Happy days

This has been a good knitting month for me. First was Maryland Sheep and Wool.  How cool to visit over 125 vendors and all the sheep. Plus share the weekend with over 50,000 people! I do want to go back, but in a few years. It takes hundreds of dollars to buy what you want without much worry about a budget. But, I also had specific things I wanted like a set of needles and cashmere that cost quite a bit. It was very worth it though!

The other happy thing is this picture.

This was the hat I made for my niece. It looks great and it looks big enough. I am soooo happy with how it looks. This may be my go to baby hat pattern. The yarn may also be my go to for baby hats in the future.

The last happy day was going to a yarn shop in Pittsburgh where I was "professionally" measured in order to knit myself my first sweater. Here is a picture of what I want.

I want something so simple I will have a hard time messing it up. All it is is stockinette stitch for the body and ribbing for the collar, waist and wrists. I can do that! The reason I am getting measured is because there is a program developed called Custom Fit. You go to a yarn store where the workers have been trained to correctly and thoughly measure you. Then they put all the info in the computer and say what kind of sweater you want, how long you want it, if you want positive or negative ease, do you want to knit it in pieces or in one piece without seaming it? Then you pay $11.00. If I buy the yarn at the shop, I get $10 off the cost of the yarn. I had the money so I bought the yarn. 

Then you go home and knit a swatch to determine what size needle you want to use based on the thickness of the fabric you made. You wash it, dry it and bring it back in. 

They measure your swatch (they explained it but I still don't quite understand it. Something about knitting to your gauge and not the gauge of a typical pattern) and put in more info and then finally print out a pattern for which you pay $10.00.

Ok ok so it's not a cheap process. But if I 

can make a sweater I love it will be worth it.

The yarn I choose is from American Columbian breed sheep that live and graze in Oregon. The coolest thing is I will be knitting with the same yarn (but different weight) that the Olympic sweaters were made from! Now, they were dyed and put together in other places but the process started with this yarn! Here is a picture of it and the color I choose.

I choose this color because the sheep are naturally this color:

These are the sheep that make this wool.  I figure, why mess with nature and buy dyed wool. Plus it should go with most things. I started my swatch:

The lady said to make multiple ones with different sized needles. This one is on size 4 needles. This is my regret. I listened to a lady who told me that if you are heavy to not use thick yarn as it will make you look bigger than you are.

I had the chance to go with a DK weight which is one tick up from what I bought. The fabric I am getting is very stretchy but not quite as thick as I'd like. I will continue and try a size 3 needle next and see how I like that. I am mad at myself for having blinders on and listening too closely and not thinking about it more. The thinner the yarn the longer it will take to knit. I want this done by winter. I could take 3 of the skeins back but I had them wind up 2 so I couldn't return those and each skein was $21.00. The yardage on this yarn is nice at 395 yards. The holes in the swatch are neat little indicators. There are 4 holes which means I used a size 4 needle! Pretty slick huh?

That's all for now. I'll keep you posted.

Almost Maryland time!!

 Friday I leave for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I am excited but I have been sick for a week. I have a bad cough that gives me a headache and bad coughing fits. I have a slight rattle that doesn't want to go away. My voice is weird and I don't have much energy. I need all my energy for this weekend! I am starting to get worried. It's a viral thing that lots of time will heal. I don't have time, I need this gone now! 

I have a list of what I want to buy. Cashmere is at the top. Most likely 2 skeins. I plan to knit a scarf with one skein. Lots of wool from various breeds of sheep. British yarns are on the top of my list to. Plus other things like maybe a new set of interchangeable needles and a new ball winder. 

The weather looks like rain on Saturday. I  keep reading how muddy the fairgrounds are. Really hoping for dry weather. I am also treating myself to a seafood dinner. Here is the link to where I am going: 

http://www.captaindanscrabhouse.com/seafood-restaurant-menu-maryland-md.php

This place is only 10 minutes from the fairgrounds so I will go there right from the festival. I want to leave the house and get to the hotel around 3:00pm. Check in, settle in then settle in to knit. I'll have a leisurely frozen dinner that is brought from home and a dessert. Watch a little tv but spend the late afternoon and evening knitting and listening to knitting podcasts on my iPod. I specifically got a room with a microwave, fridge and comfy chair. Go to bed between 9-10pm and try try try to sleep before getting up early to make a 30 minute trek to the fairgrounds. 

The shopping starts at 9am. This place is big so I hope to scout out stuff and organize my plan of attack before hand as I wait for vendors to open. I hope to see sheep dog trials. Sheep sheering as well. I also plan to pet many sheep and maybe some other animals like angora bunnies or goats or alpacas and dogs that work the sheep.

And doing this all alone!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait. I will try to remember to take pictures and video so you can get a feel for it. 

My knitting has been slow. I've been knitting on two things, a hat for a toddler, and a scarf/cowl for me. Here's a picture: 

http://images4-d.ravelrycache.com/uploads/booniesangel/225315580/IMG_3837a_medium.jpg

That should do it for now. 

Finally!!!!

This hat is really trying my patience. It's a hat I'm knitting for my unborn niece. I know how to rib-or I thought I did. I have ripped out the brim, never more than 1/2 inch long 8-10 times !!!! I tried everything, magic loop, I bought a hat needle, tried two needles. I finally decided to knit on straight needles. But I gave away all my needles. But I remembered that you can knit straight on a circular needle. I decided to do that as a last resort. I will have to seam up the brim but I can handle that. This almost 1-1/2 inch piece in the picture has taken me a week!  Can you believe it?! 

I think I finally have it beat. Putting in life lines every few rows really helps my sanity and I am far enough along that I don't have to rip it all out and cast on 84 stitches again. I'll keep you posted.

Hi

I haven't posted in awhile. I went to the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival. It was in a large ballroom with many many vendors. They had the Olympic sweaters on display! I got some pictures.

 I finally broke my year long yarn diet. But this was just an appetizer. I plan to go full pig out mode in May when I go to Maryland. I can't seem to stop collecting Packer yarn when I find it. The purple yarn is for two baby hats and two sets of baby socks for two different babies. I spent a pretty penny on this yarn so I hope they like it even if they don't appreciate what went into them. 

The yarn is much more tonal that the picture shows. You can see a better picture below. The gray yarn is from a breed called Jacob sheep. Slightly rustic. The red yarn is 50/50 merino and angora. The brown yarn is 25% cashmere 25% angora and 50% merino. 

I plan to start the first baby hat on Sunday. I am practicing a pattern for baby socks with this stupid acrylic that I bought. I'm not sure if the socks will look like socks when I am done. It requires some seaming. I make a point when I go to these festivals to try and buy yarn that you can't buy or easily buy in your local yarn store. I found out the red yarn is discontinued. 

More next time!  Bye!

Wool socks

Yesterday I bought myself a pair of 80% wool socks at LL Bean. I really want to knit myself a pair I can wear. How are these socks? They are slightly rough to the hand but not the foot. They remind me of the wool I am knitting my black shawl out of. They are thinner than I expected. I am surprised they are not ovens but they do a good job regulating your foot temperature. I wore them to bed and my feet didn't overheat.

They feel a bit sweaty right now. Maybe it's time to take them off. I have to hand wash them or they will felt and shrink. I have heard soooo much about wool socks I had to try some. It's on my knitting list this year to complete a pair I can proudly wear. So far I am quite impressed and it makes me look forward to knitting a pair. 

Projects for the new year

Now that the 1,000 pound hat on my shoulders is done I feel so light!  I am going to focus on working on my wips (works in projects). I'm currently working on my black shawl. I want to finish this fourth skein before I buy the last four to finish this. It is wider at the top but I can't stretch it out fully because stitches would fall off the needles.

Other projects I plan to work on is a scarf, my blue Rowan shawl, a poncho, and two more shawlettes. Plus I have to fix Grace's stocking. I have a calendar app that I have scheduled a week for each project. 

Once March comes this grand plan may fall apart as I will be going to the Pittsburgh knit and crochet show. Then in may I will go to maryland sheep and Wool Festival. It is the second largest show next to the New York sheep and Wool festival (aka rhinebeck). I fully intend  to run wild and buy a bunch of yarn. I can't wait!!!!!!!!

The hat is done!