Score at the thrift shop, or: This is f*cking awesome!

Last night after work, I stopped by the local thrift shop just for fun.  I was looking for sweaters that were 100% wool. Partly, I was looking for a felted one that I could cut into pieces and make coasters (which I did!), but I also wanted some to wear.  Sadly, I can't seem to knit them fast enough!

Here's the one I used for my coasters:

It didn't fit me but was slightly felted so I thought it'd be perfect for cutting.  Turns out I was right!

After I'd made a nice stack of them ...

... I thought about crocheting an edge around ...

... but figured out I really prefer the raw edges better.  

I'm not sure what I will do with the rest of the fabric, so if you have ideas, please let me know!

Next up is a 100% wool sweater that DOES fit:

It has been soaked and is now laying flat to dry on my blocking boards.  It'll be really nice to wear. Maybe a teeny bit itchy but hey, that's what long sleeve t-shirts are for! Next time I soak it I will add hair conditioner to the water.  I forgot about trying that little trick until the sweater was all laid out to dry.

In other knitting related news, I tried to um, organize my WIPs today.  This bin looks a LOT better now than it did this afternoon:

I know, right?  There are, um, close to 20 unfinished knitting projects in there.  TWENTY!  That's not even counting the stuff on needles and hooks right now that I'm actively working on. So that gave me an idea for a new plan, which is basically to work on only one or 2 projects at a time.  As I finish one, I'll pull another one out of the bin.  I have also decided for the time being to quit carrying a knitting bag AND a purse around.  Purse knitting will be smallish projects like socks, hats etc.  I have several socks in the works so I definitely won't lack a project to carry around!  Couch knitting will be larger stuff like sweaters.  The big knitting bag will still be put to good use, particularly when I travel, and ESPECIALLY when I'm hanging out with my knitting friends across the state. Those are times when you can never ever ever have too much knitting ... ask me how I know.  On second case, don't. Because I actually don't know what it's like to have too much knitting :-)

Last thing you'll hear from me tonight:  I'm still collecting photos of for the "warm woolies" series -- that is, photos of OTHER people's warm winter knits.  I hope to have another installment in the few days or so.

Until next time!

~mz

Warm woolies

One of the things I love most about fall and winter is scoping out all of the wonderful warm sweaters, hats, scarves, etc that people wear, whether they are handmade or not.  Here's a sweater that I spotted yesterday:

I love the cable patterns and the toggle buttons. The wearer said it's a store-bought sweater, and he liked it so much that he bought another one in a charcoal gray. Stay tuned for more photos of neat knits throughout the season.

In other knitting news, I am *this close* to finishing the blue sweater, and I imagine I can get that all done this weekend. All that's left is to --

• bind off the button band
• make button loops, and sew them on
• add the buttons
• graft underarm seams
• weave in ends

It's also time to shift into high gear on the "finish all the things" project. I decided that I need to make a serious effort to finish many of the WIPs that are piling up. Several pairs of socks, a few sweaters, a couple of hats ... you get the idea.  Just look at that list over there -->.  As a matter of fact, I was looking for some yarn in my stash last night and found a hat project hat isn't even on the list.  Time to whip my WIPs into shape! The plan is to finish as many items as I can by the end of the year and report here. I hope you'll be motivated to plow through your own projects that may be hibernating. And I am counting on you to cheer me on!

But before I settle in for more knitting on this cool, dreary Saturday, there is some housework and other "life maintenance" stuff that has to get done.  Stay warm, guys!

~mz

Great Lakes Fiber Show haul #1

So I thought I would start off NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) with a series of posts about the wooly goodness that came home with me from the Great Lakes Fiber Show on Saturday.  Nevermind that June's theme is NOW -- I'm a procrastinator anyway so maybe I'll get around to NOW sometime later :-)

Anyhoo, this lovely sock yarn is from Creatively Dyed Yarn.

The yarn is called Sami, but unfortunately I don't know the colorway because it's not labeled.  But lemme tell ya, it's beautiful.  Kind of beet red/purple, which I don't have any of in my wardrobe anywhere but it doesn't really matter (sorry I can't get a better picture ... the sun's gone down so there's no natural light).  It will make some lovely socks.  Not NOW because I have a bunch of other WIPs that I need to finish up. Including ...

• Eric's socks.  Currently knitting down the foot of sock #2.
• May baby sweater.  All that's left is to finish up the body and knit the sleeves.
• XOXO scarf for Nyketa.  Maybe if I get my act together I can finish by the end of June.  Especially since she asked for it for Christmas 2009!
• Clapotis.  Beautiful, pink Clapotis knitted in lace-weight Malabrigo.  On size 0 or 1.  Something *really* small.  So yeah, it is pretty much taking forever.  Well, that and the fact that I haven't knitted on it since like, November maybe?  Yeah.
• Top-down pullover for me.  Body's all finished, gotta knit sleeves.  Easy mindless knit, but it's 100% worsted weight wool and it's been in the 80s here lately.  This might go into hibernation until after summer.  But then again, if I just finish it, it will be ready to wear come Autumn/Winter when I'll really need it.
• Thrummed mittens.  I started these just as spring was approaching then it got too warm for thrummed mittens so I put them aside.  Will pick them up in Autumn for sure, and then knit a pair for my Momma.  She lives in the desert southwest so why she wants some wool thrummed mittens is beyond me but I will knit them because she asked!  Better yet, maybe I'll knit some for her next month while I'm visiting.  It'll be a good reason to go to a yarn shop for some Noro Kureyon and roving!

Okay NOW, I'm gonna wrap up this post and get ready for bed.  Unfortunately, my bike isn't ready for me to start biking to work.  I was really looking forward to being able to do that, but I will also enjoy a little extra sleep in the morning.  And the quicker I get to bed, the more sleep I'll get.  Boy do I like that arrangement.  

Ciao for now, talk to you again tomorrow.

~mz