greensboro knit & crochet show

this weekend, i went to stay with friends, and we went to the knit & crochet show. i didn't spend much, as i'm going to SAFF next month. and 2 of the vendors i would had purchased from will be at SAFF as well. perhaps, this was mostly a "scouting mission". this was the first time i've been to a show by the TKGA and the CGOA. they had classes, which i really couldn't do, so i went for the vendors. the venue for vendors was kinda small, ... maybe because this was a first for this location, but that didn't stop me from finding "anything". i made only 1 yarn purchase ...

this yarn is called "canopy" and is by the fiber co. this one hank has 200 yards, and i'm going to use it for this pretty little hat. my other only purchase was a zippered pouch, which will be used for notions.

pretty cool fabric, don't you think? i liked her zippered pouches. she has an etsy shop as well. i didn't see much in her etsy shop, but i know she can take custom orders, as she had also brought fabric samples to the show. i LOVE the little bag, and her craftsmanship is perfection.

 i also came home with a crochet magazine (free!).

the ladies at the Red Heart booth gave each of us a magazine for crocheted blankets. she said they were out of the knitting magazine, so i don't even know what it would had been. but, i do crochet, and this magazine is waiting on the bed for my bedtime reading tonight!

 thank you Red Heart yarns!

speaking of Red Heart, here's my latest stash bag ... in burgundy and zebra. i'm close to finishing it. i actually crocheted 1 tier too many, so i am going to rip that back. the bag is tall enough without accidentally making it even taller.

and lastly, i have finally finished sock #1 of a pair i started back in february.

this pair is to be a gift for one of my best friends. he's been extremely patient, watching me work on other projects (from start to finish) while neglecting this poor sock. i will be casting on sock #2 sometime this week though.

the pattern is called escalator socks, and is a free download from ms. sara amoroso.

my latest orphan

i have been knitting, and crocheting a bit. instead of casting on a new project for the month of september, i instead signed up to do a test knit for a sock. the challenge of knitting a test, is actually following the directions. sounds simple enough, right? hahahahhaha! the pattern is called "leaf on the wind", and has not yet been released, but i do have my project page set up over on ravelry. the joy of knitting a test is ... you only have to knit 1 sock ! but, i am going to be "good" and knit the second sock. i have already cast on the mate. besides, it would be a total shame to not use up that lovely STR !

i really am going to do it this time!

a sweater! yes, a SWEATER !!!

when i first saw this pattern, i immediately recognized how simple and wearable this cardigan was. and, affordable.

i found both the booklet and yarn locally. yay! i really prefer to buy locally if i can, when it comes to yarn. but, sometimes, i cannot find the stuff i want locally.

this time, i did.


the pattern is called miro. the yarn is weekend.

i had/am having ... a fabulous weekend! i traveled about 1.5 hours west yesterday morning, danced my __ off, and came back this afternoon.

i had a blast with my friends (old & new). i also visited a little (new to me) yarn shop.

i didn't buy any yarn (as, i'd just gotten this weekend yarn less than a week previous). but, i did get some needle tips! they had the nickel tips from knitpicks available.

i came home, unpacked, and cast on this sweater.

i'm knitting the size small (finished 36") with size 6 & 8 needles. knitpicks needles.

and just when i thought ....

... i was burned out on socks, here i am with a new cast on.

that's what happens when you swear off socks! something beautiful and amazing comes along, something you just cannot resist.

this sock is a test knit for purrlescent on ravelry.


i'm not typically a fan of toe up socks. i haven't done a test knit in some time. but, this pattern was too pretty to pass up!

i'm using some older stash (which, isn't really THAT old, but i'm ashamed it's been in stash since 2006).


the colorway i'm using is in the top left, and is called "cobalt bloom". the yarn in the center was used awhile back for a pair of hedera, and the jade ... crap! hasn't been knitted yet =(

note to self: knit the jade NEXT!

stash bags ! in crochet =)

dare i say i'm a wee bit burned out on socks with my mission for august?

to entertain myself with some mindless & fun stuff, i turned to my hook.

i was ever so inspired by crochetbug13's stash bag collection, that i decided, "hey! i need some of those !"

for my first one, i splurged (meaning, i didn't use stash, but bought 2 skeins of yarn!) ... kinda defeats the purpose, i know ... but, what can i say?


the pattern is here, by the purl bee (purl soho). i crocheted mine with a J hook, using my favorite acrylic by Red Heart.

i'd "found" a skein of their fleck yarn in the clearance bin at the local craft store, and got a skein of solid that would coordinate.


see the flecks ?!

so, i wanted to make a second bag. when i went home for labor day weekend, mom & i made a late night dash for the local walmart. and before you dis' walmart, sometimes it's the ONLY place in town that has yarn (within a 30+ mile radius).

we went there on purpose. because, we know, they do have Red Heart acrylic yarn! and, there's nothing i love more than Red Heart acrylic! seriously. it's the stuff i grew up with. and the things i've made with it will outlive me.

i got a single skein of their ombre/variegated mix yarn. it is a 'super saver' yarn, but the yardage is only 244 yards (ps. smaller put up).

i put that together with some of my solids from stash. and i came up with this ....


i crocheted the base in all one color, then changed to the variegated yarn on the first round of double crochets. i changed to a solid when i had to do "Round 3: * Chain 5, skip 5 stitches, 1 sc into next stitch..." ... and crocheted the 2nd round in the same color as well .... (for the sake of the pattern, rounds 3 & 4 can be crocheted in a contrast color, like mine).

anyhoo, it came out really pretty!

so, this whole time, i had sent mom the link for the online pattern. i asked her to try it out, make one, etc ....

she kept her project secret, as she always does.

let me just say, if you need a poker partner, she's your gal.

so, in secret, she made one for me too .....


and, true to the name, her bag was crocheted totally in stash! she wins!!!

mission accomplished!

10 pairs of socks completed in august! ... i think i want to knit a sweater now ;)