Woolmeisse & Current Knitting

I have been wanting Woolmeisse yarn since I have heard various people waxing on about it. It looks like incredible yarn. Problem is it is generally sold out in 20 minutes. I am actually enough of a masochist that I open the tab daily in hopes of snagging some.

For the first time in maybe a year since having that tab, there is actually some available on their site. And there is a colorway available that is lovely. I got paid today. Dangerous. So I put it in my cart. And then I came to my senses!! It is 35 Euros. Not dollars, Euros! According to Google, that is $46.84 which is a better exchange rate than I have seen in eons.

However, I came to my senses! It is two weeks from Christmas. I have a ton to pick up for people. It is nuts to even think about spending that kinda money on a single skein of yarn!! Not to mention shipping from Germany. So I closed the window.

I am simply not that insane. Or that wealthy. *laugh*

I finished two cute shrugs for Eldest Munchkin and her pressie from Santa (an 18" doll). Other than the @*#& buttons of course. *hangs head in shame* I have no excuse either on the buttons as my MIL was so sweet last Xmas and gave me a bunch of buttons. So there is no excuse other than I haven't dug them out of the mess that is the craft/guest room.

They are knit out of Schaefer Yarn's Chris. I really love their yarns. Ravelry lists it as an Aran weight. It is superwash wool.

I cast on some toe up Mary Janes with it. I figure they would look super cute with the shrug. Though I know that may not make sense as the knit Mary Janes are indoor slippers. But I figure they are cute.

I am making it up as I go along. Though I did borrow the edging from the Knitpicks Mary Jane slipper pattern. The rest is a toe up sock where I am binding off the stitches for a MJ. I think they should be cute.

I need to take some pics!

Back to work for me. Whee.

Toe Up Socks in Schaefer Lola Done

Cast on:

Saturday, Nov. 3rd.

Finished on:

Sunday, Nov. 11th.

Yarn:

Schaefer Lola

Needles:

Knitpicks Options & Boyd Circulars Size 5

I am going to sure the small images on the page. My mother-in-law is still on dial-up. So I don't want to overload her with the images. And I will just give links to some of the images.

Front View:

Side View:

Other Views:

Side View of Pair

Flat

Flat Pair

Pattern:

I didn't use a specific pattern.

I used the Lifestyle Toe Up Socks as a guide.

The toe is done with Judy's Magic Cast-On. Though the YouTube video by Cat Bordhi was even more helpful.

I took the numbers from the Knitty Universal Toe Up sock recipe.

I looked at different sites for the heel I went with one that didn't require wraps. I think that was a mistake.

I did a garter rib on the top which will carry up to the leg. Took that from Sensational Knitted Socks.

This is a Frankenpattern! *grin*

Love the yarn! It is knitting up so fast. I did 6" of the foot in the first 48 hours. This is after spending a lot of time learning Judy's Magic Cast-On and frogging the toe once after it didn't go right the first time. It is also super cushy and soft. I know I will have to get more of it.

I really enjoy toe up socks. I like that I can tweak them as needed. It may be my new method for socks most of the time.

I will definitely find a new heel though. I got holes at the seam. Not good. I had to use the yarn to sew up the holes at the gusset. I am trying another method with the Toe Up Jaywalkers. And this method is a lot better. So I won't use the no wrap method again. Too much of a mess. Not that the one I am doing now is tough at all. It has a gusset and is worked nearly identical to a cuff down which I like.

I am wearing them again today. I really like them. They are kinda bulky, but I don't mind that. I suspect most people would say they are house socks, but I don't think of them as that.

Schaefer Lola Socks

Here are my Lola socks. They are my first pair of toe up socks. I got the Schaefer Lola yarn at Rhinebeck. I love it. But I wanted to make sure I used all of it so I am trying the toe-up method.

Yarn:
Schaefer Lola
http://www.schaeferyarn.com/

Needles:
Two US #5 circulars
Knitpicks Options & Boyd

Pattern:
I am not using a specific pattern.

I am using the as a guide.

Lola Socks Top - In Progress
Originally uploaded by akkasha

The toe is done with Judy's Magic Cast-On. Cat Bordhi has a great video on YouTube with how to do it. The voices are *very* silly. But it did teach me how to do it.

I took the numbers from the Knitty Universal Toe Up sock recipe which I put into a spreadsheet with the recipe on a second page so I can use the numbers again easily.

I am doing a garter rib on the top which will carry up to the leg. Took that from Sensational Knitted Socks. So in a way, it is becoming a Frankenpattern! *grin*

Lola Socks Heel - In Progress - Side View
Originally uploaded by akkasha

I decided to try the short row heel that doesn't require twisting & wraps. I found this tutorial with videos & pics. Though I have been struggling a lot with it. I ripped one heel out three times before it looked close to correct. I ripped the second heel out twice before deciding it was close enough for now. Not ideal honestly.

I have taken a pic of the first sock heel. Tried to get close up.

Lola Socks Heel - In Progress
Originally uploaded by akkasha

Love the yarn! It is knitting up so fast. I did 6" of the foot in the first 48 hours. This is after spending a lot of time learning Judy's Magic Cast-On and frogging the toe once after it didn't go right the first time. It is also super cushy and soft. I know I will have to get more of it.

I am really enjoying toe up. It may be my new method for socks most of the time. I like that I can know how much yarn I have left for the cuff. I can just keep knitting til I am going to run out.

Thing is, I think I need to either get some help with the heel or try another method. It hasn't been easy with this method for me. I am not sure if I haven't been doing it too loosely somehow. Maybe I should go down a needle size or something. I really don't know. I keep getting holes. But then I wonder if it isn't similar to my first socks. I thought the holes along the edge where huge. But they weren't. They don't even show up! I am not sure...

Ah well. I have to get some exercise in today. So I best get to it! The day is whizzing by!

Rhinebeck Stash Acquisitions

Look at all the lovely Rhinebeck stash!!

I got all the yarn at NY Sheep & Wool on Saturday.

I should post to my general journal about the beer. *chuckle* I didn't get this at NY Sheep and Wool, but at a place on the way home. But it was the same trip. Just a different sort of stash! *grin*

Schaefer Lola

I have been drooling over the Schaefer yarns for a while now. A couple different podcasts have mentioned them, including one with an interview ('course I can't recall which one now).

Their colorways are so beautiful. I really love them. But many of their yarn lines are pretty pricey.

I found some lovely Lola. Lola is made with superwash wool. It is pretty soft. Though it is also pretty thick. So I didn't honestly know if I could use it for socks. So I did it as a purchase that was open to use.

It seems Lola isn't done in specific colorways like the ones listed on their site. So they are less expensive. I read that Lola is made with whatever dyes are left over for the day. So they vary a good deal. And why may not ever do something similar. I think that is pretty nifty.

The upside of that is Lola is a yarn I was able to actually afford! *grin* I love the one I got. It is different reds with some browns & grey. Pretty thick so it will be quick to knit up.

I am *definitely* going to do these toe up. I want to use every bit I can of the yarn. I am not sure if I want to just do a simple pattern or something more complex. If the gauge is right, I might try the toe up Jaywalkers. I think that might work well. I need to knit a swatch & see.

I hope I remember to look when I get home. I can't recall what booth I got this from.

Peruvian Alpaca

I picked a lovely bunch of Peruvian Alpaca at A Touch of Twist. It should be plenty for a nice, simple, black cardigan.

This was my big splurge item. I really debated if I should spend the money on it. This was my last purchase. I had picked up the Lola and a $10 mixed bag of yarn. So I felt like I had been very restrained. I had set aside a pretty good chunk of money for this. So I figured it was the time to take the plunge.

I have been wanting to make a black cardigan for a while now. But I am always hesitant to purchase that much yarn. I knew it would be a pricey item to make in anything I wanted to wear much. (Yes, I could get acrylic for cheap enough, but I sorta felt like if that was the case, I should just buy a black cardigan.)

Paul said I looked kinda white after making the purchase. *laugh* I guess it is that I spent a good deal of money so now I want to make something good with the yarn. And that makes me nervous.

Now, I need to find a simple top down cardigan pattern. Preferably one knit in one piece. I really do loathe sewing seams. *grin* Too funny given I can sew. But with knitting, it just seems so wrong to do it. *laugh*

It is so super soft. I kept kidding Paul I could just use it as it is as a pillow. I was resting my head against it. It is definitely yummy.

I also think I want to figure out some way to have a way to attach different cuffs and collars. I figure I can do a simple round collar. But then I can create collars and cuffs to attach to it. For instance, I have that lovely hand spun & dyed purple silk yarn. It would be great to make cuffs & collar to compliment the sweater.

Mixed $10 Bag

One of the vendors has boxes of bags with yarn in them. They are seal so you can't always see what exactly is in there. But with a bit of moving them around, you could make it out with some of them. It was sorta like treasure hunting. I did pretty well.

I ended up getting a bag with 4 different yarns. I think the blue cotton was what drew me to it. But the fact that two others were machine washable stuff made me think they would be ideal for some charity knits. So I figure it was money well spent.

Mystery Fiber

No idea what it is. Looks like it could be wool. Not sure. Greyish blue with some purplish flecks. Really wish I had a clue what it was as it could be good to use for something. But without having any idea how to care for it, I don't think I would know what to do with it.

There is about 50 gms of it.

Reynolds Gypsy

100% cotton. Very shiny. Like the blue color.

50 gm/ ~82 yards

I don't know what I will do with it. Though I am thinking that if I have changeable collars and cuffs for the cardigan, this might be kinda pretty for that.

Bergere de France Bergereine

50% wool / 50% cotton. Machine washable. Not sure what I will do with it. Thinking perhaps a baby hat for charity. There is only 50 gms/~104 yards.

So not my color. But the fiber feels pretty nice actually. It might be a bit slippery to knit. Not sure.

Reynolds Eternity

Color 764 - Burnt Orange

51% wool, 49% microfiber.

Washable

50 gm/ ~88 yards

Probably gonna be for a charity item.

All in all, I think I did pretty well. I am excited to cast on something with the Lola & the alpaca. I started the alpaca swatch this morning. I will probably swatch some of the Lola tonight. Though I am sorely tempted to hold off on casting on a second pair of socks until the pair I am working on now are done. Not sure yet.

*does a happy dance* Happy stash.

My First Rhinebeck!

My first Rhinebeck! Woohoo!

I am happy that I was warned there was sooo much there. I am also so thrilled with the Ravelry forums. They really helped me to get a good fix on things. The spreadsheet & research really helped before hand. It gave me some good ideas about what I should see and what I could skip.

Paul dropped me off around 10:00. He headed off the Aerodrome that is super close to the fairgrounds.

First thing I did when I got there was check out The Fold. I had heard on the Ravelry forums that they had a bunch of Socks That Rock. I wanted to see the STR up close & personal. And I am happy to say, it is some yummy stuff. I definitely see what all the fuss is about. They are some beautiful colorways and super sock yarns. I definitely will buy some of their stuff.

Thing is, I got there at about 10:15-10:30. There was already a huge line to pay. So there was no way I was waiting in line to buy something I could get online. I don't really get it. I suspect I would have had to wait at least 30-45 minutes. That would have been a waste. I really do wonder why The Fold gets such a small booth & why they don't have more registers. Seems like they are loosing business. Ah well.

I did check an alpaca vendor. The yarns weren't what I wanted but they had a simple pair of premade socks. Figured that was a good purchase as they would be nice and toasty. I am sure winter will appear sometime soon, right? *grin*

I wish I could recall in which booth I found the Schaefer yarns. I have been eyeing their yarns online in a big way. I heard about them in a couple podcasts. Their colorways are so beautiful. I really love them. But they are pretty pricey.

However, I did find some Lola. Lola is made with superwash wool. However, they aren't a specific colorway like the ones listed on their site. So they are less expensive. I am going to do a separate entry with what I got & all the pics as a separate entry. So that will have more details.

I had decided to limit myself to two sock yarns with superwash wool. After doing the test swatches last week, it seems some superwash wools will work for me. Some won't. So I set myself a two types of superwash wool for socks cap to make sure I didn't go overboard.

There were a couple sock yarns I absolutely adored. There were several of the Mountain Colors sock yarns I sooooo wanted. But they are one of the price fixing companies. So there was no way I was going to buy that. I put them back and swore at them a lot. *grin* There was one or two other companies I found that had the same issue. *sigh* I really hate that. But I can't support people who won't support fair pricing.

I found a couple places with bargain bins which was kinda fun. One had $10 bags. The bags had 3-4 different yarns in a sealed bag. I purchase one bag with some mixed stuff. It included some pretty cotton yarn that was very shiny. As well as some other ones that I will probably use for donation stuff. I figured for $10, it was worth picking it up.

I did stop by the Ravelry/Blogger meeting at noon. The problem is that I am so not good with going up to people. I did say hello to Necia as she is on the 6th Borough group. I have posted to that board a lot and knew she was local. There were a lot more people there. I was already feeling overwhelmed by the number of people around. So I just couldn't bring myself to stay long. Hey, for me, going up and introducing myself to a complete stranger is an achievement. *laugh* I am just *terrible* with large social groups.

I kept seeing Cat from the Let's Knit Together podcast wandering around. I debated saying hello and telling her how much I love her podcasts. But I figured she had enough going on already. *smile*

I did have a Yarn Harlot spotting late in the day (about 4). Though again, I didn't say anything as I suspect the poor woman was probably already getting too many people coming up to her. She had on her amazing Kauni sweater which looks just like the pics. Pretty cool.

I feel a bit of an idiot though. I put together the info on all the vendors, maps, etc. What did I forget? I forgot to write down what booths had collection boxes for Hats for Alex. I did look, but didn't see anything obvious. So I carried the hat with me all day. It was small & in my purse. But I feel so goofy that I have to mail it because I forgot to write it down. *laugh* Ah well.

At about 2, I gave Paul a call. He was just about to head over to the fairgrounds to join me. He had a great time at the Aerodrome and grabbed a beer at a local brewery bar. I was glad when he joined me. But I was just as thrilled that he got a lot of time doing things he enjoyed.

When he joined me, he was amazed. I only had the Lola & the $10 bag of yarn. He was stunned. *laugh* I had seen some yarns that were nice (like the Opal ones and some others). But there wasn't anything was screaming buy me right this instance! There were some yarns that I will probably buy online at a later date. But I knew I could get them online so I didn't see the point of getting them there unless they really spoke to me.

Though on a surprise note, there were some of the Lion Brand hand painted sock yarns that tempted me. I nearly did get some. But again, didn't see the point when I could get them online.

So I spent some time thinking. I figured *if* A Touch of Twist had more of black alpaca, it was a sign that I should splurge and get enough for a sweater's worth. I have really been wanting to make a simple black cardigan with something I would wear. But it is challenging when getting enough yarn for a sweater is pretty pricey in any yarn I would really want to wear for a long time.

I went back and low and behold. They must have gotten some more stock put out. Because when I was there the first time, there were only 2 skeins. This time there were 5 large 8 oz. skeins. Which are approximately 691 yards, so 3455 yards. I think that might be more than enough.

Wow. I really should have used my calculator. I was trying to make sure I got enough for a sweater. What I found for yardage said I should have about 2500 yards. So that was what I was aiming for. Oops. Ah well. It is black. It isn't like I won't be able to do something else with it! *laugh*

I was so happy that I got to see Diane. She mentioned she might be there. She is the woman who taught me to knit. She was on the look out for me which was good. 'Cause I was not looking at all at that point. I was in overload already. I think this was around 2:30-3:30.

It was so wonderful getting to meet her daughter Claire at last. She is sooo adorable. Though the poor girl did not fair well with the car & all the commotion. But her baby booties where adorable! *grin*

In review...

I don't think I need to stay overnight. I know a lot of people swear you can't do it all in one day. For me, that wasn't true. I had enough time to look over what I wanted to see and enjoyed the experience. I was definitely in overload by the end of the day. I don't think I could have faced going back to the crowds the next day.

If I started spinning, I can *definitely* see why I would need two days. There is a ton of spinning stuff there. Since I don't, there were entire booths I could skip easily.

Also, since I have allergies, I tend to just give a quick glance to all wool places. So that also cut down on how many places I need to see.

I would love to get to some of the workshops. If I took the workshops, I would want to stay a while longer.

But I suspect next year, I will just stick with day tripping again.

I am definitely glad I did all the research. It helped me to figure out what I needed to see. I think I wouldn't have been as interested in A Touch of Twist if someone hadn't recommended them. I found with the recommendation, I took the time to take a closer look. And their prices were good for the yardage. So I am pretty thrilled.

I was definitely exhausted by the end of the day, but happily so! *grin*

I will have to do another post about the other stash acquisitions. But they should probably go on my general journal as they weren't knitting related. *smile*