Yarn in the Mail – Another First

Well it finally happened.  I finally ordered yarn from an online retailer.  As a person who generally considers online shopping the greatest thing since sunscreen, my reluctance to buy yarn online might seem weird.  I was actually forced into the purchase because I did not have enough yarn to finish the bulletproof poncho.  So last weekend I ordered the Tahki Baby from Webs for the poncho.  Since I was getting that I also ordered some red Valley Yarns Huntington to make my first pair of socks, oh, and some patterns. 

A few days later it was exciting to find the package stuffed in the mailbox.  It was easy and convenient.  But it is not something that will become a habit.  First, because I am neither a yarn stasher, nor a fast knitter, my yarn needs are pretty small.  Second, I am lucky enough to have access to a number of great brick and mortar yarn shops.  These shops need the support of customers to survive and I think that a great part of the joy of knitting is going to yarn stores and finding both the yarn and the inspiration.  For yarn that I am familiar with and/or cannot purchase locally, buying online is a great resource.  But otherwise, I want to support my LYSs as much as I can. 

I specifically did not order the needles I need for the socks.  So it is off to an LYS in the near future.  Hopefully, one of them will have the needle size I need.  Otherwise, I will be tempted to order needles from KnitPicks and that will be opening a whole other dangerous door.

Shopping

A new yarn store opened near me that is accessible by public transportation. Woo-who!!!

Yesterday I went shopping with my Dad and Hub.  We are quite the unlikely trio of shoppers.  We bought a 20 foot long pipe, a pipe cap, 250 pounds of cement, metal straps, raisins, hummus, pita chips, peanut butter, Pam, pork chops, a jacket, and computer stuff.  Clearly this shopping trip covered at least three different projects.  If you can guess what the project involving the metal pipe and hardware store type stuff is, then well, you are officially a smarty-pants in my book.

You will note the absence of yarn or yarn related items from that list.  No, I have not made it to the new yarn store yet.  What kind of a knitter am I?!?!?!  I know I am lame.  Right now I am experiencing a compulsion to knit something on size 8 circulars.  For some reason only circulars will do, even though the item is not going to be knit in the round.  I have nine, yes nine, sets of size 8 needles: five sets of straights made out of an assortment of metal and wood; two sets of dpns made out of wood; and two circulars.  Of course, I cannot find either of the size 8 circulars and am busy ignoring the other seven sets of perfectly good needles.  Yeah, I can be fickle.

Another Reason Why I Am Not Much of a Yarn Stasher…

Yes, I know this post would be better with pictures, but the camera and computer are still not on talking terms. [As of 10/22/08 the camera and computer are now communicating so I have added a picture.]

The front of the “So Many Ponchos, So Little Time Poncho” (a.k.a. the bulletproof poncho) from The Yarn Girls’ Guide to Beyond the Basics is now done.  I am using Tahki Yarns Baby, which is a lovely yarn but a little too warm for me to work on in the heat of the summer.  Now that the weather is a little cooler, it was time to pick this up again.

Once I was done with the front I realized that I do not have enough yarn to finish the back.  Actually, I was amazed at how the front part just seemed to suck up the yarn.  This is the first time I have ever used a Tahki yarn and I am hoping the fact that I cannot find additional yarn in the same dye lot will not matter.  Of course, had I knit up this yarn not long after getting it I would have realized the problem and could have probably gotten yarn in the same dye lot.  Drats! 

I am also concerned that this is just not going to fit right.  The front and back parts are knit separately and then seamed together.  Each part starts at the bottom with two stitches and then you increase until you reach the maximum width and then decrease until you have twenty stitches.  It looks like a stingray.  I am worried that it is not going to fit me in the shoulders.  I checked for errors for the book and none were indicated for this pattern.  I checked ravelry and it seems that no one there has knit the pattern.  So at this point I am just going to trust the pattern.  If it turns out it does not fit right then I will just cross that bridge when I come to it. 

Other than the lack of yarn and fit concerns, I am loving this pattern and yarn.  Right now I have the completed front draped across a chair in the dining room.  I keep pausing to fondle it when I walk by.  It is a quick and easy knit.  It was silly of me to have been nervous about knitting this up.  The cable has a lovely sculptural quality that really suits the super chunky yarn.  The pattern calls for Karabella Brushed Alpaca but the Takhi Baby is a great substitution. The yarn both feels fabulous and looks great.  I would love to adjust the pattern to make this into a throw but it would be a ridiculously expensive throw.

Baby Hat Jag

 

I went through a baby hat knitting jag and made three little pink basket weave hats from the book, A Passion for Knitting.  I would post pictures but our computer is having some issues so sadly, until I finish fixing the problems, no cute baby hat pictures. [As of 10/22/08 some of the computer issues have been resolved so I have added a picture of two of the three hats].

The jag started with knitting a hat for my friend’s niece and just kept going.  The basket weave hat pattern calls for it to be knit flat.  Since I hate seaming I tried to convert the pattern to being knit in the round.  That was spectacularly unsuccessful.  Finally  I gave in and knit each one flat and seamed them up.  Because I was unsure of the right size for my friend’s niece and my own niece, I made three different sizes.  But my little niece is very teeny and even the smallest hat did not fit her well.  I thought the jag was over but I think I need to get reinspired to knit an even smaller hat.  Good thing the pattern is flexible enough to make resizing it simple.

I am an Auntie!

I am quite excited because I became an Auntie on Friday!  Some of my friends have lots of nieces and nephews but I am an only child so this is my first niece.  Yay!!! 

Friday was a crazy day.  I ended up passing a Michael’s craft store.  Ever since the Ragg Shop went bankrupt I rarely go to a craft store.  On my way home I was determined to go to that Michael’s to pick up some yarn for another project for my niece.  This required quite a little detour. Well I finally got to the Michael’s and had some cash to burn.  But none of the yarn inspired me  Apparently I have become a yarn snob when it comes to this little girl.

The Smart Car

My neighbors bought a Smart Car this week.  It is as if Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and their cute kids moved in next door.  People are constantly coming by and oohing and aahing over it and taking pictures.  My neighbors are outside all the time washing it and showing it off.  IT IS absolutely adorable.  I just want to pat it on the fender and pinch it’s little tires.  I am tempted to start calling it “Shiloh.” 

You would think that after a few days the hoopla would die down.  However, as we are located in between a bus stop and train station and near a great bakery, there is a constant stream of new admirers.  May be I should start selling pictures of it.  

The most embarassing thing about all this?  A few weeks ago I saw a Smart Car when I was walking home from a local diner with my cousin.  I forced my cousin to stand next to that cute little car and I took a picture.  So I have to admit that I am just like all the gawkers wandering down my block.  But yeah, it is really really cute!