The Countdown Begins

    This weekend is the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival, held in world famous Rhinebeck, NY. My best knitting buddy and I aren't attending. I believe I mentioned this in an earlier post.


    But now the countdown to next year has begun. I found in my cupboard an old container of macaroons that were no good any more, so I threw them away. I kept the container since it seemed perfect for my Rhinebeck Fund Jar. I cut a hole in the lid, although it's off center, the money that goes in it won't care.

   
    Next I printed a label for my jar of hopes and dreams. I cut it down to size, and it looks awesome. I printed an extra one for my knitting buddy in case she wants to match mine.

    Now all I need is some extra money to start stuffing in there. Come to think of it, Hubs owes me $5 for signing for the pizza last night.....

Sad Face....

    I have one of those on. See, my best knitting buddy and I have decided we aren't going to Rhinebeck this year for the Sheep and Wool Festival. We just have no money with which to splurge on fibery goodness.


    But we have pinky sworn to get a "Rhinebeck Wish Jar" and every time we get even just a little extra money, we promise to put it in the jar. In the course of the next year, we should have saved enough to be able to go.


    It's a shame really, because we only live about 10 miles away from there, so travel money isn't an issue. It'll all be spending money for us.


    I get all excited reading about Clara Parkes and The Yarn Harlot going to Rhinebeck, and it's kind of surreal. It makes me want to go stand out on Rte 9 here in town and watch to see if I can spot them driving by. I'd even get a sign that says "Honk if you're going to Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool!"


    I just hope that they will all be there again next year. The festival is kind of a big deal in the knitting world, so I imagine they will be there.


    On the plus side, I've been knitting on the garter stitch baby blanket today while watching TV. I feel that I should mention again that it was designed by Elizabeth Zimmermann, and is in one of her books.

Finallly Decided on a Pattern!

     That's right, I finally decided on a pattern, after days of searching in my binders, I have two giant ones. I also searched Crochet Patterns Central, as well as Ravelry.


    The winner is a nice crocheted shawl, called the Butterfly Wing Shawl. It was designed by Holly Miller. I've had it printed out since 2008. But I am excited to do it! I am using some white Alpaca that I bought at Rhinebeck last year. It is so soft, I can't wait to see it!


    I started the shawl last night, did a few rows to get started before I went babysitting today. I couldn't decide whether to use a J-6mm hook, or a K-6.5m hook. I decided to start with the smaller hook, and if it's not light and airy enough, I will frog it and use the bigger one. I really want the shawl to be light and lacey. I will take photos when it's big enough for you to really see it.


    Another thing I am worried about, is having enough yarn. I bought one big hank, it is 8 ounces. It wound into a huge center pull ball, but everyone knows that crochet is a big yarn sucker. I have other white/natural really soft animal yarns hanging around, so if needed I can use them. Or, I have a second Alpaca hank, but in black.  I won't have to decide for a while yet. I will keep you updated.

Go Big or Go Home

    I wonder why I was surprised about having to abandon plans A, B and C... I have never liked working on a small scale. Before I started knitting again, my hook of choice was the N size, which is pretty big. Big enough that when you crochet with it, you usually use two strands of worsted weight yarn.


    I like the instant gratification that comes with crocheting with a bigger hook. You can make so much progress in so little time! It's perfect for satisfying that creative urge.


   When I started knitting, I was willing to work with small needles. But it turns out that sock or lace weight yarn is just too darn tiny for me to see the stitches. Especially in black, and in my house. We keep my house kind of dark, since my Hubs works the night shift, and sleeps during the day. Minimum light works best for this.


    A few years ago, I crocheted a shawl, it turned out to be most awesome, and it was HUGE. Of course, I used a bigger hook than recommended. Now, I am fairly tall, at 5' 8". When this shawl was done, and I wore it to Rhinebeck last year, the point actually dragged on the ground.


    I recently gave that shawl away, and made a new one, which turned out smaller. I love it just as much. I haven't yet had an opportunity to wear it out, but I am looking forward to it.  Stay tuned to watch me make a fool out of myself over and over again. It seems that it's inevitable. But I hope it's at least fun!

In Which I Go Stash Diving!

    Yup. Today I went stash diving. I was looking for something specific, a pair of crocheted pot holders that I had made for my MIL and that we got back when she passed away. I wanted to show them to Kim, my knitting buddy. I couldn't find them. I've looked all over this house and still can't find the stupid things.


    However, while stash diving, I did make a very interesting find! I pulled out a skein of  > gasp <  black Malabrigo sock yarn! Then a second. Then a third! And OMG there was a fourth! I was in sock yarn heaven! Much to my surprise, I also pulled out a skein of AtKnitsEndYarns sock yarn too! I'm not sure which colorway it is, but as it's dark red and black/brown, I think it might be Tip It Ewe Lush. It's probably a skein she rejected as not "perfect", I am the luckiest minion on the planet, to know a dyer who gives you her "failures"!!

    This discovery got me thinking, I could make another Arachno Shawl, by Jennifer Dassau!! A black one! I think I could also work in the Ewe Lush, between the cobweb edging, at the beginning of the main body.


    So I got out my swift and ball winder, and started winding. I did two of the Malabrigos for now. If I can get the edging going without any mistakes, I will wind up the Tip It Ewe Lush. So there I was, casting on 301 stitches of sock yarn on a size 7 circular needle. I put stitch markers every fifty stitches, because hanging around with someone who can't count seems to have rubbed off.

    As you can see in the above photo, one of the little buggers gave me a harn time while I was winding him. That's why the left one is so small, and why I'm using it first.


   I have completed the first row of the cobweb edging. It's a bit difficult working with the black sock yarn, as it's hard to see the stitches because they're so small. This may take a while.

    I love going diving in my stash, I never know what goodies I will find! Somewhere in there are the two big hanks of Lace weight, one natural one back, that I bought at Rhinebeck last fall. And who knows what other goodies I've bought and forgotten about!! It really is like Festivus in July! So watch this space for photos of my progress, if I dont' have to frog and start over....

My Rhinebeck Sheep And Wool Report

   Now that I am safely ensconced at home, in my comfy house clothes, I can look back at my experience at the Sheep and Wool Festival. It was awesome! I took lots of pictures, got to see famous knitters from afar, and saw lots of cute sheep and beautiful yarns.

   I knew The Yarn Harlot was going to be there, signing books, but I didn't know that Clara Parkes would be there too! Both are lovely ladies, even if I didn't get to converse with them myself. The lines were just too long, and I can't stand upright and still for that long.

   There were five of us in our group, Kim H., @AtKnitsEndYarns; Laura, @Betweenthelens; Deb, @ObliviousKnits; her fiance, James, @WetDentist; and myself, Kim S., @BicraftualMe... I think we all had a good time! I know I did!

   It was a great honor to meet a twitter and facebook friend, ObliviousKnits! She was so much fun to hang around with, and it was neat to see familiar things through her eyes. Deb is fearless! She's the one who got our books signed by Ms. Harlot.

   I loved looking at all the walls of color that were the displays of yarns and fibers! It was also interesting to see all the people walking around in hand knitted clothing. I've never seen so many shawls, sweaters, ponchos and hats! There were even a few tunics, and skirts! LOVE IT!

   Soon after we got there, I realized I should have brought my sweater to wear, as it was pretty chilly. I did wear a shawl, my gray pentagram one. I doubted anyone would even notice that it was a pentagram. And I don't think they did! As I walked around the show, I kept repeating, "Go big, or go home!" as my shawl is pretty big.  I am tall, and the shawl was dragging on the ground by the time we left.

   Here are some photos of the walls of color:

   And these two were my favorite sheep! I really loved the dark one with the horns!

   This one, I loved his long curly coat!

   Now I'm stiffening up, and I need to go get into my hot tub. My feet are starting to cramp up! If you got to go, I hope you enjoyed the Sheep and Wool Festival!!

Kim out!