The Blog-a-Day Thing...

Yeah...that isn't working out...I'd rather wait until I have something important to say to everyone than to try to post something and end up with a mediocre half a paragraph. I hope nobody minds...

The Knitting Olympics

So...Knitting Olympics...I can't decide what to knit! I could, of course, try to knock out a pair of socks, but I could also do my first sweater. I want to do a CPH, so it's worsted weight, and I might be cutting out a cable or two that I don't like...but a whole sweater? Suggestions, anyone? Send your pattern ideas!

Yeah...so this counts as the 24th...why do I suck at this so much?

I didn't knit at all today. Really! I spun a bit, made some jewelry, and took tons of jewelry photos. I've finally got the etsy photo thing down.

Pics:

I'm not sleeping yet, so it still counts as the 23rd.

Yarn, no matter how inexpensive single skeins may seem, is not cheap stuff. Yarn is eating my money, and my dear, enabling friends are not helping at all. I just ordered $70 worth of stuff from Knit Picks (some gift yarn, yarn for a shrug, and a bunch of needles I need) and am about to spend another 70 on Peace Fleece. Oh, and my parents aren't helping me pay for prom, so I'm going to need to go on a massive yarn diet after this.

I've decided to "give" myself $2 to spend on yarn for every 15 minutes I spend doing some sort of exercise so that I don't turn into a giant lump this summer. As of this morning, I have $4 to spend, and it's all going toward the Peace Fleece. I'll have to find a way to keep track of this on the blog or something.

Anyway, prom is this weekend, and I am determined to have at least one photo that includes me knitting something...any suggestions for something that might fit into my too-small clutch? I tried fitting a sock, but that didn't work out too well. The actual sock fit in just fine, but the yarn took up too much space. Suggestions, anyone?

Sharing and Follow Up to Yarnevangelism

There's something about knitting...When I meet knitters in person or through Ravelry, it seems that we've all shared information with each other right away that you might never share with an acquaintance. We've talked about our relationships, successful and failed. We talk about our families and the things they do that bug us. We talk at length about the almost embarrassing sizes our stashes have grown to. We talk about how we just don't have as much money as we'd like (to get all the yarn we want, of course!).

I know I wouldn't talk about these things with some person I met randomly on the street or at a party or even online through another site. With that sort of person, I'd talk about general interests or movies or something that really can't go wrong and doesn't delve too deep.

So what is it about knitting that makes knitters feel comfortable with each other as soon as they meet? Is it that we all have something in common? I'm not sure, really...I'd love to hear all of your thoughts.

As for Yarnevangelism, I have recruited one...and he loooves tea!

On that note...WIN!

Yarnevangelism

Today I feel compelled to spread the yarn. I want to teach people to knit. I want to teach my friends to knit. I want to teach my friends' friends to knit. I want them to like it.

I want to go hang out in the coffee shop near school and drink tea while knitting. I would like to fill my "Make Tea Not War" tote bag with yarn and look like one of those obnoxious hipster kids who knits tons and tons of garter stitch scarves with Red Heart and then completely surprise everyone by pulling out an intricate sock or sweater made with gorgeous yarn. I want a quiet, relaxed group of tea-drinking young knitters, and I want them to love Peace Fleece before they've even tried it because, hey man, it's called Peace Fleece. It can't be bad.

I'm back!...uh...with a much needed update that I've been promising for...a while...

Okay, so...update time!

Today I will be telling you about a most benevolent gift given by a most benevolent person! I was talking in a forum on Ravelry, and Beth of WhorlingTides mentioned that she didn't think anyone would want anything from her shop even if she gave it to them for free, and I jokingly said that I'd take anything for free. Then she actually offered to send me a free item from her shop and, when she found out my birthday was coming up, decided to send me an entire package and refused any compensation! I am totally overwhelmed by how kind she is, and I feel awful that I haven't gotten to post about it yet (it's only been like...3 weeks...*guilt*). Anyway! Here are all the goodies she sent:

Angora/Wool/Buffalo art yarn. This is GORGEOUS! I don't know what I want to do with it yet, though. It would make a really nice edging for something. Any suggestions?

Bamboo roving in 5 different colors! I spun this all up into two little skeins, one of pink/green/peach and one of black/white. I'll post pictures of those when I've resolved a little problem caused by me trying to use my arm as a knitty noddy after pulling an all-nighter.

A little bit of handspun bamboo called "Betrothed." This is so soft and shiny and reminds me a little bit of silk. I think I'm going to use it for a lacy pair of cuffs or a necklace if there's enough.

Alpaca. Roving. Need I say more?

Handspun superwash merino in blackish navy and grey. I think I'm going to use this to knit something for my dad. It looks like the sort of colors he'd like, and it should knit up all nice and tweedy.

And last, but certainly not least, mill end roving that she dyed using indigo. This was one of her first experiments with natural dyeing, and she gave it to me! I must say, I'm still overwhelmed by how kind she is! I'm about 3/4 of the way through spinning this. Pictures to follow...eventually...maybe...ehhhhhhhhh...

That said, go buy a million things from her shop because she is a wonderful person who makes wonderful things!

Yeah, so...that's all for now...good night, fair readers!