Snowy Days

It has been raining white flurries from the sky for about two days now, which makes me ever glad for wool. I've been hunched over a cardigan, seaming it together, eminently grateful that it warms my lap. And can I just say that my seaming skills are getting really good?!

I've completed the back of Cardigan #2 and it looks fabulous. Mr. Goat, the hubs, even offered up a voluntary, "that's beautiful" comment for me.

Today, my first knitting meet-up group is supposed to take place at the Windy Saddle. As I look out the window, eyeballing the 3 or so inches that cover the ground and the slushy looking side road, I wonder if we will still meet. Hmmmm.... the hesitant decisions we all must face...

I'm also a wee bit sad, too. While I love taking care of my beautiful girls and the growth I am experiencing in my design biz, I miss spinning yarn on my Ladybug! I think she misses me as much as I miss her, so I have promised to devote at least 30 minutes to fondling her fiber today.

Needles!

Knitters who have been around a while start to amass a collection of needles. You have your straights in a huge range of sizes, but then you delve into the world of circulars (where you need not only certain sizes, but different lengths) and double-pointeds (that offer varying lengths, too).

Many of my friends groan and moan about where to keep them all, how to store them, how to quickly access them. While I would like a super spectacular, instant access, gigantic binder, I am pretty happy with my own storage solution.

Circulars
My lovely and amazing sister (in-law) made me my circular needle holder. Every time I take/replace a needle, I am utterly grateful for its simplicity. It hangs by my desk, over the bookshelf (filled with knitting books, of course)


Straights and Less-Frequently-Used DPNS
I keep them in these lovely vases that were gifted to me - the green one is handmade by a sweet friend. I have a feeling the vase situation might be growing again soon.


I keep my most frequently-used dpns in my kick-booty Knitter's Sachel, along with whatever needles/notions/tools I need for my current project (because that bag goes with my EVERYWHERE!)

Hope you enjoy the needle storage inspiration. I'd love to see pics of your solutions, too!

In the meantime, HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES to my sweet sis Jac. Smooches. :)

MIA

It would seem that I have been MIA for a while, but with my super secret projects and keen business savvy, I have merely been hovering in the background knitting my fingers to the bone. Cardigan #1 is 92% complete (blocking right now with plans this week to sew and trim) while Cardigan #2 was started (sitting at about 14% complete). Needless to say, the next few weeks will continue to expand in their craziness as schematics must be drawn, charts completed, patterns edited, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc .... yeesh! Sometimes, I wonder what I have gotten myself into.

Plymouth Galway knitted up SO beautifully! Oh my gosh! Seriously. But, there is a weeeeee leeeeetle problem with the purple. It tends to ... um... bleed a bit. LOL I knew something might be amiss when the water turned a lovely shade of lilac

(that's my 2 year old daughter's hand playing in the water)

And then when I unrolled my project pieces, imprints were left behind!


Haha! Ah well... its just the name of the game. When I become rich and famous (one day?), I'll buy new towels. Totally worth it.

It is just not going to happen. It can't be done. Everything on my humongous, ginormous to-do list, that is. I think I am fighting a losing battle of chores, Valentine's Day cards, child care, meal planning, pattern writing, design sketching, article writing, and knitting. What good is a nifty planner and schedule if you don't have enough hours in the day? Or have children who refuse to cooperate? Or illness that won't stay away? Yegads.

I will go drown my sorrows in a cup 'o chai and my plymouth galway yarn.

Better

I'm feeling loads better! Yea! I spent most of my sick time graphing out two cardigans and finalizing my numbers for grading (thanks to Excel). I also swatched a couple of things for a few ideas floating in my head.

The Galway yarn by Plymouth is now being knitting up for Creative Knitting. It is SO beautiful!! I am truly impressed with the stunning stitch definition, flecks of color, and drape of the fabric. It is FABULOUS.

In the meantime, I am annoyed to have to drive in this to take my darling daughter to school. Bleh.

Catch Up

Being sick is no fun. Especially when you add two sick kidlets, household chores, and 4 weeks of knitting/design work to the mix. Needless to say, I'm a few days behind right now on the work and I won't even garner a guess on how long it will take me to catch up on chores! I'm still trying to expel this crud from my system. Groan... I do have to tell you, though, the amazing thing my hubs, the Goat, did. He came home early one day this week to let me nap, watch the kids, do dishes, and fold two loads of laundry. Sigh... he makes it all worthwhile.... :)

I do have some other fun tidbits to share - Like the yarn I received this week:

This 100% soysilk from South West Trading Company is soooooo deliciously soft. It is smooth, almost like ribbon, and knits beautifully. Even though black is not known for its ease of use, the stitch definition is stunning. It does catch pretty easily on the needle, so the beginner or speed knitter might want to add a bit of extra mindfulness while working it.


Galway (worsted color nep) by Plymouth is so squishy, soft, and SUPER easy to work with. The stitch definition is awesome!! I have not discovered a con with this yarn, so I am eager to explore it more for my project.

I also decided to try out my new Harmony Needles by Knit Picks. I was a little hesitant to purchase wood, since I am the type of gal who likes metal for its ridiculously slick speed (tee hee), but I was pleasantly surprised at how these handled.

Did you see that sharp tip? Yee-haw! It also helps that the needles are pretty to look at, too.

Ok, enough goofing off. Back to work.

January is finished!

I have finished my January goals. Shall I remind you? Two sleuthing hoodies, 2 pairs of socks, and 4 design submissions. The first two designs were accepted and should show up this November in Creative Knitting Magazine. I'm still waiting to hear on the other two, but those may take a while anyway. The hoodie I just finished is so cute. I discovered that I wasn't a big fan of the superfine cestari (inconsistency in the yarn weight + a LOT of breakage), but the colorway, dyed up by Robynn, was fabulous. At the very least, it is super soft. Please, please, PLEASE pay no attention to my horrendous photography skills. :(



Also, in the month of Jan, my pattern sales + a very very GENEROUS donation from Connie, resulted in a grand total of $122.50 for Doctors Without Borders! Woot!! I've seen some other pattern designers rake in the dough, so I am confident that us knitters are making a huge impact. Yea for you!!!

Speaking of other knitters, I discovered a new blog that I have greatly enjoyed: Knitting to Stay Sane. But, the best part about her blog? She (Glenna C), pointed me to something FAB.U.LOUS that I have to get my hands on: a wee-sized scale! Not only will it be awesome to have in the yarn shop, but it will be a big boost to my herbal preparations. I mean, how nifty is it to carry a tiny little scale around in your purse!?!?! So that will be my next purchase on pay day.

Now I need to get started on February plans (assuming this wretched cold doesn't take me out of the game) ...