It's here, it's here!

My Knit Picks yarn was here when I got home from work today! Oh happy day! Before I get to that, I'll let you in on what has been going on around here lately.

I have been working non-stop because two of my co-workers were on vacation at the same time. This is the main reason why the progress pictures have been non-existent lately. However, to avoid overtime on my next paycheck, I get a four day weekend next week. A four-day weekend is like a birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and a snow day wrapped into one.

I finally ripped out fad classic. I got to the point where I made the mistake, but then looked at the rest of it and decided, "oh, hell..." and ripped the entire thing out to start over completely. Why? Just because, I guess. I am actually happy that I did. Now that I have a better understanding of the pattern, I think it looks much better the second time around. I'm almost to where I was before I ripped it out last time. Although this horrible picture just looks like a blob of blue yarn.I have been slowly knitting Natuie from Knitty. I don't know why it has been taking so long. Usually, I love the cute toy projects because I get to practice shaping and they are a quick fix when I want something finished. All of the other toys I have knit only took me a day or two. I started this guy about two weeks ago. That is about when I started working like crazy and before the post office drama, so maybe I have just been in a funk.I also recently bought yarn to knit a sweater that I fell in love with in this months Vogue Knitting. There will be more posts about it one day I am sure, I told myself I would finish Fad-Classic before I started another sweater. The only problem with that is I can start to smell fall in the air. Do you know that feeling? In my opinion, there is nothing else in the world that compares to that. I am a big time summer hater and after the initial novelty of 'ooo.. lets go to the beach' wears off, I am in a bad mood about the weather until very late August/September rolls around.

Oh and because I wanted to show off how bad my 'knitting area' is:Among the wreckage you should spot the following (it's a little game.. if you are really really bored).

• fad classic pattern
• O-wool tag
• reciepts from online bought yarn
• tv and dvd remotes
• Jim's current work-in-progress painting
• pencil
• beginnings of Nautie
• the book that I used to learn how to knit
• scissors
• and of course, an empty glass that at one point was holding a whole lot of vodka and juice

Some serious yarn storage and organizing needs to be done in my house. Unfortunately that just isn't as exciting as knitting. Maybe after I run through my Knit Picks stash I'll do some organizing. I don't think this yarn will last long. All the yarn I got is intended for small projects; gloves for Jim, a couple little Christmas presents, and a hat. Isn't is beautiful? This will be used for socks: A new and improved Norberta from the yarn the pattern calls for: And of course, Sheldon:

Other reasons that I am really happy right now:

• it is 70 degrees and drizzling rain right now in Chicago, which not only is a sign of fall but also reminds of the weather in Madrid when Jim and I were there last fall
• the Notwist is currently playing in my house.. and well, I love the Notwist.
• Jim is quietly sitting across from me in his vintage barber chair that he aquired from a friend and reading. He looks cute.

O-wool

I finally busted out the O-Wool Balance that I had bought on the internet. Since I didn't think it would be a good yarn substitution for Le Slouch, I found a hat pattern on the O-Wool website that was cute. Knitting with this yarn isn't that all that nice. The finished product feels good but while knitting the yarn is so dry that my hands were getting sore.

I went up a needle size because I have an enormous head. If I would have used the correct needle size, my hat would have been uncomfortably small, but now my hat is just a little too big. I probably won't rip it out though, at least not any time soon. I have one more skein left and I think I am going to use it to make Knitty's pattern, Knucks.
I'll try to post pictures of my Fad Classic progress and another small project I am working on to finish off the last of my Malabrigo from my fingerless mitts.

Beginnings of a Yarn Stash

Ok, book finished. Everyone needs to reed the Harry Potter series, they just do. Also, anyone who is a fan needs to read the last book before people start talking and ruin it for you. It was fantastic.

Back to normal posting... I never posted pictures of the yarn I bought from Purl. The yarn comes wrapped up so nice.

The O-Wool is supposed to be for my Le Slouch hat. This is part of my fear of ordering yarn online, it doesn't feel like it will hang right for the pattern, too much cotton. I should have expected that, lesson learned. It can always be used for something else. Besides, this will help out my 'stash envy'. All the yarn I have bought has been for specific projects that I just haven't started. I'm not at a point that I can walk into a store and buy some yarn just because I like it and find a project later. I'm not sure how much to buy of one thing and I would be disappointed if I bought, say, 5 skeins and then I found the perfect pattern and that pattern needs 6. But little accidents like this O-Wool situation, starts my stash! I'm sure it won't take long before I get the hang of buying yarn just to buy it.

The Cascade 220 is meant for a pair of gloves or socks or something. Probably for Jim because the green isn't exactly a green that I like to wear but looks very handsome on him. Sorry, in the picture it looks brown. I need to figure out sunlight vs. flash to show colors correctly. Originally, I was nervous that this yarn would be too itchy, but it is actually quite nice.

UPS MAN!!!!!

My first ups package of yarn arrived today. Not the order I posted about... I may have, you know, accidentally bought more yarn the next day. In just a few days I have managed to go from extreme nervousness about buying yarn online to 'wow, that was easy.. click, click, click... more yarn!' But this yarn will be part of a big step for me as a knitter. I'm doing it. I am going to knit a garment. I must give some credit to my bravery of knitting the first sweater vest to Jen at Law & Garter. She has been knitting about as long as I have and her blog is filled with pictures of garments! I need to stop hiding behind this 'beginning knitter' thing and get out there. I bought Wendy Bernard's design Fad-Classic from Knit and Tonic. The pattern uses Tahki Cotton Classic yarn and I thought it would be best to stick to the pattern as much as possible the first time around. So, I bought Tahki Cotton Classic yarn but in a deep teal color. Progress pictures to come soon...

I hate our crappy car. I love my boyfriend.

The Jim scarf had been put on hold. I finished the one skein I had of Malabridgo yarn and Jim looked at the scarf and said, "that is way too short." My reply was, "well, I thought you wanted a really short scarf to just tuck into the top of your coat." "Yeah, if am I only three feet tall. And what coat do you think I am wearing that buttons all the way up to my neck?"Yesterday I got in the car to make a 'quick trip' to the store to buy the second skein of Malabrigo for Jim's scarf. I was driving north on Lincoln Ave and about a block away, I realized that Rock around the Block was going on. Chicago has neighborhood fests all summer long; in July and August there is one just about every weekend. This neighborhood fest was in between me and my yarn. I realized I wasn't going to find parking and turned around to go home, the yarn would have to wait for another day. When I was about a mile and half away from home, the car dies. The service engine light went on then.. nothing. After trying to restart a few times, I called Jim. He walked the mile and a half to get the car while saying, "don't worry we can still get you to the store!" and, "I see you, I am a block away. I'll save you!" (while waving his arms dramatically above his head) We got home, hopped on the scooter, got to the store, bought the Malabrigo (and more) and were home before 4pm. What a man!

Was it worth it? Oh, yeah!

The yarn I went to the store for is the Malabrigo in Rich Chocolate. I also bought another skein of Malabrigo, two of Cascade Yarns, Baby Alpaca Chunky, and two balls of Bambini Soft. I've never heard of the Bambini Soft. It was made in Italy and most of the tag is written in Italian. I can tell you, however, that it is 54% pure new wool, 24% nylon, and 22% cotton. Not sure what I will use it for but there were only two balls left and they were on sale. Overall a very satisfying Sunday.

New Yarn

Yesterday morning I bought yarn online...for the first time. I am nervous. As I have stated before, I don't really know anything about yarn, but I want to. I figure the best way to find out is to just buy some! Good for me, not so good for my budget.

Ok, I bought Cascade Yarns 220 in yakima heather for a pair of manly socks. It is 100% pure new wool. Hopefully it isn't too itchy for socks. I am trying to make slightly baggy, slipper-type socks.

Also in my shopping basket is O-Wool Balance in opal. This is supposed to be for Knit and Tonic's Le'Slouch pattern. The pattern calls for Classic Elite Yarn, City Lights which has some sparkle in it. I don't think I am down with the sparkle. The O-Wool is 50% organic merino, 50% organic cotton. At least it will be soft!

If the yarn doesn't work out, I can always use it for something else. But this is why the two times I have bought yarn, I have gone to the store to ask the very knowledgeable staff their opinions. However, yesterday I had to work from noon to eight, the stores were only open while I was at work, and well, I wanted to buy something. Is that wrong?

Jim's Scarf

Jim decided that he wanted a 'very plain' scarf for this coming fall. I am using malabrigo yarn in rich chocolate that I purchased from Knit1. Today I was browsing blogs and I came across a post on Knitty Gritty Thoughts and she is making the same scarf only a different color. Not that finding someone who is making a garter stich scarf is unusual. I was just excited because I don't really know anything about yarns yet and I picked the yarn I did because I liked the color and it was soft. Anyway, here is a link to the post. Here are pics of Jim's scarf in progress: