yarn – Page 4 – Behind the Smile

August 21, 2008June 22, 2010

We Interrupt This Broadcast

To announce that I totally got a raise last week! A sweet sweet raise!

I’ve been meaning to update this thing, but I have been busy, apparently. Busy getting raises. Hah. Actually, I’m trying to think what I did last week that prevented me from updating but I am drawing a blank…

Oh, I did go to the Gem Faire at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center in Sacramento on Saturday. I went with my cousin Janelle and we had a great time! We also hit Bead Fetish, U Bead It, and Rumplestiltskin while we were up there. And I, like, bought yarn. (oooh, shocker!) I REALLY wasn’t even going to go to Rumplestiltskin because, dudes, um, I have yarn. But we went to lunch at the waffle place on S and 10th (the name of which I CANNOT ever remember) and that is but a block away from Rumplestiltskin which is on R and 11th (ish). So we went over there and I caved like the weakling I am.

But you GUYS they had new Kaffe Fassett Design Line yarn from Regia! I hate that guy! Yet he makes awesomely colored yarn! I find this annoying! I think he annoys me because my mom has some old books of his that are from the eighties, and let’s face it, the eighties have a lot to answer for, fashion-wise. So there was this guy with all these ugly color combos on eighties clothes that were just completely horrendous.

But then I saw the first wave of the sock yarn, and kind of changed my mind about the color thing (art school helped too). And in his latest book, Kaffe Knits Again (or whatever) were patterns I would actually knit! Not that I remember what they were. So, I apologize for judging you too soon, Kaffe Fassett, you rock. Especially this latest stripey color combo. Which I want to cast on right away but CAN’T because I totally have socks on all my sock needles, dangit.

Anyway, the other yarn I got was me being totally seduced by a floor sample that was already knit up. It’s Online Supersocke in some awesome colors that did not photograph well at all at 10 p.m. (Go figure.) But let me assure that it is pretty danged awesome. They had all the colors of the Supersocke from what I could tell, along with a ton of the Noro sock yarn. I like Noro colors, but it’s not my favorite to knit with. I did make those crocheted Noro scarves last winter, though. That was okay.

So, I bought yarn. I was bad. Bad to the bone.

I also spent approximately $200 on beads, including these awesome electroplated leaves:

On the left are maple seed pods (“helicopters”) and on the right is a cypress leaf.

I made the seed pods into earrings that I am wearing today. They are really fun.

IN CONCLUSION I LIKE TO SPEND MONEY.

(I bought this at Target, it is AWESOME.)

Actually, I am kind of “stocking up” because I will actually be moving in October (I KNOW, right? My sweet sweet life of mooching will be over!) and will be paying crazy San Francisco Bay Area rental costs and will NEVER HAVE MONEY AGAIN. Except, I might still, since I got that raise. And I only have one more credit card payment and I own more than half of my car, so things are looking pretty excellent!

Hey, it took me 28 years, but I finally have my shit together, more or less.

August 11, 2008June 24, 2010

I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.

…That’s what you’ll hear when my sock yarn collection collapses upon me. Yes yes, I bought more, shut up:

How could I resist real wool sock yarn from a big box chain store? I couldn’t, I tell you what. Actually, I have some Kroy socks that have held up quite well – but have never actually seen it in stores (I think I ordered one skein from Herrshners back in the day, not realizing that I probably should have gotten two…footies ahoy!). Anyway, I got the Kroy and the new Soles & More (the Joann Sensations line) at JoAnn’s Superstore the other day, after my initial shock that they Actually Had Sock Yarn wore off. The Red Heart Heart & Sole (awkward!) I got at a Michael’s in Redding. I don’t know if they have it at “our” Michael’s in Pleasant Hill, but that Michael’s kind of sucks – I prefer the Michael’s in Antioch, which always seems to stock more stuff AND I can go to when I’m killing time before a Brentwood board meeting.

Anyway, my initial impression on the yarn, just by touch is favorable. The Heart & Sole (Red Heart) feels VERY similar to the new Lion Brand Sock Ease, and also boasts aloe in it, much like the Sockease and also Austermann Step. The Kroy is surprisingly soft, and the colors quite vibrant. Also: stripey! Yay!

Anyway, the other thing I did was finally block the Swallowtail Shawl in some floral-scented Soak, and it turned out magnifique! What a great pattern.

Closeups:

Pattern stats:

Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn Clark (available for free on her website)
Yarn: Araucania Ranco Solid in Daffodil (Purchased at nearby LYS Fashion-knit)
Needles: US 4 29″ circulars, Susan Bates
Mods: None, except for I didn’t swatch, so I think it’s smaller than it’s supposed to be.
Thoughts: Nupps were easy, I don’t know what everyone is bitching about. I totally used a crochet hook to make them on the purl side, I didn’t even bother with that nasty p5tog. I will totally make nupps again, but then it turns out I am a shameless bobble hussy, so there you go.

Aaaaand, that’s all she wrote.

Next time on Behind the Smile: book reviews and weaving update.

June 28, 2008June 24, 2010

A Week In the Life

I have been run ragged this week, and it’s not over yet! OY VEY.

Last Monday was the last day I was just at home with nothing to do. Oh, Monday, you were great. Tuesday I had a large homeowner’s meeting to record minutes for, Wednesday I had another board meeting to record minutes for, and Thursday I had a Chamber of Commerce mixer, and Friday I went out with my cousin to the movies. So I kind of haven’t been home in forever. Today I am off to Sacramento for a birthday party and tomorrow I am going with the fam to Placerville and a flower farm.

Luckily, next week is a short work week and I don’t have any meetings. Friday is the 4th of July and Saturday is my birthday. I’m hoping that the smoke from the 800 fires dissipates because I REALLY WANT to go peddle boating for my birthday out at the Lafayette Reservoir. However, we are being told to stay inside and not go out and breathe all the smoke. I can understand this – yesterday I was out in Brentwood on a site inspection, and was horking up snot and ash for an hour afterwards. It was still fun, though, Phil and I went off-roading in his golf cart up on the hill, where I hadn’t been before, to survey the goat damage.

So, my cousin Amanda and I went to see Wanted, starring the fawn from Chronicles of Narnia and Angelina Jolie. It was totally not what I was expecting, but it still really great. Completely violent and excessive, which I have really been in the mood for. Earlier this week I got Shoot ‘Em Up from Netflix and THAT is an AWESOME movie, if you haven’t seen it and you enjoy a spot of violence and Clive Owen killing a bunch of people while running around holding a baby, then that is the movie for you! However, not for the faint of heart, so if you are easily bothered by gore and lactating prostitutes (hi google searchers!) then you should probably avoid Shoot ‘Em Up. I loved it a lot however and watched it twice, it was that good.

/end gushing

So I haven’t completely just done nothing. I got a couple boxes in the mail this week. I purchased Norah Gaughan Volume 3 and a couple of the new pattern pamphlets from Berroco and those came quite promptly.
I also finally got my box of stuff I bought in Texas, which had more yarn and all those beads in it. AND I was bad and ordered from the Loopy Ewe.

And I am working on a sock in Araucania Nature Multy:

And a swallowtail shawl:

I’m knitting this shawl in the Daffodil colorway of some Rio de la Plata sock yarn. I really like the yarn, it’s got a great rustic feel to it, and as you can see, the stitch definition is tops. I’m having fun diving into the stash and trying out the different yarns I have. I’m hoping to finish this shawl in time for my cousin’s wedding. Not that I am going to wear a wool shawl to a summer wedding in REDDING but it’s a timeline goal anyway.

Now I am off to the post office to mail a check and my Netflix (Talledega Nights, which was funny but stupid) and get gas, drop off some stuff at the library, and go to Target.

Later taters.