Y@rn P0rn Friday . . . Discontinued Edition

Is it unfair to feature a discontinued yarn on Y@rn P0rn Friday?  If it is, then I’ll apologize in advance.  But I’m doing it anyway.  I received this pretty yarn years ago as a gift from Keohinani in Hawaii.  (Unfortunately, I don’t think she blogs anymore.)

Sorry for the dark picture, we've had very little sunshine here this week.

Zen Yarn Garden Merino Sock in the colorway Tuxedo Royale.  Although this yarn isn’t available anymore there are plenty of other pretty Zen Yarn Garden yarns to choose from!



The colors of this yarn remind me so much of a pink and gray phase I went through in Junior High or High School.  I vividly remember my favorite outfit.  Gray corduroy pants, a light pink button down shirt with 3/4 sleeves, and a pink and gray argyle vest in the exact colors of this yarn.



Too bad I don’t still have that pink and gray outfit . . . . because now I could knit some snazzy socks to go with it!

Y@rn P0rn Friday . . . Stitch n Pitch Edition

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done Y@rn P0rn Friday.  Since projects haven’t exactly been flying off  my needles and onto my blog, I’m thinking Y@rn P0rn will 1) give me something to post about and B) help inspire me to knit up some of those lovely yarns in my OMGsoFlippinHuge modest stash.

Today I’m taking the easy (lazy) way out and showcasing the yarns I received in my Stitch n Pitch goodie bag.  After all, they’re the newest yarn and therefore not buried in the recesses of my stash.  (Say, speaking of Buried, have you seen the trailers for this movie!!  Wow!!!!  Limited release in select cities today!  In theatres nationwide on Oct. 8th.  SEE IT!!  Confession time: My good friend's husband wrote the screenplay.  But it seriously looks like an amazing movie - and who wouldn’t mind seeing Ryan Reynolds on screen the whole time?)  Ahem, back to the yarn talk . . . I also needed to take pictures so I can add it to my Ravelry Stash page, making the yarn a no-brainer for YPF.

Enough chatter.  Let’s get to the P0rn!!


 Mmmmmm . . . . looking yummy.  Let’s take a closer look, shall we?


Three . . .  count ‘em . . . . THREE lovely skeins of zealana eco (yes, that does say 20% possum) in a lovely brownish purple shade named 112.  Because nothing says brownish purple like the numbers 1, 1 and 2, right?  Funny thing is the website lists color names but not numbers.  I'm guessing my skeins are boysenberry, or perhaps dark earth.


And two gorgeous hanks of AslanTrends Glaciar Del Cielo in a very pretty pinkish colorway descriptively named 2655.  Although it is also called Orchid on the web-site, which makes me happy.  I like to know actual names of my yarn colors, as opposed to the numbers.  I’m demanding like that!

So there you go.  My newest pretty yarn.  Next week, maybe I’ll highlight an older skein that’s Buried (shameless plug again!!) deep in the bowels of my stash.  Any requests??

Hey look . . . .

pretty yarn and a cute cat card!!!  Not that I would try to use them as tactics to distract you from the fact that I haven't blogged since *mumble hmmmrf cough*.  That would be wrong.  But the yarn sure is pretty, isn't it???

I got it for my *mumble hmmmrf cough* birthday which was *mumble hmmmrf cough* ago.  Does it make you forget that aside from not blogging, I also haven't really knit since *mumble hmmmrf cough*.

Because I'd never try to throw you off with ploys of that sort.  Nope, because that would be really really wrong. 

But did you see the cat on my birthday card????  Sooooooo cute, huh?

Y@rn P0rn Friday . . . Rocking Prize Edition

Hey, what do we have here??

This deserves some closer inspection!!

A while ago I won a contest over at Melissa's blog.  Well, to be completely honest, I didn't even realize it was a contest!!  See, she signed up for a charity run for St. Jude's and I contributed.  Out of the goodness of her heart, she drew a name from all of her contributors to win a prize.  And the name that came out was mine!  Look what I won!

Socks That Rock!!!

That's right! A gorgeous skein of Socks That Rock Lightweight.  The colorway is called Rainforest Jasper and I couldn't love it more.

Beautiful shades of turquoise on one end.

Lovely earth tones on the other end.

Thank you, Melissa, for the lovey prize. I can't wait to cast on a pair of socks with it!!! Although it looks like I may have a bit of trouble getting it away from a certain someone who is also quite taken with it.

Mine, mine, mine, all mine!!!!

Remembering Rhinebeck . . .

I know I'm a bit late with my Rhinebeck Recap post, but some things around here have kept me off-line during the end of October.  Things like finishing up my class, busy weekends, some not-so-good family news, out of town guests and being sick on the couch.  You know, life stuff.  That's okay though, because now I get to relive Rhinebeck all over again.  This was my favorite Rhinebeck of the three I've been to, so I don't mind going back in my time-machine one bit!

Part of what made it perfect was the weather.  Mr. Mean-Weather-Dude had been forecasting rain and snow.  So not nice!  Don't they know what Rhinebeck means to a knitter?  Luckily, he couldn't have been more wrong.  It was cold and the clouds came and went, but there was no rain or snow at all.  As usual, the ride up was gorgeous.

Instead of just buying yarn willy-nilly like I usually do, I actually did some Pre-Purchase planning this year.  I spend the day before Rhinebeck going through my Ravelry queue and matching up stash yarn with queued projects.  Then I made a list of projects that I didn't have suitable yarn for and printed out their yarn requirements.  As usual, quite a haul followed me home but most of it was bought with specific projects in mind. You can click on the picture if you need to know what's there RIGHT NOW! Or keep reading and I'll tell you more.

It's become "tradition" for me to go directly to The Fold's booth the minute I pass through the admission gate, and this year was no different.  The booth is always crowded but I was pleased to see I had arrived early enough to avoid the long line of people just waiting to get INTO the booth like last year.  I was also thrilled to see a big selection of mill-ends waiting.  In other years, the mill-ends were mostly gone by the time I got there.  I picked out two gorgeous skeins of light-weight for only $14 each.

Then I hit the medium-weight section, where I selected a skein called Korppi and a skein called Green Eyed Monster.  Color-coordination is NOT a strength of mine but I'm hoping these will look pretty together when knit into a Chevron Scarf.

As usual the line was LONG and I was feeling really dizzy? Excitement of Rhinebeck? Too many yarn fumes? Nope - the culprit was a dangerously low blood sugar. My prince of a husband stood in line for me while I sat on a bench with some emergency candy. It took about a half-hour for him to get through the line, but luckily my blood sugar was back up to a safe level and I was ready to go!

Our next stop was Jennie the Potter's booth.  Every year I stop by and admire her creations.  Every year I lust after the yarn bowls and mugs.  Every year I run out of money before getting back to purchase any.  This year, I bought them right away.  I was nervous about breaking something during the day, but they wrapped them up well and the four skeins of STR I had just bought were the perfect padding!

Like my coffee mug?  Okay, okay, it's not really supposed to be a coffee mug.  It's supposed to be for holding straight needles.  But I have my morning coffee in a MUG - and the actual coffee mugs available are never large enough for my mammoth cup of coffee.  So I've been using a needle holder as my coffee mug every morning.  Problem solved!

Next up, some very exciting plans. Meeting up with Amanda Cathleen for an early lunch!!  Of course, having just eaten a load of Sour Patch Kids to combat that pesky low blood sugar didn't leave me very hungry, so I just enjoyed a coffee and the wonderful company of Amanda and her mom.  I've been following her blog for years and I was thrilled to finally get the chance to meet her in person.

The rest of the day is a bit of a blur of yarn and food and yarn and crowds and yarn. I wrestled back into Building B and its crowds just long enough to find a skein of Brooks Farms Solo Silk for a Darkside Cowl.

We waited far too long in line for lunch, making me sorry that I hadn't been hungry earlier when the lines were shorter. We saw a cute little bunny in a basket.

I scored some gorgeous Mousam Valley Organic sport-weight from A Touch of Twist. Hopefully this will someday become a Gathered Pullover.

No, I didn't pick gray because that's the color they used in the magazine. I actually fell in love with a gorgeous chocolate brown colorway, but there wasn't enough of it left to knit the sweater. *sob sob* I debated buying it anyway and looking for another project for it. In the end I did the smart thing and chose the colorway that actually had enough yarn from my queued project.

Of course, there needs to be one impulse purchase, right? Mine was made at the Still River Mill booth.

Cashmere!!! And a Bamboo/Yak/Merino blend!!!  So soft and luscious I just couldn't resist!  I'm not sure what they will become.  Maybe a couple of cowls? Some soft mitts?  I have no idea but I'm more than happy to just enjoy them and pet them and love them until inspiration strikes.

We rounded out the day by sampling the Artichokes French for the first year (and we'll be having them every year from now on) and perusing the wine selections.  A bottle of wine followed Pete home - which is becoming another yearly tradition.

Right before we headed out the door, we ran into Jessica of Zarzuela Knits and Crochets. It's always great to run into her. This time was even greater because she happened to mention that no one had won her contest yet - prompting me to scream out "He Who Juggles Fire"!!  It was so worth the odd looks I got from on-lookers (including my own husband) because I was rewarded with this!!

A shawl kit from Morehouse Merino! I'm one lucky knitter, aren't I?

And that's it.  Another Rhinebeck is over - but as I said, I think this was my favorite year yet.   What made it so special?  The luck we had with the weather?  The friends, old and new, that I ran into?  The wonderful yarns?  The long coveted yarn-bowl and mug that made their way home with me?  The prize kit?  Spending a day with Sweetpea?  I have a feeling it was all of those things rolled into one!

Yarn and Fiber causes colds?

Nope, I know it's not true.  Sure, I'm on the couch suffering from a cold - but it can't be from Rhinebeck, can it?  Ah well, even if my cold was caused by Fiber Overload, it was worth it!  Here's a quick rendition of my day, in pictures.

The ride up is always nice, with little traffic and wonderful scenery.  

Okay, maybe Pea looks like he was dreading the day!!

First stop (after a frantic run to the Ladies Room after drinking a large coffee on the way up) was The Fold booth, and it's wall of Socks That Rock!!

I managed to find a few that wanted to come home with me.

Where to go next? I know, lunch!! Mmmm, pierogies. My Polish knitting grandmother would approve!

We saw this little bunny. He was so cute I was tempted to bring him home with us.

The rest of the afternoon? Yarn, yarn . . .

. . . and more yarn.

And some wine tasting for Sweetpea. You don't think he goes to Rhinebeck for the yarn, do you?

And now, I'm stuck on the couch with a stuffy head, a sore throat, and plenty of aches. So does yarn and fiber cause colds? Maybe it does. But I don't mind. I simply take a look at the skeins that followed me home . . .

and I know I'd do it all again in a heartbeat!!

What other knitters did I bump into in my travels?  Details on my February Lady Sweater?  More about all the yarn I bought? Let's save that for next time - after I've had more chicken soup and rest.

Yarn P*rn of the Week - Spring Break

Claudia Hand Paint Fingering
Spring Break colorway

Okay, it's not exactly Spring.  In fact, in a few days it will officially be Fall.  And it sure feels like Fall this morning (which means I can wear hand-knit socks again - whoopee!!).

I didn't buy this yarn on Spring Break either.  I bought it back in July on my Family Reunion.  


I think the gorgeous colors in this yarn will get me through the long, cold winter with thoughts of spring and reminders of my great vacation in July!!

Vacation Yarn P*rn - The Lace-weight

You've seen the "group picture" of the yarn that followed me home from vacation. How about a closer look? It was all sock yarn, except for one lonely skein of lace-weight. I found it at the first yarn store we visited, Knitting Sisters. It is a beautiful store, bright and spacious, and filled with the most delicious yarn. It was hard to choose. Until I spied a skein of lace-weight that reminded me of a purple iris.

The colors are deeper than my picture shows - some day I need to learn either how to take a better picture or how to do a better job color correcting. Anyway, the yarn is by Prism Yarn. The colorway is actually called Tumbleweed, and a more accurate picture is here.

I'd never heard of Prism Yarn before, and it was hard to choose just one skein because the colorways are so gorgeous. Just take a look! And that's just their lace-weight yarn. In the end, I couldn't resist the purples, greens and browns in this skein. It's got a generous 1460 yards, so I should have enough for any pattern I choose. Suggestions anyone?

Vacation knitting

As any knitter knows, the most difficult part of packing for vacation is deciding what knitting projects to take. I knew I'd be bringing the new knitting bag that my mom gave me for my birthday. And it can fit quite a bit. First in was Hypoteneuse. And the Malabrigo socks. But I needed something else. I certainly wasn't going to drag that big wool sweater down to Virginia in July. I needed something new . . . . something mindless . . . . something SOCKS. So I turned to the sock yarn stash.

Yikes!!!!! With a stash of that embarrassingly massive size, how does one pick?? Well, I dug deep down and came up with two skeins of self-striping that has long since been discontinued.

About time to cast these on, I'd say. After all, it's so pretty.

There wasn't much time for knitting on our vacation (and the heat and humidity didn't help) but I did manage to make a little progress.

Yup, I think it's a keeper!

Good to be home . . .

I guess I'm not the adventurous type, because it sure does feel good to be back home from vacation. Don't get me wrong, we had a wonderful time. But I'm always happy to get home, get the fridge stocked, get the laundry washed, and get back to "normal" life.

Our trip was to Colonial Williamsburg for a Family Reunion with my mother's side of the family. I was sure I had gotten a shot of the 25ish of us all posing together, but I guess my camera was hidden away when the picture was taken. Hopefully some relatives will upload their copies soon! The best I can do is a picture of me and my brother at Jamestown, with my aunt and uncle in the back.


How can you tell that's me, and that we are related? Why, by the way we are both desperately trying to ignore the camera (and Pea) in the hopes of not getting our picture taken!! Our conversation probably went something like this:
"Is he gone yet?"
"Nope, still there."
"Well for goodness sake, don't look - and certainly don't smile!"
"Why doesn't he just go take a shot of the scenery?"

Speaking of scenery, Virgina is gorgeous. Very very hot and very very humid, but also very very pretty. See . . .


Oh my, what's that in the left corner? Could it be a yarn shop? Why yes, it is a yarn shop!! In fact, we found a few yarn shops while there. And some yarn happened to follow me home, along with some beads and a sheep.


No silly, not a real sheep. Although that would be cool, wouldn't it? We'll have to see about that for the next vacation souvenir!!

Yarn P*rn - not just for Fridays!!!

Admittedly, I'm running a bit behind these days. My brother is here from Colorado for the first time in a few years. Pea is officially on vacation this week. And it's time for some fun. I had hoped to pre-write a few posts to keep things rolling on the blog while I'm off "playing" - but I seem to have run out of time.

But before I go, I wanted to make time to show you the gorgeous yarn I won in a blog contest over at The Plucky Knitter.

It's called Perfect Weekend. And it's so perfect, I think we need a closer look.

Doesn't Sarah do an amazing job with her colorways? "Perfect Weekend" is going to make a perfect pair of socks! Thank you, Ms. Plucky!!!

And with that, I'm off for a perfect vacation!! See you next week!