Michigan Fiber Festival 2007 (Part 1)

I am officially at the end of my personal fiber event season. (Someday I will get to Rhinebeck!)

This year I decided to go up to Allegan two days early so that I could take some classes. Because I had a work meeting Tuesday night, I had to leave at 4am on Wednesday in order to get to my first class at 9am eastern time. (I ALWAYS forget Michigan is on eastern time.) After a few snafus (detours here in Chicago, a non-functioning I-Pass), I squeaked in with just 15 minutes to spare.

My first class was Acid Dyeing, an all-day affair. I was tired, it was hot (classes are in un-air conditioned barns), and the class was a bit more disorganized than I would have liked. Nonetheless, I learned just enough about acid dye to be dangerous. We mixed primary colors plus turquoise and fuchsia and then learned formulas for mixing other colors from those stock solutions.

On Thursday, I took Advanced Dyeing, another all-day class. We went over techniques for injection dyeing, sprinkling with dry dyes, kettle dyeing, and hand painting. My purpose in taking the class was to try hand painting sock yarn, so while the instructor had provided materials and fibers for the other techniques, I focused on painting skeins of undyed yarn that I brought with me. While I may not be the next great indie dyer after just two days of classes, I was pretty happy with my results:

I was trying to re-create a Colinette colorway and a discontinued STR colorway. While I didn't quite get either, I learned enough to do better next time. (They really aren't as neon as they look on my monitor.)

Once they were dry, I re-skeined them. Let me tell you, re-skeining yarn sitting on an air mattress in a tent using your feet as a swift is hard work.

On Friday, the early arrival vendors opened at 10am, and I did the bulk of my shopping then. I went from never even using a niddy noddy to owning five:

Just how did this happen? Well, I wanted a 1 yard and a 2 yard, but the first few I came across (Kromski and Ashford), were not made in the US, so naturally they weren't in yards. I bought them anyway. Then, I found a nice handcrafted 2 yard, so I bought that. Later, I found a handcrafted 1.5 yard, so I got it, as well. Finally, I found an adjustable one that goes from .5 yard to 2 yards and increments in between, so I bought that one, too. If I had seen that first, it would have saved me quite a few bucks. That's what you get for being an impulse shopper. Oh, well, it's an instant collection that happens to go with the logo for this year's festival:

On Friday afternoon, I took a Pita Felt class, a method which utilized thin bubble wrap as a resist between layers of fiber to form a pouch. It was a new technique for me and I produced this nifty little holder for my iPod (which needs some serious blocking):

This morning, I zipped through the vendors that loaded in last night, went to visit the animals, and packed my tent for home. I was justtoo tired to last another day, wasn't in the mood for crowds, and I was all shopped out. And, even though I really do enjoy sleeping in the tent, the shower facilities there leave a lot to be desired, so I headed for the comforts of home.

On the subject of sleeping in the tent, it was hot, muggy and rainy Wednesday night, but it was downright cold Thursday and Friday. It was great sleeping weather. (In 2006, it was hot and rainy every night--nothing ever dried out. Blech.) One disappointment this year was that they had the pavilion set up for the Saturday fashion show and dinner, so people didn't gather there in the evenings as they had before. For me, part of the fun had been hanging out at night with knitters, spinners, and weavers and learning about what everyone else was doing. As a result, it felt much more solitary. In some respects, it was fine given recent circumstances that have required a bit of introspection, and it did give me a chance to finish Three Bags Full, a charming book so appropriate for the occasion. Still, I did miss some of the community aspects of the event.

I leave you with pictures of those to whom we owe our gratitude for supplying the materials for our craft(s):

This little fellow and I bonded. Seriously, one year I will come home with a rabbit.

I love those ears!

I know that these are working animals and not just pets, but the very used-looking "I'm 4 SALE" neckerchief made my heart hurt just a bit.

Next post: yarn acquisitions!

Isn't all yarn p0rn s0ft c0re?

PRESENTING

Stitches: One Girl's Entanglements

The Haul

Ellen's 1/2 Pint Farm Merino Sock

Laceweight Merino

(I really lusted for the Quiviut, but it was $56 a ball compared to $9 for the merino. I compromised.)

New Patterns (Note the fishnets on the right.)

STR

There's Shaefer Anne, Lorna's Laces, Tofutsies, Regia's Kaffe Fasset line, Dream in Color Smooshy and Oasis Yarns Aussi Wool in the pile, too. Aside from the laceweight, it is all sock yarn. (A little obsessive, no?)

My Saturday afternoon class on altering garments for length was very good. The session focused on fixing the problem by cutting and grafting rather than ripping. Margaret Fisher is a very clear, methodical teacher and I recommend her classes. (The class on zippers and other closures I took last year was equally helpful.)

I really cut back on my Stitches immersion this year and I'm glad I did. Two classes plus the fashion show was just enough this go 'round. Last year I took five classes plus the fashion show and student banquet. Add Market time in and it was a little intense. This year had the added bonus of spending time with friends. Thursday night, my business associate and friend Liz and I served as mutual enablers. (Liz is now the proud owner of a swift, the knitting equivalent of an in-home washing machine; you can't imagine how you ever lived without it.) On Saturday, I got to spend a few hours with Carey who drove down from Minneapolis. She double-dipped at both the comic conference and Stitches. (I wonder how much crossover there was between the two.) It was great to see her.

Next week, Michigan. I hope it's not sweltering. There is NO air conditioning there and the tent sure can get toasty.

In Stitches (Yeah, I know that's bad...)

Stitches Midwest is sharing the ever-lovely Donald E. Stephens (R.I.P.) Convention Center with a comic conference called Wizard or something. As you might guess, hilarity ensues:

• I've heard several of the Wizard attendees referring to a knitting conference as "weird" and "strange". Hello, Pot, this is Kettle.


• I rode the parking garage elevator with a Stormtrooper, a Pirate Wench, and Professor Snape. I was unharmed. (A poor imitation of Snape, I might add, since you know how I feel about Alan Rickman.)


• Wonder Woman and The Joker are drawn together by their mutual need for nicotine:

(Sorry for the crap-tastic phone picture.)

I'll give a comprehensive run-down of the stash acquisitions later (modest enhancement for me, I might add), but it is worth noting that I picked up the new Cat Bordhi book. It is a good thing that woman uses her powers for good, because she is a freaking genius.

I took an EXCELLENT class from Susanna Hansson on Japanese Short Rows. Pretty fantabulous.

La Mondragon wore leopard print pants to MC the fashion show. Need I say more?

Late to the Party

Oh, the siren call of Ravelry. Thanks to Franklin, I found out how to check where I stood in the queue. Jess had told me some time ago that she would send me an invite, and then I read about the folks who were pissed that they hadn't gotten one yet, so I sat tight. After all, these guys created this community out of the goodness of their hearts and from their own brilliant minds, so what if I had to wait for a bit. I checked my position tonight and I had been sent an invitation IN APRIL. DAMN YOU H*TMAIL!!! Fortunately, Ravelry resent my invitation and it arrived instantaneously. Thanks Jess and Casey--I have got to get busy!

Checking In

Hey there. I thought it was time to make an appearance. Guess what...I'm knitting again. This week I finished these:



and this:



Okay, the book isn't knitting, but it is the first thing I've read in a long time that has nothing to do with work. That alone is an accomplishment.

The socks are another pair of Monkey Socks, this time with a ribbed top. I did an Eye of Partridge heel just for kicks. The yarn is Colinette Jitterbug in Bright Charcoal. Love the colorway, love the pattern, but I am afraid that the combination of the two doesn't do a lot for either. C'est la vie.

A few notes about Jitterbug:

• I've found it to have occasional odd bumps and tufts which you have to deal with the way you would a knot.
• The color is crazily inconsistent. If you are doing a project with multiple skeins, definitely alternate.
• The yardage isn't all that generous. You might need two skeins if you are making taller socks than mine. I have a bit left over, but not a lot. (Brenda Dayne talked about this on Cast On this week.)
• Those issues aside, I really like it and have another pair started in a different pattern and colorway.

There is still a lot of other stuff going on here, so posting may remain spotty. I will have reports from the Michigan Fiber Festival and Stitches in August, so check back.

Perspective

Sometimes you lose sight. It's easy to get so caught up that what is really important starts to pass you by. That's where I find myself. Yarn, fiber trips, and fancy little knitting gadgets are all things that I enjoy, but right now I am concentrating on some other things that--in the grand scheme--mean so much more. I may not post for a bit, or I may; it just depends on what makes sense in the moment. I know I'll be back to it--the knitting, the yarn, the blog--but right now, something else deserves my time and energy. Until then, take care.

Splurges, Silk, and Southern Ghost Songs

Sometimes a little getaway feels like you've been gone forever--in a good way. On Thursday, I boarded a plane to Chattanooga, TN, the first part of the journey toward the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC. (If you haven't already read David Rakoff's great piece in the NYT about his week at the Folk School, do take the time to give it a glance. While my friend, SA, and I only dipped our toes in the water for a weekend experience, he dove in for the week-long adventure. It's a great read.)

SA drove up from Tuscaloosa to meet me in Chattanooga and the fun began. First stop was dinner at the Back Inn Cafe. Set right by the river, the Cafe is surrounded by an incredible array of sculpture. Everything was quite delicious, from the Salmon Cakes with Pickled Green Tomatoes to the Shrimp and Grits to the wine our waiter recommended for us. The menu only listed the wine by the name of the producer, Tait, so we were in for an unexpected surprise when the bottle showed up bearing a more interesting name:

Yeah, it says Ball Buster. Did they see us coming or what?

After a good night's sleep, SA and I ventured out to hit some of Chattanooga's hot spots before heading east to John C. Did we go to Lookout Mountain? Nope. The Lost Sea? Uh, uh. See Rock City? We did not, nor did we buy the t-shirt. Not even Ruby Falls. We went yarn crawling.

First stop, Great Balls of Yarn. Only trouble was it no longer exists. Oh, well. Then, across town to a new shop, a co-op called Yarn Works. It has only been open for a couple of weeks, and it is still seeking its identity. It is a great space in a former saddlery. There are big, comfy chairs, a large workspace they intend to use for workshops, and their neighbors are galleries and working artists. It has the potential to be a very nice destination, but because it is not intended to be strictly a yarn shop, the selection of knitting-related items might not be what you would normally expect. I bought a few skeins of colorful yarns for hats and such, and a lovely beaded necklace. I'm going to keep an eye on their progress and I hope that they develop a supportive clientele. We then headed across river to the AVA Gallery to check out a show that was opening later that night. One of the artists featured is a felter who does unusual wearable pieces. Last stop before heading out of town was Genuine Purl. This shop features needlework supplies as well as a good selection of knitting yarns. They had a nice selection of Koigu, including a newly arrived shipment still in the box that they let me paw through. In brief, Genuine Purl is a jammed-to-the-rafters kind of place that's great for getting many of the basics. Yarn Works has the potential to be the kind of place that you want to hang out in, sipping coffee or wine all evening, talking and working with friends. I recommend both places if you are in town.

After a fun morning of poking around, it was time to head toward our destination. It is a lovely two-hour drive, much of it through the Cherokee National Forest and along the Ocoee River. We passed a bazillion companies that arrange rafting tours and we stopped to watch the rafters at the starting point. (SA and I know nothing about rafting, nor has either of us been rafting, but we both noticed that Wildwater seemed to have the nicest looking equipment, including first aid kits for each raft. Some of the others seemed...well, less nice.)

We arrived at the Folk School at 3:30pm. We checked in, got our schedule for the weekend and our room assignment, and we headed to our home for the next two nights, Rock House. The rooms were clean but sparse. Fortunately, the house was air-conditioned because it was hot and very, very humid.

After making our beds (!), SA went in search of a grocery store while I wandered the grounds. I fell in love with this espalier bench by the flower garden.

After a group orientation, everyone moved to the dining hall for supper. All meals are served family style and are begun with a non-denominational blessing or song. The food was good, basic, homestyle fare. It reminded me of eating at my grandmother's house. Since there were no assigned tables, we met different people at each sitting. Most were from the southern region and most were returning visitors. I heard over and over again how the Folk School was practically an addiction.

Friday night was our first class in Nuno Felting with instructor Geri Forkner. In a little twist of irony, the assistant teacher, Annie, is a partner in Yarn Works and she recognized my new beaded necklace right away. We started learning the technique of working the wool fibers into the silk backing by making little dolls. We quickly leapt into making scarves. Most of us made two or three over the course of the weekend, but SA concentrated on one, painstakingly laying it out, felting it (she used cotton gauze as the background, a more difficult backing to use than silk), needle felting it with Geri's machine, and embellishing it with beads, rusty washers, and other findings.

It was something to behold. It was so wonderful to see how different each piece turned out given that each of us started with the same choices of materials.

In a very short time, I learned a lot about creating different looks and what I liked and didn't like about certain effects. Of the three I made, I would wear two, but it was the one I didn't like that I learned the most from. It was the perfect amount of time to gain just enough knowlege to be dangerous!

We also hit the knitting/weaving/spinning shop in town, The Yarn Circle. Pam, the owner and a resident fiber instructor at the school, has a bit of everything. We went in specifically to stockpile of some of the Merino/Silk roving (Ashland Bay) that Geri had brought for the class.

Our work studio was just below one of the music studios where a musical saw class was happening. It was a mournful sound which inspired the "southern ghost music" comment from SA. They were a dedicated group, and a big hit at the closing ceremony where each group displayed their work from the weekend.

These are the woodturning instructors whose hats are, in fact, made of wood:

There were displays of glass beads, bookmaking, quilts, basketry (incredibly impressive, I must say), bonsai, rug hooking, and more. It was a very productive weekend in Brasstown. (I had a special moment when Merike Saarnit admired the sock I was knitting. She was there to teach the rug class.)

SA and I were in agreement that we would like to go back, but next time we might stay at a hotel in Murphy (a town about 5 miles away) for some additional amenities. It was nice to be so removed from "normal life" and not have television, but the shower was the smallest one I have ever been in--smaller than on a cruise ship--and the beds were a little sprung. (They did offer bed boards if you needed one!) There are a limited number of rooms with two beds and a private bath like the one SA and I stayed in. Many of the accommodations are 4-6 beds and a shared bath--not for me, I gotta say.

We had a fabulous time, and I'm really happy that we went. Now, I've got to get online to buy scarf blanks to use up all the fiber that came home with me! (Nuno felt scarves for everyone this Christmas.)

Knitting 911. What is your emergency?

The Knitting Niece: "Aunt Angela, it's me. I have a problem. We are in the car driving to Georgia today and I was knitting. The stitches on my needle are too tight and I can't get them to go anywhere and I lost my crochet hook and I don't know what to do. So, when you get this message, please call my dad's cell phone."

Aunt Angela, calling back after getting the message: "Hi, hon. Okay, your stitches are too tight? Are you pulling too hard when you wrap your yarn?"

TKN: "Um, yes, I think I shouldn't pull it so hard."

AA: "Okay, so take your needle and try to wiggle it in to the stitch. You might have to use your fingers to pull the stitch up a little so you can get the tip of the needle in."

TKN: "They're pretty tight. Really tight."

AA: "What are you making?"

TKN: "It's a headband I started in after school knitting. Oh, and it used to be 15 stitches and now there are only 14."

AA: "Well, if it is too tight and you lost a stitch, maybe you should take it off the needles and start over."

TKN: "Well...there's a problem. I can't remember how to cast on."

AA: "Yep, that's a problem."

Poor kid. 717 miles is really far when a knitting emergency arises. If I hopped in the car, I could be there in 12 hours...

Busted!

If you watch to the end, The Knitting Niece totally busts me on my yarn consumption. (The episode is Maryland Sheep and Wool part 1.)

http://letsknit2gether.com/blog1/?p=34

Monkey/Business

On the knitting front, the Monkey Socks are finished. I love this pattern, especially with the picot mod. I also love this yarn. It's Piece of Beauty and it is great stuff.


It took longer than expected to finish them, but I am thrilled with the result. (A 70-hour workweek will keep you away from the knitting, that's for sure.)

That's the Monkey part of the post. On the Business side, I am leaving my job. I told the board a week ago Friday, and I have given them November (December at the latest) as my end date. It was a really difficult decision, but I feel it is the right one for me. Depending on the desires of my replacement and of the board, I may take on project work for the organization. I'd like to keep my options open; the company has been a part of my life for so long, I can't see walking away entirely.

What am I going to do with all my new found free time? I'm looking forward to spearheading the plans for renovations on the house, cooking again, and getting back east to see my grandparents more often. I'd like to lose a few pounds, too, so I'll need to dust off ye olde treadmill. Oh, and I'll be knitting more, too.

Doing It in Public

You dirty birds--I mean knitting, as in Worldwide Knit in Public Day. Unlike last year which was dreary and cold, we had a warm, stunning day on which to flaunt the craft. The crowd was a bit smaller than 2006, but every bit as enthusiastic. I had a great time with many of the regular Thursday night KIP-sters, and it was really fun to see so many gorgeous WIPs on the needles of others. I made some progress on the second Monkey (crazy week--no knitting until today), and I should have a pair soon.

Knitwerks was offering a discount to WWKIPD attendees, so I took the opportunity to stop down. Cheryl has done a nice job with the space, and she has some great yarns. I picked up two skeins of Dream in Color sock yarn. Gorgeous looking stuff.

Speaking of Dream in Color, I received the Tulip Cardigan kit I ordered from Lettuce Knit on Friday. Adorable. I want to make one for me, only I'd need much, much more yarn.

I didn't take any pics of Knitfest 2007, but I did add a picture to the "Husband Pointing at Things" gallery.

Monkey See

Like everyone in the blogosphere, I love this pattern. I cannot wait to make it again. (Well, first I have to finish the second one of this pair.) I am really happy that I saw the picot mod. I think it adds a lot of polish to the finished item. And, for the next pair, I am going to do a different heel. Since this one is only stockinette, I fear for its longevity.

I just packed up a fairly large box of yarn to go to Interim House in Philadelphia. They have what sounds like a really wonderful program for women in recovery, and they can put some of the yarn from the stash to better use than I have been. So, if you want to de-stash and feel good about it, send donations to:

Interim House

333 W. Upsal

Philadelphia, PA 19119

Slow, Slower, Slowest

I wish there were more progress to report but, alas, things are s-l-o-w. Sitcom Chic is coming along. I am up to the part where you put down the body and cast on the sleeves. So, I did as instructed and put it down. l'll be back to it, but I needed a break from the stockinette, and so I decided to monkey around...

I have cast on and ripped that Monkey more times than I have ever ripped anything else. First, I screwed up on one of the YO rows, went to backtrack and mucked things up terrifically. Then I cast on and knit all of the ribbing only to have the dear husband accidentally yank out one of the needles when (the nerve!) he tried to make some room for himself on the couch. I could have picked up the stitches, but it almost seemed easier to start over. So, I cast on, knit 4 repeats of the lace pattern and THEN decided I didn't like the way the ribbing looked. Rrrrrrrip. I really think I need to do the picot edge mod that's been making the rounds. I believe that will make me happier. This yarn (Piece of Beauty) also tried to be a plain old stockinette sock with an Eye of the Partridge Heel. In fact it WAS a sock, finished, kitchenered, and everything, but I decided to rip that, too. (It's not me, it's the yarn! No...it's me.) I love this pattern, and I simply can't stand for the sock not to be perfect when I finish.

UPDATE: Yes, the picot edge is the way to go. Don't ask how long I fiddled with that until I got it looking like I wanted it to. But now all is right with he world--the Monkey loves the picot.

I hope you had a great weekend. I didn't get as much accomplished as I would have liked, but that's pretty typical. Just for fun, here are my "8 Things":

1. I love watching the Indy 500. I watch no other races throughout the year and I could care less about IRL standings. It's all about the engineering on the Indy cars and the strategy for me. I have no desire to go to The Brickyard and I would refuse the chance if offered.

2. My favorite play is The Wild Duck by Henrik Ibsen. (I just did a Google search, and those words put together in a sentence do not produce any matches. Huh, go figure.)

3. A few months ago, I was obsessed with the song "Kentucky Rain" by Elvis. I'm not sure how that happened since I've never been a huge Elvis fan.

4. That being said, I have been to Graceland twice. Both times it was because work brought me to Memphis. If given the chance, I'd go back again even though the Lisa Marie (his plane) seriously creeped me out.

5. I have a collection of over 450 floaty pens. I love them. (Yup, I have some from Graceland.) I also have some floaty toothbrushes and keychains but no lighters or (huh?) orange peelers. My favorite ones are advertising pens. And I only buy the original Eskesen floaty pens made in Denmark.

6. I also have a collection of penny medallions. I prefer the hand-cranked machines; the fully automated ones feel like cheating. Clearly, I've got a serious kitschy streak, at least when it comes to travel souvenirs.

7. My favorite summertime meal is fresh sweet corn-on-the-cob, tomatoes straight off the vine with a touch of salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar, and my grandmother's home fried potatoes with plenty of Heinz ketchup. I think I need to take a trip back home to PA during corn and tomato season.

8. When I was born, three of my great-grandmothers were still alive. The last one passed away when I was 17. Three of my four grandparents are still alive. The younger of my two grandmothers became a grandmother at 38, three years younger than I am now.

Distracted

I remain on hiatus from the miter square blanket. No, I have not fallen out of love, but I was yearning for something that could actually be finished before the 2010 Winter Olympics. Enter the Chevron Scarf. She is finished after about two weeks of very inconsistent knitting. (Pics will follow.)

I needed to cast on for something else immediately and I chose a handtowel inspired by those in Mason-Dixon. I love the waxy feeling of the linen although it is requiring frequent breaks for the sake of my hands and--oddly--my elbows. In fact, I've now put it down because my elbows are throbbing. Strange.

Tonight I started Bonne Marie's Sitcom Chic. This one has been calling to me for a while and its time had come. I'm making it in Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in Violet. This is my first project using CE. I like how it is knitting up but I am reserving final judgement until it is done and has seen some wear. I know that there are a lot of passionate CE fans out there and I am willing to be pulled into the fold should it meet expectations. While I like the new color palette (the colors are very "adult"), I wish they would incorporate some brights, especially since this yarn is great for kids' things. I stockpiled some of the old colors when CE was discontinued but I'm longing for a really good green, for example.

Now, for some non-knitting content. In my workplace, we "hire" unpaid interns for the summer, and occasionally also during the school year. One of our interns from a few years ago happened to be in town and we went out to lunch with her today. She was a great summer intern: intelligent, engaged, responsible, enthusiastic. She was also still in college and was finding her way in the workplace. Fast-forward three years. She graduated and went to work for a PR firm in New York. Now, she is a professional with lots of interesting, diverse job experience under her belt. She is still that same young person we met and worked with three years ago, but now she has a new skill set and a really great air of confidence about her. The fact that she still makes it a point to get in touch when she is in Chicago tells me that she valued the experience of working with us, and I take satisfaction in knowing that we have contributed something to her professional development.

Alas, the universe has a way of making sure things balance out. Also today, I tried to educate a departing employee about behaviors that burn bridges. It would have been far easier to let this person go without addressing the issues, but then I wouldn't have been doing my job to mentor. I hope that the advice will be taken to heart and that it will help him make different choices in his next workplace. I don't know if my words will be accepted it in the spirit in which it they were intended, but I had to try for his sake as well as mine.

More Images from Maryland

Sheepish

Highlights of this year's MDSW festival included:

• getting to spend a day solo with the knitting niece

• meeting several other knit bloggers including Frecklegirl Jess and VibeGrrl (who was particularly sweet to the niece)

(That's Jess (on the right) and a friend being interviewed by Kat for the Let's Knit2gether video podcast. A certain niece may also make an appearance on an upcoming episode.)

• purchasing a Golding spindle (I may never own one of their wheels, but this spindle is a thing of beauty.)


• going back for a second day, which was far less crowded


• and adding some more Moving Mud to the collection.

I did add some fiber to the stash, including Kiparoo Farms (many beautiful colorways to choose from),

gorgeous sock yarn,a shawl kit from Morehouse Farm and a Nuno Scarf kit.

There were a few other goodies, but all in all I was (for me) fairly restrained. (Fortunately, the people at Brooks Farm did not charge for fondling the yarn.)

Out of the Box, uh, Square...

After a few weeks of nothing but miters, I am taking a little break. I have decided to walk down the well-travelled road of the Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.




This morning I went down into the basement (otherwise known as the home of the stash) and went shopping in the sock yarn bins. (Yeah, I said bins plural.) I went with the intention of finding something to pair with the Foofaraw that had made me a little bit sad when it went from the swift to the ball winder. It should really be called Peas and Carrots in my humble opinion. (I am a STR fan, but I have discovered that what I love on the skein does not always hold the same magic for me in the ball.) Someone on the Chevron Scarf Flickr group had paired Foofaraw with a skein of Lucy to very nice effect, so I decided to see what I could find down there. Trouble is, I like the Lucy and I didn't want to use it for this project.



While pawing around, I rediscovered another ball with which I had a love/hate relationship. I think it may be Chanticleer or perhaps Rocktober, but I lost the label. When I wound it up, it looked like the skein of multi-colored Red Heart I had through my ENTIRE childhood. (Seriously, that skein never seemed to get smaller no matter how much I used.) The Red Heart had more prominent greens and blues, but it was pretty close. Trouble was I didn't think there was enough contrast between it and the Peas and Carrots. I went through all my STR, but couldn't find two to try together.



So, I suppressed my OCD tendencies and went to the "Miscellaneous Sock Yarn" bins to search for a something from another yarn purveyor. After some fishing about, I pulled out a skein of Sophie's Toes Jean Jacket and thought, "We have a winner!"


The Sophie's Toes is a bit thinner than the medium weight STR, and it took me several rows to come to grips with that. Even though it looked good, my compulsion was to rip because the rows were not exactly the same. The blue rows are a hair lacier than the multi rows. After a few inches, I have come to like texture I'm getting. It might be a little Rainbow Brite-ish, but I think it's workable.





In digging around, I also found a skein of Cherry Tree Hill Super Sock in Indian Summer that I think will look good with the Peas and Carrots for a second scarf.



The squares will just have to take a back seat, at least for a little while.

Less than a week until MDSW!

(I'm not sure what the deal is--probably user error--but I am having a hard time the spaces between paragraphs. Between the time I hit the publish button and the post goes up, they sometimes disappear. It makes me nuts, so I end up editing and republishing several times. Blech.)

Heat and Humidity

It was a gorgeous weekend--warm and sunny--but there's a dark side to the approaching warm season. Just when winter's dry air had made me believe my hair might be manageable after all, BOOM!, and now I look like this:

I guess it's back to the Japanese hair straightening.

I continue to knit more squares. It was an extremely busy work week, so I only got 3 1/2 miters done. I am realizing I need to start thinking more strategically about the colors: which ones should I repeat, which miters are not making me happy, etc.

MDSW countdown...less than two weeks.