Trying to Stay Optimistic.

Happy Sunday friends! I haven't posted in a week or so, so I figured it was due. I have a couple of WIPS but nothing major. A pair of socks that isn't super far and a secret swatch for a KnitScene Submission. So no real photos to share there.

However, I have been working on my stash. As I mentioned in a few previous posts, my LYS - Wildflower Yarns and Knitwear - just went out of business this past December. From mid-October on the owner was having a huge clearance sale, and that for me meant a chance to add some things to the stash I never expected to add.

We were at a knit club meeting and I realized that not many people had been buying the cotton yarns. Apparently since it's winter here, people were stocking up on wools. So I broke down and picked up 5 skeins of Cascade Ultra Pima, a yarn I have been wanting to use for awhile now. This is destined to be a nice summer tank top. 

That same day I decided to get some Tahki Ripple.  I have been wanting to knit with Tahki yarns for awhile, but have never really had to money to buy enough for a project. Well at 40% off, I couldn't resist. I think I already have a project picked out for this one - Diamond Tee. Can't you see that pattern in my lovely blue?

A few weeks before I went on the cotton spree, I was feeling generous so I picked up 5 skeins of Universal Renew Wool. Partially because there weren't many options left for wool and partially because I have never used this yarn. I figured it'd make a nice warm weather garment at some point. Maybe a sweater next fall? I like the nice pale blue. 

I've been wanting this yarn since the day she started stocking it. Camino Alpaca is such a lovely worsted/bulky yarn. Although a sweater would be amazing in this yarn, even at 40% off I couldn't afford that much. So I settled for enough to make an oversized cowl. Or at least that's the plan. I have been wanting one of those for awhile now anyway, but I was hoping I would have started it by now. Maybe next winter....

Finally, I picked this up back when she first announced the sale. I wanted to make a bike helmet cover, since this yarn has strands in it that reflect light (perfect for after dark!). But them my bike got stolen :/ So now it's just in my stash.  Maybe it'll be another hat. Who knows.

My stash bins are pretty much overflowing now, which is something I have never had before. I don't usually buy large amounts of yarn without a project in mind, but when it all went on sale, it was hard not to. I'm trying to stay optimistic about it all. After all, no LYS within 30 minutes means no spending money on things I don't need. It also means that I can work from my stash more.  However it also means no more knit nights, which were always so much fun. We are trying to meet once a month for get togethers, but it's not the same as being able to just walk into the shop and see people knitting.  Kennita, the owner, didn't close up due to finances (thankfully!) but because she is also a designer and is starting to really take off with her designs. She said the shop was just becoming too much work and stress for her.  She's really excited to see what will happen next with her designs. I am too, but I am still sad for no LYS.

Her current project is this amazing e-book - Tuscan Knits - and I can't wait for it to come out.  All knit in Tahki yarns, the patterns are really lovely and show just how much she loves designing.  She's also hosting a monthly knit club - the knitting monthly - which I have been in since it started in September of 2012.  The patterns and techniques are always fun.  You don't have to be in my area to join either! Much of it is all online. :)  

Image copyright (C) Kennita Tully 

So has anyone ever knitted with any of these yarns? What are your thoughts.  I hope everyone is having a great new year and getting back in to the grind of work and life. I know I'm trying to, but getting up at 5:30 for work is kinda rough sometimes!

~Lisa

Starts and Finishes

I think the first finish I need to talk about is super basic, one sentence long:

I'M FINISHED UNPACKING!!!

Ok anyways, tonight's post is dedicated to all the finishes I have to share, as well as the many, many, many starts I have going on as well.

As I mentioned above, I am officially done unpacking. And everything is pretty much where it needs to be and set up how I want it to be. I even have a cute little craft corner! There are still a few things I need to get, but that is for another day and another pay check. I'll try and post a few pictures sometime soon.

In the same category, I finished the Amari Shawl last weekend and managed to successfully wet block it as well! I think it turned out perfect! There are a few mistakes from ripping it out, but overall, the colors work well together and it's a nice fit. Once it cools down a bit I will for sure be wearing it very often!

Now onto the list of starts, which are a lot longer than the finishes (naturally).

I didn't have to work yesterday, so I (finally) started a summer painting. This is what it looks like so far. The balls aren't in place yet and I will probably put some paint over the top to merge the surface with the balls more. 

What with the shawl done and knit night tonight, I had to find something to make with yarn from the shop (not quite a requirement, but I feel guilty going if I don't).  So.... I started the beribboned wrists! They are knitting up pretty fast actually. And I love knitting with this yarn, it lets off the smell of berries while I knit, which is heavenly. 

Finally, in the stash front, my Tour de Fleece yarn is coming a long very fast, but not quite the pace I wanted. However, I am almost at half done, which is still amazing given the time frame! I LOVE this roving and yarn!

Why 2 spindles? Cuz I left my small one at home today when I went to my aunt's house to spin!

AND Wildflower was having a 4th of July Sale this week, and not like I need more sock yarn, BUT..... I've been eyeing this for awhile and it was half off! So why not? 

Rio de la Plata, 100% new wool from Uruguay,  437 yards

For some reason I feel like I am forgetting something, but I think that's it for the evening. Thanks for stopping by my little piece of heaven! See you all around.

~Lisa

Happy Late 4th to all my USA Friends!

Indie Dyer in Training Pt 2: Dying with Nature

The dying bug has definitely been wondering around my apartment lately! I have so many fun dying adventures to share with you! But for tonight, I am just going to share one of them.

 As I mentioned yesterday, my buddy Ivy came up this weekend. One of our goals was to get a bit of dying in, since she is an expert (come on Ivy, just admit it!) and I wanted some pointers. One of the things I had been really itching to try was dying with natural dyes, such as plants and berries.

 My aunt has been out of town for about a week now and I have been watching her garden for her. One of the perks is that she said I could pick whatever I wanted for eating and dying.

One thing I learned in my research of plant dyes is that you need to let the plants dry and then boil the plants down to extract the color, and the longer you boil and simmer the richer the color. We decided to start with these yellow flowers that were growing in the backyard she said I should try. I didn't have super high hopes for them honestly because I didn't even know what they were so I couldn't look up if they make good dye.

Apparently I forgot to get a picture of them whole. This is them after they've been broken and placed in my pot.

So, as they boiled we got a bit excited. They were making yellow! YAY! Then about 5 minutes later, they were making burnt.  So the verdict? FAIL.  But now I know not to try these flowers next time. 

The next plant I wanted to try was some carrot tops that I had left over from some carrots I got at Farmer's Market. A book I borrowed from my aunt says that you can use them for dying so I figured why now. Once again, we broke up the tops and placed them in the pot. This time though, we found: SUCCESS!

Yum?

This dye bath is now sitting in a bowl in my fridge, because I decided against dying anything with it at the time. However, if it lasts, I plan to try dying with it very soon.

Finally, I want to share with you the best part of our experiment. BERRIES! Using a mixture of black currents from my aunt's garden and blackberries I got cheap at Aldis (best store ever!) I smashed the mixture down and did a bit more boiling. 

Here goes nothing!

As they boiled, I noticed that I was getting a very rich purple color, almost like juice. It also felt a bit like making jam! YUM. Well anyways, after about 10 minutes (my gas over cooks really hot, so we had to be careful), we turned off the burner and strained out the berries, only to get a very amazing, grape juice color.

Add some sugar and we'd have jam!

Oh, the wonders of old bed sheets as strainers!

Ok, so I HAD to dye with this color! Luckily, we had visited Wildflower prior to do this batch and I was able to get 2 skeins of Brown Sheep Nature Spun, 100% wool, Sport Weight yarn in pure white.  I knew this would dye up well since it was wool, so I skeined and soaked it while we made dinner (see yesterday's post).

2 Skeins for $9.00? HECK YES!

First ever time using a Niddy Noddy! Thanks Ivy!

Ok, so there were a few steps we skipped to save time. Such as Mordanting the yarn (which is basically adding something, like Alum, to the yarn to make the color stay longer and richer). We also decided to microwave the yarn instead of kettle dying. I am not sure if this would have made it any better, but whoa and behold, I still ended up with something amazing! 

It only took 1, 2 min cycle to get the color to absorb!

SUCCESS!

A couple of notes.  After the initial dying and drying, the yarn was a bit stiff. A quick soak in the Eucalin bath and this was solved. However, it did lose a bit more color in this process, so if I was to do this again I would  definitely try and mordant the yarn.

I already have the PERFECT pattern picked out for this yarn!  Beribboned Wrists by my good friend and blogger, Shoelaceswitcher! I can't wait to try your pattern!

Photo (C) Shoelaceswitcher.

In other quickie news, TdF is coming along ok. I don't have to get up early tomorrow, so I am going to stay up a bit late to make up on my goal. I am right now about about 1 whole oz spun, and this is what it looks like. I still can't decide if I will ply it or not. It's so luscious, it's hard to decide!

Until WIP Wednesday tomorrow, good night blog land!

~Lisa

3kcbwday3 - Thursday Nights at Wildflower

Random Blogs for the night:

Stitched Together

Crafts from the CWTCH

Pretty Mades All in a Row

Crafty 'n' Clothy

Running with Needles

You know, by the time this week is over I am going to be a bit burned out on posting and reading blogs! It's been taking so much of my time this week!

Today's topic is to discuss our knitting heroes. This was a really hard topic for me to decide on. I originally was going to go on and on and on about my amazing pen pal, but I do that a lot already and many of you read her blog anyways. Then there's my mom, who crochets and loves to make blankets, and my aunt, who is an off and on knitter. None of these seemed to fit though.

So instead I am going to take the time to tell you about some really amazing ladies I get to see every Thursday night! I am lucky enough to have an amazing LYS here in town (Wildflower!) and said LYS has an open knitting night every Thursday from 6-8 PM. It's meant to be a way to get out and knit, meet new people, get knitting advice and just have fun!

I personally started going about a year ago. I was really hesitant at first because I am so young compared to the majority of the regulars that do go, but within the first few weeks I was getting to know people and able to join in on the conversations as well as  pick up some great knitting tips along the way.

Let me tell you, the ladies that I usually see are one amazing bunch! They are always working on something exciting and interesting; in fact a few have a new project every week. It makes me envious to see that they are able to get so much done, but then again, once they leave work they really don't have much else to do. I hope I have that choice someday too.

I honestly believe that without Wildflower there are a great many knitting skills I would not have. I know I wouldn't be doing socks, which is a skill I learned at a class I took there. I also doubt that I ever would have decided to branch out and knit my tank top last summer, nor my sweater this fall. The ladies there are so into knitting garments that it rubbed off on me and now I can't stop!

So, anybody out there in blog land have LYS's or knitting groups you absolutely love to visit? A special group of ladies who keep you grounded and help you in a knitting pinch? I'd love to hear!

~Lisa

3KCBWDAY1- Colorful Journey Through the World of Socks

Edited to add:
I am going to do something at the beginning of each of this week's post. I will be listing 5 random new blogs I found via google and the tags for the day! Here are 5 random blogs from today's theme:

Kate's Twirl

Frog Soup

Sudden Expression

Judith goes USA

Create Bella Create

Yes, I am participating in Knit and Crochet Blog Week 2012. I hope I can make it all the way to the end, as my class stress load is getting a bit intense. Also, if my grammar and spelling is a bit off this week, it's because I chopped open my finger in print today and have to leave it bandaged all week. Alas the life of an art major. :(

Anyways, the theme for today was to discuss color, and after reading several of my followed blogs this morning I realized that we all have a color we like to use, but when it comes to socks we let loose; it doesn't really matter if the color goes well with us because it's just socks! I myself am the same, and with that being said, I am going to take you guys through my history of sock knitting (which is actually close to where my knitting history starts!) and the colors I picked for each pair.

Although my ex-boyfriend is primarily to blame for getting me back into knitting, I think it's learning to knit socks that really made me interested in knitting and the things I could do with it. The first pair I ever knit was these:

This was a pair I knit in a class on how to knit socks. The yarn is Dream in Color, and although you cannot see it here, the reason I picked this yarn was the subtle use of navy, brown and teal to create a very pretty fabric. As it was my first pair, they were done worsted and are a bit big, but perfect for bedtime in the winters. I just wanted to say that if I had never taken this class I don't think I would be as an accomplished knitter as I am today, for before socks I only knew scarves and had never stepped foot in a yarn shop. Safe to say it changed my life.

The next pair is one I can't even wear, as the heals are off enough to the point where my feet hurt when I wear them .  I wish I could though, because I love the color of Mini Mochi -- I'm really attracted to purples, greens and blues, and the stripes in this were just something I couldn't resist --  that I picked out, as well as the pattern, which is one I made using my Socks ala Carte book. They were also my first non-worsted pair of socks. I have yet to knit short row heels since this incident, it just scares me to think about spending that much time and getting a pair that I can't wear!

My first wearable pair of fingering socks came in the form of Sunday Swing, and pattern that is spectacular and is completely covered up by the color vargations in this yarn. The yarn is Farmhouse, Fannie's Finger Weight, in Surf. I remember when I bought this yarn -- at the time it was the most expensive yarn I had ever purchased but I just could not resist. The color way was gorgeous and so much fun! I still have half of it left, so maybe I will make another pair with a more fitting pattern someday.

Where do you go after you master one-at-a-time fingering weight socks on dpn's? Well two-at-a-time on one long circular of course! I took a class last summer at Wildflower and learned  how to knit 2aat socks, which is where this pair came from. I had not intended to buy new yarn for this project because I had some other in my stash, but I just could not resist (again!) the colors of the Berocco Sox.  The oranges and reds and browns meshed so well together and the it was color I had yet to make socks with, so why not? In general, I love this pair to death.

Up to this point I had been focusing on cuff down socks, toe up just sounds scary and complicated, something I didn't want to get into. But this previous Christmas break I caved: I really wanted to be able to try on my socks as I went! And that leads to this pair, done in Zitron Trekking 6ply. I bought this yarn over a year ago on clearance because I wanted more worsted weight socks. It was the only color they had, so it's not like I picked it for a specific reason or anything. But after I knitted up the socks, I realized what a gem I had. The colors remind me of fire and they go so well together! The orange and yellow especially meld well. This is definitely one of my favorite pairs to wear!

That brings me to my most recent completed pair, done in scraps of Berocco Vintage that I had previously used in other projects. They were done toe-up and in creating these socks I learned how and where to increase as you go up the leg, for these are knee highs! It's funny how each yarn was intended for a different project, yet when put together they all look great!

My most current sock project is a pair of 2-at-a-time cuff downs in a really pretty orange. When I got this yarn I was really excited because it was such a pretty summer/spring color and a nice change from the blues and purples I am used to. The pattern I picked also works well with this yarn.

And here is all my stash sock yarn, waiting to become socks.I can't wait to knit with each and every one of them.

I am really glad I got to share my sock stories with you today, whether you are an old friend or a new reader. I love sharing my knitting adventures. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post, I have some pretty cool ideas if I can pull them off!

~Lisa

P.S. --> I'm obsessed with cats and don't live with mine (they are back home) so I can't always get pictures. I may start posting funny cat pics at the end of my posts if that is ok with you guys :D

(Today photo courtesy of: official ultimate LOL cat thread )

Planning for Summer

Hey all! Thanks for all the nice comments on my last post/contest. If you still want enter, go here.

So last night at Wildflower there as a cash and carry trunk sale. For those of you who may not know what this is, it's basically a night when a yarn rep comes through town with lots and lots of yarn that the store does not carry, giving us a chance to do a bit of shopping. The selection this time included many yarns by Blue Heron and Pagewood Farms, including this beauty:

Blue Heron Bamboo Lace, colorway Chesapeake. There are 1260 yards of this luscious bamboo lace weight yarn, and although it was a bit out of my budget, I knew I could make a pretty decent top with just one skein of this beauty, so I couldn't pass it up!

After I got home last night I started hunting for patterns to make the ultimate summer top/sweater/cardigan/tank whatever.  After much searching (which still isn't technically done) I have found the following:

Gretel

Sophia

107-8 top with lace pattern in ”Cotton Viscose”

Draped Lace Shell

Zelda

29-3 Shell

Finchs Wings. -- Really like but not sure where to get the pamphlet

Fluffy Lace Camisole and Pull Off Cowl

Eerie

Filtes Shetland 1354 Open work dolman

Hanna T-shirt
Sommertunica

So I was wondering what you all thought? Any suggestions? Patterns not on my list?? I would love to hear what you guys think. It'll be a few weeks before I even consider casting on. I am wanting to finish up my socks and also get my school work figured out. T-minus 2 weeks until finals!

I hope everyone had a great week and Happy Friday! 

~Lisa 

With Friends Like These

Hi everyone. Today's post is dedicated to you, my readers! I love each and every one of you in a special way, because you are willing to take the time out of your busy schedule to read and comment on my blog.

I want to share a few things with you all today that I have received from the amazing people I have met on here and Ravelry.

I'll start with my BEYOND AMAZING penpal, Ivy, of whom I have been sending letters back and forth to for a little over a year. We met through the Random Acts of Kindness group on Ravelry, which is by far the best group ever. I have been gifted so many patterns and such from some very amazing people on there!! Anyways, we hit it off right away and every time I receive a letter or package I cannot wait to rip open the envelope. I wanted to share with you all just how amazing she is!

First we have the world of spinning. Without her guidance I probably never would have picked it up. She has also sent me some pretty amazing fibers, including these:

Left - Camel Down, spun but yet to be soaked. Right - Knitpicks Bare Stroll, dyed myself

And lets not forget the amazing Christmas gift of Manos de Uruguay silk blend, which made the amazing sweater that I discussed last time.

Today I received a package in the mail in the form of a skein of Manos de Uruguay Maxima, a giveaway prize from Evelyn at Project Stash. It's such a beautiful color, definitely destined to be a warm winter cowl!

Next up on my list is the beautiful stitch markers I got from a trade back in January. The creator is from near by Topeka and does some amazing things with Crystal beads. I absolutely love having an excuse to use these!

And finally, who doesn't love their LYS? I know I love mine (Wildflower yarns and knitwear of Manhattan KS)! The owner is so helpful and she carries such a great variety of yarns. She had a holiday open house back in December and I won this as a door prize. I cannot wait until I have an excuse to use it. Dying consumes so much time though, and I want to have a pattern in mind before I do so. 

This leads me to introduce something new to my blog;  A GIVEAWAY!

That's right folks, I want to thanks the amazing cyber world of knitting and spinning by offering a giveaway to a lucky reader.  All you have to do is tell me one thing you really like about my blog, or why your read/follow as well as something you think I could improve on. The last few months I have really gotten my blog together and started developing a new style, mostly with the help of all my faithful readers, which is why I trust you guys to give me the best pointers.

And the winner gets their choice of one of the following 3 yarns as well as a couple little surprises from me:

Top Left: Surino, 70% Suri Alpaca, 30% Merino, 100 yards, 1.7 oz. Unknown brand, but I think it may be handspun. Won at a fiber convention last year, just not sure what I'd ever make with it. Has some nice flecks of green and orange also.

Top Right: Nasua Handknits Granite, 70% wool, 30% acrylic. 50g, 82 yards. Forgive the acrylic content, I love everything Nashua makes. This color way is really pretty too, a nice balance of thick and thin weights.

Bottom: Louet Bonnie, 94% wool, 6% silk. 50 g, 88 yards. Such a lovely colorway, I couldn't pass it up when I saw it at the store. 

Any of these 3 yarns would be so much fun to work with!

Contest ends at the end of the month, at which time I will draw a random name from the list of those who commented. Good luck everyone and I hope you all have a great week!

~Lisa

Things to Finish Before New Years (Yea Right)

So, I've been crazy busy with studio stuff lately, spending literally every night until at least 11 (last night it was 12:30) there, trying to get stuff done. It's the only time I have to do it so I don't have much choice in the matter. None the less, I am still finding time to knit, both at Knit Nights at Wildflowers, and at home (wish more basic, non-Wildflower purchased yarns). I have come to the conclusion that there are a few things I'd love to get done before the first of the year, just so I can start fresh with new stuff in January. Here is my list:

Twilight Curls Scarf: This thing is actually knitting up really fast. It's my knit-night exclusive project, simply because it's with Wildflower purchased yarn, and I therefore want to use it at her shop. It should be done by the end of knit night tonight, and if not I'll probably finish it later this weekend so I can start...

Effortless Cardigan. Yes, I want to make a cardigan. I don't have the yarn for it yet, but I plan to purchase it this weekend. I don't know if I really have the time with school, but hopefully I can find time here and there to work on it and finish it for the new year!

Rick Socks As you've already seen on this blog, I have these socks going. I haven't picked them up in a while, so they aren't very far along, and they take awhile to get very far on. This will probably be the one project I DON'T finish before January. There's something about socks: I love making them, but can never finish a pair without stopping to do other things in between.

Lost in Transit Lustra Scarf As of the middle of December, it will have been a good year since I picked up this scarf to work on. That's a sign it needs to get finished. I want it done, but it's not high priority right now. It would have been done last year, but I had to stop to make IOU Christmas gifts.

I also have a couple of gifts on my needles right now,but I'm not going to talk about them until they are and given.

Happy November everyone! I hope life doesn't get more stressful as the weather turns colder.

~Lisa