Finally a free weekend!

Thank you everyone for your well wishes and comments over Mr. X. Somewhere inside of me *probably in my feet since the thought seems to get squashed whenever I'm walking around* I know that eventually it will get better and hurt less, but right now all those feeling are so close to the surface that it just doesn't seem possible. Anyhoo, enough about him, I want to enjoy my free weekend and not think about him again all weekend *fat chance, but I can try*

Wow, it's been so long since I have had a completely free weekend that I just don't know what to do! For so many months my weekends have been consumed with working on my National Board certification. I had spend months working on the four entries that were required for the portfolio portion and then spent the last two months studying for the assessment test. Almost every Saturday for the last two months I met with the other four media specialists that were also working on the boards to study for the test. This is the first Saturday I was able to actually sleep in till 10AM! That was N-I-C-E!

Now, I am just chillin' on my back deck with a latte, my laptop, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's new book Casts Off (I finished reading her other book, Knitting Rules, a last weekend) and contemplating what I should do today. I received an email from my LYS yesterday that included a discount coupon (I think it was for 25% off, but can't remember right now) so I might go and drool over some yarn a little later. I do need to go and get some Cascade 220 for a felted bag that I need to make for my ITE IV pal. I'm thinking of knitting her a nice size tote to carry around her knitting. *well, what else would a knitter carry around* She pretty much likes the same colors I do, so it might be a little hard to part with the finished piece *laugh* I think I'll call my gf KozyKitty and see if she wants to join me!

I might also make a stop over at JoAnn's Fabric. I saw in this weeks circular that their purse handles are on sale. *I can't resist a sale, then again what woman can* Then later this afternoon I really need to take stock of all the UFOs I have around my house! Last weekend while I was trying to straighten up before my sister and her family came over for dinner, I noticed I had bags of UFOs all over my house! *as any addictive knitter/crocheter would* Some of those projects I hadn't touched in months *some, I'm ashamed to say may even have been years* Once I have all my UFOs gathered together I will need to decide which ones I really think I will finish and which ones I will probably never touch again *if that's even possible*

Afterwards, I need to go through and take stock of my stash, for several reasons.

1. New colors for Project Spectrum started June 1st. I need to see what red,black and metallic yarns I have in my stash and figure out what I'm going to make with them. Off hand, I do know that I purchased a handpainted wool/silk yarn from Mystical Creations a while back in a colorway of red and black. I want to make a shawl with it. So I have one spectrum project on the ever growing "To Knit" list.

2. I want to start thinking about Christmas gifts for family and friends. *I know, I know - June just started and I'm already thinking of December* I just know me, if I don't get started now I'll be in some department store or mall on Christmas Eve looking for something to buy the person who's gift I never got around to. *I detest shopping malls and department stores between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I try my hardest NOT to have to go unless absolutely necessary - like for toilet paper*

I might be going out to dinner at Don Pablo's with my gf Tracey tonight. She's working till 4:30PM and said she'd call me afterwards. I haven't been to Don Pablo's in quite a while *my mouth is already salivating over the cheese quesadilla and a beer. Have to have a beer. It would be unthinkable not to have a beer, or two, or three with Mexican food*

Then, of course, there are the normal weekend ho-hum things that need to be done around the house - the laundry, the grocery shopping and the vacuuming *Domestic Goddess I am not*

My coffee swap partner got her package yesterday. I had so much fun shopping for her. You can see all the goodies on her blog. I seemed to have turned into a swap ho, but it's so much fun finding goodies and treats for people who have the same love of yarn and crafting as I do.

Well, for someone who didn't know what to do with her free Saturday, I sure as shit filled it up pretty quickly! Well, time to head off the to the LYS and squeeze some yarn! I might have more to say later :)

Knitting from my stash...

OK, now that MDS&W is over I climbed aboard the "Knit from Your Stash" bandwagon. I know, I know, a little late, but better late than never as the saying goes. For myself, I will extend it through the end of the year. I have 1 more order coming to me in the mail and then I'm done... till Stitches East that is. That will be my one allowable stumble :) Well... for a yarn addict such as myself, I hope that will be my only stumble *grin*

The last purchased package I am waiting for is for some Cascade 220 Superwash I ordered to make the Babette Blanket from Interweave Crochet Spring 2006 edition.


I just love how vibrant this blanket is. I tried very hard to find all the right colors. I would love to make it with the same yarn that is called for in the pattern, but I couldn't seem to find all the right colors. Not to mention that it would have cost a pretty penny to make it in the Koigu Wool Designs KPM yarn. What I really like about the yarn used in the pattern is that it is hand dyed so there are subtle variations in the solid colors and I think that adds a little something to the blanket's appeal as well.

I had debated back and forth between using wool or some sort of a cotton blend. Wool won for the sheer fact that by the time I finish this blanket it will probably be close to winter (if not) and I'd be able to use it. It's a fairly easy pattern to follow and the different sized squares is something I have been wanting to do for a while, I just never had the energy to sit down and figure out the math behind it *laugh* Anyway, if it turns out nice and goes smoothly, I may make a 2nd one with a light cotton blend. Who knows where the tides will take me this summer.

Another crochet project I am considering is the Larger than Life Bag from the current issue of Interweave Crochet.


I have plenty of leftover yarn so I should be able to whip up these squares in no time (once I get the magazine that is). Hey! This can be my 1st "Knit from My Stash" project! I'll have to get some help when it comes to lining the inside with fabric. I'm not much for sewing. I think I would probably add a zipper so that whatever I put in it will stay secure. Who knows? I'll have to see how it turns out before I make that decision :)

I seem to be teetering back-and-forth between crocheting and knitting. Sometime soon I need to start making a list of what I am making for who for Christmas and get started! That will certainly be one way to start using up all this yarn in my stash. Not to mention getting a jump start on holiday gifts. I know, what crazy person is thinking of winter holidays when summer has only just arrived! *points to herself* Call me CRAZY! I just don't want to get stuck rushing through projects or worse yet, having to go shopping a week before Christmas because I know I won't get all those items made in time! I really am someone who tries to stay away from malls and unnecessary shopping around that time of the year.

Special Delivery!

I just love it when I come home and find goodies in my mailbox! I had purchased some yarn on ebay over the weekend and 1 of the purchases was in my mailbox today! Ebay can be so addicting! There are several really nice yarn stores on ebay. Here are just a few of the ones that I have purchased from - Yarnbow, Affordable Yarns, Ewe-phoria Yarns, and HandPainted Wools. Over the weekend I had purchased this skein of Great Adirondack Nassau Yarn. I'm not quite sure what I plan to make with it yet - maybe a thin scarf, some short socks (whenever I get around to learning how to knit socks that is), or a summer tank for one of my nieces. Who knows. I'm really bad about purchasing yarn without a pattern in mind. I really need to change my mindset on how to purchase yarn. The purples are what drew me to this yarn. I am such a purple person. Red too. Well, when a pattern jumps out at me for this yarn, I'm sure you all will be the first to know.

Well, that was not the end of my suprises today! A while back I had placed a special order with Mystical Creations Yarns. I haven't the foggiest as to how I found this site, but they have some really neat stuff at fairly affordable prices! I have been searching for a 50/50 wool/silk blend yarn in the right colors to make the Clapotis from Knitty. When I found Mystical Creations and read that you can create your own colorway, I just had too! I know the "in" color combos seem to be brown and pink, or brown and baby blue, but for some reason, when I bought my current house after my divorce, I really fell in like with how brown and purple look together. So I like to be differnet! The spare bedroom on my house is painted in "Victorian Mauve" and I am dying to paint an accent wall in "chocolate" but I personally painted every single wall in my house before I moved in, and if I don't touch another paint roller for a decade it would be too soon. Of course, knowing me, that might very well be a summer project, but that will have to be after I repaint all the doors in my house white!

So, getting back to my goodies! When I got to my front door, I saw a white box hiding behind my snow shovel! Ooohhh excitement! Sure enough, it was the order I had places with MCY back in January. Special orders take a little longer, and this one took even longer because the first time they tried to dye the colors I wanted the purples came out too light. But look at how gorgeous these colors are! Deep purple, rich brown, milky tan and silvery grey! I just absolutely love it! I know the purple looks a bit blue on the photo, but it is definitely purple in the yarn!
I was a really bad girl when I placed my order! I saw so many yarns in colors that were just "OH!" that I couldn't resist! Yes, I definitely have a yarn addiction. So I admit it! Anyone know of a good 12-step de-stashing program *LAUGH* I just want to make so many things! Here's is a little cashmere! A beautiful and soft 100% cashmere yarn. The colorway is Wild Raspberry, Teal, Purple & Charcoal. It is a lace weight, needle size 0-3, gauge 10-16 stitches per inch over a 4" square - each are appx. 500 yards - 1.4oz. in weight. So, I definitely have my 1st lace project coming up! I even think I have a pretty lace pattern in my books that I want to create. I'll have to look and see.
Then I saw this lovely 100% Bamboo yarn in the colorway they call "Merlot" and I thought this would be great to make the Cozy from Knitty. Bamboo is nice and light so I'd be able to wear the shawl all-year-round. It is a DK weight, needle size 7-9, gauge 4-5 stitches per inch over a 4" square. I think I will need to buy a pair of bamboo circulars for this yarn though. I think the yarn might be a bit too slick to work with on my Knit Picks Options.
I told you I was a red person, right. Well, they had this kit on sale for Valentine's and the pattern just looked really nice, and I am a shawl person, so I went ahead and added that to my list. Actually, the sale was 15% off your total purchase! This yarn is hand painted - hand dyed 65% Wool-35%Silk Yarn. The colors of Cotton Candy, Wild Raspberry & Lipstick Red. It is a worsted weight, needle size 6-9, gauge 4-5 stitches per inch over a 4" square.
And lastly, yes, there was one more thing I ordered. 100% Alpaca *mmmmm* talk about dreamy yarn to work with! The colorway is called "Hummingbird" and it's a combo of Turquoise, Moss, Burgundy and Purple. It is a sport weight, needle size 4-6, gauge 5-6 stitches per inch over a 4" square.
I can't wait to cast-on with all my goodies! I wish I could do it this weekend, but I have got to work on my National Boards portfolio. And I'm suppose to be going with KozyKitty tomorrow to check out a new yarn shop down in Hyattsville called A Tangled Skein! I think after tomorrow that is the end of my yarn shopping for a few months. It is time for me to go into "Stash Busting" mode!

Today's Goodies!

I got a call from Cloverhill Yarn Shop today that the alpaca yarn I ordered a few weeks ago was in and I could come by anytime to pick it up. Well, anytime was right after work! I had ordered 4 skeins of Plymouth Yarn's Baby Alpaca Worsted in this pretty blue-teal. This stuff is soooooooooooo soft. That's my biggest problem when I go into a yarn store. I'm a very tactile person and I touch everything and when yarns feel so nice I just have to buy some. It's a curse! Now I just need to find a pretty scarf pattern so that I can use this gorgeous feeling yarn.

While I was at the shop looking around, I picked up 2 skeins of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted in the color Aubergine. I am debating on using this wool to make the Saffron Cables blanket from Fall 2006 Interweave Knits Magazine. I feel in love with this color last time I was at the store, and the color would look great with my living room decor. The yarnage and needle size is a little off from the pattern requirements, so I wanted to test it out before I shelled out the money I will need to purchase enough yarn for that blanket! Of course the notion that summer is around the corner kind of puts me off to wanting to start a blanket. Then again, I should probably think in terms that if I start this over the summer it will be short, then by fall it might just be long enough to cover and keep my legs warm as I work on it. I'm thinking of doing some sort of cable scarf with this yarn so that I can see how the cable details would look like. Not to hunt the pattern! Of course, I could always just look though my copy of The Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume Two: Cables and see what pretty cable designs are in there and create a pattern off of something in there.

Of course while I am typing this all up Frisco is snoring away behind me on my chaise lounger. I couldn't resist taking his picture. Yes, you might have noticed the bald spot on his belly. He seems to be allergic to something, I think it's new carpet *yikers* and he's been licking his tummy bald! I need to take him to the vet to see is they can prescribe some sort of antihistemine for him.

He was a little annoyed that the flash woke him from his slumber and he was letting me know that.

SEX and Entrelac

Those of you that don't knit or crochet probably thought you were going to read some sort of a racey posting, sorry to disappoint you! *laugh* SEX actually stands for Stash Enhanceing eXpedition, and you all thought knitters were boring people ;)

Yes folks, with as big a stash is this:

I added to it today. I know, like I *need* more yarn, but I couldn't help myself. Is there a Yarn Addicts Anonymous for yarnaholics like me? I was taking an Entrelac class today at Lovelyarns with my girlfriend Vicki and these yarns were just calling to me while I was sitting there, minding my own business, trying to learn to knit this new style. I swear! No really, they were whispering "touch me, buy me" I just couldn't resist! *giggle*

Anyway, here is the neat stuff that I have added to my stash. Here are two skeins of the oh-so-soft Malabrigo Merino! I will be using them for the My So Called Scarf pattern.

Here is what I worked up with scrap yarns while I was in the class. Horrid, itchy, cheap acrylic yarn! The pattern is actually a lot easier then it looks, but it does use up quite a bit of yarn.

Since I had just taken this Entrelac class, I just *had* to buy yarn to make a scarf in that pattern. I simply had to! So, after learning this tecnique I browsed the store to find some nice yarn to make a scarf using the entrelac technique. Here's what I found! Trensetter's Tonalita!

A pretty self-striping yarn that when you knit using the entrelac technique makes each square a different color and should make a really neat looking scarf. I will post pictures when I begin!