cardigan...
I tried for the Sunrise Circle but there is just no way. Because, you know that thing about knitters that keeps them working on a project even though they know everything is wrong, and the sweater is going to be three feet too long and the sleeves would fit an elephant but they press on because they're already started and they've come so far that they can't stop now...well, this is the place riiiiiight before that. I swatched, no go. I went up a needle size, I swatched again. Dudes, I'm not getting row or stitch gauge. Not even close. But it's sooooooo frickin' soft. I keep thinking that I've been knitting long enough that I can just Make a Damn Sweater. Measure my favorite shirt, calculate the inches, figure in gauge and just make the thing. But, I don't wanna do math and I don't want to think. So, if you have some thoughts about a plain, no frills, maybe not even any shaping cardigan that would work with a worsted weight, baby-alpaca (with an amazing drape), let me know.

Skunky :)

In case you were wondering I haven't touched the gold repurposed sweater and it's taking a little rest. No biggie, it's easy to pick up where I left off and most of the seams are out so I won't have to suffer another thumb injury to get the sleeves apart!

So, stash enhancement time!

How cool is THIS!?!?!?! I can't wait to spin it up. I bought it while on one of my many trips to New Mexico at this crazy cool store called La Lana. I love talking with the gal that owns the place too, so wonderfully "New Mexican"!!
On to other fronts. Since I have no fewer than 4 sock pairs half finished I immediately dug up my Noro Sock in some color I can't remember but which I bought from the wonderful people at The Loopy Ewe and cast on for a pair of stockinette socks of my own design.

I've had a person banging down my Interwebs door to get to my generic toe up or down pattern (this means you Mom :) so I'll get that going and offer it up here!
I did actually finish a pair of socks...

These are my Gumdrop socks, a design by the wonderful and talented JC Briar, and part of the Socks that Rock Club at Blue Moon Fiber Arts-installment July...I love them and I thought they were a really fun knit!

Next week, skunk-y yarn!!! What do you think, two-ply or Navajo?