Yarn Aplenty

Here's a catch-up post. The big news is that C got a new laptop, which means I now have his old one (which is really still a very new, very nice PowerBook), which means I may actually post more, now that I'm portable! (I suppose I've always been portable... but you know what I mean.)

First up, the wool I plan to use for my Sockapaloooza socks: It's 97% Coopworth Wool, 3% Cashgora/Angora from RainShadow Farm in Kingston, WA. My pal mentioned pink, and I just couldn't pass up the shading of the rose color in this wool. Pattern TBD. I found it at one of the booths at the market of the Madrona Fiber Arts retreat I went to last month with my good friend L. More on the retreat later (lots to tell--we heard the Yarn Harlot speak AND took a class with Nancy Bush. Couldn't have been better).

Second, as a result of our class with Nancy Bush, I ordered all of this from her company The Wooly West: Namely, two Sanquhar-style patterns, sample cards of sock wool used in her Vintage Socks book, and three books on Estonian mittens. I originally heard of these books on Saartje's site (she knits beautifully, check out her site) and became excited to learn, when Nancy pulled them out to show the class, that they are available here in the U.S. These books are amazing, and leave me itching to knit many of the patterns. Every night since they arrived I've been looking at them before going to sleep. I think people may be getting mittens next Christmas.

Third, I'm working around the chest on my sister's cardigan, trying EZ's circular raglan decrease but working back and forth. Since this is the second time I'm knitting this sweater, and because I wanted to compare for size the first pieces with my second effort, I pulled apart the old pieces gradually as I needed wool. Long story short, I recently ran out of wool and needed to pull out more of the old, wash it, and let it dry, so here's what I went and started: These are for C, as his feet have been cold all winter and I think I'm finally convincing him that he should be wearing wool socks instead of cotton. It's Opal, and I think I might even have enough left over for a pair of ankle socks for me. We'll see. I'm doing a garter stitch, short row toe and heel but I'm using a simple Garter Rib pattern from Charlene Schurch's book for the top of the foot and the leg. Toe up so I can get the sizing right for him, and both at once because I just love being done when I'm done!

Well, enough for today. More soon!