Too Much Yarn

Back to normal programming...

I guess we are back to showing you finished projects and new acquisitions?  I'm sorry again I was not as attentive with this blog during my travels.  I just didn't have time to maintain two blogs!

OK.  So I cast on the second Almondine on my way to the Shanghai airport.  I worked mostly on this project.  When I got on the plane in Chicago to Minneapolis, I pulled out my project bag and I realized I had broken the second Knitpicks Harmony needle on the trip.  Fortunately, I had another spare with the Blackberry Brambles, which I had not cast on at that time.  So for the next hour or so, I worked on Almondine.  On Friday (my first day home), I was a zoombie, I caught up on my DVR-ed TV shows and napped - and knit!  By the end of the day, I was here:

I finished the pair on Saturday night.

Up next, I cast on the second sock for the Blackberry Brambles:

The other sock I finished on my trip was Dusty Corners.

When I got home, these two skeins of Sokkusu Original arrived from UK.  I'd forgotten that I'd ordered them.  So it was this package and another mini-skein swap package that were waiting for me.  I was worried there would be more packages and I'd some explaining I may have to do to my husband!  (just kidding - he just gives me the look and I just ignore it).  I picked up some project bags on my trip that I will show you in the next week...

I'm glad to be back!

Coming home

I'm so disappointed that I didn't post much here but I just didn't have the time to post on both blogs on this trip.

Did I mention that I finished three single socks? I had to pick one to work on this flight (I'm waiting to board the flight from Shanghai to Chicago. The other project I have with me is the meadowgold shawl. I just cast on the second sock of Almondine.

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Hello!

I'm sorry I haven't been posting here.  Please check my regular blog for updates on my travel.  My other blog is Too Much Energy.  Here are some sock-related photos:

Great Wall:

Summer Palace - Mountain Resort

Birdsnest

I've had long days on the tour and I can only update one blog.  and that's with falling asleep at 1 in the morning.  I've been knitting, but not as much as I thought I would (well, I brought to0 many projects, of course!).  I've finished the gusset on 3 socks - all first socks of different patterns.  Today, I'm flying from Bejing to Shanghai.  We have to be checked out by 7, wait in the lobby until 9, 2 hours of taxi ride to get us to the airport by 11, check in for a 2 pm flighyt - you  get the idea - lots of waiting time... lots of knitting, right?  I'll just have to be prepared that my knitting needles are safe from being confisicated.

p/s This is Christine.  Socks are still asleep so they're not telling the story.

Berry in Beijing

Hi! Mom hasn't really knitted since arriving at Beijing - other than at the airport. Today was a full day, getting up at 5:45, coming home at 9:30 p.m. We saw Tianamen Square, Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven. At the Temple of Heaven grounds, we saw two women crocheting toys - Aunty Denise would have been interested in these. I didn't feel like taking a photo of the toys without buying. If I see them again, I may take a photo and buy something. Some things are ridiculously cheap, and some things are not! But what do I know? I don't work! Here I am at the Temple of Heavenv

and at the Forbidden City

You can read more about our trip at Mom's blog at http://www.christinepetterson.typepad.com

Taking off!

Mom has lots of leg room. She stretched out her legs and can't even touch the partition.

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Dusty here. Mom switched needles with Arroyo (he's my favorite little brother!). So she worked on me from Minneapolis to Chicago. We are boarding in 1/2 an hour. On board are Meadow, Berry, and a few Bugs. Here I am.. I grew a little.

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We are going to be on a plane!!

Hi.  We would like to introduce ourselves as we have now been selected to go on a trip with Mom.  I am Meadowblue, but I like to be called Meadow.  My pattern is Meadowgold by Romi Hill.  This is me.  I'm related to Hayrick, who went to London.  We have the Bugga-Blue-Arsed-Fly gene. I will be sitting in the cabin.

I am Dusty.  My pattern is Dusty Corners by Linda Welch and have the Socks-That-Rock-Lightweight-in-Ramalaba gene.  I will be riding in the  baggage hold area. Because there is a 1/2 Right Twist every other row, I don't know how much I'll get worked on.  I should have been started on wooden needles so I can ride in the cabin!!!!!

Hi!  My name is Caretta!  I am an Sokkusu Original in River Styx.  I was meant to be a Cookie A Sock Club pattern, but I was so loved that I was selcted to be Caretta Caretta by Alice Yu.  I will keep Dusty company in baggage hold.

I'm Berry (short for Pick Me some Berries).  I was named after my pattern, Blackberry Brambles by Carrie Sullivan and my yarn, Hazel Knits Artisan in Pick Me.  I'm riding in the cabin.  woohoo!!

Hi.  I'm Red - very Red.  My yarn is Smooshy with Cashmere in Red Rush.  My pattern is Almondine by Anne Hanson.  My Mom said there must be red representation for going to China and that would be me.  I haven't decided if I prefer to be called Red or Almondine. See my cables?  Yep, I'm riding in the Baggage Hold.  Darn it!

And finally, I'm Arroyo, named after my yarn, Hazel Knits Artisan in Arroyo.  My pattern is Haystacks by Lisa Stichweh.  I was cast on wooden needles, but I am such a good-on-the-bus-to-knit-sock that Mom may switch me with Dusty.  I'm ok either way, whether I'm in cabin or baggage.  I know I'll be a favorite on the bus cos I'm easy!

And we have a bunch of little Bugs coming along so Mom can take a break and knit some hexiflats.  We will see you in China.  And we will try to keep Mom's organs safe!

p/s  We were late in attending Mandarin classes so we will be telling our stories in English!

On celebrities at Yarnover...

Yarnover, etc

Yarnover was a bit blah for me this year.  I did not see any celebrities, so no autographs.  I did not buy a lot - I bought some, but not a lot.  I'm glad to learn that Darn Knit Anyway is now carrying Becoming Art (which I picked up at Sock Summit) and Sweet Georgia yarns.  DKA is about 45 minutes from my home in a historic town.  But I was approached by 2 blog readers who knew who I was, but I didn't recognize them.  And MissFrances, who lives in a St. Paul suburb and I have been communicating about meeting finally met!  Thank goodness she recognized me!  Let's see some photos...

This was StevenBe's booth - a bucket of Madelinetosh!

This was at the For Love of Yarn's booth.  I ordered some custom dyed yarn to make that orangy shawl.  can't remember the pattern - but I have it written down somewhere.

and here is Darn Knit Anyway's booth with SweetGeorgia, Three Irish Girls, and Becoming Art.  Photographed are mostly the Becoming Art yarn.

Here's what came home with me...

A skein of Three Irish Girls Adorn Sock, Propaganda Yarns, and Becoming Art's MCN.  A project bag from Yarn Pop:

And check out these stitchmarkers. I couldn't resist!  They were so cheap!  All 48 of these for $10.  I had been paying $12 for 18 of them or something ridiculous, but they're the best stitchmarkers!

When I got home, there was a package from Twisted's Shawlette Club - a skein of Pllucky Knitter Primo was in the kit!

And mini Bugga skeins for my trip!

I'm now trying to cast on the projects I'll be working on in China.... I have the Meadowgold Shawl ready, and I also have Dusty Corners ready, but I need more projects!!  Yvonne is so funny!  I was listing to her that I'm bringing 2 shawls, 4 socks, 2 50%-completed socks, and 50 mini's for the hexiflat blanket.  She asked, "How many years are you going to be there??"  I love her!  I replied 0.038 years (that's 2/52 weeks).