Yarn Harlot Ideas for Xmas Presents - Part Three

It continues.

Day 17 - Yarn.
The obvious one. *laugh* I have my Loopy Ewe wishlist, Knit Picks, Etsy and I did have a Kaboodle on that hasn't been updated in eons.

Day 18 - Manicure.
You know, I could use one! Been eons. I can't recall the last time I did that...

Day 19 - Knitting Magazine.
I confess that I have more interest in knitting magazines now that they are in e-format. I have been tempted by Interweave Knits or Spin Off CD of their collected magazines. I had a Spin Off subscription for year. And while I loved it, that was pre-kids. Paper was appealing then. These days, not so much! *grin* I also like being able to have a pattern in e-format. Makes it so much simpler.

Day 20 - Time.
Mmmmm.... *sigh* I could go for that. Most of all, I would love it for someone to watch the kids. Give DH & I a break...

Day 21 - Audiobooks.
I wish I were more of an audiobook fan. The only ones I have listened to and enjoyed are the Dresden File ones read by James Marsters. They are great. But that is in addition to the books. Listening to a book just doesn't have the same feel. I think if I had a car commute instead of train they would have more appeal.

Day 22 - "gift of kindness, and generosity and help"
Interesting one... I definitely think that is a good one.

Curious to see what the last days bring. It is fun seeing what thoughts I have. And getting to do a bit of daydreaming. Always fun.

Yarn Harlot Ideas for Xmas Presents - Part Two

I like that the Yarn Harlot put together a list of ideas for the non-knitters to give knitters. Kinda fun posting my desires.

Day 10 - pottery. Funny thing is this year pottery has a lot of appeal. I broke the handle on my fav mug about 2-3 weeks ago. I am really sad about it. I miss it on a daily basis. Luckily I found the maker. I love etsy. But her current stock is mainly animals like horses & rabbits. Not really my thing. (Turns out the mug I had was made when Comet Hale Bopp was in the sky. But she liked the design and is going to create a new series with rockets & stars in the spring. Can't wait.

Though this still leaves me without a mug that fits my hand so beautifully. *sigh*

The Yarn Harlot & others swear by Jennie the Potter's items. I think her pieces are pretty. But I confess the prices tend to more than I want to spend on myself. So maybe as a present it would be nice.

I do wonder about a yarn bowl. They seem kinda neat. But with two kids under three and a cat in the house, I am not sure how practical they would be. The etsy search for yarn bowls got me looking at this site. Kinda like the more simple one but also like the black with hearts but there are a bunch that are really lovely. Like this one.

Day 11 - woolie wash. Have to say, that one is kinda brilliant. That Soak sampler would make the perfect stocking stuffer. I lean to Eucalan, but like Soak too. The less it smells, the better.

Day 12 - ANYTHING SMALL. You know, all those things a knitter can never put your hands on when needed. For me, it is cable needles. Just ask, DH. I am sure you will get a litany about it. Can't blame the guy given how often I lose them. I have purchased at least 5. I think I might have one in my notions bag right now. She also suggest the Knit-kit which I love. Best money I have spent given it means I have everything from a tape measure, row counter, scissors, crochet hook and yarn cutter in one thing large enough so that I don't lose it, but small & light enough that I can carry it with me. Love it. (Only thing I would change in hind sight. I would have gotten the red or some other bright color. Me and black... I love it. But sometimes it is hard to find in the bottom of my knitting bag when knitting in the car.)

She also mentioned darning needles. Best thing I *ever* did with my knitting tools...I kept the card my darning needles came on and put them back on it. Yes, it means I can lose them all at once. But it does mean I can actually lay my hands on them when needed. Though one of the two large ones has taken up residence in the Knit-kit. Fits in the back and is get to have at any time.

Day 13 - A scale. Kinda a brilliant suggestion. One I wouldn't have thought of. I have one already. Though some day I should get a new one.

Day 14 - Knitting related ornaments. Not really my thing. But a cute idea for some folks. Though believe me some of the DIY ideas would be awesome if one of the kids made them for me when they got older.

Day 15 - an iPad. *grumblegrowl* Say tablet!! *shakes head* I really hate people that assume a tablet = iPad. You can get a good Android tablet for less than you would spend on a similar iPad and there is an sd card so you can expand it.

I already have a tablet. And yes, I like the idea of having my patterns on it. Nope. I haven't transferred all my patterns to it.

Why? Because tablets suck up energy and batteries drain. I put a pattern on DH Kindle when he got it, thinking that would be amazing. Honestly, not so much. I know the Kindle isn't as good as a tablet with charts and such. But it retains the words *even when you turn it off* which makes a huge difference. (Given how much ereaders have come down, I do confess I have considered getting a base model Nook for ebooks & patterns. But then I think about lugging around another device...)

Day 16 - Magazine holders. Not a big magazine gal. I confess I am way more tempted by Interweave now that they have it in e-format.

Gotta scoot!

Yarn Harlot Ideas for Xmas Presents

Things have been crazed so I haven't been keeping up on any blogs. But today is actually a quiet day with work. I have some database items that have to be run and while they are running, I can't work in the database.

So it was the perfect excuse to catch up on some blog reading.

The Yarn Harlot has suggestions for Non-Knitter to give to those Knitters in their lives:
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2011/12/01/for_the_others.html

I love the way what she wrote. I confess day 1 pressies aren't for me. I am *terrible* about writing thank you cards these days. I *bought* cards for presents we received when Little Guy was born...over eight months ago now. I planned on sending them for presents we got around his birth. Then I intended to use them for the combined event of his christening presents and Eldest Munchkin's second birthday which was three months ago. Have I written even one? Nope. No cards for me.

In the past I have made tags for knitwear with washing instructions & fiber notes on them. I don't know if I will do that with the few presents I knit this year. I didn't do much honestly. There is always next year. (Though I did do one for work this year, so I need to at least type up a note that it is superwash wool & there for machine washable.)

Day Two is jewelry. Anyone that knows DH knows he has given me jewelry in the past. But I am terrible about wearing jewelry. Though when the kids are bigger, I confess the Knitting Abacus does have some appeal. I do need a shawl pin at some point too.

Day three. Tools. Who doesn't want a Strauch Ball Winder? *sigh* They are so beautiful. Day four is cases for knitting in progress. Though day five was project bags. (Kinda thought day four covers that. But not my list.) I *really* want the Starry Night Dr. Who bucket bag by JessaLu. Which sells out the minute they are posted! I am thinking post holidays... YH mentioned project bags with a clear bottom so you can easily see what project is in them. Interesting.

Currently my project bags are mainly whatever bags I have gotten through work or my local health food store (which gave a half dozen light fabric ones). The only real one I have is a medium purple GoKnits bag. I really loved it. But the loop with the snap that made it easy to attach to something came off. Also, my needles poked through. So it is no longer my go to bag. It does have my lingering socks in there. So maybe part of that is just about not wanting see the lingering socks. *laugh* (I am embarrassed to admit I cast them on when my feet were cold *last* winter.)

Days 6 and 7. Blocking Wires. Got them & blocking blocks (which are actually kiddie interlocking foam pads - take up less space & are cheaper than any blocking boards I have seen). 7 is knitting bags. I confess they are much like purses to me. I really can't *believe* people spend that kinda money on a bag!! *shakes head* My purses are in the $20 or so range. $70-100 for a bag? Not gonna happen. Even as a gift.

Day 8. Yarn. Yum. Of course, can one ever have too much yarn. I think so and then Elanor touches my yarn and says "I like yarn" and I get scared. *laugh* Lately I have been trying to buy something *besides* sock yarn. I just haven't knit much in fingering these days. Most of my purchases have been worsted or something for the kids. Though I still love a good sock yarn and still drool over them.

Day 9. The gift of organization. *sighs longingly* Actually, this is my most wanted. But that is more about the apartment as a whole vs. my knitting stuff. Though both would help. We have a guest/craft room. Though I really just want to call it the *crap* room. It is the room where everything gets tossed. It is a maze of Xmas boxes at the moment. Plus the kids strollers - three in total. Plus a wooden unit that doesn't go anywhere else. And the bookshelf from behind the couch that was moved so we could put our tree back there. And and and... You get the idea.

What I would most like for Christmas in an ideal world is a pro to come and help reorganize the entire place. Not gonna happen. Option two - someone comes and watches the kids. DH & I spend a day pulling apart the hall closet, guest room, kitchen & our room. Then we can put things back in a way that makes sense. Maybe even get to the back of what is supposed to be a walk in closet. Currently, the door opens. That is it. Option three - DH empties the hall closet. I sort through it all, reorganizing it and possibly freeing up some space. Then I can deal with the crap room... All such lovely ideas...*sigh*

BTW, love the mittens she did. Tempting me to try something similar, but also what knitting time?? In six days until Christmas?! It also is reminding me I have the Phedre mitten kit waiting for me. *sigh* Not that I actually *wear* mittens. (Kinda hard in the NYC metro area as you have to walk and have your hands *do* things that mittens just don't lend themselves to in the same way a good pair of leather gloves do.)

I really can't believe Xmas is in less than a week! Too much to do and sooo little time!

I will do a second post with more days. This one is already so long!

Finished Object & Fiber

Finished Object & Fiber

I finished the scarf for my friend Meredith. I think she will really like it. Though the pictures really don't do it justice. The problem with the photos is that the alpaca fiber I spun is that it is dark brown & black. So it is impossible to show it off well!

Alpaca One Row Handspun Scarf with Silk Garter Edges

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

Pattern:
One Row Handspun Scarf by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2006/10/12/one_row_handspun_scarf.html

Needles:
US 10 / 6.0 mm Knitpicks Options


Yarn:
NorthStarAlpacas Chinella's Baby Fleece Plied with Roving from Sonata & Berringer
~130.0
2 oz of each, so 4 oz. total
Purchased at
North Star Alpacas - http://northstaralpacas.etsy.com

Second Yarn:
Silk Hankie in Madrona Colorway
Purchased at
The Yarn Tree - http://www.theyarntree.com/

I really love the fiber from North Star Alpacas. I know I have mentioned Maple before, but I can't help but say it again. She has some lovely fiber.

I had spun the yarn specifically for my friend to make a scarf. I kept debating what I wanted to pattern I wanted to make given the fiber. Given NYC has been pretty cold as of late, I figured something solid would be a good idea rather than anything lacey.

The pattern was super easy so it was a fast knit.

I only cast on 22 stitches because I wasn’t sure whether I would have enough length if I did 26. It was definitely the correct choice.

For the edges, I looked at various stitch patterns. I tried casting on the silk single I had spun. But it was just way too thin in spots. It wasn’t work well. So I did a Navajo ply on the singles to create a thicker yarn.

I decided to just do garter stitch for the edge. I had tried a couple other things, but it didn’t work well. I picked up more stitches at the edge which was a mistake. The edges bell out a bit which wasn’t the intention. But I may be seeing my friend soon so I am blocking it as is. If she hates the edges, I can take them off and redo them. Or leave it plain. Though I think plain it might look a bit masculine with the brown & black.

But the main part of the scarf is luscious and super soft. The silk at the edge could be better. I do wonder if it won't haunt me enough that I will decide to redo the edges. But I have blocked it already. So I just need to step away from the project!

Fiber

I got some Tempted Hand Painted 80% superwash merino/20% Cashmere Fiber. I order it fro the The Loopy Ewe for $26 for 4 oz. So not inexpensive stuff, but for the cashmere in the blend it isn't a terrible price either. I fell in love with the red & black. Go figure. *chuckle* And the colorway is called Roxanne. As a big Police fan in my youth, it spoke to me.

Problem is when I opened up the fiber to do some predrafting, I found the dye hadn't penetrated all the way to the center of the fiber. So there are spots in the black that look brown with some white. And the red has spots that look kinda pink. The fiber from the outside looked just red & black.

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

I have dyed things so I do understand how this can happen. I had hoped it would be less noticeable once I started spinning. But there are definitely areas where the color is kinda heathered. I really wanted to Navajo ply this to keep the colors solid. But now I am not so sure.

I just wrote someone from Tempted via Ravelry. I figured the dyer at Tempted should know they need to get more dye into the center of their fiber in the future. It is my guess they didn't realize it at all given the outside was very saturated with color.

I am debating what to do with it now. I had been thinking a scarf. But now I am debating if it might be thin enough yarn for socks. I doubt it. Also, the cashmere probably won't wear well for socks. I will see what the yarn says after I ply it.

Catch Up Time

I was away at a work conference from the 6th through the 10th. It was in Arizona. I got to take off a few days afterwards so I got home on the 16th. Add to that a lot of work waiting for me when I got back to the office, and things have been pretty crazed. So I am way behind in posting.

I wish I had gotten to write about it right after it happened, but the first thing was that I saw the Yarn Harlot speak at Borders on the 2nd.

If you look at her post, you can actually spot me in the picture!

http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2008/04/03/new_york_new_york.html

That is only because I wore my red sweater with the black collar. I am standing in the back against the CD racks.

As I suspected, she was a delight to hear her speak. She was a riot. I picked up the new book and am loving it. Though I didn't stick around for the signing. I am not big on author signings. So I figured it was better to head out.

It was cool as I met someone who recognized me from my Ravelry photo! *laugh* We got to talk a bit beforehand which is nice. She is also in Jersey City.

The other biggie I wanted to post about was vacation yarn shopping! *grin*

I posted to the AZ Ravelry board to see about local yarn stores in Tucson. I found three plus an independent yarn seller who has a store at her house.

Karen was kind enough to lend me her car while she was working. So I plotted my route and set off on that Friday (the 11th).

I went to the Tucson Yarn Company first.

http://www.tucsonyarn.com

It was a very nice shop. The folks there offered help a couple times but yet let me browse as much as I wanted. I considered a lot of different yarns. I ended up getting some Colinette Jitterbug in Vatican Pie. It is mostly a solid red with a little variation in color. I had heard some good things about Jitterbug.

I have been wanting to make some socks with pattern work. So I wanted something that will show off the stitches. I think that will do the trick!

Though after looking at the Jitterbug page, I soooo need to find some of those colorways!!

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

Next I went to check out Unique Designs by Kathy. She is an independent yarn producer. She has a shop at her house which is also where she raises the animals most of the fiber comes from.

Store site:

http://www.uniquedesignsbykathy.com/

Blog:

http://uniquedesignsbykathy.blogspot.com/

I had just figured I would stop by and check out the shop. However, Kathy was so sweet. She took me around to meet all the animals. Though she steered me clear of the llamas as it seems they spit. *laugh*

Many of the animals had recently given birth and a few were due any minute. I even got to see a baby that was only two days old!

I adored her fibers. She spins her own yarns and they are so beautiful. I really wanted to buy just about everything in the place. But I tried to limit myself...at least a little. I came away with three skeins of yarn.

The most pettable of the yarns I bought is the handspun black kid wool. I think it is probably lace weight. I think it will make a beautiful shawl. It will be so very soft. It is from Kathy's Badger doe's first fleece.

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

The label says black because it is from a black sheep. However, it is really a grey color. Quite pretty.

It says it is only 200 yards, though it is 2 oz. So it really seems that given the thickness there may be more to it. I am hoping I can still make a shawl from it. I am not sure if there is enough for that. Maybe a lacy scarf instead. It definitely deserves something pretty. *grin*

The one that I love the most in color and look is the burgundy. It is handspun wool/silk. I was surprised the label says silk as it doesn’t really feel like that. But I like it a lot. It really makes me think I should try my hand at spinning as it is so interesting.

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

I was thinking a scarf for me as I like the yarn and think it might be enough. Though probably not a long one. I even have been debating trying my hand at a Clapotis with this given I think that could look very interesting. But again, I am not sure about the length. But it seems the Clapotis pattern can be modified for different sizes and widths. So it might work.

I also got some handspun kid Shetland. I kept looking at it and finally grabbed it. It looked kinda bluish purple to me. But it said blue. And as I guessed, with the grey and blue colors, Paul liked it. So it will be something for him.

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

It is likely it will be something like a garter stitch or stockinette scarf. I suspect for him simple is better. Though of course the trick is to get him to wear it! *laugh*

He has a cotton scarf I made for him. I did it in cotton because he is always too warm. I have pointed out again and again that it is shouldn't be as warm. But he still thinks he should only wear a scarf when it is bitter cold. And then I feel bad he only has a cotton scarf! *laugh*

I definitely loved the fiber there. And while talking with Kathy, I started to seriously consider buying a drop spindle. I keep shying away because I figured I would have to stand to do it. So I figured I would rather get a wheel. But she pointed out that the drop spindle really teaches a great deal that is useful and gets you ready for a spinning wheel. And given it is a lot less money, it is probably a smart route to try it with a spindle first.

I think while I am at Maryland Sheep & Wool I will pick up a spindle and some roving. I figure it is worth trying it out. Though for some reason, spinning scares Paul even more than my knitting! *laugh*

If I am back in Tucson I really want to stop at Kathy's again. It was great. I will definitely have to read her blog on a regular basis. Especially after meeting the sheep!

Next stop was Kiwi Knitting Company.:

http://www.kiwiknitting.com/

They have a whole room of non-animal stuff which was great. Though as per usual, I wanted non-wooly sock yarn and didn't have much luck.

I picked up some South West Trading Company Bamboo in Red Jester - 404 from non-wooly room. I was debating if it can be used for socks. I am still not sure. The woman at the register pointed out they have elastic thread. I was thrilled to death as I have been looking for some to add to my alpaca silk socks that pool around my ankles! *grin* So I grabbed that too. I will knit the cuffs with that in hopes that they will stay up that way!

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

I also got some Fibranatura Yummy in colorway 41360. It is black and grey! Howe could I not buy it? *grin* I really don't see those colors often. And I wear so much black that it is ideal for socks for me. The yarn is pretty new. It seems like it will be some terrific sock yarn.

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

The folks at Kiwi were also super nice and offered many times to help me. I got to browse and pet their very sweet dog. *grin* It is definitely a nice place.

Though I ran out of time. I wanted to get to Purls as well. But I needed to get Karen from work. I didn't want to leave her sitting there given she was kind enough to lend me her car. So I headed back to her office.

I am really happy with my vacation yarns! I love that I got some things I couldn't get here. And I have been wanting more sock yarn. So I am happy with my purchase.

I really should be finishing up work! I am taking tomorrow off for my anniversary. Paul and I are going away so I figured it would be nice to get out of the house by about noon. But I kept putting off this post and I really wanted to write about the Harlot and vacation yarn!

Yarn Harlot & Sock Yarn Dilemma

I got to go see the Yarn Harlot last night! It was a lot of fun. And of course, she was hilarious. And I love the theme that she is smart which lead to ending with knitters are smart. *grin*

I also got a copy of the new book. I have only read a few pages so far. But it seems to be similar to the topic she discussed about how knitting does good things for our brains.

It was also very funny. Someone from Ravelry recognized me from my user photo! She was a very sweet woman who live in Jersey City as well. It was definitely fun getting to talk with her.

Though it cracked me up. She said I was her new knitting hero because I was working on my lace shawl project. I told her that wasn't at all the case and I knew enough to stop when Stephanie came on stage.

The funniest part about that was that I *don't have any socks on the needles*! It wasn't about brave. It was about being stuck. I have the lovely Scout's Swag Soctober colorway that I still haven't nailed down a pattern for. I keep looking and looking. But nothing is grabbing me.

I kept saying I was going to pair it with a Jeanie Townsend pattern to participate in the April KAL for Sock Knitters Anonymous. She has some lovely patterns but none that I am seeing work with the colorway. I could force it and do the Cascading Leaves pattern, but I feel like it is pushing the two together.

I was looking at patterns today as I *really* need a pair on the needles for my trip. And I found the Primavera pattern.

http://platzhalter.blogspot.com/2007/11/primavera-socks-free-pattern.html

The good part is that it is a very simple repeat. So it is good knitting while visiting with Karen. My friend Karen is wonderful. And I know full well I won't be able to keep counting lace stitches while talking with her! *laugh* So having something I can do while we are talking would be great.

Also, I think the pattern is one that will really show off the yarn without being too busy so the pattern gets lost. I am not sure yet, but I am heavily leaning towards that pattern.

I have to head to a work conference in Arizona on Saturday. So this week is really crazy. I would love to say more, but I shouldn't have even written this much! So much to do!

Yarn Harlot in NYC on Wednesday

The Yarn Harlot is going to be in NYC on Wednesday. I am really hoping to attend. Thing is that this is the week before conference. So I have to have things done before I can leave. But I am hoping that I can be there. But I definitely suspect I can't get there too early. So I will be standing. But hey, it would be great to hear her speak.

Borders - Columbus Circle
7:00

If you are going, let me know.

Learn Something New...

I just read the most recent Yarn Harlot post. It is about a yarn she purchased on a cone.

I never knew that cone yarns are generally sprayed with oil. So the yarn tends to fluff up & expand when it is washed. Huh.

The cone yarn I have is from School Products. I have only used it for my fist scarf & some donation hats. But I would be very curious to see how it changes.

It is good to know this before I ever attempt something like a sweater with it.

Learn something new every day if you are lucky. *grin*

Misc. Knitty Bits

I am glad I caught up on my knitting project babble & pics. That is progress. Now for the various babble bits.

Swifts!

Paul made me two swifts. I need to take pics when I have them set up. They are pretty cool. They are the windmill type. I figured that would work better. He did a really great job though of course, he isn't happy with them. *shakes head*

Carrie/Dharmafey from the Socks in the City podcast mentioned on Ravelry that she uses two skeins to help with her dyeing. I figured I would give that a try.

I was hoping that it would work for creating a long skein. It didn't honestly. I tried but it was not working for the long skein. They work beautifully for a typical hand dyed skein though. It just doesn't work for creating a super long skein for self striping yarn. I really think I need to create a warping board that is bigger to see it that will help.

I dyed a smaller skein batch of the Sarah Yarn's 100% bamboo yarn during my vacation. I did it in various greens with a little bit of blue. The thought is to make my sister-in-law Jennifer some socks for Xmas. She doesn't like wool as she gets too hot.

Thing is, my sister-in-law Tee is making her some socks already with some Panda Cotton in Roses. Which is actually my fault! *laugh* Jennifer mentioned that Tee *might* make her some socks. I thought Jennifer said Tee *was* making her socks. *chuckle* Ooops.

Tee is a super-experienced knitter. So of course, the socks she is making are looking really good honestly. So I am hesitant. I also feel like I have been taking on a lot of knitting for the holidays. I will see. If they get done, great. If not, no worries. *smile* Or hey, give Tee the yarn and she can make them for Jennifer? *laugh* (Just kidding if you read this Tee.)

NY Sheep & Wool

I am excited that NY Sheep & Wool is so close! *wiggles happily* I am going up this Saturday. Spending the day, though not staying overnight.

I really do hope I don't get too overwhelmed. It does seem like there is so much to see.

I have been reading the Ravelry boards about it. Getting lots of helpful hints for the NYS&W newbie.

The consensus seems to be:

You can't see everything so don't stress it.

I know I want to see everything, but good to know I probably won't.

Buy things you like when you see them.

They probably won't be there when you go back.

Bring cash.

Not all the vendors take credit cards. (And hey, it is probably better not to get into too much trouble frankly!)

Wear mud resistant shoes.

It is a fair ground. So if it has rained at all recently, it will be muddy.

Take lunch & snacks with you.

The food lines can be really long. So it helps not to spend time online. And hey, more money for fiber. Though I may not be strict about that. I love lamb and all. And you can rarely get it. But I heard the lamb burgers are like hockey pucks. So I will definitely skip those.

The fried artichokes are worth the wait.

Might have to find out... *grin*

Get there as early as you can.

Things sell out throughout the day. The later in the day you get there, the less vendors have. Though I know Paul isn't getting up at 7 am no matter how much I want him to!

I am sure there is more.

I want to go to a couple of the after parties. Seems that Morehouse has one. They are the people I got my nifty dragon scarf pattern from which I love.

The Ravelry folks are talking about having one. But there haven't been any details posted yet. I doubt I will go as Paul will kinda want to do other things with the evening.

He will probably spend the day at the Aerodrome museum. It actually looks cool. Though they won't have the air show this Saturday. It seems that stopped this last weekend.

Missing the Yarn Harlot

I am sad. The Yarn Harlot and a bunch of other authors will at NYS&W on Sunday, but not Saturday. I am going on Saturday so I won't get to see the Yarn Harlot speak. On the other hand, more shopping time, right? *grin*

I do want to see her speak sometime. But she has just finished up a new book so I suspect she will be doing the rounds again when the new book is released. Her publisher really does seem to have her working hard.

The Never-Ending Scarf

I really think the cable scarf for Kyle is the bane of my knitting. I am knitting at least 8 rows a day. It is my homework. And it takes about 15 minutes for the 4 rows. I am guessing I am a very slow knitter. Thing is, I was praying it would be long enough at the 4 skein mark so I could use the last skein for a hat. No such luck. I can't recall if Kyle wraps his neck once or twice. But either way, it just isn't long enough to wrap. It would be fine without a wrap. But I know how he wears his scarves. So I have started #5. *sigh*

Mind you, it isn't terribly challenging. It is just taking soooo long.

There should be a link on the side with a pic and such so long as I am working on it. *Love* that I have my works in progress from Raverly in my side bar. Soooo cool.

Teaching a Coworker to Knit

I spent my lunch hour trying to teach a coworker to knit! I really hope I explained things well. I am not sure if I did.

She ordered a cupcake kit from Etsy. I have the same kit which I am planning to do for my neice for Xmas. Thing is, the vendor shipped the completed purse. The coworker's daughter loved it so much she didn't want her to return it. Mind you, she isn't sure if she could have gotten the order wrong anyhow. And given it was a Friday at 5:30 when I was talking to her about ordering it, it could have easily been mixed up.

Instead I am doing a hat with her. She has a 4 month old son who is wearing 24 month old clothing! He is a big boy. He was 10+ pounds at birth. She doesn't have little babies! All three of her kids have been 10+ pounds. Wow. *shivers*

So I figure we can do a rectangle that will become a hat. I mean, I found a scarf a good starting project. But the Yarn Harlot and others say that is a lot for a beginner to take on. The hat should be small enough to be manageable.

I hope it comes out alright. I took the measurement for a 24 month old head, added 1/2-1" and did it according to the gauge. She is knitting kinda tight. Which I so get as I did too. But I think it should still work. Hey, we can always add a panel if it comes out too small and say it is a design element, right? *grin*

Okay. I think that mostly catches me up with any new stuff. Not sure but I am heading off very soon either way. The NYC Homebrew club is meeting tonight. Paul and I haven't gone in ages. So I figured it would be fun. Off to that.

I think I might have too many expensive hobbies between knitting, beer & bellydance. Though have to say, it has been ages since I have gotten to bellydance class, much less spent money on it. Ah well. Maybe I will get to class *this* week!