We've got Class

It's been over a week since my last post, eep! It's not that I haven't been knitting -- it's that I've been taking classes. My first homework assignment was due on Saturday, and by the time I had everything set up so I could submit it, it was pretty last-minute.

But never fear, there will be knitting content. I just wasn't sure anyone would want to see a quarter of a large brown garter stitch square. It will become the Bridgewater shawl from the Brooklyn Tweed pattern book, but right now, it's boring brown garter stitch.

Zombie!

I like small projects. They eat up yarn, and they are useful. This one just flew off the needles, and I didn't even bother to block it. I managed to get a pair of Fetchings and this headband out of one skein of Lamb's Pride Superwash Worsted! No leftovers. I'm taking this stash reduction thing very seriously.


Details:
Pattern: Cabled Headband from The Knitter's Book of Yarn
Needles: US #4
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Superwash Worsted, color: frosted fuchsia
Comments: Fun, quick pattern. It'll come in handy when my hair falls into my face.

There has also been some spinning. Instead of plying the yarn I finished the other day, I got inspired. Here it is... my first art yarn! The inspiration: 28 Days Later, a surprisingly cerebral zombie flick. I recommend it. And the Shadowrun xbox game. I used to play the Shadowrun RPG. Somehow, the futuristic feel of the game and the bright green box it came in gelled into an idea for yarn (yeah, that's weird). And the roving is called Zombie Glow. So... how could I not?

I have plans for this stuff. I want to ply it into a bulky weight with slubs, tufts, and bits sticking out every which way. Then, I want to knit a hat. It'll be my Radioactive Zombie Apocalypse Hat. Did I mention this stuff glows in the dark?

Fluffy Activity

It's been a couple of days, but there's lots of stuff to see here. Gather round while I share my knitting progress and new spinning toy!

As you may remember, I'm on a yarn diet. This time, I'm taking it very seriously. This is the Cabled Headband from The Knitter's Book of Yarn, and I'm using the leftovers from the Fetchings I made for a friend. My leftovers were beginning to turn into a stash all their own. No more! I only hope I don't run out of yarn...


One of the entrelac socks is done. Except for the afterthought heel, but I want to knit both when the rest of the socks is done. I don't think these will be ready by the end of January so they won't count for the December Sock Knitters Anonymous challenge, though.


Finally, I've been spinning. These are 4 oz of merino in blacks and grays, which I received during an SP round on knitty a while ago. I need to wind off the singles from the spindle, and then I can start plying. And I have just the right tool for that.


Look! New Tabachek spindle! 1.5 ounces, perfect for plying. Merlin thinks it's a cat toy, but for once, I have to contradict him.


The idea is to take the little balls of singles, put them in mugs, wrap yarn around handles once for tension, then 3-ply. We'll see how that goes. I may change my mind and only ply 2 singles together. We'll see.

Selfish Knitting

I have several projects going. A pair of socks for my sister, a (very late) birthday knit for my sister, a nearly-finished headband for myself. So what do I do? I pick up the latest issue of Knitscene, Take one look at the Geodesic Cardigan, and start winding yarn.

In all fairness, this is part of my stash reduction project. I have two of these large hanks of Morehouse Merino laceweight. I bought them years ago, when they still had a brick-and-mortar store in Red Hook, NY.


And here it is, all wound up. I had some yarn breakage, hence the two balls, but I'll use the little one to swatch. The colors are closer to the real thing in the top picture. But I wanted to show off those balls. I wound them by hand. 880 yards of laceweight. Took over an hour. Now the swatching. I love this pattern!


In other news, my mother send us a box from Germany. No food, per my request (it's wintertime, and all I want to do is eat, eat, eat). Some sweaters for me, a nice sweater for Mr. Batty... and this box. The cat loves this box.


German box, with flap. Perfect size for a cat. It has been claimed.

On a roll!

Dude, I'm on a roll! I signed up for the Sole Mates sock club... the patterns only option! New patterns to help me knit up the sock yarn I already have. Patting myself on the back here, because clicking on the pattern-and-yarn option sure was tempting.

Thank you!

I just wanted to say thank you for your input on my knitterly moral dilemma. I am going to search my stash for suitable black Fetching yarn, I seem to remember some leftover Aurora8 after I finished Mr. Batty's hat. If there isn't enough, or if I really can't find it... I'm getting a ball of black Lamb's Pride Superwash. I think it's my new favorite superwash worsted weight. Lovely stuff.

And... to follow up a question with a question: When you undo a provisional caston, which side do you start on? The side with the knot, which is essentially the beginning of a long-tail caston, or the side with the leftover yarn and the working yarn? I know I've done this successfully in the past, but the last time around, I fouled it up. I don't want to frog again!

Yarn Diet Ethics

We all know I'm on a yarn diet. No yarn for a year. And I've been doing well. Granted, it's only been 13 days of new year, but still...

Fast forward to yesterday. A co-worker has seen the Fetchings and asked me to make some for her daughter. She's in her college's marching band, her hands get cold, and the Fetchings would have to be black to blend in with her uniform.
I think I have the yarn to make them, but I'm not sure. I'll turn my stash upside down. But... if I don't... do you think it really counts as buying yarn? She said she'd pay for it (which I don't want her to do). And I wouldn't use this as an excuse to start buying yarn because of a 'failed resolution.'

So... what should I do? Buy the yarn if I don't have it? I don't want to say no.