want to wear the wool!

it's slowly coming along ... this cardigan (scroll down). i started it a couple of weeks ago, and like most projects, progressed nicely. of course, there's always a point where i have to stop and think (is it long enough before the armhole shaping ?). plus, there's not much knitting time anyways.

nevertheless, i am committed to this project. i keep thinking how nice it will be to wear when finished. the yarn is cascade's ecological wool. it comes in giant hanks. this might only take 2 hanks, possibly some of the third. i am still on my first hank of yarn (wound into a fat cake) and am part way through the armholes.

the yarn is very soft, but doesn't like to be ripped and reknit. the twist isn't very tight, so it gets kinda fluffy when overworked. guess i'll have to work harder to pay attention to my knitting.

i started with the back, and am still on the back. i will likely knit the fronts before the sleeves, though i wouldn't mind some mindless stockinette sleeves.

a project like this could inspire some button shopping too ....

proof

... that i have been knitting. i typically carry a small project (ie: socks) with me in my purse, just incase .... you never know when you'll have a spare moment, or stuck waiting in a line, or traffic. and just when you don't have such a project in the purse is exactly when those moments strike.

yesterday, at saff, such a moment occurred. i was waiting in a longish line at a booth to pay for my new sock book, _the enchanted sole_. mom was off watching a felting demo. i unzipped my bag, stuck my book into the bag and pulled out my sock knitting. i actually made some progress without making any mistakes. and, i chatted with the couple standing in line before me.


i was knitting on the mate of this sock. i am getting close to the heel too. and this is my mindless project for now. i'm doing a pretty good job of project monogamy. with the hours i am working, the only way i will ever have finished projects is to not have too many wip's.

though, i am awfully tempted to cast on something new with the new stuff i got yesterday!

edit:

whoops! i just realized in never even posted this when i originally cast on ...


the sock is jules by kate blackburn, and the yarn is knitpicks stroll handpainted in colorway 'tea party'. i am using 2.25mm dpns, and knitting the smaller size with the 60st cast on. to fit me better, i probably should had added 4 more stitches. that said, these might end up in mom's sock drawer.

SAFF

wow ... 20 days since my last post. what have i been doing? ... barely knitting, and working lots of overtime.

i have been feeling deprived of yarn and knitting time, needless to say. but this weekend, i made up for that and traveled across the state to SAFF. this was my third year attending, and i will certainly go again next year, and the next year ....

i'm gonna cut to the chase and just present the loot.


this was purchased before lunch. if you click on the picture you can access the notes with all the yarn information.

i did have a budget. i had taken a small wad of cash. i was doing pretty good in the beginning, but then got kinda anxious that i might blow my cash, so i started to swipe the credit card instead. i'm not going to add up the purchases though, because i got all that i wanted (well, except for a really pretty hank of $56 creatively dyed yarn).


after lunch (sitting in the back of mom's minivan with the hatch up ...) mom and i headed back for more.


while making this purchase, i ran into one of my favorite bloggers, cristi. she was hanging out in the knit witch booth. mom and i were admiring a beautiful sock (rav link)(and i happened to have the very same yarn in hand) that cristi had knitted. and as if this yummy sock yarn wasn't enough, i also got the pretty blue lace yarn.


there were also some non-yarn purchases. i've been wanting some shawl pins, as i am wearing my shawls a lot more (since the office is cold). i found this wee 1.25" x 1" enameled black sheep by gita maria. it's light weight and the dark color will make it more incognito on some of my shawls.

the other shawl pin is a pretty walnut stick pin which i found in the knitting notions booth ...



and then there was the book!


i have her first sock book, _the ecletic sole_, which i've yet to knit from. BUT, i will. and now i have this one, with some really pretty patterns.

and lastly, there was art. i saw this artwork last year, and wanted the actual paintings, and passed on the prints. but this year, i decided to get a few prints, as they make me laugh.


these are printed reproductions of the paintings by artist conni togel. definitely visit her website to see more of her fabulous art.

all in all, saff was great. the weather was perfect, and for the morning part of the the day, the crowd was light. it would be nice to go back tomorrow, but i might be out of money anyways .....

socks for the fall

it's not officially fall yet, but i've experienced some mornings that have been on the cooler side of brrr !

in my sock knitting (ravelry) kal's, it's getting harder to consider knitting a sock with a lace pattern. my most recent cast on is solid, but still with a textural interest ....


i love this combination! this yarn was bought by my buddy corbett a couple years ago at rhinebeck. the yarn came without labels, so who knows what the fiber content is (i'm guessing superwash wool)(though, i will handwash, because guessing is not good enough) ... yardage, or anything !

what i do know, ... i have 2 50 gram hanks, and it's pretty. so, i am knitting toe up, as to not worry about running out of yarn. i am knitting jeannie cartmel's starflower socks. her pattern is rather "loose", so i'm essentially using her chart, and will decide soon about the heel construction. she uses a shortrow heel ... but i don't like for my socks to feel tight across the instep, so i'll be using some form of a gusset heel w/flap construction.

the stitch pattern isn't very elastic. it fits fine now on my skinny foot, but i might have to go up a needle size when i begin my gusset increases.