No April Foolin'

I'm really bummed becaue I took a picture of the beautiful bouquet of flowers by bf surprised me with when he came home last night. I thought I sent the pic either via Hello or Picasa, but somehow I managed to lose it. So that's not the opening pic for this blog. But there is this:



I ran out to B&N Tuesday night and bought not one, but two copies of Yarn Harlot's book. The bookbookbook is here and I was happy to have found it. They had just received a shipment when I called. It wasn't even on the shelf, so I didn't feel bad about taking two! While I was at B&N, being the freakish reader that I am, I couldn't just pick up my books on hold and leave, now could I? Well, I suppose I could, but that wouldn't make for interesting reading either. So as I perused the bookshelves and looked in the knitting section, I saw a book that I've been wanting for awhile. I was debating if I should spend more money and then figured, ah, what the hey! I wanted it, Montse Stanley's The Knitter's Handbook, and decided to buy it after all. Upon purchasing it (at retail price of $19.95, as it says on the jacket), I realized when I got home that I did not pay nearly enough for it. The receipt says I paid $4.95 for the book, so I guess I am glad that I decided to "splurge" to buy it after all !

Thanks to everyone that came by and took a look. I do appreciate it. This blogging thing is kind of addictive. I was trying to find a place to host some pictures online while trying to figure out Blogger/Hello/Picasa altogether. Anyhow, when bf came home, I did manage to drag myself away from my PC and work on the baby blanket some more. Almost at section 13 and with some knitting girls meeting up tonight, I'll definitely get more progess in on this thing. I want to finish it by the weekend! Then I can use my needles for something perhaps a bit more Tempting. I'm trying to talk myself out of it, but not really sure why.

Another blogger, Cathi posted about starting it not long ago and now I'm really intrigued by it. I like the wool version and may do that in the fall, but I am contemplating one in a cotton, cotton/blend or some type of ribbon-type yarn for the spring/summer. Perhaps I'll bring some choices to knit night to get an opinion or post some pics to the blog and get suggestions. I think I will do some swatches and post to the blog. Hey, maybe I'll do a blogpoll! Woo-hoo, that would be something (especially if I can figure out how to do so!!)

The baby blanket is in the final stretch. As soon as I can get this done, I can reclaim my sz 7 needles for something else. That's probably the only reason I haven't started the Tempting thing yet. But I promised you a photo of the earflap hat and here's that:



Yes, the hat is that dark. It is after all navy with red stripes. So even though it does look the pic is dark, it is navy. After looking at the hat again, I do like the striping sequence. Maybe it just took time to grow on me. Or because I was thinking it would be one way and it changed from that. I'll have to get working on the earflaps and icord this weekend, so hopefully I'll have more to share with you by Monday.

Lastly, here's just a pic of my lonely Boogaj bag that is waiting to be completed. I finished knitting it because I started it and even felted it, but it wasn't as big as I thought it might be, so I guess I'm not that happy with it. But I guess I should assemble it and then maybe I'll gift someone with it! There's a thought.
So here's that pic and I'm outta here for the day.

A New Start

Today is interesting because I decided to start a blog. I've been fascinated by the idea of a blog for quite some time. I signed up for this blog thing, but have since not bothered to actually do anything with it. Blogging seems exciting, but also scary. As though you're really putting yourself out there. Anyhow, well, I guess I should start by introducing myself.

I'm Wanda, 32 yo and am a knitting fanatic. I live in Denver, CO, home to many wonderful yarn shops, much to my delight and dismany (only financially!). I learned to knit about 4 years ago by wondering into a yarn store and wanted to learn how to knit. I became so enchanted by all the wonderful yarns I saw that I signed up for a knitting class on the spot. I took the class and took to knitting like a duck to water. The rest is history. I don't consider myself an intermediate or advanced knitter, but nor am I am complete novice.

I have about 4 projects going right now. The highest priority one is for my nephew, arriving soon! My sister is pregnant and is due mid-May. The yarn I'm using is Sirdar Snuggly (DK weight) in a pretty periwinkle blue color that matches the bedding she's chosen for him. My nephew will be named Chason, which I think is so cute. I'm so excited to be an auntie! It's my first time. The pattern I'm using has 14 block sections and I'm currently on section 12, so not too much further to go. Here's a progress pic taken from last week:


Chason Baby Blnket

I love knitting socks and usually have socks in the project lineup. Right now I have a pair of socks I'm working on using a blueberry waffle sock pattern. Usually I do my plain vanilla stockinette sock pattern, but I guess I felt like doing something different with my sock. I usually am not much for stitch patterning or texture b/c most of my knitting is done while chatting with friends at a knit group, watching T.V. or otherwise engaged and not just paying attention to my knitting. My knitting is usually mindless knitting and I love it. Although this pattern did require a little more of my attention than usual stockinette, it wasn't too bad. I've got the first sock down, but haven't cast on for the second sock yet. Just trying to get the baby blanket done. But here's a picture of the completed sock.



blueberry waffle stitch in Fortissima

And another with a closeup:


closeup of stitch pattern


Before I wrap this up for today, last week I was ready to begin working on a hat for the dbf's son. He requested a hat with ear flaps and long i-cord handles hanging from the flaps. He wanted the hat to be in blue, with a red stripe. Since I'm trying (not very effectively) to not buy yarn, or use stash yarn, if at all possible, I knew I had some dark blue Gedifra Cordillera in navy blue. The yarn is an alpaca/wool mix and is very soft. I loved working with it. I have lots of it that I bought on sale from a now-defunct yarn store in Longmont, CO (Over the Moon). However, I didn't want to open bran-new balls of yarn when I had some yarn that a friend did a swatch of one ball on her knitting machine a couple of years ago and two balls that I knitted on a sweater in the round, that wound up being too small. I never ripped out the yarn and it's just been sitting there, waiting for me to do something with it.

So since I've read blogs of others ripping out yarn from old projects and soaking them, I decided to take a try at this. I read on Keyboard Biologist's blog on entry dated 1/3 where Teresa ripped out a project. Taking a cue from her, I ripped out the yarn and soaked in a tub of hot water with Eucalan with lavender oils and some Suave coconut conditioner for 30 minutes or so. I gave it a good soaking, pushing it down, but not letting it agitate. Then coming back and checking on it and pushing down again a few times. Here's a lovely picture of it soaking:





Since I frequently tend to skip past many of the instructions, I did not read the part of Teresa's post, which also links to another page, which shows where you hank the yarn first and then soak it. Then you hang it up to dry and then wind it into skeins. Oh, no, why would I do that? In my haste, I managed to just rip out the yarn. Which it did take me some time to get around to doing that (2+ years) and then I just dropped the baby in the bath water. Which made for lots of fun untangling the yarn while wet to attempt to hank it. But it did happen, see? :-)




The yarn was dry after hanging it up on hangers in the shower by the next morning and was ready to wind up into center-pull balls, which I did. I then began knitting in earnest for a hat for the boy. I did finish the regular hat part of it, but haven't done the earflaps or anything else. He told me later (after I'd done the first stripe of which he indicated he wanted one red stripe in the hat), that he wanted several striped in the hat, so I added two more stripe sequences, but I'm not sure if he will like it. I will take a picture tonight to post for tomorrow.

I guess that's it for me today. Should anyone see this, please feel free to leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you.