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Friday, April 30, 2004
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Fear not, dear blogreaders. I have broken the curse!
Today I took a trip to the Sheepy Yarn Shop, all the way up in White Bear Lake. It was my first trip; I was pleasantly surprised. They have a wide variety of yarn, a lot of which I hadn't met before, and the prices weren't over retail (as some yarn stores like to do). I didn't buy anything there, though I almost bought some Jaeger Chamonix in a pretty rose color at 50% off. "It would make a wonderful cabled scarf," I thought, but don't I already have stuff to make a "wonderful cabled scarf"? I do. They did, however, have a Jamieson Shetland Rose Trellis Shawl on display, and I fell en amour.
The Yarnery was still having its sale, so I went back. I ended up with this book:
And two skeins of Davidson Domy Heather yarn in burgundy to make the aforementioned shawl. I was going to buy the called-for 2-ply, but they didn't seem to have 8 skeins of anything I liked. I happened upon the yarn I'm using by accident - two skeins were laying out of place, and I picked them up. The color's fabulous, the yarn is softer than the shetland, and cost less than half the amount! I also bought five skeins of Lamb's Pride worsted for a project I will start on ASAP. And all of that was 20% off. Whoo!
AND... since right before this I went to the bookstore and sold two of my textbooks for eighty dollars, I think I made out well.
My fingers are itching to knit everything in sight. I lost one of my five bamboo DPNs that I was using for my Broadripple Socks, so I switched to using a magically looping circular; that second sock is ready for its heel. I'm a good way through my Charlotte's Web Shawl, and I'm eager to cast on for something else.
It's true. I'm addicted.
Tipper @ 4:32 PM * link
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Monday, April 26, 2004
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It's been a sad last few days in the Knitting World of Tipper.
Y'see, I went to the Yarnover, accompanied by my very patient boyfriend, and I was unable to spend my money. I was infected with a case of the Cheaps. I walked out of there with one item, a bag of beautifully handpainted merino top from the people from South Dakoka who taught me to spin last year. I spent a whole $13.75. I was sorely tempted to purchase a giant skein of gorgeous yarn from some folks from Canada, but balked at the $35 price tag (and have been kicking myself ever since, though I found their website and can't figure out how they can sell the same yarn on their site for $25 *Canadian*).
I went to the Yarnery on Saturday as well. They were having a sale, and even then I couldn't find anything to buy. However, I was able to bring myself to purchase some yarn at Amazing Threads today (even though I again balked at buying anything at Depth of Field).
What is wrong with me? Argh!
Of course, I've plenty of stuff to work on right now. I shouldn't be too concerned that my buying capabilities are diminished.
Knitting progress update: one Broadripple Sock finished, the other about 1/4 of the way done.
Tipper @ 2:44 PM * link
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Friday, April 23, 2004
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I'm in a phase where I have a billion possible things I can knit and I can't wait to sink my teeth into them all. Yesterday while finishing my move out of the house, I found a book bag containing a bunch of roving purchased in Arizona, yarn from Arizona, and my missing Interweave Knits, with which I can complete that colorwork hat and mitten set that's been sitting all alone since November.
Other projects in the works/currently on needles:
Broadripple Socks in blue-grey-white Fixation - I started these on Tuesday night and got 3/4 of the way done with the whole thing by Wednesday. I did my very first short-row heel and I will never do a flap heel again. It's so much quicker and more attractive! These are for my mum.
Charlotte's Web shawl - I got the pattern yesterday.
I have a big box of Uxbridge Tweed aching to become a sweater
Rogue's sleeves need to be finished
another sweater I'm keeping secret til I can show pictures
this scarf - I bought the yarn for it yesterday.
I can add three more stores to my "have visited" list. On my way back from Wisconsin yesterday, I stopped at:
Fitting Knit Shop in La Crosse, Wisconsin - they had a lot of Plassard yarn, and many other yarns I've never seen, but even though there were several people sitting in the store knitting and chatting away, not one of them said hello. They didn't have much that was interesting, unfortunately. Most of the stuff didn't have a price on it, either.
Just A Little Something in Rochester, Minnesota - a very well-organized place with quilt stuff below and yarns above. They have a really nice selection at good prices. This is where I bought the S. Charles Ritratto for the scarf, as well as a little bottle of wool wash (I've wanted to try it but am not about to buy a huge bottle for a lot of money when I'll barely use it). Friendly folks, too! I had to tear myself away from the Cherry Tree Hill Supersock stuff. I don't need new sock yarn!
The Yarn Shop in Zumbro, Wisconsin - it's an okay place. It's kind of thrown-together-looking because there's a lot of various things (including crafts for sale). They've got spinning wheels but no prices on them. In fact, a lot of the stuff lacked prices.
The Minnesota Knitter's Guild Yarnover is tomorrow! I'm so damn excited. I even get to drag the boyfriend (whose socks, by the way, are finally finished) with, since no one else is available to go along. I will have fun teaching him about things, though.
Tipper @ 5:22 PM * link
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Thursday, April 15, 2004
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Item 1: hood of Rogue has just been finished. I did a three-needle bind-off for it, cause I'm lazy. It looks okay. Considering the so-so-ness of the entire thing, I don't care if everything isn't picture perfect. Blocking will make it happier.
I'm wearing it right now, unwoven ends and all. I'm like my sister's friend's son who's worn his Spiderman costume nonstop since Halloween. I might not take it off just because.
Item 2: I was naughty. I purchased a sweater's worth of Berroco Uxbridge Tweed in Cordovan from Patternworks, as well as the Charlotte's Web shawl pattern. I don't have the money for this sort of thing, but honestly, I don't care. I can't feel too guilty cause the yarn was half off and I told myself I'd make a sweater out of it someday.
Tipper @ 5:09 PM * link
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Wednesday, April 07, 2004
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I am still alive. No, I was not attacked by a growing Rogue. It is growing, though. I didn't work on it for a little while because I just... didn't, but I've picked it back up the past couple of days. The hood is a bit over halfway done, and it's all looking very good. It fits, even, though I wish it was a bit longer; maybe blocking will help that as well as my funny-looking cables.
I'm very impatient with cables, so they don't look nearly as perfect as all the other Rogues I'm seeing. Ah, well. People will be impressed nonetheless, and that's all I care about, of course - impressing people. *wink*
I was thinking about that yesterday, actually. What is the point of knit blogging? For me, it's mostly about becoming popular. I celebrate every new thousand-mark my counter passes and squeal with glee when it turns out that people specifically searched for my blog. I long for the day when I can see my name in everyone's blog... Maybe if/when I submit/get a pattern in one of the online mags (or, if we wish to really look to the stars, a REAL mag). I AM MEANT TO BE FAMOUS!!!
*ahem*
I missed knitting last night, because I'm a turd. I had very little sleep and the nap I took made me weird and jittery. Then I worked through some stuff with my boyfriend, which left me frazzled (though we DID get things worked out) and in no condition to be sociable.
I finished my Eros scarf. Since I don't have a camera, we'll have to use our imaginations. Picture an Eros scarf: that's what mine looks like (with a slight ruffle at either end).
Boyfriend's second sock has a turned heel and the foot of it is coming, gradually. I imagine that any socks I make for ME after this will be much easier. I don't have a foot requiring 88 stitches around (and it's ribbed, too).
Yesterday (and a little bit today) I made a cute scarf with Plymouth Flash (I think... I don't quite remember). I cast on just 15 stitches on 10 1/2's, made it about 5 feet long, and I think I have enough left of the ball to to *another* one. It's a very thin scarf, but it's meant for show and texture, not for warmth. This one is a gift; the next one I make is alllll mine.
My stash astounds me. Everytime I look through it I find something new and exciting. Poking around the other day got me thinking about a possible bag; I have some tortoiseshell-ish plastic handles and I think it'd be neat to do a bag of various crazy yarns using domino knitting. It'd be funky and patchworky and will probably drive me crazy, but I'm a-gonna try.
I finally, after a year of wanting to, am sending in my membership to the Minnesota Knitter's Guild and am, I hope, going to be helping them with their newsletter.
I really want to make this scarf. Pink Tea has got to be the most inspirational blog I read.
Tipper @ 5:25 PM * link
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