GAAHHH!

I can't believe it. I was browsing the tour schedule for the awesome Mason-Dixon Knitting ladies and found out there is a knitting store in Swarthmore. Swarthmore, PA. I was stuck at that God-foresaken place (knitting-wise) for four years and as soon as I leave they open a knitting store? What's up with that? I had to schlep my little knitting bag all the way into Rittenhouse Square to get to Sophie's Yarns (now Rosie's Yarn Cellar, a great knitting store) or go to Bryn Mawr's Ewe and I, which honestly, was not the friendliest yarn store ever. For whatever reason, it just seemed really hard to get around back then and I only got to a yarn store once or twice a semester (oh, the humanity, the deprivation!)... I guess on the plus side, had there been a knitting store within walking distance I would have had to have at least 3 more campus jobs in order to support the habit, so it probably did work out for the best from a financial standpoint. But still...

Even today, I guess I am grateful to live close enough to several yarn stores that I can get to them fairly easily, but not within walking distance of anything, so I am not coming in to browse all the time and I can't just walk over anytime I feel like I MUST START NEW KNITTING PROJECT TODAY (and of course there is nothing in the 10 humongous yarn bins in the house that can be used for said project).

In any case, it doesn't look like there are any Mason-Dixon Knitting or Yarn Harlot book signings nearby. Lucy? Allison? Anyone? Hint, hint...

Shawl and happiness

So last weekend I ventured up to Northampton to visit some friends and ended up buying some scrumptuous silk and mohair handpainted yarn at Webs. I bought it to make a shawl to wear at a friend's wedding on April 22, Earth Day! I thought the yarn was the most amazing Spring-y blue green that would go perfectly with a polka-dotted blue green sundress I already had (see, I was thinking about saving money, instead of buying a brand new dress, I'd make a one-of-a-kind shawl to go with existing dress. Right.)

I got home, immediately proceeded to wind yarn into balls and furiously scrounge through every shawl, wrap, capelet, and poncho pattern in the house... Of course, none seemed quite right and indecision ensued. I even browsed every pattern fitting the above description of the always awesome Knitting Pattern Central (dot com), but again, nothing seemed like the exact right thing.

First. I cast on Knitty's Cozy shawl, which I had already knitted two of, in the original yarn the pattern intended. Ended up ripping out because it seemed "too lacey".

Then, I cast on the Wool Peddler shawl from the book Folk Shawls (it was the only pattern in the book that would work with the yardage I have of this). I ended up ripping it out again because I didn't think the pattern would look right with an non-wool (read, non "spongy") yarn.
Finally, I cast on a variation of one of the shawls from the book Lavish Lace. It seemed to be going alright until I re-read the pattern and realized it was a garter-stitch lace pattern that I converted into St st without realizing. It still looks ok, I guess, but it's really not what I had in mind. The truth, obviously, is that I don't know what I had in mind. This is what it looks like with the dress...

So this is what I don't like about it: I don't like the way the colors pool together and make a sort of weird stripey thing. I also think the lace pattern doesn't show too well, and I am not sure the size is what I wanted. Another idea I've been playing with is doing a Clapotis with this yarn, because I feel that non-elastic yarns lend themselves well to drop stitch patterns, and I think the funky direction might actually work better with the handpaints of this yarn. And come to think of it, maybe the Cozy wasn't too bad, if I had just kept going. I don't know... Any suggestions?

Felted Fun

Ok, so it's been a while... I did go to Las Vegas and felt my little heart out. The Kitty Pi bed came out fabulously, and only needed one cycle in my mom's super washing machine. I draped it over a stool to dry and presto! Kitty magic accomplished. Knit and Perl seem to really be enjoying it.

The Lucy bag, also knitted in Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride bulky was really fun to knit and came out perfectly after just one wash as well (sorry, no before pictures). It's cute, it's just the right size, and I love the way it closes. I am contemplating embroidering some little flowers on it with some variegated yarn I have, but it's not decided yet.

During my Las Vegas trip I also checked out the always well stocked LYS Gail Knits and ended up walking out with some gift yarn for a scarf and a project for my mom. She chose a felted hat made with one strand of Cascade 220 and one strand of Trendsetter Dune (shown here pre-felting next to a regular-sized adult rolled brim hat for scale). I just finished knitting it here in Boston and mailed it to her to felt by herself in Las Vegas. She promised to send post-felting pictures when she's done. Also to come are pictures of the Kochoran Sophie bag, which turned out quite well after 2 turns at the washer. So well in fact that it was confiscated by my mom as a gift, which she promised to love and cherished forever. I thought it was impressive how much the Kochoran "bloomed" after felting, it is as if the wool fibers shrunk together but the angora fibers stuck out. A nice effect, but probably kind of itchy for a next-to-skin garment.

The scarf project is a super-soft reversible cable house pattern of Gail Knits, worked on Aurora 8 merino in an awesome raspberry color that just does not look true to life at all in this picture. It's a really fun project in a yarn I'd never used before, the key is just to keep a close eye on the rows since there isn't the convenience of a wrong side and a right side to know when to cable. The only thing I'm not completely happy with is the cast on row. The pattern called for slightly smaller needles (10 vs. 10.5) for the cast on to prevent flaring, but I think I needed even smaller needles for complete flare prevention. But I really really don't want to frog, so it's good enough for government work.