Chic-a Yarn Keeper & More about Mojo

I am not big on knitting accessories.  But every now and then, something catches my eye and I don't resist.  I picked up the Chic-a Double Yarn Keeper.  I really don't know why I decided to spend the money, but I am oooohhh so glad I did.  I adore it!

Its design is actually pretty simple.  A plastic fabric bag with two metal grommets in the top for you to loop the yarn through. The top is see through plastic so you can see the yarn inside.   It has a zipper so you can open it.  Pretty simple.

But for knitting two socks on two circs, it is amazing!!  I am currently knitting socks with strung beads.  That can be a major nightmare.  Between two balls of yarn to tangle and the beads catching the yarn or the strung beads snaking out and about.  But it is so simple with this.  It keeps the yarn neat.  It also makes it very portable.

I confess I am looking to buy another one when I get paid as I want to put a second pair of socks on my needles.  I have to fiddle with the yarn because of the beads.  However, without beads, this would change my knitting completely.  No more tangled yarn balls.  No more spending time untwisting the yarn.  I adore it. 

My only wish is that they had a divider between the two compartments.  I think this would be an excellent idea for when you are tossing it into a bag to travel with it.  The bags would be fixed into a compartment no matter how much they got tossed around.  But it is a minor complaint.  I adore it.

On the last post about mojo, I took something my MIL told me and reworked it.  I decided that I should just focus on getting the dress done before I allowed myself to cast on anything else.  And that plan was rocking.  I got the body of the dress done.  Hooray. 

I decided to add knit straps rather than trying to find a matching ribbon.  Going great.  Three of the four straps, done.  In the home stretch...  Then 6 out or 12 inches into the final strap, I ran out of yarn!!  *sigh*

So either I rip back at least 2-2 1/1" on each of the other three straps or I just take off the straps completely. Or something else I haven't thought of.  I was so pleased with myself.  And then to have the yarn fail me.  *pout*  I am cranky! 

I confess that part of me feels like I did my job so I can cast something on.  *laugh*  But instead I just focused on the previously mentioned socks.  They were only *just* cast on.  I had cast on one sock & only half the stitches on the second!  That is it.  I was cranking along on them this weekend.  I have two repeats done.  I think I am going for at least four repeats but maybe five.  Depends on how many beads it takes as I strung all the beads I have for this project.  So if I can do five, I will.  If not, I will stop with four.

Mind you, the pattern says two repeats before beginning the foot.  I feel like either a) the author likes shorter socks than I do or b) my row gauge is radically different.  I kinda think b when I look at the patternpicture.  I think part may be that there is a row across the ankle without beads.  We shall see.  Heaven knows I might bead those. But again, we will see how long it is and how many beads I have left.

Gotta run.  I wrote this in the morning...but didn't have time to finish it.  If I don't post it now, who knows if I ever will these days!