Woolgathering Dot Net

This weekend, I needed a break. Or something. I have been trying really hard to knit a pair of socks, any pair of socks, and I was feeling down and defeated. I can't handle the four US1 dpns. I get pissed off and I curse it after two rounds. I'm supposed to love this, aren't I?

I've frogged my two attempts (first to make Broadripple, the second to make the Cloverleaf socks I was supposed to start in June for the knitalong) and now they are sitting in a corner of my shelf, waiting for me to buy two long US1 circulars to try my hand one last time, using the double loop method.

If that doesn't work, I'm going to give up doing anything like socks.

So, to cheer myself up, I started my tam again. Get back to feeling the love for my circular needles. I followed the pattern to the letter, instead of trying to adjust it in the wonky way I did before. I was a bit worried about the size of the band as I knit it up, but it turned out okay!

Too bad it's so hot and sticky that I can't wear it. It will be nice to wear in the fall, with my long chocolate cordurouy jacket.

Here's the top:

And for full disclosure, my fair isle.

Not too bad! I'd like to work on the pretty fair isle bag in Interweave Knits, but adjust the pattern so I can knit it in the round. I have enough yarn to knit another one, probably, this time either removing the red or the dark brown. I haven't decided if I will go monochromatic or colorful. I used US8s to get gauge.

I think the larger needles make the knitting with dpns okay. I just can't knit well with US1 dpns.

Today, I had my cousin come up and install my new stash bag.

I got the idea from a different cousin who uses one of these to keep her soft items, like mittens and scarves and socks. It is hanging in the corner of my study by the door that separates my study from Mike's. I'm in love. I adjusted it by collapsing the bottom-most container, so that it wouldn't hit the radiator underneath.

The bottom of the stack holds all my Kureyon and other "small project" items. The second is all my Koigu. (Drooooool.) The middle container holds all my project yarn. Projects lined up, current projects, stuff like that. Then I've got bulk yarn (Lana D'Oro and other stash exchange stuff). The top-most is yarn I don't need or use very frequently: acrylic, remainder balls, etc.

I still have my little stash cupboard, but now I'm using it to store other projects, like my beads/jewelry materials, ribbons, dye, etc. I also managed to clean my room to a fairly manageable state. This weekend, my relatives are coming over to demolish my kitchen (whee! New kitchen coming!) and I need to prepare the apartment for it.

I know that a shawl is not the same as a scarf. However, I can't help myself. I couldn't really think of what I could do with the pink koigu for Rakshinda's scarf that I would love. So, I decided to try working on Charlotte with the two skeins I had.

Beautiful!

I'm finding the pattern really easy, actually. I think my brain was made for lace. Not for socks (cry cry cry).

Let's lookie close.

I'm not sure how much knitting I'll get done next week (two interviews and lots of organizing of my study), but I hope to finish this mini-Charlotte in two weeks or so.

Erin's scarf is finally in the mail.

I just improvised stockinette blocks with seed stitch borders.

I've held on to it for so long that I made her some stitch markers.

Black hematite with red and white beads. Oh, and one that is made from mother of pearl chips. Pretty pretty! I need to start taking standardized photographs of all the stitch markers, so I can make a gallery of them.

Just in time. Look what came in the mail today:

Gorgeous! Mike doesn't like them, but I do. It's patchwork, kind of Doctor Who-ish. For my scarf, I asked for natural fibers only and any stitch that lies flat. I love all the passalongers that followed the requirement!

	My Section NORO Lily (70% cotton, 30% mulberry silk) US7 Seed Stitch
	Erin's Section Maskin Vaskbar Alfa (85% wool, 15% mohair) US7 Ridge and Diamond Stripes She included a postcard for me from Cape Cod. Gorgeous! She also is a long-time knitter. 30+ years. Wow!
	Kika's Section Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton) Garter stitch with random dropped stitch rows She's also a fairly new knitter and is into a lot of things I'm into (roleplaying, Sandman). So cool!
	Jenn's Section Colourworks (100% NZ wool) US7 Garter stitch Another comic reader! Hellboy! Fantastic! She's a fairly new knitter as well (less than a year).
	Libbet's Section Endless Summer - Sonata (100% cotton) US6 with yarn doubled in doubled seed stitch She's a recent practical knitter (although she learned a long time ago) and plays video games, which I think is pretty fabulous.
	Shannon's Section Local Yarn Store brand (100% wool) US8 Seed stitch She's a long-time knitter/spinner/weaver (wow). She does, get this, traditional Irish ballroom dancing! Woah.

Now, I have to weave in the ends and I need to decide if I am going to cap it with the same yarn I started with. I love it! The colors make me want to pick up my similarly-colored Charlotte.