Been A While

It has been a while since I have posted. It might be a while longer. *sigh*

Work has been crazed. I offered to help with a project that is much larger than I anticipated when I agreed to help. So that is sucking up most of my time. I even have pics that I took over a week ago that I just haven't had time to edit & post.

I have finished the Christmas tree dish towel & need to post that pattern. I also finished the cardigan for Littlest George for Xmas. Last night I finished some feather & fan socks out of a sock blank I dyed. I am *totally* hooked on sock blanks! They are so portable and no tangled up balls. It is great.

I have also designed a beaded evening bag/purse for my friend Karen. I will post that when I am done.

Problem is that I will super busy for the next couple weeks. Then I have two weeks off. So while that is great, I don't know how much time I will have to post.

BTW, I went to the Smiley yarn sale in Manhattan. I have had great luck with their sales in the past. I don't know what happened this year, but it was a zoo!!! I had to wait on line to get inside. Once inside, I saw that the line to pay snaked all the way around the hotel ballroom and back out the door. I would have been on line for at least an hour. I just couldn't do it. I looked around and saw a couple things I would have liked, but not enough to spend that kind of time on the line. *shakes head* I really don't get it as I have gone in past years and it was nowhere near that bad. I got too claustrophobic. And I am not usually one to feel that very often. But there were just too many people to deal with that long a wait. Ah well. I am *really* glad I hit the NJ sale and got the cotton yarn there.

Back to work. I would like to get out at a decent hour & I can't leave until 3 different projects are done.

Event to Check Out

There is an Etsy Truck Show on Friday, Nov. 16th. It is in Brooklyn. I might need to go. I do love Etsy.

The start of my work conference was shifted from Monday, Nov. 26th to Tuesday, Nov. 27th. I was excited as I thought it meant I could hit the first day of the Smiley Yarn sale in Manhattan. No such luck. That is Tuesday - Saturday. Ah well.

I did get to the one in NJ. But it is a lot smaller than the Manhattan one. So I would still love to hit the one in the city. Might have to beg Paul to go and see if he can get some Lana in navy. I want to make some mittens with it but I need a contrasting color to the stuff I already got. And the yarn is discontinued. *sigh*

Ah well. I know, I have enough yarn, right? Nah... never. *grin*

Ravishing Socks

I am still working on the ravishing socks. These are out of the hand dyed yarn I did. It is Elann Esprit Cotton w/Elastic yarn.

I am happy to say I have turned the heel and completed the gusset. So now it is just the foot to complete.



The yarn has some nice give. The elastic gives it some great spring. The only downside is that they are handwash. *pout* I wish I knew why they aren't machine washable. I am not sure.

The Milsoft made a huge difference in how soft the yarn is. I am definitely a fan of the Dharma Fiber Reactive Procion Dyes. They really seem to be vivid. And so far as I can tell, the color holds well. It has so far with my bruise socks.

Don't think the colors are as bright and vidid as they seem. Problem is that I took the pics with my phone so they aren't as good. I really need a new camera.

It is the basic sock pattern from Ann Budd's Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns.

I am using the basic pattern, but doing it 2 socks on 2 circs. The needles are Knitpicks Options Size 5 & Boyd's Kit Size 5. I figured since I had two size 5 Knitpicks, I was going to do them on two Knitpicks needles. But I am finding with the socks I am doing for Paul that it is way easier to mix up the needles when they are the same. So despite the join not being smooth on the Boyds, it is worth knowing which is which very easily.

I feel like these socks are taking longer. Not sure why I am feeling that way. I just checked! I started them on the 23rd. It hasn't even been two weeks yet. Doh.

I am loving Ravelry. If you have access, here is the project on there. And note the shiny Works in Progress in the side bar!! I am so thrilled I was given a spot to test the code. It is so cool.

Books I Want to Live In & Other Babble

A few of the knitting podcasts talk about books you want to live in. Not necessarily books you want to knit the patterns, but they look great. I think I want to live in Scottish Highland Knits. I suspect Paul would love most of these items. I suspect in reality they would be too scratchy for me, so the fantasy is better. *grin*

I have to pick up some Knitpick needles. I need size 1s for the bamboo yarn so I can cast on those socks. And Knitpicks has some great prices on their needles. Debating if I need anything else from them.

I keep thinking about getting enough yarn for a cardigan. I really want to make a black cardigan. But I keep coming back to the price. *sigh* So far, I can't see doing it for less than $40 with any yarn I want to use. While that is reasonable, I just don't know about that right now. On the flip side, I have next week off. So maybe I could get started on that which would be very cool.

I might just wait for the NY Sheep and Wool Festival on the 20th. Problem with that is that as the name states, it will mostly be wool. And while that is great for knitting for other folks, it isn't great for me. But I can always see. I think I am good with alpaca, so I might find some stuff I like.

I still need to knit up the superwash wool to see how I respond to it. I have been told that most people with wool allergies can use superwash wool because of how it it treated. I am not sure honestly. But my mother in law was sweet enough to give me the leftover sock yarn she had from an present she has completed. If it doesn't irritate me, it will open up a lot of possibilities.

I did go to the Smiley sale in NJ this week. It wasn't 1/4th the size of the Manhattan sale last year. *sigh* So I am disappointed with that. But the Manhattan one is the week I am at conference. So I can't make it.

I did get some cheap yarn. But most of it is largely for using for tying up stuff for dyeing. And the remainder will work well for baby items & charity stuff. It is mainly acrylic stuff. I only got one bag that was wool. That is for some mittens. But it is for a fair isle pattern I want to try. So I need another yarn to go with it. Ah well.

I am hoping to get some dyeing done while I am on vacation. I ordered some more bamboo yarn as I love the feel. I am debating doing up a batch for my sister-in-law Jennifer to make her some socks for Xmas.

Though I am also trying not to take on too much Xmas knitting. I am only about 2/3rds done with Kyle's Xmas scarf. And Paul's socks aren't anywhere near done.

I also have a cupcake purse for my niece that I haven't started yet. But that one is really a quickie project. I am probably going to knit it at work with a coworker. She wants to learn to knit. I offered to teach her and she picked up a cupcake kit as well. So I can do it with her.

I need to get some things done. Back to work for me.