The Knitting Journeyman

Gathering Up One Thread At A Time As I Weave This Web Of Mine.....

Friday, February 6, 2009

Knitting

Ok--so you know I've been sick.

Today I finished my Chinese waves washcloth--and will be happily using it tonight in my shower-hahaha--well--the girl will probably beat me to it--but still--it's the thought that counts. And it counts as a FO too.

I started it yesterday--but my fever came back in the afternoon so I spent alot of time cat-napping between calls and I didn't finish it. I'll provide more details when I post the pictures.

I finally finished my second version of the spring beret --and I am very very happy with this one--I haven't taken it off my head yet-so that's a good sign. :-)

In case I haven't mentioned--and I will have pictures and more details up once I feel better again--or at least better than I feel right now--The Chenille Shack is an amazing and wonderful place. I will post more details once I get pictures up--yeah--I know--I keep saying that--but I mean it. I love Jeanne--she sent me free yarn as a birthday present--isn't that terrific? How can you beat free yarn--especially when it is so pretty?

I have found myself doing things I would never have thought I would do--usually I give a bunch of knitted things away when I start having too many around or when I just get tired of looking at it--this year I kept looking at the yarn I used with certain projects and whimpering about the yarn--noro kureyon, kettle dyed malabrigo---oh my oh my. And me, I still have not gotten to a lys yet--and nothing online does anything for my weird need to touch things and stroke things--and then buy 1 single skein of something or another--or several single and unrelated skeins of something. I have taken to frogging things--alot-- lately. And I have to locate the scarf I did--the seaweed pattern--blue wool--I am so taking that apart and reclaiming the yarn as my own again. :-)

I am getting really tired of the only yarn store I have seen being joanns or michaels--I just want a real yarn only store--that's all. :-) Maybe I can torment someone enough to get him to take me soon. :-) It's not all that fair that the yarn we need for his next project can be gotten at the dollar store. :-) Imagine if you will--a willie warmer made from--fun fur. Blue fun fur--but still. :-) Ya have to have a guy who wears a kilt in your life to really be able to have this sort of fun. :-)

And since I got the bonus at work, I decided the pen will not be my only birthday present. I bought myself a hand-operated (naturally) yarn ball winder and a yarn swift--I bought my yarn swift from ebay--mostly because I figured it was faster and less expensive just to buy one--and this one is beautiful in red mahogany stain. :-) I have a thing for red woods--I can offer nothing more than that. Plus I love real wood. :-) And to make it better (or worse since I had to pay state tax--which made this a whole 20 cents or so more expensive than the not in-state ones that weren't as pretty) I bought locally--or as locally as I am able. :-) It was in the same state as I am in--that for me counts alot. IL really does have alot to offer, huh? The Chenille Shack is in IL as well. :-)
My ball winder arrived today ( I ordered both the swift and the winder February 3)--and the swift should be here tomorrow or Monday. :-)

I have yarn in mind to play with since I want to make a wabi sabi shawl --it's something I have wanted to do for awhile--and the stitch pattern still wakes me up in the middle of the night as I ponder it--and pray knittinghelp.com has something to help me visualise everything and figure out how to do it.....
worse yet--I think the yarn I am planning to use is still in WV--although the trip to WV is currently being planned--or at least is in the let's talk about it phase and all.

I also have alot of wool sitting here waiting to be spun into balls--and I will admit the lack of desire to wind these yarns has stopped me from just picking up needles and working on different things at various times. I will no longer have that issue.

Why didn't I buy a spinning wheel?
Let's start with the obvious--where will I be sticking my spinning wheel--other than my bedroom? Uh huh. :-)
I have who knows how much stuff at my dad's wherever--and we still have to bring it back here.
Then there's the whole--fiber addiction and having to locate space to stash fiber--much less the stashes of yarn and sweaters I currently have--that's 2 kinds of sweaters--the felted sweaters to be used to make a blanket or whatever--and the stash of sweaters to take apart and turn back into yarn. And we won't get into the fabric stash either--right? :-)

Do you know what I want to do?
I want to take some of the felted sweaters and turn them into a patchwork styled skirt. :-) And I think I shall, once I have all my sewing machine bits here. :-)


Ok.
Space for the wheel.
Space for the stash.

And I don't know much about spinning wheels. I know what I want -- but that doesn't really mean that's what I need. I want to make mostly worsted and bulky weight yarns--but that doesn't mean I will. And there is always the what sort of fiber will I be using--which is also meaning what the heck can I afford to use--and you buy a spinning wheel--you become a fiber addict--which means you need to learn to comb and card the fiber as well...which leads to the buying of all sorts of accouterments I am not prepared for at the moment--which leads me right back to the I don't really know much about spinning wheels and am not comfortable getting myself into something like that right this minute.


And now--I msut go teach my dd how to fry a small dead bird--she thawed out a cornish rock hen this morning and is demanding I teach her how to fry the thing--so off I go.
Peace.