Purple

First, the new app I’m using today to make the pretty picture above is called Diptic.  I’ve been looking for a good way to make collage photos and found that one.  Thinking I might put it onto my computer as well as my iPhone.  It’s a nice way to do an overview of what’s going on, rather than having real picture heavy posts.  What do you guys think?

Today’s WIP Wednesday includes something that’s not exactly fiber related.  Me!  I had a baby in January and of course a goal of mine was to lose the baby weight.  6 months later (I know…my baby is 6 months!  I can’t believe it!)  I’ve lost the baby weight plus some.  Plus alot, actually.  I’ve lost 38 lbs and I have about 12 more to reach my goal.  And I truthfully haven’t been doing alot in the way of working out.  That has changed this past week.  Something about seeing how small I’ve gotten has given me the realization that if I really work for it and put a whole lot of effort forth I may be able to get down close to what I used to be.  A year ago I never would have even thought that was possible (aside from hiring a personal trainer and spending alot of money on weight loss).  But now I feel like I can put forth the work and only have to make some minor tweaks in my current lifestyle, and still get there.  Or at least close to there. Yesterday I started a 21 day Cardio Kickstart program. So, needless to say I’m super proud of myself for even getting this far, and hope I can continue the progress!!

I still have got Schoppel Wolle pencil roving on the drop spindle.  Continuing on with the Tour De Fleece, and I’ve only missed one day!!  Yesterday.  I guess I got too pre-occupied with working out (never thought I’d say that!)  But I’m super excited at the colors of the pencil roving.  When you buy it, its different than seeing a braid or batt of fiber.  It’s all wound up, so you don’t really know what the colors on the inside are.  I am pleasantly surprised by the pink since it’s pretty much my favorite color.  I think the finished yarn, once I get it plied is going to be ultra-bright and pretty vivid.  Can’t wait!

Apparently there is a purple theme today.  And these Lavendel socks definitely are a big part of it.  I love this Wollmeise Lavendel colorway.  And the pattern – Lilacs is perfect!!  I can’t wait till I’m done and can gift them over to my Aunt.

Last, what looks like a random pile of PVC pipe really does have some rhyme and reason to it.  It’s going to be a niddy-noddy.  You may not know what a niddy-noddy is if you aren’t a spinner.  Well, it is a tool used to make a skein of yarn.  Here’s a demonstration.

Most are expensive and made out of wood, like the one in the following video.  I’m cheap.  And on a tight budget.  But with all the spinning I’ve been doing I had the need for one.  I followed the directions from this blog post, and had all the right size pieces cut at the hardware store.  But I got the wrong T joins and the ones I bought have threads in them, so I have to go exchange them.  That’s why it is still in-progress.  Hope you enjoyed reading my post today and head on over to Tami’s Amis to check out more WIP Wednesday posts!

PS Keep your eye out for a giveaway for my 200th post!

3KCBWDAY1 – Colour Lovers

Today’s the day!! The beginning of Knit Crochet Blog Week! It’s a great time of the year! Last year I don’t think I made it through the whole week because life may have gotten in the way. Now I can’t promise it won’t happen again, especially since I have been a bit under the weather lately and will be seeing the doctor tomorrow to see if something more serious is actually going on. But hopefully I’ll be able to stay up to date with the posts this time.

Todays Topic - Colour Lovers
Colour is one of our greatest expressions of ourselves when we choose to knit or crochet, so how do you choose what colours you buy and crochet or knit with. Have a look through your stash and see if there is a predominance of one colour. Do the same with your finished projects – do they match? Do you love a rainbow of bright hues, or more subdued tones. How much attention do you pay to the original colour that a garment is knit in when you see a pattern? Tell readers about your love or confusion over colour.

Colour. I have to say how much I love that word colour….more specifically the spelling. Why did American’s change the spelling to color? I don’t know, I guess our spelling just doesn’t seem quite as sophisticated as it should. Because colour is sophisticated, it’s part of art, it is art really. I like the work colour much better than the word colour.

I definitely have a preference of colour when it comes to yarn. I took a gander at my bookshelf which used to hold all my stash. It now holds mostly baby stuff, but I’ve made sure to have my favorite stash displayed also. I wasn’t very surprised when I found 2, maybe 3 skeins that were solid colours. The rest is either variegated, striped, or tonals. And the brighter the better. The more colours in one skein the better. The more random the colors, the better. And the brighter, did I mention that? I hate pastels. I love bright colors! I’ve noticed a pattern. When I buy yarn for a specific pattern, that’s when I usually buy the solids I have. When I buy yarn for the stash, yarn that I am just drawn to, that’s when I have the wild, crazy, vivid colours. And what better brand to buy if that is the kind of yarn you like, than Wollmeise. Here’s my Miss Annabelle showing off Mommy’s Wollmeise stash.

That’s right, all my followers know it; I love Rohrspatz & Wollmeise yarn. If you found me through the Knit Crochet Blog Week tags welcome, and you now know I love Wollmeise. I used to live around an hour and a half away from the shop. I’ve been to the store 3 different times, and was disappointed leaving Germany because I knew I’d probably never be there again. So of course I stashed up! I have 16 skeins of Wollmeise and I’m in love with every single one of them. A person who loves deep, vivid, saturated colors needs to get their hands on some Wollmeise if they never have. And I’ll say this….I’ve been looking the colorway Grapes for Sheri for a long, long time and would be willing to trade almost any of the skeins I have if you have some Grapes for Sheri (which looks like this)!

To read all about other peoples’ love of colour from those taking part in Knitting and crochet blog week, simply perform a Google search for the tag 3KCBWDAY1, or click here.

Lots of Progress

I’ve been making great progress on my knitting the past month or so. I really feel like I have different things to talk about every week and an FO pretty often! Part of this progress I think is the motivation from Subway Knits for the Midwinter QAL which started Feb 1st and your FO’s have to be posted by April 30th. I’ve talked about most of my “entries” so far, but I think I’ve talked about Dad in Argyle the most because it has been on the needles for a while. It’s a golf club cover knitted holding Knit Picks Palette doubled. Last week I talked about the idea of using duplicate stitch on it, so that way I was knitting with 2 colors and not 3. I’m pretty glad I decided to try this out because I was pretty successful knitting it!A few tiny puckers here and there, but nothing much. Now I’ve started using the duplicate stitch which seems to be working pretty well, the hard part is just lining up the stitches correctly. Hopefully I’ll post about this project again on FO Friday!

I started a new pair of socks this week too. On some oh so dreamy Wollmeise in the Lavendel colorway which is such a gorgeous shade of purple. These socks are not for me. The yarn was picked out specifically to knit the Lilac Socks for my Aunt. Purple is her favorite color, and since she is from Rochester, NY which holds the annual Lilac Festival I thought this was a perfect combination for her. I’m hoping to finish them by the time I visit her in June. I just love working with Wollmeise….I can’t say that enough.

Last thing to talk about is my Hitchhiker Pat. I named it this since I dyed the yarn for St. Patrick’s Day in all greens. I wasn’t quite sure about it at the beginning, but I kept working as a friend suggested and it’s really starting to grow on me. I’ve grown to really like it and I’m half-way through the 42 “teeth” of the pattern.

That’s all the WIPs I have for WIP Wednesday, but I also got a blog award this week I wanted to talk about. Michelle from Will Knit For Food nominated me for The Versatile Blog Award! You should definitely go check out her blog! The following are the conditions for the award. I will post my nominations tomorrow since my post is now getting a bit lengthy.
Here are the conditions of The Versatile Blogger Award:

- Thank the person who gave you this award.
- Include a link to their blog.
- Next, select 15 bloggers that you follow regularly or have recently discovered.
- Nominate those bloggers for the Versatile blogger-award.
- Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

Startitis

I’ve had serious startitis this past week. And I’ve actually fought it a bit. I’ve cast on 2 projects but I’ve seriously wanted to cast on more. But I fought it. Because I have two projects almost done, so I have to keep working on them and just get them cast-off! One of them, My Monkeys; I Just finished the heel. The foot will be nice and easy. I’m hoping to get these socks, or the #42 dishcloth done for Finished Object Friday. One of the two of them, hopefully!

Startitis: I started….and finished a hat. So that project stays hush-hush till Friday. I started a Hitchhiker with the cotton blend yarn I dyed. I haven’t decided yet if I like it and if I will continue on. I love the yarn, but I’m just not sure if it is right for the pattern. We’ll see what I decide. I’d welcome your opinions! I think that led to part of my startitis, but that’s where I fought it off! I do really want to cast-on a Nuvem with some of my Wollemeise Lace because it would make an excellent nursing cover. I discovered it on the Wollmeiseholics Spring KAL. I also really want to cast-on another pair of socks but I. Must. Finish. Monkeys. First.

Oh baby!

WIP Wednesday is here, and I’m not forgetting Yarn Along this week either, like I did last time.  I have to admit I’m kind of forcing myself to blog.  I actually have things to blog about, but I have apparently been bitten by the anti-blogging bug this week.    After this post, I’ll still owe everyone a post about the Wollmeise sale, that was pretty awesome by the way.

Mifflin posed nicely.  I’m sure the words running through her head weren’t so nice.

I’m going to start with the book I’m reading.  And it’s all A Tangled Yarn‘s fault.  Or I guess I should say I should thank her.  Being here in Germany we aren’t always up-to-date on the newest media.  Including books…..and movies.  I started reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  I had seen the book cover a few times (mainly when I was in airports traveling home) but didn’t know anything about the book.  I definitely had no idea it was being turned into a movie, let alone just released now.  I’m half-way through and I absolutley love it.  In fact all I want to do is read now, so I can go see the movie.  Then again, I’m afraid to see the movie.  Every book I read that’s a movie too, I always have to see.  But it is never as good.  I’m sure I am not the only one who shares this sentiment?  So tell me why we are always drawn to them? Although I do love the actress Emma Stone.   How much of a difference can a good actor or actress make?

I also have a baby sweater I’ve been working non-stop on.  I think I pretty much have most of my knitting mojo back!  Hurrah!  Knowing we were going to Wollmeise got me in the Wollmeise mood.  I just had to find something to make with my Wollmeise BOB colorway.  It’s just the perfect color for a neutral baby knit!  Finally I decided on the pattern Offset Wrapland.  Since I’m using fingering weight, I found that my gauge was just a bit small, so I decided to just knit the next size up.  Right now I only have 1 sleeve, the button-band and collar left.  It’s named Take Home Sweater in my projects on Ravelry, but I’m rethinking the idea of the baby wearing it home.  We’ll see about that.  I think I have alot of time to think about it!

All my WIPs concern baby at the moment.  The one that has grown the most?  The baby itself!  Which means Momma is growing too!  Look at the size of that belly!  And I’m almost half way through!  Does that mean I’m going to be twice the size by the end?!

Field Trip!

So recently I joined a knitting group on our military post.  It was actually a “Learn how to Knit” class that continued on as a little group of friends.  This group is where I learned how to knit continentally. Since the first class some people have joined and some have left.  As far as I’m considered we not have “official” members, but we of course welcome anyone in the community to join us (with or without knitting knowledge!).   Well, 2 of the members have birthdays around now.  One just had one…..and one has one coming up.  So my friend (of A Tangled Yarn) and I decided we would take these two girls on a field trip to Rohrspatz and Wollmeise.  We explained what Wollmeise yarn was to the girls, said you HAD to go while we are in Germany and off we went!

Now this was my second time going, but first time NOT during their sale.  Which means I had never seen the store so open, and comfy!  It was very nice.  I really, really enjoyed being there once again.  I had a goal of only one skein of Lace-Garn but that didn’t work out well.  I ended up with 3 skeins of Lace-Garn, the colors Mitternacht, Magnolie, and Die Auster, and one skein of Sockwolle in Pitahaya (which I just adore!!).  The other girls were also in heaven!  They walked away with a few skeins of Sockwolle each!

Above is a picture one of the girls took at lunch.  We then walked around the cute town of Pfaffenhof for a bit.  There were alot of cute shops, clothing stores and little restaurants.  We sat down to lunch outside, al fresco style, and a cute little German restaurant.  Then we got some German ice-cream, which is pretty much amazing, before we left.  All in all it was pretty darn close to a perfect day.  If I could erase any part of it, it would definitely be the part where the waitress spilled two beers all over me, but every day can’t always be perfect can it?

A Tale Of Two Yarns

First I’ll explain what you are seeing.  This is the second annual Knitting & Crochet Blog Week hosted by Eskimimi Knits (great blog by the way!  go check it out!!).  Each day from now till next Monday I will be [trying to!] blog.  There is a new prompt each day that is somehow fiber related.  I was unaware of this last year since I wasn’t as active in the blogosphere but apparently there were over 200 participants.  Please feel free to join us and make the event even bigger this year! I’m not quite sure what I will do about my typical WIPW & FOF post, but I will figure it out as it is upon us.   Not only do I enjoy having something to blog about and I am glad that I might get more readers out of this event but I’m mostly excited about reading other new blogs and gaining new knowledge and perspective!  Each day will also have a unique tag so Google search can pick up the posts!  Head over to find out more about Knit & Crochet Blog Week!

Day One: 28th March. A Tale of Two Yarns.

Part of any fibre enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.
Tips: It is a good idea, if possible, to choose a yarn that you adore and a yarn that just didn’t work for you. You do not need to be critical of any yarn if you do not feel comfortable in doing so, but perhaps you came to realise that one yarn wasn’t suitable for a particular project, if possible you could blog about what you have come to learn about choosing the right yarn, or your love of experimenting with fibres.

 

I’ll start with the bad first.  I want to end my post on a high note.  Yarn I loathe?  It’s hard to actually think about hating anything fiber related but there is a particular yarn in my stash which I would prefer to just throw out.  I can’t seem to bring myself to throw out yarn though.  That’s something someone can use to create a new product they might be proud of.  And maybe someone would loves this yarn (*gasp* *cough* *ICK*).  If that’s you I apologize!!!  When I first started knitting I didn’t really know what good yarn was, but throughout these last few years I have definitely become a yarn snob.  When I moved to Germany I had no idea where to get yarn and my husband and I were on a very small budget so I turned to e-bay.  I didn’t know to look for a weight or description of the yarn, I just saw the amount I would get for the cheap, cheap price.  Then I got it in the mail and was like EWWW.  So the yarn in question (below) is being donated to a garage sale they are having on post next week and I am getting it out of my house!

Now for the yarn I love most.  I truthfully didn’t know it was possible to have feelings like this toward an inanimate object.  But sadly, I do. If you are a yarn snob, than it really doesn’t need an explanation. You only need one word: Wollmeise.  If you don’t know what Wollmeise is (are you living under a rock!?!) then you need to go look it up.  Wollmeise is only available in two different weights of yarn lace and fingering, and it pretty much amazing to work with.  The colors are the most deep, vivid colors that I’m amazed I’m not looking at a work of art. Actually, you know what?  I am looking at a work of art when I look at my Wollmeise.  If you can make something out of it, expression is used to make it and it can make you feel than it’s art.  And when I can look at my yarn and it fills me with emotion, and really, well, brightens my day, than it’s art.  I’ve barely knit with my Wollmeise mainly because it’s just so darn beautiful to look at.  I don’t want to make anything with it that I might give away because I love it too much!  And lets face it, I give away 95% of what I make!

 

1st Work In Progress Wednesday

WIP Wednesday, an idea created by Tami’s Amis and Other Crochet .  You can check out the links to everyone participating at her blog.  I discovered this great idea through The Blog Hub group on Ravelry.  I feel like I can finally share what I am working on, since it’s not all baby stuff anymore.  I still have a baby something on the needles though, that has to be finished.  I am very excited about both of my projects this week!

The first I started a few weeks ago, but hadn’t really worked on.  And only one word is needed to describe my excitement: Wollmeise!  Yummy yarn!  And my first time casting some on.  The pattern is Simple Skyp Socks.  I started with a different pattern, but I think it was too simple for my taste.  So I ripped and started these.  I believe the colorway is My Old Blue Jeans but I’m not quite sure since the yarn came from the big “not so perfect” sale, and therefore the colors were not marked.

Next, I have finally cast-on my Citron!   And boy is it addicting.  I mentioned in an earlier post about the SP 15:Refresh swap I participated in that I received some amazing Malabrigo Lace in Col. China colorway.  I love it, and was thinking about making the citron since I saw it!  Then, when reading the pattern, I saw that it actually calls for Malabrigo.  This will be the first time I make something in the actual yarn it calls for. I can’t wait till I’m done with this, and I think it may have even turned me onto lace knitting!

Rohrspatz & Wollmeise

I have a yarn enabler.  Her name is Heather (go check out her new blog A Tangled Yarn).  She is really the only one I know here in Germany who also knits and dare I say it is more obsessed than me!  Well, needless to say she found this yarn shop called Rohspatz & Wollmeise about an hour away, and read about their big sale. Since we don’t have very many shops here, and the shops we do have are not really great ones, we decided to check it out.  Before we planned on going, she heard a podcast about Knit Nation and how the Wollmeise stand was almost stampeded when the doors opened!  Then she looked into the yarn more and found out how amazing it is, and how much of a demand this yarn is in!  When an online shop has it they sometimes sell out in a few hours!  That’s how popular this is.

Well, the first time Heather went I had schoolwork to get done and couldn’t go.  She called me from the parking lot to talk up this yarn!  So of course we both went again 2 days later!!!   Let me just say that walking into this place is overwhelming.  You are hit by a brick wall of color, and you don’t know where to look first.  If you aren’t careful, you don’t even know what you buy!  I put so many colors in my bag, that when I reevaluated them, I was like “I don’t really remember picking this up”.  And the more colors you look at the more you like them and the more you want!!!   I swear I could go in there and spend $1000 with no problem at all.

I have some ideas of what I’m going to make with the yarn I picked out.  And some yarn I was just like, I’ll find something to make!  I’m sure I will keep you updated on what I make with the Wollmeise yarn.  I’ve added it to my stash on Ravelry, but the one problem with this sale is that there were no colorways on the yarn.  This is because it was the not-so-perfect sale. So that means the color may not have been perfect, or the weight was a bit off, or there are a few knots in the skein.  But for the price, this yarn sure was a steal, and I hope they do it again next year!!  I will be ready…..  Here’s some of my favorite colorways I bought.

Here’s my current work in progress.  Remember the sock blank I dyed?  Well I started making socks 2-at-a-time.  I’m almost done with the gusset! This is the first time I have ever knit them this way, and not a single sock on DPN’s.  I’m really loving the way it works and hot the colors are turning out.

Oh My!

Went to Rohrspatz & Wollmeise today!  All I have to say is Oh My Gawwwwdd!!!  The yarn is pretty much amazing!  More tomorrow!