A Tale of Two Yarms 2KCBWDAY1

I love the smell of yarn in the morning! I am a yarn snob with acrylic tendencies. -smiles- In other words, I just love modern yarn. Learning to knit when I was younger any yarn I was able to purchase or plead was gold to me. However acrylic yarns at that time had the ability to squeak and even at that time, I didn't think yarn should squeak! In my later years I picked up the craft again and was amazed at the variety of yarns, the softness and skinny yarns! I found real wool, and with that discovery, the seeds of snobbery were planted. Wool escalated into alpaca, which drove me to cashmere and I ventured into unknown fibers like silk, sea cell and, I got milk! Did I leave acrylic behind???  Heck no, cause all yarns have a place. I wouldn't use cashmere for a rug or a dog bed, but I can use acrylic yarn for those items and replace the "finer" yarns with "finer" acrylic and her infinite blends.  The tale of two yarns;  the yarn that began the knitting journey and the stash that sprung from that love!

Crap! I've been Rip Van Winkled!!!

Shaking off the "Zzz" and getting back to blogging. Haven't had that umpf lately in anything I do, but the days are getting longer and it's time to blog. I'm ashamed to admit I haven't finished anything but a pair of socks and now have that darn sock bug! Like I need other sicknesses in my life. (lately Ive been cruising fiber batts and giving spindles a come hither wink, started dreaming about weaving and wondering if I have the right weft -smiles-) It's enough just to get knitting done. I like knitting, but somehow the finishing part got lost in there somewhere. Looks like I need more discipline, or more interesting yarns to inspire, resolutions be darn!! (u knew that was coming, right?? lol)

Knit n Crochet week blogging will start this Monday, March 28th (also my youngest daughter's birthday), and I didn't have a clue until StephCuddles tweeted me. (yep I'm tweeting too....I'm up people, I'm awake!)
Seems like a grand opportunity to really get back into a daily blogging routine, to finally give the winter blahs a good shake off and to tell spring to pump up the temp abit. (here it's like winter, the sequel)

Did a few activities, like going to the flow show and really enjoying the beautiful displays but egad! the people. Trying to navigate through that crowd was like being born over and over again. It was a tight  squeeze and I wanted to cry!! lol

Maryland's Sheep and Wool Festival is coming up soon and I'm trying to decide if I can go. (work has been beastly and I am its overtime b---h!) Making future plans for weekend events are pipe dreams at best for the moment. Ive never been and would really like to go. Lets hope I can get away.

Here's a picture of my first socks and I leave you with this, "Never give up and you will have socks"

Not Exactly Computer Friendly

If you're wondering about the large size avatar on the previous post, it's because I was trying to enlarge my little blogger picture and somehow or another I took the animation out of the little picture and posted a large size one. I don't know how I did this and now I believe in that little saying, "If it's not broke, don't fix it"  Wisdom seems to always come with giant mess up (well for me the 5th mess up usually kicks in wisdom)(I was born hard headed -smiles-)

The epic stash herding  is still in effect. It's gonna take me a few days 'cause I keep stopping and saying, "Hey, I forgot I had that!" and then move to the computer to see what patterns might be nice for it. I'm looking to finish by the spring 'cause I keep getting distracted by yarn. It's a lovely vicious cycle, and I am in its vortex, baby!! (help me....lol)

Winter is in full effect here. We are in the grips of bitter cold, impending snow and more bitter cold. Folks are getting tired of the snow, ice and cold but I look at it this way;  "It's winter people, get over it!!" Also dressing warmly like a sane person might make it easier to bear the cold. I look at people who think hoodies and long johns are enough to deal with the winter's chill and I think, Frostbite Victims Walkin' news at 11. My favorite thing this winter...100% wool hiking socks. No, I did not knit them and yes yes yes they are sooooo warm on the feet. Picked them up at I Goldberg's, a store that sells hiking, camping, military stuff etc... I no longer have cold feet and they keep me warm even in sneakers (my footwear of choice)   I highly recommend for those folks who must endure extended time outdoors and do not want to wear boots.
Gonna get me some hot chocolate and then I'm gonna hit the road. I ain't scared of no stinkin' cold!!! (smiles)

Stash from H E Double Hockey Sticks!

It's time to tame my stash. One of my yarn babies was upset and tried to trip
me as I walked out the door this morning. I'm still trying to figure out how it
got there, but I was really tired last nite and when I'm that groggy, anything
can happen and apparently my yarn went rouge. I have yarn everywhere and
my latest trip -smiles- has opened my eyes and now, I'm into herding my stash
into clear plastic tubs.Well, that's the first step. After I do that, then its sorting
them into wool. wool blends, cotton, acrylic, good acrylic -grin- and mystery.
(who doesn't have mystery yarn...its a requirement of all yarn crafters!)

After the yarn organization and large quantities of wine, then I tackle the tools
of the trade. I'm afraid that if I get everything together, I'll have no reason to
buy knitting thingees ever again. Ok that statement was just to make me seem
redeemed in your eyes, we all know Imma gonna buy, but only when I
finished a project. I see mass quantities of dish cloths in my future...lol

KIP...Was I Ever That Dorky???

Today, I decided to visit Joann's Craft Store and pick up some yarn. The hat I'm working on, The Rocka Beanie, ran out of the yarn, Paton's FX Kroy Sock yarn, I was using. (yes, I'm blaming it on the hat, it should have said something) Anyhoo, I was lucky enough to find the same dye lot and of course bought more yarn than I was suppose to. (It was on sale, I had forgotten about my resolution and it was on sale..Hey whatever...smiles)

Riding back to my abode, I notice a woman knitting on the bus. I knew immediately she was a newbie and I had to smile to myself and wonder if I looked that dorky in the beginning. She had the longest pair of straight needles that I've ever seen and she was knitting one of those furry multicolor boa/scarf that was the rage a few years ago. Not ragging on the scarf, its your choice. but when she was knitting, she looked like she was rowing a boat. The funny part was the way people kept looking at her. I'm guessing,
by the looks on most folks face, that knitting required awesome biceps.
If we were in a boat, we'd be in London by now.

It's funny how you grow in a craft. I started out with those knitting oars -smiles- and now I prefer circulars over straights any day. I still prefer dpns over 2 circs, but the fact that I can use 2 circs is amazing. This year I will learn toe up socks and hopefully 2 toe up on circs. I also have more gloves on my agenda this year, and color work mittens, cowls and of course that sweater. (was that a sweat bead???)

Knitting is my adventure this year. This is the year of knitting fearless for me.
I'm out of the cocoon baby, and spreading my wings!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

Well, I've made it to another year in tack and I am grateful. I love that fresh, new year scent of hope in the air as I embark on my knitting adventures. I have very few resolutions this year, and I really hope to keep them all.

1. Try something different in knitting.
     Doing the same stuff over and over again may be putting me in a rut.

2. Get over purling (I hate to purl) either change the method of purling
    or just suck it up and do it!

3. Do the sweater. Been shying away from big projects but StephCuddle
    has made me soooo jealous with her beautiful sweaters that I am going
    to bite the bullet and do one this year.
    (OK for those folks that really know me, stop snickering)

4. Tackle the "I hate you, I hate you" basket; learn, repair and finish.

5. Stash control. That one gives me the woollies, ;) but I have to control my
    rampant acquirement of yarn. Finish a project, then buy yarn.
    Exceptions: All the Stitches and sheep and wool events, (yep, I'm sneaky)
    and any luxury yarn that is half off. (I'm human people!)

I am trying to push myself to improving my knitting skill set,
to conquer start-itis, to organize my equipment and to fly.
One of these things are not like the other. -smiles-

Again, Happy New Year Knitting!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A KNIT NIGHT

I've been reflecting on Christmas since the summer....I say this because folks will forgive you quicker if you say you've been reflecting on Christmas instead of you were just to lazy to blog and was waiting for thought transference to become a reality.

I'm ashamed to admit I have startitis and a deep case of not finishing anythingness. Just can't seem to pull it together or block it. Simple patterns have been giving me grief, hard patterns I just glared at and shake my fist and try to intimidate them back. As you have probably concluded, it doesn't work and it makes the pattern a mite angry. Nothing like a hard pattern with attitude.

Did I mention hard patterns lazy cousin, Errata? I have nothing but love for designers. Their talents are awesome...their math sucks. I suck at math, they suck at math and the little projects suffer. By the time I have run thru my mind what disease I must have that's making me not understand the pattern, (after ripping back, stomping it into the ground, cursing and tossing my little project into my "I hate I you hate you" basket -OK maybe not stomping but creatively drop kicking it- cousin Errata arrives late as usual) I'm not saying designers are suppose to be perfect, I'm just saying I'm not the type of person who can correct on the fly. Some are bless with this talent others are born the soldier's way, following orders. I fall into the latter with a sub category,"we don't read no stinkin' patterns all the way through first". Yeah, I still have issues.

Despite not knitting for anyone this Christmas or basically this year. (read: lazy), I am most determined to knit everyone (my family & besta friend) something for next Christmas, even if I have to buy it -smiles-
Despite my rantings, (hopped up on Starbucks coffee can do that), I am happy that I have a family whom I love and who loves me, I have a best friend whom I have known since kindergarten (we love to chat on the phone and discuss which body parts are in free fall -and there are many-) I have a craft that gives me great joy and crushing grief (eh six on one hand half dozen on the other), I'm a yarn addict that refuses to get help ( and am an enabler too!), and to balance all that good stuff I am an awful, awful lazy blogger!
A new year approaches and therefore a time to change things for the better, but that's next week. Tonight is for the softer glow of the season, and tomorrow, the joy! I Hope Your Christmas Is Bright.