Knitting Sutra

Speedy Delivery

My pattern arrived in the mail from Angel Yarns today.  They only mailed it on Tuesday afternoon!  Woo Hoo Royal Mail!

I need to spend some time, as in a lot of time, figuring out if my Rowan Cashsoft DK will work with this pattern.  Cross your fingers. 

Of course, the million dollar question is:  when to cast on?  I'm already cranking on B's sweater, B's socks and this little unmentionable.  I should probably hold my horses.  Probably should.  Probably. 

Oh!  I almost forgot about these little guys tucked away in the smallest cranny of my package:

A skein of Lucy Neatby's Celestial Merino in the Fiesta colorway.

It's so soft and shiny. 

This would be the TOFUtsies in the 3 Foot Short colorway. 

I thought this would be more rustic orange.  Check out the yarn sample.  Does it look warmer to you?  My skein is more magenta.  I kinda like it anyway, but goes to show you how inaccurate Internet photos are. 

The yarn, a combo of wool, shrimp shells, cotton and Soy Silk, looks pretty different from the merino.  I want to say that it's more fibery, or stringy, or something.  Yet, it's actually softer, I'm sure owing to the cotton and Soy Silk.  Has anyone knit with this?  I know Wendy didn't care for it.

I like them both.  They were on sale.  Love sales. 

Sock Club

Speaking of buying sock yarn, Cara (January One) mentioned The Yarn Tree's  A Sock for all Seasons club today.  They're offering six exclusive yarns and colorways, seven free patterns (although one is "basic"), and a Sock Sac (dunno what that is) for $250.  I've obviously never signed up for a yarn club, so I'm curious if anyone else would share their experiences.  It seems a bit, uhm, pricey, even if it does include shipping to the U.S.  Anyway, was it worth it?  Maybe I just have Socks that Rock Club envy. 

On The Road Again

B has been in Cologne, Germany for the past couple of days at a conference, hob-knobbing with other carbon credit traders and schmoozing for clients.  He also prepared tofu burgers for me before he left so that I'll eat more than just cereal while he's away.  He left me with a whole dish of lasagna the last time he went out of town.  Did I mention that he's a saint?  This is why he gets socks knit in fingering weight yarn and a sweater.

He has to be back in the area on Monday for some other carbony thing.  So I'm joining him this weekend.  In fact I'm leaving after my yoga class tonight - if I make it to yoga.  It's not looking good at the moment.  Nigel Beagle is coming along since we hope to go hiking in the Mosel valley on Saturday.  I have the skinny on yarn shops in Cologne, so maybe I'll post more yarn porn on Tuesday when I get back.  I promise to behave.  :)

Catch ya'll next week!

Lust For Stash

When my sock yarn arrived, Becky commented that she was jealous of my stash.  Looking back at that mailing sack full of yarn, I can see why.  That's a lot of yarn, and I haven't even cracked a single skein!  I'm still working off the methadone wool that I bought to tide me over until the real goods arrived.

Anyway, let's not talk about that, shall we?  Instead I want to introduce you to my stash.  Here are the mere two baskets that hide my wool, patterns, notions, etc. 

Every strand of wool hidden within those baskets was bought for a specific project.  So, my sock spree was a first offense, your honor.  I swear.  I can even name all the unknit projects, most of which were actually started and frogged.  I'm far from being a fiendish yarn collector, mkay.   The top basket also contains the Bobby Cardigan, hopefully protecting me from any baby-making powers that sweater possesses.   

Unfortunately, the sock wool did not fit in my bins, so I organized the skeins into tote bags, divided between ones I'll knit for me and ones I'll knit for B.  Even the sock yarn has purpose.

Now let's step back a few feet so you can really grasp how small my stash is.  B, Nigel, Guy and I live in a tiny apartment that was originally the first floor of a three-floor row house.   

 

The "office" pictured here is really in the "foyer," and is the first thing you see when you walk into our apartment.  The "foyer" exists because of a giant wardrobe and a  Chinese screen that we have arranged to create the "bedroom" off to the left.  No doors, just demarcated space.  To the right is the living room/dining room, which leads to a separate kitchen, which leads to a separate bathroom.  Yep, I really hate it that the bathroom is off the kitchen. 

Clearly I don't have the luxury of space to amass a big yarn stash.  Until I discovered sock yarn, I never lusted after fiber anyway.  My weakness is collecting patterns.  I love flipping through books and trolling the Web for my next project. My Amazon Wish List is chock full of pattern books I really must add to my shelf. 

Since we'll be traversing the sea once again with our worldly possessions, I've declared a moratorium on book buying until we return to the States.  I am allowing myself one pattern book purchase to help get me through my sock stash.  However, I can't decide which one I want. 

Which would you choose?

Sensational Knitted Socks or More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch.   Or how about Knitting Vintage Socks, Knitting on the Road: Sock Patterns for the Traveling Knitter or Folk Socks all by Nancy Bush?   Here's one I haven't heard about: Favorite Socks by Ann Budd.

I can't thumb through these books myself, so reviews would be much appreciated.  I've seen projects from several of them, but I just can't decide. 

Thoughts?