Yarntastic Day!

So I mentioned on Friday that a bit of sock yarn had entered my home lately. I splurged a bit since it was my birthday. Yeah, that's the perfect excuse. :) Prepare to drool!

(Pick Up Sticks Club and Rockin' Sock Club are the last photos so as to not spoil the surprise for other members).
Duet Skinny from A Swell Yarn Shop in Sailor Girl. Absolutely love this color combination! This is the new thinner sock weight Duet.

Cascade Fixation in Denim (2608) and Chocolate (7382). Adrienne knit a pair of socks with Fixation and brought it to knitting Group. They were so fabulous I want to knit some for myself!

Meilenweit Cotton Fantasy #812 (Blue and Tan) and #803 (Pinks and Browns). This just looked like great cotton sock yarn. It's 45% cotton, 42% wool, and 13% polyamide.

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock in Undertoe (Mediumweight).
Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock in Socktopus (Mediumweight). Absolutely love this color and the name!

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock in Foo Foo (Mediumweight).

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock in Footzey-Foo (Mediumweight)


2007 Rockin' Sock Club April kit color, Walking on the Wild Tide, using the new base yarn, Silkie - a silk and wool blend. Absolutely stunning color!

And last, but not least the Pick Up Sticks April Sock Club Kit with Zen Yarn Garden in Spring Garden. The perfect spring colors. :)

So, which is your favorite? ;)

The Return of My Knitting Mojo

Just a few days ago you may remember I lamented the loss of my knitting passion. Well, I'm glad to report I think it's back. After a wonderful trip to The Fold on Saturday with (most of) my Knitting Group I felt ready to knit and never look back. Unfortunately I couldn't start knitting right away Saturday night as we had dinner plans with Matt's little brother, but the dinner was fantastic, so I survived. :) Yesterday I knit most of the day and night. I am now nearly finished with the first Thermal sleeve. Clearly I won't be done by Thursday when we leave for Oregon, but I do have faith that this top will be done by the end of April. Hooray!



As for my purchases from the Fold, you may be surprised at what restraint I showed while being faced with a full selection of Socks that Rock and thousands of other yarns. With future packing for our impending move looming in my brain I decided to not go crazy and just pick out a few things. On the left is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Seduction in Ms. LaRock (tencel/wool sock yarn). In the middle, two skeins of Gypsy Girl Creations sock yarn in Cattails. And finally, two balls of Heirloom Breeze yarn. These came with a pattern for the cutest baby hat (for undisclosed future baby in the immediate family). I also found some cute buttons for Thermal.

The yarn shopping was wonderful however it was not the highlight of the day. What I loved best was the laughing and chatting and smiling. I have never had very many female friends and now I know what I've been missing. Our field trip was a blast! I had such a terrific time and I can't wait for our next outing to Madison in May.

Restructuring

In order to get around this ennui I've been having with regards to my knitting I'm overhauling my whole project list process. In the past I have kept a large list of future projects broken into categories (e.g., sweaters, scarves) and then listed the projects with no particular priority. I also have my giant sock list with patterns and yarns all matched up. Then, I had a month by month goal list with projects assigned to each month. (My god this sounds geeky!)

Not anymore. I'm redoing the whole list and the way I'm doing it is by project type and then priority. (Yeah, sometimes I have a lot of free time). So, here's yet another revised list of what I'll be knitting in the future. I'll try to be working on something from each group at any one time, but I don't think I will restrict myself by monthly goals anymore. Also, these lists come with the disclaimer that I will rearrange, add, and remove things on random whims.

Scarf/Hat Projects:
1) Endpaper Mitts (Blues)
2) Coronet Hat and Here & There Cables Scarf in Malabrigo Brown Berries with Anemoi Mittens
3) Patons SWS Entrelac Scarf and Ribbed Hat
4) Wide Ribbed Scarf and Hat for Matt (Brooks Farm Duet)
5) Fake Isle Hat in Noro #148
6) Endpaper Mitts (Greens)

Socks:
1) Posh Yarns - another toe-up attempt.
2) Duet Socks from A Swell Yarn Shop
3) Project Runway Socks - Yarn from Yarntini
4) Philosopher’s Stone Socks for Matt (again)
5) Stillwater Lorna's Laces Desert Flower Socks

Sweaters:
1) Pippa Cardigan
2) Wicked
3) Knitting Pure & Simple Top Down Shaped Neck Cardigan
4) T-Twist in Green/Brown Brooks Farm
5) Shaped Neck Tee in Red/Brown Brooks Farm

And there you have it! Now, on to some actual knitting....

Marmalade Citrine Socks
Pattern: Marmalade
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock in mediumweight Citrine
Needles: Inox 2.5mm (US 1)
Start Date: January 15, 2007
End Date: January 24, 2007
Comments: These may be the most cheerful socks I've ever knit. I love the combination of pattern and color. They knit up quickly and I did not change a thing. Not much else to say about them.

Great Pattern + Great Yarn + Great Needles = Wonderful Socks

Monday Already?

This weekend went by a little too quickly and here we are at Monday morning already. Well, only 5 days until the weekend! :)

I didn't knit too much this weekend since we went to see Pan's Labyrinth at the theater on Saturday (it was fantastic!) and then yesterday I spent most of the day reading. I started The Terror by Dan Simmons the other night and I'm totally engrossed. It combines naval historical fiction with a supernatural thriller. Great combination for a cold wintry weekend read.

As for the knitting, I did finish the first Marmalade Citrine sock and I'm already on the foot of the second one. The mediumweight Socks that Rock just flies off the needles! I did knit a little on the Phoebe sweater, but I'm just not sure if I'll continue. I'm unsure whether it is the yarn or what, but I'm not really into the project. I think I may stick with knitting a few winter accessories for a while. And socks. I do love to knit socks... :)

Hooray for Friday!

This has been one very long week and I'm very happy the weekend is nearly here. Work has been somewhat busier than usual so I'm looking forward to a couple days away from the office.

I'm now in the gusset decreases of the first Marmalade Citrine Sock (Socks that Rock mediumweight in Citrine, Marmalade pattern). The heel flap looks terrific! The slipped stitch pattern is knit over the whole flap. Pretty nifty.

I'm in love all over again with the yarn. I am pretty sure this was the first Socks that Rock I ever bought and even though at first I thought the colors were too cheery for mid-January knitting, turns out they are perfect to brighten my mood. Oh, and why do I ever knit with any other yarn? I just love the mediumweight Socks that Rock so so much (I use the word "love" a lot when I talk about this stuff, don't I?).

Wednesday night we had a terrific Group knitting night. It was one of the first times in over a month that almost everybody could make it. One new person as well as six regulars were able to attend! Welcome to the group, Tamra (hope I'm spelling that right - I'm bad at names and spelling them). I'm so happy we were all able to make it. I had almost forgotten how much fun it is to be with all those wonderful women. Plus Lynae brought her daughter's Girl Scout Cookie order sheet - I love those cookies! :)

To celebrate getting through a month of neck problems I did treat myself to a new bag. I'm normally not one to go for Vera Bradley patterns. They just aren't my style (though I do like the one Liz brings to group). Well, I saw that there were some new prints and I was immediately taken with Pink Elephants. It's the breast cancer awareness pattern for the year so 10% of proceeds will go to the Vera Bradley Breast Cancer Foundation for breast cancer research. And it has pink elephants! Love it!

I got the bucket tote which is just the perfect size for the Phoebe sweater I've started (Not much to show on that one. I've completed the bottom ribbing and an inch of stockinette. Pictures to come when there's something to see). I'm so tempted to get all the little matching accessories with the elephant pattern, but I really need more knitting accoutrement like I need a hole in my head (I have another Offhand Designs bag on special order...). I had almost ordered a Lexie Barnes Flo bag the other day, but then I decided I would really like have a bag that was a little less conspicuous as a knitting bag so this Vera bag fit the bill! (And it has pink elephants!)

In neck pain news, I saw the neurosurgeon yesterday and the good news is that I don't need surgery. Yea! I do need to do 6 weeks of physical therapy, but I kind of expected that. The doctor said that I need to stop participating in any sport that causes jarring, so no more bowling for me. :( I'm pretty bummed about that since I really like to bowl (I'm a good Midwestern girl). Oh well. I'm also not supposed to ever run or jog unless I'm on an elliptical or treadmill. He said I was doing well though and I really do feel better. Bummer that our bodies fall apart. :(

Getting into the swing of things

With the holidays and the neck problem I just haven't been knitting nearly as much. Well, I have been knitting, but I haven't been enthusiastic about it. Perhaps I have a lingering fear that the knitting is what caused the slipped disc though according to the doctor that is unlikely. Whatever it is, I've just not been as into it lately, but I think that time is ending.

I liked those Jingle Bell Socks I knit. And then I saw a cute sweater pattern on Knit Picks and went ahead and ordered it. It's the Phoebe sweater. I really like it. So, the other night I decided it was time to do some spontaneous project knitting and I made my swatch. The pattern calls for Knit Picks Andean Silk (which is lovely), but I had some Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Evergreen languishing in the stash so I'm going to give that a go. Last night I only got an inch of the ribbing done, but I have a feeling this sweater will go pretty quickly once I get going.

The Marmalade Citrine sock is coming along nicely. I have almost finished the leg of the first sock. Looking forward in the pattern I see that the heel flap will have a slipped stitch pattern that matches the leg. Should be fun. I'm very happy with how this pattern looks with the yarn (Socks that Rock in Citrine mediumweight). The color is so light and airy. It makes me think of lemons and cantaloupe. :)

Happily, I'm feeling up to going to Knitting Group tonight. I haven't been able to go since before the holidays! Who all is going tonight?

***Knitting Group is tonight (Wednesday) at the Borders' Cafe in Wilmette (corner of Lake & Skokie). We meet from 6:30 until 8:00 and any yarn enthusiast is welcome!***

Jingle

Jingle Bell Rock Agate Bay Socks
Pattern: Agate Bay from Northern Sunshine Designs (modified to add a repeat for sizing)
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Jingle Bell Rock (lightweight)
Needles: KnitPicks double points US size 0 (2.0 mm) - 9 stitches per inch
Start Date: January 7, 2007
End Date: January 14, 2007
Comments: I'm very happy with how this pair came out. Originally I had planned on just knitting 2x2 rib for the whole sock, but I'm glad I used the Agate Bay pattern. It adds a little pizazz, don't you think? The lightweight Socks that Rock knit up very well and I really like how the colors spiraled on the foot. As with the Philosopher's Stone socks that I'll have to rip out due to yarn shortage, these Jingle Bell Socks were a close call. Luckily I had my little scale to reassure me, but it was still close, even with a short leg. I'm just not sure how much more Socks that Rock in lightweight I'll use since I can't get a longer leg out of it like I can with the mediumweight. These socks do make me smile!

Next up is some Socks that Rock in Citrine (mediumweight). This yarn wasn't on my January knitting goal list. It wasn't on the revised goal list either. I'm clearly ignoring my list! I'm still contemplating what pattern to use. I'm leaning towards Marmalade from Northern Sunshine Designs. Anyone else have an idea? I'll be casting on tonight.

The Demise of the Philosopher's Stone Socks

Today I had hoped to show you the finished Philosopher's Stone Socks for Matt. However, my little orange kitchen scale arrived a few days again and confirmed my fear - I did not have enough yarn to finish the second sock. I told Matt I would need a little time before ripping them out and starting over. He's bummed and so am I.

For posterity I will record that I was knitting the Garter Rib Stitch from Sensational Knitted Socks using lightweight Socks that Rock in Philosopher's Stone. I knit a 6 inch cuff and a 10 1/2 inch foot for the first sock and apparently that took too much yarn and did not leave enough for the second sock. I think when I redo them I may use a different pattern. Any suggestions?

The good news is that the first Jingle Bell Rock sock is finished. Yea! That's the first Socks that Rock Jingle Bell Rock (lightweight) sock. I'm using the Agate Bay pattern and size 2.0mm needles (KnitPicks US 0). I'm absolutely thrilled with the colors and it's pretty cool how I got a little bit of a spiral on the foot.

In nerdy news, I revised my list of projects for the next 6 months. I decided to take the pace down a notch and give myself a little more time for certain projects. The revised goal list for January is as follows:
1) Lichen Socks - FINISHED!
2)Garter Rib Socks (Matt)(STR Philosopher’s Stone) Back to the drawing board...
3) Jingle Bell Agate Bay Socks
4) Tapestry Scarf (and if anything left over maybe a hat?)
5) Moss Sea Stitch Scarf - not too sure about this...I swatched and I wasn't in love with it...
6) Finish Trinket Scarf

I'll now leave you with a random picture of the Jingle Bell Rock socks gusset. I love the gusset decrease.What's your favorite part of a sock?

Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock

Jingle Bells in January? Yep! I started on my Socks that Rock lightweight Jingle Bell Rock socks on Sunday night and they are flying off the needles. I had wound this skein in mid-December, hoping to knit it over holiday break, but the silly neck pain thing changed those plans (in yesterday's post I revealed the solution to the neck pain mystery - a slipped disc!). So, Sunday night, as I was feeling better, I could resist the call of this brightly colored and festive sock yarn no longer. Who cares if it's the middle of January!

I only knit an inch or so of 2x2 ribbing on Sunday night so on Monday I decided to use the Agate Bay Sock Pattern (the pattern starts with 1x1 ribbing, so pretty close). I had to modify the Agate Bay pattern by adding a repeat just to be sure the sizing would be correct. This pattern is knitting up very quickly and I'm already at the gusset decreases. Ah, how I love Socks that Rock.

The pattern is very unique and I really like that it's just on the leg. The pattern writing itself could be a little better. Firstly, why oh why is there no chart? I used to hate charts, now I almost feel lost without one. A chart would make me so happy...Secondly, in the written instructions, the pattern writer uses dashes/hyphens when it would have been better to use a) nothing or b) commas. Oh well, I love the design and it was cheap so I'm not going to complain too loudly. :)

I'm afraid I'm going to have to miss knitting Group again tonight. :( I am unable to drive yet due to the neck (and the medication) and Matt has to work so he can't chauffeur me. I'll miss you all! It seems like so long since my last Group night...I'm going to do my best to make it next week. For those yarn enthusiasts without injury or excuse, you are welcome to join our little knitting Group at the Border's in Wilmette at the corner of Lake and Skokie. We meet every Wednesday from 6:30pm until 8:00pm. Happy Knitting!

Rockin' Around

Quick, non-knitting report: At around 5:30am on Saturday morning I woke up with the worst searing pain. No matter which way I turned my neck it was intensely painful. Even putting my head on the pillow hurt! Geez! Since then it has slowly gotten better, but man, it hurts! No idea what I did, but we figured I must have pinched a nerve at some point. Ugh! What a way to spend a weekend. :(

As you can imagine, very little knitting happened over the last few days. I only today felt I could pick up the needles, but even then it was just to finish the toe to the first Socks that Rocks Philosopher's Stone sock. I'm going to take it easy on the knitting for a while until my neck is back to normal. I really like how this sock turned out. I used the garter rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks. The lightweight Socks that Rock knit up into a very nice, dense fabric and I just love the combination of colors. Now, to cast on for sock number 2...

In happy cheery news I received the final 2006 Rockin' Sock Club kit today (I'm staying home from work due to the neck pain). The kit included two colors! On the left is Rare Gems in mediumweight. Rare Gems is created when there are dying mistakes. Have you ever seen such a gorgeous mistake? On the right is the official December color - Mustang Sally in lightweight! I absolutely love both of these. The pattern for Mustang Sally is very pretty, but it involves beads...not sure about the beads...The color reminds me of another Blue Moon Fiber Arts color - Cherries Jubilee (I used that color in their cotton sock yarn, Sock Candy this summer). I just love the intense pinky reds. Yea!

So, not sure what knitting will happen in the next few days. Kind of depends on the whole stupid neck thing. Ugh.

Good news is that I did finish Durrow on Friday (I have a feeling the hours of finishing may be what killed my neck). More details on the sweater once it is gifted to the recipient next week. :)

Uninspired Friday Post

Nothing really to report here. I've made some progress on the Socks that Rock Philosopher's Stone sock. I really like the simple garter rib pattern (Sensational Knitted Socks book). I couldn't get the colors to really come out well in this photo. There's no pink. It's all navy, forest green, brown, and grey.

I've been in a bit of a blah mood lately. Not sure why, but I'm hoping the fact that I have a staff potluck at lunch today after which we are free to leave for the rest of the afternoon might brighten my mood. Yea! Afternoon off! Maybe, just maybe, I'll tackle the neck to Durrow. I still haven't heard back from the designer about the neck shaping directions so my plan is to simply knit the front the same as I did the back - genius! :) I'd heard online that a lot of people felt the neck came out too large anyway so this way it should create a higher crew neck. Wish me luck!

Up, Up and Away

Interlocking Balloons

Pattern: Interlocking Balloons from Scarf Style
Yarn: Knit Picks Merino Style in Dusk - almost exactly 5 skeins (approx. 600 yards)
Needles: Size 5 (Denise Set)
Start Date: December 4, 2006
End Date: December 12, 2006
Comments: I had been looking at this pattern for a long time. I always thought it would make a gorgeous scarf, but the chart made my head hurt just looking at it. Don't get me wrong. I love a good chart, but for some reason, this one, with all the little dots, caused me a bit of anxiety. So, with my trusty chart keeper and highlighter tape I began and before I knew it I made it I was through the first repeat.

The Knit Picks Merino Style was perfect for this pattern, allowing for stitch definition, but incredible soft squishiness too. While this isn't a quick knit by any stretch of the imagination, it was a fun knit and I'll be happy to knit another one for myself. (This one is a gift for an undisclosed recipient).

I wasn't able to make it to the end of the the 10th repeat as I started running out of yarn, so I did a total of 9 repeats and 12 rows into the next. The scarf is 9 inches wide (as the pattern predicted), but 72 inches long! Perfect for the tall recipient! The scarf as written was supposed to be 62 inches so I was excited to get such length out the yarn even though I didn't finish the last repeat. I guess my row gauge was totally different (I rarely check that when knitting a scarf).

That leads us to the final gift knitting project of the season - a pair of socks (I totally bailed on knitting a stocking for my nephew. I've promised to do it for his birthday in April or, at the latest, next Christmas. He's 20 months old. I don't think he'll even notice.). These socks will be knit in Socks that Rock Philosopher's Stone (lightweight) using the Garter Rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks. They are another top secret project with an undisclosed recipient (Well, I actually asked the undisclosed recipient if he liked the color just to be sure, so it's not a total surprise, but I'm keeping it quiet anyway - shhh!).

***Knitting Group is tonight (Wednesday) at the Borders' Cafe in Wilmette (corner of Lake & Skokie). We meet from 6:30 until 8:00 and any yarn enthusiast is welcome!***

Socks and Violets

Marble Arches

Pattern: Marble Arches from the October Rockin' Sock Club, medium size
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Pink Granite mediumweight (Rockin' Sock Club color)
Needles/Gauge: KnitPicks dpns size 1, approx. 8 stitches/inch
Start Date: November 6, 2006
End Date: November 10, 2006
Comments: So I knew I knit these quickly, but until I was typing out my start and end dates I didn't realize how quickly. Yowza! I guess it's just further proof that I am absolutely smitten with Socks that Rock (STR). I simply can't put the needles down when I'm knitting with this stuff. I love the density of the yarn and the soft and smooth fabric it creates. And the colors? Love the colors! Yea!
These socks also mark the first time I've used one of the Rockin' Sock Club patterns. So far I haven't been too keen on any of them, but this one is a big winner. I will definitely be using it again. Possibly in a few weeks with some more STR that just arrived at my house:)
(Oh, and someone asked me where I got my sock blockers - found them on ebay, of course! Just go here and check them out. I really think they are great.)



Here's a little picture of my latest Socks that Rock acquisitions. On the left are two Nodding Violets (lightweight) for my knee socks, then we have a mediumweight Downpour and a lightweight Jingle Bell Rock.



Since the Marble Arches socks were all done, I was able to cast on for my long desired Knee Socks in Socks that Rock lightweight Nodding Violets. I'm using the pattern found here. Jen has is almost finished with a pair using this pattern and they look amazing (Jen - please post a picture of your rockin' knee socks)! So far, so good. The lightweight goes a bit slower than the mediumweight, but it's creating a lovely fabric. The colors are even more beautiful knit up. Hands down, these are my favorite colors. I cannot wait to wear them! (Not sure if I'll wear them with a skirt or not...Am I that brave?)

(The colors of this yarn go from a very dark emerald green to an intense purple. I could not get my camera to behave this morning and this is the best I could do. )

A Rockin' End to Socktober

The Arrival of the Penultimate Socks That Rock Rockin' Sock Kit
Yowza! This kit is hands down my favorite so far. I thought I loved Titania the most, but then Pink Granite was delivered and stole my heart. And the pattern? Awesome!

Occasionally I have pondered whether I really needto join the 2007 Rockin' Sock Club. Who am I kidding? Of course I'm going to rejoin. I've even been doing a bit of ebay destashing to raise a some cash and free up room in the sock yarn stash. I love Socks that Rock, sock clubs, packages in the mail, the exclusivity (is that a real word?), the excitiment, the drama - Ok, you get the point:)

Are you going to have Rockin' Socks in 2007?

The Arrival of the September Socks that Rock Rockin' Sock Kit

Hooray! The September Rockin' Sock Club Socks kit came yesterday! I didn't expect to see it until next week so it was quite a surprise to come home to find it waiting. Yea! The color is Titania and it is simply stunning. The kit came with an emergency sock yarn keychain and two patterns. The Titania's Revenge pattern (written specifically for the colorway) is absolutely not my taste (meshy lace with a slanted cable across the foot), but I really like the Central Air pattern. I think it's similar to a lacy one in the Sensational Knitted Socks book that I had already wanted to knit - perfect! Right now I have quite a bit on the needles, so for now I will just admire Titania in the skein:) The two smaller photos are each end of the hank. Lovely variety of fall colors.

And look what arrived from Sunshine Yarns - Here we have Welsh Green Dragon, Swedish Short Snout Dragon, and Brick (The first two complete my collection of the Harry Potter Dragon colors that Dani has created). Since it was Sunshine Yarns' anniversary, Dani included a very nice set of Inox needles and a cute little button with her logo. I just love her yarn! The Brick is perfect for the new Diamante pattern at Knitty.

The weekend with my Mom and Step-Dad was fantastic. We had a great time at the King Tut exhibit and then Saturday we made it up to Wisconsin to tour the Jelly Belly distribution center (Love those jelly bellies!). Then we spent the whole afternoon at the Chicago Botanic Garden. We had so much fun there we purchased a membership so we can go back whenever we want. I look forward to visiting the Garden throughout the different seasons. Ok, time to get some weekend knitting done before the weekend is over!

Stitches Midwest 2006

August in the Chicago area brings not only more unbearable heat and humidity (thought it's actually pretty nice weather right now), it also heralds the arrival of Stiches Midwest and the glorious Market. This year none of the classes called out to me so it was all about the Market.

I went with my friend, Alice, and had fun seeing my friends from knitting GROUP. We had a terrific time. My group was all very concerned that I would buy up all the Socks that Rock at Blue Moon Fiber Arts before they got there, but I left them a few skeins:) Here's Alice buying up some lovely sock yarn at Blue Moon Fiber Arts. We actually ended up at that booth three times during the day! The booth was packed from the moment the Market opened. There's no denying those sock yarns really rock.

It was neat to meet Debra, one of the dyers, and Kaci, who helps coordinate the sock club as well as do all the things necessary to make Socks that Rock rock. (I asked her about the Rockin' Sock Club for next year and she said they should be able to accommodate pretty much everyone as their new production centers are much much bigger - yea!) There were so many amazing colors to pick from - pictures further on in this post.

During the afternoon we ran into fellow knitting GROUP member, Jen, and her mom, Margaret. They were having fun picking out the best colors at Brooks Farm. Look at those gorgeous blues. Mmmm, Brooks Farm. Other fellow knitting GROUP members, Claire, Lynae, Liz, Kathy, and Adrienne, were all enjoying the Market too. It was fun running into each other occasionally and seeing what purchases had been made. I think our next meeting on Wednesday will be a great show-and-tell.

So enough with the words, here's the wool!

Here are the most drool-worthy acquisitions - my new Socks that Rock and Sock Candy!

Top photo from left to right: Covelite, Cracked Canyon, Spot Rock Two, Smoky Topaz, and Rooster Rock.
Bottom photo from left to right: Lovers Leap, Rock My World, Blue Brick Wall, Philosopher's Stone, Kabuki (Sock Candy), and Hurricane (Sock Candy).

I can't wait to figure out what to knit with each skein. I made sure to pick out a few colors that were Matt-friendly as he hasn't gotten any Socks that Rock socks yet. This yarn is simply beautiful. As we shopped around the Market I kept stopping Alice to look in our Blue Moon Fiber Arts bags to admire the beauty. Yea! Socks that Rock! (We won't go into the fact that I'd been having anxiety dreams all week about them being sold out before I got there:)

Next stop was Brooks Farm. I couldn't resist picking up a little more Brooks Farm Four Play. I picked out a couple colors and I think I'll make simple tops with it. Inspired by the Reluctant Mango's beautiful T-Twist top from Knitty, I may try adding that twist edging to the Shaped Neck Tee pattern.

One thing I really kept an eye out for was sock yarn in colors that would appeal to Matt (aside from the super Socks that Rock). I had some luck finding some Lana Grossa Meilenweit Colortweed #1008 and a couple balls of Trekking XXL (#69 and #102). I also couldn't resist the bright colors of the Trekking XXL #136 for myself.
Webs was there with their terrific bargains. I had been busy pricing Noro Kureyon the last few weeks because I plan on knitting Rosedale United (from Knitty) sometime this winter. Well luck would have it that a really great color of Kureyon was on Stitches Special sale (even cheaper than their website!). It's color #157 and has lovely purples, greens, and rust.


My final big splurge was a couple bargain bags of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran at half off. This red color is just gorgeous. I had picked up the Knitting Pure and Simple Shaped Cardigan #241 pattern earlier and I think this yarn will be perfect for it.



Oh, and I had my first blogger sighting. While at the Blue Moon Fiber Arts booth someone asked me if I had a blog because they recognized me! It was Heather from Yarn Liberation Front. Hi!

There you have it. It was a fantastic day overall and I was exhausted by the end. I think Stitches Midwest Market 2006 was a success:)

To Flash or Not to Flash

There is a "flash your sock yarn stash" going on at Knittyboard right now. I jumped right in before considering the consequences of letting it all hang out. I am well aware that I have an outrageous amount of sock yarn (There are actually a number of us around the 70 pair mark - I'm at 71).

I love knitting socks and I love sock yarn. I have the money and space for my sock yarn collection. The amount I have spent on this sock yarn I would have spent at least as much on cigarettes in one year (good thing I quit smoking almost a year ago!). Believe it or not, I know what pattern I will use with each and every skein of yarn - I love to make lists! So, to all those people that like some gratuitous sock yarn pictures, please enjoy. Anyone else...Come back soon! :)

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock

Top Row: Vera, Rainbow, Black Purl, Chocolate Mint Stripe, Bucks Bar, Embers, and Pacific Berries
Bottom Row: Sage, Brick, Peach, Carrot, Douglas Fir, Blackberry, and Safari

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock

Atomic #6, Citrine, Lucy in the Sky, Harvest Moon, & Kryptonite

KnitPicks
Top Row: Simply Stripes Vineyard, Sock Garden Hollyberry, Sock Garden Zinnia, and Essential Navy
Bottom Row: Landscape Cape Cod, Memories Fly Fishing, Landscape Mesa, Landscape Redwood Forest, and Essential Burgundy

Various Handpainted (Vesper, Sunshine Yarns, Claudia Hand Painted, Cherry Tree Hill, Fleece Artist, Mountain Colors, Koigu)
Top Row: Fleece Artist Merino Rose Garden, Fleece Artist Merino Jester, Cherry Tree Hill Birches, Mountain Colors Bearfoot Sierra, Koigu P858, and Koigu Yellow
Bottom Row: Claudia Hand Painted Red Wagon, and Claudia Hand Painted Chocolate Cherry, Sunshine Yarns Gryffindor Stripe, Sunshine Yarns Olive Stripe, and Vesper Astro

Hill Country Yarns
Scratch & Dent Aggies, Scratch & Dent Peachy Pink, Scratch & Dent Pecan, Scratch & Dent Blue Bonnet, Sweet Feet Honey Butter Striping, and Sweet Feet Chocolate Covered Kisses Striping

Trekking XXL
Top Row: 06, 100, 106, 66, and 78
Bottom Row: 30, 105, 05, 71, and 107

Opal, Fortissima, Lang Jawoll, Regia
Top Row: Opal Rainforest Chameleon, Opal Rainforest Ladybug, Forever Jacquard #20, Regia Crazy Colors, Lang Jawoll Jacquard #82
Bottom Row: Fortissima Colori Socka Disco #'s 9050, 9051, 9052, 9053