Stash Flash

To finish off SP10, I figured I should post my stash... so yesterday, while my girls had a nap, I took pictures of all of my yarn:

First, my actual workbasket. It holds my current WIP. This sits next to my chair and is usually pretty neat. In the middle of a big project (or several small ones) it might explode a bit all over the place though.


I normally don't buy yarn unless it's for a project. Sometimes I will buy yarn and not start it right away, and then with my swaps lately I have a bit of a back log. Most of what is in my stash is remains from old projects. Whether it's a full ball or a tiny scrap - most of my stash is stored in here:


I did actually take pictures of groups of yarn. If you are interested in seeing it, I started organizing all those pictures in flickr. Here's a small sampling though:


I received the next bag from my sister in law (christmas?) just in time for it to store my spun yarns. Most of them are found on this blog, but they are also included in the flickr stash.



My lopi (both left over and remains)


and then fully displayed


My fiber stash (allowing for the big bag of brown alpaca, the smaller big bag of dark brown/black wool, and the big bag of free old white-ish wool I can play with dyeing and techniques - which are not shown)


Of course, you have to add in my latest swap package and the yarn I just bought for baby blankets and bears (fully viewable on the flickr stash)

SP10 finale

Over the weekend I found out that my last swap package was on its way to me... I didn't expect it to arrive on monday!




In the card, Chelle explained that she's legally blind and the reason she was gone in the middle of the swap is she was at guide dog school! So although she is allergic to chocolate (sob!), animal yarns (sob!) and allergic to dogs and cats (ditto - me too!), she was getting her first guide dog.


The yarns are Cascade 220 (color 2435), indigo moon -so squishy! (lot 243- forest green) and some Koigu KPPPM (P820226). They are all SO nice :) and of course, my daughters tried to swipe the chocolate already, but it is mine!


Thank you SO much Chelle! Maylee (her dog) is such a cutie! I hope you keep reading and commenting.. awesome swap!

Not another FO yet

Progress is being made on the Dulaan hat, the SockYarn Melon Shawl, and the Pirate Sock. I also went through my shawl yarn I had spun up and plied it a bit tighter (paying more attention as I plied). Pictures next time perhaps. Nothing is quite done yet...

I also wanted to send people over to Claudia's MS page where she is trying to raise money, and reward people by drawing prizes... If you donate there you can also check out Cara's June 7 post and email two others who are raffling off prizes.



There was also an announcement today about the beginning of Mystery Stole 3. I've been staring at some of Melanie's other patterns for a while now... trying to get up my nerve to buy one and start it. With the Mystery Stole group she will be releasing the information bit by bit (almost) every week over the summer, and slowly it will come together. I've been looking at different yarn... I'm thinking of this - in fawn perhaps (she suggested white or black... or cream or gray) - seeing I only need 1200 yards, that would be plenty. ..and then I have to decide if I want to use beads or not... and what kind.. if I decide to do that option. She's closing sign-ups July 6th, so if you're interested, sign up soon!

Hopefully I'll have something finished (or close to finished) soon...

The Project Bunny

I finished the felted bunny. Last night, while in spindlers chat, I sewed up the stuffing hole, and sewed on eyes and a nose/mouth, and attached a little pompom tail.



My older daughter was still awake, and she wanted to carry the little bunny in to her sister - so I quickly snapped the pictures and we placed it in her sleeping embrace. She was very pleased this morning to see it, and hugged it all day, before placing it on her bed with super monkey and the blue fish and her teddy bear.... (and mommy realized the toy craze needs to end).


I also finished this pretty yarn for a shawl:


I think I might need to send it through the wheel one more time - the ply is a bit loose... but I can do that. I also ordered another bit of angora from the copper moose, so I can spin up the rest of the blue wool, and have more angora to ply it with. I currently have that one skein - about 590 yards. I used a little over half of the blue wool, and 2 oz of angora - so I should end up with almost (not quite) double that.


And of course, since I finished those things, the project bunny brought me new projects to start...

Recovered (frogged) knit picks sock yarn. Two held together, with a US 7 right now - hat for dulaan... I need to mail the boxes off soon, maybe next week.



And other sock yarn from knit picks... My younger daughter wants a shawl. Her older sister already has one and she suffers from 'me-too'ism. I figured with two balls of this yarn (to be further identified later) I could make a decent size shawl for her. The pattern is the melon shawl from Victorian Lace Today, although I'm not sure I'll do the edging that is part of the pattern.

She is so excited when I told her I was finally working on a shawl for her... tonight she made her father hand it to me (I was sitting away from my basket) and once I held it up and showed her again she looked at me and told me to 'knit mommy! knit my shawl!' after I gave her a look she added a 'please'. This one might take a while, as the blue and white shawl will get priority again as soon as the angora comes in the mail (I ordered last night, and already got a tracking number this morning).

Last night, while watching The Painted Veil (strange movie, not bad, but strange) I also ripped back a bit in the pirate sock, and started knitting back up again with 8 less stitches going around. Instead of a slow spiral it now is just a stripe-y jumble - hooray! I am slowly moving back to the knitting - I'm sure the spinning will pick up again next week :)

Virtual Vacation Questions

I do have some finished things to share.. perhaps a post later today - but in the meantime....

Here's the questions (and answers) for this swap - I'll have to remember to link to this post once our matches get sent out.

1. If you could visit any state in the US, which would it be and why?
Ummm, some place warm in the winter... like arizona or new mexico, or some place cool in the summer, like minnesota..

2. If you could visit any country in the world, other than your own, which would it be and why?
I really am interested in asian cultures, so maybe a country there. ...or Ireland - that has always been interesting to me also.

3. Have you ever driven across several states/providence/countries?
Yes, I've driven (or navigated) from east to west coast right through the middle (from MA to UT through I90 and I80) and I was part of a trip down to DC (too young to drive)

4. Have you ever visited someplace you consider exotic? Where was it?
nope

5. What was your favorite "travel" vacation? Why?
Short trip up to NH/Maine with my husband (for our 5 year anniversary) - without kids, no real plans... we ended up beach walking and kayaking and just walking around town.

6. Have you ever played tourist in your own home city/state (if international, country)? Explain.
I've seen some of the local sites, not all of them though

7. Are you a museum visitor, beach comer or an amusement seeker?
Hmmm... not so much museum, but i do like to see well-known things in person. I guess I'm more of a lazy sit around beach kind of vacation with a couple of fun things thrown in (I wouldn't want to plan a vacation with nothing but sitting and relaxing.

8. What's your favorite type of yarn?
Something soft, beautiful color (natural color or dyed nicely), and useful - not too bulky - more lace, fingering, sport, and maybe some worsted

9. What's your least favorite type of yarn?
ack. anything that isn't pleasant to knit with... I do use novelty yarns for stuffed teddy bears, but not for much else.

10. What items do you like to knit/crochet?
I do many baby gifts... I do socks, and sweaters and shawls, and ummm, yeah, most things. Look around my blog.

11. What do you pack, knit/crochet wise when you go on vacation?
At least a sock or other small mindless knitting project - and probably something more complicated for when I want to think.

12. What other crafts do you do/would like to do other than Knit/Crochet?
I spin.. I've toyed with dyeing. I know how to net. I do a bit of crocheting (mostly knitting though). Some day I will weave, but not yet.

13. Are you allergic to anything? (Yarn wise or treat wise)
Dogs and Cats. I also don't drink tea or coffee.

14. What is your favorite color? Least Favorite?
I wear a lot of blues and greens, but I also love jewel tones and earth tones. I don't like pastels... but my girls love neons and pastels, so anything sent will be loved by someone in the house

15. Sweet or Savory (Treat not personality)?
Sweet usually. Chocolate. Yes. Dark or Milk - very rich or with good stuff in it.. just no coffee or tea stuff in it or with it... it'd have to be passed on to others.

16. Anything else we are forgetting to ask that you think your partner desperately needs to know?
Ummm... my whole family is into my crafts, so anything sent will be petted and hugged and maybe swiped away (but I will do my best to protect and keep it! lol) I look forward to hearing from you !