Finishing Stuff

I am really trying to finish stuff.  It is unlike me to have so much on my needles and so little finished.  So I am trying to get things off my WIP list.

Of course, if it were anyone one but me, I would just add freaking buttons to the four WIPs that are missing buttons.  Though kudos to me for adding more beads to the fringe on a scarf.  It has been sitting in limbo for a while with no excuse other that *it is freaking time consuming to add beads to fringe!*  Add the beads and then double knot the edge so said beads don't fall off. 

The scarf/neckwarmer was knit in 2010!  I kid you not.  But it has been sitting in my WIP pile waiting for the beads.  I did some when I got the beads back in spring of this year.  But then it got moved out of my WIPs next to the couch to a bin in the craft room.

If I weren't so desperate for Xmas pressies this year, I fear it would have languished there even longer.  So now out of 18 groups of 4 strands, 13 are done.  But given I did five sets of fringe over the course of three hour long shows, I fear it will take about three more hours of work to complete.  Maybe longer.  The beads I got were on strands.  So I was easily able to thread them from one strand on to the yarn with a specialized beading needle.  In the course of the beading, the ends got undone and the beads spilled.  So I now have loose beads, which take longer to string.  Whee.

Hope the recipient really likes the beads.  'Cause I am sorely tempted to just cut the freaking fringe off!  But given I am over half way through, I can't do it.  So I press on with it.

I finished my Lady Bianca socks I started in March!  They aren't hard.  But I love using the Chic-a double yarn keeper when knitting two socks on two circs.  It keeps the yarn from becoming a tangled mess.  I decided to participate in a Downton Abbey KAL so then I was done with the beading on the legs of the Biancas, I snipped the yarn & took them out of the Chic-a so I could use it for the DA KAL socks.  Then the Scylla socks went into the bag next.  So the poor Lady Bianca socks languished. 

But I am happy to report they are done.

Lady Bianca Socks

Set of pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/akkasha/sets/72157631829774413/with/8113516631/

Cast On:
March 13 2012

Completed:
October 20 2012

Pattern:
Midnight Sky by Renee Leverington
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/midnight-sky
Got during my run in the Decadently Dark Sock Club

Made for:
Me & my size 9 tootsies

Needles:
US 2 - 2.75 mm & US 0 - 2.0 mm

Yarn:
Storied Yarns Superwash Sock
~ 0.75 skeins = 346.5 yards (316.8m)
Colorway Lady Bianca (dyed specifically for me by the wonderful Jess for a
Purchased at Storied Yarns - http://www.etsy.com/shop/storiedyarns
Though I was happy to see she posted the colorway in worsted - http://www.etsy.com/listing/111953158/superwash-merino-worsted-yarn-100g-lady

I confess I seriously debated trying to change the pattern to toe-up as that is my preferred method. But I decided to stick with cuff-down as written because of the lovely pattern that goes down into the top of the foot.

I ended up doing six repeats on the leg instead of 2. I like longer socks. Also, more beaded beauty. I was worried I might run out of yarn, but there was a ton left when I finished.

I love the pattern. I got it back when I was in the Decadently Dark club. I seem to have lost it, but Renee was sweet enough to resend it to me! She is so wonderful.

I debated long and hard about what pattern I wanted to use for the lovely Storied Yarns Superwash Sock Lady Bianca that was dyed especially for me. Something about it cried out for beads. So with that in mind, I started looking at beaded socks. There were a bunch in mind, some more vampire geared given Lady Bianca, but I kept coming back to this pattern.

I am hoping they will be a lovely pairing of pattern & yarn.

I added an extra pattern repeat to the top. The pattern is for a medium foot. I have a size 9 foot and large ankles, so I figure it is better to have a larger sock.

For the pattern on the top of the foot, I added a repeat that made sense so the pattern continues further down on my foot. But I think it works well.

All in all, I love these socks. Only bad part is I did my cast on too tight. So they are a bit tight at the top of the leg. Not thrilled with that. But otherwise they are beautiful socks.

I also hadn't posted pics of the aforementioned Scylla socks!  That is because I hadn't taken any until I took the Bianca pics.  So here is that.

Siouxsie the Scylla

Set of pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/akkasha/sets/72157631836758327/


Cast On:June 27 2012

Completed:September 30 2012

Pattern:Scylla by Fiona Lucas
http://glassoffashion.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/scyllasocks.pdf
Made for:
Me & my size 9 tootsies

Needles:US 0 - 2.0 mm
US 2 - 2.75 mm

Yarn:Tri'Coterie Sock BFL SW (self-striping) in Siouxsie Colorway
1 skeins = 437.0 yards (399.6m)
Purchased from a destash

I love this yarn.  It is beautiful.  I also love Siouxsie Sioux.  I spotted the yarn in a destash and needed it!  I am so glad I got it.

Maylin at Tri'Coterie is one of my fav dyers.  Her colorways are beautiful.  The colors here aren't quite as obvious as just black & red.  The reds run from scarlet to a deeper red, not burgundy, but there are three different reds in the stripes.

I confess that I am actually a bit disappointed that I didn't just knit a vanilla sock to really show off the colors.  But the Scylla pattern is great and really does accentuate the yarn in interesting ways.  I think it is fitting for Siouxsie.

I increased the number of stitches in the foot to 72. I didn't get gauge. The yarn seems more like a light fingering, so I need to do it on 0s to get a good solid foot. With the toe up and the four stitch repeat, it was an easy tweak.

I wanted a looser leg with more give than the foot. So I went up to a 2 1/2 needle. I broke one of my size 1s needles so I didn't have the pair for two socks on two circs which is my preferred method. I think the looser gauge is nice on the leg.

Overall I like them and hope they will wear well.

Other WIPs

In the stack of WIPs was the Cover Your Eyes for Peek-a-Boo shawl/ette.  I picked up some Knit Picks yarn to finish it because I ran out before I could cast off.  And guess what?!  I think I did it again.  I think I didn't stop in time to do the bind off.  *laugh*  I am nothing if not consistent with this thing! 

I did buy two different DK yarns from Knit Picks to see which worked better.  So now I am debating if I want to do the edge in the black Gloss I picked up (SW & silk blend).  Or if I want to take some of the leftover Lady Bianca yarn & double it for the edge.  That might look really cool.  I am thinking it could be interesting to add some of the beads to the edge as well.  Much like blood droplets...  Given it is the Reaver colorway.... 

Decisions decisions...  *grin*

In the same Knit Picks order is yarn to finish the Spring into Style shawl.   The yarn is a decent match.  I just have to get the last rows done.  Because it is another gradient yarn, I think the different yarn will look fine.  So that is good. 

I think I have nine more rows to complete with that one if I am remembering correctly (and if I didn't do more after my notes on Ravelry.)  It really should be a beautiful piece when it is done.  I just need to *get* it done.  But at least I have the yarn. 

The yarn is by the same dyer as my Siouxsie yarn.  I asked if she could dye some more for me.  But the yarn I got is only available in 150 gram skeins.  She buys that yarn pre-cut.  She even was kind enough to offer to do 100 grams in another colorway.  But honestly, I wasn't as taken with her Sock BFL Silky as I am with her Sock Silk.  The Sock Silk has a bit more twist so I personally like it more.  It is just my preference.

Lady Mary Rivulets Socks

Project Name:

Lady Mary Rivulets Socks

Think the color is between these images. The ones on the feet are a bit dark but the flat ones are a bit light.  I tried to tweak them, but that is the problem with taking pics at night with a flash!

(I have tried multiple times to place more photos, but it isn't working.  *sigh*  I am giving up.  If you want more pics, check out the Flickr set.)

Cast On:

May 30, 2012

 

Completed:

June 26, 2012

Pattern:

Rivulets Socks by Wendy D. Johnson

http://wendyknits.net/wp-content/uploads/Rivulets-Socks.pdf

Made for:

Me - Size 9 shoe

Needles:

2 socks on two circs (Knitpicks one Harmony, one Options - makes it easy to tell which to use)

US 0 - 2.0 mm

US 1½ - 2.5 mm (went up at the ankle & leg as I have thick ankles & calves)

Yarn:

Storied Yarns Superwash Sock in the Lady Mary's Red Gowns aka Lady Edith's Dinner Used 0.92 skeins = 425.0 yards (have 8 grams left)

Purchased at http://storiedyarns.etsy.com

The gauge on this pattern is definitely off! I am glad I looked at others who made them.

My gauge is 9 sts per inch where the pattern says 8 sts per inch. I worked the largest size and found that with my gauge they were a good fit.

For the toes, I used Judy’s Magic Cast On. For the toe increases, I used Cat Bordhis’ LLink & LRink. Love them for the toe-up socks. Other than that. I am following the pattern. gasp I would have given the pattern 5 stars if not the gauge issue.

I debated a lot what I wanted to do for this yarn. I think this pattern is a lovely pairing. Almost looks a bit like fire with the red. smile

I love that it is a both solid & lacey. The almost zigzag of it really does speak to the qualities of Lady Mary herself. A bit perplexing yet also very lovely. Almost fiery in the design but with that steady subdued nature somehow.grin

I was concern about the yarn pooling, but it looks lovely. The gold & brown formed interesting patterns. I really like it.

I think the foot is a bit short. I knit to 2 1/2” shy of when it said to start the gusset. But it still seems a bit short on the foot. It fits snuggly which I like. Just a bit worried about the toe wearing out though.

I knit the heel flap higher than the pattern said, but that is something I like to do as I wear shoes with a high back & don’t like it wearing out at that spot.

All in all, I am really happy with them. They look good and are comfy.

Had 8 grams left over.  I knit them as high as I wanted.  There is just a good deal of yardage in the skein!

Dyeing & Reskeining Issues

I am consistently having some of the same issues when I am dyeing. I really need to figure out if it is something I am doing or if it a product of the dyes I am using.

I had been using Dharma Fiber Reactive Procion Dyes. I think they are working very well.

The problem is they seem to take forever to rinse out. It takes several hours. I am soaking them for 15 minutes, then swishing them around, trying to work the dye out for under the tied points. I empty the sink and do it again. I generally have to do that 5-6 times before the water is light enough that I can wash it.

Then I wash it with Synthrapol. I have to wash it at least twice with this. Again, there is even more color coming out as I rinse it.

Then I wash it with Milsoft. This softens the fibers and gives back some of the feel the yarn had. But there is still color coming out during this part of the process as well.

This all takes 4-5 hours. So if I want to dye, I have to have a complete weekend at home. Saturday is dye day, Sunday is wash day.

So all that is done, right. It is done. Right? Nope.

Now comes the nightmare of reskeining/making balls of the yarn.

Thing is, I haven't had an easy time of this either. I had hoped the swifts would really resolve this issue. It didn't.

I suspect part of that is about the way I have been tying up the skeins. I have been tying them all together. For instance, with this last batch there was 3 different pieces of yarn. I think it is a big problem that I tied them together. So they get tangled into each other. So it makes a mess. I suspect that is part of the issue. The next batch each length of yarn will be tied off separately.

I also fear that part of it is about the way I wash the yarn. I am trying to get the dye out from under the tie points. I think that by moving it around with my fingers, it is tangling the yarn under the tie points. Thus making a mess of it.

Here is a pic of the tangles:

This only happened at the tie points. Not at the parts where the yarn was loose. So I think that by working at those points, it is making things worse.

I really want to make this process better. I do love dyeing yarn. I love creating interesting colorways and playing with the colors. It is very free form and a lot of fun for me.

The problem is that I am not sure it is worth all this time and frustration. Every time I am pulling out my hair by the end of the reskeining/ball process. I spend hours untangling yarn. And it doesn't seem to make any sense.

I keep wondering if it isn't something in my process that is doing this. I can't imagine anyone would dye yarns in small batches to sell if they go through all this.

But part of me just keeps wondering if this isn't more about the fiber reactive vs. acid dyes. And also wool yarn vs. cotton/bamboo/etc.. I am hopeful that there is something in my process I can change so that this doesn't continue to be such a headache.

Hand Dyed Yarn Batch - Undertow

This is the batch of 100% Bamboo yarn I dyed.

It is in different greens with a bit of blue. So I named it undertow. Just reminded me of seaweed & the water.

I should have taken some pics before I tried to wind it into balls. It would show all the colors. Ah well.

Tangled bits after dyeing:

Yarn:

Sarah's Yarns 100% Bamboo

Dyes:

Dharma Fiber Reactive Procion Dyes

Skein:

Large skein made with swift. Given I had it on the largest size I could get, it should be around 12' I think.

Color Length:

Colors are in 2" to 6" sections. Random. Not self patterning.

I dyed this yarn for my sister-in-law who loved green. I used the forest green dye as well as mixing two other greens & a weaker mix of the forest green. I also added azure blue.

I like the shimmer/shine that the bamboo has. It doesn't take the dyes as deeply as the cotton. But they look really good.

Overall, I really like this batch of yarn a lot. I am hopeful my sister in law will like it as socks.

I admit I am nervous about making her socks. I am still not sure about the bamboo yarn having enough stretch. Though the swatch I knit had a lot more give than I figured it would. So I am hopeful.

I am leaning towards a simple rib for this. Mainly because I am not sure what else would have enough elasticity to it to be sure it will stay up on the calf. Open to ideas though.

I will probably do these as toe up shoes to make sure I have enough yarn to complete them. I keep wondering if I should make my bamboo socks first to check out the yarn. Or if I should just dive in on Jennifer's. Decisions decisions. *grin*

Swift Pics & Yarn Dyeing

At last, as promised, yarn swift pics. Woohoo.

My darling husband Paul built the swifts for me.

Detail:

The sweet thing is that they are fully collapsible. The cross pieces come apart. They detach from the upright as well. So they take up a lot less space when not in use. Very nice.

Paul built me two swifts in hopes I could use them for creating a long skein. However, I am not sure it will work for that. I tried and it didn't seem to work correctly.

The long skein on the two swifts had the same issues I had when I did the two chair method. If you pull the yarn too tight, it is stretching it. If it is too loose, it is longer than the pieces around it. So it isn't even overall. There are some parts that hang down longer than others.

I found that meant that the pattern in the socks were different in different areas which was a problem with the self-patterning. Not a deal breaker by any means, but it did have some problems when I knit the Bruise socks.

I will probably try using them for reskeining dyed yarn sometime though. I heard it can work well with dyed skeins. Though I can only see the point of reskeining if I decide to sell the yarn. And I don't really see that happening. But I never say never.

Still, the single swift is great for skeining and unskeining the yarn. The cross pieces are about 4 feet long. The holes are an inch apart. So it is very adjustable. It can range from a small skein to a very large one.

It also worked well for creating a skein. I wound the yarn on it from the smaller skein to get a larger one. That seems to have gone pretty well.

I do admit, there are some modifications that need to be made still. I definitely want ends on the posts so the yarn doesn't slip off. I am thinking some wood door pulls glued to the end would work well.

Paul also suggested something about drilling through and having a piece at the back so they won't come out. Not sure how that will work exactly. They can be a bit loose and slide out sometimes.

The materials for the two swifts ran about $30. Not bad at all. The holes are about an inch apart. So it is very adjustable. Pretty cool.

I used the swift with the ball winder with my Schaefer Lola & the massive 8 oz skein of the Peruvian alpaca. They both worked really well. So much easier and quicker than wrapping it around something and doing it by hand. Pretty thrilled.

The yarn on the skein is Sarah Yarns 100% bamboo yarn. It started in the natural color. I used the Dharma Fiber Reactive Procion Dyes on it. I used the forest green. But I also mixed two other greens. I added some Azure Blue patches as well.

I should have taken some close ups of the yarn. I will try to remember to take some pics of the yarn when I get home. Though I did already make it into balls so it won't show all the colors.

I dyed this batch for my sister-in-law Jennifer. I am hoping to make her socks for Xmas. But if not, maybe her birthday. Or there is always next Xmas. *laugh* I figure we will see when they get done.

I *have* to find a better way to reskein/make balls out of the dyed yarn. This skein wasn't a long one. Still, it was super tangled in spots. I had to wind the balls by hand in order to untangle it. Took two hours to detangle it and make it into balls. *sigh* I can't think that is normal.

I do think part of it is about the fact that I tied all the skeins together. In future, I really need to separate each skein from each other. I think that should help with the tangling issues. I am sincerely hoping that will resolve it.

I got so frustrated with the tangles yesterday I was thinking about just giving up on dyeing. It is sad because I really do love the way the yarns come out when I dye them. It is so delightful being able to dye them and knit the yarn. It really is great. But the tangles are driving me batty. Got so pissy about it yesterday that I yelled at Paul. I apologized about a dozen times. But still. Not good. (Mind you, it was also the nasty PMS demon taking me over as well.)

I really do love the way the yarn looks. It is so wonderful the colorways I can create. And having it in yarns I like.

Though given I can probably wear some superwash wools, the dyeing issue isn't as critical. But I would still really like to do it. So I am hoping to figure out what to do better next time.

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*