Taking the plunge...again

Despite how disappointed I felt with my first long-term yarn club, I am taking the plunge again. I eased into the yarn club world when I was lucky enough to get a spot in the first round of the 2 Crafty Girls Yarn Club. The theme was John Hughes Movie Night and the club was two months long. The talented dyers behind the club are Dana from Unwind Yarn Company and Sarah from Another Crafty Girl. It was the perfect palette cleanser to get me over the disappointment of knitspot's Fall in Full Color yarn club.

The first month of the 2 Crafty Girls Yarn Club was dyed by Dana who was inspired by Duckie from Pretty in Pink.



The second month was dyed by Sarah who was inspired by the special effects in Weird Science.



Needless to say, when they opened sign-ups for the next round, I put my name in the proverbial hat. There are only 50 spots available so I'm just waiting to see if my name gets picked as one of the lucky club members. In case your curious, this round is Kevin Bacon movies. I KNOW!!!!

If I don't get selected, don't feel too bad for me because I have already been accepted in another yarn club. It's a fabulous yarn club. How do I know? SSK! The ladies at SSK that were in this yarn club only had wonderful things to say about it. Prepare to be jealous: I got into Tempted's Pin-up Beauties Yarn Club!!!! My pin-up name is Harvest Hellion.

On top of that, I am participating in the personal sock yarn club that Hannah from the Traveling Sock Knitter podcast is organizing. Basically, you look through your stash and find 12 skeins of sock yarn that you want to knit and you put them in bags. Then every month, you select a bag and make something with the yarn. It should be a great way to use up stash and I think having a place to chat about it, cheer each other on, and hold each other accountable will make me much more likely to stick with it for the entire year.

So, how about you? Are you in any yarn or fiber clubs? Are you not a club person? What's your deal, Lucille?

Missing SSK

At the end of June, I was lucky enough to attend SSK (Super Summer Knitogether). This was my first time attending a knitting retreat & I was a bit nervous about going since it involved 150 strangers and staying in a dorm room. Remember dorm rooms?

However, I pulled on my big girls pants and didn't let my apprehension hold me back, and you know what? It was AWESOME!!!!!

I took a colorwork class from Kirsten Kapur that nearly melted by brain. In a three hours class, I learned to: knit continential, do two-handed colorwork, follow a colorwork chart, make a latvian braid and how to catch long floats on the back of the work so they are less apt to snag during use. By the end of the class, I really could have used a massage as my shoulders felt like they were permanently stuck up by my ears. Thankfully, Kirsten Kapur is a very patient teacher. If you get a chance to take a class from her in the future, I would highly recommend it.

I took one hours classes from each of the three wonderful women who organized SSK. Carin taught a class on what it means to pick up stitches versus pick up and knit stitches. It was interesting to hear when I should use one versus the other. Now, I feel ready to conquer one of the Log Cabin blankets that I have been drooling over. Laura taught a class on different cast-ons and bind-offs. I learned quite a bit, including that when doing a long-tail cast-on, it counts as you first row of knitting. No wonder some of my projects have had a weird edge at the bottom, I have basically been adding in an extra knit row. Oops. Leslie taught a class on backwards knitting. It was pretty easy to pick up the skill but I don't see myself using it a whole lot. A few people in the class really noticed a difference in their knitting because the tension between their knit stitches and their purl stitches is really uneven and knitting backwards remedies that. However, I don't seem to have tension issues so this will just be a specialized skill that gets deployed every once in a while. Jessica, a woman in the class who was sitting at my table, mentioned that it would be really useful when a pattern calls for nupps so you don't have to turn your work when you purl back a couple of stitches.

As much as I enjoyed the classes, the best part of SSK was just hanging out with a bunch of people who share a common interest. It was so nice to be knitting in a room full of people who would ask questions about your project or yarn and they were genuinely interested. There were no sideways stares from people who were trying to figure out what you were doing, no whispered conversations about how you could just buy whatever you were making at a store. It was bliss. Thanks to the get to know your fellow SSKers bingo game that was handed out at the opening ceremony, I got to enjoy a little fame as someone who has never knit a pair of socks. Evidently, non-sock knitters were in short supply at SSK so my fail at sock knitting made me popular. In a nice coincidence, a lovely woman that I met has also never knit a pair of socks. Our conversation started at that jumping off point and by the end of the conference, I am happy to report that I have made a new friend. Denise is funny & fun & awesome and I never would have met her if it weren't for SSK!

I also lucked out in the roommate department. My roomie was awesome and a very talented knitter. She let me scope out the beautiful shawls that she brought. If you want to see her in action, she has a video podcast called Traveling Sock Knitter. I think it is Hannah's mission to convert Denise and I into sock knitters. I enjoyed the irony of Hannah and I living in the same town for years & never bumping into each other. Then, after she has moved halfway across the country to take a teaching position, we meet at SSK. When I was sharing my SSK stories with my mom, it turns out that she rode to the Spring Fling with Hannah when Hannah still lived in Illinois. The knitting world is big & small at the same time.

There was a lot of amazing food at SSK but two places really stood out for me. If I got back to Nashville, I will definitely be hitting these places up again.

 

The first place is Rotier's which is a small neighborhood type bar that served possibly the best cheeseburger I have ever eaten. It as served on french bread and I will be forever grateful to the waitress for recommending it. The waitress also happened to be a member of the family that owns the business. It was started by her grandfather and it is still in the family. So, if you are in Nashville, please make this place a priority stop. Not only is the food amazing but you will be supporting a local, family-owned business.

The second place with the amazing food was Noshville. It is a New York style deli that serves amazing food. I had a really good reuben which is impossible to find in my home town. The service was friendly, the portions were large, and I think about that sandwich in my sleep.

Lastly, on Saturday there was a vendor market. Was there yarn to be had at the vendor market? Did I come home with seven skeins of yarn from Another Crafty Girl? Maybe. I'll never tell.

I could go on and on and on about SSK. There are more amazing women that I got to meet, more fun stories to tell, and I can't wait to do something like this again. However, this blog post if officially a novella so I am out!

There really should be a title to this post...

I'm participating in another KAL. It's like I just don't learn, or I never give up hope...pick whichever option fits your philosophical leanings. The dyer at Another Crafty Girl is having a KAL with her muppet-inspired yarns and I just could not resist. I am working on a Herringbone Cowl by Lauren Osborne in the Sam the Eagle colorway. I opted to use Simple DK, the new superwash merino single that Another Crafty Girl just started carrying and it is lovely to work with. It is a tiny bit thick and thin but that is the nature of a single & it is so soft and cuddly. The herringbone stitch usually produces a fairly stiff fabric but with this yarn, it is still nice and cozy and soft.



I'm nearing the end of the cowl so this is probably the first KAL that I am actually going to finish. I picked an easy pattern & I have had lots of time to knit while watching TV this week. It has been a pretty somber week as I found out that a friend has stage 4 breast cancer that has spread to the spine. I haven't felt like doing anything other than frying my brain with TV, knitting and occasionally hysterically crying. Fortunately my friend has started treatment & is the toughest person that I know so everyone is hopeful but it is a tough situation. I hate not being able to fix it.

Awkward. I didn't expect to write about that on the blog, but I did so I'm not going to edit it out.

In news that will shock and surprise no one, the stash is winning. I keep adding to it faster than I am using it up. I will admit that I am adding to it at a slower rate than I have in previous years but I really have to step up the knitting to meet my goal by the end of the year. Here is something lovely that just made it into my stash:



It is Another Crafty Girl's Squishy Aran base in the Punky Brewster colorway. I just love a yarn with that many colors in the skein.

Just a bit of blog housekeeping, the books that were up for grabs in the last post are going to be going to their new home with bellamoden on Monday or Tuesday, depending on when I make it to the post office.

I hope that you are well. Until next time, hug your loved ones close and do something that makes the world a bit brighter.

Yarn-y Goodness

Happy Leap Day!! I hope that you took the time today to celebrate and enjoy the extra day. I firmly believe that on leap day you should try to do something that makes you happy and you get bonus points if it is something that you have been putting off because you don't have time.

What makes knitters happy? Yarn! So, here are some photos of the yarn that has made it into my stash this year.



Fibernymph Dyeworks in the Elemental 3.0 base which is a non-superwash worsted. The colorway is a self-striping color called Poseidon's Love. There are 220 yards in the skein so I'm trying to think of patterns that will show it off...perhaps a cowl or a hat? If you have any suggestions, shout them out in the comments.



The Plucky Knitter in the Plucky Rustic base which is 165 yards of a superwash Aran weight wool in the Fly the Concord colorway. I also have a skein of Peep Toes which is a red with some rusty undertones. I will probably use these yarns for charity hats or perhaps some mittens.



Malabrigo Rasta in the Solis colorway that I picked up at my local knitting store, Klose Knit. It is 90 yards of a Super Bulky wool that will become a cowl. If you want to pick some Rasta up online, you can get it here at The Loopy Ewe.


There is more yarn, as you can see from the running total in the sidebar, but I will save those photos for later posts. Sadly, February is coming to a close without me finishing the Hitchhiker for TheKnitGirllls SAL/KAL. I think the project needs to take an official timeout so I don't resent having to knit it and then maybe I can get it finished.  What about you, fellow knitter, do you sometimes resent your knitting when a deadline is involved?

No. Just NO!

I was all set to write a warm and fuzzy post about the adorable elderly gentleman who was at the grocery store this morning but first I must get a small rant out of the way. Here goes:

Disney is remaking the Miss Marple series (which would be fine) starring Jennifer Garner as Miss Marple (which is most definitely not fine). No, Disney. Bad Disney. Bad touch for my brain.

Now back to the adorable man at the grocery store! I stopped by to get some groceries on the way home from work and as I was getting ready to check out (all my items were on the belt but the cashier was still completing the previous transaction) I noticed a man who appeared to be in his 80s standing behind me in a business suit holding a frozen dinner. I told him to go in front of me since he just had one item and he protested but when I said that I didn't mind, he popped in front of me, smiled and said "Yes, mother." Then, he looked at my groceries and said "that's a nice cut of meat." I love old people.

In other news, I am still working on a scarf but in preparation for its completion, I'm searching for a scarf pattern that uses one skein of Colinette Jitterbug. My mom just made a pair of socks out of some Dusk Jitterbug and I loved the color so much, she gave me the extra skein that she had. So, if any knitters out there have pattern suggestions, please shout them out in the comments!

Lastly, I cooked. Again. This may become a habit. I made hash and it is delicious. There isn't really a recipe...just cut up "a nice cut of meat" (I used chuck roast), brown it, bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. After a while slice a bunch of onions and toss in. Keep simmering away for about an hour and a half. Or longer, whatever. Then peel & slice some potatoes and throw those in. Bring back to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are done to your liking. Then eat (but maybe let it cool for a bit or you will burn your tongue...not that I did that...I would never ^_^).

Goodies!!!

I thought today was going to be good because the McRib is back at McDonalds. It turns out that today is good because I got a rockin' package from my secret pal. It was a sock-themed package including some handmade socks in Socks that Rock (Sapphire colorway)light weight. The socks are really beautiful and I can't believe that a very nice stranger would go through all that work for me. Also included in the package was a needle roll to keep my DPNs in, stitch markers, a cute card, hand sanitizer, and a beautiful skein of Fleece Artist in the Seafoam colorway. Thank you secret pal.


Here is a close up of the socks:Here is proof that the sock fits. I know the angle isn't so great but this is my very first pair of hand-knit socks so I am still learning the best sock angles!

Here is the lovely yarn. Do you have any suggestions on a project for it?
Last but not least, here is the whole glorious package. Whose secret pal rocks? Mine does!!!

Ravelry...the new addiction of choice

So I have gotten completely addicted to Ravelry. I love the forums, searching the the patterns, the groups, all of it! One of the best things for me is seeing what other people have made with a specific yarn because I have a bad habit of buying yarn with no project in mind. If the yarn is pretty or soft I will take it home and then it just stays in my stash indefinitely. Now I have a great resource for ideas and patterns and all the wonderful things knit-related. I have great local knitting stores that I could use but I'm a tad socially awkward and I can't imagine saying to another knitter that I am not creative enough or smart enough to figure out a pattern for my new yarn. If you are a knitter and not on Ravelry or on the waiting list, I encourage you to sign up. It is so many things to so many knitters: some like the social aspect, some like the pattern and yarn database, some like having an all-hours place to get their knitting questions answered, some like having a place to organize their stash, some like having a place to keep track of all of their projects (in progress and finished). Me? I like it all. I did volunteer to be an editor. I decided I should help out as much as I can since I am getting a lot of enjoyment out of Ravelry!

I got some new yarn today in the mail. I had heard a lot of talk about Dream in Color Smooshy so I ordered some to see what it is like. It definitely lives up to its name. I found out on the Ravelry message boards that The Loopy Ewe is going to start carrying the worsted version of Dream in Color and I can't wait to try that once she gets it in!

I have done some actually knitting. I am about 3/4 done with the red Irish Hiking scarf that I am making for the Red Scarf project. Once I get it done I will be making another Irish Hiking scarf for a girl at work. I will post photos later this weekend.

Yarn-a-holic

I might have a yarn problem...but on the upside you get some lovely yarn photos.

First is the lovely sock yarn that I got from The Loopy Ewe using the gift certificate that my secret pal got for me. Thank you secret pal!
Here is the sock yarn that I got to use in my sock class.

Here is a nice laceweight that I got just 'cause it is pretty.

There has been a little bit of knitting progress. The photos aren't the best but you should get the general idea on how the cable scarf is progressing.

Today was yarntastic!

I went to Needleworks and paid for the Magic Loop class that mom and I will be taking in October. I am really looking forward to it and the shop owner seemed very excited that I was paying in full for two class spots. I think that we will have a lot of fun taking a class together. After I left Needleworks, I stopped by Klose Knit which just reopened about five days ago in a new location. I fell off of the yarn wagon and bought myself some lovely new yarn and a pattern.
I hadn't really planned on buying as much yarn as I did. I thought I would go in, browse for a bit, buy a courtesy skein, and leave. Um...not so much. I got some lovely Rowan Cashsoft Aran (2 balls green #SH018 and two balls gray #SH014) that I am thinking of making a scarf out of as it is so very snuggly. I almost succumbed to the call of 200yds of cashmere for $30 but I knew that to make the scarf that I wanted I would need at least 400yds and I can not justify $60 for a scarf. So, I went with the Cashsoft which is very nearly as soft as the 100% cashmere.I also got some indigo Banana Silk yarn that I use to have a go at the shawl pattern that I have that was written for recycled silk. I am using the pattern right now with Suri Dreams from KnitPicks but I don't really enjoy the Suri Dreams so I am going to try to redeem the pattern with the a yarn similar to the intended version as it is a little ho-hum with the Suri Dreams.I was almost out the door when I was drawn in by the Interlacements yarn and patterns. I got a lovely feather and fan shawl pattern and the Interlacements Kansas yarn in the Woodland color way. I am really looking forward to starting the shawl project with this yarn. The colors aren't my normal color palette but it was so pretty that I had to pick it up. After I picked it up, I practically ran to to the counter to pay before I took even more yarn home. There was some Malabrigo, Rowan Tapestry, and Rowan Felted Tweed that I wanted to take home.Did I get any actual knitting done? You know...the two scarves that I am supposed to be finishing...nope! I just don't enjoy the Cascade 220 Superwash so it is hard for me to enjoy knitting that scarf and the cable scarf is something that I need to pay attention to and I wasn't in the mood...maybe next week.

I can't wait!

I just discovered Knit Picks and I was a little bit shocked at their yarn prices; who would have thought you could get a skein of lace weight yarn for $2.49? I restrained myself to ordering the color cards for the lace weights instead of buying several skeins of yarn despite the urge to go crazy! I did order 2 balls of DK weight yarn that was only $1.99 a ball but since the color is basic green and I like pretty much any shade of basic green I was willing to risk the possibility that the color I saw on the monitor is a little bit off from the actual color. I also downloaded a couple of free patterns for lace shawls. Now that I have the shawl made out of a bulky yarn, I would like to tackle making a lace shawl. I know that I will probably have problems with procrastinating when it comes time to block the shawl but, as always, I will forge ahead! Now I just have to wait patiently for my order to get here.

Welcome!

Welcome to my first post. This blog will cover a wide range of NerdGirl ramblings: knitting and crocheting adventures, yarn in all its glory, swaps, books, friends, and family.

How did I spend my Sunday afternoon when the rest of the country was glued to the TV watching football? I was exploring a new yarn store of course! Klose Knit Urbana is a wonderful [albeit small] store that has been open since the end of October 2006 but I just discovered it in the back of the latest issue of Vogue Knitting on Friday. The store owner was there and she was very friendly and full of helpful information which definitely makes me want to take a class there. I think I will take the class on knitting a hat for my first class although I am also interested in the class on knitting socks with two circular needles. I bought some lovely purple cotton yarn that is soft and cozy, knitting needles, a keychain, a handmade felted needle case and a pattern book. I am waiting for inspiration to strike before I start using the yarn so for now I will just stare admiringly at it and dream of the possibilities! Until next time, I wish everyone good health.