String and a Pair of Sticks

A new toy

2010-04-12T07:59:00.001-07:00

This, my friends, is my new (to me) Ashford Traditional spinning wheel. Purchased second-hand from a woman who received it for her high school graduation back in the 70's, it has only minor damage from being stored without use (for she barely used it) for so long. $25 worth of parts will have this baby looking brand new. Wheel, extra spindles, lazy kate, and two hand-carders... $200. Not sure what to do with the carders since I'm not into that... but we shall see. I'm totally excited! Got a long week of dyeing ahead of me, so I won't be too antsy about not being able to spin until my parts are delivered. Woo hoo!

I've been struggling with some sort of a bug this past week. One day had me completely incapacitated with dizziness, most days have had a sore throat with coughing, wheezing, sneezing, and achy muscles. I seem to be on the mend, though. Today I feel better than the other days, so it bodes well for the rest of my week. I had meant to put out a store update last week, but the sickness stopped me in my tracks. Gonna work my butt off this week to get it done.

Have you ever seen more obnoxious socks?

2010-03-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

Well have you?

Shop Update

2010-03-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

Small update at White Iris Yarns. Thanks for looking!

Finally finished!

2010-03-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

My Ulmus, that is. Finished the knitting this afternoon, soaked, pinned, and blocked it. Now I'm just waiting for it to finish drying. It's absolutely beautiful.

To: My WIPs

2010-02-23T15:19:00.000-08:00

Dear WIPs,

I'm sorry that I have neglected you so much. Especially you, my sweet and precious Ulmus. It's been 3 weeks since I started you and you've only got 175 of the 335 stitches that your body needs. I apologize profusely for not only finishing a pair of socks, but also casting on and finishing another pair, casting on and getting 1/3 of the way through another, and knitting a toy in the last three weeks. I know that I probably seem so cold, just letting you lay there in front of my while I knit the others. I didn't even think about how that would make you feel, and I feel terrible for that. But I've worked on you today, haven't I? We've come several rows! I need you, my love. I need you and you know you need me. I complete you.

Or rather, I will. Eventually. I promise. I'm not one of those girls who just drops things when it seems rough. I'm going to love you and love you to completion.

Yours always,
Lydia

New Items

2010-02-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

This weekend only, White Iris Yarns is offering free shipping on all orders in the US, 50% off shipping to Canada.

New RFOs + OTN + Shop News

2010-02-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

Since my last showing, here are the projects I've finished:

Super Nova Toe-Up Monkeys

Mock Them Ankles (for Brit)

And a whole bunch of washcloths.

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Currently on the needles are a pair of stockinette socks (toe up with gusset heel a la Wendy Johnson) in my Jonathan colorway as well as my blanket that I started back in August and have finally started working on again. And the last thing I have OTN is an Ulmus. I'm doing this in Malabrigo sock, colorways Cordovan and Lettuce. It was a bit fiddly to get started, but the pattern is pretty intuitive once you do a couple repeats.

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White Iris Yarns is now shipping to Canada! And this weekend only (2/12-2/14) will be offering free shipping on all orders in the US, half-off shipping to Canada. I've been dyeing up a storm the last couple days and will have a bunch of new stuff in time for the sale.

Shop Goodies

2010-01-30T22:03:00.000-08:00

I've added some new stuff to my shop over the last couple weeks. Take a look, if you will!

River Rocks - bulky handspun

Clover Field - MCN

Jonathan - MCN

Fuzzy Beetle - MCN

Oopsy Berry - MCN

Fruity - MCN

Canary - MCN

Within the next week or two I'll be adding even more to the store, so keep an eye out for it!

Oh for the love of...

2010-01-19T08:13:00.000-08:00

I dunno what my title is about since it has nothing to do with this entry.

This past week, I've actually gotten some good knitting done! The pain in my thumb is to the point where it's extremely mild and only if you actually press it in a certain area. No biggy! It's still a little swollen, but that'll go away with time. So, on to the RFOs!

Leane

Grumpasaurus

A Little Something

I'm hoping to get better pictures of this last one soon. I've since attached the button I got for it (had to find it first). I love! I also did a pair of convertible gloves for Brit, but apparently I made one part too short so I'm not gonna take pics until I get that fixed.

At the moment, I'm working on two pairs of socks. One pair is for me, one pair is for Brit. I've been working on Brit's since, oh, NOVEMBER. I decided I should probably crack down on them since they're only gonna be ankle socks! I'm over halfway done. Why haven't I thought of this sooner?

Something I forgot to mention before; I listed some more yarn in my shop. Today or tomorrow I'm going to dye up a few more skeins to list. Also in progress is some yummy blue handspun.

On the Mend

2010-01-12T10:56:00.000-08:00

My thumb is FINALLY starting to feel better. Pain's about 98% less even though the area is still pretty swollen. I've even started knitting again. Woo hoo!

Free Shipping!

2010-01-01T15:39:00.000-08:00

From today until January 7th, I'm offering Free Shipping on all orders at my store White Iris Yarns.

Completely and Utterly Sidelined

2009-12-30T21:21:00.000-08:00

I sprained my right thumb. It's been a couple weeks. At first I was in denial, but then the swelling and pain got so bad today that I gave up. So, for today and at least tomorrow, I'm not going to knit. And this is making me stir-crazy. It's especially crappy since I've been working on A Little Something and I'm nearly (7 rows away from being) ready to do the yoke. Ugh.

But hey, at least I've gotten a few projects done [before and] after Bob!

Joanna, Bob's sister

Firestarters

Brit's Christmas sweater

Another turtle!

Bob.

2009-12-21T18:49:00.001-08:00

This is Bob. He is my knitting minion. He is a camera whore. Bob likes pennies.

He would prefer dimes for their size, but the silver clashes with his eye color. So he saves up extra pennies.

He earns those extra pennies by modeling and doing acrobatics at the circus.

Scatterbrained

2009-12-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

Scatterbrained... yup, that's me! I've not been updating my blog enough lately.

Right now, I'm currently working on: A pair of socks for myself, a pair of socks for Brit, Brit's Christmas gift (which is almost finished) and I still need to embroider some eyes and a mouth on a turtle I crocheted. I love this turtle pattern. (psst, it's near the bottom) So much so that I've made three in as many weeks. Here are the two I've finished:

GRAND OPENING of White Iris Yarns

2009-12-05T09:33:00.000-08:00

After several months of hard work, I've finally opened up my own store. Here's a preview of a few things you'll find there:

From today until 12-12-09, I'm offering a 10% discount to my blog readers. Just mention my blog in the comment process during the checkout. It's that simple!

New and improved pictures

2009-11-28T08:46:00.001-08:00

Ahhh, much better!

Tempest No More

2009-11-25T10:02:00.000-08:00

I am finally finished! I think eventually I'm going to replace the buttons since these ones are a bit small and lightweight for my taste. But over all, I'm pleased with the results. Please forgive my crappy picture.

Milkweed Complete

2009-11-18T12:14:00.000-08:00

Love. Total, complete, and utter love.

The End of My Rope (Yarn)

2009-11-14T09:35:00.000-08:00

With just 8 more rows of a sleeve plus the button bands and seaming left on my Tempest, I ran out of black! Luckily, my awesome friend Erica of Bigmouth Yarns has generously offered to send me her partial skein of it.

Until then, I've got other projects to work on. My husband's Christmas present, for one. On Wednesday night, I started on a Milkweed Shawl. This was my progress as of yesterday evening:

Ignore the orange lifeline. The yarn I'm using is Malabrigo Sock in the colorway Indiecita. This yarn makes me so happy. The colors remind me of summertime by a lake. Which is a great mental image when we're coming up on Winter!

Paying it Forward

2009-11-11T16:20:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let you all know about the awesome giveaway over at Knittin Brit in WI. A skein of Wollmeise 100% in the Kurbis colorway. All you have to do is tell her why you're thankful for yarn.

For me, I'm most thankful for the ability to express my creativity, to be able to meditate with the rhythm of the needles, to create gifts for my family, and that yarn has brought me close to people I now count as good friends.

Progress

2009-11-09T14:22:00.000-08:00

A couple days after I finished my Ishbel, I started back to work on my Tempest. So far, I've finished the back and a sleeve. I think within the next couple hours I'll be finishing up the Left Front and then it'll be time to start on the Right Front. It seems to be going faster this time for some reason.

Things I've changed:

Using size US9 needles.

Worked hem fabric at CO by working 7 rows St st plus one k row on the WS as opposed to picking up the stitches later. Will sew down at the end.

Reduced the sleeve stripes by 2 since I'm short and have stubby arms.

I'm thrilled with the way it's turning out this time. SO much better!

Ishbel

2009-10-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

I decided to give my Tempest a few days respite last week. In that time, I knit up my very first Ishbel. This is a VERY easy pattern to do, and it took me just 5 1/2 days to do it. I used Dream in Color Starry in the In Vino Veritas colorway. Absolutely breathtaking.

Back to the Drawing Board

2009-10-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

I had some concerns about the fit of the sleeves of my Tempest... and they were well-founded. I basted a few pieces together, tried them on... too small. So I'm frogging it and starting over. This sucks.

Fingerless Gloves: Completed

2009-10-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

I can't even tell you how much I love these gloves. I'm so pleased with them, I want to cry! They are really, really awesome. And I know my friend Erica is gonna love them, which is the most important thing.

Tempest Update

2009-10-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

As of this morning, I've finished three of the five pieces to my Tempest; the back and both front pieces. I've also finished 4.5 of the 11 stripes on the first sleeve. I'm considering possibly reknitting the back piece, though, because I'm not entirely happy with the fabric. Haven't made a decision yet, still contemplating.

A few days ago, I finished a hat for my friend Erica. I'm also working on some fingerless gloves for her. Here are some pics:

I did the same hat for myself back in September, but the colors didn't really do much for me. I might try making it in a different color eventually, but I dunno. Since I didn't really like the way it looked on me, I swapped it to my friend Liberty. I must say, she looks especially good in it! Her picture is also much better and has true-to-life coloring. I love it.

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In other news, I am on a yarn diet. I'm not allowing myself to buy any yarn until after Thanksgiving at least. I'm gonna see if I can last til the end of the year. It's not like I don't have enough yarn to keep me busy for a while. I think when last I checked, I had something like 65 skeins; about 1/3 of that is sock yarn. Some projects I'd like to get done in the meantime (in addition, of course, to the projects already OTN):

An Ishbel in Dream in Color Starry, colorway In Vino Veritas
A Tiger Eye Lace Scarf in Malabrigo Yarn Sock, colorway Archangel
A pair of Hat Heel Socks in... well, I'm not sure yet. Maybe Malabrigo Sock, colorway Indiecita.

2 sweaters, a pair of socks, a pair of fingerless gloves, a scarf and a shawlette in 2 1/2 months. I think I can do it.

The knee socks are done!

2009-10-09T09:40:00.001-07:00

Finally finished my knee socks on Monday. It's great to finally have them done. They were definitely worth the effort!

Win A Box Bag and Spinning Fiber!

2009-09-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

A great contest over at Into The Whirled where you can win a lovely box bag and a 4oz Falkland Wool batt. Go check it out!

"Back" it up

2009-09-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I finished the back to my Tempest. I really, really love the way Wollmeise knits up. For real.

I'm now working on the left front. It'll probably only take me a day or two if I don't procrastinate. I can't wait til I can wear this thing!

Let's get to work!

2009-09-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

I've had a fun few days; with a party on Saturday, shopping on Friday, and plenty of quality time with my husband the last two days, today I'm trying to get back into my stride.

First up! I finished some socks that I lovingly dub "Leftovers". Made from leftover Mal sock (Velvet Grapes) and CTH Supersock Select Semi-solids (Blossom), just a simple toe-up st st with a fold-over cuff. Scraps be gone!

Right now, I'm working on a super secret project for my husband. So secret that I cannot tell you what it is, since it's possible that he could read this. Just know that I'll post pictures after I've given it to him.

My Lavendel arrived last Thursday, but I didn't start swatching til Saturday because I was working on the super secret stuff. On Monday night, I started knitting the back and got half-way through the second stripe before I decided to concentrate on knitting the socks. With those out of the way, I'm all clear!

I'm also working hard on getting my act together to start my own business. Things are coming along slowly but surely. I finally have something to be excited about, now that I've actually settled on a name. Supa secert, though. Will divulge more later.

Feeling kind of "blah"

2009-09-14T10:04:00.000-07:00

All my most exciting projects are just waiting for an opportunity to do them at this point. I wanted to start a Trellis and Vine Pullover, but I'm using the needles I need for my Moderne Log Cabin blanket. I got the black WM for my Tempest but the Lavendel won't get here until later this week so I don't want to start that yet. I finished the scarf for my husband, but realized it was entirely too short for him (and I don't like the yarn). I knit a hat for myself (no pics yet), but it was just okay. I want a project to get excited about, like my Pioneer! Ho hum.

After much deliberation...

2009-09-08T17:37:00.000-07:00

...I decided that I actually want to do my Tempest in Lavendel (purple) and Schwarz (black). To achieve this, I ended up selling my Skandal um Rosi (I decided it had too much of the lightest color to go well with my skin tone) and trading my Lavendel for Lavendel in 100% (mine was Twin). I also traded my Pfefferminz Prinz for a Schwarz. I think it's gonna be an awesome sweater!

Right now OTN are my knee socks that I'm waiting for the cuff yarn to get here. Also, I'm working on a scarf for my husband.

Additionally, I've started a Moderne Log Cabin Blanket. I'm doing it in Knit Picks Comfy Worsted in colorways Cashew, Ivory, Black, and Jalapeno. I found out a couple days ago that Cashew was being (gasp) DISCONTINUED! So I went ahead and bought all that I hope I'll need for the project. I was wanting to just buy a few balls here and there as I went but that was not meant to be. I'm working on the first block right now and I love it for it being so simple!

I ♥ Wollmeise

2009-09-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

The colors. THE COLORS!!!! I got my order early yesterday afternoon. Oh. my. goodness.

I'm in love. Especially with Lavendel (the last one).

I think I've lost my mind.

2009-08-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

I ordered 3 skeins of Wollmeise from The Loopy Ewe again today. I must be out of my mind. But! But! Pfefferminz Prinz, Lavendel, and Pesto were sirens calling to me. Oh lawdy lawdy.

Better pics + rambling

2009-08-31T13:49:00.000-07:00

Finally got out yesterday and had my husband take pics of a few of my recently FOs.

Pioneer:

Yogini Bolero and my first sewn skirt:

Ooo, I just remembered something completely unrelated! Last week, I won a Knit Picks contest! My prize? Enough of the new Gloss DK in Jade to make a Trellis and Vine Pullover. Oh my gosh, I can't wait to knit it!

Somewhat related, I really love my ball winder and swift that I bought from KP. They work perfectly and have saved me so many hours of time already. If you're looking for an inexpensive set, just head over to Knit Picks and for $70 you get both, shipped! Totally worth the money.

You know, I've forgotten to post about a LOT of things lately. Last week, I got some more Wollmeise! The Loopy Ewe had an awesome update, so I snagged some Skandal um Rosi. Gorgeous stuff. I think I'm going to make a Tempest out of it, using Schwarz (black) WM as the contrast color. Here's a pic of this beautiful color:

That's all for now!

Knee socks!

2009-08-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

Right now, I'm working on some very cool knee socks. I'm making them out of this yarn:

I think they're knitting up nicely!

Also, pics of my Pioneer. Sorry they're kind of crappy, but hubby was sick this weekend so I haven't had a chance to have him take good pics.

It's done!

2009-08-25T16:03:00.001-07:00

I finally finished my Pioneer. It has been a really fun project. I haven't taken any pictures yet, but I will soon.

I also finished the Diagonal Rib socks that I started for the wwm09. They ended up being WAY too long in the feet, so I'm gonna have to do something about them. I'm gonna see if I can come up with a way of removing the toes (and thereby the extra length) and sew them shut. Also, I wasn't digging the color, so I overdyed them. I used royal blue Wilton food color and just let the color soak in where it may. Because of the way ribbing scrunches up when not worn, most of the inner parts of the ribbing didn't get dyed, so there are cool vertical stripes of lighter color throughout the socks. It's pretty awesome. Haven't taken pictures of those either. D'oh!

OTN: 08-14-09

2009-08-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

My purple Pioneer is still in the works. I ended up having to restart it after knitting 4" because my gauge was waaaaaay off. I went up a size and the gauge is a lot better. I'm about 8" in now. Having a little problem with pooling, but otherwise it's looking great.

I'm also still working on my husband's socks. I turned the heel and have knit a couple inches of the leg so far. I hate the color, so I'm having trouble finding motivation to finish them. Crazy, right?

Additionally, I've been adding on to a charity blanket that a few people and I are passing around. I've still got a few more inches to go til I pass it on. I better get to work!

Purple Pioneer

2009-08-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

For the next two months, I'm going to be participating in a KAL for Pioneer by kBomb. The KAL is over on Ravelry in the Lorna's Laces Knit-along group, if you want to check it out.

I'm doing mine with LL Shepherd Sport in the colorway Vera.

I knit my swatch today and I must say... this is gonna be awesome. The colors look SO great knitted up. I can't wait to REALLY get started!

The end of wwm09

2009-07-30T09:41:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow marks the end of wwm09.

SWAPPED, completely defeating the purpose of entering it into wwm09!
- Afghan that I started back when I first started knitting that I know I will never finish.

TO FINISH FROM 5-10% PROGRESS:
- Black hat for Marchell Sr. (sister #2's fiance).
- Horizontal Rib Socks for Brit (hubby).

FINISHED:
- Yellow Washcloth. Finished 7/1/09.
- A green cotton/acrylic hat. Finished 7/1/09.
- A white cotton hat for my friend Damon's baby-in-progress. Finished 7/2/09.
- Ribbed socks for baby-in-progress. Finished 7/3/09.
- Striped pullover for my niece that was more than half-way finished before I realized it would be way too big. Finished frogging 7/4/09.
- Jaywalker socks for baby-in-progress. Finished 7/5/09.
- Black hat for Jordan (nephew). Finished 7/6/09.
- Black hat for Marchell Jr. (sister #2's fiance's son). Finished 7/7/09.
- Beige hat for Mason (nephew). Finished 7/16/09
- White Yogini Bolero for me! Finished 7/15/09.
- Scarf for sister #2 for Christmas. Needs to be blocked. Finished 7/20/09
- Striped pullover for my niece in the correct size. Needs some trim around the neckline. Finished 7/28/09.

I'll be finishing up the last hat today. Not a bad run, if I do say so myself! Although I didn't finish those pesky socks (mostly due to Ella's absence taking up my time), I'm proud of the work I did.

Ella is home!

2009-07-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

A neighbor one street over said their dog was sniffing around and they saw her. It happened to be someone my mom had talked to on one of the first days, and she had her husband call us while she kept an eye on Ella. She was extremely scared. When we got to where she was, we slowly tried to approach her, but she ran off. We followed her, my mom finally got about 20 feet away from her, sat down and just willed her to come, and she came.

She lost a whole freaking pound (she was only 8.5 to begin with!) and has a cut below her eye, her hair’s ratty, but she is SO happy to be home. And Leo and Chico (our Chihuahua) are so freaking happy, too!

A sad, discouraging week

2009-07-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, my indoor cat Ella got out of the house and we haven't been able to find her. We've basically exhausted all our resources, from fliers, to talking to people on the street, alerting local vets and shelters, etc. She hasn't been seen since Sunday. I love this cat, so it's really taken a toll on my motivation. I just haven't felt much like knitting. I've spent so many hours just trying to find her. I'm so sad.

Happy stash week!

2009-07-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

I'm having an absolutely fabulous stash week. I'm getting not one, but TWO skeins of Wollmeise PLUS a skein of Malabrigo sock! One skein of Wol is in exchange for a pair of knit socks, one is an early Anniversary present from my hubby. The Mal is just for me from my yarn fund :) Here are pics of what will be coming in the mail...

(one of the two on the right)

Yarngasm. I haz it.

Progress Report for wwm09

2009-07-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

I've been busy. Here's what I've gotten done!

TO FROG:
- Afghan that I started back when I first started knitting that I know I will never finish.

TO APPLY FINISHING TOUCHES:
- Scarf for sister #2 for Christmas. Needs to be blocked.
- Striped pullover for my niece in the correct size. Needs some trim around the neckline.

TO FINISH FROM 5-10% PROGRESS:
- Black hat for Marchell Sr. (sister #2's fiance).
- Horizontal Rib Socks for Brit (hubby).
- Beige hat for Mason (nephew).
- White Yogini Bolero for me! About 30% finished as of 7/9/09.

FINISHED:
Yellow Washcloth. Finished 7/1/09.
- A green cotton/acrylic hat. Finished 7/1/09.
- A white cotton hat for my friend Damon's baby-in-progress. Finished 7/2/09.
- Ribbed socks for baby-in-progress. Finished 7/3/09.
- Striped pullover for my niece that was more than half-way finished before I realized it would be way too big. Finished frogging 7/4/09.
- Jaywalker socks for baby-in-progress. Finished 7/5/09.
- Black hat for Jordan (nephew). Finished 7/6/09.
- Black hat for Marchell Jr. (sister #2's fiance's son). Finished 7/7/09.

WIP Wrestlemania 2009

2009-07-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

This is a thing that's going on in the Ravelry world for the month of July. A few hundred people and I are gonna do our damndest to whip our WIPs into shape! My WIPs are as follows:

TO FROG:
- Striped pullover for my niece that was more than half-way finished before I realized it would be way too big.
- Afghan that I started back when I first started knitting that I know I will never finish.

TO APPLY FINISHING TOUCHES:
- Scarf for sister #2 for Christmas. Needs to be blocked.
- Striped pullover for my niece in the correct size. Needs some trim around the neckline.

TO FINISH FROM 5-10% PROGRESS:
- A white cotton hat for my friend Damon's baby-in-progress.
- A green cotton/acrylic hat for same baby-in-progress. 60% complete as of 7/1/09
- Jaywalker socks for baby-in-progress.
- Ribbed socks for baby-in-progress.
- Black hat for Marchell Jr. (sister #2's fiance's son).
- Black hat for Marchell Sr. (sister #2's fiance).
- Black hat for Jordan (nephew).
- Horizontal Rib Socks for Brit (hubby).
- Beige hat for Mason (nephew).
- White Yogini Bolero for me!

FINISHED:
Yellow Washcloth. Finished 7/01/09.

I'm currently working on frogging the pullover and knitting the green cotton/acrylic hat. Not too shabby!

Migration, The Finished Product

2009-06-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

I finally finished test knitting and proofreading my Migration pattern, so here it is in all its glory!

Now available for sale on Ravelry.

I couldn't pass it up

2009-06-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

I know, I'm not supposed to buy any yarn until August but... I couldn't pass this up. Only $16, shipped!

I don't feel even a little bit bad about breaking my yarn diet.

Fuzzy Beetle

2009-06-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

I spent a few hours working on this yesterday. I'm quite pleased! I think I'm addicted to hand-dyeing.

Sakura Jaywalkers

2009-06-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (yes, yesterday!) I finished up the socks I was working on. I have never completed socks that quickly. Ever. Not even the sport-weight socks that I knit early this year. Those took me 5 days, this pair took me 4. And with this pair, as I said before, I had to restart several times. How the heck did I finish so quickly? I haven't the faintest idea. Anywho. Here they are! My Sakura Jaywalkers:

OTN: 06-14-09

2009-06-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

My Saturday Story

I started my day yesterday with the casting on of my toe up socks. I’m doing two at a time, you see. I had to restart because I ended up making a mistake on the second row of the toes so I figured I mayaswell not bother tinking. FROG!

Then I did and inch of Charade and the pooling was disgusting, I couldn’t stand it! Seriously. It made me puke in my mouth a little. Okay, maybe not quite that bad, but it was pretty terrible. So, I frogged back the whole inch I’d done to my toe-is-finished lifeline.

Then I began Aquaphobia. It seemed like such a lovely pattern. I worked about an inch and a half of it before I tried it on. You know that feeling you got when you tried on Daddy’s shoes when you were 2? That’s how I felt. Fits a size 7 my ass. My gauge was TIGHTER than the pattern called for and they were ginormous on my size 7.5 boat-sized-width feet. It bears repeating: Fits a size 7 my ass.

So, I ripped back again and marveled at how splendidly my yarn was holding up to repeated froggings. But by now, I had a large pile of yarn just laying on the floor. Whoops. Hubby tried to help me manage by winding one of them up into a center-pull ball. I love my husband, but he has no finesse. I ended up with this weird lump thing that was twice and big as the ball I did. I told him loose, not big enough to fit over my head. Cripes. But still, the yarn (The Unique Sheep Verve in Cherry Blossom) held up nicely. Hubby’s ball quickly and completely unraveled within moments of my trying to knit from it. Oh well. Too lazy to bother with it.

After much hard work, lasting until around 11:30 (my usual bedtime is two hours prior), I’m pleased to announce that my Jaywalkers are coming along splendidly. I’ve completed an inch and a half of the pattern, it fits, and the pooling is actually pretty nice. No more vomiting. Now Lydia remembers why Lydia loves this pattern so much. It just works.

That is my story. If you’ve read this whole thing, I have but one thing to say:

This is time wasted that you could’ve spent knitting.

OTN: 06-09-09

2009-06-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

I was planning on doing this slip-stitch sock pattern called Aquaphobia for my hand-dyed yarn, but at the last minute I changed my mind. Instead, I have been testing out a new design of my own! Here it is, "Migration" in progress:

I was unsure as to whether or not I liked how it was coming along, but now I love it!

ARGH

2009-06-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

So, I finished the pullover... and it doesn't go over her head. So now I have to redo the dang trim. Grumble grumble grumble.

OTN: 05-24-09

2009-05-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

I'm currently working on a pink and white cardigan for my niece for Christmas. Unfortunately, I'm making it way too big. I didn't fully realize how huge this thing was until I was already half-way finished with it. I figure she'll grow into it... eventually. It's cute, though!

Yogini Bolero: Completed

2009-05-18T11:17:00.001-07:00

At long last, I finished the Yogini Bolero yesterday. The greatest thing about this bolero? I don't need to block it! The fit is perfect as is! Well worth the frustration for this finished product. I think I'll probably knit it again before the summer's out, only in a Knit Picks Cotlin yarn!

OTN 05/12/09 - Getting through it

2009-05-12T09:37:00.001-07:00

I'm finally getting through this bolero. It's looking great, even though there have been hiccups along the way. The pattern's got some fudged numbers (the author says she's "not aware of any errors" even though I pointed them out) and very confusing choices of direction. But I think I'll be able to bull my way through! So far so good. I've got about 3 more inches of the body, then just the sleeves, tie, and edging left. I can probably finish it tomorrow. Crossing my fingers on that!

Completely Frustrated

2009-05-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

Today, I was working on Yogini Bolero. Just got the yarn yesterday from a swap, just bought the pattern this morning. So excited to get it started! Pretty little shrug, I love shrugs.

I worked on it for an hour before realizing that I was making increases where I shouldn’t have. Frogged and restarted.

I worked on it for THREE MORE HOURS, got to a part where I had to do something special… only to realize that on the very first increase row, I only increased on one side. I could not fudge it at all. Had to frog it again.

I'm not touching it again until tomorrow. I haven't touched it in hours. I am completely frustrated.

Awesome Knit Picks contest!

2009-05-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

Take a look at the contest at Things Moms Like. You could win 4 balls of organic cotton yarn PLUS the Harmony needle set! Wow!

Yarnie Goodness

2009-05-06T08:44:00.000-07:00

I received my Eat.Sleep.Knit. order on Monday but I've been dealing with a toe infection and forgot to post about it. I didn't like the color of the Smooshy (it has a muddiness to it that I'm not digging), so I'm going to exchange it. But the rest was fab, so get ready for the yarn pr0n!

It's on the way!

2009-05-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

Finally, my yarn ordered from Eat.Sleep.Knit. shipped on Saturday. They must've had a ton of orders for it to take more than a week to ship. Hopefully I get it all before the week is up. I want it now!

In other news, I finally restarted the Monkeys that I started last month. I had a few projects that I started while waiting for the replacement needles to arrive, so there was a bit of a delay. But I think within a couple of days I should be done. And that makes me a happy camper!

My first pattern for sale

2009-04-29T21:23:00.000-07:00

If you're a Raveler, I'm happy to announce that my Terrapin Lace sock pattern is now for sale!

If you're interested, click this button:

Thanks so much!

What a great day!

2009-04-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

I had a fantastic birthday, yesterday! My oldest sister came over and gave me a $25 American Express gift card which will probably go toward a ball winder or swift. Then I checked the mail, had two birthday cards from some lovely people on Ravelry. With one of the cards came this:

A full skein of Malabrigo Sock in the Indiecita colorway. YUM! I was (and still am) so excited about it. I don't even really know the person who sent it to me, which is what makes it so awesome.

I also got quite a bit of knitting done on the scarf I'm working on for my second sister for Christmas. Finished 7 of 20 repeats. I'm happy about it!

Eat.Sleep.Knit.

2009-04-25T08:10:00.001-07:00

On Thursday, Eat.Sleep.Knit. had a great sale. It was a "surprise" sale, in which you didn't know what % you were going to get off your order until you finished checking out. I got 25% off one order, 10% off another. I'm happy! Excited! Here's what I got:

Cherry Tree Hill Yarn - Supersock Select Semi-Solids in Blossom

Cherry Tree Hill Yarn - Supersock Select Semi-Solids in Black

The Unique Sheep - Verve in Cherry Blossom

Noelle's Noodles - Fingering Merino in Mardi Gras

Dream in Color Yarn - Smooshy in Into the Mystic

I also had a $5 credit from my last order (yarn lotto!), got free shipping, and will be receiving a Yarn Marathon welcome pack! I'm definitely doing the happy dance.

The only bad part about it is that I'm not allowed to buy anymore yarn until at least August. But that's okay, I have lots to play with.

Like A Virgin

2009-04-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling pretty sick the last couple days, so I haven't done much in the way of knitting. But yesterday when I got the mail, I found I had a package in the mail from a lovely person over at Karma Yarn Swap (it was kmessier27) which contained a hank of undyed sock yarn! Well, seeing as I got a huge package from another lovely lady from KYS (TheBoyceMonsters) full of koolaid a few days ago, I knew I had to put that to work! So, even through my puffy, stuffy head and weak limbs, I went ahead and dyed that badboy. My first time dyeing.

I call it this colorway "Like A Virgin", simply because I'm not very original! I used lemon-lime, black cherry, and grape. I didn't have enough of the lemon-lime to quite saturate the yarn as much as I'd hoped, so there are still some white spots. I'm thinking that maybe I can just go grab some more lemon-lime this week and re-dye the areas I missed. Or maybe I'll just be content with the way it looks now! We'll see.

So there you have it. My first dye-job!

I Got Some New Sock Yarn

2009-04-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

And I am in love.

I'm Having So Much Fun!

2009-04-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

If you're a Ravelry member with anything in your stash that you have ever wondered, "Why did I buy that and what the heck will I do with it?", I HIGHLY recommend checking out the Karma Yarn Swap group. I've only been a member there for a couple weeks now, but I am have so much darn fun! The people on there are great. And it's not just yarn! For instance, there's a great gal on there named Annie (username Cinnamoon) that makes the most awesome draw-string project bags and offers them in certain swaps. There are cool theme swaps like one I started yesterday dedicated to partial skeins. Free-for-alls, only wool, vegetarian, notions, fabric; there's something for everyone! They've made me feel so welcome, and I've gotten some AWESOME swaps in return for stuff I just wasn't loving anymore. I'm in heaven.

Bad Luck

2009-04-14T08:25:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, I had extremely bad knitting-related luck.

Those socks from my last post? After turning the heel, I realized that the feet were too short. So I was taking them off the needles in order to frog them back (luckily, I had put in a lifeline) and what should happen? The cable pulled out of one needle.

So, I set that aside until I can get a new set and decided to start on another present, a scarf. I got about an inch in and realized that I hated how thin the yarn was. Frogged it and put the yarn away. Note to self: Do not buy lace weight.

Was starting another present, a hat this time. I went to grab some needles out of my case... and the zipper pull fell off. It will not go back on.

My shipment from Knit Picks randomly went off the map for a few days. Now it's 35 minutes north of me and won't get here til tomorrow. It got there Saturday.

I'm getting a callus on my right pinky from where the yarn rubs. It's very annoying, but I'll live.

Somebody tell me that my luck will turn around soon?

On the Needles - 04/11/2009

2009-04-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

Remember that gorgeous Malabrigo sock yarn I posted a picture of? I'm totally using it right now. Working on some toe-up Monkeys for my sister's birthday. Her birthday's not til July, so I'm taking my time. I love doing toe-up, two-at-a-time socks using the Magic Loop method. I've tried other ways, but this is what I get the best results from. I'm not a huge fan of gusset heels. I thought I was for a while, but alas. I love short-row wrap heels. And cuff-down is just not my thing!

I also have some fun new project ideas that I'm starting to plan out. If they start to come to fruition, I'll definitely be talking about it here!

Here's a picture of the socks that I took yesterday.

Fun contest!

2009-04-09T08:32:00.001-07:00

The Knit Witch is having a fun contest for April. Go check it out here!

Sock yarn on sale

2009-04-06T09:05:00.001-07:00

Knit Picks has their 50g Essential Kettle-Dyed sock yarn on sale. This is to make room for their new 100g Essential Kettle-Dyed. The 100g is $8.99 but 100g of the 50g is only $6.78, for a savings of $2.21. $6.78 for enough SUPERWASH sock yarn to make a pair of socks? Yes, please!

MmmmmMalabrigo

2009-04-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

I have now gotten my first taste of this lovely yarn. I bought some black lace and Velvet Grapes sock yarn as well as the worsted weight in Vaa (dark green). The Worsted is for me, I'm making a lovely shawl. The others are for Christmas/Birthday gifts for a couple of my sisters. Mmmm, so soft. Pretty easy to work with as well.

If you love Malabrigo, what's your favorite kind and/or color?

Who doesn't like free stuff?

2009-03-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

Head on over to Knit Purl Gurl for a great contest. A chance to win almost $60 worth of yarn? Yay!

On the Needles - 03/27/2009

2009-03-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

Right now, I'm working on an ADORABLE watermelon dress for my niece Jorja for her 2nd birthday coming up next month. I'm about half-way finished with it and it's looking really great. I've been searching all over for some watermelon seed shaped buttons or beads to put on it... but no luck. If you know where I could find some, please let me know! I checked Shipwreck and Fire Mountain beads online, among others, no go. It's driving me crazy.

I recently finished a cute summer top. Pictures will probably come sometime next week.

Crossing my fingers

2009-03-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

I sent in my resume and cover letter to a reputable company offering a work from home position with customer service, technical and knitting knowledge being the key components. I worked on my stuff for several hours yesterday and I hope it's good enough to stand out. If I get this job... my hubby and I could very well afford to finally get on our feet.

In other news, I'm currently working with several testers on my Thorn Lace sock pattern. A few minor errors were pointed out and corrected, but overall everyone's saying my pattern looks well written and easy to follow. I've been stewing in pride the past two days. It's not often I get complimented, and when it's on something that's so important to me, it makes me even happier.

Yay!

2009-03-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

I got my Knit Picks Options set in the mail yesterday. It came in a handy carrying case, which I was able to stuff with not only the set that came with it, but also my current cables, needles, and fixed circulars as well as some notions. Overall, I'm very pleased with my purchase!

Thorn Lace Socks

2009-03-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to test the pattern for errors, send me an e-mail at ladyfirelyght AT gmail DOT com. I look forward to hearing from you! The finalized pattern will be offered for sale

I like to keep it low-budget.

2009-03-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

Good (including tapestry or yarn) needles, yarn, tape measure, and scissors are the only truly necessary pieces of equipment you need to have in order to knit. But if you look around, you'll see thousands of different knitting-related items that many people like to have. Needle holders, stitch markers, gauge measurers, yarn guides (for your fingers), and the list goes on and on. All this can add up to hundreds of dollars if you don't watch out. I'm on a budget, so I can't afford all the fancy stuff.

I had some acrylic yarn from years back when I used to do loom knitting. When I first started regular knitting, I bought a 70, yes 70!!, piece DPN set. I had no idea what to do with them to keep them organized. So I thought about it... and I figured it out. I took two contrasting yarns, and knit a 8x20" rectangle. It was stockinette except for the top and bottom, which I did in reverse stockinette. It helps to keep the needles in there. I then put all of my DPNs in order onto it by inserting them into the loops. Each size alternated the colors, so I could easily pull out each "set" if I needed to. Starting from the largest needle size, I rolled the thing up as tightly as I could. Then, I secured two loops of yarn on the outside, which I then wrapped around the entire bundle. Voila, super inexpensive needle holder! It takes up very little space, holds everything pretty securely, and has held up really well even though I go into it all the time.

Stitch markers can be expensive. Why spend $3-20 on a few that you might misplace when you can easily make something just as functional for nearly free? You know those "locking" stitch markers? I use safety pins. Regular round stitch markers? I use scraps of yarn. I have a cup full of yarn scraps that I've dedicated to the purpose of using at stitch markers. If I lose one, it's no big deal. And if it gets too beat up, I don't feel bad about throwing it away.

You don't really need a retractable tape measure. It's a frivolous thing to have, considering that you could just as easily go to your local craft store and pick up a regular (non-retractable) tape measure with its own little case for less than a dollar. It works exactly the same. It's not that hard to rewind a tape measure. It's really not!

Why waste money on a chart tracker when a simple pen and paper would do just as well?

Two things that I recommend budgeting for are a yarn swift and winder. If you're like me, you like hand-dyed/handpainted yarns. Most of said yarns come in hanks, not center-pull balls. I don't currently have a swift nor do I have a winder, but after 6 months of knitting, I can tell that I need to save for one of each. It drives me nuts spending over half an hour winding one 100g hank of fingering yarn. And if I have multiple hanks? Forget about it. Sometimes I have to hire Brit to help me wind. I have a swift and winder on my birthday/Christmas wish list. If someone doesn't get one for me, I'll defintiely be investing in one myself.

If you've got the money for it, Joann.com has a large yarn swift for only $49.19! It's for a limited time only, though, so you better hurry.

What cheap/free methods do you use to keep knitting within a reasonable budget? I'm all about new ideas!

Woo hoo!

2009-03-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my husband (Brit) got paid. Now, normally that's awesome on its own, but this paycheck brought something even better: a KP Nickle-plated Options set! I finally saved up enough money to order one. I'm so excited! Also, Brit took me to Michael's and I picked up 8 skeins of Sugar 'n Cream in two different colors for only $10.84! They were having a 4 for $5 special, and I was originally going to only buy one color, but neither Brit nor I could decide which color to get out of two. No hesitation, Brit said get both!

Now that's what I call an awesome husband.

Magazines

2009-03-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

I'm usually not too big on magazines (even knitting ones), but after reviewing Interweave Knits' website and seeing the patterns that they've offered in past issues, I decided to subscribe. I can tell you now... I am not at all disappointed. Of the 22 patterns offered in the Spring issue, there are only 3 that I can't see myself ever making. And the ads are relevant to my interests and even the ads themselves have given me inspiration for things.

I got a free issue of Creative Knitting and totally disliked it. Of the 29 patterns in the issue, I liked 2. And I didn't really like them enough that I would make them. The ads were pretty good, but that was definitely the deal-breaker. Needless to say, I did not subscribe.

If you subscribe to any knitting magazines, which ones are they? What are your likes and dislikes of ones that you've read?

Free Patterns

2009-03-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, you're always searching for FREE patterns. I don't have much money to spend, and I want to spend it on the supplies, not the pattern! My favorite website for that is Knitting Pattern Central, KPC. You can find any kind of pattern you could think of, from afghans to women's wear. Some of the patterns require (free) sign-up at certain pages, but the majority are just click and knit.

There's also a "Tips and Tricks" section that might teach you a thing or two. I know it did me!

Let's talk about eBay

2009-03-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of eBay. If you're careful about whose items you bid on, you'll have a safe, easy, great transaction. Not to mention you can get some AWESOME deals on yarn, needles and knitting accessories.

My personal favorite eBayer is Julia's Yarn. Good quality yarns at an even greater price. I love JY sock yarns. I've used Zania and Salvia. Zania is a bamboo/wool blend, Salvia is 100% merino. Both are quite soft and knit up awesomely. They offer bulk packages of yarn, so as an example, you could get 10 skeins of Salvia (one color) for $40, FREE SHIPPING. And they ship fast.

They also have a regular online store, if you don't like shopping on eBay. You can often find items in this store (especially for bulk purchases) that you can't find on eBay. If you sign up for their mailing list, they reguarly send coupons for sometimes up to 50% off purchases over $49.

Check them out. It's almost guaranteed that you'll find something you'll like. If you happen to buy something from them, please let them know that the wife of Brit Mckay (britmckay @ gmail dot com) sent you, as they have a referral point program. If you don't, that's fine too. No one will be the wiser! And hey, you'll still get awesome yarn.

Here are two projects I did, the first with Salvia, the second with Zania.

Knit Picks

2009-03-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard of Knit Picks, you are in for a treat! Affordable, quality yarns at a fraction of the cost of other brands. I wouldn't be able to do nearly as many projects if I didn't buy much of my yarns through Knit Picks. Also, they have interchangeable needles in both wood and nickle-plated that are divine. The only other needles I use now are some of my bamboo dpns, but I'm hoping to replace those one day.

Knit Picks is for much more than just yarn and needles, though. They have project holders/carriers, organizers, gauge finders (awesome!), crochet hooks, book, many other notions as well as dyes, wool wash, and much more! Any questions? They've got their own online community.

Another thing that I've got to mention is their SUPERB customer service. They're very quick and friendly to resolve any problem you might have with your order. I recently did a hat project with blue and white Wool of the Andes, and the blue bled a little. I contacted them simply to ask them if there was any way I could fix it. They not only gave me some tips on how to prevent it in the future, though sadly it's not fixable, they gave me and $11 credit toward my next order.

Lastly, the shipping is great. Very reasonable prices and orders over $50 get it free! I've seen other sites that will charge up to 10% of your order price on shipping. No thanks!

On the Needles - 03/09/2009

2009-03-09T11:48:00.000-07:00

This week I have two projects OTN (On The Needles).

First up is a pair of socks that I'm writing the pattern for. I'm looking for testers for when I'm finished. If you're interested, let me know. It's a pretty simple pattern. Toe-up with a short row heel. I'm doing it in green with black toe, heel, and cuff. The yarn I'm using, Over the Rainbow Twinkletoes in Leprechaun, coupled with the lace pattern of the instep makes it look like a cool moss. I really look forward to finishing it! I'm still trying to figure out a name for them.

The second is a pair of Cabled Toddler Socks for my niece, Jorja. I made her a pair about a month ago, and her mom (my sister) says she doesn't want to wear any other socks. So, I figure another pair will do quite nicely. Not to mention that it's basically Instant Gratification (IG).

IG is necessary because I've been killing my brain with figuring out all the specifics of the previously mentioned pattern, trying to make sure that I write everything out right. Needed a little break. I can whip out these little socks in a couple hours. Ahhh... almost as relaxing as a cup of hot cocoa.

An Awesome Contest!

2009-03-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

Knit Purl Gurl has a great giveaway going on. I HIGHLY recommend checking it out and entering. The yarns are gorgeous!

KH

2009-03-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

Need help with a knitting (or crocheting!) related problem? Go to Knitting Help! Videos or glossary don't answer your question? Head on over to the forums, sign up, and post your problem in the most fitting section. Most of the time, you'll get an answer within an hour. Everyone there is extremely helpful and very nice. It's about as close to a pocket full of sunshine as you can get.

So it begins.

2009-03-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

Because it probably drives people crazy on my Myspace blog that I hardly post about anything other than knitting, I figured having my own knitting blog seemed a good compromise. Sadly, my Myspace blog will probably be neglected now. Oh, what a tangled web we weave!

Hi, I'm Lydia. I've been a knitter since late August 2008. Even though it's been such a short amount of time, I like to think that I've progressed rather rapidly. I've done everything from shrugs to sweaters to socks, scarves, toys, and hats. Lots and lots of hats. Hats and socks are definitely my favorites.

From time to time, I'll share with you some fun/interesting knitting sites that I find. Today, I'd like to introduce to you my FAVORITE knitting site, Ravelry. If you haven't heard of it, go there and request an invite. Mine took about a week and a half, and I'm SO glad I signed up. It is awesomesauce. Go there now, please.