Knit One, Purr Too

Thinking

You know, I'd bet I'd have both my Tasha bag *and* this afghan done by now if I had never learned how to make socks.

I also would not likely have just placed an order through Elann.com today for a rainbow of different colorways of sock yarn, if I had not learned how to make socks. I will point out, however, that all the new sock yarn winging its way to me will fit in my new bins, so technically I'm not going over my newly established stash limit. Heh.

I am telling myself that I need to hurry up and finish Tasha, if only so that it can then become my 'sock project' bag. It's becoming obvious that I need something in which to carry whatever sock I am currently working on, since it doesn't quite fit in my purse, and people tend to look at you funny when you walk around with a ball of yarn and four sharp pointy objects in one hand because you have no where else to put them.

Friday night is craft night. I think I'll try to get all the ends woven in tonight on Tasha, so I can toss all the pieces into the wash, and then my craft on Friday can be seaming them all together. Hmm.

Neat and tidy

Prior to this afternoon, my yarn stash has lived either in boxes and bags scattered all over the library and my side of our office, while the bulk of it was in a huge green tub that made finding anything nearly impossible. I've been wanting to find a way to organize it a little better, or at least put it in smaller bins so I could actually see what I have.

Last weekend while we were at CostCo (where we, among other things, bought a ruby red grapefruit tree which will eventually be planted in the backyard) I saw a set of plastic bins that looked like they might be just the thing to organize my overflowing yarn stash. The set included 10 bins in the box, all clear plastic with nice sturdy lids. I bought one set, figuring that would be enough. Ha! Anyway, here is the result.

If you bother to count, you'll notice that there are more than 10 bins of yarn there - we ended up doing another run to CostCo to pick up another set. I am not nearly as organized as The Knitting Doctor, since I mostly tried to group yarn by either color or type (all the baby yarn in one bin, all my cottons in one bin, and so on) and didn't worry about tracking yarns in a list for later (although that may come at some future date!). I figure what was important was to get it all into one place; I'll worry about the rest later.

I put Azzie on the top of the stacks just to give some perspective for scale. That pile does not include the three huge cones of mystery yarn I picked up last summer at an estate sale. Plus I know there'll be a few extra skeins left over once the afghan is done, plus there's yet more yarn lurking in the bottom of all of my project bags. So it's probably a good thing there are still two more bins left.

I am debating setting this as a limit - telling myself that I should not buy more yarn than can fit in all twenty of these bins. Just because there is enough space in that closet for two or three times as many lovely bins full of yarn, and just because each set of 10 bins only cost about $17 (and there were lots of them still available when we went to CostCo this afternoon), and just because I have suddenly been struck with an overwhelming urge to buy sock yarn in bulk means absolutely nothing. 20 bins. That's plenty of yarn. I am sure of it. Grin.

Neck deep in afghan

Now that I've done one pair of socks, I am finding myself poking about on websites, eying various brands of sock yarn, searching for free sock patterns on the 'net. We stopped in Davis for dinner on Friday night and I had enough time before Richard got off work to wander around town. It was entirely random that I happened to end up in In Sheep's Clothing, really it was. Also it was entirely random that I went straight to their shelves of sock yarn and dithered for a full twenty minutes over what to buy. I left with enough for three more pairs - and one of them will be for Richard, since I really do owe my husband some knitted goodness for humoring my yarn obsession.

I haven't done more than buy the yarn and print out patterns, however - mostly since then I've been working on the afghan I'm making my little sister for her birthday. Lion Brand Homespun may be an absolute pain to work with, but it makes a soft and snuggly afghan when it's knit up.

I also took a short detour back to my flame colored Tasha bag. All the pieces are now complete and the only thing that stands in the way of them being washed (for possible shrinkage) is for me to tuck in all the loose ends. Maybe I can convince myself to get back to it so it can be my new bag for Easter, hmm? That is if I can tear myself away from miles of feather and fan using loopy, lumpy Lion Brand Homespun...

Speaking of socks

Look what arrived in the mail yesterday afternoon!

My Secret Pal somehow knew the exact size needles that work for the guage I needed for my socks, and sent me a set of bamboo DPNs. Plus there is a a bag of catnip seeds (now I must find somewhere I can grow them where they won't be....uh...pruned as soon as they sprout. Rosie, I'm looking at you)), a bar of yummy handmade soap, a skein of gorgeous Noro and the cutest little coin purse full of tea bags!

And speaking of DPNs, I finished my socks.

I actually ended up ripping out the toe of the first sock to make it just a teeny bit longer, and it's obvious that I need to do some serious practice in my grafting skills for the toe seams, but for my very first pair I quite proud of myself. I've been wearing them all evening and they are quite comfy.

It is entirely possible that this afternoon I was poking around on Elann.com looking at sock yarn. Not, mind you, that I should be even considering buying more yarn. So I'm not going to admit to anything. Besides, even though I might have put some into my shopping cart, I didn't actually place an order. Yet. But don't think I wasn't really, really, really tempted.

Notes for myself on the socks: I used Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Moody Blues (it's superwash wool) and size 4 needles. This is the first project where I actually met row guage, which was about 10 rows per inch, so the body of the sock was 60 rows (10 of those were ribbed), a 28 row reinforced heel flap, and 40 rows between heel and when I started to decrease for the toes.

Project picture overload!

I've got finished objects (and works in progress), so that means it's picture time!

First up - the baby blankets. Here's the first one - made from Homespun (so it's oh-so-soft).

I used this pattern - click the link to get a better idea of what the pattern looks like. It's a basketweave variation, but I like the look of it better than just basketweave squares.

That's Sebastian lurking in the bottom of that picture. All the cats have been quite 'helpful' with my knitting lately, as can be seen here.

Just for reference, he's on my lap while I worked on the second baby blanket (pictured below) - and he's sitting *on* the diagonal stripe afghan I made last year.

Speaking of the second baby blanket, here it is (click the picture for a larger view - and better detail of the pattern).

I used Lion Brand Jiffy, and did a repeating diamond pattern with a moss stitch border. The faux mohair makes it very snuggly soft, plus I specifically picked yarns for these two blankets that can be dropped into the washing machine and the dryer. If I won't handwash, I can't expect my friends to handwash either!

Remember that Tasha bag I was working on? Here's a sneak peek of what it will look like. Doubling the yarn got rid of most of my pooling problem, and I really love how the cables pop, even with all that color. The Lara Endless Summer cotten has been a dream to work with. And I would have finished it up by now, except I got a little side tracked. Because yesterday afternoon I decided to bite the bullet and start a new little project.

Here's a hint - can you guess what it is?

If you can't guess from that, I'll toss in an added clue. This is the second one> (finished the first this morning, except for weaving in the ends). I'm using this pattern, and it's been so incredibly easy. The sock intimidation is no more! Next up - getting over my nervousness about fair isle. But maybe that can wait for just a little bit longer.