Too Much Yarn

I can knit in my chair!

I dared not update my blog until I have a photo to show you that my knitting corner has been cleared. As Rebecca said, it looked like a tornado blew through the space.  So let's get it out of the way!

Is that better? Right now, I have 3 bowls holding misc. stuff.  On the shelf where my books are (these are only my sock and stitch pattern books - all other knitting books are downstairs on another bookshelf). There is a bowl/vase holding the leftover yarns.  A catchall bowl for little things that came in yarn packages.  Another crystal bowl on the left of the chair holds yarn to be photographed or yarn to be sent out for returns or trade.  Under there are my knitting magazines.  I've since put away the Interweave Knit magazines into a binder.  Have to decide what to do with the rest.  I can't recycle them - what if I need a pattern later?  The Namaste bags are filled with work in progress as is the basket to the left of the ottoman (which is from Pier 1).  I have 2 matching pillows -where are they?  On the ottoman is my new knitting bowl... in the bowl is the yarn for the second sock of the Cookie A Mystery Sock.  Second Sock, you say?  Yes, I did.  I finished the first sock and here it is.  I've figured out how to knit cables without a cable needle and it is on the cables I don't like to do - the right leaning ones.  Now, they are my favorite!  I can't put the sock down just because I'm just exicted to knit the cables!  Maybe there is time to cast on another cable sock? 

If you go over to my other blog at Too Much Energy, you'll find some nice layouts of my kids at their prom/formal - if you want to take a break from knitting blogs, that is... 

More Bags...

The bags and yarn continue to arrive (from the April 30 purchase - like there was no tomorrow to buy yarn!).  This bag came from The Silver Pumpkin (sorry, have 5 minutes to update my blog so no time to find links for you - but it's an etsy store).  I have another one from the Birch Kit from Woolgir's Sock Club last Fall.  But I just love the colors on this one... just so soft...

And then, these 2 came separately, on the SAME DAY - YESTERDAY!  Now, I did not order these, but had I found them, I would have.  Jennifer (yes, the Jennifer whom I've enabled to switch from ziploc to fabric project bags!) ordered these and had them sent to me!  This one is from Peg's Procrastination.  Jennifer knew my favorite color and  I was born the Year of the Dragon:

and this one from Sharing.  John wants to bring this to the Boundary Waters for Memorial Weekend.  He thought it would make a great knapsack.  NO WAY!! Don't want a bear or moose to take this away!

Thanks so much for these beautiful bags, Jennifer!

Some yarn arrived which I forgot to take photos in the past week.  But since I'm running out of time, I'll have to show them to you another time.  Meanwhile, here are some sock progress.  I finished one Calloway sock:

and slowly working on the Cookie A Mystery Sock Clue 2:

And I leave you with this... this is my knitting corner a few nights ago.  I've straightened it a bit - finally putting away my Snowmen.. Stay tune to see the final outcome after this weekend:

Goody Saturday...

Yesterday, I went to the Shepard's Harvest Festival - it's the closest to a wool & sheep festival in Minnesota.  I didn't realize it's that big - it's definitely bigger than the Wisconin Sheep & Wool that I went to last Fall.  There were 4 buildings worth of vendors.  I went there specifically looking for Briar Rose Fibers and Jennie The Potter.  It was free admission and free parking... I planned to be there for just one hour, but I ended up spending 3 hours there!  It was probably in the 40's so the doors to the barn buildings were closed so it was quite dark in there.  I wasn't able to take any good photos of anything!  So let me show you some goodies.

At Briar Rose, I wanted to exchange this skien of 4th of July (worsted weight, 550 yards for $31).  I ordered this by talking to the owner, Chris, last Fall in Wisconsin.  I wanted a blueish skein, and ended up with a pinkish/orangish one.  I love the colors, but I don't know what I would wear the color.  So, this skein

was exchanged for this (but I bought an additional skein)

I also exchanged another skein of the Seapearl and couldn't resist this - Charity - also worsted weight, 900 yards:

This is THE ONLY SOCK YARN I bought.  It said Sport Weight, but it looks like the normal weight I like to knit socks with:

I bought a yarn bowl from Jennie The Potter, but I forgot to take a photo of it (will show you another time), but mostly, I found buttons and alas, yes, 3 more project bags. Just couldn't resist the beautiful fabrics.  These are the bags I really like where you can clip it on your purses or belt loop.

and

This is an interesting scarf - it's hand felted and it's supposed to be worn like a necklace.  Very funky...

When I got home, there were 2 packages waiting by the door.  These should be everything I'm expecting for a while.  Remember, I'm "yarned-out"... :)

This is the Loopy Ewe May Sock Kit.  It came with 2 patterns for a shawl and sock, 3 sizes of Namaste oh-snap bags (which I have no clue what's special about them other than they have snaps instead of zippers?).  Yarn is BFL from Fleece Artist.  I think I can knit with this yarn, so I'm keeping it.  BTW, I think my Woolgirl kit is destashed!  Yippee!

These are the Mystery Buggas that I ordered last week plus 2 Rainbow Scarab.  I put in the comment box that blue is my favorite color and I got blue yarns.  YAY!  But what a surprise!  I have all of them, altho, the colors may be a little different.  I'll have to mark the tag when I received these so I don't have them mixed up.  With all the yarn I received lately, I have never felt any dissapointment when looking at Buggas.  I love the colors!  I was a bit disappointed with previous skeins of Blue Emperor Dragonfly, because they were mostly of a sprusy blue green, but this particular skein has a lot more blues, almost turquiosy blue:

And here are the rest of the Bugga lot: (Karner Blue, Blue Emperor Dragonfly, Potter Wasp, Starry Nightcracker, Holly Blue Butterfly, and 2 Rainbow Scarabs)

Before you find this sickening, I want you to know that I have destashed about 4 skeins of yarn through Ravelry this week and I think a few of the above mystery skeins will end up being Kay's.  Kay lives in Tokyo and is bringing me Japanese Stitch pattern books.  I'll be trading Bugga with those books!  I won't see Kay until July - right after I return from Europe.

More about Project Bags

Remember the project bag that started it all?  The Weebunny bag from The Woolen Rabbit?  Looky, looky..  I present you, the Fiesta:

And then, remember the bag from Anne Hanson's blog?  I got one, too... After Anne told me who made it, I contacted Michelle of Three Bags Full (Etsy Link)

Some yarn arrived, but I'm not enthusiastic about them... do ya think I'm all yarned-out?  I did receive my first order of Signature needles - the circular ones.  I should quick start a shawl (or maybe finish my Traveling Woman and start a new one!)  The Calloway socks are being difficult. I've made many mistakes so it's been taking me a while... but I'm finally at the second repeat of the leg pattern:

May Socks...

On April 30, Jennifer and I bought yarn like there's no tomorrow as we were only allowed 10 skeins in May.  Each of us finished knitting a pair of socks on May 1 and May 2, respectively... so that means we each can buy 11 skeins in May.  Jennifer blew her limit by May 3, I blew mine today after the Sanguine Gryphon update.  We talked about changing the limit to the number of days in a month, or seconds in a year, but we decided we are adults.  It is not illegal to have possession of yarn, however excessive it is... so be it - no limits!!

So, first, I want to show you my completed Summer Sox:

Then, there are the cast ons.  The Mystery Sock by Cookie A in Bugga, Swift Longwinged Skimmer colorway:

and Calloway by Cookie A.  I first used Bugga in Blue Arsed Fly, but didn't like it.  Besides, I found a dropped stitch 10 rows later:

so I started over with another color.  The yarn is a little bit thinner, but I'm putting up with it.  This is Skinny Bugga in Blue Emperor Dragonfly.

Woolgirl Sock Club shipment arrived:

And here are some new yarn that came in the past few days.  Can you tell I'm in a rush?  I really should be getting ready to go to work!!  Here's a Plucky Knitter MCN from a destash:

and a couple of MCN (Merino Cashmere Nylon blend) from Fearless Fibers: