Sunday, October 22, 2006

Cables Ho!

Still knitting away...I'm loving this pattern and it's ridiculously easy to knit :) I'm having problems with ladders in the first two stitches after each cable and it's frustrating, but I'll figure it out. I've already gotten a lot of good feedback from folks on how to fix them :)

I also started spinning my alpaca today at my Spindles & Flyer's Meeting...good googly wooglie! That stuff spins up like a DREAM! I think Alpaca is my new favorite thing to spin *swoon*

Monday, October 16, 2006

Okay, so I don't have a picture to share, because I'm at work. But I'm just so jazzed with myself :) I just finished the first cable round in something I'm making for someone!!!!!

It's my first time even attempting cables and gosh, it's so very easy! I'm sure there are harder cables than 3x3 twisty cable that I'm making, but the item I'm making is literally all cables running up it on all sides, so the twist row is a lot of twists, lol.

I feel very accomplished and excited to finish this bag and show off my kick-ass cables :P

Monday, October 09, 2006

My LYS is closing down :( I used to go in there almost weekly to fondle this skein of alpaca yarn they had. Haven't gone in a few weeks for one reason and another and *gasp* HUGE "Liquidation sale!" banner in the window *sob*

I ran in to find out the story (and peruse the yarn) but alas, all the alpaca in the whole store had been snatched up by one woman the week before....

Everything was 25% off, so I medicated my sadness by augmenting my stash with quite a bit of lovely yarn :) I found the black alpaca in the bargain bin, so it was 40% off! I don't know what it's destiny is, but it is alpaca and super soft and 40% off...so it had to come home with me :) The orange and olive green merino (sooooooooo soft and amazing colors!) are destined to become some arm warmers/fingerless gloves because my new office at work is cold *shiver* The soft brown Merino is maybe another pair of fingerless gloves...or maybe something else, I'm not sure yet :) It was just too soft and too good a price to pass up :)


I also got a new toy last week *gleefully rubbing hands together*

Can you guess what it was?


You guessed it! A yarn ball winder!!! I've been winding up balls of yarn like a mad woman. My son even got in the action and loves turning the hand-crank on the machine while I hold the skeins to wind. It's just so fun and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the little compact hockey pucks of yarn I end up with :) So much easier to store, easier to manage, easier to use :)

Yay for new crafty purchases!

I also sent out my Spin/Roving Swap secret pal's box today. I forgot to take a picture before boxing it up, but I found her this beautiful merino wool/tussah silk blended roving in purples and blues and all sorts of beautiful colors. I hope she likes it! It's super difficult to purchase roving for someone who likes painted/colored roving when you do not! But I know she likes the colors in the mix and she said she'd like to try something with a bit of shine to it, so the silk part makes it shiny :) I also sent her a set of DPNs for sock knitting, some sock shaped point protectors, two patterns for possible things to knit with the spun yarn and I peppered the box with Ghirardelli dark chocolate. She loves dark chocolate and the Ghirardelli is made in my hometown, so I thought it was a fitting addition :) I hope she loves her surprise box as much as I loved mine :)