Curtains!

That might look like just a pile of fabric full of grommets, but it's really my new curtains (on sale)! They are going to help filter that afternoon sunlight that comes streaming in (right at eye-level) when I'm at my desk. And I'm at my desk quite a lot, just not between 1pm and 4pm (see 'blinding light at eye-level', above). I've never found anything, window treatment wise, that works for the big semicircle windows without reminding me of those crepe paper 3D decorations, so the whole little nook is getting curtained off. I'll bore you with pictures when it's finished!

email full of excitement today!

An innocuous blog post from Simply Socks pinged in my blog reader today at work. I was unable to focus from that time on. It read (just the black words, the red ones are my additions):

"But for those of you who have been waiting on the Harry Potter sock yarn from Opal," ME ME ME!!! "I've been told that Simply Socks order has shipped!" *faints* "I'll put the yarn on the website as soon as it arrives (and I'll do a quick post on the blog), and I'll also ship out the preorders." Haha, suckers, that's me too! But don't fret if you didn't pre-order: "This could all happen as soon as Friday or mid weekend- it all depends on UPS. I don't have more details, but will post here as soon as I do. I won't be able to send out individual e-mail updates." Get your mouse-clicking fingers in shape for this one: "I do expect the yarn to go quickly b/c of the flood at Opal us yarn stores are only getting about 40% of what we ordered, but I do have A LOT more on order from Opal's second shipment, which will come in about a month."

[Side, um, Post Script?: I'm working on a really nifty chart that will culminate in a terrific (and free) surprise for the blog. Because I'm awesome (and humble?), and maybe someone, someday will actually want it.]

Results and Conclusions

I can't find my camera, but I know it's around here somewhere. Frustrating isn't it? I nabbed this picture off of Ravelry for illustration purposes.

Anyways, as you can probably tell I purchased some lovely Karabella Souffle (Four balls for less than $20!) in my little experiment. That's 200 grams and 400+ yards. The color caught my eye because it's a beautiful smoky grey, and then I touched it. I didn't want to put it down, so I figured that was a pretty good litmus test for yarn love.

I haven't the slightest idea what to do with this, but I love it. According to the people at Gail Knits that's all that really matters anyway :-) [Side Note: There's a name for people like this, they are called enablers. Yay enablers!]

The real beauty of research like this is that you find out all sorts of things you weren't even seeking. Like the fact that a two-at-once-sock-class is being taught less than a mile from your home. [Note to self: Remember to look into that.] I also discovered that this is how a "stash" starts. The other knitters at Gail's informed me of this with all-knowing nods. Up to now I am pretty much stashless and buy yarn for immediate consumption, but when I am complaining in 5 years from now about having a stash that might be visible from space I can definitively point to where it all began. Right here. Must tread carefully around tempting fibers. Must retain will power and closet space.

An experiment in yarn

After last weekend's frantic knit-sprint to the finish of the ravelympics I'm in the mood for some WIP work this weekend. I really need to churn out the second sleeve for my Quidditch/Rugby sweater before I forget what I did with the first one. It helps that I wrote down everything from the first sleeve, but only in a such a way that I'm left puzzling a tally on a post-it and wondering why I thought this would be helpful. Sigh.

Now for the good news: my LYS [Side Note: Local Yarn Store, Gail Knits] is having a big sale this weekend and I'm ready for some experimentation. All the yarn in the sale bins is 50% off, so I think I'm going to take $20 and see what I can come up with. I'm sure there will be plenty of other things to tempt me too! However, for experiment purposes, I'm going to see just how far twenty bucks goes these days, literally. You know, in grams and yards. Expect a report on my findings :-)

Justification Plz?

I wanted a rugby style sweater, cardinal and gold with USC pride in every stitch, to wear to homecoming this year. I have hoodies and jackets and my Gryffindor SC scarf, but my jerseys are getting worn out. And they have acquired a beer smell that won't come out.

[Side Note: My mom tossed them in the wash just before the Stanford game last year. Their first washing since the National Title. Collective gasp anyone? Her argument was "I can't even wash the smell out, how can you possibly belive that I washed the 'luck' out?!?". Coincidence? I think NOT.]

Besides, ol' #11 and #5 have long since moved on to NFL careers, but haven't reached the epic status that allows alums to wear #34 around.

It's ok though because I am coping with my Paranoid Sweater Phobia quite well and ordered yarn from Webs for the project. It's the Quidditch Sweater from Charmed Knits (because the more I knit, the more I love this book cover to cover). $34 including shipping and I will have a great sweater by November-ish. {Insert plot twist here}

But then I found this:

For the low low price of $27.99! And it got me to thinking. Yes, dangerous 'thinking'. Even with shipping, it comes out the same as the yarn + notions and involves Zero work on my part. I never should have signed up for the damn e-newsletter at Whimsic Alley.

>:~[ (That's my scowling Snape smiley, haha)

Yes, I'm still making my sweater, believing that it will be far superior to the mass produced model in quality, durability, and warmth. And because denial isn't just a river in Egypt anymore.

Just because I can ...

... doesn't mean I will.

I saw these knitted pillow covers in a catalog for a store (new to my area) called West Elm. My immediate thought was "I could knit that." And I very well could. But I'm not going to. Because I don't need (or particularly desire) these pillows. It's just nice to see that knitty things can make it in this post-modern loft-style hipsters catalog. :-)

P.S. They have a bazillion other things that I do really want and definitely can't knit. Like a desk chair.

Has it really been that long?

The days seem to slip by so quickly between blog posts! It's not like I'm short on things to blog about either; I started my first piece of lace work (now just a few repeats from being finished), I finished the neckline on that pesky practice sweater (it turned out just great once I stopped being a spaz about it), I made a pun into a hat, I ordered some yarn from Webbs, and I worked on the Never-Ending Afghan. I'm going to write about all of these things in detail right away. As soon as I can take some pictures. It's dark now.

Socks. Yes, socks.

My LYS, a place called Gail Knits is a wonderful find! It may also lead to problems such as falling in love with every yarn ball in the store. I was just a little awestruck on my first visit, but something about the place made me believe I could make anything.

That is how I came home with a great big ball of Cascade merino/nylon sock yarn in red. I'm not ready to admit defeat (hehe, or should I say defeet) on the sock front. Other people can do it, why not me? Short row heels, that's why not. But I'm willing to work on it! I'm doing what I do best now, exhaustive research, and I hope to build up the confidence to get out the tiny DPNs and start. Until then, I have a beautiful ball of yarn (they wound it at the store for me too!) that can sit on my desk and encourage me, or gather dust waiting.

Oh, this is nifty!

Mugglenet is reporting that the German based yarn company Opal has released a new fall '08 line of Harry Potter yarn! It's too bad the dollar is so weak (in comparison to the Euro, we seem to be holding our own with the Yuan for the moment), or I'd order myself some right now! I've got a powerful urge to get the Dumbledore yarn and make warm woolly socks out of it ;-)

"Half-Blood Prince Sneak Peek by way of Yarn company RupertGrint.net has spotted these new spools of yarn from German yarn company Opal. They have a new Half-Blood Prince collection with 8 color themes to be released Fall 2008. Each of the themes represents one character from the sixth Potter film and includes a picture.

Those characters include Harry, Ron, Malfoy, Lupin, Tonks, Dumbledore, and Hedwig. Tonks most notably has a new, much shorter, haircut. Check 'em out in our gallery!"

I think I bought out the store.

I went back to my local JoAnn's today and bought all of their Linen color Lion Brand Yarn. It's from the Vanna White collection, which made me say "huh. What does she have to do with yarn?" According to the label she has been their spokeswoman for 13 years now, authoring books and making appearances. If it's good enough for Vanna, then it's good enough for me!

This is to make a throw blanket for the couch in my mom's living room and it is a precise match for the wall color (which is a Benjamin Moore color called Sea Pearl). This makes the second time in a month that my family has actually requested that I knit something for them! Now I can be sure that my skills have improved immeasurably since I first began. Back then things were graciously accepted in the same manner as children's artwork; "That's beautiful honey ... what is it?"

SALE!

My local JoAnn's is having a great big sale because they're remodeling, so I picked up a couple of Caron GIANT one pound yarn balls and some new, smaller double pointed needles (#4 or 3.5 mm).

It's a lovely dusty navy color called Cape Cod Blue 539. They had so much yarn on sale that I got a little overloaded and ended up just getting this. I'm regrouping and going back this weekend with a plan and some patterns in mind. Otherwise I just wander around looking at yarn for 2 hours. Quite unproductive.

I wonder what this yarn will become? I didn't have any particular pattern or project in mind when I picked it up, I just liked the color. It's a very basic worsted weight acrylic so the possibilities are nearly endless. [Side note: I love the look of Wool yarn but it makes me abnormally itchy :-( and sometimes leads to hives.]New needles are a good thing, but at 40% off they're a steal! Perhaps I'll try to make socks again ... My first attempt was somewhat unsatisfying, so I gave it up (perhaps too soon).

I also priced those fancy-pants knit markers I've been going on about, and at $3.50 a bag I'll stick to the free paper-clips on principle. At least paper-clips are multi-taskers!

AND I forgot to get the bobble eyes for my little owl critter. Sigh. See what yarn sales do to me? I got all distracted!