January 22, 2006
So much to say!
Where to begin? That's the question...
First, I think I need to start with the stash enhancements. A trip to NYC and two unique yarn stores combined with a little E-Bay splurge and you get this picture:
Holy yarn, Batman!
Good thing this picture has numbers for easy identification.
1. Rowan Cork in Bug - I'm thinking about making Bless or something else in the Cork collection, but now I need to get the book!
2. Rowan Denim - a couple of balls to play with
3. Rowan Calmer to make Audrey - I bought the pattern right after last MD S&W after seeing Sarah's fabulous sweater and I figured it was time to buy the yarn.
4. Trekking XXL - variegated gray to make Dan a pair of socks
5. 100% bamboo - over 2000 yds of laceweight soft and fluffy bamboo yarn from Habu. Not sure what this will become.
6. Silk and stainless steel - I know the picture is worthless for this yarn but I have three small remnants of it to play with - laceweight (threadweight) in a deep burgundy with sparkles that must be the steel.
7. Silk/linen blend - two cones from School Products. I've swatched some stripes with it already. Not quite sure what it will become but I've got some ideas.
8. 50% Cashmere/50% Silk blend - probably enough for a neckwarmer or something, and oh so soft!
I wouldn't exactly say that I'm on a yarn diet now, but I definitely have enough to tide me over until Maryland Sheep & Wool at least (probably MDS&W 2009 actually). With the permanent personal exemption of Artfibers if I happen to be in San Francisco.
In other news, I've taken the plunge and signed myself up for the Knitting Olympics.
I'm not exactly sure yet what I'll be knitting but I'm pretty sure that I'll be on the US Sweater Knitting team.
Button thanks to Jen and La - you can get your buttons here.
The decision right now is between Audrey (using the Calmer from the stash enhancement above) and Tubey from the alpaca I bought at Rhinebeck. I swatched last night for both and got some approximation of gauge, so now it's just the decision. I visited my favorite thrift store yesterday and tried on a sweater with the exact neckline of Tubey (made by Ann Taylor Loft if you're curious) and I really like how it looked on me. And then there's Cathy in hers - that's one tight sweater, yo. But there's Audrey, too, and Sarah's rocking it... Well, I have a few weeks to make up my mind! By February 10th I should have come to a decision, right?
And my mom is an Olympian, too! On the participant page she's "Snargle's Mom" and she's got plans for a knitted wrap. She's already stressing about the swatch, just like a real knitter! Go Mom!
Next, Jaywalker progress. (To refresh, these are in Socks That Rock Blarney Stone on Addi 1's) The socks were in retrograde for a while... because at first they looked like this:
Nasty pooling, plus it was just way too big. I tried it on and could grab a fold of fabric around the ankle. I compared it to another sock (the finished stripey sock) and it was about an inch bigger. Yuck. So I ripped it all out, cast back on (immediately) and came up with this:
Much better - me likey. I'm most of the way down the foot now almost ready for the toes. Only one more to go!
The ribbed cabled cardi is still in progress, too - one front done, working on the ribbing for the other one. My giant travel trip begins tomorrow - two weeks of plane flights and hotels. I'm taking the Jaywalkers and the Ribby Cardi and hope to have lots of progress to share!
January 17, 2006
2005 Sum-Up
A knitting look back at 2005 with a list that I found at Pink Monkey Jenna's
1. New Technique: First completed pair of socks. First time knitting with beads. Both accomplished in April.
2. Favorite Finished Object: A tie between the Dreamcatcher Medallion Cardigan and the Kyoto asymetrical cabled sweater. These are my first two FO's that I actually wear to work as part of my regular clothes - not just to "show them off."
3. Favorite Knit Along: Favorite that I signed up for but didn't actually participate in - the Fry-Up. Favorite that I actually managed to accomplish - Sockapalooza and SockapalTwoza!
4. Favorite Shop: ArtFibers handsdown. I managed to get there once in 2005 (thanks to a work training class). Now their catalog is online so I can order anytime but it's just not the same as visiting and getting to pet everything.
5. Favorite Tool: My favorite motivational tool is Fiber Festivals! 2005 was the year of superfun meetings and shopping - Maryland in May and Rhinebeck in October. Nothing makes me more excited about knitting (and blogging) than spending the weekend with some fabulous knitbloggers in barns full of wool and sheep.
6. Most used Tool: Denise interchangeable needles. To the point where I practically won't knit something if it's on Size 4's (since the Denise set starts at 5).
A look ahead at 2006:
Some things I've been thinking about knitting...
All of the contest runner-ups.
Tubey (actually the yarn from Miney or Moe above might morph into Tubey depending on how the gauge proposition goes)
Audrey
finishing Bed & Breakfast
finishing the Chai cardigan
more accessories - legwarmers, wristwarmers, thrummed mittens, mittens to match Coronet, more socks!
and I know there are more I can't remember right now. Lots to look forward to in 2006!
P.S. I am loving all the de-lurking! Keep the comments coming!
January 16, 2006
The Big Apple
So when we last left our snargle heroine, she was Gotham-bound. Well, we made it (and back again) and I have pictures to prove it. (I'm loving the three-day holiday weekend, btw, and might eventually get around to posting the pictures from it... but for now, a flashback to last weekend)
First we went to the top of the Empire State Building where we got a good view of the city.
Then I managed to convince Dan and his brother to indulge me in a tiny yarn crawl (only a few blocks from the Empire State and Koreatown, where we ate lunch). First up was School Products where I fondled the cashmeres and silks. Then we went to Habu (only a few blocks away!) where Dan had a great time:
Can't you tell?
Again with the yarn fondling and generally enjoying all of the exotic yarns. After the yarn stores we had enough time to head to MoMA to catch the Pixar exhibit along with some of the art, and our closest brush with a celebrity yet - Uma Thurman was looking at a Klimt painting about 2 feet away from Dan. She is gorgeous and tall and I barely looked at her because I was trying to be cool. Now I wish I'd stared for just a few seconds!
We spent the evening at The Woman in White (the newest Andrew Lloyd Weber show on Broadway), thanks to the TKTS half-price booth. My review: meh. Not recommended, but an entertaining way to spend the evening.
On Sunday, we met with some friends, did a driving tour of Manhattan (um, and Brooklyn, thanks to being in the wrong lane at the wrong time), and then visited Liberty State Park in Jersey for a fabulous view of Manhattan, Ellis Island, and the back side of the Statue of Liberty.
A is for Apple... Big Apple
What a great weekend in NYC! Pictures of the yarn haul soon...
And it's National DeLurker Week (or it might have been last week - I'm not sure). Leave me a comment, would you?
January 06, 2006
Pictures, Progress and an Anniversary!
First of all, Linus wishes everyone a Happy New Year!
I think he had a little too much champagne!
and
Cleo is cute in a Clapotis burrito, don't you think?
Adorable! But angry at mommy for wrapping her up...
and don't look now, but I've actually made some progress on my Jaywalker socks!
It's not much, but it's a beginning.
That's Socks that Rock in the Blarney Stone colorway - the colors are more accurate in the skein in this picture. I'm having a little trouble with pooling but I'm hoping it works itself out - maybe with a little help.
I've also finished the first front of the Cabled Ribbed Jacket but have no picture.
Over the holidays I finished off 5 socks including 2 pairs! Pictures to come - maybe next week. For this weekend I have a few long car rides, so hopefully tons of progress on Jaywalkers! Dan & I are heading up to the Big Apple to hang out with his brother (in town for a business trip) and to do some exploring. I'm going to try to make it to Habu or School Products, but haven't decided yet. If you have a recommendation, let me know!
I probably won't be posting very much for the next few weeks - work is crazy and the third week of January I'm going on an insane trip - 7 cities in 8 days. I think it might become my next blog contest (which means I should really get the prize mailed out for the last one - sorry Jen!). But I am going to try to get together a 2005 wrap-up post before it's too far into 2006!
Oh, and I won't be able to post, but Sunday (Jan. 8th) will be the 3 year anniversary of my crafty blog and of learning to knit! Crafty Snargle officially started on Jan. 8, 2003 with its own site and template (although I imported a few prior entries from my other blog, now defunct). I'm not sure how many other knit blogs have traced a person from their very first knitting attempt (proudly shown here), but I'm definitely proud of how far I've come in only 3 years. Happy knittiversary to me!
January 02, 2006
Arrested Development
We interrupt this knitting blog to bring you an important announcement.
One of my (actually Dan's) best-loved Christmas gifts this year was the DVD's of Season 1 and Season 2 of Arrested Development. If you haven't checked this show out, you really should must. I think I got most of my family hooked on it - we watched most of Season 1 (not all in a row), and by the fifth or sixth show they would all come into the living room when the theme music started. It's the best least-watched Emmy-winning comedy on television.
Two episodes were on tonight (one new, one old) and they were excellent. If you haven't heard, the show is under threat of cancellation - Fox reduced its order from 22 episodes to only 15. The new show poked fun at everything that shows under threat of cancellation do - celebrity guest stars with little to no role except to be in the promos, a live final 5 mintues, and they're even making jabs in the dialogue. They also linked to this website - SaveOurBluths.com (which is actually from when they were threatening to take it off the air after the second season, but still has good info).
I'm doing my part to try and save the show by lending out my DVD's to friends (if you know me IRL I'd be happy to lend it to you as soon as I get them back!) and posting here. If you have netflix, give the first disk of Season 1 a try - if you like it, you can go back for the second and then join me in trying to persuade Fox that they would be making a huge mistake by giving up on this show.
Now back to your regularly scheduled (ok, intermittently scheduled) knitting blog.