Yarn Rave!

Started a new pair of socks yesterday, fancied doing some trainer socks (knit up a bit quicker due to length, more instant gratification) and did the sock calculator thing to make sure they are tailor-made for my feet (my first pair are a bit small unfortunately, they've stretched a bit, I have wide feet!)
So I grabbed my ball of tofutseis and omg its gorgeous to knit with! I love it!
Its so soft and moves to nice on the needles, I'm finding I'm not having to pull and push as much, it just glides along.
The colour is just coming out great, liking the haphazard look of the colours, bit of pink, then blue, then green, its fab!
Would really really recommend having a go with this yarn, you won't regret it!

Happy Feet.

Woohoo! I actually finished my pair of socks!
This one went better than the other one and actually looks like a proper sock, it sits straight and bends in all the right places. Very pleased I've managed to pull it off and I'm itching to cast on a new pair now!
They are right, it is addictive...


I started on a new project straight away as I was eager to start some thing new, and so I started the waist coat for dd.
I took this picture after I'd finished grafting my sock and had been working on it for a few hours, this was the completed back piece. I was surprised at how fast it was knitting up (I'd never used 8mm needles before) and it was lovely.

What I didn't expect was to finish the main bulk of the knitting that same night! I'm a bit stuck now as I don't really understand the next part of the pattern that involves joining the shoulder pieces, and picking up 18 stitches from some where, but it doesn't really explain where so work has ground to a halt on this one. Going to ask my mum or my grandma to give me a hand on this one, but once I know what I'm doing, I'm sure I'll be fine!

More yarn arrived at my door step this morning, all the way from Canada, which took only 4 days to get here, and thats over a weekend too! I paid on thursday and the postman handed me a parcel this morning!
Its from Elann and its the Espirt yarn in Wine.
Hands up who knows what I'm going to be knitting with it?

Hehe thats right! I've bought it to knit the Lolita Legs from knitty
(think I mentioned it in a previous blog that I liked these!) They are going to be my first toe up "socks"
Now if Dave doesn't like these, there is some thing wrong some where! I picked my own shade of wool instead of picking what knitty suggested, but I've ended up picking the one they used any way! Black would have looked nice, but I decided to go for some thing slightly different for me, plus they will still look with black I'm sure!
Just got to practise my figure of 8 cast on, I've never tried that one before.
Just waiting to have access to a decent computer with a printer that works to print off the pattern as I can't work off the computer screen, its not really portable enough!
Until then, I feel a pair of trainer socks in tofutsies off on the right foot coming on....

Its here, its here!!!

Loony Boony has landed!

Wine heather

Ok so they weren't kidding, this stuff feels gorgeous! I so so so can't wait to get started on the Forest Canopy shawl! Its going to be brilliant!

And also in the same fantastic package came this....


Some lovely recycled sari silk, I'm going to make another shawl out of it, using a pattern that my friend Kirsty sent me, simple enough, just garter stitch all the way thru...on these needles!


ROFL they are like drum sticks! 20mm! Thats going to be fun lol Going to need another couple of balls of Sari silk but it won't stop me from making a start!

And if I didn't have enough to be going on with, I saw a lovely little girls waist coat pattern in the LYS, free pattern if I bought the wool


Its a brand called amorillo and it does actually have a wool content of 56% which did surprise me as it was 95p a ball! Going to look lovely on dd when I've finished!

So it was a nice stash enhancing day, and lots of work to be getting on with! (the socks I've got about 20 rows to go before toe shaping, so not much further!)

My Stash shame!

Well I suppose I'd better come clean and admit just how much sock wool I possess! Ready for this?


Ok so its not as bad as some stashes I've seen, however...I've only knitted almost one pair of socks so far!


They are coming on ok now! Second sock certainly shaping up better than the first one, think I've got my head around the pattern now which is always a bonus, looking forward to finishing my first pair! Hoping to get them done this evening.
Any way, lets look at this stash in detail!


These are my favourites, top left Opal feelings shade 1701, next to it Opal Neon shade 1936 and Opal Rainforest, Tiger. Looking forward to doing some thing with all these the most!


This is my Fyberspates yarn in Hannahs summer. Now this will make a lovely pair of socks, want to find a nice delicate pattern for it as the shades are quite muted and I think it will suit that more. (not bad a ball from winding from my first ever skein!)


Ah now these two are quite dramatic, they are inspired by the (I assume!) German artist Hundertwasser and they look great knitted cuff down, but also look very interesting when knitted sideways, so I might give that a go with at least one of these! They are Opal Hundertwassers, shade 1434 (left) and shade 1431 (right)


Now I bought this after just reading the write up about it.
"This is the latest yarn from South West Trading, made from a mixture of yarns including their own brand Soysilk and Chitin (made from shrimp and crab shells, yes really!)
As an aside, chitin extracted from crab and shrimp shells is compatible with human tissue and has been found to be useful to accelerate healing in wounds."
Now how good does that sound! I bought it in the first colour I saw which I think is foot the bill (it doesn't say on it and I can't remember now!) but if it knits up well I might make some socks for dp out of it because I know that they would appeal to him (the benefits!) and would be good for him doing his mountain biking and such!


This is my misc ball. I've no idea what it is! I got it as my bargain of three balls for £9, and this one arrived with no label. Its nice, and I wonder what it will look like complete, but for who created it, I haven't the foggiest! Answers on a postcard.....

So there you go, thats my sock yarn collection! I have another basket full of wool in the corner that are charity shop bits, cheap yarns from home bargains, and my Art of Knitting yarn too. On the way to my stash is some yarn to knit the lolita legs in a similar colour and my loony boony is on its way as well, along with some Sari Silk, which hopefully should arrive tomorrow, got a bid on some lovely looking Opal yarn on ebay called Rainbow which looks stunning knitted up, so hopefully I'll win that, I'm eyeing up 2 more balls from Jo Jo land (ebay) one for socks, and one for lace and my naughty friend Dippydappyblonde has just shown me Krafty Koala who has some gorgeous sock wool in stock for a fab price, so I feel a purchase coming on from there as well.

Some body stop me!!!!

Ok well, I'm officially mad!

But you knew that any way didn't you!
I have been tempted by some evil women in to buying some lace weight yarn Lane Borgosesia, in the wine heather shade and they've dared me to try and knit the Forest Canopy Shawl so I thought, ok well why not!
Just what have I let my self in for? Never attempted any thing like this before, but you've got to admit, it looks fabulous, and I can't wait to get started on it (once I finish these socks...)
My new sock yarn has arrived too, better lay off buying it for a while, tho I don't think any one noticed the 5 extra balls that drifted in here this morning....they are safely stashed away in my bag. Must take a photo of my stash to show you just how bad I have gotten, but will save that until tomorrow, when no one is looking!

No I couldn't Justify it

But I clicked buy it now any way.
I'm in so much trouble *hides*

Can I justify this?

Hmmm ebay auction for sock wool...chose 5 balls of wool and only pay for 4, all opal, trekking and Lana wools too....already got my 5 chosen! Do you think I'd get away with it?
I'm not quite sure how much wool I have amassed yet, I daren't count! Its mainly opal wool as they are my favorite colour ways, but I have at least 2 balls of trekking, a ball of tofutsies, a ball of Lana, a yummy yarn and a misc ball as it came with no band as part of a lucky dip! (but looks very trekking like!) So thats 6 without counting my opal stash too. hmm best get on and knit some socks!
I have joined in a sock knitting swap on the Angel Yarns forum however! I thought well why not, I've got till August to knit them, and I will get a nice pair of socks in return. Works for me.... I think I know which pattern I'm going to attempt and I've just got to wait for the colour choice and foot size of my recipient and I can crack on with it!
Definitely decided that knitting shops do not sell 2.5mm DPNs. Try as hard as I might I could not find any! So I gave in and bought 2 sets off ebay. And will remember this fact for the future, do not rely on shops for things, the internet rules!