Fancy Silk Socks

Yarn: Regia Bamboo -- 50/50 Bamboo and superwash wool. Fancy Silk refers to the pattern name -- a la Nancy Bush from the book Vintage Socks. 5 months to knit a pair of socks. Longer than usual because I ripped back the first one from mid-foot to before the heel. You can't see from the picture here (hint -- you can always click on my pictures to get the full size) but there's a vertical lace in the rib that needed to land along side the foot -- I missed the first time and didn't realize it until halfway through the foot.

Stash Reduction: 2 balls (I know, I know socks don't count...)

Now I get to pick out another pair to start. I bought a bunch of patterns at my LYS from this designer. So maybe I'll knit one of those...since the stash diet I seem to have an endless supply in sock yarn, go figure...in the meantime Wendy Knits (see link on sidebar) put a picture of her fridge a few weeks back. I've always thought refrigerators were interesting, so here's mine. Enjoy!

Ribwarmer

Looks more like a vest made from one of those woven mexican blankets. I dug deep into the stash for this project. Some self striping Noro wool blend bought for a ribwarmer. 6 sks. I used a variation that allowed me to knit the two fronts and join them to knit the back in one piece! It's a bit long though. There are several things I think I'd do to make this more...um...wearable; 1) shorten the armhole depth; 2) round out the turns for the fronts and back (like the original pattern); 3) short-row some bust-darts. This would make it more bolero-style and I may even do it sometime soon in a wool silk! It was a bit stiff coming off the needles and it definitely improved once I had it washed and blocked. Very fun to knit -- esp with the striping!

stash reduction: 3.5 sks.

Self striping?

What do you think?
It's one skein of Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb in Purple club. At the top of the picture what the yarn looked like when it was dyed. The colors actually started pooling, not striping and it all started quite by accident. I didn't even notice, focusing instead on the stitch pattern I was trying out here. Don't ask, it's a long story. Anyways when I started to see what was happening it became of game of how long can I keep it going? I don't usually try this on purpose -- in fact I abhore pooling in any other project, but this? I think it's cool!

Stash reduction: 1 sk

Pink Cashmere

Isn't it lovely? Art Yarns Cashmere 5. Soft, buttery, and oh so pink with subtle hints of tan. Worth falling off the wagon? Almost,... A couple weeks ago I was at a yarn shop in Capitola. I wandered around with a mental inventory of my stash. Everything I touched I either already owned or owned the equivalent. (that's why we're on a yarn diet, remember?) The store is a refurbished house so there are rooms that are interconnected with doorways and hallways. I went round and round looking for something, what I'm not sure. While I was "shopping" a biker dude walked in. I say biker dude so you could have a mental picture, think black leather and boots. He was rather large, older with medium length wavy gray hair. He had a salt and pepper beard. He was looking for yarn for his knitter to make him a very special scarf. It had to be soft. He followed a staff person around who handed him various skeins of soft fluff in deep grays and blues. With each new possibility he shook his head, and continued to follow her around. Meanwhile I had found 2 skeins of this cashmere and held it contemplatively in my hand. He saw me, stopped and said in the softest voice, "That's so beautiful, is there more?" I looked at him and said, "It's pink," knowing what he was looking for himself. He replied, "I know and it's sooo pretty". I tilted my head, "You want this?" He nodded eagerly. I thought about it for a second. Possession is 9/10's and all, by rights it was mine to purchase, all $90 of it. But then the image of a biker dude, this biker dude, going down hwy 1 with a pink cashmere scarf tucked under his leather jacket flashed through my head. Hey, trust me, no one's going to cross this guy over his pink scarf. I smiled, and handed over the skeins.

We Interrupt this Knitting Blog...

To bring you a day at the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, CA. The girls took the tour through the candy factory, tasted their favorite flavors and shopped for gifts.

We've been to the factory once before on the way up to visit the cousins in Reno, NV. It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive just to the factory, and this time it was our only destination, you see there was this special event...

Longaberger was there,

and we made a basket.