N E T F L I X

yep. an unusual title for a post ... but it is knitting related.

i haven't had cable tv (never have had satellite) in maybe 11 years? there are things i'd like to watch on cable tv, but it's too expensive, and i've found i can live without it. i like lots of different channels, and i don't think they're sold "a la carte". regardless, it's a time suck, and i'm pretty awesome at finding multiple ways to practice avoidance behavior.

i do have Netflix, and it's worth every penny! i love to binge watch tv shows. that sounds unhealthy, right?

right now, i'm watching ALIAS. i never watched it when it was broadcast on regular television. i'd heard of it, but was probably busy doing other things.

the first year i went to SAFF (2007), there was a yarn dyer that sold "tv yarns".

HEY STUART !!!

see the crazy hot pink & black/gray yarn? ... i knew nothing of the tv show, but liked the colors. it sat in stash forever .....

flash forward, 2013 ... i finally wound a hank into a ball!

i knitted monkey socks. keep in mind, still ... never seen the tv show. 

so, it was laundry day this past weekend, and i was washing these socks.

and i laughed at myself for loving this yarn for so long, bought with the tv show name alias, and finally, finally, decided to watch this on netflix.

so, finally, finally, ... i've worn my alias socks with netflix! yarn & tv have united !!!

whoops

i was a very productive knitter this past summer, but not a very productive blogger.

in my last post, i was just finishing up my beeline sweater. i finished it just 2 days after that post.











since finishing, i have worn it a few times, and will likely be wearing it this coming weekend when i go to SAFF. the farm i've purchased this yarn from is on the vendor list for the event. although there will be some very popular vendors there (ie: miss babs), i really like this little farm from morganton, nc.



i think this was the last summer top i completed. it's the western slope tee, knitted in lindy chain. it photographs well, it fits well, but i haven't even worn it.

i feel i need to crochet around the armholes, or pick up in knit and bind off, to tame the flaring of the garter stitch edges. i have a wee ball of yarn left, possibly enough for that bit of finishing. and with the season change, i'm not enthusiastic about that task at the moment.

it was a love/hate knit too ... constantly worrying if i'd have enough yarn to knit the top. i did have enough, barely.

they yarn i really like! but it's tricky to finish. the yarn is a chainette and it will unravel. i made little knots at the cut end before weaving in.







oh, and i got a "new to me" car this summer ... it's a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. i still have the truck, with no plans to sell it. but it's such a different ride. so different.

copycat

yesterday when i was out & about, i stopped in a yarn shop. there were at least 2 different yarns i could had justified buying for sweaters, but i have plenty of sweater quantities, ... and didn't "need" it.

le sigh ... remember last december when i proclaimed to be going cold sheep in 2015? ha !!!

needless to say, there have been some significant yarn purchases this year. however, they have been more "mindful" purchases. so, although i've not been 100% cold sheep, i've not been as reckless either. 

one thing i did find that i wanted, and could use (needed!) was a gadget for my dpns. on my sweater, i'm knitting the sleeves, on dpns. and, more than once, the stitches have fallen off the needles when in my knitting bag. i saw such an accessory in the yarn shop yesterday ... but i couldn't justify the expense ($13). i can sew. and i have tons of scraps.  so, this cost me nothing but a bit of time. i had everything ... the fabric scraps, some 1/4" elastic, and some stiff interfacing. it's not perfect, but it "will do". 

the wool knitting is quite fast

i started my beeline on august 8th. as of last night, i'm about 4" in on my second sleeve. the sleeves are exceptionally fast due to the reduced number of stitches. i'm planning on having this finished within the next few days.

i haven't finished my last two summer tops though --- on the lena, all i need to do is pick up stitches around the neck and arms and bind off, and then weave in ends. on the western tee, i just have a smidgen of knitting left and minimal finishing. however, starting is often more alluring than finishing.

but, i'm into the fall/winter knitting now.

this is one i'm currently contemplating ... it would be A LOT of knitting. (it's called reagan). i have a suitable yarn in stash.

whichever i decide upon, it will be soon --- because my rusty beeline is near the finish line and i'm going to get itchy to start something new.

i've switched to wool

summer isn't over, but part of it is quickly fading for me.

though we still have the high temps & humidity, i've switched from summer knitting to fall.

i still need to finish a couple of summer tops (tops i've 95% completed!!!) ~ i'm thinking more about wool.

last year at SAFF, i found a wonderful hand-dyed superwash worsted. i wound a hank in the car on the way home, and immediately cast on the beeline .  it took a bit to knit it, but it's a sweater that's been worn as often as i could (temps & dress code permitting).

so, this past spring, when i went down to the NC Fiberfest, i found the same farm as a vendor! ... and i got more yarn, for another beeline.



i did a lot of knitting on this at the beach. i'm almost finished with the second hank, and very close to beginning the ribbing on the bottom.

it's a favorite pullover, and this one will be done before the next SAFF.

the beach? yes ... i went to the beach for a 2nd time this summer. perhaps i'm making up for so many summers inland?



that's me in my desert get up. though i love the beach, i have my limits on sun exposure. i have no idea what my hair was doing -- that's "the beach" for ya' .

so, i'm there knitting on my beeline. typically, it would be more difficult to knit (wool) on the beach, but the air was a bit drier than usual. the only time i had problems with the yarn flowing was after my dips in the ocean.

we've had a very "sharky" summer in NC. that didn't stop me, or the other tons of other people i saw, swimming out beyond the wave break.

on that day, the waves were quite gentle. the lifeguard was waving the green flag. it was also a good day for shells.

needless to say, it was an awesome beach day!

green ? green ....

green used to be my favorite color. now, it's blue ... or most shades of dark blue (LOVE navy blue).

but today ... today was a G R E E N  day.

today i was wearing 3 shades of green.



on the left, a very old knitted hemp tank. knitted from this pattern too many years ago.

top right, old crocs with minion shoe charms.

down right, an army green stretch skirt my mom gave to me (brand is KOPPEN). it's a stretchy ripstop nylon, and at least one size too big --- but i like the color and that one of the pockets has a zipper.

in a couple of weeks, i'm going to the beach again -- this time -- only for a few nights. skirt and crocs (with minions) are going with me!

summer knitting

i've had some summer successes and fails.


and i'm not just talking about knitting. ha! but, in the world of knitting, i am successfully knitting on my 3rd lena tee , and the quince & co. sparrow remains my current favorite summer yarn! i'm knitting this version in the color "banyon".


it's a really nice medium sea green/blue.


of course, i'm knitting as fast as i can. who doesn't want another linen summer top?!


... just a shark photo from the aquarium when i went to the beach a couple of weeks ago.

happy 4th!