Yarn Porn

So it's getting a bit unsettling in my head as of late.  I spend my time reading knitting books, while knitting, and surfing the internet looking at yarn.  And then head to ravelry so I can talk about all of the above.  I'd almost feel more normal if it was actually pron...  Some days are worsted than others.

Knit 1 billion squillion rows of stockinette... Then some more

So I started a Garnstudio pattern (a lovely yoked cardigan) in the desire to learn to do bottom up raglan as part of my Learn to Knit, not to Ghetto Yarn Together self improvement project.  And thus far there is no freaking way I'm not finishing this damn sweater.  I'm knitting it on US 2s (even on the beautiful Addi 40" circular it's still quite painful) and let me just say, 150 stitches of stockinette for 33 cm?  Is horrible.  I will finish this thing if it kills both of us.  There will be a Chair of Knitting a Damn Yoke Studies created for me because I will beat this thing into the ground.  I will wear it every other day because nothing that takes this much boring time should not be pwned.

I'm pretty sure I'm the dictionary definition of a product knitter.  I fly through things to finish them.  And the "them" in question is usually something that if it requires anything past casting off (and I do mean anything.  Ask me how many socks I have with a tail due to an unwoven end.) I blow through it or don't.  What this means is I have a pile of things in my closet that look like my cat was in charge of sewing them together.  Kitchner and mattress stitching take forever!  I don't want to have to weave through all of the stitches (horror of horrors sometimes multiple times).  It'll be much faster to just turn it inside out and use a tapestry needle to work through the back of every few stitches.  And it is much faster.  In no time at all I'll have beautifully knitted (my actually knitting itself is actually pretty solid, I've even managed to make my stockinette squares almost have no curling by over tightening on the purl side) sweater with seams that gap, bunch, and generally look like a thresher was involved at some point. 


So I'm going out of my way to do things that right now either are socks and hats (eg all in one go and worst I'll have to do is actually weave the last damn end in).  The idea is to stop wasting my beautiful yarn, (really the back of the closet could not possibly ask for any more knitted but unwearable products) and actually make stuff that doesnt' look like homeless chic.  (Which is a total exaggeration.  I would be too ashamed to donate what's in the back of the closet anywhere.) 

Ribbit... Ribbit...

Frogged like sooooo many things in the last few days.  Managed to get most of a sock done, realized the yarn was waaay too thick (it's for family in Missouri so the theory was thicker yarn = good.  Theory is wrong.)  Then I froggied the sparkly tunic below (bottom up knitting is a bad idea with a fixed amount of yarn.  I'd rather it be shorter than expected rather than run out of yarn for things like shoulders.  In the mean time I've been learning the joys of short rows and stuff, and actually understanding them, rather than just doing them.  (You do not want to know how I've been doing heels on my knitted socks.  It's shameful.)

Yarnaholic

I think I need to join a support group.  I went out today and I was like, I'd like to get size 1 circulars.  And I didn't buy them.  However I did come home w/ 6 skeins of Deborah Norville's serenity garden yarns in new amazing colors!  So if I knit w/ out stop including while, eating, sleeping and driving, I will only have to live to be 293480 to use all the yarn I've bought.  This month.

Loopy Woots!

So I feel a bit like a traitor of my yarn store the Knitting Patch because I had to order some yarn from the Loopy Ewe (I needed an extra skein the KP didn't have) and let me just say, if you don't have a yarn store near you, you should use the Loopy Ewe.  I got a handwritten letter thanking me for my purchase and everything came super quick.  And she sent me my beloved Malabrigo so there were already stars in my eyes to begin with.

This is the project that got stalled because I suck at actually making sure I have enough yarn for a project.  It's much faster to make frequent trips to the store and / or wait for things in the mail than to actually use any of the gagillion yarn yardage calculators on the internet.

This is the first of the many socks that will come from my Caron Country buying bonanza.  They're going to be called Sunshine Socks, and to me it looks like rays of the sun.   Hopefully if you squint and take a quick blow to the head you'll see what I mean...

Michaels was having a clearance sale today, got about $60 plus of yarn for $20.  You can see the cat is impressed.  (Or possibly judgemental...)

And here's the insanely expensive and beautiful glitter yarn that I'm using to make into a tunic.  If I have enough yarn.  If not it'll be torn out (cries) and redone into a reguarl sweater.  ($50 limits additional yarn in this case.)

My other really active WIP, the Interweave Fountain Pen Shawl which I think is going well but I'm pretty hit or miss with shawls so we shall see.

First Pattern on Ravelry

So I posted my first pattern on Ravelry which can be found here.  I'm starting my next project which will also be a free Ravelry design, but it's a sweater that involves a cast on of 200+.  And then knitted in the round.  It's dying to become a shrodenger's cat (in my house the word for an unintentional mobius) so I took at least 5 minutes to get it sorted out, and I'm still pretty sure there's an at least 50% chance I've twisted it.  As it starts to take shape, more than 1/8th of an inch of yarn I'll post pictures of my progress.  It being made with amazing sparkly but soft yarn.