This is mostly a knitting blog. Sometimes pictures of things I've made, sometimes not. I'm a guy who knits, I usually attend a men's stitch 'n' bitch on Monday nights, and I prefer natural fibres to artificial ones. I have a love-hate relationship with bamboo yarns: I love what they can do and how they look, I hate how they are made. I've been knitting since about 2003, though I really didn't get into it until 2005, while convelescing with a broken leg. I must have discovered something good, 'cause I'm still knitting years later.

Monday, March 25, 2013

New Bins

I know I said that I was going on a yarn diet this year, but the well laid plans of mice and men oft gang awry. And man, have my plans gone totally awry.

I have had to buy some new bins to hold my yarn.
Three of these four bins are now filled with yarny goodness. One of them actually is holding my projects-in-process, two hold yarn, and one holds, well, nothing quite yet. But I thought it might be a good idea to get an extra bin, in case I need it.

In other news, I finished another Noro striped Scarf, for my friend Carlene.
This is done in Kama, probably the softest Noro I've ever knitted with, and is:
26% wool
25% alpaca
25% silk
12% cashmere
12% angora.

The colours are muted, but I like it. However, even though this is four skeins, there are only 75 metres on each, so the scarf is just about four feet long. Now I need to get it to her!

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Red Line Yarn Crawl

I haven't had much time to blog recently, because I've been knitting so damn much!

Right. And if you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you.

I've had some set backs in the Ameeta scarves I'm making in Malabrigo Rios. The purple one is coming along quite nicely, but the teal one, well, I think I skipped a row about six inches back, and I've turned the RS into the WS and the WS into the RS. Not good. Not good, at all. So I need to frog that. I've put them aside for the nonce, since I do not like contemplating ripping out six inches of knitting. I might need a glass of wine for that one. I have finished a striped scarf in Noro Kama, and I like it. After I've sewn in the ends I'll post a picture of it. Plus, the fibres can't be beat: 26% wool, 25% alpaca, 25% silk, 12% cashmere, and 12% angora. It really is the softest Noro I've ever encountered, and there were only two knots in four skeins! I think that might be something of a record for Noro.

I made it to the Red Line Yarn Crawl yesterday, and hit Mind's Eye Yarns and Stitch House. Windsor Button Shop wasn't sure if they'd still be open for the Crawl, since they will soon be closing their doors, apparently forever. Which really sucks. But I made it to the two stores that were participating and got some yarn at both of them. More Noro Silk Garden to make yet another striped scarf (I know, I keep saying I am not going to make any more of them, but the colours are so enticing!), and some Rowan Pure Life yarn, in Black Welsh, which is a brilliant coffee brown. I'm thinking a sweater.

I have been perusing Ravelry and looking at shawl patterns. With the Neighborhood Fiber yarns I got in Pennsylvania, I am thinking stripy shawls.  I will need to get one more skein in order to make thre shawls, but I will probably call Forever Yarn and see if Yan has the colour I need, or if she can get it.

This is the shawl I'd like to make with the Neighborhood Fiber.
Ravelry information can be found here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/trilinear

I've got some busy times ahead of me, what with knitting, frogging, re-knitting. It's a wonder a body has time to go shopping for yarn!

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

I Ain't Askin' For Much

Today's post is made with apologies to ZZ Top.

I been up, I been down.
Take my word, my way around.
I ain't askin' for much.
I said, Lord, take me downtown,
I'm just lookin' for some Tosh.


With the immanent closing of the Windsor Button Shop in Boston, I've been buying some yarn. Madeleine Tosh, to be exact. Well, some other stuff, too, but the Tosh works with the song, see? In fact, I did my very best to clear out their collection of Tosh, and add it to my stash. In fact, I totally blew my yarn diet. Which brings me to the next verse.

I been bad, I been good,
Dallas, Texas, Hollywood.
I ain't askin' for much.
I said, Lord, take me downtown,
I'm just lookin' for some Tosh.


While I didn't go to Dallas or Hollywood, I was bad, and barely good, and I did make a couple of trips to Windsor Button "just lookin' for some Tosh."

At least four hanks of Moorland, in DK weight.

Only showing two here, but four hanks of Ink, in DK weight.

Two hanks of Lolita, in DK weight. I'm  not even sure what I'll do with this, but whatever it is, it'll be good.

Three hanks of Huechera in DK weight. I'm thinking this will make an awesome shawl.

One hank of Cousteau, in DK weight. I might combine it with. . .

. . .The one hank of Manor (in DK weight). I think these two will look good together. And if not, well, there's plenty more Tosh out there.

There were other purchases at Windsor. Some alpaca, some Malabrigo Rios, and a few other things. But this is a post about Tosh. Madeleine Tosh.

Take me back, way back home,
Not by myself, not alone.
I ain't askin' for much.
I said, Lord, take me downtown,
I'm just lookin' for some Tosh.




The lyrics to Tush were written by Frank Beard, Bill Gibbons, and Dusty Hill.