October's Yarn of the Month Club collection.

Malvasia by Rich More
40% Wool, 33% Alpaca, 16% Mohair, 11% Nylon
[A fun yarn to knit with but with such a small amount of yarn per skein (at what price I don't even know yet), what would we knit with it? Remains to be seen. But keep your eyes open for this yarn from Japan.]
2.75 sts/ inch on US 11s. Each skein contains 48 yards & this color is: # 6

Before blocking ... This color is correct.

After blocking ...

Tradicao by Rosarios 4
100% Wool
[Yarn with a nice firm twist, works up smoothly and into a sturdy fabric. I can see this in a beautiful knit jacket. ]
3.5 sts/ inch on US 10s. Each skein contains 131 yards & this color is: # 12

Before blocking ...

After blocking ...

Rittenhouse Merino 5-ply by Manos
100% Merino Wool
[I loved knitting with this yarn. It would be lovely in a sweater. Very soft yet holds it's shape really well.]
4.75 sts/ inch on US 7s. Each skein contains 241 yards & this color is: # 509

Before blocking ...

After blocking ...

Royal Tweed by Lana Grossa
100% Merino Wool
[I found this one hard to believe it's 100% wool, maybe because it's so soft. Nice knit and I loved the color play.]
3.5sts/ inch on US 9s. Each skein contains 140 yards & this color is: # 011

Before blocking ...

After blocking ...


The colors show up lighter in the After blocking shots, but the true colors are closer to the Before shots. I like all four samples this time.

Into the "Sampler Block Blanket" bag they'll go ...

I found this on Knitorious' Blog .... and took the test myself.

I am ... Which Ewe are You?

The results for me say: "This longwool knows that taking it easy isn't just a good idea -- it's a great one. With an open-mind and dependable attitude. Perendales always make the best of any situation. Flexible and adaptable, they are great negotiators and compromisors, as well."


The quiz is part of a promo for The Knitter's Book of Wool by Clara Parkes. Looks like a great book to add to the library. Check it out.

A longwool huh? Is that me or what.

I was never a "lace" kind of gal ...

But I do love to crochet or knit lace. I'm giving a class in crochet lace in November and just finished this Neck Lace collar. It's crochet. The yarn is the beautiful Filatura Di Crosa Superior. Faster to crochet with than you would think and so lovely to feel and wear when you're done. The pattern is from Interweave Crochet, Spring 2009. The pattern is Fan and Petal Neck Lace by Doris Chan. I could have used a smaller hook. Size F rather than G and the size would of been good if not better. I think I could probably get two collars out of the one skein of Superior too. Making it a bargain on the price.

In February I'll be teaching Knitting Lace also. With either Superior or Silky Wool ...

Superior is more difficult to tink or frog if you need to, so I wouldn't recommend it for your very first lace project. And that's why I'm knitting the scarf to show what it would look like with Silky Wool. This is a very nice lace weight yarn to work with. Nice for lace or for cables.

Just after getting our new dinning room set and putting some order to the room ...

[yup, those are all knitting, crochet or felting books]



This is where I sit when I'm online now.



Where I contemplate my next project to knit or crochet ...

And it must have something to do with Spud & Chloe do you think?

But I'll get back to that after I do up the squares for the Yarn of the Month Club.



You didn't really think I would get bored being at home every day did you?

To Crochet or not to Crochet ...

Didn't I say I was going to knit for awhile?

Well this Featherbed Beret came off the needles way to fast.



Oh how I love this yarn! The Featherbed Beret is for me so it's not going into the Christmas Basket. Nope, not this time. I love the feel of it and after all ... it goes with my new vest and even the flower scarf, don't you think?




And it did give me a break from crochet after making the Splashy Flowers Scarf. But only a short break. Because I've already started another crochet and plan to do another after that.

After all ... Filatura Di Crosa's Superior came in!



A Neck Lace is in the making even tho I still have Jared Flood's Quincy hat on the needles with Louisa Harding's Thistle Yarn ...



Now Thistle has fast become one of my all time favorite yarns and of course I had to puchase more for another knit ...



And what about that OTHER crochet?



How about I go spectacular this time?

It's a wrap ...

Bleaklow Vest from Little Cake by Louisa Harding is done!



It'll be on display at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn for a little while. I'll take pictures of me wearing it once I pick out the shirt I would like to wear under it. I love this vest!!

And the yarn. Yummy yarn called Thistle. I had one skein left over also. So this Featherbed Beret by Louisa Harding from the same book will go with the vest too don't you think? Only 2 skeins so I bought another blue.



Another great knit from Louisa. I really love her patterns.

And what about my crocheting?



The Splashy Flower Scarf from Crochet with Color by Kathy Merrick using Noro Silk Garden is done. I'll get better pictures when I'm wearing it to Community Knitting tonight. I wore it yesterday and got lots of compliments. Mmmmmmmm, this could become my favorite!

But now I need a rest from crochet. My hands demand it. It takes different muscles in my hands to knit so its off to ...




Either the mindless knitting of a neck warmer called Ambitus ... or

something a little more complicated and requiring some mind-control like a shawl from Wrapped in Comfort by Alison Jeppson Hyde which has caught my eye.

Can't have too many wraps can I?

Multi-tasking is the name of my game.

Yarn of the Month knit up to 4" squares ...
washed and blocked [a quick blocking that is.].

Dream Big by SWTC

2 sts/inch on US 15s
100% Superwash Wool
132 yards Color: 623

Karaoke by SWTC

4.5 sts/inch on US 7s
50% Soysilk, 50% Wool
110 yards Color: 314

*Love the way the color changes and the way the yarn knit up.

Therapi by SWTC

5 sts/inch on US 7s
50% Wool, 30% Bowlder (Jadeite) Fiber, 20% Silk
110 yards Color: 530

Alpaca Cotton by Rowan

4 sts/inch on US 8s
72% Alpaca, 28% Cotton
148 yards Color: 00403

*If you're allergic to mohair, this one is a great substitute. Produces the halo of mohair, but isn't. Still should be warm with the alpaca. I think this was my favorite in this month's selection. Created a beautiful drape after washing and blocking too.

Interesting yarn but I'm not rushing out to buy any yet. I've got a lot on my plate already. But who am I kidding? I cast on and crocheted up this scarf below in 2 days just after buying the yarn at my LYS Seed Stitch Fine Yarn ...

Double Bubble Scarf from Crochet in Color ...
using Spud & Chloe Sweater. [Gosh I LOVE this yarn] [Did I tell you that already?]



Do I have enough scarves?

Apparently not ...



And it's another crocheted piece. Just a temporary break from knitting?

But I do need to finish knitting this ...



Have you had enough already? I'm a Stitching what??!

What am I doing this very moment?

Why that could be anybody's guess ...







And you noticed I've already gotten the yarn, right?

Wish I could knit in my sleep ...

Or at least get the housework done while I'm sleeping.
Is that too much to ask? Well doing my housework in my sleep might be too much.

Got one room done so far ...





Even then it isn't complete. Just a matter of saving money up for a real dinning room set. And that's going to take some time. Then there's the kitchen ... oh how I cringe to think of how I really need to do something about the kitchen. Well if I clean it maybe I can at least dream about gutting the whole thing out and updating the kitchen some day. Some day!

In the meantime, I'm putting my spare time into knitting a Vest ...



And I can't complain about being at least half done can I?

Yarn of the Month is in ...

The Yarn of the Month Club was a gift from my former colleagues at M.I.T.'s Math Department.

Every month for one year.

And this month I've received the 2nd month of an interesting sample mix of one of my favorite things ...



Yarn!

[and a new pattern too]

A slight disconnect ...

I was gone for awhile because my laptop battery died. It died because it couldn't get a charge from the AC converter and I hadn't noticed until everything died. Another unexpected expense. *Sigh* But at least I didn't have to get a new computer right? So I'm looking on the bright side. And that's it for my hard luck story this time.

Do you know about Designs by Romi? Well if you don't ... she makes beautiful [and I mean really beautiful] shawl pins. Well there's a sale going on over there this week. Check it out! I have 3 of her pins myself. One is a swan for the Swan Lake Shawl a did a couple [few?] years ago.

I've been knitting and crocheting a little lately. But there's dust being kicked up lately also. That's right, I'm diving into the housework too. Right down to moving furniture, rugs and washing those curtains. A whole year & a half have gone by since I did any of this [before Bill's fall] and for goodness sakes ... housework doesn't do it self does it? I'm lucky I kept up on the laundry, meals and dishes. And now it's time ... or rather I have time ... to get this house in order. Once I got the Bella Mittens done and swooned over them. Oohed & aahed over them; and I really had too. I love these mittens so much; I'm even ready for snow now. My friends were even transformed into lovely exotica beings when they tried them on. I'm going to have to keep an eye on these mitts I think. Dare they go on display at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn?

I have a lot of work to do and I'm sitting and working on something every time I take a break. But as soon as I'm done with the Fall clean up, I'm promising myself that I'll put out at least 2 ... at least two ... WIP's that have been learking with the MIA's and get them finished. Call it part of my Fall Clean Up.

I'm going to get reconnected in more ways than one.

I think I'm in Love with ...

A Mitten!





Only one little change; I put a crab stitch crochet border around the cuff. Pulls it in and neatens it up nicely.






Oh my, I just can't get enough of Bella!!